Me: Ahhh! Now what she doesn't know is that I have indeed edited another little section for you...but there will be a bit of a break after the NEXT section, because...well...it's not actually written at all yet.
Father: Shhh!
--
Chapter Nineteen- Wandering Eyes
Christy and Ron had been reunited twenty minutes and were already in a fight. Ahh, domestic bliss. "Look, I'm sorry. I forgot about the pit. Gimme a break, I haven't been here in forever and Vic outgrew storytime years ago," Christy grumbled.
"I just can't believe how careless that was. Take your mind off the jungle for one minute, don't pay attention and break the rules and this place will trap you, remember. There was a time where you wouldn't make a stupid mistake like that, Nicky," Ron shook his head in disgust.
"Oh come on, it's not like you're exactly all you used to be either. Like I said I haven't even thought of this place since I stopped telling bedtime stories to Vic."
"You told our son how to get here?!"
"I had to. What was to happen to the treasure if anything happened to me? Remember, until a year ago you were dead."
They weren’t paying attention. They were breaking the rules.
"So what? That boy has no business being here! You know he'll come looking for you. Especially after the explosion of the Criakian."
"Well, Ronald, look around you we could use all the help we can get! It's not like our son is completely incompetent in the first place."
Slowly the forest beyond them began changing, twisting into a mirror of sorts behind huge bent tree roots.
"With the cushy life you've given him I bet he is," Ron snapped.
"I did not give him a cushy life! I gave him safety, not cush."
"Without ever telling him about me!"
"Helloo, you were dead! If you wanted to be such a part of our life why didn't you come after us after what's his butt came and rescued you?"
"That's not about this. This is about endangering our son!"
"Who could stand his own in a battle against you!" Christy paused crossing her arms fuming inside.
"Really? He's that good?" Ron gazed off into the distant jungle, frowning slightly at a subtle difference therein.
"You know. You're not the one he calls Father, but it wouldn't kill you to get to know your own so...." Christy paused in mid-sentence with her hand in the air. Her eyes grew wide, and her teeth parted as she stared into the jungle, and watched Tabby, Anne, and Kelly tumble down a curb towards Randall, saw glass shatter across an airport, a large black boat rocking across the sea towards The Reunion.
"No! Leave them alone!" Christy screamed, running towards the jungle wall.
"No!" Ron tackled her to the ground, pinned her down, "No, Nicky it's not real. Randall is playing with the controls. You're seeing what he wants you to see."
"Let me go, that's my family!" Christy broke free and tried to run towards the jungle again.
Ron grabbed her and threw her to the ground as they rolled in the dirt, "Christy Nicola, get a hold of yourself it's not there it's not real."
She pulled herself away from him. "It's real somewhere. I can't let him get my babies." She yanked her hand out of Ron's grasp and punched him in the side of the head, leapt back toward the jungle.
"You stubborn, bull headed, you leave me no choice," Ron grabbed her by the waist and kissed her, fast, unexpected.
Stunned, Christy flailed her arms and pushed Ron away. Quickly she wiped her mouth glaring at Ron's mile wide grin. "I forgot how good that felt," he said eyes twinkling.
"You do that one more time and I uh.....yeah...thanks." Christy blushed and looked down.
"You're welcome, you okay now? Look at the jungle and tell me what you see."
"Leaves and trees."
"Good let's go," Ron extended his arm to Christy. She frowned, and shoved it back by his side before striding on ahead of him.
****
Vic stood aboard The Reunion clutching Baby Jana's hand. Just days ago his Father had kicked him out of his own home. Dad acted like he was a stranger. Vic didn't understand anything anymore. Something told him that his Mother wasn't dead. That she was still alive and needed his help. Mentally, he thanked her for putting engines in the ship along with sails. It was the only way he could get to that spot in time for whatever was happening. But right now, he'd phased out again.
Jana looked up at her big brother and tugged on his pants leg. Vic continued staring into space, lost in the maze of his mind. Why would his Father have done that? why did his Mother…
Jana was just confused and tired. Momma went swimming and didn't come back like she promised. Vic just stood there while Mac ran the ship. Jana adored her big brother, wanted to help him. So she ran towards the only person who could help, Bonnie.
"Bonnie....Bonnie.....BON-NIE!" Jana called with a stamp of her tiny foot.
"Whoa, I heard you the first time. What is it short stuff?" Bonnie knelt down to Jana's eye level.
"Vic needs help. He likes you. Help him. He just stares. I think he misses Momma, but Momma's okay. We just gotta go back and get her, and if you won't help, we can't, and so, help ok?" Jana huffed and crossed her chubby arms in front of her chest.
Bonnie closed her eyes. She hadn't been around many babies, but still she knew Jana was special. Not many seven monthold babies could walk and talk like they were five. However, Bonnie had no idea how to explain to the little one that her Mother was dead. It reminded her of her own childhood…but that was past, remember, past. "Jana, you remember the explosion don't you. All the water that went up and the bright light?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Your Momma isn't there waiting on us, Sweetie. She's, er, gone."
"You think she's dead."
Bonnie paused, then answered. "Yeah. I think she is."
"Nope. She's not."
"Jana all of us have tried to tell you. She's gone."
