A/N: Sorry for the late update but I've been studying for exams which are in a week and half. So I figure you all forgive as its two chapters! Big thank you as always for the reviews!Onwards with the story..Enjoy!
That afternoon, Malcolm opened the door to his house ready to put on the stew and relax for the afternoon only to be hit with the sounds of giggling girls, the smell of paper, paint and paste along with a roast being cooked. His house looked like it had been hit by a tornado of Paper crafts.
There were paper decorations everywhere: several round lanterns, pinwheels, and even a small pile of random coloured cranes just to name a few. Kate and Maddy were at the coffee table making what looked to be round paper lanterns of all varying sizes and colours while Zoe sat beside Kate folding paper.
He was half tempted to turn around and leave but his escape plans were thwarted when Kate put down the wire frame she was working on and left the coffee table greeting him at the door.
"Hey you" Kate said as she gave him a quick kiss in greeting.
"Hey yourself, what's going on in here? Where's the monkey?" He asked as he gestured to the mess of activity and paper in the room. He couldn't imagine the primate behaving himself with all the activity.
"Monkey is sleeping on the side table by the lounge and this is Crafternoon, remember I called you and asked if it was ok?" Kate said, he remembered her saying she was going to do some art projects since she had some spare time and if he minded her using his place. There had been a lot more to what she had asked but he had only been half listening at the time. His desk was a mess of reports and research proposal that piled up in the past two weeks thus when she called he just agreed so he could get back to work. The clock had hit 2pm when he decided to indulge in a half day with the promise to himself to start early tomorrow.
"Crafternoon?" Malcolm asked as he was pretty sure Kate was speaking another language. He wrapped his arms around Kate's waist anchoring her to him but keeping it PG for Maddy and Zoe's sake.
"Craft afternoon, Crafternoon. We are making wedding decorations for Taylor and Alicia surprise secret wedding in two days. Just keep that a secret ok cause Zoe thinks we are decorating your house." Kate said in a low voice to him so Zoe couldn't hear them but then the little girl was completely engrossed in folding paper.
"What's wrong with my house?" Malcolm asked.
"It's a little nondescript and bland with its white walls" Kate told him in an amused tone.
"I like white walls, don't you?" He asked.
"There are lovely for reselling a place but that's not going to happen. Personally I'd have colours on the walls but we've discussed this before. Now I already have dinner in the oven, don't worry there is tarp covering every surface so there will be no dye paint or paste on the furniture and before you do your block about the paper it's all handmade from recycled paper" Kate informed him.
"Do my block?" he asked.
"Get angry, blow a gasket" Kate supplied.
"I'm not angry just oddly amused as this is the first time my house is looking a little more lived in" He replied tactfully.
"Hmm you should see the spare bedroom then, it looks very lived in. Come on we can used an extra set of hands." Kate told him as she dragged him to the living room area.
"Hi Dr Wallace" Maddy said in greeting before she glued a piece of tissue paper onto the wire frame of the round lantern.
"Maddy, Zoe" Malcolm said.
"Do you like our decorations?" Zoe asked looking up from her work.
"They are beautiful" Malcolm told her as he sat down on the floor next to Kate.
"Want me to teach you how to make a crane? Kate says you have to make a thousand to make a wish but that's gonna take forever" Zoe said dramatically with a roll of her eyes. The others at the table smiled and chuckled at Zoe's comment.
"Hey I made 2000 cranes in 6 weeks missy moo it does not take forever" Kate told Zoe.
"Really?" Malcolm said surprised.
"Yeah, it was a class project in high school. It became a bit of a competition on who could make the most" Kate told him.
"What did you wish for?" Zoe asked. Kate sat back on her feet and thought for a moment as it was a few years back before she remembered.
"I wished for more time with Nanna and a car" Kate told her.
"Did they come true?" Maddy asked.
"Well my Grandpa bought me my first car 6 months after I made the wishes and taught me how to drive. So yeah in a roundabout way they did come true" Kate said.
"What about your Nanna?" Zoe asked.
