Chapter 5

"I knew I'd find you down here."

Zarabeth looked up from the dough she'd been kneading, a smile instantly on her lips at the sound of Jim's voice as he came down into the galley. Going back to her work, Zara gave a small hum in contentment as she felt the boy leave a quick kiss against her cheek.

"And how's my little pastry chef?"

"Pastry chef!" Morph eagerly mimicked Jim's words as he flew from out of the open pantry door, a pilfered cracker in his little pink hands as he floated idly about the room.

Zara could only giggle quietly, giving the shape-shifter a little tickle before offering him another piece of cracker. "Thoroughly pleased. This ship is better stocked than even the Legacy."

"Well I have to keep everyone happy and fed, don't I? Besides, a great cook needs good variety to truly do his job. Wouldn't you say so, Mr. Tucker?"

A small portly man poked his head out from the pantry, a large grin eclipsing his face as he answered in a sharp accent. "Aye, Captain. I've not known a better ship to work on, but I must say sir, you don't need me, not when ya already have this here young lady. She's far more at home in this kitchen than I am, and I've been with ya for nearly a year now."

"Nonsense, Bill. Your cooking is some of the best I've ever had, and certainly the rest of the crew feels the same. Besides, I don't think I could hire my own wife. She'd ask too much for her salary. You know how these culinary school kids are, all ego and no-hey!"

Jim was left coughing and sputtering as Zara's floured hands moved to powder his face, leaving the girl smirking in satisfaction as she gave a small laugh.

"What was that, Mr. Hawkins? I didn't quite catch that last part."

"No-Nothing, Mrs. Hawkins." The boy gave one final cough as he brushed the flour from his face, running a hand through his hair to remove any last bits.

"That's what I thought. Now you'd better get outta here and let us work before I get that pretty little uniform of yours all dusted in white. Oh, and take Morph with you? I'm starting to run out of crackers."

"Alright, alright, I can take a hint." Hugging her from behind, Jim left a kiss in her hair before pulling away, nodding at the cook as he made his way back across the room towards the stairs, little Morph perched happily on his shoulder. "Bill, you make sure she doesn't work too hard. She likes to get carried away."

"Don't you worry, Captain. I'll send her back up to ya as soon we're done here."

Returning her attention to the dough beneath her hands, Zara continued to work with it for a few more minutes until she was satisfied that it was ready. Forming the unbaked dough into a few dozen balls, she placed them close together in pans before turning to the cook, dusting her flour-covered hands on her apron. "Got anything in the oven? Or can I put these in now?"

"She's all yours, Mrs." The small man managed to reply before giving a low grunt of frustration, eventually successful in pulling a folded step-stool from out of the pantry. Setting it upright in front of the stove-top, he clambered up its short steps to get within reach of the large kettle of stew simmering on the red-hot surface. Freeing a ladle from the wrack just above his head, he dipped it just far enough into the savory smelling liquid to get a small spoonful.

Taking a dainty sip, Mr. Tucker closed his eyes with a satisfied hum, before offering what was left to Zarabeth who was working at the counter behind him. "Here, now see what you think of this."

Taking the ladle from him, Zara waited a moment to let it cool a little more before tasting it, her mouth instantly filled with a myriad of warm and savory spices. Smacking her lips, she flashed a smile up at the cook who was now at eye-level with her. "It was definitely a good call to add more garlic. It really brings out the oregano."

"Thank you. And I've told your husband this before, but I was pretty well shocked the first time he hired me to cook for him. I'd never been on a ship with so much in stock. Most folks would think it unnecessary to have all this just for a cook. Personally, I think he did it for you."

"For me?" She took a moment to stop cleaning her counter to look over her shoulder at Bill, giving a small laugh as she tried to understand the twinkle in his eyes.

"A lot of nights, he comes down here, the Captain does. No matter how much I insist otherwise, he helps me do any last dishes or cleanup, telling me stories of when he was a cabin boy aboard that ship where he met you."

Leaning against the cupboards behind her, Zarabeth's attention was now completely on the cook, a smile unconsciously coming over her lips as she watched him happily recall their conversations.

"He's a strange one, I will say that. I've been at this kind of work for well on twenty years, but I've never been treated as fairly or with as much respect as I have by Captain Hawkins. He's a fine man, Mrs. You should be proud. And I'm sure ya are, just as much as he is of you."

Going back to stirring his stew, he paused a moment before continuing to explain himself. "If he's not reminiscing or listening to me rattle on about this voyage or that, he's talking about how much he misses ya and wishes you could be here. He's tried to get you approved to come on board for months now, Mrs., but I guess your anniversary and all was enough to make those stuffy old goons in headquarters give in. All this time, I think the Captain's been keeping the ship extra ready for if you'd ever be able to join us. I'd sit with him on his watch every now and then and he'd tell me how much he knew you'd love the ship and crew, how this galley here is bigger than the other one you knew and whatnot. I remember that look, the one he always gets when he's about to start talking about you. My wife, may she be at peace, we missed so many years together. I was almost always working jobs like these, but I remember that one thought, wishing she could just be here with me all the time, then everything would be perfect. Appreciate this time, Mrs. Not many navy folks get to be with their families or loved ones like this."

Simply nodding with a gentle smile, Zara could feel her heart throbbing a little within her chest, so full of the kind words she'd just heard. "I will. Thank you, Mr. Tucker."

Climbing down from his stool, the short man came up beside Zara, taking the dishrag from her hand before shooing her away with a warm smile. "I can finish up here, now. I'll give the stew some more time before I add the beef, but it should be ready in time for the crew to have your bread with it. They'll enjoy that. Even I don't do much baking on these trips. Now you just go and find that husband of yours. No more hiding down here in the dark. Shoo."

Knowing she wouldn't be able to persuade him otherwise, Zarabeth simply thanked him again before making her way across the room, taking a moment to look back down into the galley just before stepping back up onto the deck.