Oh, no… It- It can't be! …It's… It's… THE LAST CHAPTER! NOOOOO!
So, enjoy it while you still can! ;D
Reviewer Thanks
Anon, OMGitsEMILY, Kristen/SweetAngel183, and Nims: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, for not sending flames, for sending me some ideas, and for staying loyal to my story. You are all wonderful, and… MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! (pops champagne bottle)
Disclaimer: You know how it goes. Let's skip it and get on with the story!
0o0o0o0o0o0
The spaceport was coming near, and Jonesy sighed heavily. He was happy that he had found his brother, his father, and love… he just wished the voyage didn't have to end so soon. Morph sat on his shoulder, snuggled against his neck.
"Quite some trip, eh Morphy?" Jonesy said, petting the pink blob with his finger. "Meeting new people, saving the universe from an evil planet's wrath… and now it's all going to be over in just a couple hours. (Sigh), I wish it didn't have to end."
"That makes two of us," Jonesy turned and saw Elizabeth standing behind him. He stood up straight, in her respect. She chuckled. "You don't have to be so proper, Jonesy. …Unless I say so, that is." she smiled.
"Oh," he relaxed a little. "O-Okay. …So, (ahem) what brings you out on the deck this time of night?"
Elizabeth shrugged. "I was about to ask you the same thing. Just to think, I suppose."
Jonesy nodded. "Same here."
"You know, it's funny. When we launched, I wasn't sure whether I could captain a ship or not. I was a tad nervous…"
His eyes widened. "You? But, you were leading with such authority as your mother would have!"
"Yes, I had to show my leadership in order to be a leader. If I would have shown how nervous I was, no one on this ship would listen to me."
"Tess and I would have, and your brother and sisters."
"Yes, but five people wouldn't be enough to run a ship. But, I guess, now I see, that I was worried over nothing."
"Only because you showed stunning leadership. You listened to Valerie's ideas, you allowed Tesoro to become a sailor in the end, and you saved us all from floating to an early grave." He laid a hand on her shoulder. "You, my dear Captain, were truly amazing."
"Did I give you the command to put a hand on me?" Her stern voice surprised Jonesy, but then she smiled, showing she was joking. "Just kidding. …Thank you, Jonesy." She walked away back to her quarters.
"Makin' pleasantries with deh Captain, are ya now?" A voice asked.
"Hello, Tyson." Jonesy said, smiling and turning to his brother, and he gasped. "Oh! Hey, Tess."
"Hey, Jonesy," Tesoro replied, walking up to him, blushing (again!) and smiling.
"Well, (ahem)," Tyson said, awkwardly. "I t'ink I'll so see what Dad's up tah." And he walked away.
Jonesy chuckled. "What was that all about?" he asked, watching his brother leave.
"We were talking earlier…" Tesoro said, rubbing her arm and looking down at the ground. "We overheard my dad talking…"
"Eavesdropping, huh?"
She smiled. "Yeah. …Anyway, he said something about your dad…" her smile faded. "He's… he's not going to jail."
Jonesy smiled, but it faded when he saw the serious look on her face. "What… what's wrong with that?"
She sighed, heavily. "They have a new order for him, and it includes a lot of travel and…" she turned away.
Jonesy's eyes began to mist with tears. "Where… where is he heading?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. But my mom said it was probably the worst punishment they could issue, something far too rash for him to deserve." She turned to him, eyes watering. "I'm sorry."
Jonesy bit his fist, trying hard not to cry. "Are… are you serious?"
"Well, that's not all I heard." She motioned the cabin boy closer, and whispered in his ear. He nodded, tears falling from his eyes. "…Now, since you guys won't have anywhere else to go, my dad wants to know… I want to know…"
"What?"
She looked up at him, her eyes full of hope. "Will you come with us? …I asked Tyson the same thing, but he said he wouldn't go unless you wanted to. …So, what do you say?"
He looked at her, tears falling from his eyes. I can't believe… I mean, they said… Oh, geez… he couldn't think clearly. He was already filled with powerful emotions, which rendered him speechless.
