What a lovely story. Thank you so much for your wonderful creativity and imagination. So glad I found this. Can't wait to have time to check out the rest of your work. I always loved Nathan and Kristin. Never understood why they didn't keep her on that show.

Lovely story. I enjoy the way you give Kristin a support group and bring them to life. Nice to see Carol as more than just a photograph - she would have had to be a strong lady to keep up with Nathan. And even strong people need a helping hand along the way. Very well written. Thanks for sharing.

Hello!
This is a...bit late. I'm very sorry about that. :\

But, after searching through your fics, I finally decided on this one! It was a hard decision, haha. I am completely fandom-blind to SeaQuest, no idea what the plot is or what. I only know two names: Kristin and Nathan. (who apparently are shipped together...eh no pun intended)

First off: I really, really enjoyed reading this one-shot. It had the feels, friendship, and some slight humor.

"-but there was an emergency at the hospital last night-" Oh, I didn't realize Kristin was a nurse...hmm.

"-hoping Kristin wouldn't ask any more pressing questions. "We're almost there, though. I promise."" I like Janet, hehe. She seems like a sweetie. I like how you didn't add a lot of nervous thinking on Janet's part. That one sentence was all you needed to instantly spark the reader's imagination of where Janet might be leading Kristin and how nervous Janet is feeling about Kristin's reaction, haha. ;) I do wonder where though...surprise party?

I don't know if The Navy Wives Club was actually canon, but I loved how you made a fanfic out of it, since clubs for military wives is an actual real thing. That's what drew me to this fic. The flashbacks you wrote to describe how the club was made...wow. The way you wrote it, I could feel Carol's emotions, being Navy wife and taking care of a baby, I think you wrote that down perfectly. Because that is how I would imagine it. The frustration of being mom, it hit me in the feels. Especially this line: "-I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I must be a terrible mother. All he does is cry."-"
She thinks she is in the wrong, because she has no idea what to do to help her son, but it's normal because all babies cry. I found it great that you included her difficulties of being alone and being, basically, a only mother. Hehe, it hit me in the feels...

"-: I refuse to sink." Wow...that is an amazing motto. That must have been one brillant necklace. It really brought it all together, it showed how close they all are to each, or how they try to be there for each other, they won't sink no matter what hardships they go through, and that was the inspirational touch I love in a story. :)

The ending...ah, you added a bit of Nathan. I like that. Even though I have no idea who they are, I think I ship them already, lol.

At first I didn't fully understand who Carol was...but you explained it at the end with the author's note. And that made the feels twice as worse! :')
You are dedicated to the characters, I could tell. The conversation flowed smoothly between all characters, you pay good attention to your characters, that's awesome. I saw no grammar errors, this is comfortable length for a one-shot. I don't read many long one-shots, but I definitely enjoyed this one. I must read some of your other stories...

Keep writing!
vortex

Hi, darkin! Fandom blind, but will do my best. :)

Love how it starts. It all begins with a phone call. Simple, but deep, since I can quickly relate with Kristin. :D She feels annoyed after getting woken up abruptly (sure, who doesn't want uninterrupted sleep after working overtime? ;P) and then feeling a tad guilty because it's a phone call from a friend.

The tension/mystery is very, very gripping. Like when Janet invites Kristin to Elizabeth's. Janet lies to Kristin and later hopes that Kristin won't be too angry when they arrive. This makes me wonder where they are going. Then it's revealed that they're heading to 'Navy Wives Club'. Now I wonder what it is, and it's so, so satisfying to learn the origins of this club afterwards.

The flashback just has the gripping tension/mystery. Especially regarding Carol. First, when Janet calls, Carol doesn't answer. [What if something bad had happened?] indeed. Then Carol isn't answering the door also...makes me really interested to know what is really happening. Then inside the house, it's messy. I'm even more hooked (and keep wondering if something bad has really happened to Carol indeed). Then it's revealed that Carol is okay, but she has problems. Bobby is not okay. He cries and can't sleep more than ten minutes at a time. Makes me wonder what's wrong with Bobby... Then turns out that he has a colic. Glad that there's Janet.

The heartwarming atmosphere is WOW! Why the 'Navy Wives Club' is built? It's to support the wives in the navy; to help them move through any obstacles they're facing. It came from Janet's experience with Carol. Janet helps Carol a lot. She helps the tired Carol to look after the colicky Bobby and tidy her house. That just shows their strong bond, not just as friends, but it's almost like...they're a family. Then Carol thinks of applying the concept of helping each other to other wives in the navy, which is just a very heartwarming reason for building the club. Everybody in the club will always be ready to help each other when needed. The club itself is a big family indeed, and it's so, so heartwarming!

