Author's Note: Uh, not much to say other than sorry about the delay once again. Hope you guys enjoy this next chapter. I quite enjoyed the ending scene because I got to be unapologetically sappy! Gotta love a good sappy romance! Thank you so much to everyone that left me a review or added this story to alerts and favs. I'm really amazed at how well received this story is becoming and truly touched by the kind words that everyone is leaving me to let me know they liked this story. Once again I'm a little on the lazy side and not doing my usual shoutouts. Kind of getting that way because of finals, two kids, and two jobs piled on. Real life is lots of fun LOL Glad I still find the time to write. :D
Oh on a side note, my book is being published. YAY! It's a local publishing company, so it's going to be local sales within the state of Montana. (For those that don't know, that's where I live) It hits stands in select stores Christmas of this year. If sales do well by the summer, then my publisher will be pushing to sell my book to a national publisher. So cross your fingers for me! I'm fully excited. I can officially say that I am now a professional author! It's been my dream since I was in fifth grade!
Okay enough bragging LOL On with the story!
Chapter 36
Jason rolled over in the giant bed and reached for Kat, only to grab empty sheets. He sat straight up in the bed searching for her in the dark room. A quick glance at the clock told him it was only three in the morning. Where on earth could she be?
He slipped out of bed and began looking around for her. She wasn't sitting in the chair by his closet, she wasn't in the closet, she wasn't even under the bed. Wherever she was, she wasn't wearing the boot the doctor had ordered her to wear. Jason let out a sigh, she was already disobeying her medical orders.
Quietly he left the room and tip toed down the stairs, hoping that she was in the livingroom. But she wasn't there either. He searched the kitchen, he searched the den, he even quietly opened every bedroom to see if she was talking to anyone awake at that ungodly hour.
Fear and panic gripped him as he rushed back up the stairs to grab a shirt and his shoes. She must have gone outside. Just as he sat on the bed to tie up his shoes, he noticed the bathroom door slightly ajar. He mentally slapped himself. He knew that he had closed it fully before he had gotten in the bed. He carefully opened the door and walked in.
A small whimper caught his attention as he flipped on the light. Kat was curled into a ball and wedged into the small space between the counter and the toilet. "Kat!" Jason exclaimed as he knelt down in front of her. She picked her head up and looked at him, her eyes red and puffy with tears streaming down her face.
"I... I can feel him on me." She cried. Jason took a shaky breath and held out his arms to her. She slowly crawled out of her hiding spot and into his arms. Jason leaned back against the wall with Kat curled into his lap much like a frightened little girl. One hand gently stroked her soft hair as his other hand rubbed small circles along her back.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Jason asked after a long stint of silence.
"I..." Kat audibly gulped as she nodded her head.
"Start wherever you want."
"He was... he was under my bed in my apartment, waiting for me." Kat started. "I saw him when I got down to pick up my wine glass that I'd accidentally knocked off my nightstand. There was so much evil in his eyes."
"Oh God Kat, that had to be scary."
"I was petrified. I could hardly breath, let alone move." Kat nodded. "He sprayed something in my face, I'm sure it was chloroform, and my world began to spin. I recognized him as Ethan Dean once he was standing over me and then everything went black. I thought I was going to die, I was positive that I was dead when I woke up. That somehow I was in hell."
"What happened next?"
"He started talking to me, told me about being Tyler Jacobson. He even tried to make me understand why he thought that he had to have me, although I still don't fully understand it. He... he forced himself on me once I stopped talking back to him. He raped me Jason." Kat covered her face with her hands. "All my training and all my skills, and I couldn't protect myself from him."
"Kat, you can't blame yourself." Jason reassured her. "Dell told me that Tyler had to have had you tied up based on the marks on your wrists and ankles."
"He did." Kat nodded slowly.
"Then there was no way you could have stopped him Kat."
"I know." Kat sighed. "I know I couldn't have done anything to stop him even if I hadn't been tied up. He was so strong and so much bigger than me. I didn't stand a chance against him. Over and over again he forced himself onto me. I finally passed out from exhaustion and pain around five in the morning."
"If he weren't already dead, I'd kill him." Jason seethed, but Kat continued as if she didn't hear him.
"I woke up with his arms around me, and I... I called him your name." Kat turned her head away from him as if ashamed. "He tried to do everything to me that you did. He kissed and caressed me, trying to turn me on. I tried to fight against him, but I was reminded of you and I began to react to what Tyler was doing to me. I didn't want him, I really didn't, but he was acting so much like you that my own body betrayed me!"
