Author's Note: Time to change the rating again! So, this one is now M like the other one. And this chapter is def M just a warning Hope this one holds up to expectations! Happy Reading. Dark rolling sea.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Tom woke feeling disoriented and alone. He sighed as he ran his hand over the cold sheets next to him. He glanced around the room trying to gauge what time it was. He forced himself up out the bed and pulled on clean clothes. He walked towards his front door, hoping she hadn't left already. He really wanted to talk to her one more time, maybe talk her out of leaving. He knew it was futile, but he still had to try.

He left his home and looked across the yard. His heart lifted as he saw her and Kelly just walking to the car. He quickened his step and moved across the lawns towards the two women.

"Rachel," he boomed out to get her attention. He watched her pause, but she didn't turn towards him. Her body language was stiff, and it made him worry. He walked a little faster. He noticed Kelly look at him over the car then back at Rachel. He could tell the two were conversing, but he had no clue what was being said. He was almost to them when Rachel finally turned to face him.

"Tom," she answered. He paused a few steps from her and gazed over her. He read her body language and felt his chest tighten again. She was stiff and rigid, and he was afraid he had lost her. He looked over at Kelly and gave the other woman a smile before he turned his gaze back to Rachel. He was glad Kelly took the hint and walked away, giving them some privacy.

"No chance I can change your mind?" he asked. His voice was laden with the sadness he was feeling.

"No. I'm going back to the ship. You still have five days. Spend it with your family."

The last words struck him hard. She was his family too he felt. He wanted that; he knew that now. "Rachel," he ground out. He couldn't help but feel the anger in him at her running, at not including herself in his family. "You are my family too."

"That may be, but right now…you need to face this family and everything that entails. They need you right now."

"I need you right now."

"No, you don't. You want me right now. There is a difference. But I told you last night. I can't keep competing with her."

"You're not," Tom replied even though he knew she was right. He felt a hint of embarrassment.

"But I am, Tom," she sighed, bringing her hand up to caress the side of his face. "It's not intentional but it's happening. So go back in there and grieve for her, deal with it here. I'll be on the ship when you get back," she continued. Tom could see she was close to tears again. He hated seeing her cry, especially on his account. He stood and stared at her as his mouth and brain were disconnected. He was bombarded with a slew of emotions as he thought about everything she was saying. He knew deep in his heart she was right and that they really needed to have this break. He felt sick to his stomach as he made the decision to stop fighting her on it.

"Okay," he finally whispered. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her, bending down pressing his face into her neck. He felt her lean her head against his as her arms wrapped around his torso. They stood for a long moment tangled with each other before Tom pulled himself from the hug. He brought his hands up to either side of her face and leaned in, kissing her long and deep, trying to convey all the emotion to her that his words were failing. He broke away from her at last, kissing her nose as he pulled back. "Feel free to use my stateroom."

Rachel smiled and nodded at him, then he turned and walked away. It was the hardest thing he had done in the recent past, and that said a lot. He knew there was a lot of work to do in a short period of time, but he was determined to fix his head space and be readily available to her when he returned to the ship. He sat on his porch and watched the two women drive away, his heart aching as the distance grew before the car disappeared from sight.

He was still sitting there staring off in that direction when his dad came out with two cups of coffee. He leaned over and handed Tom one of the cups and Tom took it grateful.

"Thanks, Dad," he said softly.

"So, she left," Jed said nonchalantly, and Tom looked over at his dad to gauge his meaning. Tom sipped the coffee slowly to give him time to compose an answer.

"Yes, she did," he settled on. He blew out a sigh and sipped some more coffee. Jed was studying him, and he was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. "What?"

"You can still fix it all," Jed said quietly.

"I know that, and I plan to. Today I'm going to take Ashley out for some one-on-one time. I need to get her to open up to me."

"There's a coffee shop she likes in town. Got an area you can sit. Might be a good place."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Tom replied with a sigh.

Later that day he sat across from Ashley in a booth at the coffee shop his dad suggested. Neither one was speaking, simply sipping at their drinks they got. Tom was trying to formulate something in his head that wouldn't be taken the wrong way. He wasn't sure how much Ashley would be willing to talk about sitting in public, but the good news was there weren't that many people in the shop.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Tom asked his daughter. She looked at him with her face screwed up but then her features relaxed and she picked at the table.

"I'm still angry," she said quietly, her shoulders rolling up a little before slumping.

"At me?"

