A/N: Hi, everyone! Hope you are enjoying these chapters. Fun fact: Marci wrote the first song that Kim sings! She's such a woman of many talents (peep my avatar. She also did that for me as well.) This chapter is one that I wrote first for this fic. I was too excited to wait lol.

Chapter Fourteen
Memory Lane

I finished out the concert strong, giving two encore performances afterwards before walking off stage for the night. As I jogged down the ramp, I was met by a small group of smiling faces including Tommy, Billy, the boys, and Shayna. Xander was holding a bouquet of pink flowers that he held out to me as I approached. "Here! These are for you!" He said proudly.

"Aww. Thank you."

"You aren't the only one who plans surprises around here." Tommy said, smiling at me. I returned the gesture, messing up Xander's hair as I did. I turned to Ethan.

"You did amazing out there, kid! I think I might have to take you on the road for now on."

"It was incredible! Thank you so much for letting me do that. My friends are never going to believe that happened until I get the pictures back." He replied.

"Seems like we're going to have two stars on our hands." Billy said, clapping Ethan on the back.

"Speaking of surprises, there's more to be had!" Shayna said. She motioned for us to follow her towards the green room. There, I found most of the road crew and the band waiting. There were a couple executives as well and when I entered, they all cheered loudly. "In honor of an amazing opening and sold out show, we'd like to present this to you." Shayna said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. One of the roadies stepped forward, handing her what looked like a large frame. She turned it so I could see it and when I saw the large silver circle in the middle, my eyes widened.

"What?" I whispered, covering my mouth. Shayna nodded.

"We found out the other day that your CD just hit platinum!" She exclaimed. I saw the album art for my latest CD in the corner and a little plaque next to it with my name written on it. I took it, feeling my fingers tremble. "We are all so proud of you, Kimberly." Shayna said, rubbing my back as tears slid down my cheeks.

"I can't believe this." I whispered, smiling as I looked down at it. "I couldn't do this without all of you guys being here every single day." I said, looking out at everyone. I saw someone wheel in a cart that had a cake on top of it. It said Congrats, Kim! on the top of it and then Happy Birthday, Ethan on the bottom. Shayna took the frame from me, giving it to one of the roadies to run back to my bus for safe keeping. Candles were placed on the cake so Ethan could blow them out and we took a picture together near it. It was cut and we spent the next hour hanging out, eating cake and talking about the show.

I couldn't help but notice that Tristan seemed to be avoiding me like the plague. He was doing his best to move around the tent to keep a good distance between us. He wouldn't even make eye contact with me, leaving me to believe he was upset about something. I didn't have the energy or the motivation to find out what at the moment. If he was going to be a big baby about something, that was on him.

"Getting tired, buddy?" Billy asked as Xander yawned loudly. Xander shook his head.

"No." He replied. The crowd in the green room had thinned out now, the roadies needing to start tearing down the stage and equipment to pack up for us to leave in the morning. The band was still here, talking by the bar.

"I think it's time to head upstairs." Tommy said. "It's pretty late."

"Aww, Dad! We're hanging out." Xander said, frowning.

"I think your Dad is right." I said. "I'm going to be heading to bed soon too. I have an early day tomorrow."

"Alright." Xander muttered. I spotted Shayna by the bar talking to our drummer. I gave her a wave.

"I'm going to head to the bus." I called. She gave me thumbs up, turning her attention back to the drummer. I grabbed my flowers from earlier before leading the guys out of the green room. Ethan and Xander were talking with Billy about something behind Tommy and I as we walked, leaving Tommy and I to ourselves for the walk.

"It was a great show. You did a fantastic job." Tommy said.

"Thanks. I was nervous about the pressure but I think everyone pulled it together."

"I don't think Ethan is ever going to stop talking about tonight." Tommy glanced over his shoulder. "He might not even sleep tonight."

"I know the feeling." I smirked, hitting the button for the elevator as we approached it. "I'm feeling like I could run a mile. I don't know how I'll be able to relax enough to try to sleep right now."

"There's a garden outside behind the hotel in the courtyard." He said, tucking his hands in his pockets. "If you're feeling up to it, I wouldn't mind a walk around it for a bit. It could give us a chance to talk without juvenile ears around."

