Notes:

I wanted to publish this chapter sooner, but I just kept adding and re-writing parts. I feel like I finally landed on a great chapter.

I am trying to keep the canon - and when I write them, I literally talk their dialogue out loud!

Anyhow, please enjoy.

Summary:

Frank and Lily have a very honest conversation that eventually leads to a shift in their relationship.

Soundtrack Suggestion:

Track 15, Trader Sam

Chapter 6: Confessions in the Treetops

Hours later, the sun long gone behind the trees, the boat made its way to the village of the Puka Machuna. Having slept a good portion of the boat ride back, the group felt relieved to arrive to this familiar place. Leaving the raft behind for the time being, they were loaded into the smaller skiffs that were prepared to be hoisted into the massive trees. The intricately built huts within the trees were lit up by torches and candlelight. It was as if the night sky blended into the canopy of the trees.

"Don't go getting stabbed by any conquistadores while we're here Frank…" MacGregor quipped as the boats were being hoisted into the air.

"That tattoo ink still stuck on your face?" Frank countered, making fun of MacGregor's "warpaint".

MacGregor scowled back and his hand went to his face in regret. Lily snickered.

The village was boisterous this evening. The sounds of the nocturnal animals mixed with the vibrance of songs being sung and drums and other instruments being played. Lily stood in her boat and watched the people in wonderment. She was a student of botany, but had always had an appreciation for indigenous people and cultures. Her father taught her that. He would love this…she thought to herself.

Lily turned to Trader Sam, "What are they celebrating?" She asked.

"Life! There were two children born today!" Sam lifted her hands in celebration and gratitude, her voice bright and joyful. Her tribe was everything to her, and it was evident.

Sam had not always lead the Puka Machuna tribe. Her own family history has been storied and full of legends and myths all connected to the Amazon. Her great grandfather traded with pirates that had travelled from the Caribbean to the shores of Brazil. Her father was a medicine man and often traded with Europeans, sharing the healing benefits of the jungle that surrounded them. When he died, the responsibility of the tribe fell to her.

She had always know the stories of the ancient, mythical tree that bled the Tears of the Moon. Her tribe had passed down the stories for generations, although she never truly thought it was real until one day a large, filthy man was found floating by the shores of their village. It was when Frank showed up with a knife in his leg, and another in his back but still alive, that she finally understood the true nature of the legend, also his curse.

The energy of the village was captivating, and Lily was enthralled with the celebratory feeling surrounding them. When the boats reached the wooden bridges that connected the village together, she couldn't contain herself, and jumped out immediately, making her way to the rail of the bridge to get a better look.

MacGregor's boat was next to arrive, and as it did, the group of tribesman he had bonded with during their previous visit greeted him, his golf clubs in hand.

"Gentlemen! You are all a sight for sore eyes! Say, you wouldn't happen to have a bit of that masato would you…?" MacGregor asked as he fell into the open arms of his new friends and began to walk down to the main fire.

Frank's boat arrived last, and he took his time to remove himself from it. His body still ached, and his headache was relentless. As soon as he was clear of the boat, he made a beeline for a secluded area in one of the nearby trees.

"Frank, do you see all this? Isn't it amazing? Have you ever seen them celebra—" Lily's joy of watching the people was overshadowed as she looked over her shoulder to find that Frank and MacGregor were gone and she was talking to herself.

"Well that's just peachy…" She mumbled to no one in particular.

Although the journey to the tribe's village was restful, every time Lily tried to check in on Frank's well-being, he had avoided the conversation, disappeared, and at one point she is fairly certain he pretended to be asleep. He was avoiding the conversation, and it she didn't understand why. The concern was wearing on her.

Trader Sam came up behind her, "What happened out there?" She asked, her raspy voice in Lily's ear making her jump, "WHOOO!" Lily shouted, and clutched her chest in surprise.

"You have got to stop sneaking up on me like that." Lily said pointedly, trying to calm her thumping heart.

"Apologies." Sam replied, and removed her hat as she took Lily by the hand and drew her into her bungalow. She offered Lily a seat on a wooden bench as she pulled up a chair carved from a tree trunk.

