Author's Notes – Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.
Flashback ahoy.
Kate hobbled to the door looking out across the sand where Nathan was sitting staring at the sea.
"Nathan," she called, "It's about to start. Are you coming in or are you going to sit there all day."
As silence greeted answered her Kate rolled her eyes, "I'm still not that mobile so don't make me come out there."
She smiled slightly as his shoulders dropped before he stood; Kate hobbled back to her seat placing her walking stick to one side as she focussed on the screen.
"Not a word," Nathan told her as he took the seat beside her.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Kate replied.
They sat in silence listening to the commentary, watching the information about the mission and the crew. When the engine ignited Kate reached out and took Nathan's hand as he watched his friend blast off on a mission to Mars.
"Be careful, my friend," Nathan murmured as Kate squeezed his hand comfortingly.
x
Kate stood beside Tim while every member of the crew watched the report of the Wayfarer returning to Earth. She clearly remembered the day the mission began and thinking at that time she would be long gone from the island when the ship returned. She definitely didn't expect to be here.
"Mr. O'Neill?" Nathan's voice came over the speaker.
"Here, Captain," Tim answered quickly.
"What do you say we listen in on my old friend Scott?"
"Aye, sir," Tim grinned down at Kate before he headed up to his station, "Tapping into secure transmission."
"Roger mission control," Commander Keller's voice came over the loudspeaker, "Beginning de-orbit burn flight routes. Coming back at you one six eight zero four four two nine…"
"Rebank, L one eight three," the voice of NASA control came.
Kate moved up to join Tim as they listened to the conversation between the Wayfarer and NASA. It was nice to listen in to history being made and Kate shared a smile with her friend. Suddenly the atmosphere changed.
"Oh no," Kate whispered at the obvious panic from both Keller and NASA.
"We've lost you on our screens, Wayfarer," the controller at NASA called desperately, "You copy? Come in, Wayfarer, Scott, are you there?"
Silence filled the entire Seaquest as the reporter from the news continued, "…matter of fact, we're told everything is going A-OK."
x
"Are you okay?" Kate asked meeting Nathan when he stepped out of the Maglev for the bridge after his meeting with Noyce.
Nathan shook his head, "Not even slightly. But we've got work to do."
"Whatever you need," she told him seriously.
Nathan rested his hand on her shoulder with a fond smile, "Thanks."
Kate followed him onto the bridge and took her normal perch beside the steps leading up to communications as Nathan stepped into the centre of the room.
"Okay, people," he said, "What do we have?"
Kate listened to the Seaquest bridge crew as they made their reports cleanly and efficiently in a crisis they knew was very personal to their captain. She watched him carefully from her spot, keeping out of the way but being where she was able to be there the moment he needed her.
x
"Captain," Tim's voice cut through the silence of the bridge, "I've got the Wayfarer."
Kate swung round pulling herself off the ground as Nathan jogged over while Tim put it on speaker.
"I know somebody's listening," Keller's voice came over, "Pick up the phone. This is command capsule Wayfarer calling anybody who's out there."
"Wayfarer, we read you," Nathan replied smiling in relief, "Signal sounds like you're under water."
"Well, it's funny you should mention that," Keller answered lightly, "You have a very familiar voice."
Nathan chuckled, relief in his eyes, "It's Nathan Bridger, Scott."
There was a slight pause before a chuckle, "Oh, God, don't tell me we crashed near your island hideaway."
"I'm on the Seaquest now," Nathan replied with a smile, waving Kate away as she smirked at him.
"What happened?" the stunned voice made Nathan smile, "It break down, they have to bring you back to fix it?"
Before Kate could make a comment Nathan answered, "Well, under the circumstances I don't think you have much to crow about."
"What are you talking about?" Keller retorted, "Eighty million miles and this is our first little fender bender. Bet you run into things with that submarine of yours all the time."
Nathan smiled sarcasm filling his voice, "Nice to hear your voice, Scott."
