A/N: Okay, this is the Epilogue of my story and the end of this beast. God it's so emo and depressing but at least it's done. I'm thinking about making a continuation, but it won't be on Rummy, but another character mentioned in this story. Thanks 4 reading!

Chapter 17

Coldplay, The Scientist

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are

I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apart

Tell me your secrets
And ask me your questions
oh, let's go back to the start

Running in circles
Calling tails
Heads on a science apart

Nobody said it was easy
It's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard

oh, take me back to the start

I was just guessing
At numbers and figures
Pulling the puzzles apart

Questions of science
Science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart

Tell me you love me
Come back and haunt me
Oh, and I rush to the start

Running in circles
Chasing our tails
Coming back as we are

Nobody said it was easy
it's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard

I'm going back to the start...

Christine bent down, wiping up the spilled milk on the stone floor of her kitchen. Her back ached from cleaning all day and preparing dinner. Then on top of that, she had to clean up Sarah's spills! But she would take it all to be with her husband. Lord! If only she could see him. Christine wasn't sure when he would be returning to port; Toby had not said where Rummy was taking them.

Christine closed her eyes, remembering the warm embrace that announced the return of her husband. If only she could have him everyday, the kids really needed him. Toby could always keep Joshua occupied. He would never get into trouble when his father was around. It was just when Toby left to earn money as a rumrunner that Joshua was such a hand full.

Her son reminded her so much of her husband, though. He looked like an exact copy! Joshua was almost as tall as her and he was only twelve. Toby and he had the same dark hair, the same grey eyed face. But Joshua had this dreaming detachment that caused people to see him as differently. She really wondered about him sometimes.

A wrapping knock released Christine from her ranging thoughts of her sea bound husband. She walked up to the door, a little bounce in her step as she thought of who it could be.

The door swung open just as Joshua ran inside and stood in the doorway, studying the strange woman who was planted there.

Outside stood a middle aged sailor dressed in men's cloths. Her feet were donned in sailor's boots, she wore baggy men's pants, and the stranger's torso was draped in a tattered white shirt. On her weathered face was a black bandana and straggly golden brown hair draped her neck and hazel eyes that once held life. But this was no human, Christine felt like it was only the frame left like the remnants of a wrecked ship on the rocks.

The stranger gave them a long look silently. She could barely stand, her figure was hunched in pain and Christine saw why as her blue eyes traveled to the brown stain on the woman's shirt.

Christine seemed to recognize the outsider and spoke warily, "Rummy, you're hurt."

The woman barely registered the sentence in her bleak stare, she swallowed hard.

"Please, you can come in." The mother beckoned.

"No." The stranger croaked with finality, "I came to tell you. Tell you I'm sorry."

"What, why?" Christine began to question, worry entering her voice.

"I'm sorry. I tried, God I tried."

"Where's Toby?" Christine asked, fear and realization hitting her full force at once.

"He… Toby isn't here. He's… not coming back." Rummy admitted with sympathy.

Christine bolted to Rummy like a magnet, pure animalistic emotions taking control, and then put her hands on the other woman's shoulders, shaking her violently, "Where's Toby?! Where is he?" She demaded as she shook her tall visitor.

The weaker woman collapsed, unable to take the added stress, she wheezed, "He's dead! Toby is dead! I killed him!" She screamed with angst.

"No….no, no, no." Christine cried, "wh-how?" She wanted to know, she had to know.

Rummy steadied her racking breath, "Ship wreck." She managed to get out.

Joshua, standing by the door and witnessing the scene felt the wind get knocked out of him by the news. Confusion entered him and unbelievingly, he charged out of the doorway, "Get out! Get out!" He screamed, "You're a liar and you stay the hell away from my mother!"

He threateningly waved his fists and swung his foot at the intruder. He made contact with an arm and fell to the ground, Rummy got up leaning on her knees for support and looking at the boy she had just tripped.

"I'm sorry it had to end like this, Christine." She abruptly turned and walked off into the street, not looking back at the family she had just destroyed.

"I'm going back to the start…" Rummy closed her eyes as warm tears flooded down her face. Her heart cracked with pain and loss. All the memories and times she could have told him how she felt, they were all gone, missed opportunities. She had wasted a whole life time!

"I'll meet you on the other side, Toby, and I will tell you everything," she promised to herself as she gritted her teeth, waiting for her passage out of this world.

A/N: I hope that this was adequate. It's kinda late, but I wanted to get this done b/c I'll have too much homework later in the week. But it's finally finished!!!! Yes, I'm still not happy w/ it. Too many spelling mistakes and problems though. But oh well. I also put Coldplay lyrics in b/c that is wat I had stuck in my head for the longest time as I wrote this story and it goes along with the plot. Well duh. Thank you guys 4 reviewing even though I wanted a little bit more. But anyways I will continue this and maybe post it in fictionpress b/c it won't go along w/ the POTC plot anymore. But tell me please if u want it up there!!!

Chinchillas r friends not furs please don't buy furs. I am currently boycotting fur, diamonds, coffee, Starbucks, and Ebaumaswrold. I'll prolly end up living like a monk soon. Gandhi rox. Soylent Green is people!!! YEahhhhhh-(ppl drag me off stage)

The Evil Traffic Cone is out for good!