Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter thirty-six of "On a Strange Tide." I am glad it took just three days to get out. This chapter has lots of Tommy/Kim. There is also sexual content. As before, don't read it if it makes you feel comfortable. Otherwise, you may read at your own risk. Stay tuned for chapter thirty-seven.

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Chapter 36: Playing Checkers/Sleeplessness

Tommy and Kim were immersed in a game of checkers while sitting on their bed in the midevening. He had red while she had black. The box lay on the floor. He narrowed his eyes at the board. He moved a checker forward. She tilted her head somewhat. She pushed a checker to the square in front of his. She watched him jump it and take it away. He laughed and held it up.

"I have one of yours!" Tommy announced smugly.

"You shouldn't have said that," Kim said and laughed. She put her hand on a checker on the board's right side. She double-jumped two of his checkers in which she reached the end. She crossed her arms, looking very satisfied. "King me."

"But I can't king a girl," Tommy responded while shaking his head.

"Will you just put it down, Tommy?" Kim giggled.

"Okay," Tommy said. He moved the checker close to the other. Suddenly, he took it away and leaned toward her. "I'm sorry, but I can't king you. This piece is very valuable to me." He let out a loud snicker.

"You better put it down before I knock you into the next century!" Kim shouted and held up a fist.

"All right!" Tommy yelled and put the checker on top of the other. "There! Does that make you happy?"

"Very," Kim answered and smiled.

"I know one thing that can make you very happy," Tommy said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"What?" Kim asked.

He grabbed her cheeks. He pulled her face toward his and kissed her lips. She laid her hands on his neck. She deepened the kiss. They stayed this way for thirty seconds before breaking apart. They pulled back and looked at each other.

"That does make me very happy," Kim said and giggled.

"Good. Remember that I'm the best kisser ever," Tommy said, smirking as he moved his eyebrows up and down.

She saluted him. "Duly noted."

Tommy tapped Kim's chin with his finger before rubbing noses with her. He got off the bed and grabbed the box. He sat back down, opening the lid. She picked up the board. She dumped the pieces in the box. She folded it to place it inside. He closed the box and laid his hand on it.

"You're a fantastic checker player," he said in sweetness.

"Thank you. So are you," she replied in warmness.

"I remember when we watched The Rescuers Down Under at my house after our one-year anniversary date," Tommy commented, a smile crossing his lips. "Jake looked quite smug when he jumped one of Sparky's checkers and took it. Sparky jumped all his until he reached the end of the board. Jake kinged him and called him a wise fly."

"That part was my favorite. Jake's annoyance caused me to laugh hysterically!" Kim exclaimed.

"Me too. He didn't like that he lost," Tommy said.

She shrugged. "Who does like losing? However, you should be a good sport after you lose."

"The fun of the game evaporates when people throw fits for losing," Tommy mumbled.

"You shouldn't play a game if you are just going to get mad for losing," Kim said bluntly.

He nodded sharply. "That's right."

Kim pulled her hair behind her neck and placed her hands on the bed. She tapped them on the bed while clicking her tongue three times.

"Let's not forget sore winners," Tommy commented.

"That's true. People bragging about their wins is probably the worst thing about competitions," Kim muttered and rolled her eyes.

"I recall one guy who was a major braggart at footraces we had with other kids back in San Antonio. He would go on and on about how he was the fastest kid in the whole neighborhood after every race he won. I'd try to bring him back down to Earth, but he'd dismiss me as being jealous. He never had many friends," Tommy said, holding up his hands.

"Who can blame those kids for not wanting to be around him? Arrogance can easily drive others away," Kim responded.

Tommy gave a shrug. He stretched his arms above his head before yawning widely. He laid his hands in his lap.

"One thing is for sure. Jenna is arrogant enough to think she can win me back by stalking and harassing me," he said, his voice showing some hints of anger.

"You're telling me," she said and huffed to herself. "She really thinks she will be the one to marry you, not me."

"It's not happening," Tommy said with a shake of his head. "I wouldn't marry that woman if she was the last one on Earth." He smacked his lips.

"Great," Kim said happily.

"On the other hand, I'd marry you if you were the last woman on Earth," Tommy admitted, making two kissing sounds.

