Smugglers Cove (Love2write and Silence)

Now that they were done Killian unlocked the wheels on the chair and started to roll her to his room. He could probably piece a few things together to make the button. Though he was generally organized with everything else his room was an organized heap. Books sat in piles near bookshelf that wasn't quite overflowing. Instead it was packed with various tools and little broken trinkets he was trying to fix. None of them had been touched in a while. Then the drawers were half pulled out of their place with pant legs, shirts, socks, and boxers hanging out. That was only if the clothing was lucky enough to get stuffed into a drawer. Otherwise the rest of it laid out in piles. Best way to tell if it was clean or not was to make the sniff test.

Timo's bed was laying next to his own and it was neatly made while Killian's was still a rumpled mess with pillows stacked up tall on one side. Parking the wheel chair just inside the door he moved to pick her up. The captain walked Star over to his bed and set her on it. "I'm gonna get the stuff I need. Talk about whatever you want." Didn't really matter to him what subject she picked.

While he pushed the various tools aside in the bookshelf and shuffled though the transmitting plates he listened to her questions. "You've been with us about uh...." Standing up he walked over to the safe and peered at the chart. "Logs would have dated about 3 weeks before that. Um....It looks like you've been with the crew as a member for 5 months." Turning back to his work he thought for a moment about the second question before answering. "That would be how we met. First you tried to shoot me." Pulling a sleeve up on his shirt he showed her the skim mark from the bullet. "Then you started to threaten me. Wanted to steal the ship and run away or something. So Mike stepped in and did his duty. Had you locked up for a few weeks. Never was sure why you stayed except that the Alliance has a warrant out for you. After a little misunderstanding between us things were sorted out and you stayed. I took you on as part of the crew and you started out as cook cause I already had an engineer and navigator at the time."

At the mention of the navigator Killian got quiet. "Probably a lot more that I won't know cause you didn't tell me all your reasoning." Killian was trying to answer only the questions that she asked. He was afraid telling her that her brother was dead or anything else like that might upset her and he didn't know if he remembered the story well enough to actually get it right.

Stepping back over to the bed with a handful of little wires and a strap he sat down next to her on the bed. "Ok..." Working the wires into the strap and connecting them with the button he pushed it a few times to be sure it worked and then motioned for her to give him one of her wrists. "Now you can get up at night if you want. Just push the button if you decide you need help."
 
Star rested on the bed as he relayed the story of how she'd gotten here. 5 months!? "The Alliance has a warrant out for you." Star closes her eyes as Killian put the button her wrist, reaching for the memories that seemed to rest right at the forefront of her mind.
~~~
Huddled by a crate anxious and excited. These bastard human smugglers would get what was coming to them. She hit the trigger for the bomb watching the shuttle explode in a thousand pieces as it took off into the starry sky.
...
Captured, cuffed, her head yanked back as an Alliance official pulled her hair. "This is the one that killed the ambassador and his family."
It wasn't supposed to be them...it was supposed to be human smugglers. She'd been betrayed.
...
Trapped. A cold glass cell. No privacy, no kindness, no human interaction. Two meals a day waiting her inevitable death.
...
Escape...Freedom. Running for her life a ship with an open hanger. She hid inside. The tall Captain, her salvation.
~~~
Star gasps, sitting up. "I remember that! I remember it...I remember." She grabs his shoulders then hugs him as tightly as her weak body would allow, laughing and weeping at the same time. "It's starting to come back!"
 
Star was paused as if someone had control of her body and just told it stay put. Her eyes almost never blinked as she sat there with a blank look on her face. The captain watched with a hint of worry. What in the world was going on in her head? Then life seemed to come back into the woman and her expressions changed. A little bewildered he just stared at her till she wrapped her arms around him. Instantly Killian tensed.

Short gasps sounded as the woman was wracked with both laughter and tears. None of it made sense to him. Not the emotions or the way she was reacting. Frowning slightly he looked down at her greasy hair and then tried to hold still for a moment longer. Finally he moved her arms gently. "Ok well its good that your remember." Taking a breath he nervously looked around the room. "You hungry?" Anything to keep her from crying at this time would be good. Specifically the crying on him. That was an unnerving experience to say the least.

In the last few weeks he'd had the boy crawl into his bed several times only to wake up to the kid crying on him or trying to lay on top. Timo wasn't a normal child at all. From Killian's memory and perspective he'd never done that as a kid. Didn't want to either. There was a certain element of fear with those things. An unknown. You never knew what an adult or older kid would do if you tried to curl up with them. Those that were willing often had a price for the favor and it wasn't a nice thing in the least. Killian shifted uncomfortably while he helped Star get wrapped up and ready to go to the kitchen. "Tell me what you remember." While she was on the path of remembering he figured he might as well find out what did remember and maybe it would prompt a few more memories.
 
