An Ancient Pairing

[ShadowedSilence]

"Airport food gets a bad rap," Keli commented around the bite of pie Ben generously shared, which she was entirely welcoming of, despite the fact that it had bits of chocolate cookie in it. It was a cookie, surely there wasn't enough real chocolate to affect her too much. Right?


Every bit of that taste of pie was relished, creaminess melding wonderfully with the crunchy bits of cookie before finishing with a dark, rich fudgy crust. . . . oh . . . more chocolate. . .


It wasn't as though he could take it back once it was in her mouth, but when Keli realized just how much chocolate was in that single bite she inconspicuously curled away from her husband, much like a child would when they were afraid a favorite treat would be taken away. It wouldn't have mattered, though, because his attention had been captured by the reappearance of the adorable tutu wearing little sprite and her father.


"I want to start a family, Keli."


Keli had been lost in her own little world, watching the bundle of energy and tulle prancing about, entirely proud of the fact that she had her daddy's complete attention. What she was thinking about she wouldn't have been able to articulate, had someone asked, all she knew was the second Ben's words sunk in she instantly felt unstable. As though the world had tipped slightly and started to slowly spin, much like a carousel just beginning its first turn.


The lingering taste of pie on her tongue became sickeningly sweet, a bitter note adding to the mix and churning her stomach until nausea began to roll with the perceived spinning of the room, the volume level increasing until she was positive she could hear each and every breath of everyone in the vicinity.


She'd seen that look on his face several times before, and it usually meant he wasn't going to budge an inch. He wanted this. Badly. And he wanted it now. Or . . . as soon as possible, considering it took awhile to fulfill this particular desire.


Taking a deep breath she exhaled slowly and attempted to sound as calm and rational as possible, the room settling slightly as her heartbeat began to resume a normal rhythm, managing to avoid that quiver in her voice that would betray that his comment had taken her by unwelcome surprise.


"We. . . . we just got married. We haven't even settled into the house yet. . . . I know we talked about children but . . . You want to start now?"

 

[Wiggle]

Benjamin stopped for a moment, noticing the nervousness in her voice. It seems that his comment had indeed caught her off guard, as his own decision did him. He smiled at her, and shook his head and then shrugged.


"Well, not really. I'm not saying we should start trying now, I mean, we did just get married." He said, starting to wish he hadn't brought it up so soon. "I've always been a kind of go with the flow type of guy, so if it happens, then it happens, you know? I was just letting you know that I would like children, so you're not afraid to tell me if...well, you know....if you end up conceiving one night or something like that. You know, if it happens, we can afford it. I've got a pretty secure job, and you're working on your degree for yours. So school might be a little bit harder for you if it happens, but my sister does own that daycare, and she loves babies and kids, so I'm sure she'd take care of him or her while you're at school. I'd take care of the child while I'm off duty. I think it'd be fun, raising a kid, I mean, we sure might reconsider a few years down the road when the kids at that age. But think of it like raising a half clone, kinda funny to think about it like that. A little human that's half you and half me."


He smiled and shook his head at the ridiculous comparison that he made, and cut a piece of the pie and shoved it into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully, allowing the tastes to roll around in his mouth. After he had swallowed, he turned back to Keli and grinned.


"Let's just have fun, okay?" He said. "Worrying about the future is just going to destroy all the fun a honeymoon is supposed to be, so let's just enjoy each other's company, and try to cram as much fun into two weeks as humanly possible. How does that sound?"


He finished off what was left of his pie, and leaned back into the chair, and gave Keli an encouraging smile. She was easy to startle, which often lead to her losing her composure, and Ben figured that out a long time ago. But then again, it really didn't bother him because he never expected or wanted Keli to be a perfect woman. She was imperfect, just as he was and marriage was a partnership. Ben thought they complimented each other quite well, Benjamin was brave, when Keli was not, but Keli was way more book smart than Ben, and she was fairly good with money. Ben liked to spend money, and when he did save, nobody touched it, not even him. That was a strange characteristic for someone who enjoyed eating out a lot, and having fun, but once Ben set his mind to something, it happened.


Benjamin opened his mouth to speak a bit more encouragement to Keli when a loud ding dong sounded over the terminal's PA system. This one was louder than the Airport's general announcement PA system, and was used to alert passengers to the happenings around the particular plane that was docking at this terminal.


"We will begin boarding for American Airlines Flight 86 to Barcelona, Venezuela in about 12 minutes. First we will call any passenger that needs help boarding, such as the elderly, disabled, and those who've recently had surgery, and then after that we will begin boarding for First Class. Please have your boarding pass prepared, and a smile on your face before you board, Duston - Imperial International Airport wants to wish you a happy and safe flight, and American Airlines wants to thank you for flying with us today." A soft, feminine voice said.


The bell tone sounded again, and Benjamin stood up, cast one more glance toward the child, and grabbed Keli's hand.


"Come on, let's go." He said. "Don't wanna be late."

