Title:  Hunter ~ Prey      aka “Bridger is one lucky son of a bitch”  <giggle>

Authors:  Arla & tayryn

Rating:  FRAO (duh!  C’mon… it’s us!)

Classification:  Nathan and Kristin romance; Wendy bashing

Archive:  NKAdult, Arla’s site, my site

Disclaimer:  Amblin owns them… we’re just playing with them.  We promise to return them unharmed…  but a whole lot happier.

Summary:  on the prowl.

Notes:  this is the result of a week and a half of live write sessions… done with voice no less and what happens when two sick and twisted muses get together!   Just please note… nothing funny was smoked while writing this!  <giggle>

 

Thanks to Jaya for beta’ing this baby for us!  We appreciate it!

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

 

Releasing a sigh of frustration, Kristin sat back in her chair and closed her eyes.  She’d only been on the seaQuest a little more than two days, having been pulled away from her work at UEO headquarters to serve as a consultant to one of the research teams.  While she was happy to be back on seaQuest, and seeing those members of the first tour who were still aboard, she could also sense that the current CMO was not overly thrilled with her presence. 

 

Kristin couldn’t help but smile then, knowing that Smith’s unease stemmed from feeling threatened by her... whether professionally or personally she wasn't quite sure, but more than likely, it was both.  She was also aware of the interest the telepathic doctor had in the captain of the seaQuest, and his lack of interest in his new CMO which seemed to be frustrating the younger woman to no end.

 

Kristin sighed again.

 

It was only ten thirty in the morning, and already she was having trouble concentrating on her work.

 

The worse part was that she had no idea why, the chilly response from the current CMO not withstanding.

 

“Shelly, you should have seen him.”

 

She opened her eyes at the voices outside her office and sat up in her chair.

 

“I’m telling you, the suit he was wearing left very little to the imagination.”

 

“So, is it true?  Is Bridger as hung as rumour has it?”

 

Kristin perked up at the mention of the seaQuest captain.

 

“Oh yes.”

 

Oh yes indeed.  Kristin agreed with a lustful smile, remembering peeling off said bathing suit from the man in question last night.  Her smile grew as the memory of Nathan’s surprised gasp echoed in her ears as she’d peeled the wet suit off him with her teeth.

 

“And what about his butt?”  Shelly asked, obvious approval in her voice.

 

“Perfect.”

 

“Oh yes!”

 

Kristin suddenly became aware of two sets of eyes on her and looked up from her desk to see the two girls looking in at her.  She blushed as she realized she’d voiced her agreement out loud.  She shrugged and smiled at them, “What?  I’m a woman, I’ve got eyes.”

 

The two girls smiled.

 

“And now that we’ve all agreed on the issue of the Captain’s posterior, do you ladies not have work to do?”

 

“Yes, ma’am.”  They both grinned and took off.

 

Kristin shook her head, and sat back in her chair, and then suddenly sat back up; finally realizing why it was she couldn’t concentrate on her work. 

 

A slow smile came to her face as she saved her work, shut down her computer and left her office.

 

Several minutes later she entered the Bridge and a quick glance told her that the object of her search was not there.

 

Jonathan Ford turned from his position behind the helmsmen and saw her standing just inside the hatch.

 

“Something I can do for you, Doctor?”  He smiled.

 

“I was looking for Nathan.”

 

“He mentioned something about heading to his office and catching up on some overdue paperwork.”

 

“Oh.”  She frowned slightly.

 

“Is there something I can help you with?”  Ford asked.

 

“Uh… no.  But thank you.” She flashed him a smile and turned away, moving back out through the clamshell doors.

 

“Something tells me she’s a lady on a mission.”  Tim said through Ford’s headset.

 

“Me’ thinks that’s a lady on the prowl.”  Miguel put in with a grin.

 

“You go girl!”  Jonathan said.

 

“Rawwr.” Tim finished.

 

The three guys looked at each other, chuckled and then went back to their work; all of them thinking the same thing…  Bridger was one lucky son of a bitch.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Kristin moved quickly down the corridor heading for the Captain’s office.  Passing the open wardroom door, she stopped, spotting Bridger’s khaki jacket hanging on one of the chairs.

Entering the room she found it empty, but the open folders at one end of the large conference table told her that he would most likely be returning.  The PAL in the pocket of her lab coat suddenly chirped for attention.  She pulled it out, “Westphalen.”

“Doctor.  I thought you’d like to know that the Captain was called to Hydroponics.”

“Thank you, Tim.”  She answered with a smile.

“You’re welcome.”

As she closed the link, Kristin smiled.  Just in case she happened to miss him she would leave a little something to tell him that she had been here.

Moments later the deed was done and she slipped from the wardroom... once again on the hunt.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Nathan glared at the young technician in front of him.  “So, let me get this straight.  You managed to fix the problem moments after paging me, but couldn’t be bothered to page me back to let me know?”

 

The tech nodded and stuttered an apology.

 

“Charlie,” Nathan turned to an older looking man.  “Why didn’t you…”

 

“Sorry, Captain.  I wasn’t here when the problem occurred.  Otherwise, you know I would have called you to tell you were no longer needed.

 

Nathan nodded at Charlie and turned to glower at the young technician for a few moments more, knowing he was more upset about having no excuse but to return to his paperwork than he was at the tech.  “Don’t let this happen again.”

 

“Yes, sir.”  The young man replied and then with a nod from Charlie, took off to hide deep in the lab.

 

Nathan gave Charlie a look, shook his head and then turned and left, mumbling under his breath.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Kristin rushed into Hydroponics, coming to a quick stop as she looked around.

 

“Doctor Westphalen!”

 

Kristin turned and smiled.  “Hello, Charlie.”

 

“I heard a rumour you were on board but didn’t believe it.”  Charlie said, coming around a worktable to shake her hand.  “What can I do for you?”

 

Kristin’s eyes darted around the room.  “I was told I could find the captain in here…”

 

“You just missed him,” Charlie told her.  “Left here about five or ten minutes ago, mumbling something about needing more coffee if he was expected to deal with damned paperwork.”

 

Kristin grinned.  Yes, that sounded like Nathan.  “Thanks, Charlie.”

 

“Anytime, doc,” Charlie said, a grin forming on his face as he watched her leave.  He chuckled, having recognized the almost predatory look in Westphalen’s eyes.  “You are one lucky son of a bitch, Bridger,” he said softly.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Kristin hummed quietly to herself as she entered the commissary, her eyes immediately searching the room for Nathan as she caught a whiff of his aftershave.

 

“Can I get you something, doc?”

 

Kristin smiled up at the seaQuest’s chef, not realizing that she’d made her way over to the serving area.  “Has the captain been in here?”

 

“Yes, ma’am.”  The chef answered.  “You just missed him.  He grabbed a pot of coffee and made some comment about having to deal with a mountain of paperwork.”

