The boat gained speed again. They had stopped a few kilometres away from the harbour of Cairns, so the girls could get on board and change after their swim. In Cairns, they would take the plane to Sidney which meant at least four hours with only water to drink for hydration.

Lena, Anja, Vanessa and Cass were discussing shopping opportunities, while Brett, Mick and Froggy played cards. Mick gave Jason another strange look, then left the game to join him in at the bow of the boat.

"So," Mick said slowly and wriggled his eyebrows. Jason crossed his arms in front of his chest, knowing exactly where this conversation would lead to. "You and Neri, you will share a hotel room?"

Jason shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time," he responded in a neutral tone.

Mick scratched his head in confusion. "And no Sex?" The annoyed look Jason gave him was ignored. "She's not underage or something? By the laws of her planet?" Mick asked.

Jason shook his head and rolled his eyes. "No, she's not. And the sex-drive is considered to be a natural urge just like breathing. There is no such a thing as a virtue issues or religious damnation."

The second he told Mick he already regretted it, for now, Mick was staring at him.

"Geez, what's wrong with you?" he wanted to know. "I mean, Neri's hot and your girlfriend and all!"

"Did it ever occur to you that it's none of your business? Like at all?"

Mick rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, well, Vanessa may have pointed it out – once or twice."

"Then why can't you just leave it?"

Mick bit his lip and shifted from one foot to the other. "Come on, Jase!" he begged. "I mean, you are with an alien girl from another planet! You can't mind me that I'm curious."

"Mick," Jason replied sharply, "I will not talk to you about Sex or my relationship with Neri, for that matter. Cut it out already! I'm serious," he warned him when Mick opened his mouth in protest. "I'm gonna throw you overboard!"

Mick held his hands up defensively. "Sorry, mate! Wait – are you guys okay?" he asked then.

The sincere concern in his voice made Jason's anger vanish and he was left with only some frustration and annoyance. Through the glass windows of the steering cabin, Neri and Mera came on deck in casual clothing. Jason's and Neri's eyes met and smilingly, he held out his hand to signal her to come over. She wore a pretty white sundress with red flowers but for all he knew, she could wear a potato bag: the sight of her would still make his heart skip a beat.

"We are," he answered Mick's question when Neri approached them. He put an arm around her. "We are more than okay," he ensured Mick while still looking at her. Neri wrapped her arms around him, her head resting on his shoulder and Jason turned back to Mick. "We may have issues like every other couple and we will solve them together. On our own time, in our own way. The two of us."

The grip around his waist tightened and Mick smiled at them. "Well, you're not like every other couple," he said, putting his hands into his pockets. "You're Jason and Neri. You're like Barbie and Ken! It, you know? I cannot imagine the amount of pressure which must be on you. You had and still have to deal with so much on your own. I – and I think, I can speak for the others as well, – we want you to know that you're not. Alone, I mean."

"Thank you, Mick," Neri said sincerely and he blushed.

"Will you back off now with the Sex-topic?" Jason asked. "Or do I have to call for Vanessa?"

Mick quickly shook his head and made another defensive hand gesture. "Please don't," he pleaded. "I was hoping to get lucky tonight! Please don't spoil it for me!"

The boat slowed down and turned around to park in backwards. Mick winked and went to the others who got ready to leave the boat.

"Get lucky?" Neri wanted to know. "Does he want to play a game?"

"Yap," Jason responded, "he does."

He hesitated, then slowly turned around to face her, strangling her by putting his hands on the railing at each side of her. "Getting lucky means getting sex," he said, his heart racing while locking eyes with Neri. It was the first time, he directly addressed it with her and he couldn't tell yet if he felt comfortable with that.

"Like having a naughty?" she asked, grinningly reminding him of Brett's comment back in Vancouver.

He sighed, rolled his eyes by the memory and nodded. "Yes, the same as in getting laid, having intimate relations or root …"

Neri cocked her head to the side. "You have a lot of words for mating."

"Yeah, and lately it seems it's a lot on their minds as well," he replied and gave the others a quick look.

"And not on yours?"

Their eyes met and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Of course, it is," he said slowly and closed the few inches of space left between them. "Look, we have to get off the boat to catch a flight now but we'll talk about it later in private."

"Promise?"

"Promise."