Chapter 9: Back at the cabin

"Home sweet home," Kim said as she walked onto the verandah with her dog and friends. "I wonder how much dust has gathered over everything during these weeks we've been gone." Cap and the Planeteers exchanged looks and grinned.

The eco-hero opened the door for her and she ran a hand over his cheek gently and smiled before going in. But unlike she had expected there was no dust to be found. And it didn't take her long to figure out who was behind it. All it took was a look at Cap.

He smiled. "We did it this morning, after the mission we had. I asked the doc first when you'd be released, of course."

Kim thanked them all for what they done. "But we do have to do some shopping," she said, going to the kitchen.

Cap went to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "No, we don't. That's been taken care of, too."

Kim looked in the fridge and sure enough, everything was practically fresh. "My, you have been busy."

He led her to the couch. "You just relax now. Could you do that for me?"

"I'll try." Her stomach growled. "Oh, dear. I didn't realize how hungry I was."

"What would you like?" Cap asked as he stood up.

"Hey, I can do that myself," Kim told him. "I'm not an invalid, you know."

"I know. But remember what I just told you?"

As Cap went to the kitchen, her cell phone rang and Kim answered it. It was her mom. After she had told her what had happened, both her mom and her dad would have wanted to come and check on her. But she told them not to worry, she was with friends and was in good hands.

In the kitchen Cap made some sandwiches, placing them onto a plate and poured some juice into a glass. He also took one of each of Kim's medication and placed the pills on the plate. The superhero was sure he would have to do a lot of persuading for her to take them.

Then he returned to the living room with them and put them on the table. "Here you are."

Kim smiled. "Thanks." She took a bite from the sandwich. The superhero had become quite at the domestic stuff. "Before you ask, yes, they were quite worried." She was sure he would ask.

"You're their daughter," Cap said and sat down next to her. "Of course they're worried."

"I just hope they won't jump in their car and zoom straight for here," she said with a sigh. And winced from the pain that was the result. "I couldn't take their fussing. You're the only one I want taking care of me now, love." She fondled his cheek.

The superhero smiled. It hadn't taken her long to consent to that. He took a pill from the plate. "Here. It looks like you need it."

She shook her head. "I can handle it." This wasn't exactly the truth but she didn't want to admit it.

But Cap was not about to give up. "You'd rather be in pain than take a pill that'll lessen it?" He placed the pill on her palm. "This is no time to be stubborn."

She already knew how stubborn he himself could be so gave up, taking both and drank some juice to wash them down. The woman also knew he meant well.

"That's a good girl. You're not used to someone taking care of you, are you?"

"No," Kim confessed. She had lived alone for so long that she had gotten used to doing things herself. "But I could get used to it." She smiled affectionately at him.

He asked her about going to Hope Island. "If you don't want to, it's alright. I just thought a change of scenery would do you good."

"I've never heard of Hope Island," Kim said. Nor had she seen it on any maps.

Cap grinned. "I'd be surprised if you had. That's where the Planeteers live. We can always come back here if you don't like it there. Deal?"

Kim nodded. "It's a deal. At least Buddy won't have to watch out for traps there."

They decided to leave the next day, so after Kim had finished her snack they went to pack some of her clothes and things. "I don't suppose I need this where we're going?" she asked, holding up a winter overcoat.

"It's a tropical island so I don't think so," the superhero replied. "But take it with you just in case the climate changes," he added with a grin.

"Very funny." Kim threw the coat at him.

It landed on Cap's head. "Hey, who turned off the lights?"

She shook her head in amusement. "Silly."

Cap smiled and threw the coat back to her. He saw a framed photo on the top of a chest of drawers. "Are those your folks?" he asked. "You look a lot like your mother," he observed after Kim had confirmed it. Down to the green eyes, in fact.

She smiled. "You're not the first to say that."

He turned his attention to the other framed photo beside the first one and a feeling that he had seen the guy somewhere came over him. Taking the photo, the superhero looked at it more closely. Even if he had only seen him for a moment, there was no mistake about it. It was the same man he had seen when he had looked in on Kim that one time with the Planetvision.

