CH53

Epilogue

It is now a year later:

Kate rolled out of bed still half asleep, moaning about how Rick had never warned her about this part. The noise had awakened her. It was a gloriously happy noise that filled her heart with love. A love that even Rick couldn't give her, except that he actually had.

"I'm coming baby, mommy's coming." Kate made it to the crib that was in their room. "Hi my handsome young man. Who's my good boy? You are, aren't you," she cooed at him. He stopped crying at the sound of his mother's voice. "I'll bet you're hungry again aren't you? Let's just check if your clean first shall we?" She stroked the tiny amount of hair on his head and changed his diaper knowing that it would need to be changed.

"There now, doesn't that feel better?" Kate picked him up, sat down in her rocker, then lifted her night shirt up to expose her breast, a much-larger-than-it-had-ever-been-before breast. She had been teasing Rick ever since their son had been born that her breasts belonged to the baby now. Rick had his chance at her larger breasts while she was pregnant and they had both enjoyed every minute of the attention he had paid to her breasts.

Kate felt Alex latch onto her nipple, her milk letting him quiet down while she rocked.

She was just starting to wonder where everyone was when suddenly Rick and Alexis arrived in a swirl of clouds. "You got in late last night. Did you solve your case?" Rick asked as he walked into the bathroom while Alexis sat on the bed and watched her little brother nurse.

"It turns out she really was a runaway from a home filled with abuse," Kate told them.

"That's terrible Mom. How can parents do that to their children?" Alexis had a lot to learn after making her decision.

"I know sweetie, but not every child is born into a caring home with parents who love them. I wish they were, but life just doesn't work that way. But your father and I love you and we always will." Kate was still worried that Alexis was jealous of the baby.

"I know you do Mom and I love you and Dad…and Alex. Was I really that little Dad?" Alexis turned her head to look into the bathroom where Rick had gone. He walked out after washing up a little. "Actually you were a bit smaller with a full head of orange hair." He sat down next to her and kissed her cheek while ruffling her really long orange hair.

"And my mommy didn't want me." Alexis was learning about that too. "I love you Alexis and even though I didn't give birth to you, you own my heart as much as your Daddy does and little Alex here as well. I'm so happy to be your mother," Kate said fervently. Rick hugged Alexis, something he had been sure he was never going to get to do ever again.

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About Eight Months Earlier:

Everyone except for Bracken and Hunt (CIA) had been left with the FBI and according to the bug that they still hadn't found the new assistant director was still hoping mad that all those naked men had gotten into his new office without anyone noticing. Still it had been a goldmine for cleaning up the New York City area. A feather in his cap so to speak.

"I kinda feel bad about leaving those two to rot in the desert." Kate offers. "I don't, ... ok not totally. Bracken was likely to get elected President and space out while hooked on heroin that Hunt provided and get us all killed." Rick points out.

"And they both hired all of those men to kill people to cover-up what they were doing." Kate shook her head. "I just hope we got them all or we're going to have to do this all over again."

They both knew they didn't have much on Hunt. His office in Langley was empty when they got to it. It had been cleaned before they even got to it. So someone somewhere knew something and cleaned it all up. Or perhaps took over. They had both had a long talk about that possibility.

Rick and Kate, along with Johanna and Jim, were in one of their realtor's offices signing all the forms for their home in Crete. Tomorrow the four of them would fly to Athens to have Jim and Johanna sign for their home in Athens. After that Rick and Kate would go to another office to sign still more forms for their boat. Okay...yacht since it was technically just over 68 feet long.

As soon as all of her parents' boxes from the States showed up with what was left of their apartment, they were going to take the yacht over to her new mooring in Crete. They were actually paying for two mooring slots, one in Crete and one in Athens, so that when they came to Athens they had a place to dock when they wanted to go see her parents.

They had both spent time on the yacht getting to know her and where to get fuel from in both locations. It had two large diesel engines along with an emergency generator that ran on the same diesel fuel. 845 gallons would get them 240 miles while the 251 gallons of fresh water would last them for a while. The declared cruising speed was 31 were larger yachts but those people thought they needed to travel hundreds of miles and the cost was 10 times what they had spent for theirs. A few even had a helicopter deck. Kate was happy with this size.

