Chapter 11 Sailing away

"Hello My name is Miki and welcome to my cruise lines. If you need anything be sure to ask the staff. As for your things they have been taken to your private quarters on this ship. The rules are simple, nothing is allowed that might permanently damage my ship or ruin the fun of other cruise members," Miki said. She wore a skimpy skirt and a blouse partially undone to reveal herself to the casual observer. Patrick merely continued to lean on his staff tiredly as the other men looked around the ship. Serge looked at Kid and whispered,

"This looks kind of like the S.S. Invincible. But if we have personal quarters then that means Fargo never got the Invincible," Serge whispered. Kid nodded agreeing with the fact.

"I'd like to go to my room," Patrick said tiredly. Miki nodded and motioned for him to follow a crewmember below decks.

Samantha watched Patrick go below decks and bitterly leaned against the railing. Everyone was eventually left to do their own thing. Samantha only wandered the ship looking for Patrick's room. As she worked her way through the ship she eventually heard his tired voice,

"I want it understood that I'm not to be woken up for anything until I wake up on my own alright?"

"Yes sir, I take it you will be resting up during this time?" The crewmember said shakily.

"Yes, just be sure to spread the word to the crew not to disturb these quarters unless its life threatening. Right now I need to sleep and that's all I need to do, I'll be sure to get in on the fun once I'm done recovering," Patrick said. The sound of gentle pats could be heard as the crewmember appeared in sight walking away carefully. Samantha waited until she heard the door shut before she moved into the hallway. She carefully looked around and saw a very bold apparent "Do not disturb" Sign on the door. She leaned against the door and listened.

"I'm such a dolt, I don't know why they even bother with me," Patrick sighed. The sound of creaking could be heard. "Not to forget to mention I alienated Samantha right from the start. Looks like I'm just going to have to work it out on my own." More creaking before a muffled sigh, "At least Viper chose a place with decent beds."

Samantha's heart raced as she heard him slowly fall asleep. Before she realized it she had silently entered to room and looked at the sleeping man before him. 'What the hell do you think your doing Sam?' She asked herself. Patrick shifted on the bed but otherwise showed no sign that she was there. She cautiously approached his bed still not sure what she was going to do. Patrick grunted in his sleep turning so he faced up.

"Sam, just turn around and leave, you've already heard enough he's sorry and he knows it," She whispered to herself. Something kept pressing her to watch. Finally her strange courage fled her and she left just as silently as she came, unsure why she was acting that way.

~*~

"Ah, civilization." Miguel said yawning. Paul on the other hand was holding onto Henry and Steena for dear life.

"Paul, grow up." Steena said harshly.

"I don't like water; I don't know how to swim, I'M TAKING NO CHANCES!" Paul said loudly. Henry seemed to agree with him by not moving an inch after jumping onto Miguel's hat.

"Do you want me to teach you?" Steena asked calmly.

"No." Paul said quickly.

"Why? If you won't let anyone teach you then, by what I know from your world, you have no right to complain."

"Yes, but does cheese melt?" Paul said quickly.

"WHAT?" Steena said not understanding it.

"See, my point." Steena looked at Paul oddly.

"I hate it when you do that." Steena mumbled.

"Hate what?" Paul asked getting annoyed.

"When you talk about something totally random. It's like you have this imaginary grab bag of random thoughts and you just reach in their and pull it out." Paul began to laugh.

"It's who I am." Paul said happily.

"I just want to know if you could ever be serious." Steena said flatly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Paul said getting very defensive.

"It means what I said. You try to act like a stupid git and make it seem like it's okay for you to act that way." Paul stopped walking and looked at Steena.

"That was the most rudest thing I ever heard you say." Steena didn't bother to stop and look at Paul as she replied casually,

"It's not rude if it's true." And she disappeared below the ship. Miguel looked at Paul who was fuming.

"What the hell is wrong with her?" Paul asked Miguel.

"I don't have the foggiest idea." Miguel said hoping Paul would drop it.

"Who the hell does she think she is trying to tell me what I am and, and, YEAH!" Paul said getting lost in his thoughts. Miguel sighed.

