Title: Legend: Aftermath

Author: Kimberly Knipp/MCK8686@aol.com

Rating: PG

Classification: Vignette – Travis and Jenny McKenzie

Disclaimer: The McKenzie Series and all it entails belong to me and is not to copied or transferred without my permission.

Author’s Note: I wasn’t going to do a vignette on Travis and Jenny but I had several people write and ask why I was leaving them out since they were involved in the wreck! So here they are and I hope you enjoy learning a little more about them.

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Being home in their own place on the ranch had never felt so good. Travis stood on the porch, his hands braced on the railing and stared out at the dark night sky. His mind was still in a turmoil from the train wreck. Thinking about how close they’d come to being… well, to never seeing each other or the women in their lives again. He could only imagine what the others were thinking and feeling. Each of them, Harm and Mac, he and Jenny, Walker and Alex and the two FBI agents – Mulder and Scully – led dangerous lives. More than once they’d been in jeopardy of losing all that they had.

For as terrified as he’d been sifting through the wreckage, desperately searching for the others, Travis was also so proud of the girls and how they immediately took charge, beginning a search all their own. He shifted restlessly. Admiral Chegwidden had barked out orders to all of them to take a couple of days off. Travis had liked the man immediately the first time he met him – he reminded him a lot of King at times. A lot of bark but not much bite. He would go to hell for any of his people. Rather than argue about semantics, the whole group just agreed, knowing he was right – no matter who was or was not under his command. Besides, they’d all suffered injuries of some nature so a little rest would clear their minds and get their focus back on matters at hand.

"You look like you’re a million miles away."

Travis smiled slightly as he heard his wife’s voice. She came up right behind him, laying her cheek against his broad back and sliding her arms around his trim waist.

"Just thinking," he answered, straightening up and covering her small hands with his.

"We need to put it in perspective and move on," she told him gently. "We can’t go back and change any of it or help anymore people than we did," she went on.

"I know but I can’t shake the sight of all those people," Travis sighed and turned to take her fully in his embrace. "I was scared, Jenny Leigh," he confessed softly against her hair.

Jenny rubbed her hands up and down his back, nestling her face against his neck. "So was I. I wasn’t sure if I’d find you alive. After all we’ve been through you’d think I’d be used to it," she tried for some levity.

"I’ll never get used to it," he remarked. "Every time we’re in danger, every time someone points a gun at me, every time a client threatens you – I wonder if that will be the last time we’ll come home at night together."

Jenny inched back slightly and looked at her husband, studying the face she knew and had loved for so long. "Travis, I have loved you most of my life. Do you remember how hard a road we traveled to get where we are today?"

Travis’s breath came out in a whoosh. "I remember every second of our lives," he murmured.

Jenny smiled and reached out a hand to his cheek. Travis caught her hand and drew it to his chest, pressing her palm flat against his warm skin.

"Then you remember when I went away to college?" she asked.

Travis closed his eyes and sighed. "I remember every detail, Jenny."

Beautiful memories swirled in like smoky clouds, misting over the pathways of their hearts and then clearing – taking them both back to another place and time. A time when nothing was simple or easy. Long before they were married. Before they admitted to loving each other.

"I lied to you that day."

This surprised him. "You did? About what?"

"About the reasons I was leaving. Oh, I did feel like you were smothering me but not for the reasons you probably thought," she began.

Those same words came back to Travis in his head, in the tone of King’s voice. That’s what his brother had said after Jenny left.

"It’s true that I felt smothered because you were so protective of me. Truth is, I didn’t want you to be so caring and kind and protective unless you were doing it because I meant more to you. I was sure you didn’t think of me any other way and I reached a point where I didn’t want to settle for less," she whispered, her heart aching.

"How did you want me to feel, Jenny Leigh?" His voice was a husky growl, reaching out to tease her. A glimmer of hope perched on the edge of his words, his heart hoping she would give him the right answer.

"I wanted..." Jenny swallowed hard. Come on don’t lose your courage now. "I wanted you to love me the way I loved you."

This set Travis back. Isn’t that what you wanted her to say? a voice asked. He stared at her for a moment, the memories of that awful day swirling in. The voices of King and Carol telling him things were not what they seemed. Telling him Jenny hadn’t told him everything. He closed his eyes and moaned softly.

