Penthesilea's Wish [Vol.2]

Chapter Five

While feeling uncomfortable air turbulence during the flight, Daniela looked over at Nicasio, still trying to catch up on his lost sleep. The movement of the plane made him more alert and he appeared  now to be fully awake. Realizing they were flying at thirty-five thousand feet and somewhere approaching the Eastern seaboard of the United States—soon be over the dark Atlantic, the feeling of detaching from her home country was finally sinking in to Daniela.

For Nicasio, to see the woman he truly loved accompanying him on this leg of his research, supplied him with a much needed distraction from the subject with which he had spent so much.  After several moments the two were looking at each other again and Daniela's lovely face broke into a more approachable smile.

"Hey," she whispered, moving her warm hand from his shoulder to the back of his neck. "Tell me now. . . truly. Are you really going to Greece to study . . . Amazons?"

It appeared she was now willing to laugh out loud. Reacting to what she had assumed earlier was just Nicasio's typical bantering.

"No," he replied, whispering back . . . "We  are."

Daniela stared at him questioningly.

He slowly leaned toward her, growing more amused at her perplexed reaction and placed his forehead momentarily against hers.

"Look. . . Dani. When you were a young girl, you probably really did watch that Xena series on TV . . . right?"

She  surprisingly did laugh. Loudly.  And again, the couple across the isle turned and stared at them. Her face lit up with embarrassment and she covered her mouth to speak to him more quietly.

"Actually, Xena was my favorite show when I was growing up."

Nicasio rolled his eyes. "See?" And tell me why? Why was that series so attractive to you?"

"I don't know really. I just liked Xena's character, I guess. Her strength maybe? Every girl wanted to be like her. She was always kicking men's butts. Especially when they deserved it!"

She laughed again. Shamelessly this time, not caring what the aggravated  couple across from them was thinking.

Nicasio reluctantly smiled, then he laughed too. 

"OK then . . . See?"

"See what?"

"That you were a big fan of the Amazons."

"OK. But I was young . . . and probably very impressionable."

"Doesn't matter. That alone makes you qualified enough to be my partner in this study."

"What?"

He kissed her softly on the lips before she could respond. They then both began to laugh contagiously. This time another couple in the seats in front of them turned and showed their disapproval of the noise.

Nicasio quickly composed himself.

"Seriously now, Dani . . . have you ever analyzed that?"

"What?"

"What you just shared with me . . . about loving the Amazons as a girl."

"Come on. Just because I watched Xena as a child?"

"Exactly. She did capture your imagination. Right? That's probably a similar sentiment found in every female . . . to be powerful and able to defeat men. Don't you think so?"