Chapter One

Another day, another 20k trek across the endless terrain, thought John Danziger as he trudged along behind the tracks of the Transrover. Bringing up the rear of the caravan gave him the opportunity to listen intently to the sounds of the vehicles. Had to make sure they weren't pushing them too hard. It was a miracle they had lasted this long and he attributed this fact to both his crack staff and a whole lot of silent prayer. He chuckled inwardly as he remembered overhearing True tell Devon that her father belonged to the Church of the 'Please God, let this piece of junk go just one more click.'

Devon... another good reason for him to be walking behind everyone. She can't annoy him if she can't find him. Squinting ahead into the sunlight, he catches sight of her conferring with Yale and Solace, probably about the route and how much further they should go before setting up camp. Maybe he should go join them and share his views on that. They could probably use another opinion, especially with Adair's overt optimism. Someone really needs to give a that woman a reality check.

Suddenly, Devon stopped and turned to face the rest of her tired crew. They immediately halted the vehicles as she began to address them in her typical CEO fashion.

"Okay, people. I know you haven't had a break in several hours and it's getting late in the day. However, I think it would be best if-"

"Hold it right there, Adair," Danziger bellowed as he joined her at the head of the convoy. "Let me guess what you're gonna say."

The mechanic straightened his back, stuck out his chin defiantly and placed both hands on his hips. I wonder who he's imitating, Devon inwardly steamed.

With a slightly higher inflection, John mocked, "People, I know that it's late in the day, you're hungry and you're tired, but I think that it's best if we go-"

At this point, he raised both hands and waved them back and forth as if conducting an orchestra. His voice was joined by the others. "JUST ONE MORE CLICK!" they shouted in unison. Laughter erupted from everyone as John smiled satisfactorily.

"Very funny, Danziger," Devon said as she leered in his direction. "But you happen to be wrong. I was going to say that we should travel another three clicks before setting up camp."

"You got a death wish, Adair?" John exclaimed amidst the many groans of the crowd.

Devon had the hint of a smile as she calmly answered, "No... at least not for myself."

"May I remind you that you can kill Danziger without sacrificing the rest of us?" chimed in Morgan. "Besides, three clicks should bring us about to the base of those hills up ahead. I don't think that I can make it. My feet are practically numb as it is."

"Good. Then your feet'll match that empty skull of yours," Danziger quipped before turning his attention back to Devon. "I assume that you have a good reason for this."

"As a matter of fact, I do. 'Lonz and Julia took the ATV earlier to scout ahead and survey the area. There are several acres of trees bearing fruit, some of which are edible. Even better, there's a large lake with drinkable water. We've been pushing ourselves to our limits these last few weeks. I figure this will be a good place to rest a day."

"You're kidding? You're actually agreeing to give us some R & R?" Danziger exclaimed incredulously.

"Yes, I am. Besides," the leader replied as she stepped directly in front of John with her back to him, "the lake will give you all a chance to soak those poor, tired feet of yours."

She then pivoted to look directly at the dirt-covered mechanic and said loudly enough for all to hear, "And perhaps even take a much needed bath." And with that, she slid away with a bit more stride in her step than usual.

Danziger feigned an injured look and said to no one in particular, "You don't think she meant me, do you?" There were a few snickers from the crew as a grin crept across his face.

"Come on people," he yelled, shaking his head. "Her Highness wants us to get to those hills by sundown. Let's go."

___________________________________


Everything is just perfect here, Devon thought as she toured the surrounding grounds of their campsite. She had patiently waited until everyone had fallen asleep and then made her way down the only path to the lake which was located a few hundred yards away. The territory around the water was thick with overgrown brush and large rocks. Luckily, there was a small grassy clearing on the east side which made the lake easily accessible to the colonists. She chose to forge ahead through the dense thicket and climbed the neighboring hill until she came across another small stretch of grass. She sat down and hugged her knees as she gazed wistfully at the twin moons as they illuminated the water below. She could barely see the flickering glow of the campfire through the patch of trees and momentarily contemplated whether or not she should be so far away from the others, but quickly came to the conclusion that everything was fine. After all, she was alive.

Ever since she had been released from the confines of the coldsleep chamber, Devon found that she had adopted a "Carpe Diem" attitude. No longer would she only look months, even years into the future. She was determined to enjoy the present. Staring death in the face and seeing the expressions of her loved ones when they thought they'd lost her had taught her a valuable lesson. It gave her an acute appreciation for what she has and for what could be. She was ready to grab life by its reigns and hold on tightly for the joyride of her life.

Devon smiled as she remembered when she and the others had crashed onto the planet. She'd been so frightened, though she would never have admitted it to herself or to anyone else at the time. Looking skyward, she now couldn't imagine ever thinking negatively of G889. Sure it had its share of penal colonists, ZEDs, harsh winters and giant dirt creatures who could pop out of the ground at any second. And don't forget about the computer-driven satellite in orbit monitoring their life signs and possibly keeping them breathing. That thought seemed to be the most unsettling to Devon.

However, the planet had a beauty that she could never have envisioned. It also had her son, now healed and looking forward to a healthy future. She had friends whom she could trust with her life. They had been steadfast, refusing to give up, even when Devon had resigned herself to her fate and embraced death. Julia had worked tirelessly until a cure was found and everyone had pitched in while Devon recovered. She didn't know what she would have done without their unconditional love and support. These memories brought her to one of the other greatest rewards of landing on G889- John Danziger.

Of course, in the beginning he was a constant source of aggravation to her. He threatened nearly all of her ideals, not to mention the authority that she felt she was entitled to. Thinking back, she didn't exactly exert the greatest diplomatic skills herself. Their arguments were loud and heated, often taking on a personal nature resulting in bruised egos and hurt feelings.

Slowly, however, as they began to better understand one another, their stormy relationship evolved to something with more civility. As the months went by, Devon finally realized that Danziger's angry outbursts were not meant as direct threats that he was looking to take over leadership of the group. He was just trying to keep them alive. Trying to get her to focus on the here and now instead of what would happen in two years when the colony ship arrived. Once she understood that, their relationship improved greatly. John's temperament also mellowed somewhat as the crew became more familiar with their new surroundings and learned to work as a unit. Of course, she and Danziger could still fight like cats and dogs, but now they could both work together to attain their unified goal- stay alive and get to New Pacifica in as close to one piece as possible.

