Lunette peered out the window of the Captiain's quarters and refused to allow Jim's recent words hurt. They had stung, but she knew he was right. Sailing was no place for a young lady. And try as she may, a tear slipped past her lashes. She just wanted to be equal. And she just wanted to know what it was like to live and experience life. After going through school and being so very serious with her work she realized she truly had nothing to show for it. She looked amazing on paper, but in person, she was alone. Her step father was always traveling and she had missed out on having a debutant ball or event. Instead she had chosen to bury herself in her studies and make her way to the top of her graduating class.

But truly? She had pushed away everyone she'd known. Colleagues, friends, and the small family her mother had married them into. She sighed and slipped off of the bed. A gasp fell past her lips as the gravity left her and she floated for a moment's time before she heard Amelia shout. "Enable the gravity field!" And she felt her feet touch the floor once more. Her amusement overtook her sudden poor mood and she went back to peer out the window. The launch caused excitement in her. And she had realized she had forgotten what it was like to travel. Before, she had traveled all the time with her father and instead of becoming desensitized to galactic travel and it always made her feel free to the open airs. She enjoyed the sudden launch and watched through the window as they were thrust out into the open black mass of space. Orpus Galactisuses swam about them and she watched with wide eyes, looking at every detail and every small aspect that she could possibly observe and take in.

And then, her research struck her. She scrambled away from the window for a moment's time, before she flipped through her satchel and pulled out a small notebook and then took off to the bed to lay out upon it and mark notes and begin sketching out the wild galactic space life. And she did this for hours. She marked ideas, her thoughts, and continued to sketch out every species she found. And it wasn't until they had finally arrived into the deeper parts of space that the space life lessened and she looked up and found it was already nearly noon. She rose from the bed with a stretch and her eyes looked about and finally then she decided to put away Amelia's belongings for her. She hummed a small tune as she worked, unpacking, setting a framed picture of Amelia's family at her side of the bed and then took up an armful of Amelia's clothes and walked into the rather large walk in closet. She had merely placed her clothes in the chest of drawers next to the bed as her clothes could be folded and pressed if needed. But Amelia's, she knew, needed to be ready to go at any time. So, she hung them, all of them, except for the set of sleeping clothes. She folded those and placed them on Amelia's side of the bed so that they would be ready for when Amelia would like to sleep.

And a knock came to the door. Her brow furrowed and she ignored it. She continued to busy herself, until the door opened. And as she was fluffing the bed where she had laid out for hours, her head rose. Her eyes met those of Jim's and she arched a brow as she turned away to pick up her notebook and the writing utensils she had spread out. "How may I help you Lieutenant Hawkins?"

"You may come up for lunch," he said and she faced him. She fumbled with her notebook and suddenly her pencils and quills fell as she clumsily dropped them. She groused and said politely, "I'm not hungry, thank you though." She eased down and began picking up the pencils and feathered quills. She heard the door shut and assumed Jim had left until she heard his boots moved towards her. He eased to one knee and helped her and she felt his hand brush hers as they reached for the same quill. She pulled her hand away and as she rose he did the same. He stood before her and she stepped away, walking over to the small table that was near the large window. She heard his boots move once more and as he stepped closer he said, "I am sorry for offending you earlier." She felt a smile curled her lips and she said, "I should have expected to be treated like always." Jim's brow burrowed, "Like always?" Her head tilted to look at him and he set her quill to the table. She said, "I am a senator's daughter Lieutenant Hawkins. I have always been set aside and treated as such. I should have expected this." She eased into the seat at the table and rested her chin into the palm of her hand as she rested her elbow onto the tabletop. She peered out the window before she turned to look at him. "It really is no surprise."