"How could I have been so blind?" he demanded fiercely, his voice low. "It was staring me in the face the whole time. King and your Mama tried to point it out to me but I never realized what they were saying. Maybe I was afraid to see it. Oh, Jenny, how could our wires have gotten so crossed?"

Jenny eyed him curiously. "What do you mean?" Surely he couldn’t be leading to what she’d hoped all her life for.

Travis’s eyes opened and he seared her with his gaze. "I’ve loved you since we were old enough to start having those kinds of feelings, Jenny Leigh. That’s what I mean. I loved you when you told me you were leaving and my whole world crashed down around my ears. I thought you didn’t have any feelings for me."

His words made Jenny’s heart sing. "Oh, Travis, we’ve been so blind! I kept thinking you only acted the way you did because we were best friends. That I was the sister you never had."

"I’ve thought of you in many ways, baby girl, but a sister has never been one of them," his gaze infused heat throughout her body. "I acted the way I did most of the time because I was jealous as hell. I wanted to kill any guy who looked at you sideways. The rest of the time I was mad with wanting you for myself and believing I could never have you," he confessed gruffly. "Why did you really come back from DC?" he asked.

"For the reasons I told you. I missed you so much I couldn’t stand it anymore. I thought and thought about it and came to a point where I realized that no matter what I did, I would never break my ties to you. I couldn’t stay away any longer," she explained, giving him hope.

Travis shifted, gathering her closer in his arms and bringing her back to the present there on the porch. "I’m thirty-two, Jenny. We’ve been together for twenty-six years and I love you more everyday that I’m with you. I’ll die loving you whether it’s tomorrow or forty years from now."

"And I you," Jenny stated tenderly, touching his cheek. "I told you all those years ago that your happiness has always been the one thing I wanted most. I would have stepped aside if you’d chosen someone else – even though it would have broken my heart into a million pieces," she answered lightly.

"What makes me happy is you," he pointed out. "It’s always been you, Jenny. Since the very day I laid eyes on you on that old rotted log bawling your head off. Do you realize what we have together? Some people only have thirty or forty years together. Some have a little longer. We’ve literally spent our lives together - through thick and thin, come hell or high water and we’ve always managed to make it through. Whatever happens between us, Jenny Leigh…" his voice trailed off and he shook his head, reaching up to cup her pretty face. "I thank God for every single day I’m blessed with you. Moments like this just remind me of it more but it doesn’t lessen my feelings," he stated calmly, feeling as if his heart was about to burst from his chest.

"You left me once – when you went to college. That was one of the darkest times in my life, Jenny. When you left, I didn’t know what I was doing anymore. I didn’t know where I was going or even who I was. I hated you for a long time. I’ve heard people say love and hate are two sides of the same coin but maybe what I hated was my own weakness for you. Nothing we’ve been through since has come close to the way that made me feel. So, yes, I was terrified at the wreck but as long as I know you’ll be waiting for me, I know I can get through anything."

Jenny pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle the sob she felt welling up in her throat. Tears wiggled from beneath her tightly closed lashes and streaked down her cheeks. Shifting, he reached for her arms. Jenny gasped and reared back, evading his grasp. Travis started to draw back then he lunged for her. His big hands grasped her upper arms, jerking her to him.

Jenny’s tear-filled eyes were wild. Without a word, Travis had her in his embrace. His arms crossed around her back, tangling in her hair as he crushed her to his chest. Jenny swallowed down her tears and clung tightly to him, her fingers digging into his muscled back. He jerked back suddenly, his eyes blazing down into hers. His hands gripped her face, framing it, forcing her gaze up to his. "I’ve never really been scared of anything in my life except losing you," Travis choked over the words.

His hands tightened painfully around her face and Jenny’s fingers came up to shackle his wrists, but she didn’t push him away. He closed his eyes for a second and when they opened, Jenny saw the emotion that ran deep within him that few people were ever privilege to.

Jenny felt her own tears gathering again but she forced them down, gathering her courage. "We’ve had an entire lifetime together filled with laughter, pain, love. You’ve been my friend from the start. From the day you found me wearing a totally inappropriate dress in the middle of the woods. You’re my hero, Travis. You’re the biggest part of what makes me whole."

