Finally, after three weeks of near misses, they'd managed to get an evening off at the same time. If it wasn't a problem with the new seaQuest, it was something at the Research Centre that Kristin was trying to sort out. They sat together in their favourite restaurant, it was intimate and out of the mainstream, but still overlooked the ocean.

"And then the ceiling caved in and we were all covered in green blancmange… Nathan, have you heard one word?"

"Yes, of course… green blancmange. What happened then?"

When she didn't answer he returned his gaze to her. "Kris?"

"Yes?"

"Green blancmange…" He spluttered.

"Just checking… You were miles away."

"I'm sorry, I thought…" His attention wandered back across the room to a table in the corner.

Kristin reached over and stroked his hand. "Thought?" She prompted.

"What? Oh… I thought I saw someone I knew, that's all."

"You didn't exactly look thrilled about it." The truth was he'd looked shocked, almost nervous.

"No I suppose not. Anyway I guess I was mistaken… I'm sorry, would you like to dance?"

"Love to."

He led her out onto the dance-floor and pulled her into his arms, holding her close as they swayed to the music. His lips gently caressed her bare shoulder before he rested his cheek against hers. The music changed but they remained where they were, savouring the closeness after so long apart. Suddenly, she felt the muscles in Nathan's back tense and heard his hiss of in-drawn breath. Kristin tried to pull away so that she could see his face but he held her fast, the intimacy between them shattering into a million pieces. At the end of the song he whispered. "I'll take you home."

"But I thought…"

"I'd rather go home."

"Okay." She followed him off the floor, her face a picture of confusion.

The journey was completed in silence. Nathan got out and opened the passenger door, walking with her up the front path and kissing her goodnight – not the usual passionate kiss but more of a distracted peck.

"Aren't you coming in?"

"Not tonight Kris I'm tired, I think I'll head home." He didn't even notice the disappointment on her face.

"You're feeling alright?"

"Yeah, like I said, just tired."

"Call me."

"Okay."

She had expected him to kiss her again as he always did, but instead he returned to the car and drove away without a backward glance… leaving her standing on the doorstep totally at a loss to explain what had happened.

Contrary to his promise Nathan hadn't contacted her in three days. She'd been concerned at first, then hurt, but now she'd graduated to plain annoyed. She'd gone over the evening in her mind countless times but there was nothing she could recall that she had done to upset him.

Kristin had been in a meeting at U.E.O headquarters all morning and now she was heading to the cafeteria for lunch. Not being particularly hungry, she settled for a cup of coffee and looked around for somewhere to sit. That's when she saw him, seated alone at a table by the window…

Nathan was staring into his own coffee when a shadow fell over the table, without looking up he said. "That seat's taken."

"It doesn't look taken to me."

He raised his head sharply. "Kris, I'm sorry."

"That's okay, I'll find somewhere else."

He reached up and took her free hand. "No, I didn't realise it was you, please sit."

Kristin lowered herself into the free chair and took a sip of her drink while she waited for him to speak. After a few minutes of staring out of the window he turned to her. "I'm sorry I didn't call. We've been so busy with the design alterations that I didn't have the time."

"Oh." Those words hurt more than he could have ever imagined. "I've been pretty busy myself, actually."

No reply…

"Look, it's obvious you'd rather be alone, I'll go." She attempted to stand but he pulled her back.

"God, I'm sorry Baby. Look, how about you come over tonight and I'll cook?"

She was about to say no, but there was something in his expression that made her change her mind. He looked tired and incredibly sad. "Is 7:30 okay?"

"Fine." He seemed to brighten a little. "And Kristin, I really am sorry."

She stood, leaning over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Later."

When she reached the exit she looked back, he was once again staring out of the window and stirring his still-untouched coffee.

True to his word Nathan had cooked them a delicious meal and since it was a lovely night, they'd decided to take a moonlight stroll along the beach. They hadn't spoken that much but at least the silence was companionable. He stopped suddenly and took her into his arms before using one hand to tilt her chin so they made eye contact.

"Kris, I know I haven't been easy to put up with lately but I want you to know that it has nothing to do with you… Sometimes I just get so caught up in my work that I forget everything else. I'm sorry Baby, I know it's been rough but it'll only be for another couple of weeks, I promise. I love you Kristin, always remember that."

"I love you."

