Lady Samantha Harkness

[ana]

Name: Lady Samantha Harkness

Appearance:

Age: 30

Whereabouts on Plane: Business class, close to the cockpit.

Occupation: Heiress. She spends her time travelling and has never worked a job in her life.

Nationality: English

Residence: Family home in Hampshire, England. Though she's rarely there.

Skills: Mulit-lingual - can speak French, Spanish, some Italian and a little Cantonese. Shows good initiative and can be very creative. Extensive survival skills and knowledge of basic first aid.

Bad habits: Her polite nature is often spoilt by her sarcastic mind.

Frequent Moods/Expressions: Very independant and single minded. Confident but not arrogant. Graceful under pressure and not afraid to get her hands dirty if need be. Surprisingly down to earth for a Lady.

Reason for flight: Stopped over in Sydney after an expedition in Tasmania. Was supposed to be returning to England after a stopover in Hawaii.

Item from wreckage: Silver chain necklace with concealed compass in the pendant.

History: Born into money, Samantha had never wanted for anything in her life. Sent to the very best private schools in Hampshire; England, she was the perfect little Lady for her aristocratic parents. But all that changed when she was twelve years old. Returning from a school skiing trip in Switzerland, her plane crashed in the mountains, killing everone except her. Miraculously, she somehow managed to make her way to one of the villages in the foothills five days later, where she made a polite telephone call to her father asking him if he would come pick her up if it wasn't too much bother.

It had been a life changing experinece for her and one that shaped the rest of her life from then on. Her parents sent her to finishing school when she was eighteen, assuming when she returned, she would marry straight away, but Samantha had other ideas. She shunned the upper-class confines that being a Lady had placed on her, finding she had a need to explore the unknown. Ever since then, she has spent most of her time on the move, travelling to the more remote areas of the globe and only returning home after her parents had passed away, to settle the family estate.

Despite her aristocratic upbringing, Sam is a very down to earth and practical young lady. Over the years, she's learnt a lot about survival in one form or another. Never afraid to get her hands dirty or say what she thinks, her charming personality and confidence help her to make new friends easily. She has no real worries in life, the benefit of inheriting her fathers money, and so sometimes finds it hard to relate to day to day worries of regular people. Paying the mortgage, or keeping a job have never been an issue for her. Fiercely independant, she's also sharp minded and quick witted. Never really one to loose her temper, but always one to fight for what she wants.

[ana]

An occassional travelling partner for Samantha...

Name: Kai Malihini.

Appearance:

Age: 26

Occupation: Lifelong beach bum and proud of it.

Nationality: Hawaiian.

Residence: Wherever the mood takes him. No formal address as such. Often lives out of his busted up pick-up truck.

Skills: An expert surfer, swimmer and rock climber. Can live on virtually no money for an indefinate amount of time. Thanks to a life of constant travelling, no matter where he is, he usually finds at least one person he knows well, no matter how remote a place he may be in. It's an uncanny ability he counts on when he's broke.

Bad habits: Sometimes over-confident, often lazy and lacking in personal grooming skills and manners. Yet annoyingly still attracts the ladies. Tends to be a little grumpy early in the morning. Has a weakness for a certain Lady.

Frequent Moods/Expressions: Somewhere between happy and sleepy, depending on the time of day. Sometimes frustrated with himself over the fact he hasn't as yet been able to tell Samantha how he feels about her.

[ana]

Matapalo, Costa Rica. 7 years ago....

The only roads around Matapalo are what the civilised world would call dirt track back roads. Muddy stretches of jungle that have been worn down by local trucks and wagons going from town to town. Much of the area has no electricity, save for a few solar powered villages dotted here and there. The jungle itself is teaming with wildlife, where as signs of human life are few and far between. Yet that was part of the attraction for Samantha. The very idea of being in the middle of no-where, at the mercy of mother nature, was to be free and unconfined by the strictness of her family life back home. Besides, the place was beautiful. A fact not lost on Samantha as she barrelled down the dirt road in her top of the range Land Rover Freelander. In fact she was far to busy admiring the picturesque location, that she didn't see the huge rock jutting up in the middle of the road.

