The portal changed in the nick of time and we safely flew out with the ship following us. The portal exploded as we went through and debris flew through the stars. The crescent moon spaceport was in front of us and I let out a cheer.
"Woo hoo! Yeah! Wow!" Jim screamed.
"You did it!" I said smiling at him in pride.
"We did it." He said and I smiled wider. We turned the direction of the surfer to the ship and high fived Silver's hand. Morph exploded into confetti and noisemakers at our victory.
"Oh yeah done it Jimmy and Em! Yeh done it kiddos! Didn't I say the lad and lass had a lot of greatness in 'em?" Silver shouted beaming in pride. I can vaguely hear the crew cheering and saw Delbert and Amelia braced each other in a hug. They looked at each other awkwardly and smiled.
When we got to the rails we jumped off the board and it spins into space. Morph flew over and attacked us in licks. I laughed at the little shape shifting blob as I wiped my glasses clean.
"Unorthodox, but ludicrously effective. I'd be proud to recommend you both to the Interstellar Academy. They could use a man and woman like you." Amelia said. "Of course, Emma's age may be a problem but I'll get you in." She added.
I stared at her in shock. I may have a chance to be in the Interstellar Academy? Jim laughed and gave me a noogie. "JIM!" I yelled and wiggled around and he let me go.
"Just wait until your mother hears about this!" Delbert exclaimed. "We may have to down play life threatening parts." He added pushing his glasses into place. He nodded in agreement and chuckled.
"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 a hug for yah!" He laughed and wrapped his thin metal limbs around him. Jim did the unexpected and hugged him back! "B.E.N!" He laughed swinging him around before putting him back on the ground.
"Hey you hugged me back." B.E.N stated surprised. "Oh I promised myself I wouldn't cry!" He sniffled and broke down into sobs against my brother's chest. Jim smiled and patted his back while I giggled at the scene. "Does anyone have a tissue?" The robot asked.
"Way to go brother you made him cry!" I teased while laughing. Jim glared at my playfully and everyone else stared at me.
"Brother?" Amelia questioned.
"Wait, wait, wait a second." Delbert said. "Are you— EMMA! Where were you?! You had no idea how worried your mother has been! Does she know you're home?" He said holding my shoulders. He had the face of someone who's just seen a ghost.
"It's a long story believe me, and no she doesn't yet." I said. Amelia was confused and Delbert explains how I've been missing for years. I noticed Jim looking somewhere and I followed his gaze. Silver wasn't there and neither was Morph.
We found them in the Launch Bay quickly uniting the last long boat. "Morphy we gotta make tracks." He whispered to Morph who was buzzing around his head.
"You never quit do you?" Jim asked as he leaned againsta wall. I was besides him shaking my head in mock surprise.
"Ah, Jimbo, Em! Ha ha!" He laughed nervously. "I was just merely making sure our last long boat was safe and secure." He retied the boat in a poor knot. Jim pretends to consider it for a moment.
"Well," he said and tapped my back. I reached down and tied it in a more secure knot. "That should hold it." I said standing up.
"I taught yeh both too well." Silver chuckled. We gave him a look to tell him to explain himself.
"Now if yeh two don't mind, we would just as soon avoid prison. Lil' Morphy here, he's, he's a free spirit." He said and the blob buzzed around his head squeaking. He then trapped him with his metal hand like a cage. "Bein' in a cage, it'd break his heart." He mumbled stroking the blob as he purred sadly.
Silver used Morph as a metaphor for himself and I understand. My whole life was in a prison and we just stared as he smiled sheepishly. I looked at Jim and he smiled and pulled the lever. I untied the boat as Silver sighed happily. The door had slowly opened revealing a sun streaked sky. It was like back at the supernova but the colors are calmer and nothing is flying through the air.
"What say yeh two ship out wit' us?" Silver asked.
"Ship out with us!" Morph repeated transforming into a a black hat like Amelia's but a little bigger. He plopped on my head and I giggled adjusting upwards so I can see and not have my glasses dig into my face.
"The three of us; Hawkins, Silver, an' Em! Full of ourselves and no ties to anyone!" Silver said excitedly. I could tell he wants us to accept his offer but I have my own plans for the future. Jim answered first.
"You know." He started pulling Morph off my head and tickled him until he transformed back into himself. "When I got on this boat, I would've taken up on that offer in a second but..." he stares at the bright orange sky. "Uh, I met this old cyborg and he told me that I could chart my own course. That's what I'm gonna do." He concluded softly. Silver smiled in understanding and turned to me.