Their lips met in a lingering kiss, which gradually grew more passionate. "Let's go back." He whispered.

"Mmm hmm."

When she woke the next morning she was alone. She lay back and closed her eyes, reliving the night's activities… Nathan had made love to her tenderly and passionately for most of the night – holding nothing back. But beneath the surface she had sensed something more… It had been almost desperate, as though he expected it to be the last time. Tears welled up in her eyes and she shook herself mentally – she was imagining it, she had to be. And yet…

She stood in front of the mirror and smoothed down the skirt of her sundress before grabbing a cardigan. She was really looking forward to this evening… Lucas had arranged an impromptu drop-in barbecue for anyone who happened to be available and she had been assured that Nathan would be there. She'd missed him over the past couple of weeks… As he'd predicted, he'd been kept very busy and only called her, a couple of times.

When she arrived, Lucas ran over to greet her. "Hi Doc, it's been a long time."

"Yes it has, how've you been?"

They chatted for a while and then he noticed her looking around. "He's not here."

"Oh." Her disappointment was obvious.

"I'm sure he'll be here soon. Anyway, I thought you'd be tired of each other after the past few weeks."

"I don't understand."

"It was a joke, Doc. I mean you've been together almost every night – I thought you might need a break." He grinned.

"But I haven't…"

"Hey, don't sweat it. The captain didn't give me the gory details, just that he'd spent his free evenings with you." Someone called his name. "Gotta go."

Kristin sat and stared out at the ocean, not really seeing it at all. She felt someone sit beside her.

"Kristin, are you okay?" It was Jonathan's voice.

"I'm fine, thank you."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. I guess you must be relieved to finally have a night off?"

"Well, we've had quite a few lately, I can't believe how smoothly everything's been going. Although I suppose I shouldn't say that – don't want to jinx it."

"I'm sorry. Would you excuse me, I have to go." Kristin got to her feet and practically ran up the beach.

Lucas walked over to where they had been sitting and Jonathan looked up at him, "Was it something I said?"

Nathan sat in his office at headquarters and stared out of the window. ~ How the hell had he come to this? ~ He couldn't sleep, hardly ate… It seemed that every time he turned around she was there, even when she wasn't… ~ And Kristin… God, Kristin… If she ever found out… ~

He was disturbed by the sound of someone coming through the door unannounced, almost scaring him to death. He spun round angrily to give them a piece of his mind, the words freezing on his lips. Her body radiated hostility… he'd never seen her like this before. "Kristin?"

"Hello Nathan, I must have missed you at the barbecue."

"No you didn't miss me, I got caught up with work. Sorry Baby."

"Seems you're always 'caught up' these days, are things going that badly?"

"There are some problems that need to be ironed out."

"Really? What problems?"

"Oh, nothing to worry you with. You don't want to hear about it."

He was being evasive – not a good sign. "Yes I do… Why don't you tell me?"

Nathan was beginning to feel uncomfortable. "It's technical stuff Kris, you wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"Kris, what is all this about? Look, I'm sorry if…"

"The rest of the crew seem to think everything's running pretty smoothly."

"They're only concerned with the physical aspects."

"Even Jonathan and Lucas?"

"Look, I've got a meeting in a few minutes, why don't we meet later and I'll…"

"Tell some more lies." She finished for him.

Nathan looked taken aback. "Why would I lie to you?"

"You tell me. Jonathan and Lucas were telling me about all the free evenings they've had lately."

"So?"

"So… Where were you, Nathan?"

A cold shiver ran down his spine and he immediately went on the attack. "Oh please… Where do you think I was?"

"That's not an answer."

"Well, since you obviously want me to account for my every movement, I've been with Bill and some of the other Brass trying to sort out additional funding for this project."

Kristin's self-assured façade began to crumble. "Really?"

"Really." He moved across the room and took her in his arms. "Where did you think I was?"

"I… I… I'm sorry, I thought you were avoiding me or… I just missed you."

"I know, but it won't be for much longer. I miss you too and I love you very, very much." He kissed her tenderly. "But I really do have to go."

Kristin smiled for the first time since she arrived and wiped away a stray tear. "Any chance for tonight? I'll cook."

"Of course, 7:30ish?"

"Perfect."

She returned to her office, annoyed with herself that she'd ever doubted him. She knew that she shouldn't judge people by what had happened in her past, but sometimes it was impossible not to. Managing to get away from work early she went out to buy herself something special to wear along with the items she needed for dinner.

