A/N: This chapter is so long overdue that it will not be surprising if no one even remembers what happened last chapter. Next chapter will be up sooner than this one, I promise.
Natalie shuttered in her sleep, a dream slowly ebbing from her mind. She rolled over and was immediately confronted with a sleeping body. Startled she immediately sat up in bed and stifled a scream. Looking over she saw her sister's peacefully slumbering form. Natalie poked her viciously.
"What are you doing in here?" she yelled.
"It was too scary down there, it's too quiet in this house" said Nicole rubbing her eyes. "I asked you if I could get in and you said yes."
"I said yes?" said Natalie skeptically. "In my sleep?
"Well you didn't say no" said Nicole.
"You are impossible" said Natalie.
"I didn't come here to make you mad" said Nicole.
"Into my bed or to Seattle?" asked Natalie.
"Either or both" said Nicole.
"Then why did you come?" asked Natalie.
"Because you're my sister, we shared a womb" said Nicole.
"We haven't shared a thing since" snapped Natalie.
"It's not because I haven't want to" said Nicole. "You left me."
"I just wanted space" said Natalie.
"Well you got it" said Nicole. "You live in this giant house all by yourself, you don't speak to the family unless you have to, you don't visit, you're as alone as you can be."
"What do you want?" said Natalie wearily.
"So can I stay?" begged Nicole.
"I can't even see your face but I know you are making those big dumb eyes of yours" said Natalie.
"You have the same eyes" said Nicole.
"Shut up and go to sleep" said Natalie.
"Thanks, I love you sissy" said Nicole so quietly Natalie almost didn't hear it.
The girls settled back into the bed and closed their respective eyes. Before too long they'd rolled away from each other and fell into a fitful sleep.
The next morning Natalie woke to the sounds of water running. She opened her eyes and saw that her sister was brushing her teeth with her toothbrush. Sighing she got out of bed and joined her in the bathroom. Nicole handed her a toothbrush filled with paste and smiled.
"Morning" she said around a mouthful of foam.
"Morning" replied Natalie.
The pair brushed their teeth and finished their morning ablutions.
"Is there somewhere I can work out?" asked Nicole.
"Downstairs, there is a little gym" answered Natalie.
"That's cool. Very convenient. Will you come with?" asked Nicole.
"Sure, I need to run a few miles this morning" replied Natalie.
"What's up with that?" said Nicole. "I thought you only run when chased."
"I'm going back on the boat" said Natalie. "I want to be more prepared and in better shape than last time."
"Mum and Dad are going to kill you" said Nicole.
"They won't know" said Natalie sternly.
"Fine" said Nicole. "We know how to keep secrets."
"Do you need to borrow some workout clothes?" asked Natalie, in an attempt to change the subject.
"Yes" said Nicole. "Why are you going on the boat again?"
"I'm just helping them out" said Natalie.
"You almost died last time" said Nicole. "Mum flew to Alaska to pick you up from the hospital."
"I remember" said Natalie.
"So what's going to be different this time?" pressed Nicole.
"I'll be better prepared" said Natalie. "I've been honing my emergency skills and I'm going up early to take a coast guard class."
"Oh Natty, why do you have to save the world" said Nicole quietly.
"I"m just helping out a friend" said Natalie. "It's not a permanent job change or anything."
"Be careful" said Nicole seriously.
Natalie studied her sister for a moment and then gave her a slight smile.
"I will" she promised.
Sig struggled to pull his laden suitcase through the door of his house. With one final tug the thing made it over the threshold and into the small foyer. Dropping it unceremoniously on the floor he trudged towards his bedroom. It had taken over 24 hours to get home from Norway and Sig was exhausted mentally and physically. He wanted nothing more than to shower and sleep. His eye caught the flashing light of his answering machine and he gave it a brief glance and then continued on, whatever it was would have to wait until tomorrow. Stumbling into the bathroom he stripped off his clothes and got into the shower. The cold water shocked him enough to open his eyes and adjust the dial but once the water warmed up his eyes drooped closed. He mechanically washed his hair and body. He toweled himself dry on the way to the bedroom, dropped his wet towel on the floor and collapsed into bed naked.