"Yeah I got to spend heaps of time with her. She and I spent hours together playing piano, cooking and her teaching me how to quilt, knit and how to be a lady etc." Kate replied wistfully as she missed those times, she missed her grandparents a lot they were the really the strongest driving forces in her life. She swallowed as tears stung her eyes she truly missed them; their guidance and company even though her Nanna had passed away six years ago and her Grandpa three years after that, she still felt the ache of the gone. She felt Malcolm squeeze her hand under the table before he turned to Zoe.
"Ok teach me how to make a crane. I think if we work together we can beat Kate's 6 week record and take the title" Malcolm told Zoe in a conspiring tone.
Lucas paced the floor as he bored out of skull; he had started pacing a lot as it helped his mind to work out the kinks in his problem but today it was to assuage his boredom. It also helped to pass the monotonous hours of pretending to complete the calculations. He knew he had to wait for Mira's return but he needed an innocent diversion to keep the others from realising what he was up to. An idea sparked in his mind, an earlier thought that was now forming into what could be a solution and entertainment. He sat down at the table and picked up a blank sheet of paper and pencil, licking his lips in thought as he racked his brain for the perfect words. He gave a smile to himself as began writing.
After an hour and a few rough drafts that were scrunched up on the floor he read over his words very carefully. He nodded to himself as he read every line of the two pages, satisfied with the words and hopefully the emotions he would evoke from it. He folded up the pages and wrote Kate's name on the outside. He just had to wait for his old man to visit him.
"Kate won't be home for dinner tonight as she is at Malcolm's again" Alicia said as they were walking back to the Command centre. They had spent the last hour with the Gyulai's residence sharing in stout tea, congratulations and picking out a wedding band for Taylor and having Alicia's left ring finger sized so the rings could be resized. The Hungarian couple were in their late 40's, gifted jewellers who won the lottery for the 3rd pilgrimage and brought their two teenage kids with them. The teenagers had moved out into their own places a couple of years ago. Their English wasn't perfect but they were warm, incredibly friendly and funny people.
The couple promised to keep their lips sealed about the wedding as they understood that Taylor and Alicia wanted a private ceremony without every 'Tom, Dick and Harry' inviting themselves. The wife rolled her eyes at her husband's use of American idioms and said to Taylor that Alicia is the bride. What the bride wants the bride gets. They also regaled them with stories about their wedding and Hungarian wedding traditions they partook in. Alicia was glad and a little envious that she wasn't going to be having a traditional Hungarian wedding.
She could see Guzman, Jim and Kate conspiring together to kidnap her for the 'bride kidnapping', and Jim trying to sell her off for 'bride dances' until Taylor took the pot and stole her away from whomever she was dancing with. It sounded ridiculous but also like a lot of fun. More fun than a hasty exchange of vows and kiss but then it would involve the whole colony and she didn't not want that dog and pony show.
"Malcolm asked Kate to move in with him like a trial period while her place is being finished. He asked her to move in permanently but she said she'd think about it which is Kate's polite way of saying 'no'." Alicia explained.
"Why would she say 'no'?" Taylor asked.
"He doesn't have a bath tub and I think she's not ready for any big commitments yet. She's only 27, Malcolm might be ready to settle down but Kate might not be ready yet. At least that's my assumption you know how Kate is" Alicia said.
"There's nothing wrong with not being ready" Taylor said.
"I agree, so what do you want for dinner?" Alicia asked.
"Stir fry? I'll make it" he said as he couldn't remember whose turn it was to cook.
"Mmm sounds good" Alicia said as she was ready to kick up her heels for the day. "Anything else I can help with for the wedding?"
"I got it covered" Taylor assured her.
"Why do I have a sneaking suspicion you are up to something?" Alicia asked stopping to look at him, she narrowed her eyes sizing him up wondering if his eyes would give him away.
"I'm up to nothing as promised all you'll have to is turn up and everything else is taken care of" he told her. If they weren't in the main square he would have used his body as a distraction now he'd have to change topics.
"Ok, so I assume you are going to see Lucas now?" Alicia asked casually.
"Yes it is about that time" Taylor said.
"Ok, well I'll see you home in a couple of hours" Alicia told him as she headed up the stairs to the Command Centre.
