Continental Vacation (IC)

[Raveled]

Jessica giggled as she kissed Blake, following him back to the bed. "They're all speaking French, Blake. They could be insulting our parents and you wouldn't ever know if they said it with a smile on their face. Faces. Collective face, whatever." She fell on top of him, kicking off her shoes. "C'mon. We still have time to make a few more good memories."

---

The lovers spent the night in each others arms and were still up early, the energy of youth keeping them moving. In less than an hour they were on another train, heading more or less south. Jessica stayed quiet for much of the ride, simply watching Blake. "I'm sorry," she said suddenly, appros of nothing. "I feel like I'm dragging you all over Europe, searching for the perfect vacation."

[Lone Star]

Blake looked back at her, and put a hand over hers. "Don't be, baby! I'm having a nice time just being with you. Besides, France is a beautiful country, and I can't imagine spending my time in Europe with anyone but you." He smiled, and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek. "Plus, it's nice to have hotel rooms." His mind flashed back to the past few nights, and Blake paused for a moment. "I'm really enjoying myself here, babe, so don't worry one bit about it." A lightbulb lit in his head, and he pulled a deck of cards out of his jacket pocket. He shuffled them with the expertise of a Las Vegas dealer, and arranged them in a stack. "Pick a card off the top of the deck. You're going to love this trick."

[Raveled]

Jessica blushed at Blake's peck, squeezing his hand. The train had side-by-side seats this time and Jessica had sprung for first-class accommodations; they had a pair of roomy seats together with no one else nearby, but they were still sitting knee-to-knee. She had to lean back a little to enjoy Blake's card-shark skills and examine the cards available to her. They looked like pretty normal playing cards, but her boyfriend was a magician of the oldest sense; the possibility that this was some normal sleight-of-hand was slim to none. She slid a card out and held it close to her breast, looking at Blake instead of the face of the card. "These aren't dirty playing cards, are they," she asked slyly. "Last night was very fun, but there's a time and a place for everything."

[Lone Star]

Blake grinned, chuckling a little, his gaze not moving from hers as he shuffled and arranged the deck with expert precision. "Of course not, babe. Now put your card back into the deck." He shuffled the deck once more, and quick as lightning, snapped five cards down on the table. "Let's see, we have the Ten of Hearts, the Jack, the...oh? What do we have here?" He held her card, the Queen of Hearts, and shook it once. The picture transformed into Jessica's, and Blake laid it down on the table. "Now every queen needs a proper king..." he said, pulling the King of Hearts out of the deck, and transforming it into his picture. "Now aren't they a cute couple?"

[Raveled]

Jessica smiled at the card 'trick.' It was simple trick but it warmed her heart. "Queen of Hearts? Does that mean I should be shouting, 'off with his head'?" She leaned close and gave Blake a peck on his lips. "Or are you just saying that I have your heart?" She gave him a longer kiss. After a little finagling she managed to raise the arm rest between them and crawled a bit closer, curling her legs up on the seat. She managed to stay like that for a few minutes, before an attendant came along and explained, patiently, that her legs needed to remain down or else the seatbelt wouldn't have an affect. Jessica complied, but she was still as close to her boyfriend as she could get. "I really think you'll love the beach," she said. "It'll be a great cap to our vacation."

[Lone Star]

Blake put an arm around Jessica, and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sure it'll be wonderful, babe. I'm really looking forward to it." He cuddled close to her for a little bit, comfortable with her close to him. After a bit, he ordered lunch for them, and the two watched the landscape pass them by. "Oh, did we get a hotel down here? I wouldn't mind camping out on the beach...that might be fun if they allow it."

[Raveled]

"You'll see," Jessica promised, tucking into the meal.

---

Several hours later the pair were at their destination, a quiet resort with its own stretch of private beach. The young couple didn't have to deal with avoiding the gambling, though; they had a white-walled cabana house some ways away from the hotel-casino. It had its own small kitchen, sitting area, and patio with a hammock, just perfect for two people together. Despite that Jessica disappeared into the bedroom for many minutes once they arrived, eventually emerging in a red bikini top and sarong, her hair unbound and falling to her shoulders. "Ta-da," she said, spinning around so that Blake could get the full view. "Was the wait worth it?"

[Lone Star]

Blake was in awe of how lovely the beach looked, and was even more impressed when he got to the house they were staying at. "It's marvelous, babe!" While Jessica went to the bedroom, Blake sat on the couch in the living room and watched the waves hit the beach. It was a beautiful sight, and he smiled a little to himself.

"Ta-da," she said, spinning around so that Blake could get the full view. "Was the wait worth it?"

He turned around, and his mouth hit the floor. The first thing that popped into his head wasn't the most romantic thing that he has ever said. Damn, girl!"

[Raveled]

Jessica blushed but smiled broadly, keeping her eyes on Blake. "I know. I can be amazing when I put my mind to it, huhn?" She walked up and put her arms around his neck, kissing him for a long minutes. Pulling back she was still smiling and gave his chest a thump. "Go on," she insisted, swiveling around him. "Get changed and we'll hit the beach." She backed away from him, spinning at the door to make her sarong flare out.

