Disclaimer: I don't own HM. But I do own the write to weave a great tale. Especially if it's something I really enjoy taking time to really work with. :3

This is a story I came up with one day while walking on a trail nearby. Just minding my own business, I was helpless as the plotbunnies pelted me. I promise! If you don't believe me, see for yourself!

A Vaugn/Chelsea fic. Just something to soothe the deprived souls out there and everything.

Her name was Chelsea. She was average height, had odd blue eyes, and her hair was a light shade of brown. And she was running from the security of the city life.

She was fresh out of high school, already knowing with everything that she needed to fly from the nest. Now she didn't know entirely where she was headed, but once she was there, she'd know where her journey ended. This is where her new life really starts. She will never go back to her past before, and has assured that it will never catch up to where she may go.

She knew no one would really understand her motives. But she just couldn't stay. It had been all she could do to stay in high school, but she just couldn't bare to stay in this place. Now that it was perfectly reasonable, she could simply walk out the door and never look back. She didn't just want to—she needed it with every fiber of her being.

This was her prison. This comfortable life was just too…stable… for her. Every moment that she lingered to make sure she'd secured her departure, she felt a pressure closing in on her. Every torturous ticking of the silver mounted clock was silent, internal agony. She was miserable—had been ever since her perfect little world was shattered at age six. Right when she truly realized that she needed to carve her own path in life and make her own destiny—not one that had been pre-determined for her in advance.

It wasn't her fault that there was no longer a future here for her. Yes, she very well had a future here. A good one—no; an entire life planned out before her. But it was just not the one she wanted. She could have everything. There was everything in store for her here. She would never have to worry about money, nor every having to really fret about anything. She'd never have to worry about, well, anything. Everything had already been predetermined for her.

But it just wasn't her life. It was the perfect life. She didn't want to have everything handed to her on a big silver platter. There was no way that was really living. Wasn't living about doing things for one 's self? Because, once she faced reality, it wasn't dying she was afraid of anymore. It was not living life the way it was intended.

With nothing but the extra weight of a small duffel bag filled with the necessities and a few granola bars, she left it all behind. She didn't say goodbye to the people she knew. Her chin defiantly tilted, she padded through the darkness of the nighttime streets.

--+--

For the next few days, she went wherever she pleased. She traveled far away, putting as much distance between her and her constrictive hometown and its equally stiff abiders. She walked, feeling sheer and total pleasure in being free. And despite her weary, aching feet, she rejoiced at the light heart feeling that made her giddy. She took pleasure in the simplest of things, such as the very colors that she saw, to the sense of life that continued on everywhere she looked. The very blades of overgrown grass were beautiful to her. She ate when she became hungry, and quenched her thirst wherever she could refill her canteen with fresh drinking water.

At one point, she remembered that a hard pelting force of a sudden storm had started up while she'd paused to frequent the public bathroom of a gas station. When she'd come out to see the gray world outside and heard the hazy weather report on the battered television, she'd wandered to the small eatery connected to the convenience store.

It was because of this small delay that the next key event happened.

Taking up a pleasant stranger's offer, she hitched a ride in the passenger seat of an old working truck. The middle aged man made for an interesting conversation, telling her of a completely different life-style than she herself had known. He never once pried about her, and never asked once where she herself was heading, and made do by just filling the silence by speaking in an even pace every so often.

She hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep until her eyes had opened again, finding that the man had finished talking, and had turned on the morning news. Gaw! Somehow, she'd slept the whole night through! Thank goodness the gruff, bearded driver hadn't taken offense. She'd been grateful for the company, despite the gloomy weather outside the vehicle, and Chelsea really didn't noticed how far he'd driven until they'd been forced to stop for fuel. Shocked to see how quickly the time had flown and the distance that had been racked up in a simple night's drive, she'd decided to part ways from the cheerful, robust man. Slipping out, she left behind her grateful appreciation in the form of a crisp paper bill.

Not tired in the least, she detoured through this new town. As she walked along the main road, she made assumptions by the ancient trees branching out, that she was getting farther and farther away from the collective life of the metropolis she'd started out in. It was still another large town, though. Huge, actually. Despite having put serious distance between herself and her former life, she still had no connection to any of the places or sights she'd seen. So she knew she still had to keep going.

