BALI HA'I

Most people live on a lonely island,
Lost in the middle of a foggy sea.
Most people long for another island,
One where they know they will like to be.

Your own special hopes,
Your own special dreams,
Bloom on the hillside
And shine in the streams.
If you try, you'll find me
Where the sky meets the sea.
"Here am I your special island
Come to me, Come to me."

~ DK

Okay not really. That was Oscar Hammerstein II. But the rest is DuchessKenobi's continuing love story of Jamos and Shara. Enjoy!

…

"Marl, I'm gonna ask her." Jamos fidgeted while he waited for Shara to finish packing and bring her bag out to the dock where the little sail boat waited for their trip.

His older brother laughed. "And how is this different from the… how many times have you asked her to marry you now?"

"Four? No five. But it's official this time. I got…" he started patting his pockets in an effort to remember where he put it.

"Well, that's reassuring considering the place you're taking her on this little fishing trip is basically a honeymoon cottage."

"It's the best place for the sport fishing I want to show her." Jamos was getting increasingly more agitated as he continued to search. "And I explained to her about the cabin. Told her she could have the bedroom and I would sleep out on the couch." He breathed a sigh of relief when his hand finally landed on a small velvet box which he pulled out to show his brother.

Marlon raised an eyebrow in trepidation. "You haven't been ordering presents of the holonet again?"

"No," he grinned. "You're never going to let me live down that stupid fruit shirt are you?"

"Nope."

Jamos opened the box. "I didn't think she'd want a traditional diamond so I went with something more organic." Instead of a gemstone the ring boasted a pure white pearl in a rose gold setting. "What do you think? Think she'll like it?"

"I think you may have made up for the fruit shirt, little brother." Marlon bopped him over the head. "But stow it. Here they come."

Lana came first, absolutely glowing. Her pregnancy was beginning to really show now and her hand rested on her gently swelling abdomen with pride. She went to stand next to her husband but she grinned mischievously at her brother-in-law. "Got her all packed."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jamos asked patting the box in his pocket once more to make sure that it was securely hidden.

"You'll just have to wait and see."

"See what?" Shara asked as she walked up to them with her bag slung over her shoulder.

Jamos gave Lana a bit of an annoyed scowl but the emotion wouldn't stick. "See that our boat is all ready. We can finally get away from these jokers."

Shara looked seriously at the other woman. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"I have been through this once before." Lana smiled but she didn't laugh at Shara's honest concern. "My morning sickness isn't nearly as bad now and I'm getting my energy back and I'll have another appointment with the midwife a few days after you get back. She said it would be fine for you to come and observe."

A smile lit the younger woman's face. She'd been given charge of a mother dalgo when she was fifteen and delivered Sophia on her own when Edda had gone into labor herself. Of course that meant she had missed out being present at Sawyer's birth. Then she had been so focused on making a baby of her own that she had missed Steela's birth as well.

Shara had no idea if Mel's baby had been born before the crash…

"Go and have fun." Lana told her, bringing her back to the present.

"But not too much fun." Marlon laughed, putting his arms around his wife and patting her belly.

Shara blushed and her eyes turned to Jamos who was gazing at her. He reached out for her hand. "So you all ready to go?"

"Aye." She nodded. It had been a remarkable realization, how wonderful it felt just to hold his hand. Of course she liked kissing him too. But just walking along or sitting next to him with their fingers woven together, she knew they were equals and best friends. They could accomplish anything together. "Let's go!"

…

"There." Jamos pointed just a bit starboard of their bow, toward a spar of rock that was just visible on the horizon. Then he put his arm around her to help with the sail line she was perfectly capable of hauling on her own.

Shara couldn't bring herself to mind much. "Looks like just a bare cliff face." She observed, squinting at their supposed destination.

"It is from this side." He wrapped the other arm around her as soon as the line was fixed and he was free to do so. "There's a small harbor round the lea side. Then from there, the cabin is just a short walk up the beach."

Everyone had told Shara how she was going to love the island and its tiny cabin. Honestly she wouldn't have minded just dropping anchor and staying on this boat alone with Jamos. The 5 meter keelboat really had everything they needed. They were even able to set the sensors to warn them of any approaching vessels and catch some sleep in the narrow bunks, hands clasped across the aisle between them. There was no danger of pirates coming upon them now and they had made sure to let Marlon know their course just in case a storm blew up suddenly so he would know their location.

No one else had been told but of course between Maris at the pub and Ness on some fishing voyage or other, the whole fleet likely already knew that the captain and his lady had gone away alone together for a few days of vacation.