 

Kristin chuckled and as her glance moved about the room, one of the desserts caught her eye and an idea formed in her head.  She turned to the chef with a smile.

 

Fifteen minutes later, Kristin walked out of the corridor, once again humming quietly to herself, a can of whipped cream in one hand and a jar of maraschino cherries in the other.

 

Back in the commissary, the chef shook his head, a knowing grin on his face, muttering softly, “Bridger, you are one lucky son of a bitch.”

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Filling his cup, Nathan placed the pot of coffee on the table, then sat in his chair and reached for the top folder.  As he brought his cup to his lips and took a sip, he opened the uppermost folder and choked on his coffee.

 

“What the…” he reached out and lifted a pair of lacy, lavender panties.  A huge grin formed on his face; knowing exactly who they belonged to.  His eyes dropped momentarily to the files on his desk then back to the lingerie he held in his hand then once more to the paperwork.  “Ah to hell with it,” he muttered as he shoved the files away and turned back to the panties.

 

Feeling the arousal stirring in his groin, Nathan shifted in his chair.  “Ah, Kris…” he murmured before burying his face in the light purple panties, inhaling her scent deeply.  Even if he hadn’t known these were Kristin’s panties on sight, he would have known by her scent; a scent which right now, as it always did, was arousing him beyond belief.

 

“Captain, are you all right?”  At the sound of his CMO’s voice, Nathan’s head shot up and as his hands fell to the table, Kristin’s panties fluttered to the hard surface.

 

“What?”  He quickly grabbed the lacy garment, balling it up in his hand.  “Yes, I’m fine.”

 

“Are you sure?”  Wendy asked, catching a glimpse of the lavender lace.  Her curiosity was peaked but before she could question him further her he turned to her.

 

“I’m fine, Doctor.  Was there a reason for your visit?”  He asked, surreptitiously adjusting himself under the table.

 

“Sir, there’s something in Medical which requires your attention.”

 

“Is it urgent?”

 

“Not entirely, but I would feel better if you could help me with this.”

 

“Very well Doctor, just give me a minute.  Why don’t you wait for me at the mag-lev.”

 

“Yes, sir.” Smith replied and as she turned away she sent out a probe in the hopes of gleaning something of what he was thinking and feeling, but his mind was tightly closed to her and she could sense nothing.  She stepped out of the room puzzling over the object he’d quickly hidden, an object that had looked suspiciously like a pair of women’s underwear.

 

Once he was sure Smith was out of the room, Nathan shut the wardroom door and glanced around.  Some inner sense told him that Kristin would be back, and so he wanted to leave her a little note or something to let her know he’d gotten hers.  Moments later, the door opened and Nathan walked out, a goofy grin on his face.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Kristin sauntered into the wardroom, still humming.  She stopped when she saw the room was empty.  “Nathan?”  She called out, hoping he was just in the head.

 

When he didn’t reply she felt a surge of disappointment at having missed him yet again.  She crossed to the conference table and set the whipped cream and cherries next to his files.  It was then that she noticed a yellow sticky note on the front of one of his folders.

 

“Check the head.”  The note read… and with a grin on her face she went to do just that.  Moments later, she stumbled out of the small room, laughing and smiling; a pair of black silk boxers with lavender hearts all over them clutched tightly in her hands.

 

Hearing laughter coming from the supposedly empty wardroom, Dagwood stopped his trek to the bridge and stuck his head in the doorway.

 

He smiled, “Hello, Captain’s Lady.”

 

Kristin turned and saw the gelf in the doorway, a smile lighting her face at the affectionate nickname that the Dagger had bestowed upon her when they had first met.

 

“Hello, Dagwood,” she replied.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“I was looking for Nathan.”

 

“Dagwood saw the Captain leave with Dr. Smith for the medical bay.”

 

“Thank you.” She replied.

 

Dagwood returned her smile and turned from the room, a smile on his face as he recognized the predatory gleam in the woman’s eyes.

 

“Hey, Dag!”  The gelf turned to see Tony Piccolo sauntering towards him.  “What ya smiling at?”

 

“The Captain’s Lady is hunting.”

 

“What?!  What are you talking about, Dagwood?”

 

“The Captain’s Lady is in there,” he pointed to the wardroom.  “She was laughing and holding a pair of black shorts,” his face screwed up.  “With purple hearts on them.”

 

“Really?”  Tony’s curiosity was piqued.  “Was she alone?”

 

“Yes.”  Dagwood answered.  “I think she was looking for the Captain.”

 

“Hmm,” Tony murmured just as he saw Kristin emerge from the wardroom.  His grin grew as he noticed, not only the black boxers in her hands, but also that she was braless.  “Looks like more than one person on this boat is going commando today,” he laughed.

 

“What do you mean commando?”  Dagwood asked Tony, watching as Kristin walked away from them, heading for the mag-lev.

 

“Come on, let’s go swim, I’ll explain it to you.”  Tony said, his eyes following Kristin till she vanished from view.  He gave a low whistle.  “Damn, Bridger is one lucky son of a…”

 

“Tony, it’s not nice to swear.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right, Dag.”  Tony grinned and then turned to walk back the way he came.  “Come on.”

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Kristin stepped into the Med Bay and immediately felt Smith’s cold gaze on her.

 

“Something I can help you with, Doctor?”  She questioned with a tone that suggested... how dare she enter ‘her’ domain without permission.

 

“I was looking for Nathan.” Kristin replied in an equally cold voice.  “Dagwood mentioned that he saw him heading this way,” she glanced around.  “Is he still here?”

 

“Well, not that it’s…”

 

“Kristin!”

 

Kristin spun around, a large smile forming on her lips.  “Joshua!” 

 

Before she knew it, the young doctor was sweeping her into a big hug.

 

“It’s so good to see you.  How have you been?”  Joshua asked her as he put her down, totally oblivious to the glare being aimed his way from Smith.  “And please tell me you’re going to be on seaQuest for a while.”

 

Smith’s frown deepened.

 

“I’m just wonderful, Josh, thanks for asking.  And I’m not sure yet how long I’ll be here.   As long as my research continues I suppose.”

 

“Well, it’s nice to see a friendly face.”

 

Kristin tried to hold back her snigger of amusement, knowing the comment was directed at Smith.  Despite enjoying her reunion with her former assistant, and the small digs at the new CMO, Kristin was a woman on a mission.  “As much as I would love to stay and catch up with you, Josh, I’m actually looking for Nathan.  You haven’t seen him have you?”

 

“Yes I have.”  Levin nodded.  “In fact, I just passed him in the corridor not five minutes ago.  He said something about having to get back to some paperwork.”

 

Kristin’s smile grew and she reached out to place her hand on his arm.  “Thanks, Joshua.”

 

“You’re welcome, Kristin.”  He replied, catching her hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze.  He looked down and smiled.  Looking back up, he caught the subtle shaking of Kristin’s head and nodded understandingly.  “Feel like meeting for lunch tomorrow and we can catch up?”

