So midterms are over (thank goodness) and I feel like I am able to breathe once again. :) Thank you to everyone who takes the time to review this story, I've had a lot of fun writing it. Remember I own nothing and enjoy reading.

Emma fixed the crew some sandwiches and took them out to the gear room. The guys were working furiously, trying to get crab hauled and pots dropped before the brunt of the storm hit them head on. She had already taken up precious moments of their time as they dealt with her getting hit by a wave. She was fine. The water had just been so cold that it had sent her into shock. However, once she had been brought inside and her clothes had been changed, she had started to feel much better. She was currently sitting at the galley table, a mug of coffee held between her hands. She was still shivering a little but she figured it was mostly residual shakes. She glanced over at the stairs that lead to the wheelhouse and resisted the urge to climb them. She was worried about Sig and the paleness of his skin when he had left his room. She wanted to make sure that he was okay but she was afraid that he'd just shrug her off and tell her that he was fine. She knew he wasn't feeling well but she wasn't sure how she was going to intervene. She fought with herself, going back and forth on whether or not she should go and talk to him, before finally deciding that it was better to have him yell at her then to not know what was going on. She stood up from her spot at the table and bundling the blankets around her, she carefully plodded up each step. Once she could see Sig, he knew that her assumptions had been correct. He was doubled over, his right arm clutching his left. Emma let the blanket slide down to the ground as she ran towards the sick captain. "Sig, what's wrong? Talk to me." Emma sat back in shock when Sig's blood shot eyes looked up at her. Tears were streaming down his face and he acted as if he couldn't breathe. "Sig, I need to get you some aspirin. You have to lie down on the floor." Emma crawled over to the blanket she had discarded and spread it out on the floor. She reached into one of the lower cupboards and pulled out a yellow box. She reached in and pulled out a small bottle of aspirin. She shook one from the bottle and made her way back to Sig. "Open your mouth Sig, I need you to chew this." Emma placed the small white pill in Sig's mouth and waited.

Emma heard footsteps but she was too focused on Sig to pay attention to anything. "Hey Sig, I think that we've hauled enough, the storm is starting to get pretty bad out there….What the hell happened?" Edgar kneeled down next to Emma, "Is he okay?"

Emma shook her head, "I'm not sure. I gave him some aspirin in case he's having heart issues and that has actually seemed to help a little bit but I'm not sure what is wrong. He was hunched over when I came up here and he was clutching his left arm. I know from experience that that is a really good sign of a heart attack."

Edgar pulled himself up into the captain's chair and, over the hailer, told the crew to come inside. He set a course for St. Paul and then reached for the radio. "I really think that we should call the Coast Guard. If he's having heart problems, then we are in over our head, there is no way we can handle something that serious."

Emma just nodded her head, agreeing with everything that he said but unable to pull her eyes away from Sig's face. "How long do you think it will take for them to get here?"

"I have no idea, but we aren't too far from St. Paul, so I wouldn't think that it would take them more than an hour. He has an hour doesn't he?" Edgar punched in the appropriate channel.

"His heart rate has slowed and his breathing seems to be a bit more normal. I'm sure that he'll be fine until the Coast Guard can get here." Emma looked up at Edgar, noticing, for the first time the fear that was present in his eyes. "He's going to be fine Edgar."

Edgar radioed the Coast Guard and gave him the details, Emma piping in with the ones he didn't know. Sig continued to lie motionless in Emma's arms but she kept a close eye on his vitals and, as far as she could tell, all seemed to be good. The Coast Guard had informed them that their ETA was about forty-five minutes, so Edgar and Emma decided that they should tell the rest of the crew what was going on. Edgar volunteered, leaving Emma with Sig, and as she sat there, alone with him in the wheelhouse, she began to wonder if he really would be okay after. She was staring straight ahead, her eyes focusing on nothing but her mind going a million miles an hour, when Sig stirred in her arms. She looked down and saw that he was looking up at her. "Hey, how are you feeling?" Sig blinked a couple of times and tried to sit up but Emma placed her hands on his chest and shoulders and forced him to remain still. "You've got to stay still Sig. The Coast Guard is on their way."

Sig shook his head, "There isn't a need for the Coast Guard and I'm just fine."

Emma refused to budge, "You've been out cold for the last twenty minutes Sig, there is no way in hell I'm going to allow you to just shrug this off and act like nothing is wrong."

"The pain is manageable. It isn't that bad at the moment." Sig tried again to sit up but Emma pushed down on his shoulders harder. "Emma look at me," He waited until her dark eyes met his, "I am fine, there isn't a need for the Coast Guard."

