A/N: Guys, I feel awful for such a long time between chapters. I've been going through some stuff in my life though. If ya'll could send me some positive thoughts, I would appreciate it! Here's a longer chapter to make up for it. I hope everyone has a great Halloween if you celebrate it. Our son, Jack, is turning 1 on 10/30! I can't believe he's been here a whole year. Now if I could get his adoption to go in a good direction, everything would be much better.

Anyway, here you go!


December 30th, 2004

Angel Grove, CA

Even with Marci's attempt of poisoning (one of which I gave her a stern lecture about, informing her of the risks of doing that to some one) Kat made a full recovery a few days later. In the meantime, she blew up Tommy's phone and demanded that he be there every waking moment until she was better. I could tell that it was wearing him and his patience thin, him not sounding thrilled each time his phone rang. Thankfully, she was feeling better towards the end of the week and told Tommy to inform Marci she would be able to help her with her hair the following day. Marci wasn't thrilled with the idea and begged me to help her out of it but after her little science experiment, I told her she was going to have to play nice.

Sure enough, Kat was at our door the following morning to pick up Marci. Marci was waiting and ready, giving me a smile as the two of them left. I had forbidden her from doing anything else to Kat that could land her with an assault charge and she promised she would be on her best behavior. I hoped so, unsure if Tommy would ever forgive the teenager for her attempt at murder. She claimed she wasn't trying to kill Kat and that she had pulled this stunt before on her friends. Either way, I didn't want mini American Psycho to try it again.

Mom ended up extending her stay until New Years Day. I knew she was having a hard time leaving, wanting to stay here with me. She would be back soon enough though for good and that I was very hopeful of. It was nice hanging out with her as an adult. There had been some tension between us after she moved to Paris. I had always felt she had chosen Pieree over me and decided that she would be happier without me there since she left. I was beginning to see just how much she regretted the decision but I could also tell that she was still resentful towards my father and what had happened between them. Part of me was starting to think she was still in love with him and was just unsure of how to deal with those emotions.

I received a phone call from the prosecutor, Miss Kirkland, while Marci was out with Katherine. She informed me that Nick hadn't taken the last plea deal and that the trial would be moving forward. I would need to be present at the courthouse on January 3rd and would be taking the stand as the first witness. I was nervous as hell. I didn't know what to expect and I didn't know what I was going to do if they asked me who the father of the baby was. I couldn't lie on the stand. That was illegal. I couldn't risk going to prison. But I also couldn't admit in court that Tommy was the father. Not only would it blow up our group of friends and my relationship with Tommy, it would make it seem like Nick had a legit reason to attack me. Granted, it didn't give him the right to physically and sexually assault me like he did but it was a motive in the same breath. I asked Miss Kirkland what questions would be asked of me but she wasn't able to tell me what the defense might ask. It left an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. The only thing I knew for sure was that Nick hadn't told anyone the truth about the baby yet. If he had, it would have gotten back to us already. This meant that he probably didn't remember what I had told him. This gave me some hope.

Kat and Marci came through the front door a couple hours later, talking. Tommy was teaching a class with Jason at the park and Mom was out with her friends while she was in town. Marci had several bags in hand when she walked in and she set them on the couch. Kat was carrying a bag as well and she smiled brightly at me as Marci shut the door.

"You guys have fun?" I asked, looking up from the script I was reviewing for RENT. I knew I was on vacation but I had time to kill and stuff to do that wasn't much effort on my part.

"We sure did! We stopped at that little beauty store over by the movie plaza and basically raided it. Wait until you see what we got." Kat said, fishing through the bag in her hand. She pulled out a box and I saw the word manicure on the side of it. "We figured since you can't breathe in all those salon chemicals right now that an at home manicure would be just the thing."

"Well thank you." I said, smiling. "You shouldn't have."

"I didn't. Maci bought everything." Kat said, shrugging. I looked over at Marci who was pulling her coat off.

"Marci, I thought you were saving your money up." I asked.

"I am. I had some discount coupons. Don't worry." She replied.

"Okay. Just making sure."

"Hey, Kimberly. Did I happen to leave my fur coat here the other night? I know I wore it here but I can't remember if I grabbed it before I left. I can't seem to find it and Tommy doesn't think it was here." Kat asked. I looked at the coat rack and didn't see it there.

"I haven't seen it. Unless Tommy moved it but it would be hanging up if it was here. Tommy probably has it in the back of his truck." I offered. She nodded.

"Everything ends up back there." She joked. "Alright. Are we ready to be blond?" She asked Marci. Marci nodded.

