(Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet; just Maryam and any other OC's.)

(Authors Note: Hello again dear readers/fellow writers! So as I mentioned in my last chapter, I wasn't able to upload new content due to the weather/power outage, but that didn't stop me from creating, which is why I'm uploading this latest chapter. The words just came to me and I was struck with a wave of inspiration. Regardless, enjoy and feel free to leave a comment (no hate please). Thank you for the support!)

"English/Common"

"Sarcasm or Emphasis"

**Dreams**

Chapter 4

As agreed, Maryam was brought aboard the pirates' ship and was now on her way to meet the Captain while B.E.N walked alongside her. Glancing over at the android, she still couldn't believe he was a pirate: Granted, he said that it wasn't by his choice, but still.. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as a salamander/tortoise alien approached:

"What's the meaning of this, gentlemen? Yer jobs were to plunder and retrieve treasure, not fraternize with wenches."

"Beg yer pardon, Mr. Bones, but this here wench wishes to parley with the Captain," the squid-alien spoke.

"Is that so," he questioned the young hybrid with a skeptical eye, to which she nodded:

"Yes Sir."

"Very well; B.E.N and I will take you to see the Captain. As for you two," he gestured to the men, "get back to yer stations. We'll be departing this wreck shortly after the rest of the crew return and are accounted for."

"Aye Sir," they stated before turning the woman over to Billy Bones, to which he and B.E.N led her into the Captain's room where upon entering, she spotted a tall figure standing over an ornate wooden desk.

"Captain, this young lady wishes to speak with ye," Billy stated as he gestured to the woman before him.

"A bold request, indeed," he replied in a deep, neutral tone. With careful scrutiny, he eyed the hybrid girl and took a step forward, "Not many would willingly seek an audience with the likes of me." He then leaned down and tilted her chin up so that she was looking directly into his eyes, "What's yer name, lass?"

Although her heart was in her throat, she pushed down her nerves and calmly answered, "Maryam Weller."

"And why've ye come aboard my ship seeking my council?"

"I-I came to parley with you."

A faint, yet amused smirk appeared across his sharp face, "I see yer familiar with the pirates code or else ye wouldn't be standing before me_bleeding and shoe-less I might add," he noted with a quirk of his brow, to which she glanced over at her sliced arms before looking down at her (bloody) stocking-covered feet with a frown:

"I_I was attacked and I lost my slippers back on the Eastwind. But that is irrelevant at the moment: will you parley with me or not?"

Surprised by her boldness, Flint couldn't help but emit an amused grunt, "Very well then: what are your terms, Miss Weller?"

"First: I wish to be taken to the Audra spaceport so that I may purchase medicine for my Father. Second: I then want to return home to Audra so that I may deliver said medicine. And finally, my last request will be discussed after the first two are met, but not before. Are those terms agreeable with you, Captain?"

He emitted a *hmm* sound and vented a sigh, "Very well. Now, if yer parley is complete, perhaps ye'd do me the honor of answering some questions after we ship off." With that, he then focused his attention on his navigator, "B.E.N, since yer the most acquainted with our guest, I will entrust ye to keep an eye on her for the time being. Is that understood?"

He nodded, "Yes Captain. She'll be safe with me. I'll make sure nothing happens to her."

"See that ya don't," he warned before adding, "And while yer at it, tend to her wounds," he and Billy then exited the room, leaving the young hybrid alone with the android.

Once they were gone, Maryam shakily braced herself against the desk as she stared out the window. While she was still upset at B.E.N, she couldn't find it in her heart to hate him or be too angry as he obviously had no choice in his current employment. Glancing over at the android, she curiously asked, "What's going to happen now?"

Offering her a comforting smile, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "Well, once Captain Flint gives the order, we'll head back home and drop off the treasure. After that, we'll likely sail over to Audra, like you asked. In the meantime, you should sit down so I can treat your wounds. Also, you look like you're going to faint."

"Well, my whole world suddenly got turned upside down again and now I'm having to grapple with the fact that I'm among a bunch of pirates and made a parley with their Captain. Was this what my dreams were trying to tell me_," she asked herself while B.E.N tilted his head in confusion.

