So so so so so sorry for my absence. I'm back to this story and better then ever. Enjoy!
Amy climbed off the small boat, never so happy to see land in her entire life. Amy and Finn had taken a small boat from the larger ship they were staying on to the small island they wanted to investigate. Of course, the small boat was rocky and the water was rough. Amy had gotten sick twice on the ride over from the ship and her stomach was still feeling a bit queasy.
It took all her self control not to place her lips on the sand and kiss the ground once she stepped off the boat. It was just such a relief to be on land that wasn't rocking back and forth.
Finn followed behind her, similarly relieved to be off the boat. He anchored the small boat to the beach before walking along the sand, looking for anything. The beach was small and unimpressive with not much to offer, but they had to search and be sure they weren't here.
Amy had already started walking further down the beach, so Finn followed her with a sigh. "Amy, hold up. I don't want to split up and get lost here," he called after her.
She paused for a moment, allowing him time to catch up. She took his arm and smiled up at him, continuing on the path she'd be on before, though a little slower now that she was walking with Finn. He didn't move as fast nor as steady as she did, but she didn't care. They were in this together. If it meant they were here an hour or two longer because it was a little bit of a struggle for Finn to walk on the beach, Amy would deal.
"Do you really think we're going to find anything here?" Amy asked, looking up at Finn as they navigated around a fallen branch in the sand. "This place looks pretty deserted. No sign of anything."
Finn shrugged his shoulders. "No idea. I mean, it's not as if they could have chosen where they ended up. And I know Puck-he could make any place livable. He did it before. If they're here, we'll find them," he promised.
Amy nodded her head, leaning the side of her face against Finn's arm as they walked. Her grip on his arm tightened slightly and she was about to look up and tell him that even though this was a shitty situation she was glad he was here with her when she stopped. She stopped suddenly.
Because straight ahead on the beach was a pile of wood with smoke rising from it. And not just that-there was a small wooden shack standing next to it. Scraps of clothing were strewn across the beach as well as small platters with bits of food still clinging to them.
Someone had been here. And based on the look of things, they'd been here recently.
Amy turned to face Finn, hope in her eyes for the first time. She didn't think. She didn't speak. Instead, she placed a hand on either side of his face and pulled him close, planting a big kiss on his lips.
Finn was stunned, but he kissed her back for a moment before they both pulled away, their cheeks red.
"Come on," Finn finally said, breaking the silence. "They're here somewhere. Let's find them." He took Amy's hand and the two of them headed into the jungle, calling Rachel and Noah's names the whole time.
Each day, Puck seemed to get better and better. Whatever Rachel had used on him, it had worked. The fever had broken and he was slowly returning to his old self. He'd started scaling the ocean, spear in hand, and hunted any fish he could find.
He returned to their pond on his own, bathing without assistance, though Rachel insisted on coming with him just in case something happened. She'd barely let him out of her sight since the boar attack. He wondered if this was how she felt, not being trusted to take care of herself. It was as if their roles were reversed.
During the few days Puck had been unable to take charge, Rachel had stepped up, and Puck would be an idiot not to see the change it had had on her. Gone was the timid, needy woman who was terrified to even touch a dagger. Rachel had become a full-fledged jungle woman.
She'd made a holster out of palm leaves and kept the dagger he had made her strapped to her upper thigh, something that Puck couldn't deny was hot. Besides that, she always carried a spear around with her. Her hair was constantly full of leaves or sand most times she came back to camp with streaks of blood on her clothing.
She was allowed to leave camp by herself and go off for hours, but he wasn't. Every time he so much as got up, Rachel was right at his side, treating him like a child. He was going to go crazy.
He knew she was doing it out of love, but she was smothering him, acting like his mother instead of his wife. Very unsexy.
The night before, the two had feasted on a meal of boar and fish with a small salad of fruit thrown in. Puck had tended the fire and cooked the food while Rachel had been the one who actually hunted their meal down. He'd been stuck at their camp while she patrolled the jungle, taking down a boar by herself. His days of worrying about her being alone in the jungle were over.
After they had eaten, the two had laid in the sand, staring up at the sky. Puck kept an arm around Rachel, holding her close to him. He hadn't made much of a move to do anything. Their relationship was still very uncertain. They'd revealed that they still loved one another, but he wasn't sure where that left them. Did they pick up right where they had left off, or did he romance her still? Puck had never been good at any of this relationship stuff, and without anyone to turn to out here, he was on his own.
Puck sent Rachel to bed, claiming he'd stay up for a bit and keep the fire going before joining her in bed. She'd nodded her head sleepily, disappearing into the hut.
He knew he couldn't just tell her he loved her and expect things to be like they were before jealousy and distrust ruined their marriage. Those thoughts were still there in both of their heads. It wasn't as if they'd just disappear overnight, but they were getting better.
He also knew he had to win her back. If he wanted to keep Rachel, it was going to take more than just a few words and kisses. It was going to take every romantic gesture in his arsenal to prove to his wife that he loved her more than anything else and wanted to keep her.
Of course, the typical flowers and chocolates weren't going to work here. They were on a deserted island and it wasn't as if he could run to the florist and pick up a bouquet of roses for Rachel. No, he had to be creative.
The only place here he'd seen that was even part-way beautiful was that cove Rachel had taken him to in the beginning, where they'd had that disastrous date. And that was where he was going to have to take her.
Grabbing a torch, Puck stood up, glancing back at the hut to make sure Rachel was still asleep. He heard her sigh softly before she let out a breath, her breathing slow. He smiled to himself, quietly heading away from their camp. She'd never even know he was gone. He'd be back by the time she woke up, and he'd win her back tomorrow night.