"Kat, no one can blame you for that. He was manipulating you and twisting your own thoughts against you."
"But I should have been able to fight him off, I should have been stronger. I should have been able to put a stop to him!"
"Kat, you're expecting too much from yourself. I told you before that you're not superwoman, you can't give yourself these inhuman expectations." Jason shook his head.
"But I was a power ranger Jason! Inhuman expectations come with the job!"
"Kat, listen to yourself, you were a power ranger. You passed on that mantle, you are no longer a power ranger. You can't push yourself to the limits you had when you were one. You're a normal human just like the rest of us now. There's no more boosted energy or strength, there's no more increased healing, there's only you. Just the flesh and blood that you were born with."
Kat remained silent as she buried her head into his chest and cried harder. Her hot tears pooled on his bare chest and slowly trailed down his torso, but he didn't care. Jason hugged her tighter against him and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "I was so scared." she whispered after she'd calmed down a little.
"So was I." Jason replied. "Tyler said that he'd already taken care of you before we tried to arrest him. I was terrified that he wasn't bluffing."
"He did take care of me." Kat sniffled. "It hurt so bad, and all I could think of was you."
"I found you though." Jason pulled back enough from her to offer her a comforting smile. "And you're here with me, right now. Alive and getting better everyday."
"But I can still feel him around me Jason." Kat bit on her bottom lip as she closed her eyes, fighting back the new wave of tears threatening to fall. "I can hear him talking to me, and feel his breath hot on my face. I can see the evil in his eyes. He's haunting me Jason, whenever I close my eyes, he's there!"
"Is that why you were hiding in here?"
"I took a shower, hoping to wash him off of me, and it was quiet in here. So I just..." Kat trailed off as she looked toward the spot Jason had found her hiding in.
"Kat, next time wake me. I'll sit with you, just like I am now. That's what I'm here for."
"But if I wake you up every time I can't sleep, you're going to be so tired." Kat protested.
"Kat, that's my job. The moment you said 'yes' to me, meant that I promised to be here for you everyday for the rest of our lives. No matter what you need, I'm here."
"But what can I give you in return?" Kat sighed, silent tears rolled down her cheek once more.
"Let me be the rock in your life Katherine." Jason replied. "Let me help you. All I need from you right now, is that you don't shut me out."
"I just feel so... useless and weak."
"You're not either of those things, Kat. Don't ever say that about yourself. You are stronger than anyone else I've ever known. No one I've ever known has gone through as much as you have and survived. You've been shot, buried a son you never got to hold, beaten half to death, thrown through a windshield of a car that plummeted a hundred feet down, you've been captured by a psychopath, tortured, and then left for dead in the freezing cold. The fact that you're still sitting right here with me after even just one of those events, let alone all of those things, is absolutely amazing. You are an amazingly strong woman, capable of anything. Don't ever doubt that about yourself."
"Thank you Jason." Kat said as she wiped away her tears. She offered him a small smile before she crawled out of his lap.
"Anytime Kat. I really mean that." Jason nodded as she stood up from the floor and offered Kat a hand up.
Together they went back to bed. They spooned under the covers, with Katherine's back pressed against his chest and one of his arms draped lazily over her waist. Soon Jason was breathing nice and even, but Katherine lay awake staring out the window watching the stars twinkling like diamonds high in the black void of space. She wondered if she would ever be normal again, if she would ever be able to escape the 'Angel Killer's' influence. She wondered if she would once again find herself worthy of the incredible man lying behind her.
XXXXXXXXXX
Jason woke again as the sun started to filter into his room. Kat was still curled up in front of him, snuggled deep into his embrace and fast asleep. For once she looked absolutely peaceful and he hated to interrupt that kind of sleep for her.
Slowly he slid his arm out from under her head, taking care to rest a pillow in place of his arm, and then slid out of the bed. He slipped a tee shirt on and then quietly left the room. As he made his way down the stairs he heard Lilly and Kevin in the kitchen already.
"You two are up early." Jason laughed as he walked into the room. Lilly was wearing her mother's pastel green apron, it was far too long and reached past her toes, standing on a chair next to Kevin. Both had smears of flour on their faces and all over the Lilly's apron. "What are you up to?"
"Kevin wanted to make breakfast, and I'm helping." Lilly grinned.
"Coffee cake." Kevin shrugged.
"Ah, that explains the flour." Jason laughed. "How's it coming?"
"We just put it in the oven, Daddy." Lilly replied. "Since it's coffee cake, can I have some coffee this morning too?"