 

[ShadowedSilence]

The fact that he back pedaled so quickly was either because he was afraid she was going to have a meltdown right here and now, or he had simply just blurted what was going through his head without even thinking about it. Normally she didn't mind his tendency to just say how he was feeling with no warning, because in some situations she never knew what was going on in his head until he had been thinking about something so deeply he started talking before he even knew it. But in some cases it managed to cause a good deal of anxiety, and in this case she could tell he realized it wasn't quite the right moment to bring the subject of children up.


"Let's just have fun, okay?" Ben finally said, attempting to smooth the tension out of both of their minds. "Worrying about the future is just going to destroy all the fun a honeymoon is supposed to be, so let's just enjoy each other's company, and try to cram as much fun into two weeks as humanly possible. How does that sound?"


"Okay."


He always had been like that, managing to be careful around her so as not to cause distress, yet still somehow keeping from treating her like glass. She appreciated that, even before she realized she loved him Keli had known what a special person he was. It took an extreme amount of patience, among other things, to be around her, and he had never complained, not once. They had definitely had their differences during the course of their relationships, bad enough to cause rifts and a lot of hurt, but there was something deep enough to bring them back together each time, mending as they went.


Many times she had wished she could offer more to him than broken pieces and damaged bits of herself. Wished she wasn't so easily thrown off guard. Wished she could be the sort of person that could help him more, especially on those days when he came home from work, weary and discouraged, with the weight of the world on his shoulders.


But how could she help him when she couldn't even help herself?


Anxiety slowly eased, both with his words and then the distraction of their boarding attendant calling everyone's attention to the gate.


Gathering up her bag, carry-0n, and garbage from lunch, Keli swung the strap over her shoulder as she tossed the scraps of napkins and paper bag in a garbage bin sitting at the end of the row of seats.


Hands clasped together they approached the gate, Keli digging into a deep pocket to extract their boarding passes before handing them to Ben, managing a polite smile for the attendant who checked them in and directed them onto the plane.


First class was as luxurious as possible when crammed into a relatively small space of the jet. Larger seats sprawled in the space, comfortable and inviting looking, a pillow and blanket tucked next to each one, should the occupants want to sleep during the flight.


As they boarded Keli glanced toward the back and into the empty expanse where the economy seats stretched the remaining length of the plane. First Class was extremely expensive, and she felt almost guilty for the luxury as they settled into their assigned seats. Yet, at the same time, it was a relief that they would be able to avoid the stress of being shut in a metal tube, crammed between complete strangers.


"Welcome aboard ladies and gentleman," A polished looking flight attendant greeted her passengers as they arrived, hair elegantly twisted into a professional looking updo, manicured hands motioning toward the seats. "Please find your seats in preparation for take-off, I will be giving a short demonstration about the emergency protocols once everyone has arrived."


It didn't take long for the plane to finish boarding, and as such the plane had taxied away from the terminal and taken off in the space of time it took for the flight attendants to complete the customary demonstrations of seat belts, emergency exits, and oxygen masks.


As soon as the seatbelt light clicked off Keli unfastened hers and wiggled around until she had found a comfortable position, feet tucked up in the seat, head resting on Ben's shoulder.


"If I fall asleep feel free to tip me other way," She murmured, exhaustion from the past couple of days finally catching up with her. "Just in case you want to get up or something."

 

[Wiggle]

"Why would I?" He asked.


He smiled and nudged her gently with his chin, and took a look around the cabin. It was the first time he'd ever flown in first class, and he didn't know how different it was from the economy and business classes. They'd also had the fortune of riding on one of the newest planes in the fleet, as the captain had so proudly announced on the PA system before he'd taxied the hunk of steel, wires and rubber down the tarmac and "gently" guided the plane into a steep climb. It had taken a while for them to reach a steady altitude before the pilot leveled the plane out, and they began flying smoothly towards their destination. Benjamin noticed most of the other passengers, who had been paying attention to the flight attendants as they explained the luxuries of the first class that the other classes did not have, had turned their private stalls into a bed. Ben raised an eyebrow in amusement and looked around at the others. The first class seats towards the front were single seats, and as the first class went back, they became two seats, or couples seats as the flight attendant had affectionately referred to them as.


Benjamin fiddled with the side of the seat for a few seconds, and pulled a lever on the side. It caused the footrests of the seats to kick up, and the armrest that separated the two from each other jumped up and smacked Benjamin square in the forehead, causing him to let out a soft curse, creating a bed. He was interrupted from his momentary pain as the weight of his nearly asleep wife fell on him. He laughed softly, and grabbed the two pillows that were stowed in a drawer above their heads, along with a large enough blanket. He shrugged and laid the pillow down on the bed, and laid Keli down, and followed suit, removing the fleece blanket from it's packaging, and laying the thing over them. He pulled her close and lay his head down on the pillow, the soft jolts from turbulence lulling the officer to sleep. He dreamt of his wife, clad in torn clothes, dirty and exhausted, but with a fierce determination of which he had not seen before, and she carried a beat AK. Her determined look turned to a kind smile as she looked at him.


"Alright, ladies and Gentlemen." A voice said over the PA. "One of our attendants will be coming down the aisle with the snack tray, drinks and snacks are complimentary. We have alcohol available for purchase, and will be serving a delicious dinner with your choice of two entrees later tonight. We have chicken breast with vegetables, and fried salmon with potatoes and corn."