"Yeah? Okay." My nerves suddenly skyrocketed as Tommy turned to Billy.

"I'm going to go for a walk with Kim. You guys can stay up for a while if you want but listen to Uncle Billy, okay?" Tommy said, pointing at his children.

"Okay." They both said as the elevator opened. They climbed on, waving before the doors opened. Tommy and I walked together through the lobby, heading to the back entrance where the courtyard was. We went through the double doors, finding ourselves on a small patio that overlooked a long stretch of greenery. There was a stone fountain in the middle of the area, flowers of all colors growing around it. Small lights illuminated the path of the garden, making it so no one would trip. The pathway was made up of cobble stones, reminding me of when my Mom and I went to Salem for Halloween a couple years ago.

"I thought we agreed on no more surprises." Tommy said as I set the flowers down that they had given to me on the stone wall of the fountain. We started walking along the path.

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking at him confused.

"Bringing Ethan up on stage." He replied, smiling at me. I snorted, nodding my head.

"Well, that doesn't count." I said. He laughed this time, shrugging his shoulders.

"I haven't seen him that happy in years." He said, tucking his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "I'm glad."

"When he hugged me, he told me that his Mom would have loved it." I said softly.

"He did?"

"Yeah. I was surprised."

"I'm surprised too." Tommy sighed. "Ethan never talks about their mother. Not even when we ask him about her and how he's feeling. He tries to shut that time out of his mind as much as possible."

"There was a minute during the concert I looked over and saw that he looked upset. I thought bringing him on stage would cheer him up. You know, I thought it was odd at first that he was such a huge country fan given that he's a kid and he lives in California. But now, I'm starting to think that Ethan and his Mom bonded over country music."

"It could be. It would make sense then." Tommy raised his head, looking up at the moon that was at a crescent shape tonight. "Maybe this means he will finally start opening up about it."

"Maybe. These things take time though. But I know you'll be there for him when he's ready."

"I'm just worried that he will never get there."

"He will. He's got a lot of stuff to deal with right now. Some kids just need space. You're doing everything you can right now, Tommy."

"It doesn't feel that way most of the time." Tommy sighed again as we approached the fountain from the other side. He sat down on the wall and I joined him.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

"Fine. The boys are having a great time." He replied. I smirked at him. "What?"

"You have this funny way of answering any question about you with a statement about the boys."

"I do?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah. I didn't think you realized it either." Tommy shook his head.

"No, I didn't. I guess I just get so wrapped up in making sure they are okay and so used to everyone asking about them, it's the first place my mind goes."

"That's what makes you a great dad." I smiled. "So…how are you really doing?"

"Well," Leaning forward, he linked his fingers together. "I'm honestly exhausted."

"It was a long day after a long drive." I offered.

"That's not what I meant. It feels like the last four years I've been on fast forward constantly. Between the boys and Kat getting sick on top of working to make sure no one starves to death, there are days where I barely remember getting out of bed when I finally get to lay down at night. I feel guilty when I say this but now that Kat is longer here to take care of, I feel like I can breathe a little easier but I still wake up more tired than I felt when I laid down the night before."

"Have you thought about talking to someone about it?" I asked softly.

"Yeah. We see the family therapist." He replied.

"I meant just for you. You did lose your wife, Tommy. I don't think anyone would question as to why you needed some therapy for a bit."

"Can I be honest with you about something?" He questioned. I hesitated, afraid of what he was going to say but I nodded.

"Yeah. Of course."

"When Kat found out she was sick again, we were already divorced. In fact, she was planning on moving back to Australia then. But she didn't want to leave her doctors she had worked with previously. Once we learned it was terminal and that she didn't have a lot of time left, things between her and I reached a point where I could finally understand why she didn't want to be married to me anymore. I did everything I could to help her with her care but I was thrilled when a nurse started coming over daily. I feel so guilty when I say that there were moments where I was relieved I wasn't the one who had to touch her anymore. I feel like such a crappy person for feeling that way."

"You aren't a crappy person. I think that happens a lot with people who become caretakers. And she wasn't your wife anymore. It's okay to feel the way you do, Tommy. You're human."

