A/N This chapter was written under the musical influence of Electric Presidents- Insomnia, I believe it really helped me sat the mood for my chapter. The Chapter Title comes from The Frames Falling Slowly. the Full line is "Turn this sinking boat and point it home, we still have time."

Chapter 6 Turn This Sinking Boat.

Yes, there she was, in the middle of the creek, so within his reach. But the past month caught up to his mind. He sat hidden in the brush on the bank of the creek. He hadn't seen her in so long, the whole dynamic of the relationship had changed since he had last seen her. She would surely kill him if she saw him now, maybe that was good, or at least for the best. Let her avenge her father and he could finally rest in peace.

His breath caught in his throat as he watched her, she was so beautiful. God how his heart ached, his memories of her had been killing him the past weeks. He had kissed her and held her, felt her holding him and kissing him back, now that he knew all he was missing it was a wonder he didn't always have tears in his eyes.

In his dark loveless life, she had been the only one, constant comfort, the only person to care for him made him feel like he was of number one importance. Like no one else in the world mattered but him, he had never felt like that before, and now he missed it sorely.

Even if he was forced to sit by and be just her friend for the rest of his life, at least he would be near her. But then the thought of someone else 'with' her made him clench his fist and jaw in jealousy.

He just settled himself on the ground laying back a bit and watched her. She shouldn't be out here all alone anyway, what was she thinking. He had known since yesterday that they had been followed by the Order, but he hadn't even considered that she was a member.

He saw Lachlins head snap to attention and the dog was looking right past him, so he turned his head quickly and saw a figure moving toward them. Crap, he thought, 'Stupid Avery or Nott is coming.' He knew he couldn't allow either of those men to find Carina, both were the worst of filth.

He stood and moved to Lachlin, whom he had helped train. he reached his hand out and patted the dog, then he crept his way over toward Carina. He came from behind her and grabbed her from behind, being quick to cover her mouth. In seconds he had apparated them away. He landed them on the Irish Cliffs of Moher, and the sea wind was blowing with a withdrawn fury, every once and a while it would whip around wildly.

Her wand! Where was her bloody wand! Carina was freaking out, she felt the man holding her shift and that made her wand push into her leg. Okay now that she knew where it was, all she had to do was wait for the jerk to let his guard down and she would blast him into next freaking year.

She felt him loosen his grip so she jerked away as hard as she could freeing herself from the mans arms, her hand went immediately to her wand and she ripped it out of the holster on her leg. Then in a flash she turned and had the wand aimed straight at the man. With a shock of her heart she looked at the man who was on his knees in front of her. She began to lower her wand from his forehead, but he caught the end of it and aimed the point of her wand right to his heart. Then he lowered his hand and sat silently on the ground waiting for his death.

Realizing what he was expecting, Carina's heart skipped a beat and in a rush of emotion she cried, "OH!" and she dropped the wand and threw her arms around his head cradling him to her.

She began to cry when she felt his hands rise to her sides and try to push her off of him, but she could feel that the contact was not only needed but desired, even if it was a bit feared. She just held tighter to him, defying his every move to push her off. Finally his head relaxed where it was held against her chest, and his arms moved from gripping her sides to pulling her to him. For the first time in years he wept openly. His whole body shuddered as he clutched to her.

"You should kill me." His deep voice quivered with emotion.

"Never."

"I don't understand you, shouldn't you hate me?"

"Never. I love you." she proclaimed for the first time in her life. "I've loved you for years.". She bent her head down to his and kissed every inch of skin that wasn't buried in her chest and stomach, then she bent to his ear and whispered to him. "I love you now, even more then I have in the past."

All new tears fell from his eyes and he pulled her down to him and kissed her full on the lips, and then rested his tired head onto her shoulders.

"I'm so... I'm so sorry, Carina."

"Why are you sorry? You are innocent! As soon as this war is over I promise to announce it to the whole Wizarding World, I'll take on any Order, or Ministry member that has a problem with it. I know the truth, I know what my fa... my father forced your hand in. I'm so sorry he made you do that Severus, I'm so sorry he used your Oath of Protection to make you ki... do that."

