Does Love Still Exist?

They were married and had two kids together and yet Katrina couldn't help but feel as if she were going on a first date with him. With only one more full day in Sweden, Hank had convinced his wife to let Joel and Amanda have Noah and Kristopher for a night. It took a little bit of convincing, but eventually she did agree and then she even agreed to a date with her husband who was keeping the whole thing a secret.

Hearing the knock on the door, Katrina looked over at her husband and motioned for him to get the door since she was getting the boys into their pajamas. While Hank had been giving Noah and Kristopher a bath, she packed a bag for both of them. Since the bags were packed with more than what was necessary, Katrina just concentrated on getting Kristopher dressed while Noah followed his father to the door.

“Uncle Joel!”

“Inside voice Noah,” Katrina told him. “No one else in this hotel needs to hear you screaming.”

“Sorry,” Noah said walking back over to where his mother was adjusting Kristopher's pajama shirt. “Do I have to sit in the corner?”

“No,” Katrina smiled. “You always get a warning. But if I get a call from Uncle Joel that you aren't listening you are gonna be facing a longer punishment. Do you understand me?”

“Yes.” Noah said as he climbed onto the bed where his brother was falling asleep. “I love you Mommy.”

“I love you too buddy.”

“He looks like he's about to fall asleep.” Joel commented as he walked over and took a look at Kristopher.

“That's because he is,” Katrina smiled as she picked him up and held him. “I think he's getting sick, so he might get clingy and no matter what he wants, make sure he sleeps in his own bed. Both the boys are bathed and in their pajamas.”

“Any bedtime rules?” Joel asked as he picked up the bags that were for the boys. “I don't want them to get me into trouble.”

“No, that's my job.” Hank said with a laugh as he handed Noah his shoes to put on.

“Sometimes it was like raising three boys instead of the two.”

“Mommy says that if Daddy acts up he has to go to the dog house,” Noah said. “But if Nova is in there does that mean he goes into the corner?”

“I don't think you were supposed to be listening to what Mommy and Daddy were talking about.” Hank told his son.

“But you are right, Noah,” Katrina said with a grin. “Daddy would go into the corner.”

“Don't get in trouble Daddy,” Noah said looking at his father. “Mommy watches when someone is on timeout. And if they move from their spot, she starts the time all over again!”

Looking away from Noah, Katrina smiled at her brother-in-law. “After baths, no sweets otherwise they will be up all night and a nightmare on the plane. They can have water or milk to drink, but nothing goes to bed with them. If Noah gets hungry there are fruit snacks in his bag.”

“Anything else?” Joel asked.

“Noah is allowed this once to stay up until nine, but if Kristopher is awake, make sure he's in bed around eight. No matter what time they go down, they'll be up early in the morning.”

“Would you like me to bring them back here? Or do you have something else planned?”

“We will finish the packing tonight before leaving and then we will call you once we are on our way over to pick them up. Is she coming over tomorrow morning? To say good-bye to them?”

“Yeah, she wants to see them again since she says she doesn't know when the next time she'll see them or if she will since you rarely come home.”

Stiffening her stance, Katrina didn't look at anyone until Noah called out to her. Putting on a brave face, she smiled at her oldest son as he got off the bed and walked over to where she was standing and hugged her leg. Running her hand through his hair, Katrina let out the tears that had come on quickly. When Hank saw her tears, he walked over to her and whispered in her ear. Taking Kristopher out of her arms, he watched as she kissed him and then bent down to give Noah a hug and a kiss while telling him that he was supposed to behave but to also have some fun with Uncle Joel.

“C'mon, help me get your seat and your brother's seat into Uncle Joel's car.” Hank said taking his son's hand.

“Don't let go of Daddy's hand, Noah.” Katrina said.

Once the door closed, Joel handed a tissue to Katrina. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said those things.”

“You didn't do anything wrong,” Katrina told him as she dried her tears before sitting down on the bed. “Every time I am around your mother she just makes those jabs about how she should have been at the boys birthdays or whatever and it makes me feel like I've done something wrong.”

“You've done everything right,” Joel said as he sat across from her on the other bed. “Everyone knew what would happen when Henrik went to play for the Rangers. His time and energy was focused on hockey, nothing but hockey. And then he called and told us that the two of you were married and about to be parents.”

“I bet that was a big shock.”

“Huge,” Joel admitted. “Henrik has always been the one to think about things before jumping in feet first.”

“We didn't really have a great start to a relationship and after the pregnancy scare before we had Noah, I think it just woke the both of us up. I never meant to to keep Noah and Kristopher from knowing Hank's side of the family, but after he slept with that woman we weren't in a good place and I know I trust him with the kids, but I wasn't going to let him take them and I wasn't about to go with him.”

“I understand that and I told Henrik that he was a fool for doing that to you and to his family,” Joel told her. “But I haven't been blinded about the things my mother has said to you and about you. In our on way, we make sure to tell her that she may be a grandmother to those kids, but you are the mother and will do what you believe to be right.”

“Thank you.”

Looking at her brother-in-law, she saw nothing but sincerity in his eyes and that made her feel better about everything.

“Don't let her get to you,” Joel said as he stood up. “After everything that you and Henrik have been through and how you are trying to get back to being a family again, don't let her plant any doubt in your mind. Because she could have come to New York at any time. It works both ways.”

Nodding her head, Katrina smiled as she also stood up. “Thanks Joel. For everything.”

“Everything?” he asked.

“Sticking up for me, being a friend to me even when I was so sure that you wouldn't want anything to do with me because of what happened between me and Hank.”