And the ending is just brilliant. It's simple, but it loops/ties back to the beginning nicely. :D The dialogue between Kristin and Nathan is cute too, and the way they call each other (["Hello, gorgeous!"] and ["Hello, yourself, sailor."]) just cinched it.

Very well done! :)

Hey Darkin! I'm rather fandom blind so yeah ;)

And it seems that this story was a spinoff of another fanfic? However, from what I gather, Janet is a friend - pardon me if she's more than that, but yeah.

Now on to the review..

The beginning made me smile a little - Kristin really is a sweet character. So it started with a phonecall - quite a rather innocent beginning, and it continued to develop into quite the conversation between best friends, and I love how I could actually see their characters unfold throughout well-described interactions like

[thrilled to pieces - as the wedding planner]

and

[wanted Kristin's opinion on everything, she found it rather exhausting]

From here, I can actually see that Janet is really trying her hardest to be a very good friend to Kristin, who is extremely patient and sweet to her, and I can actually see the friendship between both rather contrasting characters. I see Kristin as the more reserved, but very kind person, but Janet is very bubbly, and really loves to be involved. The part where Janet subtly pushed the subject to the marriage made me smile a little too.

I also liked the last part where [I really hope I don't end up regretting this day], and it really leaves me asking what plans Janet has for her.

And it all came together at [told a tiny white lie] and [worried she never would have agreed to go].

One thing I found in this story, was the fact that the characters are really consistent, and the interactions well described. Kudos at that, Darkin.

However, I have a bit of soomething that bugged me a little. While I really liked how you built up the party slowly - such that Janet told an outright lie just to make surre to tag Kristin along - I feel that Janet doesn't strike me as a character to do such, truth be told. I guess you could have her tell just *part* of the truth, and not an outright lie. But all the same, it all adds to the stage for the big event coming later :)

And wow, the constant lies and bickering and suspicion. All the subtle suspense, it's clear that Janet is taking Kristin to some sort of party, and I must say I am really looking forward to Kristin's reaction to all of this.

And later, when they finally arrive, after everything. Kristin is wonderfully in-character here, especially from how nicely subdued and frightened she is from the little 'surprise' that Janet put her in. The part of [you poor thing], I really liked it. While Kristin is being subdued, she is being comforted by someone she apparently barely knows - and it settles this Navy Wives Club as a very, very close knit group supportive of each other.

Heartwarming indeed..

The history of it was really nice to see. I can totally see how with their husbands tied to the navy, they will be barely at home, and I can certainly see how bitter the ones they left behind will be. You really did hit the nail when you emphasised on the clear silent loneliness that some of these wives hold - not to mention the responsibility and stress they hold over their children. Also, there's no guarantee that their husbands will come back safe either, so I can see the situation. The tension in this flashback, and the conflict that got borne out of it is really well done. I really loved how throughout this, throughout Carol's tired ramblings and rants, Janet is there always to support her, and I found it rather heartwarming, and it speaks for their characters.

All of these build ups, make for a very viable reason for such a club, and I'm glad that you did the flashback to explain it - poorly-written others end up dragging out the story unnecessarily when trying explain plot points. And the flashback ends with a warm tone - and it neatly transitions back into present cleanly, nice.

Next scene where the pendant is given.. Well placed, and well written emotions absolutely make the scene.

The fact that it was Carol BRIDGER who thought up of it made it even more heartwarming - they really do

support each other no matter the circumstances.

And the ending, while it ended at a rather nice touch with Nathan - I thought the part of [I think it's time to eat, don't you?] already made for a perfect ending. It was all built up to that point, while the Nathan part seemed to be simply 'added' in, so to speak.

But that's just my opinion, yeah ;)

In conclusion, really good interactions, VERY consistent characters, and my oh my, really beautiful subtle emotions, with great development and silent suspense. Though, could be shortened in some areas and that bit of weirdness in Janet telling an outright lie which caught me a little offguard, but yeah.

In terms of SPaG, I can't see anything, really.

Great story, Darkin. 'Tis was a pleasure to read this.

