We Belong to the Sea, Part 2

Disclaimer: Same as before.

Just Outside the Seaside Annex
Todd Tolansky and Althea Delgado
20 February 2002, 0830

Not far away from the Seaside Annex of the Pit there was a small, secluded beach. Todd climbed out of the water and with a couple hops he was behind the dunes.

"Oh man, now I really do look like a frog! Why did this have to happen? And I was just getting comfortable with my mutation too!" Todd grumbled to himself.

He crouched lower behind the dunes as he heard the sound of splashing as Althea emerged from the water.

"Todd? Where are you? Todd?" Althea called out.

"Go away! Go away!" Todd shouted, "Don't look at me!"

Todd closed his eyes, covering his face. Oh God! She's seen me! Man...game over…

"Todd," Althea replied as she crested over the top of the dune, "What's the matter?"

Oh man! I don't wanna see the look on her face, Todd thought as Althea approached.

"Todd, what is it? Todd. Please. Look at me," Althea began.

"I can't," Todd moaned.

"Yes you can now look at me," Althea insisted.

Todd opened his eyes and moved his hands away from his face. And his eyes went wide as he exclaimed, "You're blue!"

"Yes and you're green," Althea replied in an amused tone.

She's blue, Todd thought, It's like she's a lighter color than Mystique.

"So your skin changes color in salt water too?" Althea replied.

"What?" Todd asked, looking down at himself, "Is that what happened?"

"You didn't know?" Althea asked, "In my case it's kind of a chemical reaction. It's not painful or anything, but I just can't go to the beach like everyone else."

"Maybe that's the same with me?" Todd asked.

"Come on," Althea replied, taking his hand and with a laugh dragging him back to the water. After getting into waist deep water they began to swim together. Swimming through schools of fish. Swimming around each other, letting cool water washing over their bodies.

Is this what it's like to fall in love? Todd thought as he swam, hand in hand with her underneath the surface of the ocean.

He had never felt so accepted, so wanted in all of his life. He looked into Althea's eyes as they turned to face one another.

How can someone so shy and timid be so wonderful? Althea thought. I never want today to end...I'll never forget today if I live to be over a hundred.

The Pit, Seaside Annex
Wet Suit, Shipwreck, Surefire, Kate, Conrad
20 February 2002, 0845

"Run away? What do you mean, run away?" Shipwreck began.

"Exactly what it sounds like," Wet Suit replied as he started to make some last minute checks on one of the motorboats tied up along the pier of the Pit's Seaside Annex.

"Wait, back up, Wet Suit," Surefire began, "What provoked that? From all of the things Roadblock's told me and Psyche-Out's assessment on the kid this isn't usual behavior for him."

"Althea pushed him into the water and his skin turned green the he freaked out and swam off," Wet Suit replied now starting the engines of the boat.

"Did you know the kid had that ability?" Kate asked Shipwreck.

"It's news to me," Shipwreck replied as he walked down to start undoing some lines forward on the boat.

"Maybe that's why he ran off," Kate replied.

"More like swam off," Conrad countered.

"Fine, swam off. Argue semantics much, Hart?" Kate replied.

"Only on certain days of the week," Conrad quipped as he helped undo some lines aft.

Kate and Surefire hopped into the boat and after Shipwreck and Conrad had tossed their lines onto the boat they got onboard as well.

"Hopefully they didn't get too far," Wet Suit replied as engaged the throttles and began to drive the boat out of the harbor.

Just Outside the Seaside Annex
Todd Tolansky and Althea Delgado
20 February 2002, 0945

"Watch this," Althea said, and with a wave of her arm the waves grew larger, carrying her and Todd on a hand in hand ride upon the crests of the waves.

When the wave crashed back down, Todd and Althea swam side by side underwater for a little bit before surfacing, treading water.

With a couple deep breaths Althea began, "I really, really like you Todd Tolansky."

Did I really hear her say that? Or did I just get a lot of water in my ears? Todd thought, then he noticed the blush on Althea's face. Then feeling her pulling him closer and kissing him.

Todd blinked and blush, the pink of the blush mixing with his green color. Tentatively, at first, he kissed her back. I'll never forget this moment.

After the kiss broke, for want of air, Todd began, "I just realized something. I don't know your codename."

"That's because I don't have one," Althea replied.

"No codename?" Todd replied, "That just doesn't seem right, yo."

With a smile as they held hands Althea asked, "Then what would you call me?"

Todd thought for a few moments and smiled before saying, "Wavedancer. 'Cause of the way you. You're like a dancer in the water."

She smiled, "Wavedancer. I love it."

Althea clasped Todd's hand and with her powers they rode the waves some more. After a few more minutes Althea sighed, "We better head back. Wet Suit's probably having a conniption looking for us."

"I can't go back looking like this." Todd yelped.

"Why not?" Althea countered, "They've seen me like this."

"They'll laugh at me," Todd replied.

"For crying out loud!" Althea rolled her eyes and gently tugged on Todd's hand, "If you weren't so cute I wouldn't know what I see in you! Come with me!"

Todd nodded weakly and the two swam hand in hand back towards the Pit's Seaside Annex.

Just Outside the Seaside Annex
Wet Suit, Shipwreck, Surefire, Kate, Conrad
20 February 2002, 1051

"There! Did you see that huge wave to the right?" Kate shouted over the din of the boat's engine.

"Off the starboard side," Shipwreck corrected, "Nautical term is starboard for right and port for left."

"Whatever," Kate replied.

Conrad lifted a pair of binoculars to his eyes as Kate pointed at a second large wave before saying, "I see what looks like two people bodysurfing in that wave."

"I'll steer us towards it." Wet Suit said, gunning the engine, causing Kate to lose her footing and fall forward.

Conrad managed to arrest her fall, but wound up falling over on his back, Kate lying on top of him.

