Disclaimer: I own nothing but two dogs and (sometimes) a cat, when he claims me.
Flint sighed as he climbed from his Skystriker. It had been another long mission and he was thinking ahead to a shower and hopefully some private time with Lady Jaye. What a birthday present, he thought, rolling his eyes, reflecting on the mission he had just completed. Scrounging through the swamp was not exactly how he had envisioned spending the day, but what could you do? Parties were for kids and that "special day" was just another workday for adults. He smiled as he thought he might have a private celebration later with Jaye.
After showering, he changed into clean BDUs and decided to find his girl. He was surprised he hadn't seen her when he had gotten back, but she might have been busy. As he walked through the hallways, he got several pats on the back, which was a little strange, but he didn't think much of it. It seemed the Joes were always playing games and he always seemed to be the last to know about them, so he shrugged it off, checking his back first to make sure no signs were stuck on it. What was strange was he couldn't find Lady Jaye anywhere! He knew she wasn't on a mission and was somewhere on base. Every time he asked someone if they had seen her, they would give a vague location where, but when he checked, she wasn't there. Finally, someone directed him to the mess hall. His stomach rumbled and he smiled, thinking that might be the logical place to find her since it was near dinner time.
As he entered the mess hall, he saw a big banner that read "Happy Birthday!" and balloons. Everyone yelled out "Surprise!" and came forward with their well wishes.
"It's about time you made it," grinned Duke, slapping Flint on the back. "We thought we'd have to send someone after you!"
Flint looked around for Jaye, but figured he wouldn't be able to see her in this crowd. It seemed every Joe on base was in here!
Roadblock came forward, singing "Happy Birthday" and everyone joined in. Flint smiled, appreciating the effort everyone was putting into his day, and blew out the candles. He wished Jaye would show herself. Knowing her, she probably planned the whole thing. So, where the hell was she?
"Presents!" Cover Girl declared, handing Flint one. "You can open mine first!"
Someone brought a chair for Flint to sit and he opened Courtney's gift. He smiled, a little confused, but told her thanks for the Hawaiian shirt. The next gifts were equally puzzling – bathing trunks, flip flops, a few more Hawaiian shirts, shorts, socks…..
"Are you guys trying to tell me something?" he laughed as he opened up another gift, revealing sunglasses.
"Nah, you're just being paranoid," Shipwreck said, patting him on the shoulder. "It's hard to shop for the guy who has everything!"
Flint smiled, but he was getting upset that Jaye still hadn't shown herself. "So, where is Lady Jaye?" he quietly asked Scarlett. "Is she jumping out of a cake or something?"
Scarlett smiled mysteriously. "Oh, she's still looking for the perfect gift, I suspect. You'll hear from her soon enough. Now, last gift…." She motioned and Gung Ho came forward carrying a large bag. "We figured you needed something to carry all these things," she grinned.
Roadblock held up an envelope, interrupting everyone's chatter. "I have something here for Flint, now move out of the way so it doesn't get bent!" he rhymed.
"It's from Lady Jaye," Roadblock explained as he handed Flint the envelope. "Let's hear what it has to say," he grinned.
Flint was a little upset she wasn't here to give it to him herself, but knew she had to have a good excuse…or at least he hoped she did!
He ripped open the envelope and two things fell out. One was a plastic key card, like they used at hotels. The other was a ticket. He picked up both and looked at them. The ticket was one way to Hawaii, leaving this evening. He glanced at his watch. It was leaving in exactly two hours. He looked at the key card and saw it had a hotel name on it – Hotel Palekaiko.
Scarlett grinned at him as he read the names aloud. "Sounds like you might get to use these presents after all! Ready to go, birthday boy?"
There was a loud round of cheers and slaps on the back for Flint. Duke met him at the door and handed him his duffel bag. "You can take the loud shirts, but Jaye asked me to grab some things from your room instead. However, if you want to take them…."
"No, this will be all right. Thanks," Flint smiled at his friend.
"Come on, big boy! I get to drive you to the airport to make sure you make it on time! Got the ticket and the key card?" grinned Cover Girl. Flint held back a groan. "Oh, don't look that way! You want to make it on time or not?" she laughed, knowing full well her reputation she had among the Joes with her driving.