As they came 'round the island and caught sight of the small sheltered bay and long dock, Jamos watched for her reaction. A ship as large as the Polaris couldn't have landed here but the keelboat glided gently into her mooring. Jamos jumped out onto the dock and tied them off and then reached out a hand to help her disembark.

"Well?" He asked.

"I…" she began as she looked around but she still really didn't know what to expect. "It's a beautiful place. Is this where we fish, right off the dock?"

"Not exactly." He grinned. "It's a surprise."

"Alright." She smiled back at him curiously as he led her inland up the path. "Well, will we be getting in the water? Do I need to change?"

"Aye." He kicked himself mentally for not telling her this beforehand. "You can change at the cabin." At least it sounded like she had prepared for that eventuality.

"Good." She grinned. "I have a surprise for you too."

He stopped walking and marveled at her for a moment. She laughed and then they continued on. Around a bend in the path, a stone cottage came into view. It looked cozy, and home-like, the way she had come to think of the Hold, only on a miniature scale. Jamos continued to watch for her reaction.

"How sweet." Shara commented.

He breathed in relief glad that she liked it and even more that he could be there with her to enjoy it. "Just wait till you see the inside."

When they reached it, he opened the door and ushered her in ahead of himself.

The kitchen and living area were warm and open, decorated comfortably but not overly plush. There were two doors leading off the main room. These Jamos pointed out to her. "The one on the left is the 'fresher. The right is the bedroom. It's yours of course."

Shara nodded. "Thank you." Her mind seemed occupied but he couldn't really read her expression. Then after one more look around, she smiled at him. "I'll just go change." She crossed the room to the door he had indicated and gave him one more grin before she closed herself into the bedroom.

Salt gods! What had he done to deserve being here in this place with that beautiful woman? Jamos practically ran to the 'fresher door and threw on his own fishing leathers. Before he shoved the trousers he had removed back into his bag he took the ring case out of the pocket. He opened the box and then looked at himself in the mirror above the sink.

"Shara." He practiced to his own reflection. "Will you please do me the honor of being my wife? No, umm… I know I've asked you this before but I want to make it official. Please say you'll marry me… Please make me the happiest man in the Galaxy and…"

"Jamos? I'm ready." She called from outer room.

A moment of doubt troubled him. What if she still wasn't ready? What if she thought he was only trying to get in her bed tonight? He shoved the ring box back into his bag with his clothes. He would see how things went with his surprise and then he would ask her when they got back to the cabin after.

That decided, he opened the refresher door confidently and stepped out to behold the woman of his dreams. He had expected her to appear in the same fishing leathers that she always wore, the pair Lana had given her, but instead she was dressed altogether differently.

Shara gave him an inquiring expression. "It finally arrived. I was afraid after all that time waiting for it to ship, that it would be the wrong size. But, well…" she turned in a slow circle modeling the synthskin wetsuit she had ordered so many months ago, that night after Maris and Ness's wedding. To say the very least, it fit perfectly.

He was speechless and he swallowed hard before he managed, "It … fits."

She blushed and lowered her eyes demurely. "Should we go fishing then?"

"Aye!" Jamos shook his head in attempt to break the spell her beauty had over him. "And that's a great surprise. I assume that is the surprise you wanted to show me? I mean I had nearly forgotten that you had ordered it." He rambled.

"Aye." She laughed.

"And aye! We can go fishing now!" He took her hand and together they exited the cabin back out into the fresh air. It seemed to give him back his humor. "You know I might have to order you not to wear that in front of the crew."

"Wearing it for fishing voyages is kind of the whole point." She punched his arm playfully.

He rubbed the spot as if she had greatly wounded him. "Well then, I'll have to order them not to look at you."

"That might make it difficult for some of them to complete their duties."

The path continued behind the cabin in a steady but not too steep uphill climb. He stopped and she took a couple of steps ahead of him before she turned back to see him studying her. "I still think seeing you in that is going to be much too distracting."

"You'll just have to assign happily married men as my rowers." Shara was thinking of Ness who she knew only had eyes for Maris.

"Maybe I'll assign that task to myself." He cut the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her.

"Which task would that be?" She grinned up at him.

"Hmm?" Jamos tilted his head inquisitively like a cog.

"My rower or a happily married man." She pulled away from him and skipped further up the path singing a particularly risque line from the Captain's Lady about plunging the oar deep in the water.

He chuckled and then ran past her, giving her ponytail a tug like a naughty schoolboy. She picked up her own speed to catch up with him but suddenly he was gone. He was running along the path one moment and the next he had completely disappeared. Shortly after she heard a distant splash and she screamed in alarm, racing forward to what she now saw was a cliff that descended at least six meters into a pool that was surrounded in a grotto that was open to the sky.

Jamos's head emerged from the water. He shook droplets from his hair and his laugh echoed up to her.

