A Magical Place

Posted on Sat Jul 8, 2017 @ 10:59pm by Captain Madelina Weisz & Master Chief Petty Officer Thomas Barnes

Mission: Shore Leave
Location: Tahiti
Timeline: MD 13 || 1030 Hours

Tom materialized on the public pad, still clad in his Starfleet uniform. He planned to be here more than an hour ago to meet Maddy, but evidently Starfleet Command had other ideas. Tom had no idea if Maddy was still waiting for him, or if she'd already moved back to the beach. And, since bathing suits didn't really accommodate combadges, he had no way of reaching her. If only he had a clue of some sort...

After checking in and having her bags delivered to their over water bungalow, Maddy made her way toward the same transporter pad she'd arrived on almost an hour ago. She was still clad in her light blue floral print dress with a bikini underneath, and had a beach bag hanging over her shoulder. It didn't take long for her to spot him. He was one of very few people wearing their uniform, but that would change in time.

With a smile, she made her way toward him. "Did you decide to spend your vacation in uniform?" she asked, closing the distance between them as she pushed her sunglasses on top of her head. Then she noticed he didn't have any luggage, and that made her frown. "Something happened, didn't it? You can't stay..."

"No," Tom said, embracing her. "I can stay. I just didn't want to beam back up to Triumphant just to change. I wanted to get here as soon as possible."

"Did everything go okay?" Maddy asked, unable to keep the worry from her face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Tom said. Though the uniform was designed for comfort, he could feel the sun trying to burn through his uniform. He wished he would have had his luggage beamed down a while ago, but alas, here he was. "If anything, my collar just got a bit heavier."

"It is?" she asked, moving to look at his collar. It didn't take long for her to notice what was new. "A promotion!? You got a promotion!?" She was unable to contain how excited she was for him, and to prove it, Maddy practically pounced on him, her arms wrapping around his neck. The smile she wore was bright. "Congratulations, my love! You're more than deserving of this. I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks," Tom replied, beaming. Truth be told, he'd considered all of his promotions up to this point to be just part of his career and nothing special. "Yeah," he said, "The Command Master Chief of Starfleet called for me right as I was about to beam down. Had my swimsuit and sunscreen on and everything. Of course I couldn't beam down to Starfleet looking like that."

"You didn't bring anything with you?" Maddy asked. Like a lot of women (not all), she didn't need a reason to go shopping. "We can remedy that quick enough. I've already checked us into our bungalow, and once you have everything you need, we can do whatever we want to."

"I just wanted to get here," Tom echoed, spotting a tourist store not far from them. Starting to walk in its direction, he wrapped his well clothed arm around her waist. "Besides, you know how Triumphant is. If someone spots you, then you have to do something with them, et cetera et cetera. I just couldn't take that chance."

Maddy knew he had to be a bit warm in his uniform, too. So the quicker they could get him changed, the better off he'd be. "You're right about that, which is why I put in for official leave the day after everything happened. I didn't want to take any chances when it came to our vacation."

"Such is life in the high ranks," he replied as they entered the shop. "The CMC practically hinted that I could be in line to take his spot on Earth. I don't know how I feel about a desk job though." As he spoke, he began browsing through a selection of swim trunks, hoping to find one that was his size.

"If you ever decide to go that route, I'll be right there with you," she said as she began to look through the swim trunks with him. For a moment, Maddy wondered if he would protest that, but found herself hoping that he wouldn't.

"Somehow I doubt either of us would enjoy life at Starfleet Command," he remarked, smiling. He held up a pair of red shorts with a white stripe down either leg. "What do you think? Matches your hair almost."

"You're right about that. There's nothing like living among the stars. Even when non-corporeal lifeforms try to kill you," Maddy stated, moving over to check out the shorts he was holding up. "I like those. We need to find a T-shirt to go into your collection, too."

"You sure you're not Betazoid?" Tom chuckled, already knowing that he needed to add to his collection. "The trick," he told her as he walked over to the shirt selection, "is to find the most basic, yet incredibly touristy, shirt. The best are either white or a color associated with the planet."

"I'm definitely sure I'm not Betazoid, but what color would be associated with Tahiti?" she found herself wondering out loud. Maybe it was time for her to start a collection of her own, not that she'd stop wearing his. "We could always play the role of true tourist and get matching ones."

