It's A Game Of Give And Take...

Bully strode down the gangplank to shake hands with Billy. Boy, did he get a surprise! Billy slugged him in the mouth and knocked him flat on his amazing butt. Bully reclined there, massaging his jaw reflectively and watching Billy play out the rest of the macho mating ritual. Billy wrenched me into his arms and kissed me deeply and sensuously, entirely for Bully's benefit. Leaving me gasping and clinging to his arm, Billy scowled down at the supine Bully and jabbed his thumb into his own breastbone.

Billy:  This's mine!  Don't touch it!  Don't even think about it!  Got it?!

Bully:  This?  It?

Billy:  She, then.  Her, even!  Stand up, you shitbird, I'll knock your ass
down again!

Deb:  Billy, cut it out, you're being ridiculous.

Bully:  No problem, son.  Do I dare stand up?

Deb:  Billy, come on...

Ryan, who as always regarded any undisciplined human interaction with
an enigmatic little look on his face, reached to offer a helping hand to
Bully.  Captain Hayes dusted himself off in such a way that it was
impossible for me not to watch him.

Billy:  Leave your shirt on.  Stay out of th' damn riggin'.  She gets ideas.

Bully:  Simple fix.  Take your shirt off and get into the riggin'.  Darlin',
good to have you back...c'mon inside...mad dogs and Strannix stand out in
the midday sun, y'know.

Bully dared Billy to do anything about it as he hugged me affectionately
and administered a swift, firm slap to my behind.  I smiled, briefly touched
Bully's bearded cheek before returning to Billy's side.

Billy:  You like beards?  Beards are for men who ain't able to handle a
razor.

Bully:  Some people ain't got enough beard to need t'bother cuttin' it off.

Billy:  You sayin' I wouldn't look good in a goddam beard?

Bully:  I'm sayin' if you grow one it might be easier t'tell your ass from
your face.

Deb:  Knock it off, both of you.  Billy, don't!

Billy:  Why shouldn't I bust him upside his head?

Deb:  Because there's no need.  Because it's pointless.  Because I asked
you not to.  Because he usually has a gun in that sash and he knows how to
use it.

Bully:  Billy, don't be a hero.

Ryan:  Don't be a fool with your life.

Billy was ready to fly at this point.  I laid a hand over the butt of
the Berretta that was, as always, stuffed down the back of his pants.

Deb:  Bully, please...you know how he gets when people bait him.  Ryan, you
oughta know better...Billy, stand down, sailor, you're vibrating.

Billy:  Vibrate his ass!

Bully led us below, to where he had stowed the cargo.  Billy kept his
arm around my waist in a painful grip which, perversely, thrilled me.  It
was wonderful not to be the boss for a few minutes and to surrender control
to Billy.  Bully, in front of us, was as much a treat retreating as he was
advancing.  Billy could see how I appreciated the scenery, and he didn't
think it was one bit cute.

Billy:  Quit starin', dammit!

Deb:  I can't stare at you, I'd fall on my head!

Bully's shoulders were heaving.  I knew he was laughing.  So did Billy,
which did nothing to endear Bully to him.  I leaned fully into Billy as I
walked.  I was thousands of miles from home, separated from my children,
repeatedly in violation of Federal Statutes too numerous to list...and
yet with the exception of being away from my boys I was utterly happy.  All
it took was Billy...and wasn't that patheic?

Beth and Sam spent the day endlessly walking the beach.  Sam had teased
her about his USM windbreaker, wondering outloud if he would ever get it
back and if he would have to pay the money to get a new one.  Beth
sweetly reminded him that he was a highly paid civil servant.  That being
the case, and knowing that she was one of the civilians he was hired to
serve, he could just serve her by surrendering the jacket and closing his
mouth about it.  Sam chased her down the beach until she caught him.  Later
on, Sam busied himself with the little computer, checking and answering his
e-mail.  Beth stood behind him with her arms draped loosely around his
shoulders, one cheek resting on his thick, dark hair.

Beth:  Anything new?

Sam:  He's in Mexico now, doin' shit-all.  We'll pick him up when he comes
back across the border.

Beth:  Pick him up?

Sam:  Observation, baby, nothing else.  I might suspect he's up to no good,
I might be so sure of it I can smell it...but he's too damn smart to give
me any proof, so all I can do is watch and wait.

Beth:  Deb with him?

Sam:  She was at the border.  Crossed as Jade...we had the INS watching for
certain aliases.

Beth:  Is she in any trouble?

Sam:  Not yet.

Beth signed.  That didn't sound good for the future.

Sam:  Don't worry, girl.  If he's smart enough to keep out of my hair 
himself, he'll look out for Deb.  If it were us, I'd keep you out of it.

Beth:  Sometimes I don't know if Bill's smart or lucky.

Sam:  I hope he's lucky.

Beth:  Why lucky?

Sam:  Luck runs out, that's why.

Sam shut down the computer, closed the lid and stood up to stretch.
Beth's arms slipped from his shoulders to his waist and she leaned against
his back.  One hand rode low on his waist, alongside his trouser button,
while the other hooked into his waistband.

Sam:  I wish I hadn't said anything.

Beth:  About what?

Sam:  What I'm doin'.  Both of them are friends of yours and the one I want
will take down the both of 'em.  It's bothering you.  I know it is.

Beth:  Not that it'll stop you.

Sam:  No, squirrel, not that it'll stop me.

Sam turned to face her and gazed down at her, eyes full of profound 
regret.

Beth:  I hope it's all worth it.  I hope she has what we do.

Sam:  No way she can.  Not possible, Beth.

Beth:  You know a lot, sweet boy, but you can't know that.

