Title: GRATIA DEO

Author/pseudonym: katirene (XMP)

Fandom: SEAQUEST - 2ND SEASON

Pairing: MIQUEL ORTIZ/ARI ADLER

Rating: NC-17

Status: NEW

Archive: PLEASE ARCHIVE

E-mail address for feedback: xmp_@hotmail.com

Series/Sequel: FROM THE ADLER/BARLOW SERIES BY katirene & Paula

Other websites: OTHER STORIES IN THIS SERIES CAN BE FOUND AT http://www.geocities.com/xmp_/timeline.html

Disclaimers: MIGUEL ORTIZ, DARWIN AND THE CREW OF THE SEAQUEST ARE THE CREATIONS OF ROCKNE O'BANNON. THE SERIES SEAQUEST IS OWNED BY AMBLIN TELEVISION AND UNIVERSAL TELEVISION. I MAKE NO CLAIMS ON THEM AND THE ONLY PROFIT I RECEIVE IS THE FEEDBACK FROM THOSE WHO HAVE ENJOYED THE STORIES I'VE WRITTEN. ARI ADLER IS MY OWN CREATION AND TREYSA BARLOW BELONGS TO PAULA BEHANNA.

Notes: Funny story about this one. A year ago, there was a challenge issued on a list to which I belonged that included Tim O'Neill, a song, exotic drinks a beach picnic or bonfire and native rituals. I immediately thought of this story, but couldn't write it because I didn't have the words to the song. The next day, they were printed in my local newspaper. I didn't post it then because I felt that Ari and Miguel hadn't had long enough to get to know each other, yet, and because Tim doesn't even appear in the story. So, here it is at last.

Summary: MIGUEL AND ARI ENJOY A SPECIAL LIBERTY, AND CELEBRATE THEIR RECENT BETROTHAL.

Warnings: M/F DOLPHIN SEX, SUGGESTIONS OF SEXUAL INVITATIONS TO HUMANS FROM DOLPHINS, M/F HUMAN SEX.

THIS IS THE LAST COMPLEATED STORY I HAVE LEFT IN THE SERIES.



Gratia Deo
by katirene (XMP)

Whistling happily, Miguel Ortiz, Chief Petty Officer in charge of Sensor and Sonar operations onboard the UEO vessel seaQuest, slammed the door to his quarters shut behind him and undid the belt of his bathrobe. He smiled happily, Not that he was going to be replacing it with too much more. No uniform today, he had liberty! And maybe this time, Australia would live up to its promise, since Tim had a girl of his own to distract him, and she had liberty, too. Pulling out his swim trunks, the words to the tune rose on his lips.

"Thank heaven, la dee dee dah! La dee dee dah dee bigger ev'ry day..." Picking up his deodorant, he paused. Sniffing the faintly astringent scent of it, he shook his head. Naw. He'd noticed that the little ensign was very sensitive to some odors, and besides, they be swimming most of the day. The others were planning a beach party for the day, compleat with exotic drinks and games, ending up with a cookout and group singing around a bonfire. But he had something else planned.

He smiled at the thought as he pulled on his trunks and topped it with a tight tank top. His wet suit was in the locker down off the moonpool. So was Ari's. So, if he got there first, he'd be able to see what suit she was wearing. Trey had implied that Ari had more than the one-piece assigned outfit, but no one had seen it yet.

Thinking about it, the words to the song he was whistling echoed in his head again, as he picked up his waterproof duffle. "Those little eyes so helpless and appealing, One day will flash and send you crashing through the ceiling ..." He grinned in anticipation. When Darwin had suggested that Ari come swimming with the local pod, her eyes had grown big and brilliant with incredulous hope and pleasure. Captain Bridger hadn't been too sure about it, though. It was only after the C.O. had had a private heart to heart talk with Darwin that he'd agreed and only after getting Miguel to promise that he'd be going along as well. As if he'd miss it. Miguel scoffed at the thought. No way! Darwin had said some things about the place they were heading that had the muscular sensor chief wondering just how innocent the animal was. But he'd definitely excited the sensor chief's curiousity. And some other things as well.

