"How much longer do you think she'll be out?" Tommy wondered as he helped Kim force some water down Eee-dah's throat.

"I wish I knew," Kim sighed tiredly. "I think the baby is going to hatch soon." She had taken to carrying the egg around with her in a sling-type pouch. She ran her hand over the warm surface. "I think the outer shell is getting more transparent, thinner even."

"Let's hope it doesn't latch onto you as its mommy," Tommy teased. Just then they heard Kah-eee's sounding. "Dinner's arrived."

Kim's face went a little pale. The first time Kah-eee had brought home dinner, he dumped the bloody carcas practically in Kim's lap. She promptly lost it, to Kah-eee's consternation. It was fairly obvious from the shredded remains that Kah-eee had already eaten, so Tommy claimed what was left for him and Kimberly. Kim wasn't sure which puzzled Kah-eee more: Tommy doing the cooking or the cooking in general. Kah-eee preferred his meat raw.

"I'll take care of things here; go check on Eee-dah," Tommy advised. Kim was grateful not to have to see what Kah-eee had brought home this time.

"Kah-eee's back," Kim murmured to the sleeping flier. She always talked to Eee-dah; it made her feel better somehow. She slipped the sling over her head and fastened it around Eee-dah; the egg spent a little time each day with its mother. "Please wake up soon; your baby needs you." They had already changed the bandages--the wound did look as if it was beginning to mend--so there was nothing for Kimberly to do but sit with the sleeping female. It was at those moments that her fears for her own child's safety crept up on her. What would they do if they didn't get back home before she was due to deliver? What if there were complications?

_Please, Zordon, find us soon,_ she prayed with all her heart. She buried her face in her hands so as to stifle her sobs; she didn't want Tommy to hear. She didn't want him to know how worried and scared she was.

Kim heard a soft coo and felt a hand on her arm. Thinking it to be Kah-eee (in spite of his fierceness, the flier could be surprisingly gentle--not unlike Tommy), Kim looked up but saw no one beside her. The coo was repeated, and she glanced down. Eee-dah peered up at her with concern in her eyes.

"Ohmigod, you're awake!" Kim gapsed, throwing her arms around the flier in a joyful hug. "I'll get Tommy and Kah-eee." A quick crawl had her at the cave's entrance. "Tommy, Kah-eee, Eee-dah's...."

"Sh!" Tommy hissed, cupping his hand over her mouth. Both he and the flier were searching about nervously. Kim picked up on their tense mood, and her eyes darted about fearfully. Then, she heard it: the whine of a skysled. It would only be a matter of time before they would hear their ground searchers with their blipping tracking devices.

"Are they looking for them or us?" Kim whispered.

"Probably us," Tommy replied. "Why send slavers if they're after Kah-eee and Eee-dah?" Kah-eee touched Tommy's shoulders and beckoned for him to follow. "Go back in the cave; I'll be right back."

Kim gave Tommy a quick peck then reluctantly let him go. She ducked inside the shelter but didn't venture back to where Eee-dah rested. She didn't want to distress the recovering mother. After what seemed like an eternity, the two men returned.

"This streambed extends for quite a ways; parts of it are heavily overgrown. If we follow it through the woods, the aerial patrols won't be able to see us. We should be able to make it to the hills where there are more caves," Tommy explained.

"What about Kah-eee and Eee-dah? She's regained consciousness, but she isn't strong enough to be moved yet," Kim said.

"They can't stay here either. They're going to have to risk it," Tommy answered. "Let's gather up our stuff and get a move on."

"All right, but first...." Kim hurried into the cave. She flung her arms around Eee-dah in a fierce hug. "Be safe, Eee-dah. I hope you and your baby are okay." Outside the cave, Kah-eee waited anxiously to see them off. "Thank you, Kah-eee; good luck."

"Come on, Kim," Tommy urged. Taking her hand, he led her into the tall grasses. Shortly after they left the clearing, they paused, hearing Kah-eee's sounding. Turning, they saw the flier take to the air, his precious burden tucked into his arms. There was no sign of immediate pursuit. Tommy started off again, but Kim continued watching their friends fly away. Tommy put a hand on her shoulder. "They'll be all right. You'll see."

"I hope so." Then, she took Tommy's hand, and they resumed their flight.

"All right, Alpha. That should do it; all we can do is wait and see if this works," Billy murmured.

"How soon will we be able to tell?" Adam wondered.

"I don't know."

"Billy, I'm starting to get something... the signal is getting stronger...."

"Where am I?" Aisha murmured, gazing around the Commnad Center perplexedly.

"That goes double for me," Rocky echoed. "Man, my head hurts!"

"You did it, Billy!" Alpha cheered.

"I only helped a little. They came back on their own," Billy demurred.

"Now, all we have to do is reclaim Kimberly and Tommy...."

_Stupid cramps,_ Kim groused as she tried to shift around and get comfortable again; however, that was practically impossible thanks to her exceedingly large belly. She sighed. She no longer cared whether or not she made it home before the baby was born; she just wanted her pregnancy to be over with. She was tired of her aching back, her swollen feet, and her distended abdomen. _God, how can Tommy stand to look at me?_ She felt another twinge and sighed. There'd be no going back to sleep now. Still, her dream had lifted her spirits somewhat. It continued to ring true in her heart, which meant that the others had all made it back home safely. She and Tommy were the only ones left. It wouldn't be long now. Kim rolled over to tell Tommy about her dream, only to find him missing. Then she discovered that she was cold and wet. That was the other thing she hated about being pregnant--the weak bladder.

_Ah well, at least Tommy isn't here to tease me about it._ Kim cast about the hut to see if she could find something to wipe up the mess.

The two had been living in the remains of the dwelling for the last two weeks. Kim just could not travel any longer, and the two decided that they would have to settle down and await the arrival of the baby. Kim figured she had to be pretty close to term; she felt as if she would pop at any minute. They had selected the valley carefully, making certain there were no flier settlements close by. In deciding on a likely camp, they almost hadn't seen the shelter, overgrown as it was with plants and things. They had been surprised to find it pretty much intact; it required only a bit of work to make it habitable. The other nice thing was that it was situated close to a well; the water was pure and fresh. Food was plentiful... they felt safe and secure... it was almost too idyllic. Both Kim and Tommy felt slightly on edge, just waiting for everything to come crashing in on them.

Kim figured that Tommy was out looking for breakfast. She felt so useless of late. It seemed all she wanted to do was sleep. Kim forced herself to get up; she refused to spend the day just lazing around. The hut needed straightening; the water pitcher was empty. Taking it to the well wouldn't be too taxing, and if she couldn't hoist the bucket Tommy had rigged up, the river wasn't that much farther away. Determined to do something, she collected the chipped piece of crockery and made her way outside.

It was a perfectly beautiful day; she had never seen the sky look so blue. The temperature was wonderful, and only a slight breeze rustled the leaves. Maybe later, she and Tommy could go swimming. She liked swimming; it was the only time when she didn't feel so ungainly and awkward. She hoped Tommy would be back soon as another cramp pinched her abdomen. She was sure that food would help settle her stomach.

Whatever was distressing her was bothering the baby as well. She felt a restless motion inside her. _Soon, little one; I can feel it,_ she assured the fitful child within, running her hand over her belly. The motion made her think of Kah-eee and Eee-dah, and she wondered how the family was doing. She wished she had some idea of what had been going on. In idle moments, she had constructed an elaborate fantasy. She envisioned a Romeo and Juliet scenario: Kah-eee was from a winged clan, Eee-dah was not, but they fell in love anyway. They ran off together and got married (or had their own version of the mating flight), then Kah-eee's family found out about them and sought to split the lovers up--without realizing that a child had been conceived. She imagined that after she and Tommy had left, they had gotten away and had found a safe valley to live in.

Kim sighed. Thinking of Kah-eee and Eee-dah also made her think about her and Tommy's situation. What were they going to do once they got home? What would their parents think? Here they were with a child, and they weren't even married... well, not by any judge or church official. In spite of her melancholy, Kim smiled as she recalled their conversation about that matter.

"I just wish we could have been married somehow before I got pregnant," Kim murmured one gloomy eveing as she was feeling unusually moody.

"Why?"

"For the baby's sake. I know it's not that big a deal anymore, but I don't want him or her to be ashamed someday of having been born out of wedlock."

"But Kim, in all the ways that matter, we are married," Tommy informed her.

"What do you mean? There was no ceremony. No priest, pastor, judge or whatever to officiate...."

"Kim, those guys are just there to make sure the words are said and the marriage license is signed. The vows are just words unless the people speaking them really believe them in their hearts. Kim, when I kissed you in the temple, I promised to love and cherish you always. In giving you a part of my heart and soul, I made you a part of me. Didn't you feel the same way?"

"With my kiss, I tried to tell you how much I loved you and that there'd never be anyone else--that I was yours forever," Kim said, her heart filling with emotion.

"That kiss was our wedding vow, and we even made it in a church of sorts. So what does it matter if we haven't filled out the official paper work yet?"

It was a beautiful sentiment, and she loved Tommy dearly for it, but it wouldn't carry much weight when they got home.

Just then, a cloud past overhead, casting a cold shadow on the ground. Kim shivered, hoping it would drift away soon. She peered at the sky, and her heart shrank. It wasn't a cloud, but a skysled. Kim slowly drifted towards the cover of the trees; her heart was pounding. _Don't draw attention to yourself; they may not have seen you._ Where was Tommy? Surely he was aware of the sleds. Why hadn't he come to get her up unless... had he been captured? Kim felt the fear inside her rise uncontrollably. _Easy does it; there's no need to panic. Tommy's probably spying on these guys right now, trying to figure out the best way to get us out of this."_ Kim forced herself to calm down, and she waited to move until the sled had flown off.

She was torn. Should she go back to the hut or continue on to the well? She wanted to get back to the safety of their home, but common sense told her that they might have to hide out in the hut for an extended period of time, and if that happened, they'd need to have water and other supplies on hand. As Kim continued on to the well, another cramp hit, only this time it felt as if she had been kicked in the stomach by a putty. She felt her knees buckle and her toes curl, and she dropped the pitcher, shattering it, as she wrapped her arms around her abdomen.

_What in the world is wrong... oh God, not that! Not now!_

Contractions. She was in labor. All thoughts of the slavers fled before that realization. What was she going to do? She tried not to panic; she tried to recall all the things she had ever seen in the movies or read or heard about childbirth. She had to figure out how far apart her contractions were, but how could she time them without a watch? _Maybe if I start counting to sixty when I feel the pain start again... _ but how far apart were they supposed to be? Dialated... she knew she had to be so many centimeters dialated, but she couldn't remember how many or how to tell... the baby had to be turned right... another contraction hit, and it seemed much stronger than the last one. It was awfully close to the other... weren't women supposed to be in labor for hours before giving birth. Things were happening too quickly. Where was Tommy? She needed him... now!

