A/N: and here's the next chapter! enjoy!


Chapter 9: Game of Deception

Matthew carried a tray of small live hermit crabs in a jar and another jar of leeches toward the Captain's cabin.

It had been a few days since he had "boarded" the Flying Dutchman, and he was serving as a cabin boy. He knew his captain would go after Kan and Jasmine first, so it was no surprise that it was taking so long for her to get to him.

He reached the cabin doors and the creature with a hermit shell on his head opened them to let him in. He stepped in, seeing the captain of the vessel at an organ, playing it in time with a small locket on its shelf. Matthew cleared his throat, indicating to Davy Jones that he was there.

"What?!" Jones barked, still playing.

"Your dinner, Sir," Matthew replied, not intimidated by the octopus-man-thing. "Hermit crabs and with a hint of water and leeches with a dash of slime."

"Leave it on the table over there and get out!"

Matthew walked to the table to his left and placed the tray down, taking a glance at his current captain as he played the organ with his tentacles on his face, his right hand and left claw. Jones concluded the song, and Matthew stood straight, clapping.

"Very beautiful, Sir! Absolutely brilliant!"

"Didn't I tell you to get out?!" Jones boomed, turning to Matthew.

"Yes, you did, but I have a question that's been bugging me a bit ever since I came onto this ship."

"I'm not telling you how I know Krystal Robyn, lad. So stop asking me about it!" Jones limped to the table and shoved Matthew out of the way, but he caught himself and clasped his hands together.

"Please, oh please? I'll be so good and won't ask you anything anymore! Please, oh please?!"

"Out!" Jones roared again, pointing his claw to the door and Matthew jumped back then placed his hands together to bow.

"As you wish," he said, and walked out on deck.

As he exited the cabin, someone, or rather, something grabbed his arm, yanked him to the right, and shoved him against the railing, almost sending him overboard.

"Alright you little weevil!" the slimy, unidentifiable bosun shouted at Matthew. "What did ye do to the captain this time?!"

"Heard him yell, did you?" Matthew retorted, straining under the bosun's grip. "I didn't do anything, really. Just the usual…Asking him how he knows my captain, ticking him off with my breathing and all." The bosun let go of Matthew's shirt and he straightened it out, adding, "Next time, be careful with how you pull at me shirt, eh? This is my finest and only shirt."

"I'd like to see it stained with your blood!" the bosun retorted.

"Well, now it's stained with your slime!" Matthew spat just as quickly, making the bosun look at his hands then back at Matthew.

"You impudent little—!"

"Little?! I beg to differ!"

The bosun roared at Matthew and raised his whip, but it was stopped by a crab claw and Matthew swallowed as he saw Davy Jones holding the bosun back from whipping him.

"There's a better way to settle this, bosun," Jones grinned evilly, sending Matthew's blood running cold. Jones let go of the bosun's hand, and limped slightly toward Matthew, shoving his slimy, green, octopus tentacle-bearded face in front of Matthew's. "How about we play a little game, lad?"

"A—" Matthew choked then swallowed. "A game?"

"Aye," the bosun grinned, knowing what his captain was planning. "A game! Excellent idea, Captain!"

Jones chuckled and stood up straight. He took Matthew's wrist in his slimy, tentacle hand and dragged him to the galley, followed by the bosun and the rest of the crew.

"Hey! Wait! What kind of game?!" Matthew questioned as Jones shoved him into a stool.

The bosun sat in front of Matthew across a makeshift table placed on a barrel between them. Jones sat on a stool to Matthew's left, grinning evilly. The hammer-headed first mate slammed a miniature barrel looking container in front of Matthew, making him jump. The captain and bosun pulled out similar objects, shook them, and slammed them down onto the table.

Now Matthew understood…they were playing Liar's Dice. He took the container in front of him and shook it, hearing the rattle of the five die inside before slamming it onto the table.

"The stakes?" Jones asked Matthew.

"What should I do?" Matthew thought in slight panic before blurting, "My soul."

Jones turned to the bosun, waiting for his wager.

"Five years," the bosun replied.

"And your wager?" Matthew wondered at Jones, making the captain think for a moment.