"It's really hot out here, so we'd probably want to stick to white." Tom began to search through a pile. "I'm fine matching," he said. "This looks good," he said, holding up a plain white shift with powder blue letters that simply read TAHITI.

"I'm good with this one," she stated, looking through the others until she found her size, or one that would fit her. "You can't be comfortable in your uniform. Go change, and I'll get everything squared away. We can go to the beach for a while and relax."

Tom looked around and spotted the changing rooms. "Did you bring a bag? If not, can you grab something for the uniform too?"

Maddy pulled the bag from her shoulder and held it out to him. Inside were a couple beach towels, sunscreen and a few other things they'd need while on the beach. "I always try to come prepared."

"You are an angel," he said, leaning in to give her a kiss. "Back in a minute." With that, he took the bag and disappeared into the changing room.

An angel? That was the first time she could ever remember anyone ever calling her that... aside from her father when she was much younger. With a smile, she made her way over to the young Tahitian woman standing behind the counter and told her what they were purchasing, then paid her for it. Once that task was done, Maddy pulled her sunglasses down onto her face and stepped just outside for Tom to join her once again.

Tom hadn't been long. After all, uniforms were simple enough to get out of. Between the yellow tunic, standard jacket, gray undershirt, trousers, socks, boots, and not to mention skivvies, they certainly took up a lot of space. And, rather than wear the boots out of the store, Tom also managed to purchase a pair of sandals before leaving. "I feel like I'm standing out even more with this," he told Maddy, adjusting the bag's balance on his shoulder.

Maddy grinned when she saw him with the brightly floral printed bag on his shoulder. "You definitely do stand out a bit with that," she commented, reaching out so she could take it from him and f he wanted to hand it over. "So, aside from the beach, what do you want to do? The sky's the limit."

He didn't surrender the bag. He never minded sticking out, but he was just mindful that he was. "I don't know," Tom said. "I've never been to Tahiti. I've just heard that it's a magical place." Smiling, he added, "I think a dip in the ocean is in order. Then maybe a massage. Or two."

"Oh, I like the way you think," Maddy said with a smile. "Our first stop... the beach. Then we'll head to a spa somewhere. Unless you want a personal massage?"

Tom chuckled softly. He could certainly use one of those, but the call of the beach was too strong. "I've always wanted to try one of those couples massages."

"I've never done one of those before, so I'm looking forward to it. There's got to be a spa somewhere near here," she said, slipping her hand into his before heading toward the beach. "Come to think of it, I've never had a massage before."

"Never?" Tom asked. "Then we should head for Vulcan at some point. Vulcan, their women especially, can do wonders for muscle relaxation."

Maddy made her way onto the sand with him and looke for a spot to set up shop. "Maybe we'll have a chance to get to Vulcan before we have to get back to it. I know I've told you before, but I'm willing to try anything once."

He smiled, proud of her in this moment. "One day at a time," he told her. The beach, unsurprisingly, was quite crowded, but he didn't care much. "I think I see an open spot over there."

The redhead woman didn't mind large crowds, and it didn't take long before she saw the spot he was talking about. "That looks like a good one, too," she said, making her way over to it with him. "How long has it been since you've been in a real ocean?"

"Just a couple of months," Tom replied. "I like to head for shore anytime the ship hits port, even if it is to have dinner at a local place." He stopped at the spot and set the bag on the ground. Having put the uniform inside a while ago, Tom knew right where the towels were. He pulled them out immediately and began to unfold them to lay them out. "What about you?"

"Risa... two years ago. I don't make it back home often. This is the first time I've been back to Earth in five years," she answered honestly, helping spread their towels out. Once that was done, she pulled her dress off to reveal a blue bikini that matched her eyes. "It held some bad memories, but now I want to make better... happier ones with you."

"If that's the case," Tom said, brandishing a sly smirk. "Then you better be ready to catch me!" With that, he took off for the ocean, his feet splashing in the shallow end as soon as he met the water.

Maddy laughed and watched him for a few seconds before she took off after him. She couldn't remember having this much fun with anyone in a long time. "Oh... I'm going to catch you!" she called out after him with a genuinely happy smile. "And when I do, you're in trouble." But, he wasn't in any real trouble.

