It was joyful aboard ship after the procuring of fresh oranges. With a healthy supply the Swede had finally stopped falling to pieces and showing everybody his little bag of teeth. However, the one thing they'd all noticed but tried to ignore, was Jim's sudden absence. Sure their dagger-happy Jim said very little even when prompted, but Willa had come to respect them immensely. They were strong willed and brave but also kind and surprisingly considerate of those around them. It had been Jim to help Willa bathe that first time; they'd been the first person after Izzy who'd spent any time with the Prussian and, while they'd not become best buddies, Willa liked to think they'd grown into friends. Willa missed her quiet friend now. The auburn-haired teenager knew Izzy wouldn't ever admit to it but he respected Jim as well. Yes, Willa missed Jim much more than she'd anticipated but she suspected Izzy felt the same deep down.

No matter what any of the crew felt it couldn't have been anything compared to how pained Olu must have been. The poor man looked practically heartbroken. Sorrow had settled itself in Olu's dark eyes and showed no sign of shifting and, sadly, Willa knew there wasn't anything she or the rest of the crew could do to dispel that sorrow.

That evening was strange; not that any night aboard the Revenge had ever been normal exactly. Once they'd all settled down to dinner a blanket of sadness covered them all. There was conversation but hardly any laughter echoed around the galley.

Over the next few days Olu vacated the room he'd shared with Jim and gave it up to Wee John and Frenchie; two men who had almost instantly started to gush over décor ideas. At least some happiness has come from Jim's departure.

Unable to resist, Willa had tried to cheer Olu up but it had been like fighting a losing battle frankly and ultimately she'd decided he probably needed to work through it on his own. All her good intentions would just make it worse.

Olu wasn't the only one to have started acting differently as of late, no, Edward had been a little strange as well which had just put Izzy even more on edge. To prevent a violent outburst Izzy had been avoiding Stede where possible but the change in Edward had more of a negative affect on Izzy than Sede's presence ever could. That duel had happened for a good reason, the first mate had felt as though he were losing his beloved captain, and, while they'd had a mini heart-to-heart, neither Izzy nor Ed were very good talkers so they'd simply not talked. Willa had mentioned it once or twice but each time she'd been rebuffed.

Then, on what Willa was pretty certain was a Tuesday, a small vessel had shown up ripe for the plucking and Izzy had jumped on it. He'd pretty much had everyone boarding the other ship before Ed and Stede had even given the order. The co-captains had thought it a lovely sign of a good first mate but Willa had seen it for what it was, the leather-clad man needed something new to focus on and a raid was as good as anything. They'd made off with a good haul then promptly sold it off at the Republic of Pirates like the Revenge pulled off decent raids daily. The way Olu had vanished to see if Jim was around hadn't been missed by anyone either.

Yes, things aboard the pirate ship were strange beyond reason. Izzy was trying so hard to obey Ed's wishes and tolerate Stede as well act as first mate to the co-captains, but the whole idea was fundamentally wrong to him. Things were so damn strange! Olu seemed destroyed without Jim there and Stede and Ed needed to just hurry the hell up and kiss already!

Desperation for some easing to the tension they all felt was how they ended up at Spanish Jackie's bar with booze all round. The two captains had quickly sequestered themselves in a dark back corner since the infamous Blackbeard hadn't wished to draw too much attention, while the rest of the crew had dotted themselves throughout the place. Izzy though, he'd taken some convincing to even get through the door.

"This place was fine when I was here with Lucius. I don't see why you hate it so much." Said Willa as stood outside the bar.

"Always worried I'll get nose juice in my fucking drink." That got a chuckle out of his girl.

"If I promise to watch the barman pour your drinks will you sit with me?" The emerald-eyed teenager fluttered her eyes up at him as she pressed her body fully against him. "I'm just a young girl, surely I need my big, brave pirate to protect me. Puppies are meant to guard their owners."

Izzy practically snorted. "Don't go acting like you're a weakling, little lass."

"I'll take that to mean 'ja, Willa, I'll protect you from all the drunk men. No need to worry when Izzy Hands is on the case'." He just lifted an eyebrow at her. "I'll even sit in your lap so you can be all possessive of me."

First Mate Hands was a smart enough man to realize he'd not be getting a choice in this, not that he'd actually been that deathly opposed to it, so he simply let Willa grab his gloved hand and guide them inside. They finally settled with drinks into a corner table near the front of the bar; for a fast escape or so Izzy could intercept anything unsavory heading for his captain Willa didn't know. It had to be the smallest table in the whole place and had just been shoved up against the wall as if forgotten about; the table almost screamed 'Izzy territory' so it shouldn't have been expected for the first mate to make a bee-line for it. Rather than seating herself Wilhelmina glanced down at her rickety chair then quickly ignored it in favor of sitting in Izzy's lap just like she'd told him she would.

"Didn't think you'd actually do this." He muttered while she wiggled in his lap; an act which caused him to snake an arm around her slender waist.

