The following is a work of fan-fiction. The usual characters and the whole seaQuest premise are the property of NBC, Universal and Amblin. The story and the additional characters are my own. Some of the characters are being "portrayed" by volunteers from this list (thanks for volunteering folks!). Many thanks go to my friend Beth and my sister Wendy for their proof-reading and useful comments. Thanks also to my language expert, Sue, for all her help! jules Read at your own risk... MIGUEL'S BIRTHDAY STORY CHAPTER 1 "Okay, so the whole leaving-seaQuest-and-becoming-a-painter thing was a mistake," Tim O'Neill was saying, as he toyed with the limp spaghetti on his plate. "It's just that I'd like to do something different once in a while... Improve myself." "You could learn another language," Ortiz suggested between mouthfuls. Tim looked at his friend over the rims of his glasses. "Oh, that's very funny." "I really don't know why you're so worried about it Tim. There are plenty of people who could never dream of accomplishing half of what you have. Speaking of which..." Miguel added, nodding to his right, "look who's late for dinner again." "Y'mind if I sit here?" a scruffy looking Tony Piccolo asked, pulling the only vacant chair up to the table where Ortiz and O'Neill were sitting. "Actually, yes," O'Neill replied. "Thanks!" Piccolo said, sitting down, seemingly oblivious to the exasperated expression on Tim's face. "Two more days guys, and we get a whole weekend of babes and sandy beaches! And have I got a deal for you..." With a flourish he pulled a crumpled flyer from his pocket and spread it open in front of them. Tim tilted his head to the side to read the flyer. "Women's volleyball tournament?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Piccolo looked at the flyer and turned it the right way up. "It's gonna be great! Imagine all those chicks in bikinis playing volleyball in the sand!" He looked meaningfully at them, only to be rewarded with two blank stares. Obviously he wasn't getting his point across. "We get front row seats to the tournament, and then we go to this... 'free admission to the victory celebration at Nasty's Bar and Grill, with game tickets' thing," he said, reading off the flyer. "And being as how we're from the U.E.O.'s flagship, we could probably swing some personal introductions!" "No thanks, Piccolo," Tim said. "Anyway, Saturday is Miguel's birthday." "But that's great! Can you think of a better way to spend your birthday?" Miguel started to object, but Tony cut him off. "As the birthday boy you might get special treatment, if you know what I mean. "We can get discount tickets if we get a group together." Tim and Miguel just looked at each other and shook their heads. "Forget it Piccolo," Tim said. Tony was incredulous. "What is it you're planning to do that could beat this?" he asked, indicating the scantily clad "athletes" pictured on the flyer. "A bunch of us are going to Angelo's for pizza..." Tim began. "And then we're going to play pool," Miguel added, taking a sip of his coffee. You can come if you want to." Tony was even more incredulous. "It's his birthday, Tim! He's your friend! You're going to let him get away with a boring birthday celebration like that?" "I _prefer_ it that way," Miguel protested. "We all had fun last time didn't we?" he asked, looking at Tim. "Yeah, until Krieg decided to start doing impressions..." "Fine! We'll do it your way!" Tony relented. He always felt kind of left out when they started talking about old times. "I'll go to whatever it is." "Go where?" asked a voice from behind him. Loni Henderson had just finished her shift and was carrying her supper tray over to their table. "Here," Tim offered, getting up from his seat. "Umm... I'm finished anyway." "Thank you." She smiled at him and sat down. Miguel was sure he saw Tim blush, but no one else noticed. "It's Ortiz's birthday on Saturday," Tony told her. "You're not going to _this_, are you?" She gestured to the flyer with some disdain. "NO!" Miguel and Tim replied in unison. "I know!" Loni exclaimed, "There's this great restaurant just up the coast from my aunt's old house where you can have parties, and you can get the most wonderful birthday cakes..." "Um, Loni..." Miguel hated to dampen her enthusiasm, but it _was_ his birthday. "We kind of already know what we're going to do on Saturday." "Oh," she said, deflated. Planning birthdays was one of her favorite things; one of the things she missed since being away from her family. "Eating pizza and playing pool," Tony muttered. His expression told her that it wasn't exactly his first choice of what to do on shore leave. "Not just any pizza," Tim corrected. "Angelo's pizza." "You _can_ play pool, can't you, Loni?" Miguel asked. She sensed a challenge in his voice. A slow smile crept across her face. "I think I can manage." "Hey, we'd better hurry," Tim said, tapping Miguel's arm. Miguel looked at his watch and got up to leave. "Catch