~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter One

~~~~~~~~~~~

Calliope jumped, smearing her lipstick across her face when she heard the sudden pounding on her hotel room door. "Come on Calli, we're going to be late!" She then heard the deep voice on the other side yell through the door.

"Damn it!" Calliope cursed softly. She grabbed a tissue, trying to clean up the lipstick on her face without ruining the rest of her make-up as she walked to the door. Although she already knew who was at the door, she quickly checked the security hole and saw Adam fidgeting from foot to foot as he waited for her to open up.

"About time." Adam grumbled when she finally opened the door and let him in. "Are you ready? We have to get going to meet Chris and Chase before catching that flight to...where the hell are we going again?"

Calliope rolled her eyes and sighed with exasperation. "Puerto Rico. Tickets go on sale for the special pay-per-view that is being held there in two months. You and Chris are going down there to promote it." She told him as she walked back into the bathroom. She liked Adam, who was a well known Wwf wrestler better known to most as Edge. But sometimes he could be a little more than overbearing. And this was one of those times.

"And by the way, we have more than a half-hour before the limo arrives to take all of us to the airport. What is your big hurry?" She asked as she wiped the lipstick off her face and began reapplying the make-up that had gotten ruined in the process.

"I want to get a jump on the rush hour traffic." Adam answered as he lowered his lanky frame into one of the chairs. He looked up when Calliope came out of the bathroom and gave him a funny look. Why the hell was he worried about the traffic? He didn't have to drive.

"Besides, the limo is already downstairs waiting. Chris and Chase are down there as well." He added before Calliope could say anything.

"Well, then grab my bags and let's get going." Calliope laughed when she heard Adam grumble, but she knew it was all in good humor. Despite the way that they carried on sometimes, they really were good friends who genuinely liked working with the other. There wasn't much that he wouldn't do for her, or her for him.

*****

"Oh great." Chase Larmore grumbled when she saw Adam walking in her direction.

"I'll second that." Chris agreed when his eyes touched on Calliope Cooper following behind Adam.

Chase spun around and glared at Chris. "Calliope is not that bad. You could at least try to be civil toward her for once since you are going to be spending the next five days in her presence."

"Hey, I try to be nice to her, but she always, always finds something to argue with me about." Chris said, knowing that it was as false as it sounded. Yes, Calliope did start some of the arguments that they had, but he was just as guilty as she was.

Chase fell silent as she thought about it for a minute. "You know what I think your problem really is, Chris? I think deep down you really have a thing for Calliope and for whatever unknown reason, you won't admit it." Chase told him.

Chris snorted, not believing that she would even suggest such a thing. "Yeah, just as much as you have a thing for Adam and just won't admit it. Ya know, maybe you should follow your own advice and try being civil toward Adam for once."

"Ha!" Chase laughed humorlessly. "Even if I was stranded on a deserted island with him, I would not be civil toward him!" She ground out between clenched teeth before she turned back around and smiled at Calliope as she stepped up to her.

Chase and Calliope had been friends since they'd met two years ago when Calliope had landed a job in the Public Relations department in the Wwf. While Chase trained her in for the job, they soon found out that they had many things in common apart from their jobs. They had the same tastes in music, food, movies, and sometimes, men. They'd become even better friends when they begun representing Adam and Chris who often traveled and did promotional work together. And most likely than not, where ever Chris and Adam went, Calliope and Chase went.

"Well, looks like we're all ready to get going." Chase said to Calliope.

"Oh, I know I am." Calliope replied, a smile curving her lips. She'd never been to Puerto Rico and had been looking forward to this trip since she was first informed of it months ago. "I just have to make sure that we have everything in order for the flight and hotel once we get there. Then we can get going."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Two

~~~~~~~~~~~

�Alright you two, geez! You are worse than children.� Chase exclaimed a short while later as they pulled up to the airport. The whole way there Calliope and Chris had been arguing back and forth at who got the window seat.

�She started it!� Chris whined and pointed at Calliope who glared back at him. Chase groaned and rolled her eyes.

�If you two can�t get along for ten minutes, how in the hell are you going to make it five days?� she asked, shooting Chris a look to shut his mouth when she saw he was getting ready to make a smart assed comment.

�So I guess we should b more like you and Adam then. Man that would be a silent trip.� Chris shot back, referring to the way neither Adam nor Chase had said a word to each other.

Chase shrugged, not even bothering to look in Adam�s direction. �I don�t particularly have anything to say to him at he moment.�

�Likewise.� Adam mumbled from his seat, speaking for the first time since they all got in the limo.

Calliope sighed loudly as she grabbed her carry on bag and stepped out of the limo, nearly sighing this time with relief. Personally, she didn�t know how they were going to make it five days alone. Usually things were fine if they had other people to travel with, but this time it was just going to be the four of them�alone for five days.

They all walked silently through the airport, each lost in their own thought. Why they didn�t get alone, it was hard to say. Chris and Adam were good friends and didn�t have any problem, and neither did she and Chase. But for some reason she and Chris fought like cats and dogs, where Chase and Adam constantly gave each other the silent treatment, neither acknowledging the others� existence.

Chase stepped up to the counter and presented their tickets as the other three stayed behind. A few minutes later she walked back over to them, looking frustrated and confused.

�What�s gong on?� Calliope asked, sensing it wasn�t anything good.

�It seems the flight is over booked and we�re being bumped.� She informed them, then braced herself for the reaction she knew she was going to get.

�What?� Chris and Adam yelled together.

�How in the hell did that happen?� Adam demanded, glaring at Chase as if it were her fault. She glared right back at him, refusing to let him intimidate him with those eyes or his height advantage.

�Gosh, I don�t know Adam. If I did do you think we�d be in the predicament?� She asked through clenched teeth, before turning towards Chris, ready to go back to ignoring Adam.

�Chris, let me use your cell phone, I have an idea.� She said, holding out her hand.

�Oh this ought to be good.� Adam mumbled under his breath, catching an elbow in the ribs from Calliope.

Chase walked away from them a few minutes so she could talk in private and after hanging up she moved back towards the group, a smile lighting curving her lips.

�Problem solved.� She announced as she slapped the small phone back in Chris�s hands. �Mr. McMahon said his private jet is still here and we are more than welcome to use it.�

�Oooh, the private jet! Way to go!� Calliope grinned at her. �Come on, let�s get going. The sooner we get on the plane, the sooner we get to Porter Rico!� she nearly bounced with excitement.

�This is gong to be a long, excruciating trip.� Chris grumbled as he picked up his bag and Chase�s.

�Be nice.� Chase hissed at him.

�Oh, and I guess that was you being sweet as peaches and cream to Adam earlier huh?� Chris grinned down at her, holding back the laugher at her rolling her eyes.

�Remember what I said, Chris.� She threw over her shoulder.

�Yeah, yeah, I remember. Not even on a desert island.� Chris said as he trailed behind her, shaking his head with a laugh.

He had known Chase since she first started working for the Wwf, and they had quickly become good friends. They were often teased that they acted more like bother and sister than Shane and Stephanie. He was very protective over her, just as she was over him. He was closer to her than anyone else, even before she had been assigned his PR. Vince had noticed the chemistry between them and was the main reason he had put them together.

Lost in his own thoughts, he hadn�t realized that he had walked upon Calliope until he ran into her, nearly knocking her off her feet.

�Watch where you�re going.� Calliope snapped at him once she regained her footing.

Christ looked down at her for a moment, then shook his head. �Then get the hell out of my way.� He threw back before moving around her and walking off.

�Very excruciating.� He reemphasized to himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Three

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Wow, this is even more posh than I imagined." Calliope gushed in awe as she looked around the interior of the jet. It was fully equipped with everything...even a good size bar.

"Yeah, and there are even enough windows so you can have your precious window seat." Chris commented, sarcastically referring back to the argument that they'd had on the drive to the airport.

Calliope spun around and glared at Chris for a moment. "Chris, I really don't know what you are trying to accomplish here. And really I don't care so would you Please shut the hell up!!!" She fairly yelled at him before she turned back around and took one of the seats by a window.

"God, I can't believe I have to spend the next five days with him." Calliope mumbled to herself as she rubbed at her temples with her fingertips in an effort to ease off the building headache.

Chase slapped her hand to her mouth to keep the threatening laughter from escaping. One thing that Calliope always did was mock Chris' catch phrases and it bugged the hell out of him.

Seeing that Chris was about ready to explode, Chase quickly got herself calmed down and placed her hand on his shoulder. She sighed with relief a few moments later when she felt him relax somewhat. Chase sighed again, this time with annoyance when Chris grumbled something about Calliope 'starting it' as he walked away and flopped himself down in one of the seats. Looking at him, Chase nearly laughed out loud. With his arms crossed over his chest and his bottom lip sticking out slightly, he really reminded her of a little kid pouting.

"Hey! Watch it!" Chase hissed when Adam suddenly brushed roughly passed her. "Do you not see me standing here? I am not invisible! Are you blind?"

Adam turned and stared at Chase for a moment, his hands clenched into tight fists on either side of his body. "I needed to get by. You were in the way." He simply stated, acting as if he had not done anything wrong. He opened his mouth to say more but was cut off when Calliope grabbed the back of his T-shirt and jerked him toward her.

"Sit down and shut up!" She ordered, pointing to the seat beside hers as if she were commanding a puppy rather than a human being.

Before she took her seat again, Calliope glanced over at Chase, who gave her an apologetic smile that she knew was in regard to Chris' behavior. Calliope returned the smile, silently apologizing for Adam's behavior toward Chase. Chase just rolled her eyes heavenward, which made Calliope laugh, which in turn made Chase laugh. She received an angry glare from Adam, and Calliope one from Chris.

*****

Chase jolted awake, hearing the sound of a soft whimper of fear two hours after the jet had taken off. She hadn't even realized that she'd fallen asleep. She looked over at Chris, who looked annoyed.

