A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. I'd like to announce the return of Sig and I hope you enjoy the chapter. It's a long one to make up for my delay in posting. Please leave a review if you are so inclined.
Sig cursed again as he tried to readjust himself in the tiny coach seat. He'd finally managed to find a flight to Costa Rica, it had cost him a ridiculous amount of money and unfortunately the only seats they had available was not in first class. He'd stalked the travel agency day and night until he finally had a ticket in his hand. He'd called Edgar to tell him he was going and that if he needed to be reached to call his cell but not expect an answer. He'd had another brief conversation with Antha about how he should approach Natalie. She'd been absolutely no help. He could here her voice ringing in his ears.
"Sig, if you want to impress her you need to figure out what makes her tick" Antha had said.
The flight attendant startled Sig from his revery as she stopped next to Sig's seat. She leaned over folding down the small tray table before setting down a drink.
"What's this for?" asked Sig.
"A drink from the guy a few rows back, he said he loves your show" said the flight attendant.
"Please tell him thanks" said Sig.
"Of course sir."
Sig settled back into his seat slowly sipping his drink. According to the flight tracker he still had four more hours of flying in this tin can. His focus was single minded, all he wanted to do was get to Natalie. He had an address and her cell phone number, but he'd been hesitant to call to warn her of his arrival. She was probably still mad at him but he hoped she'd be willing to speak to him or his trip would be a complete waste of time. He settled down in the seat slumping down as far as he could and closing his eyes. His dreams were full of visions of Natalie.
The plane touched down hours later and a very disheveled Sig walked down the stairs and onto the tarmac. The heat was blistering as it radiated off the ground and Sig worried the soles of his shoes were melting to the ground. Grabbing his bag off the carousel he headed to a line of taxis. Sliding into the cab he handed the address over to the driver.
"No problem" said the driver. "I know the place."
"I'd like to get a gift before we get there" said Sig.
"What kind of gift?" asked the driver.
"A gift that says I'm a complete ass and am begging for forgiveness" mumbled Sig.
"Oh Senor, are you here to rescue your wife or something?" said the Taxi driver.
"No, she's not my wife" said Sig.
"Girlfriend?" asked the driver.
"No" said Sig.
"How about some flowers" said the driver. "Or we have a few good local wines."
"Fine, lets get the wine" said Sig.
The taxi driver nodded and then kicked the car into drive and headed out of the airport.
Less than an hour later the car stopped. Sig got out of the car and handed he driver a hundred dollar bill. He hadn't changed his money and hoped that it was more than enough to pay for the wine and the cab ride. The driver thanked him profusely before speeding down the drive. Sig glanced up at the hotels pinkish facade, the place was smaller than he imagined. It almost looked like a mansion, but Zephyr hotel was clearly written on the side of the building and Sig was fairly sure he was in the right place. Carrying his duffle bag he was met by a smart dressed man at the door of the hotel.
"Hello sir, I'm sorry the hotel is closed" he said.
"Closed? Are you sure?" said Sig.
"Yes sir, every year we close for two weeks for the family" said the man.
"What the hell" said Sig in disgust.
"I can help you find another hotel" said the man.
"I'd like to go to the same hotel you sent Natalie Moore" said Sig.
The man stopped short and then turned towards Sig his face full of confusion.
"You are meeting Miss Natalie Moore?" asked the man.
"Yes, well I'm trying to surprise her" said Sig.
"So she's not expecting you?" asked the man.
"No" said Sig his confusion quickly turning to annoyance. "Do you know where she is?"
"She's here" said the man suddenly.
"How come she gets to stay and I can't?" asked Sig in annoyance.
"Sir she's a member of the family" said the man.
Sig opened his mouth to respond but he had nothing to say, the whole situation was completely unexpected.
"If you could give me a moment sir" said the man.
"Sure" said Sig.
The man returned a few minutes later and told Sig he was invited to stay at the pleasure of the family. A bellman took Sig's bag and led him to the bank of elevators. The pair emerged on the upper floor and he was led to the door of a suite. Sig smirked at the idea of a doorbell for a hotel room. The door was opened and the bellman led him inside. Sig's mouth dropped open in awe at the sheer size of the room.
"Sir, the bedroom is through here" said the bellman.
"Yeah, great" said Sig. "I got it from here, thank you."
"Of course sir" said the bellman. "Would you like me to bring up an icer for your wine?"
"No, it's a gift" said Sig.
"Yes sir" said bellman. "Please enjoy your stay."
