#vicarfelix

It was a simple question that he almost always posed after each time they made love. He loved her immensely, and he never wanted her to tire herself out too much at his expense. She smiled lazily up at Max, pressing a gentle kiss to his shoulder.

“Never better.” She replied, pulling the sheets over her bare legs.

He wrapped his left arm around her, and tucked his other one behind his head. A comfortable silence fell over the both of them as they sat in each other’s presence. It was early in the morning, about 1:30 or so. They typically didn’t stay up this late, but the Captain had promised the crew that they could have a late start the next day. So, they had a little room to stay up late. 

Max and the Captain’s relationship was still an under the radar arrangement. Their relationship had happened so casually that they hadn’t officially told the crew. The Captain wasn’t sure how everyone would react to Max having special benefits, or how they’d react to them dating in general. Honestly, it was kind of nice having a little secret and having someone to share a bed with at the end of every day. With this, Max and the Captain had to tiptoe around the rest of the crew. Max would always retreat from his cabin to hers late at night after everyone else had gone to bed. He also had to get up before everyone else to be sure no one caught him sneaking out of her room. 

The Captain’s fingertips trailed along the tattoo he had on his forearm. It was the OSI symbol, and it accented him rather well. She didn’t even see it until they had been together for a while, considering he didn’t wear short sleeves often. It was simple, yet had intricate detailing. He had his nose buried in her hair, taking in the scent of her Rose-ish soap that she always used. He left kisses on her head, his own fingers lightly tickling her skin. 

She turned her attention away from his arm, turning so she was on her side and conformed to his body even more. She eyed over his neck that was littered with four or five marks that had already begun to turn a dark shade of purple. She had discovered over time which spots were most sensitive, and she sometimes left a mark or two in those places. The tops of her breasts had a few marks as well, but he hadn’t left nearly as many as she had.

When he caught her stare, he brought his hand from behind his head to feel across his neck. He noted how tender they were, a soft chuckle bubbling out of his chest.

“It seems as if you got a little carried away, Captain.” He teased.

She frowned, her eyebrows furrowing in concern.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” She asked.

“Not at all,” He replied honestly; “Not that I would’ve minded if you did.”

“Max!” She squealed quietly, smacking his shoulder playfully.

He laughed deeply, endeared by her concern.

“You know what I mean.” 

They laid there for another few minutes, just chatting and enjoying each other’s presence. It was toss ball season in Halcyon, and it seemed that was all Felix and Max ever talked about. Felix was an avid Rizzo’s Rangers fan, so much so that he usually became violent with anyone who threatened his favorite team, which was how she met him in the first place. He had whacked his foreman with a toss ball stick after they had an argument over their opposing teams. Felix took it very seriously.

Max was serious about it too, but he didn’t really have a set favorite team. The Rangers were up there in his top five, but he never really pinned a favorite team. Both of them made an attempt to catch every game of the season, which sometimes was difficult when the crew was on just a busy schedule.

“What time will we be back tonight?” Max asked, thinking about the upcoming.

The Captain giggled, tapping his nose lightly.

“Don’t worry, Max. We’ll be back before the Darlings’ game,” She said; “I wouldn’t dare get in the way of you and Felix’s precious game.”

Max scoffed, not surprised that she knew exactly what he was asking. 

“You say that as if toss ball is the only thing I care about.” He joked.

She shrugged with an expression of amusement.

“There’s more to life than toss ball.” She smiled at him.

He took her chin between his thumb and index finger, bringing her face up to his. 

“Oh, trust me. I know.” He said seductively, kissing her.

He sucked on her bottom lip, to which she giggled and threw her head back so he’d move to nibble on her neck. His hand moved to the side of her face, going back to deepening the kiss on her lips, which caused her to roll her hips against him. They were in an intense make out session when a blood-curdling scream could be heard from upstairs. They both stopped and stared at the door for a moment before another scream echoed out. They both leapt up from the bed, scrambling to get dressed in whatever was close by. 

The Captain threw on Max’s t-shirt and her discarded pair of panties while Max jumped into his boxers, not even bothering to hunt down a shirt. She grabbed her Vermin handgun from her desk, loading it for whatever might be waiting for her upstairs. The two of them busted out of her quarters, another loud shriek sounding out. It was a high-pitched noise, which is why the Captain assumed it was coming from Parvati’s room.

“Parvati?” The Captain called as she and Max scrambled up the stairs. 

“Captain!” She shrieked, appearing from her room.

The Captain was pumped with adrenaline, her chest heaving with every breath she took. Ellie and Nyoka had also appeared from their respective spaces, both had clearly been abruptly woken up. 

“Parvati, why did you scream?” She asked frantically, looking to see if Parvati was hurt anywhere.

She shook her head. The look on her face told the Captain that she wasn’t the one who had made all the commotion. 

“It wasn’t me! It was-”

Another boisterous shrill screeched out, but the Captain realized it was coming from Felix’s room. Everyone scattered to his door, the Captain telling ADA to unlock his door so they could get in. The Captain exploded inside, seeing Felix’s room in a chaotic disarray. He was standing on top of his desk with his toss ball blocker, his hair disheveled and sticking up in five different directions.

“Felix, what the hell is the matter with you?” The Captain demanded.

He was shaking violently, his hand pointing to a blanket in the corner. She looked to see that there was clearly something moving underneath it. The rest of the crew peered around the doorway, watching as the Captain approached the blanket piled in the corner. She raised her gun, ready to shoot in case the mystery creature decided to attack. The Captain took a breath, and quickly threw the blanket back. She eased her finger off of the trigger when she realized that it was nothing more than a scared sprat. 

It was a small sprat at that, no older than a few months. It was visibly terrified, and it had clearly gotten lost on the ship. The Captain let out a sigh of relief that no one was in any real danger. Ellie and Nyoka glared at Felix for making such a huge deal over something so minor. Felix was no longer in his defense position, now just standing dumbly in embarrassment. 

“It’s just a little sprat, Felix.” The Captain said, persuading the sprat into her hand with a soft voice. 

The Captain spotted a ripped open candy bar in the corner where the sprat had holed itself away. It had likely snuck onto the ship when the Captain had returned that day and found Felix’s stash of goods that he kept in his room, and then got locked in when Felix went to bed. It went to make its escape, but couldn’t when Felix woke up in terror. 

“Real nice, Felix. I was just getting to the good part of my dream.” Nyoka scolded him. 

Ellie groaned at the disruption, clearly not pleased with being woken up.

“I’ve got a headache now.” She snarled.

Felix’s face burned red for reacting in such a way. He chuckled nervously, scratching at the back of his head. 

“I, uh...sorry, guys.” He apologized, getting down from the desk.

The team went to disperse back to their rooms in hopes of managing to fall back asleep. However, Parvati posed a question that stopped everyone in their tracks. 

“Hey, Captain? What are you wearing exactly?” She questioned. 

The Captain’s heart skipped a beat, looking down at the shirt that was obviously far too big for her. Even the sprat still in her hand looked up at her with its big eyes as if it were expecting her to answer. The Captain’s mouth fell open but no sounds came out. Nyoka piped up now, much more awake.

“By the Law, Max!” She hissed; “What happened to your neck?”

Everyone’s heads turned to Max, whose ears were now as red as Felix’s cheeks. Everyone ogled at his bruised neck and chest area. He subconsciously brought a hand to cover them up.

“Oh, I...well, I was-”

“And why did you come from downstairs with the Captain? Your room is upstairs...” Ellie pointed out, beginning to put the pieces together. 

