The warm ocean breeze blew Sean's hair in has face as he untied the ropes which were tethering the boat to the dock. Emma reclined in a beach chair, rubbing a wide variety of fruit smelling oils and lotions all over her body.

"Let's speed things up, shall we Sean?"

Sean muttered to himself as he threw the rope onto the deck.

"Three 'ours an' A'm timin' us lass!"

Emma smiled as Sean made his way to the boat's controls. With the turn of the key they were off, to where? Sean had no idea, but he knew this would be the longest three hours of his life.

"Sean, would you bring me a piņa colada please? With a kiwi twist!"

"A'll gi' yiur head a twist . . ." Sean muttered to himself.

He brought Emma what she wanted and returned to the boat controls. He looked back and rolled his eyes as Emma smiled at him, sipping her drink.

"Where exactly are we goin' lass?"

"Oh, no where in particular! Just somewhere!"

"Those 're rather vague directions if ye ask me."

Emma smiled and lowered her sunglasses. "Not for what I've got in mind, honey. And I didn't ask you."

Sean turned and looked at Emma in complete disgust. Emma ever so seductively and conveniently spilled her drink on herself while Sean was looking.

"Oh silly me, Sean will you come clean this up please?"

Sean sighed. "Emma, A know with yuir thinkin' and A'm nae falllin'!"

"Oh really, Sean. Why don't you tell me what I'm thinking?"

"Well, honestly lass, yuir thinkin' . . . that is . . . ye know!"

"Know what?"

"Yuir thinki--"

Sean was cut short by the sound of metal grinding against metal.

"What's that?" Emma asked in anything but an innocent voice.

Sean made his way to the back of the boat and looked over to see that the engine was completely tangled in numerous chains and fishing wire.

"Emma, would ye mind tellin' me exactly whit chains an' fishin' wire are doin' in th' engine?!"

"Are you blaming me for this freak accident?"

"That A am woman!" Sean said, enraged.

"Don't you dare get judgmental with me, Cassidy!!!"

Everything stood still for about five seconds before Emma made her move.

"I'm going swimming Sean! If you want to join me you're very welcome, if not you stay here and bake because we're not going anywhere for quite a while!"

Emma disappeared into the cabin to change as Sean started to calmly and methodically kick the side of the boat.

Emma emerged from below wearing her non existent bikini and walked over to Sean who had his back to her.

"Sean, honey?" She said, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Whit th' devil?!" Backing up Sean tripped on a beach chair and fell to the deck.

"What?" Emma asked innocently.

"That's nae suit!"

"It is too! Just a little more revealing than you're probably used to."

Sean inadvertently stared.

"Are you admiring me Sean?"

"What?!"

"Ah yes, you like it. Good!"

Sean closed his eyes and shook his head. "A've got tae fix th' boat, 'r radio in, so ye'd better--"

"Oh, the strangest thing happened when I was changing. The radio all of a sudden blew up!"

"What?!"

"No matter, we can still have fun!" Emma said excitedly. She crawled toward Sean, backing him to the boat's edge. "It's the water or down below. You've got one second . . . oops! Times up! I choose . . . water!" With a shove Emma pushed Sean off the boat and immediately jumped in after.

She wrapped her arms around him, letting her elbows rest on his shoulders.

"Emma! A shouldn't even be here, A'm still in love wit' Moira!"

"Shhh, it's all right, that'll all change soon enough!"

"Nae! A can't!"

"Oh, but you physically can, it's just the mentality, and if that's anymore of a problem, I'm a telepath!"

"Emmmmaaaaa . . ." Sean was cut short by Emma's lips.

"Now that wasn't too bad, was it?"

"Worse then bad f'r th' both o' ye!" A third voice said loudly.

Sean, struggling away from Emma's cat-like grip, turned his head to look upon the eyes watching them.

"MOIRA!" Sean gasped. "Good mornin' ta ye lass . . . honey . . . sweety?" he said with a tremble in his voice.

"Sean Cassidy, I thought ye loved me!" Moira said, furious, standing on the deck, hands on her hips.

