Chapter 2
Amelia awoke early the next day. The lithe felinid Captain stretched languidly and then got out of bed. She quickly made her bed, washed her face, brushed her hair, and slipped into a clean uniform.
Her morning routine now complete, she made her way into her stateroom proper. There she found Arrow sitting, reading a book, a small pair of reading spectacles perched on his craggy nose. "Ah, good morning, Captain," he remarked, looking up from his book.
"Good morning, Arrow," Amelia returned briskly, then eyed his book. "Catching up on those romance novels of your's, old boy?"
It was that teasing comment that caused Amelia to remember their discussion from the previous evening. "As a matter of fact, Captain..." Arrow began, only to be cut off by Amelia who winced, and held up a hand to stop him.
"Not a word, Arrow," she warned him. "Not one bloody word..."
Arrow smiled at her irritation. "Oh, while we're on the subject...Doctor Doppler provided me with those notes you had asked of him, Captain last night," Arrow informed her. "I took the liberty of placing them upon your desk."
"That's precisely the problem, Arrow," Amelia returned, going over to her desk and taking her seat. "You take far too many liberties here of late, sir." Arrow pretended to not of heard her, and picked up his book once more.
"The Doctor's notes simply provide us with an updated course toward our eventual destination. If all goes according to plan, we should be crossing into the Pellucid star system by sometime this very day," Amelia explained, clearly changing the subject.
"Pellucid? I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with that system, Captain. How much further is our destination past that star system, ma'am?" Arrow asked.
"Not too much further, old boy. I´d warrant another day or so," Amelia answered, gazing down the star charts. She then noticed Arrow reading, and chanced a look at title of the novel. By God, he really is reading a romance novel, she thought to herself. "So...when are you going to do the proper thing and apologize for all that ludicrous nonsense you were going on about the Doctor and myself?" Amelia asked him rather pointedly.
"Not anytime soon, Captain," Arrow told her firmly. "Sorry, Amelia...but it's for your own good..."
Amelia sighed at that news. "Dash it all, haven't you got duties to attend to or something, Arrow?" Amelia suggested, irritated with Arrow.
"Not for precisely five minutes I don't, Captain," Arrow told her smugly, smiling.
Amelia kept her face composed, but inwardly she was grinding her teeth. "Since that's the case, I shall be on the bridge...doing something useful." And with that---oh, and a very superior look on her face---Amelia made her way to the bridge to check on her ship and its crew.
Once in her customary spot on the bridge, she visually inspected her ship from bowsprit to sternpost, and smiled a small smile of satisfaction, noting that all was as it should be.
"Morning, Cap'n," Turnbuckle, the helmsman said by way of a very cautious greeting.
And, cautious was apparently the watchword for the unfortunate helmsman, at least with regards to the much displeased Captain. Amelia, her hands behind her back, her posture ramrod straight, directed a withering look towards the Zirrelian. "A word to the wise, Mr. Turnbuckle..."
"Aye, ma'am?" he answered, swallowing hard from being under her steely, unrelenting gaze.
"If I should catch wind of your gossiping to your shipmates about the conversation that occurred on this bridge yesterday, I will make sure you have new accomodations...in the brig! Do I make myself clear, Mr. Turnbuckle?" Amelia growled dangerously.
"As a crystal, ma'am," Turnbuckle answered quickly, keeping his eyes straight ahead, afraid to meet her glare.
Any further dialog between Captain and helmsman was cut short by Arrow's arrival on the bridge.
"Ah, finally finished your book, have you?" Amelia quipped, but her voice was strained.
"No, not exactly, Captain, but as my shift has now started, I thought it best to join you on the bridge," Arrow remarked with a grin. He then turned forward, and a moment later called out, "Good morning, Mr. Hawkins! The same to you this day, Doctor!"
Amelia followed her First Officer's gaze and saw Dr. Doppler and Jim Hawkins beside the rail, engrossed in conversation. She turned wearily toward the still smiling Arrow. "You simply can't let this lie now, can you?" she asked him very quietly, and away from Turnbuckle.
"My apologies, Captain, but...no," he replied in an equally soft voice. "Now, if you will excuse me, ma'am..." Amelia nodded and he sedately made his way down on deck. Amelia is far too stubborn for her own good, he thought to himself. Perhaps...I should just provide her with a tiny little nudge in the right direction then, he added to himself. She'll be furious with me, of course...but I can live with that, he decided.
