Hey people, school's closed till January because of a virus…so I have lots of lovely time to write. But guess what…I'm struggling to. WHAT IS WITH THAT? So here's a little dumb piece because I have a lazy eye today and as I'm mean I like to transfer my problems onto my characters lol!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary: Kirsten has a sore eye! Lol. It's better than it sounds (actually, don't hold me to that!)

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters…I do have a lazy, puffy eye though. Anyone want to trade?

Eye Love You

(A.N. I know, I know. That pun is so not funny!)

Kirsten Cohen didn't have to fully wake up to know her husband was still out surfing. She didn't need to reach out and feel the empty space beside her and it really wasn't necessary to open her eyes. Or at least try to.

Her right eye was fine, her left felt unnaturally heavy as she struggled to force it open. 'Damn,' she muttered. This hadn't happened in forever.

Forcing herself out of bed she stumbled into the bathroom and glared at the mirror. Her comic reflection glowered back, one eye open, the other puffy and half closed. Kirsten groaned. Not today. Not with a big investors meeting this afternoon and a Newport charity event in the evening.

It was stupid. Ever since she was a kid if she overstrained her eyes one of them would go lazy on her, become swollen and refuse to open properly. Kirsten hated it. She strived to always be in control of her life and not being in control of her body really pissed her off. Sighing she headed for the shower, hopefully the warm water would help, perhaps so that she could open her eye more than a crack.

- - - - -

It didn't appear to work and Kirsten marched into the kitchen, her heels clicking crossly on the floor tiles. Coffee. That's what she needed.

'Whoa mom, did dad kick you out of bed again?' Seth joked when he saw his mother who gave him a one-eyed glare and rested against the kitchen island with her coffee. Ryan's head jerked up at the comment and he scanned Kirsten's face worriedly. 'Sandy wouldn't…' said, part defensive, a tiny part question.

She smiled sadly, knowing what he was thinking and wishing for the hundredth time that they had met Ryan sooner. Before he learnt that there were families where husbands hit their wives. Where a swollen eye didn't have an innocent explanation.

'Seth's joking,' she said gently.

'I know,' he replied quickly.

'I just get a lazy eye sometimes.'

'Very lazy,' Seth pointed out. 'It's like repetitive strain injury for eyes.'
His brother nodded, still looking anxious. 'Do you want anything? Ice? Optrex?'

'I'm fine; it'll go down in a couple of hours,' she insisted, 'but thanks.'

'Morning all,' Sandy hollered as he entered the kitchen in his New York T-shirt and boarding shorts, his hair still damp from his morning surf. He grabbed a mug and turned to the boys as his wife filled it. 'You two need a ride to school?' he asked.

'Nah, Marissa's taking us,' Seth told him with a sideways glance at Ryan. His brother glared back and that let Sandy know there was definitely something between his foster-son and the Cooper girl.

He grinned and leant over to kiss Kirsten. 'And how's my sweet this morning?...Aw honey. You got the eye again.'

'Thanks Sandy, as if I didn't know.'

Sandy set down his mug and wrapped his arms around her. 'You're still beautiful.'

She gave a little smile.

'Looks like someone won't be going to work today…need any company?'

'I will be going to work,' she argued. 'I have a meeting.'

'I think not.'

'Yeah honestly mom, you'll scare the investors.'

'I'll ring your father,' Sandy offered.

'Please, you're all overreacting,' Kirsten mumbled, 'it happens every so often, there's nothing to worry about.'

'But why does it happen?' Sandy asked before answering himself, 'because you spend too much time staring at computer screens, reading files with miniscule print and generally being stressed.'

Kirsten rolled one eye at him, 'Sandy I'm fine.'

'I know you're fine honey but it doesn't mean you're going to work.'

Seth groaned, 'Purlease dad! That is so not funny.'

His father ignored him. 'Maybe…if you stay home, I could get off work by lunchtime…'

'Is that a bribe councillor?' Kirsten teased.

'Perhaps.'

They were about to kiss until Ryan's signature cough broke the moment. 'Uh, Seth and I have gotta go to school, but um…call if you need anything Kirsten.'

'Thanks sweetie,' she told him, reaching out to ruffle his hair and then attempting to do the same for her other son but less successfully.

'My Jew-fro,' he whined, pretending he didn't appreciate the gesture.

'Go on, get lost,' Sandy told them, 'I need to argue with your mother.'

'Come on Ry, we know where we're not wanted.'

Kirsten watched her two sons traipse out of the kitchen and listened to their easy-natured banter as they left. She turned back to her husband, registering the determined look on his face.

'I gotta go,' she begged. 'There's a big meeting today and…'

'No.'

'It's just my eye Sandy.'

'No.'

'My dad's gonna be so mad.'