Regards
Art

Hi hi Darkin! I’m not canon-blind at all, but I do wish I could’ve read this earlier. I seriously couldn’t stop smiling the entire way through. The humour, the tension, the friendship, everything was fantastic.

I love the beginning and how it starts so causally having Kristin getting woken up by a phone call. Like all of us, being woken up via phone call isn’t the best, especially when you worked all night. I was expecting something like “whoever this is better have a good reason to call because I’m going to kill you for waking me up is early” or something like that, hehe, but I was glad she stopped herself at the sight of her friend. Kristin is a kind soul, even if someone woke her up. But she did have that side everyone has: […frustrated groan. “I really hope I don’t end up regretting this day”…] which give her more character.

[…Kristin answered with a smile, looking bright-eyed and bushy tailed, and wearing the sundress…] I love people like this. Even though they’ve had a rough night, they still greet the day brightly and fully. They aren’t going to walk around in a slump and wear clothes that would say, “I’ve had a hell of a night/morning, don’t speak to me.” This is really good characterization of Kristin, and if someone reads this canon-blind, they’ll get a good idea of who Kristin is a person.

[“Yes, well, about that…] LOL, I can tell Janet is nervous. She’s trying so hard to keep this a secret and Kristin keeps pushing and pushing her. Love the humour in this scene; I couldn’t stop giggling at Janet and Kristin’s reaction at each other.

The wives seem so welcoming. I could tell Kristin wasn’t very optimistic about it at first commenting: [I’m just…a little uncomfortable.]. She’s placed in an unknown environment. It’s like placing a species in a different ecosystem. It’s going to take some time to adapt. And you’ve shown the mood so well in this.

And then you created so much tension in this: [Maybe Carol just wasn’t home, but she couldn’t help but worry about her.] I’m immediately thinking something bad happened to Carol and this story was going to take a bit of a dark turn. But then here: [Carol, looking disheveled and exhausted…] made me breath in relief. Loved the conflict here between Janet and Carol. Janet is trying to help, but Carol seems to be too tired to even think straight to answer clearly. Janet doesn’t seem to give up on her friend, and I love the commitment, and the support Janet gave to make Carol her feel better. Warms my heart. If that isn't true friendship, I don't know what is.

Very good character development at the end with Kristin. She finally feels more at home since she heard the story and was given the necklace. But then here: [Hello, yourself, sailor.] was just the best. Some flirty words and a voice from your favourite person is a perfect way to end the day.

Well done, Darkin!
-Sapphire

Hello, darkin! Still painfully fandom blind, but since I really enjoy the way you write, I'm going to check this story out. Congrats on the SOTW. :3

I'm already smiling by the end of the first, introductory scene. I know Kristin from the other story I've been (slowly) reading, so it was easy for me to attach to what was going on. Not knowing canon, I absolutely adore how the information I need is mostly presented in dialogue, but that the dialogue doesn't fall into the "Well, you know, Bob, that the sky is that big, blue thing over our heads when we're outside." trap. It's natural, with a good flow and a sprinkling of humor.

I found it funny that Janet was talking about details and "crunch time" after hearing that Kristin was working in a hospital. I expected it to be about work, somehow, but then Kristin says this: ["I'm well aware of that, but I also told you I frankly don't care. Considering this is a second marriage for both of us,"] and I went, OH! Haha! It's a wonderful way to quickly showcase the completely different personalities of these two women. I have the feeling Kristin would only say "crunch time" if it was work-related.

One of the things I love about books and stories is that there is more than one kind of tension and conflict. The most obvious and easiest is something that involves straight-up action. A little shoot-'em-up will always have the audience riveted. But here: [Janet felt a stab of guilt, since she'd told a tiny white lie...but if Kristin had known the truth, Janet worried she never would have agreed to go.] This is actually my favorite sort of tension. Internal. A character struggling with a decision or actions that she herself has put in place. It makes Janet more real, and by proxy, Kristin, too. It's clear how much Janet cares for Kristin, but at the same time there are social mores that can't be laid aside, even for someone who is so adamant against a party (I'm just guessing at this point that that is indeed where Janet is taking her). I just hope there's food . . . See? I care about Kristin being hungry and possibly being angry with her friend and I'm hoping it turns out okay. So far, there's no guarantee of that, and I'm tense (in a good way) because of that. Conflict introduced: Like a boss.

