--Replies to Comments--
SweetAngel183: Thank you! Your wait is over :D
anon: Thanks! Yeah, I thought that was pretty cute too.
Horsygirl 96: No, that part I had planned, but that was pretty much all I had. I started out this story knowing that Tabitha's family was somehow going to be involved with another treasure so they'd have to go hunt for it - everything else I've made up as I went. Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it.
23jk: Whew! *wipes brow* Good, I'm glad no one's lost. I was kind of worried. I'm so glad you think it's improving! Thank you!
Alright, moving right along. Hope you enjoy!
-Emily
--Jim's POV--
Looking out my window, I could see that night had fallen. The day had passed by in a hazy blur of tears, explanations to my mom and Doc and Amelia, and general confusion and anxiety from the whole situation. Saying that it had been a long day would have been the understatement of the century. The day had certainly earned its rank near the top of my "worst days ever" list.
Tabitha and I stood in the doorway for at least an hour that morning before she managed to calm down even a little, but it wasn't long before she was crying again, despite how hard she tried not too. I didn't mind being there to comfort her at all - it hurt me to see her that upset - but it was exhausting. I'd pushed my feelings to the side to focus on her, and by the time I managed to break away that afternoon, it was all I could do to drag myself up to my room to be alone for a little while.
I wasn't even sad or upset so much as I was angry. I just couldn't believe he would abandon us, especially Tabitha, like that. He knew how we felt about him; he knew he was like a father to the both of us, and yet he just... left. I just wanted to forget it, but it wasn't possible; there was too much to think about.
Why did he leave? Tabitha was convinced it was because of what she'd said about him not being her father, and, as much as I didn't want to think it, it did seem related to that.. but that just couldn't be the whole reason. No way would Silver abandon us because of one angry comment; there was something else, and I had a feeling that 'something else' was related to why he hadn't wanted Tabitha to go in the first place.
Why was there no explanation, and what was with the money? The note he'd left us could was completely useless as far as I could tell. A folded piece of paper that simply read "I'm sorry. Just trust me. I love you." That was it. No explanations, no reasoning, no telling us when he'd be back... What was the point? And the money was just as much of a mystery. Why would he leave it? And if he had money, why didn't he just go buy his own ship? One that was better suited toward him? Why take ours? Add that to the bank of questions left unanswered...
This was where a lot of my anger came from. Our ship - he stole our ship. I didn't even care why he had, only that he had. Our ship. If he wasn't going to buy one with his money, he could have at least stolen a strangers. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, I was mad. It was my first ship, a gift from my mom (and him in a way, since he'd given us the money), and now it was gone.
But even my disbelief that Silver had actually stolen from us paled in comparison to my shock at how similar this morning had been in comparison to when my dad left. Waking up, running down the stairs, running down the path... maybe that was why it was so intense; it was like having to relive the worst thing that had ever happened to me. Just like Tabitha keeps having to do in her dreams.
She'd finally explained them to me and, needless to say, I was shocked. It helped me understand why she was so adamant on blaming herself for Silver's disappearance. Tabitha explained that she hadn't wanted to tell me because she was sure I would jump to conclusions and begin distrusting Silver, and to be fair, I might have. Although the "him" the, as she described it, familiar, yet mysterious, voice kept telling her not to trust only seemed to be clearly talking about Silver in the first dream, it was clear now that "him" must have meant "Silver" in all of them. She was sure that if she'd only told me, we could have somehow prevented this. I understood what she meant, but even with the knowledge of what her dreams were about, I don't think I could have predicted this.
Her dreams were foretelling the future in a way, though. I went through everything she'd told me, step by step, again. The first dream had told her that we couldn't trust Silver, that he wouldn't come, and so on, then he did - we found him the next day at the spaceport. The second dream said that he wasn't trustworthy - apparently it was right. The last three had all been somewhat unclear, but it still seemed to me that there were some hidden truth's in these dreams. I didn't think she was crazy or weird, but there was something... not right about those dreams. Whether they were actually predicting the future or were just visions created by her subconscious, I had a bad feeling about them.
Finally, after hours of being up here, I realized I was eventually going to have to face the world again... plus, I was hungry. When I got downstairs, I realized it was later than I'd originally thought; the dining room and sitting areas were all empty of inn patrons. It couldn't have been to late though because my mom was still awake when I walked into the kitchen.
"Jim!" she sounded surprised to see me. "How are you feeling?"
"Not great," I shrugged.
She brushed my hair out of my face and placed her hand on my forehead. "You aren't sick are you?"
"No, mom, I'm not sick," I half smiled at her motherly instincts.
She smiled worriedly. "I was just about to go to bed. Do you need anything?"
"No, go ahead. I'm fine," I assured her.
