March 27th, 2004

Week 18

Jaida stood in the doorway watching Richard grade papers. He was working himself to death, but hey...He was hot while doing it. She smiled softly.

"Do you want coffee?" She asked. Richard rubbed his eyes.

"I want my wife." He mumbled. Jaida smiled walking into the office. She wrapped her dark arms around his shoulders.

"I love you, Richie." She whispered. Richard smiled rubbing her forearms. "Come on. Come to the kitchen and eat something."

"No it's okay." He said.

"I'll be naked if you want." Jaida said. Richard looked at her and nodded.

"Now THAT idea, I love." He told her as he wrapped his arms around his wife.

* * *

Jaida lay in Richard's arms on the living room floor naked.

"I love you." She whispered.

"Data loves you too." He said. Jaida burst out into laughter.

"Don't!" She chuckled.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist." Richard said. Jaida sighed softly with a smile upon her face.

"Can I ask you something, Baby?" She asked him.
"Go ahead." He said.
"Do you miss NASA at all?" Jaida asked. Richard shrugged.

"Sometimes, but I enjoy being a teacher as well.' he told her, "Teaching those kids Chemistry and Astronomy feels good. When I see it click into their heads, it's great."

"Yeah...it is isn't it?" Jaida smiled. She sat up crossing her legs beneath her, "I think we should go on vacation."

"Where to?" He asked. Jaida shrugged.

"Maybe back up to Boston?" She asked, "Check out how much has changed." Richard nodded as she got up. he pulled his boxers on.
"That might be cool." He said, "I can look up some of our old friends." Jaida nodded as she wrapped up in the blanket on the couch.

"We can see how much MIT has changed." She said.

"I'm not sure by much, Sweetheart." He said, "We can take the girls t the science museum and children's museum."

"The museum of fine art is there too." Jaida said.

"We'll go there as well." He said. "When do you want to do this?" Jaida shrugged.

"I want to make sure we're here for when Lizzie has the baby, but maybe...I don't know. June or July?" She asked. Richard nodded.

"That sounds great." He said. Richard cuddled next to his wife. Visiting Boston sounded like fun. he did miss Bean Town a lot.

April 11th, 2004

Week 20

Drake sat on the shore looking out over the ocean wrapped up in his jacket tightly. He'd be nine soon, but it wasn't soon enough. He wanted to go back home. Astoria was crap compared to Sydney.

"Drake?" Michael walked down the shore towards him, "Your mom and dad are looking for you."

"I'm right here." Drake said. "And I don't bloody care."

"Well, you should. They're worried." Michael said looking at the boy. "What's bothering you?"

"I want to be eighteen." Drake said. Michael chuckled.

"Why is that, Son?" He asked.

"Then I could move back to Australia." Drake said. Michael nodded. He was starting to get what was going on now.

"You miss it don't you?" He asked.

"It's not...It's not...I don't know. I miss what there's to do there, Uncle Mike." Drake said, "I miss surfing and the celebrities and everything. There's nothing to do here. it stinks."

"There's plenty to do here." Michael said.

"Name five." Drake looked at him. Michael chuckled as the boy put him on the spot.

"We have this wonderful beach and in the dead of summer we do get some nice waves you can surf on. We have some nice museums. There's the arcade." Michael said, "Ah, well, your father's studio is nice. You can make your own show. You could come on a dig with me." Drake's face brightened up.

"I could come on a dig?" He asked. Michael nodded.

"Yeah, Whenever you want." Michael asked, "I know there's a lot more to do Down Under, but Astoria isn't bad when you get used to it."

"Are there dinosaur bones?" Drake asked. Michael chuckled.

"We haven't found any yet, but that doesn't mean we wont." He said.

"I'll help you find them, okay?" Drake asked him.

"That sounds great, Drake." He said, "Why don't we go back home now?" Drake nodded and got up. He dusted the sand off of himself. Going on a dig would be totally cool.

* * *

Drake ran into the kitchen where his parents were sitting.

"Boy, where were you?" Lawrence asked.

"The beach." Drake said.
"You can't run off like that." Sasha said, "You had us worried."

"Sorry, but guess what?" Drake was grinning from ear to ear.

"What?" Sasha asked.

"Uncle Mike invited me to go on a dig with him." Drake said, "isn't that really cool?"

"Cool as a cucumber." Sasha smiled.

"Did Uncle Mike invite you or did you invite yourself?" Lawrence asked.

"He invited me." He said, "This is awesome!!" Drake ran out of the kitchen. Sasha smiled softly. It was nice to see a smile upon his face and a sparkle in his eyes again. That was something Sasha and Lawrence had been missing.

* * *

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