So instead of writing a 3500 word paper on Jane Austen last night, I felt the uncontrollable desire to write 6500 words of fan fiction. Amazing. I finally get the muse running and she's running in the wrong direction at the wrong time. So here's to five chapters

PROLOGUE

September 2022

"Look Katie, I know you think you know what you're doing, but have you really thought about it? I mean, this is your career were talking about. And a kid? Come on Katie, you can't return a kid. Once you have them you're stuck with them. Are you sure this is what you really want?" Benjamin Krieg stood across from Captain Hitchcock, sitting on the couch in her quarters aboard the H.R. Clinton. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. What she was asking.

"Look Ben, you remember when we rescued those kids from the depot? That little girl was so…so loving… and it made me think that I might want a baby of by own someday. You told me that I was command material. And you were right. I was command material. But with everything going on, I want more Ben. I want a family. When I put out to sea I want to know that it's for somebody, for something greater than 'G-d and country'."

Ben stood and crossed the room, sat on the couch and took Katie's hands in his own.

"But that's the point Katie. You said it yourself; you can't command a ship with a baby on your hip. And do you really want to leave your child to someone else to be raised? Whose gonna watch them when your at sea? Me? I'd do it in a minute Katie, but come on, what do I know about raising kids?"

"You did a fine job helping Captain Bridger with Lucas" Katie countered.

"Lucas was a teenager, a teenager who had already done more at 16 than most adults have done at 60. That's a lot different from a baby." This is crazy! Ben thought. She'll throw her whole career away. Out loud Ben continued "Look… I know that Seaquest's disappearance caused you a lot of pain. It caused all of us pain. But having a baby isn't going to fill that hole."

"I know that Ben. I wasn't talking about having a baby."

Ben sat up straight. "Oh, you weren't." Relief washed over his face. "That's good." His smile faltered. "Wait, then what did you mean. You very specifically said 'Ben, I want you to be the father of my child'. What did you mean if you didn't mean…uh father a child?"

"I know that I can't have a baby and keep my commission. But there's no reason why I can't have a family. I've been talking to adoption agencies. I'm going to adopt a child. An older one, one of the one's least likely to be adopted. There's so many children out there Ben with no family. I figure half a family is better than none right?"

"Katie…" Ben's voice became soft. "Katie, they aren't going to give a single woman, who's a Captain in the navy, and hardly ever on land custody of a child. It just doesn't happen."

"I've already decided Ben. And I've already taken the steps necessary to do this, with or without your help." Katie stood and walked to the porthole. She stared out at the ocean. Ben stood and walked up behind her.

"What kind of steps Katie?" Ben tried to keep his voice steady but it still wavered.

"I spoke to Noyce. I'm going to stay with the navy, but it'll be in a lab, developing submersibles, expanding on the work Lucas and I did with the Stinger. I'll be permanently stationed at New Cape Quest for at least a year or two. After that… well I'll figure it out then."

Ben relaxed. "You scared me for a minute Katie, I thought you'd gone and done something stupid for a second there." You'll have plenty of time to be stupid. Ben was reminded of the time he'd given Lucas a condom. He'd seen the boy's future as clearly as everyone else had. He had so much potential- 16 years old and he'd found a way to talk to dolphins, hacked into the World Bank (something Ben promised he'd never tell anyone) and developed an underwater equivalent to the hotrod. You'll have plenty of time… At the time he thought they had all the time in the world. Ben made-up his mind then.

"Whatever you need from me Katie. I'll do it."

"I haven't even explained what I want Ben."

Ben crossed his arms and shook his head. "Doesn't matter. I owe it to you Katie. And I owe it to them."

Katie's eyes watered, realizing why he was saying yes. It was because he finally understood what she'd been trying to say. That they owed it to them. Their friends might not ever be found, their dreams left unfulfilled, but they, those left behind had a chance still to see their dreams come true.

"Thank you Ben."

"So what do you need Katie?"

"Well you were right about them not letting a single woman adopt."

"Why do I get the feeling I won't like where this is going."

"I sort of told the adoption agency that we only separated because we wanted to be able to serve on whichever ship we wanted, whether the other one was there or not. That we never would have been able to work together on Seaquest, and you wouldn't have been able to be the moral officer on my ship if we'd stayed married."

"Uh huh."

"All you have to do is come with me to the agency and confirm my story."

"You want me to lie? To a government official."

"It's not lying… exactly… it could be the truth." Katie shook her head, hands on her hips. She looked up at Ben, crossed her arms and gave him her best Captain's glare. "It's not like you've never lied before."

Ben threw his hands in front of him "Hey now Captain, I never said no." He stuck his hands in his pockets. "I'm just disappointed that's all."

"Why because I'm too military to lie?" She replied haughtily.

"No." Ben got a wistful look on his face. "Because for a minute I thought you wanted to remarry me."

Katie's arms relaxed to her sides, as she became uncertain and fidgety. "Well I...I didn't want to ask that much from you." Her arms slid back up until she was hugging herself and she looked away.

Ben chuckled. It never ceased to amaze him how Katie could be so commanding in one instant and so vulnerable in another. He wondered how many people got to see this side of her. He wanted to tell her the truth then. That he had lied before. That he really loved her. If he told her that right now, if he asked her to marry him again, he knew she probably would. But it wasn't what she deserved. She deserved to be free to love someone worthwhile. Hard as it would be for her to get a date with a child, it would be even harder with a child and a husband.

"Well thanks Katie. The pressure's off now, I don't have to walk down the aisle or take you to bed, I can finally sleep at night." Ben laughed as Katie threw one of the couch cushions at him. She was laughing, the first time that Ben had seen her laugh since Seaquest had gone missing.

"So when do we meet our new kid?"