Chapter Eleven

Other conditions. Other conditions might as well have been an invitation to both of them losing their minds. She had to be pregnant at the end of intercourse. They had to try and succeed at having a baby. And then the Command Center would take over the man to answer whatever questions they had. Then there were some undetermined 'repercussions'- they could only imagine that it was horrible. In the past- they would have called their friends. They would have reached out to any number of people to ask for advice and if this was really necessary- but that was not there now. The decision was theirs, alone, to make.

"I cannot ask you to do this," Tommy stated as Kimberly walked in to the kitchen and walked straight in to his arms. He was shocked that she wanted to touch him right now and gingerly wrapped his arms around her.

"I know and that's why this can be done. Neither of us can ask the other to do this, we both have to choose it," Kim whispered and he let out a sigh. He had not expected that. He had not expected her to even agree that it was something that they could consider. He was preparing to walk out of here and die so that she could walk out of here and live. "There are sacrifices that I am willing to make."

"Having a child together? Kim- we barely talked about it when we were dating…fifteen years ago. There is a reason that it seems like this was rarely done and we don't know what that reason is. We don't know what is going to happen to either of us after this," Tommy retorted and he felt her studying him. He felt her examining his entire demeanor and all he could do was wait. He had always wanted children with her, but not like this. This was not the way to bring a child in to the world, because they both knew that after they talked to the Command Center- they still had to fight Billy's brother. They still had to do something to make sure they weren't looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives.

"Then we talk, Tommy. We really talk. I know that what I am agreeing to sounds absolutely crazy- but it's not any crazier than the fact that the Command Center is a sentient…thing that can actually talk to us and tell us how you get out of this alive," Kim countered and he nodded. All they could do was talk through this and see if they both could do it. To see if they both could live with the potential aftermath that would happen after this. To see if they could both agree on what 'after' would be if they were able to neutralize Billy's brother. "And I'll do just about anything to keep you alive."

"I need a beer," Tommy muttered and no sooner had the words left his lips than a cooler appeared next to the table and he looked down at it. "Does it feel like the Command Center is just buttering us up for this?"

"A bit. Can you blame it though? No one has actually really communicated with it in centuries. That sounds like some version of hell," Kim said and he offered her a beer. He was a bit surprised when she took it, but he also knew that her being willing did not mean that they would actually do this. "So- let's start with the obvious- I live in New York and I assume you're still in California."

"I'm a research paleontologist with a specialty in paleobiology and I'm also an accredited professor at UCLA- currently on a sabbatical as far as work is considered. I was asked to go on a dig with some archeologists after the new year- it's fairly traditional to look for a new university after something like that- which means that I can move if that's what would be best," Tommy provided and he avoided her gaze. He would be leaving his home- everything that he really had grown to love over the years about California. He also knew that no child of his would live across the country from him if he was able to do anything about it. "Since it seems we're considering this- you aren't seeing anyone?"

The question was met with silence and he looked up to see Kimberly gazing at the wall. This was not good. If she was seeing someone- he could not be the man that destroyed what she had. Even if he was her soulmate, this was a line that he was not willing to cross.

"Not anymore. He knows who you are- I kind of had to explain a bit about you after we got more serious. When I told him that I was coming here, because you asked- he told me not to come back. And I told him to get out of my house. I had a locksmith change the locks the day I left," Kim said and she quickly wiped her eyes. He wanted to ask more, but right now he felt that he needed to give her the space to find the words that she needed to say next. "I was an idiot back then. I'm not going to be a bigger idiot now and run back to a guy that I've had an on again, off again relationship with for four years. I'm done. Judging by my own reaction to this- I should have been done a long time ago. What about you?"

"There hasn't been anyone for the last few years. It's kind of hard to date when you are disappearing all the time and you can't explain why. I'm pretty sure she thought I was a drug dealer," Tommy said as he motioned to his heavily tattooed arms. He had been careful to respect the unsaid boundaries that the both of them had agreed to while in the dormitories, but he had many more tattoos that she had not seen. The tattoos had begun as ways to honor various parts of his ranger career and various things that meant a great deal to him. All of his tattoos had meaning. All of them added to the story of his life. "Are the tattoos a problem for you?"

"Not at all," Kim said with a smile and he saw the glint of admiration in her eyes as well as a bit of something else. Something that he could not really place his finger on, but that other thing was what excited him. He knew that look was always a good thing for him. "You're not the only one- mine are just less conspicuous."

"We're being super practical right now, but this can't be a business deal for me. If that's all it can be for you- I need to know," Tommy forced out and he felt his heart straining for him to run from this conversation. He felt the old wounds that he had from her twinging and signaling that he should stay far away from this topic. He had to know this though. He had to know that this was not just a way to keep him alive.

"Sex with you was never business. If nothing goes wrong- we'll have a child together. A child that we will have to very willingly decide is coming in to this world. There is no one I can think of that would be a better partner when it comes to raising a child," Kim whispered as he felt her hands wrap around his chin and she tilted his head up to look her in the eyes. He felt the brokenness creeping up inside of him, but he also felt something solidifying in him as her eyes met his. He felt the gentleness again from her and he also felt the fierceness that he had always known was there. The fierceness of someone that really cared for him.

He leaned forward and closed his eyes as he rested his forehead against hers. He heard her breath hitch, but he was not sure that he could close the gap between them. He just hoped that she would meet him halfway on this. He needed her to meet him halfway on everything that they were discussing. He had stilled and he felt her lips brush his and he lost the bit of control he had been holding on to. He pulled her on to his lap and lost himself in the feeling of her touch. He had been so sure this would never happen again- that even a small touch of it was enough to make him desperate.

"I wish we didn't have more to talk about," Tommy muttered as he cupped her face and she barely nodded, but did not move away from him. When he looked down at her- he had to close his eyes and mentally remind himself that they needed to talk more. The Command Center did not seem to think that though, as it had manifested lingerie and he suddenly realized he was just in boxers. "Do you think this is a hint that if we don't today…"

"What's a hint?" Kim asked as he firmly grasped her butt and her eyes widened. He watched as she looked down at her body and then at his. "Yeah- I would say this is a hint. Considering that I certainly did pack anything like this."

"I thought we'd have time," Tommy said and she started doing mental math. He watched her as she counted her fingers and her face fell. "We don't?"

"Today or tomorrow is our best window- unless we want to wait four more weeks," Kim replied and he just nodded. "How do we tell our families?"

"I don't know that we do right away," Tommy said and he saw the concern in her eyes. "I don't want to hide us- ever, but I do want to give us a chance to process whatever is on the back side of this. I think it would be foolish to not do that, especially because this will be a shock. It's going to be a shock to us too. I didn't think this was how things were going to go when this started four months ago."

"I've lost a lot- but you've lost even more. Why don't we eat and then…" Kim trailed off and he pushed her hair back from her face.

"Hey- we can wait. We can talk more. We can decide that even though we agree we want there to be a 'we' after this is over that we don't want this to be how we start a family. We have some options," Tommy said and she barely nodded. He watched as she climbed off his lap and he took in the changes to the kitchen. A meal was laid out on the counter and he could not help but chuckle. The other rangers would be proud at the effort the Command Center was going through to get the two of them back together, even if that might be for selfish purposes.