Author's Notes – Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.
"Nathan," Kate called, jogging over as he stopped to let her catch up with him, "I want to go with them."
He stared at her a little bemused.
"I want to go with Kristin and Lucas to help find the sub," she explained at the look of confusion she was being given.
"Really?"
Kate grimaced at him, "Is that so surprising these days, that I want to help?"
"Of course not," Nathan assured her, "It just didn't occur to me you'd want to go on the launch."
"Well, Tim has taught me a few phrases to use," Kate told him, "And I know enough first aid to help Kristin if we find the kids." Kate waited for Nathan to talk again before sighing after a minute, "Well?"
"What?"
She rolled her eyes, "Can I go with them?"
"Of course," Nathan nodded, "Kate," he stopped her as she started away, "I'm proud of you."
She gave him a bright smile before heading down to the launch bay.
x
Kate felt Kristin squeeze her arm as they held on hoping they made it to the surface, she was trying to stay calm but it was hard going - the last time she'd been in this type of situation she'd been practically delirious from pain. Thankfully Ford was as cool and in control as he always was, keeping her calm, until they managed to get into the lifeboat.
"Is everyone else alright?" Kristin asked as she checked the cut on Krieg's forehead.
"We're fine," Ford assured her, "Lucas, can you get the Seaquest?"
"Sure, Commander," the teens voice shook slightly.
Ford rested his hand on Lucas' shoulder, "You're doing fine."
Lucas calmed slightly trying to contact the Seaquest.
"Are you alright, Kate?" Ford asked her, obviously worried as he knew about the last time she'd been in a life-raft.
"Holding on," she replied.
Lucas suddenly spoke up, "I have them, Commander."
"Captain," Ford called over the radio.
"Are you all okay, Jonathan?" worry filled Nathan's voice.
"We're fine," Ford reported, "The survival pod was destroyed when we hit a freshwater sinkhole. The seas are calm at the moment and we have a few minor injuries."
"Do you have any idea where you are?" Nathan asked.
Ford shrugged slightly, "The surface," he winced trying to find something to say, "Sun directly overhead…" he trailed off as he realised they'd lost radio contact.
"Let me try something," Lucas said, he made a few adjustments to the radio as they waited.
"MR-7 calling Seaquest, come in Seaquest," Ford called several times.
"MR-7, good to hear your voice," Nathan's voice made them all sigh in relief, "Do you have flares?"
"Affirmative," Ford assured him, "We have the auxiliary raft."
"Here's the plan, Commander," Nathan told him, "The Coast Guard search planes will find you. We have to concentrate on the downed French submarine."
Ford glanced at the others before saying, "Understood, we're on our own."
"Radio check will be every fifteen minutes," Nathan ordered.
"Fifteen minute check in, affirmative," Ford replied.
"Hang on up there," Nathan told them, "Seaquest out."
x
Kate sat in the life raft barely listening to what was going on around her; she was trying hard not to let the memories, or her fear, overwhelm her. This had seemed like such a good idea at the time, one of those moments of good karma to help negate some of the things she'd done in her previous identity.
"We're not that far from the coast," Krieg's voice brought her back to the raft, "You think they would have found us by now."
Kristin was rubbing her ears frowning thoughtfully, "Is anyone else having trouble with their ears?"
"Yeah," Lucas answered as the other three nodded.
"The barometric pressure's falling," Kristin told them, frowning as she continued, "A storm's building."
"Our last position had us near a nasty tropical depression," Ford told them.
Krieg grimaced, "How nasty?"
Ford looked at them all for a moment before admitting, "Probably a hurricane by now."
"This day just keep getting better doesn't it," Kate shook her head.
Lucas looked around the, "Guys, I don't see it."
Ford sighed again, "That's because we're probably in its eye."
Nathan paced the bridge waiting for something, anything. This was not the way this rescue was supposed to go. They were supposed to find the sub quickly and not have five missing crew members floating about somewhere on the surface in a hurricane. He shouldn't have let Kate go and he sure as hell should never have agreed to let Lucas go. Lucas was just a kid and Kate, he was meant to be protecting her.
"It's got a name now, Captain," Hitchcock spoke up bringing his attention to her, "Hurricane Sheila. Coast Guard's flying the eye, but it's huge. Once she starts heading westward, all bets are off."
"WSKRS tethered and redeployed, sir," Ortiz spoke up, "Sniffing for fresh water and our downed WSKR, all clear on heading two seven eight degrees for six hundred meters."
Nathan nodded, "We can take that heading."
"Heading two seven eight degrees," Crocker stated as Nathan headed over to communications.
He listened as O'Neill called to the sub in their native language, trying hard not to laugh when the younger man noticed him but didn't switch languages when he began his report.
"Excuse me, sir," O'Neill suddenly realised his mistake and switched back to English. "It's been almost two hours since I've had any contact with the French sub. I don't know if they're still," he hesitated before continuing, "With us."
Nathan clapped his shoulder comfortingly, "Well, don't jump to any conclusion, their radio may be dead."
"What about Commander Ford's party?" O'Neill asked, worry in his voice.
"Our obligation is to those kids down there with no hope of rescue," Nathan reminded him, "Someone else will find the Commander's party."
"Captain," O'Neill sighed, "I persuaded Kate to go on the rescue mission."
"Lt, when has Kate done anything she didn't want to?" Nathan asked with a smile making the other man nod, "For the record, I'm just as concerned as you are. Now, about the Commander…"
O'Neill checked his console, "They're due to check in any moment."
x
Tim felt like he was talking to nothing as he continually tried to get a signal to the downed sub. Half his mind kept being drawn to the five people on the raft and his guilt at giving Kate the push to ask to go with the rescue team.
