"And mother turned round and smacked the mermaid in the head with her tail", Benj illustrated a smacking motion with his hands as Will laughed. "And even underwater, let me tell you that a mermaid's tail has a lot of force behind it. The other mermaid was sent spinning away through the waves. That was the last time she ever tried to kill me. Mother was always slightly protective". His voice stopped as the ship shuddered. It slowed and there was the splash of the anchor hitting the water. Will stopped laughing and silence fell over the crew as the noise grew louder above deck.

The heavy stomping of boots on the rickety stairs alerted the crew to the pirate's presence. Five men filed down into the brig. Benj recognised Morgan. The man sneered at him, obviously not at all pleased by their last meeting where Benj had tied him to an actor and stolen his money. Their leader, a huge dark skinned man with a bald head and white scars decorating his bare chest and face, grinned sharply at Benj and Will through the bars of their cell.

"Get up", he snarled. Will stood up warily, with defiant slowness. Benj yawned and made a show of stretching before pushing himself lazily to his feet. He leaned lazily against the wooden wall as Morgan and another pirate unlocked the cell door.

They grabbed Will first. The man didn't struggle much as he was shoved heavily out of the cell. "Hey, easy boys", Benj called as he was snatched and pushed after Will. "I'm worth more than you can ever make in your life times. Precious material here".

Will snorted and the two of them shared a smirk. The large dark skinned pirate wasn't so amused. He grabbed Benj by the neck and pressed him against the cell bars, hard enough for the metal to dig into his back. "You, fish boy", he snarled in Benj's face. "Better be quiet. Loosing your tongue will not detract from any value we may get off your body".

"You swore to release him", Will voiced, his arms restrained by two other pirates.

"We didn't say we would release him as a free man", the pirate grinned sharply as he squeezed Benj's neck. "Once we get to shore, Barbosa has plans to sell him off the highest bidder". There was a pounding from lack of oxygen and blood flow making itself known. Benj bared his teeth in a snarl. Then the man released him and he half fell forwards before two more pirates caught him by the arms and began forcing him upright.

"Careful there mate", Benj panted, throat sore. He flashed a weak smile. "I've got to teach you the proper way to strangle someone. What you did just now was kinky, but not safe. Now, if you're going to strangle someone during sex, the proper way is to"-

"Shut up!" The pirate snapped. He glared at the two of them. "Take them too Barbosa before I kill the fish".

"Just so you know", Benj called as he and Will were dragged clumsily up the rickety stairs. "I'm not going to shake you for enjoying a bit of strangulation during sex but it's not really my kink. Oh"- he gasped as he went sprawling over the deck. His boots catching on the top step as he was pulled forwards. He fell in a undignified heap of limbs. There was the cackling laughter of Barbosa's crew as the pirates kicked him onto his feet.

"Tie their hands!" Barbosa ordered. He was stood in front of the wheel. The blue of the darkening sky mixing with the black of his coat and hat.

"Now bondage", Benj sniggered as hands forced his arms behind his back. "Now that's more my area. Ever been to Japan lads? Knew a guy from there once. He could tie such pretty knots. Ouch!" The Yelp came as one man pulled his arms too far back.

"Do you ever stop talking?" Will laughed. His form was half blocked by the men surrounding them.

Benj snorted and grinned. "Honestly William, did you want an answer for that? I'm just having a little bit of fun before Barbosa has us killed". He winced as he wriggled his fingers. The rope was slightly too tight. He could feel it cutting off his blood flow.

"Oh we'll not be killing ya yet", Barbosa smiled as he emerged through the crowd. His boots tapped as he walked towards them. The pirates parted to let him through. "You, unfortunately, are worth more alive then dead", he gave Benj as disappointed look. "But you, we will bleed you over those coins soon enough. Just a show for Benjamin to watch". He let out a bark of laughter. "Take them too the boats!"

Benj didn't get time to curse in the captain's face before he and Will were picked up and carried over the deck and down the ladder into the row boats. Ahead of them, the stone island loomed in the gloom. The cave a black shape as the moon began to come out form behind the clouds. It was going to be a clear night. A fact made unpleasant by the skeleton forms now surrounding them. "Eww", Benj commented quietly. "I feel like we don't know enough of each other for me too be able to see your insides like that. Cover up please".

The pirate responded with a open palmed smack across his face. The hardness of his bone cutting Benj's lip as his head twisted. The impact made him lean into Will. Both captives stumbling as they were forced to sit down on the bench. "Shut up", the pirate growled. Above, there was a noise of excited chatter ass Barbosa began climbing down. The rest of the crew following behind him as they all climbed into the group of row boats. Barbosa joined the boat Will and Benj were sitting in.

"Ah", Barbosa grinned as he gazed over into the cave. "You know where to go lads!" There was a roar from the crew and the boats began to head towards the island.

Barbosa sighed as he sat down to face them. The pirates between them buys rowing as the captain looked at Will and Benj with consideration. "Don't you think about jumping overboard", he warned as if chiding a small child. "If you try it Jim my boy, you can guarantee Turner's death". Benj rolled his eyes. Barbosa paused as if he had just thought of something. "Do you still sing?"

"What?" The question had caught Benj by surprise.

"You used to sing as a child. Why don't you sing us a little song. Shall our little merman sing us a song lads?" Barbosa called to the boats around them. Benj winced at the laughter and the whistles they got in reply. He did used to sing to them, as a boy back before the mutiny. Back when they had treated him like a younger brother and when Bootstrap was still alive. He didn't want to sing now.

"Sing us a song", Barbosa stated. "Or I will add another new scar to your leg". He gestured with a wave of his hand to the bandaged cuts on Benj's thigh.

"Any particular requests?" Benj muttered through gritted teeth.

"No. I don't think so".

Benj spared a glare at the man. Barbosa seemed infuriatingly calm. A shove made Benj crash sideways agains Will harshly. "Sing!" Came the order.

Feeling slightly sick with rage, Benj reluctantly opened his mouth to sing. The words coming as a deep rumble. "Odi eg Amo! Odi et Amo. Quare id faciam. Fortasse requiris. Nescio sed fieri. Sentio et excurcior. Odi et Amo. Odi et Amo".

Unedited

(Odi et Amo. A poem by the Roman, Catullus. Translations: "I hate and I love. I hate and I love. Why do I do so, perhaps you ask? I do not know but I feel it and I am in torment. I hate and I love. I hate and I love")