"What's going on?" She asked Chris.

"Little Miss scardy cat over there can't handle a little turbulence." Chris replied as he gestured pointedly toward Calliope.

"See?" he questioned irritably when the small jet rocked roughly again, causing Calliope to cry out in fright again. Adam did his best to keep her calm, but she was nearly hysterical.

Chase looked at Chris, her own eyes wide when the jet didn't stop shaking like it had before. "Chris, I think that this is a little more than just turbulence."

No sooner than the words were spoken, they heard the engines die. The jet hovered in the air for several moments before it began spiraling toward the earth below.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Four

~~~~~~~~~~~

�What the fu--" Chris� curse was cut off as the plane lurched forward, throwing both Calliope and Adam out of their seats and directly into Chase and Chris. He easily caught Calliope, who without thinking, threw her arms around him and held on for dear life.

Chase, on the other hand, was completely unprepared to take Adam�s full weight when he slammed against her, and the momentum of his body knocked them both off her seat and onto the cabin floor. She heard Adam swear as he tried to turn them so he would take the impact, but was unable too in time.

Although she knew the plane was going down and they were in a world of trouble, the only thing Chase was aware of was the fact that she couldn�t breathe once she hit the floor with Adam on top of her. The air had been completely driven from her lungs, and she was unable to fill them with him laying on her the way he was, but with the way the plane was plummeting, he was unable to move.

Her last thought as blackness over took her was at least she wouldn�t be conscious when the plane crashed.

***

Chris groaned softly, wondering why in the hell his bed was rocking. And the more he focused, why in the hell was his bed so hard. And better yet, why was his entire body sore.

He shot up into a sitting position, ignoring the protest his body made at the sudden movement, but the water that just splashed in his face was a little more of a pressing matter. Suddenly, he remembered.

�Shit!� He exclaimed, looking around the dark cabin, seeing it was slowly filling with water. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he was able to make out Chase, Calliope and Adam, who were strewn across the cabin.

He sighed with relief when he saw Adam stirring, and struggling to get his bearings. With the way the plane was rocking, most likely due to the ocean waves, he was unable to get to his feet, so he crawled over to where the girls lay. He quickly checked both their pulses, his own heart finally started to beat again when he found strong steady pulses in both Chase and Calliope.

He looked up when he sensed Adam kneeling next to him. �They�re going to be okay.� Chris said, before Adam could ask. �You alright?�

Adam nodded. �I guess for what we just went through. Little disoriented. Looks like we need to get the hell out of here though.� He said, motioning towards the rapidly rising water.

�Alright, every plane is equipped with a life raft, right?� Chris asked. Adam shrugged, looking around frantically.

�There has to be one! What do other people do when planes go down?� Chris said more to himself, running a hand over his face.

�Don�t really know, this is a first for me.� Adam responded, trying to fight down the rising panic he was feeling.

�Okay, help me move the girls to the seats, then I�ll look for the raft, you check on the pilot.� Adam nodded and got unsteadily to his feet. Before he could move Chris grabbed his arm.

�Whatever we do, we need to be quick about it. I don�t think we have much time.� Chris said, his eyes mirroring the fear he saw in Adam�s.

***

Calliope swatted at the hand that was tapping her cheek, frowning with out opening her eyes when she heard Adam calling her name.

�It�s early, Adam, go back to sleep.� She grumbled, trying to roll away from him. She was just about to drift off again, when her eyes snapped open, just as Adam started shaking her.

�What the hell are you doing in my room?� she demanded as she looked up into his eyes.

�Thank god!� Adam exclaimed as he hauled her into his arms and held her tight. Although Chris had assured him that both she and Chase would be just fine, he hadn�t really believed it until she opened her eyes.

�What is gong on?� she asked, as she slowly sat up and took in her surroundings. Her eyes went wide when she realized they were all in a little raft, surrounded by nothing but water and the dark night sky.

�Oh my god!� she gasped her hand flying to her mouth as she remembered. �We crashed!�

Adam nodded, hugging her tighter when he felt her trembling. �Yeah, but luckily we are all okay.� He thought it unnecessary to mention that the pilot hadn�t made it. They would deal with that if and when Chase or Calliope asked.

�But--" she started, but Adam stopped her.

�No buts. We�re going to be fine.� He said sternly, in a tone that she knew better than to argue with. Nodding, and snuggled closer to him, allowing her fears to build inside her, but for the time being keeping them inside.

Adam looked over at Chris who had Chase wrapped in his arms. She had just regained consciousness a few moments before, assuring them both that she was fine.

�Are you sure you�re okay?� Chris asked softly for the tenth time. Chase smiled weakly at him.

�Why don�t you ask me that when we�re not floating in a life raft, drifting off to God knows where.� She said dryly. For all they had been through, she knew they were extremely lucky, and although she was sure, just like the rest of them, she really was fine�all things considered.

�Hey, look at it this way,� Chris grinned, trying to lighten the mood. ��Cast Away� is your favorite move, and here you are!�

Chase shook her head, not really finding the humor at the moment. �I like to watch the movie, Chris, I don�t want to live it.�

~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Five

~~~~~~~~~~~

"I wonder if anyone knows what happened yet." Calliope wondered out loud to no one in particular.

"Well, doesn't the pilot keep radio contact with some one during the flight?" Chase questioned in reply.

Calliope's eyes suddenly grew huge as realization set in. "Where is the pilot?" She lifted her head from Adam's chest and asked. When he glanced hesitantly over at Chris before anything, she and Chase instantly knew that he hadn't survived the crash.

Adam looked back down at Calliope, his eyes meeting hers. "He didn't make it, Calli." He said quietly.

Although Calliope had known deep down before Adam answered her question concerning the pilot, it didn't stop the tears from filling her eyes. The hysteria that she had been fighting to keep down suddenly burst forward.

"No one is ever going find us! We are going to die out here!" Calliope sobbed hysterically.

"Chris turned his head and glared at Calliope. "Will you shut the hell up! You are not helping the situation with your dramatics!" He yelled at her, the sound of her crying grating at his already shot nerves.

Chase shot Chris an angry look. That kind of behavior was uncalled for, especially in this situation where they all had to keep it together or they would all end up dead. She'd always been calm...sometimes eerily calm in intense situations, but she could certainly understand the panic that Calliope was feeling. It didn't help that barely six months ago, Calliope's parents, and her two younger sisters had been killed in an automobile accident. She'd been much more sensitive...or emotional about things since then. Without thinking Chase moved to comfort her friend. The small raft rocked precariously with her movements.

"Jesus Christ! Are you trying to turn us into shark bait? Sit down!" Adam yelled at Chase, who immediatly sat down when she realized her mistake.

Chase said nothing. She just sat there and glared at him for several moments. She had nothing to say to him. Reaching out, she placed her hand over Calliope's, giving her what comfort she could all the while never taking her eyes off of Adam. Adam looked away from Chase's. It seemed that lately Chris and Calliope's fighting had been wearing off on Chase and himself. He thought to himself that he liked it better when they were silent toward each other.

As Adam gently ran his hand over her back and talked softly to her, Calliope eventually calmed down and drifted into a restless sleep.

"So do you think we'll be found?" Chase asked Chris a short time later. She continued to completely ignore Adam.

"Of course we will be." Chris smiled reassuringly down into her eyes, although on the inside he was filled with doubt.

"Before it's too late?" Chase questioned again, putting a strong emphasis on her words.

Chris flinched slightly as Chase's words. They had been able to get two of their bags onto the raft as well, but there was no food or water in them. None of them had eaten since early that morning. It would only be a matter of hours before hunger and dehydration set in. Drinking the ocean water was out of the question as it was salt water and that would only make things worse for them. Shaking his head, Chris cleared those thoughts from his head. He needed to remain positive for her sake.

