A/N: Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I had intended to write it right after posting the last chapter, but between getting a new puppy and finding out that my husband and I are expecting, it's been a crazy month! Not an excuse, just thought I owed an explanation xD As always, I read and appreciate every single review, as it helps motivate me to keep writing. I welcome questions, ideas, etc I love reading what you all think of the story :) Enjoy!

The next morning brought stormy skies, as a subtle warning that troubled waters lay ahead. Jim ruefully thought how apt that was - a perfect metaphor for his life as he knew it.

He was incredibly smitten with Melody, but he knew in his gut that things could not end well, much as he wished otherwise. Still, bringing her back to Montressor would have its benefits. Ironbeard and his crew was still trying to track them down, so keeping the princess close was in her best interests. There was also the stone to worry about. If he was to have any chance at keeping her safe, they needed to find a way to remove it from her. Perhaps Delbert could assist once they returned. If anyone could come up with a solution, it would be the Doctor. Jim made a mental note to contact his wife, Amelia, who was the current dean of the Academy and could make the proper arrangements to protect Melody and the Sea Stone.

"Good morning, Lieutenant!" Melody interrupted his thoughts. She strolled across the deck wearing a simple yet elegant white frock. Her sweet smile unwound him.

"Good morning, Princess," he stood at attention. They were careful to act professionally around each other while above deck. The last thing they needed were prying eyes to discover their secret give them away.

"How did your chat with Silver go last night?" she asked under her breath.

"Surprisingly well. He actually encouraged me to pursue...whatever this is," he gave her a lopsided smile.

"Really? He didn't give you a hard time?" Melody didn't believe that Jim was telling the whole truth.

"No, he told me he didn't want to see me make the same mistake that he once did, when he was my age." Prompted to divulge more at her inquisitive look, he explained. "Silver had a girlfriend years ago, but he didn't feel that he would be able to give her a good life, that he would never be worthy of her, so he left and pursued a life of piracy."

"Now, who does that remind me of?" she smiled wryly, placing her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Anyways, Captain Howell says we should be hitting land by noon today," he informed her, not so subtly changing the subject.

"Oh, excellent! The quicker we get there, the quicker we can leave!" Melody rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

"And the quicker we can deal with your...special needs," Jim nudged her.

"Hey, no touching!" she gave him a slight shove, smiling. "So, do you have any ideas as far as the Sea Stone goes?"

"Yeah, there's an old friend of the family back on my home planet. He's a brilliant scientist, if a bit quirky. If anyone can figure out how to get it out of you, it's him."

"I certainly can't wait to meet him. Being a mermaid is great, but not when I have no control over it," she sighed with relief that Jim had a plan. What if she turned into a mermaid while she was with the Duke? That would be, difficult to explain, to say the least. She had to figure out exactly how the stone worked. Jim said that Silver was searching for the stones, and had even found one. Maybe he might know something useful...

"Have you seen Silver this morning?" she asked suddenly.

"He's probably down in the galley preparing breakfast. Why?" he eyed her suspiciously.

"No reason, just wanted to thank him for the delicious supper last night! See you later!" she left him at his post and headed to the stairs as quickly as her healing foot would allow.

Jim looked after her, narrowing his eyes. What was she up to?

Sure enough, Silver was busy at work chopping up vegetables and meat, humming an old sea shanty. His cybernetic arm converted into a flamethrower as he used it to light the stove and start frying the ingredients.

"Wow, that's a pretty useful arm you have there!" Melody couldn't help but stare.

"Well if ah had known ah had an audience, ah might've put on more of a show!" Silver hardly showed his surprise, though he was certain he had been alone only a minute ago. "What can ah do ya fer, lassie? Breakfast shouldn't be too long now."

Melody glanced around to make sure no one else was in the galley before she asked her questions.

"Actually, I have a few questions for you, if you don't mind. Regarding the stones that you're looking for..."

Silver noticeably stiffened at the mention of the stones, and also looked around the galley to ensure no one was listening in. He placed a lid over the huge skillet to keep the food warm, then sauntered over to the table where Melody had perched herself.

"An' what do ye want to know about them?" he raised an eyebrow warily.

"Well, first of all, where did they come from?"

"Nobody really knows, but some say dey were created by an ancient civilization whose knowledge was light-years before d'ere time. Dey were intended to create new land for de expansion of their people, but some saught to use dem for destruction. To protect future generations, dey decided to hide de stones all over de universe, to keep dem from ones who would jus' exploit their power for d'ere own gain."