The driver's side wheel hit it full on, bursting the tyre and sending the off road truck careening down a sloping ditch until the impact with a tree trunk stopped all motion. Samantha came to at the sound of a car horn, which she soon realised was because her head had been slumped on the wheel. She sat back in her seat, thankful that she still had the sense to wear a seat belt, and put her hand to her forhead where she could already feel a large bruise forming. Fortunately, that appeared to be her only injury. After taking a deep breath, Samantha got out of the truck and went to investigate the damage to the front of the vehicle.

To her relief, the impact had been somewhat softened by foliage, meaning that only a minor dent could be seen. Her tyre, however, was very definately beyond salvage.

"Hello? Anyone alive down there?" A male voice called from somewhere above Samantha, sounding like it came from the road at about the same place she'd swerved off it. It was so unexpected to hear any voice at all, never mind an English speaking one, that Samantha wondered if she hadn't hit her head harder than she imagined.

"I'm alive!" She called up. "Though one of my tyre's has apparently lost the will to live."

"Alright, stay there....I've got a tow cable...I'll be right down!"

Moments later, a handsome young man wearing scruffy sandals, ripped denim jeans and an old t-shirt advertising North Shore Oahu, came wandering down the muddy slope with a heavy tow cable in his hands. His opening smile was immediately disarming and Samantha had the feeling he was the kind of guy who never struggled to find a date.

"Hey," He started, an easy charm effortlessly coming off him in waves. "Heard the horn and saw the tracks coming off the road...you sure you're okay?" He was staring at her bruised head.

"I'm fine, thank you. Just a little annoyed with myself for not seeing that rock in the road." She replied, brushing her hair from her face.

He smiled again. "Name's Kai." He held out his hand to her and Samantha shook it gratefully.

"Samantha. And thank you again, for coming to my aid. You could very easily have just carried on driving.

"Oh, hey, no worries. Always keen to help a damsel in distress." He chuckled, heading to fasten the tow cable to the rear of her Freelander. Samantha frowned slightly, not really appreciating the reference to her being a damsel but Kai missed the look entirely as he started trudging back up the slope to his own truck. Samantha followed him, deciding to let it go. She wasn't in a position to rock the boat over a throw away comment when he was helping her out.

"I'll pull her up and then we'll see what we can do about your tyre."

"I must admit, I'm surprised to see anyone out here." She said as the reached his battered green pick-up truck.

"I could say the same thing." He flicked the button that began to reel the cable back in. From below, the sound of metal fighting with branches could be heard and slowly but surely her Freelander began the ascent up the slope. "What's a woman like you doing in the middle of Matapalo anyway? You seem a little out of place."

"A woman like me?" She asked him, folding her arms in front of her.

"Yeah, you're English right?" He leaned on the side of his truck.

"Very astute of you. But I fail to see why being English bares any significance to me being in Matapalo."

Kai smirked without realising it. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you sound a little...too posh to be slumming it in such a remote place. I imagine you're more suited to the Ritz or something."

Samantha's gratefulness rapidly soured as Kai cluelessly insulted her. She had fought hard not to be associated with the ignorant upper classes back home.

"Do I indeed." She said through gritted teeth.

Kai sensed he'd said something wrong, but was interupted before he could say anything as her car juddered over the edge of the slope and Samantha slammed the stop button before he could reach it.

"Whoa...easy there Lady.... that's delicate equipment." He said, holding his hands up to her, but she was far too annoyed by him to listen. Now that the car was safely back on the road, she could set to work fixing her tyre. She stormed over to the back of the truck and roughly unhooked the cable, thrusting it back into Kai's hand.

"Have I said something to offend you?" He offered, a confused expression on his ruggedly handsome face.

"Not at all." Was the sarcastic reply. "Thank you very much for your help, but I think I can handle it from here." She promptly turned around and ignored him, fetching the spare tyre from the back of the truck and gathering the neccesary tools to remove the burst one.

"Look, you can't do that by yourself, let me help you..." Samantha whirled around with a tyre iron in her hand, pointing it at him quite threateningly.

"No thank you, I can manage." She turned her back on him again. "You'd be surprised what a posh woman like me is capable of."