"I was hoping you might consider giving this letter to Kate" Lucas said to Taylor halfway through their usual meeting. He held out the folded piece of paper to his father who took it from him and pocketed.
"I'll consider it, but now is not the best time. It's too soon" Taylor said, he didn't need any more bad water between him and Kate. She and Alicia were doing their best to be respectful of Lucas's presence but he knew if he pushed Kate, Alicia would get up in arms.
The two were a packaged deal ever since Kate arrived even if Alicia didn't like Kate at first. Taylor also admitted to himself that Kate was like a daughter to him as Alicia said Kate looked to him as if he were the father she always wanted. He felt honoured and proud of the unsaid title in Kate's life as such he was going sacrifice it for Lucas. He had to start drawing lines.
"You can read it" Lucas said so his father knew he had nothing to hide as he saw Taylor's reticence in pocketing the letter.
"I will but I need to know what you did to her" Taylor said.
"Didn't she tell you?"
"She gave me a brief report but I think it's time you admitted what you've done in details. I need to know what I'm walking in on here, explain to me why her forgiveness is so important to you." Taylor said, he wanted to know for his own selfish reasons and he knew that if Lucas told him he would be able to see if Lucas was truly a changed man or putting on an act.
"I-" Lucas started apprehensively. Taylor looked to him and waited patiently. Lucas locked eyes with his father and wondered if it was a test but then the line was not practiced and his Father appeared sincere in his line of thought.
"Busted" Jim said making Alicia jump. She would have flicked off the video feed but like Jim said she was 'busted' she couldn't cover her tracks.
"Damn it Shannon, when did you learn to be light on your feet?" Alicia asked. Taylor had laid down the gauntlet to Lucas saying it was time for Lucas to confess his crimes if he wanted Taylor to understand and support him. Lucas had stupidly picked it up and was currently putting on the show of his life telling Taylor in gory detail what he did during the Occupation.
"I've always been light on my feet" Jim commented as he watched Lucas tell Taylor in graphic detail, tears in his eyes looking truly ashamed of himself.
"You're about as light on feet as a Brachiosaurus" Alicia told him as they continued to watch.
"Am not" Jim said.
"You keep believing that"
"Ok, why are you spying on your husband to be and his mentally unstable son?" Jim asked innocently in a low voice.
"I'm observing not spying" Alicia said. She told herself that if she knew ahead of time what Lucas told Taylor then she wouldn't be blindsided or entirely shocked when Taylor talked to her about it.
"Does Taylor know you've been watching?" Jim asked, Alicia turned off the feed and covered her tracks in the system.
"No, I'd like to keep it that way" Alicia said to Jim. Jim not wanting to get in between Taylor and Alicia held his hands up in surrender.
"Consider it forgotten but before I forget I just have to say I can't believe Lucas is confessing like that. He has to know it's damaging his 'victim' image" Jim said.
"Lucas has been pushing to talk with Kate, he's even written a letter but Taylor said he needed to know what Lucas had done so he can figure the best way to approach the situation" Alicia said.
"Don't you think it's a little weird that Taylor is eating up all of Lucas's 'I'm a changed man' act?" Jim asked.
"Don't underestimate Taylor. He may appear to be eating it up but that's because he wants it to be real it doesn't mean he really believes it to be true. Let's see how it plays out." Alicia said.
"It makes my stomach churn having him here" Jim said as he moved to a chair and sat down. Alicia joined him at the table.
"I know it's like sitting on a bomb waiting for it to explode." Alicia said with a sigh as she rubbed her face with her hands. She was careful not to smudge her eye makeup. "So how do you like your new position?" Alicia asked changing the topic.
"Can I be demoted?" Jim asked Alicia laughed.
"It's not that bad" she told him.
"Really? I just spent the last hour negotiating property lines in row D. We don't even have fences but apparently there are lines and Mr Sagara's mint plants were planted 30 cm into Mr Fielding's yard. It's a 'disaster' apparently as the plants can't be moved and Mr Fielding can't handle the offending herb in his yard" Jim said shaking his head at the idiocy of it all.