The Captain and Max shot each other matching glances that read “we’re screwed”. There really wasn’t any denying this. Nyoka and Ellie had put it together, smirks written across their features.

“Oh, shit! Max is fucking the Captain.” Felix declared, eyes wide but a grin on his face.

“Felix!” The Captain and Max said in unison.

Parvati looked as if she wanted to go crawl in a hole until this conversation passed, despite the amusement in her expression. They were waiting for an answer. The Captain tried to explain.

“It’s not like that! Er, well, it is like that, but it’s more than that.” She said, not really clearing things up.

Max walked to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. The sprat made a squeaking noise as if it wanted this encounter to hurry up.

“What the Captain is trying to say is that we’re together. More than just sleeping together,” He said more plainly than she had; “We’ve been putting off telling you all. We feared your reactions to this.” 

Ellie shrugged.

“I’m fine with it.” She said, still smirking. 

“Me too. As long as I don’t hear you two in the sheets.” Nyoka announced.

“Hey, if it keeps Max from hating me then I’m all for it.” Felix said, setting his toss ball blocker to the side.

“Maybe you two can go on a double date with me and Junlei. Wouldn’t that be fun, Captain?” Parvati said excitedly. 

The Captain laughed at her eagerness, but felt warm at the crew’s acceptance. Suddenly, they all had a million questions of when and how it had happened. They were happy to answer, but it needed to wait until morning...or at least a decent hour of the morning.

“We’ll talk more later. Everyone get back to bed,” The Captain ordered; “I’ve got to get this little guy somewhere safe.” She said, stroking its small head with her fingertip.

The crew finally dispersed, the Captain and Max also leaving Felix’s room. The Captain opened the airlock to let the sprat free onto the docking bay of Groundbreaker where they had been for the night. The Captain returned to her room, Max already back in bed. The Captain joined him once more.

“Well, that was unexpected.” Max said.

The Captain nodded.

“Yeah...but that went about as well as I could’ve hoped.” She admitted.

Max agreed. He smiled at her, she quirked a brow.

“What?” 

“I really am a lucky man, aren’t I?” He asked.

She returned a smile.

“I’m pretty lucky myself. A nice ship, a great crew...a wonderful vicar for a boyfriend.” She said, rising to straddle his hips as she had the first time.

He shimmied down further onto the bed so she could maneuver better. He beamed at her.

“Picking up where we left off?” He queried.

She leaned down, kissing him before removing his shirt from her body.

The captain had been gone for a couple of days, which wasn’t all that unusual, but the crew tended to worry the longer she was gone. There was no guarantee that she and whoever she took with her would make it back to The Unreliable. He was more than a little concerned now, but he was doing everything he could to not panic. He tried not to be so protective over her. She was a tough woman and independent as hell. But he couldn’t help it. He cared about her too much not to be worried.

So this is how he ended up trying to convince ADA to speak to him for the last ten minutes. He had overheard the captain ask ADA to play music or tell her something funny, so he decided to give it a whirl. He had to hand it to the late Alex Hawthorne...he programmed one stubborn assistant.

“I don’t think she’d mind if you told me just one joke. Please?” He begged. 

After bantering back and forth for a few more beats, ADA responded;

“Okay, Felix. Transmitting a joke,” Felix tensed up with excitement, eager to hear what she’d say; “I used to hate math but then I realized decimals have a point.”

Felix’s brows furrowed. What kind of joke was that? Truth be told, Felix wasn’t always the brightest bulb in the box, but even Max (who tended to be the smartest) would have to think on her punchline for a moment or two. ADA needed some serious work on her stand-up comedy. Not wanting to hurt ADA’s feelings, Felix replied quickly;

“Oh...good one, ADA!” He complimented with a fake cheeriness to his voice.

Before she could detect his lie, the door to the ship opened and closed again, signaling the captain’s return. 

“Welcome back, Captain.” ADA greeted.

A giddy feeling rushed through his body at the sound of three pairs of shuffling feet by the entrance. Felix rushed to the doorway of the navigation room to welcome them back. She was just taking her helmet off of her head, her hair shifting from being tucked inside. Her skin was glistening with the tiniest bit of sweat, giving her whole appearance a certain glow. Felix felt his heart skip a beat upon seeing her so stunning. 

“Beautiful...” He said in a whisper under his breath. 

She could really have him at her mercy. He was crazy about her. He almost felt like crying upon seeing her returned with perfectly good health.

“Good work, SAM and Max. You guys are good for the night.” She praised, dismissing them of any more duty. 

“Thank you, customer!” SAM recited as he walked away behind Max to go clean whatever he felt like cleaning.

She finally looked in Felix’s direction, flashing him an award winning smile. He felt his body get warm as she approached him. 

“Felix,” She began with a warning but amused tone; “Were you harassing ADA again?”

She stood in front of the navigation terminal, ready to get the hell off of Scylla. She hated Scylla. Between the primals, the raptidons, and mauraders, it was not an enjoyable place. She decided to have the ship be en route to Stellar Bay’s landing pad so that she’d be there by morning. 

“I’m a comedy fan! I just wanted her to say something funny...which she sort of did.” He explained. 

She laughed at his antics. For the longest time, Felix was a little spooked by ADA. He didn’t like the idea of the entire ship being controlled by a computer that could do whatever it wanted. Now he never seemed to want to leave ADA alone. The captain exited the room to the lockers just outside, putting away her gear. Felix followed suit and he leaned one arm on the lockers. His dark eyes refused to look away from her, fearing that she’d disappear if he did.

“How were things here? We ended up being gone for longer than I had originally planned.” She spoke.

He was really relieved she was back. He wanted nothing more than to scoop her up and hold her until he was fully sure she wasn’t going anywhere. She had yet to sense his worry melting off with each passing second. She was still winding down from a busy last couple of days herself. 

“Ah, you know. It was the usual. A little boring, but productive.” He claimed. 

She nodded with understanding. She knew how monotonous and bland the ship could get. Cabin fever was ten times worse on a spaceship if they didn’t get out enough. This is why she tried to let everyone tag along with her an even amount, much to Felix’s disappointment. He wanted to go every time she stepped foot off the ship. He believed that he should get extra outside time since he was her boyfriend. As a captain, however, she had to be fair to her crew. So Felix had his days of staying on the ship like everybody else. No matter how much he protested it.

“Good,” She said closing the locker in front of her; “You weren’t too worried that your favorite captain was gone for so long, were you?” 

While she was purely joking, not really thinking he was concerned, he took her question will full seriousness. Honestly, he was about to have a breakdown if she hadn’t returned when she did. 

“Let’s just say I’m glad you’re back, boss.” He said leaning to kiss her. 

She ducked his lips and laughed sheepishly;

“I wouldn’t do that. I’m sweaty and...kind of gross.” She admitted.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. He had seen and touched way worse. He persisted and kissed her deeply. This was odd. She could feel how desperate he felt. She was beginning to notice something was up.

She went about her nightly routine. She checked the engine room, made sure the rest of the crew was squared away, and tended to any housekeeping things. The entire time she was doing these things, Felix followed like a lost puppy. If she took two steps, he took two steps. If she turned to the left, he turned to the left. He didn’t dare be away from her for longer than a few minutes. If he kept his sights on her, then he was assured that she was safe. 

It had been a long day and the days before it were even longer. She needed a decent night of sleep and just maybe a day off. She had never desired her bunk and a few moments of peace more in her life. By the looks of it, she’d be having an overnight guest. Not that she minded. It was a win-win to snuggle up with her favorite guy and perhaps get caught up on the latest tossball scores. However, based on the way Felix was acting, she was sure he had something else on his mind. 

