A Long Road Home
Chapter 4
AN: As always you guys are awesome and I truly appreciate every single one of you who reviewed. I hope you enjoy!
…
Tommy's flight from Los Angeles to Sydney was 14 hours long, leaving him plenty of time to contemplate how he would handle the situation that would await him when he landed. He hadn't been around Kat for more than 5 minutes since finding out Kim was pregnant. It wasn't that he couldn't hide things from his wife and her family, he'd been a Power Ranger off and on for 5 years after all. The ability to lie well came with the territory. But there were other potential issues. Like how he'd behave around her physically. After he'd slept with Kim after Carter and Dana's wedding, he'd found it difficult to be intimate with Kat for weeks. Kat was a great looking woman. There was no questioning that. There was just something about Kimberly that made him not want anyone else.
Back at the start of his and Kat's relationship, though she'd still been a virgin, she'd known he wasn't, and she'd made it clear she had no problem with their relationship becoming physical sooner rather than later. Tommy on the other hand, had actually found himself slightly repulsed by the idea. He'd played it off, of course, telling her he wanted to take things slow for her sake. But the truth was he hadn't been ready, mentally or emotionally. It was only after nearly a year, and much insistence on Kat's part that they finally took that step and they'd broken up soon after. Some part of Kat had known his heart wasn't in it. Why she'd taken him back years later, he'd never know.
Truthfully, after Kimberly, sex with Kat paled in comparison. And he knew after spending almost a week in Kim's arms, nothing about being with Kat would feel right. He'd be there for her, hold her, comfort her the best he could, but sleeping with her was out of the question. Not to mention, Kimberly would hate it.
Being around Kat's family was another issue entirely. He liked them. They were warm, kind-hearted people who were all very close. But Tommy had no doubt that the subject of children would come up at least once and he was dreading that for more reasons than one.
Tommy shook his head, wondering when his life had become so complicated. He wasn't a Ranger anymore. Weren't things supposed to be simple now? Tommy almost laughed out loud. When had anything with him ever been simple, especially where women were concerned?
….
When Tommy's plane landed, it was around 7PM the following day in Australia. Rather than calling Katherine to pick him up, he took a cab to her parents' house where he knew she was staying. He did call her when the cab pulled up so he wouldn't have to knock and disturb anyone.
She opened the door and threw herself into his arms, sobs wracking her slender frame. Tommy rubbed her back soothingly and maneuver them into the house and set his bag down. "I'm so sorry, Kat." He whispered.
"I can't believe he's gone. My daddy is gone!" Tommy closed his eyes and held her tighter as she cried. He really did care about Katherine, and to see her suffering like this hurt his heart. He felt a sharp stab of guilt knowing the pain he himself would cause her down the road.
After Kat had calmed down a bit, she led him into the sitting room where her mother, aunt, uncle, and cousins were. Tommy had met them all before, at their wedding, and he greeted them politely and gave Kat's mother a hug, offering his condolences. He took a seat on the sofa and Kat immediately curled into his side.
They stayed there a while, talking and listening to stories about Kat's father, when Tommy looked over and noticed that Kat had fallen asleep. He excused himself for the night and carried Kat upstairs to her room. He put her in bed and made sure she was still asleep before he slipped from the room.
He went outside on the back deck and pulled out his phone. It was just after 10PM in Australia so it'd be a little after 4pm in California. He quickly dialed the familiar number and listened to it ring.
"HI, you've reached the voicemail of Kimberly Hart. Leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Ba-bye."
Tommy sighed. She was avoiding him. "Hey it's me. Just wanted to let you know I got here safely and… ya know, make sure you're okay. Call me back. Please." Tommy ended the call and went back inside, not noticing Katherine's cousin Jenna watching him from the kitchen window.
…..
The next day saw more of Kat's family descend on the home for a meal together to distract from the fact that the funeral would take place the next day. Everyone did their best to keep the conversations light, telling jokes and stories about happier times. One of Kat's aunts told an amusing story about Katherine getting her head stuck in the back of a chair when she was a toddler, which brought up the subject both Tommy and Katherine had been hoping to avoid.
"So, when are you two going to start having little munchkins of your own? You're not getting any younger, you know." Kat's aunt Patrice asked bluntly.
Kat nearly choked on the sip of wine she'd just taken and Tommy patted her back lightly as she coughed. "Um… well we've certainly thought about it and hopefully something will happen soon. It's just taking a little longer than expected, that's all." Kat answered delicately, hoping the subject would be dropped.
No such luck.
"Well you are trying, aren't you?"
"Patty!" Kat's mom Janice scolded. "Don't go nosing into their business."
"Oh, nonsense Jan. Someone needs a light a fire under those two. They're nearly 30!" Patrice looked at Tommy. "You want children, don't you Thomas?"
Tommy cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Uh, sure. But, you know, if it happens, it happens."
Kat's eyes shot to her husband. She knew he was trying to be tactful and not prompt any questions that might bring up their difficulties conceiving, but his answer still bothered her. Gone was the hopeful tone that was normally present when he spoke about possibly having children. Now he almost sounded like he'd… given up. Almost like he didn't care if it happened or not. Kat frowned but kept silent. A fact that didn't go unnoticed by her cousin Jenna.
