A/n: I'm proud of myself for catching up so quick on prompts. I wrote five or so fics in two days and definitely didn't do it at the cost of studying for a test I have tomorrow. It's fine. Probably. Maybe. Oh well, whatever.

I originally planned this to be with Inej and Kaz, but then I thought, what if she was on her ship, with her crew, who knew nothing about her past and wouldn't be able to help, and she would have to rely on her memories of Kaz?


The crew cheered as they docked.

As much as they all loved life on the sea, any time they could spend on land was never bad. That, and the fact that this was the first port they'd visited after two weeks on the seas, a hull full of rescued people as they'd made it through a particularly bad storm.

She smiled along with the crew as they set up the gangway, another cheer arising as it hit the ground below. As usual, though, as excited as the crew was, no one got off until all of the rescued people were on the ground first. They were always the priority on her ship, a sentiment she made sure was shared by the rest of her crew.

Since they were here for a day and a half, there was no rush to restock provisions and supplies, so once the people were safe and cared for by trusted people on the ground, most of her crew ran off to make the most of their stay, a good amount heading to the bar while the others went to various other places that she didn't make her business to know even if she easily could find out. This time was their time, and what they did with it, she didn't care for unless they'd done something unsavoury or didn't return to the ship before they left.

Her first mate stayed with her though as she too, disembarked.

"Where to Captain?"

Inej smiled. "You know you can go have fun elsewhere if you want, Zeke. You don't have to stay with me."

The man smiled back. "I have nowhere else I'd rather be than by your side, Captain."

"The casino doesn't open until later?" Inej raised a knowing eyebrow.

Zeke winked. "You know me too well, Captain. Yes, regrettably, the night life that I so enjoy doesn't actually start until night, so until then, I do hope you don't mind my tagging along?"

Inej laughed. "Of course not. Though, I was just planning on wandering around unless you have any better idea?"

"I did read something about a street market if you'd like to check that out?"

"Sounds lovely. Well, then, lead the way, First Mate Zeke," Inej said, and off they went.


The market wasn't hard to find. Crowds of people filled the street, milling around brightly-coloured stalls lining the sides, selling a variety of merchandise ranging from fresh fruit to perfumes to clothing and accessories.

Inej wasn't particularly interested in actually buying anything, though she enjoyed it all the same. The people, the bright colours, it all reminded her a little of the Suli camps, buried deep within her memory. The livelihood felt the same and it made her smile.

Zeke seemed equally as excited, going to almost every stall and striking up conversations with the diverse cast of vendors, fun but also strategic. Because of it, Inej had plenty of time to meander, drifting from each stall to the next and inspecting the wares. There were a few things she'd found that reminded her of her friends in Ketterdam, and so she bought a few gifts for the next time she'd go home and see them. She'd been doing it for a while now each voyage, bringing them back some souvenirs from her journeys.

She'd just bought some cute jewellery for Nina, when Zeke had joined her and they'd made their way down another side street full of vendors.

"Oh, Captain, you have to come smell these candles! They smell of heaven. We should go buy some to put in the crew cabins, might make the place more habitable, you know?" He chuckled at his own joke, too preoccupied to notice the way Inej had stiffened, instead continuing to talk as he went over to the stall. "Excuse me, miss, how much for the small candles? Do they spill easy or - Captain? You alright over there?"

But Inej didn't hear. Or she heard, but didn't listen. For she was no longer in a bustling market on a bright sunny day, but in a dimly lit room, scented candles in each corner to make the room as sensuous and pleasant as possible so the experience would be better and Heleen would get more money. A man was pressing her against the bed, hand reaching up to her bare shoulder to slide the silk down further - not that there was much on her to take off in the first place anyway.

She squeezed her eyes shut, and bit her cheek to stop from crying out when a heavy hand touched her shoulder.

"Captain, is everything okay?"

Zeke's worried voice was barely enough to break through the memories but it did, and she forced herself to open her eyes and see that it wasn't a customer before her but her first mate. They weren't in a bedroom, they were in a market, and she was fully clothed, and she was a Captain and not a slave of Tante Heleen anymore. She hadn't been for a long while and that was because of Kaz, and the rest of her friends, and she was past that point in her life now. That was in the past, and the market was now.

Even so, she gently shrugged her shoulder out from under Zeke's hand. She met his worried eyes, and offered a small, tight smile.

"I'm okay. What happened to me?"

"You just froze, face like you saw a ghost. You sure you're okay?"

She nodded, but swallowed hard, her breath still not really filling her lungs even as she struggled to get it under control. The memories and moment might be gone, but she could still feel the panic at the edge of her mind, waiting to pounce and it couldn't be here in a crowded place, where people were brushing up against her, bumping into her and pushing her and pressing against her and Saints, why couldn't she breathe?