Star relayed what she remembered as he took lifted her back into the wheelchair and took her to the kitchen. She told him about finding out she'd destroyed an Alliance Ambassador's shuttle and not a trafficker's shuttle. About being betrayed by someone in Hell's Angels which sparked the memory of her actually being in the gang. "I only remember bits of that...faces, some names...James. He was special, I think. Maybe a boyfriend? I wonder if he's still out there, waiting for me." She tried to remember more but nothing came so she shook her head and continued. "I remember getting on your ship and trying to hijack it from you. You had more hair on your face then...but everything before and after that is still blurry." She smiled up at him. "Thanks, for helping me...for, taking care of me even though you've only known me for a short time. I can't imagine I've been the easiest or cheapest patient. Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't just dump me off at the nearest station after falling into a coma. Being that this is a smuggler ship and all. Its not very profitable at all, carrying a coma patient around. Unless, there was a particular reason for not getting rid of me." She looks up at him, studying his face for a reaction that would confirm or deny her suspicion.
 
The day was beginning to get even stranger as it went. Killian glanced at the woman occasionally while he did his best not to burn the eggs. They were just a quick powdered egg that you added water to. Not the best tasting but, on board a ship everything had to last for a while and it was better if the food was dried before you stored it away. Too often if he was the cook he would forget things sitting out and that led to a lot of waste if it was more than powder. Gradually the he turned the fork in the pan of eggs slower and slower till it came to a stop while he listened.

Killian smirked. "Well you're part of the crew. Got hurt in the line of duty. Its my job to make sure you have the medical care you need. That and I didn't want you wake up in a prison somewhere. We've got a few Alliance members very interested in catching some of the crew here." No matter what he said he couldn't shake the feeling that she was hinting at something else. Didn't make sense. She asked a fairly straightforward question and he gave her a good straightforward answer.

Then the smell of burning eggs wafted up. "Augh....Stupid piece of shit." Turning the knob for the stove top off he growled and tried to dump the eggs that looked to be less burnt onto a platter. As for the charred eggs those had to get scrapped off into the disposal. Before handing the plate to her, he snuck a little chunk of egg off of it and decided to taste test it. A shudder ran through his body and he threw the rest of it in the disposal as well. "Give me a few. Gonna have to try this again."
 
"Looks like your about as good at cooking as I am." She smirks lightly, trying to make a joke of it despite the fact it was another skill she had yet to remember. Her moment of excitement had run is course and she found herself getting tired again. She rested her head against the edge of the wheelchair. His response hadn't reveled anything and it felt like too strange of a question to ask outright. "Killian...I, there's this box. In my room. A lockbox. Timo found it...apparently its mine. Do you think you could help me open it?"
 
Killian just smirked and nodded. The second attempt hadn't even got started and she was already tired. "You're not hungry?" Didn't seem that she was even hungry to start with. It didn't surprise him and at the same time he had somewhat hoped to be able to avoid anymore strange questions. That tell tale expression washed over her whole body. Somehow Star reminded him of a cat ready to spring whenever that quizzical look in her eyes came up. "A lockbox?" He'd never noticed one before Then again he hadn't ever dug around in her room. When she came it was just with the clothing on her back and whatever was on her person. Wasn't much of anything. "Yeah we could do that. Now?"

Since she was ready to leave earlier rather than later he wheeled her into her room and laid her down. "Ok you tell me where it is and I'll get it." Limping over to the spot in the room he picked it up to see if he had the right one and she nodded. Killian held it up to the light and peered into the lock. "Oh...You know it's not a secure one. Pretty easy to break into."

Grabbing a little sliver type looking piece of metal from his pocket he gently pushed it into the lock and twisted. Then with a hook motion he pulled it back out and the lock clicked. "Should come open easy now." Shoving the tool back into his pocket he grinned and then handed the box to Star. "Want me to leave when you open it?"
 
"Yeah we could do that. Now?"
Star nodded, not eager to try his cooking and not being hungry anyway. The times he held her were too short. She wished the brief lift from the wheelchair to the bed were longer. She reprimanded herself for feeling that way about a stranger...but he wasn't really a stranger was he? She watches from her pillow as he finds the box and opens it for her.
"Want me to leave when you open it?"
"No..." A part of her was scared of what she'd find and what memories it might trigger. He sits beside her on the bed and she opens it. There wasn't much inside. A simple heart necklace, a couple credit chips worth a $1000 each and a small brown journal with a leather binding. Inside it was electronic paper, allowing for unlimited space. She turned the journal pad on. The intro picture was the photo of her and Killian. If this was her journal...and this was the picture she'd chosen to see every time she opened it...then, that pretty much confirmed what she'd been thinking. "We were close, weren't we? Before I lost everything?"
 
