**Author's note: O.k, this one needs setting up a bit. This is a sequel to "Kim", and although it's not as fast-paced and exciting, I think it ties up all the loose ends quite nicely. I mean no disrespect or copyright infringements at all (I was running low on ideas!) by using existing reporters' names and television station names. And a little bonus for Due South fans if you can find it!**
For the first time in five years, Kim was sleeping peacefully, knowing she was once again safe. May had rented a railway car and slept beside her friend, dreaming of past and future adventures. She had phoned Kim's parents, who were ecstatic to hear that their child was found and on her way home. May had groomed Kim until some of her old shine had returned, and had bought a soft rope halter for her friend.
As the train pulled into the station, May nudged Kim awake and gave her a quick once-over. The two friends looked at each other, and Kim said "Thanks, May", and May knew it came from the bottom of her heart. May slid open the door and they stepped into the light. Kim was amazed at how many people had shown up. It looked like the whole of St-Bruno was waiting for her! She looked at May, then at the crowd. She smiled, and the crowd burst into wild cheers. She and May walked down the ramp towards Kim's crying parents. "Hi mom, hi dad." Neither of her parents said anything, but instead threw themselves at her in a suffocating hug. Too happy to be embarrassed, Kim just rested her head on their shoulders and thanked her lucky stars she was home again. Once released from her parents' grip, she heard several voices yelling, and she turned her head in the direction of the sound. A cluster of reporters and camera people had gathered and were yelling for an interview. She looked at her parents, at May, then nodded at the officers who were holding the media people off to the side. She was amazed at how quickly those people could move, despite the heavy cameras, microphones and tape recorders they were carrying. In the space of two seconds, her family, May and herself were surrounded by shouting people, all asking questions at the same time. She was nervous, but put up with the discomfort and waited for the reporters to calm down a bit. She heard a voice call over the din "Kim, Kim, how does it feel to be back home after what you've been through?" Kim smiled and said "It's the best feeling in the world. It's so heartwarming to see the support of the town and everyone, but I owe an especially big 'thank you' to my best friend, who found me and helped get me home." Someone else piped up "Can you sum up for us what happened?" Kim's smile faded, and all she said was "Not today. Today, I want to go home and relax. I'm stiff and sore and I want to forget everything that went on while I was with those idiots. Excuse me." And with that, her parents and May helped to guide her through the crowd to her waiting trailer.
The next day, May cleaned Kim's wounds and brushed out the mats and stains out of her coat, mane and tail. Completely at ease, Kim soon fell asleep, and May stayed with her. When Kim woke up three hours later, May was sound asleep, so Kim got up and quietly went to find her parents. "Mom, dad, can I go out into the back yard for a 'you-know what'?" They both smiled and nodded "Of course, honey." She gave them a silly grin and walked out to the back lawn, sniffed the grass, carefully lay down and rolled. The feeling of the cool grass on her back was invigorating and relaxing, and she indulged in this pleasure for several minutes before she just lay there, with her neck stretched out in complete comfort. After a few minutes, a movement caught her eye and she looked up. A team of journalists had been hiding around a corner, filming her. "Geez" she snorted and got up. Then, another team of journalists was discovered around another corner. Insulted that her privacy was being invaded, Kim growled "go away." When they didn't seem to understand, Kim repeated "leave me alone!" Still no reaction. So she walked over to the first team and said"May I see the tape, please?" there was such a tone of threat in her voice that they obliged. "Thank you" she said as she carefully accepted it, put it down on the pavement and proceeded to crush it to bits with her hoof. "Now get out. All of you." As the first camera crew started to protest, she said very calmly "I'm not going to ask you again. Please leave this property." The cameraman started to leave, but the journalist held him back. With a controlled sigh, Kim said "I see you're not wearing running shoes. That's a shame. You're going to need them." And she made a false start. That got them going, but not fast enough. Kim picked up a brisk walk, then a trot as she herded the crew away. Then, she returned and walked over to the other camera crew "If you don't want to be chased away also, I suggest you hand over the tape and leave immediately." She had no trouble with them. Then, she returned to her room (an ex-garage turned into a very large stall) and found May awake. "Where were you and why didn't you wake me up?" asked May almost angrily. "I'm sorry May. You were sleeping so peacefully. I just went out for a roll in the back yard, only to find two camera crews filming me. It was so embarrassing!" "Ok. I'm sorry I barked at you, Kim. It's just that I'm so happy to have you back. I don't want to lose you again." Kim smiled and went over to her friend. "Don't worry. I'm not going to leave you." And gave her best friend as big a hug as a horse could manage.
