Author's Notes: Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.
Enjoy
"How's your guest?"
Nathan looked up to see Kate hobbling over. She'd been here on the island for just over four months now and was healing slowly, "You know you shouldn't be up."
She shrugged slightly, "I can't stay in that room anymore. I'm going stir crazy."
"Do you want me to list your injuries again?"
Kate rolled her eyes, "Please don't. I just want to watch the meteor shower. I will go back to my room in an hour. Please, Nathan."
At her pathetic pout he chuckled and moved to her side, taking her uninjured arm he led her out of the house.
"Nathan?" the man sitting on the porch turned slightly, "And someone else."
Kate turned to him questions in her eyes.
"Kate, meet an old friend of mine Tobias LaConte," Nathan introduced them.
She smiled slightly before frowning when Tobias turned properly towards her, "He's blind."
"Not deaf," Tobias chuckled softly.
Kate winced embarrassed, "Sorry. I only usually talk to him. I'm out of practice talking normally to other people," she took a deep breath; "You're blind."
"I had noticed," Tobias replied.
"Then why did you come here to get a better view of the meteor shower?" she asked.
Tobias shrugged, "Just because I'm blind, doesn't mean I can't see."
"Oh good you're cryptic," Kate grimaced lowering herself into the seat Nathan guided her too; "We're not going to get along."
x
Nathan stood making hot chocolate watching Kate and Tobias as they sat talking. He had been surprised when Tobias had contacted him, asking if he could come to the island for the meteor shower but had agreed for two reasons.
Firstly to see him again, Nathan had always enjoyed talking with the man. Secondly was to give Kate someone other than him to talk to for a while.
It looked like it was working for the moment, as Tobias was currently explaining some of his recent work to her while Kate asked questions. Questions he had to admit were much more insightful than he expected from the thief.
Nathan grabbed the blanket off the sofa and tossed it over his shoulder before he lifted the tray.
"Here," he covered the young woman with the blanket once he'd set the tray on the table, "It's getting cold."
Kate smiled at him before taking the mug Nathan handed her and turning back to their guest, "Okay, I get the reasoning behind the telescope but why point it to a section of sky with absolutely nothing in it?"
"Nothing that has been found so far," Tobias replied.
Kate laughed softly before yawning.
"Okay," Nathan said, "Time for you to go back to your room and get some rest."
Kate sighed annoyed.
"You agreed to my rules," Nathan reminded her, "Remember?"
Kate rolled her eyes at him but she nodded, "Goodnight, Tobias. It was great to talk to you."
"And you," he smiled back.
Nathan helped Kate to her feet and back inside the house happy to have been right.
"This a bad time, Professor?" Scott Keller stood on the bridge of the Seaquest watching the man on the screen kissing a young woman.
"Scott," Tobias smiled realising he was no longer alone, "My friend and I were just admiring your comet."
"Is that what you call it?" Kate chuckled.
Tobias grinned, "Kate, how wonderful to hear your voice again."
"New research assistant, Professor?" Ford asked amused.
"Oh, come on, Commander," Tobias laughed softly, "You know I put the education of our youth ahead of my own pathetic needs for love and understanding."
Nathan shook his head, "We envy your sacrifice, Tobias, and now if you'll extend that courtesy to Lucas we can uplink your trackers. We've got a comet to recover, remember?"
Tobias nodded, "You're right. Hey, Lucas, when the Commander picks a name for his comet, make sure it's something folksy. None of that alpha bravo numbers crap."
"He's been pushing Wolenczak's comet all morning," Jonathan told him
"Hey," Lucas cried, "Come on, that's folksy."
Scott shook his head, "Hey listen, if that thing burns itself out before I've had a chance to study it, I'm calling it quits. The energy it's packing, it could be my ticket out of our solar system."
"You're sure there's something out there worth your time?" Tobias asked intensely.
Scott frowned, "Well, I'm sure I'm not gonna find out until I get out there and take a look."
"You're pretty casual about inter-stellar travel," Nathan noted, "Aren't you?"
Tobias shrugged, "On the contrary, Captain, I find the idea fascinating. It's just that, to date, nothing's ever fallen out of the sky that's done anything but remind us how vulnerable we are."
"I'm online, Professor," Lucas spoke up suddenly, "The comet just passed through the Q-Upper belt. She's wet in 16 minutes," he grinned at Keller, "She's flying."
x
Kate watched Keller pace while Brody tried to retrieve the comet. She was surprised how much easier it was to work with Brody these days now he believed he'd worked out how he knew her.
"Kate," Barclay's voice came over the radio, "Can you head to Section 16?"
"Again?" she demanded annoyed, "I thought Markson had fixed that?"