Out on their deck, she hopped into the hammock and almost spilled out of it. Idiot, she admonished herself. Unstable system in a state of rare equilibrium, and you just added a bunch of energy in one direction. You're supposed to be a smarty, remember? When the bed stopped rocking back and forth so violently, she leaned back in it and looked out over the beach. White sand stretched for miles, interrupted here and there by security fences and populated by beach-goers in various levels of physical fitness. She raised one hand to shield her eyes and a ray of sun glinted off the titanium bracelet for just a moment. She hadn't been able to convince herself to take that off and leave it with the rest of her clothes. She just hoped that she wouldn't need it.

[Lone Star]

Blake blushed at her kiss, and warmly returned it. "Mmm. I'll be right out, babe." He quickly made his way to the bedroom, and stripped off his shirt. Blake took a moment, and looked at his reflection in the mirror. For just a moment, he reflected on how much he had changed in the past year. It was a whirlwind of events, but it ultimately led down a good path. He was in love, in Europe, and he finally looked as good as he felt. Blake smiled and quickly slipped his swim suit on, joining his girlfriend outside.

He saw her on the hammock, and thought better against trying to join her on it. "Nice day, huh?"

[Raveled]

Jessica smiled at Blake and eased herself off the hammock. "Sure is," she said, "and just bound to get better." She scooted back inside and grabbed an oversized beach towel that had been folded and left on the edge of the kitchen counter. The pair of them took off down the beach, and once they staked out a spot on the sand for their towel they very nearly lived in the water. Swimming out past the markers, splashing each other like children, and even smooching in the shallows. It wasn't until the sun was touching the western horizon that they stumbled onto the sand again, Jessica collapsing on the beach towel. She laid there for a long moment, simply relaxing, then rolled over and looked up at the darkening sky. "Okay," she admitted. "This? This has been one very nice day."

Almost as if it was summoned by her words, there was a resounding boom and a chunk of the top level of the hotel-casino, clearly visible from the beach, exploded outwards. Two figures zoomed out of the dust and landed not far from the teens. One was a woman in a long evening dress, thin and very pretty. The only thing stopping her from being a supermodel was her orange skin, green hair, and the petulant expression on her face. "I can't believe how arrogant those humans are," she said. "Expecting me to pay my bills? I'm a princess!"

The second figure was dressed in something approaching Roman or Greek attire, a long green robe folded over his body several times. He had the same orange complexion as the woman, but his head was shaved bald. "Princess Khania," he said in a soothing tone, "I tried to warn you. These primitives do not know of your regal majesty! They are backward fools."

Khania sniffed derisively and turned to regard Jessica and Blake. She looked down her nose at them, even levitating an inch or two in the air to better do so. "You're right about their primitive behavior, Consul. They should be groveling at my feet!" She stalked -- well, floated -- over and addressed the teens directly. "You two! I require refreshments. Bring them!"

[Lone Star]

Blake raised his head, and saw what appeared to be an alien princess ordering him around. "Excuse me, ma'am, but I believe you're mistaken. I don't get refreshments for anyone, unless that's my girlfriend. Now you apologize to us immediately." he said, pointing a finger at the princess. It wasn't that Blake was foolhardy, but no one ordered him around, much less his girlfriend. "We're not looking for any trouble, we're just trying to enjoy our damn vacation, and I swear to God if we have to fight I'm not going to be able to hit the beach!" he said with a groan.

[Raveled]

Khania glared down at Blake. "How dare you speak to me like that! I am a princess, and in time I will be queen! I should hold you down and cut out yo--"

Consul stepped in, literally stepping between Khania and the teens. "I apologize. This is Princess Khania, of... well, you wouldn't be able to find the star anyway, so it doesn't really matter I suppose. Still, if you could just grovel a little bit, we could all be on our way." He smiled ingratiatingly at the supine teens.

"No," Jessica said flatly, turning her face away from the pair of aliens and closing her eyes.

Khania shoved Consul aside and glared at Jessica. "Fine," she spat. "If there's to be no groveling, I'll just take some tribute!" She jumped onto the young woman's back and grabbed at her bracelet; Jessica reacted by rolling over in the sand, and after a quick tussle the two separated. "You have no idea the sort of enemy you just made," Khania said, her hair in disarray.

"Funny," Jessica hissed. "I was about to say the same thing."

[Lone Star]

Blake stood up, and held his wand out at Khania like a gun. Lightning sparked from the tip, and briefly illuminated his face. "Princess Khania, or whoever the hell you think you are, I want you to understand something. You do not start a fight with my girlfriend. If you don't leave us right now, I swear to God I will turn you into a golden chicken and sell you to the highest bidder. And if you think I'm joking with you, I assure you I'm not." He stood poised to fire, ready at a moment's notice.

[Raveled]

If Khania heard Blake, she didn't pay him any mind. "I warn you, Earthling," she said, pointing an imperious finger at Jessica, "that you are facing a warrior-princess unlike anything you've faced before. Bow down now and I may be lenient and only take your trinket away from you."

