I would just like to start off saying that this is one of my favorite chapters! I wrote it ages ago when I first got the inspiration and I've been so eager to post it!

Enjoy!

--Tabitha's POV--

I was slightly aware of being lifted off the ground before my consciousness dissipated completely...

Next thing I knew, everything was dark, and I couldn't feel anything. I could hear the voices of Jim and Silver, but I couldn't understand. I couldn't tell if I was just dreaming...

Then there was a lot more blackness and the feeling that I was floating. That came and went, intermingled with dreams, or maybe they were memories...

I was three. I was at the spaceport with my parents, riding on my dad's shoulders. I fiddled with my fathers watch while they introduced me to a man named Ivan...

It was a short time later, and I was listening to my relatives give sympathies to my father; they made comments about how much I looked like my mother. My dad suddenly had to leave and left me in the care of a woman named Charlotte...

I was ten. It was an ordinary day, until my father came home from work and unexpectedly presented me with a gift, explaining that today was my birthday. I was shocked that he'd remembered, or even known. I was stunned when I opened the gift and found the watch I hadn't seen in so long...

It was a short time later, and I was listening to my relatives give sympathies to me, just like they had to my father when my mother died. I knew I was alone now. Charlotte handed me a note that my father had left me, a note that made little sense to me...

I was being saved by Silver in the alley...

I was fifteen and kissing Jim for the first time...

I was sixteen and at my first day at the academy...

I was eighteen and graduating valedictorian...

It was the present. I was standing alone in front of my house.

"Tabitha..."

That familiar voice called me forward, and I followed. Down the path, up the steps, through the doorway, into the living room...

"This way, Tabitha..."

The voice called to me from the staircase. I began to venture upstairs, one step at a time. After what felt like years, I was at the top...

"Tabitha... in here, Tabitha..."

"Where?" I asked to the invisible voice.

"Here, darling... here..." A new voice, a feminine voice.

I followed, venturing into my parents bedroom.

"You're doing wonderful, Tabitha."

"What do you mean?" I cried to no one.

"The clue... the watch..."

"What about them?"

"It's here, darling," the woman spoke again.

"Where?" I looked around the room, but it looked just the same as when I'd last been there - bed, tables, trunk, closet...

It was dark again. I became faintly aware that I'd been asleep for a long time, but there was nothing I could do. I didn't even feel like I was alive. Maybe I wasn't alive. Maybe this was death. I certainly felt peaceful...

Then there was Jim's voice. It was clear, and crisp, and sweet. I still didn't know what he was saying, only that he was saying something, and that he was close to me. The next thing that happened played out like a movie of my entire life with Jim. I still couldn't make everything out in the pictures, but every time, I knew that he was there with me, just like I knew he was there with me in real life.

Next there was blackness... just blackness...

I'd spent the entire night talking to Tabitha - about when we'd first met, the voyage of the Legacy (leaving out any of the pirate scenes, lest she have nightmares), eating the huge banquet my mom prepared when we'd returned ("That was the first time I ever thought that if I got to spend the rest of my life sitting beside you, recounting tales of our latest adventure, I knew I'd be happy."), days at the academy, graduation... I got so involved in the retelling of our life together that I didn't notice how much time had passed until Silver brought me breakfast the next morning. I still couldn't eat, though. I knew it wasn't the smart thing to do, but I just didn't have any appetite. Luckily, Silver was so distracted by Abigail's return, Commodore Aldamae waking up, and Operation Rylee that I'd been able to give my food to Morph... again.

Operation Rylee hadn't brought about any results so far. After trying the Bryne's house with no luck, they'd tried anywhere else Abigail could think of - restaurants, taverns, inns - but each time, they came back empty handed. Cason was taking it really hard. The fact that he didn't know her condition or her location was weighing on him as much as Tabitha's health was on me. He blamed himself for not doing a better job of protecting her, Abigail blamed herself for not bringing Rylee with her, Silver blamed himself for ever leaving in the first place, but I was the only one who deserved to take any blame.

