Sail the Open Seas.... uh Bay

[Ironclad]

The roar of the speedboat's engine filled their ears as the speedboat raced through the water, Mason making the boat go up to 80 miles per hour on the water, making it hop over the waves. "Wooo hold on Dollface!" he yelled to his girl, glad he made her wear a life vest with the speed he was driving to and the way they practically flew over the waves at some points. They had to stick to a basic speed by the bay, but now they were more in the wide open Atlantic he was able to make them go as fast as ever.

After the split from Aideen and Logan and dropped off the clothes, Mason decided to take advantage of being so close to the shore and take Tracy out on a speedboat. He did it only a couple of times beforehand, and that was Brock's doing. When Mason, Kelly, and Brock would go out on long weekends together, it was usually them staying at one of Brock's many houses that his father owned. The one he remembered the most was at the house in the Hamptons right on the shore, and Brock took them out in his boat with a good couple of girls. Those were old times though, and a lot had changed since then. Either way though, Mason still had a blast on the speedboat and knew that Tracy would like it.

The early afternoon was still sunny and bright, and with the sun beating down on them it was warm enough for him to leave his jacket off. Though Boston wasn't known for its bright and sunny weather, they must have seriously lucked out to get such great weekend weather. The vast ocean space was their own, and right now it was just them and the open ocean. "How you holding up Trace?" Mason yelled over the roar of the engine and sound of the wind.

[HeartString]

Holding on tight as the boat slapped it's way across the tops of the waves and her overflowing life-vest strained to contain her bouncing breasts she squealed out giggling. "Hey! I'm good baby, but I thought you said you knew how to drive one of these thingies! Are we maybe going a little fast?" She was only slightly scared and yet she smiled as she realized she was getting all wet... from the salty spray off the bow of the boat of course, as it cut it's way out to deeper waters.

Looking back Tracy saw the darkness on the horizon behind them and knew it was the shadow of a hint of the land behind them. "Hey Mason?" she stood and reached a hand out to grab hold of her knight and pull herself up to stand by his side. "You know where we're going, or are you just winging it?" She wrapped her ams tight around his arm and nuzzled her head against his shoulder.

[Ironclad]

"We're winging it Doll, its the spice of life," Mason said slowing the boat down and bringing it to a stop. He stopped it at relatively the place they had in mind. They were just far enough from the shore to have total privacy, but at the distance the had a great view of Boston. He released the latch that held the anchor and let it drop as the boat rocked to the waves a little hard, but it was slowly calming down. Mason stood on the boat and looked around, quite please with this little plan and took a deep breath of the sea air. "Now this is pretty nice huh?" he said turning to look at Tracy, a grin breaking out on his face now that they were alone.

He wanted to get them away on their own, because that what this whole trip was for. He wanted to spend some time alone with just his girl, after weeks of only stealing a quick 30 minutes alone with her before someone else came in and ended it. Now it was day time and just the two of them. "C'mon Doll, I got something for you," Mason said and opened the door to the boat storage and produces a large towel and a bottle of champagne with two plastic glasses. "I know we shouldn't spoil our dinner or anything for later, but I think we can afford some of this fancy stuff." He took the large towel and laid it out on the front of the boat. He reached out his hand to Tracy to help her climb up over the controls and get settled.

Mason grabbed the champagne and the two glass after he threw two large pillows to her. He climbed up to settle next to her and grinned. "See I told ya it would be a weekend of me keeping you to myself. You're dating a really selfish guy baby," he said and popped open the champagne, pouring each of them a glass. He settled back against the large pillow, looking at Boston from a distance. "This is the life huh doll?" Mason put an arm around her and took a sip of the champagne as the boat rocked slowly with the wind whipping against their heads.

[HeartString]

"I really have to say, I love this selfish side of you." Tracy came and sat down kneeling with Mason as he popped open the bottle of 'fancy stuff'. "Wow, I've never had 'THE DOM' before... heh, Moet et Chandon, just like in that Queen song. You know, 'Killer Queen'? I used that for my floor routine the year I made Nationals and was going to go to the Olympics. You would have tripped over your own tongue, it was hot." She smiled thinking back to how cool it would have been to have gone all the way, to test herself against the best on the planet... to see if she was worthy of the gold. She sat for a moment remembering, and with just the slightest melancholy behind her eyes she let the dreams of her past fade in the salty sea breeze.

