Chapter 7

"And action!" Carl Denham yelled. Ann and Bruce began their character's dialogue which included arguing. If Jo had been right there, she wouldn't have missed Ann's glee at being able to argue, as fake as it was, with Bruce. Despite that, Jo had noticed that over the few days she'd known Ann, Ann had begun to loosen up, but she wasn't thinking about that at the moment.

She screamed in terror as she ran with as long strides as she could across the deck. Hoping to slow Jimmy down, she flitted into the little hallway that she'd used two nights before. Adrenaline giddily pushing her forward, she flew up the ladder that led above deck. Jimmy was but a few hairs behind her.

"Just surrender, Ms. Williams!" He yelled, out of breath.

"Never!" She yelled, squeezing his hat in her fingers tighter.

She slipped over the rail and let herself drop dangerously to the level below on which the movie members were filming. From above, she heard Jimmy curse in disbelief and a laugh from Pom who was manning the bridge. Without hesitation though, Jimmy followed her, leaving Jo no choice but to rush quick as she could past the scene being filmed and right in front of the camera. Bruce had been stepping forward to be closer to Ann and tripped as she ran past him.

She laughed on hearing Carl's exclamation and the amused laughs of everyone but Bruce and Carl. Looking over her shoulder, she laughed again to see Jimmy run over Bruce instead of sidestepping him. All of a sudden, she stopped with an "oomph", and fell backwards on her behind. Jimmy managed to stop himself in time. Jo looked up and found herself again face to face with Englehorn. She immediately sobered up and swallowed as he stared down at her uncertainly.

"I am terribly sorry, J- Ms. Williams. Are you alright?" He reached out a hand to help her up. She contemplated not taking it, but within she knew, she'd never been the type to hold grudges.

She let him pull her up, then immediately threw herself behind him, grabbing onto his waist. She could see the self-restraint on Jimmy's face as he forced himself not to dart after her. "Call me Jo," she whispered softly right in the captain's ear as she stood on tippy toes. Leaning against him, she felt him shudder but paid that no heed. Looking past him, she stuck her tongue out at Jimmy.

"What seems to be the problem, Jimmy?" the Captain finally asked.

"Nothing I can't handle myself with a bit of rope, lighter fluid, and a match." Jimmy replied slyly.

Englehorn raised an eyebrow, but was interrupted before he could reply. "Englehorn, would you mind keeping your passengers under better order? I can't keep wasting film like this every time these two decide to run around like monkeys."

"Oh, come on, Carl. Settle down. There's a logical explanation for everything." Jo heard Jack reply, trying to stifle a grin.

Ann couldn't help but giggle. Carl caught this and sighed exasperatedly. "Take ten, everyone. You know what? Make it twenty." He thought about his raging headache and the bottles of booze in his room. "Why don't we just call it a day?"

"Excellent!" Jo exclaimed before anyone else could speak. She stepped out from behind the captain, Jimmy's hat hidden behind her back, her hand still resting on the Captain's waist. "I propose a game of cards." She declared, as if it was the most important thing in the world. "What?" she asked defensively when everyone turned to look at her in half amusement, half exasperation. "Why does everyone always look at me like that?" she loudly asked no one in particular.

The Captain leaned over, his lips nearly touching her ear. "Perhaps it's because you've stolen their hats." The air from him mouth tickled the edges of her ear, and it was her turn to shudder delightedly, but it didn't stop her from adding, "Well, maybe if I had my own…"

Thirty minutes later, Jo was sitting cross-legged on the floor of the deck, in a circle with almost everyone else. To her displeasure, Thomas was steering. Even worse, it seemed Marcus and Bruce had a love of gambling. Although they'd walked away to play "real" poker in disgust when Jo had declared they'd be playing Go Fish in pairs with a wink at Jimmy. To the displeasure of everyone else except Hayes, Jo had turned out to be either a very good cheater or a better poker player. After the first few rounds, the two were left with the bets of everyone else who were just watching now.

"I'm all in." Jo said, shoving her entire pile towards the middle, a pile that included Jimmy's hat.

"Let's see, Mr. Hayes. You win, and you get an old hat, a sowing needle, a serving spoon, a dress, and a few coins here and there. The pretty lass wins, she gets a lot more money." Lumpy said sarcastically.

"Hey," Jo replied defensively. "You take the best you can get. Besides, money isn't everything." Automatically, she looked up towards the bridge, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Captain. She was disappointed.

"All in," Hayes repeated, pushing his own small pile.

"I'll stay." Jo finally said.

Hayes hesitated. "Stay," he nodded.

"Players, show your cards," Jimmy said in a ridiculous English accent.

"I can't believe I lost." Jo said for the eleventh time in a row.

"It happens to the best of us," said Lumpy, happily taking his serving spoon with him back to the kitchen.

"Well, I do suppose you'll look quite pretty in that dress." Jo told Jimmy, who triumphantly put his hand back onto his head.

"Sweetums, don't tell me you lost all our money."

"Marcus," Jo said in surprise. "No, just your watch."

She giggled when he actually looked for it on his arm. "Got me, Darling." He said.

She rolled her eyes and said good night to Jimmy before starting to walk away.

"Where are you going, Jo? I thought we'd eat dinner together."

"I already ate," she told him over her shoulder. "I'm going to sleep. Or something like it." For once, the hurt look on Marcus' face almost made her change her mind, but she didn't, though she felt sorry for him slightly.

Once out of sight, Jo swung around the corner to head up to the bridge. But when she got there, she was disappointed yet again to find Pom back at the wheel. Dissatisfied, she finally headed to her room in defeat. Ariana was already asleep. As she turned on the lamp on her side of the room, Jo saw something that made her gasp in delight. His hat was there. Her hat. The hat. She rushed to her bed and picked it up. Instinctively, she smelled it, closing her eyes in joy.

The hat smelled like a million different things. It smelled of her childhood and disappointment. Of cigarettes and cinnamon. Of the salty, sea air. Of dreamy, star filled nights. Of hopes vanishing and reappearing. Of unknown things that might come to pass. Of strangers and friends, old and new. Of walnuts. Of adventures and tragedies and things that aren't quite what they seem. Of ten years of missing something you weren't sure was gone. Of finding things you weren't sure you knew. Of fish and clouds, playing cards and coffee. Of dust floating gracefully in the sunlight coming in from windows. Of reflections you don't recognize. Of laughter and tears. Of winning. Of defeat. Of not quite knowing or caring what will happen next because you'll have to be content either way.

After changing, she slipped into bed, the hat pressed against her chest. She smelt it again before falling into a sleep in which she barely dreamed but could feel tiny tendrils of things that could have been dreams pull at the edge of her conscience.