Jessie woke up earlier than usual, it was hard to say there was a reason or not. If Jessie had a nightmare, she didn't remember it. She could still feel the adrenaline pumping a little hard from the eighty foot cliff jump, which was the last thing she thought about when she fell asleep. Whatever the reason was, Jessie intended to take full advantage of it. She quickly got dressed and ordered breakfast for them. Getting her guitar from it's case she went out on the balcony hiding it behind some potted trees. She dragged the kitchen table out there, positioning it for the perfect view. When the food was delivered, she set the table leaving the trays covered. She poured orange juice into two champagne flutes, before going to wake up Elphaba. She gently shook Elphie the rose from the tray in her hand.
"Jess?" Elphaba asked, half asleep.
"Yeah, baby. Good morning." Jessie said, kneeling next to the bed and presented the rose.
"Thank you." Elphie said, blushing a little.
"You're welcome." Jessie said, getting Elphie's robe. She held it out for her, as she stepped into it. "I've got breakfast on the balcony. I'd love you to join me." Jessie asked, offering her arm. Elphie took it, letting Jessie lead her to the balcony.
"Jessie, it's perfect." She said, admiring the view of the beach and water from their balcony. Jessie pulled out her chair for her, before sitting next to her. Elphaba sipped the juice from the champagne flute, leaning on Jessie's shoulder with a wide smile, "So what brought this on?"
"I wanted to watch the sunrise with my future wife." Jessie said, bringing her hand up and kissing it tenderly.
Elphaba blushed lightly, "I can get used to that title."
"You need to. You're going to be called that for the rest of your life," Jessie said, kissing her cheek, "I bet you didn't know the hotel provided entertainment with room service." Jessie said, getting up.
"No, I didn't see that in the brochure." Elphaba quipped, until she saw Jessie sit across from her, holding a guitar. A small smile crossed her face at the sight.
"Now, I've been practicing, but I'm still extremely rusty." Jessie warned her, before starting to play Thank You For Loving Me from Bon Jovi. Jessie sang it, her voice cracking and no where near on pitch, but that didn't seem to bother a gushing Elphaba. She was absolutely glowing when Jessie started singing. She couldn't imagine anyone even willing to brave humiliation to do something so charming. By the end of the song, they were both in tears. As soon as Jessie put the guitar down, Elphaba jumped into her arms and held her tight.
()
Jessie looked at the course, as they approached, with a wide smile. It reminded her a lot of her training at basic. The obstacle were very similar, and so was the wall climb she could see from there. The only thing she didn't care for was that high ropes course at the very end. Maybe she could back out of that, Jessie turned and saw Elphaba's excited face. Or not, she thought to herself as the hotel bus pulled to a stop.
"This is so awesome." Jessie said, helping Elphie down.
"It looks like a lot of fun." Elphaba agreed, as the others got off. Jessie offered a hand to Josey, and got it slapped away.
"I'm not that old, maw maw." Josey said, cracking everyone up.
"You're funny." Jessie said, laughing with the others.
"OK, guys, we need to break into two man teams. I'm thinking Elphie and Jess, Mike and Rick, and me and Josey." Marcus said, getting a chuckle.
"Elphie might not like that. She hates to loose. How about you team with Rick or me. That way you have a fifty fifty shot of winning." Mike said.
"She's my fiancee, she's teaming with me." Jessie said, matter of factly.
"Besides, we're going to kick your ass." Elphie said, snuggling into Jessie's side.
"Are you delusional? Look at that course. No girl could possibly conquer it on her own." Rick said, with a scoff.
"Oh, really? Losers streak the beach at midnight.." Elphaba suggested, with a wicked smirk.
"I've always wanted to see you naked. You're on." Mike said, smirking confidently.
"On second thought, why don't Josey and I sit that one out. We can judge this little cock swinging contest." Marcus said, getting a nod from Josey, as the others headed to the suit up area.
"Marc, I thought you said this was team building." Josey said, still listening to the four of them talking smack.
"This is team building. Look at them, have you ever seen them more united?" Marcus said, proudly.
Josey shook her head. "If this is unity, I hate to see what you consider bickering."