By 7:30 everything was organised, dinner was in the oven, the curtains were drawn – candles lighting the room, and romantic music playing in the background. Kristin made herself comfortable on the sofa with a glass of wine and waited nervously – he still made her nervous even now.

Getting unsteadily to her feet she wandered into the kitchen to fetch another bottle and noticing that the oven was still on she turned the knob angrily. "Damn him! Damn him! Damn him!"

At 1:00am she staggered into the bedroom, threw herself onto the bed, and cried herself to sleep.

When she arrived for work, almost an hour late and wearing sunglasses in the rain, everyone cringed. This was going to be a difficult day.

"Alice."

"Yes, Doctor."

"If Captain Bridger calls I'm not here."

"Yes, Doctor."

"Coffee… now."

At lunchtime Alice stuck her head cautiously round the office door. "I'm just going to lunch, can I bring you back anything?"

Kristin hastily brushed the tears from her eyes. "No… Thank you. I'm fine. How many times?"

"Seven… maybe you should…"

"Enjoy your lunch."

"Yes, Doctor."

She tried to concentrate on her work but the words kept swimming in front of her eyes, eventually giving up when she heard a tap on the door. A man she'd never seen before stood in the doorway.

"Can I help you?"

"I have a delivery for a Doctor Kristin Westphalen."

"That's me."

The young man disappeared for a moment and then returned with a very large bouquet of red roses.

"For me?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you." She reached for her purse.

"It's all been taken care of. Have a nice day ma'am." And then he was gone.

Taking out the vase that she kept in the cupboard, she arranged the flowers before opening the card.

    Kristin,
       I'm so sorry about last night. I know I've said that a lot lately but I hope you'll forgive me. I've managed to  free up this weekend and, if you can do the same, we can go to the island.
             I love you
                  Nathan

Kristin smiled involuntarily, she really was angry with him, but the mention of his island had stirred some very pleasurable memories. Maybe this was what they needed…

When she tried to contact him to accept, he was unavailable.

Just before home time Alice came in again. "Doctor, there's a special delivery for you."

Kristin's face brightened immediately, maybe a penitent Nathan was worth keeping around. "Where?"

"They need your signature."

"Send them in."

She signed her name and was handed a large, flat, brown envelope. "Thank you." Her curiosity was peaked, she didn't recognise the handwriting.

Alice was outside talking to one of her colleagues when she was startled by the sound of glass smashing. Quickly, she ran into Kristin's office. "Doctor Westphalen?"

No response…

"Doctor, are you alright? I heard the…"

Without a word Kristin grabbed her jacket and car keys, pushed past her and ran for the exit.

Nathan looked up from his own work when someone tapped on the doorframe, "Scottman, what are you doing here?"

"I was in town on business and thought I'd stop by and say hello."

"I'm glad you did. There's something I need to talk to you about."

"She's back, isn't she?"

Bridger sighed. "You've heard from her too?"

"No… No I haven't."

"Then how did…?"

"I stopped by to see Kristin on my way here."

A look of sheer horror crossed Nathan's face. "Kristin? She doesn't know does she?"

"I think she might."

"Oh Christ! Is she okay?"

Scott shook his head. "I don't know, I didn't see her."

"I don't understand."

"I went by her office on the way here to see if she'd like to join us for dinner tonight."

"And?"

"When I got there her assistant, Alice is it?"

"Yes."

"She was in tears. I asked if anything was wrong she pointed me towards the office."

"Scott…"

"The room was a mess, there was glass everywhere… I guess, from a broken vase. There were a bunch of red roses upended and crushed into the trash can along with the fragments of a note in your handwriting and…"

"And what?" Nathan's voice was pained.

"I found this." Scott handed him the photograph, which he'd picked up from office floor. "You had dinner with her?" He was dumbfounded.

"Last night."

"Yeah, I can see that by the date stamp. Tell me something I don't know."

"I was supposed to be at Kristin's."

"And now Kristin thinks that you…"

"God, what a mess."

"Damn it why didn't you call me? I'm as much a part of this as you are!"

"I thought I could handle it myself."

"After what happened last time? Hell, don't you ever learn?" He studied his friend closely, wincing at the anguish on his face. "Talk to me, Nathan."

