For Jkkitty - Sails In The Sunset: Part 1
My story for Jkkitty. Because of the limitations of LJ I've had to post it in two parts. Hope you like it.
Thanks go to my beta.
Part 1
Napoleon sighed as he put the telephone receiver back into its cradle.
His carefully made plans for a romantic weekend had just fallen through. Marie from Communications had apologetically informed him that, unfortunately, her Mother had been taken ill and she needed to go back home.
“I’m really sorry Napoleon,” she’d said sadly.
Not half as sorry as he felt, ‘I wonder if Silvia has any plans?’ He thought, but no, his heart wasn’t really in it now.
Napoleon looked at the photo of his sailboat, Pursang, sitting on the desk; thinking how much he really liked the picture, taken at the end of last summer, even if it did also include a slightly green looking Illya on the deck. The Russian had agreed to help ready the vessel for winter but before doing so, they had taken it out for a short trip, ensuring everything was in good order before battening everything down.
Solo smiled, ‘That’s what I’ll do, I’ll take her out,’ he thought, she was one lady who would never let him down.
Feeling better about his changed circumstances, Napoleon began planning his weekend break anew.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Solo walked along the wooden pontoons towards Pursang’s berth. As he casually looked around the marina, he noticed a shapely brunette piloting a smaller sailboat away from its moorings, returning her smile and wave as she passed by. He knew most of the craft in the area and their owners, but he didn’t recognise her or the vessel and wondered if she was just passing through or staying for the season. He would make enquiries later.
Soon he was standing alongside his own yacht; running his hand lovingly along the sleek white hull. He made his way to the gap in the railing, boarding her effortlessly.
Standing for a moment, letting himself become accustomed to the gentle sway of the boat beneath his feet and breathing in the cool air, he felt invigorated. Yes, this was the right thing to do. Taking another deep lungfull of sea breeze, he went below.
The salon smelt musty after several months of being closed up and he opened some portholes to let the air circulate while he put the bags of groceries he had brought with him on the table; he would put them away later. He also had brought a small suitcase with the necessary clothing and toiletries for a weekend outing, and these he carefully stowed away in his cabin.
Returning to the galley, he dealt with the provisions then made himself a hot drink; taking it to the to the padded bench beside the small table, he relaxed and listened to the water slapping against the hull.
“Right, time to get ready now,,” Napoleon announced to himself as he put the empty mug in the sink.
Emerging up on deck, he made his way to the sail lockers located in the bow. Pulling the canvas out of their storage place, he set to work attaching the rigging lines to the sheets before fixing them onto the mast rings. As he worked he thought about his last conversation with Illya the day before.
“Got any plans for the weekend, tovarisch?”
“As a matter of fact I have, why?”
“Ah, I wondered whether you’d like to accompany me on the Pursang, I’m not going far and it should be fairly calm. I thought maybe with the new seasickness medication R&D has come up with, you might be able to enjoy sailing for a change.”
“Sorry, my friend, maybe I will come another time.”
“So, anybody I know?”
“Ah, no, I do not think so,” Illya smiled slyly, “I thought you were going to spend the weekend with Marie.”
“Yes, I was, but she couldn’t make it, family matters.”
“I am sorry to hear that, but why take Pursang out this time of year?”
“Sailing gives me time to think and the fresh, cool air will be invigorating.”
“Hmm, maybe. Enjoy yourself and I will see you when you get back.” Kuryakin smiled as he slapped Solo on the back before parting ways.
Task finished, he made ready to get underway. An hour later he was sailing through the Upper Bay out towards the open waters. His destination, Long Island Sound and an eventual cruise around Long Island itself as that would give him a leisurely couple of days and he wouldn’t be too far from help if any problems developed.
The Pursang leaned into the wind; her sails billowed, propelling the boat at a steady six knots. Solo enjoyed the feel of the spray on his face and the breeze in his hair as he kept her heading up the coast; he planned on dropping anchor near Hart's Cove for lunch and was making good time.
On the horizon Napoleon could see another sailboat, it was a few minutes before he realised it wasn’t moving very fast, as he was quickly gaining ground on it. He estimated that within the next fifteen to twenty minutes he would be overtaking it and decided to pull some of the canvas in and slow down, just in case the mystery boat was in trouble.