This was going to be one strange liberty, though. It would be the first time he'd ever left for liberty from the moonpool instead of taking the transport into town. Ari said that she'd pack a picnic lunch to put into a tow pod, and with the scuba engines they should have no problems keeping up with the dolphins, no matter how fast they swim. Miguel reminded himself to keep close to Ari anyway, sometimes she forgot caution and tried to go too deep too fast. The trip itself would have been enough, but Darwin described a beach in the private grotto that was their destination. Altogether, it sounded like something out of one of those novels his mother and aunts were addicted to. An exhilerating swim to get the adrenaline flowing, and then something to eat. He grinned again. A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and ... Well, a guy could hope, couldn't he?

Ensign Irene Adler, Ari to anyone who knew her, finished packing the lunch into the tow pod, adding a thermos of lemonade and a brew pack of coffee. They'd be out for several hours, and she wanted to make sure that there was enough for both of them. And Miguel was a big man. Her movements slowed as she thought about the tall, handsome Cuban chief, a dreamy smile on her face. It was so nice of him to agree to come along with her. This could be the breakthrough that she'd been hoping for.

The dolphin communications project wasn't just a duty to Ari, in fact wasn't a duty at all, but was both pleasure and passion for her, one that Miguel was only peripherally involved with. That was why it was so incredibly nice of him to give up his whole liberty to accompany her on this. It was against regulations for anyone to dive alone. Strictly speaking, she supposed she should have asked Lucas to go, instead. Without his preliminary work on the vocorder, it was unlikely that Ari would be as far along with the project as she was, almost ready to publish. And he did indicate that he wouldn't mind, letting Miguel off the hook. Ari hadn't been there for their discussion, but she understood that Miguel hadn't been at all grateful for the out. At the thought, she shook her head, smiling gently. No, this was right, on more than one level. Miguel was ready, willing and able to do this, and she trusted in his strength and good sense to keep her grounded. Lucas and she were much too likely to get so involved in research that they'd lose track of the time. And besides, she wanted to be alone with Miguel. They hadn't had much time together since their exchange of the betrothal rings little more than a week ago.

Looked over the food containers, trying to decide if she'd backed enough, Ari found herself humming a snatch of music that had been running through the back of her head. Puzzled, she stopped and listened closely to herself, fitting words in until she finally identified what it was. Satisfied, she began to close up the watertight container, smiling nostalgically as she did so. A good sign. That was a song her uncle Paul used to sing to her when she was a little girl, using his most outrageously Parisien accent. Remember the frank, sly old rogue, Ari paused again, looking at the coffee pack. There was a little of that cognac left, she remembered. It would probably go into the coffee nicely, when it was brewed. And perhaps she ought to pick a few other supplies. No telling what might happen. Still smiling gently, she went to get the bottle of heirloom brandy from the secured locker. If experience was any judge, anything could happen.

Miguel sighed with disappointment when Ari stepped through the hatch, carrying the hamper. She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, after all. He should have expected it. Slipping into the water, he held out his hands to put the food container into the open pod.

"Don't seal it up, yet," Ari requested, handing it down to him. "I've got something else I want in there."

"Ok." He thought she meant the dolphin communications board or some other device, but when he turned around, he was suddenly very glad he was not only already suited up, but in the water. Ari was in the process of removing her shirt, revealing a very minimal amount of green fabric covering the essentials. She started to fold the top, then hesitated as her eyes met his.

Shyly she looked down then away. "I... I didn't have my other suit. Trey did my laundry and she said that ..."

"Thank you, Trey," Miguel subvocalized.

"What?"

"Umm, you look great. I like the suit." He could understand why she hadn't worn it walking through the corridors though, it was an invitation to any male who saw it.

"It's not too 'much', then?" she queried anxiously. Miguel laughed and shook his head reassuringly, desperate not to overplay this.

"Oh, no," he said carefully. "Definitely NOT too much." With a nod, she handed over the t-shirt and removed the shorts, while the pleased man treading water and waited. He could stow these in the tow pod once she was suited up. He did not want to miss a second of this.

Ari let Miguel lead the way out of the seaQuest, still feeling a little uncomfortable about the suit. Trey had picked it up for her a while back, this was Ari's first time wearing it, and, personally, she thought that she'd be more comfortable nude. The only real purpose this outfit had seemed to be to call attention to what was covered. On the other hand, Miguel had seemed to appreciate it. She had a feeling that he didn't realize how clear the water in the pool was.

Darwin met them outside the boat, squeaking and squealing eagerly, swimming circles around them. Ari stifled a laugh, glancing over at Miguel to share her excitement with him. Darwin looked as pleased and proud as a mother showing off her child's first toddling steps.