"Yes. And mom. And the world, I guess. And whoever did this to the world. I mean how could this have happened?"

"I don't know, Honey, sometimes something new just comes along and there's nothing we can do to stop it."

"It's not fair."

"I know it's not. I'm just glad I still have you and Sam," Tom said, his voice catching. He didn't want to think about what Mike or Garnett were going through. Both of them had lost their children in the red flu. Tom looked away and composed himself before he looked back at Ashely. She seemed to be thinking about what he said.

"Why did mom have to die?" she asked her voice quivering. Tom reached out and gently laid his hand over hers.

"I ask the same question. And I don't have an answer. I don't really have answers for anything. I just know that everyone has lost someone. Everyone has been devastated."

"It's not fair," Ashley said again as the tears slipped from her eyes.

"No, it's not. You shouldn't have to grow up without her." His heart ached for his daughter. He didn't know how to make it better. Ashley sat thinking for a long moment and he let her. Waiting for her to lead the conversation.

"I still don't like you being with her," Ashley said as she picked at something on her cup. Tom sucked in a deep breath and thought about how to answer her.

"I know. It's going to take time to adjust. I don't expect you to be okay with it right now, but sometime in the future we're all going to have to get along."

"Why?"

"Ashley," Tom said with his fatherly tone. She made a face at him. "Listen, this isn't just a rebound because I lost your mom. It's more than that."

"How can you do that so quickly after mom died?"

"I don't know and trust me I've judged myself more than you ever could. But I know that Rachel helps me. She makes me feel like living. She's…my rock right now."

"Right now. What happens when you don't need a rock anymore?"

"I'll always need a rock. And eventually when I'm not…broken…anymore I'll be hers. Just like I'm yours."

"You were," Ashley said sadly, and Tom felt his chest squeeze tightly.

"Ash, I'll always be there for you."

"Yeah, a million miles away. It's okay, I get it. It's who you are. You're a warrior. But I have grampa now so it's okay." Tom felt the blow on that one, but he completely understood what she was saying, and he had to let it go. She was getting older and more able to make those decisions. He wasn't around enough to make her a daddy's girl, but he could tell she was a grampa's girl.

"I'm sorry," Tom said. "I know it's not easy."

"No, it's not."

"Can we agree to at least meet halfway?" Tom asked hopefully. Ashley studied him for a moment and then a small smile crept over her lips, and she nodded.

"I'll try harder," she whispered with a non-committal shrug. Tom smiled.

The next day Tom was sitting on his bed looking at an old photo album. The pictures were stirring up major memories of Darien and how much he missed her. The loss of her was still there even though Rachel was filling the holes. He needed to deal with this guilt and pain and put Darien to rest once and for all. There was a knock on the door and Tom took a deep breath to clear his emotions.

"Come in," he said in his captain's voice. He heard his dad chuckle before his head popped in. Jed looked over his son and came into the room, his face showing concern.

"You, okay?"

"I don't know, Dad," Tom said feeling the emotions roll through him again. "Being here, feeling the memories, smelling the smells, remembering our lives. It's making it very real."

"I figured it would. The kids had a really hard time the first few months."

"Thank you for being here for them," Tom breathed out, anger flaring at himself for not staying and helping them through that period.

"It's okay, you had some important business to attend to. Now it's your turn."

"My turn?"

"Yes, your turn. Let it go, Son. Open up and let the grief and sadness wash you. Let her go."

"I know, Dad. I miss her so much," he said as his voice caught. He felt the tears coming again and didn't do anything to fight them. He let them fall. His dad reached over and pulled Tom's head down into his chest and wrapped his arms around him tightly. Tom let the emotion explode in him. He sat cradled by his dad, as if he were a small child again.

Tom let the loss of his wife wash through him, and he cried. He couldn't help it anymore. The grief was thick, and fluid and he let it roll out of him as he mourned the loss of Darien. He had no idea how long he had sat there with his father but after it was all out of him and control returned, he sat up, pulling away. His father's arms dropped away from him, but Jed remained on the bed. Tom felt the comfort as Jed placed a hand on his shoulder. Tom felt a lot better, as his mind felt clearer. He sighed and rubbed at his sore face.

"Thanks," he mumbled. "I didn't know how much I needed that," Tom said to his father. Jed smiled and patted the hand sitting on Tom's shoulder.