With a wry smile the ex-Legionnaire said, "Don't you think we should go to dinner first?"

"Very funny," Kate replied with a smirk as she tried to get to her feet.

"If you two are done canoodling we've got two kids to find," Surefire chimed in as he and Shipwreck helped Conrad and Kate to their feet.

"Do you always drive boats like that, Wet Suit?" Kate asked the SEAL as she regained her footing.

"You landlubbers," Shipwreck countered with an amused belly laugh.

Conrad raised his binoculars to his eyes and saw two people treading water, "To your half right!"

Wet Suit nodded and turned the boat slightly, slowing down as he approached the two teenagers in the water.

Just Outside the Seaside Annex
Todd Tolansky and Althea Delgado
20 February 2002, 1048

It was just after they had begun their swim back towards the Pit that Althea and Todd noticed the small boat heading their way.

Todd promptly hid behind Althea as the boat neared them. Althea rolled her eyes and said, "Just duck underwater for a minute and I'll explain everything."

As Todd complied Althea could make out the faces of Agents Hart and Todd, Surefire, Shipwreck and Wet Suit in the small boat.

"Where's Todd?" Kate asked, without any preamble as she reached downward to help Althea into the boat.

"He's just behind me, he had a little situation with his powers and freaked out a little," Althea explained, "Try not to get too freaked out that he's a little green right now."

"Alright," Kate replied and turned to explain to the others, seeing Althea go underwater out of the corner of her eye.

Althea gave Todd a thumbs up and the boy nervously surfaced. Shipwreck reached down to help Althea back onto the boat and Conrad helped Todd.

Meanwhile Kate had reached into a box near the steering console and withdrew two towels and draped them over the shoulders of the two teenagers. Then Wet Suit gunned the motors of the boat and headed back towards the Seaside Annex.

After about ten minutes Todd's skin turned back to its normal pale color. With a smile Althea took his hand and said, "See it's not so bad afterall."

Todd returned the smile as he looked into her eyes and replied, "No, it's not."

Todd, of course spoke more about his feelings than the little episode with his skin as they continued their trip.

The Pit, Officer's Quarters
Conrad Hart and Kate Todd
20 February 2002, 1644

"That certainly was an interesting day," Kate began as she sat down at the kitchen table and powered up her laptop before reaching into a pocket and pulling out her PDA.

"That it most certainly was," Conrad replied as he took out his notebook and laid it beside his own laptop, and typing up an email from his notes.

Kate rummaged around through her backpack and pulled out a docking station and USB cable for her PDA and plugged it into her laptop, "I think my way's a bit faster."

"To each his or her own, mademoiselle," Conrad replied.

"This whole development with Todd and Althea is certainly going into my report," Kate replied.

"Ah, young love," Conrad commented wistfully.

Kate smiled and replied, "I mean just look at those two for even a couple minutes and you can tell that their being in each others' lives is only a good thing."

Conrad nodded as he continued to type his report, "I agree and my own report is to say just as much. Having Althea in his life is what the boy needs. Even if he's likely to have insane in laws."

"That's a bit premature, don't you think?" Kate replied.

"Not at all," Conrad replied, "With some couples you just can tell."

Kate wistfully smiled, "Good point. My parents are the same way. They were high school sweethearts, Dad got drafted to go to Vietnam and Mom waited for him."

Conrad replied, "My grand-mère and grand-père were much the same. Every morning as the sun rises grand-mère walks along the beach to remember. She's done this for as long as I can remember."

Kate felt a lump rise in her throat, "I can't imagine what it's like to lose someone you love like that."

"Someday I want to find what became of grand-père," Conrad replied, "If for nothing else my family knows what became of him beyond the words 'Missing in Action'."

"I hope you find what you're looking for," Kate replied, "And back to the present day, that's part of the reason I'm definitely making my observation that the Delgados, while insane, are a good influence on Todd."

"Likewise. They certainly keep things interesting," Conrad replied.

"Interesting isn't the word I'd use to describe Shipwreck and his family," Kate replied, with a smile as she typed another email.

"Yes, I'm definitely looking forward to our 'Delayed Valentine's Day'," Kate said softly as she typed the sentence.

"Excuse me?" Conrad said.

"Oh," Kate replied, with a slight wince, "Did I say that out loud?"

"You did," Conrad replied, "and it's nothing I wouldn't have been surprised by."

"Oh, why is that?"

"A beautiful woman like you not having someone in her life," Conrad replied.

Kate felt herself blush, "Well given my line of work has me on the job 24/7 it's not easy. But Tim at least understands that."

"How so?" Conrad replied, curious.

"He's on the Presidential Detail with me," Kate replied. Damn it, I said too much.

Conrad noticed the slight regret at Kate's admission, but declined to press on the matter. Must be against their rules or something to that effect.

"Dating fellow members of the Presidential Detail is against regulations," Kate replied, "So I'd appreciate it if…"

Conrad replied, "Think nothing of it."

"So is there someone in your life?" Kate asked.

"That's something I'd honestly rather not discuss," Conrad replied.

"Okay, I'm sorry if I brought up a sore subject," Kate apologized.

"It's quite alright, you didn't know, mademoiselle," Conrad replied.

I wonder if that has something to do with his mysterious reason for joining the French Foreign Legion? I know one cliche of a reason men joined the French Foreign Legion was because of being romantically rejected. I wonder if that's true of Conrad? Kate thought.

Tim,

Like I said over the phone: Yes, I'm definitely looking forward to our Delayed Valentine's Day.

I saw something very beautiful today. The two kids, Althea and Todd, are clearly high school sweethearts and in my professional opinion as a profiler, soulmates. If you saw them you would definitely see that.

God, I miss you.

Kate

P.S. I love you.

To Be Continued...