As he drew nearer he could see it was the vessel that had passed him earlier that morning and now it was listing to its starboard side. He furled the sails completely and brought the Pursang close to the stricken craft.
“Hello there, anyone home?” Solo called as he scanned the deck for any sign of life.
“Ah, yes, but I’m having a little trouble.” The brunette replied as she came up from below.
“I’ll come over and see if I can help if you wish.”
“That would be appreciated, I’m taking on water.”
Napoleon dropped the anchor and pulled a self-inflating dinghy from its stowage location. Once it was ready, he climbed down into it and rowed across to the floundering boat.
“My knight in shining armour, I’m so glad you came along.” She smiled shyly as she approached him, rosy cheeked with her hair billowing in the breeze. She was dressed in blue jeans and a thick red parka, a cream sweater could just be glimpsed through the zipper opening.
“Well, I wouldn’t go quite that far, skipper in a shining schooner maybe,” he flashed his best smile and bowed elaborately, “Napoleon Solo at your service, shall we see what the problem is?”
They started down into the cabin.
“Really? That’s an unusual name. Ah… I’m sorry,” she blushed, “I guess you must get that kind of reaction often. I’m Elizabeth Johnson, pleased to meet you, in fact, very pleased to meet you.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Johnson.”
"Lizzie, please.”
The woman led him to the access hatch so they could see into the bowels of the yacht; peering in, Solo could see that there was quite a serious problem. Boats always took on a certain quantity of water, when it reached a particular level, bilge pumps would activate and remove it. It didn’t look like they had started and the vessel was taking on a dangerous amount.
“Only if you call me Napoleon,” he smiled, “unfortunately, it looks like the bilge is flooding quite rapidly; I’d estimate we’ve only got another ten minutes before she sinks. Did the pumps start at all?”
“No, I thought it was odd I didn’t hear them start after sailing for a while, that’s when I noticed something was wrong and looked down there. Thank God you came when you did.”
“Nothing I like more than rescuing a damsel in distress. If you collect what you need, I’ll take you over to my boat.”
“Thank you, it won’t take long."
Seven minutes later Solo was rowing them both back to the Pursang; he held the dingy steady as Lizzie boarded the yacht and once on deck himself, he secured the inflatable’s rope to the stern, letting it trail behind. By now the brunette’s vessel was disappearing beneath the waves. She stood forlornly at the rail as she watched with tears in her eyes as it slipped from sight.
“’Take Flight’ was left to me by my father, it was all I had left of him,” she sniffed.
Napoleon offered her his handkerchief and put a comforting arm around her.
“I’m sorry to hear that, have you had her long?”
Lizzie nodded, “Yes, about seven years. She was getting old, I suppose she’d just come to the end of her life.”
“We’re not far from Long Beach, I can take you there or to one of the shore towns on Long Island if you want, you should be able to find some help there, or you can come with me.” Napoleon smiled, hoping she’d choose the latter option.
“You’ve been so kind, I don’t want to upset your plans. If you don’t mind me asking, where are you going to?”
“I wasn’t travelling far, just around Long Island; it’s a shakedown cruise, making sure everything's okay now winter's nearly over.”
“If you’re sure, I wouldn’t mind going with you. I’m a little traumatized and some company would be good.” Napoleon saw the sadness in her eyes as she looked towards where her boat had gone down, after a while she sighed and a smile touched her lips as she turned back to him. "Yes, I really think I'd like to accompany you."
Maybe this weekend was looking up after all he thought. “No, I don’t mind at all, I would welcome the company.”
“Thank you.” Lizzie replied as she kissed him on the cheek.
“You’re most welcome. I’ll put your things in my cabin and I’ll sleep in here.” He replied, indicating the salon area.
“I’ll just freshen up and get changed,” she said. “I feel a little grubby after dealing with ‘Take Flight’.”
She went forward, shutting the door behind her, while Napoleon contacted the Coast Guard to notify them of the sunken vessel. After he finished the call, he busied himself raising the anchor and resetting the sails, within minutes Pursang was once again running before the wind.
