Disclaimer: Everything belongs to James Cameron except for my OC, Darya.

Chapter 6

"Come on, we can go back the way we came and look for another way out." Carl pressed. I looked down the ledge to find a whirlpool of sorts and an opening down below, on the other side. How the hell were we going to get there without getting into the water?

"There is no way back. It's forward or nowhere." Frank argued.

"Well, then lets swim across. That's the only solution we have to get across." Victoria reasoned.

"Vic, we can't." I said.

"It's a meat grinder down there. There is no way you can swim in a meat grinder. We need to get to that opening." Frank said looking at the opening across from us.

"Dad, I can make it." Josh stated and my eyes widened. There had to be another way to get across without having any one risk their life like that.

"No way! No chance." Frank wouldn't have it.

"But Dad-

"Come on Frank, he's the best climber there is. He's the only one we can rely on to get there safely." Carl argued.

"Yeah, Frank. Let the kid do it." Victoria pressed.

"No way! My son will not be endangering his life like that. I'll do it." I knew he cared, even if he never showed it.

"Dad! You know me better than that and you know I can make it there in my sleep. This is our only way out. Trust me Dad. Please."

"Fine." With that Frank started tying a rope around Josh and securing the harness. He turned towards us, "After Josh secures the line, Darya will go next and then the rest us will follow. Got it?" We just nodded. "Good luck, son." He patted his shoulder and gave Josh space so that he could easily climb down the ledge.

Before he could go down I called out to him, "Josh!" He turned around only to have me wrap my arms around him. He returned the hug and held me tight, "You be careful, okay?"

He whispered in my ear, his warm breath sending shivers down my back, making my neck hair stand up, "Hey! I kept you a promise, remember?" I gave him a smile and let go.

He climbed down slowly, testing the wall for steady footing. His breathing was getting heavy and I was getting agitated. "Here, let me do that." I said to Victoria and started warming up her hands. I was too scared to look but I needed to know he was okay.

Even though Josh had clipped himself on the other side, his fall would be dangerous. Chances looked slim and him scaling the wall like that, when the meat grinder was only inches below, scared the shit out of me. Victoria squeezed my hand and I looked up at her, "Hey, it'll be okay." She whispered and I just nodded feebly.

"Hey, give me some light! I'm going to have to improvise this last bit!" I heard Josh shout and I promptly closed my eyes. Please tell me he wasn't going to jump.

"Alright, I won't tell you." Joked Victoria. Shit, had I just said that out loud.

"Distract me please." I whispered at Vic pleadingly. She just smiled and nodded.

"So, I saw what happened earlier. Getting close are we?" Great, this was a bad idea.

"Honestly Vic, there is a time and place for everything." I whispered fiercely and turned over to look at Josh.

"Yes!" I screamed. Thank God he was okay and Thank God he had made it across.

"You good?" Frank smiled at him.

Josh smiled in my direction, "Yeah, we're good."

"Good!" Frank's smile showed how proud he was of Josh, "Good boy." He whispered. He climbed down to the ledge directly below and made a line in order to transport the rebreathers from one side to the other. "Darya! You're up."

I kept whispering to myself the whole way through 'Don't look down'. When I finally reached the other side, Josh quickly made a grab to steady me and pull me up, "Hey, I got you." With me securely seated next to Josh, Frank pulled back along the line to get the next person moving along.

"You scared the crap out of me." I whispered fiercely to Josh and hit him on the arm.

He just laughed, "Honestly, was that supposed to hurt?"

Soon enough we were joined by Carl. Victoria was to go next and Frank last. "Are you okay?" Carl shouted across to Vic. Her hands were freezing and it was going to prove to be difficult for her to get across but she could do it.

"Get that light of her face!" Frank shouted, which was followed by an ear-piercing scream.

"Oh, fuck! It's her hair! It's stuck! She's hanging by her hair!" I screamed as Vic screamed in agony.

"Help me! Argh! Help!" She screamed and cried.

"Frank do something!" Carl shouted. Josh on the other hand was half way across towards Vic.

"Victoria, don't move. Josh! Get back! It won't hold!" Frank shouted. Victoria unhooked her helmet and let it fall, but her hair still remained stuck on the rack.

"Baby! It's going to be okay!" Frank shouted.

"Victoria! You need to get a foothold! Transfer your weight onto that!" I screamed.

"I can't get a hold!" She screamed which soon followed by her cries of pain. Carl was getting agitated and screaming.

"I'm coming up and getting you!" Josh shouted, as he got to the other side.

"Enough! You are staying here. We need to think of a plan." Frank ordered. "Victoria! I know you're in a lot of pain but do nothing! Nothing till I can get a rope up to you!" Frank shouted.

"I'm going to cut my hair free!" Victoria shouted.

The situation dawned on me and I shouted, "Vic! No! Don't use your knife!"

"Victoria don't use your knife near the rope!" Frank shouted.

"Get up to her!" I heard Josh shout.

"Vic! Don't do it!" I shouted.

"Christ!" Carl shouted.

"Aah!" Victoria fell; the rope broke her fall but didn't hold her weight.

"Jesus Christ!" Carl shouted. I was scared that he would push himself off the ledge by the way he was moving, I wrapped my arms around him to keep him steady. Tears were rolling down my face, but my hands were too occupied to wipe them away. A sob broke out, as I tried to keep a lock on Carl's flailing hands.

