Disclaimer: Oh, you know.

The goo hits the fan. Many thanks to everyone for not killing me after the last cliffhanger, and many apologies to Rach.



Legacy, part 26



Peter breathed a long string of curses, his attention riveted by whatever was lurking beyond the circle of their light, its many eyes glinting softly. Kim looked at him uncertainly. "That—" She cleared her throat and started again. "That sounds sort of not so good."

One of the eyes blinked, and the darkness… shifted. Four long shadows detached from the whole and slid slowly toward them, dragging the enormous bulk of the spiderlike creature behind. The sound of its chitinous skin scraping against the walls and ceiling of the tunnel was a harsh whisper in the padded silence they'd been drawn into, and as it came into the light it blinked, each slightly protruding eye working independently of the others, like a chameleon's. It filled the tunnel completely, its forelegs drawn up against its sides. Its head was covered with rusty black velvety hair, striped in orange; gleaming, lethal mandibles twitched below, a viscous fluid drooling from them as though in delicious anticipation.

"Oh. My. God. What in hell is that thing?" Kim whispered, her throat suddenly dry. She flinched backwards, and one of the impossibly long legs flicked toward her, close enough that she could make out the thick black hairs curving into hooks all along its length. It chittered at her, several fathomless eyes blinking, hitching its hulking body forward.

"Don't… move…" hissed Peter through gritted teeth. "It's called a grat'lest; it is attracted to the thrill of the chase. You move, it moves faster."

"Great." Kim was instantly motionless, her chocolate eyes darting between the monstrous nightmare and her best friend's father.

His fingers flexed slowly toward the weapon over his shoulder; in response the massive head of the arachnid twisted in his direction, its jagged mandibles widening, the smaller maxillae within thrumming in expectation. Peter froze, and they waited, measuring each other. The creature looked back at Kim, then at Peter.

"What's it doing?" Kim whispered, her lips barely moving.

"Trying to decide which of us is easier prey," he replied out of the corner of his mouth. "You're significantly smaller, so I have a feeling it'll choose—"

A leg shot out toward Kim, impossibly fast, nearly a blur, but she only had time to suck in a breath to scream before Peter squeezed off a deadly barrage, burning a large, dripping, steaming hole straight through the grat'lest. It staggered a bit, surprised beyond its own demise, the hooks of one leg stuck in Kim's suit; then thudded to the ground with a sigh.

He grasped her arm, pulling her free of the leg, and hurried her toward the corpse. "Come on!"

"Wait! What are you – " Kim drew back as Peter began to climb the hulk, his feet squelching in the muck of the spider's remains. "No. No way."

"Kim!" Peter shook his head and reached for her arm, pulling her into the creature's body, now a mass of sticky gunk. His voice was urgent. "We've got to go, now, before they realize she's dead and come out to feed on the corpse."

"What are you talking about? Before who realizes who's d—ungh!" Kim slipped in the slimy muck, landing on her hands and knees abruptly. "No, no… oh my God, gross! So gross…" moaned Kim as she picked her way through the grat'lest's translucent yellowish innards, still warm and pulsing. Gobs dripped onto her hair and shoulders, and she shrieked, then subsided into fierce mutterings as she got awkwardly to her feet. "Oh, God. I HATE this planet. I hate intergalactic megalomaniacs who drag people across the universe against their will for no discernible reason. I really, really hate spiders, especially this one. I hate not having had a shower for days. I HATE Tommy for being dead and I am beginning to hate YOU for dragging me through this and getting me all covered in smelly spider spleen!" One of the weapons dropped deep into a pile of gunk with a sticky plop. "And I am not picking that up."

"Look, this is the only way out of here. Grat'lest don't nest deep, so we can't be far from the surface. But they do feed on the body of the– " Peter stopped and stared at the tunnel beyond, stumbling slightly as he absently pulled Kim free from the morass of yellow-green goo.

Kim wiped a wad of snot-colored glop from her face and looked at him. He was gazing at the wall, which was… moving. "Oh, God, not another one," she wailed.

He glanced back at her, his face grim. "Not exactly." A six-inch long leg cut through the heaving gossamer. "Maybe another thousand. Run!"

