Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm uploading another chapter already and I know you all are excited. I know for a fact that I'm going to have a lot of happy readers for this chapter, so I'm gonna hurry up and do my disclaimer so you all can read and find out why lol
Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers, any of its series, or any of its characters. Also, I don't own the entire plot/main idea for this story. That's credited to the writers and producers of the 2009-2010 storyline of Days of our Lives. All made up characters, scenes, and parts of the plot that I changed are credited to me.
"Adoption"
Tommy paced back and forth through Sister Teressa's former office as he cradled Grace safe in his arms. Ever since Kimberly had called him three hours ago, he couldn't stop worrying about her. What had possessed her to drive and pick up her daughter all of a sudden?
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the office door flew open revealing a tired-eyed Kimberly. Her face washed over with relief as she quickly made her way over to Tommy. "Tommy." She smiled.
"Hey there." He grinned. "I take it you want to hold your daughter?" Kimberly nodded and held her arms out as Tommy gently placed the little girl in her arms. "Hey there sweetheart." She cooed excitedly. "Mommy's missed you so much."
Grace began moving restlessly in Kimberly's arms as Kimberly slowly rocked the child to calm her. After a few minutes, Grace was fast asleep.
Kimberly walked over to Sister Teressa's office chair and took a seat as she sighed heavily. "That was some drive." She groaned.
"Yeah." Tommy commented. "I can only imagine how fast you were going. You made it here three hours after you called me and as I recall you mentioning, Angel Grove is four hours away from here."
Kimberly laughed. "You caught me." She smiled. "I did 90 all the way here."
"Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to drive that fast?"
"Don't worry too much about it Tommy. I'm here and I'm safe. That's all that matters."
"Yeah, I guess so. So…what made you want to come and get Grace all of a sudden? You weren't ready to get her during our conversation earlier."
"Let's just say…I was inspired." Tommy raised an eyebrow as Kimberly sighed. "I was sitting at Neveah's christening service and the priest…he mentioned the word grace and it made me think of my Grace."
Tommy nodded. "You were just reminded of her."
"Yeah. I've really missed her. I've…missed you too Tommy."
Tommy smiled as he walked over to the two of them and knelt down beside them. "I've missed you too." He said. "I miss keeping you out of trouble."
"Well, I haven't gotten into any since I went back home. Speaking of home, aren't you gonna be heading home now that I've decided to take Grace?"
Tommy rubbed the back of his head as he gave her question some thought. "I'm not really sure what to call home at this point." He said. "I did live in an apartment here once upon a time but I sold it when I joined the FBI. I was always off on missions all the time so I really didn't find the need to make payments on a house or apartment that I wasn't even staying in."
"So where are you gonna live now that you're out of the FBI?"
"I guess I can stick around in Reefside. It's my hometown and one of my old buddies from high school might let me crash at his place for a while."
"Nonsense." Kimberly said in a motherly tone. "You won't be doing that. You can just stay with me."
Tommy raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"You can come and live with me in Angel Grove until you get back up on your feet again. I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. I was just making a suggestion."
Tommy nodded. "I understand, but aren't you making a broad statement there? Last I checked, you were living with your friend…Billy was it?"
"Yeah, but I won't be staying with him for much longer. My mom has a guest house across town that she stays in when she comes home from Paris. She's giving me permission to live there with Grace. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, and everything. Besides, we've had plenty of practice living together over the past eight months."
Tommy laughed. "You've got me there."
"So? What do you say? Are you gonna come and stay with me in Angel Grove?"
Tommy stared at Kimberly as stared at him with hopefulness in her eyes. "Yes." He smiled. "I'll go back with you."
Kimberly squealed as she wrapped an arm around Tommy's neck as her other arm held Grace. "I'm so happy you said yes." She exclaimed.
"You really miss me that much?"
Kimberly nodded slowly. "Yeah. Let's just say…I'd gotten used to having you around all the time and when you were gone…things just weren't the same. I felt like I did when I had to leave all of my friends and family behind. It's like I lost a piece of me."
"Yeah. I felt the same way when you left with Officer Park."
Kimberly smiled as she grabbed hold of Tommy's hand, lacing their fingers together. "Well, now we're going to be together again. I'm really glad."
Tommy leaned forward and pressed his lips against Kimberly's cheek in a quick kiss. Kimberly's cheeks burned from the contact as they reddened into a deep, crimson blush. "W-what was that for?" she stammered nervously.
