"Nathan, this is…" Sydney couldn't find the right words. He had arranged for them to go out on the water on a luxury sailboat. They didn't have it to themselves, but it was big enough for them not to remember there were two other couples aboard. They were sitting on the starboard side of the boat, watching the waves.

Nathan kissed her neck, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist. "Good or bad?" he asked.

"It's beautiful…and when I push my irrational fear of Jaws popping up over the side, perfect."

He raised an eyebrow. "Scared of sharks?"

She smiled. "Scared of 'Jaws' not necessarily all sharks."

"Another Sydney fact?" he laughed.

"Yeah, but…every time one of them is on T.V., I can't turn it off, it's sick!" She stared to laugh as well. "When I was little, we had an above ground pool and, at the far end, a tree cast a shadow over 'the deep water' and I was one hundred percent convinced…"

"…that Jaws lived in your chlorinated pool?"

She shrugged. "I was also convinced he could come up out of the drain in the tub. I had an overactive imagination."

"I hope our kids inherit that," he said, smiling widely, not even realizing the words passed his lips. "Only, you know, without being terrified of…" His brain caught up with him and he saw the look on Sydney's face. He cleared his throat. "Um…we've talked about it before…"

She nodded. "I know, it's just….uh, never come up so casually and…" She leaned over and kissed him, her hand lingering on his face when she pulled away. "I love you."

"Syd, I know you're worried that…"

She shook her head, that wasn't what this was about. "No, baby," she said, smiling. He had said it with such ease. They had only been "dating" for just over four months…hadn't known each other for a year…and it still sounded logical…right. "I love you."

His smile returned and he pulled her into a kiss so intimate they didn't feel the shadow over them. In fact, they didn't even hear the shadow when it cleared its throat. It wasn't until it spoke, "Excuse me, Mister Gardner?" that they looked up.

Nathan smiled, blushing slightly. "Captain Elliot, the boat is gorgeous."

The captain smiled back at the couple. "I heard you mention something about sailing, thought you may want to have a go at the sails."

Nathan stood, beaming like a child. "Yeah?" He looked at Sydney. "I've kinda been through a boat phase…"

She laughed. "Susan clued me in a bit. I even saw your little hat."

He cringed in slight embarrassment. "It was an in depth phase…"

"Good, this should be no problem for you at all then," Elliot said, motioning for Nathan to follow him. Sydney trailed behind, curious.

Twenty minutes passed; twenty minutes of Sydney laughing so hard she couldn't see through her tears. Nathan had fallen onto his rear twice - no injuries, so laughing was perfectly acceptable - gotten his fingers tangled in the ropes from the sails – knot tying wasn't his strong suit – and nearly fell overboard while dodging…a seagull. It didn't take long for him to figure out he was only meant to be a passenger on a vessel meant for the water.

"Okay, so…the remote controlled boat in my pool…"

Elliot laughed along with Sydney. "I thought you knew how to sail?"

He shook his head, finally laughing himself. "In my mind…I totally did." He scooped Sydney up and they returned to their little spot on the boat, enjoying the rise and fall of the waves. A couple of hours later, they were back on dry land, Sydney still giggling about Nathan's little adventure.

They had spent nearly all day outside, but weren't ready wrap their time outdoors up just yet. Nathan had suggested a late picnic on the beach and Sydney's heart melted at the romantic suggestion. This whole trip was what they both needed. They were spending time together, truly alone, and without a single troubling thought.

The sun had set hours ago, but the air was still warm, and every worry that had been pulling at Sydney over the past few weeks began to disappear with the surf. As the waves came up over her toes, she smiled, fully relaxed. Nathan gently squeezed her hand and she turned to look at him; she couldn't understand how he still gave her butterflies. They found a suitable spot next to a boulder and Nathan laid out an extra large blanket. His theory was the bigger the blanket, the less the likelihood of sand getting…everywhere. Once they settled, Sydney reached for the basket they had borrowed from the hotel, but Nathan stopped her hand.

"Thank you for coming here with me, Syd," he said, his voice soft and almost unsure of itself.

Sydney smiled again, wider than before. "Nathan, there's no where else in the world I would want to be more. And thank you for putting all of this together. We've gotten through so much in the last couple of days and now…it's perfect."

