Chapter 2

Jun snuggled closely into Ken's arms while he navigated the small plane through the clouds, arranging her white casual halter neck dress away from his controls she let herself enjoy the thrill of watching him guiding it gracefully towards a small runway on an Island in the Caribbean always impressed her no matter how many times she had seen him fly his jet when they had been fighting against Galactor.

"The hut is only a few minutes from here." He said as they taxied down the small runway, pulling up close to a small shed. A young islander stepped out of the shed and walked towards the light plane.

Ken opened the top canapé of the plane, Jun jumped over the side and Ken followed her.

"Yello there.Da names Jimmy." The Islander casually said. Handing her a basket of food and smiling broadly. "I hope ya enjoy ya stay here."

"I know I will Jimmy," She smiled taking in the tropical warmth of the day while Ken unpacked a few extra bags from the Cessna she began to feel better already she held out her hand to him and introduced herself and pointed to Ken who turned around and smiled holding the bags. "Hi," He said while Jun picked up her wide brimmed hat she had put into the luggage hold since he hinted that she'd need a bikini for this holiday.

Jimmy guided through a small path to a hut close to the beach. "All ya needs are here…including some food more fruit and fresh water from da tank." He grinned showing stained teeth through his friendly smile. "Snorkelling gear in da hut is fer yer use…da reef is beautiful at dis time of year."

"I hope ya enjoy ya stay on our small Island. I'm makin my way back to dat Island…be back in a few days." He indicated to the main Island far of in the distance.

Ken extended his hand and shook Jimmy's thanking him for leasing the hut. "Dats Ok Ken, ya mail delivery helps da community…"He said before making his way back down the path.

"Ken this place is so beautiful," She said planting a kiss on his lips and making him drop the bags she pulled him along behind her down to the white beach towards the water gently lapping at the sand.

Looking back at Ken she watched him transform before her eyes. He let his face relax and his blue eyes began to sparkle like the ocean before them.

Stopping just before the waters edge he made her turn with the pull of his hand on hers and tightened his arms around her waist.

"I see you like my choice of destination." He murmured kissing her softly making her collapse into his arms draping her arms around his neck the kiss deepened, his hands exploring her bare back and the hem of the light cotton dress gently moving with the sea breeze.

"You bet I do…" She said softly drawing away enough so he held her close while they gazed out at the magnificent view before them.

"Paradise…" Ken's lips drew into a warm smile, his eyes filled with love for her. She didn't need to say anything- it was like he already knew how she felt.

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For the next two days they swam and snorkelled in the in the reef, make love on the soft white sandy beach and simply enjoyed the isolation that the Island offered them.

On the last night Jun laid in Ken's arms on the makeshift bed set up in the open room of the shack." We could stay in this paradise place forever." She said dreamily, Ken tightened his arms around her.

"I wish we could Jun, sometimes I just want to live away from the rest of the world…" Ken's words trailed off into the night air.

"We're lucky, aren't we?" She said turning to face him." Joe never-"

She stopped when she saw the pain flint across Ken's eyes. He could be so guarded with his emotions. Keep a cool demeanour under immense pressure. Only when something hit a personal core in him did it spill over in uncontrolled waves.

"I know he never had the chance to enjoy peace." Ken said a hint of grief evident in his voice. "I don't if he really would have liked it that much, Joe was always…" Ken stopped for a minute lost in thought about his brother who he missed so much. "Did he talk to you Jun…towards the end." Ken asked softly.

Jun looked away, he did, it was a conversation she didn't want to really share with Ken.

"Yes..." She finally answered; Joe told her one day that she meant more to him than a friend. She told him she couldn't return those feelings…then he died a week later.

"I know how he felt about you…even though he never showed it outwardly." Ken said suddenly. Jun looked deeply into his seeing the question he dared not to ask reflecting in his blue eyes.

"Ken you're the one I love…the only man I have always loved." She leaned in and kissed him sincerely.

"I know, I guess I wondered…" She put a finger to his lips." Why would you even question it?"

Ken smiled warmly. "I don't Jun- I just want you-"

"And you have me…" She barley whispered the words catching his bottom lip with hers in a soft kiss. "Why did you avoid it for so long?" She asked. This was a conversation that for some reason they'd never had before.

"I don't know…" He said studying her face like he was seeing her for the first time. "Saving the world might have had something to do with it."

This brought out a small laugh from her. "We were both focused on that…"

"…We both still are." He said sitting up a bit more. "The team hasn't been officially disbanded…and Dr.Nambu is looking into Intel about Galactor leaders forming terrorist groups."

He looked like he was about to confess something. "I'm flying out in a few days to investigate some of the reports…"

"Why is he sending just you?" Jun frowned slightly.

Ken put his arm around her waist, and pulled up the bed sheet. "It's easier with a single plane not to look suspicious, if we go in with the God Phoenix-"

"Then if the Intel's right we could start something that could cause more problems than its worth and lose any advantage we might have had other wise." She finished for him.

A knowing smile came to his lips. "Very perceptive of you Jun, this is why your so right for me…"

"You better believe it Gatchaman." She pushed him back onto the bed, straddling him with her thighs, leaning forward and kissing him harder this time in a way that told him what she expected from him.

"Anything for the Swan…" He said as the flame of passion ignited between them and they made the most of their last night alone on the Island together.

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All too soon they were boarding the Cessna to make the trip back to Utoland.

"Can we do this again?" she asked nuzzling his neck with her nose just after take off feeling deliriously happy from the few days away from the real world.

"Why not, you name the date and I'll find a way to make it happen." Ken said turning the plane around to head in the right direction.

She relaxed back onto his chest resting her head in the nap of his neck and she let herself drift into a doze, the tiredness she had been feeling hadn't lifted totally but the short break made it less of a burden.

I wondered why peace time was having this effect on me she thought absently, from the corner of her eye she could see Ken smiling. He looked happy, and she never wanted this to end.

But with the ISO still investigating possible Galactor activity she had begun to think this could all be only a temporary laps in time during a war that my not be finished yet. Still, with Katse dead and Sosai X gone, the centre of power broken she figured they couldn't emerge as a threat like they were in the past.

"Ken what will happen to us if Galactor strikes again?" Her tone told him it was a serious question.

"Then we will be reactivated again. It won't be the same without Joe there…only four of us to hold back a monster." Ken's solemn tone made her think harder about their future together.

"Would we still be…still be together if that happens?" She needed to know, suddenly she had to know.

"Jun, I don't think there is anything in this world that could tear us apart…We have to fight an oppressor, if it means planning a future like marriage and family has to be put on hold. The so be it." Ken said kissing her hair while he lined up the plane to land at the airfield." Lucky for us we haven't planned anything that serious yet…I hope we can soon."

She knew what he was talking about- Ken had told her once the only thing that would make him quit the team totally was if they started a family, so they took precautions against it ever happening at this point in their life.

Ken taxied the plane to a stop close to the hanger, Jun jumped out as soon as it slowed down. She waited for him to join her and she made her way back into the shack.

"I'll drop you off at the Snack J tonight. I have to leave in the morning to do the work Dr.Nambu allocated for me. Hopefully I'll be back in a few days, but it could be up to three weeks. I'll be in touch with you when I can." He said walking over and holding her tightly in his arms. "Jun, I'm missing you already…"