In actuality, Devon almost looked forward to her arguments with the mechanic. She realized that she was even starting small disputes just to get the chance to interact with him. Since she had returned to her role as leader of the Eden Project, their exchanges had become more of a 'one-upmanship' than actual fights and gone was the verbal warfare that had been displayed when they'd first begun their journey. Moreover, he seemed more than willing to engage in this new semi-rivalry for control. He could give it as good as he got it and Devon was loving every single minute of it.

Yes, it was a strange way of flirting, but how long had it been since she'd been in a real relationship anyway? Perhaps this is how it's done now. No more holo-flowers or VR dates to another romantic time and place. Maybe it's just come down to two people pissing each other off enough until someone finally breaks down and admits that they can't possibly live without the other. Mission accomplished, Devon thought. But now what to do about it?

At first, she thought she would be able to wait until they'd reached New Pacifica. There, she could bear her soul and confess to him what she feels in her heart. God knows that it would be less complicated if she could just hang on a few more months. But her sickness had changed everything and Devon's new outlook directly conflicted with the original plan to hold off on letting him know her true feelings.

Oh well, Devon sighed, there's no time like the present. It was time to show John how much he means to her. Lord help them both if he doesn't feel the same way, she thought as she began to amble back toward camp. Seize the day, Devon repeated as her mantra. Seize the day...

___________________________________


Danziger had just sat down after completing a perimeter check when his attention was drawn to a rustling sound coming from the nearby woods.

"Who's out there making all that noise?" he sternly demanded.

"Don't get trigger-happy. It's just me."

"Devon, what the hell are you doing wandering around at this hour?" he challenged as she strolled over and planted herself next to him on a fallen log.

"Nice to see you, too," Devon quipped back. "Are you saying that you don't want any company?"

"No, I'm not saying that," John said, trying not to notice how close she was to him. "Can't you sleep?" His brows furrowed as he added, "You aren't feeling sick, again, are you?"

"I feel fine. In fact, I feel great," she answered, inwardly pleased at his obvious concern for her well-being. "So, uh, when is your shift over?"

"Solace relieves me in about an hour," he replied. "Why don't you go back to bed? No offense, but you look tired."

And she did. Nonetheless, even in her fatigued state, Danziger noted that she was still absolutely stunning. One of the most beautiful women he'd ever set his eyes on. But he couldn't exactly tell her that part. Plus, he was starting to feel uncomfortable at her nearness and figured it would be best if she just went away.

"Gee, thanks a lot for the compliment."

"You know that I didn't mean it like that. I'm just worried about you. You've only been fully recovered a couple of months. Don't push yourself too hard."

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm telling you that I've never felt better," Devon smiled as she stretched out her arms. "You're right though. I am a bit tired, but not enough to go back to my tent. Mind if I just stay out here with you for awhile?"

"You're the boss," he joked with a bit of apprehension in his voice.

Devon then closed the distance between them and laid her head against his shoulder. Danziger tried not to instinctually pull away and steadied his breathing to keep her from realizing how awkward he felt with her this close to him. Truth be told, he liked the feeling of Devon leaning against him. He really liked it and John didn't want her to know just how pleasant the sensation was for him. He couldn't let her find out that she was constantly occupying his thoughts, not to mention his dreams. Devon probably wouldn't share the same continent with him, much less the same log if she knew the content of some of Danziger's more unbridled nightly fantasies of her.

He had never met a woman that could drive him insane in so many different ways. She could go on and on about some ridiculous plan that didn't make an ounce of sense. Of course, he'd have to tell her that she was wrong. Somebody had to and it might as well be him. Apparently, Devon Adair wasn't used to being told that she was in error and, frankly, sometimes she didn't take it very well.

John rolled his eyes as he thought about her other favorite tactic. Ask his opinion and do the polar opposite. He would never understand that one. It was lucky for Devon that she was a woman. It was often the only reason that he could think of to keep himself from knocking her flat on her ass. Yeah, John surmised, that and the fact that you're head over heels in love with her. That always seemed to get in the way of things, too. It was just too damn hard to stay mad at her. Like the way she would-

John was shaken out of his reverie by Devon's soft snores as she snuggled against his shoulder.

"Goodnight, Devon," John whispered. He leaned his head down with the intention of lightly kissing the top of her head, but lost his nerve at the last second and pulled back.

___________________________________


Just over an hour later, Alonzo came to relieve Danziger on watch. He didn't even try to suppress the huge smile that broke across his face when he spotted the couple.

Danziger mildly shrugged. "Would you believe that I found her this way?" he quietly asked.

"Somehow, I don't think that's how it happened," Solace countered back.

Trying not to disturb the sleeping form attached to his left side, John reached for the Mag-pro and was slightly embarrassed to find it outside his grasp.

"Um, John," the pilot inquired with a smirk. "What if there had been any trouble this evening? Your weapon isn't much help if it's nowhere near you."

Without missing a beat, Danziger chortled and answered, "You got it all wrong, Solace. I have a lethal weapon right here next to me."

He looked at Devon and explained, "I see or hear anything that might be remotely threatening, I just point Devon in its direction and let her start talking. Whatever's out there will either run screaming the opposite way or just throw its hands up in the air and surrender just to get her to shut up."

Alonzo could barely contain his amusement and was joined by Danziger's suppressed snickers.

"Quite a secret weapon you got there, John. What do you call it or should I say her?"

The mechanic thought about it for a moment. He looked again at Devon and it came to him so easily.

"I call it a Nag-pro," he proudly announced.

At this, both Solace and Danziger burst out laughing, waking up Devon plus a few others in nearby tents.

"What happened?" Devon asked as she straightened up, flustered that she had fallen asleep for so long. And in front of Alonzo, too.

Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. They were having a bit too much fun. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing, Adair," Danziger said as he regained his composure. "Time to go back to your tent."

He stood up and helped the leader to her feet. "See ya' in the morning, 'Lonz."

"Yeah, see you two in the morning," Solace answered with a chuckle and a raised eyebrow.

When John and Devon reached the threshold of her quarters, Devon began to speak, but was interrupted.

"Get some rest, Adair," he said firmly.

As she raised her finger to protest, the mechanic gently grabbed hold of her hand. "Listen to me. You fell asleep almost the moment your head hit my shoulder. I know that you say you feel terrific, put please try to take care of yourself, okay? No more wandering around by yourself in the dark. The reason we have guard duty is because we have no idea what's out there. And we've all been through too much to lose anyone else. Got it?"

The old Devon would have probably reacted angrily at being told what to do. Actually, the new Devon didn't like it much better. But when she looked into John's eyes, she could see the raw emotion that he was feeling, even if the rest of his demeanor was calm and collected. He was truly worried about her. Maybe he felt the same way, too.