"Maybe you need to talk with her. Get to know her true feelings for you." Paul nodded.

"Hopefully that's all we need to do. Just talk." Paul sighed before he moved on into the lower levels.

~*~

Patrick walked into the Gallery after finally getting up. He hadn't bothered to shave and let his beard grow out even more. The result was a man looking very much the opposite of Diss, and that's what he wanted. He grabbed a tray of food and sat at an empty table.

The others were around another table and watched him enter. "Hey Pat, sit over here with us!" Christy called out.

"No thanks, I want to be alone," Patrick grumbled. The others looked at each other and shrugged. They couldn't force him to do anything really.

"I'm going to go eat with him," Samantha said picking up her tray. She went over and plainly sat down in front of him before she resumed eating as if she were meeting a friend for lunch.

"I said I wanted to be alone, alone doesn't mean that I am with other people," Patrick said coldly.

"No chance in hell of that happening," Samantha said not bothering to look up at him.

"Anyone ever told you, you were stubborn?" Patrick spat.

"Anyone ever told you, you are full of it?" Samantha replied.

"Go away," Patrick growled.

"Not until you answer a question for me," She said this out loud making the entire group turn to face her.

"What?"

"Out of all the people you could have brought back, out of everything you undoubtedly were offered why did you choose me?"

"I'm not answering that," The replied was stiff and hurried as if he wasn't expecting it.

"Then I'm not leaving."

"Fine."

"So, how are you feeling?" Samantha asked sweetly smiling over at him.

"Like I've been dragged to hell and back, leave me alone," Patrick growled.

"Why are you in such a bad mood?" Samantha asked.

Patrick finally exploded, "You want to know why I'm in a bad mood? I remember it all before the invasion after it everything between. My life was ripped away from me three years ago, then was ripped away again within the last year twice. I have seen more death in my lifetimes than any normal person should. I'm disgusted with what I have become and I'm lashing out at friends and family alike. That's why I'm angry!"

Samantha slapped him hard, "Don't you dare compare your past to mine. Don't you for one second think that in everything you were alone. I too have had my life ripped away from me and I too remember everything. You do not see me lashing out. Instead you see me just like I've always been. I am just as much screwed up as you are and I'm sick of you acting like you deserve special treatment. You don't and frankly I don't see any reason for you to have brought me back."

"You have no idea the demons I've had to face. You can't have known what's happened to me, and frankly you want to know why? Because you died before everything went to hell. I was left a bitter broken man and you couldn't have been there for me. Don't you dare think you're equal to me," Patrick roared.

"And you don't think I went to hell before you? Do you want to know what it feels like to know that the life you lived is not only within your reach, but never attainable? That you can never partake in that kind of life again? I nearly committed suicide three times before I was told I would be guarding you!" Samantha spat back.

"Guarding me? Up until you died you had done nothing for me!" Patrick countered.

"Who do you think lead you out of San Francisco so that you could fall in love with that woman there? Who do you think subtly lead Shaun and Paul to the Power plant so they could find you? Who do you think told you about Hydros in our hallowed halls before he could attack you directly? Who do you think gave her life to give you the hint there was an Aryan about?" Samantha said ticking each one off her fingers. Patrick finally got up sending the chair sliding across the room in the process.

"I don't know who you think you are but you have no right-"

He was abruptly cut off, "Do you know what its like to feel the pain of someone you loved dearly slowly fall in love with another? Do you know what's its like to be told that while you and your true love were alive; you could never show your face to them again? That the one man that you loved dearly must never know you exist? That the one man that plotted against you in life also plotted against you in death? That your life was considered expendable since you weren't the lucky piss ant that got the revered Symbiote that your father figure had, that because your lover did you could never see them again? Do you know how that feels?"

"I don't have to answer to you or anybody else. I am alone, I am dead, I don't answer to anyone," he spat coldly. With that he got up and left leaving Samantha to sit there watching him. Once he had gone she buried her face in her hands and for the first time in a long while began to cry.