We were victorious. Technically. But victorious, nonetheless. Myself and my crew laid about the freshly clean deck and drank the night away in celebration. Music was played as was friendly fights and skits. We danced and sang as we drank our ale and rum, enjoying the light attitude that came after the Iron Legion departed.

Wanda sat alone on a barrel that was leaned up against the side of the ship, holding her cup with both hands and looking forlornly out at the darkened empty sea. I looked over at her and drunkenly stood up from my seat amongst the other girls and walked over to her, taking a seat on another barrel next to her. She looked over at me briefly, acknowledging my presence, and turned back to the water.

"So...you really are a witch," I said, my voice speaking slow and the words coming out slurred. Wanda chuckled and took a small sip of her drink, a little smile gracing her lips.

"Told you so," she muttered, looking down.

"What's the matter?"

"Everyone's scared of me now. After seeing what I did to Captain Stark, they're afraid of me. Of what I can do."

I looked over to the group of girls that sat a little ways away from us. They were laughing and were completely oblivious to Wanda's feelings.

"Wanda, no one here is scared of you. You helped to save us. We'd..." I paused as I hiccupped, "be dead without you."

She didn't answer me and stared out at the ocean again. I didn't miss the tear that rolled down her face as she looked out and away from me. Without thinking, I blurted out, "I'm not scared of you."

She snapped her head back at me as another tear slid down.

"What?" she asked quietly.

"I am not scared of you, Wanda," I repeated slowly. She stared at me, confusion in her eyes, and again without thinking, I reached out and touched her face, pulling it closer to me, and pressed my lips against hers. I felt her hesitate and resist a bit, her hands coming up to gently push against my chest, but right before I was about to pull away and give her some space, she leaned into it more. Her arms wrapped around the back of my neck and mine wandered lower, cupping her breasts and coming around her waist. She hummed softly and I scooped her into my arms and carried her back to my quarters.

○○○

I woke the next morning with a start. The morning light exacerbated my alcohol induced headache and seeing Wanda's naked body next to me sent my heart on a downward spiral into my stomach. She laid on her side face me, her hands balled in little fists that gripped the sheet of my bed, dark red indents circled her wrists where the cuffs were. Her long brown hair fell loosely over her shoulder, framing her pale face and lightly brushing against her red swollen lips. Right below the tips of her hair, against the light skin of her neck, sat a dark red circle; the unmistakable mark of a hickey.

She snored softly next to me, her lips parted slightly, the golden sunlight shined against her bare skin, illuminating it in a beautiful warm glow. She stirred a bit, groaning in her sleep, and pulled the covers over her more. I released a shaky breath and jumped out of bed, stumbling and falling onto the floor as I tripped over our clothes that were strewn across the floor. Wanda quickly sat up, eyes wide with fear, and looked over at me.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice groggy and hoarse with sleep. She rubbed her eyes and gathered the sheets close to her to cover her.

"I uh...just tripped."

"Oh. Are you alright? You look...really flushed?" she asked, sitting up in the bed more on her knees and crawling towards me, stopping at the end of my side of the bed.

"I'm..." my voice went dry and came out sounding raspy. I swallowed and cleared my throat, "fine. I'm fine. Just...fine."

She reached forward and grasped my hand, rubbing her thumb across the surface, smiling absentmindedly and humming softly to herself. I gazed down at her and smiled a little before I pulled away and sat at the edge of the bed. She wrapped the sheet tighter around her and turned to directly face me, watching me as I stared ahead at the wall.

The pressure returned to my mind and I closed my eyes and sighed. It moved gracefully through different parts of my mind, searching. Wanda tilted her head and stared harder at me before it disappeared and she blinked, once again taking my hand in hers.

"I...know that you have some...apprehensions about our night together. I know I'm not the ideal person for...anyone to be with in any sense, but I have to say, last night..." she huffed out a sigh that came out shaky and smiled brightly, her cheeks turning red. "Last night was amazing. I don't expect anything to come from this—I'm not an idiot—but guess I felt the need to tell you that I loved it."