"Okay, you have a deal. And if I decide to go for an evening stroll, I promise to tell someone where I'm going or maybe even bring a friend with me. Good enough for you?" She smiled and looked downward at their fingers still intertwined.

"Good enough."

Danziger followed her train of vision and realized that he was still holding her hand. Suddenly very embarrassed, he let go and made a hasty retreat.

"'Night, Adair."

And he was gone before she could say anything else or see the redness in his face.

Yep, Devon thought, won't be long now.

Chapter Two

It was a well-deserved day of rest for the tired Eden crew. Most slept in late and only essential chores were done. In fact, Devon insisted that everyone take it as easy as possible. Some napped in their tents while others dozed under the large trees. Even Julia allowed herself to go for a leisurely walk without stopping once to pick up plant samples to analyze.

Meanwhile, Devon searched the campsite for her favorite mechanic without success. She was infuriated when she finally spotted two long legs sticking out from under the carriage of the Dunerail.

Damn him, she seethed. John tells me not to push myself so hard and then has the nerve to slave away all day working on the vehicles. She began to steam, both from her anger and the intense summer heat. Why can't he just take a break like the rest of us?

"Danziger!" Devon hissed as she stormed up to the rear of the 'Rail.

"Danziger! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Her temperature continued to rise as she got no response.

"Answer me, dammit! Weren't you the one who continually complained that we needed a day to relax? Get out from under there, NOW!"

Devon's voice was now beginning to raise as well. The two legs began to stir, but she still didn't get a verbal response.

"DANZIGER!" she hollered and, before she could stop herself, she gave him a swift kick to the right shin.

"Jesus Christ! What did you kick me for?" a very angry Walman yelled as he pulled himself from under the vehicle and grabbed his newly sore foot.

Devon just stood there stunned at what she had done and at the new turn of events. Beating up Danziger was one thing. He had earned her wrath on many occasions and it was a wonder that she hadn't resorted to violence before. But she shouldn't be assaulting the other members of the group. Oops.

"What's going on?" Magus said as she ran up to the two of them.

"Hell if I know," Walman cried. "I was just under here catching a quick snooze and next thing I know, Devon is yelling and kicking at me!"

"I'm really sorry," Devon tried to backtrack. "I thought you were someone else."

Magus folded her arms and scowled, "Yeah, you thought he was Danziger. No wonder that man's always in a foul mood."

"Poor Danz. I have a new respect for him," Walman added. "I always thought you were just trying to irritate him to death. Didn't know you had resorted to physically attacking him, too."

Okay, this is getting way out of hand, Devon surmised. "Look, everyone," she addressed the crowd that had begun to congregate. "I made a mistake and I apologize. And for your information, I do not normally go around injuring people, including John. This was a special circumstance."

"What was the special circumstance, Devon?" Baines pressed having just joined the gathering.

Oh God, how do I explain this one? She grasped for an answer that would make sense to her and the others. Why did she assault him, again? Oh yes...

"I thought that Danziger was working when he should be resting. I told him this. I mean, I thought I told him this when I was really talking to you, Walman. But you were sleeping and I was getting angry because you weren't answering me and-" Focus, Devon pleaded with herself, focus. "Anyway, it's over now and, as I said, I apologize for hurting you. It was just a stupid mistake." She tried to smile, but it came out as a look of desperation.

"Let me get this straight," began Magus, not letting her off the hook. "You were angry because you thought Danziger was working, so you decided to kick and scream at him until he agreed to relax. Do I have this right?"

"Uh, kind of, yes." This was getting worse by the second.

Yale had come upon the impromptu assembly and had heard enough to know that Devon needed a quick escape. "Devon, perhaps you would like to go check on Uly. I believe you will find him down at the lake with True and John."

"Thanks, Yale. I'll do that," she gratefully responded as she scurried out of camp. She could feel the stares of the others burrowing into the back of her head.

"Just remember," Baines couldn't resist. "We're gonna be checking Danziger for marks when he gets back, so don't get any ideas!"

_______________________________________


As Devon briskly made her way down the path leading to the lake, her mind was in overdrive. Okay, that didn't go so well, she noted. What an understatement! How could she have humiliated herself like that? Where was the levelheaded executive of a multibillion dollar company that used to reside in her frame? Gone, with no sign of returning anytime soon, she fretted. This would never have happened on the Stations. Back then, Devon Adair had been confident and powerful. Devon Adair had been shrewd and unapologetic. Abruptly, she stopped mid-step. Devon Adair had been lonely.

Certainly, she'd had Uly and Yale and she'd known that they truly loved her. But the pre-G889 Devon never really had friends. At best, she'd had acquaintances who tolerated her presence only because of her wealth and good name. They'd abandoned her without a second thought when she'd begun her quest to colonize a new planet. Some of them had told her that she was crazy. Most just avoided her altogether. A few had even betrayed her trust by providing Eden Project information to sources that had an interest in making sure that she'd failed at any cost. And where are those so-called friends now? Slowly rotting back on the Stations with nothing to keep them company but their own duplicity and selfishness. And where was she? She smiled. She was part of a fifteen member family and she knew that she wouldn't have it any other way.

As she approached the banks of the lake, she chortled in amusement. What was she thinking kicking Walman like that? Oh well, there was no real harm done and he'd forgive her eventually. After all, he was family.

Devon focused in on the source of noise emanating from the middle of the lake. John was chuckling at the wild splashing coming from True and Uly as they furiously raced each other. True soundly won and now Uly was crying foul.

"No fair. You're bigger than I am. I should get a head start."

"Fine. Be a baby," True spat. "I bet you can't even tread water."

"Can, too! Watch me!"

Uly edged his way to a slightly deeper part where he could no longer feel his toes touch the bottom. He attempted to paddle and kick to no avail. Despite his efforts, he sank like a stone.

"You're trying too hard," Danziger instructed. "Slow down your movements and do wider strokes with your arms and legs."

Uly followed the directions, but succeeded only in getting several healthy gulps of water.

"You got lead in your pockets, kid?" John joked. "Okay, maybe we should try something else. Do you know how to float?"

"Not really."

John gently grabbed hold of him by the shoulders and guided him back to a shallow area.

"All right, what you want to do is lean all the way back with your head in the water."

As Uly did so, Danziger placed his hand under his back to keep him from submerging. "Now, spread out your arms a bit and just kind of let your body go limp." The mechanic slowly backed away and smiled.

"It's working. Hey, True, look! I'm floating!"

"Hooray for you. I've been able to float for years," came the sarcastic reply.

