I'm gonna cut to the chase this week, there's a lot of stuff here.
Tallemera: This scene is your favorite? Ooh, I have a lot of weight riding on this one, especially since people seem to have liked this scene a lot. But this is so far my pride and joy- it took me SO long to write. Then I was up for like three hours revising. Phew! But I let out a sigh of relief when I finished, and had really looked forwards to writing it, since it puts me back into my element- the songfic. Enjoy, it's worth it!
Dalmationgirl: I'm glad you like it! Please stick with the story, and continue to review!
SB1007: I'm glad you like Skye. She's the one character I'm really worried about. I know I'll always have people who like the real characters, but it's really hard to get readers to like an original character. So I hope this pulls everyone with doubts a little bit closer to the character relationship...thing.
Kim: Where do I get my ideas? Hmm, no one has ever asked me that before. A lot of stuff is just arbitrary ideas floating around. Some stuff is bits I've pulled from either other movies/TV shows/books I've seen or read, or maybe things from real life that struck me as funny or poignant. And of course a lot of relationship stuff I make up from fantasy, since I'm not really a touchy-feely-relationship person. But the really FUNNY stuff, you know, the GOOD stuff, I invent b/c I'm just a funny person (but this isn't my funniest fic...that's something entirely different). Lol, there's a little insight into my brain.
Jackie99: Thanks! Your opinion is really good to hear, since I've been cruising around, and apparently the general consensus is that Jim's Folly is the best TP fic. I'm hoping to raise my status into that level. So spread the word to your fanfiction.net friends, ye who think my fic ranks high! Haha.
Dreaming: SCORE ONE FOR CHOCOLATE!!! Haha, thanks again for your gleaming review. Its good to hear an appreciation of my vocab, writing style, and the effort I put in to analyzing the characters, making them real, etc. That's the technical writing aspect that many fanfic writers overlook, and it can really ruin a good plot, you know? And my intention was in fact to make Skye blend in, almost disappear at some points (for certain reasons...you'll see why later), and if you can pull that off seamlessly then you know you've got a good solid character (who ISN'T a common Mary-Sue). And don't worry- I'm not giving up. Not yet anyway. Lol, just kidding.
Song lyrics are *in asterisks.*
"I'm Still Here" belongs to John Rzeznik and Disney.
I had to make this a cross between the montage and a proper songfic, so I added some action type stuff and tried to insert thoughts here and there. You can picture it like the montage if you like, or just read it for the internal dialogue. Whatever works.
Okay, so I just want to give a quick heads up. I really tried to balance this chapter between Jim and Skye's individual relationship issues. I was worried that towards the end it becomes too Skye-heavy. Please mention something like that in your reviews, b/c the last thing I need is people to start hating Skye b/c she's getting too much of the Mary-Sue treatment.
And the first part of the next chapter is something different. I took perhaps the biggest liberties I do during the entire fic. I added an entire scene, and *gulp* it's centered on Skye. But! it's got Mr. Arrow in it, and not to give anything more away, but it does more good than harm (hopefully). But I won the argument with myself, and I'm going to balance it out by keeping in the scene w/ Jim and Silver after the song, but I'm gonna expand on it a bit. I just wanted to give you all the heads up, and tell me right away if you think that the end of this chapter is a foreshadowing of rocky roads ahead.
I know I can depend on you guys to help! *Sniff* Okay, enjoy! :-)
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Jim and Skye both lost track of the time as they worked in silence. They didn't usually go so long without talking, but with Morph hovering about, Skye couldn't have much of a serious conversation with Jim, so she let him alone. It was while Skye was working on the upper part of the deck that Jim began talking to Morph.
"Well, this has been a fun day, huh?" Jim addressed the pink blob that burped up bubbles from mopping alongside him, "Meeting new friends...like that spider psycho."
Morph formed a miniature version of Mr. Scroop and babbled, "Spider psycho! Spider psycho!" in his high-pitched voice.
"A little uglier," Jim suggested, and Morph changed appropriately, making his eyes big and giving a silly grin, complete with evil laugh.
"Pretty close," Jim conceded.
"Well thank heavens for little miracles," Silver's deep voice said as he came up the stairs, carrying a bowl of refuse- potato peels, apple cores, and the like. "Up here for an hour and the deck's still in one piece," Silver joked, tossing the slops over the edge of the ship, which Morph followed after, perhaps to snatch a stray snack.
Jim hesitated a moment, then said to Silver, "Um, I...what you did back there..." he couldn't think of the right words, so he just said, "Thanks."
Silver turned curiously and asked, "Didn't your pap ever teach ya' to pick your fights more carefully?" Jim's eyes darkened and he turned away.
