Welcome to the new short story! This is dedicated to Jenne11 whom requested it.

Legal stuff: I do not own and am not associated with DeGrassi or Epitome

All the very important things to know before reading:

*This fic is 100% A/U

*Everyone is from different cities, no one grew up together or went to school together (except for the families)

*I did not mess with families (well Clare's a smidge) but I did change people's ages see below

Jay (18)

Owen (17)

Fitz (17)

Zig (15)

Drew (17)

Dallas (16)

Luke (16)

Johnny (17)

Bruce (17)

Adam (16)

Sean (17)

Bianca (17)

Grace (15)

Alli (16)

Zoe (15)

Katie (17)

Lexi (18)

Amy (16)

Manny (15)

*Clare's family consist of Glen & Helen Edwards ~ Darcy (19), Jake (18), Clare (16) and Peter (20) is engaged to Darcy

*Drew and Adam are brothers in this still

*FYI the type of ship Barque is pronounced Bark

Ch. 1 Our Adventure Begins

(FITZ)

The bus pulls up to Ogden Point, Victoria Harbor and I get off slowly grabbing my suitcase and duffel from the cargo area. Another boy, that got on the bus with me at Vancouver airport, grabs a couple of bags and then looks at the docks. It's been a long trip from Niagara Falls to Victoria, B.C. for me and I don't want to be here, the other boy doesn't look like he wants to be here either.

"Are you on the bad kids cruise too?" I ask him. He's about an inch taller than me, brawny and athletic looking with short cropped black hair and dark blue eyes.

"Yep sailing around the world with a bunch of juvenile delinquents and a family," he says rolling his eyes before extending his hand, "I'm Owen."

"Fitz," I reply shaking his hand, "guess we should find this ship. Do you remember what it was called?"

"Fang something or other I think," Owen shrugs.

We go down to the docks and start looking at the ships. There aren't a whole lot of ships here and most of them are large cruise ships, Owen taps my arm nodding to one at the end of the dock. The ship is getting supplies loaded onto it and it's the only one here that looks like a historical ship with big masts and a lot of sails that are currently rolled up.

"That must be it," I nod in agreement.

As we walk over we see a girl on one of the net things that are connected to the masts. The girl is in little white shorts and a bikini top, Owen and I both whistle at the sight at the same time.

"Look at that ass," I grin.

"Maybe this cruise won't suck so much after all, I think I'll bunk with that babe," Owen says.

"Hey no hitting on my sister," a boy reprimands us. He's tall and thin with light brown hair that's spiked and he has green eyes. He's also holding a clipboard and glaring at us just a little, for the comments about his sister I assume. "I'm Jake and that's Clare on the shroud do not refer to her as babe. Now who are you two?"

"Mark Fitzgerald but everyone calls me Fitz," I tell him.

"Mark Fitzgerald check," Jake says and I twist my mouth at him for calling me by my first name.

"Owen Milligan."

"Owen Milligan check. Take your bags up to the deck and wait there," Jake tells us.

We pick up our bags and walk up the ramp to the deck of the old ship. As soon as we get up we watch Clare climbing down the shroud. She hops down and smiles at us when she turns and sees us.

"I'm Fitz," I grin at her.

"I'm Owen," he says shoving me out of the way slightly.

"Good to meet you I'm Clare," she responds with a smile.

"We know Jake told us," I reply.

"I have some other things to do before we set sail I'll see you later," she comments before walking off.

We watch her walk away but soon get distracted by more people coming on deck. A thin girl with brown hair and dark eyes and a boy about my height, pretty slight and with hair with a shade similar to mine.

"Hey I'm Katie," the girl nods and seems to despise being here.

"I'm Sean," the boy says.

"Fitz."

"Owen."

"You seen anyone else running this ship besides Jake?" Sean asks us while Katie sits down with a huff.

"Yeah his sister Clare she's hot but we haven't seen anyone else besides you two."

