Letter Proof

by Jade-Max

Kimberly wrote Tommy two letters; one which said her true feelings, and the one she sent him in hopes of having him move forward in his life. Tommy read the one letter... now it's time he see the other - and it leads to an unexpected, overdue adventure.

4. Part 4

Part 4

Her mother was ecstatic and honored to be asked to locate a place for them to be married. Tommy managed to get her alone and slip the fact that price wasn't an obstacle so she could choose just about anything her heart desired. Leaving her mother in the best spirits she'd been since the decline in her health had begun, Tommy treated Kimberly to coffees at a nearby café, glad to see that she was more lively herself.

Parisian fashions were some of the most elegant and extravagant in the world and it wasn't long before Kimberly could no longer stand the suspense. Practically dragging him from the café, Kimberly hailed a cab - to which Tommy told the drive to take them to the foremost wedding salon in the city. Kimberly protested, but Tommy had her beat; he could speak French better than she could.

It evolved from finding Kimberly a dress, to him needing a Tuxedo - which he'd suspected would be a must - to both Pierre and her mother needing finery for the ceremony. After Kimberly had fallen into an exhausted sleep the night before, Tommy had called around - unafraid of pulling the strings he had to make this work - and managed to find them an appointment with a licensing agent who could issue a marriage license for them the following Monday.

Seeing as how it was now Wednesday, it would give them several days to shop and make arrangements for the ceremony, get fitted for their finery and Tommy a chance to visit a bank. This trip wouldn't break him - far from it - but Kimberly would begin suspecting something was amiss with his finances when she had a minute to slow down.

Fortunately, a shopping Kimberly was a focused Kimberly, and they mostly spent their time collecting magazines at the bridal shops they hit so she could bring them back to the hospital and pour over the ideas with Caroline. Tommy and Pierre were left in charge of arranging things at one of the gardens surrounding the Eifel Tower that Caroline had picked for the wedding.

The days flew by between all of the preparations being made - reservations and arrangements to complete, fittings for Kim's dress... a dress she'd found only after extensive searching where Tommy had cooled his heels outside many a shop. When she'd come out glowing, he'd known she'd found it. He'd felt a little ridiculous seeing as how they were going to be seeing each other to get ready - only to find out that he and Pierre would prepare at the hotel so Kimberly could get ready with her mother at the hospital.

A special allowance - along with the discreet direct care nurse who normally looked after Caroline - made it possible for her to come. She'd be in a wheelchair, which had vetoed a few locales of choice for the ceremony, but her being there was what mattered.

Caught in the whirlwind, the big day arrived without fanfare. Tommy and Kimberly signed their license that morning, providing the needed blood work and documentation without issue only to be caught up in the last minute details. Flowers, minister - and a bout of cold feet neither had expected.

"Are you sure we should go through with this?"

Kimberly's question caught him completely off guard as they were heading back to the hotel with carefully wrapped packages of flowers. Her bouquet, among other things.

"It's a little late to be having second thoughts - don't'cha think?"

"Well... yeah... but we're making a commitment, Tommy, one that neither of us take lightly and I don't know if I can repeat the vows the minister is going to read. The 'until death do us part' thing is pretty permanent."

Tommy glanced around before taking her elbow in his free hand and ducking into a nearby doorway; the nice thing about the old architecture was an abundance of semi-private places to have heart-to-heart talks, or steal kisses; something he was trying not to think about. The more he got to know about her again, the more Tommy found his old feelings for the Kimberly he'd known evolving and stretching to encompass the woman she'd become.

"We talked about this."

"I know, I know," she kept her voice down to avoid drawing attention to them. "But... isn't there another way?"

"Kim... the wedding is this evening; everything's in place. Unless you're going to tell your mother the truth - that this is all a big, elaborate hoax for her benefit - then what other choice is there?"

"Cold feet?"

He shook his head. "You and I both know your mom would never buy it, not after everything that's passed between us - both now and when we were kids. Only the truth-"

"I know, I know."

She sounded almost pained, and he caught a glimpse of something in her gaze he never expected. Something he'd rarely seen in her as a teenager and usually was associated with others, not herself. Fear. Kimberly was afraid of something other than her mother's death - and she was looking for a way out; for a way to run.

"What are you scared of, Kim?"

