Someone's making breakfast…that's nice…I can keep sleeping-

Silver's eyes snapped open and he glanced to his left. Timetra was still tucked tightly against his side, her long red hair mussed up from sleep. He raised his head and looked through the door connecting their room to the next. The ball of blankets rising and falling the slightest bit on the bed indicated that they weren't awake…so who was in the galley…

He launched out of the bed and dragged his clothes on, slamming out the door with a snarl and storming down the hall, "Who the Hell's in me galley?!"

Was it Askeladd again, because he could fuck right off with his damn habit of burning everything and wasting all their supplies-

The scent of the person at the counter was familiar. It was a distant memory, but it brought a bubbling happiness up in his chest that he couldn't quite place. They turned around and stiffened, eyes wide and mouth slightly open.

And then Morph squealed and darted around his head and licked his cheeks excitedly.

"Morphy! Didn' t'ink I'd see ye 'gain!" Silver exclaimed, trying to keep his emotions in check. It was true; he'd resigned himself to never seeing Morph again. He also didn't think he'd see–

"Jimbo! Wha–look'it ye, boy! Wha' brings ye on t'is ship? Ye been eatin'? Wha' am I sayin', obviously not, skinny as ye are! T'ey don' feed ye in t'e Navy?!" He realized he was probably overwhelming the boy–no, man now–based on his wide-eyed stare. Silver forced himself to calm down and said, "I'm so glad te see ye, Jim."

Jim came around the stove and his face broke into a smile and he looked like he might cry. Next thing Silver knew Jim had thrown his arms around his shoulders and hugged him like a man who'd just come back from war, "Holy shit…Silver…I never thought…I…I missed you…"

Silver hugged him back like a father whose son had just come back from war. He didn't think he'd ever been so happy since the day Brigit had been born.

"I missed ye too, Jimbo. So ye didn' know I was on t'is ship? Wha' are ye doin' here, then? Kinda far removed from yer fancy Navy, ain't we?" Silver chuckled, but stopped immediately when he saw that Jim didn't laugh along with him.

"Not with the Navy anymore," He looked like he was trying to smile, but it wasn't coming out. "I had no clue you were on this ship, I was…hired…by the captain. Helping him with his map issue."

His jaw clenched briefly and he glanced at his palm before he focused back on Silver. His shoulders relaxed and he smiled again, "What have you been up to, huh?"

Silver grinned, "Oh, ye know…jest the usual. Traversin' the galaxy, cookin', gettin' married, havin' a kid…"

"What-" Jim's eyes widened, but before he could finish his question, a voice and thundering feet came down the hallway.

"PAPA! Language! I heard you shout the 'H' word! Mama's gonna be mad at you-" A young girl nearing thirteen years old came running into the mess hall and skidded to a stop, her wild red hair loose and sleep-styled around her head. She perked up and looked at Jim with her bright green eyes, "Who's that?"

"Speak o' the devil, t'ere's me girl! Brigit, t'is is Jim Hawkins. Ye 'member me tellin' ye all 'bout him. An' this–" Silver was cut off as Morph whizzed to right in front of Brigit's face and panted like a puppy just like he'd done when he first met Jim. He nuzzled her cheek and she giggled.

"T'is is Morph. Prolly feel ye know 'em both wit' 'ow much I go on an' on 'bout 'em. Oh, and Jim, Morph, this is me baby girl, Brigit," Silver said with a proud grin.

"You sly dog," Jim grinned at Silver quickly before dipping a bow to Brigit. "Pleasure to meet you, little lady."

Brigit's eyes got wide and she looked up at Silver, "Jimbo?! And Morph?! From when you went to Treasure Planet?! "

"Them t'ey be, lass. Set yer pap on t'e straight n' narrow, Jimbo did. Well…'e started wha' yer mother finished, at least," He and Brigit laughed, while Jim was just still trying to process everything Silver was saying.

Smiling, Jim asked, "So, speaking of which, who's the lucky la–?"

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?!" Timetra stopped in the doorway and turned her own emerald eyes on Jim with a furious gaze.

Now it was Silver's turn to look confused, "Safflina! Yer always gettin' on me 'bout language 'round t'e lass an' look'it ye…wait, 'ave ye two met?"

"Good mornin' to you too, sweetheart," Jim's voice switched to a cocky tone and his face became emotionless save for a smirk. "Thought you might miss me, so I decided to stick around. You telling me you didn't enjoy my company at the bar?"