"Did it all work out in the end?" Alicia asked in a sarcastic tone as she really didn't care.
"Yes, the mint plant stays until it's mature enough to be moved" Jim answered.
"Ah civilian disputes, I don't miss it. My life is rather peaceful now all have is the Military contingent to look after. They are grateful for 3 hot meals and a cot" Alicia said rubbing it in that soldiers were easier to handle.
"Military life, you learn to live with what you got" Jim said.
"You sound like Haynes, next you'll be saying that considering we are use to substandard living conditions we can remain in such standards until the civilian's needs are met" Alicia scoffed.
"Hell no, you guys protect the Colony. You need all the food, beauty sleep and proper housing we can provide. If Maddy and Mark got hitched I'd want my daughter living in a house. Doesn't have to be big but you know it would be better than being shacked up in the barracks" Jim said in amused tone.
"You mean 'when' they get hitched you'd hope Reynolds was smart enough to request proper housing so he doesn't have to move in with you" Alicia said. Jim made a face at 'when' and the notion of Reynolds moving in.
"Let's move onto another topic. I don't like thinking about my daughter getting married at 17. She should wait until she's 40, that's a good age to settle down" Jim said. Alicia burst out laughing and shook her head. "What?"
"You're what? 45? And have three kids like you can talk about marrying young" Alicia told him.
"I'm barely 40 thank you and speaking of kids, I gotta go pick up Maddy and Zoe from Malcolm's" Jim said.
"You trust Malcolm with your kids?" Alicia asked in a joking manner.
"I'm pretty sure Malcolm wouldn't know what to do with a kid let alone mine. Kate is there, they are apparently having a 'crafternoon'. Kate really needs to get back to work" Jim surmised.
"She said 'yes' to being your deputy. Put her to work yourself" Alicia said.
Later that evening,
"Mmm this so good" Alicia said as she took another bite of her second serving of dinner. Taylor watched her eat , he had stopped at his first serving. He found his appetite lacking from his talk with Lucas. To know his own flesh and blood was so completely twisted and not the least ashamed in his actions made him ill. It made him question where he and Ayani went so wrong.
"You've been quiet all evening. Something on your mind?" Alicia asked as she noticed Taylor staring at her. He had been rather subdued since meeting with Lucas.
"Lucas gave me a letter to give to Kate" Taylor told her, he pursed his lips as he knew the letter was meaningless as the sentiment of the words were false.
"He's still pushing to talk to Kate" Alicia said before taking another bite.
"Yes, Lucas confessed to me what he did during the occupation. What he did to Kate to get intel, it's not unusual for enhanced interrogation techniques to be employed but Lucas is not a trained interrogator." Taylor said lost in his thoughts and remembering how Lucas was unaware that he smiled just a little smug smile while he spoke in detail about how he felt 'haunted' and could still hear the screaming, smell the blood and burnt flesh. How that smug smile gave him away and contradicted his 'shame' and tearful expression especially as Lucas didn't spare any detail. It was like Lucas enjoyed reminiscing. When he should have been guilty, sickened to his stomach.
It wasn't like Taylor hadn't heard or observed such sessions before but hearing and seeing his son secretly enjoy himself as he regaled him thinking Taylor was on his side, that he believed him for being a man who wanted contrition made Taylor sick. It made him sick that for many days he truly believed his son had changed but no. His son was playing him a fool, yet again.
Taylor didn't hide the disappointment but also accepted the information without showing any other emotions. He knew if Lucas knew the game was up things would turn ugly. Kate was right when she said he didn't want nor need to know. Now that he did, he understood more clearly how Kate felt and why Alicia was so protective of her.
"I understand now why you've taken such an aggressive stance about keeping Kate away from Lucas and why Kate has been rather quiet on the subject" Taylor said.
"Kate has unresolved issues not about Lucas but about herself and dying" Alicia told him, putting her two cents in on what she believed to be Kate's hang up.
"I doubt that, she's trained to believe every mission is her last. That's she dead before she leaves the safe zone" Taylor argued, it was a mentality a lot of commanders instilled into their soldier's minds before they left the barracks. Not a mentality Taylor agreed with or used. In his mind Soldiers needed a reason to return, a reason to fight.
