Lucas sighed as he lay on the wicker loveseat on the beach house porch.  "You know, Cap, it just doesn't seem complete."

Nathan looked up from the report he was reading with a question on his face.  "What doesn't seem complete?"

"The holiday," the youth said as he straightened up and looked at Bridger. "We haven't done anything."

"Holiday?" Nathan said with a frown then realization cleared his face.  "Oh, St. Patrick's Day."

"Yeah," Lucas said with emphasis.  "We usually do something for holidays but we haven't done anything at all for this one," he complained.

"What did you have in mind?"

The loveseat creaked a little as Lucas leaned back.  "I don't know," he said in a calmer voice.  "We at least usually do something to drive the Doc crazy."

"Well, yeah," Nathan shrugged, "but it's only two days away."

"I know," Lucas said discontentedly.  "I know."

"And it isn't even like she's going to be around on Saturday.  She's already told me that she's got to work all day," Nathan said morosely.

"She's going to the party, isn't she?" Lucas asked anxiously.

"Yeah, she did say that she'd make it home in time to go to the party."

"Good," Lucas said relieved.  "Migs and Tim have really worked hard on this party.  It sounds like it's gonna be a great time."

"You know, we could get something to wear to the party that embarrasses her," Nathan suggested.

"Like what?"

"I don't know," Nathan shrugged.  "A couple of those obnoxious green vests or something."

Lucas leaned forward, a grin on his face.  "Or maybe a light up shamrock tie."  He nodded his head.  "I know a place we can get stuff like that."

"Sounds good to me."

"You don't mind getting dressed up silly in front of the crew and the construction team?"

"Nah, I'm secure in my Captainship," Nathan grinned.

Lucas smiled back and then leaned back in the loveseat again.  After a few moments he started shaking his head.  "It still isn't complete."

"Why?"

"We haven't really done anything to the Doc.  She'll be depressed if we don't pull some sort of stunt on her."

"You think so, huh," Nathan chuckled.

"We always pull something on her, Cap.  Remember Halloween?"

"How could I forget?  She didn't think that bloody head mask on the platter was funny at all."

"And then there was the snow bank that we made in the living room for Christmas."

"Complete with snowman," Nathan reminded him.

"Yup," and then the exploding hearts for Valentine's Day."

"You forgot the inedible fudge we made for Millard Fillmore's Birthday."

"Oh yeah, that was great," Lucas grinned.  "I didn't quite understand why Millard Fillmore's birthday...."

"Hey, he was an important president... first man to have toilets installed in the White House," Nathan grinned.

Lucas shook his head a little.  "Uh huh... anyways, we always do something.  It's tradition."

"Yeah," Nathan said leaning his head back, silently contemplating the ceiling.  Lucas also lapsed into silence and the porch was quiet for a while.  "I wonder," Nathan said thoughtfully.

"What?"

"How many boxes of lime Jello it would take to fill a bathtub."

A slow smile crept across Lucas' face.  "I don't know," he said innocently, "but I suppose we could find out."

Nathan sat up in his chair again and grinned at Lucas.  "Yeah, we could."

"How do we get it to gel in the bathtub?"

"Ice, we make it and then put ice in it and it'll gel.  It just takes a little longer."

"You sound like you've done this before."

"Not a bathtub but I can tell you that it takes three or four boxes to fill a toilet bowl."

A grin split Lucas' face.  "What color Jello do you use in a toilet?"

"It depends upon how much trouble you want to get in."

"Did you get in trouble?"

"Oh, yeah," Nathan said in a heartfelt voice.  "I was cleaning that toilet out for at least three weeks.  It never was quite the same."

Lucas laughed and then appeared to get serious.  "Seems to me that a bathtub would take an awful lot of Jello."

"Well, we could fill it part way with Jello and then top it off with something else, I suppose."

"Yeah," Lucas said with a grin.  "How about whipped cream?"

"Oh, perfect," Nathan grinned back.  "Jello just isn't complete without whipped cream."

"You want to go get the stuff now?" Lucas asked excitedly.

Nathan put the report into his briefcase and closed it with a snap.  "Why not?" he said standing.

As they headed for the porch door they heard Kristin coming up the stairs and met her as she stepped onto the porch.

Nathan slipped a hand around her waist and they exchanged a short kiss.  "Hi there, sweetheart."

"Hello yourself," Kristin smiled.  "Where are you two going?"

