A/N: SPRING BREAK IS HERE! *dances around in circles* I have some deep things happen in this chapter. I think I shall just let them speak for themselves…

            "Skinner! If you go anywhere near my backside again, I'll kill you!"

            Skinner dashed down the hall, laughing jubilantly. He'd finally succeeded in sneaking up on Cabrilyn. He'd managed to find a moment when her back was turned and he seized the opportunity… well, he'd seized more than just the opportunity. The only disadvantage to his victory was Cabrilyn was hot on his tail, and she was absolutely livid. Skinner made a sharp turn into the library, nearly running over Mina in the process. "Whoa! 'Scuse me!" He cried as he knocked various papers from her hands and dashed out the opposite door.

            Mina knelt down to retrieve her things, shaking her head. Dorian chuckled – he was standing in the corner, being bored out of his mind and longing to be able to pick up a book. Cabrilyn came sprinting around the corner and nearly tripped over Mina. "Ah!" She cried, halting in her tracks. She knelt down to help Mina retrieve her things. "I take this to mean Skinner went through here," she remarked, handing Mina her papers.

            "Indeed," Mina said dryly. "He went out the other door."

            "Yeah, well, he won't get far." Cabrilyn stood. "Oh, Mina, don't be rude, introduce me to your friend." She nodded towards Dorian in the corner.

            "You… you can see him?" Mina asked in amazement.

            Dorian was just as stunned. "You can see me?"

            "Of course I can," she gave Dorian a looking over. "Why shouldn't I be able to?"

            "Cabrilyn, this is Dorian," Mina said.

            "Dorian? The spy, Dorian?" Cabrilyn blurted. Mina sighed. Since Dorian's re-appearance, neither of them mentioned the fact Dorian had been a spy or that Mina had been responsible for Dorian's death. There was a silent agreement between the two of them that those things were best left forgotten. Cabrilyn wasn't finished with her amazement, "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

            "Yes," Dorian said shortly. "And, believe me, I'm doing that to the best of my abilities." He put his hands in his pockets – at least that was something he could still do.

            "Oh, you're a ghost. Now I get it." Cabrilyn sounded as though conversing with a ghost was normal.

            Dorian chuckled in an 'I'm-not-really-amused-by-what-you-just-said' kind of way. "I'm not the first ghost you've spoken to, am I?"

            "Oh, goodness no! I've spoken with tons of ghosts. You know, there's another one on this ship in addition to yourself. He's always following Nemo around, goes by the name of Ishmael." She shrugged, not noticing the look on Dorian's face – Ishmael would definitely not be happy to see him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an invisible man to catch."

*   *   *

            Skinner was feeling elated having snuck upon Cabrilyn and given her the slip. It was time for a much-deserved reward. "To the kitchen!" He declared. Someone grabbed his shoulder and spun him around – it was Cabrilyn. "Uh-oh. I've been caught."

            "Indeed you have. I bet you think you're pretty funny, don't you?" Cabrilyn asked sounding not at all amused. "I'm tired of your little games, Skinner…"

            "Cabrilyn…"

            Cabrilyn looked over her shoulder. Tom was standing there, hands in his pockets, "Nemo wants your help with somethin'," he said. Cabrilyn issued a sigh and released Skinner, who was silently thanking Tom for intervening.

            "How do you put up with him?" Cabrilyn asked falling in-step beside Tom. Skinner had since fled the scene.

            Tom shrugged. "I dunno. I guess it's because I know I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for him."

            "Beg pardon?" Cabrilyn asked. She had never heard this story before.

            "He saved me from one of those flame-throwers – got himself set on fire." Tom shook his head. "I owe him a lot. First, he risks his life to save me, and then he risks his life to save my country. Skinner's a good guy, a little frustrating sometimes, but a good guy." They walked on in silence for a while. Cabrilyn let the whole of what Tom had just said sink in. Skinner was a hero. Cabrilyn would've never thought him to be the type to risk his life to save a friend.

            At length, she said, "Where are we going?"

            "Nowhere," Tom said. "Just returning the favor." He winked at her and walked away. Cabrilyn fully doubted that saving Skinner from her wrath constituted as "returning the favor," but she let it go. Besides, she felt that her little conversation with Tom had done her some good. It put Rodney Skinner in a whole new perspective.

*   *   *

            "Haven't you tortured me enough?"

            "Mr. Davis, if you want that leg of yours to get any better, I suggest you stay still," Jekyll said in the most reasonable tone he could muster. Davis had not been a willing patient; he was convinced that every time Jekyll tried to do anything for the knife wound in his leg, it was just an excuse to torture him.

            Skinner strode in, taking a bite out of the apple he'd pilfered from the kitchen. He'd donned his coat, and the white cream so he could munch on his apple and not make anyone who was watching him nauseous. He eyed the prisoner with contempt. Davis had been put in a spare pair of trousers and a shirt, courtesy of Nemo's crew, but refused to put anything on his face. Nonetheless, Skinner was certain Davis was glaring back at him. Skinner quickly put on a smile, "Hello, how are you holding up?"

            "It's none of your business!" Davis spat.

            "I wasn't talking to you," Skinner replied. "Not easy to work with, is he doctor?" He sauntered over to a nearby shelf and picked up one of Jekyll's medical books. He casually took another bite out of his apple as he inspected it.

            Jekyll sighed. "Not easy at all. Would you stop moving?"

            Davis squirmed even more, just to spite the doctor. Skinner raised an eyebrow. "Here," he said, approaching Jekyll's impossible patient. "Allow me." He landed Davis a heavy blow on the back of the head with the book, knocking him senseless.

