Disclaimer: You get the jist.

Chapter 8:

(Jim's back at the Academy for his last year of Captain training about to graduate, and everyone's about a year older now)

Zandra crept softly down the stairs, it was about 5:00 a.m. and she didn't want to wake anyone up before the morning rush. She needed to get out and think. It was so boring and dull and depressing here with Jim back at school. She missed him so, so much. They exchanged letters weekly, but it wasn't the same as seeing him every day! He'd better keep his promise or I'll... she didn't finish the thought. In his last letter he promised her that when he got back she would come on his first voyage with him. That's what kept her from going absolutely insane, BEN was intolerable and she was getting sick of having to serve drunks, though that had taught her a little self-defense. She stepped outside the front door and hurried down the front path. It had rained last night, again. That was the only thing that was wrong with Montressor, the rain. She started down the soggy trail to the docks. They were the only place she could look down on all of Montressor, which was actually quite strange considering how high they were. I wish that Jim was...

"Ooofff!!" She was so caught up in thought that she had run right into someone.

"OMIGOSH! I'm so sor..." The apology died on her lips as she stared into an incredibly hot face.

"It's all my fault. I should've been watching were I was going," he said.

" If fact you could be an angel in disguise. Would you please be so kind and help me bring something up to that inn?"

She quickly hid her surprise and put on her best waitressing manners,

"Uh...of course, what do you want me to do?"

"If you would carry this chest, but be careful it's rather heavy." He said handing her a small, but, as he said, very heavy chest.

He went to his small ship and grabbed a few bags from the deck, yelled a few words and jumped off as the ship started off.

"Planning to stay for a while?" she asked, observing all his baggage.

"Maybe so. Why do you ask?" She blushed under his almost intrusive gaze.

"I work there."

"Difficult?"

"Occasionally."

"Do you ever speak in more than one word sentences?"

"Only to my friends."

"I see. What's your name?"

"Zandra, and you?"

"Drake."

"Where do you come from? You have a strange accent."

"A place in the middle of etherium that you wouldn't have heard of ,you?"

"A place called earth, you've probably never heard of....." She trailed off at the strange look he was giving her.

"What?"

"You're from EARTH? The planet Earth?"

"Um, yeah. Is it that surprising?" The question was wasted on him, he was muttering incoherent words in something that resembled French to himself. She only caught a few of them,

"Impossible...There's no way....it can't be!"

"No it's not. There is a way, just don't ask about it. And it can be because otherwise I wouldn't be here!" He stopped talking and stared at her.

"You understand Zambodian?"

"Um, it sounded like French, except with a really bad accent to me, but I suppose I do."

"But...but...I learned about Earth in school. The uninhabitable planet! You CAN'T be from there!"

"Well I evidently can and am so you'll just have to get over the shock, -k-?"

"Fine, can we change the subject? Would you tell me how old you are?"

"Eighteen, why?"

"I'm twenty, and I was just wondering."

"Twenty, huh? I've got a...friend who's twenty.." she trailed off.

"That's nice, though I don't see why I'd care." They entered the inn. She quickly walked over to the desk and opened the guest book.

"You'll have to sign in, and then I can give you a room for however long you like, rent'll be about ten doubloons a night."

"So cheap?"

"Royal quality for beggars pay."

"Interesting."

"Can I get you anything to eat?"

"Um, no I ate on my ship."

"Yours?"

"It's mine." He paused and glanced at her to see if that was registering, she just nodded.

"Continue"

"I inherited it from my father."

"I never would have known." She murmured to herself.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Mm-hm."

"It was!"

"Don't get offended," he said smiling at her, she saw the laughter hiding in his eyes.

"Whatever. C'mon, I'll show you to your room."

(A/N: Wanted a new character, just for fun, if you don't like it tell me and I'll drop 'im)