Killian wandered over to her bed again and sat down. Even if he tried to be nice and not look at the stuff he couldn't help himself. He was a thief before all this and now he was just a little better than a thief. Still stole occasional items when it suited him. When the journal pad came on his green eyes got wide and then he frowned to cover the shock. They only took that one picture and he had no idea why she would have been in such a hurry to see his face more. It wasn't like it was hard to find him on board the ship. In many ways he figured she'd seen enough of him most days.

Shifting on the bed he cleared his throat. "Close?" Looking at the floor and tapping one foot he then shifted again and looked over at her. "We were getting there. I don't think we'd ever kissed either. You know I'm a long ways from a gentleman and...Even if James is still out there I'd make competition." James was a name that stuck in his head and it wasn't one that he liked. If there was somebody making a run for her he was planning on winning the race. Killian figured he'd better try harder to be charming.
 
Star smiled lightly, her finger caressing the leather of the journal. "There's probably a whole lot more memories in here. Most of the ones I've had so far, haven't been very pleasant. I hope this contains happier ones." Her eyes begin to droop. "I'm sorry I don't remember you." She murmurs. "I wish I did."
...
A panicked sobbing woke her from a restless sleep. She opened her eyes to find Timo standing next to her bed. "Timo? What's wrong." She managed to push herself up into a sitting position. He simply climbed onto the bed next to her, wrapping her in a tight hug, sobbing too hard to speak. She stroked his hair, trying to calm him. "It's ok. You're ok."
"Y...you died...you died..." He sobs.
"Shh, no I didn't. I'm ok. I'm here." He must've woken from a nightmare. Killian said the whole crew was injured during the mutiny. Poor kid.
"You did...Kato almost didn't save you. You weren't breathing. You're heart wasn't working." He sobs. "And then you wouldn't wake up for weeks and weeks." Timo clung to her more tightly and she grimaced, her ribs protesting. She loosened his strangle hold. "Well, I'm awake now ok? I getting better. Promise." She wipes his face with a tissue.
He still holds on to her and she lays back down, stroking his hair softly as his head rested on her stomach. His tears slowly abate and he falls asleep. A boy in the marketplace, trying to steal her wallet. She catches him then asks his name. "Timo." He'd replied. "How old are you?" "I dunno. 10 maybe?" She gave him money and he returned with his friends who then took her to hang out with them.
She smiled lightly. I remembered.
...
When Star woke up the next day, Timo was still snuggled beside her. The door creaked open and Kato peeked in. She held up a finger for him to be quiet and with his help got into the wheelchair where he rolled her to the medbay for her daily check up and vitamin smoothie. With his support she stood on a scale to see if her current diet was working. It wasn't. She'd dropped two more pounds. He sits her back in the wheelchair and hands her the vitamin drink. "You need to eat every two hours. Even if you aren't hungry." He orders.
"I'm trying..." She grumbles. "Nothing tastes good."
"Hmm, that does seem to be a problem on this ship. I'll see if I can get the Captain to hire someone who can actually cook."
He checks her temperature and blood pressure, then begins asking a series of questions.
"How have you been feeling? Headaches?"
"Sometimes."
"How often?"
"Couple times a day."
"Severity?"
"Bothersome but ignorable...most of the time."
"Nausea?"
"A couple times...usually after eating."
"Understandable. Your body is still adjusting to solid food."
"Bowel movements."
Star wrinkles her nose. "Ew...really?"
"Really..." Kato replies seriously.
"Fine. Couple times a day. Healthy."
"Blurred vision?"
"Sometimes."
"Dizziness?"

The questions continued for half-an-hour. By the end of it her brain had begun to hurt again. Most of the symptoms she'd only noticed because he'd mentioned it. Thanks, Doc. She'd gained enough arm strength that she could roll herself around short distances. She rolled into the engine room, having not seen Mike for at least two days it felt like. She found him huddled over a part, tighting the pieces with a wrench. She watches him silently until he turns and notices her. "Star, hello." He sets the piece down and stands up, wiping his hands on a rag.
"What ya doing on this end of the ship?"
"Exercising." She smiles lightly. "Have you seen Killian?"
"Not yet. He's probably preparing the last of the supplies we got to sell. You ask me, he's prepping for a run."
"A run?"
"Yeah, a smuggling run."
Her face turned pale. She wasn't sure how she felt about them doing a smuggling run with her still being so weak. What if they ran into trouble? Not to mention the kid? He was still clearly traumatized by the last time everything had gone wrong. "What about Timo?"
"Well, he's part of the crew." Mike shrugs.
"You mean he joins you guys? On the runs!?" She demands, getting angry at the thought.
Mike chuckles awkwardly. "Eh, yeah. You reacted about the same way the first time you found out Killian was gonna let 'im come along."
"He's just a kid!" Star nearly screamed. The emotion raged inside, she couldn't control it.
Killian came into view at the moment, probably attracted by her yelling. The thought that he was having that kid go on mission. "You take him on smuggling runs!? He's barely 11!? What if he gets hurt!?" She demands angrily.
 