"I wonder sometimes, you know..." she said wistfully "..where we'd all be if we never had the X-gene. Do you ever think about who you'd be now, or what you'd be doing if you weren't a mutant?" She did wonder about it, mostly when she was so exhausted and helping with the aftermath of some gory tragedy. It was such a burden for her at times, but not now. Now she was so happy to be her, she didn't know of any other girl as lucky as her, so the sparkle returned to her eyes in a flash as she grinned at Mason. "Silly huh? But never mind all that, I'm excited to taste it."

She got all bouncy and rubbed her arms as she hugged herself. "It is the spice of life, boo. Excitement and the finer things, with you, some peace and quiet, and no problems or missions hanging over our heads. Oh my God, Mason, this has been the best weekend so far and... and I don't want it to end. I love how you want to be with just me, how you go that extra *ahem* nautical mile? I mean, look at you, bringing us all the way out here to spend some time alone, just us two. You are incredible." She leaned forward to plant a deep kiss on his lips, her hands holding on to his face just ever so gently to steady herself from the rocking of the boat.

[Ironclad]

Mason grinned when she pulled away from his lips, holding on to her deeply curved hip to keep her close to him. "I told you Trace, I got a lot to make up for. I know I already said it, but I am sorry for not giving you any time the past couple of weeks. You don't deserve that, and I hated being away from you," he said putting his glass securely under the windshield wiper to secure it in place. He reached his hand up to cup her cheek, using his thumb to brush the soft skin of her cheekbone.

"And you ain't silly at all, heck I wonder the same things too sometimes." Mason laid back on the pillows and looked up at the clear sky with the bright sun shining on them. "You were on your way to being a Worldwide Champion Trace, and you woulda done it too. Me? If Jean and Cyclops had never come to get me from that shithole... man I don't know where I would be. I know I wouldn't have finished school, probably dropped out and doing God knows what. Them coming to get me was probably the best thing I coulda ever hoped for in my life. I mean let's face it, I probably woulda never left the old neighborhood if it weren't for them," he said with sigh, rubbing her hip. "You know, I also woulda only known you the few times I saw you on TV at the Olympics. Believe it or not, I don't think I would have liked life as much if you were never in it." He grinned at her slightly and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"The way I see it, I'm in paradise right now. I got you in my life, I'm doing stuff with my life that wont land me in jail. Well kinda," Mason smirked slightly thinking of his street racing. "I may have not liked it in the beginning, but Jean getting my dad sober enough to have him sign me over to them was the best thing that coulda happened. I don't like thinking what ifs when there ain't no lighter side ya know?" He wasn't really expecting an answer and just enjoyed the time with his girl in the sun with the boat rocking gently from the waves. "We got it pretty good now though huh? We had a good way in the school, things the past couple of months had been going really well, except for some stuff here and there. It'll all be taken care of though..." Mason's voice trailed off for a moment, lost in thought on the things said and just enjoying himself too much to bring up the more bitter things in life.

[HeartString]

"Uh, Mason...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." Tracy knew all about his past, but in the moment she had forgotten. Being all caught up in some stupid story about some part of her life that never became much of anything. It didn't seem to bother him though, as she looked at him she smiled and slipped her life vest off for only a minute, since they were anchored she felt like snuggling and warming up on her beau.

"Yea, I think paradise is just about the perfect word for it." She giggled as she took the champagne he handed her "I have to agree, we do have it pretty good. It gets tough from time to time, but you know I think its tough for everybody sometimes so that's to be expected... and hey we are doing our part to save the world right? So it gives me a good feeling even though it sometimes gives me nightmares."

She said it in a light joking sort of a way as she poked him in his ribs and wiggled her finger to tickle him. "I know it's here somewhere.. where's that tickle spot?" she just tried it for a second before stopping and sitting up. "Okay, wait- since this is like the most perfect weekend I can remember, and this is Dom Perignon, I think we need a toast. Uuuumm... okay I got one. To love not wasted, and lips never left unkissed."

[Ironclad]

"Here, here," Mason said and clinked his refilled cup with her, drinking the champagne down in one long swallow. "Aahhh this is some good stuff. Gotta thank Aideen for dropping the name to me earlier." He reached back to secure the plastic wine glass under the wiper again. "Can't leave those lips unkissed now, huh." Mason his head up from the pillow and kissed her soundly, taking advantage of that cute sweet little mouth. "Mmmm this is some good champagne," he said when he broke away, moving to lay back down. His arm snaked around Tracy's waist to pull her down next to him.

