Years After.

Author's notes: Thanks for the reviews. . Sorry I took so long. Something came up.

Hope I did not missed out in answering any questions. Drop in your comments k?

Disclaimer: Na-uh. Don't own most of them. Except Annie, Tom & Jonathan.

Here goes Chapter 10. The surf spot.

"Please Justin. Please, please, please …" Annie leaps from one couch to the other.

- I did not know baby sitting was this bad. But figures, she IS Kim's daughter. – Justin thought while sinking his head into his palms, in a somewhat frustrated position.

"I will be good. I promise." The energetic girl flashes him a smile, which reaches from ear to ear.

After receiving a text message from a friend who wants to have a little catching up, he reluctantly agrees. What harm would it do? After all,Kimberly did give him permission to take her out. "Ok. Come on; let me show you this cool place where I use to hang out. Pretty lots of kids your age are there."

Annie squealed in delight and reach out both hands towards his shoulders, indicating that she wants a ride on his shoulder.

Surf Spot (A renovated Juice Bar with a new owner.)

The Surf Spot is the place for students, ranging from the Kindergarten near by, to some L.A. University students, who chills & work out here after a long day attending classes. Little children come here for their gymnastics & taekwondo classes, which keeps the place lively at all times. The surf spot has a gym area – part for children and another for teenagers, the juice bar, an arcade area, beach volleyball ground at the back, with a roller blade / skate boarding area around the beach volleyball ground. There is also a room with a few computers, to add a little cyber café touch to this whole place.

Annie's face glows with an Aw as they enter the place. "May I go over there and play with them? Please."

Justin just nods his head and went over to the juice bar to grab a drink, while keeping an eye on Annie. Sitting down there with a magazine in hand and a cup on the table, he occasionally takes peeks on how Annie is doing and then glances at his watch.

At what seems about the 20th time glancing at his watch, he was startled by a pat on his shoulder.

"You are way over time dude." He said without realizing who was behind.

"I don't remember making any appointment." That person smiled.

"Oh!Hey Tommy" "What brings you here?" the teenager questioned after greeting Tommy with a friendly clasp of hands.

"Just driving around and thought of dropping by. This place sure has changed. Twice the size of the old juice bar." "Where were you last month anyway? Had a mini reunion at Trini's at Kim's, but Kat say u were not around?"

"Was in Paris. Finishing up my dad's stuff." Justin replied with a slight drop in his tone.

"One day, we'll officially introduce Zack & Trini. Can't believe we are all back here. Bet Kimberly can't recognize you." Tommy immediately lifting back the mood of their conversation.

- Bet she will. Because she just did. – "Well, I have to admit that I now have the killer looks." Justin joked.

"How about you? Waiting for…?"

"I got called out by a friend. I am Part time babysitting too." And immediately regret after the last two words left his mouth.

"Now you are babysitting. It seems just like yesterday you were being babysat by us." Tommy chuckled while lightly throwing a punch at the youngsters shoulder.

"Hey… I resent that."

As Tommy decided to stand up to grab a drink, he bumped into a small figure, or rather she bumped into him. The girl landed with a slight 'oomph' which caused Justin to bolt right up from his seat to her side.

"Annie, are you ok?"

Tommy on the other hand, was studying this girl in front of him. For a second he could have sworn that he had seen her before, but he just could not recall. – Me & my faulty memory –

"Tommy… Tommy." Someone called him which brought him out of his daze.

"Yea? Sorry, man. Sorry to you too, are you hurt?" He asked Annie.

"Nope. I'm fine. See." Annie did a ballet spin and took a seat beside in between them. Justin excused himself to answer his call.

"Hi. My name is Tommy." Tommy introduced. Something about this girl just seems to keep tugging at the back of his head. He just could not put a touch on it.

Annie stops fiddling her fingers and smiles up at him. "I'm Annie."

- That smile – and then it clicks. – The picture. -

Tommy chuckles nervously, while making a smooth motion down the back of his head, and then asks, "Do you know a guy, my age, tough and good looking, with brownish hair, name Jason?" He mentally kicks himself for sounding so stupid.

"Uncle Jason?" Although somewhat already suspecting it, that reply still came as a shock to Tommy.

