Ending Approaches!

Thanks for everyone who has been reading and reviewing. It's a great help!

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When Kim recognized the form coming towards her, she bolted off the bench and tried to find somewhere to hide. She had only gotten about fifty feet when Tommy caught up to her and grabbed her in a bear hug from behind.

'Let go of me' she said

'I can't do that' Tommy answered. 'We need to talk. I know you saw that video too and witnessed my reaction and we need to talk about it.

'No Tommy' Kim said. 'I cant keep doing this, its only fair that I have the chance to find someone that will love me for who I am, and not look for any reason to throw me under the bus again.'

'Look Kim. I know that you think that this can never work, but I love you and-'

But Kim cut him off 'but love will never be enough with us anymore. I can't always walk on eggshells and you just love what we had, not what we have now. What we have now is just a nostalgic visit down memory lane that has shown us that we would have broken up anyways.'

Tommy was so shocked at her statement that he immediately let go of Kim and stepped back. She started towards the bistro she had been a regular at to try to see if she could call Jason, but those were her last thoughts before the exhaustion, remnants of the poison, and lack of food caught up with her and a black void obscured her vision.

Tommy had about three milliseconds to step forward and catch Kim before he head would hit the ground. He picked her up and went to the secluded area he had teleported in to and had Jason teleport them back to Reefside. The look on Jason's face when Tommy and Kim arrived showed that he had heard the conversation, and was inclined to agree with Kim about it.

Tommy let Jason handle Kim knowing that he needed some time to think and be alone to figure out what was going on in his head. He left for the woods and went on a brutal jog and workout session before returning to the house. When he returned, he found the house empty and a note waiting for him from Jason.

Bro,

Obviously, there is no you and Kim anymore so I am going to stay at her place with her until she is better, just try and be civil at the wedding

Jase

Kim awoke feeling groggy and ravenous and could have kissed Jason when he came in carrying a tray of juice and scrambled eggs with some dry toast. She hardly tasted the food, but it was certainly what she needed.

'Thanks Jase' she said gratefully.

'No problem lil sis' he answered. Watching her sleep and intermittently calling for Tommy and railing against him while she was running a fever had drained Jason, and he hated seeing his lil sister hurting this way.

'Can I maybe have something else to drink' Kim said, finding it hard to talk through the dryness in her mouth. After a glass of water, she looked at Jason, and started crying.

'Come here kimmie-cub' he said. He just sat there and held her as she let all her frustration and sorrow from the past days come out.

Some minutes and a bout of hiccups later, Kim was calming down enough to talk to Jason.

'I don't know why I'm so sad' she said. 'It's all over, and I've been there and knew we could never be together again, so why did I go and let myself fall for him again?'

'I don't know what to tell you' Jason said. 'Maybe you should tell him what you just told me and see how he reacts.'

'I can't do that Jason' she answered. 'It hurt enough the first time he rejected me, I just want to go on with my life. It was a little lonely before, but at least I had some happiness' she confessed.

'Just know I love you' Jason answered. 'And that you will be at my wedding in spirit even if you are not there physically. I know Tommy will be there and if you don't want to face him, then that is your option, because Kat and I will understand'

By the time Jason left, Kim was feeling much better and had decided to look in on her gym that her vice president had been running while she was 'out of the office'. She went through her messages and took care of whatever she could, and then started preparing for Monday.

She was checking her inventory of chalk when Connor walked in. He helped her with the bulky case before she realized that she had forgotten to lock the door behind her.

'What can I do for you Connor' she asked

'I was just wondering if you would show me some of those exercises to help my knee. It's almost better, but the katas and things that you were teaching me are really helping me with soccer'.

'Sure Connor' she said, 'just give me a moment to finish this and get into some workout clothes while you stretch and then we can start'.

They worked for two hours on various katas of different styles and levels before Connor had to meet Kira, and Kim saw that her assistant had been doing a great job in keeping up with everything in the gym while she had been away. She wished Connor a happy weekend and went back up to her apartment.