"Yet you and I both know from experience. There is a big difference between knowing you might die on a mission and going through the actual motions of dying and being revived. Along with the months it takes to heal physically and emotionally" Alicia countered.
She still remembered her brush with death in Somalia she remembered the bullets burning through her and the blood draining out of her. She shook the memories away from her head as it had taken many months of recovery and rehabilitation to get back into shape physically. Emotionally took a little longer but the experience stuck with her.
"You're right. I'm just at a loss as to what to do next" Taylor said. It was rare for him not to know what to do or even have a rough idea.
"Have you read the letter?" Alicia asked as she ate the last of her dinner.
"Yes, it's garbage" Taylor said tossing the letter to Alicia. She looked surprised at his choice of words as she wiped her mouth with a napkin before she picked up the letter. He watched as she read the letter, she kept her poker face on not giving Taylor any signs of what she thought.
"It reads sincere, honest-"
"It's too perfect, well thought out. If only the sentiment was real" Taylor said bitterly.
"What happened today? You've been solely in the 'let's save Lucas' boat for a while" Alicia said surprised by his anger and his change of heart. But inwardly glad that Taylor had finally gotten his head straight even if it caused him heart ache.
"When he was telling me about Kate, he was smiling and his eyes... they contradicted what he was telling me he felt. He wasn't aware of it but the more detail he went into he seemed to forget he was supposed to be acting guilty and ashamed. I don't recognise him, how could I raise a monster like him" he said shaking his head.
"Nathaniel"
"Don't start Wash"
"Don't start? I'm sick of repeating myself. Who Lucas is now is not a reflection of you, Ayani, your parenting skills or his upbringing. That's all I'm going to say because we have had this discussion before. What remains now is what you want to do with him." Alicia told him taking a pragmatic manner. She had many suggestions but none that Taylor would agree to.
"I don't know, I do know he's angling for something, I just don't know what he has to gain from Kate" Taylor said.
"Then you should talk to Kate but a word of advice: tread carefully it's not an easy topic to discuss with her" Alicia warned him.
"I'll take that under consideration. Now tell me what you want to do about our honeymoon?" Taylor said as he wanted a change of topic.
"I believe I already answered this one" Alicia said with a salacious smile.
"Putting up a 'Do Not Disturb' sign, blocking and locking off all entry points to the house is not going to work for a week" Taylor said chuckling as Alicia suggested as much with a fridge stocked and not leaving bed unless they were hungry.
"Three days then?" Alicia bargained. Since Taylor refused to let her outside of the gates and there were no hotels or holiday destinations in the Colony limited their options so all that left was their house. It was perfect for Alicia as she didn't mind the idea of kicking her heels up and relaxing for a few days without being disturbed.
Late at night at Malcolm's,
"So Taylor has you running around organising his wedding that's the day after tomorrow" Malcolm said as he and Kate were finishing up the lanterns so they could dry over night and be painted tomorrow. Malcolm would have preferred to be spending their current time in bed wrapped up in Kate's body but apparently he had no such luck until they finished the lanterns which seemed to be a never ending task.
Jim had collected Zoe and Maddy at around 4 and hung around being impressed by Zoe's origami skills before they left the two of them alone. They had dinner before moving back to the coffee table with tea to continue their work. Malcolm discussed his day and vice versa as Kate told him all about Elisabeth's wedding crazed brain coming to the rescue as Kate only knew what to wear and how to get drunk at weddings and not how to plan or create said event.
"Yup, well not just me. The Shannons and you are helping me a lot." Kate said as she finished making the last wire frame. Her hands were sore from all the fiddly work.
"What is Taylor doing?" Malcolm asked.
"Umm he's doing the vows, the rings and basically running interference with Alicia. Elisabeth and I have the dresses, half of the decorations are complete, and Flowers have been ordered. Elisabeth and Maddy are making the Cake and organising the food for the 'reception', I have to tune the piano-"
"Piano?" Malcolm said, he didn't know Terra Nova had one let alone that Kate could play.