            "Well," Jekyll commented. "I suppose that's one way to get him to stay still."

            "My God," Skinner sighed. "You don't know how many times I wanted to do that." He replaced the book on its shelf. "He's an annoying little whelp. If we didn't need him, I'd have hit him with more than just that book."

            Jekyll chuckled. "I would've helped."

            A few moments later, Cabrilyn came in, at which point Skinner dove behind a table. "Oh, get up," Cabrilyn sighed. "I'm not mad at you anymore. Anyway, it's time for dinner."

            "I'll be there as soon as I'm finished," Jekyll said. "You two go on."

            Skinner reluctantly followed Cabrilyn into the hall. In spite of her previous statement, he was wary – after all, she was still armed.

            "So, you never told me about saving Tom," Cabrilyn said, trying to strike up some conversation.

            "Hm," Skinner shrugged, "Never thought it was important."

            "You never thought it was important?" She replied incredulously. "You saved his life!"

            Skinner didn't respond to this. It was not something he enjoyed, being hailed as a hero. He just put his hands in his pockets and walked silently on. Cabrilyn wasn't sure what to make of his silence, "Skinner? You did save…"

            "Look," Skinner said, halting in his tracks. "I'm not a hero, all right?" Cabrilyn didn't say anything. She wasn't expecting her attempt at conversation to set him off. "Want to know why I joined the League? I wasn't in it to "do good" like you are. I was in it for me. I joined because if I helped out, I would get an antidote. I would be visible again… I… I didn't even think before I rushed in to save Sawyer… and if I would've had the time to think about it properly, I know I wouldn't have gone in…"

            Cabrilyn stared at him. "I think you would have."

            "Shows what you know." Skinner said shortly.

            "You underestimate yourself, Skinner," Cabrilyn replied. "Somewhere in there, behind the foolishness, you're a hero."

            Skinner's only response was an aggravated sigh as he continued on down the hall and out of sight.

*   *   *

            "Catherine, honey, it's for the best…"

            "But mama…"

            "Catherine, don't argue with me. Your father and I both know what's good for you… honey, you were so close… so close…" her mother stroked her soft blond hair. "You'll be all right… we promise…"

            "Hello Catherine," the voice was seedy and nasal. It grated at her very soul. "Shall we begin…?"

            There was pain… burning… white hot. "Make it stop!" She screamed inwardly. "Owen! Make it stop!" The pain cut through her like a hot knife. It was blinding… deafening… then… there was nothing. No pain, no light, no sound, no feeling… nothing… just darkness…

*   *   *

            Cabrilyn awoke in a cold sweat. It took her a moment to remember where she was and how she got there. She was in her room aboard the Nautilus, and it was just past midnight. She sighed. Her dreams were growing steadily worse. The door creaked open. "Are you all right?" Cabrilyn's visitor was not at all who she would've expected – she thought it would've been one of her guards, maybe even Mina since her room was just down the hall. It was Skinner, of all people.

            "What are you doing here?" she asked, she was more curious than annoyed. Since his little outburst the other day, Cabrilyn was more tolerant towards the gentleman thief.

            "I was on my way to the kitchen," he stated abruptly. "I heard you talking. Bad dream?"

            "Yes," Cabrilyn sighed. "You may as well come in."

            Skinner entered and sought out a plush chair on the opposite side of the room. He made himself quite at home. "So… um… who's Owen?" he asked at length.

            "Owen…? Oh God, was all that out loud?"

            "Only the 'make it stop' part. Didn't sound too pleasant," Skinner remarked. "I know how it is. I find myself yelling 'Sawyer run for it' in my sleep quite a bit."

            Cabrilyn raised an eyebrow. "Really? Hmm… I've been having dreams, well, nightmares actually, about Dr. Owen, and the operation. It's so strange. I haven't dreamt about any of that in years." She paused. "I haven't heard my name in so long…"

            "Your name? Isn't Cabrilyn…?"

            "Yes… No… Well, sort of. My name was Catherine… Catherine Brittany Lynné… but that person is dead now. Her parents and her friends are long gone. The life she knew is no more. Just ripped from her hands at the age of eighteen by a madman. Cabrilyn… that's who I am now… wandering the world… doing good…" she gave a bemused chuckle. "Doing good, huh. It's really more a game of revenge… God, if I ever find Owen, he won't have time to beg for mercy…"

            Skinner didn't speak, even if he'd wanted to, he couldn't think of anything to say in response to what he was being told. Right now, Cabrilyn just needed someone to listen. So he did. He just listened as Cabrilyn poured her heart and soul out well into the early hours of the morning.

            "… I'm sorry," Cabrilyn said after a while. "You didn't have to stick around and listen to all that."

            "Hey," Skinner replied. "It was nothing, really. After all, you listened to my rantings yesterday." He tried to mask a yawn. "Oh, 'scuse me."

            "You can go on back to bed," Cabrilyn told him. "I'm done rambling now."

            Skinner yawned and made his way to the door.

            "Oh, Skinner?"

            He paused. "What?"

            "Thank you."

A/N: Wow. Deep moment… and now it's over. I think that's about as deep as I can get. Anyway – as I said before, spring beak is here! *dances around in more circles and gets extremely dizzy* Alas, I checked my calendar and I have rehearsal every single night! (Except Tuesday. Go figure.) Why every single night? Because the show opens on Friday (the 19th) and it runs for the next three weekends. The good news is: I don't have rehearsal in between shows. The bad news is: I still have to go to school in between shows. (Dash it all!) I will see what time I can muster up to work on this, because, wouldn't you know it, my mother actually wants me to do stuff during my break. (How rude!)