I want to cry but I blinked back my tears. "I have something I'd never thought I would have. Hope. I always thought it was fiction but now, it's real and I'm gonna make the fault in the stars my own and I'd never thought my future could be so bright thanks to you." I said tears threatening to spill.
"Ah lass, I'm sure yeh would've figured somet'in out." He said humbly. "And I'll tell yeh right now, if I'd seen yeh in an orphanage or on teh street and knew what a wonderful lass yeh are, I'd adopted yeh in a second."
By the look of his face I knew he meant it. "So you want to adopt my sister?" Jim asked. Silver did a double take and laughed seeing the resemblance. "I would." He said.
"I'm gonna miss you Silver." I said my voice wavering a little. Tears prickled my eyes waiting to spill.
"Look at yeh both! Glowin' like a solar fire! You are something special Jim and Emma." He said with a crackling voice. "Yer gonna rattle the stars yeh are." I couldn't held it back anymore and cried. I put my hand over my mouth as a sob threatened to come out. I glanced at Jim and he was holding back tears.
We embraced Silver and this time he didn't hesitate and wrapped his arms around us in a tight hug. We stayed like that for a while. Silver cleared his throat and pulled back. "Uh, got a bit o' grease in this cyborg eye o' mine." He said turning away to wipe away tears in his eyes. I tried to wipe mine away but they kept coming. This is the toughest goodbye I've ever had. Jim wiped the corners of his eyes though they were still gathering.
Morph realized what this was and burst out crying. He turned into a puddle of tears and Jim caught him. "Aww, hey Morph." He said to the puddle and his head popped up. "We'll see ya around okay?"
"See ya around." Morph mimics and turned back to himself. He gave each of us a lick and floated sadly to Silver. He considers something for a moment and looked at the blob.
"Morphy, I got a job for yeh." He said. Morph squeaked and gestured to himself. "I need yeh ta keep an eye on these here pups." He mumbled repeating the orders of the first day on board. Jim and I looked at him confused. "Will yeh do me dat favor?" He asked his voice wavering trying not to break down.
Morph gave him a salute and rubbed against the pirate's cheek one last time. "Aww." Silver said chuckling and the blob buzzed over to us. Jim laughs and tickles him.
My hands went to the back of my neck and I unclipped my locket. I walked over to him holding it out. "I want you to have this. Whenever you look at it think of us. The boy who was abandoned by his dad and the girl who was orphaned." I said feeling tears prickle my eyes.
"I will lass. I most certainly will." He said and looked at it for a moment. "Teh color goes with a lass wit' a golden heart."
My mind went back to when he said that the first day in the galley. Oh had the times changed. I stepped back and stood next to Jim. He put a hand on my shoulder and I smiled.
"Family and friends are among one of the greatest treasures." I said looking around. "Treasure Planet May have been destroyed but those who are like family and your best friends will never leave."
"Wise words lass." Silver said. Jim smacked me on the back of my head.
"What was that for?!" I questioned glaring at him.
He shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said. Silver laughed seeing us argue. We stepped back and watched as Silver climbed in the long boat as the cables began to pull it above the hatch.
"Oh!" He said remembering something. "One more t'ing." My eyes widen as he reached a hand in his coat pocket and grabbed a hand full of treasure and threw it at us. "Dat's fer yer dear mother ta rebuild dat inn of hers!" He laughed and winked when he saw our surprised faces.
"Bye Silver! Thanks for everything!" I said waving.
"Em! Do me a favor and make sure dat brother of yers don't get inta any trouble!" He said.
We laughed. "I have no choice I live with him!" I said nudging him playfully.
"Stay out of trouble, you old scalawag." Jim said.
"Jimbo lad, when 'ave I ever done otherwise?" He teased right as the cables released the long boat. We watched him take off in the stars his laughter echoing in the distance. We stared at the spot he was for a while and I looked up at Jim smiling.
"I miss him already." I admit.
"Me too but, he'll be alright. I have a feeling we'll see him again someday. I have to ask why did Scroop take you?" He said.
"To prevent some prophecy. It said something about five villains, one of them is Scroop, taking over two dimensions. One of them is where I grew up. In order to stop them five heroes rise up and defeat them. Something tells me we'll see Scroop and his allies."
He nodded and a thought occurred in my head. "How is Mrs. Hawkins, I mean Mom, gonna react to me being back?"
"She'll be thrilled to know you're back and you're gonna live with us until your old enough to move out, get married, and have a family of your own."
"Can I borrow one of your bags?"
"Why?"
"Mine is stocked full of treasure." I said and opened it to show my hoard.
"Wow." He said looking in.
"I have plenty to share even though Silver didn't have to give us those. Come on let's go see Mom."
He nodded. "Ready for a reunion?"