He was just a step behind her as they trudged up the stairs to the captain’s quarters. His hand was interlaced with hers, something that he didn’t do very often. 

“The bed is going to feel so good,” She stated as the door to her room hissed open; “I’ve never been so happy to see it.”

Felix laughed genuinely;

“I know what you mean. You’ve gotta be exhausted.” 

She let go of his hand to sit on the mattress to unlace her boots and toss them aside. Oh. That simply wouldn’t do. Felix practically ran to the bed himself and sat next to her, the sides of their legs touching. She paused, looking at his nonchalant expression. She raised a brow, because something was seriously up.

“What?” He asked as if he hadn’t been on her tail for the last hour.

“You care to tell me what’s going on?” She asked, leaning forward to rest her forearms on her knees.

Felix thought of denying anything. He didn’t want to admit he had been afraid. But he also didn’t want to lie to her. That wasn’t fair. 

“Boss, I’m gonna be honest. I was real scared while you were gone,” He confessed; “I know sometimes things don’t go as planned, but the longer you were away the more freaked out I got.”

She was a little stunned at this revelation. She didn’t realize how much Felix dreaded her being away and him not being there too. She stayed quiet and listened as he went on;

“A million things were running through my head. What if primals took the three of you down or what if a group of mauraders snuck up on you?” He asked with a shaky voice; “If something happened to you out there and no one was left to come back...I’d never know what happened.” 

Her heart ached at his words. She didn’t want him to concern himself with this. She took this job...or at least she was given this job because she was more than capable. She could handle yourself. Felix did have one valid point. Anything could happen at anytime. 

“Felix, I had no idea you felt that way. If something were to happen, you would know. You don’t have to worry about me.” She said carefully taking his hand into hers.

His calloused fingers stroked her hand, he shook his head;

“Can’t help it. You mean so much to me. I have to worry.” 

He could feel the growing pressure in his throat as he felt tears beginning to make their way to his eyes. He didn’t want to cry and make her feel guilty that he felt this way. It wasn’t her fault. He blinked his eyes rapidly to force the hot tears from spilling down his cheeks.

“Listen to me. Don’t think for a second that I don’t do everything in my power to make it back safely when things get dangerous,” She encouraged sweetly; “I’ll always do everything I can to make it back to you guys...to make it back to you.”

While Felix was beginning to feel comforted by what she was saying, there was still that tug in his chest that kept him feeling worrisome. He couldn’t wait any longer. He kissed her abruptly, the quiver in his lips a testament to his desperation. His hands cupped the sides of her neck to keep her close to him, her lips soft on his. She fell into his frame, knowing how much he needed to feel her physical form.

It wasn’t long after that she was on her back, Felix’s lips were hot on her neck as he left the most tantalizing kisses. He was going much slower than usual. He wanted to take his time with her and really marvel over her. The pressuring ache between her legs was growing rapidly, but she didn’t say anything just yet. she knew he needed this glacier pace. 

She did, however, go ahead and unzip his pants to somewhat get things moving. He did the same, throwing her pants on the floor with her boots. His hand lingered around her heated sex, his finger wrapping around and pulling her underwear down. 

“Felix...” She breathed out, her patience running thin. 

She rested one hand on his right shoulder, her other hand being pinned above her head. His voice was like silk in her ear;

“I know,” He almost whispered; “I got you.”

He finally pushed into her entrance, the most satisfied moan drawing from her lips. She felt her walls take him in as he filled her in the most delicious way. He pulled himself out so sensually, just to push back in again. Every time he felt so good. It was hard not to scream for him to go faster. His head was in the crook of her neck, still leaving a trail of kisses.

“I’m right here,” She said in her most angelic voice; “I’m not going anywhere.” 

His thrusts sped up at her words, a whimper escaping from his chest. He adjusted himself so he’d hit her sensitive spot each time he went back in. He was so grateful that she was here. Safe with him. He returned to a more normal pace, her end approaching quickly as he continued to slam into her.

“Oh Law,” She moaned out, hr legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. 

He knew that was a signal for her high coming up, he thrusted even harder, his own self twitching. Her vision went white for a second as she rode out her climax, Felix’s own finish coming as well. His movements slowed and he collapsed on top of her half naked body. Their breathings were fast and deep as they recovered. She let a hand drag through his hair, stoking his soft tufts of darkness. His head rested on her chest as he listened to her heartbeat, another confirmation that she as fine.

“Felix,” She said after a few moments; “You’re okay. I’m okay.” 

He nodded, kissing her once again.

“Yeah,” He said finally feeling the first sense of real relief; “I know.”

That’s when he knew that things were okay now. She as there in the flesh, alive and well.

But when she found out that there was a serious reason for how marauders came out, it suddenly became very personal.

Truth be told, the Captain wasn’t sure how to feel about the severed arm that was delivered to her ship. Lucky Montoya didn’t exactly sound like someone she would’ve associated herself with pre-hibernation...although, she also never would’ve imagined herself to end up romantically involved with a priest who had a dark past and was significantly older than her.

She wasn’t sure if completing Lucky’s mission was something she wanted to do. She relied heavily on her crew’s insight and input before she made any decisions. After some contemplation, the Captain decided that it was worth their time in the end.

Gorgon was a shit hole of an asteroid. While it was rather stunning from orbit, and the natural resources on it were gorgeous too, it was the manmade things that made it go to waste.

The marauders on Gorgon were nothing like the ones Jade and her crew had encountered on Terra 2 or Monarch. The marauders on Gorgon were either small and insanely quick, or beyond large and could pack a hard punch. The Captain had wasted more bullets trying to put out one giant marauder on Gorgon than she had trying to take out a whole mess of them outside of Edgewater.

It wasn’t long before she discovered that Adrena-Time (a drug that she had admittedly used once or twice), was a key factor and the foundation of this entire mission. Adrena-Time was a project/drug that Spacer’s Choice had poured bucket loads of money into. A drug intended to boost productivity and guarantee success surely was going to make them billions of bits. 

It was merely a science project full of failed experiments with lethality and fatal consequences. She would never be able to unsee and unhear the things she had been exposed to. It was beginning to take a toll on her mental health, and everyone had noticed. She now went straight to her quarters when they returned in the evenings, and her crew didn’t see her again until it was time to go again the following morning. All except for Max of course, who was growing more worried about his lover with each day that passed. In the last week, she had seen more sickening sights than she wanted to for a lifetime. 

And she wasn’t even halfway through with the job.

The Captain’s disturbing thoughts were interrupted when her door hissed open, only for it to whir shut when her boyfriend entered. Max’s toned upper body and torso was exposed to her, the towel wrapped around his waist being the only barrier keeping her from seeing all of him. His usually neatened hair was damp as it fell in messy tufts on his forehead. 

He grinned at his beloved captain who was spread out on her bed, still clad in the clothes she had adventured in all day. She had only gone as far to remove her shoes, since she definitely didn’t want to track whatever the hell she had stepped in onto her clean sheets. She was temporarily distracted, a smirk appearing on her face.

“Do you always walk around my ship practically naked?” She addressed Max.

The low chuckle that vibrated from his chest sent a rush of serotonin through her, her heart leaping at the noise.

“Only when my captain has stolen all of my shirts out of my cabin.” Max joked, referring to the stack of clothes in Jade’s large bin in the corner of her room.

The Captain had a habit of wearing Max’s shirts around the ship. She almost never remembered to return them, which often left Max’s wardrobe confined to her quarters. 