One of the local dolphins, a female from the size of her, met them, nudging Darwin with her snout before turning her attention to the two humans. She whistled something about the grotto and Darwin answered an affirmative, adding a squeal that didn't really translate well, but Ari thought she got the idea, though without the comm board or headset, she couldn't be entirely certain. What she did understand led her to examine her companion with a speculative eye, then blush at the tenor of her own thoughts. As he gazed back curiously, one eyebrow cocked with speculation, she felt herself blush even hotter. Trying to get away from her own thoughts, she set the controls for a dive, wondering exactly how much of Darwin's uninterpreted vocalizations the chief did understand.

More dolphins were waiting a short distance from the experimental vessel, only three or so, and Darwin managed to make Ari understand that the remainder of the pod were out feeding, herding fish to the surface to dive up throught them and trying to avoid the sea birds diving through the air for the same purpose. Either they were supremely uninterested in interspecies interactions, or Darwin had asked them to stay away, afraid that many more might frighten the humans away, send them back to seaQuest.

The ones milling around seemed to be mostly younger dolphins. As Darwin leapt forward to meet them the little probe used in the dolphin communications study, nicknamed Baby, followed closely behind, towing the capsule containing their lunch and a few personal belongings. Excitedly, he greeted the native dolphins, exchanging introductory tags and chases as was the usual practice of their kind. The female who had greeted the three of them initially seemed to regard the Navy dolphin with a faintly propriatorial air, or so Ari thought. She heard him reminding the others not to be too rough with the humans. They were rather fragile creatures, he said.

Ari listened to Darwin greeting his fellows, her amazement growing as she understood the gist of their ribald comments. She carefully did not look toward Miguel, afraid that if she did, she would clue him in on exactly what was expected to happen, and she wondered if she should cancel the outing, go on the nice safe, crew picnic. Miguel tapped her shoulder, halting her with a start. She tried to stay her distance from him, but he pulled her closer, for conversation.

"I feel a little funny," he confessed, letting go of her arm in order to pull out the mouthpiece. "Like I'm at party where everyone knows the language but me." He jerked his thumb at the milling dolphins, some breaking off to investigate their halting. "So tell me, what's up? What are they so excited about?"

Ari smiled nervously at him, glad that he didn't know how appropriate his word choice was. Now would be the time to suggest going back, if she were going to. But... there was the lunch and the other things that would be wasted if she chickened out. And she would never be able to forgive herself for throwing away an opportunity like this one. Ducking her head, she replied, regretfully, "I'm sorry, Miguel. I didn't think about that." An evil impulse took hold of her, and she compressed her lips as she added, "I guess I should have brought Lucas, after all. He's beginning to understand some of what Darwin says. But I didn't think that you..."

"NO!" The response was gratifyingly immediate and emphatic, causing Ari to look up with startled surprise. Miguel reached out to pull her closer, one hand holding the handle of the motor. "I want to be here. No where else. And I don't want anyone else here with you." Smiling he began to lower his head toward hers. Willingly, Ari raised her own up to meet him halfway, but one of the cetaceans nosed its way between, forcing them to grab for the motors with both hands and causing the two to drift apart.

"I'm glad you agreed to come, ah.. I mean, I happy that you're the one here with me, today." Ari answered, feeling somewhat breathless. "I don't really want Lucas right now." She froze, appalled by the images that formed in her mind, then shook them out with a frown of concentration. "They're ready to take off. Let's go." She waited until he had pulled ahead then put in the breather and dove after him, admiring the way his body cut through the water.

He swam so well, using his body as an athlete, but he did that no matter what. She smiled tightly around the mouthpiece at the thought. Except that usually, it was a lot harder to tell just how well his body moved and he did look so very good in a wet suit, it was so ... revealing. She wondered if he was aware of how much of his reactions were on display.

Her attention was distracted from the artistic appreciation by a squeal of glee as one of the natives tapped Darwin and took off, the others following, weaving in and out, now assisting Darwin and now obstructing the chase. The game dove deep into the murky depths. Diving down, Ari tried to keep up, but all too soon found herself at the maximum of her depth. Miguel tapped her shoulder, jerking his thumb up, a signal to talk.

