This was originally supposed to be just a short one-shot about Gray and Hunter discussing Silver, but then the rest of the story just wrote itself somehow. There will be four chapters in total, each taking place during a different episode. The first chapter is based on episode 21. Note that the story jumps around and skips scenes that have nothing to do with the topic. To fully understand what is going on, you should be familiar with what happens in the episodes.

The chapter titles are translations of the German episode titles.

ALL THE MORE REASON

Chapter 1

Silver's strike had knocked the air out of his lungs, and the impact of such a blow to his stomach sent him stumbling away from his enemy. He clutched his abdomen and fell to the ground, trying to find the willpower to recover before Silver would hit him again, this time ending his life.

Still holding his knife, Gray turned on his back so that he could at least look Silver in the eyes. The man was leaning against a tree with his crutch still held like a weapon, but his pose was relaxed and he wasn't in a hurry to move. If Gray's lungs had worked properly at that moment, he might have breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, wasn't that fun?" Silver asked. He put his crutch down and took the first step away from the tree.

Gray struggled to get up on his feet to face the pirate, but he made it only half way before Silver spoke again.

"Don't bother, Gray. I already proved that you're no match for me, and I'm not interested in doing it again. This time I'd just yell for my men," he said.

"Do you expect me to die without a fight?" Gray asked. The mere suggestion made rage boil inside him and want to see Silver fall before him. Somehow Silver always knew what words or actions to choose to hurt his enemy the most.

Silver chuckled. "I didn't know you were that dramatic. No, I expect you to return to the others and tell them that Jim is fine. I won't let anyone hurt him," he said.

"Yes, Dr. Livesey told me about that. Jim is your pawn, isn't he?" Gray asked. He had many reasons to loathe Silver, some of which he had never admitted to the others, but his recent actions had made him hate the man more than he had thought possible. Keeping a young boy hostage was hardly the gravest of Silver's crimes, but this was Jim they were talking about. Gray had witnessed the boy weep in frustration at his inability to shoot Silver. Every time the pirate's name was mentioned, a pained look flashed on Jim's face. No matter how much Jim tried to hate Silver, the man still meant the world to him.

"Exactly, and I take good care of my pawns. Don't worry," Silver said. He turned to leave and return to the pirates' camp.

"Hey, wait!" Gray yelled against him. He couldn't just let Silver leave like this. He had to finish this if he wanted to bring Jim back to safety.

Silver stopped, but he didn't turn around to face him. "The longer I stay here talking to you, the longer Jim has to be alone with my men. Think about that," he said. There was anger in his tone now, but Gray couldn't tell why. Silver held all the cards, so he had no reason to be worried or frustrated.

He watched in silence how Silver resumed his walking and soon disappeared into the dark woods.

"Damn it!" he cursed and threw his knife at his feet. Failure tasted bitter in his mouth. The others would be disappointed that he hadn't saved Jim, but that was nothing compared to how much he loathed himself at the moment. How could he have been so foolish and let Silver outsmart him? He had been so close to defeating him!

He knew he should have returned to the others as soon as possible, but he found he could not. He needed time to mull over this alone before he could face Captain Smollett. Gray was certain that the captain wouldn't fault him for what had happened, but that only made it worse in his opinion. Captain Smollett was a man he didn't want to disappoint ever again in his life. He had sworn that to himself that day when he had switched sides and when the others had chosen to close their eyes from his earlier betrayal.

Maybe he could try to save Jim again later, but the odds weren't very good. Silver was on his guard now, and time was running out. The pirates would reach the spot marked on the treasure map the next day. Gray had no idea what they would find there, but it certainly wouldn't be the treasure. There was a chance that the pirates might take their anger and disappointment out on Jim, so he hoped Silver's word about protecting him could be believed.

The idea of being forced to trust Silver made him snort in disdain as he went to pick up his knife. As much as he didn't like Silver, this time he wanted to believe that the man was better than he appeared.

He sat down against the tree that Silver had leaned on just a few moments ago and started playing with the knife in his hand. Throwing it up and catching it by the hilt was an exercise that had helped him relax for as long as he could remember.


