Ava turned in the mirror and tugged at her new clothes. Everyone, including George, said that it's safer to dress like a man out at sea.

Not that anyone had an issue with her on board. It was just precaution for any other passing vessels. Something about a woman bringing "bad luck" or whatever old misogynistic beliefs sailors had.

But anyhow, she was thankful it didn't look like a PartyCity costume. Unlike her uniform from the dinner theater.

The cheap dress was slung over a rickety chair in the far corner of her room. And as she looked at it, her mind recalled the moments before she got into this mess.

"Ava! You got that Number 5?" Her coworker barked as he slaved over a hot stove.

"What?? I thought you said I needed to take the Number 1 out!" she panicked while balancing heavy plates.

The Piece's of Ate was packed full that night. Mr. Hibbing thought it was a good idea to promote that whoever got the 'Dabloons Package Deal' would get free meals for a week. Including a custom item from the gift shop.

Needless to say, the idea was too popular.

She hadn't had a chance to catch her breath since she clocked in and it was nowhere near closing.

Add impatient customers, furious line-cooks, a disgusting amount of miscommunication, and voila; You have a young 20-something on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry! I- I thought you said-"

"Just go tell them that you screwed up!" he raised his voice. "And get that Number 5 out!!"

She rushed out of the kitchen to excessively apologize to the fuming family and give them their missing meal. Ava could feel the tears stinging the corners of her eyes as the father complained. She wouldn't be able to hold it in for much longer.

After dealing with the issue, she quickly excused herself to the back room to do what all who worked in customer service had done:

Cry their eyes out.

Elliott - who was no longer afraid of the back room - had heard the sobs of his friend as he hopped by.

Naturally, he quickly brought George and Sedgewick to console her.

And while the three men smothered her with questions and sentiments, the Help Seeker, ironically enough decided to have the worst timing.

Ava's cries reduced to sniffles as she heard the strange beeping.

"What- George what is that?"

"Oh great." The grape fumbled with his pack as he brought out the macguffin.

Sure enough, the heroes were called to save the day yet again.

"Come on buddy. We got a crying girl here! Can't they just wait?" Elliott pleaded with the inanimate object.

But the help seeker flashed it's red light incessantly. Almost crazily.

"That thing's going off the rails!" exclaimed Sedgewick. "Looks like they really need us."

"But we can't just leave her here!"

"We're gonna have to!"

"Aren't her parents out of town?"

"She's got no place to stay!"

"That's not our problem!!"

"That's my goddaughter you're talking about!!"

"Not my goddaughter!"

"GUYS WHAT IS THAT??!!" Ava yelled to halt their bickering.

All the while the weird orb was now blaring like a school fire alarm.

Sedgewick had had enough. He yanked the ball out of George's invisible grasp and almost smashed in the button.

Ava shrieked when a dinghy almost bashed her head in.

The gourd hopped in.

"You comin' or not?!"

Elliott made a noise of displeasure and followed suit. Both passengers waited for their captain.

He furrowed his brows and swiveled to the bewildered rhubarb. Although bewildered wasn't a big enough word to cover what she felt.

"Listen hon'. We gotta go to the past and help some friends of ours. And it looks like you're coming with."

"What?? No! This is insane!! I don't even know if this is real or not-"

"Get in the boat or we'll leave without you!" Sedgewick snapped.

With a twisted frown and a frustrated 'Oy!' he hurried in and demanded Ava to climb aboard.

And she did... Hoping and praying that this weird-ass prank would stop once she played along.

But a blinding light pulled them in.

A weightlessness grappled her.

And then she was plummeting.

Ava yelped as a knock brought her back to the surface.

"Ya decent?" The muffled voice of her godfather asked.

"Y-yeah...! Coming..."

She gave herself one last look and brushed her bangs to the side.

Here goes nothing.

Ava sidestepped and ducked under the many moving parts of this well oiled machine. A lot of them were moving supplies or fastening ropes that led to the gigantic sails.

Speaking of, she didn't have time to truly appreciate the sheer magnificence of them. But now that she did, her eyes drifted over every ripple the wind would make.

She had craned her neck so much, that she wasn't aware of bumping into the person she was hoping to avoid.

"Hey!" Alexander fumbled with the rope the moment her back pushed into his side.

"Oh my god! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"It is alright." The blond sighed out. He finished tying up a knot and turned back to her.

"What has you distracted?" He asked while leaning on the railing.

"Just..." she slumped a little. "Everything."

"Ah. I suppose that is normal. Considering this is your first time on a ship. Let alone an adventure."

She quickly interjected; "Well, it's not my first time on a boat. I mean I've been on small ones for family vacations and all that so it's not like I'm not used to being on water and-" Ava caught the weird look on the prince's face. She tightened her jaw shut and felt her face heat up.

"Sorry." she said as she squared her eyes on the sparkling waves.

Alexander didn't miss the rapid tapping on the railing. He was silent for a moment as he took in this strange young lady.

"You... apologize quite a bit." he noted.

It took everything in her to not shrivel up like a weed that's sat in the sun.

"Yup. Yeah... That is a thing I do..."

"Then why must you do it?"

To the prince, this question wasn't the slightest bit rude. He was always straightforward and was raised around people who were the same.

But to Ava...

"It's uh..."

How does one explain modern anxiety to an early 18th century prince? She internally sighed and went with the easy script in her head.

"I've just always done it. Habit... So..." she trailed off.

The small tapping noise continued.

"I see."

Alexander slowly went back to tying knots as Ava still stared at the ocean.

"But surely you realize that it is not always necessary."

"Huh?"

"Your apologies. And your tapping." He nodded his head to the source of the dull thud on wood.

She shot her hand back to her side.

"Sorr- Ugh!"

After rubbing her face and sighing, Ava looked back at him.

"I know it's not always necessary, I just- Don't know what else to say. I say it just in case."

"In case of what ?" he quirked a brow.

Dammit.

"That's- I-"

"C'mon, kid! Let's get you a job."

For once, Ava was thankful for George barging into a conversation.

She quietly excused herself and followed her godfather below deck. Alexander's eyes lazily followed her. He shook his head from the awkward encounter and made himself busy.

"Watch your head!"

Ava ducked her head under a wooden beam while she descended the creaky stairs. The area below the deck was what she expected. Dark, smelly, humid... Probably crawling with weevils.

No. That's the last thing she wanted to think about.

"So!" George handed her a broom. "You, my favorite stowaway, are gonna be a chambermaid."

She groaned. "George, I thought being transported to a fantastical place would make me forget about the job I don't like."

"Doesn't stop things from getting dusty." he quipped. "Fantastical or not, you gotta earn your keep. We got a long trip ahead of us."

"I still don't even know what this trip is for." she reminded the ornery grape.

At this, George paused. She had a right to know what was going on even if she wasn't supposed to be here.

"Right." he surmised.

"I guess sweepin' can wait."