Author's Note: An update, yay!! And yes, I know, It's about time!!! Thanks for sticking with me as long as you all have. We're rapidly approaching the end of this story folks, enjoy.
"I can't do this," Kat said for what was probably the hundredth time since they'd bored the flight back to California. She was walking through LAX towards their baggage claim area.
"Yes you can," Kim said with a sigh, grabbing her hand as they walked. "You can, you're already here, you just need to go home, everything will be alright," she said squeezing Kat's hand. "No worries."
"No, I really… I can't do this," Kat said trying to turn around to go back towards the plane.
"Girl!" Aisha grabbed her other hand. "Come on!" She said as Kimberly and her dragged Kat to the baggage claim.
"What if they're mad?" Kat asked as they waited for their baggage. Every single horrific scenario was playing in her head. Adam hating her, Anaya pushing her away, even…heaven forbid, seeing that Darla woman in Adam's arms when they got back to the house. "I can't do this," she said turning around and walking right into a black wall that… moved?
"Hello," Zack said with a grin. "I see you guys made it on time," he said as Kat backed up to look at him.
"Hi Zack," Kat said with a small smile. "Guys…I really can't do this," she said trying to move around him.
Zack stopped her and picked her up, "Been having this problem much?" He asked, putting Kat over his shoulder, much to her chagrin.
"Thank you!" Kim and Aisha exclaimed with laughter as they grabbed all the luggage the three of them had.
"Zack! Put me down," Kat cried, torn between horror and laughter. She tried to wiggle off his shoulder but he held on to her tightly. "This is so bloody undignified!" She exclaimed, finally succumbing to laughter and for the first time since Kim and Aisha ganged up on her in New York, she relaxed.
"Well, if you wouldn't try running off every 10 seconds, Zack wouldn't have to carry you out to the car," Aisha said moving her head around Zack's shoulder so she could see Kat.
"I won't do it anymore, I promise!" Kat exclaimed, wiggling more. "Zachary Taylor! Put me down!" She yelped and then grabbed onto his back when she started to slip. "Don't you bloody drop me!"
Zack laughed, "Well… you said to put you down, make up your mind," he said with a sigh. "So ladies, our chariot awaits," he said walking towards the exit, Kat still hanging on his shoulder.
"I wish I had my camera on me," Kim said with a giggle as she followed Zack. "That image is too good to pass up."
"We'll have to get a repeat performance later," Aisha agreed.
"Over my dead body!" Kat exclaimed as they passed out the exit. "Zack put me down! I can walk now, I swear," she pleaded, yelping slightly when Zack set her upright. "Thank you," she said smoothing out her clothes. She turned around as a car pulled up in front of them and inadvertently stepped backwards when she saw who was driving, Tanya. "Umm…"
Tanya got outta the car, "We get you back to Adam first, me and you can work things out after that," she said softly, opening the trunk for everyone's bags.
"Oh…er…right," Kat said slipping into the backseat with Kim and Aisha. Her nerves had returned full force, not only worrying about Adam's reaction, but dealing with Tanya as well. She was grateful that Tanya was driving, her concentration was on navigating the highways back to Angel Grove, not on small talk.
Kim watched her fidgeting on the ride back and finally put her hand on Kat's knee. "Honey, please… you need to relax, things are going to be okay," she said softly.
"You really think so?" Kat asked, biting her lip nervously as she looked over at her predecessor. She couldn't help but think that things were going to go horribly wrong.
"I know so," Kim stated firmly. "And I'm always right, aren't I?"
"She's got a point," Zack put in before Kat could answer. "She IS always right. Terribly annoying habit she's got, isn't it?" He added, drawing a smile from Kat, which was his plan all along.
"You're just jealous," Kim said, leaning forward to smack him. "I'm just that damn good."
"Cocky too," Kat said with a slight giggle.