you later." As Loni watched them leave the mess area, she leaned over to Piccolo and said, "He needs a cake." "He needs chicks," Piccolo replied. Loni looked at him and picked up her tray to leave. "You're disgusting," was all she said. The following is a work of fan-fiction. The usual characters and the whole seaQuest premise are the property of NBC, Universal and Amblin. The story and the additional characters are my own. Some of the characters are being "portrayed" by volunteers from this list (thanks for volunteering folks!). Many thanks go to my friend Beth and my sister Wendy for their proof-reading and useful comments. Thanks also to my language expert, Sue, for all her help! jules Read at your own risk... MIGUEL'S BIRTHDAY STORY CHAPTER 2 By the next day, Loni Henderson had started making some plans of her own. Miguel only wanted a small gathering at Angelo's. About six of them would go from there to play pool, but Loni saw a window of opportunity for a little surprise party after that. She'd let Tim in on her little secret, and was busy enlisting the help of some of her friends. "So Rufio," she was saying as Ensign Cardenas headed towards the bridge for their watch, "If you could get the cake there on time, I think Veronica and Chrys can pretty much take care of the rest." "No problem," Rufio replied, "I know just the place to get a really great cake." "I just wish I could think of something really special to do, you know... different," Loni said, looking a bit disappointed. "Don't worry. I'm sure it will be just fine." "Henderson, Cardenas!" Commander Ford called, almost before they reached the bridge. "You're with Brody. O'Neill and Ortiz, you take the second launch." As they followed Brody out, he briefed them on the situation, "A U.E.O. boat carrying some civilian engineers to this weekend's conference hit that tropical storm and smashed into a reef. We're the closest vessel with adequate rescue capabilities." "And it's still pretty wild out there," Miguel added. * * * * * * Miguel wasn't sure when he had last seen a storm like this one, at least from the surface of the water. Even before he could get his raincoat hood up, the sheets of water had completely soaked his thick dark curls and begun to run in rivulets down his scalp. It was difficult to see anything and even more difficult to hear. Lieutenant Brody's launch was just barely in his sight, and he was struggling to maintain the same course through the choppy sea. He sure hoped the Lieutenant knew where he was going. Fortunately Brody was a good navigator, and within moments they could make out an isolated outcropping of rocks. "Oh, this is going to be fun," Miguel muttered under his breath. * * * * * * When out on the open water, Lieutenant James Brody usually felt right at home. It often felt like his craft were an extension of himself, as easy to command as an arm or a leg. But not today... The Lieutenant's launch seemed to have a mind of it's own as it lurched about in the restless sea. Blinking away the pelting rain, he studied the jagged outcroppings of rock that already started to appear 100 meters from the reef itself. He strained to see a clear path through them, but the wind howling in his ears made it hard to think. Soon he found himself in a virtual labyrinth of water and rock. The adrenaline coursed through him as he fought with the wheel to avoid careening into the deadly monoliths. Henderson and Cardenas hung on with all they had. "50 meters... 40 meters... 30 meters..." Henderson counted down to calm herself. Somehow Brody managed to bring the launch within meters of the craggy reef without getting smashed to bits. Jumping feet first into the icy, chest-deep water, he and Cardenas hauled the craft to the edge, while Henderson pulled up the prop and prepared to fasten the tethers. Ortiz and O'Neill were several minutes behind them, but Brody didn't have time to stop and watch the struggles of the second boat. It looked like the U.E.O. shuttle boat was mostly intact with the exception of a rather nasty gash in the hull. It was caught up on the rocks, getting pummeled by waves. The helmsman and the civilian engineers had taken to higher ground on the slippery reef to avoid being carried off by the powerful walls of water smashing around them. All were soaked to the skin and shivering in the torrential rain, but no one appeared to be injured. "Into the launches! Quickly!" Jim Brody shouted over the gale as he neared the group. A bedraggled looking young man scrambled over the rocks toward him. "One of the Engineers just fell over that ledge when some of these rocks broke loose!" he shouted into the Lieutenant's ear. "She's stuck under some debris and we can't reach her!" he added, gesturing behind him. Brody pushed past him to peer over the ridge into the watery crevice below. Blinking the rain out of his eyes, he could see the smooth rocks that sloped down steeply for about four meters. The young woman was chest deep