"I'll go up and mix everything together while I set up the bathroom."

"Just call me when it's ready." Kat said, Marci heading up the stairs. "She's a good kid. How did she end up here?"

"A greyhound." I replied, walking towards the kitchen. Kat followed me.

"Her parents just let her come here?" She asked. I shook my head, pouring myself a glass of lemonade. I offered one to Kat but she shook her head.

"No one lets Marci do anything. She does as she pleases. Her mother has her hands full back in Florida and she just couldn't support Marci anymore. It was a bad situation. So, she hopped on a bus and followed me here. She's a smart kid with a good head on her shoulders. An old soul, I suppose you could call her."

"She seems like it. I can see why she is close to you. I see a lot of your characteristics in her." Kat sighed. "Kimberly, I think we should have a conversation."

"About what?" I asked, looking at her confused. I gestured to the table and we both sat down. Had Marci said something to her? Did she know about the eye drops? Was I going to need to bail Marci out of jail?

"I think you and I both know." She said. "Since Tommy and I are getting back together, I think it'll be a good idea to set up some boundaries. I know you and Maci are important to him and I understand that. He saved your life after everything with your husband. You've done a lot for him by letting him stay here when he had nowhere else to go after the explosion. You two are close and I respect that."

"I'm sensing a but." I said. She nodded.

"I know you're very emotional and sensitive right now. Being pregnant on top of everything you've had to go through. But you and Tommy had your chance. He's moved on from that person he was when you broke up with him and I want to make sure that you know that." She leaned forward on her elbows. "Tommy has told me what happened between the two of you since you returned. I just wanted to establish a common ground between the two of us."

"He told you?" I whispered. She nodded.

"Of course! Tommy tells me everything. I'm not saying that I don't want you in his life. He treasures your friendship dearly. But that's all it is. Friendship. And you need to remember that, okay? I would hate to step in and force Tommy to make some decisions that I don't want to. We're two adult women. I think we can both agree to this."

"It's ready." Marci said, her voice making us both turn. She had made it down the stairs without me hearing her.

"Great! Let's get started, shall we?" Kat said, smiling as she stood up. "Maci will be a brand new woman when you see her again."

"Right." I said. The two headed up the stairs as I sat fuming in the kitchen. "It's Marci, you moron." I muttered to myself. Tommy had told Kat we slept together? What the fuck was he doing telling her that? It was our personal business that had nothing to do with her. Above my head, I heard some music turn on and I stood up. Walking over to the kitchen phone, I picked it up and dialed Tommy's cell number. It rang a couple times before he picked it up.

"Hey." Tommy said in my ear. I could hear some traffic, telling me he was still in the park.

"Hey. Are you in class?" I asked.

"No. We just finished up our first one and I have a break until my next. Why? Is everything okay?"

"No. Everything is not okay. What gives you the right to tell Katherine that we slept together?" I asked in a hushed tone.

"What? I didn't!" He said defensively.

"Bullshit, Tommy. She just told me all about how you told her everything and that I need to make sure to keep the fact we're just friends in mind. I get that what happened was shitty and we want to look past it but you had no right in telling her!"

"Kimberly, I swear to you I didn't. I haven't told anyone about it. What else did she say?" He asked. My fingers were trembling and I had tears in my eyes from anger.

"Does it even matter? She's coming in here, into MY home, telling me how I need to act with you. She's got some Australian sized balls to do that."

"I'll talk to her, alright? I think she's just threatened by you. She's always been, you know that. I think she's trying to just make herself known as the alpha which she shouldn't. Where is she now?"

"She's doing Marci's hair. You swear you didn't tell her?" I asked.

"Yes. I would never do that to you. You know that, don't you?" He pleaded and I instantly felt like a guilty idiot for jumping to that conclusion.

"I'm sorry." I muttered. "I was upset."

"Hey. Don't apologize. I get it. Trust me. Marci didn't hear her say any of this to you, did she?"

"Kat's still breathing so I don't think." I replied, getting a laugh from him.

"I'll be home as soon as my class is done. Then I'll have a nice long talk with Kat. I was afraid she would do this. She did the same thing with Trini when her and Jason came back to town after the conferences. As you can imagine, it didn't go over very well."

"I bet." Sighing, I rubbed my temple with my pointer finger. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I gotta go, okay? Go take a bath and relax. I'll be home soon."

"Bye, Tommy."

"Bye." I hung up the phone and let out a groan. How did I let her get me so worked up? It had to be the hormones taking over my brain. I sipped my lemonade and calmed down.