The egg sac burst, scattering lean and hungry grat'lest young far and wide. Most of them swarmed over the corpse of their mother, screeching and chittering eagerly, devouring her, obliterating her from sight; the rest skittered over floor and walls toward Peter and Kim. There was no breath to scream as they sprinted, shooting what they could, which wasn't much. Kim's remaining weapon jammed, and she chucked it at the seething mob of spiders in disgust. Peter had a weapon in each hand, squeezing off shot after shot like a middle-aged action hero, killing a few with each controlled burst, which their brethren would stop to snack on before coming inexorably toward the scent of food.

Kim rounded a corner and roared in frustrated fury. "NO!" There was the opening, there was the outside world, barred by a metal grate. She wrapped her fingers around the heavy bars and peered out, pressing her nose in between; they were high in the air, up the side of a cliff, perhaps, and they were absolutely, unequivocally, trapped. "NO, NO, NO!!!" She pounded her fists against the grate, turning to Peter with wide, wild eyes. He ran to her, wrapping his arms around her to hold her close, turning her head into his chest so she wouldn't see the creatures come. The chittering came nearer, the black swarm flooded closer. Peter closed his eyes and waited.

A voice rang out. "Move back!" Stunned, Peter spun Kim away from the grate as a large, solid, hammer-shaped shadow crashed through it; two figures hovered in the air outside, one dark, the other gleaming. The bright one raised both hands toward the impending swarm and brilliant power pulsed from her hands, burning the front third of the creatures to ash as the others scattered. The dark one reached for Kim, who turned to face him, her face white, her hands shaking.

"T-tommy?" Then her eyes rolled back in her head as she fell forward in a dead faint.

"Damn," he muttered as he scooped her up. "That's the second time she's done that. You got Mr. C., Sparky?"

The white figure reached out to grasp a speechless Peter firmly around the waist, pulling him effortlessly into the air. "Ready to go, Tom. Where's our ride?"

A hoverskid buzzed up. "Geez Louise, I'm right here," muttered Zack. "Some of us don't travel faster than a speeding bullet, you know. Buckle up, Mr. C." He did a classic double take, his handsome face wrinkling in distaste. "Aw, man, what the hell sneezed on you? And what is that nasty smell?" He shook his head in disgust. "You guys are gonna mess up my upholstery something fierce. Thank God I got the top down."

"Zack?" Peter's voice came out a squeak. "What – how did you – Tommy? Is that really you?"

The dark armor of Shadow drained away, leaving a smiling Tommy. "It's me, Mr. C. Aji and I are fine, but it's a long story, and we've got to get you home before Billy explodes."

**************

"Kim? Kim!" Tommy wiped the gook from her face with a damp cloth, and she stirred slightly. He smiled; God, even covered in gooey spider snot she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. What a complete idiot he'd been, letting her go. Her eyelids fluttered. Tommy chuckled softly, remembering the last time she'd fainted from surprise at seeing him with new powers. "Come on, Beautiful. Time to wake up." She opened her eyes then, staring at him in disbelief.

"I don't believe it. Is it – is it really you?"

Did she remember that was the same thing she'd said the other time? He remembered, every second of every moment he'd been with her. Tommy grinned, playing out the scene. "In the flesh." He held out his arms for the hug he expected.

Caramel eyes narrowed; a small but powerful fist came out of nowhere, clipping him neatly across the jaw, sending him sprawling backward onto the floor of the hoverskid. Zack snorted, trying not to laugh; Aji hid a smile behind her hand. Tommy sent them a dirty look, rubbing his jaw. He looked back at Kim, who was sitting up, fire in those big eyes. "What was that for?"

"You're alive!"

"Yeah." Tommy sat on the seat next to her. "You got a problem with that?" She was sniffing, fighting tears. Damn, he hated when she cried. "Kim, honey, what's wrong?"

"It's – I – oh, Tommy, I grieved for you! Hearing you were dead just about killed me! And then I get grabbed by a bunch of goons and dragged across the galaxy, and Mr. C. almost dies, and we had to crawl through a b-big sp- sp-spider, and there were a million l-little ones that were g-going to eat us, and you show up to save the day and ask m-me wh-what's wr-wr-wrong?" She broke down then, and he pulled her to his chest, disregarding the smelly ooze that clung to her.

