Author's Notes:- Will be betad at some point.

Enjoy

"I just need a few hours to pick up some personal items," Kate said guilelessly.

Nathan frowned at her, "We had a deal."

"And Kate Foster won't get into any trouble," she replied, innocence shining in her eyes, "I promise."

He sighed, "Are you absolutely sure you can get in and out without any problems?"

She nodded.

"Alright, when we dock go with the first shore leave group," he told her, "Be back for their return. Okay?"

"No problem," Kate nodded. She started out before turning to him, "Don't worry, I've done this plenty of times."

As she left Nathan shook his head sighing again, "Not in two years you haven't, kid."

x

Jonathan sighed annoyed as he received the message. One of his old friends from school was working on Culver at the moment and Jonathan had been looking forward to catching up, only to arrive to find that he'd been sent out on a survey mission and wouldn't be back until long after Seaquest was gone.

He was about to head back to the boat when a woman appeared from the shop in front of him wearing an all black what could only be described as a cat-suit, completely skin tight beneath a black leather jacket. Jonathan then saw the face beneath the straight black hair and nearly jumped – Kate?

Bemused and worried he decided to follow the young woman. He knew how protective Bridger was of her. To his dismay she headed towards a bar that looked extremely unsavoury. Following just behind her, he watched her slide up to a man with a scar from his eye to his chin and started to talk to him with absolutely no fear. Moving to the bar he ordered a drink before finding a seat to keep an eye on her.

x

"So?" Kate asked as she stared at the man in front of her, tall with several nasty scars he stared back with dark eyes, "Can you do it?"

He stared at her, "Easily."

"Mash," Kate drawled, "If I need you, will you do it?"

The man known as Mash frowned, "This means I owe you nothing."

"You do this and we're completely even," Kate assured him.

"If I don't I still owe you nothing," he growled.

Kate nodded, "Of course."

Mash nodded, "Give me the signal if you want it done."

Kate smiled once more before she turned and watched the man she was here to see take a seat in the corner of the room. Giving Mash a quick nod she walked across the room.

As she neared the table all talking stopped and the man stared at her in surprise. He was slightly older than Nathan with grey hair surrounding the bald patch that had grown since she's last seen him. He was fat, his suit straining to hold him in but he had an air of menace expanded by the people who surrounded him.

"Kitten?" he stood looking at her in surprise.

"Grant," she replied coolly.

Moving closer Grant studied her intently, "Little Kitten is all grown up now."

"And you haven't changed," Kate replied without blinking, "Except maybe girth."

Grant pulled out the seat beside him and motioned her to sit. Kate slid into the chair and leaned back crossing her legs.

"So what can I do for you, Kitten?" Grant asked, leering slightly as he rested his hand on her knee.

Kate leaned forward, "You can remove your hand before I remind you I have claws."

Grant chuckled as he pulled his hand back, "Harkens must be so proud of you."

She smiled again with absolutely no warmth in it, "I'm here for my property."

"And what do I get for keeping it safe for you all this time?" Grant asked, his eyes trailing over her.

Kate's eyes narrowed, "I keep my claws retracted."

He sneered at her, "Kitten, Harkens taught you well but you know if you want your property I get something in return."

Kate began to chuckle, "You're going to get a huge bar bill," she told him before she cried out theatrically, "Take your hands off me."

She smirked at Grant as Mash and his boys arrived to 'protect' her and dived out of the way as the fight started.

x

Jonathan had never seen a fight take over a room so fast. He barely managed to keep sight of Kate as she ducked through the crowd. With a grimace he punched the man who came at him before moving to help Kate as a man twice her size bore down on her. He stared stunned as she swept his legs out from under him before she grabbed a bottle and slammed it across the man's head knocking him out.

He caught her shoulder jumping back as she spun ready to defend herself. She stared at him stunned.

"Ford?" she snapped at him, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you that?" Jonathan snapped back.

They pulled back from one another as a man was slammed onto the bar between them. Kate kicked the first man in the stomach as Jonathan tossed the other one away.

"Dammit," she snapped, letting out an annoyed sigh, "Fine, get over the bar."

"What?"

Kate glared at him, "I started this fight for a reason, now get over the bar before I toss you over."

Jonathan sighed and bounded over the bar, watching as Kate did the same managing to kick the man she'd been talking to earlier as he came towards her.

Dropping onto the floor she pulled out a small circular piece of metal, she quickly scanned it over the palest section of wood on the floor manipulating some hidden buttons.

"Go," she ordered Jonathan when a trap door opened.

Following the order he jumped down, rolling to one side to get out of the way when Kate dropped down.

x

As she dropped into the room Kate pulled off her wig and frowned at Ford before she strode through the room towards a cupboard.

"How do we get out of here?" Ford demanded, "I think the door might be blocked."

"We weren't leaving that way anyway. There's another exit which comes out near the shops," she told him as she pulled out a rucksack, smiling in relief, "It's still here."

