Bill checked his numbers again and smiled. One more string and the boat would be plugged and headed to town. The crew had been up for the past 30 hours going through the gear. They'd had nothing but cold cereal and sandwiches, on breaks between strings. Glancing at the girl seated on the bench seat behind him he smirked. Celeste had been studiously reading Moby Dick since she'd arrived in the wheelhouse the day before. From the look of it she was almost finished.

"So, you really don't know how to cook?" asked Bill, conversationally.

"I don't" said Celeste, her eyes never leaving the page.

"Are you sure?" asked Bill.

"Do you want me to do something?" asked Celeste.

"I think it would be nice if you cooked the guys a meal" said Bill.

"I don't know how to cook" said Celeste. "Also, I thought I wasn't suppose to be seen by anyone."

"Seriously, do you think you could make something edible for the guys on deck or not" said Bill.

"I have never cooked anything in my life, but if you have a cookbook, then I probably could follow the directions" said Celeste.

"That does not sound promising" said Bill, his mind churning. "Ok, come over here and steer the boat."

"What?" said Celeste.

"Come over here, sit in the chair and push the go go button" said Bill.

"What will you be doing?" asked Celeste.

"I'm going down to start dinner" said Bill. "If you are as bad as a cook as you say, it will be easier for you to drive the boat than make dinner."

Celeste weighed her options, which both sounded terrible. On the one hand, she could poison the crew with her nonexistent cooking skills or even worse start a fire, but on the other hand she could just kill them outright with her lack of boat driving skills.

"Come on" said Bill.

Celeste dragged herself to the chair and sat down. Bill gave her a review of the throttle and the rudder. He set the boat on autopilot and told her to pull back on the throttle when the buoys were on the bow. Celeste nodded in understanding and took her place in the big chair. She knelt on her knees and leaned over the console to keep an eye on the deck and the seas beyond.

Bill hurried to throw dinner in the oven. Finding a defrosted roast he quickly seasoned it, then diced some potatoes, he threw them and some carrots into an oven safe dish. Throwing it all in the oven he set the temperature and headed back upstairs. As he walked into the room he saw Celeste, deftly feathering the throttle as the boat approached a set of buoys. Realizing that they were too close to the boat she moved the rudder to adjust the boats course. Bill sat back for a moment and watched her maneuver the boat into position. She got the boat into an almost perfect spot before she pulled up on the throttle, slowing the boat as the buoys appeared. He was sure that no one on his boat could have driven more perfectly on their first try.

"Looks like you've got everything well in hand" said Bill, stepping behind Celeste.

"To be fair, I've basically watched you do it for the past week" said Celeste. "However, the go-go button seems to be having a hard time."

Bill scowled and then pushed the throttle forward. He could feel the boat struggle to speed up.

"When did this start?" asked Bill.

"Right after the first pot" said Celeste. "It just seems to take a minute to decide to speed up."

"That's not good" said Bill, more to himself than Celeste.

"The numbers are good" said Celeste. "The last pot had seventy in it."

"Good" said Bill. "At this rate, this last string should stuff the boat."

Celeste grinned and then pushed the throttle, making the boat lurch forward.

"But first we need to figure out why the boat is doing that" said Bill.

Reaching over Celeste he picked up the hailer, telling Zack to meet him in the engine room.

A few minutes later Bill and Zack appeared in the wheelhouse. Zack couldn't mask his shock at Celeste driving the boat. He watched her pull up on the throttle as the boat neared the buoy bags. She looked like she'd been doing it all her life. Celeste smiled over her shoulder for a moment before turning back to the windows.

"What's the deal?" asked Zack.

"Nothing" said Bill. "She doesn't cook, so I went down to start dinner for you guys and she drove the boat."

"I don't know what is more unbelievable" said Zack. "You making dinner or letting a girl with no experience drive the boat."

"Shut up" said Bill. "And find out why this boat is having trouble keeping speed."

Zack nodded and disappeared into the engine room. Bill moved over to where Celeste was and she immediately relinquished his chair. Bill settled into his spot and began checking the dials and gages. Celeste sat on the bench seat behind him, quietly watching as the guys hauled the pots on deck. The boat phone rang and Bill gingerly picked it up.

"What's the story Zack?" asked Bill.

"I need another set of hands" said Zack.

"Roger" said Bill. "Stand by, I'll send someone."

Instead of picking up the hailer, Bill turned slowly in his chair. Celeste felt his eyes on her and looked up expectantly.

"What?" she asked, after a moment.

"Go down to the engine room and help Zack out" said Bill.