Tesoro looked at him, concerned. "Jones- Gack!"
He picked her up and hugged her tight, spinning around. When he stopped, he held on to her, burying his face in her shoulder. "I wish you hadn't said that," he sobbed. "I don't know whether to be happy… or just cry."
"Something tells me you chose to cry." She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his scrawny chest. "…I'm sorry. Again." Only, since her voice was muffled, it was more like, "I horry, ahain."
"It's okay. …At least, I'll be with you and Tyson."
She looked up at him and smiled. "R-Really?"
He nodded. "Really really."
She let out a small laugh and squeezed him tighter.
"Ack! …Tesoro! I can't breathe." She released him. "(Gasp!) Thank you. Heh, heh." He put his arm around her, and they stood on the deck the rest of the night, watching the spaceport near.
Tyson and Valerie had been watching them from on top of the mast, and the felinid elbowed him in the arm. "Why can't you be that sweet?" she asked sternly, yet jokingly.
"Oh, shaddap, before I push ya off deh mast." Tyson scoffed, smiling. He put his arm around her, but she pushed him away. He looked at her, eyes orange.
"Don't think I'm the type of girl you can just put the moves on, bub," She smiled and put her arm around him. "I'm not that kind of girl."
He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. "Nah, ya ain't, but you are my kind of girl. …Until I find someone better." he chuckled.
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, silencing him. "Good luck with that," she grinned, grabbed a rope, and swung down.
Tyson put a hand on his cheek, a smile spreading across his face, and he felt himself blush. "Yep. You're one o' a kind, Val… and just me type."
0o0o0o0o0o0
Two weeks later…
"Silver, have you made your peace?" Amelia asked the cyborg.
Silver nodded. "Aye."
She sighed. "Well, good luck, Silver. …You'll need it." And she left him on the deck.
Silver walked toward a door. He thought 18 months in prison would be fair enough, but Amelia had thought up a more suitable 'punishment' for him. He was to serve on a ship for the rest of his life, never allowed to go home (not that he had one, anymore) or settle down with his boys. He walked in to meet the captain.
"Well, it's about time you got here," Jim said, sitting behind a desk and smiling.
"Well, Jimbo, you're in charge of me now, huh?" Silver asked, chuckling.
"My, how the tables have turned." Jim chuckled, and shook Silver's organic hand. "Great to have you aboard, Silver."
"Glad tah be aboard, Jim… Er, Captain."
"You'll be regretting it soon," Natalie said, smiling. "With the way he captains a ship."
Jim rolled his eyes, but smiled. "She's just jealous because I get to boss her around." He put his arm around her. "Just like I used to." He turned back to Silver. "And, please, Silver, we're friends. You have permission to call me by my name."
Silver grinned. "Whatever ya say, Jimbo. So! What back-breaking job are ya going tah put be up tah?"
"Well, we need a better cook." Natalie suggested.
"What do you say, Silver?" Jim asked. "Care to go back to cooking?"
Silver shrugged. "Eh, better t'an not'in'."
Jim smiled. "Good, because we have the perfect cabin boys picked out for you. They should be in the galley, now."
Silver walked down to the galley, and Jim was right when he said he picked out the 'perfect' cabin boys: his own sons. "Hey, Dad's here!" Jonesy exclaimed, throwing a pan he was washing into the sink and running over to hug his father.
"So, did Mr. Hawkins assign ya as a cabin boy too?" Tyson asked, sneering, but he smiled. He knew what his father's job was going to be.
"Sorry, lads, but it looks like I'll be in charge of deh both of ya." Silver chuckled, putting his arms around both his sons.
"Eh, it's better than having Tyson in charge." Jonesy joked, nudging his brother.
"Heh, we'll see about dat. …Now, lets get tah work!"
"Aye, pap!" Tyson said, saluting his father. He knew he was going to miss being in charge of others, but he had missed his dad more. …Besides, it was better than working for the last cook he was with, 12 years ago.