"One piece might be nice," Flint muttered. Cover Girl laughed again.
"Come on, your lady is waiting," she grinned, grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the mess hall.
He made it to the airport just in time to get to the gate as his flight was being called. He was surprised when he was shown to First Class. Not too bad, he thought, looking around. Not his usual way of flying, but he wasn't complaining.
"Mr. Faireborn, welcome aboard," a stewardess appeared in front of him as he sat down. "We are so pleased you are flying with us today." She set a glass of sweet tea in front of him along with his favorite crackers. "Let us know if you need anything. Your meal has been prepared as ordered and will be coming soon."
"Thanks," Flint managed, surprised. Ali must have set this all up, he thought, shaking his head. She must've spent a fortune making sure I have a good birthday! If I didn't love her before, I sure would now! he smiled.
At this point, he wasn't surprised to see one of his favorite meals placed in front of him. He enjoyed it and the other perks of first class. There was one stopover for fuel, but Jaye had made sure he wouldn't have to change planes, making it easier on him.
When he arrived in Hawaii and was properly "lei-ed", he noticed a man holding a sign with "Mr. Faireborn" written on it. He couldn't help but shake his head and smile. Did she think of everything? Of course, he had hoped she would've been at the airport, but obviously she felt the need to pamper him a bit. He identified himself to the man, who drove him to the hotel. Flint fingered the card in his pocket. He took it out and examined it closer, noticing it had a room number on it. He smiled, realizing why she hadn't been at either airport. Obviously, her ruse had been to come here first so she could send him everything. The whole party must have been a set up, he thought, with the whole team in on it. How long had she been planning this? he wondered.
Reaching the hotel, he grabbed his bag and headed into the lobby. It really was paradise, he thought, looking around at the re-creation of the rain forest the hotel had created. However, he was tired of waiting, and he hustled over to the elevator to the third floor, or more specifically, Room 315.
Reaching the room, he inserted the key card into the slot and breathed a sigh of relief when the light showed green. He cautiously opened the door to a darkened room. Looking around, he realized she wasn't in there. Now what? he thought, disappointed. He had really thought she would be waiting in the room for him, since she hadn't shown herself the entire trip. She had a quirky sense of humor at times, but he really was disappointed. Granted, she hadn't left him a note saying she'd be on the trip with him, but he couldn't imagine her sending him alone.
A movement on the balcony caught his eye. As the curtain parted, Lady Jaye stepped into the room. She was wearing a sarong with a bikini top. A smile was on her face as she sashayed towards him. "About time you got here. Happy Birthday," she said huskily, stopping in front of him.
She took his duffel bag from him and set it to the side of the bed. "Thought we could check out the beach, if you'd like," she said to him, smiling mysteriously.
He grabbed her and held her to him. "I think I have what I want here," he growled.
She laughed. "Easy there, we'll have plenty of time for that later. We might want to enjoy some of the sights of the island, first."
He groaned, burying his head in her neck. "So, you're torturing me for my birthday?"
She laughed again. "Later, big boy. Maybe lunch and a cold shower might do you some good," she teased. She untangled herself from his arms and picked up the phone, murmured a few words, and looked over at him. "Let's get you into something more native before we go on our picnic."
He looked at her questioningly as she unzipped his duffel and started to throw his clothes out on the bed. "Okay, this looks promising," she said, handing him swimming trunks and a shirt. "By the way, how was the party?" she asked as he began to change.
"Interesting. Your set up, I suppose?" he asked, looking over at her. She smiled, nodding.
"I told Roadblock to save me a piece of cake," she told him as they heard a knock on the door. She went to go answer it, murmured a few words to the person and returned with a picnic basket. "We have to travel a bit for lunch," she explained, holding up the basket. "I'm told it'll be worth it, though."
She laughed at his confused face. "Just relax and enjoy things. I have a few surprises in store for the next couple of days."
After he changed, she picked up the basket and led him downstairs. Stopping by the concierge desk, she spoke to the man there. "Hi James, is everything ready to go?"
"Yes, Lady Alison, here are the keys and the map with the place marked. Good luck," he winked at her, nodding at Flint.
