Cruise Control 1/?

Disclaimer:- Don't own them just borrowing!

Episode:- None

Pairing:- Sandra/Gerry

Rating:- M

Achieve:- http(:/) . /group/rebeccafrontlewisffarchive/

Summary:-

Author's Note:- In answer to the cruise challenge to write a fic including the following : A cruise, A cabin upgrade, Dinner at the captain's table, a surprise and sea sickness. Fluffy multi chapter fun! Enjoy and reviews would be lovely!

"Esther are you sure this place you've booked Scampi into when we're away is ok?" Brian asked looking into the box of things that his wife had sorted out for their pet to take on his own two week break. They were setting off on their first ever foreign holiday a cruise bought for them by his work colleagues who were all coming along as well. Their attendance as supposed to be a way to prevent Esther being driven completely mad but in truth the only way that Sandra, Gerry and Jack could persuade the couple to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on the luxury cruise was to agree to go with them. Brian, who hadn't wanted to go at all, had informed them that if they were going to send him to a watery grave he was taking them with him and Esther had told them that if she had to spend 2 weeks on a ship, even a luxury one like the Sea Princess, with Brian she's be arrested for murder the second they hit UK soil again. So that was how they had ended up surrounded by suitcases with Brian unpacking the carefully packed box complaining about what she had packed for his beloved Scampi.

"Yes Brian it's fancier than most of the hotels we've stayed in over the last 40 years now stop unpacking the box I've got to go drop him off. You make sure all the cases are locked and the travel documents are all in the folder we're getting picked up in an hour." Esther sighed batting his hand away and putting all the stuff back in the box before taking Scampi's lead from him. "Have you said good bye to him?"

"You be a good boy mate and we'll bring you something night a jewelled collar from Monaco or some gorgeous bones from the Spanish bills at eh bull fights."

"Sandra and I have already told you all we're not going on the bull fight excursion I can't believe you want to go. Call yourself an animal lover?"

"It's a social and cultural thing Esther and the bull isn't harmed I've researched it." Brian replied ignoring Esther's eye roll as she, the box and the dog headed for the door.

"Just make sure you're ready when I get back it's very good of Emily to borrow the station football team's minibus to take us all the way to Southampton. We're already getting picked up last so everyone else will be in the minibus already and we are not keeping them all waiting so be ready." Esther called before slamming the door and leaving him alone standing surrounded by things she'd already locked and a folder that up until that moment he'd been banned from touching.

"it's only two weeks Mary, yes I know we always said cruises were for people who'd lost the will to live and couldn't wait to die but it's for Brian and Esther. I know he's a weird one but Esther deserves the break and she won't go unless we all go. I'll miss you too love but I'll see you when I come back, love you rest well." Jack said quietly getting up from the covered bench in front of his late wife's memorial and heading back toward the house locking the French doors an turning out the outside lights as he did.

He'd packed lighter than he was sure the other's would have and his one suitcase was sitting in the hall by the front door with a small sports bag on top containing his travel essentials including his passport and money. He still wasn't completely behind the whole trip but Sandra had told him he was going and she had refused to take no for an answer pointing out that with the rest of them gone the office would be closed for the two weeks so he'd spend the time staring at the four walls of his home anyway. She'd also informed him that the ship they'd picked had its own driving range on board and the set of golf clubs sitting by his case was the thing that had finally convinced him he might be able to get through the trip without dying of boredom.

Moving through the house he made sure everything was switched off and he'd left a note for the milkman he pulled his jacket on and sat by the living room window to watch for Sandra, Gerry and Emily to arrive and pick him up.

"Gerry what the hell are you doing now? Emily's just arrived and we promised her we'd be ready! Jack will get ratty if we're late getting him and Brian will panic meaning Esther will already be uptight before we even get going!" Sandra called standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for Gerry to appear. She was so looking forward to the five of them going away together but she was starting to feel like she was the only one who was. Brian had left the office the day before muttering still about cruise ships and sinking and Jack in spite of his initial interest in the on board golf driving range no longer seemed to be at all enthusiastic. Now even Gerry, who had appeared to be all for it, was starting to act strangely and she couldn't help the fact it was raining on her parade.

"I'm coming now I was just making sure everything was off up here." Gerry called looking again at the contents of his soap bag before finally zipping it up and putting it into his case and closing that too. He was only too aware that the trip was about Brian and Esther's anniversary and he was completely behind celebrating that but the trip was longer than one night and he had a few ideas himself about how he could make the trip special for him and Sandra too. Now that he was sure he had everything with him to execute his plan he was ready for Emily to get there and them to get on the road to start their holiday.

"I'm starting to think we should have just bought them some of those corny ruby anniversary themed presents and forgot the whole idea of a cruise." Sandra sighed as he reached the bottom of the stairs and set his case beside hers pulling her into his arms as he did.

"Hey what happened to the woman who woke up this morning excited and happy about a fortnight away with her partner and her friends?"

"She realised she was the only one of the five of us who woke up this morning feeling that way!" Sandra sighed staring at him with eyes that screamed disappointment making his heart break.

"Ok listen and listen well ok?" He smiled kissing her gently as he did. "It's going to be great, tonight the whole getting to Southampton and getting on the ship at 11 is going to be a little stressful but we expected that. Once we're checked in and are in our cabins and that ship sails it's going to be perfect ok?"

"Ok.2 Sandra smiled pushing aside the doubts she was feeling as the sound of a tooting horn from outside signalled the beginning of their trip and she felt her excitement rise again.