Kate unzipped it and quickly checked it hadn't been tampered with. Thankfully Grant wasn't that stupid so she shrugged it onto one shoulder and turned to the man standing there.

"I'm guessing you have questions," she said.

"A few," Ford replied still looking bemused.

She sighed, "Nathan is not going to be happy. Look, can we get back to the boat and I'll explain. Okay?"

He frowned staring at her darkly, "Okay."

Kate sighed again as they started walking, Nathan was going to kill her.

Nathan stared at Kate as she looked guilty, a rucksack on one shoulder while Ford stood looking angry and confused.

"Did you get what you were there for?" he asked her.

She nodded.

"Okay," he said, "Go get changed. I'll explain."

The relieved smile she gave him made Nathan smile back slightly before he turned to his Ex-O, "You might want to sit down for this, Jonathan."

As Ford took the seat Nathan went to the bookcase and removed a folder before sitting across from him.

"I'm sure you're aware that Kate isn't quite who she appears to be," Nathan started.

Jonathan's eyebrow rose, "That's a bit of an understatement."

"About ten years ago one of my officers turned up naked, tied to the hull of a ship covered in rotting fish," Nathan started, "And a young girl was caught trying to sneak out of the base."

"Kate?"

"Kate," Nathan confirmed, "She claimed to be nineteen; I actually know now that she was barely fifteen at that time. Noyce and I had no evidence she'd been involved so we had to let her go and that was the beginning of my acquaintance with Kate King."

"I'm guessing she's not exactly innocent," Jonathan noted.

Nathan smiled, "She was a thief and a con-artist, from my experiences with her a very good one."

"And you let her on board the flagship of the UEO?" Jonathan demanded.

"I trust Kate completely," Nathan told him before pushing the file to him, "You know the story we tell when someone asks how she came to live with me on the island."

"That she was in a car accident," Jonathan noted, "I'm assuming it's a lie."

"I found her in a life-raft barely conscious," Nathan stated darkly remembering the day, "If you check the file you'll see why."

He sat back and waited, after a few moments Jonathan opened the file wincing at the photograph sitting there.

"It's not pretty," Nathan told him, "Is it?"

"Oh my God," Jonathan breathed as he studied the file in front of him, "She must have been in agony. How did she make it to you?"

"Something I asked myself many times," Nathan replied, "I persuaded her to stay with me to heal and she didn't leave."

"So Kate Foster is a lie?"

"No," Nathan shook his head, "Kate Foster is who she is now."

"And you trust her completely?"

Nathan nodded.

"And Noyce is aware of who she is?"

Nathan nodded again.

"Captain," Jonathan said trying to get his head around this, "You have to understand why I find this hard to accept."

"I gave Kate a second chance," Nathan stated, "She needed one. I won't betray her true identity to you, Jonathan because she still needs protecting from the man who did that to her. Can I trust you will help me?"

Jonathan stared at the file before looking up at his Captain, "Sir, this goes against everything…" he trailed off as he looked down at the file again, "You're sure she won't betray the people on this boat."

"Yes."

Jonathan let out a long sigh, "Then I will defer to your judgement on this Captain. But if it even looks like she's about to betrays us…"

Nathan nodded as he trailed off, "I know."

x

After a quick shower Kate opened the bag she'd left on her bunk and drew out the wooden chest. A smile touched her face as she slid her hand across the patterns cut into the wood.

She looked up as a gentle knock came and stood to answer it.

"Should I pack?" she asked as Nathan stood outside her door.

"Not quite yet," he assured her, "Can I come in?"

"Sure," she smiled relieved.

As Nathan entered he instantly moved to the chest, "This is what you were after?"

"Yes," Kate sat on the bed, "It's my retirement gift from Harkens."

Nathan sat as well, "Really?"

She shrugged, "You're not the only one who told me I should give up my life of crime. He left it with Grant several years ago for when I decided to retire."

"You've never really told me about Harkens," Nathan told her.

She shrugged, "I tried to pick his pocket about two hours after I realised I was alone and he took me in. I was ten years old and soaked to the skin. He used to call me the kitten he found in a rainstorm. He trained me to be the best and to his associates I was Kitten. It became my identity within that world. Kitten - small and seemingly innocent but with claws. "

Nathan frowned slightly, she'd never talked about this and he had to check.

"Did he…"

"He was gay and he didn't let anyone touch me," Kate assured him, "He and his partner Mac treated me like family, Mac was actually the one who trained me to defend myself, but it was only to a point. It was always clear that I was expendable."

"What happened to him?"

"He retired," Kate smiled, "As far as I know he and Mac are living on an island paradise somewhere. I don't even remember what he looks like."

"How?"

"Because no one who dealt with Harkens ever got to," she explained pride in her voice, "He was a biochemist originally and it was one of his little experiments. Once you dealt with him you forgot his face until he needed you again."

As her head dropped sadly Nathan reached out and squeezed her shoulder, "You're not expendable anymore."

"I'm learning that," she smiled at him.