Captain Oh Crap

The door slammed, bottles rattling as I jumped. I knew behind me stood a not so happy Captain and it had been because of the meeting I had with Commodore Miguel Seminario.

Either way I didn't have a choice in going.

I had to either go and try not to reveal I was in a pirate group, something Saul had deemed impossible. After my comment of being a pirate before a captain, it had surprised me he had restrained himself from taking my head at that moment.

Or, I had to stay on the ship and risk him to get me. I knew my Godfather well enough that he wouldn't have hesitated to do just that. And in his wake, he would have left more chaos than he already had.

"Captain, OH CRAP!"

I ducked just in time to avoid the knife sailing through the air. I turned, my eyes wide as they fell onto the as it clattered to the floor, the steel glittening in the dim light. Swallowing, I looked back at Captain Velwyn.

He was going to end up killing me; all because I went to my Godfathers dinner. Taking a step back I raised my hands feeling a heavy weight build inside of me.

"Look, Captain, I know it looks bad..." My words froze as he stared at me.

At that moment I was a child, being looked down upon. It was like I was no longer allowed at the adult table. No longer allowed to say my word or to defend myself.

"You... exposed... us."

I couldn't deny that what he said was true. Though it was much more than that. I had exposed myself because of Commodore Seminario leaving me no room to argue.

"I--"

"No." His words cut like a knife through the air.

I couldn't remember seeing him this mad before. Not after I joined, no matter what happened. There was no humor in his eyes. No sense of adventure with a wicked smile that promised to take someone's soul.

I was dealing with a real devil.

Davy Jones' himself if I wasn't careful.

"You put my crew in danger once again." I took a step back as he inched forward. "We haven't been here long enough for my ship to be finished and not only have you screwed the fuck up, you keep putting what is mine at risk."

Another step back as the air grew thick. I got the sense that he was far from being finished.

"Eleven days have passed since we first arrived. Saul can usually handle the crew, and the mischief everyone gets up into."

A long thin knife appeared in his hands. I hoped that he wasn't going to throw that at me as well. I had a feeling he missed on purpose the first time.

"If he can't, I do. Do you know what happens when I have to step in?"

I shook my head.

"I don't leave the person in a boat. I send them to meet Davy Jones'."

My legs bumped into the bed, giving me no where else to back up to. I was out of room and he was closing in like a predator.

"Now, explain to me why someone who keeps putting the crew at risk, shouldn't get that same treatment."

I looked at the door before back at him.

"Because I'm more valuable alive than I am dead and you have two kids on this boat who would raise questions," I answered.

I wasn't sure if that was true anymore. I had seen less of the boys and talked to them less on the ship as the days wore on. William had begun to warm up to some of the crew, and Jacob was slowly beginning to find my place.

But we all knew it was only for a short time.

"And what exactly makes you so valuable?"

I smirked as I eyed the blade.

"I am a smuggler. I have connections in the government command." I ran out of reasons to give him.

What could I offer that he would take?

"And," I added on trying to buy time.

What else was there? I was no good at sailing or navigating. I knew little about this war ship and doubted I would know much about the knew ship.

Any information I had of a place was through a book or second hand information. I didn't have any business out here that I could do smuggling for and that was my last line of usefulness.

Even if I said who my family was, it would do little good. It would only give him more reason to take my head.

So what can I give that would save me?

"I can make our problem with Post Captain Kyd disappear."

It was a lie. I knew that even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to keep him off of our backs. I knew that if my Godfather was right, that the Post Captain would hunt us down until there was no where to run to.

Though, I didn't know if he was that type of person. Did he really care that we had stolen his war ship? Or about serving justice?

Had we hurt his pride that much?

Before Captain Velwyn could answer, the door was open, daylight sunning through. I flinched at the brightness as my eyes had adjusted to the dim light already. The door closed after a few seconds, as Saul stood there.

I doubted he was there to save me.

"You can't kill her," Saul said as Captain Velwyn looked over his shoulder. "At least, not yet."