Her head jerked as if he'd slapped her. "Afraid?"

"I can see it in your eyes."

"Oh, so you think you can read me now?"

"No," he admitted levelly, knowing she was looking for a way to get him angry - for him to give her the out she wanted, "but if this last week and a half-" had it really only been that long? "-has shown me anything, it's that you're stronger than you look. You were fearless in High School - but that's changed. Life's taught you lessons, this one the hardest of them all, but you haven't let them cow you. Yet... you're afraid of this... of me. Why? What did I do?"

He'd hit his mark - he saw it in the way her eyes widened before she ducked her head to the side and away. Her chest rose and fell quickly as she struggled to control her breathing - and her temper. If anything, he'd learned she was more volatile now than she'd ever been before. She was silent for so long, Tommy was beginning to think he wasn't going to get an answer - when she finally spoke. It was so soft, he almost missed it.

"You'll leave." Lifting her head, she met his gaze away and this time there was pain in her eyes that had nothing to do with her mother's illness. "No matter what vows we say today, Tommy, no matter what promises we make, they're all going to be lies. Every last one. When we get home, you'll go back to your life, I'll go back to mine and when my mom calls to ask about how we're doing, what am I going to tell her? That we did it all for her? That you had a life to get back to that didn't include me? I don't think I can do it - not again."

"Which part?"

Shifting the flowers to the crook of his elbow, he braced his hand on the doorframe, keeping her boxed in, suspecting if he didn't she might actually run from him. Everything had been boiling down to this discussion he knew; since he'd gotten her letter, it was the one topic they'd avoided and the one topic they needed to discuss. It was the last obstacle between who'd they'd been and who they'd become. He just hadn't expected to need to do it in a semi-private doorway on the way to get ready for their wedding.

"Say goodbye."

The way she whispered it almost broke his heart all over again. Drawing her forward, careful not to crush his other burden, he wrapped her in a one armed hug, pressing his lips to her temple in the only affectionate kind of kiss he dared - and was rewarded when her arms snaked around his waist and she hugged him fiercely.

"Then don't."

"I won't have a choice; you have your life in Reef Side, mine's in Miami."

"I'm a teacher; I don't go back to school until September." He'd caught her off guard again - something he was peevishly enjoying. Turnabout was fair play for all the times she'd done it to him both past and present. "Haley can watch my place and we'll technically be married - more than enough of an excuse to stay on the East coast."

"You'd do that for me?"

Tommy laughed - he couldn't help it. "If you haven't learned I'd do just about anything for you by now, Kim, you never will."

She giggled, catching how absurd her question sounded when they were embarking on a sham of a wedding - that was costing him a small fortune she was sure - simply to fulfill a dying wish of her mother's. He squeezed her tightly before releasing her.

"Come on; we'll talk about where we go from here later."

"Tommy... what about our vows?"

"What about them?"

"Don't you feel horrible knowing you're pledging yourself to me because of a lie?"

"Who says they're a lie?"

Kimberly stared at him open mouthed for a long moment.

"I told your mom I never stopped caring about you, Kim. A part of me will always love the girl you were - I'll cherish and honor those memories until the day I die. Won't you?"

Blinking at his logic, she slowly nodded in understanding and a smile spread across her face. "So that's how you're justifying it."

"It is. I don't see our vows as a lie - you'll always be important to me, you always have been. That's never going to change."

"You don't know that."

"Twelve years and an impromptu trip to France say otherwise." Before she could object, he nodded towards the street once more. "Come on; we've got a wedding to get ready for."

---------

Thirty minutes to sunset had Tommy and Pierre waiting with a non-denominational minster in rented Tuxedos (Kimberly had drawn the line - Tommy was spending enough he didn't need to buy tuxedos too) that fit far better than the one hanging in his closet back home. He should have bought the damn thing - maybe he would when this was all over.

Straightening his collar, he tugged at it, feeling a little warm, as the surreal feeling of the whole situation finally settling across his shoulders. They were really going to go through with this.

"Nervous?"

Glancing towards Pierre, Tommy checked his cufflinks. "I'd be lying if I said no."

"Wouldn't we all?" The chuckle from Caroline's husband was empathetic. "Proposing is the easy part; saying the vows... now that is hard."

