Author's Note:

Ooh… some additional drama? Maybe.

Rebecca was immediately brought to a doctor to be tested for a variety of pregnancy-related aliments. Scoop was confused by what the doctor was saying –as he was no female- but remained with Rebecca to support her and to ease her anxiety. He understood that it wasn't just Rebecca's baby that was causing her some much pain but it was evident that there were many injuries –likely from battling pirates- that had gone untreated over the past few days. Scroop could only stay at Rebecca's side and try to calm her down in the midst of the chaos.

The night was beginning to turn into morning on Xylos 20, yet the doctor hadn't reported back with a diagnosis. Scroop did his best to remain alert, for Rebecca's sake, but he was still exhausted from enduring his substantial growth spurt.

Juanita opened the door to Rebecca's room, looking from the sleep-deprived arachnid to the anxious woman.

"I heard that you were sent here." Juanita pulled up a chair alongside Rebecca's bed and looked at Rebecca with concern. "What's going on, Rebecca?"

Rebecca shook her head. "The doctor doesn't know yet."

"Does it have something to do with the baby?" Juanita offered.

"It would seem so." Rebecca shrugged. "I can't say that I know for sure."

Juanita gave a brief side-glance to Scroop before continuing. "Rebecca… I- I don't know how to say this, but… do you think that it could've been something that I did?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Rebecca enquired, sitting up in her bed.

"Well." Juanita rubbed the back of her head. "I mean, all those weeks of training you for fighting against pirates, do you think that it might have upset the baby?"

Rebecca paused, thinking back to the swordsmanship training that Juanita and Martin had provided for her. It had been quite vigorous, but she hadn't taken into account the well being of her unborn baby while she was training.

Seeing that Rebecca hadn't yet answered Juanita sighed, "That's what I thought… particularly…" she chewed her bottom lip, "…particularly after I kicked you in the stomach." The Shikaran allowed a moment's pause, but there was still no answer from the injured woman. "Look, Rebecca, I… I wasn't thinking! I'm really sorry." She hung her head in shame. "Show's how useless of a mercenary I am."

"No." Rebecca finally spoke after a pause. Juanita looked up. "If you hadn't trained me as you did, Juanita, there's no way that I'd be alive right now." She let out a long sigh. "I don't blame you for this." Her fingers couldn't help but graze her stomach.

There was a light tapping at the door, drawing the attention of the three sailors.

"Lady Clarke." The robot glanced between Juanita and Scroop before looking at Rebecca, "Your abdominal scans are completed."

Rebecca nodded. "What's your conclusion?"

The robot entered the room, pausing before he could continue. "I regret to inform you that you have lost one of your babies, Lady Clarke."

"One of my babies?" Rebecca looked at her stomach in shock.

"Yes." The robot stated, "You were expecting twins, however the scans suggest that an impact to the foetus upset one of the babies' growths."

Rebecca blinked. "I- I was expecting twins?" She lightly touched her stomach, "I never knew…" She stated forlornly.

"It's difficult to tell without proper scanning during the earlier stages of pregnancy." The doctor stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "However, rest assure that despite losing one of the foetuses, the other appears healthy and has sustained no visible damage." He glanced at Rebecca's companions once more before leaving the room.

After a lengthy pause Juanita sighed. "Well, it could've been worse." She stated.

Scroop gave the female Shikaran a heated glare before looking at Rebecca, who remained silent. "You should get some sleep, Rebecca. You need time to heal."

Rebecca mutely nodded, understanding that there weren't just physical injuries that she had to heal. Juanita caught on to what Scroop was implying and stood up, a look of shame on her face.

"Um… sleep tight?" Juanita offered. Scroop simply rolled his eyes and dragged the female mercenary out of Rebecca's room by her left forearm.

It had been days since Billy Bones had abandoned his crew and blew the Black Arrow to kingdom come. Since then, Rebecca had been trying to cope with all that had happened.

Jim's body was prepped for travel and the rest of the injuries that her companions had sustained were healed. The repairs to the HMS Aurora were completed and the ship was travel worthy. They were just waiting for John to become accustomed to his new mechanical additions so they could begin the voyage back to Romano. Rebecca's injuries had healed but she was still bedridden from lack of sleep.

Rebecca curled up in a ball as she tried to get some rest. She felt so alone in the sterile hospital room. The cold, metallic colours of the room constantly drew Rebecca's mind to John. She hadn't seen him since before her abdominal scans. Inwardly she had an intense longing to see him, but was uncertain if she could handle seeing his helplessness once more. He had always been so confident in his self, always prepared to lend a helping hand where it was needed, listen to what she had to say and ready with words wise beyond his years.

The young woman pressed her cheek against her pillow and sighed. 'Now… he's changed.' She thought darkly.

She mentally digressed while curling up in a tighter ball, as if protecting the child growing inside her. 'I need to be more careful. I'm lucky enough that this baby survived everything I've been through. Juanita was right; it could have been much worse.'

The door to Rebecca's room creaked open as someone entered. Rebecca glanced up from her pillow and suppressed a gasp. At first she didn't recognize the form, but she soon took into account the new mechanized limbs and felt tears rush to her eyes.