"Sure." Jason shrugged, already knowing she wouldn't like it anyway. She'd already tried his coffee once before and nearly spit it out.
"Kevin, would you move in here with Daddy and me?" Lilly asked, her dark eyes wide, begging him to say yes.
"I wish I could Lil." Kevin shook his head sadly. "I have to get back to Australia soon."
"How far away is Australia?"
"A long way." Kevin replied.
"Can I ride my bike there?"
"I'm sorry Lil, it's too far for a bike. Maybe someday you can come to Australia with Kat and your Dad."
"Really?" Lilly's face brightened. "Can we Daddy?"
"Someday Lilly-pad." Jason nodded as he started brewing a pot of coffee. "I'm sure Kat would love to go home for a visit sometime."
"Kat's home is in Australia too?" Lilly cocked her head to the side.
"No, she lives here now, but she grew up in Australia." Jason explained. "She moved here when she was in high school."
"Oh, okay." Lilly nodded before looking back at Kevin. "Why don't you live here too?"
"I was already in the military when my family moved here." Kevin replied. "I stayed in Australia while they moved here to California."
"Was it hard to be apart from your Mommy and Daddy?"
"I missed them very much." Kevin nodded. "I missed my brothers and sister too."
"Why didn't you just move with them?"
"I couldn't." Kevin shrugged. "When you get to be old enough, you move out on your own. I had done that when they left, and I had a life in Australia that I couldn't leave."
"Do you like the military?"
"Yes, very much." Kevin smiled at the little girl. Jason watched as Kevin took a damp paper towel and cleaned Lilly's face and smiled to himself. Kevin would truly make an excellent father someday.
"Are you married?"
"No." Kevin shook his head.
"Why not?"
"You ask a lot of questions." Kevin laughed. "I just haven't met anyone that I want to spend the rest of my life with."
"Don't you want kids?"
"Uh..." Kevin stared at the little girl blankly. How was one supposed to answer that? He hadn't ever really thought about it.
"Lilly, why don't you go see if Tommy is up yet." Jason suggested.
"Okay." Lilly nodded and jumped off the chair. She quickly took off her apron and dashed out of the kitchen toward the stairs to the basement where Anna and Tommy were staying.
"Sorry about her." Jason laughed. "She loves to play twenty questions."
"Yeah, no problem." Kevin shrugged. "Just caught me off guard. She's a good kid."
"Depends on the day." Jason grinned. "She's really taken a liking to you. She'll be sad to see you go home."
"Yeah, I'm going to miss her too." Kevin nodded. "It's been nice to just take time and muck about."
"Military life keeps you pretty busy I take it."
"Very." Kevin nodded. "If it's not one thing it's another."
"The busier they keep you, the better you are at your job." Jason laughed as he recalled what his father had said about his life in the Marines.
"You're father was a military man, I'm guessing."
"Marines." Jason nodded. He was surprised at how easily the conversation seemed to flow between himself and Kat's oldest brother. This was the first time since Kevin had arrived that the two men seemed to have an easy conversation alone. "He was gone a lot while I was growing up, but by the time I was ten he'd retired so that he could be home to raise his son properly."
"You an only child?"
"Yeah." Jason nodded. "Mom always wanted more, but Dad was too entrenched in the Marines. By the time they could have had more, Mom thought I was too old to have younger siblings so she settled for just me. That's why she spoils Lilly rotten."
"My parents sure didn't think about age difference when they had Todd." Kevin laughed. "I was already fourteen when he was born. I remember going shopping with him when he was three and the sales lady thought he was my kid. I was only seventeen, but apparently I must have looked older than that."
"That must have been a pretty funny conversation." Jason laughed.
"I never corrected her." Kevin grinned. "She gave me her phone number, but I never bothered to call her."
"Using your baby brother to pick up chicks. That's sly."
"I used to use all my siblings for that." Kevin's grin broadened. "Ask Kat about the time she helped me get a date with Stacy Carlton."
"I'll do that." Jason laughed.
"Thanks for the wake up call Jase." Tommy grumbled as he walked into the kitchen. "Remind me to pay you back for disturbing my beauty rest."
"Aye, if we let you get rest until you're beautiful then we'd be waiting til hell froze over." Kevin joked.
"Ha ha ha." Tommy said dryly. "Why couldn't you keep little Ms. Bundle of Energy busy so she didn't come down and wake me up?"
"I was keeping her busy. She helped me make breakfast." Kevin shrugged. "Talk to your buddy, he sent her down to check on you."
"I know, that's what she said." Tommy glared at Jason. "You know it's only six-thirty right?"