Tears started to swarm Emma's eyes and she tried desperately to blink them back. "Sig, I don't want anything to happen to you. I want to make sure that you really are okay and the only way to do that is for a medical professional to check you out. I can't just let you say you're okay when you've been struggling with chest pains."

Sig reached up and cupped Emma's cheek in the palm of his hand, "Please don't cry." With his fingertips, he gently brushed away the tears that had escaped.

Edgar came back up the stairs and saw Sig awake, "Sig, how are you feeling man?"

Sig tried again to sit up and this time Emma relented. "I'm feeling better. Call off the Coast Guard, there isn't a need."

Edgar shook his head, "You at least need to be checked out man. Let them take you to St. Paul. We're headed there anyway. If you're fine then you can get back on."

Sig made to protest but Emma's grasp on his arm tightened, "I guess I can handle that. I still don't like it but it looks like I'm out numbered. I want to be in my room though until they come. Edgar can you help me?"

Emma stood up and moved out of the way. Edgar stood behind Sig and slowly helped him to his feet. Emma followed them downstairs and into Sig's room. Edgar made sure that Sig was comfortable before going back up to the wheelhouse to wait for the Coast Guard.

Emma sat down on the edge of Sig's bed and looked down at him. "How is the pain?"

"It's there but it isn't as bad as it was." Sig rubbed at his chest, "It's never been like this before. It really freaked me out."

Emma reached over and took Sig's hand in hers, "Sig, it really would be for the best if you went back to Seattle. I know you don't want to but you aren't going to get the care you need at a clinic on a remote island. You need major medical attention."

Sig squeezed Emma's hand, "I know that you're worried but I'm not going back. I'm going to finish this season and then we'll look into doing what needs to be done. Fishing comes first, always has, always will."

"That's stupid and it will kill you, like it killed my dad. I know that fishing is important but so is your health. You can't fish if you're dead." Emma shook her head and met Sig's gaze head on. "I want to see you around for a while."

"Emma I'm fine and I'm going to be fine. You really shouldn't worry." Sig pulled on Emma's hand, bringing her closer to him. "I plan on being around for a very long time. I have a life to live after all." He continued to pull on her until her face was inches from his. His eyes searched hers before leaning up. His lips slowly pressed against hers, deepening the pressure when she responded to his touch.

She pulled away first, her eyes closed and a look of bliss on her face. "Sig…" She was speechless. She had wanted him to do that for a long time but never thought that he actually would. She wasn't sure why he was doing it now and she really didn't care.

"Emma, you were right. I do need to start picking up the pieces and starting my life again. I'm not sure if this is really me talking or if it's the pain and the fear but I want to find out. I want you to be there, I don't want you to go anywhere." Sig rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, her skin as soft as he remembered it being the first time he'd touched it.

"I already told you, I'm not leaving you. I will be here." Emma stared down at their hands, not believing that they were having this moment.

There was a soft knock at the door before it opened and Nick stuck his head through, "The Coast Guard is here. Do you need some help?"

Sig nodded and slowly moved himself to the edge of the bed. He pulled back the blankets and swung his legs around. His feet hit the ground and with Nick's help, stood up. Emma grabbed Sig a jacket and placed it around his shoulders. The entire crew went out on the deck with their captain and watched as he started to climb into the basket that would lift him up into the awaiting helicopter.

Sig looked at Emma, "Take care of my guys for me." He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, "I will see you in St. Paul." He gave her hand a squeeze. With help he sat down in the basket and the crew watched as he disappeared into the bowels of the chopper.

Emma turned to look at Edgar, "How long until we get to St. Paul?"

"It will probably take us another six hours to get there. It could be longer though depending on this storm. Don't worry Emma we'll get there as fast as we can." Edgar ducked back inside.

Emma stood out on the deck, the storm building up speed around her, and watched as the Coast Guard helicopter slowly disappeared. She sighed and silently prayed that Sig would be okay and that they would get to him quickly.

Edgar steered the Northwestern carefully through the ice. Their progression had slowed considerably once they had gotten closer to St. Paul. The ice choked off the island and Edgar had to inch the boat along as not to cause more problem. Emma paced back and forth, her anxiety level climbing with each minute passed. She wanted to get in to see Sig, she needed to see Sig. They hadn't heard from him since the Coast Guard had taken him away and the entire crew wanted to know how their captain was doing.

"Emma would you please sit down, you're making me nervous." Edgar looked over at her.

Emma quickly sat down in the vacant chair, "I'm sorry Edgar. I'm just having a hard time sitting still."

