AN: This is another filler chapter but it has some action in it I think you will like. There is also some sentimental brotherly love stuff that I hope doesn't come across to sappy. It's what I feel they would really say to each other. Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter Ten: Gemini
Location: 819 nautical miles WNW of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea in the Arafura Sea.
Date: December 26th
A damp dreary day greeted the passengers and crew of Poseidon for the day after Christmas as she cruised at full speed through the Arafura Sea. A light mist fell from the sky, making everyone stay inside.
Cody sat in his room reading his textbook and occasionally glancing out his porthole at the soupy weather outside. With the ship soon to be entering the region containing countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, his AP history class's Asian culture section was in full gear. Despite it being roughly noon, he had to have the lights on in his cabin as there simply wasn't enough sunlight making it in. It was the kind of day you just wanted to sleep in, and because it was Saturday he very well could have if it wasn't for all the studying he had to do.
Zack knocked at the door suddenly and then, without waiting for an answer, came bursting in excitedly and Cody knew in a split second that his study time had probably just come to an abrupt end.
"Dude guess what!? Max just signed us all up for the New Year's Eve teen dance planning committee!" Zack said.
"She did? I don't remember volunteering" Cody replied.
"Well, we just assumed you'd want to, remember when you got to be class president?…you love to plan stuff" Zack said.
"True, but this AP stuff is really bogging me down…and it would have been nice to have been asked, you know what assuming makes right?" Cody said.
"Yeah, yeah, an as-out-of-you-and-me whatever…it'll be cool, just like when we ran the night club at the Tipton!" Zack said brushing off Cody's schoolwork concerns like he'd not even heard them.
Truth be told, Cody was excited to hear he'd been put on the committee but he really did have a lot of work to do. Seeing how excited Zack was, however, caused Cody to give in.
"Well, I guess I'm signed up now so I don't have much of a choice…okay I'm in…I'll just have to stay up late with this schoolwork" Cody said.
"Great!" Zack said beaming.
Then there was another knock at the door.
"Come in" the twins said in unison.
The door opened and Carey walked in.
"Hi guys, I just came to…holy cow open that porthole it smells like teen spirit exploded in here!" she said waving a hand in front of herself.
"Blame him…he doesn't bathe" Cody said.
"Uh, mom, wha…what are you doing here!?" Zack said looking behind her to the hallway to see if any of the other students saw their mother in their room. It was one of the rules they'd set earlier that she was never to come to deck 5.
"Sorry Zack, I had to come, you guys weren't responding to my IM's…I was wondering if one or both of you could attend the adult party in the main ballroom and help me out with my show. Now before you say no, just hear me out…you could bring the girls and you'd still get a chance to dance and pig out and all that" Carey said.
"Mom! We're both on the planning committee for the teen dance!" Zack protested.
"Well, any chance you could bounce back and forth between the two dances?" Carey asked.
Cody saw his vision of a perfect grade point explode in his face. He knew Zack would never volunteer to work both parties.
"I suppose I could do that mom" Cody said.
"Great honey! I wouldn't ask you to but there's going to be a lot of lighting and sound work, which I'll show you how to do of course, and I just couldn't find any of the other staff that could free up time to do it, thank you!" Carey said kissing the top of his head.
"There will be big gaps of time for you to be at the teen dance I promise, I'm sharing stage time with a singer friend of the Captain's by the name of 'Gloria' who will be singing at midnight which will be nice cause I won't have to…" Carey rambled on as the boys just nodded.
She turned to leave.
"Well, I won't embarrass my little men anymore…but answer the IM's, and Cody…spray something in here even if it's not your fault, and Zack…bathe" Carey said.
"Yes mother" they said in unison as she left.
The door closed and Cody sagged.
"Great, I went from doing nothing but partying on New Year's to working two dances" he said.
"Well, if you didn't try so hard all the time for the favorite twin-of-the-year award, you wouldn't get yourself into these kinds of fixes" Zack said.
