“Tommy . . . ” She said quietly. She looked at him intently, gazing at his handsome features. He had grown up, his face finally showing signs of age, but his eyes were still dark and sincere. Penetrating. Inviting, but sad. Like a little boy lost, in a desperate search to find . . . something.

He returned her gaze. Staring at a face, he knew by memory. The slight widows peak, down to her full eyebrows and long lashes, her chocolate brown eyes that had lost some of their sparkle but were still hopeful, her slender nose and beautiful, full lips.“As long as you’re certain,” he responded. “Kimberly, I’d like you to meet Nurse Megan. She’s going to help you learn how to use a wheelchair, that is, if you’re ready to try.”        "There's no such thing as an 'ONLY' explanation," Jareth replied. "If we assume that the compass is working properly, and that it always points to the path that leads to the swords....then the path that leads to the swords must be changing."

         "Maybe the swords are moving?" Deacon suggested.

         "Could be. Or maybe...." A look of comprehension dawned on Jareth's face, though no one could see it. "WE are."

         "Of course we're moving, but we're always--"

         "No, no, no....not US," Jareth explained. "The tunnels we're in. It's a wheel, see." Jareth knelt down and scratched a crude picture in the dust on the chamber floor. "A massive stone wheel, with the tunnels running through it, silently and slowly spinning. At certain times, the tunnels in the wheel match up to tunnels in the surrounding rock. So sometimes, a certain tunnel WILL lead to the swords. But by the time we get there, the wheel's moved, so it doesn't anymore. That's what the groove you tripped over was," Jareth said, standing. "The place where the wheel meets the stone around it."

         "So all we have to do is go down the tunnel the Compass indicates," Deacon said. "Sit by the groove..."

Kimberly nodded. She had to get her mind off of Tommy. Sleep wasn’t helping her at all. It was only making her feel more guilty and depressed.

“Great! This will really help your progress along. You’ll feel much better when you don’t have to stay in this room all day. I know it mustn’t be pleasant.” Dr. Matthews understood some of Kimberly’s pain. His daughter was paralyzed as well from an accident as an early teenager. He remembered well the pain she went through; it was hard to pull her through. Thankfully, that had been ten years ago. Dr. Matthews knew Kimberly could live just as happily as his Jenna did. It was going to take a lot of work. “All right Kimberly, all we have to do is lift you into the chair, and see how you get used to it.”

He kissed her. He didn’t plan on it, but it happened. He leaned in and kissed her. Kimberly hesitated at first, completely shocked at the sensation of his lips against hers. Once she realized what was happening, she quickly reciprocated. Their lips slowly parted, each other’s tongues gaining access into the other’s mouth. There, they danced and slithered around one another, teeth and lips colliding. They had both been so engulfed in each other that they hadn’t noticed Jason walk in.

“So how’s it go . . . whoops!” Jason said. He turned around and retreated to the living room. Kimberly pulled away first, immediately wiping her mouth. She got up and started for the archway. Tommy just sat there stunned. He hadn’t meant to freak her out, but he had been wanting to do that all evening. Kimberly stopped at the edge of the kitchen and turned to face Tommy.