Silver gently but firmly shoved Jim with his left hand, an annoyed expression on his face, "Wha' ye talkin' te me wife like t'at fer, Jimbo?!"

The man's eyebrows rose and he studied Brigit, then Timetra, and he made a noise in his throat, "Ah…well, it's a small universe, isn't it?"

"Wait-" Timetra's eyes had gone about as wide as Brigit's and she pointed at Jim. "Jimbo- YOU'RE JAMES HAWKINS?!"

"If you'd listened last night you would have known that," Jim mumbled and he glanced at Silver in case he was going to push him again.

"So, what are you doing here still? You were supposed to open the map and leave ," Timetra snapped and crossed her arms over her chest. Silver could tell by her tense posture and sharp tone that she was clearly not happy and he wondered what Jim could have possibly done to get his normally calm wife this worked up.

Jim sighed and his jaw set defiantly at her anger, but he answered calmly, "Change in plans. Your captain has…slippery fingers."

Brigit looked like she might explode with excitement and she finally cracked, "Are you coming with us on the ship?!"

"Yes, ma'am."

Timetra let out an angry noise borderlining on a scream, grabbed Brigit's arm and dragged the girl down the hall back to their cabins. Morph flitted after them quickly and it fell silent in the galley again.

After a moment of awkward silence, Jim turned to Silver with a smirk and said, "I think your wife likes me."

Silver gave Jim an exasperated look and said, "Leave it te ye te pick fights ye can' win, Jimbo…ye don' wanna go toe te toe wit' Timetra, boyo. Believe me, I learned t'e hard way."

The two men laughed for a short moment before fading back into silence. Eventually Silver asked, "So…wha' happened wit' t'e Navy? Last I heard o' ye, ye was cap'n o' yer own Navy ship…one o' the reasons I figured I better set meself straight 'afore I foun' meself on t'e wrong side of the great James Pleiades Hawkins! So…wha' happened?"

"I…got tired of it, you know?" Jim's expression had set in a mask of a smile. "Been bouncing from ship to ship since, heard of Starboy?"

"YER Starboy? T'e famed map an' navigation expert?" Silver's eyes widened and a proud smile came across his face.

"At your service," Jim still smiled but it seemed…strained. "Couldn't let the Navy keep all my skills to themselves." He chuckled softly and then cleared his throat.

Silver put one hand on his hip and put another hand on Jim's shoulder, "Jimbo, ye know e'en after all t'ese years I c'n read ye…t'ere's somethin' ye ain't tellin' me."

"I'm…" The mask cracked and Jim let his face fall. "Just been in a bad place for a while…"

Leading Jim over to the tables, Silver made him sit down and took himself down to one knee so that they were eye to eye, "Be honest wit' me, Jimbo…ye in trouble? Someone after ye?"

"No, no…not this time," He cracked a weak smile. "Just…lost a few things…"

His hand strayed to his coat pocket absently and he pulled out a small bottle with a cork sealing it and he rolled it in the palm of his hand. Inside was a light gray soot or dust in it…

Silver knew exactly what that was, and he patted Jim's shoulder while offering him a look of understanding, "Who's tha', Jimbo?"

"Mom…" He whispered and grasped the bottle tightly.

"Aw, Jimbo…" Silver now got up and sat next to Jim so he could put his organic arm around his shoulders, "...she were a good woman. I'm so sorry. Losin' a mother's…it's ok te feel lost after a loss like tha', Jim."

"Yeah…thanks…" He tucked the bottle back in his pocket and offered a weak smile. His hand then strayed to his earring before he dropped it back into his lap and he shook his head. "You seem to be doing pretty well for yourself…"

"Can't complain, I guess…" He smiled sadly at Jimbo, not wanting to talk about his own happiness when Jim seemed so down, "...anythin' else ye wanna talk 'bout, Jimbo? Like why ye really lef' the Navy?"

Jim sighed again, and his shoulders fell, "Took on a mission that…took more than I was willing to give…couldn't do it anymore…just…lost too much…"

"Well, ye seem te be fully intact far as I c'n tell…" Silver chuckled sadly before continuing, "...so ye lost a person, t'en? A friend? A lover?"

Jim didn't answer aloud, but the flinch and the way he turned his face away was answer enough.

Silver didn't push the issue any further, but just patted Jim's shoulder and whispered, "Well…obviously I wouldn' know nothin' 'bout losin' anythin', Jimbo, bu' e'en so…I'm here if ye need a listenin' ear, lad." Silver smirked and nudged Jim lightly with his arm.

