Okay, I have a challenge for you guys. In general, I would like to ask every person who reviews to say something else about the story, positive or negative, instead of "update soon" or similar. I already update once a week, what more do you want from me??? Lol, responses below:
Tallemera: Glad you're getting the internal conflicts and characterization. This chapter helps for Skye, and the next two or three are really good for mental stuff. And thanks for the reassurance!
Dalmationgirl: Thanks again for your review! This is a very good song, it was absolutely perfect for the story. If you like the songfic thing (I think I already said but I'll say it again), my very last chapter will also be a songfic, to the other song that is in the movie, written by the world's coolest guitarist for the world's coolest band- John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls! Lol
Fugitive: Thanks for your review! I take great care to stick to the movie as much as possible, and it's something I pride my fic on. Thanks for your appreciation!
Kim: Lol, I'm so glad people are picking up on my subtle hints. They get better. And, uh, shhh! We don't want to give away those big hidden secrets! Haha
SB1007: Ah, you liked the Arrow thing…well, it gets better in this chapter and the next two or so. You'll like it. And the additional scenes? They are actually among the easiest to write!
Dreaming: Thanks so much- your reviews are like sugary sweet candies that help my ego, lol. And congrats w/ the b-ball tourney! Keep reading!
Angel: Thanks for your review! Oh, I seem to have generated a decent amount of sympathy for Skye. *praises everything for that* I just hope it wasn't at Jim's expense- please don't think he's pushing her away in the literal sense. It's very subconscious, he doesn't mean to seem so cold to her…and he gets better in the next two chapters. Stick around, you'll see!
Lone Wolfdog: Thanks for your review! Skye and Jim are supposed to make a good couple, but of course we're not supposed to know that yet…lol, I'll repeat it- it's getting there that's half the fun! Continue to R&R.
Whew! I really don't have much to say this week. I'm pleased at how the fic in general is coming along, so you should be seeing some interesting stuff in the next month or so. My fic is almost two months old *squee!* So uh, here's my new chapter. I hope Skye's narrative and Jim's thoughts give a better idea of their characters, motives, w/e. And sorry to leave ya' with a cliffhanger, but we all know what's going on anyway, so it's all good. Enjoy!
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Skye sighed. Where to begin? How do you describe these kinds of feelings to someone, especially someone like Mr. Arrow?
She looked up at the stone face of the first mate, and saw that maybe he did care that she was upset. It was hard to imagine that someone made of stone could feel compassion, but maybe he did. Skye decided just to let it all out and see what he thought. It might feel better to get it out, even if she wasn't too friendly with Arrow.
"Mr. Arrow," she began, "Have you ever had a friend who...who meant a lot to you? Who meant more to you than almost anything in the world?" Her voice caught, and she hesitated.
Arrow nodded solemnly, encouraging her to continue. After a pause, she just began blurting out everything on her mind, if only to sort it out for herself.
"Well...I've...I've been friends with Jim for as long as I can remember. I've lived with his family, since mine couldn't-wouldn't-care for a child that wasn't a boy. I've been through everything he has. He's closer than a brother to me. We've done everything together. We've been there for each other. We've gotten each other into and out of more trouble than I care to count. I was never close to his father though, but when his father left, I was there for him. I didn't say anything, I was just...there, because I knew- I knew that he would have done the same thing for me, and in a way, he and his mother had. She had a difficult time getting through that-his mother, I mean. I tried so hard to be supportive to the both of them through it. To repay them, almost. I...I thought that meant something to Jim. It certainly meant something to me.
"After that, Jim kept pushing everyone away. He was just so upset at his father, I think. I know he didn't really mean to hurt Sarah- that's his mother, you know. She tried to tighten her hold on him, sort of, I think because she didn't want to lose him like she had his father. But then, just because I lived with them didn't mean it was my place to say anything about it, so I didn't. He rebelled against it and, well...sometimes I thought that the only thing that kept him from leaving like his father was seeing what it had done to his mother. And...because of his friendship with me.
"It sounds selfish, but he...he needed me too, in a way. I could feel that. Maybe I'm just flattering myself, but I used to think that I was his anchor, almost, keeping him in touch with Sarah. But then I would feel guilty about holding him back, so I'd go along with whatever crazy scheme we concocted, and we'd both get in trouble. I imagine that's how we ended up here.
"But now he's got Silver. He's like a father to him, I can see that. And as much as I'm glad to see him happy, I feel useless now. Like I really am just dead weight, being excluded, and I have so much less to offer now. I'm unimportant. He doesn't need me, or...or want me. And I'm losing him, Mr. Arrow. He's drifting away, and it's selfish, but I don't want to lose him. He's all I've got...and all I've ever really had," she concluded, looking up, sadly.
Arrow knelt down beside Skye, and said quietly, "I see. Well, child, I imagine you must at least now know how his mother must feel." Skye was startled at this realization, but agreed.
"I think that you are a strong person to be able to recognize your shortcomings on this," he continued, "and that you are being in a way selfish, even though that is understandable, given the history you've told me you have with the boy. But I should think that the best way to resolve this would be to tell him yourself what you just told me, or at least a similar version of it. Perhaps he also recognizes this separation, and perhaps he is just as troubled by it, somewhere under his excitement of having an older mentor."
"Do you really think so?" Skye asked.
"I wouldn't say so if I didn't think so. Remember, he has the same history with you that you have with him, and if he's any sort of decent person, it means something to him. But only you can tell him this." Arrow stood up, smiled gently at her, and turned to leave.
