The sand under her toes, the sun on her face, Rachel felt incredible. She leaned back on her elbows on the towel, watching Tom play with all four children in the water. She had to admire his way around children. He was kind, gentle, funny and playful. She watched him throwing them each into deeper water, the muscles in his back and arms rippling under his skin with each toss. The children squealed with laughter, constantly begging him for one of them to be next. Even Sarah, the youngest, got in on the fun, and Rachel noticed how Tom was gentler with her than the older three. He was a good man, she thought to herself.

Kara had been kind enough to let her borrow one of her bathing suits so they could spend an afternoon and evening playing in the sand. Many of the sailors had joined them on the island, enjoying some R&R. Tom had worked half the day, before being relieved by Mike to spend the afternoon with Rachel and the children. The galley had packed them sandwiches for their adventure ashore, and they'd eaten lunch before taking a walk. Inevitably the kids had ended up chasing each other into the ocean, Tom not far behind. She enjoyed seeing him in this light.

"Rachel!" Ashley called out to her after some time, rousing her from her thoughts. She stood, making her way to the edge of the water. Dipping her toes in the shallow waves, she shivered, backing up onto the sand.

"Yes, darling?" Rachel called, shading her eyes with her hand, watching them bobbing out in the waves.

"Come in! The water's great!" Ashley ducked under the water, doing a handstand, her little feet barely above the surface. Rachel laughed.

"I'm good, thank you though, sweetie," she called in response. Tom waded toward her, the water droplets shimmering on his chest in the sunlight. He grinned at her, and she backed up a little, suspecting he wasn't coming toward her for a kiss. "Don't come any closer," she teased.

"You should really come in, the water feels fantastic," he encouraged, getting closer to her. She backed up further, shaking her head.

"No, Tom! It's cold," she jogged a little out of the way as he stepped on dry sand, his strides too long for her. "Tom, don't!" she laughed, trying to dodge him. She could hear the kids laughing too, cheering Tom on in his endeavor. She attempted to run back past him, but she was no match for his speed and agility, as he scooped her up, carrying her by the waist into the water. She pushed at his hands, trying to get free, laughing the whole time. The kids clapped as Tom easily tossed her into the water. She fell under the surface, before swimming straight up, pushing her hair out of her face, throwing a playful glare in his direction.

Tom admired her flushed cheeks and her aggravated look she was giving him. He thought she looked adorable. She swam toward him and he easily embraced her in his arms. He waded them a little deeper, until the water rested right at his shoulders and he kissed her, taking in the saltiness on her lips from the ocean. She wrapped her legs around his wide waist, her arms wrapping tightly around his shoulders. She leaned into the kiss, her tongue exploring his mouth, before he pulled back slightly. "Careful," he whispered against her lips, a smile tugging at his lips. He could hear the kids giggling behind her.

"Sorry," she chuckled, "You're the one who threw me out here," she added, running her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck. His grey hair was spiked in the front from the water, a look she never saw, and she found it made him look younger.

"Touche'," he kissed her nose before moving them closer to shore, her legs dropping from his hips. She missed the warmth of his chest against hers.

She headed back to the sand, Tom following. The kids continued to play in the water, moving closer to shore for their safety. Rachel collapsed down on her towel, basking in the sun, as Tom dropped down beside her, his eyes roaming to the children every few moments, laying on his side facing Rachel. His hand splayed across her flat stomach.

His hand sent fireworks through her system. She turned her head, peering up at him. "You're an amazing father," she complimented. He smiled, a flush appearing in his cheeks.

"Well, my father taught me well," he replied, watching the kids play a game of make believe. "You're great with them," he complimented her. She laughed a little.

"My father also taught me well. And they're wonderful children. All of them. It's not hard to love them. I've known Ava since she was 3, she's always been precious. Jenny is doing a wonderful job raising Sarah, and your brother is a fantastic uncle to them all. And well, your children are just darling. I'm slightly jealous they're not my own," she added the last part playfully, running her hand down his cheek, taking in the smoothness of his skin. The look he was giving her would be described as tender, loving. It made her knees weak, and she felt like they were the only two people in the world.