Once the bellman left the room Sig walked around slowly examining the rooms. The sheer exquisiteness of the surroundings were amazing. He laid back on the bed luxuriating in the softness of the sheets. He stared at the painting of a single ship passing through a storm on the wall until his eyes closed. He slept for a moment and then shook off the sleepy sensation and got back up. He laid out a pair of jeans and a fresh shirt before heading into the bathroom. He'd just stripped out of his clothes when the phone rang. He turned to go out into the main room when he noticed a phone next to the sink.
"That's convenient" he said to himself before picking up the receiver.
"Sir, I wanted to tell you that you'll be able to find Miss Moore down by the pool" said the voice on the other end.
"Thanks" said Sig.
Placing the phone back in the cradle he stepped into the shower and rinsed off three thousand miles of travel.
Sig walked casually through the lobby towards the pool. As he walked through towards the back of the hotel, his pace slowed as he took in the huge atrium. The whole place was far too fancy for the likes of Sig, he immediately felt out of his element.
"Can I get you something sir?" asked a member of the staff.
"No, I'm just heading out to the pool" said Sig.
"Of course, right through there" said the woman.
"Thanks" said Sig.
Stepping outside he shaded his eyes as he was accosted by the bright Costa Rican sunshine a cool breeze was just enough to keep the heat from being oppressive. The pool was a beautiful infinity pool shaded on one side by a copse of trees and open to direct sun on the other. The pool was completely empty as were all of the chaise lounges scattered around the deck. Sig huffed in silent annoyance when he realized there was no one there. He was about to turn around when he noticed a row of cabanas on the far side of the deck.
Natalie lay in the shade of cabana when a familiar scent accosted her nostrils. For a moment she felt transported back to the boat. She closed her eyes breathing in the scent until the wind shifted and it disappeared.
Walking briskly Sig was just a few feet away from the first cabana when he heard a distinct moaning sound. Moving closer he peered through the small crack in the curtains and immediately his stomach dropped. Astride what looked to be the pool boy was Natalie's face cringed in ecstasy moaning excitedly calling out with each thrust.
"Come on now, harder" she called.
"Oh Miss, I love when you come to visit" said the boy.
Sig stepped back, his heart burning in his chest. His first instinct was the leave, but then rage flooded his body. He wanted to make her pay. Taking a step forward he had his hand on the curtain when a hand on his arm stopped him.
"Sig. What are you doing here?"
He turned to see the owner of the voice and felt his heart stop.
"What the, I don't" began Sig before his voice completely failed him.
Black spots flooded his vision and he started to crumple to the floor.
"Oh for fuck's sake" said a disgusted Natalie hauling him towards the nearest lounge chair.
He made a few indistinguishable noises before closing his eyes. Natalie stroked his face in a comforting caress before giving him a stinging slap. The shock caused his eyes to flutter open and he saw two identical faces for a moment before his eyes focused on the single face glaring down at him.
"Natalie?" said Sig weakly.
"Yes" said Natalie.
"I don't understand" said Sig.
"We're twins" said Nicole.
"Oh shit" said Sig closing his eyes again.
Natalie sighed and ordered a class of water for Sig and a large margarita for herself.
Sig slept almost an hour before he started to stir. He opened his eyes and found himself under the shade of a striped cabana. His head turned and his eyes fixated on the bikini clad body laying just outside the shade. Natalie was laying face up her eyes shaded by a huge hat.
"Natalie?" called Sig.
"Have some water" said Natalie without even opening her eyes. He took a sip of water and looked around at the well appointed cabana. His eyes fell on a fully stocked bar. He tried to get up quietly and make his way to pour himself a drink. He hadn't even taken two steps away from the lounge chair when Natalie started to speak.
"Sig, seriously?" she said. "You either need to finish that glass of water and then drink another one or go change into something cooler. You are not dressed or hydrated for this weather."
"Fine" sulked Sig.
He moved out to where Natalie was laying. When he got close enough he noticed she was wearing huge sunglasses and the smallest bikini he'd ever seen. The tiny triangle top was barely covering her nipples and the bottoms sat below the top of her pubic bone. His mouth watered as he looked at her body, he studied each and every curve of her figure. He noticed the scar on her side and the smile fell off his face.
"Why are you staring at me?" asked Natalie.
"You're kidding right?" said Sig.
"No, it's a valid question" said Natalie. "You are standing over me, staring at me and blocking my sun."
"You're in the shade" said Sig.
"Fine, but you still need to tell me why you are looking at me like that" said Natalie.
She sat up and took off her sunglasses to look at Sig in the eye. He smiled at her familiar face, her bright eyes and her mouth hinting at a smile.
"You're beautiful" said Sig.
Natalie rolled her eyes at the compliment, replaced the sunglasses and laid back down. Sig sighed heavily and got his glass of water. He moved back to sit in the chair next to Natalie.
"You should change" said Natalie.