Kim started going through her mail and noticed a fairly thick envelope with a postmark from France. Hastily she opened it and read through a tearstained letter penned by her mother. It said that she had talked to a psychologist and James (the stepfather) and she needed to beg Kim's forgiveness in person. She would be in town from the sixth to the ninth and would wait in the cyber café everyday while it was open hoping she would turn up to accept her apology. Kim looked at her watch and noticed it was the ninth and she had ten minutes to get to the cyber café. She got there at three minutes after it closed and sank into defeat on the sidewalk outside. She got up and started walking back down the street when she heard her name

'Kim?'

'Yeah mom it's me'

'I thought you weren't going to show up'

'I just got back from a trip where I got food poisoning. Mom what do you want?'

'I don't know' Carol answered. 'I love you and I'm really sorry about everything that I did to you.'

'Mom,' Kim said. 'I love you and want to forgive you, but it is going to take time. You ruined the only thing that was going good for me in Florida, and you didn't care.'

'I thought that Tommy was a flighty boy with no care for his responsibilities and would end up being just like your father. I know that is no reason to forgive me, but I did have your best interests at heart.'

'Mom, I just find that hard to believe when you killed something inside of me and almost me as well.'

'I know but I want you to get that back. I don't think you know, but Tommy lives here in Reefside. I'm sure if I can confess to him what really happens, then y'all can get back together and complete each other's souls like you always have.'

'Mom' Kim said. 'Its over between Tommy and me. I talked to him already and even tried to make it work again, but there was never enough there and there isn't anything left, so lets just please drop it'.

'All right Kim' her mother answered dejectedly. 'Do you think that maybe you could come and spend some time with me in Paris?'

'I'll see what I can do' Kim answered

With a somewhat awkward hug, carol dropped Kim off in front of her apartment, and once Kim was inside the apartment, she pulled off to get ready to catch her flight back to France.

Two weeks later

Kim knew she couldn't face Tommy at the wedding, so she scheduled to fly out to France and see her mother and stepfather the day of the wedding. She got her assistant to agree to watch the gym for a month and when she got back, she might let that assistant become a partner. Kim had money saved up from her gymnastics years so that wasn't a problem, and the gym was starting to make a nice little profit, so it was not a problem for her to leave. She left her gymnasium early and headed towards the airport.

Meanwhile at Jason's Wedding

'Hey bro' Tommy said, walking into the groom's rooms. 'Are you nervous?'

'Not a bit' Jason answered, 'I'm ready to just have Kat forever now'.

Tommy inwardly winced at the implication against him. For weeks, he had been trying to build up the courage to call Kim and talk to her, but he had been unable to go through with it. He was at least secure in the thought that she would never miss Jason's wedding, so he would just have to corner her during the day, and talk to her about what he realized in that time they had been apart again.

When the thunder sounded outside, Tommy saw the look of concern flit across Jason's face, before he quickly masked it.

'It's alright bro' Tommy said. 'That's why the service is inside.'

'I know' Jason answered 'but Kim- I mean its just nerve wracking'

'Wait a minute' Tommy said. 'What about Kim, where is she and why are you worried about her'

Tommy really started to feel anxious at the look of guilt and shame etched on Jason's face.

'Kim is leaving to spend some tome with her parents and her flight leaves today in about forty –five minutes'

At this Tommy's head snapped up and a dangerous look came into his eyes

'What do you mean she leaves in forty-five minutes?'

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Well I decided to go climactic storyline so I needed to clear up this last loose end concerning Kim's mom. (Those of you who now hate me…thank my theater teacher for that one…don't ya love those general ed classes you have to take????). I should end this story in the next chapter and want to thank everyone who has been reviewing.

Just so you know…there will be some revealing of what Tommy has been doing, thinking, and feeling in the next chapter.