"I noticed Frank has not been…himself. He looks pale - and when he didn't make any jokes on the boat ride home- well, I knew there must be something wrong…I've never seen him like this before. Tell me everything…"

Lily took the time to explain the circumstances of their situation. Madman in a submarine, bringing the tree back to life, Frank crashing his boat, sacrificing himself… Trader Sam took note at the range of emotions across Lily's face as she retold their story.

Eventually she got to the part where she lifted the curse… and Frank's return. Again, the empathy across the young woman's features did not go unnoticed by the Chief. There was something there that was definitely not there the last time they were in her village.

When Lily finished, Trader Sam was leaning back on her stump and pondering all she had just heard, as if her brain was rolling over the details one by one. She had a stick in her hand and was thumping it against her leg slowly. When she spoke again, it was slowly and with purpose.

"So Frank is alive now…And he can bleed?" Sam asked, Lily nodded. "That means he needs to remember what it is like to BE alive…to learn how to take care of himself. He needs nourishment, rest, and …someone to care for him…" Trader Sam paused. "That part will be the hardest. He has been alone for a long time. The stubbornness is almost built in to him at this point. It will be hard to crack."

"Agreed." Lilly huffed, her eyes downcast. Trader Sam noticed she was fiddling with the buttons on her shirt. Tell-tale sign of someone hiding something.

"What else are you not telling Trader Sam?" She inquired, and leaned in closer to Lily.

Lily sighed. "It's just…I feel…"

"Yes, yes…"

"What if he regrets his decision?" Lily blurted, worry written across her face. "What if he regrets living and not…well, the other choice." Embarrassed by her admission, she pressed her face into the palms of her hands.

Trader Sam patted Lily's back. "I know it seems that he is a — "

"Pain in the arse." Lily interrupted, her voice muffled by her hands.

Sam nodded in agreement. "Yes. But you have to understand, he is not used to caring for more than himself. And also not used to someone caring for him."

Sam lifted Lily's head out from her hands to look at her. "I have seen the way he looks at you. There is no mistaking it — he does not regret his decision." Sam smiled at her sweetly.

Lily's spirit felt lifted, and she returned the smile.

She cleared her throat as if to reset her resolve. "Well, you know how infuriating he can be. He won't be so easy to convince that he should depend on others."

"Well, then, you just need to be persistent."

Lily smiled. "Now that I can do."

xxxx

Trader Sam was no fool.

She has known Frank nearly all of her life, so she was pretty adept at reading him. Although she had seen, and helped him, swindle tourists for money, steal a boat or two or three, and even get stabbed a few dozen times - she had never really seen him the way he is when he is around her.

Sam watched how, on the boat ride back to the village, Frank would steal glances at Lily. The way he would smile at something she said. The way they would banter - she was definitely his equal when it came to being headstrong and fierce.

Trader Sam knew there was something bigger brewing between them. It made her happy knowing that Lily was to take him out of the jungle - see the world.

But she also knew Frank - and she hoped his stubbornness wouldn't ruin the good he has found.

xxxx

Frank sat, leaning against a tangle of vines and tree limbs, his feet dangling from the high perch above another set of bungalows. His shirt was unbuttoned halfway and his hat set beside him. The night was still thick with humid air, but there was a breeze that carried through the trees that was most welcome across his chest and face. The headache that had been relentless through the day was now only a dull throb, and he closed his eyes and relaxed into the welcome embrace of the tree.

A creak of the wooden floor broke his reverie, and he opened his eyes to look behind him to see Lily standing at the doorway.

She stood there unsure if she should enter, but when his lips upturned into a smile, she felt welcome and came all the way into the room. She held out a cup, its contents sending tendrils of steam into the air.

"I brought you something - I thought it might help with the…" Lily pointed to her to her own temple, indicating his headache.

Appreciative of the gesture, Frank took the cup and sniffed it. "Thank you…what is it?"

"Fittonia albivenis." She replied proudly. "One of the tribesmen helped me find it - it's an — "

"Herb - good for …headaches and …muscle aches." Frank finished her sentence, much to Lily's surprise. Then the surprise gave way to realization.

"Ahh, well. I guess you would know a lot about every plant and herb and living thing growing in this jungle." Lily moved closer, waiting for an invitation to sit.