“Oops. I’m so sorry, honey. I just-”

“No, no. Don’t apologize,” Max purred as he leaned down to peck her lips, gripping the edge of his towel to keep it from falling; “You look better in my stuff than I do.”

That was one thing that Max had noticed in the last several days. Jade had been very apologetic for menial things, and even things that weren’t her fault. She seemed distant, always lost in thought. Her behavior had been completely different, and Max wished to know why. Her eyes didn’t follow Max the way they usually did when she knew Max was about to change.

She wasn’t a shy person, and she never failed to hungrily rake over her boyfriend’s naked frame when he was getting dressed. But now she just kept her pupils trained on the bed frame above her, her attention only half on Max. 

“Hey, love?” Max called to her, stepping into a pair of his clean sweats.

The Captain turned and craned her head to look back at the vicar, her eyes wide with curiosity. 

“Wouldn’t you like to get changed for bed?” Max asked; “You look uncomfortable.”

She only nodded, shifting herself so she could stand from her bed. She stripped herself of her jacket, shirt, and pants, leaving her in her tank top and underwear. Max watched as she silently went through her nighttime routine, picking up her boots that had been discarded on the floor and setting them by the door as always. She was doing all the things she normally did, but something was off.

Max approached her and took her hand once she had set her weapon of choice for the day on the desk, forcing her to look at him. She looked up into his light brown eyes, and that’s when he really saw it. 

All the hurt, stress, worry, and pressure that she had been holding in was suddenly very clear to him. He wanted her to talk to him. He wanted to be there for her. His large, calloused hand came up to the side of her face, cradling her cheek. 

“What’s the matter, darling?” Max hummed out.

She sighed heavily, guilt riddling her gut. She didn’t want to burden him with this. If she was being honest, the Captain felt guilt quite often for dragging her crew through the majority of the things she did. Saving Halcyon had been bestowed onto the Captain, not her crew. She often felt like they were around because they didn’t have a choice.

But for some reason that was unfathomed to her, they were all still around despite everything they had gone through.

Max, though, always seemed to get a heavier load than everyone else. Her relationship with him was different. They adored one another. They loved each other. At the end of every day, Max got to hear the Captain’s side of things. Her train of thought and how her mind worked when she had to make an authoritative decision. Max swore up and down that he never minded listening to her vent, but she couldn’t help but feel bad.

“I’m just tired.” She half-lied turning away from him and crawling back into bed.

She extended her arm, an invitation for him to join her. He obliged, but he didn’t drop the conversation.

“Is that all?” Max prompted, allowing her to snuggle up to him; “I’m here if you want to talk about something else.”

The Captain sighed again. She hated to do this, but Max was stubborn and wouldn’t stop asking until he got it out of her.

“It’s this Gorgon business,” She explained; “It’s bugging me.”

“Understandable. It’s different from any of the other jobs we’ve done.” Max noted, wrapping his arm around her body.

“I just feel like the deeper we get into this, the more complicated and the worse it gets.” The Captain expressed, her voice small.

Max kissed her temple. He could tell she was struggling with this, and he wanted to comfort her as best as he could.

“It’s normal that you’re troubled by this,” Max replied; “Is there something specifically that is unsettling to you?”

The Captain’s shoulders tensed and she buried herself closer to him. She figured as long as he was there, she didn’t have to feel the effects of everything. 

“Those labs, Max...” She hushed out; “All the experiments. The drugs. The dead bodies.”

Her voice cracked in a way that he hadn’t heard before. It wasn’t a crack that was like she was on the verge of tears or flooded with fury. 

What she had seen today had absolutely haunted her.

“How did something go so wrong? How couldn’t they stop the moment they knew it wasn’t going right?” She continued.

Max sucked in a breath. He was sure that everyone on the crew had asked themselves the same things. But Max knew that his beloved captain took things harder than everyone else. 

“I wish I had an answer. This entire colony is...a mess. But what we’re doing...what you’re doing is going to help set things right,” Max responded; “And I’m damn proud of you for it.”

The Captain laughed appreciatively, kissing his jawline with a soft smile.

“I know this has been hard, but this will be behind us soon. I’ll be here for you through it all,” Max added on; “I love you.”

“I love you, Max.” The Captain returned.

She caught his lips in a searing kiss, the first real kiss they had shared in days. Max hummed under her, his arms coming to find her waist as he praised his captain that he loved so dearly.

She was bruised and had minor injuries in various places. Not to mention that she hadn’t slept in almost 48 hours. But it was clear that was the least of things on her mind.

Max had managed to convince her to open the door long enough for him to check on her, which didn’t amount to much considering that she practically yelled at him to get out and leave her alone for a while. Max usually wouldn’t give up so easily, but he could tell that (despite her angry tone) she wasn’t mad. 

She was hurt.

She was completely rattled by what they had seen today. An ugly painting of horrific images and gruesome smells that not even the hottest of showers could wash away. It would haunt her for weeks to come, and on top of that, she was worried about how this was affecting her crew. 

Thankfully, she had taken Max and Ellie along today, which made her feel a bit better considering they were two of the more thicker skinned of the group. Still, she felt guilty for exposing them to that. 

Max and Ellie gave the crew a brief rundown of what had happened. While they were sickened by it, they were more worried about the Captain.

“Come on. We just want to know if she’s okay.” Felix pleaded.

“She’s just seen probably the worst that the colony has to offer,” Ellie huffed; “I’d be worried if she was okay.”

Max sighed heavily. He was beyond concerned. It wasn’t like you at all to shut out the crew like this. It wasn’t like you to shut him out. He was afraid that this had pushed you over the edge.

“She wishes to be by herself,” Max announced; “We should all give her some space and let her work it out.”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Mr. Vicar.” Parvati replied.

“Yeah, I don’t think she ought to be alone after seeing something as traumatic as you’re saying it was.” Nyoka detested.

Max shook his head.

“I know. But she doesn’t want to talk to us. We don’t need to push her.” Max pointed out.

Felix looked stunned at that, his eyes widening.

“She must be really shaken up if she won’t even talk to Max.” He said, clearly alarmed.

While Felix’s statement had innocent intentions, it caused a sting in Max’s chest. It was true that the Captain always seemed to flock to Max when she needed to talk. It was a mixture of things really. He was a professional when it came to listening to confessions, but he was even more comforting being as he was her boyfriend. She never felt like she couldn’t go to him when she needed him until now. 

It was killing him that she was closing herself off to him.

“She’ll be alright. Give her a couple days...or weeks. She’ll feel better when we get this job done.” Ellie stated.

Max sure hoped that Ellie was right. He wasn’t going to be able to stand it if the Captain never got over this. For now, all he could do was keep his arms open to her for when she was ready. Or for when he knew she couldn’t take it anymore.

The crew dispersed reluctantly to finish out their chores to close out the day, the Captain weighing heavily on their minds. Max went to take a shower to wash off the blood (some his and some not his), dirt, and sweat from his body. He took a moment to reflect on what he had seen earlier, realizing that he hadn’t given himself a moment to process everything. He wasn’t quite like Ellie Fenhill who preferred to drink herself into oblivion until her mind was too foggy to remember much of it. He’d rather come to terms with it on his own time.

Max had killed more people that day than he had the entire time he had been traveling with you. The strung out marauders and the doped up test subjects were probably the most terrifying people he had ever encountered. They were basically soul ridden beings with no sense of purpose or morale. They were just blood thirsty, violent animals that were once loving people.

That was the scariest thing imaginable.

