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Author's note: This chapter is a long time in coming and I first have to apologize to my fans. I never intended to be away so long. Many things happened to me in the time that I was away. I hope that you enjoy this chapter and that I haven't lost too many of you along the way. Second, I would like to dedicate this chapter to my baby girl who was born in June and a very good friend of mine who pushed me to continue. Enjoy and don't forget to vote at the end of the story! It's the best part of my job! :)
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This is not a standalone chapter. It is part of a series. Please read the other chapters before reading this to get a clear view of what is happening. Enjoy. :)
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Her eyes stared at the dove gray sky over head, her mind trying to figure out how she'd come to this position. Katherine remembered staring into Bega's eyes as his fingers cruelly squeezed the life from her body. He'd said he had no intention to kill her, but maybe he went too far, she thought as she raised a hand up to her bruised and sore throat. Perhaps this was her afterlife; a cold, desolate eternity which she would have to spend alone.
She never imagined that her afterlife would consist of a boat and the open ocean, but it really shouldn't have surprised her either. She moved slowly across the rough wooden deck, staring out over the dark waves with a keen eye. There was nothing out there except for a bitter, cold wind and choppy water. Her Uncle Jack had once said that heaven was anywhere she made it, and as she remember the saying she couldn't help but think that this was all wrong. Completely and utterly wrong.
Heaven to her wasn't this cold and lifeless place. It was a warm ocean breeze on the crystal blue waters, surrounded by her family and all those that had passed before her. In a red dress, she thought with a sad smile, glancing down at what she wore with surprise. Well, she could at least say that one part of her vision had come true, she thought as she ran her hands over the fine brocade of her gown.
Leaning against the railing of the ship with a sigh, she looked over the side into the water before her, seeing her reflection shown back to her in a mixture of muted colors, grey mingling with the paleness of her skin while her hair shown a bright red, almost like a halo. "Hell." She muttered as she pushed away, walking around the deck as if she were in a daze.
This couldn't be the end, it just couldn't, she kept telling herself as tears of anger come to her eyes. Her entire life, fighting for just a simple place in the world only to have it ripped away by a mad man and to be thrust into the dark and unforgiving afterlife. The anger came swift, causing her to pick up a piece of loose wood from the deck and throw it at the windows that were on the captain's cabin of this strange ship.
She listened with a strange satisfaction as the glass shattered, sprinkling along the wood with a high pitched crash. Then, on the calm of the air, Katherine heard a voice. A familiar voice with a familiar song, one that made her feel like she was a young girl once more. She hurried forward, her shaking fingers fumbling with the door handle as she yanked the cabin door open.
The inside was dark, smoky from the tapers that were burning on the walls to illuminate the interior. A figure sat hunched over a desk placed in the center of the room, their head bowed in concentration as they scribbled notes hurriedly on a piece of parchment. A soft song came from their lips, lifting her heart and soul to a level of unimaginable joy. A few steps forward were all that Katherine dare take, so afraid that this would all disappear in the blink of an eye.
"Papa?" She managed to say softly, startled as the figure's quill stopped and his head slowly rose to look at the source of his interruption. The song that he'd been singing died on his lips as he set aside the pen and stood, staring at Katherine with a critical eye. "I...it's me. Kit." She murmured, suddenly nervous as he stepped around the desk and came to stand just in front of her, still not saying anything.
His eyes took her in, a crooked smile crossing his lips at the way she looked at him with such hope and a nervousness that had her shifting from foot to foot. "Do you honestly believe that I could forget my own daughter, Katherine?" He asked as he engulfed her in a fierce hug, pulling her against the solid wall of his chest and never wanting to let go again.
She couldn't believe what was happening as his strong, warm arms wrapped around her, holding her tight as his cheek rested against the top of her head. Tears began to flow from her eyes as she gripped his tunic tight in her hands, sobbing into the fabric as she heard him murmuring about his little girl finally being home.
"I've waited so long for this, little one." He whispered, pulling her away slightly and tipping her head back so she looked him in the eye. With a warm smile, he used his thumbs to brush away the hot tears on her cheeks. "I've worried about you, Kit."