Another day passed. She spent the night at the shelter, seeing as she opted out for it than the posh hotel she knew would wipe her of her precious funds. After resting, she started back up again, steadily walking another few miles. And quiet literally, she happily took time to smell the roses along the way. She took a break in a rather crowded park, and she halved her lunch with a hungry dog that happily wagged his tail before lopping off.

Next, she caught a bus, headed farther out then her previous life had ever allowed her to venture. Fairly swiftly, two days went by. She used a larger part of her cash to do so, but Chelsea had thought it was money well spent. She read up on the world, reading through magazines and newspaper articles she'd picked up, discarded, though in perfectly reasonable condition. Still, the next few towns weren't calling to her, and the people didn't seem any different. Each town got a little smaller, until finally, they started increasing in population again.

She had handled everything exceptionally well up to this point. She'd done everything she had wanted along the journey so far, and nothing bad had occurred. Not yet at least.

So she boarded the next ship, having paid a pricey fee, not even knowing why exactly she felt so called to climb up the wooden docks. Yes, it was a cruise ship. And yes, it had been bizarre that she'd been able to pay upfront just minutes before the ocean liner left. So what?

That afternoon passed slowly—if somewhat boringly— while she relaxed on the deck, not once piping up to speak to anyone else. She wasn't being cold or unfriendly—no; far from it. There was a grin curled on her lips, and she ignored the curious stares. Sure, she was young to be alone. Big deal! So what? She was free from obligations—but that didn't mean she was fresh meat on the market.

She purposely avoided the college guys and other interested men. They only wanted one thing—which she honestly didn't want to deal with right now. To give the nicer looking ones credit, she was tempted. But…She decided not here, and not now. They were probably just mistaking her maturity as a different signal. And yes, she already knew she probably didn't hold herself like her age. For years, it had been this way. Nah, she couldn't tell anyone how old she felt, but she sure didn't feel like she was eighteen. And that was just the honest truth.

Locking the door behind her, she looked at her meager belongings. There was little, but it was all she needed. Toiletries, a national map, her canteen, a small, battery operated radio, her bible, her sketch book and a few pencils, her journal, and a few other odds and ends. Quant, once she thought about it. A minimalistic way to travel, but she saw no real reason for anything else at the moment. Sure, she missed some of the luxuries, but…

This week really opened her eyes to so many more aspects of life. Her 20 inch duffel could only hold so much, putting it bluntly. When she packed, she'd stuffed it so tightly that the zipper had threatened to break. Being a burden, she got rid of some of the more ridiculous and useless items, pawning them and giving them away to charity drop offs. It was literally pounds off of her back and shoulders not to lug around a heavy bag, and made for a lighter, more cheerful mood to travel. Besides, she found she really didn't need all that much to make her happy anymore. She was no longer materialistic, and needed very little when it came down to it.

With two extra changes of clothes and underwear—obviously—she'd done laundry at the laundry mats when they were available and clipped coupons while she waited. Heck, if she was going to live life to the fullest, she was really going to enjoy whatever she did. And if saving an extra bit here and there helped, then so be it. And she'd refreshened herself wherever the location had a place for such. One town, she'd showered in a bathhouse, while at another she bathed in a shelter, and yet other places had only really had the option of going to a local gym. Of course, to enter the buildings, she's had to pay a small fee and actually use the equipment for a satisfactory amount of time, but at least there was a shower in store, right?

Having an odd feeling, she decided to keep her bag packed once seeing there was dark, angry thunderclouds looming heavily near. Creeping steadily closer each hour, it had been a safe bet to say that it would be harsh, if not worrying storm come nightfall.

But until then, she'd absorb the use of her quarters. She relaxed, finding that her room boasted a hidden, luxurious bathroom. Delighted, she spent the longest time cleaning up, leisurely soaking as her lax muscles sighed from the pleasurable heat that clouded up in a misty steam. She washed her clothes, shaking her head with a smile as she hung then and dried them quickly with the room's standard blow-dryer. Once dry, she quickly folded them as to avoid wrinkles. She placed her clothes back into her heavy duty bag, and pulled her hair back with the red bandana she'd acquired along the way.

