The ride home was a mix of confusion, elation, sadness, and fear, as Kim tried to deal with the day's events. Elation at the idea that her brother had returned, sadness at what that meant for Marlena and the man she had loved as her brother for so many years, and fear about what the ISA had done to her family. Steve had assured her that everyone at the house was fine, so Kim had forced herself to stay a little longer with her parents until they got news of Roman-
John, she reminded herself. We're calling him John. Shawn and Caroline had decided that they should all call the man John Black, the name he had used when he first arrived in Salem.
So Kim had remaing at the market, but the entire time, she kept thinking about her children. Had the ISA traumatized Andrew yet again? She thought about all the times he worried about the "bad men" after Shane's arrest. And Jeannie? She was just a baby. Who had taken care of her when the ISA invaded the house?
After a little while of trying to share everyone's worry over John, Kim had finally given up. It was just after sunset when Kim told them that she needed to go home and check on her family. She had nearly raced out the door and she suspected she had made the drive from the fish market to Lakeshore Drive in record time.
She raced up the front steps and unlocked the door. She was surprised to find the lights off in the foyer.
Almost immediately, she heard Eve's voice. "Kim, are you all right?"
Taken aback by what sounded like concern in Eve's voice, Kim looked at the girl in a bit of confusion. "Of course. Are you?" she asked.
"Yeah," Eve said, sounding a little surprised. "I'm fine. And before you ask, Andrew and Jeannie are okay."
A wave of relief flooded Kim. "Oh thank god. Tell me what happened. Steve said the ISA came here."
Eve grabbed Kim's hand and pulled her toward the hallway. As Kim started to protest, Eve said, "Dad's asleep in the library. Collapsed more like it. . . . I don't want to wake him."
Kim nodded and followed Eve until they reached the end of the corridor.
Stopping, Eve said, "So I guess you heard." She did not wait for a response. "Tarrington and his goons showed up, but I didn't let them touch Andrew and Jeannie. They tried to get Andrew to say if he saw Uncle Roman, but I told them to go to hell and leave Andrew alone."
Kim smiled at the note of triumph in Eve's voice. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "Your brother and sister are lucky to have you."
Eve blushed. "I . . . I just didn't want them to be too scared. I tried to tell Andrew not to worry, but he was pretty scared. I think he'll be okay, though. Dad talked to him a little after Uncle Steve left."
"And your Dad?" Kim asked.
Eve sighed. "I think he's okay. He was pretty upset. And he was worried about Simmons until he got back."
"Got back?" Kim was confused. "What does Simmons have to do with anything?"
"Dad had him get Roman out of here." Eve's voice rose. "And what's going on with that? Why is the ISA looking for Roman?"
Kim debated answering, but the truth was already out there. The entire Salem PD now knew about John, and word would spread like wildfire. "Let me try to explain," Kim said. She thought for a minute, but every way she described it in her head sounded so crazy that she finally just came right and said it. "The man you know as Roman Brady isn't Roman. My real brother is alive and has come back to Salem."
Eve's eyes nearly doubled in size.
"We just got the DNA test results today, and the ISA tried to arrest the man you know as Roman," Kim added. "So I guess he came here and Shane helped him."
Eve nodded slowly, before she said, "Your family must be so upset. . . . How are Shawn and Caroline handling it? This must be so hard for them."
It took a moment for Kim to get over her shock at Eve's concern for her parents, but then she remembered that brief period of time before Shane disappeared on the Jericho mission when Eve really seemed to bond with the Brady family. For a time, Eve had seemed to view Kim's parents as her own grandparents.
"It is, Eve. . . . Thank you." Kim reached out and gave Eve a hug. "It's hard for all of us, but it's wonderful that you care." Eve blushed again and looked away. Deciding not to push things further, Kim said, "I'm going to go check on your father and see how he's doing." Letting go of Eve, Kim headed back down the hall to the library.
The room was mostly dark, with just a low lamp in the corner shedding any light into the room. Kim walked slowly and quietly to the couch. Shane was sleeping peacefully and Kim could not help but remember watching a much-younger Shane sleeping on the couch in her apartment living room, back at a time when they were just falling in love. Maybe Shane had a few more lines around his eyes and some more streaks of gray in his hair, but she could still see the young secret agent who had stolen her heart.
Perhaps sensing her presence, Shane's eyes fluttered for a moment and then opened. It seemed to take him a moment to come fully awake.
"Kim," he asked, sounding a little disoriented. He looked around as if he was trying to figure out where he was.
"Wake up, sleepyhead," she said lightly. Shane grimaced noticeably as he forced himself to a seated position.
Kim looked around the room. "Do you need a pain pill?" she asked.
Shane studied the clock and shook his head. "No, I think I'm good for another . . . 20 or 30 minutes, I think." He ran his hands over his face and then shook his head. "I can't believe I fell asleep."
'It sounds like things got rough with the ISA," Kim said. "It probably took a lot out of you."