"Your father's not the teachin' sort?" Silver asked.
"No," Jim replied, and busied himself with mopping so he wouldn't have to face Silver, "He was more the taking off and never coming back sort."
Silver only murmured, "Oh," joined Jim at the railing of the ship, and finished, "Sorry, lad."
"Hey, no big deal, I'm doing just fine," Jim retorted, but leaned on the edge with a look that said otherwise.
"Is that so?" Silver mused, stroking his chin with his mechanical hand. Suddenly, he had an idea. This boy, something about him appealed to Silver, and his earlier promise to his crewmates had just been made a lot easier with this information.
"Well," Silver began, "since the Captain has put you in my charge, like it or not, I'll be poundin' a few skills into that thick head of yours to keep you out of trouble."
"What?" Jim asked, incredulous.
"From now on, I'm not letting you out of me sights!" Ignoring Jim's protests, he continued. "You won't so much as eat, sleep, or scratch your bum without my say-so!"
Jim was livid. "Don't do me any favors!"
"Oh, you can be sure of that, my lad," Silver replied with a chuckle, and patting Jim on the shoulder. "You can be sure of that."
********************************************************
"Put some elbow into it!"
Silver yelled at Jim, as he pried one space-barnacle off the hull of the Legacy. Looking up, Jim saw Skye hanging upside down a few feet above him. Using Morph as a short-length bungee cord, she was gently bobbing upside down along the hull, using her momentum to scrape several barnacles off in one go. Jim sighed, and moved on to the next patch. This was going to take a while.
*I am a question to the world, not an answer to be heard,
Or a moment that's held in your arms*
Jim sat in the corner of the kitchen peeling potatoes. He paid no attention to Silver at the table or Skye sitting next to him. He was staring up out the ventilation grate. A golden light shone through from a nebula they were passing, and he was stuck in here. Doing kitchen work.
Many years before, a younger Jim stood with his mother at the window of the Inn. He watched the ships docking outside, wanting so much to be on one. But his father was late again. He wouldn't be riding his first one today. His mother hugged him close, sensing her son's disappointment. Another day, she told him. Another day.
*And what do you think you'd ever say?
I won't listen anyway*
At the stern of the Legacy, Silver attempted to teach Jim how to tie a knot. Skye glanced at Jim, who wasn't listening to a word of it. Silver was better off talking to air. He began to demonstrate the proper tying of the knot he had just finished explaining.
*You don't know me,
And I'll never be what you want me to be.*
Silver looked up from the knot he finished, and was startled. Jim was no longer there. His rope lay tied around a knob, and Silver saw over the edge of the rail that he had climbed down to the deck below. Skye's eyes followed Jim along the deck, and then looked to Silver. Without waiting for any reply, she rose, swiftly copied the knot, hooked hers over another knob, slid down and hurried to catch up with Jim.
Silver examined Jim's knot. It was identical to his own. Impressive. Silver smiled after the teenager who was walking away. Maybe he had underestimated Jim.
Or maybe not.
*And what do you think you'd understand?
I'm a boy, no, I'm a man,
You can't take me and throw me away.*
Jim was kneeling on the deck, scrubbing away. He paused for a moment to look up at Skye, who had tied scrub brushes to her feet, and was "skating" on the soapy water, whistling to herself as she cleaned the deck. However, Jim's momentary break was caught by the watchful cyborg eye of Silver, who stood over Jim in reprimand and challenge.
Jim rose. He wasn't intimidated, and although no words were spoken, Silver won their eye lock combat. He produced a new bucket of water from behind his back, which he thrust at Jim, and pointed to the still dirty deck.
Jim tossed the water down, kneeled, and resumed scrubbing. Skye may have been oblivious to his temperament, Jim thought, but he was miserable.
*And how can you learn what's never shown?
Yeah, you stand here on your own,
They don't know me, 'cause I'm not here.*
7-year-old Jim sat with Skye on the carpet in the front parlor of the Benbow Inn, where Jim had just finished making his first model of a toy ship. They grinned at each other, both missing a front tooth. The front door opened, and Jim's father walked in.
Skye nudged Jim, who stood and proudly showed his new creation to his father. He patted Jim on the head and went upstairs without a second glance.
The smile faded as Jim looked down at the boat, wondering what was wrong. He sank to the floor, dejected. Skye looked from the staircase to Jim. She wanted him to cheer up, she hated when he was so sad like this.
She leaned over and said softly, "I like it, Jim."
He looked up and gave her a slow smile. He appreciated her effort, but they both knew that it was his father's approval that mattered more. Jim retuned to the boat, determined to make it better.
