Chapter 7
They all ran back inside the ship as it took off, following Dorian through the sea. They walked into the conference room to see two small lights across a map.
"That is us." said Nemo. "That is the Nautiloid. We will be upon them soon."
Layla sat down in a chair, away from everyone else. She hung her head in her hands willed her headache to go away. Sawyer walked up to her and crouched down in front of her.
"You okay?" he asked her.
"I just have a bit of a headache is all. Nothing to worry about." she said.
Sawyer nodded.
"And what about you?" she asked, running her fingertip across the cut on his head. "Are you all right?"
"I'll be fine." he said.
Soon there was a high-pitched sound, wavering through the air. Everyone looked around alarmed to try and see what it was.
"Nemo?" asked Allan.
"It's nothing of mine." he replied.
A man walked in with an envelope and handed it to Nemo.
"Captain, the noise came from this." said the man.
"A recording disc?" asked Nemo.
He pulled it out and placed it on the record player. M's voice came across the record, along with Dorian's. Everyone listened intently when Henry seemed to flinch.
"Are you all right?" asked Mina.
"My ears hurt. It's nothing." said Henry.
M continued to speak of misdirection, the assassins, the conference, the league, everything was a hoax.
"He likes the sound of his own voice, doesn't he?" asked Sawyer.
The sound of M's voice came to and end as he mentioned bombs. Nemo through the record player to the ground, and moments after that, the ship erupted, parts exploding, causing everyone to fall to the ground.
Layla fell, smashing her head against the dining table. She slid to the wall, blood pouring from her head.
Everyone ran towards the control room, while she lay, crumpled in a corner.
Everyone ran inside the control room, Nemo demanding they close off one of the bulkheads so water wouldn't sink them.
Henry left to go and open the vents so the water would drain and the ship would surface. The ship surfaced soon after and sat floating in the middle of the ocean.
Everyone went back to the conference room to put things back in order. They put back the tables and chairs and sat up the pedestals.
Henry walked back in, and everyone gave him a congratulatory smile.
"Let's not make a saint out of a sinner. Next time I may not be so helpful." said Henry. "Can we, uh, still follow Gray?"
The men were busy trying to put together the tracking device.
"Well we were the faster, but now we're the tortoise to his hare." said Allan.
"So we're done?" asked Henry.
"No. We're alive." said Sawyer. "If M has any idea to the contrary, that gives us an edge."
"Has anyone seen my daughter?" asked Allan.
"Not since the bomb exploded." said Henry.
Everyone began to panic and went in search of her. They spread about the ship, looking for her, but she was nowhere to be found.
A man who sought out Nemo came running towards him.
"We're getting a signal." he said.
Everyone who was around him, which were Allan, Henry, and Mina went with Nemo. As Sawyer ran from the room, he heard a soft groan to his right.
"Oh my God." he said.
He ran over the corner and threw off a table that was piled on top of Layla. She had a massive head wound, and her eyes were only open slightly.
"Layla? Are you all right? Talk to me." demanded Sawyer.
"My head bloody hurts if that's what you want to hear." she mumbled.
"Oh thank God." he said. "Come on, let's get you up."
He picked Layla up and stood her on her feet, but once she stood, her knees gave in. Sawyer caught her before she hit the ground.
"All right. Come on." he said.
He hoisted her up into his arms and carried he towards the others. They made it just as the sailor said something oddly familiar.
"Morse Code." said Allan.
"What's it say?" asked Mina.
"Hello, my freaky darlings." said the sailor.
"Skinner?" mumbled Layla.
Everyone turned to see her wrapped up in Skinner's arms.
"Layla." whispered her father as he checked her over. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine dad." she said.
"Uh, hiding on board little fish with Gray and M." said the sailor. "On way to base, east by northeast. Follow my lead." finished the sailor.
"All right. Let's get this ship back in business." said Allan.
Nemo got all of his sailors together and told them what to do. Sawyer took Layla to her room and laid her on the bed.
"You okay?" he asked her as she wavered a bit.
"Fine. Just lost a bit too much blood is all. Go on, I'll be fine." she said.
"Let me clean your head first." said Sawyer.
"I can do it, really. Just go and help the ship." she said.
"No. Quite being stubborn. I'm gonna fix you up first all right. And no arguments!" he said.
Layla shut her mouth because she was too tired to argue. Sawyer grabbed some water and a cloth and proceeded to wipe away the dried blood on her head. He wiped it with some alcohol and covered her head with a bandage. She had passed out moment earlier when Sawyer applied the alcohol. He pulled up the covers to her shoulders and gave her a kiss on the temple. He shut off the light and closed her door.
Nemo was plotting points on his map, while Henry and Mina helped the injured. Sawyer was down below helping with tools and making sure the gauges worked fine.