Killian was shoving a few of the small connectors and transmitters into his backpack. He wanted to keep at least one and a spare for this ship. With the war ramping up he was expecting a call soon and they would need a little upgrade in technology. Something that a potential opponent wouldn't expect. Coming around the corner of the hall and into the general area near the engine room he heard Star yelling.

Naturally he wondered what was going on to get her so riled. It was a decision that he regretted. The captain frowned slightly. "Yes I take him with." Why she got so mad seemed to be something to do with the age. "What if Mike or someone else gets hurt? I don't see any difference and neither do they. We're smugglers and this is just part of the business. Timo works for his keep here the same as everyone else and he's already got hurt. Happens to all of us at some point." It was just plain shocking to see the woman so upset with the way things were. "It wouldn't have made any difference where he lived before. Do you know how many of those kids die in the streets everyday? The risk here is no greater except he gets a bed, food, medicine, and wages to buy whatever else he wants." Shaking his head he started back out of the engine room. It didn't seem this was the last of it either. Poking his head back in the room he gave her the same speech as before. "Timo is part of the crew and he makes this decision for himself. You can't tell him what to do and I'm not going to tell him what he can't choose to pursue. Let him make his own mind up." Killian stormed out of the ship as if he had fire on his heels.

The older man took a deep breath. "That's about the same way it went down last time." He found it ironic how they were repeating certain cycles and Killian still didn't learn how to manage people's differing opinions so well. "Captain takes good care of his crew and he watches out for the best interest. Sometimes harsh but, that's only natural given the circumstances. Just look at it from his perspective and you might not feel the same as you do now." Mike resumed his quiet work. He didn't mind having Star here but, he also had a feeling she would want to talk like she used to before.

*********************************************************************

A short slight built fellow sat near the edge of the counter. She'd been watching the big man for a while. He came to sell and buy. That much was obvious. By the way he handled things it was safe to assume that he was a captain. Most of them had a certain swagger about them. Especially the smugglers. Andy pushed her short reddish blonde hair into her hat. She hated it when her hair scraped the back of her neck. Pushing away from the counter she wandered over to where the man was standing.

"I'm looking for a new recruit." Killian was talking to the man behind the bar. "You know of any good crewmates looking?"

The bartender grinned. "Oh haven't seen many around here."

Andy wasn't going to let the chance pass up. She'd been left here with no work. Walking up to the man she was almost dwarfed by him. The man was huge and her head maybe came to his armpit. "Hey Mr." Often times she was mistaken for a boy with her husky voice and the dirty overalls she wore. "I'm as good a engineer as you'll come across."

"I don't need an engineer." Killian looked down at the boy. "What else you do?"

Running her tongue along the front of her teeth Andy then sneered. "Anything needs doing." She didn't much like saying that, but it would usually get a response fast. Besides she could only go so long without some kind of food.

"Then I've got a job c'mon." Oddly enough this was another person that approached him. That was usually how Killian liked things. Might have been another boy, but Star would have to get over that. When they got to the ship he could hear the lad behind him gasp. The captain turned toward him and frowned. "What? You don't like what you see?"

A grin came to the boy's face. "Nope. I'm sure I like what I see here. Real good looking." Once she was on board she stuffed her hands into her pockets. "So where do I work?"

Killian frowned. "Your name and then I'll tell you where you work, introduce myself, the crew and give you a tour."

"I'm Andy." Holding a smudged hand out to the captain she grinned again. "I don't need any introductions. Already know who you are. Captain Killian. Figured that out from your height. Not many fellas get so tall." The grin gradually wore off and Andy bit her lip. "So what's my job."

Finding it a little irritable that he should already be known he shook his head and introduced the boy to everyone else. "Then since you said you do anything the job is cook for now."

********************************************************************

Andy wiped her hands on her overalls several times. She had to admit that cooking was a miserable job. Dipping her finger in the sauce she then brought it to her mouth and licked it off. "Mmmm a little more pepper." The end result was a plain looking dish and she set it on the table before grabbing the intercom. "Food is on. Hurry up!"

Hearing the sudden yell on the intercom Killian started to curse. "I'll unhook the damn thing. Andy...." Growling the rest of the way to the kitchen he found that everyone else was already seated and the boy had food sitting at every spot. Taking seat at his usual place Killian started to dig in. With the first bite there was a pleasant spice but, it only seemed to get hotter with time. "What did you do?"

"I made food." Andy met the captains gaze. "Don't have to eat it if you don't like it. Maybe a menu plan would help. You got a bad selection in this kitchen."

"So I've been told before." Grumbling he took a few more bites. "You'll have to share Mike's room for a night or two while we get an extra spot cleaned out for you."