"What dreams?"

A blush suddenly spread across her face as she glanced at the android, "O-Oh, it's nothing. Forget I said anything."

"Come on, Mary. You can tell me. I promise I won't laugh."

Sitting herself down in front of the desk, the young hybrid emitted a sigh, "Very well, but would you mind turning around for a moment so that I may remove my stockings?"

"Oh! Yes, right, of course," he bashfully chuckled before turning around, to which Maryam lifted up her gown and unlaced her garters so that her stockings were free to be removed.

Once said stockings were off and her garters and gown were back in place, she softly cleared her throat and spoke up, "You can turn around now."

Facing the young hybrid once more, B.E.N was shocked to see the amount of blood coating her heels and toes. Obviously the shoes she had been wearing earlier were the culprits of her current injuries. "Your slippers did all that?"

"Apparently so," she admitted with a pained wince. "I hated those damn shoes, but I had to wear them at the request of my fiance."

"I'm sorry about that," he gave her a sympathetic look before momentarily stepping into the lavatory and filling a wash basin with hot water and retrieving a first aid kit from the nearby chest, to which he then returned to her side. "So, how'd you get those cuts along your arms?"

"_Edmund," she admitted with a frown. "I-I don't want to go into detail as to how or why."

"I understand," he kindly answered before opting to change the subject, "So, tell me about your dream?"

"Well, your Captain_I've actually seen him in my dreams even though I've never met him, nor do I recall ever seeing a picture of him before. As for my dream, it's the same one every night: I'm back in my hometown, standing by one of the watery docks and he gradually appears out from the mists to embrace me. Now I'm wondering if my dreams mean anything or if they're just utter nonsense."

"Perhaps you were destined to meet the Captain," he replied with a smile as he dipped a (clean) rag into the water and began to gently wash the blood off her ankles while she did the same to her arms.

"Maybe," she casually shrugged before taking a moment to glance around the room. For being a pirate's quarters, it was rather nice. Sure, it obviously could use some minor adjustments, but overall, it wasn't what she was expecting when she first came aboard.

There was a large set of windows behind the desk and chair, while a huge bed was built into the ship and was located on the opposite end of the room. Across from the bed was a large (built-in) wardrobe, which sat beside a door that led into the Captain's personal lavatory. Dark red curtains decorated the windows, while atop the desk rested a stack of papers, some gold coins, an oil lamp, inkwell, journal and pen. An ornate dining table (and four chairs) was stationed at the opposite end of the cabin. Atop it was a gold candelabra, and several bottles of what she assumed were rum or some sort of hard liquor. Spotting a bookshelf beside the dining area, a small smile appeared across the young hybrids face before B.E.N's voice suddenly became audible:

"_Mary? Hey, Mary? Are you alright?"

"Hmm? Sorry, did you say something?"

"I said your feet are all bandaged."

"Oh," she sighed before the door to the room opened, signaling Flint's return, to which her felinid ears perked up in response.

"Ah, hello again, Captain. I've cleaned and dressed the wounds on Mary's feet, but her arms still need mending," B.E.N stated as he approached and took Flint's hat and coat to hang up.

"Hm. And has she been cooperative during my absence?"

"Oh, absolutely! No complaints yet."

He emitted a slight grunt before sitting down at his desk, "In that case, I'll finish tending to her wounds while you head down to the galley and make us dinner."

"Us," Maryam questioned, to which he gave her a faint smirk as B.E.N left the stateroom.

"Aye. You'll be dining with me throughout the duration of your stay. Of course, yer welcome to join my men if that's what ye desire."

"It's not," she quickly replied before thickly swallowing, "I_thank you for your hospitality."

"Don't thank me just yet, lass. I'm still debating on what to do with ye when yer parley is complete."

Taking that into consideration, she timidly nodded before he opened one of his desk drawers and retrieved a curved needle and thread, a clean handkerchief, and a bottle of medical spirits. "What are you going to do with those?"

"Sew ye up," he bluntly answered while holding the needle over the lamp flame to disinfect it. "Yer wounds are too deep for bandages." He then threaded the needle and motioned with his sharp finger for her to approach, to which she did. "Now sit down and hold still, or this'll hurt more than it should."

