The days all seemed to merge together with happiness when they all accommodated to their treehouse. It had been two days since the boys had showed Alex the treehouse and it was almost as if the island was their home now. Each day they lazed on the beach, explored the jungle, lounged about the treehouse chatting or discovered new animals or areas. Today they were in a secluded area of the jungle that was only a few yards away from their treehouse, and it consisted of a beautiful lagoon with waterfalls and soft, steep banks with the water flooding down them making slides. Vines decorated the skies as they hung off the swooping willow trees and Davie's monkey friends looked on in fascination as Gene, Ray, Chris and Freddy mucked around in the rivers. Alex sat daintily on the rocks, dipping her toes in and encouraging the boys.
"Weee!" Freddy squealed as he jumped off one of the rocks into the deep waters of the lagoon. "Look at me, Alex!" he cackled, bombing messily and lightly splashing Alex.
Alex shrieked fondly, laughing as she dabbed at her dress. "Didn't quite get me there, Freddy!" she teased him.
"Bet yer can't get away from me though, Ma'am!" Ray bellowed, taking a running jump in his shorts and vest.
"Wait, wait, Ray, NO!" Alex panicked, trying to scramble to her feet as Gene and Chris roared with laughter from the water.
But it was too late. Ray jumped and tucked his legs under, hitting the water hard and sending a large wave that completely covered Alex, drenching her.
Gene thought it was hilarious, giving Ray a high-five the minute he surfaced.
"You think this is funny?" Alex said primly, in a tone that made it quite unclear whether she was annoyed or joking.
"Er…" Gene stuttered, seeing her face, "quick boys, swim before Bolly catches us!"
Alex sat back down and chuckled to herself as the four boys doggy-paddled away from her rapidly. They reached the banks and then Freddy piped up.
"Slide races!" he beamed. "Come on, let's race! Please!"
"Why not," Gene smirked, "another reason to whip you nancy boys into shape."
Gene, Chris, Ray and Freddy all hauled themselves out of the water and walked up the dry patches of the bank until they were at the top. The water flowed down beautifully, giving them a smooth slide.
"I want to race Gene," Freddy decided, "just so Alex can see I'm better than him."
Gene snorted. "Well you ain't goin' ter succeed in that one, lad," he said cockily.
"Nah, come on Guv, let 'im win," Ray urged Gene quietly, "he's only ten."
"I don't care if he's ten or a bleedin' 'undred!" Gene snapped indignantly. "No-one beats the Gene Genie down the slide. If they do, it violates every rule o' nature."
Freddy cleared his throat impatiently.
"Er…okay Guv," Chris swallowed, "on yer marks, get set –"
"GO!" Gene yelled, pushing off and sliding as Freddy looked around in bewilderment.
"HEY!" he shouted, sliding down promptly after. Gene hit the water with a mighty splash, followed seconds later by Freddy with a pathetic plop. Ray and Chris cheered from the top as Gene raised his arms in mock celebration, turning towards Alex in the hope that he had impressed her. Unluckily, she was lying on the rocks in her damp sundress with her eyes closed.
"That was cheating," Freddy said furiously as he and Gene reached the top of the bank.
"That was winning," Gene shot back, "right, Raymondo, Wonder Chris, show us yer skills."
"Okay," Chris nodded as he and Ray prepared themselves, "one, two –"
Suddenly Chris erupted into a girlish scream as he went hurtling down the bank, arms and legs splayed out right up to the painful smack of the sound when his body made contact with the water.
Chris surfaced, spitting water out of his mouth to find Ray still sitting on the bank in bemusement and Freddy rolling around with laughter. The little bugger had pushed him.
"I hate kids," Chris muttered, climbing back up and sighing in relief as Freddy got bored and tottered off to play with the monkeys.
"Funny little things ain't they," Ray chuckled, gesturing to the monkeys. They were swinging on the vines gracefully and with little effort. Chris frowned.
"Well I can do that," he reckoned.
Gene snorted. "Yer sure about that, Christopher?"
"Well anyone can change vines, Guv."
"Well let's see yer try then!"
Chris froze. "T-t-try, Guv?"
Gene nodded, grabbing a thick vine and gesturing to the vines dotted across the lagoon. "Off yer swing, Tarzan," he smirked as Ray cackled.
Chris swallowed as he stood on the bank, nervously clutching the vine. Gene noticed that this had at long last caught Alex's attention as she sat up in interest, her dress barely covering her legs.
