Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet

Old Friends

For StoryWriterOfTheYear2013

"Miss Richardson." Cassandra turned round to find herself face to face with Miss Henderson. She gave her a polite smile and curtseyed. "You didn't inform me that you would have a visitor today. In fact you told me quite the opposite."

Cassandra blinked. "Miss Henderson, I'm not sure I understand."

Miss Henderson smiled stiffly. "Well, a friend of your fathers, or so he claims asks to see you. You should probably go see to them considering it would be incredibly rude to allow them to continue waiting. They're by the window in the reading corner."

Cassandra curtseyed before Miss Henderson left but she didn't seem to acknowledge her pleasantries. She sighed and turned to her friends.

"Is there nothing I can't do that won't anger that woman." She muttered venomously.

"She doesn't like me either, darling. It's because we're unconventional. Non-conformists." Selina explained.

Cassandra sighed again. "Well I better go see who this is. It'll probably be something planted by Aurelia for all I know."

"Probably." Sophia replied.

As they swam through the sea of aristocrats, merchants and captains Cassandra felt her heart thud with anticipation. She never thought that anyone would come to see her. Her brothers made it clear that they were unable to come and there was no one else she could think of other than...No. It couldn't be them. They would never find the time to come to see her. Helen would be too busy with her studies and she made it pretty clear to James that he didn't need to worry or concern himself with her. However when she walked round the corner there they were sitting by the window.

James was reading the paper, obviously politics and news of the world was going to become a huge part of his life. Cassandra's shocked expression soon faded into an affectionate smile. The paper probably bored him since he came across as someone more concerned about engines than aristocracy. She was surprised that there would be ones to offer here at the Academy unless they brought them in especially. He should've been warned that they would be two years old. It wouldn't be heartbreaking for him though, he would be using them to pass the time. Helen was looking out the window probably worrying over whether Cassandra would be even coming. Or she may be preoccupied with thoughts about her studies. That was far more likely. Then again they wouldn't have to worry about that if they didn't give them their names.

Jim looked up, his eyes widened at the transformation Cassandra had made over the few months at being a finishing school.

"Miss Richardson." He greeted formally, getting to his feet and bowing.

He stared at her for goodness how long. She was almost beginning to wonder whether people would start talking. She glanced around and wondered if anyone was watching them. The one thing she would hate more than Selina bothering her about it all week was Aurelia Felnela finding out. She knew that it was more likely she was going to twist around what she saw and she would make it Hell for both of them. She was like that. She had heard about another girl called Valerie Hale who had been caught with the gardener's son when Cassandra saw that he was just handing him something that she had dropped. Not only was she sent away but the entire family was dismissed with the replacement gardener being creepier than his predecessor. She shook her head knowing that this wasn't the time to be going off somewhere else. James Hawkins was here...He hurriedly took her hand and kissed it. Her heart almost leapt out of her chest and she was tempted to put her hand to where her heart may be but her other arm seemed to be glued to her side. She smiled appreciatively and nodded. Her heart began to feel like it was on fire. No. It wasn't that extreme. It felt like a candle which had been re-lit after months and months of being unused. Her cheeks turned from a pale white to a rosy pink. Selina noticed this and glanced at the young man knowingly. Jim was about to open his mouth to answer her but was interrupted by Helen.

"Cassandra!" The mousey looking girl threw her arms around Cassandra who hugged her back tightly. "I've missed you so much. I'm sorry I didn't write to you more I haven't had time."

"It's alright, Helen. I have more time. I have more time to waste than you do." She glanced at Selina and remembered herself.

"Hopefully you might be referring to me as Captain, soon enough. I still haven't achieved that officially yet. But give a few more years and I might be able to run my own ship."

"I hope the voyage with my father-" Then Cassandra stopped herself. She glanced at Selina self-consciously who got the message and excused herself.

"Miss Richardson?" She looked up and saw Jim staring down at her with a concerned expression on his face.

"I was just hoping that the incident of the voyage with my father didn't damage your reputation." She whispered.

Jim drew back with a ghost of a smile on his face. "Is that what concerns you most? Not that your father died as a result of my lack of experience?"

"Mr Hawkins I have never blamed you for my father's death." She reasoned.

"Cassandra." Helen begged. "Please. Mr Hawkins didn't mean that."

"Or that you've confined yourself to an institution such as this and still you refuse any assistance because of your pride."

His voice was rising from a sharp hiss to a roar where Helen knew that the only action to take was to find Miss Gondola.

"I am not being proud I am simply being practical. I have explained to you why I am doing this." She snapped.

"Yet you insist on going alone!" He cried. "Why can't you just let me help you?"

"Why do you insist that you help me?"

"Because I care about you!" The words dug into her like a sharp knife. It hit her with the same velocity as an asteroid hitting a planet. "Is that so hard to believe or even accept?"

