A gentle spattering of light came in from the window of Treya's bedroom. As it flickered on her face, she was slowly pulled back to consciousness. She could feel warmth beside her and her arm was wrapped across someone's chest. Then, the memories of last night came back to her with a welcomed inner glow. As her eyes opened, she gazed at Jack who was sleeping soundly on his back, his arm snaked under her neck and the pillow. She smiled and snuggled closer to him, watching his chest as it rose and fell with his every breath. For a long time, she just watched him, but as her hand moved gently over his chest, his eyes opened slowly, looking at where he was and then turned to look at her.
"Good morning," he said with a sly smile.
Her own smile brightened. "Good morning to you too," she said.
"How long have you been awake," he asked, noticing that she didn't remotely look as if she'd woken up only a moment before him. There was no blurriness in her brown eyes.
"A few minutes," she replied, with a playful smile.
"A few minutes, huh?" he replied, gazing at her; his arms growing just a bit tighter around her. "And what were you doing for those few minutes?"
She giggled softly. "I was watching you sleep."
"Really now?" he replied as he moved more over to his side to watch her face more easily. "I think you should have woken me up."
Her eyes sparkled. "Yeah?" she replied.
"Oh yeah..." he said as he caressed her cheek and kissed her passionately. "This is much better than sleeping." he added just above a whisper before kissing her again.
As Jack and Treya sat across her dinner table, each eating breakfast and drinking juice and coffee, her eyes kept roaming to him and smiling. His own smile was evident.
"What?" he asked her, with a twinkle in his warm brown eyes.
"I was just thinking about last night... and this morning..." she replied as her smile was filled with a devilish delight as she sipped at her raktajino.
His smile grew. "Maybe we'll have to have a repeat performance," he replied, taking a bite of eggs.
She giggles again. "I'd like that." Suddenly, she put her mug down with a thud onto the table. "Oh my god!" With that, she immediately was on her feet and went to a table she kept her brother's journal hidden in.
"What is it?" he asked, with surprise at the turn around in her reaction. He put down his fork and watched her as she returned with the book.
"I think I know where to start looking for the temple of light! I can't believe I didn't see the clues before!" she said excitedly, turning to one of the middle pages in the journal. "Michael left the clues right there! A world with two moons, in a system of 7 planets... The planet itself would be full of history and covered with water - lakes, streams, oceans... and the ancient beliefs would have been water and sky spirits!"
"And the importance of these details is?" he asked her curiously, and a bit confused.
"They're talking about Vedara!" she said. "It all fits!"
"Vedara?" Jack replied with surprise.
"That's a few days from here with a shuttle, right?" asked excitedly. "I could rent a shuttle and be--"
"Hold it," he replied. "Maybe it's not such a good idea for you to go."
"What do you mean?!" she asked, as surprise and disbelief entered her eyes.
"Well... Look what happened to you last time," he replied.
"But--"
"Now, I'm not telling you not to go, I just think that... Well, maybe someone should go with you," Jack replied. "Someone like me. Hell, I can even take you myself."
She was stunned silent for a moment as images of her rescue went through her mind and how she had almost died on her own shuttle. Had it not been for Jack... Yes, she would prefer not to do this alone and who better to have with her than Jack Jordan, the man who had saved her. Slowly a smile crept across her face.
"You mean that?" she asked.
"Of course!" he replied. "I wouldn't have offered otherwise. I just can't stand the thought of... well, of something happening to you."
She went to him, sat down on his lap and kissed him. "Thank you."
"Besides, I think Charger misses you too," he smiled.
She laughed for a moment and kissed him again, but then her smile vanished. "I just had a terrible thought. What if we find the Temple of Light and Michael's not there? What if the people that have Michael kill him because he won't tell them where it is, or they kill him if he does?!" Her voice was beginning to get more hysterical.
"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on!" he replied. "First off, you don't even know if anyone has your brother, and secondly, even if you do find the temple, you can use it to barter for him."
Treya's brown eyes gazed at him, misting with tears. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost Michael," she said softly.
Tenderly he wiped a tear from her face and leaned forward so their foreheads touched. "You won't," he replied, hoping he was telling the truth. "If you want, we can leave tomorrow, first thing in the morning."
"Why not today?" she asked.
"Supplies," he replied and then smiled. "I also thought a little more diversion would be fun... and good for you too."
"Diversion?" she asked softly, her brow arched, but her smile returning. "Like what?"
With that, he took the opportunity to kiss her once more.
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