Disclaimer: I don't own Captain Planet and the Planeteers. They belong to Ted Turner and them. Nor do I own Hideki. Credit for him goes to ZeoViolet. I'm just borrowing him. But Kim and Buddy are still mine.
Chapter 1: Kwame's plan
The Planeteers were enjoying the sunny day on the beach of Hope Island.
"I wonder, how long will this last?" This from Wheeler. "It's been too quiet." It had been quiet in the eco-emergency department for a couple of days. The Fire Planeteer didn't mind it much, though.
"You need a break once in a while," Captain Planet told him, sitting under a palm tree. He was spending some free time with the Planeteers for a change. "Wouldn't mind some action by now, though," he admitted.
"Try to relax for a change, Cap," Gi told him, although she knew it would fall on deaf ears. "It would do you good."
"It's not my job to relax, Gi," the eco-hero reminded her predictably.
"Well, you haven't had a break like this in a long time, Cap," Wheeler said. "The last one was with…" he stopped, realizing what he had been about to say.
"…with Kim," Cap finished, seeming unfazed. "That was what you were going to say, right?" The boy nodded, not sure what to say next.
Cap knew why Wheeler was so uneasy and smiled a little. "It's OK. I'm not gonna fall apart every time she's mentioned." It hadn't always been like that and it still made him feel a little down. "Sure, the pain is still there, but I've learned to live with it." He sighed and absently made a pattern in the sand with a finger. "I do miss her but I've long ago accepted the fact that I may never see her again."
He looked out to sea wistfully, his hand going to his forehead where the cut had been three years ago.
It was obvious Cap's feelings for the woman hadn't diminished at all over the years. The superhero had tried to deny his feelings went as far as love but eventually he had had to admit the truth: that he was irrevocably in love with Kim. It had taken him the better part of a year to get over the loss of the woman he had met. Even after that he had been subdued, but closer to his usual self. Despite that he had done his job as well as before, proving Gaia's fears wrong.
The spirit in question appeared among them. "Your wish is granted, Planet. We have an eco-emergency."
Cap was glad to have something to do again. "I'll be going then," he said without further ado. "The power is yours!" He made his exit, returning the powers to the rings.
The two hadn't talked much during the three years that had passed. If they had done so he would know the spirit had had a change of heart where Kim was concerned. She just hadn't known what to do, resulting in leaving her son to sort out everything on his own.
Fortunately for him, he hadn't needed to cope alone. It had been Gi who had helped Cap with the pain. She understood what he was going through because she too had lost someone. Someone she had loved. Hideki, a young marine biology student who they had met during a mission several months before Cap had met Kim. Gi had fallen in love with him and dated him for a few months, seeing him whenever she could until his death in a surprise accident. She had been happy with him and his death had been a very big shock to her.
It had gone both ways, Cap listening to her when she needed to talk.
Before getting up to head for the Crystal Chamber, Kwame glanced at the pattern Cap had made in the sand. It was a heart with the letter K inside it.
He hadn't forgotten Kim's words about going to her cabin. He also remembered when Gi had come to him about a possible plan to get Cap to see the woman some time ago. Kwame understood why, since he was aware that out of the five of them, Gi had talked to him and that had obviously helped him a little. He clearly still loved the woman so why hadn't he gone to see her? Surely not just because of Gaia.
Whatever his reasons had been for not going to see her that was going to change. If he wasn't going to make the move, it would have to be made for him. They just hadn't had a chance to put that plan into action because of how busy they had been. Sure, they had had a day here and there and sometimes even two but that had been it.
The Planeteer of Earth decided to talk to the spirit of the Earth as soon as he got the chance.
Later, after a few busy days, Gaia announced that the Planeteers could go on a vacation, telling them she didn't sense any upcoming emergencies in the near future and they were entitled to it.
"How long will this vacation be, Gaia?" asked Kwame.
"Long enough so you can go ahead with that plan of yours, Kwame," the spirit of the Earth replied and smiled.
"What plan?" Wheeler asked.
"Let us go in the common hut and I will tell you," the African said.
The five of them filed out of the Crystal Chamber and gathered in the common hut. "So what is this plan of yours, Kwame?" Ma-Ti asked, sitting down on a chair, arms on the backrest.
"I was thinking that we could take up on Kim's offer to spend some time at her cabin," Kwame replied, exchanging a brief glance with Gi, who smiled. "It would be a nice surprise for Captain Planet."
He met no resistance to that. "For Kim too, I'm sure," Wheeler added. "But I thought Gaia didn't approve of Cap's feelings for her, thinking it will distract him."
Kwame grinned. "I talked to her a couple of days ago. She admitted she had worried over nothing. I told her about my plan and that Captain Planet needs this. She had to agree on that and told me it is our own business where we spend our free time."
"Go, Kwame." The two high-fived.
"So when do we leave?" Gi asked eagerly, standing up. She couldn't wait to see their friend's face when he saw Kim again. And vice versa.
"As soon as we have packed," Kwame said.
It didn't take long and they gathered beside the Geo-Cruiser. Wheeler had a surfboard with him.
"Wheeler, you cannot take that with you," Linka told him. "Kim has a lake not an ocean."
Wheeler looked embarrassed. "Oh yeah. Got a little carried away there, babe." He placed the surfboard against one of the palm trees.
Linka shook her head in amusement. "Just a little?"
Everyone got aboard the small plane. Kwame took the pilot's seat, setting the course. "Good thing I saved the co-ordinates when we were there," he said and smiled. "Just in case."
The Geo-Cruiser lifted off into the sunny sky. "What if she is not alone when we get there?" Linka asked.
"I can check once we are closer," Ma-Ti offered.
Gi hoped things hadn't changed much, for Cap's sake, if no one else's. She had a feeling things would work out, though.