 

Kristin nodded.  “I’d love that.”  She leaned in and gave him another quick hug, and without a backwards glance to Smith, she left medical.

 

Joshua grinned as he watched her leave and then turned to look at Wendy, who wore a deep scowl on her face.  “Doctor Smith, are you all right?”

 

“Yes, Doctor.  I’m fine.”  Wendy replied tersely.  “Don’t you have work to do?”

 

“As a matter of fact I do,” Joshua said.

 

“Then I think you should get to it.”  She told him and then left.

 

“Oh, you are in for such a big shock.”  Joshua said to himself as he watched her leave and then a big grin appeared on his face, as he continued in a singsong voice.  “Cause I know something you don’t know.”

 

Hearing Joshua’s comment, Wendy stopped just outside the door.  She turned back, “What are you talking about?”

 

“Sorry,” Joshua’s grin grew.  “Am not at liberty to say, Doctor-Patient confidentiality.”  He simply smiled at the look on her face.  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

 

Wendy watched him walk away, whistling to himself and decided if she wanted to know she was going to have to find out herself.  Especially if it concerned the Captain, as she was now starting to suspect that the visiting former CMO had designs on Nathan.

 

‘And that is not acceptable,’ she thought as she moved out of medical, following the same path as the redhead.  “I will find out what’s going on here,” she said to herself.  “And put a stop to it.”

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Nathan strolled into the wardroom, immediately heading for the head to see if Kristin had gotten his last message.

 

The goofy grin appeared on his face again when he saw that she had indeed gotten it, and not only that, she’d left him one.

 

Nathan reached out a hand to finger the lavender bra hanging on the back of the bathroom door in place of his boxers.  The goofy grin changed into one of desire as the knowledge that Kristin was walking around without her bra and panties on finally sank in.

 

‘Don’t let her be gone long,’ he thought as he moved to leave the head.  ‘Please!’

 

Opening the door, a flash of red near the sink caught his eye.  Turning to look, his grin grew even bigger as his hand closed around the can of ‘Redi-whip’.

 

“Whipped cream and cherries, that’s my girl.”  He said to himself.

 

He put the can down, stole a cherry and popped it in his mouth as he moved back into the wardroom to wait for Kristin.

 

Twenty minutes later, Nathan stood and began to pace around the room.  Kristin hadn’t returned yet, and while he was hornier than all hell, a fact that was all her fault to begin with, her not returning was starting to worry him just a little.

 

Deciding he didn’t want to wait for her to return, Nathan left the wardroom with the intention of hunting her down.  Striding out the door, he almost crashed into the seaQuest’s new security chief.

 

“Sorry, Captain, didn’t see you.”

 

“No problem, chief.”  Nathan said as he moved to go past him.  He paused.  “Mr. Shan, you didn’t happen to see Doctor Westphalen in your travels did you?”

 

“Yes, sir, I did.”  Shan replied.  “She was in the mag-lev with me, but she was paged back to her office by someone on her team.”  At Nathan’s frown he continued.  “She didn’t look too happy about it though, and was mumbling something about ‘too many bloody interruptions’.”

 

“Thanks, Shan.”  Bridger said and took off towards the mag-lev.

 

Shan grinned and chuckled.  When he entered the bridge several minutes later, he was still grinning.

 

“What’s up, Chief?”  Ford asked.

 

“I just ran into the Captain outside the wardroom,” he began, and repeated the conversation he’d had with Bridger.  His grin grew as he finished.  “Man, that Bridger is one lucky son of a bitch.”

 

Ford, Ortiz and O’Neil laughed as they agreed with him.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Nathan stepped off the mag-lev and headed down the corridor.  As he entered the science lab, Shelly and Beverly looked up from their work.

 

“Captain is there something we can do for you?”  Beverly questioned.

 

“I was looking for Dr. Westphalen.”

 

“She’s in her office.”

 

“Thank you.”  He gave them a smile and a nod then crossed the lab to the small office in the back corner.

 

As he moved away both Shelly and Beverly followed his retreating figure with their eyes.

 

“Mmm, mmm, mmm,” Shelly murmured.

 

“That ass is definitely a piece of work.”  Beverly agreed.

 

Nathan stopped in the doorway and leaned up against the doorframe, smiling in at Kristin, her auburn head bent over her work.  He cleared his throat and she looked up.

 

“Well, don’t just stand there, get in here already.”  Kristin said, standing and moving to shade the windows.

 

Nathan grinned and stepped further into her office, kicking the door shut behind him as he pulled her into his arms, his lips crashing down on hers in a passionate kiss.

 

Kristin moaned as his tongue plundered her mouth and her hands moved down to cup his ass pulling him tightly to her. She was rewarded with his groan as she rocked herself against his burgeoning erection.

 

Following suit, Nathan slid his hands down her back and cupped her ass as he walked them back towards her desk.  When he felt them bump into it, he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her so that she was sitting on the edge and he was standing between her spread legs.

 

Out in the main lab, Shelly and Beverly looked up from their work when the sound of a chair falling over reached them, followed by a decidedly feminine, lustful growl of obvious approval.

 

They looked at each other and grinned.

 

“Sounds like someone’s getting lucky.”  Shelly quipped.

 

“Damn, that Westphalen is one lucky woman.”  Beverly said with a grin.

 

The two girls looked at each other and began to giggle when a groan, that could only be from Bridger, followed.

 

“What is so amusing?”

 

Both women turned to the doorway and saw Smith standing there.  They both began to giggle even harder.

 

“I’m waiting?”  She asked, annoyance slipping into her voice.

 

“Uhm nothing, ma’am.”

 

“Very well then, could you tell me where I might find Dr. Westphalen?”

 

“Uh well she’s in her office…”

 

“Alright then I’ll just go and…”

 

Beverly cut her off, “Well she doesn’t want to be disturbed you see.  She’s…”

 

“Busy…” Shelly supplied.

 

“Yes… busy…”

 

“Doing what?”  Smith asked.

 

“The Captain.”  Shelly said under her breath.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Nothing.  She and the Captain are in a ‘conference’.”

 

Without another word, Smith turned and walked towards Westphalen’s office.  Shelly and Beverly looked at each other, grinned and made themselves comfortable in their chairs.

 

“Oh, are we in for a show.”  Shelly whispered to Beverly.

 

“Mmhmm,” Beverly agreed.  “And it’s going to be a doozy.”

 

They grinned and turned their gazes back to Smith who, to their utter amusement, appeared to be trying to peek through the blinds into Westphalen’s office.

 

“Oh my God no!”

 

The girls sat up straighter at Wendy’s alarmed cry and watched as she straightened up and backed away, stumbling into a tray full of instruments.

 

“What the hell?”  Bridger’s voice sounded from inside the office.

 

Moments later, the office door swung open and a disheveled looking Bridger stepped out just in time to see a retreating Smith’s back, followed by Kristin, who was working on doing up the buttons of her blouse.