"Tommy!" she called out, but another spasm made her cry little more than a gasp for air. She was afraid to call too loudly; she couldn't afford to draw the slavers' attention. _Whatnowwhatnowwhatnow... breathe. They always tell women to breathe when they're in labor, right? Deep, even breaths... and focus on something... dammit, Tommy, where are you?_

In the wake of the last wrenching pain and before the start of the next, Kim heard a rustling in the bushes; however, she was incapable of reacting if it was a slaver. To her immense relief it was Tommy; however, he didn't see her curled up on the ground. He raced toward their tiny dwelling.

"Kim?" he called out softly as he emerged againg. "Over... uhg!"

"Kim! What's wrong? We gotta get out of here; the fliers are back, and so are the slavers. They've found us."

"I know. I don't care. It's the baby, Tommy. I'm having the baby." Kim gritted her teeth to keep from screaming. She reached out for Tommy's hand and gripped it with all her might. Tommy flinched.

"All right. What do I do?" Tommy asked nervously. Kim's head whipped up and she gaped at him in disbelief. She wanted to shout, _I don't know!_ but she looked at Tommy's pale face. He was trying so hard to master his fear so she wouldn't see, but she had glimpsed it. Her anger melted; Tommy probably knew less about childbirth than she did.

"Help me lay down," she suggested. Tommy did his best to make her comfortable.

"Should I go get the blanket or something from the house?" he queried.

"... no time... I need to brace my legs...." Tommy located two large stones that had fallen out of the well wall. He rolled them over to Kim and managed to get her legs propped up.

"What next?"

"Ten centimeters," Kim said, finally remembering. "I gotta be dialated ten centimeters."

"How can you tell?"

"How should I know? How long is a centimeter?" she panted. "Didn't Billy once say that a centimeter was approximately the distance fro the tip of you thumb to the first knuckle or something like that?"

"I... think so."

"But my thumb is a lot larger than yours or his." "So it won't be exact! Just see if the opening is big enough!"

Kim didn't mean to shout at Tommy, and she was trying to keep her head. However, the note of panic in her voice seemed to settle Tommy down. That was helpful. It wouldn't do them any good if both of them lost it, and Tommy was in the best position to remain cool. Tommy pushed Kim's garment out of the way. Impossibly, she felt herself blushing. It was absurd; it wasn't as if Tommy had never had his hands between her legs before.

"You're pretty close."

"The head... it has to be down." _Please let it be down. Please don't let there be any complications!_

"How do I tell?"

"Stick your hand in and find out for goodness sakes!" Kim's tone was more strident than before.

"Easy, Beautiful. It'll be all right. Shouldn't you be breathing or something?"

If another contraction hadn't hit, Kim would have swatted Tommy but good. With her muscles stretched out so much, Tommy was able to get his fingers up into the birth canal.

"I... oh man, Kim... I feel the baby's head! It's down." Tommy sounded rather awed.

Kim suddenly had the most overwhelming urge to push. Gritting her teeth and digging her hands into the grass, she gave herself over to her body's instincts. There was no time for talking after that. Kim pushed and breathed, and Tommy tried to keep her calm and encourage her but was generally inadequate to alleviate any of her suffering. She wanted Tommy to hold her but knew he couldn't; he had to help the baby. Kim's groans and shrieks echoed loudly through the unusually still forest.

"How much longer?" Kim sobbed weakly. She felt as if she had been pushing for hours.

"Hang in there; just a little bit more." "I don't think I can. It hurts so much, and I'm so tired." "You can do it, Kim. You're real close. I think I see the head. Try, Kim. Just a little more."

Kim pushed, and suddenly something in her mind seemed to snap. It was like her entire being went numb for a moment. There was no pain... no nothing. Then, as if she was waking up, the world around her began to return to normal. The blue sky was above her again. She could hear the sounds of the forest. Kim collapsed onto the grass exhausted and overjoyed that the pain was gone... no more pain! That meant the baby... suddenly, the world seemed almost too quiet.

"Tommy?" she groaned. He didn't answer, and she began to get worried. Why didn't he say something? Why wasn't the baby crying? Oh God, was something wrong with her baby? Kim struggled to push herself onto her elbows. Tommy was still kneeling between her legs. Kim saw his face; it was filled with wonder and joy. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he gazed at the tiny bundle in his hands.

"Tommy?" she called again, smiling tiredly at his expression. With difficulty, she sat up and reached out to touch Tommy's wet face.

"He's beautiful, Kim," Tommy choked out as he placed their son in Kim's arms.

"Just like his father," Kim murmured as her own tears began to fall. "Hello, little Tommy; mommy and daddy are so happy to see you."

"Little Tommy?"

"I'd thought we'd name him after you," Kim said shyly. "Tommy James Oliver, Junior," Tommy whispered thoughtfully, and he wrapped his arms around mother and child, hugging them jubilantly.

"Do you have the knife, Tommy? We need to cut the cord," Kim said as she played with her child's little fingers and toes. TJ, as she nicknamed him, had a head of thick brown hair, and when he briefly opened his tiny little eyes, she saw that they were as dark as Tommy's. Kim was concerned that he hadn't cried yet, but she didn't have the heart to smack his bottom. She could tell that he was breathing; then, he began fidgeting and making mewling noises.

"It's getting a little cool out here; maybe I'd better go get a blanket for the two of you...."

"Tommy... !" Kim's eyes were wide with terror, and ice cold fear closed her throat. Just beyond Tommy she saw the broad form of a purple flier. Her gaze flickered briefly from the threat behind Tommy to catch his eyes. His expression was set with determination, and he changed his grip on the knife. Kim pulled TJ deeper into her bosom, seeking to shelter him somehow.

Tommy whirled quickly, catching the flier off guard. The knife flashed across the winged warrior's midsection, drawing blood. The flier backed away a few paces, holding its abdomen. Tommy kept his body between Kim and the alien, obscuring Kim's view. The flier hissed something at Tommy. It was almost like a sounding...."

"Tommy, stop! It's Kah-eee," Kim realized, recognizing the weak call.

"Kah-eee?" Tommy queried. The flier nodded, and Tommy dropped the knife. He rushed over to help their wounded friend. "Oh man, I'm sorry... I didn't know...." Kah-eee, however, brushed off Tommy's assistence. He started making insistent gestures.

"What's he trying to tell you?" Kim wondered. "I'm not sure."

Kah-eee dropped to the ground and began scratching something into the dirt.

"He's drawing pictures?" Kim murmured. She hadn't thought of trying to communicate with the fliers through pictures. The two men were quiet for an awfully long time, and Kim wished she could see.

"He's telling me that a lot of fliers are out there--if I'm reading this right," Tommy related. "I think he was one of the advance search party. He's trying to help us. He wants me to carry you to the river then circle back. He'll divert attention from us."

Kah-eee peered anxiously at the pair; the cause for his anxiety was evident in the growing sound of approaching voices.

"What do you think?" Tommy queried.

"He trusted us with the safety of his unborn child once," Kim murmured, glancing down at their own.

Wanting to have a weapon just in case, Tommy made to retrieve the knife, but Kah-eee shook his head.

"Leave it, Tommy; I think Kah-eee needs it for his plan," Kim observed.

Carefully, Tommy scooped mother and child into his arms. "Thank you, Kah-eee," he murmured, then he quickly disappeared into the brush.

Kim did her best to watch Tommy's back as they fled, yet at the same time she tried to curl herself protectively about their son. Tommy did little to cover their trail; not that it would have helped. Kim was still bleeding--not heavily, but enough that a tiny trail of drops followed them.

"Tommy, we've got to clean the blood off me and TJ, otherwise those scavengers are going to pop up and give us away," Kim said.

They quickly acheived the small river, and Tommy waded out a ways from the bank.

"Can you stand?" he asked, trying to draw in a deep breath. Kim knew he'd never admit it, but she had probably pushed the limits of his strength.

"Can or can't doesn't matter. I have to," she replied. Her legs were still wobbly as she set them under her; Tommy had to help steady her. Kim handed TJ to Tommy and stripped off her poncho-dress. Incorporated into her maternity garment were the last scraps left from the pink dress she had worn at the start of their bizarre odyssey. "Use this to clean TJ then wrap him in my dress," Kim instructed.

"Won't this water be too cold for him? Not that we have a choice," Tommy ammended upon catching Kim's expression.

Kim ducked down into the water and found it warmer than she expected. She quickly washed off the grime and blood then helped Tommy tend to the baby. TJ wasn't too fond of his first bath and started fussing.

"Sh, sweetie, this is no time to cry," Kim whispered soothingly, but her son was having none of it. They bathed him quickly then tucked him into Kim's dress. Kim wrapped him safely into her arms, holding him close to her bosom.

"We've got to get moving," Tommy instructed, glancing back the way they had come nervously.

"All right," Kim said tiredly, but when Tommy made to pick her up, she refused. "Save your strength for a bit; I can make it with a little help. Which way should we go?"

"Kah-eee didn't specify; we were just supposed to make it back to the clearing by the house," Tommy said.

"If we stay in the water a bit longer, we won't leave a trail...."

"... until we return to the bank." Tommy thought over the matter a moment. "Let's head upstream."

"Upstream? Won't that take a lot of extra time and energy?" Kim wondered.

"Probably, but the slavers will know that, too, and figure that since we were in such a hurry to get away, we'd take the easiest path." With that, the two started fighting against the current.

TJ began fussing again, and Kim pressed him even tighter to her chest. She felt his tiny mouth instictively rooting around against her breast.

"Geezus!" she gasped sharply as TJ latched onto her nipple and began nursing.

"What's wrong?"

"He's got quite a grip," Kim winced, tears smarting her eyes.

"Like his dad, he knows a good thing when he sees it," Tommy teased. Kim scowled but didn't have the strength to smack him.

The two trudged upstream until Kimberly almost couldn't go on. Tommy resumed carrying his precious burden and worked his way back towards their home. The trio arrived at the clearing to find Kah-eee being treated for his abdominal wound by another flier. They shrank back into the cover of the brush and waited tensely. Kah-eee was talking to his comrade, making gestures. It was as if he was telling the other flier to leave him and rejoin the others. He finally managed to convince the other, and after exchanging soundings, the other flier took off. Kah-eee rested beside the well, looking around hopefully. That was their signal.

"Thank you, Kah-eee," Kim said gratefully. "Now what?" Kah-eee quickly scratched new pictures into the ground. "You want me to carry Kim then you will carry all of us?" Tommy queried, staring at the drawings puzzledly. Kah-eee pointed towards the sky, to the mountain in the distance.

"You want to take us there?" Kim murmured doubtfully. "That's an awful long way, and you're hurt," Tommy objected, pointing to Kah-eee's bandaged abdomen. Kah-eee quickly undid the cloth and smeared aside the thick gore underneath.