She had questioned Rick as to how they were going to move B5. "You never wondered how B5 was on the dining room wall with another home just the other side of this wall?" Rick asked her as he rapped his knuckles on the wall. "There's another home right next to us and yet the medical bed slides out of a wall that's a fire-rated wall that divides us from them. Aren't you curious as to how that happens?" Rick queried again. "B5 shut down for transport," he ordered.

"Acknowledged," B5 responded. The lights went out but it still looked like B5. Kate watched him carry a ladder into the room. He touched each upper corner then the center section at the very bottom and watched as B5 rolled up and moved down the wall until she was a big tube in the middle of the wall that Rick picked up and removed. Then he did something that really surprised her. He compressed each end until B5 was about the size of a baseball bat. Kate's mouth was hanging open as she stared at Rick. "Seriously!?"

He spun the tube in his hand to show that it also had almost no weight. "They really are more advanced than we are aren't they?" She was still amazed at what their alien friends were capable of.

"We still need to pack for our honeymoon," Rick reminded her. They were going to be gone for a week while her parents got used to being in Athens, living in the hotel he had arranged for them.

They had been talking with her parents while they packed up the house which gave Kate another surprise. They were leaving today and Rick had spent the morning taking the last DRD unit apart after being downloaded into B5. The parts were packed and waiting for the moving company along with everything else except the furniture and the books.

Kate was eating the breakfast bar with Rick and Alexis when the dining room table vanished. "What happened to the table and chairs?" she squeaked in surprise. "You remember the room you stayed in during your training?" Rick asked her. Kate nodded. "Everything in this house is just like everything was in your space and mine. When we get to our new home they will read our minds and give us the furniture and colors that we both agree on. The furniture that came with the house will be replaced. There will also be a car waiting for us just like I had a car here waiting for me," he explained.

"Signing for the house is a mere formality since we're not actually buying it or the car. Now your parents' home - that we are paying for along with the boat we're getting. The house and car come with our being assigned to this planet. We work with B5 and the DRDs will keep the house clean and secure from intruders just like they did here," he told her. "Just like all of the other agents on other planets."

"Meow? Meow." May I go with you? I want to go too.

"On our honeymoon?" Kate exclaimed in surprise. "I…suppose so. Where are we going anyway?" She had a new topic to question him about. "We're going to a planet called Apalapucia. The planet was voted Number 2 in the Top Ten Destinations for the Discerning Intergalactic Traveler, and boasts soaring spires, silver colonnades, and the mirrored Glasmir Mountains. The planet has a pinkish-purple sky and an oxygen-rich atmosphere." Rick was smiling widely, pleased with his choice.

"WE'RE GOING TO ANOTHER PLANET!?" She couldn't believe it and launched herself into Rick's arms and kissed him soundly. "We're going to another planet! …How are we getting there?" Kate asked him. "The same way you got from their planet to Earth," Rick stated flatly as though it was obvious. "We're teleporting? …We can do that?" Kate thought it was just on Earth. Interstellar teleporting hadn't come up in her training.

"Meow?" Can I come too?

"Does this place accept cats? If not, we need to find somewhere else to go." It may be their honeymoon but leaving Alexis behind didn't sound like an option. Who was going to look after her? Her parents?

"Meow." Not as a cat. Alexis had a secret and prayed her dad and mom wouldn't be angry with her.

"As a tiger? I'm not sure that is such a good idea sweetie." What would the aliens on this planet do with them as they walked around with a 600 pound plus Bengal tiger?

"Meow." As a girl. Alexis was scared and she sounded like it too.

"It's not time and it only lasts an hour." Kate was confused. Rick had his head down and was looking directly into Alexis's eyes. "Alexis!?" He was frightened and confused.

"Meow." Please don't be mad Dad. Alexis crouched way down onto the island counter.

"Meow." You needed me as a cat and tiger Dad.

Hearing that had Kate put her head down next to Rick's as she looked at Alexis face to face. "What are you saying Alexis?"

"Meow, Meow." I can be a little girl, but I can never go back to being a cat.

Rick touched Alexis's head with both hands. "You can be…all this time you could have been my little girl!?" He didn't know whether he was angry or filled with joy.