Ever since her return to St-Bruno, Kim had been pursued by media of one kind or another everywhere she went. It had gotten to such a point that Kim had decided to return to school as a way of escaping them, and occupying her time. The only problem was that she had chosen to return during the winter semester, and had to deal not only with the media literally chasing her, but also with unsure and sometimes slippery footing. She had narrowly missed falling on several occasions, and sometimes had to stop and regain her balance because her velocity had clashed with a piece of ice. The cleats her parents had installed on her shoes certainly helped, but not always.
As the days progressed, her return to school had provided a sanctuary from the constant presence of media, as well as a place to unwind and learn. But she found it hard to concentrate with everything that was going on around her. It got to a point where all the blinds in her classrooms had to be lowered so that photographers and camera crews didn't disturb her classes. One day, as the cluster of journalists had gotten particularly large, the blinds came down and Kim spoke up. "Sir, may I say something?" "Of course, Kim." answered Mr. Morrisey. Kim got up and said "I want to apologise to the entire class for the hassle I'm causing. You have NO idea how irritating it is to be constantly under the eye of a camera crew or a photographer. But I REALLY appreciate all the support everyone has shown. Thank you." She sat down again, hearing her classmates saying "Hey, no problem" and "You're welcome". Kim smiled. That evening, as she left the school, she heard someone ask for a ride to the terminal. "Sure, hop on!" and she stood quietly as the student hauled himself up. "How much time do you have?" she asked. "Well, it's not desperate yet, but I don't have lots of time..." "Gotcha. Hold on!" she exclaimed and picked up a comfortable pace. As she trotted, she started talking to the rider, both to keep herself warm and to entertain him. Just then, a camera crew materialised from behind a snow bank and called for her attention. "Oh geez. Hang on," she sighed and sped up, not even looking at the crew as she passed them, flicking her tail in annoyance. The parking lot was once again silent. "Maybe they've decided to go annoy someone else," she thought, nonetheless keeping her brisk trot going. Then a sound caught her attention. It sounded very familiar. Her rider looked back. "They have horses," he said in surprise. Sure enough, there came the sound of hoof beats closing in on her. "WHAT?!?" Kim cried in surprise and turned her head just as she hit a patch of ice. Her feet began fighting for a hold, and she yelled to her rider as she felt him grip her sides with his legs "Don't hang on! If I fall, jump or roll out of the way!" she ordered. Sure enough, she went down. Her rider didn't have time to get out of the way, and she fell on his leg and felt something break. She heard him yell out in pain, and she let out a cry also as her near right knee and cannon were cut deeply by a shard of ice. The camera crew came trotting up after filming everything. The journalist jumped down and came running "Is everything all right?" she asked, concerned. "My leg really hurts," whimpered the rider. Kim hauled herself up, favouring her near right leg "Oh my God. Are you O.K? I am SO sorry!! Is it broken?" she asked the rider. "I don't know," he replied. The journalist volunteered, "I'll take him up to the terminal and get some medical help for him. Ray, why don't you stay with Kim and make sure she makes it all right to the terminal." The cameraman nodded. The journalist helped the rider up onto her horse and trotted to the terminal. Almost as though it wanted to console Kim, Ray's bay horse reached over and nuzzled her, and stuck close to her as they set off slowly to the terminal, Kim limping badly.