 

“Was that?”  Kristin asked.

 

Nathan nodded and ushered her back into her office as he straightened his clothes.  “Maybe we should…”

 

“Finish this somewhere else?”

 

“Oh yeah.”  Nathan nodded, reaching out and cupping one of her breasts, teasing the nipple with his thumb, smiling as she groaned and leaned into his hand.  “Most definitely.”

 

“Well, I happen to know where there’s some whipped cream and cherries if you’re interested.”  Kristin gave him a saucy smile as she opened the door and sauntered out of her office.

 

Nathan followed on her heels.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Wendy fumed as she stomped down the corridor back to med bay and her office.  How dare that bitch!  How dare she steal Nathan from her!  Well she’d pay.  She’d make her sorry.

 

Joshua looked up as Smith sailed through the ward and then slammed the door of her office.

 

“Oooh I think somebody is pissed.”  He chuckled then went back to his work.

 

Wendy tapped her pen on the desktop as she waited for her call to go through.

 

“Damn it all to hell, do you know what time it is here!?”  Bill Noyce growled.  “Doctor Smith??  What the… what do you want?”

 

“Forgive me waking you, Mr. Secretary General,” Wendy apologized in a soft voice.  “I forgot about the time difference.”

 

Noyce shook his head, and waved dismissively.  “Don’t worry about it.  What can I do for you, Doctor?”

 

“I…” she hesitated.

 

“You woke me up at three in the morning, it must be important.”  He stopped, shifting closer to the vid-phone.  “Nothing’s happened to Nathan has it?”

 

“No, Nathan is fine.”  Wendy quickly said, not wanting to worry him, knowing that Nathan was his oldest friend.

 

Noyce relaxed immediately, only to tense up again right away.  “Is it Kristin?  Is she okay?”

 

At the mention of her rival, Smith frowned.  “Actually, she’s the reason I’m calling you, sir.”

 

“Okay, Doctor, it’s late.  So stop tap-dancing and tell me why the hell you’re calling me this early in the morning and why it couldn’t wait.”

 

“Well, to put this delicately, sir.”  Smith began.  “I uhm…”

 

“You what Doctor?”

 

“I found Doctor Westphalen and Captain Bridger… ah fraternizing.”

 

“Fraternizing?  How, Doctor?”  Noyce questioned, a hint of a grin on his face.

 

“Fraternizing as in they were having sex, sir.”

 

“Is that why you’re calling me?!  Ah shit, Doctor… it isn’t fraternization when you’re married!”

 

“What?!”

 

Bill continued on as though he hadn’t heard… “And as long as they’re not having sex on the wardroom table what the hell do I care.  I mean after all, we did interrupt their honeymoon for this mission.  Now if that’s all, Doctor I’m going back to bed.”

 

With that said, Noyce reached out and hit the disconnect button, leaving a stunned Wendy staring at the UEO logo.

 

“Nooo!”

 

Joshua looked up from his computer and grinned.  ‘She knows now,’ he thought and went back to his work.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Nathan ushered Kristin into the wardroom, and shutting and locking the door, he shaded the window before turning to face her.  “So, Mrs. Bridger,” he flashed her a big grin.  “You mentioned something about whipped cream and cherries.”

 

Kristin smiled and nodded.  “Yes I did.  Would you be so kind, Mr. Bridger?”  She drawled nodding towards the head.

 

He smiled and disappeared inside, his grin widening as he picked up the can of whipped cream and the jar of cherries.  When he stepped out he stopped, nearly dropping everything. 

 

“Damn,” Nathan exclaimed at the sight of Kristin reclining on the wardroom table, totally naked.  “You are one sexy woman!”  He said in an appreciative voice.

 

Kristin gave a delighted laugh at his reaction.  “Thank you.”

 

“No, no, thank you,” he said, moving to stand before her, placing the whipped cream and cherries on the table beside her.  ‘Damn, you’re a lucky son of a bitch, Bridger,’ he thought.

 

“Are you just going to stand there staring all day or are you going to get down to business?”

 

“Oh I’m definitely getting down to business,” he said, reaching for the can of ‘Redi-whip’ and giving it a good shake, moving to stand between her legs.  He grinned, “You ready?”

 

“Do your best.”  She grinned back, arching her back and thrusting her breasts up at him.

 

A desirous glint lighted Nathan’s eyes as he tilted the can and pressing nozzle, began to circle the whipped cream over her left breast, moving to do the same to her right one, topping each creamy peak with a cherry.

 

After Nathan finished with her breasts, Kristin was surprised when he knelt before her and began to cover her sex with the sweet, white foam, topping it with a couple of cherries.  He placed the can on the table beside her and then stood to admire his work.

 

He smiled and nodded in appreciation.  “Perfect.”

 

“And now that you’ve made a sundae out of me, what do you intend to do?” Kristin asked with a sensual grin.

 

She chuckled at the glint in his eyes that told her exactly what he had planned.  He leaned forward, stretching over her, being careful not to disturb his artwork and pressed his lips to her ear.  “Eat you,” he growled.

 

With that said, Nathan began to nibble his way down along her neck, over her collarbone and down her chest till he came to the first cream covered breast.  Glancing up, he met her eyes and gave her a quick smile before beginning to use his tongue to remove the whipped topping.

 

Kristin moaned as he laved her breast, cleaning every last drop of the sweetness from her, then his lips closed around her nipple, and the cherry still perched on top.  Carefully, Nathan chewed and swallowed the cherry and then focused his attention on her puckered nipple.  “Oh God, Nathan,” his name was a low moan in her throat as he drew hard on the tender peak before moving over and repeating the same sweet torture on her other breast.

 

Reaching a finger between her legs, Nathan drew a line of whipped cream up over her abdomen to just between her breasts, a trail, which he slowly followed down with his lips and tongue. 

 

Kristin groaned his name as he paused, circling and dipping his tongue in her navel before continuing his downward journey.

 

Kneeling before her, his hands clasping her thighs, Nathan looked up and met her eyes and then licked his lips before leaning in to begin licking away the whipped cream covering her auburn curls.

 

Kristin released a soft moan, parting her thighs to give him further access.  Resting his hands gently on the insides of her knees, he pressed her legs open until they lay flat against the table as he continued to work his tongue until not a drop of whipped cream, or the cherries were present.

 

Nathan felt her hands clutch in his hair as she arched into him, pressing herself against his talented lips.  “Nathan!”  She cried out his name as he slipped first one, then two fingers inside her, moving them slowly in and out of her as his lips closed around her clitoris and he sucked against the sensitive bundle.

 

“Mmm… oh God!”  Kristin moaned as the sensations he was creating began to spiral out of control, burning their way up and throughout her body.

 

Her body tensed as she teetered on the edge.  Nathan nibbled gently on her clit while his fingers found and stroked her G spot, until suddenly, without warning, her orgasm slammed into her with the force of a tidal wave, pulling her under and leaving her breathless in its wake.

