Author's Note:
Thank you Whisperwings, as always.
Weeks passed, the days seemed to blur together as Rebecca tried to focus on what was going to happen to her. It seemed that when John wasn't commanding his crew he was working on charting a course or immersed in the memories of his pendant. Scroop was also put to work for much longer, having to attend to more frequent cleaning duties due to the increased number of sailors.
In short, for the majority of the time Rebecca either stood at the bow of the ship or stayed in her room absorbed in her thoughts. She felt much more alone than she had in the longest time. It reminded her of her first voyage: the voyage in which she had met John.
There is another young man I've had the chance to get acquainted with, his name is John Silver. He helped me prepare myself for the ship's launch, as he's an experienced sailor himself. He seems like a polite young man, and despite how brash and barbaric sailors tend to be, he's different.
She wiped her eyes as she read the first entry in her pocketbook and flickered through its pages, recalling all she that had been through.
"Rebecca?" Scroop's voice interrupted Rebecca's thoughts. She had thought she was alone at the bow of the ship. The young woman turned, seeing that the young arachnid had taken a pause with swabbing the deck. He looked at Rebecca, his golden eyes reflecting concern. "Are you alright?"
Rebecca simply shook her head. "I'm not, Scroop…" She sniffled. "I'm really not." She wiped away the tears from her eyes.
Scroop set the mop against the railing of the ship and stepped closer, prepared to listen to what she had to say.
Rebecca sighed. "I feel, like I'm losing John." She stated. "He's grown so… distant ever since Jim's death." She exhaled. "It's his pursuit for revenge, for this treasure." Her bottom lip quivered and shook her head. "It's eating away at him."
Scroop thought a moment before speaking. "Have you told your feelings to John yet?"
Rebecca shook her head. "How can I?" She sighed. "I had the same desire for revenge when Billy Bones killed my family, and it only wound up with more people getting hurt. With Jim getting killed." She couldn't stop her tears from falling. "I only hope that nothing else happens to John. I just want him to be safe."
The young arachnid looked at the crying woman and pondered. "Rebecca, you should tell him what you think. Perhaps he'll have a change of hear-" Scroop stopped mid-sentence, his pupils dilating and he looked far off into the Etherium.
"Scroop?" Rebecca looked at the young arachnid.
"Ah!" Scroop gasped in pain, his eyes slammed shut and he clutched his head. Images flashed through his head and screams blocked out every other sound.
"Scroop!" Rebecca hurried to the young arachnid's side as he fell against the railing of the ship. "Someone help!" She called out.
Murmuring conversation floated in and out of Scroop's mind as he tried to fully regain consciousness. Whispers in his native language called to him. Telling him the ancient stories and consoling him.
Finally, he heard the curt voice of the Shikaran enchantress commanding him to open his eyes, and he did so.
"What did yeh say?" John's voice asked.
"Hmm?" Scroop blinked, adjusting to the room he had been put in. It was Rebecca's chambers; he recognized them from the number of times that he had brought Rebecca her meals. He sat up in Rebecca's bed and looked at John in confusion.
"Yeh said: Ariah." John stated.
Scroop blinked, he didn't recall saying that, and he pondered for a moment before answering, "stories… my mother told them to me when I was younger."
"The ancient tales?" John asked.
Scroop nodded. He tried to get out of Rebecca's bed but was pushed back into place by John's mechanical arm.
"Yeh need teh get some shut eye, Scroop." John stated. "Yeh hit yer head pretty badly when yeh fell down."
Scroop looked at John. "I'm fine." He challenged. "I need to return to my duties." He stated, trying a second time to get out of the bed.
"No, yeh won't." John interjected, pushing Scroop back down. "As captain I order yeh teh stay in this room 'til tomorrow an' rest up. Understood?"
Scroop growled and sat back down in the bed. "Where's Rebecca going to sleep if I'm in her room?"
"Rebecca's accommodations have already been settled." John replaced his hat and stood from the chair he had been seated at.
"Where, in your room?" Scroop implied.
John glanced back at the young arachnid without answering before leaving the room.
