STAGE FRIGHT

Universe: SEAQUEST DSV RELOADED – Season 1, episode 10. See my profile for a more thorough description.

Rating: Not sure but T, to be on the safe side.

Summary: After hurricane Sheila, the SeaQuest is dry-docked at New Cape Quest (NCQ) for repairs and the crew has been given a seven-day shore leave. They have also been invited to the singer Kira Louisa's comeback concert, who happens to be Kristin Westphalen's niece. When Kira is shot during her concert, Admiral Noyce gives Captain Bridger and the senior staff extra time off to investigate the attempted murder cooperating with the police. The crew soon finds out that there may be a connection to previous threats toward the Westphalen family.

Notes: I know NCQ does not become SeaQuest's homeport until season 2, but I always thought it was strange there were no other places in the UEO where the submarine could dry-dock for repairs. Therefore, I decided that in my universe(s) there should be a couple of other harbors it could dry-dock at.

Disclaimer: The SeaQuest DSV TV-series does not belong to me. I only own the characters who do not originate from the series. However, if the series' characters do not wish to return to their original universe because they had too much fun during the making of this, they are more than welcome to stay, though I cannot afford to pay them anything. If I could, SeaQuest DSV (and other series) would still be running.

Also a huge 'thank you' goes to Jewelbox1322 for her encouragements to publish and for betaing!

CHAPTER 1

"Aunt Kris!"

Kristin Westphalen heard her niece's familiar voice call out and looked in her direction. Her niece, Kira, was waving enthusiastically with a brilliant smile. Kristin smiled, waved back, and started moving to the end of the dock where Kira was waiting.

Behind Kristin, Captain Bridger, Commanders Ford, and Hitchcock, along with Security Chief Crocker, were saying goodbye to the crew members who had been on the last launches bringing them from SeaQuest to the surface. Kristin had been on the very last launch since she liked to make sure her staff got safely off the boat.

The SeaQuest had docked a few hours ago at New Cape Quest for repairs. After the boat had been hit by lightning during hurricane Sheila, there was a lot of rewiring to be done. Meanwhile, the crew was in need of shore leave and had been granted a total of seven days while the repair crew worked on SeaQuest. Originally a four-day shore leave had been scheduled around this time while the SQ was docked for an inspection, but it had been extended due to the repairs.

Kristin smiled when she recalled the invitation the crew had received a few weeks earlier. The singer Kira Louisa had invited the entire crew to her comeback concert the day after tomorrow. Everyone, especially the senior staff, had been puzzled by the gesture. However, Admiral Noyce had explained that the singer was fascinated by the work the SeaQuest was doing to protect the oceans and wanted to support their work by making sure they had a good time during their shore leave.

While this was true, Kristin knew the real reason for the invitation.

~~~SQ Reloaded~~~

"I cannot believe you actually pulled it off, Kira!" Kristin stared at the vid-link in disbelief. She had called Kira after Nathan had told her about the invitation.

"Honestly, Aunt Kris, did you really think I wouldn't try?" asked Kira in mock outrage that quickly turned into a self-satisfied grin. "Besides, you coming for a much-needed visit was a great incentive."

"Of course, but 200 free tickets to an already sold-out concert is insane!" Kristin exclaimed. "Then again, knowing you, I should have been prepared for tenacity. I bet Marie just loved it when you told her your plan...or did you just do it without her consent?" she added the last sentence with a smirk.

Kira rolled her eyes and groaned at the mention of her cousin and manager, who had a tendency to be a bit overzealous in her job as well as overprotective of Kira.

"So I'll have a smaller stage," she said smiling. "It isn't like I need the money. I told Marie she could accept it or cancel the concert, and I knew she would rather comply with my wishes then cancel the event of the year." Kira could not hide the uneasiness in her voice as she half-joked about Marie's predictability. Her eyes showed her nervousness as she bit her lower lip, hoping her aunt would not interrogate her further over the vid-com.

Kristin registered Kira's uneasiness and turned the conversation to more pleasant subjects despite being curious about what had caused it. Whatever the reason, Kira clearly did not want to discuss it over the vid-link.