"Okay... I'm here if you want to talk."
"I know," I said, accidentally sounding almost exasperated. "Thanks." I added to make up for it.
She started to leave, but, at the door, sighed and turned back to me. "Jim, I think you need to check on Tabitha."
"I know." This time I meant to sound exasperated. I love Tabitha and cared for her more than anyone in the world, but I really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now. The very thought of having to deal with anymore tears or emotions, on my part or hers, drained the energy right out of me.
"I know that you probably just want to be on your own, but... I'm really worried about her. She hasn't had anything to eat all day. I've tried everything, but I can't get her to utter more than two words together - "
"I'll handle it," I reassured to interrupt her concern. "Is she still in her room?"
She nodded and she once again turned to leave, then stopped again. "Jim?"
I raised my eyebrows questioningly at her.
"I love you."
I smiled. "Love you too, mom."
She smiled one last time as as she shut the door behind her.
I looked around the kitchen, but nothing I found sounded appetizing. I finally settled on the obvious choice of a purp. It didn't seem to have any flavor, nor did it provide any satisfaction. I forced myself to quickly eat it anyway. Then I reluctantly left and meandered back up to Tabitha's room.
"Tabitha?" I knocked lightly on the door. No answer. I slowly opened the door and easily spotted her asleep on the window seat, her head resting against the cold, smooth glass. As I approached her, I saw she was holding a pen and a book; she'd fallen asleep writing in her diary. I took them from her hands carefully and placed them next to her. She may not have eaten, but she also hadn't had much luck sleeping, so instead of waking her up, I carried her over to the bed. She was out like a light, and didn't stir at all.
I closed her diary and placed it on the bedside table. Despite myself, I smiled as I remembered the night I'd accidentally read it, and everything that had come of that. As much as I wanted to know what had been written since then (and I really was intrigued by what she might have said), knowing that she trusted me easily beat my curiosity. Deciding that she was okay, I went back to my room and changed into something to sleep in. I started to get in bed, when I suddenly thought about something. I stared at the bed, then the door, and debated for a second before leaving my room and going back to Tabitha's.
I climbed into bed with her, assuming it was okay; after all, we had shared a bed a few times now. I wanted to be right there if she woke up, just in case she was upset, which seemed fairly likely considering everything she was going through. Besides the fact I was concerned, I just wanted to be with her. It was somehow reassuring to know that she was so close to me.
I stared across at her through the dimly illuminated room. Her slightly puffy eyes were the only thing that gave away any hint of her distress; she looked calm and happy in her sleep. Even now, there was something captivating about her, and for the second time I couldn't help smiling.
Tabitha awoke the next morning feeling unbearably hot. She groaned as the light from the window shown directly into her eyes and quickly closed them again. Drowsily sitting up on the edge of the bed, she pulled her sweat drenched shirt away from her body and shook it to create a slight breeze. She correlated the heat to the fact she'd fallen asleep fully dressed, so she pulled her socks off and placed her feet on the cold hardwood floor, but that gesture did little to help. Yawning, she made her way over to the closet to find a different shirt other than the thick long-sleeved one she'd been wearing.
Jim woke up when Tabitha shifted off of the bed. Blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light, he finally gained his awareness and was able to focus on Tabitha pulling a new outfit out of her closet. He was just about to say something when she started to undress... and Jim's mind blanked. He wasn't sure whether to look away or keep his eyes focused on the entrancing sight. What did she want him to do? Was he supposed to turn around? No, if he wasn't supposed to see her, she would have sent him away... unless she didn't know he was there. She did know he was there, right? Of course she knew! They'd been sharing a bed; surely she noticed that someone else was in it. His body was quick to overrule his mind on the "right thing" notion. No, she was doing this on purpose to tantalize him, and, well, frankly, she was rather good at it.
Tabitha grabbed the most lightweight shirt she had from her closet, and, completely unaware that she was not alone, took of the sweaty one she was wearing. It was only by chance that she looked in the mirror and happened to see the reflection of Jim. She turned around and reflexively grabbed the shirt to cover herself with as several thoughts rushed through her head. Why was he in her bed? Had he been here the whole time? Had she asked him to stay last night? She couldn't remember seeing him after yesterday afternoon, but maybe she'd just been so tired that she'd forgotten.
The two gawked at each other for a moment, each trying to figure out what the other was doing.
"What are you doing?" he asked teasingly.
"Ch-changing clothes," Tabitha stuttered in embarrassment. "What are you doing?"
"Enjoying the view," he smirked.
Tabitha started; he was never that forward with her. It was kind of intriguing, but at the same time she was perplexed. "...Oh?" she questioned vaguely.