Travis’s eyes were riveted on her beautiful face, her words penetrating clear to his soul. His grip tightened on her back, not letting her back more than a couple of inches from him.

"You’re the very air I breathe. You’ve been the sole source of my devotion, the very lifeblood in my veins. We’ve never been more than a heartbeat apart. You’re as much a part of me as my own heart. As long as I live, I never want to be without you. I can’t be without you - not when I need you so much."

Jenny’s eyes were shining so brightly that it made his breath hitch. His hands splayed across her back, holding her close. He opened his mouth but no words came out. Smiling ruefully, he glanced upward before once again settling his eyes on her face.

"I love you, Jennifer Leigh McKenzie."

For a moment, Jenny couldn’t speak. She stared down into the dark eyes she loved so much. Reverently, she touched her fingers to his lips.

"I love you, too, Travis Michael McKenzie."

The most glorious smile she’d ever seen flared to life on his face. Despite the black eye he was sporting and the cut above one brow, he was still the most handsome man she’d ever seen. "What do you say we saddle a horse and ride down to the pond?"

"A horse?" Jenny didn’t miss his single reference, hiding a grin.

"A horse," he repeated. Rides together on one horse was another commonplace event for them. "They way I figure it, we should ride together. After all that’s happened I might get dizzy and fall off."

The look he gave her was of the purest innocence and she started laughing. Her laugh was always the sweetest music to him and he kissed her lightly.

"You, Travis McKenzie, are full of it. It’ll be a cold day in hell before you get dizzy and fall off a horse. However, I agree," she answered mischievously. "You’ve been through a terrible ordeal and I wouldn’t want you to pass out. I could never catch you in time. You’ll be safer if I’m right there with you," she nodded decisively.

"I knew you’d understand," he answered, grinning broadly.

Several minutes later, they were at the small barn. Travis swung up in the saddle behind Jenny, settling her against him. Jenny leaned back, feeling his broad form adjust to accept her slight weight.

"This is much better," he murmured, his mouth very close to her ear.

"I’m glad you think so," she answered lightly.

Wheeling his black mare, Lacey, around, Travis aimed them toward the very pond where their illustrious friendship first began. Travis shifted in the saddle and slid one arm around Jenny’s midriff, his gloved hand resting against her stomach. The muscles there contracted sharply and he smiled to himself, quite pleased he was having an affect on her.

They rode on in silence, listening to the sounds of the night around them. Cattle lowed in the distance, somewhere else a coyote howled, the mournful sound echoing over the land and into their hearts. Jenny relaxed against her husband as he idly moved his hand over her stomach. Slowly, she slid one hand down to his thigh, letting her fingers rest for a moment along the hard line of muscle. Tall for a woman, Jenny was but a handful of inches shorter than Travis and moments like these always burned more clearly in her mind because of how well they fit together.

Travis tensed slightly when her fingers glided over his leg. His own fingers were tracing lazy circles against her belly, unwilling to surrender even that little bit of contact. Wishing he had two more hands to spare, he removed the one at her stomach and tugged his hat off, resting it against his other leg. A second later, Jenny turned her head against his chest, almost as if she could tell something else was coming. Knowing Lacey would stay on the trail, Travis turned his full attention to Jenny. Bending his head slightly, he nuzzled his cheek against hers, feeling the difference between his own stubbled skin and the silky softness of hers.

Sighing almost inaudibly, Jenny tilted her head back until it rested against his chest. Empowered by her positive response, Travis turned his head slightly and touched his lips to the same spot. Moving slowly, almost not at all, his pressed a string of barely there kisses to the curve of her jaw and down to the warm, scented hollow of her throat. His fingers clenched on the reins and the brim of his hat, mangling its shape as he fought for control. Jenny sensed the small changes in him, from the tightening of his body around hers to the slight increase of his breathing.

Her own breathing sounded none too steady at that particular moment. Reveling in his tenderness, Jenny dug her fingers into his thigh, feeling as if she would fly away if she didn’t hold tight to him. Travis closed his teeth around her earlobe and she gasped, feeling the touch zing clear to her toes. A tingling started deep in her belly, causing the muscles in her belly and thighs to clench. Encouraged by the tiny sound that reached his ears, Travis slid his tongue across the spot his teeth had scraped, soothing the sting.