 

Kissing his way up her body, Nathan continued to slowly stroke his fingers within her, enjoying the lingering shudders of her internal muscles.  He propped himself up on his elbow over her, a smug smile on his face as she opened her eyes and smiled dazedly at him.

 

“Mmm… that was nice,” she murmured, reaching up to pull him down for a deep kiss, moaning at the combined taste of the whipped cream and her essence on his tongue and lips.

 

She broke the kiss and trailed her lips to his ear.  “Your turn now,” she purred then pulled back, and gave him a saucy grin.  “Strip, Bridger!”

 

Nathan grinned and climbed off her, making quick work of his clothes.  Kristin sat up and watched as his lean and muscular body was revealed before her eyes.  “Very nice,” she grinned as her eyes focused in on his very prominent erection.  She slid off the table and stood before him, “Very nice indeed.”

 

She moved until she was behind him.  Trailing her hands from his shoulders down his back she stopped, cupping the firm muscles of his ass.  Leaning forward she whispered, “On the table.”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” he saluted and sat on the table and leaned back on his elbows.

 

Kristin grabbed the can of ‘Redi-whip’ and gave it a good shake.  She moved to stand between his legs, running her left hand up along the inner thigh of his right leg, stopping just short of his groin.  She grinned up at him then, and tilting the can, began to paint his length with the sticky substance, topping it off with three strategically placed cherries.

 

“Mmm, my very own Nathan sundae,” she said, stepping back slightly to admire her work.

 

“Yum,” she growled, licking her lips.  “But it still needs something…” she added and stepped away.  She moved to one of the cabinets that lined the bulkhead and opened a drawer.  She took something out, hiding it behind her back as she moved back to stand at the end of the table.  With a saucy grin she pulled out a bottle of chocolate sauce.  “I prefer a chocolate Nathan sundae,” she told him as she uncapped the squeeze bottle and drizzled it all over him.

 

“Move up,” she told him.  When he’d moved up far enough, she grabbed his leg to stop him and then crawled up after him and knelt between his legs.  Placing her hands on either side of his hips, and keeping her eyes locked with his, Kristin slowly lowered her head and began to lick away the sticky toppings.

 

Nathan moaned, arching his hips as her tongue cleaned away every last bit.  She traced the length of his shaft and circled the helmet before closing her mouth around him.  “Kris…” he groaned her name as she wrapped her hand around him, and began stroking his length in time with the suction of her mouth.  “Oh God, baby… that’s it…”

 

Kristin smiled around him, continuing to stroke and suck him, varying the speed of her hand and the pressure from her mouth as he unconsciously began to thrust his hips against her.  Spurred on by his soft moans of encouragement she quickened her pace, her tongue flicking rapidly on the head while she dropped her hand down to gently caress his balls.

 

Nathan threaded his fingers in her hair and tugged gently.  “Kris… Kris, stop,” he tugged again and this time she glanced up at him, keeping him in her mouth.  “I want to be inside you.”

 

She pulled her mouth away from him and grinned lustfully at him.  “You are inside me,” she purred and then took him back in her mouth.

 

“Sweet Jesus… Kris…” Nathan moaned, feeling his release closing in as she once again applied the sweet suction of her mouth to his aching member.  His hand tightened in her hair, as moments later, the combination of her hand and mouth brought him to the edge.  “God, Kristin!”  He cried out, thrusting uncontrollably into her mouth as his orgasm consumed him. 

 

Kristin stayed with him, taking all he could give, until his hips finally stilled.  With a final stroke of her hand and pull of her lips, she released him, licking her lips as she crawled over him.  Crouching above him, and holding her body away from his, she lowered her lips to his.

 

Nathan opened his mouth at the urgent press of her tongue for entry, moaning at the taste of himself and the sundae toppings.  He reached up and pulled her body down on his, moaning as her body came into full contact with his.  He ran his hands up along her back, once again threading them in her hair as he moved to deepen the kiss.

 

A telltale beeping of the ship’s intercom interrupted them.

 

Kristin groaned and buried her face in his neck as he stretched out a hand to answer the page, making sure to cut the picture, “Bridger.”

 

“Uh, sorry to in… I mean disturb you, Captain,” a hesitant O’Neil’s voice came over the speaker.  “But I have the Secretary General on vid-link and he is quite insistent on speaking with you.”

 

Nathan swore under his breath.  “Very well, put him through.  Audio only please.”

 

“He’s insisting on speaking to you face to face, as it were… sir.”

 

“All right, O’Neil.  Give me a couple minutes and then send it through.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

Once the link closed, both Nathan and Kristin scrambled for their clothes.  Nathan pulled on his boxers and Kristin slipped into his shirt.

 

She just had time to button it when Noyce appeared on the screen.

 

“Don’t you two have quarters for that sort of thing?”

 

Kristin jumped behind Nathan as he turned to glare at his old friend, “Dammit, Bill your timing could be better.”

 

“So I noticed,” Noyce grinned.  “Okay, so is this some sort of initiation thing?  Seeing how many places on the boat you can christen, so to speak.”

 

“As a matter of fact, yes.” Kristin drawled from behind Nathan.

 

Bill chuckled.

 

“So, what can I do for you, Bill?”  Nathan asked, trying to ignore the feel of his wife behind him, and the feel of her breasts pressing into his back.

 

“I received a vid-call from your Chief Medical Officer not too long ago,” Bill began.

 

“What?!”  Nathan exclaimed.  “It’s after three in the morning there!”

 

“Tell me something I don’t know.”  Bill quipped.

 

“What did she want?”

 

“She wanted to lodge a complaint about you and your visiting research consultant.”

 

“A complaint?”  Nathan repeated, trying to ignore the soft giggles he heard behind him.

 

“Yes, apparently she caught you, ‘fraternizing’.”  He brought his hands up, making quote marks around the word ‘fraternizing’.

 

Nathan frowned.  “Like it’s any of her damned business.  I think it’s time to have a talk with my CMO.”

 

“Might be a good idea.” Bill put in.

 

“And just what did you tell her?”

 

“Well... just that it wasn’t fraternizing when you’re married.”

 

The giggles behind Nathan’s back turned a snort of laughter as Kristin peeked around Nathan’s shoulder.  “Oh, I would have loved to have seen the look on her face when you told her that.”

 

“You would have been pleased,” Bill grinned, knowing what a wicked sense of humour Kristin had.

 

“What else did you tell her, Bill?”  Nathan asked, instinctively knowing there was more to the story.  The flush passing over Bill’s face confirmed it.  “Spill it, Bill.”

 

“Well,” Bill began, shifting in his chair.  “You’re going to love this, really,” he said, smiling.

 

“Bill.”

 

“I told her, that since we’d interrupted your honeymoon for this project, I didn’t care where you two fooled around, just as long as it wasn’t on the wardroom table.”  He grinned as Nathan’s face reddened slightly and Kristin ducked back behind her husband.  Noyce chuckled even harder at their reactions.

