"Panda Eyes, there's nothing to be afraid of. All we're doing is flying across the ocean to get to Hawaii."
"Did you not just hear the words that came out of your mouth? Across the ocean?" Dani shivered as she gripped the arm rests of her airline seat. "What if we crash? You know I don't know how to swim. I told you we should just have our honeymoon in New York. We could've had a road trip. I'm still saying you cheated at that game of Connect Four."
Dani tightened the jacket she was wearing around herself as she sat in one of the leather seats of first class. She had an aisle seat but refused to look towards Jax who was near the window.
"Don't be a sore loser. You lost fair and square. I beat you all three times which meant Hawaii not New York."
"I'm not a sore loser."
"You sound like one," Jax chuckled.
"Well you sound like a Jaxass," Dani mumbled.
"Every word out of your mouth sounds sore. Should I kiss it and make it better?"
"Jax—"
He leaned over and quickly kissed her before she could continue, "What? It's still not better? Again?"
Dani giggled when he leaned in for a second kiss.
"Champagne?"
Both Dani and Jax looked up to see the stewardess staring at them, a smile plastered on her face.
"What do you say, Panda Eyes? How about some bubbles for your troubles?"
Dani looked up at the stewardess who was professional enough not to question his nickname for her.
"We're on our honeymoon," Dani said.
"Congratulations."
"It's also my first time flying," Dani gave a nervous laugh. "So I probably should take some champagne."
"Yes, ma'am," the stewardess passed them both champagne flutes and poured their drinks.
After the stewardess made her way to the next passenger, Jax held up his champagne flute and smiled, "A toast. To my beautiful bride—"
"Wife," Dani corrected.
"That's right. To my beautiful wife. Thank you for marrying me and," he lowered his voice to a whisper, "for agreeing to give me a personal Victoria Secret runway show later."
"What?"
"Of course I'll do my part to make sure the show is successful. I'll be the audience and your stylist or whoever the person is that helps you in and out of your lingerie."
"Jax, what are you talking about?"
"Didn't Dolores tell you? It was her idea."
Dani shook her head, "No. I didn't even pack a ton of lingerie."
"So you were just planning on being naked during most of our honeymoon?" Jax pretended to sound offended before wiggling his eyebrows, "Sounds good to me." He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, his tongue teasing the corner of her mouth.
"Jax, stop we're in public."
"So? You're my wife now."
"Jax—"
Before Dani could continue, a portly bald man stumbled and fell across Dani, causing her to spill her drink.
Jax stood up pushing the man away from Dani who was trying to keep the man's hands from her own.
"I'm so sorry...I should watch where I'm going. I'm so sorry," he was trying to hold onto Dani's hands to apologize but Jax pushed him away.
"He apologized, Jax." Dani patted her husband's hand, pleading with him to sit back down.
"Is everything alright?" the stewardess asked. She quickly assessed the scene and brought a few small towels for Dani to dry herself off with.
"Are you okay?" Jax asked. "You want me to kick his ass?"
"Whoa...calm down there. I haven't seen you this protective since the time I spilled pancakes on a customer at the diner. I'm fine. It's just a spilled drink. Nothing major. I'm more worried about—"
"About what?"
"He touched my hands. You know what that means."
Jax looked over at the balding man who was sweating profusely. He had a paper napkin in his hands that was coming apart due to it being drenched with his sweat. He used it to pat at his forehead, causing a piece of the napkin to stick to his head. Jax took Dani's hand in his own, "Don't worry about him. Just focus on me."
Dani nodded, but a nagging feeling in the back of her mind told her it wasn't going to be that easy. As the flight continued, Dani and Jax both found themselves eventually drifting into sleep.
"Save me Henry! Please save me!"
He saw his wife, tied up, a gun to her head. She had blonde curly hair and a mole just beneath her right eye. She was crying.
"Not until I see the money," a male voice threatened. "I won't let her go until I see the money."
His wife was sobbing, her body jerking against the rope that held in her in place each time he pressed his gun into her temple.
"Let her go. Please let her go," Henry cried. "Grace never hurt anyone! We've been married for forty-two years."
"You came all the way here empty-handed? I guess your love isn't as great as she said it was."
His finger tightened around the trigger, before pulling it back.
