I had this typed up a few days ago, but then there was Thanksgiving. which I hope was good for all. so here it is...

I had let myself sleep for a long time, too long perhaps. I was running out of time to come up with a decent plan for getting out, which was what I was trying to do now. I could see the sun outside the window nearly touching the waves, it was so late. It hadn't been a full day yet, but I still didn't know how long I had. If they found out that I was a girl... well, they were crude pirates, and I had a pretty decent idea of what would happen to me, and I sure as hell didn't like it. I would probably be sold as something other than a worker, too, and that was just as bad.

In my head, I was having a debate with myself. Could I squeeze out the window? Even if I could, I didn't want to fall. I'd have to find a way to climb up to the main deck. Most ships weren't perfectly put-together or built vertically, so it was quite likely that if I could get out there, I would find some planks of wood to use to scale up.

This was all if I could get out there, but the bars of the cells were to small (I'd already tried those), and I couldn't seem to pick the lock with anything. Nothing was loose, either. These pirates put great effort into making sure their prisoners could not escape.

In the end, I decided I would try and squeeze through the window, but I would have to wait until the others started to nod off. It was a risk waiting, but I also didn't want one of them to see me and do something stupid.

So I waited, sitting on the grimy boards of the ground and watching outside the small window as the sun sank. The whole time I was holding my breath, just waiting to hear creaks on the stairs as someone came down for us... for me.

Someone had to be looking out for me, though, because no one came, and soon enough the other captured sailors around me slumped over where they sat. There were still a few awake, but by that time it was dark enough that they wouldn't really see me.

I had already heard enough creaks above me to guess that most of the pirates had got to bed, too.

I set my unoriginal plan into action, walking as slowly as maple syrup over to the window so that I wouldn't make a noise. Working on a ship had made me strong, so I didn't have too much trouble hoisting myself up some into the window sill. I stuck my foot into a loose plank and pushed my head and one arm through. The other arm was harder to do, but once I got it through I was able to move a little bit.

And then I looked down.

Though it was only lit up by the moon and stars, I could see the water about ten feet below me, dark and shadow-filled. The wind slightly rippled my shirt, and I shivered. After nearly drowning a few years ago, I had an unexplainable fear of deep waters... like the ocean. You'd think staying on a ship for a month would've helped, but it didn't.

I began to shake slightly, and I had to take a few breaths to stop. It's okay, Bella. You've done stuff like this before.

Silently, I twisted my upper body around, my foot still propped up in the inside. I blindly groped for a handhold, and found a decent one a bit of a way up. Once I gripped that, I slid the rest of my body out, very very carefully putting my feet on the edge of the window and standing, hugging the ship's disgusting side.

I paused for a second, listening above for voices from the main deck. There were a couple quiet murmurs, but it sounded like only two to four men were up there. It would be easy to flit past them and behind something once I reached the main deck. From there, I would look around for a better hiding place.

At first, climbing up the side of the ship was easy. I had decent hand and foot holds in the wood, but I was still getting splinters. But about halfway there, I began to tremble from the effort it was taking for me to hold myself up by my fingertips.

I tried to stop until they stopped, but soon I realized that it was only using more energy, making me tremble and ache even more. I started to move again, but the second one hand stopped supporting me as it reached, the other gave out, my knuckles bending oddly.

I fell.

"AHHH-"

I plunged into the icy cold water on my back, knocking the air out of my lungs. Terror filled my stomach as I tossed around under the water, trying to inhale as I reached every way for the surface, but there was nothing to breathe but water. I was going to drown. I didn't even think real strings of thoughts. It was all instinct now. I thrashed in different directions, my eyes wide with fear in the burning salt water.

My left hand finally felt air, and I kicked myself up after it, gasping and coughing once I reached oxygen.

"Help!" I tried to call, but it was mangled, the end becoming shrill. I spun aimlessly, my eyes searching for the ship.

"Help!" I attempted again, this time a bit louder but cut short by a desperate cough.

My body was drained of energy, and my lungs couldn't seem to get the air to replace water. I barely noticed when my legs stopped treading water because I was clutching my stomach from coughing. I couldn't get the water out! Panic overtook me again, and I went under as I heard a splash, coughing even under the water, turning in downward twirls from the only made me inhale more water, and I thought about giving up and just sinking. I let myself go limp as blackness clouded my already watery vision.

Just then, two arms wrapped themselves under my shoulders, tugging my body the way I thought was to the side, but we emerged from the water.

I sputtered and coughed even more, my lungs now absolutely desperate for the air they lacked.

I barely noticed as I was yanked through water and pushed into a lifeboat that had been lowered from the ship. Yells could be recognized around me, the pirates either yelling at each other or yelling at me. I wasn't exactly paying attention as I coughed and jerked for my life.

My saviour pulled himself up next to me in the boat, grabbing me and holding me up because I had fallen over. He moved my hair out of my face so that I had clear access to air. The bandana had come off, but I didn't give a damn right now.

I felt water rush up my throat and out of my mouth, and I spat it all out, gasping loudly and shaking as oxygen entered my system again.

The panic slowly subsided as I sat kneeled over, and my body began shaking from the cold and effort to survive. I was exhausted, and slumped over against the man holding my hair. He didn't push me off as my head fell on his shoulder, and I was still slightly panting. I looked up to see the same green eyes from the night before, but I didn't really register it.