Arrow ambled over to where Delbert and Jim were standing, looking out into the wonder of the Etherium. "Doctor. Mr. Hawkins," he said, nodding in greeting to them both.
"Morning, Mr. Arrow, sir!" Jim said, grinning. He then gasped, his blue eyes going wide with surprise. "Oh, hey Doc! I just remembered...I gotta go! Silver's taking me out in the longboat! How cool is that?" The boy waved the two men good-bye and dashed down to the galley.
"Doctor," Arrow then began, glad of Mr. Hawkins' rapid departure. "I have a request from the Captain. She asks if you would be so kind as to meet with her to discuss those navigational notes you provided her with. She has some questions and would appreciate your input," Arrow told him.
"The Captain would like to meet...with me? Oh, my, of course, Mr. Arrow! You may tell Captain Amelia that I'd be delighted to provide her any resistance...er, I mean, assistance she might require! I will be there just as soon as I can gather my motes, uh...notes and such," Delbert said, smiling after his inadvertant faux pas.
Arrow nodded. "Of course, Doctor. I will inform the Captain," he assured the excited astrophysicist. And, with that, he turned back around, and looked up to the bridge. There he spotted Amelia, and sure enough, though her lovely face was composed, her eyes shone with suppressed fury. Arrow had naturally assumed that with Amelia's superior sense of hearing, she would of heard everything. Apparently, he was quite correct. He touched the brim of his tricorner hat respectfully to her, and smiled.
After Arrow returned to the bridge, he moved to his customary spot beside Amelia. He cleared his throat, then stated, "The Doctor shall be along presently, Captain, to discuss our course modifications. I shall prepare your stateroom for receiving a guest," he said and made his way toward the door. "By your leave, Captain..."
Turnbuckle made the poor choice at this extremely tense moment to chuckle quietly at Amelia's situation. Amelia closed her eyes, her lips thinned, trying mightily to remain in control of her emotions. She whirled on the surprised and embarrassed Turnbuckle, her green eyes blazing like emerald lasers. "Since you are in such a jovial mood, Mr. Turnbuckle," Amelia observed, her diction as precise as a scalpel. "You won't be amiss to pumping out the ship's bilges...all of them...alone. And on your off-shift. Report to Mr. Arrow after your shift's end. That is all!"
Turnbuckle certainly wasn't laughing now, she observed with wry satisfaction.
Amelia turned precisely on her heel, and marched straight into her stateroom, slamming the door shut forcefully behind her.
"Blast you!" Amelia began, as she secured the hatch. She glared at Arrow, who now sat and waited for her. "I have quite enough trouble with this sorry excuse for a crew---thank you very much. I hardly need any further distractions, Sylvester Arrow!" Amelia exclaimed, her eyes blazing as they sometimes did. Arrow winced at her emotion-charged display. He knew she was very upset...as she hadn't called him by his full name since back in their Academy days. Since that time when he had dyed her skin a bright pink as she slept one day in her third year.
Amelia paced back and forth before him. "You will cease and desist with all this romantic nonsense, do you hear? Not one further word, sir! I will say this once, and one time only: I am NOT in love with Doctor Delbert Doppler. Period! End of story!" Amelia thundered.
"Is that so?" Arrow countered, his face calm, almost serene. "Well, then...perhaps you'd care to accept a wager, ma'am?"
"A wager? What sort of wager?" Amelia asked, instantly suspicious, quite caught off guard.
"The Doctor will be here any moment," Arrow observed, reminding her. "I am willing to wager that before he leaves, he will leave you blushing, and stammering in reply to at least one of his inevitable questions. Do we have a bet, Captain?"
"You're on, Arrow," Amelia responded, nodding. "Piece of cake. Now, what are the stakes of our little wager?"
Arrow smiled. "If I win, you will make no further protests against my playing matchmaker between you and the Doctor. I daresay I think you deserve it, but that's neither here nor there, at the moment."
"And if you lose, old man?" Amelia prompted him, her green eyes boring in.
"If I should lose, I promise you that you shall not hear another word on the subject from me from that point on, my friend," Arrow promised. Arrow then put out his hand. "Do we have an accord, Captain?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with challenge.