"Mm-hmm," he said as he walked over to her. She was about to question him but before she could formulate a thought, he had wrapped his arms around her and began kissing her... rather enthusiastically. Tabitha froze, completely thrown off by his actions. Jim must have noticed her confusion because he broke off. "You aren't kissing me back," he kid playfully.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Tabitha asked, trying to get a handle on the situation.
Jim was puzzled. "What do you mean?"
She didn't even know where to begin. "When did you come in here?"
"Last night," he stated as if he were pointing out the obvious.
Tabitha was first to figure out what was going on: Jim had slept with her last night, and when she started to change, he assumed she knew he was there and was doing it on purpose, when in actuality, she had simply not noticed him in her sleepy state. She couldn't force back the blush that arose as she tried to stammer out a statement.
Jim quickly sensed her tension and noticed her red cheeks, and realization dawned on him too. He released her and backed off a little. "You didn't know I was here."
She shook her head. Now that she knew what was going on, she actually didn't think it was that big of a deal. She'd been wearing undergarments, for goodness sakes, so it wasn't like she was completely indecent. It was his fervor that had really startled her, but she was okay with it now that she understood where it was coming from. More than okay with it, actually. She would gladly return his enthusiasm... after she got to mess with him first.
It was Jim's turn to blush now. "I'm sorry! I was worried about you last night, so I came to sleep in here... I-I thought you noticed, and you w-were just messing around."
Tabitha held back a laugh; he was adorable when he was flustered. She considered reassuring him that she wasn't upset, but decided to keep up the act.
"Why... why would you..." she feigned shock.
"I'm sorry!" he pleaded. "I-I thought you knew I was here or I never would have watched you!"
Tabitha bit her lip and leaned her head down to hide a snicker. Jim mistook her gesture and continued to apologize. "Please don't be mad. I'm so sorry. You know I wouldn't do that to you on purpose."
She raised her head, still biting her lip, and "nervously" whispered, "How much did you see?"
Jim rubbed his neck as he tried to figure out how to be honest and reassuring to her at the same time. "Just, I mean, I... I saw your reflection in the mirror..." he was blushing redder by the second. "So I saw... well, you know, b-but I- "
By this point, Tabitha could no longer contain herself and started to giggle. Jim's eyes widened, then he gawked at her in mock anger. "You... you did know I was here!"
"No, actually I didn't," Tabitha continued to laugh. "I just figured out what was going on before you."
"You scared me," he sighed thankfully.
"Sorry, but it's so fun to tease you."
"Why?" he laughed.
"Because I think it's really adorable when you blush," she smiled up at him, then laughed. "What on Montressor was going through your head?"
He looked down bashfully. "Well, I... we've been going out for a while, but I've never seen you... er, I mean, you've never changed in front of me or anything, so I thought, if you knew I was here, that you were doing it on purpose to try and..."
"What?" she smirked at his unfinished explanation. "Seduce you?"
"Something like that..." he laughed nervously, not meeting her eyes.
"Did it work?" she questioned coyly.
Jim's eyes widened as he looked back up at her. He wavered somewhere between embarrassment and roguishness before finally deciding on the latter.
"You tell me," he said slyly as he kissed her.
Tabitha had been waiting for him to do so and was quick to act. Jim had expected the kiss to throw her off, but was pleasantly surprised when she rose to the challenge and held her own. His goal was to catch her off guard like she had done to him, but, try as he might, none of his attempts worked; she always managed to stay one step ahead of him. No matter what Jim did, she was able to do the same thing back to him, except better, until once again he was the one shocked by the turns the situation was taking. Finally, an idea he was sure would knock her down a level, back to an even playing field, struck him. He realized that the shirt she'd been planning to change into was caught between the two of them. Grinning mischievously as he continued to kiss her, he pulled it away and waited for Tabitha to give into his taunting, squeal girlishly and insist he give it back. Once again, he was stunned when her response was to try and rob him of his own shirt.
"Tabitha!" he said breathlessly as he pulled away and let her take of his shirt.
"What?" she asked innocently.
"What is with you?" he asked in a tone nothing short of amazement. "I've never seen you so... eager."
She laughed at the vocabulary choice. "Do you want me to stop?"
"No, not at all! I just... wasn't expecting this."
She shrugged. "Expect the unexpected."
"Alright," Jim was surprised by her bluntness, but laughed as he pulled her close again. "You sure you're okay with this?"
"Yes." She sounded sure, but then a doubt crossed her mind, so she added on, "Just this," to clarify this was all she wanted, nothing more.
