Whoa, I pasted the 100 hit mark. Whoa. Thanks everyone! Glad you guys like it! This chapter is dedicated to Ohio-isnt-for-lovers [did I spell that right?] and Ambrelyn. I love reviewers.

This chapter is a sad one :( not that the rest weren't...but...this one is angsty goodness.

BTW: Guys, this is a bit early, but I need some votes: I plan to write Caroline's story for every movie, including when Archie dies. I'm trying to decide whether or not to kill Archie. I tell you, spoiler, if he dies, the story will be sad-but it'll get better!
If he doesn't die.....ding ding...I hear wedding bells and the pitter patter of little feet. ; D

R&R as always please!!

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Caroline's shoes clicked on the wooded floor of the Justinian, making a catchy clicking sound. She drum her fingers against her hip, trying to stay calm. After all, there was a slim chance that Jack's gun would stall.....right? Right?

She had been in his edgy condition since she watched Jack leave earlier for the mainland, staring at her from his boat with dark eyes, making her shudder; then he smirked at her. God, she hated him so much, and that look on his face literally screamed: Watch me blow Snotty's brains out.

Why did he do it anyway? Did he know nothing? Caroline had been battling these questions ever since Horatio had come into the midshipman's berth yesterday night and announced it, the dreaded, foolish, fact; that he had challenged Jack Albert Simpson to duel-with guns-over a game of cards.

The reception had been a bit less then jovial, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Horatio with widened eyed shock-the kind of shock that said: …....I think I had one to many tonight...never mind, I didn't drink. Wait...what?

He had done what? WHAT?

When they had all worn off the shock about two minutes later, they had tried to argue with him; Jack was the best shot on the whole ship, Horatio had ever shot a pistol an anything in his whole life.

Jack aimed better; Horatio would be hard pressed to hit a barn door.

Jack was sly; Horatio was fair.

Jack was going to shoot Horatio right thought the heart and kill him; Horatio wouldn't have to time to press the trigger.

Yet, their arguments were no use, Horatio had his mind made up, and after all, he had already made an oath to be there. Oh, yes, after all; Horatio. He had to much honor, he should just play sick.

And then what? Send Clayton? That boy had gotten himself in deep-very deep.

Clayton didn't say much after that-trying to change Horatio's mind-, he seemed to be in deep thought. Archie and the others had continually tried to convince Horatio of what a bad idea this was. Caroline had just starred at the table and dumbed her fingers, until Horatio took notice of her and Clayton's silence anyway,

"Well, Caroline" He said, his voice sounded tired, but hopeful, "What do you think of all this?"

"Hm, what?" Caroline looked up at him, remembered his question, "What do I think? I think your bloody insane Horatio--!"

Horatio just smiled then moved on to Clayton, not giving Caroline enough time to continue,

"Clayton?"

"Yes? Oh. I think you should have just kept you damn mouth shut, you fool"

Cleveland banged the table, with his hand, "here here!" The other followed with likewise words of agreement.

That night, most everyone had gone to bed early, most probably to prepare for tomorrows death. All except for Caroline and Clayton, who were up on deck. Clayton had talked to her earlier saying that tonight during his watch he needed to ask her something. He sounded terribly anxious and unsure-very unlike the usual Henry Edward Clayton. He was afraid of Jack, of course, but he was never anxious.

So that night, around eleven, she found herself standing on deck of the calm ship; Clayton next to her.

"Whats wrong?" Caroline asked after a somewhat awkward silence, Clayton turned and looked out into the dark water, waves crashing and the smell of salt and cold in the air.

"Caroline....if..if something happened to me...would I be missed?"
She was completely caught off guard from the question, the question, if something happened to me, would I be missed?Was he bloody insane to?
"What?"

"Please, Caroline" He turned to her, staring right into her dark brown eyes with his dark blue ones, "I--I brought you up here to answer the question: Would I be missed?"