~~~SQ Reloaded~~~

Kristin was brought back to the present when she noticed Kira moving towards her to meet her halfway and she pushed the worry the memory had brought to the surface to the back of her mind.

"Aunt Kris!" She called again and seconds later they met in a fierce embrace.

"Hello Squid." Kristin greeted her fondly. "I have missed you."

"Not half as much as I have missed you." Something in Kira's voice made her concern return tenfold but Kristin quickly pushed it away again. This was not the place to talk about , Kristin drew back from their embrace to get a good look at her niece whom she had not seen in person since before she joined the SeaQuest.

"You look good, aunt."

"Thank you, honey, so do you."

Just then, Kristin noticed the three bodyguards dressed in black watching them and the people around them like a hawk. That's odd, she thought, Kira usually only has one bodyguard. Is she in danger? Why hasn't she or anyone else told me?

"I can see Marie isn't taking any chances with your life." She said with a hint of reproach in her voice and nodded her head in the direction of the bodyguards.

Kira glanced over her shoulder at the broad-chested bodyguards her cousin had hired despite her protests that she only needed her usual bodyguard.

Before she could answer her aunt, she saw some of Kristin's SQ colleagues had come closer to them, probably wanting an introduction.

"I'll tell you about it when we're at the beach house," she whispered. "Right now," she said louder, smiling. "I want you to introduce me to your friends."

Kristin smiled at Kira. "Of course, sweetie." She turned around and started the introductions. This should be interesting, she thought. She had not told anyone that her niece was the one and only Kira Louisa who had invited them to her concert.

"Kira. May I introduce Captain Nathan Bridger, Commanders Jonathan Ford and Katherine Hitchcock, and Crocker, our Security Chief. Everyone, this is my niece, Kira Louisa Westphalen." She deliberately told them her full name to see if anyone might catch on but as they all shook hands with Kira, it seemed no one made the connection. Instead, they looked like they were trying to find any familial likeness, which would take them forever to find. Kira was the spitting image of her mother, Diana, who happened to be Danish, with long blond hair and bright blue eyes; a real Scandinavian beauty.

From the corner of her eye, Kristin saw Lucas Wolenzcak, Miguel Ortiz, Tim O'Neil and Benjamin Krieg join their little group. Lucas and Krieg looked like they had recognized Kira but did not say anything as introductions were made.

"Nice to meet you all," Kira said with a smile. "Where are you all staying during your shore leave?"

"Well, if we can't arrange to stay with family or friends, we usually find accommodations at a hotel," Nathan answered not quite sure why she was asking and neither was Kristin.

"Oh, a hotel could be a problem. I heard they were all more or else fully booked the moment the date for my concert was announced a year ago."

"I knew it!" Yelled Krieg excited looking at Lucas he continued. "Didn't I tell you, Lucas! You're the singer, Kira Louisa!"

Some in the group felt a bit stupid for not recognizing her sooner while others just looked surprised.

That was all Kristin needed to make her laugh.

"Now, aunt Kris. That's not nice." Kira reprimanded with a smile. "I haven't exactly had my face plastered all over the media, and you could have told them."

"I know, Kira. I'm sorry. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity and I know you value your privacy."

She stopped laughing but couldn't get the smile off of her face. Suddenly, she snapped her head around and gave Kira one of her patented stares while saying her name but all she got from Kira was an innocent look, daring her to explain what was going on when they noticed her confused colleagues.

Nathan was finding it hard not to enjoy Kristin's happiness. He had been worried about her after she had been stuck in a lifeboat in a hurricane with Lucas, Ford, and Krieg for half a day. They had not talked about it. All she had said was she was fine and a shore leave with her niece was just the thing for her.

Kristin decided to let Kira off the hook and discuss it with her later.

"Captain Bridger, if the eight of you have no place to stay, I have enough room at my beach house to accommodate you. It would be a pleasure to have you all."

Everyone was surprised by this invitation most of all Kristin. Nathan was not as surprised as the others as he knew Kristin to be a generous person. Kira's invitation seemed to suggest that it ran in the family.