Barclay sighed, "So did I. You helped design the system, I'm hoping you can work out why it's still glitching."
"I'm on my way," she turned and motioned to her relief who took her seat.
"Was it something I said?" Keller asked as she started off the bridge.
Kate chuckled, "Barclay needs me elsewhere, Nathan."
Nathan nodded to her before turning back to checking on Brody's progress. Kate quickly headed to engineering to pick up the tools she needed before climbing up into air ducts.
Tim stood at the controls of the shelter worrying as his two closest friends were missing with a killer monster on the loose which Lonnie had been grabbed by. It was less than twenty-four hours since all four of them had been sitting discussing the communications and WSKR upgrades. Now Tim feared he could be the only one left.
Banging on the shelter's door pulled him back and he turned to see Ford standing there, relief filling him seeing Miguel being held up by the Commander.
"Are you okay?" Tim demanded helping his friend to the nearest bunk.
Miguel nodded with a wave of his hand, "Just a scratch."
Tim smiled at his friend before he turned back to Ford, "Did you find Kate?"
"She must have found somewhere to hide," he directed this to both Tim and Bridger.
Tim grimaced, it was an answer designed to placate them and pretend there was hope when none survived. Feeling a hand rest on his arm Tim turned slightly finding Bridger at his shoulder.
"I've known Kate longer than you," Bridger reminded him, "Until I see proof there's no hope then I will keep hoping she's safe."
Tim sighed softly.
"Lieutenant," Bridger said sharply, "You taught her faith, have some faith in her."
A small smile touched his lips, "Yes sir."
Turning back to his console Tim frowned, "Captain, I'm getting something in the engine room."
"Henderson or Kate?" Lucas demanded hopefully.
"You guys looking for me?" Kate's voice came just before she dropped down into the shelter.
They all spun to stare at her.
"Where the hell have you been?" several voices yelled in unison.
Kate rolled her eyes, "Calm down. I was trapped in the ducts just below the hydroponics labs. I had to climb up the ventilation ducts until I found one I could crawl along to get here."
"But that's almost forty feet straight up," Keller noted astonishment in his voice.
"Tell me about it," Kate retorted, "I am going to be sore as hell tomorrow."
Bridger clapped Kate's shoulder before turning back to Tim, "Lieutenant, do you still have the creature?"
"Yes sir," Tim replied.
Bridger mused, "Do we have enough power to charge the ballasts?"
Tim nodded, "Some, yeah," he checked his readings, "But not enough to drag us to the surface with this shell around us."
"What happens if we empty the swim tubes?" Bridger mused thoughtfully.
Tim glanced at Miguel and Kate who both nodded in agreement to the thought, "We might have more pressure to work with."
"All right," Bridger ordered. "Let's do it. Secure Darwin in the Moon Pool. Then we'll suck this thing into the swim tubes and blast it out the ballasts."
x
Kate watched Tim slump slightly as the crisis ended. The creature was gone, Henderson was alive while both herself and Miguel were safe.
"Hey," Kate rested her hand on his shoulder, "You okay?"
Turning Tim grabbed her in a tight hug making her squeak slightly. Kate hugged him back then after a few moments she patted his arm.
"I need to breathe, Tim," she reminded him. At his sheepish smile Kate patted his arm, "Let's get to the bridge."
With a nod he led her out and they joined the rest of the team on the bridge. Tim instantly moved to his station while Kate moved to Nathan.
"You okay?" he asked softly.
She smiled slightly, "Well my climb showed that my cat burglary skills are a little rusty but other than that I'm fine."
"That's not something I'm worried about," he winked at her before heading to join Tim as something was happening in the launch bay.
Kate placed a mug of coffee in front of Nathan before sitting beside him with her own.
"Thanks," he said dismally.
Kate rolled her eyes, "It's not like they're dead."
"I'll just never see my friends again," Nathan frowned at her.
"Weren't you the one who told me never say never?" Kate demanded leaning back in her chair she rested her feet on the table.
He frowned at her even more, "I also told you to keep your feet off the furniture."
She chuckled taking a long drink; they sat in silence for several minutes both going over the events of the day.
"Tobias is an alien," Kate noted breaking the silence, "It explains so much."
Nathan chuckled softly, "I guess it does." He studied her for a moment, "How are you feeling after your climb?"
"I'm sore," she chuckled, "As predicted. Mac would be furious at me. I used to be able to do something like that with no problems. I'm going to have to add that to my training regime with Ford."
Nathan smiled slightly before returning to his reverie.
Kate lifted her mug to him, "To Scott and Tobias, may they find what they're looking for."
"To Scott and Tobias," Nathan clinked his mug against hers.