By: Ginger De Los Rios

Kayla Sheppard tilted her head back with a sigh of pleasure, absorbing the warmth and fresh, unpolluted air. The sky was cloudless and the pristine, blue waters powerfully lapped against the shore. She smiled at the sound of hearty male laughter coming from the ocean, one voice deep and masculine and the other just reaching puberty. She shielded her eyes and caught sight of Phineas Bogg and Jeffrey Jones throwing each other into the oncoming waves. The trio was enjoying a long needed vacation on a beach in Quintana Roo, a Mexican state that was uninhabited in the seventeenth century.

It was almost four months since Kayla had last seen the voyagers, having been immersed in her studies at Voyager Training School. Her course schedule was intense. She was assigned to learn the history of the guidebook, omni function and repair, psychology, genealogy and a few other necessary ethics and social science classes. Kayla thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but missed all of her dear friends. Her assistant, Jeremy Saunders, and his new bride, Kirstie, were doing very well in the Manhattan Brownstone on Sixth Avenue. Kayla often shared what she learned with Jeremy and he was handling her caseload of voyagers with ease. Voyager Headquarters was giving him assistance as needed.

The day after her final exam for the omni course, she received a surprise visit from Phineas and Jeffrey. They had come to whisk her away to an island retreat. Kayla was ecstatic to go and to her amazement, the boys had lovingly prepared a hut in advance. They decorated it with a few modern furnishings and had gone hunting for food and delicious fruits. Today was their third day living like natives off the isle.

Kayla stood up and made her way to the ocean, only going in up to her ankles. Phineas waved and gave her his broad, attractive smile.

“C’mon hon! I think your toes know how to swim great by now!”

Phineas! That’s not funny!” She shouted back, but couldn’t stop herself from laughing.

She inched further until she came past her knees. The waves were starting to get bigger in this late hour of the day. Jeffrey wrestled himself away from Phineas and came to her side.

“The water is perfect Kayla, don’t be scared, you’re doing great since we got here. I’m gonna go eat, I’m starved!”

“Jeff, remember don’t swim again too soon…” Kayla reminded him.

“I know! I’m just gonna relax anyway.” He plopped on the blanket and began munching on the shish kabobs Kayla had roasted earlier. He was ready for a long nap.

Kayla bravely moved closer to Phineas and he swam to her. The cool water lapped up to her chest. She held out her arms to him and wrapped them around his neck, and then did the same with her legs around his waist. She felt completely safe in his strong grip.

“Hey pretty lady, it’s about time you joined me.” He kissed her softly.

“I’ll only do this if you’re here to help me, I’m still scared of the water, Phineas.”

Phineas hugged her. “Hey, its okay, I’m here. Haven’t my lessons paid off at all?”

“Yep, I was able to get this far without panicking, that’s pretty good.”

“Great, now lets see that dog paddle.”

“Oh no, not now, I just got so comfortable.”

She shifted up closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder; she casually ran her fingers down his back, hoping he would change his mind. Phineas always enjoyed the sensation, but he was on to her tricks.

“Kayla, this is for your own good. My father trained my sister and I to swim when we were still babies; he said I should have been a merman’s son. Trust me, it will come in handy.”

Kayla groaned and pulled away, treading the water slowly. Phineas cheered her on.

“That’s great, look at you, you’re floating! That’s one of the most important things about swimming, knowing how to stay afloat.”

Kayla loved Phineas’ confidence, but more so that he was a source of great encouragement to everyone he met. They spent the next half hour practicing different swimming techniques and she was proving to be a quick student. When she tired out, they cuddled on a rock mass as the sun dipped into the horizon. She curled up between his legs and Phineas sat behind her, playing with her shoulder length brown hair.

“I can’t decide what I like Kayla, the long hair or the short.”

“Everyone at VTS loved the bob, they figured it was my signature hairstyle, but I got a little tired of maintaining it; it just grows so fast. Right now it’s in that awkward, in-between stage.”

“Nah, it looks fine to me.” He brushed her hair aside and kissed the nape of her neck. She leaned back into his chest and turned her head slightly upward, they continued to kiss playfully. When their lips parted they gazed tenderly in each other’s eyes.

“Phineas, this was one of the sweetest things you’ve ever done for me.”

“Didn’t I tell you I would do anything for you?”

“Yes…although, I did say that getting me the pink and red Kimonos and tatami sandals was the sweetest, I loved them so much, I wore them out.” She giggled.

“Oh, I didn’t tell you that Tomoe Gozen the warrior gave it to me as a thank you. Jeff and I helped her plan out and win, the battle of Kurikawa. She called us, Phinesan and Jeffresan.”

Kayla slid off the rock and faced him with a wry smile. She pushed his wet hair back and kept her arms around his waist.

“I’ve read about Tomoe, she had flawless porcelain skin, long and silky black hair, and was charmingly beautiful.”

“Yeah, she sure was…and what a warrior! The things she could do with that bow and arrow…” Phineas trailed off, chuckling at her expression.

“Oh really? And I’ve heard that her husband, Kiso Yoshinaka, was an expert with his samurai sword, he was rumored split men in two with one stroke.” Kayla informed him with a playful shove.

“Those Japanese wars are outright bloody and violent, Jeffrey was a little stunned for a while. I tried to keep him out of the battle and it was rough. Tomoe took the head of the man who killed her husband.” Phineas shuddered from the memory.

“Wow! I’m sorry, so what really happened to her? Did she become a nun or die with him in the battle?”