"Yeah, so?" Jason raised an eyebrow at his best friend.
"I don't have school this morning and I was having a really good dream." Tommy sighed. "Then you had to send that daughter of yours down to bother me."
"Oh, come on now Dr. Downer. You love Lilly and everyone knows it." Jason grinned, completely unfazed by Tommy's sour mood.
"Here Doc, this should cheer you up." Kevin laughed as he set Tommy's precious mug in front of him, full of black steaming coffee.
"My day already looks better." Tommy grinned and quickly wrapped his hands around the mug.
"Where's Lilly at now?"
"With Anna." Tommy shrugged before taking a tentative sip of his coffee.
"Doing what?" Jason questioned.
"Who knows? Girl stuff I'd assume, Anna kicked me out of the room." Tommy muttered.
"What kind of girl stuff?" Jason pondered aloud.
"Something to do with the wedding." Tommy shrugged once again. "I think that Anna is asking her to be the flower girl or something. Neither of us have nieces, Lilly's the closest to a niece I have and I am her godfather."
As if on cue, Lilly came running into the kitchen carrying a magazine page and a huge grin on her face. "Daddy look! Anna asked me to be her flower girl and this is the dress she wants me to wear!" She called excitedly as she shoved the page into his hands. Jason looked down at the picture of a little girl wearing a long frilly yellow dress.
"Yellow?" Jason asked.
"Yellow." Lilly nodded with a grin.
"Why yellow?" Jason asked Tommy, who just shrugged and took another sip of coffee.
"Because yellow is my favorite color." Anna answered as she joined the men and Lilly in the kitchen.
"Ah, I didn't know that." Jason nodded. "Not sure that I'd look too good in yellow."
"You won't be in yellow." Anna shook her head. "The men will wear just black and white tuxes."
"With yellow pocket squares." Tommy added.
"You were paying attention doc." Anna laughed.
"I hear everything Anna, even if you think I'm not paying attention, I hear you." Tommy raised an eyebrow.
"I like yellow." Lilly cut in, drawing her fathers attention back to her. "What color will I be wearing for Kat and your wedding?"
"I don't know Lilly-pad. Kat and I have to talk about it, and it's a long ways off still." Jason shrugged.
"Once you're married to Kat, what does that make her to me?"
"She uh... Kat will be your stepmother." Jason replied.
"Is she taking Mommy's place?"
"No baby, no one will ever replace your mother." Jason lifted the little girl onto his lap. "Your Mommy will always be your Mommy, even though she's not here anymore."
"I miss her."
"I miss her too Lilly." Jason nodded. The other adults in the room fell silent, unsure of what to say, or if they should say anything at all.
"Why did she have to leave?"
"Things happen Lilly." Jason sighed. This wasn't the first time that he and Lilly had had this conversation, each time was a little easier on Jason. "There are so many things out of our control. Mommy didn't leave because she wanted to, she would have stayed here with you if she'd had the choice."
"I know." Lilly sighed. "But she's always with me."
"That's right baby." Jason smiled warmly at his young daughter.
"I'm going to go shower and get dressed for the day." Lilly grinned before planting a kiss on Jason's cheek and giggling. "You're scratchy Daddy."
"I haven't shaved yet." Jason chuckled as he scrubbed a hand over his jaw. "Go take your shower and get dressed, the cake should be done soon." Lilly nodded and hopped off her father's lap and raced out of the room.
"That girl has one speed, super fast." Tommy laughed.
"You sure she isn't related to you?" Anna raised an eyebrow.
"I'm sure." Tommy rolled his eyes and Anna rolled her eyes in return.
"Unless there was a night that Tommy and Liz never told me about, I'm certain Lilly is mine." Jason laughed.
"Shoot, I knew I forgot to tell you something." Tommy slapped his hand to his forehead.
"Not even funny bro." Jason shook his head trying to use his most serious tone, but the small smile on his face betrayed his words.
"Kat still sleeping?" Anna asked.
"Yeah." Jason nodded.
"Shows you who he loves more." Tommy grumbled. "I get the wake up call and Kat gets to sleep in."
"You didn't sit up half the night." Jason raised an eyebrow.
"Kat have a bad night?" Kevin asked as he joined the trio at the table.
"Yeah." Jason nodded. "I won't go into details, but it wasn't an easy night for her."
"First night out of the hospital, I'm sure it's got to be rough." Anna commented.
"She'll be right as rain once she goes shopping for Marcus." Tommy shrugged as he downed the last of his coffee.
