Chapter 2: A Stowaway

"I should've brought something to do," Bella said to herself. She wasn't sure, but she woke up and it seemed no one had been down here yet. She thanked her hat for that one. It was her good luck charm, along with being the last thing her mother gave her. She glanced down at her hand, looking at a photograph of her sister and mother. She missed them both, but Bella knew her leaving home was for the best. For her; for Marie; and for her father, Jacob. 'I hope he realizes I'm gone. I hope he stops drinking. I hope he decides to care.'

Bella heard feet prodding down the steps as she felt the ship sway. 'Finally. They've set sail.'

She watched as a tall, dark haired man walked by her cage. He stopped and backed up a step, looking at her curiously. "Um...hi?'

Bella didn't speak. 'Stick to the story you made, Bells.' She gave a nod towards him and clutched her bag on her lap.

"Who are you?" the man asked, approaching the bars of the cage.

She furrowed her brow and cleared her throat. "I'm...Al," she said in a deep voice unlike her own.

The man nodded. "I'm Jack. Do you, uh...Are you a part of the crew?"

She shook her head. Jack sighed. "Well, I came down here to work but I found a stowaway," he said putting his own bag down next to the cage. "Why don't you stay here and I'l go talk to the captain," he said running a hand through his shaggy black hair.

Bella only nodded with a worried expression.

-Jack POV-

'A stowaway. Intresting.' He wrote the word stowaway on his notepad he had in his jacket pocket. He returned the pad and pencil in the pocket as he got back onto the deck. "Captain?" he shouted. He turned to a crew member, who was adjusting a rope. "Where's Captain Englehorn?"

"Should be in the navigation room," the man told him.

Jack thanked him and went up the steps to the navigation room. "Captain!"

Captain Englehorn came out of his room. "Ah, Mr. Driscoll," he said in his german accent. "Is everything alright for you and the missus?" he lit a cigarette as he spoke.

Jack nodded. "But I found someone in the cages."

Englehorn looked at him with suspicion. "Why were you down there?" He let out a puff of smoke.

"It's calming down there to write..." he narrowed his eyes.

Englehorn nodded. "Let's go see then." Jack nodded back as he followed the captain down the steps.

-Bella POV-

She shoved her photo back into her bag and fixed her hat. Bella heard someone coming down the steps. She saw an unknown man wearing a salior's hat and Jack following close behind. She sat up a bit. 'Could this be the captain?'

"This is the one?" the man asked. His voice had an accent she just couldn't quite place. Jack nodded. The man walked up to the cage's bars. "What's your name?"

Bella gulped. "Al," she said in her false deep voice. 'He can't tell can he?'

"Well Al, what're you doing on my ship?"

Bella coughed. "I...I need work."

The man laughed. "Well, can't pay ya kid."

'He believes I'm a boy!' "I'll work for free. Just let me stay, sir."

He seemed to think about it for a moment. "Alright," he said in a gruff tone. "Thank you for tellin' me Jack," he turned and said to Jack.

"Anytime," Jack replied.

"Follow me Al," he turned, going up the steps.

Bella nodded. 'The plan worked!' She heard Jack say a goodbye and she gave him a nod before running after the man.

On deck it was sunny and men were hussling about, doing their duties. "Jimmy!" the man yelled.

"Yes Captain?" a gentle voice called out. Jimmy walked out of an open door, leaning on the railing above. He was wearing a black hat styled like the captain's and had sandy brown hair sticking out from under it. His face was a bit boyish and eyes a tantalizing blue that went along nicely with the blue button down shirt he had on.

"We've obtained a new crew member. Show him around and give 'im some jobs. I'll take over," the captain instructed.

Jimmy nodded and came down the steps to Al as the captain went up. "Hi. I'm Jimmy," he said with a crooked smile.

-Jimmy POV-

'Where'd Engelhorn find a new crew member?' The mysterious new addition told him his name is Al. "Where did you come from?"

"New York." He was silent the rest of the walk.

'Not a man of many words.' Jimmy showed Al around the ship. When they got back to the deck, Jimmy wondered about Al. 'Where DID Captain fid him? Why doesn't he talk much?' Jimmy was going to ask a bunch of questions, but he decided not to. 'Kinda like when Mr. Hayes found me.' He felt sorta bad for him. "Where are you bunking?" Jimmy finally asked.

Al shrugged. "Cages, I guess."

Jimmy shook his head in opposition and said, "Why don't you bunk with me?"

-Bella POV-

She tried not to let herself looked shocked. 'Shoot. What do I do?' "Um...sure," she said nervously. 'What will I do? Sleep in my clothes and hat?'

Jimmy smiled. "Okay then. Off to work before Captain Englehorn yells at you."

Bella nodded and returned to the cages to fetch her bag. She saw Jack in the same cage she was in. "Hey Al," he said, looking up from his typewriter.

She nodded at him. "What're you typin'?" She walked in and picked her bag up, reading a sliver of words over his shoulder.

"A script. One of my new plays."

"Oh? I've read your work before." Jack nodded and started typing again. "Best go to work. Cya around, Jack," she said as she began towards the steps.

"Later Al, " he said with an eyebrow raise.


A/N: Chapter two already? Yes. XD And Englehorn fans don't fret, you'll see him often in this story. Ann/Jack fans can be happy too since they're in this. And Jimmy fans unite (WOO!) because you'll be seeing him most. Other than Bella or "Al" who has a lot in store for her. And yes I realize that name could be unusual for the time period. (1934-ish) *ahem* So please read and review!