"They're practically yours," his voice was raspy as he moved his hand from her stomach to cup her cheek.

"It feels that way at moments."

"They care about you, talk about you all the time." Rachel knew they cared about her, could tell it in their voices when they talked to her, but hearing Tom say it solidified it. It felt incredible. She'd never held a child's love, never loved a child as much as she loved those two. She adored Ava, but it wasn't the same love. These two felt like her everything. "Do you want children?" Tom risked the question, trying to read her expression.

"Your children?" she questioned his meaning, "I would embrace them as my own, you know that."

"I do. And thank you," he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I mean, children of your own. I know the test came back negative two days ago, and I don't know what the future holds, but is that something you want?" He checked on the kids as he asked the question.

She contemplated his words. "I never thought that would be something I could have. I have always been so focused. Tom, I've barely had a real, serious relationship. A family? That is the last thing I thought I'd have," she explained. "To answer your question, though, yes. Yes, I would like children of my own. Or maybe just one." She answered honestly, wondered what she had to lose. Most of the reason she wanted children of her own was because of him, and his beautiful children. She looked up, trying to read his expression in return. "Do you want more children?"

He was silent a moment, contemplating. "At 42, I'm slightly older to be having a baby, but if it was the right time, or with the right person," he cupped her cheek, running his thumb over her lips, "I would definitely have a baby." He meant his words, had been thinking about it since the children asked him. He hadn't wanted anymore originally, but now, it didn't seem like such a stretch. Her scare had first introduced the thought into his mind, and the kids cemented it there.

"Well, it sounds like we're on the same page," she replied with a smile. Her heart was at ease. This was good. They were talking things through. She enjoyed their openness, their line of communication.

"We are," he leaned down and kissed her, hearing the children chime their 'ewwws' from several feet away. They separated, laughing. "Oh hush," he teased them, waving his hand at them.

XXXX

They enjoyed the rest of the afternoon in the sun, the kids only coming out of the water as the sun went down. Tom took them back to the ship to change, before bringing them back for the evening cook-out.

Some cooks from the galley came to the island later that day to grill over a fire for the sailors. They left a skeleton crew aboard ship, in shifts, letting everyone enjoy the holiday celebrations. Many of them partook in the activities, decorating some of the smaller trees and bushes with homemade decorations. Tom had promised Sam a Christmas tree, and he delivered. It was unconventional, but the kids were having a wonderful time, decorating tree after tree with gingerbread cookies handmade by a few of the cooks, along with strings of popcorn and other random shiny items Chung had found on board. It was a gift to the children from the whole crew, and Tom was incredibly grateful.

And of course, what would one of these crew parties be without music and dancing? They'd brought a portable speaker to the beach, and crewmembers took turn playing their supply of holiday music. It was a week until Christmas, and everyone was in the spirit.

Rachel had slid a cotton dress over the bathing suit, and Tom thought she look gorgeous in the relaxed outfit. He watched her help the children make the popcorn strings, as he chatted with Mike and Christine by the fire.

"Well, someone is smitten," Christine pulled his attention away from Rachel with a slap on the arm. He raised his eyebrows, looking back at his friend's wife. She had a smirk on her pretty face.

"I'm sorry?" He hadn't heard her. He had been distracted.

"You've got it bad. How long have you been seeing the woman? A day?" Christine exclaimed, laughing at Tom's reaction. His cheeks turned a little red, and Mike coughed uncomfortably. Christine raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Thomas…what kind of trouble have you been getting into?" Her tone carried that motherly sternness, and Tom shrugged innocently.

"No trouble," he started before Mike gave him a dubious expression.

"Tom and Rachel have been beating around this bush a while now," Mike explained, as Tom gave him an annoyed look.

"Not that long," he defended himself.

"Long enough to piss her off to the point she won't talk to you."