Meanwhile, at the terminal, a voice crackled over the P.A system "Your attention please. Would any veterinarians in the terminal please report outside the main bus terminal? There is an injured horse who needs help." As the journalist arrived with the injured rider, two women stepped forward to help the rider down off the horse and into a waiting ambulance as the vet held the horse steady. There was an increasing crowd forming, and the ambulance technicians had to fray their way through. Shortly after the ambulance left, Kim arrived, leaving a trail of blood behind her. Kim was sweating so much she was shivering, having to stop frequently to catch her breath. Kim's father had heard the announcement as he had been waiting in the trailer to drive her home, and rushed out to meet her. "Oh my. Kim, honey. What happened?" Exhausted, Kim didn't look at him. "I fell on a piece of ice. I want to lie down..." "Don't. It won't help," came a voice from behind her father. Kim raised her head and say a clean-cut man with a cloth carrying bag. "I'm Dr. Fraser. I'm a vet, and I can help you. Is there a quiet place we can use?" Kim's dad volunteered the trailer, and they guided Kim in. Once inside with the door shut, Kim stood with her head down, resting on her father's chest as Dr. Fraser examined the wound. "The good news is that it's not as bad as it looks. The bad news is that it's going to require regular attention. The dressing will have to be changed every eight hours for the first week, with minimal weight resting on the leg. Afterwards, until the wound heals, light exercise and a change of dressing every day." Kim protested "But I have to go to school..." "Not for a week, at least, I'm afraid," said Dr. Fraser. "Now. This will hurt a bit, but you need to keep still. I'm going to disinfect the wound. Luckily, there isn't any material stuck in it." Kim remained still as the doctor worked on her leg and her dad passed a dry cloth over her body to remove the sweat, which was followed by a blanket to warm her up.
That night, Kim was resting quietly in her stall when she heard familiar noises: hoof beats and a "Don't hang on! If I fall, jump or roll out of the way!" She hobbled over to the window and stuck her head through. Her parents were watching the evening news, and they were playing the tape of her accident. Totally humiliated, Kim went over to a corner of her stall, lay down and stared into space, listening to the T.V. "And before we go on to the next story, we would like to provide an update. At the present time, Jeremy is in the hospital with a broken leg, but feels no anger towards Kim "No, I'm not mad. It wasn't her fault she fell. I just hope she's okay." and we have been told that Kim has a cut on her leg, but is doing well and will be back at school soon... A three alarm fire...." The T.V was silenced and she heard her parents coming. "Knock knock, Kim. Can we come in?" Kim feigned sleep. She heard the door click open, and her mother say to her father "She's sleeping. She's had a hard day. Let's leave her alone." The door clicked shut. A tear rolled down Kim's cheek as she lay there in the darkness, letting her thoughts wander.
The day following Kim's fall, her father improvised a sling for her to keep weight off her leg. Not used to having only three legs to stand on, it took Kim a while to get used to moving around, often stumbling and tripping over herself as she learned. But by the end of the week, Kim was an expert at getting up and lying down on three legs. Every eight hours, after having the old dressing removed, Kim would flex her leg, just to make sure it "still worked" before the new bandaging went on and she hobbled off.
As the weeks progressed, Kim's wound healed, but her happiness deteriorated rapidly. Her parents were worried. They didn't know what was bothering her, as she refused to talk about it. Kim often woke up in tears in the middle of the night, after having horrible flashbacks caused by her experiences with the horse abusers. She became more and more depressed, and nothing anyone did seemed to help her. Her grades slipped and she didn't seem to have any motivation at all. She would walk to and from school, and didn't make her usual effort to be merry and get people to the terminal on time. She had allowed May to talk her into pulling a sleigh, so that more people could take advantage of her speed, but she never went faster than a walk or a slow trot. May often rode with her, and did her best to cheer her up, but to no avail. Kim had hit rock bottom. One day, Kim was coaxed into her trailer, and her parents drove off. She didn't know where they were headed, and didn't care. Soon, the trailer pulled to a stop and Kim was backed out. She didn't recognise where she was, but she heard a familiar sound. An exited whinny drifted her way. She pricked her ears and looked up. Ray's horse came galloping across his pasture to meet her. Kim's eyes lit up and she trotted up to the fence. The two horses nuzzled each other happily. Then Kim turned away and trotted off. Her parent's hearts fell. She had gone a fair distance when she turned around and stopped. Then, she launched into a full gallop, cleared the fence and disappeared over the hill with Lightning in hot pursuit.