"Remember the days when we were superhuman?" He asked, stretching his legs out in front of him. "I miss that."

"You mean we aren't anymore?" I mused. He laughed, raising his head to look up at the sky again. I wondered what he was thinking about or rather who.

"I really did have a great time today. These last few days of getting to spend time with you again have been good regardless of the reasoning. I missed this."

"I missed it too." I said. "But we aren't strangers, Tommy. You have my number. You can call me whenever you want. And you and the boys are welcome to come to Nashville whenever you want to get away from everything. We don't have to just see each other every four years."

"The last time was a bit rockier than this though." He stated, leaning back in his seat. "I think this was much smoother."

"A tad." I bit my lip, looking down at my hands.

"You know, there are some nights where I can't go to sleep unless I think about the past. At first, I hated it but now, I walk down memory lane because I love running into you." I shifted my gaze to look over at him. "Especially when it's been so long since I've heard from you."

"I didn't think you'd want to see me." I whispered.

"Why would you think that?" Tommy asked, leaning towards me slightly as he looked concerned.

"Tommy, you told me that you wanted to still be with Katherine. Why would I think you wanted to be friends at that point after what he had done together?"

"What do you mean? I didn't tell you that." I snorted.

"Yes, you did. You said that you made a commitment to Kat and that your word was important to you."

"Kim, what do you think happened that day?"

Angel Grove
Four years prior...

My nerves felt like they were on fire as I walked down the plank walkway that led to the beach behind the hotel. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore did little to calm them as I kept my eyes forward. Tommy had asked me to meet him here about twenty minutes ago, leaving the message with the front desk. I hadn't seen him since he left my room this morning and I wasn't sure what he was going to say to me. I knew what I was going to say to him though. I was going to tell him that I wanted to be with him and if that meant having to put life on hold for the time being, I was willing to do it. The label might not be too pleased to hear but if it meant being with Tommy again, I'd give the whole thing up.

By the water, I saw a figure standing there. I knew right away it was Tommy. The breeze was tossing his hair around his head, making me believe that I could smell the salt air mixing with the sandalwood scent of his person from here. His back was to me and his hands were in the front pockets of his tan cargo shorts. He seemed to be lost in thought. I wondered who he was thinking of as I approached. I stepped off the worn wood of the walkway, my feet sinking into the warm sand. It felt like winged elephants were flying around my stomach as he turned towards me. I took a deep breath, stopping a couple feet from him.

"Hey. You got my note." He said, giving me a small smile.

"I did. You said you wanted to see me?" I asked. He nodded, the smile disappearing from his face.

"Kim, I've done a lot of thinking today. Especially about us."

"Me too." I said. "I know last night was unexpected."

"Yeah. It was." Tommy looked down at the sand. "After you left, I was in a bad place. I thought that I had lost a part of who I was no matter what I did. It messed with my head for a long time. And I don't put all that blame on you. We were kids. I should have figured my shit out before it got to a point where I couldn't function."

"Tommy, I never meant to hurt you." I said, repeating the words I told him when I broke up with him.

"I know. That's why I had to spend the day thinking about what I was going to do." He took a deep breath, looking at me. "When I agreed to marry Kat, I made a promise to her. When we said our vows, I was making a commitment to her that I'd be loyal and there for her for the rest of our lives. I don't take that kind of thing lightly, especially when it comes to the wellbeing of other people. Kat has never done anything to hurt me. She doesn't deserve a husband who would do what I did to her last night." Guilt crossed over Tommy's facial features as he swallowed hard. "I hate how hurt she will be if she were to ever find out about it. It was never my intention to see anyone get hurt. Lines were crossed though and there's nothing I can do about that now."

"Tommy…" my voice trailed off as I realized what he was preparing himself to say. I could tell from the look on his face and how hard of a time he was having looking me in the eye right now.

He was picking Katherine.

The breath in me disappeared as the realization washed over me like a tidal wave. I wished for a real one to come out of the ocean to wipe us out just to prevent the words from coming out of his mouth. He was choosing Kat. After everything I told him the other day about being in love with him still and being regretful of breaking up with him on top of spending the night together last night, he was still going to choose to be with his wife instead of me. Tears burned behind my eyes. I had set myself up for this and had allowed Tommy to come into my life again just to return the favor of breaking my heart this time.