“Honestly, I don’t know for sure. After we defeated General Yoritomo, I got Jeff out of there as fast as possible; she was riding toward the East when I hit the omni.”

“Another person lost in the throngs of history, that’s too bad.” Kayla shivered from the sudden breezes and noticed Phineas did the same. “Hey, those gorgeous muscles of yours must be getting chilly; we should head back to the hut.”

The young couple strolled along the shoreline holding hands. When they came to the hut, Jeffrey had already passed out in his small cot. They washed themselves with freshwater and soap and put on warmer clothing. Kayla set up the blanket and Phineas brought out a platter of intricately carved fruit salad he worked on earlier in the day.

“Phineas! You did this? It’s so beautiful I almost don’t want to eat it. You’ve created a work of art.”

“I picked this little art form up from the natives of Polynesia, they find beauty in everything.”

“Hmm, I’m sure the native women found beauty in you, my dahling.”

Kayla held her tongue after that remark. She knew she had to stop behaving so jealously. She didn’t want to make Phineas feel uncomfortable, but he was so good-natured that sometimes her comments went over his head. She watched him lovingly as he chewed on a papaya and looked wistfully at the full moon coming into view. In school, the older female voyagers talked non-stop about the gorgeous Phineas Bogg, and whether real or imagined, they all seemed to have a story to tell. As Kayla became more adapted to the school setting, she became a passive observer to these conversations. When they found out her relationship with Phineas, some started giving her the cold shoulder. Kayla brushed it off with understanding; she had been in their shoes at one time, feeling no more than a mere notch in his belt.

“So, Boggy, what to do now?” She said coyly.

Phineas swallowed his fruit and rolled his eyes at her.

“Boggy, huh? Where did that come from?”

“Well that’s what all the gals call you at school, specifically Voyager Beth Davies. Don’t you remember her? Average height, pretty brown eyes, and a ‘widdle’ cupid bow mouth?”

“Oh…That Beth…hehheh…yeah, she kinda loves to give everyone pet names.”

“Really Phinny? Ohhhh! Where is my Boggy woggy baby bear?” She mocked the female voyager’s squeaky voice.

Kayla started laughing at him as his eyes widened. He grinned and shrugged like a little boy caught in the cookie jar. She kissed his cheek and snatched a strawberry.

“I’m only teasing you Phineas, but you really are popular at VTS. I think you’re in at least one picture in every display case around the campus. You really went all out.”

“I was a late bloomer, I didn’t know my buckle from my sash when I first arrived.”

“Hey buster, according to these girls you knew that buckle from that sash very well. I saw more of your early pictures and you were adorable! That perfect Viking mustache, your hair all scruffy in a ponytail, little chipped tooth in front, your broken nos…”

Phineas lunged on her and covered her mouth jokingly. “Shhh! Are you trying to give me away?”

Their laughter rang out across the beach as he playfully grappled her, she begged for mercy when he kept her arms behind her back and started to tickle her all over.

“Ahhhh! Stop! Stop! Jeffrey is going to wake up! Please!”

“Jeffrey? Wake up? That kid slept through the Tri-State Tornado!”

Kayla lifted her head up. “Oooh, you mean the one from nineteen twenty five? The one that ripped across three states in America?”

“That’s the one! Hey you’re pretty good, maybe I should take you along as a partner?”

“Don’t you dare Phineas Bogg, Jeffrey is your one and only.” She scolded him, managing to squirm out of his grasp and turn over.

“I know that, he’s irreplaceable. I still want you…”

Kayla kissed him quickly.

“I love those four words, say it again.”

Phineas cleared his throat and put his mouth to her ear, “I still want you…” He repeated huskily.

Within the next moment it was absolutely clear how much he did. Meanwhile, Jeffrey stumbled from his cot; he needed to relieve himself. He noticed the two on the blanket and sucked his teeth as he walked over, covering his eyes halfway.

“Sorry! Kid crossing! Excuse me.” He announced loudly.

Phineas leaped off Kayla and she quickly rolled on her stomach adjusting her sweater sleeves. They both laughed uncomfortably. Jeffrey smiled sweetly and continued to saunter in the direction of the trees.

“Hey, can you move it a little faster Jeff?” Phineas urged.

“What? I’m enjoying the scenery a little, smelling the flowers. Gazing at the starlight…”

“You’ll be seeing stars alright! Watch out for wild boars.” Phineas sneered.

“Okay Bogg, don’t mind me.” Jeffrey laughed and then ran to the dark underbrush.

“That kid is asking for it Kayla…hey…where are you going?”

Kayla had gotten off the blanket and yawned loudly.

“You know, we promised to take Jeffrey to look at some Mayan ruins tomorrow and we want to get an early start.”

Phineas kicked the sand, his frustration evident. He looked up at her with pleading eyes, his lower lip jutting out.

“But Kayla, this is our vacation, it’s a perfect night…”

Kayla shushed him as Jeffrey passed by again.

“Hey! Who made the fruit salad? Looks great!”

Jeffrey helped himself to a few coconut squares and sat cross-legged on the blanket. He didn’t pay attention to Bogg’s annoyed expression and mumblings; rather, he counted down the seconds until he heard his inevitable complaint.

“Smart kids give me a pain!” Phineas said huffily and he popped some grapes in his mouth. Kayla laughed aloud with Jeffrey and sat between them. They all relaxed and talked under the gorgeous velvet night sky of the tropics.