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

(Authors Note: Hello dear readers and fellow writers! I hope you've been enjoying the story so far because I've been enjoying writing it. On a side note, this chapter is a bit longer than the previous ones, but that shouldn't be much of an issue. Regardless, stay awesome and enjoy!)

"English/Common"

"Sarcasm or Emphasis"

**Dreams**

Chapter 6

After nearly half an hour of inspecting, Maryam emptied the chest and had laid out all of the contents across the dining table (shoes were on the floor). In the end, she had five fancy ball gowns, four nice/casual dresses, two corsets, three stays, three pairs of elegant slippers, two pairs of every day/house slippers, two bonnet's, a shawl, three sets of garters and stockings, two bustles, eight undergarments, a hairbrush, nine ribbons, and a crystal bottle of perfume. There was also an ornate wooden box that contained five jeweled necklaces, three bracelets, seven rings, and two combs, all of which looked very expensive and elegantly crafted.

Rubbing her fingers over her Mother's necklace, the young hybrid emitted a sigh and placed all the jewelry back inside the wooden box along with the baubles Edmund gave her. While all these inlaid jewels and golden accessories were lovely, her plan was to take them to the Audra spaceport and sell them so she could buy medicine for her Father.

Placing the jewelry box back within the chest, she then stored away the ball gowns, undergarments and fancy slippers before removing Flint's shirt and donning her corset so that she may try on one of the casual dresses and determine if any alterations were needed.

The first was a short-sleeve, light blue gown with drawstrings to adjust the ruffles in the front. Synching up the back, Maryam found it quite comfortable and determined that no alterations were needed. 'An apron would do nicely with this dress,' she mentally noted before trying on the shoes. Fortunately, they also fit and were neither too big or too small for her feet. Satisfied with this, she began brushing her long golden hair before tying it back with one of the ribbons (a white one). Folding up the remaining clothes and placing them back in the trunk, she decided to hold off on trying them on for the time being and opted to step out of the room for a bit of fresh air.

A soft breeze brushed against her face as she walked along the deck, to which she took this opportunity to admire the scenery: it was so strange to see sunlight as opposed to storm clouds and rain, yet it was not unwelcome. In fact, it was wonderful. Closing her eyes, Maryam allowed herself to bask in the sunlight, which caused her purr with newfound joy. As the warmth settled over her fair skin, she suddenly heard voices approaching as Captain Flint and his crew returned from depositing their haul. While some of the men gave her uneasy looks, they kept their distance as Billy Bones approached her:

"I see the garments fit ya."

She nodded, "Indeed. I haven't tried on all of them just yet, but they should fit. If nothing else, I can always make alterations. Again, thank you for these."

"Hm. The Captain informed me that yer a seamstress: Is that correct?"

"It is."

"Well then, I've got a little job for ya if yer up for the task?"

She nodded, "I am."

"Good," he smirked and handed her an apron, along with a large hook needle and some thick thread. "Yer task is to patch up all the tears in the solar sails. Mr. Sterneck over there will rig up yer swing an' secure yer lifeline," he then gestured to a three-armed calyan (eel-like alien), to which she graciously took the supplies from him and headed off to begin her job.

Donning the apron and placing the needle and thread inside one of her pockets, Maryam confidently approached the pirate, "Mr. Sterneck?"

"Aye?"

"I'm here to patch up the solar sails. Mr. Bones said you'd assist me."

"Aye," he grunted and gestured for her to follow him over to the mast where there was a crudely-made swing waiting for her. "Secure yer lifeline an' hop on," he stated as he tossed her a rope. "When ye reach the tear, ring the bell an' I'll tie ya off," he then handed her a bell (that resembled a schoolmaster's) and gestured for her to strap herself in.

Giving him a nod, Maryam secured herself before taking a seat on the swing, to which he then began to hoist her up until she was nearly halfway to the top of the mizzensail. Upon seeing the tear, she rang the bell as instructed, to which he tied her off and secured her in place as the ship slowly began its ascension off-world. Feeling herself starting to float off her swing, the young hybrid kept a secure hold of it as the artificial gravity was turned on, to which she plopped back into place and began her task of repairing the solar sail.

XXXXX

-Later-

Nearly four hours after she started her task, Maryam finished mending the last tear in the sails, to which she rang the bell, signaling that she was done and wanted to be lowered down. Of course, she could easily climb down herself, but it was Mr. Sterneck's job to assist her. So here she was, being safely lowered down until she was back on the deck, to which she climbed out of the swing and removed her lifeline with a sigh.

"So, did ya have fun," Billy asked as he approached with a pipe in hand.

Dusting herself off, she nodded, "I did, actually. It was nice putting my skills to use."