*And I want a moment to be real,
Want to touch things I don't feel,
Want to hold on, and feel I belong.*
Jim stood on the very tip of the bow, the strange winds of the Etherium blowing his hair across his face. It felt wonderful to be out here, with stars moving past him on either side. Occasionally a gust of wind would blow up from beneath the bow, lifting his jacket and hair upwards. It felt like falling, but...in a good way. It felt like being free.
That evening, Jim and Skye sat on the stairs of the kitchen, sipping mugs of hot soup. Silver was entertaining some sailors with an animated story of pirates that traveled the galaxy, encountering pin-wheeled plants of doom and dragon-like serpents with long spike-covered tongues. Jim smiled at the ability Silver had to weave a tale with such color and vibrancy, and the shadow puppets created by his mechanical arm only added to the effect. Jim wasn't used to stories being told aloud, only the ones from books. He had to admit that he liked Silver's kind better though- it was really quite cool.
*And how can the world want me to change?
They're the ones that stay the same
They don't know me, 'cause I'm not here.*
The kitchen was full of dirty dishes, and Jim couldn't put them off any longer. But as Skye was drying the last dish, Silver dropped a whole fresh stack of filthy pots and pans in front of Jim. As he left laughing, Jim scowled and grabbed a grungy bowl to scrub. Silver probably thought he would shirk this off and could then scold him. Well, he'd show him.
*And you see the things they never see,
All you wanted I could be,
Now you know me, and I'm not afraid.*
When Silver returned later, he found Jim sound asleep over a cooking pot, and Skye sleeping sitting up in a corner, her arms wrapped around her knees for warmth. He looked around the kitchen- every dish shone spotlessly in the moonlight. Jim shivered, and Silver, with a kind of paternal care, wrapped his coat around Jim's shoulders. He grinned with respect for the boy's determination and developing responsibility.
Skye opened her eyes just in time to see Silver's legs making their way up the stairs out of the kitchen. She glanced towards Jim, who had just closed his eyes with a smile, clearly aware of what had happened. Skye turned her head away, falling uneasily back to sleep.
*And I want to tell you who I am.
Can you help me be a man?
They can't break me, as long as I know who I am.*
Up in the crow's nest, Jim stared up at the stars. Silver was pointing out the Nortius Star, Sombrero Galaxy, and various other sky markers for finding your way when you're lost. Jim was mostly paying attention, he really was, but he turned away for a minute to refocus his eyes.
Skye was mopping the deck far below him. It was strange, actually, how often the deck needed to be mopped. Jim should have been doing it right now, but Skye had volunteered so Silver could teach Jim. It was a stroke of good luck for him really, considering it was such a good night for watching stars. It might not have been so lucky for Skye, but he would have done the same for her.
Jim continued watching Skye. He didn't know why he couldn't look away from the deck when he was missing so much of what Silver was saying. He had never noticed it before, but something about her was overpowering, absorbing his thoughts for those few seconds...he couldn't explain it. It was a weird feeling.
But whatever it was, it wasn't new. Just...newly realized.
Skye felt Jim looking at her from above and looked up, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She met Jim's gaze, and smiled. She raised a hand to wave lightly, but just as Jim was about to return it, Silver caught him by the shoulder and turned him around, pointing to a new constellation above. Jim snapped back to the stars and immediately the unease he had experienced was gone. He caught up quickly to what Silver was discussing, feeling much better. Focused.
Skye's brow furrowed. She looked down at her reflection in the bucket of water beside her, but her sight rested on the reflection of the attentive teen and the laughing cook in the crow's nest above. She kicked the bucket over, but the image of Jim and Silver wouldn't go away. Instead, it was now magnified, spread over the deck. She grimaced, and left the deck, her boots splashing through the water, churning up the reflection into ripples and soap suds.
*And I want a moment to be real,
Want to touch things I don't feel,
Want to hold on, and feel I belong.*
A small boat was hanging above their heads in the docking bay at the bottom of the ship. Jim helped Silver to pull the boat to the side where it would be accessible when lowered. Together, they pulled it down as Skye drew the lever that opened the doors below. Jim smiled at Silver. He was letting him help. He felt useful. Respected. Cared for, even.
*And how can the world want me to change?
They're the ones that stay the same
They can't see me, but I'm still here.*
Leaping across the gap, Jim released one of the ropes that held down the boat, as Skye unlashed the other. It began to slide down to where Silver waited below, but Skye noticed it wouldn't clear the ramp. She quickly grabbed several pulley ropes and pulled them to maneuver the craft to a safe distance. No one noticed.
