Hello all! Well just want to say this chapter isn't really that interesting, so um, yea well hope you like it and uh…ok some of the history in here is off, so don't believe everything, believe the fact that there was a Anne Bonney and a Calico Jack Rackham, well yes please read and review! J

Crystal A.

Chapter 5: Calico Crystal

Jonnie held me tight to make sure I would not fall from the slick docks. I looked up and I stared at the gigantic ship; its beauty captured me immediately. My jaw dropped to my boots.

I have never seen a ship before; I have only seen small drawings from book's I've read when I was back at the Opera. I found them to be excellent and hoped to one day travel in one, but they were nothing compared to this, nothing compared to this!

The moon beamed on the ship making it glow with charm. It's sails made a sound from the wind that just shouted freedom! I looked at the side of the ship.

"Calico Crystal" I said breathless. The name seemed to go with it so well.

"She's a true beauty isn't she?" Jonnie asked looking at the radiant ship. I was confused by the fact he called it "she" then I remember reading, that sailors or pirate's who admired their ship with excellence usually called the ship "she". Just simply to respect their ship.

I suddenly was distracted with a shove from behind. I shouted out in pain! I didn't have time to turn around I was practically being pushed onto the ship. Then I heard Jonnie shouting from the back.

"Oy! Careful he's injured badly!"

"Alright! Hurry and get on the Calico! Sorry!" Said a female's voice to me. I was finally on the deck. Men in black were scurrying all over the place. Then I heard that very same feminine voice shout out to all.

"Men! Hoist the anchor! Draw the sails! Movie it! Move it!" She shouted with frustration. That's when she looked at me. She stared an emotionless stare, and then shouted back to the crew.

"Set sail already mates! Were in a big hurry to get home! Kid Kit!" A small boy of at least nine or ten came from the crowd.

"Yes Capt.?" He asked looking up at me with a little hint of fear. I suddenly remembered my face was in plain sight! I quickly covered my face with my hand and looked away. How could I have forgotten my face? I must be coming down with something. The Capt. noticed my look of humiliation and quickly in an instant had her eyes on the boy.

"Kid Kit! What did I say?" she hissed. The boy quickly looked down to his shoes.

"Sorry Capt."

"Just remember what I said Kid Kit." The boy nodded and waited for her instructions.

"I need you to make space for this man in my office alright? Make him comfortable as possible, and place medical equipment near his bed. Once you're done with that you can have some of my mother's cookies." She said with a small smile that I couldn't help but notice. The boy smiled, nodded once more and left. The Capt. then turned to me.

At this point I noticed the ship was sailing, the feeling was a bit odd, but I was use to it since I used a gondola to venture the undergrounds almost my whole life. I tried and kept my hand in a tight position on my face making sure a single soul could not see.

"Apologies, I warned them about your face and had them swear not to treat you any different." She said in a well-mannered English tone. She may have warned them, but some things are just better left hidden in darkness. She then pulled down her mask. Indeed the cloaked figure was a woman the Capt. was a woman. She held out her hand for mine.

"Thelma Tamber." She said simply. Of course I was a bit uncomfortable the fact that she is accepting me. I took her hand in mine. We shook, my hand in her gloved hand. I then took a good look at her. She had long black wavy hair tied back leaving only a few strands to dance on her oval shaped face. Her brown eyes did most of the talking though. With eyes like that you can tell if she was angry, happy, sad, or annoyed. Which was rather good, I didn't want to make a wrong impression and not find out about it until later. My eyes traveled down to her lips, I have defiantly seen those lips before! Those unforgettable lips. Could it be her?

"Erik." I said in a gentlemen's voice.

"Well…Erik with no last name, let's get you out of those clothes." My eyes widen and felt my cheeks turn red.

"What?"

"You need to change or you'll stink up my ship, here ware this." She said handing me a pair of fresh clothes. They were black pants, a white shirt, and black boots. I immediately took them, happy to be rid of my old clothes. She gave a small giggle.

"You can change in my cabin, just walk streight then make a right, can't miss it." She said pointing behind me.

I made my way past the crew; they just took one look then continued with their business. It was good to know they keep their word. I opened the cabin doors and walked in. My hand dropped from my face to my side, and made my way streight, and then all of the sudden, I was forced to hit the wall! Then again on the other side! Maybe I wasn't use to this.

I successfully made my way to her office, when I walked in I looked around. It was certainly more better then up there. She had a desk with only two candles sitting silently, which was enough to light the whole room. She had a few barrels. I seen some back at the Opera, I think it contained Rum. Or so stagehands called it. I looked to the other end of the room and saw the built in bed. It looked like something I can fall asleep in; I then saw the table full of bottles of medicine and bandages next to the bed. My wounds couldn't be that bad could they?