"Oh, honey!" Sean said in a soothing voice as he climbed up the latter and onto the deck, followed by Emma. Once on the deck Sean tried putting his hands on Moira's shoulders, only to find her turning away. "Lass, A guarantee ye nothin' ever happened b'tween th' two o' us!"

"Ye expect me ta believe that, Sean?" She said teary eyed, turning to him.

"Yes, Sean, she's not dumb, you know what great times we've had together!" Emma hissed behind Banshee.

"What th' . . . A knew it, ye had an affair with this . . . this . . . limy hoochie!!"

"What?! How dare you call me that, you Scottish swine!" Emma retaliated.

Sean watched Moira's dreaded Scottish temper grow like a nova burst in her face, then she attacked. She leapt at Emma, grabbing her throat and attempting to strangle her.

"Get off!" Emma gasped, digging her two inch nails into Moira's face and pushing her back. Then they both went at each other, clawing, choking, spitting and hissing like alley cats.

Sean protruded, trying to stop the fight. "Lass, ye must stop it, ye could hurt her!"

"What?!" Moira screamed as she balled up her fist and punched Sean in the nose.

"AAH! Ouch, err $#!+!" Sean swore as he held his nose. "Oh, by dose!" He yelled as he tried to stop the blood flowing down over his lip.

Emma and Moira had now separated and were circling each other as boxers do. They were both bruised, bleeding and panting, eyeing each other when Emma spoke up. "Sean and I have had many special moments. At the school, and out here as well. I've molded him for the better!"

"Ye soorry excuse fer a human, ye witch!" Moira looked over at Sean who was standing cradling his nose, shivering in his wet swimming trunks. "A'll see ye around Sean Cassidy," Moira said in a soft, tired voice, then pausing and eyeing him. "Ye noo good, stubborn, drunken, under sexed, Irish pig!" Moira turned and climbed down the latter to her single engine fishing boat and puttered off to the dock.

Sean stood upright and looked at Emma who was standing proudly as she won the day and said, "Lass, ye've just ruined my life. What more di' ye want?"

"You know perfectly well what I want, Cassidy," Emma said harshly as she walked to the lower cabin.

Sean, having forgotten about the blood which stretched from his nose to his mouth to his neck and now his chest, walked over to the water, then finally lowered his head in defeat to the chaotic memories of the day.

As dusk settled it's hold on the horizon, Sean watched the variety of colorful clouds surrounding the sun. Thinking of memories with Moira he became upset and walked to the lower galley.

There he found Emma in one of her white, silk transparent night pieces lying on the one bed, reading a Danielle Steel novel.

"Lass . . .I was jist thinkin', A dinnae ken if A can keep goin' on like this, runnin, th' kids, bein' tempted by ye constantly, and still trying ta be true ta Moira," Sean said quietly.

"Sean," Emma said in a calming and angelic voice. She started walking toward him, backing him up into the corner of the room and wrapping her arms around his neck. "You and Moira don't make sense when you're always with me all day, and when we're away at our meetings, when you come home to the school after attending councils for the institute, I'm the one you talk to, much like a wife and husband relationship!"

"What are ye tryin' ta say, lass?"

"Forget about Moira, you've got me!" She said, proceeding for his lips.

"Nae! A can't, won't and never will love ye, not until A know Moira and A are over!" He said, anger entering his voice. Pulling away from her and leaving the room, he left Emma in the previous position and in a bewildered, depressed, furious state.

As she followed him out of the room she went over to him and tried reasoning. "Sean, what does Moira have that for you that I don't?" ~Besides being a serious fix up case!~ She thought.

Sean whipped around in an Irish manner that made Emma jump a bit. "Emma Frost, di' ye know whit ye nae have? Is a heart! Moira, she makes me happy, she makes me smile--"

"Oh, Sean, no big deal! Besides, I've got tons of things I could do to make you smile!"

Sean stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Emma, stumped.

Emma turned and walked down to the lower deck, disappearing with the light.

Sean moved to the edge of the boat, leaned over the side and lowered his head. As soon as he did he snapped it back and looked to the shores, letting out a wail like some beast of the night as he left the dead and flew in the direction of the lights on the dock. He would find Moira and explain, regain her trust and keep it, or so he hoped.

Emma, reading these thoughts, nestled back into bed and swore.

Thirteen days left . . .

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