Frank read her mind, and motioned for her to take a seat next to him. As she did, she couldn't help but stare at the expanse of skin that lay bare for her to see. As Frank's shirt gave way to the broad muscle under it, she noticed the scar that was nearly healed on his left pectoral. Her handiwork of sewing him up now on display in front of her.

"See something you like?" Frank asked teasingly.

Having been caught staring, Lily felt a wave of heat rise to her cheeks.

"I can make them dance if you'd like…" He motioned to his pecs as one bounced suddenly.

She held up a hand, "Geez, Frank - stop." She said in warning, a secret smile playing at her lips - but she couldn't let him see that.

He raised his eyebrows and smiled at her over the edge of the cup as he took a sip. It was sweet and tasted of cinnamon and spice.

"Thanks for this, and yes - I have learned quite a bit about this jungle over the years."

"I bet you could hold a PH.D in botany yourself with that knowledge." Lily regarded him for a moment. I never did give him enough credit.

"Well I couldn't hold a flame to you, Dr. Houghton." Frank replied sincerely, and finished the rest of his tea in one big gulp. He held up the empty cup in a "thank you" gesture.

Lily didn't respond to his comment, but instead got lost in her own thoughts.

Where they sat, the vantage point allowed them see groups and families spread out in all directions. Some had fires lit, while other "homes" were only glowing with candlelight. Across to their right, a large fire burned and what looked like a wild pig was being turned over it. Lily silently thanked no one in particular that it was an animal and not a human being turned over the fire.

Shouting and cheering could be heard below them, and for a moment Lily thought she heard her brother and a few others yell "Fore!", followed by another set of cheers.

"I was worried about you." Lily looked back at Frank when she finally spoke again. "How long have you been feeling like this?" Her instinct to investigate spurred on by concern.

"Uhh…not long. Just since yesterday morning."

"Trader Sam said that she's never seen you like this before."

Frank shook his head, "It's nothing to be worried about. I'm sure this will pass. Really. You don't need to worry about me. Frank Wolff is just fine!" He deflected her concern, and it made her mad. How is it ok for him to fawn over her when she was injured, and now that he was not well, he could be so dismissive of her? Also irritating her was that he referred to himself in the third person.

He saw a fire light behind her eyes, and he knew immediately that he'd made a mistake.

"You think it's fair that you get to show concern, and I can't?" She started, her voice rising. "You - Frank Wolff are a headstrong, bullheaded — coward!" Frank held his hands up in surrender.

"Whoa, whoa, Lily - calm down!" He reached out to grab the hand that was waving much too close to his face and brought it down to his lap. "I hear you - ."

She relented. Slightly. But she couldn't keep the emotion out of her voice as she continued, "I'm just saying, you need to let others care for you. To care about you. I know you've been on your own for a long time - but…you're not immortal any more." Her words sped up again. "You can bleed, you can have aches and pains and…" her breath hitched, "you can die."

Her voice trailed off and he noticed her chest heaving at the exertion of her words. She seemed distraught. She pulled her hand from his grasp, and within moments she was up and gone. Leaving him alone with only the sounds of the jungle and of the tribe in the air.

xxxx

She didn't know where she was going. The maze of pathways in the treetops all looked alike. She just knew she needed to get away from Frank before she said something foolish or punched him in the jaw - both likely to happen if she had stayed.

She paused at the edge of a pathway, her foot kicking a branch over the edge. She leaned over to see it ricochet against the trees and splash into the water below.

Her chest constricted. An image of Frank's body following the same path towards the river flashed in her mind, and she pushed back from the railing, shaking her head to dispel the thought. Although Trader Sam had given her insight into Frank's past and the encouraging insight that he was happy with his choice to live - Lily was still having a hard time with the doubt in her mind.

What if he regretted his decision now that he has to live with the consequences of being "mortal"? Headaches, getting older, getting hurt…

Would this world be enough for him?

Would she be enough?

Lily groaned into her hands again.

Lily Houghton had always felt that confidence came naturally to her. Her father often told her that she could DO anything - BE anything she wanted to be as long as she had the confidence to pursue it with all of her might. Her childhood had not been conventional. When her mother died, Lily would often accompany her father on his expeditions around the world. Lily learned early in life to adapt quickly to foreign places, cultures and customs.

