DISCLAIMER: I own nothing

*Okay, some more loose ends to tie up (I think you all probably knew this was coming)

But after this chapter we're on to the home straight. There will probably be 2-3 more chapters and an epilogue (which I've already written). I just hope I do these last chapters justice as a massive thank you to everyone for your support x

CHAPTER 28

Standing in his bathroom wearing nothing more than a pair of dark blue, form fitting jeans and a spiky new hair-do courtesy of his own personal barber- Rocky DeSantos, Tommy glanced at his reflection once more and then headed down the small hallway to his bedroom.

The change in hair style may not have been planned but smiling to himself, he had to admit he was quickly growing to like it

Today had been one of the most horrendous days he'd ever endured and although it had to happen, nothing had prepared him for the devastation he had caused to Katherine.

Every time he closed his eyes he saw hers. The tearful blues pleading with him, begging him, the confusion that swam in them had reminded him of his own eyes those days following Kimberlys letter. He found it difficult to believe that after being on the receiving end of that kind of pain he could so quickly be the cause of it

It was done now and it was time for him to move on to the final challenge of the day.

Pulling open his wardrobe door he saw his life in colour. Blocks of clothing in green…white…red and then the black of the last few months. Smiling he pulled a finger along all the top of the hangers as he associated memories with each colour.

Green… Standing in the park, nervously trying to ask Kimberly to a dance.

White… Kimberly passing out as she realised that he was back on the team and back in white this time

Red… The letter…

Pulling all the hangers holding red clothing from the wardrobe Tommy threw them onto his bed and made a mental note to burn them later

Feeling guilt tugging at his heart Tommy had to admit that he felt as though a weight had been lifted off him following his discussion with Katherine and although she probably hated right him now he was sure that in time she would see that he'd done it with the best intentions. He wanted her to be happy, and she would never be happy with him because he would never be happy without Kim

Reaching into his wardrobe again this time he pulled out what felt right… a simple white shirt. Pulling it on and beginning to fasten the buttons, Tommy couldn't help but be drawn into the past

All of his memories of white were accented by pink… every time he had needed her she had been there, every time he had doubted himself she knew exactly what to say to lift him up and every time he had triumphed there had been only one person he had sought out

How things had become so wretched between them he had no idea, all he knew was there was only one person he wanted to see tonight, there was one conversation too important to leave unfinished.

Leaving the top two buttons of his shirt undone and rolling up his sleeves, Tommy splashed himself with cologne, picked up his car keys and headed for the Angel Grove motel

ANGEL GROVE MOTEL

Standing before the slightly open door, Katherine Hillard wiped her tear stained face and prepared for a showdown with the women who had stolen everything from her that meant anything.

Sure, things with Tommy hadn't been perfect but they could have worked things out if she hadn't come back and ruined everything.

Running her hand over her face, she was sure she looked horrendous, just as sure as she was that Kimberly would look fresh and gorgeous as ever, where as in the past she may have been jealous, all she felt now was the need to vent all her fury, hurt and humiliation at the one person she knew was responsible

Deciding against the polite approach, Katherine simply pushed the door open and prepared to start yelling, but was surprised by the sight of Kimberly Hart sitting on her bed in track pants and an over sized sweater, with clothes strewn all around her and a desolate look on her face as she stared at the floor

"You're leaving" It was a statement rather than a question and slowly Kim turned to face her as if moving in slow motion. The tracks of her tears were as obvious as Katherines own

"You're leaving, are you kidding me?!"

Katherine stormed across the room towards the petit figure on the bed but Kimberly didn't move, instead she just looked at Katherine with what could only be described as 'vague interest'

"After all you've done, all the trouble you've caused, you're just getting up and running… again?!"

Turning her head towards the small window, Kim kept her silence as she stared out towards the horizon, there was a world beyond Angel Grove, she'd seen it, she'd lived in it but it had nothing to offer her and yet she was preparing herself to return to it

"When the hell did you become such a goddamn coward?"