in the icy water, her light summer business suit offering her no protection whatsoever. Leaning to the left, and hanging on to a sharp outcropping of rock to keep herself upright, she waited. The pouring rain plastered her long dark hair to her face and down her shoulders, where the choppy waves dragged the curly locks to tangle around her arms. Then she stared up at him with the most incredible dark shining eyes. She looked relieved as she recognized the U.E.O. insignia on the chest of his raincoat. "My ankle's trapped under a chunk of rock! I can't quite stand up!" she shouted to him, shivering. "Don't worry, we'll get you out of there!" he hollered back over the raging wind. Lieutenant Brody looked back through the tempest at the second launch. Ortiz and O'Neill had just finished securing it. "Cardenas! Go tell Ortiz to get out the ropes and harness, and then start getting these other people into our launch!" "Yes Sir!" the young ensign replied before clambering back down towards the water. Brody glanced around and turned to Henderson. "Stay here with her!" He ordered. Then he turned back to his launch to continue loading the other passengers. "The last thing we need is a bunch of civies with hypothermia," he muttered to himself as he picked his way across the slippery reef. "You'll be okay!" Loni yelled down to the increasingly distraught woman, "We're sending someone down to get you." "Please hurry!" The strain was obvious is her voice as she tried to keep her head above the swelling tide. "I think it's getting deeper!" Loni glanced over her shoulder. Peering through the deluge, she saw Rufio shouting something at Miguel and Tim as she pointed towards the ridge. Miguel was already hauling equipment out of the boat. "They're on their way!" Loni called down again. "Just try to stay calm!" But it was obvious to Loni that she was anything _but_ calm. The water in the fissure was definitely rising, and crashing to and fro like the waves in a bathtub. Soon they would be breaking over the young engineer's head. "Hang on!" was all she could say. Looking back at O'Neill she knew it was too far to shout over the thunderous roar, so she waved frantically to get his attention. When she was reasonably sure she had it, she raised a cupped hand to her mouth, indicating that they should bring breathing apparatus. Narrowing her eyes against the downpour, she saw him unload another case from their launch. After what seemed like and eternity, but was only a couple of minutes, Ortiz and O'Neill had reached the ridge. Miguel was already mostly fastened into the harness, one breather slung around his neck, and O'Neill was trying to secure the nylon rope to the hoops on the back. His fingers were so numb that he was having trouble getting it threaded properly. Loni relieved him of the second breather, and held it ready to take down. Miguel peered down into the crevice to take stock of the situation. The descent was going to be very slippery, he thought to himself. Then, through the sheets of rain, he caught sight of the dark haired figure gasping for air between each undulation of the freezing water. When he saw her face, his eyes widened in horror. "Rosita!!" he cried, as if the power of his voice alone could keep her head above the water. They could see her search the ridge for the source of the voice. "Miguel HELP me!!" She screamed, when her eyes locked on his face. The following is a work of fan-fiction. The usual characters and the whole seaQuest premise are the property of NBC, Universal and Amblin. The story and the additional characters are my own. Some of the characters are being "portrayed" by volunteers from this list (thanks for volunteering folks!). Many thanks go to my friend Beth and my sister Wendy for their proof-reading and useful comments. Thanks also to my language expert, Sue, for all her help! jules Read at your own risk... MIGUEL'S BIRTHDAY STORY CHAPTER 3 "Where's that breather!" Miguel snapped. Loni handed it to him. She had never before heard such agitation in his voice. With the breathing apparatus in his hands he started down the slick rocks, but O'Neill grabbed him by the harness straps and yanked him back. "You're not secure yet!" he shouted, looping a bowline through the last hook. The scowl on Miguel's dripping face was darker that the storm clouds above them, but he waited. "Okay, go!" O'Neill rapped Ortiz's shoulder as he pulled the knot tight. Then he and Henderson carefully lowered Ortiz into the trench. Once he began his descent, Miguel was unable to get a purchase on the slick sides of the ravine. He found himself flailing about in an uncontrolled slide, while Tim and Loni struggled to maintain their grip on the rope. Scrabbling for a handhold, he bumped down the rocks, tearing his raincoat on the way Suddenly, a searing pain shot through his hand as it smacked against a sharp ledge, knocking the second emergency breather out of his grasp. It bounced down the rocks, disappearing