"We're going to have to send someone to New York to clean out her apartment." Jason said as he idly rubbed his fingers on the table top. "The bureau has been paying the rent for the last few months."
"But you can't send just anyone to Kat's apartment." Kevin shook his head.
"True." Tommy nodded. "I'd go but I have school."
"I have Kat and Lilly." Jason sighed. "Then again Kat might like to clean out her own apartment."
"I'm sure there's things in there that she wouldn't want anyone else to find." Kevin said be he took a sip of his own coffee.
"Yeah." Jason nodded without thinking.
"And you know what it is she doesn't want anyone to find?" Kevin raised an eyebrow.
"Do you know?"
"Sure I do." Kevin shrugged.
"No, I don't think we're all thinking the same thing." Tommy shook his head.
"Sure we are." Kevin grinned like a small child in a candy store. There was excitement in his eyes unlike anything Jason had seen from this man since he'd met him. "It has a lot to do with the color pink."
Jason's eyes grew wide as he stared at Kat's older brother, his jaw hung open and useless. Tommy mirrored his expression exactly. It was Anna that was the voice of reason. "How did you know?"
"I've been waiting for an opening for this conversation since I got here." Kevin grinned. "It wasn't hard to figure out. Kat suddenly takes an interest in martial arts, starts wearing a lot of pink, and ends up with unexplained bruises and injuries she blames on rough housing with her friends. John had it figured out within a couple months, he wrote me a letter. Our parents knew too, I don't think Todd ever caught on."
"Huh, well... just... huh." Jason was speechless.
"I wonder if any of the other parents figured it out." Anna started laughing. "Or anyone else for that matter."
"Well if anyone else did, they sure never said anything." Tommy replied.
"Sometimes I wonder if Ernie didn't know." Jason finally found his voice as memories of the portly youth center owner filled his mind. "I mean, we left so many uneaten lunches and snacks behind when the city was attacked. Did you notice he never charged us for the food we didn't get to eat?"
"Now that you mention it... I never stopped to think about the fact I never paid for a meal when I had to leave it for an attack." Tommy mused.
"You guys weren't as secretive as you think you were." John said from behind the group, causing them to jump in their seats a little. He walked into the kitchen and plopped down in an open chair. "But no one was going to rat you guys out."
"So how did you figure it out?" Tommy asked.
"I had a suspicion after a while because of Kat's sudden interest in martial arts. At first I thought it was just to impress you, but then I learned about you and Kimberly and I knew Kat wouldn't do anything to come between that. Then I started to think about it and the pink ranger seemed to have grown almost a whole head suddenly." John explained. "But Kat confirmed it herself in ranger guise. I was in a group of students caught in the cross fire between those bird things..."
"Tengas." Tommy corrected him.
"Tengas, right. Anyway, the pink ranger was the one to led us to safety, I recognized her accent right away."
"I knew her accent was a dead giveaway." Tommy laughed.
"Now I'm curious if my parents ever figured it out." Jason chuckled. "Do you know how many other people knew?"
"No." John shook his head. "But I do know that the good doctor here was on the team in Reefside."
"How did you know that? You were all the way in Australia!"
"Internet." John grinned. "I recognized your moves. I'd seen you spare enough with your friends or teaching Kat in the backyard. And then Dad said you were living in Reefside at that time. You look good in black."
"I say the same thing." Anna grinned.
"That's it, I am so totally moving to a place they have never heard of power rangers." Tommy rolled his eyes.
"Nice try, oh living legend. Rangers are everywhere, and every single one of them knows about you somehow." Jason laughed.
"He's served with half of them." Anna giggled.
"Have not!" Tommy argued.
"Close enough." Jason raised an eyebrow. "You know almost all the red rangers, and they in return have told their teams about you."
"They met you too." Tommy shot back. "Can we drop the subject? Someone might hear us that doesn't actually know."
"True, I never told Heather about it. Kind of a weird conversation, 'so your sister-in-law was a power ranger'." John nodded.
"Lilly doesn't know and I would prefer she doesn't for a long time." Jason added.
"Cake's done anyway." Kevin agreed as he stood from the table.
"Is that Grandma Kate's recipe?" John asked his brother.
"Aye, sure is." Kevin grinned.
"So, back to what we were talking about before all of this." Jason began. "We have to find someone to go clean out Kat's apartment."
"Maybe Kat would like to go clean out her own apartment." John suggested.
"Do you think she can handle being back in there?" Anna pondered. "She was abducted right out of her own home."
"Maybe you should leave it up to Katherine herself." Kevin suggested from across the kitchen. "Maybe she needs to confront her own demons. Going to the start of her nightmares might be a good idea."