Max stood under the stream of water until it threatened to turn cold, prompting his exit. He changed into a pair of clean clothes before leaving the bathroom, debating on what he should do next. By the time he had freshened up, everyone else had turned in for the night. The only sounds were the humming and singing around the ship, as well as Felix’s beloved Tuesday night adventure serial coming from his cabin. 

Max eyed his own cabin, the only one with the door open and the lights turned on. Max chuckled to himself as he entered. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had actually spent an extended amount of time in his cabin. Ever since establishing a serious relationship with the Captain, he found himself staying in her room pretty much always. Her cabin was much larger than his, and despite the fact that her bed was exactly the same as his, he was convinced that it was comfier. 

Maybe because he always had someone he loved snuggled up to him at the end of every day.

He ran a hand through his damp hair to somewhat even it out. It always seemed to have a mind of its own when water dripped from his graying hair. She had always told him that she liked seeing his hair somewhat out of order, which was why she was likely the only person who had ever seen his hair unkempt.

He wasn’t too keen on the idea of sleeping alone, considering he had gotten so used to having her with him. But if she didn’t want him, then he would respect her desires. He bit the inside of his cheek in disapproval when he tried to stretch out onto his bunk. He sank into the mattress that hadn’t been used in quite some time, but it didn’t feel the same. 

His entire cabin just didn’t have the same comfort that hers did. Although, it wasn’t her cabin that he found comfort in. 

It was her.

Every other thought was occupied by his Captain. He wondered what she was doing as he lay there awake, worrying himself beyond measure. He was beginning to go against his own word, tempted to go to her even if she had pushed him away. She was struggling right now. She was suffering. 

He couldn’t just let the woman he loved be in pain like that.

He got up from his bed, quietly going down the stairs to the Captain’s door. The red light above her door indicated that it was still locked, and he couldn’t get in unless she opened it from inside or ADA unlocked it for him. It was awfully quiet from inside the Captain’s quarters, and he hoped that she was just asleep.

He traveled down to the ship’s computer asking ADA nicely to unlock the Captain’s bedroom. ADA, however, almost always gave Max a run for his money.

“I cannot take orders from anyone other than Captain Hawthorne.” ADA informed the vicar.

He groaned. 

“I know, ADA, but I’m worried about her. I just need to get into her room.” Max explained.

He always felt so stupid arguing with a machine. Although, ADA was likely light years smarter than he was.

“I can only take orders from Captain Hawthorne. You are not Captain Hawthorne.” ADA replied.

Max grumbled to himself. He’d have to take a different approach.

“Well...can you at least tell her I want to speak with her?” Max questioned.

“The Captain gave me direct instructions not to converse with her unless there was an emergency. Is this an emergency?” ADA acquired.

“No...” Max responded gruffly. He was a little surprised that the Captain had taken so many steps to avoid anyone from seeing her; “How would I go about unlocking her door myself?”

“Hypothetically, her door would automatically unlock if I entered a rest cycle. But that requires my restart button to be push-”

Suddenly, ADA’s screen went dark as Max put her into a manual rest cycle. The Captain usually ordered ADA to take a rest cycle overnight anyway unless something with the ship went wrong, so Max didn’t feel bad for shutting the computer up for a bit.

He commuted back to the Captain’s door, the doors whirring open to reveal what appeared to be an empty room. The Captain wasn’t sitting at her desk or laying in her bed, and she appeared to be nowhere to be found. Just as Max went to panic, he heard a sound. 

It was a soft noise that he would’ve missed if the room hadn’t been as quiet as it was. He followed the sound of sniffling over to the far corner of the room behind her bunk. 

The Captain was backed into the corner, knees huddled up to her chest with her head buried behind them. Her towel from her earlier shower was still wrapped around her naked body, indicating that she hadn’t even gotten dressed afterwards. Her skin was dry now, and her hair was just barely wet as if she had been there the entire time. She raised her head from her knees when she felt his presence, revealing her reddened, watery eyes and blotchy cheeks from her hours of crying. 

Max’s heart broke at the sight of his Captain falling to pieces like this. She was hands down the strongest, most confident person that he knew. He always reminded her how proud of her he was for always being the bigger person and doing what was right. Maybe that was his mistake. Perhaps he had made her feel like she had to be at her best all the time. 

She looked at him through bleary eyes, a fresh set of tears falling down her cheeks. Her voice cracked as she spoke, her tone thick with sobbing.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you.” She apologized, almost choking on her cries.

Immediately, Max was sitting at her side, her head falling onto his chest as she wailed. He eventually brought her into his lap to hold her close, rubbing her back up and down and kissing her temple. He hushed her, hating the feeling in his gut every time she sobbed out again. Her face was buried into the soft material of his shirt, her tears staining it. Her arms and legs were freezing from being exposed to the cold air of her quarters for so long without clothes, Max’s hands rubbing up and down to provide her some warmth.

“It’s alright, love. I’m here.” He hummed, holding the back of her neck in his hand.

“It was horrible. I’ve never seen anything like that,” She cried; “I don’t know how Spacer’s Choice could ever be capable of something like that.”

“Spacer’s Choice is arguably the most powerful corporation in the colony,” Max spoke; “The stronger the company, the more room there is for catastrophic events.”

The Captain sat up from his chest, leaning against Max’s leg that he had hiked up for her to lean on.

“I fucking hate the Board,” She hissed; “If I have to personally put a bullet in the skull of every single person involved then I swear to Law I’ll do it.”

Max was alarmed by her harsh words, his hands coming to her face to wipe away her tears.

“Captain. You’re better than this,” He remarked; “What’s the number one rule you always tell us? Try to talk it out before pulling the trigger.”

The Captain shook her head. Her tears had dried, but the anger coursing through her was giving her more energy than she had in days. 

“It’s becoming obvious that doesn’t always work. I don’t care if I have to wipe out every soul in Byzantium if it means overthrowing the Board.” She growled.

The last thing that Max ever wanted was for the Captain’s heart of gold to be hardened by all the things she had seen. In the beginning, the Captain had the most hope for the colony’s revival. Now though, her hope was diminishing with each new discovery she made.

He didn’t want her to become a lost soul the way that he had been for so long.

“What happened to my darling Captain? This isn’t you.” Max stated.

“I want the Board out of the system. Halcyon’s never going to make it with them around.” She replied in fury, ignoring his question.

“Captain, I-”

“I personally want to throw Sophia Akande out of an airlock.” She went on.

“Listen to me, this isn’t-”

“I’d like to throw her in a cell and pump her full of drugs just like-”

“Stop,” Max cut her off; “This isn’t how you do things. I know this isn’t how you want to do things.”

She finally let her tense shoulders relax for a second. Her eyes falling downward, her hands fiddling with the edge of her towel. 

“I know,” She whispered out; “I’m just tired of seeing so many people get hurt. Earth was never like this...not really.”

Max felt relief. Now she was beginning to sound like herself again. He pushed her hair behind her ear to reveal her pretty, but tired face. He caressed her face with his hand, her cheek resting in his palm. 

“If you keep doing things the way you have been, taking things day by day...then we’re going to be fine,” Max said; “I believe in you. I believe in us.”

She nodded, his hand falling to her waist and rubbing through her towel. 

“What do I do now?” She asked.

Max smiled softly.

“For now, let’s get you in bed. We can figure everything else out in the morning.” Max said, kissing the Captain’s knuckles in a gentle manner.

“Okay.” She replied.

She had to admit, it felt nice to have someone else giving orders for once.