After spending two days alone, save for when Silver would come to check on Tabitha or bring me food, I'd come to the conclusion that I'd messed things up from the get go. Every step of the way, it seemed I'd done something wrong: Tabitha had told me that she didn't want to go on this trip, but I'd convinced her, promised her she wouldn't lose me or anyone else; I'd shaken off her dreams, denying her claims that they were something more than that; when she'd wanted to leave again after we'd sent the commodore away, I'd refused; but the thing that had caused the most problems, the thing that was the root of all the others, was that I hadn't trusted Silver.

I'd tried anyone I could think of to see if it wasn't really my fault and I was just being too hard on myself, but the fact was that couldn't be done, because it was my fault. I'd messed thing's up, and what's worse - I hadn't apologized. Each time Tabitha and I got into a disagreement, we just brushed it off, until eventually it had gotten to the point where she had left to find Silver on her own (or at least without me) and been attacked. I'm sorry. How hard would that have been to say when she was still conscious? Two words, and we could have worked everything out, and then none of this would have happened.

All of this I'd figured out on my own, which was why now, when Silver was scolding me for not sleeping or eating (I should have known Morph would be a tattletale) that I'd reverted back to my temperamental, adolescent self and had all but ignored whatever he was saying.

"... need t' take care o' yerself an' - "

"Silver, it's no big deal," I finally interrupted. "I'll be fine."

"Ya most certainly won't be fine if ya keep t'is up!"

I sighed. "Whatever."

Silver sighed as well, and the next time he spoke, it was much calmer, more sympathetic. "Jimbo, I know yer worried 'bout Tabby, but I'm not gonna be in charge o' takin' care o' two sick pups." I said nothing. "If yer sick, 'ow are ya gonna handle t'e rest o' t'e crew? Yer friends need ya, lad. Yer t'ere cap'n."

"Yeah," I scoffed. "Some captain I turned out to be."

"What are ya gettin' at?"

"Nothing," I said quickly, regretting I'd said anything at all. "Forget it."

Silver eyed me suspiciously. "What's eatin' ya?"

I gave a small laugh. "You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm not," Silver said seriously. "What are ya worryin' 'bout?"

"What am I not worried about would be easier." I stood up and began pacing, anything to avoid looking Silver straight on. "I'm worried about everything. I'm worried about the commodore. I'm worried about our friends. I'm worried about Rylee. I'm worried about the clue and the fortune. I'm worried about Tabitha."

"I don' see how makin' yerself ill's gonna help any o' t'at," Silver replied.

"Never mind," I mumbled as I sat down on the foot of the bed.

I could feel Silver's eyes on me, but I didn't look up from the floor. "Jim, none o' t'at was yer fault."

"Yes, it was!" I argued, somewhere between shouting and crying. "This was all my fault. It's been my fault since the beginning. The reason Rylee's gone and we haven't been able to get her back yet, the reason the commodore was shot, the reason that Tabitha's unconscious, the reason we're even still here is all because of me! All because I had to disagree with Tabitha and believe - "

"Believe wha'?" Silver questioned warily.

"It doesn't matter! The fact is that I'm the one who should be blamed for all of this - not Abigail, not you, not Cason - me."

"Ya can't do t'at t' yerself, lad," Silver consoled. "Ya can't blame everyt'ing on your - "

"Yes, I can, Silver! I can and I should!" I sighed. It was no use - I was going to have to say it sooner or later. "Look, I... the reason... the reason all of this is my fault is because I didn't trust you." I looked down. I didn't want to see if any hurt registered on his face. "After Ivan told us his story, it just sounded so much more believable, so... I-I started to trust him more than you. Then me and Tabitha started fighting about it, and... and everything that's happened has bridged off from the fact that I disagreed with her. All you asked us to do when you left was trust you, and I didn't even do that. I-I just couldn't, though. You've let me down before - I mean," I quickly tried to fix my statement. "That was a long time ago, and you've changed, and I know that now, but hearing it from Ivan just... made me doubt it. I-I'm sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. Everything you did was to try to protect me and Tabitha, and everything I did just reversed that. I just couldn't - " I gulped down my nervousness. "I didn't want to go through being betrayed again. I couldn't handle it. It was stupid, and I'm sorry."