 

“I am so going to get you for this,” Nathan threatened.

 

“I know… but the look on your face was worth it.  Well now that I’ve played messenger I’m going to go back to bed and let you get back to…”

 

“Thanks, Bill.”  Nathan said dourly, but with a smile on his face.

 

“Anytime I can be of service, Nathan.  Kristin?”

 

Kristin peeked around Nathan’s shoulder.  “Yes, Bill?”

 

“You make sure that lucky S.O.B. doesn’t work you too hard.”

 

A wicked smile formed on Kristin’s face as she replied, “Oh, he’ll be working me all right… but don’t worry, Bill, I give as good as I get.”

 

Now it was Noyce’s turn to blush.  “There’s an image!  I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. I’m leaving now,” he finished and closed the channel.

 

As Noyce’s image winked out, Nathan turned, encircling Kristin in his arms.  He lowered his lips, brushing them against hers.  “Now, where were we?”

 

Before Kristin could answer, soft music began falling down around them.  She smiled and called out softly, “Thank you, Tim.”

 

“Shit, does the whole ship know what we’re up to in here?”  Nathan asked.

 

“Most likely,” Kristin answered with a grin.  “It is a small boat.”

 

“Mmm…” Nathan murmured, pulling her closer, his hands slipping under the hem of her shirt to caress and cup the bare skin of her backside as they began to sway to the sensuous strains of Barbieri’s Europa.

 

“Mmm, I love this piece,” she sighed as she snuggled her head into the curve of his neck and shoulder.

 

“And I love dancing with you,” he whispered, pressing his lips to her temple.  As the music grew more erotic and sensual, their desire reawakened.  “Vertical or horizontal.”

 

Kristin laughed softly, sliding her hands down his back and into his shorts, cupping the firm flesh of his ass as she nibbled on his collar bone, “I also,” she squeezed his cheeks.  “Love your butt, Bridger.”

 

“It’s all yours,” he chuckled, nibbling on her earlobe.

 

“Mmm, I’m going to hold you to that, Sailor.  Especially when the good Dr. Smith starts ogling you,” she teased.

 

“Babe, she’s not even in your league.”

 

Kristin lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled at him, “You know… I have this sneaking suspicion that Krieg’s taking bets on how long we’re going to be in here.”

 

Nathan laughed.  “I bet you’re right,” he pulled his hands out from under her shirt and moved them to the buttons on her shirt and began to undo them.  “But you know what, right now, I don’t care.”

 

“Oh…” Kristin moaned as he slipped his hands inside and cupped her breasts.  “Neither do I, ” with a low growl she pulled his mouth down to hers, tongue plunging in to duel with his.

 

After a long moment Nathan pulled his mouth from hers.  “Table,” he breathed raggedly, backing her up until her backside met the edge.  Slipping his hands down he cupped her butt and lifted her until she sat on the edge of the table, then stepped between the spread of her legs.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Down in the bowels of the sub, Lucas typed furiously at his keyboard, occasionally glancing up to check the progress of his work.  He’d promised the captain the work on the internal vid-link network wouldn’t take long, and it had already been three days.

 

Hearing a knocking from behind, he glanced back to see Darwin grinning at him.  He smiled and reached out to turn on the vo-corder.  “I can’t play right now, Darwin.  Gotta get this finished.”

 

“Bridger, Kristin mate!”  Darwin’s tinny voice sounded through the speakers.

 

“What are you talking about, Darwin?”  Lucas asked the dolphin, looking confused.

 

“Bridger, Kristin mate!”  He repeated excitedly.

 

Lucas shook his head and turned around.  His eyes grew wide.  “Holy shit!”

 

On the screen before him was an image of Bridger and Westphalen in the wardroom.  Nathan was standing between Kristin’s legs, which she’d wrapped loosely behind him and while Lucas could see that they were both still dressed, they soon wouldn’t be, as Bridger’s hands were slowly working the buttons on the shirt, while the doc’s hands moved up and down the cap’s chest, down his sides and around to his butt.

 

“Oh shit!”  Lucas swore again as he began to pound at this keyboard.  “Oh shit!  Oh shit!  Oh shit!”  He repeated.  “I am gonna be so dead for this!”

 

“Lucas, get that off the screens now!”  Ford’s voice suddenly rang over the intercom.

 

“You mean it’s…”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Oh shit!”  Lucas said.  “I’m working on it, Commander, honest!”

 

“Work harder,” Ford said.

 

“Got it!”  Lucas called out and the image vanished from his screen.

 

“Good work, Lucas.”

 

Lucas exhaled deeply and slumped back in his chair.  “I am gonna be grounded forever!”

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Joshua laughed, “Way to go Lucas.”  Still chuckling, he turned off his screen and got up from his workstation.  Well everybody on the boat sure knows what’s going on between them now, he thought almost gleefully.  Levin was more pleased than he could say that his former boss and the Captain had found each other and were so obviously happy and in love.

 

As he stepped out of his tiny office, he made a small detour to pass by Smith’s office.  He almost laughed out loud.  Now, several minutes after the screen had gone dark, the woman was still standing in front of the view screen and the look on her face was one for the photo album.  ‘Oh I wish I had a camera!’ he thought to himself as the left med bay. ‘The others would love it.’ He chuckled.  “Hell, so would Kristin.”

 

“So would Kristin what?”

 

Joshua turned to see a visiting Katherine Hitchcock and Ben Krieg walking down the corridor towards him.  He grinned, and as the three of them headed for the mess, Joshua filled them in.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Lucas walked into the officers mess and was greeted with a round of applause and cheers of… “Way to go, Lucas.”  The teen blushed as he grabbed his food and moved quickly across the room to where Ben, Katie, Levin, O’Neil and several others were sitting.

 

“Gee, Lucas, didn’t know you were into voyeurism.”  Lucas’ blushed deepened as Krieg patted him on the back.  “Way to go, kid.”

 

“Ben, you’re terrible!”  Katie smacked him and then turned to Lucas, who looked somewhat panicked.  “Don’t worry, Lucas.”

 

“Don’t worry?!”  Lucas exclaimed loudly, and then looked around.  “Don’t worry?”  He repeated quietly.  “I just put the cap and the doc having sex over all the monitors on the sub!  Do you know what they’re going to do to me?!”

 

“Ground you till your face clears?”  Ben offered only to be smacked by Katie again.

 

“Exactly,” Lucas replied.

 

“I don’t think it’ll be that bad, Lucas.”  Katie said.  “After all, they were both still clothed… and from what I could see, hadn’t gotten that far yet.”

 

“She was wearing the cap’s shirt, for crying out loud.”  Lucas pointed out.

 

“She was?”  O’Neil asked.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Looking that closely at the doc were you?”  Levin asked with a grin, causing Lucas to blush again.