The day of "her day", Kim woke up in a good mood, and for that day, she pushed her blues aside. She was scheduled to make her appearance at the CTV studio at two-thirty P.M. Having no idea what kind of things she would be expected to do, she asked May to come over and help her get ready. May was there in ten minutes flat. As May worked, Kim would pick up the necessary utensil and pass it over to May, and put away the previous item, yammering on about everything and anything, just as a way of relaxing. "Kim, tell me honestly if you want me there with you today." asked May. Kim was taken completely by surprise. She looked over at her friend "why wouldn't I? Of course May! You're as much a part of this as I am, maybe more. If you hadn't found me, who knows where I'd be now? You're the real star here!" May gave her friend a smile and a hug. "Thanks... Now, what do you want me to do with your mane and tail? Braid? Plait? Loose? What?" Kim thought. "I don't know. Mom? Dad? What do you think?" Kim's mom said "You have such beautiful, silky hair, why don't you just leave the mane loose and plait the tail? What do you think, Ben?" she turned to her husband. He nodded. "Sounds good to me!" May smiled. "Sounds good to me too!" May set to work plaiting Kim's tail as her mother brushed her mane and her father passed over her body with a damp cloth, bringing up a beautiful shine. Kim absolutely loved all the attention. When everyone was done, they stepped back and admired their work. Then, Ben looked at his watch. "We'd better get going, Kim. You'll be just in time." She nodded. So as her father went to get the trailer, May and Meg (Kim's mother) collected together the necessary equipment, and packed everything into a large tack trunk. The garage/stall door opened and Ben appeared. "My dear ladies, your chariot awaits." Everyone laughed and piled in.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the studio and backed the trailed into the designated area. Her mother came and backed her out of the trailer, then the family and May made their way to the "waiting area". One of the camera crew said "...and we're clear" and the studio exploded into movement. Kim was whisked to her spot beside the animator, and her family (including May) were seated beside her. The host of the show, a lady named Mitsumi Takahashi, introduced herself to Kim and made sure she was comfortable. Kim smiled back and thanked "Mits" for her support. "Ten seconds" called a voice. Kim got suddenly very nervous. She turned to her father and said "Dad, I don't know if I can do this..." Ben turned around. "Oh, honey. Don't worry. Everyone here knows you. You're the star of the show. You'll be fine." She smiled nervously. Then the show started. "And now, we have a very special treat. The entire team at CTV is honoured to welcome Kim, along with her mother, Margaret, her father, Benton, and her best friend, May." The camera focused on each individual as they were named, then returned to the host. "Kim. Welcome." Kim smiled and said "Thank you. It's an honour to be here." "Now, Kim. Let me be the first to say that you are one incredible individual. Despite great odds, for five years, you hung on. What was it that lifted your spirits during those dark times?" Kim thought for a second. "Three words: friends and family. I knew they were looking for me, and that they wouldn't give up on me, no matter what. So I hung on. For them." Mitsumi nodded. "Now, I have a question for May. May, how did you find Kim? She left no traces. How hard was it to find her?" May answered "It was very hard. I went from horse auction to horse auction until I found her. How she ended up in Texas, I don't know, but I knew right away it was her when I first saw her. Initially, she didn't seem to recognise me, but I knew it was her." "All right. We're going to break for commercial, but when we come back, we'll have more with Kim and her friends and family." "And we're clear. Thirty seconds to air!" Once again, the studio exploded in action, with individuals running everywhere and doing everything at once. Mits had her make-up touched up and Kim was asked if she was comfortable. "Ten seconds, people!" and the crew disappeared from stage. "Welcome back. We are presently in the distinguished company of Kim and her family and friends. Now Kim. I know you've been asked this several times, but would you consider telling us your experiences while you were missing?" Kim was taken aback. She gave a deep sigh and looked at her family. Her mother nodded. "All right. All right. But I want to make it perfectly clear right now that this is the one and only time I'm saying this. I don't want anymore harassment." Mits nodded. Kim closed her eyes and let her mind go back to that fateful night. "I was walking home after school one night. It was dark and the street was deserted. It was very quiet." Kim flinched as she remembered the rope tighten around her neck. "Suddenly, I felt a rope around my neck and I jumped. I saw a man coming towards me with a bridle and a blindfold." Kim was starting to breathe fast, reliving the moment. "I was so scared. I called for help. I tried charging the man and he fell back. I thought I was free. I tried to run and the rope knocked me off my feet. It hurt so much. I couldn't breathe. The man forced the bit in my mouth and I couldn't yell. They blindfolded me and I couldn't see. I got up and he pulled me forward. I tried getting away and someone else used a cattle-prod on me. They got me in a trailer and drove off." Kim was trembling visibly, but no one interrupted her. "They were selling me as an attraction. When they didn't force me to perform, I was ridden full tilt until my mouth bled. They never washed, cleaned or brushed me. My voice was fading and they put me up for sale. That's when May found me."