As soon as he was far enough from shore, Tom was able to dive beneath the surface and propel himself towards an unoccupied spot in the safe zone. Even with hover technology, several boats and yachts could be spotted from the shore line and the local authorities had established boundaries for the beachhead. Tom planned to go out as far as he could, because after all, why stay so close to shore when there was plenty of ocean around?

The second he dove under the surface, she lost him. A frown formed on her lips, but that didn't mean she was going to give up. Staying above water, Maddy began to swim in the direction she thought he might have gone in, hoping he'd surface soon so that she'd be able to catch up to him. She couldn't quite explain it, but there was a bad feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. Hopefully, it was more just an overreaction, and not a sign of things to come.

At that moment, something grabbed her leg and pulled down. It was Tom, having swung back around with just enough breath to pull off the joke.

Maddy was definitely not expecting that, and her immediate reaction was to scream. Her second reaction was to grab whatever it was that grabbed her and get it to the surface. If it was something that was going to bite or injure her, that was something she'd deal with when it happened.

Yanked to the surface, all Tom could do between gasping breaths was laugh. It was something he probably shouldn't have done as he had no idea how upset Maddy might have been with it, but he hoped it was enough to get into a playful mood and set a solid tone for their vacation.

She blinked when she saw that is was Tom and not some kind of sea dwelling creature intent of biting her in half. (She did have that kind of luck lately.) "You... you..." the redheaded woman stammered, trying to gather her bearings, but suddenly, she burst out laughing. He got her good, better than anyone ever had in the past, and that included Moon Moon and his pranks. "Oh... I'm so getting you back for that. Just wait." She threw her arms around his neck and leaned in to kiss him in an effort to let him know she wasn't at all upset by what just happened.

Still afloat, he returned the kiss with as much passion as he could muster, which was unsurprisingly infinite. It was the fact that they were in a public setting that he did not unleash his full passion, and the fact that both their lips tasted like salt water. "I look forward to it, my love," he said with a wide smile.

"So am I," she said with an equally wide smile. "Now... I think you mentioned something about enjoying a swim before a couples massage?"

"Is that not what we're doing already?" he asked with a smirk.

"Ha. Ha," Maddy said with a grin, spotting one of the yachts off in the distance. "Think we can swim out to it and back?"

"I'm sure I can," he grinned before looking out to the yacht she might have spied. They were all a good distance away, but surely it wouldn't be that bad. "I'm up for it if you are."

"Let's see what you've got," she said before she began swimming toward the yacht she'd seen. It had been a long time since she'd swam such a distance, but Maddy knew she could do it, and she had a feeling Tom would be able to pull it off, too. He was in damn fine shape.

Whether or not Tom could pull it off was not his concern. Tom found himself worrying about Maddy after her recent near-death experience. It was natural for any human being to push themselves beyond their limits, but to do so this soon after a traumatic experience... For this reason alone, he made sure he stayed behind her as they swam towards the yacht.

Maddy paced herself as she swam, taking her time and enjoying the feel of the warm water against her skin. She didn't want to push herself too hard... the swim itself was going to be hard enough without trying to break any kinds of records of anything. Still... she wasn't sure if she should go that far. "Do you think we should only go about half way?"

Tom advanced his stride to come beside her. "It's up to you, Maddy," he said, not wanting to discourage her even though he had his concerns. "If you think you can make it, we can go all the way."

She stopped and began to tread water so she could look at him. "A week ago, I have no doubt I could have made it, but that was before I was turned into a popsicle. Now... I don't know if I'll be able to."

He was faced with a choice. Tom could agree with her and take her back to shore, but he felt that would be a demoralizing blow to her spirit and forever impact their relationship. He knew better, which was why he gently declared, "Come on." He pushed off, taking off for a different yacht, which was a lot closer than their original target.

Maddy was grateful to have such an incredible man in her life. With a smile, she changed course and began swimming toward their new destination. "Thank you, Tom," she said softly.

He could only smile as they swam. The exercise was taking more energy than he expected, and he could only wonder what those on the yacht thought of their little endeavor.

As they neared the yacht, a man moved to the side to watch them as they neared. He was a human, likely the yachts owner, that spoke when they grew closer. "That's some swim you two did," he called out. And while his yacht was closer than the other, it was still a pretty far distance from shore. "Why don't you two come aboard and relax for a while?"