Andy glanced at the older man and shrugged. "Alright."
 
Star flushed as the spice hit her tongue. She took a long drink of water to cleanse her burning pallet. Timo however seemed to love it.
"This is great! So much better then what Killian's been making." He grins and begins talking in his rapid fire fashion when he got excited. "What do you do? I help Mike with the engines, and Killian with the navigation and I get things for Star."
Star flushed slightly as he brought that up and tried to hide in her blankets. True, she'd begun to rely on him heavily to help her with various things. But the fact that it had been enough he'd bring it up as a job description made her realize just how much she had been. She watched the new member as Andy interacted with everyone. The boy seemed perfectly at ease here, jumping right in taking over her place on the crew. It hurt, knowing that she'd been the member Killian had relied on to cook and do other various tasks but now she was the one everyone had to take care of. She was enough of a burden that he had to bring on another crew member to help lighten the load.

Kato who was sitting beside her, nudges her plate, encouraging her to try and eat more. She gives him a look and notes he was eating it easily as if the spice didn't bother him either. "You can eat or I'm putting the feeding tube back in." He says casually.
Star flushed red with embarrassment, and peeks a hand out from the blanket grabbing her fork. She eats the vegetables which hadn't been murdered by the spice and pushes away as much of sauce from the meat as possible to make it more edible. A few more bites in and she leaned back into her blankets, full again.
The conversation was scattered and awkward, with no one really knowing what to say. So she attempts to start one. "You ever flown with a crew before, Andy?"
 
Andy pretended not to hear a thing being said by the crew unless they were talking to her. Listening helped a person learn more than talking. It hadn't taken long to figure out that there were two members on board that were not as fond of spice. Probably would have to make a new list of foods to buy and cook up. Limited spice was difficult cause it meant she would have to focus on the flavor of the food. Usually her cooking wasn't very good and the spice covered all the mistakes. Briefly she glanced up as the boy talked about his work around the ship. "Sounds like you're busy."

Obviously the woman at the table had suffered some kind of setback. The comment about the feeding tube didn't do much to install any confidence in the woman's ability. From rumor there wouldn't have been any reason for the captain to keep this person around. That was unless they could be potentially damaging to himself or the crew and in that case it had been told more often than not that he killed those kind of links.

Shoveling the food into her mouth she finished before anyone else and was prepared to start the dishes when the woman asked about flying. Andy shrugged. "Nope. I worked in the shops. Usually did wing adjustments and those things. Most of the men were too big to get into those parts. Then the war started and they moved all that kind of work to the military and us workers from the shop lost our jobs."

Killian's head snapped up at that comment. Wing adjustments were hard to get. "Well we need a wing adjustment so that's something you'll do before we leave port tomorrow."

The little fella just nodded. "Sounds fair. What you paying me?" Wasn't any time to waste on dealing and this was a strange field that Andy had never yet tried.

"You're forward. I like that." Killian thought for a moment and gave her a percentage for their cuts on raids. "That's also part of the work. You'll be helping with the smuggling." There was still only one thing bothering him. "So have you ever flown in a craft before?"

"Test flights on mended aircraft only." Andy nodded to the captain. "Don't worry. I succeed at everything I do. "

************************************************

By the fourth day out of port Mike was coming with a complaint. "He's an odd one captain. Never changes his clothes, I don't think he's got anything but what he's wearing. I can't even do so much as blink an eye at night and he's already awake. That lad sleeps with one eye open all the time." He hadn't been able to figure out what was wrong but, it didn't all add up. "Something is wrong with the lad."

Killian shrugged. "We'll wait like usual. If he turns out to be a problem I'll take care of him."

In the meantime Andy had finished with the food for the afternoon and started to wander around the ship and familiarize herself with it. During her self guided tour she found Star sitting by herself. Taking a seat next to her she gazed out the window. "Kinda makes me feel like a mouse in a lab. I keep waiting for a giant hand to reach out of the sky at pick us up."
 
