Here we are again. I know you've waited for this chapter a long time and I hope it's worth the wait. I won't waste your time with excuses and reasons why this took so long. Instead, I'll just let you get to it. Expect a little of everything!
Read on and see me at the bottom!
The Following Monday
Kimberly stood under the hot spray of the shower allowing it to wake her up. Getting up hadn't been easy, especially when her sleepy mate had been reluctant to let her out of bed. She'd laughed as he pulled her closer to him.
"Tommy, let me up! I have things to do if we're going to get ready for today!"
"But that means I lose my beautiful wifey!"
Kim laughed softly at the thought that her mate was already referring to her by that title. She wasn't even sure that he realized what he'd said, but it had earned him another kiss which he'd taken full advantage of, easily pulling her back under the covers again.
When he'd gone for her pajama top, she knew she'd have to be a little more persuasive.
"Tommy Oliver, you let me up or so help me there'll be a whole new meaning to the term 'camping out.' If you want to spend tonight sleeping in the living room, be my guest!"
At that dire threat, he grumbled under his breath and let her go.
Kim grinned at the memory as she shampooed her hair. Most mornings, she had no problem with his morning shenanigans, but this was the day that Tommy's father and the newly discovered family was coming over for the cookout.
As she rinsed her hair, she thought to the night of the final battle for the warriors. Tommy and the others had spent the short hour discussing the fight and everything to do with the moves that had been shown and how it was to be a warrior on national TV. The whole time, she'd sat silently at her mate's side and she could sense the happiness her mate was experiencing.
After the hour had passed and the excitement had died down a bit and the cleaning crew had respectfully informed them that everyone needed to clear out so they could get the room back in order.
They had all walked out to the parking lot together and it had been decided that the cookout would happen the day after the next one so that Diesel could recuperate from his fight.
That was today.
Fully dressed and with her hair up in a messy bun, she came down the stairs and was greeted with a very cute sight. Rocky and Aisha were sharing a quiet moment and he was writing down something on a sheet of paper. It was most likely a shopping list of some kind and as he put the pen down, folded up the sheet of paper. He smiled up at her and after whispering something, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and then walked out the door.
When he was gone, Kimberly walked into the room and Aisha turned to look at her with a soft smile on her face.
"Where's he off to?"
"He had a few things he needed to get at the store for the BBQ today. I was just helping him make a list and then he asked about my pre-natal vitamins." She paused and shook her head in amazement. "I thought he was sweet before, but ever since he found out I was pregnant, he's even more attentive to me."
"It's the mark of a good man. I wish more men were like him." She paused and looked at her friend. "You guys are going to be amazing parents."
"So, will you. When it happens for you, you'll rock it."
Kim didn't know what to say to that, so she only walked to the fridge to find something to eat. "I'd rather just focus on the wedding first."
Angel Grove Walmart
About 20 minutes later
The nice thing about living in a relatively small town, compared to a megacity is that you don't have to go far to get to the Walmart. He did need to get to the grocery store to pick up some extra fixings, but his Mama Bear came first and that was why he now stood in line to get her vitamins and a few other things that she didn't ask for. She was trying so hard to make things easy for him; it wasn't necessary. He was willing to spend the extra money to make her happy.
The awesome thing about coming in on a weekday, is that the line was relatively short. In fact, there was only a few people in front of him. In no time, he was at the front and speaking to the pharmacist.
"I'm here to pick up some vitamins for Aisha Campbell."
While he waited for the worker, he heard quiet voices speaking behind him.
"Wow, I didn't think fathers could get any younger."
Rocky ignored them.
"I'm not surprised Sharon. Teens these days will sleep with anyone. You'd think with all the free condoms being handed out, that there'd be a lot less women being knocked up."
Rocky rolled his eyes.
"Maybe this is one of those 'true love' type scenarios. They just fell in love, rolled in the hay and got pregnant. It'll never last. I give it three months tops and there'll be another single mother in the WIC line."