'Still no. I don't care if it's just your fingernail you're staying home. You can reschedule the meeting. I'll deal with your father.'

'It's just…'

'I don't want to hear it. Have you got the headache that goes with it?'

Kirsten didn't answer and Sandy smiled knowingly. 'Why don't you go back to bed for a little while?...and I'll take that,' he said, reaching for her mug.'

'Hey!' Kirsten cried, vainly trying to reclaim her coffee.

'Caffeine and headaches do not go together.'

'I never said I had a headache.'

'But you do,' he said smiling, 'so no coffee.'

Kirsten harrumphed, 'Go to work Sandy. I'll just sit here, denied caffeine, bored out of my mind with cucumber slices over my eyes.'

'Sounds like a plan,' he grinned, kissing his wife on the cheek. 'Now wish me luck, I'm going to call your father when I get to work.'

'It's your funeral.'

'Thanks honey, that's reassuring.'

- - - - -

'Morning Cal,' Sandy sang out jovially as his father-in-law came on the line.

'Good morning Sanford,' Caleb's tone was far less good-humoured. 'You're calling me. Why am I not surprised?'

'Because Kirsten isn't at work.'

'I am impressed. I take it she has a reason.'

'She sick.'

Caleb Nichol harrumphed like his daughter. 'Sick? Kirsten Nichol doesn't get sick.

'Nichol Cohen,' Sandy muttered.

His father-in-law ignored him. 'Well I want her in tomorrow, no excuses. She's just lucky the investors have cancelled that meeting,' he ranted before hanging up.

'Bye Cay-Cay, nice talking to you too,' Sandy chuckled to himself.

- - - - -

God she was bored, so bored. Kirsten hadn't taken a day off for ages. There wasn't much she could do without straining her eyes; she couldn't read, couldn't do any filing, couldn't watch TV. She ended up going back to bed for a couple of hours in the morning. The blinds down to shut out the bright California sunshine and the low hum of the air conditioning lulling her to sleep.

The shrill bleat of the telephone woke her around lunchtime and she scrabbled for it on her dressing table, almost knocking the picture of her and Sandy to floor.

'Hello?' she said sleepily.

'Hey baby,' Sandy's voice filtered down the line, 'I didn't wake you did I?'

'It's ok.'

'I'll call back later,' he suggested but Kirsten quickly vetoed the idea.

'No! It's worth it to hear your voice.'

'You flatter me.'

'I do.'

'How're you feeling?'

'Fine.'

'Kirsten.'

There was a pause. 'My eye kinda hurts.'

Sandy's tone was authoritarian, 'I hope you're resting it.'

'Yes Sandy.'

'I'm sorry but I can't get away this afternoon…' Sandy began to explain the minutiae of his case and Kirsten smiled sleepily. She loved to hear him thinking out loud. She loved hearing his voice. Actually she just loved him period.

'Anyway, I'm probably boring you.'

'No, no you're not,' she insisted, 'but I should let you go.'

Her husband sighed, 'I guess.'

'See you tonight.'

'I'll be counting the minutes.'

'You big cheese,' she laughed before hanging up.

She'd gotten up after that, eaten lunch and changed into a bikini. If she was going to do nothing she may as well tan at the same time. She lay out by the pool with a cold compress on her left eye, begging the swelling to go down. God knows what her father would say if he saw it, probably something nasty about Sandy, never mind the Newpsie gossip.

- - - - -

Seth and Ryan came home about 5.30, her former announcing their arrival with a loud 'Mo-o-m we're ho-o-me!'

Kirsten hurried across the patio into her bedroom to throw on some clothes and greet her sons. 'You're late back today,' she observed on meeting them in the kitchen.

'We stopped off at the drugstore,' Ryan said, 'thought you could use some of these.'

She smiled at the collection of medication on the table; Tylenol, Optrex, eye drops and icepacks.'

'Thanks boys,' she said, swooping to hug them. 'I can definitely use them,' she added crossly.

'Ho-o-ney I'm ho-o-me!' resounded through the house and Kirsten was reminded how much Seth was like his father.

'We're in the kitchen,' she called back.

A moment later Sandy joined them, greeting his sons and then turning to his wife, cupping her face in his hands and studying it. 'Still the one-eyed wonder,' he teased, ignoring Kirsten's mutinous glare and kissing her eyelids.

'I know. I'm hoping some of the boys' wonder drugs will help,' she muttered, gesturing to the table. 'We have to leave in two hours.'

'Leave? Why? Where to?'

The boys had the same question written across their faces.

'Charity event. Tonight.'

There was a collective groan.

'Let's not go,' Sandy declared, looking delighted at the prospect. 'Or even better, just send the kids.'

Two sets of horrified teenage eyes fixed on him.

