A Sailor's Life For Me (Christopher)

[Christine Montgomery]

She laughed and shook her head, "How about an aunt to keep you home more often?" she asked, if she couldn't go out to see anymore, then she would feel much better with her uncle at home.

There was that...and the fact that she wanted him to be happy...maybe settle down or something. Not that she was ever looking forward to a time when someone would replace her in his heart.

[Christopher Montgomery]

He raised an eyebrow at her, but still looked at her with some amusement on his face. "An aunt? I don't know about that just yet. After all, the sea is the number one thing in my life other than you of course. But, I'll tell you what. I'll keep an open mind about it and keep an eye and ear out here and there. I'm not going to make you any promises that you will have an aunt."

Christopher had thought once or twice that settling down could be nice, but then that would mean he couldn't go sail around the world. Then again, he would have another adventure all on its own. Plus, if she didn't mind, Christopher would take her sailing around the world a time or two. He shook his head. The crazy thoughts needed to leave him alone. He was just fine the way he was right then.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine laughed, "How some woman hasn't gobbled you up by now I'll never know." she said shaking her head, then again her uncle was rarely long enough in a place to form what one would call a lasting commitment more it was like he had a girl in every port. But one could hardly blame him when he looked the way he did...the girls simply took after him.

[Christopher Montgomery]

He laughed at his niece's comment. "Thanks for the encouragement Chrissy. I'll try, but like I said, I can't make any promises." There wasn't one girl that seemed to have captured his heart just yet. Of course he hadn't really let a woman take his heart yet. That was mainly because of the fact that he was focused on taking care of Christine so that his brother wouldn't kill him.

"While I keep an open mind, you have to keep an open mind too."

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine groaned at his logic but was quick to smile afterward and nodded, "I will try." she said, and she meant it.

She was simply heartbroken from being torn away from her Uncle and from the adventure she loved so much. It hurt just thinking about being apart from them. She was also starting to become attached to the young Andrew. Not in a romantic fashion but Andrew wasn't like other boys, he listened to her problems and shared her ideas for equality among the sexes. Oh well, Andrew would still be there the next time the ship rolled in.

[Christopher Montgomery]

"Don't groan missy," Christopher said with another smile. "I promise if you keep an open mind you'll see things you've never noticed before. You'll be grateful that you did, and I will possibly be glad to keep an open mind when it comes to finding someone to settle down." He gave her a wink.

"And don't look so sad, you are welcome to the ship whenever you want to come. We'll be waiting here with open arms."

[Christine Montgomery]

"Oh it won't be that bad Uncle Chris...I know that." she sighed, " I just will miss you all so much. I am looking forward to whatever adventure's to be had at the school. " she smiled faintly, " And it's not like father would send guards there. Hogwarts will be tame in comparison." she sighed again but her smiled appeared more gracefully. "I am looking forward to not having so many prying eyes."

[Christopher Montgomery]

"I don't understand why your father decides to send so many guards to watch you. After all, I have taken pretty good care of you and you haven't been seriously hurt or anything." Christopher just shook his head. "But I'm glad to see that you're looking on the bright side of things love. Although, Hogwarts could be tamer, or it could be wilder, it just depends on how you make things." He gave her a grin.

"No guards will be great, and you'll finally have great freedom. I'm sure that you'll have a lot of fun. I do expect you to write me from time to time. I will write to you of course."

[Christine Montgomery]

She shrugged, "'He worries." She was the oddest creature, but then again the Montgomeries weren't exactly happy unless they were finding a bit of sport with one another, arguing and the like. Really it was a thing between her uncles and her father, but as soon as any of them were attacked they banded together instantly. She could complain all she wanted to about being overprotected and guarded too much, but if someone agreed with her, she'd support her father and reconsider that he was only doing it for her own good.

"Of course I'll write. To you and to the crew of course...Oh Uncle Chris you have to let the crew use the owls to mail me back. I'd go positively insane if I didn't hear from them occasionally."

[Christopher Montgomery]

"I'll let the crew owl you," said Christopher with a smile. "I'm sure that they will love to write you and hear from you." He gave her a wink. About that time, there was a knock on his cabin door and Christopher raised an eyebrow. He went over to the door and opened it, only to find his cabin boy standing there. "Can I help you," he asked.

"I just wanted to let you know Sir, that I will not be joining you on this trip," said his cabin boy. Chris looked at him funny, but then remembered how giddy the boy had been to get back home. "May I ask as to why you are not joining us on our journey?"

"Mary Beth agreed to be my wife Sir. I can't just leave her after she said that she wanted to marry me." Chris sighed. He couldn't deny Daniel's leave wasn't a good enough excuse. Now where was he going to find a new cabin boy?

Christopher turned to Christine. "You might want to go ahead and say good bye to Daniel. He's finally going to marry the girl that he has been carrying on about for the past three months," he said with a smile.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine laughed, "She went for the flowers hmm?" she asked having had a hand in Daniel's marriage proposal, "I won't be saying goodbye to him Uncle. He and I will be saying goodbye to you..." she sighed solemnly although managed a smile for Daniel's sake, "I'm staying here in London for a bit...I won't be going on the next voyage either." she explained.

Then nodded, "I ought to tell the crew.."

