Tropetember Day 26. Accidental Marriage with Gordon & Kayo for Sineater

The last three weeks had been brutal on them all. Even John had come down to work on rescues, and Brains had also chipped in.

They had taken to sleeping in shifts, always having at least three people ready to go at all times, until last night when Grandma and Colonel Casey had both declared that iR was on immediate shutdown for a minimum of three days when Scott was discovered asleep in the cockpit when he didn't come up to the house.

Scott had immediately decreed that he was going to bed for a week, which raised a laugh and helped them all relax at the ludicrous thought of their eldest brother sleeping more than 10 hours. John had taken the round house and banned his brothers for the entire time.

Virgil had dropped Gordon and Kayo off in Fiji, both declaring a need to blow off some steam as well as rest. He had then gone onwards to their Aotearoa home in the outskirts of Wellington with Alan after his younger brother had signed himself up for a couple of races at the speedway there, and Virgil was going as the mechanic. He was really looking forward to getting his hands dirty on something other than a rescue or ship maintenance…

Gordon and Kayo settled in their hotel suit and slept for several hours solid. It was early evening when Gordon emerged from his room to find Kayo already in the sitting room with a pot of Jasmine tea and two cups.

They took their cups out onto the balcony and watched the sun go down in companionable silence. Their planned activity required them to be down at the reef at twilight to give them enough time to double check their equipment.

Fiji promised them an experience that both were eager to participate in, one that Gordon had been looking forward to doing for years. They'd picked Bligh Water, between Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, for their night dive for two reasons – the crystal clear waters and marine life was the biggest pull, but knowing that an old WASP buddy of Gordon's would be their guide certainly played a part in their decision.

Tea finished, they dressed ready in their shorty and rash vests and sandals, grabbed their bag with their clothes in and made their way to the meeting place where they spent the next half an hour checking all their equipment and going over the dive plan.

Kayo had dived many waters around the world – mostly with iR as Four's backup pilot when Gordon or Scott wasn't available, and a few recreationally – but this place took her breath away. For the permanent grin on Gordon's face he obviously felt the same.

They saw red brittle stars among a huge diversity of corals and anemones. Fish of all kinds of colours and sizes, including several sharks and Gordon's childhood favourite – the clownfish. There were yellow and purple Anthias, and many more in a huge array of colours. Turtles swam lazily by, unbothered by the manta rays or the white-tip reef sharks or tuna.

But one of Kayo's favourite parts of the dive was when they came to the 'wall' on the large pinnacle at Mellow Yellow, a sheer drop covered with corals and small fish. She could see more turtles and some dolphins, and they watched them speed through the water…and suddenly there rose up a humpback whale.

And then the dive was up.

Reluctantly they returned to the land, changed out of their wetsuits and into some beach clothes to while the rest of the night away at the beach party that was already in full swing. Gordon's friend promised to drop their suits off at the hotel.

Fiji had a reputation in some circles for having a quieter nightlife than neighbouring Bali and Phuket but the reality was they had a thriving club scene both on and off the beaches, and in some cities they even had night markets.

Gordon led Kayo through the throngs, admiring her emerald green bikini and the ivory sarong wrapped around her hips. Kayo was also smiling that his usual pink-orange Hawaiian shirt and orange shorts combo had been replaced by a brighter pink and red combination.

They should have clashed but the colours worked well, Kayo reflected, as they both did. No one had been more surprised than them both when Gordon asked her out and she'd said yes, but they had grown up together, they already knew each other very well and they had just clicked.

The dancing was insane and just what they needed to finish unwinding. They lost themselves in rum and beer, in the heat of the night and the heat of the bodies and in the beat, beat, beat.

…

The comm woke Kayo.

She lifted her head and groaned at the spinning sensation but the noise didn't stop. Kayo turned over, slapping Gordon in the process. He didn't even make a noise. She had to climb over him to reach the comm which…was on the floor?

Kayo hung half out of the bed and slapped the comm repeatedly until John's hologram popped up. His grin widened as he took in his sister's dishevelled state. Kayo stuck her tongue out and John laughed.

'What do you want, John?'

'I wanted to check that you and Gordon were alright.'

'We are still asleep.'

'I think you should wake Gordon up, Kayo.'

'Why?'

'We need to talk.'

With that ominous threat Kayo yanked Gordon's pillow out and whacked him hard several times until he stirred.

'M-up. I'm up.'

'Wake up, Gordon.'

'John? Kayo? What's going on?'

There was a knock on the door. Kayo looked to John and he nodded, and she opened the door to room service bearing fresh coffee. If John had been there in person she would have kissed him.

They cradled cups and sat on the bed, leaning on each other as the waited for John to speak. John, bless the man, waited until they'd drunk some of the coffee.

'Now, are you both more awake?'

'Yes, John. What's so important that you had to wake us up?'

'EOS called me this morning. Asked me why you'd both want your birth certificates and certificates of single status.'

'Wait – what?'

Kayo and Gordon looked at each other. John's holo was joined by Scott's. They were both grinning like loons. They looked at each other and chorused:

'Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Tracy!'

Kayo choked on her coffee while Gordon spat his over the bedcovers.