"Captain, look at me," Zeke said quietly but firmly, and she met his eyes. "Shall I take you back to the ship?"

She nodded, too focused on her breathing to talk, but she knew she'd made him her first mate for a reason. He knew what she needed without having to be told, even if he didn't fully understand what was happening. Her whole crew had no idea about her past or her motivations for going after the slavers, and Zeke was no exception, but he was still one of the most intuitive and observant people Inej knew and that was why he was on her ship in the first place.

"Can I hold your arm to guide you?" So he picked up on that too, good. She was grateful that he'd even asked, but she had to shake her head. She wasn't sure she'd be able to keep the panic and memories at bay if she had someone actively holding her, no matter how gentle or well-meaning his touch might be.

"Okay, I won't touch you. Just follow me, I'll try to clear a path back," Zeke said, before he turned back the way they came and instead of weaving around the people as he'd done earlier, he made a path through them, forcing others to weave around him, and ultimately creating a small bubble of space behind him without crowds pressing in on her.

She wanted to say thank you, express her gratitude, but she couldn't, not just yet. For now, she just followed him as he led her to a quieter street, another way back to the docks with less people around. She could breathe a little easier here, but her chest still felt too tight.

Once they'd reached an empty alleyway, she stopped and just leaned against a building to catch her breath. Zeke stopped a second after she did, and just waited a little ways away, keeping an eye out for her while she collected herself.

It was harder to do it by herself. She'd become used to Kaz being there to help her through times like these, just as she'd helped him when the waters threatened to drown him. She remembered a particular memory of when she'd last visited Ketterdam, when they were trying to make progress with their abilities to touch, but holding hands was almost too much for Kaz.

"I only sink deeper the deeper I think," he'd said, blowing out a frustrated breath as he let go of her hand. "The more I try to push it away, the more it seems to push back."

"It's okay," she'd reassured him. "Just breathe, and don't think about it. Don't think about then. Just think about me, right here, right now instead."

He'd met her gaze then, and managed to slow his breathing. Searching his eyes, she looked for the answer to her question. He nodded the barest bit, and they'd both gone still as she'd reached up a hand to slowly cup his face, eyes searching his for any sign that he was drowning in his memories again, but she'd only found him searching her eyes back. Memories threatened to drag her down then, but she warded them off by ignoring them in favour of focusing on the man in front of her, the man she loved so much and knew would do anything for her if she asked.

They'd made progress that day, leaning forward until their foreheads met after she'd let her hand drop to his shoulder and her other hand trail up his arm. They'd stayed like that for a bit, his hands slowly coming up to hold her waist as she rested her hands on his shoulders and they just drowned in each others' eyes instead of their memories, swaying to music only they could hear.

She smiled thinking about that now, and with a bit of surprise, she realised her breathing was back to normal. Her smile grew wider.

Even from miles away, Kaz was still helping her through her bad times.

She looked up at Zeke, who'd seemed to have sensed the change in her and was smiling softly too. "Thank you," she said, the words not being enough to express her gratitude, but she hoped he could see it for himself.

He nodded. "Think nothing of it Captain. And don't worry, I'll not say a word, nor will I ask if you do not wish to tell."

"Thank you," she repeated, more sincerely. "I knew I was right in choosing you as my first mate."

Zeke grinned. "Still back to the ship, Captain, or would you prefer to wander around the village?"

"I think we might as well go join the others in the bar and see what they're up to. What do you say?"

"I say we go do exactly that. Only a few more hours until dusk anyway, then I'm off to the casino."

She laughed softly. "I should take you all back to Ketterdam next."

"Well, if that's the case, Captain, then I might just save my money."

She raised an eyebrow. "What are you to do now then?"

A mischievous glint came to his eye. "I think I heard something about a musical night at the bar later. I'm sure that'll be fun."

Her heart ached suddenly for Nina, but it only made her decision final. They'd leave here tomorrow, then off to Ketterdam to see her friends and family.

She still had this day to go through though, so she might as well do something fun with her crew to pass the time. So she stood up straight and looked at her first mate.

"Sounds great to me, Zeke," she said. "Now come on, let's go. The day waits for no one."

"Lead the way Captain!"


A/n: Apart from like, the last few lines, I think I'm actually pretty happy with this one, and I actually finished on the same day, even if it is almost 11 pm and in the effort to catch up on prompts, I made my list of things to do tomorrow longer. Oh well. You win some, you lose some.

Don't think there's much else to say about the fic itself, so… stay safe and see ya soon.

- CrowofArcadiaOaks