Tommy finally turned to meet Pierre's gaze, surprised. He'd never been married and the insight from the French painter was unexpected. "Hard - why?"

"Words are easy to say when you do not mean them," was the sage reply. "It is when you mean them so very much that they become difficult."

An interesting point of view - and one Tommy happened to agree with at that moment. The closer the reality of what he and Kimberly were about to do became, the more aware he was of just what he was really doing. What had she called it? Surreal? It certainly fit. If anyone had told him five years ago he'd be marrying Kimberly Hart in France when she wasn't his real fiancée to satisfy a dream of her mother's he'd have told them they were crazy.

He should know better than to discount anything.

Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the knowing look Pierre was wearing. "You did not propose through the mail."

Tommy's eyebrows arched at the bold statement. "Excuse me?"

"If you and Kimberly had been in touch six months ago, it stands to reason she would not have kept it from Caroline."

Whoops - they hadn't thought of that. Tommy tugged at his collar. Six days; six months - did it really matter? He thought fast and offered Pierre a shrug. "I think she didn't want to get her hopes up until we knew where this was going. Twelve years is a long time, Pierre. We had to get to know one another again."

"But why keep it from Caroline? Kimberly knew nothing of her illness at the time."

It was a gray area they'd never talked about - so Tommy filled it in as logically as he could, hoping Kimberly would be able to keep up whenever she was asked. "It was tough," the admission was as honest as he could make it. Seeing Kimberly again was unlike any kind of hardship he'd ever faced - except her need for him was greater than anything he'd been feeling at the time. "But like I've said a lot this weekend, the old hurt has had time to fade and she's since explained why - which has helped ease it further. I didn't know she hadn't told her mother anything about us but I... would... guess she didn't say anything because Caroline would well remember the times we were together."

"You didn't see at all surprised when Caroline didn't recognize you."

"Kimberly didn't recognize me," there no feigning the amusement in his voice as he brushed his fingers along the side of his short hair and tapped his glasses. "Why would her mother?"

The two men shared a look as Tommy checked his cufflinks again - and then his watch.

"They'll be here."

"Easy for you to say; you're not the one getting married."

"It wasn't so long ago I don't remember the feeling."

"Did it get easier?"

"Once the sickness passed, yes." There was amusement in the older man's eyes. "To be honest, I thought I would... faint before the end of the ceremony."

"You?"

"Oui; moi. Caroline had never looked so lovely - she stole the very breath from my lungs. It was but another sign I was doing the right thing."

Was Pierre offering him advice at the 9th hour? Tommy couldn't be sure. "You don't think we're doing the right thing, is that it?"

"Au contraire, it is a celebration that is long overdue. You are both older, Tommy, but the fire between you has not changed. There is a... link - yes? - between you and Kimberly that is visible to this day. Six months - or however long you have been in contact - has only made it burn brighter."

"You sound so sure of yourself."

"It is my trade to notice the details - Kimberly is happier with you despite her mother's illness. Here, you are nervous - wound tight. When she is here, despite you being strong for her, you are more relaxed. It is in your smiles; the way her eyes light up when you come into view - and the way the tension in yours disappears."

Trust a painter to catch the little things.

Pierre however wasn't finished. He clasped Tommy on the shoulder and squeezed once before letting go. "It is not for me to say if you are doing the right thing; but I do not think it is the wrong thing. Nor would she - or she would never have come."

Tommy turned to look in the direction Pierre was facing as he caught the tail end of the proud smile the painter wore. While Kimberly wasn't his daughter, it had become clear she might as well have been. What he saw... stole his breath and his jaw slackened to enable him to breathe. As if pulled by an invisible string, he turned on one heel to face her, noting the way she practically glowed as she caught his expression. Amusement lurked in the glittering brown orbs as she neared him - and it was only by pure force of will alone he was able to close his mouth and offer her his hand.

Pierre stepped to the side to join his own wife as Kimberly placed her hand in Tommy's and stepped close to join him.

Her gown was untraditional - and the colors of her old Ranger uniform. White and pink warred for dominance on the print, but it was the cut of it that showed him the most she was no longer the girl he'd known. Fit to her shape, the gown emphasized her assets, cupping her small bust in a loving embrace and lending her a hint of cleavage. The dress was fitted to her waist and down across her hips to flare out from seams of piping to fall in elegant lines to her feet. His mouth went dry and his fingers tightened on hers, drawing her that fraction closer.