"Yeah the one in the chapel. I need you to take the monkey" Kate said.
"Why?"
"He went nuts from the noise the piano made, tried to pull a key off the piano." Kate chuckled from the memory "I doubt he's going to behave while I tune and-"
"You play?" he asked cutting her off again.
"Yes" Kate said apprehensively.
"You never told me you could play"
"You never asked" Kate said
"Are you any good?" He asked a lovely blush graced Kate's cheeks a telling sign to Malcolm that she was obviously good just too modest and embarrassed to say so straight up.
"Depends on your definition of 'good' now doesn't it?" Kate asked tongue in cheek.
"May I be allowed to hear you play?" he asked changing his question.
"Sure, I'll be tuning the piano in the morning if you want you can drop be and listen to my less than stellar musical skills" Kate said.
"So just like your cooking skills, only passable?" Malcolm asked, Kate looked at him with a shocked expression.
"Passable? My cooking skills are more than passable it's the weird dino meat. I'm used to cooking cows, lambs, fish, kangaroos, and the odd wallaby" Kate told him. The roast meat had come out black and smoking but under the carbon the meat was luckily tender and juicy.
"You have eaten half of your coat of arms?" Malcolm asked in disbelief.
"I've eaten emu too. It's just that harder to get at supermarket" Kate told him. Malcolm looked at her like she had grown a second head. "What? It is high in iron, low in cholesterol and in fat. It's very healthy not to mention tasty" Kate told him.
"I'm just shocked at your carnivorous ways. Your own country's coat of arms" he said shaking his head in mock admonishment.
"So what's for dessert?" Kate asked.
"Dessert? It's nearly Midnight" he told her.
"What?" Kate said, she picked up her comm. unit off the coffee table and groaned as he was right or at least close as it was about 11:45pm. She put her head down on the table for a moment to muster her energy to finish the last Lantern.
"There is raspberry sorbet in the freezer" he reminded her. Kate shook her head as she really wanted to go to bed than eat sorbet.
"No, I'd rather go to bed" She said voicing her desire as she starting covering the last lantern.
"I like the sound of that" he said with a smirk.
"To sleep" she clarified.
"I know, I'm not a fan of crafts. It's rather messy" he commented as he held up his hands that were covered in glue and bits of paper.
"But the end result is worth it" Kate told him.
"Ok but what are we going to do with all the lanterns and decorations after the wedding?" he asked.
"Lanterns can be party favours and the rest of the decorations can be donated to the Chapel or put into storage for a festival or social event?" Kate offered with a shrug as she hadn't given it a lot of thought. She looked to Malcolm and smiled.
"Thank you for helping me" She said.
"Anytime" he said.
"All this wedding stuff has me thinking" Kate said making conversation as she really wanted to finish the last Lantern before going to bed.
"About-"He had started to about the ring and his lack of proposal but she cut him off.
"Thinking about what I want out of life" She clarified.
"Uh Oh that's like saying let's talk. Is this the kiss of death? you've found another man? I heard it was Boylan" Malcolm said mockingly, Kate laughed for a moment before becoming serious.
"Boylan is my back up." Kate informed him, he laughed before she continued "I want you for the long haul Dr Wallace, I want us to move into my house when it's completed as it has four bedrooms and two bathrooms; one with a bath tub." Kate said.
"What's wrong with here?" Malcolm asked.
"Nothing's wrong with it. It's just that I want 3 kids and I want them all have their own bedrooms" Kate said Malcolm looked at her surprised.
"3?" Malcolm asked his eyes going wide at the thought. He wanted kids but then he barely knew what to do with one child let alone three but then Jim was forever making jokes that once Malcolm had one of his own then he'd know what to do. He was also surprised that Kate was telling him this. They had discussed what they wanted for the future but not like this where definite plans were being laid down.
"I'm talking about the future here not tomorrow or next week. Just what I want to happen in preferably the next 3 to 5 years" Kate told him in a slightly defensive manner as he looked at little daunted at the thought of having three kids.
