A/N: Thank you so much for all the positive feedback. I love reading all of the reviews, please keep submitting them.
The offload had started and based on how stuffed the tanks were it estimated to take almost 30 hours to unload. Natalie was still sleeping in her bunk when the boat arrived in Dutch and neither Edgar or Norman had the heart to wake her. Bishop stuck to Sig's side like a conjoined twin. If Sig was outside looking at the crab then so was Bishop. If he was in the wheelhouse the she was too, etc, etc. Jake had been given the task of collecting mail so he was in town everyone else shuffled around the deck taking numbers. The offload was in full swing when Natalie finally emerged from the stateroom. She slumped down at the table after grabbing a cup of coffee. Without opening her eyes she began shredding and eating a muffin. The galley was quiet and she assumed everyone was outside observing the offload. She finished her coffee and muffin and then went back to bed. If she was needed they would know where to find her. Jake walked into the galley a moment later with Nick and Matt hot on his heels.
"So tell us what happened again" said Matt.
"Fine" said Jake setting down the bag.
He took a moment to look around and then waved the guys in closer.
"So Bishop came up to me yesterday and said that I deserved a special treat for doing so many good interviews" explained Jake. "So we go into the room and she sits me down and starts taking off her clothes, stripper style. So she gets down to just the panties and says I'm over dressed."
"Skip ahead to the part where Natalie busts in" said Matt.
"Fine, so she's doing her thing and I guess it was ok" said Jake. "Then Natalie calls my name and I totally lose it."
Matt makes a face and Jake moves on with the story.
"So anyway, Natalie comes in holding the laundry and just stops. Her eyes slip over me and totally lock on Bishop. She yells at her for wearing her underwear then calls her a doorknob and the storms out" finishes Jake.
"Wow" said Nick. "I'm sorry I missed that."
"I just caught the tail end of it. The doorknob part" said Matt.
"I'm surprised Sig didn't hear her, she was yelling loud" said Jake.
Matt just shrugged and started to sift through the pile of mail. He pulled out a package addressed to the boat and opened it.
"Jackpot!" he said.
"Awesome, cookies" said Jake.
Bishop walked into the galley and immediately stopped, here eyes darted from guy to guy before spying the cookies on the table.
"Are those for Sig?" she asked.
"No, they are for all of us" replied Matt.
"Can I have one?" asked Bishop.
"It'll cost you" said Matt holding the bag just out of her reach.
"What's your price?" asked Bishop.
"How about the same as Jake" whispered Matt.
"Consider it done" said Bishop.
Matt handed her the bag of cookies with a smirk. Bishop smiled and disappeared back into the wheelhouse.
"How come I didn't get a cookie?" asked Jake with a pout.
"Because I don't want a blow job from you" said Matt.
Jake made a gagging noise as he walked back on deck.
Sig walked down the dock with the cash out ticket in his hand. He estimated another two trips and they'd be finished with their quota. The crew was rinsing out the crab tanks when he hopped down onto the deck. He smiled at Edgar and told him to round everyone up. Jason stood under the shelter deck waiting to talk to Sig about Bishop. He'd gotten word from the production team that a new producer was available.
"Hey Sig" began Jason.
"Yeah, what is it?" replied Sig.
"The production guys have a new producer if you want one" said Jason.
Sig stopped in his tracks. Although he clearly remembered giving the ultimatum he wasn't sure if he wanted to follow through. The crew was assembling on deck and Bishop came out and walked up to him holding a bag of cookies. Sig smiled widely at her and made his decision.
"Ok everyone, we got the ticket and it was better than expected" said Sig. "Because of that we're going to have a little shore leave. Starting with dinner at the Grand."
The crew cheered and then disappeared inside to shower and change. Natalie smiled but it didn't reach her eyes.
Dinner was a raucous affair, everyone talking and drinking. Sig announced that Bishop would be staying on as the boats producer. Natalie did her best to appear interested in the conversations going on around her but found her mind far away. Finally after one too many of Bishop's giggles she excused herself. Walking into the hotel's bar she slid onto a barstool and ordered a drink. The bartender smiled as she set the drink down.
"You ok?" she asked.
"Yeah fine" replied Natalie.
"Do you work on the Northwestern?" asked the bartender.
"I'm a temporary employee" said Natalie.
"Cool. Those guys are great" said the Bartender.
"I'm Natalie."
"I'm Kale" replied the Bartender.
"Kale, like the vegetable?" asked Natalie.
"Yes. You know that's the first time anyone has ever said that to me up here" said Kale.
"Really? It's a pretty common vegetable" said Natalie. "But I guess the guys up here aren't really the farmer's market types."