"That might be a bad idea Kev, Kat's not one of your military men with PTSD..."
"No, he's right." Jason cut off John. "Kat is suffering from PTSD. She said last night she can still see his eyes when she closes hers. She's haunted from when he was hiding under her bed."
"He was under her bed?" Anna gasped. "How awful."
"I don't think anyone has figured out exactly what happened that night, Kat hasn't talked about it with anyone until last night." Jason shook his head. "Don't tell her I told you anything."
"Lips are sealed." Tommy nodded. John and Anna nodded as well.
"I do know what 'classified' means." Kevin added as he set the steaming coffee cake on the table.
"I'll talk to her later about going to New York. Maybe Adam and Trini can take Lilly for a couple days so I can go with her."
"I'll be here for a while longer, I don't mind watching her." Kevin offered.
"You sure?"
"Sure I'm sure." Kevin nodded. "I'll have to go back to Australia soon, so I don't mind spending some more time with her. She's a good kid."
"Mum wants you to have some of your own." John teased.
"Yeah, gotta settle down first." Kevin rolled his eyes. "Until I'm ready to leave the military it's pointless to try to maintain a relationship. I get shipped out everywhere for months at a time, I can't put a family through that. I honestly don't think that I'll ever retire."
"What rank are you?" Anna asked.
"Major Kevin Alexander Hillard, 52nd regiment." Kevin replied with a crisp salute.
"Major pain in the ass is more like it." John laughed.
"How many times do I have to tell you I can kill a man a hundred different ways with just a butter knife?" Kevin raised an eyebrow.
"Mum wouldn't like it if you killed me, you might just be written out of the will." John grinned.
"If that's the worst that will happen to me, then it's worth it. It just means a bigger percentage for Kat and Todd to fight over." Kevin shrugged. "They each get half instead of one fourth."
"Harsh." John laughed.
"You sound like Kat." Jason chuckled.
"How so?" Kevin asked.
"She reminded Rocky and me, more than once, that she has nearly perfect aim with her gun. Threatened to use it on me more than once." Jason explained with a laugh.
"Hmm, I might just have to take her to a shooting range while I'm here. Test her new skills." Kevin grinned. "We had a hard time getting her to use a pellet gun when we were little, it's hard to imagine her being able to use a pistol on a living target."
"She's taken down more suspects than she cares to admit." Jason shook his head. "She's built up a whole new set of armor for her job, and she good. From what Russ was telling me, Kat is probably one of the better agents the bureau has seen in a long time. It's no wonder she rose the ranks as fast as she did."
"That's Fred." John nodded. "When she get something in her head, she goes for it. She's very ambitious and driven."
"She was up for a promotion before all of this." Jason sighed. "Assistant director in DC. I have little doubt that someday she would have been head of the whole bureau."
"That's huge!" John exclaimed.
"I wonder what she'll do from now on." Kevin said with a shake of his head.
"Kat will find something to do." Tommy commented. "She's not good with idle time."
"Tell me about it." Jason rolled his eyes. "That's the reason I went ahead and pushed for her release. She's got too much time on her hands at the hospital, plus it was her third escape attempt in less than a week."
"Poor thing." Anna shook her head. "She probably felt like she was in prison or something."
"Kat hates hospitals." Jason shrugged.
"Getting Kat to attend regular doctor visits was like pulling teeth." John laughed. "Mum would bribe her with new dance outfits or swimsuits."
"Dad just outright paid her." Kevin added with a chuckle.
"He what?" John's eyes grew wide.
"Dad paid her." Kevin repeated slower for his brother. "How do you think she afforded that car in high school?"
"Why the hell didn't I think of fighting against my doctor appointments?" John slapped his forehead. "Damn, Fred always got everything."
"She was just that smart." Kevin grinned.
"Or that manipulative." John quickly added.
"Maybe a bit of both." Tommy grinned.
"I don't think she's manipulative." Anna argued.
"Yes she is." the four men in the room replied in unison.
"You think so?" Anna cocked an eyebrow.
"I know so." Tommy nodded. "She's got a way of messing with your head without even trying."
"Sometimes you don't know if you're coming or going with her, until she wants you to know exactly where you stand." Jason sighed.
"Some call that love." Anna rolled her eyes.
"And some say that love is just a form of manipulation." Kevin countered.
"Whatever you want to call it, she's worth it though." Jason said with a wistful tone. "I'd let her mind fuck me for the rest of time so long as I got to see her smile."
"Aw." Anna cooed.