"Seems like me past is catchin' up t' me..." Silver said, more to himself than me. "Jim, I don't blame ya fer not wantin' t' put yer trust in me, an' that's me own fault. After t'e Legacy, it don't make sense t' trust me." He sighed. "Ya had no way o' knowin' t'at any o' t'is would happen when ya made t'e decisions ya made. Ya did jus' wha' a cap'n should do - ya did what ya t'ought was best fer everyone at t'e time. Ya did yer best t' keep yer friends safe an' secure. T'ey know t'at, I know t'at, Tabby know's t'at. No one's blamin' ya fer anyt'ing, an' ya shouldn't be either."

"But... but I promised Tabitha I would always... always be there for her and - " my voice caught in my throat. "And now ... now she's..."

No! NO! Damn it, why? Why must I always end up crying in front of this man? I held my breath and willed the tears to stop, and luckily, they did for the most part. A moment later, a metallic hand latched around my arm and pulled me to my feet. "Stand up, lad." I did, and reluctantly glanced up at Silver, expecting to see anger or sadness written across his face, but he was... smiling. "Now, do ya remember what I told ya back on t'e Legacy?"

"Every word." How could I not?

"Good. Now, wha' was t'e firs' t'ing I told ya ya had t' do?"

"Take the helm, chart my own course," I answered, rubbing my eyes.

"Ya done that, hadn't ya?" he said in a congratulatory voice. "Ya went from bein' t'at moody teenage boy I firs' knew t' the man standin' in fron' o' me right now - a man who, at t'e age o' 18, has already become a cap'n an' fallin' in love wit' t'e girl he wants t' marry." I smiled despite myself, and Silver chuckled. "Jimbo, tha's more t'en most men accomplish in t'ere whole lives. Alrigh', now, what was t'e next thing?"

"Stick to it, no matter the squalls."

"Well, t'ats where ya are righ' now. Ya had a hard go an' t'ings aren't goin' t'e way ya planned, but ya can't give up. Yer always too hard on yerself, lad. Ya try t' blame yerself when t'ere's no reason to. Sometimes t'ings jus' happen, an' t'ere's no one t' blame." I nodded, sniffling back the last of my tears. "What was t'e las' t'ing?"

"You said that when the time comes that I get to really test the cut of my sails, and show what I'm made of, that you hoped you were there, catching some of the light coming off me that day."

Silver blinked. "Ya really did remember every word, didn't ya?"

I laughed and scratched the back of my neck. "Yeah, guess so."

"That's t'e nex' part," he said, leaning over to look me in the eye. "Ya've already done great t'ings, James Hawkins, but yer time ain't over yet. Jus' wait. If you can do all t'is in yer first 18 years, Heaven knows what ya can do in t'e nex' 18. You've got the makin's o' greatness in ya, 'member?"

"Yeah, and I haven't even rattled the stars yet," I kid lightly.

Silver laughed. "Tha's righ'. But ya aren't gonna make it 18 more years if ya don' start takin' care o' yerself. Now - " he walked over and grabbed a bowl off of the table and handed it to me. I opened my mouth to say something, but Silver's harsh glare stopped me. "I'm not arguin' wit' ya anymore. Yer gonna eat."

I sighed and relented. "Just give me the damn soup."

Silver chuckled heartily and handed the bowl to me. It was only when I felt the warm bowl in my hands and could smell how good it was that I realized I was hungry. Really hungry. I downed it an instant.

"For someone who ain't hungry, yah certainly ate tha' fast," he laughed and handed me the other bowl.

"But that's yours, isn't it?"

"It was s'posed t' be, but unlike some, I've been eatin' regular meals. You need it more t'en I do. I'll make meself some more."

I accepted and drank it quickly, not caring that it burned my tongue. "Thanks." I looked up at him and waited. He must have read my mind because a moment later, he held out his arms and I embraced him. "Thanks for everything."