"I'd marry you if you were the last man on Earth," Kim answered lovingly.

"There is one thing you have that Jenna doesn't have," Tommy said, flicking her nose.

"What's that?" Kim wondered.

"It's class," Tommy responded, winking at her. "A classy woman would never make moves on attached men." He kissed her nose.

"Yep," Kim agreed. "Jenna may wear nice clothes, but that can't hide her classlessness."

Tommy nodded in agreement. He leaned down to put the box under the bed. He pushed himself back up to look Kim in the eye. He saw her clasp her hands together.

"Let's forget about classless women like Jenna. Let's focus on something else," Kim suggested.

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "What?"

All of a sudden, Kim climbed into Tommy's lap. She got her legs on either side of him and kissed him hard on the lips. She slipped her tongue into his mouth while wrapping her arms around his neck. She tasted every inch of it, making him groan in excitement. He brought his arms around her waist. One hand went into her hair while the other stayed on the small of her back. They strove to get as close to each other as possible. Their kiss grew in passion as their hearts pounded against their chests. Electricity ran through their bodies. They broke apart, staring at each other with much intensity.

"You're so beautiful, you know that?" Tommy asked seductively.

"Yeah," Kim answered, her voice filled with huskiness. "You know you are so handsome, don't you?"

"Yes," Tommy said, panting hard. "Come here."

Tommy kissed his girlfriend's neck. Kim leaned her head to the side to give her boyfriend better access. She whimpered in disappointment when he pulled away and moved her off him. She watched him get off the bed and go to the door to lock it. Smiling widely, she got back into his lap after he returned to the bed and climbed on. They resumed their kissing. She felt him trail his lips to her ear and nibble on it gently. She let out a throaty moan when he increased the pressure somewhat. He planted kisses on her throat and chest. He made his way to her pulse point. He proceeded to suck on it. She screamed in much ecstasy when he bit down on her.

Tommy's hands found the hem of Kim's red sleeveless nightgown. He moved it upward while swallowing hard. She raised her arms, which allowed him to remove it. She took off his white t-shirt and kissed him once more. He flipped her over on her back, settling in between her legs. He deepened the kiss as he rubbed circles into her stomach. He ran his hands all over her body. So did she with hers on his. They became lost in a lovemaking session.

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Kim moaned pleasurably as Tommy moved inside her forty minutes later. She was on her back while he hovered over her. The sheets were wrapped tightly around their naked bodies. She kissed him passionately. She slid her tongue into his mouth to trace every inch of it. He growled intensely while thrusting harder into her. He tore away from her lips. He trailed kisses to her neck. He moved between nibbling on and licking at it. His body tightened with every thrust.

He felt the fire within him reaching its peak. He reached down to massage her clit. She moaned with much ecstasy, her head rolling back into the pillow. She brought her arms around his neck while emitting soft whimpers. She pulled him down to kiss him. He pushed his tongue past her lips and touched hers. Their tongues engaged in a duel for control. They groaned delightfully. He rolled her nipples in his hands. He teased them with his thumbs. He pulled away from her to stare into her eyes.

"I'm almost there, Kim," Tommy groaned, his hands curling into fists.

"Me too, Tommy," Kim whispered, her breathing coming out in shudders. "Me too."

Tommy and Kim kissed long and hard while wrapping their arms around each other. His thrusts became harder and faster. He buried his face into her neck to kiss it hungrily. They approached their climax. She grabbed his shoulders as if she were trying to keep herself from falling into the abyss. She cried out pleasurably at his biting down on her.

He finally came and released himself into the condom. He growled in ecstasy. She echoed her release to him four seconds later. Their bodies trembled against each other. They found themselves coming back to reality. They breathed hard. Their heartbeats got back to normal. He laid on his side, and she turned on hers. They moved their hands toward each other until they touched. They entwined their fingers. They stared into each other's eyes.

"We may not have a whole lot of privacy in this house, but our room gives us quite a bit," Kim said, clearing her throat.

"Thank God for locks. We don't have to worry about anyone barging in while we're making love," Tommy said.

She chuckled. "It's going to happen one of these days. When it does, we'll likely fall off the bed."

He smiled. "The best part is we'll have each other on the floor."