With the slow sway of the boat and the sun shining on them, Mason was totally relaxed, not something he was prone to be at all. In the middle of the ocean there was no one but them, he has nothing to worry about. He had no issue talking freely then about anything, and he was thrilled to just be spending time with his beautiful girl. For several moments, Mason let himself lapse in silence, enjoying the feel of his girl's lovely curves against his side, the sound of the waves hitting the boat and the sea wind soothing their flesh from the hot sun. If it wasn't for the fact that he was enjoying running his hand up and down her sides.

"You know what gets me thinking sometimes Doll? What the hell this life has in store for us in the future. I mean stuffs liable to change at any minute, and new stuff comes up all the time. But when ya think how different everything is now than it was even five years ago, ya gotta wonder you know? Like if the same people in your life now will be there in another five years and stuff." Mason said with his eyes close in a relaxed voice. "I don't know Trace, but with the lives we lead you can't help but wonder stuff like that ya know?" He turned his head to kiss her forehead lightly.

[HeartString]

Tracy smiled at him as he mused about the future. "Aww Mason you are too cute." she reached up to smooth her fingertips over his cheek. "I guess we'll deal with things as they come but I hope to stay in your life, in everybody else's life too, but mostly yours. I wonder sometimes though, will we stay at the school? Will we be asked to join the X-Men?"

"I mean we all thought that Cortex and Network would be asked to join them, but they got passed over. I never heard the details of why, but I don't know, guess we could ask them tonight? Uh... no maybe not. That wouldn't sit well I don't think, what with Logan there and all. I would like to know, I mean I could feel the way it hurt them but it seems they did alright for themselves." She snuggled up closer liking the way her body pressing against his made them both feel.

"So then I suppose the future is what we make of it? Within reason of course. It's the unexpected things that come up and challenge you that really show what kind of a person you are." She was about to show him what kind of a girl she was, as something 'almost' unexpected was coming up and she grinned at him ready to face the challenge. She wanted it to be amazing though and she was sure it would be. Her man was not selfish when it mattered most, and she kissed him as her hand slid down his rock hard abs.

[Ironclad]

"Cute huh?" Mason breathed out with a raised eyebrow, but nonetheless not stopping Tracy's ministrations. He only moved to take the champagne and put in behind the glass in a place it would be safe, before his hand moved to the back of Tracy's top. The bright warm sun that beat down on them and the cool wind that rocked the boat in sync together was a new atmosphere that allowed the two lovers to give in to their passion without fear of discovery, though some might argue had one been made the they would have not given it a second thought at this point.

It wasn't until a good deal of time later that Mason had to reach down to do up his pants. "Heh, we may be out here alone but if anyone just watched us through a satellite, they got one hell of a show huh Doll?" he said with a grin, reaching over to pass his windbreaker to Tracy so the wind wouldn't give her a chill. "You just remember next time Reyes gives you lip on having a caveman of a boyfriend. I was the one who set this stuff up, I think that gives me hell of a lot more brownie points in the romance department." A smirk was on his face now as he pulled the sunglasses down over his eyes and settled himself back on the pillow.

This whole having a steady girlfriend thing was still new to him, Tracy technically being the longest relationship he ever had. It wasn't all that bad though, it made him more stable. He wondered what Dylan and Mike would say when he saw them again. He had changed a lot since he knew them, for the better though. Taking over as Captain gave him a lot more responsibilities and forced him in a way to get the last of his stuff together. Mason was not naive enough to think that he was done. He knew he still had a long way to go, but he was willing to take it.

"There's sandwiches in the cooler in the little storage thing by the wheel. I figured we could have some lunch, dinner is a good while away," he offered putting an arm around his head and keeping the other one around Tracy's waist. He was too content to move, and he had a burger but as far as he knew Tracy didn't have anything to eat and he didn't want her to starve.

[HeartString]

Tracy wrapped herself with Mason's coat and snuggled into him more, nearly purring with relaxation. "Okay, I think I burned off breakfast so I guess I could nibble a little on a sandwich." She mulled it over for a moment in her mind, not really wanting to move just yet, letting everything they two of them had done to each other play back in her memory. After a long soak in the bubble-bath of her fond memories she giggled a little and sat up.