"Everything is going to be fine. I promise." Chris again assured her. One way or another, they would make it through this.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Six

~~~~~~~~~~~

Chase slowly opened her eyes and raised her head. With a soft sigh she laid her head back down when she realized that Chris, Adam and Calliope were asleep as well. She was just about to fall back asleep when she realized something was different.

She rubbed her eyes as she sat up, then she gasped. �Jesus.� She breathed softly as she looked around.

No wonder something had been off. No longer were they drifting at sea. During their slumber, they had washed up on a beach.

�Wow.� She whispered as she looked around. It was beautiful�almost like something out of a fantasy, or a Hollywood movie. She half expected to see Tom Hanks running down the beach with Wilson the Volleyball.

She shook her head, bringing herself back to reality. �Reality is so much more depressing.� She mumbled to herself as she stood up and stepped over the side of the raft, wanting, no, needing to stretch her legs.

She groaned as she muscles screamed in protest at her. �Oooh.� she muttered, gritting her teeth against the aches and pains in her body. Once she got herself standing straight, she took a moment to really look at their surroundings.

�Why do I get the feeling there isn�t a nice hotel somewhere around here.� She said to herself. The soft white beach stretched as far as the eye could see both ways, with rocks and a thick dense forest meeting the beach.

�Were you going to wake us, or just let us get pulled back out to sea.� A voice said from behind her.

Chase�s expression immediately hardened and she closed her eyes, mentally counting to ten. She had been told a long time ago that counting would give you a few seconds to calm down�it didn�t seem to be working.

She turned around and met Adam�s eyes. Instead of yelling at him, like she really wanted to do, she smiled, catching him completely off guard.

�Adam,� she said softly, almost sweetly. �You know me better than that. I would never do something like that to Chris and Calliope.�

She brushed past him quickly, walking back to the raft where Calliope was just getting out, leaving Adam silently fuming behind her.

�Where�s Chris?� Chase asked, not seeing him anywhere near. Calliope shrugged.

�Exploring, I guess.� She muttered. Suddenly her face lit up. �Hey, you don�t suppose this is like, I don�t know, the island off Jurassic Park and he got eaten by a dinosaur, do you?�

Chase crossed her arms over her chest. �Not funny, Calliope.� She admonished, although she was biting back the smile.

Calliope sighed. �I know.� She grumbled. �So, where the hell are we?� she asked, changing the subject.

�You mean you don�t have the map? Damn, who forgot to pack the map?� Chase threw up her hands.

�You starting to sound like Chris. And believe me, that�s not a good thing.� Calliope laughed.

Chase sighed as she walked over and stood beside her friend. �I know, I�m sorry. This whole situation has me a little on edge, you know.�

�Oh believe me, I know and completely understand.� Calliope said as she rubbed her temples. �What are we going to do?� she asked softly.

Chase shook her head. �I haven�t a clue.�

Suddenly Calliope started giggling. Chase looked over at her as if she had lost her mind, but she only proceeded to laugh harder. Chase looked around, hoping either Chris or Adam was near by, since she was afraid Calliope had officially snapped. Unfortunately neither was in sight.

�Uh, Calli?� she asked. Calliope wiped the tears of laughter from her face.

�Sorry, I just had a though. Here we though five days in Puerto Rico was going to be something�and look at us now!�

�Calli, we�re going to be fine.� Chase assured her, knowing she had to stay strong for her friend.

�Sure we are.� Calliope nodded. �As long as you can keep from killing Adam and I can keep from killing Chris.�

***

�Now this is much better.� Calliope exclaimed later as she sat down next to Adam. Evening was setting in, bringing with it cooler temperatures. Through out the rest of the day they had all been busy pulling the raft to safety, doing a little exploring to make sure they were safe.

Deeper in to the forest they had come upon a spring, complete with its own waterfall. They all had to agree that under normal circumstances, the island would be paradise.

�How you holding up?� Adam asked as he put an arm around her shoulders.

�Better.� She admitted, smiling at him. �Now that we�re more �settled�, it doesn�t seem so bad. Besides, I�m sure they are out there looking for us even as we speak, and we won�t be here much longer. So, for the time being, I�m going to pretend I�m on vacation.�

Adam grinned and nodded. �I like your thinking, Calli. And this place is the perfect vacation spot.�

�Exactly!�

�Uh, you know, I hate to bring it up, but I�ve noticed that you and Chris have slipped into the kind of communication that Chase and I have.� He grinned when she winced at Chris�s name.

�We have no communication. We�re not speaking.� She clarified.

�That�s what I meant.�

�Oh yeah, well what about you? It�s like roll reversal lately. You and Chase have been at each other�s throats all day!� she shot back. �I liked it better when you two didn�t talk.�

�Now you know how Chase and I used to feel about you and Chris.� Adam told her, ducking when she took a playful swing at him.

�You know, if you gave Chase half a chance, you�d realize how great she really is.� She suggested, a hopeful look on her face.

�I�m sure.� Adam grunted.

�I�m serious, Adam! I�m sick of the constant arguing, and we honestly don�t know how long we�re going to be here. You need to at least try and get along with her!�

�I thought you just said we wouldn�t be here long.� Adam countered.

Calliope rolled her eyes. �You know what I mean.� She ground out wearily.

Adam fell silent for a few moments, then sighed. �Alright, I�ll make you a deal.� Calliope eyed him warily but motioned for him to continue.

�I�ll try to be nice to Chase, and not get into constant arguments with her, IF you promise to do the same with Chris.� He said. He cut her off when he saw she was getting ready to say something. �This includes having a conversation with him. No more silent treatments.�

He couldn�t help but chuckle when her face immediately fell. �Oh all right, fine.� She reluctantly agreed. �It�s a deal.�

She and Adam both looked up when Chris walked over to them. He barely spared her a glance as he said, �I was thinking we should probably go through our bags and see what kind of supplies we have.� He said, looking at Adam.

Calliope clenched her fists when she saw the look Adam shot her way. Taking a deep breath, she got to her feet and forced a bright smile for Chris.

�That�s a wonderful idea, Chris!� she said a little too cheerfully. �I�ll just go get Chase.� She turned and started through the trees to the spring, where Chase was taking her turn washing off.

�Huh?� Chris asked, looking completely dumbfounded as he stared after her retreating form.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Seven

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You know Calliope really isn't as bad as what you think. Maybe instead of always yelling at her, you should try to get to know her." Adam said softly to Chris, who was still staring in confusion in the direction where she had disappeared into the jungle.

"Easier said than done, Copeland." Chris tried to disagree, but fell silent when Adam shot him a look of reproach. "Well, it would make things easier." Chris admitted as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"And things would be even easier if you and Chase tried to get along." Chris said after a few moments.

"Yeah, you area right." Adam agreed and saw the shocked expression on Chris' face. He thought about telling Chris about the deal that he'd made with Calliope, but decided against it at the last second. Chris was more apt to get along with Calliope if he thought that she was being nice to him on her own accord. Adam was snapped out of his thoughts when Chris suddenly burst out laughing.

"What?" Adam questioned.

It took Chris a moment to get himself calmed down again. "It's just kind of funny...Yesterday morning Chase said that even if she was stranded on a desert island with you, she would not be nice to you. I wonder if she still feel that way."

Adam just shook his head, laughing softly as he rose to his feet. "Let's go get the girls and see what we all have in the bags."

*****

"Hey Callie, what's up?" Chase called when she saw her friend approaching the pool of warm water that she was still lounging in.

Calliope sat down on one of the rocks bordering the edge of the spring and smiled. "Well, Chris thought that it would be a good idea to go through the bags and see what we all have." She replied, still smiling.

Chase's mouth fell open, her eyes growing wide with disbelief as she listened to Calliope speak Chris' name, minus the venom that usually accompanied it. And not only that, but Calliope also seemed to be agreeing with what Chris had suggested. That was certainly a first.

"Are you feeling all right?" Chase asked as she eyes Calliope intently.

Calliope gave Chase a funny look. "Yeah...why?"

Chase just shook her head, still confused by Calliope's odd behavior. "No reason. Just wondering."

"Okay then," Calliope began as she stood up again. "Meet us out on the beach when you get done."

Chase smiled at her friend. "Okay, I'm just finishing up here. I'll be there in a few minutes."

*****

"Well, it's a good thing that we are about the same size." Calliope said to Chase as she opened the zippers on her bag. Hers had been one of the ones that had been retrieved, along with Chris'. "I brought plenty of clothes, things that us women need, and I even have two bathing suits so we can take a dip in the ocean tomorrow."

Digging through the contents of her bag, Calliope brought out the two swimsuits. "here this color suits you better than me." She commented as she tossed one of them over to Chase. Her face began to burn when Chase held up the bathing suit and looked at her with her eyebrow raised.

"A thong bikini, Callie?" Chase questioned, unable to believe that Calliope had bought something like that. She wasn't sure that she could wear it herself.

Calliope shrugged at Chase's expression and smiled sheepishly. "I wanted to get a good tan." She said softly as she held up the bikini that she still held in her hands. It was exactly the same as the one she'd given Chase apart from the color.

Chase laughed. "Well, I think you'll definitely get a good tan in that." Chase paused for a moment and looked over at Chris. He and Adam had been watching their conversation in silence.

"What do you think, Chris? Think Callie will get a good tan in that suit?" Chase questioned, having to bite her lip to keep back the grin when she saw the expression on his face.

"Uh...yeah. Definitely." He mumbled after a few moments. He watched as Calliope looked away, her face turning bright red.

Adam shocked himself when he looked over at Chase and found himself imagining what she would look like in the bikini. The color of it perfectly complimented her dark hair and darkly tanned skin.

"Adam!" Calliope said for the third time.

He was abruptly snapped out of his daydream when he heard Calliope's voice speaking to him. "What did you say?" He asked, still dazed by the images that had flashed through his mind.

Calliope sighed in exasperation. "I asked you what you guys have in Chris' bag. We're also going to need to do some more exploring see if there is anything beside coconut tress around here. Because we're going to need some kind of food. I'm hoping for a banana or maybe an orange tree as well. I have a lighter in my bag so we should be able to fix a fire to cook fish on that we catch. And have you guys thought about finding or making some kind of shelter? We're going to need it if there is a storm. I'm sure they get pretty fierce here."

Adam shot her a look, reminding her of their deal...No more fighting...No more silence. "Well Callie, why don't you ask him yourself?" Adam suggested, a huge grin on his face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Eight

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chase bit her lip to keep from laughing, easily reading the silent message that passed between Adam and Calliope. Chris on the other had was completely oblivious, his eyes still on the bathing suite that was in Callie�s hands. She also didn't miss the look in his eyes as they went from the suit to Calliope.

Calliope shot Adam a glare before turning her eyes to Chris. She cleared her throat, effectively gaining his attention. She flashed him a smile, covering up her own embarrassment, having seen where his eyes were.

�I was wondering what you have in your bag.� She repeated, gesturing towards the suitcase with her hand.

�Oh, um�� Chris fumbled with the zipper as he swore to himself for letting a piece of fabric get to him like it was. "A tiny piece of fabric." he thought to himself. By this time he was nearly ready to rip the suitcase open when at it still wouldn�t cooperate. Chase snickered then stepped forward and took the offending item out of his hands, opening it effortlessly herself.

�Here.� She handed it back to him with a cheeky grin, earning herself a nice glare from Chris in the process.

�Thanks,� he grumbled, not really meaning it . He mentally shook himself, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. �It�s the stress of the situation.� He silently told himself.

Chase peered over his shoulder as he started fumbling through his stuff. She rolled her eyes and groaned. �Jesus, Chris, how many leather pants to you need?�

�I�ll have you know that only one pair is mine. The other�s his.� He pointed to Adam. �Picked them up yesterday when bought mine.�

�Oh yeah, I nearly forgot.� Adam reached forward and pulled out the new pants. �Sweet, man, thanks. Did you have enough or do I owe you more money?� he asked.

Chris gave him an odd look. �I really don�t think that�s an issue right now.� He said, shaking his head at his friend.

�True.� Adam grinned.

�What is with you two and leather pants?� Calliope asked.

�You mean you can�t tell?� Adam asked, a hurt look on his face, but he was fighting the grin that was threatening to break through.

�Yeah, and if you look in the Internet, women say I have a fine ass�especially in leather pants.� Chris put in.

�I�ll say.� Calliope said to herself, not loud enough for the guys to hear. Chase, who was standing next to her turned wide eyes on her, one eyebrow raised.

�I heard that.� She whispered, causing Callie to blush furiously and look away.

A few minutes later, once they were done going through the bags, Chris stood up and looked around. �Well, I�d say we�ve got about an hour left of light, if we�re going to look for some food, we better do it now.� He said, looking off towards the trees.

Calliope stood up with him, shocking herself and everyone else when she said, �I�ll go with you. Adam, why don�t you and Chase stay here and start a fire?� she looked directly at Adam, sending him the same message he�d been sending her earlier. Adam had to fight not to groan out loud, knowing he�d been had.

�Sure.� He answered. Chris and Chase looked at each other uncertainly, wondering what and the hell was wrong with their companions.

�Alright.� Chris said almost reluctantly, eyeing Callie suspiciously. �Let�s get going.�

Chase watched quietly as Chris and Calliope disappeared in the woods. She then turned to look at Adam, who was also watching after the two, hoping they both made it back alive and didn�t kill each other.

�Alright, now much did you pay her to be nice to Chris?�

Adam turned sharply, ready with a comeback, when he paused long enough to see the smile, and not the normal animosity in her eyes.

�I guess she just decided to try something new. She sure has thrown Chris for a loop though hasn�t she?� Adam asked. Chase laughed, and for the first time Adam noticed how nice of a laugh she had.

�I haven�t seen him that confused in a long time.� She giggled, remember the look on Chris�s face. �I guess she�s right though. Nothing good will come out of arguing constantly.� She sighed.

�Wait a minute. Are you saying you�re going to be nice too?� Adam asked, throwing his hands up in mock disbelief.

Chase shook her head with a smile. �I�ll try.� She grinned. �But only if you do too.� She said pointedly.

�Hey, I can be nice. You�re the one who wouldn�t be nice to me even if we were stuck on an island.� Adam quoted Chris. He nearly burst out laughing at Chase�s expression, admiring the way her cheeks reddened.

�Oh god, I forgot I said that!� Chase exclaimed, covering her face with her hands. She peaked at him through her fingers, relieved to see he was smiling. �I�m sorry about that.�

�You�re apologizing to me?� This time he didn�t need to fake his disbelief. Now this was definitely a first.

Chase tilted her head as she looked up at him. �Yeah, I guess I am, but if you ever tell anyone else, I�ll deny it to the grave.� She swore, causing another chuckle to come from him. Suddenly she realized she liked it when he laughed. And that smile�she�d always known it drove women crazy, but it had never had an effect on her before, until now. At least that�s what she kept telling herself.

�Maybe it won�t be so hard being nice.� She thought to herself.

Realizing she was staring, she quickly looked away. �Come on, let�s get the fire started before they get back.� She said as she squatted down to search for the lighter in Calliope�s bag.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Nine

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, uh...What are we looking for?" Calliope asked Chris, trying to start some sort of conversation as they walked through the jungle. The silence between them was so dense that it was nearly suffocating her. And although, she wouldn't admit it, she needed something to get her mind off of the visions of Chris' backside in leather pants out of her mind.

Chris stopped and looked at Calliope, still unable to believe that they were actually getting along. He was shocked when he found that he liked it.

Chris sucked in a sharp breath when his eyes locked with Calliope's. For the first time he realized what a beautifully unique color they were. It was a bluish green color that reminded him of the ocean. Without realizing that he was doing so, Chris' eyes swept over the rest of her. Her skin was a light golden tan that reminded him of the sun. Her hair was as soft, smooth, and perfect white as the sand on the beach, She was like a tropical paradise all by herself.

"Chris!"

Chris jumped back a step, startled when he heard Calliope's voice break through the thick fog clouding his brain. He quickly raked his fingers through his hair and his hand over his face in an effort to get his thoughts cleared. What the hell was happening? Suddenly Calliope was making all rational thought rush from his mind. This was something that he would have never...ever...expected to happen. But it was. And was exhilarating and confusing, and so much more all at the same time.

Giving himself a mental shake, Chris forced his mind to focus on the matter at hand. "Did you say something?" He asked, hoping that his voice didn't come out trembling as much as he was on the inside.

"Yeah, uh..." Calliope trailed off, suddenly not remembering what she had just said to him when her eyes touched on his and she saw the way he was looking at her. She felt her stomach flutter as her heart started racing in her chest. Closing her eyes, Calliope took in a deep breath and slowly let it out before opening them again. Finally she remembered what she had asked him...or something close to it anyway.

"What's the plan then?" Calliope asked, thankful that her voice came out steady and even.

"Well, let's see if we can find a couple of long sticks or branches. I have a pocketknife in my bag that we can use to carve them into spears. We can use them to catch fish." Chris explained what he was thinking."

"Mmm...Sounds like a good idea." Calliope told him with a smile. Her cheeks flamed red when her stomach suddenly gave a loud rumble at that moment.

Chris gave her a smile that weakened her knees. "Well, it sounds like we better get right on that."

"Oh shit!" Calliope exclaimed a short time later as she tripped on a rock and fell into the back of Chris, who was walking ahead of her on their way back to the beach where Chase and Adam were. Chris quickly spun around and caught her before she fell fully.

"Ow." Calliope whimpered softly as she held onto her ankle. "Why didn't you warn me about that rock there?"

"I did." Chris told her. "You must not have heard me."

Calliope thought back to just a few seconds ago and realized that she did remember hearing him say something to her, but as she'd been walking behind him, she'd been too busy staring at his behind. Not only did he have a fine ass in leather pants, but it also looked damn fine in the tight pair of Levi's that he was wearing as well.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked as he sat down on the ground, pulling her down until she was on his lap. "Let me take a look."

Until that moment, Calliope hadn't realized that Chris had caught her and that she was still in his arms. She looked up into his eyes and all of the pain that she'd felt just seconds ago instantly disappeared when she saw those beautiful blue pools. "Yeah, I think I just twisted my ankle a little bit, but I think it'll be okay." Calliope said in a rush as she tried to get up. She didn't know what scared and confused her the most; the way Chris was looking at her, or the way that she was reacting to him and being in his arms.

"Damn it!" Calliope cussed softly when she tried to stand on her ankle and intense pain shot through it.

"Here, lean on me." Chris said as he jumped to his feet and put an arm around her waist. Then, picking up the sticks that they'd found from the ground where he dropped then to catch her, he and Calliope began making their way back to the beach.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Ten