Amelia could hardly pass up such a challenge. She accepted his hand, and shook it firmly. "We do indeed, Mr. Arrow!" she replied.
Further conversation on that particular subject was brought up short, as she heard a timid, yet polite knock upon her stateroom door. "That would be the Doctor, Captain," Arrow announced helpfully.
Amelia turned towards Arrow, giving him a warning glare before she opened the door. "You're such a helpful fellow sometimes, Arrow," she said, her voice loaded with sarcasm. Arrow only chuckled softly.
"Ah, good day to you, Captain," Doppler remarked upon seeing her after the door opened, giving her a slight, respectful bow. He wore a nervous, yet pleased expression on his kindly face.
"Good day to you as well, Doctor," Amelia replied, suddenly feeling not quite so sure of herself anymore.
"Your Mr. Arrow informed me that you might be in need of my re---er, assistance?" Delbert observed hopefully, quickly covering his small slip- up.
"Yes, do come inside, Doctor," Amelia replied, nodding, moving to one side, so that Delbert could come inside.
She closed and dogged the door shut, using the time to rebuild her failing defenses. Amelia then turned back to Doppler, and was surprised when she looked directly into his warm, brown eyes. She was at a loss for words that moment, which was very much unlike her usual quips of clever banter. She also wondered how it got so blasted warm in here so suddenly.
"Shall we start then, Doctor?" Amelia said and sat down, trying very hard to quell the nervousness she was feeling in her stomach. Doppler pulled up a chair and sat beside her, so that he could see and make use of the star charts there. Amelia found her concentration, normally razor-sharp, wavering as she sat in close proximity to the kindly Doctor. She found her eyes continually drawn off the star chart on her desk to the Doctor's exquisite, soulful, brown eyes and cheerful smile. She caught herself once smiling, watching the Doctor, suddenly aware that she had no clue as to what he had just said. But, gradually, she became more comfortable with the situation, and...believe it or not, felt rather good about the whole thing.
The two worked with one another for quite some time, with only sporadic interruptions from Arrow. This wasn't so bad, Amelia told herself. She was therefore surprised when Delbert spoke up.
"Captain...are you, um, not feeling well?" he asked her with concern.
"No, I'm fine, Doctor. Why do you ask?" Amelia replied, clearly puzzled by his question.
"Well, um, because your poor cheeks are so flushed, Captain," Delbert told her, smiling wanly at her.
"They are?" Amelia gasped, getting up from her seat to head over to the mirror she always had handy. Much as the Doctor has described, her cheeks were indeed very flushed. In addition, she finally caught sight of the look in her eyes when she looked at the Doctor.
"I---I, well, um," she stammered, placing a hand over her reddened cheek. She rapidly regained her composure though, when she saw Arrow smiling back at her in the mirror. His expression---blast him!---clearly told her "I told you so". Amelia closed her eyes, suddenly ashamed.
"Captain, are you certain you're all right?" the Doctor asked again, moving to just behind her, his kind face full of concern.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine, Doctor. It's just a bit warm in here all of the sudden," Amelia replied. "That must be it, I'm sure."
"Now that you do mention it," Doppler answered. "It is a bit warm in here, you know. Well, we´re nearly done, so let's just press ahead, shall we?" Delbert said as he went back over to wher the map lay again.
Finally, their work was finished, and Delbert got to his feet. For some reason, he was reluctant to go. Amelia, for her part, was saddened by the imminent departure of the good Doctor as well.
"We should be arriving in the Pellucid system within the hour," he said looking out the stern windows. He then turned to Amelia. "Um, Captain? Do you think I might open a window? It's a bit warm and stuffy in here, don't you think?"
"Of course, Doctor," Amelia said, suppressing the urge to fan her face with her hands. "Feel free."
Doppler opened the window and Amelia joined him there, enjoying the cooling breeze upon her face. "Ah, that's much better..." she remarked. The two stood there for quite a while, stealing glances at one another, when they thought the other wasn't looking.
"Er, thank you for your considerable assistance, Doctor," Amelia said, realizing they had been standing about for quite the while.
"You are most becoming, er, I mean welcome, Captain," Delbert replied, his expression at first shocked, then a shy smile appeared. He looked away a moment, then smiled thankfully at Amelia. That smile of his, as as his 'becoming' slip-up, increased the heat she was feeling nearly ten-fold. She now did fan her face with her gloved hand, not failing to notice that Delbert had loosened his neckcloth and unbuttoned the top button of his starched shirt.