Turning her head back towards Katherine in a flash Kim shook her head slightly as she spoke

"You don't know anything about me Katherine, you never have"

"Well I know that you're a precious little princess that throws a tantrum and runs away every time she doesn't get what she wants"

"Well thank you for that character evaluation, now if you don't mind- don't let the door hit you on your way out"

Reaching out a hand Katherine held Kimberly tightly by the cheeks as she seethed

"Oh I'm not going anywhere Kimmie, believe me, I have more than a few things to say to you before you get your ass out of Angel Grove. Oh, and do us all a favour, if you're really going this time- really stay gone because I know I'm not just speaking for myself when I say we are sick to death of these games you insist on playing at all our expenses"

Slapping Kats hand away, Kimberly shot to her feet and both women stood staring at each other for what felt like forever.

Kimberly had no idea what she'd done this time for Katherine to turn up at her motel room and just barge inside, more furious than Kim had ever seen her, more furious in fact than Kim had thought she was capable of being, but one thing was for sure, after the morning she'd had she was in no mood for putting up with shit from anyone

"Okay Katherine, you've got two seconds to tell me what the hell your drama is this time otherwise I am going to kick your lanky ass all the way back to Australia"

"Do you really think you could, I have heels taller than you"

"Two seconds and you find out"

Kimberlys hands were planted firmly to her hips as Katherine crossed her arms over her chest, they'd been working up to this confrontation ever since their encounter at the mall.

Both women were hurting, both were confused and looking for an outlet for their emotional turmoil, unfortunately for the former friends it looked like they were going to be each others way out

"Do you know how much I looked up to you when I first moved here?"

"Do you have any idea how much I don't care? Katherine, from the very first minute you met me you were plotting against me, sure you had the whole 'under a spell' excuse but even after the spell was broken all you wanted was to get me as far away as possible so that you could take from me the one thing that I hadn't already given you. You go on and on about what I've done and what I've taken from you but everything you had, is everything that I gave you. You don't have your own life here in Angel Grove, you have mine. It's like one of those soap operas where one character leaves and the producers just replace them with another actress and hope that no one will notice"

The gap between them was closed a heart beat as Katherines long hand came crashing down against the warm skin of Kimberlys cheek.

Never moving or reacting Kimberly looked deep into Katherines eyes

"You get that one free, try it again…" Her voice was barely a whisper as a cruel smile slid over her lips "I dare you"

Shifting uncomfortably, Katherine took a small step backwards. Her hand stung from her sudden outburst and although she regretted making it physical, her hurt and anger wouldn't allow her to back down. If this was the final battle of The Pinks she was going to show Kimberly that she was never just an also-ran

"Tommy was happy before you came back here"

"Tommy hasn't been happy since I left" Kimberly didn't know if it was the truth but she'd been shouted at and accused enough this week to last a life time. Mostly she'd said nothing because of the weight of her own guilt but for some reason she had chosen now as the time to stand up and say ' I will not take this anymore'

"Are you really arrogant enough to believe that's true, after everything that you've put him through?"

Katherines words were cold and the truth of them hit Kim immediately

"Do you know what you've done, to all of us?"

"Yes, I know, I just had your little side-kick over here driving it all home to me, so if you've come here to give me the 'You've caused enough damage, now do the right thing' speech, save your breath because I just had it off Tanya and look around you Katherine, I'm doing what you all want… I'm leaving"

"Oh… the martyr act again, I have to tell you Kim, it's getting a little old"

"What more do you want from me?"

"I want for you to have never have come back…ever. I want for you to have sent your stupid letter and then disappeared off the face of the earth. I want for you to have given Tommy and I the chance that you took from us the second you came back here"

Kimberlys brows knitted together in confusion as she listened to Katherines words which had started out as angry missiles but were now cooling

"Do you know how angry I am with you, do you know how much I hate you right now?"