"Glad to hear it, because I've got another task for ya," he casually replied as he took a drag from his pipe.

"And what might this task be?"

"Ye'll be patching up shirts an' trousers for the crew. I've asked the men to gather all of their ripped an' tattered clothes an' bring them to ya at their earliest convenience."

*sigh* "Very well. Where would you like me to set up shop?"

"The hold. Ye'll be out of the way an' have a bit o' privacy away from prying eyes." At the look she gave, he then added, "B.E.N will accompany ya when the Captain doesn't require his services, so ya needn't worry about unwelcome visitors an' their wandering hands, claws or tentacles."

"Thank you."

He gave her a slight nod before handing her a large spool of black thread and a small pincushion of sewing needles. "Ye'll find a few articles of clothing waiting for ya in an empty barrel down there. If ye run out of thread, let me know an' I'll see about finding ya some more."

"Thanks." With that, Maryam headed off to begin her latest task, but not before glancing up at the helm where Captain Flint was currently stationed. As their eyes met, the young hybrid felt her cheeks heat up, to which she quickly averted her gaze and headed below deck.

Sure enough, there was a partially-filled barrel of ripped shirts, pants and socks waiting for her, to which she grabbed a few and sat down against a nearby crate. Taking one of the needles out of the pincushion and threading it, she skillfully began to work while quietly humming to herself as a means of passing time and keeping herself entertained. While she knew B.E.N would eventually join her, Maryam didn't like being alone in a semi-darkened space on a ship full of men. Of course, she wouldn't mind if the Captain were to pay her a visit_.

Biting her lower lip, she mentally shook her head of such lewd thoughts and focused back on her work. While she was still unsure of Flint's intentions once her parley was complete, she couldn't help but wonder if he actually enjoyed her presence or merely saw her as a potential bargaining chip.

For her part, she was becoming rather fond of him. Sure, he was fearsome and moody, but she could see that there was so much more to him than what he allowed his men (and everyone who crossed paths with him) to see. While most people would find his overall appearance frightening, she thought he was actually quite handsome. She liked how his eyes resembled miniature suns, or that his skin was warm and firm to the touch, or that he smelled nice and had a charming smile_.

"Stop it, Maryam," she scolded herself and emitted a slight *yowl* as she accidentally pricked her finger while sewing. 'Serves me right for having my head in the clouds,' she mentally sighed as she focused back on her work.

XXXXX

Nearly an hour after she started her current chore, Maryam heard metal footsteps descending down into the hold, which were followed by the soft blue glow of a familiar pair of optics:

"Hi Mary! Sorry I couldn't make it down here sooner, but the Captain wanted me to scan for other ships in the system."

She waved it off with a smile, "It's no big deal. I'm actually halfway done with the work already."

"Wow, you're fast and efficient! I've never seen a mend so clean," he commented as he held up a finished pair of trousers. "You can't even tell they were once ripped."

"Thanks," she blushed. "But really, I'd like to think that I'm only as good as I am because I've been doing this for over twenty years. My Mum and Papa taught me to sew and mend my own clothes when I was three years old, so I have plenty of experience with needles and thread."

"I'll say. If I wore clothes, I'd be delighted to have you tailor them," he stated and handed her a sock with a hole in the toe area.

"Well, I'd be happy to make you some clothes if you like?"

"Really?! I mean, I don't want you to feel obligated to do so, but I've always wondered how I'd look in a suit. N-Not that I've put a lot of thought into such things," he added with a bashful expression, to which she gave him a smile.

"I think you'd look marvelous in a suit, B.E.N."

"Thanks, Mary."

She patted his arm and nodded before starting on the sock. "So, I meant to ask: where are we heading?"

"Oh, I thought you knew: we're sailing to Audra."

"Really?!"

"Yep! However, we'll first be making a supply stop at the Torgual spaceport."

"And what is the Torgual spaceport?"

"Oh, it's the largest black market this side of the cosmos. Spacers, pirates, renegades and cutthroats of every galactic region gather there to do trade, make repairs, replenish supplies, recruit new crew members, and partake in various_*ahem*_activities."

"I see. Do you know how long the Captain plans for us to be there?"

"A day or two at most. He doesn't really care for the place, but it's one of the few spaceports that isn't regulated by the galactic federation."

"Oh, so there's no law enforcement or rules?"

"Well, yes and no. Most folks there follow the pirates code, so it's kind of a mutual understanding between everyone. If someone steals from you or assaults you, then you can invoke your own justice without repercussions. Of course, I try to avoid confrontations whenever possible as I'm not exactly built for combat," he noted with a smile as he mock-flexed his skinny, metal arms, causing her to giggle.