Besides, as she gave herself a long look in the mirror, she was a completely different person than the reflection that had peered back a week ago. Her eyes were brighter, and her skin had a more dewy, natural glow. Her hair was no longer dull, and her expression was that of a purring cat. She felt amazing. There was no way to explain how she felt other than completely at peace. It was like she'd been given absolute serenity. If she looked happy on the outside, it was pretty obvious how brightly the source burned on the inside.

And the knowledge of this made her feel even more joyous.

Wow. If this was how she was going to feel for the rest of her life, then she was pretty much set.

It was hard to believe, but somehow, in a week's time, she'd discovered herself again. She'd taken advantage of recovery, ecstatic to finally start living. Her past behind her, she knew she could get through virtually anything.

But there was one thing she hadn't really prepared herself for. It was even pretty obvious, seeing as she'd been seeing the signs all day.

As she drifted asleep, curled up under the covers, she sighed a breath of pure contentment, listening to the steady hum of the air conditioner.

--+--

The storm had woken her up, jerking her away with a mighty, booming crash of deafening thunder, followed immediately after with a fearful man's faked calmness over the ship's intercom. Something was wrong. People were being asked to report to the lifeboats and to calmly aboard the smaller vessels.

Something propelled her to get ready, so within a split minute, she'd thrown her sleeping clothes into her bag, zipped it up and was ready to go. Even through the blackout, she remembered laughing at that before shivering in freight. Stupid her was laughing at the fact that she's just reproved the term minute men, while the ship was sinking. If she wasn't so tense, she might have never even noticed that.

Running out to the deck, she raced to find others. Between the confusion, and the flashes of lightening, she almost made it to the life boats when the slippery floor beneath her proved to be at too much of an incline. She slipped, clinging to her bag. Crying out, she fought to grab onto the railing to steady herself.

She failed.

--+--

Giving up, she didn't fight the waves. She let them carry her, and only focused on keep her head above the inky back, churning waves. After something whacked her in the back of the head, she reached out unconsciously. She clung to that thing, whatever it may have been. Thankfully it felt like a lump life-preserver. Hey, it floated, so as of now, she rejoiced and clung for dear life. Staying afloat, she reassessed her location, making out a formation of land when the sky illuminated the sinking ship in the other direction.

--+--

She was wet, and her clothes were clinging to her. She lay in partial darkness. Beneath her, the grainy sand felt like heaven after having spent draining hours in the ocean. She'd lost her bag, and grieved its loss. But when she thought about it, she had been forced to kick her shoes off in the dark water of the ocean as well.

She literally had nothing but the clothes of her back and the bandana on her head now. Shockingly, the knot had been too secure, and had been caught by a large tangle of the hair plastered to her head.

Despite that, she was thankful. Though disoriented, she was more than grateful to have come out with nothing more than a drained body and a pulsing throb inside her skull.

Looking around, she struggled to keep calm. She had lost her happy smile, now with her brows furrowed and fighting to catch her breath. Her battered body was too much too tired to do anything more than lay on the beach she'd swam to. Because a) she was tired, wet, hungry, and moody, and b) she was shipwrecked alone on some random island that was somewhere in the thousands of uninhabited islands of an archipelago.

Great. She didn't even want to think of what had happened to her other unfortunate things.

But….did everyone else make it out okay?

Or were there other people that had gotten stranded liker her?

Trying to sit up, she became lightheaded. So many things ran through her mind, but the most prominent was the current situation. Oh, God. Where in the world was she? Struggling to blink, much less focus on the disoriented world around, her eyes watered at the brightness.

She closed her eyes, and let herself fall back.

--+--

The next thing she new, a voice startled her. She jumped, her eyes snapped open. By now, her clothes were dry, and morning had long since arrived. She had been drifting in and out of a doze, and had been taking in the sun, warmed by its rays. Not anymore, however.

"Hey, are you alright?!"

She looked up, shaking her head to snap back into attention. Turning to face the source of the aged voice, she found herself looking at a short statured man.

He offered her a (partially toothless) grin. "Ah, you've come to! Are you okay?"