Jim nodded in agreement and kissed her again, this time knowing what to expect. It was no longer a playful game, it was an unforeseen moment of passion. Tabitha had no idea what had come over her, but all she knew was that she wanted this, to be as close as possible to him. She ran her hands through his hair, over his chest... completely enraptured. Jim, despite his initial shock, was all for it as well. He tried his best to walk the fine line between their current state and taking it one step too far, but, stars above, he just couldn't keep his hands off of her. For some reason, this kiss was different than any other they'd ever shared, and neither had any idea why. Every sense was heightened as their heart, body, and mind were simultaneously stimulated to their peak. They couldn't focus on anything except being closer, more intimate...
Several minutes into it, Jim lifted Tabitha off the ground, but resisted the thought to carry her to the bed. Just this - that was all she wanted; the bed would be a step too far. It was the moment that she wrapped her legs around him that he realized, as good as this felt and as much as he craved it, this couldn't go on much longer. Tabitha seemed blissfully unaware of his desperate attempt to resist his more carnal instincts. He sat her on the top of the vanity desk so that they would remain at eye level, but at least she would be able to put her legs down so that he didn't keep having to let id and super-ego battle out what the right choice was.
"Tabitha - " he breathed.
But Tabitha was just as captivated as he was and immediately pulled him back to her. She didn't want to stop, not yet. She had no idea the internal struggle she'd sparked inside of Jim.
"We need to - " he attempted, but once again his lips were enveloped by hers. For half a second, Jim almost gave in, thinking he could keep going until Tabitha said it was too far, but no, he wouldn't do that. She had said that this was all she wanted, and he would acquiesce to that request; he would have to - he wasn't going to be able to keep doing just this. He was first and foremost a gentleman, and he wasn't going to push her.
"Tabitha, really... " he pleaded more urgently. She finally relented upon hearing the strained tone of his voice and stopped kissing him, but kept her arms and legs wrapped around him still.
He took a deep breath and she observed his stiff stature in concern. "Are you alright?"
"Fine," he assured tensely. "Just... can you move your legs?"
"Oh!" she gasped as she released him.
He breathed a sigh of relief and focused his gaze on the floor for a moment to compose himself. He'd never come so close to getting carried away with her like that, and he was almost frightened that it was a even a possibility. He was supposed to be in control of himself, and the situation, and he'd almost lost that.
"Jim?" she said quietly as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You're really good at that," he commented as he looked back up. He was still breathing heavily, but he was also smiling. "Maybe a little too good."
"Oh," she whispered, completely floored that she'd had this kind of impact on him. She once again moved her hand away from him. "I didn't realize - "
"It's okay," he laughed and finally eased back closer to her. "You just got me kind of worried for a second there." She opened her mouth but he put a finger to her lips. "Don't apologize, just give me a second..."
She nodded understandingly. He sighed gratefully, glad that she was not upset with his reaction nor made uncomfortable by his confession - his embarrassment was enough for them both. Foreheads together, eyes closed, fingers laced, they sat there trying to calm their rapid pulse and swirling pool of thoughts.
"I love you," Tabitha simply stated after a while.
"I love you, too," Jim agreed, not moving from their restful position. "You are so amazing."
"I hope you mean in general and not just about this," she added lightheartedly as she pulled back.
"You're amazing at everything... except dancing," he laughed. "And playing the guitar... and solar surfing... "
"Okay, I think you've made your point!" she smiled as she pulled on the shirt that had started all of this.
Jim pulled on his own shirt, then picked her up again and spun her around a few times before finally placing her back on the ground.
She grinned and grabbed his hand. "Come on! I'm starving!"
--Tabitha's POV--
That rush of joy that I'd savored this morning had not lasted long. It was like as soon as we'd left the room, we were headed to hell in a hand basket.
The issue of Silver and our ship was almost instantly brought back to our attention, and I was back to feeling how I'd felt the day before - depressed and physically sick. I took a little comfort in knowing that at least I'd told Jim about the dreams (luckily, he hadn't thought I was insane) and anything else so that we were now on the same page, but I was so upset. Thankfully, I managed not to bawl my eyes out like I had the day before, but the very thought of the fact that Silver was gone was enough to push me to the edge of tears.
To top it all off, our friends arrived fairly late in the afternoon and we'd had to relay the whole story yet again, then answer all their questions. They were all the same as ours - why would he just leave? Why'd he take your ship? So on and so forth... - so we really had no answers for them. After a good hour of explanations, the room was finally quiet as they all absorbed the information. I looked at the expressions on their faces - shock, confusion, sadness, disappointment - but stopped on Rylee. She was leaned casually against Cason and didn't seemed to be phased by the story at all.
"What do you think about all this?" I asked her accusingly.
She looked at me, then sighed apologetically. "Look, Tabitha, I know he was like your father and stuff, and he seemed like a really nice guy, but... he was a pirate, and we knew that."
"What are you saying?" Graham, who'd been facing the other direction, turned on her.
