In this chapter:

pair-of-socks
conceptalbumhorsie
Bonjour_ImLafayette
@xthewindoftimex

[Well talked about not physically]

All three men stated in the same spot they'd been since the Karn Evil 9 had departed.

Carl looked as if someone had killed his favourite pet.

Greg was somewhere else though he stood on the ship's deck.

Keith was the first to break away from his transfixtion on the horizon.

"What are we doing?" Keith asked no one specifically.

"What do you mean?" Greg questioned.

"I mean why are we standing around here?" Keith answered turning to face the two guys.

"What do you expect us to do?" Greg stared him down with confusion.

"Well that's up to the captain." Keith said nonchalantly.

Greg rolled his eyes, "In case you didn't see, which I'm sure you did, our captain was kidnapped!" He snapped back at the painter.

"Actually he's right here." Keith said a little smile on his face.

"I appreciate the gesture, Keith but I don't know where we'd go." Greg replied with a chuckle.

"No you, Lake." Keith hissed.

"Alright Capt'n where do you suggest we go?" Greg mocked the painter.

"Me? Oh no not me." He said with his smug smile on his lips growing bigger. "Gregory meet our new Captain." He finished wrapping an arm around Carl's shoulder.

"Him? You're kidding right?" The merchant said in between laughter.

The tavern owner balled up his fists advancing on the Merchant, "Actually he's telling the truth!" He yelled at his face.

"Calm down, Palmer." Greg said still laughing.

"That's Capt'n Palmer." Bit back the younger brunette.

Greg stopped laughing and looked shocked, "When the hell did you get so brazen?" He asked.

"The day I became captain, now get yer arses in ship shaped, we're going after the Karn Evil 9!" The captain hollered to his crew.

"I like this new Carl!" Keith hollered over the cheers.

"Me too." Greg shouted back.

"I knew he wouldn't let her go without a fight." Keith cheered making the captain blush.

"Yeah are you sure you're not just excited to see Annie again?" Greg whispered only loud enough for only the painter to hear him.

"I would love to see her again but the feeling that were there are no longer present, she likes another I felt it." Keith spoke endearingly with a faraway look on his face.

"And you're alright with that?" Carl asked when everyone calmed down.

"Course he is did you not see the way he looked at that ravenette?" Greg said nudging Carl and winking at Keith.

"Like you looked at the redhead?" Carl bit back playfully wearing a knowing look.

"That was different from how he looked at that ravenette!" Greg said rolling his eyes for the umpteenth time.

"I thought You were gonna give her a piece of your mind, but you just clammed up!" Spoke the Painter between laughs.

"Shut--"

"A speechless Lake, never thought I'd live to see the day." Carl said joining in on the fun.

"You can swim right?" Greg asked the painter in a low tone.

"Course I can." Keith answered in a boasting way.

"Good." Greg growled.

With that in mind that answer had sealed Keith's fate as Greg pushed him over the edge of the ship.

"Arsehole!!" Keith screamed from below.

"Very mature." Carl mumbled under his breath while rubbing his temples in frustration. "Now help him out, or you'll join him." He warned the laughing Merchant

Greg laughed even harder, gave the captain a mocking salute and went off to go fish Keith out of the ocean.

The captain took his leave to start steering the ship, he took to his new position like a duck to water.

He still had things to think about, like when did Stephanie become a pirate?

When did she become Stevie? He pondered completely immersing himself into his thoughts he didn't see the other two burst into his cabin.

"I think you broke my fucking nose!" The merchant yelled holding his gushing nose with his hand.

"Good! Be glad I didn't break yer fucking legs!" Keith yelled back.

Carl looked up and bursted into a fit of laughter, the scene before him was like out of those comics that the artists right for children.

Keith looked like a drowned rat and was grasping his pants to keep them from falling down he gave up on his shirt that now hung off his shoulders and he had seaweed laced in his hair.

Greg on the other hand was covered in blood having that the injury bled through his make shift rag, this only mad the captain laugh harder.

The two looked at the captain with confused looks as to why he was laughing.

Carl pulled himself together then grabbed a little mirror nearby and showed the two men as to why he was laughing.

They peered at their reflections then glared at Carl who only broke out into another fresh fit of laughter causing the other two to facepalm.

~ TBC