"Meow." You needed me as a cat Dad.

"Alexis sweetie, are you telling us that you can be a little girl permanently?" Kate didn't dare dream it was even possible.

"Meow." Please don't be angry.

Rick only knew he had to pick her up and hug her close as tears flowed down his face. "I only ever wanted my little girl back. …You can actually do this?" His voice cracked as he questioned her between kissing her fur.

"Meow." There is a price to pay.

"Meaning you have to give up being a cat or a tiger." Kate was catching up to what Alexis was saying.

"I don't care. MY GOD ALEXIS! I was positive I had lost you forever. Getting to keep you as a cat, tiger, or you for an hour was a small price to pay. Why pumpkin, why?" Rick would have been happy to have his little girl back even if she was a construct.

"Meow. Meow." I couldn't help you on missions. You needed me.

"I needed you as my daughter." Rick's crying had increased as had Kate's. "What changed sweetie?" Kate asked as she petted Alexis who was still in Rick's arms.

"Meow." Dad has you now.

"I'm your dad's backup now and he doesn't need you to watch his back anymore, right?" Kate asked, thinking she understood.

"Meow." I want to be part of a family. It was Alexis's most heartfelt wish that she had ever had, even when she was sick.

"Oh pumpkin, you were always part of the family." Rick planted his face into Alexis's fur and cried longingly.

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Kate tossed a burp cloth on her shoulder and patted Alex until he burped. She laid him on her lap to play with him, blowing raspberries on his belly while playing with his arms and little fingers.

"Is the boat loaded?" she inquired since that was what these two were supposed to have been doing yesterday. "We went shopping for clothes first since I didn't have much. We stocked the galley with canned food and perishables then made sure the fuel and water tanks were all filled so we're good to go," Rick told her.

That was one more thing they needed to take care of for Alexis. Rick, Kate, and even Alex had lots and lots of clothes while Alexis only had 2 or 3 outfits that would fit. "I'm betting that my mother already has a room full of clothes for both of them," Kate commented.

That brought up another memory: They had teleported everything that was boxed in their house over to the new one and had mounted B5 on a wall in the exercise room that also had a steam shower, a sauna, and a half bath in the same room. It was actually the largest blank wall in the house.

Kate knocked on the door of her parents' hotel room with Rick and Alexis, their little girl, right next to her. This was going to be epic, she just knew it. It was their first day back in Athens after getting everything into their home. Then they had taken their new boat over to its mooring near Athens.

"Katie and Rick! Come in…who's this?" Johanna didn't recognize the little girl. "Let's go inside Mom." They found Jim sitting at a table with a laptop reading about Greece laws. Actually they both had been reading; they had a lot to learn.

"Mom, Dad, this is Alexis. Alexis, these are my parents Johanna and Jim." Kate was pretty sure Alexis already knew that but it didn't hurt to make introductions.

"Alexis? Alexis is a cat, Katie," Johanna countered, knowing Alexis was sometimes a tiger as well. "Alexis the cat is a construct, Mom, who can turn herself into a tiger when she thinks it's necessary or when we ask her to. What we didn't tell you is that she can also be a little girl. Only now it's permanent," Kate gently told them.

"Alexis the cat is actually a child?" Johanna didn't get it. "And I'm betting you can't tell us." Kate scrunched up her face. "I'm so sorry Mom." Kate knew this was hard on her. "I expect to be told everything on my death bed Katie or I'm taking you with me when I go," Johanna threatened her.

Alexis wasted no time. She stepped in close and hugged Johanna. "Hi Grams. I couldn't let those men hurt you." Her words were enough to get Johanna to laugh a little and then began crying softly and hugged Alexis tight. She had a granddaughter!

Alexis went over and hugged Jim. "Hi Gramps." He didn't understand it either and yet his instinct was to hug her back.

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"We need to get the bottles out of the refrigerator from what I've pumped and grab the diaper bag so we can go," Kate said hurriedly. "I'll get the bottles Mom." Alexis ran to the kitchen to load up another bag with the bottles since she knew what to do.

"How are you doing babe?" Kate softly asked Rick. "She kept a secret from me because she thought I needed backup for my missions, when all I ever wanted was my daughter back." He wasn't angry, just shocked. The tears over her secret had long since dried up.