[Kristin had met him and his wife, Elizabeth, a handful of times at various UEO functions, but she didn't know either very well.] Ah, see, I really appreciate this. I wondered, see, when Janet said "Elizabeth's," because I'm a naturally suspicious person and I was surprised that Kristin didn't immediately pipe up asking if Janet meant a friend they both know. Now I see why she didn't and I didn't even have to wait long. *thumbs up*

Each scene of this story, which is really just POV switching since it's all so seamless and unnoticeable, opens up whole vistas of emotions. I suddenly, immediately, and clearly got what's going on when Kristin told me about the decor (I have a bad habit of forgetting story titles as soon as I start reading) and I swear, I got tears in my eyes, because how cool is this?! A club for the wives of military men - a group of women who could and will support each other. And here: [The older woman put an arm around her shoulders] - I don't know why, but I had already gotten the impression that Janet was older. Maybe it was the way she talked, or that she wanted to do the wedding planning but isn't going off like a twenty-something, or the fact that she organized THIS . . . it's nice to have my hunch confirmed in such a natural way.

[It was Bobby fussing, so that meant he was all right at least.] Okay. Remember when I was babbling about tension earlier? I've seriously been sitting here all apprehensive that Janet was going to find that Bobby was NOT okay, or maybe that Carol wasn't. I had to convince myself to keep reading, that maybe it wasn't going to be that bad, and it isn't (thank goodness). I was really frightened for a few minutes there! It takes skill to do that to a reader, so whatever you did here, keep doing it. I'm not sure I could put my finger on it because it was such a gradual thing.

Yeah, so I cried during the flashback. Maybe hitting a little close to home, so I'm going to have to skip critiquing it . . . unless bringing me to tears is a good enough compliment? :3

I love the pendant! That's a nice touch. Is it canon?

This is a truly touching story, and it's amazingly well thought-out and presented. I definitely didn't need to know the fandom. These women are real - they are in our families, they are our neighbors, they are perfect strangers, and I think you brought them to life beautifully.

Anne

Janet Noyce is a closed book to me, I'm afraid, but I gather that she's an older friend of Kristin's.

Almost ten a.m. and Kristin got to sleep at one in the morning? I'm afraid my reaction is: lucky Kristin to get nine hours' sleep :-p

Poor lady, it sounds as if she is going to get an elaborate wedding ritual despite her express wishes to the contrary...

"lunch did sound rather harmless, and she also knew Janet wouldn't take no for an answer" - lunch? Janet said "crunch", not lunch :-)
But seriously, I was a bit confused as to why Kristin was interpreting a 10am request for a decision on wedding cake and flowers (or even a 'last hurrah') as a harmless-*sounding* reference to lunch - lunch hadn't actually been mentioned!

"Janet waved a hand" - thus neatly indicating that it really is a "vid-phone" conversation :-)

"Before Kristin could offer a reply, Janet cut the link" - given that Janet appears to be ignoring every request we've seen Kristin make (to keep the wedding simple, not to bother her with wedding details, and not to arrange a bachelor party for her), she isn't coming across to me as terribly sympathetic at this stage :-(
I feel as if the wedding is being run more for Janet's benefit than for Kristin's...

"Much to her surprise, Kristin answered with a smile" - this is a bit surprising, given her groans at the end of the previous scene: but we're in Janet's head now, so have no idea why she sounds so much more cheerful!

Kristin is "starving", only "thirty minutes later" than "almost ten on a Saturday"? Well, I suppose she probably hasn't had any breakfast.

"Once Kristin saw they were driving out of town, she'd know something was up" - Janet definitely *is* up to one of the things Kristin asked her not to do :-(

"hoping Kristin wouldn't ask anymore pressing questions" - "anymore" looks wrong to me (unless this is an American usage): shouldn't this be "any more", i.e. "wouldn't ask any further questions"?

"I'd completely forgotten I needed to pick something up from Liz" - given that Janet has just told her they're going to an unknown eatery called "Elizabeth's", is Kristin *really* going to fall for this?
Well, assuming she's not being heavily ironic in the following scene, it looks as if she is.

"I'd really like to thank Janet personally before we begin" - I was actually expecting Kristin to start shouting (or the under-the-breath equivalent) at this point! But presumably this *doesn't* fit the bill of "surprise party" because in fact it's a gathering of people she barely knows: in fact, if they're all Janet's friends and contemporaries, like Elizabeth McGath they're probably pretty senior in position, which explains why the whole thing is starting to look a bit nerve-racking :-(

"Will you please try to have a good time" "You know I can" - as with the harmless sound of lunch, the wording here seems phrased as an answer to a question that wasn't actually asked. "I can..." what? "You know I can try to have a good time" is an odd response, in context.