The day after Andy arrived Star rolled herself to Kato. He was setting up some sort of contraption in the back of the medbay. There were two long poles running horizontal about waist high and only a few apart. It looked familiar but she had something else on her mine. "Kato...I need to get stronger. I want to start walking again."
Kato looks up at her and stands. "I thought you might. That's why I set this up." He gestured to the bars. Now that he was finished she realized it was one of those parallel walking therapy sets. She shook her head, smiling lightly at Kato. "You're probably one of the best doctors I've ever had....well at least the best doctor I can remember." She chuckles lightly and moves to stand from the wheelchair.
"Whoa, easy." Kato sits her back down.
"What?"
"Well, doing this takes a certain amount of arm strength. You're making progress, but I'd like to see you a little bit stronger in that area before we start you on the bars. Here." He hands her two 2-pound weights.
"2 pounds? Really?" She looks at him in disgust.
"Try them. 10 times."
"Easy."
Star begins lifting, a weight in each hand, just bending her arms at the elbow.
"No. Like this." Kato pulls her arms out in front of her so they were straight. "Now, up and down. From your head to your waist...there you go."
1...2...3...4....By the time she reached 4 her arms had begun to tremble a bit. 5...6...It was getting significantly harder to raise her arms and lower them at a steady pace. 7...8...Her arms had begun burning and her face twisted in pain and concentration. 9...."10...Ugh." She dropped her arms back into her lap. "I'm so stupid weak!" She nearly threw the weights across the room.
"You'll get stronger, and quickly. I promise." Kato assures her.
"How can you know that?" She demands. "I've been stuck in the wheelchair for over a weak and crossing the distance from the bed to the bathroom still takes every ounce of energy I've got."
"But...you are doing it. In less than two weeks you've gone from coma patient to walking minimal distances and regained a significant number of memories as well as begun solving several of the therapy puzzles I've given you."
"Those are child's toys..."
"You...had a brain injury." He puts a hand on her hand. "Every bit of progress you make is significant, and its a miracle. Don't push yourself too hard and don't feel like you have to rush. Things like this often take several months if not years to fully recover from."
"I don't want it to take months. I'm a hinderance as it is." Star protests.
Kato smiles lightly. "You ask any member of this crew if you're a hinderance and each one would say 'never.' They love you, Star, why else would the Captian spend so much of his time and money caring for you."
She nods, still looking a bit frustrated.
"Do you want to try again?" Kato stands.
"Yes..."
"Good. Then start, and I'll get you something to eat for when you're done."

The next few days were spent excersicing and sleeping. Every moment she had energy she spent lifting weights or trying to stand without help. Little by little she always able to stand a few more seconds and lift a few more times. Today she rolled into the Medbay ready for the next round of therapy.
"Not today." He says. "Today you rest."
"I'm feeling fine." She protests.
"You won't if you overdue it."

With an annoyed sigh she relented and rolled into the lounge where she spent the next hour staring out the window. Then, footsteps broke the silence. Star looked up as the new member took a seat beside her. It was the first time since he'd arrived that he'd actually initiated a conversation with her. It didn't take a mind reader to figure out that Andy probably didn't approve of having someone useless like her on board.

She smiled lightly as Andy admitted feeling nervous about space. "I love the stars." She replied. "I love knowing that there is always some place new to explore here. It's infinitely massive, and we havn't even scratched the surface of what there is to discover."
 
Looking over at the other woman Andy shook her head. "Well I don't think I'd be one wanting to find out much more than I have to about the stars." Taking the hate off she ruffled her short greasy hair. Finding a time to clean up was tough cause she didn't have anything else to change into while her clothes dried and then she didn't want to get in the shower for fear that someone would take her clothes and wash them for her. Wasn't safe to be working as an engineer and wing adjustment specialist as a woman and so she'd taken advantage of her small frame and lack of womanly curves. It made a living for a long time.

Though her hands may have been a delicate and long fingered she couldn't say that her hands with all their callouses looked overly feminine and she always kept her nails cut off to the nubs so that she couldn't possibly catch them on anything. "Doesn't seem normal for a smuggler to keep someone like you around. What you do around here?" Andy had no idea yet and she hadn't witnessed that Star had any particular talent.

It sounded like a very strange circumstance indeed. "Sounds like you've got somebody's number." So far that was the only explanation that Andy had. Not that she approved of it entirely but, she knew this was her new job and the captain was the boss. If he kept his part of the deal to her then it wasn't going to be a big deal. Slapping her knees she stood up and nodded to the other woman. "Well I got a few things to do. Probably be seeing you around."

**********************************************

"Captain he needs a shower." Mike decided to bring up one more thing. "He stinks. Its been weeks and..."

Killian shrugged. "So? Tell him."

The older man rolled his eyes. "I did and he isn't in any hurry to wash up. Every engineer smells but, the lad is getting to be pretty powerful. Won't even let me give him one of my pants or shirts to change into in the morning. I don't think I can last with him in my room for another 3 weeks before we port again."

"That bad huh..." Killian almost didn't believe it and he wasn't sure what to say to Andy if Mike had already said it all.

"Do you really want him handling the food if he's that filthy?" It was the last ploy that Mike could think of.

With the mention of the food Killian shook his head. "Lets go get him then. I'll strip him down and throw him in the shower if I have to." The two of them found the boy wandering toward the kitchen and neither of them wanted the boy in there one more day without a good wash. "Hey Andy I need to talk with you privately."

Nervously Andy looked over at the captain. There was something in his eyes that she didn't like. All the same she followed till they reached the room. Both Mike and the captain stood in front of the door. Shifting on her feet she tried not to show how nervous she was. "What's this about?" Her throat felt like it was going to cut off her air supply for how tight it was beginning to clench.