"It won't even matter by then." he mumbled morbidly, in a fit of despair he had been prone to since he was a child.

"What do you mean it won't matter!? Of course it will, I won't have you dragged off to Azkaban!"

"As sweet as your sentiments are Carina, do you really believe that I will ever survive long enough to be put in Azkaban?"

"Yes! In fact I'm risking my life for it. I won't give up until I die! I can't live if it means living without you! I know it sounds stupid, but I have loved you more then half my life, with no hope of you ever loving me in return! I know you were drunk but when you said... when you said you loved me I knew that there was no other person in this world for me, and I felt more alive in that moment then I ever have! I've devoted my time and energy fighting with the Order and convincing almost all of them of your innocence. I'm fighting my heart out for you, so you had better not give up so easily."

He raised himself up to his knees looking down on her, and her happy little dream. "You can't even begin to understand the odds that we are both against then." his despair had come in full swing despite her intense speech.

She stood up and looked down at him, with her hands on her hips she broadcasted, "I will defy every odd that dares to throw itself in my way! I've already done the 'impossible' of proving your innocent, I'll find a way to be with you in the end!"

She looked so strong and unrelenting that he put the small faith he had left, in her. The girl, women, who was standing tall before him, her hair blowing and whipping in the wind, and she was soaked from head to toe. 'She must be freezing and not even realize it it.' "Alright, I'll fight to survive." he grabbed her wand and taking hold of her he lowered his lips gently down to hers.

When Carina opened her eyes she was standing in her 'hot spring' and Severus had handed the wand back and was walking away from her. "Wait! You can't go back! Come back with me, to the Order!" She pleaded.

"No I really don't think that I should return to the Order yet, I think I have something left to do among the Death Eaters." He turned and looked down to her and seeing the fear in her blue eyes he bent his forehead and rested it against hers closing his eyes he whispered, "I promise, not to lose faith again."

She raised her lips to meet his and she kissed him quite tenderly despite the nerves fluttering in her stomach. "I'll see you later?" she asked letting her eyes plead with his black ones.

"Yes, I believe you will, soon." He smiled slightly and presumed walking back to the camp he had left hours ago, he felt like a brand new person when he laid down on his cot that night. He had hope.

Carina stood in the shallow water watching the black figure walking away.

"So, thats where you went."

Carina turned quick as lighting and saw Remus leaning against a tree behind her, and Lachlin ventured out in the water to greet her with 'kisses'.

"He caught me off guard, and apparated me to, I think the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. He scared me Remus." she looked down at Lachlin and then began to scratch behind his ears.

"Yes, I would imagine that would scare me too, being grabbed and having someone apparate away with me. In fact seeing it happen to you scared me, even though I could smell it was him."

"No, I mean, yes that did scare me, but his actions and his words terrified me, he is so changed and altered from the man I knew. I think being stuck among Death Eaters is killing him."

A/N Wow! It's been a huge week for me! I mean huge! I finished up my school, I needed too and I feel so relieved that it's done and over, and yet so scared about the future I could retch at any sec, my stomach is practically jumping! This is all a really long way of saying I was majorly busy this week and couldn't finish this chapter. forgive me!

And a big point in this chapter is Severus calling her a women instead of a girl. Lately only myself and Carina have referred to her as a women almost every one else has persisted in calling her a girl. But she is coming into her own and people are taking notice.

Depjunk- Typos-smipos, okay your right, I will try to do better! I'm sorry!hangs head in shame Thanks for your reviews.

maraudergirl02- heh, bet you loved that cliffy didn't ya! So good to have Severus back isn't it!!!

MioneRocks- Sadly he will have to face the Order another day, because it would ruin a whole huge, awesome plan I have. But i really really wanted him to be able to, I wish I could save them from some of the pain, but the plot bunny won't allow it.

Thanks everyone for sticking with the story, I know I'm sucking lately but I swear I'm trying so hard.