A.N: Hey, everyone! Sorry for the delay in between. I'd say there's an excuse but I won't even lie lol. Life, am I right?

I actually wanted to reach out and see if anyone has heard from the writer ToxicWednesday. A small group of us has been trying to reach her to see if everything is okay since she hasn't updated or reviewed in a while. If anyone has a way to get in touch with her or has contact with her, could you please reach out? We just want to make sure she's alright.

Thank you!

As always, please remember to read and review. :)

Chapter Twenty
Just the Way You Are

"Well, we look happy this morning." Shayna's voice said as she walked into the hotel room. I was sitting in front of the large window that overlooked the strip, the sunrise being one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen before. I held a cup of coffee in my hands and had the warm cotton robe that the hotel supplied wrapped around me. I gave her a smile, letting out a little sigh.

"I am happy," I said.

"I take it the talk with Tommy went over well then." She said, smiling at me as she walked closer to me. I nodded.

"It did. Shay, I should have done it years ago."

"What happened?" She perched herself on the edge of the bed as I positioned myself to face her better, tucking my bare feet under my legs.

"We talked about what happened, and how we felt, and we both agreed to try again. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be with Tommy again. I keep replaying it in my head, wondering when the reality factor will come back into play to remind me that I'm just daydreaming. It hasn't happened yet though."

"Oh, Kim. I'm so happy for you. I'm glad the two of you found each other again. So, it's official? You and Tommy are back together?"

"Sort of?" I replied.

"What does that mean?" She asked, looking confused.

"We agreed to start over again. I think we are going to get to know each other again like we did when we were kids. Like dating maybe?"

"I don't think that's a bad idea given the time since then. You both are different people now and I think getting to know each other fresh is the best idea to make this work."

"I hope so," I said, smiling like an idea. "Kissing him again might have been the best moment in my life."

"You kissed? Girl, I'm jealous. You were locking lips with a tall handsome man on a terrace while I was hanging out with old guys who drank way too much whiskey and bourbon for their own good."

"Sorry. I owe you big time for everything last night. And everything before that. I just owe you a limb at this point."

"I prefer cash." She laughed. I noticed she was holding in a folder now with the label's logo on that.

"What's that?" I asked, gesturing towards it.

"Well, it's the agenda for the meeting that they tossed together last minute for this morning. That's why I'm here. The executives think it would be a good idea to speak with you while they are all here still." My mind went to the impromptu song change I did last night and then everything I've done in the last month or so without asking first.

"Oh no. Are they mad?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. But," She opened the folder and skimmed the page in front of her. "One of the topics is 'Maintaining contractual agreements.' If I had to guess, I'm going to say that they have some…suggestions…in that portion of the meeting."

"Great. Honestly, they could fire me and I'd be okay with it. I feel like I'm floating on Cloud 9."

"I am happy for you but could you do me a favor and float back down until after this meeting? I think we should go into it with a game plan, especially if they aren't happy. This is your dream career you've worked hard for, Kim. Even getting back with Tommy shouldn't trump all of your hard work."

"I know. I know." I sighed, setting my cup down. "So, what's your plan? I can already tell you have one."

"I sure do. I think we should go in there, explain that your love life is your own business, provide them with the numbers of the tour so far, and then tell them that you deserve a little bit of faith when it comes to the creativity of your performances."

"Yes! I like it." I exclaimed. "I'd love to be able to say what I'm going to sing, when I'm going to do it, and not have to worry about a nasty email after the fact. Can we make that happen?"

"We're gonna try like hell. If they want to play ball, we will swing it right back at them. Get dressed. Try to look business-like. We are gonna give them what they've got coming to them."

Half an hour later, Shayna and I were heading to the large conference room on the first floor of the hotel. I glanced at my watch, wondering if Tommy and everyone else were up and packing yet. They would be heading back to Angel Grove this evening. I wondered what he was thinking about. I had tried to call his room before coming down here but there was no answer. Instead, I put my game face on and headed out with Shayna. I was nervous now, wondering what the directors wanted to discuss. I suddenly felt like someone being taken to the principal's office after doing something they weren't supposed to. It was a silly feeling that bugged me but I tried to push it out of the back of my mind. I wasn't going to let these men who have never performed a day in their lives dictate my career any more than they had to.

