Author's Notes: - Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.
Enjoy
"I know we'd planned to go to the museum but Lonnie asked me…"
Kate kept her expression neutral when Tim trailed off looking cute and pathetic at the same time.
"Fine," she shrugged taking a slice of apple off her plate, "It was a vague idea to do something on our day off. Nothing was set in stone. I'll see you at the barbecue."
Tim grinned at her, giving her a quick hug before he left. Kate let out a long sigh turning she saw Miguel wander over.
"Where's he away to?" Miguel asked, "I thought you two had plans for today."
Kate shrugged, "Nope. He now has a date."
"With Henderson?"
Kate nodded, "Yep. I should go, I have things to do today. See you tonight, Miguel."
He gave her a quick wave as she left the room heading to make a call.
The sun was shining and Kate tilted her face up enjoying the warmth. A shadow covered her and she looked up at the man standing above her.
"Taking a nap in the sun, Kitten?"
Kate stood to face him, "Just enjoying the day."
Alexander Harkens, the man who had raised Kate from the age of ten, smiled down at her fondly before wrapping her in a tight embrace.
"I was surprised when you called," Harkens told her when he let her go.
Kate shrugged, "We had a day and I was close by so I thought I'd say hi. Where's Mac?"
"Visiting his sister," he replied, they started walking through the park, "We still don't get along so I stay here."
"Nothing changes," she chuckled.
Harkens wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "So am I getting any more information on the people you're working with. All unclassified."
"You mean you want me to talk about my friends?"
He nodded, "I want to hear about your friends."
x
Harkens smiled proudly as Kate described the few people on Seaquest she counted as her close friends.
"So," he said when she finished, "Since you have quite a few friends why aren't you spending the day with them?"
"Because I see them all day every day," she replied quickly, "And I haven't seen you in a few months."
"Kitten," Harkens smiled, "I'm touched."
Kate rolled her eyes, "Don't let it go to your head."
"Other than a few friends," he guided her to the small café, "Is there anyone I should know about?"
Kate frowned at him, "Why do I keep getting asked that question? You and Noyce you're both determined that I meet someone then fall in love."
"What's wrong with that?"
Kate shook her head taking a seat near the window, "Harkens, you of all people should know I'm not capable of anything that deep. And I never will be."
Harkens stared at her, "What makes you think that?"
"My past," Kate reminded him softly, "And me. I don't have the capacity to fall in love. Not to mention you trained me not to."
"Kitten, you were raised by two people who loved one another," he told her, "Why would you think I trained you not to love?"
Kate glared at him, "You trained me to fake everything. And that's what I've done most of my life. I am what you made me."
Harkens frowned at her before leaning back in his chair looking at her thoughtfully, "If I made you such a cold automaton how did you make friends?"
"It was a long hard process," Kate spat at him, "It took me so long to trust Tim enough to be myself around him. Though I can't even tell him the truth about me, I'm still conning him because I know if he ever knew who I used to be, he'd never understand."
"Do you want him to?"
Kate shook her head, "Of course I do. He's my best friend but he is…"
"He is what?"
"He is the complete opposite of what we were," she told him softly, "Honest, caring, trustworthy. He is the best kind of person, even if he is dating a woman who smuggled a soft toy on board the ship."
x
They finished their lunch, the topic shifting to people they used to know and places they had visited. Once they'd paid they started walking through the park once again.
"Kitten…"
"Please stop calling me that," Kate sighed, "I'm not Kitten anymore. I keep her hidden in a box. I'm Kate Foster."
Harkens nodded, "Of course, Kate."
"Anyway, you were about say."
He smiled at her, "That I'm glad we had this time together. I have missed you, Kit…Kate."
"That's nice to know," she shrugged.
Harkens stopped turning her to face him, he gently rested his hand on her cheek, "You are my daughter. I may not have shown you but I have always loved you. And I know you."
"Harkens…"
"Listen to me," he cut her off, "You are more than capable of falling in love. You have the most amazing capacity to love but your past means that only someone special will get through the walls your fear has built."
"I wish I could believe that," Kate whispered.
He kissed her forehead, "You don't have to. I do."
Tim stared at the picture in front of him, guilt weighing him down that he had come here with Lonnie and not Kate.
He'd been stunned when Lonnie had asked him to spend the day with her and at the time it had seemed like a really good idea. He wasn't so sure anymore.
"Tim?" he heard a voice call realising suddenly it was Lonnie, "Tim?"
Tim looked round at her, "Sorry. Pretty rude of me."
