Hey guys!! Wuz Up? I'm very sorry but please just R&R!

Relization in a Row Boat

"Squib!!! Squib!!!! Where are you?!" Cody called out desperately.

"Cody!" cried a desperate Squib, before his voice was lost in the storm.

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"Nate? Cody? Anybody?" Adeena sputtered.

"Adeena! I'm here honey! If anyone can hear me, I found a life boat! Swim toward my voice!" Nate yelled. Cam, Tannis, Cody, Sunny, Rick and the red-headed stewardess all swam for their lives and about a half hour later, they were relatively safe in the tiny life boat.

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"Where's Squib!" Cody asked, finally able to see her wet companions. He was the only one not present.

"Cody," Adeena said despairingly, "We couldn't find him,"

"What do mean?" Cody asked, her voice beginning to quiver.

"Cody," Nate continued, "hardly anything is still above the water. Even the plane is almost under. If Squib isn't with us…well,"

"Look," the stewardess said, her voice steady and strong, "I don't know you so I'm not afraid to give it to you strait. If this Squib of yours isn't with us, then he's probably dead. I was the last one off that plane, I watched almost everyone on it drown so I know that we are almost positively the only survivors,"

"No. No! NO!" Cody screamed, shaking her head in denial. It couldn't be! Squib could not be gone! He just couldn't!

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"What's your name?" Rick asked. It had suddenly occurred to him that nobody had asked.

"Poppy. Yours ?"

"President Rick Geddes"

"President ?" she asked, her red hair swaying to one side.

Rick chuckled a little, "Sorry. It's habit. I'm the principal of Cascadia Tennis academy."

"You're kidding! Do you know Nate Bates? He was your predecessor's son," Poppy asked.

"Hey Red," Sonny said, "He's sitting right beside you,"

Poppy turned to Nate, "Wow, I didn't know! Your articles are what get me up in the morning!"

Nate laughed, "Soggy journalists are unrecognizable. Thanks for the complement though. It's nice to know somebody reads my stuff,"

"Baby what are you talking about?" Adeena asked. She was lying in his arms for warmth, "Everyone reads your stuff!"

"Tell that to my dad," he replied.

This comment produced a silence. Then Rick broke it, "Where are we?" he asked.

"The last coordinates showed somewhere near...wait...damn! Shelly checked that one. Sorry guys. I don't know. Besides, we were blown about thirty kilometers off course. It's anyone's guess,"

"Did anyone pack some water," Cam said, speaking up for the first time.

"There should be ten in the bottom of this raft," Poppy said, producing some bottles from a compartment nobody had noticed, "Save it though,"

"Yeh," Tannis agreed, "Only take a drink if your lips are cracking," she said, stopping Sonny just in time.

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Luckily, Nate had brought his water-proof watch so they at least knew that they had been at sea about seven hours. After the storm, the sun had come out on full blast and everyone had been turning a bit red, but now, it was going down and the temperature was dropping fast.

"We need to stay warm," Tannis said. Everyone agreed and immediately, Nate and Adeena curled up again, then Cam and Tannis did the same thing. Sunny, for once thinking of someone other than herself, went to put her arms around Cody, who had been silently weeping all day. And then there were only Rick and Poppy.

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Poppy pulled her legs in toward her chest. Just as Rick was about to do the same, he realized that there was really no other choice, (and he couldn't say he was greatly disappointed).

Rick moved closer to Poppy and pulled her into his chest. Her skin was freezing but Rick couldn't help notice how soft it was. He laid his cheek on her hair and felt how smooth it was.

To his surprise, Poppy snuggled in closer. Rick tried desperately to tell him self that it was just survival but… it just didn't feel that way. Their cold bodies molded together to make one tight, warm ball. Rick felt good. Since Cassidy's death, he hadn't been this close to a girl. Then flashes of Cassidy came back. They had married the year after they graduated Cascadia. True, the couple had been young, but love such as theirs was hard to find.

Rick remembered seeing her mangled body in the hospital bed. Both her a Jessie had been in the car. Jessie had been driving Cassidy to the airport to go see her mom in France. Jessie had been killed instantly, but Cassidy, she had stayed in a coma for over six months. Then Rick had had to make the hardest decision of his life. Taking her off of life-support had been unbearable. Rick had lain beside Cassidy the whole time, felt her breathing stop, then her heart rate come to halt. He had even felt her body go cold. Rick had cried for weeks afterward. The gang was been there for him and for that he was eternally grateful, but nothing could dull the pain like time, and no one could make that go faster but God.

Suddenly Poppy moved, bringing Rick out of his morbid memories. The moon had come out by now and its light framed her beautiful face like a hallow.

Beautiful? Rick hadn't used that adjective on anybody for a very long time. Rick would never have believed that he could feel this way again, but it was true, he was falling in love with this girl. No doubt about it!

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His embrace was warm and Poppy welcomed it without a speck of disdain. Truth be told, she thought he was sort of cute. On the plane, she had heard him telling the younger blond something about a flea compared to other bugs. Sure he was quirky, but so was she.

Suddenly everyone began to lie down and Rick led her into the same position. The way they had been sitting made it so they were facing each other. Since there was very little room, that was how it was going to stay.

They're bodies were so close she could feel his heart beat, and if she wasn't mistaken his heart rate quickened as she sighed. Poppy could feel his breath on her neck and tiny goose bumps formed on her skin that had nothing to do with the cold.

Never ever had she been this close to a man before and quite honestly, she liked it. Poppy felt an emotion well up inside her. It was a want so deep that it couldn't be explained.

It happened in an instant. One moment she was looking into his eyes and the next, their lips touched in kiss. This passion was alien to her but it seemed to come natural. Was this love? Immediately she knew the answer to that question. Yes.

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Rick couldn't help it! She was right there, her lips as red as her name and…and it just happened. He kissed her and he could fell her kissing back. Rick couldn't believe they were doing this so close to everyone else but some how, it just felt right. Even if the others did notice, they didn't say word. It was just a kiss, but nothing could have felt more real to him. All at once, Rick knew that this was the woman who would be the subject of his love for the rest of his life. He could tell her feelings were the same, her passion the same, her love… the same.

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Ok, how was that? A little short, I know but, this just seemed like a good chapter ending to me. I also know it's been a while but maybe now that I've written this chapter it will pave the pathway to more!!?? Hope you like it and Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love ya

Pianoluv

PS- I know love at first sight is a little cliché, but you should now be now that I LOVE clichéd romance!!!!! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!