About an hour later, Tommy came through the front door. I had done as he suggested and took a bath, slipping into some oversized sweats and a t-shirt. He tossed his gym bag on the floor by the door as he walked in, hanging his key up on the hook behind the door. I gave him a small smile, looking up from my book.

"How was class?" I asked. He still wore his work out clothes, a pair of dark blue sweats and a white t-shirt. Shrugging, he walked over and sat at the other end of the couch where my feet were. He picked up my feet and set them in his lap.

"Not bad. I can't wait for my dojo to be rebuilt though. I hate having so much outside interference during class. It distracts the kids and causes more stress for everyone involved." He ran a hand over his face before looking over at me. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. I'm sorry about earlier. I don't know what came over me. I guess she just struck one of my pregnant nerves." I smirked at him, shrugging.

"Well, I'm going to strike her last nerve once she's done with Marci. Are they still upstairs?" He asked. I nodded.

"They were getting ready to wash her hair out when I checked on them last. Marci seems to be having fun with her at least. That's a good thing."

"It is but Kat needs to not try to intimidate my best friend while she's at it as well. I'm going to take her out to dinner and talk about it with her. I'm sure it'll piss her off. I swear I'm either her favorite person in the world or she hates me. There's no in between."

"Doesn't sound very healthy to me." I said, giving him a small smile. Tommy gave me a look that I thought was hurt for a brief second. "What?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Nothing." He moved my feet from his lap and stood up. I could tell he was upset by the way his jaw was clenched.

"Did I upset you?" I asked, setting my feet on the floor.

"No. I just think it's funny that you of all people are giving me advice on what a toxic relationship is." He snapped. I blinked at him, amazed at his tone of voice. I stood up, setting my book on the couch.

"Excuse me?" I asked, stepping towards him. "Did you really just bring up what happened to me in regards to whatever you have going on with Katherine?" I kept my tone low, not wanting Marci or Katherine to hear me.

"Just forget it, okay?" He said, shaking his head and running a hand over his hair. "I don't want to fight with you again."

"Clearly you do." I muttered, walking towards the kitchen. I heard him behind me as I angrily opened the door of the fridge.

"Well, I would like to go a day without having to worry about you or Marci having something smart to say about Katherine or my relationship with her. Do you know how hard it is to have to listen to that?" He said, standing in the doorway.

"My apologies that the emotionally fueled teenager isn't quite sure how to properly handle herself after everything she's been through. She's never seen a normal relationship before, Tommy. You expect her to act like an adult? She's not even old enough for that yet, remember? As for me, I seem to recall telling you that you had my full support of the whole thing and that I thought it was a good idea. So don't go giving me shit for not supporting you because that's all I've been doing since she came back here." I slammed a package of chicken on the counter from the fridge and spun to face him.

"You say you support it but I can tell you don't." He said. "I've known you long enough to know when you're lying to me, Kimberly."

"And I've known you long enough to recognize when you're projecting how you're feeling on other people. If you don't want to really be with her, man up and realize it yourself. Don't take it out on Marci and me just because she's a bitch." Turning back to the counter, I slammed the saute pan onto the stove top.

"I'm not projecting!" He exclaimed. "You just don't know how to be honest with me."

"What do you want me to say, Tommy?" I asked, not looking back at him. "I've given you my blessing. I told you I was okay with it. I told you to bring her around here as much as you would like. Do you want me to ask her to move in with us? Please enlighten me in what you would like me to do at this point."

"I don't know what I want!" He said, sounding frustrated. I turned to look at him and for a moment, I saw that he looked confused. He had a hand in his hair and the other on his hip as he gazed over at me. I moved to say something but was interrupted by the sound of footsteps thundering down the stairs. Kat appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, smiling.

"Hey, Tommy. I thought I heard you in here." She said, walking over and kissing him on the lips.

"Yeah. I just got here." He replied, glancing at me for a brief moment before turning back to her.

"Is Marci almost done?" I asked. Kat nodded, a smile beaming on her face.

"Yes! Wait until you see her. She's just a doll!" She said, clapping her hands together. I heard more footsteps on the stairs in the hallway. A few seconds later, Marci appeared. Her hair was curled and styled now, blonde streaks running through it. They complemented her brown hair well, making it look like a professional had done it in a salon.

"What do you think?" Marci asked, twirling for us.

"I love it." I said, smiling at her. "It suits you very well."

"You think so?" She asked, picking up a strand and looking at it.

