SeaQuest DSV
				“Playing in the Sun”
					pt. 2 of 2	
				By Cindy Brewer


	"That's a shame."Jonathan said sitting down next to her,"And he had such great clothes."
Katie collasped back on the bed in a fit of giggles suddenly picturing Jonathan dressed like Prince.
Jonathan turned to face her,"What's so funny?"
Katie regained her composure,"Nonthing.Just had this mental image of you dressed like Prince."
	Jonathan grinned shrugging out of his gray suit coat,"Never in a million years."
Unconsciencely Katie started to unkot his tie.Ford caught her hand.
"Maybe I should go."Jonathan suggested,even though he remained where he was.
Katie gently touched his face,"Do you really want to?"
"No,but I don't want to complicate our realtionship."
Katie smiled pulling him down next to her,"We're here on vacation remember,Commander?"
	Warm sunlight streaming through the window slowly awoke Jonathan Ford.Eyes still closed his right hand drifted to the left side of the bed.When he found it empty he sat up, blinking at the bright sunlight.
"Katie?"He called glancing around the room.
	The silence was broken by the sound of a key turning in the lock.Katie kicked the door open with her foot balancing a cardboard tray filled with coffee and three paper bags.
"You going to sit there or are you going to give me a hand?"Katie asked,her voice muffled.
Jonathan grinned as he quickly tossed the covers off and crossed the space between them taking the coffee.
"I was just about to go looking for you."Jonathan said softly as they placed the food on the small table by the window.
	Katie smiled,"What?You thought I'd leave after last night?"
Jonathan's expression turned sheepish,"The thought did cross my mind."
Katie sat down,taking the lid off the coffee cup,"I promised breakfast,remember?"
Jonathan smiled sitting down across from her,"I thought I was supposed to pay since I lost?"
Katie laughed,"I figured you deserved some sugar after what you went through last night."
	Jonathan shook his head slightly as he opened the first bag,"Is that what this is,sugar?"
Katie nodded,"In various forms.We have doughnuts,every variety I could find.Bagels.Muffins,blueberry and apple. Danishes.Cimmon rolls.Crossiants."
Jonathan laughed taking a chocalte doughnut out of a bag,"I think the last time I saw this much junk food in one room was final time at the Acadmey."
Katie began to peel a piece of a cimmon roll,"Brings back memories.I remember everyone on my floor used to empty the vending machines and then we'd meet in one room and indulge."
Jonathan smiled,"Its amazing that our stomachs survived long enough for us to graduate."
Katie swallowed a piece of the roll,"The wonders of modern medicine."
	Jonathan took a sip of coffee,"So,what do you want to do on our first offical day of vacation?"
Katie smiled,"Anything but Karoke."
"I think that can be arranged.How about volleyball?"
Katie pretended to choke on a bite of doughnut,"They way you guys play?"
Jonathan appeared to be hurt,"Hey,we beat Noyce,remember?"
"Only because there was a bet riding on it."
"What's that supposed to mean?"Jonathan asked,his eyes narrowing.
Katie laughed,"Nonthing.How about we do the typical tourist thing....go shopping and then maybe rent a boat and do a little sailing?"
"Sounds like a plan to me,Captain."Jonathan said standing,"I'll go back to my room and change.How about we meet in the lobby in half an hour?"
	It was ten by the time they both met in the lobby after changing clothes.Jonathan stepped outside noting the perfect weather.Eighty degrees and no sign yet of the infamous Florida humidity.
	Katie linked hands with him as they waited for the next taxi.She tried to remember the last time she had seen Ford so relaxed,and spending two days straight out of uniform. She couldn't.
	The yellow cab that Jonathan finally flagged down was surprisingly enough the same one that had taken them to the hotel the day before.The cab driver instantly recognized them and rolled his eyes as the couple climbed into the back seat.
"You two again."The driver muttered,starting his meter,"Figures.Where to?"
Katie laughed,"Pelican market."
	Jonathan slid his right arm across her shoulder as the cab pulled out onto the street.Katie scooted closer to him, nestling herself in the crook of his arm.They talked quietly as the cab made the mile or so long trip to the open air market.Mainly acting like tourists,picking out places they'd like to come back too,and a resturant for dinner.
	"Here we are,"The driver said pulling the cab a stop,"Pelican market."
Katie payed the driver this time and linked hands with Ford as they started walking. A huge fountain was the centerpiece of the square called Pelican Market.About twenty five small stores or open carts surrounded it.
	Katie spotted something perfect for Ford in one of the first stores they came to.She sat him down on a nearby bench,eyes sparkling.
"Stay here.I'll be right back."
Jonathan laughed,"Yes,Master."
Katie scurried into the store and made her purchase.Placing her surprise behind her back she had Ford close his eyes.
Jonathan reculanctly closed them,"Katie,this is silly."
"Humor me.No peeking."
