R & R Pt 3

Posted on Thu Jun 18th, 2026 @ 10:12pm by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Remal Kajun

2,844 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Character Development
Location: Fiji

Patina continued to wage war on the splash pool, sending floating toys and water in every conceivable direction. She returned to the edge regularly for fruit and sips of the berry smoothie that Remal had ordered for her, before returning anew to the war on water.

Rhenora relaxed on the deck chair, partially shaded by the umbrella, coffee on the small table next to her with a half eaten plate of fruit that lay waiting for whenever she felt obliged to nibble on it. The sun was deliciously warm, casting a warmth over her skin that only inactivity and tropical islands could provide. Suddenly, the Sunfire seemed so very far away from her thoughts.

Remal remained in his chair for a while longer, content to simply exist within the moment. The coffee disappeared gradually, the fruit platter suffered a few strategic losses, and the morning sun continued its slow climb across the Fijian sky. Beside him, Rhenora looked more relaxed than he had seen her in months, perhaps years, and he found himself quietly admiring the sight.

Eventually, a squeal from the splash pool announced that Patina had discovered some new and important method of creating maximum chaos. Remal sighed dramatically and pushed himself to his feet. "It appears reinforcements have been requested."

Patina immediately brightened at his approach, thrusting a floating toy toward him with the urgency of an officer delivering critical tactical intelligence. Whatever game she had invented made perfect sense to her and absolutely none to anyone else, which seemed to be the defining characteristic of toddler warfare. For the next hour, he surrendered himself entirely to the conflict.

Water was splashed. Toys were rescued from imaginary disasters. Several fish-shaped floaters were apparently promoted, demoted, and reassigned. At one point Remal found himself being instructed, quite firmly, to sit in the shallow water while Patina poured cup after cup over his legs for reasons known only to her. The laughter that followed every successful soaking made compliance unavoidable.

By the time he finally escaped the battlefield, his shorts were soaked, his hair slightly damp, and Patina had moved on to constructing what appeared to be a highly questionable naval defense strategy using pool toys and half-eaten fruit.

Remal returned to the deck chair beside Rhenora and dropped into it with a satisfied exhale. "I have concluded that our daughter possesses unlimited energy." As if summoned by the statement, his stomach emitted a long, unmistakable growl. He glanced down at it, then toward Rhenora. "Well. Apparently I do not."

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he stretched out beneath the shade umbrella. "I think surviving the morning's campaign has earned me breakfast. Or lunch. Honestly, Fiji Time has already destroyed my ability to tell the difference and it's only our second day here, I think."

"Just wait till we get to day 7, I think we'll be too lazy to get out of bed" Rhenora laughed beneath closed eyes. A porter arrived and cleared their coffee cups, returning a few minutes later with a fresh supply along with some menus. The service was truly second to none - attentive without being intrusive.

"Bula, your morning menu" The Porter said kindly before scooping some half eaten fruit from the splash pool with a pool net as though it was something that was simply done every day of the week.

Remal's eyes opened immediately at that comment, a slow smile spreading across his face as he turned his head toward her. In bed with you for seven days?” he asked, as though carefully considering the proposal. “That sounds suspiciously close to heaven, actually.”

His hand drifted over and found hers on the arm of the chair, giving it a gentle squeeze before he picked up one of the menus. The porter lingered patiently while Remal studied the selections with genuine curiosity.

“Let's see...” he murmured. “I think I'd like something light. Grilled reef fish, tropical fruit, and whatever passes for island potatoes.”

The porter nodded politely and made a note.

Remal glanced up again. “And do you happen to serve Bajoran Mojitos?”

The porter blinked once, then smiled knowingly. "We do, sir.”

“Excellent.” Remal closed the menu with satisfaction. “Then I believe my holiday is progressing exactly as intended.”

Nearby, Patina launched another assault against the splash pool, sending a small wave over the edge and directly toward an unsuspecting floating toy. Remal watched the attack unfold and shook his head. "Though I suspect our daughter has no intention of relaxing until every molecule of water on this island has been personally inspected and defeated."

Rhenora perused the menu, mulling over the options.
"Whatever the local specialty is, and an expresso martini" She said simply "Please" Remembering her manners before refusing to make further decisions. "And a plate of fruit and battered chicken for the young one"

The porter disappeared and their food arrived some time later, the sun having moved further along it's crescent arc. It was tasty and delicious, and with a full belly Patina began to wane, her exuberant energy finally maxing out and giving way for the need to nap and recharge.

"Perfect timing for child minding I believe" Rhenora quipped as the little one crawled into her lap and proceeded to curl up.