"I'm just saying that I don't think we should be that surprised that a pirate stole your ship."
"He wasn't a pirate!" August jumped in. "He used to be, but he was a good guy. He saved Tabitha and Jim's life, and - "
"But how many people do you think he killed before that?" Cason defended on behalf of Rylee. "We can't base everything on that one fact. They hadn't seen him in three years! Who knows what kind of stuff he was doing during that time!"
"So you think that people can't change?" Theodore questioned.
"I'm just saying that it sounded like a bad idea from the beginning, so I'm really not surprised."
Graham angrily stood up and walked away from the table. Jim and I sat silently beside each other; we'd known to expect something like this. They'd been wary of trusting him since the beginning and now it seemed like they'd been right; we couldn't really blame them for being upset.
"I see what you're saying," Landon told Cason and Rylee, much to the surprise of Graham, August, and Theodore, who all gawked and started to interrupt with complaints before Landon stuck out a hand to stop them. "But I think Jim and Tabitha have the right idea. Maybe we shouldn't have trusted him, maybe this is just a misunderstanding, but no matter what you think, we're missing something vital. There's no point in arguing if we don't have the facts."
Everyone shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to admit that he was right.
"So... what now?" Landon asked Jim and me. "Are we still going?"
A chorus of answers rang out from all our friends until Jim raised his voice over them. "We're going."
We are?!
"We are?" Rylee asked.
"Jim, don't you think - " Cason began.
"But we're only going to Lacuna to talk to Charlotte."
"What?!" Graham complained.
"No!" Theodore whined.
"We can rent a different ship or something and - " August began.
"Stop! Stop! Stop!" I finally shouted. Everyone stared at me, but they also shut up. "Listen, we're not going after the treasure because I don't want to go after the treasure. Silver had some reason he didn't want me to go, and I trust his judgment. If you want to think that he's just a pirate and choose not to trust him, fine, I can't change your mind. But all I really want, all I ever really wanted, out of this trip was to learn about my parents and my family."
"But Tabitha - " Rylee complained.
"No, Rylee! Screw the treasure! It isn't worth all of this! We've already lost Silver because of it, and now you guys are all fighting... and - "
Damn it, not again. Just when I thought I was in the clear, the tears came back, this time in front of a crowd of people. I don't want to cry in front of all of my friends! No, just wait! Just wait until you can get away.
"Look, that's what we're doing," Jim spoke up for me. "I know it's not the exciting adventure we originally planned, but it's a ticket out of here. Since we're without transportation, you'll have to pay your own way. If you don't want to come, we understand, but it's your decision - take it or leave it."
My tears under control for the time being, I looked up to find everyone looking around at each other waiting for someone else to speak up first. "Well?" I asked impatiently.
Landon sighed. "Correct me if I'm wrong here - " he said to everyone " - but I think we're all still going. Like you said, it's still a ticket out of here, and it's not as if we've got anything better to do."
"Yeah, it's either this or a real job," Cason added humorously.
Everyone smiled a little as the tension eased slightly. I sighed. "I really am sorry you guys."
Rylee walked over to me. "No, it's okay. If you think that trusting Silver is the right thing, and you don't want to go because he didn't want you to go, then okay. I can't say I agree completely, but I respect that."
Everyone else murmured their agreement and I smiled gratefully at them. "Thanks."
After helping Jim's mom with dinner and eating some themselves, the teens that had just arrived back in Montressor were exhausted from their journey's and headed straight to dinner. Tabitha helped B.E.N. and Mrs. Hawkins (and Morph, if you could call his little antics "help") clean up, all the while reassuring them that she was sure this was the right thing to do, and that she really would be okay... basically, she spent the entire night lying to them.
She wasn't sure this was the right thing to do, and she didn't have a clue when, or if, she'd be okay. She hadn't talked to Jim since Silver left about the trip itself; Jim's announcement that they were going was just as much of a surprise to her as it was to everyone else - she'd actually been planning to tell him she didn't want to go anymore. She couldn't very well take it back after already having to take back the promise of a treasure hunt... but that didn't mean she was confident about Jim's decision.
Even in the new, improved, and rather large Benbow, it wasn't hard to find Jim. Tabitha knocked lightly on the half-open door of the storage shed out back.
"Hmm?" Jim questioned, not looking up from what he was working on.
"It's me," Tabitha answered as she stepped inside.
"Hey," he glanced up at her and smiled, but then returned to fixing the sail on his solar surfer.
Tabitha winced. "Sorry about that."
"What? Oh, don't worry. It's an easy fix."
"Right." Tabitha sat down on the edge of the workbench and picked up the new sheet of solar cells and fiddled with it absentmindedly.
"What are you doing out here?" Jim questioned as he finished detaching the sail from the board.