"Hey, knock that off, " John softly chastised her. He leaned forward and whispered into her ear, "True, you know why Uly never learned to swim. Until last year, he lived in a world where just breathing and walking took everything he had. So, you think that maybe you could cut him a little slack?"

True felt a bit guilty. But only a little bit. "Okay, you're right. Sometimes I forget what he went through." She craned her neck toward her dad and whispered, "But he's still acts spoiled rotten sometimes."

"Yeah, well so do you," he teased before raising his voice for Uly's benefit. "Come on, you guys. Time to get out and dry off."

"Yuck, I got all wrinkly!"

"Me, too."

"Don't worry. You'll be fine," John laughed and shook his head as he made his way back to the shore along with his precious cargo. It was only then that he caught sight of Devon observing them from the edge. She welcomed both kids as they dashed out of the water and into the awaiting blankets that she held out for them. As she helped dry them both off, Uly couldn't contain his excitement,

"Mom, Mom, did you see me? I was floating! I was really floating!"

"I saw you, Sweetie. And I watched you race True, too. I'm so proud of you," she praised as she hugged him, getting herself wet in the process. "Let's get you two back to camp. Cameron should have lunch just about done and I bet you've worked up quite an appetite after all that exercise."

The children immediately darted up the trail toward camp in search of the promised meal, leaving the adults behind to gather up the discarded shoes and makeshift towels. Devon snickered a bit as John started to dry himself off.

"You wanna let me in on the joke?"

"Well, Danziger," she giggled, "I guess until this very moment I didn't really know that you had legs."

"I think that comment demands a further explanation." He was completely bewildered now.

Devon smiled with a twinkle in her eye. "I'm just saying that I didn't even know you owned a pair of shorts, John. Even on the hottest days, you're always in pants. Just thought it was amusing, that's all."

"Well, if you must know, these are old pants that became shorts after my incident with the ZED."

Devon's grin faded and she shuddered as she noticed the round scar located on his left thigh. Briefly, she remembered how close John had come to dying that day. She recalled her own fear as she operated to remove the bullet lodged in his abdomen. God, if she had lost him...

"You okay, Dev?" he asked as she shook herself back to the present and refocused her gaze on the soft grass beneath her feet.

"Yep," she reassured before changing the subject. "You know, I really want to thank you for everything you've done with Uly. Today, for instance. It was really nice of you to try to teach him to swim."

"Nah, it's nothing. I guess I figured that if New Pacifica's on the coast, it'd be better for everyone if he knew how to handle himself in the water. You know, for his safety."

"I appreciate that. You've looked out for him since the first day we arrived here. He really thinks the world of you."

"Yeah, well, he's a great kid. I think the world of him, too. And so does True," he reflected as he began to dry his hair. "That whole act on her part to make Uly think that she just barely tolerates his presence is just that. An act. True really cares about him deeply. I don't know what she would have done if he wasn't here as a part of the group."

John stopped suddenly and gazed into Devon's blue eyes. Seems there were some interesting parallels between the two generations of Danzigers and Adairs. And the looks on their faces showed that they both knew it.

"Even though they may not say it out loud, they know they mean a lot to each other," he finished reluctantly.

"You're right about that." Devon wasn't stupid and, not only did she follow the hidden meaning of his words, she agreed with them. An uncomfortable silence followed as they both struggled for something, anything to say.

"Come on, Mom. You're missing lunch," Uly yelled to them from the edge of camp.

True impatiently added, "Yeah, Dad. Aren't you hungry?"

"Be right there, True-girl."

"Me, too, Uly," Devon answered. After another few moments of quiet, she inquired, "Hey, Danziger, you want to go swimming later?"

"Sure. When?" He grabbed True's shoes and blanket and started walking up the path.

"I was thinking this evening. You know, like a moonlight swim. You don't have guard duty tonight, do you?"

"Nope. Got the night off." Danziger stopped and stared back at her as she caught up to him. "Exactly how late were you thinking of taking this swim of yours?"

"This swim of 'ours,'" she corrected.

"Okay, 'ours.' How late?"

Devon strode past him with a smile as she advanced up the trail. "Oh, I don't know. How about after the kids fall asleep? Meet me back here at the bank."

The mechanic gawked at her as she turned around with a raised eyebrow.

"Come on, Danziger. Live a little," she slyly teased. "I'm going swimming and you yourself said that it's too dangerous to go out alone at night. Remember last evening's speech? Well, not only am I telling you where I'm going, but I'm inviting you along as well."

"You mean our little talk actually got through that thick head of yours?"

"What can I say? You made a compelling argument. So are you with me or not?" She decided to test the waters a bit early. "If you aren't interested, I can always invite someone else. Walman, perhaps?" she grinned mischievously.

"No, no, I'll go," John answered a bit too eagerly. Jeez, calm yourself down, he scolded himself. Clearing his throat, he replied, "Anyway, Walman's on sentry duty tonight. So I guess you're stuck with me."

"So be it. See you later." The leader sped up slightly so she could have the last word.

By the time Danziger reached the edge of camp, Devon had already disappeared into the meal tent.

She just wants some company, John reasoned. Don't get too enthusiastic. Devon just wants to make sure that she's safe. You're the stupid idiot who practically demanded that she bring a bodyguard should she want to venture out at night. That's what you are- a bodyguard. You'll just be there to protect her in case anything goes wrong. Nothing more.

John ran his hand through his still-damp hair and sighed in both confusion and anticipation. He couldn't help but wonder exactly how many hours of daylight was left. Maybe he could persuade True to go to bed early tonight.

He shook his head. Dammit Adair, what the hell is going on?

_______________________________________


John was more anxious than he wanted to admit. It felt like it took forever for the darkness to descend. After three bedtime stories from her father, True finally closed her eyes and drifted off into the deep sleep that the Danziger clan was famous for.

Although it had been a bright and sunny day, clouds had moved in during the evening, obscuring most of the larger moon. The smaller moon was hidden completely and visibility was unusually low. Danziger changed back into his swimming attire, grabbed a small blanket and headed off in the direction of the lake. He went unnoticed by Baines, who was scheduled for the early shift for guard duty. As he fumbled his way down the trail, the mechanic cursed himself for not bringing a lumalight. Then again, if he had, Baines might have discovered him going to meet Devon.

So what? It's not like he's doing anything wrong, he thought to himself. It's just a casual meeting between two good friends, right? Yep, just keep repeating that over and over.

We're just going swimming.

Alone.

In almost pitch dark surroundings.