Kim punched her fiancé in the shoulder. She shrieked in surprise when he squeezed her side. She smacked him on the chest. She pointed her finger in his face.

"You really need to quit squeezing my sides!" Kim shouted in mock anger.

"Hey, I need some way to retaliate when you punch me," Tommy said, a smirk forming on his face.

"Just don't squeeze my sides or else," Kim threatened playfully.

Tommy narrowed his eyes at his fiancée. "Or else what?"

Kim held up a fist. "You will get this."

Kim pressed her fist against Tommy's chin. He pretended to groan before falling on his back. His body twitched twice and ceased all movement. His eyes closed completely. She leaned closer to him carefully. She screamed when he regained consciousness and pulled her on top of him. She ruffled his hair and slapped his cheek lightly.

"Don't ever do that again, Tommy!" Kim yelled.

"Of course, I won't," Tommy promised and smirked. "That is until I do it again!"

The lovebirds laughed heartily. The young father kissed the top of the young mother's head. He wrapped his arms around her as she laid her head on his chest.

"I admit I am nervous about informing the police about our situation tomorrow morning," he whispered in some uncertainty. "I keep thinking they won't take it seriously, even if we tell them what Jenna did at the Youth Center tonight." He pressed his lips together.

"I do too," she agreed. "If they don't, then we'll accept it and gather evidence. After we have enough, then we'll show it to them. They will likely take it seriously then."

"After we tell Mr. Kaplan why we will be late getting to school, I believe he will take the situation even more seriously," Tommy whispered hopefully.

"I can see Veronica accusing Mr. Kaplan of giving us special treatment at the expense of other students once again," Kim grumbled in some anger. "It's not special treatment when we are taking something serious to the police."

"I think Veronica knows that deep down. She doesn't care," Tommy commented, his voice lined with bluntness. "She is the one who really desires special treatment. I should say attention. She should try to get pregnant and join the teen parent program. She'll get days off if she has a doctor's appointment or is sick. She will get all the attention she thinks she desires."

"I can see her using the program to goof off and play around. It wouldn't be anyone's fault but her own if she couldn't graduate," Kim whispered, shrugging.

"The unfortunate thing is some teen parents use the program to slack off," Tommy pointed out sadly.

"That's not what we are doing," Kim said while shaking her head. She took it off his chest to look at him. "We're using it to keep up with our schoolwork." She inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly. "Because of that, we are on track to graduate."

"I can't wait for graduation. Our families will be there to watch us walk up to get our diplomas. This includes Caleb, though he won't remember it," Tommy explained eagerly.

"He will likely be interested in hearing about it once he is a bit older," Kim responded with a delighted squeal.

"Yeah," Tommy said with a nod. "Anyway, I feel the need to do something else right now."

Tommy kissed Kim passionately. His tongue entered her mouth and touched hers, causing her to groan excitedly. She climbed on top of him to get her legs on either side of him. She kissed his jaw before licking at it. She traveled to his ear to nibble on it. He emitted a throaty groan. He felt her lips on his again. He brought his hands to her hair. He maintained a tight grip on it. Their heart rates quickened as electricity coursed through their veins.

She moaned excitedly when he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She slid her hands up and down his sides. She grabbed his butt to squeeze it hard. He groaned into her mouth. He sat up while keeping his grip on her hair. She moved her hands to his cock. She grabbed it. He tore away from her lips with an intense growl. He stared into her eyes while she stroked his cock in a very slow manner.

"You're killing me," he said, his voice showing huskiness.

She hissed in great seduction. "I'm glad I am."

Kim kissed Tommy with much possession. She felt his hands caress her breasts. Her nipples hardened at his touch. He planted gentle kisses along her neck. He alternated between nibbling and sucking on it. She screamed ecstatically while leaning her head back. The world faded around them as they proceeded to make love.

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Rain was falling on the Hart residence in early morning. It got a little heavier. The wind picked up somewhat. Tommy slept on his side on the bed in his and Kim's room. The covers covered him from the chest down. He was wearing his white underwear and blue shorts his fiancée discarded earlier. He buried his face deep into his pillow. He reached over to put his arm around her, but he was met with air. He woke up and found her gone. He touched her spot to find it was quite warm.

