Disclaimer: Don't own them. Never have. Never will.

This story is set sometime in Season 4. Obviously before the pregnancy and earthquake and move to Berkeley.

I really, REALLY should have been writing this little essay on judicial legislation that is due in oooh, I don't know, nineteen hours and that I've only written one paragraph of, but the idea of doing this instead was just too tempting. Whoops...

"It's raining," Kirsten stated, looking out the window.

"Raining what-cats and dogs? Rays of sunshine?" Seth asked, walking into the kitchen.

"It's raining rain," Kirsten clarified.

"It's raining," Sandy declared several seconds later, grabbing a bagel as he entered the kitchen.

"That's what I just said," Kirsten told Sandy.

"Ryan? Ryan?" Seth walked over to the table, where Ryan was reading the newspaper and poked him several times to get his attention. "Did you hear that? It's raining."

"I know," Ryan said, not looking up from the article he was reading. "I can hear it, you know."

"Do you remember what happened the last time it rained like this?" Seth asked his family, sitting down next to Ryan. "Lindsay jetted off to Chicago, I found out that Marissa and Alex were batting for the same team-"

Ryan shifted uncomfortably at the reminder of his less-than-easy love life and cleared his throat.

"Sorry, dude," Seth mumbled. "Anyway, sure Summer and I got back together after she almost hightailed it to Italy with Zach but I was the only one who benefited from the rain. Let's not forget about you guys, Mom and Dad. Now, I don't know exactly what was happening around that time but-"

Sandy and Kirsten both shot Seth a warning glance.

"But don't you both look beautiful this morning," Seth rambled. "So alert. So fresh."

Kirsten raised her eyebrows sceptically as she looked at her son through her tousled hair and folded her arms defensively in front of her robe.

"Anyway," Seth continued, "what I am trying to say, despite everyone's interruptions, is that rain seems to be a bad omen."

"Which will affect you how exactly?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know," Seth answered. "I'm just saying we need to be careful today."


Sandy walked into his bedroom as Kirsten put the finishing touches on her make-up.

"Well," he said, giving her a kiss on the top of her head, "I'm off to court. When do you leave?"

"As soon as this is done," Kirsten answered.

"Remember Seth's warning," Sandy said jokingly. "And be careful."

Sandy's last few words were swallowed up by the sound of thunder.

"You don't think that's God trying to warn us, do you?" Sandy continued joking.

Superstition rose in Kirsten and a frown creased her forehead as the rain started to fall heavier.

"Oh, honey, I was just kidding," Sandy laughed, sensing his wife's uneasiness.

"What if the rain really is a bad omen?" Kirsten wondered.

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Sandy smiled.

"What if we are being warned?" Kirsten continued. "What if something terrible might happen to one of us if we leave the house today? What if we have all of these signs telling us not to leave the house and we ignore them?"

"Kirsten," Sandy said seriously, "you're beginning to sound a bit like Seth."

Kirsten jolted back to reality and looked at Sandy.

"I guess you're right," she admitted with an uneasy smile. "Ignore me. Have a good day at work."

Sandy looked out the window and set down his briefcase.

"Maybe there is something to be said for the rain," he said slowly, an idea dawning on him. "It is raining pretty heavily. It doesn't look like it'll stop anytime soon. And it looks pretty bleak outside."

"What are you saying?" Kirsten asked.

"It's hardly the sort of day you want to go to work," Sandy said.

"Are you suggesting we skip work and spend the day inside because it's raining?" Kirsten asked with amusement.

"Exactly!" Sandy exclaimed, taking Kirsten's hand in his. "Think about it; a whole day alone, with the house to ourselves. We can lie in bed, watch the rain and laugh about the people who are insane enough to go outside today."

"Sandy, I can't just skip work!" Kirsten declared. "I can't leave Julie alone like that."

"Why not?" Sandy asked. "I'm sure she's done it to you. Just call in sick."

"We're not teenagers," Kirsten said. "We can't just skip something we don't feel like doing."

"I think we're allowed one circumstance in which we can act immaturely," Sandy said. "It's an inherent privilege of adulthood."