Another group of kids show up as Sean, Owen and I are talking about our home towns, two boys and three girls that introduce themselves as Drew, Adam, Lexi, Alli and Grace. We start talking to them and then Jake comes aboard leading what I assume to be the last group of kids as he's no longer waiting on the dock. Jake just stands there with his clipboard so we introduce ourselves to this group who go by the names of Jay, Bruce, Amy, Manny, Bianca, Zoe, Johnny, Dallas, Luke and Zig.

After a few minutes Clare rejoins us, wearing a shirt this time and I'm a little disappointed. She stands with a tall boy with blonde hair and another hot girl, this one has red hair and is skinny. And then two adults come out of a doorway that looks like it leads to an office of sorts.

"Welcome aboard the Fanga Dagen students. I am Captain Glen Edwards; you will address me as Captain or Mr. Edwards. This is my wife Dr. Helen Edwards; you will address her as Mrs. Edwards or Dr. Edwards. This is our daughter Darcy and her fiancé Peter," he says motioning to the redhead and the blonde boy. "And this is our son Jake and our youngest daughter Clare," Captain Glen tells us and Clare makes a face at being referred to as the youngest. "You are all here for various reasons, some of you to learn discipline and others," Glen remarks looking specifically at Adam, "are here to get some time and distance, to heal and get some confidence. No matter why you are here this is a huge opportunity for all of you. We sail around the world but you will be doing a full year of school, you will learn everything about this ship and how to sail it and you will learn to work together. We are nearly full this semester with eleven boys and nine girls and first you need to get a bunk and unpack. Girls please grab your things and follow Clare to the girl's bunk. Boys please gather your things and follow Jake to the boy's bunk. You have 30 minutes to settle in and reassemble on the deck for cast off."

Everyone grabs their bags and we follow Clare and Jake around to a set of stairs and down to another part of the ship. Clare takes the girls into one door on one side of the narrow hallway and Jake takes us into the other. It's a long but fairly narrow room with twelve bunks, two rows of three on each side. Between each set of bunks is a built-in dresser and wardrobe, at the other end of the room is a door marked Head which I know means bathroom because I saw it in a movie. Jake walks all the way to end of the room putting his hand on the top bunk of the right side.

"This is my bunk the rest of you can choose any bunk you like," Jake tells us and we all start scrambling for bunks. We sit on them or toss our stuff on them to claim the bunks as ours. Owen grabs the top bunk right behind Jake's and I get the bunk under his. "Your clothes go in the dresser and wardrobe, each bunk gets two drawers and half the wardrobe, laundry is done every week and you will not need that many clothes. Toiletries go in the head; you all get one shelf and one drawer in the head. There are three sinks, three toilets and two showers. Each bunk has a shelf near the top, a small one so only keep the things you need with you daily. You now have twenty minutes to unpack and settle in. And if you get any ideas about trying to sneak over to the girl's bunk while unpacking, don't. Clare and I will be in the hallway to keep everyone in the rooms until it's time to assemble on the deck," Jake says before stepping out of the room and closing the door.

"I though this cruise was going to suck but did you see the babes on this ship? I wonder if that Darcy is faithful?" Bruce comments to the room as we start unpacking.

"All the hot girls on the ship and you want to go after the only one that's taken? You have problems," Adam censures Bruce.

"Shh you're supposed to lie low," Drew scolds Adam and I can tell that they know each other.

"Did anyone read the rules about dating on this cruise?" Johnny asks.

"No, why did you?" Sean inquires.

"No just asking, I mean they can't keep us from fraternizing with the girls their cabin is right across the hall from ours. And I'm sure there's lots of hidden places on this ship," Johnny replies.

"Ten minutes let's move," Jake calls opening the door a little and we can hear Clare doing the same with the girls.

"Maybe you should wait until after we see Hawaii and the honeys there before you get with any of the girls on the ship," Jay remarks.

"Hawaii will be sweet, lying out on the beaches watching the girls in bikinis," Drew grins.

"Somehow I don't think we're going to get that luxury," Adam replies rolling his eyes a little.

