Back already, weird huh. well basically i wrote the last episode posted it and then immediately started on this one. which is weird cause normally i give myself a day or so to give the creative party of my brain a rest. This episode i thought would be an easy filler episode, with not a happening. then i wrote 3 and half pages, then another and then two more and then finally another two and i was like oh crap i've only written the first half i still have loads to write. so rather than wait for more to come i'm splitting up this episode into two parts (this is part one, in case you didn't reaslise)

i felt i'd kinda neglected Zack, even in episodes where he has important stuff happen the whole Kyle/Cody/Molly storyline was given top billing so this time its gonna be all about Zack. so i hope all you Dylan sSProuse Fans like this

enjoy...

Suite life on deck 2
Back On Board
Episode 10: Second Chances Part 1

The sun was setting as Cody and Kyle walked onto the sky deck. A few seconds before they had walked out of the corridor they had been carefully checking the area as they held hands and had exchanged a final kiss before walking out in front of everybody.

Cody was very nervous about coming out. While Kyle was quite happily identifying as gay, his boyfriend still wasn't sure what he was. Gay, bisexual , bi-curious, being Cody he had spent the previous few weeks researching what he was but he hadn't found anything he felt he properly identified as.

There attempts at dating had been fairly disastrous with constant interruption or last minute cancellations and the lack of places to go without being identified was also hard to come by.

They had both noticed Zack sitting alone by the railings watching the birds as they flew towards the sun, tapping his cane on the side of the deck chair. Cody frowned nervously as they took seats at a table by the hot tub.

"Ky, do you think I should go talk to him?" He asked looking over his shoulder at his older brother.

Kyle peered over at Zack for a few seconds before nodding, "Yeah I think you should."

Cody stood up and smiled nervously at his boyfriend , "Get me a drink while I'm away." he said before turning towards his brother.

Zack turned to face his brother as he approached, "Hey Codes." he said as Cody past him to lean against the rails.

"How's the leg?" he asked trying to sound casual.

Zack peered down at his leg and tapped it gently with the cane. "Still useless Cody, bit like me."

Cody straightened up at his words. "What happened?"

"I had a date tonight." Zack returned grimacing.

"Oh well that's good right?" Cody said trying to sound happy for his brother, who just looked at him with a stony expression. "Not good huh?"

Zack snorted, "Not good would have been an improvement."

"Oh, I'm sorry man," the younger boy said sitting down next to his brother. "Who was it with?"

"Arianna." Zack replied coldly.

"Cody sat down in surprise, "The Russian girl, I thought she hated you after you put the blue bye in the hot tub and she ended up looking like a smurf?"

"She does, she agreed to go on a date with me, to laugh at me." He spat bitterly, "Said my leg was karma for all the people I hurt." He let out a soft sob and wiped his eyes with eh cuff of his hoodie.

Cody moved forward on his eat and squeezed Zack's shoulder, "Dude, I'm sorr…"

"Don't say it, I'm not upset because of what she said, I'm upset because she's right." Zack sobbed dropping his cane and covering his face.

Cody leaned forward and pulled his brother into a hug. Zack took hold of his younger brother and held on tight.

Kyle watched his boyfriend and his twin from a safe distance nursing a drink and stirring Cody's with a straw. He watched as Zack seemed to breakdown and be comforted by Cody. He also watched as his boyfriend looked over his brothers shoulder at him and mouthed the words, "I think he should sit with us."

The brown haired boy immediately shook his head, "No." He mouthed back, Kyle understood why Cody felt he should join them but this was meant to be their night, their time together. It was 3 weeks and a day since they had started going out and the fact they barely got to spend time together really sucked. First they had school, then working separate shifts, not to mention all the interrupted dates that never even started.

When ever they were about to sit down to eat, someone would show up and ask for a favour or for help. If they protested they would hear, "Aww c'mon its not like your on date or anything." And since they were wanting to stay a closet neither he nor Cody could really argue the point.

Cody was still with Zack silently pleading over his shoulder to Kyle who relented, pointing at the drink on the table and Zack before standing up to get one for Zack.

"hey do you want to come sit with me and Kyle? Ky will even get you a drink." Cody said cheerfully.

Zack smiled at his brother, "Sure, thanks." He said reaching down to [pick up his cane and painfully stand up.

The wins sat down just as Kyle returned with the drink for Zack, staring darkly at Zack as he retook his seat between the two brothers. Cody noticed the look he had given his brother and frowned at it.