Bobbing on the surface, Miguel spat out the breather mouthpiece and sighed. "Look, Ari, we've got to face facts, we can't keep up with them like this." Shrugging, she nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm sorry. I thought they'd take our handicaps into account. But I was wrong." She smiled with regretful envy. "But it did look like fun, didn't it?"

"Hmmm." Actually, Miguel thought, it looked like the start of a courting ritual. But he didn't want to say anything that would spook his companion.

"Ok, just give me a few moments, to see if Darwin comes back, and then..." It wasn't Darwin, who returned to check on them, though. A couple of the local dolphins circled around, inviting them to play some more. One of the two nudged her, the other Miguel. Ari listened, trying to follow their dialect..

"I think they're apologizing for leaving us behind. They want us to follow them and promise they won't dive too deep again." A manic grin appeared on her face. Before Miguel could react, she reached out, slapped him. Before he could react, she started the motor and took off, setting the dive controls and re-inserting her mouthpiece at the same time. The dolphins immediately dove after her. With a yell of amused outrage, Miguel started his own ride and gave chase.

As he chased the suddenly playful ensign, Miguel noticed how the two dolphins were swimming around in what seemed to be aid and obstruct patterns. Weaving in and out, now close to his quarry, now further away, Miguel fought down the adrenaline rush. The game had progressed to the point where the dolphins were making full body contact with one another and the humans, and that the males were becoming obviously excited, and not too worried about interspecies interactions either. Pulling up into a protective pattern a little above Ari, he realized that the dolphins weren't the only ones getting excited.

For a long time, they continued to play near the surface, swimming far out from the contact point. At some apparently predesignated point, Ari and Miguel were separated, each of them flanked by two dolphins and guided into a deep dive, angling down toward land. Miguel lost track of where they were, the directions they were going.

The group of them broke the surface again in what seemed to be a loud echoing chamber. Even in the dark, he knew that Ari was very close, within reach, and the sound of the scuba motor gave him his range. Quickly, he turned off the motor and turned, grabbing the girl, wrapping his arms and legs around her, holding on. He reached over and put the engine on idle, so that it would remain in one place. Ari struggled briefly, more for the fun than to get away and she managed to twist in his grasp, coming around and twining her arms around his neck, fixing her mouth on his.

Surprised, he let go of the motor and they began to sink into the water together, joined by arms and legs and mouths, while the idling engine stayed put. Reluctantly, Miguel let go, surfaced and retrieved the engine, realizing suddenly that he'd lost his when he'd turned it off. With a shake of his head at the thought of his foolishness, he pulled the flash from his belt as Ari, treading water nearby flicked on her own and began to play it around the grotto.

The underwater chamber was huge, half of it taken up by a sandy ledge in front of them. The stone columns climbed up to the ceiling far above, the bobbing lights bringing out colours that no other eyes had ever seen.

"Make for the beach," Miguel called out. Ari waved back and dove down, cutting into the water cleanly. Miguel guided the engine to the beach, glad that Ari's motor, with the smaller weight, had been the one towing their lunch..

Reaching the shallows, Miguel took a few moments to turn off the engine and pull it up out of the water while Ari detached the tow, pulling it further up onto semi-dry sand above the high water mark. Together, the checked the outer seals for leakage before opening it and setting up lights in the area. Without discussing it, they left the rest of the tow still packed and lay down side by side on their stomachs, watching the sporting dolphins.

Miguel frowned, observing something a bit worrisome. "Mmmm, Ari? Where are the others?" he asked.