"We needed this," he said surely. "It feels like it's just been issue after issue…I wanted to make sure we liked being alone together when we weren't running from something else." He winked at her and she moved her body closer to his. Her hair was in a ponytail, but several strands had come loose throughout the day and he tucked a few behind her ear.

"Gee, I don't know," Sydney said, doing her very best not to smile. "I mean, I just might prefer you in the florescent lighting at school…the moonlight here is doing nothing for you."

He leaned closer to her and kissed the side of her neck, tasting the ocean on her. "Hm mm, you either. Damn moon."

"Yeah…" She looked into his eyes and her heart welled. Sometimes relationships were built out of convenience or settling; Sydney knew without a doubt that this wasn't the case for her. What she had with Nathan was real whether they were there on a beach or doing dishes in his kitchen while Susan and Charlie did homework in the next room. "Nathan…" Her thoughts clouded as he caught her lips, his tongue gently caressing her own. The picnic didn't matter anymore.

"Mmm…" His voice was low and the sound sexy. He pulled back for a moment, his hands roaming her back. "Let's just stay here, hm? No school, no drama…just you…" He carefully leaned Sydney down, putting her back to the blanket. "…me…" He crawled up her body, lifting her shirt and kissing her stomach. "…and the sound of the waves." He reached her face again, kissing her more deeply than before. He felt Sydney arch beneath him.

"Okay," Sydney agreed, breathy. She didn't protest as he removed the thin t-shirt she was wearing…or as he untied her bikini top.

"I want to see you wear the moonlight." He kissed the swell of her breast, but stopped when Sydney giggled.

"I'm living my own romance novel."

"Too cheesy a line, hm?"

She shook her head. "No, baby…I love 'romantic Nathan.'"

"And he loves you," he said, kissing his way back down her body. He hooked his fingers beneath the waistband of her shorts and slid them down her legs. "Think we'll get caught?"

"Think I care if we do?" She was blushing.

He used the lightest pressure when he began to stroke her, her bikini bottoms still in place. "I hope we never lose this," he breathed. Sydney whimpered in response. "I always want to be able to take your breath away…or make you use it to scream." He stroked with more fervor and Sydney reached down between them, finding his erection easily. She caressed him through his trunks and he moaned at the contact.

"And I hope I can always do this to you," she said, finally finding her voice. She pulled his shirt over his head and licked along his collarbones. "I'm not sure I've ever wanted you more than I do right now." She kissed him. "Damn moon," she smiled.

They slid off one another's bottoms and Nathan assessed things quickly. "Come here, baby." He took her hand and they moved to the center of the blanket. Nathan sat and Sydney, after taking in his glowing physique, understood. She straddled him, her knees on either side of his lap, and took him inside her body as slowly as she could. "Ahhh…" Nathan's voice shook, he loved when she took her time.

Sydney didn't move for a moment, she was taking in where she was; feeling the breeze from the ocean on her back and the heat from her lover within. She realized there might never be a moment more perfect than this one. "There's an excellent chance that I might cry…again," she whispered.

"Long as they're happy tears, baby."

She began to move her hips in long, slow thrusts. Nathan's mouth was traveling her flesh, planting hot, wet kisses anywhere he could reach. His hands moved down her back, to her hips, then to her backside, which he squeezed gently. His hips began to move with hers, just as slow, trying to connect with her as deeply as he could. She loved the way they fit together and the tears did begin to fall. "Perfect," she whispered.

Nathan wrapped his arms around her and let her continue to ride him slowly. He had never felt more in tune with her and he wanted it to last as long as it could. After a few minutes, Sydney's body took over her heart and her pace increased. Her breath came in pants and her nails ran down Nathan's back.

"Fall…let yourself go." Her back arched, which let him sink deeper, and they both cried out. He felt her clench around him and he held her tighter, unable to help himself as his thrusts grew more rapid. "I love you, Syd."

Her eyes still watering, she joined in his rhythm, wanting him to feel as good as she did. "I love you, too…oh, God, Nathan…" She tightened around him again and felt him release into her as he clung to her body. When their pulses began to settle, Sydney opened her eyes and saw that she wasn't the only one who had been teary-eyed. She caressed his face, wiping away his tears. "Sand in your eyes?"

"No," he said, and he took her lips once more.