"Hello, Beautiful."

"Hello yourself, Handsome." There was no mistaking the echo of appreciation in her gaze. "See something you like?"

Their murmurs didn't pass to the minister who was waiting for the photographer to move in - and neither Kimberly nor Tommy noticed as the photographers began to snap their pictures. Instead they were lost to the surreal feel of the whole situation and busy drinking in their fill of one another with their eyes. It was something they'd notice later - when they saw the photographs - just as they'd notice the knowing smiles on Pierre and Caroline's faces, and the way the older couple's fingers entwined together tightly. For now, though, they didn't notice anything beyond their little bubble.

"More than like." Her smile was worth the heartfelt comment and turned his heart over funny in his chest. "You're gorgeous, Kim."

Kimberly blushed with his compliment and then curtsied like a princess, dipping low and extending her hand to him, an almost impish tilt to her lips. "Only for you."

Lifting her hand to his lips, he drew her back upwards as he kissed her knuckles. "Really?"

She nodded.

"I feel like I'm dreaming."

"Me too."

There was an echo of the girl she'd been in those words - and an echo of the boy he'd been as his thumb then caressed the back of her hand. The urge to lean in and kiss her was strong - but he resisted. In a few minutes he'd be obligated to, but there was nothing about 'duty to a friend' in the anticipation that colored his thoughts. His lips kicked into a faint half smile. "Ready?"

A flash caught them off guard and Kim in the middle of a slightly shaky smile - bringing both of their senses. Tommy's hand tightened on hers as they looked back to find the grownups watching them indulgently. He was hit by a sudden pang of conscience; his own parents - adoptive though they were - would have loved this intimate moment.

"Mom?"

"You two..." Caroline's proud smile was echoed by the gleaming in her eyes as tears misted on her lashes. "I don't think I've... ever seen either of you look so happy. Not even when Tommy took you on your first date."

It was suspiciously and eerily close to Tommy's own thoughts. Despite the feel of unreality of this whole adventure, there was also something so right about it, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was more than for show. Turning towards the minister with Kimberly was another feeling of its own all together. The icy certainty that had served him so well at the airport in Miami had returned and he didn't shake or tremble as the minister intoned the opening of the ceremony - but it did pass in a blur.

All of it did as he watched Kimberly mouth the words that would make her his wife - his wife! - and then seemed to watch from that point just over his left shoulder as he repeated the vows that would make him her husband. In name only or otherwise, the tears on Kimberly's lashes were real, just as the joy shining in the depths of her eyes couldn't be anything but. Despite the pretense of the whole affair, none of it felt forced; none of it felt wrong.

Until the minister intoned the words both had been avoiding since agreeing to this scheme.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife; you may kiss the bride."

It was like a bucket of ice water being thrown in his face as Kimberly's eyes bore into his. There was a hint of panic in those brandy orbs, as well as a plea; that he not falter at this stage in the game. But it was a request he wasn't sure if he could control. If their history was any indication, kissing her once - before the minister - would only whet his appetite for more. It had been like a drug, kissing Kimberly - a craving that was near impossible to control.

She stepped towards him, lifting her hands to his chest and sliding them up to his neck - and her gaze never left his. "You promised."

Her words were like a bolt through the chest - and had the desired effect. No one else had heard them, but they rang through his skull clear as a bell. He had promised to be whatever she needed - and she needed this. Her mother needed this; but there was something deeper in her gaze, something he didn't dare identify just yet that said Kimberly needed him. It was the deciding factor as he lifted his hands to cup her face.

Heedless of the flashing camera, Tommy's gaze never left hers - staying locked until those last moments when her eyelids fluttered closed, his own closing a moment later and their lips touched.

Whatever they'd been expecting - fireworks, sparks, song and dance - it didn't happen. There were no exploding lights behind his eyelids, no fanfare or wedding march playing in the background. There was no feeling of being cast adrift, or the sudden inexplicable feel of his heart being grabbed by a fist as it tried to burst from his chest.

