Shannon returned a moment later with a particularly large bundle of red cloth. She smiled a bit as she set them down to open Pintel's cell. Intrigued by the cloth, Pintel inspected it over a few times before unfolding them to discover what they really were.

"Marines' clothes? Poppet, where did ye get these from?" Pintel regarded her with a confused but slightly amused expression. Shannon simply smiled as she stuffed the keys into a brown leather bag she had brought with her. She started to take off her dress when she realized Pintel was still there. Her petticoat and corset were almost completely visible to the now smug-looking pirate.

"Um… right. We're going to be changing into these garments to pass off as marines so we are to get into the jail they put Ragetti in."

"Ye said ye is a Lady in the Court o' the King o' England. Ye can jist prance off te any place ye want, so why ye changin'?"

Shannon sighed and rolled her eyes as if the answer was obvious to anyone with half a brain.

"Don't you think it would be a bit suspicious if I were being escorted around the town with a grubby faced marine?" Shannon scoffed. Pintel took the insult rather hard.

"Can't help bein' all 'grubby', poppet! Hadn't been granted a wash since we got here!" Shannon sighed and handed him a bucket of water and a rather faded hand rag.

"At least try to look presentable." Pintel began to wash his hands and splash a bit of the water onto his face. The water turned dull brown as it ran from his face to the floor. Shannon recoiled in disgust.

"Git used te it, poppet. Pirates don' worry bout stuff like lookin' 'presentable' or that other shite."

"Than what do you monsters care about? Murdering, stealing, and buggering each other for one night and not caring whether they live or die the next raid?! I don't honestly know why I'm even helping you two in the first place! You just bend that man over a canon, pull his trousers down, and bugger him hard and fast and get it over with real quick so you don't have to see him until you absolutely have to! That's really why you want to save him! He's only your sex toy, isn't-"

Shannon didn't have the luxury of finishing her rant. Pintel slammed his slightly grimy hand into her chest and forced her back against the wall. A sickening 'crack!' was heard as her fragile head made contact with the solid stone wall. Pintel wore a nasty scowl as he spoke with murder thick in his voice.

"Don't ye EVER talk that way 'bout me and Rags." He growled deep in his throat. Shannon remained silent in wide-eyed fear. She nodded a bit and Pintel let her go, adverting his eyes from her horror stricken face.

They changed into their disguises in total silence. Shannon often felt tears welling up in her golden eyes- not from the sting of her near fatal head injury, no. She felt sorry for insulting the pirate like that. She had lost it, she admitted that in silence… but what she didn't understand is why he reacted so violently. Was there more to it? What if he actually…

'Can pirates actually do that? Love? Is it possible? Certainly he's not… after I was on top of him… the way he reacted… they have to be just friends… right?' Shannon was clouded in doubt; so fogged up that Pintel's voice didn't even register until after a moment.

"Well, I'm ready te go. Whot 'bout you?" Shannon lifted her head to see Pintel: nearly clean in a pressed and crisp marine's hat and uniform (complete with a cravat) and hair tied back away from his face. He was scowling of course but if there's one thing to be said about Pintel, he cleans up real nice. Shannon gawked for a moment at the transformed pirate. He glared at the floor, obviously not happy with the costume change.

"Oh… wow…" Shannon meekly commented. She felt a hot blush rise to her cheeks. Pintel was a handsome man, once you scrubbed away the muck and grime. She continued to stare at the man for a bit longer, completely disregarding the fact she wasn't wearing a top. Pintel looked up to see her naked chest, staring awkwardly before pointing it out.

"Poppet… yer not wearin' a top. So… ye might want te fix that." Pintel looked away uncomfortably as Shannon took notice and finally put her shirt on. She tied her hair into a braid and wrapped it in bondage- in order to look more convincing. She smiled a bit as she examined herself and the pirate. They looked official and extremely convincing. Shannon stuffed Pintel's clothes into the brown leather bag so he wouldn't have to be dressed as a marine the entire time.

"Whot about yer dress?" Pintel asked. Shannon regarded the faded blue dress with the silken trim. It was a beautiful dress, much more elegant than she could afford for herself, but she hated it.

"I'm not taking it. Honestly, Pintel, do you really think I'll be much use in that thing with its restricting and suffocating petticoats and corset? I can barely walk, let alone run." Shannon finished her explanation and reached for the abandoned guns. She handed one to Pintel, who caught it absently and raised it to his shoulder just as a real marine would.

"Mr. Pintel! Do you have the courage and fortitude to suck up to a commanding officer and act like a tool?!" Shannon barked at Pintel. He straightened up, saluted, and grinned.

"Can't scare me that easily, poppet- sorry, Ms. Poppet. I was in the royal navy fer two years 'afore I signed the Black Pearl's articles." Pintel grinned smugly at the astonished-looking Shannon.

"Then this will be easier than I thought."

Pirate Hatter: Things are getting interesting. This chapter was way too short, though.