Amelia was sitting in her stateroom, feeling strangely alone, which actually wasn't too surprising because she had been spending the last days of the Treasure Planet voyage with a certain astrophysicist, who hadn't left her side for a second... She was thankful for that, no doubt, but the emotion she was now experiencing was making her really uncomfortable. Trying to distract herself from her still stinging pain, her thoughts about Doppler (she didn't even know why she was thinking about him all the time) and her late first officer and friend, Arrow, she figured that she should finish writing the reports about the voyage, which the Navy would want to receive in presumably a month.

Great, she wasn't even able to concentrate on that anymore, because her mind just kept wandering around different things that had in no way anything to do with her job.

I wonder what would've happened if Arrow was still alive... Everything would have been different... Better. He would have been with us on Treasure Planet. He would have had a proper plan to handle those bloody pirates... He would have been sitting here, with me, drinking brandy to our survival. But he isn't... If he were, this voyage would have been a success!..

Amelia quietly closed her eyes as she felt tears forming and blinked them away fast. After thinking about everything a little longer, a small smile crept onto her face. The voyage had been a success, she realized. They had survived. They had captured the pirates (most of them at least). She had discovered the true potential of the young cabin boy, and...

the doctor.

As the thought of him shot through her head, she immediately jumped out of her chair (which probably wasn't the best idea, because she soon enough felt the impact on her wounded side) and started walking around, her knees getting significantly heavier. Just as she was busy fidgeting with her gloves, someone knocked on the doorframe.

"...Come in."

The person entering was Mister Hawkins, greeting her with a friendly smirk.

"Hello ma'am."

She mirrored the young boy's expression.

"Hello Mister Hawkins. Is there anything specific you wish to talk about? Perhaps concerning the offer of recommending you to the Interstellar Academy?" The adressed person lightly shook his head.

"Ma'am, I came to thank you. For everything. For how incredible this trip has been! To apologize, and make up for every wrong I've done you during these past months. Oh and most importantly to thank you for helping the doc. He really needed it, you know." When Jim mentioned his companion, Amelia's ears perked up.

"I'm proud of you, James. It was really pleasant to see how you shaped up in this short time we spent. You saved our lifes, which, to tell the truth, impressed me. You've been so courageous and clever, sometimes also a bit out of place and unorthodox, but I assume this is common for people your age. Quite like myself at that age, I dare say... Oh and concerning the doctor, I can't see how I helped him in any way. Actually, as you know, he had been the one who was a great help for me."

The teenager nodded, really enjoying the fact that the Captain was proud of him.

"Well Ma'am, I think you don't really get what I mean. Look, when you got injured, the doctor was really worried... Like, insanely worried, especially the times you just laid there and did nothing but sleep. He always said that he had to be strong, to get you home safe, and I think that it kinda boosted his self-esteem? Plus, one could tell that he was just happy in your presence, so yeah, in my opinion you helped a lot."

Amelia blinked a few times ignoring the light shade of pink on her cheeks.

"James, where is he? Why didn't he come here?" First he didn't say anything, and just grinned. That's exactly what he wanted. To get them in one room. Alone. To talk about everything. She had fallen into his trap.

"In his room, probs organizing stuff. And I dunno, he said something about not wanting to annoy you." The Captain sat down again, holding her chin.

"May I ask you to tell him to join us?"

Jim was already standing in the door frame and slowly began strolling away.

"Of course I will, Ma'am. We'll be back in a minute." Amelia watched the cabin boy leave the room, and sighed, impatiently waiting for them to come back.

Without any warnings whatsoever Jim burst into the astrophysicist's room, who nearly fell because he was so shocked.

"Doc! Damn, you alright? Did I scare you?",he chuckled. Delbert straightened his coat and pushed his glasses up.

"Goodness! Of course you scared me! Why didn't you knock?!"

They looked at each other for a few seconds and then started laughing. The doctor was observing Jim with a big grin on his face.

"Jim... I'm so proud of you. I haven't seen you this happy in a long time."

He laid a hand on the boy's shoulder, who then unexpectedly pulled him into a hug.

"Remember, when you said that this trip might be good for us to bond?... You were right."

Delbert patted his back.

"Oh, you make me tear up! Your mother will be so glad about this..."

After they parted Jim gave him another amused smile. "The Captain wants to see you, doc." And the second the word 'captain' left Jim's mouth, the doctor's cheeks heated up, and he found himself thinking about every time he had been in her presence. Whether it was their talks in her stateroom, when they were discussing the route, him consoling her after Mr. Arrow's death, or when he was tending to her wounds in B.E.N's cave. It was Jim who pulled him out of his thoughts, by waving a hand in front of his face.

"Delbs, I said the Captain wants to see you!" The Canid shyly shuffled his feet on the ground. "Sh-she does?..."

Jim just nodded eagerly.

"Oh I don't think so, my boy... She probably has so much to do, and I would only-"

"Hey! Stop. Instead of talkin' to me, and sayin' unimportant stuff, go and talk to her. There's only thirty minutes left until we dock, and you might never see her again after this."

Suddenly, Doppler really understood what his friend tried to tell him. It was true, he didn't expect the busy Captain to stay in contact with him. And the realization made him feel a sting in his heart.