The day following the revelation of Kim's experience, she was approached by a film crew who wanted to make a movie of her life during her abduction. Kim resigned and agreed, figuring that if she went through with it, she would FINALLY be left alone. The first day of filming, Kim was waken up at five o' clock A.M and groggily, she went to prepare for shooting. By six o' clock, she was on the set, and the filming began. She walked down a dark alley, her every sense alert. Then, a hissing sound was heard and a rope landed around her neck. She yelled out is surprise and pulled back on the rope. When she saw an actor materialise out of the dark with a bridle and a blindfold, she panicked. Wide eyed, she screamed "NO, NO, NO, NO. Stop. I want out. Cut the rope. Get me out!!!!" She was lathering profusely and urinated in fear. She had become so frantic that she became dangerous, no one was able to hold her and calm her down, and she had narrowly avoided knocking over and/or trampling crew members as she pivoted, side stepped and swivelled.The memories were still too fresh. "Cut the rope!" She heard someone yell, and the rope released it hold on the tree. Not thinking, her ears pinned against her head and her nostrils flared, she twirled around and galloped away, not even looking back, the rope trailing behind her. She ran straight home, and it took her astonished parents twenty minutes to calm her down. Once again, depression set in, and she wandered around the house for three weeks before venturing outside again.
"Mom, can I go see Lightning today?" asked Kim. "Of course, honey!" her mother complied, glad to see her daughter showing interest again. Within the space of one hour, Kim was running happily with Lightning, who never seemed to tire of her company. Kim was dropping by to see him at least once or twice a week, and her parents and May were ecstatic to see her so energetic again. Kim often brought May along to play, and she would ride Kim bareback, racing Lightning (which was a hard thing to do. He was a retired race horse!) down the field. After a few months of this, Kim became shy around her parents and didn't ask to see Lightning anymore. One day, as Meg and Ben were making themselves supper, Kim came up and said "mom, dad. Can I talk to you for a minute?" the concern in her voice got their attention. "What is it, honey?" asked Meg. Kim took a long time to answer. "I'm pregnant" "WHAT!?!?!?!?" howled Ben. "Dad. Please. I'm seven years old. I'm not a filly anymore! You think that just because I'm a HORSE that I don't have the same needs and urges as other species?!? Lightning is sweet and gentle and he obviously cares about me!" "LIGHTNING?!? The father is LIGHTNING?!?" "Well, yeah. What did you think?!?" Ben was speechless. "Get out." he said. "Dad, please..." "OUT!!!" Frightened and humiliated, Kim cantered off, sobbing. She headed straight for May's house, and rang the doorbell. May answered the door. "Hi Kim!" but her smile faded immediately. "What's wrong?" Between sobs, Kim said "Can I stay with you tonight?" "Of course, Kim. What happened?" May answered as she guided Kim into their garage. May's family had organised a small stall for her, because Kim often slept over. Kim lay down in the straw and wept uncontrollably. "I'll be right back, okay?" May said and left the room. She told her parents that Kim was staying over and grabbed a box of Kleenex on her way back. Then May sat down in the straw by her friend's head and let her cry. "It's so embarrassing!" wailed Kim. May wiped Kim's eyes and gave her a hug. When Kim had calmed down a bit, May said "What happened?" Kim's eyes welled up again. "My father kicked me out." "WHAT?!?" May said, aghast. "I thought I could tell him anything. Apparently not." Kim said, anger and resentment in her voice. May kept silent. She knew Kim wanted to tell her something important, but she didn't push for it. After a long pause, Kim said "May, you know Lightning, right? He's, like, really sweet, right?" May nodded. Again, a long pause. "Well, he's a father, now." May's mouth dropped. "You're pregnant?" she said in a small voice. Kim nodded. "You're pregnant?" May said again, louder. Kim nodded again. There was a pause, then May shrieked "You're PREGNANT?!?" and she jumped at Kim's neck. Kim smiled. "Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!... You're PREGNANT! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!" Kim laughed. "I'm pregnant." she said wistfully.