Dani awoke with a gasp.
"Are you okay?" Jax whispered.
Dani looked around to see everyone sleeping in the plane. She turned to Jax and shook her head. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her temple, "It's okay. I'm here."
Once they landed at the airport, Dani kept her eyes on the bald man that had fallen on her. Jax went to pick up the luggage while she went to rent a car. The bald man was there as well. Before stopping to think about it, Dani called out, "Henry!"
The bald man turned around and frowned. He hurried towards Dani and whispered, "It's you? I thought we were going to meet up at the hotel?"
"Huh?"
"I have the money. Please...just let my wife go."
"I don't know what--"
The bald man grabbed Dani's shoulders and shook her, "I want my wife back."
"Let me go!" Dani tried pushing herself away.
"Not until you let me see my wife," he tried dragging her away but Jax came barreling at him, knocking him to the ground.
"Jax, stop!" Dani cried as she watched her husband punch the bald man.
A few minutes later, airport security had them all detained in a small white room.
"So you're saying he grabbed you," the security guard said. "And your husband saw and became upset."
"He was trying to drag her away. Of course I'm going to do something. She's my wife," Jax said, giving the bald man a dirty look.
"I-I'm sorry. I thought...I dunno. I thought she was someone else," the bald man named Henry said.
"Look, it was a misunderstanding. Why don't we all just accept that and call it a day," Dani said.
"Dani, he tried attacking you," Jax reminded her.
"He said it was mistaken."
"So he intended to attack someone else and that makes it okay?" Jax asked, glaring at Henry.
"It would be less paperwork for us if we all agreed it was a misunderstanding," one of the security guards said.
"Yes, that's what it was...wasn't it?" Dani looked at Henry and nodded.
"Y-yes, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I must've lost it for a moment."
"Dani--" Jax was ready to argue but his wife wasn't going to allow it.
"Jax, it's our honeymoon. I don't want to waste another minute on it waiting in this security room."
"Fine, fine...it was a misunderstanding."
Jax kept his eyes on Henry as they walked out of the security room. Henry purposely lagged behind before calling out, "How did you know?"
Dani turned around, "I'm sorry? Were you talking to me?"
Henry nodded, "How...how did you know my name?"
Dani's eyes widened, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You're truly not one of the people that took my wife?" Henry asked.
Jax looked at Dani who gave an apologetic look, before glancing back at Henry, "Is your wife missing?"
Henry wiped his brow which was damp with perspiration, "Nevermind..."
"When I'm not on my honeymoon, I'm a detective," Jax said. "If something's wrong, you should let the police know."
"I can't. They'll kill her if I call the police."
"Then don't," Dani said. "We can help you."
"Dani-" Jax was surprised his wife was willing to help the man that almost attacked her.
"His wife was kidnapped," Dani whispered. "I saw it in my dream."
"Are you sure about this?" Jax asked. "It's our honeymoon."
"I'm sorry," Dani said softly. "I know you wanted this trip to be special but if we don't help him, all I'll think about is how he and his wife are doing."
Jax placed an arm around his wife and hugged her close, "You know I love you, right?"
Dani nodded into his shoulder.
"If you want to play Scooby Doo on our honeymoon and solve a mystery, I'm game. It's what brought us together in the first place, right?"
Again, Dani nodded. Jax turned to Henry, "What hotel are you staying at?"
"I can't believe this. I took a week of vacation to fly out here and sort everything out. All I got was a text message from here phone. She hasn't picked up or responded since. I don't have a reservation but I'm supposed to meet the people that took my wife at the Four Seasons Resort. "
"That's where we're staying," Dani said.
"What a coincidence," Jax said dryly.
After they were at the hotel, Henry agreed to rent a room before meeting up with Jax and Dani who were headed to the lounge to get a drink.
"So you saw his wife and she was tied up and screaming for help?" Jax asked, as he watched the other patrons come in and out of the lounge to order drinks.
"Right. Her name was Grace. She was an older lady with short hair. It was blonde and curly. Oh and she had a mole right here," Dani pointed to a spot beneath her right eye.
Jax continued to listen while staring at the people around them, "So she looked exactly like that lady?" He pointed to a woman that fit Dani's description. She had her arms around a man that wasn't Henry. The man leaned down and kissed her lips.
