Initial completion: August 15, 2021

The sun had finally set as dinner concluded. The previously occupied dining hall was now mostly empty again, save for the handful of people still lingering on in their conversation.

Dinner had flown by as normal, albeit with several comments to Sarah about the apparent new cook.

"That fellow that I heard in the kitchen, is he a new cook?"

"It's about time you got yourself an extra pair of hands to help you out!"

"Good to know you won't be doing all of this work on your own."

Many guests at the Benbow Inn were regulars who had come to greatly appreciate Sarah and the work she did. Some of them even stayed for longer periods and would often be referred to as residents rather than guests. So they were quite glad that she wouldn't be managing everything by herself.

Sarah tried to be polite about it, withholding what information she could to respect the cyborg's wishes of remaining relatively anonymous. And neither confirming nor denying whether or not this new cook would stick around for long since she wasn't sure herself.

Speaking of sticking around, it seemed that her assistant had fled to his room again, just as he had done that morning.

Once the last diner had left and she had tidied up the dining hall a bit she filled a bowl with some of the leftover stew, grabbed a spoon, and went to knock on his door once more.

"It's Sarah," she said before he asked.

The door soon opened just enough to let her squeeze in. She entered the room and his robotic hand closed the door, again, not all the way.

"Ah, thank ye fer thinkin' of me, miss," he said as he saw the bowl in her hands.

She placed it on the nearby table along with the spoon, "I didn't see you at dinner and I can't have my helper go hungry."

He scratched his head. "My apologies, lass. I just…" he began, "I don't want to be recognized."

Sarah nodded, remembering his desire to remain hidden. Although she didn't want to pry, the situation did bring up another question. "I do wonder why you would want to stay here instead of with a friend or with family," she said cautiously. "We could arrange for someone to come by and pick you up discreetly. Surely, you'd be more comfortable staying with a family member. At least they probably wouldn't make you clean for rent."

His body slumped as he frowned, "I haven't got any family."

Sarah's eyes widened as she became momentarily silent. She soon cleared her throat and carefully asked, "Maybe a friend?"

He turned away and stared at the ground as his fingers twirled near his shoulder, almost as if something was supposed to be there. "Not even me little pink pal anymore," he whispered.

A twinge of sadness for the man shot through her chest. It was quite strange to feel sympathy for someone who possibly tried to rob her of a night's stay just that morning.

The sound of him clearing his throat cleared her thoughts and returned her attention to the cyborg, who now suddenly appeared cheerful. "Nah, I've got plenty o' chums back at th' Silver Fish," he said with a wide grin. "Yessir, they be all th' family this ol' 'borg needs. Th' fellas must be wonderin' where I've gone off to."

He straightened his posture and adjusted his belt as he continued. "Can't wait to go back an' tell 'em of me time as a prisoner on a pirate ship," he said before giving her a charming smirk, "… an' as an assistant to such a darlin' innkeeper."

Sarah smiled politely at his words. "Well, good to know you've got someone to go back to," she said as he sheepishly chuckled.

"I don't have much family, either," she added. "But I hope you'll find some friendly folks to help fill in that gap while you're here."

He only pouted his lip with a shrug in response.

Eventually, she moved one hand to her hip and changed the topic to more professional matters. "I'll clean up the dining hall tonight, but I'll expect you to be ready tomorrow to learn the routine I've got," she said, "… especially if you're going to be here for a while. The Benbow Inn has a good reputation to keep, you know."

He nodded, his grin still present, "I'll be there."

Sarah briefly smiled before she bid him goodnight and closed the door as she left.

Silver sighed tiredly once Sarah was gone. It had been a decent length of time since he had worked under someone, even under a guise.

He would have to get used to it for the time being and be prepared to pick up on the routine around this here inn-

"Wait…" he whispered to himself as his eyes shot open and his thoughts began running. Did she say this was The Benbow Inn?

Benbow Inn?

That name rang a bell somewhere in his mind, somewhere on a ship, somewhere on the way to Treasure Planet.

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

He fell back and sat on the bed absolutely dumbfounded.

Of all the places… of all the inns…

Had he known such a detail he never would have convinced Sarah to drag him in last night. He didn't want to get her or Jim in trouble, but if he tried to leave now he could be caught by police. They would certainly book him in a heartbeat, not to mention get Sarah in trouble for harboring a fugitive. And, as he just told her, he didn't know anyone within a reasonable distance to even try to get him out of here.

The growl of his stomach interrupted his troubling thoughts. He looked at the stew Sarah had brought and sighed, "Should'a known…"

Of course, Jim never mentioned Sarah by name. But she did have his determined attitude and dazzling blue eyes, although hers were quite a bit more tired. As he grabbed the food and began eating he continued thinking about her.

She seemed much too young to have a son as old as Jim. She would have to be in her late thirties to early forties, at least. And she certainly didn't look it. He didn't even think she was the innkeeper at first because she was the one tending to everything. How could a lass manage to keep an inn and raise a son all on her own?

He continued eating, noticing the taste of the stew. Some minor adjustments were made by him, but it was honestly quite nice the way it was before. Sarah liked his additions, and her palette seemed strong enough to notice his subtle changes.

As he recalled her tasting it, he remembered how her hand felt as it steadied his. He was surprised by her touch, finding it to be gentle yet firm. It had been a long while since he'd even had a proper conversation with a lady, much less making any sort of contact with one.

He brushed off the thought, hoping his cooking skills allowed her to trust him a bit more, thus allowing him to keep his cover. He was just going to have to hold out here, just for a short time.

And while he was excited at the thought, he hoped Jim wouldn't come by and find him out.