"You've been dealing with all this on your own? You should have called me." Scott said angrily.

"Why? It was bad enough last time."

"I could have helped."

"I'm not sure anyone can."

"Talk to Kristin."

"No!" Nathan replied emphatically. "Scott, I almost lost Carol over this, things were never the same after she found out. And look at you and…"

"Yeah well, at least I have nothing left to lose. You have to tell her Nathan, maybe she won't react like Carol did. After all there were extenuating circumstances then… Robert and well, Carol never did like me very much."

"Scott."

"Talk to her Nathan, tell her. Kristin is the reason she's come back, you know that."

"What do you suggest? Could you please pass the gravy and by the way, did I ever mention that when I was younger I killed a woman. Murdered her and her unborn child… My child… And yes, the potatoes are done to perfection."

"Nathan, there was never any real evidence that…"

"Oh pleeease! Just because they covered it up, doesn't mean it didn't happen."

"I didn't mean that and you know it!" Keller retorted angrily. "I'm on your side remember."

"Sorry… I just…"

"What are you going to do about Kristin?"

"Nothing."

"You intend to let her go on believing that you're cheating on her?"

"Does it matter? Whatever way you look at it, it's over." He rested his elbows on the desk and covered his face with his hands.

"You love her very much, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Then…"

"No."

Scott decided to change the subject. "How long is it since you've eaten?"

"I can't remember."

"And even longer since you've slept. Come on, I'm taking you home."

"I don't want to go home, Kristin…"

"Isn't likely to stop by – trust me. And if she does I'll say you're not home."

Scott watched as Nathan got to his feet and staggered slightly. "That's it… Home."

Bridger struggled out of bed and into the shower. He had to admit that even though he still felt wretched, he wasn't as tired and it was easier to think clearly.

He wandered dejectedly into the lounge and found Scott sitting on the sofa drinking coffee. "It's about time you woke up."

"How long was I out?"

"Almost 48 hours." Nathan stared at him incredulously. "And 'no' she didn't call."

"Is there any coffee left?"

"Help yourself."

For the first time in four days Kristin got up and showered and dressed before going for a long walk on the beach. ~ How could she have been so blind? The signs had all been there… She'd gone through all this before, how could she not have known? Because she hadn't wanted to, that's why. She'd honestly thought that Nathan Bridger was different. He'd been faithful to Carol for over twenty years and she'd really believed… But then she only had his word for that too, didn't she? What else had he lied about? ~

The seagulls made happy noises overhead, the sun shone and the waves lapped playfully at her feet – it was a beautiful day. But she didn't want it to be beautiful. She wanted it to be grey and overcast, dismal and depressing. It shouldn't be a beautiful day when she was dying inside. Swiping away a tear she turned and ran back to the silence of her house.

When she arrived she found Alice waiting for her. "I'm sorry to disturb you at home, but I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"The sun's shining, the world keeps turning and I'm still breathing, so I guess I'm okay." She saw the younger woman flinch. "I'm sorry, I'm fine."

"I brought your mail and messages with me."

Kristin took them from her with a curt nod.

"And there's this…" She handed her another plain brown envelope with identical handwriting to the last. "I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to do."

Kristin turned away and entered the house, closing and locking the door behind her. She threw the stuff onto the coffee table, moved to the bedroom and climbed, fully-clothed, back into the bed, curling herself into the foetal position before crying herself to sleep again.

She knew that she should just toss it in the trash, even had a couple of times, but she always retrieved it. Now she sat on the sofa staring at it. With a shaking hand she opened the envelope and withdrew the contents. There were more photographs as she'd expected but there were also newspaper clippings and what looked like an official document. ~ No, she wouldn't look at them… she wouldn't. Why the hell should she put herself through it again? ~

Standing, she crossed the room to the drinks' cabinet and poured herself a large brandy, before going over to stare out of the window into the darkness. ~ Damn the man! ~ She returned to her seat and picked up the pictures.

The first was of two young women who were obviously sisters. The second was a young Nathan Bridger, dressed in Naval uniform. Unconsciously, she traced the lines of his face before throwing the picture onto the table.

The next was the same two girls but this time they were with two men. One was Nathan and the other… She studied the face carefully – it had to be his friend Scott Keller.