"Gross," Kim groaned, looking away, her stomach feeling queasy.

"The knife wound was barely a scratch," Tommy realized. "It looks like Kah-eee used the blood and stuff from you to make things look worse than they really are."

"I really didn't need to know that," Kim complained, feeling a little lightheaded. _What do you expect? You just gave birth--you shouldn't have been able to get up off the ground, let alone walk up a river. Chalk it up to adrenalin._ Kim put a hand on Kah-eee's arm. "Can you carry all three of us?" She pointed down at his crude picture as she asked her question. In response, Kah-eee unfurled his wings and flexed his muscles. "Show off," she muttered.

"We don't have much of a choice," Tommy said. "All right," Kim sighed.

"Here, finish nursing TJ, and I'll go gather up a few things," Tommy offered.

There was little to be done for TJ; he had already eaten his fill and was sound asleep. Tommy quickly returned with their supply pouch and the blanket. He wrapped it around Kim's shivering form.

"All set?" he queried.

"All set," Kim agreed nervously. Tommy gathered her in his arms, then Kah-eee caught Tommy under his armpits and leaped into the air. Somehow, the flier managed to stifle his sounding as he became airborn.

"Oh man, Kim, this is fantastic!" Tommy gasped as they rose above the treetops.

"If I look, I'm going to throw up," Kim said through gritted teeth. She concentrated on keeping TJ warm; the wind was decidedly cool. In spite of her words, every now and again, Kim would take a peek. She never looked down, only straight ahead, keeping her eyes on the solitary mountain that loomed ever closer.

"It's probably a dormant volcano," Tommy realized. The strain of carrying three passengers was beginning to take its toll on Kah-eee; however, they managed to reach their destination before the flier's wings gave out. He set Tommy and Kim down in a clearing before a stone archway. He pointed to the construct and shook his head as if to say "don't venture beyond that point."

"Yanna," the flier intoned solemnly, with a slight bow of his head.

"His god?" Kim wondered.

"Seems likely. Look at the pictures carved into the stones; they depict a flier that's been painted white," Tommy said. Kim stepped over to get a closer look.

"Yanna?" she queried, pointing to the white flier. "Yanna," Kah-eee confirmed.

"If this is their holy ground, why bring us here?" Tommy inquired.

"Maybe Kah-eee feels this is a place of safety," Kim speculated.

Having caught his second wind, Kah-eee prepared to leave. Tommy stepped forward to offer his hand, but the flier didn't know what to make of the gesture.

"Thank you," he said, closing his hand around Kah-eee's and shaking it.

"Give our best to Eee-dah," Kim murmured, also coming forward to give Kah-eee a hug. Again, he was perplexed by the move. Kim exhaled in exasperation; she wanted Kah-eee to understand how grateful she and Tommy were for all his help. Recalling his pictures, she decided to try a form of communication that they hadn't attempted so far. She signed the word "thank you."

Kah-eee's expression lit up, and he returned the sign for "you're welcome" (or a close approximation of it).

"He knows sign language!" Kim exclaimed brightly. "Too bad we didn't know that back in the cave," Tommy sighed. "Is it the same as the sign language you know?"

"Pretty close. Since he has fewer fingers than we do, some of the signs aren't quite right."

"What's he saying?"

" 'Must go... others look... him soon. Safe here. Baby make... female safe. Yanna make... mate safe. Yanna mountain... no kill... here.'" Kim translated.

"That probably means no hunting," Tommy mused. Kim signed his comment as best she could.

" 'No kill... white animals. Yanna animals,'" Kim relayed. "Makes sense. Yanna's color is white, so white animals are sacred to him or her."

"Too bad I don't have my Ranger powers," Tommy joked. Their conversation was interrupted by cries in the distance. The three adults turned to see fliers and skysleds rising above the treetops.

"You'd better go," Kim's fingers flashed out of Kah-eee. "Tell Eee-dah I think of her."

Kah-eee nodded, then swiftly and silently he took to the air. He stayed low to the trees until he was a ways from where he had left Kim and Tommy. The two watched until Kah-eee was safely away. Kim sank wearily beside the stone archway, and Tommy joined her. Kim unwrapped TJ, who was still sound asleep.

"Well, little one, you certainly had an eventful first day," she murmured, then she smiled up at Tommy who was watching them both with moist eyes.

"Is it just me, or has it been unusually quiet today?" Kim queried as she returned to her place by the fire.

She and Tommy had finished eating and were settling down for the evening. TJ had nursed and was fast asleep on Tommy's chest. Kim smiled indulgently as she watched father and son; Tommy never ceased to amaze her. He was so fascinated by everything having to do with TJ (except for dirty diapers, but he never shirked his turn). At the moment, Tommy was idly stroking the tiny fingers clenched around his index finger, a smile of amazement and pure love on his face.

Since their arrival on Yanna's mountain, their lives had been calm--as calm as life could be with a newborn. They had been in their new home for nearly three weeks without seeing a sign of fliers, slavers, or anything larger than small game. They had spent their first day in the mountainside forest out in the open, but the next day Tommy had found a perfect base for their dwelling--a section of trees had been blown over. Plugging the gaps between the stacked branches and trunks with mud, they converted the debris into a servicable home. This way, it wouldn't look too obviously like a construct. It wasn't very large; Kim couldn't even stand up straight in it. That wasn't too much of a problem, for they spent most of their time outdoors. Still, there was room for Tommy to stretch out fully when he slept, a cradle, and a small fire pit. Kim wasn't sure what they would do when the weather turned cold, but she knew that they wouldn't be there when the seasons changed. Her dreams had been coming with more frequency of late, and each time their friends were closer to finding them.

The two explored the territory around their home as much as possible. They found a stream not too far away, and there were plenty of fruit and nut bearing bushes. They had even managed to find some roots that tasted rather like carrots (but they were blue!). The one area they didn't investigate was beyond the archway. Kim couldn't explain it, but she got cold chills whenever they ventured too close to the structure. Tommy had taken a peek at what lay beyond; he wouldn't tell Kim what he saw, but it had been enough to make him nervous.

"I don't know; it's been quiet ever since we set up camp here," Tommy pointed out. Kim held her hands out for TJ in order to tuck him into his bed. Tommy surrendered him reluctantly.

"I know. I don't like it."

"I thought you were tired of all the excitement of being chased and everything," Tommy replied.

"Believe me, I can live without that, but that's not what I meant," Kim elaborated. "The woods have been really still today; even the breeze hasn't made much noise. It's like the calm before a storm."

"I wish you wouldn't have said that; you have this annoying habit of being right." Kim made a face at Tommy, sticking her tongue out at him, and Tommy laughed. Then, as if on cue, in the distance, the two heard the sound of drums.

Tommy quickly doused the fire and covered it over with dirt. Kim snatched up TJ's makeshift cradle and carried it to the back of the hut. She kicked at the dirt in the far corner, revealing a crude tarp which she pulled back, and under it was a mat of woven branches. Hidden beneathe that was their "storm cellar." It had seen them safely through one wicked thunderstorm, but this was the first time they had had to use it to hide from unwanted visitors. Kim situated TJ inside then waited for Tommy to join them. Tommy dropped down beside her and pulled the camoflage back in place.

"Why now, Tommy?" Kim hissed fearfully. "Things were going so well...."

"That's exactly why," Tommy joked grimly. "... and the others are so close to finding us--that's what my dreams have been telling me. We'll be out of here soon, so why can't they just leave us alone?"

"Take it easy, Kim; we can't panic yet," Tommy reassured her. He put his arms around her, but this was one of those times where even his embrace couldn't banish her uneasiness.

Beyond the darkness of their hiding place, the drumming grew louder. There was movement--the sound of feet stamping the ground, and they could hear chanting voices.

"It sounds like they're saying 'Yanna,'" Tommy murmured. "There seems to be an awful lot of feet out there," Kim whispered. She cast a worried glance at TJ, hoping he wasn't disturbed by all the noise. Whatever was going on outside was happening too close to their house; if he should start crying, the fliers would be able to hear it. "Do you think they could be gathering for some kind of religious ceremony--and not to hunt us down--like they did for the mating flight?"

"Probably. This is holy ground, according to Kah-eee," Tommy added. The drums and the feet and the voices kept coming. The procession of worshippers was so near that they could hear the popping of torches and smell the charred wood.

"It's been rather dry lately," Kim said, "it wouldn't take much to start a forest fire if a hot ember fell in just the right place."

"Tell you what, why don't I go topside and keep an eye on things," Tommy suggested.

"Do you think that's wise?"

"If they're going up to that creepy altar I saw, they're not going to be paying attention a clump of muddy trees."

"All right, but be careful," Kim urged, giving Tommy a fierce kiss and hug. Tommy lifted the edge of the mat and peered out. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he crawled out of the cellar. Kim didn't replace the cover at once. Biting her lower lip anxiously, she watched as Tommy crept towards the crude windows. She read the depth of his tension in every taut line in his body. As she crouched in the safety of their shallow cellar, Kim felt the kiss of the breeze, and it brought the smell of smoke.

"Tommy, something's burning!" Kim gasped softly. "I smell it, too."

"It's awfully close... one of those popping torches ...." "Kim, you and TJ get out of here. Use the tunnel, and I'll meet you by the tree," Tommy instructed.

"What are you going to do?"

"Put out the fire."

"Tommy, you can't...."

"If I don't, we'll all be caught in the forest fire. The last of the fliers has passed us by; I should be okay. Just hurry. For all we know, the hut's on fire."

Although she didn't like it, Kim knew Tommy was right. She ducked back into the cellar and transfered TJ to the sling-carrier. He stirred only slightly and quickly settled down as he snuggled against Kim's chest. While she was securing their son, Tommy uncovered the other safety precaution they had built into their home: a tunnel which would carry them a good distance away from the house. They didn't want to wind up trapped in their home.

"Do what you can, but don't...." Kim murmured; she didn't dare voice her fears.

"I'll be careful, Love," Tommy assured her with a kiss. "Get going."

Her heart in her throat, Kim disappeared into the darkness of the earth. She couldn't have said which fear had ascendancy at any particular moment: her fear of the dark or her fear for Tommy's safety. She made the crawl in record time, and she emerged at the opening high above the stream. She slipped out easily and silently crossed the swift ribbon of water. Once on the opposing bank, she made directly for an enormous gnarled tree. Its twisted trunk was dotted with knots and knobs from branches long broken off; Kim could easily make the climb into the upper boughs, even while carrying TJ. The tree was one of the largest in the area, and they had designated their rendezvous point midway up the tree. There was a hollow spot in the trunk with an excellent view of the terraced hillside beyond the carved archway. They could see without being seen. Kim scrambled up to a sturdy limb and made herself comfortable, then she checked on TJ. He was still sound asleep.