I looked up at her and met the emerald beauty that were her eyes. They were soft and delicate and breathed a sense of ease that I've never felt with anyone. Her hands were silky and smooth and spread a warmth around me that invited me but also sent a shiver through me. This feeling scared me. I didn't know what was happening to me. My heart thumped hard in my chest, and the beating became louder and louder, drowning out any outside noise. Wanda's words echoed inside my mind, swirling around and creating a massive storm that had me freaking out.

How did she know about my thoughts on last night?

"You loved it?"

Her blush darkened and creeped along her ears.

"Aye." Her smile disappeared and turned into a sad frown. She pulled her hand from mine and intertwined her fingers together and looked down at them. "I should probably...go back to my cage."

She moved to get off the bed, but my hand shot up and grabbed hers, pulling her back down. She looked over at me in shock, but she didn't question it. I pushed her down on the bed, laying her down and crawled on top of her. She blushed deeply and her hands landed on my hips.

"I...don't want you to go anywhere," I whispered as I leaned down and kissed her again.

"What are you doing?" she asked against my lips, looking up at me. I shook my head and climbed off her, running a shaky hand through my red hair. Wanda sat up and touched my shoulder.

"I don't know what I'm doing," I muttered, mostly to myself. Wanda pressed her lips against the back of my shoulder and squeezed.

"Are you okay?"

I shook my head and clutched my heart, breathing heavily.

"I don't know what I'm doing," I repeated, slightly louder. "I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I'm doing."

Wanda climbed onto my lap, straddling me, and took my face in her hands, pulling my eyes to hers. She caressed my cheeks with her thumbs and nuzzled my nose with hers.

"Try to calm down, Claire. It's okay. Everything is okay." She pressed her lips to me. "Do you want me to help you?"

"How?"

She took a hand from my face and wiggled her fingers, a light red mist swirling around them and flitting through the air and smirked a little.

"I can slip into a person's mind and hear and see all their thoughts, fears...desires. If you let me in, I'll be able to understand what you're going through. With your permission, of course," she said. I thought about it for a minute; there were a lot of things going on in my head that I wasn't sure if I wanted her to see. My mind was a messy and dangerous storm and Wanda was a little boat that if she entered the storm, she would capsize. But, on the other hand, if she could make sense of the disaster that was my thoughts, she'd be able to help me; to figure out if how I should proceed.

We haven't been at sea for a long time, but I could feel the change in the air. This change sizzled in the air whenever Wanda was near. This change came out of nowhere and rippled through me faster and with more force than I could process. I looked at her and nodded my head. She smiled and waved her hand in front of my face, her fingers twitching and wiggling slowly as a scarlet mist engulfed her fingers and flooded into my head.

She stared at me with an intense look as she searched through my mind, the familiar pressure coming back. I now understood what it was, and honestly, I didn't know how I felt about it. I felt her in my mind before, and I don't know if it was on purpose or by accident, but she still violated my mind without my knowledge or permission.

After a few minutes, she pulled out of my mind and blinked, before bringing her gorgeous gree—wait! Did I just call her eyes "gorgeous?" No, I didn't think her eyes were gorgeous. They were just like all other eyes. Nat's were green, but I didn't think they were gorgeous. Wanda looked back at me and brought her hand back up to my cheek.

"Okay, so I think I figured it out," she said at last. "You seem to be a little at odds with yourself. There's a conflict inside you that's kind of hard to pinpoint, but I think I did." She bit her lower lip and gazed down at my lips.

"Well, what is it?" I asked raising my voice in anticipation. Wanda smirked and bit her lip harder.

"You like me."

"Of course I like you," I said. "You're a great person."

"It's not that kind of like, Claire. I think you...love...me."

I pulled away from her and looked down at the bed. I refused to look at her, and I guess she sensed that change in my mood because she climbed off my lap and sat beside me, pulling the sheets around her naked body. I stood up and got dressed and left my quarters, leaving Wanda still sitting on the bed.

○○○

Ever since Wanda told me I might love her, things between us have been different. Despite the size of the ship, I've been avoiding her. I didn't know how to talk to her or be around her now that she knew what she did. Who knows what else she knew about me.

I sat at my desk, quill in hand, and was writing on a piece of parchment. For the past few days I tried to get her out of my head, only spending all of my time I locked in my quarters doing various things. I didn't know what Wanda was up to, and I tried so hard not to think about it. A sharp knock came from my office door.

"Who is it?" I asked, not looking up from my work.

