Hi people, I won't say much here but this chapter goes out unbeta'd. I'm a bit impatient to post this chapter, it's possibly the longest of this story so far but I've just finished writing chapter44 so I'm going to try and post quicker because I'm excited to get your feedback.
Enjoy
No one says anything as Rick slowly lets his daughter go, she senses that she doesn't want to know what was said on the tape and instead takes Kate's hand in hers before hugging the woman, It's Kevin that speaks first, his voice quiet but a smile on his lips.
"You always keep your word don't you? even when you have no idea that you said you would."
"Yeah well, I remembered just in my subconscious."
Kevin is about to respond when another video begins, set a few years later it shows a young Katie running around the garden, a even younger Kevin chasing her. In sync every woman watching sighs as the girl picks up a cop hat and sets it on the boys head.
"Now you're a cop, you've got to protect people and arrest the bad guys"
The boy's face lights up at the words and he proudly tries his best salute. The young Kevin puts his head to the side as he looks at his cousin, you can see him thinking something over as she digs through the box of toys.
"Katie?"
"Yeah Kev?"
"What are you gonna be?"
"I don't know, what do you think?"
"You be a cop too, we'll catch bad guys!"
"Nah, only one hat, and anyway I'm going to be a writer person."
"A writer person?"
"Yeah, I can write and I'll make up stuff that people will read."
Once again the young Kevin is thinking about her words, his smile becomes a frown as he replies.
"But you said Lying is bad, that we've always got to tell the truth."
Katie freezes, clearly trying to create an answer that the boy would accept.
"Ok then, I'll tell true stories, about a cop and everyone will know that you gotta tell the truth or bad stuff happens."
Rick chuckles happily at the younger version of his girlfriend, amazed at how such an innocent conversation many years ago holds such parallels with the present. Everyone jumps when a loud noise is heard from the other side of the fence on the video.
The two children are obviously affected by it but there is no adult reaction, this puzzles everyone until Katie picks up the camera and hands it to Kevin,
"Do you remember I showed you how to use this?"
"Uh huh."
"Well follow me, and keep it pointed at me, we're gonna see what happened."
"But Bob said to stay here."
"Bob's asleep, we'll be back before he wakes besides I'm going rogue, we've got to find out the truth, for my first story."
She never gives Kevin any time to reply before she is out the fence and into the street. Kevin follows, the camera semi forgotten in his hand, it shakes as he runs to catch up with Katie. He finds her standing near a bunch of boys, she's half turned back and is about to run when one of the boys notice her.
They're only a few years older than her and are soon trying to circle her, the camera shakes more, Kevin is obviously torn between running to help or going to find an adult.
The boys taunt her, teasing her and telling her awful lies, she can't turn to run and then one of the pushes her and she falls to the ground.
Everyone watching hold their breaths as she stands, blood running down her leg but she doesn't cry like even the adult her expects, she punches the guy while screaming a battle cry.
The boy falls back, his friends stepping back not wanting to abandon their friend but not wanting to hurt the girl. The boy was the biggest of the group and was about to attack her when a hand grabbed his collar.
An older boy stands there, a really tall older boy, the boys flee and as the newcomer lets go of the bully's collar, the boy runs away crying and nursing where Katie had punched him.
The older boy looks down at Katie and speaks softly to her.
"Hey, are you ok? Did those bully's hurt you?"
The image freezes as Martha grabs the remote, everyone is in shock, no one knew this video existed, the person who took it didn't even remember. Kate looks up at Rick as she turns away from the scene, seconds later she is kissing him with all the passion in the world.
No one bothers to reprimand then, not even Alexis, who has just put the pieces together. She looks to her grandmother who has just re-entered the room, a photo in her hand. She passes the photo to Alexis who holds it up to the screen. The boy is Rick.
Javier laughs at the news, it's an automatic reaction.
"Ok so who do you think will be next to arrive in one of these videos?"
Jim laughs, the video had scared the life out of him a few hours later but once he realised who the boy was, he knew that he would cherish it forever. He answers Javier's question, while internally deciding to continue looking through the old stuff.
"I doubt they'll be any more stuff like this, I don't think I grabbed any more videos, and it's getting late, don't most of you have work tomorrow?"
At his words most of the group agree, all looking disappointed bar Alexis who simply accepted it and turned the video on to watch the rest of the clip. As the group watch the first meeting of the now couple, their hearts melt and even the tough Javier Esposito has to admit that the moment, with regards to the situation now, is pretty special.
The people on screen burst to life and the young girl looks up into the blue eyes of the boy and shyly responds.
"My leg hurts, but I'll be fine. Where's Kev?"