He pushed himself into a sitting position before yawning widely. The covers fell from his chest. He rubbed his eyes as he suppressed another yawn. He wondered where she was. He looked around the room. He found her standing at the window. He saw she was wearing her nightgown from earlier. He got out of bed to go to her side. He touched her shoulder, causing her to look at him.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi yourself. You okay?" he wondered.

"I couldn't sleep. I thought standing by the window for a while would make me tired," Kim answered and rolled her eyes. "I hate it when that happens."

"Everyone does," Tommy said, shrugging. "During the first four months of your first pregnancy, you did have a hard time sleeping. As it progressed into the later months, it became even harder due to peeing a lot more often and dealing with the baby moving."

"The constant peeing was due to Caleb pressing on my bladder," Kim grumbled, scoffing annoyingly. "Then again, what could I do? I couldn't force him not to press on my bladder." She let out a heavy sigh.

"Unfortunately," Tommy responded. "It will happen with this baby too."

"Some pregnant teen girls in the support group have bad acne. Pregnancy hormones often cause that. Higher levels of hormones called androgens cause pregnancy breakouts. They can prompt the sebaceous glands in the skin to get bigger and boost production of an oily substance called sebum. Combined with the shed skin cells that line the hair follicles and blocks the pores, this extra sebum creates an environment in which bacteria can rapidly multiply. All this can lead to the inflammation and skin eruptions of acne," Kim explained.

Tommy ran his hand over her hair. "You were lucky not to have any acne during your first pregnancy. Maybe you won't get any in this one."

Kim expressed uncertainty. "I hope not, but you never know. Isn't that right?"

"That's right. Even if your face looks like a pizza, you will still be a beautiful mother-to-be for the second time," Tommy assured in gentleness.

"Thanks. I appreciate that," Kim replied in sweetness.

He winked at her. "No problem."

He kissed her temple before going behind her. He wrapped his arms around her somewhat tightly. He rocked her from side to side while placing his chin on top of her head.

"It was so much fun feeling Caleb move during the second half of my pregnancy. It will be just as fun with this baby," Kim said, giggling to herself.

"Yep. Active babies mean healthy babies," Tommy said, a chuckle leaving his mouth.

"So true. Then again, unborn babies have to rest," Kim pointed out.

"We placed headphones on your stomach and played soft music to sooth Caleb to sleep when he was really active at night," Tommy commented, smiling as that memory ran through his mind. "Your mother used that technique during both of her pregnancies and said it worked like a charm. We decided to do that with our baby."

"We used New Age music with the sounds of oceanic waves and animals for our baby. It put him right to sleep," Kim said with much pride.

"Yep," Tommy agreed. "We can use it with this baby. It is possible we will have two or more babies in this pregnancy."

"It'd be nice to have more than one baby in a single pregnancy, but it is also risky. Multiples are at more risk of premature birth. I would be at more risk for complications. I'd have to gain more weight than mothers of single babies do. I wouldn't mind, though. I want my babies to be born healthy. If they are multiples, I want them born as close to the due date as possible," Kim said matter-of-factly.

"What parents of multiples wouldn't? The unfortunate thing is most multiples are born rather premature. Preterm is any time before thirty-seven weeks for humans," Tommy explained.

"The thought of giving birth prematurely was on my mind during my entire pregnancy with Caleb, despite that I took excellent care of myself. Thankfully, that didn't happen. It could happen with this baby," Kim whispered, some fear lining her voice.

"Yes, but I know you," Tommy whispered gently. "You will do whatever you can to prevent our second child from being born prematurely." He kissed the top of her head as he stopped rocking her. "If it happens, then we will deal with it together."

"Mm-hmm," Kim agreed.

He planted a kiss to her temple. He brought his hands to her shoulders to give them gentle squeezes. He proceeded to rub them very lightly.

"Headphones looked very different from those of today. In fact, they originated from the earpiece. They were the only way to listen to electrical audio signals before amplifiers were developed," Kim commented.

"I know," Tommy said in much amazement. "You'd think headphones always looked the way they do know, but they didn't."