Ben Gunn and Hunter were supposed to keep watch that night, but the others hadn't gone to rest either. Captain Smollett was keeping their small fire going while conversing with Squire Trelawney in a low voice. Dr. Livesey sat by himself against a tree, gnawing at his pipe and occasionally turning to glance at the dark forest around them.

Hunter often found himself doing the same. He didn't know how long Gray had been gone, but it was long enough to give them reason to worry. By now he should have reached the pirates' camp and rescued Jim – or died at the attempt, but Hunter didn't want to think about that yet. Joyce's death was still like a fresh wound in his chest, and the thought of losing someone else terrified him.

Gray knows what he's doing. He's been to war, he reassured himself. Gray wouldn't take unnecessary risks.

And yet he couldn't help but think back to what Gray had said just before he had darted off into the forest. When Hunter had asked him if he could make it alone, Gray had simply responded that he could and if not, they would lose only one man from their side. It was characteristic of Gray to say the truth even if it was unwelcome, but something about this time made Hunter feel unnerved. His fingers were clenched around his musket, and he couldn't sit relaxed even in the warmth of the fire.

Gray was always the first to volunteer when there was something dangerous to be done. When they had had to sneak Jim out of the fort, he hadn't even stopped to ask if anyone else wanted to be the distraction. Hunter, Joyce or Captain Smollett could have also done that. Hunter couldn't deny that Gray had been the most competent man for the task, but he didn't think he was so eager to help because he thought he was the only one who could do it. It was stupid, but he thought it was more like Gray believed he was the only one who had to do it. There was always that grim acceptance in his eyes, and Hunter didn't like it.

He picked up a small stone and started throwing it up and down in his hand. He had become close friends with everyone in their group, but Gray was often impossible to understand. He spent most of his time alone and even when he was with the rest of them, he withdrew to himself and didn't speak much.

"Gray has been gone for too long. I'm getting worried," Dr. Livesey remarked, putting into words what everyone around the campfire must have been thinking. Smollett and Trelawney's conversation died down as they turned to look at the doctor. Ben Gunn was only a pair of eyes in the bushes, but Hunter knew he was worried, too. Despite being a pirate and having lived alone in the wilderness for ten years, Ben Gunn was one of the most compassionate men Hunter had ever met.

"I'll go and take a look," he volunteered and stood up.

Dr. Livesey nodded. "Be careful."

Hunter left the warmth and light of the campfire behind as he descended into the forest, following the path that he knew Gray had taken. He tried to keep his ears open for any suspicious sounds, but all he could hear were his own footsteps. After a while he could see the light of the pirates' camp in the distance, and he had to slow down so that nobody would hear him.

He didn't have the nerve to get too close to the camp, but even this far away he could sense that everything was peaceful. Hunter was certain that if Gray had been noticed and if there had been a fight, the camp wouldn't have been this quiet. He sighed in relief at this realisation and returned the way he had come to search elsewhere.

"Gray? Gray, are you here?" he called out in a low voice once he was sure the pirates wouldn't be able to hear him.

It was too dark for him to see far ahead of him, so he was a little worried about getting lost and separated from the others. When he got no answer and couldn't find anything after a while, he decided to return to the camp to see if Gray had gone back on his own. Maybe they had just missed each other.

As he was walking past a small clearing, he caught a glimpse of something shiny in the moonlight that was pouring in through the trees. Hunter tensed and grabbed a firmer hold of his musket. Maybe the pirates had a scout.

"Gray? Is that you?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm here," came the reply.

Hunter felt a relieved smile split his face. He stepped through the bushes into the clearing and could now see Gray sitting against a tree. The flash he had seen came from the knife the man was holding in his hand.

"Oh, good. We thought something had gone wrong when you didn't come back. What happened?" he asked.

Gray didn't look up at him, but he paused with the knife he was playing with. "Silver spotted me. I barely got a glimpse of Jim before I had to run," he said.

"What? Silver saw you?" Hunter took a frantic look around, half expecting the pirate to be within hearing distance. He didn't know Silver like the others, but he had seen and heard enough to know what a ruthless enemy he could be. "Where is he now?"