Sitting in the ward room Nathan mused over the events of the day, how he'd lost two crew members and that his friend was now dead because they'd followed the wrong signal.
"Here."
Nathan looked up as Kate placed a mug on the table in front of him, glancing at the steaming liquid within it he looked up at her suspiciously, "What is it?"
"A drop of blood from each crew member," Kate stated sarcastically, "What does it look like?"
"It looks like coffee," Nathan replied, "But considering your history with that particular beverage I thought I'd check."
"I didn't make it, I just poured it," she rolled her eyes, "Drink your coffee. It's been a long day as it is and the last thing we need is you falling asleep on your feet."
Nathan smiled slightly, "Thanks Kate."
"I know you feel guilty," she sat across from him, "Keller was your friend, while Crocker and Hitchcock are part of your crew. I do understand. These days anyway."
"Scott and I competed about almost everything," Nathan mused, he lifted the mug holding it for a moment before taking a sip, "This isn't bad. You definitely didn't make it."
Kate frowned at him slightly.
He sighed, "At least we found the samples they brought back. I was able to do that for him."
Kate reached out and rested her hand on his arm, "You did everything you could.
"Captain," O'Neill's voice interrupted them, "We're receiving a transmission from the President of Montagnard."
Nathan put the mug down before he fixed his uniform, "Put it through, Mr O'Neill."
"Mr President," Nathan nodded when he appeared on the screen before him, "What can I do for you?"
"Captain Bridger," President Chi greeted him, "I am pleased to inform you that Commander Keller and the crew of the Wayfarer are being cared for by my people."
"They're alive?"
"They're safe, Captain," President Chi told him, "And I owe you an apology."
x
Kate sat on the edge of the moon pool as Nathan wheeled his friend in.
"Scott," Nathan smiled as he stopped the chair, "I want you to meet my niece, Kate."
Kate gave him a nod smiling, "It's nice to meet you finally, Commander Keller. Nathan talked about you a lot."
"Was any of it good?"
Kate hesitated before shrugging, "Every so often, Commander."
"It's Scott," he told her taking her hand, "Kate."
She smiled at him, shaking his hand before turning to pet Darwin when he swam over to her.
"Where did you get a niece from?" Scott asked Nathan a little confused.
Nathan chuckled, "You remember Carol's sister, Marissa? I got Kate from her."
"You make me sound like a disease," Kate told him with a shake of her head.
Darwin splashed her wanting some attention, "Kate, play.
"What?" Scott gasped in astonishment.
Nathan chuckled, "You've been away two years. This is Darwin."
"Hello, Darwin," Scott said stunned.
"Sky man," Darwin said as Kate petted him.
Scott turned to Nathan with a laugh, "This is what you spent all your money on?"
"Dollar for dollar," Nathan told him, "He's better than a Martian."
"Maybe when you're feeling better you can swim with him," Kate suggested, "Darwin likes to make friends."
x
When Scott headed to his press conference Nathan leaned over to pet Darwin.
"Are you okay?" Kate asked softly.
Nathan turned to her and nodded, "You were a great help today."
"It's in my job description, remember?" she shrugged, "Captain's assistant."
Nathan frowned at her, "Take the praise."
"You know," Kate said softly continuing to pet Darwin, "Its days like this I actually feel normal. Which if you think about it is possibly not normal."
Clapping her shoulder Nathan chuckled, "I don't think I want you to be normal."
"Then you won't mind," Kate bit her lip slightly, "If I wander through the ventilation system."
He frowned at her, "Why would you want to?"
"Remember the escape hatch I was talking about?"
"Vividly," he replied.
Kate sighed, "This will make me feel as though I have one. It's one of the other reasons I was called Kitten, because I would crawl into them and hide."
"Will it make you feel safer?" he asked intently.
Kate nodded.
"Just no jumping out on crew members or spying on things you shouldn't," he told her, "Deal?"
Kate smiled in relief, "Deal."