"True" said Kale with a smile. "So a temporary employee of the Northwestern. What do you do?"
Natalie explained her job on the boat and after a few more drinks spilled her guts about how annoyed she was with Bishop.
"Bishop?" said Kale. "The girl from Discovery?"
"Yep" said Natalie taking another drink.
"She has quite a rep in town" said Kale. "Sleeping around to get what she wants."
"I believe it" said Natalie.
"I'm surprised they put her on a boat" said Kale. "The last one she was on left the series."
"Oh really?" said Natalie in surprise. "Which boat was that?"
"The Maverick" replied Kale. "I guess she and Blake were a bit of an item on the boat, but when they got back to shore she had no time for him. Then he found out she'd fooled around with everyone on the boat behind his back and filmed it. She said it was just to get the sort of drama a show like Deadliest Catch needs. Personally I think she's just a slut."
"Wow" was all Natalie could say.
"Can I get you another one?" asked Kale.
"No thanks, I don't want to throw up on myself, again" said Natalie. "Honestly, all I really want is a nice hot shower or a long soak in a big bathtub."
"You can use my place" said Kale. "It's right around the corner."
"Really?" said Natalie in surprise. "You don't even know me."
"That sweatshirt your wearing tells me everything I need to know. If Sig trusts you, then everyone around here trusts you. Sig does not suffer fools" said Kale.
"In that case I would love to use your shower" said Natalie.
"I have a shower and a bath, use both if you like" said Kale. "I'm off in a couple of hours, if you want you can take a nap and I'll wake you up when I get home."
"Sounds wonderful" said Natalie with a sigh.
Kale handed her the keys and a crudely drawn map of how to get the townhouse.
Natalie opened the door to Kale's apartment. Based on the look of the outside she hadn't expected too much. She'd been mistaken, inside was a huge space full of comfy furniture and tasteful accents. Dropping the keys on the entry table she set off in search of the bathroom. Opening the door at the end of the hall she found a huge bathroom with a picture window as it's focal point. The shower was separate from the giant soaker tub. Natalie turned on the tap in the tub before jumping into the shower. The shower was huge and the water blissfully hot. Kale had an array of products and Natalie was determined to use every single one. The shampoo she chose had a sharp lemon scent that was so delicate that Natalie thought of taking it home with her. Lathering up her body with soap she scrubbed off two weeks of grime. She used the nail brush to clean under her nails and an avocado face mask. She finally rinsed off and turned off the shower. Without even drying off she made a dash to the tub, stopping briefly to find a razor. Easing herself into the steaming tub she sighed as the tension slowly leached from her body. Leaning back she slipped underwater letting it's liquid softness caress every inch of her. She finally resurfaced when her lungs started to burn from lack of oxygen. Grabbing a small bar of soap she began the arduous task of shaving. The hair in her arm pits and legs was quickly disposed of and after a moment of hesitation she decided to do a little more personal grooming. Natalie stayed in the tub until the water started to cool. Once out she dried her hair with a hair dryer and slathered her body with some of Kale's lotion. Then wrapping herself in a towel fell asleep draped across the bed. Kale arrived back a few hours later and sent Natalie back to the boat with a bag full of toiletries.
The guys had left dinner and headed to the local bar. Everyone had figured Natalie had gone back to the boat. However, when they stumbled in to find the boat dark and deserted everyone was more than a little concerned. Sig's first instinct was to send the guys out on a search and rescue mission but Bishop assured him that Natalie was fine and would be back soon. Sig reluctantly agreed and he and Bishop disappeared into his stateroom.
"That's weird" said Jake. "Should we go look for her anyway?"
"I'm thinking we should give her an hour. The bars aren't even closed yet" said Edgar.
"Fine, lets give her until 2 and then we'll go look for her" said Norman.
"Sounds like a plan" said Matt.
The guys passed the time playing cards. At one thirty Natalie came waltzing through the door. Edgar reached her first and looked her up and down. She wasn't weaving and didn't smell drunk. In fact she smelled clean, very clean.
"Where were you?" he asked.
"Taking a shower at Kale's house" replied Natalie.
"The girl from the Grand bar?" asked Jake.
"Yep, she's the one" said Natalie.
"Why are you so happy?" asked Sig who'd just appeared in the galley.
"Because I got to take a shower and a bath with real hair products with no one harassing me about how long I'm taking" said Natalie.
"Well if it's that annoying on here then get off" said Sig.
Natalie recoiled, stung by his words. She hadn't been complaining just stating the reasons she looked so happy. Dropping her eyes to the floor she blinked back tears. Setting her chin she raised it defiantly.
"If that's what you want, then I will" said Natalie.
She turned to walk out of the room when Edgar caught her arm.