"I tried to fight him, but he took me by surprise. He has gone back to the others," Gray explained.

"You mean he let you live?" Hunter asked with bewildered eyes. That couldn't be. Silver and his men had killed Redruth and Joyce. They had no reason to keep anyone in their group alive with the possible exception of Dr. Livesey.

Gray nodded. "I don't understand it either," he said. He turned to look down at the knife in his hand and put it back into his boot.

Hunter scratched his head and sighed as his shoulder slumped. "Too bad about Jim. Who knows what he's going through with the pirates," he said. He knew they had to keep him alive for the time being, but that didn't mean they wouldn't hurt him just to amuse themselves.

"I was too careless. If I had approached the camp from another direction, maybe Silver wouldn't have noticed me," Gray said, his voice shaking with anger. He curled his hands into fists and glared at the ground with a frustrated frown on his face.

"Hey, it wasn't your fault," Hunter said, trying to smile.

"That doesn't change the fact that I failed," Gray pointed out.

"We'll try again later," Hunter said. They had to. They couldn't just abandon Jim to his fate, even if meant that they had to give up their plans to look for the treasure. To be honest, he didn't even care about the treasure that much. He just wanted to make it back home alive so that his mother wouldn't lose both of her sons at the same time.

Gray shot him a look that said he didn't much believe in their chances, but Hunter chose to ignore that. He needed to believe that they could save Jim.

"Don't worry," he continued, feeling that at least one of them had to remain hopeful.

"I don't think…" Gray started, but he didn't finish the sentence. "Never mind."

"What?" Hunter asked.

"It's not important. Let's return to the others," Gray suggested. He started to get up, but he fell back with a sudden groan and pressed a hand to his stomach.

"What's wrong? Are you injured?" Hunter asked. How could he have not noticed that? He knelt by Gray's side, but the man shook his head and waved him away.

"It's nothing more than a bruise. I just forgot Silver hit me," he said.

"Can you walk?" Hunter asked.

"Yes. I'm fine," Gray replied impatiently.

"I guess we should be glad Silver didn't do anything worse," Hunter said with a small chuckle. He turned over so that he was leaning his back against another tree and placed his musket between his knees. He wasn't expecting Gray to react to his words in any way, so he was startled by the quiet profanities the man muttered at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Something was definitely off about Gray tonight. "Did I say something?" he continued when Gray gave him no answer.

"It's not you. It's Silver," Gray said. His voice was thick with frustration, and he was glaring at Hunter from under his hair that covered half of his face. Hunter hadn't often seen Gray express such open hatred, and he suddenly felt glad that the man wasn't his enemy.

"What about him?" he asked, even though he knew what a stupid question it was. Silver had betrayed them, led the crew against their captain, and his men had killed two of their friends and injured Captain Smollett. They all had reason to hate him, but when he looked at Gray in the dim moonlight, he felt that with Gray it ran deeper than with the rest of them.

Gray was again silent. Hunter knew that he could have easily let the matter be and returned to the camp, but he felt reluctant to do so. He was again reminded of all the worries that had been circling in his head earlier.

"Gray?" he asked, feeling a little uncertain.

"You know what Silver has done," Gray snapped sharply.

"Yes, but I'm not taking it that personally," Hunter replied. He knew he should have, and maybe he would once all of this was over. Silver's men had killed his only brother, but he had done his best to ignore the pain and hate that arose from that. It would only distract him, and he didn't want to be a burden to the others. He was sure Joyce wouldn't have wanted him to risk the lives of the others by letting his emotions control him. He would mourn his brother properly when they were off the island.

"That man infuriates me. He refuses to go down even when he's losing, like he's so much better than everyone else," Gray said, running his fingers through his hair. "I need to prove that he's wrong."

"But why?" Hunter asked. He was surprised by the intensity of the emotion Gray was showing. Most of the time the man's face was impossible to read.

"You wouldn't ask that if he ever looked at you the way he looks at me. Every time I see him, there is that mocking laughter in his eyes. I know he's convinced that I made the wrong decision when I joined you. Every time we lose to him, it just gets worse," Gray said.