The next was a surprise… Nathan stood with one of the women, holding her close, and from the looks of it she had to be about six months pregnant. Kristin tossed it away angrily. "Something else you forgot to mention, Nathan?"

Hastily she picked up all the paraphernalia and threw it away. One of the clippings fell onto the floor and she bent down to pick it up. It was old and slightly yellowed, written in a foreign language. Despite herself she moved closer to the lamp to examine it. It looked Spanish or perhaps Portuguese but not quite. Mexican maybe… There was a small picture of the girl and another of Nathan but she couldn't make head or tail of it. Against her better judgement, she retrieved the items yet again and moved back to the sofa, thumbing through until she found the one remaining photograph. Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my God." She found herself looking at a picture of a very dead, pregnant woman, lying in a pool of blood.

"Oh God Nathan, no… I'm so sorry."

She picked up the police report, which was thankfully in English, making a mental note that it was a copy. Reading through it she confirmed what she already suspected, that the woman was six months pregnant and she had been shot, killing her and the child instantly. What she wasn't prepared for was the name of the perpetrator – Nathan Hale Bridger…

The colour drained from her face and she began to breathe heavily as a wave of nausea washed over her. Losing the battle she ran to the bathroom and threw up.

Try as she might, she couldn't stop shaking. ~ She'd been to bed with this man, let him make love to her. He was always so loving, so gentle… She'd watched him with Lucas and Darwin - there was never any sign of… No, he couldn't. He wasn't capable of this… It didn't matter what the report said. It was impossible – she knew him. She thought she knew him. ~ Kristin paced the room like a caged tigress. ~ If there was only some way to be sure… ~ Then she realised that, in her mind, she was sure – he couldn't have done it. He just couldn't.

~ Why hadn't he told her? Didn't he know that he could trust her not to condemn him without a hearing? But hadn't she already done that after the first set of photos arrived? ~ "Damn!" ~ What the hell was she going to do? She knew that she could ask him but why would he tell her now? ~ "Lucas!"

She ran to the desk and removed one of the earlier photographs, grateful now that she hadn't thrown them all away, then dialled his number… A very sleep-tousled Lucas appeared on the screen.

"Doc?"

"God, what time is it?"

"He looked at the clock, "A little after 3:00am."

"I'm sorry, I'll call back in the morning."

"Hey, I'm awake now. Is something wrong?"

"Lucas I need your help."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to run a check on two, no three people for me."

"Now?"

"Please Lucas, it's very important. But you have to promise me something."

"What?"

"That you won't tell anyone, not even Nathan."

"But Doc…"

"Please Lucas?"

He could see how distressed she was. "Okay."

"And download whatever you find onto a disk for me. Don't read it yourself."

He stared at her incredulously.

"It's personal."

"Fax me the details."

"Thank you, you have no idea how important this is."

So now she had names – two to be exact. As she'd suspected, the woman who had been with Nathan in the restaurant that night was also one of the women in the other photographs… Leeta Cassidy, and her late sister, Anya. The phone chimed jolting her out of her introspection.

"Janet, what can I do for you?"

"Can we meet? I need to talk to you."

"What about?"

"If I tell you that you won't come."

"Nathan?" She guessed.

"Yes."

"Janet, I really don't…"

"Please Kristin, it's important."

The two women sat at a side table in a little coffee shop and Janet Noyce fidgeted nervously.

"Why don't you just come right out and say it." Kristin offered.

"I'm not sure how to."

"Let's see if I can help. No, I haven't seen Nathan in quite a while. Yes, we have a problem."

"Do you know he's ill?"

Kristin's breath caught in her throat. "Ill?"

"Oh, don't worry he's not in hospital or anything but he's not well. He doesn't eat, he hardly sleeps; he's not been to work in days… Bill and I are very worried. I know Scott's with him but we wondered if you knew anything."

Kristin laughed humourlessly. "He would be."

"You sound like Carol, she didn't like Scott very much either."

"I like Scott. I just wasn't particularly surprised that he was with Nathan, that's all."

"Is there something going on that we should know about?" Janet queried.

"Let me ask you a question first. Do you know the name Leeta Cassidy?"

Janet paled visibly.

"Tell me."

"I think you should talk to Bill."

"I'm asking you."

"No. I'll call Bill and tell him to expect you."
 

"Kristin, how are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Nathan?"

"Oh come on Bill, you've spoken to Janet, you know I haven't seen him."

