A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews. I'm thrilled that people have kept interest in the story even though the updates have been so sporadic. I hope to be better at that this year.
Natalie walked through her house slowly turning the lights off. She'd spent the day making a few phone calls and shopping for gifts for her family. On the small table in the living room sat a stack of merrily wrapped presents for Sig, Edgar and the rest of the Northwestern's crew members and their families. Flipping the lights off downstairs she walked up into the darkened second story. Her feet slid over the carpet as she listened to the absolute silence of the house. Sighing she walked into her bathroom and started to run a bath. Natalie loved time by herself, it's why she moved to Washington, why she moved into this community and why she worked for herself. Solitude was something she cherished, yet for some reason today she felt lonely. Drawing her hand across the water in the tub she watched the ripples, her mind drifting to Sig and his family. Shaking herself from her revelry she climbed into the tub and sunk beneath the water. Later that night she sat quietly at her desk writing. She couldn't sleep, the bed felt empty, the house was too quiet and she felt strangely distant. In a moment of weakness she even looked up flights to London. She could make it there in time for Christmas with her family. Shaking her head she opened her email and sent off a note to an old friend. Next she pulled out a clean sheet of paper and started making a list. If she was going to be alone for the holidays she decided she could at least be productive.
The rain had turn to sleet in Seattle. Cars moved to the side of the road as a siren blared through the quiet streets. The ambulance slid slightly on a patch of ice as it turned the corner.
"Hey Mark, lets not make Miss Natalie throw up on her first call" said the man through the small window attached to the cab.
"No worries, but I think she's been through worse" said Mark. "Didn't she tell you she worked on a crab boat."
"No she didn't."
"Yep, and I'm going back in a couple of weeks" said Natalie proudly.
She sat next to the patient's head calmly squeezing the ventilator bag. The eyes of the EMT across from Natalie seemed to size her up as he digested the new information. He didn't see how a girl who looked to weigh just over a hundred pounds could do anything on a crab boat. He'd seen the show and didn't for a moment believe that she was a deck hand.
"So how's the weather up in Dutch Harbor?" he asked.
"I imagine that it's cold" said Natalie. "I haven't been there since the end of November."
"They requiring nurses on the boats now or something?"
"Doug, stop giving the girl the third degree" said Mark through the window.
"Dude, keep your eyes on the road" barked Doug.
"No they don't" answered Natalie. "But it's a good idea to have at least basic lifesaving skills. The more the better."
"I don't think you are going to see many drownings on this shift" said Doug.
"Drownings aren't really what I'm looking to learn about" said Natalie. "Punctures, blood loss and basic blunt force trauma would be more helpful."
"You going to work in a bar or something?" said Doug, his disdain starting to leak through his voice.
"No on a boat" said Natalie shortly.
"Right, well good luck" said Doug. "I doubt you'll last very long."
Natalie was saved from having to form a response by the patient who decided at that moment to wake up and start seizing. Calmly Natalie pulled the bag off and carefully pointed the patients mouth in Doug's direction. Just as she imagined the intoxicated woman vomited all over her partner. While he was cussing, Natalie moved the patient back to her back, told her where she was and to go back to sleep. The patient complied immediately. The ambulance pulled into the hospital driveway and the patient was soon rolling into the building. Doug needed to change clothes so Natalie excused herself to the hospital's cafeteria walking with a slight swagger.
Sig sat quietly next to the fire balancing a sleepy Erik on his lap. He was surrounded by family but couldn't quite seem to engage them in conversation. Giving up he excused himself, offering to put Erik to bed. After laying the boy down and making sure he was well tucked in against the frigid Norwegian cold he carefully backed out of the room. Stopping in the hallway he pulled his cell out of his pocket and hit the send button. A moment later he hung up in frustration. As he walked back down the stairs he was stopped by an all to intelligent Antha.
"What's wrong Sig?" she asked, clearly already knowing the answer.
"I should have made it a point to invite her" said Sig.
"Have you called her?" asked Antha.
"Yes, I just keep getting voice mail" said Sig. "It's like she's not even home."
"Maybe she's not" said Antha. "Maybe she went to see her family. I know she did that last year."
"I kind of doubt it" said Sig.
"I'm sure she's fine, just busy" said Antha.
"Busy with what or with who" muttered Sig.
"I guess you will just have to wait to find out" said Antha.
"I hate waiting" said Sig grumpily.
"No kidding" said Antha. "Maybe a glass of something could cheer you up."
"Whatever it is needs to be big" said Sig.
Antha just laughed and pulled Sig back into the living room to be with his family. He did eventually cheer up the sadness over missing Natalie was slowly leached from him by the jovial antics of his family.