"You poor thing, you look like a deer caught in headlights" - well, at least she isn't being expected to appear *on* the stage under the banner with her name on it!
Now, Liz *is* coming across as comforting, although I'm not sure I've forgiven Janet yet... (and why on earth *didn't* she just tell Kristin what was going on in the first place?)

"a projector screen lowered from the ceiling" - wait, what ceiling? The stage was "in the backyard", which sounds like outdoors...

Given that both Kristin and Nathan Bridger are stated to have been married before, I assume Carol Bridger is the first wife and Bobby is his son?

1989: so about thirty years earlier, and Janet is a young mother. Which makes the 'Bill' who is out sailing with Nathan presumably the father of Bill Jr. I'm not certain if Carol is actually Janet's sister or Nathan her brother, or if the 'Aunt' and 'Uncle' are just courtesy titles because the two men are friends...
"Janet had known her since shortly before she and Nathan got married" - right, that rules out the 'sister' possibility :-)

"Janet cautiously made her way up the stairs, trying to mentally prepare herself for what she might see" - after all this build-up, the unlocked door, Janet's reluctance to let her children see upstairs, and not knowing what happened to Nathan's first marriage, I was seriously anticipating the reveal of some gruesome murder scene at this point! When Carol appeared with her baby, completely unharmed, it was a real relief :-)

But the disasters are purely domestic ones (written from personal experience? Not something I have any familiarity with, mercifully).

My jaw did drop as much as Carol's at the suggestion that she should "take the rest of the day off", though - I hadn't considered that as even a possibility! But of course with an experienced mother to add the baby to her collection (and the rest of her day free to help with the clearing-up) it can work.

"There was a military wives' group near the base, but I never joined" - ah, so this is the explanation for what's going on :-)
And it makes sense that the 'club' isn't an idea pulled out of the blue but is simply an extension of something that she has seen working elsewhere: it doesn't require Carol to be an inspired genius but simply to be a little less sleep-deprived!
Ironic that Kristin is now to be the beneficiary of an institution set up by her husband's original wife, though...

"I refuse to sink" - definitely an apt inscription!

I don't actually think that Kristin has anything to apologise for here, though (which makes her abjectness rather uncomfortable): she wasn't rude, and there was no reason that I can see for Janet to lie about where they were going :-(

"she'd also bonded with Carol Bridger in a way she'd never dreamt imaginable. Oh, Nathan spoke about her at times, but she never really felt she knew her until now... She felt very blessed and hoped that Carol knew what a precious gift she'd given her" - I'm guessing from this that Nathan is indeed a widower.

"Hello sailor"? :-D

Ah, and this is the traditional circular ending, where the story closes on the opening narration of the beginning :-)

Hi, Darkin! Rhino here –hugs- I am not completely fandom blind anymore thanks to reading your story “Angels At War”, but please forgive me any canon ignorance.
Right from the beginning, Janet seems to be a very extroverted person – after all she did appoint herself as Carol’s wedding planner! But she is obviously not selfish about it, since she allowed Kristin to have the final say in all bridal matters.
In theory, I’m with Kristin on the eloping subject. It would appear to be much less stressful than a full-blown wedding with all the trimmings.
When Janet replied “All right, I won’t” I had flashbacks to my childhood, where one of our cardinal rules was “Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer.” This applied to implied questions as well as spoken ones. What a giggle!
I wonder why Janet was so afraid to tell Kristin where they were going. What was it the she was afraid of? Surely, Kristin would have realised how important a support group would be. Maybe, even though she realised the importance of Kristin knowing that part of Nathan’s life, she was scared of showing Carol in a less than stellar light.
Enough of speculation. Time for some specifics.
I love the enthusiasm of Bill Junior. It was sweet that he wanted to visit Bobby and show him the baseball glove. And the “eat, sleep, cry and poop” comment just shows how observant he is. He is also obedient and doesn’t mind looking after his little sister. He sounds like the perfect child to me.
I can totally understand Carol’sdespair. When you are sleep-deprived, every sound is a million times louder, and every job seems to take ten times longer to complete. She must have felt like she was drowning in the mess, and couldn’t decide where on earth to start getting her house back in order. Been there, done that. There comes a point where you just need someone to come in and give you a starting point – in this case, her priority was sleep. Once that and the tears were accomplished, then she could think clearly again.
Thank goodness for Janet.
Thanks for writing this wonderful piece of family and friendship goodness!