 

“Smart kid,” Ben quipped, leaning back to avoid Katie’s elbow.  “Doc Westphalen is a fine looking lady.”

 

At Katie’s glare Ben said, “Hey I can look, can’t I?”

 

“Sure… just don’t let the Captain catch you.”

 

“Right,” he nodded.

 

“They are so going to kill me when they find out what happened,” Lucas stated dejectedly as he poked at his food.

 

“I don’t think so… besides, it was an accident, wasn’t it?” Katie asked.

 

“Of course it was!”

 

“Okay, well maybe we can do something to take their attention off of you?”

 

“Like what?” Lucas was intrigued.

 

“Yeah, like what?” Ben asked.

 

“Well, how about…” Katie began and motioned them all forward.

 

“Oh No Way!  They’re going to ground me for life!”  Lucas exclaimed several minutes later, sitting back in his chair.

 

“Come on, Lucas,” Tim urged him.

 

“Yeah, both the Captain and Kristin will get a big kick out of it.”

 

Lucas gave them a dubious look, glanced up at the ceiling, and then sighed.  “All right.”

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Oblivious to everything going on outside the wardroom, Nathan pushed the shirt off Kristin’s shoulders, slowly drawing it down her arms and then tossing it behind him.

 

“God, you’re beautiful!”  He said softly, reaching out to caress her cheek with the back of his fingers, trailing them down along her neck and over her chest till he was cupping her breast.  “So beautiful.”

 

Kristin smiled; moaning softly as his fingers teased her nipple.  She pushed at his shorts, sliding them over his hips and used her legs to push them the rest of the way down.  Running her fingers through the gray hair on his chest, she followed the line of hair down until her fingers wrapped themselves around his hardened member. 

 

“Kris…” Nathan groaned as she lightly stroked him.

 

She grinned at him and then slowly began to lie back on the table, tugging on him gently, pulling him with her.  As their lips fused together, she guided him to her and with a shift of his hips he was buried deep.  His mouth swallowed her moan of pleasure as she used her legs to pull him even closer still.

 

Nathan’s hands moved to Kristin’s hips as he began to move his hips, thrusting gently into her. 

 

“Mmm… just like that,” Kristin moaned softly, covering his hands with hers.

 

Nathan nodded and continued with the leisurely thrusting, allowing the passion to grow slowly between them.  His right hand gently squeezed her hip before sliding up along her body to cup her breast, kneading the soft flesh lovingly and rolling her nipple between his fingers.

 

With a soft growl of encouragement, Kristin dropped her head back, arching her neck, her hands sliding down to cup and caress the muscular flesh of his butt.  Nathan leaned over and pressed his lips to the smooth column of her neck and with his tongue, trailed a path down to where his fingers still teased her breast.

 

Kristin’s hands tightened on his backside, pulling him tighter against her as he drew her nipple into the hot recesses of his mouth.  She whimpered in pleasure as his tongue circled and teased the rosy peak, his teeth nipping gently as his fingers continued to play with her other breast.

 

Kristin’s soft cry of protest when his hand left her breast quickly became a moan of pleasure when his hand gently cupped her mound and he slid a finger through her damp curls, seeking and finding her clit.

 

“Nathan!”  Kristin’s throaty call of his name sent a shiver of desire spiraling through him and he felt himself lengthen and harden within her.  He kissed his way back up to her lips, “I love you,” he whispered before sliding his tongue passed her lips to mate with hers.

 

Kristin shifted beneath him, pulling her lips from his.  “Love me…”

 

At her soft utterance, Nathan began to thrust into her, pulling almost completely out and then slowly sinking back into her, moaning as she tightened her inner muscles around him on every stroke.

 

They quickly found a rhythm, moving their bodies together in an erotic dance, the flames of their passion being stoked into a blazing inferno.

 

“Oh God, Nathan… faster…” Kristin cried out at the combination of his fingers on her clit and the feel of him thrusting deep inside her.  She arched against him, pressing her breasts to his chest, reveling in the feeling of his soft hairs tickling her nipples.  “Nathan…” she called to him again, feeling the sensations starting where they were joined begin to grow and flare up and throughout her body.  “Harder…  so close…”

 

Nathan gave her a deep kiss, then straightened up and grasped her hips.  Holding her eyes with his, he began to do as she asked, moving his hips faster, going deeper inside her.

 

“Oooh, yes!”  Kristin moaned, tightening her legs around him as she reached down to clasp his wrists.  “Just like that…” he thrust against her.  “God, Nathan, yes!”

 

Knowing her body as intimately as he did his own, Nathan knew that she was close, very close.  He drew back, pulling completely from her and smiled at her whimper of protest.  Freeing one of his hands he wrapped it around his hardened flesh and then slowly drew the head along the slickness of her lower lips.  When he reached her clit, he stroked the tip of his member across it.

 

“God, you’re sadistic,” Kristin hissed as he repeated his movements.

 

“Want me to stop?”

 

“No!”  She answered quickly, reaching out to grab his wrist.  “Not yet…”

 

Nathan grinned and continued to tease her, drawing his rigid length up and down her folds; lingering over her clit with each pass until he could no longer stand it himself and buried himself back within the moist heat of her body.

 

“Oh, Nathan… mmm…” she moaned and then sat up, wrapping her arms around his neck, threading her fingers in his hair and pulling his mouth to hers for an ardent kiss.

 

Nathan returned her kiss with equal passion, his hands gripping her hips and pulling her tight against him as he once again began to thrust into her willing body.

 

Pulling her lips from his she pressed them to his ear.  She nibbled on his earlobe before using her tongue to trace the outline of his ear.  “Mmm… close,” she moaned.

 

“Me too…” he replied, nipping her shoulder as he gently laid her back on the table, brushing a quick kiss against her lips and then straightened up.  Once again grasping her hips, Nathan began to thrust into her with long, deep strokes, which soon gave way to shorter, faster ones.

 

“Nath… oh please…” Kristin panted, lifting her hips to meet his every thrust.  “Oh God…” she moaned, feeling her orgasm fast approaching.  “Nathan…”

 

Keeping a firm grip on her hip with one hand, Nathan placed his other hand on the table beside her, and leaned over her slightly, grinding his pelvis against her with every forward motion of his body.

 

It was enough.

 

“NAATHAN!”  Kristin screamed his name, her legs locking around him and pulling him tight against her; her hips rushing up to meet him as her orgasm washed over her, leaving her breathless in its aftermath.

 

He stilled for a moment, waiting as the effects of Kristin’s orgasm ebbed.  She opened her eyes, smiling up at him. 

 

“Your turn now.”  She told him, sliding her hands down to rest against his ass.  Once he resumed his thrusting, she moved one hand down between his legs to cup his balls.  She tugged gently then rolled them between her fingers.

