Yawn...I'm very tired tonight and just a bit depressed so I'm just gonna respond briefly:

angel- yes, I got the email. It was very entertaining.

Purplepeopleeater: THANK YOU! And actually, I was online when you reviewed so its not that weird that you were up. And your spelling is fine.

Queen Sarabi: thank you for your review.

Kim: ya think?

Wolfdog: I cant believe it either ::sniff::

Ninja: lol, I dont think they'll do the movie over, haha.

Tp-gurl: thank you for the RLS info.

Janna: thank you

Pippin: maybe I'll do a fluffy epilogue. I think that'll be about it…but we'll see.

SB: yeah, skye doesnt hate him so much. Check it in this chappie.

Dekujama: I'm glad it lived up to your expectations.

Tally: thank you for the defense!

Dreaming: the fic is 6 months old…a little spooky, huh?

OK, that's enough for tonight. I'm really tired, pardon the formatting, and enjoy!

Silver didn't hear Jim and Skye enter until Jim spoke up.

"You never quit, do you?"

Silver jumped, and chuckled with a guilty smile, caught.

"Ah, Jimbo! Ha ha. I was merely checking to make sure our last longboat was safe and secure." He quickly retied the rope where it had been loosed at the holding peg. Jim left Skye leaning against a support beam by the hatch controls, crossed the launch deck, and squatted next to Silver. He examined the rope as Silver watched nervously.

In one fluid movement, Jim untied the slipknot and deftly formed a tight double hitch in its place.

"That should hold it."

Silver grinned, and said, "I taught you too well." When Jim didn't say anything, he continued, leaning in as Morph floated, giggling.

"If you don't mind, we'd just as soon avoid prison. Little Morphy here, he's a free spirit. Being in a cage..." he gently trapped Morph in his mechanical hand to emphasize the point, "...it'd break his heart." He patted the small pink blob, and gave a sympathetic, pleading smile.

Jim smiled too. Silver wasn't a bad person. He'd saved his life several times since he'd met him, after all. Silver's only real crime had been, well, pursuing a dream. When dreams are all we have to keep us going, when they're all we have in the end- no one should be punished for that.

Jim looked back at Skye. The corner of her mouth quirked up, and she leaned over to pull the switch.

Jim untied the rope as the docking hatch opened below.

Silver couldn't believe it, and yet at the same time, he knew Jim would do it. Jim was a good kid; he had a good heart, even if he did have a knack for trouble and adventure.

Like him.

"What say you ship out with us, lad?" Silver offered. "You and me, Hawkins and Silver! Full of ourselves and no ties to anyone!" He meant it too. The lad had potential; he was full of intuition and intelligence. Morph formed a sailor's three-cornered hat and plopped onto Jim's head, equally excited.

Skye's breath caught.

Jim hesitated for a split second, then took off the hat and tickled it. "You know...when I got on this boat I would've taken you up on that offer in a second." The hat swirled pink, and Morph chirped, pleased by the petting. Jim turned to look out the hatch at the pink and orange vapors swirling about the ship, left over from the explosion.

"But, uh, I met this old cyborg," Jim continued, calm, "and he taught me that I could chart my own course. That's what I'm gonna do."

"And what do you see," Silver inquired, "off that bow of yours?"

Jim glanced back at Skye and grinned.

"A future."

Silver chuckled, and when Jim turned to him, both were beaming.

"Why, look at ya- glowing like a solar fire. You're something special, Jim. You're gonna rattle the stars, you are."

Jim knew that for every word Silver said, he meant it, sincerely, with every ounce of conviction in his heart. It was wonderful to have the feeling that he was proud of him. This was the feeling of family. This was the feeling of home.

Silver held open his arms, and Jim was enveloped in a giant bear hug. This was different from when Doppler clapped him on the back, or when his mother hugged him goodbye, or even when Skye had hugged him before. This was the one hug he had never had before- this was a hug from father to son.

As much as Skye wanted to respect this moment, she couldn't look away- it was beautiful. She could recognize it for what it was, and had never seen Jim this happy. She was happy for him.

Silver broke away, clearing his throat.