Rocky pursed his lips, but he didn't respond to them; instead he fought to remain calm and called on all his training to refocus on what was going on in front of him. The worker had returned with the medicine and asked if there was an insurance card.
As Rocky pulled the glossy card out of his wallet and handed it over to the worker, he heard another voice join the conversations.
"You know ladies, there are good men out there." Said a feminine voice. "There'd be a lot more of them if your bitter attitude didn't run them all off."
Rocky turned to see Annabeth standing off to the side. She waved at him as she sat down in the chairs. He smiled at her and turned back in time to see that the pharmacist come back with the vitamins in a plain white bag. After paying the co-pay, he got the receipt and walked away from the window.
Annabeth smiled at him and rose from her seat. "Nice to see you again!"
Rocky smiled back. "Did you just come all this way to save me from cranky old ladies?"
Annabeth laughed. "No Sweetie. Diesel didn't want to show up to the cookout empty handed. We called the manor to see if there's anything you needed, and Aisha told us you were at the store picking up some stuff for her. Figured we may as well meet you here and see what we can bring with us to the manor."
"You don't need to do that, you're our guests!"
The shorter woman waved him off. "Here's a free tip, sweetie. Diesel may be the unquestioned champion in the League of Warriors, but he is also a stickler for tradition. He's never going to show up for a barbeque empty handed. So, you might as well just lets us know what it is you came here to pick up for the party.
Rocky sighed and shook his head. "Point taken. Ok, I surrender." He pulled out the list and showed her.
"Smart man. Ok. So, what do you need to get?"
The Manor
Tommy walked out of the back door that led from the kitchen to the back porch where Adam had the coals glowing; Billy was setting up the table where the raw meat would be waiting to be cooked.
The girls were busy setting out the cushions for the outdoor chaise lounges and the covered porch swing. Aisha was the only one not really doing any kind of heavy lifting. She was pretty much just putting the disposable table cloth on the picnic tables and bringing out the paper plates and plastic knives and forks.
"Wow, you guys are pulling out all the stops." He announced as Kimberly walked up to him. He swept her into his arms and pressed a loving kiss to her lips.
"Get enough sleep handsome?" Kim asked as he released her.
"Yeah, though I didn't enjoy it as much as if you'd been there with me." Tommy answered with a mock pout.
Kimberly smirked at him. "Yeah, but if I had stayed, there wouldn't be anymore sleeping anyway. You were getting pretty frisky there."
"I can't help it when my sexy beautiful fiancée is within such easy reach."
Kimberly shook her head in amusement as he pressed another kiss to her forehead. To answer your question, Handsome: your parents are coming over here for a real visit and I want you to have it all."
Tommy stopped still as a thought occurred to him. "Babe, is this some way of trying to make up for the loss of your own?"
Kim bit her lip as a stormy look ghosted across her face. "Tommy, you are my mate and I love you with all I am. There are many reasons that I don't want to discuss right now for why I'm throwing open the gates and welcoming your family in. You deserve to have every happiness. Even before we found out that your dad was alive, I was trying everything to get you those tickets simply because you wanted them. What you have now is even better than all the ring side tickets I could buy you. Please, don't try and open those old wounds of mine…just enjoy the day and connect with your father. Please?"
To add emphasis, she flooded their connection with all the love she had for him and he sighed, closing his eyes and reviling in the moment.
When it was over, he pressed a sweet kiss to her lips and nodded.
As you wish, Beautiful."
Kimberly returned the kiss and then smiled at him. "Good, now you need to fill up the ice chest."
Tommy grinned at her. "Yes, ma'am."
About an hour later…
Tommy sat on the wicker bench in front of the manor with Kimberly tucked up against his side. They'd been like this for about five minutes after hearing from Rocky, via his communicator that the were on the way.
The earliest cellphones were on the market, but Billy had proven his genius by making an updated version of their communicator that looked a lot like fancy versions of the phones that were sold in high end stores.
He was very proud of himself and Kim loved the glossy pink communication device that fit in the palm of her hand.