There were several who had taken notice of the display but only a few were foolish enough to smirk in Izzy's and Willa's direction. These select idiots quickly got a violent glare from the first mate and turned their eyes away before blood started to spill. The threat was clear. Willa belonged to him and only him, no one would be able to take her from him and they were not a spectacle to be used as entertainment.

The unlikely couple sipped at their drinks for a few moments while a jovial hubbub echoed around them like a cacophony. After a while Izzy tilted his head back against the dark wall and to be honest it was the most relaxed Willa had seen her sweet puppy in days; since their game in the hold.

"Well, this is different."

"What do you mean, lass?"

She took a leaf out of his book and tilted her head back against his shoulder. "It's our first outing as a couple. Maybe we should get drunk to celebrate."

"You ever been drunk before?" He asked because the word 'couple' needed to go in a little box where he didn't have to think about it in that moment.

"Nein," she answered honestly. "But I'm open to new experiences."

The laugh Izzy huffed out vibrated out of his own chest and into Willa's back, a rumble she found comforting. One arm around her waist while his gloved hand gripped a tankard; something about the whole situation just seemed right.

"New headaches you mean."

"They can't be that bad." Willa reasoned.

"Spoken like a girl that's never been shitfaced. They're bad, trust me."

She smirked. "Maybe you just don't have a very good tolerance."

Israel just grumbled to himself but didn't actually say anything on the matter because he knew she was teasing him. After a few more minutes of quiet sips the first mate's eye drifted over to the two captains at the back of the bar. Willa knew whichever road his mind tried to walk down wouldn't lead to a good place, so she quickly took his mind off it.

"Ignore him. He's doing his thing and we're doing ours." When he didn't look back to her she reached up to cup his chin and tilt it toward her for a kiss. "Do you think I'd look better if I braided my hair over the other shoulder?"

A totally ridiculous and random question but it did the job because she instantly gained the older man's full attention.

"That's a trick question because I know my answer will come back to haunt me."

The girl giggled, her wise puppy had figured her out. She drank down more of her ale; it hadn't seemed like her sort of drink but she'd been determined to try it. All in all it tasted okay and before she knew it she'd gotten through numerous tankards of the stuff and made sure to get Izzy just as many refills. When she returned from one such ale expedition she sank right back into Izzy's lap as though there was nobody else around. However, almost as soon as she'd gotten herself settled, some drunk asshole stumbled to a stop before the first mate and Prussian; he swayed on the spot with a lazy grin on his face like he'd won a prize.

"Must have paid a pretty penny for that harlot."

Willa shot to her feet. "Do I look like a whore to you?!"

Izzy blinked in an almost comical fashion as confusion overtook him, because how much had she managed to drink? He regained his thoughts with haste though because soon anger at the drunk's words leaked into him and his usual snarl returned with full force.

"Did you just call my lass a fucking harlot?!"

To be honest it wasn't the worst thing the drunk could have called her but that wasn't the point. Izzy had already smacked this cunt in the face a good fifteen times inside his mind, but before he could actually rise to his feet and get his fist intimately acquainted with said cunt's face, Willa beat him to it. In one smooth motion, that almost looked practised, Willa punched the idiot square in his meaty jaw which caused him to stumbled backward before he toppled over to the ground and almost took a table out with him. While Izzy and every other drunkard in the place stared, Willa kicked him a few times for good measure.

"Arschloch!" (Asshole!) She kicked him again; the girl had certainly had a fair amount to drink. "Fick dich!" (Fuck you!)

Patrons started to giggle while the drunk curled up into a ball. With Willa being such a short girl, seeing her put the dick in his place thoroughly amused them all. Pleased the guy had gotten the message she returned to Izzy's lap as though it were her throne and snuggled back against him; yeah, she'd had a little too much.

Frenchie had been sat at one of the closer tables with Wee John and the Swede, he wore a massive grin and had a twinkle in his dark eyes; the sort of twinkle only a man with a good sense of humor could muster.

"What do you expect from Izzy Hands' girl?"

Most of the patrons chuckled yet again before Geraldo returned their attentions to their drinks, after all, laughing people weren't drinking customers and Spanish Jackie wouldn't be pleased about that. Soon the bleeding drunk managed to pull himself up onto his knees to slither out the bar.

Willa grinned up at her lover triumphantly. "Your girl, I like that."

With everybody back to their drinks the hubbub sounded again though somewhat louder than before. Izzy just watched his sweet Willa though; she grinned and snuggled further into his strong chest.

"You're drunk."

She giggled. "I'm not drunk, I'm … merry."

"Hmm, well, you're a little more merry than you should be. Come on, stand up and I'll take you back to the ship."

He patted her thigh and was pleased when Willa obeyed and actually stood up with a wobble that Izzy needed to steady. He sighed at the sight of her as Lucius called out with his usual teasing tone.