"Got a bit of grease in this cyborg eye of mine," he sniffled, and turned his back for a moment. Skye knew that this moment hadn't been lost on them either- Jim's eyes were bright and damp too.

Morph, seeing this, finally realized what was going on. He wailed and melted into a puddle of tears in Jim's hand.

"Oh, hey, Morph, I'll see you around, OK?"

Morph murmured, "See ya' around," and licked Jim's face. He started towards Silver, but then remembered- Skye. Morph zipped back and nuzzled against her.

"Oh, Morph. No, don't do that, you'll get me crying too," she said, but it was too late- tears were brimming in her eyes.

She walked towards Silver and Jim to try and herd Morph back to his owner. The pink blob gave one last nudge, and perched, sniffling, on Silver's finger.

Silver hesitated, then raised his hand to eye level and spoke to Morph.

"Morphy, I got a job for ya. I need ya to...to keep an eye on these here pups. Will ya do me that little favor?" He sniffled. Morph stood as upright as he could, saluted, and chirped, "Aye-aye, Captain."

Morph snuggled against Silver's cheek one last time, and floated back to Jim and Skye where he repeated the action. Silver knew this was right- they'd need Morph more than he did, and…well, he wanted Jim to have something to remember him by.

Silver turned to Skye, who had approached him. She offered her hand.

He was touched by this gesture of peace, and shook her hand heartily.

The pirate climbed into his longboat and began lowering it. Jim and Skye stepped together, and Skye felt an arm around her waist.

"Oh, and one more thing! This is for your dear mother," Silver called up from below, as if struck by something he had just remembered. He tossed several items up from below, and called, "This is to rebuild that inn of hers!" Jim looked at the objects he had caught- a few gems, gold coins, and rings.

Silver winked.

"Stay out of trouble," Jim chuckled, "you old scalawag."

"Why, Jimbo, lad," Silver laughed back, "when have I ever done otherwise?"

The cords holding the longboat released, and Silver dropped down below the Legacy. Morph, Jim, and Skye waving, he tipped his hat, chuckling. Then, with a wink of flashing sails, he soared off, lost among the glowing Etherium stars.

::::

Skye sighed happily, Jim's arm still holding her close.

"Now I'm really glad I left that treasure in his boat."

A beat. Jim faced her, puzzled.

"What?"

"Well, I figured he could use something if he's leaving, you know, so he doesn't have to use piracy for a while. So I snuck some treasure into his longboat, even though it seems he doesn't need it. It was nice of him to give that to your mother."

Jim blinked.

"You saved some of...of the treasure?"

"Of course. That," she pointed to what Jim held," is for your mother, though, so now we can use all of mine to pay for our entrance to the academy. Here." She reached into her pocket and dumped a stream of gold into Jim's hands.

"There's more where that came from," she added.

Jim looked at her, realization starting to dawn on his face...except...

"Where...where were you carrying it all?"

She laughed, a happy, sparkling laugh Jim had never heard before.

"Oh," she replied with a wink, "a little here, a little there. You'd be surprised how much can fit comfortably in one boot."

Jim grinned widely, and said, "Well, can I help you locate it all?"

Skye gave a mock expression of propriety and offense. "Now, that's inappropriate. You're going to have to watch how you speak to me at the Academy. I'll be a proper lady there, and we ladies don't mix with that...element."

"What are you talking about? You're no more a proper lady than I am," Jim teased.

"Not many people like a girl who refuses to- a girl like me," Skye murmured, motioning towards her pants.

"No, don't think that, Skye. People at the Academy, they can't be like that. They're smarter than that..." Jim's voice lowered to a murmur.

"Besides, I... I like you- just the way you are. Pants and all."

Jim brushed his fingers across her cheek, and Skye looked up with a little gasp. His hands found her waist and they were suddenly aware of just how close they were to each other...how achingly close their lips were to each other's-

-When Morph swirled up in a giggly, bubbly pink blob, interrupting with his happy babbling chatter.

They smiled. Doppler and Amelia needed help on deck anyway.

As they turned to go, Skye hooked her arm through Jim's.

Jim couldn't remember being happier in his life.