~~~~~~~~~~~

�How�s your ankle?� Chris asked as he sat down next to Calliope, who was devouring one of the fish they had caught earlier that morning.

�Much better.� She told him with a slight smile, yet finding herself unable to look him in the eyes. �I woke up this morning and it seems to be fine.�

�Good.� Chris murmured. They both fell into silence, each sighing with relief when Chase came over and sat down a few minutes later.

�Don�t tell me you two are back to ignoring each other.� Chase complained.

�No, Mom.� Chris answered causing Calliope to giggle at the look Chase shot him.

�I was just making sure.� Chase stuck her tongue out him. �So, what�s the game plan for today?� she asked.

�Adam and I are going to try and build some kind of shelter.� Chris answered.

�The two of you?� Calliope asked, her voice filled with disbelief but her eyes were shining with mirth.

�This ought to be fun to watch.� Chase snickered.

�Hey, hey, I thought you were going to be nice.�

Chase turned and looked over her shoulder at Adam who was standing there bare chested, beads of water still clinging to his body from his morning swim in spring. Her mouth went completely dry and she lost her ability to think or speak.

She turned back around, her eyes wide, and her cheeks immediately burned when she saw the knowing grins she was getting from Chris and Calliope.

�I�m being nice.� She mumbled.

�Hell if I get any nicer I�ll have to jump him right here and now.� She though to herself. She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing those thoughts were making her turn even redder.

�Well, why don�t you boys work on the shelter, while Chase and I go look for some more food.� Calliope suggested, jumping in after seeing her friend needed some rescuing. �Then when we get back, we can add some womanly touches to the shelter.� She grinned.

�Great idea.� Chase exclaimed, jumping to her feet and all but running to the edge of the woods where she stopped and waited for Calliope to catch up, keeping her back to the group.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, but all she saw was Adam standing there. The sudden urge to go back, grab him, and lick all the droplets of water from his body was so overwhelming, it nearly suffocated.

�You ready?� Calliope asked, trying not to laugh when Chase jumped. She nodded and started ahead, not saying anything. Grinning, Calliope hurried to catch up.

�Something wrong?� Calliope asked when she caught up to her friend.

Chase shook her head. �Nope, I�m fine.�

�Uh huh. Mind explaining the looks you�ve been giving Adam as of late?� Calliope giggled when Chase nearly lost her footing.

�Very funny. I don�t know what�s going on with me, Callie. It�s like since we�ve stopped fighting, I�ve seeing him a whole new light.� Chase threw up her hands, not understanding her sudden attraction.

�It was almost more bearable when we were at each other�s throats.� Chase mumbled. �You know what I mean.�

�Huh?�

It was Chase�s turn to grin knowingly at Calliope. �Oh I�m sorry, I guess I was imagining the way you practically drool over Chris, or the way your eyes seem to be glued to his ass lately.�

Calliope gasped and stopped in her tracks, her mouth falling open. Chase didn�t help the matter by laughing so hard she doubled over, holding her stomach.

Straightening up, Chase wiped away the tears as she tried to catch her breath. �I�m sorry, but the look on your face was absolutely priceless!�

Calliope crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. �I have not been staring at his ass.� She denied lamely.