It was the silver lining to being here on this vacant spit of land.
Rachel woke up the next morning, yawning and stretching her arms over her head. She looked next to her and found Puck passed out, his arm draped across her stomach. He was snoring loudly and Rachel wondered how late he'd stayed up keeping watch. Well, she wasn't going to wake him up. The man deserved to sleep in every once in awhile.
Instead, she got up and started her day. First, Rachel headed to their pond and bathed, washing her hair and scrubbing all the dirt from her body. She'd seen the change in herself. The materialistic Rachel had disappeared, replaced by one who could care less if there was fish blood on her shirt. All she cared about anymore was surviving.
Once she was clean, Rachel headed back to camp and prepared breakfast which was right around when Puck woke up. They shared breakfast with light conversation before the two spent the day on the beach.
Puck spent most of his time fishing (virtually the only thing Rachel allowed him to do anymore) while Rachel sat on the water's edge and scrubbed their clothing clean. She hung the wet pieces of fabric on the line Puck had hung up for her to let them dry. She looked at their makeshift plates and decided she'd leave them for later. They weren't that dirty. They could use them once more before they needed to be washed.
"Come take a walk with me?" Puck asked.
Rachel looked up from the clothing line and found him standing next to her. "A walk?" she asked.
He nodded his head. "Yes, a walk. We haven't gone around exploring for awhile. I know you like to do that, so I thought it would be something fun to do together."
He held out his hand to her and Rachel smiled, leaving the rest of the clothes where they were. She took Puck's hand and the two of them left their camp, walking down the beach and around the island.
Puck laced their fingers together and Rachel leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked. They didn't talk much but instead just enjoyed one another's company.
After awhile, Rachel felt her stomach growling. It was right around then when Puck turned the corner and led them into the little cove Rachel had first discovered weeks ago. However, it looked very different than when she first found it. The night before, Puck had spent hours clearing it and making it look beautiful. He'd built a small hut in the center of the beach and had a trail of flower petals leading out of the doorway. He'd placed torches in the sand, surrounding the hut. There was a flat rock in the center that served as a table.
"Oh, wow," Rachel gasped, taking the whole scene in. "Is this all for me?"
"Of course," Puck said, coming behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. "I spent all night making this for you. You like it?"
Rachel turned so she was facing him, wrapping her arms around his neck and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I love it," she promised. "I'm guessing you had a few thoughts in mind when you built this?" she murmured, pressing her body closer to his.
Puck laughed a little. "Maybe a few, though I'm not going to push anything you don't want to do."
Rachel grinned at him, pressing her lips to his again, her fingers digging into his back. "Noah, it's been over a year. I think I want this more than you do," she whispered in his ear.
Puck instantly scooped her into his arms, his lips on hers once more. He headed into the hut, ducking down once they were inside and placed her on the mat lying on the ground, looking down at her.
"Hardly. It's taken all my self control not to rip your clothes off these past few days every time you're close to me," he growled, bending his face down as he placed a kiss on the side of her neck.
Rachel laughed softly, wrapping her legs around his waist as she pulled his body closer to hers, her hands searching until they found his face. She pulled his lips to hers and kissed him slowly, her head resting on the ground. She closed her eyes as his hands moved from her face, beginning to explore the body he had missed so much.
"I've missed you Rachel," he mumbled against her lips, her left hand tracing over her rib cage. Her bones were much more pronounced than normal, but she'd lost a lot of weight since they'd arrived. It was only natural that she'd become a little bony.
"I've missed you too, Noah," she whispered, opening her eyes to look at him for a moment. "I love you."
"I love you too," he promised, his thumbs resting on her hip bones, massaging circles into them. "I love you more than anything else."
"I know," she murmured, sitting up a little, tearing the top she was wearing off her body, exposing her breasts.
Puck seemed to stare at them for a moment before burying his face in between them. "And I've missed these," he mumbled against her skin, his lips moving over the exposed flesh. His hands reached up, grabbing her breasts gently. He ran his fingers over the skin, familiarizing himself with his wife's body. "These I have missed very much."
Rachel laughed, laying back down on the mat. Puck moved with her, never letting his lips or hands stray from her body. For awhile, he let his hands and lips explore her chest as Rachel ran her fingers through his hair the whole time.
Eventually, he pulled his shorts off and removed hers, lying completely naked on the mat with her. He made love to her more times than he ever had before to her that night, only succumbing to sleep when both of them were fully satisfied. Rachel fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her, her back pressed against his bare chest.
They woke up together the next morning, both smiling as they continued lying in the small hut. "Is it bad that I don't want to get up?" Rachel eventually asked, rolling over on her side so she was facing Puck, her nose brushing against his.
Puck let out a laugh, his hand running up and down her bare hip. "Not at all. I'm much too content at this moment to actually move much right now."
Rachel smiled, pressing her lips to his. "Mm, good. I think we're due for a lazy day now. We could just stay here all day, you know. Go for a swim."
"A naked swim?" Puck asked.
Rachel laughed, hitting him lightly in the chest. "Whatever kind of swim you want," she promised, running her hand across his cheek.
Puck was about to suggest they start that swim now when he heard it. It sounded far away, but it was definitely Amy's voice. Calling his name. He looked down at Rachel. "Did you hear that?" he asked.
She nodded her head, sitting right up. "It's Amy. She's here." She picked up his shorts and threw them to him. "Get dressed. We have to find her before she leaves and our only chance of rescue vanishes." Rachel pulled her top on before grabbing her shorts, yanking them over her body.
She sprinted out of the hut and Puck followed her, both of them shouting Amy's name as they ran off into the jungle, their hearts hammering with hope.