Treasure Planet: The Real Treasure
Chapter 25
There was an explosion, but it came from behind us. We made it through the portal just in time. In front of us was Montressor spaceport. Everyone started cheering, even the pirates down in the brig. Delbert and Amelia embraced each other without even thinking. Once they realized what they were doing, they stared at each other, but very quickly their surprised faces transformed into happy gazes.
"Woo-hoo! Yeah! Wow!" Jim screamed.
"You did it, Jim!" I shouted to him, waving my hands and jumping up and down.
"Oh yeh done it, Jimmy! Yeh done it boy!" Silver shouted, running to the side of the ship to give him a high five. "Didn't I say the lad had greatness in 'im?" Silver was brimming with pride.
Jim circled around and leapt off his board, letting it spin off into space. Morph flew over quickly and covered him in licks.
"Morph! Morph, stop!" Jim laughed trying to push the little shape-shifter away.
"Unorthodox, but ludicrously effective. I'd be proud to recommend you to the Interstellar Academy. They could use a man like you!" Captain Amelia said.
"Just wait until your mother hears about this!" Delbert exclaimed. "We may downplay the life-threatening parts, though," he added, pushing his spectacles back into their proper place on his snout-like nose. Jim chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"Jimmy!" B.E.N. cried, "That was…UNFORGETTABLE! I know you don't like touching, but get ready for a hug, big guy, because I gotta hug yah!" B.E.N. laughed and wrapped all of his thin metal limbs around Jim. And then Jim did something unexpected; he hugged him back.
"B.E.N.!" he laughed, swinging the robot around before putting him back on his feet.
"Hey, you hugged me back," B.E.N. stated, a little surprised. "Oh I promised myself I wouldn't cry," he sniffled, immediately breaking down into sobs against Jim's chest. Jim smiled and patted the robot's back, then looked around, trying to find someone.
He immediately spotted me standing on the other side of the boat. I started running towards him, and he started towards me. When we met in the middle, my arms hugged him around his neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist and swung me around in a circle before putting me down. He gazed into my eyes for a moment before lowering his lips to mine. I was surprised at first, but then I relaxed and let myself enjoy the moment. Fireworks were exploding behind my eyes.
When we pulled apart, he was smiling, and so was I. I was blushing a little, but I didn't care.
"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that," he said lovingly, resting his forehead against mine so that all he could see was my face.
"Trust me on this, I've wanted to for so much longer," I answered with a smile that refused to leave my lips.
I glanced to the side and sawthat everyone was watching us, and blushed even more. Jim and I pulled apart a little, though not too much. I tried to hide my growing blush behind my hair, as usual. Jim just chuckled and took my hand. Everyone looked away and pretended to be occupied with something else.
After my embarrassment subsided a bit, I scanned the deck and noticed that someone was missing.
"Where's Silver?" I asked Jim.
He frowned, not seeing him on deck either. Then a knowing smile appeared on his face and he motioned for me to follow him.
We found Silver in the launch bay, talking to Morph and trying to quickly untie the last remaining longboat.
"Morphy, we gotta make tracks," he whispered to Morph who was buzzing around his head. Jim and I smiled at each other.
"You never quit, do you?" Jim started as we walked out of the shadows.
"Ah, Jimbo, Raphaelle! Ha-ha!" he laughed nervously. "I was just merely making sure our last longboat was safe and secure." He retied the boat with a poorly done knot. Jim pretended to consider him for a moment.
"Well," Jim reached down to tie a more secure knot, just the way Silver had taught us to. "That should hold it," he said, standing back up.
"I taught yeh too well," Silver chuckled. We gave him a look, telling him that he should probably start explaining himself now. "Now, if yeh two don't mind, we would just as soon avoid prison. Lil' Morphy here, he's a free spirit!" Silver said as Morph squeaked and buzzed around his master's head. "Bein' in a cage, it'd break his heart," Silver mumbled, stroking Morph who purred sadly.
I knew Silver was using Morph to personify himself, and so did Jim. For a while, we just stared at him while he smiled at us sheepishly.
Jim and I looked at each other and communicated the same thought without using words. I gave him a small nod just the same though. He smiled and pulled the lever next to him, opening the hatch below the longboat.
"Ah," Silver sighed happily, watching the slowly opening door reveal the sun-streaked sky. He turned back around to see me and Jim untying the boat. He smiled at us. "What say yeh two ship out wit' us?"
"Ship out with us!" Morph mimicked, transforming into a three cornered hat before falling onto Jim's head and covering his eyes. Then he came over and plopped down on my head. I giggled and pushed the hat up my head a bit so that it wasn't blocking my vision.
"The three of us; Hawkins, Silver, an' Raphaelle! Full of ourselves and no ties ta anyone!" Silver finished excitedly. I could see in his eyes the obvious expectation that we would accept his offer, but I had a different plan for the future.
Jim was the first to answer.