"Well, that doesn't take much with her."

"I'll tell her you said that," the friends bantered back and forth, Christine laughing heartily.

"Regardless, how long have you been seeing her? Publicly or privately." Christine was genuinely curiously.

"Seeing her is a strong term. I'm not sure what exactly it was we were doing…" he drifted off, his eyes finding her again. He loved when she wore her hair down.

"Sleeping together" Mike said through coughs. Christine gave him a surprised look.

"Wow, Tom. Didn't know that was your style." she commented with a chuckled. He rolled his eyes at Mike.

"You don't know what you're talking about," he replied with an fake sharp tone. Mike laughed, content with pissing off his friend.

"Regardless," Christine held her hands up at the seemingly juvenile friends, "You really like her, huh?"

"I do," he replied, solidly with a nod.

"That's sweet. I'm glad. She's great with all the kids. Even my girls adore her," Hannah and Tiffany were helping decorate the trees as well, and were having a wonderful time.

"Yeah, she's fantastic," Tom's tone was one full of love, full of respect as he watched her, his hands now shoved in the pocket of his jeans, his barefeet settled deep in the sand, his button down shirt rolled up to his elbows. She was fantastic. He walked away from his friends to wrap his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. He cupped her cheek, laughingly telling her what Mike and Christine had said before placing his lips on hers. Mike and Christine watched their exchange, and they could both easily tell she was just as enthralled in him as he was in her.

Rachel melted into him, her hands resting on his hips as he released her lips from his. "You're going to have to stop doing that," she mumbled, her eyes dancing between his lips and his eyes. He smirked.

"Doing what?" he whispered, his eyes a deep ocean blue, searching hers. Sam interrupted them then, grabbing his father's hand off Rachel's back, and then grabbing Rachel's. They both looked down at the adorable boy.

"Come on! We're going to sing!" He excitedly said, pulling them away from one another and toward the group of sailors who were getting ready to carol. The pair shared a sweet, content look as they followed Sam to the group. Tom wrapped his arm around Rachel's shoulders, pulling her close as everyone began to sing an a capella version of Oh Holy Night. Mike and Christine found their place next to Tom and Rachel. It was a touching scene, almost his entire crew coming together to sing Christmas carols together. After all they'd been through this year, it was poignant.

They danced and sang into the night. The food was delicious, they ate local seafood they had caught while anchored off the island, along with some conventional options such as hotdogs.

The children slowly became tired and Jed kindly offered to take them back to the ship to tuck them in. "Goodnight, Dad," Sam wrapped his arms around Tom's waist while Ashley did the same to Rachel. They caught eyes over the children's heads. They really were becoming quite the little family. Rachel felt so happy, so loved, she could burst. She'd never experienced such a love, such a feeling of belonging. But even back in September, when all hell had broken loose, and he'd done everything he could to protect her, she'd felt like she'd belonged to something. And now, being with him, and the children, just created a feeling of pure and utter sense of inclusion for her. She was a part of something real, something profound. A family. She'd never thought she'd have one. And now she did.

Tom kissed their foreheads, taking a moment to look at each of them, realizing how much they were growing, how much they were thriving despite their circumstances. He knew he owed a lot of it to the woman beside him who had saved their lives. If she hadn't created the vaccine, he wouldn't have either of them. And now she cared for them as if they were her own. He felt so blessed. He said a silent thank you to a higher power, before embracing the both tightly one more time, then sending them off to bed.

Jed scurried the children off, leaving Tom and Rachel behind once more, as they had once before. The couple stood there, watching the RhIB make it back to the ship. Tom grasped her hand, turning to face her.

"Want to take a walk?" he suggested, "Like old times?" he added with lopsided grin.

"Sure," she replied with a smile, "as long as this time you don't tell me you're sorry for kissing me." her response was full of sass, and he laughed, his eyes downcast, his cheeks flushing.

