Lita and Dawne have no idea of the effect of their appearance in Dutch. Scotty does some hard thinkin'. Johnathan calls Sioux out on some old shit. WhooHooo! Your R&R's are awesome! Thanks so much for getting into this yarn. I'll do my best to keep it juicy! Promise in next update ALL HELL GONNA BUST LOOSE! Hang In There! =-;D

Dawne & Lita

Dawne was practically skipping as they made their way toward the rowdy rumble that signaled the Sports Bar was up ahead. As they stood in the doorway, their eyes widen at the scene. It was exactly the same as Sioux had first encountered; brimming with locals, the usual drunk crabbers cussin', hooting, and some totally tore-up fool belting out a bad karaoke of Toby Keith's 'I Love This Bar'.

'WOW!' Dawne whooped as she grabbed Lita's hand and waded into the crowd. Lita scanned the room and thought if she didn't see a familiar face quick they were out of here, and was relieved when she finally spotted a burly back sporting long grey hair, and jerked Dawne in that direction. She tapped him on shoulder, and Wild Bill turned, grabbed them both in a big strong hug and laughed.

'What the hell are you two world class wenches doing in Dutch?'

Dawne and Lita hugged him tight and talked over each another as they gazed up at him adoringly. 'Hold up. Hold up.' Wild Bill chuckled as he looked down at their beautiful upturned faces.

'ADAM!' He bellowed at his Deckboss. 'Get over here!' Lita and Dawne still clutching Wild Bill tight, looked over at the slim long haired dude wearing a cowboy hat who made his way to them.

Wild Bill made the introductions. 'Adam.' He grinned. 'Let me introduce you to my girls. This one here is Lita, and this is Dawne and it appears they're on the lamb from Andy and Edgar.'

Andy and Edgar? Adam couldn't believe those dudes could catch like this! But they were nowhere around and these ladies were smokin' hot! His tipped the brim of his hat.

'Welcome to Dutch. What can I get you ladies?' He grinned in a rare display of solicitousness. Dawne asked for chardonnay and Lita, tequila.

Wild Bill gave Lita a surprised look, but Lita pouted prettily and purred in Spanish. 'Ha sido un día duro Poppi.' ( 'It's been a long hard day Poppi.')

Wild Bill laughed then gave them a stern look. 'Listen you two. I got some paperwork I gotta finish so I'm heading out. Stick close to Adam until the crews from your boats roll in. Hear me?' Lita and Dawne nodded sweetly.

As he walked out, he texted Andy and Edgar. #U women in the bar! Where U?#

While Adam got their drinks, a few of the more 'optimistic' of the locals and crabbers were already tracking the girls like a pack of hunting wolves. And the home girls were tracking their men, tracking them.

Scotty

After his Dad left he sat in misery, head in his hands in the galley when Uncle Neil rolled up. 'What's up shithead?'

Scotty raised his eyes that were red rimmed, and moaned. 'I'm fired. Dad just threw my ass off the boat. Said he'd fire me as his son if he could. I'm fucked three ways to Sunday Uncle Neil!'

Neil, for all his rough talk loved his nephew and hoped he'd carry on the family legacy since his sons were not interested in the least. 'Don't get your pecker in a knot. He don't mean it.'

Scotty shook his head sadly. 'Yeah he does. Told me to get my shit off his boat!'

Neil roughly shook Scotty's shoulders and encouraged. 'His muthafuckain' ass is just old and tired, and you know how he gets before opies. Come On! Man up! I'll have a word with him, but you gotta step it up big time asshole! Get your shit together and let's hit the bar. But for the love-of-your-boney- ass don't fuck up tonight!'

Scotty sat and thought about what he didn't like thinking about. That maybe the best thing for him to do was to get out from under the family wing and make his own way on another boat. To test himself as just another deckhand judged on his merits, and not be seen as some Little Prince. He knew a lot of people thought his life as the Hillstrand heir apparent was charmed, but it was no picnic, and there plenty of family landmines he had to crawl through. If he was just another deckhand his Dad would have fined his ass or fired his ass and there wouldn't be all this twisted shit and feeling like. . .

'Move it!' Neil hollered. And Scotty wearily rose to his feet.

Johnathan & Sioux

Johnathan had given the server their order and waited until Sioux's wine arrived before her spoke to the still profile that stared out the window into the dark. 'Here baby.'

'Oh. Thanks. Sorry.' She absently tore herself back from the past back to the now.

Johnathan sipped his whiskey and studied her closely. 'Tell me.'