But back to the story…
Tommy and Kim sat together just enjoying the day. Tommy was holding her close and she absentmindedly played with his hair. They both looked up as the vehicles pulled into their driveway with Rocky's red 1996 GMC Yukon SUV in the lead. He'd wrecked his other truck a month before and with Aisha being pregnant, he'd gone for a used vehicle with plenty of room in it.
Just behind him came Diesel in his black 1996 Dodge Pearl Ram. It was impressive and Tommy whistled low when it pulled to a stop in front of them. Kim only shook her head in amusement and got up, so he could greet his stepmother.
"Welcome to Pebble Brook Manor!"
Annabeth looked up in amazement. "Manor seems to be an understatement! This place is huge!"
"It's a work in progress right now but thank you." Kim said as she walked up behind her mate.
"This is your house?"
"Only on paper. This house belongs to all of us since we're all putting effort into making it a home."
"I'll just leave you ladies here." Tommy said with a grin. "We'll be right back."
When the ladies were alone, Kim led her soon to be mother in law to the wicker bench and they sat down to wait for the men.
Annabeth looked towards the garage that the truck was just disappearing into. "That's a big garage…"
Kim nodded. "Iit used to be the barn during the old times of the manor. Once we got the green light to make this place ours, the guys spent an entire weekend turning that place into a man cave-slash-garage. I'm pretty sure I saw Rocky and Adam carrying an old timey beer cooler in there. Once they were all done, Tommy gave me the grand tour. I don't know how they did it, but they've got the beginnings of a very impressive garage started in there."
And what about you girls? What have you been up to?"
"This is one hell of a garage, Son!" Diesel said in a voice of amazement. "All of you guys did this?"
Tommy nodded. "Yep. We'd been saving up for a while and when we got word that Kimberly won this place, we started shopping around clearance racks and after Christmas specials for everything the garage would need. When that defunct auto shop went out of business we hit them up for little extras."
After that, we took a weekend while the girls were watching chick flics and worked on making this a space for us." Rocky added after he parked his own car. "There's a loft above us where we store extra supplies and medical stuff for minor accidents."
"I gotta admit I'm jealous." Diesal said. I don't have anything like this at the house."
"Well, anytime you need something, you're welcome to swing by."
The older man gave them a surprise look. "Even with your side jobs?"
"What, the dojo? What does that have to do with anything?"
Diesel fixed them both with a look. "You can't fool a shaman, boys."
Tommy sighed and looked at Rocky.
"That chapter of our life is over, Sir." Rocky said as he looked back at their visitor. We passed the torch to the next team a while ago. Now all we want is to quietly live our lives and I'm going to be a father by this time next year."
Diesel nodded as Tommy added. "In the event that something goes wrong, we're able to help the citizens, and provide some measure of protection, but the current team is all that stands between the earth and whatever monster is sent to destroy us."
"That's not too promising."
Tommy shrugged. "That's the way it is, but we know who they are since we chose them to take our place and I'm confident that they'll do everything they can to keep us safe."
Rocky was nodding. "In the meantime, the meat should be grilling and I'm starving."
Accepting the subtle ending of the conversation, they men walked out of the garage and up to the main house where the ladies were waiting for them… along with David who sat between them. He'd had some private business to handle and had just arrived in his own truck, when the men were done; he'd park it in his own spot that had been reserved for him.
With the heavy stuff over, they walked around the side of the house and thus the feast began.
Small talk was made as they filled up on the delicious food and drink and much to Tommy's amusement, it turned out that Diesel gave his youngest son a run for his money in the appetite department.
And there's not even a monster to blame this time. Rocky mused silently as Aisha sat in front of him in the chaise lounge. She chuckled softly as she felt her mate's amusement through their bond.
As dusk approached, they lit up the fire pit the guys had dug out a few days before. It was one of those times that people rarely forget about, a moment that would stick in the mind forever.
"I hope you don't mind me asking, but where are your parents? Do they come to visit you?" Diesel asked delicately.