Benjamin blinked, and looked around the cabin. He was still onboard the plane, and his wife was slumbering peacefully, her clothes in immaculate condition, and no AK. Ben blinked a few more times, remembering the strange dream. He shook his head and looked at the video screen that flashed adds for the airline and various TV shows. In the bottom corner was a clock, which reach 5:15pm, and the ETA for the plane, which was still peaked at 5 hours. He sighed, and looked in the aisle just as a attractive middle aged blonde woman was rolling a cart down the aisle. She stopped at their seat and flashed him a pearly white smile.


"Would you like something to drink or eat, sir?" She asked, holding out three small packets.


Benjamin nodded, said his thanks and took the packages, while asking for a water. The woman nodded, and filled a small plastic cup with ice and poured water from a large water bottle and handed the cup to Ben, who took it and immediately took a sip. The woman glanced at Ben and then down at the lump that softly rose and descended every few seconds, and turned her attention back to Ben.


"Would your partner like some snacks or a drink as well?" She asked.


Benjamin nodded, and took the extra snacks. The woman pushed the cart away, going down the aisles, handing more snacks and drinks out to other passengers. Benjamin knew Keli would most likely sleep through most of the flight, if not all of it. She usually slept like a rock, and often through alarms. It always cracked him up, since he had to go wake her up after ten minutes of oversleeping. Benjamin propped the pillow up against the window and messed around with the touch screen that protruded from the small wall that separated the seats. He selected a science fiction movie, and turned the volume down to where only he could hear it. It was going to be a long while until they reached Venezuela.

 

[ShadowedSilence]

Metallic clicks of seat belts, soft hissing of air vents, dull thrumming of the engines, quiet conversation, it all faded away as soon as Keli closed her eyes. She barely felt it when Ben adjusted their seats, snuggling close when he tucked her under his arm, hardly conscious enough to kick off her shoes, a soft sigh escaping as the last thread of consciousness surrendered to a deep sleep void of anything but comfortable, inky darkness.


For all the other problems she may have, airplanes were not on the list. In fact, for some odd reason, other than the whole people factor, it was a place of relative comfort and peace. A place to ease her mind and let chaotic thoughts be carried away by the steady roar of engines.


So it was that hours trickled by, Keli lost in a dark, comfortable place that would result in a refreshed, invigorated sense of self upon waking, while the rest of the occupants of the plane carried out their own trips in their own particular manner.


As the flight stretched onward, smooth and unperturbed by any sort of inclement weather, passengers occupied themselves with various past times, an effort to distract them from how much further they had yet to travel before their destination was reached.


Flickers of TV screens glowed here and there, nothing but disjointed scenes from movies or TV shows flashing across the back of seats. Several businessmen settled for their favored issues of stock and trading magazines, unable to quit thinking about work even this far above solid ground. The two First Class attendants passed regularly, offering refreshments or fulfilling requests. A pair of gangly teens curled in the back, earbuds providing continues streams of personally chosen music as they played a rather less than rousing game of cards. Now and again someone would slip from their seat for a trip to the lavatory, or a simple stretch of the legs.


Even here, tucked close together like a can of sardines, everyone remained in their own bubble of life, concerned with their own thoughts and plans, almost unaware that they shared a plane with dozens of other lives that were, for the next few hours at least, an unconscious part of theirs.


One such example just happened to be two seats in front of where Keli and Ben were, two vaguely peppered heads tipped close together as though the couple were bent over something in close examination. Every now and again there would be a flurry of dramatic, expressive arm and hand gestures, or an explosion of loud, hearty laughter from their seat, eliciting varying reactions from fellow travelers, reactions that went entirely unnoticed, as though the pair had forgotten there was anyone else on the flight with them.


"You break your hip wake boarding and I shan't lift a finger to help!"


It was just before meals were being served when one of them left their seat for a trip to the back. Tugging the soft gray sweater that swathed her features, the woman sent a zipping retort back toward her husband as she went, offering a tiny glimpse into their conversation to the rest of First Class in the process. She didn't seem to mind a bit, meeting every single gaze that happened to catch her eye with a cheery smile and a chirpy greeting.


"Take a good look babe, that's us in about thirty years or so, give or take. . . . Or possibly sooner, you never know, might as well start practicing now."


Keli's faintly groggy voice wafted from the depths of the blanket, fingers curling around the edge to pull it closer, blocking out as much unwanted light as possible as she held on to the lingering comfort and sense of drowsiness that was slowly ebbing away. They were still flying at a steady altitude, which meant, obviously, that they hadn't arrived yet. Not to mention if they had started descent there wouldn't be a growing aroma of steaming vegetables, chicken, and fish mingling with the faintly stale air puffing from the vents.


Under the guise of a long, luxurious cat stretch, Keli's foot went blindly searching until it found its target, warm toes curling into Ben's ribcage.


"Good movie?" Her voice remained muffled as she refused to give up her makeshift coccoon, not having to see to know that if he wasn't sleeping he'd have found something to watch, as she knew magazines failed to hold his attention longer than a few milliseconds.