MacGregor had always admired her forthright nature and plow-ahead spirit. Quite a contrast to Lily, he was cautious and refined. A fine Bordeaux and meticulously pressed dinner jacket was his idea of a perfect evening, not galavanting in the jungle or haggling in a street market. His own childhood was a vastly different experience.

After their father died, the travels slowly faded away. Their uncle took them in and for the most part provided a very good life. Plenty of money, a beautiful home, and all of their needs met. It was an agreeable situation - as long as they abided by his rules. High society, stuffy customs and hard expectations were pressed upon them. For MacGregor, he enjoyed the theatrics of customary societal engagements and gossip. For Lily, not so much. It was too confining - and since she felt trapped by her Uncle's forbiddance of travel, she buried her nose in research, eventually defining her path to become an expert in botany and ultimately earn her doctorate.

Not so much in line with the natural order of how British society expected a woman to act or pursue a career.

Although women were allowed to obtain such degrees and education, recognition of such accolades were often brushed aside by the men who ran the universities and research groups. She was expected to marry, settle down, bare children and blend in.

So, when an expedition from esteemed explorer Dr. Albert Falls announced an astounding discovery of a long-lost mythical arrowhead, she decided to further investigate the Tears of the Moon. After all these years, it was the stories her father told her of a magical tree that could heal anyone and cure any disease that had inspired her to learn about medicine and botany.

Lily struggled at every turn trying to gain approval and support for her research, but was often met with harsh resistance due to her sex. Thankfully, MacGregor had always been there to support her; stand up for her and her research and even, from time to time, submit essays and articles on her behalf. MacGregor felt it was his duty. After all, Lily had supported him in every aspect of his life regardless of the consequences or threats from family to disown him.

"We have each other, and that is enough family for me. Let them all rot in their non-progressive mansions!" she told him one evening, as he cried into her shoulder. Her Uncle having just thrown him out and cursing him to go to hell for living his true self.

His sister, ever confident that things were going to turn out just fine, took him in, accepted him.

So yes, confidence. Sure. Lily has it in spades.

But right now - as doubt clung to her thoughts - she felt that confidence slip through her hands.

How on earth did this happen?

"FRANK!" Trader Sam's voice carried over the village. The way she said his name made the hair stand up on the back of Lily's neck. Panic. It was the sound of panic.

Lily ran towards the voice as fast as her legs could take her.

xxxx

Her heart couldn't take much more of this. Lily nearly tripped a few dozen times as she ran across the maze of wooden pathways back to the bungalow she had left Frank in earlier. As she arrived, breathless and sweat dripping across her brow, she was unsure of what she would come across. She searched for Frank or even Trader Sam, but neither one was to be found.

A commotion was brewing one section down, and she made her way carefully over the edge of the rail and jumped to the landing below. A crowd had gathered, and she couldn't see what they were all looking at.

"FRANK?!" She shouted over the people, hoping that he was there and everything was alright.

"Lily!" MacGregor made his way through the crowd over to his sister. "There you are, thank God!"

"What's happened? Where's Frank? Is he OK?" She asked in a panic, desperate to find out what was going on. But MacGregor didn't hear her and was already pulling her through the crowd and into another bungalow where several members of the tribe were gathered, some crying hysterically.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Lily yelled out loud in confusion, desperate for answers.

"Pants! C'mere - I need you!" Frank's voice startled her and when her eyes finally found him across the room, he was kneeling over something, Trader Sam at his side. When Sam saw Lily, she gestured wildly for her to come closer.

Lily made her way over to where Frank was kneeling, her eyes flowing over him trying to determine if he was indeed OK, and what in the world could have caused such a panic. Her eyes fell to the floor and she saw a small boy, maybe five years old, laying in front of him, his skin and face a dreadful color.

"He's choking. I got the thing out of his throat, but I can't get him breathing again…" Frank explained hurriedly, his eyes full of worry and pleading for help.

Lily dropped to her knees quickly and leaned down to hold her ear over the boy's mouth to listen for signs of breathing. When she heard nothing, she pushed Frank out of the way and moved into position over his chest and interlocked her fingers. Instinct taking over, she began chest compressions on the young child before her.

A woman, his mother most likely, was screaming behind Frank, and Trader Sam held her back as she tried to console her and explain what Lily was doing.

