As the chapters in this story are quite short, I thought I'd post them up two at a time.

Chapter 5

The sun was shining brightly on the sparkling blue sea, and, as always in Mauritius, it was almost unbearably hot.  People were already making their way to the beach- determined to make the most of the beautiful weather.  However, there were two people who had not the slightest inclination to join them (at least, not yet!).

Donna pushed herself up in the bed, and lay there on her side, propped up on her elbow.  She was staring at Jon, who was still asleep, and showed no signs of waking just yet, but she did not care - the way she felt at the moment she was only too happy just to watch him - if only to reassure herself that this was for real.  It was almost as though he knew she was looking at him, because, suddenly he stirred and opened his eyes, the look he gave her making her heart turn somersaults.

"I was watching you sleep" she said, trailing her fingers through his hair.  "You look beautiful when you're asleep!"

"Oh!" he said, in mock indignation.  "You mean I look awful when I'm awake?!"

"Oh, you...!"   She pulled the pillow out from underneath his head, and swung it towards him.  "Let's have a pillow fight!"

"Donna, you have to remember, you're a sensible married woman now!"

"Married - yes, sensible - no!  Come on, I challenge you!"

"And what if I refuse?"

"Then I'll tickle you to death!"

As he shook his head, she launched herself at him, and proceeded to tickle him all over, until he was laughing hysterically and begging for mercy.

"Donna!  Please, stop it!!  Please, I'll do anything!! Stop tickling me - stop it!!"

"Anything?" she said, as she pinned him to the bed.  "Absolutely anything?"

"Yes!  Anything!"

"Take me!" she said, giving him a look that did strange things to various parts of his body  "Just take me!"

"Take you where?" he said, smiling, his voice husky, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Oh, stop torturing me!" she moaned, as she responded to the featherlight sensation of his lips upon her neck.  "I want you, Jon!  I want you so badly!"

"Oh, Jesus!" he said  "If you keep doing that, it looks like you're going to get me!"

After a quiet, leisurely lunch in their room, Jon and Donna decided to venture out to the beach.  He was hoping that they would go unnoticed.  He wanted his honeymoon to be as private as possible - although he knew that some attention went with the territory, which, as far as he was concerned, was great, because he knew that the people who put him where he was, were the same people who could take him down again.  However, only a few people asked for photos and autographs, which he was more than happy to give, and politely thanked those who congratulated them on their marriage.

As they walked along the sand, arms around each other, not speaking, but just enjoying being together, they both still found it hard to believe that, after all that had happened, they were now man and wife.  It still seemed like a fairytale.  However, they were suddenly jolted back into reality.  They heard screams, and people running down towards the sea.

"What's going on?" said Donna  "Is someone in trouble?"

"I don't know" he said "but I think we ought to try and find out"

They both ran down to the scene of the commotion.  A distraught woman ran over to them, at first they could not make out what she was saying, then, when she had calmed down a little, they established that her little boy had run off. She had just turned her back for a second, and now he was in trouble in the sea, with every wave he was being carried further away.  Jon took one look at Donna, then he sprinted down towards the sea, and, pushing past the people who were hesitating and arguing whether they should call someone or go in, he plunged into the sea, and began to swim out towards the little boy.  Every few seconds or so, he saw him come out from under the water screaming for help, then he would disappear again.  For a brief moment, it seemed like he would never reach him; the situation seemed hopeless, but eventually, he did, and grabbing him under the arms,he began to swim back towards the beach.  With the unconscious child under his arm, it seemed to take an age.  As he neared the beach, he shouted for help. He dragged the child out of the water, and laid him down on the sand.  His mother ran over to him, crying hysterically.  A small crowd formed, but no-one made any attempt to help the child.

"Instead of just standing there, why don't you ring for an ambulance!" said Jon, kneeling down beside the child, who appeared not to be breathing.  He knew what he had to do.  He bent down over the little boy, and put his mouth over his, blowing gently, trying to breathe some life into him, as his mother stood there weeping, Donna comforting her as best she could.  Despite his best efforts, nothing seemed to be happening, he was beginning to feel desperate.  He began to gently massage his chest - still nothing.

"I don't know what else to do!" he said, looking up at the mother, tears rolling down his face.  "I've tried everything!"

"Don't give up!" she pleaded  "Please, don't give up!"

He tried once more to give the child the kiss of life, then, suddenly, his eyes opened, and he began to cough violently, crying for his mother.  Someone ran over with a large towel and wrapped it around him, rubbing him dry, trying to warm him up.  His mother hugged him tightly, still weeping.  She then turned her attention to Jon, who sat there on the sand, shaking, despite the heat.  She threw her arms around him, quite unable to speak, but her gratitude was obvious for all to see.

"How can I ever thank you?" she said, eventually finding her voice.  "If it weren't for you, my little boy would have died!  How can I ever repay you?"

"No need" he said, then, realising the enormity of what had happened, and what could have happened, he rested his head on his arms, crying his heart out.  The small crowd of people began to stare and whisper, some of them looked at a loss, but the child's mother knew exactly what to do.  Motherly instinct took over, and,  picking up her large beach towel, she wrapped it around him, and held him close, until he eventually fell silent.

Back in the hotel room, he stood outside on the balcony, staring at the view, lost in thought. He did not see Donna come up behind him, and flinched when she put her arms around his waist.  He turned around and pulled her close to him, burying his face in her shoulder.  She lifted up her head and looked at him, her eyes shining with love and pride.

"That was a wonderful thing you did" she said, stroking his face.  "You saved that child's life.  I'm so proud of you, I just can't put it into words, how proud I am!  I love you so much!"

"I thought I'd lost him, Donna!" he said, desperately trying to hang on to his self control  "I thought he was dead..."

"Shh!" she said, putting a finger on his lips.  "He's all right, thanks to you - did you realise that you're a hero?"

"As long as I'm a hero in your eyes, Donna, that's all I care about!"

As she moved in for a kiss, his eyes suddenly closed, as he brought his hand up to his face, fishing in vain in his pocket for a handkerchief.

"No, Donna!  Not yet!  I'm going to...."

She clamped her mouth over his, stopping him in his tracks.

"Oh, no, you don't!" she said  "I can't have you catching cold, can I?  I need you in peak condition!"

"I don't know what you mean!" he said.

She suddenly screamed as he picked her up and put her over his shoulder, carrying her back into the bedroom. After gently putting her down on the bed, he proceeded to show her that he knew exactly what she meant!