Katja Pt. 09

Then he told him, "She did this type of work before she had all her problems. She was an Executive Assistant and she did everything you were talking about and more. I was actually thinking about using her when I start out there, but that's a year away. You however could use her now."

"That's a very interesting idea Erik, and also a nice thing to do for her considering. When could I meet her?"

Erik thought about it, "Why don't you and Victoria stop by for lunch or dinner tomorrow? You can meet her and see what you think?"

Geoff laughed, "Well, a meal and a chance of finding someone who can keep everything in line. Who can refuse that? Let's make it dinner."

Erik laughed also, "Dinner it is, I'll see if I can get Tony to make his grilled chicken, I know how much you like that."

"Trying to bribe me Erik?" Geoff asked laughing.

"No sir, absolutely not. Well, maybe a little, but I do think you'll be satisfied with her." Erik replied.

"I'm only joking Erik, I trust you. If you say she's good, she's good." Geoff said seriously. "We'll see you tomorrow.

"Yes sir, oh, maybe you should bring it up. She's a little, I don't know the word, with me trying to help her. Like a little brother, shouldn't being doing this or something. This really isn't coming out right. I can't explain it really, it's just something I'm sensing."

"No problem Erik, I think I know what you mean. Something like, since she's your older sister, she be taking care of you."

"I think so sir, she's gone through hell for the past few years with no one she could turn to. Now I come back into her life and I'm solving problems for her left and right. But it's the...

"Right thing to do." Uncle Geoff said. "I know you to well, Erik. Don't worry, I know what to do."

"Thank you Uncle Geoff, I appreciate it."

Geoff laughed, "Your more than welcome nephew, after all, it's not every day I get a new niece."

Erik laughed again and hung up. Then he looked at the book case and the TV stand, the book case should be okay, but the stand was a little ragged. Then he decided he'd just get all new, this way when she gets her own place, she could just take it with her. He would need to empty the room out anyway to change it to the kids' room until the house was built.

He came back into the house and saw that he was right on time. Katja was carrying the pizza into the kitchen and Helen had their glasses.

Erik hugged and kissed Katja then said, "Uncle Geoff says hello. I invited him and Victoria over for dinner tomorrow. He called me to ask a question and I told him that Helen was here. He said he'd like to meet her, so I said come to dinner."

Katja smiled, "That's sounds like fun." Then she turned to Helen. "You'll love our uncle and his mate Victoria, she's the reporter that did the first story on us. Then she and uncle Geoff kind of hit it off, I believe the phrase is. That article you saw was hers and they probably reprinted out by you."

Helen looked a little apprehensive, "Since we have people coming over, maybe you have something I can borrow to wear? We're about the same size."

Katja smiled, "I'd love to be able to help you Helen, but it might be a tiny bit of a problem." She stood and turned to flick her tail back and forth. She laughed saying, "Unless you don't mind a hole in the back of it."

Helen put her hand in front of her mouth to hide her giggle. "Yes, I see what you mean."

Erik sighed, dropped his slice of pizza on the plate, then said, "Goddess give me strength."

"Katja, tomorrow morning, take Helen to that store you like, she can drive, I've got something to do myself. Make it a "Girls day or whatever it's called, go shopping, go to the salon, I remember you said you wanted me to take you. This way you can both get done whatever you want. Hell, ask Ariel to join you too. Maybe you can get it across to her, cause apparently I'm not."

He walked out of the room and went out to the living room.

Helen looked after him her eyes shiny with tears. She went to stand and follow him but Katja said, "Don't Helen, leave him be for few minutes."

Then Katja took her hand and said, "He'll be all right in a moment. He's not mad, he's just upset because you won't let him help you. Please take this the way I mean it, and not how it will sound, my English is better now, but sometimes it doesn't come out right."

She looked at Helen and said, "You don't know him right now. He is totally different than when you did know him, or at least that's what Tony told me. He wants to help you because it's the right thing to do. Your family and family is everything, his thought is, since I can help, I will. He gets upset when he can't and he can't understand why you won't accept it."

"I know what you've been through, I maybe can't understand well, we don't have things like that happen, but I do know. You've been on your own, with no one to turn to. Well that's over now my sister, you have a family again and family's help one another. "

Katja squeezed her hand, "Erik feels it his duty to help others out who need it, because of him, our people are where we are today. I'm sure that you've seen or read about everything we were going through and how it was fixed."