"Don't ever do that again." She glared down at him with her hands on her hips.

"There's a ladder if you want me to…"

But she didn't let him finish. She took a few steps back from the edge to get her own running start and launched herself with a scream of exhilaration into the depths below. She emerged from the water a moment later with a whoop of laughter and he swam to her side.

"Fun, aye?" He asked smugly.

She splashed him. "I really thought something terrible had happened to you."

"Would you have been heartbroken and mourned me forever more?" he couldn't exactly hold her since they were both treading water but he guided her towards the edge of the pool where there was a shallower shelf to sit on.

"You know I would." She touched his bearded cheek when she no longer needed her hand free to stay afloat. Their faces drew closer and just before their lips touched, she shoved him away from the stone shelf back toward the deeper water.

Jamos windmilled his arms and went splashing backwards. When he resurfaced, sputtering he would not be denied his kiss. "Why you gorgeous little siren."

The kiss was mutually enjoyed and Shara sighed with a slight laugh when she finally leaned back to look him in the eye again. "I thought we were supposed to be fishing."

He chuckled as well. "But I already got the catch I wanted."

"Ah." Shara grinned mischievously. "She may have been snared in your net but you have yet to land her permanently." She ducked under his arm and dove back into the waters of the hidden pool.

They spent the afternoon swimming and splashing and chasing and catching and eventually he did show her the cash of nets and lures and lines so that they could catch their supper as well.

"I suppose we're going to have to use that ladder you spoke of to climb back out of here with all this." Shara observed the wall of stone that had been easy enough to jump down from but would take much more effort to scramble back up.

"Nope." He arranged the net of fish they had caught over his shoulder. He pointed to the seemingly unbroken wall opposite the one they had dived from. "The other side of that is the cliff you saw in the distance when we were sailing up to the island." He held out his hand. "Come with me."

They left the fishing tackle back in its niche for another trip back tomorrow or for whoever else might come to stay at the island and wish to use them. Then she followed him, swimming first to the opposite wall and then climbing up onto a ledge she hadn't noticed before. It led through a narrow gap to the seaward side of the wall.

"And now we just walk back around to the beach," he informed her. "But watch your step. It can be slippery along here."

They both had to concentrate on their footing as they traversed the precarious sea wall but once they were on the safer ground of the beach, Jamos's mind once again returned to the woman before him and the question he so desperately wanted to ask her. But he didn't have the ring with him and he wanted to be able to slip it onto her finger as soon as she said yes. If she did say yes… but of course she would they loved each other and they'd spent nearly the whole trip so far talking about their future together, even though marriage specifically hadn't been mentioned. Or had it? She had said something about him being a happy husband, and he would be the happiest husband in the galaxy if she was his wife.

He couldn't help himself. He pulled the net of fish from his shoulder and tossed it further up the beach and then he took her in his arms and kissed her deeply.

"That was amazing." She breathed.

He grinned as if she could have only been talking about the kiss.

"I mean," Shara laughed. "The grotto, the sea, the island… everything you've shown me."

Jamos was mesmerized by her. "You look amazing."

She rolled her eyes. "Aye? But I smell like fish."

"So do I." He shrugged.

She laughed again. "Aye, you do. Come on." She dragged him towards the path to the cabin, snatching up their supper and handing the net back to him on their way. "I'll get my shower first while you clean this lot and then while you're showering, I'll start cooking."

He nodded, grinning, even though he wished they could do all of those things together rather than divide and conquer. "Aye, aye, m'lady."

For his part, Jamos spent the intervening hour obsessively going over his speech in his head. He most likely filleted the fish much more savagely than he intended, but Shara didn't say a word about it.

She seemed not to have a care in the world as she practically danced from the refresher door singing a song from an old musical. She stopped only to kiss his cheek and apologize in case she had used all the hot water.

"It's okay." He answered lamely. "It's fed from hot springs like the one at the Hold so it's not likely to run out."

She gave him a smile, and then went back to her song, already gathering spices and other ingredients. Gods, how had he gotten so lucky to have this woman profess to be in love with him?

Jamos checked that the ring was still in its proper place as soon as he was closed in the 'fresher. The words of his proposal ran through his mind for the thousandth time as he showered. Then he imagined her possible reaction and had to specifically turn the water to cold before he stepped out, dried off, and dressed.

He checked the ring once more, put it in his pocket, took a deep breath, and determined to ask as soon as possible before he lost his nerve.

"There you are." Shara smiled at him and then looked back to her supper preparations. Was he just imagining that she appeared a bit nervous as well. Maybe she suspected something. "I thought maybe you'd drowned yourself rather than sample my cooking."