Lily's heart raced, and she felt a bead of sweat roll down her cheek. She kept her eyes on the boys lips, and after what seemed like hours, she saw him take a breath. She stopped compressions to be sure, and when he gasped again, and coughed - her body went from rigid in anticipation to limp with relief.

Cheers broke out amongst the people in the room, and Sam let go of the boy's mother who collapsed to the ground and pulled her son into her arms immediately. Between the tears, she reached her hand out to take Lily's and spoke rapidly in her native language.

Lily held her hand and squeezed it, "You're welcome… " She told her, and the woman kept talking but Lily shook her head to indicate she didn't understand, "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're saying…"

"She says, you are an angel from the Gods." Frank translated for her. His eyes brimming with tears of pride and relief as he looked at Lily, his smile so large that it went ear to ear. He had his hand on her shoulder, providing support - for her or himself, he wasn't too sure.

The adrenaline that sparked Lily into action began to wear off, and she fell into Frank's embrace. The held onto each other tightly as the joyful voices of the tribe echoed around them and into the air.

xxxx

It turns out that the little boy had been rifling through the belongings of the recent arrival of a clothing haul from the mainland. A sugary sweet had been in the pocket of one of the coats, and when the boy went to eat it, ended up choking. Trader Sam happened to be nearby…

"…and when I saw the boy collapse and nearly fall through a wooden railing. I saw Frank sitting just feet away, and I shouted for him to catch him." Trader Sam explained to Lily as they group sat by the large communal fire.

The wild boar had been cut up and the tribe was serving it with rice and beans - no doubt a trade from Porto Velho. MacGregor's mouth was salivating as Trader Sam handed him a plate of food, grateful to be eating something besides piranha.

As Sam came to Lily with her food, she asked, "How did you know what to do? I thought you were a plant doctor?"

She took the plate from Trader Sam and explained. "Well - I spent a lot of time in school and before focusing on botany, I had studied human anatomy quite extensively. Medical classes were difficult for a woman to get into, so I snuck into a few. Looks like a few lessons stuck." Lily grinned at the memory. When she was discovered in the halls of the University, she was chased out by one of the senior professors.

"Well, we are eternally grateful to you." Trader Sam bowed her head to Lily, and the few members of the tribe joining them for dinner gave a cheerful shout into the night air, raising their bows and hands in celebration.

Frank regarded Lily from across the fire. His second plate of food devoured, he played with a chunk of wood and a pocket knife he found in his wreckage. The events of the evening finally evolving from chaotic to comfortable again. Trader Sam walked over and sat next to Frank, a bottle of liquor in her hand. She noticed where his eyes kept looking.

"You know, you have a hard head." Sam declared, and took a swig from her bottle.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Frank asked in annoyance, scraping the edge of his blade across the wood.

Sam shrugged. "Maybe you can't help it. I think it is a part of you. But you should be careful - you could lose what you have gained…"

Frank's head snapped up. "What do you mean?"

Sam motions to Lily with a tilt of her chin. "She fears you have regrets."

"About crashing my boat?"

"Aye, aye, aye - that head is hard," Sam sighs and faces Frank directly, "No - that you regret …staying on this Earth. She fears that you won't be happy now that you are - vulnerable to being a man again. And that she caused that."

"That's ridiculous. She knows I'm happy to be alive. I came back because of —" He stopped short of saying his reason, but Trader Sam knew why.

"Perhaps it is not me you should be explaining this to." Sam took another gulp of from her bottle.

"Yeah, yeah - I know." Frank shifted, hanging his hand with the knife over his bent knee. The light of the fire bounced off the blade enticingly. Trader Sam's eyes followed the gleam of the reflection.

Frank had a thought. "You like the knife?" He asked.

Sam nodded.

Frank pointed it at the bottle in her hands. "Trade?"

"Done."

xxxx

MacGregor groaned, his hand rubbing his bloated belly.. "I fear I may have eaten far too much."

Lily laughed at her brother's ability to misjudge another situation entirely. First with his altogether inappropriate wardrobe choices for a tropical jungle, and now his ability to realize his eyes were bigger than his stomach.

MacGregor got up to walk off his full belly, and Frank appeared from the other side of the fire to take his place.