"You can't do that" he said to Sig. "We all feel better because she's here. We work better because she's here and she's not yours to fire."
"Everything that happens on this boat is my business and I control everything, so don't tell me it's not my right to fire her" ranted Sig. "If she wants off the boat, get her off. If you can't live without her then you can go too."
With that Sig returned to his stateroom leaving everyone in the galley in stunned shock.
The next morning Natalie got up early to make breakfast. As far as she knew the boat was leaving today for another trip and she probably wouldn't be on it. She walked passed the bathroom and could hear the distinct sound of a woman moaning. Assuming it was Bishop she just kept on walking. In the galley she saw a sleepy eyed Nick hunched over a cup of coffee.
"Why are you up so early?" asked Natalie.
"Because I got tired of hearing what's going on in my stateroom" said Nick.
"They've moved to the bathroom" said Natalie.
"Oh yeah?" said Nick.
"Yep, just heard moaning when I passed the door" said Natalie.
"Great, I'm going back in and trying to get a few more minutes of sleep before the energizer bunnies return" said Nick.
"You can go sleep in my bunk" offered Natalie. "I'm going to make breakfast and then head out."
"Where are you going?" asked Nick.
"Back to Seattle" said Natalie.
"Why? Did something happen?" asked a concerned Nick.
"Well other than Sig telling me to get off the boat, no" said Natalie. "But honestly I think that's enough."
"You don't have to go, he says shit like that to everyone" said Nick. "He probably won't even remember saying it."
Natalie didn't have anything to say in response. On the one hand she was happy to help the crew make it through their season with a little less pain but on the other hand she didn't like the way Sig had treated her.
"The thing about Sig is when he's on the boat he's kind of a dick and once you realize that then you take everything he says with a grain of salt. Off the boat he's a great guy" explained Nick.
"Maybe I'll meet the great guy sometime" said Natalie.
"I promise you, he's a completely different person" said Nick.
Natalie shrugged her shoulders in response and walked over to make breakfast. Pulling stuff out of the fridge she decided on bacon waffles a personal favorite of hers. The smell of frying bacon brought Norman out his room. He poured himself a cup of coffee and instead of sitting down at the table he sidled into the kitchen.
"Morning" said Natalie.
"Hey" mumbled Norman. "Who's in the bathroom?"
"I don't know, but whoever it is has amazing staying power. They've been going at it since before I got up" said Natalie.
"Is that why Nick is sleeping in your bunk?" asked Norman.
"Yeah, I guess he got tired of hearing it in his room so when I got out here he was sitting at the table" explained Natalie. "I offered him my bunk."
Norman nodded and turned as a door opened in the hallway. Natalie turned back to the stove, she had no desire to see who Bishop's latest conquest was. Norman however was more than interested. He even made the extra effort to move towards the hall so he could see better and eventually he disappeared down the hallway. A few minutes later a sleep disheveled Edgar appeared in the galley. He helped himself to a few slices of bacon and poured a cup of coffee.
"Want more coffee?" asked Edgar.
"Sure" said Natalie handing over her cup.
"Where is everyone?" asked Edgar.
"Orgy" mumbled Natalie.
"What did you say?" asked Edgar.
"I said I don't know" replied Natalie.
"Sure that's what you said" scoffed Edgar.
Natalie busied herself making the waffles. Once a stack was on the table she asked Edgar to call the guys to breakfast.
"Why don't you do it?" asked Edgar. "You always do it so nicely with back rubs and soft good mornings."
"Well, I'm not in the mood today" said Natalie.
"Too much shampoo make you grumpy?" teased Edgar.
"Yes" said Natalie.
"Fine" said Edgar. "BREAKFAST!"
Natalie covered her ears at the sheer decibel level of the shout. It worked though and moment or two later everyone appeared in the galley.
Breakfast was eaten and the dishes were being done by Bishop and Matt. The friendly banter seemed a little too friendly and Sig was taking exception to it. He'd woken up to find himself alone and had a sneaking suspicion where his bed warmer had disappeared to. Natalie bit her lip a few times before summoning up the courage to ask Sig if he still wanted her on the boat. It would be easier just to assume she was going and leave quietly but it felt like she was slinking off the boat. Sig rubbed his forehead and then glanced around the room, his eyes fell on Natalie and he smiled.
"How about a head rub" he said with a smile.
"Sure" said Natalie a quizzical look on her face.
As she followed Sig up to the wheelhouse Nick caught her arm and mouthed "told you so" as she passed. Natalie nodded and kept going.