Instead there was the pleasant feel of warmth cascading through his system, spreading from his lips in an echo of the chemistry they'd felt as teenagers, fighting the first throes of attraction. This was a deeper, soul searing; blazing lines of fire that burned hotter and brighter the longer their lips lingered together.

Tommy pulled back before it ignited into something neither of them could control, feeling as if his entire universe had just shifted. Out of or back into alignment he didn't know - just that it had.

The flash of the camera as Kimberly's eyes were opening, giving her a dreamy look, caught his attention - and the sound of a soft applauding was quick to make itself known. Caroline had tears in her eyes and even Pierre looked misty-eyed... in an artist kind of way. The minister was beaming at them - and several people who'd been walking through the garden had stopped to watch the small ceremony from a discreet distance.

Murmurs could be heard as Kimberly and Tommy turned from the minister to be embraced by her mother and Pierre. Radiant; Gorgeous; Handsome; Glowing and Perfect together were among some of the snippets that floated their way.

"Oh, Kimberly..." Mrs. Dumas hugged her daughter tightly, weeping unabashed tears of joy. "Congratulations, baby. Tommy... welcome to the family."

His smile was easy, and the delight in it wasn't the least bit feigned - but even as he hugged Caroline, Kimberly's fingers remained entwined in his. "Thank you."

The rest of the evening passed in a blur.

Post wedding pictures, the meal the Dumas' had insisted on treating them to - likely the last time Caroline would ever eat out - and taking Caroline back to the hospital; all of it was like living in a dream world where Kimberly kept casting him unreadable looks tinted with a slightly stunned expression. It was his first cue that he wasn't the only one reeling from that kiss. The weight of the wedding ring on his hand was a new and novel concept - and something he'd never expected to bear... yet at the same time it had been Kimberly who had placed it there and that alone made it seem perfectly natural. As did the feather soft kisses they exchanged all evening, and the feel of her hand in his.

Conflicting emotions assailed him once they took their leave of Pierre and Caroline with an affectionate jab at his choice of accommodations for their stay. They hadn't intended on Honeymooning in France and now, all of a sudden, they were.

Once back behind locked doors with Kimberly, the hour approaching midnight, Tommy's sense of reality reasserted itself.

This was a charade, a show, something to do to give her mother the joy of knowing her baby was with someone, that Kimberly wouldn't have to live - and possibly die - alone. It was something he'd agreed to because he was her friend,. a part of him had never stopped loving her... and he couldn't stand to see her in pain. Kimberly had never looked so radiantly happy before, in his company anyway, and as she hummed softly to herself crossing the room towards the bedroom, his lips kicked into a reluctant smile.

He was going to kill her mood and was loath to do it. That evening had felt like their fairytale ending; their happily ever after - and none of it was real.

Kimberly was unpinning her hair as she walked, a curve to her lips that was provocative because of its meaning. She was blissfully happy... and Tommy was more than a little tempted to pretend that they were a real married couple; that they were going to go into that bedroom and-

Swallowing hard, he fought to get the image out of his head. "Kim."

"Hmm?" She turned that expression on him over her shoulder. "What is it, Tommy?"

"You..." he hesitated, watching the light in her eyes slowly fade and then exhaled. "You know this is all pretend, right?"

When she smiled, it was tinted with wistful yearning as she turned to face him, stopping by a small table. "I know. Did you see her face, Tommy? I've never seen my mom look so happy. Never. Not even when she married Pierre."

"I'm glad."

Unhooking her earrings and unclipping her necklace, she placed them on the small table before starting to work on the bracelets she'd been wearing. "Me too." her fingers hesitated on the wedding band he'd slipped on her finger, tracing the smooth lines and the way it lay against the engagement ring.

"You don't have to take it off," he told her softly, pushing away from his place by the door and heading for the stocked bar. After the day's sense of unreality, he could use a stiff drink. "For all the reasons we might have gotten married, we are legally married. You're really Mrs. Tommy Oliver... or am I Mr. Kimberly Hart?"

Her lips tilted in amusement. "Pour me one?"

"What's your preference?"

"I'm a Caesar girl - if they have the fixings."

He opened the bar and fridge - and nodded. "All here." Good; he needed something to keep himself busy lest he surrender to the demon in his brain that was telling him he was legally married to the girl of his dreams, that she kissed better than he remembered and, by that kiss alone, knew she craved that kind of touch. She wanted him as much as he wanted her - but he'd made her a promise and he was going to keep it if it killed him.