"Um, er, I think I shall bid you good night, Captain," Delbert told her gallantly, realizing she was a busy person, and most likely had work waiting for her.
"Yes, good night, Doctor," Amelia said, feeling happy and a bit whimiscal all at the same time. Inwardly, she groaned, realizing she was not quite herself for some reason.
As Doppler departed, Amelia turned to see Arrow smiling triumphantly at her.
"I'm certain the Doctor found your blush very fetching indeed, Amelia, my old friend," he declared, chuckling at Amelia, who lowered her eyes to him, knowing she was beat.
"Very well, Arrow, you win our wager," she decreed. She moved back over to the windows and stared out of one of them. She sighed again with relief when the wind brushed her face.
Arrow smiled towards Amelia. "Friends again, Amelia?" he asked and gave her his hand.
"Of course. That hasn't changed one bit, Arrow," Amelia said, smiling before she hugged Arrow about his barrel chest. She sighed, accepting her fate, such that it was.
Arrow smiled down at Amelia. "Now now, Amelia. Is it really all that bad?" Arrow teased.
"No, actually...it's not," Amelia admitted reluctantly. "It's just, well...dash it all, Arrow! Why do I must I get so flustered when I'm with that man? He so kind, and gentle..." Amelia said dreamily...then caught herself. "Ahem! You've won your bet, Arrow. Carry on!" Amelia declared, uncomfortable with showing her feelings...even before Arrow, her closest friend.
"May I consider that an order, Captain?" Arrow said, his face composed, but his eyes teasing.
"Ooh! You rogue!" Amelia pretended to growl, then laughed softly. "Get out of my stateroom, and go make yourself useful. And, that's an order!"
Arrow decided to be graceful in his victory. "Of course, Captain," he said, snapping her a salute before he turned for the door.
It was just then that the two of them heard a loud reverberating rumble that made the deck beneath their feet vibrate. "What the devil...?" Both Amelia and Arrow said, and dashed out the stateroom door. Once at their posts, they heard Delbert exclaim, "Good heavens! The star Pellucid! It´s...gone supernova!"
Amelia awoke early the next day. The lithe felinid Captain stretched languidly and then got out of bed. She quickly made her bed, washed her face, brushed her hair, and slipped into a clean uniform.
Her morning routine now complete, she made her way into her stateroom proper. There she found Arrow sitting, reading a book, a small pair of reading spectacles perched on his craggy nose. "Ah, good morning, Captain," he remarked, looking up from his book.
"Good morning, Arrow," Amelia returned briskly, then eyed his book. "Catching up on those romance novels of your's, old boy?"
It was that teasing comment that caused Amelia to remember their discussion from the previous evening. "As a matter of fact, Captain..." Arrow began, only to be cut off by Amelia who winced, and held up a hand to stop him.
"Not a word, Arrow," she warned him. "Not one bloody word..."
Arrow smiled at her irritation. "Oh, while we're on the subject...Doctor Doppler provided me with those notes you had asked of him, Captain last night," Arrow informed her. "I took the liberty of placing them upon your desk."
"That's precisely the problem, Arrow," Amelia returned, going over to her desk and taking her seat. "You take far too many liberties here of late, sir." Arrow pretended to not of heard her, and picked up his book once more.
"The Doctor's notes simply provide us with an updated course toward our eventual destination. If all goes according to plan, we should be crossing into the Pellucid star system by sometime this very day," Amelia explained, clearly changing the subject.
"Pellucid? I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with that system, Captain. How much further is our destination past that star system, ma'am?" Arrow asked.
"Not too much further, old boy. I´d warrant another day or so," Amelia answered, gazing down the star charts. She then noticed Arrow reading, and chanced a look at title of the novel. By God, he really is reading a romance novel, she thought to herself. "So...when are you going to do the proper thing and apologize for all that ludicrous nonsense you were going on about the Doctor and myself?" Amelia asked him rather pointedly.
"Not anytime soon, Captain," Arrow told her firmly. "Sorry, Amelia...but it's for your own good..."
Amelia sighed at that news. "Dash it all, haven't you got duties to attend to or something, Arrow?" Amelia suggested, irritated with Arrow.
"Not for precisely five minutes I don't, Captain," Arrow told her smugly, smiling.