"I know," Jed replied with a tight smile. "And you're welcome." The hand squeezed one more time, then Jed stood and quietly exited the room. Tom was amazed at how much that had lifted the tightness in him. He was able to look at the pictures now and remember the good times. He was able to separate himself from the memories, and realize it was another life.

Later that day he was sitting on his front porch relaxing when Kelly Tophet came into view. She slowly climbed his stairs with a hesitant smile on her face. Tom gave her a curious look, his head cocked a little, eyebrow raised.

"Afternoon," he quipped. She smiled and nodded.

"That it is. You got a moment?" she asked quietly. Tom was curious and motioned she sit down in the chair next to him. Kelly finished her climb and plopped down slowly next to him.

"What's on your mind?" Tom asked.

"Rachel," Kelly said plainly as she stared off at the horizon, refusing to meet Tom's gaze. Tom studied the woman a little before he answered.

"And?" Tom asked not sure where the conversation was going. Kelly finally sighed and looked at him.

"You're really fucking this up, huh," she finally said. Tom choked on a laugh.

"Excuse me?" he said trying to regain his composure. Kelly gave him a tight-lipped smile and shook her head.

"You heard me," she said with a sigh. "Look, that woman would walk through hell for you."

"I know," Tom admitted softly. And he did know that. "I'd do the same for her. It's just complicated."

"Have you found a way to simplify it yet?"

"I think so," Tom breathed out, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "It's hard to process sometimes. I just recently lost my wife you know."

"I do. I just lost my husband," she quipped. Tom nodded. "How are you dealing with that?"

"I think I have a handle on it…now."

"Today? Or yesterday?"

"Today."

"Somethings changed then?"

"Yes," Tom replied with a smile. "I thank you for the concern."

"My concern isn't for you. I've known Rachel for a long time. She's a guarded woman and doesn't fall easily. She's fallen deep for you, and I can see why. Now you just need to get your head together so that you don't drown her in your own grief."

"I'm trying. I realize I fucked up. I know that I leaned too heavily on her and started to crush the rock. I wish I had been paying attention to that earlier, but I didn't. Now I have to fix myself so I can start to mend her too."

"I'm glad you finally saw that. She's a strong woman, but there are limitations to her strength."

"I know that now," Tom agreed. He felt guilty for how he had not noticed her cracking under the pressure.

"Good. Because you two have a chemistry that most people are jealous of, because we never get to have it. Do you understand that?"

Tom thought on her words and nodded slowly. "I think I do."

"Good. Now stop fucking around and fix your family, big guy," Kelly said and then stood and walked away. Tom stared after her in disbelief as he processed everything she had just said to him. He had to chuckle at her brash method. She would be a good friend to have he thought and was glad Rachel had her on her side.

The next four days Tom had spent with his kids, doing things as a family. Sometimes they even got Jed to join in. Things with Ashely were going better, not perfect, but better. There were moments of happiness mixed with moments of brooding and pain. He knew she was dealing with a lot and each night he made sure to check in and have a talk with her. He let her dictate the conversation. Their relationship seemed to get better as the days passed and that made Tom happy.

It was his last night in Norfolk, and he was sitting outside in their backyard with a fire going. The kids were flanked on either side of him as they enjoyed the warmth of the fire. Sam was roasting marshmallows and Ashley was in a decent mood for the moment. Jed was sitting across from them seemingly content. Ashely wrapped her arm around his and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"You leave tomorrow?" Ashley asked. Tom watched as Sam stood by his father and roasted another marshmallow.

"Yes," Tom replied. "Are you okay with that?"

"Yes. You have a duty to the ship and the cure. I understand the mission isn't over yet."

"I know it's hard, Baby, but eventually I'll be home."

"With her?"

"Ash," Tom sighed. "I thought we agreed to at least meet halfway on this."

"I know, Daddy. It's just…"

"What?"

"I don't know. It's just really hard to see you with someone else. I always thought you and Mom would be together forever."

"Me too, Sweetheart. I never imagined your mother would die first, trust me."

"Now what?"

"Now we move forward. You take care of your brother and grandfather for me, until I can be around more permanently."

"You'd do that?"

"I think I would, but I need to finish what I started."

"The world needs a hero," she quipped softly. Tom thought about what she said, and it made him cringe. He did not see himself as a hero at all. He was one man that was thrown into the deep end without a life preserver and he managed to stay afloat just long enough for Rachel to make a cure. In his eyes Rachel was the hero, he just commanded the ship.

"I'm not a hero," he whispered. Ashley squeezed his arm.