"Fair enough," he squeezed her hand as they walked in silence. It felt nice to just walk with her, to just be able to hold her hand and not have to worry about who would see. He still wasn't used to that. "Want to know something?" he broke the silence, squeezing her hand again.

She peered up at him, enjoying the sand below her feet, and the moon on the horizon. "Sure."

"I was never sorry for kissing you," he confessed softly, his eyes trained ahead of them. "I lied. I thought it was what I was supposed to say in the moment." Tom chanced a glance at her, taking in her expression.

Rachel chewed her lip. "Well, you were awful convincing," she appreciated his confession, it changed some things. "Why did you think it was the right thing to say?" she asked curiously.

"Because I had forcefully kissed you in a heated moment. That didn't seem appropriate," he paused, with a bit of a chuckle, "then," Tom finished with a wink at her.

"You can forcefully kiss me anytime you want now," she replied, bumping her hip into his with a grin.

"Good to know," he replied, dropping her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders. Her arm slipped around his broad waist. She enjoyed the way she fit against him, like she was molded just for him.

"I shouldn't have let you apologize for it. But then again, I shouldn't have kissed you in the ward room, either. I thought you were paying me back for running away."

"Ahh yes, the kiss in the ward room," he said it as though he'd had to dig it up from memory. In reality, he'd thought about that kiss more than he'd thought about their kiss on the Vyneri. "Quite a road we've taken to get here."

"You can say that again," she laughed, leaning her head into him as he turned them around, heading back toward the large fire.

"Rachel," he stopped her after a few moments of silence, turning her to face him, he pushed a few strands of her loose hair from her face, studying her features.

"Hmm," she had closed her eyes at his touch, but she opened them to find his azure eyes drinking her in.

"I am so lucky to have found you," the words were said so softly she wasn't even sure he said them, but the warmth that instantly spread through her chest told her he had in fact spoken.

"to have found each other," she amended with a soft grin. He nodded, cupping her cheek with one hand.

"You are beautiful," he complimented in a whisper, his thumb caressing her cheek bone. The sounds of the wind, and the waves disappeared from her mind as she found herself lost in his eyes, nothing around them existing. Something about the way this man looked at her made her feel like nothing else in the world mattered, that it was just the two of them. "Baby, I love you," he dipped his head, his lips finding hers, not letting her respond, not needing her too. He knew how she felt, and it was evident in the loving way she responded with her lips. He pulled back after a long moment of losing himself against her. He opened his eyes to find hers still closed, her lips still parted, as if she was soaking in the afterglow of the kiss.

He had this way of stealing the air out of her soul, and then breathing new life back into her. His kisses were like nothing she'd ever experienced. And every one was just as good as the one before. She opened his eyes and found him staring down at her, found his intense gaze almost unnerving. She smiled, "I love you, Tom." A large smile lit up his face then, and he kissed the tip of her little nose.

"Come on," he muttered, clasping her hand and leading her back toward the fire. They settled down by the fire with some of the sailors, chatting with them before the group began to shrink, eventually leaving just Tom and Rachel, who had no desire to head back to the ship. This didn't happen often for any of them, and these two were definitely not going to miss this opportunity.

Tom laid down one of the many blankets they'd brought over from the ship for the party, encouraging her to sit. He sat behind her, as she stretched her legs out, leaning into his chest, relishing in the warmth his strong arms gave her. He had stoked the fire to keep it roaring, keeping them warm enough in the darkness.

"This is nice," Rachel leaned her head back on his shoulder, taking in the fire, and the feeling of his breath on her cheek. He turned to look at her, a smile on his face.

"It is nice," Tom agreed, before capturing her lips again. The kiss started out fluffy and light, almost like they were testing the waters for the first time, before she deepened it. He grinned against her lips, twisting his body to lean her back over his thigh, before gently placing her back on the ground. She adjusted easily, as he moved to lay on his side, hovering over her as he kissed her intently. She slid her fingers through his soft grey hair, relishing in the feel under her fingertips, as his hand found her hip. He pulled the cotton dress up, his hand finding her soft skin underneath, fingers sinking into her skin. After a moment, he slid his fingertips up her side, grazing her soft skin. She began to laugh against his lips, squirming underneath him. He grinned, leaning back, realizing then that she was ticklish. "Wait a minute," he pulled his hand away under the dress, still leaving it under the fabric but not touching her. She relaxed under him. "Are you ticklish?" he asked, and she could see the devilish glow in his eyes.

