A/N: Well, this is one of those fanfictions I started writing and then lost interest later, but still finished it. So towards the middle I kinda rushed it. I just had so many ideas for a fanfiction for this category that it seemed like a crime to not write it, and an even bigger crime to not finish it. The biggest reason I rushed it is because I have ideas for another category that I really, really, REALLY want to start writing.

Okay, okay, okay, read on!

Danica was tough. There was certainly no question about that. She had a hard heart, and an even harder head. While those qualities pushed most people away, they were qualities she was forced to develop in order to keep her alive.

As Danica went around the ship getting it ready for the voyage they were about to take, she looked at the boarding passengers. Only four of them were not part of the original crew. The captain and her first mate, Mr. Arrow, and two other people she hadn't met yet.

She had been with this crew for nearly eight years. They were not pretty years either, but there was no need to go into that.

Danica wore her hair that went just a little past her shoulders in two braids all the time with her hair parted to the left. This made the braids uneven, but she couldn't care less. She wore tight work pants and a rather loose shirt, both of which she could work in. Her work boots were well-worn and she needed some new ones, but the ones she had still worked well enough.

She was tying up some ropes when she saw some guy who looked around her age board the ship and look around him. He was…human. Like her. She didn't like him. She didn't like how he looked so clueless as to what was around him. She didn't like how he looked like he was too cool for anyone. She didn't like that he was putting on a "tough guy" façade.

She crossed her arms and walked over to him after the man in the…weird suit thing walked away. "Who are you?" she asked with an annoyance in her tone that she didn't try to hide.

"Jim," he said dryly.

She didn't even like the way he talked. "Well, Jim, what are you doing here?"

"Same as everyone else, right?"

"Whatever. Look, you don't belong here, okay?"

Jim was a bit taken aback. Did she really just say that to him? "Excuse me?"

"I've been part of this crew for almost nine years. You know how long it took to get them to stop trying to kill me? A year. I had to watch my back and everywhere I stepped for an entire year. Now you, you don't have that kind of time. I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

She walked away from him to continue her job, incredibly unhappy she had to spend an entire voyage with that boy.

She watched as the captain climbed down from the top of the ship and landed in front of the three men with such grace and poise, it was impossible to have any hope of following in her footsteps.

"Mr. Arrow, I've checked this miserable ship from stern to stern, and as usual," she said with a sharp tone, "it's spot on! Can you get nothing wrong?"

"You flatter me, Captain," Mr. Arrow replied with a tip of his hat.

She walked over to the man in the weird suit. "Ah. Dr. Doppler, I presume?"

The man in the suit started stuttering, obviously flustered that their captain was a female.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" she asked as she banged on his helmet.

"Yes, I can! Stop that banging!"

"If I may, Doctor, this works so much better when it's right way up, and plugged in!" She finagled with the walking machine and he jumped in surprise. "Lovely. There you go!"

"If you don't mind, I can manage my own plugging!"

"I'm Captain Amelia," she went on as if he had said nothing. "Late of a few run-ins with the Protean Armada. Nasty business, but I won't bore you with my scars. You've met my first officer, Mr. Arrow. Sterling, tough, dependable, honest, brave, and true!"

"Please, Captain," Mr. Arrow said bashfully.

"Oh, shut up, Arrow. You know I don't mean a word of it!"

"Excuse me," the Doctor said. "I hate to interrupt this lovely banter, but may I introduce to you Jim Hawkins?"

Danica's brow furrowed at the name. Even the utterance if it made her insides flame up.

"Jim, you see, is the boy who found the treasure—"

Amelia cut him off by grabbing his mouth tightly. "Doctor, please!"

They all looked to find some crew members listening in on their conversation. Danica rolled her eyes.

"I'd like a word with you in my stateroom."

The group passed Danica as they turned to go back up to the Captain's Quarters.

"Miss Danica," Amelia said. "I'd like you to join us, please."

"Yes, Captain!"

Danica saw Jim roll his eyes and thought against giving him a huge shiner.

She entered the room and leaned against the wall as she crossed her arms. Amelia locked the door behind them once they were all in the room. "Doctor, to muse and blabber about a treasure map in front of this particular crew demonstrates a level of ineptitude that borders on the imbecilic, and I mean that in a very caring way."

Danica always admired how fluently she spoke. Living with this kind of crew certainly didn't give her such an opportunity.

"Imbecilic, did you say?" the Doctor said. "Foolishness, I've—"

"May I see the map, please?" she interrupted.

Doppler looked at Jim with a look that read "I-can't-believe-this-is-really-happening-right-now." Jim pulled a golden sphere out of his jacket pocket and tossed it to her.

"Fascinating," she mused as she observed the sphere. She took a key out of her own jacket and put the sphere into her cabinet. "Mr. Hawkins, in the future, you will address me as 'Captain' or 'Ma'am.' Is that clear?"

Danica watched Jim roll his eyes and resisted another urge to smack him in the face.

"Mr. Hawkins?" Amelia said sharply.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered with disdain hidden in his tone.

"That'll do. Gentlemen, this must be kept under lock and key when not in use. And, Doctor, again, with the greatest possible respect…zip your howling screamer."