Fandom-blind freebie review coming your way, just because. :)

I think you've done a really skillful job of establishing exposition in the opening scene-I liked that you jumped right in with dialogue while spotlighting Kristin's personality right away in the narrative (loved the untimely demise line), and I got a really clear sense of both Kristin's and Janet's speech patterns and demeanors from the dialogue you gave each of them. (Which I especially appreciate given that my only prior exposure to seaQuest is reading half of a WIP and hearing about it in Glitters. ;]) Really nice balance between establishing your plot right away and then working in relevant background details (the engagement, Janet as wedding planner, their friendship) naturally as they come up in the conversation between the two.

You say "Kristin groaned inwardly" and then "Kristin cringed inwardly" in noticeably close proximity to each other at the beginning of the fic (as well as her shuddering at the memory of the car crash, which isn't similar wording straight-up, but it still feels a little redundant)-might want to consider some word choice variety there.

'last harrah' - I think this should be "hurrah."

The "bright-eyed and bushy-tailed" line felt a little cliched, and this entire scene felt a little too short to me-totally makes sense not to inflate your word count for no reason if it only takes so much room to accomplish what the scene needs to accomplish, but it almost felt relatively unnecessary since not much plot-wise happens before it's over. I WILL say, though, that I really liked the line "Janet felt a stab of guilt, since she'd told a tiny white lie...but if Kristin had known the truth, Janet worried she never would have agreed to go." - Definitely piqued my interest to see where exactly Janet is taking her and what she's referring to here, so nice job on heightening intrigue in this bit.

I like how easy the dynamic is between Janet and Kristin-first with Janet waking her up but especially here on the road where Kristin is lamenting how little she cares about the plans Janet is putting together and insisting on talking to her about. You've done a really great job conveying how close and comfortable with each other these friends are.

Nice suspense buildup again with Janet trying to distract Kristin and then half-lying about where they're going, and then Janet's completely cornered reaction when Kristin immediately figures out what she's up to once they arrive at Arthur and Elizabeth's place. (The "Of course not, it's a get-together" bit was really funny, by the way!)

"We don't know that yet. She might decide she likes baseball when she's a little older. " - Good parenting is good. ;D And cute, realistic, funny characterization of Ginny and the family dynamic with "Mess, Mama."

I'm normally not a fan of flashbacks, but I think you pulled it off really well here-it felt natural to bridge into one with Janet turning on the projector and telling Kristin straight-up that they're about to launch into some background information, and it's nice to see inside Janet's head a little bit more. Plus you've managed to give a really comprehensive look at what life is like married to a seaQuest member in a relatively short space. It was so sweet seeing Janet taking care of Carol and helping her out with new motherhood, too.

I love how clearly Bill Jr.'s personality comes out in dialogue with Janet and Carol, and I found a lot of his lines REALLY entertaining, like the entire bit not understanding that babies can't play sports and the "Good, because that's what Mom made" spaghetti line.

The ending of the story is so sweet, right down to your closing lines where she trails off filling Nathan in on the club and everything that happened that day. I had to do some googling about Carol because I did find it confusing (was she physically there? why did Kristin describe it to Nathan as getting to know her? etc.), but that's entirely because of me being fandom-blind, I think, and not a reflection on your writing, so ignore me. Well done, lovely!

Hi there! I’m the one who is going to be giving this story a review today! You know I’m a bit fandom blind but that it never stops me any heh if I miss something or don’t get it, just feel free to correct me :)

Aw, I actually really like this piece. I didn’t get at first why you were calling it the Navy Wives Club with the way you had things all setup in the beginning. I really thought this was going to turn into some sort of bridal shower or something for Kristin with someone along the way remembering another shower that they’d given to Carol. Boy, was I wrong! I thought the way you bridged this and introduced Kristin to Carol and how this Club came about was really fantastic. I’m not a Mom myself, but I helped take care of my brother after he was born. There was my Mom and I both to take care of him and it was still a daunting and exhausting task. So thinking about Carol, a first time Mom, who is left alone because Nathan has to be away at sea, with a difficult baby (who she finds out later is colicky)? Really hit home. And I love that it became a Club because there are many Moms in the world who end up feeling like they are terrible mothers or ‘failures’ because they aren’t ‘perfect’. Well, here they can see that they aren’t. They just have more on the plate than one person can do alone.

