As always, thanks to bluebearsg for reviewing, and I'd also like to thank CFair-Valentine for adding this to their story alerts.

Massive writer's block for this one, but I pulled through. Damn Assassin's Creed II, dominating my thoughts. Anyway, enjoy.

Cooking

706 OV, 7 days after Ashe's kidnapping

"OK, who's turn is it tonight?"

Ashe stood in front of the camp-fire, forcing the small assembly of people before her to look up. The Sandsea was not a pleasant place to be at the best of times, what with the dust and constant assaults from the indigenous peoples, and the long days spent on the road were beginning to wear at her nerves. She was definitely not in the mood to be arguing over whose turn it was to cook.

"Don't look at me, princess. I've done my part."

Balthier was the first to speak, as always. Ashe's eyes narrowed as he did so; the party had all but gone hungry the previous night thanks to the sky pirate 'doing his part', as he put it. There were times she wondered why she had chosen him, of all people, to escape with.

"I too, have done enough."

"As have I."

Fran and Basch joined the discussion, each equally eager to avoid the chore of preparing the group's meal. But they spoke the truth. Both of them had taken their turn, on the third and first days of travel respectively. Sighing irritably, Ashe cast her eyes over the men and women before her once again. If she had counted correctly, they had been in the desert for seven days now. There were seven people in their party. Who was left?

With a sinking feeling, Ashe realised that the deed fell to her. She, who had no knowledge and less experience in the culinary arts. This had the potential to be disastrous – considering the grief she had given Balthier for his own lack of skill... No. She wasn't about to lose face in front of him. If there was a way to avoid cooking tonight, she was going to take it.

"Oh, for the gods' sakes, could someone just make us something to eat?"

Silence. Only then does a small voice pipe up.

"Er... I'll do it."

The camp's heads turned as one toward the pigtailed Dalmascan, many an eye widening in horror. The one night that they'd had meat, and Yensa meat at that, Penelo had somehow managed to turn it into something that was somehow less palatable than the scraps of dried Bagoly Vaan occasionally filched from an Urutan. Though they were mostly too polite to say so, no one really wanted to experience the young Dalmascan's 'unique' cooking style again.

Then again, no one really wanted to cook either. So it was that, after a few minutes of organising the few morsels of food they had managed to collect during the day's trek, Penelo set to work over the camp-fire, Vaan at her side, whilst everyone else busied themselves with other tasks of varying importance.

"What you making?"

Penelo was only mildly surprised to see her friend peering over her shoulder.

"Nothing special," she replied. "We haven't got a lot, so it's just a stew. It's nearly done now, but the thing is, it's mainly water. I hope it'll be OK..."

"Uh-huh. And what's in that bottle?"

"What, this?" Penelo sounded surprised, and sub-consciously tried to hide the small vial behind her back. "If you must know..." She leant forward conspiratorially. "It's an aphrodisiac. I was going to put it in Vossler and Ashe's portions."

"Oh, I get it! As part of the Plot, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

As he turned to wander away, something suddenly occurred to Vaan. "Hey, wait a minute! Why do you even have an aphrodi-"

Going red, Penelo hurriedly interrupted his query with a rapid beating of her spoon on the side of the serving bowl. "Dinner's ready!"

The other members of the party did not approach with the enthusiasm that one might expect from people who had barely eaten throughout the day, save for the potions they'd consumed. Instead, they seemed to delay receiving their serving for as long as possible, and the sight of the runny brown mess that was on offer was enough to elicit a groan from Balthier.

Fran sniffed her bowl cautiously before settling herself next to her partner, and did not look all that satisfied before she took her first experimental sip. She continued to pick at the stew as she ate, occasionally setting her own meal down to force some of Balthier's down his throat. She would not have him starve.

Basch was the opposite to her, opting to down his bowlful in one gulp, praying that the taste would not linger. He had often thought the paltry meals he was given in Nalbina were the worst the world had to offer. Apparently not. Whilst one can get used to prison food, he doubted that he'd ever be able to get used to Penelo's food.

Across the camp-fire, Vossler and Ashe sat apart from the sky pirates, if only because Ashe did not have the energy to maintain the peace between Vossler and Balthier. The former was more on edge than usual thanks to a suggestive comment made earlier, and she had no desire to see blood shed tonight. Much as Vossler liked to deny it, she still needed the support the pirate provided.

He'd forget about the remark soon enough. Perhaps he already had. For now, Vossler seemed to be transfixed by his serving of stew, staring at the watery mixture with apprehension. Ashe couldn't blame him – the last time he'd eaten one of Penelo's meals he'd spent the whole night in the bushes. She remembered how she had woken in a panic upon realising he wasn't beside her in the tent, only to have him slip in and explain that he had simply been 'cleansing his system', as he put it.

After such an occurrence, Ashe too was wary. She had been fortunate enough to avoid much of the previous meal, having traded most of hers with Vossler for one of the few remaining Succulent Fruits. She was sure that was a deal he regretted. There was no way she could expect him to go through the same again, no matter how repulsive tonight's meal appeared to be.

"Eat it, Ashe. You need your strength."

"Only if you eat it too."

"I... suppose I must."

Exchanging grim smiles, the two drained their bowls simultaneously.

It was only after a few hours had passed that the food began to take effect. As the party huddled around the remains of the fire, trying to absorb the last bit of heat from the glowing embers before turning in for the night, both Vossler and Ashe felt a churning in their stomachs. Vaan and Penelo watched as the pair excused themselves and left the camp together.

"Do you think the aphrodisiac worked?"