CH8
Rick got the boys up showered and dressed and upstairs for breakfast.
"Hi boys, you ready for school?" Kate asks them.
Their silence gives both of them a little concern. "Not to worry guys, it'll be fun. You'll have a lot of new friends. You'll get to learn new things." Rick tries to convince them.
However they remain silent. "You know what you want for breakfast?" Kate asks them.
And gets still more silence. "Ok cereal and fruit it is." Kate tells them, making the decision for them.
The boys do eat all of it but it takes a while and Rick drives them to school.
After getting back home. "Well that went over well." Rick tells her.
"Yea, I was hoping for a little more enthusiasm from them. You think they will be ok?" Kate is wondering about their silence.
"I've never seen them so unsure about doing new things. They've always been more outgoing. I guess we have to put some trust in their new teacher. What else can we do? Not sending them is not an option." Rick adds.
"Well I'm going to go take a shower and then do some studying for my first class in a couple of weeks." Kate tells him. Leaving Rick to decide what to do. "Hey Lucile have you got a few minutes?"
"Of course, I always have time for family." Lucile shows up and tells him.
"You seemed happy about something last night that Kate said. Care to share?" Rick is curious.
"She gave me an idea about a body and I've been doing some research on certain items. My primary problem is how to determine how to feel? If I pick up a glass how much pressure is too much? And how do I register how much that pressure is?" Lucile explains.
Rick moves into the kitchen and picks up a glass and then squeezes it. "There are literally hundreds of sensors like items in my fingers aren't there?" Rick comments beginning to understand her problem.
"Your biological ability just can't be matched easily using electronics." Lucile tells him.
"Can you build yourself a lattice work of interconnected sensors and maybe build it into the clothes you wear instead of the body? Would that allow you more space for some other obstacle?" Rick asks her.
"Clothes?" Lucile only says the one word and then goes silent. "Shoes, hat, purse, gloves, bra." Lucile pauses for a minute. "I could place needed sensors or power requirements outside of the body. If projectors were added to certain sections of the house things could be sent to the body instead of being in or on the body." And Lucile goes silent again. "Thanks Richard, that actually gives me something to think about." And she disappears.
"Glad I could help" Rick tells empty space. Not really sure how much help he was.
Leaving Rick to decide on what to do. However Lucile's problem gives him an idea and he goes down to his office to do some writing.
Lunch time came and Kate found him in his office typing away, so she went into the kitchen to make some lunch. Kate placed a sandwich and come chips and milk on his desk and he never once even looked up. He just typed away and ignored her. Smiling she went back to her studies for her first class.
When it came time for the boys to come home from school she found him still in his study typing away with his sandwich untouched and the milk was warm. So she picked it all up and put the sandwich in the refrigerator for later and headed for school to pick up the boys.
They came running out to greet her. "You boys have fun?" Kate asks them.
"Yea, the teacher is nice and we got to play soccer." They both tell her. "And she told us jokes."
"What kind of jokes did she tell?" Kate asks while driving home.
"Pirate jokes."
"What kind of pirate jokes did she tell?" Kate would like to hear one.
"Well, … Why does a pirate sit on a dead man's chest? ….. Because no one taught him CP 'Arrrrr'."
"What do you call a happy Pirate? … A jolly Roger."
"Why couldn't the pirate graduate from first grade? … Because, he only knew the letter 'Arrrrr'."
"What did the pirate say when someone called him a name? …. I know you Arrrrgh but what am 'aye?"
"What does a pirates dog say? … Aaaarrrrrf!"
Kate had laughed at all of them, though she did like the 'CP Arrrr' one best.
"Can we dress as Pirates for Halloween? Pleeeease?"
"What if you change your mind between now and then?" Kate questions them.
"We won't, we promise." They both tell her. However Kate does notice that they did not draw an X, so she did not say yes. Just a quick "We'll see."
"Go get washed for dinner and do not disturb your father, he's writing. And you know what happens if you interrupt him when he's writing?" Kate questions them.