Helen nodded that she had.

Katja smiled, "What they didn't tell everyone, and never will, is that it happened because of Erik and what he did. He is highly regarded by both our governing body and you own because of what he did, he was even offered a job in your President's aides office. You should never repeat this to anyone, I really shouldn't have told you, but your family and you needed to know.

Helen looked at her stunned by what she said. Then Katja continued, "Now, you need to tell me why you won't let him help you. Then maybe I can help explain it to him."

Helen wiped the tears from her eyes, then said, "I think the main reason is, when our mother died, that left me as the oldest. It was my responsibility to handle things and "Take care" of my little brother. But then, all the other things happened and I failed to do that."

She wiped at her eyes again, "Now, here comes my little brother back in my life and he's taking care of me. And it's all happening with like a snap of his fingers, like it was so easy."

Katja had thought it would be something like this, but it wasn't that simple, Helen was a lot like Erik. She said, "Okay, I understand that, it was the proper thing to want to do. We however, don't always look at it like that, and Erik has become more like us. We also think that if the oldest can't take care of things, other family members help. That's all that Erik is doing. As I said, family is everything, even if it's not "Real" family. Let me give you an example."

"When Erik and I met, he protected me from a drunken human that was getting nasty with me. Then he offered to buy me lunch to show that not all humans were like that. After that, we were Mated in three days, that would be married in human terms if you didn't know. We have the ability of sensing our perfect mate, for when we mate, we mate for life. What happen to you is unbelievable to one of us, something like that would never happen."

"Afterwards, since I was moving in here with him, my roommate Ariel was sad that we wouldn't be together anymore, we were more like sisters. So, what does Erik do, he goes up to her and says, "You are my mates' friend and sister, that makes you my sister also. I want you to move in to our house, we have plenty of room. This way neither of you will be sad."

"Then he said to both of us, "Make a list up of what you want change or add, this is your house to. I want you to be at home." Then he also added things to Ariel's room to make it better, a TV, desk, chairs and a computer to make it easier for her to learn things."

Helen looked her in disbelief as she told her all this. Then Katja finished with, "Now my sister, if he did that for someone he knew for three days, because he thought of her as sister, what do you think he would do for his real sister now that you are together again?"

Helen looked at Katja and the tears started to flow. She put her face in her hands and sobbed. Katja knew that this was good, she would get it all out of her system. She stood and lifted Helen up, then hugged her, then she purred as she stroked her back.

Erik was heading back in when he heard Helen start to sob. He saw Katja holding her and smiled as he heard her purring. Katja smiled at her mate and nodded as she turned Helen around and she saw Erik's arms out for her. Helen sobbed once more and leapt into his arms.

Erik held her until she calmed down and lifted her head up and asked her. "You okay now sis? Will you please let me help you?"

Helen nodded trying to smile, then said, "I'm sorry Erik...."

Erik put a finger to her lips, "You don't need to be sorry and there's no need to apologize. You only do that when you do something wrong, you did nothing wrong." He kissed her cheek.

"You're my sister, I love you, and we want to help you. That's how things work around here, you need help, someone helps you. Especially when its family."

Then he held out his hand to Katja. She smiled and came over to hug him. "Isn't that right kitten?" Katja grinned and kissed him.

Helen watched the two of them together. She hoped that one day she could find that kind of love.

Erik looked at her, "Don't worry sis, you will."

Helen looked at him stunned, "How did you what I was thinking?"

Erik and Katja laughed, then he said, "Well, I could see the look on your face and your body language yelled it out and I could sense it." Then he grinned and said, "There's not many secrets around here. You're not ready for that yet."

Then he sat her down in her chair and grabbed another slice for himself. They finished eating and Erik said, "Ariel and Tony should be back soon, I have to convince him to make his chicken since uncle Geoff loves it. Oh, Helen, that's another thing, don't be surprised when he calls you niece. You're going to like him and Victoria."

Katja smiled, "Yes, I think you will to. He is more like a father to me then uncle."

Then Helen asked, "Your parents aren't here also?"