Natalie stood slightly slumped at her front door as she dug in her bag for a set of keys. Finally pulling them out she quickly opened the door and slipped in. The snow fall from this storm was suppose to be record setting. Walking through to the kitchen she set her bags of provisions on the counter. She checked her messages and found another series of dial tones. Whoever was calling her, certainly didn't feel like leaving a message. Shrugging her shoulders she went back into the kitchen and began to unload the bags. It was Christmas Eve and she planned to treat herself to a delicious and traditional English Christmas lunch the following day. For tonight she decided to make a quick steak with mushroom sauce and salad. She was just about to open a bottle of wine when her doorbell rang. Setting the opener down on the counter she walked to the door and opened it.
"Wow, what are you doing here?"
"It's Christmas Eve, I wanted to make sure you weren't spending it alone" said a very cold looking Jake Anderson.
"Come in, you look positively frozen" said Natalie.
"Thanks, it's coming down out there" said Jake.
Natalie started to help Jake take off his coat and noticed he had a small package in one of his hands.
"Let me hang up your coat" said Natalie. "I was just going to open a bottle of wine."
"So you really are spending Christmas alone?" asked Jake looking behind her.
"Yes" said Natalie, suddenly embarrassed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel bad" said Jake. "It's just I totally thought I'd come up here and you'd have a house full of friends and family."
"You don't have to stay" said Natalie. "I'm sure you want to be with your own family."
"Nah, my mom and sisters are having a great time baking" said Jake. "I usually just get in the way."
"Have you eaten yet?" asked Natalie. "I was just making myself something but I have enough to share."
"I could always eat, especially if you're cooking" said Jake with a lopsided grin.
Natalie smiled warmly and led Jake into the kitchen.
Natalie and Jake worked together to make a quick dinner. Jake seemed to know instinctually what Natalie was going to reach for and where to get it. Once the plates were served they moved into the dining room where Natalie hastily set another place. Setting down their plates they raised their glasses and toasted to absent friends. After a few bites Jake noticed the undecorated tree next to the lit fire place.
"What's up with your tree" he said.
"Nothing" said Natalie.
"It's not decorated" said Jake.
"I know, we decorate it on Christmas eve in my family" said Natalie.
"Do you need some help?" asked Jake.
"Sure, it's always more fun to decorate with someone else" said Natalie. "How are you at stringing corn?"
"Is that some sort of British thing because I have no idea what you are talking about" said Jake.
"Popcorn?" said Natalie. "Stringing popcorn."
"I've never done it in my life, but I'm sure I'll manage" said Jake.
"What do you put on your tree?" asked Natalie.
"Ornaments, lights and maybe tinsel" said Jake.
"We put on a string of popcorn and I have a few small ornaments" said Natalie.
"Then it should be pretty easy to decorate" said Jake.
"Very true" said Natalie.
They finished dinner and Jake immediately offered to do the dishes. Natalie went into the small wine alcove and selected a delicious bottle of port. She had two glasses poured and a plate of fancy chocolates waiting for Jake once he finished. They spent the next hour decorating the small tree. Jake even lifted Natalie up so she could put the star on top. Taking a few steps back they both admired their handy work. Then the lights went out.
"That's not good" said Jake.
The glowing embers from the fire were the only light in the room.
"I'll get a flashlight" said Natalie.
"Do you want me to come with you?" offered Jake.
"No, I know where everything is" said Natalie. "I wouldn't want you banging into the furniture."
"Yeah, I'm sure some of it is pretty expensive" said Jake.
"I was more thinking for your safety but yes some is expensive" said Natalie with a chirp of laughter.
She was back in a moment with a large flashlight and a tub of ice cream.
"What's the ice cream for?" asked Jake.
"The power is out, that means you have to eat all the ice cream before it melts" said Natalie.
"It's snowing, you could just put it outside to keep it from melting" said Jake.
"Don't spoil my guilt free ice cream" said Natalie with a pout.
"I hope you brought me a spoon" said Jake.
The pair finished off two small containers of ice cream and one box of popcicles.
"No more" said Jake. "My ice cream headache seems to be getting worse."
"I know, I'm starting to get cold" said Natalie. "I'm going to make a cup of tea."
"The power is out" said Jake. "How are you going to make anything."
"Just boil some water on the stove" said Natalie simply. "It's gas and I have a match."
"I think if you want to get warm you should just have another glass of wine" said Jake.
"It's a British thing, in times of crisis hot, sweet tea is just what one needs" said Natalie.
"Wow, you sounded just like Mary Poppins" said Jake.
"Into the kitchen spit spot" said Natalie in her best accent.
"Yes ma'am" said Jake with a mock bow.