"You'd probably sleep through a monster attack on Angel Grove, eh little one?" she whispered fondly. She stroked TJ's rounded cheek, then turned her attention to the spectacle before her.

Kim had not seen such a conglomeration of fliers since she had been on the auction block in the amphitheater. There were so many... and there seemed to be some sort of order to the gathering. Four major groups were further subdivided into smaller knots, each with its own banner. _They're grouped by the style of their headresses,_ Kim realized. The drums were still pounding, and the fliers were still moving into place. She thought it strange that the latecomers did not fly, unless that was forbidden on Yanna's mountain.

Since the fliers weren't doing anything of interest yet, Kim turned her attention to the dais; it was outfitted much as the ruined temple had been with a single stone table, the grey masonry stained nearly black. She glimpsed white shapes cluttered around the base of the altar... bones, Kim realized, recalling the debris in the trough she and Tommy had hidden in. She went cold inside as she wondered what sort of sacrifice the fliers offered to their god. Some of the skulls she saw looked rather like flier skulls.

_Oh God, Tommy, where are you?_ Kim wondered, frantic as the drumming ceased. In the silence, four fliers approached the steps of the dais--one from each of the four main groups. The blood in Kim's veins turned to ice as she recognized one of the females, the one who wanted her and Tommy dead. Suddenly, there was a rustling in the leaves below her. Kim turned to find Tommy climbing up to her perch. He looked all right, though his face was streaked with sweat and soot. He coughed softly.

"What happened?" she asked, hugging him gratefully. "It was the roof," he replied. "I was able to contain it; we didn't lose much. What's going on here?"

"I think they're going to sacrifice someone to Yanna," Kim said. She prayed it wasn't a flier, for she had the most horrible feeling....

The four leaders stood before the altar and called the assembled worshippers to order. Then, they turned their backs to the gathering, and, raising their arms as if in supplication, began a new chant. Behind them, leaders from the clans of one of the larger factions stepped forward; following them were warriors bearing a cage. Inside was an emerald-hued, wingless female.

"Tommy," Kim began nervously, her hand catching his arm. "She's too small to be Eee-dah," Tommy assured her, knowing what she feared, "and she unmated--no veil. It's hard to tell from this distance, but she doesn't look afraid."

Kim had to agree with Tommy's assessment. The cage was set down, and the door opened. The female stepped out and approached the altar on her own. In fact, she climbed up on the surface and stretched herself out. The four chieftains took a position at each of the corners and fastened the offering down, then they stepped away. They remained on the stairs as they continued their invocation. The drums resumed their pounding, and the others in the gathering took up the resounding cry of "Yanna!"

Kim pulled TJ closer as her anxiety mounted. The tempo of the drums grew faster; she felt her pulse racing as if the drums dictated the pace of her heartbeat. She wished she could put her hands over her ears to shut out the chanting of the fliers. The sound crescendoed, the shouts of "Yanna" becoming a thunderous roar. Kim felt her cry bubbling within in her. _No more!_ she wanted to shriek. Then, it stopped. Just like that. The only sound was the sighing of the evening breeze. Kim's heavy breathing sounded loud in her ears. In the silence, the fliers waited; Kim could almost feel the anticipation that hung heavily in the air.

A minute passed, then another. The chieftains looked at each other and nodded. Each drew a crescent shaped knife. Now the sacrifice showed signs of fear. She began struggling against her bonds.

"What were they waiting for?" Kim queried. "Why prolong that poor creature's torment?"

"I think they were waiting for Yanna to appear," Tommy hazzard. "Maybe since nothing happened, that was a sign that Yanna didn't like the offering and so the female has to die now."

"God, Tommy, I can't watch this. Let's go back to the house," Kim requested, shaking.

"I couldn't agree more."

The two carefully made their way down the knotty ladder on the treetrunk; however, as they reached the ground, they heard hundreds of voices murmuring in awe. Kim and Tommy exchanged puzzled glances.

"Come on, we can take a peek at the arch," Tommy suggested. Kim felt the hair stir on the back of her neck; every instinct told her to retreat to their house, but curiosity overrode the other voices within her. She clasped Tommy's hand and followed.

When they arrived at the gateway, they found that the avenue leading up to the altar was unobstructed. To their astonishment, the stone decoration behind the altar had opened up, and standing just inside was a white flier.

"Yanna?" Kim wondered.

"He's probably just an albino flier cast in the role of a deity," Tommy surmised.

The other fliers, the chieftains included, were all on their knees, their heads bowed. Yanna proceeded forward and paused at the altar. He glanced down at the female and touched her cheek, murmuring softly. Then, he continued around the stone and past the chieftains. He was headed down the avenue.

"Tommy, let's get out of here," Kim hissed. "I think he's seen us."

"Right."

They two started to retreat, but the white flier raised his hand and issued a command. Warriors broke ranks and hastened to obey.

"Run, Kim," Tommy shouted as he drew up and assumed a defensive stance

"Tommy, no!" Kim shrieked, knowing what Tommy was doing. He was trying to buy her and TJ a chance by sacrificing himself. If she had been alone, she would have stood with Tommy, falling or succeeding by his side, but she had TJ to protect. There was no way the fliers were going to get their hands on her son! However, the matter was soon academic as a pair of warriors emerged from the trees ahead of her, cutting off her escape. They quickly had Kim by her arms.

"No!" Kim growled, struggling. Then, to her astonishment, one of the warriors made the sign for patience. _Kah-eee?_ Kim tried to get a closer look; it was difficult to tell what the flier looked like under his ceremonial headress. When the same warrior made the sign for hope, Kim had her answer. All the fight went out of her, and she allowed herself to be led back to where Tommy had been subdued.

"Kim, no," Tommy groaned, his spirit deflating. Kim sensed that he had been clinging to the slim hope that she and TJ had gotten away.

"Tommy, it's Kah-eee," Kim whispered, nodding to the flier on her left.

"What can he do to help us? There are too many others for him to fight," Tommy pointed out. Tommy's captors suddenly pushed him to his knees and bent his head forward. Kim watched as Yanna drew nearer. Behind him came the chieftains, and she saw recognition and fury in the eyes of the female Tommy had angered; however, she held her tongue. Still, Kim could see that she could hardly wait to get her claws on Tommy; Kim struggled against Kah-eee and the other guard. There had to be something she could do to save Tommmy!

Yanna studied Tommy, an expression of curiosity on his face. Then, he waved the guards away. He reached down and tilted Tommy's head up, then he helped Tommy to his feet.

"Why you still here?" Yanna asked. Kim was utterly dumbfounded; he was speaking English! Tommy shot Kim a stunned look. She shrugged.

"Why you still here when someone looking for you," Yanna repeated, and he gestured toward the sky. The clouds overhead began to swirl, creating a funnel cloud. The winds howled and gusted wickedly. Had her guards not had such a firm grip on her arms, Kim felt as if she would have been sucked into the vortex. Black, white, and grey... the colors spiralled farther and farther down the inverted cone to the eye, calm and black, a patch of night sky. Then, a voice came rolling down from the stillness of the epicenter, magnified as it filtered through to the whirling end.

_"Zordon, I think I have something on one of them...."_

"Billy?" Kim gasped, recognizing the voice. She strained forward, hope surging within her. "Billy! It's Kim!" she shrieked.

_"... it's Tommy. Alpha, I need a little more... I almost have him...."_

Just then another fierce blast of wind swept Tommy off his feet, and he went tumbling into the whirlwind.

"Tommy!" Kim screamed, shaking off her guards and hurrying forward. "Tommy, no! Don't leave me... !"

"... can't stop...." Tommy's voice echoed down the funnel. "I'll be back for you, Kim; I promise...."

"No!" Kim sobbed, reaching out for Tommy, but the winds were already dying down. The vortex was receding. In the blink of an eye, Tommy was gone. Kim's entire being went numb with her grief. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't have left her behind! Why hadn't Billy taken both of them? Powerful sobs racked her body as she fell to her knees. "Tommy...." She couldn't bear the thought of being alone--again--on a strange world... she'd rather die!

Suddenly, Kim's grieving was pierced by a forlorn cry; it pulled her out of the cold dark place to which her mind had retreated. TJ was hungry. Kim was oblivous to everything happening around her as she focused on the cries of her son. She felt her fear abate. She had to be strong--for TJ.

"All right, sweetie, mommy's here," she soothed, bringing TJ to her breast. Kim tried to view the situation rationally. Zordon and the others had gotten Tommy home. Tommy knew where she was; he'd be able to help Billy pinpoint her location. It would take a little time--probably to recharge whatever device it was Billy used to pull Tommy home--but they would come for her. Tommy promised, and Kim knew that he wouldn't break his word. She just had to hang on... keep herself and TJ alive, and she'd be home soon.

Easy to say, less easy to do. Kim could not stop crying; her heart felt so empty without Tommy. Slowly, bits and pieces of the activity around her started to intrude on her sorrow, and she realized that she and TJ were still in danger. She felt the steel of her determination rising within her, and she looked up defiantly at the fliers facing her.

As Kim looked around to try and judge her situation, she realized that everything was in absolute chaos. Apparently, the fliers had never witnessed anything like the vortex before. Kim tried to seek out Kah-eee. Instead, she found herself face to face with Yanna. The pale flier smiled at her kindly.

"Mother Kimberly safe here," he said softly. He reached out and gently cupped TJ's head. "No worry. Tommy come again."

Before Kim could ask how he knew her name, Yanna turned and proceeded back up the avenue to the dais. He turned to his dwelling, pausing only to free the female on the altar. Once the stone door slid back in place, pandemonium erupted among the worshippers. Everyone began crowding toward the archway, and Kim suddenly found herself faced with the seething queen who had hounded them. Kim returned her glare of hatred with a fierce glare of her own. If the bitch tried to hurt TJ....

The female issued orders to her retainers; it was easy for Kim to guess that she meant to take Kim captive. However, one of the other chieftains countermanded the order, and an argument ensued. Kim wished they were using gestures so that she could know what was going on. She felt a tap on her shoulder, and there was Kah-eee.

"Nah-neen would have your heart," Kah-eee signed surreptitiously. "Nah-kahn tells her she must not. You are mother with young and cannot be touched. Nah-neen demands payment for the insult against her. Tee-nak says that the male has been punished by Yanna, sent away from mate and youngling. Dah-neek reminds Nah-neen that Yanna gives mother and young shelter."

Kim missed most of Kah-eee's explanation, but she got the drift. Nah-neen eyed her evilly then threw up her hands and marched off.

Kim took the charred tip of the stick and made another mark on the tree trunk: ten days since Tommy had vanished. What could be taking Billy so long? She prayed it wouldn't be much longer. At times it was all she could do to keep the emptiness from overwhelming her. God, she missed Tommy so much. The nights were so cold and lonely without him beside her. She missed his touch, the warm security of his embrace... his smiling face and shining eyes... however, all she had to do to see Tommy was glance down at the child sleeping in the sling-pouch. He resembled his father so much it almost hurt.

