Whew! Well, this took a while to put up. I've been kinda busy and I also had no idea how to write this chapter so yeah, I've been slacking on it for a while! But it's finally up so yay!
We went to get Amelia and Delbert then made our way to B.E.N.'S house as the sun started to set. We entered his house which was very cluttered. And then, of course, B.E.N. started to ramble again.
"Uh, pardon the mess, people. You'd think in a hundred years, I would've dusted a little more often, but you know, when you're batching it, you tend to, uh, let things go." He stopped and saw Delbert carrying Amelia and then he said, "Aww, isn't that sweet? I find old-fashioned romance so touching, don't you? How about drinks for the happy couple?" he offered drinks that looked like oil. Actually, I think it was oil…. Yuck.
While Delbert gently placed Amelia down, he turned to B.E.N. "Oooh, uh, no. Thank you, we don't drink. And we're not a couple."
"Oh, that's what they always say, like my two new best friends over there!" The three of them looked at Jim and me and I got red and laughed nervously. 'Gee, he sure is a loud mouth,' I thought. Delbert smiled but suddenly got distracted by the markings surrounding the inside of B.E.N.'s home.
"Look at these markings. They're identical to the ones on the map. I suspect these are the hieroglyphic remnants of an ancient culture."
"Mr. Hawkins," Amelia called, "Stop anyone who tries to approach," she grimaced with pain.
"Yes, yes. Now listen to me," Delbert said folding his coat up to make a pillow for Amelia, "Stop giving orders for a few milliseconds and lie still."
"Very forceful, doctor," she smiled, "Go on, say something else." 'Well, he obviously won't be saying something else cause the pirates are probably-'
"Hey look! There's some more of your buddies!" B.E.N. shouted looking out his door, "Hey fellas! We're over here-"
"Those are the pirates, B.E.N.!" I exclaimed. Then laser beams were being shot and Jim quickly pulled B.E.N. away from the door while he fired back at the pirates.
"Stop wastin' yer fire!" Silver demanded to his crew. I peeked to see Silver raising a white flag. "Hello up there," he called out now waving the flag as Jim peered out. "Jimbo? If it's alright with the captain, I'd like a short word with ya. No tricks, just a little palaver."
Jim looked to me and then to Amelia. "Come to bargain for the map, doubtless. Pestilential…" she clutched her side.
"Captain," Delbert worried. Jim thought for a second and smiled.
"That means that he thinks we still have it."
"Exactly," I pointed out.
"Alright, I'll be right back," he said as he put his gun in his pocket and jumped out the door. As he slowly approached Silver, I was beginning to wonder if this was the time to tell the captain I wasn't from here. I actually didn't want to tell her cause I knew I'd probably get in a whole lot of trouble. It was one thing telling Jim, but to tell the captain? I didn't even know how I became a cabin girl to begin with. It's like if she was expecting me or something… That's just weird.
But all that time that I've been thinking, I was looking out the door watching Silver trying to talk Jim into giving him the map, which didn't work out so well.
"T'at treasure is owed me, by t'under!" Silver roared.
"Well, try to find it without my map, by t'under!" Jim imitated.
"Sounds like things aren't going smoothly down there," B.E.N. assumed popping out of nowhere next to me. 'Oh yeah, I almost forgot he was here.'
"Nope," I responded, "But I could guarantee it'll all be better sooner or later."
"Oooh, like a happily ever after? I love happy endings!" 'Oooh boy, I gotta get used to this.'
"Uh, yeah, somewhat-" I stopped as soon as Silver started to shout again.
"I'll use the ship's cannons to blast ya all to kingdom come!" B.E.N. looked back to me.
"We'll all get our happy ending soon, I know it," I finished. At this point, the outraged cyborg limped away leaving Jim furious and distressed. The sky was beginning to get darker as he made his way back inside.
"We heard some of what we needed to hear," Delbert spoke, "How much time do we have?"
"Till morning," Jim replied.
"Oh, we have plenty of time! I'm sure Jimmy could think of something," B.E.N. babbled, "I really want that happy ending Janelly was talking about!" Jim looked at him and then looked at me, almost forgetting about my little secret. I quickly pulled him aside so no one can hear us talking.
"There's obviously gonna be a good ending to this," I whispered, "Just as long as I don't screw anything up, then everything should go as it's supposed to."
"What do you mean?" Jim questioned.
"Well, I still haven't told anyone about where I'm from, besides you. If I were to say something to anyone else, I'm afraid I could get into major trouble." I gazed out the door as another thought hit me. "I don't even know how to get back home. If I never knew how I got here, how am I supposed to know to go back?" My eyes started to get watery but I didn't cry. I wanted to be here in this movie but I needed to find a way back home. I wanted to see my family and let them know I was ok if they were wondering where I was.
"I'm sure we'll figure it out," Jim said, grabbing my hand and pulling me close to him, "I wanna make sure everyone gets their happy ending." I smiled, feeling all warm inside. Not only did I feel more confident but our faces were just a few inches apart. Jim started to lean in slowly but as soon as I started to do the same, Amelia finally spoke up, interrupting our kiss.
"Gentlemen," she said weakly, "We must stay together and… and…" She gave up talking and closed her eyes.
"And what?" Delbert cried, "What? We must stay together and what?"
She opened her eyes again and smiled, "Doctor, you have wonderful eyes."
"She's lost her mind!" he shouted.
"Well, you gotta help her!" Jim informed him.
"Dang it, Jim! I'm an astronomer, not a doctor! I mean, I am a doctor, but I'm not that kind of doctor. I have a doctorate. It's not the same thing. You can't help people with a doctorate. You just sit there and you're useless!"
Jim went up to him and patted him on the shoulders, "It's ok, Doc. It's alright." Delbert calmed down but then B.E.N. started to ramble on once again.
"Yeah, Doc! Jimmy knows exactly how to get out of this. It's just Jimmy has this knowledge of things. I bet he shares that knowledge with Janelly here. They could get us out of this mess," he laughed nervously and turned to us and whispered, "Guys, any thoughts at all?"
'Wait, this is the part where we gotta go back to the ship to get the map. So where's that back door we're supposed to go through?' I looked around the room to see if I found another door and there in the back was a large bump sticking out of the floor. "Hey B.E.N., you have a back door, don't you?"
"Oh, of course I do!" he ran to the door and pushed it open, "I get this delightful breeze through here."
Jim glanced at me in amazement while we walked to the door. Then both of us were in amazement. It was a huge tunnel of machinery. "Whoa. What is all this stuff?" he asked.
"You mean the miles and miles of machinery that run through the entire course of the inside of this planet?" B.E.N. thought for a few seconds and then shrugged, "Not a clue!"
"Jim, I'm coming with you," I said getting my gun.
"Maybe you shouldn't. It might be dangerous," Jim indicated.
"Well, I laugh in the face of danger," I smiled at my reference, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
He sighed, "Ok, if you say so. Hey, Doc! I think we found a way out of here!" Morph quickly zoomed up to us.
"No, no. Jim, wait!" Delbert cried, "The captain ordered us to-"
"We'll be back," Jim jumped in first followed by Morph and I. B.E.N. was the last one to jump in as he screamed "Cannonball!"