"Oh, nothing, I just wanted to talk to you," she said casually whilst she tried to figure out how to start the conversation.
"About something?" Jim asked distractedly as he laid the sail flat out on the work bench.
"Yeah, the trip."
"Okay, go ahead, I'm listening."
Tabitha knew she didn't have his full attention, but maybe that was for the better. "Are you sure we can do this?"
"Sure. It'll be easy," he assured her as he took the sheet of solar cells from her hands. "We just pay a small fee and we're on the next ship out to Lacuna, no problem."
Tabitha didn't respond to this. She'd never thought that was going to be a problem.
"Was that all?" Jim looked back up at her curiously.
"Ah, no..." she explained.
Jim didn't say anything; he was focused on measuring the tear of the sail.
"Jim, I don't want to go."
Jim froze and slowly turned to look at her. "What?"
"I-I don't want to," she repeated, looking down at her hands.
Jim put the ruler down and turned his full attention to her. "Why not?"
"Because..." she sighed, reluctant to explain her reason. "It just doesn't feel right."
"Doesn't feel right?"
"I thought it was going to be the first voyage on our boat, and all our friends would be there, and Silver, and it would be fun..." she jumped off the table. She walked over to the doorway and looked up at the sky. "Now it seems like it's turning into a chore for everyone. No one wants to go anymore. No one wants to pay money to travel on some random ship to a tiny planet just so I can find out about my parents."
"Tabitha, that's not true. I still want to go, and so do all our friends. If they didn't want to, they would have argued about it, which they didn't."
Tabitha sighed. "Still..."
Jim walked over to her and grabbed her arm. "Hey, look at me," he told her, and she reluctantly turned to him. "You have every right to go to Lacuna and find out about your parents if you want to. Don't worry about anyone else! No one's being forced to go."
"It just doesn't even seem worth it anymore," Tabitha sighed. "I don't want to lose anything else."
"You aren't going to lose anything else."
She shook her head, not believing his assurances. A tear slid down her cheek, and then another. Jim wiped them away with his thumbs and embraced her just as she broke down completely.
"It's okay. Shh..." he whispered. "What's wrong? Please tell me..."
"I'm just scared," she sobbed.
"Don't be," he told her. "I'll be there to make sure nothing bad happens."
"But what if something bad happens to you?" she whispered. "What if I lose you?"
"Lose me? Tabitha..." Jim began, unsure of exactly how to console her. "You'll never lose me."
"You can't promise that," she countered as she pulled back to look up at him.
"I can, and I did," he said forcefully. "I will always be there for you."
She shook her head in denial and leaned against him once again.
"What is this really about?" Jim questioned, realizing that there was more than meets the eye in her current situation. "Please just talk to me."
"I don't want to lose you," she cried.
"You aren't going to - "
"No!" she shouted, pushing away from him. "You don't know that! I lose everyone I love..."
Jim started at her sudden statement. "What?"
"My mom, my dad, now Silver..." she choked. "You're the only one I have left."
Jim stood gaping at her until her tears returned and he was once again at her side. "That's what's been bothering you? You were worried about losing me?" Jim took her lack of an answer as a yes. "Tabitha, that isn't... I know it kind of seems like that, but it isn't, and you know that. I'm never going to leave. It isn't even a possibility. I will always, always, be there." She couldn't stop her tears, so he continued. "Listen, if you really don't want to go, we won't, but I thought this was what you wanted, and if the only reason is because you're worried about losing something, or someone, else... then I really think you should reconsider."
"No, no, you're right," she agreed, wiping her eyes as she calmed down. "I do want this, and I know it's really not like that, but... it sometimes seems that way, and I-I don't know what I would do without you."
He kissed her forehead and smiled. "And you'll never need to know."
The trip to the spaceport the following morning was peculiar to say the least. All of the teens had accepted that they wanted to go on this journey, but their was still an awkward tension over them about the fact that it was not what they had originally envisioned.
At the very least though, it was a beautiful day, so there were lots of people at the spaceport, which meant a better chance of them finding a passenger ship they could travel on. Jim left the group to go find out what ships were planned to set sail, leaving the rest of them standing in the middle of the spaceport observing the sights.
"I miss our ship," Tabitha sighed.
"We all miss your ship," Landon added absentmindedly.
"Hey, it'll be fine," Graham smiled, trying to lighten the tension. "Amelia's working on getting a warrant out for your ship, so it's bound to turn up soon. In the mean time, we'll just have to make do - no big deal!"
"No big deal!" Morph repeated as he flew out of Tabitha's backpack.
Theodore was looking at something off in the distance. "Is there a reward being offered for the finding of your ship?"
"I don't think so. Why?"
