Chapter 3: conundrum

Outside the captain's cabin, Alfred Gibbs stood motionless, holding the wailing child out in front of him. The aging pirate stared down at the cargo he had just acquired. He looked from side to side, his eyes pleading for help. No one else was on deck.

Victoria made a pitiful hiccupping noise. " There, there. 's alright now. Erm... well, are ya hungry?" Victoria just kept on wailing. "Guess not... You don't have a load in yer pants, do ya? 'cause I refuse to do anythin' about tha'!" He lifted her up and sniffed. "Oh! Davie Jones' locker! That stinks worse than I do!"

Gibbs stared wild eyed around the deck once more. 'Well, I can't jus' leave her in pooie nappies, now can I? Jack'd kill me... no, ANNA MARIA would kill me! It can't be that bad cannit? I mean, I suppose it'd only last fer a mo'... but what to use as a diaper? Jack didn't exactly specify... Anything cloth would work, wouldn't it? Yah, 'course it would.'

The pirate set Victoria down on the deck. "Now, you just stay right there, alrigh'? I'll be back in a minute with something to take care o' that stench." Gibbs turned to leave, but then swung back around. "Oh, and try to keep quiet, will yeh? The rest o' the crew's still abed." He pressed a finger to his lips. Victoria just stared blankly up at him, tottering a bit as the ship crested a series of waves. Gibbs took her silence to mean that she understood him perfectly and he slipped inside the crew's quarter's.

Snore's -and a smell to rival Victoria's dirty diaper- greeted him as he entered the dark room. Gibbs felt his way to the small circular table in the center of the cabin and grabbed the dimming kerosene lamp. He turned the dial at the base of the lamp, elucidating a small radius around him with soft lamplight.

Gibbs looked intently about him at his sleeping ship-mates. Squinting, he trailed along each hammock, each bunk, with is eyes until finally he found the object that he had been pursuing. A grin crept across his weathered face as he settled his gaze on a young pirate named Rob--and the maroon bandana that he had wrapped around his head.

Gibbs lowered the wick of his lamp until the flame flickered; threatening to go out. He crept as soundlessly as a man his size could manage to Rob's hammock. Setting the lamp down on the floor, he carefully began loosening the knot on the back of the boy's kerchief. When he had undone the tie, he ever so slowly started pulling the cloth from the entangled mess of Rob's hair.

'AHA! Success!' Gibbs took a step away from the sleeping pirate. He admired the material in his hand. He'd done it without even waking-- a hand suddenly latched onto Gibbs wrist and a second later Rob was on his feet with a dagger pointed at Gibbs' throat. "Oops..." Was all Gibbs could say, taken aback by how quickly all of the above had happened.

"I think you've some of me property in your grubby paws, Gibbsy. How's about given it back and I don't slice you ear to ear, eh? You know, bein' as I don't fancy myself a seditious type man. At least, not yet..." Rob scowled extending an upward palm.

"Now, now, Rob. Didn't mean nothin' by it... it's just, well, Jack's made me do something I'd rather not be doin', specially this late at night, and I just needed a bit of-- indirect help, as it were." Gibbs attempted to vindicate. At the mention of Jack's name, Rob loosened his grip somewhat and lowered his blade.

"What sort o' sumpthin' did the cap'n set you off doin' at this hour, huh? Not a likely story, Gibbs." He frowned. "If yeh wanted to 'borrow' me bandana, all ye had to do was ask, yeh know." Rob said, a bit sulkily.

"Look, matey, the bandana's not fer me. It's for the captain's kiddie, arigh'?" Gibbs said. "Come 'ere. I'll show ya what I mean." He took Rob by the sleeve and led him to the door. He threw it open and smirked at Rob's expression. "There, see? I told yeh it was for the little baby."

Rob turned to look at Gibbs as if the older man was insane. "Gibbs..."

"Yes, Robert?" Rob grabbed Gibbs by the chin and turned his face forward. "WHAT little baby?" Gibbs gasped. Victoria was nowhere in sight.