"Cheeky bot."

"Aye, that I am, Milady," he smirked and gave a slight bow before handing her a torn pair of trousers.

With a smile, Maryam graciously took the pants and emitted a sigh, "You know, I'm actually curious if this extended voyage is just an excuse to keep me on board as a means of testing to see if I'm crew material."

B.E.N shrugged as he took a seat across from her, "Or it could be that the Captain enjoys your presence_."

"Wait_What did you just say," her felinid ears immediately perked up, to which he rubbed the back of his head:

"I-I mean, that's my theory. Although he did mention that he finds your company pleasant, so I just assumed he'd miss you if you were to leave right away_Aaaand I've said too much," he immediately closed his mouth, but that didn't stop the soft blush from appearing across Maryam's face.

XXXXX

Once she finished mending the last article of clothing and handing them off to B.E.N to return to the crew, Maryam exited the hold and stepped onto the deck where she spotted Billy Bones at the helm and Captain Flint standing nearby. The two were casually conversing with one another, so she decided not to interrupt. Instead, she leaned against the capping and stared out into the abyss with a content smile across her face.

As her sapphire eyes took in the scenery, the young hybrid's felinid ears perked up at the sound of approaching boot steps, to which she turned her head to see the Captain himself. "Good evening," she politely addressed him as he stood beside her. If he wasn't so serious-looking, the sight of him standing next to her would actually be rather comical, considering that she barely reached the lower part of his pectorals.

"Likewise," he neutrally replied before glancing up at the sails. "Fine job ye did with the mendings, lass."

A soft dusting of pink appeared across her cheeks at his compliment, to which she met his gaze, "_Thank you, Captain. I'm glad my skills were of some assistance."

"Aye, that they were. Billy informed me that ye were also tasked with patchin' up trousers an' such."

"That's correct," she nodded. "I recently finished that chore and had B.E.N return the clothes back to the crew."

"Glad to hear it." Glancing at her bandages, he then asked, "How're yer arms holdin' up?"

"Fine, thanks to you," she admitted with a shy smile and averted her gaze, causing him to faintly smirk.

Before either of them could speak, a small, furry creature suddenly scampered onto the deck, carrying a boot in its mouth, to which a young canid (about 17 years old) ran after it:

"Scrapper, get back here with that!"

Said creature quickly darted between Flint's legs and leapt into Maryam's arms, throwing her off balance and prompting him to reach over and grab her by the waist. In doing so, it looked as though he was dipping her and would have been quite a romantic scenario/gesture if not for the wiggling critter in her arms.

"C-Captain Flint?! Sir, I am so, so sorry! Scrapper didn't mean to run out like that," the boy stammered with a look of terror on his face while his 'pet' began making squeaky chirps and nuzzling the young woman, causing her to giggle.

Seeing this, Flint's anger fizzled away, to which he set Maryam back upright and neutrally addressed the lad, "Just keep yer rat in line."

"A-Aye, Sir," he timidly nodded before turning his attention to the young hybrid woman. Upon seeing her, his brown eyes widened in awe as he had never seen such divine loveliness: Her eyes were as blue as sapphires and sparkled like stars, while her hair resembled molten gold and danced in the solar breeze. "Wow_You're beautiful_I-I mean, I'm sorry Scrapper jumped on you like that, Miss," he bashfully stated while rubbing the back of his neck.

Giving him a smile, Maryam shook her head, "It's alright. Although, I certainly wasn't expecting to be ambushed by such an adorable creature," she gently scratched the furry critter's head as it continued to emit squeaky chirps. "So, what's your name?"

"Fitzwilliam Doggerson," he bashfully answered, "But most folks just call me Will."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Will." Glancing at the critter in her arms, she then asked, "So who and what is this little guy? I've never seen an animal like this before."

"That's Scrapper. He's a sabermink (saber-toothed linnaeus)," the young canid replied with a smile. "I've been training him to catch quillrats and other vermin that sometimes stowaway on the ship, but as you can see, he's decided that running off with my boot would be a lot more fun."

"Well, he's absolutely adorable," Maryam noted as she gently scratched underneath his furry chin, causing him to happily chirp.

"Thanks. Again, I apologize for his behavior: it won't happen again."

At his response, Flint crossed his arms and emitted a slight growl, "See that it doesn't."

With a nod, Will took his sabermink and headed back down to the crew quarters, to which Maryam emitted a sigh, "Well, that was unexpected, but I suppose I should always expect the unexpected."

"Indeed," he neutrally agreed as they casually walked along the deck towards his cabin.

"By the way, thank you_for catching me," she brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear and shyly looked up at him, to which he gave her a curt nod and softened his gaze.

"Yer welcome."