The sound of the most distant Bell was the first thing to catch Angela's senses as her closed eyes began to wiggle around, her deep sleep coming to an end with her eyes opening gingerly, the cracks of sunlight entering the crew's quarters taking her eyes by surprise in their mild intensity. She felt as though she'd been asleep for twelve hours by how rested she felt, though just as she awoke enough to think along those lines, an ache crossed along her cranium, forcing a seething gasp to escape her as she turned her head away from the sunlight to escape its brightness.
She knew she was in her bunk, tucked in beneath thick sheets, though she couldn't much recall how she'd gotten there, remembering only slamming into the Splitstream within the arms of Fareeha, after that everything turning to a blursome endeavor that only pained her head further, forcing her to relinquish her curiosity, simply staring at the burnt brown wood that ran along the inside of her bunk, welcoming the dark happily enough.
As she snuggled up deeper within her warm little hovel, the sound of boots began to echo behind her, Angela's head lifting up ever so slightly to peer back over her shoulder, her eyes catching her father's as he stood there with a smile, grasping a platter in his hands, his voice as soft and warm as the space beneath Angela's blankets.
"Hey kiddo," he spoke softly, placing the platter down beside him before taking a step toward Angela's bunk, "How're you feeling?"
She groaned, "Head hurts."
"I would think so," Jack grinned, "Doctor said you'd suffeeed a mild concussion. Said to leave you in bed for a few weeks and gave us a bit of medicine for the pain."
Angela asked quietly, "Doctor?"
Her father chuckled mutely behind closed lips as he turned to sit beside her bunk, pulling the platter of food closer as he began cutting up the assortment of steak, potatoes, and vegetables into bite-sized pieces, "We arrived in Hawaii three days ago. We've been in port since, getting repairs, taking a break. I sent out letters to all our clients explaining what happened; they should be more than understanding, especially since all of their cargo remains safe. They've all been good to me in the past, so they won't mind too much."
As though taking in the information relating to her missing, at the very least, three entire days, Angela stared off into space as her father took a bite of his food, nodding approvingly, "I've brought you meals whenever appropriate. You'd wake up for a few moments time and take a bite and some drink, but never for too long. I didn't mind- more for me, huh?"
He chuckled at his own joke, his warm tone vibrating through the air and relieving Angela of some of her worrying. She couldn't remember having ever awakening, much less having eaten, and was terrified of what else she might have done while in her distant state, her father seeming to catch her worry as he spoke up, "What's up?"
"Nothing, I just- Wow, three days?"
Her father shrugged, "Not counting the two weeks getting to Hawaii. You must have had quite some nap, but the doctor said you needed it. I've just been keeping you comfortable- well, the whole crew's been terribly worried about you. They're all pretty worse for wear, but a few days ashore should help reorient them all. Lena's cheek was like a bulb for a few days, Junkrat's sporting red-streaked skin, though he says he doesn't even feel it above all the callouses. Lucio was in pretty much the same boat as you, but he's back on his feet. Hana-"
As though the name shot an electric current along a singular synapse that hadn't fired since she'd fallen asleep, Angela's memory burst with reckless abandon, a searing pain rushing along the outside of her skull as she spoke up, "W-Where's Fareeha?!"
"Faree-? Oh, the stowaway," Jack answered blankly, causing Angela more panic.
"Y-You didn't-?!" she sputtered worriedly, though her father just as quickly leaned over to gently return her shoulders to her bunk.
"Shh, shh; calm down, okay?" he answered quietly, reaching a hand up and sending the side of his hand in a careful brush across her forehead to wipe away her hair that had gone wild in her movement, "She's down in the hold. She was out as well, so we had to feign possession of her on the crew so the doctor could check her out. No, we didn't turn her in."