�Sure.�

Calliope groaned and buried her face in her hands. �What�s happening to us?� she cried.

�Hell if I know. Must be something in the water.� Chase shrugged helplessly as they continued walking.

***

Adam and Chris sighed simultaneously as they watched the girls disappear. Adam rubbed the back of his neck as Chris ran his hand over his face, both of their expression confused.

�She�s going to be the death of me.� Chris said softly as he stared after Calliope.

�Tell me about it.� Adam answered his own eyes still on the spot where Chase was just a few seconds before. Chris looked at him and they both grinned. �Wanna explain what the hell is going on?� Chris asked, hoping Adam could clear things up a little.

�Me? Shit, I was hoping you could!� Adam exclaimed.

***

�Damn we�re good.� Adam boasted, a huge grin on his face as he surveyed what they had been working on for the past two hours.

�I never had any doubts.� Chris said proudly, puffing out his chest. His grin disappeared when he heard thunder rumbling in the distance. He tuned and scanned the horizon.

�What�s wrong?� Adam asked, seeing the frown on Chris�s face.

�Fuck.� He swore softly. �It�s gonna storm.�

�Then I�d say we got the shelter done just in time.� Adam answered, then grinned and punched his friend lightly in the arm. �Aww, is Chrissy afraid of a little storm?�

Chris shook his head, his eyes still on the mean looking storm clouds rapidly headed in their direction. �No, but Chase is petrified of storm. Has been ever since I�ve known her. I better go find her.�

�Damn.� Adam said softly. �I thought they would be back by now.�

�I�m going to head in this direction, you go that way.� Chris pointed. �One of us is bound to find them.�

Adam nodded as he watched Chris take off in a full run. He too sprinted in the forest, hoping they found the girls and quickly.

***

�Chase!� Calliope called, her hands on her hips as she waited for her friend to answer. She sighed and cursed when she didn�t get an answer.

They had split up, thinking they could cover more ground that way, and decided to meet back at the spring. She knew it wouldn�t have been hard for Chase to get lost, hell she�d hardly found her way back herself.

�Damn it.� She swore loudly. �CHASE!� she yelled. Her head jerked up when she heard the thunder. It had been rumbling for the past fifteen minutes, but that sounded much closer. She knew the way Chase was during thunderstorms, and knew she would be near panicked by now.

She chewed on her lip, trying to decide if she should go back to the beach and get the guys to help find Chase. Suddenly there was a bright flash of lightning, followed by a loud clap of thunder that made her jump.

�No time.� She whispered as she turned and went deeper in the forest. She couldn�t waste time now going back to get the guys.

***

�Now I know I�ve seen this tree before.� Chase groaned in frustration. She seemed to be going in circles. Every time she went one way, she ended up back where she started.

She jumped when the thunder hit, a whimper of distress escaping her as she looked around frantically. �Great. Just great.� She muttered to herself, trying to keep herself calm. She wanted nothing more than to freak out, but she knew she had to find a way to keep it together.

�Think, Chase, think.� She told herself. Just then a streak of lightning struck somewhere not far off in the woods. She cried out in fear, dropping to the ground like a stone and curling up into a little ball.

She knew she needed to get moving and somehow find her way back to the others, but she couldn�t get her body to respond. She was paralyzed with fear.

She began shaking uncontrollably as the rain started pouring down. Ever since she could remember she had been petrified of storms, although no one could ever tell her why. She always hid under her covers and somehow made it through.

�Chris.� She whimpered. Since being paired with him, he�d always been there to see her through, never once teasing her about her phobia. He�d just hold her and make her feel safe until the storm passed

. But this was different�now she was alone and outside, nothing to protect her from the elements�or her own fear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Eleven

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Calliope froze in her tracks when she heard someone calling her and Chase's name. She knew that it was a male voice, but with all of the noise from the storm, she couldn't distinguish if it was Adam or Chris.

"I'm here!" She yelled back as she began running in the direction that the voice was coming from. The next thing Calliope knew, she ran into something solid, causing her to stumble backwards and fall to the ground. She looked up just as there was a flash of lightning and saw Chris standing there. In the heavy rain, she hadn't seen him before.

"Thank God," Chris said softly as he held his hands out and helped Calliope back to her feet. "Are you okay?" He questioned once she was standing again.

"Yes, but we need to find Chase!" Calliope yelled as she pulled urgently on his hand. "She's terrified of storms!"

"There's no time. We have to find shelter!" Chris told her as he used his strength and began all but dragging her behind him as he ran in the direction where he'd seen a cave.

"Chris! We have to find Chase!" Calliope pulled back on his arm causing him to jerk to a sudden stop. The both jumped as a loud clap of thunder rumbled through the dark sky, immediatly followed by a brilliant bolt of lightning. The wind suddenly picked up, the strong gust nearly knocking Calliope off her feet.

"There isn't ti-" Calliope cut him off before he could finish.

"But Chase..." She trailed off when Chris stopped her.

Chris grabbed her hand again as stones of hail began falling from the sky. "We have to go..NOW!" And this time he didn't let her, or anything else stop him until they reached the safety of the cave.

"Adam will find her." Chris said softly, trying to assure Calliope and himself once they'd gotten inside the cave. Inside, the noise from the storm seemed miles away so they didn't have to yell to be able to hear each other.

Calliope said nothing, fear for her friend leaving her momentarily speechless. She looked away as tears filled her eyes and began to slide down her cheeks.

Seeing her tears, Chris stepped closer. When he placed his hand on her arm, Calliope tried to turn further away, but stopped when Chris reached out and took both sides of her face within his large hands, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Adam will find Chase. I promise." Chris told her, his eyes never once leaving hers.

God, he hoped he was right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Twelve

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What the fuck!" Adam cursed as he tripped over something that he hadn't seen in the middle of the path that he was running on. He tried to steady himself to keep from falling but with the muddy and slippery rain soaked ground, his efforts were useless. He fell face first into a puddle of mud and rain water.

Adam lifted his head and sat up as he looked back to where he had just come from, trying to see if he could find if he had really tripped on something or if he'd just lost his footing on the slippery ground. He suddenly jumped to his feet when he heard a faint whimper of distress coming from that direction. He knew without knowing, that it was Chase.

Adam quickly moved over to where she was lying on the ground, curled up into a tight ball, her whole body shaking uncontrollably with fear and cold. Chase screamed in fright when Adam grabbed her arm and pulled her up to her feet. But once she realized that it was Adam, she sighed with relief as she collapsed against him.

At first Adam remained motionless, but after a few moments he wrapped Chase up into a tight hug. He held her close before he pulled back and looked at her, his eyes quickly sweeping over her to check for injury. When he found only a few minor scrapes and bruises, he felt a sense of overwhelming relief.

Quickly looking around, Adam spotted a patch of dense, low lying tree branches. It wasn't the best for shelter, but at the moment, it would have to do. At least for the most part, it would get them out of the rain and now beginning to fall hail.

Taking hold of Chase's hand, Adam quickly led her over to the refuge. After they crawled underneath the branches, he was happy to find that hardly a drop of rain had penetrated the thick brush. His attention was instantly brought back to Chase when a loud rumble of thunder shook the earth, causing her to cry out in fear. Without thinking twice, Adam folded Chase up in his arms, gently soothing her as the storm continued to rage on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Thirteen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

�Are you okay?� Adam asked softly, his voice soothing as he ran his hands up and down Chase�s back in a calming motion. She was still buried tight against him, and with every flash of lightning she would jump and try to get closer.

�Chase?� Adam pulled back slightly, looking down at her. She was still shivering uncontrollably, and had yet to say a word since he found her, aside from a few whimpers of fear.

Chase took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, even if only slightly. It wasn�t until just a few seconds ago that she realized she was out of the rain for the most part. She knew someone had found her, and she had been immensely relieved, but her fear had blocked everything else out.

She nodded, her movements jerky, to Adam�s question, knowing her voice would shake just as bad as the rest of her body.

Adam sighed as he tightened his hold on her, offering as much comfort as he could. He wracked his brain and thought back to when he was little, and he would some weekends at his Aunt�s farm. His cousin, Julie, had been deathly afraid of storms�possibly even more so than Chase. He remembered that he and the rest of the family would have to try and distract her from the storm.

That was easier said that done. He made several different attempts to start a conversation, but it always fell flat when she wouldn�t answer and remain silent, tightly pressed up against him, her face buried in his chest.

After a few moments of silence, Adam started shifting restlessly. Something was bothering him, and when he realized what it was he groaned.

�Damn it. I got sand in my jeans.� He muttered to himself. He stilled when Chase stirred and pulled back from him looking him in the eyes. He could easily see the fear that was still there, but he also read confusion.

�Huh?� she whispered. She had felt him moving around beneath her, and was able to realize that he was shifting uncomfortably.

Adam gently moved her off his lap and got to his knees, giving her a sheepish grin, as he tried shaking his legs and pants as best he could. �I got sand in my jeans�and it�s itching like a bitch.� He muttered, nearly growling when all his moving only made matters worse.

His head snapped up when he heard Chase giggle. She tried to contain her laughter, but the way he was moving around and the look on his face was too much, and before she knew it, she was laughing so hard she was having a hard time catching her breath.

�I�m so glad my obvious discomfort amuses you.� He grumbled, although he was trying hard not to laugh himself. He was more than relieved to see her laughing, and seemingly to have forgotten about the storm, which in itself, although it was still going strong, it didn�t seem to be as bad as before.

�Why don�t you just take them off?� she asked after finally calming herself. �You do have something on underneath, don�t you?�

�Yeah�� he trailed off as his hands went to the front of his jeans and he immediately started working the buttons.

Chase bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing, but the mirth disappeared as soon as he started sliding the wet material down his hips. Her mouth went dry, and her heart began to pound furiously as she took in his black boxer briefs.

