Fantasy Island and all associated characters (except mine and MagicSwede1965's) are owned by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, Columbia Pictures Television, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. All persons described herein are fictional and any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental. Copyright infringement is not intended.

Island Challenges

Chapter 1: Quelling Rumours

16 June 2014

"O, M, G, seriously?" squeaked her office-mate Lucille as Andrea showed off the delicate ruby ring that she was wearing on her left hand. "I didn't even know that you were seeing someone!"

"It all happened rather suddenly," Andrea explained, a bit embarrassed. "It wasn't exactly love at first sight, but over a period of a few weeks. We both felt… as cliché as it sounds, like we were meant for each other."

"Sit, sit!" Lucille encouraged as she patted one of the chairs next to her desk. "You've got to tell me all about it!"

"All about what?" asked Victor as he stuck his head in the doorway. "You ladies are being so loud that I can hear it from down the hall."

Lucille grabbed Andrea's hand and held it up, crowing, "Andrea got a pretty!"

Andrea bowed her head and slid her free hand across her face. "Broadcast it to the entire building, why don't you?" she mumbled.

"Well, congratulations!" Victor said, grinning. "You'd better tell the story before Lucille gets it all wrong."

She cleared her throat, and rolled out the tale that she'd come up with. It was mostly the truth but with certain details omitted or adjusted to make it more believable. "About a month ago I'd gone to visit some people that I hadn't seen in many years, and he happened to be there. We got to talking, and I must have made quite an impression, because he insisted on introducing me to his family afterward. The next thing I knew, we were dating."

"But to pop the question so soon?" Lucille asked. "That hardly ever happens."

With an appropriately dreamy smile, she said, "It was like magic. We discovered that we had a lot in common. And when I said that I was divorced, he told me that he'd lost his wife many years ago and since then he hadn't found a woman that he could really connect with."

Victor said, "That's awesome. Can you tell us where he's from and all that?"

"He was raised in Central America, so his mother tongue is Spanish of course, but he's fluent in English as well as a few other languages. His parents travelled a lot for their work, so he got most of his education on the go. But he's really intelligent and…" She paused as if grasping for a word. "Suave."

"Ooh," her co-workers crooned, and then Lucille said, "That's not a word we hear very often these days. Let's see him, have you got a photo?"

"As a matter of fact," she brought out her cellphone and thumbed up the picture gallery, "here."

Lucille squealed again as she saw the photo. "You lucky, lucky woman, he's so handsome! Is he rich? He looks like the rich type, dressed in that white suit."

Andrea burst out laughing. "He is, but he doesn't let that define him. To the average person he might seem stiff and formal but he's actually quite humble and doesn't hesitate to help others."

"Seems too good to be true," said Victor skeptically. "Are you sure he's legit?"

She gave him a confident look. "No worries, he's legit. I checked his background myself. But don't ask, he wants that information kept private. You won't find him on social media or any other online services either; he feels that it's not a good use of his time, given how busy he is."

"Just so long as you invite us to the wedding!" said Lucille with glee.

"You probably couldn't afford it, even if I were able to invite you," Andrea said a bit ruefully. "It would be family only, and we want to hold it at a South Pacific resort that he knows."

Lucille grabbed her shoulders with a shocked expression. "You… are… one… crazy… woman!" she exclaimed. "Please tell me he has a brother!"

Laughing again, Andrea said, "No, he has no siblings. Sorry."

"Oh," said her office-mate in mock annoyance. "It's not fair, all my friends seem to find great guys but I can't."

"I suggest you find some work," Victor reminded them, "before…" his eyes widened as he noticed the two women look past him beyond the doorway. "He's behind me, isn't he?"

"Good morning, Mr. Campbell," Andrea said, as Victor shuffled to one side to allow the company's CEO to enter the room.

A somewhat rotund man prone to bursts of temper, Anthony Campbell was respected by most of his employees. "Ms. Trenton," he said in a deep voice as he brandished a paper in his hand, "am I correct in assuming that this letter is from you?"

"You are, sir, if it has my signature on it," Andrea replied primly. She'd been working here long enough that she knew she could tease him from time to time without fear of giving offense.

"Then I must offer my congratulations." With a grin, he extended his hand, and she shook it. "I'm sorry though, that we might be losing you. You've dedicated years to this company and your mark is everywhere."

She flushed slightly. "Thank you, sir. I've enjoyed every minute of it."

"Hold it, you've already set a date?" Lucille demanded. "No way!"

Andrea shook her head. "We'd hoped to, but after we talked about it, we agreed that he has too many responsibilities right now. But it'll happen when the time is right. I just thought it prudent to let Mr. Campbell know where I stand."

Lucille smacked a hand on her face and leaned back in her chair, pretending to have swooned.

Mr. Campbell chuckled. "Enough theatrics, Miss Hennessey. Ms. Trenton, please see me in my office after lunch so that we can discuss finding a potential replacement when the time comes. Mr. Sanders, a word, if you please." He left the room, with Victor in tow.

Rogan Callaghan, the dark-haired Irish-born nephew of Mr. Roarke and co-manager of the Fantasy Island resort, paced back and forth in the richly appointed study. "Are the rumours we've been hearing true, Uncle? You and Ms. Trenton," he indicated Andrea, "are in a relationship?"