She reached her hands up, holding onto his wrists as he held her face. "Papa, how can you be here?" She whispered softly, so scared of the answer that he could give her. "I saw you die." Fresh tears welled in her eyes as she thought of what it meant, sobbing softly as she struggled to find her voice. "Am I dead?"
Her father looked at her, the smile slowly falling from his face as he looked her in the eye. "No." He murmured softly, knowing that there were many more trials ahead of her.
A look of disbelief crossed her face, her heart dropping into the very pit of her stomach. She wanted it all to be over, to be here with her father and never have to face that cruel world again. "Papa, I can't face it all again. Please, keep me here."
"Katherine Gabriella Moore, you speak of things as if I've taught to just give up." Jim scolded his daughter, watching as she cast her eyes towards the floor, embarrassed that she'd had such thoughts. "Kit, we are made of strong stock, built to withstand even the most violent of storms. God has a plan for you and although it seems that there is no rhyme or reason to everything that's happened, trust me when I say that there is."
"How can you know, Papa?" She asked softly, slowly lifting her gaze to his, watching as the tears slowly gathered in his eyes. She'd only seen him cry once in her entire life and that had been the night that her mother passed away.
"How can I not, Kit? You're as fiery as your mother." He said, brushing his hand over her red curls, watching as his hand passed over it, the feeling like the finest silk. "And as stubborn as me. You'll be alright, Katherine. Besides, you still have to keep your promise to Danny and I."
Katherine looked at him strangely as he said that, thinking him absolutely mad. How could he ask that when he had to know her current situation? "Papa, I can't..." She started, silenced when he pressed his finger to her lips, shaking his head silently.
"There is no can't, Kit. Never. Moore's don't give up." He scolded her gently, giving her a reassuring smile as he saw the tears gather in her eyes. "Give him hell, Katherine." He whispered, leaning forward to press a kiss to his only daughter's forehead.
She closed her eyes, expecting to feel the soft pressure of his lips, frowning when there was nothing. "Papa." She whimpered, opening her eyes to an empty cabin. It ripped her heart out all over again to not have him there, like watching him die that dreadful night, she felt as if her world had been ended once more.
"Come back." A voice from the blue whispered in her mind. She shook her head, wanting to die and be through with her horrible life. "Come back." It whispered again, drawing her from the safety of her mind. Philip, she suddenly thought, his green eyes appearing before her as she reached out to touch his face. "Come back." It was there again, that voice calling incessantly to bring her back to the world of the living.
Why not? She thought as she let her eyes close once more, falling through that dark void to appease the voice that was calling her back. When she finally opened her eyes again, it was to harsh sunlight streaming through the cabin's window, the evening sun turning everything orange and red as she squeezed them shut once more with a groan of pain. Her head thudded harshly and she reached a shaky hand up to rub the ache away. She was surprised when her hand touched the cool, wet cloth that had been placed over her brow.
Her eyes flew open once more when she heard the cabin door open and close, the soft sounds of footsteps drawing closer as she turned her head to see who it was, a groan of pain escaping her bruised throat at the simple movement, her mind shattering in numbing pain. Someone was there in an instant, moving the cloth from her brow and mopping gently at her fevered face as they muttered soothing words, trying to draw her eyes open once more.
She was surprised to be looking into a pair of caring eyes, her swollen throat barely able to form the words that she so desperately wanted to say. She gratefully took a drink from the cup of fresh water that was held against her lips, closing her aching eyes against the harsh light as another cool cloth was placed across her brow.
"You needn't say anything." Shelley whispered softly to her, wiping away the tears that leaked from her eyes as her face twisted in sadness. "I thought that you'd been taken by the angels, Kit." He continued to talk in hushed tones, obviously afraid of what would happen if it were discovered that she were awake.
When a strangled sob escaped her throat, he quickly covered her mouth with his hand, looking to the door of the cabin with a fearful look and then down at the woman that was beneath him. "He can't know you're awake. Not yet." Shelley murmured, his heart pounding wildly as he thought of the mutiny that he was committing at the moment. The two listened to the silence for the longest time, both praying that the door wouldn't open. Shelley sighed hugely in relief, glancing at the figure beneath him as she stared at him with wide blue eyes, trembling as he slowly moved his hand from her mouth.