TJ wasn't the only thing getting her through the long days and nights. Once the fliers had completed their pilgrimage to Yanna's temple and returned to their respective homelands, Kah-eee returned with Eee-dah and Tah-nee. When she first learned the child's name, Kim almost cried; it sounded so much like Tommy. Kah-eee assured her that there would be no more hunts--at least until TJ was fully grown.

Kim had been overjoyed to see that Eee-dah had fully recovered, and little Tah-nee was quite a handful. He was already attempting to stretch his wings. Kim was grateful for the fliers' presence; it kept life interesting. To keep herself from succumbing to bouts of depression, she put endless questions to Kah-eee and Eee-dah about their people and way of life. She felt a surge of triumph when she learned that her Romeo and Juliet scenario was not far off the mark. They had been outcast from both their tribes and had been accepted into a third, but when it was learned that Eee-dah was a viable breeder, her people wanted her back, and neither wanted any part of that. Kim had also been astonished to learn that Kah-eee's tribe was the only one that knew sign language. His ancestors had learned the "hand speak" from a group of pale slaves much like Kim and Tommy.

In spite of all Kim's questions and her friendship with the fliers--even in spite of caring for her son--there were nights when she would cry herself to sleep. At those times, she'd feel Eee-dah stroking her hair and hear her crooning the same lullaby that she sang to Tah-nee.

Kim tossed her stick back into the fire. Ten days. She sighed. TJ interrupted her musings as he began fussing; Kim wrinkled her nose as she identified the cause. Oh well, it was time for his bath anyway.

"Eee-dah, I go to the water," Kim signed. Eee-dah was still learning sign language, but she caught on quickly. Eee-dah made a noise that Kim had come to interpret as meaning that something was bad. She made it when ever Kim cooked her meat or when TJ filled his diaper.

Once at the stream, Kim took care of the mess in the diaper, then she stripped as well and sat down in the water. The normally cool water was actually a rather nice temperature--the sun was full in the sky, and the day was almost hot. Kim set TJ into the water, and he howled in protest.

"I hate cool baths, too, kiddo," she murmured. With the bath out of the way, Kim took them both back to the bank. She was scarcely out of the water when TJ was rooting around for his lunch. "With that appetite, one would think you were Rocky's kid." It was such a warm afternoon that Kim didn't feel like getting dressed right away. The sun felt absolutely delicious as it penetrated her body. Kim reclined against a tree trunk and set TJ to nursing. She felt herself getting drowsy. It was so tempting to drift off to sleep, but she really couldn't... although Kah-eee and Eee-dah would warn her if there was any danger... and TJ would be nursing for quite a while... it wouldn't hurt to close her eyes for just a minute....

_"Kimberly? Can you hear me?"_

"Tommy?" Kim queried sleepily.

_"Come on, Kim; you can do it. Come back to us."_ "Tommy! Is that really you?" Kim's eyes snapped open and found herself blinded by the brilliance of the sun. It seemed so close, right in her face. She brought her arm up to shield her eyes from the glare. "Tommy, where are you? I can't see ...."

_"I'm right here, Kim. Take my hand...."_ Kim reached out a flailing hand and felt a firm grip close around her. She gathered TJ close and allowed herself to be pulled along by the hand that held hers, not caring if she showed up in the Command Center butt naked.

"TJ, it's daddy! We're going home, baby!" she said joyfully. However, her heart felt heavy as she realized that she wasn't going to be able to say good-bye to Kah-eee and Eee-dah. She hoped they would understand.

_"Come on, Kim. That's it,"_ Tommy encouraged. "We're coming, Tommy!"

The light was getting brighter, so much so that she was forced to close her eyes. She felt herself drifting away from the mountainside... the alien world....

"Welcome back, Beautiful."

Kim opened her eyes and found herself staring up into a bright lamp; she flinched and threw her arms up. The light disappeared. As she blinked back the spots, she discovered herself laying on an examination table in the Command Center. She stretched and yawned, feeling for all the world as if she was waking up from a sound sleep. As she sat up, she noticed that all her teammates were gathered around her, and Tommy was smiling at her. Kim's eyes lit with her joy at seeing him, and she flung her arms around his neck.

"Oh God, Tommy, I thought I was never going to see you again," she all but sobbed.

"It's all right, Kim. You're awake now, and...." Something wasn't right, Kim realized. It was in the way Tommy hugged her. It wasn't as tight... as sure... his embrace was as guarded as it had been before they had been lost on their adventure. Surely he wasn't that self-conscious about letting the others see how much he cared. She pulled back, unsettled. His eyes were warm, as was his smile, but there was none of the intimacy, the depth of feeling she had come to know over the last year. Tommy's lips brushed her cheek--an affectionate peck, but it lacked the emotion... it wasn't the kiss she expected after so long an absence.

"Tommy, what's going on?" Kim queried, feeling lost. Fear's icy hand gripped her heart. She reached up as if to pat TJ reassuringly, only he wasn't there. "TJ? Oh God, Tommy, where's TJ?"

"Take it easy, Kim," Tommy said as he tried to restrain her. He gestured for Billy to take up a position on Kim's left. "You were dreaming. Lord Zedd zapped us with a ray that put us in comas...."

"NO! We gotta find TJ...." Kim broke free of Tommy and Billy's grip, frantic to find their son. She didn't know what was wrong with Tommy; how could he be so casual about the fact that his son was missing? Why was he saying those awful things? All the things that had happened to them--she hadn't dreamed them; they had been real! She didn't know what Tommy's problem was, but he could wait; TJ could not. Kim jumped off the table, and before anyone else could stop her, she tore through the Command Center searching for the portal to return her to the mountainside.

"Kimberly, stop!" Tommy called out as he chased after her. He caught up to her and held her fast.

"Let me go! I have to find TJ!"

"I don't know who TJ is, but he isn't real. None of it--whatever it was--was real," Tommy said. "How can you say that? You were there," Kim insisted, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Remember when we were playing frisbee in the park and we got hit with some kind of energy beam?"

"Yes...." Kim admitted grudgingly, fighting a rising tide of panic.

"That was one of Zedd's spells. After we all collapsed, Zordon teleported us back to the Command Center; you... me... all of us have been asleep for two days."

"No... we wound up on a strange planet...."

"Zedd tried to trap us by making us dream of our heart's desires and imprisoning us in our dreams."

"That's impossible! This is a trick!" Kim shrieked, putting her hands over her ears to shut out Tommy's words. This wasn't happening... this had to be a dream--no, a nightmare. She had to wake up... she was still at the stream... TJ had no doubt finished nursing and had drifted off to sleep....

"Kim, look at yourself; you're wearing the same clothes you had on two days ago."

Kim looked down and was astonished to see her pink knit dress; it had all but disentigrated long ago. They used the last scraps of it to diaper TJ after they delivered him.

"Look at my watch; check the date," Tommy continued, showing her his timepiece. Kim's eyes blurred with tears as she looked at Tommy's wrist. The scratch was missing... the one he had gotten the time he fell in the briar patch....

"I know it's hard to believe," Tommy murmured, "but it's the truth. I didn't want to believe it, either, and some of the others had just as hard a time accepting it as you, but we were all dreaming."

"No...." Kim shook her head in denial. She backed away from Tommy fearfully, her hand going to her chest. There was no comforting warmth, no weight of her child's body. Her breasts weren't heavy with milk. TJ had only started on one side; the other should have been so swollen as to almost be leaking. She looked up at Tommy, desperation in her eyes. She saw his sympathy, his affection, but not his love. "No!" The cry was torn from her soul, and she turned and fled.

"Kimberly... ! Oh man... Zordon, this is Tommy. Kim's run off; I'm going after her," Tommy radioed.

"You must get Kimberly to calm down and accept the truth of the matter, Tommy. It is possible that Lord Zedd may try and ensnare her in a dreamstate once more. Considering how tightly Kimberly is clinging to her dream, I do not believe we would be able to pull her out of it again."

"Right. I think she's headed outside the Command Center."

_It's a lie; it has to be!_ Kim sobbed as she sat on the rocky ledge outside the Commande Center. Tommy was wrong; he had to be.

_But Tommy wouldn't lie to you,_ the voice in her head argued.

_He would if he was under Zedd's spell or something,_ Kim countered, but her assertion lacked certainty. It had to have happened; it had to have been real... the thought that it wasn't was unbearable. Kim pulled her knees tighter against her chest as her body shook with her sobs. She had been so happy... they had been so happy together in spite of everything they had endured. Their love--both emotional and physcial--had been so strong; it had been what she always hoped it might be, and for it to have been nothing more than her imagination...."

"Hey Kim," Tommy called out as he finally located her. He sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. "I know it's hard. I didn't want to believe it when I woke up; I was crushed to know that everything we had fought and suffered for was for nothing. Zedd was still alive and...."

"What are you talking about? Zedd was nowhere around unless the aliens harrassing us had been his pawns. We weren't fighting Zedd; we were fighting to stay alive and stay a step ahead of the slavers."

"You may have, but I was fighting Lord Zedd--we all were," Tommy explained, "and we finally defeated him, Kim! Then, I woke up and learned that none of it had ever happened."

"I can't believe that... I won't! It was real. Zedd's ray didn't knock us out; it transported us to another planet. I was captured by slavers and brought to another world where I was tossed in the slave pens. It was horrible... the heat... the stench... the whippings... then you arrived with a new batch of slaves. After you managed to piss off Queen Nah-neen, we escaped into the jungle."

Kim closed her eyes and let the vivid memories carry her away. Her words came out in a rush. "I was so scared that we'd be recaptured at any moment, yet we managed to keep ahead of the slavers. Running all the time... the sleepless nights... there was only one time when we nearly got caught. That was the time I killed the slaver...."

Kim paused and looked at Tommy, searching for the tiniest flicker of recognition. His expression was one of amazement and disbelief. She just had to get him to remember!

"It wasn't all fleeing and fighting," she continued, trying a different tact. "There was the time I caught you skinny dipping...." Tommy's eyebrow arched inquiringly, and she felt herself blushing. Still, there was nothing. "You can't tell me you don't remember the kiss you gave me in the temple." The memory made her shiver with delight "We were hiding under the altar, squeezed into a tiny space... I don't think you ever held me so tightly... the guards were right above us... we were as good as dead... then, you kissed me...." Her face shone with rapturous joy at the memory; Tommy's only reflected keen interest. A tear trickled down Kim's cheek as she plunged on stubbornly.

"Your mouth... your hands on my body... the look in you eyes... you--you finally told me how you felt... that night, we made love for the first time."

"I wish I had been there," Tommy said softly. "It sounds like it was pretty awesome."

