A/N: Even I gotta say, things are being rushed a bit. From my reviews, I know I've left out some characters for a while so something fortunate or unfortunate will be the perfect excuse to bring them back.


"Can we go down to the docks yet?" asked a very impatient Cathy.

"I wish I could tell you yes but Steve has to go over everything with Katherina first." DJ said.

Steve and his cousin, Katherina Aucciello were discussing about Churchill in Steve's study. Katherina wasn't exactly the brightest so it seems this will take twice as long. Everyone but the Duchess noticed that they've been in there for five hours.

"Remember, you're not ruling," Steve said trying not to lose his temper, "Just watching Churchill until Queen Donna Jo and I get back from our visit to Tanner Kingdom."

Katherina nodded, "Yes, I understand...now when are you going to get back?"

"Soon."

"How soon?"

Steve slapped a hand on his forehead, "Soon enough for DJ to be cheerful again."

"How soon will DJ be happy?"

The King of Churchill resisted the urge to pick up a quill and throw it at his cousin.

"Look, it's just soon alright? Don't be nervous. Churchill's a strong Kingdom, nothing will go wrong unless you decide to change the laws. Now I'll find a way to send someone back to check up on you and the Kingdom so farewell!" With that done and said, he sped off to the garden where DJ was.

"Does she understand?" DJ asked nervously.

Steve sighed, "I don't usually lose my temper around people so easily but everything I tell Katherina goes in one ear and comes out the other."

"Maybe she's nervous. Afterall, when we got married, I was terrified about being Queen of your country." DJ suggested, "Her being Duchess to being responsible for an entire Kingdom is pressuring."

"Now you don't understand. Katherina has always been like this! When she was a child, her parents let her do whatever she wants and allow Katherina to skip lessons. They spoil her with the best clothing and food, and too much freedom. Know why? Because Katherina was born with a slight disorder."

"If she has a disorder then why did you choose her to watch over Churchill?"

"Cause despite her disorder, Katherina does as she is told and I trust her. She listens to only her parents and I. Churchill is in good hands."

"Hope you're right."

As the King and Queen of Churchill got in the carriage to head to the docks, Katherina waved from the gates, smiling. Her cousin Steve is truly kind to her and she won't let him down. His wife, Donna Jo seems very kind also. Though the two have never met, someone who made Steve this overjoyed must have a good heart. Katherina's only regret is never looking for someone she can love also.

Unknown to her, those thoughts were similar to Kimmy's. Knowing with full confidence Steve was the one for her best friend. They treat each other with love and not as two humans forced to spend their lives together. Her best friend's got a happy life, quite possibly a happy ending too if you exclude Queen Pamela's death that is. But she's got no one to love either.

Lady Cathy Santoni was cut from a different cloth. She is of noble blood and reassuring background unlike Kimmy. There's always proposals flooding to her doorstep (Rather, the palace's) enough for every Lady-In-Waiting who were serving the Queen. Cathy doesn't desire love. Only the gifts the men shower her with.

Good thing Steve's ancestors chose to build their Palace near sea for they can see the sun reflecting off the enormous body of water. The ship gleaming gloriously, awaiting the Monarchs. DJ beamed remembering the time she got off this very ship, the one Steve sent to the Tanner Kingdom to bring her to Churchill. Now the same one will take her home...for a while.

"Ah! The brilliant Mary!" Steve announced proudly.

"Mary? That's the name of your ship?" DJ raised an eyebrow.

Steve shrugged, "Named after my great-grandmother, Mary. Actually, her real name was Maria Catherine but you get the idea."

"She must have been great to have a ship as magnificent as this to be named after her." Cathy mused. 'I want a ship named after me too' She added in thought.

The King shook his head, laughing, "Aha, not really. My great-grandfather just admires her a lot is all."

"And me?" asked DJ.

Steve put his arm around DJ and walked with her to the ship.

"And of course, I with be planning a ship to be made for my dear Queen!"

DJ's Ladies-In-Waiting squealed contently while running to their rooms on the lower decks of the Mary. The King and Queen had a much grander room on the upper decks complete with the best view of the ocean. Steve's great-grandfather definetly knows how to build a ship! Well, planned it anyways. You don't expect a King to build something by himself do you?