"You look beautiful." Tommy said, giving her an approving nod and smile. "I think it looks even better than when you have every color of the rainbow in it."

"Oh, just wait. I'm sure it'll be pink by Valentine's Day." Marci replied. "I just wanted a more natural tone for when we have to go to the court house for the trial." I frowned.

"Marci, I told you that you didn't have to go." I said. She shook her head.

"No. I'm going. You're going to need all the support you can get and you're gonna get it starting with me. Besides, I'm the one that found you. The lawyer said that I might need to give a testimony if they felt it was necessary." I turned away, not wanting to face the fact I had dropped a sixteen year old kid in the middle of all my shit that I call life.

"We'll all be there for you." Kat said, reaching out and putting a hand on my arm. Oh, terrific.

"Are you girls done?" Tommy asked. "I kinda wanted to talk to you, Katherine. I thought we could go out to dinner."

"Sure! I hope it's about my offer. Let me go upstairs and freshen up quickly then we can go. Maci got me this new lip gloss and eyeshadow that I want to try out." Kat headed up the stairs and I turned towards Marci.

"What offer?" She asked. Tommy glanced towards me before looking back at Marci.

"Kat asked me to move in with her at her new place. She said it would be easier on you both, especially with the new baby coming along."

"Suddenly she knows what's best for our family?" Marci asked. I could see her cheeks flush, a common sign that she was angry.

"It's not that, kiddo. She's just trying to help everyone out. That's all." He said, putting his hands in his pockets. I walked over to Marci and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"It'll be okay." I said, giving her a smile. "I promise."

"All set?" Kat asked, reappearing in the kitchen. Tommy gave the two of us a long look as he nodded. I saw that Kat had on light blue eyeshadow and some pink shaded lip gloss. "Maci, you were right! I think it looks great. I'll see you two girls tomorrow!"

"Yeah. I put your fur coat in Tommy's truck." Marci said, smiling. "I found it earlier."

"Thank you! Come on, Tommy." She grabbed Tommy's hand and dragged him out the door. Sighing, I heard his truck start the soon, the sound of his engine carried away up the street.

"You're just gonna let him move out?" Marci asked. I shrugged, letting go of her and walking over to the stove.

"It's his life. I can't make him do or stop him from doing anything he wants to do." I replied.

"But, Kimberly, what about the baby?" She asked. I shook my head.

"It doesn't matter. It's probably for the best this way, anyway." I gave her a small smile. "Your hair does look great. What did you do to her makeup?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said. I eyed her, knowing she was full of shit.

"Marci…" I trailed off.

"Let me know when dinner is done!" She skipped off, heading back upstairs.


Tommy didn't come home that night. Mom had strolled in a little after midnight, telling me that she had had a fun time with her friends. She went to bed and I waited up for him for a while, falling asleep on the couch. When I woke up a little before 4 am however, he wasn't anywhere to be found. I locked the door and went to bed, tossing and turning for the rest of the night. I had dreams about the night Nick attacked me, his face floating in every corner of my mind while I slept. I gave up sleeping shortly after 7 am, rolling out of bed and heading down the stairs. Marci was still asleep, the sound of her snoring carrying through the house. I made myself some tea and toast, settling down on the porch to eat. The neighborhood was quiet, everyone just waking up or already headed off to work. I could recall sitting on the porch when I was younger, it being my favorite place to read or to do my homework. We lived in such a quiet part of Angel Grove, it was the ideal place to concentrate. I did my best to read the RENT script, making notes on changes that would need to be made to ensure that the musically could be acceptable for most ages. It seemed like a crime to alter such a great show but Mr. Ridley asked me to.

"Morning." A voice said, causing me to look up. To my surprise, I found Adam walking up the sidewalk towards my house. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and light green hoodie, his hair gelled in place.

"Hey! What are you doing out and about so early?" I asked, closing my script.

"I had some errands to run before the party tonight and I saw you when I drove by." He jogged up my porch steps and sat in the chair across from me. "How are things going?"

"Terrific." I replied, smiling.

"Oh, no. I don't think I'm liking the sound of that." He said.

"Tommy and Kat are getting back together so she took it upon herself to remind me that she should always come first in Tommy's eyes. On top of that, Marci tried to poison her and I'm not all too convinced she hasn't tried to do it again."

"Yikes. He is really getting back with Katherine? I never saw that one coming. I was there when the two split. She was just down right nasty about the whole thing. He was nice and tried to help her out but she just wasn't having it. You know how Kat is. I can't believe she told you to step back from Tommy. I mean, I can but holy shit."