Kim smiled and said, "That's my big brother Jacob."

So it had been nothing but her brother coming for a visit. But how could he have known… "You haven't told me you have a brother." The man in the photo had hair that was darker brown than Kim's and instead of green eyes he had blue eyes.

"You haven't asked," was the reply.

Touché. Way to throw his own words back at him.

Feeling much better, letting out a silent breath, Cap went back to the packing. "How about packing for a week?" he suggested. "And if you decide to stay longer, I'll come and get some more stuff." Or better yet, maybe they could both come and spend some time alone.

"Good idea," Kim agreed.

When they had packed, Cap recalled the painting of Buddy downstairs. "Hey, would you want to paint while you're there?"

Kim thought about it. "Well, I haven't done anything in a long time, but I guess I could try." She went to the chest of drawers and opened the middle drawer, taking out a sketchpad and some pens and paintbrushes, putting them in a backpack.

The pair went back downstairs. No sign of the Planeteers. "I have a hunch where they could be," Cap said.

They went to the backyard and sure enough, voices could be heard from the lake. Buddy could be seen, and heard, there too.

"Do you think they did it so we could have a little time alone?" Kim asked. They hadn't much of that lately.

The eco-hero smiled. "If they did, I'm not complaining." He sat down with her in his lap, sideways like before, her head resting on his shoulder and he had his arms around her.

Kim looked to him with gentle eyes and kissed him. "Thanks for saving my life back there, love."

"Actually, I had no idea my blood could do that," he confessed. "It was Gaia, the friend I told you about, who told me to do it."

She frowned. "If you didn't know, how did this Gaia know it would work, then?"

Cap realized he hadn't thought to ask. Not that it mattered much anymore. All that mattered to him now was that it had worked. "No idea. She was also the one who told Clash, the guy who took you to that compound, to come for you after you had been shot."

Kim remembered the man only vaguely. "It's a she, huh? How good a friend is she exactly?" she wanted to know, quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh, just because it's a she you're jealous?" Cap asked. This was one thing he didn't like so much.

Kim smiled, deciding not to answer that. She wondered why she even was jealous. After all, they weren't together. "So how did she know I needed help?"

"I think I'll let her explain that one," the superhero said and grinned. He was sure the woman wouldn't believe him if he told her, even if he himself knew it to be true. But she would find out once they went to island.

"No fair." She pouted, not liking to be left in the dark.

"Have I told you how cute you look when you do that?" He hadn't told this to her at the hospital but wanted to now.

"Have I told you how annoying you can be sometimes?" Kim countered. She was only half-serious about it, though.

"You know, some eco-villains have told me that too."

She ruffled his hair. "They have good reason to. Come on, can't you tell me?" the woman asked sweetly, then kissed him below the ear for a few moments.

Cap did close his eyes in enjoyment but he stayed firm. "Nope. My lips are sealed." He brushed Kim's hair away from her shoulder and kissed her there lightly.

She squirmed a little as this tickled. "Fine," the woman consented. "I suppose I can wait."

The rest of the day went by quite quickly and without any surprise visitors this time. The 'Teers turned in. Cap reminded Kim to take her pills before they went to bed, too.

The next morning Cap made breakfast for Kim and this time he did bring it to her upstairs. In fact, she was still asleep when he returned to the bedroom with the tray. The superhero put the tray down on Kim's bedside table and sat down on the edge of the bed, gazing at her as she slept. He reached out, brushing her hair out of her face and kissed her. Kim stirred and opened her eyes.

"Morning, love," Cap greeted her.

Kim smiled and stretched, trying to hide her wince. "Morning."

He helped her sit up on the bed. "Breakfast is served."

She fondled his cheek. "Thanks, love."

The eco-hero placed the tray on the bedspread. Kim looked it over. "Let me guess, the strawberries are for dessert?" Cap nodded. "Oh, and you even remembered the toast," she observed.

He smiled. "I got a good memory."