"But you were there!" Kim insisted. "You had to be! I mean, I hadn't had the foggiest notion of what you looked like naked until I caught you skinny dipping. Sure, I've seen you without a shirt, but I couldn't have told you what was under your shorts. I never knew you had a scar on the inside of your right thigh."

"I never told you about that," Tommy protested.

"Sure you did, the night we made love on the hillside while watching the mating flight. You told me lots of things you'd never told me before...."

"I can't explain it, Kim, but I really wasn't there," Tommy said, "althought I wish had been. I think I'd have preferred your dream to mine. We were lovers? Wow."

"Tommy, it had to be real," Kim sighed, thinking furiously of a way to dispute his claim. "You say Zedd wanted to give us our heart's desire? Then why would I be dreaming of aliens and being captured by slavers and all that?"

"You still had Rocky's sci-fi double feature on your mind. Remember? You told us that you had alien slimewads running amuck in your dreams afterward," Tommy pointed out.

"What about... what about... all the details... they were so precise... I mean, I even had my period, for pity's sake! It's such a nuisance in reality, why would I want to dream about having it?"

Her directness had Tommy blushing as he answered her. "Kim, the dreams had to be exceptionally detailed in order for us to believe them. How long were you--were we--on this alien planet?"

"A little over a year," Kim answered.

"Wouldn't you have thought something was wrong if you hadn't had a period for little over a year?"

Kim had to concede that point; of course, she hadn't had one while she was pregnant....

"While we were on our adventure, did I ever have to shave?" Tommy asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

"It was something Aisha mentioned from her dream; none of us guys ever had to shave, and she never had to do her legs."

Kim thought about it, and had to admit that Tommy never so much as had a serious bout of razor stubble. In fact, she couldn't recall ever seeing him unshaven.

"Shaving doesn't seem like a big thing, but it's part of a guy's daily routine. You probably wouldn't give the matter a second thought," Tommy elaborated.

Kim felt cold all over; panic began to settle in again as she felt her certainty crack. Just then, a teleportation beam flashed next to Tommy, leaving a data pad in its wake.

"What's that?" Kim wondered. She picked it up and nearly dropped it. She had seen it before... in one of her dreams. It was the data pad that Alpha had handed Billy upon his return to the Command Center... the one that had quelled his doubts....

"Alpha and Zordon had us hooked up to monitors...."

"... and this charts our bio-signatures for the last 48 hours," Kim murmured, letting the chart fall. She stood up and wrapped her arms about herself. Her dreams... the others returning to the Command Center... their denial... talk of being in other places.... Were those visions really dreams or had they been snippets of reality creeping through the images?

_"Please...."_ she entreated silently, her tears streaming down her cheeks again. All her arguments began to crumble in the face of the evidence. There was one last thing she hadn't checked... "Tommy, take off your shirt."

"Sure," he agreed, puzzled. He pulled off the button down and tugged the white muscle tank over his head; Kim wandered around behind him and skimmed her hand down the smooth, tanned flesh. No scars... not a one, and Tommy's back had been crisscrossed with lash marks, even as hers had been.

Kim turned away from Tommy, drawing in on herself. "A dream. A miserable dream... and I was stupid enough to fall for it," she muttered angrily. "I hope Zedd's happy." She wiped at her eyes, but the tears wouldn't stop.

"Don't cry, Kim." Tommy scrambled to his feet. He tried to wrap his arms around her, but she shrugged him off. "Don't shut me out," he said softly, trying to soothe her. He ran his hand up and down her arm. "I would like to help. I can see why your dream meant so much to you, why you wanted it to be real. Your heart's desire was for us to have a life together, wasn't it?"

"You wanted the same thing--only Zedd had to be destroyed first," Kim sniffled forlornly.

"How did you know?" Tommy asked, startled by her statement. "You told me the night we first made love. You told me lots of things that night."

"I'm curious about something; if we were together... as lovers... who was TJ?"

"It doesn't matter; he wasn't real," Kim answered bitterly. "It does matter. Somehow, he meant something important to you. Please, I'd like to know."

"My baby," Kim choked out in a low whisper. She refused to meet Tommy's eyes. "Our son."

"We had a baby?" Tommy gulped, stunned.

"He looked just like you," Kim continued, unable to stop herself. "He was conceived that night we spent under the stars; you helped me deliver him... you cried when you first held him, and I brushed the tears from your cheeks. You were so full of wonder, joy, and pride; he meant so much to you... family was so important to you, being adopted and all... you were a good father." Kim turned her brimming eyes to Tommy; he wore an expression of shock and bewilderment and looked a little pale. Tommy suddenly held her tighter.

The sky was growing dark. Rays of orange and pink light formed a halo above the distant hills. Kim's tears finally began to subside, and she and Tommy stood there in silence watching the sunset. Kim shivered as the temperature dropped, and Tommy placed his shirt on her shoulders.

"Thanks," she murmured. For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of the warmth she had come to know in his eyes.

"Thank you for telling me about everything," he said, kissing the top of her head gently. "By the way, what did TJ stand for?"

"Tommy James Junior, what else?" Kim replied. This time, Tommy's flinch did not go unnoticed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just that I'm sure I never told you my middle name, and I _know_ I never mentioned being adopted--at least not in Angel Grove."

"Then how could I have known all those things in my dream?" Kim wondered.

"I don't know; maybe Zordon can tell us. Come on, we should probably get inside. I wonder what Zordon came up with to tell our folks about our absence."

"Tommy, if you wouldn't mind, I think I could use a few minutes alone," Kim sighed.

"Are you going to be okay?" Tommy asked, concerned. "Yeah. It's just going to take a little time." "All right. I'll let the others know that everything is okay."

"Will you tell them about my dream?"

"Do you want me to?"

No... at least, not right away."

"Then I won't say anything."

Tommy left Kim with a parting hug, and Kim stood in the cool of the evening watching the sunset with a heavy heart.

Kim sat on a picnic table in the park with her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. She sighed heavily as she watched the people go by. It was hard to believe that only a week ago she and the others had been having a picnic. Now, she could scarcely be out here without getting weepy. She'd see a couple walk by holding hands... another couple under the trees necking... the worst was seeing a mother or father with a baby carriage.

_Stop torturing yourself,_ Kim scolded as she sniffled. _You promised Tommy... you promised to let this go._

It was just so hard. Tommy, bless him, had been unusually patient with her, respecting her need to be alone or simply holding her when she needed to be held. At those moments, he came so close to being the Tommy she had known in her dream, and her heart would ache all the more. Kim sighed again. Where was Tommy, anyway? He had asked her to meet him in the park.... That had been one of the nice things about her fantasy--they never had to worry about what time it was or being late. Just simply being together had been enough, and they couldn't be together like that in the here and now. Kim would have to learn to accept that, just as she'd have to accept that Tommy would probably never open up to her as he had in her dream.

_Not Tommy,_ she corrected herself, _merely your idealized version of him._ She had to be careful; she had to stop comparing what was with what is. That wasn't fair to Tommy; he couldn't possibly live up to her expectations.

_Damn,_ she swore, brushing away the tears that had gathered in her eyes. She didn't want Tommy to know that she had been crying again.

"Hey there, Kim," Tommy called out as he hopped up onto the table top next to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

"Hi, Tommy."

"How're you holding up?" he questioned more seriously, picking up on her melancholy tone.

"I'm doing better. At least seeing a baby in a stroller doesn't send me running home in tears," she replied wryly. She looked up at him and flashed him a brave smile. He looked so concerned... she didn't want him worrying so much. "I'm going to be all right. It's taking longer than I thought to put this behind me."

"I understand. If it helps you any, we all have parts of our dreams that we haven't been able to lay to rest yet."

"Yeah, Aisha and I have talked a little. At least she can laugh about hers now. I just seem to be clinging to mine a little more stubbornly," Kim murmured. Kim met Tommy's gaze and frowned. He appeared unusually somber. Kim had been so wrapped up in her own disillusionment, that she hadn't really considered Tommy's possible difficulties. He hadn't said a word all week long, and while he had asked her about her dream, she had never asked about his. Kim realized that she had been very selfish in dwelling on what she lost. The others had lost things, too. "Are you having trouble with your dream? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Actually, right now, I think I'd rather go for a walk, if you don't mind," Tommy said evasively. He jumped up from the table and offered Kim his hand. Kim took it hesitantly. Something was bothering Tommy; she could sense it in ways that she had never been able to before. At times during the week she had unsettled Tommy--and herself--with her uncanny ability to read his moods. "Oh, I almost forgot!" Tommy held Kim's left hand and removed the communicator from her wrist.

"What are you doing?" Kim wondered as he also removed his own.

"Okay, Billy," Tommy radioed. A moment later, the two devices vanished in a teleportation beam. Tommy met Kim's puzzled expression with a surprisingly warm smile. "As of now, the two of us are off duty for the rest of the afternoon."

"What do you mean, off duty?" Kim couldn't believe her ears. Was Tommy seriously suggesting that they would get to spend some time together without thoughts of the communicator going off nagging at the back of their minds?

"I went to Zordon and told him that we needed some time to talk without interruption; the others backed me up. Short of the team being completely wiped out, we're not going to be called into battle."

"I can't believe it," Kim murmured, astonished and grateful. A chance just to _be_ with Tommy... it was almost too good to be true.

"Come on," Tommy said, and taking Kim's hand in his, he led them down a nearby path.

For the longest time, neither spoke. Kim almost couldn't let herself relax; her nerves were geared towards expecting a call into action. Slowly, however, she began to let herself go, taking pleasure in the feel of Tommy's sure grip and his nearness. It was a ridiculously small thing--a tiny bit of her dream become real--but Kim treasured it all the same. When Tommy glanced down at her, she was able to smile with a little more warmth, and his grip tightened.

"By the way," Tommy began, "when I was talking with Billy earlier, he said that he was really impressed with your imagination."

"Huh?" Kim fumbled, wondering where that comment had come from all of a sudden.

"He was referring to your aliens... the ones with the wings--what did you call them?"

"The Skyborn."

"He liked the way you integrated the elements of your personality with outside influences," Tommy paraphrased. "You got the idea for the aliens from Rocky's movies; the fact that they were fliers reflected your connection with your Ranger powers--you know, the Pterydactyl and the Firebird--and they communicated in sign language, which you're proficient at."

"Thanks, I think," Kim mumbled. She wasn't sure if it was a compliment or not, but it was awfully hard to impress Billy.

"Billy also told me that he and Zordon have figured out why our dreams were so real and how you could know all that stuff about me."

"Oh?"

"Billy said it was my dream that helped them piece it together because all of us were in it so much. While we were asleep, we were linked; basically, we had access to each other's minds."

_"...when you discovered that their minds resonated on the same wavelength...."_ Kim recalled from her dream. "We were able to read each other's minds?"

