Dear Readers;
I have recently discovered that Hell is easily defined by eating a quarter of a pound of dark chocolate only to realize that you have no milk in the house.
That is all.

The sun had barely risen when Silver got up that morning. Roosters crowed out their praises to the rising sun while crickets were just now tucking themselves into their earthen beds. Miners all over the fields were both waking up and going to sleep, and the first buzz of life was just making itself known in these precious, fragile hours of the day.

Every morning for the past four weeks, Silver had awoken at day break to prepare the Benbow Inn for her first onrush of customers. He didn't mind, in fact, he enjoyed it. The silence of the inn during the twilight hours was a precious time for him to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the sounds of his newfound home. Sarah would be awake in about an hour, and he might even be able to grab a few moments of conversation before it became nothing but orders and break notices back and forth.

He started the stoves and began warming the plates. He washed the trays, and made sure that there was enough silverware for their estimated amount of patrons for that morning. Bowls, napkins, cups, and mugs were all laid out on the counter, ready to serve. Silver himself was already making breakfast for both himself and for Sarah when she came down to greet him.

"Oh my," she exclaimed, a grin flickering over her face. "Thank you John, it looks wonderful."

"My pleasure, Miss Sarah," he said with a grin of his own. Silver started wiping his hands on his apron and went back into the kitchen. He turned the stoves down so that they didn't burn up too much fuel and joined Sarah at their table. With his own plate prepared, they, together, enjoyed a well rounded breakfast before the day started.

And it did start. Stampedes of people herded in, easily labeling this one of the busiest days of the month. Even Silver broke a sweat trying to keep up with all the orders, and by the time the evening came around, both Sarah and Silver were so exhausted that they didn't even bother washing the last load of dishes. Finally, when the last customer walked out of the door, Sarah immediately pegged up the CLOSED sign in the nearest windowand made her way to the nearest couch. After a few minutes, both of them sat sprawled out over a couch, panting and sighing in heavy, drippy exhaustion. Sarah had her arms up over her eyes while Silver patted his face down with a wet rag.

"Holy cow!" he exclaimed, sinking deeper into his chair. "I didn't know this business could get so hectic!"

Sarah grinned underneath her arm. "You have no idea."

Chuckling, Silver pulled his feet up onto a stool. His arms were crossed behind his head, and he seemed quite ready to sit back and enjoy a good smoke from his trusty pipe. "And I thought working on the Legacy was demanding."

Silver stopped, bashing himself inwardly for his stupidity. If he could have taken back those words he would have, for suddenly a million memories of a youthful, smiling face flickered to life in the back of his mind. He heard a laugh echo somewhere in a distant past he had hoped to forget, and felt that ever so familiar sense of companionship begin to wash over him once more. Recollections of Jim immediately began to flow into his head, like a moving picture that he could neither stop nor look away from. And as he knew, the aftershock of that earthquake soon trickled in as well through the seeping cracks of his emotional wall. The pangs of loss, the pangs of regret, and the icy gnawing of failure and improperly placed retribution suddenly caused the walls he had so forcefully endured to crack under the ever existent weight. There was naught to see of this all on his face, except for the silent betrayal of one tear that had slipped past the corner of his eye, and lost its way in the deep creases and valleys of John Silver's aging face.

"I miss him," Silver said suddenly, without even thinking about it really. His gaze dropped to the floor in unfounded guilt, which was surpassed only by his sinking heart.

A hand suddenly found his shoulder. He looked up to see Sarah staring down upon him kindly. There was anguish in her eyes as well, but from what Silver could see, there was also healing. Something that he had yet to find.

"I know you do." Her voice was gentle and composed, and it was all but soothing for Silver to hear her say those words. "I miss him too." Without realizing it, Silver reached up and took her hand in his. They stayed that way for many minutes, in silent reminiscing and mourning, before at last returning to their seats in thoughtful silence.