Katja shook her head no, "There still on the home world, I think. I sent them a message to let them know they're going to be grandparents, but it takes a while to get one back and forth. They hadn't decided if they are coming here or not."

Then she smiled, "I do have a brother here, he's in Australia with one of the other ships. He's coming here next month out to the town we're converting to our use. So, we'll see him then, he hasn't met Erik yet."

They were just finishing up when Erik heard the front door open and close. He smiled, "Ariel and Tony are back."

Then he heard Ariel say, "They must in the kitchen, I smell pizza."

Then he heard Tony laugh saying, "You can smell pizza from a mile away babe."

They were still laughing as they walked in. Ariel laughed, "See you big ape, I told I smelled pizza."

Erik laughed as he held out the box to her, there was two slices left. Ariel took one and kissed Erik. "I knew my brother would save me a slice." She smiled in pleasure as she bit into it. Then she looked at Helen smiling and said, "And this must be my new sister. Aren't you going to introduce us Erik?"

Erik laughed, "I would if I could get you to be quiet for 30 seconds."

Ariel grinned, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I will now shut up."

Erik shook his head, "Helen this is Ariel and her mate Tony, an old friend from the Navy."

"Guys, this my older sister Helen." Then he looked at Ariel grinning, "Okay, now you can talk."

She looked at Helen and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you. Was your little brother always this much of a smart ass? Or is it something he learned along the way?"

Helen laughed, "It's nice to meet you also, and I have to say it was a bit of both."

Ariel laughed and said, "I knew it." Then she tossed the pizza crust in the trash. Tony just shook his head, "Hello Helen, Erik's told me all about you. It's nice to be able to finally meet you."

Helen smiled, "It's nice to me you also. I remember him mentioning you when he was in the Navy."

Then Erik said to him, "You guys going to be here tomorrow?"

Tony nodded yes, "Should be, we have no plans. What's up?

"Uncle Geoff and Victoria will be here for dinner, he wanted to meet Helen. I sort of promised him you'd make your chicken he likes so much. And since you won't tell me how to make it, I was wondering if you could."

Tony laughed, "As long as it's for him, okay."

Erik grinned, "Thanks my brother. I owe you one."

Tony grinned, "We're just going to clean up and change, then we'll be back out."

He grabbed Ariel, and put her over his shoulder like usual. And like normal, she said as he carried her out, "Put me down you big ape."

They laughed as they heard Tony laughingly say to her, "No, little miss joker. I don't know what got in to you today."

Then they heard Ariel giggle and say, "Well if you treat me nice, I know what's going to get into me."

Helen smiled and asked, "Are they always like that? Or was it for my benefit?"

Both Erik and Katja answered at the same time, "They're always like that."

Helen laughed, "I bet it's never boring around here."

Erik grinned, "Nope, never. Why don't you two go out and talk about what you're doing tomorrow and I'll clean up."

Katja grinned and hugged him, then kissed him. Then she whispered in his ear, "I know what I want in me tonight also."

Erik laughed then kissed her ear licking it. "Something like that?" Katja just grinned at him and licked her lips.

The girls went out to the living room and Erik cleaned up. There wasn't much to do, they had just used paper plates, so it was more just trashing everything, then wiping everything down.

He refilled his glass and went out to the living room. He saw that Katja had her computer open and was showing Helen what the shop had. Erik smiled and sat down to turn on the TV.

The Katja said, "Yes, I think that one would like nice on you. But wait a second." She turned to Erik, "Love, what color for Helen?"

Erik looked at the computer, "That maroon color I think. It's a little hard to tell from just the picture."

Helen looked at Erik and then at Katja. Katja laughed, "Erik is the best color chooser for clothes. He's never wrong."

Ariel and Tony had just come out and Ariel had heard her. "Listen to her Helen, our brother there is a wizard when it comes to female clothes."

They sat down on the couch and Katja told her they were going shopping and to the salon afterwards. "Do you want to join us?"

Ariel grinned, "A girls outing? Count me in, I need to get this mop trimmed up anyhow."

Helen looked at her, "How can you say it's a mop? Your hair is beautiful, I wish mine was like that. I haven't been able to afford a good place."

Ariel and Katja smiled, then Katja said, "Just you wait to you see the place we're going to, they can do anything."