Angela sighed in relief, her eyes shutting as she muttered quietly, "Thank goodness…"
As she lay there with closed eyes, Captain Morrison's lips trembled as he thought of his next words, unsure as to whether or not this moment was the correct time to explain them. He gave a deep, silent breath through his nose as he turned away, lowering his head in thought, leaving Angela slightly perturbed by his silence.
She turned her head toward him, watching him listlessly as she asked quietly, "What's wrong..?"
Jack sighed, "I could never thank that woman enough for saving my daughter's life; that's why we agreed not to turn her in upon arriving here. We're keeping her in the hold still, but we're taking her as far as we're headed, as per the original agreement upon her crate back in San Francisco."
"Okay," Angela nodded, her brow still curled worriedly, "Why do I feel a 'but' coming along?"
Her father frowned, still avoiding his daughter's stare, "I don't- I have no problem with you seeing her and offering your thanks, but… I still don't want you seeing her."
"What?" Angela questioned quietly.
He went on gravely, "I know what happened on the Hanamura, you know- Whatever happened- Look, everybody's got their own dark pasts, right? There's plenty of my past that you haven't a clue of, I'm sure you've got stuff I don't know. We all learned something terrible about Lena around dinner a few weeks ago. Whatever that woman has going on, whatever enticed her to flee from the States in such a desperate method- Whatever you two experienced aboard the Hanamura, I don't want you getting swept up her problems, understand?"
"No, I don't," Angela retorted with a frown, "She's a good person; why else would she-?"
"We're all good people," Jack interrupted coolly, turning to his daughter, "When we want to be. When we need passage aboard a captain's ship, we rescue his daughter."
Angela felt an upset swelling up within her, though it quickly faded beneath her exhausted exterior, allowing her father to continue, "She used to captain ships across the Mediterranean. She knows how the game is played. The last thing I want, or need, is for her to be using my daughter as a bargaining chip or- Whatever. I'll take you down there when you're able to walk and let you give your thanks, but beyond that-"
"Is she awake?" Angela asked.
Jack wondered for a moment, "I believe so; Hana checked on her about an hour ago."
Angela immediately moved her arms to the side, pushing herself toward the edge of her bunk, much to her father's chagrin, "Well, no reason to wait for thanks. Might as well make it soon, if only to, all the sooner, quell the evil intentions that exist only in your mind."
The captain drolly rolled his eyes as Angela made little, if any, progress on her own, gently reaching over and tucking her in tighter, making any movement from her relatively impossible given her weakened state, his voice escaping lightly, "Y'know how many people whose bacon I've saved because I was thinking in foresight? You should ask Lena next time you see her; she used to wear different colored socks before I pointed out that some ports view such things as punishable by death."
"Really?" Angela wondered, her ambivalence quickly becoming curiosity by the outrageousness of her father's words.
He shrugged with a smile, "I don't know, but maybe one of these days we'll come across such a port. Then who'll be the thoughtful one, huh?"
Angela frowned, though that didn't prevent her father from leaning into her bunk to half-hug her while gently kissing her forehead, Angela's arms lazily reaching up to hug around his neck as he did so.
"She's a good person, father," she uttered quietly beneath her breath.
He didn't reply, simply finishing his hug before straightening up, "Get some more rest. Food's right here if you need it. I've already told the crew we're not leaving until you're able to see the island, but no pressure or anything; I want all my crewmen tip-top by the time we leave. The second part of our journey is far more vast."
He made his way down the line of bunks, stopping only as his daughter's distant voice caught his ear, "I love you."
Smiling, Jack nodded, turning gradually to offer to his daughter, "Love you too. Now get some rest."
The aching in her head telling her it was true, Angela nodded in acceptance before closing her eyes, hoping that sleep would come easily, rather than the images in her mind of a stowaway whose face was all she could see behind her darkened eyes.
A sudden bustle awoke Angela next, a cacophony of footsteps barreling down the few stairs that led into the crew's quarters followed by rather incessant voices, which Angela understood rather quickly to be her crewmates, returning from shore judging from their conversation.