Jonathan laughed,"Alright,they're closed."
	Katie postioned her present so it would be the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes.
"Okay,you can look now."
Jonathan opened his eyes and immeaditely started to laugh.He stood taking the stuffed animal from Katie's hands.
"I can't believe you bought this."Jonathan said holding up the brown monkey.
Katie smiled,"Take him back to seaQuest as a reminder to make time to have a little fun in your life."
Jonathan's gaze turned tender as he pulled the monkey and her into an embrace,"Thankyou,Katie.I love it,and I love you."
	The next few hours passed quickly as Jonathan followed Katie from shop to shop.By five o'clock he was begining to wonder exactly what her credit card limit was.
"Katie,"Jonathan's voice halted her before she entered a jewlery store,"When you're promoted to Captain do you get an unlimited credit line too?"
He saw her shoulders stiffen as she slowly turned to face him.Jonathan fought the urge to run for cover.
	Katie grinned waving her gold card in front of him as she crossed the space between them,"At least my credit cards have some miles on them.I bet yours are still stuck to the paper they came on."
Jonathan glared at her slightly as he reached behind and took out his wallet.Opening it he produced his drivers license,UEO identification,UEO credit card,and two other name brands.
Katie laughed,"I rest my case.These things look brand new."
Jonathan raised an eyebrow as he took out one of the cards,"What?Do you think I don't know how to use this?"
Katie grinned backing toward the store,"If the credit card receit fits......"
Joanthan shook his head slightly as he replaced his wallet knowing he was going to pay for this later.In more ways than one.
	"I'm never going to use half of this stuff."Jonathan muttered as he and Katie sat in a Food court.Shopping bags of various sizes surrounded the small table.
Katie laughed as she picked up a french fry,"That's the whole point of a shopping spree."
Ford raised an eyebrow,"Is that what that was?"He took a brightly colored flower print shirt out of a bag,"I was waiting for the owners of this place to give us the key to the city."
"That's a good color for you."Katie said motioning to the shirt he held up to his chest.It looked like something he'd seen on reruns of Magnum P.I.
He looked at her,brown eyes twinkling,"Katie,where am I going to where this?"
"You're not on duty all the time,Jonathan."
	Ford laughed,"Yeah,I can see Noyce's face if I show up at a UEO function wearing this."
"It may lighten the place up."
Jonathan put the shirt away,accidently knocking the stuffed monkey off the table.Smiling he replaced the animal.
"What should we call him?"Jonathan asked propping the monkey up against a napkin dispensor.
Katie studied the monkey for a moment,"How about George?"
	Joanthan raised an eyebrow,"As in George of the jungle?"
Katie shook her head,"No as in 'Curious George'."She replied picking the animal up.
Jonathan nodded remembering the childern's stories about a michevous monkey,"Okay,George it is."
	The next three hours were spent in a dizzying whirl of credit card reciets, shopping bags and tired feet.
Jonathan sighed as he lumbered under the weight of twenty or so shopping bags,"You do realize we're going to have to stop by the hotel gift shop and buy two more suitcases to lug all this stuff home in."
Katie laughed as she walked ahead of Ford.She spun around corlorful shopping bag in each hand,"That's what everyone does on vacation,Jonathan."
Jonathan smiled shifting the weight of half his load to his left arm,"I know what souviners are.Half this stuff doesn't have Key West anywhere on it."
	Katie stopped on the sidewalk where the cab had dropped them off hours earlier,"Would it make you happy if I bought a stamp that said Key West and stamped everything you bought?"
Jonathan laughed as he plopped sereval bags to the ground,"I did have a good time,Katie.I just can't see why women do it all the time.Doesn't it wear you out?"
Katie nodded,"Sometimes.But its a bonding thing.Like men go hunting or fishing.Women go shopping."
	After ten minutes of loading all their purchases into the taxi's trunk the yellow cab headed back to their hotel.
"I think we're going to have to tip him extra."Katie commented.
"Who cares."Jonathan replied,his dark eyes never leaving her face.
"I'm glad we ran into each other."Katie said,her hand reaching out to take his,"We should try to do this once a year.Even if one of us can't get away.We both work too hard."
Jonathan nodded,"Agreed,and to seal the pact."He reached into a small shopping bag and pulled out a velvet jewerly box.
Katie took it from him,and gently lefted the lid. Nestled in the folds of velvet was a silver sea turtle pendant on a matching chain. Two brilliant saphirre's created the turtles eyes.
"Oh,Jonathan,"Katie said tears welling up in her own eyes,"Its beautifal.Thankyou."
Jonathan moved closer to her,"You're very welcome."He gently touched her cheek,"I love you."
"I love you too."Katie replied taking the necklace out of its box,"Can you help me put it on?"
As Jonathan closed the catch of the necklace around her neck he wished this vacation would last forever because he knew it was one he would never forget.