The brunette came up on deck with two steaming mugs of coffee, offering one to Solo.
“I thought you would welcome a hot drink. Would you like me to take the helm for a while?” She asked.
“Thank you, just what I needed,” he smiled as he took the beverage, “you can take the wheel if you’d like to.”
“I’ve always wondered what it’s like to steer a modern schooner like this.” She put on a brave face, trying not to dwell on the loss of her beloved boat, but to enjoy her love of sailing, just like her dad had.
Napoleon put down the mug and guided her to stand in front of him, putting his hands over hers as she took hold of the wheel, making only small adjustments to keep the boat on course. He enjoyed the sweet scent of her hair as it flew free over her shoulder in the breeze, the closeness of her body sent tingles down his spine as she leaned against him, evidently comfortable in his embrace. Things were definitely looking up.
Lizzie felt the strong arms around her and the gentle touch of his hands, she liked the warmth of his body against hers and snuggling into him, felt a safeness in his embrace she hadn't felt since her father passed away, it was a feeling she didn't want to end.
Soon they arrived at Hart's Cove they drew in the sails and dropped anchor near the shallows. Solo went below and prepared a lunch of salmon salad, French bread, brie, grapes, strawberries and white wine, bringing it all up on deck and enjoying the sun while it lasted. They laughed and chatted, enjoying the company as though they had known each other for years instead of mere hours.
Meal finished; they cleared up and set about trimming the vessel for the next leg of their journey, Napoleon once again taking up position behind Lizzie as she steered the Pursang towards Gardiners Bay where they would stay for the night.
Lizzie relaxed in Solo’s arms, leaning her head on his shoulder.
“I can’t remember being this happy and relaxed for a long while,” the brunette sighed “I think the wine must’ve gone straight to my head.”
“It was a good vintage, and I must say the company is first rate. Do you want me to take over the helm?”
“Mmm, please, my arms are aching now.”
Napoleon used one hand to steer and wrapped his other around Lizzie’s waist, drawing her nearer and placing a gentle kiss on her lips as she looked up at him.
~~~~~~~~~~
Link to Part 2: http://mfu-scrapbook.livejournal.com/767154.html
Thanks go to my beta.
Part 1
Napoleon sighed as he put the telephone receiver back into its cradle.
His carefully made plans for a romantic weekend had just fallen through. Marie from Communications had apologetically informed him that, unfortunately, her Mother had been taken ill and she needed to go back home.
“I’m really sorry Napoleon,” she’d said sadly.
Not half as sorry as he felt, ‘I wonder if Silvia has any plans?’ He thought, but no, his heart wasn’t really in it now.
Napoleon looked at the photo of his sailboat, Pursang, sitting on the desk; thinking how much he really liked the picture, taken at the end of last summer, even if it did also include a slightly green looking Illya on the deck. The Russian had agreed to help ready the vessel for winter but before doing so, they had taken it out for a short trip, ensuring everything was in good order before battening everything down.
Solo smiled, ‘That’s what I’ll do, I’ll take her out,’ he thought, she was one lady who would never let him down.
Feeling better about his changed circumstances, Napoleon began planning his weekend break anew.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Solo walked along the wooden pontoons towards Pursang’s berth. As he casually looked around the marina, he noticed a shapely brunette piloting a smaller sailboat away from its moorings, returning her smile and wave as she passed by. He knew most of the craft in the area and their owners, but he didn’t recognise her or the vessel and wondered if she was just passing through or staying for the season. He would make enquiries later.
Soon he was standing alongside his own yacht; running his hand lovingly along the sleek white hull. He made his way to the gap in the railing, boarding her effortlessly.
Standing for a moment, letting himself become accustomed to the gentle sway of the boat beneath his feet and breathing in the cool air, he felt invigorated. Yes, this was the right thing to do. Taking another deep lungfull of sea breeze, he went below.
The salon smelt musty after several months of being closed up and he opened some portholes to let the air circulate while he put the bags of groceries he had brought with him on the table; he would put them away later. He also had brought a small suitcase with the necessary clothing and toiletries for a weekend outing, and these he carefully stowed away in his cabin.
