A/N: Guys, I'm soooo sorry for the delay on the next chapter. For some reason, I was really dragging this one which might make the quality suffer a bit. I'm sorry if that's the case.
Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! They make my day each time I'm flooded with them. You guys are the best!
September 3, 2004
Angel Grove, CA
Shortly after the police arrived, two ambulances appeared too. A crowd was forming on our street, trying to catch a glimpse at what had happened. With Tommy's flannel shirt wrapped around me, I sat on the back of an ambulance looking out at the craziness my life had spiraled out to be. Detective Branson had come and she was questioning both Tommy and Jason while an EMT was taking my vitals. Her partner was talking to the police officers that were helping the EMTs with Nick. They were still inside the house with him, leaving me to believe he was in worse shape than I had imagined. Had Tommy actually killed him? Or did Jason's blows finish the job? Either way, the only thing I worried about is if they would get in trouble for it if it was the case.
"How are you feeling? Any dizziness? Shortness of breath? Pain in your abdomen?" The female EMT asked me as she took the blood pressure cup off my arm. I shook my head.
"No. Just a headache." I replied. She nodded, jotting my answer down on her chart.
"No cramping?" She questioned.
"No." I responded. "I have an appointment for the baby tomorrow to make sure everything is alright from my hospitalization."
"Alright." She eyed me for a second. "You're sure nothing hurts or you don't have any weird sensations anywhere?"
"I'm sure." I said.
"Okay. I'm going to monitor you while they finish up here and check your vitals again. You're going to need another cast on that arm but that's nothing they can't just do at the outpatient clinic tomorrow. Hang tight." She put my chart down on the ambulance and headed towards the house. My cast was in rough shape but no skin was showing. I was glad I didn't need to rush off to the hospital. I didn't think I could handle all that again. I felt exhausted and suddenly wanted nothing more than to lay down and sleep. Sighing, I leaned against the door of the vehicle. Tommy walked towards me, a bottle of water in hand.
"Here. I got it from the house." He said. I took it, cracking it open. I took a long sip from it, wiping my mouth with the sleeve of his shirt.
"Thanks." I said. "What did they ask you?" I asked, gesturing to Detective Branson who was still talking to Jason.
"Questions about what happened after we got here." He said. For a moment, I felt fear prickle the back of my neck. Had Tommy overheard Nick saying something about the baby being his? How long had they been in the house before they jumped into action? What had they heard? Was my cover blown? "What did they say? Is everything okay with you and the baby?"
"Yeah. I think so. She said she just wants to monitor me. I hope I don't have to go to the hospital again. I've had my share of it for a while." He smiled, nodding. Silence fell between us and I held my breath. If he knew, he would have said something by now, wouldn't he? Or was he just waiting for the right time to bring it up? "Tommy, I want to thank you for coming to save me. Again. It's something you're quite good at."
"Well, you know me. I could never resist a damsel in distress." I took another sip of my water and stood up, facing him. "I'm just glad we got here in time. I don't know what I would have done if…" He trailed off.
"Hopefully, my days of being that are over now." Stepping closer, I wrapped my arms around his torso and buried my face into his chest. His arms instinctively wrapped around me and it was that moment I knew he didn't know. If Tommy had any clue he was the father, he wouldn't be holding me like this. He would be angry and upset. Instead, this was the Tommy I've known forever. The same one who had just rescued me from a moment where I was sure I was about to die.
"Kimberly?" Detective Branson's voice said, breaking up my thoughts. I pulled away from Tommy and saw her and Jason standing there. "I'm sorry to interrupt. I just had some questions for you."
"Can't it wait? She's already been through so much tonight." Tommy asked. I put a hand on his arm.
"It's fine. I'm okay." I replied. She gave me a small smile.
"I appreciate it. I was talking to Tommy and Jason about their roles here tonight and I just need to make sure we have everything covered. What time did you arrive here?"
"I'm not sure. A little after eight maybe. I was just stopping here to drop something off and to pick up clothes." I replied. She wrote as I spoke.
"How was the house when you arrived?"
"Quiet. There weren't any lights on and all the doors were locked. I'm not even sure how he got in the house. I locked the door behind me when I got here." I recalled. She sighed.
"One of the officers found some things in the basement that suggested he was able to break in with one of those windows down there. We're still putting it together but it's more than likely how he got in."
"He told me he had followed me from Jason and Trini's house. He thought I was Trini because I was driving her car." I glanced at Jason. "He wanted to get her here when she was alone but then he realized it was me."
"If he's not dead, I'm gonna kill that mother-." Jason started but stopped when he realized there was a police detective with us. "Sorry."
"I understand your frustration and your anger. It's normal. We have him in custody though. He won't be able to hurt any of you anymore." She said in a reassuring tone. "What else did he say to you?"
