Finis
Will Cranston watched his wife sleeping. She looked so peaceful, all the cares and worries smoothed from her face. He was glad she had finally found some measure of peace.
Life had not been easy lately. First Corry, their oldest, had disappeared. None of them knew where, but it comforted Will to know the wraiths didn't have her. Trini Kwan-Scott had been adamant that the person they had seen was not his daughter. He trusted Trini's judgement.
The same couldn't be said for the twins. Alex and Becca were possessed, held captive by the wraith, Jett.
Thinking about that agitated Will, and he quietly slipped out of bed. Kim sighed and rolled over into the spot he had vacated.
Will slowly walked down the hall, stopping at each child's room, to silently gaze at the empty beds.
_I swear...we'll get you back._ Fisting his hands, Will forced himself to continue down the hall, down the stairs and into the living room. He stopped at the mantle, and stood staring at the family portrait on the wall.
As a young teen, and a geeky one at that, he had only dreamed of having the things that were now his. If someone had told him he then that someday he would be married to one of the most popular girls in high school, have a very successful business, and three wonderful kids, he would've thought they were drinking.
_But all of that success, even having been a Ranger, is nothing to the way I feel about them...._ His family meant the world to Will. If he was ever having a bad day, thoughts of Kim and the kids always chased the troubles away.
Dreams within the still of night
On wings of hope take flight inside of me
There upon some distant shore
We want for nothing more than what will be
His eyes went to one of the pictures on the mantle. The photo had been taken just after the minister had pronounced them husband and wife. They looked so happy. Surrounded by family and friends, just starting out, and so in love. Will smiled. Years had passed, but the bond between them had only deepened.
And you and I, here we are
I wonder as we come this far...
They had been through so much together, as friends, teammates and mates. _We'll get through this together too._
He reached up to gently touch the photo. Kim hadn't changed that much. Yes, her looks had matured, but it only refined Kim to the essence of a warm, loving woman. Will thought she was more beautiful now than on their wedding day -- and she had been the most radiant bride he'd ever seen.
If I could only read your mind
Tell me the answer I would find
Do you dream of me?
And when you're smiling in your sleep
Beyond the promises we keep
Do you dream of me?
The picture next to the wedding photo was several years older. Will picked it up and sighed. All the feelings of the moment came rushing back, and he remembered just how full of wonder he had been when he had held the tiny baby that he and Kim had created.
She had been so tiny, so fragile looking. A little fairy being that God had granted to them to care for and raise. _Such a miracle of love._
Love has found a magic space
A deep and hidden place where time stands still
Now I hold you in my arms
You know you hold my heart and always will
The little girl had only brought them closer together. Sometimes when he was rocking her, trying to calm the babies' frantic cries after waking from some unknown baby nightmare, he had caught Kim watching him. She would lean against the doorframe and just watch, a warm smile on her face.
That smile had held his heart for years, and had become his beacon back to warmth and happiness when life got too ugly and harsh.
Lately, with everything that had happened to them, they had clung to each other even tighter than ever. They had started this on journey together, and Will knew together was the only way they would see it through. Separate, they were fairly strong, but together, they could withstand almost any storm.
And you and I, here we are
It's a wonder that we've come this far.
For many years, it had just been the three of them. There had been rough times, when their golden haired angel threw temper tantrums, or stared defiantly at them, refusing to do what they requested.
Sometimes Will had just stared at the cherub, wondering where the fiery spirit had come from. He and Kim were such gentle, nurturing people....
That was when the other side of Kim came to life, and realized mother and daughter weren't really that different after all. There had been more than one time he had come home and found the four year old and Kim locked in a battle of wills.
Will had spent more than one evening taking over when Kim was exhausted. Every night, Will had scooped the toddler up and tucked her in bed. After a story or two, it was supposed to be time to sleep. He'd lost count of the times he'd worn a path to Corry's room and put her back in bed. It became the nightly battle of who would wear out first. Their oldest daughter had certainly received her stubbornness from both parents.
He shook his head, smiling. Corry had turned out to be a fairly tractable person, mostly easy-going. There had been days, however, when he had doubted she would live to see eight.
And after all that we have been through
You've leaned on me, I've leaned on you
Do you dream of me?
And when you're smiling in you're sleep
Beyond the promises we keep
Do you dream of me?
Finally at five, Corry had mellowed, and they had put her in school. With her energies redirected, the child became a sunny angel again, and the family was much happier. Things were far from dull though.
Will set the photo down and looked at the holo of Corry's sixth birthday. Five smiling, cake covered faces grinned back at him. Rolling his eyes, he remembered Nisha and Corry had gotten into an argument that ended up in a food fight. It hadn't taken long for Gavin, Jared and Raph to get involved. Only baby Olivia had watched the whole thing with wide eyes from her playpen.
Kim hadn't been too pleased at the time, but that night he and Kim had laughed like idiots over it in their bedroom.
It took seven long years from Corry's birth before they were blessed again. Kim had worried and fretted that the years she had been a Ranger had affected her body, somehow making her incapable of having more children.
Then the stunner. Kim had come to Wolfecorp and sat in his office with a glazed look on her face. It had scared Will badly, and he had almost called their doctor to yell at him. In a whisper, she had told him, "Twins."
He'd almost passed out. Twins. After years of trying for just one more child...they were getting two.
Will had felt like a teen again, picking Kim up and whirling her around, kissing her thoroughly. He had given everyone the next day off, in celebration, and he and Kim had dropped Corry off at the Parks', and celebrated.
Picking up the holo cube of Kim holding the twins, Will shook his head.
Kim was so tiny, carrying twins had been hard. She had spent the last trimester of the pregnancy in bed, flat on her back. Through the whole ordeal, he hadn't heard one complaint. Even when her belly became huge, and stretch marks had appeared, her ankles swelled, and her back ached.... Kim never did anything but rub her tummy and look forward to the birth of their babies.
The whole event had frightened Corry, who thought her mother was dying. It took Will hours to calm her down and get it through to her that she was going to be a big sister. Once she realized her mother wasn't dying, the seven year old had been ecstatic, telling everyone, including the Post woman, her teacher, everyone at the store and all her friends.
The birth had been hard. Will looked at the holocube, seeing the dark circles under Kim's eyes. There had been a glow of beauty on her face, despite her exhaustion.
The arrival of Becca and Alex had made Will and Kim's world complete. There was nothing more in the world he wanted.
Will smiled. Those four were the most precious people in the whole universe to him.
Gently putting the holocube back, Will traced his steps back upstairs and quietly crawled into bed. Kim smiled and shifted closer to him. He carefully brushed the mahogany hair off her face, and gently kissed the top of her head.
If I could only read your mind
Tell me the answer I would find
Do you dream of me?
And when you're smiling in your sleep
Beyond the promises we keep
Do you dream of me?
She snuggled closer, and he tightened his arms around her.
And after all that we've been through
You've leaned on me, I've leaned on you.
Do you dream of me?
"I love you, Kimberly," he whispered.
"Loveyoutoo," she mumbled.
Will grinned, and sighed. Things weren't as he wished, but they were going to get better. Together they had always been able to get through anything.
Love has found a magic space
A deep and hidden place where time stands still
Now I hold you in my arms
You know you hold my heart and always will
And after all that we've been through
You've leaned on me, I've leaned on you.
Do you dream of me?
Closing his eyes, Will drifted back into a deep, peaceful sleep.