Amelia kept her face composed, but inwardly she was grinding her teeth. "Since that's the case, I shall be on the bridge...doing something useful." And with that---oh, and a very superior look on her face---Amelia made her way to the bridge to check on her ship and its crew.
Once in her customary spot on the bridge, she visually inspected her ship from bowsprit to sternpost, and smiled a small smile of satisfaction, noting that all was as it should be.
"Morning, Cap'n," Turnbuckle, the helmsman said by way of a very cautious greeting.
And, cautious was apparently the watchword for the unfortunate helmsman, at least with regards to the much displeased Captain. Amelia, her hands behind her back, her posture ramrod straight, directed a withering look towards the Zirrelian. "A word to the wise, Mr. Turnbuckle..."
"Aye, ma'am?" he answered, swallowing hard from being under her steely, unrelenting gaze.
"If I should catch wind of your gossiping to your shipmates about the conversation that occurred on this bridge yesterday, I will make sure you have new accomodations...in the brig! Do I make myself clear, Mr. Turnbuckle?" Amelia growled dangerously.
"As a crystal, ma'am," Turnbuckle answered quickly, keeping his eyes straight ahead, afraid to meet her glare.
Any further dialog between Captain and helmsman was cut short by Arrow's arrival on the bridge.
"Ah, finally finished your book, have you?" Amelia quipped, but her voice was strained.
"No, not exactly, Captain, but as my shift has now started, I thought it best to join you on the bridge," Arrow remarked with a grin. He then turned forward, and a moment later called out, "Good morning, Mr. Hawkins! The same to you this day, Doctor!"
Amelia followed her First Officer's gaze and saw Dr. Doppler and Jim Hawkins beside the rail, engrossed in conversation. She turned wearily toward the still smiling Arrow. "You simply can't let this lie now, can you?" she asked him very quietly, and away from Turnbuckle.
"My apologies, Captain, but...no," he replied in an equally soft voice. "Now, if you will excuse me, ma'am..." Amelia nodded and he sedately made his way down on deck. Amelia is far too stubborn for her own good, he thought to himself. Perhaps...I should just provide her with a tiny little nudge in the right direction then, he added to himself. She'll be furious with me, of course...but I can live with that, he decided.
Arrow ambled over to where Delbert and Jim were standing, looking out into the wonder of the Etherium. "Doctor. Mr. Hawkins," he said, nodding in greeting to them both.
"Morning, Mr. Arrow, sir!" Jim said, grinning. He then gasped, his blue eyes going wide with surprise. "Oh, hey Doc! I just remembered...I gotta go! Silver's taking me out in the longboat! How cool is that?" The boy waved the two men good-bye and dashed down to the galley.
"Doctor," Arrow then began, glad of Mr. Hawkins' rapid departure. "I have a request from the Captain. She asks if you would be so kind as to meet with her to discuss those navigational notes you provided her with. She has some questions and would appreciate your input," Arrow told him.
"The Captain would like to meet...with me? Oh, my, of course, Mr. Arrow! You may tell Captain Amelia that I'd be delighted to provide her any resistance...er, I mean, assistance she might require! I will be there just as soon as I can gather my motes, uh...notes and such," Delbert said, smiling after his inadvertant faux pas.
Arrow nodded. "Of course, Doctor. I will inform the Captain," he assured the excited astrophysicist. And, with that, he turned back around, and looked up to the bridge. There he spotted Amelia, and sure enough, though her lovely face was composed, her eyes shone with suppressed fury. Arrow had naturally assumed that with Amelia's superior sense of hearing, she would of heard everything. Apparently, he was quite correct. He touched the brim of his tricorner hat respectfully to her, and smiled.
After Arrow returned to the bridge, he moved to his customary spot beside Amelia. He cleared his throat, then stated, "The Doctor shall be along presently, Captain, to discuss our course modifications. I shall prepare your stateroom for receiving a guest," he said and made his way toward the door. "By your leave, Captain..."
Turnbuckle made the poor choice at this extremely tense moment to chuckle quietly at Amelia's situation. Amelia closed her eyes, her lips thinned, trying mightily to remain in control of her emotions. She whirled on the surprised and embarrassed Turnbuckle, her green eyes blazing like emerald lasers. "Since you are in such a jovial mood, Mr. Turnbuckle," Amelia observed, her diction as precise as a scalpel. "You won't be amiss to pumping out the ship's bilges...all of them...alone. And on your off-shift. Report to Mr. Arrow after your shift's end. That is all!"
