Jim's Folly
HALLELUJAH! IT'S THE END OF JIM'S FOLLY! Congratulations, everyone. I love you all, even if you hated my story. ^_^
ATTENTION: There is a severe Kleenex warning for this chapter. If none is to be found, locate it immediately. This is your last warning.
Oh, and review dedications and whatnot will be at the bottom of the chapter.
Chapter Fifty
Andrew was legally adopted as Jim's son later that year and the young boy went into correspondence through Dr. Doppler. Micha grew to like her big brother and Silver eventually grew jealous of their bond. Basically, Micha grew attached to any man who was big enough to protect her. As time passed, she looked more and more like her mother and less like Jim. She hadn't even Jim's eyes, but his stern attitude. The years passed and she matured into adolescence.
As time passed and she fell into the age of thirteen, Silver found himself leaving Montressor for more adventures, promising that one day he'd be back for her and they'd go on an adventure together.
In those days of Micha's growth, Raven had been getting increasingly sick.
Continuously coughing up blood, she was in and out of the hospital frequently, bringing severe worry to Sarah and many others who loved her. Jim was so sick with worry that he accepted a mission, donning his uniform once more, hopefully to distract him from thinking his wife might die.
On the morning when he was to leave, he went to visit Raven as she lay in bed, resting. He kissed her tenderly, smiling gently. "I love you, Raven Hawkins," he told her firmly, stroking her hair. She was so frail…she'd lost a lot of weight, but she still held that beauty about her. She'd never lose it, no matter how sick she became.
He held her gently that morning for a long time, as if he knew something was going to happen. His kiss was longer than she expected, longer than usual, his I-love-you's frequent.
She blinked. "Jim…what's wrong?"
He looked her in the eyes. "Can't I tell you I love you?"
She nodded and took his hands, sitting up. "Yes, but…something's wrong. I can tell it in your eyes."
He smiled, shaking his head. "Nothing's wrong, babe. Take care of Micha while I'm gone."
He kissed her again, lightly this time. "Love you," he whispered, standing up. Raven smiled. "Love you too, Jim. Be safe."
He saluted her, smiling. And then he left.
It was then that she felt it. She felt what he'd been feeling. The heaviness. Something was wrong.
---
Micha was reading when Andrew burst into her room. "Mich, it's Mom! She's really sick!"
They found Raven in the bathroom, violently ill. Micha comforted her mother while Andrew called for the paramedics, who came immediately.
Raven was rushed to the hospital, attached to numerous tubes and wires, tears flowing as she held the hands of her children on either side of her. Andrew had grown into quite a young man, while Micha's beauty was imminent. Micha had chosen to not follow in her mother's long-haired footsteps and kept her hair at her shoulders. That hair fell over her face as she leaned over her mother that morning, whispering comforting words to her as they rode to the hospital.
On the winds of the Etherium, Jim could feel it. The very pit of his soul was at severe unrest. Something was happening. He knew it was going to happen, yet he'd left anyway…why?
He ignored the questions of his crew as he stood at the helm, overlooking the skies. They were particularly violent-looking this day, the skies red with anger.
Jim frowned. It was common sailing knowledge never to sail into a red sky.
He told his crew to be on their guard just in case.
He didn't know how true his warning was.
---
That very same afternoon, Raven was hooked up to oxygen as her blood pressure plummeted. She was dying. Andrew and Micha never left her side.
---
Jim saw it coming. In fact, his crew was prepared. The large meteor that headed their way knew it too. That's probably the reason it sped, intent on their destruction.
Jim had everyone secure their lifelines, his eyes dark with sadness.
They were going to die.
---
"Kids, your mother is very ill, as I'm sure you know," the doctor explained. Duh. Of course they knew this. Andrew crossed his arms and Micha bit on her thumbnail. Her mother couldn't die. She still needed her. She needed the womanly influence in her life…she needed…so much. She wasn't finished with Raven yet! Tears burned at her eyes.
"I'm afraid to inform you that she probably won't make it through the night." He paused. "I'm sorry."