Remal watched as Patina curled up against Rhenora's lap, the fierce warrior of the splash pool finally defeated by an opponent she could never overcome for long. "Ah," he said softly, lowering his voice instinctively. "The consequences of victory."

A faint smile touched his lips as he brushed a damp curl back from Patina's forehead. The little girl was already halfway asleep, her eyes fluttering stubbornly as if trying to negotiate a few more minutes with consciousness.

He glanced toward Rhenora and stretched lazily in his chair. "Well, if she's surrendering, I feel obligated to support her decision." His expression grew suspiciously innocent. "It would be poor parenting to let her nap alone."

The warm breeze drifted across the deck while the ocean rolled steadily beyond their villa. Somewhere in the distance a seabird called, as if the entire island seemed to be encouraging the same course of action.

Rhenora scooped their slumbering toddler into her arms and maneuvered her way up from the sun lounge, balancing precariously for a few moments to ensure Patina didn't rouse. Slowly they made their way back to their villa, gently closing the door behind them and drawing the blinds in the second bedroom so the little one would get the best sleep possible.

Having achieved the goal of putting Patina down without waking her, Rhen leant against the doorframe of the bedroom before pulling the door softly closed behind her.

"So... you said something about a nap, or did you have something else in mind?" She said suggestively.

Remal stepped closer, closing the short distance between them until his large hands settled comfortably at her sides. The playful look in his eyes never disappeared. If anything, Fiji seemed to encourage it. "You know," he murmured, leaning in to brush a soft kiss across her nose ridges, "I always have something else in mind."

His thumbs traced slow circles against her hips while the villa sat wrapped in quiet around them. "Naps happen eventually..." he added, lowering his voice conspiratorially before offering her a knowing wink.

For a moment he simply stood there, enjoying the sight of her without uniforms, comm badges, or responsibilities demanding her attention. Just Rhenora. Sun-kissed, relaxed, and finally beginning to remember what peace felt like. His forehead rested lightly against hers.

"But," he added with mock seriousness, "given our daughter's proven ability to detect happiness from several rooms away, we should probably take advantage of the current situation while it lasts." A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "With our fighter asleep, we may not get an opportunity this good again."

" We may not indeed, and we have what feels like months to catch up on." She closed her eyes and savoured the feeling of his hands on her body, a comforting and familiar feeling that still never failed to elicit the desired response.

She tugged him towards the bedroom and lowered the blind for privacy, knowing that they had roughly an hour before their little warrior once again demanded their complete and undivided attention.

"Now... to bed with you." She grinned wickedly.

Normally her small frame would not be strong enough to push him around, but in moments like this, Remal happily surrendered to her control. He allowed himself to be guided backward until the mattress caught him, propped comfortably upon his elbows while he watched her with open admiration.

The afternoon sun filtered through the drawn blinds in warm bands of gold, painting the room in soft light. Her sun-drenched skin, flecked with moisture, caught every last ray and amplified it, creating a glow he could not ignore. For a moment, neither of them seemed in any hurry, as he watched her playfully disrobe.

Tumbling into bed she was open with her affection, unencumbered from responsibility. It was liberating and restorative, healing for the body and the soul. This must be how normal people feel, who's lives weren't on the line every other day and hundreds of other lives depend on your decisions and actions.

"Maybe I should retire, spend more time with you and Patina" she murmured between kisses, keeping his attention very much away from the rational centre of his brain.

He hesitated. His hand continued its slow path down her back, from the nape of her neck to the base of her spine, while his lips lingered against hers. The affection remained effortless. The conflict did not. How many times had he suggested exactly this? Not seriously enough to start an argument, but often enough that she knew. More family, less danger, fewer nights wondering whether the next mission would be the one that took her away from him forever and now she was saying it.

His first instinct was to encourage her immediately. To tell her yes. Tell her they could find a quiet place somewhere. Watch Patina grow up. Grow old together. Live a life measured in seasons instead of emergencies. Instead, he smiled against her skin. "Your crew would be completely lost without you," he said lightly.

The joke carried enough truth to make him chuckle softly. His fingers traced a familiar line along her sides before settling comfortably at her waist. Another kiss found her temple.

"They'll cope" she smirked as she rolled them over.

"But..." he admitted softly, "I won't pretend the idea hasn't crossed my mind once or twice over the years." A faint smile tugged at one corner of his mouth.

"Though if you ever did decide to retire, I'd like to think we'd be very good at it."

"Mmmhmmm" she caught his lips and stole his next words, letting the words rest in the room. When she came up for air she kept her hands moving, touching, feeling, exploring with a familiarlity that only came from years together. She knew what he liked. "Enough work talk, we're on a time limit before Patina wakes up" she said with mock sterness. She had one thing on her mind, and she was intent on making up for days, weeks and months gone by.