Silver pulled back and smiled. "Now, I suggest ya get some sleep."

"I'm not tired."

"Jus' like ya weren't hungry?"

I chuckled. "No, I'm really not. I can't go to sleep."

"Well, I 'xpect ya'll be able to soon 'nough," he said with a smirk.

"I'm too worried about Tabitha."

"I'll be 'ere wit' her, lad," he reminded.

I eyed him suspiciously, then my eyes widened as the realization hit me. "You put something in my food to make me fall asleep, didn't you?"

He laughed. "Well, ya wouldn't take care o' yerself, so I'm doin' it fer ya."

Almost instantaneously, I felt my head begin to fog as my thoughts went blurry. "You know, you shouldn't drug the captain," I yawned.

"The cap'n shouldn't be actin' daft."

Knowing that I wouldn't be able to fight sleep much longer, I pulled my chair against the wall so I could lean my head back. My eyes closed on there own, but momentarily opened again when a blanket was draped over me.

"You old scallawag..."

Silver's laughter was the last thing I heard before finally, with my anxiety and guilt somewhat relieved, and a full stomach, and okay, the drugs that Silver gave me, I was able to fall into a deep sleep.

Tabitha woke up slowly, adjusting to one element of her surroundings at a time. First was how awful she felt - a headache, a dry mouth, chills. Then other things about her - she was definitely in a bed, her head was tightly wrapped with a bandage and was throbbing each time her heart beat. Then her surroundings - she was in a dimly lit room, and someone else was there beside her...

"Silver?" she managed to groan as her eyes blinked open.

Silver sighed with relief. "Aye, lass. How d'ya feel?"

Tabitha moaned weakly.

"Here," Silver ordered as he passed her a cup. Silver had to put his hand on her neck and help her. Assuming it was water, Tabitha hurriedly gulped the glass and didn't realize the bitter taste until she'd already drank about half of it. When she did, she coughed and sputtered, making her head hurt even more.

"Ow..." she whined.

"Sorry, lass. Shoulda warned ya it was medicine."

"Oh," Tabitha said. "Silver..."

"Shh," Silver hushed her. "Don't talk jus' yet."

"But," she took a deep breath. "I have to tell you..."

"Jimbo tol' me everyt'ing. Don't worry."

"Rylee?" she asked in a small voice.

He sighed. "Still missin'. We'll get her t'ough."

"The boys..."

"Still hur', but healin' up jus' fine. Ya did a good job on 'em."

She smiled, slowly waking up. "And Jim? Where is he?"

Silver smiled and pointed across the room. If Tabitha turned her head slightly, she could just barely make out his silhouette, asleep in a wooden chair with his head propped against the wall.

"Is he okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Depends on what ya mean by okay," Silver said with a soft, sad laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Tha's the firs' time he's been t' sleep since ya got hurt."

"When was that?"

"Two nights ago." He sighed and turned to face the boy. "Tha' boy sure does love ya, Tabby. Ne'er seen someone so head-o'er-heels devoted t' someone 'efore."

"But... he hasn't slept in almost three days?"

"Aye." She took a deep breath and started to ask something, but Silver stopped her with a smile before she could say a word. "I'm gonna wake 'im up. He'd flay me if 'e found out ya were awake an' I didn't tell him."

"Okay," she answered with a small, thankful smile.

Silver walked to the other side of the room and placed a hand on Jim's shoulder. "Jimbo," Silver whispered, shaking him slightly. Jim groaned, but didn't open his eyes. "Wake up, lad."

"Huh? What?" Jim groggily replied as he rubbed his sleep heavy eyes.

Silver grinned and nodded towards the bed across the room, where Tabitha smiled at Jim. Jim started, tossing the blanket to the floor as he jumped to his feet. Then, slowly, wide-eyed, and with his heart about to beat out of his chest, he walked across the room. Carefully, he reached out to touch her face, to verify that she wasn't a mirage, a delusion brought on by sleep deprivation, a dream he'd imagined in his heavy slumber...

"Tabitha...?" he whispered.

"Hey, Jim."

