Chapter 30:

"There you are. Been lookin' all over."

Zarabeth's attention was suddenly redirected as she heard Jim call out to her from behind where she sat, a smile instantly on her lips as she waited for him to join her. "You were? I'm sorry. I've just been here for a while."

The girl rearranged her legs so that there was room for Jim to sit beside her on the bench on the far wall of the gazebo. This spot in the garden had become one of her and Jim's favorites over that year. Looking out over the colorless canyons, watching the Etherium as it hailed the stages of the day, it was easy to forget the real world and just be happy.

"No, you're good. I should've guessed it."

Zara closed her eyes, her smile only brightening as she felt the boy give her forehead a quick kiss. "Not much to do around here when your mom still won't let me help out."

Lowering himself to sit at the other end of the bench, Jim pulled the girl's legs down so that they were resting comfortably across his lap. "Ya well, she just doesn't want to wear you out. How're you feeling?"

A small laugh escaped Zarabeth as she shook her head, letting a hint of desperation show only in her eyes. "Perfect. Really, I couldn't be better. It's been almost a month, I think you all can stop worrying. If anything, I'm just itching for something to do."

"Well, school starts up again in a month. I'll be busy, you'll be working, you'll have plenty to do then."

"True." Zara found herself fiddling mindlessly with the necklace at her throat, her thumb playing over the endless surfaces of the pendant. It was nice to have everything back the way it was. She was healthy, the inn was open again, she and Jim were free once more to do whatever they pleased with the rest of their summer. "It's gonna feel weird at first, not being at school I mean. I probably won't even notice the difference if I'm just at the bakery for most of the day, but not rooming with the girls will be weird."

"Knowing you, you'll be so in your element, you'll hardly notice. Besides, we'll all get together so much that it'll still feel like before."

"I hope so. I really do miss everyone. Being already graduated feels odd."

"Eh, it just means you've got everything all figured out. It's the rest of us who have to struggle along."

"You have nothing to worry about. I bet ya that the imperial navy will have you snatched up and captaining a ship within a week of graduation." Zarabeth couldn't help but smile as she thought about how proud of Jim she was. He'd grown from a boy to a man right in front of her eyes over the last three years, completely unaware that any real change was happening until it was already complete.

Jim chuckled quietly as he ran a hand over the back of his neck, obviously flattered by the girl's praise. "Well maybe not that soon, but it would be great. You'd come with me, wouldn't you?"

"As long as they'd let me." She liked to day-dream about what it would be like to fly with Jim across the galaxy, maybe even into other systems. Just knowing that everything new they'd experience, they'd experience together was the most wonderful idea.

A thought, one which periodically struck the girl, hit her once more, causing her to laugh quietly as she instinctively shook her head.

"What's so funny?"

Meeting Jim's gaze, Zarabeth only then realized that she'd been laughing, her smile growing as she bit down on her lip. "Oh, it's just this thought I keep having, that I have had ever since I met you. No matter what happens, no matter how scary or bad things are or seem to be, everything always works out for us. We always find each other again. It's like we're just truly meant to be, like nothing can permanently separate us. Ya know?"

"No, I get it. I've felt that way too. Weird, isn't it? Well, not weird, just really cool. It's how I know I've found the one."

The look of pure and untainted love in Jim's gaze, the girl could feel her heart melt away into nothing as she leaned back against one of the wooden beams behind her. How could he be so perfect? This boy, no, this man in front of her, he was her everything. Without Jim, what was she? He'd given her her life, her freedom, incomparable joy. He'd given her a purpose.

Her mind slightly distracted, Zara finally finished what she'd been doing before Jim had joined her, the pen in her hand signing her name at the bottom of the hand-written letter in her lap. Carefully folding the papers into thirds, the girl placed them into the envelope beside her before setting everything aside on the ground.

"That for Gen?"

"Yeah, I'm a little behind. I haven't written to her since the day we got Silver's letter. Hope she doesn't think I've completely disappeared on her."

"So much for your once a week deal."

"That's ok. She'll understand. And from what it sounds like, I'll have more than enough time to keep up with her in the next month. It's taken me all afternoon to write this. Too much stuff to talk about. Need to get her caught up."