We finish unpacking and leave the room. Jake makes us line up single file to follow him out to the deck again. Clare is still leaning on the wall next to the girl's cabin so I know the girls are still unpacking which seems typical. As we go up to the deck she yells at the girls that they have two minutes. When we get on deck Jake lines us up in a row of six and row of five in front of them.

"While we wait on the girls let's see how much you know about the ship," Peter says. "Can anyone tell me what type of ship this is?"

"A sailboat," Bruce remarks.

"Wrong. This is a Barque three mast rigged sailing vessel. Barque's are often grouped in with Schooners. Now does anyone know what Fanga Dagen means or what language it is?" Peter questions. There's a few seconds of silence before Bianca speaks up.

"I think it's Swedish but I don't know what it means," she says.

"It is Swedish and it means Seize the Day," Peter informs us. He begins to ask another question but then a shrill whistle sounds and finally the girls come up and line up on the deck in front of us, a row of five and then a row of four.

"Girl's cabin you were late you will learn efficiency on this Ship. Clare?" Captain Glen asks looking at her.

"Lexi, Manny, Alli, Amy and Zoe were holding us up," Clare replies.

"Congratulations you five will be polishing brass as soon as we cast off," Captain Glen tells them and they all make faces.

"I've got some brass you can polish," Bruce grins grabbing his crotch.

"Sailor that is not how we talk aboard my ship. You must have respect for your fellow crew, you've just earned yourself a week of cleaning all the heads on the ship. Now we're going to begin cast off procedures listen closely because you will all have a job," Captain Glen says.

He then splits us into groups and we follow one of the Edwards family to learn our job and cast off the ship. Owen and I get put in the same group which goes with Peter to hoist the anchor. Until we're out of the harbor there's a lot of yelling and the Edward's family barking commands at us. Once we're going and all the sails are down it's pretty cool though.

First thing we get is a tour of the ship given by Dr. Edwards. She shows us all the areas, including her and Captain Glen's quarters which we are not allowed in and Darcy and Peter's quarters that we are also not allowed in. She tells us a little about various parts of the ship and we go over what to call things on the ship, like instead of saying front and back it's forward and aft and that sort of thing. There's only one classroom and it's down in the bottom of the ship where all the storage is. Dr. Edwards tells us that we'll also be meeting in Captain Edwards office and on the deck for classroom stuff.

After the tour the five girls that are getting punished for making their group late have to go polish brass. The rest of us meet with the captain to get our jobs for the first week. We'll rotate every week so we'll all be learning every job on the ship. I get kitchen duty which means I have to cook all week and I'm not real thrilled about it as I've never made anything but toast. Peter runs the galley and he seems cool so maybe it will be okay. Sean, Lexi and Zoe also got kitchen duty for the first week. Zoe starts annoying me about ten minutes into being around her but I like Sean, Lexi is a little aloof and kind of bitchy but she has moments where she seems cool. Maybe when I get to know here better I'll like her more.

We get right to work since it will be dinner time soon. Peter shows us how to bring stuff up from the store rooms using the companionway. Tonight, we're having chicken with potatoes and salad. I've never cooked in my life but Peter's a pretty good teacher and seems like a cool guy. After cooking we take everything out to the dining hall which is connected to the kitchen. Everyone eats now except Jake and his skeleton deck crew who will eat after we do.

"Every night we take turns on night duty. Those that have galley duty for the week will always take the first shift because they get up early to make breakfast. On night duty you will be responsible for all parts of the ship while the rest of us sleep. It is a time to work not a time to party, we keep hot chocolate and coffee stocked in the kitchen for those that need it. You will always have myself or one of my family with you during night shift," Captain Glen tells us as we begin eating.

"How long is night duty?" Drew asks.

"Each shift will be two hours. It doesn't sound like much but if you're woken from a sound sleep at two in the morning for your shift it can be hard to stay awake," Dr. Edwards comments.

"Especially if the seas are really calm and you're watching the stars," Clare remarks and I get a vision of her lying on the deck watching the stars.