"You're telling me. I guess he's thinking about moving in with her now. Marci isn't too thrilled about the idea but she'll get over it after some time. It's not like he's disappearing forever. It's just a lot of adjustments for her at one time."

"Well, maybe she has a point." He offered, shrugging his shoulder. "Do you think Tommy should be moving in with Katherine?"

"No but it's not up to me. It's his life. He can do whatever he wants in it." Crossing my arms, I leaned back into the porch swing.

"Why do you say no?"

"Because they just got back together. If even. How does he even know he wants to be with her? It's been what? A couple weeks since she's come back? I think he should get to know her first for a bit before jumping to any rash decisions." Adam grinned, nodding.

"You're right. He probably should. I also know for a fact though that Tommy is very nervous about being here when the baby comes. He was telling me about it when we went skiing. He knows that you need the help but he's afraid he will just be clueless and useless to you when the time comes. I think it's playing a big factor in all of this."

"That's not the case though. If anything, I'd rather it be two clueless people trying to figure this out than just me. He said something about it yesterday when he told us. I don't know how to make him see that he's not going to be in the way here."

"I think it's just something that he's going to have to experience for himself. He shouldn't move in with Katherine because I don't believe they should be getting back together. If you ask me, she's just trying to sink her teeth back into him because she knew you were back here. You know how she was when she first came to town."

"You mean when she was just a cat?" I muttered, glaring over at him. "We never should have let the flea bag in our group."

"Kim…" Adam said, fighting a smile.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. It's just annoying." I sighed again, picking up my tea. "What's new with you guys?"

"We actually have set a date." He said, grinning at me.

"Oh! That's fantastic!" I replied, clapping my hands together. "When?"

"The last weekend in June. We wanted to make sure there was enough time to get everything planned and for you to be all healed up before the big day." He said.

"You guys don't have to make plans around me. I'll hobble to your big day if need be. I'll sit in the back so no one will notice." Adam laughed.

"Kinda hard to be our witness that way." He said. I looked at him, with a surprise on my face.

"What?"

"Billy and I talked about it. I would be honored if you would stand next to be during the ceremony. Sorta like a maid of honor I suppose. Billy is going to ask Tommy to be his."

"Are you sure? Wouldn't you rather have Aisha or Rocky?" I asked, knowing the two of them had been friends with him much longer. He shook his head.

"You're one of my closest friends and there is no one else I could even begin to consider. We'd also love your little one to be our flower girl. I know she won't be able to throw anything quite yet but we have it all planned out for her and Aisha and Rocky's son to be included."

"You're gonna make me cry." I said, standing up. He stood up too, allowing me to hug him tightly. "Of course I'll stand with you! I'm so happy for you and Billy. I can't wait to see you two tie the knot."

"I'm nervous just thinking about it." He said, laughing as I let him go.

"Oh, everyone is like that on their wedding day! I sure was. Clearly, I should have ran for the hills but we all know Billy is one of the sweetest men in the world. You two are going to be so happy together."

"I think so too." The front door opened behind us and Mom appeared, a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Oh! Hello, Adam." She said, smiling at him. "I thought I heard your voice."

"Hello. How are you?" He asked as she closed the door and stepped out to join us.

"I think I have a hangover." She replied, sipping her coffee. "Other than that, fine."

"Oh, we've all been there." Adam said, grinning over at me. "I should get going. I still have a lot to do before the party tonight. Will I see you guys there?"

"You bet." I said. "We're heading over around six to help set up."

"Us too. I'll see you then." He gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek before turning to leave. He bid Mom a farewell before jogging down the steps and up the street to where I saw his car parked. I waved as he drove by. I sat back in the porch swing, cradling my tea.

"Tommy ever came home last night?" Mom asked. I shook my head.

"He spent the night with his girlfriend." I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "He doesn't need to report back here by curfew."

"Honey, did you two have a fight or something?" She asked.

"No. We're fine. He's just looking into other options that might make everyone more comfortable, that's all. My main concern is for Marci though. She was upset about it." I drained the rest of the tea from my cup, glancing out into the street.

"Right. Marci." Mom said, her tone taking one of not believing me. I glanced back at her.

"Who were you out drinking with so late?" I asked. "Do I have a new Daddy now?"

"Oh, ha ha." She said dryly. "It was just Margret and Hannah from the bank where I used to work. I called them up since I was going to be in town. It was nice catching up over a couple bottles of wine. Probably should have stopped at three though."

