Disclaimer: I own nothing but Brenna, Christa, Nikolina and Erik. Oh, and the mentioning of the Aleutian Starfire. No money is made either, I'll stay broke forever, no worries there.
Sig Hansen and his wife Nikolina were standing near the airstrip in Dutch Harbor, waiting for the next plane to land. A former captain, Nik was now a dedicated mother to a hyperactive four-year old, and the couple had another baby on the way already. When the plane came through the snowy clouds, Nik smiled and rested a hand on her stomach. Sig kissed her cheek and walked over to where the plane was landed, waiting to help someone off of it, obviously.
Brenna Kinkaid stepped to the opened doorway of the plane and glared at the snow that was blowing around everywhere. Mumbling to herself about the frozen hell on Earth, she looked down at Sig and shook her head. "Couldn't you two have picked a warmer place to work?" He laughed and reached up, taking her hand and helping her out of the plane. "If it was a warmer place, Nik would complain because it was too hot to bear while she's pregnant."
Laughing at the joke, Brenna helped him get her things off the plane before they started walking in Nik's direction. "What's she trying to do, freeze the baby or something? She's crazy, Sig, I don't see how you ever married her." The Norwegian captain laughed harder this time as he reached his wife and kissed her softly. "I married her because she is the most beautiful woman in the world, and the only woman to steal my heart and lock it away in her gentle grasp."
Raising an eyebrow, Brenna looked over at Sig and nearly gagged, "Oh please, stop with the mushy stuff, it doesn't suit you at all." Nik laughed and stepped around her husband to embrace the other woman in a warm hug. Bren hugged her back with a smile on her face, letting go and then stepping back a bit. "Alright then, lets get going to somewhere out of this snow, I'm about to freeze!" The three of them laughed and started walking toward the center of Dutch Harbor.
Nik eyed Bren while they walked, she had certainly changed since the last time they had been together back in Texas. She was taller now, but not by much, maybe around five feet seven inches, give or take a little. Her hair was the astonishing part, she'd never worn it long, and now it was below her waist, and just as dark as the ocean at night. Raising an eyebrow, Nik noted that her friend had finally grown into her body as well, having filled out everywhere in just the right amounts.
Feeling the eyes on her, Bren looked over at Nik and grinned, "Yes I've changed since high school, you can quit staring, its really me." The two of them laughed and Sig rolled his eyes as he led them straight to the Elbow Room, holding the door open for the two of them. Nik stepped inside and shrugged out of her long coat, showing that she was still tiny, but being pregnant had its effects. Bren took her jacket off and hung it up before shaking the snow out of her hair and glancing around the room.
Sig took his jacket off the hung it up along with Nik's before leading them over to a table, pulling out a chair for each of them. When they were seated, Nik let out a soft sigh and leaned back a bit, gently rubbing her stomach a few times. Bren watched her and then laughed softly, "I never thought I would see the day when Nik Sanders was married and pregnant." Grinning, the former captain leaned her arms on the table and looked at her friend. "I'm not just married and pregnant, remember, I have a four year old son too."
Raising an eyebrow, Bren leaned forward and put her hand on Nik's forehead before looking at Sig, "Just what did you do to her? You turned my lioness friend into a mouse who is married with children, you should be so ashamed!" He laughed and put an arm around Nik's shoulders, "I didn't do anything, she's the one who teamed up with my brother to drag me into all this, if anything, I'm the victim here, not her." Nik grinned and leaned against Sig's side, resting her head on his shoulder, "Yes, Captain Hansen, but you were the one kissed me first, so you started it."
Opening her mouth to say something, Bren nearly jumped out of her seat when the door slammed open behind her. Two young boys walked in and grinned before making a beeline straight toward the bar, everyone casting wary glances at them. Nik groaned and put a hand over her eyes, "Not them…not today…I cannot deal with Ding and Dong while I'm pregnant." Sig laughed and kissed her forehead, hugging her shoulders gently, "Don't worry, I'm here to protect you."