I walked to a small mirror hanging on the wall my face then came into view. I was shocked by how much dried blood there was on my face, and the side of my head had a cut! It was still bleeding a little to. I forgot about that. I looked back at my hand; it was still covered in blood from when I felt the deep cut. I placed my hands on the small dresser with a small jewelry box on it, a bowl of fresh fruit and a silver brush. It truly was the worst beating I ever got.

I rubbed my eyes that were pleading for rest. I placed my hand back on the dresser but accidentally knocked over the brush. I bent down, picked it up, then placed it back on the dresser; I looked back at my reflection and gasped as I saw the Capt. leaning on the doorframe staring at me. I quickly hid my face. She walked in holding her hands up to her side.

"Oh no don't worry, I've seen it remember? Almost the entire crew seen you, you have nothing to worry about on this ship. Please don't let me disturb you. " She said walking in and placing her cloak on the hook of her coat hanger revealing her black outfit, the black pants and the top that reminded me of…it was her!

"Oh no I was just retrieving your brush that dropped by mistake." I said looking away and pointing to the brush that was now on the table.

She then walked to her desk sat down, took off her black gloves and finally settled herself. I just stood there looking down.

"Your not a very big talker are you?" she said holding her hands to her face like she was praying. I looked up at her.

"There's not much to say Mademoiselle." I said shaking my head just a bit.

"Oh no, there's actually thousands of things to say once you think about it." She said standing up and walking to me.

I was a bit startled by her movements. She came up beside me and reached down. I quickly moved out of the way stunned. She looked at me stunned herself.

"Mademoiselle I don't think you know who I am yet! So I suggest you keep your hands to yourself for now before you go making a mistake I know for a fact you will regret! " She suddenly looked at her hand and laughed at what I thought she was going to do. She reached for a green apple. I shut my eyes and breathed in my humiliation.

"Mother grew them, she insisted I have them. Don't worry Erik, I won't just go and grab some very privet part of you." She said giving a sly smirk. Then she turned serious

"But I will, for the last time ask you not to hide you face in front of me or my crew."

She then grabbed my hand in the most delicate way I have never thought I would feel, and pulled it down. I shuddered from her touch and the fact I was now mask less in front of her. Did she truly not care? I looked at her eyes, no she didn't they told me she did not care. She then took a bite and held her apple to my face.

"Want one?" She asked chewing on a piece. I shook my head even though I truly did want one.

"I'm fine thank you."

"Right you look it." She said taking another bite. I watched as I heard the sound of sweet and sour juice go into her mouth. I gave a small pleading look.

"Help yourself, that's what their there for." She said walking to the bed. I quickly took the green apple and sunk my teeth into it, the sweet sour taste rushed to my mouth and I closed my eyes and took it all in with delight. I finished the apple and helped myself to another one, another and another! I probably had about four apples and would have eaten more if the lady in the back didn't interrupt me.

"Alright I know there good but save some for me please?" She said in a pleading voice. I stopped and whipped my mouth with a napkin she threw me.

"Alright time to clean you up." She said patting a spot next to her on the bed. I continued to stand there, what exactly did she want me to do?

"Come here." She said motioning me to sit next to her I did as she asked. I sat next to her; she poured some of the liquids into a bowl, then some onto a piece of rag then turned to me.

"Oh well it's a good thing you didn't change before I cleaned you up. Take off your shirt." What the hell was I hearing! I just sat there dumbfounded staring at the wall. Then her question hit me again.

"I'm sorry what did you say?" I asked in a baffled voice.

"You have cuts on your chest and perhaps your back, I need to treat you. And for me to treat you I need you to take-of-your-shirt." She said that and made it perfectly clear to me.

"You know I have a bit of a problem with that and well…" She then interrupted me in one annoyed tone.

"Oh my God! You can't be serious!" She then grabbed my shirt and pulled me forward, my whole body tensed up, I have only been this close with Christine, I never pictured myself this close with another. She quickly began to undo the buttons to my shirt. I tried and tried to gulp down the lump in my throat but couldn't. Something deep down inside kept saying to push her away and just leave, but I wanted to stay. This woman was different, then that lead me to my question.

"Was that you? Back at the fair?" She just nodded as she pulled my shirt off, she frowned as she saw thousands of scars traveling from my chest to back, and she shook her head and began to clean the fresh cuts. The stinging pain increased with each dab she did. I tried to think of something else, all right good why don't you think about her and I in…NO!