"Is this seat taken?" He asked, indicating to the ground on next to Lily.

"Please…" She offered, and he lowered himself down gingerly.

The silence stretched, as the two watched the flames flicker in front of them. Members of the tribe having moved on to other activities or gone to bed.

"Frank — "

"Lily — "

The spoke over each other. A grin graced each of their faces, and Frank motioned for Lily to speak first.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier. It was entirely uncalled for. I should know better to manage my expectations." She explained, pulling her knees into her chest.

"What do you mean, expectations…?" Frank asked, confused by her statement.

"I should know that you are an independent, grown adult, who can take care of themselves. I mean, you've done well enough for a few centuries… You don't need someone being a nuisance and pressuring you to — "

"Are you done?" He interrupted.

"No, actually, you just cut me off." She replied, bothered by being cutoff.

"Lily - You are NOT a nuisance. I know that your concern for me is …genuine." Frank turned to look at her directly. The firelight dancing across her face almost made him forget what he was saying. He squared his jaw and continued, "I should apologize. I need to learn to accept… help.". He smiled at her sincerely, and draped his right arm behind her and across the log she was leaning against.

He leaned into her a little bit more, and when he spoke, she felt his breath on her cheek. "And just for the record - After breaking the curse - every moment after that I have taken a full breath into my lungs, or felt the sun on my skin, or even shed some blood - I have been grateful to be alive. And I have you to thank for that."

He held her eyes, making sure she understood him. Wanting to dispel any lingering doubt from her mind.

xxxx

Lily stumbled and nearly dropped the wooden cup she was holding.

"Hey! Careful with that - it's the last of the bottle." Frank yelled from across the platform they were on. The glass bottle once full of liquor laying empty at his feet.

After their conversation, and feeling the need to break up the tension of the evening, Frank revealed the bottle of whiskey he had traded for his pocketknife. Now, an hour later, the bottle was empty, and Frank and Lily were discovering that being drunk and playing with blowdarts was probably not the best idea.

"OK, my turn — " Lily giggled, and yanked the wooden tube from Frank's hands. He laughed heartily as she walked unsteadily over to the middle of the platform.

"No cheating - you have to hit the target from right there! Not an inch closer" Frank pointed a finger at a darker plank of wood on the ground as Lily squinted to see the target in front of her. It was a round piece of wood painted with red circles - each one smaller than the next.

Frank burped, and Lily's face contorted into a look of disgust, then she burst out laughing again. When she was done, she threw back the last bit of whiskey in her cup, tossed it to the side.

Frank watched, captivated. Was she moving in slow motion? He blinked hard, and sat up straight, concentrating on Lily. Her sleeves were rolled up and the front of her blouse was unbuttoned completely and tied into a knot at her waist, leaving her white undergarment exposed. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun with the warmth of the evening leaving a sheen of moisture that glistened slightly across her skin. Barefoot and stumbling, he thought she'd never been more beautiful.

When Lily brought the blowdart tube to her lips, Frank pretended to sneeze, and it startled her just enough.

The moment the dart left the tube, it whizzed by the target and flew out of sight. A squeal was heard, and Frank and Lily both ran to the edge to see where the dart had landed.

MacGregor was face down on the wooden floor on the platform below them, the dart implanted into his shoulder blade. A group of young kids laughing nearby.

Lily's hand went over her mouth in shock. Frank's eyes were wide.

"We're telling him YOU did that." Lily said quietly, then broke out into laughter again. Frank followed immediately, and they both made their way back inside to the privacy of the bungalow nearby, unable to contain their chuckles of amusement.

Sighing happily, Lily sat down on a long cushion laid out neatly across a bench, while Frank took a seat on a stump carved into a chair with no back.

"I think you won." Frank assured her.

Lily pretended to curtsy as acknowledgment of her win, which brought an even bigger grin to Frank's face.

Taking a towel and dunking it into the water bucket nearby, Lily wrung it out and wiped at her brow and behind her neck, enjoying the coolness it brought across her skin.

"I really do hope MacGregor sleeps well." Lily said, slightly worried for his well-being.

"Well at least he didn't fall in the water…if he did, he'd be sleeping in the riverbed." Frank delivered his line nonchalantly, peeking up at Lily, prepared to receive a look of disgust.