Hunter blinked. He had already forgotten that Gray had been with the pirates in the beginning, even if it had been for a very short while. The man had become so loyal and important to their group that it was hard to imagine he had ever been anything but one of them. Though he tried, Hunter couldn't picture Gray together with the murdering scoundrels who were after them.

He chuckled lightly. "What does it matter what Silver thinks? You did the right thing," he said.

"That's not the point. Silver knows it was the right thing to do, but he's convinced it was also the stupid thing to do. He's certain that his band of pirates will win and that we're going to die together with our honour. He rubs it to my face every time we meet," Gray said.

"Ah, I see what you mean," Hunter said. He wasn't bothered by what Silver thought, but he had never actually spoken with the man. Maybe he would understand better if he knew the man like Gray did. "So that's why you're so determined to defeat him."

Gray turned to gaze up at the sky that was peering at them from behind the trees. "Yes. I need to prove to him that I'm a better man than he thinks and that we're going to win because we are right," he said. He was silent for a moment before he continued, "Did Silver ask you to join his group back when we were on the ship?"

"No, I had no idea what was going on before Captain Smollett filled me in," Hunter replied. That had certainly been an eventful night. At first he had thought he was dreaming because of all the rum he had drunk.

"Hm, that's what I thought," Gray said.

"I'm sure he knew I was close to Mr. Trelawney and didn't want to take any risks," Hunter said.

"Nevertheless, he didn't think you were the kind of man who would gladly betray his mates," Gray mused.

Hunter shifted in some discomfort at these words. He wasn't sure what to say. Nobody had talked about what had happened on the ship and how or why Gray had sided with the pirates at first. As far as he was concerned, it was ancient history.

Gray glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "It doesn't matter if I did the right thing because it doesn't change the fact that in the beginning I was ready to watch you all die." He snorted, sounding amused at something, but Hunter found nothing funny about his words. "That's probably why Silver is getting under my skin. He reminds me of what I did," Gray added.

"Don't talk like that! You make it sound like you're like them," Hunter snapped. He couldn't understand how Gray could even suggest that he was anything like the thieves and murderers in Silver's group. All of his actions ever since he had joined them proved exactly how honest and brave he was.

Something clicked in his head as he suddenly realised that maybe this was the answer to all of the questions that he had been thinking about that night. Maybe Gray thought he had to make up for his wrong decision or even that if they had to lose someone in the course of their adventure, it might just as well be him.

"Forget about Silver and the others. You're one of us, and you don't need to prove anything to anyone," he said, hoping that somehow he'd be able to convince Gray of that. It bothered him more than he cared to admit that someone who appeared so calm and in control as Gray could be so troubled – and that he had kept it to himself all this time. Hunter had thought that everything was fine, but he had forgotten that, unlike him, Gray wasn't the type of man to talk about his worries.

"You don't even know why I decided to join Silver in the first place," Gray pointed out.

"Then tell me," Hunter suggested. He glared at Gray with what he hoped were challenging eyes.

"I don't think that's a very good idea," Gray said.

"Well, why not? What do you have to lose?" Hunter asked. He meant his words half as a joke to lighten the mood, but he realised his mistake when he saw the defensive look on Gray's face. His gaze was turned to the ground and his mouth was a thin line. It almost looked like he was afraid of something, but that was ridiculous. Gray had risked his life several times without showing signs of fear. Hunter was tempted to think he couldn't be afraid of anything.

"You'd despise me if you knew what happened. I can barely think back to it without loathing myself," Gray said, not turning his eyes to look at Hunter as he spoke. That worried Hunter more than the actual words.

"Try me," he suggested.

Gray took a moment to consider. When he spoke, it sounded like every word out was a task as difficult as pushing a boulder up a hill.

"It was entirely because of the treasure. Silver made it sound so appealing and easy," he admitted.

"I can understand that," Hunter said. Silver had the tongue of a snake and the promise of riches was a temptation even to the best of men. He wasn't sure what he would have done if such an opportunity presented itself without any warning and if he had to make up his mind fast.