"We're going to get something to wear to the party on Saturday," Lucas smiled at her.  "You want to come along?"

Kristin considered a moment before shaking her head.  "No, thanks. You two go and enjoy yourselves."

"Okey doke," Nathan said giving her a quick squeeze before heading for the stairs with Lucas ahead of him.  They walked down the stairs and Nathan looked at Lucas across the top of his car.  "You know, one of these days she's going to realize that she shouldn't tell us that."

"What?"

"To enjoy ourselves when we shop... we always do but she never quite agrees with the results," Nathan grinned.  Lucas just grinned back and got into the car.

Early Saturday morning Kristin yawned as she turned from the hallway into the kitchen.  Nathan was already up and she could smell the wonderful scent of the coffee he'd made.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," he smiled.

"Good morning," Kristin said going over and giving him a little kiss.  "It's your day off.  What in God's name are you doing up?"

Nathan shrugged.  "I'm used to getting up early, I guess.  Couldn't sleep."

"You'll take a nap later, won't you?" Kristin asked concerned.

"Yes, mother," he said as she slapped him on the butt.  "Do you want some breakfast?"

"No, I'll grab something at work," Kristin said filling her coffee cup and heading for the door.  "See you tonight."

"The party starts at 7," he called after her and then smiled a little as he saw Lucas stick his head around the corner.  "Good morning."

"'morning, Cap.  She gone?"

"Yup," Nathan said with a grin.

"What do you want me to do?"

"How about if I get started making up the Jello and you go get some ice?"

"You got it, Cap," Lucas said heading for the door.  "Lotsa ice coming up."

"Hey, pick up a half-dozen bagels while you're out there," Nathan called.

"You got it," Lucas repeated as he headed across the porch.

Ten hours later Lucas and Nathan stood in the bathroom looking at a very green bathtub.

"Is it set?" Lucas asked.

Nathan gingerly poked the lime-green surface.  The material in the tub wiggled firmly and he grinned up at the boy.  "Yup.  It's perfect."

"We're gonna be in so much trouble," Lucas grinned.

Nathan stood and put his arm around Lucas' shoulders.  "Yeah, we are," he grinned.

Lucas looked all around him as he treaded water just off the dock.  "Where did he go?"

"I don't know," Nathan said turning his head in all directions, "but I can guarantee that he's hiding around here somewhere."

They both craned their necks around searching the surface of the water for any sign until Nathan suddenly straightened up a little out of the water.

"I think I found him."

"I think he found you," Lucas grinned.  "What did he do, goose you?"

"Yeah," Nathan said frowning at the dolphin who now rested on the surface next to him.  "Why do you always goose me... why don't you goose Lucas?"  Darwin continued to smile that permanent smile of his as he rolled over, shooting water from his blowhole onto Bridger. Nathan wiped the water from his face and glared over at Lucas who was now laughing as he floated on the water.  "Your turn," he said splashing the boy.

For the next hour Lucas, Darwin and Nathan tried to see who could get whom the wettest and finally the two men climbed the ladder to the dock and reached for the towels sitting there.  Nathan straightened up, drying his hair and frowned as he looked through the piling under the house.

"Damn."

"What?"

"She's home."

"She's not supposed to be home yet," Lucas objected.

"I know that," Nathan said heading for the house and up the stairs. He made it across the porch and to the double doors leading to the house with Lucas right behind him before meeting Kristin who was wearing only her robe and looking very angry.

He came to a quick stop as she stood there glaring at him.  "You...." she said in a firm, intense voice, "are an idiot."

Nathan thought for a fast moment and decided that the humble routine was his best option.  He smiled at her.  "Hi babe," he said innocently.  If anything, Kristin's face became angrier.  Nope, that was the wrong tack to have taken.  "Happy Saint Patrick's Day?" he tried feebly.

"Idiot," she repeated and turned in her tracks heading back into the bedroom.

"Good thing that you put your clothes in the den, isn't it," Lucas mumbled from just behind him.

Nathan glanced back at the boy.  "How come when she does that you always hide behind me?"

"Because I'm smarter than you are," Lucas said patting the older man on the shoulder.

"Yeah," Nathan said morosely heading back to the den to change.

Nathan sat in one of the large blue recliners in the living room absently reading through a report when Lucas came in all dressed for the party.