"Good work." said Allan. "All of you. Captain."
Nemo nodded at everyone in the control room.
"All ahead, full!" commanded Nemo.
The ship roared to life and was soon gliding through the waters again. Allan went to Layla's room and knocked.
"Come in." said a weak voice.
"Hello, love." he said.
"Hello dad." she said.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, sitting next to her on the bed.
"Better. I can actually stand on my own now. No more feeling woozy. Although I still can't walk yet." she laughed.
"Listen, I want to apologize." said Allan.
"For what?" she asked.
"For all the years I shut you out. It wasn't only you that suffered. He was after all your husband, not mine." said Allan.
Layla laughed a bit through the tears that began to build up.
"He made me promise something, when he was lying in my arms. He made me promise that, whatever happened, I would make sure that you were always happy, no matter what. And I hate to admit that I broke that promise."
"Oh dad no you didn't." she said.
"Yes I did. For years I saw your lifeless brown eyes looking at me, begging me to let you in, to tell you my pain, but also begging me to hear your pain, and I never did. You stopped smiling, stopped laughing, stopped making crude comments, save for a few. And I missed that. You were my only daughter, and I hate myself for doing this to you. I should have never brought him along, got him into this."
"Dad it was inevitable. He would have found out about it sooner or later and he would have joined no matter what you did." she said.
"Yes, but I feel as if I hadn't of trained him, he would still be hear today, and that you wouldn't be blaming me for his death."
"Dad I don't blame you. Not in the least. If you wouldn't have trained him than I would. Nobody is to blame except for the thing that killed him. Not once have I ever blamed you, all I ever wanted was for you to open up to me. We used to be able to tell each other anything. Now I feel as if I can barely tell you that I have feelings for Sawyer, and-"
"What?" said Allan.
"Did I just say that? That's not what I meant. You know ever since I banged my head I have been saying a lot lately that I don't mean." said Layla.
"Layla I am not an idiot. I am your father. I see things you may think I don't, and I see that you have stars in your eyes for Sawyer." he said.
"You haven't said that in a long time." she said.
"Well it's the first time I've seen stars in your eyes. I've seen how you laugh with him and talk with him, and bicker. He brings out the part of you that has been held up inside for so many years, and I am happy because of that." he said.
"So you wouldn't mind if,"
"I wouldn't mind in the least. One of us has to move on, and it seems you have, many years ago, I was just to blinded to notice." said Allan.
"Thanks dad. I love you."
"I love you too." he said and gave her a hug.
"Now, let's see if we can get you walking again. Come, we must go and have a chat with Nemo."
He helped Layla out of bed and helped her walk to the conference room. She was doing very well for herself, and could almost walk on her own when they arrived in the room. Layla sat down in a chair, not to far from Sawyer.
"Sorry we're late. I had to get the tortoise." laughed Allan, along with everyone else.
"Funny." said Layla.
"Now, if Skinner's headings are correct, we will pass through the treacherous Straits of Tartay, and enter the Amur River which empties out into the frozen lakes of Mongolia, virtually inaccessible to outsiders."
"When will we be there?" asked Allan.
"In a few days I'd imagine." replied Nemo.
"Very well." said Allan.
Everyone left to go and do their own things, while Layla stood and slowly walked towards the upper deck. She went to turn the handle but wasn't strong enough yet.
"Here, allow me." said Sawyer from behind her.
"Well, you sure are a handy kind of guy." said Layla.
"I like to think so." he replied.
"I'll bet." she said.
Slowly she climbed to the top, and breathed in the fresh air as she strode towards the railing.
"It's so beautiful out here. I've been needing fresh air for awhile." she said.
"Yea, I'd imagine." said Sawyer. "So, how'd it go with your father?"
"It went well. A lot of things were forgiven and other things accepted." she said.
"What was accepted?" asked Sawyer.
"You were standing outside the whole time. I think you know." she said with a smile.
"Busted." he said.
"Immensely busted." she said.
"Sorry." he said.
"Don't be. I'm not. I'm glad you heard what I said. Saves me from trying to say it again in the future." she smiled.
"Layla, I'm glad your father accepted, but are you all right with this?" he asked, getting dangerously close to her.
"I'm perfectly fine with it." she said.
"Me too." he said.
He kissed her. Lips met lips in a long awaited passionate kiss. Finally, they both had given in to their demons and accepted what had become of them.
He pulled away when the door was opened and Nemo stepped out.
"Excuse me, but we will be diving soon." said Nemo.
"Thanks." said Sawyer.
Nemo nodded and left, leaving them alone again.
"Wow." said Sawyer.
"Yea." she replied.
"Come on, I don't want to drown to death." said Sawyer.
"Me either." she said.
They both walked inside and shut the door, just as the ship began to descend.
Another chapter for everyone! Please review and let me know what you think!