Author's Note:

Well… that last chapter kind of ended on a sad note.

Chapter 23: Go After Him

John Silver lumbered about the mess hall, often having to sit down from a recurring stiffness in his cyborg leg. He spoke quietly to his crew, wondering if they had yet figured out the voyage's bearings.

Thus far Doctor Delbert Doppler had out-drunken Birdbrain Mary, Mr Hands, Mr Gillis, and four more of the sailing crew. The very cheerful doctor was now in the process of out-drinking Onus, the crew's lookout.

Silver grumbled audibly, wondering if this was all really worth the trouble.

Suddenly from the corner of his eye he spotted Morph. The tiny transformer looked around the mess hall, zooming from head to head until he located the RLS Legacy's cook and flew to him.

"Morphy…" Silver started with an undertone of anger in his voice. "Yeh know yeh can't be outta the pantry."

Morph interrupted the older sailor, immediately shifting into Mini Ariah and illustrating her sadness.

Silver's eyes widened. "Yeh sure, Morphy?" He asked quietly.

Morph shifted back into his regular form and nodded, his eyes were wide with concern.

Silver glanced suspiciously at Jim.

The young man had recently entered the mess hall, poured himself a pint of alcohol, and sat down at the nearest table. There was an uncharacteristic air of bitterness surrounding the brunette teenager, and Silver had sense it to be a bad mood.

Silver lifted himself from the bench he was sitting at. The older sailor steadfastly followed Morph out of the noisy mess hall.

Perhaps Scroop's suspicions had been true… somehow. Had he allowed Ariah to get too close to someone once again, and now there was yet another price to be paid?

Ariah tried to contain her sobs, though it was painful to control such organic emotions.

The tears simply kept flowing, as if some emotional dam inside her had broken down its once impenetrable barrier.

Finally, after a few self-inflicted jabs to her already cracked ribs, the young woman managed to snap herself out of the sobbing stupor and forced back the last of her tears.

She wiped her wet eyes on the back of her hand and brushed away the tear tracks from her cheeks with a shaky sigh.

Suddenly, Ariah caught the sound of approaching footfalls and leapt to her feet. She was intending to cover up her weakness.

Ariah listened a moment to the footsteps and recognized them. There was the creak of a mechanical leg at every second step and the chirping of a young morph. The young woman miserably sunk down into her hammock and held her head in her hands.

Jim glanced down at the separated foam on the top of his pint of ale. He shook the cast-iron stein half-heartedly, and took a short sip before pushing it aside.

The alcoholic beverage left a bitter taste on his tongue, though he doubted that it was entirely the drinks' cause. He looked up from the scuffed up surface of his table, out over the crowded mess hall.

The majority of the sailors currently in the mess hall surrounded Doctor Doppler's table, some were passed out under the table. To Jim's knowledge they were having a drinking competition but for what particular purpose, he didn't know.

Jim sighed; he lifted himself from the bench and walked groggily towards the exit of the mess hall. Though he had barely anything to drink and the night had just begun, Jim was already sick of the celebration and worn out.

He wanted no more than to just jump into bed and let his dreams carry him to places unfathomable. But the young teenager knew better than to go to the crew's quarters right now as the harsh memory of his and Ariah's argument flashed through his memory. He then ascended the steps exiting the mess hall, and walked out onto the main deck.

Silver looked through the opened door into the dimly lit crew's quarters. The room's sole occupant was Ariah, who sat in her hammock, prodding limply at the hardwood floor with the toes of her boots.

A rarely used expression of sadness and despair was on her face as she raised it from her hands to look at him, though the shadows of the room barely shed light upon it.

Slowly, Silver approached the young woman. Morph nervously floated at his shoulder.

A lengthy pause endured between them as Silver made his way to the hammock facing Ariah. He settled himself into it and waited a moment.

Morph was abnormally quiet and hovered at Silver's shoulder, watching the young woman with concern.

Ariah breathed through her nose and exhaled from her mouth in an upset sigh. She kept her eyes on the dusty floor and murmured gently.

"I suppose…" Ariah held her chin against her palms. "You're going to lecture me about something." She glanced up at Silver with her sad copper-brown eyes. "Aren't you?" Her voice was quite hoarse from crying.

Silver leaned forwards with his elbows on his knees. His large hands clasped together in front of him as he pondered on what words he should use. He licked the outside of his dried lips and spoke gently.

"That would depend on what yeh'd need teh be lectured on…" He smiled ever so weakly.

Jim shoved his hands into his jacket's pockets as he walked out into the cooled deck. The galaxy, that they were anchored in, was one abundant with asteroids and had hardly any stars nearby.