"We won't. We promise." And this time they do draw an X. They still have chills from the last time.
The boys had just left when suddenly the dogs run for the stairs all excited. "Guinness, Maggie!" Kate can hear Natalie's voice.
"Hi Kate, I hope I'm not interrupting something."
"No just starting dinner. I sent the boys down to get cleaned up and Rick is in his study, writing." Kate explains, happy to see her.
"Good, I have a few topics I wanted to go over with you." Natalie tells her.
"Sure, with Rick holed up I could use the company."
"There was a moment at the party where you got all lost and misty on me. I wondered if you wanted to talk about it." Natalie mentions one of her reasons for her visit.
"It was nothing, just an old memory that popped up." Kate tells her deflecting.
"Ok, but this is not over Katherine Beckett Castle Crystal, you will tell me one day. I'm a Marine, and Marines never give up." Natalie tells her. "And there it is again. I just said something, didn't I?"
Kate just blushes a very dark crimson color and remains silent. Partly because if she did talk she would probably start crying.
"Ok, keep your secret, for now, …. I also wanted to ask Lucile something." Natalie starts on her next reason.
And Lucile shows herself. "You can ask me anything Natalie, anytime."
"I was thinking, if these Honji Sinhindrea do show up we are not likely going to see them until they are in the atmosphere and possibly already doing damage. In which case we might as well just build atmospheric fighters and kiss our ass's good-bye. So I was wondering, if you could design an early warning satellite that we could spread out in the asteroid belt and give us some advance warning.
Maybe the same size as the cockpit pod so it could go up with the fighters and then dropped off out there by them?" Natalie asks.
"I can yes, however the fighter will never make it off the ground carrying it into orbit. There would be too much drag on the craft." Lucile shoots her idea down.
"Ok, … so maybe we launch them like any other satellite and they get picked up in orbit by the fighters and then taken out to the asteroid belt." Natalie offers.
Lucile is silent for a moment. "That would work. The satellites would be too far out to get much benefit from using solar, except maybe to help keep the battery backup charged. They would need a more reliable power source and communication would need to be as close to real time as possible.
Yes, I can design a standard satellite. I would be happy to. I'll get right on it." Lucile tells them and then disappears.
"Does she do that all the time?" Natalie asks Kate.
Kate just nods. "You get used to it. And now that I have her, I'm not sure how I'd live without her." Kate chuckles a little.
"Well, all I know is that we would all be dog food without her. … No offense you two." As Natalie pets the dogs who just soak it up.
"Speaking of dogs, did you know your daughters are trying to talk my sons into getting a Collie?" Natalie asks.
Kate shakes her head. "No, they haven't mentioned it. You should let them talk your two into it. Collies are great with children. They love having a family. And being petted." Kate adds as she notes her two are still pestering Natalie for attention, and getting it.
"Just one last thing. I know you have classes so vacation time is going to kind of difficult, but I was wondering if you and Rick would be interested in one big family Christmas someplace? Though I'm torn between wanting a white Christmas. Some place with several feet of snow. Snow in the trees. A large fire in a giant fireplace snuggled up to Jim to keep warm." And Natalie stops. "WHAT?"
"Marine my ass! You're just a big softy in a Marine uniform. Admit it." Kate challenges her friend.
Natalie doodles her finger on the countertop. "Maybe when I want to be." And they both start laughing.
"Or maybe a sunny Christmas. Hawaii or Fiji maybe. Someplace I can put on a bikini and drive Jim nuts. At least until he can't take it anymore and drags me to the closest bed." And Natalie blushes a little.
"NOW you're talking my language." Kate tells her. "Though Hawaii is too touristy to do what we are thinking. So Fiji or somewhere else more secluded might be better." Kate adds.
"Just think it over. Christmas is months away still. But we would need to get in reservations early to make this work." Natalie tells her.
"I'll talk with Rick and see if Lucile can find us something. And it'll give me a reason to go shopping for another new bikini." Kate tells her.