"Kira, I'm sure they have already arranged places to stay," Kristin said.

"Aunt Kris, it's no trouble at all. I did just add a fourth floor. If it's a problem for you, aunty…"

"No, no. Not at all. If you're sure?"

"I am, aunty. You're more than welcome." Confirmed Kira waiting for an answer.

Crocker, Ortiz, and O'Neil declined as they had already arranged with family and friends but the rest of the group decided to accept.

"Good. My car is this way," she said with a smile, intertwined an arm with her aunt's and lead the group to the parking lot where the flurry of SQ crew getting picked up by family and friends or grabbing a taxi to their shore leave destinations was thinning out.

Kristin spotted a limousine that was drawing quite a bit of attention and immediately recognized it as Kira's.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

Kira only gave her a 'who, me?' look and smiled. I did indeed, she thought proudly.

Kira's bodyguards were making sure everything was secure and helping the extra guests with their luggage when the chauffeur offered to take Kristin's bag.

"Yes, thank you, Daniels."

"You are welcome, and welcome back to NCQ, Lady Westphalen." Daniels took the offered bag and took it to the car.

"Daniels, you know my aunt hates to be reminded of her title." Kira moved to the car with a smirk at Kristin who seemed paralyzed for a moment until she noticed Nathan beside her smiling and she reddened in embarrassment.

Leaning toward her he whispered: "You look very cute when you're embarrassed, Your Ladyship." She gaped at him and reddened even further.

"It's in your file, Kristin." He said explaining his foreknowledge.

She quickly collected herself and moved away from him to get into the car. Nathan shook his head in amusement and followed suit. Kristin's brain was going faster than the speed of light. Did he just flirt with me? He thinks I'm cute?

~~~SQ Reloaded~~~

Some distance away, two men were hiding behind some bushes with high-tech surveillance equipment watching the group get into the limousine.

"I don't understand why the Boss wants us to watch who some former celebrity meets and greets with," complained the red haired man. "I mean; it'd be just as effective to kill her now. Why wait?"

"Because the Boss wants to be here for the big event and can't get here until tomorrow," the black haired man answered annoyed while observing the limo drive away.

"She would also like to know the blonde angel's secrets before she has to leave this world. Plus, it has to look like a crazed fan shot her at her concert." The black haired man threw some gear he had packed while talking at the redhead. "Come on, Theo. She's on the move so let's get moving too."

Theo caught the equipment and complained about how expensive it had been to get for just one job. The other man, Aron, pointed out that it was a good business investment. "Just think, Theo. When word gets around about this job, we could end up getting more jobs."

Just then Aron's mobile phone went off and he handed the camera to Theo to put it in their van. Their current employer preferred an old mobile phone from the last century to the vid-phone even though few people used them nowadays. The Boss, as she had asked them to call her, felt it was safer this way.

"Yes, Boss." Aron tried not to sound irritated. She was probably the most demanding and controlling employer they had ever had.

"She just left the dock with her aunt and some of the SeaQuest crew. We were just about to follow her…Don't worry, Boss, it's under control…No, nothing out of the ordinary but you can judge better for yourself when you get the videos…You shouldn't worry about it. If there are any secrets, we'll uncover them."

He put some distance between his ear and the phone when the Boss started screaming so loudly that Theo clearly heard every word she was yelling at Aron.

"If! What do you mean if? Do you know who you're talking about, you low-life hired help? She is a Westphalen. That family survives on secrets and I want to know them all! Starting with 'Wonder Child' Kira Louisa Westphalen!"

In the next chapter: Kira has surprises for Kristin and they bond over the piano.

Thank you so much for reading! I know this chapter was a bit short but the next ones will be longer.

Please leave a review, I would love to hear what you think! And if you could please help me with a few things, I would love your suggestions for:

What song(s) should Kristin and Kira be playing on the piano? Also for Kira's concert, what songs should she be singing? I have one song I definitely want her to sing but need 7-8 others (there'll be a pre-concert party as well). The songs can be pop/rock/jazz, modern or old songs.