"That's kind of sweet bro, in a weird, disturbing kind of way." Tommy laughed which earned him a slap on the shoulder from Anna.
"That's sad mate." John shook his head.
"Says that one that's already married." Kevin laughed. "You let Heather mess with you all the time."
"Do not." John narrowed his bright blue eyes.
"Do too."
"Do not!"
"Do too." Kevin grinned. "Prime example, she's right behind you with her arms crossed."
"Oh shit." John ducked his head and turned around to see no one there. He turned back around to glare at his brother once again. "You bastard."
"Point proven." Kevin said smugly as he leaned back in his seat with his cup of coffee just as the adults heard Lilly's racing footsteps coming down the stairs at breakneck speed.
"Is the cake done?" she asked nearly out of breath. She immediately made her way to Kevin and climbed up into his lap.
"All ready Lil." Kevin nodded. "We were just waiting for you."
"What about Kat and Heather?" Lilly asked as she realized there were two adults missing.
"Kat's sleeping in this morning Lilly." Jason explained.
"Heather's still sleeping too. She's not much of a morning person." John commented.
"No wonder you two go so well together." Kevin quipped.
"Shut it Kev." John scowled. "I'm awake now aren't I?"
"Bet it's because you had to pee and then you heard the rest of us in the kitchen." Kevin grinned.
"Shut it."
"Means I'm right." Kevin raised a fist in victory.
"No need to be all defensive Dear." Heather's alto accented voice drifted into the kitchen. She plopped down in the chair next to her husband and swiped his coffee mug, which was nearly empty. "Didn't save any for me?"
"I'll get you a cup." John shrugged and quickly stood up to refill his and get Heather her own.
"Second point proven!" Kevin laughed. Heather looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You're husband is whipped."
"Ah, yes that he is." Heather laughed. "I have him well trained now."
"Do not." John retorted as he handed her a cup.
"Sugar, Dear." Heather said sweetly. Without a word John moved back across the kitchen and retrieved Jason's sugar bowl from beside the coffee pot. He paused halfway back to the table and let out a groan.
"Dammit." He muttered with a roll of his eyes. Heather grinned madly as Kevin once again pumped his fist in victory.
"Say what you will, but that is not going to be me." Tommy shook his head.
"You think so bro?" Jason raised an eyebrow.
"I know so." Tommy nodded as Anna rolled her eyes.
"Don't you want to make Anna happy, Tommy?" Lilly questioned.
"Doing everything she says to do, does not make her happy Lilly." Tommy replied.
"It would make me happy." Lilly countered. "I thought that's what husbands do. They listen to everything their wife tells them to do."
"Where did you get that Lilly?" Jason laughed.
"From Rosa. She says her Daddy does everything that her Mommy says and it keeps them both happy." Lilly replied.
"Figures it would be Rocky giving my daughter ideas about marriage." Jason shook his head with a chuckle.
"What about Lucy, does she say the same thing about her parents?" Tommy asked.
"No." Lilly shook her head.
"Tri never was the bossy kind." Jason commented.
"Still, she was a bit on the scary side." Tommy laughed. John and Kevin both nodded.
"I didn't find her scary." Heather replied.
"Neither did I." Anna added.
"It's part of the guy radar." John explained. "We know which females to not piss off. I picked up on Trini the second I met her."
"She's dangerous." Kevin added.
"Trini is a master in Kung Fu and could probably wipe the floor with all of us in a second flat." Jason said.
"Ah, it's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for." Heather grinned.
"That Kimberly sure is a feisty one too." Kevin chuckled. "Glad I'm not Zack."
"Whatever you do, don't piss off the shortie!" Jason said with a look of horror. "She's like a viper when she's mad."
"I'll remember that." John nodded. "Can we cut the cake now?"
"Yes." the other adults replied in unison, most with a roll of their eyes. Jason quickly retrieved plates and forks for everyone, as well as a knife to cut the coffee cake with. The adults and Lilly ate breakfast happily as they chatted.
After breakfast, Lilly and Kevin did dishes together as everyone else went to get ready for the day. Jason made his way back to the bedroom to find Kat still fast asleep on the bed, curled around a pillow in the fetal position. He stood at the side of the bed for a few moments, just watching her sleep. She still looked so peaceful, he hated to wake her, but they had some shopping to do and a party to get ready for.
"Kat." He called softly as he sat on the edge of the bed. Gently he laid a hand on her side and shook her. "Wake up Snowflake."
"Hmm." Kat moaned as she rolled more onto her stomach and pressed her face down into the pillow.