"Come on, Claire, open the door," Natasha's voice sounded through the wooden door. I sighed and stood up, going to open the door for her. Nat walked through and closed the door behind her and stood in front of me as I started to pace the floor.

"What's going on with you lately?"

"I don't know, Nat. I really don't know. I think...I think I'm having some sort of crisis," I told her, waving my hands erratically. Natasha came over to me and grasped my shoulders.

"Calm down, Claire. Just calm down and explain to me what happened."

She led us over to a few chairs and sat me down and grasped my hands. I took a few deep breaths and prepared myself to tell Nat what happened. The whole story took only a few minutes, but by the end, Natasha's eyes were wide and her face was a little red. I...might have told a few more details...than I should have.

"Do you?"

"What?" I asked

"Do you love her?"

I shrugged and sighed. I didn't know how I felt about her. I've never felt like this with anyone before, though I've dreamed of it many, many times. Natasha gave me a sensitive smile and squeezed my hands.

"Claire, we've been friends for years, right? I know you probably better than you know yourself, and I saw you that night with her. Take away the fact that you were drunk, and I've never seen you so...happy. The way you looked at her is unlike any way you ever looked at a woman. I think you do love her," she said in a quiet and gentle voice. I thought back on our few interactions, and it suddenly became clear.

"Sweet Davy Jones. I love Wanda Maximoff," I breathed out. Natasha smiled and bounced in her seat, shaking our conjoined hands.

"So go tell her," Nat said happily.

"I can't tell her after I just spent a few days avoiding her."

"Claire, don't do this. Just talk to her and I promise everything will be okay."

I knew she was right and I knew that I had to get over the fear of talking to her, so I took a deep breath, stood up from my chair, and left my quarters. I saw Wanda sitting on a barrel, looking out at the water and playing with her hair. As I got closer to her, I could hear the soft tune she was singing to herself. When she saw me coming, she got up and smiled, but before she could say a word, I grabbed her in my arms and kissed her passionately. It took her by surprise, but she soon melted into the kiss. I heard the murmurs of my crew in the background, but I didn't care. They didn't matter right now. I soon pulled away from her and she smiled, blushed, and bit her lip as she hid behind a curtain of her hair.

"What was that for?" she asked. This is it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to tell her how I feel. Okay, here we go.

"Wanda, I'm sorry for avoiding you, but I've been thinking about some things, and...I love you. I don't know how long I've felt this way or when it started, but it's true. What you saw was true. I love you."

Wanda stood shocked before me, eyes wide and her mouth agape, flapping open and closed as she tried to respond. Her arms came around the back of my neck and she took a step closer to me and kissed my cheek.

"I love you too." She kissed me and then rested her head against my shoulder as she tightened our embrace. I smiled and relaxed into her arms, but there was a nagging feeling on my insides that told me this couldn't be this simple.

"This can't be it can it?" I asked, causing her to pick her head up and look at me.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, this can't last, right? You're...you're supposed to be locked up. The Royal Navy is after you. Captain Fury will be after you if I don't deliver you to the Raft. Everyone will either want to lock you up or kill you, and I don't know what to do."

Wanda looked down and let go of my neck.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, Claire. You do what you think is right." She stepped away from me and walked back over to her cage, locking herself in it. I sighed and walked over to her, sticking my hand through the bars, her hand grasping mine. I held onto her for a minute before I took my hand back and unlocked her cage.

"I'm not bringing you there," I said as I pulled her out and into my arms. My crew stopped and looked at us. "If they want you, they'll have to kill me first, because as long as I'm breathing, I won't let anything happen to you. As long as I'm here, you're a free woman."

Wanda smiled, but it was a little short lived as I walked over to the middle of the deck and stood on a raised platform. Wanda slowly came over and stood below me, looking up at me with confusion. I called out for my crew and they dropped what they were doing and came over to me. They circled around, their faces matching Wanda's, and started asking what was going on. Natasha came out and settled them down.