"I hope you understand that I didn't mean for last night to happen the way it did." Tommy said.

"Hey." I said, giving him a smile that I forced. "I understand, Tommy. Really, I do. Honestly, I thought it was a great way for us to get the closure we needed."

"Closure?" He asked. I nodded, hugging my arms close to me.

"Yeah. After our past, I think it was a good way to move past it all. You're married now. I'm just about to start a career that is going to have me on the road more than anything as it is. I think it would be silly of me to expect anything else out of last night other than a way for us to say good-bye." Tears were threatening to fall from my eyes but I wouldn't allow them. He wasn't going to see me become upset. I wasn't going to allow him to tell me he would rather be with Kat. I was going to do this the way I wanted to if it needed to be this way.

"Right." He said, his voice hoarse. "The tour."

"I really did have a good time with you this week." I said. "And I'm glad that we were able to talk. If the tour lands me around here, I will get you and Kat some tickets to attend if you'd like. I'd love for you guys to have a night out together. It'll be my treat." I am rambling now. I needed to get out of there.

"Kim, I thought you said the other day…" Tommy trailed off this time. I nodded, smiling again.

"I did but I'll be okay with it. I think last night really made me realize that this was always going to be the way we ended up. And I'm okay with that too. We'll always be friends and that's a good thing."

"Yeah." Tommy said. Silence fell over us, the sound of the water licking at the shore and seagulls nearby filling in the deafening void.

"I should get going. I have to get packed before my flight tonight. Unless you need to talk about something else?" Tommy shook his head.

"No. That was it." I stepped forward, giving him a hug. Tommy wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug and when he did, that's when the first tear slid down my face. I wiped it away quickly as we pulled apart.

"Take care of yourself, Tommy. Don't be a stranger." I gave him a wink before turning, heading towards the path again. When my foot hit the wooden planks, sobs began to pour from me. I didn't dare to look back.

"You told me that you made a commitment to Kat and that you needed to honor it." I said. "And that you needed to make sure she didn't get hurt."

"Kim, I came to tell you that day that I was going to leave Kat." Tommy said, shifting to face me better.

"What?" I whispered.

"It's true. I did make a commitment to Kat but I was going to be truthful with her about what happened and why we couldn't be together anymore. That's what I had been talking about. I wanted to warn you that she'd probably be upset with you after the fact."

"You were going to leave Kat?"

"Yeah. I wanted to be with you." I shook my head, standing up.

"No. No. No." I said, repeatedly. "Then why didn't you say that?"

"Because you started talking about your tour and how it wasn't a good time for you to expect a relationship with me to work out." He replied. "Once you said that, I figured you had already made up your mind that you didn't want to be together."

"I only said that because you made it sound like you were choosing to stay with Katherine instead of being with me." I looked at him, feeling so many emotions happening inside of me at once. "You wanted to be with me?"

"OF course I did. That night made me realize that I still had feelings for you." He stated. I felt like I was going to pass out.

"I was willing to leave the label for you that day." I whispered. "That's what I was going to tell you."

"You were?" He asked, standing. He took three steps towards me, stepping into my personal space.

"I wanted to be with you more than anything." I breathed. We were so close now, almost touching. I could see that Tommy had some features on his face that showed his age but I was still looking up at the same boy I had fallen in love with when I was fourteen.

"What about now?" He asked softly. He searched my face as I tried to remember how to form words.

"Kim?" A voice said from behind us. I turned, surprised by the intrusion. I saw that it was in fact Tristan standing there, holding open the door of the hotel with his right hand. "They told me I'd find you out here. I'm going to head back to the tour buses. Do you want to walk with me?" He asked, not seeming to be aware of what he had walked into.

"Y-yeah." I called out. I turned back to Tommy. "I have to go."

"Right." He said, taking a step back. I quickly grabbed the flowers I had forgotten were there next to me and moved to walk away. I paused, looking back at him.

"I'll see you in the morning, okay?" I said. Tommy nodded.

"We will come see you off." He replied.

"Night, Tommy."

"Goodnight, beautiful." He said softly, giving me a smile.