"Ok" he said a smile gracing his lips as she was looking incredibly uncomfortable and embarrassed about telling him this. His heart warmed at how Kate was opening up to him. It was a huge step for her as she was not always good as saying what she wanted when it came to serious subjects like her future.
"I also don't want white walls" Kate added, Malcolm laughed at the comment.
"I'm fine with that, just no red walls inside" He said in amusement as she had put a lot of thought into this for the last 12 hours or less. Kate relaxed somewhat as he wasn't saying 'no, get out my house' or balking as much at the idea.
"I'm being serious" Kate told him.
"So am I, especially about the red walls"
"Malcolm!"
"Ok I'll be serious" He said, Kate shot him a look as if to say she doubted he was capable of such a thing at this time. "You already know how I feel. I love you and I can definitely warm up to the idea of three children over the next 3 to 5 years" he said with a smile at the time constraints she had placed on it. "I want kids I just always thought I'd have two. Old 2149 population control. But I wouldn't mind two or three little redheaded girls just like you running around" he said with a smile enjoying the idea.
"Ha they would be little terrors if they are anything like me" Kate scoffed.
"Don't worry genes will calm their general disposition and with our combined IQ's they'll be little geniuses" Malcolm said getting a little excited at the thought of their future children.
"Great, I'll be surrounded by nerds" Kate said like it was a bad thing but Malcolm knew she was only joking.
"You are a nerd yourself" He informed her.
"I'm so not a nerd" Kate said.
"Really? Miss I have Masters with honours who loves Science Fiction not to mention all the other credentials and skills you have from copious amount of studying and practice" He reminded her.
"Fine, I'm a nerd but not a professional nerd like you" Kate said poking her tongue out at him. Malcolm laughed.
"Anyway I accept your terms" Malcolm told her as he knew that the serious aspects of the conversation needed to be resolved and he wanted Kate to know he was right with her.
"This isn't a hostage negotiation" Kate said chuckling as continued to wrap paper mache on the wire frame of the lantern that was ¾ covered. Malcolm chuckled as he started to clean up the table while Kate finished up the last of the lantern she was working on.
"I'm agreeing with you that I want the same things, though we'll start with moving in and living together properly and then we'll get married before we have kids" Malcolm said.
"I still want three kids" Kate said making sure he was clear on what she wanted.
"You are very adamant about that number" he said as he moved to the kitchen to wash up the last container of glue.
"I am and after having two you'll want a third" Kate said as she finished covering the lantern.
"Ok is there anything else on your mind that I should know about?" he asked from the sink.
"Not at the moment" Kate said with a yawn as she got to her feet holding her glue covered hands away from her joined him in the kitchen.
"If there is anything else you let me know but for now I think we should call it a night" Malcolm said leaning a hip against the sink allowing her access to the tap to wash her hands.
"No Shower first" Kate said cheekily as she wiped glue onto his cheek to emphasise the need for a shower. She laughed as Malcolm shot her an unimpressed look for her cheeky manoeuvre.
"Nice" Malcolm told her as he grabbed her by the wrists before she got tempted to wipe her glue covered hands on his clothes and kissed her the way he had wanted to do since arriving home that afternoon. He started off with a long sensuous kiss melting her defences, she closed the gap between them and pressed her body against his. Malcolm wanted her in every sense and he knew she wanted him just as equally. He released her wrists not caring about the glue as she wrapped her around his neck. He pulled her tighter into his body and kissed her harder, deeper.
The power of her answering passion took his breath away. He kissed her again and again, trying desperately to get even closer, to fill his senses with her, to have more, more. He reached for her shirt, yanking the tails up and out of the top of her pants. He found the softness of her skin and moaned at the smooth sensation beneath his fingertips.
And still they kissed. It was wild, incredible, amazing. He couldn't get enough, would never get enough. Her hands were in his hair, on his back, on the curve of his rear end, pulling him closer to her. He broke the kiss and looked down at her, she was punch drunk from the passionate exchange and he was just as affected.
"I want to make love to you" He said softly touching the side of her face and hair with one hand as he caught his breath. It was a statement of intent, not a question like he was asking permission but he waited for her to give him a signal.
"What are you waiting for a written invitation?" Kate asked with a smile.