"Thanks," Jaye replied, blushing at the formal address. She pulled Flint along with her outside as he started to say something.
"Lady Alison?" he questioned as they got into the jeep.
Jaye rolled her eyes. "It's nothing, don't worry about it," she muttered.
He sat back and looked at her. How well did he really know her? Of course, he knew the Lady Jaye who was part of the GI Joe team. However, he wasn't so sure about who she was before then. She knew everything about him, but what did he truly know about her past other than what a file said? Come to think of it, he mused, some of that file was highly classified. He had always assumed it was because of her past with MI-6, along with being related to Destro and part of MARS industry…but what did he know of her childhood? Her parents? She never really talked about it. In fact, she was a very private person about her past and often avoided the issue, like now. He decided they'd get to where they were going and over lunch, he'd learn a little more about Alison Hart-Burnett.
"This is supposed to be a private part of paradise, where we're going," she said, breaking the silence, glancing at the map. "James told me it's very romantic. In fact, it's where he proposed to his wife." She grinned, noting his look of astonishment. "Not that I'm expecting anything, Dash. I know how you are," she teased.
She stopped the jeep on the side of the road and looked at the path that led from the road into what seemed to be a tropical jungle. Grabbing the basket, she hopped out. "It's just a little walk," she said. "You game?"
They followed the path and found themselves in a little clearing where the water ran clear and into a pool large enough for them to swim in. They spread out the blanket and peeked into the basket.
"So," he began, as they started getting food out, "how on earth did you manage all this?"
She started to joke about spending all day fixing the food, but she knew what he really meant. She decided half truths were better than lies. "Well, it's like a family discount. My cousin is in charge of the hotel and if you wait till the last minute, you can buy plane tickets pretty cheap." She shrugged, looking over at the pool. "I wanted to give you a special time, considering we never seem to be alone anymore. I chose Hawaii because one, you said you'd never been here and two, I figure it was the farthest away we could get from any Cobra activity. Trust me, I had Scarlett look it up," she grinned, looking at him.
"So," he said casually, as she handed him a sandwich, "What's with the 'Lady Alison'?"
"Oh, um, kind of a joke between my cousin and myself. I'll talk to him about it," she said vaguely, taking a bite of her sandwich to give herself time to think. She really wanted this relationship with Flint to work out. Heaven knows, they barely had any time together so when they did, she tried to squeeze out every minute. She knew he loved her, but was never quite sure what their next step should be, considering their jobs. She was afraid that if he knew the truth about her, her upbringing, how much wealth her family had, not to mention just what she had…she was afraid of scaring him off. Even worse, she was afraid he'd take advantage of it, as had some men who had found out about her past. She had requested Hawk black out that part of her file about who her family really was because of those prejudices people would have about the "rebel rich girl."
"Ali, you know everything about me, from the name of my dog I had as a kid to my mom's last birthday present. I feel that I hardly know anything about you. I guess it's because we never have time to talk without being interrupted by someone or some mission. Tell me something about your childhood, a favorite memory or something. Did you have a pet? What were you like in school? I bet you were a terror on the playground!" he grinned.
She smiled. "Let me think of a good one," she said, stalling for time. She laid back and stared up at the branches, resting her head on his shoulder. "Well, for one, I had an imaginary friend. Her name was Lila and we did everything together. I guess being an only child, I was a little lonely. Lila kept me company when my parents weren't around. I'd pretend we'd go on adventures together." She smiled wistfully. "I haven't thought about Lila in years."
"I guess I was a quiet kid growing up. My parents, especially my mom, were of the "children are seen and not heard" generation, so I read a lot. I got into sports as I got older…." she paused and raised her head, looking at him. "Nothing too exciting, I guess. Got good grades in school, had lots of friends, turned into a vampire, hung out at the beach…" she trailed off, seeing if he was paying attention.
"Vampire sounds good," he said, his eyes closed. He opened them up and grinned at her. "Yeah, I caught that. So you had a good childhood? Your file says Martha's Vineyard but your accent is different and you curse in Gaelic," he teased.
"My father was from Scotland and we spent time there as well as the States," she said vaguely.
"Ali…do you think there's something about your past that would ever change how I feel about you?" he asked, serious.