"Clayton? Of course you would" She turned over to him, moving closer, "What? You think we'd just forget about you? If no one else missed you, I surly would!" Caroline was standing right in front of him now, she was about half a foot shorter then him; so she had to look up to stare him in the eye.

"What..What if I did something you'd call foolish..and died"

"I'd say what I told Horatio: your bloody insane" There was a hint of laughter in Caroline's voice, it came from the confusion and oddity of the question, "But that IS foolish, your not going to die, right?"

Then Clayton did something that she would never forget, her rapped an arm around her and hugged her.

The action reminded her of things of the past, and she almost pulled away, but there was something about the way he hugged her that made her hug him back. She wasn't sure what. His warm arms grasped around her back, she leaned against him-her good friend, her fellow sailor, someone she trusted with her life. One of the only ones that she did. Caroline closed her eyes, gripping onto his shirt, breathing in the smell of tobacco. Her heart suddenly started to ache.

Clayton help her in the embrace for a while, until he pulled her away and looked her in the eyes, his dark blue piercing her brown once again. Then said quietly,

"I'm proud of you, Caroline, you've become such a wonderful sailor and young woman. I'll never forget you either"
She found his attitude a bit off for him, this was nothing like the Clayton she knew. But somehow, she liked this new one. Even if he did get anxious.

Thats when Archie came up and Clayton sent her to bed, she walked away with a sick feeling in her stomach, and it wasn't from her dinner. About fifteen minute later she fell asleep trying to figure out what that strange conversation was about. What did he mean, If something was to happen to me? Nothing was going to happen to him, he was fine. Archie was fine, Clayton was fine. Horatio was going to die.

No-she wasn't going to think about that now.

And that whole situation was what brought Caroline to be walking down the hall in the Justinian taping her fingers on her hips and her mind running circles around her heart.

When she reached the midshipman's berth, she immediately realized something was amiss. She heard someone breathing, but there was no one in the room. A chill went up her spine as she stepped in; thoughts filled her mind, and a voice too,

Caroline, If-If something happened to me...

"Hello?" She said hesitantly, the floor boards creaked.

Then a moan drifted up from by the table. Caroline slowly walk forward.

"Whose-" She gasped when she saw Horatio's body lying on the floor near the table, curled in a fetal position, a ever so small trickle of blood dripping from his hair. Her heart sped up, her head screaming warning sirens. Oh no.

She slid down next to him.

Would I be missed?

"Horatio!?" Her voice frantic, "Horatio!" She swiftly slapped him on the cheek. He moaned then his eyes fluttered open, his voice was a moan.

"What?".

"Horatio, what..what are you doing?! Your suppose to be-"

Abruptly, Horatio struggled to his feet, wavered for a second, then ran for the door

Caroline got to her feet and staggered after him, skidding on the floor.

"Horatio! What-"

"Its Clayton!"

What...what if I did something you'd call foolish...

God. Please. No this.

Clayton's words ran though her head when it suddenly made sense, everything clicked. Her mind stopped running, and her heart started to scream.

Clayton. This...this can't be happening.

She was maybe five feet behind Horatio as he ran onto the deck and feverishly looked around for someone.

....and died

Caroline watched at he ran over to where Eccleston was standing and quickly saluted,

"Request permission to go ashore, Sir"

"Hornblower, I thought you were ill?"

"Sir?"

I'm proud of you, Caroline

"Mr. Clayton told me that you were ill and that he was going to substitute for you. Kennedy left with him about and hour ago, what the hell-"

You've become such a wonderful sailor and young woman

"Sir, sorry for the interruption, but do I have permission to go ashore. Myself and Miss Finny"

Eccleston looked down at her from the poop deck then sighed, waving Horatio and her away.

"Go on, Mr. Hornblower"

No more then a minute later, Caroline was sitting in a jolly boat with Horatio, men rowing them ashore, she was staring out at the foggy water at the snow falling silently onto it, liquefying as it made contact with the cold waters.

You bloody fool...

…...I'll never forget you either