Aching for more than just a darting touch, Jenny restlessly turned her head toward his. Travis watched her from beneath half-lowered lids and he brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth, tantalizing her. Her lips parted and he saw the tip of her small pink tongue dart out to moisten them. Desire punched him the gut and he felt the blood in his lower body pound to his manhood, causing it to swell painfully against his jeans. Jenny’s eyes drifted closed as she gave herself over to his ministrations. She felt him shift as he slid his hands to her hips and pulled them against his own. Breathing harshly, Travis lifted his head and tilted it slightly to the side, settling his hat back on. Without saying a word, Jenny turned her head and her forehead came to rest against his jaw, the brim of his Stetson touching her blonde hair.

They came over a small rise and Travis pulled the black mare to a stop. Looping the reins around the pommel, Travis twined his arms around her slender waist and hugged her, resting his chin on her shoulder. McKenzie land stretched out as far as the eye could see. Thousands on top of thousands of acres. Spread out on different sections from where the main house and King, Storm and Ellie rested -were individual homes that belonged to the other members of the family. Brett and Stephanie, Wade and Katie, Ty and Christy, Steve, Jessie, and Tucker and Nina. Homes lovingly built so that the family would always have a way to stay together as the patriarch, John McKenzie had specified in his will when the land was divided into equal shares.

"We’re very lucky," Jenny whispered, reluctant to break the silence.

"We always have been. Despite all the hardships we’ve endured."

"Life is never easy. If it stops being tough then we might as well lie down and die," she murmured.

"Do you remember when Dad died?" Travis asked her.

Jenny tightened her grip on his arms. "What brings that to you tonight?" she asked gently.

"Coming so close to dying, I guess. It’s funny what comes to you. My very first thought was wondering if I’d told you I loved you before I got on that train," he returned and she could feel his breath stir her hair.

"You told me more than once," she smiled slightly. "I remember when John died. Just like you, I remember everything. I remember thinking God must have had something terribly important to be done to take him away like that when we all needed him so much," she mused, thinking back in time to the tall, barrel-chested man who’d left behind such a legacy.

"I worshipped him and to have him gone so suddenly…." His voice drifted for a moment. "Well, I was too young then to realize how many things you regret when it’s too late. His death and the funeral are still more a blur than anything. Most of all I remember King stepping in and taking over," Travis went on, also lost in memories of all those years ago.

"Do you ever wonder what might have happened if we hadn’t had him?" She questioned gently. "When we got the confirmation of the train…" she stopped speaking for a moment. "The look in his eyes, Travis, it was frightening. All of you are so much alike when it comes to deep feelings. There’s so much you keep hidden from the outside world. There’s a lot to you that only I ever see," she pointed out. "Anyway, he was terrified. He never said a word – in fact, he was doing his best to support the rest of us. Sometimes I wonder where he finds his strength."

"I can’t think of a time when he wasn’t like that," Travis sighed. "I used to wonder as we were growing up how he did it."

Like before, remnants of the past slowly spilled forth like so many times before. Their lives were full of them and it seemed some tiny recollection of one sort or another was always waiting just in the wings of their minds. This one went back to when they were seven and eight. When John died and sent the tight knit family into a tailspin.

"King says we have to do what he says now that Papa is gone."

Jenny squeezed Travis’s hand and smiled softly, all though she couldn’t see his face in the darkness. Curled up in his bed, they were talking quietly, trying to settle down after the long day they’d had.

Following the funeral yesterday, King had sent them all to school today, suggesting it would be easier for them to get along if they kept their minds busy. Only little Tucker stayed home with King, clinging to his pant leg for most of the day. Ellie had been in her room since Jenny saw her yesterday.

"What about Mama Ellie?" Jenny asked.

"He says she’s too sad right now. He told her to stay in her room this morning and take all the time she needed. I hear her crying sometimes."

"Well, King always knows the right thing to do," Jenny stated resolutely. "You’ll see, Travis. He’ll make everything all right."