Relief overwhelmed Jim and he sank down onto the edge of the bed beside her. "Oh, Tabitha - " He brushed her hair out of her face gingerly, then grasped her hands. "Y-you're okay."

Silver smiled at them and left the room unnoticed, quietly closing the door behind him.

"Oh, I... I-I just... I'm..." Jim stammered, trying to express his relief. He released a shaky breath and kissed her forehead. "You're okay."

"Of course I'm okay," she whispered.

"Tabitha, I'm so sorry," Jim said, his voice filled with urgency. "I never should have given up on Silver. I'm sorry for being so stupid. I'm sorry for fighting. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm sorry for saying your dreams weren't real. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me. I'm sorry I wasn't there in that alley with you. I'm sorry that - "

"Jim! Calm down," she smiled. "It's okay. You don't have to keep saying it."

"But I really need to say it! I've been waiting for you to wake up just to tell you how sorry I am."

"And now you have." He opened his mouth to say something but she interrupted. "Don't say it anymore. You'll give me a headache."

He chuckled lightly and agreed. "How do you feel?"

"I don't know... kind of woozy, like I'm in a dream. What about you?"

"You would be worried about me, even though you're the one who's been out for over 2 days," he smiled.

"But, Jim, you haven't slept at all since - "

Jim sighed. "Silver told you, huh? No, I haven't. I... I-I couldn't. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. I was afraid to even leave the room."

"Afraid?" Tabitha questioned.

"Well, yeah. I was scared that... if I left, something would happen to you. I know that sounds dumb, but... I've just been so worried. I-I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I should have been there with you. I could have protected you."

"It's okay, Jim - "

"No, it isn't," he pleaded, his voice filled with anguish. "I promised that I would always be there for you, and that you would never lose me, and then... this happens. I acted like an idiot, and you got hurt."

"You're blaming yourself too much," she replied, repeating the same thing Silver had said to him. "You're being there doesn't mean that I wouldn't have gotten hurt. It could have ended up a lot worse."

"I almost lost you..." he whispered, reaching out to touch her face.

"But you didn't," she said sincerely, reaching out to brush his hair away from his eyes.

He sighed. "I still can't believe how much of a jerk I was. This never should have happened to you. I'm so sorry."

Tabitha rolled her eyes; she was appreciative of the apology, but there was no reason for Jim to feel this guilty. "Jim, if you'd been there, you just would have pulled some ridiculous, chivalrous move to save me... again."

"Yeah..." Jim chuckled tensely. "You bet I would have."

"Then where would we be? You'd be hurt - more than you already are - and I'd probably be in the same place I am now. It isn't your fault," she consoled. "Please don't blame yourself anymore."

He looked down at her and grinned.

"What?"

He swallowed. "I'm just so glad you're awake again. I was really scared."

"You were?" Tabitha whispered. "Why?"

"Well, I, uh... when I saw you faint that time, I thought that was scary - you know, watching you collapse like that - but, well... this was worse. A-a lot worse."

Tabitha said nothing. What could she say? For now, she could only listen as Jim explained how he felt. Tabitha squeezed Jim's hands - for comfort, apologies, gratitude, love - and he looked down at them, turning his eyes away from her face for the first time.

"I-it was like a nightmare. I got up because I wanted to talk to you, but I couldn't find you. Th-then all of a sudden, Graham came running up on deck, trying to tell me something..." Jim began to stroke the back of her hand with his thumb absentmindedly. "I couldn't focus on what he was saying. I-I just wanted to know what had happened to you. Then... then Silver came up on deck, carrying you and... I-I-I've never been so scared in my entire life. Y-you looked..." His voice began to crack. "I was so worried that... I was sure you were..."

He took a deep, shuddering breath, released Tabitha's hands and propped his elbows on his knees, pressing his palms against his eyes to hold back the tears. Tabitha, unable to move very much, reached out and gently squeezed his arm. He moved his hands away from his eyes, and turned to look at her. His eyes had filled with tears. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet and trembling; he knew he couldn't hold back any longer.

"I thought I'd lost you."