The next sound he heard was the door of his bedroom being opened. Soft hands pulled a blanket over his shivering form and quiet voices spoke above him before retreating to the hallway. Sig sat up in alarm. His first thought was that he was being robbed. Taking a moment to actually think about it he doubted a burglar would cover someone with a blanket before robbing the house. Getting quietly out of bed he padded to the door.
"Just go wake him up" said a familiar female voice.
"You do it" said a male voice.
"I just saw his naked ass, I don't want to see any more of him today" said the woman.
Sig recognized it was Edgar and Antha. He was a little confused as to why they were at his house. He checked the clock and realized it was just after 5 in the evening. He'd slept for almost 20 hours. Sig muttered a curse and shrugged into a bathrobe.
"We're suppose to be there before seven" said Antha. "Don't be such a pussy and go get your brother."
"He's obviously tired" said Edgar.
"We're all tired, we were all on the same damn flight" said Antha.
"We'll just call and say we're going to be late" said Edgar.
"Call who?" asked Sig startling the pair.
"You're up" said Antha. "Fantastic. Go get dressed."
Sig frowned at Antha's suggestion then realized what the pair was wearing. Edgar was dressed in a suit and Antha in a floor length evening dress.
"Why the hell are you dressed like that?" asked Sig.
"It's new year's eve" said Antha. "We're going out. Natalie invited us."
Sig stood rooted to the spot his face a mask of confusion. Edgar sensing it would be easier to show then tell went over and pressed play on the answering machine. Natalie's voice floated through the room.
Hi Sig, I hope your trip was pleasant and your family in Norway is doing well. I wanted to invite you to a new year's eve dinner celebration. I realize it's last minute, I hope you don't already have plans...um..I've invited everyone from the boat and their significant other's. Also, my um...yes, I'll see you at 7 at Canlis. I'll send a car. See you then.
"So get dressed" prompted Antha. "The car is waiting for us."
"Yea, ok" mumbled Sig as he disappeared back into his bedroom.
He dressed quickly and ran a comb though his hair. Sig was out the door and in the limo in less than 10 minutes.
The restaurant was packed with people as Sig, Edgar and Antha pushed their way through the crowd to the hostess stand. Antha gave their name and they were greeted with a megawatt smile and led into the restaurants private dining room. A waiter met them at the door and handed them a glass of champagne. The trio walked into the well appointed room to find Norman and Matt were sitting across from each other sipping on glasses of scotch. In the far corner Jake and Matt were speaking with two leggy woman wearing colored wigs.
"Who are they?" asked Antha.
"No idea" answered Sig.
The woman turned to face the new arrivals and Sig was met with matching faces.
"Oh fuck" said Edgar. "I'm seeing double."
"It's Natalie and her sister" said Sig.
"Which one is which?" asked Edgar.
Sig paused. He had no idea, the girls were wearing very similar dresses and had wigs on. Natalie and Nicole approached the group and Sig crossed his fingers that one of the girls would speak before he had to.
"Hello" they chorused.
"Oh that is so creepy" said Antha with a laugh. "You sound like those twins from the Shining."
"You are so right" said Edgar.
Sig was still studying the twin faces trying to distinguish which was Natalie.
"So I don't think I've actually met one of you" said Edgar.
"I bet Sig could introduce you" said one of the twins in a voice devoid of an accent.
"We've made all the boys guess" said the other twin in the exact same voice.
Sig frowned. He didn't want to be made a fool of, especially in front of his crew.
"Has anyone gotten it right?" asked Antha.
"Just one" said a twin.
Sig took a deep breath and with a determined grimace put his arm around the beauty in the pink wig.
"Edgar, I'd like you to meet Nicole" said Sig, his insides churning in anticipation.
"Pleasure" said Edgar shaking her hand lightly.
"Bravo" said Nicole. "How did you know it was me?"
"I didn't think Natalie would choose pink" said Sig.
"I told you we should have switched" said Nicole.
"Who else figured it out?" asked Antha.
"Jake" said Nicole.
"How did Junior manage that?" asked SIg in shock.
"He made us kiss him" replied Nicole.
The room erupted in guffaws at Sig's shocked expression and Jake's pink cheeks.