"Indeed, we are, Rogan," said Roarke, his rich baritone voice conveying sincerity. "I shan't conceal the fact that I've a counterpart whom I care for deeply."

The other co-manager Delphine and assistant Julie lit up with amazement.

"But Father, this has all happened so quickly," Leslie objected as she nervously fingered her strawberry-blonde hair. "How do we know that your feelings aren't the result of Cupid shooting you, or some other means?"

Roarke regarded his adopted daughter with an indulgent smile. "My dear Leslie, you of all people should recognize when love is real. Cupid can only affect me with his arrows on Valentine's Day specifically," he reminded her. "I began to train Andrea in September of 1981 and she was never here on any Valentine's Day since. Our love grew quietly within us for decades, until recent events enabled us to finally discover it." He placed his left arm around Andrea's shoulders. "Would you begrudge me the opportunity to be happy once more?"

"No, I guess not," Leslie said. "Especially since she helped you to get your full powers back. It's just strange that you're dating a supernatural being who looks younger than me."

Andrea smiled as she listened to the conversation. Roarke had asked her here after she'd finished work in order to help ease his family's concerns. Being a Monday afternoon, most of the weekend guests had departed, so all of the family was present except Leslie's husband Christian who was at his workplace. "There is that, or some might even assume we're related," she joked, but immediately sobered when she saw a flicker of melancholy cross Leslie's face. She made a mental note to apologize when she had the opportunity. "Seriously, however, none of you have to worry."

"Forgive me for still being skeptical," said Rogan. "After you came a month ago, everything went up to ninety. Uncle got abducted, we got visits from some mighty powerful folk, and you somehow turned him into a creature like yourself. Then just this morning, one of the native shamans sent a warning about a prophecy." He frowned and glanced at Delphine. "What are you staring at?"

The slender woman had been eyeing her godfather intently. "When did you get that?"

"Get what?" asked Leslie as she tried to follow Delphine's gaze.

Andrea turned her head to look at Roarke, whose eyes were twinkling although his facial expression was neutral. It was well known in the family that Roarke always had worn three accessories: a medallion on a chain around his neck, a linked bracelet on his right wrist, and of course the gold fob watch. When he'd been forced to retire from the administration of the island in 2010 to join a group of incorporeal beings known as the Tribunal, he'd handed these items down to family members. He now wore the watch once again, but it was the ring on his left hand that had attracted Delphine's attention.

'I knew that it wouldn't take long for someone to notice,' Andrea sent to him telepathically. His reply was a soft chuckle, which served to fortify her through the inevitable explosion of comments.

Naturally, the three women had to take turns admiring the turquoise and blue topaz in the setting. When it turned out that Andrea also wore a ring, they had to examine hers as well. Rogan didn't join in, but instead stood to one side somberly with his arms crossed over his chest.

"If you all are quite finished," said Roarke firmly when his family members paused for breath, "Andrea and I are both adults; we pledged ourselves to each other freely and with full understanding. While the manner and timing might have been unorthodox, it was appropriate."

"That surge of power that we all felt yesterday, is that what that was about?" Delphine asked, wide-eyed. "I never would've thought you could do anything like that!"

Andrea said, "With love, anything is possible."

There followed another spate of objections, particularly harsh ones from Rogan, until Andrea had had enough. "You all certainly have the right to have concerns about the situation," she said tightly, "but to doubt the sincerity of my love for Roarke is beyond the pale – especially after all the effort I put forth to rescue him." She stalked out of the meeting.

Roarke sighed heavily and closed his eyes as he contained his own annoyance. "That wasn't necessary," he admonished them. "While I don't expect you all to accept her without prejudice, the least you could do is give her a chance. She did save my life, and our love for each other is genuine. If you'll excuse me." He turned and exited the room, leaving his family members confused.

There was no sign of her on the road in front of the house, but he could feel that she was still on the island. He gave a tentative touch to their recently-forged mental link and received a sense of concentration and… music? A smile crept onto his features; he knew where she was.

He teleported himself to the Hawaiian lounge, and the first thing he heard was a gentle melody being played on the piano. Quietly he stood and listened as Andrea performed a beautiful rendition of "The Rainbow Connection". She had taken lessons in her youth, he knew, but had obviously become quite adept with the instrument in the years since.
When she finished the piece, he walked over and put an appreciative hand on her shoulder. She shifted slightly so he could sit on the bench beside her, and he began to play "Try to Remember" by The Brothers Four. He was rather rusty, because he'd not played for quite a few years, but gradually the feel of the keys and the movement came back to him. Music had been a large part of his long life and he found much comfort in it.

After the last note died away, he asked, "May I speak with you?"

She glanced sideways at him. "You of all people need not ask," she said with a smile. "I just needed to calm down and thought playing would help. I miss my piano; it was shipped down East to my brother when my parents moved house. His children all had lessons on it."

"How did you keep in practice?"

"I used the facilities at my alma mater until I bought an electric keyboard, but that's no substitute for the real thing." She launched into Beethoven's "Fur Elise", but stopped at the end of the first section and turned to him. "I don't blame your family for doubting us, especially after all that happened. However, Leslie seems to approve, albeit grudgingly, because she witnessed your restoration first-hand."

"Give them time," Roarke said gently. "Change isn't something that many people handle well. What matters is that you and I are happy."

She said, "There's no question," and kissed him.