"Nathaniel Baldwin developed the first truly successful headphone set in 1910. He made them by hand in his kitchen. Early radio work used some very sensitive headphones. These early headphones had moving iron drivers. They had either single-ended or balanced armatures. The requirement for high sensitivity meant no use of damping. As a result, the sound quality was bad. The early models had little to no padding. There was often excessive clamping forces on the wearer's head," Kim answered, touching her temples.

"Ouch," Tommy said, cringing a bit.

Kim chuckled. "Yes, ouch. The headphone was part of the vacuum tube's plate circuit in early powered radios. It carried dangerous voltages and was normally connected directly to the positive high voltage battery terminal. The negative battery terminal was securely grounded. The use of bare electrical connections could shock users if they touched them while adjusting an uncomfortable headset."

"Talk about painful," Tommy said and shuddered somewhat.

"Mm-hmm. John C. Koss produced the first stereo headphones in 1958. He was an audiophile and jazz musician from Milwaukee. Only telephone and radio operators used headphones before then. The 3.5 mm radio and phone connector has been in use since 1964. It became very popular with its application on the Walkman in 1979," Kim replied.

"I'm glad headphones were invented. It allows us to listen to music without bothering others," Tommy said happily.

"Unfortunately, many people start singing while listening to music on headphones," Kim muttered, making a disgusted face. "Some are such bad singers that they annoy everyone around them."

"If Veronica starts singing while wearing headphones, I'll yank them off her head," Tommy declared.

"I'd like to help you with that," Kim suggested.

Tommy smiled. "Be my guest."

The lovebirds focused their attention on the window. They could see the wind was picking up by the tree branches moving in it. Kim looked up at Tommy, who gazed down at her.

"I wish we could just will Jenna out of our lives. Then things could get back to normal," she whispered frustratingly.

"Yes, but that's not the way things work, Kim," he said with much sadness. "We can't force her to leave Angel Grove. If we started making threats toward her, she'd go to the police and say we are a danger to her. They just might believe her."

"There is no doubt she hates me with a passion, Tommy," Kim said, turning around. "She wants what I have. She wants you, our children, and our house. She wants my life."

"She could have a man, a child, and a house when she is older, but she doesn't want to wait. She wants all three now," Tommy hissed angrily. "What better way to get what she wants by trying to get me back?" He clenched his teeth.

"It's disgusting. There is a term for a woman who goes after attached men. It's called a homewrecker. I'm sure Jenna has heard of it," Kim commented.

"I believe that she has. Carolyn Warmus liked being a homewrecker. Jenna wants to be just like her," Tommy muttered, tensing badly. "I don't like homewreckers, whether they are male or female. There's nothing good about going after those who are unavailable."

"Jenna doesn't care. She wants you so badly that she can taste it," Kim said, emitting a heavy sigh.

"I am so grateful Jason was there to pick me up. It saved me a lot of trouble with Jenna. If he wasn't there, that would've given her the opportunity to touch me in an intimate way. Of course, I wouldn't have liked it at all," Tommy responded, his body trembling a bit.

"She could've walked away and left you, Jason, and Trini alone, but she didn't," Kim growled bluntly. "She tried to attack Trini, but Trini defended herself against her."

"She deserved every hit Trini gave her. Trini scored good hits on her too," Tommy said with happiness. "I couldn't be prouder of her."

"If you had beaten up a man who was stalking me, I wouldn't be prouder of you," Kim said sweetly.

"Thanks," Tommy answered, kissing her forehead. "I appreciate that."

Tommy and Kim kissed twice. They rubbed noses and hugged each other tightly. They pulled apart after thirty seconds. She tried to suppress a yawn, but she couldn't help herself.

"I'm feeling tired now. Why don't we go to bed?" she suggested.

He touched her cheek. "All right."

Tommy and Kim let go each other. They went to their respective sides of the bed and got in. He laid on his back. She snuggled up to him. They pulled the covers over them. She laid her head on his chest. He slipped his arms around her.

"It's great waking up in the same bed every morning," Kim whispered, giggling.

"Yes, it is. Good night, Beautiful," Tommy answered, smiling.

She yawned again. "Good night, Handsome."

Tommy and Kim closed their eyes while letting out contented sighs. They fell into a peaceful sleep.