Kim tried the coffee and Cap wanted to know if it was better this time. "Do you see me complaining?" she asked and beckoned him closer. He did so. "If you must know," Kim said, kissing him lightly. "The coffee," she kissed him again. "Is," another kiss. "Perfect."

She ate the toast, drank the coffee and washed down the pills he handed to her with some juice with no complaints.

The eco-hero put the tray aside and took the small bowl of strawberries. He took one. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Depends on what it is," Kim told him with a grin.

"Could you not try to eat my fingers this time? I could need them, you know." He had discovered the woman liked to tease him in different ways, nipping at his fingers being one of them. Not that he objected her doing it.

She smiled mischievously. "I'm not promising anything, love. You just have to take your chances."

Cap sighed. "Somehow I knew you were gonna say that." Kim snickered.

He fed her the berries. The last one he placed between his teeth and Kim took it and downed it in no time, since it was a rather small one. Then they kissed. After that Cap settled beside her. She snuggled close to him.

They heard voices from the other room and then footsteps on the stairs. "Sounds like the Planeteers are awake," the eco-hero murmured, stroking Kim's hair. "I have the feeling a certain American is still in bed, though."

"Does he always sleep late?" she asked.

"So I've heard," Cap replied. "His excuse for that is that he's a growing boy and needs his sleep."

"I wouldn't call him a boy anymore," Kim commented. The American was in his twenties, after all.

"Well, he is the oldest of 'em, although he doesn't seem like it sometimes." Cap looked at her. "Speaking of ages, what's yours?"

"Hasn't anybody told you it's rude to ask a woman her age, love?" she asked and smiled. "Would you believe me if I said 40?"

This resulted in a guessing game until he reached the right number, which was 27. In return, Kim wanted to know how old he was.

"Take a wild guess," he challenged.

Running her finger over his chest in random patterns, she looked at him and he looked right back. This caused the brunette to get lost in his eyes and she couldn't think clearly. "I really can't tell," she said finally.

Cap smiled. "Well, I wanted to give you a try. It was only fair."

"Well, how old are you, then?"

"I'm 28," he told her and paused for just a moment. "But I wasn't born 28 years ago. Technically, I'm much older than that."

Kim's eyebrows rose. "How much older?"

He looked at her. "A hundred years."

"I have a feeling there's a story there," she murmured, figuring there was a meaning in the way he said it and settled down against him again.

"There is."

"I look forward to hearing it," Kim said. "I really do."

Cap kissed her forehead. "You'll hear it one of these days, love. I promise."

They stayed like that for a while longer and then got out of bed and Kim got dressed. The pair went downstairs and into the kitchen, taking the tray with them.

Sure enough, Wheeler wasn't there but the other four were. "He should get out of bed soon if he's going to come with us," Cap said. He looked to Buddy. "Would you go and wake him up, boy?"

The dog gave a 'woof' and ran upstairs. He pushed the door open and looked at the young man for a moment before nudging Wheeler a bit with his muzzle. The boy mumbled something and turned his back on the dog. Buddy took the blanket between his teeth and dragged it off him.

"Alright, alright. I'm awake," Wheeler told him.

The dog watched as he got out of bed and dressed. He led Wheeler downstairs and to the kitchen. The redhead was told to eat his breakfast while the other four took the bedclothes and put them back in their bags. The dishes were washed and Cap brought Kim's stuff downstairs for her. She carried the backpack herself.

"It's a good thing there's not much stuff in the fridge," Kim said. She figured the easily spoiled stuff could be put in the freezer.

"You know, I remember we have a shortage of foodstuffs at Hope Island," Gi said. "We could take some from the fridge and take it with us."

"Good idea," Kim said. "That way it won't go to waste."

Kim left a note for her parents if they happened to come and check on her, telling them she had her cell phone with her if they wanted to talk to her. Soon they were ready to leave.

Cap decided to go and recharge. "See ya on Hope Island, love," the superhero said and gave Kim a kiss, leaving with his customary catchphrase.

The six plus the dog climbed aboard the Geo-Cruiser, Kwame taking the pilot's seat again, setting the course for home.