John was getting more nervous with each step. How was he possibly going to keep his equilibrium under these conditions? He resolved to try to concentrate on some of Devon's less positive attributes. That should sober him right up. Like her moodiness. Her pigheadedness. The way the sunlight reflects off of her auburn hair. Damn, damn, damn, this wasn't working either. Just stay calm, he inwardly pleaded, and try not to humiliate yourself. God knows, she'll never let you live it down.

Danziger staggered haphazardly the final hundred yards to the water's edge and scanned the ground for Devon's belongings. Guess I'm the first one here, he deduced after nothing was found. Maybe Devon got held up telling Uly bedtime stories, too.

He'd just stripped off his shirt when he noticed Devon wading toward him. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up. Where have you been?" she asked.

"Couldn't get True to sleep. How about Uly?"

"Out like a light. I think learning to float tired him out," Devon jested.

"I seriously doubt that."

"So-"

"So, what?" Danziger was starting to feel nervous again.

"Are you getting in the water or are you just going to stand there all night?"

John swiftly removed his shoes and threw them next to his shirt on the grass. "Just give me a minute, all right? Hey, where's your stuff, anyway?"

"Hidden behind that rock over your right shoulder. Put your things there, too, so they don't get stolen by a Grendler."

"Always barking out orders."

"Just shut up and get in here before the sun comes up," she playfully chastised.

The mechanic added his personal items to hers and was about to jump in when he abruptly stopped.

"Now what's wrong?" Devon asked in exasperation.

Danziger broke into a Cheshire grin. "I just wanna make sure. You aren't gonna attack me, are you?"

Devon was mortified. Could he have figured out her agenda? A few awkward moments passed before she realized what he was actually referring to. "So, I take it you heard about my run-in with Walman today, huh?"

"Let's just say that I was warned that my safety may be at risk."

Devon decided that she needed to regain control of the conversation fast and she had just the retort to do it.

"Okay, I promise not to kick you, but be careful," she wryly declared. "I have a Nag-pro."

They both chuckled as John joined her in the water. "I guess news travels pretty fast around here, doesn't it?"

"Yep. Nothing stays a secret for very long in a small group like ours," Devon agreed. "Come on, let's go."

"Where?"

"I don't know, Danziger, as far as you can hold your breath. Just swim, okay?"

Before he could respond, Devon dove underwater. He didn't move, instead waiting to see where she reappeared. She surfaced toward the shallow center of the lake where he and the children had been earlier in the day. As she waited, he lazily made his way over to meet her.

"Gee, John, take your time," she teased.

"I just wanna know. Is there ever going to be a point where you'll feel that it's no longer necessary to boss me around?"

"Probably not," she quipped. "Some people need to be bossed. Some people even enjoy it a little."

"Fine, then let me tell you what to do for awhile. See how you like it."

"Give it your best shot," she challenged. Devon edged toward him impatiently waiting for his response. "Well, I'm listening. What to you want me to do?"

John's mind was suddenly deluged with several very interesting images, but decided to keep them to himself at this juncture. Instead, he decided to answer her with a different, though not altogether unpleasant, idea.

"How about being quiet for more than two seconds?"

Devon furiously mulled the suggestion over in her head for a moment and decided the best course of action.

"Fine. Your wish is my command." She gave him her most defiant look, folded her arms in front of her and stood there in the water in complete silence.

Danziger's eyes widened. "You mean that's all I had to do this whole time? Ask you not to talk and it would've worked?"

Devon shrugged her shoulders and nodded her head in mock agreement.

"I don't believe it," he taunted. "I can actually hear my own thoughts!"

Devon answered him only with an obscene gesture, but John was undaunted. In fact, he was on a roll.

"I can hear the wind blowing through the trees. I can hear the sound of kobas chirping in the distance. It's like a whole new planet!" he sarcastically declared.

At this point, Devon decided that she'd been quiet long enough. After all, technically the two seconds of requested silence had long since expired. She let out an angry growl and lunged forward, shoving the mechanic backwards into the water with a splash. She chortled as he regained his balance and slicked back the hair from his face.

"Hey, you promised no physical violence," John wisecracked.

Devon replied with a wink, "I was provoked."

"Oh, great. You're speaking, again," he gibed. "Guess all good things must come to an end."

"Don't give me that garbage, Danziger," she flirted as she took a step toward him. "You probably wouldn't know what to do with yourself if I wasn't around to torment you on a daily basis."

"Yeah, you got a point there," he conceded, his voice suddenly somber as he tried in vain to block out the memories of the week that Devon was gone, possibly lost forever to him and the others. Making the decision to leave her behind and continue the journey to New Pacifica had almost destroyed him completely. Although he had voted in favor of moving onward, Danziger wasn't sure if he could have actually left Bennett's ship. He thanked God that Julia had found a cure before their plans to leave were put into action. John's eyes became slightly saddened and Devon knew that he was remembering her illness.

"I have to admit, it is kind of fun driving each other crazy," he said.

Devon reached up and gently touched his arm. "I couldn't agree with you more." As their eyes met, she knew that it was time to take a chance. "Come on," Devon quietly suggested while motioning behind her. "I'll race you to those rocks."

Devon didn't wait for his answer and swam toward the small cove located on the opposite side from which they came. Once John saw the direction she was headed, he joined in hot pursuit. It didn't take long to overtake her and Devon felt the disturbance in the water as he passed.

He was already there to greet her when she arrived at the base of the rocks. The area wasn't deep and the water only extended to just below Devon's shoulders. Despite that, she swam directly to Danziger and interlocked her arms around his neck. John jumped back in surprise as she pulled herself up to his eye level. Devon then wrapped her legs around his waist. Danziger's heart jumped into his throat and he found himself unable to speak for a few seconds. He could only stare at her in complete astonishment, afraid that if he closed his eyes, he would wake up back in his tent. She smiled alluringly and waited to see how he responded to the overture.

"Um, Devon, the water's pretty shallow here. You can stand up if you need to," he was finally able to stammer out. She could feel his heart beating wildly and the look on his face was a cross between intense yearning and abject terror. In other words, she had him right where she wanted him.

Devon nodded and leaned toward him. "I know, John. I know," she whispered and pulled Danziger the rest of the way to her. She met his lips with her own and drew him into a passionate kiss to which he responded with equal fervor. They were both breathless when they finally separated and John arched his head back to study her. He figured that it was best to be direct. Heaven knows she certainly was.

"You tryin' to seduce me, Adair?"

"Well, if you have to ask me that, I must not be doing a very good job," she mischievously replied.

"On the contrary," John growled as he encircled his arms around her to close the remaining gap between them. "It's working like a charm."