It was an hour later that they finally decided that it was time to say goodnight. Slipping her head past his, Sarah gave John Silver a light kiss goodnight before heading up the stairs. Silver could only sit in wonder and confusion, trying desperately to piece this all together into something that made sense.

After a few days of drifting in and out of consciousness, Jim was finally able to stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time. During these very brief periods, nurses and doctors asked him all assortments of questions, including re-asking him his name, his home planet, and where they could find someone that was related to him that they might be able to contact.

Jim did his best to answer all of these questions.

"Jim Hawkins. Montressor. My mother; she works at and runs the Benbow Inn."

"And what is her name?"

"Sarah Hawkins."

"Is there anyone else we can contact in the event that we are unable to find her?"

Jim flinched, not wanting to consider the possibility of his mother not being where she had always been. It would just be his luck if after all this mess she had assumed him dead, and hadmoved on to somewhere else.

"Maybe," said Jim after a few seconds of contemplation. "But he would be harder to find."

"What's his name?"

"John Silver."

There was a pause. "Relation?"

Jim was drifting out of consciousness rapidly, and he knew that if he left it at 'friend' then they would not evenconsider this John Silver a suitable contact. With one last thought in his mind, Jim strained, whispered the word "Father", and then fell into a deep darkness.

Evening fell, and once again all of the customers of the Benbow Inn had either found their room, or were leaving for the night. Sarah Hawkins had just finished washing up the last load of dishes and was about to call it a night when a knock rang out on the door.

"Did I forget to put the sign up again?" she asked with an exasperated grunt.

"I got it, Mrs. H!" said B.E.N. from the customer dining room. He jovially pranced up to the door and swung it open. "Welcome to the Benbow!" the robot hollered loudly from where he stood. "I'm afraid we're closed at these hours, good sir, but if you would like to come back tomorrow we would be more than happy to-"

"I need to talk to Sarah Hawkins."

The sharpness of his tone silenced B.E.N. immediately where he stood. The robot gulped slightly, despite the necessary lack of such an action due to his robotic nature, and turned to seek Sarah out apprehensively with his questioning eyes.

"Mrs. H, there's someone here for you."

Sarah sighed and wiped her hands on her apron. She exited the kitchen, bidding Silver to stay. If someone had recognized him and there was an issue, she understood that he would need the opportunity to make a run for it. Silver too had understood. She'd mentioned it before, but he never had taken kindly to bolting and leaving her behind. Nevertheless, she took care to ignore his concerned gaze and strode into the main room, holding her hand out in a stiff, if formal and appropriate, greeting.

"I'm Misses Hawkins," she declared with an air of pride and purpose.

"Ma'am, we need to speak with you." He did not seem to realize that she had extended a greeting, and boorishly ignored it.

"Then speak," she said with no air of compassion. "But you'll do it here. I'll not have anyone coming in at night to take advantage of my services, or that of my co-workers."

The man, whoever he was, seemed perturbed, but said nothing.

"We've received news on your son, ma'am. James Hawkins."

There was a moment in silence, as though the entire inn had stopped to hold its breath.

"Continue," she bid him, her gaze hardening.

"A hospital on the planet Bedua has just contacted the academy. They say they have a young man of about sixteen years that claims to be Jim Hawkins."

Sarah's face darkened noticeably. Even from where Silver stood, he could tell she wasn't buying into it. Her heart had hardened at the idea of ever seeing any sign of her son again, and she had resolved to steel herself against any sign of emotion at his mention once and for all, lest it were in front of Silver.

"Does he?" she asked. "Do they havepicture identification? A letter? Anything?"

"No identification, ma'am," the man replied at once. "And he is too weak to write any letters. The extent of his injuries proves that he was most likely in a serious accident, and since he has been unconscious for over a months time, they had no way of knowing exactly what had happened. But-"

"But he claimed to have been on the ship, and is now claiming to be my son," Sarah snapped. "Tell me, do you have any proof that you're from the academy?"