Sleeping the rest of the night away was sounding really good to the Captain right about now. Without really giving it a second thought, the Captain let her towel fall so she could get dressed. She caught the way his eyes lit up at her naked frame, a blush evident on his face as he looked over her. She smirked a little, the first real positive emotion she’d had all day.

“You’re blushing, Vicar.” She teased,

His grin was blinding, as he pulled his leg in more to bring you in closer. 

“It’s hard not to,” He purred; “Beautiful...”

She kissed him like she meant it. His hands were warm on her exposed skin as he touched her the way he had dozens of times before. She ran her fingers through his hair, his smirk showing on her lips.

“I’m here for you. I love you.” He rumbled deeply.

“I love you.” She returned.

Max guided her up from the floor, wincing at the way her joints cracked from being uncomfortable for so long. He got her into a shirt to sleep in, bringing her over to her bed and getting her comfortable up against him. It didn’t take her long to fall asleep. The feel of Max next to her and the softness of the mattress under her was enough to send her straight to sleep. Max was tired too, but he wanted to make sure she was okay before he got any sleep. 

He knew she wasn’t totally back to normal. It’d be a while before she felt like herself fully again. But he didn’t care how long he had to wait.

After a successful week in dealing with MSI and the Iconoclasts, Captain Jade declared that the crew celebrate by heading to their favorite bar on Groundbreaker. Jade had been stretched thin this week, trying to convince Sanjar to come to an agreement with Zora of Amber Heights. Graham Bryant was a lost cause (considering Jade and Zora executed him), but Jade believed that Stellar Bay and Amber Heights could come to a middle ground.

And so they did.

Stellar Bay and Amber Heights were now in an agreement to strengthen their respective communities and work together. MSI and the Iconoclasts would now be working as one unit. It was a glorious victory, one that called for a night of drinking and partying. Jade was clad in a much more casual, non-spacer type of look. She had somehow managed to track down a pair of ripped jeans a few weeks ago, and a black tank-top that showed off her fit, curvy figure in the best way.

“No!” Jade shrieked at her preacher boyfriend; “I swear I can handle a few more.” She falsely claimed.

The vicar made a doubtful face. He knew that Jade was a bit of a lightweight, and that she had already hit her point of intoxication. He knew she was in for a nasty hangover the next morning. It didn’t help that Jade’s chosen poison of the evening had been Iceberg Whiskey, which was notorious for causing the following day to be a nightmare. 

“Oh, I’m sure you can, but it would be best if you call it quits.” Max persuaded.

Her dark green eyes were glazed over and a lazy smile was plastered on her face as Parvati took it upon herself to link her arm in Jade’s free one. Somehow, Felix and Nyoka had outdone their Captain. Felix was about a half sip away from blackout and Nyoka was slurring so badly that she sounded like she was speaking another language. Ellie was buzzed, but she was capable of getting them back to The Unreliable. 

“Come on, Max,” Jade persisted, drawing out his name; “We’re just getting started!”

Parvati couldn’t help but giggle at Jade’s behavior. It was kind of amusing to see her so loosened up. Jade had always been a fairly laid back person, but determined and stern when needed to be. She was textbook sarcastic and had a bit of a “no filter” problem. Max was trying not to laugh, because Jade sometimes could get emotional when she was inebriated and thought someone was mocking her.

“Trust me. We’re doing you a favor.” Max spoke, not at all prepared for what was going to come out of her mouth next.

“Speaking of favors...” Jade spoke as seductively as her compromised mental capacity could; “You want to give everyone a show and fuck me right here?” 

Parvati’s mouth fell wide open at Jade’s words. A deep blush crept onto Max’s cheeks as the Captain moved closer to his lips. Parvati suddenly felt like she was interrupting something she didn’t want to be a witness to.

“Ms. Holcomb, if you would be so kind to give Dr. Fenhill a hand? I can handle the Captain.” Max sent her off, just in case Jade decided to get mouthy again.

Parvati quickly detached from Jade, happy to leave this conversation.

“Yep!” She squeaked; “Sure thing!”

Parvati scuttled away, assisting Ellie in carrying Nyoka and Felix out of the bar and back to the ship. Max turned back to Jade, who was all over him. 

“I cannot believe you just said that.” He remarked, beginning to usher her out of the bar. 

“No, you can’t believe I said that in front of Parvati,” Jade corrected; “You act like the crew doesn’t know about us.”

Jade had a point. While neither Max nor Jade had ever confirmed to the crew that they were in a relationship, it had become fairly obvious over time. 

“It has always been an unspoken,” Max declared; “I thought your wish was not to bring it up when it wasn’t necessary?”

Jade shrugged, a hiccup forcing its way from her diaphragm.

“Okay, so maybe I was a tad too forward just then.” Jade admitted, cursing when she stubbed her toe on a loose floorboard. 

“Oh, really? You think so?” He replied sarcastically. 

She giggled again as they walked down the stairs of the docking bays. She suddenly yelped out. Max stopped their commute, looking at her with an unamused expression.

“What?” He wondered.

“My feet hurt.” Jade complained.

He snorted at that.

“I’m surprised that you can feel anything based off of how much you imbibed.” He stated.

Jade whined, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“Carry me?” She requested.

Max let out a soft chuckle. Oh, the things he did for his Captain. He swept her off of her feet, cradling her as they continued their short journey to the ship. She was humming a song, very out of tune if he was being honest. He managed to open the airlock with her in his arms, laughing when he entered the loading deck to see Felix was out cold and Parvati and Ellie were attempting to drag him up the stairs. 

“The Captain too?” Ellie asked, thinking Jade was knocked out too.

Jade piped up at the sound of her name, waving at the two women. They snickered and continued to drag Felix’s limp body upstairs, God only knew where Nyoka had gone. With Jade still in his arms, he carried her into the navigation room to tell ADA where to take the ship.

“ADA!” Jade chimed.

“Hello, Captain. How can I be of assistance?” The computer replied.

Jade hiccuped again, pointing out of the window as if ADA had any clue as to where she was pointing.

“SCYLLA!” Jade instructed.

Max cut in.

“Ah- No, Jade. We’re not going to Scylla.” He argued. 

They had absolutely no reason to go to Scylla. The whole crew hated Scylla for various reasons, so Max definitely didn’t want the ship to end up there. 

“I’m the Captain of this ship. I say we go to Scylla.” Jade bantered back, looking up at her lover.

He scowled. He had no idea where the ship actually NEEDED to go, considering Jade never really told the crew their plans until it was time. 

“J, what the hell are we going to do on Scylla? At least pick a place where we won’t be boarded and shot at.” Max said.

Jade sighed dramatically.

“Fine. ADA, let’s hit up Fallbrook.” She said, defeated.

ADA got the ship en route to Fallbrook, Max exiting the terminal with Jade. His arms were getting tired from carrying his squirming girlfriend, so he was ready to set her down. He entered her quarters, making sure the door whirred closed behind them. 

“Let’s get you ready for bed.” He said aloud.

He approached the bed, setting her down gently on the mattress. Normally, Jade almost always showered before bed, but there was no way he was going to trust her in the shower in this state. Jade grabbed the hem of her tank top, trying to pull it off of her body, but ultimately getting it stuck on her head and over her face. Max watched, his pupils dilating when he saw the lacy, red bra she had been wearing underneath. He cleared his throat, pushing the thought aside. 

“You are so drunk.” He added, laughing again as he helped her get it off the rest of the way. 

His eyes raked over her chest, as he went to unbutton her jeans. Jade, as under the influence as she was, still had game. She smiled at him in a lustful, sultry way.

“Does the vicar like what he sees?” She purred.