"Just watch, sweetie. Competition, for these three, is uniting." Marcus said, as the four of them walked over, still talking mess.
"Do we have to do the wires?" Jessie said, her stomach turning just from the thought.
"Come on, Jess, it'll be fun." Elphie said, getting a chuckle from Rick.
"Yeah, come on, wus. You really want your girlfriend streaking the beach at midnight?" Rick taunted.
"Actually, I'm thinking we'll leave you two so far in the dust that I'll find a way to get myself up there before you two finish part one." Jessie said, getting an 'ohhhhh' from Josey.
"Yeah, we'll see about that." Mike said, stretching, as the course assistant came over.
"Here are the rules. You and your partner must work together to overcome the eight obstacles and the high ropes course. An obstacle will not be considered complete until both partners have cleared it. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir." Jessie said, as everyone else nodded.
"Good, your time for each obstacle will be recorded. Your time is important, but how you work as a unit is even more important. You will be scored points based on time, teamwork, and efficiency. Part one is a ground course consisting of eight obstacles. The other is a a one hundred foot ropes course, right over there." The man said, pointing to it. Jessie actually paled when he said one hundred feet.
"Wanna give it up now, Jess?" Rick said, tauntingly.
"You wish." Jessie said, shaking it from her thoughts. One thing Sonya taught her was tackle one thing at a time. Deal with it when it comes, not before.
Elphaba could feel the fear coming from her, and wrapped an arm around her, "You can do this, my love. It's just like flying on my broom." She whispered, getting a weak nod in response.
"I know, angel." Jessie said, kissing her softly.
"Now that the rules have been established, let me show you the proof. Each obstacle and checkpoint has two of these flags." He held up one blue and one red, "You will collect each flag off the obstacle upon completion. Be very careful. Any flags you loose will count as obstacle failure. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir." Jessie said, as the others nodded.
"Good. Take your positions, and wait for the gunshot. Good luck to both teams." As the man walked away, Jessie and Elphie and Mike and Rick shook hands.
"Good luck, guys." Jessie said, as her and Elphie took position. When the gun sounded, they ran full sprint towards the log hurdles.
"You take high, I'll take low." Elphaba said, getting a nod from Jessie. Elphie crouch walked under the obstacle, as Jessie hurdled them high. Seeing the strategy, the boys followed suit. They grabbed the flags at almost the same time, and headed to the second obstacle. They had gotten four obstacle in, before they ran into their first problem.
"What the hell is this shit?" Mike asked, winded, as he looked at the thin barbed wire hanging inches from the ground.
"You have to crawl on your hands and knees to get through it." Jessie said, as they waited for Rick and Elphaba to navigate the tire rings.
"I've never done that." Mike said, looking defeated.
"It's easy. Come on, I'll show you." Jessie said, demonstrating it for him, as Elphie and Rick approached.
"They want us to go under that?" Rick asked Elphie.
"I guess so." Elphie said, watching Jessie show Mike.
"Think you can do that?" Rick asked.
"We'll find out." Elphaba said, seeing Jessie inch Mike through the barbed wire. They grabbed the flags on the other side, as Rick and Elphie took position, and started.
()
Josey and Marcus sat in the office, watching them on closed circuit TV. Josey had a wide smile on her face, watching Jessie be Jessie, even if it did slow her down.
"I see what you mean, Marc. Did you know they would do that?" She asked.
"Yeah, I did. They might be competing, but they are family first, always." He said, watching Rick and Elphie complete the obsticle with no problems.
()
"Where did you learn that?" Mike asked Jessie, as she easily navigated the log maze.
"Basic, dude." Jessie said, turning to see Elphaba stumble. Before she could fall, Rick caught her.
"Thanks." Elphaba said, getting a nod.
"Don't thank me, I'm still gonna smoke you." Rick said, winking. They cleared the obstacle, and headed towards the rope swings. Making it through those, they made it to the monkey bars. Jessie could feel her arms getting sore as they continued. By the time they got to the wall, Jessie was struggling hard to get up. She slipped down twice, watching Mike get higher.
To everyone's surprise, and Rick's protests, Mike slid back down. "Get on my back, Jess. I gotcha." Jessie looked at him, panting a little, but did what she was told. Mike carried her fifty feet up the rope, helping her get to the top.