 

[Wiggle]

Benjamin had heard some boisterous laughter coming from the seat in front of them, but he elected to ignore it in favor of his sci-fi movie. The rebels had just destroyed their overlord's space station and were now celebrating their victory over the evil overlords in a cantina.


"You break your hip wake boarding and I shan't lift a finger to help!" An elderly voice called out.


The voice itself caused Ben to glance momentarily from his movie to catch a glance of the older woman take a step out from the seats. The woman sent a equally witty retort back and turn to focus on where she was going, greeting every look with a cheery smile and a greeting. As she past Ben and Keli's makeshift bed, she read Ben's shirt and greeted him with a "Evening, Officer" to which Ben responded with a similar greeting.


"Take a good look babe, that's us in about thirty years or so, give or take. . . . Or possibly sooner, you never know, might as well start practicing now."


Keli's groggy voice found it's way from the depths of the blanket cocoon to Ben's ears, causing him to look down at the mass of blankets. Keli had long stolen his side of the covers, which he just allowed her to have. The cabin was warm enough for him, but his own blanket would have been extremely nice. But as long as he keep near to the human furnace, he was alright. He turned his attention back to the TV screen just as the government authorities found the rebel party, and had turned it from a fun time into a gunfight in a matter of seconds. The movie flashed from one rebel to a government henchman with futuristic guns firing and body parts being blown off.


"Yeah, you're darn right." He said. "Although, I have to admit. I'm probably better than you at it."


The smell of dinner began wafting down the aisle as Ben continued to watch the movie. He glanced toward the bottom of the screen, which had the ETA and what time it was. There was still three more hours left in the flight, and only fifty minutes left in the movie. The stewardesses still weren't here yet with their choices of food, but Ben knew he would be definitely choosing that chicken breast. Suddenly the feeling of being poked unmercifully was felt in Ben's ribs, causing him to let out a small squeal and squirm in place. That was the only place he was remotely ticklish in, and Keli always teased him or poked him there since she had found it out on one of their dates.


"Good movie?" She asked, still hidden under the blanket.


"Yeah, it's alright." He admitted. "Not something I'd spend money on to go see at the movie house, but I'd watch it on TV. It's called Earth 3640."


By now the older woman had reappeared and had made her way back to the seats, and had sat down.


"About time you made it back, I was worried that you had actually broken that hip!" Her husband said.

 

[ShadowedSilence]

"In just a few moments the seatbelt sign will be turned off and you are free to disembark the plane. Until then please remain in your seats. A stewardess will be coming along to collect any items you would wish to dispose of. We hope you enjoyed your flight, thank you for choosing American Airlines and enjoy your stay in beautiful Venezuela."


Following the announcement there was a sort spat of static, then a soft click as the speaker system was flipped off, one of the flight attendants already moving down the aisle with a nondescript plastic bag, accepting bits and pieces of paper and any other small item of garbage that had been stuffed away out of sight until the movement of readying oneself to leave brought it back to light. They had already collected empty cups, dinner plates, napkins, and old magazines before the plane had begun the descent, and Keli half suspected this last pass was a disguised ploy to keep everyone from leaving their seats too early in their eagerness to finally reach their destinations.


Stretching as much as possible while remaining seated, Keli exhaled softly and bent over to retrieve her shoes, ignoring the tightness of muscles that were begging to be given relief. First Class had extra room, it was true, but it didn't have that much extra, and as such she was more than ready to step onto solid land and walk around to ease all the kinks and stiffness that had crept into her bones.


"I vote on a trip to the hot tub once we get checked in," She said, leaning back in her seat, fingers running through her hair to tame it back into a loose braid that managed to look effortless instead of straggly and untidy.


The view from the tiny window was limited, to say the least, but what she'd managed to catch sight of so far had sparked that sense of excitement back into full force until she was practically twitching, having to focus her attention on rechecking the contents of her bag, to readjusting her shoes, to refolding the blanket they'd been using. Normally her restless energy would have driven Ben nuts, to a certain degree, but today he was just as excited as she was and didn't seem to mind.


By the time they made it off the plane and into the terminal she was fairly certain neither of them were thinking quite straight, endless possibilities filling both of their heads until neither knew which option to direct focus towards.


"Bags. Bags first and then we can forget absolutely everything else. I don't care if we have to camp on the side of the road because we forgot where we're staying, but I refuse to abandon all the hours of work that went into packing those suitcases."


Crowds were clustered about baggage claim, but it didn't bother Keli this time. They stood back waiting for their own luggage to make an appearance as Keli flipped through the itinerary they'd been emailed, the PA system sounding off now and again with random flight numbers and announcements.


"Oh! We're going to be picked up, by a limo no less, and they'll take us to our next stop." Her eyes sparkled at the idea of a limo. She'd been in one just once, years ago, when she and a couple other friends crashed a party of some small celebrity that no one could ever remember. No one had noticed they weren't supposed to be there, and they'd tagged along all the way up until they'd been dropped off at the corner of some dark street in the middle of the night.