 

“Oh Kris…” he moaned as his thrusting grew more frenetic.  “God…”

 

“Come for me, baby…” she purred, continuing to massage him, feeling his whole body tighten with the beginnings of his orgasm.  “Now, Nathan… come for me…” she tightened her legs and squeezed him again.  “Come in me…”

 

“Sweet Jesus… KRIS!!”  Nathan shouted her name, his hips jerking against hers as his orgasm enveloped him.

 

Kristin moaned, another smaller orgasm passing through her as he ground his hips against her, feeling the hot wash of his seed within her.  He collapsed on top of her, burying his face in her neck, his breath coming out in hot pants against her skin.  She ran her hands soothingly up and down his back as they enjoyed the sporadic tremors that continued to rock their bodies.

 

“That was incredible!”  He said hoarsely, raising his head high enough to meet her eyes.

 

“Mmm… it was.”

 

“God, I love you, Mrs. Bridger!”  Nathan said with a grin.

 

“I love you too, Mr. Bridger.”  She returned his smile and pulled his mouth down to hers for a long, deep, loving kiss.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

“How long have they been in there?”  Ben’s voice echoed across the quiet bridge.

 

“By my count, oh, about two and a half hours.”  Joshua answered.

 

“Damn, someone call Guinness,” Ben grinned.  “I think we may have a new record.”

 

“You’re a pig!”  Katie said, swatting him on the arm.

 

“Yeah, I am,” Ben, agreed with a grin. “But that’s why you love me.”

 

“Keep telling yourself that.”

 

“Sssh!”  Lucas called out suddenly.  “I think I hear them coming.”

 

Katie slapped Ben again.  “Don’t even say it!”

 

“What?!”  Ben asked, rubbing his arm.  “Say what?  I wasn’t thinking anything.”

 

“Keep it that way.”

 

Several minutes later, the couple in question strode onto the bridge.  As they entered, Katie grinned and held up a card with the score 9.8 printed on it in bright red letters.

 

Seconds later, Jonathan held up a card… 9.5.  Followed seconds later by Tim and Ortiz holding up scores of 9.0.  Lucas and Joshua glanced at each other before holding up their cards… 9.7.

 

By this time, despite the blushes on their faces, Nathan and Kristin were grinning with amusement and looked expectantly at Ben, just knowing he was in on this as well.  They weren’t disappointed as he flashed them a big grin and held up his card.

 

9.9

 

Kristin turned to Nathan and smiled up at him.  “Hmm, I thought your performance was worthy of at least a ten,” she drawled teasingly.

 

Nathan blushed and before he could comment, Darwin popped out of the moonpool with a sign around his neck that read simply… 10.

 

Kristin burst into laughter, falling against Nathan as the spasms wracked her body.  Not being able to help himself, Nathan joined her.

 

The others grinned as they watched the couple laugh, glad that their little stunt had been taken as it was meant… in fun.  Lucas especially breathed a small sigh of relief as he watched the Captain and the doc slowly begin to calm down.

 

“Oh… that was great,” Kristin said breathlessly, still chuckling.

 

Nathan gave his wife a smile and then looked at his crew, his eyes singling out Krieg,  “I suppose this was your idea?”

 

“Actually, sir, it was mine,” Katie admitted, holding up her hand.

 

“Yours?”  Nathan gave her a doubtful look.  “You’re not just covering for your new husband are you?”

 

“No, Captain.”  Katie said, glancing over at a still grinning Ben.

 

Kristin’s smile faded slightly.  “Okay, I know we were chasing each other all over the ship,” she glanced back at Nathan and couldn’t help but grin wider again.  “But we were still discreet.  So how…” she gestured to the signs with her hands.  “What’s with the signs?”

 

“Well…”

 

“Bridger, Kristin on T.V.!”

 

“What?”  Nathan turned to the bobbing dolphin.

 

“Bridger, Kristin on T.V.!”

 

“What’s he talking about?”  Nathan turned to his crew.

 

“Well, uh…” Lucas spoke up, knowing that he really should be the one to tell them.  “You know how I was working on the vid-link network…”

 

“Oh no…” Kristin blanched, glancing at Nathan.  She looked back at Lucas.  “Oh please tell me we weren’t…” at his pained expression, she groaned softly and closed her eyes.  “We were.”

 

“I’m sorry, doc!”  Lucas rushed forward.  “It was an accident!  I swear!”

 

“I’m sure it was, Lucas.”  Nathan said, knowing the boy wouldn’t knowingly hurt or embarrass either of them.

 

“If it helps at all, it was only up for a moment or two.”  Jonathan said, stepping up to Lucas and putting his hand on the younger man’s shoulder.  “He got it down before… well…” Jonathan grinned.  “And you were both still clothed…”

 

“Before or after Bill’s call?”  Nathan asked.

 

“After.”

 

“Oh thank God.”  Kristin murmured briefly, hiding her head in Nathan’s shoulder.

 

“I’m really, really sorry,” Lucas apologized again.

 

Kristin left her husband’s side, crossing to the teen and taking him in her arms for a reassuring hug.  “I know you are.  It’s okay.  Really.”

 

Lucas smiled gratefully up at her and she leaned down to press a kiss to his temple.  As she moved back to Nathan’s side she saw Smith sneak onto the bridge.  She smiled to herself as she moved into his arms, a plan forming in her head to make certain the younger woman knew exactly who Nathan belonged to.  She leaned back against him, sighing happily as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

 

“So, Kristin,” Katie stepped over to her friend.  “Feel like going to get some coffee and catching up?”

 

“That all depends.”  Kristin told her.

 

“On what?”  Katie asked.

 

“On whether or not my husband is up to changing those scores to tens across the board.”

 

“Wha…” Katie began and then watched with the others in morbid fascination as Kristin shifted back in Nathan’s arms and rubbed her backside against him.

 

“Oh yes…” Kristin purred, as she tilted her head back to meet Nathan’s eyes, smiling at the desire she saw flaring to life in his eyes.  “You most definitely are.”

 

“She’ll have to join you later, Katie.”  Nathan said, stepping back from his wife.  “She’s going to be… quite occupied for the rest of the afternoon.”  He glanced over at Ford, who simply smiled and nodded.  “Thanks, Jonathan.”

 

With that, Nathan grabbed Kristin’s hand, and together they dashed off the bridge.

 

Katie walked over to the stunned and seething Smith.  “Face it honey, he’s happily married, very happily married and you don’t stand a snowballs chance in hell of ever attracting him.  Quit while you’re ahead…”

 

Wendy turned to face Katie, her mouth open to speak.  But at the amused looks on Katie’s and the others’ faces, she closed her mouth and left the bridge in a huff.

 

“Damn…” Ortiz let out a low whistle.

 

“Well, she deserved it.”  Katie said.  “Besides, even I’m sick of watching her sniff after the Captain.”

 

“That’s not what I was referring to.”

 

“Then what?”  Katie asked.

 

The guys all looked at each other, then back at Katie and answered in chorus…

 

“Bridger is one lucky son of a bitch!”

 

~fin

 

 

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