Who: Martha and Gus What: On a date When: Day 1 Cruise Where: Vancouver Treetop Adventures Rating: low
The only time Martha had ever been to Vancouver, the world had looked a lot different. Even if it had been the same, it would have been tainted by having just seen the whole island of Japan killed because you pissed off a man who was literally insane. So Martha was taking advantage of this cool new cruise they found themselves in.
“This is beautiful.” She spoke to Gus as they walked amongst the treetops. They were in helmets and a harness which was nice considering the fall down to the ground would be a big one and Martha didn’t want to know what that felt like at all. “It’s almost like we’re not even on Earth, really.”
–
It was absolutely gorgeous and Gus was trying his best not to look down or remember the time he’d accidentally gone hang gliding with a murderer. The helmet and harness helped a lot, as did his desire not to embarrass himself in front of his girlfriend. “It is,” he agreed. “I visited Vancouver a few times with Shawn, but they all ended up being work trips, so I never got to explore and sight see.”
Waking up on a cruise ship this morning had been unpleasant until Gus obtained seasick patches and he was glad to get off the ship and spend some time on solid ground. He fully intended to take advantage of as many of the excursions as he could until they were returned to Madison Valley.
*
“Work trips are never as fun as they should be, are they?” Martha realized you could probably call her first time visiting Vancouver a work trip, though a very odd one at that. She definitely preferred this version.
“Have you been to Alaska? The closest I’ve been in Russia, so… not really.” Martha laughed a little as she climbed up a steeper part of the canopy bridge they were on. “I’m sure it’ll be great, but also cold. I never thought about cold cruises before.”
–
“No, I haven’t,” Gus said. The idea never appealed to him. He vastly preferred warmer climates. “I wish we were cruising in Jamaica.” Not only would it be warm and contain a lot more black people, he could bust out his excellent Jamaican accent.
He gripped the railing on the suspension bridge a bit tighter as he navigated the incline. How had he gotten talked into this? Oh, right, his girlfriend was beautiful and he wanted nothing more than to make her happy. “I suppose there won’t be much occasion for bikinis on this trip.”
*
“Jamaica would have been lovely.” She hadn’t been to that particular island, but she’d been to the area on her trip around the world. She had had to rely on others to spread the word in the caribbean thanks to The Master being close on her tail.
“Oh? Is that what you’re worried about?” She was grinning even if he couldn’t see her since she needed to keep her eyes focused on the actual moving through the trees at this stint of the ‘adventure’. “Well, I bet there’s at least a hot tub on board. Of course, I’d need someone to make sure I’m warm when I come out after.”
–
Lounging around in a hot tub was far more appealing to Gus than their current activity. “I think I know just the man for the job,” he said. If they weren’t suspended hundreds of feet in the air where any misstep could cause them to plummet back to the ground, he would kiss her. As it was, even with the safety equipment, Gus didn’t feel comfortable with the idea.
“According to the itinerary, we have a day at sea tomorrow,” he said. “We should find you a bikini.”
*
“After this we can go shopping downtown next to the waterfront before we head back to the ship. Maybe we can find you matching trunks.” She grinned, glancing back at him. This was her fault though as she misstepped and fell forward. She caught herself on the bridge and started laughing. “That’ll teach me.” Unlike Gus, she wasn’t too afraid of falling.
She held out her hand for him to help her up. "I heard there’s a really pretty part just around the bend… we should stop there and take some pictures.”
–
Gus nearly panicked when Martha stumbled and stared at her in horror when she merely laughed. “Are you okay?” he asked. “Maybe we should head back now.” Shopping sounded much safer and less likely to result in injury or death and as much as he wanted to play the tough guy who could handle anything, they both knew that wasn’t who he really was and Martha loved him anyway.
“After we get our pictures,” he added. They could enjoy a pretty view for a few minutes, snap a couple of photos, and then get their feet firmly back on solid ground.
The moment they rounded the bend, Gus froze. “Oh, hell no.”
*
Martha had a spark for adventure that had been put into a flame by the Doctor. Had she never been transported to the moon and almost died, she probably would have been a little more subdued. Gus was right though - Martha knew who he was and she loved that he was trying for her.
“I’m alright, I promise.” When she got up, she even kissed him to reassure him. When they rounded the bend, Martha’s initial thought was ‘this is beautiful’. She then heard Gus and her attention moved to him. She wasn’t the sort to put someone in a dangerous position unless she had to. Even then, all those people who died for her? They weighed heavily on her every day.
“How about this then. You stay here and I’ll go out and snap some photos so you can look at them later when we’re getting something to eat. And you can take some photos from here of me out in the middle?” There was no judgment, only the attempt to find a solution.
–
The idea of watching her go out on the bridge made Gus uneasy, but he knew she was more adventurous than he was and since they were unlikely to encounter a murderer in this situation, unlike his experience with Ruby and her insane friends.
“Okay, as long as you promise to be extra careful,” he said. Just thinking about it made him almost as queasy as he’d been this morning when he woke up on the ship.
*
“I promise.” She kissed him again, but this time it was a lingering, deeper kiss meant to maybe shock him a little or put him at ease. When she pulled away, she was all smiles and her eyes were shining with excitement as she started toward the middle of the bridge. It was a little scary, but definitely thrilling. The views were breathtaking too. She wished that Gus could see this, but she also respected his wishes.
She turned and did a big wave since a small one she didn’t think he’d a small one. Then she turned and took a few videos and some pictures. Once she thought she had enough of both, Martha made her way back toward Gus. “You’re going to love the pictures. It’s beautiful out there.”
–
The kiss served as a distraction for a good minute or so before Gus started to fret about his girlfriend walking out in the middle of the bridge. Part of him wanted to look away, but he knew that wouldn’t ease his anxiety, so he watched her carefully, actually managing to wave back when he saw her wave.
When she finally returned, he let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he was holding. “You’re beautiful,” he said, pulling her into a hug. “I’m glad you enjoyed it though.”
*
She hugged him back, still all smiles. She was really glad he agreed to do this with her. When she finally pulled back, she looked at him with a playfully conspiratorial look. “Let’s go get something to eat and then some ice cream before we have to get back to the ship. I think I saw a shortcut back down to the ground. Don’t worry, it doesn’t require jumping.” Though that’d be fun for Martha.
–
Gus laughed, a bit nervously, assuming she was joking about the shortcut. “I could go for ice cream,” he said. “And I want to stay on land as long as possible.” Even with the patches, he wasn’t keen on spending more time than he had to on board.