"It's not cockyness if you can back it up," Kim said with a firm nod. She looked at Kat, "Seriously, why are you so nervous? You love him, we all know that he loves you, things will be fine," she said squeezing her knee reassuringly.
Kat sighed, she didn't know how to explain that it was all well and good that they knew Adam loved her, but until she heard the words from his mouth, she couldn't believe it. "Okay," she said leaning her head on Kim's shoulder. She couldn't wait until they got back to Angel Grove so she could find out for sure.
Kat was nudged awake as Tanya's car pulled up in front of Adam's house. She looked over at the darkened house and chewed on her lip again, a nervous habit she knew she had to break soon, but that was neither here nor there. She took a deep breath. "Alright, I know what I'm going to do, but that involves none of you guys being there."
"Umm, where are we supposed to go?" Aisha asked, motioning to Kim and herself. "Whatever you have planned, you can do with Kim and I asleep on the futon downstairs." She said in a no-nonsense tone that brokered no arguments.
"Fine, but you guys can't wake up Adam, okay," Kat said as they got out of the car. The entire plan came to her in a split second, and she knew that it would be okay if it worked.
"Yes ma'am," Kim said with a salute.
"Don't mess with the boss," Zack said with a chuckle, getting out and hugging the girls. "Call us umm… in about 6 hours and let us know what happened, we'll need at least that much sleep."
"We'll call you this afternoon Zack, don't worry," Kim said with a laugh as she pushed him towards the car, "its ass o'clock in the morning, go home and get some sleep."
"Yes ma'am," Zack mimicked her as he got back in the car. "Bye girls…"
"Bye Zack," they chorused as the car pulled away. "Now," Kim turned to the others, "How do we get inside?"
Kat pulled out her keys, "I never gave Adam back his house keys," she answered as they headed into the yard. "We'll go in the back door, it's farthest from the bedrooms, just remember to be quiet," she cautioned again as she unlocked the back door.
Once inside, and after Kim and Aisha had crept down into the basement to pass out, Kat let out a sigh of relief. She moved silently through the hallway to Adam's room and looked through the partially opened door. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Anaya curled up in Adam's arms, the moonlight illuminating both of them, tearstains on both their cheeks. Maybe Kim was right, she thought to herself as she crept back into the kitchen and looked at the clock. If things went right, her timing would be perfect. Now to get started, she thought to herself as she headed for the fridge.
Anaya woke up a few hours later and blinked sleepily. She slipped out of her father's arms and slid out of bed. She thought she smelled pancakes, but she couldn't be right since daddy was still sleeping. Quietly she padded out of the bedroom, stopping in her room to grab her froggie and she made her way out into the kitchen and stopped, gasping softly and dropping Froggie onto the floor. She had to be dreaming.
Kat turned around the second she heard the soft footsteps coming into the kitchen and put her fingers to her lips, motioning for Anaya to be quiet and then knelt down to her height. "Hi baby girl," she whispered softly.
Anaya bounced on her toes and then ran for Kat, nearly knocking her over as she hugged her. "Kat-erine… you came back" she whispered, clinging tightly to her. "You really, really came back!"
"I missed you too much," Kat whispered, picking her up as she walked back over to the stove. "I couldn't leave you guys… I'm sorry I tried," she murmured kissing the little girls cheek over and over, eliciting soft giggles from her.
"I forgive… just don't ever do it again," she said shaking a finger at Kat. Then she noticed the pancake batter and the rest of the breakfast ingredients out. "Whatcha doing?" Anaya asked softly.
"I was gonna surprise you and daddy with breakfast in bed," Kat said sitting the little girl down on the counter. "Now you and I can surprise daddy with breakfast in bed," she said kissing her nose. "So we gotta be quiet so we don't wake up daddy, okay?" She smiled at Anaya's emphatic nod. "Love you Anaya."
"Love you too Kat-erine," she whispered back softly and sat back to watch Kat make breakfast. As far as she was concerned, all was right in the world because Kat-erine had come back to her and her daddy.