Jim watched her as she looked at him and saw in her eyes that she held no grudge against him and he slowly stepped closer and took a seat across from her. And Lunette felt him observing her. She felt nervous all of a sudden and Jim merely looked at her. Her eyes were blue, much as his were, but they were a teal blue that sparkled like the bluest waters. "What are you looking at Lieutenant?" she asked and he said simply, "You." She blushed beautifully and he added, "I can see why Jackson fancies you." He peered out the window and merely looked out at the open space. "It is peaceful here," he commented, "the deck is still bustling with noise although it has died down a bit." She rose and asked, "Would you like some tea?" Jim paused and watched her step out of the bedroom and into the charter room before she return merely minutes later with a tray a tea. His wide eyes watched her and she asked, "Did you not know that Amelia has a tea station installed in her charter room?" He dumbly shook his head and then the smell of the warm, inviting tea hit his nose. It smelt divine.

And he watched as she set the tray down and a small stream of laughter fell past her lips. "Do you like tea?" she asked. Even though she knew she had no reason to ask. The way she could tell that his mouth was watering and he had unbuttoned the top button of his uniform told her he was ready for a tea time break. She offered, "May I make up your tea?" His eyes flicked up to look at her and he nodded. "Milk and sugar?" Another nod and she said, "Very well Lieutenant." And again, in moments she had served up the tea, set a cup in front of him and took her seat once more. They sat, drinking tea, in silence until she pondered, "What time must you be back on deck?" He replied firmly, "In fifteen minutes. Then Amelia and I will be off for the evening and we will have the ship on auto pilot."

"How far away are we?"

"Two days time. We are traveling during a time that there is not much travel to Tortucana. We will arrive a day earlier than scheduled," he said. And then that was it. The end of their exchange of words and they sat, enjoying the quietness of the room and the window of the vast space. And in those fifteen minutes she forgave him for his words to her that morning. It was true she had already forgotten about it. But that fact that she was enjoying his company just now and that she had no need to speak of current events and instead could merely be there was enough. Jim sat back in his chair and his eyes eased over to look at her. Her eyes seemed to be heavy lidded. As if she were tired and then he saw her set her cup to the table and yawn. And then he remembered she had been up late almost every night that they had been back in their town. Any time he patrolled the library late at night, she was there.

And if she wasn't there he could walk just down his street, where they lived merely houses away, and could see her bedroom light on from her window. He wondered if she realized that they had lived so close. And he saw her rest her head to the back of her chair and he knew then she was probably exhausted. So, he looked at his watch, saw that his time was up and quietly rose from his seat. Her head turned to watch him, she smiled for him as their eyes met and he bowed his hat to her, buttoned his uniform and took his exit. He walked out of the room, through the charter room and up and out to the deck.

As he lifted himself up and out he turned to look at Amelia and she pondered, "Our guest?"

"Is well," he said shortly. Back to professionalism and being curt and precise with their deckhands. He decided to take a small walk about the deck to observe their crewmen. This crew was a good crew. He and Amelia had personally interviewed each and every one of the men upon Amelia's ship. It was needed to as they needed to trust their men and know that they were all alright with working a voyage that was going to the infamous Tortucana. A rough voice caught his attention and said, "How is our lovely young lady doing this fine afternoon?" Jim's eyes rose to meet the glowing red ones and he smiled, "Mr. Flanagen, she is doing well. Still doing her studies as we speak," he lied. Mr. Flanagen smiled for Jim. "She's quite tha beauty," he said and Jim teased, "She's a bit young for you." Flanagen, an older crewman, was a man that Jim had sailed with when he had first entered the academy. Jim trusted him with his life and any time he traveled he invited Flanagen to join his hand selected crew. "Ah, but not fer you laddie." Jim paused and looked at him and Flanagen chuckled as he eased over to the rope ladder and said, "Ah saw how ye looked at her when we were at tha dohcks."

"She is merely a young woman that I am to protect," Jim countered smartly as Flanagen began to climb. Jim's smile faltered when Flanagen said, "Aye, but you're to protect her from ye as well." And Jim blushed while Flanagen laughed.