"I like the vest, Cap," Lucas said checking out Bridger's Kelly green vest which was covered in iridescent leprechauns.

Bridger looked up from his report, his eyes sliding over Lucas' attire starting at his feet which were covered in green elf shoes, up to his belt which was adorned with a large green and gold shamrock buckle, to his bright green shirt with rainbows and pots of gold dotted across it and finally up to his head which sported shamrock antenna.

"Thanks... I think."  He frowned a little as his eyes found the large pin Lucas was sporting on his chest that said 'Kiss Me - I'm Irish'.  "So, with a name like Wolenczak do you think you'll convince anyone that you're Irish?"

"Sure, because I am... on my mother's side... besides, sir, you don't have to be Irish to be Irish on Saint Patrick's Day."

"I guess that's true," Nathan grinned.

"Are you Irish at all?"

"Some but mostly English."

"So you and the Doc are both English?" Lucas asked with a grin.

"Yeah, but my family's been here a while."

"How long?"

"Three hundred something years or so," Nathan answered absently.

"So did your people come over on the Mayflower or something?"

"Not quite... but close."  Nathan stood as Kristin came into the living room.

She was dressed considerably more conservatively than the two of them... sporting only a plain green vest with a gold shamrock pin on it.  She looked critically first at Nathan and then turned her frown to Lucas, never saying a word.  Shaking her head she started for the door mumbling, "Idiots, you are both idiots."

Lucas sat in the back seat of the car occasionally glancing over at Westphalen who had her gaze focused out the front window.  He didn't think she was really angry with them but his bet was that she was just trying to rattle their cages a bit.  He smiled softly to himself as he reflected that he and the Cap didn't rattle that easy.

"So do you know how the guys managed to get the UEO field house for the party, sir?" he asked Bridger.

Nathan glanced at him in the mirror.  "I hear that wasn't a problem. No one was using it tonight so they were able to rent it."

"But I heard that up until a couple of weeks ago that they hadn't been able to raise the money for the rent."

"I understand that they got subsidized."

"Subsidized?"

"They got someone to foot the bill."

"Oh, how about the catering and such?  I was expecting to have to pay to get in."

"If they're using the field house they can't charge admission by UEO rules."

"So who's paying for all this?"

"Well, I helped them get some funding since the party was for the whole crew and the construction team as well.  I figure that everyone is just at the point where they're really in need of a party."

"Things have been a bit hectic," Lucas admitted.

"Yeah, and what the hell, Saint Patrick's Day is a good excuse for a party and getting a little stupid."  He glanced surreptitiously at Kristin as he said that and was heartened by the small smile that crossed her lips even if she still didn't say anything.

Nathan pulled the car into the field house parking lot and they all got out.  He patted Lucas on the shoulder.  "Why don't you head in? We'll be right there."  The boy nodded and smiled at Westphalen who leaned back against the hood of the car and watched him go into the field house before turning a quizzical look to Nathan.

"I'm sorry about the Jello.  It didn't work quite the way we had planned," he said in a soft voice.

"Are you ever going to grow up?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, I hope not," Nathan answered sincerely.  He brought his right hand up until his finger gently touched the bare skin at her open collar.  "You know I think that your outfit would be greatly enhanced with an addition."

"What did you have in mind?" she asked cautiously. Nathan reached in his left pants pocket and brought out a small blue jewelry box and handed it to her.  Kristin looked up at him before slowly opening the box and revealing the gold shamrock pendant on a delicate gold chain lying there.  "Oh, Nathan, it's beautiful," she exclaimed softly.

"May I?" Nathan asked holding his hand out for the box.  He took the necklace from the box and, moving behind her, hooked it around her neck finishing by placing a soft kiss on the back of her neck before coming around to face her again.

Kristin fingered the pendant and then looked back up at him.  "Alright, I'm bribable.  You're forgiven."  She brought a hand up to caress the side of his face pulling him down until their lips met in a gentle kiss.  Nathan's hands slid around her waist and he pulled her close to him soaking in the sensation of her body pressed against his.  As the kiss deepened Kristin's arms encircled his back and her fingers ran across the strong muscles of his shoulders.

"Hey, Cap!  The party is supposed to be inside," Jonathan Ford called out to them across the parking lot.

The couple pulled apart smiling.  Nathan looked over to where Ford and a collection of the seaQuest crew had been watching them and grinned.  "I don't know... we're having a lot of fun out here too." They broke their embrace and walked, hand-in-hand, into the field house with Ford and the rest.