Jana was seriously getting really frustrated with all the grown-ups. In two seconds she climbed up on the railing and stood herself up as tall as she could. Jana placed a hand on each hip and said, "Momma is not dead. She needs mine and Vic's help. And we're gonna give it to her so there! Now snap Vic out of his little trance thingy so we can get a move on!" A moment passed as Bonnie stared at the little girl wondering if she was serious. "Hello? Why are you still standing here? I said go help Vic! Now!"
Bonnie turned and walked towards Vic muttering, "I dunno if the Cap'n is dead or not, but I tell you she lives in that little spitfire."
Mac and Dooley stood off to the side watching the entire scene and chuckling amongst themselves. Mac leaned against the mast and jabbed Dooley in the ribs, "If'n I hadna helped her birth thet child until this moment I woulda denied it was hers."
"Yup, Jana don't look a think like the Cap'n. Takes more after her Father in looks," Dooley said chewing on a splinter of wood.
"I tell you sumthin' though. That child is her Mother all over."
"Mac, I'm startin' to believe thet wee one. I mean ain't kids the ones who know their Mother's best. Especially babies?"
"You gotta point there. And I know the connection Adam and Christy have. You think Jana has the same with her Mother?"
"What are we waiting here jawin' for old man. Let's get over there and help snap the boy outta it." Dooley finished as the two men joined Jana and Bonnie with Vic.
Bonnie had tried everything. She had thrown a bucket of water on Vic. Friggin had found a stray crab on board and they had gotten it to pinch Vic. She had punched him, screamed in his ear, and everything else imaginable. Mac and Dooley tried a trick or two that they knew. Still Vic just stared into space. Jana stood to the side patiently tapping her foot. Bonnie looked over disgusted at her. "You have a better idea?"
"Yeah, kiss him," Jana stated seriously.
"You have got to be kidding me."
"Kiss him."
"On the..."
"Well duh where else are you gonna kiss him?"
Bonnie grimaced and looked to Mac and Dooley for help. The two older men just stood there grinning and chuckling. Finally facing Vic she said, "All right Sleeping Beauty. Time to wake up."
No sooner than her lips had touched his, Vic came to his senses. In two seconds he realized what was going on and took advantage of the situation. He kissed back.
Bonnie furiously shoved Vic back with all her might. Furiously wiping her mouth she glared at Vic, "You..you...you...you...you.." was all she managed to get out before walking off in a huff.
Vic grinned and scooped up Jana. He placed her on Ted's back and knelt down. "Thanks. Er, thanks. I just sortta crashed there for a second."
Jana just shrugged, "It's okay Vic. You can fight the ship coming at us. Ted'll take me to bed. I'm tired now. Charge Ted!"
Ted reared in his best Silver impersonation and charged off to the Captian's quarters. Giggles and barks were heard from below as Ted honed his new found Nanny skills.
Vic looked up at the ship Jana mentioned. It was a galleon twice the size of their own. The ship was painted a midnight black and flew a black flag. Taking Mac's offered telescope, he spotted only one man upon its deck. A tall large man stood at the helm dressed in a black cape and gloves. He wore a leering smile as he turned his ship sharply towards The Reunion. Frantically Vic looked around on the deck where Mac and Dooley stood, and other pirates and sea fellows gathered.
He'd need more than manpower to stop this thing. It was far greater than the last heap of bandits he'd dealt with. "What would mom do?"
Dah, no fair, she'd use a little click of the finger magic. Or board the thing, knives blazing. Now, that, he could do. "Alright! Listen up men!" he shouted. "We're going to…"
He stopped.
A boy stood in the crow's-nest grinning. It was Vic, and yet it wasn't.
"Hey, ya'll!" the boy shouted. "Listen up here instead. That man at the wheel's a fake, a pheony. If you wanna stop the galleon, first stop him."
Mac's eyes narrowed, and his fingers twitched towards his sword. Now there were two Vic's on board it would be impossible to figure which was real, and which nothing but a shadow.
The galleon cut water as it drove toward them.
Vic stared at the Vic-Double. That explained a lot. If Father had been stuck at home with a Vic-Double all this time… "If you're the real Vic," Vic shouted. "Leap down from the crow's-nest without pain. You know you can."
Bonnie lifted a hatch near the rigging, but Vic sent her back with a silent flick of his finger. The Vic-Double smugged. The galleon neared, and the man on board smiled wide. Mac sliced his knife along its sheaf.
Suddenly, the Vic-Double leapt into the air, spinning and landed perfectly on the deck without any pain in his ankles. The boy stood up, and Mac's blade whizzed through the air and caught him in the chest. The double fell back as Bonnie gasped, then it disappeared. An illusion.
"Aye, laddie," Mac said. "It's a good job ye can't jump from that thing, but we'll make a pirate of you yet."
The man on the galleon roared as his boat disappeared, the illusion seen through. He fell towards the water and blinked himself away before hitting it. Vic chuckled, then laughed out loud.
"Alri-ight!" Vic cheered, and Mac slapped him on the back. Bonnie grinned at him from the hatch, and Vic raised an eyebrow.
EDIT: In the line about "Cush" I had accidently written Randall, rather than Ron, sorry for the confiusion.
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