I am so sorry for the long wait, but anyway, here is the next chapter! :D

Have fun!

Chapter 3: Way Too Late To Let Go

"Rico!" He called over the sea as he saw his sailor disappearing in the black, high waves of the wild sea. The ship still moved violently over the waves, but thanks to Rico's success to cut the mainsail, it was less than before. Still, the men had to hold on tightly to the mast and the railing to not follow Rico into the depths of the dark sea, the monster with only a devouring mouth. Skipper managed to get hold of some of the ropes which were attached to the mast to hold one of the sails in place. Still, he searched the waters for a sign of life, only a glimpse of a head, hand, foot, Skipper didn't care what it would be, as long as it was something.

Her head turned towards him for a second and she looked at him. Her eyes seemed the only living things in her mask of faked happiness. Was he the only one seeing the anxiety and despair in her eyes? The fear of her life changing forever and to never come back... Was he the only one?

Skipper waited for a second, still holding on to the rope. Then he suddenly moved and started to run from railing to railing. "Rico!" He yelled over and over again, while searching the sea for his friend. Even though the ship still moved violently and swept him often of his feet. Soon, Kowalski and Private joined him. Together they seemed to search every inch of the visible sea, but the waves were too high and they had dragged the ship already far away...

"It's alright, everything is alright." He didn't have the guts to tell it, not even now. And if he would tell her... Could she listen to him? He wasn't crazy, he knew perfectly well that she wouldn't and couldn't even hear him. Not anymore. His tears fell down on her fragile body. His warm and big hands enclosed her thin and cold ones. "Alright..."

His navigator turned towards him. His eyes were filled with large and salty tears and even though the captain knew that it wasn't because of the drops of salty sea water flying around the ship, or the wind playing with the waves of the sea, his heart still denied every possibility that he had lost his sailor. Maybe it was all a lie... His tears, the storm, the sea, the wedding. Lies. Let it all be lies. Nightmares, everything besides the reality, the truth. It just doesn't exist, everything and anything. He would wake up again in a safe and warm bed, in the middle of New York City. Not on a ship on a wild sea.

He hadn't seen her for months. The new happy husband had almost tied her to the house, like a puppy on a lease. She was not allowed to see anyone, especially men without his majesty's approval. She always had to stay in his boundaries, one step out of his sight would raise a tornado. Was that love? She was so thin... Her skin so pale... Unhealthy and unlucky was her appearance. "I am worried about you..." He said, piercing with his sapphire blue eyes into her brown ones. "There is nothing to be worried about, trust me." She said in a voice that almost sounded like her own, if it wasn't so breakable, so thin. Hiding the lies, lying. All lies.

His large hands grabbed the shoulders of the man in front of him. He shook him roughly so that even Kowalski's feet came lose from the wooden deck. "You are lying! It can't, it just can't!" His rough voice yelled over the sound of the rushing sea, mingled with the upcoming sound of the screaming from hungry birds and the sounds of the waves breaking against the ship. The navigator just looked at him, right in his eyes, it felt like he looked right into his soul... His heart. "It can't be..." He said as he sunk back against the railing of Marlene. As if somebody stabbed him with a large knife right into his heart and poured it around and around. 'Come on, Skipper! Snap out of this! It is not the first time you lose somebody... He was just a sailor...' He tried to reason with himself, but already knew that he was lying to himself. Rico had been more than just a sailor, he had been a friend, family. They had lived all together on Marlene, all because of the same reason and under the same agreements. Silence.

Her silent form lay on the table as if she was Sleeping Beauty waiting for her prince. He slowly touched her cold hands and bended towards her body. His face was so close to hers... Almost... But he couldn't. She was still his possession. 'Until the death you part...'

He looked up at his navigator, who was kneeling down in front of him. "Skipper! We need you! Get out of this!" Kowalski yelled in his face. It was as if they were parted to a thick curtain made all of fog. Kowalski's words took ages to reach him and even then, they didn't had the impact they should have had. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, his vision became blurred and he had problems deciding whether it was from his manly tears or from the fact he was shielding himself for the outside world. Kowalski's hand seemed to slowly make his way to his face.

It was over. The king had fallen from his golden throne. His company hadn't survived an economic war, his money was all gone. They had lost everything. Their money, their house, their car... Even their love? It broke him down to read it all in the paper, why hadn't she told him face-to-face?

Skipper ran his hand over the burning red mark of his face. The air seemed salty and moving, the waves were high, and everything seemed to speed up around him. His navigator stood right in front of him, still with his hand lifted and he was looking at it in disbelief. The boy seemed to dash into the picture from out of nowhere. "The ship! The ship! Shouldn't we do something about the ship?" The voice of Private was drenched in fear, his eyes were wide and he seemed to be the only one to understand the importance of the matter to regain full control of the ship again... Even though they had lost a sailor, friend or member of their special little family.

Even now she couldn't object anymore, he would still appreciate her choses... Even though they weren't smart... Even though they weren't reasonable. He moved away from her pale and gray-like face and sat back in the chair besides the table. "It's time, sir." A voice called out from behind him. 'Is it time to let go?' He asked himself. As he stood up and silently looked over her body for a last time.

He got up and immediately came into action. He had to keep the ship as straight up as possible, he yelled commands to the two sailors who were left on his deck. He normally would command them in a lower and softer voice, but the sea was making too much noisy and he even had to admit it, he was a little scared by its great force. Scared of the great power in its waves.

He could have helped her. Get her back up, lend her a hand. But he had left her, scared for what he would see, what he would have to fight. And all that was left was regret as he saw the paper laying on the table in front of him. Everything she had, all gone. He was too late, way too late.

I would like to thank you for reading :)