Sioux shook her head and smiled sadly. 'It's nothing. Just another rear view mirror object that got a little too close, that's all.'

Johnathan had a pretty good idea what had got too close. 'Listen, if I can't get Dick's ass off the boat, you're gonna fly out with Andy.'

Sioux started to protest, but he leaned in close and rasped. 'You listen to me, hear? I got a bitch of a trip comin' up. A crew to bring home alive to their families with money in their pockets. Now I got Dick up my ass. I just fired Scotty, and you just went all spooky on me again.' He leaned back and roughly rubbed his face.

'You fired Scotty?' Johnathan just shrugged as their meals arrived. They ate in silence for a while lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Sioux put down her chopsticks and took a sip of wine.

'Did you really fire Scotty?'

Johnathan was tired and grumpy. 'Kid just gets under my skin sometimes.' He thought for a moment. 'That's what chaps my ass. He's not a kid anymore, time he got serious about the business, and even tried to act like he was ready for more responsibility. Got drunk first night in and missed crew call. Now how does that look to the other guys? Captain's kid get's to pull that shit and it's O.K.?'

'And if it had been anyone else? What would you have done?' Sioux asked softly.

'Depends. Probably woulda given 'em a fine.' Johnathan admitted.

'So why didn't you fine Scotty?' Sioux knew the answer but asked anyway.

'I told you it's different with Scotty.'

Sioux shook her head. 'Now you know goodness well you aren't going to fire him. I know he acts irresponsible sometimes but he comes by it honest.' And arched a brow. Johnathan shrugged. Sioux continued.

'He's got a father and two uncles on top of him, measuring him up to some fantasy of how 'together' they were at his age.'

'But we were running boats at his age!' Johnathan sputtered.

Sioux gave it to him straight up. 'And he's not. May not ever. It's not the same now. You know that. Before he can be a Captain he needs be a competent Deckboss, and before that he needs to be a good crewman. Step by step. Job by job. All this heir apparent talk is premature and just unnecessary pressure on him.'

She raised both hands. 'That's my two cents, your call.'

Then she leaned in and caught him in a fierce green laser stare. 'What is not your call is sending me home like some child. Dick is on the boat you say? We'll see about that. Shit happens. He just might have to go see about a gravely ill relative or some sumthang.'

She paused and glared at him over her glass. 'But hear me good when I tell you I'm not running and you're not packing me off.'

Johnathan sipped his scotch and glared back. Stubborn woman! He fuckin' hated it when she was right, and when he said shit he regretted. She probably was right about Scotty, but he still needed a good jack-up and he wasn't about to let him blow his shot if he could help it. He felt bad about telling him he wanted to fire him as a son. He hadn't meant it and was sorry he went there. Maybe Sioux was right and he was getting' ahead of himself with Scotty. Whadda they say? One day at a time? O.K. Sioux, he mused I hear you, but today I'm going to get some answers find out about some questions I've wanting to ask for a long time.

He leaned in and rumbled. 'Sioux, what went down that day in the woods with Dick?'

Where did that come from? Sioux thought fast and realized she could answer the question truthfully because she had not actually witnessed it herself.

'I don't know. After you left, Dave told me to stand look out round the bend in the road. From what I heard it wasn't pleasant.'

Johnathan looked down and stroked her hand. When he looked up, he met her eyes and drawled. 'How did Dick's face get slashed?'

Sioux froze. She opened her mouth to lie and then closed it. Shit! Her sacred promise to truth tell was getting' to be a royal bitch. Just then her phone chirped and she grabbed it like a lifeline.

'Uh oh.' She shook her head as she read the text.

'What now?' Johnathan leaned back waiting for the next wave of bad news to hit.

'Gotta go.' She rose. 'My little greenhorn gurlfriend chickadees are on the loose. Meet me in the Sports Bar.' And leaned over to kiss his cheek.

He held her arm and stopped her as she turned to leave, then released her with a dark look. 'We're not finished with this conversation Sioux.'

'I know baby. I know.' She sighed.

Ole Man Trouble – Otis Redding

Ole man trouble
Go find you someone else to pick on
I live my live now you see
Ole man trouble
Please stay away from me, now
Ooh yeah,
Yeah
Oh I look like I'm down in my luck
Please send faith to help pick me up
I've lived this way so many years

Ole man trouble
Please wash away all my fears
Help me
Sometimes
Sometime I get - I get a little worried
Ole man trouble Please Please
Stay away from me
Ole man trouble
Stay away from me
You're nothing but trouble
Stay away, stay away Please