in the turbulent waves below. Landing with a splash several meters from Rosita, he could see that she barely had time to gasp for air between each swell of the tide. He was running out of time. One breather would have to do. "Hang on!" he called to her, struggling against the undertow to bridge the gap between them. It seemed that for each step forward the reflux pushed him an equal distance back. It was impossible to get a proper foothold on the algae covered bottom. Shielding his eyes against the pelting rain, Miguel Ortiz yelled up to his shipmates, "I can't reach her!" By their perplexed looks he could tell that his words had been carried away by the gale. He reached up and grabbed the rope they had attached to his harness. If they could pull the rope, moving along the top of the ridge parallel to the direction he was trying to go, he might be able to get to her. "Can you pull me toward her?" He gestured animatedly with the rope, and Tim nodded in reply. Tim and Loni pulled the slack out of the rope, and began moving along the ridge, dragging him through the water below. Rosita reached out for him. He caught her trembling hand in his and anchored his feet between two large stones on the bottom. "Here! Take this!" he shouted, as he pressed the remaining breathing apparatus against her face. She grasped it with her free hand, and then he disappeared below the surface. The cacophony of the storm faded into the background as Miguel hauled himself down through the water to where her ankle was immobilized by the falling rocks. She had managed to remove the smaller rubble herself, but there was one extremely heavy chunk of stone that she had been unable to lift, particularly from the awkward position she was standing in. Miguel searched around the the base of the rock, probing for a place where he could hook his fingers under and pull, yet all he could feel were smooth round sides. He attempted to simply wrap his arms around the whole thing and yank backwards, but the rock didn't move at all. Instead, his feet slid on the slimy rocks and he began to float away from Rosita. Once again he found himself being washed about by the waves. This time he was under water, and running out of breath. With some effort, Miguel broke through the surface, gasping and reaching for something to stabilize himself with. His feet no longer reached the bottom, and Rosita was completely under water. Reaching down, he caught Rosita's hand for the second time, took a deep breath and went under. Fighting both the current and his own buoyancy, he awkwardly made his way back down to where her ankle was trapped. Again he attempted to simply pull the rock away, but after several tries, he concluded that it was no use. He kept losing his balance in the swirling depths before he could make any headway. Peering through the dimly lit water, Miguel searched for way to get some leverage on the slippery rocks. The floor was pretty much the same all over, but the vertical outcropping Rosita had used to hold herself up on offered some promise. Reaching across to her free leg, he grasped her ankle and pulled himself down to her left side. From there he turned himself around to face the rock from another angle. A solution was beginning to form in his mind, but right now he needed air. Stretching towards the surface, he felt the familiar shape of an emergency breather being placed into his hand. He took a deep breath and then reached through the turbulent waters to return it to Rosita. She fumbled with it clumsily, almost losing her only lifeline to the waves, before she managed to get a decent grip on it. Miguel felt his pulse quicken as he realized their close call. He looked at her, still quite beautiful with her long dark locks floating around her like a silken aura, but the detached look on her face frightened him. "She's been in the water too long!" he thought to himself. His idea would have to work and fast, or she would start showing more than just the initial stages of hypothermia. Bracing his back against the pillar of stone Rosita had been leaning against, Miguel placed his heels at the base of the rock that held her ankle. With one great Herculean effort he pushed until the great block slowly lifted upward and rolled away. Suddenly they were both tossing about in the pounding surf, unanchored. Coughing and sputtering, Miguel reached out and caught a handful of pale silk fabric. "Hang on to my back, and try not to get tangled in the rope," Miguel said, "Hang on _tight_"! The rain had slowed down to a heavy drizzle as Miguel searched for a foothold on the rock face confronting him. It showed more promise now than when the deluge carried him down. Still, he was thankful he had O'Neill and Henderson on the rope above him. He gave Tim the signal to start pulling, and with Rosita clinging desperately to his back, he began his ascent. Miguel was unaccustomed to rock climbing with frozen fingers and fifty or so extra kilograms on his back, but