CH 5

Tim woke the next morning, trying to disentangle the one surviving sheet on the bed from around their legs. He was still working at it, trying to be quiet when Jethro let out a sudden laugh, "That tickles!" He leaned over and kissed his lover, "Sorry was just trying to free us both from our bed covering."

"Mmm, why…it's so nice and comfy."

"C'mon J, we need to get up, the movie tour starts in 90 minutes and I'm hungry."

"Me too, guess we had enough of a workout last night to burn off all that…poi."

Tim groaned, "Oh god, please! We're going to be with other people on a bus of some sort, you need to behave!"

"Me? I wasn't the one who dragged us…Ok, I'll behave if you will."

"Save it up for later."

Now his lover mock sulked, "You know how impatient I am."

"So it'll do you good to wait." Eventually they completed their island morning routines, had breakfast and jumped in the rental to head into town.

They found the Movie Tour Company office easily enough and checked in, helping themselves to more coffee and pastry. Directed to a shuttle style bus, they took seats, saying hello to some of their fellow tourists. The bus driver and guide climbed aboard and welcomed them, telling them what they'd be seeing and doing. The island of Kaua'i had been featured in more than 70 films and TV shows and they were going to view the beaches, mountains, canyons and bays where many of them had been filmed. Locations stretched from one end of the island to the other, with Waimea Canyon used for the Jurassic Park movies to some parts of the island used for the opening scenes of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Jethro listened and gave his trademark half smile when the guide mentioned Donovan's Reef, one of his favorite 'peace-time' John Wayne movies and again when he recognized a Disney movie he'd seen as a kid, Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. More contemporary movies included Avatar and at least one from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The two men had picked this tour as it had movies and shows each of them had enjoyed.

By the time they climbed off the bus for the final time several hours later, they had seen many beautiful sights and learned some little secret about each movie or TV show not previously known. They'd had box lunches on a beautiful little beach near Princeville on the north end of the island, watching a wind surfing class and chatting a bit with their fellow passengers. Tim tried not to roll his eyes as Jethro invariably found that one of the passengers, from California, knew an old Marine buddy of his. He teased his lover about that later, that he seemed to know half the world.

Jethro thought that the north end of the island had their favorite sight: Hanalei Bay. Not only was the bay mentioned in the old folk song, "Puff the Magic Dragon", it was also featured in the movie musical "South Pacific" - Bali Hai. It was truly beautiful with the rugged lush green mountains, the nearly white sand beach and the blue-green of the water. Jethro loved watching Tim's expressive eyes as he took in the views, from the wide expanse of beach, the kids jumping off the pier into the nearly transparent water, the resort hotel up on the cliffs and the rugged mountains that ran right down into the ocean. He thought this would be a place to come back to. There were a couple of restaurants right on the beach, oh yeah, this was good.

Once the tour ended they waved goodbye to their fellow tourists and hopped back in the car. As they started their trek back toward Poipu Jethro was in desperate need of coffee. They decided to stop at a local shop they'd seen on the drive that morning. After purchasing two coffees along with some freshly baked macadamia nut cookies the two men continued on their way. They munched on their treats, while taking in the breathtaking views. It wasn't until their bellies were full of freshly baked cookies that either man uttered a word.

"The movie tour was a great idea, sweetie."

Tim reached over and grabbed Jethro's hand, "I'm so glad you enjoyed it, babe. Hanalei Bay is truly magical, don't you think?"

Jethro glanced over at Tim and smiled, "It was the best part of the tour, my love."

"I want to go back again before we leave. Take more time to explore and take lots of pictures."

"I agree. We didn't have nearly enough time there."

There was a brief moment of silence until Jethro began singing quietly,

"Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee."

Tim felt his heart skip a beat. As Jethro continued singing he grasped his hand tighter, feeling more connected with his lover than he had ever felt before.

When his partner finished, Tim squeezed the hand he was still holding before releasing it so the man could drive.

"J, I love the song, love you singing it! When we have kids, promise me you'll sing it to them?"

