Clara fidgeted in her borrowed clothing. While Thomas was the smallest of the men, she was still being swallowed by the fabric. They felt baggy, and she figured she looked ridiculous. After she had changed, she followed Eduardo up to the deck. She stopped at the door, shielding her eyes from the sun. In the time she'd spent in the queen's cage, Clara had only been allowed out at night. She hadn't been under the sun once since she got off the ship that took her to that island. Her eyes hurt at first, but as they adjusted to the bright, natural light, she stepped out. She stood for a moment, basking in the rays, when Eduardo spoke up.

"You're not going to just sit around, waiting til we get to land, understand?" he said, turning to face her with his eyebrows furrowed.

"Understood." Clara nodded back, "What should I do?"

He didn't say anything, but handed her a broom. He gestured to the deck and she picked up on what he wanted her to do. Nodding, she set to sweeping. He waited a few moments, then went off somewhere. She was more than happy to be under the sun, even if she did have to work. Left alone, she sang softly while she worked.

"Dancing bears,
Painted wings
Things I almost remember
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December."

She let her mind wander, thinking about the endless sea surrounding her. It still felt like a dream, being out in the clean, open air. To walk freely under the sun. To move around. As she sang and swept, Clara swayed her body, not quite a dance, but more of movements in tune with the rhythm.

"Someone holds me safe and warm
Horses prance through a silver storm
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory..."

She lost her head in the clouds, and didn't realize Thomas had walked up.

"Miss Clara?" he asked, pulling her from her fantasies.

"Oh! Good morning, Thomas." she said, then smiled, "Thank you for lending me some clothes."

"Oh, no problem!" he responded with a grin, "I'm happy to help!"

She chuckled and asked, "Can I help you with anything?"

"O-oh, well, I was going to ask if you needed any help." he asked, his eyes filled with concern.

She tilted her head.

"I'm fine, but thank you."

I must look worse than I thought...

Thomas opened his mouth to say something, when Eduardo came back.

"Have you finished scrubbing the deck?" he asked him.

Thomas jumped, and shook his head. Saying a quick goodbye, he left. With him gone, Clara went back to work. After a moment, she realized Eduardo was still staring at her. She quickly went back to focusing on her work, when he suddenly walked over. He took her arm and held it up. She was too flustered to say anything, and could only watch in embarrassment as he inspected her arm. When he seemed to be done, he let go and spoke.

"Are you sick?" he asked, catching her off guard.

"N-no, why?"

"You're too pale and too skinny."

"O-oh?"

He turned and started walking. Confused, Clara just stood there, until he called over his shoulder for her to follow. She quickly made her way over, and found herself in what looked to be Christopher's office. As she curiously looked around, Christopher turned towards them.

"Oh, Clara! I was about to go looking for you." he said.

"You were?" she asked tilting her head, then turned to Eduardo, "Is that why you brought me here?"

"Why else would I have interrupted you?" he said, looking annoyed, then he turned, "Chris, she's all yours."

"Sure thing," he nodded back, and they both watched as he left.

Christopher gestured for her to sit down in one of the chairs. When she did, he checked her arms, like Eduardo had done earlier. He shined a light in her eyes, making her flinch, and he drew some blood. When he was done he started asking questions.

"Clara, I won't ask you to tell me how you got in that cage, but I need to know a few things, okay?"

She nodded.

"Before last night, when did you last eat a real meal?"

"When I was on the ship that took me to the island."

"When did you last sleep in a bed?"

"My last night on the same ship." she answered, then thought, "Well, it wasn't really a bed, per se, so much as it was a hammock made from a worn sheet."

"How often were you able to get out and move around?"

"A few hours every night."

Christopher asked her a few more questions. He wrote down her answers, and when he was done, he gave her a warm smile.

"Thank you you've done really well." he said, "It's good that we crossed paths when we did. Four months in that cage has done some damage, but we should be able to get back to health in no time."

Clara grinned and said, "Thank you so much. I should probably get back to work, so I'll see you later."

He waved as she started through the door. As it started to close, he called out to her.

"You know, I hadn't seen or spoken to Eduardo til he walked in with you."