Rocky, Aisha, and Adam looked at each other and Adam answered him. "Our parents died a long time ago. By the time we ended up in the shelter, Aisha's grandmother was too old and sick to do anything more than look in on us from time to time. We became wards of the state before we were teenagers and unfortunately most people looking to adopt don't want the older kids."
"They're looking for babies and younger children." Annabeth commented quietly.
Aisha nodded. "A couple years before we were going to age out of the system, we overheard about how overwhelmed the shelter was becoming. There were more kids coming into the system then there were foster parents to take them out. And they were already running out of the beds for everyone to sleep in."
"We volunteered to be transferred to Angel Grove into a half-way house." Adam added. "We were minded by a woman working for CPS and we were still able to come to school and spend time with our friends. She was really on there to make sure we got to eat, had clothes to wear and were home by curfew."
"We were so lucky to find these guys as friends." Rocky gushed. "All this time later, we own a martial arts studio in town, we live in a manor and found loving relationships and Mama Bear and I are going to be parents!"
Annabeth grinned at the look of joy on the couple's face. The baby wasn't even showing yet and already they were proud parents. Then here eyes slid towards Tommy and Kim; her step son was gently kissing the back of Kim's head and Kim wore a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.
She frowned and sifted through her recent memories and vaguely remembered the conversation she'd had with Kim. The younger woman had spoken briefly about how she'd won the house during a legal battle but didn't mention the kind of loss she was sensing.
What had she lost?
Deciding that it was too soon to be asking such personal questions of her future Daughter in Law's life, she filed those thoughts away for later and focused on what her husband was saying.
"You mentioned earlier that you were building a small house of your own on these grounds, but you have a whole floor to yourself…"
That question make Kimberly smirk and Tommy coughed. "Yeah, we wanted a love nest of our own…"
His answer make Kim laugh harder and Tommy kissed the back of her head. "Behave Beautiful."
Kimberly wiped a tear away while trying to calm herself.
Annabeth looked at Diesel and then looked at the young adults. "Do we really want to know?"
Tommy was feeling the amusement from his mate and he kissed the back of her head again.
"As much amusement as Kim gets out of the situation, it's really Jason's fault. He's for all intents and purposes her big brother and he plays his part to the hilt. So, when he realized that Kim and I had taken things to the next level, he read me the riot act. He's had a couple years to get over it, but when we moved into the house, he started making comments and well, we decided to take revenge on him. I'll spare the gory details, but the next morning, he all but threw the yellow pages at us and told us we needed to call the builders and get our own space."
"As much as I could have pulled the 'my house, my rules card', I'm not contesting anything. Besides, I kind of like the idea of living in a tree house style home. As for Jason, he had it coming, and I regret nothing."
Tommy grinned at his mate and kissed the back of her head again. "That's my girl."
Diesel looked between them and couldn't suppress his grin. "Yep, you're definitely my son." He took a drink of his beer and sat back. "So, when did you want to start building that house of yours?"
Tommy felt a surge of happiness spread through him. Kimberly leaned against him.
"We'll we need to get the walls painted in the nursery so that the ladies can start furnishing it, so probably after that. I'm no good at wedding stuff, so while the ladies are planning the ceremony, we can start work on the love nest."
All this time, David sat back silently. The fact that he had his family together filled him with such happiness; yet, at the same time, a part of him pined for the loss of his lover and their children. This morning, he'd gotten an official glossy birth announcement along with a short letter from her. He'd needed time to process this. What she'd sent him had been a small mercy and risky. He'd not forgotten that old bastard that had separated his lover from him...
"David, you okay?"
David looked up and saw his dad giving him a long look. "Yeah, I'm good. What did we decide about the tree house?"
"In a few weeks, we can start laying the groundwork on their love nest."
"I'm in. Let's do this!"
So, was it worth the wait? I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as it took me a long time to get in the right frame of mind for this mostly fluffy chapter. Please leave a review if you're so kind to let me know what you think. I'm hoping to start work on the next chapter of 9 months where more answers will be revealed about Tommy's father and step mother.
See you all next time!