"Sure babe! You can sing it too…I'll teach you the words."

"Mm, sure but your voice is perfect for that song."

"Aw shucks Timmy! So…how many kids are you thinking I'll be singing this song to?"

Tim chuckled, "Oh, I don't know, 5?"

"FIVE, are you kidd…oh you're teasing, good!"

Tim smirked at his lover. "We're feds, we could handle 5 kids. But yeah, I was teasing! I'm thinking two is a good number. After all, we have to figure out whether we want babies or older kids. And if we want babies, then do we go with surrogacy or adoption? Either way, it's going to take time!"

"Well, I'm not getting any younger Timmy. I don't know how you feel about it, but if you're ready I would like to get started soon than later."

"I don't know if anyone is actually ready to become a parent. However, I'm as close as I'm going to get. When we get back home we need to do some research and weigh our options. I wouldn't mind a little Jethro running around our house."

Jethro turned toward his lover and smiled, "Or a little Timmy. You were such a cute little baby."

Tim blushed furiously, "It appears that we're leaning toward a surrogate although there are so many kids in the foster care system that need homes too."

"That's very true." Jethro smirked, "Maybe we'll have more than two kids. As you said before, once we weigh our options we'll be able to make an informed decision."

They grinned at each other, thinking of their future kids and all the fun they'd have with them. Jethro had a sudden thought, "Tim, our kids…no one wears that onesie we made. That's just for us."

His lover nodded, "Of course J."

They'd reached the condo and went on in. Deciding to get in some surf practice, they changed out of their street clothes, lathered on the sunscreen, grabbed what they needed and then sauntered out from the gate, ready to ride the waves.

Once again they found a spot that had partial shade and put their towels and chairs down, then grabbed their boards. Grinning at each other, they ran into the waves, hopping on their boards and paddling out to the bigger waves. They were a good team, helping each other as they rode in. Jethro was a little better at balancing on the board while Tim was good at figuring out when to enter a wave. They played, er practiced, for a couple of hours before they came in for a rest.

After all their practice Tim and Jethro were thirsty and hungry. The older man offered to return to the condo to retrieve drinks and snacks. Tim tried to argue, insisting that his lover relax and enjoy what was left of the dwindling sun, but when Jethro gave him the look he closed his mouth and turned his attention toward the water. I still got it, he thought as he began walking toward the condo. Once inside he found his phone and the number for one of the restaurants at Hanalei Bay. Speaking with the hostess he was able to make dinner reservations for the following evening and was giddy with excitement as he hung up the phone. This would be a very special surprise for Tim and he couldn't wait to see his face when he told him they had dinner plans.

Gathering as many drinks and snacks that would fit in the cooler he hurried back to the beach. He didn't want Tim to get suspicious as it was already hard enough to pull any surprises off for his lover. He chuckled inwardly as he knew the same thing could be said about him.

Tim smiled when he heard Jethro coming up behind him and reached out to take the cooler. "You were gone for a while, sweetie, is everything okay?"

"Yep, why wouldn't it be? I figured I would use the head while I was in there. It's not easy getting a wet swimsuit down your legs."

Chuckling, the younger man decided not to press his luck and decided to change the subject. "I thought it might be nice to watch the sunset tonight. We've been running ourselves ragged and it would be nice to chill out."

"I agree, Timmy. Besides I brought enough snacks that they could qualify for dinner too."

"An impromptu picnic on the beach with just the two of us."

Tim opened the cooler just as his stomach growled and the two laughed. He pulled out the deli style meats and cheeses and putting a towel across his surfboard, used it as a table while he put together sandwiches for the two of them. Jethro often claimed that he could make the lowliest of foods taste like a feast. They had packets of condiments and he used those liberally for his sandwich and then dug down to find the spicier ones for Jethro. Once the sandwiches were made they dug into them with gusto.

Tim sighed, "I swear, everything tastes better when eaten on a beach."