Hopping up and sitting on the edge of his desk, Maryam turned her head away and winced as she felt him dab some spirits along her wound before sticking her with the sharp needle. As much as it pained her, she couldn't help but notice how gentle he was trying to be. Thickly swallowing, she curiously asked, "I take it that you've done this sort of procedure before?"

"Aye," he neutrally answered while carefully stitching her torn flesh. Glancing up at her with his lower eyes (while the other four focused on his stitching), he noticed her felinid ears were lowered, indicating her discomfort. "Now that we're alone, would ya care to answer some questions? And do so honestly, or else I may not be so delicate with the rest of yer stitching," he warned with a low growl, to which she timidly nodded, not wanting to become a bejeweled pincushion.

"_What would you ask of me?"

"You can start by telling me how you became acquainted with my navigator."

*sigh* "I met him in the cargo hold of the Eastwind."

"And what were ya doin' down there?"

"_Exploring." At the questioning look he gave her, she emitted a sigh, "I was wandering around the ship and got turned around. Since I was already there, I thought I'd have a look; however, as I browsed, I noticed B.E.N., or_more like, he noticed me. We talked for a little and he even kept me safe when my fiance and his men nearly found us."

"And why would ye worry about that?"

"Because we were unintentionally eavesdropping on one of his business deals. That in itself could bode ill for someone who's trapped under his claw_like myself or my Father."

"Explain," he dabbed her arm and cleaned off some blood before continuing with his stitching.

*sigh* "He and his family own half of Audra and several other off-world properties and estates. That being said, he runs the town we reside in and as our landlord, he could evict us at any time if we do not comply with his requests. Fortunately, because of his fancy towards me, my Father and I haven't been on the receiving end of his ire. If I marry him, he's promised to sign the lease of my family's shop over to my Father and even relocate him to the Audra spaceport so that he may retire and receive proper medical treatment for his illness."

"And you think he'll keep his word on that? You must either be very naive or very trusting."

"Maybe I am," she admitted with a frown while her sapphire eyes met his gaze. "And what of you? Will you uphold your word that I will not be harmed until the parley is complete?"

"Aye, lass. Ye needn't worry about a knife in yer back from me. I may be a pirate, but even I have a few shreds of honor left in me."

"_Thank you."

"Hm," he grunted before finishing sewing and bandaging her arm before gesturing for her to shift to the other side so that he may treat the other one.

"You know, I don't remember the last time I had a one-on-one conversation with a Captain." He didn't reply, but opted to listen as she continued to speak, knowing she was likely trying to distract herself from the pain she was in. "Most of the Captains' I met were old sea dogs who didn't fancy women on their ships on account of their superstitious beliefs." She then curiously asked, "Do you believe in such things, Captain Flint?"

Flaring his nostrils and emitting a faint *tsk* sound, he rolled his eyes at her question. "I don't believe in such ridiculous superstitions; however, some of my men do. Ye'd do well to remember that whilst here, lass."

With a slight nod, Maryam heeded his warning and met his piercing gaze, while feeling her cheeks heat up at the intensity of his stare. Quickly turning her head away, she faintly heard him chuckle while continuing to carefully stitch her arm. Taking a moment to glance out the window, she suddenly noticed that the scenery was vastly different than it was moments ago. "Where are we?"

"Treasure Planet," he replied with an air of pride in his voice. "T'is my home away from home if yer the sentimental sort."

"But, wait_ how? How did we get here so fast? Aside from Audra, there wasn't another colonized planet for days in that system. And I've never even heard of Treasure Planet."

"Nor would ya," he noted with a slight grunt. "I don't know what it was originally called on account that the previous occupants are all dead and lost to history. As to how we got here, that's a secret you'll come to know if I actually decide to keep ya around after yer parley."

"Oh? You're going to make me a part of your crew," she curiously asked with a tilt of her head, to which he finished stitching her arm and began wrapping it in bandages.

"If ye can pull yer own weight and prove yer worth, then I may consider it; however, I'm also curious to know how much yer fiance would be willing to pay to get ya back," he added, sending a cold chill down her spine.