"He kept telling me I was going with him and that we would raise our baby together. I tried to get him to leave. I begged him to go. I even told him that I would lie and say he was never there. But then he got angry and attacked me." Flashbacks of Nick running towards me flashed in my mind. How angry he had looked. The blood. I shook my head, trying to shake them away. "I tried getting out of the house but he was on me the whole time. He just kept saying over and over again how he was going to hurt everyone and take me away."
"You did a pretty good job of fighting him off, though." Tommy said, giving me a smile. "He was in rough shape when we got here."
"Yeah. I don't think you needed much help." Jason added. I scoffed.
"Are you kidding? If you hadn't shown up, he'd probably be dragging me kicking and screaming to Miami by now. Or worse." Detective Branson closed her notebook and tucked it into the pocket of her vest.
"Where will you be staying? Unfortunately, your home will have to be a crime scene for the next 48 hours or so. Is there someone nearby that will let you stay with them?" She asked. I glanced at my watch, seeing it was very later – or early, depending on how you see it.
"She's going to stay with me." Tommy said. I glanced up at him.
"Are you sure?" I asked. He nodded.
"It's already so late and I'm here anyway. This way, I can keep an eye on you since you're not going to the hospital." He replied. I looked to Jason for some guidance but he just nodded.
"Not a bad idea. Everyone at the house is probably already asleep." He said.
"You're free to crash at my place too, bro." Tommy said. Jason nodded.
"I think I'll take you up on that offer. I have an early class too. Makes it that much easier to be there."
Behind us, I heard some commotion. The front door opened and I watched as EMTs wheeled out a stretcher between them, Nick laying on it. He was strapped to it with two safety belts but his hands were also handcuffed in front of him. His head moved, lolling back and forth. They had taped up some parts of his face and his neck but I could tell it was swollen. Both of his eyes were to the point of being only slits on his face and his lips looked like they were busted open from corner to corner. And his nose hardly resembled the shape of a nose. Tommy had really done a number on him in the short time he had his hands on him. I could hear his moans as they wheeled passed us, the EMTs talking to one another as the one who had helped me walked behind, walkie talkie in hand. Four police officers followed behind them, one of them holding Nick's backpack in his gloved hands.
"Detective, you're gonna want to see this." The officer said, stopping a few feet away from us. She turned, walking the couple steps away. He opened the back and shone his flashlight inside, allowing her to see. She pulled a set of gloves from her pockets and put them on before reaching inside. She pulled out Nick's handgun, the silver of it reflecting the flashing lights of the police vehicles and the ambulance behind us.
"Is this the weapon?" She asked, looking at me over her shoulder. I nodded. She put it back in the bag, reaching in again. This time, she pulled out some objects I didn't recognize. They were tubing with bulbs on the end of them, scorch marks on the bulbs. I heard Jason let out a noise next to me as she turned back to us.
"Kimberly, were you aware of your husband's drug use?" She asked. I looked at her, confused.
"Drug use? No. I mean, Nick will smoke pot sometimes if he's stressed out or something but that's about it." She held out the objects in her hands so I could see them better.
"These are used to consume meth and crack cocaine." She explained. "And he has a fair amount of each of those narcotics in that bag as well which leads me to believe he might have been selling as well."
"That explains how he was making so much money." Jason said, folding his arms over his chest. "I knew the contracting game wasn't that good here in Angel Grove."
"Are you saying I'm married to a drug dealer?" I asked. She nodded. "Oh my god. I had no idea. I've never seen this stuff in the house at all. He hides stuff in that bag though so I'm not sure." The day I saw Pete came to mind. Had he been dealing drugs? Was he the one who got Nick involved in this?
"It would explain his sudden change." Tommy said. "I've seen what those drugs can do to people. He probably got mixed up in the wrong crowd after you guys moved here."
"Like that Pete guy." I said. Detective Branson nodded.
"He's been on our radar for a few months now. Hopefully, this will be able to convince your husband to give us what we need to put him away." There was a loud groan as they loaded Nick into the other ambulance. A police officer hopped in with them as they shut the doors. Detective Branson put the pipes back into the backpack. "Bag and tag everything in there." She said.
"Yes, ma'am." He nodded, heading towards the line of cop cars.
"I'm sorry you had to go through this again, Kimberly. I'm sure you're tired. As long as the EMTs have cleared you, you three are free to go."
"Thank you. For everything." I said, giving her a smile.
"Of course. You have my number if you need anything. I'll be in touch following his arraignment to let you know the outcome. Stay staff, okay?"
"I'll do my best."
Twenty minutes later, Tommy and I drove to his place with Jason behind us in Trini's car. The EMT checked me out one more time to make sure I was alright. My blood pressure was a bit higher but I promised her with everything in me that I would be at the walk in clinic the next day to get checked out and my cast fixed. I knew she didn't want me to go but she agreed. The moment I sat in Tommy's front seat, I felt like I hadn't slept in days. My eyelids were heavy like sandbags and I couldn't wait to lay down.
Tommy pulled into a parking space next to the dojo while Jason parked on the street. Tommy's flannel was still wrapped around me and I enjoyed the fact it was soft and warm. He cut the engine and we climbed out, my feet feeling like they weighed a ton each. Jason walked up the sidewalk towards us, my duffle bag in hand.