He speculated that it would likely be harder than usual to get the ship back on course at full speed when the morning starlight appeared. It was similar to when he had tried to fly his solar surfer through a shadowy canyon back on Montressor. The solar surfer's futile sail hadn't been enough to provide his engine with power and the full cells discharged faster than he could utter a single curse. The Robocops had soon apprehended him for trespassing on yet another restricted factory area and brought him home to his mother.

Jim sighed and leaned against the bow's outer railing. He smoothed a hand through his brunette bangs and frowned slightly. It seemed that those restricted access zones on Montressor taunted him into entering them. As if rebelling was a natural instinct. Jim slammed a fist angrily against the railing. He was through with rebelling, once and for all.

Rebelling had caused his mother so much pain. Rebelling had ruined his life up until the stormy night when Billy Bones had crash-landed by the Benbow Inn. Rebelling had nearly gotten him killed on a variety of occasions on this very ship –the first being up against Scroop- and he had barely gotten out of that scrape, if not for the help of both Silver and Ariah.

Jim sighed holding his head in his hands. Ariah… now there was something he had just recently screwed up. What force in the Etherium had made him say that he didn't trust her? Of course he trusted her, more than most people in his life, but he felt that now it was far too late to ask for forgiveness.

A few tears brimmed at the edges of his pale blue eyes, but he quickly wiped them away before they could spill onto his cheeks.

Ariah sighed and looked away from the cook, slightly ashamed at herself.

"Yeh can tell me 'bout it, darling." Silver stated.

Ariah frowned slightly and shook her head. "Jim and I… we got into an argument and said some things that we shouldn't have."

"An'?" Silver raised an eyebrow.

"Silver…" Ariah's quiet whisper was strained with intense emotion. "This isn't just your normal argument." She clenched her hands together. "I think I really screwed up what Jim and I have. But I don't want it to end." She sighed morbidly. "The feelings I felt towards Ortona, are nowhere as intense as the feelings I feel now towards Jim." Ariah glanced away and bit her bottom lip. "I love him, Silver."

There was a short silence, broken by a low chuckle from John Silver. Ariah snapped out of her miserable slump to glare harshly at the older sailor. She was surprised and angered that he would laugh at a time like this.

Ariah nearly opened her mouth to spout some comment, before Silver held up a hand to stop her. The annoyed teenager shut her mouth but scowled at the cyborg as his deep chuckle developed into a hearty laugh.

"Well then go after him, lass…" Silver smiled at Ariah, wiping away the tears that had formed in his left eye from laughing so hard. "The lad shares the same feelings for yeh as yeh do for him."

Ariah's eyes brightened as her face seemed to glow from happiness. "He… he does?"

"Of course he does, darling." Silver laughed aloud. "I'm sure of it." He smiled. "An' if even after a quarrel with the lad yeh still feel the same 'bout him, well..." Silver lifted his hat off of his head and chuckled. "I 'ave a feelin' that yeh won't 'ave a problem fixin' it, if yeh work together."

Ariah looked at Silver with admiration, lost for words.

John Silver cleared his throat. "Now…" He placed his hat back onto his head. "On with yeh," He shooed the eighteen-year-old. "It's not gonna get any better 'til yeh apologize teh the lad..." The cyborg motioned towards the crew's quarters' doorway.

Ariah smiled warmly, her copper-brown eyes filling with tears of gratification. She leapt from her hammock and hugged Silver tightly where he sat. Then, Ariah didn't wait a moment longer. She bolted out of the crew's quarters.

Morph instinctively followed Ariah, excited to be following the action.

Silver chuckled lightly, beaming with pride not only directed to himself but to Ariah as well. He slowly lifted himself from the hammock and prepared himself for some well-needed rest.

After barrelling out of the crew's quarters Ariah rammed into a rather hard object, which turned out to be Scroop. She fell to the floor as if she had run at top speed straight into one of the corridor's walls, but the crash hadn't stopped her devilish smile.

Ariah shook the minute dizziness from her head and recuperated instantly, hopping back onto her feet as if nothing happened. She smiled up at a Scroop happily.

Scroop gave her an odd and suspicious look. Normally Ariah wasn't often this happy… unless she had already been drinking.

"Can't talk at all. I'm in love. Gotta go tell Jim!" Ariah sing-sung and leapt past the crimson arachnid.

She quickly ran down the hallway. Morph was at the fleeing scullery maid's shoulder.

Scroop sighed at the teenager's hyperactivity, hardly in the mood to be bitter about the relationship of his rival and his close friend. He glared, the moment he entered the crew's quarters, at Silver, who was now lying back in his hammock.

Silver waved innocently at the crimson alien with a matching smirk.

"So…" Scroop glowered at the cyborg. "I suppose this is how you're weaving their happy ending." He hissed silently.