As they entered the large room their ears were assailed by the music of a rather respectable sounding band playing Irish tunes.  The walls and ceiling of the room were festooned with decorations and banners and tables full of food lined two walls.  A bar in the corner was doing a rousing business and people gathered in groups throughout the room or filled the dance floor.

"Happy Saint Patrick's Day, sir," Ortiz shouted to Bridger as he wiggled his way through the crowd of people just inside the door.  "Happy Saint Paddy's Day, Doc."

"The same to you," Kristin said grinning at Miguel's attire.  He was dressed in a leprechaun's outfit complete with shamrock bow tie, green derby hat and a green suit.  Somehow, it seemed to fit him.

"You're not going to tell me that you're Irish, are you Mister Ortiz?" Nathan asked.

"No sir," Miguel said loudly over the din.  "But O'Neil declared that I was Irish today and I figure if an O'Neil can't declare you to be Irish on Saint Paddy's Day then no one can."

"Good point," Bridger conceded.  They moved into the room and Nathan headed over to get drinks for both of them.  By the time he returned with the drinks the band had slipped into a set of soft, romantic songs and the dance floor was beginning to fill.  They parked their drinks near Lucas and the others and moved out onto the floor. Nathan's arm found it's comfortable place around Kristin's waist and they moved slowly and confidently through the throng, sharing first one dance and then another before leaving the floor when the tempo of the music picked up.

"Hey, Cap," Lucas yelled at him.  "Getting too fast for you?"

"Lucas, if I can't hold on to the person I'm dancing with I don't want to dance to it," Nathan shot back.

Nathan and Kristin spent the rest of the evening circulating around the room visiting with everyone there and finding each other on the dance floor when the music slowed down enough that they could dance the way they liked to.  Nathan had switched to cokes after a couple of beers but Kristin kept up with wine throughout the night and by the time a few hours had gone by she was feeling more than a little mellow.  Each time they danced it seemed that she was clinging closer and closer to Nathan, her arms draped around his neck until he finally led her over to the side of the room to a somewhat secluded spot.

"Kris, do you know what you're doing?"

She stood leaning against the wall, her arms again around his neck and her face only centimeters from his.  "At the moment," she said precisely, "I'm having a very boring discussion with you."

Nathan sighed and shook his head a little.  "Kris, when we're out on the dance floor you're trying to climb down my pants.  Do you think you could cool it down just a little?"

She pulled off the wall a little and moved her hips into him until she could feel him against her.  "Who needs to cool down?" she asked in a sultry voice.

"If you were to knock it off," Nathan said resignedly with his eyes closed, "I wouldn't need to cool down at all.  If you keep it up then we're gonna have a problem."

"I think the problem is that you're keeping it up," Kristin said with a grin.

Nathan chuckled and shook his head again. Dealing with her when she got like this took all his diplomatic finesse.  "Let me put it to you this way," he said in his most reasonable voice.  "If you don't behave in front of my crew I'm going to cut you off."

"You mean you won't get any more wine for me?" Kristin asked with a frown.

"No... I mean that you'll be sleeping alone tonight."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wanna try me?" Nathan asked with assurance.

Kristin frowned and looked right at him.  What she saw in his eyes answered the question for her.  "Alright, you win this one.  I'll behave," she said meekly.

"Thank you," Nathan said turning back towards the crowd.  He stopped and turned back when she pulled on his elbow.

"If I behave now can I not behave later?"

"At home?"

"Yes."

Nathan smiled and brought a hand up to caress the side of her face.  "Later... when we're at home... you can misbehave all you want."

"Oh, goody," Kristin said pushing him back to the crowd with a little bump of her hip.

They joined a table with most of the bridge crew sitting at it.  "You know, sir," Jonathan Ford said to Bridger, "I've decided that this is the almost perfect party."

"Thanks to the efforts of Chief Ortiz and Mr. O'Neil over there," Nathan said indicating the two of them.  All at the table lifted their glasses to salute the two organizers.  "How come 'almost' perfect?"

"Cash bar," Jonathan said with a grin.

Nathan smiled back at him.  "Jonathan, I know of people who are willing to feed this crew but I don't know of anyone crazy enough to pay for the drinks."

"I suppose not, sir, somehow I think that might get a little expensive."

"Yeah, like all the money in Fort Knox," Ortiz quipped.

