Only Time
Chapter Three
Adam and Kim laughed together as Bugs Bunny made a wisecrack about Elmer Fudd on the TV screen. It had been a few hours since Adam and came to the apartment, and now they were sitting on Kim's couch, watching cartoons.
"Man, I can't believe that we're sitting here, watching Bugs Bunny and Co. How old are we now? Twenty three?" Adam said, turning to his old team mate.
"Just because we're past five doesn't mean we still can't act like kids," Kim replied, smiling.
"Yeah. Rocky proved that much," Adam answered, putting a silly grin on his face.
Kim laughed with agreement. Mid-laugh, Adam heard a large yawn escape her lips.
"Tired much?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Yeah. What time is it?" Kim glanced to the clock on the cable box, which sat on top of the television. "Wow. Two-thirty... AM. Goodness."
"We are crazy, aren't we?"
Kim stifled a giggle and another yawn. "Hell yes."
"Come on. Lets get you to bed," Adam said, getting up and extending his hand to Kim.
The latter accepted his proffered hand and rose to her feet gracefully. Graceful and agile, Adam thought. Just like her animal spirit, the crane.
The two walked to Kim's bedroom in silence. Once they reached her sleeping area, Kim smiled softly and looked up at Adam.
"Goodnight, Frog Boy," she said, remembering his old nickname.
"Goodnight," he replied, laughing a bit.
"'Night."
Kim smiled once more at Adam, then closed the door to her bedroom.
~*~*~*~*~
Adam watched the TV with half-closed eyes as he lay on Kim's couch. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming down the hallway. He looked up to see Kim, her face stained with tears. He got up from his seat and moved around the coffee table, trying to avoid hitting it with such little illumination in the room. Before he could reach Kim, she walked a little ways into the living room, meeting him halfway.
"Kim, what's wrong?"
Her response was a small cry. Adam walked a little further and wrapped his arms protectively around her. With the comfort of Adam's embrace, Kim cried openly into his chest.
"Shh. It's okay. It's alright. Just tell me what's wrong."
Kim pulled away from the slightest bit and indicated to the couch. Adam nodded and led them over to the piece of furniture. Once they had seated themselves, Kim's tears slowed, but still fell from her doe brown eyes.
"I was in the fire... All the evil... I was so scared that I would die, until the evil took over me... One part of me was guilty for all of the things I had done..." she said through her tears.
Adam frowned. 'Maligore. When she and Jason had been taken prisoners by Divatox. Damn. Even Lerigot's magic couldn't stop the pain or guilt that she felt. Just because the spell was broken doesn't mean they don't remember what happened.' He sighed, indecisive about what to do to help his friend.
"Kim, I-"
She looked up at him, her eyes full of unshed tears and her cheeks stained with the ones that had already escaped. Rather than look away, a strange force provoked him to keep his gaze locked with that of his old friends'.
Chapter Three
Adam and Kim laughed together as Bugs Bunny made a wisecrack about Elmer Fudd on the TV screen. It had been a few hours since Adam and came to the apartment, and now they were sitting on Kim's couch, watching cartoons.
"Man, I can't believe that we're sitting here, watching Bugs Bunny and Co. How old are we now? Twenty three?" Adam said, turning to his old team mate.
"Just because we're past five doesn't mean we still can't act like kids," Kim replied, smiling.
"Yeah. Rocky proved that much," Adam answered, putting a silly grin on his face.
Kim laughed with agreement. Mid-laugh, Adam heard a large yawn escape her lips.
"Tired much?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Yeah. What time is it?" Kim glanced to the clock on the cable box, which sat on top of the television. "Wow. Two-thirty... AM. Goodness."
"We are crazy, aren't we?"
Kim stifled a giggle and another yawn. "Hell yes."
"Come on. Lets get you to bed," Adam said, getting up and extending his hand to Kim.
The latter accepted his proffered hand and rose to her feet gracefully. Graceful and agile, Adam thought. Just like her animal spirit, the crane.
The two walked to Kim's bedroom in silence. Once they reached her sleeping area, Kim smiled softly and looked up at Adam.
"Goodnight, Frog Boy," she said, remembering his old nickname.
"Goodnight," he replied, laughing a bit.
"'Night."
Kim smiled once more at Adam, then closed the door to her bedroom.
~*~*~*~*~
Adam watched the TV with half-closed eyes as he lay on Kim's couch. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming down the hallway. He looked up to see Kim, her face stained with tears. He got up from his seat and moved around the coffee table, trying to avoid hitting it with such little illumination in the room. Before he could reach Kim, she walked a little ways into the living room, meeting him halfway.
"Kim, what's wrong?"
Her response was a small cry. Adam walked a little further and wrapped his arms protectively around her. With the comfort of Adam's embrace, Kim cried openly into his chest.
"Shh. It's okay. It's alright. Just tell me what's wrong."
Kim pulled away from the slightest bit and indicated to the couch. Adam nodded and led them over to the piece of furniture. Once they had seated themselves, Kim's tears slowed, but still fell from her doe brown eyes.
"I was in the fire... All the evil... I was so scared that I would die, until the evil took over me... One part of me was guilty for all of the things I had done..." she said through her tears.
Adam frowned. 'Maligore. When she and Jason had been taken prisoners by Divatox. Damn. Even Lerigot's magic couldn't stop the pain or guilt that she felt. Just because the spell was broken doesn't mean they don't remember what happened.' He sighed, indecisive about what to do to help his friend.
"Kim, I-"
She looked up at him, her eyes full of unshed tears and her cheeks stained with the ones that had already escaped. Rather than look away, a strange force provoked him to keep his gaze locked with that of his old friends'.