"No one has lately. Would you like coffee?"

"Please."

Once they were settled Kristin came straight to the point. "Tell me about Leeta and Anya Cassidy."

Bill prevaricated. "I don't think it's my place to…"

"Damn it, don't do this. Did Nathan kill her?"

Noyce looked startled. "How do you…?"

Kristin took the photographs from her bag and pushed them across the desk.

"Oh God, not again."

"Did he kill her?"

"I don't know Kristin, I just don't know."

"What happened, Bill?"

"You know that Nathan and Scott Keller have been friends for a long time?"

"Yes."

"They entered the Services together and finished basic training at the same time. They decided to celebrate by going to Mexico for a vacation. While they were there Scott met Leeta and they started dating – it was pretty hot and heavy from what I've been told."

Kristin smiled thinly but didn't speak.

"He set up a double date for himself and Leeta plus her sister and Nathan. Nathan fell in love with Anya and they got engaged. Scott, on the other hand, dumped Leeta – I never knew why… Anyway they were stationed abroad but Nathan used to go back whenever he had leave and when he found out that Anya was pregnant he requested a permanent posting in Mexico." He studied his empty cup thoughtfully.

"Nathan went home early one night, he hadn't been feeling well all day – in fact, he'd almost blacked out a few times. The police report said that neighbours had heard an argument between Anya and Nathan and then a single gunshot. When they got there she was already dead and Nathan had passed out on the floor with his service revolver still in his hand. Leeta came running in and said that he had shot her sister in a jealous rage."

"That was all they had?"

"That was all they needed. Nathan's gun was the murder weapon and the only fingerprints were his. The neighbours heard the argument."

"And Nathan?"

"Couldn't remember anything, or said he couldn't."

"What do you mean by 'said he couldn't'?"

"It's the standard defence Kristin, you know that. Deny everything, pretend you don't remember and pray."

Kristin was surprised. "You think he did it, don't you?"

"I don't know. It came out in the investigation that Anya wasn't exactly a saint when it came to men. If Nathan already knew he could have…"

"Do you believe he could do that?"

"You didn't know him then…"

"Bill?"

"He's one of the best friends I've ever had and I'll stand by him no matter what."

"But it never went to trial. Surely that…"

"Someone high up put pressure on the Mexican authorities to drop the investigation and hand all the evidence over to the Navy."

"And they did?"

"Yes." Bill affirmed.

"But it was investigated?"

"Nathan was posted elsewhere and the Navy dragged their feet then the war started and "

"…And it was swept under the carpet."

"It was no longer considered to be a priority."

"Bill, earlier you said 'not again'… Has this happened before?"

"Yes, when he was married to Carol… It almost destroyed their marriage. It's blackmail Kristin, plain and simple."

"She believed he did it?"

"It happened just after they lost Robert. Carol was in shock… she blamed Nathan for… " He trailed off, the memories too painful.

Kristin was silent for a moment. "Will all the reports, evidence and such, still be filed somewhere?"

"I would imagine so, the Military never throw anything away. Why?"

"Can you get it for me?"

"Let it go, Kristin. It's over."

"Is it? Then why is this woman still making Nathan's life a living hell?"

"No."

"What happens if she goes public Bill? If Nathan doesn't give her enough money and she chooses to go elsewhere? …Or, if someone else finds out? How would it look? The captain of the U.E.O's pride and joy indicted for murder? A Navy cover-up…"

"I'll see what I can do, but I'm not making any promises."

A month later found Bill Noyce in his office facing a very moody Nathan Bridger and a curious Scott Keller. "Thank you for coming, Gentlemen."

"You ordered me, I had no choice." Nathan groused.

"It's well worth your effort I can assure you. I'm sure both of you remember this?" He tossed a folder across the desk – one they both recognised, immediately.

"Oh Christ." Scott muttered.

"What he said." Nathan added. "What's all this about Bill?"

"I understand you had a visit from Leeta Cassidy a little over a month ago."

Nathan was just about at the point of no return on this. "So?" He asked belligerently.

"Drop the attitude and answer the questions. Have you seen her recently?"

"No, but then I didn't expect to."

"How much did you pay her this time, Nathan?" Bill inquired.

"None of your damn business!"

"Too much." Scott interjected.

"Enough, obviously." Nathan retorted.