"Are you kidding? If I tell her then she's gonna think you're getting soft... and you and I both know that is sure not the truth." She blushed at her own double entendre as she slid out of his grasp with a kiss on the corner of his smile. "But really Ariel is funny about stuff. She might just shrug and pretend she doesn't even care to know, but hey, if you want me to brag on you I'll be glad to. I'm totally impressed, really Mason..." she said as she grabbed a sandwich and rushed back to sit down next to him and open the neatly folded wax paper it was wrapped in.

"..and for the record, I love the caveman you are. You can club me over the head any old day of the week." She grinned as she looked at him over top of the opened sandwich. Peeling the slices of bread apart to see what it was she was about to eat she glanced down into the mystery of the sandwich and laughed happily. "Hahahaa you remembered. Chunky peanut butter and Marmalade sandwiches, like my granddad used to make when we'd go visit him in Maine on the lake."

"Oh Mason you are incredible!" she leaned forward and kissed him, with all of her heart she loved him. All the talk of their friends from years ago had her wondering how it was effecting her man. It seemed it had taken him back to the old days as well, and knowing that even though he was a pain in the ass to her when they were first teamed up he had actually remembered the details of her past was an amazing revelation. "You remembered? I am really blown away." She took a bite and the sea air and the taste of the chunky peanut butter and the orange marmalade mixing together gave her a sense of nostalgia. "Mmm, that takes me back."

[Ironclad]

"Mmmm... you're lucky girly, I got a decent enough memory to remember," Mason said still laying back and moving a hand to Tracy's thigh, rubbing the soft flesh with his thumb. "That and I remembered since Aideen brought that all natural chunky peanut butter and it reminded me when I was packing lunch." He chuckled slightly and continued rubbing her thigh leisurely, totally content at this point.

There was a moment of silence as Mason's thoughts swirled through his mind. He was too content at the moment to bring up any long term troubles, and he wanted to keep Tracy in a content mindset too. "You happy Doll? And I don't mean just now like in general. It ain't a big help that I been more short tempered the past couple of weeks. Shit's been hitting the fan lately, and I gotta know how you're dealing with it." His hand stopped moving on her thigh, just resting his hands on her warm smooth fresh and he turned his head to look at her through his sunglasses.

"You know, as hard as stuff can seem now at home, I can't help getting a feeling that something bad is gonna happen soon. It's weird, cause I ain't paranoid or anything, you know that Doll. But that last two days at school, there's been some weird feeling gnawing at my head that somethings gonna happen. And I'm asking you now if you're happy now with all this, cause I'm getting a feeling that whatever happiness there is will be tested." Mason was so relaxed at this point that he let his guard down and opened up a bit about the thoughts that had been swirling in his head.

[HeartString]

Suddenly, sensing the emotions Mason was emitting, she found herself admittedly scared and not completely certain of what he meant. "Uh, I'm not sure I get what you're saying Mason? Are you trying to tell me.. what.. like you want to break up or something?" It was all of the sudden an out of the blue stab right through her heart and she didn't even realize it until she tried to say another word but she was silently sobbing.

"I- fuphh- I know things get -fuphh- weird at home, but *sniffffle*but what do you mean the end of OUR happiness???" She used all of her willpower to reel herself in, to take hold and grab control of her emotions. *SssnniiiFFF* "I, I... oh god, I'm sorry. I feel the shock in you now." She wiped her face of tears and got hold of her breathing. "You didn't mean what I thought you meant." She leaned forward and threw her arms around him. "Oh wow- you freaked me out for a second. I just got broadsided, thought you were doing that hiding yourself from me thing again... oh wow.. Oh Mason, I'm sorry I feel so dumb... you meant with Brock and Aideen and, and Logan, huh?"

She ran the petal soft pad of her ring finger under each of her eyes to wipe the last of the sudden shower of tears and blew out the remaining distress over what fear of the misunderstanding she had just had of Mason's words. "I didn't even connect the dots really on that, I've been so caught up in the moment with you. I have never had such a good time being with someone before as I have had this past weekend with you, so you have to forgive me losing focus. I'm so used to being all bottled up and stretched tighter than a drum. I feel like up till this weekend I haven't had any time for myself to do what I wanted since I was a little kid."

"I always tried to live my life for everyone else and please as many people as I could and now... you know... I like this, this right here.. I really like just being in this moment. Just us, just two people without anyone else to worry about, adrift on an ocean with no cares." She looked up into his golden intense eyes, feeling his love for her and his concern for their friends as well. "But I can't be that selfish anymore can I? I guess the reality of our life is that there is always something coming to get us, always another battle to fight, another life to save or to take, or another friend to say goodbye to unwillingly."