The galley staff gets a little free time after we eat while Jake and his crew eat. I start to walk back to the cabin when I see Clare at the front of the ship and I go over to her. She seems to be just watching the water, but looks over and smiles at me when I approach. It strikes me how clear blue her eyes are and how pretty she is.

"So how long has your family been doing this?" I ask her as I hold the rail, the bow is a lot rockier than the rest of the ship.

"This is our fourth year, Dad started it and hired Peter as head cook. Darcy, Jake and I were all still doing school for the first two years. Then Darcy graduated and I graduated the same year, Jake took his GED last year to be done with school. So now we're full crew and we teach," she tells me.

"You teach classes? Aren't most of these kids older than you?" I question and she giggles.

"Yeah but I was in the gifted program in school and completed high school at fourteen. I'm sure I'll go to a university at some point but I like doing this."

"So what do you teach?"

"Math, English and I help Mom with some of the science subjects."

"That's a lot but I guess you are real smart. I wasn't good at anything in school except auto shop," I confess.

"Don't worry I'm sure you'll do better when you're applying what you learn," she grins before walking off.

"I'll learn anything you want to teach me," I smile to myself when she's gone.

I stay up on the bow a few minutes before going down to the cabin to use the washroom, I mean head. There are a few more on the ship, one in the girl's cabin of course, Helen and Glen have their own and so do Darcy and Peter. One on the top deck near Glen's office, one at the dining area. When she was giving us the tour Doctor Edwards told us the heads and the kitchen were the only parts of the ship to be renovated and modernized and not historically authentic, although Glen's office was renovated it wasn't modernized. They did all of it when they knew the family would be sailing together and bringing on students.

I'm not the only one in the head someone's taking a shower but I don't pay any attention. I hear the shower turn off when I'm washing my hands but whoever it is stays behind the curtain and reaches for clothes. I find it a little odd but some guys are shy so I shrug it off. There's really nothing to do in the cabin, cell phones don't get signal out here and I didn't bring any books or anything as I'm not much of a reader so I go back out to the deck. Some of the guys are gathered around the wheel watching Captain Glen steer the ship so I join them. Once Jake and his crew has eaten Jake and Clare call everyone back down to the cabins. We walk down with the girls and then split up to go to our respective cabins.

"Listen up night duty starts in one hour; you have free time until lights out at ten. First shift ten to midnight; from this cabin Fitz and Sean with Peter as supervisor. Second shift is midnight to two with Clare as supervisor and from this cabin Owen, Johnny and Jay. Third shift two to four with Darcy supervising, on third shift from this cabin Adam, Drew and Bruce. Four to six shift is supervised by me and includes Dallas, Luke and Zig from this cabin. My parents take the six to seven shift because that's when they wake up. If there is an emergency such as a storm we will call all hands otherwise enjoy the sleep while you can get it. Wake up is seven, all hands on deck at seven-thirty for Captain's address, breakfast at eight. Galley crew you will wake up between six and six-thirty each morning to begin breakfast. Peter will come to wake you up. Anyone not up within five-minutes of their wake-up call time gets to polish brass after breakfast," Jake informs us.

I'm never asleep before midnight anyway so night shift should be pretty easy. After getting our assignments for nightshift we all go back up to the deck for free time because the cabin is boring. It's beginning to turn from dusk to dark and stars are visible now along with a very bright moon. Captain Glen calls us over and begins pointing out constellations and showing us how to chart our way with the stars. At 9:30 we return to our cabins, with only so much room in the head and some of us on night duty soon we start getting ready for bed or at least getting the stuff we'll need somewhere we can find it in the dark. I get out my thick coat and gloves because I expect it to be freezing on night duty but I know where my stuff is in the washroom. I'm about to ask Jake if I can just go down to the galley and get some coffee when there's yelling in the head.

"WHAT THE FUCK?! HEY WE HAVE A GIRL IN OUR CABIN," Bruce yells.