Tim and Loni did their best to make up for it. In short order Loni was pulling Miguel out by the straps on his harness, while Tim lifted Rosita off his back. As Loni headed back to the remaining launch to unfasten the tethers, Tim and Miguel slowly guided Rosita over the treacherous terrain. By the time they caught up with her, Loni already had the motor idling, and she was getting out a self-heating emergency blanket for Rosita. Loni took the wheel as Miguel and Tim wrapped it around her. "We'll only be about five minutes," Tim told her reassuringly as they settled her into one of the bench seats, "And then we'll have you safely aboard the seaQuest." She smiled weakly at him and nodded, but the persistent drizzle from above could not hide the fact that tears had begun to form in her eyes. "Hang on!" Loni warned, "this could get choppy." They felt the boat lurch beneath them as Loni steered away from the reef. Rosita slumped against Miguel and closed her eyes tightly against the wind. "At least it isn't as bad as when we came out," Loni thought to herself as she tracked the beacon from the seaQuest. She couldn't help thinking that there might be a chance of good weather for Miguel's birthday party on the coast tomorrow... That is, if he was still interested in a party under the circumstances. Loni glanced back over her shoulder to see Miguel holding Rosita. He spoke soft, reassuring words to her in Spanish, "Esta bien. Todo va a estar bien ahora." Realizing that she had inadvertently intruded on a private moment, Loni turned back to the wheel and tried to concentrate on the task at hand. "There," Tim pointed, "We're home, folks." The following is a work of fan-fiction. The usual characters and the whole seaQuest premise are the property of NBC, Universal and Amblin. The story and the additional characters are my own. Some of the characters are being "portrayed" by volunteers from this list (thanks for volunteering folks!). Many thanks go to my friend Beth and my sister Wendy for their proof-reading and useful comments. Thanks also to my language expert, Sue, for all her help! jules Read at your own risk... MIGUEL'S BIRTHDAY STORY CHAPTER 4 Doctor Wendy Smith and some of her medical team were ready to meet the soggy bunch as they returned to the relatively warm and safe confines of the seaQuest. Miguel and Tim carried Rosita between them, but seeing the condition of the two men, Deanna and Jess hurried over to relieve them. "She was in the water an awfully long time," Miguel said, casting a worried glance at Wendy. She didn't need to be psychic to see that he was unusually concerned. He didn't stray more than a foot from Rosita's side as they gently lowered her onto the gurney. "I think her ankle is broken or something too." Wendy looked her over, "She'll be fine, but I think we'd better get her to the Med bay right away." Wendy and Jess started pushing the gurney down the hallway while Deanna turned to Tim and Loni, "You two had better get into some dry clothes," she admonished them. "And you too," she put her hand on Miguel's shoulder to keep him from following Rosita to the Med bay. "But..." Miguel tried to protest, but Jess cut him off. "We can handle it, Chief," she said gently, "She'll be fine. Besides, look at you. You're shivering!" Yet Miguel remained rooted to the spot. Deanna looked over at Tim, hoping he could talk some sense into his friend, "Lieutenant, could you get the Chief to his quarters?" "Come on, Miguel," Tim began, "You can go to Med bay after." "Go," Rosita smiled weakly at him from the cot, "I'll be okay, really!" Miguel finally relented and followed Tim and Loni down the other hallway. * * * * * * Tim felt much better after a warm shower and a good meal. Of course Miguel had rushed off to the med bay as soon as he had wolfed down a few bites, but Tim decided he'd let his friend have some time alone with Rosita after a short visit just to she how she was doing. He had just settled down to read a book when he heard a gentle rapping on his open door. "So who is she?" Loni asked peering at him around the corner. Tim looked up from his book at his unexpected visitor. "What?" he asked, with a raised eyebrow. "She's his sister, right?" "Oh," Tim said, putting his book down, "Yeah. Older I think." "Not much though?" Tim was starting to realize just _why_ Loni knew more about the people on seaQuest than almost anyone else. "No, I think they're only about a year and a half apart. I've never met her before, but Miguel has talked about her." "They're pretty close?" "Well, the whole family is, I think. Huge family. I think those two are especially close though. At least that's the impression I got from things he's said." Loni looked thoughtful for a moment. "She'll be okay, won't she?" she asked, with an edge of concern in her voice. "Oh yeah," Tim said reassuringly. "I stopped by the Med bay for a few minutes. Wendy wants her to rest for a day or so. She's got a cast on her ankle, and