They sat with steaming mugs full of tea wrapped in their hands, listening intently to the emergency services station on the small radio. It seemed the greater Washington was completely without power. The power company said the snow storm would have to pass in order to asses the damage. The weather report stated the snows would grow heavier overnight and into the morning.
"Looks like you're staying the night" said Natalie.
"I don't think I should" said Jake.
"You don't have a choice, by now the roads are blocked" said Natalie. "And probably at the rate it's coming down you'd be shoveling slower than it's falling."
"Well if the lady insists" said Jake.
"The lady does" said Natalie.
Natalie took another couple of sips of her tea before she stood up.
"We should finish our tea and go upstairs" said Natalie. "We can use the firewood to heat one room and just stay in there. The whole house is going to get cold."
"Grab your cell phone" said Jake. "It should be working and we can use it to text if we need to. I'm going to call my mom if I can get through."
"Ok, I'm going to grab another couple of bundles of wood and some newspaper" said Natalie.
"I'll get that for..."began Jake, but Natalie was already gone.
"She didn't even take the flashlight, she must have cat eyes" muttered Jake to himself.
Natalie was back before Jake even finished his call. She dropped the bundles at his feet and pulled a case of water from the bottom of her pantry. Grabbing four bottles she patiently waited for Jake to finish speaking to his family.
"Yeah, Merry Christmas" said Jake.
Natalie's face fell as she realized she was the reason Jake would be missing Christmas morning with his family.
"I'm sorry" she said quietly.
"No, don't be" said Jake. "I'm not sorry. You would have been here all by yourself. You'd have made yourself sick trying to eat all that ice cream."
"Probably" said Natalie.
"Lets go upstairs" said Jake.
"Yeah, grab the wood" said Natalie.
It took the pair a few minutes to actually make it up the stairs. Natalie was juggling a stack of newspapers and four bottles of water while Jake was struggling to haul two poorly tied bundles of wood. The moment they reached Natalie's room they dropped everything they were carrying. After laughing for a bit about their complete inability to complete the simple task they set to work lighting the fire. Once the fire was strong Natalie turned off the flashlight.
"Much better" said Natalie.
"It's nice and warm in here" said Jake.
"Um, do you want to change into pajamas?" asked Natalie.
Jake looked down at his jeans and hoody for a moment before nodding.
"Let me find you some" said Natalie.
She rifled through a few drawers and came up with a package of brand new flannel pajamas.
"Here you go" said Natalie passing the clothes to Jake. "The bathroom is right through there, take the flashlight."
"Thanks" said Jake.
"There are new toothbrushes in the drawer between the sinks" added Natalie as Jake walked away.
Jake disappeared into the bathroom and the sound of running water was all that Natalie heard for a few minutes. Eventually he reappeared holding his pile of neatly folded clothes. He set them on the chair and passed the flashlight to Natalie.
"Your turn" he said with a smile.
"Thanks" said Natalie. "Be back in a moment."
Jake sat on the floor in front of the fire until Natalie returned.
"Do you think we should add to it before we go to bed?" asked Natalie.
"I don't know, I guess we could just add another log on before we fall asleep, I think it's fine now" said Jake.
"Lets get in bed" said Natalie.
Jake stood hesitantly at the foot of the bed. His whole being telling him he was about to make a terrible mistake.
"What are you waiting for?" asked Natalie as she placed another comforter on top.
"I can't" said Jake.
"Do you need a boost or something?" asked Natalie. "I have a step stool on my side but if you want to come in over here you can just climb over me."
"No, it's not that" said Jake searching for the right words. "It's just, Sig would."
"Sig would not want you or me to freeze" said Natalie simply. "We're not going to shag or anything so don't worry about it."
"I didn't say that" said Jake.
"Besides between us we're wearing like 10 layers of clothes" said Natalie.
Jake noticed for the first time that she was wearing a long sleeved top under her pajamas. Nodding once he climbed into the bed and slid under the covers. It was cold and he was immediately drawn to the warm body next to him. They scooted together so that their sides barely touched.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure Jake, go ahead."
"Why do you have unopened pajamas and like 40 new toothbrushes in your bathroom?"
"Because I like to entertain a lot and when I have an orgy I like people to have fresh breath" said Natalie.
Jake turned to face her in the dark but he couldn't make out if she was smiling or not.
"The pajamas are an extra pair from the other night when I had them for everyone and I always have a lot of toothbrushes. I change mine every time I get sick" explained Natalie.
"No orgies" said Jake.
"Nope" said Natalie.
"Too bad" said Jake.
Natalie smacked him in the arm and closed her eyes. Jake settled farther down into the soft mattress. Even thought it was barely nine o'clock both Jake and Natalie fell fast asleep.