Turnbuckle certainly wasn't laughing now, she observed with wry satisfaction.
Amelia turned precisely on her heel, and marched straight into her stateroom, slamming the door shut forcefully behind her.
"Blast you!" Amelia began, as she secured the hatch. She glared at Arrow, who now sat and waited for her. "I have quite enough trouble with this sorry excuse for a crew---thank you very much. I hardly need any further distractions, Sylvester Arrow!" Amelia exclaimed, her eyes blazing as they sometimes did. Arrow winced at her emotion-charged display. He knew she was very upset...as she hadn't called him by his full name since back in their Academy days. Since that time when he had dyed her skin a bright pink as she slept one day in her third year.
Amelia paced back and forth before him. "You will cease and desist with all this romantic nonsense, do you hear? Not one further word, sir! I will say this once, and one time only: I am NOT in love with Doctor Delbert Doppler. Period! End of story!" Amelia thundered.
"Is that so?" Arrow countered, his face calm, almost serene. "Well, then...perhaps you'd care to accept a wager, ma'am?"
"A wager? What sort of wager?" Amelia asked, instantly suspicious, quite caught off guard.
"The Doctor will be here any moment," Arrow observed, reminding her. "I am willing to wager that before he leaves, he will leave you blushing, and stammering in reply to at least one of his inevitable questions. Do we have a bet, Captain?"
"You're on, Arrow," Amelia responded, nodding. "Piece of cake. Now, what are the stakes of our little wager?"
Arrow smiled. "If I win, you will make no further protests against my playing matchmaker between you and the Doctor. I daresay I think you deserve it, but that's neither here nor there, at the moment."
"And if you lose, old man?" Amelia prompted him, her green eyes boring in.
"If I should lose, I promise you that you shall not hear another word on the subject from me from that point on, my friend," Arrow promised. Arrow then put out his hand. "Do we have an accord, Captain?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with challenge.
Amelia could hardly pass up such a challenge. She accepted his hand, and shook it firmly. "We do indeed, Mr. Arrow!" she replied.
Further conversation on that particular subject was brought up short, as she heard a timid, yet polite knock upon her stateroom door. "That would be the Doctor, Captain," Arrow announced helpfully.
Amelia turned towards Arrow, giving him a warning glare before she opened the door. "You're such a helpful fellow sometimes, Arrow," she said, her voice loaded with sarcasm. Arrow only chuckled softly.
"Ah, good day to you, Captain," Doppler remarked upon seeing her after the door opened, giving her a slight, respectful bow. He wore a nervous, yet pleased expression on his kindly face.
"Good day to you as well, Doctor," Amelia replied, suddenly feeling not quite so sure of herself anymore.
"Your Mr. Arrow informed me that you might be in need of my re---er, assistance?" Delbert observed hopefully, quickly covering his small slip- up.
"Yes, do come inside, Doctor," Amelia replied, nodding, moving to one side, so that Delbert could come inside.
She closed and dogged the door shut, using the time to rebuild her failing defenses. Amelia then turned back to Doppler, and was surprised when she looked directly into his warm, brown eyes. She was at a loss for words that moment, which was very much unlike her usual quips of clever banter. She also wondered how it got so blasted warm in here so suddenly.
"Shall we start then, Doctor?" Amelia said and sat down, trying very hard to quell the nervousness she was feeling in her stomach. Doppler pulled up a chair and sat beside her, so that he could see and make use of the star charts there. Amelia found her concentration, normally razor-sharp, wavering as she sat in close proximity to the kindly Doctor. She found her eyes continually drawn off the star chart on her desk to the Doctor's exquisite, soulful, brown eyes and cheerful smile. She caught herself once smiling, watching the Doctor, suddenly aware that she had no clue as to what he had just said. But, gradually, she became more comfortable with the situation, and...believe it or not, felt rather good about the whole thing.
The two worked with one another for quite some time, with only sporadic interruptions from Arrow. This wasn't so bad, Amelia told herself. She was therefore surprised when Delbert spoke up.
"Captain...are you, um, not feeling well?" he asked her with concern.
"No, I'm fine, Doctor. Why do you ask?" Amelia replied, clearly puzzled by his question.