[Christopher Montgomery]

"I'll make sure I stop by and see you and Mary Beth whenever I make it back to port." He gave a smile to Daniel who scurried off from the cabin door. Looking back to Christine, he nodded. "I'll make sure that all of them are on deck so that you can tell the crew. While you do that, I'm going to be trying to figure out who my new cabin boy is going to be." He smiled at her and offered her his arm as they walked out on deck.

Looking out to his crew, they were all busy working, trying to get everything in order. Christopher had to admire all of their hard work, even Andrew's who didn't seem too strong. Of course, Chris didn't mind it because Andrew was a hard worker no matter what task was given to him.

Christopher cleared his throat loudly and gave a clap of his hands. He didn't really like to yell to much. Naturally, at the clap, the crew all turned around and looked up at them. "Chrissy has something she wants to say," he said taking a step back so that Christine could take a step forward.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine paused to think about his dilemma before suggesting, " Andrew, he's young still and capable around a ship, and..." she paused as if this were the real reason, "You can keep him up to date on his reading lessons." she nodded.

Then he went out to get the crew together.

This was it...oh and it was much harder than she thought it would be, she gave her goodbyes after telling them what she was going to do but that she'd see them soon, and as always she kept up her happy face and never let them see that this was killing her.

[Christopher Montgomery]

"Andrew, hm?" Christopher thought about it for a moment. "Remind me to ask him after this." He gave a reassuring nod to Christine. Whenever she took a step forward, Chris knew that it was going to be hard for her. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder in a reassuring manner.

Christopher looked out at the crew as Chrissy spoke. He watched their reactions, especially Andrew's. The look of shock were all on their faces. He swallowed and took a step forward to stand beside Christine. "But of course she'll be here on Holidays whenever she wants to be." He looked down to her and nodded for her to go on down the stairs to the crew. "Go hug them," he whispered. "And tell Andrew to come see me, will you?"

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine nodded at her orders and descended into the now unhappy looking crowd they knew she didn't want to leave as much as she knew it and they offered their condolences even though she said that she was looking forward to the adventure.

Sighing she had another goodbye to make with Andrew and it would probably be the hardest other than her uncle.

(Ooc: Lol pause here so I can make Andrew, he'll be up later)

[Andrea Fairchild]

Andrea or "Andrew" as she was known, felt the acute loss, perhaps more than any other crew member. She had gotten to know Christine, gotten to spend time in female company and it had really been wonderful, now the girl was leaving and Andrea was going to be alone again, the only female on the ship. Her heartbeat quickened, this wasn't good...at least with Christine on board she felt a bit safer. Not that she hadn't been sailing with this lot for the past six years, but still her stomach clenched at what they would do to her if they found out she was a female.

When Christine got to her Andrea wanted to cry and beg her to stay, she knew the girl was younger than her but it didn't matter. Still she lifted her chin and endured the goodbyes before being soundly surprised when Christine told her that the captain wanted her.

What for?

Nodding solemnly and still thinking about Christine, Andrea made her way up to the captains quarters, knocking first.

[Christopher Montgomery]

Christopher left Christine on deck while he returned to his quarters. He hated that Christine was leaving. It was nice to have a woman on the ship, even if it was supposedly bad luck. His niece made the trips fun and amusing. Their trips without her would still have the element it used to have, but it would be slightly different.

When he arrived at his quarters, Christopher took a seat at his desk and started to look over the charts and made sure that he knew the direction they were heading before they actually left.

He heard the knock on his door. "Come in."

[Andrea Fairchild]

Andrea's pulse beat faster as it did whenever the captain singled her out for whatever reason. She assured herself that her knees weakening was mostly from the power he had over her life if she was ever caught. She shook away her nerves and firmly opened the door.

"Wanted to see me capt'n?" she asked in the sailor's drawl she had picked up. She didn't look like a woman in the slightest, her face was dirty, her clothing baggy, all feminine assets bound and hidden. She wore a skewed cap to hide her soft hair that had unruly tufts here and there. Though her features, had she been cleaned up would probably have given her away, her nose was too pert, her lips sensual, and her eyes too pretty. She had cut her lashes since they had been far too long and thick for a boy's lashes. That coupled with the scruffiness and sailor's manner she had adopted made for a well developed disguise.

[Christopher Montgomery]

"Andrew," Christopher said turning around. "Just the person I wanted to see. Have a seat if you wish." He motioned towards a chair at the end of his desk.

Always, Christopher had been nice to the crew. He gave them no reason to hate him. After all, he would have to sail with these people for a good while, but the crew had grown on him the first year sailing. They had become somewhat like another family to him. Plus, when it came to storms or if there was a lot to do around deck, Christopher would be right down with the crew scurrying around trying to get everything in order.

"I have a question for you. Daniel has left the crew because he's getting married soon, and I'm out of a cabin boy. I know that Christine has taking a liking toward you and she wants to make sure that your safe." Christopher felt like he didn't have to mention Andrew's body size. "And it will also help me not have to go in search of another cabin boy and get him used to the crew. So, what do you say Andrew? Do you want to be my cabin boy?"

[Andrea Fairchild]

Cabin boy?

As Andrew, she would have been delighted of course, a boy would like to see his ranks going up by being close to the captain, especially since she wasn't much help as a sailor with the strength the job required.

But...Cabin boy? Her? Cabin-girl would be the proper term now.

As Andrea being constantly in his sights oh...that could be bad, that could be really bad. Luckily his eyes weren't on her as she debated the answer she had time to come up with the proper facial expression.

"Sir...but what about my other duties?"