"Make sure she doesn't spew, Iggy!"

The First Mate's eye twitched but he didn't respond, not when he was practically holding up his girl. Willa felt him tense though; she wasn't drunk enough not to notice that.

"Whoa, easy there, puppy, your murderous side is coming out."

He didn't respond, just threw Willa over his shoulder and marched out of the bar into the cool evening air; a gentle breeze which did wonders to cure the little alcohol-induced buzz he felt. The sky was dark with the crescent moon hidden by dense clouds; it would likely rain later that night. Lanterns were the only thing to light the streets, enough to see by but Izzy knew the Republic of Pirates like the back of his hand and didn't need the aid.

Though not blackout drunk, Wilhelmina had gotten herself well beyond tipsy. Poor girl didn't have any real tolerance for drink though something told Izzy she'd soon develop that tolerance.

The closer he got to the dock the stronger the scent of salt grew. Izzy had always been comforted by the smell of the ocean, as a child it had been like the fragrance of freedom but after so many years it had become the smell of home. Izzy wouldn't ever admit but without that scent he suspected he'd go insane.

Eventually he noticed her humming between muttering some kind of words which sounded almost like lyrics. When he paid more attention he lifted an eyebrow because what the hell was she even going on about?

"We're pirates, yes we are. We work from dusk till dawn. The ship -" Willa hiccuped. "- sails long and far, and we never stop to mourn …" She trailed off as she hiccuped a few more times.

"What the actual fuck are you singing? It's awful."

The girl giggled gleefully, uncaring about the way her arms hung down while Izzy carried her as though she were a sack of potatoes. His gloved hand lingered on the small of her back for support.

"Be nice!" She complained with a childish grumble. "I've only just started working on it."

Izzy's steps paused for a split second. "You're writing … a pirate shanty?"

"Selbstverständlich." (Of course) She slurred. "Want to hear the rest?"

"No." He answered much too quickly but Willa wasn't deterred in the slightest and just started to sing more of her lyrics, though rather off key.

"Gold and silver galore in a chest and a rich man's purse. Begs and screams we ignore, in favor of singing our verse." He had to admit that despite her intoxication she'd a least managed to keep the rhyme going.

"Christ, what do I have to do to make this stop?"

Fortunately Willa did cease her tuneless singing to instead just dangling from his shoulder like the aforementioned sack for a few minutes until the broken bits of German started up.

"Ich sehe wunderbare Dinge …" (I see wonderful things…)

Izzy ignored her for the most part while silently praying she didn't vomit down his back. Silly girl was so light, practically a feather in his grasp. He passed a group of men just as the Revenge came into view. At first they gazed at him with curiosity and a touch of suspicion but Izzy's savage scowl had them shuffle away fearing for their own safety. Sooner he got the girl aboard the better, but quickly he was up the gangplank and down to their cabin where he dumped Willa down on the bed with a little bounce.

Her eyes were closed and Izzy knew she'd be completely asleep well within thirty seconds; she'd be no help in getting her out of her things. Izzy sighed and grabbed one of her ankles so he could yank a boot off, then quickly did the same to the other and tossed them down on the floor. With more ease than he'd expected, the man with salt and pepper hair freed Willa of her stays and set it down on the small table behind him. A sweet grin was the last thing she gave him before she slipped into slumber entirely. Mildly irritated, he tugged on her leather pants until they were off as well then threw the dark blanket over her. He stood to watch her a moment, her face a little flushed from the drink and her hair had come loose from her braid in several places. His girl would have a headache in the morning, that was for sure.

With Willa asleep and unlikely to go wondering, Izzy left their quarters only to return a few minutes later with a small bucket in hand. He'd not be cleaning a teenager's stomach contents from his fucking floor because she'd decided to play boozed-up pirate. Once the bucket was in place Izzy finally focused on himself; shed his clothing, shut the door plunging them into darkness and carefully climbed over her so he could settle on the small bed as well. Normally it was Willa pressed up against the wall with Izzy closest to the door but he'd happily swap with her if it meant that if she woke in the night to chuck her guts up it would end up in the bucket rather than his chest. Vomit-matted chest hair wasn't something he particularly wanted to experience.

Laying there he realized that the swapped sleeping positions didn't feel right; instead of him on his back with a side full of Prussian teen, the pair lay on their sides and Izzy had her hair in his face despite it being partially braided. It was all for the best though, that was what he told himself as he played with the section of hair she'd bound with green ribbon. She'd been so happy when he'd gifted it to her; lit up. While he'd not say it aloud, the fact she'd been so delighted with the gift had warmed Izzy's stony heart. With a breath he pulled the soft ribbon free and threw it to the table where it just managed to land on his baldric. Slowly he released her hair from the braid simply so he could pet her hair; an act he often found himself committing absent-mindedly.

The two captains and the rest of the inebriated crew would return to the vessel soon enough, Izzy just hoped they didn't wake him the fuck up when they did.