"They usually provide beverages and some refreshment of some sort. Chocolate, I hope there's chocolate. Oh!" Shoving the papers back into her bag she pointed out where their luggage had just lurched into view, sliding her fingers around the strap of Ben's carry-on so he could grab the suitcases.

 

[Wiggle]

Benjamin had long finished his movie when the airplane began its descent towards the solid ground. The seatbelt sign flashed on, and Ben begrudgingly pushed their seat back into it's original position and had helped Keli fish her seatbelt out of the depths of the patterned seat and quickly fastened his own. The speakers clicked on and announced that they would be beginning their descent in minutes and that the stewards and stewardesses would be making their way back to pick up any trash from the passengers. The captain prattled on a bit more about being grateful for them flying with American Airlines and paying for his paycheck and the he wished them a wonderful stay in Venezuela. Ben rolled his eyes at the pilot's exaggerated description of Venezuela. There was a war going on here, between the tyrannical government and the People's Liberation Army, but he had made damn sure that he and Keli weren't in any danger when they were at the resort. Los Costas was nearly sixty miles off shore of Venezuela and after their plane ride, they would need to take a cab from the airport to the Los Costas Ferry that would carry them and their belongings across the water to the resort. The resort even had it's own armed security force, just in case that the rebels made their way from Southern Venezuela to the Northern parts, and decided to take the Resort as their own, even if it was owned by an American corporation.


A stifled groan came from Ben's left, and he glanced towards Keli, who settled back down into her seat. After she let loose a sigh of relief, she bent over and retrieved her shoes, slipped them on and straightened up and glanced at Ben.


"I vote on a trip to the hot tub once we get checked in," She said, leaning back. She gathered her hair and pulled it into a bun, and gave him a soft smile before shifting her gaze to the window.


She began fidgeting, eager to escape the confines of the aircraft and place her feet on solid ground once again. Ben gave her a nod, smiled and chuckled softly, and the plane shifted, beginning it's descent. It had taken nearly another thirty minutes, but eventually they had left the plane and stepped onto solid ground. It was then that the excitement really hit Ben, this was his first time ever setting foot outside of the United States, and he even got to do it with his bride. Endless possibilities filled his head as he wondered what the pair should do first, but then he still realized that they still had a way to go until they were at the Resort, and they needed to gather their bags first.


"Bags. Bags first and then we can forget absolutely everything else. I don't care if we have to camp on the side of the road because we forgot where we're staying, but I refuse to abandon all the hours of work that went into packing those suitcases." Keli said, with a quick glance around the terminal.


Benjamin nodded in agreement and took her hand, and led her towards the baggage claims. They stood alongside the crowds and waited for their baggage to arrive. Ben cast a glance at Keli, who was thumbing through an itinerary, which made him laugh. She was always such a stickler for schedules and plans, while Ben always found that plans were fragile and that life often dashed expectations to the ground. He prefered to just live life as it was and go along with the flow, except when it came to finances. But Keli was the complete opposite, she had always set times for everything, even for their dates. Benjamin remember the first time they went on an actual date. Keli had demanded that he pick her up exactly at 6:30 in the evening and that they make it to the restaurant at 7:00 PM. Ben always found it hard to do so, but he always tried his best.


Oh! We're going to be picked up, by a limo no less, and they'll take us to our next stop." She said, skimming over the papers"They usually provide beverages and some refreshment of some sort. Chocolate, I hope there's chocolate. Oh!"


Benjamin laughed and shook his head, his wife loved chocolate, and more than the next girl did. She quickly shoved the papers into her bag and pointed a finger at their bags, and stepped up just in time to snag their overnight bags while Ben grabbed the heavier suitcases. They both turned and made their way out of the crowd and down the walkways to a door that read "LIMO" and walked out the door. There was a hispanic man wearing a black and white tuxedo with the names "COATES" on it, and Ben gestured to the man, and led Keli over there. The man dropped the sign and opened the trunk for them.


"Good Evening, Sir and Madam." He said, his voice thick with an accent.


Ben and Keli greeted him, and he loaded their bags into the trunk, closed it and ran around the car and jumped into the driver's seat. He glanced into the rearview mirror and gave Ben a smile.


"Los Costas' Ferry, yeah?" He asked.


"Yeah, that's it." Ben confirmed.


The driver nodded and threw the car into gear and drove away from the airport. Ben glanced at Keli, grabbed her hand and pulled her close, and gave her a light kiss on the lips.


"Are you excited?" He asked.

 

[ShadowedSilence]

The interior of the limo was everything Keli had expected it to be. Plush leather seats of dove grey, soft music piped over the speaker system, gentle lighting that came from who knew where, a privacy screen that, at the moment was lowered so they could communicate with the driver. A small anchored table sat tucked in a corner, laid out with an ice bucket, a bottle she assumed held wine or champagne, and a covered tray that might just possibly hold the chocolate she'd been craving since they'd taken off earlier that day.


The engine purred to life as the car smoothly pulled away from the curb, gliding effortlessly around haphazardly parked taxi's and shuttle buses. In a manner of minutes they had left airport traffic behind.