"What? Oh, I don't know. Darwin's still here, and one another dolphin local." Just then, the two surfaced and the sensor chief nodded, a slow grin on his face. Why that rogue, he thought. Probably a girl in every sea. He waved with a sense of relief, knowing that the animal wouldn't abandon them here, because if he did, they'd never be able to find their way back out.

~~~~

"What do you say we get out of these suits," he suggested, suiting action to word. Ari watched him for a few moments, her eyebrows raised in some unspoken question as he removed the tight suit, then she nodded, a slow smile forming on her face.

"Probably a good idea," she agreed, standing up and reaching for the zipper. "It is rather warm in here." As she slowly peeled the tight suit off, Miguel found himself growing in agreement with her statement. It was very warm in this cavern. Feeling exposed, He lay back down on his stomach and and gazed out at the water, thinking calming thoughts. But the effort of calming himself was shatered when Ari joined him on the sand, her skin warm against his own, one arm resting companionably over his and hands intertwined. The two dolphins suddenly cannoned out, one after another and splashed back in, breaking the uneasy tension growing between the two of them.

"Looks like he's made a friend," he commented, rolling back onto one arm to look at his companion again.

"I think she's got something more in mind though," the little ensign commented, a trifle breathlessly, deliberately not looking back. Her colour was a bit high and the way she was breathing made an interesting impression on Miguel. He found his own breathing becoming rather erratic.

A thought occurred to him. A couple of times during the chase, he'd been close enough to notice her blushing as red as ever he'd seen her and he'd wondered what the conversations had been about. But even if he'd ever gotten close enough to ask her, she'd been too busy to ask for a translation. Miguel reached out his hand to trace her bare shoulder.

"That was some swim, out there," he started. "I was afraid they'd forget we weren't dolphins for a while there. Especially when one of those big males got too close to you. They made you seem so small and fragile." His hand roamed up, exerting a little pressure to make her head turn toward him toward him, getting her to look.

"They weren't in any danger of forgetting, chief." He knew that she was trying to bring a little emotion distance between them, slow things down and it occurred to him that she might be afraid. But he didn't want to slow it down, and there was nothing for her to fear. The antics of the two animals was distinctly sexual and very disturbing. Still stroking the side of her face, he leaned forward to kiss her softly.

Ari knew he was going to kiss her, but there didn't seem any way to forestall it. There didn't seem to be any rational reason to stop him either. Leaning into his caress with a small sigh, she closed her eyes.

This wasn't like the other times they'd kissed. There was no battering urgency driving the kiss, no pounding beat of music or adrenaline rush of danger or anger. Only the cathedral-like rise of the natural sea cave, the light from their flashes reflecting off the water onto the ceiling, magnified. ("Thank Heaven ...") The gentleness made it seem even more intense.

Pulling away, Ari laughed a little nervously. "What do you say to something to eat?" Reluctantly, Miguel sat up.

"I guess I am a little hungry," he agreed, as she pulled her knees under her, preparing to stand up. Jumping to his feet, he offered his hand in assistance, and they walked to the beached pod together, pulling out the blanket and spreading the food containers on it. Ari set the brew container running, fresh coffee after they finished.

Lounging each on one side, their heads meeting at one corner, like Romans at a banquet, they took turns feeding one another. Miguel managed to make Ari blush a deep crimson the first time she offered him a grape. But, to his delight, that didn't stop her from accepting the one from him in the same manner. As the food disappeared, the containers pushed off to one side, their hunger grew and their mouths dispensed with substitutes to seek true sustenance in one another. ("Thank Heaven for them all, no matter where, ...")

Tentatively, Miguel reached behind Ari's neck and pulled the knot loose, waiting to see if she protested before doing the same behind her back. He removed the top, leaning a little away to observe. Her nipples were pink and crinkled into small hard nubbins. He reached out reverently, his hand trembling a little, to touch the tip, then bent his head to lip them, taking her breast into his mouth as she moaned softly, her fingers twining into his hair, pulling his head a little closer.

Encouraged, distracting her with mouth, teeth worrying one nipple, Miguel's hand dropped to the side ties, gently pulling first one and then the other, slipping the thin length of cloth away from between her legs as she moved them slightly apart to ease the removal.

He wanted to see her. He wanted to continue touching her, being touched. Ari pushed him away, indicating that he should stand, and he did, looking down at her. She was as beautiful as he'd imagined.

Getting to her knees in front of him, Ari put both hands on the waistband of his swimbriefs and began to slowly ease them down so that he could step out of them. Her eyes were wide and frightened, gazing at his engorged manhood, and she pulled a little away.