The new ship, SJP ARROW, previously built and owned by Amelia (in honor of her late-first mate) and now owned by the Hawkins, soared through the galaxy, bound to go wherever the winds would take it.
"Man, I'm glad I quit the merchant-business." Jim sighed as they sailed.
Natalie hooked her arm around her husband's arm. "So am I." she said.
"Ditto." Tesoro said, standing at the helm. "We should have done this a long time ago!"
"So, why didn't you ask?" Jim joked. His daughter sneered at him, but the smile returned to her face. She not only was a sailor now, but also a sailor on her dad's ship.
Dreams really do come true. Tesoro thought. "By the way, Dad, what happened to Grandpa?"
Jim smiled slightly. "He's back where he wants to be. …I just hope he's doing all right."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Nobody ever lied straight to your face
Anthony stood at the door of the Benbow Inn that evening. It was after closing, and it was time he met his wife. C'mon, Anthony, you can do this! he told himself, forcing his hand to knock on the door. He had gotten a clean shave, showered the grime off his skin, and bought a new suit, but the new, clean feeling didn't wash away his nervousness as he heard footsteps and the door opened, and he faced his wife.
And nobody ever stabbed you in the back
Sarah rubbed her eyes. Certainly she had been working too hard. But, no, it wasn't a hallucination. Her husband stood before her. "A-Anthony? Is it really you?" she asked, in total disbelief.
"Hello, Sarah," Anthony said, smiling softly. "I'm back-"
Sarah slapped him across the face.
You might think I'm happy, but I'm not going to be okay
"I deserved that." Anthony said, rubbing the throbbing, red handprint on the side of his face.
"You… you idiot!" Sarah snapped, tears welling up in her eyes. She began to sob, and she hugged him. "I thought you'd never come home…"
"Don't think I deserved that." Anthony muttered, surprised.
"What… what happened to you? Where did you go? Where have you been all these years? Do you have any idea-"
"Dear, I've already gone through this with Jim," He placed his hands gently on her shoulders. "I don't want to go through it with you. Believe me, that would be worse than what Xenta had to offer."
Everybody always gave you what you wanted
Sarah gasped. "You mean… All these years…?"
Anthony nodded. "I've been stranded, yes. …But thanks to our son, I'm home. To stay. …That is, if you still want me."
Sarah slapped him again. "Don't be ridiculous!" She then linked her arm in his. "Of course I want you back. To stay. …Plus, I need some help around the Inn."
You never had to work it was always there
Anthony smiled. "It's the least I could do."
"Now, come inside. You look like you haven't had a decent thing to eat in years!" She guided him into the Inn.
"I haven't."
No you don't know what it's like, what it's like…
She laughed, and he smiled wide. Even with graying hair and a few wrinkles, Sarah still had the angelic face Anthony had fallen in love with. And he knew, from that day on, that he would get to see it, every day.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Tesoro, Jonesy, and Tyson stood at the bough of the ship, watching the sky dim to orange as the sun began to go down. "So, what do you think this voyage has planned for us this time?" Jonesy asked.
To be hurt
Tesoro shrugged. "Probably just more excitement." she said.
To feel lost
"And maybe a few threats, with our luck," Tyson added.
To be left out in the dark
Jonesy grinned. "Just another adventure, huh?"
To be kicked, when you're down
"Nah, we's talkin' about tourin'." Tyson nudged him, and he nudged back.
To feel like you've been pushed around.
"Well, wherever the wind takes us, they'd better be prepared." Tesoro said, grinning.
"Especially with us on deh way," Tyson boasted.
"They won't know what hit 'em!" Jonesy exclaimed.
Tesoro turned on the radio, and a familiar song came on.
To be on the edge of breaking down, with no one there to save you,
No you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life…
Welcome to my life…
"Welcome to my life!" Tesoro, Jonesy, and Tyson sang together, then burst out laughing. And their laughter could be heard, echoing through the Etherium as their ship sailed away.
And they wouldn't have it any other way.
The End
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A/N: Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! *wipes away tear* I'm a sap for happy endings. Please R/R. Flames are forbidden.