"Not quite. It was more like our minds animated ourselves in each other's dreams. For example, in my dream, Adam was the first of us to fall in battle," Tommy explained. "He didn't die, but he was hurt pretty badly and we had to leave him at the Command Center. In reality, Adam was the first to wake up. His mind left the link, so his character left my dream because he wasn't there to provide the details about himself. Billy fell next, then Aisha and Rocky, until only the two of us were left to face Zedd. Billy was the next to awake and so on until you and I were the only ones still asleep. When I woke up, I was no longer able to provide you with the details of myself, so in your dream, you had me sucked up by a vortex."

Tommy had completely lost Kim. As she struggled with trying to make sense of his words, the two wandered to the limits of the city park and crossed into the neighboring section of the state park.

"Where are we going?" Kim queried when she noticed where they were; she had never been in this part of the park before.

"Have you ever been up to Cathedral Pointe?"

"What's that?"

"You'll see."

Tommy directed Kim along the confusing twists and turns of the hiking trails; she could almost believe that they were wandering around the forests of the fliers' world. It was so quiet, almost as if there wasn't another soul in the world. Kim was finally beginning to tire as they made their way up a fairly steep incline.

"What's that up ahead?" Kim wondered, pointing to an unusual grouping of trees. They grew up on either side of a wide path, evenly spaced as if they had been deliberately landscaped. The lowest limbs cleared Tommy's head with room to spare, and the upper braches curved inwards to form an arched ceiling.

"That's the entrance to Cathedral Pointe," Tommy explained. As they progressed through the leafy archway, Kim looked around in astonishment. It was like walking down the nave in a church. The tree trunks were like pillars, and the branches formed a perfect vaulted ceiling. When they cleared the trees, they came to a set of natural steps leading to a grassy dais.

"Tommy, this is absolutely spectacular," Kim whispered in awe. The view that stretched in front of her was breathtaking. A sea of trees spread out before her, and beyond that the mountains. She could just glimpse the curve of the lake, and there wasn't a sign of the city anywhere.

"I know," Tommy murmured thickly. Something in his tone made Kim tear her eyes away from the gorgeous panorama. A fond smile touched his lips, and there was a wistfullness to his gaze. The breath caught in Kim's throat; Tommy looked so unguarded... so open....

"How'd you find out about this place?" she wondered, almost afraid to speak. She didn't want to send him back into his protective shell.

"Billy," Tommy answered with a wry chuckle. "He was working on some experiment or another and had me, Jason and Zack help him lug his equipment up here. I've only been back here a couple of time since then." Kim waited for Tommy to say something else, and she sighed heavily when he didn't and retreated into himself again. She tried to hide her disappointment.

"Speaking of Billy," she prompted, getting back to Tommy's attempted explanation, "if you were in my head, a part of my dream, how come you don't remember any of the things that happened to us?"

"My conscious mind wasn't there, Kim, just my subconscious. You were in my dream, but you have no memory of being in battle with Zedd, do you?"

"No."

Tommy took a seat on a low stone wall and gestured for Kim to join him. He propped his right leg up and rested his chin on his knee. He seemed to be considering what to say.

"Apparently, yours was the most real of all the dreams; according to Billy you drew on my subconscious to fill in the blanks in your imagination more than any of the rest of us made use of on the others. I had to be as real as possible in your dream; otherwise it wouldn't have held you as strongly as it did." Kim still wasn't convinced. Seeing this, Tommy took her hand.

"What is it?" Kim asked, eyeing him puzzledly.

"I want to show you something." He then slid her hand up inside the right leg of his shorts. Kim's eyes went wide with astonishment; Tommy tried to appear nonchalant, but his cheeks burned with a fiery blush. Still, he guided her hand as far as he could. Her fingers were scant inches from his inseam when they brushed a ridge on the inside of his thigh.

"What in the... the scar!" Kim gasped. Tommy nodded. Her fingers stroked the puckered flesh gently. "You mean you really have a scar from...."

"... a wreck I had on my cousin's motorcycle," Tommy concluded.

"But I didn't know about the scar before I had my dream."

"You didn't, but I did. My subconscious made sure I was as physically correct as possible. You see... all the stuff you learned about me--my being adopted, my middle name, how much a family means to me--was real. In a lot of ways, you probably know me better than I know myself."

That went a long way to explaining the weird incidents from the past week, but it also made Kimberly a little sad. She knew Tommy better than she ever did, but to Tommy, she was still a stranger. Why wouldn't he have drawn on her mind as she had drawn on his to make herself real in his dream; it was like he was afraid to open up to her even in his heart.

_Kimberly Ann, you're not being fair,_ she chided herself. _Tommy was so busy fighting Zedd that there wasn't time for him to get to know anybody. Besides, he said that he wanted to wait until Zedd was destroyed... maybe he would have gotten to know me if he wouldn't have woke up when he did. In my dream, it took us a year to achieve the intimacy that we did, and Tommy didn't say anything about how he felt until he thought he was going to lose me. It'll take time in reality, too._

Kim took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm sorry I've been so difficult all week. I mean all this fuss over a silly dream...."

"Kim, it isn't a silly dream," Tommy insisted, his words coming out in a nervous rush. "It's a good dream, and it can come true, someday, if you really want it to."

Kim didn't react at first; then, slowly, his words sank in. She looked up at him in amazement.

"Do you really mean that?"

"Uh huh."

A brilliant smile lit Kim's face, but the light was quickly clouded by concern.

"What's wrong. I thought that was your heart's desire."

"It is. It's just... things were so real in my dream, I'm afraid that... I know things will be different, but what if they aren't as good? What if my expectations are too high?"

"Don't worry; things will be... uh... mm!" Tommy's words were lost in the moan that suddenly echoed up from his chest, catching Kim by surprise. Then she realized that her hand was still up the leg of Tommy's shorts and she was idly stroking Tommy's scar as she used to in her dream. She noticed the shiver that shuddered through his body, and she observed an even more pronounced reaction just slightly beyond the reach of her fingertips. Tommy's eyes had fluttered shut, and he sighed contentedly. The sound was at once familiar and strange. Blushing furiously, Kim pulled her hand back. The suddenness of her withdrawl startled Tommy.

"You--um--didn't react like that... when I did that in my dream," she stammered. It was Tommy's turn to blush.

"I couldn't have," he faltered as he tried to regain his composure. Kim politely looked away as he tried to make himself more comfortable. "I didn't know that would feel so good; no one's ever played with my scar before. In your dream, my responses were based on your imagination and on my self knowledge. A lot of the things that made me feel good in your dream probably will still do so, but there's bound to be stuff--like having my scar stroked--that you never considered and I don't know about yet.

"You see, if we do become lovers, it can't be the same as in your dream. Similar, maybe, but most definitely better." Tommy had caught Kim's hands in his and was gazing at her ernestly.

"I want to believe that; I really do," she whispered.

"Believe it. You'll see--someday."

"Someday," she echoed, managing a brave smile. "That's my girl," Tommy murmured, kissing her forehead. Kim leaned into him and scooted around until she was sitting with her back up against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and the two of them sat quietly for a while.

A sense of peace--of rightness--settled over Kimberly as she relaxed against Tommy's strong chest. She thought about everything Tommy had just told her. In his own way, he had tried to tell her how he felt. _"It's a good dream, and it can come true...."_ Didn't that mean he wanted them to be together? In her dream, he had claimed that he wanted Zedd gone so they could have a future together--and that had come from his subconscious. Kim felt a bubble of hope and happiness swelling inside her. There would be a someday because she knew now that it was what they both wanted.

"Tommy, I love you," Kim sighed, snuggling closer. She hadn't planned on saying it; the words had come pouring out automatically, but she wasn't sorry she had finally said them. She wanted Tommy to know what was in her heart. She glanced up shyly and saw the surprise in his eyes. She smiled at him briefly then resumed watching the scenery. She was perfectly content to spend the rest of the afternoon sitting with him just as they were. "I'm so glad you brought me up here."

"I...." Tommy murmured, but he paused nervously. Suddenly, he pushed himself up and he got to his feet.

Kim watched in stunned silence as he wandered to the far side of the terrace. His muscles were strung as tight as wires. Kim wondered if she had pushed too hard with her admission. Maybe Tommy felt like she expected him to reciprocate. "Tommy?"

"I've been meaning to bring you up here," Tommy said in a rush. "I don't know... this place has always felt kind of special to me. You can't see the city, and at night, it's so dark expcept for the stars. There are so many of them, Kim; you can't begin to imagine... it all seems so big, and yet, when you're out here by yourself, you feel like you really belong--you're a part of everything somehow...."

Tommy looked back at Kim, perhaps to see if she understood. Her smile was full of her love for Tommy at that moment. She appreciated that he had taken a chance and shared a piece of his soul with her. "That was beautiful, Tommy; thanks for sharing it--and this place--with me."

"We came up here in my dream," Tommy continued, almost as if he hadn't heard her. Something in his tone drew Kimberly closer. She reached out to take his hand. "Actually, we had little choice; your zord crashed here. While I was trying to pry you out of the cockpit and praying that you survived, I kept thinking about all the things I had always wanted to do with you and all the things I had wanted to tell you...." Suddenly, Tommy pulled her to him and crushed his lips to hers.

Kim was startled, but only for a moment, then she melted into Tommy's embrace. She knew what he was trying to do; he was opening himself to her. He couldn't trust his voice so he let his heart speak for him. With the softness of his lips, the intensity of his mouth on hers, he projected his love and made his promise... almost like in her dream. And Kim did her best to reciprocate. She wanted Tommy to know that she understood, and with her kiss she offered herself to him, conveying her love and making him the same promise that it would be for always. As Tommy's tongue slowly slipped around her own in a loving caress, she knew that he understood and accepted what she offered.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as they broke for air. Tommy gently brushed them away. Kim smiled radiantly. She knew where Tommy's heart lay now, and she had his promise that someday they would both have their heart's desire.

"Kim, I...."

"Sh, you don't have to say it, if you're not ready," she murmured softly, her heart going out to Tommy in his frustration. She no longer needed to hear the words as she once did; she had heard them with her heart. "I know."

"I want to say it--I have to say it," Tommy insisted. "In my dream, I nearly lost the chance to tell you how I felt; it made me realize that the same thing could happen in reality. I'm not going to let worries about Zedd hang over our relationship any longer." Tommy held both her hands tightly and looked deep into her eyes. "Kim, I love you. I want us to be together and share all those things that we shared in your dream... I want to know you in all the ways that you know me from your dream...." Tommy kissed Kim again, more softly this time. Instead of lingering over her lips, his mouth trailed down her throat, and Kim shivered with delight, her body quickening at the gentle touch. Her neck was so sensitive... she hadn't remembered his nuzzling affecting her this much. When he pulled away, she was breathless.