"Let me go," Adam demands and we all we rush into the washroom.

"PUT HIM DOWN," Drew growls punching Bruce in the gut.

"He's not a him he's a her," Bruce replies pushing Drew back a little.

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET Jake blows a sharp whistle that hurts all of our ears and everyone stops.

"Put him down right now Bruce," Jake demands and Bruce puts Adam down. "Owen and Dallas please take Bruce to the captain and return to the cabin within five minutes," Jake orders. Owen and Dallas each take one of Bruce's arms and pull him out of the cabin. "Adam you alright?" Jake asks and Adam nods.

"I told Mom and Dad this was a bad idea," Drew comments and I realize they're brothers. Drew puts a hand on his brother's shoulder and Adam gives him a smile to let him know he's okay.

"Everyone into the cabin and onto your bunks," Jake tells us and we listen. "Stay here while I talk to Clare," Jake says leaving the cabin for a moment.

"So are you a girl?" Jay questions when Jake is gone.

"No Adam's a guy and anyone messes with him I'll make their life hell," Drew warns us.

"Alright quiet," Jake commands coming back in the room. "Adam you and Drew can go to the deck while I tell them if you want," Jake offers but Adam shakes his head.

"No I'll stay in case they have questions, in fact I'll tell them," Adam replies and Jake nods just as Owen and Dallas return to the room. "I'm a guy like a hundred percent but I was born in a girl's a body. I'm an FTM, female to male transgender."

"So you have a girl's body but you think like a guy?" Johnny asks.

"Not just think like a guy, feel like one I mean physically and emotionally."

"Are you into girls or guys?" I question.

"Girls and because I'm really a guy inside that makes me straight, at least I think so."

"Unlike the rest of you juvenile delinquents Adam is not here because he's been in trouble one too many times. He's here because when he came out as an FTM at his old school he got beat up, pretty badly. The kids who beat him up were arrested and charged with not only with assault but a hate crime. Let me make it very clear that if any of you do anything like that to Adam on this ship you will be charged with the same sent straight home at the next port and immediately picked up by the cops and arrested. You'll spend your nights in the brig and your days polishing brass and cleaning the heads until we get to port. It's not just if you try and hurt Adam, if you do anything with malicious intent to any member of this crew you will receive the same punishment. If we cannot work together as a team we will not survive."

(CLARE)

"Bluuuuuuuuuuuuuugh," Luke loses his breakfast over the side of the ship.

We've been at sea three full days and this is our fourth day at sea having left the evening of the eighth. Up until this morning the seas have been pretty calm but this morning we woke up to rough waters and a lot of kids are having trouble with it. Luke is the seventh person to be downed with seasickness.

"Go see my mom she'll give you something," I tell Luke pulling at his coat and pushing him in the direction he needs to walk.

"I can't, can't move," Luke shakes his turning and leaning over the rail before barfing over the side again.

"Alright stay here I'll be right back," I tell him and walk down to the infirmary. Jay, Amy and Zoe have such bad seasickness that they're still throwing up even after getting the medicine. Mom has them lying on the bunks down here nibbling at saltines and sipping at tea. "Luke's sick too but he doesn't want to come down he keeps throwing up," I inform Mom.

"I hope they get their sea-legs before we hit a storm and not just some heavy wind," Mom comments and I nod in agreement.

Before going out to the deck again I grab a bottle of water from the galley. I find Luke exactly where I left him, barfing over the side of the boat. I hand him the pills and the water and he sinks down to take them. After he takes the pills he just lies down on the deck. I leave him there, he'll either find his way back to the cabin or he'll lie there until he feels better.

"Clare," Jake calls for me and I walk over to him. "Dad wants you in his office on navigation, said to take Adam with you."

"Where's Adam?"

"Not sure, in the cabin maybe," Jake shrugs.

I don't see Adam on deck and after checking by the wheel I go down to the cabins. I knock on the boys cabin door and Dallas answers.

"Sweet you come to party with us?"

"Is Adam in there?"