"You might not want to seal that yet."

"Why?" Trying to read the boy's expression, Zara hadn't the slightly idea of what Jim was getting at.

"You might need to add something."

Still unable to understand, the girl pulled her legs away from the boy, sitting upright as she leaned a little closer to him. "I'm so confused."

Enjoying her bewilderment, the boy simply smiled, moving a hand toward his jacket pocket without taking his eyes from the girl beside him. "I know I did this once already, but I figured it should be done properly."

"Jim, what are you talking about?"

"This."

Within an instant, her breath was trapped in her throat, her gaze completely captured by what was being held up toward her, Jim no longer sitting, but kneeling on the ground in front of her.

Gently held between his fingers was a thin gold band of a ring, a small emerald crowning it with an even smaller diamond on either side of the gem.

No words. Her mind was a complete blank. Realizing that she was still just sitting there, Zara fought to speak, shifting her gaze between the ring and the look of adoration in Jim's eyes as he patiently waited for her.

"I...But you alr...Jim, where did you-"

"Consider it Silver and my mom's contributions. Mom said she really didn't need all that treasure to herself."

Laughing at her own empty mind, Zara found herself tearing up as she tried to suppress her small bursts of laughter, a hand securely over her mouth as a few still escaped. "I don't know why I'm crying. I've already been through this before."

"But I need another answer." Undeterred by the girl's reaction, Jim only continued to smile, laughing along with her as he gently took one of her hands in his. "Zarabeth Jane Hartfit, will you marry me?"

Letting the feelings of intoxicating happiness completely fill her, Zara could only nod, laughing freely as she fell into Jim's embrace. She could feel his warmth flow through her, finally finding her voice as she managed the single word, "yes".

After what felt like a perfect eternity of being locked in each others arms, the two pulled away, staying close together as Jim gently moved some of the girl's hair away from her face. "Well then, I believe this belongs to you."

Zarabeth could feel her body trembling slightly, her senses overflowed with joy as Jim slowly lifted her left hand, placing the golden band over her fourth finger as it slid into place.

"Perfect fit."

"Just like us."

A look almost of mischief in his eyes, Jim raised his brow as he questioned the girl. "I do a good enough job to fool my mom?"

"That this was the first proposal? Well, in case she's watching..." Meeting the boy's crystal gaze once more, Zara let her arms wrap about his neck, gently letting her lips meet his as she lost herself to Jim's sweet kiss. After a few moments, the girl slowly pulled away, a permanent smile on her lips as she replied in a jokingly secretive tone. "Now it is."

Jim scrunched his nose in mock uncertainty, his look fixed somewhere above the girl as he spoke in a distracted tone. "I dunno. Better make sure."

Zarabeth's mind, already flooded with happiness, was now numb with emotions beyond it. The tenderness of that kiss, their separate hearts beat as one, their unspoken words of love singing together in those moments of silence. If she could be any happier, Zara didn't know how, feelings of utter peace and contentment filling her beyond her needs.

It didn't matter whether she'd been with him all day, or only for a brief time, every moment with Jim was ecstasy. She was for him, he was for her. How could two people complete each other any more than she and Jim did? Everything she wanted to be, he could push her to be. Anything Jim wanted to do, she was right there beside him to urge him forward. Two people, broken, forgotten, lost, and abandoned could find complete love, happiness, freedom, and security in each other.

No matter what life could possibly have in store for them, they knew that they could always endure. Walking hand-in-hand, Jim and Zarabeth could take on the world, together.

•The End•

And there you have it, another story finished! Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it!

As always, a huge thank you to all of my readers from around the world! You all make this experience just that much more enjoyable.

I already have at least two more plot lines for continuation stories mapped out in my head, but possibly three. As long as I have them, I'll just keep writing. :)

The last two stories were a little slower paced than the first, (How can it be helped? Treasure Planet is just that awesome!) but this next when will definitely pick the excitement back up again. Can't wait to show it to you all!

Thank you for your continual support, love and reviews! Love you all!

God bless!