"Kim, would you like someday to be today?" Tommy queried softly, hope shining in his eyes. Kim knew exactly what he meant, and her eyes widened for a moment with surprise; she almost couldn't believe he had asked, but she wasn't about to refuse. She smiled in invitation--a smile that Tommy returned a little nervously. "Would you mind... ?"

"What?"

"...if we... right here?" Tommy stammered. Overjoyed, Kim threw her arms around Tommy and engaged him in a passionate kiss. Her enthusiasm knocked Tommy back on his heels; he fell, taking Kim with him. She wound up splayed out on top of his body, her lightweight dress askew. Tommy's hand rested on her exposed bottom. As he slowly followed the swell of her behind, Kim could feel him trembling with need and nervousness. She shuddered with her own desire and excitement, and she broke the kiss as a tiny moan slipped out.

"I take it that means yes." Tommy mumbled as he caught his breath. Kim matched his bashful grin with one of her own as she sat up. Tommy continued to stroke her behind.

"I'm not sure I know what to do," he confessed.

"Just use your imagination; that's what I did," Kim said with a giddy chuckle. Tommy suddenly rose up to meet her and silenced the giggle with his mouth. The merriment died in her throat as Kim was aware of Tommy's other hand--his fingers slowly sliding her zipper down.

Kim suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach as Tommy peeled her dress off her shoulders. _I wasn't this scared in my dream,_ she reflected, anxiously chewing on her lower lip. She met Tommy's eyes and saw his nervousness in his warm, brown orbs. Tommy held Kim's gaze as he let her dress slide down her arms; her breath caught in her throat as he fumbled with the catch to her bra. Kim wanted to help him, but she could not convince her body to move. Finally, Tommy gave up fooling with the clasps and simply slipped the straps down her arms and peeled the cups back. The cold kiss of the air had Kim's pert nipples standing at attention.

Kim was really nervous now. Until this moment, she hadn't considered what Tommy might think of her body. She hoped he wasn't disappointed. His silence was unsettling; she wished he'd do or say something--give her some kind of sign--but all he did was look, an expression of wonder filling his face.

"May I?" Tommy asked breathlessly, and Kim wanted to laugh with relief, only no sound came out. She could only nod.

Kim held her breath as she watched his fingers draw nearer, almost in slow motion. His touch, when it came, was feather light, but it hit her with the force of an electric shock. Her body arched into the caress, offering herself to him.

"Oh...." she groaned throatily as his fingers gently teased her nipple. Growing bolder, Tommy more firmly massaged her breasts, finally giving her taut buds a pinch. Kim drew in a ragged breath. She had always imagined that having her breasts played with would feel good... it had felt pretty awesome in her dream, but not like this... so incredibly intense... pleasure ripped through her like wild fire, and when Tommy's hot, wet mouth closed over one pert mound, Kim's senses seemed to explode. The dream was forgotten in that moment, and all that mattered were the sensations overwhelming her.

Kim uttered a cry that was part laugh, part sob, part moan. As Tommy's mouth set her body on fire, Kim slipped free of her dress and shed her bra. Able to move her arms, she reached up to free Tommy's hair from its ponytail holder. She then grabbed hold of his t-shirt and started working it up his back. Tommy paused his nuzzling long enough to help her strip his shirt off. The two regarded each other, chests heaving, pulses racing, sense reeling. Kim slowly drizzled her fingers down the line of Tommy's abdominals, then she pressed herself against his smooth, hard muscles. She wanted to feel the pounding of his heart against hers. Tommy softly stroked her hair as he waited for Kim to finish her explorations. She traced the outline of his pecs with her tongue then decided turn about was fair play as she playfull nipped at his tiny nipples. She could practically feel his moan as it rumbled up out of his chest.

Tommy's hands got busy again, skimming her dress down her hips, leaving her with nothing but a thin pair of pink panties. He reached around and squeezed both her cheeks. Kim's hands were not idle either. They found their way to Tommy's groin and the hardness trapped in his shorts. With slow strokes, she toyed with his cock through the kakhis. Her teasing was proving enough to distract Tommy from playing with her ass. Kim walked her fingers down to the insides of Tommy's thighs; boldly she slipped her hand up his shorts and found his scar--to Tommy's immense delight.

Hands and mouths were everywhere, tasting, exploring, exciting. Somewhere along the way, Tommy lost his shorts, and both lost their underwear. Kim's mouth was suddenly dry as her eyes traveled the length of Tommy's body. She felt his do the same to her. She felt the heat creep into her cheeks and was surprised to see an answering blush in Tommy's.

"What is it?" she murmured when she could find her voice again. "Are you nervous?"

"Kind of."

"Why?"

"I just hope you're not disappointed... that I live up to your expectations," he

stammered."Oh God, Tommy," Kim laughed, throwing herself into his arms. His warm, naked body felt absolutely delicious pressed up against hers. "I was afraid that I wouldn't live up to yours!"

"Do I look disappointed?" Tommy teased.

"You look wonderful," Kim sighed. She let her hands resume their wandering. Not surprisingly, they found their way to his sex. Kim let her fingers explore, relishing the softness of the head in contrast to the hardness of the shaft. To her amazement, she felt his manhood throb in her grasp. A smile of delight lit her face, and she was seized by the urge to place a tiny kiss on the tip. However, almost without thinking, her kiss turned into a lick, and before she knew it, a good portion of the shaft had disappeared into her mouth. Tommy's entire body spasmed as Kim continued to caress his cock with lips and tongue. She felt Tommy's hand at the back of her head, his fingers twining themselves in her hair. For a moment, Tommy held her head in place, then, to her chagrin, he pulled her away. Before she could regain her equilibrium, Tommy kissed her hotly.

"I had to stop you," he gasped. "I nearly lost it."

Kim beamed with pride at that. The glow melted into an expression of contented bliss as Tommy's hands slid down her body. Lower and lower they skimmed, and Kim suddenly felt herself tensing up as Tommy's hand cupped her sex.

"Did I do something wrong?" Tommy wondered, noticing her reaction.

"No, just a reflex, that's all," Kim murmured. She slowly began to relax as his hand moved back and forth across her curls to the soft wet lips underneath. The response in her hips was almost immediate as she found herself sliding back and forth against his hand. Kim had never been so hot and wet before; Tommy was smearing her juices everywhere.

"Lay down," Tommy requested. Kim whimpered as he pulled his hand away to help ease her to the ground. The grass was cool and soft against her back, but it did little to ease her hot, trembling body. Tommy lay down beside her and resumed his petting. Kim gave a sharp gasp and her body arched forward as Tommy's fingers finally found her aching clit. She all but sobbed as he concentrated his strokes around the little knob. She dug her hands into the grass as her body quivered in anticipation. It felt as if every part of her body was on fire and it was all rushing through her, converging on that one spot that Tommy was so sweetly tormenting. She knew it wouldn't be long before all her senses simply exploded with an overload of pleasure.

Suddenly, the stroking ceased, and Kim wanted to scream; however, it was replaced by something else--something soft, warm, and moist. With the utmost effort, Kim raised her head. Just about the time she realized that it was Tommy's tongue she was feeling, her orgasm hit and all thought fled before the onslaught of fiery pleasure that enveloped her entire being.

Kim lay on the ground, gasping and trembling as her body rode out the tidal wave of sensations. It took several minutes for her vision to clear and the sky was once again blue. She turned to look at Tommy, who was leaning over her. He gently stroked her quivering body and appeared incredibly pleased with himself.

"I did good?" he queried, a playful smile on his lips. Kim responded by smothering him with a kiss, pulling him on top of her.

"The best," she whispered against his lips. She was suddenly conscious of the weight of Tommy's body on hers and the proximity of his hardness to her still throbbing sex. Kim found herself eager to have him inside her, and her hips thrust forward in anticipation.

"Uh, Kim," Tommy began, suddenly self-conscious. "Would you mind if we waited a couple years for the parenthood part of your dream to happen?" Kim was puzzled, and Tommy reached for his shorts, pulling his wallet out his back pocket.

"Tommy James... you fink," Kim gasped, her grin belying her outraged tone as Tommy removed a condom from his billfold. "You had this planned from the start. that's why you had Billy take our communicators; you knew you were going to...."

"Don't be angry. You don't know how badly I've always wanted to make love to you, but I was never sure you felt the same way. Once you told me about being lovers in your dream, I knew you wanted this, too. I just didn't think I would work up the nerve to ask, but I wanted to be prepared just in case," he explained sheepishly. Tommy was really beginning to look anxious about Kim's reaction, so she let him off the hook.

"I'm not upset--grateful's more like it. I don't think I'm ready to be a mom yet," she assured him with a gentle caress of his cheek, and Tommy almost collapsed with relief. Even so, his hands were shaking, and so were hers. It took the two of them to get the prophylactic in place. Tommy sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Tommy, make love to me," Kim requested with all the feeling in her heart. Slowly, yet insistently, Tommy eased himself into her. In spite of her body's eagerness to yield to him, it was still reluctant to open fully. With patience, Tommy used gentle strokes to probe deeper and deeper into her womanhood until at last he was all the way inside. Kim smiled up at him with tearing eyes. It felt so good; it felt so right. After the initial, overwhelming moment had passed, the two began to move, finding their rhythm almost instictively. Tommy was touching places inside her--triggering sensations--she never knew existed before. If Tommy's expression was any indication, he was experiencing things he never thought imaginable.

Tommy began to increase the pace, and Kim felt her body quicken along with him. Impossibly, she felt herself careening headlong into another orgasm. Just a little harder... a little faster... she felt her muscles clamp down tightly on Tommy's shaft--he had to stop moving, her grip was so strong--and Kim just let herself go, driving herself hard against Tommy, her body awash in fiery release. As soon as she began to relax, Tommy resumed his strokes, and it wasn't long before his muscles coiled tightly then released as his own fiery orgasm overtook him.

Kim shifted in Tommy's arms, snuggling closer against the chill of the night air. She raised her head and gazed sleepily at her partner, a gentle smile curving her lips. Tommy looked so beautiful in the moonlight. She lazily traced the outline of his lips. After their love making, the two had cuddled together and watched the stars come out. Neither of them knew much about astronomy, but they had fun attempting to name the constellations. The sky never looked so big, and for a time it felt as if they were the only two people in the whole world.

She couldn't have said when they fell asleep or who had drifted off first. All Kim knew was that she was resting in Tommy's arms, and it was the safest, most wonderful feeling in all the world. It was where she wanted to be... in her heart, she knew it was where she belonged.

Kim laid her head on Tommy's chest, letting herself be lulled back to sleep by his deep, even breathing so warm against her hair, the steady beat of his heart... the silky steel of his chest... his musky scent... and she couldn't help but feel that someday was off to a wonderful start.

E-mail: kittiec@starpower.net