�Aaah, much better.� Adam exclaimed in relief, as he tossed the jeans a little ways away. He turned and smiled at Chase, who immediately diverted her eyes.

�Better?� she thought to herself with a frown. �For him maybe.� If there was one thing that turned her on quicker than anything else, it was a man in boxer briefs. The way they hugged a man in all the right places drove her insane. And the man sitting next to her definitely had ALL the right places.

�Okay, so suggesting he take the jeans off was not one of your brightest moves.� She silently scolded herself.

She jumped when she felt Adam�s hand on her shoulder. �Hey, you all right?� he asked, worried she had gone back into her trance like state. �Uh, yeah.� She answered absently, her mind drifting away from her�but not back to the storm. She found herself wondering if there was any sand anywhere else. Her cheeks flamed red and she turned her head, not wanting him to see the ways he was blushing.

They stayed like that for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts. She snapped out of her thoughts when there was a bright flash of lightning, followed by a loud clap of thunder. The storm had seemed to be calming down, so it caught them both off guard.

Chase jumped and moved closer to him, jumping again when their arms touched. �Sorry.� She mumbled, starting to scoot away.

�You�re fine.� Adam assured her as he put his arm around her and stopped her movement by pulling her closer to him. He was a little confused by her sudden odd behavior, but shrugged it away, telling himself it had to do with the storm.

At first she sat stiffly in his arms, but after a minute, she began to relax and melted in his embrace. She sighed contently as she laid her head down on his shoulder, surprising herself when her eyes started to droop. Falling asleep during a storm was something she had never been able to do.

�Wait until I tell Callie about this.� She thought to herself. Suddenly, her head shot up and her eyes were wide with fear again, only this time it wasn�t for herself.

�Where�s Chris and Callie?� she demanded before he could say anything.

�Uh, Chris found Callie, and they are fine.� He lied, crossing his fingers that he was right. He didn�t want to tell her he had no idea if Callie was with Chris, or if they were even safe. She seemed to be pulling out of the state she was in earlier, and he didn�t want to do or say anything that would put her back into it.

�Thank god.� She whispered, laying her head back down, missing the look that passed across his face. Although they had just, in the last day, started getting along, he hated lying to her. Especially about something as important as this.

�Thank you.� She said softly, looking up at him without lifting her head.

�For what?� he asked, smiling down at her. It suddenly hit him just how beautiful she was. He wasn�t stupid, he�d always know, but their constant arguing and bickering got in the way.

�For all of it. Helping me, distracting me,� she grinned, letting him know she knew what he had been up too. �But most of all for being here with me.�

�Anytime.� He promised, surprising himself when he realized he meant it.

His breath caught when she tilted her head just slightly, studying him intently. Her eyes were her secret weapons. Many times he had lost arguments with her because she would look him in the eyes and he would completely loose his train of thought. They were an amazing blue, almost like aqua, that stood out even more with her dark complexion and dark hair.

At times her eyes could be very expressive, and definitely the window to her soul. But that was only when she allowed them to be. Most of the time they were mysterious and alluring, and she was always able to keep people guessing.

Just like now. He had no idea what she was thinking, but the way she was looking at him was starting to make his blood boil, and not in the usual argumentative way.

�You know.� She said thoughtfully. �Maybe Chris was right.�

�Right about what?�

�He told me once that you really weren�t so bad. Of course I didn�t believe him at the time.� She grinned sheepishly when he laughed.

�Of course.�

�But now I�m thinking that maybe there was a little truth to what he said.� Chase smiled.

�Just a little?� Adam teased, one eyebrow raised.

Chase rolled her eyes, shaking her head. �Don�t push your luck, Copeland.� She threw back at him.

�Yeah, well, you�re not so bad yourself.� Adam admitted with a smirk.

Chase flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave him a knowing look. �I know. Hell, I could have told ya that.�

A loud clap of thunder interrupted their laugher, reminding them of why they were there in the first place.

�How much longer can this storm last?� Chase asked, fighting against the fear that was just beneath the surface.

�I honestly don�t know. Why don�t you try and get some sleep?� he suggested as he lay on his back, so that he was stretched out, but still covered by the branches, and staying relatively dry.

�Sleep?� Chase asked looking at him in disbelief. �Do you honestly think I sleep during storms?�

She shivered when he reached up and pushed a lock on her hair behind her ear, giving her a sympathetic look. �No, I guess you wouldn�t. Have you always been afraid of storms?� he asked.

Chase looked away and nodded, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on top of her knees. �Yeah, for as long as I can remember. I don�t even really know why.� She admitted.

To her surprise, she stifled a yawn, which Adam saw. Grinning, he reached out and caught her arm, drawling her down to him. She went with out protest and laid her head down on his chest, again feeling her eyes get heavy.

�I have an older cousin who�s scared of storms too. I don�t think anything caused her to be afraid of them, either. She just always was.� He said.

�Mmmm.� Chase answered sleepily, enjoying the feel of being this close to him, and allowing the sound of his voice, and the steady beat of his heart, to lull her to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Fourteen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris' eyes stayed locked with Calliope's as he took his hands from her face and ran them down over her bare shoulders and arm. Stopping at her hands, he took hold of them.

"Are you cold?" Chris asked and then felt like kicking himself for asking that. It was a stupid question really. Of course she was cold. Her shorts and tank top were soaking wet and she was obviously shivering.

Her eyes staying with his, Calliope nodded her head.

"Come here." Still holding her hands, Chris backed up until he was against the wall of the cave. He slid down until he was sitting, pulling Calliope down with him onto his lap. He drew her close against him as he wrapped his arms around her body.

Calliope sighed softly as she relaxed against him and laid her head against his chest. She closed her eyes, the strong, steady beat of his heart calming her.

Some time later, Calliope lifted her head and tipped it back to look at Chris as she wanted to say something to him. Chris had been leaning his head against hers, and when she moved, his lips brushed hers for a brief moment.

They both moved apart in surprise, each of their eyes wide at the sparks that had surged through their bodies at that brief contact. Their hearts pounding and breathing irregular, they stayed like that, each staring at the other for what seemed to be eternity. It was in reality only a few seconds before Chris snapped out of the daze that he was in.

"Sorry." He mumbled as he looked away, knowing that if he looked into those beautiful eyes, or gazed upon her lush, full lips any longer, he might not be able to keep himself in check. Just from that fleeting 'kiss' his body was responding with an iron will of its own, his emotions threatening to completely take control and drive all reasonable thought from his mind.

Calliope shocked herself even more than his lips touching hers had by the words that next came out of her mouth. "I'm not."

And at that moment, she wasn't. Feeling his lips against her...no matter how brief, or how innocent it was...it had brought feelings to her that she had thought were long dead. She had felt attracted to Chris on the last couple of days that they had been getting along. But that was all it was...an attraction. It could have been genuine or it could have been brought on by the trauma of the airplane crashing and them being stranded on this island. Maybe she had felt that was all along, but their fighting had prevented her from seeing it. Calliope wasn't really sure what.

What she was feeling right then ran much deeper than a simply being attracted to an incredibly handsome man. The desire that was suddenly raging through her body made her feel more alive than she had in the six months since her family had been killed and since her boyfriend at that time had split soon after that. Never before had she felt such a need...a yearning, to get closer. To have him...all of him.

Surprised by her words, and thinking that maybe he'd heard her wrong, Chris snapped his eyes back to hers. He knew immediately that he hadn't heard wrong when his gaze touched upon her once again. And that was all that it took. He was gone, and there was no turning back.

"Chris-" Any other words that Calliope might have spoken were stopped when Chris pulled her back against him with one arm while his other hand reached up toward her face. Cupping her chin, he tipped her head back as his lips came down to capture hers in a brutal, soul shattering kiss.

Slipping her hands between their bodies, Calliope went to work with the buttons down the front of Chris' bright, multi-colored shirt. When she had them all undone, she slid her hands inside and ran them over his chest. She felt the deep, rough groan against her hands as it rumbled through his chest. That alone was nearly enough to send her to the edge.

Calliope moaned passionately against his mouth as she slid Chris' shirt off . She ran her hands over his shoulders, down his arms, and back up before she tangled her fingers through the length of his silky hair and increased the depth of the all consuming kiss.

Pulling slightly back again, Calliope broke their kiss and put distance between them only long enough to rid herself of her tank top, and then her bra. She let out a desire filled gasp when Chris pulled her back to him, their skin coming into full contact, each of their hands roaming hungrily over the other.

She closed her eyes, her head falling back as a thick moan escaped her lips when Chris dropped his head, his mouth surround the taut peak of her breast. Sucking gently, he circled her nipple with his tongue, bringing it to hardness before moving over to the other and doing the same.

The next thing Calliope knew, she found herself on her back on the wet, muddy cave floor. She arched her back, pressing her body against Chris' as he leaned forward and caught her lips in a hungry kiss. Then, his lips leaving hers, Chris found the sensitive spot behind her ear and nuzzled it until she was squirming around underneath him; begging him to stop, and trying to get closer all at the same time.

Moving back again, Chris stared into Calliope's eyes, seeing everything that he felt mirrored there. With a deep groan of need and longing, Chris lowered his head again. Starting at her lips, he left a trail of fiery kisses as he made his way down her body so very slowly that Calliope thought she would go insane from his slow, sweet torture.

"Chris, please!" She whimpered desperately, unable to wait any longer.

Unable to wait any longer himself, Chris quickly removed the clothes that she had left on and then his own before he covered her body with his once again. After shifting their position slightly, Chris buried himself completely inside her.

*****

"Is...everything okay?" Chris asked Calliope later as they were getting dressed. She'd been cold and distant since they'd been together, having not once looked in his direction or said a word to him. He sensed something different about her...a sense of anger and regret.

"No...everything is not okay." Calliope spat out as she spun around and looked at Chris. He could see the fury shining brightly in her eyes, but if it was directed at him, he didn't know why. "This," Calliope spoke again as she gestured between Chris and herself. "Should have never happened. It was a mistake."