"Here. They let me grab this for you." He said, gesturing towards it. I went to grab it and he gave me a look. "Really? You look like something a cat threw up. You really think I'm gonna let you carry this?"
"So glad I have a friend like you." I said, rolling my eyes. We followed behind Tommy as he walked over to a glass door that was separated from the dojo. There was a staircase behind it and we climbed it, my legs feeling sore with each step. There was one lone door at the top and Tommy unlocked it. Stepping in, he flipped on a light and held the door so we were able to walk into the apartment as well.
The first thing I saw was a large black leather sectional. It wrapped around a glass topped coffee table that matched the shelf that held his television. The apartment was rather a large room, almost like a loft you would see in those TV shows or movies about college kids living in spaces they'd never be able to afford. The walls were grey brick, redwood hardwood was on the floor and matching beams ran the lengths of the room on the ceiling, holding the light fixtures. Next to the living room area, there was a gym sectioned off. I could see his punching bags, a set of weights, a bench and a small section of mirror for a reflection. There was a dining room table set beyond this, attached to a kitchen. I looked around, shocked to see that Tommy lived in such a beautiful loft place. He had never been one for interior design and it made me wonder how he had managed to pull this off.
"This place is incredible." I said, walking towards the couch.
"Thanks. It's not done yet. I still have some stuff to do. It was a bare shell when I bought the building so it's been quite the process." He replied, shutting the door behind Jason.
"I told him he should just live in the dojo but he doesn't listen to me." Jason said, setting my bag down on the couch.
"I don't blame him." I said, smirking at him. Jason laughed, shaking his head.
"I'm gonna go call Trini." He walked off towards the kitchen, disappearing from sight.
"Here. Let me get you set up." Tommy said, picking my bag up. "I'll show you where you'll be sleeping."
"The couch is fine, Tommy." I said, pointing over my shoulder. "It's big enough for Jason and I both to share."
"Let me ride the couch with him. Trust me. His snoring will keep you up all night. You can have my room. It's no trouble." I didn't bother to fight him on it. I knew it would be one I could win. I nodded and he headed towards the kitchen as well, taking a left though. I followed behind him and saw there was a door beyond the corner. He opened it and I saw a queen size bed with a dark green comforter. The walls were brick like the rest of the place but the flooring with a light colored rug, making the room feel warmer. There were paintings of dragons and Japanese writing on the walls above the bed and an end table on either side of the bed. For a moment, I wondered if him and Kat had ever been together in this bed. It made my stomach tighten and I suddenly regretted agreeing to stay here. I knew it was a silly thing to worry about but I still did.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?" I asked, looking up at him. He nodded.
"I'm sure. The bathroom is right next door if you want to freshen up. I'll let you have first dibs on the shower. Towels are in the cabinet behind the door." He said, putting my bag on the foot of his bed.
"Tommy, I don't know if I'll ever be thankful enough for everything you've done for me." I said softly, looking down at my hands. This would be a good time to tell him the truth. After everything we had just gone through tonight, it wouldn't be as big of a shock for him to know it was his kid and that I was still in love with him. "Not a lot of ex-boyfriends would be willing to come to the rescue of their ex-girlfriend like you did."
"Well, I don't really think of it like that." He said, tucking his hands into his pockets as he stepped towards me. "You're pretty much my best friend, Kim. I wasn't just going to let that asshole hurt you like that. I wish we had gotten there sooner but I'm glad we made it just in time."
"Me too." I said, biting my lip.
"Kim, I'm really glad you're okay. We've worked a lot on being friends again since you moved back. I'll be honest with you by saying I was nervous about what would happen when I found out you were. I thought that I would still be mad or upset about what happened between us. I wasn't though. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like something was complete. We were all together again. Then when Nick started hurting you, I was scared that it would ruin the friendship we had been working so hard to fix. And when you came up missing tonight, it was like one of my worst fears had come true. But now, everything is alright. Nick's in jail, you're safe, and we don't have to worry about him anymore." I nodded. "Now we can go back to working on our friendship again. I think that was something you were right about in your letter."
"What do you mean?" I asked, looking at him confused.
"I think we are better off as friends. You were right. I'll always be here for you too." He smiled at me, heading towards the door. "If you need me, I'll just be a call away."
"Thanks, Tommy." I said, feeling a deflated feeling in my chest. Trini had been right. He did only want to be friends after all. I felt like a fool.
"Good night, Kim."
"Night, Tommy." He left, closing the door behind him. Once I heard his footsteps fade away, I sat on the edge of the bed and cried. I used his pillow to muffle my sobs, the smell of him drowning me and adding fuel to my tears. This had been the decision maker in whether I told him or not. Tommy didn't want to be with me and I could only assume that he didn't want to have a baby with me. He had made it clear. We were never going to be together again.
And he was never going to know about his baby.