"Mum, you're embarrassing them. Give it a rest." Jenna interjected.
"Well you apparently aren't getting married any time soon, so-"
"Oh, here we go." Jenna groaned.
Everyone at the table laughed and thankfully the subject was dropped. The meal was finished and everyone sat around chatting over coffee and dessert. Tommy looked at the clock on his phone and excused himself, stating his need to make sure everyone went smoothly with his classes.
No one noticed Jenna eyeing Tommy suspiciously, nor questioned her when she got up a few moments later to use the restroom. Silently, Jenna cracked open the back door and pressed her ear to the opening.
"- not exactly happy with me right now, but I just wanna know that you're okay. Please." Tommy hung up the phone and Jenna quickly shut the door and quickly made her way back to the table before she could be seen.
Tommy returned moments later and sat back down. Kat looked up as he returned. "Everything alright at school?"
Tommy nodded. "Yeah. The substitute has had no issues following the lesson plan, which means less for me to cover when I get back."
Kat smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Good."
Jenna raised her coffee cup to her lips to cover her frown. While there hadn't been anything suspicious about what she'd heard of Tommy's phone call, it certainly hadn't been to the school. He hadn't said anything out of the ordinary. For all she knew he could have called his mother. So why was he lying? Jenna had never had an issue with her cousin's husband before. She thought he seemed like a genuinely nice guy and her cousin was clearly head over heels for him, but when she'd seen him out on the back deck on the phone last night, something had set off an alarm in her head. Something wasn't quite right with Katherine and Tommy and she was determined to find out what it was.
…
The funeral was a somber affair, the dreary weather perfectly matching everyone's mood. Tommy stood at the grave site, his arm wrapped around Katherine as she cried on his shoulder. The casket was lowered into the ground and the mourners walked in a line, dropping a single rose onto the casket, saying their final goodbyes to Hugh Hillard.
Tommy closed his eyes for a moment as his rose fell into the hole where his father-in-law rested. He had no doubt that had the man known the truth while he was alive, he'd have wrung Tommy's neck. When he and Kat got married, Hugh had made Tommy promise to take care of his little girl. He hadn't done that. Quite the opposite in fact. And standing here, he felt like the biggest hypocrite in the world. He said a silent apology to his wife's father and led Katherine back towards the cars.
Everyone gathered at Kat's mother's house again, though the meal was much more subdued. About half way through, Tommy felt his phone buzz against his leg. He discreetly pulled the phone from his pocket and glanced at the screen.
Text Message from: KH
I'm fine.
Tommy mentally rolled his eyes. The years certainly hadn't made her any less stubborn. Tommy quickly excused himself and stepped outside. He quickly dialed her number.
"I texted you so you wouldn't call." Kim answered in leu of hello.
"You should have known that wouldn't stop me." Tommy replied dryly.
"You don't need to call me every day. Pretty sure you have more important things to worry about right now."
"No, I don't." Tommy wanted to say more but caught movement in his peripheral vision. He wasn't alone.
Kim rolled her eyes on the other end. "You can't even speak freely where you are. Why bother calling?"
"You know why."
"Whatever. By the way, you should call TJ. Seems there more than one ranger baby on the way. He and Cassie are expecting."
A genuine smile lit Tommy's face for the first time since he got to Australia. "Really? Wow. Yeah, I think I'll give him a call."
"Okay. Bye."
Tommy opened his mouth to say something, but she already hung up. He sighed before dialing another number.
"Hello?"
"Well hey man. I hear congratz are in order."
"Tommy! Good to hear from you, man. Long time no talk."
"Yeah, sorry. There's been a lot going on."
"I hear ya. Yeah, Cassie's pregnant. She's over the moon, not literally for once."
Tommy laughed at the Ranger joke. He and the Space Rangers had kept in touch and the group had grown fairly close to the originals, them being the last in uniform before Zordon's death.
"Well I'm happy for you man. You're gonna be a great dad."
"Thanks T. Speaking of, when are you gonna grace the world with a tiny ranger?"
Tommy chuckled. "Probably sooner than you think." The two said their goodbyes and Tommy went back in the house.
No sooner than Tommy sat down did Jenna open her mouth. "You check in with the school even on weekends?" She asked, trying to appear nonchalant.
Tommy blinked in surprise. "Uh no. That wasn't the school."
"Oh? Is everything alright?" Kat asked.
Tommy cursed internally for what he was about to do, but it wasn't like he could tell her that he went outside to call Kimberly. "Yeah. Everything's good. TJ and Cassie are having a baby."
Kat blinked in surprise for a moment before she smiled, though it was a little shaky. "Really? That's wonderful. I'll need to remember to call her. She must be so excited."
"Yeah, they both are. I'm pretty sure TJ is already out buying miniature racecars." TJ's love of red sports cars since his time as the red Turbo Ranger was a running joke between the friends.
Kat laughed, though it sounded a bit forced. "Probably."