John entered his quarters, peeling off his jacket and setting it down on the chair behind his desk.
"John?" Rebecca's voice tiredly called from across the room, she was sitting in an armchair by John's bed. She was wrapped in a warm blanket and clasped a cup in her hands.
John smiled softly. "Scroop's all right, Rebecca." He assured.
Rebecca sighed gently. "Good." She set the empty cup of cocoa on the nightstand and climbed beneath the covers. "I was getting worried."
John kicked off his boots and slipped next to Rebecca. He wrapped his organic arm around her and pulled her close. "There's nothin' teh worry 'bout."
Rebecca sighed, setting her head down against John's chest.
The couple remained silent for a few moments before Rebecca spoke up.
"John?"
"Mmm hmm?"
"I'm sorry… but I can't go with you."
John paused. "I know." He understood what the young woman was talking about. "After the baby is born, we're better teh go our separate ways."
Rebecca nodded and sniffled loudly.
John pulled Rebecca closer to him. "I'll come back for yeh, Rebecca." He whispered gently. "Once Billy Bones gets what's comin' for him, I'll be back."
"I don't care about that." Rebecca sobbed. "I don't care about revenge." She didn't bother wiping away her tears. "Look where revenge has gotten us. You said it yourself, John, revenge can't bring back the people that we love."
John was silent for a moment. "I know that, Rebecca." He stroked the side of her tear-covered cheek. "But I'm doin' this so no one else will 'ave teh feel this way. So Billy Bones can 'ave a taste of his own medicine. I'll find that treasure he's safeguarding, Rebecca, an' make sure there's no way he can 'ave his claim on it. Once I do that, I'll come back for yeh, Rebecca. I promise."
The young woman sobbed into John's shirt. There was no way that she could convince John otherwise. He was going to pursue this foolish dream. And he was going to have to do it without her.
John woke up later in the day than he had intended. Rebecca had already left his side. He looked around his quarters for a sign of the young woman. The mug had been taken from the nightstand and his boots had been orderly placed at the side of his bed.
When he found no other signs indicating Rebecca's presence, he slipped into his boots, pulled on his leather overcoat and replaced his hat.
The young man ventured through the empty lower decks. He realized how late in the day it was, the crew was likely having lunch by now. He looked into Rebecca's quarters but also found them to be empty.
John finally ascended to the main deck where he found Scroop at the helm of the ship and Rebecca standing at the bow once more.
The young man approached the young woman, who heard his footfalls but didn't speak a word. She looked at the horizon, watching her home planet slowly grow larger as they came closer to it. John stood at her right side following her gaze.
Rebecca sighed. "So… this is it then." She stated with a lump in her throat. Her eyes were glued to the horizon and her face was devoid of all emotion. It was as if she had already given up on hope.
John didn't say anything, only placed his hand gently over hers against the railing of the ship. Rebecca looked down at John's hand. She set her other hand on top of John's hand, guided it from the railing and placed it against her stomach. John looked curiously at Rebecca, who simply closed her eyes. John did the same until he felt a tiny kick beneath his palm. John opened his eyes and looked at Rebecca.
Tears had fallen from her eyes as she looked at him. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against his chest, letting more tears fall. John wrapped his arms around Rebecca and pulled her closer to him.
No words were spoken. It was simply two young adults held together in an embrace. The solar winds whispered through the sails and the rigging creaked while the sail booms gently swung to and fro. A small flock of Mantabirds passed along the side of the ship, indicating their nearness to the port.
Rebecca slipped out from beneath John's arms. "Then I suppose that this baby is all I have left of you." The young woman set her hand down on her stomach as she looked out at the stars. "My saviour…"
"Rebecca. I-" John searched his mind for appropriate words. He inhaled slowly and sighed when none came to him. Instead he spoke what his heart was telling him to say. "I will come back."
Rebecca looked up and met John's eyes. She tried to find something within the depths of his eyes that would give her hope. She then let out a gasp.
"John. I think my water just broke."
Author's Note:
We're nearly at the end of this tale, I'm afraid.
MG#6