"Thanks, dude." Jessie said, giving him a hug.
"You OK?" Mike asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I'm just tired. My arms feel like they're going to fall apart." Jessie said, trying to shake some feeling into them.
"I know how you feel. Mine are like Jello right now. Good thing all that's left is the ropes course." Mike said, getting a loud groan.
"Not looking forward to that." Jessie could see it a few feet away.
"Don't worry. You'll be fine." Mike said, patting her shoulder. Elphaba completed the wall with far fewer problems, with Rick right behind her. They rappelled at nearly the same time, and made it to the ropes course. Jessie swallowed hard, as they connected the safety devices.
"You're sure this is going to hold me?" Jessie asked, jokingly, although the panic in her eyes was obvious.
"Absolutely. The last person weighed nearly three fifty." He assured her, before checking Elphie's harness. Jessie looked up at the course, swallowing hard.
"You can do this." Elphaba whispered, kissing her softly.
"Thank you, angel." Jessie said, her voice shaking. She started on the course right after Elphaba. As the course and challenges got higher, Jessie became even more shaky.
"Come on, Jess. Just like I did it." Elphie said, seeing her hesitate at the thought of crossing the shaky plank bridge.
"Elphie...I...I can't." Jessie said, trying not to look down.
"Trust me, Jessie. Just take that first step. That's all you need to do. Just take that step." Elphie said, as Jessie swallowed hard.
She shakily put her foot forward, whimpering as the board almost slipped out from under her foot. She pulled back, in tears.
"I...I can't." Jessie said, trembling. Instead of saying anything, Elphaba crossed back over, taking Jessie's hand.
"Together. We'll do this together." Elphie said, getting a shaky nod. Just seeing Jessie this terrified was tearing her heart out.
"It's OK, Jess. You can do it. Elphie's right there, and I'm right behind you." Rick said, as him and Mike crossed over from their matching course to their platform.
"We've got you." Mike said, comfortingly, his hand taking Jessie's shoulder.
()
"Come on, let her down. Don't you see she's scared to death?" Josey said, pacing the floor of the office.
"We can't do that until she says she wants to come down. Part of this course is facing your fears. Everything is perfectly safe, and your friend will be just fine." Josey spun around, looking up at the six foot tall muscular Samoan instructor in charge of the course.
"She's not my friend, she's my sister. Get her down from there right now!" Josey said, standing on her toes and staring him in the eyes.
"Don't sell your sister short. Her friends certainly aren't." The man said, motioning back to the monitors. Marcus, who had been in the bathroom, walked out in time to see Josey looking back. Instead of saying anything, he hugged Josey from behind.
"She's not a quitter, Josey. The last thing she would ever want is for you to give up on her." Marcus said.
"She's so scared, Marc." Josey said softly.
"I know, but she's not a quitter, Josey. Look." Marcus said, as he watched the four of them cross together.
()
"You have lost this obstacle, because you have all broken the rules." The referee informed them, as the four stepped onto the platform.
"Some things are more important than winning." Mike said, hugging Jessie tightly, and kissing her head.
"The zip line and the finish line are the only obstacles remaining. If you want to..." The referee began.
"No, we finish together." Jessie said, getting a nod from the other three.
"This is a first." The man said, strapping Elphaba in. She went down first, flying through the trees with a delighted laugh. Jessie followed behind her, eyes closed. Mike and Rick were next. Instead of a winner, the four of them walked across the finish line arm in arm.
"Thanks, guys." Jessie said, hugging all three of them, as they returned it.
Josey ran over, jumping on Jessie, "You're OK?"
"I'm fine, sis." Jessie said, kissing her head, as the course director walked over.
"We've calculated your scores." He said, handing the envelope to Marcus, who ripped it up.
"Why did you do that?" The director asked, curiously.
"Look at those four. You tell me who the losers in this group are." Marcus said matter of factly, getting a nod. The director walked off.
"Shit." Mike said, kicking the dirt.
"What's wrong, Mikey?" Jessie asked, worried.
"Now I'm never gonna see Elphie naked." He said, smirking, as they all laughed.