Miguel quickly kneeled, reaching out to touch her face. "It's ok, Ari," he murmured, leaning forward to kiss her again, trying to remind her who he was. She looked stunned, frightened, a little shy and vulnerable.

Ari was afraid and worried. He looked so, so magnificent, but also, kind of large. How would ... How could he... She felt his hands on her cheeks, turning her attention to his face. His face. His tender, concerned face and those eyes, so deep that she could dive into them and never surface again.

"Don't worry," he whispered, pulling her back down on the blanket. "We'll take this slow and easy. I'm not going to push you into anything you aren't ready for yet." He stroked her sides, not touching anywhere erogenous, not yet, getting her accustomed to his touch. "If you feel uneasy at anytime, just tell me, I'll stop." And he began to kiss her, lightly, on her lips, her eyelids, her forehead and neck, moving down, seeming to worship her body with his caresses.

Ari sighed and gasped as the feather light kisses did odd things to her body, feeling the heat rise within her, the imperative to, to ... to do something. Impatiently, she pulled him back up, rolling him over and beginning her own exploration of his body, touching, tasting, examining every inch of him with every sense she had. At last, he put her on her back, and began kissing her, restraining her as she struggled to increase the pace, stroking her, raising her to fever pitch.

"Oh, Ari," he whispered, "I wish... I wish..." And he groaned, rolling off her and pushing away. "We can't do this. Not like this."

"Noo," she groaned, closing her eyes with frustration and taking a deep breath. A semi-rational thought occurred to her. "No. You're right. We can't do it like this. Wait, just a minute."

Miguel lay still, disappointed that Ari had agreed with him, that she wasn't ready to go all the way, yet, and trying to regain control of himself. If he pushed her, forced her to have sex with him, then he ran the risk of losing it all. And he couldn't face losing her again. He was barely aware of Ari jumping up and running toward the tow pod, rummaging inside and etrieving something.

But then, she was kneeling beside him again. "Here. I... I'm probably not very good at putting this on, but..." Opening his eyes, Miguel blinked with surprise, recognizing the small foil-wrapped square for what it was. He started to sit up, but she pushed him back down, tearing open the envelope with anxious, trembling hands. He reached out and covered her hands with his own, feeling her shake.

"Are you sure about this, Ari?" he asked, his voice hoarse with hope and desire. Solemnly, she nodded her head and swallowed heavily.

"Yes. Oh, yes. I don't think I've ever..." Under his steady regard, she dropped her eyes, the words fading.

"Where did you get the condoms?" he asked carefully.

"A few months back, when Trey had to face charges..."

"When we had that argument?" She nodded to his incredulous disbelief. "Before or after?"

"After," she admitted in a small voice. Looking back up, her large blue eyes, brimming over slightly pleaded with him. "Please, Miguel. I know I'm ready and I want to do this, with you." She licked her lips and added hesitantly. "Just, help me, please."

He watched as her small hands finished taking out the rubber, and began rolling it onto his erection. "Hold up," he directed breathlessly, the sensation of her hands on him almost unbearably intense. "You need to... To leave a little extra space on top." She gave him a dubious look, then removed the device and amade the adjustment. With a low groan, he lay back down, as she smoothed the surface, running her hands up and down his shaft. Suddenly, he sat up, grabbed her and lay her down, himself on top.

And poised above, the normally controlled ensign writhing underneath, trying to work his manhood inside her warm, moist, demanding opening, he paused. "Are you sure?" he asked one more time.

"Yessss!" Ari hissed urgently. "Yes. Yes. Do it. Do it now!" she sobbed.

With supreme self-control, he entered her slowly, inch by inch, pulling back when she would thrust her pelvis up, to capture him more fully within. "Miguel," she pleaded, gasping. "Please. Oh, Please, Miguel. Faster, faster." He smiled and kept to the same, slow deliberate pace, controlling his own response to make it last, to be sure that she would enjoy the experience to the fullest.

When, she cried out, the sounds of her passion echoing through the cathedral roof of the grotto, he felt his own release rising and now he sped up, anxious to join his voice with hers rising up to the heavens in a paen of life and love.

Spent, panting, he rolled off her onto the blanket, worried suddenly that he might be too heavy for her too bear. Ari lifted up onto one arm and regarded the sweaty face of her lover. She smiled tenderly, reaching out to touch his hair and whispered, "I love you, Miguel." The words to the song that had haunted her all day seemed to sum up the situation, "Without them what would little boys do?"

Miguel opened his eyes to find her looking down at him and he smiled back. "I love you, too, Ari," he said before pulling her back down into his embrace She struggled up to look examine him and he raised an eyebrow at her. "Well?" he asked when she didn't speak up immediately. "Is there something you want?"

"Yes," she answered simply, but she didn't go on.

"And that is...?" he prompted.

"Can we do it again?" He laughed and pulled her down onto his chest, tickling her until her giggles joined his and rose up.



("Thank Heaven, Thank Heaven, Thank Heaven for little girls.")