"Adam," Dallas calls stepping away from the door. A few seconds later Adam comes to the door and smiles when he sees me.

"Hey Clare."

"You must have picked up navigation pretty quickly because Dad wants me to navigate and wants you to help. Dad never trusts anyone to navigate after just a few days," I say loud enough for the cabin to hear and Adam grins.

"Cool."

We leave the cabin and go up to Dad's office. Dad's office is the old Captain's quarters but when my parents bought the ship they made a few renovations to better suit our family and a floating school.

"You seem to be adjusting to ship life better than most," I comment as we get out the maps.

"Yeah I like the ship and aside from Bruce and a couple of the others who seem to be too small minded to understand everyone's been pretty cool since finding out. A lot of the girls seem to like me better now. Some of the guys are funny about using the head when I'm in there but I'm used to that."

"If anyone gives you trouble at all you report it," I remind him.

"I know, I think after Bruce spends the week sleeping in the brig and polishing brass when he's not on duty no one else will be brave enough to do anything. The ones that have a problem with me usually just ignore me or sometimes glare at me," Adam replies and I smile.

Using the maps, compass and sextant we find our course and heading and report it to my Dad. We stay by the wheel for a little while watching Dad steer the ship but then we return to Dad's office until it's time for dinner. Not everyone wants to eat tonight because they still feel too nauseas to eat so the dining hall is fairly empty. I spend most of the evening with Adam in Dad's office, Adam likes looking at all the instruments used on historical ships. Some of them we use and some are just Dad's collection. By the time we go down to get ready for bed the seas are calm again much to the relief of those struck with seasickness today. Like all the cruises the girls spend the first week talking about what guys are cute and how they plan to get together with the guy they want most. Grace is the only one that doesn't seem to participate in this talk.

"Drew is definitely the hottest guy on the ship I can't wait to be on nightshift with him," Alli grins.

"Drew is hot but he doesn't seem that bright, probably worth a good fuck though," Amy remarks.

"Yeah like you're so bright Amy," Lexi snaps back at her. "Personally I go for more of the leader types like Jay," Lexi says.

"What's your brother into Clare?" Katie questions.

"If you want to hook up with him you talk to him I'm not in charge of his hook ups I'll deal with my own."

"And how many guys have you hooked up with?" Zoe asks.

"None of your business and you need to get ready for night duty," I remind her.

We all get ready for bed and the girls on first shift night duty go up to deck. A lot of the girls talk or try to play on their phones after lights out but I always read in my bunk. I always have second watch and since it's at midnight I can almost never fall asleep before night watch. I'm still reading when the others return at midnight, while Lexi and Grace wake up Amy and Bianca I get my shoes on to go up to the wheel. I expect to find Peter at the helm but instead I find Fitz.

"Peter trusted me enough to stand here for a couple minutes and hold the wheel steady until you got here," Fitz tells me.

"That's still a lot of trust," I smile walking over to take over the helm.

Fitz steps back a little and I put my hands on the wheel as he lets go. When I have both hands on the wheel he steps behind me again and puts his hands on mine. I turn my head to ask him what he's doing but just as I open my mouth his lips clasp to mine luring me into a kiss. My eyes close as his tongue licks across my bottom lip and my tongue fights for dominance with his. When he hears other people coming he pulls away softly, his hands leave mine but one rests on my waist.

"Goodnight Clare," he whispers walking away.

I smile and bite my lip, I think this year will be a most exciting cruise!

The update will jump ahead a little probably beginning with them in their first port.

Going up next will be the one shot Love is Like to Ice & I to Fire, which will be a very special story as it will be my 200th! In celebration of my 200th story on my page of the DeGrassi Saviors site I will be putting up a gallery with 1 or more pics for each of the 200 stories. The will go up in order of when they were published and go up 10 at a time. The first 10 are already up, the next 10 will go up sometime this week and so on until they're all up. So take a look, enjoy the gallery, remember some of the early ones or discover stories you haven't looked at yet. Here's to 200 more stories!