Instead he caught her stifling a laugh behind her hand.

"OH! Ha! You liked that one! MUST be the booze…" He affirmed. Lily dunked the towel into the water and threw it at him. He caught it, water flying everywhere.

Frank wrung out excess water and then pulled the towel across his head and face and behind his neck. He paused there and closed his eyes, bending his head from side to side.

Lily had not been in the habit of staring, at least not in plain sight, and perhaps it was the whiskey providing some relaxation in her restraint, but she couldn't help her eyes as they drifted over the man across from her. His body was relaxed as he sat, legs spread with one strong arm leaning heavily across a knee while the other was running the wet towel across his neck. The water from the towel had saturated his shirt that was wide open, giving her a view of droplets slowly trailing their way down his chest. It was an almost scandalous scene in front of her.

She felt her body react, heat spreading to more than just her face, and it made her even more aware of the fact that Frank was not just Frank - but a man. A very large, muscular, handsome…Lily swallowed and shook her head, trying to keep some sense of propriety.

Lily was no prude. She has had her share of suitors, and companions. An action that was often looked at as gossip worthy in the era in which they lived. But Lily never was one to be affected by such things. She was even engaged at one point to a young, ambitious man. Their courtship was lengthy as they both were heavy into their own studies and research. Their affection towards one another was enjoyable - but clinical. Daniel was smart and prideful, which eventually lead to jealousy when Lily started to gain accolades for her breakthroughs in botany and science. Since their breakup a few years earlier, she had not shown much interest in men or dating - as it was her career and the search for the Tears of the Moon which encompassed most of her time.

Frank cracked his neck, and he groaned. Discomfort written across his features. Lily had a thought, and with the liquid courage in her belly, stood up and walked towards her companion.

"Turn around. Let me help with that." She instructed him, twirling her finger in a circle.

"You're gonna hurt yourself." He joked.

Lily interlocked her fingers and stretched her hands out in front of her dramatically. "C'mon Skippy - turn." She insisted.

Frank eyed her suspiciously, ready to object, but thought better of it. He relented to her direction and twisted around on the stump chair so he was facing away from her.

Lily eyed the back of his head and the broad expanse of shoulders in front of her. Oh my. She had her work cut out for her.

She reached out hesitantly and then laid her hands squarely on his shoulders. Heat from his body came through his shirt and into her palms. She paused for only a moment, enjoying the transfer of warmth, and then she began to massage the tense muscles. She pressed her thumbs firmly into the spot where Frank's shoulders and neck met, then traced the line on the right side of his neck up to the base of his skull - she repeated the movement on the other side, making sure to roll her thumb slowly down the length of the muscle. Her hands came back down and squeezed the sore muscles of his shoulders again and as she did, she felt him relax and a groan bordering on illicit escaped his lips.

Lily smiled knowing he couldn't see her, but felt a hint of pride, knowing she'd caused such a reaction.

Frank didn't know what to expect other than thinking to himself, a massage would feel pretty good right now, and if it was coming from Lily…well, he wouldn't mind her hands on him. But when she began to work the muscles along his neck, he never imagined it could feel this good.

Her hands were stronger than they seemed, each digit pressing firmly into the muscle of his shoulders. He couldn't see her, but he could hear her whispering quietly to herself, scapulae, trapezius, sternocleid muscle…as if she were mapping his body with her hands. Each movement measured, and precise. She used the heels of her palms to dig into the deep tissue along his back and then she used her thumbs to release the tension along the base of his neck.

Lily recalled textbooks she studied with pictures and diagrams of the nerves and musculature of the human body. Not unlike a map of the Amazon she thought to herself. Each part of the body leading to a pressure point or a bundle of nerves, much like a river breaching into an ocean or leading to a port.

Satisfied that she had worked his shoulders well enough, she pressed her thumbs again to the base of his skull, relieving a pressure point. She felt his head lean to the side, and she supported it gently, bringing it back to center. Realizing she needed a better angle to address one more spot along his neck, she placed her hand on his shoulder - so as not to loose contact with his body - and walked slowly around so she was in front of him.

