Disclaimer: I own nothing but Nik and the A.S. so don't sue me. Besides, you all know I'm broke, or you should by now, I don't even have lint to my name! -Cries-

Note: OMG -Eyes wide- I am so touched and overly shocked, still, at the sheer amount of reviews this thing has racked up in just two days of being written. I deeply thank all of you that read and review this, and those who just drop in to read it. Truly, I'm touched, thank you all so much!


It was the middle of December and Sig had elected to stay in Dutch during the off season, mainly because of a certain brown haired, green eyed captain. They had spent mornings together getting breakfast and then had set out to do their own things during the day. Until a week ago, they'd only shared breakfast and an occasional wave in passing. Now they had started meeting up for lunch and dinner too, when they weren't busy taking care of business pertaining to their boats. Though he wouldn't admit it, Sig was starting to learn more and more about her, and he was constantly surprised by her.

Nikolina's laugher rang in Sig's ears as she nearly doubled over in her chair from laughing at a story he'd just told her. Tears were in her eyes, her face was red and she was struggling to breathe between bouts of laughter. His blue eyes danced with amusement as he took a long drink of his coffee while she was trying to recover herself. When she was finally able to calm herself a bit, she looked at him and shook her head, wiping the tears away from her eyes. "Oh dear, I didn't realize you Hansen men were so crazy." Her comment made him smile even more as he put his cup down.

"I don't claim it so much as Edgar does, he's a riot sometimes, other times he can annoy a nun to insanity." He said as he leaned back in his chair a bit, watching her and actually enjoying the time they were spending together. "I just can't believe he took the time he had to rest and used it to make a dummy to throw off the top of your wheelhouse." She said as she shook her head and took a drink of her coffee to finish it off and place the cup down on the table.

"The Aleutian needs some work today, so I won't be able to meet you for lunch, and I'm not sure about dinner until I get in there and start working." She said as she brushed a hand through her hair to get it away from her face. He nodded to her with a smile, "You can't put a time limit on a boat, its got to be done right. Don't worry about it though, take the time you need to get her fixed." Nik grinned and stood up from the table, reaching into her pocket for some money for her half of breakfast. Sig had learned early on that she didn't let him pay for hers, she'd pitch a fit and always won in the end.

Standing up, he pulled some money from his pocket and put it down on the table with hers, reaching to his jacket on the chair. She picked up her jacket, which was actually his Northwestern jacket that she had opted to keep and actually start wearing. To her surprise, he had also started wearing her necklace, so it was considered a fair trade now. Putting her hat on her head and pulling it into place over her ears, turning to him with a smile.

Sig put his jacket on and buttoned it up before looking over at her and noticing the smile, "What are you smiling about now?" With a laugh she reached out and touched his arm, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Tag, you're it, Captain Hansen." She grinned and then took off out the door of the diner, leaving Sig staring after her. It took him a minute before he registered what was going on, laughing as he took off out the door after her.

Nik had a good lead on him, carefully running through the snow, not wanting to fall down in the freezing cold stuff. Behind her, she heard Sig running and her heart beat faster, glancing behind her with a grin. He knew this was childish, but she was always getting him to do things that he normally wouldn't be caught dead doing. The thought made him smile as he slid a bit, but held his balance and continued after her. She deserved the credit, she was in good shape to be running in the snow and actually staying ahead of him.

Shaking his head, he pushed himself to run faster, reaching out and catching her arm, pulling gently. Nik squealed as they went down in the snow, a cloud of the powdery substance getting kicked up around them. Sig caught himself on his hands before he fell on her, looking down to check and make sure she was ok. Her laughing rung in his ears, her cheeks red as she looked up at him, her hands resting on his arms.

The laughing finally caught up to him and he started laughing along with her, suddenly caught up in the total amusement. She grinned and got a handfull of snow, Sig raising his eyebrows, "Don't you even think about it." It was too late for that though, the snow hitting him in the face a second after he'd finished talking. Blinking a few times, he looked down at her with a mock glare, resting his weight on his knees as he reached down and started to tickle her.

She started squirming beneath him, her head thrown back laughing as she struggled to stop his hands. The two of them started laughing even more, a rolling snow fight starting between them that had the two skippers acting like kids. Nik grabbed another handfull of snow and went to get to her feet, slipping on the powdery stuff with a yelp. Reaching up, he caught her and rolled her beneath him, their eyes dancing with a giddy kind of excitement.

Doing her best to calm her heart rate and breathing, Nik gave in to her fate of being the loser in this game. Sig's laughter died down and he watched her, suddenly feeling a bit out of place in this situation. She lifted her hand and gently placed it on the side of his face, sliding her fingers through his hair as a soft smile crossed her lips. Clearing his throat, Sig lightly kissed her palm and then got to his feet, helping her up to her feet as well.

They stood there quietly, Sig's hands gently holding hers, their eyes meeting as a soft blush crossed her cheeks. Leaning down, he kissed her softly, letting go of her hands and moving them to her waist to pull her closer. Nik was a bit surprised when he kissed her, it was on the second time they'd ever kissed each other. But this time was just the same as the first, it completely melted her on the spot and made her knees feel weak.

Reaching up, she slid her arms around his shoulders and returned the kiss, her fingers playing with his slightly long hair. He was reluctant to break their kiss this time, but he knew they both had work to do before opie season. Slowly, he moved back, looking down into her eyes as a soft smile crossed his lips at the look on her face. She was still blushing when they broke their kiss, pausing for a minute before hugging him tightly.

Sig held her close for a few moments and then let go of her, sweeping some of her hair back from her face. "I'll see you again soon, you get the Aleutian fixed." He said as he played with a curl of her hair. She nodded and leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to his lips before letting go of him and starting toward the docks. He watched her go, a bit sad about it actually, for a week now, he'd regretted having to watch her walk away. It was clear he was getting in deep with her, but she wasn't pushing him, she was following at whatever pace he set.

Finally, he moved from the spot, starting toward the docks to go back to the Northwestern and do some more work. When she wasn't around, he had to keep himself busy or he felt the extreme urge to go see her. Glancing back one more time, he watched her get on her boat and then disappear out of his sight for the time being. Running a hand through his hair, he went over the rail and onto the deck of the Northwestern, going up the steps to the wheelhouse.

Nik went below deck and down the hall to her stateroom, pulling on some gear and then fixing her hair into a tight bun on her head. When she was done changing, she left the room and started her way for the engine room. She was already thinking about having to miss lunch with Sig, she didn't want to, but there were pressing issues that needed to be fixed and she couldn't afford to let any time go by. Opening the door to the engine room, she went inside with her tools, pulling a pair of safety glasses over her eyes and getting ready to set to work.


A/N: -Peeks out of Sig's shirt pocket in a mass of hair and such.- The life of a writer, I'll pull my hair out before its all over with, lol. For once I'm thrilled with a chapter, my muses actually let me write from beginning to end without having to change anything. I was worried they were gonna smack me around some more, like always. I hope you enjoy it so far, stay tuned for more! Oh oh, and to iHedge, you are welcome to join me and my lap top in Sig's pocket! -Tosses a rope ladder down- Come aboard, there's plenty of room, and its warm too!