August followed his brother line of sight and chuckled. "Because it would be nice to have some extra money."
"What are you - " Tabitha began, but then she saw it too.
Their ship. Just sitting at one of the docks, as if it was meant to be there.
Cason's draw dropped. "Holy sh - "
"Okay," Jim said as he walked back up to them. "We don't have much to choose from, but the one in Dock 47 seems like the best choice. It's got - "
"I'd rather take your ship," Graham smiled.
Jim rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we'd all rather take our ship, but that's not really an option."
"Yes, it is," Rylee laughed.
Jim was about to speak up when everybody else pointed down the row of boats to one near the very end. Jim's eyes doubled in size.
"What the..."
"What the..." Morph mimicked Jim's stunned facial expression.
Tabitha laughed. "Well? Come on!"
The group raced off, dodging carts of exotic fruits and vegetables and creatures carrying crates, and finally skidding to a halt right in front of the boat.
"It is ours, isn't it?" Tabitha panted.
"Yeah, it's got to be. It doesn't have a name," Jim pointed out.
"Hell yeah, let's go!" Cason cheered as they started to run up the plank.
"Excuse me!"
They all froze and slowly turned around to see a man in a royal blue jacket. He was standing rigidly and observing them in a condescending fashion.
"Yes?" Tabitha questioned rudely.
He scoffed at her tone. "What do you little urchins think you're doing aboard my ship?"
"Your ship?!" They all shouted in unison. Even Morph said it with a puzzled expression.
"Yes, my ship," he emphasized. "I'll give you a chance to come peacefully, but if you're not down in one minute, I'm calling the authorities."
"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" Jim began as he walked back down towards the man. "There's just been some kind of misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding, indeed," he repeated.
"No, really," Tabitha joined in. "That's our ship."
For the first time the older man looked taken aback. "Your ship?"
The teens all nodded enthusiastically.
"Prove it."
"Well I... can't," Jim said lamely. "See, it was stolen, and all the paperwork was on board, so - "
"Well then I guess your out of luck, aren't you?" the man said smugly as he started to walk off.
"Wait!" Jim shouted rushing back to him. "Where did you get this ship?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Where did you get it? Did you buy it from someone?"
The man straightened his jacket. "No. If you must know, I'm only keeping watch over it for a friend."
"A friend?" Tabitha repeated.
"Yes, child, a friend," the man said as if he were talking to a 5 year old.
Tabitha set her jaw, but didn't complain. "What's his name?"
"I really don't believe that's of any concern to you," the blue-coated man said pointedly, looking down on all of them. "Now, if you'll excuse me - "
"Was it Silver?" Jim asked abruptly.
The man squinted questioningly at Jim. "How do you know that name, son?" Jim stared at the man determinedly, but didn't answer. The man sighed. "Yes, that's who I'm watching it for. I'm supposed to help some amateur sailors out on - "
"That's us!" They all once again said in unison.
"You?" the man observed them skeptically. "No, no. Silver said that they were all graduates of the academy - "
"We are!"
"Then where are your uniforms?"
They all hastily pulled them out of their bags and pulled them on as proof. The stranger gaped at them, then smiled. "Well, well... I guess you are who I'm waiting for. So that means that..." he observed them all, then stopped on Tabitha. "You must be Tabitha."
"Yes, sir," she said.
"Ah, I see you do have some manners after all," he chided. "Silver bragged a great deal about his daughter. A doctor, Valedictorian of the Interstellar Academy for Medicine..."
"Daughter?" Rylee and Graham both repeated. Luckily, the man didn't notice.
Tabitha didn't know why Silver would say she was his daughter, but she decided to go along with it. "Yes, well... he is a great father."
The man chuckled. "I suppose he would be. Now then, if you are Tabitha, then that must mean this young man is James Hawkins, the boy who found Treasure Planet!"
"Yes sir, but it's Jim," Jim said curtly. "And I wasn't the only person to find Treasure Planet. I had help."
"That's not the way Silver explained it," the man laughed. "He made you out to be the hero who saved the day!"
"Well then I think he must have exaggerated a bit, sir."
"Knowing Silver, he probably did."
"Excuse me?" Cason spoke up. "Who are you?"
"Well, I'm guessing by your insolent tone that you must be Cason," the man said, not answering his question. "Which would mean that you, my dear, are Rylee."
The couple nodded.
"...and you two must be Theodore and August," he said to the twins.
"Yes sir, and we're twins in case you couldn't tell," August joked.
The man laughed. "And that means you must be August, because you spoke up before your brother. He told me Theodore was the quieter one."
Theodore nodded silently.
"So that leaves... Landon and Graham."
"Yes, that's us," Landon said. "You still have not told us who you are."
"So you're Landon then?"