Tears were forming in Kats eyes as her voice calmed into nothing more than a angry breeze

"I don't know what it is you think I've done that is so terrible" Kims voice was now completely free of anger yet riddled with confusion

"You've never let him go"

"I tried"

"You keep coming back! every time I think we've moved on, that we've grown as a couple, something happens…"

Katherines voice began to break and she quickly turned her back on her predecessor in an attempt to hide her distress. Her soul was still in knots following her heartbreaking conversation with Tommy, the wounds were too raw, too new to stand up to the salt she knew Kim could pour on her if she chose to

"We can never be free of you… Tommy can never be free of you"

"I'm tired of hurting people Kat"

"AND YET YOU KEEP DOING IT!" Kat turned back to face Kim and the fury she'd displayed earlier was on show again, this time in her eyes "What's wrong with you Kimberly, can you just not bare to see anybody be happy? It's like you don't want Tommy but you don't want anybody else to have him either, you've always got to keep your little chain around his neck, pulling him back towards you when ever you feel like it just to prove to yourself that you can"

"It's not like that at all" and it hurt her to realise that people might think that was what she was doing "I'm not playing games, this is just really hard for me"

"Hard for you?! Kim, this is all because of you" Katherine angrily rubbed away the tears that were now betraying her by making themselves seen "Everything that Tommy has gone through, everything I have gone through, it's all because of you and I hate you so much for it"

Sitting down on the edge of the bed suddenly Katherine dropped her head into her hands

"I hate that you can do this to us" The sobs that she had been holding in, afraid of showing her inner torment, escaped as the enormity of what had happened today finally hit her

"Katherine…" Kim moved tentatively towards the woman she had trusted to take care of everything that she had cared about "Katherine I'm sorry. You're right, I shouldn't have come back here, I was only thinking of myself, I didn't think of the effect it would have on you and Tommy, but I didn't do it on purpose, I didn't want to hurt anyone on purpose" Sitting down next to Kat, Kimberly continued with her apology and explanation. "I just didn't think he would care if I came back or not, I thought he might still be angry with me but I didn't realise what he was going through, I promise I just didn't realise"

Katherines small sobs were the only noise that filled the now silent room

"Do you know when I knew?" Kat forced her voice out through small gulps of air

"Knew what?"

"That I couldn't lose him. The day you and Jason were kidnapped by Divatox. When he saw that it was you…" A small laugh escaped Kats lips " I've never seen such a look of panic on anybodies face before, I tried to reach out to him but I knew then that he was gone and I knew I could never lose him because I never had him to lose. You've always been in his heart no matter how much he tried to convince me it wasn't true or how much I tried to convince myself I always knew- deep down, I just couldn't bare to accept it, I couldn't bare that what I'd fought so hard for, what I'd put all my hopes and dreams into was all lies"

"Katherine…"

Looking up into Kims eyes Kat suddenly realised they were both in the same situation, they were both living in broken pieces for the same man

"If you leave now he'll hate you"

"If I stay I'll destroy him, he's just starting to get strong again"

"Because of you"

"Because I gave him answers that he needed to start over"

"You still love him, I can see it in your eyes every time you look at him"

"It's not enough, you should know that Katherine- sometimes love is not enough"

ANGEL GROVE MOTEL 30 MINUTES LATER

Standing outside of the Angel Grove motel, Katherine closed her eyes and let the cool breeze kiss her burning cheeks.

The tears she'd cried today had been the hottest she'd ever experienced and she had a feeling that the scars they had caused would be on show for a long time to come

Massaging her temples she knew the headache she had been trying to ward off since leaving Tommys apartment 90 minute ago was closing in the gentle thump above her eyes was intensifying by the second.

Katherine was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't hear Tommys car pull up beside her. The first she knew of his presence was when he touched her arm and spoke her name.

Jolting to attention, Kats heart broke a little more as she observed his choice of shirt, that one garment said everything that he hadn't been able to bring himself to say earlier.

He still loved Kim, he still wanted to be with her, even after everything she'd done

"Kat what are you doing here?"

"The same thing you are, only I was in time- you're too late"

Tommys eyebrows plummeted south as his heart did the same thing

"What do you mean?"

He had a terrible feeling he knew but he needed to hear it before he would believe it

"She's gone Tommy"

"What?"

The disbelief he felt was immeasurable. She couldn't have gone, not when they'd come this far, not when there was so much he had to tell her

"She said to tell you she was sorry but this is for the best"

Turning towards his ex-girlfriend Panic wrapped its self around Tommys heart.

She'd gone- he'd lost her.

Grabbing Kat by the shoulders he yelled

"What have you done Katherine? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"