Pape'ete, Tahiti, Saturday

[lockestheway]

Thankfully, the visit to Tahiti was less fraught with potentially difficult negotiations with heads of state. Peter was greeted and accepted quite heartily, taken to a private diplomat's dinner upon arrival last night and then driven to his hotel

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[whenshewasnice]

That Girl was not at Homecoming. She'd considered it, briefly, but Jim visiting her for a couple of days had basically been all the Homecoming she needed. She'd visit Fandom at some other time.

And besides, Tahiti. It was pretty nice. Which was why Natalie - and yes, a bodyguard, largely for show - was taking a walk too, although she was more taking the occasional picture rather than answering emails. But she did send one message.

Found a place that does ice cream with proper Tahitian vanilla. I'll send you the coordinates if you want to join me.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie cooped up some more half-melted ice cream. "Please, you wouldn't like me as much if I did things half-heartedly like that."

Judging included.

[lockestheway]

"Yes," Peter said dryly. "Your impeccable sense of judging everything I do is what attracted me to you in the first place."

[whenshewasnice]

"No, it was my ability to flawlessly combine that judgment with genuine affection and a not insignificant level of intelligence," Natalie quipped while she chased a piece of pineapple with her spoon.

[lockestheway]

Peter watched her do it. "Funny that you should say that while you're regressing back to when you were nine years old," he said.

He meant it fondly!

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie still heaved a theatrical sigh.

"Well, sometimes you're about twelve, so I guess it works out somehow."

[lockestheway]

The bodyguard set Peter's ice cream down in front of him, giving him a look that read I'm not your gofer.

"Thanks," Peter said glibly. "Credit card?"

He got the credit card.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie was getting pretty good at giving the bodyguards mild looks that were somewhere around I know, he's brilliant but an idiot.

But you know. Polite.

"You've got everything set for your speech later, right?"

[lockestheway]

"Of course I do," Peter said lightly. "I have the main points all drawn up and the rest, I can wing."

[whenshewasnice]

"Good."

Well, she wasn't going to doubt him on that.

"Just checking."

[lockestheway]

"Aww, were you worried?"

Peter, don't push it.

[whenshewasnice]

"Worrying would imply I didn't think you know what you're doing," Natalie retorted. "Is that really a question you want to be asking?"