Well that was definitely a cliffhanger thar…I guess it's time to make up for that here. I have a few surprises up my sleeve and I can't wait to throw them out to you all! : D It'll be awesome!

-Gwen


Link, don't leave me…please don't leave me.

"Won't leave you…" Link muttered, his eyes barely open and his face slowly regaining color. It had been two days since their visit to the Forsaken Fortress. The seas were calm and everyone seemed to pace and wonder how Link was doing. Except Tetra; who was at his side always.

She opened her own eyes at hearing Link's voice early that morning. She stretched her aching limbs and looked at his face for what seemed like a long time. Tears rested on her cheeks where she'd not wiped them away before dozing the night before. She'd never cried that much before. At the thought of losing Link, it had driven her to do the unthinkable.

"Not…gonna leave you…" She heard his voice again and gasped, wondering if he was only talking in his sleep or if he was waking.

"Link?" Tetra ran a hand over his head and played with his hair a little, "How are you doing?"

He had to catch his breath a little bit before even replying. He felt like he'd run a million miles. Not that he'd never done that before.

"Tired." He finally managed to say, smiling at her weakly before closing his eyes again. He didn't look too great but he looked better than when they rescued him.

"Can you tell me what happened?" She asked in a tired voice, "Do you remember?"

There was a long silence between them as Link stared at the ceiling in deep thought. His eyes seemed blank and his face clear of expression. She worried that he might be sick or unable to remember anything that happened before the incident.

"Something was hurting me." He finally spoke.

"Did something hit you?"

"No. It was more like…an invisible source. Sort of like the stones I walked on in the Temple of the Ocean King. They were cursed."

Tetra laid down in bed next to him and curled up under the covers, resting her head on his chest while she breathed in his familiar scent. A smile came across her face and she played with his hair just a little bit.

"You're safe now." She said, her voice soft and caring, "We're together and that's all that matters."

"But-"

"Don't worry about it right now." Tetra wrapped her arms around him completely, soon feeling him embracing her gently and caressing her cheek. She was relieved to see him smiling reassuringly and soon enough it grew. He laughed a bit and once he realized that he was alive and well he hugged and kissed her.

She smiled as wide as it would go, feeling Link's warmth again was reassurance that everything would be okay. Butterflies overwhelmed her as she felt Link playing with her hair and kissing her. She wondered momentarily if she should go up and tell the crew that he was awake.

No. There would be time for that later.

-*-

The next day the ship ported at Windfall Island where they got off to gather supplies and travel again. The last thing on their minds was Forsaken Fortress. They knew they weren't ready for such a feat as that yet. Though they knew it would have to be dealt with sooner or later.

Link, Tetra, Medli and Komali made their way to the café next to the merchants place towards the center of town. It would be a nice resting place and good place to discuss plans for their journey. Link had his arm around Tetra's shoulder as they entered the room, seeing a few familiar faces - though some more aged. The woman with orange hair that Link remembered still stood at her usual place serving drinks and coffee. She smiled at seeing him and walked over.

"Wow, it's been ages since I've seen you!" She gasped, wondering if she even had the right person.

"Nice seeing you again, I haven't been here since…wow, I was pretty young." Link confirmed her suspicion, shaking her hand before ordering some drinks for the team.

"On the house." She handed them the mugs and they all went to a table. A man in blue with graying hair was close by, eying them with curiosity.

Link pulled a chair out for Tetra and set the mug down in front of her. They continued to smile at each other as though they had hidden treasure in their pockets. Link finally sat next to her and leaned back, holding her hand under the table momentarily. For once, the two of them actually looked like a married couple instead of just comrades that happened to share the same ship. It was strange to see them looking so in love the way they did.

"Link, can you tell us what happened on the Forsaken Fortress?"

"Well I-"

"Link? Aha, so it is you!"

The graying man stood and turned around, his face was awfully familiar but it took Link a few moments to put two and two together. So many people knew him personally - or just had heard his name whispered among stories and wind. Tetra looked a bit confused but then gasped.

"OH!"

Link stared momentarily, still not catching it for quite a few minutes.

"Still as slow. We were only partners for a short time, take a good look."

Suddenly his eyes popped open and he jumped up, "Linebeck?"

"Good one, I thought you'd never get it! You've gotten tall, it'd be hard to shake you up now wouldn't it?"

Link could only laugh at the comment, his face turning a shade of red as he recalled how he was treated by this person many years ago - before fighting Bellum. Though at the end of their journey his partner had become less selfish.

"Yeah, I guess it would be." Link finally replied, rubbing the back of his neck nervously before he shook Linebeck's hand. The man whipped around, grabbed up his mug and sat down at the table with the four of them - though in between Tetra and Link somehow.