It was just after midnight when the three teenage boys returned to their cabins. They appeared it have successfully cheered Zack up and were quite giddy after a minor laugh fest had broke out between the three. It was one of those stupid things where no matter who said what it was somehow dirty and sent the boys into fits of laughter.

Zack waved the couple goodnight and disappeared into his cabin as Kyle and Cody entered their own across the corridor. "So do you want to explain what was with the look you were giving Zack?" Cody asked as he shut the door behind them.

Kyle shook his head and busied himself with getting ready for bed as he replied, "No."

Cody stomped over and spun Kyle around, "You could see he was upset." he growled at his boyfriend.

Kyle frowned and took hold of Cody's waist pulling him closer. "Yeah I could and I totally agree that Arianna was completely out of line." Cody smiled slightly rubbing against Kyle and he picked at a bit of fluff on his shirt, "But, this was meant to be our night remember, no interruptions."

The blonde teenager leaned forward into the embrace, "I know, I'm sorry but he's my brother, I couldn't just leave him."

"Don't worry about it babe, I would probably do the same if it was Molly." Kyle whispered, feeling Cody stiffen as he said his sisters name.

Cody quickly composed himself and replied in the same whisper. "Sorry, it still weird you know." he said causing Kyle to hold on tighter and nod before he continued "and never call me babe."

"Why not?" Kyle asked hurt, "It's a term of affection."

Cody pulled away, "Yeah and if you get comfortable with it, you might say it on front of everybody and out us." he said in a worried tone.

They both let go and Cody started to unbuckle his belt as Kyle replied, "Ok." he looked up smiling and then frowned as Kyle added, "babe."

The younger boy laughed at his own joke and jumped out of the way as Cody pulled his belt off and tried to whip him with it. "Just get ready for bed laughing boy."

"Hey, I'm not into that stuff, you never even gave me a safety word." he joked grabbing the belt and wincing as it stung his hand. He then stopped laughing and whined "and if I can't call you babe, then you can't call me laughing boy."

"Whatever." Cody returned half laughing as he shook his head at his boyfriend.

They both gave each other one last kiss before bed and then slipped into their separate beds. Neither boy felt ready for sex and although they had wanted to push the beds together they hadn't as their room was still often visited by their friends and explaining the situation was something they were wanting to avoid for now. They had compromised by pushing their beds closer together so they could hold hands while in bed. Once settled Cody reached out his arm while Kyle did the same taking hold of the others hand. Cody winked and turned off the light.

"Goodnight Babe." Kyle said

"Goodnight Laughing Boy." Cody replied

The next day Zack woke up early, earlier than he normally had in a long time. He tossed and turned in his bed as he tried to get back to sleep when he caught sight of the picture frame he had kept on his bedside table. Taken on the second last day in Greenland, it showed a much happier Zack and Tabitha. He stood behind the dark haired girl his arms around her waist pulling her close. He was sneakily planting a kiss in her cheek and she was blushing leaning back into him holding onto his arms as they held on tight.

Zack sat up quickly rubbing the sleep and tears from his eyes. He ran his hand throw his hair and down his face before resting his head against his knuckles. A sudden grunt from Woody startled him and he sighed looking over at his sleeping friend.

Deciding that he was too awake now to go back to sleep, he swung his left leg out of the bed and painfully pushed the right one to follow it, grimacing as it moved. He stood up shakily and slowly made his way across the room to the bathroom leaning heavily against the wall as he went.

Steam quickly filled the room as the teenage boy turned the shower on. He waited a minute or so taking his boxers and t-shirt off before stepping in and allowing the water to wash the sweat from his body. After a few minutes he grabbed the shower seat and sat down resting his leg. He had asked for it as his leg had a tendency to be very stiff and painful in the mornings. This morning was especially bad after the previous nights escapades.

As the water fell Zack stopped washing his hair and just sat there, the water falling on him. As he sat there he thought about the previous night and his date with Arianna. He had only asked her out because Woody needed a wingman for his date with Addison and Zack didn't want to be a third wheel.

He had fully expected her to say no, as she had made her feeling well known about Zack after the previous years accident on there last date where she ended up blue. But to everyone surprise she just nodded and giggled. This should have been a clue as it was very unlike her to giggle the way she did.. He was just happy he had a date that he didn't think much of it at the time.

