Chapter 13

B.E.N.

Author's Note: A million and three quarter apologies! I am so sorry for not updating in so long. Life getting in the way, I'm sure you know what that feels like. Anyhoodle, thanks for reading, sticking around, reviewing, and dealing with me. I appreciate it!

Kisses and cumshots,

Melanie

All was silent. Starla could feel her heart pounding within her chest, as if it were trying to break free. She had her eyes shut tight, as they all listened to the longboat above them fly past, heading away from them. Only then could they all breathe again.

Amelia peeked her head up first, holding her gun tightly as she checked to see if the pirates had spotted them. The pirates, Starla thought to herself. So swiftly she considered herself to not be a part of them anymore. Shaking her head, Starla opened her eyes when she sensed Amelia had turned back around, facing the rest of them.

"We need a more defensible position," the captain said, addressing Jim. She stood from her kneeling position with some difficulty, still obviously in pain from her injury. "Mister Hawkins, scout ahead. Take Miss Montgomery with you," Amelia went on to say, handing Jim a small laser gun. Starla nodded once, moving to stand beside Jim.

"Aye, Captain," Jim said, holding the gun tightly. Starla nodded once more, said a soft "Yes, ma'am" and began to walk ahead of Jim, ashamed of herself and not ready for their impending conversation.

From behind her, Starla could hear Amelia let out a small grimace of pain, and turned around to see her kneeling on the ground, Delbert's hands on her arms. "Steady, steady," he was saying to her, and Starla's eyes softened. It was her fault Amelia was hurt. If she had said something about the mutiny sooner, none of this would have happened.

Delbert asked Amelia to have a look at her injury, and Starla turned away then, running a hand back through her auburn waves. She heard Jim begin to follow her, and wrapped her arms around her chest, ashamed once again.

The wind whistled around them as Starla and Jim walked on in silence. She wanted to say something, anything to stop that infernal silence, but no words came to her. What could she possibly say to him, after everything she had done? He probably hated her now. So there was no hope of –

Of what? Him allowing her to come back to Montressor? A relationship? She internally scoffed at herself. She couldn't possibly ask anything of him, least of all forgiveness. That there was any part of her that even considered the possibility of a relationship between them was despicable.

"Hey – Would you stop?" Jim's voice cut through her inner tirade. He grabbed her at the crook of her elbow, forcing her to stop walking. With one movement he turned her around, so she was forced to face him. She looked at him with shock in her eyes, and guilt. How could she make it up to him? His eyes only held confusion, and a smidge of hurt. It pained her to look at him, and she made to move away.

But Jim never let her go. He kept his hand firmly on her arm, not letting her go anywhere. "Stop, please. I just – Could you say something?" He said, looking flustered. She swallowed back the lump in her throat.

"What do you want me to say? All my life, I've lived like… Well, like that. A pirate. My parents raised me as a fighter and a charmer. And Silver… Well, Silver always considered me just a part of his crew. Tried to make me as harsh as any of them. And I was like that, for a while. Until I started having doubts. Until I realized what I was really doing. Until I met you," Starla said in a rush, pausing to take a breath. She could feel a tightening in her throat, as she always did before her tears fell. She forced them back, and looked Jim in the eye.

"I won't ask for your forgiveness, because I know I've done too many bad things to ever earn it. But, just… Don't hate me. That's all I ask," she whispered, a single tear slipping from her eye and falling gracefully down her cheek. She looked away then, shaking his hand off and turning so he faced her back, so she could wipe her tears in imaginary seclusion.

"My parents were pirates. Great ones, in fact. What I told you about their deaths was true, and how Silver took me in. I just left out the piracy part," she choked out a laugh, still refusing to look at him. She sat down on a nearby log, resting her elbows on her knees.