He stared in amazement as the electricity crackled around the bridge before yelping in surprise as his console exploded and he dived out of his chair slamming onto the ground.
Stunned he only began to move as Bridger came over to him, "You alright?"
"Fine, sir," he replied, pulling himself off the floor, "Thank you."
He stared at his darkened console. This was a nightmare. They had lost the chance to save the kids and possibly the others on the surface.
"Communications?" Bridger's question pulled him back to the bridge.
Tim sighed, "Communications buoy completely destroyed. We're dark."
He listened as they discussed the possibilities for their next move, he frowned a little confused as Bridger ordered them to bring the WSKR inside.
As Hitchcock and Miguel started work a depressed silence fell over the bridge. Suddenly Crocker's voice cut through the silence as he started to sing.
With a small smile Tim joined in, they needed to keep their hopes up.
The raft was filling with water and they were doing their best to bail it out.
"You okay?"
She looked up surprised to see Ford looking at her worriedly, "I'm holding on."
"Kate," he started.
"Commander," she cut him off, "I'm fine."
"I saw you walk up to a guy twice your size and make a deal without flinching," he reminded her softly so the others didn't hear, "From that as a basis, you're not fine."
"Are you?" she challenged.
Ford shook his head, "I guess not."
Kate wiped the water from her face, "Tim would tell me I need to keep faith."
"And what do you have faith in?" Ford asked; he caught her as the raft bucked to one side.
"I have faith in Nathan and Tim," she replied, before looking up at him intently, "And in us to survive."
Ford nodded, "I can see why Bridger likes you."
"He didn't always," Kate chuckled, "You should have heard what he used to say when I appeared in his life."
x
Seeing the huge wave about to sweep over and engulf them Kate opened her life jacket, she heard Ford call out to Lucas just before the water covered her.
"You alright?" Krieg called, the moment he was able to.
Lucas nodded, "Yeah. Kate?"
"I'm fine," she assured him.
Krieg looked around, "Where's Ford?"
"Oh my God!" Kristin cried as they realised they were one man down.
Krieg grabbed the rope that was leading out to the ocean relieved Kristin had suggested tying themselves to the boat, "Hang on to me," he called as he began to pull the rope. Kate caught Ford's sleeve as he reached them and helped pull him back into the boat.
As he lay back gasping for breath he looked at Kristin and holding up the rope, "Nice idea."
They all let out a sigh of relief before the need to bail out the raft reminded them that they weren't out of the woods.
x
The weather had settled very slightly, they no longer needed to constantly bail out water. Krieg had managed to close his eyes and was taking some rest, Ford felt they all needed to try and get some kind of break over the next few hours. Kate wasn't sure she'd manage, she could power nap in almost anywhere and had but wasn't sure she'd manage it here.
"That's it," Ford sighed, bringing the camera they were using to try and signal the Seaquest back out of the water, "Batteries are dead."
They all stared at the camera in dismay.
Kristin frowned, "I can hear something."
Lucas nodded, "I can hear it too."
"Ben," Kristin shook him, "Wake up."
"What is it?" Kate asked worriedly looking around and seeing nothing.
Lucas leaned over the side of the raft and began to laugh, "Seaquest," he cried in relief, "It's the Seaquest!"
Relief swept through the group and Kate laughed as Lucas hugged her. They were saved.
Nathan stood waiting for the hatch to open, O'Neill standing close by as they waited for their lost sheep. He'd brought the Lt with him as he knew how guilty the young man was feeling for talking Kate into going with the rescue party.
He let out a sigh of relief as the hatch opened and Lucas appeared first, soaked to the skin but seemed otherwise unharmed. Catching the boy in a hug, he assured himself the teenager was safe and whole back in the security of the boat. Letting Lucas go he smiled as Kate appeared. She moved to him allowing a brief hug, giving him a quick smile before she moved to O'Neill.
"Ow," O'Neill cried as she punched his arm, "What was that for?"
"You and your bright ideas," Kate shook her head before she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested against him tiredly.
Nathan watched with a slight smile that the former thief was handing her trust to someone new, he wondered if she even realised.
"Well, Captain," Kristin said as she arrived next, "If anyone ever suggests sitting in the eye of a hurricane to collect data remind me to punch them."
"I promise," he replied, hugging her tightly, "Are you okay?"
Kristin nodded against his shoulder, "I am. And both your kids did very well out there. You should be proud of them."
"I am," he nodded to where Kate was still holding onto O'Neill and Lucas was leaning against the wall.
x
Tim gently rubbed Kate's back, comforting both of them that she was back safely. He was surprised how much he'd come to care for her over the past few months. He'd worked out that she didn't trust people easily, from things she said and the way she acted around people she wasn't acquainted with so felt honoured that she let him see her this vulnerable.
"Hey," he breathed after a few minutes, "The doctors want to make sure you're okay."
Kate looked up at him, exhaustion in her brown eyes, "Sure."
She kept her arm around his waist letting him guide her to the infirmary. He smiled slightly amused at how silent she was as she practically sleepwalked through the corridors.
"Miss Foster," Dr Levin greeted her, "Take a bed and one of us will be with you shortly."
Once Kate was sitting on the bed Tim was about to leave, shocked as she grabbed his hand.
"Stay?" she asked softly.
Tim nodded and took a seat on the bed beside her, as she leaned against him Tim rested his arm around her shoulders. When the Captain walked in with Dr Westphalen, Ford and Krieg he swallowed. Tim knew how protective the Captain was of Kate but when Bridger nodded Tim relaxed and focussed on keeping his friend company.