Andrew held his emotions inside. He held the growing want to strangle the doctor. He held it at the back of his mind, subdued where it could not break free and dominate his free will.
Micha began to cry. Her sobs ate at Andrew's soul, hurting him with every breath.
He reached out and held his sister against him, ignoring the doctor.
"We need to go see her, Andy," Micha whimpered. They needed to say goodbye.
---
Jim held strong to the wheel as the ship rocked with the approaching storm the meteor brought with it. Jim gritted his teeth. "Men, it has been an honor!" he cried as the heat over powered them. The men fell to their knees, many crying out. Jim's First Officer, a young canine man, shook Jim's hand. "A true honor, Captain Hawkins."
Jim looked into the boy's eyes. This kid was terrified.
"I'm sorry I led you into this," Jim told him. The boy shook his head. "I've learned a lot, Sir. Thank you for this adventure."
Jim let go of the boy's arm and faced the meteor, letting go of the wheel.
Tears flowed as he pictured his family. Andrew, his little girl, even Silver, his mentor. He shut his eyes as he pictured his wife. His beautiful wife, dying in the hospital. The wind whipped his hair around his face, his eyes ablaze with fire.
"Goodbye," he whispered as the meteor made contact with the ship. It wasn't long before the ship blew to smithereens. Captain James Pleiades Hawkins was dead.
---
Raven held the hands of her children as she felt part of her soul disappear. She cried. "Kids…Jim…he's…gone!" she exclaimed. Andrew's eyes were angry, yet torn with grief. How did she know? It was obvious: he could feel it too. Jim was gone. He could no longer feel that life that Jim had left behind with all of them, even if it had only been a little bit. Micha fell into a sobbing mess on the floor next to her mother's bed.
"Oh, this is so…terrible! All of you…you're leaving me…" she wailed, raising her body to rest her head on her mother's stomach. Raven's tears fell no more as her breathing came slower. "I'm not leaving you, baby. I'm just…going somewhere else until we see each other again."
Andrew shook his head. "Mom, you can't…"
She looked at her boy, a grown man by now. "Honey…I want you to go and find a family. Love them as you have loved everyone else…and…take care of Micha for me, please…" Andrew's eyes burned with tears. Violent sobs began to rack his body as Raven's heart monitor slowed down. Several nurses entered and tried to get in to tend to Raven. Micha shook her head. "She's going…sorry. Can we have…a minute?" she asked softly, her tears driving the nurses away. Raven looked at her beautiful daughter. "My love, there are many men out there who will see you as an object. Baby, don't let down your guard. Keep Andrew on your tail at all times…he'll watch out for you."
Sobs were taking over Micha again. Her father was dead and her mother was on the brink.
Andrew stood next to his mother and then he leaned over, kissing her forehead softly.
"Thank you for being my mother," he whispered. "You did a fabulous job…you gave me hope when I had none. I just want you to know how proud of you I am." Tears came to him no longer. Raven looked at her son tenderly. "Baby, you made me who I am today. Without you…I'd be lost."
Micha wept.
"Micha," Raven whispered, touching her daughter's face. "I love you, my precious angel. Stay beautiful. Don't let anyone tell you that you're not special. You're a beautiful girl and you mean more to me than anything else…take care of Andrew when he doesn't have time to be strong."
Andrew's breathing was jagged. "I love you, Mom…" he whispered, burying his face into her hair. She kissed his cheek. "I love you too, sweetheart."
Micha kissed her mother's cheek. "I love you, Mom. Thanks for everything," she whispered, holding gently to her mother's hand as her grip loosened.
"I love you kids," Raven whispered. Her heart monitor slowed even more and Raven breathed her last. Closing her eyes, she breathed out and was still.
The monitor went off and the nurses entered. Andrew and Micha came together, torn and broken. Neither had living parents. Neither had anything else but each other.
Leaving Raven's body for the hospital to deal with, Andrew left for awhile whereas Sarah took Micha to her mother's funeral. The service was beautiful.
Life for Micha grew difficult. Silver hadn't come back like he'd promised. Things weren't looking up. Jim's voyage's explosion had made the news and Micha had kept every clipping, every photo of her father she could find. No more tears fell. Not for her, nor for Sarah. Sarah had cried herself dry.
