From that point on, Scrum wanted to kiss her all the time; but she didn't move for him again, even if they were alone together. Roughly one week on and they were sailing down the coastline of Argentina (Jack had told them, and his predictions were usually accurate.)

Scrum had debated asking her what the matter was, but he thought better than to do so. Maybe she had just been trying to make him feel better; yes, that was probably it. Why would she have feelings for him anyway? And not only that, but since the two of them had kissed, she had become increasingly closer to Jack Sparrow; who couldn't help rubbing it a little in everyone else's face. Scrum spent the next couple of weeks completely confused by her; she was avoidant and dismissive, preferring to be alone than around him. It was unusual behaviour in Scrum's view. But still, when he did manage to speak to her he felt exactly the same. To him, she was beautiful and wonderful and brave; but he kept his views entirely to himself, feeling downtrodden by her.

Philip had mentioned to him the sudden distance; even Barbossa had noticed and made a quip about it.

'Don't think about it.' Scrum told himself, 'mermaids lead men on to the death; you should never have trusted her.'

"Hello." Said Tamara, gliding gracefully over to where Scrum was sat, smoking a pipe on the lower deck.

"Alright?" He said, trying to ignore her.

"Okay. Except that I haven't spoken to you in a while."

Scrum guffawed, "you've been bloody ignoring me."

"Yes."

"What?"

"Nothing." Said Tamara, looking straight ahead of her.

"You're so confusing and…strange I think is the appropriate word." Scrum told her before taking a puff of his tabacco pipe.

Tamara looked disapprovingly at him. "Oh come on," he said, "when do you care about smoking?"

"It's not about the smoking, it's about you."

"Well what have I done? I notice you've been all buddy buddy with Jack recently."

She laughed, "he's safe."

"You must be jokin'." Said Scrum. Tamara smiled at him; giving him a case of the butterflies, as her grins always did. "So what's the matter then, why you been acting all off?"

"I don't know. Sorry." She said matter-of-factly.

"Apology accepted."

"Good."

"Good."

The two of them looked at each other, both trying not to crack a smile; but after just seconds Scrum broke and beamed at her. Her large green eyes glinted, and she was glaring at him playfully; a smirk on her face. 'Don't get your hopes up.' Scrum told himself, as he noticed Tamara gaze momentarily at his mouth, though wishing to kiss him.

Then, she leant her head on his shoulder so delicately that, despite her insincere tone, Scrum could tell that she really meant her apology. She was willing to come closer to him again; for a few days at least.

Tamara nuzzled her face against his neck, "you're so comfortable." She said.

"Thank you." Scrum laughed. 'I love you.' He was thinking; hoping that in some way she would be able to hear his thoughts. 'I love you; I'm pretty sure I love her. I must love her.' His mind trailed.

When Jack came around the corner, reading his compass, Tamara shot up; but as she walked up the deck, to where Barbossa stood at the ship's wheel, she looked back at Scrum, giving him a weak smile.

That night, Scrum awoke in the early hours to a scream and hissing. Tamara had taken her place next to him that night, but when he opened his eyes, she wasn't there. Everyone in the cabin had risen in a split second; and sudden noise filled the room as they all ran to the upper deck to see what the commotion was. Standing on Barbossa's overlooking balcony stood Tamara, her head tipped backwards and behind her, stood Blackbeard's largest henchman whom Scrum had not yet seen; he was far bigger than the Quartermaster had been, and wider too. He looked like a giant compared to the tiny mermaid; who's face was as cold as stone, jaw clenched hard as he pulled her hair. Scrum's stomach began to churn, his face reddened as he watched the huge zombie bend his head down, and lick Tamara's neck and face. As she struggled momentarily, Blackbeard emerged from Barbossa's door with Angelica, looking down on them all with a smirk across his face. All of the pirates had their swords at the ready, besides Jack and Philip whose faces were of shock. Tamara was flinching as the huge 'mans' tongue ran up and down her neck. How had none of them noticed the Queen Anne's Revenge approaching? Scrum felt so stupid for not seeing it. But it had almost appeared from nowhere at all.

"Hello, Scrum, Philip." Barbossa nodded his head in their direction as he descended the stairs; ordering his zombie to follow. Scrum's anger soared as he watched Tamara be dragged down the staircase, hissing angrily as she was so. "Let me go!" She cried, scratching at the zombie's hand. Though she had been able to defeat the Quartermaster with ease; for she was stronger than Scrum had given her credit, this man was positively gigantic, and she seemed to be a little weaker in her human form than she was in the water. His grip upon her was tight; she was in no way getting away from him.

"How did you get here? Where is Barbossa?" Philip drew his sword as Blackbeard approached.

"Your new captain is alive, believe me. Gunner!" He called, and Gunner emerged from the same balcony doors, holding a pistol to Barbossa's head.

"Ah," said Blackbeard, glancing at Jack, "Sparrow…How we have missed you."

"Lovely to hear." Jack said, on his guard, though glaring at Angelica.

"What do you want?" Philip spat.

"The little treasure here." Blackbeard stroked Tamara's soft cheek as the remaining crew of the Queen Anne's Revenge emerged onto their deck, all with pistols aimed at their rival crew.

"You can't have her." Scrum piped up, pointing his sword at Blackbeard, who laughed.

"Why's that, sailor? Oh…" There was a pause. Scrum had been looking desperately at Tamara, who was in turn, gazing at him fearfully. "So you care for her…you fancy her." Blackbeard laughed, as did Gunner and the newly recruited zombie. He pointed an accusing finger at Scrum, "Do not deny what is clear to my eyes," looking down at Tamara he continued, "Question is…does she fancy you?"