"Well, um, because your poor cheeks are so flushed, Captain," Delbert told her, smiling wanly at her.
"They are?" Amelia gasped, getting up from her seat to head over to the mirror she always had handy. Much as the Doctor has described, her cheeks were indeed very flushed. In addition, she finally caught sight of the look in her eyes when she looked at the Doctor.
"I---I, well, um," she stammered, placing a hand over her reddened cheek. She rapidly regained her composure though, when she saw Arrow smiling back at her in the mirror. His expression---blast him!---clearly told her "I told you so". Amelia closed her eyes, suddenly ashamed.
"Captain, are you certain you're all right?" the Doctor asked again, moving to just behind her, his kind face full of concern.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine, Doctor. It's just a bit warm in here all of the sudden," Amelia replied. "That must be it, I'm sure."
"Now that you do mention it," Doppler answered. "It is a bit warm in here, you know. Well, we´re nearly done, so let's just press ahead, shall we?" Delbert said as he went back over to wher the map lay again.
Finally, their work was finished, and Delbert got to his feet. For some reason, he was reluctant to go. Amelia, for her part, was saddened by the imminent departure of the good Doctor as well.
"We should be arriving in the Pellucid system within the hour," he said looking out the stern windows. He then turned to Amelia. "Um, Captain? Do you think I might open a window? It's a bit warm and stuffy in here, don't you think?"
"Of course, Doctor," Amelia said, suppressing the urge to fan her face with her hands. "Feel free."
Doppler opened the window and Amelia joined him there, enjoying the cooling breeze upon her face. "Ah, that's much better..." she remarked. The two stood there for quite a while, stealing glances at one another, when they thought the other wasn't looking.
"Er, thank you for your considerable assistance, Doctor," Amelia said, realizing they had been standing about for quite the while.
"You are most becoming, er, I mean welcome, Captain," Delbert replied, his expression at first shocked, then a shy smile appeared. He looked away a moment, then smiled thankfully at Amelia. That smile of his, as as his 'becoming' slip-up, increased the heat she was feeling nearly ten-fold. She now did fan her face with her gloved hand, not failing to notice that Delbert had loosened his neckcloth and unbuttoned the top button of his starched shirt.
"Um, er, I think I shall bid you good night, Captain," Delbert told her gallantly, realizing she was a busy person, and most likely had work waiting for her.
"Yes, good night, Doctor," Amelia said, feeling happy and a bit whimiscal all at the same time. Inwardly, she groaned, realizing she was not quite herself for some reason.
As Doppler departed, Amelia turned to see Arrow smiling triumphantly at her.
"I'm certain the Doctor found your blush very fetching indeed, Amelia, my old friend," he declared, chuckling at Amelia, who lowered her eyes to him, knowing she was beat.
"Very well, Arrow, you win our wager," she decreed. She moved back over to the windows and stared out of one of them. She sighed again with relief when the wind brushed her face.
Arrow smiled towards Amelia. "Friends again, Amelia?" he asked and gave her his hand.
"Of course. That hasn't changed one bit, Arrow," Amelia said, smiling before she hugged Arrow about his barrel chest. She sighed, accepting her fate, such that it was.
Arrow smiled down at Amelia. "Now now, Amelia. Is it really all that bad?" Arrow teased.
"No, actually...it's not," Amelia admitted reluctantly. "It's just, well...dash it all, Arrow! Why do I must I get so flustered when I'm with that man? He so kind, and gentle..." Amelia said dreamily...then caught herself. "Ahem! You've won your bet, Arrow. Carry on!" Amelia declared, uncomfortable with showing her feelings...even before Arrow, her closest friend.
"May I consider that an order, Captain?" Arrow said, his face composed, but his eyes teasing.
"Ooh! You rogue!" Amelia pretended to growl, then laughed softly. "Get out of my stateroom, and go make yourself useful. And, that's an order!"
Arrow decided to be graceful in his victory. "Of course, Captain," he said, snapping her a salute before he turned for the door.
It was just then that the two of them heard a loud reverberating rumble that made the deck beneath their feet vibrate. "What the devil...?" Both Amelia and Arrow said, and dashed out the stateroom door. Once at their posts, they heard Delbert exclaim, "Good heavens! The star Pellucid! It´s...gone supernova!"