Sig's eyes cracked open painfully, the brief flash of light immediately gave him a blinding headache. The room felt like it was tilting. Dropping his foot onto the floor he pressed down in a desperate effort to stop the room from spinning. It took Sig a moment to realize that he was actually sleeping on a couch in what seemed to be a huge hotel room having no recollection how he arrived. His shirt was open and his pants slung low on his waist. Standing heavily he immediately sat back down as a wave of dizziness hit him. He reached to the side table where a cut crystal glass sat full of clear liquid. Taking a heavy pull it was all he could do not to spit it back out, the glass was full of vodka. Sig took a deep breath and stood again, this time using the end table to hold him steady. Once his eyes focused he took stock of the room. It looked a bit like a war zone, sleeping bodies littered the two room suite. He moved towards the bathroom, passing by his brothers sleeping in a couple of chairs. Matt and Nick were asleep on the floor on a scattering of blankets and pillows. The girls and Jake were no where to be found. Sig used the bathroom and quietly slipped into the bedroom. Jake was sitting in a chair next to the bed watching the girls sleep. Sig noticed that their shoulders were bare and he could see a pink nipple hovering just below the line of the sheet.
"What are you doing in here?" asked Sig gruffly.
"You'd think it would be a really sexy thing to watch. Three half naked girls in a bed together" said Jake tiredly. "But it's slightly less attractive when they keep puking all over each other."
Sig looked a little closer and noticed there were trash cans on either side of the bed and small towels littered the bed.
"Is Natalie ok?" asked Sig.
"She's in the middle, I don't think she's actually thrown up but the other girls may have gotten it on her" said Jake.
"Have you been watching them all night?" asked Sig.
"No, I just got up when I heard them puking" explained Jake. "I didn't want them to Jimi Hendrix or anything."
"Right, well thanks for doing it" said Sig.
"Yeah" said Jake.
One girl on the bed moved starting a chain reaction of moans and groans from the other two. Jake reached for the bucket at his feet and moved it closer to the side of the bed.
"Lets try to get it in the bucket this time" he said to Nicole.
"Bugger off" was her reply.
"Am I covered in vomit?" asked Natalie, sitting up in the bed, the sheet falling to her waist.
"Sorry Natty" said Nicole.
"Oh disgusting" said Natalie scrambling out of the bed.
She was half way to the bathroom before she realized when she only wearing a tiny thong.
"Stop looking at my ass" she said to no one in particular before slamming the bathroom door.
The sound of the slam made everyone in the suite groan.
Breakfast arrived in the suite an hour later and while some of its inhabitants were still suffering their hangovers a few were ravenous. Natalie, Sig, Norman and Edgar sat sipping coffee in the corner of the room. The brothers were discussing the scheduling of the Opi season and Natalie was half listening.
"I think Edgar should go up and get the boat set up and then go home" said Sig. "It's just a couple of days, but I want to make sure the engine and everything is ready."
"That's fine" said Edgar. "But I want the whole crew up there so I can train them."
"How much time do you think you are going to need?" asked Sig.
"At least a week" said Edgar.
"Natalie will come up with me" said Sig.
"She's going to need to learn stuff too" said Edgar.
"Like what?" asked Sig. "She's not going to need to know how to fix an engine."
"Why not?" said Edgar. "Everyone needs to know what to do in an emergency."
"I'll already be up there" said Natalie.
"What? Why?" said Sig.
"I'm taking a class with the coast guard" said Natalie.
"Really?" said Edgar. "That's great. I didn't know you could even do that sort of thing."
"I got special permission to take one specific class" explained Natalie.
"What's the class?" asked Sig.
"What do you think it is?" said Norman with a shake of his head.
"I don't know" said Sig. "It's a valid question."
"At sea lifesaving" said Natalie.
"We're going to keep you safe" said Sig. "I think taking the class is overstepping what your job is going to be on the boat."
"What is that suppose to mean?" asked Natalie, her voice quieting.
"It means you are going to be a greenhorn" said Sig simply. "No cooking, no massaging, all you are going to be doing is bait and throwing buoy bags."
"That's all well and good" said Natalie. "But if something happens and someone needs help I'd like to be in a position to save them."
"You don't have to do that" said Sig. "That won't be necessary."
"I'm still going to take the class" said Natalie firmly. "Not because it's necessary but because I want to do it. I like learning.
"Fine" said Sig. "But I don't like it."
"Duly noted" said Natalie.
Sig got up and stalked towards the coffee pot.
"This season is going to be crazy" said Edgar.
"Lucky for you, you won't be there" said Norman.