When the sun went down and the moon rose up, the Mary began to get a bit shaky. During the day, the ocean was calm and peaceful to look at. By night the moon came into view, it's gravity pulling harder and raising the waves (A/N: Hey! Sorry to bug you but I'm writing this in the middle of the night and not sure if they knew about gravity yet?...I think they do...Ah huh...I'm clueless...Ok back to the story!).

Kimmy and Cathy shared one room with two beds and a tiny window for a view of the sea. Some water splashed on the glass when Mary rocked to the right. Neither could sleep. The King did say himself that his Great-grandfather built the ship in his time. They shouldn't be too shocked to find there are problems with the Mary.

Yet, Steve slumbered soundly after that big meal at dinner time. DJ still sat by her window looking out. Nothing but salt water surrounded by darkness. The Queen was never one to believe in sea monsters or tales of beautful women with fish tails instead of legs (Yes, mermaids), but the sight outside made her doubt reality. How could her husband sleep through this? Mary continues to rock back and forth in a rougher way than before.

"Steve!" She shook him by the shoulders but with no luck, "Steve! Wake up!"

The King popped up, bumping his head to DJ's, knocking her over.

"Huh! What! DJ, where are you?" He yelled for her, searching around the room.

DJ groaned in pain on the floor where Steve didn't think to look. After a hundred "DJ!"s later, Steve decided the Queen might just be outside on the decks and went back to bed. DJ's hand searched for something to support her. Luckily, her hand gripped on to Steve's pillow. Poor Steve got in bed just to turn his head and screamed for the attendants!

"Aaaaaahhh! Somebody get in here! Something's gripping onto my pillow!"

'Don't tell me, he believe's in ghosts?' DJ thought, feeling hopeless.

Not just attendants, Ladies-In-Waiting rushed in to see the cause of their King's distress. Kimmy lit a candle, handed it to an attendant, who gave it to another, who walked cautiously to Steve's bedside.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing on the floor?" He asked.

"Oh, just trying to get up after a certain King knocked me down. Give me a hand please?" DJ tilted her head up to look at everyone and waving her hand around.

Kimmy and Cathy helped her up. DJ thanked them and dusted herself off.

"You're all dismissed for the night." With a wave of Steve's hand, they all bowed and left. The darkness returned once more.

DJ got into her side of the bed and sighed.

"I'm sorry I knocked you over. It's not my fault my arms are strong, though." Steve said.

"Actually, your arm wasn't what knocked me over. It was your big head!"

"Fine then, I'm sorry I have such a big head. But why were you shaking me?"

"Because! I couldn't sleep so I decided to look out the window for a while. But all I see is a body of sea water and darkness. Mary started rocking too much for my liking."

Steve pulled her close, "Don't worry, Mary is as sturdy as the day she was built! Nothing will happen."

"If your idea of "sturdy" is rocking roughly back and forth, then I'm not worried. But really, this kind of movement for a ship isn't normal no matter how much you try to ignore it."

"I promise you, there's nothing wrong with Mary."

DJ sighed in defeat, "Fine, I'll ignore this for now. If anything happens I'll just swim to Tanner Kingdom."

"You can't do that. Your gown will bring you down to the bottom of the ocean. A Queen's attire is to show status, power and beauty. Not swimming."

"Well if that's what you think then why don't I ride on your back and you swim us both to Tanner Kingdom?"

"I never said anything too offending. I just mean for you to stay on this ship where it's safe. I love you, Donna Jo Tanner. I wouldn't let anything happen. Even if Mary sinks, I'll carry you on my back and we'll swim together."

DJ chuckled, finally cheering up a bit, "That doesn't sound like something you would have said a few years back but I'm happy with this change." DJ kissed Steve on the cheek, "Thank you for promising that for me."

"Of course. Good-night, DJ. Mary is fast so I'm hoping we'll arrive soon."

"Good-night, Steve." DJ pulled the blanket over both of them, "Oh, by the way. You're really overusing the name "Mary" too much."

"But it's the ship's name and my great-grandmother's!"

"Well, call it a ship! By the time you grow old and die, the name Mary will be remembered more as the ship than the Queen Maria Catherine. Your great-grandmother will be rolling in her grave about that."

"Alright, I'll call it a ship. Years from now, the ship I shall name after you will be called a ship by our descendents instead of being called "Donna Jo" or "DJ" because you insisted on calling this ship a ship!"