"No dice," Jessica replied. "Besides, how do you know what I've faced?" There was a flare of light and a surge of energy, and suddenly Ironclad was standing on the beach. "I've got the weirdest job in the world, lady, and you're nothing more than an irritation right now." Before the alien princess could react, Ironclad surged across the intervening space and threw a hard left hook. It caught Khania completely off-guard and threw her several feet down the beach, where she landed in a puff of sand.

[Lone Star]

Blake watched his girlfriend go to town on the princess- she amazed him more everytime he saw her go into action. His fist pumped in the air, and he cheered her on. "Nice right hook, babe! Now time for a light show." His wand, already in his hand, glowed with evocation magic, the elements channeling through it. Blake took careful aim, and an arc of lightning shot from the tip of the wand. It streaked across the air, illuminating them all for a moment. "Time to ride the lightning, princess!"

[Raveled]

The lightning streaked across the sand and grounded itself into the alien princess, transmuting bits of the beach into glass as it passed through her body. She groaned and turned over on the sand, unable to stand as yet.

"Your Majesty!" Consul leapt forward and struck out at Ironclad, but the armored heroine deflected the blow. She could still feel the power behind it, though; apparently the ambassador wasn't a lightweight, either.

"Her Majesty's having a little nap time," Ironclad said, aiming a punch of her own which the orange-skinned alien avoided with a deft motion. "If you really care about her, why not pick her up and cart her off?"

[Lone Star]

Blake slowly walked towards the beach, pulling a convenient pouch of sleeping powder out of his bathing suit. "Never leave home without it." Blake said as he shook the bag. "And I think I'll help put the princess to sleep. She looks very cranky." He pulled a pinch of the potent sleeping powder out of the bag and threw it over the princess. The magic of the sleeping powder filled the air, and Blake stood triumphantly. "Need some help, babe? This is a piece of cake."

[Raveled]

Consul and Ironclad traded a few more blows before the alien broke off. He made a super-strong leap over the heads of the heroes and landed next to Khania, raising ripples in the sand for many meters in every direction. He swept up the incapacitated princess, glaring at the young heroes. "Such villains," he spat. "No respect for the right to rule!" He flexed his legs again and soared through the air, coming to rest on the far side of the resort; once again, and he was out of sight over the horizon. Ironclad stayed tense for a long moment, but after a thorough scan of the area convinced her that there were no other threats she folded her armor away, running a hand through her hair. "If any more bad guys show up," she announced, "I'm going to throw them into the ocean."

---

The rest of the day passed without incident, and as the sun set over the horizon Blake and Jessica sat out on their personal patio, watching it. Jessica reached over and grabbed her boyfriend's hand, turning slightly to look at him. "I think I owe you an explanation," she said. "I've been dragging you all over Europe, trying to find the perfect vacation, and I think you deserve to know why." She bit her lip, hesitating for a moment. "Do you remember our first date?"

[Lone Star]

Blake held her hand close to him. "Of course I do, babe. The movie date, right? We kissed and held hands and it was totally awesome." He gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek. "And then we started going out and stuff, and now we're in Europe. Why do you mention it?" All joking aside, it was strange that she bring up their first date at such a random time. Was there something that happened that day he didn't know about?

[Raveled]

"If you remember," she said, "I said I wanted to hold off on more... serious stuff until I was eighteen." Her sudden blush, visible even in the setting sun, left little doubt as to the exact nature of the 'serious stuff' she was talking about. "Well... I'm eighteen now. Been so for a couple days. In fact, that's why I can afford to drag you around Europe, but that's neither here nor there. What I want to tell you is that I want to do... serious stuff with you. All the serious stuff, really." She blushed furiously, but didn't look away from Blake's face.

[Lone Star]

Blake's mouth opened, and for a moment, he sat gaping like a fish. "Uhh...yeah! I mean, yes babe, that sounds great!" His expression quickly turned into a wide smile, and he was soon blushing almost as much as Jessica was. "If you're ready...so am I. I've been waiting to, you know." Blake stammered for a moment, then caught himself. "Do serious stuff." His confidence soon flourished, and he picked Jessica up and walked her off to the bedroom.

[Raveled]

Jessica gasped as Blake picked her up bodily, the rush of hormones apparently giving him a burst of more-than-usual strength. She laughed as he carried her over the threshold like a newlywed bride, kissing him fiercely just before he let her down on the bed. She laid on the bed, looking up at Blake, her thoughts rather disordered. After a moment she sat up and kissed him again, putting a hand behind his neck and pulling him down to the bed. "I think this turned into a very good vacation."

[Lone Star]

Blake kissed her back, his heart racing as he removed his shirt. He grinned a little as his lips moved to her neck, and he pecked her with sweet smooches. "I couldn't agree more, babe. Wait...one thing first." He sat up, his bare chest moving up and down rhythmically as he caught his breath. His hands moved out to either side of him, and he closed his eyes. Jessica saw a small red object float daintily down from the ceiling, followed by dozens more, and they sprinkled on the bed. As they landed on the mattress, she realized what they were- pink rose petals! "Now it's perfect. I love you, Jessica." They moved under the sheets and spent their first night of love together. Blake had never been happier than he had been that night, in their beach hotel room. It was a memory he would cherish as long as he lived.