Tamara was looking straight at Scrum; her eyes were fierce as the zombie yanked her hair. "Do you, little beauty?" Blackbeard turned on her, running the blunt edge of his sword up and down her neck, "do you feel for the poor, failed pirate?"

She didn't answer and Blackbeard turned his sword in his hand, pointing the edge of the blade at her throat. "Cry for us, won't you? Just shed one tear. Or do you remain fearless and brave, can you let down your own kind?"

Scrum gave her a pleading look. 'Don't cry,' he thought 'please, don't cry, don't let them win.'

Everyone was tense, ready to strike to protect what was theirs; what they had all grown to want – the mermaid. She was glaring at Blackbeard, who clucked his tongue, "do you love this sailor, missy? Does he make you feel things that mermaids should never feel? By God," he said after a pause, "she doesn't. And killing him would be no matter to you would it?" Blackbeard turned around to eye Scrum.

"Shall I cut him through his heart; for surely he would wish you to have it."

Scrum gulped.

"You will not lay a finger on him." Tamara warned.

"So it is him?" Blackbeard was bemused, "or is it the missionary; our handsome young scholar here?"

"He is not yours anymore, he belongs to the Pearl."

"And I suppose you do too?"

"I belong to Calypso." Said Tamara.

Blackbeard eyed her up and down, her delicate frame firmly held by the dark-skinned, tattooed zombie.

"Will your fair goddess protect you when I bring you to the Revenge? For my crew desire what all men desire; and you are a little piece of perfection, aren't you?" He was leaning close to her, leering suggestively. "Won't you let them touch you, will that make you sad? If I take you from your jolly sailor bold, and give you to my loyal, loyal followers. Will that hurt, I wonder; to know that you will never again see this pitiful fellow you seem to desire." Blackbeard looked back at Scrum, "what a pathetic excuse for a pirate. How can you harbour anything for this portly little fellow, this scum, this vermin. You can do better than that. Ah, but you yourself are a disappointment; how can a mermaid feel love? Do you love him?" He pressed her again.

"'Tis you are vermin."

"Me? Oh, darling, if it weren't for its beauty, I would slice your face off."

Tamara looked at Scrum again; and then at Barbossa (who Scrum was sure, nodded).

"All we ask, Barbossa," Blackbeard said, "is for the mermaid. You keep your foul wretches, keep them all. We ask for the creature. And the creature is what we shall leave with."

Barbossa agreed on the condition that they would not harm her in front of the crew. "Loosen your grip." Blackbeard told his zombie, fairly agreeing to Barbossa's request, "you're going to choke the vile thing before she makes it onto the ship."

Tamara gazed pitifully at Scrum, "may I?" she asked for Blackbeard's permission to near him, but before he answered she had already moved. She glanced at Jack, then Philip, then Barbossa, before taking hold of Scrum's hand.

He now had a tear in his eye; but blinked it back, for he didn't wish to seem weak in front of her or Blackbeard. Tamara stroked his face. "This is it." She told him.

He shook his head, "no."

She smiled, "yes." Pulling him close to her, she whispered in his ear; Blackbeard still keeping a careful watch. "I do not wish you to fight here; kiss me, and I will take you to Calypso. If you let me go, then I shall never see you again."

Scrum was confused, but he knew what he wanted to do, even if the ins and outs of what she was trying to say had not been explained. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her lightly, in front of everybody. He could feel their eyes on him, even though his were closed. When she pulled away, there was merely a second's pause. "Now." Said Tamara, "run."

And at that moment, she had him by the hand, and was sprinting with him to the edge of the ship. Scrum barely had time to think about the sudden commotion left behind, men yelling war cries, swords clashing together before he was pulled over the side of the boat, tumbling into the black sea below. As he plunged deeper, still holding Tamara's hand, he felt no trouble with breathing. She was pulling him along, swimming speedily through the water. "Open your eyes." He heard her say.

What he saw was perfectly clear, though they were open in daylight. The ocean was beautiful, and warm; Scrum hardly gave himself time to blink. Then he remembered, 'a mermaids kiss can save a man from drowning.' And he was most definitely not about to drown.

Tamara swam with him behind her at an extreme speed for at least twenty minutes until they reached shore. Once the water had become shallow, she rose up out of it. Scrum looked around; there was no sign of ships or battle, or any other human life around them. "What the bloody hell just happened?" Scrum was exhausted now.

"We just saved everybody's lives."

"We did?"

"Yes. And we will go back to them." She said as the two of them bobbed up and down in the water, lightly carried by the current, "the crew will meet us in Comodoro Rivadavia…that's in Southern Argentina." She smiled at Scrum's baffled expression. "Just trust me."

"Tamara, I - " but she kissed him before he could finish; and he didn't resist as her hands gently held his face.

"I was never going to leave you."

Scrum was in complete disbelief, but if there was a heaven, this was certainly his idea of it. Blackbeard had been right, he was pitiful and he was poor and stupid and all of those things; but this perfect being in front of him, whom he trusted implicitly despite her nature, had given his life a purpose. She protected him as he would for her, even though he thought she would do a far better job of the former.

"We must go to Calypso. The shore is a little way from here," she said, her arms resting around his neck, "she will protect us until we need leave."

"And when do we leave?"

"A couple of days; trust me, Barbossa knows what to do, he is an intelligent man despite his conduct. They will reach land before we do, and make way for more recruits which are set to meet Jack in the town."

"But the battle?"

"The crew of the Pearl have granted over them Calypso's protection. We need not worry about their safety, all we are to care about is meeting them once Calypso has given us refuge. Now come." She took his hand underwater, "we cannot be late for the goddess."