"Kev?"
The on screen Rick looks around until he notices the young boy with the camera, smiling he beckons the boy closer until Kevin is sat beside them while Rick looks at Katie's leg.
"Well, I think you'll be fine, what are you doing out here anyway? It's too dangerous for little people like you."
He doesn't get a reply as young Kevin bursts out crying and pointing at his cousin. She looks up guiltily at Rick and answers.
"We heard a noise and I wanted to know what happened, Bob's asleep so I just ran out here and well, Kev followed."
Smiling at her honesty, Rick takes her hand and speaks softly to her, while he calms Kevin.
"It was one of those boys hitting that car, now I know you were just curious but next time stay in the garden, I don't want you getting hurt."
Katie nods, fully intending to do as he said but Kevin is still crying and she can't seem to calm him, he keeps pointing at her leg, the blood drying there. Understanding the problem, Rick carefully picks Kevin up and takes Katie's hand getting her to lead them home. The camera is still in Kevin's hands and catches the conversation between Kate and Rick, all the way back to the garden.
"So do you have name?"
"Katie."
"That's a pretty name, I'm Rick. Who's this guy?"
"That's Kev, he's my cousin but one day he'll be my brother."
"Really, I like his hat, did you help him choose it?"
"Yeah, I've been showing him how to help people"
"Wow, that's good of you, who showed you how to help people?"
"My mum, she's the best, that's what Daddy said and I think so too."
At that moment they arrive at the garden where Joanna stands looking rather relieved at the sight of the children. She takes Kevin from Rick's arms, thanking him repeatedly.
"Oh my, where did you find them?"
"Just round the corner, there was a bit of an incident with some bullies but I stopped that."
"Thank you, would you like to come in, have something to eat for your trouble, I just made cookies."
"It was no trouble, she's a rather enchanting child and I like helping people."
Katie looks up at him as he declines the cookies, she tugs on his hand and gives him her best pleading look as she asks in her sweetest voice.
"But Mummy makes the best cookies, you can't not have one."
The little girl looks at him expectantly as he checks his watch and realises that he can't stop.
"I can't, I've got to go see my mum, I promised I'd be on time."
"Aww. Ok, a promise has to be kept, and you always gotta do what mum says."
The young Katie suddenly gets an idea and tells him to wait a minutes before running off.
Joanna smiles at him as she hears her daughter run into the kitchen and back. The little girl appears on the camera and hands Rick a cookie before hugging him.
"Ok, thank you for getting rid of the bullies, bye bye Rick."
Katie returns to her mum's side as Rick waves bye to Kevin, who waves back happily, eating another cookie that his adoring cousin brought him. The camera shows Rick walking off, sneaking looks back as Joanna notices the camera.
"This is still on, Kevin have you have this with you all the time"
Everyone assumes that he has nodded in response as Joanna begins to talk once more.
"I'll look at this later but lets not tell anyone about this, you're safe now. And you've got a new friend."
The screen goes blank and everyone turns to see Kate curled into Rick's side, hands entwined as they stare one another in the eyes. Jim breaks the silence, knowing that the pair have to talk in private about the video's contents.
"Actually now to think about it, I don't think Katie's ever gone out with a boy with brown eyes, always blue and dark haired. I wonder why that is."
Noticing the time, people begin to disperse. Kate and Rick once again promise to visit the boys in the afternoon while Jim takes the offered spare room. While everyone has been saying their goodbyes, Alexis has fell asleep and Rick carries her up to bed, leaving Kate and Martha alone on the sofa.
Martha is the first to speak, her voice soft with remembrance,
"I can remember him getting home that day, he was so proud as he told me how he stopped those boys and took you home and still got to the show in time. He did seem rather enchanted, I thought nothing of it at the time, and he did mention about the cookie being good. I've never really been one to properly believe in fate, despite encouraging Richard too but after this."
"I can remember his eyes, I've always wondered who's they were and then after we met I just dismissed it…."
Kate falls silent, her mouth slightly open and Martha slightly worries.
"Kate, dear, are you ok?"
"Yeah it's just, He met my mum. And they got along."
Martha smiles knowingly before pulling the woman in for a hug,
"That means the world to you doesn't it?"
"Yeah, I never really thought about it but yeah."
Martha lets go of Kate as she hears her son returning, she says goodnight and makes her exit, knowing that the pair would want to talk about their newfound history.
So feedback would be brilliant, if you like it enough to want more and if enough people tell me, I may have more moments of Kate and Kevin as kids. I just think that he would have been soooo adorable.
Is it obvious that he's my fave character from the show?