Sam:  Yes I can.  Oh, yes I can.  You on the run from the law?

Beth:  I was earlier today.

Sam:  You might want to run again, you keep talkin' like that.

Beth:  But I want to be caught.

Bully had taken us down the coast to Acapulco, where there were countless
flights north ferrying pasty white Yanquis home after they'd been fried red 
by the sun and relieved of most of their American dollars.  Billy and I
were alone on deck, in a hammock Bully had instructed Mr. Starbuck to hang
for us.  I was nearly asleep, feeling Billy's restless hands on me.  I was
as nearly in heaven as I'd ever expected to be in this life.

Deb:  Billy...

Billy:  Hm?

Deb:  When're you gonna take off those fool sunglasses?  It's pitch dark
out.

Billy's response was a quick gouge to the side.  We were talking part of
his image, after all.  I let him poke me, lightly bit his shoulder.  For a
minute we wrestled tiredly, then settled again, too tired and drunk with
the heat and some pretty potent stuff Bully had uncorked for the occasion
to be able to keep it up long.

Billy:  Punk, answer me somethin'?

Deb:  Make it fast, I'm goin' to sleep.

Billy:  You got the hots for Bully?

Suddenly I was wide awake.

Deb:  Any woman with blood and not anti-freeze in her veins would have the
hots for Bully.  What's that got to do with anything?

Billy:  Not just any woman.  My woman.  Do you?

Deb:  What'd I just say?  He makes me wet, yeah, so?  Why?

Billy:  Would you go t'bed with him?

I didn't like where this was going at all.  After everything I'd gone
through and everything I'd done to make him see how I felt about him, he
was getting all flaky and possessive on me?  Worse?  I didn't feel 
pleasantly drunk anymore.

Deb:  What brought this on?

Billy:  Answer the damn question.  Would you do the horizontal bop with
Bully?

Deb:  I suppose you won't be satisfied until I do answer.  You asked for
it.  Yes I would, until his bones rattled together.  He's a different kind
of man than you, Billy and I'm learning all sorts of bad habits at the
feet of the worst habit of all.  I slept with Ryan because I was mad at you.
Keep at me with this shit and who knows, I just might let Captain Hayes
rock me on the water one time.

Billy:  It'd be a damn shame if you did.

Deb:  Why's that?

Billy:  I'd have to kill him.

Deb:  Hello, are you a movie?  That's Tommy's line.

Billy:  Those dippy clothes come off for me.  Only me, understand?

Deb:  D'you plan to stay faithful, or do you have two or three of the
Dixies in the wings still?  Take off those goddam aviators and look at me.
Thought as much.  I know you, Strannix, you'll take care of yourself if
I'm not there to take care of you.  It works both ways.

This was getting cruder by the second.  I undid my jeans and grabbed
Billy's hand.

Deb:  I'll BE faithful, Billy.  What you wanna do whenever one of the 
Dixies gets too close...is think of Bully getting a crack at this.

Billy:  You wouldn't dare.

Deb:  I wouldn't want to, but you better bet your tight ass I'd dare.  This
is mine...and I don't want anyone but you to have it.  Just the same, you
share the wealth...I'm gonna take a cruise.  Don't doubt it.  Keep that bad
boy for me and it's the only one that'll ever get close to me.  It's
already the only one I want.  No Dixies, no problem.

Billy:  That's all it takes?

Deb:  That's all...and if you let me I promise I'll do my best to make sure
you don't have anything left for them. It's a promise I know I won't have 
any trouble keeping.

Beth and Sam were entwined and drowsy...

Sam:  Beth...you ever been with Billy?

Beth:  What are you talking about?  He has a key to my apartment, treats 
the place like the Casa Strannix Annex.  He's with me often.

Sam:  I don't mean that.  I mean like this.

Beth smelled trouble ahead.

Beth:  A time or two.  It didn't mean anything.  Why?

Sam:  Lately?

Beth:  Not at all.

Sam:  Would you?  If he asked?

Beth:  No.  Not even if he begged.

Sam:  Were you attracted to him?

Beth:  It's hard not to be.  Being around Billy is a lot like chasing
twisters...exciting and scary and dangerous.  Elemental stuff.  It can
be very attractive.  But I'm not anymore...I have something more than
just animal magnetism to respond to.

Sam:  Thank you, squirrel.  That's nice to hear.  D'you suppose he might
screw up enough to make little sister walk on him?  Then I can nail his ass
and not worry about her.

Beth:  Surefire way to keep Billy in line is to threaten to go someplace
else.  It's okay for him, but he owns his women and they'd better not.  I
don't think she'll ever let him own her completely.  He'll question her...
get mildly jealous...if she knows what she's doing, she'll point to some-
body nearby...Ryan f'rinstance, and tell Billy in no uncertain terms who
and what she'll do if she ever catches him out.

Sam:  So much for that idea.

Beth:  You want the truth, Sam?

Sam:  Always.  You know that.

Beth:  I don't think you'll get him.  I think you might just as well give
up.

Sam:  Can't do that.

Beth:  I know you can't, but I'm telling you.  I'll stay with you...I
want you...but I think you're wasting your time trying to nail Billy
down, and I don't want you to think I've got an eye for him.

Sam:  I wondered...now I know.

Beth:  Billy's persuasive, Sam, but not that persuasive.  Between what I
feel for you and what Deb'll probably do to him if she catches him messing
around...there's no way I'd think about it even if I wanted to.

Sam:  No cat and mouse between us...just give and take.

Beth:  And trust.  Above all, trust.  You can trust me.

Sam:  I always have.

TO BE CONTINUED...