"We don't mean to impose," Tom said to the yacht owner, doing his best to keep afloat. He was slightly winded, but he was worried about Maddy needing a few minutes of rest before heading back to the shore.

"It's not an imposition if you've been invited," the man said with a smile. "Come on aboard." He lowered a ladder over the side so the two of them could climb up.

Being the ever gentleman, Tom thanked the yacht's owner and became the first to climb the ladder. Normally, he'd have the lady go first, but this time he jumped in front of her so he could help her up, not knowing how tired she might be.

Maddy smiled her thanks to the man as she began to climb the ladder behind Tom. It would be nice to sit down and relax for a while. Their swim had taken a bit more out of her than she'd expected, though the redhead had no intentions of saying anything about that out loud. She didn't want him to worry about her. "This is some vessel you have here."

"Name's Parker," he said. "And thank you. She definitely makes me pretty happy. Can I get either of you a drink?" Parker extended his hand to Tom to help him aboard.

"Sure," Tom replied, not wanting to refuse any more hospitality. "Maddy's right, you've got a fine vessel here. Are you based out of Tahiti, or are you one that likes to roam the seven seas?"

Parker produced two cocktails and handed one to each of them. "I'm retired. Former Starfleet. These days I spend my time cruising the oceans and taking in the sights. It may seem like a lonely existence, and isn't for everyone, but it's relaxing."

"Thank you," Maddy said as she accepted the drink. "You're retired Starfleet? If you don't mind me asking... what was your position before?"

"I started out in Security, then went into Command... Captain of my own starship. Alas... some things happened, and I was offered a desk job. That wasn't me, so here I am now," he replied.

"Sounds like something that could happen to either of us," Tom said before sampling the cocktail. It was sweet and sour all at the same time, very enjoyable. "I made Master Chief just a few minutes ago, and my girlfriend here is a full fledged Commander."

Parker raised his glass at Tom's news. "Congratulations on your promotion," he said with a smile, then looked toward Maddy. "A Commander, huh? You'll be commanding your own ship before you know it."

Maddy took a sip of her drink, which was actually rather delicious, and shook her head. "Commanding my own ship will never happen. I'm an Executive Officer right now, and that's as high up the totem pole I plan on going."

Tom thanked Parker before taking another sip of his drink. "Do you miss it, Parker?" Tom asked. "Oh, before I forget... Tom Barnes."

"Parker Johnson, and yes, I miss it every single day of my life," he admitted. "I spent nearly fifty years active duty before I retired."

"Maddy Weisz," she said, reaching out to shake his hand. "I think I would miss it if I retired, too, but I don't really plan on doing that for a long long time."

"Fifty years?" Tom asked, nearly spitting out his most recent sip. "Forgive me, Parker, but you don't look a day over forty!"

Parker chuckled. "I get that a lot, actually. I was lucky enough to join the academy at seventeen years old, and now, I'm sixty-seven. Not including my time as a cadet, I was only active duty for forty-six years."

"I want to know your secret. If I could look half as good at sixty-seven, I won't have any problems in the world," the redhead said with a smile.

"Maddy, I don't think you're going to have anything to worry about there. Whatever it is you're doing, keep doing it," the older gentleman said, returning the smile.

Tom chuckled, a bit nervously, wondering both if that was a pass at Maddy and also if she was slightly interested in him. "And now you've got the seven seas at your fingertips. Any words of advice for a couple fellow 'Fleeters?"

"When you have downtime, make the most of it," he said, gesturing for them to sit as he did so himself. It was then that an attractive blonde woman joined them. She moved over to Parker and leaned down to kiss him, then settled down next to the older man. "Tom... Maddy... I'd like to introduce you both to my wife, Candice."

Candice offered them both a smile. "It's nice to meet you both."

"Likewise," Maddy said, slipping her hand into Tom's as she moved to sit down. She had zero interest in Parker since there was only one man who was able to hold her attention unlike any other man alive.

At least that question is settled, thought Tom as he followed Maddy to sit on the edge of the boat. "Nice to meet you too," Tom said, flashing a friendly smile. "How long have you been together?"

"Six years," the young woman answered.