"We need to keep moving." Frank said as he completed the rope he was making. Josh's face was stoic and Carl was seething. I pulled my legs to my chest and rested my head on my arms. "Josh." Frank called out but Josh didn't answer. The tears were still streaming down my face. "Josh." Frank looked up to his son. "Look Victoria made her own choices. She chose to come down here with no experience. She chose not to wear the wetsuit. She chose to use the knife." Bad choice of words, Frank I thought as I looked over to Carl. He had turned to look at Frank, his face showing anger. "That is three prospects against the one that could have killed her. It's better than nothing. Look, there is only one rebreather left and we'll have to buddy breathe out of here."

"You heartless bastard. Have you no decency." The tears were streaming down Carl's face too as I looked towards him. His eyes were red with the tears.

"We can mourn her in the daylight, but right now we have to move on." I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing and control my tears.

"How did you turn out like this?" Josh asked quietly.

"Look Josh, I know I've been anything but a father to you. I'm not good at it and that's just a fact." The tears started streaming down faster I started thinking about my own family, how I might never see them again. I covered my face with my hands to silence the sobs that were escaping my mouth. "It's not easy. I could never be what your mother needed, or what you needed."

"Why?" Josh whispered. His voice broke, "Why caves?"

"Josh, down here I'm my own judge. I can be whoever I want to be. I can make sense of the world down here. You know what I mean?" Frank replied.

Josh broke down and started crying, "I don't want to die dad. I don't want to die down here." I removed my hands from my face to find both father and son hugging each other. I wiped away my tears and exhaled. My eyes stung from all the crying and I was sure I looked a right mess.

"Let's get moving." I said from my place, as I got up. Josh had been strong for me throughout, I had to be strong and determined for him too, even if I was going through the same thing as him.

The water was hardly knee deep, but the current was still strong in the cave. Carl led the way this time and we followed behind. Suddenly, my breathing became laboured and I hunched over the side, holding onto the wall for support. I started taking big lungful of air. Shit! I wasn't supposed to get an attack. Why the hell was this happening now?

Frank and Josh came over to me, "Hey, Darya. You need to relax for me. Can you do that? Come on relax for me." Frank said to me calmly. "Breathe slowly and steadily. You are not running out of air. Come on you can do it. Josh, rub her back slowly." I felt Josh's hands on my back slowly rubbing circles. "Darya, in and out. In and out." Tears started falling down my cheeks again as I followed Frank's orders. Slowly but surely my breathing evened out. "Ssh. See, everything's okay now." Frank smiled and wiped away my tears. "Josh walk with her." With that Frank trudged after Carl. I had to admit that my uncle didn't really care about anything at the moment, not even his own blood.

I leaned into Josh and kept my head on his shoulder. He held my hand and placed his other hand around my shoulder to steady me. "I'm sorry." I whispered, my eyes closed and I took in Josh's smell. It calmed me down further.

"Hey! What are you sorry about?" Josh whispered back.

"Everything, I guess. Slowing you guys down and stuff."

Josh turned me so I was facing him. "Listen to me. I don't want to hear this again. Do you hear me? Nothing is your fault."

"Of course it is. I'm just a burden now."

"Dar, don't. You know what I'm happy about. Even though I'm upset that you didn't listen to me and go back when you could, I'm happy that you came on this trip."

"What?" I looked up at him, confused as to what my ears were hearing. Did he just say he was glad to have met me?

"Yeah. I would've never have met you if you never came on this trip. God! You don't even realize it but you're the reason why I haven't given up. Why I want to get us out of here." I searched his eyes for the truth and all I found was determination and something that shocked me, adoration. His eyes shifted from my eyes to my lips and back again. His hands rested on my shoulders and gave them a squeeze. "So, that when we get out, I can actually ask you out." He whispered and that's all I needed to close the gap between us. His hands came to rest on my cheeks instead and I smiled into the kiss. While the situation didn't count for it, the moment did. My fingers treaded through his hair and he pulled my body flush to his. His lips were soft against mine and I wanted this moment to last forever.

Eventually, after what seemed like eternity we broke apart and Josh rested his head against mine and smiled, "I wish the circumstances were different, but I wouldn't change whatever happened for the world." He placed one last lingering kiss on my temple, "Come on lets go." I weaved my fingers through his and we walked hand in hand.

"Jesus Christ, dead end again." Carl said tiredly. Josh and I came to stand next to Frank and Carl, as they looked on to the pool of water before us.

"Okay, this is what we're going to do. We'll rest up here for a while, and then I'll take the last rebreather and see where she goes. I'll come back to take you Josh, then Darya and then later you Carl. Okay?" Frank said, seating himself and stretching his legs. I went and sat near him and Josh plopped down beside me.

"Sure Frank, whatever you say." Carl said before he dove in the water.

I turned to speak to Frank when Josh shouted, "Dad! Carl's taken the rebreather." I got to my feet and ran to the edge.

"What's he doing?" I asked.

"Shit. He won't come back." Josh said, looking at me then Frank.

"Son of a bitch." Was all Frank said before he dove after Carl.

"Fuck. Come on. Come on!" Josh whispered.

"How could he do this?" I walked up and down the edge. "How could he leave his own niece behind? What the fuck is wrong with him!" I shouted in frustration. "How could he leave us all to die?"

Frank's head appeared out of the water. "Dad," Josh said before he and i went to help Frank out of the water.