"This must be what celebrities feel like all the time," Keli piped up, appreciatively running her hands over the soft seats and sinking into the cushions. It was quiet, and smooth, and even smelled nice. They were far enough back in the limo to feel detached from the driver, yet close enough to ask questions if they needed, and Keli felt the last bits of stress melting away into the carpeted floor.


"Eep!"


A tiny squeak escaped her as her husband pulled her toward him and gave her a quick kiss. His eyes were glowing with an excitement she hadn't seen in them for quite some time, and she realized just how stressed he had been lately. It was no small thing to do the job he did, and it had taken its toll over the years. Add to that the responsibilities of a new wife, and a new home, and it was potential for overtaxing not only physically but mentally as well. He needed this trip more than either of them probably realized, and it made her happy to see him so genuinely excited about something.


"Are you excited?"


Silence stretched on for a very long minute as she stared at him, head tipped slightly as she considered his question, neither of them paying attention to the scenery passing outside the vehicle.


"Well . . . . I hate to break it to you but . . . no, not really." She didn't try hide the smile, knowing very well it wouldn't work, she'd most likely burst with excitement before she could effectively disguise it as indifference. "I am absolutely ecstatic! I can't wait to do anything and everything!" Laying her head on his chest she breathed a happy sigh.


"I think we needed a break from normal. A refresher away from everything to just, I don't know . . . pretend we aren't adults?" Being an adult was so overrated by all those teens who couldn't wait until they were old enough to move out of their parent's house. Little did they know of the world if they thought it was going to be all cake and effortless leisure.

 

[Wiggle]

"Well . . . . I hate to break it to you but . . . no, not really." Her smile stretching from ear to ear."I am absolutely ecstatic! I can't wait to do anything and everything!"


Ben laughed and nodded, agreeing with her. She laid her head on his chest and sighed, happily.


"I think we needed a break from normal. A refresher away from everything to just, I don't know . . . pretend we aren't adults?" She said.


"You mean we're adults?" He asked, obviously joking. "I thought I had to wait until forty to say I was an adult."


Benjamin couldn't help but agree. He loved his job to death, but it was taxing, both mentally, physically, and emotionally to deal with all the sour people who were angry because they broke a road law, or hated him simply because of what he was and what he stood for, the accidental deaths and just general scum. He shifted to a more comfortable position and held Keli close to him. He stared out the window at the passing scenery, and once the buildings broke, he could see the sea and the resort in the distance. He stayed like that for the rest of the ride, until the limo slowed to a crawl and then stopped. The driver hopped out of the driver seat and ran around and opened the door for the two. Ben allowed Keli to exit before he did, and the driver closed the door, and popped open the trunk. He pulled their luggage out and set it on the curb and stood there, waiting for a tip.


Benjamin produced his wallet, and pulled two twenties from the folds and handed it to the man. He graciously thanked Ben, got into his limo and sped off. If Ben was in his squad car, he would've pulled the guy over, but he ignored it and grabbed their suitcases and let Keli get the smaller bags. They both made their way to the check in for the ferry. Ben produced his Los Costas Resort reservation ticket, and the employee scanned it and gave him directions. The ferry was going to leave in a few minutes, and the ride would take fifteen minutes to reach the resort. Benjamin thanked the man and lead Keli onto the ferry and found a seat on the bow, under the shade of the awning. They were off in a few minutes of waiting, and Ben's excitement began to grow with each passing minute. It didn't take long for the two bigger islands, Isle Franco and Isle Maria to grow larger, and larger, surprising Ben with how great the islands really were. They were huge enough to rival some of the smaller islands of Hawaii, and were just as lush and beautiful, no doubt well kept by gardeners and landscapers. Benjamin cast a glance to Keli and laughed, she looked like a schoolgirl going on a field trip to the zoo. She could barely keep still, and rocked back and forth in her seat, kicking her legs. Occasionally she would poke Ben in the side and point off into the water, spotting something leaping from the water.


"This is going to be awesome." Ben said, looking at the resort. "Besides the hot tub, what do you want to do first?"

 

[ShadowedSilence]

There were about twelve to eighteen other people on the ferry with them, and Keli spent the first couple minutes of the ride watching the others. More out of an overly sensitive sense of paranoia than anything else, judging them by their expressions and body language in an effort to determine possible scenarios that could play out during the fifteen minute ride. But after a little while she began to watch them simply because people were interesting.


There was at least one family with a couple children, judging by the squeals of excitement and the worried tone of the mother whenever one of her over-eager offspring got too adventurous for her frazzled nerves. The others seemed to range from couples, business people, a few small groups that might be family or might simply be friends traveling together. Most were exhibiting varying levels of the same type of excitement as she and Ben, while just a few seemed to not even notice the almost magical surroundings.


No matter, she was quite certain the both of them were oozing enough excitement to make up for those who were considerably lacking in that area.


Once she'd thoroughly examined the other passengers her attention was captured by the glorious, crystal clear water and the way the sun glinted off the surface in millions of tiny shards of diamond light. Here and there, if she was lucky, something extra silvery would flash, just for a second. It could have been anything, a large ripple caused by the ferry, a whitecap, a flying fish, a dolphin.