"For being you." He smiled.
A thought suddenly crossed Kimberly's mind that made her nervous. "Then…can I give you something too?" she asked in a quiet voice.
Tommy raised an eyebrow, his interest spiking. "Will I like this present?" he wondered aloud.
"I sure hope so." She smiled, suddenly gaining a slightly hint of courage. Kimberly tilted her head slightly as she leaned toward Tommy and pressed her lips against his, allowing her eyes to slide closed. Tommy was shocked by the kiss at first, but he slowly melted into it, finally happy that one of his desires had finally been fulfilled. Their lips moved against each other slowly in a rhythm that sent their heads spinning with a whirlwind of emotions. Tommy leaned forward, forcing Kimberly to lean back and wrap her free arm around his neck as he took control of the kiss, their lips speeding up. The two of them remained in that position for a while, enjoying each other's presence as they finally released all of their pent up feelings they'd been harboring for each other all those months.
Their kiss was cut short when Grace started whimpering in Kimberly's arms. The two of them pulled apart quickly as they began to catch their breath. Tommy leaned back against the desk as Kimberly stared down at him with a smile on her face.
"So?" she said in between breaths. "Did you like my gift?"
Tommy smiled. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time." He admitted as he closed his eyes.
"Believe me," Kimberly said, "I know what you mean." Grace started crying making Kimberly smile. "I think somebody's hungry." She giggled.
Tommy pointed to the corner of the desk. Kimberly's eyes followed his finger and she nodded when she spied a baby bottle filled with formula. She grabbed the bottle quickly as she popped the cap off and popped it into her child's mouth. Grace's cries stopped immediately as her lips moved in a sucking motion as she guzzled down her meal. Kimberly smiled as she leaned back and stared up at the ceiling to continue to steady her breathing.
"Are you hungry?" Tommy asked out of the blue.
"Uh, yeah. I didn't stay and eat at the reception."
"Well, what do you say we head back to the safe house so I can pack the rest of my things? And if you promise not to start any fires, you can get started on making grilled cheese."
Kimberly giggled. "Deal." She smiled. "That actually sounds good right about now. We can eat, sleep, and head for Angel Grove in the morning."
"Sounds like a plan." Tommy said, standing to his feet. He walked over to Kimberly and pushed her bangs away from her forehead so he could kiss it gently. "Let's go then."
Kimberly nodded as she stood to follow him towards the tunnel.
The Ignalis Mansion
Katherine smiled at Neveah as the little girl drank from the bottle that Katherine held with her fingers. The little girl had had a busy day and when they'd gotten home and after she'd been bathed, she'd demanded a meal. Katherine leaned back in the rocking chair as she rocked her and the infant in a slow rhythm. Her rhythm was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" she called out with a roll of her eyes. No response was received. Instead, the door opened as Mr. Ignalis stepped into the room with a smile on his face.
"Hello dear." He greeted her.
Katherine felt nervousness in the pit of her stomach as she stared at the older man. "What on earth do you want?" she spat. "You are the last person I want to see right now."
"Oh, come on Katherine. You aren't still mad about earlier today are you?"
"Yes, I am. You almost revealed my secret in front of a church filled with people! How can I not be mad?"
"You're playing a big game right now my dear. You should fold while you've still got the chance."
"I'm not backing out of this. I've come too far to turn back now. Besides, can you imagine the consequences of telling Collin and Kimberly about Neveah? My wedding is next month and the last thing I want to happen is for my wedding to get called off and for me to get thrown out on the streets to wind up with nothing. Most importantly, I don't want to see Collin and Kimberly get back together."
"No one wants to see that disgusting display happen."
"Then why did you try to blow my secret earlier?"
"Relax Katarina. I wasn't going to blow your secret. I was just toying with you for the heck of it."
Katherine glared at him before turning her attention back to Neveah. "You can see yourself out." She said. "I want to be left alone."
"I don't think that's gonna happen."
"And why not?"
"Because my dear, you have a visitor downstairs."
"Who?"
Mr. Ignalis left the room without bothering to answer her question. With a growl, Katherine stood to her feet, careful not to remove the bottle from her daughter's mouth. She stormed out of the nursery and to the top of the stairs where she paused. Rocky was standing at the bottom of the steps staring up at her with a straight face.