"I'm not the one weavin' it…" Silver rolled his eyes. "I'm just givin' the happy endin' weavers a kick in the butt teh get back teh work." He smirked cheekily.

Scroop growled in irritation, but decided not to comment further on the subject.

"So." Silver sighed. "Did yeh get the bearings?"

Scroop chortled lightly. "Yes, we finally obtained them. It is Flint's Trove."

"How in the Etherium did yeh do that, Scroop?" Silver asked, impressed by the feat.

Scroop scoffed. "Apparently, we just had to say please…" Scroop skittered to his own hammock, leaving the grinning pirate to his thoughts and dreams, while he got some rest.

There were no sailors out on the main deck, it seemed that the assigned sailors for night watch had abandoned their posts to get some more alcohol. Either that or they were among the passed out sailors at Doctor Doppler's feet.

"Jim?" Ariah called out once she arrived on the main deck. Morph zipped at her shoulder, chirping at the excitement.

The aforementioned teenager lifted his head from his hands. He turned towards the familiar voice and thought of what to say.

"Jim." Ariah took a deep breath and walked up to the brunette teenager, talking as she walked. "I'm really sorry about what I said back there. It was stupid of me to think that you didn't trust me, and then let it escalate into what it did."

By this time Ariah had already said a mouthful in one breath and was a few feet from Jim. The brunette teenager couldn't help by cock an eyebrow in intrigue at where the other teenager was going with her rant.

"You have every right to trust or to not trust me an-"

Jim cut off Ariah's rant with a rather passionate kiss. Jim wrapped his arms around Ariah's waist, pulling her closer into a hug. Ariah was shocked –to say the least- and a little confused.

Finally, Jim separated the embrace and smiled genuinely at Ariah. "I didn't know it was humanely possible to say that many words in one breath." He smirked.

"But…" Ariah could only muster a whisper with all of the conflicting emotions battling in her head. "I thought… that I'd messed everything up." She couldn't help but grasp lightly onto Jim's jacket collar, as if double-checking that this was really Jim.

Jim gently brushed his hand against Ariah's cheek, making them meet eyes. "We both said some stupid things in that room, Ariah." The young man sighed. "But what's important is that I know that I trust you now…" He looked down into her copper-brown eyes. "And…" Jim cleared his throat. "I need to ask you something…"

"Yes?" Ariah looked up at the brunette.

"Do you still trust me?" He asked.

Ariah chuckled. "More than just that." She stated. "You made me realize how much I care for you, and…" Her copper-brown eyes seemed to glow with the intense emotion. "I am undoubtedly in love with you, Jim." Ariah spoke clearly.

Jim simply smiled and locked lips with Ariah.

Afterwards, the young woman sighed and rested her head against Jim's shoulder, glad to get the feeling off of chest.

Jim smirked, holding the black-haired girl closer. "And I'm in love with you, Ariah." He stated. "I know now, that… you're the one."

Ariah's head rose from Jim's shoulder, tilting to the side from curiosity. "Define the one." She smirked mischievously and raised an eyebrow.

Jim leaned closer until his lips were just beside Ariah's ear. "You're the one I know that I'll love forever… my soul mate." He backed up at bit and looked meaningfully into Ariah's copper-brown eyes. She knew that he had meant every word that he had said.

"Hmm…" Ariah smiled warmly. "I could use a soul mate." She rested her head back against Jim's shoulder. "And you fit the bill nicely, Jim."

"Lucky me…" Jim chuckled. "No matter where we are, you'll always be with me." He closed his eyes and exhaled softly. "In my heart."

"No matter what happens?" Ariah smiled.

"No matter what." Jim promised.

"I couldn't agree more." Ariah sighed. "You'll always be with me, Jim…" She stated. "In my heart and in my memories."

The young man rested his head against Ariah's and the couple stood together in each other's arms the shadows of the Etherium.

They were completely surrounded by the twinkling lights of billions of stars that were far from them. Yet they seemed to be in a world of their own, oblivious to what was going on around them.

Morph giggled happily –like he always did in the event of romance- and exploded into clouds of confetti and colourful fireworks.

"Come on…" Ariah lifted her head from under Jim's. "Let's go have a pint and we'll see if I'm in the mood to dance on tables and sing like crazy." She winked suggestively.

Jim chuckled. "Only if I get to dance with you." He whispered.

Ariah smiled, taking her hand in Jim's and leading him down to the noisy mess hall. "I'll even teach you the song I plan on singing." She nudged his shoulder with hers.

"Yippee…" Jim cheered flatly, but it was evident from the twinkle in his pale blue eyes that he was curious.

Morph giggled at the two love-struck teenagers and obediently flew off to the pantry.

Author's Note:

Thanks for editing Whisperwings! This chapter's shorter because I really can't start on the next bit of the story without having a separate chapter.

MG#6