Melody was enraptured by Silver's storytelling skills. She felt like she was back home reading a book about fantasy and adventure. It was thrilling. She had to know what else the cyborg might know.

"So, how do they actually work?"

"Each stone was crafted wit a specific element in mind. Ye got fire, earth, air, and water. Whoever was in possession of a stone was granted the ability to manipulate dat element, limited only by d'ere own imagination."

"But how would one control a stone? How would they prevent it from controlling them?" Melody leaned in closer in earnest, unaware that her specific questions were giving her away.

"Ah suppose it would take a strong-willed mind, someone who could focus on what dey wanted wit no distraction," Silver rubbed his chin, then looked at the princess pointedly. "Why are ye suddenly so interested in de stones, lassie?"

"W-well, I know that you're looking for them, and I know that that Ironbeard pirate is looking for you, so I was just curious, is all," she stammered ungracefully, trying to cover her tracks.

"Uh huh...whatever ye say, lassie," Silver smiled mischievously as he straightened back up and wiped his hands on his apron before turning back to the stove to stir the sizzling veggies.

Oh man, he was on to her! Why didn't she listen to Jim? Now he surely knew that she was in possession of the Sea Stone! Desperately hoping to change the subject, she decided to see what he would divulge about his old flame.

"Um, Silver...?" she began uncertainly.

"Yeah, lassie?" he glanced over his shoulder.

"I hope you don't mind my asking, but Jim told me that you encouraged him to pursue me, because you didn't want to see him make the same mistakes as you. I was wondering, what did you mean by that?" she twirled her hair nervously around her finger, hoping she wasn't prying too much.

"Ah don't mind, lassie. In fact, ah'm glad ye asked. Ah used to be in a similar position to Jimbo, back in mah much, much younger years..."

"You were in the Academy, you mean?"

"No, not that kind of position," he chuckled at the thought of himself being a space cadet and taking orders. "Back on me home planet, d'ere was a woman who ah I had known since we were children. As we got older, ah realized dat I liked her, liked her a lot. Turned out dat she liked me too! Imagine that..." he smiled wistfully to himself at the memory.

"What was she like?" Melody was once again in for a good story, she was sure of it.

"Her name was Mary, Mary Reade. She had de most firy red hair, an' a personality to match! She was beautiful, down to earth, decent, an' had a sense o' humor the likes of which would make a spacer blush. We used to go on picnics to the lake nearby an' talk fer hours, dreamin' about our future."

"So what happened? She sounds like a lovely person."

"Well, eventually ah mustered up the nerve to ask her father if ah could marry her. Long story short, he said no. She came from a wealthy family an' was thereby expected to marry someone...not like me. So ah left on the next spaceship outta dere. Ah couldn't even bring mahself to say goodbye. She must hate me, if she even remembers me..."

Melody was certain that Silver was tearing up talking about his painful decision. She felt terrible.

"She couldn't hate you Silver, if anything, she was probably more upset at her father for ruining things between you. And I'm certain that she still remembers you, it sounds like you two had a special bond. That doesn't just go away..."

"Ah hope yer right, lassie. Ah really do..."

"Trust me Silver, it's a woman's intuition. I am certain that if she were to see you again, she would throw herself at you without hesitation!"

"Perhaps to clock me in the face!" he chuckled ruefully.

"Well, maybe, at first. But then I bet she would want to pick up where you left off!" Melody wondered what she would do in Mary's situation. She would definitely be angry if Jim left her in such a manner, but she couldn't hate him. She could forgive him, if it meant that they could be together. She felt more determined than ever to make things work with Jim. And she hoped that his talk with Silver had ignited a similar fire in him.

"Alright lassie, would ye like to be the first to try this dish? T'is a new recipe ah thought ah would try."

"I would love to taste test, I'm starving!" she picked up a plate and followed him to the stove.

"You're always starving!" she jumped at the sound of Jim's voice coming from the stairwell. He chuckled at her as he strolled over to get his own plate. "So what have you two been up to?"

Melody and Silver exchanged a look.

"Nothing!" they said in unison.

"I don't think I like the idea of you two being alone together," Jim raised an eyebrow. "You're both much too mischievous."

"Let's just say I made a new friend," Melody sat down with her plate and winked at Silver.

"Yeah, I definitely don't like this..." Jim narrowed his eyes at Silver.