()
It was several hours before Jessie convinced everyone that she was OK enough to be alone. It had taken so much time in fact, she almost didn't have time to do what she had really planned on tonight. She changed into a nice shirt and slacks, even putting on a tie. All she had told Elphaba was she was taking her out. It was all the encouragement Elphaba needed to not ask questions. Doing one last check in the mirror, Jessie stepped out of the bedroom.
When Jessie walked out, she froze when she saw Elphie. Elphie was wearing a skin tight little black dress that hit her just above the knee, had a low v-neckline, and was sleeveless. It seemed to be custom made to fit Elphaba's body the way it hugged her curves, and had Jessie drooling.
"You look amazing." Jessie said, almost floating on air, as she went to Elphie's side. She tilted Elphie's head up slightly, and kissed her softly on the lips.
"Thank you, love. So do you." Elphaba said, leaning into Jessie. Jessie's arm slipped around her waist, as they headed out and to the lobby. When they arrived there, Jessie already didn't like the look on the concierge's face.
"Miss Reynolds, I'm sorry. The reservations you made have been pushed back by thirty minutes. I can cancel and refund them if you'd like." He offered, apologetically.
"No, it's no problem. We can wait." Jessie said, graciously, getting a sigh of relief.
"May I suggest the resort lounge. I believe it's Karaoke night." The man said.
"I'm not sure about that." Jessie said, truthfully.
"Oh, come on, Jess, it sounds like fun." Elphaba said, getting a shrug, as Jessie looks at the concierge.
"I am helpless to refuse her." She said, getting a knowing smile.
"Please inform the bartender your drinks are compliments of the resort. Again I apologize, Miss Reynolds. It's normally not a problem." He apologized once again.
"Hey, I work for a living, too. I understand, and it's no problem." Jessie said, leading Elphie towards the lounge. Ordering two margaritas, they grabbed two seats, and watched the show, laughing at some of the horrible singing, but applauding for everyone, anyway, "You were right, this is fun." Jessie said, kissing her hand.
"I told you." Elphaba said, scooting closer. Jessie's face fell, seeing Joe take the stage.
"Hey, guys, there is a travesty in Hawaii tonight. This incredibly hot woman won't grant me a date. Elphaba, this is for you." He said with a wink. Jessie rolled her eyes, hearing the beginning chords to Jessie's Girl coming over the speakers.
She started to get up, and Elphaba stood up, pulling her down. "It's not worth it, my love. Don't let him ruin our evening." Elphaba said, kissing her on the cheek.
"The hell it isn't. He just asked you out knowing we're together." Jessie said, furious.
"Do you trust me?" Elphaba asked, getting a nod.
"With my life." Jessie said, getting a soft kiss.
"Then let me handle this." Elphaba said, as the song ended.
"So, how about it. Have dinner with me tonight." Joe asked, inviting her onstage. Elphaba walked up with a grace that had everyone in the room awed. A couple of the more intoxicated patrons whistled appreciatively at her dress. She stopped at the DJ's table and whispered a request. He smiled and nodded. With a wink to him, she continued confidently to the stage, picking up the microphone.
"Wow! I certainly didn't expect to be pursued in such a public venue. It makes me wonder if your intentions were to ask me out or to embarrass my beautiful fiance Jessie. Either way, I suppose I should give you an answer, shouldn't I?" Elphaba said, giving the signal to the DJ. When Jessie heard the beginning chords to You and Your Hand from Pink, she nearly died laughing. She couldn't have been prouder of Elphaba, or more honored.
Joe looked like a gaping fish as Elphaba performed the song as her answer. His face bright red from embarrassment. By the end of the song, Elphaba was back at their table, sitting on Jessie's lap.
"I love you, Elphie." Jessie said, loud enough for the microphone to pick up.
"More than anything, Jessie." Elphaba said, as the attendant picked up the microphone from their table.
"Are you ready to go?" Jessie asked, seeing the manager motioning to them. Elphaba nodded. Instead of letting her get up, Jessie lifted her into her arms, and carried her out.
Most people were stunned. Joe was a very handsome man, far more so than the woman carrying Elphaba out.