"Somebody has to show appreciation and willingness to help towards mom, you sure never do!" Cody said getting defensive.
"Okay, look, we'll both work both parties, will that make you happy?" Zack asked.
Cody was too busy picking his jaw up off the floor to respond.
Did he just volunteer to help me with both parties? My brother? Zack Martin? Cody thought.
"What? I can show willingness to help too sometimes" Zack said.
Harold said our bond would mature…maybe Zack maturing is the first sign Cody thought.
"Thanks Zack, that's really nice of you not to stick me with the whole thing" Cody said.
"What are brothers for?" Zack said smiling.
"Now come on, we have to get down to the dance club to start planning with the others" he said and they turned and left their cabin.
Location: 291 Nautical Miles SE of Singapore, Malaysia entering the South China Sea
Date: December 28th
They had gone with a beach party theme, turning the entire teen dance club, located slightly aft of the center of the ship on deck 7, into what looked like a picturesque tropical paradise.
"Okay, we got the fake palm trees, the green rope lights, the tiki torches, and all the streamers you could ever want" Zack read aloud from the checklist that Max was marking off as he named each item.
"Now remember Barbara, no sugary drinks after nine…we don't want to have to send you to rehab like last time" Cody joked.
"Oh don't worry, after that night I ached in places I didn't even know could ache" Barbara replied.
"Something is missing" Max said eying the large room from a far wall.
"Well, we were pretty limited to what all we could set up in here…we don't want to take up too much room…and you should have heard the staff laughing when Zack asked them if we could cover the floor in real sand" Cody said.
"Hey, I thought it was a reasonable request" Zack said.
"Uh huh" Cody replied rolling his eyes.
Something in Cody's pocket beeped.
"Oh shoot, I'm supposed to head upstairs now for sound rehearsal in the main ballroom" Cody said getting up to leave.
"Let her show you one thing and then when its time for her to show you something else to do come get me and we'll switch" Zack said as he worked with Bob tightening down some of the rope lights along the "pop bar"
"Will do, later guys" Cody said heading off.
Cody walked a ways through the corridors of deck 7 when he was suddenly struck from behind and knocked to the floor.
"Well, well, if it isn't the clone sister" Russell menaced above Cody.
Cody was snatched off the floor by his shirt collar and dragged into an alcove where Russell could pummel him without being seen. Russell slammed Cody against a wall in the alcove.
"I got detention again because of you Martin!" Russell growled.
"You always get detention, what does it matter if I sent you there!?" Cody said trying to free himself.
Russell cocked back and slammed Cody in the stomach with his fist.
The wind rushed out of Cody's lungs and he coughed and doubled over but Russell slammed him back upright against the wall.
"No backtalk little clone girl, I'm going to enjoy this" Russell said and slammed Cody's head back against the wall.
Cody dropped but this time he tried to kick out at Russell, to sweep the bully's feet out from under him. Russell was ready for it and deftly stepped out of the way.
"Oh, the little brother wants to try and fight back…big mistake" Russell said and kicked Cody in the stomach, flattening him.
Back aft in the dance club Zack suddenly sat up straight from under the bar stand where he was stringing more lights.
"What is it?" Mark asked.
"I don't know…I just got a pain in my chest" Zack said rubbing it.
"Too much pizza at lunch there Zacky boy?" Bob joked.
"No, its different, it's a pain that feels…distant…the only other time I felt something like it is when Cody fell…" Zack started saying then stopped and bolted for the doors of the club.
Russell had Cody up against the wall again. By now Cody had a bloody lip from falling to the floor and absolutely no fight left in him.
"Looks like no big brother to help you out this time eh Martin?" Russell said preparing to deliver a blow to Cody's face.
Suddenly there was a voice behind him.
"Wrong" it said.
Cody watched as Russell's head flew forward and smacked the wall next to him.
Cody was grabbed and pulled out of the alcove by Zack who then turned and flew back in. All Cody saw after that was a mass of flailing arms and legs inside the alcove.