"Silver's always wanted to find Treasure Planet. I was on Montressor looking for Billy Bones, because Silver sent me there. He'd heard a rumor that Bones had the map, and sent me to bring it to him. When you and I saw Bones that day, the pirates that attacked the Benbow were Silver and his crew. After you had left with Sarah and Delbert, I told them everything. Bones, the map. How I knew you'd figure out what the map was. Silver got us hired to be the crew for the Legacy, and planned out the whole mutiny," she explained to him softly, resting her head in her hands. Her hair curtained her face, and she could barely see through her messy mane and her tears. But at some point, Jim had kneeled down in front of her, and his hands were gently rubbing her back, giving warmth on her leg, and pushing back her hair. She couldn't handle it; not his kindness, not now.

Everything broke free.

All her frustrations, all her doubts, all her frayed nerves. She lifted her face from her hands and looked up at Jim, whose wide eyes were full of caring. No, she yelled at herself mentally. She didn't deserve it. Not by a long shot. And yet there he was, showing nothing but concern for her. And there she was, throwing herself into his arms.

He hadn't been ready for it obviously, but there it was. Starla vaulted at him, and he dropped the gun to the side to get his arms free. He wrapped them around her shoulders, holding her tight to him as his back dropped painfully to the ground, Starla's face buried in his neck. Her hands rested on his chest as she silently cried, whispering "I'm sorry, my love" over and over into his soaked shirt. Her words shocked him, but he said nothing. Jim merely rested his face in her hair, placing gentle kisses at the top of her head.

After some time, Jim sat up, pushing Starla gently with him so she sat on his lap. Her fingers clawed at his collar, not letting him go. He smiled softly at that, and ran his hand down her hair in a calming gesture. It was comfortable, he thought. It felt right. For a moment, everything was forgotten. And all that mattered in the universe was that Starla was in his arms. He never wanted it to end.

But end it did. She pulled away, her eyes dry as she looked up at him, a small smile playing at her lips. Her face was slightly red, though from crying or embarrassment, he couldn't tell.

"I'm so sorry," Starla whispered once more. He looked at her, and gently laid his hand over her own.

"You don't need to apologize anymore. That… This was all the apology I needed," he said, and leaned down.

This kiss was different from any they'd shared before. It was soft, lingering. Just a gentle brush of the lips that spoke of comfort, to show the other that they truly cared.

After a moment, Starla pulled back, and stood, grabbing Jim's hands to pull him up with her. Once standing, they held hands for a moment before Jim reached down to grab the gun, looking at it for a moment as reality set in once more.

"We should be moving on," Starla said, voicing his thoughts. With one hand holding the gun and other holding Starla's, Jim began walking once more.

They had been walking for about ten minutes, when the two teenagers reached a crowded forest of trees. There was a downward path, pulling off to the right-hand side, and Jim stepped carefully down it, holding Starla's hand to help with her balance. Morph followed along, chattering the whole way. It made Starla smile, looking at the cheerful blob. They were all mystified by the entrapment of shrubbery, and Starla gazed wonderingly around her, not letting Jim's hand go.

Jim helped her climb over a large root, and she smiled her thanks at him. She couldn't help but be mystified all over again, not just at the scenery, but Jim's behavior. It was nice, she had to admit. Even after all the things she'd put him through, he still somehow cared.

A noise sounded from behind them, making Starla tense all over. It sounded mechanical, and she squeezed Jim's hand once to catch his attention. He looked back at her, questions in his eyes. She nodded her head back, signaling that she'd heard something. Brows knit together, Jim dropped the young woman's hand and held up the gun, powering it up as he headed back towards a crowd of plants to investigate. He shushed Morph as he chattered away, and Starla lifted her hand to the small shapeshifter. He played around her fingers, weaving in and out, as she gazed at Jim's back, her heart pounding.

As Jim neared the bushes, Starla bit her lip. Then, out of nowhere, a robot jumped up, yelling in Jim's face. Jim yelled back and Starla nearly jumped out of her skin, spooking Morph. He shuddered into dozens of smaller blobs, before shuddering back together and hiding in the collar of her jacket. Jim had fallen back onto the green ground, and Starla took a step closer to him.