His left arm tightened his grip around her torso while he ran his other hand up her back. Devon shivered as he reached up and clasped his fingers around the back of her head. John gently eased her hair back exposing her neck and began a trail of kisses which led him slowly back to her mouth.

Both gasped as their emotions began to overtake them. They began to kiss and grope each other wildly as their previously hidden attractions broke free from their self-imposed restraints. Danziger peeled off her shirt and tossed it on the rocks located a few feet above them and it wasn't long before the rest of their clothing followed as well. They melted together seamlessly as they urgently explored one another. Devon snaked her feet down his thighs until she felt the back of his knees. She pushed her heels forward causing John's legs to buckle and forcing him backward against the smooth vertical rocks behind them.

"God, Devon, I've wanted this for so long." Danziger could barely breathe, much less talk.

Devon could only manage a labored whisper as she hungrily kissed him. "Me, too."

Their bodies ached with desire as their lovemaking continued to intensify. Finally, Devon could no longer keep her passion contained and they clung to each other helplessly as the pleasure overtook them both. When the waves subsided and they were finally able to catch their breath, Devon slid her arms around John's waist and placed her ear over his still loudly thumping heart.

"Well, this has been an interesting evening," Danziger broke the silence as he started to chuckle.

Devon looked up at him with pretended innocence. "Are you surprised?"

"I think that would be the understatement of the year." He gently kissed the top of her head. "But don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining."

"You'd better not be."

"I'm just really glad that you invited me instead of Walman," he snickered as Devon lightly smacked his chest. He pointed his finger at her teasingly. "Hey, you promised. No physical violence."

"Fine," Devon purred as she leaned up to kiss him. "That better?"

"Much." As John held her in his embrace, reality started to sink in. "So, what now, Dev?" he was compelled to ask.

She eyed him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, what happened here tonight affects a lot of things. Like our friendship. Not to mention our kids." He wove his fingers through her wet hair and she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation. "What about the mission to New Pacifica?"

Devon gazed into his eyes hoping that he would have the answers. She knew what she wanted and she knew what was realistic. However, they weren't necessarily the same thing.

"You can't tell me that you didn't expect this to happen sooner or later," she said in a mildly challenging tone.

"Well, to be perfectly honest with you, I didn't expect this to happen," John disclosed.

Devon's head snapped backward and her eyes became wide with concern. He wasn't regretting what they'd just done, was he?

"Wait a minute, let me finish, okay? I didn't expect this to happen because I didn't think that you had the same feelings for me that I had for you. At least, I wasn't sure about it. You're a tough one to figure out, Adair." John ran the tips of his fingers down her temple in a reassuring gesture. "Anyway, I assumed that, if there was gonna be anything between us, it would happen after we reached New Pacifica." He added with a smile, "But like I said, I'm not complaining."

"I don't know what to do," Devon reluctantly confessed. "But I'm willing to hear your thoughts."

Jeez, now she wants to hear my opinion. This evening is just chock full of surprises, Danziger mused to himself.

"First things first. Why tonight?"

She was slightly flustered as she admitted, "Because I wanted you and I didn't want to wait until we made it to the coast."

Devon forced herself to look into his eyes. "We've been through so much together. We've almost lost each other more than once. I wanted you to know how much I care about you. How much I need you. I also wanted to see if you felt the same way, too."

John scooped her into his arms and kissed her passionately. When they parted many moments later, he hugged her tightly and whispered huskily into her ear, "Do you have your answer?" He could feel Devon nod against his shoulder and they remained in their embrace as he spoke his mind.

"Listen to me, Dev. You're a practical person. Stubborn as a mule, but practical. I know that,despite what happened here tonight, you still think the best course of action is to wait on a relationship until we get to New Pacifica."

John pulled themselves apart and stared deeply into her eyes. "And do you really want to know what my answer is on that subject?" He rested his forehead on hers with their noses touching and softly stated, "Okay."

"Okay?" Devon shot him a stunned look.

"I'm saying that I agree with you," he explained. "There's too much going on right now. Not to mention that every day it seems like we're facing new obstacles. I mean, we're talking about our very survival here. We're also way behind schedule. You and I need to focus all of our attention on getting to the coast in time for the colony ship." He let out a sigh. "Plus, we'd have to deal with the group and the kids and... it's just better to wait."

Danziger placed his hands behind her head and caressed line of her jaw with his thumbs. "I'm not saying that I'm gonna like it. I just think that it's the right thing to do for now. I've waited for you this long. I can wait a few more months."

He tilted forward and gently kissed her. "Besides, now we know how we feel about each other. And we even got a preview of what's in store for us when we reach New Pacifica."

They both smiled as Devon nuzzled his neck. "Yeah, that was some 'preview.'"

"Maybe we can push the 'Rover to do thirty clicks a day," John teased.

"I also suppose that we're going to keep this encounter to ourselves?"

"I think it would be best, don't you?" Danziger didn't even want to contemplate the living hell Solace would put him through if he ever got wind of tonight. However, Devon was hesitant in her response. "This is what you want, right Dev?"

Devon ran her hand along his chest. "No," she acknowledged in a hush. "But it's the most sensible choice." She smiled as she looked up at him. "If you're willing to wait, so can I."

John attentively took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips. "Come on." He let her go and reached up to the rocks above their heads to retrieve their clothing. "We'd better get back to camp before we're missed."

Both were lost in their own thoughts as they redressed in the water. Danziger chuckled to himself. He couldn't believe that he'd been led into an ambush. And what an ambush it was! He would never have guessed that Devon could have planned anything like this and he certainly would never have pinned her as a seductress. He figured that she was much too reserved to ever take on such a role. The woman never ceased to amaze him, he thought. His heart skipped a beat as he thought of what other delightful surprises might await them once they reached New Pacifica.

At the same time, Devon was pondering whether or not she really wanted to wait. She was thrilled to finally know that John was as attracted to her as she was to him. She was even more thrilled to have been given the opportunity to act on those powerful emotions. However, Devon realized that she had miscalculated Danziger's response to her disclosure. Being as bullheaded as he was, she wrongfully assumed that, once they'd given in to their temptations, John would have insisted on continuing what had been started. Secretly, she had been counting on it. She'd never considered the idea that he would want to delay a physical relationship between them until their lives were more stable.

Devon couldn't help but smile as the two slowly made their way toward the shore. The man constantly astounded her and she wondered to herself if she would ever figure him out. She was looking forward to giving it a try.

"John, are you sure you're okay with these arrangements?" Devon asked, finally breaking the stillness as they reached the bank.