"Why? Anxious to see me in a swimsuit?" said Sig.
"No. But you're going to get heat stroke out here if you stay in jeans" said Natalie.
"So you have a twin?" asked Sig.
"Yes" said Natalie.
"That's kind of a surprise" said Sig.
"I guess" said Natalie.
"What's her story?" asked Sig.
"We were born ten minutes apart, she's older, we're identical and we rarely see each other because she lives in England and I don't" said Natalie. "Speak of the devil."
Nicole strutted across the pool in a bathing suit that looked similar to Natalie's. Sig thought they looked similar but there were definitely differences. The first difference was their hair, but there was also something in their eyes. Nicole looked predatory, it was a look he'd seen in Bishop's eyes a lot.
"Sig, this is my sister Nicole" said Natalie. "Nicole this is Sig."
"Hello" said Nicole. "I'd say I've heard so much about you, but Natalie didn't even tell me she was bringing a guest."
"To be fair, she didn't know I was coming" said Sig.
"Oh" said Nicole, her eyes widening in surprise. "There must be a story to tell. Maybe over dinner tonight."
"Down girl" muttered Natalie.
"Actually I was hoping to take Natalie to dinner tonight" said Sig.
"She can't" said Nicole. "The family always dines together."
"I'd love to" said Natalie.
"Natty, mummy is going to kill you" said Nicole.
"I'll take my chances" said Natalie dismissively.
"We can do it another time" said Sig.
"No, tonight is fine" said Natalie.
"So Sig" said Nicole. "Have you seen the rest of the hotel?"
"No" said Sig hesitantly.
"Let me show you" said Nicole.
She linked her arm through Sig's and all but dragged him off in the direction of the building. Sig looked back at Natalie in desperation but she'd already turned her face away.
Sig obediently followed Nicole through the hotel and listened somewhat distractedly as she explained the design and features. He glanced over his shoulder a few times wondering when Natalie would come to save him but after a few minutes it became clear that wasn't going to happen. Nicole stopped suddenly and Sig realized they were in front of his room.
"Well" she said.
"Well what?" asked Sig.
"Well, aren't you going to show me your room?" asked Nicole.
"Um, I'm not sure" said Sig.
"Natalie won't mind, we share everything" said Nicole.
He opened the door and held it so Nicole could walk into the room. She flounced in and made herself comfortable on one of the couches. Sig followed her into the room, unsure at what he was suppose to do next. Nicole reached over and picked up the phone.
"What would you like to drink?" she asked.
"Vodka and coke" said Sig automatically.
She placed the order and then hung up the phone before she turned her full attention to Sig, who was still standing by the door.
"Come in, I won't bite...much" said Nicole.
Sig immediately felt ill. This was exactly what happened with Bishop and he was determined not to make the same mistake twice.
"Tell me about Natalie" said Sig.
"She's my twin sister" said Nicole. "I'm a few minutes older, more mature, smarter, prettier, more talented. I could go on."
"What do you do?" asked Sig.
"I'm an opera singer" said Nicole.
"A singer?" said Sig.
"Yes, a rather renowned one if you must know" said Nicole.
"Sorry, it's just" said Sig rubbing the back of his neck. "I've heard Natalie sing."
"As I've said, I'm the talented one" said Nicole smugly. "What do you do?"
"I'm the captain of a boat" said Sig.
"How interesting" said Nicole without conviction. "Why are you here to see Natalie?"
"I need to make amends for something that I did" said Sig.
"Oh, are you going through some sort of twelve step program?" asked Nicole.
"No, but I did something terrible and I want to make it up to her" said Sig.
"What did you do?" asked Nicole, her voice hardening slightly.
"She hasn't told you?" asked Sig in surprise.
"No" said Nicole. "Did you have something to do with her ending up in hospital?"
"Yes, but not on purpose" said Sig defensively.
"She hasn't told us anything" said Nicole.
There was a knock on the door and before Sig could say anything a young man entered the room holding a tray of drinks.
"Since when do you drink vodka?" asked James. "Oh I see you're entertaining."
"Hi Jamie" said Nicole. "Sig, this is my brother James."
"Nice to meet you" said Sig shaking his hand.
"Now Nicky, what's all this?" asked James setting the drinks down.
"I'm just here to help Sig make amends with Natalie" said Nicole innocently.
"Of course, how could it be anything else" said James with a smirk.
James handed Sig his drink and unabashedly studied him for a moment before sitting down next to Nicole.
"So Sig, what sort of thing are you making amends for?" asked James. "It can't be anything too bad because all your limbs are still attached. If Natty was really mad you'd be walking with a limp or something."
Sig was uncomfortable answering the question, he didn't want to tell them something Natalie preferred to keep secret.