"You need to take a shower. Can't have you handling food like you are." Killian decided that to be blunt was the best option. Immediately the boy acknowledged and then tried to skirt past them and out the door. "I meant now." Taking a more firm stance he watched as the boy started to wildly look about the room and clench his fists. "Damn it Andy! We're standing right here till you get in the shower and then Mike will take your clothes and get them washed. Just strip." That didn't make things any better. Instead the boy backed away shaking his head. Losing his patience the captain stepped closer and grabbed the boy around the wrist. Before he could even push the first overall strap down the boy hit him. Killian punched right back and pushed the straps down on the overalls before he reached for the shirt and started to lift it up. Andy whipped her head around and bit the captain in the arm.

"Why you!" Blood dripping down his arm he motioned for the other man to come help him contain the situation. As the two of them lifted the shirt Mike backed away and pointed to the binding across Andy's chest. Killian dropped the shirt on the floor and his eyes widened. "Holy hell...Uh..."

Tears stung the woman's face. Pulling the shirt off the ground she threw it at the captain. "Now that you know what you gonna do about it?" Pulling the front of the overalls up as far as she could she waited for the answer.

"Just shower...I'll keep you on if you do your job." Pushing Mike in front of himself, he tried to get out the door. "Throw your clothes outside the door and I'll come by with something for you to wear in a few minutes. I'll be leaving it on the counter in the shower room for you."

Killian forgot about the bite mark and immediately went to find Star. Still partially in shock he sat next to her. "I uh...I need some of your clothes." He didn't even realize how strange it sounded. "Just found out he's a girl. You mind sharing your room for a few days and maybe some of your clothes?" Normally he would have offered some of his own but, it would have been ridiculously large on Andy.
 
"Doesn't seem normal for a smuggler to keep someone like you around. What you do around here?"
"Moral support." Star smirks. Ironic considering she was the one in need of moral support. "Um, according to the guys I used to do what you're doing now. Cook, clean, help out Mike or Killian or whatever else needs doing. Honestly...I can't remember much of it right now, but they like me...so they keep me around." She shrugs casually, secretly clenching her fists under the blanket.
"Sounds like you've got somebody's number." Star chuckles lightly at that. The boy had no idea.
***
"Come on. Just a few more feet." Kato encouraged Star as she dragged herself across the floor with help of the parrell bars. Sweat trickled off her chin, her limbs trembling. This was her third time across the bars. "Excellent!" He exclaimed as she reached the end and he helped her lower herself into the wheelchair. "Ugh...that's torture. To think I used to run around the ship several times a day just to try and burn off some energy."
Kato nods. "You'll get there."
"Yeah, I'm gonna take a bath."
"Don't forget to eat afterwards."
"Yeah, yeah..." Star waves him off and rolls away to her bathroom.
She sat in the tub, her eyes closed as she rested. She replayed memories that had been coming back to try and instigate new ones. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. But at least they were coming. Most of them were from her childhood and early teens. She still only remembered tiny clips from being on this ship.
Once the water had cooled she got out of the bath, using a railing that Killian had installed for support. She used it to stand and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror again. She hated looking at herself. While Kato's diet had helped her regain a few of the pounds she lost she still lacked any form of beauty. Exposed ribs, tiny muscles, barely any chest to speak of. And her hair...still choppy and ugly. She looked through the medical cabinet, finding a pair of scissors. She pulled her hair over her shoulder. It wasn't much longer than her shoulder as it was but half of only reached just below her ears. She lifted the scissors and began cutting, doing what she could to even the mess out. The brown locks fell into the sink, one after another.
...

Feeling refreshed with a prettier haircut and her favorite green sweater on, she rolled into the kitchen to get the protein mix. It didn't take long for her to prep it and soon she was sipping it at the kitchen table. Killian suddenly came in, with a strange expression on his face.
"I uh...I need some of your clothes." He didn't even realize how strange it sounded. "Just found out he's a girl. You mind sharing your room for a few days and maybe some of your clothes?
"What?" She blinks. "Uh, yeah, sure. Whatever he...she needs." Her eyes widen as she notes his arm. "Killian! Your arm is bleeding! Is that a bite mark?" She grabbed a napkin, and pressed it against the wound.
 
Killian rested the palms of his hands on the tops of his knees while he sat. "Thanks." Originally he'd never wanted to run a crew with women. However, if they could do the job he wasn't going to say no. The wing adjustment was usually something tricky to get a worker to do without damaging something and Killian had always been too big to do it so this was the first in a while and already the ship was flying much more smoothly.