She sighed. "I would hope not, but you never know," she said, looking again at the water, avoiding his gaze. "How about a swim?" she suggested, changing the subject.
He echoed her sigh. "Sure, why not?" he agreed, wondering why she never wanted to talk about her past. His was an open book but it seemed she was uncomfortable talking about hers, but he couldn't figure out why.
After their swim, which evolved into a dunking match and water fight, the two rested on the blanket before heading back to the hotel. They enjoyed the rest of the time at the hotel, attending a luau, hanging out at the beach, and spending quality alone time together.
As they were preparing to check out, the concierge bustled over to Lady Jaye and whispered something to her. She frowned, looking around. "Are you sure?" she asked, concerned. He nodded. She muttered what Flint thought were probably more curse words in Gaelic and took James to the side, talking with him softly.
She came back to Flint and said, "Okay, James is taking care of checking us out. We need to move…NOW."
She hustled him out of the hotel to the waiting taxi, but they never made it.
"Alison!" a female voice thundered. "You come right here this instant! Don't you DARE run away from me!"
Lady Jaye cringed. Flint couldn't believe it! She actually cringed! He'd seen her up against the toughest foes, but whoever this person was bustling towards them had the power no Cobra agent had ever possessed!
He felt her stiffen as the woman stopped in front of them. "We will not cause a scene out here. We will go to my suite and discuss this over tea," the woman demanded in a no-nonsense voice.
"Mother," answered Jaye in the coldest voice Flint had ever heard out of her. "We have a plane to catch. I will call you later."
"You certainly will not! Change your flight or better yet, Charles can fly you wherever you need to go. We need to talk."
Flint's eyes about bugged. Mother? This was Ali's mother? The woman in front of him reminded him of one of the wealthy older women you would see portrayed in movies or on television, certainly not in real life!
Jaye's mother seemed to notice Flint for the first time. "Your…escort…can wait down here in the lobby," she said, a touch of disdain in her voice.
Jaye stood up to her full height, towering over her mother. "He most certainly will not! If you want me in your suite, then Dash comes as well!"
Her mother smiled, as if she had planned this all along. "Of course, dear. You and your friend will join me for tea." She walked away, expecting the two to follow them.
Jaye turned to Flint. "If I were you, I'd run as far away as I could," she muttered, "if you know what's good for you. I can't save myself, but you can!"
Dash smiled. "Mother? This is your mother?"
"Don't dawdle, Alison, dear, it's rude," her mother said over her shoulder.
Jaye closed her eyes and prayed for patience. Flint had seen that look often enough from her. Maybe he could understand why she hadn't wanted to relive her past, he chuckled, eyeing her mother.
"Just come on," she muttered, glancing at her watch. "Hopefully it won't be long. If we run now, she'll just get her talons in us later on."
They rode the elevator in silence to the top floor. When they entered the penthouse, tea was set up in the living area with several servants hovering nearby. Jaye's mother dismissed them with a wave of her hand and indicated Jaye should pour the tea. Inwardly sighing, hoping if she played along, they'd get out of there earlier, she obeyed her mother.
"Now," her mother began, holding out her hand to Flint, "I am Lady Hart-Burnett, Alison's mother. You are?"
"Dashiell Faireborn, ma'am," he replied, not sure what to do with her hand. Thinking of the movies and literature he had read, he hoped what he did was acceptable. Jaye's mother nodded regally and Flint hoped for the best. Jaye was making faces behind her mother's back, shaking her head as she served tea.
"Faireborn," she said, rolling the name around in her mind. "Are you related to the New England Faireborns?"
"I'm not sure, ma'am. My family is from Kansas."
"Yes," Jaye interrupted quickly. "His father is the famous Colonel Faireborn." She hoped her mother would drop the snob display and let them go quickly, before she started on GI Joe.
"Oh, of course!" replied Lady Hart-Burnett. She wasn't sure who that was, but the way her daughter said it, she assumed it was someone important. She didn't dabble in military history, but there were prominent families and a Colonel was a high ranking officer.
"Now Alison, are you still involved in that military hobby of yours?"