"Oh, this is fantastic!" The robot shouted happily, as he jumped on top of Jim. "Carbon-based life forms come to rescue me at last!" The robot went on to say, inspecting Jim. He held his hands to his chest, eyes shut in contentedness, as Jim tried to subtly grab the dropped gun and get back to his feet. But he wasn't fast enough. The robot grabbed him from behind, wrapping his arms round Jim's middle and giving him a hug.

"I just wanna hug ya and squeeze ya and hold ya close to me," the robot said, standing and lifting Jim above the ground. Starla didn't know whether to start threatening or laughing.

As the robot set him down, Jim stepped back, trying to push the former away from him. But the robot would not let go for more than a second. "Alright, okay," Jim began saying, "Would you just let go of me?"

Listening to Jim's words, the robot let him go and stepped back, apologizing and throwing an arm around Jim's shoulders. "Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry. It's just… I've been marooned for so long. I mean, solitude's fun. Don't get me wrong. For heaven's sakes, after a hundred years, YA GO A LITTLE NUTS!" He finished, ending with a small laugh. Jim closed his eyes and looked away, his body language giving away how uncomfortable he was. He looked back at the robot with a look of contempt, and Starla let out a small giggle.

The robot apologized once more, before offering his hand to Jim for a shake. "I am… uhm… My name is… uh…" The former said, before gripping his head in frustration. Starla raised an eyebrow as Morph flew from her jacket, hiding behind her shoulder. He morphed into a miniature version of the robot, and mimicked a cuckoo clock. Jim looked over and rolled his eyes, while Starla shut Morph up with a pat on the head.

"B.E.N.! Of course, I'm B.E.N.!" The robot exclaimed, apparently remembering his name. "Bioelectronic Navigator," B.E.N. went on to say, gesturing at the compass in his chest, which fell out after a moment. He replaced it with a small "oops!" before setting his sights on Starla.

"Oh my stars! I hadn't noticed you before, miss," he said, sliding up to Starla and grabbing one of her hands. She raised an eyebrow and gave Jim a look. "Enchante, mademoiselle," the robot added, placing a cool, metal kiss softly on her hand. The young woman laughed nervously before pulling her hand quickly back, and taking a few steps away from B.E.N.

"Hi. I'm Starla," she said to the robot, giving him a small smile and a two-finger salute. Starla pushed some hair behind her ear impatiently, as she watched B.E.N. give her a smile and go back to Jim.

"And you are?" The robot asked, as Jim knelt towards the ground, attempting to pick up him fallen laser gun. "Jim," he responded resolutely. As he came closer to his fallen weapon, B.E.N. nabbed his outstretched hand, shaking it furiously.

"Oh, what a pleasure to meet you Jimmy," B.E.N said, either not noticing or ignoring Jim's attempts to pull his hand away. Starla smiled silently as Morph flew quietly around her, not noticing the robot's exchange with the human.

"It's Jim," the latter corrected, finally picking up his gun. The robot went on to attempt a new conversation, but Jim was having none of it. "Look, we're kind of in a hurry, okay?" He said to B.E.N. as he sidestepped away, moving closer to Starla.

"We have to find a place to hide," the young woman added, placing a hand gently on Jim's shoulder. "There's pirates chasing us."

Jim gave her a small smile, covering her hand with his own, before stepping past Starla and placing the gun in the waistband of his trousers. As they began to leave the small clearing, B.E.N.'s next words froze them to the spot.

"Oh, pirates! Don't get me started on pirates! I don't like them … I remember Captain Flint. This guy had such a temper," B.E.N. said, mostly to himself as he set himself down on a rock.

Starla and Jim shared a quick look before walking back towards the robot. "Wait, wait, wait. You knew Captain Flint?" Jim asked, voicing both the teenagers' thoughts.

"I think he suffered from mood swings, personally. I'm not a therapist, and anyway ..." B.E.N. began rambling on, making himself more comfortable on his rock and completely unaware of how valuable this information was. "But – You let me know when I'm rambling," he added as an afterthought, and Starla knelt down beside him, smiling. She was about to ask the obvious question when Jim, standing just behind her, beat her to it.