"You know," he started, pulling Morph off my head and tickling him until he transformed back into a pink blob. "When I got on this boat, I would've taken you up on that offer in a second…But, uh, I met this old cyborg and he told me that I could chart my own course. That's what I'm going to do," Jim concluded softly, staring out the open hatch far into the starry evening sky. Silver smiled in understanding and turned to me. I wanted to cry, but I held it back for a little while longer.
"I have hope for my future now. I didn't before, until you came along. I was lost, but you helped me find my way," I said, tears starting to form in the corners of my eyes.
"Ah, lass, I'm sure yeh would've figured somet'ing out wit'out my help," Silver said humbly. "And I'll tell yeh right now, if I'd seen yeh in an orphanage or on teh street and knew what an extraordinary young lady yeh were, I'd 'ave adopted yeh in a second." I knew from the look on his face that he really meant it, too.
"I'm going to miss you, Silver," I sniffed, the building tears starting to blur my vision.
"Look at yeh! Both glowin' like solar fires! You two are somet'ing special," Silver's voice cracked. "Yer gonna rattle the stars yeh are." I couldn't hold back my tears any longer. Jim looked like he was in the same situation. We both embraced Silver. This time the cyborg didn't hesitate and wrapped us in both of his arms tightly. We remained like that for quite a while.
Silver pulled back and cleared his throat.
"Uh, got a bit o' grease in this cyborg eye o' mine," he grunted, turning away to wipe the fresh tears in his eyes. Jim and I shared a knowing smile as I tried to wipe away my own tears. Jim's hadn't left his eyes, but they were still there, gathering in the corners. Morph, realizing this was goodbye, broke down into sops and melted into a pool of water in Jim's hands.
"Aww, hey, Morph, I'll see ya 'round, okay?" he reassured the little guy.
"See ya 'round," Morph mimicked, giving both of our cheeks a lick before floating back to Silver.
Silver considered us momentarily before turning to Morph.
"Morphy, I got a job for yeh," he announced, staring at Morph who gave a little squeak and gestured to himself. "I need yeh ta keep an eye on these here pups," he said quietly, repeating the same instructions he had given the blob our first day on the Legacy. He glanced over at us. Jim and I gave him a quizzical look. "Will yeh do me dat as a favor?" Silver choked out, trying not to break down again.
Morph replied by saluting proudly and rubbing against the old pirate's cheek. "Aww," Silver chuckled. Morph then buzzed over to Jim and me, who laughed and tickled the purring shape shifter.
I briefly looked over at Silver, then walked up to him, reaching around my neck and taking my necklace off. I held it out to him.
"I want you to have this; so you can always keep us close. Think of me when you look at it," I said, tears forming in my eyes once again.
He gently took it from my hand and smiled at me sweetly.
"I will, lass. I most certainly will," he said. He held it in his hand and regarded it for a moment. "Teh color reminds me of yer hair in teh sunlight," he said. My mind flashed back to when he had said that to me in the galley the first day. Oh, how much has changed since then.
I stepped back and stood next to Jim, wrapping my arm around his and resting my head on his shoulder.
Silver then turned to Jim.
"Yeh discovered Flint's trove, Jimbo. But yeh found another treasure too. Not all treasures in teh world are silver and gold. Treasure Planet may 'ave been destroyed, but teh real treasure is standin' right next ta yeh," he said. Jim looked at me lovingly, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead. We both smiled at Silver affectionately.
Jim and I then stepped back to watch Silver climb into the longboat as the cables began to pull it above the hatch.
"Oh!" he said, remembering something. "One more t'ing." Jim's jaw dropped as Silver reached into his coat pocket and produced a handful of gold and precious gems. "Dat's fer yer dear mother, Jimbo, ta rebuild dat inn of hers!" Silver laughed, tossing the jewels up to Jim who caught them in amazement.
"Goodbye Silver! Thanks for everything!" I called to him.
"Raphaelle! Do me a favor and make sure dat boy of yers don't get inta any trouble," he said teasingly. I hugged Jim and gave him a smile.
"Don't worry, I will," I said, looking at Jim lovingly.
"Stay out of trouble, you old scalawag," Jim chuckled.
"Jimbo, lad, when 'ave I ever done otherwise?" he teased right as the cables released, leaving me and Jim to watch Silver take off into the stars, his hearty laughter echoing all the way.
We both stared at the spot where he had been for a long time. I looked up at Jim who was still smiling.
"I miss him already," I confessed.
"Me too, but he'll be alright. I have a feeling we might even see him again someday," Jim said, bringing me close to him and petting my head.
A thought suddenly occurred to me, and I immediately voiced my concerns.
"What's gonna happen when we get back?" I asked.
"What do you mean?" he asked, not sure what I was talking about.
"I don't have a home. Where will I stay?" I asked, my worry growing by the second.
"You can stay with me," he answered.
"Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother! And you don't even have a home anymore! I don't even know if it's legal! I'm only 16 and I don't have a family! What if they take me back to an orphanage? What if they-" I rambled.
"Shh, don't worry about it. Everything will turn out fine," he whispered.