"What are you talking about? I know you're a marvelous cook."

"Well I can bake I suppose, but this is a new recipe Maris gave me." She worried. She grabbed a clean spoon and scooped up a bite sized portion from the pan on the stove. She brought it to him and held it out for him to taste. "Here. Tell me what you think."

Jamos opened his mouth to accept the bite she offered him. It was a bit hot, but as soon as the flavor burst on his tongue he exclaimed. "It's amazing!"

"You're not just saying that?"

"No. Here." He reached over to spoon up a second mouthful and fed it to her. "Hmm?"

Shara closed her eyes and smiled in relief and enjoyment. Once she had swallowed she started to speak but before she could get a word out his mouth captured hers in a kiss.

"And you taste even better." He whispered.

She sighed and giggled and then turned from him to fill their plates. "Let's eat before it gets cold. Could you pour the drinks?"

"Aye," he said casually as he took two wine glasses from a high shelf. His entire speech flew out the window and even though his hands were busy and he couldn't at the moment extract the ring from his pocket, he said, "If you'll agree to marry me."

She took a beat to give him a side-eye and then asked, "You think that's all it'll take?"

"Nah," he grinned. "You'll probably want me to do the dishes as well."

"At the very least." She set their plates on the table and took her seat. Then she thanked him when he handed her a glass of wine before pouring his own.

This is it! He thought as he started to reach toward his pocket to extract the ring.

"Jamos?" She had her hands folded and was looking at him expectantly.

What had he forgotten?

"Thank the salt gods?" She prompted.

"Right." They had been trying to teach Dalla how to say grace back at the Hold but he hadn't realized it had become such an important ritual for Shara also. "Of course," he acquiesced, taking his seat and folding his own hands. He said the traditional words he had learned as a child and when he looked up again he saw that Shara's eyes remained penitently closed for just a second longer.

When she opened them again and smiled at him he caught his breath. He could lose himself in those eyes. He almost forgot about eating until she reminded him and they had completed the meal before he even thought of the ring again.

She rose and started to clear the dishes.

"That can wait." He told her. "Just come and sit with me."

"Alright." She left off and went to sit next to him on the couch.

He meant to ask her again, to get down on one knee perhaps, but instead he just pulled her close and they were kissing again. He tried to put everything he wanted to say to her into his kiss but he knew it wasn't enough.

"Thank you." She began before he could formulate a phrase of his own. "For bringing to this place. The island, the cabin, the grotto, it's just been one wonderful surprise after another."

"Thank you for your surprise." He grinned. "Seeing you in that suit… it's really something."

Shara laughed.

He kissed her again and then still teasing, asked, "You know what else I'd really love to see?"

"No, what's that?"

Jamos didn't think about the words before he drew her close and whispered in her ear. "You waddling around the Hold like Lana with my baby in your belly."

She froze.

Instantly he realized his mistake. "Gods, Shara, I'm sorry. I didn't mean… You mean so much more to me than just…" He swore under his breath and rose to his feet, angry with himself for making such a grievous error.

"Ja- Jamos…" she attempted but she also seemed to be having trouble forming a response.

"He tried to force you for so long and here I am…" He paced. "I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to speak to me again. I - I'll leave you alone. I'll sleep on the boat. We can… we can sail back to the Hold in the morning if that's what you want."

He didn't wait to hear what she wanted. Grabbing his bag, Jamos stormed out of the cabin and down the path to the dock.

Shara sat there in shock for a full galactic standard minute before the first sob overtook her and tears started to stream down her cheeks. "It's what I want too." She cried to the empty room. "More than anything. I'm just so afraid I won't be able to give you that."

She sat there and cried a little longer and then she cried over the sink while she did the dishes. Then she curled up alone in the bed and cried herself to sleep.

They didn't speak much in the morning or the entire way back to the Hold. When they arrived two days earlier than expected, they were welcomed by a very confused Lord and Lady.

"Is everything alright?" Lana asked, but Jamos wouldn't even look at his sister-in-law. He brushed past them all mumbling something about getting back out on the water and just stopping to rouse the crew. He didn't seem to be including Shara in that equation.

Shara ignored the slight and attempted a smile, failing dramatically. "It was beautiful." She told Lana. "Just like you said it would be. Glad I got to see it once." Then she turned the subject away from herself as soon as possible. "How are you doing? Has the sickness come back? You have that appointment coming up? Maybe we should get you back inside."

Lana allowed herself to be ushered inside, hoping she would find a chance to figure out this mystery. She shared an unspoken look with her husband.

Marlon nodded. He would have his hands full with his brother.

…

Oh these two! What are we going to do with them? Drop us a comment and thank you so much for reading and Starwarshobbitfics for your review.