In the conference room, Shayna and I found ourselves with the heads of the board. I was surprised to only see the four of them there instead of the full twelve. Mr. Leonard was seated at the head of the table, breakfast plates in front of the men. He smiled when we walked in, standing up. The other three followed suit, fixing their clothes as they stood. I was surprised to see they were dressed casually rather than in suits. They looked ready for a day spent on the casino floor rather than in executive meetings.

"Good morning, ladies! I hope you slept well. Hungry? We have plenty." He gestured to the food on a sidebar on the right side of the room. I shook my head.

"No, thank you," I stated. Shayna and I sat across from the men, allowing them to return to their seats.

"Thank you for coming to see us on such short notice. I know Shayna does a hell of a job getting everything done so quickly so we owe her a huge gratitude for this."

"Any time," Shayna said, a small polite smile on her lips.

"Now, Kimberly, I think we have a great deal to discuss after this last month and especially last night." Mr. Leonard said, folding his hands on the table in front of him.

"I don't mean to cut you off, Mr. Leonard, but I have something I need to say before we get any further. I understand that I was out of line with not following the procedure in my contract when it came to leaving to go to California. I should have followed what was stated in my contract but my friend had died and my other friends needed me. I also understand that I have a tendency to go against the rules during my shows. It might work for other artists but I can't work with a restraint on me when it's my voice and my energy that is selling out shows night after night. I am very grateful for everything you all have offered me with my contract but I need to be able to have some flexibility when it comes to it. There are things in my life that I need to keep quiet because they have nothing to do with my career. I know they came to light last night but I hold to the idea that it should reflect or impact my ability to do my job. I want to be treated as an equal when it comes to my contract and what it put into it." I knew I was rambling on by the way everyone just stared at me as I spoke. Next to me, Shayna pulled out a chart to show my ticket sales and record of my singles' success. "You all know that I'm the highest performing artist you have right now and that any record label would love to have me. I do not want to have to make that choice though."

"Kimberly…" Mr. Leonard said, holding his hand up to stop me. "I can see that this has been bothering you for a while now."

"Yes, it has," I stated.

"I see." He said, drumming his fingers on the table. "Well…we couldn't agree more." He broke out in a smile, glancing at his partners near him.

"What? Really?" I asked, amazed. He nodded.

"We decided last night that you deserve more than everything you just asked for. Your contract is coming up for renewal and we are willing to listen to whatever demands you might have. I know you have been asking about a global tour and we believe you are more than ready to discuss it."

Well, damn. With this luck, maybe I should play the tables downstairs.

"That's amazing," I said, smiling at Shayna who was beaming.

"Let's get through this next leg of the tour and we can set up a time to discuss your contract. Just keep doing what you're doing. We are very proud of your success and think you're doing a fantastic job. In fact," He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. He slid it across the table to me. "We are giving you a sales bonus from your ticket sales as a sign of good faith."

"Thank you all so much for this," I said, taking the envelope. "I appreciate you all and enjoy working with you."

"Just remember to keep up the work, Kimberly. We are expecting big things from you. Don't let us down."

"I won't," I said as everyone stood. Shayna and I left the room, closing the door behind us. As soon as it was closed, we both let out loud squeals, jumping up and down.

"That was incredible!" Shayna said. "You stood your ground to them and didn't back down!"

"It felt great! Even though it was for nothing apparently." I laughed, looking at the envelope in hand. Reaching in, I pulled out the check. It was for $350,000. "Wow," I said, looking at the number.

"Damn, girl. That will be something nice to think about investing. Want me to cash it in your account for you?" She asked.

"Actually, there's something else I need you to do for me. And you can't tell a soul."

After meeting with the board and Shayna, I went back to my room to start packing up my stuff. We would be heading off to our next leg of shows along with the West Coast, including Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver. There was a bittersweet feeling building in my chest as I folded up my clothes and shoved them into the overnight bag. In just a few hours, I would be saying goodbye to Tommy again. This time though, it wasn't with an uncertainty about it. I knew now that we were going to be working towards something this time and that I didn't have to worry about when we'd see each other again. Granted, I didn't exactly know when we would be together next but I did know that we were going to do our best to make it as soon as possible. It didn't make the idea of leaving him easy but it wasn't like it was last time.

As I was zipping up the bag, there was a knock on the door. Walking over, I opened it and found Tommy on the other side of it. His hair was brushed back in a ponytail and I could smell aftershave coming from him, telling me he had just gotten out of the shower. He smiled at me nervously, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Morning."

"Hey. Come in." I moved to the side, allowing him to enter the hotel room. I closed the door behind him, turning to face him. He stood off to one side, looking around at the room.