Whatever it was she would prod a finger, elbow, knee, anything that was handy, in the ribs of her husband in an attempt to point her discovery out. Of course it was always gone by the time she'd caught his attention, but neither of them minded, and before long they were caught up in a game of naming all the tropical fish they knew and guessing which one could be playing hide-and-seek with them.


"Besides the hot tub, what do you want to do first?"


"Oh no you don't, I already named something I want to do. What do you want to do?"


The ferry horn blared over the short expanse of water between them and the main island as they approached. Several deck hands were already positioned at the dock, ready and waiting to secure the craft and help the passengers disembark into what Keli was already certain was Paradise.


The air began to thicken, becoming heavier with the scent of lush, green foliage, rich earth, warm sunshine, and spices, all mingling with the freshness of the blue water. Even a flock of brilliantly colored birds flit overhead, appearing and disappearing so fast it was almost as though they had not been there at all.


It took hardly more than five minutes before the ferry was securely fastened to the docks, a gangplank had been carefully positioned, and passengers were being helped onto the floating dock and instructed to follow the path up to the Welcoming Lodge where they would go through the check-in process before being admitted to the main part of the resort.


Everyone was told their luggage would be delivered to their lodgings once they had been checked in, so they had nothing but their smaller bags to worry about as they headed up the carefully groomed path.


The closer they came to the busy welcoming station the quieter and more contained Keli became, her voice falling silent as she quit pointing out the next new treasure that flashed into view. She was still relaxed, far from the bundle of nerves that morning, fingers comfortably curled around Ben's hand instead of clenching in a death grip. She didn't even recoil when another couple brushed by them on the path, proving it wasn't the onset of nervousness, it was simply her normal reaction to being in a strange place, around people she didn't know.


The building they approached was airy and inviting, a large, spacious porch wrapping around the front, two large trees elegantly draping over the entrance, casting a cool shadow over steps that had been carved from smooth, dark wood. Voices that held notes of several different accents drifted from the dim interior as other guests were greeted. A cluster of bright yellow and black suitcases had been positioned off to one side of the porch, accompanied by a boy of about ten, curled on a lounge chair and playing a game of some sort as he waited for his parents.


"When we have children, I absolutely forbid the use of electronics on vacation." Keli whispered as they crossed the porch and headed into the building, the comment nothing more than a mental note spoken aloud, yet at the same time unconsciously clearing away the slight tension that had been in the back of their minds since the unfortunate conversation in the airport that morning.

 

[Wiggle]

"When we have children, I absolutely forbid the use of electronics on vacation." Keli whispered into Ben's ear.


Benjamin laughed and nodded. He could agree with that, vacations were about spending time with your family, and relaxing. Electronics would only serve to distract from what a vacation was all about.


"I'll agree there, sweets." He said. "Okay, first we'll get checked in, and then we'll go to the hot tub and I think we'd ought to go get a couples massage or something. Even though we flew first class, the beds and chairs still royally sucked."


Keli stiffled a giggle, and Ben lead her up to the check in counter, where an attractive Venezuelan woman with long brown hair sat. She wore a white blouse that was cut a bit too low, and showed a lot of cleavage. Benjamin narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth, he knew he could NOT look at the suggestively dress woman, no matter how much he wanted to. It would totally ruin Keli's happy mood, and maybe the day. She smiled brightly at Benjamin and motioned for him to step up to the counter. He did and laid their paperwork on the counter.


"I've got a reservation for Coates." He said.


"Okay, just one second." She replied, her voice as smooth as silk.


She tapped away on the keyboard, and Ben shot Keli an apologetic glance. Maybe she would understand.


"Oh, yes." She said, clicking on something with her mouse. "You are a VIP, Mr. Coates, and have free reign of the entire resort. I'm going to give you a card that shows your status and will allow you to get most anything on the resort for free. Maybe you could take me on a date?"


She gave him a suggestive wink, and Ben furrowed his eyebrows and gave her an apologetic smile.


"I'm sorry, Miss." He said. "I'm married, and this is my honeymoon."


She apologized and quickly finished checking the pair in, before handing them all their paperwork back, including their keycards to their bungalows. As the couple stepped away, they could hear the brunette's coworkers laughing at her, and making jests. Ben smiled at Keli, and pulled her along to their bungalow. Benjamin swiped the key card, and the little light on the slot turned from red to green and a pronounced click was heard. Benjamin pushed open the door to the bungalow and his eyes widened. The damn thing was bigger than their three bedroom house back in Texas, and filled to the brim with expensive fixtures and other electronics. Ben's eyes only grew wider as they ventured deeper into their bungalow. There their suitcases lay on the California King sized bed, ready to be opened and used.


"This place is amazing." Ben said.


After a while, the two had their room situated and lay on the bed together. Ben sighed and scooped Keli up into an embrace and showered her with kisses. They wanted to laid down and relax a bit before heading into the hot tub in the back that looked out on the sea.


"What do you think?"

 

[ShadowedSilence]

It was typical, really, so typical in fact that it should have been expected. But Keli hadn't expected the check in attendant to start flirting with her husband, even if she wasn't surprised. The woman was beautiful, the type of exotic beauty that made girls like Keli feel like the pile of oozing leftovers that some random dog had drug in the night before.