"Thomas Chandler, don't you dare," she used her best warning tone, her hands moving down into a defensive position as he shifted a little higher up on his elbow.

"But this is something new for me to explore," he replied impishly, his fingers running over her new skin, causing a shriek and more laughter. She pushed against his strong chest to no avail, bringing her legs up.

"Tom, stop!" she tried to catch her breath as he pulled his hand back again. She heaved under him on the sand, her hair wild from her squirming, her cheeks flushed from the laughter. He thought she looked gorgeous. But he wasn't done torturing her yet.

"Where else are you ticklish?" He shifted to kneel before her and she knew she wouldn't win this battle. Her knees came up, her hands out in front of her, ready to defend herself. He chuckled at her, reached down to pinch her rear through the bathing suit bottom, causing another squeal and a look of disapproval.

"Oh shush, you like it," he teased, grabbing her ankle.

"I most definitely do not, Captain Chandler," She tried to pull her foot away but his grasp was too strong and she could barely move her leg away.

"Yes, you do. At least you did this morning," his devilish grin only grew as he ran his fingers up the bottom of her foot, holding her foot steady as she tried to yank it away.

"If I recall, pinching was not involved this morning," she raised an eyebrow, trying to keep from laughing at the sensation.

"Well, I improvised on the pinch. Your ass is just too cute."

"I'm going to kick you so hard in the chest," she threatened, trying to yank her foot away more. He just laughed whole-heartedly, releasing her foot.

"Clearly your feet are not as ticklish as your sides," he leaned forward, his hands moving to her sides.

"Tom, I'm telling you. I will defend myself," she tried to squeeze her thighs to keep him from advance, though she failed miserably as his hands found her sides, drawing out squeals of laughter from her. He bathed in the sound, thought it was the best thing he'd ever heard. And despite her fighting him helplessly, she was no match for his strength. He left her breathless and crying from her laughter, putting his hands on the blanket on either side of her, letting her catch her breath. "Don't do that again," she huffed, going limp under him in exhaustion.

"I'll try to contain myself. It was so much fun for me though," he ran his fingers down her cheek, before capturing her lips with his, stretching out on top of her. She relaxed her thighs, letting him lay between them, their kiss playful and serene. As much as he wanted to take her right here, he knew this out in the open was a bad idea. Instead, he just kissed her slowly drawing sweet moans from her.

She would let him kiss her forever it he wanted to. The sensation was incredible. She felt so safe underneath him, so loved. His hand rested under her head, tangled in her hair as they continued to kiss. She could feel his jeans against her center, through her bathing suit, knew what was hard underneath, but knew this wasn't the place. She honestly just enjoyed kissing him, it felt innocent and new.

She hoped he never stopped kissing her.

XXXX

"Maybe I know, somewhere

Deep in my soul

That love never lasts

And we've got to find other ways

To make it alone

But keep a straight face

And I've always lived like this

Keeping a comfortable distance

And up until now

I had sworn to myself that I'm content

With loneliness

Because none of it was ever worth the risk

But, you are the only exception"

The Only Exception-Paramore

XXXXX

I have to say a thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, all the chapters before that, and to everyone who reads this story. You are my inspiration for writing! This fandom is tight, and I love that we read each other's stories, along with PMs, twitter, etc! I love helping fellow readers, and so appreciate the help I receive in return! We are a small but mighty fandom and I must say how proud I am to be a part of it! Thank you to each and every one of you who read, review, favorite, and follow. I write this for YOU!

Happy #SaveTheWorldSunday! :D 16 weeks until season 2!