"Shh…" He nuzzled her hair, ignoring Zack's groan of disgust as it stuck to his face, glued there by green glop. "It's okay, love. We're together now, like we're supposed to be." She looked up at him questioningly. "I love you, Kim. More than I ever thought I could." With that he kissed her.

Her lips were warm, and soft, and yielding, and Tommy began to drown in them like he always did… and then with a small thump in the middle of his chest she shoved him away, clearly irate again.

"Wait just a second, buster. You love me?"

He nodded, confused. Wasn't she supposed to be happy about this? "Yeah, I do."

"Uh huh." Kim was practically snarling. "And when you showed up to rescue us, were you by any chance sporting a new power? Something dark… like Shadow, perhaps?"

"Uh oh," said Peter.

Tommy glanced at him, still perplexed, then returned his attention to Kim. "Uh… yeah."

This time he didn't even see her fist coming, but there he was, on his butt with a very sore jaw. "I'm YOUR biggest weakness?" Kim hollered. "You think maybe you might have told ME before blabbing it to some intergalactic terrorist, you big, dumb— Shadow, my ass! Geez, Oliver, you don't write, you don't call, you leave me high and dry in Florida for YEARS thinking I've lost the great love of my life!"

He sorted through that, seizing on the most salient point. "I'm the great love of your life?"

She bared her teeth at him. "Don't go there, Oliver, if you hope to live to the end of this ride. I want a shower, I want a decent meal, and I do NOT want to talk to you." With that she folded her arms and went stony silent.

He looked helplessly at Aji, who winced and shook her head. Zack raised his eyebrows and pushed the throttle to the max; Peter offered him a sympathetic smile. "She's been through a lot, son," he said quietly. "Don't push her."

**************

"Hey, here they come," cried Rocky, who had been eagerly scanning the docking bay ever since word had come that the rescue was a success. Everyone gathered around, Billy at the front, his blue eyes anxious, as the hoverskid pulled smoothly to a stop.

"Dad! Thank God," he grabbed his father in a hard bear hug, pulling back slightly a moment later, his nose wrinkling. "Ugh! What is that all over you?"

"Grat'lest innards, if I'm not mistaken," said Taia, making a face as she hugged him too. "I'm glad to see you alive and well, if not exactly pristine. Come, the medics want a chance at you." They led him toward the medbay, Billy supporting his father as they walked.

The others surged forward to greet Kim, who clambered out of the hoverskid, slipping slightly. She glared at all and sundry. "Yeah, yeah, hi. Shower. Now. And I don't want to talk to anybody until after." Trini opened her mouth; Kim glared her into silence, holding up a hand. "Uh uh. Later." Trini shut her mouth with a snap and pointed in the general direction of quarters. "Good." The petite, slimy woman stalked off, Trini hurrying behind.

Aji rounded on Tommy. "Of all the hamhanded, idiotic buffoonery that had to be the worst! It's no wonder you haven't got a life!"

He glared at her. "What?"

She mimicked him, hands on hips. " 'Hi, I'm not dead, I love you even though we haven't seen each other in years and by the way you're here because of me.' Honestly, Tom."

Kat stared. "Oh, he did not."

Aji folded her arms. "He absolutely did."

Jason winced. "Smooth, bro."

Tommy growled. "Anybody else want to weigh in on my love life?"

"Or lack thereof," piped up Rocky.

Trini came back from showing Kim the shower. "Geez, Tom, what did you do?"

"Why does everyone assume this is my fault?"

In answer they just looked at him. Tommy rolled his eyes.

Aji got in his face. "Go after her." He shook his head. Her green eyes narrowed. "You are not giving up again, Tommy."

"You heard her. She hates me."

"Oh, that's it." Without preamble Aji hauled off and punched him, and once again Tommy met the floor in an abrupt introduction.

He snarled as he got up. "That's getting fairly old, Aj."

She curled her hands into fists. "You want to make something out of it?"

"Hey now." Jason stepped between them. "Just calm down, both of you."

Aji shook her head. "You don't get it, Jason. Tommy and I… we're inside each other. He feels what I do, sort of, and vice versa. The thing about Kim is… in a way I love her too. And I am NOT going to let him throw everything away. Again."