"John." She smiled.

Even in the dimness of the room Rebecca knew that John was smiling back as he made his way to Rebecca's bedside. His mechanical arm had shifted into a crutch to aid him with walking. He took the chair closest to Rebecca and settled himself in it. He then set his warm, organic hand on Rebecca's hands.

Rebecca sat up, slipping her hands from under John's, and she pulled John into the tightest hug she could muster, given her smaller stature.

"Happy teh see yeh as well, Rebecca." John chuckled, wrapping his non-mechanized arm around Rebecca and holding her against him.

She buried her face into his shoulder, refusing to release her hold on him. John didn't seem to mind. "I've been so worried about you." Rebecca stated.

John looked at Rebecca with concern. "Well what's this I hear 'bout yeh not getting a wink of sleep, Rebecca?"

Rebecca released her hold and looked at John. "How did you know?"

"I'm the captain, Rebecca, I get told everything." John assured.

"So…" Rebecca looked away, "so, you know."

John nodded gravely. "I can't believe it." He sighed.

"John," Rebecca bit her lower lip, "I wanted to tell you earlier."

"It's all right, Rebecca," John assured. "I can see why yeh couldn't tell me, an' I understand."

"You do?" Rebecca asked.

John nodded. "I know that it would've been hard teh break the news teh me… but I know now," he sighed. "Jimbo's in a better place."

Rebecca was taken off guard. It was obvious that she and John were talking about two separate things.

John persisted. "That devil Billy Bones will pay for all that he's done teh us, I swear on me life that he doesn't see the light of another day without fearing that I'm hot on his slimy tail." Rebecca could see the iris of John's mechanical eye changing from amber to a deadly red. She could hear his mechanical hand tense into a fist as he continued. "I'll take the dearest thing from him so he'll know exactly what it is teh feel like this."

Rebecca was beginning to feel nervous around John, something that she had never felt before. John had always been a loving man and she felt safe when she was around him, but now she could see a terrible, uncharacteristic rage developing within him.

John calmed himself down and looked tenderly at Rebecca. "But first." He reached forwards and clasped one of Rebecca's hands. "I've gotta bring Jimbo home."

Rebecca mutely nodded; trying to conceal her disappointment that John didn't know she was pregnant as well as trying to hide the unusual fear she was having of him. Was it the inhumanness of his mechanical additions that she was afraid of, or was she afraid that the parts had somehow changed the John that she knew?

A few days later, everyone was prepared to start the return to Romano. Their ship was stocked and ready to go while their small crew tied off the last loose ends of their businesses on Xylos 20.

Rebecca stood at the foot of the gangplank leading onto the HMS Aurora with a small parcel in her hands. She had a feeling of returning home as she made her way up to the main deck, having missed the warmth of being on the HMS Aurora over the past week.

"Good to be back, isn't it Rebecca?" Juanita asked as she scaled a ratline.

Rebecca smiled warmly. "More than ever..." She agreed. The young woman looked around, the smile never melting from her face. To Rebecca, being back on the HMS Aurora –even after only a week's absence- was like seeing an old friend.

The young woman heard the distinct skittering of Scroop's approach and turned around, smiling at him. The young arachnid gave her a bit of an odd look, but seemed pleased that she was in a good mood.

"I'm assuming that you're feeling better, Rebecca?" Scroop stated.

Despite Scroop's rhetorical statement, Rebecca answered happily. "I'm feeling much better, Scroop." She looked at the parcel in her hands. "And… I got you something." She held the parcel out to him.

"For me?" Scroop asked quizzically. Rebecca simply nodded. Scroop sliced the twine that held the parcel together and carefully unwrapped the brown paper. Something soft fell into his pincers and he looked down at it. Upon further examination, it was revealed to be a light brown toque.

"I got it a bit bigger than is needed, seeing as you are still growing." Rebecca stated. She cleared her throat. "It's just a token of my gratitude, for all that you've done for us, Scroop." She smiled.

Scroop looked at Rebecca, his golden eyes seemed brighter, as if they were shimmering... could those be tears? "No one has ever gotten me anything before." He stated softly. The young arachnid leaned forwards and pulled Rebecca into a hug.

Rebecca was surprised by this gesture, but it touched her heart more than anything.

The embrace was over as quickly as it began. Scroop pulled the toque on and gathered up the discarded paper and twine. "I'd best be back to my duties." He stated. There was a suggestion of a smile at the corners of his mouth, as he turned away.

Rebecca nodded, the bright smile never leaving her face.

"I suppose that yeh can't judge a book by its cover after all." A familiar voice stated behind Rebecca.

The young woman turned, still smiling, and looked at John. His smile seemed to lighten up the whole ship. Seeing that he was happy to return to his family's ship made her happier. This was the John that she remembered.

"I think it's high time teh chart a course back home." John stated. Rebecca couldn't have agreed more and led the way up to the ship's helm. They were off to Romano at last.

Author's Note:

Thanks Whisperwings!

MG#6