"But we-" Before Chris could finish his thought, Calliope cut him off.

"Yes Chris, it was incredible and amazing," Calliope paused for a moment. Hell, if truth were told, what she'd just shared with Chris had been the most amazing and fulfilling moment she'd ever experienced in her life. She'd never felt so whole, or more complete with anyone than she had at the moment when she and Chris became one...even if she'd never admit it to anyone...even herself until later. "But it should not have happened. It was just the intensity of the situation that we were in. The heat of the moment...that kind of thing. It's just one of those things that happened and it shouldn't have." Calliope finished as she busied herself trying to shake some of the dried mud out of her hair.

"You know," Chris began, his own eyes shining, his voice laced with his building anger at her throwing him aside so carelessly. "You are right. It should not have happened. I was foolish to think that you had changed in the time that we've been on this island, but you are still the same self-absorbed bitch that you've always been."

"And you are no better!" Calliope shot back at him. "You are still the same pompous...ass clown that you've always been!" Calliope insulted him using yet another one of his in-ring catch phrases.

Chris ran his hand over his face in an effort to get his temper under control. Calliope knew all the right buttons to push. "You are a nothing more than a miserable little bitch." He ground out through clenched teeth, his hand called into tight fist at either side of his body.

Before Calliope had a chance to say anything in return, Chris spun around and stalked out of the cave, thankful that the storm was winding down and not caring if she found her way back to the beach or not. And honestly, right at that moment, he wished she wouldn't.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Fifteen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chase mumbled incoherently and tried to get closer to the warmth that was wrapped around her, fighting to go back to sleep, but the deep groan that came from her �pillow� brought her back to full consciousness.

Her eyes snapped open and she lifted her head, looking around disoriented. Somewhere in the back of her mind she registered that the storm was over. In fact she must have slept through the night, since sunlight was breaking through the dense forest.

She shifted again, trying to get her bearings together. She jumped slightly when strong hands suddenly grasped her hips and stilling all her movements.

�For the love of God, please don�t move!� A gruff voice ground out, through what sounded like clenched teeth.

Chase�s eyes opened wide, and she was unable to prevent the gasp from leaving her lips, when she realized she was practically lying on top of Adam. Sometime during the night, in their sleep, they had wound up in a very intimate position.

She blushed deeply, not only from their positioning, but also from the immediate reaction of her body. And most importantly from his reaction, which he couldn�t very well hide with the way their bodies were pressed together.

�Oh god!� she exclaimed, twisting to get away, but unable to do so with his hold on her hips. His hands tightening, his fingers digging into her, and she realized her mistake.

�Chase.� He groaned in warning. He didn�t know how much more he could take of this. He�d woken up a while ago, long before she started all her wiggling around, but his body had been on fire from the second he opened his eyes. Then when she started waking up and moving around, needless to say it hadn�t helped the situation.

He closed his eyes, using all his strength to keep from rolling them both over, pinning her beneath him, and completely ravishing her body.

"Sorry,� she whispered, then cut herself off before she could say anymore when he opened his eyes. She knew the awareness and desire she saw his eyes was clearly visible in her own.

Her breath caught in her throat when his eyes got heavy lidded, his hand moving from hip to push the hair away from her face, then to gently cup the back of her head. With their eyes locked, they both started slowly moving towards each other.

�CHASE!�

They both jumped, then jerked apart, scrambling to put some distance between them after being torn out of their trance. It took them both a few seconds to realize it was Chris�s yelling that broke through and interrupted them.

�CHASE? ADAM?� he yelled again, this time his voice closer than before.

�CHRIS!� Chase yelled back as she moved out from their protective covering, unable to look back at Adam. She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself before facing Chris.

�Great timing.� She sighed to herself, unsure of if it was in relief or frustration.

Chris sighed with relief when he saw Chase standing a few feet away. He�d gotten back to the camp and had been more than a little worried when neither Adam nor Chase had been there. As soon as the sun came up, he was on his way looking for them.

Calliope still hadn�t returned to the camp, and while looking for Chase and Adam, he had gone back by the cave, glad to find she was asleep in the safety of the cave. Not that he would ever admit to Calliope that he'd gone back to check on her.

He was still so angry he could barely see straight, but at least he had a little bit of a distraction.

�Thank god you're alright!� he exclaimed as he rushed forward and pulled her into a tight hug.

�Where�s Callie.� She demanded, when she didn�t see her friend.

�She�s fine.� He answered, his voice taking a cold tone too it. He pulled back and looked her deep in the eyes. �Are you alright?� She looked to be fine, but he needed the reassurance. He knew full well how she reacted to storms, and he felt extremely guilty that he hadn�t been there with her.

Chase nodded and smiled, wanting to ease him of the guilt she could easily see in his eyes. �I�m fine, Chris, I promise. Adam took great care of me.�

She saw Chris look over her shoulder and felt him stiffen. �I just bet he did.� He growled, glaring over her shoulder.

Confused to the sudden change in him, Chase turned and groaned, knowing immediately why Chris reacted the way he did.

�What?� Adam asked completely clueless as to why he was receiving the death stare from Chris. He quickly looked down at himself, inwardly sighing with relief, seeing the few moments he�d taken after Chase went to meet Chris, had worked to calm himself down. He hadn�t looked in her direction just yet, knowing if he did he would give himself away. Then the glare he was getting might be justified.

�Where the hell are your pants?� Chris demanded, unconsciously moving to stand in front of Chase in a protective �big brother� fashion. Chase put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.

Adam grinned at Chase�s reaction, but wiped it off his face when Chris turned up the glare. �They�re wet, so I didn�t put them back on.� He explained with a shrug.

�Why�d you take them off in the first place?� Chris nearly yelled. He knew he was taking his anger out on Adam, but he couldn�t seem to stop himself.

�I had sand in them.� Adam answered nonchalantly, then turned to duck back under the branches in search of his jeans.

Chase studied Chris for a moment, then put her hand on his arm, gaining his attention. �Are you alright?� she asked softly, her eyes questioning.

�I�m fine, just a little shocked to see Adam standing there in his underwear.� He replied, running a hand over his face.

�You sure that�s all? You seem�I don�t know�on edge. No pun intended.� She grinned.

�Hey, where�s Callie?� Adam asked as he emerged once again, his jeans in hand. He�d heard Chris say she was fine, but he had expected to see her with him.

�Last I knew, back in the cave near the spring.� Chris answered. Chase saw him stiffen and glanced at Adam, who was also giving him a look, having also heard the coldness back in his voice.

�You don�t know where she is now?� he demanded, wondering what the hell was going on.

�Don�t know.� Chris replied shortly. �And don�t care.� He muttered under his breath, low enough for Adam not to hear him. He looked at Chase and saw the way her eyes widened in surprise, and groaned inwardly, knowing she heard him.

�We should go and see if she�s still there.� Adam stated, this time his turn to shoot the glare in Chris�s direction. Something had happened and he fully intended on finding out what it was.

�Be my guest. I�ll be back at the beach.� Chris threw over his shoulder as he started back in the direction he had come.

Chase stared after him. She was torn. She wanted to go with Adam and make sure Calliope was okay, but yet at the same time she felt she needed to go with Chris and see what she could find out. She knew he�d most likely bite her head off, but she could honestly say, throughout all she and Chris had been through together, she had never seen him in as fowl of a mood as he was now.

She looked back at Adam, her heart beginning to pound when their eyes met and held. She felt the heat rise to her face as she thought about what nearly happened, and most likely would have happened, if Chris hadn�t shown up.

Just looking at him was enough to fuel the fire that was burning inside of her�the fire that hadn�t been completely extinguished by Chris�s arrival. There was no way in hell she could be alone with Adam right now. She knew it, and he knew it.

Spinning on her heel she ran to catch up with Chris.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Sixteen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Adam stopped at the mouth of the cave and looked around, not seeing Calliope anywhere. He walked deeper into the cave, quickly becoming fearful for her when he still didn't see her or hear her answer to him calling her name. He stepped back outside the cave, swearing he'd kick Chris' ass for leaving her alone if anything had happened to Calliope.

Leaving the cave, Adam decided to check at the spring, figuring that if she weren't in the cave, she'd either be there, or back at the beach.

Calliope wiped furiously at the tears spilling down her cheeks when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She quickly got up and ran around to a patch of thick brush on the other side of the spring and hid there. She knew that it was Adam when she heard him calling her name, but she didn't feel up to facing anyone at that moment...not even him.

Adam stopped, his eyes searching the spring and the surrounding area. He felt worry crawl through his body when he didn't see Calliope anywhere. Where the hell was she? Adam started to turn to go back to the beach to see if she was there, but stopped when he caught a glimpse of blonde hair hidden in the brush across the spring. Relief instantly flooded his body, only to fade again as he again remembered the coldness in Chris' voice when he spoke of her. And now...why the hell was Calliope so obviously hiding from him? Adam began walking over to where Calliope was, fully intending to find out what was going on.

Calliope groaned when she knew that Adam had found her. She was happy to see him and know that he was okay, but she was certain that if he found out what she'd done to Chris, he'd hate her. She was sure that Chase would not be too happy with her either. Forcing a smile, Calliope stood up from her hiding spot and looked up at Adam as he stepped up to where she was.

The next thing Calliope knew, she found herself wrapped up in a tight hug. Adam pulled back looking into her eyes. "Are you all right? Why were you hiding from me?" he questioned, not letting her look away when she tried. Her red, puffy eyes or the still damp tear streaks on her cheeks didn't escape his attention. She had been obviously crying and he had a feeling that it was directly linked to Chris' foul mood.

"Where is Chase? Is she okay?" Calliope asked, not wanting to answer Adam's question because she knew that she'd lose it.