"Help him do what exactly?" asked Celeste, warily.

"Pass him some tools, use the boat phone if necessary" said Bill. "Easy stuff."

"Alright" said Celeste. "Do I need to wear anything special?"

"No, it's nice and clean down there" said Bill.

"Ok" said Celeste. "Just one question."

"What?" said Bill.

"How do I get there?" asked Celeste.

Bill gave Celeste directions to the engine room and he watched with mild amusement as she disappeared down the stairs.


Celeste was perched on an overturned crate watching the repair over Zack's shoulder. The ear protectors were too big for her small head and kept slipping down, Zack would look back and mouth or point to a tool, then Celeste would dutifully hand it to him. Zack turned and started talking to Celeste, while she'd been able to sort of figure out what he was saying before, this time she was stumped. Shaking her head for the third time, Zack reached up and pulled off her headphones.

"I need you to reach into the compartment and hold the wrench in place" he said.

"Just guide my hand and show me what to do" said Celeste.

Zack handed back the earphones and Celeste slipped them on her head. She thrust her hand into Zack's and he maneuvered it into the engine compartment. It took a moment, but eventually Celeste felt the wrench handle and grabbed it.

"HOLD ON TIGHT" yelled Zack. "DON'T LET IT TURN"

Celeste nodded and braced herself against the side of the engine. It was hot and even through the layer of her sweatshirt she could feel it burning her. She felt the torque of what ever Zack was turning and tightened her grip. She didn't want to have to do all of this again, so she stayed still and held on. After a good ten minutes Zack stood up and brushed the sweat off his forehead. Nodding to Celeste, she released her hold on the wrench and stood back. Zack quickly removed the remaining tools and closed the engine cover. He walked to the boat phone and called the wheelhouse. Celeste sat down heavily on the overturned crate and lifted her sweatshirt. There was a red welt where her skin had been in contact with the heated engine. She touched it gingerly and grimaced.

"What did you do?" asked Zack.

Celeste of course didn't hear him and stood up. Zack pushed her back and bent down, rubbing his grease filled fingers over her skin. Celeste pushed his hands away, leaving black streaks on her skin. Zack pulled her up and out of the engine room. He stopped in the galley for a first aid kit before pulling her towards his stateroom.

Celeste lay on Nick's bed in just her panties, the sweatshirt had been tossed carelessly to the floor and Zack was peering over her like a doctor examining a patient. He'd washed his hands in the bathroom before wetting a cloth to clean the grease off Celeste's stomach. Once she was clean he began to look at the burn more closely.

"Well, do you think I'm going to live?" asked Celeste.

"I think it's just a heat burn" said Zack. "But I can't figure out how you got it."

"The engine was hot" said Celeste. "And I had to lean against it to hold onto the wrench."

"You should have said something" said Zack.

"It's fine" said Celeste. "You said not to let go."

Zack pulled some burn cream out of the first aid kit and gently spread it over Celeste's reddened flesh. He took special care not to press too hard, he didn't want to hurt her more than he already had. Celeste closed her eyes, enjoying the cooling feel of the cream on her skin.

"Does it feel better?" asked Zack.

"Yes" said Celeste. "You have a very soothing touch."

"Well, I guess if crabbing doesn't work out, I can go to massage school" said Zack.

"I'd pay good money to get a massage from you" said Celeste with a smile.

"How did you like driving the boat?" asked Zack, changing the subject.

"It was stressful" said Celeste. "But exciting."

"Seems like you've had a lot of excitement on this boat" said Zack.

"Very true" said Celeste. "I'll be happy to get back on dry land."

"It shouldn't be long now" said Zack. "The boat is almost full."

"How many more trips will you have to take until you're done with your quota?" asked Celeste.

"It's hard to say" said Zack. "If we stay on the crab, then maybe three or four, if we have to search for them, then who knows."

"There is a lot of wait and see in your line of work" said Celeste, pensively. "Mine too."

"How long will you stay in Dutch?" asked Zack.

"I'll leave when about 50% of the crab destined for Japan has been caught" said Celeste. "Then I'll go and see how the markets react and where the price ends up, then I'll write my report and book my vacation."

"Maybe you can come visit me on your vacation" suggested Zack.

"Where would I be visiting you?" asked Celeste.

"In Washington" said Zack.

"It's cold in Washington in December" said Celeste, conversationally.

"I'd keep you warm" said Zack.

"Why don't you come visit me in California, where it will be warm" said Celeste.

"I'd love to" said Zack, immediately.

"Then it's a date" said Celeste.