Danziger grabbed a blanket and started to dry himself off. "Not really, but it's the best way to handle this. And trust me," he stopped and eyed her suggestively. "It'll be worth the wait."

Devon chortled as she wrapped her arms around him.

"You know, it's at least four months to New Pacifica," John teased as he returned her embrace. "Are you sure you're gonna be able to resist me?"

"Somehow, I'll just have to struggle through the days," Devon retorted with an exaggerated sigh.

"Too bad we're waiting. I wouldn't mind seeing what it's like to be with you on dry land."

The wheels in Devon's mind began to turn as she remembered the small grassy clearing she'd discovered the prior evening.

"You know, we have a few hours until daylight," she offered, her face overtaken by a coquettish grin. "And I happen to know just the place."

John raised his eyebrows. "Well then, what the hell are we still standing around here for?" He excitedly grabbed her by the hand. "Let's go!"

And they went.

Chapter Three

The sun rose slowly over the horizon beckoning the inhabitants of Eden Advance to address the new day. The camp began to come to life as the realization of another long walk lay ahead. Much of the crew had shuffled into the meal tent where Bess was cheerily dishing out a concoction of seasoned fruit. Baines and Walman strolled over to have a private word with Julia and Alonzo, although it wasn't long before everyone else was drawn into the conversation as well.

"I'm telling you that it wasn't us, okay?" Solace steadfastly denied, becoming slightly irritated at Baines and Walman's continued line of questioning.

"Well, who was it then?" Baines loudly queried as the tent became quiet.

"You guys want to fill the rest of us in?" Cameron asked as he motioned to the rest of the group listening intently. "You seem to have our undivided attention."

"Well, if you must know, after I relieved Baines on watch last night, he thought he heard some strange noises at the lake-" Walman began.

"So I went to investigate," Baines continued.

Walman interrupted, "He gets there and what does he see? Two of you in the water." He took a long pause for effect. "And you weren't swimming," he finished with a wink.

"Really? Which two?" Bess gleefully asked wondering which couple was enjoying the fringe benefits of her matchmaking skills.

"I'm not sure. It was dark and they were at the other bank near those large rocks. I couldn't see who they were, but they certainly were, you know, um, animated." Baines suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"Aren't you the diplomat?" Walman beamed. "Last night, our friend Baines here described what he witnessed as 'a couple of dogs in heat.'"

When the laughter finally subsided, Magus was compelled to ask, "So which of you is it?"

"I don't know," Walman answered directly to Magus. He tried desperately not to look jealous at the possibility that someone might have stolen her from him before he'd gotten the courage to make his own move. "We've eliminated me, Baines, Alonzo and Julia-"

"Don't look at us," Mazatl and Denner jointly stated. They were much too shy to have engaged in a public interlude, no matter how dark and secluded the spot may have been.

"And it sure wasn't us," Bess declared nodding toward Morgan as she joined him at the table. Cameron and Magus also shrugged.

All eyes slowly turned to Yale in the rear of the room.

"I can assure you that I was in my tent asleep the entire night," the cyborg said with a slight grin.

Alonzo startled to chuckle as he rose to his feet. "You know, there are two people missing from this discussion and they could very well be the guilty party."

"Not a chance, Solace! There's no way that the two silhouettes that I saw out there were Devon and Danziger," Baines countered.

"Why not? The process of elimination concludes that it would have to be them, right?"

"Unless people in this room are lying," Walman retorted, refocusing his gaze on Magus. Why was she sitting next to Cameron? If he remembered correctly, she sat next to him last night at dinner, too. He just might have to kill Cameron later. "Besides, they can't stand each other. My foot still hurts from Devon kicking the crap out of me yesterday. There's no way that those two would ever-"

Just then, the tent flap swung open. An energetic True skipped in followed closely by her father who, as usual, looked like he had just been dumped out of bed.

"Come on, Dad," True jeered, trying not to notice how eerily silent it became when they entered the tent. "Are we gonna finish the work on the ATV before we leave or are we gonna do it after we camp tonight?"

"No time like the present, Sport. Just grab a couple of pieces of fruit to take with us. We can eat and work at the same time," answered John, oblivious to the hush that had befallen the room. After all, he was a little preoccupied this morning.

A thought crossed True's mind. "Hey, Dad, where were you last night, anyway?"

"What do you mean?" Danziger asked as he stuffed a mango-like piece of fruit into the pocket of his jacket.

"I woke up in the middle of the night and you weren't there. Did you go for a walk or something?"

"Oh, yeah, I mean, no. Actually, I figured that I wouldn't get the chance to enjoy another day off for awhile. Figured I might as well take advantage of the surroundings. So I decided to go for a swim."

Suddenly, several utensils were dropped along with the jaws of every person in the tent. Both Bess and Yale simultaneously began to choke on their mouthful of food. Although True picked up on this, John was too absorbed by his memories of the prior evening to take notice.

"Good," True said, a bit apprehensively. She wondered what she had missed. "I'm glad you took some time to relax and have some fun."

"You can say that, again," uttered Morgan under his breath.

"Anyone seen our 'Fearless Dictator' this morning?" Danziger asked, missing Morgan's comment along with the stunned expressions. He turned and looked to Julia for an answer but the doctor never offered a response and continued to stare directly at her plate of food in front of her.

"Uh, no, um, Devon, she, uh, must have decided to sleep in," stuttered Bess.

"She must have been tired," added Alonzo with an all-knowing smile.

"Well, somebody better tell her that our holiday was yesterday, not today," John grunted suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable, himself. They couldn't possibly know, could they? "The ATV'll be tuned up and ready to go in about forty-five minutes. Maybe somebody better go wake her up. Day isn't getting any younger."

"I will check to ensure that both she and Uly are awake and ready to go when it is time," Yale softly said, also unable to look the mechanic directly in the eyes.

"Good. Come on, True. We got work to do."

Both Danzigers marched out the door and, luckily for everyone, out of earshot.

"'Two dogs in heat', huh, Baines?" Alonzo said, now rolling with laughter.

"Oh, God, Bess, please tell me you didn't wash our clothes in the lake this morning!" Morgan shuddered as the words left his mouth.

"Morgan-" Bess began.

"Wait just a minute," Walman cut in. "Okay, we know that Danz was one of the people involved in last night's tryst. But how do we know the other person was Adair?"

"Who else could it be?"

"I'll do you one better," hypothesized Magus. "Let's say it was both Devon and John. But what if they weren't, um," she searched for a noncrude description, "what if they weren't being amorous. I mean, Baines, are you really sure that you saw what you think you saw?"