Skye sniffled a bit, and stood as well. She called to Mr. Arrow, who stopped.
She suddenly gave Arrow a hug around his stone middle. He seemed a bit surprised, but smiled nonetheless.
"Thank you so much for listening," she told him.
Arrow stepped back, and told her, "Anytime, child. You're a spirited girl, and I hope you and your friend can resolve this." As he left, Skye felt much better. It was good to get everything- well, mostly everything- out to someone, and even better to hear words of encouragement.
Skye moved over to lean on the railing, and heard Arrow's voice as he turned the corner, calling back one last piece of advice.
"And child, if there are any other thoughts you may have, then I suggest you tell him those as well." When Skye turned to look at him, he gave her a wink and continued around the bend, out of sight.
The corner of Skye's mouth turned upwards slightly. Mr. Arrow was able to read between the lines much better than she had suspected.
She turned back to watch the stars and space drift past. They were nearing the star Pelusa, and she'd heard this red giant was even more breathtaking up close.
As it came into sight, she noticed something odd about the star. It seemed to pulse and ripple strangely, and was much larger and redder than it should be at that distance. All of a sudden, a bright light exploded from the corona of the star.
It was then in horror that she saw the first blast wave of energy rushing towards the Legacy.
* * *
Silver maneuvered the boat up under the Legacy as Jim grabbed hold of the pulley ropes that would lift it the remaining distance to dock. They returned from their test ride of the longboat in good spirits, laughing and joking. Morph floated down to meet them, unaware of the foul mood that Skye had left in.
Jim and Silver pulled on their ropes, raising the longboat up through the docking bay to a level where they could tie it off. Jim, being the younger, pulled harder and mocked his older mentor with teasing jabs.
"Having a little trouble, there?" he joked, yanking hard on his rope so the craft tipped up at his end. Silver chuckled and playfully scolded Jim to get away. He felt a need to comment on Jim's flying, it had impressed him so much.
"Oh, Jimbo," Silver said, tying off his end, "if I could maneuver a skiff like that when I was your age, they'd be bowing in the streets when I walked by today!" He let out a small grunt of relief as he plopped against the side of the boat. Morph copied him, so the small Silver jabbered "bowing in the streets!" and also fell against the "side" of an imaginary boat in the air.
Jim tied off his rope with an identical knot and disagreed good-naturedly. "I don't know- they weren't exactly singing my praises when I left home." He sat down heavily on the seat across from Silver. He looked up to see Silver wipe his brow with a cloth, and Jim added cryptically, "But I'm gonna change all that."
This caught Silver's interest. Stroking Morph, he cocked his head towards Jim, asking, "How so?" This he wanted to hear.
"Uh, I got some plans...gonna make people see me a little different." Jim rested his head against the side of the boat, closing his eyes. He could see it in his mind's eye- returning home rich with legendary treasure. His mother would be proud of him and never need to look at him with shame on her face. At school his name would be well-known, he'd never be picked on. He would be respected, praised even. He might even be accepted into the Interstellar Academy. That would be a dream come true- sailing the galaxy, learning about far-off lands, maybe even captain a ship someday. And Skye would, well... well in any event, Jim would at least be able to get her into the Academy too. He would make sure they wouldn't refuse her just because she was a girl. Jim let himself forget any worry by dwelling on this particular fact, and the others he had thought of as well.
Silver said with a touch of sadness in his voice, "Ooh...sometimes, plans go astray."
He looked over at Jim. A smile played about the corner of his lips, and he murmured, "Not this time."
Silver thought a moment. Then, propping his metallic leg on the bench, he attempted to loosen a screw on the side. He needed to relieve some of the pressure on the joints, for even though it was metal, he still could feel the tension, and it caused him a semi-arthritic pain. He groaned with the effort of unscrewing it with his bare hand, but Morph kindly formed into a wrench, which facilitated the task.
"Oh, thank you, Morphy." These actions caused Jim to look over at Silver. He wondered why it had never occurred to him before that this was not natural. Certainly Silver must have had both of his arms, legs, and eyes at one point. He had to have lost them somehow. Immediately, he felt bad for not having noticed this before.
"So, uh, how'd that happen, anyway?" Jim asked hesitantly. He was a little uncomfortable asking this personal question. How many times had Silver answered it? Did it cause him pain to think of it? After all, Silver had human feelings too, and maybe he didn't like to dwell on this handicap.
Silver looked down at his cybernetic hand. Flexing it, he said simply, "You give up a few things, chasing a dream." There was a tone of remorse in his voice. Silver thought back to the incident that had forced him to make a terrible decision that would eventually lead him to lose the entire right side of his body. He had sacrificed a part of himself, if only to keep alive his dream, the dream that the Legacy was heading towards through space.
Jim saw that Silver would say no more on it, but he had to know one final thing.
"Was it worth it?"
Silver smiled, and moved to the other side of the boat to sit next to Jim. Putting his arm around Jim with a warm kind of affection for the promising, helpful lad, he placed the hat onto Jim's head.
"I'm hoping it is, Jimbo. I most surely am."
Jim pulled the hat down over his eyes and leaned his head against Silver's arm. They both closed their eyes to muse on the exciting time they had had earlier on the skiff. Silver thought of Jim's talented flying, and Jim was just glad that Silver had let him join in, that he was there for him, had given him the chance he needed to prove himself.
Suddenly the Legacy lurched, rocking the ships in the docking bay, and knocking the two nearly out of the skiff. In surprise and terror, they ran towards the stairs that led above deck.
What was going on?