As the evening wore on, the family members that were staying elsewhere left and those that remained dispersed throughout the home. Tommy had retreated to the room he was sharing with Katherine, stating he had a headache, leaving Kat and Jenna alone sitting at the kitchen island.
"So… you and Tommy." Jenna started.
Kat raised an eyebrow. "What about me and Tommy?"
"Is everything alright with you two, Kitty?" Jenna asked gently.
Kat looked at her favorite cousin in confusion. "Yes, everything is fine. Why?"
Jenna looked at Kat seriously. "Kat, you forget I know you. Something is wrong."
Katherine sighed, knowing her cousin wouldn't give up. "Fine. But you can't breathe a word of this to anyone."
Jenna made an X with her finger over her heart. "Cross my heart."
"Tommy and I… well me more specifically… have been having trouble conceiving a child. Actually, I'm not sure if I'll be able to have a child at all. We've been trying for a whole year and nothing. A few months ago, we went to see a specialist and… apparently, I'm the problem. Not him." Kat quietly confessed.
"Oh Kat. I'm so sorry. And mum kept going on and on… oh that must have been just awful!"
Kat nodded. "It's not something we like to talk about."
Jenna chewed her lip. "And… how does Tommy feel about all this?"
Kat sighed. "You know Tommy was adopted right?" Jenna nodded. "Well he's always said he wants children of his own because he's the only one left of his biological family. He always says he doesn't blame me and that he'll be okay even if we don't have children but… I can't help but blame myself. And… and sometimes I wonder if we don't have children, if he'll grow to resent me. If he'll regret marrying me knowing he could have had children with… someone else."
Jenna reached over and took Kat's hand. "Oh Kitty Kat, don't think that. He loves you."
"I know that. But if he'd married… someone else, his dreams of having a big family could have come true."
Jenna frowned slightly. "You keep pausing when you say 'someone else' like this isn't just a figurative person, but an actual person."
Kat waved dismissively. "Of course it's figurative." But in her heart, she knew that wasn't true. That 'someone else' had a name, but she certainly wasn't going to talk to her cousin about that particular subject. There was no need anyway. That saga had ended years ago.
Jenna looked at her suspiciously but let it go. She considered mentioning Tommy's secretive phone calls, but decided she didn't have enough to go on and didn't want to cause problems needlessly considering what the couple was already going through. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with Kat's husband. She just hoped she was wrong.
…
Finally the time came for Tommy and Kat to return to California and Tommy couldn't help but feel relieved. After Kat shared a tearful goodbye with her mother, the couple boarded the plane back to the US.
Though Tommy was anxious to see Kimberly, he held off for a couple of days in order to be there for Kat. He decided he would go see Kim after school his first day back, giving Kat the excuse that he'd be working late due to the back log of ungraded papers.
Tommy tried to call Kim after his last class of the day but she hadn't answered, so he drove to her house.
Kim answered the door, slightly surprised to see him, and schooled her features into a carefully neutral expression. She gestured for him to come in and shut the door behind him.
"What are you doing here?"
Tommy crossed his arms. "You said we'd talk when I came back. I'm back. Are you done shutting me out?"
Kim sighed and sat on the couch, pulling her knees up. Tommy came and sat next to her.
"What's going on, Kim?" He asked softly, tilting her chin up so he could look into her eyes.
"I…I thought you would change your mind about wanting to be with me." She admitted, quietly.
Tommy's eyes widened in shock. "Why would you think that?"
"Why wouldn't you?"
Tommy gripped Kim's shoulders and turned her to face him. "Because I love you. Because I have always loved you."
"But you married her. You were happy with her."
"You married Jason, and for a while you were happy with him too."
Kim nodded. "But it wasn't the same."
"No. It wasn't." He pushed her hair back from her face. "It's always been you, Beautiful."
Kim moved into Tommy's lap, resting her head against his chest. "So, what happens now?"
"Whatever you want."
Kim shook her head. "That's not true."
Tommy sighed. She was right. "We see each other as much as we can, and when things calm down, then we can stop hiding. I just need a little time. She's dealing with a lot right now."
Kim pulled away a bit and looked down, biting her lip. Tommy turned her face back to him. "What is it?"
Kim shook her head. "It's nothing." It wasn't nothing, but she wasn't going to ask what was on her mind. She wasn't sure she wanted the answer.
"No, Kim, tell me."
"Are… are you going to keep sleeping with her?" Her voice was so low Tommy almost didn't hear her. Almost. Tommy was silent for a moment and Kim stood up. "Never mind. Forget I asked. I had no right to."
"Kim…" Tommy gently took her arm and tugged her back into his lap. "I haven't slept with Kat since you told me you were pregnant, and I don't plan to."
Kim looked at him incredulously. "How are you going to manage that? Surely she'll suspect something."
"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."
"But-" Whatever Kim was going to say was silenced by Tommy's lips on hers.
Tommy pulled back. "How about I show you just how much I missed you?" He whispered huskily, before his lips decided on hers again. No more words were spoken for quite a while.
…..
Okay, okay I promise the truth is going to come out soon… just not yet. Hang in there. More to come! Reviews make my day!