I can imagine that a bride has this: ((She'd almost wished she and Nathan had decided to elope so she wouldn't need to deal with it all.)) exact wish all the time (well, maybe not Bridezillas, but normal brides at least).

(("I still need your opinion on the cake and the flowers. It won't take long, and besides, since the boys are out having their last harrah, I thought we should do the same," she said, giving her friend a hopeful look.))—Yes, if the boys can have their last harrah, so should the girls! Equality here! Boys have fun—girls have fun. Period.

((Janet smiled. "Well, you need to have the wedding before you can focus on the honeymoon."/"Oh, you're such a killjoy," she teased. "But as I told you, I trust your tastes. You know what I like."))—I really love the dialogue between Janet and Kristin. It’s clear that they are friends and that they are close.

((The women all did so, and Kristin noticed Elizabeth sat next to her. Liz took her hand in hers and gave it a squeeze./"You poor thing, you look like a deer caught in headlights," she whispered.))—the connection between Elizabeth and Kristin here is wonderful. I love that she’s trying to be supportive, to be understanding of how Kristin must feel, how overwhelmed she is at that time and is offering support and comfort through a simple touch. People don’t always know how much a touch can mean to someone who feels like a fish out of water. It can literally be the lifeline they need to pull themselves back together.

(("Can we go visit Bobby? I wanna show him my new baseball glove."/Janet placed Ginny in her high chair and put a handful of Cheerios on the tray for her to munch on. "Bobby's only a few weeks old, sweetie. He's too little to play baseball."))—The hominess and ‘mommy’ aspect of this passage is just heart melting. I love the image that I get in seeing Janet with this little baby in a high chair, waving chubby fists and picking up Cheerios that she gums and smashes into the tray. And Bill Jr. is a typical kid in my mind, excited for there being a boy around but not realizing that he’s not old enough to yet appreciate things like baseball gloves. It’s just a sweet, sweet image of how life is.

((Bill Jr. glanced to his sister and shook his head. "But Ginny's a girl. She likes dolls, not baseball."))—LOL boy logic at work!

((Janet shook her head. "We don't know that yet. She might decide she likes baseball when she's a little older. But what I meant was that when she was a baby, she didn't do much of anything either, did she?/"Except eat, sleep, cry, and poop," Bill Jr. replied.))—Ah, the wordliness of a child! XD
Aw, this here: (("And I helped." Bill Jr. stood up a little straighter, looking chuffed.)) is really adorable because it’s so much like a kid. They get this inflated bit of pride when they are able to help an adult do something. I can imagine Bill Jr. standing there with his tiny fists on his hips, his chest all puffed out and this big look of pride on his face for having helped Mommy clean up and make dinner for Auntie Carol.

Now here: (("Well, if you want to, that is. Now that I can think straight, though, I know I definitely want to start a club or something."/"You mean like a support group?")) is when I began to see what you were meaning about the Navy Wives Club. Seeing what poor Carol was going through, the sleeplessness, the struggle with trying to get Bobby to sleep, her frazzled mental state and feelings of being alone, abandoned and without help? It made sense that she would want to start a club or something for others who could be suffering like her and feeling as if they are inadequate because of it. Not everybody has a friend who can come to their aide and lend them a hand during times like this. Not all women have someone else there to help them with raising their child. So Carol logically deduces that what is needed is a support system for women to help them cope with these difficult times. For me, this works to show the sort of woman that Carol is. She’s a woman of logic and reason, truth and compassion. She sees there’s a potential problem and sets about fixing it so that others won’t have to suffer as she’d been suffering.

(("And that's why we've invited you...because you will have times when you feel alone and need a shoulder to cry on. We want to be here for you if you ever need."))—This just reaffirms for me how lonely the life of a military wife can be. They have to spend months away from their spouse. They have to defend hearth and home, take care of their children and handle the normal stressors of everyday life. Alone. Yet amongst these women, Kristin won’t have to feel as alone as she might feel otherwise. She’ll have a support system of women who understand, who know exactly what is going through her head and can help her with finding a way to cope with Nathan being gone.

For me, this: ((Kristin's hand trembled slightly as she did so, and inside was a sterling silver anchor pendant on a chain. On the front of the anchor was a small inscription: I refuse to sink.)) is just a powerful message. It’s an empowerment message that says I will be strong no matter how hard the winds blow, or the water slams against me. It’s a reminder to never give into despair or fear.