"Just breathe," I faintly heard him say, and I obeyed, shutting my eyes as the lifeboat was raised again and just taking in the feeling of living again. I heard him lightly panting from rescuing me.

I was lifted by a new pair of arms onto the deck. I heard Edward climbing out behind me.

"Will she be alright?" a person to the side asked.

"After a bit," Edward replied. I gave a slight cough, opening my eyes a bit to look around. The stars above me swam a bit at first, but then came into focus. I noticed the big guy from last night was now holding me and saw that many pirates had been awoken by the commotion and were watching.

"What should we do with her?" Edward asked someone. Uh oh...

I was suddenly very conscious about my pants and white shirt that were clinging to every inch of my skin, and my dripping hair hanging down. I wanted to squirm out of the muscular arms holding me.

"I'm not sure... Obviously, we can't put her back down there, God knows what they would do with her, so- oh, Carlisle! Thank goodness you're here."

I couldn't see who they were talking about because I had shut my eyes again once nervous tears had rushed to them, threatening to give my fear away.

"Bring her this way, Emmett," a voice, Carlisle, demanded, and we were moving again. I felt overwhelmed and numb, not only from the freezing waters but the lack of energy, too. But I had to stay alert now, or that close call would be for nothing. My weakness could be their gain.

We went into more light, and I opened my eyes as I was layed on a bed inside a small cabin room. Candles and an oil lantern were lit around us, flickering shadows on the wooden walls.

Immediately, I forced my arms to hold me up as I scooted against the wall, looking nervously at the four men in the room with me while trying to make myself look tougher than I felt.

They quickly noticed the fear, though, probably because I was shaking from exhaustion still, and overly relaxed their postures.

"It's alright. We're not going to hurt you," the younger blonde one said, holding his hands up.

Just because he said it didn't mean that he meant it. I didn't let my guard down. The other blonde that hadn't seen yet stepped forward. He looked older than the others, in his mid-twenties, probably.

"I'm a doctor. I just need to make sure you're alright. That was a close call."

"Carlisle, she hasn't been fixed-up from the battle yet," Edward said. "She was out before you got down there."

"Hey, Edward. Looks like you're not as good as you thought you were," a mocking voice from the muscle-guy that had carried me, Emmett someone had said, joked.

"I was nearly beat by a girl," Edward muttered. I found the energy to correct him.

"Not nearly... you were..." I whispered hoarsely, my voice trembling. Slight amusement came from them, but I remained still and cautious.

"Good, she can speak. Now, where are you hurt?" Carlisle asked me. I didn't reply, partly because my throat was burning, so Edward did.

"Well, I know that at least she got cut on her upper back, because I did it." It sounded regretful, which confused me. It was a battle. We had both done what we had had to. He turned to me. "What's your real name? It can't be Bert."

I bit my lip, thinking over whether I should tell them or not. I didn't want to make them mad by not telling them, so I did.

"Bella." My voice cracked, but they caught it.

"Well, Bella, I'm going to need to check the wound. It might get infected easily. Might already be, actually. I swear I'm not going to hurt you," Carlisle said, taking a step forward.

I glared at him, trying to recall if there was a weapon for it I needed it. I remembered I still had my knife in my boot, so very slowly and warningly, I nodded.

Carlisle rolled me over on my stomach gently and pulled my ruined shirt down over my shoulders, flipping my sopping hair out of the way. Normally I would feel self-conscious, but I really didn't care once the shirt was peeled off of the wound, yanking some skin and scab away with it. I hissed through my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to stop shaking.

"Jasper, go get her a clean shirt and pants," Carlisle said to the blonde guy after a moment.

Jasper left the room, nodding, and was back quickly with clothes.

"Now you three, get out."

"Why?" Emmett asked stupidly.

I heard Jasper whisper something and someone hit someone else.

Once they were gone with the door shut, there was a pause, and I got a bit nervous.

"Bella, I'm going to need your back to be bare to take care of this."

I hesitated before nodding, getting more and more tired and weak by the minute. Carlisle peeled my wet shirt off of me and untied the cloth around my chest without removing it.

Quickly he finished my back and asked if I had anymore wounds. I barely nodded, wanting just to sleep so I could quit trembling and nearly crying, and held the cloth to my chest as I rolled over again, showing him the one on my lower ribcage.

"This one looks like it'll take a bit longer to heal," Carlisle said quietly, cleaning the wound and wrapping a bandage all the way around my back.

He then helped me slip the dry clothes on that Jasper had brought, and said I would be sleeping here tonight until he could speak with the captain.

"I'm going to send one of the boys in to make sure no unwanted visitors cause trouble," Carlisle warned me. "Most of the men on this ship are decent, but you can never tell. They'd never pull anything, though." I didn't trust his word, really, but how was I going to protest? By now I felt like just handling it as it happened, and nothing was happening except me getting weaker and weaker.

I watched through sleepy eyes as he left and only a minute later, I saw Edward slip through the door, shutting it behind him and sitting in a chair by it.

"Go ahead and sleep. I'll just be here, and I promise I won't touch you."

I crawled under the thin sheets and fell asleep quickly.