"Never thought we'd cross paths again. It seemed pretty unreal, though I think I caught site of your boat when I got of the Ghost Ship. I still have the hourglass too." Link explained.

"No one believed I had such a journey." Linebeck nodded slowly, "You?"

"Haha, they still aren't convinced. Oh, sorry about my manners. Medli, Komali, this is Linebeck. I traveled with him for some time on one of my adventures."

Komali only nodded and Medli waved shyly.

"It's good to meet you all. I can't say how I got here, I've been sailing on and on for a while just bouncing from island to island."

"I don't think we were introduced very well, Linebeck." Tetra smiled, "It's nice that I get to converse a bit better now. Our meeting was very much cut short back then."

"Yes, I do think so. You've grown up also, you both were shrimps when I last saw ya!"

Tetra laughed, "I suppose we were. I can't say growing up has done us much difference though." She played with the ring on her finger and tilted her head to the side, taking her eyes off it only briefly before leaning forward to catch Link's eye.

"Link, should we tell our friend about the events?"

He nodded, "Of course. The Forsaken Fortress has activity."

"Link almost died four days ago. He's been a little weak since then but he's gaining strength now." Medli sighed, "I wish I knew what kind of magic it was."

"It's familiar." Link corrected.

"Tell me." Linebeck looked very curious.

"Well when I stepped onto it I felt funny and then it started sucking the life out of me. It was so painful sort of like-"

"The Temple of the Ocean King. Yes, I remember that." Linebeck sighed and picked up his mug, preparing to take a drink of it before he changed his mind and put it down. He had something on his mind no doubt.

"You say you still have the hourglass?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't have any sand. It wouldn't be effective at all here. Unless I found sand of hours it would be useless. I'd be flat on my back - again." Link shuddered slightly, "I barely got anywhere."

"You really wouldn't. Unless you had some sort of potion to keep you up and a few zones to stand on so you don't get life sucked out of you."

Komali and Medli exchanged glances. It still seemed so confusing and unreal what happened between Tetra, Link and Linebeck. Now they were meeting this person for real and it sort of seemed logical. Of course what is logic when so many things seem unreal?

"We can't go back there until we think of a way." Tetra spoke, cutting in as soon as she could find an opening. She sighed and leaned back, "I don't want Link going through something like that again. I'm too stubborn to let him go back there. And to think, he wanted to go alone! I'm so glad I stowed away, it would have been a nightmare!"

"I'm sorry." Link nearly pushed Linebeck out of the chair just to sit close to her again, "I won't think so irrationally again. I promise."

She smiled, "It's okay. I think we're even now."

Linebeck moved to the next seat and Link sat down, he was holding her hands and whispering something to her - cutting off their serious conversation. Tetra seemed a bit frustrated at first and then she brightened, laughing a bit at his secret comment.

Komali sighed, "They've been acting weird since yesterday, when Link woke up."

"Yeah, they kept to themselves for hours." Medli agreed.

"Hey, Link!" Linebeck slapped the back of his head, not too hard but hard enough to get his attention.

"WHAT?!" He barked, now agitated about his newly acquired wound.

"I see you two are still friends?"

"Ah, she's my…um…"

"I'm his wife." Tetra finally said.

"Aha, I see! That's news to me, I've not heard a thing from ya in years."

Link chuckled a little, "Sorry about that. No one seemed to hear from me in years. It's been pretty hectic. Sailing, finding treasure - are you still big on treasure?"

"If I find it, I find it, I can't say having a little fun searching is a bad thing. It just doesn't take me over like it did. How about you?"

"I wasn't that huge on it when you met me. If I found treasure it always had a purpose. The hourglass, gems, et cetera."

"We still treasure hunt." Tetra corrected, "It may just come in handy for this deal." She said, referring to the Forsaken Fortress.

"I lost the gossip stone there. That man still has it." Link frowned, "I didn't mean to lose it."

Tetra kissed him, "It's okay. We'll get it back after we kick his butt." She grinned confidently.

He smiled at her action but said nothing in reply. He had a lot on his mind and couldn't seem to quite get together what his mind chose to scramble and toss around. The last thing he wanted to do was feel worried or confused. The room grew quiet and everyone seemed to be thinking, except Linebeck, who probably would rather not get involved in all the hullabaloo.

But then he surprised all of them.

"What say I help you all out?" He asked, smiling with a twinkle in his eye.

Link wasn't sure if he was in it for the treasures ahead or if he just felt like being helpful. Tetra really didn't know him from before so she didn't hesitate to tell him that she thought it was a great idea.