Removing the tuxedo jacket, he tossed it on the back of a nearby chair before pulling off the bow tie, undoing the cuffs and started to roll them back. "So... where do we go from here, Kim?"

"To bed."

He almost dropped the lime he was using to rim both glasses. "Pardon?"

"It's late and this is normally the middle of my night - remember? Four in the morning wakeup call?"

"Right." She'd nearly given him a heart attack. "I mean, where do we go with this marriage thing. Your mom made it pretty clear she expects us to do the honeymoon thing while we're here."

"Which means what?"

Kimberly wandered into the bedroom, disappearing behind a semi-closed door and Tommy could hear the sound of her dress being undone. There was a pause in the conversation as he proceeded to rim the glasses and add the spices. A rustle of clothing and the sound of snaps for a couple of minutes echoed in his ears as he added vodka and then ice to the glasses before bending back to find the Clamato. Straightening, he closed the fridge and cracked the seal on the new bottle just as Kimberly reemerged from the bedroom. A pair of silky, soft pink pajamas cloaked her from shoulder to ankle - and she hadn't taken the time to remove her makeup. She continued speaking, however, as if she'd never left the room.

"Are we supposed to lock ourselves in here for the next week and play cards?"

He chuckled. "Somehow, I doubt anyone would believe we're playing cards. Here."

"Thanks." Kimberly accepted the glass, sliding her fingers along his as she did, before lifting it. "A toast."

Tommy did the same, wondering what she could possibly have left to toast to after their a-toast-a-minute dinner. His curiosity was quickly sated.

"To the best friend a woman could have; a man of courage, valor and honor who selflessly puts the happiness of others above his own. To you, Tommy." She tipped her drink to him.

"And to you, Kim; the woman I would do anything for if she but asked."

They shared a smile and took sips of their drinks. Kimberly drifted back to the couch, sitting at one end and curling her feet beneath her, glass in hand. "You never did answer my question; what are we supposed to do with this honeymoon time?"

"Anything we want?" Tommy settled onto the couch next to her, stretching his arm across the back of the couch.

Kimberly, who'd been using her free hand to prop her head up, extended it along the back in a mimic of his move and twined her fingers to his. "Any suggestions? I think Mom and Pierre expect us to stay in here for a couple of days after..."

"After that kiss."

Voicing it only made it seem that much more real and her fingers tightened on his, the awareness between them sparking as their gazes locked. She nodded mutely, taking another sip of her drink, but never breaking the eye contact. Silence stretched between them, and Tommy's gaze dropped to her lips as her tongue darted out to collect the droplets of her drink that still lingered there. It was as if time had slowed as that little pink tip swept in agonizing perfection from one corner to the other.

Closing his eyes to break the spell, Tommy tilted his head towards the ceiling, his hand tight on the glass of his own Caesar.

"Tommy? Are you-"

"Go to bed, Kim."

Something in his voice must have warned her that he was on the verge of losing his control. Her fingers eased from his and the rustle of her clothing rang in his ears like a gunshot, providing images that had nothing to do with her getting to her feet.

"Goodnight Tommy."

"Goodnight Kim."

He didn't move until he heard the door to the bedroom close - and even then it was simply to sag down into the couch. The invitation in Kimberly's gaze had been unmistakable. She'd wanted him to kiss her again - and more. But Tommy couldn't, not if he wanted to be able to honor the terms of their agreement.

Marrying her had seemed like such a small price to pay to grant her mother's wish for her daughter - hell, he'd dreamed of marrying Kimberly for years! - but this... this was something else. Something he hadn't bargained for. He'd known before the ceremony they still had chemistry, but that kiss...

That kiss had turned his world upside down.

It had made him wish to turn this farce into the real thing, to keep Kimberly as his wife in truth and to experience with her everything that married couples were supposed to; to be there for her beyond France - beyond a way to make her mother happy. To make love to her - with her; to claim her as his and be hers once again.

But he couldn't, not if he wanted to keep his end of the bargain and set her free when she finally asked for it. He was starting to think he'd been fooling himself when he'd promised her he could. Letting her go once had almost killed him, doing it again... he didn't know what it would do.