she'll have to use crutches for a while, but other than that she's fine. We're just lucky it wasn't winter or something." "Well, that's a relief!" Loni paused, "Hmm..." "What?" "If she only has to rest for a day, she might be up and around... more or less... tomorrow afternoon." "And?" Tim asked. He wasn't always sure what she was getting at. "Miguel's birthday, silly! He could actually have part of his family at his birthday party... I know _I_ miss my family on special occasions." "Ah... I almost forgot." Now it was Tim's turn to look thoughtful, "You know, Loni, you could probably get some ideas from her for this party you're planning." Loni winked at him, "My thoughts exactly! Now we just have to convince Miguel that we have to be finished 'his' birthday party early. Got any ideas?" The following is a work of fan-fiction. The usual characters and the whole seaQuest premise are the property of NBC, Universal and Amblin. The story and the additional characters are my own. Some of the characters are being "portrayed" by volunteers from this list (thanks for volunteering folks!). Many thanks go to my friend Beth and my sister Wendy for their proof-reading and useful comments. Thanks also to my language expert, Sue, for all her help! jules Read at your own risk... MIGUEL'S BIRTHDAY STORY CHAPTER 5 Calling it a night at eight p.m. wasn't _exactly_ what Miguel had in mind, but his friends promised him that for his next birthday they would all stick around and play pool until "at least midnight" as Tim put it. Tim had been asked to give a presentation which he had to prepare for, Loni had an unexpected opportunity to visit her parents, who were in town on business, and apparently, Lucas had a date. Still, he had a great time. Angelo's was just the way Miguel remembered it, and even Loni had to admit that it was the best pizza she had ever tasted. Their pool session was a hoot. They did more laughing than playing, but he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. He even managed to put up with Tony hitting on his sister. As they stepped out of the pool hall into the warm summer evening, Miguel paused to wait for Rosita. His friend Tim stood beside him awkwardly for a moment before producing a rumpled brown paper bag from his jacket pocket. "I, um... got you something. Sorry it's not wrapped." Miguel held up the bag and studied it for a moment. "Looks wrapped to me," he replied as he opened it and looked inside. Reaching in, he pulled out a cube shaped plastic box. His eyes lit up when he realized what it was, "All right! The Abbot and Costello boxed set! Where on Earth did you find this?" "It wasn't so difficult. And I checked; 'Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein' is in there... third videodisk I think." "Thanks, Tim," Miguel replied, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "This is amazing..." Just then, Rosita and Loni emerged from the pool hall, followed closely by Tony and the others. "If he gets on your nerves too much, you could just deck him with one of your crutches," Loni was saying. "Hey! I'm just being friendly!" Piccolo protested, preparing to duck behind Dagwood. "Yeah sure, the same way mosquitoes are friendly!" Lucas quipped, "I think the word you're really looking for is annoying." "I'm hurt!" Piccolo put on his best fake pout, but he couldn't maintain it for more than about three seconds. He was used to a certain degree of ribbing from his friends in general, and he was in a pretty good mood to boot. Miguel's idea of a good time wasn't so bad after all. When they neared their transit stop, Miguel turned to face his friends, the golden glow of the setting sun at his back, catching in his dark curls. "Thanks, guys," Miguel grinned at their motley group, "I had a great birthday... even if you _do_ have to take off so early." "Well, actually..." Loni began, "there is one more thing we'd like to do tonight." Miguel shrugged, "Okay. What do you want to do?" "Follow me..." Tim said, heading around the corner. Miguel looked at Rosita and shrugged again. She barely suppressed a grin as she limped along beside him. As he rounded the corner, Miguel noticed a U.E.O. van parked along the sidewalk. A closer look showed that Commander Ford was sitting in the driver's seat next to Lieutenants Sue Thomas and Jim Brody. From the expression on the Commander's face as he observed their arrival, it was clear to Miguel that he had been waiting for them. "All right, everybody in," Ford called, leaning out the window. Miguel's brows drew together in confusion. "What's up Commander?" "Just come on, you'll see," Tim said, giving Miguel a gentle shove. Miguel's eyes narrowed as he turned slowly to look at Tim. Just a hint of a smile tugged at the corners of O'Neill's mouth. His other companions were doing their best to look innocent, but only Dagwood pulled it off with any success. In the face of such an obvious conspiracy, Miguel concluded that he had no choice but to go