Disclaimer: Pirates are nifty, pirates are neat…

Squirrel crunches noisily through a handful of nuts. Ella raises an eyebrow.

"Is that why they call you Squirrel, Miss Grey?"

Squirrel swallows. "It's not the only reason."

"Do tell." Ella sits down and pours water into a tumbler for Squirrel, then leans back in her chair.

Squirrel takes a deep breath. "Well, I guess it all started with my father. And my m-mother, I guess."

"Of course." Ella says, grinning. "After all, where would we be without our dear old parents?" Squirrel detects a trace of bitterness in the captain's voice, but decides to ignore it.

"My father, Daniel Grey, was a merchant trader on Tortuga, and my mother, Rose, was a noblewoman. They called her Lady R-Rose Grey, or the Lady Grey."

Ella frowns. "The Grey Lady? The ghost?"

Squirrel laughs. "No, actually that was me."

Ella smiles incredulously. "I can tell this story could be long in the telling."

Squirrel nods. "Sharky made up the legend of the Grey Lady to keep prying eyes from noticing a real, l-living girl hiding in the rafters of the t-tavern… and it kept away all the hardened sea-salts who knew h-how to cheat at cards and dice." Squirrel looks up, and sees Ella listening, enthralled. Even more enthralled than Elizabeth was… She thinks, with a touch of surprise. Squirrel continues. "I was working in the tavern… but not b-because I chose to…"

Jack woke, finding his face buried in his old pillows and sheets. He swore.

"And good morning to you too, Captain." Ana's voice said dryly. "Even though it is only midday."

"

"Where's Squirrel?" Jack tried to sit up, but cried out and fell face first back into the mattress.

"She's fine, Captain." Ana sniggered. Jack felt Ana's hands placing bandages across his back. "Don't move now, Jack. If these come off, your wounds'll be worsened. The blood grips 'em, and won't let 'em go. Squirrel told me that."

Jack relaxed slightly. "So she's here?"

"Oh, aye." Ana said vaguely. "Somewhere. Probably the kitchens, more the likely."

"Good." Jack grinned. "For a moment there, I was worried you'd swapped her, or something."

Ana barked a laugh. "Me? Swap Squirrel for you? You're dreaming, Captain. Dreaming…"

"Sounds like a hard life." Ella says, her face sympathetic. "But why stay? Why wouldn't you try and run?"

"I couldn't." Squirrel says simply. She pauses to take a swig from the tumbler.

Ella purses her lips thoughtfully. "I've a question, and I think I ought to ask it now: Why are you willing to take fifteen lashes for Jack, aside from the fact you 'love' him? What makes you think you can bear it?"

Squirrel keeps her eyes level with Ella's. "I've suffered worse punishments before." Squirrel rolls up her blouse sleeve to reveal the blistered and burned skin on her arm. There is finally an expression on Ella's face that is not irritating curiosity or smugness; it is horrified surprise.

"Well." Ella says calmly, after regaining her mask of indifference, "I would've thought you'd leave the Pearl behind after getting hurt like that."

"It wasn't Jack." Squirrel says, equally calmly. "It was Dawn." She rolls her sleeve back down.

Ella tilts her head to one side. "Dawn?"

Squirrel grimaces. "My cousin."

Ella smiles faintly. "And this brings us back to your story, now does it?"

Squirrel nods, and then continues on.

Ana came back above decks and shook her head. "I can't keep this up for much longer, Gibbs! Jack wants to talk to her, and I'm all out of excuses!"

"Which ones did you try?" Tearlach called over.

"

"She's in the kitchen, I don't know where she is, she's probably squeamish at the sight of blood, and…" Ana bit her lip, trying to remember, "And… and she's polishing her sword." Ana sighed. "Powers, those have to be the lamest lies I've ever told."

"You can't blame yerself, lass." Gibbs put a consoling hand on Ana's shoulder.

"You can't blame anyone, really." Matelot said dryly. "It was, after all, her choice, right?"

Moises rolled his eyes. "If you ask me, I think we've been givin' that girl a handful too many choices these days. Women…They're nothin' but trouble."

Ana scowled fiercely. "Care to take that up with me, Master Moises?"

Gibbs tried not to smile. He looked around at the crew, and met everyone's eyes: Kursar, Duncan, Ladbroc, Crimp, Quartetto, Mister Cotton, Matelot, Moises, Tearlach , Anamaria and the rest. He let his mouth twist into a wry shape.

"On deck, ye dogs! Let's get this brig a-moving!"

"Where to?" Ana raised an eyebrow.

Gibbs set his jaw. "Where else? Tortuga. It's at least a day from here, if we can time it right." He sighed. "Let's just hope we can keep the Captain from finding out for that long."