It had started out well after the movie Woody and Addison had went back to her cabin, leaving Zack and Arianna to walk across the top deck. Once there Zack asked if they could take a seat his was playing up after all the steps up to the deck.

They took seats on the upper balcony away from the other passengers. Once sitting the mood shifted as the raven haired girl asked, "So is this the new technique?" Zack stared at her his brow crumpling in confusion. "Say your leg is sore and get sympathy?" she added with a strange smile that Zack didn't like.

"No, I really am in pain." Zack exclaimed, hurt by the accusation.

Arianna snorted, "Yeah of course."

Zack slammed his cane across the chair staring down the smirking Russian. "Did you just come on this date to call me a liar?" He asked harshly, gripping the cane tightly.

"No I thought maybe I could get, oh what's the word you would use? A lay, but…" Arianna said standing up and bending over Zack.

"But." he asked swallowing hard still gripping the cane tight enough that his knuckles had turned white.

She took a step back and pulled a small mirror from her pocket checking her make-up before moving back in going right up by the side of Zack's face. "But I don't sleep with cripples." she whispered straight into his ear.

The hand gripping the shaft of the cane let go and it snapped up. The wooden shaft stopped less than an inch from her face. "She immediately jumped back in a panic.

He could hear the mocking tone as she started to laugh, "A cripple and woman beater now." she said letting out another laugh that seemed to stab at him as he shot up and tried to steady himself after he put his weight onto his leg.

He stood stony faced as she took another step back, "Just think of it as karma Zack, for all the girls you've hurt. You being a cripple is punishment for all the girls you ever messed about, even the street rat."

Zack couldn't control himself, he flung himself at Arianna. The things she had said had hurt, but she didn't talk about Tabitha, not like that. The raven haired girl grabbed a chair as he flew through the air at her. She threw it in front of him and he collided with it, dropping to the floor at an awkward angle.

Zack howled in pain. his right leg had taken the worst of the fall and was wrapped around the chair. He pulled the chair from around his leg letting out another howl. Arianna had disappeared, although at that moment he didn't care. Shooting pains were now pulsing through his leg to his brain. He could hear passengers from below shouting at him if he was ok but the pain was to unbearable and he was unable to answer them apart from with some more sounds of agony. After being taken to the sickbay and taking a lot of pain killers, he was escorted to the sky deck where he told the nurse to leave him. He wanted to think.

It was as he sat there that he started to think about what she had said. The cripple taunts had hurt, but it was the things about Tabitha that bothered him the most. Was this karma, he asked himself. Was he being punished for all the stupid things he had done to girls over the year. All the half promises, lies and broken hearts he had left behind when he met Tabitha. The girl who he wanted to always keep his promises to, the one he never lied to, the one who's heart he never wanted to break.

The shower was still running and Zack was starting to think about the same questions from last night when a knock on the door stopped his train of thought. It was Woody needing to use the toilet and Zack quickly finished off and leaving the room wrapped in a towel.

He quickly dried off and dressed checking the clock on his bedside table as he tied the laces on his shoes. It was just after seven and the loud snoring from the bathroom indicated that Woody had fallen asleep on the can again. Rather than wait around he grabbed his cane and stood up. He went to pick up his cell phone next between the clock and photo.

He stood silently looking at the picture, picking it up and carefully stroking Tabitha through the glass. Another round of tears threatened to escape and he quickly dropped the frame into the bedside table drawer. He then grabbed his cell and left the cabin picking up his white hoodie as he went.

The cold air sent a shiver up his spine as it hit him on the open deck. The were a day from port but you could still see the skyline of London in the distance, a selection of greyish outlines and against a lighter greyish sky. He slipped the hoodie on mentally patting himself on the back for remembering it and then mentally kicking himself for picking shorts instead of trousers.

The sun still hadn't risen, although the sky had changed from pitch black to dull grey signalling the approaching sun.

Most of the passengers were still in their cabins most likely sleeping and Zack was very much alone apart from the occasional crew member who gave hammer strange look as they passed (he was known for enjoying long lie ins.)

He eventually found himself back indoor. It was as he passed the ballroom he noticed that the doors had been forced open. He contemplated going to tell a crew member for about half a second before he went inside to look around. The doors onto the deck were ajar and he approached them slowly. He peered around hoping whoever was there wouldn't notice him.