"I could care less what our descendents call my ship!"

"That's what you say now, but once the project is complete, you'll wish it's always called by it's given name!"

"Why are we talking about names for a ship?"

"Because you told me not to call this ship by it's name Mary."

"Only because I've never heard you call it a ship before. Mary is its name but the more you say it the more you make it sound as if Mary is our daughter instead of a ship."

"Well do you want a daughter named Mary?"

DJ thought for a while before answering slowly, "Only if we stop arguing over silly things like this all the time. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Good. It's late, we should get some rest n-"

"DJ?" Steve cutted in.

DJ looked at Steve with half-lidded eyes, "Yes?"

"I want a daughter named Mary also."

A brief silence in the bedroom. Then Steve knew DJ was smiling even though there wasn't a single candle burning.

"And we will...I promise you. Just as you have did your best to keep your promises to me." The Queen closed her eyes, "Together, someday, we will bring life to a Princess Mary."

Stephanie and Michelle paced back and forth in front of their father's chamber door. Dr. Lund was still trying to figure out what was wrong. Countess Skeffington sat beside Sir Mac, clutching each other's hand. The news of their daughter's death was already overwhelming to them. It's hard to imagine how the Princesses would feel watching their father's life slip away. Gone to them forever.

"I don't understand," Michelle began, "One minute we were eating lunch and talking. The next, Father collapses and it seems everything is different."

"Life does that." Stephanie sniffled.

"It's been an entire day already! Dr. Lund should be replaced with another. He's so old!"

"Michelle, losing the shine of your hair doesn't mean you're getting old. And please don't start a quarrel. What would Father think if he woke up to see us fighting like animals?"

Michelle muttered an apology. Harry stayed quiet throughout the whole thing. Charles, Gia, Mickey, Michelle's group of Ladies and one musician all stood against a wall. Gia and Mickey whispered to each other so to not disturb anyone. Charles talked to Derek and Lisa for a while before sending occasional glares at Harry, who either didn't notice or just thinks it's vulgar for a Prince to argue with a scholar.

Dr. Lund finally came out looking dreary and exhausted.

"I am sorry to say, Your Highnesses, that King Daniel has fallen victim to the black death."

Grand Duke Joseph runs down the corridor panting followed closely by Jesse, Rebecca and the twins.

"What has happened!" Joseph demanded. Which startled Stephanie and Michelle. The Joseph, or rather Joey, they knew never demanded like he just had.

"We have bad news." Skeffington said, with no emotion but sorrow.

"What is it?" The Empress Rebecca gently urged her to go on.

"Uncle Jesse! Aunt Becky! Father has the black death!" Stephanie and Michelle said in unison. Jesse hugged Michelle, Rebecca held onto Stephanie. Both twins came up to pat their cousins on the back, telling them everything will be alright.

Emperor and Empress were at a loss of words.

"We don't know how many days he has on this earth..." Skeffington cried, tears forming an unstoppable flood down her cheeks. Everyone else, although Stephanie and Michelle have already started, followed her example.

"This isn't fair!" Stephanie tightened her grip around her aunt, "Mother died only for a couple of months and now Father too!"

"Stephanie, I know this is hard but there are people who survive it." Rebecca told her.

Jesse decided to help too, "She's right, not everyone dies. Your father will give up if you're sad. Be happy so that he will live for those smiles and hugs you give him. By crying, it might be a way of making him give up."

"Yeah, Uncle Daniel doesn't give up usually. He'll pull through." Added Nicky.

"We've got faith...or at least I do!" Alex finished.

"Girls, come here." Jesse gestured for them to sit with him near the window sills. "Now listen, give your father something to live for. Tell him to live for DJ returning home someday. Tell him to live for your weddings. Live to see his grandchildren and live so Pamela will be happy that Daniel is having a good life. Most importantly, smile for him. He'll worry if you cry."

"Father's right," Alex agreed, nodding his head.

"And nothing bad will happen to Uncle Daniel, really." Nicky said.

"We promise!" The Katsopolis twins chanted in perfect harmony.

Stephanie embraced them both and whispered, "Don't make promises you can't keep."


A/N: Please leave a review! I want to know what you think and if anything you want added to the story. No flames please (As I've always said)!