Before Jax could stop her, Dani stood up and walked over to the couple, "Grace?"
The woman turned around, surprised that someone knew her, "Yes?"
"What are you doing here?" Dani asked. "Who's this?" She pointed to the man who released the blonde.
"Who are you?" Grace asked. "Do I know you?"
"I'm a friend of Henry's," Dani said. "Do you know how worried he's been?"
Grace's lips curled in derision, "Please. He doesn't care about me. All he cares about is making money."
"Did you lie to him that you were kidnapped?"
Grace's eyes widened, "How did you know...no, it's none of your business."
"His worst nightmare is you being tied up and hurt. He thinks you're being held ransom right now but you're just having an affair?"
"Panda Eyes, let's let them sort it out," Jax said behind her.
"Who are you?" Grace asked. "Do you know what it's like to be married to a man that doesn't pay any attention to you whatsoever? So I told him I was taken and being held hostage. Do you actually think he'd come and do something about it? I asked for ransom just to see what he'd do. I'd bet good money, he just transfers it if he even bothered to do that for me. He probably doesn't even know I'm missing."
"You're wrong," Dani said. "You're selfish and wrong."
"No, I'm not. Henry-"
"Grace?" Henry's voice echoed through the lounge. "What the hell are you doing?"
Dani felt Jax's hand around hers before he dragged her out of the lounge, "Let's let them sort out their marriage on their own."
Dani nodded before they entered their suite.
"I can't believe she'd do something like that," Dani said. "I mean...not just as a wife but as a person."
"Marriage is tough," Jax said.
Dani rolled her eyes, "Yes, because you're the authority on the subject being married three days."
Jax grinned, "I'm the authority on every subject, don't you know Mrs. Michaels?"
"Mrs. Michaels?"
"That's your name now. It's too late to not like it."
"I don't like it," Dani said sadly.
"You don't?" Panic filled Jax's voice.
"I love it," Dani teased before pulling her husband close. "I'm scared though, Jax."
"We've gone through psycho-murderers, stalkers, gang members...what's left to be scared of?"
Dani peered into her husband's eyes, "I don't want to end up like Henry and Grace. I don't want you to hate me one day. I don't want you to get tired of me."
"That'll never happen. You're the only woman to keep me on my toes."
A fleeting thought of Vivian passed through Dani's mind, but she forced it away, "Is that all?"
"Hmmm," Jax grinned. "You also get me all hot and bothered." He leaned down and pressed kisses from her chin to her ear. "You taste delicious by the way. Like peanut butter banana pancakes."
Dani lightly slapped his arms at his laughter, "Stop. I'm being serious here."
"So am I Panda Eyes. I love you."
"Even though I have creepy nightmares every night?"
Again Jax laughed, "I love everything about you...even those creepy nightmares. After all, wasn't it your nightmare about the Maestro that had us become partners in the first place?"
"You still remember that?" Dani covered her face with her hands.
"Of course. How could I forget? Do you remember the rules to being my partner? I'm pretty sure one of them was you having to trust me. Do you trust me?"
Dani nodded.
"New rule. Don't think of your nightmares as a bad thing. Not only have they helped us get together...but they helped other people too. Besides, I think our love is stronger than your nightmares."
"Jax--"
"I have another rule," Jax said. "Partners have to love one another forever."
"Forever-ever?"
"Forever-ever," Jax nodded. "You're mine now. For better or worse. From the tips of your toes to the roots of your hair, you belong to me and I'm never letting go. Can you deal with that Dani Deleon Michaels? The love of my life. My wife. My partner. My Panda Eyes."
"Yes, Apple Jax. If you can deal with me and my nightmares, I'll gladly spend the rest of my life with you," Dani smiled before pulling her husband's face closer to her own and whispering, "Now about that Victoria Secret lingerie show you wanted me to give..."
Jax picked a laughing Dani up, "Yes, but before we start the show, I think we need to try out this bed first."
That night, Dani slept in Jax's arms, their love blanketing one another. And for Dani, it was the first time in what felt like forever, that she had a dreamless night.
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If you liked the dream series, do check out my newest story, The Secrets You Hide. ❤