"I've gotta finish this string" said Zack. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Yeah, ok" said Celeste, her mind miles away.

She'd just realized what she'd done. She'd invited Zack to go to her house, her parents house, the house she never visits. Why had she done it. Dropping her head to chest, she crumpled into a heap on Nick's bed, her mind swirling.


Zack and Nick were chatting amicably while sitting at the galley table. They were the only ones there, the rest retiring to their bunks immediately after dinner. The twelve hour run to the processor was a gift they would not give up. Bill walked downstairs to refill his coffee when he overheard the boys talking.

"She invited you to her house?" said Nick in shock. "The house she never goes to. Are you sure?"

"Yes, she said come to California where it's warm" said Zack. "I don't even think she realized what she was saying."

"Do you think she'll follow through with it?" asked Nick. "I mean she could get off this boat and disappear forever."

"I don't think she's like that" said Zack. "I think she'll keep her promise."

"Don't get your hopes up Zack" said Bill, interrupting the conversation. "She's not all that you think she is."

"Why don't you like her?" asked Zack. "What has she done to you, to make you distrust her so much?"

"I'm just saying, she's not who she seems" said Bill. "Take it from someone who has a lot more life experience than either of you do."

"Tell me why specifically" said Zack, standing up. "What has she said or done to make her seem like she isn't worthy of our friendship."

Bill considered telling Zack everything he had done with Celeste, but stopped. If all he wanted was to be friends with the girl, then that was easily solved. She would go on to her job and Zack and Nick would conveniently lose her phone number, whether they wanted to or not. She would be a distant memory by the time King Crab was over.

"Well" prompted Zack.

"It's nothing" said Bill. "Just a feeling and it's probably wrong."

"Good, because I like her and so does Nick" said Zack.

"I wish you luck in your polyamorous relationship" said Bill. "I hope your friendship will survive."

"What did he just say?" asked Nick, in confusion.

"Who knows" said Zack. "He probably wants her all to himself."

"What? Why?" said Nick. "That's ridiculous."

Zack just shrugged in response, wondering what his dad wasn't saying.


The Cape Caution was less than an hour from Dutch Harbor. The guys were all out on deck, watching the buildings slowly get bigger and bigger. The boat had slowed slightly, having being told by the processor that they were unloading two boats before them. Bill sat in the wheelhouse, talking to the Discovery camera guy about his expectations for the season.

"So, Bill" said Cameron, mounting the camera, "we need a release from the girl."

"What girl" said Bill, his eyes hardening.

"The girl, that's been on your boat since we left Dutch almost three weeks ago" said Cameron.

"I don't know what you're talking about" said Bill.

"The girl, that sat in that chair, said Cameron, "driving your boat."

In that moment Bill realized that he had only sent the camera guy out of the wheelhouse with the camera the first time he'd met Celeste. He'd banished the camera guy each time after, but he never took the camera. Bill thought back to all the times Celeste had been in the wheelhouse, what she'd done and what he'd done.

"I don't know what you're talking about" repeated Bill.

"We're still going to use the tapes, even without her consent" said Cameron.

Bill gave him a brief questioning look then turned back to the wheelhouse windows.

"We will just blur out her face" said Cameron. "But it will still be a blurry faced girl driving your boat, sitting behind you, sharing ice cream with you."

The last statement made Bill freeze, if they saw the ice cream, then they would have obviously seen what had happened shortly after.

"If you can find this mysterious girl, then I suppose you can ask her" said Bill.

"If we can find her?" said Cameron incredulously. "She's on the boat, it shouldn't be too hard to find one girl."

"We'll see" said Bill, smugly.

Bill watched Cameron's retreating form and then reached for the boat phone.


Celeste sat in Bill's stateroom reading the last few chapters of Moby Dick. The book was finally getting exciting and she was anxious to finish it before the boat reached the dock. Nick and Zack were fast asleep and she had felt bad having the light on in their room, so she'd moved back into Bill's room, with his permission of course. The boat phone buzzed and she tentatively lifted the receiver.

"Don't talk, just listen" said Bill's voice. "The Discovery guys are looking for you, they want you to sign a release or something. I want to make sure they don't find you. So take your book and find somewhere to hide. The boys and I will find you when it's safe to come out."

Celeste heard the distinct clicking sound of the line disengaging and she mechanically hung up the phone. Looking around the room she searched for a place to hide. Not finding a suitable spot, she slipped on a sweatshirt and a pair of socks. Grabbing the book, she headed towards the door. The game of hide and seek was about to begin.