Tabitha blinked up at him in complete shock. Jim choked once, then leaned down to rest his head on her stomach before he started to cry. Tabitha was stunned. Jim was crying. Jim didn't cry. Tear up maybe, but sob? No. It had to be something huge to make Jim this upset. He had truly, honestly believed she might have died. She massage his back affectionately, trying to soothe him as she too felt the tears well up in her eyes. Maybe it was because she and Jim been through such a rough patch, maybe it was because she'd been asleep so long, or maybe it was because watching Jim break down like that was the saddest thing she'd ever seen, but Tabitha's emotions seemed to have doubled in an instant.

And that's how she realized what it was that made her cry - it was Jim. It was always Jim. Jim was the first person who had finally broken down her walls and allowed her to cry. Jim was the person who had done it again now. Around Jim she was relaxed and at ease. She trusted Jim more than anyone else in the Etherium. Jim loved her, and she loved him back, and there was something almost magical in that.

Jim was comfort. Jim was security. Jim was safety. Jim was home.

As she began to sob, he looked up at her. "What? Are you crying too?"

"How could I not?" she half-laughed, half-cried.

Jim laughed the same way as he rubbed his eyes on his sleeve. He leaned down and hugged her, lifting her off the bed slightly as he wound his arms around her. They leaned against each other and continued to cry, their arms wrapped around each other as tightly as possible, each resting their head against the others shoulder, and both gripping onto the other with all they had, refusing to release them.

They stayed that way, holding each other as if their very lives depended on it, for who knows how long. It didn't matter though; they were content to spend the rest of eternity that way, so long as they had each other. When Jim finally pulled apart just enough to face her again, their eyes both still glittered with tears yet to come. With a small, relieved smile, Jim wiped away her tears with his thumbs, then, keeping his hands on the side of her face, he lowered his lips to her.

This was a kiss. It was a complete contradiction. It was hard, but soft; gentle, but enthusiastic; tender, yet insistent - captivating, beautiful, and passionate. If they hadn't known they were in love before, they certainly knew it now. Were it not for air, there would never have been reason, nor need, to separate.

"I love you," he whispered when he pulled back again.

"I love you," she breathed, and they connected again for another moment lost in time.

A minute later, Jim slowly sat up. Then, keeping his eyes locked on hers the entire time, pulled back the sheets and shifted next to her underneath the covers. They laid facing each other for a moment, then Tabitha moved over, getting as close as she could to him. Jim slid one arm underneath her and one arm above, pulling her even closer and holding her there securely.

"Tabitha?" Jim questioned.

"Hmm?" Tabitha mumbled against his chest.

Even the simplicity of hearing the sound of her voice made him smile. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I love you," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you, too," she whispered back.

Tabitha, finally feeling completely safe, despite anything that might have been happening, slowly faded into the feeling of warmth, not only from the body she was now held against, but from a kind of relaxing happiness that warmed her from the inside out. Jim, calm for the first time in not just the past few days, but weeks, quickly drifted off to the sound of shallow breathing and the smell of happiness.

When Silver returned a few minutes later to check on them, the couple was already sound asleep. Shaking his head with a smile, he backed back out of the room and let them be. There was no reason to disturb them. They were safe, they were in love, and they were home.

I hope you like it as much as I do!

Readers & reviewers: You guys are all made of awesome. Keep the support coming! I love you all, and hearing from you is what keeps me going :)

-Emily

+Responses to Reviews+

NeverTooLate03: *DING! DING! DING!* Correct! As usual, I appreciate your support. I hope you like my story as much as I like yours :D I'm serious, though - you'd better update A.S.A.P.!
anon: Thank you! I knew there was something awkward about that hug, but I couldn't figure out what it was. I went back and fixed it after you said that. I'm glad you liked it!
23jk: Thank you very much!
Kristy: No! Not Morph! Here - I updated! Let the little guy go! *Morph flies to Emily and the crowd cheers* I don't know if a nuclear weapon could actually kill protoplasm, but better to be safe then sorry, right? *Morph: Right!* (Glad you like my story!)