"Rocky?" she said. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to check on you." He said. "Tanya told me what happened at the christening service earlier. Why didn't you eat anything?"
Katherine shrugged as she walked down the stairs to avoid eavesdroppers. "I was far too busy this morning to eat." She said. "I was fine but my nerves got the best of me during the service. Everything's alright now though."
"Glad to hear it. Sorry that I couldn't make it to the service."
"It's alright Rocky. You have a restaurant to run. I know it can interfere with personal things sometimes."
Rocky shrugged. "Yeah. I guess so."
Silence over came the two of them as Katherine nervously shifted her weight to her other leg to poke her hip out to the side.
"So," Rocky said, bringing up a new topic, "you're obviously still getting away with your little secret."
Katherine shushed Rocky. "Be quiet." She snapped. "I don't want anyone to hear you."
"Katherine, you were ready to tell Collin the truth a few weeks ago when I talked to you about this before and suddenly, you changed your mind. Why?"
"Kimberly pulled up." She sighed as she took a seat on the stairs, still holding Neveah and the bottle. "I saw her and Jason pull up as I was prepared to tell him and I suddenly had doubts. If Collin finds out about what I've done, he'll leave me in a heartbeat to try and be with her again."
"Why would he want to be with Kimberly again?"
"Because Neveah's her-" Katherine stopped herself mid-sentence at realization of what she almost revealed.
"Neveah's Kimberly's what?"
"I didn't mean to say that." Katherine lied. "What I meant to say was that Neveah's the only thing keeping the two of them apart. When I got pregnant with…my baby…that's when Collin decided to leave Kimberly for me. That's why I took losing my baby so hard. When I miscarried…I began thinking of why Collin was with me. He felt obligated to take care of me and our child so he left Kimberly. I couldn't risk having him run back to her."
"And like I said on New Years, why are you with someone that you can't trust? You deserve to be with someone who will love you fully and completely regardless of whether or not there's a baby in the picture."
Katherine stood to her feet. "I don't wanna talk about this anymore. I'm gonna go put Neveah to bed. Will you please just go?"
"Katherine wait. I'm sorry. Why don't you…tell me about the christening service? Did it go the way you planned, other than the fainting part?"
Katherine smiled. "Yeah. Kimberly left halfway through the service, which made things even better. My little girl was christened and…her real mother got to watch."
"Huh?"
"Remember how I told you about Julia? The…baby's mother."
"She was there?"
Katherine nodded. "Yeah. I'd mentioned the christening service to her and she showed up. Even though she isn't the one raising Neveah, she's still her daughter. I felt she had a right to look in if she wanted to."
"That was…thoughtful of you. Did she stay and see the baby."
"Nope. As soon as the service ended, she'd ducked out and disappeared. She did tell me that she didn't want to be a part of the baby's life."
"What if she changes her mind about all this?"
Katherine shook her head. "She won't. This baby's mine now. She had her chance."
"Whatever. Look Kat, I've gotta get back to the diner. Tanya's shift is ending soon and I've gotta be there to handle things."
"I understand. Bye Rocky."
Rocky said his farewells before exiting the mansion. Katherine sighed as she walked back up to the nursery. "That was a close one." She whispered as she laid Neveah in her crib. She sighed with relief as the sound of Rocky's motorcycle engine revved up and sped off. "I almost revealed something terrible. I've got to watch what I say around people."
Safe House
"I've missed this place." Kimberly admitted as she and Tommy sat on the couch chowing down on their fresh grilled cheese. "It sort of feels like my home away from home. If I could pick this place up and move it to Angel Grove, I would."
Tommy laughed. "Good luck with that idea."
Kimberly smiled. "I can't wait for you to meet all of my friends. I've told them so much about you. Jason wants to meet you the most."
"Jason? Isn't that the guy you said is your brother?"
"Not by blood but he's my brother in every possible way. I love Jason so much. I don't know what I'd do without him."
"Sounds like a nice guy. Why are you with me and not with him?"
Kimberly giggled at his question. "Because, I don't care for Jason in that way. The way I…care about you."
Tommy smiled at her confession and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "That makes me feel better."
Suddenly, Kimberly's cell phone began to ring. She held a finger up to Tommy as she answered it. "This is Kimberly." Kimberly's expression turned into one of irritation. "What do you want Collin?"