"Hey, you started it," he murmured against her skin, his voice low and teasing. Despite their limited time together, he chose to savor every moment, to commit each sensation to memory. Looking down at her smaller frame, he took in every detail he could between kisses - the way her chest rose and fell with each breath, the flush spreading across her cheeks, the way her eyes fluttered closed when his mouth found hers. Her skin was smooth to the touch, soft and warm beneath his fingertips, until he laid his lips upon that spot on her neck in that one spot she liked, just below her ear where her pulse thrummed steadily. Then the goosebumps rose noticeably, rippling across her skin like waves on water.

His hands slowed as they traced her sides, feeling their way up and around every curve, every freckle, every bump and scar - each one a story, a memory, a piece of the puzzle that made her who she was. At the same time, he used his lips to taste every bead of warm sunlight that drenched her mouth, sweet and inviting. He could smell lavender and coconut mixed with sea salt and oceanic waters that her hair had absorbed throughout the day, the scent clinging to her like a second skin. She was twice as intoxicating as a Bajoran Mojito.

He kept his pace even and steady as he continued showing her the passions of desire and longing that had built up since their last outing, each touch deliberate and purposeful. His hands explored with reverence, his mouth worshipped with devotion. His mind was also on only one thing: showing her the affection she deserved, while making her feel cherished and wanted and absolutely adored.

Taking a breath and pausing, he pulled back just enough to meet her gaze. A mischievous grin spread across his face, the kind that promised trouble in the best possible way. It was just enough for her eyes to widen in anticipation, her breath catching as she realized his intention, before he dove head first into southern seconds, determined to hear those sweet sounds she made when she completely let go.

She held on as long as she could, letting the sensations wash over and build, layering on each other and climbing to the impossible peak. She tugged him up, wrapping her legs around his waist as the stars in some distant galaxy flared brighter for a few moments before slowly releasing their energy.

She lay for a few moments, spent both physically and emotionally, adjusting her position so she could rest comfortably beside him. Head resting on the his chest to listened as his heart slowly returned to its regular rhythm. No words were necessary, just the joining to two hearts and minds.

Eventually the afternoon settled around them once more. Their urgency faded into comfortable closeness, tangled sheets, quiet breaths, and the distant rhythm of waves beyond the villa. For a little while neither of them felt any particular need to move.

After some time, Remal finally reached over toward the bedside table where he'd abandoned his drink earlier. His hand found only empty air. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he scanned the room. "Did you see where my Mojito ran off to?" The question carried all the gravity of a man investigating a serious crime.

The sound of a child giggling stole their attention as the toddler absconded from the room with the aforementioned mojito. "Daddy! Mummy! Come!" Patina took off like a rocket towards the pools again.

Remal's eyes widened. "Oh no." He was out of bed and reaching for the nearest cover before the sentence had fully formed, hastily wrapping it around himself as he launched into pursuit, butt cheeks slightly exposed to the breeze. Patina was already halfway across the villa, tiny feet pattering against the floor while she clutched the glass triumphantly in both hands.

" Good Luck!" Rhenora laughed heartily as she rose and slipped a sundress over her head and jogged after them.

"Darling," he called after her, attempting dignity while jogging after a toddler in improvised clothing, "that is a Mommy-Daddy drink." Patina only giggled harder. A brief chase later, Remal finally intercepted the fugitive near the doorway leading back toward the pool. He carefully rescued the glass from her grasp and held it up for inspection.

It was empty. Remal stared into it. Then he stared at Patina. Then back into the glass. His brow furrowed. "I..." He paused thoughtfully. "Did I finish this?"

Patina offered no useful information for the cross examination.

For several seconds he genuinely considered the possibilities. The drink had been mostly full. He remembered ordering it. He remembered drinking some of it. After that things became considerably less reliable. Slowly, his gaze drifted toward Rhenora. "I think the Prophets are playing tricks on us."

The suspiciously innocent expression on Patina's face did nothing to help the investigation. With a resigned chuckle, Remal set the empty glass aside and crossed back to his wife, slipping an arm comfortably around her waist.

"Well," he said, pressing a light kiss against her temple, "now that we're awake and apparently being robbed by supernatural forces..." His eyes drifted toward the brilliant stretch of coastline beyond the villa. "How about that walk?"

" You may wish to put some clothes on" She snorted, rescuing the empty glass and examining it as though it itself could provide the answers.

Outside, the beach stretched endlessly beneath the tropical sun, white sand meeting crystal water in a ribbon that seemed to disappear into the horizon. For the first time in a very long while, there was nowhere they needed to be.

Which suddenly made everywhere worth exploring.

TBC

 

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