Ariel nodded, "Katja call up the website. Helen, she's right, you won't recognize yourself when they get done.

Then Katja said, "Here, look at this. They have before and after pictures." Then Ariel said, "Oh, look at this one. Helen you'd look perfect like that, you have to get that one."

Erik looked over the girl's heads bent over the computer at Tony. He grinned at Tony as if to say, what are you going to do.

Then Tony grinned back and said, "Erik, you must tell me, were did ever you get that T-shirt? It's absolutely fabulous."

Erik grinned back and said, "Isn't it? That department store down the road, they have quite a selection."

The three girls looked at them and grinned. Then Ariel said laughing, "What would you two know? You both wear blue jeans and black T-shirts."

Erik smiled and said, "Yes, but they have pockets and different shades of black."

The three girls looked at them and rolled their eyes as if to say "Men" and went back to the computer.

Erik and Tony knew better to say anything else and went back to watching TV.

They finally went to bed and the next morning, Erik was up first as normal. He kissed Katja and she purred as she snuggled under the covers to wait until he had made her tea. Erik grinned at her, "Your tea will be ready when you are kitten." She smiled and made a shooing motion, then snuggled a little deeper.

Erik laughed and walked to the kitchen. The coffee maker was already prepped, so he turned it on, then he filled the tea kettle. He prepped the teapot and sat down waiting for the kettle to boil.

The water had just boiled and Helen walked in. He smiled and kissed her cheek saying "Morning Sis. Coffee's done if you want that or tea will be ready in about five minutes. If you want that instead. How'd you sleep?"

Helen grinned, "A little rough, I think I'm still on California time. Coffee's good.

He reached for a mug and poured it for her then set it on the table. "Here you go. It normally takes me a few days to get back to east coast time myself."

She sat and added cream and sugar to the coffee. Then she took a sip and smiled, "That's good coffee, thanks."

He had poured Katja's tea and added the cream and sugar. He smiled as Katja walked in and sat down. She smiled at him and put her cup down in front of her. "Here you go kitten"

Helen grinned, "You have him trained right."

Katja grinned, "We have a deal, a cup of tea gets him one smile, taking me someplace will get him 2 or 3, depends on where he takes me."

"And if does something very nice to me, that gets him a more permeant smile." She added with a giggle.

Helen joined her when she realized what she meant.

"Well, if you two are finished talking about me," Erik smiled, "What would like to eat?"

After a little while, Ariel dragged herself in and Erik handed her a mug of tea. She kissed him, "I love you Erik, you read my mind."

Erik and Katja grinned, "Rough night?" Erik asked.

Ariel shook her head no and grinned. "The night was great, it's the morning that's rough."

Erik sat down and asked, "What time are you heading out?"

"About nine thirty I think." Katja replied. "The shop doesn't open until nine and the salon at ten. We can go shopping first and then the salon should be open." She took a sip of tea, "Then we might go and get lunch at Suzi's place since it's near."

Erik nodded, "I haven't heard, is Niki still seeing her?

Ariel smiled, "Oh, yes. Very much so."

Erik smiled, "That's good. Between all the classes, I really haven't had time to keep up on all the romances."

"You know," He mused. "I didn't think about it, we haven't seen Jack, Maria, and little Lucy for a while. I wonder if it's too late to get them to come for dinner. I'll call them later and see. If not, maybe next weekend or something."

They had breakfast and the girls talked some more. Erik was glad they were getting along. Helen had changed in the years since they lost contact with each other, No big surprise there, Erik thought to himself. She had always been sort of a combination of Ariel and Katja, a playful joker like Ariel, and serious like Katja. He hoped she would come back after enough time had passed from her ordeal. That was one of the big reasons he was glad she decided to stay here and get away from where everything happened.

She had gotten dressed and came back out. Katja and Ariel should be out soon so when she sat on the couch, he asked her, "Helen, I'm trying to plan out a couple of things, how much stuff do you need to move here from California?"

Helen sighed, "Not much really, just some clothes and personal items. The place I was staying at was furnished. They put me up there after everything was over until I got resettled someplace. So, there's not any furniture or things like that. I do have a storage unit with some things in it from mom and some things that I moved out of my old place. "