Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything except my own characters. I mean no harm or ill will to any of the real people. I'm sure they are all perfectly nice human beings.

The flight from Papua New Guinea to Seattle had been long but uneventful. Katherine Morrison had just finished a job for National Geographic magazine photographing the indigenous people of the area for a feature on how the local culture was slowly being lost as modernization took its toll. After getting herself settled in to the small hotel on the outskirts of the metropolis Kate called Dawn, an old childhood friend who was getting married.

"Why you are staying at hotel that far from Portsmith, I don't know." Dawn complained, "Your parents are put out that aren't staying with them."

"Drop it. We've talked about this. First of all, I need my space, and my folks are just a little smothering. And I have some business in Seattle next week in addition to your wedding so I'm staying here to be close to both," replied Kate tiredly.

"Are you up to going out with the girls tonight? We're heading to the Flying Dutchman for a girls night out."

"I don't know, I'm pretty beat Dawn…"
"Aw come on," whined Dawn, "It'll give you a chance to meet the bridesmaids you don't know before the party at my parents place tomorrow night."

"All right, I'll come. But just for a little while. I'm on island time anyways. Meet you there at 9?"

"Absolutely! I can't wait to see you, you've been gone WAY too long."

Kate pulled in to the parking lot at and took in the crowd. The Dutchman had not changed much over the years. The dilapidated building had been a fixture in the Seattle suburb of Portsmith since the towns founding. Overlooking the wharf, the place brought on a wave of nostalgia tinged with sadness. Her mind drifted back to the last time she had been here which was just before he long time boyfriend had dumped her for…. Kate shook her head to clear those memories. Just thinking about him brought a lump to her throat. "Get a grip girl, that's ancient history." She really dreaded this wedding, he or his family were sure to be there and the prospect of seeing him and his wife made her want to catch the first flight to anywhere. But Dawn was one of her oldest friends, and Kate couldn't disappoint her.

Walking in Kate was swept back in time. The old fishermen, those craggy, hardy men who had since retired from the sea were gathered in the back, smoking, drinking, and swapping tales. Closer to the sound system and bar were the younger patrons, mostly the younger boat crew members trying to impress the female population with varied success. Looking around she spotted her friends in a large booth near the captains' tables.

"KATHERINE MORRISON!!!" shouted her best friend Robyn, grabbing her in a hug. "Girl, LOOK at you! When did you get highlights? And that's a fantastic tan!"

Kate laughed, "Get outside Rob…the sun is a girls best friend!"

"Seriously Kate, where do you get your highlights done? The effect is beautiful!"

"I'm serious, this is natural. I spend so much time outside, it just happens."

"So I spent last weeks paycheck for crap, and yours was free. Life is not fair…" Robyn replied ruefully. "Well, as you can imagine, Dawn is late. So let me introduce you. Ladies this is Kate. She, Dawn, Megan, and I grew up together. Kate this is Marie and Liv, Mark's sisters. This is Laci and Stephanie; they went to college with Dawn. Alicia is bringing Dawn, she also went to college with them and she's even slower than Dawn."

That comment brought chuckles to the table. Kate sat down in the empty spot next to Stephanie. "Hi," said Stephanie shyly. "So Dawn asked you to be in her wedding after…" Robyn shot Stephanie a look that clearly said "Shut the fuck up". "After," she faltered, "one of the uh others uh dropped out?" Kate looked to Robyn who hurriedly found something in the bar menu fascinating. Finally the waitress made her way back to the table for new drink orders, "Just a coke for me, thanks."

"You don't drink?" commented Marie.

"Not really. Occasionally, but I'm not a happy drinker, so I don't."

"You used to be a happy drinker," muttered Megan under her breath, "Asshole."

"Who's an asshole?" queried Laci.

Before that could be answered, the door to the bar opened and a loud group of men walked in. Glancing over, Kate realized that she new more than a few of them. Laci started laughing as Mike Fortner started acting goofy and making wild gestures at their table. The guys walked over and Laci gave her husband a mock angry look. "Are you checking up on me?"

"Look guys, it's Laci, What the hell are you doing here? I thought you girls were going to a knitting class."

"I'm trying to find an old sea captain to replace you," she joked, batting her eyes at the bearded and tattooed captain with sparkling blue eyes.

A thinner, younger deckhand with a sculpted black beard and earring piped up, "You don't want an old guy. You need a young stud like myself…"

It was then that Mike recognized the woman sitting across from his wife, "KATE!" he yelled as he enveloped her in a bear hug. "How the hell are ya?"

"Good, and you?" she said hugging him back.

"Great! Let me introduce you…this is Andy and Johnathan, Phil, stud muffin here is his son Josh, and… well…you know Sig."

"Hi guys." The assembled crabbers all said hello. All of them except Sig Hansen, who just glared at Kate.

"Mike honey?" crooned Laci. "Go A WAY. This is girls night out."

"But we're the entertainment…."

"Go, or I will make sure that Andy and Johnathan are short a deckhand…."

The guys wandered back to an empty booth. Sig however hung back. "Why are you here" he spat at Kate.

"Excuse me?"

"Why are YOU here? It's a simple question."

"Since when is my location any of your business?" Kate said icily.

"You gotta lot of nerve showing up here."

"Me? What the hell did I do?" she said angrily standing up, fists clenched at her sides.

"You hurt my family," he ground out through clenched teeth, his face turning red with anger, veins on his forehead and neck popping out.

"I hurt your brother? News flash Captain Hansen I wasn't the one who walked out on our relationship. He was." Kate turned to Robyn, "I can't do this tonight. Tell Dawn I'll see her tomorrow." Barely holding back tears Kate left the bar and headed back to the hotel room.

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