“That was Henrik's fault, not yours.”

“And thanks for taking the boys tonight so that we can have our first date in long time.”

“My pleasure,” Joel said. “And if you ever need to talk, skype or phone call, I'll be around.”

“Thanks.”

Walking him to the door, Katrina smiled as she watched him with the bags for the kids. It was nice to be reassured that there was someone in her corner about why the boys hadn't been to Sweden before now. Joel had always been a voice of reason when it came to her and Hank and she was thankful to have him in their lives. Closing the hotel door, Katrina started to get ready for her date with her husband. She knew it was going to do nothing but help their relationship get back on the right track before all the drama came back into their lives.

The date was good, so good that the kisses Hank placed on he neck made her tingle like a virgin. It also made trying to open the hotel door nearly impossible. After the third failed attempt at getting the door open, Hank flipped the card around before inserting it. When the door opened, Katrina stepped out of Hank's grasp and into the room where she started unbuttoning her coat. Slipping out of her coat, she tossed it onto the chair before turning to look at Hank.

“I-”

Looking at his wife, who had a half smile on her face, left Hank feeling slightly confused. “What's the matter?”

“I don't wanna tell you,” Katrina said as she watched him take off his jacket before loosening his tie. “You'll laugh or think that I'm being silly.”

“Kitty...” Hank sighed as he came over to her and wrapped her in his arms. “Tell me what's bothering you.”

“It isn't what's bothering me per say,” she said. “But the first thing I thought when we walked in was that I had to check on the boys.”

“But they aren't here.”

“I know,” she said as she took a deep breath. “I'm not used to this anymore and I know we said we'd try to go back to when we were happier and I'm trying, I am, I just-”

“Do you not want to do this?” Hank asked as he watched her walk over to the bed and sit down to take off her shoes. “I can wait. I will wait if you aren't ready to do this.”

“No, I want to do this but I want to do something else when we get home,” Katrina said as she looked across the room at him. “If you are serious and totally committed then I want you and I to renew our vows.”

“Are you serious?” Hank asked, his eyes looking at her to see if she was joking around, but he couldn't find any.

“I am,” Katrina smiled as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I want us to be a family and in order for us to really be a family we should have a wedding as a fresh start. We can invite Joel and Amanda down. Your parents, but they are not staying with us, no way.”

“Kitty...” Hank looked at her with a bit of uncertainty in his eyes. “Are you doing this because of my mother? Of how she's been with you?”

“A little bit,” Katrina admitted to him. “But I've been thinking about it for a few days and I think it would be nice especially if we are to be a family.”

“Big or small?”

“Small. Invite only.”

“I think that you have yourself a deal.”

Before Katrina could say anything, Hank had his lips pushed against hers catching her slightly by surprise. Lifting his wife into his arms, he made his way over to the bed in the hotel that they had to themselves. The feeling of his lips moving down her neck made Katrina let out a soft moan as Hank laid them on the bed.

“Do you know how long I've wanted to have you alone like this? How long I've dreamed of being right where we are now?” Hank asked her as his lips made their way back to hers.

“Far too long.” Katrina said as she moved her hand into his hair.

Moving his body off hers, Hank stood up and smiled at her before stripping off his clothes, leaving him only in his boxers. Crawling back onto the bed, his lips found her neck once more. “Mmm, I want you Kitty. I've missed you. I've missed touching you like this,” he told her as he stroked her bare arm. “Kissing you, burying deep inside of you.”

Hearing the zipper from the side of her dress come down, Katrina sat up and helped Hank take it off her so she was just left in her bra and panties with her husband's body over hers.

“I miss the taste of you Kitty,” he said and she felt his breath near her ear before he bit down on the area just below her ear. “Here and everywhere.”

Sucking her earlobe into his mouth and giving it a delicious nibble. “Don't say no. Please let me show you what we've been missing.”

Moving her hand to his back and moving it up to his head and then into his hair, Katrina looked into his eyes. “Please Hank.”

“Please what Kitty?” he asked wanting to hear the words from her lips. “Tell me what you want.”

“Make love to me Hank,” she moaned as his lips moved from her neck and down her chest. When his hands cupped her breasts with only the lace of her bra separating the skin to skin contact. “Please.”

Moving his hands from her breasts to her back where he found the clasp and undid it. Pulling the bra down, he tossed it over his shoulder

Lowering his head to her breast Hank sucked it into his mouth while his hand played with the other one. Hearing his wife moan in pleasure just made him harden even more than he already was. Biting down on her nipple slightly, Hank smiled at the sounds Katrina was making because of him. Feeling her hand in his hair, she tugged him up to her as soon his mouth left her breast.

Feeling her soft lips on his, Hank could never seem to get enough of them and it seemed that his wife felt the same way. “I don't think I can wait any long Kitty.”

“Then don't,” she said. “I need you so much Hank.”

Placing his fingers at her entrance, he slipped one inside and then a second. Feeling the moisture on his fingers, he knew she was ready for him. He withdrew his fingers and moved up to get ready to actually take his wife.

The feeling of Hank pushing into her was something that still made her breathless. When he was all the way in, he looked into her eyes and knew without her saying how she felt because he was feeling it to. He loved her and would never be able to stop loving her.

Making love to his wife in his home country was not something he thought he would get to do. Knowing that they would have to leave the next day, Hank decided that he would take his time with this. Not knowing when they would be able to come back like this, he wanted them to remember this night.

And that was what it was for the both of them. A night they wouldn't forget.