I looked up at his sweet, confident, and reassuring face, and I knew everything would be all right.
As long as I'm with you, I thought.
He leaned down and kissed me again. I enjoyed it completely, deepening the kiss and wrapping my arms around his neck. He pulled me closer to him by placing his arms around my waist. Our second kiss was just as good as the first, if not better. I wanted this moment to last forever. But all good things must come to an end. He pulled away so that he could smile at me.
"Wow!" I sighed, my eyes slipping shut in content.
"Am I really that bad?" he asked, looking hurt.
"What? No! Jim, you're amazing! And I don't just mean at kissing. You're-" I saw the smirk on his face and knew he had been joking.
"Jerk," I said, giving him a smirk right back. He laughed, and I relished in the chills it sent down my spine.
"Come on, we're going to dock soon. We had better pack up all our stuff," Jim said.
"Okay. Oh, can I borrow one of your bags?" I asked.
"Why?" he asked.
"Mine is completely full," I said, taking my bag off my back and opening it up to show Jim the gold and jewels inside.
"Oh, I see," he said, completely awestruck, which made me giggle.
"Silver really didn't need to give you those. I have plenty to share," I continued.
Jim was still staring into my bag, slack-jawed and probably not hearing what I just said. I slung my bag back around my shoulders.
"Let's get ready to go see your mom," I said, breaking him from his trance.
"Yeah, let's go," he said, taking my hand and leading me back towards the deck.
As I started packing my clothes, I found the dress Mrs. Hawkins had bought me. I decided to wear it, considering I hadn't touched it since the day we bought it. It was a nice dress after all, and the perfect thing to wear to return home. Home. The thought brought a smile to my face. I changed out of my clothes and slipped the light blue dress over my head. I gathered my things and headed out to join Jim and Delbert.
Before docking, Captain Amelia had let the port know that we were coming in. This way, authorities could be ready to escort the pirates to prison, and there was just enough time to send a message to Mrs. Hawkins letting her know we had arrived. We also had to be interviewed by the authorities and share every detail we could about the crew's mutiny. We told them everything, except for when they asked about Silver. We lied and told them that he simply disappeared in the aftermath of all the chaos and that we had no idea where he could have gone. They had no reason not to believe us, since our story matched everyone else's. After all our testimonies had been collected and the pirates were led away in chains, we were finally allowed to leave.
As we got off the boat, Jim searched for his mother in the bustling crowd. He spotted her wearing a plain white dress and a large sun hat. Jim came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. She turned around and he took the opportunity to embrace her. She hugged him back, a little surprised, but very happy. When he released her, Morph came up and licked Mrs. Hawkins' cheek. She turned to me and gave me a hug as well. We headed back to Montressor, discussing how we would start immediately making preparations to rebuild the BenBow Inn.
She had been so surprised by the treasure Jim had shown her, and she almost fainted when I showed her my bag full of it. I wanted to give her all of the gold in my bag, but she wouldn't accept it. Luckily, the gold and jewels Jim had received were more than enough to pay for the rebuilding of the BenBow. I saved mine for a rainy day.
Captain Amelia was true to her word. Not only did she send a recommendation for Jim to the Interstellar Academy, but she sent one for me as well. We both got accepted and would be heading off to school for the Fall term, right after the BenBow Inn was scheduled to be finished.
That wasn't the only thing she'd done. Very soon after we got back, Delbert and Amelia got married. They didn't have a big wedding or anything, just went to the local court to legalize it. Immediately after that, Amelia got pregnant. We were all thrilled for her! A few months later, she gave birth to three adorable little kittens just like her and one puppy like Delbert. It surprised me how quickly she gave birth, but I guess the pregnancy period is different for every species. Delbert insisted we stay at his giant mansion of a home until the BenBow was finished, so we were with them throughout everything. It was really wonderful. I felt like I was part of a family.
During the interior design part of the rebuild, Mrs. Hawkins gave me my own room. I got to decorate it anyway I wanted. I painted the walls to look like the night sky on a clear night, with different shades of blue and purple and galactic clouds here and there, and the furniture was white. When the lights were turned off, glow in the dark paint made the stars look like they were twinkling all around me. It was beautiful, but it was still missing a few things. I had yet to add any decorations or personal touches, except for the bottle of comet dust, which was sitting on my dresser. It also seemed to emit a certain blueish glow in the dark, which was what had originally inspired me.
Jim and I had officially become a couple just after we got back to Montressor. We didn't have much time to focus on our relationship though, since we were so busy building the new BenBow Inn. But whenever we had the time, we would talk about the things we liked and didn't like, share stories from our past; small things. We would have time to talk about other things in the future. For now, we were going to take our time and get to know everything about each other.
The Grand Opening Night was approaching, and the Interstellar Academy had called in Jim to get our orientation packets and uniforms. He opted to go for both of us so that I would have time to get ready for the night. I was very excited to help reopen the Inn, but was worried he wouldn't make it back in time.