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“No, me either.” Dar agreed. “We always had the option. But the first time I flew in a private jet was coming back after the attacks.  I liked it.”  She admitted. “That's why I didn't say no when Alastair and the board offered this one.” She saw the pilot motion and she led the rest of them across the snow dusted ground, glad to mount the steps and enter the sleek interior. “We are paying for this ride though. I told Alastair I wasn't going to get into any arguments about me using company resources for personal use.”

“It's worth it.” Kerry took off her jacket and took it, and Dar's to the small closet where Andrew was already putting Ceci's.  “I can just imagine traveling today.”

They sat down and buckled in, and a moment later the flight steward came in, as the door was sealed shut and the pilot retreated into the cockpit. “Hello there.”

“Hey Jaele.”  Kerry greeted the woman. “Ready to get out of this snow?”

“You know it, Ms. Stuart.”  The steward brought over a tray and served them all coffee. “Jack's just doing the checklist and filing our flight plan. We should be rolling in about ten minutes.”

The inside of the plane was warm, and it wasn't too different from the private plane Kerry remembered her mother using.  It had eight seats, two groups of four facing each other with tables to work on between them.  The chairs were thick and comfortable, soft leather that warmed to her body as she sat in it.

Jake and Jaele were the A crew and there was a B crew that took over from them sometime. They were on call around the clock for Dar and the attention had outlined a new sense of understanding from the board over just how important Dar was to the company.

Funny, after all the time she'd worked for them and all the things she'd done, for them to now decide that.  Kerry watched her partner swinging around in her chair in an almost child like motion.  All the attention from the government, and the new requests for service had caught their attention like nothing else before had.

Funny. Crazy. Strange.  Kerry leaned back in her chair and crossed her ankles. So much change in their lives in such a relatively short time.

“Okay folks.” The pilot stuck his head out of the cockpit. “We're de-iced and ready to go. Buckle up.”

“Thanks Jack.” Dar lifted a hand and waved at him.

Kerry felt her body relax as she heard the engines spin up and felt the gentle jolt as the plane started to back away from the terminal.  She stifled a yawn. “Hope Angie has a nice honeymoon.”

“Where's she going?” Ceci asked.

“She's doing a western Mexico cruise.” Kerry smiled faintly.  “You know, Acapulco, and all that? She's really excited. She's never been on one.”

“Mm.” Dar made a skeptical sound.

“Yeap.” Andrew agreed. “Won't catch me on one of them, not after that whole hoo hah you done got into.”

“She got a good deal on a suite.” Kerry informed her knowledgeably.  “They got a whole honeymoon package and it sounded like fun.”

“Mm.” Dar repeated the low, growly noise.

“Well, honey, we have our own boat.” Kerry reached over and patted her knee. “She doesn't.”

“Oh I don't know.” Ceci leaned her elbow on the chair arm and rested her chin on her hand. “I always thought an Atlantic crossing cruise might be fun.”

“It ain't.” Her husband informed her.

“Not on the ones you sailed on, no.” She conceded. “But on those nice fancy ones it might be.”

“Mm.” Andrew made the same noise his daughter had, only an octave lower.

Kerry chuckled as the plane swung out and headed for the top of the runway.   She folded her hands on her stomach as Jaele took her seat, and they felt the increase in power as the jet turned onto the runway.

It paused, then with a solid surge of power headed off, and after a far shorter time than a larger jet, it bounded up into the air and arched up into the sky.

“Ah.” Ceci fished into her coat pocket. “You get to see the papers, Kerry?”

“Oh no.” Kerry winced. “Let me guess, I got a picture in one.”

“One?”

Dar chuckled.

“What are you laughing at, kid?” Ceci tossed the folded newsprint over. “Just be glad USA Today wasn't there.”

* * *

“Hey Cheebles!”  Kerry sat down on the love seat to properly appreciate the greeting of their pet Labrador.  “You ready to go down to the cabin with us?”

“Growf!”

“Car or boat?” Dar dropped down next to her, then thumped against the back of the couch as Chino leaped up onto her lap. “Oh.. hey! Chino!”  She got her arms around the big dog, who proceeded to lick her face with earnest thoroughness. “Hey!”

“Heh.” Kerry chuckled. “I just imagined my sister getting slobbered on like that.  She's going to have a cow.”

Dar got Chino turned around and watched as the dog regarded her owners with a look of doggy delight. “Boat? We can break out the 3 mils and dive a few reefs on the way down?”

“Sure.” Kerry played with the end of Chino's otter tail.  “Let's stop at Pennekamp on the way down. That's a nice shallow dive.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Dar agreed. “We'll leave early. Let me go check the marine forecast.” She deposited Chino on the couch and stood up, angling around the couch and heading into her office.

It felt good to be home.   Kerry smiled as Chino curled up on the leather surface and rested her head on her thigh. She stroked the animal's soft, silky ears and watched the tiny eyebrows over her gentle brown eyes twitch. “Did you miss us, Cheebles?” She asked. “Did I tell you my sister's getting one of your baby sisters?”

“Growf.” Chino peered up at her.

“We're going to have to have her come down here so you can visit with her.”  Kerry informed her pet.  “Although, y'know, it would be pretty hilarious to have you visit there, and see the two of you turn that house upside down.”

Chino wagged her tail.

Kerry chuckled, flexing her bare toes in the throw rug surface as she leaned back, very glad to have the quiet peace of their home around her.   She could still smell the faint scent of new paint,  the walls now a soft misty blue color and just past the sliding glass doors she could see the colorful all weather hammock they'd added to the swing chair already installed.

“Hm.”  She got up and went to the door, sliding it open and taking a breath of the cool, salt tinged air.  Seagulls were coasting over the surf and she sat down on the hammock, then swung herself into it, watching Chino go over to the wall and stand up to look over it.

With a contented sigh, she extended her legs and crossed them at the ankles, then folded her hands over her stomach and studied the vivid blue, cloudless sky. 

So different, from the cloudy snowy skies of Michigan.  She could hear the gentle rush of the waves against the rocks that lined the edge of the island and caught a blurp of music carried on the wind from nearby South Beach. 

Damn it was good to be home.  

The door slid open behind her and she heard the rasp of bare feet against the tile. “Weather good?”

“Be a little choppy, but yeah.”  Dar went to the railing and looked over, putting her arm around Chino as the dog stood up again to see what she was looking at. “Picked up my voice mail. We're going to have an unexpected visitor tonight.”

“Yeah?”

“Alastair.” Dar turned and leaned against the low wall. “Just said he wants to have dinner with us, but I get the feeling somethings behind it.”

“Oh boy.”

Dar half shrugged, a mildly bemused look on her face. “Guess we'll find out.” She said. “He'll be here around six. You want to make noodles for him or take him somewhere?”