Jethro's eyebrows climbed his forehead and then he started laughing, a deep belly laugh. Tim blushed as he realized what he'd said and then he shrugged, drank a little of his lemonade and had another bite of sandwich. When Jethro finally caught his breath, he said, "I think we should test that theory, Tim!"

"Maybe but not until full dark."

His lover snorted and pulled him in for a smeary, sandwich-y kiss. They continued eating their sandwiches and snacks, watching as dusk approached. Then they laughed as they realized they were facing east and the sunset was behind them. They left their cozy nest under the palms and moved out onto the nearly deserted expanse of beach and looked up at the sky. The sun was indeed setting in a blaze of color.

After breakfast the next morning Tim and Jethro wandered outside to meet with their surf instructor. The two men showed off their new skills, while the instructor was blown away with the progress they'd made in a few days. As they straddled their boards, waiting for the next big wave the teacher smiled and said, "Out of all the lessons I've taught, you two are my brightest students. I can tell that you've been practicing and really taking this seriously."

Jethro chuckled, "My Timmy takes everything seriously. Especially if he's given a job to do."

Tim opened his mouth to argue, but the instructor cut him off by yelling and pointing to the next set of waves. Everyone got in position and as the waves came rolling in they got up on their boards and sailed across the ocean.

They had so much fun learning and practicing their new skills that it was past noon when they finally left the water, exhausted but happy and very pleased with themselves. Retrieving their beach gear, they face planted onto their towels and lay there for several quiet minutes. Jethro was just thinking of suggesting lunch when he heard his lover's stomach growling. Timmy made an embarrassed noise and they both chuckled. Then Jethro's tummy growled and the chuckles turned to laughter. Patting Tim's butt, Jethro turned over and sat up, "C'mon hon, let's go find some lunch before we start playing dueling tummies!"

Tim groaned, "Good idea if I can move." He paused for a few seconds, "Am I up yet?"

Jethro smirked, "I can't tell Timmy, you're lying on your stomach."

"What…? Oh geez, I meant…never mind."

He rolled over, sat up and the two men rose. Jethro smirked again, "Now you're up, most of you anyway."

Tim huffed, they gathered their gear, put flip flops on and walked up to the road where there were several cafes, stands and restaurants serving lunch.

As they retreated to their towels after lunch, Tim mentioned that he'd like to enjoy a nice nap on the beach. However, Jethro was too wound up for a nap as the hours ticked by, getting closer to the surprise dinner he'd planned. While Tim sprawled out on his towel under the umbrella, Jethro paced back and forth in front of him.

"I'm going for a walk, Timmy. I saw some shells earlier that I'd like to pick up for the team and maybe someday for our children."

Tim opened one eye, carefully studying his partner. Something didn't seem quite right, but he knew if he pried then Jethro might shut him out completely. Managing a smile he huffed, "Just don't wake me when you come back."

Jethro reached down, affectionately squeezing Tim's knee, "Don't worry, babe. Everything is fine. I'm fine."

Grabbing one of the grocery bags from the cooler he took one last look at his lover as he began walking toward the ocean. He kept his eyes peeled for shells along the shore and stopped when he saw something white peeking out of the sand. Reaching down he was amazed when he pulled out a fully intact sand dollar. "Wow! These are hard to come by." He said, brushing off the sand and admiring his latest find. There was no way in hell he was going to possibly break it by putting it in the bag with the other shells so he hung onto it as he walked. By the time he'd walked over half a mile he'd found 3 sand dollars, 2 starfish and a variety of other beautiful shells. Deciding to turn back toward Tim he collected more shells on the walk and felt much better now that his mind had been occupied. When he arrived back to their beach gear he could hear Tim snoring and lay down next to him, hoping to get a few minutes of shut eye before getting ready for dinner.