"But that means – but wait. But then you gotta know about the treasure?" He voiced, phrasing it like a question. He leaned closer to B.E.N. and Starla could feel his legs brush her back, and she instinctively leaned back against them. Morph, seeking attention, flew towards the woman, and began weaving through her fingers and legs. After a moment, she tuned back in to Jim and B.E.N.'s conversation.

" – you know, loot of a thousand worlds," Jim was saying, and Morph turned himself into a chest overflowing with gold. Starla laughed lightly, before standing up and placing herself beside Jim.

"It's – well, it's … It's all a little fuzzy …" B.E.N. mused aloud, getting up from his rock. He looked terrified that he wouldn't be able to remember anything, and Starla felt her heart soften. "Wait. I – I r-r-remember," B.E.N. finished, reaching out towards the two teenagers. His bright yellow eyes began to waver and flicker as he sorted through his memories.

"I do. I – TREASURE. Lots and lots of treasure, buried in the centroid – centroid – centroid of the mechanism," he suddenly exclaimed, his eyes becoming chests filled with gold. Starla furrowed her brows, looking to the side at Jim, asking a silent question. Jim shrugged, a look of shock and disbelief written on his face, before turning back towards the robot.

"And there was this big door, opening and closing … and opening and closing …" B.E.N. continued to ramble on, his body reacting to his words; the compass in his chest opening and closing in time with his words.

" – and Captain Flint wanted to make sure nobody could ever get to his treasure, so I helped him …" B.E.N. was cut off as he began spluttering, his wires sparking and shocking the air around them. "Aah! Data inaccessible! Reboot! Reboot! Reboot!" The robot shouted, as Starla began calling his name, worried.

Jim stepped up and slapped him, and Starla had enough time to send a disapproving look to his back before B.E.N. returned to himself. Mostly.

"… And you are?" He asked Jim. The latter looked frustrated as he asked B.E.N. once again about the treasure. "I wanna say … Larry," B.E.N. added, looking Jim up and down. Starla ran a hand down her face, groaning quietly.

"The – the centroid of the mechanism, or something," Jim added, watching the robot with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry. My memory isn't what it used to be. I've lost my mind. Ha ha! I've lost my mind," the robot said with a small laugh and a shrug. "You haven't found it, have you? Uh, my missing piece? My primary memory circuit?" He asked, beginning to search Starla. He had her palms pressed against a tree as he patted her sides, searching for something. "Hey!" She heard Jim say, and suddenly B.E.N.'s hands were gone; the metal replaced with warm flesh. She smiled as Jim turned her around, and could see him checking her over for damage. She leaned up, placing a small kiss on his cheek before walking towards the robot.

"Look, B.E.N., we really need to find a place to hide, alright?" Starla said to B.E.N., walking away. Jim and Morph began to follow her, the former turning to speak to the robot. "So we're just gonna be, yaknow, moving on."

Starla felt bad for having to leave the obviously lonely B.E.N., but she supposed he would only be a liability to their group. She bit her lip silently as Jim walked past her. Waving back to the robot, she began to follow her comrade.

"Oh, uh, so, well, then, I guess, uh … this is goodbye, huh?" B.E.N. said from behind them, and Starla froze, turning back. She saw B.E.N. slide to his knees and quietly ride away from them. "I'm sorry that I'm so … dysfunctional," he added, and Starla could take no more. Turning to face Jim, she saw he was already watching the robot, and she gave him a smile and a 'why not?' expression, hoping to convince him. She saw Morph whine at Jim and she knew he was putty in their hands.

"So, uh, go ahead and … I do understand. I do. Bye-bye," B.E.N. said to them, waving lightly. With a sigh, Jim took a few steps toward the robot.

"Look, if you're gonna come along, you're gonna have to stop talking," he said, and B.E.N. suddenly jumped up and skipped towards the group, picking Starla up in a hug.

