She watched him with indulgent amusement as they waited for the tour bus they were meeting. Smothering a yawn, she observed him duck his head sheepishly, his boyish grin appearing as he apologized.

"I'm sorry I didn't let you sleep. I guess I'm more excited than I realized."

"You have been quite, um, exuberant this morning," she agreed. "This side of you is a surprise."

"What side?" he asked, giving her an offended look.

"This," she paused, searching for the right word, "carefree side. You've been full of it since you woke me up this morning," she said with a grin. "And now you're bouncing with excitement. What are you leading me into?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "And should I be following you so trustingly or should I turn around and run?"

He knew she was kidding, but his expression sobered. "I think I ought to let you know that I am leading us into unknown territory, but that you can trust me. I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you...ever," he declared sincerely, his hand coming up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Feeling the whoosh of air behind her, she turned, glad for the reprieve from the combination of his intense gaze and words to find their bus pulling up. She read the name emblazoned along the side and swallowed her disappointment, his words snapping into focus with what she saw: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Jack swallowed his frustration, instinctively knowing that she had misinterpreted his words. When she returned her attention to him, he could see the excitement dancing in her own eyes. "We're going to see the volcanoes?"

He nodded, watching her smile grow. "That's so fantastic. Do you know how crazy it will make my mom when she finds out I was close to one?"

He laughed at her excitement. "Is she going to kill me because I'm the one that brought you?"

"Oh, no," she assured him, watching him heave an exaggerated sigh of relief. "The fact that you are the one that brought me will pale in comparison to the fact that we're sharing a room," she informed him sweetly. "That's why she'll kill you."

"Gee, thanks," he laughed, ushering her toward the open door of the bus. "Come on, we might as well have as much fun as we can if this is to be our first and last adventure."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They took a taxi into town, Jack citing he wanted more than the box lunch provided by the tour. They had a relaxing meal at Cafe Pesto on the banks of the Wailuku River before Jack pulled out a map of the city.

"Jack!" Sue whispered frantically, "Let me have the camera. Hurry!"

He retrieved the digital camera from his pocket and handed it to her, looking around; trying to find what had captured her attention.

"Just go on with what you were doing," she urged. "I'll let you know what I saw if it occurs again."

He shrugged his shoulders, refocusing on the map only to see the flash strobe in his peripheral vision. Looking up, he found her grinning at him. Glancing around once again, he refocused on her and signed, "WHAT?", his face a mask of confusion.

"M-A-P YOU USE. PHOTO I TAKE," she told him triumphantly, her eyes sparkling merrily. "AMAZING!" she declared while observing the image she had captured.

He scrunched up his face, shaking it slightly at her attempt of humor. "HA HA." he signed, signaling for the bill. Grabbing her hand as she rose from the table, he pulled her to the railing of the deck where they'd dined, positioning her with the river as a backdrop. "ME TAKE YOUR PICTURE," wagging his finger at her when she protested. "ONLY FAIR," he stated, daring her to argue with him, his smile dimming slightly when she self-consciously pulled her hair around to hide her bruises. Before he could snap the photo, he heard their waitress behind him.

"Sir? Would you like me to take a picture of you and your wife?"

Glancing at Sue, he saw her waiting patiently, unaware of the young woman's question. Nodding gratefully, he handed over his camera and made his way to a surprised Sue, explaining what was happening.

She nodded and smiled toward the waitress, startling slightly when Jack slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close. She glanced up to see him smiling tenderly.

"The bruises are barely visible," he whispered. "You did a remarkable job covering them with your makeup. I don't think they'll show up at all in the pictures, but just in case, turn toward me like you're fond of me and lean your head on my chest," he finished with a grin, surprising her with a quick kiss to the tip of her nose.

Relaxing into his embrace, she smiled shyly for the camera, stepping back as soon as the cafe employee handed it back to Jack. He guided her from the eatery, smiling to himself when she took the hand he offered without comment, lacing her fingers with his as they strolled down the quaint shop-lined street. She was contentedly window shopping, allowing him to lead the way to the destination he had picked when she felt him stop and squeeze her hand. Looking his way, she groaned as he pulled her into the boutique and headed straight for the swimsuit display.