"Your freedom," he said to Matthew then turned to his bosun. "Subtraction of five years of servitude for you."

"Agreed," he bosun grinned and Matthew nodded.

The three tilted their small barrels and looked at their dice. Matthew had two fives, one six and three ones. If he played this right, Matthew could get his freedom. The three hid their dice again and looked at each other in evaluation.

"Five fives," Matthew bid first then looked to the captain.

"Six fives," Jones grinned then the two stared at the bosun.

"Eight fives," the bosun choked a bit and Matthew knew he was lying as he stared at the young man for his next bid, making him lean on the table with a triumphant smirk on his face.

"You may talk the talk but you certainly don't walk the walk, do you?" Matthew grinned, making Jones frown at him in wonder before the young man shouted at the bosun, "Liar!"

"I am not!" the bosun shouted, defensively.

Matthew reached across the table and revealed the bosun's dice. The bilge rat had no fives at all! Three ones and two sixes lay on the table between them all.

"Well, well," Matthew grinned, sitting back in his stool.

He looked at Jones who grinned in satisfaction back at him then revealed his own dice and Matthew leaned over to see them. Luckily for the young man, Jones had three fives, making his bid correct and also two twos. Matthew breathed a sigh of relief as he revealed his dice to the crew members.

"Well done, lad," Jones congratulated. "I think I'm beginning to like ye." He turned to his bosun with a scowl. "Five more years of servitude from you…" He turned to Matthew. "And you, Master Warren…feel free to go ashore next time we make port!"

The crew howled with laughter and Matthew sighed again in exhaustion. He knew that Davy Jones only made port once every ten years, and who knew but he when that will be.

"Why, thank you, sir," Matthew replied weakly, trying to see the silver lining of this black cloud. "I'll be happy to serve you till then."

"Excellent!" Jones boomed. "But for now, to the brig, lad!"

The crew laughed again and the angry bosun yanked Matthew up by his arm. He dragged him to the brig, threw him in his cell then stormed off with a loud roar. Matthew picked himself off the floor, grinning and looking around the cell.

"Bootstrap!" he cheered. "Bootstrap! You won't believe what's happened! I just won my freedom in Liar's Dice! I'm free to leave the ship any time I want!"

The cell was silent, but Matthew still searched for his only friend aboard the Flying Dutchman.

"Bootstrap?" he called again. "Bill? Hey! Turner! Where are you?!"

He looked at a wall and saw the old man cradled in coral around him then cautiously walked toward him. It looked like he was asleep. Matthew knew it must have been killing him to be in a cell all day. The old man suddenly stirred and his eyes shot open as his head turned toward the young man.

"William?" he breathed.

"No, mate," Matthew corrected, gently. "It's Matthew. Matthew Warren."

"Oh, that's right," Bill nodded. "I'm sorry. William's my son, you see."

"I know. My captain knows him. She saw him not too long ago. Didn't I—?"

"She did?" Bill's eyes lit up in genuine surprise. "Is he alright?"

"Yes," Matthew frowned. "Old man, quit toying with me! I told you all this already!"

"No, you never mentioned William!"

Matthew's cold irritation thawed into pity.

He's losing his mind. He's becoming part of the ship. Poor old man.

"That's right," he said, gently. "I didn't. My mistake. Sorry, Bill."

"It's alright, lad. What were you going to tell me?"

"Nothing," Matthew lied. "Go to sleep. I'm going to. Rough day, you know? With all the yelling being done at me by the captain and—"

He cut himself off as he heard Bill begin to snore and snickered as he walked to a nearby bench to lay down and sleep. As he made himself as comfortable as he could, he couldn't help but wonder if that was going to be his future. Would he be stuck here so long that he would become part of the ship? He gave a small smirk as he cradled the back of his head and assured himself that his captain would come for him. Captain Robyn would never leave one of her crew behind.

"Besides," he murmured. "She promised she'd teach me everything she knows about sailing and pirating. She wouldn't break her promise and leave me here…would she?"


A/N: i hope this made sense. i kinda copied the sitch from the movie, but i tried to make it as different as possible. RnR?