She could see the color rise in Shane's cheeks and he reached for his cane. With a little bit of effort, he rose to his feet and took a few steps toward the desk. "You didn't see them. Tarrington just walked in here like he owned the place. . . ."
Kim realized that the flush in his cheeks was mostly shame. "Everyone's safe, Shane. The kids are fine and you helped John get away."
"John?" Shane's eyes narrowed.
"My folks decided that would be the best way to keep them separate. The real Roman is 'Roman' and the other Roman, we're going to go back to calling him 'John Black.'"
Shane nodded slightly as he ran his hand along the edge of the desk, probably a way to avoid looking her in the eye. "Have they found him?"
"I don't think so," Kim said. "At least, all that happened is he called Marlena and she went to meet him. We kept Roman from following."
"I guess being pushed around by a few ISA agents isn't much compared to what Roman, I mean, John is going through." Shane ran the hand not clutching the cane through his hair. "I could throttle Tarringon right now."
Kim chuckled. "Join the club. He hasn't made a lot of friends in this family. . . . well, except for my newly returned big brother. He still seems to think the ISA walks on water."
"And Marlena?" Shane asked.
"She's struggling. I can't really imagine how she's feeling." Kim tried to picture herself in such a situation. The closest thing in her experience had been when Shane had returned with amnesia, Kim had been in a relationship with Cal, but there was no conflict, no debate in her mind, about who she loved. But Marlena was faced with two men, with identical memories, and long histories of loving her. Even if the man she had loved for the past several years was not Roman, Marlena had loved him as if he were. Those feelings did not just disappear overnight.
"Kim?"
She looked up to see Shane watching her.
"You seem to have checked out for a minute," he said.
"Sorry." She blushed a little. "I was thinking about when you came back after we thought you were dead. I may have been with Cal, but my heart was yours the moment you stepped back into my life. I know it's not the same thing that Marlena's going through, but I can't help myself from remembering that."
Shane smiled. "I remember how insistent you were that I'd get my memory back and everything would return to how it was. And I remember how I found myself falling in love with you all over again."
Kim found herself unable to look away from him, and she shivered under his gaze. But before she said anything, he looked away.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I promised not to push."
You did, she thought. Then why am I disappointed?
The thought had barely crossed her mind when it was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. Because he was already standing at the desk, Shane picked it up. He listened for a moment, then held out the receiver to Kim.
"It's Caroline."
"Maybe she has news on John," Kim said, rushing forward. She grabbed the phone and held it to her ear. "Mama, have you heard anything?"
"Yes, dear. Everything's fine. Marlena found him and they've agreed to go back to her house. The ISA's going to let Marlena work with him to find out what happened." Relief swept through Kim, as Caroline asked, "Is everything okay there?"
"Yes, Mama," Kim said. "The kids are okay. Shane and Eve made sure nothing happened." She glanced over at Shane, who was right beside her and watching her anxiously. "Listen, I'd better go. Shane will want to know the news."
She hung up the phone and turned to Shane. "He's okay. The ISA is backing off."
Kim saw her own relief reflected in his face. As all of the fear that had built over the day seemed to flood out of her, she sagged against him. He wrapped his free arm around her shoulders and held her close.
They stayed like that for a moment, Kim feeling his comforting strength, which was there despite his injuries. Then, still pressed close to him, she looked up into his eyes and saw the love and concern in them.
"Shane. . . ." she said, her voice hesitant.
He gave her a soft smile. "I'm sorry. . . I said I wouldn't push." But she noticed he did not lower his arm or pull away.
Nor did she.
Kim felt her pulse quicken and she swallowed nervously. Her eyes remained locked on his. And a tiny voice in the back of her head begged him to push. Before she even realized it, she had raised a hand, cupped the back of his head, and pulled him toward her.
Her eyes closed as their lips touched, then pulled away, and then met again. The kiss was soft and tentative, but it was intoxicating and caused Kim to moan softly, which only opened her mouth even more to him. Her own tongue slid beneath his and she savored the taste of him.
The kiss was heady and mesmerizing, and Kim felt dizzy as they finally broke apart. Shane's eyes opened and she saw the same love again, now coupled with longing and desire.
You want this, she said to herself, but another voice whispered, But what will happen tomorrow?
The uncertainty returned and Kim felt a guilty smile cross her face. She pulled her hand from his head and stepped back, letting Shane's arm fall from her shoulders.
"I. . . ."
She had no idea what came next. I'm sorry. I love you. I want you. I'm confused.
But Shane just gave a small nod of his head. "It's okay," he said, but she detected an undercurrent of frustration that he tried, but failed to hide.
Kim felt a flash of guilt as she backed away, but she told herself she needed to be sure. That the day had been an emotional roller-coaster only made her distrust her emotions. As the space between her and Shane grew, she said, "I'm . . . I'd better check on Andrew and Jeannie." Then, with a soft smile, she said, "Goodnight, Shane."
He did not move away from the desk as she turned for the door, but she heard him behind her. "Goodnight, Kimberly. . . . I love you."