This was getting dangerous, he thought to himself. Perhaps it was the liquor that had started this, but it was Lily that was making it harder to stop. He resisted the urge to open his eyes, wanting to enjoy the feel of her hands along his tired muscles. It was also a safety - because he knew if he opened them, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from reaching for her.

Frank leaned his head forward, sensing Lily had changed locations. Needing to access his neck again, she placed her hands on either side of his head to lift his chin up. As she did, his eyes opened, and she found herself caught, unable to remember what muscle she was about to address.

Frank's head in her hands, Lily forgot everything. Time seemed to pause, and as she looked down at his face it was as if she was seeing him for the first time. The soft smile playing at his lips, and the curiosity and tenderness in his eyes - and..something else. She didn't wait to examine it, but instead she decided she had worried about enough already, so she closed her eyes and lowered her lips to his in one single motion.

Her mouth pressed into his, as her hands held his face steady - perhaps she was holding herself steady. It was a slow, languid kiss that seemed to stretch on and on. Frank held his hands down to the edge of the tree trunk he sat upon. He wanted to give Lily full reign of this moment. Being the skipper of his own ship and in life, he was used to being the one in control. Determining the outcome of situations, dominating the moment when given the chance. But now, in this moment, he let her lead, knowing that if she was confident enough to initiate it, he would let her decide where it was going.

Lily rested one hand on his shoulder while the other slid to the back of his head as she separated briefly to take a breath. She returned to him, this time with an urgency to deepen the kiss, and Frank accepted graciously. She angled her mouth over his and when his lips parted, she was ready for him. His mouth was hot and when his tongue came in contact with her own, she let escape a whimper that nearly sent Frank over the edge.

Up until this point their brief touches, hand holding, and kisses had been brief - full of promise of more to come, but now, they discovered that the fire within their own bodies burned for one another. It sent them to the next level of what the promise of living may be - not only for Frank, but for Lily as well.

Although the intensity of the moment was increasingly exponentially, there was still an inch of space between their bodies - a detail Frank was itching to fix.

Not willing to wait any longer, Frank allowed his hands to come away from where he had held them at bay and wrapped them both solidly, firmly around Lily's back; fistfuls of her shirt clutched in their grasp. He angled his mouth slightly as she gasped at the sudden contact, and when he pulled her mouth back to his, her body arched towards him, finally making contact with his chest.

Slightly off balance, but secure in his strong, capable arms, both of Lily's hands came to rest on Frank's shoulders. She still had the high ground, and when his grasp loosened slightly from her waist, she pressed upwards on her hands and her head lifted away from his in a gasp - once for air, and another for the yearning that was being released from her body.

The sudden disappearance of her lips pulled a groan from Frank's throat, and he clutched at her shirt once again to pull her back down.

Just as she began her decent back to his mouth - a crack of lightening lit the sky - followed by a crash of thunder that sounded too close for comfort.

A whoosh of air and the sound of rainfall suddenly surrounded them, and the sounds of the tribe shouting to take cover and find shelter filled the air.

Heavy breaths filled Lily's lungs as she glanced at the scene around them. The rain falling heavily outside their bungalow, but kept at bay by the rooftops. When her eyes came back down to the man who was still holding her tightly, she pressed her palms to the sides of his face, their intimate moment having been broken up by the arrival of the first rainfall of their trip. His own chest rising and falling as quick as her own. He smiled into her right hand and pressed a kiss to it. His eyes came back to her lips which were swollen slightly from their kiss and from the stubble across his chin.

"Better than nice I would say…" Frank said in a breathy whisper.

"Oh yes. Very much." Lily agreed, as she disentangled herself reluctantly from his arms. Her legs a bit unsteady as she backed up slightly. "I should…go check on MacGregor." She said wistfully.

As she backed away from Frank slowly, his own hand held hers until the last possible moment as their fingertips slid apart.

When Lily disappeared out of sight, Frank was too grateful that he had been sitting down the entire time. "Wow." He said out loud to himself.

Rubbing his hands across his face and and landing on his neck, he realized, his headache was gone.

Author's Notes:

This chapter took on a mind of its own. I wanted to break it up, but I felt that it was a scene that needed to be played out until the very enjoyable end.

I hope that you are all enjoying the journey I am taking Frank and Lily on - I certainly am enjoying writing it

Comments are welcome as always.