Jim raced to watch as Silver descended in the boat below. The solar sails filled with light and energy, and the craft glided away. Jim's face fell in disappointment. He had wanted to go too.
*They can't tell me who to be,
'Cause I'm not what they see*
Jim woke up in his bed with a start. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He looked out his window and saw a lone figure making its way to a ship docked at the mooring.
His father.
Jim raced down the stairs. True enough, his mother sat at the kitchen table, sobbing. 9-year-old Skye was sitting at the table too, holding his mother's hand, but the older woman took no notice of the girl. Her shaking shoulders revealed there was little to comfort her. Skye glanced up and saw Jim, and rose from the table.
*Yeah the world is still sleeping while I keep on dreaming for me,
And their words are just whispers and lies that I'll never believe.*
Jim ran to the door, ignoring Skye's calls. His eyes grew damp as he scrambled down the path after his father. In his haste, he tripped, but ignored the pain as he leapt up and continued. Jim wasn't aware of the girl running after him, his mind was unfocused. It wouldn't be too late, he thought, he would talk to him, make him stay, for Mother, for him. This couldn't be happening.
Jim dashed down the dock, as his father stepped aboard the ship. He reached the end of the pier as the boat lifted off. Jim didn't stop- he would have jumped right off the edge in futile attempt to stop the boat, if the girl's hand behind him didn't reach out and pull him back. Skye had caught him by the shirt before he fell out into open space. Jim let out a sob. It was too late. He was gone.
The tears that had been held back in hope of return came freely now. Jim turned away from the ship shrinking into space and buried his face in his best friend's shoulder, weeping uncontrollably. Skye's arms wrapped around him; she was his rock right now. He didn't care that he was outside in his pajamas, being held up from collapse by a girl. This was no time for pride. One word resounded in Jim's head: gone, gone, gone.
*And I want a moment to be real,
Want to touch things I don't feel,
Want to hold on, and feel I belong.*
The ship rose up and Silver beckoned for Jim to join him. He could go after all.
Jim's face split into a grin, and he jumped into the ship. Skye saw him disappear, and started over towards the open bay doors.
Jim watched as Silver once again attempted to explain what he already knew. But this time, instead of watching with contempt or boredom, he examined Silver's smiling face with admiration and respect. This man was willing to give him a chance, to teach him, to help him grow. He could make Silver proud.
Jim adjusted the lever, pressed several buttons, and pushed the steering stick forward, sending the ship rocketing into space. Above, Skye stopped short as the boat below her left with Jim and Silver in it.
*And how can the world want me to change?
They're the ones that stay the same
I'm the one now, 'cause I'm still here.*
The boat sailed along through space and came up behind a bright comet. Jim glanced at Silver, determined to impress his mentor. He lunged into the comet's head, racing the icy tip, and streaming through the brilliance of the blue streak in space. They burst through the bottom, laughing, covered in ice and dusty sapphire vapor. The sails opened once more, and Jim, grinning more brightly than he had in a long time, turned the vessel out again into open space towards gentle maroon clouds.
*I'm still here*
Back at the Legacy, Skye watched as Jim took Silver on a fantastic joyride. Even as the bubbly Morph floated beside her, she felt horrible. She could finally place a name on how she felt- a name for an emotion that was as dark, ugly, and miserable as she felt.
It was jealousy. Pure, unfiltered, angry jealousy coursed through her as she watched her best friend forget her. A small part of her was glad he had found a surrogate father of sorts, and that he was happy, but the overwhelming majority of her wanted to squash it down to nothingness. She was alone, forgotten, with only a silly pink blob to accompany her. Jim was gone. And she also strongly suspected where this jealousy stemmed from, but dared not even think it to herself, for it terrified and bewildered her.
Morph was quiet for once, bobbing about her head, and he examined her face, contorted with loneliness and anger. He tried to cheer her up by forming a smiley face, but when she looked at Morph, she sighed, exasperated, and waved her hand as if to swat a mosquito away. Turning crossly on her heel, she went above deck, and sat in a dark corner near the captain's quarters, where she could stare at the wall and forget all that had happened since they joined the crew of this vile ship, and her best friend had begun slipping away.
It was then that Mr. Arrow turned a corner of the ship and saw her sulking. He may not have been the best when it came to reading people, but he could tell something was very much the matter with the usually cheerful cabin girl. Making enough noise so as not to frighten her, Arrow climbed the steps to where Skye sat.
Gently, he asked, "What's wrong, child?"
Skye looked up, and sighed.
"I hope you've got some time on your hands."
Arrow gave a slight smile, and said calmly, "As much as you need. Go ahead."
*I'm still here*