"Alright listen. Settle down." I waited for the murmuring to quiet down and I looked each young woman in the eye. I took a deep breath. "As you know, we have been charged by Captain Fury of the Zephyr to deliver Wanda Maximoff to the Raft. Through these past few weeks, Wanda has proven herself and helped defend us from the Iron Legion. I know many of you still hold onto the old stories and superstitions revolving around witches, but I ask you to put that aside and to think about what's right. The federation has asked us to imprison an innocent woman and I cannot allow that to happen. I love her and I will not deliver her to the Raft. The path that this takes me will certainly lead down a dark one, and I cannot ask you to follow me. In five days, we will make port on San Belvar. If you wish, you may leave and follow your own path, but if you stay, you will have my thanks and my promise that I will do everything in my power to protect you."

The ship was silent; the only sound being the crashing of waves splashing against the hull. I stepped down from the platform and grasped Wanda's open and ready hand. She gave me a small smile, and as we were about to walk away, I heard the unmistakable sound of a sword coming out of its sheath. I turned sharply, afraid of a mutiny, and gripped my sword tightly, by a squeeze from Wanda's hand gave me pause. Natasha stood in front of me, sword in hand, and stabbed the pointy end into the wooden floor and crossed her closed fist over her heart.

"No matter what, I'm with you to the end, Captain."

I smiled at her as tears came to my eyes. My heart swelled with pride as one by one the rest of my crew, the brave young women that I called my family, stood stabbing their swords into the floor and making the same salute as Nat with bright smiles on their faces. I looked at each one of them, tears running down my face and a disbelieving laugh tumbling out of my lips.

Jemma stepped forward and took off her hat, and holding it in her hands, said, "You took me in and gave me a home when I needed it. I am indebted to you, Claire, and it would be an honor to fight along-side you; whatever the cause."

I smiled proudly and it only grew as a chorus of "ayes" rose from the rest of the women in front of me. Wanda giggled next to me and gripped my hand tighter and wiped the tears away from her face. I beamed at them and raised my sword to let out a hearty cry in which they responded with the same sense of enthusiasm. Wanda kissed my cheek and leaned her head on my shoulder.

○○○

"Keep this with you at all times," I told her as I handed her a small dagger. "I'll get you a proper sword when we pull into port."

"Claire, you don't have to—"

"Nonsense, Wanda. I'm not about to let you wander around without any way to protect yourself." She raised her hand up and opened her mouth, but I cut her off. "Aye, I know about your magic, but you can't just go around...doing stuff, can you? And what happens if we get separated? I'm not taking any chances."

Wanda stepped closer to me and embraced me. "I'm not leaving your side, I swear."

"Blimey, I love you."

She smiled and kissed me lightly.

We landed on the docks of San Belvar, and Wanda and I walked through the town, looking at the different shops. It was now late evening and the sun was setting over the water, creating a beautiful rainbow of reds, oranges, pinks, and purples that reflected off the soft blue of the water; it was breathtaking.

Soft and jovial music played in the streets and couples danced along as we passed. Wanda pulled on my arm, bringing me to a stop, and took both of my hands. She led me closer to the music and began following the steps, bringing me along with her. Her gentle hands held onto me tightly as we moved as one, turning and gliding across the ground, and blimey, I loved it. She was warm and strong and delicate and soft and...I couldn't think of any more words.

The music slowed to a stop and the dance ended, the crowd erupting into a round of applause. I kissed Wanda's hand and led her away and down the street into a familiar shop. A bell rang out as the door opened and closed, and an average tall man with light brown hair and a black apron came in from the back.

"Ah! Captain Stowell! To what do I owe this visit?" the man—Clint Barton—said, holding his arms open for a hug. I chuckled and fell into his embrace.

"You know, the usual. Here for supplies," I said, laughing a little. He patted my back and let me go and looked over at Wanda.

"Who might this be?"

"This is Wanda. She's a guest on the Black Wolf and my..." I turned to her. "What are we?"

"Together?" she shrugged.

"We're together," I told Clint. He smiled and nodded before shaking her hand.

"I'm Clint, a friend of Claire's. Welcome to my shop and to San Belvar."

"Thank you," Wanda said as she smiled at him and leaned into me.

"Have you heard from Steve?" Clint asked me. I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"No, why?"

Clint walked behind the counter and leaned on it. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"The Howling Commando was sunk by Captain Stark." I gasped and slapped my hand over my mouth.

"Did...did anyone...was anyone killed?" I asked him, my voice wavering.

"Not that I know of, but I haven't heard from anyone in particular."