"She was a child when she made that choice babe. She wanted to keep you safe. She wanted you with her as much as you wanted her," Kate tenderly told him. "I still have so many questions," he said anxiously. She kissed him. "You and B5 can have a nice long chat when we get back," she replied trying to soothe him.

"How is your job progressing? Are you liking it?" Rick was hopeful since it had cost a pretty penny to remodel the space Kate had chosen here in town on Crete. "It's great, I feel like I'm actually accomplishing something." She beamed at him. "You really didn't have to spend that much money babe." She had given up chastising him over the cost.

Her office, when she selected it, had almost nothing in it. The front glass and front door were replaced with bullet proof glass from floor to ceiling while the door was replaced with one made of solid steel. Also for the door to work as security, the door frame and the wall it was attached to had to be reinforced.

"Rick, I don't need this much security," she had argued. "When you take a case that was like yours, you'll be taking on people who make money off of these women. Do you really think they're going to take this lying down?" he had said heatedly. So Kate's office was reinforced.

Just inside was a huge wall that was backlit by a projector that would put up Kate's face whenever anyone entered. It was this initial meeting that would tell Kate if she would take the case or not. After passing the preliminary questions they got through the door in this wall to her real office.

The stairs had been changed so that they were now more like emergency stairs, side by side instead of one long continuous strip. All of the walls had been painted and the furniture was colorful and comfortable. Kate had a mini kitchen installed upstairs while the bathroom, that wasn't even there when she purchased the place, was downstairs including a shower. The kitchen even had a table that would seat four.

"How many cases are you working on now?" Rick asked as he sat in his chair while piloting their boat over to Greece. "Only three. Two of them, I think, are runaways, however, the other one just might be human trafficking." Kate had high hopes for that one. She wanted to find the woman of course, but what she really wanted were the people who took her in the first place, to make the person who had her pay a price.

"I take it she fits the profile?" he inquired. "Beautiful, fit and trim, and young enough to last a few years. Yeah, she fits the profile perfectly. Plus she just up and disappeared from a loving home. Her parents remind me of mine. Hearing them crying and pleading makes me think of what mine went through with me." Thinking about that day again made Kate's eyes water. It had been painful listening to her clients.

"Please remember to ask me for help if you need it. We don't have a mission at the moment and I'm being Mr. Mom while I write," he reminded her not to do this alone. "I haven't forgotten that we're a team. You're sure you don't mind being home with the kids?" Kate was the one that left home to work. Rick was a writer who could work anywhere.

"I was Mr. Mom when Alexis was little, this is like old times and it feels good. Like I'm living again instead of just existing," he told her. Kate got up off her seat, stood behind him, wrapping an arm around him while still holding Alex as she kissed the back of his head. "I love you babe, more than you may ever know." Kate kissed his head again. Rick took a moment to turn his head. "I love you, too. I'll thank the gods or the aliens that I found you until the day I die." His declaration earned him a quick kiss from Kate.

"Where's Alexis?" Kate hadn't seen her since right after they started cruising for Greece. Rick pointed towards the bow of the yacht which got her to lift up to look out. Out in front was Alexis in a swimsuit soaking up the sun while lying on a towel. "I'll get the sunscreen." She patted his shoulders and headed for their bedroom to find the sunscreen to coat Alexis so she didn't burn.

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"Hi Mom," Kate greeted her mother who opened the door to their house in Athens. Kate immediately lost Alex to her mother as she scooped him out of her arms. "Hi Grams, where's Gramps?" Alexis wanted a treat.

"He's in the kitchen sweetie, making sure lunch doesn't burn and guarding the cookies from the cookie monster that's around here somewhere," Johanna told her. "Ναί!" Alexis shrieked then was off at a run to save the cookies since her grams made the best cookies. "You're sure that little girl used to be a cat?" Johanna still didn't understand.

"I know it's hard Mom, but yeah, she's the same Alexis. I thought I loved her as a cat but I love her even more now. Does that make me bad?" Kate was a little ashamed about how the child Alexis now had more of her heart than Alexis the cat had.