"Hey, no need to get defensive!" He declared, stowing the tow cable back on his truck. By now, Samantha was already jacking up the wheel and removing the bolts that secured the shredded tyre in place. It was apparent to Kai, that she had done this many times before. In fact the sight of such a beautiful woman who wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty made him stand back and watch in awe. He soon found himself smiling again, watching her expertly switching the tyres around as if she had been born in a garage.

Samantha didn't say another word until she'd finished, but knew he was now watching her, probably waiting for her to break a nail or something so he could leap to the rescue and show off his manliness. The moment never came. When she was done putting the damaged tyre in the back of her truck, she saw the impressed look on Kai's face as he stood there leaning on his own truck.

"I take it all back." He said sincerely. "Seems you're not so out of place here after all."

"Perhaps you'll think twice before you judge so quickly next time." She said, wiping her muddy hands on a cloth that her tools had been wrapped in.

"Perhaps I should get your number so you can come change my tyre if it ever blows."

Samantha couldn't help but laugh at his bold faced charms.

"If fate decides we should meet again, we'll take it from there." With that, she turned and stepped up into the driver's seat.

"I'm glad you're okay." He said, stepping into his own truck. "And I'm definately hoping we meet again."

There was a pause and Samantha gave him her own genuine smile. "Me too."

Both trucks roared to life, setting off in different directions. Both driver's frequently glancing in their rearview mirror's until the other was no longer in sight.

[ana]

Matapalo Beach, Costa Rica. 8 days later.....

For the last week, Samantha had been pinballing from village to village in search of someone who could repair the dent in her truck and the gash in her tyre. It had been a long and frustrating endeavour, as she'd been told by many locals that she'd have better luck finding a polar bear in the jungle. Never the less, her ability to speak the local Spanish language had earnt her much more respect than the average foreigner, and she was promptly directed further south to a village near Matapalo Beach.

When she arrived at what seemed to a be a local hotspot for enjoying the sun and the surf, Samantha decided to indulge in a little rest and relaxation herself. Fixing her car could wait one more day. It wasn't as if she had to be anywhere for anyone, anyway. The luxury of time was priceless.

In the relative privacy of the back of her truck which she'd parked in the sand near the edge of the beach, Samantha changed into a light blue bikini and wrapped a long darker blue sarong around her waist. Hopping out of the vehicle, she slipped on a pair of thong sandals that matched her outfit, grabbed her book and sunglasses, finally locking the truck up and heading for what appeared to be a very simple beach bar a short distance down the sands.

A few local inhabitants meandered on the beach, drinking and laughing and generally enjoying themselves. Several children were larking about at the water's edge, immitating the more professional surfer's that were displaying their skills in the high waves off shore. A mongrel dog ran the length of the beach, chasing insects and birds without a care in the world. No-one really paid her any attention or reffered to her as 'my Lady'. She was annonymous. It was perfect.

The bamboo beach bar had clearly been a labour of love for the owner. Built by hand from local materials, it had a semi circular counter with several stools set out for people to sit and drink at in the shade of it's palm fringed roof. Behind the bar were only a few bottles of spirits, mostly rums and tequila. Off to one side was a large crate of fresh coconuts, still with thier husks on, no doubt gathered from the edges of the beach.

Samantha took at seat at the corner of the counter, placing her book down as she ordered a rum from the heavily tanned Costa Rican who was propped against the back counter smoking a home made cigarette. At first he seemed a little hostile towards her, but when she opened her mouth and spoke his native language with ease, he was all smiles and couldn't do enough for her.

Taking a coconut and chopping the top off with a large machette, he then poured a large quantity of rum into it, followed by a bright red straw and handed it over to her. Samantha flipped open her book to where she'd last finished reading and took out a couple of Costa Rican notes she'd been using as bookmarks to pay him. Then she settled down to her book, taking a sip of her rich drink and observing the distant surfers every now and then.

A small fishing boat caught the bartenders attention and he left the bar to go and speak to the onwer, who was now pulling the vessel up onto the sand. Samantha watched the two exchange a hug, and the bar man promptly begun helping the fisherman with his latest haul. Whilst her attention was elsewhere, a man approached her from behind, propping his surf board up in the sand before moving closer to speak.