along with them. "Whatever you say..." he responded, as the seven of them climbed into the transport. * * * * * * Miguel peered out the window of the van once again. He had been surprised to find that rather than returning to the center of the city, they were actually heading farther out. In fact, it had been ten minutes since he last noticed any buildings, and now they were travelling through a wooded area. As he glanced to the west, he could see the faint twilight glow through the trees. Above him, the first stars were beginning to appear in the night sky. It reminded him of when he was a child and his whole family would pile into the van and go camping for his birthday. And just like those days, the transport was full of silly jokes and laughter. "Just think about it," Lucas was saying, "Sprinkle some 'Chia' seeds on the bio-skin and in two weeks - 'voila' - perfectly camouflaged submarine!" "Introducing the 'New, improved chiaQuest!!'" Brody added, in his best "television announcer's" voice. "Oh, no," Ford muttered, "this is one invention that should _never_ have been re-introduced to the innocent public." "Ch-ch-ch-CHIA!" Tony chirped for about the tenth time in five minutes. "If you don't cut that out, I'm _definitely_ going to have to deck you!" Sue said, poking Tony in the ribs. "Are we here now?" Dagwood asked as the van turned onto a side road, and slowed to a halt. "You bet, Dag!" Piccolo answered, "Last stop. Out you get, Birthday Boy!" he added, pulling the side door open and hopping out. Miguel followed him, and after helping Rosita out they all stepped through the trees and entered a clearing. Miguel stopped in his tracks in surprise at the sight that met him. There were roughly eight two and three-man tents of various types that Dianne and Shelia had set up around a crackling campfire. Bunches of brightly colored balloons and streamers nestled in the trees, illuminated by small camping lanterns that hung near them. On the far side of the campfire sat a huge picnic table, onto which Chrys and Veronica were piling an intriguing array of munchies. Various other members of the seaQuest crew were standing around in small groups engaged in conversation, or sitting around the campfire laughing and roasting marshmallows. Nibor looked up from an animated discussion with Dr. Smith. "Hey, everybody, the guest of honor is here!" he announced, as a cheer rose up from the assembled group. "Happy birthday, Mister Ortiz," greeted Captain Bridger as he gave the Sensor Chief a friendly slap on the back. "Thank you, Captain!" replied a somewhat dazed Ortiz. "Now, come along, and have a seat." As the Captain directed Miguel to a seat at the picnic table, Hoo lead the guests in a boisterous round of 'Happy Birthday.' Just as the last chorus was fading out, Rufio appeared from behind one of the tents carrying the most decadent looking chocolate cake Miguel had ever seen. Twenty six candles blazed brightly on on top, and at least as many smiling faces urged him to make a wish and blow them out. "Oh, wow..." was all he managed to say. And then he took a deep breath. The following is a work of fan-fiction. The usual characters and the whole seaQuest premise are the property of NBC, Universal and Amblin. The story and the additional characters are my own. Some of the characters are being "portrayed" by volunteers from this list (thanks for volunteering folks!). Many thanks go to my friend Beth and my sister Wendy for their proof-reading and useful comments. Thanks also to my language expert, Sue, for all her help! jules Read at your own risk... MIGUEL'S BIRTHDAY PARTY EPILOGUE "It's just like the one bisabuela made," Miguel said, gently running his fingers along the edge of the blanket spread out on the picnic table before him. He and Rosita were practically alone now. As the evening wore on, Captain Bridger, Commander Ford and several of the other crew members had returned to the city. Most of the other guests had retired to their tents. "Mama knit it, and I did the embroidery by looking at your baby pictures. Do you like it?" "Very much. I was pretty upset when the original went down with the first seaQuest." They sat for a moment in silence, and then Miguel leaned over to give his sister a heartfelt hug. "Gracias, Rosita." Rosita closed her eyes tightly against the threat of tears as she hugged him back. "I should be thanking you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You saved my life." "Hey, I _had_ to," Miguel replied, leaning back to look at her. Then he grinned, "Do you have any idea how angry mama would have been if I'd let you drown?" "Oh, very funny!" Rosita stood up from the table. "We'd better find our tents and get some sleep." "I guess..." Miguel said distantly, his attention drawn back to the little animals embroidered into the blanket. "Hey, wait a minute... Aren't these supposed to be tigers?" "They're kittens, Miguel," she replied with a grin, "They were _always_ kittens." THE END