Parker smiled and slipped his arm around his wife's shoulders. "Yep. We got married six weeks in. I chased Candice for six months before she finally gave in and agreed to go out with me. We knew we wanted to be together forever," he answered, smiling lovingly at the woman next to him. "Haven't regretted a single day of our lives together."

"Neither have I," Candice agreed. "And the fact that he's forty-five years older than I am isn't a deal breaker, either."

Maddy smiled. The couple clearly looked like they were head over heels in love with one another. "Sounds like a fairy tale. A love like that is bound to last a lifetime."

Tom refrained from shaking his head and instead reached over and gently squeezed Maddy's knee as a loving gesture. There's no way he could date someone terribly older or younger than he. The fact that both he and Maddy were of different rank structures was enough of a separation. Aside from that, nothing else mattered.

"I was almost married some years ago, but that didn't work out for me," Maddy said. "It kind of put a damper on me ever thinking I could find happiness again. Until I met Tom. He came into my life and changed everything for the better."

Candice nodded her head. "Ten, I'm very happy that you were able to find your happy again."

Parker looked between the two of them. "What would you guys say if I offered you the chance to join us on our journey until duty calls again? I'm owed a favor from an Admiral friend of mine, so I can have a shuttle come pick you up from wherever we happen to be when your orders to return come in."

Tom winced and shook his head in mock uncertainty. "You know, Parker, I'm honestly not sure. I'm just a simple Master Chief who will need to confer with the ship's XO. Give me just a minute."

Then, he turned to Maddy and said, "Commander. Request permission to join Captain Parker on his mission to explore the seven seas."

"Permission denied," Maddy replied. "But only because Commander Weisz was left behind on the ship. Maddy, on the other hand, would love nothing more than to do a little exploring." With that, she grinned and leaned in to kiss him.

Candice couldn't help but smile as she rose to her feet. "In that case, I'll get a room ready for the two of you." With that, she walked away.

Tom chuckled. He meant it all in jest anyway. His new chevrons were in a bag left on the be... Oh well, they were only possessions anyway. "Is there anything we need to pick up from Tahiti? We could probably get a yeoman to retrieve our stuff from the beach."

"I have a jet ski you can use to retrieve anything you might need," Parker offered.

Maddy nodded. "Thank you, Parker. I would like to get our stuff from the beach. Tom's chevrons are in a bag there, and as he just got them, that makes them special."

The older gentleman smiled. "Then, by all means, you should retrieve them. We won't be setting sail for another couple hours."

Turning to Maddy, Tom said, "I can swim back to shore, get our stuff, and beam back here." It was a suggestion, but considering everything she'd just went through, Tom thought she'd be better off for the trip if she had a little more time to rest. The swim to the boat had taken a bit out of them.

Maddy knew Tom was looking out for her, and she appreciated that quite a bit. "If you took the jet ski, you could get there and back quicker. Or... I can have someone grab our things and bring it to us. Call me sappy, but when you were away getting promoted to Master Chief, which I'm so very proud of you for, that was more than enough time being away from you."

All the older man could do was smile. "I see wedding bells in your future," he commented before he rose to his feet and made his way inside.

Jet ski, of course! Tom didn't know how he missed the earlier offer. "Then I'll be back in a jiffy." He kissed her before standing and moving to the other side of the yacht where the jet ski was berthed.

Maddy returned the kiss and smiled. "I'll be here. I'll get in touch with someone and have the stuff in our room sent here while you do that. Be careful."

Tom smiled. With that, he accepted Parker's help with boarding the jetski and taking off towards the shore.

The redheaded woman watched him zip toward the shore until she couldn't see him anymore. She quickly called the hotel to have their things brought to the ship, then settled back down to relax. While she sat there alone, she thought about the man in her life. Maddy hadn't even been looking for anyone after everything she'd been through in the past as far as men went. Truth be told, she hadn't been looking for anything more than that one night, but Tom had turned out to be absolutely amazing. More amazing than she could have ever thought, and she'd fallen head over heels in love with him.

Now... Maddy didn't want to even imagine her life without him. Maybe, fate had finally brought her her Mr. Right. With a smile on her face, she took a sip of her cocktail and closed her eyes. Things were going to be good for them now, and they'd get to spend their shore leave with another couple sailing all over the place. This was a dream come true for her.