***Thanks for the reviews and, as always, for reading. My semester ends in a couple weeks, so I'll be able to write more then. Yay for summer break. Disclaimer: blahblah***

Kjiersten made everyone jump with her squeal, but Dana was the only one who lingered on the situation. She watched as Norman's daughter ran across the deck of the Northwestern, abandoning her post at the edge of the tank to watch the offload so she could throw her arms around the man that had just hopped the rail. Norman smirked and shook his head, muttering, "Told you so," to Dana as he passed on his way to the wheelhouse to talk to his brothers.

Josh Harris lifted Kjiersten off of her feet and spun her around, setting her back down in exactly the same spot. Her enthusiasm made him laugh, which was mostly why he'd come to the Northwestern even though he knew they'd still be offloading. He could use a laugh.

"Look at you!" she grinned, rubbing his cheek gruffly. "You haven't shaved in forever. You know they won't let you fly home like this."

"Because I look like a terrorist, I know, I know," he rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair. "I don't miss this, you know."

"You love it!" she laughed. "So, I guess you guys are done?"

"Yeah," he nodded, looking down to where the Cornelia Marie was docked. "We're all squared away. Just wanted to come say hey, see how it's going. I should let you get back to work."

"Hey," she frowned, grabbing his hand as he started to back away. He let her gently pull him back to her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Josh," she warned, watching him intently, "I can tell when something's bothering you, and you're a shitty liar. Now, what's wrong? Are you pregnant?"

"You caught me. We'll talk when you're done, alright?" He sighed watching his shoes as he scuffed at the deck. She rolled her eyes at something off to the side, turned back to him, stared for a second, and then finally nodded.

"Meet me before you go to the Elbow Room. I don't think we'll be done before that."

"Deal," he agreed. "Did you know there's a camera pointed at us?"

"Is it Stupid Bitch?"

"If by Stupid Bitch you mean your camerawoman, then, yes, it is. I'm gonna bounce. Be nice."

"I'm always nice, Joshie," she forced through her fake, cheery smile. "You know me!"

"Yes," he laughed, hopping the rail, "I do. Be nice!"

"Did she threaten you again?" Norman asked as Dana watched Kjiersten dance to music only she could hear in front of the mirror. She started at his voice, clutching at her chest as she turned to face him.

"Do you always have to sneak up on me like that?" she insisted.

"Sorry."

"No, it's…don't worry about it. And she didn't really threaten me, no. She just told me to never film her and Josh or to submit what I filmed today. She sounded very pleasant about it all. Which is probably what was so terrifying."

"Yeah, she doesn't like being filmed off-duty," he nodded as his daughter finally relinquished the mirror. She was in the only pair of jeans she brought to Dutch, dark and skinny to fit under the black thigh-high boots she still hadn't zipped yet, and she had a black lacy cami on for the moment until she could find a suitable top. Her hair was in a loose, messy ponytail, and she had just finished putting her make-up on so she looked natural, a concept Norman could never grasp.

"Shirt," he ordered as she squeezed by him and Dana. She flashed a thumbs-up as she slipped into their stateroom. "You were waiting for the mirror?" Dana laughed.

"No, not me," she shook her head and absently ran a hand through her hair, which she'd been wearing curly this trip. Normally, she made it pin-straight, but there was no time or reason for that out here. Instead, she let it dry in the natural curlicues she used to hate so much. Even tonight, going out to meet the rest of the fleet for the first time, just didn't seem worth the effort. She'd come to terms with her hair on this trip. She'd also come to terms with the fact that she'd completely forgotten all her make-up, but was far from admitting just how high-maintenance she really was to the seasoned fisherman. "I was just watching her dance. It reminded me of…she's a cute girl, you know. Scary, but cute."

"She's not that scary. Just…private."

"Care to elaborate?" Dana laughed, rubbing her arm absentmindedly. He shrugged, picking a fuzzy off of her dark grey wrap top. She used the moment of silence to adjust the bottom of her shirt so it flowed better over the top of her faded boot-cut jeans instead of getting caught on her belt.

"Doesn't like being filmed off the boat, like I said. She doesn't really like being filmed at all, but she loves what the show does for the industry and she knows she has unique appeal, so she takes it. But when she's not working, she wants her privacy. And she doesn't like her loved ones being uncomfortable with the cameras, either. Her friends Ani and Vince came up to meet her one season, and she threatened to castrate Don if he filmed them. It's just how she is."

"She probably would have, too," Dana nodded thoughtfully.

"Castrate him? Oh, hell yeah," Norman nodded.

Dana was about to ask him something, anything, to keep them from settling back into the silence that always followed him, but Kjiersten chose that moment to emerge from the stateroom. And Dana had to admit that, despite their differences, she smiled when she saw the young lady in front of her. She had zipped up her boots, pulled her hair into a sleekier, tighter ponytail, and put on a royal blue t-shirt dress with a chunky black belt around the waist and the lacy black cami peeking out from the deep v-cut neckline. Around her neck was a delicate silver scroll-work K necklace that Sig had given her on her 21st birthday.

"What'd'ya think?" she asked. Dana almost answered, almost told this girl she was constantly butting heads with that she looked beautiful, too beautiful to just be going to a bar with a bunch of crabbers that had known her all her life and couldn't care less what she was wearing, but she stopped herself. Kjiersten wasn't asking her. She held her arms out and did a twirl for her dad, not for the woman next to him. Dana may as well have been invisible; even Norman wasn't paying attention to her as he smiled at his daughter.

"You look beautiful, hun," he nodded. "Too good to be seen with your old man."

"Daddy," she grinned, stepping forward to plant a kiss on his cheek, "you know you've got that backwards. You're too good to be seen with me. Look at you, getting all dressed up." She motioned to his standard pair of Levi jeans and grey fleece pullover. "Who're you trying to impress?"

"Very funny," he nudged her arm with his elbow as Edgar appeared in an outfit almost identical to his, except in dark green.

"Hey, Tyke, Josh is here. You not heading down with us?"

"I'll meet you," she assured her uncle. She kissed her dad again and gave Edgar a big hug before grabbing her bag. "I want to catch up with him before it gets all loud and crazy. Call if something awesome happens."

"Will do," Edgar assured her. "Say good-bye to Sig, huh?" She flashed a thumbs-up and disappeared up into the wheelhouse. She wrapped her arms around her uncle's neck as he studied some paperwork.

"Loosen up, Uncle Sig," she ordered, planting a kiss on his temple. "Everyone's leaving soon."

"I'm ready. Don't I look ready?" he raised his eyebrows at her. She laughed and let go of him.

"You look like you haven't changed from our offload. Oh, right, that would be because you haven't. At least wear a shirt that doesn't have the Northwestern logo on it. Please."

"What's wrong with the Northwestern logo?"

"You have other clothes. Change!" she ordered. "I'm running out with Josh; see you later tonight."

"You kids have fun," he waved, turning back to his papers. "We'll see you later."

"Bye, Uncle Sig!" she grinned, planting a kiss on his forehead before she left. He laughed to himself as he watched her hop down the stairs. That niece of his always could put a smile on his face.