The sun was finally peaking over the horizon and a young girl with long black hair and dark clothes was watching it. She shivered slightly and rubbed her arms with her hands that were covered by the old army shirt she was wearing that was a few sizes too big. He recognised the shoes she was wearing, the ones he had bought for Tabitha after they had left Canada, just after he had first asked her on a date.

He stepped out onto the deck still watching Tabitha cautiously, "Excuse me, but you know your not allowed out here." he started as he got closer, it was the first contact either had with each other since Halloween.

She spun around clutching her chest, "Zack?" she shouted in shock, "Are you trying to give me a heart attack or something?"

"Sorry." he replied joining her at the railings. "You know Moseby will kill us if he catches us out here?"

Tabitha turned away staring out over the water. "I just needed to think."

"What about?" Zack asked resting against the rails.

Tabitha frowned and turned to look at her ex, "What do you think."

"Oh," Zack said stupidly looking down at the floor, "Sorry."

Tabitha backed away from the edge to a bench looking out over the water.

"I am you know." he started joining her on the bench. "I am sorry, for hurting you."

Tabitha nodded.

Zack looked around the deck nervously, "Do you think about us a lot?"

Tabitha turned to look at him unsure of what to say, "e, enough." she said with a slight hitch in her voice.

They both went silent not sure where to go. "How did your date with Arianna go last night?" Tabitha asked suddenly shocking Zack.

She noticed Zack tense up at her name, "I've had better," he said with a bitter laugh. "Wait how did you know I had a date."

"Alison." she said watching Zack's brow furrow in thought and added, "Woody told Alison, who told me. Was it not good then."

He let out another bitter laugh and Tabitha looked shocked as he relayed the story of the previous night for her. He left out the parts about her and him getting hurt. Despite leaving these things out and despite being broken up she still felt a need to comfort him, a feeling she fought against as she added, "What a bitch." to the end of the story.

They could both feel something happening in the conversation and Zack panicked quickly changed the subject with, "Forget about my stuff though, it your birthday on Tuesday. Sixteen years old, that's pretty big."

Tabitha smiled, "Yeah my mums present arrived yesterday, I'm so tempted to open it."

"What are you planning on doing for it?" he asked seeming to be genuinely interested in it.

"Not much," she replied frowning. "Moseby would kill any party in the cabins so I'll probably just hang out with everyone during the day, maybe go see a few film with the girls at night." she said rather sadly

It was Zack's turn to frown and instinctively reached out his hand to touch her leg reassuringly. His hand sat there for a second and they both looked into each others eyes. He could vaguely see her own hand coming to rest on his but before it could she pulled away. She jumped to her feet and started to move towards the door.

"I'm sorry Zack I've got to go." she said frightened as she backed away into the door frame.

Zack went to get up but his leg failed him and he was stuck on the bench.

As she disappeared into the ballroom Zack was finally able to make it to his feet and he shouted after her. "TABITHA DON'T GO, PLEASE."

Tabitha came back slowly, never taken her eyes off of Zack as she stood in the doorway. "What?" she asked softly.

"I love you," he started taking a step closer and almost falling over as he forgot to use his cane. "I love you and I know I screwed up but I have to know is there a chance."

Tabitha looked terrified as she watch her ex boyfriend sway. She knew how much pain he was in standing there without his cane, he apparently didn't care about anything at that moment apart from in what she was going to say but the only thing she could say was, "What?"

"Tab, I'm an idiot. I before you I went from girl to girl. Promising the world, delivering nothing, breaking hearts. But when I met you I knew I really did want to give you the world, I never wanted to break your heart."

Zack took stepped towards her, his face expressed the agony he was in as he walked without the cane, he finally reached Tabitha taking hold of her arms and staring right into her eyes as he asked "I need to know, after what happened back on Halloween, after what's just happened here, is there a chance for me and you?"

Tabitha swallowed the cold air seemed to suddenly disappear, the sound of the water below quietened to a soft hush, even the birds in the sky seemed to have quietened down trying to hear her answer. He tried to smile at her but the longer she stayed silent the more it slipped away. It was only a few seconds but for the two teenagers it felt like hours until she answered , stuttering "I, I, I…"

Don' you just hate when the writer puts in a cliff hanger. Ok episode is about a thousand words less than normal, but its a two parter so all will be well...

as always i hope you enjoyed the latest episode and please leave a review...

Hopefully will be back soon

Love Jay xx

Later Days