Instead of going to the wheelhouse Sig turned into his stateroom. Natalie followed inside and her nostrils were assaulted by the distinctive scent of sex lingering in the air. Wrinkling her nose she tried to breath through her mouth to avoid the smell. Sig moved his rumpled sheet out of the way and sat down on the bed. Natalie moved in front of him and placed her hands on his temple. Sig took a few calming breaths but didn't seem to be able to relax.
"What's wrong?" asked Natalie.
"Nothing" said Sig.
Natalie nodded not wanting to push the subject. Her thoughts wandered back to leaving the boat and she realized this was the perfect time to ask Sig what his intentions were. She was just working up her nerve when Sig began talking.
"I mean she has to like me, she's been in my bed every night" rambled Sig.
It took Natalie a moment to realize what she was hearing and then she wished she had a way to plug her ears.
"I mean you're a girl" said Sig. "What do you think?"
"Um" said Natalie stalling. "Are we talking about Bishop?"
"Yes" said Sig his voice annoyed. "Do you think she's interested in something more?"
"I don't know what her intentions are" said Natalie, forcing her voice to be neutral.
"I know she likes me or at least likes what I do to her" said Sig smugly.
Natalie barely kept her face blank. All she could think of was the moaning sounds she'd heard in the bathroom.
"You are an amazing man who absolutely deserves a great girl, but I don't know if Bishop is the right girl for you" said Natalie evenly.
"You think she's too good for me" said Sig his voice rising slightly.
"No, quite the opposite" said Natalie.
"She's a great girl" defended Sig.
"Then why ask me anything, you've clearly already made up your mind" said Natalie her voice matching his.
"Well fine" said Sig. "I thought we had something, a friendship."
Natalie stood for a moment before taking a few steps back.
"I thought maybe we had more" she said quietly.
Natalie walked with deliberate slowness through the galley and out onto the deck. The sun was high in the sky and it was surprisingly warm. She pulled off her sweatshirt and stood in the middle of the deck soaking up the sunshine. A giggle pierced through the quiet making Natalie cringe. She tried to figure out where it was coming from in order to go the opposite way but the echos on the empty deck made it impossible. Giving up after a moment she moved up the ladder towards the wheelhouse. Sitting on the steps the giggles got louder and she realized that they were coming from a small supply closet just outside of the wheelhouse door.
"God she's brazen" muttered Natalie to herself.
She turned to walk down the stairs when she heard Norman's voice.
"Say it again" he moaned.
"You're the best" said Bishop with a giggle.
Natalie shook her head in disgust and climbed down the ladder. She walked into the small alcove and grabbed the pack of cigarettes. Lighting one using the lighter attached to the side of the wall she sat down in a chair and took a deep inhale of the toxic smoke. The sound of a door opening drew her from her thoughts.
"Well, I didn't know you smoked" said Matt.
"I just started" said Natalie.
"Have you seen Norman?" asked Matt. "Sig's ready to cast the lines."
"No, I haven't seen him" said Natalie after a moment of hesitation.
It was the truth, she hadn't seen him and she could be wrong about the sound of his voice through the steel door.
"Weird, he's usually easy to find" said Matt.
Natalie took another drag of the cigarette so she wouldn't have to comment. Sig's voice cut over the hailer and there was a crashing sound from the upper deck, then a moment later Norman appeared.
"Hey Norm" said Matt. "Sig's ready to go."
"I heard" said Norman.
The other crew members migrated to the rail and prepared to throw the lines. Natalie stayed put, they didn't need her help. As the boat pulled away from the dock Bishop appeared next to her.
"Hey Nat."
"What do you want?" said Natalie dully.
"Just thought I'd say hi" said Bishop. "And let you know I totally saved your ass last night."
"Oh yeah? How's that" said Natalie.
"Because Sig wanted to send out a search party for you when they saw you weren't here" explained Bishop. "Who were you with anyway?"
"No one" replied Natalie. "I was taking a shower at Kale's house."
"Right" said Bishop. "If you don't want to tell me it's fine."
"I did tell you" said Natalie.
"You're so dull" said Bishop.
Natalie was seething, if she wanted to she could be just as fun as Bishop. But becoming a revolving pussy wasn't something she was interested in. An evil smile spread over Natalie's face.
"By the way she wanted me to tell you Blake Painter said hi" she said with a smirk.
The color drained from Bishop's face.
"The facts of that drama have been completely convoluted" said Bishop.
"Whatever you say" said Natalie. "I'm just delivering the message."
"I think you should watch what you're saying" said Bishop.
"I'm not saying anything" said Natalie.
"You'd be a lot more fun if you weren't so uptight" said Bishop. "Let loose, have fun, there are no rules or moral responsibilities on a crab boat."
Natalie just shook her head at Bishop and walked inside. Bishop watched her leave and decided that she needed to get rid of her at the first opportunity.