-Untitled-
-DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters in this story, other than Alice Redfern, nor do I make a profit from writing/posting it.
It was a rainy and dreary day when the crew pulled on to the docks of Seattle's Puget Sound Bay.
"So, where do you guys want to go for a drink? I hear the Hillstrand's are coming in thru Seattle, so it might as well be a club," stated deckhand Matt Bradley, walking on to the deck of the Northwestern and the Hillstrand's were known for their partying ways.
"Well it's not a club, but I know of this awesome little bar," responded Jake Anderson.
"Name?" questioned Nick Mavar, Jr.
"How about it'll be a surprise and the first rounds on me," stated Jake with a smile plastered to his lips, knowing that the first round was free for fishermen.
"Fine, but it better be a good one," snapped Edgar Hansen. It did not really bother the rest of the crew seeing as Edgar seemed to be in a continually bad mood. What was amusing to the crew was how Edgar deemed a bar to be "a good one." That one requirement? It had to serve Moxie.
After donning their nice clothes, nice meaning not that stained, the boys headed out to the bar, or club, or where ever, Jake was leading them. The location of the watering hole seemed vaguely familiar to the Hansen's, but it was something they could not place. Walking down an alley way, the bar sign came in to sight. 'The Fleet' with a Celtic trinity knot was lighted in neon green, Edgar's face paled visibly.
"No, we're not going here," objected Edgar.
"It's been years Edgar, shut up," quipped Sig. Edgar grimaced but headed inside. Inside the crew was hit with a wall of smoke; this was the last bar in all of Seattle to allow smoking inside.
Walking up to the bar, Jake leaned over the bar to get a better look down the crowded counter.
"Well, well, well; and what exactly are you tryin' ta do?" came a distinctly British voice from behind Jake, whose eye's went wide.
"Trying to find you, of course!" smirked Jake giving the woman a big smile and a hug just as big. Alice quickly hugged back before pulling back and holding Jake at an arm's length away.
"So, ya' here by yaself or did ya bring me som' eye candy ta look a' while I work?" questioned Alice giving Jake the biggest grin. Jake in turn, turned around to look at his fellow crewmates and captain.
"No, no eye candy." Alice tried to look, but a noisy group of college students decided to walk in, obscuring her view.
"I'll take ya word for it when I see it fer maself. But till then what'll it be?"
"Pfff, hell if I know, but let's try a crown 'n coke for myself, a vodka- sprite, and two Guinness's. Oh, almost forgot, do you have Moxie?" Alice stopped what she was doing at the last order but quickly resumed. Grabbing a Moxie from the fridge, Alice slammed the can on the bar counter.
"Ya lied ta me," but Alice would not explain herself as she stormed off to the backroom to have a fag. It may be okay for patrons to smoke here, but if you were working, you had to take it out back.
Jake wanted to ask what he had done wrong, but left it at that. Grabbing the drinks, Jake went to go find the rest of the crew who were sitting at the far end of the room. As Jake was placing the drinks in front of their respective drinker, Edgar noticed something odd about the top of his Moxie can. Edgar sighed at the note scribbled on the top, realizing who still worked here.
"What's up Edgar?" questioned his eldest brother Sig, who was sipping his vodka and sprite; pleasantly surprised that it was made with Norwegian vodka, Svedka to be exact. Edgar flips the can towards Sig, who read it out loud.
"Fuck deg? Hmmm, so she does still work here," smirked Sig, evilly.
"What does it say?" asked the curious Jake who did not speak a work of Norwegian.
"Fuck you," replied Edgar, popping the top open, but the carbonation had not settled yet from its abuse on the bar counter, spraying its contents over the intended target. Edgar wiped his face of the foamy substance before taking a chug of the Necco flavored soda.
The crew soon forgot about the soda incident and was drunkenly laughing it up, except for Edgar, still drinking his Moxie.
"Hey Eggy, be a man and get us another round!" poked Sig at 'Eggy' who was getting up to go take a piss. Edgar mumbled a 'Fine' before headed to the loo. After relieving himself, Edgar headed to the bar to order the drinks.
Reaching over the bar, Edgar tapped the closest bartender's shoulder.
"Can I get a crown 'n coke-," but was cut off.
"You tappin' on my shoulder 'aint goin' ta get ma attention," said Alice, turning around coming face to face with her Moxie prank.
"- a… vodka- sprite…," trailed off Edgar, at seeing the prankster. Alice had not changed much since Edgar last saw her, but to him, she looked completely different. Edgar remembered the small girl with long flaming red hair and a face dotted with freckles. The freckles were still there, but the red hair had been cut closely to her head and she was not so small any more, standing at five foot seven inches, and a healthy 140 pounds, Alice had some muscles to say the least. Also adorning her head was scaffolding piercing in her left cartilage and sticking threw the right lower part of her lip was a ring. The upper portion of a much larger tattoo was sticking up through the side of the collar of her tee- shirt as well as descending her arm in to a full sleeve.
"You've got some balls Edgar Hansen, ta come through those doors." Edgar was speechless, and that was saying something for the deck boss who always had something to say.
"… Two Guinness's… and a… Moxie, preferably not shaken," finished Edgar, still not able to comprehend who was standing in front of him. The little girl who always saw them off on a fishing trip and the first person to greet them as they can back as a child was gone and was replaced with….
"Edgar! What's taking so damn long?" Matt practically yelled as he walked up to the bar. "Oh hey Alice, looking rather stunning tonight," Matt complemented, not really looking at Alice, but at Edgar, who was looking at the Moxie in his hand. "Dude, that's what you're supposed to say to a woman who looks like she is about to rip your head off."
"Shut up Matt, you're not helping," said a sullen looking Edgar. Alice deftly turned around to finish the drinks before snatching the money out of Edgar's hand. Taking the drinks, Edgar headed back to the table, leaving Matt with the fuming Alice.
"You know, he still likes you. A lot," tried Matt.
"Hey Matt."
"Yeah?"
"Shut up," and with that Alice left to help another customer.