"Come on Snowflake, we have things we need to do today." He continued as he rubbed her back. "We're throwing a party for Tanya and Marcus today."
"Five more minutes." she mumbled.
"Don't make me carry you to the shower." Jason chuckled. Kat rolled herself over enough to look up at him with her sapphire eyes. "There's those bright eyes I love so much." He grinned.
"Flattery will get you no where." Kat smirked as she blinked the sleepiness out of her eyes.
"How about handing you my credit card and letting you go shopping with Aisha and Kim?"
"Spending limit?" Kat raised an eyebrow.
"Use your judgment." Jason replied with a smile.
"I'd say that will get you everywhere." Kat grinned.
"You need some clothes and we still need a gift for Marcus." Jason nodded. "Aisha and Kim will be here in an hour to get you. Rocky said Tanya and Marcus will be released from the hospital at two this afternoon, so the rest of us are heading over to their house to set up."
"Sounds like you have everything under control." Kat laughed as she finally sat up.
"Sometimes I amaze myself." Jason retorted as he stood from the bed. Kat slowly crawled off the bed and stood in front of him and Jason placed his hands on her waist as he smiled at her. "I could get used to seeing you here every morning. No matter how old we get, it will never get old Kat. I promise you that."
"Oh, Jase." Kat smiled sadly at him as a wave of tears threatened to fall. He was so amazing and so sweet, she was left speechless.
"I love you Kat." Jason moved his hands from her waist to either side of her face as he gently forced her to look at him. "I want you here with me, everyday for the rest of our lives. I'll be here for anything and everything you need."
"What did I do to deserve you?" Kat hiccuped as the first tear fell down her cheek. Jason quickly wiped it away with his thumb.
"I ask myself that about you." Jason grinned. "I can't believe that I am so lucky to have you in my life. I look at my life and wonder where I did something so amazing that the universe felt I earned your love."
"Why'd you have to be so wonderful?" Kat sobbed as she buried her face into his chest and the tears fell harder.
"What's wrong Kat?" Jason asked as he gently hugged her closer to him and his hands slowly rubbed large circles on her back.
"I just... you're so... and I..." Kat stammered as she shook her head against his body. Jason could feel the dampness seeping into his shirt from her tears, but he wouldn't stop her if this was what she needed.
"Kat, sweetheart, take a deep breath." Jason ordered. Kat did as he said and felt her body begin to relax. "Now, tell me what's wrong?"
"I don't know anymore." Kat pulled away from him and limped toward the bathroom. Jason rushed up behind her and took her into his arms once again.
"Come on Kat, don't shut me out." Jason pleaded. "What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure that I deserve you." Kat sighed after a few moments. Jason shook his head and hugged her tighter.
"Kat, after everything you've been through, you deserve a hell of a lot more than just me. I wish that I could give you the life you deserve after everything, but all I have is myself."
"That's more than what I deserve Jase." Kat turned around in his arms and met his gaze. "I'm a burden right now, I'm so... broken."
"You're not broken Kat." Jason argued. "You've been through a traumatic experience, but you're still here. You're still you, you're not broken."
"But I feel broken Jason." Kat shook her head. "I feel so... I can't even describe how I feel right now."
"We'll get through these feelings Kat, together. You just need time and support."
"And in the meantime, Lilly lost her mother recently. She needs you Jason, you can't spend all the time babysitting me."
"Kat, Lilly is just fine. She knows I'm here if she needs anything. Don't ever think that I'd ignore my daughter to 'babysit' you, as you put it." Jason protested.
"That's not what I meant." Kat shook her head.
"I know Kat." Jason nodded. "I know you're having a hard time finding the words, but I think I get what you mean. I promise you're not taking my time from Lilly. You're not a burden on our lives. Both Lilly and I love you and we want you here."
"I love you guys too." Kat smiled finally as she threw her arms around Jason's waist. Jason pressed a kiss into her hair as he hugged her back with everything he was worth.
"Go take a shower and get ready." Jason nudged her toward the bathroom after a moment. Kat smiled playfully and made her way to the door before she turned back to look at him over her shoulder.
"Want to join me?" She asked almost shyly.
"You sure?" Jason raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah." Kat nodded slowly. "If you don't mind just holding me some more."
"Kat, I'll hold you till the end of time." Jason nodded as he followed behind her. "I promise."
"You make a lot of promises to me."
"And I intend to keep every single one of them." Jason grinned. "I promise."
"I'll hold you to that." Kat replied with her own grin. "I promise."
"I'd expect nothing less, Snowflake."