"What do you think they were doing out there in the middle of the night, Magus?" Mazatl was willing to hear any ideas.

"I'm saying maybe Danziger finally snapped."

"Has anyone even seen Devon this morning?"

"I didn't see a body floating in the lake if that's what you mean."

"Maybe he buried her where we'd never find her," Morgan nervously pondered out loud. If Danziger was willing to murder Adair, he knew all-too-well who would be next on the mechanic's hit-list.

"You don't actually think that he would try to drown her, do you? I mean, she knows how to push his buttons and all, but Danziger wouldn't really try to kill her, right?"

"Nah," Walman said. "There's no way that he would do that, no matter how much he's thought about it. Hey, Baines, it didn't look like he was trying to drown Devon, did he?"

"Not unless he was trying to resuscitate her at the same time!"

More laughter ensued as both Adairs strolled into the meal tent.

"I guess we have our answer," Julia spoke in a low voice as the others giggled.

Bess sauntered up to the pair, hoping to get some juicy information and maybe have some fun in the process.

"Hi, Devon," she merrily addressed. "You kind of slept in late this morning, didn't you?"

"Just had a little trouble getting to sleep last night." She looked around for John, but didn't see him. Wonder if he's awake yet, she pondered.

"Would you like me to check you out to make sure everything's all right?" Julia asked with a smirk. It was time to get back at Devon for the endless meddling regarding her and Alonzo's relationship. Payback was going to be a Bitch.

"No, really, I'm great. I guess I was just wound up a bit. So I decided to go swimming and that tired me right out."

"When did you go swimming, Mom?" Uly looked a bit hurt that he hadn't been invited.

Devon knew what he was thinking. "It was after you fell asleep, Honey. I didn't want to wake you."

"Wasn't it kind of dangerous to be swimming alone that late at night, Devon?" Alonzo chirped, his jovial tone not matching the words of concern.

"Yeah, Mom. You're not that strong a swimmer."

"It's okay, Uly. I met up with John and we went swimming together." Devon desperately tried to hide the delighted look that overtook her face.

"Oh, well why didn't you say so?" Uly rationalized, "Mr. Danziger is a great swimmer and he would never let anything bad happen to you."

"Yep, you're right about that," she answered as she grabbed a plate of food. "Tell you what. Since we're running so late this morning, why don't we take our meals back to our tent. We can eat while we pack up."

"Okay." Uly didn't really want to pack and looked for an out. "Where's True, anyway?"

Yale sheepishly responded, "True is with her father working on the ATV." He found that he couldn't look Devon in the eyes either. "John said that everything should be ready to go in about forty-five minutes."

"Great. Looks like it's going to be another gorgeous day," Devon dreamily pronounced as she exited the tent with Uly in tow.

A few seconds of absolute stillness followed while the rest of Eden Advance drank in what had obviously occurred between their two competent, if not overly moody, leaders.

It was Julia who finally broke the silence, "Hey, 'Lonz, I'm not that great a swimmer, either. Do you think John would be willing to give me some lessons?" She playfully shoved him as he wrapped his arm around her.

"You do and you'll be taking down your own med-tent!"

"Danziger could help you with that, too!" Magus heartily exclaimed. "Hey, I could sure use some swimming lessons!"

Walman just glared at her.

"I can't believe it," Mazatl said.

"I can and it's about time, if you ask me," Bess added.

"Hold on." Denner's mind was racing. "For all we know, they've been together for weeks, even months."

"Yeah, think about it. If Baines hadn't been such a Peeping Tom-"

"Shut up, Cameron!" Baines shot back.

"I'm just saying that it was dumb luck that Devon and Danziger got caught last night. How many times do you suppose they HAVEN'T been discovered?"

"Are you saying that all of the bitching and complaining they do, not to mention the screaming, you're saying that it's all just a ruse on their part to keep us from finding out that they're a couple?"

"I don't know. But I would love to know how long they've really been seeing each other."

"Probably since she's been out of cold sleep," Mazatl guessed.

Julia thought about it. "Maybe it was when we were in the spider tunnels. Both of them hinted that there was a bit more going on between them than just meets the eye."

"Do you remember when Danz ingested the flower pollen?" Magus added. "Devon watched over him like a mother hen."

"Maybe it was when he and Baines got that virus at the other escape pod."

"No way. We'd only been on the planet for three weeks when that happened."

"Exactly my point. This could have been going on since the beginning."

"Hey, Yale," Bess inquired. "Did you know about this?"

Yale had stayed silent through the entire conversation. He was still seated at the back table, though now he had his head in his hands, trying to get it to stop spinning.

"I honestly had no idea. However, I cannot say that I am surprised at the turn of events." Okay, he was a bit surprised, but he should have known that this was coming. "Of course, they have had their turbulent moments."

At hearing this, the entire room erupted with a mixture of snickers and groans as each remembered past altercations between the two strong personalities.

He continued, "They have been through a lot together. I also believe that, despite any animosity between them, they trust each other implicitly. John has always been there for Devon when she needed him and vice versa. I, for one, am happy that they have finally realized that they belong together."

"I couldn't agree more," Alonzo grinned. "So do we let them off of the hook?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the both of them are going to great lengths to act like they can't stand to be around each other. Do we tell them that the jig is up and they can finally go public?"

Morgan grimaced, "I don't want to see John Danziger go public with anything!"

"Are we taking a vote?" Cameron piped up. "Danziger loves to vote on everything."

"Yeah, let's vote on it." Alonzo stood and rapped his knuckle on the table, rattling the empty plates. "Okay, who's in favor of making life easier on them? Letting Devon and John court each other openly for all to see." He smirked devilishly. "No more hidden romps under the cover of darkness. They can have their romantic liaisons anytime or anywhere. In the middle of camp even!"

"I think I'm going to lose my breakfast," a now-green Morgan croaked out.

The pilot continued, "Or do we want to sit on this new information and watch them both to see what happens? Maybe even be able to use this revelation to our advantage, if the opportunity presents itself. Who knows? Maybe they'll eventually come clean and tell us what's been going on between them."

"It could be fun to wait and see what happens. Now that we know what's going on, we can be on our toes and monitor them," Denner proposed.

"Plus, they deserve to suffer a little for forcing us endure all of their endless tirades."

"It'll also give us something to do during those twenty click hikes."

Walman added, "I got nothing against Danziger, but I wouldn't mind punishing Devon a little bit. After all, she did kick me."

"Get over it, Walman," Magus said, rolling her eyes.

"I think we've heard enough. It's time to take a vote," Julia said with a slightly maniacal grin.

It was unanimous. Let the games begin.

THE END