"Just make sure you take me with you when you go." Natalie tells her. "DEAL!" Is Kate's reply.
"Speaking of the reason for this bikini shopping, where is your husband anyway?"
"He's in his study, writing. He's been there since we got up this morning." Kate tells her just a little concerned about him.
"Does he do this often?" Natalie is also now a little concerned.
"Occasionally. He gets inspiration and it just never seems to stop. I have Lucile watch him and when he stops for a bathroom break I grab him and hog tie him and sit him down so he eats or drinks something. So far he hasn't yet." Kate explains.
"Well so long as someone is watching out for him. I better go so you can feed your troop. Thanks for listening and let me know about that Christmas idea. Jim and I are getting to like these big family vacations we take. And since the family is growing, we are hoping it'll be even more fun." Natalie explains to her friend.
"As soon and Alexis and her husband get back from their postponed honeymoon and talk to Rick, I'll let you know. I'm sure they will all love it, no matter where we go." Kate is convinced.
As Natalie heads for the front door. "Oh, and thank you too Lucile." Natalie calls out to open space and is soon gone.
The boys come up the stairs and into the kitchen to watch mom make dinner. "Was that Aunt Natalie?"
"Yup, you just missed her." Kate tells them.
"What did she want?"
"She wanted to talk about having a big family Christmas party somewhere. You two interested?"
"Where are we going?"
"We are still working on that. Some place really cold with lots of snow. Or maybe someplace on a beach with lots of sun. She wasn't sure." Kate pauses. "You two have a preference?"
"Snow would be nice mom." James provides his two cents.
"Way too cold. The beach would be better. That way we could go swimming." Levi is all excited.
Kate laughs a little. Of course Levi would think of swimming. He is part fish after all.
"Kate, Richard has stopped typing and is headed for the on-suite bathroom." Lucile shows up and tells her.
"Boys, you know the drill. Go get him." Kate tells her sons.
"Yea, come on Guinness, come on Maggie, help us go get dad." And the boys take off with the dogs passing them easily. While Kate goes back to making dinner.
Shortly Kate can hear. "Come on dad." And with the dogs barking. Kate looks and sees her sons each with one of Rick's arms in their hands pulling him along with the dogs herding them all her way.
"I'm not done boys." Rick complains.
"The dining room table boys." Kate tells them as they get closer.
After they shove their father into one of the chairs. "Guinness, Maggie, watch him." Kate tells the two. And the two promptly sit inches away from Rick and watch him.
About ten minutes later Kate puts a plate and something to drink on the table in front of him and has the boys come get theirs. And Kate soon joins them.
Rick has inhaled his food in record time and starts to get up after chugging down his drink. However Guinness and Maggie have other ideas.
"It's ok you two. He can go." Kate tells them.
"Yea, you heard the boss lady. I can ,… BUURP!" Rick slaps his hand over his mouth. "Excuse me." Rick tells them all while listening to his sons giggle.
"Richard Edgar Crystal?" Kate questions.
"Sorry, kinda slipped out." Rick tries to explain with a please don't shoot me face. And hurry's off to his study to continue writing.
The boys are also soon done. "May we be excused?" They ask.
"What is today?" Kate questions them both.
Looking at her funny. "Monday." Levi answers softly.
"And tomorrow is?" Kate asks another question.
"Tuesday." James answer's this time leaving off the all to obvious 'DUH'.
"Care to revise your answer?" Kate questions. "Tomorrow is what again?"
The boys are silent for a moment. "Trash day?"
"And that means today is what again?"
With their heads hanging low. "Poop pick up day."
"As soon as you are done and it is in the trash in the garage AND the bin is at the street. Then yes, you are excused." Kate tells them.
And the boys start to leave. "And where is my kiss?" Kate asks them put out that she did not get one.
"Ooops." And they are back and Kate gets her kiss on the cheek. "Thank you!" Kate tells them as she watches them head for the stairs and the green patch filled with dog poop up on the roof. Where there is a doggie door allowing the dogs access to the roof and their spot to be good dogs.