Seven

It was a week before she caught sight of the captain again. Greg had kept her busy day in and out and she had maintained her happy façade, but occasionally her eyes watered for the life she left. This mostly happened when she was alone. Which, unfortunately, was approximately 21 hours, five days a week. Yesterday it had kept her in bed all day. She was still hiding from that infraction on her part when Gordon caught her escaping her week's dance.

"Captain wants you, missy." He announced, grabbing her shoulder. His features hard.

Abigail's eyelids dropped a centimeter. And she'd almost gotten away, too. "Careful, I don't like needy men," she joked. The first mate was unamused.

"This is serious. You didn't attend roll call this morning or yesterday-"

"It's not like he does." She shot back, meaning Jim. Gordon gave her a funny look that made her stomach knot.

"Well," he almost laughed, releasing her. "He was there today, and noticed you weren't."

Damn. She had missed her chance to see his face. Abigail wanted to hit herself as the news seemed to dampen her already sunken mood. "Any chance he was watching me today?" She asked offhandedly, stepping back. Gordon hesitated before slightly nodding. For some reason this made her angry, instead of happy. Then she let him take her to meet the captain.


When she was seated in Jim's office, facing the back of his chair, her aggravation got worse. Before she could speak, he pulled on her final nerve. "Are you ready to go back yet?" was all he said. Simply, in monotone, questioningly, as if he were speaking to a tiny child.

"WHAT?" Abigail shrieked. Oh, that was it.

The captain was unfazed at her outcry. "Abigail, I don't know why you ran away, but I feel it's time you return. We make port next Wednesday-"

"You don't understand!" She interrupted, desperation in her voice as she stood. "I can't- you don't- Do you think I LIKE being-" Glancing around the room, flailing, something didn't seem right. She tried to put her finger on it. Her forehead creased.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" She fumed, growling in frustration and swiveling his massive leather chair around. It was empty. Her arms fell to her sides and she dropped into it, devastated. Slowly Jim stepped out from the corner of the room, completely dumbfounded. Shock filled his eyes as she started to cry.

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry." He coaxed, awkwardly putting a hand behind his neck. "I-" he hesitated, taking a half-step towards her. She growled. "I may have made a… a mistake."

"BIG." She glared him down through red eyes, then abruptly wiped them off with her sleeve, got up, gave Hawkins a once-over, and stomped out. She wanted off this ship. But a new planet was way more intimidating than a boat of friendly spacers. Could she face that, just to avoid Jim? If he kicked her off, would she have no choice? These things she had to consider as crewmen turned their heads to watch her storming around, a few asking if she'd be okay.

Meanwhile, one very confused captain was staring heavily at his door. What in the galaxy had just happened to him? He was trying to do the right thing! Her last look at him had nearly burned. That girl- she just, didn't understand how important it was to be with her family. It was a tough decision for him to leave his mother again, and if his father was there… If…. Jim slammed a fist down on his desk, causing his coffee mug to spill and a paper to float off. Morph woke up from his nap and looked at him worriedly. "It's okay boy," he cooed to the pink being as it rubbed against his cheek. "She just gets under my skin."


Shane was the first to go looking for Abigail, until Greg pulled him to the kitchen. Later that night Gordon spotted her, but she threw everything she could grab at his head until it was clear only the captain could apologize. The canid slunk away massaging a particularly bad bruise on his temple. At least the whole damn boat didn't come pouring in after her. She did cry, not knowing what for. Most likely for a chance to be heard.

Near almost midnight the captain found her lying on her side in one of the longboats. He wouldn't have come if it weren't for all the dirty looks his men kept giving him. "I owe you an apology." He sighed. There was no answer from the lump of a girl. "I'm not scary, am I?" he grinned, but it faded. She wasn't in the mood to be cheered. "Abby?" he tried to play on her nickname. Whatever he did, he couldn't win her favor. Finally he sat down beside the boat, an arm hanging languidly over his knee. He wore his regular clothes after dinner each day, a beige shirt with big sleeves and overly-baggy denim pants tied by a giant belt and tucked into his big spacing boots. They looked monumentally better on him than his white Academy uniform.

"I'm sorry." His voice fought with his lungs to create the words. "I don't know how it is with your family, but I won't mention them again. My dad… he didn't want- he, with me- this, this isn't helping." Mentally Jim kicked himself for bringing up an old scar. Fortunately, it seemed to cheer up the Gypsy as she lifted her head over the long boat's edge and glanced at him with tear-stained eyes. There was a curiosity there that he could recognize as his own. Remembering now that neither of them had faced themselves this closely, his cheeks flushed and he looked away.

It was just the perfect length of time for Abigail. She saw his strong chin, milky green eyes, and broad eyebrows. Oh, so much better in person. "On the contrary," she smirked, "I rather enjoy hearing you squirm."

Jim couldn't help reaching out and flicking her on the head. Her mouth dropped and she clamped a hand where his fingers made contact, as if she couldn't believe he'd do such a childish thing. "Heh." He smiled that winning smile her little sister swooned over her description of, its power much more palpable right in front of her. "Truth is," he found his hands very interesting then, "I don't like being in charge. I'm a free spirit, like you."

"Treasure Planet, I know." Abigail admitted, flipping a hand in the air to accentuate herself. The captain slowly looked back at her. Escaping his fame really was impossible if even a girl from the outer rim knew of him.

His smiled turned sheepish. "Oh, you figured that out?"

Abigail answered with a toothy grin. She climbed expertly out of the boat to crouch beside him. "Wasn't hard once I saw Morph. I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd be sailing under the Captain James Pleiades Hawkins. Though truthfully, I picked this ship hoping to meet you." It was a reasonable explanation to her insistent curiosity, anyway. It held merit, so the boy was none the wiser.

"Just Jim, please." He frowned, less than happy to have his identity exposed like that. She put her hands up as a sign that she was backing off.

"Was never one for formalities anyway." She scoffed, making Jim chuckle. "So what say you to keeping me on? Am I fired?" Her body shot up as she paced away, finding a good curtain of shadow to occupy.

The captain turned slightly to watch her strangenes. "Y'know," he began. "My mother would kill me if she knew I let a Gyspy on." Abigail's face fell. He let his words hang over her head before standing on his own and putting a thoughtful finger to his chin, facing his back, once again, to her. "Of course," she perked up, "my mother would refuse to ever look me in the eye if she heard I turned you away.
And I myself would regret letting such an adventurous girl go." His words were cut short as Abigail thrust herself at him, her arms quickly around his neck and her legs hooked at his waist. He couldn't take the weight or momentum and fell forward, her mumbled 'thank you's' hot in his ear. "Yeah, okay, rule number one:" he pried her off as she jumped back, embarrassedly fiddling with her hands behind her. "No touching."

She didn't expect any less, though she didn't like his rule. "G'night Captain." She fluttered her eyelashes playfully.
"Goodnight Abigail." He winked, then left her. She tried to get sleep but his eyes haunted her dreams among nightmares. They starred ancient ships on ocean waves, empty and tattered in an unending storm, and a girl who couldn't be saved.


{A/N}: Hold on to your horses, mates, 'cause we're getting into the main adventure. Introductions are through, so it is officially time to stop stalling. Are you happy now? Jim is a big role in this part! Read, Review, Remember: I don't own the captain, the Etherium, any of Jim's friends, or Treasure Planet.