"Thanks…" Jim let out a laugh and he met Silver's gaze. "Mind if I help with breakfast? Like old times, you know? If I'm stepping on anyone's toes though, I'll stay out of your galley."

The smile on Silver's face couldn't have been wider, "Yer welcome te 'elp in me galley any time, Jimbo. I jest gotta watch tha' Askeladd 'cause he'll come in 'ere tryin' te 'elp an' burn me whole galley down."

The nostalgia as he bumped elbows with Silver brought Jim back to a happier time in his life. The smell of food cooking, the robotic whirring and ticking and hissing of Silver's gears, the occasional touch of a broad hand on his shoulder- if Jim closed his eyes it was almost like being on the Legacy.

It was bittersweet. He hadn't realized just how much he missed this . It brought a smile to his lips while simultaneously shredded his heart to pieces.

Their parting this time wouldn't be nearly so sweet as it had been when Silver left the Legacy. Jim could feel guilt starting to weigh in his gut the more he thought about it. There'd be no way around it, no changing plans now to shield Silver from what was destined to happen. Part of Jim wanted to spill his guts and tell Silver everything about how Bonder maps worked and what he would be forced to face when they finally reached their destination. But the rest of him didn't want to taint their time on this journey with that knowledge. There was no reason for both of them to bear that burden.

He was sure Silver caught the sidelong looks he shot over at him as he debated his options, but the Ursid said nothing and they worked in comfortable silence.

I should distance myself to lessen the blow…

But Jim couldn't fight the desire to be selfish. He'd been so long without comfort save for Morph, and he craved it like a man stranded in a desert craved water. Hadn't he sacrificed enough? Couldn't he have this one bit of happiness?

Maybe Silver would help him escape, just as he had helped Silver when he was a boy- No…he's in a good place now, got a wife and a kid and a steady job working for a prince…I can't take that from him…I don't deserve that much, not after everything he's already given me in life…

"Here comes t'e brigade."

Jim looked up in time to see crew members filing down the stairs and he stepped out of the way as Silver set out breakfast. Eyes widened and eyebrows cocked when anyone saw him, confusion clearly on their faces as they silently tried to figure out who he was. He'd shed his coat and rolled his sleeves up when the heat of the kitchen had become too much to handle, and he stood with his hands on his hips now.

"Mornin' gentlemen, ladies," He bowed his head in greeting. There were a few murmured responses but none of the questions he'd expected. Namely he'd been waiting for 'who are you' and 'what are you doing here' that came whenever he joined a crew. Most often it happened in a similar fashion as it had last night, though generally not with an accidental bonding to a map.

Damn Zora…still can't believe he did that.

Timetra and Brigit returned with Morph, who nuzzled himself under Jim's chin happily. Both ladies were cleaned up; dressed and hair brushed and braided and ready for the day.

"There's me cabingirl!" Silver exclaimed as Brigit ran to him and threw her arms around his neck.

"Mama had to brush my hair. She said it looked like a rat's nest," The little girl giggled as Silver planted kisses across her cheeks. It struck Jim how much she'd looked like Silver with her bigger nose and ears that matched his organic ear and the claws on her fingertips instead of nails. She was clearly her mother's daughter as well, with that red hair and dark skin and green eyes, but Jim preferred the parts that indicated who her father was.

Timetra still displayed her displeasure at Jim's presence with her expression and body language, but she said nothing as she approached. Jim stepped forward now too and waited for Brigit to collect her plate of breakfast and find a seat before he spoke softly, "We got off on the wrong foot last night, I don't suppose you'd be willing to give me a second chance to-"

"You may be an old friend of John's, and Sidon may have hired you, but I have no obligation to be kind to you," She spoke briskly.

Silver looked taken aback, "Safflina-"

"It's ok," Jim touched his arm and smiled. "I was…abrasive…last night. I don't blame Timetra for being…upset about it."

The Ursid looked at him questioningly, as if silently wondering what he had done. Jim was sure she would tell him on her own, and he'd rather not get punched so soon after they'd had such a warm reunion earlier. Though it might be best to get it over with sooner rather than later…

Timetra turned and joined Brigit at a table and Jim felt his heart sink. The two of them starting with bad impressions of each other hadn't been fully his fault last night, but he was pretty sure she wasn't interested in hearing his side. He was just glad that he hadn't left a visible mark.