"Uncle?" He asked with a slight raise of the eyebrow.

Justin came jogging back to them. "I'll catch up with you guys later. Got to run." "Fix a time."

- Talk about timing, Justin. At least I know something's up with Jase. There's just something more about this girl. I know it. - "Sure, I'll arrange with them & give you a call."

The Hart & Kwan's residence. (Kitchen)

"You two can't just keep on dancing around each other, hoping for a miracle to happen each time you see him. Life does not work like that Kim. You got save once; you might not the next time. You won't get another reporter gushing over you two every time you see each other. TWENTY-SEVEN. No more the young perky seventeen years old that I first met. God's sake, you're even a mum!"

Kimberly stood up, and walked towards the sink. "Tom, you make it sound so simple, but it's not! You two won't understand. No one will. Every night, he haunts me while I sleep; it scares me when Annie's not with me; always afraid that he might come harm us; it's all just like a night mare. But it's not. How am I going to tell Tommy what happened? I, myself still find it hard to believe. I want it all to be a night mare, which I'll soon wake up from, where I don't have all this bull shit to worry about."

Trini went over and hugged her best friend.

"I can't even utter THE word. Every time I look at him, I can't even find that courage to tell him what happened. I can't even tell Aisha what happened. I can't tell anyone what happened. You want to know why? Because I'm scared. I'm afraid. I'm lost." Kimberly's tears poured.

"It's ok Kim. I'm here. We're here. We will give you all the courage you need. We will help you through. We will settle this when the time comes. I promise." Trini comforted.

"They are bound to find out you know. Just like how Aisha did. Tommy did started suspecting, according to Justin." Tom rationed.

"Would not that be better? The whole world will know then. I won't have to think on how to tell them. They'll just come straight to me, and ask me for answers, then the whole story comes out." Kimberly fired back.

"Enough you two." Trini took a breathe then continue. "Let's not make it worse." "We'll see how everything goes, and then think of what to do." She stated firmly.

Tommy's room

"Hey bro, free for a drink?"

"Now? What's up?"

"Nah. It's ok if you are busy."

Sensing something was up, Jason agreed. "Meet you at the same place in half an hour."

At the Bar

"So…"

"Well Jason, we were buddies for how long? Ten? Fifteen years?" Tommy said.

"This is not you man. What is up in your mind?" Jason took a gulp of beer.

"Sorry bro, but it's just, there's been so much going on in my mind lately. I mean, it's like trying to tell me something. But I just could not make any sense out of it?."

"It has something to do with Kim right?"

"I, uh... well…" Tommy stuttered.

"Being your pal for this long, I can tell when things that are bothering you is about Kim. So let's get straight to the point. Don't think you call me out just for a drink right?"

"I don't know actually, things have just been happening lately, since I saw Kim."

"U meant, since she reappeared into your peaceful life, which now is all turned upside down, and you not knowing what to do." Jason smirked.

Tommy just rolled his eyes. "That guy, I did not tell any of you yet. But on the night we watched Zack's show, there was this guy… what's his name… who attacked her. And then there's this little girl, Annie, who keeps appearing in my mind after meeting her once. Well, what I'm trying to ask is, is Kim ok? What happened to her? She seems different."

"Oh gee, our fearless leader gets so tied up inside when it comes to our little Kimmy." Jason joked, and then continued seriously. "Kimberly is fine, and if you're asking about her leg, it's close to 90 recovery. It takes time. But if you want to know what happened to her in those few years, that's your job to find out by talking to her. Come on bro, don't you get sick of dancing around each other? Just get your damn phone and give her a call. Ask her out for a drink or something, settle all your problems and get all your questions answered."

"We're not dancing around each other! Our problems are between us. So why don't you guys let us handle it our own way! Why must I make the first move? Why must I seek for reconciliation? She was the one who broke my heart! She crushed it with a letter! A DAMN LETTER!" Jason lifted his hands as if surrendering and waited for his pal to cool down.

After half an hour & another bottle,

"Sorry, maybe you're right. I guess it's time for both of us to settle our little problem. I would rather us be friends than continuing what we're doing now. It might give me a clearer picture of where we stand now." Tommy sighed.

"Are you sure just friends will be all right?" Jason snickered. Which earn him a glare.