'Dad! Mom, don't even think it,' Seth warned.

Kirsten half-smiled, 'Don't worry boys, I have to go; I'm on the committee. Therefore your father will be going too!'

Sandy pouted as his sons gave him matching satisfied glances and headed for the Poolhouse. 'Remember to get ready,' she called after them, 'don't be playing that pirate game right until we're meant to be leaving.'

'Ninjas,' the three men told her.

'Ninjas? Right, whatever. I have to go figure out how to make my eye look reasonably normal. I can't go looking like this,' Kirsten fussed, obviously flustered.

'Hey, hey!' Sandy caught the hands that were frantically raking through her hair, 'it's going to be ok.'

'Yeah, right,' she said as they wandered towards their bedroom, 'I look like a Cyclops.'

'You look beautiful.'

She shook her head.

'Cute? Dope? Rad?' he teased.

Kirsten sniffed, sitting down heavily on their bed. Her husband noticed the tears forcing their way under her eyelids and sat next to her.

'I know, I know,' she sobbed, 'I'm pathetic and shallow. I shouldn't care how I look.'

'You are not pathetic and shallow,' he told her, 'but I still don't know why you care what the Newpsies think.'

'Me neither, it's just…I was brought up caring. Looks are everything to these people.'

'Well I'm not one of them and I think you're so incredibly beautiful all the time.' Kirsten gave a choked laugh and let him gently wipe away her tears, flinching as he touched her left eyelid.

'Still sore huh?'

She nodded.

'So what's this godforsaken event in aid of?' Sandy asked.

'You want to know what it's for? Since when have you taken the slightest bit of interest in Newport parties?'

'Since you got worried about going,' he said, sliding his arms around her.

'It's for…the National Institute for the Blind.'

'Well…I have an idea. It might not be very PC but of course when has Newport Beach every been PC? I mean, honey, do you remember…' Kirsten pressed a finger over his lips to stop the ramble that was quickly gathering speed.

'What is it?'

'Everyone could wear sunglasses.'

She considered for a moment. It would work. It wouldn't be too strange. 'I love you,' she said, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

'Is that all I get?' he complained.

'Later,' she promised, 'I've got to ring Julie. Someone has to ring all the guests to let them know and organise someone else to buy a stack of sunglasses in case we can't get through to everyone.'

'I'll hold you to that,' Sandy declared, reluctantly letting her extricate herself from his grasp.

- - - - -

The Newport elite were swanning around in their sunglasses; Chanel, Gucci, Armani, you name it; they were wearing it, flirting surreptitiously beneath the tinted lenses. Kirsten was wearing her largest, darkest glasses but Sandy thought the beaming smile beneath them made up for not being able to see her eyes.

The dinner was over; she and Sandy were sat at their table watching Marissa dragging Ryan towards the dance-floor. Seth and Summer were sat by the door, laughing at the guests who stumbled when they went outside, their eyes not adjusting to the double darkness of night and sunglasses. Their peace was shattered by Caleb stalking up. 'Feeling better Kiki?' he asked pointedly.

'Yes thanks Dad.'

'Thought Sandy had lost you when he rang up this morning. Thought perhaps you'd run off with someone more suitable,' he joked.

'That's not funny,' Kirsten told him, her eyes narrowing beneath her glasses. 'Let's go Sandy.'

Her husband, eager to comply, stood and took her hand. His father-in-law's jibes had ceased to really hurt him but they always managed to upset Kirsten.

'Ignore him,' he whispered as they left.

'Forget it,' he told her as they drove home.

'Why does he always do that?' Kirsten moaned. 'Why can't he just accept that I love you?'

'Because…he doesn't think I'm good enough. No one's good enough for Caleb Nichol's daughter.'

Kirsten harrumphed again, taking off her sunglasses and wiping away angry tears. 'You know why I didn't want to go tonight?'

'Because of your eye, right? Which, can I just point out, is looking a lot better.'

'You think?' Kirsten asked, pausing in her train of thought and flipping down the sun visor to check in the mirror.

'I think you're gorgeous. But that's irrelevant right now, what were you saying?

Kirsten sighed, 'I didn't want to go because I didn't want to face my dad like that. He'd be sure to blame you and I'm sick of everything being your fault.'

Sandy parked the car in front of their house and turned to his wife, 'Kirsten, baby, listen to me. I don't care what your father thinks. I. Don't. Care. Ok?'

'Ok,' she sniffled.

'Now, if I remember rightly, you still owe me for masterminding the sunglasses stunt…'

'In that case…' Kirsten whispered, smiling coyly, 'Bedroom. Now!'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stupid huh? But I needed some kind of writing exercise to jump start myself back into it! Review if you can be bothered, I don't expect you to tho!