Jimbo knocked loudly on the door. Sarah opened it, looking irritated.
"You're here." She said, pulling him inside the house. "Maggie's been asking for you for…" She paused. "…well, almost three weeks."
"Is she ok?" Jimbo asked, taking off his coat.
"No." Sarah replied. "She's been really sick, and hasn't been feeding Ruby."
"Who?" Jimbo asked, frowning at Sarah.
"Your daughter." Sarah said, sounding exasperated.
"Daughter?" Jimbo repeated looking disappointed.
"Yes, daughter." Sarah snapped. "Maggie seen the doctor a few times, but he said she's fine, but she just seems so…" Sarah paused again, struggling to find the right word. "Detached." She finished.
"How's the kid?" Jimbo asked, putting his hand on the handle of Maggie's bedroom door and turning to Sarah.
"Oh, Ruby's fine!" Sarah said, smiling slightly. "It's just Maggie I'm worried about."
Jimbo opened the door and started. Maggie was lying on the bed, naked. Her skin was a ghostly white colour, and her lips were pale and cracked. She was staring at the ceiling, muttering silently to herself. The baby was lying beside her, asleep.
"Maggie?" Jimbo said, glancing at Sarah, who shrugged sadly. "Maggie?" Jimbo picked up the child and handed her to Sarah. He pulled the blankets over Maggie's cold body and took her hand.
"Jimbo!" Maggie croaked, attempting to smile. "You're here!"
"I'm here." Jimbo said, smiling at her. "How are you?"
"I'm fine." Maggie said, trying to sit up. Jimbo pushed her back gently.
"I think you should concentrate on getting better, Maggie." He said softly. Maggie closed her eyes and gripped Jimbo's hand tightly.
"I will, now you're here." She whispered.
Maggie sat at the wooden table, carefully spooning porridge into Ruby's mouth. She looked up and smiled as Jimbo entered the room and sat down beside her.
"How is she?" Jimbo asked, nodding at Ruby.
"Oh, she's doing great." Maggie replied. "I was thinking Jim, I'm all better now, so we can be off now, surely?" Jimbo's expression darkened.
"No, Maggie, we've been through this. It's too dangerous for you, and now we have a child, I just can't risk it." He said, sighing. The main reason he didn't want Maggie coming was because of her mental state. Since he had turned up, almost a year ago, Maggie had gone slightly mad. Her physical health had improved greatly, though.
"Oh, please, Jim?" Maggie said. "I'm a pirate."
"No, Maggie. You're not a pirate. Pirates are evil people. Pirates can't have children." Jimbo said firmly.
"Well, I'm a pirate!" Maggie said, standing up so suddenly she dropped Ruby. Jimbo caught her easily, and put her on his lap, where she squealed happily and tugged contently at his hair.
"Maggie, all I want is to give you a good life. You and our child. Piracy is no way to raise a child." Jimbo said, pulling his hair out of Ruby's grasp.
Maggie sniffed and snatched Ruby back.
"Jack?" Ruby poked her uncle, who was sleeping soundly on his bunk. "Jack!" She poked him harder.
"Eh? What?" Jack rolled over to face her. "Go 'way Ruby."
"But this is important!" Ruby protested, nudging Jack.
He ignored her.
Ruby pulled out her sword and held it gently over Jack's face. He spotted it and jumped out of the way, faster then lightening.
"Shit! Ruby! Put that thing away!" He hissed, throwing his compass at her.
"How exactly were yeh planning on destroying it?" Ruby launched straight to her point, now that she had succeeded in getting her uncle's attention.
"Oh Ruby, I dunno!" Jack moaned, as Ruby put her sword away. "I heard a rumour about how Scarr got it in the first place, and how to destroy it."
"What rumour?" Ruby asked.
Jack groaned, and ran a hand over his face.
"That sword is a splinter of the sword some god had." Jack began, sitting up as Ruby sat down on the bunk next to him. "I think it was Zeus, the Greek god of war. Anyway, apparently, there was a war between the gods and humans, and Zeus was fighting with this sword. The story goes that a giant came and challenged Zeus, and managed to break his sword. A little splinter of it-" Jack shuddered as he nodded to the sword by his niece's side. "broke of and fell down to earth. But the giant got pierced by it, and 'coz he was a giant, he didn't die straight away. He took the piece and hid it."
"But how do yeh destroy it?" Ruby asked.
"Well, yeh know the holder can't be killed, 'cept by his own sword?" Jack said. Ruby nodded, her face clouding.
"Well, it's kinda the same with the sword." Jack finished.
"How can a sword destroy itself?" Ruby asked, picking it up. Jack edged away from it.
"I dunno, Ruby. We have t' find the place it was hidden." Jack said, pushing her off the bunk, careful not to touch the sword. "Now go away and let me sleep."
"Why are we goin' t' England?" Ruby asked.
"Because I feel like it." Jack replied.
Ruby huffed and walked out of the cabin. She made her way to the deck, where she leaned against the side. She knew Jack well enough to know that he probably had a very good reason for going to England, despite the fact it was Johnny's fault they were heading that way in the first place.
She frowned as she watched the dark horizon. She pulled out the sword that hung by her side. The day she had killed Scarr flashed into her mind again and she felt tears welling up in her eyes.
She wasn't said that she had killed him; she had done it for revenge. She just wished they'd never ended up in the situation.
"Ruby?" A voice disturbed her thoughts. She turned around and saw Johnny standing behind her.
"Hi." She said, as he leaned against the side next to her.
"You ok?" He asked, facing her.
"Yeh." Ruby replied. "I was just talkin' t' Jack. We're gonna destroy this." She held up the sword.
Johnny shuffled away from it, remembering the pain it caused.
"Good." He said, a little more loudly then he'd meant to.
"Yeah…" Ruby trailed off, sheathing the sword.
"What? Don't yeh want it destroyed?" Johnny asked, frowning at the expression on Ruby's face.
"Yeah." Ruby said quickly. "It's just… I kinda feel like it's mine. Like I earned it." Ruby bit her lip.
"It's evil Ruby! Have yeh not forgotten what it did t' Jack? T' me?" Johnny snapped.
"The sword didn't do it, Scarr did." Ruby said quietly.
"That sword killed your father!" Johnny roared, barely believing what he was hearing.
"Stop shouting!" Ruby said, tears in her eyes. "How can you understand?"
"Quite easily! That thing tortured me!" Johnny screamed at her.
"It hurt me too!" Ruby returned, tears now spilling onto her cheeks.
Johnny pushed past her, and stormed below deck. His hand brushed gently against the handle of the sword.
"Johnny!" Jack stepped out in front of the boy, causing him to stop abruptly. "Do yeh mind not wakin' the whole of my crew up?"
"It's Ruby's fault! She doesn't want to get rid of the sword." Johnny snapped back.
"What?" Jack thundered.
Johnny gasped suddenly. His left hand seared with agony.
"What? John?" Jack frowned, as Johnny almost screamed in pain. He grabbed his hand, and peered closely at it. "Shit."
Well, incase anyone didn't get that- JOHNNY COULD DIE! (ok, look, it late at night and i'm tired!)