Adam sighed when Calliope didn't answer his question. He could see that physically, she was fine, but he worried about how she was emotionally. "Chase is fine." Adam answered after a few moments of silence where he had intently studied her. "She's with Chris." Adam threw in, wanting to see how she reacted when she heard Chris' name. He was even more confused when she reacted much the same way as Chris had when he heard her name.

"What the hell is going on, Callie?" Adam demanded to know, not being able to wait any longer.

"I do not want to talk about it." Calliope immediatly answered as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at Adam, Much the way she had done with Chris, she let the false cover of anger hide what she was really feeling.

Adam ran his fingers through his hair, obviously frustrated with the entire situation. He looked straight into Calliope's eyes. "Again I ask, What the hell is going on?"

Calliope didn't want to fight with Adam and relented somewhat. "I fucked up, okay! There now you know!" She told him, the anger still coving what she truly felt. She jerked out of his arms and turned away as she fought desperately to keep the threatening tears back.

Seeing the distress that she was in, Adam placed his hand on her arm and gently turned her back around to face him. "What happened, Callie?" He asked softly...almost soothingly. "Whatever it is, I'm sure that it can be worked out."

Calliope shook her head. "No, this can't be."

"Can't be or you don't want it to be?" Adam asked in reply. Although she hadn't said as much, he had a pretty good idea what was going on.

"I can't Adam. I really can't!"

"Can't what?"

"Get close." Calliope answered as she looked up at Adam, her body beginning to tremble. "I can't get close."

Before Adam could say anything, Calliope spoke again. "I didn't mean for it to happen...Well, actually I did...I knew that it shouldn't, but I couldn't stop it. Then afterwards, I panicked and pushed him away. I didn't mean to hurt him...I just didn't know how else to deal with what I was feeling."

Adam smiled softly down at her as he pulled her into a tight embrace. Calliope still hadn't come right out and said what had happened, but he fully understood. "Don't you think that it's time to let go of that fear?"

Calliope pulled back slightly and looked up at Adam for a few moments before she shook her head and then rested it back against his chest. "I can't."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Seventeen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

�Chris, wait up!� Chase called as she rushed to catch up with him. Instead of slowing down, he seemed to move faster. �Damn it.� She muttered under her breath.

It wasn�t until they were back at the beach when she finally caught up with him. �Hey, what the hell is your problem?� she demanded, grabbing his arm, turning him around to face her.

She knew she was pushing her luck with the mood he was in, but there was only so much attitude from this man she could take. As much as she loved him to death, there were times when their tempers would clash, and now was dangerously close to being one of them.

�What happened back there with you and Adam?� Chris snapped. He knew he was being irrational, but he needed to vent his anger some how or he felt like he was going to explode. �And don�t try telling me it was just sand, I�m not stupid.�

Chase�s eyes narrowed as she looked up at him. �That�s exactly what it was, Chris. And if it was more, since when do you care?� she shot back, confusion written all over her face. He�d never really cared who she was �involved� with before, as long as she didn�t get hurt. Not that she was involved with Adam, she reminded herself.

�You know what? I don�t.� He sneered. �So why don�t you just go on back, fuck him then throw him away. It�s what you women are good at!�

The instant the words left his mouth, he regretted it. He knew he�d gone too far. Chase gasped, her eyes going wide with shock, rage and most of all hurt.

�I can�t believe you just said that to me.� She whispered, backing away from him. Out of all the little spats they�d had, neither of them had ever said anything so hurtful to the other. She felt like she�d been slapped.

Chris grabbed her arms, stopping her from running from when, when he knew she would. �God, Chase, I�m so sorry. I�I didn�t mean that.� He apologized, stumbling over his words. He felt sick to his stomach when he saw the tears in her eyes.

�That�s a hell of a thing to say to someone and not mean it.� Chase retorted, trying to break free of his grasp. She looked up, opening her mouth, ready to really let him have it, when she saw the anguish in his eyes.

She sighed and relaxed a little. She was pissed and still hurt, but she was able to see past that at the moment, although he wasn�t off the hook for that little remark.

�What�s going on?� she asked, her voice a little shaky. When she saw he was about to shake his head, she interrupted. �And don�t even think about telling me �nothing�, cuz after that, I think I deserve some kind of explanation.�

Chris sighed, dropping his hands to his sides. �Your right. Come on, let�s go sit down.�

A little while later, after telling her everything that had happened, and after apologizing profusely, Chris looked her in the eyes, waiting for her reaction.

Her face softened, and her heart immediately went out to him. Now it all made sense. Whenever someone hurt Chris, he lashed out at anyone around him, and obviously Calliope had really done a number on him. She sighed to herself, knowing that at the same time, Callie was putting herself through hell. She couldn�t be mad�at either of them.

�Oh, Chris, I�m sorry.� She said sincerely, laying her hand on his shoulder. �I can�t imagine how that must have hurt. And not that I�m siding with her, by any means, but I�m sure Callie didn�t mean to hurt you the way she did. She was just trying to protect herself.�

Chris�s head jerked up and the fire was back dancing in his eyes. �Protect herself?� he asked softly.

�Protect herself?� he said again, this time nearly yelling it, causing Chase to jump. In one fluid movement, Chris was on his feet, his hands braced on his hips as he glared down at her. �She�s the one who wanted it!�

Chase bit her lip, deciding that now was not the time to point out that if Callie were the only one who wanted it, it wouldn�t have happened. She got to her feet also, feeling like she was at even more of a disadvantage when she was sitting and him standing over her. Not that standing really helped, since he still towered over her.

�Chris,� she tried again. �You have no idea the pain that Callie has been through. Loosing her parents nearly destroyed her, then when Scott left right after, it was a blow that I was afraid that she wouldn�t recover from. But she fought her way back, and opening up to you was a huge step for her. She�s pushing you away because she�s afraid to get close and loose you, like she�s lost nearly everyone else she�s ever cared about.�

�Bullshit! She�s using that as an excuse. I�m not here just to be used for her pleasure then tossed aside. I may have made that mistake once, but I�ll be damned if I�ll do it again.� He snapped. He held up a hand when Chase tried to say something.

�I understand what your saying Chase, and I feel for her loss, believe me I do. But that doesn�t even come close to excusing what happened. Maybe it isn�t all her fault. I could have stopped things from happened too. But I do know it won�t happen again. Keep her away from me Chase. I mean it.� He stared into her eyes, letting her see just how serious he was before he turned and headed down the beach, pausing long enough by their supplies to pick up a spear they had made the day before to do some fishing.

Chase let out the breath she had been holding, slowly. She stared after Chris, unsure of what she should do. Part of her wanted to comfort Chris, yet another part wanted to comfort Callie for what she knew she was going through, and at the same time smack her upside her head for hurting Chris.

She also knew that one reason Chris was letting this get to him so badly was more than just a bruised pride and ego. He may have denied it until he was blue in the face, but she knew he had been instantly attracted to Calliope from the moment he first laid eyes on her. Knowing she had a boyfriend only made things worse. Wanting what he couldn�t have and having her so close, yet so far out of reach made him almost hostile towards her. And from there, their constant bickering grew.

She�d never really suspected before, but now she couldn�t help but wonder if perhaps Calliope hadn�t been fighting the same attraction, and finally given into it, then pulled back, afraid of what she was feeling.

�Would make sense.� She said, thinking out loud.

Now, the only person who could calm Chris down was Calliope. And she highly doubted that Callie would be too willing to go to Chris and open herself up to him like that.

�Oh what a mess.� She groaned, rubbing her temples, trying to ward off the headache that was starting to build behind her eyes.

�Damn storm.� She glared at the sky, deciding to just blame everything on the weather the night before. She knew there was a reason she disliked storms.

She started chewing on her bottom lip as her thoughts turned to Adam. What the hell was going on there?

�Again, the weather.� She told herself. Although she was very attracted to Adam, she knew nothing could come of it, other than friendship. Nothing like what nearly happened would have even come close under normal circumstances. No, they�d still be either completely ignoring each other or at each other�s throats.

She closed her eyes, biting back a groan when she envisioned him at her throat, his lips caressing her skin, leaving a trail of hot kisses as he slowly worked his way down to�

�Oooh, NO! Bad girl!� she scolded herself, shaking her head, trying to get rid of the mental picture.

�We�re barely even friends.� She told herself. �Remember that! Now, think pure thoughts.� An image of Adam in his underwear flashed before her eyes.

�That�s it!� she fumed, spinning around and walking towards where all their stuff was sitting, safe from the weather in the shelter the guys had built.

She took a moment to admire their work before going in and rummaging through one suitcase, pulling out the suite Callie had told her to use. She needed to cool off�badly. And a dip in the cold ocean water was just what she needed.

After changing quickly, she paused to look at the suit. It certainly didn�t leave much to the imagination. Again she wondered about Callie�s intentions with this suit. �Good tan, my ass.� She giggled. Callie already had a great tan.

She poked her head out, looking around, sighing with relief when she saw no one was around. She figured Adam had found Calliope and it would be awhile before she saw either them or Chris.

�Thank god.� She thought to herself, again looking at the suit she was wearing. She wasn�t conceited, but she knew she had a good body, just as Calliope did, but the suit was a little more reveling that what she was used too. Neither she nor Callie ever tried to flaunt what they had, which had been another reason she had been shocked by Calliope�s choice in bathing suits.

After checking once more, seeing she was indeed alone, she headed off down the beach and into the cold water. She waded in a little ways, then took a deep breath and dove under. She resurfaced seconds later.

�Christ!� she exclaimed, her teeth chattering. She wanted cold, she got cold! The difference in the temperature of the ocean and the little spring was astounding.

After giving herself time to get adjusted to the temperature, she floated on her back, careful to keep a close eye on how far away from shore she was. It was then that she let her mind drift back to Calliope and Chris.

She sighed loudly, hoping and praying someone would come along and rescue them soon. Because she had a feeling the rest of the time spent on the island was going to be anything but pleasant.

Book Two of Lost Paradise
2002 K&K Productions
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