Bridger's island 1500 hrs.
Kristen was ready to kill the computer. It would not spell check any document, it refused to read the cdrom or floppy drive, and it wouldn't even give her cd back. She was ready to dismantle the computer, throw the pieces into the outgoing tide, then let Darwin try to find them. It hadn't helped that Lucas had went out with Tim, Miguel, Ben, and Jo nathan for the night. Nathan, Crocker and Bill had went out fishing, and wouldn't be back for several hours. Katie had been able to get the printer working, but the rest was beyond her level of programming. It was probably something simple, which infuriated Kristen even more.
She glared at the computer one last time before flipping it off. She decided it was a lost cause. She changed into her swim suit, then walked down to the beach. Katie was laying out, listening to the radio. Kristen dropped her stuff beside Katie. Katie smiled at her.
"I take it you got tired of messing with
the computer?"
"I hate that damn thing. I don't see how
Lucas deals with them all day."
"He sees the logic that non computer people
can't see. He also knows how to fight back."
"I feel like letting running it over with
my car, then see if it will mess with me again."
Katie laughed.
"A girl I knew in college did something similar.
She lived in the towers. She threw the computer out of the 4th
floor window. After that she brought it back up, hooked it back up, and
it still worked."
Kristen looked amazed.
"It still worked?"
"Yeah, it did. The mother board was cracked,
but it still functioned."
"Isn't a cracked mother board bad?"
"Under normal conditions, yes, but considering
it was dropped from the 4th floor, it faired pretty well."
Kristen just shook her head. Katie smiled,
then handed her the sun block.
"Just relax, take in some sun. We get a day
without the boys, lets enjoy it."
Kristen smiled, then laughed at the thought.
"You mean you don't like being the den mother
for 7 men?"
"I normally don't, but there are times that
I just want to scream ; find it yourself!"
"It never gets any better."
"I know. Ben still loses the same things,
in the same places."
Kristen nodded.
"Do you ever miss being married to Ben?"
"Sometimes. I am glad we were put together
on the Seaquest. We may not ever have the closeness we had with the marriage,
but at least we have regained the friendship."
"I know what you mean. I never had the chance
to reconcile with any of my ex-husbands. I missed the friendship over the
romance."
Katie laughed softly.
"Romance?"
"Yes, romance. The flowers for no reason,
the notes left on the table when we hadn't been able to talk, stuff like
that."
"That was the one thing Ben was good at.
He loved to bring me flowers, or cook me dinner after a long day. I remember
one day he proposed to me. He gave me the most beautiful rose with the
ring inside the flower."
Katie stared out at the water, remembering
the happiness she had felt. Kristen let her reminisce. She knew that no
matter what went wrong with a marriage, it still did have its' good points.
She couldn't stand to be in the same room as her last husband, but she
could still remember the good times. He had been an excellent listener,
always wanting to talk things through.
Katie finally looked away from the waves.
"Do you think I should give Ben another chance?"
Kristen shrugged.
"That's up to you and Ben. I know the reasons
for the break up are now moot points, but it's up to you two."
"I know, but there are sometimes that I do
miss having him to cuddle up to at night."
Kristen reached over and squeezed Katie's shoulder. She had Nathan to cuddle with. Nathan had truly surprised her. He had wanted a physical relationship, but not in the order of sex first, then deciding what to do after that. She knew they could gross Lucas out with their almost teenager relationship. He had walked in on them several times. It didn't help that he walked very quietly. You couldn't even hear him walk across the deck. She started to laugh, one of those contagious laughs.
"What are you laughing at?"
Katie looked at her curiously.
"Oh, nothing, just remembering the last time
Lucas walked in on Nathan and I."
Katie smiled, blushing.
"I take it you heard about it?"
"You could say that. Lucas was talking it
over with Ben. He was saying something about old people and sex."
"He's just jealous that we have a sex life."
Katie laughed, Kristen did have a point.
Lucas' thoughts of dating included something involving a computer.
"I wonder when he will ever find a girlfriend."
"I don't know. I'd love to see him with some
one that makes him happy, but there is also that parent part of that would
worry."
Katie nodded her head, as she played with
the sand with her toe.
"I know what you mean. I would love to see
him nervous for a date. I also know I'd have to personally kill the person
who broke his heart."
Kristen smiled.
"I wouldn't want to see what would happen
to the person around any of us. We are all quite possessive of him."
"He's the son or little brother to all of
us."
"I think he enjoys that."
"What?"
"Having a family that sticks together through
everything."
Katie nodded, then turned to Kristen.
"Want to go out tonight? I hear there is
a huge mall that has a little of everything."
"Sure, but when does it close?"
"It stays open 24 hrs. a day. "
"What about the boys?"
"They always go out, it's our turn now."
Kristen's eyes sparkled.
"A girls night out, I like it. Lets get ready.
"
With that, they got ready to enjoy a night
of whatever they wanted to do.