"Well, yes," Landon mumbled. "How'd you know."
"You've got that take charge attitude," the man said admiringly.
"Well, you guessed us all," Graham interrupted. "And sorry if we're starting to sound repetitive, but who are you?"
"Anthony!" Morph answered, flying up in the man's face.
"Morph!" the man said cheerily. "Well, I haven't seen you in quite some time!"
"Anthony! Anthony!" he continued to squeal as he nuzzled the man's face.
"Well, guess Morph's done the introduction for me," Anthony chuckled. "I'm Anthony Aldamae, but you all can call me Captain."
"Captain?" Tabitha questioned.
"Captain!" Morph saluted.
"Excuse me, sir," Jim emphasized, refusing to call him by his title. "But I'm the Captain."
"Yes, I believe you would be, if I were not your superior," Anthony explained.
"But - "
"Hawkins, what color jacket are you wearing?"
Jim sighed. "White."
"And what color jacket am I wearing?"
"Blue."
"Smart lad," Anthony replied. "Now, I'm sure that if you made it all the way through the academy, then you will know that a white jacket represents a captain, while blue represents a commodore."
"Yes, I know, but - "
"Silver warned me you wouldn't accept this easily. He was right, you are quite thick-headed," Anthony laughed. "Sorry to disappoint son, but I outrank you and therefore will be serving as captain on this voyage, if you still choose to go on it. Is that clear?"
Jim looked ready to hit the man. "Yes, captain."
"Very well," Anthony said, eying Jim suspiciously. "Now, come along."
Their new captain walked off leaving them standing their completely baffled.
"What the bloody hell?" Cason said.
"It's like being back at the academy," Landon added.
"You know, me and Tabitha both have royal blue jackets too. Are we allowed to just claim we are the captain?" Rylee sounded annoyed.
"Well, no, not exactly. See, your jackets are just the blue uniform coats from the academy. His is real. He's got the trimming and - " Rylee looked at August like he was the stupidest person in the Etherium. "Oh... you were being sarcastic."
"It's your ship! Is he even allowed to do that?" Graham complained.
"I don't know, but it won't do any good to argue," Jim interrupted. "Look, we can either get on board our ship and let him play the part of captain, or go back to our original plan."
"Silver said in the note we should trust him..." Tabitha began.
"I do trust him. It's this guy I don't trust," August replied.
"Hang on..." Jim stopped them. He turned back around and shouted back to Anthony. "Captain?"
Anthony once again turned to face him. "Yes?"
"We want more proof," he stated. "Prove that Silver sent you to go with us."
"Your names and personalities weren't enough?" he asked skeptically.
"Forgive us, sir, but we've had a lot of problems trusting people lately," Tabitha explained.
"Very well," Anthony sighed. "Your full name is Tabitha Renee Alexander. Jim's full name is James Pleiades Hawkins. Tabitha's parents' names were Melody and Sam, but they died when you were a child. Silver saved you from being attacked in an alley when you were ten. Jim's mother owns the Benbow Inn, which burned down a few years ago, but has since been rebuilt. Your father left when you were a ten. You've been dating since you met on the Legacy. You are both 18 years old. And, if that isn't enough proof - " he motioned Jim closer.
It was more than enough, but still Jim was interested in what else he could possibly say. He approached him and the man leaned forward and whispered, "You're planning on proposing to Tabitha sometime in the near future."
Jim gaped at him; the only people who knew that were Silver and Graham. He turned back to his friends and nodded.
They all looked confused but before they had any time to question what he had just said, Anthony was ordering them onto the ship.
"Alright, then let's go! We're burning daylight!"
Tabitha looked at Jim quizzically. He shook his head, hoping that Tabitha wouldn't question it further.
Apparently, the pace they were walking at wasn't fast enough, because Anthony decided to shout at them some more. "What part of 'let's go' did the lot of you not understand?"
Tabitha shot Jim an annoyed glance. "It just keeps getting better, doesn't it?"
A new OC? You betcha. Meet Commodore Aldamae.
A few quick things:
No, Tabitha and Jim are not just amorous teens (they are in love, and they've been going out for a while, so what do you expect?). I'm trying to balance adventure/suspense/romance/etc., and that escapade is relevant to a future part of the story :)
I was wondering if anyone out there would like to draw some art for this story? I can't draw my way out of a paper bag, so I'd love to see what you guys can come up with. We can call it a belated Christmas present or... what holiday's next? Martin Luther King Day? It can be a Martin Luther King Day present XD
Also, if you would like to see something in the story, feel free to leave a comment. I'm not making any promises - I may decide not to use any of the suggestions (no offense) - but I'd like to know what you guys want to see!
Hope you liked it! Comments are always really awesome, by the way.
-Emily