"But you are, Dad, you save the world. You're going to save humanity."

"No, that's Rachel. She did that. I just happened to make enough right decisions to keep us alive until then," he breathed out.

"That's not how the world sees it. It's going to be hard to be Tom Chandler's daughter in the new world." Tom chuckled but he knew Ashley was being serious. He pulled his arm from hers and wrapped it around her shoulders pulling her tight.

"Are we good then?"

"I'm not happy about it."

"That's not what I asked," he said, before leaning down and kissing her head softly.

"I don't know, Dad, but I'm going to try to meet you halfway."

"Good. I think if you gave Rachel a chance, you'd really like her."

"She'll never be mom to me."

"Honey, I never asked you to feel that way. She would never dream she could take your mother's spot. Just give her a chance to be a part of the family."

"I work on it," Ashley resigned, and Tom breathed out a sigh of relief.

"It's all I can ask."

The next morning Tom woke feeling refreshed and happy. Even though Rachel wasn't with him he knew that he had cleared his headspace and fixed the fissures there. The break from everything, including Rachel he begrudged, had been good for him. He felt like a new person. He had dealt with Darien's death and was able to put her to rest. He had come to terms with his daughter, as she had agreed to try. He was going to miss his kids, but he was ready to get back to the ship. He didn't need Slattery getting any ideas about Command.

Standing in his BDUs, he tossed his bag into the back seat of the car and turned to face his kids. Sam leaped into his arms again and he squeezed the boy tightly. He set him down and crouched down to eye level with the boy.

"I'll miss you, Buddy," Tom said. Sam was working hard not to cry, and it was making it hard on Tom too.

"I'll miss you too, Dad," Sam quipped, his voice shaky. "How long will you be gone this time?"

Tom contemplated his question but didn't have a solid answer for him. He didn't even have shipping out orders yet, but he figured they would be going to Europe with the cure next. He figured they'd be gone six to eight months.

"Six, maybe eight months," Tom replied. He saw the sadness in his son. "I'll go by quick, Sam."

"Maybe," the boy said half-heartedly. Tom wrapped him in a hug and squeezed him tight.

"I'll be home before you know it."

"Promise?" Sam asked. Tom smiled and nodded. Sam took a step back and Ashley stepped up and gave Tom a hug.

"Take care of yourself, Dad," she said softly.

"Take care of those two for me, will ya?" Tom asked motioning to his dad and son. Ashley glanced at them and then smiled.

"You got it. Be safe," she said, and Tom felt his chest tighten as the words reminded him of what Darien would always say to him.

"I will," he promised. Ashley nodded and stepped away.

"Got your head on straight?" Jed asked as he stepped up and stuck his hand out. Tom gripped his dad's hand shook it briefly before pulling the older man into a hug.

"I do believe I do now," Tom whispered into the older man's ear. Jed nodded. They held the hug for a moment before Tom let go and stepped back. "I'm gonna miss you guys."

"We'll miss you too, Son," Jed said and the kids both nodded. Tom then climbed into the car and drove back to the docks. The closer he got the bigger his anticipation at seeing Rachel grew. He knew he was going to have to do some logistics and get squared away with Mike first but then he would have the whole night with her. His body ached to see her.

He returned the car he had barrowed and checked in with Captain Williams to see how things were progressing with the restocking and refueling of his ship. She assured him that it was all going according to plan. They had made repairs to the ship itself and restocked the engine rooms, both galleys, and everything else on the ship. He next asked about Rachel's lists and was told again that everything had been procured and was already on the ship. Tom signed off an all the paperwork and was finally ready to reboard the ship. He dropped his bag in the at sea cabin and made his way to the bridge.

"Captain on the bridge!" was announced and Tom walked over to see Mike talking to Gator. Mike looked up and smiled.

"Well don't you look refreshed," Mike asked with a smile. Tom gave him a warning look to keep it professional in front of the crew and Mike nodded.

"How are things going?" Tom asked.

"Better than expected. The crews are ahead of schedule, and we are just about ready to ship out two full days early."

"Good to hear. We've made sure everything is restocked and packed away?"

"Yes, sir," Mike replied as Gator stepped away. Tom looked around the bridge and felt a charge of energy from being back. He motioned Mike to follow him to his at sea cabin so they could talk more freely. Once behind the closed-door Tom turned to face Mike.

"Anything to report while I was gone?"