"What's a woman like you doing in a place like this?" He asked confidently.

Samantha looked over her shoulder, attracted by a familiar voice.

"A woman like me?" She said, seeing who it was.

"I imagine you're more suited to changing tyres in the middle of the jungle."

Samantha laughed out loud, surprised, but not unhappy to find Kai once again.

"So fate made her decision then." She said, putting her book down on the counter and giving him her full attention. He looked as though he'd just come from the ocean as his hair and skin were still glistening with water. He wore a pair of blue and white bermuda shorts that matched his surf board and was bare foot in the white sand.

"Looks like."

**Continued below**

[ana]

"Kai, wasn't it?" Samantha asked him as he wandered around the bar's counter to help himself to a drink.

"You've got a good memory. Samantha, right?"

"That's right." She watched while he cut open a coconut for himself as if he owned the place. "It's an unusual name. Is there a surname to match?"

"Malihini." Kai said, over his shoulder.

"Hawaiian?"

"Yeah, how'd you know that?" He asked, turning back to face her now, but with a slightly puzzled expression.

"Oh, I've been around." She teased. "There was a big clue the last time I saw you."

He scratched his head. "I don't..." Samantha cut him off, aware he hadn't guessed what she meant.

"North Shore Oahu? It was on your t-shirt. I hear there's a big surfing festival there every year."

Kai looked impressed. "Biggest waves on the planet, some say." He leant forward on the bar across from her. "You a bunny?"

"A bunny?" It was her turn to be confused.

"Beach bunny. It's what we call the chicks that like to hang out on the beach and watch the surfers."

Samantha chuckled to herself. "No, I'm not a bunny. I just travel a lot. It's funny what you learn on the way."

"So that's why you're in Costa Rica. huh?" He glanced around as if looking for someone. "You still on your own?"

"I'm still on my own." She took a sip of her drink.

"That's brave. You always travel on your own?"

"I don't know anyone else that would go where I want to go."

"And where would that be?" He asked, genuinely interested.

"Far away from home." She stated, her voice suddenly sadder. She noticed he was about to say something about that, so she changed the subject. "So is this your bar then, or do you often go around stealing coconuts?" She smiled.

"Heh, no, not my bar. It's Eduardo's." He pointed to the deeply tanned barman that was helping the fisherman by the shore. "The guy with the fishing nets, that's his cousin Alejandro. They have a little villa a little further down the beach. He lets me sleep there when i'm in town."

Samantha turned back to Kai. "You don't live in these parts then?"

"No. I just come down for the surf. Matter of fact, I don't really stay put for too long anywhere."

"Just out looking for bunnies." Samantha teased again.

"Am I that transparent?" He joked. "Nah, well yeah...but there's other reason's too. I just like to live by the day. See where it takes me, y'know. Big world out there. Lot's of beaches I haven't seen yet." He came back around the counter and sat beside Samantha. "Lot's of waves still to be tamed."

"I like your philosophy."

Kai looked at her for a moment, something elusive behind his eyes.

"What?" Samantha asked, unable to read it.

"Are you busy tonight?"

"Oh, er...I need to find a mechanic to fix my car."

"I know a guy in the next village, technically speaking he's a goat herder, but he's a genius with anything mechanical. I'll take you down tomorrow."

"Oh, you don't need to do that..."

Kai raised his hand to silence her. "It's not a problem. He actually owes me a favour. I introduced him to his wife." He smiled, quite proud of the fact.

"Well that's very kind of you."

"My pleasure. So you don't have any plans tonight now." He grinned.

"What do you have in mind?" Was the cautious reply.

"Eduardo's having a beach party, at his villa. I want you to meet a few people."

"They're not the kind of people that will drug me and steal my kidney's for the black market are they?"

Kai laughed. "Not that I know of, no."

"Then I would be honoured to be your guest."

Kai raised his coconut and tapped it against Samantha's in a toast.

"Here's to being far away from home."

Samantha looked at her drink then at Kai.

"Here's to new friends."