How Star managed to make him jump half the time he didn't know but, her shriek was more than enough. As he turned his gaze toward her she was pressing a napkin into his arm. "Oh yeah...Andy hit me and I hit him back and then he bit me." With his free hand he reached up and scratched his head. A few black curls stuck up defiantly rather than lay back down. "He...I mean she was starting to smell bad and we didn't know. Mike and I." This was just an entirely strange situation and not how he wanted to discover that Andy was a girl. "We told him to strip and Andy wouldn't do it. So we decided to help."

Wincing a little he noticed her pulling the napkin away from the bite and begin to fold it so she could put it back. "I don't think it's bad. Probably be able to just wash it up here in the sink." Killian pulled away from Star briefly and started to run water over his arm. After he drizzled a liberal amount of soap into the wound he rubbed it around. The sting was definitely there and he didn't mind too much. "Want to hand another paper towel to me?" Slicking to his slightly moist arm he winked at her. "So what do you say to a quiet night and a drink. Maybe after supper?" Life had slowed down enough and he was feeling a little nervous about Andy. It was better to just spend time with Star. "Maybe you'd want to come to my room for a bit so Andy doesn't disrupt anything?"
 
"Are you asking me out on a date, Killian?" She asks with a smirk and flick of her hair, her tone almost the exact same one she had used the first time he'd invited her to go the bar.
"Sounds nice. I look forward to it." She nods, then remembers the conversation leading up to this moment. "Um, so is Andy in the shower now, I'm guessing. Should I grab some clothes and leave them for her or let her come to my room and choose some?"
 
The captain shifted slightly. "What? No! I mean..maybe...probably, yes." He'd been trying very hard not to be sounding terribly desperate but, he liked Star and he still liked her. His eyebrows raised slightly when the woman accepted. "Really?" Somehow he'd figured that she hadn't considered him that way at all since the injury. Things had been so strange and giving her distance was sometimes difficult.

Putting a hand over his arm he shook his head. "Um...I think that maybe if you just come with and tell me what you want to give her that would be better. Andy might get it dirty."

*******************************************************

Andy sat at the table with the rest of them that night. She was almost pretty with her pixie haircut and having taken care to wash up her face and put on something more feminine. While the girl was still leaning more toward the pants and shirts she felt uncomfortable. It was so strange to be around these folks and acting like she was a woman. Part way through the meal she looked up at Star and pointed to her hair. "Looks nice. You cut it yourself?"

Not sure what the girl was talking about Killian peered over at Star and then her hair. "No, it always looks like that." He didn't see any difference from today or yesterday or the day before. Soon as dinner was finished he got up from the table and walked around to where Star was. Currently with her being in the wheel chair it had displaced him and so he was sitting on the benches with the others. Wheeling her chair out of the room he caught a glance from the doctor. Ignoring it fro the time he continued on till they got to his room and then he helped Star out of the chair. He didn't have to pick her up anymore since she could stand a bit by herself. "You wanna dance?" A grin grew on his face. "I thought maybe we could get your music in here and if you put your feet on mine we might make one song?"
 
Star looked up at Andy as she compliments her hair and rolls her eyes as Killian remains clueless. "I did! Thanks. Got tired of how my last cut grew out. You look really nice in those clothes by the way, much better than those overalls." She chuckles lightly. "You fit in them better than I do."
Timo was still staring at Andy with wide eyes and red flush in his cheeks. Every time she even started to look his way he looked down at his food fidgeting nervously. Star smirks. Someone had a small crush. Poor kid. She hoped Andy didn't crush his heart. Star would probably have to talk to him if it lasted longer than a week.
Eventually the meal ends and Kato releases her, satisfied that she'd eaten as much as she could.

Killian comes around and takes her wheelchair. Kato straightened and tensed as he rolled her away...her with a cute smile on her face as she looked up at him. He didn't say anything, however, as they rolled away...though inwardly he was cringing.

Star smiled as Killian helped her stand from the chair. Holding something always helped her keep her balance.
"You wanna dance?" He asks with the largest smile she'd seen on him since waking up. He offered to get her music and let her stand on his feet. That would mean being extremely close to him. Somehow, she didn't seem to mind. She'd obviously liked him before the injury, and her heart still seemed to remember some of it. "I'd like that." She nods.
She sits on the bed while she waits for him to return with the music.

He returns and turns on the music and takes her hands. She puts her feet on Killian's and one of her hands holding his shoulder and the other his hand. Her small frame was dwarfed in comparison to his. Her head just reached his chest. Part way through the dance her neck got tired of trying to look up at him so she turned her head and rested it on his chest, his heartbeat echoing in her ears.
...
A red dress a sense of glee. She spun happily and rushed back up to Killian who was laid up in bed with an injured leg. A table sat over his lap with wineglasses. She leaned over him, giving him a kiss. "Thank you. This was very sweet."
...
Her eyes opened suddenly. She lifted her head off his chest and looked up at him. "You...you got me the red dress. And...I kissed you...but you said we didn't."
 
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