Jim is right. This might be my last chance. I should at least go and thank her... In case I never see her again. Of course you won't see her again, Delbert! Are you dumb? Do you really expect the great Captain Amelia, who has so much work to do, to deal with your problems ontop of all her duties? Nonsense!

"What is it Doc, you afraid of the intimidating Captain? Should I hold your hand when you talk with her, so you won't be scared?" Jim sang while playfully hitting Delbert's arm.

"N-no, I'm not intimidated, it's just... I just..." Jim shook his head while smirking. "Doc, cat's got your tongue, huh? Come on, just go and talk! Just like you did on Treasure Planet! Don't worry, she won't bite."

And with that he pushed the doctor all the way to Amelia's stateroom, without listening to any of his jabber about how he would only disturb her. Then Jim finally knocked on the doorframe once again.

"Enter!"

,the person sitting inside shouted, with a rather uncharacteristic and enthusiastic tone, as she could see who was standing there. (The door got destroyed when the pirates mutinied).

So Jim went away, the nervous astrophysicist entered, and was immediately taken aback by how beautiful and awaiting the woman in front of him looked. Was ist just him or did she just get more gorgeous every time he laid his eyes on her?

Delbert, stop it!

They were just staring at each other for what felt like an eternity. Then the Captain broke the silence.

"Careful, the hole is still there, don't fall into it. Doctor... I... I wanted to talk."

Delbert was still standing there, frowning.

"Look Captain, i-if it's about the Legacy, I can pay! I mean, that's the least I could do, b-because I financed this voyage and- and -"

Amelia just shook her head.

"Doctor no, that's not what I-"

"Oh... So it must be about the catnip-situation. Y-you know I only gave it to you in order to distract you. I didn't want you to feel pain that's why I- and there was nothing else we could've-"

The Feline chuckled a bit.

"Do not be concerned, I already forgave you for drugging me, back when we were trapped on that blasted planet."

The doctor's hand travelled to the back of his neck in order to scratch it while his eyes nervously moved to the ground, avoiding her gaze.

"It's probably because I screamed at you, when driving the ship, correct?... I apologise."

Amelia raised an eyebrow at that. She had indeed been surprised when the shy and bumbling astrophysics had shouted at her with such courage, that she went speechless (which was a rare condition of hers), but she figured that it was only because he had felt stressed and was under pressure, so she didn't think about it any longer.

"I have to tell you that it is not that, but let me-"

"Then it's surely about th-the e-embrace we shared before?... Uh- I mean- you know... Sorry. I got carried away."

A short and strange silence filled the room after that. Amelia chose to encourage the canine a bit, so she stood up and slowly approached him, who was still keeping his head down. She hated to see him like this. It was so obvious that he was constantly questioning himself, and didn't have much self-esteem either. She couldn't help but feel as if it was also her own fault that this man in front of her was feeling that way, since she had belittled him quite a lot in the first months of their voyage... For her it was much better when Delbert was not too hard on himself and confident, just like he had been on Treasure Planet.

"One does not have to apologise for something pleasant..."

His head shot up and a blush was crawling up his neck. The worst part about it was, that he couldn't prevent it from happening, and when the captain noticed, she had to chuckle at both, his completely astonished facial expression, and the light red colour that his cheeks were tinted in.

"P-p-pleasant? Did I hear that correct?"

"Yes you did. Do not be too self-critical my good Doctor."

A sly smile was forming on her lips. Delbert smiled back at her in a shy way. It made him incredibly happy to see how much more comfortable she had become with him after all those months, and he had no idea why. The stoic, strict, razor-tongued feline was now so much different from how she had been at the beginning, when she was always poking fun at him, and didn't take him seriously.

Being so lost in his thoughts, he didn't even realise how he was starring at her. Of course Amelia immediately saw that he was observing her in this dreamy way. It made her feel very flattered, and her grin grew even wider.

"Is there something on my face that is bothering you, doctor?", she was teasing him, one of her favourite things to do. "Mh?... Oh no, no, no! Your face could never- I mean, it's hot- not! It's not bothering me at all! Beautiful, your face is beautiful, c-captain." , he coughed, fully embarrassed about his slip-up. He wondered if she would be mad about him almost calling her hot, or whether she would just ignore it.

Amelia chose not to ignore it and made him even more nervous.

"Why, thank you! You're a quite the charmer, aren't you, Doctor?"

"Well... I guess I'm not charming but-"

"Of course you are! Oh, I apologise for interrupting you, that was rude."

"You are not rude! Not at all!"

"Mh, if I recall the memories of our first meeting I would say otherwise. How aren't you piqued about my behaviour? I was terrible to you... And I'm very sorry about that, Doctor."

"I probably looked rather snobbish to you, that's why you made fun of me, but all of that is forgotten... As you can see we get along quite well now... right?"

"We do. I consider you as my friend... My life-saver even... I'm grateful for everything you did, Doctor and I-"

"Delbert."

"Pardon?"

"My name is not 'Doctor', captain, it's Delbert."

Amelia's emerald green eyes were examining him. She wouldn't have thought that he would be the one to put the formalities aside, but she was glad about it, since this showed he had become more relaxed and comfortable.

With a genuine smile on her face, she said his name out loud the first time. It was sending shivers down his spine. He never would've thought that his name could sound so beautiful...