Jason looked at his friend. "How about it, Tom?"

He looked uncertainly at the group watching him avidly. "So you all think I'm being an idiot?" There was a general murmur of assent. "And you think I should go after her?" Another murmur, more emphatic. "Okay. I'll talk to her later."

Aji spun him around by the shoulders and shoved him toward the quarters. "No. Now."

"But she's in the shower!"

This time eight voices answered him as one. "AND??"

Tommy thought about the possibilities, and a slow grin spread across his face. "Okay then." And he went, accompanied by applause.

**************

A baleful brown eye peered from the shower in Trini's lavatory. "Oh, this better be good."

Tommy swallowed. It never failed. He'd faced down countless monsters, but one tiny woman could bring him to his knees. "Sorry, Kim, but I need to talk, and you need to listen. At least this way you won't run off."

"I thought I said – "

He cut her off. "Yeah, you said. And I heard you. But you're always the one saying things, making pronouncements, like 'I don't love you that way anymore'. And it's my turn now. Finally."

There was a long silence. "So talk."

Where to start? Clearly, with the most important thing. "Kim, I love you, I always have. I always will, no matter what. I've learned that, at least." Tommy sighed. "You have to know I would never have wanted you to come to any harm. When So'Vran grabbed you I – " his voice failed for some reason, and he cleared his throat. "I felt like I was going to come apart at the seams, just like I did on Muranthias, when you and Jase were captured by Divatox. But Kat and I were dating back then, and you didn't seem as though you wanted anything to do with me, so I figured you were happy and I let it go. I was stupid. In the end I hurt Kat anyway, neglecting her the same way I did you. But you know the difference?" He sighed again, leaning against the washroom wall. "With you I always knew I was screwing up. I felt guilty about it, but I figured you'd forgive me. Aji says I was just waiting to see how far you'd let me push, and she's probably right. But with Kat… I did care about her, but somehow I never really realized I was neglecting her until it was too late. I just pushed her away, and felt bad after, but it wasn't the same." He fisted his hands. "Nothing's been the same, Kim. Nothing ever will be, unless you let me love you the way I want to. The way I should have done from the start. I was scared, Kim. But I'm not scared anymore."

He counted his heartbeats before she spoke. There were ten. A wet head poked out from the shower. "Liar."

Tommy looked at her. God, he loved her so. "Yeah, okay. I am scared. Scared to death that you won't love me again."

He couldn't read her expression. "Funny word, again. That would imply that there was a time when I had stopped."

There was a huge, burning lump in his throat that he had to speak around, and his voice came out strangled. "Kim?"

"Oh, Tommy. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken everything out on you. Losing you all those years ago, dealing with your death, finding you alive after all… it's been rough."

"It never should have happened, Kim."

"I know, but it's over. Maybe we should just make sure it doesn't happen again." She stepped from the shower, holding out her arms. Tommy shook his head, dizzy as all his blood raced south. "Come here."

He opened his mouth to speak and decided there were better things he could do with it. Less than a heartbeat later he was across the small room, holding the warm, clean, dripping, slippery love of his life and his mind disconnected when she found the opening to his suit and used it. "This time forever, Kim," he managed to say coherently before things got totally out of hand.

She smiled. "It was always forever, Tommy." And then things got totally out of hand.

*************

Later there was a brief period of quiet in Trini's bedroom, punctuated only by the rustle of sheets or an occasional gentle sigh of happiness.

The commlink buzzed. "Tom?"

A fist slammed down on it. "No."

A few minutes passed, and it beeped again, this time a different voice. "Hey, Tommy…"

"I said no."

There was another pause. *Beeep.* A third voice. "Tom!"

"The next person who interrupts me is going to be killed."

"But is everything all right? Did you talk to Kim?"

This time the answering voice was female, low and purring. "Everything's… ummm… fine. We'll get back to you in an hour or so, 'kay?"

The answer was directed at someone on the other end. "Oh, oops. Maybe we should have just asked Aji…"

Tommy looked down at Kim, laughing softly, stroking the soft skin of her back. "So where were we?"

She curled her arms around his neck. "Right about here."