O'Neil came up behind Bridger and leaned down to him.  "Could I speak to you for a moment, sir?"

"Sure," Nathan said getting up and following O'Neil and Ortiz over to the corner of the room.

"Speaking of paying...." Tim said with a sheepish grin.

"What do I need to sign?" Nathan said returning the grin.

Ortiz brought out a debipayer and slid a card into the top of it.  "That's the band," he said indicating on the screen where Bridger needed to sign.  Miguel took the first card out and put in another.  "And the food."

"Phew," Nathan with a groan.

"Sorry about that, sir," Tim said.

"That's okay, Mr. O'Neil.  I expected it to be this much at least," Bridger said signing the debipayer.

Ortiz slid in one more card.  "And finally, the security guys."

"Gotta pay for the security blanket," Nathan said affixing his signature one more time.

"You know, Captain, it's really nice of you to do this," Tim said.

"The crew and construction team deserve it, Mister O'Neil."

"I just wish you'd let us tell them who paid for the party, sir," said Ortiz.

"No, let's not do that, gentlemen.  If anyone asks you can let slip that the UEO paid for the party... only that, understand?"

"Understood, sir," they both answered back.

"Nice job, gentlemen," he glanced back towards the dance floor.  "And, by the way, an excellent band... good choice."

Ortiz grinned.  "Lucas found them."

"Oh, speaking of Lucas," Tim interjected.  "He's offered to help clean up after the party but that's going to be pretty late.  Would it be alright if he just stayed with us tonight, sir?"

"It's alright with me, Mister O'Neil.  I think he's got a change of clothes in his gym bag in the car."

"Great, I have a feeling we'll really need his help tonight."

The three men returned to the table and shortly afterwards Nathan and Kristin said their goodnights and left for the beach house.  As they drove down the highway Kristin draped her hand over Nathan's shoulder and played with the hair on his neck.  He looked over at the slightly bleary look on her face and shook his head.  Kristin's hand moved down until she was kneading the top of his right thigh.  Nathan felt the hand start to move up towards his zipper.

"Don't even think about it," he warned.

"Spoil sport."

"Not when I'm driving, Kris.  We've been through this before."

"Last time you pulled into a parking lot and we made out there," Kristin said in a reasonable voice.

"Last time we got interrupted while making out by two of New Cape Quest's finest."

"Well, yes," Kristin hedged.

"For a change you'll just have to behave yourself for a few more minutes."

"For a change?" she asked in a slightly offended tone.

"Yeah," Nathan insisted.

"Oh," Kristin said chastised.  "Alright."

A few minutes later Nathan pulled the car into the drive of his beach house and they headed up the stairs.  As they entered the house Nathan pulled the double doors leading to the porch closed and secured them.  He turned to see Kristin standing next to the sofa with a contemplative look on her face.

"About that Jello in the bathtub....."

"I'll get it cleaned out right away, Kris," Nathan said hastily.

Kristin shook her head.  "It seemed a bit incomplete... not quite up to your normal quality of prank."

Nathan shrugged.  "Yeah, well, you got here a little early.  We weren't finished with it."

"What else were you going to do?" she asked curiously.

A slightly embarrassed look covered Nathan's face.  "I've got three cans of whipped cream in the refrigerator... we were going to top it off with that."

Kristin stared at him for a moment.  "Whipped cream?"

"Yeah, I mean, what's Jello without whipped cream?"

"Uh huh....."  Kristin glanced towards the back of the house and then at Nathan again.  She stared at him until Nathan began to feel uncomfortable under her gaze.  Finally she sighed.  "Well, it would be a shame to waste perfectly good whipped cream wouldn't it?" she said softly.

"Um, yeah, I guess so," Nathan said hesitantly.

She moved towards him until she stood close and ran a finger down the side of his face.  "Why don't you go get those cans of whipped cream and meet me in the back?" she asked in a decidedly sultry voice.

"In... in the back?"

"Uh huh.  In the bathroom... I've never messed around in a bathtub of Jello before," she said as she turned and walked to the back of the house.  Nathan swallowed hard as he noted the sensual swing of her hips as she moved.

Taking a deep breath he went into the kitchen and took the cans of whipped cream from the refrigerator.  Smoothly flipping one of the cans into the air and catching it he grinned.  "Just one more reason why I love that lady," he said heading to the back of the house.