"My mother is the wino." I said, smiling at her. She laughed, shaking her head.

"It's not an addiction when you live in France."

"Well, you'll be back here soon and it's called alcoholism." I teased.

"I'll be sure to find a support group upon my arrival." Sighing, she looked out over the valley. "I always loved the view. It's why I made your father buy this house. He wanted to be closer to the Bay but I knew I wanted to be here instead. I'm glad we settled here. It was the best place we could have chosen to raise you." She sipped her coffee, pulling her robe around her tighter.

"I'm glad you did too."

Marci rolled out of bed around noon, to no one's surprise. The three of us ate lunch while watching the last few holiday movies that would be on the television before the season would be over. A little before four, I excused myself to head upstairs to get ready for the party. I took a shower, washing my hair and enjoying the hot water. When I stepped out, I caught a look at my reflection in the mirror. I was shocked to see my stomach extended out so much with my little baby bump. I put my hands over it and found a smile on my face. For a moment, I wondered if she would have my eyes and Tommy's smile. I hoped she would have his hair. I always loved his thick hair and how he can do anything to it without it getting damaged. With everything in me, I really hoped she would have his passion and his determination. The only thing of mine she would ever want to have was grace I suppose but that was running slim these days.

When I came out of the bathroom, Marci and my mother were dressed and ready to go. Marci informed me that Tommy had called and he said he'd meet us at the party. I knew from the tone in her voice that she was annoyed but she didn't say anything about it. Mom helped me carry out the appetizers I had made to the car before we loaded up, heading to Aisha and Rocky's house. I was disappointed when I didn't see Tommy's truck out front but I didn't say anything as I pulled up along the curb.

"Hey!" Aisha said, opening the door when Marci knocked. She moved to the side, letting us pass. I could hear holiday music playing from the dining room and their whole house was decked out in Christmas decorations. Mom shut the door behind her as Rocky appeared, taking the trays from us. As we followed Aisha into the dining room, I saw that Adam, Billy, and Zack were sitting in here at the table. They all stood as we entered, hugs and kisses exchanged with everyone.

"Long time no see." Adam said as he bent down to give me a hug. I smiled, playfully swatting him in the arm. The doorbell rang again and Jason and Trini came into the house, Jason toting a 24 pack of beer on his shoulder while Trini carried several bottles of wine in her arms.

"Hi." Trini said, setting them down to give me a hug. "I've been meaning to swing by. How are you doing?"

"Good. My mom is actually going to be moving back here in time for the baby." I replied. Jason's face lit up behind her.

"That's awesome! Glad to have you back here." He said, giving Mom a hug. Mom laughed.

"You kids make me feel like I'm ninety sometimes." She said.

"Where's Tommy?" Rocky asked, handing Marci and I cups of non-alcoholic punch. He looked around the room, trying to decide if he had overlooked him.

"I think he's coming with Katherine." I replied, taking a sip. I caught a look from Trini as she opened up the bag of chips she had also brought.

"They're getting kinda serious again, aren't they?" Rocky asked, snagging a cookie from a tray in front of him.

"Hush." Aisha said, slapping him in the forearm. The doorbell rang and she set down the plates she was holding and waddled up the hallway. When she returned, I saw Tommy but was surprised to see it was just him.

"Hey." He said, stopping in front of Marci and me.

"Hi." I replied. "Where's Kat?"

"She'll be here shortly. I had to run by the house to get ready so I told her I would meet her here." He explained.

"Whatever." Marci muttered, walking away. Tommy looked after her as she walked, a defeated expression on his face. Part of me wanted to comfort him but the other part didn't. He had made this bed with Marci and now he was going to have to lay in it. There was only so much I could say to her to help ease the tension. I was all out of ideas now.

"Hey, Tommy! Want a beer?" Jason called.

"Yes." Tommy sighed, nodding. Jason grabbed one from the box he had just brought in, handing it to him.

"How'd the rest of class go yesterday?" Jason asked, sipping his beer. Tommy shrugged, cracking open his bottle.

"Not bad. The kids keep getting so distracted though. We're gonna have to find somewhere else besides the park for class I think."

"I was afraid of that. We'll think of something, I'm sure. We can ask around once the holidays are all cleared up." I felt a hand grab my elbow and I turned, seeing that it was Trini.

"Excuse us for a second, won't you?" She said to Jason and Tommy who both nodded. She pulled me away from them and into the living room where I found Marci sitting with Aisha on the couch.

"What's up?" I asked, concerned that something was happening with Aisha and the baby.