The door closed, and Clara stopped. She found herself confused. One moment, Eduardo was cold, and the next he was kind, rough as he was. Just what kind of man was he? She didn't expect to be on the ship long enough to find out, so she rid her mind of any thoughts of him and got back to work. She went back up the steps, back to her place under the sun. As time went on, the sun started to sink. As she wistfully watched as the sky darkened, Thomas came by to let her know they were eating inside. Walking into the dining room, Clara was met with the aroma of delicious food. She smiled happily and took a seat in between Russell and Thomas. Before she could reach out for some of the rolls, Nathan set down a plate that already had food on it. She felt slightly surprised and confused, then gave a warm smile and a quick 'Thank you!', and ate.
As she started on her way back to the room, Clara squealed as she was abruptly pulled down another path. Snapping her head up, she found Eduardo glaring at her. Confused and intimidated, she stumbled a step back.

"W-what's wrong?" she asked.

"I let it slide last night, but your not getting in my bed again," he answered, "at least not until you bathe."

"H-hey, you don't need to say like that!" she frowned.

"Oh, should I just come right out and say it?"

And here I was beginning to think he really was a nice guy!

"I got it, but thanks." she huffed back.

He immediately turned around, and walked off. She scrambled and caught up, walking a step or two behind. When she tried to ask where they were going, he just gave an annoyed sigh.

What is with this guy? He doesn't need to be so grouchy!

Clara frowned, feeling frustrated. She ended up running into Eduardo's back when he suddenly stopped in front of a door. Rubbing her nose, she took a few steps back. He glared at her before opening the door. The room had a few stalls with shower heads and curtains.

"Be quick so you don't waste our water. We still have at least a day or so until we dock." he told her.

She nodded and walked in. The door was closed behind her as she made her way to the nearest stall. She folded up and set aside her clothes and shut the curtain. She listened for any approaching feet. For a while, it was silent, and Clara was able to enjoy the warm water. She thought about her current situation. It still didn't feel quite real. She was afraid that at some point, when she opened her eyes, she'd be back in that cage, hanging above cold gazes, locked away from the light of the real world. She had dreamed of a miraculous escape, whether it be knights to her rescue, or she found away out herself. Never had she imagined it would be a crew of pirates, much less the Sirius Pirates. Whether it had been mere coincidence or fate, she didn't know, but either way she was grateful.

BANG

Clara let out a screech and ducked down when she heard the door open. Hiding behind the half wall that separated the showers from the doorway, she addressed the person who came in.

"W-who the hell are you?!"

"Relax. I'm just dropping off clothes." grumbled Eduardo.

"O-oh..." she said, then mumbled, "Hey, you didn't, um, y'know, see anything?"

She heard a heavy sigh.

"No, I didn't see anything. I'm not a peeping Tom."

"Okay." she replied, "Can you leave now?"

Another sigh.

"I was in the process of doing that."

The door shut behind him.

Geez, they need to install a lock.

After that, she quickly got out and changed. Clara was relieved that she made it back to Eduardo's room without running into the rest of the crew. As she stepped inside, Eduardo was already inside reading and ready for bed. When he saw her, he stood up so she could climb in. She asked him a question as he laid back down.

"Why do you give me the side next to the wall?"

"Because I don't trust you." he answered, never looking up from his book.

She tilted her head.

"How do those things relate?"

"If you're next to the wall, and I'm on the outside," he explained with a sigh, "Then you can't sneak out of bed without waking me up."

"Why would I want to sneak out of bed?" she frowned.

"If you were a spy or an assassin, you would."

"Why the hel-" she started, but rephrased, "Why would you think I'm a spy or an assassin?"

"The Navy hates us, other pirates hate us. We've dealt with the people they've sent after us. Wouldn't it be naive for us to trust every person we came across?"

"Well, yes, I suppose so." she agreed, "But do you honestly think I was locked in that cage for four months on the off-chance you and your crew would not only stop at the island, but also be arrested and put in the castle, where in your attempts to escape, you might hide in the room where I am?"

"No, of course not, but that doesn't mean we trust you." Eduardo snorted, "Now will you leave me alone? I'm trying to read."

"Well, sorry." she huffed, then turned her back to him.

What is with this guy? The others don't seem anywhere near as paranoid!

Time went on, and Clara still couldn't figure out the man with an eye-patch. Even though she knew she'd be leaving soon, she laid awake completely confused by his behavior. Only when Eduardo put down his book and turn out his light, did she start to drift off into an uneasy sleep.

Songs:

Once Upon a December - Deana Carter

I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, but here we are!

Please leave reviews and comments.