"Perfect! We'll set sail and find sand of hours!"

Link's face turned pale, "The only way to get sand of hours was to defeat monsters and find it under the sea. It's not that simple."

Tetra laughed, "Nothing is simple with us, Link. I'm up for it if you are!"

"I guess we don't have a choice. I'm up for the adventure."

Komali and Medli nodded, brightening up a bit when Link did.

After a while they said their goodbyes and were soon sailing again. Linebeck's boat followed along behind Tetra's ship.

-*-

Late that night Link and Tetra were sitting close to each other with candles at the sides of their bed. It was quiet and all they could really hear was the ocean outside. Tetra sighed, her chest rising and falling as she prepared to speak to Link about something she felt was slightly important.

"Link," She began slowly, "I wanted to ask you about something that came to mind after our wedding."

Link looked up from the map he was reading and waited for her to continue. When she didn't go on right away his brows furrowed and his head tilted in confusion.

"What is it?" He tried to stifle a laugh, especially if it was a serious matter.

"I…I was wondering how you felt about…family."

He didn't respond right away which made her nervous. How could she; a pirate captain growing up with no mother or father and raised by a bunch of dirty men, feel okay about children and family and he not? He was the one who grew up on a quiet island with a little sister and a grandmother.

"I really have nothing against it but I'd love to wait a couple years before settling down like that." He finally said.

"Yes, sounds good to me! We'll settle and then start a family, then we can all sail together."

"Yep." Link replied, nodding. "Still, the idea of being a father and traveling seems intimidating. Maybe it would be better if we didn't really get into that."

Her face paled, "Huh?"

"If you want children one day it's okay. I'm just not sure with our lifestyle how it would work out."

She bit her lower lip and laid down, wondering if it was a good idea to ask him. She felt a shiver roll up her spine and wondered if he'd ever change his mind.

But he didn't really say no… She thought to herself feeling a bit better. She shook her head and played the shining, gold ring on her finger. It felt so foreign to her still, though his kisses didn't. The more she thought about it the more her face turned red. She also giggled at the idea of curling up under the covers that evening.

She felt completely connected to him in so many ways. And at that moment she could feel his eyes on her. Rolling over she confirmed her suspicion, he was indeed staring at her.

"You okay?" He asked, smiling softly.

"Wonderful. Why do you ask?" She sat up, collar of her shirt hanging loosely over her shoulder. Her face was still flushed red from her own deep thoughts and musings.

"Well you seemed sort of…excited."

Tetra shrugged and began to undo her bun, it was getting loose from laying down and she found it easier to sleep with it down than up. She then rested her back against the pillows and watched as he turned his attention back to the maps. He'd been studying all night without end. Biting her lower lip she tilted her head to the side and blinked.

"Link, do you have a strategy?"

He rolled up the map and listened to the waves, eyes falling to the floor in dismay.

"No."

Tetra sat up straighter. She was surprised that he didn't have anything more to say than that. Normally there was some sort of magic something telling him what to do. Not this time. He felt like he was on his own.

"Maybe we should let it rest. I'm sure that this is stressing all of us to think that there is nothing to be done. Besides, Linebeck is coming along now and maybe he'll be able to-"

"He didn't even help when you were taken, Tetra. As nice as he sounds now I'm not sure if I can completely trust that he'll-"

"But he helped us when Bellum came. Maybe he's changed!"

Link smiled at her confidence and slid under the blankets where she immediately began to cuddle him. She felt his warmth against her cheek as she pressed it to his chest, finding so much comfort being close to him. Time didn't exist when they were alone.

Finally she felt his arm wrap around her and pull her close before he used his other arm to pull the sheets over her and himself. He kissed the top of her head and fingered her blond, wavy hair. There was a cozy silence as the two curled together and started to fall asleep.

But it was soon disturbed.

"Your toes are cold." Link said abruptly.

"Shut up." Tetra giggled and tugged his ear roughly, receiving a nice yelp from Link in reply.

"Hey! What was that for?!"

She didn't respond, she was too busy cutting off circulation in his arm and curling up as close as she could before yawning and dozing off completely. He couldn't help but think how adorable it was that she clung to him in that fashion. But sometimes he wondered what made her cling like that. He felt like he came close to failing her almost every single day. He strived to protect and pamper her in every way he could. His vow to himself and to her was to never fail her. And seeing her cling to him in that manner made him feel like he could protect her better that way. If she was always at his side.

And yet Link found himself unable to sleep that night. Even with her even breathing notifying him that she was safe and sleeping soundly he still couldn't calm his worried nerves.

After several hours of tossing and turning his body finally gave way to sleep.

To Be Continued…