Gray must have guessed what he was thinking because he shook his head. "No, you can't. It wasn't a decision made in the spur of the moment. I knew exactly what I was doing and what it would mean for the rest of you," he said.

Hunter sat in stunned silence, not sure what to say.

"See? What did I tell you?" Gray asked, his voice accepting and gentle.

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't care if you did it because of the treasure. None of that matters. The only thing important to me is that you switched sides and joined us," Hunter said. When Gray opened his mouth to protest, Hunter quickly continued, "And you know what makes it even more important? The mutineers had the upper hand and could have killed all of us, so you had nothing to gain by joining us, but you did it anyway. That was the only thing you had to do to prove yourself to anyone."

"It's not that simple. Just because --"

"But it is. Everyone makes mistakes, so I want you to stop feeling guilty and taking so many unnecessary risks," Hunter said before Gray had the time to argue with him.

This finally got Gray to look at him. "Risks? What do you mean?" he asked, sounding genuinely bewildered and not at all troubled anymore.

Hunter spread his arms and pointed his hands at the forest. "All this! You don't have to be the one to rush into every danger. I don't know… what you said earlier about us losing only one man if you fail made me feel like you're trying to make up for the past," he said.

"I never thought about it that way," Gray admitted. He was rubbing his head as he pondered Hunter's words. "It's just the way I act."

"Really? After what you just told me, I'm tempted to think you're trying to be a hero to prove something," Hunter said.

"I don't have a death wish if that's what you're suggesting. Some things just have to be done, and I can't think of anyone else to do them. No offence, but I would have never let you try to sneak into the pirates' camp to save Jim," Gray said.

"I guess I would have made a mess of it," Hunter admitted. He hadn't had any fighting experience before this adventure and while he had learnt a lot, he was still far from a hardened soldier.

"Maybe I shouldn't be one to talk," Gray said. He was smiling a little now, so Hunter supposed that the moody part of their conversation was over. He felt relieved in spite of their situation.

"We'll come up with a new plan. We won't abandon Jim," he said.

Gray nodded and got up on his feet, this time carefully enough to avoid sudden movements. "We should return to the camp," he said.

"Oh, that's right. The others must be getting worried about us," Hunter said. He had no idea how long they had been sitting there, but it was high time they went back to the others. He hoped that nobody had been sent to look for them. It wouldn't do to have half of their group running around the forest.

"Maybe the pirates won't keep an eye on Jim when they start digging for the treasure. We might be able to save him then," Gray said.

"That's a good idea. Let's talk about it with Captain Smollett as soon as we get back," Hunter said. He took his musket in his hands and followed Gray's example to get up.

"Oh, and Gray?" he said.

"Yes?"

"I meant everything I said, and I know the others would agree with me. You're a good man," Hunter said.

Gray put his hands in his pockets and turned away. At first Hunter thought he hadn't made any progress with his words, but then he realised that Gray was feeling uncomfortable with such open talk. He couldn't help but smile.

"If I were you, I'd worry less about the past and more about the future. You're always running straight into battle. These risky stunts will get you killed one day if you aren't paying attention," he continued.

"I say that's better than dying of old age," Gray remarked. "But thank you."

They returned to the camp without exchanging any more words with each other. The others were glad to have them both back unharmed. The matter with Jim quickly turned everyone's smiles into expressions of grim determination, but there was none of the awkwardness that Hunter had sensed when he and Gray had talked about it alone. As he had predicted, Captain Smollett blamed nobody and turned his efforts to forming a new plan for the following day.

He went back to his post and sat down to keep watch while most of the others tried to get some sleep. Gray told Captain Smollett what he could about the pirates' camp, how their sick men were doing and everything he knew about Jim.

"Silver told me he would protect Jim, but I don't know if we can trust him," Gray said.

"He isn't the kind of man to kill a boy for laughs. I think he will keep Jim safe as long as he is useful for them, but I can't say what will happen after that," Smollett mused, rubbing his chin with his healthy hand.

Hunter supposed it all boiled down to Silver. He wondered what would happen when they faced the one-legged pirate again.