There was silence, and then, "No, ma'am."

"Oh!" Sarah's brow raised in mock surprise. "Well then, good day to you sir." And with that slammed the door in his face. Silver exited the kitchen a few minutes later, his heart breaking at the sound of Sarah's sobs.

"I don't understand people these days," said Sarah, her voice quivering beneath her upraised hands that had now come up to meet her face. "Why do they insist on mocking me? Mocking my pain?"

Silver grimaced. He didn't know what to say. All he could do was warmly take her shoulders in his hands and soothe her tears.

"They weren't mocking you," Silver said gently. "I'm sure they're doing all they can to help, they just don't know what to do."

"They can start by leaving us alone." Sarah stood, sniffling slightly while straightening her skirts. "I'm going to bed," she announced. "Goodnight, John."

"Goodnight Sarah."

With a deep frown he watched her walk away, leaving him alone in the main dining hall to sort through his own confusing, cracked feelings. He peered past the window one last time and spied the stranger, taking off on a long boat from the docks some yards away. He cursed the man for opening old wounds, and immediately started in on cleaning up after what was left of the day's commerce.

Jim opened his eyes and immediately wished away the annoying lights of his new hospital room. Their intensity ate away at his brain and his eyes, causing the pain he was already experiencing to heighten tenfold. If that weren't enough, someone was callously poking his right arm over and over again with a very sharp instrument. Upon lifting his head (a task in itself) Jim found it to be a nurse, who seemed more than determined to get a blood sample from him.

"What's going on?" he muttered. The nurse looked up, apparently very surprised that Jim was alive.

"Good morning, sir!" she greeted too cheerily. "How are you this fine day?"

Jim grunted. It was the most intelligent thing that he could manage at that moment.

"Ah I see." She continued to prod his arm. "We've attempted to get in touch with your mother."

Jim's eyes shot open. "Huwha?" he asked, blinking rapidly in hopes that it might stem the pain from the lights overhead.

"Mmhmmm. Sent one of our men to the academy and they said they'd get in contact with your mother as soon as possible."

Jim sighed in relief. If they were contacting his mother, that meant she would be here, and he would be able to see her again. Warmth swelled in his heart at that hopeful though, and it helped to quell his severe pain, knowing that his mother would be there soon.

"When?" Jim asked. His throat had become unbearably dry during the time in which he had been sleeping, and though he felt ill, he could hear his stomach growl fiercely from beneath the white sheets that failed to conceal all of his wounds.

"When what, dear?"

"When will she be here?"

The nurse paused. "You'll have to ask the doctor. He takes care of all that."

Clicking his tongue, he turned to face the young woman who had still not ceased at her task of retracting blood. "Where is he?"

"He'll be visiting you soon, dear." She looked up and winked. After she had (finally) finisher her task, she left. But for all Jim's determination and desire, the sudden blood loss as well as the mingling of medication and exhaustion, he could not keep himself awake. He felt himself slip away just as the doctor walked through his door.

I'm very happy that everyone's enjoying this so far. I certainly am having a lot of fun writing it. Just to let you all know, I already have every chapter up to 8 written and ready to go! YAY! I think you'll be very pleased, but I can't upload it all right away I'm afraid. On another note, I did intend to make this a very slight Sarah/Silver fic, but it is not the main point of the story, and I don't think I'll give it much more attention after chapter 8 because I have more important things to focus on as far as where this is going.
And to Ari, I know how you feel. I like Silver better too, but I do think Jim is cute in an adorable kid sense (he's almost 3 years younger than me, so it would be kind of weird for me to have a crush on him).
Oh, and one more thing everybody. I revised chapter four. I can't believe I posted it with that many errors in it! I'm such a friggin' moron! That's the last time I do that again. (smacks herself)
(Special hugs to Dianne) I forgot to say this before, but you and your son have really good taste in Disney movies! Treasure Planet is my ultimate fav!