“I do,” He said truthfully, pulling the jeans off of Jade’s legs; “You’re beautiful, love.”

He turned to get her a fresh shirt, but she shrieked in protest, quickly wrapping her legs around him and pulling him back to her. He looked down at his bubbly girlfriend, a smile appearing on his face.

“Do you need something?” He asked, knowing she was just being clingy.

“Kiss me?” She asked sweetly. 

“Always.” He obliged, leaning down and hovering over her.

He kissed her deeply, tasting the whiskey that she had put a dent into. She nibbled on his bottom lip, rolling her hips into his crotch. She reached for his pants, but he pulled away.

“No, you are way too drunk for that.” He refused.

She pouted.

“Please? You look so good...” She complimented.

Max would’ve loved nothing more than to finish off a fun night with even more fun, but Jade was too out of it to consent and definitely not in any shape to be that physical. 

“I appreciate it, but you need to sleep it off.” He instructed.

Jade huffed as he slipped a new shirt over her head, prompting her to move over and to get under the covers. She snuggled in her warm bed, attaching to Max like a koala the second he joined her. He held her in his arms, kissing her freckled nose. He pushed her bright blonde hair from her face, caressing her skin.

“Max?” She called.

He replied.

“Yes?”

“I love you.” Jade said honestly.

He kissed her again, before she drifted into a drunken slumber.

One-Shots

Incompetence - He may not know what the word means, but he knows he loves his Captain.

A Team Matter - The Captain has a lot of stress on her shoulders, but Felix never lets her take all the hits.

In all the commotion, Felix took a tumble into the captain caused her to fall backwards into the cold pond that was filled by Fallbrook’s infamous waterfall. That was by far the coldest water that she had ever taken a plunge in, the kind that made her lungs contract quickly and force her to come up thrashing for air. Felix desperately lifted her from the water, already planning out his resignation in his head. 

He repeated his panicked apology over and over until he was sure that she wasn’t going to keel over from shock. The SubLight patron was promptly dealt with when his colleagues tore him away from the scene, which was great timing considering that the captain now had a bigger problem to deal with. 

Felix and Parvati helped the captain as much as they could, assisting her in ringing out as much water out of her clothes as she could, as well as ditching as many clothes as she could afford to lose without being indecent. 

It wasn’t lost on the captain that she needed to get to a warm place as quickly as she could, and considering her previous violent engagement with SubLight, she didn’t feel comfortable staying in Fallbrook. The ship was docked in Stellar Bay, which meant that the captain and her companions were going to have to book it back there.

The captain was soaked from head to toe, and even though Felix gave up his long-sleeved shirt to get her some warmth, it was only a temporary fix. Her boots squished on the uneven Monarch terrain the whole back, the feeling of wet socks only adding to her discomfort.

By the time they made it to the ship, the captain’s fingers were trembling so badly that she could barely open the airlock. She was met with a blast of heat when she entered, which was a relief, but she also feared it wouldn’t be enough.

Parvati immediately was at the captain’s feet, unlacing her boots and getting her wet socks off as quickly as she could. Felix fled up the stairs, screaming for Ellie as if the captain was about to croak at any moment. 

ADA welcomed them as always, and the captain struggled to speak to her favorite automated system. 

“ADA, t-turn up the heat, please. I’m f-freezing.” She chattered, from where she stood.

Her muscles were beginning to ache from the shivering, and she was beginning to feel even more lethargic.

“Yes, Captain. Enhancing the ship’s temperature.” ADA chimed back.

The roar of the heating system could be heard in the ship. It was music to her ears.

Felix’s borrowed shirt was now just as wet as her remaining clothes, so she let it fall to the floor in the small puddle from her slow dripping. She was down to her undershirt and pants now, the heat feeling like nothing on her skin. The rest of the crew came running down the stairs, wondering what the hell Felix had been squabbling about.

“What the hell happened?” Ellie questioned, springing into action when she saw the captain barely able to stand up. Ellie rested her hands on the captain, flinching when she felt how cold she was. “Law! Did you go fucking swimming?”

“I’ll say. Her whole body’s shaking like a stunned rapt!” Nyoka shrieked from the staircase.

Felix was a blabbering mess. It was his fault that this had happened, and he just hoped that he still had a job. He had grown so fond of her and respected her greatly, and he never wanted anything bad to happen to her. Felix tried his best, and he often felt like such a screw up. 

The captain didn’t miss the way that the ship’s dear vicar was burning holes into Felix, and she already knew that Max was going to give Felix a hard time for this. 

“I w-went for a little dip.” She said, trying to ease the tension with a joke. 

Everybody was amused at her playful banter, except for Max and Felix. Felix was hysterical.

“I swear I didn’t see you behind me. I was running for cover and I tripped and-”

“Your idiocy put the captain in danger,” Max hissed, moving to corner Felix. “What the fuck were you the thinking?”

Usually, Felix would be quick to defend himself and his intelligence, but he knew that this was totally his fault. 

“Max, I didn’t mean to,” He pleaded, eyes shining with fear of being thrown off the crew and beaten to a pulp by a priest. “Boss, I’m sorry.”

Max stepped even closer to Felix, his fists clenching at his sides and a fire burning in his eyes. The captain cut into this altercation, diffusing the situation before it escalated. 

“It was an accident, M-Max. He didn’t mean to.” She said still shaking violently.

Before either of the boys could reply, Ellie asked her previous question.

“What exactly happened?”

“A SubLight worker got into it with the captain. We were fighting him off when Felix knocked her into the lake,” Parvati explained. “It must’ve been cold something awful the way she came barreling out of there.”

“I don’t see any real signs of hypothermia, but you need to get warm. Max, take all the blankets from the rooms upstairs and have them in her quarters,” Ellie ordered before turning her attention back to the captain. “We need to get you dry.”

“I’ll get you some dry clothes. Okay, Captain?” Parvati offered. “I mean, as long as you’re comfortable with me going through your stuff.”

The captain nodded at the sound of that. Dry clothes and a warm bed had never sounded so good.

“F-Felix, don’t worry yourself. We’re good. Get some rest.” She reassured the young man who looked like he was about to melt into the floor.

His nervous rocking stilled and a little color returned to his face. It looked like he wouldn’t be losing his job after all.

“Oh...thanks, Boss. I’m really sorry.” He apologized for the thousandth time.

With Ellie on her left and Nyoka on her right, they escorted the captain up the stairs into the bathroom where she completely stripped off all of her clothes. Nyoka worked on drying the captain’s hair while Ellie worked on getting her skin dry and covered with towels. Parvati returned with dry clothes: comfortable pants, a long sleeved shirt, and insulated socks.

The captain dressed swiftly, sighing loudly at the feeling of warmth surrounding her. Ellie tossed the wet clothes and towels aside for SAM to wash later.

“Feeling better?” She asked, exiting the bathroom behind her.

The shaking was casually fading, but Ellie said it would take a little while to completely stop. She was starting to feel normal again, her words and sentences becoming fluid again.

“Yeah, I am. Thanks for the help.” She said, thanking Ellie and Nyoka.

“Anytime, Cap. Just stay away from any lakes for a while.” Nyoka said, heading off to her room for the night.

“Don’t mention it. You’ll need to take your temperature again in a little bit. Just yell if you need me.” Ellie said, also retreating to her cabin.

In her socked feet, the captain padded her way to the other cabins to check in on Felix. His door was closed and it was quiet inside, which struck her as odd. Felix usually kept his door open until he went to bed, and even then there was always some kind of ruckus going on.

“Felix?” The captain knocked. “Are you up?”

There was a small stir from the inside, and a surprised response.