"Mother," Jaye replied, sighing, "It's not a hobby. It's a profession and a special mission force. How often do we need to go over this? It's been nice seeing you again, Mother, but we really need to catch our plane. We are due back on our base…"
"Nonsense!" Lady Hart-Burnett interrupted. "Surely they understand your family is more important than some silly thing they need you to do. I certainly do not understand why you turned your back on your duty and rebelled, joining that cult."
"Mother, it's the United States military," Jaye replied through gritted teeth. Her prayers of patience were unanswered as of yet and she was running out of the little she had left! "It's an honor to be chosen, but we don't need to go into that now. It's been nice seeing you, but…"
"Well, Alison, I must say, your manners are so crude! It must be the company you are keeping," she said, eyeing Flint. "You look a decent enough sort, but I'm sure you understand my daughter was raised for better things than this. No offense young man, but she could have married a Senator or be First Lady by now," she said, shaking her head. "I cannot believe you threw it all away just to upset us," she sniffed, pulling a handkerchief out of her bag and dabbing at her eyes.
Flint was so amazed at this whole display, he was speechless. He was beginning to understand a little more about Jaye's background the longer he spent with her mother. It was no wonder she didn't want to talk about her childhood if this is how she grew up!
Jaye hated this whole scene. She could see it in Flint's eyes. The "poor little rich girl" syndrome. Parents always away, left at home with the nanny, the mother with unrealistic expectations…..
"Mother," she said, bending over and giving her a kiss on the cheek, "while it's been nice to see you, we really must go. I will call you, I promise."
This seemed to satisfy Lady Hart-Burnett. She knew when her daughter promised something, she would follow through with it, just like a Hart should. Good breeding always shows, she thought smugly, even if it rebels.
"Well, let me know when you are done playing soldier so we can discuss the Fall Formal," she said, nodding her head emphatically. "We are hosting this year."
"Yes, Mother," Jaye said, not believing her luck at leaving. Of course, she'd have to pay for it and listen to her mother drone on and on over the phone, but it was better than in person and certainly better doing it alone without an audience.
She yanked Flint out of the suite and shut the door behind him. "Keep walking forward, don't look back or she'll suck us back in!" she hissed, grabbing his arm and heading for the stairwell. "Let's go!"
Flint stood motionless for a moment. Jaye sighed and looked at him. "We have a plane to catch. I promise I will tell you on the plane ride if you will just get moving, okay?" she pleaded.
He nodded, grinning.
"I don't like the looks of that," she sighed. "I'm going to have to pay for this, aren't I?"
He nodded, following her down the stairs.
After settling in their seats on the plane, Jaye turned to him and bit her lip. "Okay, ask away," she sighed, closing her eyes for a moment.
Flint grinned. "Where to start?"
"My mother's family is old money. She wanted a title, she found my dad, married him, and got what she wanted. You met her, you see how she is. Is it any wonder I joined military to get away from her?"
Jaye spoke quickly, hoping that would satisfy his curiosity.
"So, when you said you had a family discount on this vacation…."
Jaye sighed again. "I'm not sure you want to know this. My mother's family owns the hotel…actually, they own a whole chain of hotels. They also own part of the airlines. However, before you get any ideas, know that I was cut off because it was such a major disappointment that I joined the military and not marry some senator with aspirations to be president," she sighed.
Flint mulled the information over in his mind. Here it comes, thought Jaye, when he decides he either can't handle it, or decides to take advantage of it.
To her surprise, he leaned over, kissed the top of her head and squeezed her hand. "Okay, hon. Probably should get some sleep before heading back to base."
"That's it?" she asked, incredulous.
He shrugged. "You can't help your family, can you? It doesn't change who you are to me in any way. It certainly hasn't changed you other than I think you have someone who intimidates you more than Cobra ever could," he chuckled.
"You have no idea how frightening my mother can be with her friends," Jaye muttered, rolling her eyes. "What you saw today was her good side."
He tilted her face up and looked into her eyes. "This certainly doesn't change the way I feel about you. Everyone has a nutty family. It's nice to know yours isn't exactly perfect," he smiled, kissing her softly.
He put his arm around her and she snuggled up to him, sighing, happily this time.
"Thanks for a great birthday," he whispered, laying his head on hers. "So…when do we get to meet your Dad?" he chuckled.