"Oh really?" Kirsten laughed. "Well, you enjoy staying home, then, but I'm going to work."

Sandy grabbed Kirsten around the waist as she started to walk past, and pulled her into him, giving her a brief but passionate kiss.

"Are you sure you don't want to give up responsibility just for one day of this?" Sandy asked, kissing her again.

"Well…" Kirsten faltered, her resolve lessening exponentially with each second. It had been so long since they'd last had some real quality time.

Sandy leaned in and kissed her again.

"Screw work," Kirsten decided and responded eagerly to Sandy's kiss.

"We should probably call," Sandy said, pulling just far enough away to speak. "Say we're sick-"

"Terribly sick," Kirsten agreed.

"Far too sick for work," Sandy finished.

"Definitely," Kirsten said, leaning in to kiss Sandy again, pulling off his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt.

She pulled away suddenly and started walking out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Sandy asked, following her.

"To call Julie," Kirsten called over her shoulder. "Just like you said."

"Right now?" Sandy asked, trailing Kirsten. "But we still have time to…you know…before we need to call work."

"And you want me to be thinking about Julie while we're in bed?" Kirsten asked with a smirk, picking up the phone.

Sandy's face dropped. "Good point," he said, giving up his argument and taking out his cell phone to follow Kirsten's lead.

By the time Sandy got off his cell, Kirsten was still explaining herself to Julie. He recognised the guilty look on her face and realised he'd have to act quickly unless he wanted her to end up giving in and going to work.

"I told you I don't know what I have, Julie," Kirsten said, jumping slightly as Sandy came up from behind and kissed her neck. "It must be food poisoning."

Sandy continued kissing her neck and she hit him gently, hoping he'd stop distracting her but he just wound his arms around her waist in response

"What did I eat for dinner last night? I...I don't remember," Kirsten stammered, unsure of who had more of her attention at the moment; Julie with her constant badgering or Sandy, whose lips seemed to be attached to her neck.

All of a sudden, Kirsten felt Sandy's arms slide underneath her top and his lips move down to her collarbone.

"Julie-I really have to go, I'm sorry," Kirsten managed to get out before hastily hanging up the phone.

Sandy released Kirsten from his grasp, a satisfied smile evident on his face as she turned around to stare him down.

"That," Kirsten said, "was incredibly distracting."

"And incredibly effective, too," Sandy replied. "It got you off the phone."

"That it did," Kirsten agreed.

"Now, where were we?" Sandy asked, his lips moving up her collarbone and her neck to her lips.

"Going back to the bedroom, it seems," Kirsten murmured between kisses.

A crash of thunder sounded.

"I think that's a sign," Sandy said seriously.

"A sign for what?" Kirsten played along.

"That we shouldn't go back to the bedroom," Sandy said. "I think that's God trying to tell us that this floor is much closer."

"I think you're right," Kirsten said, wrapping her arms around Sandy's neck. "Who knows what could happen to us on the way to the bedroom?"

"Exactly," Sandy said, pulling Kirsten down to the floor with him.

Kirsten took off Sandy's unbuttoned shirt, finishing the work they had started before.


"So, did the rain fulfil its prophecy?" Ryan asked Seth that night, as they were seated around the table for dinner.

"Dude, it was awful," Seth whined. "The moisture in the air set off my allergies. What misfortune did the rain bring you?"

"Nothing," Ryan answered. "Just like I thought it would."

"Mom, what's that on your neck?" Seth asked suspiciously as Kirsten tucked some hair behind her ear, a note of horror in his voice.

"Uh…nothing," Kirsten said, hastily untucking her hair. "It must be a…straightening iron burn."

Seth accepted her answer, deciding a burn was better than the alternative.

"Well, Mom, Dad," Seth said, looking at his parents, "How was your day?"

Kirsten looked down at her dinner, leaving Sandy to answer the question.

"It was very…productive."

I don't know whether to leave this as a oneshot or turn it into a story (I have an idea of where it would go). So I shall leave it up to go. R&R and let me know what you want!