She stepped back and looked like she was going to cry and run in the opposite direction. "I only asked you to-"

She closed her eyes and tried to reclaim the words that she was going to use. She wanted to find them again. She had to think about it. She didn't want to have to think about it today. She thought that she would never have to see him again for a while. There was a part of her which was glad when he promised her that he would look after Helen and only Helen. She hoped that she would never have to see him again otherwise she wouldn't have to confront these confusing emotions again. She didn't feel like herself when she was around him. She felt like her stomach was eating itself. Her head felt like it was going static. Her face felt like it had been set on fire. She tried to collect her thoughts again and search for the words she was going to say. She stopped knowing that it was futile. She knew there was no way she was going to be able to say anything that would change his mind. She wasn't going to carry on begging him to only help Helen. She knew that if she carried on doing that this argument would never cease to end. She would carry on refusing his help and with time he may give up. However she had a feeling that Mr Hawkins was a stubborn young man.

"I suppose my words would be wasted in reminding you in the promise I made you swear to. I just want to know why you insist on breaking it."

"I told you its because I care about you."

"But you hardly know me!"

Jim closed his eyes and waited until he calmed down before talking to her again. "Like I said. It's simply because I care about you. From that day I first saw you as a child to this moment its simply because I care about you."

"How can someone care about another who they've only known collectively for a little while?" She thought out loud.

"Do you care for me at all?" He asked quietly. "Is this what the problem is? Do you even have a thought for me?"

"Do you think I haven't thought about you? Surely it's clear that isn't the case. Did my words about your reputation mean nothing to you? Because if that's the case you're hiding it very well for them to make you angry. I have thought about you on several occasions, if I am forced to speak honesty."

"I'd prefer it."

She shook her head and was about to march away but Jim grabbed her arm roughly. "I haven't finished."

"I have." She snapped but was unable to prize herself away from his hold. "Let me go, sir."

He shook his head. "No. I need you to answer me fully.' He leaned his face close to hers. 'Do you care for me at all?"

"Yes. Alright?" She replied explosively. "Is that a good enough answer?"

"Then why are you so angry with me?" He demanded. "When I am simply offering you some help and you insist on being independent. I can financially support you while you study-"

"No you can't. I can when I turn eighteen. But until then I will remain here. It's my prison but also my sanctuary."

She blinked at her self wondering why she said such a thing. Even hearing herself say that aloud sounded ridiculous. How could a place like this be remotely like a sanctuary. Especially for someone like her. She was able to pull her arm out of his grip and walked away from him without looking back. She knew that this was going to be the only way for him to get the message. She didn't want anything more to do with him. Or that was what she had to get him to think. She had stop him from pursuing her any further. That night while she brushed her hair before bed Cassandra began to recount the events of the day however it always fast forwarded to the conversation she had with Mr Hawkins. She shook her head wanting to banish those few minutes from her thoughts. Never had she thought that Mr Hawkins could stir up such passionate emotions from within her. She never thought any man would be able to do that.

"Who was the young man you were talking to, Cassandra?" Diana asked looking up from her book.

Cassandra glanced at her friend and shrugged. "Just an old family friend."

~ (***) ~

Marianne sighed and walked out of the grounds taking off her hat. She was sweating underneath the ridiculous feathery thing, Reed's wife could have it back. She didn't want it in the first place but she thought that she would look very refined in it. It was probably their most expensive possession but even then it looked like a ratty little thing. It looked like something which had been sold to her for their weeks wages (which wasn't a lot) by some old woman with a bad back pulling something along.

She thought that no one had followed her but it seemed like an old friend was still up to the same tricks...

"Hello old friend."

She sighed and turned around to see herself face to face with Katherina Gondola. "Hello Kathy." She replied in a solemn yet affectionate voice.

They both looked at one another seriously for one silent moment until the other woman broke out into a fit of giggles and ran towards her with her arms wide open. She pulled her into an embrace and laughed.

"Oh my dear, dear friend. How are you? I have not heard from you or anything not since...Well, not since the War."

Marianne patted her old friends hand. "It's better if we don't keep in touch...Considering what I do for a living."

"You're not still doing that? Marianne." She said sternly. "We both know that you can find...more legal ways of finding employment."

"Look who's talking." She retorted.

"I'm just saying...I'm worried about you. After not hearing from you for all these years. Can you not understand that?"

Marianne sighed. "Yes. I'm sorry. I just came here to see..."

"See who?" Then Kathy's eyes widened. "Do you have a daughter in there? Marie, who is it? Tell me."

"No." She replied firmly. "I'm certainly not telling you."

"Oh please. Please tell me. I might even be able to...She doesn't know...Does she? Is that why you're not telling her?"

She chuckled. "I always thought you should take up the mind-reading trade, Kathy."

"So is this what you're going to resort to? Spying outside of her window. Staring at her from a distance? Doesn't she deserve to know?"

"Yes. Yes of course she does...But I made a promise to someone. I can't break that promise, Kathy...Not now and not ever."