Jack dropped the quinjet on the shore of the giant lake. He picked an area away from

Accordly. He didn’t want a fight with the fish people. He had his passengers

disembark with the equipment before moving the quinjet out to the middle of the

water and letting it float there.

He changed into the Phantom Detective and passed himself through the ceiling to

stand on the roof of the quinjet. He should have brought easy chairs.

Or at least one for himself.

Laura floated the fishing group to a landing on top of the quinjet. She looked around

at the expanse.

“We’re fishing from here?,” she asked.

“Yep,” said Jack. “If you guys had brought your bathing suits, you could swim.”

“What bathing suits?,” asked Matilda.

“They were included with your new clothes,” said Jack. “Elena, Caroline, Emily, and

the guys don’t have any but you girls do. They are back at the Hangar in your

closets.”

“We should go back and get them,” said Matilda.

“We’re here,” said Jack. “It would make us look bad to go back for clothes. We can

do without swimming.”

“You can just change our clothes into bathing suits,” said Elaine.

“Or have the Enterprise make them for us with the thing in the wall,” said Elena. Yoff

barked in agreement.

“I don’t know why I should do this, but okay,” said Jack. “I will set up a changing

booth on the shore so you can change your clothes to bathing suits. Will that make

you happy?”

“It will be a good use of your ability,” said Elaine. “I might even try one of the

smaller ones.”

“I would like to see you in one of the smaller ones,” said Jack. “I would really like

that. All right, I’ll fix you guys up a changing room if you want. It should be a snap.”

“And how is this plan supposed to work?,” asked Elaine.

“I’ll go over and put it up on the shore,” said Jack. “Laura ferries you guys over one

at a time, you change, Laura ferries you back. Then we fish, and swim if you want to

do that.”

“And you’re not going to change?,” said Elaine.

“I will consider it for you,” said Jack. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “As soon

as we fill the bucket, Angelica can show us how to prepare fish for an outdoor

cooking.”

“Should we take some back for the Missus?,” asked Angelica.

“Josie will have to feed herself today,” said Jack. “Let me get started on this. The day

is wasting away.”

He changed into the Falcon, and winged over to the shore. He changed back to

normal and looked for a good spot to put his changing booth. He found a piece of flat

land in sight of the quinjet. He nodded to himself this was where he wanted to put the

booth, and maybe a natural dock to use to swim around.

He changed into Magik. He drew a ring in the dirt with a stick. He embedded the

spells he wanted into it.

He walked to the shore. There had to be better people capable of manipulating the

dirt, but he decided that he could stretch the ground out into the water, even pulling

up support from the lake floor. He nodded when he was done with the building part.

He let the persona go and walked back to the ring. He stepped into the ring. His Black

Panther shirt and jeans became swim shorts. He stepped out and back in to change

things back.

That should take care of that.

He changed back into the Falcon and flew back to the quinjet.

“Everybody who wants to swim can step into the ring and change clothes,” said Jack.

“The pier is to give you something to swim back to while you are in the water. Now

I am going to fish, and maybe nap.”

He took his pole and stepped down on the wing. He threw the hook into the water and

leaned back against the engine cowling. It was time to enjoy the peace and quiet of

the world.

A few minutes later Elaine settled by his side. She threw her hook on the other side

of the wing. She settled against him, using him for a brace and pillow at the same

time.

“What do you think about just spending the rest of our days like this?,” asked Jack.

He adjusted his upper body to wrap an arm around his beloved.

“I think the Society would take your watch and send you home if you thought about

doing such a thing,” said Elaine. She smiled at him. “But this is nice. I’m glad that we

have the time to do this when we could be turning Josie loose on some unsuspecting

governmental body.”

“Nothing says surprise like some major general’s head blowing up,” said Jack. He

smiled quietly. “What do you want to do in the future? I’ll still have this crazy

adventuring job, but we can get a place of our own, have kids, maybe try to get them

to get professions that aren’t as dangerous as mine.”

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

“I thought about having children, but it’s something I never thought I would be

pursuing,” said Elaine. “I don’t think I would be a good mother.”

“I think you would be a great mother,” said Jack. “It’s my own fatherhood that I think

will fail.”

“Do you really think so?,” said Elaine. She reached up to stroke his face.

“Yes,” said Jack. “But I think Springsteen had some words that apply here. If you’re

rough enough for love, honey, I’m tougher than the rest.”

“We’ll see about that,” said Elaine. She straightened enough to kiss him on the cheek.

“If only we had the lake to ourselves, there are things we could be doing.”

“Remember that when we have kids,” said Jack. He grinned at her. “My parents say

that’s a feeling that comes every day.”

“I imagine so,” said Elaine.

Jack’s line tugged. He waited for a bit before pulling a fish out of the water. He put

it in the bucket to flop around while he unhooked it and hurled his line back on the

water.

“So we have dinner for us,” said Jack. He settled in, looking out over the water.

“We will have to catch a lot more fish to feed Josie’s fledglings,” said Elaine.

“If I get desperate, I will do something to kill a bunch of fish in one shot,” said Jack.

“I think that would be considered cheating,” said Elaine.

“Would you think less of me if I did?,” asked Jack.

“It depends on how hungry I am,” said Elaine. She smiled at his expression. Her line

started hopping around. She waited for the right moment and pulled a fish out of the

water and dropped it in the bucket. A few seconds later, the hook was floating on the

surface again.

“We should be using bait,” said Elaine.

“I didn’t want to dig up worms to impale on the hooks to catch the fish,” said Jack.

“Really?,” asked Elaine.