Returning to the galley, he dealt with the provisions then made himself a hot drink; taking it to the to the padded bench beside the small table, he relaxed and listened to the water slapping against the hull.
“Right, time to get ready now,,” Napoleon announced to himself as he put the empty mug in the sink.
Emerging up on deck, he made his way to the sail lockers located in the bow. Pulling the canvas out of their storage place, he set to work attaching the rigging lines to the sheets before fixing them onto the mast rings. As he worked he thought about his last conversation with Illya the day before.
“Got any plans for the weekend, tovarisch?”
“As a matter of fact I have, why?”
“Ah, I wondered whether you’d like to accompany me on the Pursang, I’m not going far and it should be fairly calm. I thought maybe with the new seasickness medication R&D has come up with, you might be able to enjoy sailing for a change.”
“Sorry, my friend, maybe I will come another time.”
“So, anybody I know?”
“Ah, no, I do not think so,” Illya smiled slyly, “I thought you were going to spend the weekend with Marie.”
“Yes, I was, but she couldn’t make it, family matters.”
“I am sorry to hear that, but why take Pursang out this time of year?”
“Sailing gives me time to think and the fresh, cool air will be invigorating.”
“Hmm, maybe. Enjoy yourself and I will see you when you get back.” Kuryakin smiled as he slapped Solo on the back before parting ways.
Task finished, he made ready to get underway. An hour later he was sailing through the Upper Bay out towards the open waters. His destination, Long Island Sound and an eventual cruise around Long Island itself as that would give him a leisurely couple of days and he wouldn’t be too far from help if any problems developed.
The Pursang leaned into the wind; her sails billowed, propelling the boat at a steady six knots. Solo enjoyed the feel of the spray on his face and the breeze in his hair as he kept her heading up the coast; he planned on dropping anchor near Hart's Cove for lunch and was making good time.
On the horizon Napoleon could see another sailboat, it was a few minutes before he realised it wasn’t moving very fast, as he was quickly gaining ground on it. He estimated that within the next fifteen to twenty minutes he would be overtaking it and decided to pull some of the canvas in and slow down, just in case the mystery boat was in trouble.
As he drew nearer he could see it was the vessel that had passed him earlier that morning and now it was listing to its starboard side. He furled the sails completely and brought the Pursang close to the stricken craft.
“Hello there, anyone home?” Solo called as he scanned the deck for any sign of life.
“Ah, yes, but I’m having a little trouble.” The brunette replied as she came up from below.
“I’ll come over and see if I can help if you wish.”
“That would be appreciated, I’m taking on water.”
Napoleon dropped the anchor and pulled a self-inflating dinghy from its stowage location. Once it was ready, he climbed down into it and rowed across to the floundering boat.
“My knight in shining armour, I’m so glad you came along.” She smiled shyly as she approached him, rosy cheeked with her hair billowing in the breeze. She was dressed in blue jeans and a thick red parka, a cream sweater could just be glimpsed through the zipper opening.
“Well, I wouldn’t go quite that far, skipper in a shining schooner maybe,” he flashed his best smile and bowed elaborately, “Napoleon Solo at your service, shall we see what the problem is?”
They started down into the cabin.
“Really? That’s an unusual name. Ah… I’m sorry,” she blushed, “I guess you must get that kind of reaction often. I’m Elizabeth Johnson, pleased to meet you, in fact, very pleased to meet you.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Johnson.”
"Lizzie, please.”
The woman led him to the access hatch so they could see into the bowels of the yacht; peering in, Solo could see that there was quite a serious problem. Boats always took on a certain quantity of water, when it reached a particular level, bilge pumps would activate and remove it. It didn’t look like they had started and the vessel was taking on a dangerous amount.
“Only if you call me Napoleon,” he smiled, “unfortunately, it looks like the bilge is flooding quite rapidly; I’d estimate we’ve only got another ten minutes before she sinks. Did the pumps start at all?”
“No, I thought it was odd I didn’t hear them start after sailing for a while, that’s when I noticed something was wrong and looked down there. Thank God you came when you did.”
“Nothing I like more than rescuing a damsel in distress. If you collect what you need, I’ll take you over to my boat.”