“Yeah, boss.” He said, and a click from the other side indicated that he unlocked the door. 

The doors opened with a swoosh, revealing a very tired and mildly upset Felix Millstone. The captain let out a small gasp at the sight of his watery and red eyes.

“Felix…” She cooed, entering the room and closing the door again. “What’s the matter?” 

He sniffed, a pitiful whine sounding from his chest. 

“I’m sorry,” He fought the urge to start crying again. “I’m tired of messing up.”

“I’m okay, Felix. It was just a little mistake,” She assured him. “I’m not angry with you at all.”

“I just-” He hiccuped. “I can’t get thrown off this crew. You were my only chance out of Groundbreaker and to make somethin’ out of myself.”

The captain gripped his shoulders, her cool skin sending a shudder through him.

“I don’t throw people off of my ship for making a mistake. The thought never even crossed my mind,” She said. “You have made me very proud. You’re going to be a part of my crew as long as you’re willing to stay…and as long as you don’t decide to switch up on me and go team up with the Board.” 

Felix couldn’t help but laugh at such a ridiculous thought. He would never even dream of it. 

“No way, boss.” He sniffed again, wiping at the tears in his eyes. 

The captain gave him a hug then, the kind that had him nuzzling his face into her hair and wrapping his arms as far around her as he could. After today, he definitely needed it. 

“Now, please, try and get some sleep?” She asked when he pulled away and gathered himself. 

He nodded and thanked her – and with that, the captain left him to get some rest. She walked back down the stairs to her own cabin, opening the doors to a welcome sight. 

Max was waiting for her with blankets and a very inviting bed. She wasted no time crawling onto the mattress and snuggling up next to him. He practically swaddled her with blankets, and the fact that there was still a slight shiver to her muscles worried him. 

“You’re still cold.” He stated.

“Really? Hadn’t noticed.” She giggled.

The heat coming off of him felt wonderful, and he had always said that he ran warmer than the average person. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms to create more heat for her.

She was as happy as a clam all cuddled up in her bed with him showering her with affection. Max, however, still wasn’t over the whole thing. 

“Mr. Millstone is reckless.” He growled, his chest inhaling and exhaling an aggravated sigh.

She could hear his heartbeat thumping in his chest as he got himself riled up again. She predicted that this was coming. 

“Max...” She warned.

“He fails to think his actions through. Today was just another example of how irresponsible he is.” He ranted on.

The captain felt a strong urge to defend Felix. She knew how hard he worked to earn his keep on her crew, all while trying to look out for everyone else. An accident wasn’t something that she found deserving of this kind of behavior.

“He made a mistake. He’s upset enough as it is,” She raised her head to look him square in the face. “The important thing is that we made it out safely.”

Max sighed again. He knew she was right. It was easy to get disoriented in a situation like that…and it was a situation that they found themselves in rather often. 

Max knew that he could be a little overprotective of the captain. It was hard not to be. He had grown to care for her and love her in a way that was so beautiful that he felt like he had to do what he could to keep her safe. The whole “saving the colony” ordeal affected the captain more than she was willing to show. 

There had been many late nights where the captain vented and fell apart in the vicar’s arms from the mental toll that it was taking on her. He saw things about her differently than the rest of the crew. He never wanted her to be hurt or directly in harm’s way…but it was inevitable. 

And when it did happen, he always felt the need to put the blame on someone or something else so he didn’t feel like he had failed to keep her safe.

“You’re right. I suppose I am too harsh on him sometimes.” He admitted.

“You should be more inviting with him. Have a drink or two with him.” She suggested.

“Yes, Captain.” He replied sarcastically.

“I’m serious! You could learn just as much from him as he could from you,” She stated. “I want my crew to be on good terms with one another.”

“Darling, I don’t dislike Mr. Millstone. Oddly enough I do find him rather entertaining at times,” He confessed. “I didn’t mean to give off a different impression.”

“It’s just that…you guys and Phineas are the only help I have at saving Halcyon. I was thrown into this captain thing, you know?” She went on. “Anything that happens to any of you is my responsibility.”

The crew loved her dearly. She was a mentor to Parvati and Felix. A sister to Ellie and Nyoka. An instructor to ADA and SAM. A soulmate to Max.

At the end of the day, she was one of the most important people in everyone’s lives. That didn’t help with her stress and workload. She found comfort in it though. To have a support system...a family to fall back on. 

“I’ve already started thinking about what will happen when this mission is over,” She said. “Parvati will definitely stay on Groundbreaker with Junlei. Nyoka will go back to Monarch. SAM will obviously stay here. There’s no telling where Felix and Ellie will end up. And you…”

A hot rise in her throat completely cut her off. What was Max going to do after this was all said and done? His OSI and “unmasking the Plan” days were behind him. Would he go back to Edgewater? Was he going to make a life for himself in Stellar Bay? 

The thought of Max leaving was unbearable. The captain had every intention of staying on The Unreliable and helping Phineas revive the colonists. She would probably spend her days bopping from planet to moon to asteroid working jobs for SubLight and Phineas and doing favors for all the acquaintances she had made along the way. Did Max fit into that equation?

The captain didn’t have to say any of this out loud. Max could read her like a book.

“My dear captain...oh, my darling,” He spoke, his hand cradling her face. “I’m not going anywhere when this is over. You’re in my life for a reason. I’d be a fool to leave you behind. I’ll forever be a part of your life and this ship…as long as you’ll have me.”

She nuzzled her head into his hand.

“Of course. As long as you don’t try to recruit me to OSI.” She joked.

“Very funny,” He snorted. “But they wouldn’t take you anyway.”

She shot up and looked at him with her jaw dropped and eyes wide. His hands rested on her hips, a grin appearing on his face.

“Are you saying I’d make a lousy woman of the cloth?” She asked.

“Not necessarily. I’m simply stating that OSI doesn’t typically take...adventurers who have a kill count,” He replied. “Plus, I don’t believe I’ve ever known a female vicar.”

“You went to prison! OSI will take people who have been to prison but not someone who killed somebody out of defense?” She interrogated, reaching for her pillow and smacking him with it. 

He shrieked at the feeling of being hit in the face, but laughter bubbled out of his chest. The sound of him laughing at her caused her eyes to grow dark as she moved to straddle him. His hands were warm on the tops of her thighs as he gripped them ever so.

“Might I remind you that I was assigned there as the vicar. I was already recruited to OSI,” He said. “They kept me around because I suffered my punishment and promised to fulfill a life of the duties of a good vicar.”

“Mm. And how did that work out?” She asked, her voice low and silky.

Her hips rocked nonchalantly and at a tantalizingly slow speed. The delicious friction made him throw his head back.

“I’m now one of the Board’s most wanted outlaws and I’m in bed with a lawfully beautiful woman...so maybe I haven’t been as good as I promised.” He purred.

She laughed at that, leaning down to kiss him. But just as her lips brushed his neck, ADA’s voice rang out in the captain’s quarters. 

“Captain, I suggest that you have your temperature scanned again per Dr. Fenhill’s orders.”

The captain groaned.

“ADA, I’m fine now.” She replied back, voice muffled from her lips on her vicar’s neck.

“She might have the right idea. It can’t hurt.” Max added in.

“You want me to stop?” She asked drawing her head back. “Fine, I’ll go take my temperature.”

Max whimpered slightly at the loss of contact, regretting that he persuaded her to leave. She smirked as she exited the room.

“Hey, Max?” Her voice called from the doorway.

He raised a brow in response. She gave a wink as she left him in her room to return shortly.