Lena's voice obviously took the fore, the third mate happily shouting out in exuberance, "-and with those shells I found? Man, I had one hell of a paella! You got the- Oh! Shh, shh! Captain said not ta' wake hr up."
"I'll be quiet about it," Lucio spoke quietly, "Just Wait here and I'll sneak over to my bunk, okay?"
Junkrat's voice came next, goading the others on quietly, "Well hurry! The bonfire ain't gonna wait forever! I wanna see these snap ties you keep mutterin' about!"
"Shh!" Lena silenced him as Lucio crept to his bunk, which was past Angela's, the waking crewman's senses quivering as she listened for his footsteps to pass by her bunk.
As Lucio shucked along, Angela cracked a grin, battling the need to giggle as she waited for just a few more moments, until she caught the unmistakeable sound of his boot clomping beside her bunk. In a split second, her hand shot free from her blanket, taking a massive grasp of Lucio's arm as his body nearly flew through the ceiling in shock.
"EEK!" he cried, yanking away his body in reactionary terror, leaving Angela laughing as the others joined in at the entryway, leaving the chef unamused, "Th-That ain't funny, you know?!"
Angela replied lightly, "I think you've been outvoted!"
With a pithy glare, Lucio turned to the others, Junkrat nearly curled up on the ground in laughter while Lena held her boisterous self up against the frame of the door, shaking her head, "C'mon, Lu; it was pretty great!"
"Pretty great?!" Lucio fires back angrily, "My snap ties were pretty great too. Unfortunate that I don't exactly feel like showcasing them anymore."
At that, Junkrat hurriedly corrected himself, returning to his feet and wiping away his joyful tears, trying to gain his chef's favor once again as Angela questioned, "What are snap ties, anyway?"
"They were little tied up pouches of gunpowder that you throw at the ground and they pop, or toss 'em in a fire and they crackle like fireworks; but seeing as how amusing I myself am, I do believe their usefulness has diminished!"
Angela gave a sincere smile, "Sorry, Lucio. It's just been a while. I might have been asleep and all, but I still feel as though I've missed you guys."
"Well…" Lucio sighed, "When you put it like that…"
Lena clasped her hands expectantly as Lucio continued to his bunk, pulling out a small bag from his duffel bag and returning to Angela, "My kids love these things, so seeing as how Lena and Junkrat are very much just children in adult bodies, I figured they'd get a kick out of 'em at the bonfire tonight."
"Bonfire?" Angela wondered aloud.
"Oh, Angela, Hawaii is paradise!" Lena acknowledged happily, rushing to Angela's side to show off the lei around her neck, "They wear flowers and relax on tan beaches! They must not have a care in the world! I'll die if you don't get a chance to see it all! The water is so crisp; the Thames, you can't tell a boot from a bog roll in there!"
Junkrat cringed, "A bog roll? Ain't that tha same as a bikkie?"
"Hmm," Lena thought mutedly, "Don't you mean an aubergine?"
He flinched, "No! I was thinkin' you were sayin' somethin' like a bikkie 'n a sanger, ya know?"
"Aaanyway," Angela interrupted, her head only spinning further, enswirled by the endless British-Aussie slang going around, "Don't worry about me. Father already said we weren't leaving until I-"
"I knoooow," Lena whispered quietly, sidling down into a crouch as she slid her head onto Angela's bunk, eyeing her seriously, "If you took so long to recover, y'know…"
Angela rolled her eyes, "I want to see Hawaii too, you know? I'm not gonna be some boat biddie forever."
She heard a snicker from Junkrat and Lucio, the former speaking in a hushed laugh, "Boat biddie! What a set a' words!"
Lena frowned, jumping to her feet and turning to complain to Lucio with a whimpery voice, "Luuuu!"
Shrugging, he only replied, "Hey, don't pull rank on me, I'm just the chef. Speaking of, they've got that boar on a spit; we'd better head out if we want it fresh."