Bob, Mark, and the girls arrived seconds later. The girls sat Cody down in the hallway while Bob and Mark attempted to pull a cursing Zack off Russell. From what they could see, Zack was making easy work of Russell who was barely fighting back. Bob took a moment of hesitation by Zack to grab under his arms and lift, allowing Mark to grab Zack's midsection and together they pulled him out of the alcove. About that time two security guards came down the hall and arrived at the scene.
"What's going on here?" one of the guards said.
Russell spit out blood and pointed at Zack.
"This retard maniac attacked me, he tried to kill me!" he said.
"Liar!" Zack said, twisting out of Bob and Mark's grasp and diving at Russell.
The security guards grabbed Zack and pulled him back out.
"All right break it up, that's enough!" one of them said.
"He attacked my brother!" Zack yelled.
"At this point I don't care who did what, you're going to security headquarters and you two are going to med bay" the guard said pointing first to Zack then to Russell and Cody.
"I'm staying with my brother" Zack said back to the guard.
"No Zack, its okay, just do what he says…I'll get mom later and we'll come get you" Cody said trying to calm Zack down.
"Yeah, we'll stay with him" Barbara said.
"Aww look at the group of lovers" Russell started up again.
Zack tried to lunge but the guards were ready this time.
"Settle down young man! It'll be up to SAS staff to decide who gets held or punished or what…for now, we saw him fighting so we're taking him" the guard said.
They led Zack off as a medical team arrived to look after Cody and Russell.
Cody was released from the med bay along with Russell a half an hour later with some pain medication and an escort to the security department. Bob, Mark, and the girls trailed behind. Carey arrived about the same time they did, called from rehearsal by security.
"Oh my…what happened Cody?" she said as they met in the office.
"That's what we're here to find out ma'am…you are?" a large man in security uniform said.
"I'm Carey Martin, Zack and Cody's mother" Carey said.
"Brian Billings, chief of security, it seems your sons were in a fight with this other young man here" Brian said.
"That's what your guard told me on the phone" Carey said staring the boys down.
"Were you four involved?" Brian asked Bob, Mark, Max, and Barbara who stood silently nearby.
"We didn't see it start but we know the history between Russell and the twins and have no doubt Russell started it" Bob said.
"Yeah and Zack was defending Cody!" Mark piped in.
"Hearsay, you could just be sticking up for your friends, video evidence will tell the truth, you four just wait out here" Brian said.
Brian lead Zack, Cody, Carey, Russell, and a few SAS administrators into a conference room and motioned them to sit, being sure to keep Russell and the twins apart and a few extra guards in the room.
"Do we have the video from deck 7 ready?" Brian asked.
"Yes sir" one of the guards said.
A screen lit and showed Cody walking down the hall and Russell sneaking up behind him. When the video showed Russell hit Cody from behind and drag him into the alcove Zack would have flown over the table at Russell if guards had not been right behind him.
The video ended and Brian cleared his throat.
"Any explanation young man?" Brian asked Russell who sat expressionless and said nothing.
"Well, this seems cut and dry, I'll turn him over to you and you can deal with him according to your rules of conduct" Brian said to the SAS administrators about Russell.
"If you'll excuse me, I owe your friends outside an apology" Brian said getting up from the table.
Carey turned to Russell but spoke through him to the SAS administrators.
"Before you take him he needs to apologize to my son for his actions" she said.
"You heard the lady Russell" an administrator said.
Russell spoke but he didn't look at Cody
"Sorry" he said.
The administrators led Russell away. He was to be confined to deck 5 throughout the duration of the New Year's festivities.
Carey, Zack and Cody were left alone in the conference room.
"Are you mad?" Zack asked his mother.
"No, you didn't do anything wrong…you know I never approve of fighting but in this case I'm proud of you for sticking up for Cody…how you feeling sweetie?"
"A little sore but it doesn't hurt that bad" Cody said.