Lonnie smiled slightly, "You're pretty absorbed in this painting."
"Well, yeah."
"Do you understand it?" she asked, smiling at him sweetly.
"Completely," he replied, "It's about the taboo of shipboard romances."
Lonnie gave him a soft flirtatious smile, "Isn't that why there's shore leave?"
"Ah," Tim murmured, "Well, shore leave's generally for romancing someone you don't sail with."
Lonnie chuckled, "The girl in every port?"
"Or guy," Tim replied quickly, "Whatever. But not the same guy and girl in every port."
Lonnie frowned, "If you're having second thoughts about our date…"
"No," Tim assured her quickly, "No. I'm having a great time. I'm just wondering what's gonna happen when we put to sea."
Lonnie folded her arms across her chest, "What happened with Kate?"
"Kate?" Tim echoed confused, "What do you mean?"
"Was there a problem when you two were…"
Tim stared at her completely bemused, "Kate is just my friend. Nothing else. Why would you think otherwise?"
"The way you two act around each other," Lonnie told him, "The fact she glares at me every time we're together."
Tim shrugged, "Kate and I have been through a lot together and she just doesn't like change," he quickly changed the subject, "We should get going if we want to catch the movie."
x
Tim wiped the ice cream from his face annoyed at himself. Not for telling Lonnie that her tastes were vapid, that had actually felt good but for being stupid enough to agree to the date over spending the day with Kate.
He didn't quite get why everyone thought there was more between them than that though. It was one of the most persistent rumours that seemed to circulate the ship.
With a sigh he headed after Lonnie to apologise before they headed to the barbecue, hopefully they would remain friends.
The waves crashed against the beach and Nathan took a seat beside the young woman staring out across the horizon.
"How was your day?" he asked watching her drawing patterns in the sand.
Kate looked up at him, "I had lunch with Harkens. It was…nice."
"I thought you and O'Neill had plans," Nathan frowned confused.
Kate shrugged, "We did but plans change. He's spending the day with Henderson."
"You okay?" he asked concern in his voice.
"Nathan, we're friends," Kate rolled her eyes, "Nothing else. He is allowed to date; in fact I'm trying to encourage it. Though I will admit I don't think she of the stuffed animal is right for him."
Nathan chuckled, "That's not what I meant. You have a few abandonment issues."
"He didn't abandon me," Kate assured him, "He wouldn't have gone if I had any issues with it. Not a child, Nathan. Come on, you promised everyone a barbecue. They will mutiny if you don't deliver."
x
"How was your day?" Kate asked Jonathan when he took a seat beside her at the table where the drinks and chips were.
He shrugged, "Relaxing. You?"
"Pretty good," she replied, looking across the deck she saw Brody turn away quickly, "He still doesn't trust me."
"That's because he knows that he knows you somehow, but can't work it out," he reminded her, "Give it some time."
"I don't think time will help," she mused, "But I will play nice and hopefully he'll get it over it before the end of the tour."
Ford clapped her arm before bouncing up, "Burgers are ready."
Kate smiled to herself watching the members of the crew who had arrived so far, Tim and Henderson were still to arrive as was Miguel which Kate found very odd. Miguel had the amazing ability to arrive just as food was ready. Smith suddenly appeared at the table to grab a drink and slid into the seat beside her.
"You seem extremely comfortable here," she said.
Kate shrugged, "Well I lived here for a few years."
"No," Smith shook her head, "It's more than that."
"Dr Smith, you do realise you're off the clock," Kate chuckled before shaking her head, "I've always felt safe here."
The other woman smiled, "I know how close you were to Dr Westphalen and I'm not trying to take her place but you can call me Wendy."
Kate stared at her for several minutes, Wendy shifted slightly under the gaze before Kate nodded, "Of course, Wendy."
x
Kate held out the beer to Tim when he sat beside her moments after arriving with Henderson.
"Thanks," he took a drink leaning back with a sigh.
"I take it your date wasn't that great," Kate said, taking a drink herself.
Tim let out a long sigh, "It turns out we're very different people."
"I could have told you that this morning," Kate chuckled, she patted his arm, "You will find someone, Tim. You are a great guy."
"Where?"
"You're a sailor," Kate threw at him, "What happened to a girl in every port."
"That's Miguel."
Kate laughed, "Well I will find you someone."
Tim frowned at her, "Really?"
"But I have to approve them," Kate held out her bottle to him smiling as he gently clinked them.
"That doesn't surprise me in the slightest."