Don't think about that, Gene, Gene ordered himself.
"Off yer go then, Chris," Ray laughed, giving Chris a push. Despite his nerves, Chris swung almost fearlessly across the lagoon and groped for the second vine, grabbing it and changing hands, swinging uncomfortably on the second vine until he landed on the rock with Alex.
"That was brilliant, Chris!" Alex gawped as Gene and Ray looked on in horror. "I must say, I did think you would fall. I'm impressed."
Gene's mouth opened slightly, and then he grabbed one of the vines for himself.
"Whoa, steady on, Guv!" Ray said worriedly. "Yer sure yer can –"
But Gene was off. Desperately trying to catch the attention of Alex, he glanced down at her as he swung into the second vine, leaving the grab a little two late as he clawed desperately before losing his grip and falling into the river with a splash.
"Oh Gene!" Alex cried, half laughing and half feeling sorry for him. Chris ran off quickly to join Ray as Gene hauled himself up onto the rock with Alex, dripping with the sparkling water of the lagoon.
"Are you okay?" Alex smiled at him, reaching out to smooth down his wet hair.
"Yeah," Gene snorted, "takes more than a dip in some water ter finish the Gene Genie. Would've done it an' all had it not been for you."
"Me?"
"Yes. You. You and your ridiculously sexy bare legs."
Alex blushed as she rearranged her dress to cover her legs more before returning her gaze to meet Gene's.
"Yer know," Gene sighed, "I never thought we'd be happy here. On an island. Us three CID boys, an annoying little kid and a posh, mouthy tart. But it seems ter be working."
"Mmm," Alex mumbled in agreement, "but as lovely as it is, I'd rather we were here for a holiday rather than a lifetime."
"What do yer mean?"
Alex leant closer to Gene. "I mean that we still need to make every possible effort to get away. We don't belong here, Gene. And everyone back home is probably worried sick."
Gene nodded in consideration. "I see yer point, Bolls," he agreed, "and I've been thinking…of a way ter try and get out of this place. But yer won't like it."
"Why not?"
Gene swallowed, preparing himself. "I was thinking about Raymondo and my very good self sailing around the island for a few days. Ter check out if there's any other people, a port…or if it is even an island. There could be another bleedin' country attached but the borders fence this jungle off."
Alex's eyes were full of fear and she nearly reached out to grasp Gene's hand. Recovering, she twiddled her fingers nervously.
"But anything could happen to you," she whispered, "and I'd be left with Chris and Freddy, and neither of them like each other!"
"I'd need Ray with me to make decisions and help me sail the raft," Gene said realistically, taking her hand in his and rubbing her palm soothingly with his thumb, "and Chris would protect yer. You'd be safe."
"But what about you? Would you be safe?"
Gene smiled at her. "As safe as yer goin' ter be sailing round a bloody tropical island. Nah, we'd be fine, Bolls. We'd be back before yer knew it. And it's the only way I can think of to help us escape."
Alex nodded. "Okay. As long as you promise that you'll be safe. And you'll be back within three or four days. And…" Suddenly Alex's eyes filled with tears, and Gene cupped her face in alarm.
"Hey, hey, why the tears?" he said softly.
"Oh Gene," Alex whimpered, covering his hand with hers, "I just can't bear the thought of losing you. Even if you're only gone a few days. Please be careful. Please."
Gene lightly wiped her tears away with his thumb, kissing her forehead tenderly. "Of course I will, sweetheart. My Bolly. Like I'd leave yer with Tweedle Dumb and little Shitface."
Alex laughed weakly. "Then…then I say do it. Tomorrow."
Gene nodded. "Tomorrow."
They sat in silence for no longer than ten seconds when Gene's face split into a huge grin.
"Now that's sorted, Bollykecks, how about you join the boys for a swim?" he smirked, pulling her up.
"Oh no!" Alex squealed, fighting Gene as he attempted to pick her up. "No, no, NO…NO, NO, GENE!"
Gene had a protesting Alex flailing in his arms, and with a quick wink, he tossed her into the deep water. Jumping in after her, he laughed as she surfaced with a look of pure disbelief on her face.
"You bastard!" Alex grinned, lightly slapping him and then gripping him for support in the deepness.
"I know," Gene smirked, holding her so close that she could feel his heart beating, "but you love it."
