Part Four: Big, Strong and Clumsy

Rated: K+

He was happy but terrified. She had just become a lot more fragile and vulnerable. He knew he was a danger even if he didn't mean to be. How many times had he bruised her by just hugging her, how may of her bones had he broken by saving her in the midst of a battle? How was he going to be able to trust himself to touch her, hold her, now? He knew that if he messed up, if he accidently hurt her in such a way to cause a miscarriage she would never forgive him.

It didn't matter that Devlin, the baby she was now carrying, had accidently come to their time from the future, a couple years back, as a healthy eight year old. Kevin knew better than anyone that the future, especially a future so far off, wasn't set in stone. Things could go wrong and it would be entirely his fault. He was very tempted to make her move back in with her folks to keep her safe but then realized that that Tennyson household wasn't at all equipped to handle such a situation. She would become a target for their enemies; there was now a big red bull's-eye on her back.

So he was torn between keeping her within arms' reach and yet as far away himself as possible.

She seemed to sense his unease and purposely created situations about the house that made him touch her, trying to get him to trust himself.

"What's the matter Kev?" she finally confronted him.

"Nothing." He avoided her eyes.

"Something's bugging you." Her eyes narrowed in their trademarked fashion.

When he stayed silent she walked forward, wound her arms about his neck and whispered, "I trust you."

"You shouldn't," he told her sullenly, "I always hurt you by accident and if that happens now we could lose him and then I'd lose you."

"Nothing will happen," she assured him softly, "You won't hurt us; I promise."

"You can't say that." He told her angrily, "If I accidently backhanded you into the wall you'd have no time to prepare or stop me. I could squeeze you too tightly or—"

"Stop it; you won't hurt us. Everything will happen as it should. He came back to see us didn't he? So obviously he's born alive. Stop worrying so much, you'll make yourself sick."

He nodded, smiling just to relieve her of worrying about him.