Disclaimer: Treasure Planet and all associated characters are owned by Disney. This is for fans, by a fan. No profit is being made from this fiction.
As he stepped off the gangplank of the RMS Trident, Delbert Doppler wryly reflected that since his journey to Treasure Planet almost three months ago, he'd done more space traveling during the last month than he had his entire life. He couldn't help thinking that his somewhat-recent association with a certain space-faring captain had something to do with the phenomenon, and he decided he'd have to be sure to mention it to her when he saw her later that evening.
An expansive smile spread across Delbert's face as he reflected on his most recent conversation with Amelia – a subspace communications call that had woken him from a light slumber. He'd been given the rare opportunity to see the rigid Captain in a far-less formal setting, and he'd reveled in observing a side of her that he was certain very few had ever seen.
But, that had been almost three weeks ago. Since then, atmospheric conditions, generally poor timing and a run of plain bad luck had prevented him from sharing any more stolen moments with his lady fair. It had been with barely contained restraint he had managed to not rush down the gangplank once the Trident had made port. Amelia had assured him that she would be there to meet him when he finally arrived home, but now, as he scanned the crowd, he saw no sign of her fiery red hair. His shoulders dropped in disappointment. She had most likely been called away on some assignment or another. There was a good chance that she wasn't even planet side at this point.
As much as he loved Amelia and respected the life she had chosen, Delbert couldn't help feeling a twinge of frustration that her ship came first, and he second. The moment the thought passed through his head, he realized the utter absurdity of it. Amelia had made countless concessions for him on numerous occasions. He could recall a specific instance where she had forgone a trip simply in order to spend an anniversary dinner with him. It was completely unfair of him to even think such thoughts.
Shaking his head clear of his moment of self-pity, he was just about ready about ready to hail a carriage and make his way to his own home when he saw a young Felid weaving through the sea of people disembarking from the ship.
"Dr. Doppler? Delbert Doppler?" he asked when he finally reached the Canid.
Delbert looked at him in mild surprise. "Yes, I'm Dr. Delbert Doppler. May I help you?"
"I'm Lyle Hardesty," he explained, extending a hand. "I'm not sure if you'll remember, but Amelia said she had mentioned me to you."
Delbert automatically reached for the young man's hand and shook it without conscious thought as he tried to recall any memory of a Lyle, and more importantly, why he would be on a first-name basis with her. Suddenly, his thoughts settled on a particular conversation Amelia and he had had shortly before he'd departed to the Taurus Nebula.
"Ah yes! Lyle – Amelia's cousin, if I'm not mistaken!" The handshake became firmer, and Delbert smiled in happy recognition.
Lyle grinned and worked to extract his hand from the now-enthusiastic greeting. "Her third cousin, actually, but who's counting?"
Delbert laughed and nodded his head. "Certainly not I. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lyle. You're the first of Amelia's relatives I've had the pleasure to meet."
Lyle let out a short laugh. "I might be the only one you want to meet, Doctor. The family can be a bit… eccentric… when it comes to who is and isn't right for their spacer captain." He leaned over and took the Doctor's bag. "Is this all you have?"
"Ah, yes, it is," Delbert nodded and then glanced around once more. "Excuse me, Lyle, I don't mean to be rude, but why are you here? Where's Amelia?"
"My dear cousin asked me to come by and retrieve you when she realized she was going to be delayed," Lyle explained as the two began to weave their way through the crowd. "Something about some cargo being improperly secured. To be honest, I'm not quite sure."
They reached a carriage along the far side of the narrow street, and Hardesty motioned for Doppler to get inside.
"All I know is that I'm supposed to meet you here and escort you back to Amelia's home. She said she'd be along shortly."
Doppler's eyes widened at this piece of information. "Her home? Really?"
"You seem surprised," Lyle observed.
"Well, it's just that I've never… that is… Amelia hadn't… -" Delbert trailed off, not quite sure what to say.
But Lyle seemed to understand the doctor's confusion. "What you're saying is that you've never been invited over before? Is that it?" he grinned.
Delbert cursed the blush the furiously crept across his features. "Ah yes, well… something like that," he admitted. He would forever abhor the wretched luck he had when it came to holding his own in a conversation. Astronomy, physics, the laws of science – he could dance circles around anyone when it came to discussing those things. But to hold a conversation regarding interpersonal relationships? He was doomed.
Fortunately, Lyle took pity on the doctor and gave him a friendly clap on the back. "You'll have to forgive me, Doctor. I'm not as restrained as my refined cousin, and sometimes I say the first thing that pops into my head."
Delbert took in the young man's winning smile and returned it with a gracious one of his own. "Now, now, there's nothing to forgive, Lyle. If anything, I'm envious of your easygoing manner. It's something I wish I possessed more of." He pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at the time. "Now, you were saying something about Amelia meeting me at her home?"
Lyle grinned and extended a hand to the carriage. "Hop in, Doctor. I'll take you there, and on the way, you can tell me all about how you met my imposing cousin!"