Travis was still awake long after she’d drifted off to sleep. He lay there for awhile, watching her. He didn’t know how he would have handled yesterday if she hadn’t been here. She was his best friend. Some of the guys in school didn’t understand why he wanted a sissy girl to be his best friend but this sissy girl could blacken any of their eyes if she was riled. Travis smiled to himself. From that first day at the pond, being friends had just seemed the thing to do. Jenny understood him. She listened to his dreams and didn’t laugh at him when he made mistakes or embarrassed himself. She stood behind anything he said or did and would knock anyone flat who said something bad about him in her presence. He would do the same for her.

He was glad she was here now but he still couldn’t sleep. Despite her assurances, he was worried about what would become of their family. He wasn’t sure what to make of things now. With Mama not being herself or even wanting to come out her room, what would they do? Who would make their lunches and kiss them goodnight and put Band-Aids over their scrapes? Tugging his hand from Jenny’s, he slipped from his bed. It was pitch black in the hall but he knew his way to the back stairs that led to the addition his father put on a few years ago. King was the only one with a room up there. Oh, and Mama’s sewing room, too. But they never went in there. Travis stood in the hall for a moment, debating on whether or not to bother his brother. Finally, he pushed the door open real quiet-like and poked his head inside.

"What’re you doing up here, Travis?"

Travis jumped at the sound of King’s deep voice. He took a step forward, clutching the doorknob. "I can’t sleep, King. I’m scared," he whispered, almost afraid the rest of the household would hear him.

"Come on in here."

Travis was standing next to the bed in a flash. Smiling, King lifted the covers and waited until Travis’s small body was curled up next to him. Tucking the covers around them, King sighed and picked up Travis’s tiny hand.

"What are you scared of?"

"Are they going take us away from Mama?"

King was taken aback by the question. "Take you away? What do you mean?"

"Well," he began hesitantly. "If Mama stays in her room, who’s gonna take care of us?" Travis asked in a small voice.

"I’m going to take care of you, Travis. Mama won’t be this way forever but she needs time to herself right now. She has to find her own way to deal with Daddy being gone. Just like each of us. It’s different for her than it is for each of us. She’ll be all right. In the meantime, none of us are going anywhere. Life is going on just like always. I’ll pack your lunches and cover your owies. I’m sure I can’t do it as good as Mama but I’ll do my best. I told you at supper tonight that everything would be all right. Have I ever lied to you?"

"No," Travis shook his head.

"And I never will. We’ll get through this as a family."

They both heard a small sound and King lifted his head. Jenny was peeking around the door, her expression shadowed.

"Come on in, Jenny, darlin’," King invited softly.

Jenny closed the door behind her and scurried across the cold wooden floor. King lifted the covers on the other side of him and she climbed up onto his big bed. She flashed a quick smile when she saw Travis.

"I woke up and you were gone. I figured you’d be in here."

"Travis and I were just doing a little talking. It’s awful late, though, so why don’t you both burrow down here and go to sleep?" King suggested, slipping his arms around them and drawing them close.

"I love you, King," Travis whispered sleepily.

"Me, too, King," Jenny echoed.

King smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of each silky head. "Love you both. Go to sleep."

Travis smiled tenderly and shifted enough so he could look into her face. "I can only hope our kids will look at me that way."

"How could they help it?" she teased gently, lifting her hand to touch his cheek.

"King taught us a lot, baby. Like being grateful for all that we have. That’s why I refuse to hang onto what happened. I’m here with you now and that’s the important thing. That’s what I want to remember about all this. I want to look my fill of you now. The way your eyes watch me, the way they darken when you know I’m about to kiss you," his voice dropped an octave. "I want to see the breeze tumbling this wild mane of yours." His big hands lifted to tangle in the riotous curls. "And I want to taste every breath you take."

The last word was smothered as his warm, full lips covered hers. Gathering his wife up in his arms, Travis kissed her deeply, tenderly, letting his love for her fill the silence around them. Beneath them, Lacey sidestepped, searching for grass to nibble on. Jenny lifted her arms and wound them around his shoulders, arching her slender body into his own harder frame. Kissing her husband was a pastime she could happily spend hours on. Her full, moist lips parted when he touched the tip of his tongue to their seam. His teeth tugged sensuously on her bottom lip, then he soothed the small scrape with his tongue. Jenny’s breath was a sigh into the dark warmth of his mouth and he smiled against her.

"You’re my whole world. I thank God for leaving me with you," he whispered against her lips.

"That’s because he knows how much I need you."

The End