"Spit?!" Angela cried out in horror.
Lena assured her, "Don't worry; that's just the thing they roast stuff on. We'll bring ya back some, how 'bout that? Assuming Junkrat doesn't eat it all on the way back."
"Hey!" he shouted, taking offense, "I'm a respectable enough man; I'd never take advantage of a tucker-bag like that!"
Lucio narrowed his eyes, "What'd'ya call her..?"
"Come on!" Lena shouted, rushing toward the entryway, "We're gonna be late! Bye Angela! Get be-"
She trailed off as she coursed through the ship, leaving Junkrat and Lucio to say their goodbyes before leaving themselves, Angela assuring them she was fine and in need of rest anyway. Still, she let out a sigh as she became alone once again, closing her eyes in an attempt at keeping herself from noticing the lack of activity around her. Her headaches were subsiding, at least, and she longed to stretch out her legs once again, their disuse becoming apparent in how tight and jittery they were becoming.
Her lips jerked to the side in thought, a mischievous look escaping her eyes as they lowered toward the entryway, wondering just how empty the ship was at this point. Her father had said she was allowed one visit to Fareeha to offer her thanks for what she'd done…
Thinking of Fareeha, her mind churned, trying to conjure up a clearer picture of the woman in her head than what she had available, as though the last nearly three weeks had faded the memory she'd so carefully etched within its recesses. Her tanned skin, surrounding her face, her jet-black hair matted against her forehead in their wet surroundings, her fierce look only serving to whet Angela's faded appetite, if only it weren't so distant now.
As she thought, her legs began to groan in their aching, her nerves twitching at the lack of activity, restlessly running up and down her legs, catching Angela's attention before she could reconstruct the memory she so very desperately craved. She frowned as she untucked herself, twisting her body to remove the sheets from beneath her and allowing her legs room to maneuver, which they did, only slightly at first; their first activity in a couple weeks led to immediate pins and needles as they awoke, warming up to a lively scorch as her blood began to churn through her body, her feet nearly burning at the sensation, though on the whole, it was an enjoyable moment of reacquaintance with her limbs.
She sighed, wondering whether or not to try and stand up, wanting to at least catch a glimpse of the wayward, Pacific island that sat so incredibly remote. She figured it might be more trouble to take to it so quickly, her lips pulling to the side as she pulled her blankets back over her body, deciding to sleep a bit longer, allowing her legs to reorient themselves with the waking world as well.
Beginning to wander within her headspace, she couldn't get Fareeha off of her mind; despite her visions being aged and faded, she still remembered quite a bit from their time upon the Hanamura, particularly their final moments. Apparently, their heart-pounding escape came to her easiest, the tightness surrounding her body in the form of Fareeha's arm around her waist being particularly vibrant. She longed to be taken into her arms once again. Into that wide chest, her thick shirt hiding still-inevitable softness that had nearly burned Angela's face as Fareeha's warmth steamed the water along her face.
A breathless gasp escaped Angela's lips as she opened her eyes slightly, her revived blood flow seeming to have implications toward Angela reacquainting herself with yet another part of her body. She slowly closed her eyes once more, losing herself in the memory about as quickly as her fingers lost themselves between her legs, caressing her breeches first in a gentle massage, then in a course sort of stroking, her breathes hollowing, shaking tenderly as her nerves began taking hold of her gut, firing in electric delight as her fingers jutted into her breeches, just barely taking a hold of the wetness within.
Unsatisfactorily, Angela's eyes peered back open into the ceiling above, her hand trailing ever so slowly up toward the hem of her breeches, seeking more direct pleasure, though at that moment, in her mirage of a memory, she couldn't exactly catch the face of that woman, a fact most troubling. Those piercing eyes, she thought, taking her soul as tightly as that woman's arms took her body. Her hand pulled away, her eyes shifting toward the entryway.
She knew. She had to see her.