"I want to know how he's doing as badly as you do. I'm sure that he'll be okay. We just need to relax a little. This ice is putting all of us on edge enough." Edgar cringed as the boat slide over a large chunk, the sound of it scraping along the hull of the ship.

"How far out are we?" Emma knew that it didn't matter how far away they were, it would still take them a long time, probably hours, to get to Sig.

"I have no idea, a couple miles maybe." Edgar peered through the darkness, trying to see if there was a path they could take that would get them there quicker.

It took them another two hours before they were at the mouth of the harbor and there, the ice was even more solid. Edgar wasn't sure if they should even try to get through but the harbor master gave them permission and with Emma's insistence, Edgar pushed the Northwestern forward.

It was an agonizing final last approach. The boat inched on, getting closer and closer to their destination but it still seemed like it was a million miles away. Emma was back on her feet, she didn't pace but she knew that she couldn't sit still, not when Sig was so close.

Edgar had called ahead and had a car waiting for them. It took some time to get the boat stopped and pulled up close enough to the dock that they could get off. Nick, Matt, and Norman volunteered to stay behind while the remaining four piled into the truck and drove the short distance to the clinic.

Jake pushed open the doors and they all walked into the clean white room. The woman at the reception desk looked up at them and smiled, "Are you here to see Sig Hansen?" All of them nodded simultaneously and she pointed off down the hallway, "He's down there, in exam room 3."

Emma led the way, she was too anxious to see him, to make sure that he was okay. She stopped at the closed door, almost afraid to push it open but more afraid to just sit by and wait. She turned the knob and allowed the door to swing, revealing Sig sitting in a chair by the window. He looked dejected and sad and Emma rushed over to him. "Sig are you okay?"

He looked up at her, a smile playing on his lips. "You guys made pretty good time. I'm feeling better. They gave me some stuff for the pain." He looked past Emma, to glance at the reminder of his crew, "The bad news is, I can't go back out. They don't have the means or equipment to do all the tests that they need in order to get a definitive diagnosis, so they are sending me home." Sig shrugged his shoulders, "Who would have ever thought that I'd be in this position? Forced to go home and leave my boat during crab season. I tried to fight it, I really did, but the Coast Guard said that they'd put a hold on my license so that we couldn't cash in our quota. I've already called Lexi. She'll be waiting for me at the airport. I'm supposed to leave here as soon as the storm lets up."

Edgar and Emma stood side-by-side, not believing the words that were coming out of Sig's mouth. "You can't go home," Edgar took a step closer, "We need you, the ship needs you."

"You're going to have to do it without me Ed. They are telling me that if I don't get this taken care of, that there might not be a next time. I can't risk that, I can't risk leaving Lexi and Brandon alone." Sig slouched down further in his seat, the thought of leaving weighing heavily on his mind.

"I'm going to come with you." Emma kneeled down in front of Sig, taking his hands in hers. "I can't let you fly back on your own, you'll need me."

Sig brought her hands up to his lips and kissed them softly, "I need you to stay here Emma. I need you to keep an eye on my boat and on my crew. They are going to need you and your strength. Do this for me, please?"

Emma stared at Sig, hoping that he was joking, but the look on his face told her he was serious. "Okay, I'll finish up the season but, for the record, I'm not happy about it."

Sig laughed, "It will be over before you know it and when you get back, I should be as good as new, maybe even better."

They took Sig back to the boat and waited for the storm to blow over. It was an uneasy wait. No one wanted Sig to leave and Sig, himself, wanted nothing more than to stay with his beloved ship and his crew. When the call came through that the plane was ready for takeoff, Sig turned to the miserable looking faces that surrounded him. "I'll be fine guys and you will be fine without me. Just work hard and work fast and you'll fill the quota and be back home." He pulled Brandon to him and hugged his son. "Be good and pay attention to everything that Edgar tells you." Sig looked over at his brothers and they both just nodded their heads. Emma just stood there, not wanting to say anything for fear that the tears would come. She didn't want to cry, she just wanted this nightmare to be over. She wanted Sig to stay. She wanted for him to be okay. Sig reached for her hand and she followed silently behind him and Edgar. Edgar climbed into the car and patiently waited for Sig.

Emma stepped closer to the captain and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Call when you get home, I want to make sure that you're okay."

"I will call. Try not to worry too much about me, everything will be just fine. There is nothing to worry about." Sig leaned in and kissed her, pulling her closer to him, their bodies pressed together tightly. He pulled away reluctantly and climbed into the truck without a word.

Emma watched as they pulled away, a small single tear slipping down her frozen cheek.