"Is that any way to say hello?" Collin's voice came from the other side. "I was worried about you so I wanted to call and check up on you. You ran out in the middle of the christening service and I haven't seen or heard from you since."
"What are you? My babysitter? I don't have to tell you where I'm going."
"I feel as though I deserve some sort of explanation. You were a cordially invited guest and you ran out of the ceremony. What gives Kimmie?"
Kimberly wrinkled her nose in disgust as Collin used her old nickname. "I'm adopting a baby." Kimberly blurted out. Tommy started choking on his grilled cheese as Kimberly revealed her plan.
"What did you just say?" Collin's voice came from the other side of the line. He was obviously shocked by her confession. Tommy nodded in agreement. He too wanted to know what Kimberly was talking about.
"You heard me." Kimberly said with no fear in her voice. "I adopted a baby today."
"How in the world is that possible? The christening service started a five this afternoon and all adoption agencies, as far as I know, are closed by that time."
"I spoke to an agent last week." Kimberly lied. "We went over all the details, I got to meet the little girl I'm adopting, and yesterday was the day I went and filled out all the paper work. I was told that I was to pick the child up at six p.m. from the hospital today and I'd forgotten about it until the middle of the christening service."
"Do you have any idea how stupid this idea sounds? Come on Kimberly, enough with the jokes. What were you really doing?"
"I just told you Collin. I picked up my adoptive daughter today."
"When did you decide to adopt? You were in witness protection up until two weeks ago. Did you just suddenly decide that you were going to adopt a child? It's ludicrous I tell you."
"Well, I don't care what you think. What's done is done Collin and if you don't believe me, I'll bring the baby by and show you! I have adopted a beautiful little girl named Grace whose mother gave her up after her worthless husband left her for another woman. I'm doing that poor woman a favor. Now, if you don't mind, I have to go check on Grace. I'm taking her to the doctor's office tomorrow so I can get her checked out."
"Kimberly, wait."
"Nope. Goodbye Collin."
Kimberly hung up her cell phone and tossed it over onto the bed as she growled. "I hate him." She said as she slammed her dinner plate onto the coffee table. "He makes me so angry!"
"Now, don't take offense to this Kim, but your story is pretty farfetched. I mean, it's a good idea claiming that you adopted the child, but being that this is such short notice, who's gonna believe you?"
"Who cares? I'll eventually be able to add more to Grace's pretend background story but for now, this is all I've got to work with. I need to take my little girl home Tommy. I want her safe with me. I love her so much and I haven't even spent much time with her yet. You've gotten to have all the fun."
"Fun? The only time this child is fun is when she isn't crying and isn't dropping bombs in her diaper."
Kimberly laughed as she looked over the arm of the couch where Grace was sleeping peacefully in the carry car seat on the floor. "Don't worry. I'm going to take care of all that now. Oh, wait a sec! I almost forgot!"
"What?"
"You get to meet Jacob tomorrow!"
Tommy smiled. "Sounds great Kim. Look, it's going on eleven now and I'm kind of tired. Ready to turn in?"
Kimberly nodded. "Yeah. We'll worry about the dishes in the morning."
Kimberly walked over to the bed she'd grown accustomed to sleeping in and plopped down with a thud. She raised an eyebrow as she saw Tommy retrieving blankets to lie out on the couch. "What are you doing?"
"Preparing the pull out couch. What else would I be doing?"
Kimberly shook her head as she patted the empty space beside her. "You can sleep here if you want."
"Are you sure Kim? I mean, I know we're starting to open up to each other more about our feelings and all, it's just that I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."
"Never." Kimberly said. "When you were lying her beside me that night when I had that terrible nightmare, I'd never felt more at peace. Let's just say, you're my protector from all nightmares and everything that tries to harm me."
Tommy smiled as he crossed the room and sat beside her. "Fine then." He said. "I'll stay here and protect you."
Kimberly smiled as she laid down, snuggling into her pillow. Tommy cut the lights off and lay beside her, draping an arm over her to hold her close.
"Goodnight Tommy." She smiled as she began to drift off into dreamland.
"Night Kim."
Author's Note: And so ends another chapter! There was a little drama with Kat and Rocky but there was plenty of fluff and a KISS with Tommy and Kim so I know someone's got to be happy about that lol Well, if you'd like to review, feel free and review. Then, sit tight and wait patiently for the next chapter. Till next time guys!