"How was it that Captain Rogers couldn't fight off the Iron Legion?"

"I heard through the grapevine that General Ross and his fleet aided in the attack."

I growled and slammed my fist down on the counter with a loud thud.

"Word on the street is that Captain Stark and the General made port yesterday and are staying at Thor's Inn," Clint said under his breath.

"I'll make that son of a bitch pay. Pay for what he's done."

My blood started to boil as I grew angry. There was one person on this earth that I hated more than Captain Stark, and that was Thaddeus Ross, general in his majesty's navy. He was a ruthless and bigoted man that hated pirates and made it his life mission to search down and kill pirates. I've never had the pleasure to meet him, but I've heard that any unfortunate souls that ran into him were sent down to Davy Jones' Locker. He always gave the order for no quarter.

"So what kind of supplies are you looking for today?" he asked causing me to let go of my anger for now and focus on him. I quickly thought of a plan to help Wanda escape from under the Navy's cutlass once and for all.

"Do you have any juice of the waterlily?"

○○○

"Are you sure about this, Claire?" Wanda asked with a little bit of fear in her voice. I coated the edge of my sword with the concoction from Clint and then gave the remaining bit to Wanda.

"I'm sure. Drink that."

"Isn't dangerous?"

"Not when ingested, but if it enters through a wound, it can get infected and cause death. And that's what I'm hoping for," I told her as I sheathed my sword. She did what she was told, and drank the rest of the liquid, gagging at the taste. I chuckled a little and kissed her forehead. "After today, no one will hurt you again. I swear on my life."

"I know. I believe you."

Wanda and I patrolled the streets and kept our eyes peeled for any sign of Stark and Ross. We passed by lots of people, some of whom didn't pay us any mind. But others, others watched us as we passed and followed us once we left their view. I kept my eye on them from my peripherals, watching them as they tried to remain inconspicuous.

I saw them advance on us and I drew my sword in anticipation and charged at them. The brawl called more men to join the fight, but they weren't a match for me. I cut them down easily and grabbed Wanda's hand and pulled her through the street, dodging more naval soldiers.

"Captain Stowell!" the deep voice of Thaddeus Ross called out to me from behind us, stopping me and Wanda in our tracks. We turned towards him and I growled as I gripped the hilt of my cutlass tighter, my fingernails digging into the palm of my hand. Wanda gulped and hid behind me, shaking like a leaf. She must have met him before.

"General Ross. Can't say it's been a pleasure."

"You have something that belongs to me, Captain Stowell," he said with venom dripping from his words as he addressed me as captain.

"If it's Wanda you're implying, she's a person and doesn't belong to anyone," I said growling and furrowing my brows. Wanda held onto me tighter to hold me back.

"She is a convicted criminal and needs to be brought to justice. Now hand her over, in the name of his majesty."

I raised my sword and charged at him, roaring in anger and clashing against his. He swung his sword quickly and harshly against mine, trying to overwhelm me, but it didn't work. I kept my cool and calculated his movements so I could deflect against him.

Ross grew angry and frustrated and picked up his speed making his movements become irrational. As he tried to nick me with his blade, Ross let his guard down and opened himself. I seized the opportunity and swiped my sword across his abdomen. At first he didn't seem to notice; the cut was very subtle, but I knew I broke the skin, but then the large cut started to bleed and foam through his uniform. He looked down in shock and then back up at me, foaming at the mouth and blood oozing down his chin. He fell to the ground with a gurgled groan and seized before going still, very, very still.

I sheathed my sword and walked back over to Wanda, embracing her tightly. She sighed and relaxed into my arms. I ran my hands up and down her back, soothing her, and kissed her cheek.

"Is it over now?" she asked me, shaking a bit out of nervousness.

"It's over now, luv," I said, allowing myself to relax in Wanda's arms.

"What do we do now?"

"We just relax," I said as we pulled away. Wanda caressed my cheek and smiled.

"Where do we go?"

"We can go wherever we want. We can sail the seven seas together without a care in the world. What do you say?"

"I'd like that." Wanda tucked aloose strand of hair behind my ear and kissed me, snaking her arms around myneck. Everything was going to be just fine, and now that me and Wanda had eachother, nothing could stop us. We boarded the ship once more and sailed off intothe night, happy to start our life together.