Eventually, finally it was time to wake Tim and get both of them cleaned up, dressed and ready for dinner. Deciding to tease his lover a little bit, Jethro propped himself up on his elbow and gently blew onto Tim, aiming for his ear and missing just a bit. Tim's hand came up and he swiped at his head but didn't wake up. Jethro blew again and then quickly blew a second and third time. Tim's hand moved to swipe whatever bug was bothering him and his eyes opened, a frown etched on his face. "Jethro…where are these stupid bugs?" When he heard the deep bass of Jethro's chuckle he realized he'd been had and he grabbed his tee shirt, swatting his lover with it. Instead of the usual retaliation and ensuing making out, his lover took his face in his hands and kissed him deeply. "Much as I'd like to play, we have somewhere to be; need to get back to the condo and into the shower, Timothy!"

"I don't remember…where are we going?" Jethro just gave him one of his enigmatic smiles and Tim smiled back happily. A surprise then, he loved Jethro's surprises!

Within 30 minutes they were at the car, ready to leave for wherever. Jethro stood behind Tim as he climbed into the passenger side. "Gonna put a blindfold on you."

Tim chuckled, "Hmm, that's a new one."

Jethro slipped a blindfold onto him, fastening it in the back, Tim noticing that the color was close to his skin tone. His lover gave him a moment to get used to it and when Tim nodded, he felt glasses being slipped on over the blindfold. He reached up and touched them, they were ridiculously large lenses; they must cover most of the blindfold. "Sunglasses?"

"Yep, don't want anyone who might see you to think I'm kidnapping you or anything sinister." Jethro deepened his voice on the last bit and Tim shivered with lust. He was surprised when he felt a hat being put on his head; when it was fully on he touched the back of his head and found that the hat covered the back of the blindfold. He chuckled, "Very clever, my man."

"Thanks, took me awhile to figure it out but it looks fairly believable."

"How long do I have to wear this?"

Jethro chuckled as he walked around to the driver's side, got in and closed his door. Starting the car he leaned over and gave his lover a kiss, saying in a husky voice, "As long as it takes, Tim."

To distract his lover and keep him from asking further questions, Jethro played some of their Hawaiian music. There were four or five songs that were their favorites, they already knew the words, and Tim softly sang along as they drove and drove and drove. Not many straight parts to the road, some slow, they went through at least one town with traffic lights, occasionally he could hear ocean waves, and quite a few curves although none too bad. He felt the car climb a hill, make a sharp turn and go down again and then they did several weird stop and go's onto something wooden, he heard the difference, then pavement, another stop, more hollow sounding pavement and he could smell something, like a crop in the fields. Then he heard the ocean again – or at least water – and the car stopped.

Tim's heart beat faster as he heard Jethro unbutton his seatbelt and the driver's side car door open. "Not too much longer now, Timmy." The younger man squirmed in his seat, anxious to know where they were and what was waiting for him on the other side of the blindfold. He had an idea where they might be, but his lover always kept him guessing so he decided to go with the flow. Smiling as he heard his car door open he shivered when Jethro's fingertips glided across his chest to unbuckle his seatbelt. Jethro interlaced his fingers with Tim's, escorting him out of the car. Once he had him in the perfect spot with views of Hanalei Bay and the restaurant where they'd be having dinner he reached up and removed the hat. "Are you ready, sweetie?"

Tim bounced in excitement, ready to see the surprise and for his eyes to readjust to the light. "I've been ready since you decided to kidnap me."

Jethro chuckled, lightly smacking Tim's ass, "Be careful or I'll leave this blindfold on a little longer."

"C'mon J…I don't know how much longer I can hang on."

"Alright here we go. On the count of three. One…two…three."

On three Jethro removed the blindfold and waited as his lover's eyes adjusted to the bright light. Once Tim could finally see his heart skipped a beat when he realized they were back at Hanalei Bay.

"Oh, Jethro it's breathtaking." Tim said, wrapping his arm around Jethro's shoulder as the two men took in their majestic surroundings.

"Surprise! Do you like it? I couldn't let us leave here without having dinner in a place that we've both grown fond of."

"I love it! I had a feeling this was where you were taking me, but I decided to turn my brain off and enjoy the surprise. Whatever it may be. I'm so glad it was this. You know me too well, babe."