“Worms never did anything to me,” said Jack.

“You have an unexpectedly soft heart,” said Elaine. “It’s one of the reasons I love

you.”

“How’s the fishing?,” asked Beatrice. She had changed into a swimsuit, and dragged

Budd behind her as she landed on the wing.

“We caught a couple,” said Jack. “It’s not enough for dinner yet.”

“Budd has asked me to go out with him tonight after we get back,” said Beatrice.

“I’m not running interference against Josie,” said Jack. “I thought you guys had

everything worked out. This should be a snap on the permission side of things.”

“Case and Caroline want to go with us,” said Budd.

“Definitely not running interference,” said Jack. “Elaine and I were talking about

having kids. Can’t do that if I cross Josie. She rips off other things besides ears.”

“We were hoping that the two of you would go with us,” said Budd.

“That’s a mighty big hope,” said Jack. He frowned at the two of them. “Didn’t you

guys go to a show last night?”

“Not really,” said Beatrice.

“I see,” said Jack. “It was that kind of show.”

Beatrice and Budd both blushed.

“Do we get involved with this, Elaine?,” said Jack. He rubbed the scar over his eye.

“The Society did say someone would be looking for the kids. Should we let them take

their chances?”

“How serious are you two?,” asked Elaine. She sat up straighter, and gestured for

them to sit on the wing with her and her beloved.

“I think we are serious for the two days we have been talking,” said Beatrice. “We

have made some plans for the future, barring some unforseen complications.”

“We would love to foster this into something serious,” said Elaine. She glanced at

Jack. He stared into space.

She nudged him with her elbow.

“Wouldn’t we love to foster this into something serious?,” asked Elaine.

“I think this is something beyond our abilities, honey bunny,” said Jack. He grinned

at them. “I think we need a bigger approach.”

“I don’t like this at all,” said Budd.

“Nonsense,” said Jack. He touched his com band. “Enterprise, connect me with Josie

if you can.”

“Affirmative,” said the machine.

“I’m busy, Jack,” said Josie. “What do you want?”

“The kids are taking you out tonight,” said Jack. “Grab some idiot who doesn’t know

you and meet them at the theater where Elaine and I went for our show. Don’t worry

about feeding them. I’ll catch enough fish for that. Just be there to take them in and

find them seats.”

“Why would I agree to that?,” said Josie.

“Because I told them it was your birthday so I could get some alone time with

Elaine,” said Jack. “Remember to wear a dress. Cut the call, Enterprise.”

“Affirmative,” said the machine.

“Enterprise, do not accept any transferred calls from Josie unless there is an actual

emergency involved,” said Jack.

“Affirmative,” said the machine.

“You know she can just come here and talk to you in person,” said Budd.

“And then she can help me fish,” said Jack. “Until then, Elaine and I are going to

relax and watch the water, see how many we can catch on our own since you guys are

playing. Then we’ll eat and the five of you will meet Josie in town.”

“I don’t think I like this plan,” said Budd.

“Life is like the surf of the ocean,” said Jack. He showed what he meant with his

hand. “It has its ups and downs. You have to navigate the wave so you don’t capsize.

You two are smart. I’m sure you can navigate hurricane Josie. Also Bea, be careful.

The Society said there are people looking for you kids. Keep an eye out.”

“Like Todd?,” asked Beatrice.

“Or the Montrose, or Shemmaria,” said Jack. “It was a general warning, so there’s

probably nothing in place yet. When there is, I am sure a quest will be given.”

“I understand, Milord,” said Bea. “Is it the Missus’s birthday?”

“I don’t know,” said Jack. “Go have fun. Tell Case and Caroline, you are taking them

out. Might want to tell Emily to take two swords.”

“The Missus will be angry at this ruse,” said Beatrice. “You know that, right?”

“If I was scared of all the times Josie could have killed me, I would have never left

my room,” said Jack. “No matter what she says, just take her arm and pull her into the

show. Make sure you give her a piece of meat first so she won’t give more than a

token resistance.”

“We will still have Laura and the youngest,” said Elaine.

“We will stuff them with fish and drop them into their beds,” said Jack. He grinned

at her. “And then we will have our alone time.”

“That is unexpectedly devious on your part,” said Elaine.

“The army teaches you that,” said Jack.

“I would love to see the army that teaches you to cut your own arm off,” said Budd.

“Go ahead,” said Jack. He made a shooing motion with his hand. “Elaine and I have

to catch as much fish as we can.”

“Let me help you,” said Beatrice.

Fish flew out of the water. Some of them landed on the wing and flopped around.

Some fell back into the water. Jack caught as many as he could and dropped them into

the bucket. He filled it in short order.

“It looks like we have enough to hand over to Angelica,” said Jack. “Kind of defeats

the purpose of just hanging out.”

“It’s fine,” said Elaine. “Let’s see how good a cook Angelica really is.”

“Unless she hid some pots and pans in her dress,” said Jack. “It’s just going to be fish

on sticks.”

“That will be fine,” said Elaine. “This has been a good day out so far except for the

jumping out of the Enterprise.”

“You did great with it,” said Jack.

“I know,” said Elaine. “I cheated a bit to be honest.”

“You cheated?,” said Jack. He handed the bucket of fish to Budd so he could gather

their fishing poles. “Say it isn’t so.”

“Channeling air is remarkably easy when you are afraid and falling from a great

height,” said Elaine.

They stood on the back of the quinjet. The others splashed and played in the water

next to the dock.

“I hope you guys enjoyed this,” said Jack. He looked in a circle, examining the water.

“Tomorrow, we go back to work.”