"You want to go rest in your cabin?" Carey asked.
"No, I can come up and help you" Cody replied.
"Okay well we'd better go, Zack are you going back to the dance club with the others?" Carey asked.
Zack nodded yes.
"Um mom, before I join you I want to talk to Zack alone here" Cody said.
"Ok, I'll tell the others you'll be out in a minute" Carey said standing and leaving.
As soon as his mother was out of the room, Cody, having been running on adrenaline and having kept his composure throughout the ordeal to this moment, burst into tears.
As soon as Zack saw this he jumped from his chair and ran around the end of the table to sit next to Cody and tried to comfort him. Cody, in a slight rage, suddenly pushed him away and stood up.
"Why can't I be more like you!?" Cody yelled through tears.
Even as sensitive as he was, by age 15 this kind of outburst was rare.
"Cody, were identical twins, how much more like me can you be?" Zack said calmly, standing as well.
"No, no, you took Russell apart, I let him throw me around like a basketball…it's always like that…you don't know what its like to be referred to as the 'other Martin twin'…the dorky one, the weaker one!" Cody said trying to regain his composure.
Zack didn't know what to say so instead he just moved forward slowly and hugged Cody. This time his twin didn't push him away. They parted shortly and sat back down in the chairs. Cody looked at his brother.
"You shouldn't have to come to my rescue Zack, I should be able to defend myself…it makes me feel like less of a man…and even now, crying like I'm 6-years-old…it's pathetic" he said.
"No, you don't have to be a fighter to prove you're a man…and even though I rarely show it, there are lots of times I feel like crying…I think you're more of a man because you do show your emotions" Zack said.
"You always seem to know what to say" Cody said smiling slightly through a sniffle.
"You asked me last week what had been bothering me all this time…I guess now's as good a time as any to tell you" he added.
Zack nodded, waiting.
"I'm afraid about what will happen to us once were adults…once we start our own lives. It occurred to me two months ago that once we graduate from this school…we will start our own lives" Cody said.
"What do you mean 'what will happen to us'?" Zack asked.
"You know, us, our bond…our friendship…" Cody started.
This is harder than I thought it'd be he thought to himself
"…it's always been us…and if things go as they are going, I'll be with Barbara and you'll be with Max. Will we live by each other? Still do things together? I'm scared about that…about what will change" he finished.
Zack took all this in and thought about his answer. His face softened and he put his hand on his brother's shoulder, looking him straight in the eyes.
"Look buddy, I don't know what the future holds any more than you do, but I know this much…no matter where life takes us I will always be there…whenever you need me. Just like I know you'll always be there for me. Sure, we may have separate lives and families of our own someday…but that doesn't mean there won't still be room enough for each other in those lives" he said.
Cody was at a loss for words, not just because something so deep had come from his brother's mouth, but because the words were exactly what he had needed to hear.
"Thanks Zack, I mean that" Cody said.
"Anytime…but I just have one question…why did you wait so long to tell me that?" Zack asked.
"I thought you'd think it was stupid or that I was being too sensitive or something" Cody replied sheepishly.
"Cody…never ever be afraid to tell me anything…I mean sure I joke around and tease you sometimes but, if you start out saying something is really important, I'll never make fun of you. In fact, let's make a pact…a secret word only we know. Now, if we use this word and say we need to tell each other something, we will remember this day and know it's a big time issue and not to make jokes ok?" Zack said.
"Ok, what should the word be?" Cody asked.
"Hmm…" Zack said thinking and looking around the room.
There were a few of pictures on the walls of roller coasters which Zack thought was an odd thing to be hanging in a room in the security headquarters of a cruise ship. Nevertheless, he looked at each one until his eyes fell on one that seemed to sum up him and his twin perfectly. It was of a coaster that had two trains that always ran together, side by side, from beginning to end, and its name was even Latin for twins…
Cody must have followed Zack's gaze, for at the same time they both said it
"Gemini"