Micha's heart hardened day after day until the day she turned eighteen. She hugged Sarah goodbye and left the Inn, never to return.
Perhaps on her own, she could find Silver. She'd change her identity and become someone else. Perhaps she'd become a pirate, like she'd dreamed. She wanted to be like Silver…perhaps piracy would lead her to him. They'd be together again, perhaps.
Perhaps he was dead. Perhaps he'd gotten into an accident as well that had shattered his boat and left him for death's grip.
No. Micha could feel it in her bones that Silver was still alive. She was determined to find him, but she didn't know where to start.
Heading into the setting sun over the darkness that approached Montressor, Micha boarded a boat to Crescentia Spaceport. She waved goodbye to her home planet and turned away. It was time to start anew.
~Fin~
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Author's Final Note: Well my dears, I'm hoping you enjoyed this chapter because I had…well…no fun writing it. In fact, I cried a lot. I hate writing about death and this was so…well, sad. No one likes to think about dying, so I hope no one cried too much.
I hope you've enjoyed this adventure because it sure has been an adventure writing it. I'm eternally thankful for your support and encouragement. Stay vibrant and God bless you all.
By the way, I ended the story that way for a purpose. Night Music, I know you're thinking along my lines. There'll probably be a sequel. Yeah, I know…sad to think of a sequel ALREADY but hey…I have ideas. I mean, it'll have no Jim or Sarah…but hey, Silver's out there somewhere, and pirates may show up. Hey, it'll be fun. Keep a sharp eye out, my lovely fanfictioneers.
Time for the dedications:
Night Music: My dear, you're one of the newest reviewers, yet you have continuously touched my heart with your love of Silver and your tolerance for Jim and my messed up others such as Avery, Ruby and the like. Thank you for your encouragement and please, stay in touch. Keep an eye out for other stories because your obsession over Silver has given me a bit of a soft spot for the ol' cyborg.
Faith: Sweetheart, your anonymous reviews are always happy and jubilant. Your happy proclamations always make me smile. Thanks so much.
Abgie: Not sure what to say to you, really…keep up your writing and don't let anything stop you. As Silver would say, "Stick to it, no matter the squalls." Thanks for reading.
Mia: Well, thanks for sticking with me. I don't know why you've stopped writing Kitty Year Round, but…hey, if you do, I'll be here waiting to read the chapters. Thanks for being a great friend and I look forward to many more email wars with you.
Jaguar-kally: Well, my dear, welcome to the world of TP fan fiction. I haven't read your story yet, but I know it's been sitting at number one on the reel of TP stories for awhile now. Congratulations. Keep up the writing and take care; I'm glad you're enjoying Jim's Folly…I wonder what you'll say when you finally catch up to this point!
Sirius: Thank you for reading, Sirius. It means a lot to me for someone to read so much in such a…well, I don't know how long you took to read it. Thanks for reading it, though.
Squabbit/Monkeypants: Well, it's Misha herself. Congrats on your surprise! *giggles* I know, it's not much of a surprise, but…hey, your name (and chosen name) won the place of Jim's child, so…surprise! *throws confetti* Thanks for sticking with me this long. Your reviews have always made me smile.
Abook: No idea where you went off to, but in the time when you were there reading, I was smiling at your lovely reviews. Thank you, my friend.
Angel: Last but certainly not least…you should be at the top. To my dear Etherium's Angel, I owe you the world. Your support, encouragement and violent threats have kept me going: you have no idea how much our friendship means to me. Your prayerful encouragement and kind words kept me on my toes at all times. Thank you for indeed sticking with me to the VERY end, hanging on every word and enjoying it so much that you threaten to kill me with every twist you don't like. I could go on for pages about how awesome you are, but I think I will cut it short because my fingers are cold. It's winter in Canada, you know. Either way, my dear Angel, stay sweet, keep writing, and I look forward to many more chapters of Porthole to the Past. Again, from the bottom most deepest part of my heart, thank you.
Many blessings and a happy new year to all of you,
Raine Ishida