The day after her father kicked her out, Kim was spending the day with Lightning as May had gone to school. She and Lightning were playing "follow the leader" when Kim heard her father calling her "Kim! Kim! Can I talk to you, please?". Kim was unsure as she walked to the fence, Lightning thinking it was part of the game. "Hi dad..." she said, avoiding eye contact. "Honey, I'm sorry. You surprised me. I shouldn't have yelled at you. Will you come home? Please?" Kim looked up at him and nodded. "Yes, dad. I'll come home. But seriously, you're gonna have to work on your surprise responses in the future!" He laughed. "It's a deal!...Hi Lightning...." he said and pet the stallion on the forehead. "Wanna go for a ride, dad?" asked Kim. "I'd love to, honey" he said as he climbed the fence and climbed aboard. "Hang on!" Kim yelled as she tore off, Lightning scrambling to catch up.
Kim had stopped going to school. She made daily visits to see Lightning. He seemed to know her condition and had become incredibly docile and gentle around her. Very fatherly. She had never been happier. However, one thing nagged her. Her voice was changing. It was getting harsher and lower. As her pregnancy progressed, her mother and father paid close attention to her, making sure she was comfortable, increasing her vitamin and mineral intake and examining her regularly. About half-way through her pregnancy, the vet dropped a bombshell on her. "Kim. I have news. I don't know if it's bad or good. You have to decide." "What is it?" she asked in a husky voice. "Well, as you've noticed, your voice has changed. I'm afraid it's either the foal or the voice. Which ever way you chose, I will support you." Kim was speechless. She looked at her father, she looked at her mother, she looked at the vet, and she looked at herself. "Can I think about it?" she asked. The vet nodded. "Thank you" she said.
Kim isolated herself for an entire evening, and after much debating well into the night, she made her decision. The vet returned the next day, and she made public her choice. "Mom, dad. I love you. I always have and always will. You've shown me SO much support and love and I really appreciate it. But there are some things that have to change... Dr. Fraser, I'm going to have this baby..." He nodded. "Congratulations, Kim. You'll make a wonderful mother." She smiled. Her mother was crying and her father was on the verge. They came over to her and gave her a hug. May was called and appeared at the door in five minutes. Kim explained the situation and her decision. May had the same reaction as Kim's mother.
11 months passed. One day, Kim became restless. Her sides hurt. She frequently got up, moved around and lay down again. Contractions had started. Five minutes after, her parents came home and came in to see her. They rushed to her. They tried to stop her pacing. She swung her head to keep them at bay "Al.......one" her parents watched with difficulty as their daughter suffered. Kim lay down and started pushing, and before long, a pair of forelegs appeared followed by a head, a body and hind legs. Kim got up and the umbilical cord broke. She walked over and started licking her beautiful new foal. It struggled up on shaking legs, and fell back. Determined, it tried again and again until it stood shakily as it's mother licked it dry and nuzzled it. The little filly began it's wobbling search for the udder and soon filled the garage with little slurping sounds. "Congratulations, honey. She's beautiful." Said Ben. Kim looked at him, and managed to squeeze out her last words "Thank....you". Her father nodded, a tear in his eye. He went over to the phone and called May. She was there in one minute. May stood quietly in awe as she watched Kim's filly teetering around the stall, exploring everything around her. "Congratulations, Kim. She's beautiful." Kim smiled at May. May crouched down and the filly came over to her and sniffed her happily. It was the happiest day in Kim's life, one which she didn't wish to trade for the world.