She couldn't watch, hovering between being amused and outraged, the mixture of emotions causing an odd buzzing feeling in the pit of her stomach and the overwhelming urge to give into either laughter or tears. It wasn't working well, and when the woman went so far as to openly suggest she was available for a date natural instinct kicked in, an urge to show this bold woman she had no right laying claim to Ben. After all, what was she, invisible?


As though to prove a point that the woman had so obviously missed, Keli slid closer and casually slid her hand through the crook of Ben's arm just as he set the woman straight. It was probably for the best that he had beat her to the declaration, because her version wouldn't have been quite so polite.


The woman's apology was so jumbled it hardly made sense, a faint tinge of embarrassment coloring her cheeks as she rushed through the rest of their check-in. She didn't meet Keli's gaze once, and even as she handed Ben their key cards her gaze flickered anywhere but directly at him. The tension in the air lessened slightly when the couple finally stepped away from the counter, an elderly gentleman immediately taking their place as a couple of the other women behind the counter began to tease.


"I do hope she doesn't attempt that often," Keli huffed as they left the porch and headed down another quaint little path. "Someone might feel the need to report her for unprofessional behavior."


Feelings were still ruffled when Ben gently tugged her into their bungalow, and seconds later Keli had practically forgotten the whole incident. Her mouth dropped open slightly as the door softly clicked shut behind them. A lengthy silence followed as they trailed through the place, senses overwhelmed by their extravagant surroundings.


Gleaming wooden floors were broken here and there by beautiful mats of intricate patterns. Plush furniture had been arranged in a relaxing, inviting manner, gleaming side tables simply adorned with sparkling crystal vases that definitely had not come from ROSS. Dripping from these vases were huge blossoms of exotic flowers, ranging from demure, elegant white, to vivid magenta, brilliant yellow, and shocking pinks, broken by dark green spears of grass and pale green, feathery ferns.


The adorable dining area was tucked into the corner by a set of sliding glass doors, a huge crystal bowl overflowing with various fruits set carefully in the very center of the table, a creamy white card propped against the rim.


"What do you think?"


It was relaxing, laying here and soaking up all the luxury once they had unpacked and relegated their suitcases to the shadowy depths underneath the huge bed.


"I think this is going to end up being a bad idea," Keli sighed softly, eyes closed as she relished the down softness of the mattress beneath them, still feeling Ben's butterfly kisses brushing against her collarbone and neck. Wiggling around until they faced each other she opened her eyes and smiled at him, fingers lacing together with his as she exhaled again. "We are going to be completely and utterly spoiled by the time we go home, you do realize that, right?"


It was so wonderfully inviting, the thought of their coming pampering and relaxing. Two whole weeks of it. She was looking forward to it so much she didn't even care that they'd be spoiled rotten when their vacation finally came to an end.


"And apparently, I'm going to have to keep a close eye on you, lest I find you stolen away by some gorgeous, mysterious Venezuelan woman." She couldn't help the tease, not really having fully recovered from the indignance, but knowing she didn't have to worry. He wouldn't have fought so hard to win her heart just to abandon her at the flutter of a pair of dark lashes and beautiful eyes.


Hours later, after a long, relaxing soak in the hot tub and a brief exploration around part of the resort, the pair was shown to their table for supper. Candles flickered softly on each table, creating a romantic air that mixed perfectly with the soft music floating from where a quartet had been situated on the platform along the side of the dining area.


Keli was glad they had dressed up a little when they had walked into the foyer and she'd noticed the host wearing a crisp tuxedo. Even the waiters were impeccably dressed, right down to their white gloved hands as they quietly slid through the room tending to their tables.


Ben was doing wonderfully well so far. He didn't usually like these kinds of super formal places, he was far more comfortable in local diners and bar and grills. But every now and again he would endure dressing up and going out to a place that served meals in separate courses instead of amassed on a dinner plate half the size of the table. Even so, she couldn't help a stifled laugh at the long-suffering expression on his face when the waiter shook out the linen napkin and draped it over his knees as professional and unobtrusively as possible.


"May I bring you anything to drink while you are waiting for your first course?" The waiter's accent was thick, yet clearly understandable, gloved hands folded in front of him as he waited for their answers.


"Just some water and lemon wedges for me, thank you," Keli nodded briefly before turning back to her menu while Ben voiced his selection.


"I'm half tempted to order something mundanely ordinary and uninteresting, just to see how amazing it would taste." Keli finally broke the silence after a lengthy break in conversation as they both perused options. There were so many things that sounded delicious she couldn't pin it down to just one choice. As she began narrowing down the list, she propped her elbow on the table and absently started twirling her finger into the wispy curls that feathered around her face. Peeking up at Ben she quirked an eyebrow and shook her head slightly, lips twitching with bemusement.


"If you try order french fries I am going to kick you," She teased, taking a sip of the water that had been delivered promptly three minutes after their waiter had left their table. "Although, I am quite certain that if they even served such a thing they would be the best fries ever."

 

[Wiggle]

(I'm really sorry about this, I had some things happen. Are you still interested in continuing?)