Jax was sure the First Mate Doctor would run, stomp, escape back to her cabin. She could hide there just fine and has done so before. This was different, even Jax could tell, but he knew her room held parts of her in the books, in the clean space or privacy most at sea do not have. So he was surprised, well, shocked really when she didn't head in that direction. It was true her fast pace was a bit more panicked and distressed than her usually cold exit. Much different than they way she stomped away from him last time at the pond. With a forced walk as close to a run he ever saw a woman make, she was out of town before he ever realized. But then the path became obvious to him.

Night Blooms. They tuck closed for so long. He wondered if they could feel or sense the other flowers around them opening. 

She was sitting there and her body changed. But Jax was not sure what that meant. He stood behind her. Now this was the hard part. What should he do? She came here, to the spot he shared with her. To the place he found comfort and wanted to show her, the beauty, the peace, the place where the rest of the bustle doesn’t notice so much. No Commanders here. But he wasn’t sure she wanted him either.

Night Blooms don't open that often. Many miss the flower. 

 Maybe something he did or said made her run. He could accept that. But here? Why would she run from him to this pond? Forget it Jax, he scolded himself. There was no way he would understand her. Since when did he want to figure out what anyone else thought? No, that was not something Jax had a very good handle on at all. It was all about what he felt. His gut mattered. And right now it was saying sit beside her.

Hell, he couldn't make things much worse, could he?

So Jax slowly moved to sit right beside the First Mate, whose name she still had not given him permission to use. He tried not to startle her making it seem like it was natural and expected that he would be there. He didn’t look to her as she was so tight in her own little ball. He looked toward the flowers as they spread over the pond fully opened to the night sky. 

Sometimes just sitting by beauty was enough.

Jax put his arm around her not to hug her tenderly or crease her shoulder. It was the hang of an offered friendship arm, an attempt of understanding. He wanted to tell her it was all right. She could let go of anything here. It stays here. He has her back. But he wasn’t sure how she would take any of his silly attempts to do more than just sit with the scent of flowers and the light of the stars. If she looked to him, he knew he would smile.