She nodded, clearing her throat. "Yeah, I guess I am."

At first a bit surprised to even hear her own voice, she noticed him hobble closer, using the support of his knobby walk stick. Concerned, her expression changed, and he waved that off. His bushy snow colored brows and mustaches were the first things she noticed. Then his spotted skin and the wrinkles upon wrinkles that etched into his leathery skin.

"That's good." He breathed, licking his thin lips. "…It looks like the ship went down in the storm …." He muttered under his breath, "in several piece, if my old eyes weren't playing tricks on me."

Her alarm was obvious, even to his eyes.

"Don't worry, though, it looked like everyone made it to the life boats in time." But his brushy brows were cocked, and she was sure he knew what had unfortunately happened to her. Or at least, it was clear the old man had an idea.

"I'm sure they'll get rescued now that the storm has died down."

She nodded, not really knowing what else to say. Seeing the awkwardness, he went on. He looked around, breaking out into a grin. Breathing in a hearty lungful of air, he closed his eyes and savored the salty tang of the breeze.

"It looks like we've landed ourselves on a nice little island, though!"

Boy, wasn't that obvious.

Chelsea smiled back, refreshed by his optimistic nature.

His dark eyes were crinkled at the corners, and suddenly he started again. Curious, this inquisitive ancient man cocked his head. "By the way, my name is Taro. What's yours?"

"My name is Chelsea," she told him, not offering anymore. Even to her own ears, she could hear a slight undertone of…something. She couldn't place it, but she understood that those four words hadn't sounded as reassured as she would have liked them to.

He didn't ask anymore than that, and felt a slight relief because so.

"Ah, Chelsea, is it? Looks like it's just you me, and my family here, Chelsea. "

Before she had an time to think, he offered her a bright and cheeky smile. "Follow me. I'll introduce you to the rest of my family."

Seeing no other alternative but to accept his invitation, she hiked up after the surprisingly fast paced man.

--+--

Reaching to almost the point where the white sand tapered off into more fertile soil, they stopped. Standing there with a gentle expression, stood a woman. Her complexion was clear, and her eyes kind. The style of dress she was pretty, and Chelsea like her old-fashioned appearance. She couldn't help but to respond to the motherly woman's smile.

"Hello, father." The woman greeted Taro. And as such, he gave a quick nod. Seeing Chelsea, she exclaimed. "Oh! You found another person from the ship!"

Old Taro introduced them, using his free hand to gesture. Soon, she became acquainted with his grandchildren, Natalie and Elliot. Elliot was a year older, while Natalie was her age.

After gaining more information, she found herself liking this family. They were kind, and though she didn't really know their backgrounds, it didn't really matter. Hearing them speak of resettling her, her interest perked.

Watching the way the interacted and included her, she felt…like she belonged. Like she'd finally found a family unit that she wouldn't mind seeing every day.

"…With a little work, I'm sure this will be a lovely place to live."

The others chatted for a few minutes, and Chelsea's mind kept whirling.

And finally, she heard her name. "You in, Chelsea?"

It was an invataion to stay. She'd heard that right, hadn't she?

The facts were simple. She had no more belongings. She'd left life behind in the city to find a simplier destiney. She'd been shipwreched on a rather large island. It was beautiful and untouched by the corruptions of wicked people. She'd found like minded people that wanted to live a less complicated life. The island they were standing on was completely free of anyone else but the five of them. Which would probably change if life stirred up once again and it called to others to come.

It could very well be a life filled with simple day to day things. If this was just the beginning, then there would be a lot of work set before them. But they could do it. They'd have to work together to rebuild it a suitable place to live, and find basic provisions, but other than that….

Her breath caught, and her heart started faster. Chelsea analyzed this deep feeling that had steadily crept up on her, and was gleeful to put a name on it. It was a sense of belonging. That very calling that lulled her to stay was what she'd been waiting for. The was the same feeling that made her feel like roots were settling from her soul to the very island.

At first, she'd not known where she was going to end up.

But looking at the excepting faces of her new friends, she nodded, smiling.

This was it.

She'd found where she could start over.

Next up? Vaughn's point of view. TBC...