"If you're asking me if I'm happy with you then you really have to know the answer is yes... if you mean am I happy that your ex-friend is going to try to pull his crap with our newest friend and find himself being gutted by her boyfriend who we can't let on we know about... then I guess the answer is no. That I am far from happy about." She kept looking into his eyes, staring and hoping for some ray of hope, for some glimmer of change to be shown to them both in the near future. "Is that what you're asking?"

[Ironclad]

"Well uh, yea in part Doll... hey come on none of those tears," Mason said using a thumb to wipe them off her face. "You know better than to think something like that. I told you when this whole thing started, that I'm in it for the long haul. So no more tears and any of that stuff. Got it doll?" He held her stare for a moment, looking at her the way he did at his team when he wanted to get a point across, but a bit more tender now than the normal look.

"That's it okay, we're done on this, cause it ain't gonna happen okay?" Mason never planned on touching that subject again. "Now I'm happy with us, you know that. I'm talking about everything outside of us. Yea in part its that whole thing with Aideen and Brock and Logan, but it ain't just that. It's like I said, a bad feeling I'm getting thats all. Kinda like I knew when I got that call to come back a couple of months ago that it was bad, and its like I'm getting that feeling now again. Just something in my gut," he said his hand back on her thigh and rubbing it soothingly.

"Don't be thinking about how you need to be there for everyone else now Trace, this weekend is for you. And hey you already started standing up for your power, and its just a first step to many more. We ain't worrying about no one but us, we're just talking right now." Mason gently grabbed her thigh and brought her forward in front of him, turning over on his stomach so he could lay his head on her stomach comfortably, just for the sake of being close. "Mmmm... how could ya think I'll leave ya? I'd miss this too much," he murmured nuzzling her bare soft stomach and placing a kiss above her belly button. "Na Dollface, this is one of my favorite spots ever. I'm just talking about some weird feeling I been having, but its probably nothing."

His torso was settled between her legs in a position so he wouldn't crush her while his hands moved up to her sides, resting their comfortably. "Stuff back there doll, well its something thats always on my mind, no matter what. Yea I'm worried about Aideen, and I don't think that Logan's gonna hold out all that much longer. And Cyclops... aw shit when he finds out its gonna be bad." Mason nuzzled her stomach again and kissed the skin. "Can't blame me for thinking on it, it could break the team apart."

[HeartString]

"I'm not so sure of that . I know it would make things strained and Wolverine would probably wind up wanting to go on one of his famous 'walk abouts' but with Aideen there I just don't think it would come crashing down so hard." She stroked his face with the smooth cool back side of her nails ever so softly and slowly. Her fingers played across his lips and his cheek and up to his hairline where they danced their way through his thick dark hair. Tucking some stray hairs behind his ear she spoke "It may be hard for Cyclops to face, but we are all growing up. Aideen may be young, but only in years, in experience she seems a bit older than.. oh I don't know, Kitty maybe."

Her thumb found the point dead center between his eyebrows and started to massage away his stress. Moving across his forehead to smooth out the lumps of distress she said in soothing tones. "It's gonna be a problem, sure, but they are grown enough to trust that they can handle it themselves. I know it will strain things, maybe even come close to the breaking point, but we can be there to keep it from snapping. We'll do our best to close the rifts that might form, hey it's just another day for The World's Hottest Healer and her sexy ass Superfine Gunslinging Team Captain Boyfriend. Like you said, you can't worry about it now, so don't."

"Please Mason, just put it out of your mind and be here with me now. In this moment, just you and I alone. Promise me?" Her eyes held such concern for him as she looked at his rugged features. "It doesn't make you any less a great leader, you know you need time off too. So if this weekend is for me then I get whatever I want...right? If I'm not mistaken that is how these things go." She held back a smile but Mason could see it there, she wasn't very good at holding back a smile.

"At least it's how they go in all the books I've read and movies I've watched. So, what I want right now and for the rest of the weekend too if you can do it, is for you to stop worrying about the school and the future." Her stare held his eyes for a long moment as the waves lapped at the sides of their little boat pulsing in time with their heartbeats. "I'm over here doing my best not to worry... just like you said, so I'd like you to join me in that... okay? Promise?"