"Don't worry mate, you don't have to tell us" said James sensing Sig's apprehension.
"We'll find out from her" said Nicole. "She promised to tell us once dad got here, but she hasn't yet."
"I should really speak to her" said Sig.
"You should change" said Nicole. "I can help you pick something out."
"That's not necessary" said Sig.
"But, I insist" said Nicole.
She rummaged through his bag pulling out multiple pairs of jeans and long sleeve shirts.
"Don't you have anything for hot weather?" asked Nicole.
"Probably not, it was cold when I left Seattle" said Sig.
"James be a dear and let him borrow some of your clothes" said Nicole.
"I'll get something for you" said James.
Sig walked down into the lobby, he hoped Nicole had been right about Natalie waiting there to meet him. He felt strange wearing someone else's clothes but had to admit the chinos were quite comfortable. He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and turned to find the nearest place to step outside. He didn't make it far when he saw a vision of loveliness enter his sightline. He knew immediately it was Natalie.
"Wow, you look amazing" he said striding towards her.
"Thank you, or rather you should thank my mother. She picked out all my clothes for this trip" said Natalie.
Sig circled Natalie looking at the dress from all angles. It had a deep v cut into the front showing Natalie's cleavage and the same in the back showing a large swath of perfectly tanned skin.
"Where are we going?" asked Sig.
"I don't know, I thought you were taking me to dinner" said Natalie.
"I've never been here" said Sig. "How am I suppose to know of a good place to eat?"
"Fine, lets just walk" said Natalie. "We'll find something."
Natalie turned and walked away from the hotel entrance. It took a Sig a few strides to catch up to her.
"Where are you going?" he asked in frustration.
"To the beach, we'll walk that way" said Natalie.
"How romantic" said Sig.
"Don't get any ideas" said Natalie.
Sig and Natalie strolled through the sand, they'd abandoned their shoes somewhere in the early part of their walk. Sig's pants were rolled up to his calves and Natalie had her dress draped over her arm to prevent it from getting splashed by the waves. They hadn't said more than a few words, both were lost in the beauty of the scenery. Approaching a small clutch of food stalls the scent of roasting seafood called to them.
"How about here?" suggested Natalie.
"It smells amazing" said Sig.
They sat down at a small plastic table there feet still pressed into the sand. A waitress came over and rattled off the menu in spanish. Natalie asked what the specialty of the house were and said they would have those. She also ordered a beer for both of them.
"I didn't know you spoke spanish" said Sig.
"There is a lot you don't know about me" said Natalie.
"I'm realizing that more and more" said Sig.
"Why are you here?" asked Natalie.
"I came to give you your check" said Sig.
"What check?" asked Natalie. "You paid me before the season started."
"I know but the crew decided to give you a cut from our shares" said Sig.
"Why?" asked Natalie.
"Because you did so much more than what we'd hired you for" said Sig. "You cooked, cleaned, worked on deck, hell you did more than most greenhorns do in two seasons."
"You flew all the way here to give me a check?" said Natalie incredulously. "Well where is it?"
"It's at your house" said Sig.
"Don't call that hotel my house" said Natalie. "It's not."
"No, it's at your house in Seattle" said Sig.
"So, let me get this straight" said Natalie. "You flew three thousand miles to Costa Rica to tell me about a check that you left at my house in Seattle."
"Yeah" said Sig.
"Well thanks for letting me know. It's a very nice gesture but completely unnecessary" said Natalie. "I guess your quest is over and you can leave."
"It's not the only reason I came down here" said SIg.
"No shit" said Natalie.
"Can I just start over" said Sig.
"No" said Natalie.
Sig took a long pull from his beer and was saved from further conversation by the arrival of the food. Grilled fish, plantains, rice and beans were piled on a platter. The waitress set down a small pot of hot sauce and two more beers. Natalie thanked her and she left. Without waiting for Sig Natalie dug into the food. They both spent a few minutes in a bit of a feeding frenzy, reminiscent of every meal they'd eaten on the Northwestern.
"Wow, it's like we haven't eaten in a week" said Natalie wiping hot sauce off her chin.
"Old habits die hard" said Sig.
"So why are you really here?" asked Natalie.
"I want to beg for your forgiveness" said Sig with a sigh. "I want to tell you in person that I was a complete and total ass. I shouldn't have trusted Bishop and you tried to warn me, and when you realized she was going to embarrass the boat you took matters into your own hands to save us. And instead of praising you I basically ignored you until you were close to death. You were right, I suck at life."
Natalie's eyes softened slightly as Sig finished his speech.
"I appreciate your apology" she said.
"Does this mean you forgive me?" asked Sig hopefully.
"Not by a long shot" said Natalie.