"Huzza! Ha ha ha! Oh, this is fantastic! Me and my best buddies out lookin' for a …" Seeing the look on Jim's face, the robot immediately dropped Starla and cleared his throat. Shaking out her hair, the young woman took a step towards Jim, giving him a shrug.

"Being quiet," B.E.N. added in a whisper.

"And you have to stop touching her- us," Jim told the robot as he gave Jim a hug as well. Starla rolled her eyes. "Touching and talking. Those are your two big no-no's," she added.

Adjusting his shirt and looking about, Jim began to voice his thoughts. "Alright. Now, I think we should –"

Before he could even finish a sentence, B.E.N. interrupted him with a shake on his arm. "Say, listen, before we go out on our big search, uhm, would you mind if we made a quick pit stop at my place? Heh, kind of urgent," he said, crossing his knees and covering his genitalia, before pulling back some greenery. Across an open field, a large circular house could be seen. Starla's eyes went wide as she smiled.

"B.E.N. I think you just solved our problem."

Sometime later, Starla and Jim had run and found Delbert and Amelia, and had brought them back to B.E.N.'s overly-large home. It was extraordinarily spacious, and welcoming, in a way. There was greenery all along the walls, growing up from the ground all the way to the ceiling. As Jim helped her step in through the doorway, Starla couldn't help but stare up in wonder.

"Uh, pardon the mess, people," B.E.N. was saying as he tidied up some things. "You'd think in a hundred years, I would've dusted a little more often, but, you know, when you're batchin' it, you tend to, uh, let things go." Delbert carried Amelia inside, where he lay her against a rock as B.E.N. continued to ramble on. Jim placed a hand gently on Starla's shoulder, smiling at her lightly. The day had turned into evening at some point, and the darkened horizon enhanced Jim's features. He was swathed in shadows, and Starla raised a hand up to gently push some hair from Jim's eyes. His eyes closed softly, his lashes gently brushing his cheeks. A small smile remained on his lips, as he leaned forward, cupping Starla's neck –

"Aw, isn't that sweet? I find old-fashioned romance so touching, don't you?" Starla and Jim jumped apart, both dropping their hands as B.E.N.'s voice rung out. Starla ran a hand back through her hair as a blush settled itself across Jim's face. Looking up, the former could see that no one, at all, had been paying attention to the two teenagers. Instead, B.E.N. had been talking about Delbert and Amelia, as he held her gently to him. It made Starla smile.

"How about drinks for the happy couple?" B.E.N. asked, bringing a tray out from behind a small tent. There were two cups on the tray, housing what seemed to be a variety of oil and goo. Delbert looked at it questioningly, then with slight disgust. He attempted to politely decline the drinks, "Oh, uh, ooh. Uh, no. Thank you, we don't drink, and, uh, we're not a couple."

"Yet," Starla whispered quietly to Jim, who smiled back at her in kind. Delbert took off his jacket and smiled down at Amelia as he spoke, who, surprisingly, smiled back.

Coming back into the present, Delbert cleared his through before studying the room around them. Jim's hand had found its way to Starla's, and they stood together, listening to the doctor muse.

"Ahem. Look at these markings. They're identical to the ones on the map. I suspect these are the hieroglyphic remnants of an ancient culture."

Starla and Jim both immediately looked around, studying the marks on the walls surrounding them. Starla smiled wistfully, wondering what the markings meant.

"Mister Hawkins," Amelia's small voice called out; she was still very ill. Jim dropped Starla's hand as he walked closer to their captain. "- stop anyone who tries to approach. Ohh!" She grimaced in pain, holding her arm closer.

"Yes, yes. Now you listen to me," Delbert began to say, kneeling down and folding his jacket into a pillow, placing it behind Amelia's head. "Stop giving orders for a few milliseconds and lie still," he finished, placing a hand over Amelia's.

"Very forceful, Doctor. Go on, say something else," Amelia said, and Starla was sure there was something flirtatious in it.