"It was smooth sailing for the most part. I was a little surprised to see Dr. Scott back so early," Mike said dryly. Tom gave his friend a look then blew out a breath.

"Yeah, that was…it didn't go so well while she was there."

"That's what she said."

"So, you two talked," Tom said.

"We did. Don't worry I'm not moving in on your girl," Mike replied. Tom shook his head.

"I hope not. I'm finally in a good head space."

"Does she know you're back yet?"

"No. I haven't seen her yet. I finished the shore paperwork with Captain Williams then I came to see you."

"I'm honored," Mike said with a chuckle. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"She seem okay since coming back?"

"She seemed like she needed a break," Mike said with a shoulder shrug. "It was hard on her being there like that."

"I know. I regret some of the things I said and did. But things are better now, and I understand more of what she was going through."

"That's good."

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"Just making sure you're ready for another run. Have we received any orders yet?"

"No. Other than the ones to restock and refuel."

"Hopefully we found out soon what they want us to do."

"It'd be nice to have a plan. Hey, Tom?"

"Hmm?"

"Go see her," Mike said nonchalantly. Tom looked at him. "Take the evening. Come back on duty tomorrow."

"Thanks, Mike," Tom replied with a smile.

"My pleasure."

"I think you just want to steal my command."

"It's crossed my mind," Mike said as he turned and left the cabin. Tom laughed and then followed Mike out. He walked towards his stateroom and the anticipation grew within him. He felt the heat coil in his body at the prospect of seeing Rachel after this long break.

When he finally reached the door, his body was keyed up and on fire. He didn't feel any of the guilt or sorrow that he had been feeling before he had gone home. Now all he felt was love and desire for the current woman in his life. He opened the door and spotted her half asleep on his couch and his heart soared even more. He stepped into the room shutting the door and he saw her sit up and smile at him.

He couldn't stop himself, nor did he want to. He moved across the room with purpose, and he watched as she rose to her feet. His body practically slammed into hers and he crushed her as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush against himself in a tight hug. He dropped his head to her shoulder, and he picked her up. He felt her arms wrap around him.

"I missed you," he mumbled against her neck.

"I missed you too," she breathed out. Tom set her back down and pulled back before leaning in and kissing her. It was a kiss of hunger and deep seeded passion as he let his emotions free. His body was aching for her, so when he pulled up for air he turned and made sure the door was locked. He did not need anyone walking in with his intentions. With the door secured he walked back to her and with a smooth motion he picked her up, and moved them into his bedroom, putting her down on the bed.

Rachel was on her back looking up at him as he leaned down and kissed her jaw, then worked down her neck to her shoulder. He could not get enough of her. His mouth moved across her shoulder along the clavicle to where the neck and shoulder joined. He bit at the soft skin there, before smoothing over it with his tongue. In a quick move he was back on her mouth, as he delved into the feelings racing through his body. He was afire with desire for her. He needed her tonight, and he was hoping she would be willing to follow him. He needed to show her just how much he had fixed and how willing he was to take this to the next level.

He felt her hands roaming across his back, and the rush of feeling he got when they slipped under his shirt for skin-to-skin contact was exquisite. He continued to attack her mouth with abandon as he felt her tugging at the hem of his shirt. He tore himself away from her and leaned back enough to slip it over his head and tossed it aside. He dropped down again and kissed her before he grabbed her shirt and tugged it up. She sat up slightly allowing the garment to slip over her head and Tom tossed it aside as well. He primal instinct started to take over and he leaned down, kissing a trail down her chest. He smiled when he heard her gasp as his tongue flicked over her nipple. She arched her back forcing the nipple into his mouth and he sucked gently.

His other hand was on her hip, tracing slow circles against her pants. He felt her fingers rake along his back up to the short hairs on the back of his head. He left her breast and kissed a trail down her stomach to the top of her pants. His fingers working the clasp as he did so, sliding them down. He felt her thrust her hips up off the mattress and he stripped her of both her pants and panties in one swoop, leaving her fully exposed to him. The blood rushed to his erection.

She finally opened her eyes and looked into his as he felt the love and desire for her envelope him. He stood up and removed his pants and boxers, leaving them both fully naked. Rachel reached up and stroked his face before he leaned down, his eyes staying on hers. He kissed her inner thighs, making her moan softly as she bent her knees. Tom moved closer to her sex, and she pulsed her hips trying to make contact with his lips.