"You're doing fine Katie. You have a daughter and a son, something I'm still trying to deal with. It was just over a year ago when you were missing and we had little hope of ever seeing you again. Now my little girl is married and has a family." Johanna blinked back tears. So much had changed.

"I'm going to go rescue the cookies from Alexis and put the bottles in the refrigerator." Rick kissed Kate and headed for the kitchen.

They were staying for the week and were actually thinking of doing some sightseeing. Maybe even get her parents onto their boat and go somewhere for a couple of days.

"How's Dad?" Kate asked after a time with Johanna still holding a now sleeping Alex. She couldn't help but stroke a finger over his pudgy little face and kiss his head.

"I think he's adapting better than me. I know his Greek is better than mine. Which reminds me, we have a class together in the morning. I forgot to mention that earlier, sorry," Johanna said. Kate waved off her apology.

"How's work? Is the Greek legal system that much different?" Kate asked hoping that her parents moving here because of them hadn't hurt them much financially. "Actually we both have more work than we know what to do with. We're lucky we have the chance to take this week off together. Did you know the office we selected was in the same building as two foreign embassies? They found out about us being in the same building and now they both use Jim exclusively. His Greek has gotten pretty good and since he knows the US corporate legal system, he's handling everything for them here in Greece as well as in the States." Johanna actually giggled a little. "He even has a case dealing with his old law firm in New York."

Kate started laughing. "I'll bet that came as a surprise. I take it that his office didn't take his sudden resignation badly?" she inquired since she hadn't as yet heard anything about it. "I know you and Rick were behind that. That state department letter really got them to shut-up. You're going to tell me what the hell is going on Katie. One day you're going to tell me everything." Johanna was holding her tongue but it wasn't easy for her.

"Yeah, about that. …RICK, BABE, can you and Dad come in here please?" Kate called which got Johanna to catch her breath and stare at Kate.

"This better be quick or Alexis is going to eat all of the cookies," Rick announced as he entered with Jim right behind him.

"We're going to take you and dad down to the Lady tonight after dinner. We have something to show you and a whole lot to tell you. You're going to need to pack for a few days as well since we'll be staying on-board. Maybe we'll even sail over to Istanbul for a couple of days." Kate was really looking forward to seeing Istanbul again. Maybe she could talk Rick into getting them a vacation home there one of these days.

Besides she still needed to find someplace for Rick to be taught how to cook Turkish food. It was her new favorite food. Even Alex had liked it when he was just a baby bump.

"You mean…" Johanna didn't dare ask or even hope that she was going to get her wish. "We asked permission and were granted approval to tell you everything. Just know that if you agree, you cannot speak a word of this to anyone. It will literally cost you your lives if you do. Instantly, very, very instantly," Kate somberly informed them along with the warning.

Actually Rick and Kate had gotten a chance to speak with Key while on their honeymoon with Alexis as a little girl. It had taken her three days to get back to them with their answer and the grave warning.

"You two are going to need to keep a very open mind for what you are about to see and hear. A very open mind," Rick warned them. "PUMPKIN?" he called and Alexis was quickly standing next to him with a cookie in her hand.

"We're going down to the Lady tonight; we'll show Gramps and Grams B5 and explain everything. Then we're going to go sailing," Rick informed her. Alexis lifted her arms up into the air. "YAY!"

"We're not going to sink are we?" she asked worriedly. Alexis somehow was yet deathly afraid of the water and still hated dogs with a passion unrivaled by anything.

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They were all walking down to the marina to get on the boat with Johanna way out in front carrying Alex still since she wanted answers and was finally going to get them, and she didn't have to wait till she was on her death bed. "I don't know if this is going to make my mother, ..." Kate stops when her finger starts pulsing again.

Kate sees Rick hold up his hand to look at his finger. "You too?" Kate asks him. Rick nods his head. "We've got another mission." Rick comments. "Or its a continuation of the old one." Rick adds.

"If it is then I'm glad we continued with the move. No one should know that we're out here." Kate points out. "I do miss Maddie though. She's been a good friend. She helped me get you." Kate takes a hold of Rick's arm as they walk.

"Σε αγαπώ." Rick tells her.

"Σ 'αγαπώ πάρα πολύ." Kate answers back and leans into him.