"Well, no matter how much it was, you were robbed."

"How do you work that out? I can afford it and it got her off my back."

"For now." Scott added.

"Maybe. But it cost you far more than money from what I've heard." Bill winced at Nathan's expression.

"Yeah well, she wouldn't have come back unless she thought she could do me some serious damage."

"She won't be back again."

"You're right there, she's done her worst – there's no way that she can hurt me anymore than she has."

"I mean, she won't be back at all." Noyce stated categorically.

"Bill, for Christ's sake get to the point will you." Nathan was completely exasperated.

"You've been cleared, my friend. There's no way that you could have killed her."

Nathan's expression was a combination of hope and doubt. " Bill don't…"

"The evidence has been re-examined properly with all the current forensic testing. You didn't kill her Nathan… See for yourself."

He picked up the folder but couldn't read the words so he handed it to Scott. "Tell me."

"You remember that you didn't feel well that day?"

"Yes."

"You were so drugged up it's a wonder you could even stand. You couldn't have hit anything even if you had fired the gun."

Scott interrupted. "I don't understand. Why didn't this come out at the time?"

"Because no one looked. They were so damned anxious to hush it up that no one bothered to run any tests."

"How could you know now?"

"All the blood samples were still packed away along with everything else."

It was finally beginning to sink in. "You're serious, aren't you?" Nathan queried.

"Yes Nathan, it's over."

Bill watched as his friend sank back into his seat, his emotions rushing to the surface… Tears welling in his eyes.

Keller had another question. "Who shot her, Bill?"

"Leeta."

"No." Nathan gasped. "She loved her sister."

"But she loved you more."

"You mean it was jealousy?" Scott asked.

"It's a very powerful emotion."

"And that's why she always tried to break up Nathan's relationships."

"How do you know all this?" Nathan still wasn't completely convinced.

"She confessed yesterday. Told us everything."

"She confessed?"

"She didn't really have much choice – the scientist in charge of the case did a thorough job."

"Remind me to thank him."

"Her…"

Scott interrupted again. "So now someone else knows. I hope she can be trusted to keep her mouth shut."

"She can be trusted. Nathan, it was Kristin."

"What?"

"When Leeta sent her the photographs and clippings, just as she did Carol, she came to see me. I told her everything Nathan I had to."

Bridger merely nodded.

"There was no way that she was going to believe you did it. She asked me to get as much of the evidence together as I could and then she spent all her spare time going through it. It took her almost a month but she did it. She's quite a woman."

"Yes she is." Nathan agreed sadly. "Bill, there's something I have to know…"

Noyce knew that this was coming. He remembered standing in almost the same spot, and asking Kristin the same question that Nathan was about to ask him.

<< Kristin, there's something I have to know. Was the child Nathan's?"

She'd stared at him for a long while and the answer he heard, was not the answer written in her teary eyes. "The tests were inconclusive."

"Oh Christ…"

"They were inconclusive." Kristin stated firmly. >>

"Bill, please…"

He knew that using Kristin's own words would be the wrong thing to do. Whispering a quiet prayer for forgiveness he looked his friend in the eye. "No Nathan, the child wasn't yours."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

"It's Kristin you should be thanking, Nathan." Scott interjected.

Nathan nodded. "Where is she Bill?"

"I don't know. She's no longer an employee of the U.E.O. She handed in her resignation when she filed her report. I am sorry Nathan."

"So am I Bill, so am I" He stood to leave. "Scott, I'll see you back at the house."

"Take it easy Nathan."

They both watched him leave, his hands thrust deeply into his pockets, his shoulders slumped as though he were carrying the weight of the world on them.

When he had gone Keller turned to Noyce. "Damn it! It isn't fair… He's finally free of this thing but the price was too high."

"I know."

"Bill, didn't she give you any clue as to where she was going?"

"I…"

"Please, for both their sakes."

"She told Janet she was going home."

"Home as in her daughter's place?"

"No. Home as in England."

"Can I make a couple of calls?"

It had taken just about every favour Scott was owed but he finally managed to find out which flight Kristin was booked onto. He glanced at his watch, the plane left in under an hour.

"Bill, I hate to ask…"

Noyce threw him his car keys. "Go."

He arrived at the airport with about a half-hour to spare and hastily put through a call to Nathan before going in search of her. She was standing with her back to him, gazing out of the window. He tapped her on the shoulder.

