Conjugated - A Jonnor Tale

Chapter Twenty-Five: Rapa Nui

Chapter Twenty-Five: Rapa Nui

Selfridge's jet climbed up to its max ceiling of 50,000 feet as it flew over the equator and the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Jude was watching a movie on his flatscreen, Connor had fallen asleep with his head resting on Jude's shoulder. Periodically there would be flashes of light from lightning below them. Connor stirred and blearily looked at Jude. "What?"

"It's nothing babe," Jude said. "Just some thunderstorms below us. Go back to sleep."

Connor closed his eyes and rested his head back against Jude, in moments he was snoring softly again. Across from him, Snapback and Jay had likewise gone to sleep, with Jay resting against the bulkhead and Jason in his arms. Jude smiled at them and looked back at his movie. Svetlana came over. "Can I get you anything?" she asked.

"Pepsi," asked. She nodded and went back up front. Jude paused his movie and gently pushed Connor over against the bulkhead and got up to go back to the lavatory. Myranda and Sophia were asleep and so was Kyle. Nicole was reading a Kindle and smiled at him as he went past. He used the restroom and came back. He sat next to Nicole. "Have you ever been to Easter Island before? I know it's part of your country."

"I have once," she said. "The solar eclipse in 2010. It was special...I mean, spectacular." She gave him a flustered smile. "Both I guess. Still struggling for the right word sometimes."

"That would be really cool to see," Jude said. "Isn't this the place that has all of the stone heads?"

She nodded. "They're called moai. They were made by the indigenous people to represent their ancestors."

"Interesting," Jude said. "I don't know much about the history of it."

"It was settled by people of Polynesian descent around the year 1200. They started creating the statues soon after. There were almost 900 of them made, the last around the year 1500."

"You know quite a bit," Jude said. Svetlana appeared and handed him his drink. He thanked her.

"Yeah, I wrote a school paper on it a couple of years ago, after my trip," Nicole said. "It's an interesting place, and I bet Taylor has turned up some unusual stuff for us to do."

"Hopefully not involving giant, day-glo spiders," Jude replied, and they both laughed. "I'll let you get back to your book." He tipped his drink at her and went back to his chair. He sat down and pulled Connor back over to his shoulder. Connor mumbled something in his sleep and smiled as his head settled against Jude's shoulder.

He looked back up towards the cockpit, Turner and his mom were busy reviewing their joint task force stuff, using the time to catch up on it. He started his movie up again and his hand absently went over to Connor's chest, he stroked it lightly and his hand settled on Connor's stomach.

***

After his movie was over, Jude dozed off, his head resting lightly against Connor's. He was dreaming that he was in Southridge, and that Connor was out to dinner with his dad and Ella. He'd be home soon, and Jude was getting excited thinking about it....

Jude's eyes shot open and he turned to the aisle as Svetlana shook his shoulder. "Please fasten your belt, we're beginning our descent into Mataveri." Jude nodded and nudged Connor awake.

"Put on your seat belt babe, we're almost there." Connor sleepily buckled up and rested his head back on Jude's shoulder. He was out again almost immediately, Jude held Connor's hand as plane dropped through some high clouds and late evening sunlight streamed into the windows. Connor slept until the plane touched down with a jarring shudder. He stretched and yawned. He looked blearily out the window. "We there, cakes?"