"Captain, I assure you I—"

"Let me make this as monosyllabic as possible," she interrupted. I don't much care for this crew you hired. They're…how did I describe them, Arrow? I said something rather good this morning before coffee."

"'A ludicrous parcel of driveling galoots,' ma'am."

"There you go! Poetry!"

"Now, see here!" Doppler yelled.

"In fact, the only person I trust on this entire ship besides Mr. Arrow is Miss Danica! And that's because we've sailed together before!"

Danica smiled. "An honor, Captain."

"This is—"

"Doctor, I'd love to chat," Amelia cut him off once more. "Tea, cake, the whole shebang, but I have a ship to launch, and you've got your outfit to buff up. Mr. Arrow, please escort these two neophytes down to the galley straightaway. Young Hawkins will be working for our cook, Mr. Silver."

"What? The cook?"

Danica smiled at his shock. He was going to be a cabin boy. Well, she was just soaking this up! Certainly that had not been what he was expecting, but she had an overwhelming urge to just burst into a fit of laughter.

"Captain?" Danica said. "I can take them down to see Silver. Mr. Arrow can finish helping you."

"If you insist, Miss Danica. Thank you."

"Right this way, gentlemen."

Doppler clunked loudly behind her, grumbling to himself. She smiled as she heard Jim complaining with him.

"That woman! That feline!" Doppler yelled as they walked down the steps to the galley. "Who does she think is working for whom?"

"It's my map!" Jim joined in. "And she's got me bussing tables?!"

"Enough!" Danica shouted. "Just get over it will you? Trust me, she's the best captain you're ever gonna have and you'll be wise to listen to her!"

Jim rolled his eyes again. If he did that one more time, she would not be able to resist hitting him.

"Silver!" she called out. "We've got company!" She hopped up onto one of the barrels and crossed her arms once more.

"Danica!" he said happily as he put his cooking tools down. "Bringin' in such fine and distinguished gents to grace my humble galley!"

"Psh!" Danica scoffed. "I wouldn't call them distinguished!"

"Even still, had I known, I'd have tucked in me shirt!"

"Oh, please, Silver, we both know that you never tuck in your shirt no matter what the circumstances are or who's around!"

He playfully pushed her and they laughed together.

Danica noticed Jim's eyes widen as he saw the metal parts that made up Silver's body. She sent him a sharp look that sent him the warning to not say anything or she'd deal with him herself.

"This is Dr. Doppler, who's providing the money for this whole trip," Danica said as she pointed the doctor.

"Love the outfit, Doc!" Silver told him as his metal eye scanned the suit.

"Well, thank you!" Doppler answered nervously. "Um, love the eye!"

"And that's Jim Hawkins," Danica said dismissively.

"Ah, Jimbo!" Silver said happily as he cut her off before she could explain that Silver was in charge of him. It made Danica sick how thrilled he was to meet the little annoying teenager. Silver held out his hand to shake and realized that instead of his hand, it was a lot of knives. He switched it so that it was a hand instead. A robotic one, but a hand all the same. Jim looked at the hand angrily and made no move to repeat the gesture.

"Ah, don't be too put off by this hunk of hardware!"

He proceeded to make a dish using the various tools he could replace for his hand. Danica smiled and rolled her eyes. Show-off, she thought.

"Here now," he said as he handed the two of them bowls. "Have a taste of me famous bonzabeast stew!"

Doppler took some in his mouth and grinned. "Delightfully tangy, yet robust!"

"Old family recipe!"

Doppler went to sip up more and found an eye waiting for him which had surfaced to the top. He squealed in disgust.

Silver started laughing as he picked up the eye. "In fact, that was part of the old family!" He laughed even harder as he put the eye in his mouth and ate it.

"Silver!" Danica said. "That joke was never funny!"

"Speak for yourself, lass!" he continued to laugh. "Go on, Jimbo! Have a swig!"

Jim looked at the concoction in disgust. Suddenly, the spoon he was holding turn into a familiar pink blob!

"Morph!" Danica exclaimed. "I was wondering where you got to!"

Morph ate the rest of the contents of the bowl and burped.

"What is that thing?" Jim asked as Morph turned into a miniature version of him and mimicked his speech.

"He's a morph," Silver answered. "I rescued the little shape-shifter on Proteus One. Aw, he took a shine to me." Morph cuddled his face. "We been together ever since."

"Morph!" Danica called. "Come here, boy!" Morph giggled and flew over to her and nuzzled her cheek. "Good boy!"

Voices on deck told her that this was her cue.

"Doctor, I'm going up to help with the launch. Wanna join?" Danica asked.

"Would I? Does an active galactic nucleus have superluminal jets?"

Danica looked at him blankly. "…What?"

"I'll follow you."

They started to go back up when she realized that she still hadn't exactly told Silver what was going on. "Silver! Jim is to stay here with you. The Captain's put you in charge of him!"

Silver started choking on his stew. "What did you say?"

"It's the Captain's orders!" She gave him sharp look that told everything he needed to know, unfortunately. "She wants you to keep the…'cabin boy' busy."

They both protested, but she walked back up the steps ignoring what they were saying. It was out of her hands and it wasn't her problem.