Chapter 3: Rapids

They were a few minutes into their trip when they hit the first danger. Rapids. Maddy saw them first, "Leo… she said backing up against him.

"Hmm?" Leo asked, then seeing the look on Maddy's face, he looked ahead. At his first sight of the black, churning waters, Leo yelled, "Rapids!" Then he grabbed onto Maddy's arms. Then all hell broke loose.

The raft was thrown back and forth, but the hit a large boulder, and Maddy flew out of Leo's grasp and into the waters. "Maddy!" Leo yelled, then he dove overboard.

Maddy gasped and her head broke to the surface for a second before she was sent back under. Maddy was barely conscious, but through her blurred vision, she saw a heavily muscled, green body plowing through the water towards her. The next thing she knew Leo's arm was around her, and she was being pulled up onto a rock. She clung to Leo, and suddenly they were flying through the air.

Then she blacked out. When Maddy finally came to, she moaned and rolled over, she came up against what felt like someone's leg. She opened her eyes, and was relieved to see Leo's worried face staring down at her. She allowed him to lift her up into his lap. She sneezed, and he flinched. She shivered, and he hugged her tight. Maddy saw that he had been very worried about her. She hugged him as hard as she could. Something wet landed on her cheek. She looked at Leo, and saw tears rolling down his cheeks.

"It's alright, I'm okay." She whispered in his ear as he cried silent tears of relief.

Leo held onto Maddy for dear life, and he didn't care who was watching. She whispered in his ear, and she hugged him back. When Leo was finished crying he pulled back a little, so he could look at Maddy. She smiled, and wiped away a stray tear from his face. "I'm okay, we all are." She whispered in reassurance.

"I know, you just scared the crap out of me." Leo said, kissing her forehead. Maddy lifted her head, and kissed him on the lips. Leo smiled.

"Better?" Maddy asked, resting her head against his chest plates.

"Much." He kissed the top of her head. They had been floating along a calm spot of water, when Leo noticed the raft speeding up. "WATERFALL!" he yelled, and he formed a kind of cocoon over Maddy with his body.

"Leo?" she whispered in his ear.

"Yes Angel?" Leo whispered back.

"I love you so much. Like no one I ever have before."

"Maddy, you are the angel I have been seeking. You completed a part of me that has been broken. I love you too." Leo's voice was thick with emotion.

You were always better at words than me." Maddy laughed. Then she kissed him. No one else heard their words over the roar of the waterfall, but they could tell that something intimate passed between the two lovers. Then they went over the falls. They all pushed off the raft and away from the rocks at the bottom. They splashed down in a clear lake. There was silence, then eight heads burst to the surface.

Maddy and Leo made their way to the shore, where they lay gasping.

"Leo…" Donny gasped, a little farther away. "Check Maddy's stomach for bruises." Leo pulled her t-shirt over her stomach. He was met by smooth, slightly tanned, flawless skin. Leo gulped, and reined in his desire.

"Whatcha doin'?" Maddy mumbled, not opening her eyes.

"I'm checking you for bruises angel." Leo ran his fingers over the center of her swollen belly. Maddy giggled and swatted at his hands.

"That tickles!" she exclaimed.

"Does it now?" Leo teased, smiling mischievously. He continued to run his hands over Maddy's stomach, while Maddy laughed hysterically. Suddenly Maddy's hands ran lightly down the sensitive skin on his sides. Leo's eyes widened, and he frantically scrabbled to stop her exploring hands.

"Now that's not fair," he whispered, breaking a sweat. "You were supposed to tickle me not turn me on."

"Well then you weren't exactly playing by the rules yourself." She whispered back. Leo groaned as her words turned him on even more.

He mumbled a few incoherent words, and shut his eyes. When he opened them lust filled their brown depths and Maddy smiled.

"I-It's starting to hurt." He mumbled.

"I could fix that, but we need to be alone." Maddy ran her hands up his sides again. Leo shivered, and jumped up with new energy. He helped Maddy stand up then went over to Donny.

"She's bruise free, and we're gonna find something to eat." He tossed Donny a walkie-talkie. "Talk to us on these if you need to."

"Where the heck do you get this stuff dude?" Mikey asked, walking over, but they were already gone.

It's been an hour, I really should call them." Donny said, pacing.

"Whatever dude, but something tells me that they aren't only trying to find food."

Donny rolled his eyes and spoke into the device. "Leo, you there?"

After a little while there was an answer, "What…ah…is it Donny." Came Leo's voice sounding slightly strained.

"Where are you guys?" Donny persisted.

"Somewhere." The answer came as barely a whisper.

"Fine, did you find anything to eat?" Donny answered with another question.

"Just a sec Don." Leo's voice grew distant as he directed it to someone else. "Angel could you- AH! Give me a second?" Leo came back on after a few seconds. "We haven't found anything yet, we're- " Leo moaned and there was a laugh in the background, "-searching." Leo finished a moment later.

"Searching what exactly?" Donny asked, suspicious.

"Bye Don." Leo said abruptly, and Leo heard a click as the device dropped to the ground. There was another deeper laugh, and then a moan. Then there was a growl.

"I like it when you get frustrated." Came Maddy's voice. Donny winced, then shut off the walkie-talkie.

Mikey laughed, "Told ya dude."