"Ding and Dong? Did I miss something here? Please tell me that isn't their real names." Bren said as she cast a glance at the two boys at the bar. "No, that's their nicknames, and they're more trouble than they look like they could be." Nik said as she remembered her wedding day with those two on the deck of the Northwestern. Hearing the familiar voices of Sig and Nik, the two turned around and grinned before hurrying over to the table and pulling up some chairs.
Jake leaned his arms on the table and then looked at Nik, "Hey Captain, how's junior number two doing in there?" Nik shot him a glare and he laughed before reaching out and patting her stomach, "Don't worry little guy, Uncle Jake is here for you!" Brenna was stunned into complete silence, any other time, she would have bet money that Nik would knock them both out for annoying her. But now here she was, tolerating them and actually seeming somewhat friendly toward them.
"Alright Ding and Dong, break it up and leave Nik alone before I decide to make you both clean the whole Cornelia Marie alone." Came a gruff voice from behind her, causing Bren to shiver at the sound, but not daring to turn around. Phil Harris shot his boys a glance before sitting down beside Sig, the two of them shaking hands with smiles on their faces. When he looked at Nik, his eyes softened and he smiled, "You still holding up alright, Nik?" She smiled and leaned over Sig to kiss Phil's cheek, "I'm fine Phil, but there's someone I would like you to meet."
Phil turned his eyes toward Brenna and froze, he'd heard that a friend of Nik's was coming to Dutch, but he hadn't expected her to be so stunning. Holding his hand out to her, his eyes remained soft they way they'd been when he looked at Nik. "Phil Harris, Captain of the Cornelia Marie, and you are?" Bren blushed bright red and reached out, sliding her hand into his, "Brenna Kinkaid, umm, I don't really have a title to go by, just Bren." He let his hand linger a little longer than necessary before he pulled back and cast her a smile.
Bren felt her heart flutter in her chest and she looked at Nik quickly, hoping her eyes were signaling the need of aid from her friend. Catching onto the look, Nik cleared her throat and stood up slowly with the help of her husband. "If you handsome men will excuse me and Bren, we're going to go to the ladies room to freshen up." Stepping around her chair, Nik walked over to her friend and took her hand, walking with her toward the bathroom.
When they were far enough away, Sig leaned back in his chair and started laughing as he looked at Phil's face. "You look like you got hit with a crab pot, and you're staring." Quickly tearing his gaze away from Bren, Phil looked over at Sig. "I was not staring at her, I was just looking." The Norwegian laughed again and shook his head, "You were both checking each other out, why do you think she got Nik to get her out of here for a minute?"
Shaking his head, Phil lit a cigarette and took a long drag off of it, coughing a few times before looking back at Sig. "She's pretty, but I think you might need some glasses, Hansen. I'm twice her age, what would she be looking at me for?" Leaning on his arms, Sig lit a cigarette of his own, "I'm twice Nik's age, what would she want with me? Age is just a number, Phil, and we aren't getting any younger, I found love again, now I'm married with a son and another baby on the way, its not too late for you either, you know."
He shook his head, but stayed quiet when Nik came back with Brenna not far behind her, the two of them sitting back down. Nik cast a glance at Sig and he quickly put his cigarette out before putting an arm around her shoulders. Bren laughed at the sight of the fearless Norwegian obeying his wife's silent demand without a fuss. Phil raised an eyebrow at the action and then noticed that she was giving him that same look. "Alright, alright." He grumbled as he took one more drag and put the cigarette out, going into a brief coughing fit before settling down again.
Nik reached over and put a hand on his arm, squeezing gently, "You know they're not good for you Phil, take care of yourself, I want you around for years to come." Brenna watched as Phil nodded, it was almost like they were family, which would make sense really. Now if she could just figure out what it was about Phil Harris that made her heart skip a beat, she knew she'd be alright.