"Scott, how did you…"

"I need to talk to you."

"There's nothing to say."

"Please Kristin, just hear me out and then, if you still want to leave, I won't stop you."

Kristin nodded reluctantly and he led her over to a couple of empty seats.

"First, I want to thank you for what you did. You have no idea how much suffering that woman has caused over the years. It only took me a few weeks to realise what a mistake I'd made, I just wish I'd known at the time how it was going to affect Nathan. It's funny though, I don't honestly think that Leeta could have remained faithful, even if Nathan had loved her."

"I thought, from what the police report said, that Anya was the… flighty one."

"God, no… Anya was everything that her sister wasn't. It was probably her who spread the rumour… But that's all history now, thanks to you. Or it should be… You know that Nathan was completely innocent of any wrongdoing. He should be out celebrating, but instead, he's at home alone… He's in a hell of a state Kristin, why are you leaving?"

"Because he didn't love me or trust me enough to tell me."

"You couldn't be more wrong. Nathan didn't tell you because he loves you too much." When she didn't reply, he continued. "He's crazy about you Kristin, don't you know that?"

"I thought I did."

"Damn it, you listen to me!" He felt her jump and lowered his voice. "I've known Nathan for a lot of years. I've been around for most of his girlfriends and Carol, all of them. I've seen him in love but it's never been as intense as it is with you. You've touched his soul, Kristin."

"Then why the hell didn't he come to me? Why all the lies?"

"Because he was scared."

Scott studied her closely, taking in her expression of disbelief. "That's right Kristin, he was scared. What do you know, the invincible Nathan Bridger, Captain of the most powerful submarine in the world, is only human like the rest of us."

"I never thought that he wasn't…" She stifled a sob and Scott took her hand in his.

"Hey, every man has his Achilles heel right? You, happen to be his. He was so afraid that you'd hate him, Kristin, his relationship with Carol was never the same after she found out – it was killing him inside. He needed to tell you, wanted to… but, when it came down to it, he couldn't. He's spent half of his life paying for one mistake… my mistake, don't make him spend the rest paying for another."

Kristin didn't reply, just sat worrying the strap of her bag.

"He's lost his wife and his only son. If you love him and I think you do, then don't make him go through the pain of losing you too. I'm not sure he'll survive it."

An announcement over the speaker system interrupted them. "This is the last call for flight 713 to London. Will all remaining passengers go immediately to Gate D."

Kristin stood and hoisted her bag onto her shoulder. "That's me."

Scott pulled her into a hug. "You cleared Nathan's name, I owe you for that. Take care of yourself, Doc."

He stood and waited until she went through the gate before crossing to the observation window, watching as the plane took off. A voice behind him caught his attention. "Scott, where is she?"

"I'm sorry, Nathan." He indicated the empty runway.

Nathan slumped into the nearest seat, an icy pain in his chest so strong it felt like he was having a heart attack. The images and noises around him blurred into insignificance and he buried his head in his hands. Scott sat down beside him and put a hand on his friend's shoulder in a gesture of support.

"Christ, what do I do now? What the hell do I do now?"

"You pick yourself up and start again."

"You make it sound so simple Scott. I'm not sure that…"

"Oh no, it's going to be damned hard going, you of all people should know that, but you have to get on with your life."

"What life? My life ended when that plane took off."

A movement over by one of the gates caught Scott's attention. "You're wrong Nathan, you're very, very wrong. Your life is right in front of you… All you have to do is open your eyes and grab it, then hold on tight and don't let go."

Bridger made an indistinguishable sound that was half snort and half sob.

"Trust me Nathan, do it."

Slowly Nathan lowered his hands, opened his eyes and looked straight ahead. "Scott?"

"She's real my friend, go to her."

Scott watched with bated breath as he jumped from his seat and crossed the room. They spoke together for a few minutes and then Kristin gave him a small smile and a nod. Bridger pulled her into his arms and clung to her, one arm around her waist and a hand cupping the back of her head. He smiled when he saw Kristin reciprocate and Nathan pulled her even tighter to him, his chin on her shoulder, eyes tightly closed.

Standing up, he walked towards the exit, knowing that he wasn't needed here right now. As he glanced back a pang of longing ran through him, as he realised, not for the first time, just what he had sacrificed for his own dream.