"Just wanted to check in with you about everything going on with Tommy." Trini said, making sure we were far enough away from the guys.

"Everything is fine." I said, shrugging my shoulders. Marci made a noise from her nose, shaking her head.

"Is he really going to move in with her?" Aisha asked, looking dumbfounded.

"I don't know. I guess so. He said he wasn't sure yet. Figured it would be best for us since the baby will be coming." I answered, scratching my forehead. I had a growing headache that was making me second guess my decision of coming tonight. I still had a whole six hours before the ball would drop too.

"I see you are living comfortable in your denial now." Trini mused, crossing her arms. "But you're gonna give yourself an ulcer with all of this shit you keep pushing down."

"Listen, he said it himself. I have no right in giving him relationship advice when my own marriage was a nightmare. Let him make his own mistakes. Besides, maybe it's not a mistake. Maybe him and Kat will work out this time and he will end up happier than ever. I'm not going to be the one that gets in the way of that."

"That's it? You're just giving up then?" Marci asked. I shook my head.

"There's nothing to give up. I don't own Tommy. I gave up that right a long time ago." Trini moved to say something but was cut off by the loud screech of skidding tires. It was so loud that Jason and Tommy came into the room.

"What the hell was that?" Aisha asked, tapping on Marci to get her to help her stand up. Marci helped her to her feet and that's when the yelling started.

"Where is she?!" I heard a female voice scream. Aisha waddled over to the front door and opened it. Someone nearly barreled over her, shoving their way into the house. It took me a minute to realize it was Kat. Her hair was a huge, frizzy mess on her head and her face was swollen, especially her lips and her eyelids. She looked like she had an allergic reaction to something. The realization of the fact Marci had provided her makeup came to mind. I looked over at Marci who had the edges of a smirk on her lips. This girl was legit going to be the death of me.

"Katherine, what happened to you?" Aisha asked. The room had filled up now, everyone coming in to see what the noise had been. Kat scanned the room until her eyes landed on Marci who was standing between Aisha and I.

"She happened to me." Kat spat, pointing at Marci. "That make up she gave me made me swell up like a giant balloon. I told her I was allergic to certain makeup and she made sure to give me exactly that!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Marci said.

"Kat, I'm sure it was an honest mistake." Tommy said, stepping forward.

"Oh yeah? Then explain to me how my straightener ended up getting coated in some shit that did this to my hair? It's completely ruined my hair and my straightener! The only place I've used it was at their house. And look at what she did to my fur coat!" Enraged, Kat turned. She was wearing the black fur coat and when she turned around, I saw there was a white stripe running down the back of it. Like someone had taken bleach to the black fur. I heard a snicker to my right and saw that it was Jason. He put a hand over his mouth to hide it. Kat spun back around. "This is a $700 coat! I expect to be compensated for it!"

"You can't prove I did anything to it." Marci said. "When I gave it back to you, it was in the same condition you had left it in."

"You little bitch." Kat seethed.

"Hey." I said, stepping in front of Marci. "I get you're upset but there's no reason to talk to a kid like that."

"Oh, why don't you go back home and find some other situation to get yourself in so that Tommy needs to run off to save you from?" Kat sneered, shaking her head. "You'd think you would have grown out of that damsel in distress role by now but apparently not."

"Oh, shit." I heard Rocky whisper. I stepped closer to Katherine. She stepped back, heading out onto the porch. I followed behind her, the rest of our group coming along. She stopped on the top step, glaring at me.

"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm not afraid to kick your ass." I said, narrowing my eyes at the taller woman. "I've beaten your ass before, Katherine. I'll do it again."

"Alright. Alright. Let's not escalate this any more, okay?" Trini said, putting herself between Katherine and I. "How about we all take a deep breath and calm down here?"

"No." Kat said, shaking her head and stepping down three steps so she was standing on the sidewalk now. She turned to Tommy who looked like he wanted nothing more than to disappear into the porch column he was standing next to. "I told you I wasn't going to put up with any shit from these two anymore. You need to make up your mind. You either agree to come live with me or you continue to keep playing this sick version of house you've got going on."

"What?" Tommy asked.

"You heard me!" She exclaimed. "It's either me or Kimberly!"

"Could we stop screeching in front of my house where people can see you, Katherine?" Aisha asked, looking around to see if anyone was watching us. "I have to keep living here, you know."

"I want to hear Tommy say that he picks me over Kimberly. You've never been able to say it before and I want you to say it now. Or else I'm leaving and you'll never see me again."

