"Closin' Time! Finish yer rounds and get the 'ell outta mah bahr!" The tavern owner yelled. He was met by a general 'boo' and groans from his patrons, but the owner merely pulled out his pistol.

"'Oo's arguin' with me tonite? Eh?" He demanded, brandishing the weapon.

With some grumbling, the bar began to clear.

"I take 'ee to 'im in the morrow young Turner." Gibbs said, nodding towards the barkeeper. "You'd best get to yer room if yer to be in any condition to see Jack in the marnin'… The condition o' bein' alive, that is."

Will gave Gibbs a worried attempt at a smile. Gibbs clapped him on the back as he stood.
"In the morrow then. I'll be along to collect ye… an' the lady o' course." He ducked his head politely to Tori and left the tavern.

" 'ey, whaddya still doin' 'ere?" The keeper asked menacingly

"We have a room, sir." Will replied nervously, pulling out the bit of paper Gibbs gave them.

The man's attitude suddenly shifted to a more agreeable one. "Aye. That you do Mr. … Spinner. This way."

Will motioned to Tori, who quietly followed him up the stairs to the room.

"This 'ere." The burly keeper said, unlocking the door and opening it for them. He handed the key to Will.

"Have a good night." He winked at Will and grinned rather unpleasantly as he left and closed the door behind him. Will turned bright red at the connotation.

"That's not, - it isn't..."

Tori tried to hold back her smile in vain.

"I think I'll go to the washroom." She told Will. "I'll knock when I'm done."

She left the room and carefully locked the door behind her, leaning against it. She heard Will shuffling around, and she headed for the washroom. She took a thin towel from a grungy closet and washed her face off with the surprisingly clean basin of water.

Same old customers, same old habits. Tori laughed to herself. She knew Barnes well. Diablo had often been found sitting in his tavern cradling a bottle of rum or whiskey, but this was an entirely new perspective. Her façade was actually quite amusing, viewing these familiar sights through different eyes. The advances the drunkards made towards her and how they saw her was entirely different from when she was their comrade.

I've been a man for far too long! She thought in amusement. Tori dried her face and walked back to her room.

Will heard the knocking. He was in the middle of debating whether it was appropriate for him to take his boots off in the presence of this lady. He had kept his trousers and shirt on, deciding his vest was alright to remove. Will opened the door for Tori, and suddenly wondered where she was going to sleep.

"Thank you." She said with a little smile. She unlaced her boots and stepped out of them. There was a ratty changing screen on one side of the room and she placed her boots behind that. When she came back around, Will was lying flat on his back on the floor.
Unwilling to say anything, Tori stepped over him and picked up the spare moth-eaten blanket on the bureau and returned to her screen.

"Are you sleeping there?" she asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Yes, I'm quite comfortable really." Will replied, clearly lying.

"Alright then." Tori stepped back over him to the bed.

Will closed his eyes, trying to get comfortable on the uneven floor. He heard a dull thwack near his head, and felt something ontop of him. He opened his eyes and sat up on his elbows. Tori had pulled the blanket off the bed and had covered him with it. She had tossed the pillow next to him and walked over to the bureau.

"What?"

"You'll be cold." She explained simply. "and there's a cot on the other side of that screen." She blew out the candle, and Will listened to her quiet footsteps as she retreated behind the screen. After a bit, he heard even breathing and picked himself up, returning to the bed feeling rather stupid.

Tori curled up on the floor and listened to Will's migration. She smiled in the dark. He was so sweet and naïve. She arose, silently and made her way to the door, unlatched it, and opened it. She closed it gently behind her. The tavern had a large picture window on the second floor that overlooked the harbor. It was rather grungy, but she sat on the seat and took a bit of her wrap to wipe a small circle of the window clean. She looked longingly at the glittering waters, at the ships rocking gently in the sleepy waves. The tavern's cat Aries mewed and landed gracefully on Tori's lap, purring. She stroked him and sighed.

"It's true Aries," She told the cat softly, without tearing her eyes from the view. "Once your feet leave the earth in favor of the seas, they're never happy anywhere else."