He smiled, before moving his lips, kissing his way up her stomach, and across both her breasts. He then moved his attention to suck at her neck before biting down. He smiled again as she gasped at the sensation he was creating and relished the feeling of her fingers dug into his back, before she slid them down to his naked butt. He moved up and captured her lips again in a long passionate kiss, that involved lips, and teeth, and tongues. He reached his hand down between her legs and stroked her causing her hips to buck forward against him. He broke away from her mouth so he could look her in the eye as he thrust three fingers into her. He felt his body spark again as she let out another moan of pleasure and rocked her hips again as his palm brushed against her clit.

"Tom" Rachel breathed out, as her hands scrambled to pull his face down to her so she could kiss him. He allowed her to do so, and their lips crashed together another long duel, and he felt her reach between them and stroke his penis. It was his turn to groan as the sensation ripped through him coiling in his belly as his body reacted to her touch. He couldn't help the thrust and pulse his body did.

"Fuck," he breathed out as she worked his shaft with her hand. "You keep doing that and this will be over." Rachel smiled at him, and he couldn't help but smile back. He felt her lining him up. When he felt she had him where she wanted him, he thrust his hips forward slowly. Rachel gasped and he felt himself enter her, penetrating deeply. She closed her eyes and he watched, forcing himself to be still. Letting her enjoy and adjust to him. He slowly lowered his weight onto her and waited. She gave him no indication, so he began to pump in and out in a slow and steady motion.

Rachel seemed to come to life and leaned up to kiss a trail down his chest, nipping him in a few places. He felt her tightening around him as he continued to move. Soon they were locked in a frantic rhythm as each of them lost control. Tom heard Rachel moan as her insides clenched tightly around his shaft. He felt her twitch and then clamp around him. Tom pushed a few erratic thrusts into her as he felt his own organism follow closely behind hers.

He collapsed onto the bed next to her panting, his body humming with the after effects of their sex. He felt Rachel reach out and stroke the side of his face and he instinctively leaned into her touch. He turned on his side and draped an arm over her.

"Well," Rachel said with a smile.

"Well," Tom replied. He was content. "I told you I missed you. Five days is a long time."

"How did it go after I left?" She asked. Tom let her question roll through him a moment before he answered.

"Not going to lie, it was difficult, but at the same time it wasn't," he replied. He reached up and brushed her damp hair back from her face. "I think I worked out my guilt." He felt Rachel chuckle.

"Sure felt like it," she said playfully. Tom began to stroke his fingers up and down her bare shoulder. He couldn't seem to get enough of her.

"I did some more grieving. I talk to Ashley some more. I came to terms with…us…and Darien. I'm sorry I hurt you," Tom said. The last part was hard to say but he knew he needed to get it out there.

"It's not that you hurt me," Rachel began. Tom cut her off by reaching over and placing his fingers over her mouth. She quieted down.

"Let me explain, because I did hurt you," Tom continued. Rachel nodded. Tom licked his lips as they suddenly felt dry. He worked through his thoughts in his mind, trying to find the perfect words on how to express what he was feeling inside. He needed to let her know he understood now. He finally broke the silence. "I was so busy using you as a rock I didn't realize I was crushing you. And for that I'm truly sorry. I never took into consideration just how hard it was on you to endure everything while trying to be strong for me. I'll never be able to express my appreciation of what you have done for me. I didn't mean to crumble you under my weight and I'm truly grateful that you held me for as long as you did. But in you crumbling and leaving me I was forced to reevaluate everything."

He watched as she blinked back tears before she ran a hand along his jaw. Tom smiled and leaned in to kiss her, capturing her lips in a slow sensuous kiss. When he pulled back again, he began speaking.

"I never intended to hurt you, and I hope I never do again. I didn't notice when you first started to show some cracks and I apologize that I was so wrapped up in my own grief and guilt that I didn't take into account just how much you could actually handle before it was too much.

"When you were gone those five days, I realized just how much I have come to love you, guilt or no guilt, Darien is gone, and you are in front of me. It stopped mattering when I fell in love with you, just mattering that I was indeed in love with you. Because I do love you, Rachel Scott, with all my heart."

"I love you too, Tom," Rachel whispered. Tom rolled and pulled the covers back before settling back into the bed on his back. He felt Rachel maneuver herself under the covers and curled up next to him. She placed her head on his chest.

"I don't ever want to lose you, Rachel," Tom said softly and kissed the top of her head. He felt Rachel kiss his chest and the love inside him was powerful.

To Be Continued…