Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean belongs to Disney and Gore Verbinski. Captain Cinders is mine.

Chapter 7: Blazing torches

As evening came upon the ship, Barbossa headed for the captain's cabin, but then stopped. "Captain Cinders, a word with ye?" he requested.

"I suppose that'd be acceptable," she stated, following him and hoping for answers.

When the door was shut, Jack grimaced and looked away from the door. "If those two are in there longer than twenty minutes, I just hope that the rest of the crew doesn't have to hear it," he commented, heading for the bow of the ship to look out at the sea.

Inside the cabin, Barbossa offered her a piece of fruit from the island. After the silent snack, she spoke. "I want ta know what this is all about."

"The help we need to stop Beckett," he responded.

"What help?" Lucinda demanded. "Hector, what have ya done?"

He pulled out chairs for both of them. She dropped down in hers and crossed her legs as he sat in his. "There's ancient magic in the sea that the Brethren have kept a secret," he began.

"So ya mean ta let it loose? Have ya any sense left?" she argued.

"We've little choice," he relayed.

She shook her head. "There are things ya shouldn't be playin' with," she argued, uncrossing her legs and pacing.

"These be desperate times, Lucinda," he protested.

Rolling her eyes at him, she walked past a nail protruding from the table. Her shirt caught on it and she frowned. "I miss my ship! I had a change of clothes onboard."

He stood and walked over to a wardrobe. "If Sparrow hasn't messed with it, there might be extra clothes in here," he offered.

The door opened with a creak and Lucinda quickly saw a shirt and pants that she could use. "Now you'd best turn around, or get out," she told him. He turned around to face the door, but she still did not trust him completely. "Never mind," she remarked as she stepped into the wardrobe and shut the door behind her.

Moments later she emerged. "That's better. I…," she trailed off as the hem of something in a dusk red had caught her. Barbossa sighed heavily, knowing what she had found. She faced him with hot furry in her eyes. "Hector Barbossa, what the bloody hell is this?" she demanded.

"Not so loud, woman. The whole ship'll hear ya," he reminded.

She snatched the dress and marched over to him. "All these years, while I was too busy ta entertain me own company. I want ta know what whores ya brought here! Whose bloody dress is this?"

He held his ground and approached her. "I will not be insulted on my own ship! The dress came from a ship we pillaged. Miss Swann wore it briefly as a guest on the ship. It be no one's dress."

"Liar!" she shouted.

Grabbing her by the shoulders, he looked directly into her eyes. "I haven't touched another woman since Singapore!" he admitted.

Years had gone by since they had stood so closely together. And then he let go of her shoulders and neither said a word for a while. She cupped his cheek with her hand and he saw the fire reflected in her eyes. "Tell me the dress means nothin' to ya and let me throw it overboard," she instructed in a whisper.

His eyes held their own intensity as he turned to kiss her palm. Then he moved her sleeve up enough to kiss her wrist. "It means nothing to me. Do with it what you will," he responded quietly.

The dress fell to the floor as the hand that held it came to rest on the other side of his weathered face. His hands held her by the small of her back. Leaning closer, they pressed their foreheads together. Her hands slid from his face to his chest to grab his shirt. He would have kissed her, but a loud knocking interrupted them.

Lucinda backed away and opened the door to Jack. After having sent Will overboard, Jack was looking for a hiding place in case the Flying Dutchman made an appearance. "Sparrow, what do ya want?"

He smirked and looked between her and Barbossa, relieved that nothing had been interrupted. Then he noticed her change of clothes. "Making yourself at home, I see. Though I would expect that Barbossa, being the gentleman that he is, would've given you the dress instead."

"Just tell us why yer here," Barbossa commented as Lucinda quickly tossed the dress out of the window.

"No patience with you two whatsoever. No matter, seeing as how this is the 'captain's cabin,' and seeing as how we're all captains, I suggest we all share it then," he recommended.

Lucinda crossed her arms and glared at him. "Ya get the floor," she spat.

Jack then realized he had interrupted… something. "Captain Cinders, that sounded almost inhospitable. I do wonder where our other captain will sleep," Jack drawled.

Barbossa rolled his eyes. "I'll be takin' a chair. The woman can have the bed," he mentioned.

Morning brought Shipwreck Cove into view. Lucinda steered as Barbossa studied the island from the railing. Tia Dalma looked over at her and walked toward him. "Yer gonna loose dat one, Hecta," she whispered.

"Shut up and go somewhere else with yer incantations," he shot back.

"She don't know yet. What she gonna do ta ya when she knows de truth about me? Be careful Hecta, what ya may be afta ain't always what ya find," she paused and grabbed his hand. "Don't forget dad I brought ya back and I can send ya away again," she stated, causing his hand to decay to bone in front of him for a second. It disturbed him enough to action though.

"Take this fishwife to the brig," he instructed Ragetti and Pintel.

After they had left, Lucinda walked over to him, letting her first mate steer. "What was that all about?"

"A disagreement," was all he said.

"One of these days yer going ta tell me what's goin' on," she added.

Barbossa returned his gaze to their destination. "There's not been a gatherin' like this in our lifetime," he remarked quietly.

Jack sighed heavily as he admitted, "And I owe them all money."