“Thank you, it won’t take long."
Seven minutes later Solo was rowing them both back to the Pursang; he held the dingy steady as Lizzie boarded the yacht and once on deck himself, he secured the inflatable’s rope to the stern, letting it trail behind. By now the brunette’s vessel was disappearing beneath the waves. She stood forlornly at the rail as she watched with tears in her eyes as it slipped from sight.
“’Take Flight’ was left to me by my father, it was all I had left of him,” she sniffed.
Napoleon offered her his handkerchief and put a comforting arm around her.
“I’m sorry to hear that, have you had her long?”
Lizzie nodded, “Yes, about seven years. She was getting old, I suppose she’d just come to the end of her life.”
“We’re not far from Long Beach, I can take you there or to one of the shore towns on Long Island if you want, you should be able to find some help there, or you can come with me.” Napoleon smiled, hoping she’d choose the latter option.
“You’ve been so kind, I don’t want to upset your plans. If you don’t mind me asking, where are you going to?”
“I wasn’t travelling far, just around Long Island; it’s a shakedown cruise, making sure everything's okay now winter's nearly over.”
“If you’re sure, I wouldn’t mind going with you. I’m a little traumatized and some company would be good.” Napoleon saw the sadness in her eyes as she looked towards where her boat had gone down, after a while she sighed and a smile touched her lips as she turned back to him. "Yes, I really think I'd like to accompany you."
Maybe this weekend was looking up after all he thought. “No, I don’t mind at all, I would welcome the company.”
“Thank you.” Lizzie replied as she kissed him on the cheek.
“You’re most welcome. I’ll put your things in my cabin and I’ll sleep in here.” He replied, indicating the salon area.
“I’ll just freshen up and get changed,” she said. “I feel a little grubby after dealing with ‘Take Flight’.”
She went forward, shutting the door behind her, while Napoleon contacted the Coast Guard to notify them of the sunken vessel. After he finished the call, he busied himself raising the anchor and resetting the sails, within minutes Pursang was once again running before the wind.
The brunette came up on deck with two steaming mugs of coffee, offering one to Solo.
“I thought you would welcome a hot drink. Would you like me to take the helm for a while?” She asked.
“Thank you, just what I needed,” he smiled as he took the beverage, “you can take the wheel if you’d like to.”
“I’ve always wondered what it’s like to steer a modern schooner like this.” She put on a brave face, trying not to dwell on the loss of her beloved boat, but to enjoy her love of sailing, just like her dad had.
Napoleon put down the mug and guided her to stand in front of him, putting his hands over hers as she took hold of the wheel, making only small adjustments to keep the boat on course. He enjoyed the sweet scent of her hair as it flew free over her shoulder in the breeze, the closeness of her body sent tingles down his spine as she leaned against him, evidently comfortable in his embrace. Things were definitely looking up.
Lizzie felt the strong arms around her and the gentle touch of his hands, she liked the warmth of his body against hers and snuggling into him, felt a safeness in his embrace she hadn't felt since her father passed away, it was a feeling she didn't want to end.
Soon they arrived at Hart's Cove they drew in the sails and dropped anchor near the shallows. Solo went below and prepared a lunch of salmon salad, French bread, brie, grapes, strawberries and white wine, bringing it all up on deck and enjoying the sun while it lasted. They laughed and chatted, enjoying the company as though they had known each other for years instead of mere hours.
Meal finished; they cleared up and set about trimming the vessel for the next leg of their journey, Napoleon once again taking up position behind Lizzie as she steered the Pursang towards Gardiners Bay where they would stay for the night.
Lizzie relaxed in Solo’s arms, leaning her head on his shoulder.
“I can’t remember being this happy and relaxed for a long while,” the brunette sighed “I think the wine must’ve gone straight to my head.”
“It was a good vintage, and I must say the company is first rate. Do you want me to take over the helm?”
“Mmm, please, my arms are aching now.”
Napoleon used one hand to steer and wrapped his other around Lizzie’s waist, drawing her nearer and placing a gentle kiss on her lips as she looked up at him.
~~~~~~~~~~
Link to Part 2: http://mfu-scrapbook.livejournal.com/767154.html