"Katherine, you're being unreasonable." Tommy said, moving to the top step.

"Unreasonable? That baby isn't even yours! But yet, here you are playing the Daddy role. That baby has a father and it isn't you. You know that, right? Or did you think you could just be Step Daddy of the Year? If you want kids, I can give you kids. I can give you what you want without all the baggage Kimberly brings, Tommy. You just need to tell me that you would rather be with me than with her and little orphan Maci." Kat crossed her arms, giving Tommy an expectant look. I held my breath as Tommy looked over his shoulder at me. From the look in his eyes, I could tell he had already made his choices. They pleaded with me, asking for something I was unsure of. He casted a glance at Marci quickly before looking back at Katherine.

"For starters, it's Marci. Not Maci." He said, stepping down one more step. "And you've been nothing but a raging bitch to both of them since Kim was nice enough to invite you into their home. I told you before that you couldn't just barge into my life and threaten them like this. Kim and Marci are important to me. If you can't accept that, then I guess you already know my answer." Kat gaped at him, surprise on her face.

"You can't be serious." She said. "You're choosing them?" Tommy looked over his shoulder at Marci and me, smiling.

"Yeah. I am." I smiled back at him before he turned back to Katherine. "I think you should head home." Kat let out a screech, balling her fists up. She sent me one last glare before she stormed over to her jeep. She climbed in, slamming the door shut before screeching away from the curb. Once she was gone, I turned to face Marci.

"What in the hell were you thinking?" I asked. She shrugged.

"I might have forgotten she was allergic. And that I had put hair remover cream on her straightener. And there might have been a chance I dropped the brush she used to bleach my hair on her coat."

"Marci…" I said, shaking my head.

"Just wait until she finds the fish I may have forgotten in her air vents."

"Oh, she's evil." Jason said, letting out a loud laugh.

"Don't encourage her." I said.

"Alright. Everyone back inside before my neighbors call the police." Aisha said. Our group started to head inside. I moved to follow when I saw that Tommy was still standing on the top step, looking off in the direction that Kat left in.

"You coming?" Trini asked me. I nodded.

"One minute." She glanced over my shoulder and saw Tommy. Nodding, she gave me arm a light squeeze before heading inside and closing the door behind her.

"You didn't have to do that." I said. Tommy didn't move to look at me, shoving his hands into his pants pockets.

"Yeah. I know. But, I did." He replied.

"You can still go after her, you know." Walking over, I stood on the step next to him.

"I could but I'm not." He sighed. "She was right. I was never able to pick her over you after we broke up. It became more clear to me when you and Jason were kidnapped by Divatox. When I thought you had been tossed out at sea to drown, I left her and everyone else behind to save you. Then I spent the rest of our relationship wondering what I had done so wrong that you didn't want to be with me. I guess it's something I'm good at since I went for Round 2."

"You didn't do a damn thing wrong, Tommy." I said. "It was all me. As usual." He shifted his head, his eyes looking over at me.

"Then why didn't you want to be with me after we slept together?" He asked softly.

"Cause my life was a shit show that no one wanted to buy tickets for." I replied. "It wasn't because I didn't want to be with you. It was because I knew it would be unfair to just throw you any deeper into what I was going through. What I'm still going through." I crossed my arms, hugging them to myself.

"Kim, I've never not wanted to be with you. Even after you left. Kat knew it too. That's why she was always so threatened by you. I know it's stupid that I still feel this way after all these year, but I do."

"It's not stupid." I whispered, giving him a small smile. He turned to face me completely.

"We're not ready for this yet, are we?" He asked. I shook my head.

"I don't think so. I really wish I was though, Tommy. I just don't want to ruin this by not being completely healed. And I think it's the same for you. I understand if you want to move out."

"Move out? Are you kidding? After all of that, I'm in it for the long run. And I've waited a long time to be with you. I think I can hold out for a bit longer."

"Yeah?" I asked. He smiled down at me.

"Yeah." Stepping forward, I leaned into him. He wrapped his arms around me in a warm hug. I did the same, linking my arms around his back.

"Good, cause I'm going to need some help with the American Psycho living in my house." He laughed, the deepness of it making his chest vibrate under my cheek.

"I wouldn't call her that. How about a more evil Kevin McCallister?" I snorted, nodding. "Just remind me to not get on her bad side." I lifted my head to look up at him.

"I don't know. She was pretty mad at you. I'd sleep with one eye open."

"In your house, I usually do."


Thanks for hanging in there, everyone! We are through with the holidays now and are heading full steam into the trial.