In all, I really enjoyed this story and thought it was quite lovely. Absolutely fantastic job as always m’dear!

I'm baaaack :) Um, got no idea who Janet is, but nonetheless I shall be brave!

Oh, gosh, how I identify with Kristin and dragging herself out of bed to answer the vid-phone. How many of us have been rudely awoken by phone calls after long nights? Love how Kristin actually goes so far as to picture the person's [untimely demise] lol yep, I have done that as well *nod*

The conversation between Janet and Kristin sounds like something my bestie and I would have. She's always up for planning parties and extravagant events and I'm like 'um, no'. But nonetheless, I'm very interested in seeing how things unfold with this party...if there really is one!

[if Kristin had known the truth] JANET, YOU SNEAKY GAL, YOU! What you got planned up your sleeve over there? *suspicious eyez* haha Janet thinking on her feet with 'Elizabeth's' - clever. I wouldn't be able to just up and white lie like that!

What a lovely picture you paint here with the room where this little event is taking place, Darkin. I kind of feel a sense of coziness reading about it, but maybe that's just me. Now you've got me totally hooked on what's about to happen here *scoots to edge of seat*

I was just about to say 'wait, isn't Carol-' and now I'm like 'ooooooohhhhh!' *gets tissues* I can tell is probably gonna touch some feelz. And after this beginning, I am suddenly worried about Carol along with Janet, too. I do hope she's all right!

My goodness...the poor dear! I can't imagine how stressed and frayed her nerves must be. Thank the Heavens Janet's there to help out and I am totally a fan of her character for doing such a kind thing. Carol, go and get rest now! *points*

So that's how the Navy Wives Club started! I have to say, this flashback was a GREAT way to tell the origins of this wonderful support group! We women need to stick together and I'm glad to see that there's a group that's so willing to take Kristin into the fold. The powerful vibes of womanly love and power that I got in this piece is just outstanding. Well done, Darkin! *applause*

This is totally going on my faves list! Catch you later, friend!

Love the idea of this story! Carols usually giving a fleeting mention in most N/K fics; so this is a pretty cool idea!
(also have you seen Boomers yet? SB is ace in it as expected)

As one of those Janet fans, I have to say YAY for a girls-day-out style friendship story! Though you surprised me in one way when I got the sneak peek in my email—I wasn't expecting Carol to be involved in it. I do, however, love the unique way you had Kristin get to know her. And, of course, as their oldest friends, the Noyces would have to be involved one way or another—which brings us to this tale.

Great beginning with the vidphone wake-up call—good friend or not, I'd be as grumpy as Kristin, and she has even more of an excuse since she had to work super-late in an emergency scenario. Poor teenagers :/

["Please, don't tell me you've planned a party."
"All right, I won't,"] - :snickersnort: you walked into that one, Kristin.

Serious LOL at Janet's flimsy excuses to get Kristin to come into the McGath's backyard with her—a three year old could see through that, Janet :P and I don't blame her for being anxious after she has her moment of temper at Janet. Not only are these women near-strangers (like McGath's wife) or total strangers, there's that whole military vs science tension canon element—and of course it was only seen among crewmembers in canon, but I bet anything that offscreen, those same tensions were passed on to their respective families and caused judging here and there on both sides. Really, really great way to touch on that element without coming right out and saying it. :)

I really, really like the flashback scenes, especially Bill Jr's lines throughout—totally in character for a child his age, such as the "I've been calling you for twenty minutes" and "well, it's been a long time" when Janet tells him it's only been five minutes. And though I've never had kids, I've heard how colic can be such a frustrating thing to deal with—so Carol's upset and frustration with baby Bobby being super-colicky is so realistic, as is her being bitter that Nathan can't be there. I like how Janet helps to calm her down, reassuring her that it's not her fault, that she is not a failure as a mother and so forth. Only thing I'm surprised at is that it took Janet to tell her Bobby was colicky—I thought doctors clued pregnant women/new moms into that possibility?

And I just LOVE the pendant and its inscription, as well as the concept of how the wife is the anchor of the Navy family. The ending scene with Nathan's call wraps it up wonderfully. As always, so well done :)

Great story! Of course you know I love that Nathan and Kristin were engaged and I adore her friendship with Janet. The bit about Carol was surprising yet it was a really nice touch. I can only imagine the life of a Navy wife. It must be very lonely. The club makes perfect sense.