"Nice room." He said, finally looking at me.

"I mean it's better than other places we've stayed. How'd you sleep?" I asked. He laughed, scratching the back of his head.

"A lot better than I have been I suppose."

"I can relate." I watched as he nervously played with his ponytail with one hand. "You okay?"

"Huh? Yeah. I just…" He trailed off.

"What is it, Tommy?" I asked.

"I just wanted to make sure that last night happened the way I think it did and not just some misunderstanding or dream I had."

"Thought we agreed if it was a dream, we wouldn't be waking up from it." I teased. Walking over to him, I slipped my arms around his torso. He instantly relaxed, his arms wrapping around me. "I'm hoping it was really the way I remember it."

"I think it was." He whispered, pressing a kiss to my forehead. I smiled, closing my eyes and sinking into his body. If there was a place I had to stay forever, this would be it.

"I wish we didn't have to say goodbye today," I said in a hushed voice.

"Hey." He said, pulling back a little to look down at me. "It's not a goodbye. It's just a 'til next time.'"

"I know. It would probably feel better if I knew when to expect the next time."

"I hear Portland is great this time of year. I might have to take a trip that way in a couple of weeks." He said, grinning at me. My eyes widened.

"Really?" I asked. He nodded.

"I figured the boys could use a weekend with their favorite Uncle Billy hanging out at the house. I mean it's cheaper than a science camp. Thought I'd fly up and check out this concert that going to be in town. Cute little country singer. You might have heard of her."

"She sounds familiar," I smirked, giving him a little squeeze. I pulled away, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as I turned to my bag. "Are you almost packed up to leave?"

"Yeah. Just waiting for everyone else. We're going to have lunch before we head to the airport though. Come with us."

"I'd love to," I replied. "Can't let you guys head home without a proper send-off." Picking up my bag, I set it off to the side near the door. "It's hard to believe that so much seems to have changed in just a couple of days here in Vegas. I'm on better terms with Trini. Trini and Jason are having a baby. My career might take the next step up for me." I turned to face Tommy again. "But most importantly, I have you back in my life."

"And that's never going to change." He said, taking my hands in his. "I keep thinking about the time lost between us. There wasn't a day that I didn't think about you, Kim. Even when I was married to Katherine, I just couldn't push you out of my heart no matter how hard I tried. Something told me that you'd find your way back to me and you did."

"I had a little help," I said, rubbing my thumbs across the backs of his hands. "But I'm grateful for whatever brought me here." I thought about the letter and the mysterious author. I still didn't know who it was. I eyed Tommy, wondering if I should show it to him. I didn't want to upset him though or make him believe that something dangerous might be coming until Billy was able to help me pinpoint its origin.

"What is it?" He asked, looking at me with concern.

"Nothing. I was just thinking about that day I came back in my awkward glory." I sighed, shaking my head. "What are you going to tell the boys?"

"Well, I think for now I will just keep the friend plan until we get to a point where the timing feels right. I don't want to make them think we're running off and getting married tomorrow. Not that I am suggesting that at all." He rushed out the last part, looking nervous. I snorted, suppressing a laugh at his panic.

"Glad you clarified that for me. I was already making a seating chart in my head."

"Ha ha." He said, flatly. "I just don't want anything to mess this up. I don't think the boys will but I don't want them to have to deal with another big change on top of everything they've gone through already."

"Hey, I get it, Tommy. Besides, we agreed to take things slow and that's okay with me. What about the knuckleheads you came with? Do the guys know?"

"I didn't confirm or deny anything with them except for Billy. I told him that we were working on things but for good reason. I talked to Shayna and she is going to help you get set up with a computer on your tour bus with the internet and a webcam so we can see each other instead of just phone calls. Billy is going to help me get set up at home."

"That's a great idea!" I said, excitement fluttering in my chest.

"I didn't want you to leave today worried about what's going to happen next." He said, giving my hands a gentle squeeze. "I'm going to do everything in my power to make this work for us." As I gazed up at Tommy, I knew he was telling me the truth from deep down in his very soul. His eyes told me that he wasn't going to be the one to break my heart, just like he hadn't been the one to do it the first time. My mind went to our time together before my big break and how I had thought he didn't want to be with me. I had been the one both times to break things off out of fear and out of not knowing what was going to play out. This man might be a fool to try things with me again but I knew that he would travel to the ends of the universe for me if he had to.

No pressure, right?