Blurred Horizons

Ben never thought he'd be sailing back to that damn magic island. He trusted Scarlett and if she said that was there they needed to go, he would stand by her. But he was most definitely not looking forward to returning. His memories of the island were not fond ones. He was liking it less and less as he sat at Scarlett's desk and meticulously tried to redraw the entire map.

"I tell you, Gigi, the things I do for your mother." He shook his head. "I don't know what it is about you two and those beautiful blue eyes of yours, but you can get me to do pretty much anything."

Gigi was lying in her crib watching him with the blue eyes in question. He found it relaxing and enjoyable to have her in the room while he worked. He knew it seemed ludicrous to carry on conversationally as if she could understand a word he was saying, but sometimes he was almost certain that she did. She was a curious child, fascinated by everything even at her young age. He smiled and went to scoop her out of the crib, planting a kiss on her cheek. He pulled the blanket off the bed and laid it on the floor, laying her down on it and sitting on the floor. He wound up the music box Thomas had brought along and set it down so Gigi could watch the dancer inside twirl in graceful circles.

He pulled the chair forward and used it as a desk, continuing to sketch out the map. The music went silent and Ben absentmindedly reached over to wind it up again, frowning when he felt nothing but blanket. He raised his head and his jaw dropped. Gigi had crawled to the music box, knocking it on its side and was attempting to wind it up. Ben was so stunned that it took him several moments to react. He gently took the box, set it upright again, and wound it up. Gigi let out a small, trilling laugh. Ben continued to stare at her in wonder. Map temporarily forgotten, Ben moved the music box further away from Gigi, out of her reach.

She reached for it, looking almost frustrated when she couldn't. She was sitting up and tried scooting forward. When the blanket impeded her, Ben watched in utter amazement as she climbed wobbly to her feet. She stood for all of two seconds and promptly fell back on her rear. Ben immediately reached out to grab her, worried she'd start crying. Instead she squirmed in his arms, still reaching for the music box.

Ben had thought Scarlett was imaging it when she said Gigi seemed older, but now that he was looking at her more closely he found that she did seem a bit older than she really was. And she was attempting to walk. At just shy of two months. Baffled, Ben set her gently on the blanket and scooted away from her slightly, to the edge of the blanket. He brought the music box with him.

"Can you stand up again, Gigi?" he coaxed. "Can you walk?"

Gigi let out another little peal of laughter and made it to her feet again. She teetered and Ben braced himself to catch her. But she stayed upright, lifting one tiny foot and then setting it down again.

"Scarlett!" Ben fairly shouted. "Scarlett get in here!"

A few moments later Scarlett came in, looking harried.

"What's the matter with you?" she demanded. Ben pointed excitedly at Gigi. She hadn't taken another step, just stood balancing precariously. Finally her little legs gave out and she toppled forward, Ben letting out a small yelp and lending forward to catch her before she landed on her face. He cradled her in his arms, showing her the music box and she giggled joyfully again. Scarlett looked amazed.

"Isn't she quite young to be standing up?" she asked.

"Yes," Ben said, beaming. "She's daddy's little genius wonder baby."

Scarlett laughed as she shook her head. "Every moment with Gigi is a proud father moment for you," she teased. "She spit up on Thomas the other day and you acted like the queen had just knighted him."

"She's perfect," Ben said, setting the music box aside and tickling Gigi. She attempted to stand up again, falling back into Ben's lap with a small huffing noise. It reminded Ben vaguely of the way Scarlett huffed.

"Should we be worried about this though?" Scarlett asked, coming to sit beside him. "I mean, this clearly isn't normal."

"Did you really expect any child of ours to be normal?"

"With you for a father? Certainly not." Scarlett smiled and kissed his cheek. "Still. Strange things have been happening ever since I got pregnant with her, and she could be as effected by the amulet and its power as the rest of us."

"I suppose you're right," Ben admitted. "Maybe we should talk to Thomas."

"And Doc should have a look at her. Don't make that face, Benjamin," she added as Ben wrinkled his nose. "He swears he's done with killing. Besides, as he pointed out before, why would he attempt any killing with you lurking around? You could kill him in two seconds flat if you wanted to."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with her," Ben said. "But if you really want him to look at her, then fine." He stood up, setting the music box on the desk and cradling Gigi. He caught Thomas's eye and gestured for him to join them as they headed to Doc's quarters. Doc looked up, his expression turning weary as he saw Ben.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked.

"Does anything seem off about Gigi to you?" Scarlett asked.

"She seems perfectly healthy," Doc said. He frowned slightly. "Although, she does seem a bit big for a two month old."

Ben scowled. "Excuse me? Are you calling my daughter fat?"

Doc opened his mouth, but seemed uncertain as he realized Ben was serious, and shut it again. Ben could see a twinkle of amusement in Thomas's eyes and Scarlett shook her head with a sigh.

"I only meant that her growth is remarkable," Doc said finally. "And she seems very durable, for an infant. It's most impressive, actually."

"It could be because of the amu-" Thomas began and Ben gesticulated wildly with his free hand to silence him. But the damage was done. Doc looked from Ben to Thomas with curiosity and suspicion.

"Because of what?" he asked. "What the devil is going on aboard this ship? Men are dropping dead like flies of wounds that appear out of thin air, your baby appears to be aging rapidly, and we're on a heading towards a destination that doesn't seem to actually exist on any map."

Ben and Scarlett exchanged a look while Thomas shrugged apologetically.

"We are in possession of a magical amulet," Ben said after a few moments of silent conversation with Scarlett. If Doc suspected something was amiss and went blabbing his suspicions all around the ship, they could lose control of the crew. Doc stared at him blankly, unsure whether he was joking or not.

"We found it on the very island that we're now heading to. It made Scarlett, her former crew members who chose to stay, and myself immortal. However, Gigi's birth disrupted its power. It's fading, and now crew members are dying of wounds that would have killed them had they not been protected by the amulet."

"And it apparently is having a strange effect on Gigi," Thomas piped up. "It's accelerating her development."

"We need to relinquish the amulet back to the island before it kills everyone who had a blood tie to it," Scarlett said. "And you're not going to breathe a word of this to anyone on board, or I'll rescind my offer to protect you from Ben and let him kill you."

"Fair enough, I suppose. I find it all rather hard to believe anyway. If it weren't for the deaths and our detour to that awful island of the dead I would think you all insane. Instead I'll opt for merely eccentric."

"Land ho!"

Ben tensed as Scarlett darted back out onto the deck. Doc and Thomas followed suit and Ben reluctantly joined them. In the distance, the island rose out of the sea like a green jewel. They had made it back, and Scarlett was right about them missing all the obstacles they had faced before. But Ben still had a sinking feeling in his stomach as the island looked nearer. He only hoped they could make it off alive a second time.