Captain Velwyn scowled as he looked back at me. "Do any more damage to this crew, so much as step a toe out of line, there will be no debate about what happens to you. There will be no saving your life."

The knife was thrown, pain prickling as it scrapped my cheek. A breath of air escaped me as he turned, leaving his quarters to return to whatever he had been doing before. Gambling away money without winning any back.

I looked to Saul as the door slammed after him. He stared with a mixture of disappointment and another emotion I couldn't place.

"You have thirteen days to prove that you should stay in this crew. Thirteen days to prove that we shouldn't turn you away. We'll protect one of our own, but if you betray us, we aren't so forgiving."

I watched as he left as well. I feel onto the bed and put my head in my hands. It wasn't what I wanted. The memories of a past. The reminder of the deaths that I caused. To fight with the Captain of the pirate crew I joined.

And to be given a task that might not be so easy. Thirteen days to prove myself. Thirteen days until our ship was completed.

Could I do it?

I knew I would have to or risk losing everything. My life. The crew. The dreams that still felt so far away from my reach.

Had I been in the wrong to keep my past a secret? Did I need to reveal who my family was? A family I had thought little about over the years.

A sigh escaped me as I wondered what to do. I didn't know anymore.

I didn't know how long I had been sitting in the Captain quarters when the door opened again. I looked up, my eyes falling on Lorena and Masque. A look of worry was on her face, while he carried bandages.

"We thought the captain would have done more," Lorena said as she stepped inside.

Masque was the first to step further in. "Not going to try to bite me this time, are you?"

I rolled my eyes at his question. "I didn't try to bite you the last time. That was Romeo and Goran."

"Everyone 'bout done it." He shrugged. "Where are you hurt?"

His question had me glancing at my arm. It was a scrap, a pain that could easily be forgotten about. Hidden behind the rollercoaster that was inside of me.

"I'm fine. Why are you two back?"

Lorena shrugged. "I came to pack my things. My time with the crew has come to an end."

Masque looked at her. "If you leave, I'll have to actually learn how to fix a ship."

"You should already know how to do that Master of Iron."

A faint grin appeared as I shook my head at them.

"I do."

His answer left plenty of room to doubt him. I hadn't seen him able to fix a ship and he was able to barely fix a person when they got hurt. Only some of the crew called him by his nickname he wanted to go by. And most of the time it was only to mock him.

"Right, and I can fly." Lorena turned her attention back to me. "Cap Velwyn didn't do anything to you?"

I shrugged, forcing a wider grin. "What can I say? I have the luck of a mermaid."

"That's odd," Lorena mumbled, giving Masque another look. "Wait, why did you come back to the ship?"

The subject was slow to change.

"I repair the ship?"

His answer came like a question. He must have done something that involved him to have to leave the city.

"You want to repair the ship that isn't ruined?"

"Yes."

Doubt clouded her face. "And what about you, Rachel? I haven't seen you in any of the bars that I've been at. I could have used a wingman."

I stood from the bed. "Cleaning the ship. Day after day." I shook my head. "Bondi got us caught after we weren't allowed to got to town because of the bounty on us and Saul is punishing us because of it."

Lorena was the first to leave the room, with me following behind. Masque followed, through he turned to go the other way. It seemed that not having anyone to fix made him grow tired of the conversation.

Or maybe he really did have something to repair.

"That sounds like Bondi."

The conversation continued to be late as I explained why we went into town that night and everything that happened. She laughed, and shook her head. She said she thought that Wiley was joking when he told her one of the nights they came across each other.

Like many of the crew, Lorena didn't return to the ship for the night. What she did was beyond me but it seemed that it was something that could keep her away.

I watched as she packed the little she had, but didn't ask what she was planning. She was leaving and that was all I needed to know. Soon the events slowly drifted to the back of mind and the threat of having only thirteen days was forgotten for a little bit.

Until Lorena once more left the ship and I remained with the burning eyes that belonged to Saul and Bondi.