"Um well, what made you interested in piracy?"

"Oh well, see ever since I read about the great Anne Bonney and her adventures I was…I had to set sail for the high seas. She was quite an inspiration to me, but what really kept me going was how she fell in love with her dream pirate, Calico Jack Rackham." She said placing a bandage on my first cut.

"That's where I got the name of my ship, the Crystal part is just my middle name. They ruled the seas together. This might sting for just a bit." She said interrupting her story to clean a big long slit on my shoulder blade.

As she did this, her head was against mine; I closed my eyes and took in her sent. She continued her story.

"She was a thief, a great thief, with one mean temper. She would travel with her lover dressed as a man, they did many things, and my favorite is when she and Jack robbed a Dutch ship that was made to sail for the West Indies. After I read that one, I knew right away that I was not made for dry land. I was born for this." She said moving away to get a bandage, slightly brushing her cheek against mine.

She bandaged the cut then backed away and looked at me, and…it couldn't be desire that lay in her eyes. She then gave a small laugh then began putting more liquids on the rag.

"Well, yes that's how I first became interested in piracy."

"How did you first become a pirate?" I asked amazed by her past. This is when she looked up with joy, it seemed she was begging me to ask her that.

"Well nothing big or anything. When I was eight I began my stealing career, pick pocketing others, of course I would always have to retune what I stole." If she didn't dab at one of my cuts I swear I would have laughed. What was the point of stealing when you would have to return it later?

"When I turned eleven, I was already running away and coming home with a handful of frail junk. When I was fourteen I made a friend who's father knew a pirate in prison. I tracked down this pirate, told him what I wanted to do. He understood my whishes well, which was to learn how to be a pirate." She smiled from her precious memory. That smile always seemed to take my attention and place it on her lips.

"I sprung him from jail, which is not an easy thing to do, but it was all worth it. We stole a ship and sailed together. He told me everything I needed to know. But what he taught me most, was how to be a Captain. He told me I was unique and I had the muscle and soul to do it. He taught me everything! I was so close to becoming the pirate I always wanted to be." Her smile suddenly faded.

"But umm, it wasn't until my mentor took one to the stomach. We were sailing on the Spanish Main, and uh, we came across a ship. Being the people we were we snuck onto the ship and found a room filled with riches! And being the greedy person I am, I tried to take it all. My mentor was telling me Take only what my arms can carry, one shilling is better then nothing, I didn't listen, all I did was fill my pockets with gold, I took a basket and just filled it." She suddenly stopped cleaning my cuts and just sat there.

"It slowed us down, and it just gave enough time for the others to wake up and realize that someone is trying to steal there gold. By the time we got to our ship they were firing at us, I didn't get hit, but my mentor did. When I saw he was down I just dropped everything and went to his aid, I pulled him to the ship and we sailed away. He uh…I was telling him I was sorry and it was my fault, all he said was:

It wasn't your fault; you were just being the person you always wanted to be. A pirate. You can do it now Thelma! You have the strength to become a Captain and sail the seas! Sail the seas Thelma, sail away toward the sunset.

He passed away after." She wasn't looking at me, put I saw the one small single tear descend onto her palm. She sniffed then continued.

"So I uh, began to sprung more men out and they volunteered to be my crew, once they heard who my mentor was they immediately agreed. The old man was more famous then I thought." She said giving a small smile. She looked at me.

"Well yes that's my story." She looked at my head. "I think we need to stitch that." She said pointing to the cut. I placed my hand on it and gasped.

"Well it's going to hurt if you do that." She said pulling me toward her to begin her medical treatment.

"Was anyone in your family by any chance a doctor?"

"No my mentor was." I winced as the needle went in.

"I see."

We stayed silent until she finally finished the last stitch. She cut the string.

"There it wasn't that bad was it?" she asked smiling at me.

I gave her a look as if I was saying of course it hurt why do you think I'm so silent?

She giggled then stood. She handed me my new clothes and said.

"Well you get some rest, change in those close the minute you wake tomorrow!" she said leaving. I gave a small smile as she left.

I know for a fact that if I weren't ill or weak I would probably ignore her order. But she is a Captain.

Hi! Ok yes I know the ending sucks but it's the best my brain will allow me to write. What really gets me angry is how I'm changing Erik's character, to some sort of like, its like he doesn't mind being mask less and he needs to be more aggressive I think. The next chapter that I'm working on right now is hate to say it, working out pretty badly, I'm probably rushing that's why. But anyways, Please review, I need to know what you guys think! Pretty please!

Gee I never thought I would be begging…

Crystal A.