Could she honestly blame him for swinging at her though? The minute he'd introduced himself as Starboy she'd ordered the two spacers with her and the Canid to grab him. It was as if she'd expected him to make a break for it after getting the coin purse even though he'd made no indication of it. Of course he'd fought back. It was in his nature after all, which she should have known if she'd only listened to what he said his name was. Not only that, but he'd been in…shitty situations in the past that leant into his decision to fight as well.

He hadn't particularly meant to hit her…she just got in the way. Jim was sure that he'd only added salt to the wound with how he had called her out on the poor decisions she'd made the entire way to the ship. It was no wonder she wasn't interested in being even amicable with him.

Hopefully she's not the type of person to abuse her power to punish me…

There'd been enough of that in the Navy and on other ships he'd been on. He didn't think he could handle it again. Not for this trip. Not with what he would have to do when they got to their destination…

He watched as Silver joined her at the table with his own plate and he leaned in to whisper with her. Jim's throat went dry. Looks like I will get punched today. He had an overwhelming desire to go over and defend himself. If there was anyone he didn't want to look like an asshole in front of it was Silver. It was almost guaranteed that Timetra didn't have the same experiences as he did; there was a lot of danger that came with being so well known and he'd been kidnapped more than once. Maybe if he could explain himself she wouldn't be so hostile toward him either.

An alarmed expression went over Silver's face and Jim felt his shoulders droop. All Jim could hope now was that he would be level headed enough to figure out on his own that Jim wouldn't hit her unprompted. The red flash of his cybernetic eye as he turned to glare at Jim was enough to indicate that he wasn't.

Too late to defend myself now.

Jim sighed and his heart dropped further. So much for that comfort he'd been hoping for. Silver would probably put distance between them on his own volition now.

Alone again.

The crew was beginning to clear up their plates and Jim felt it would be best to remove himself from the galley when a shrill whistle from above deck called his attention. Everyone scrambled to their feet and raced up on deck - Brigit, Silver, and Timetra included.

Jim grabbed his coat and trailed behind as he pulled it back on.

Captain Sidon stood in front of the crew with his hands clasped behind his back, expression tired and strained, and his eyes darted over each face until they landed on Jim's. He brought a hand up and motioned for him to come forward.

He made a wide berth around Timetra and Silver while avoiding their gazes as he started toward the Zora.

Time to be Starboy again.

Jim snapped his fingers and Morph shifted into a tri-corner and fell onto his head with a giggle. He let his expression go into a cocky smile, squared his shoulders, and came to stand casually next to the captain with one hip popped out and his thumbs hooked into his belt.

"As you all know, I have been searching for someone to open my family's map for…quite a long time," Sidon's voice was deep, and Jim might have even described it as sensual if they'd been in any other situation.

He motioned a hand toward Jim, but didn't look at him, "Last night was more progress than I've seen in a long time, and we'll be making more progress now that the map is open."

Jim waited patiently, but the prince never introduced him and the crew continued to look at him with confusion as if silently asking why the hell he was there. He turned and gazed up at the Zora with a raised eyebrow and also silently asked why he'd been beckoned to stand with the captain. Prince Sidon started to turn to leave and he nearly tripped right over him, which seemed to be what he needed to remember that Jim even existed.

"This is our new navigator…" He looked down at Jim with slight embarrassment.

"Jim Hawkins," Jim pursed his lips. "I thought I made at least a little bit of an impression last night, but I guess not."

He noticed the way Sidon's eyes widened and a blush started across his cheeks. There was a hush over the crew and Jim felt apprehension for the first time since walking on deck. He cocked his head to regard the shocked faces turned to gaze at him.

The hell did I say to make everyone look at me like that?

"We gonna launch or is everyone just going to stare at me?" He snapped, finding it in himself to be annoyed at the way everyone on this damn ship was. Jim didn't wait for the prince, or the captain, or whatever the hell Sidon wanted to be called before heading to the bridge and taking his place at the navigation screens.

He thought for a moment that he would have to wait awkwardly, but the Zora was right behind him and he started barking orders, "To your stations! Let's get this ship in the air."

Jim pointed the helmsman in the right direction. They gave him a look like they'd been expecting coordinates, and he quickly gave them some in the general direction they were going. It was easier than explaining that he didn't have coordinates for them and they were going off his feeling. Because of course that would go over well.

He settled in and watched the crew setting the sails and closed his eyes to focus on the familiar feeling of weightlessness and he didn't open them again until the rocking of the ship had turned into a gentle roll.

Here we go…