Elena

After that tumultuous night, the door to her cabin was never locked again. She quickly realized there was nothing to be gained from that though. The first night, she was too exhausted from the events to try anything. So it was on the second night, after she listened to make sure all the pirates had gone down to sleep, and the ship was deathly quiet, she ventured out of the room. The ship was much larger than she had initially thought. As she exited the cabin, she was facing the front of the ship. On either side of her, there were plain wooden staircases leading to the lower decks, where she assumed the pirates' bunks were situated. On the outside of those staircases, were another two, leading up instead. She quietly crept up, holding her breath as one of the steps creaked ominously. She remained absolutely still for a full five minutes, until she was sure no one was coming, before continuing to the upper deck. Here the helm was situated, overlooking the front of the ship. She stood in front of the imposing wheel, looking out over the dark seas around her. Hesitating slightly, she placed a hand on the wheel, and shivered slightly as she felt a tingle of excitement shoot through her. A memory flashed into her mind, of her father taking her onto his ship when she was a young girl. She must have been barely five or six years old, still oblivious to her father's position in the pirate world. He had placed her at the help, in front of the wheel, just as she was now. She remembered trying to turn the wheel, as the other men chuckled at her attempts, whilst her father gave her little pushes of encouragement. Eventually she had been able to turn the wheel (with her father's help, she realized now), and she remembered feeling such pleasure and excitement. The pirates in her father's crew had all cheered loudly, and her father picked her up, his eyes shining with pride. He placed her on his shoulders, and turned back to the wheel, to face the seas.

"You'll never forget this feeling, Elena." He had said, sweeping an arm in front of him, at the sparkling blue seas. "The seven seas at your disposal. You can go anywhere, do anything. The world is your oyster." He sighed with contentment, and Elena had never felt happier.

A strong gust of breeze ruffled her hair, bringing her back to the present. She hurriedly let go of the wheel, pushing away thoughts of her father. This life may have suited her father, and clearly suited Damon Salvatore, but it was not for her. She returned to her exploration, still intent on finding a way off the ship. She quickly came to understand why Damon had stopped locking her door though, there was simply no way off this ship. No reasonable way, anyway. She did find two small wooden boats, tied to the side of the ship. She half-heartedly attempted to untie one of the boats, but she knew this was not an option. Even if by some miracle, she was able to untie the boat, climb into it, and lower it down to the water, what next? She would barely survive more than a day out in the middle of the ocean, in this tiny little boat that did not look at all solid.

She shivered in the cold, disheartened, and returned to her cabin. So having her door unlocked was not enough to formulate an escape plan. She still needed more information, and she would have to wait for a better opportunity. Surely they couldn't stay out in the ocean forever? They would have to dock at a port at some point, and then maybe she'd have a chance. She'd just have to wait until then. In the meantime, it was time to get to know the pirates a little better. She would put aside her hatred for them for now, and would instead gain their trust. She needed them to lower their guard, if she was to have any shot at an escape attempt.

The next night, she was drawn out of her room by the sound of raucous laughter and general merriment. Seeing an opportunity to make progress with her plan of gaining the crew's trust, she left the cabin, nerves jangling in her stomach. It was early in the night, and the deck was empty. Instead, the sound was coming up one of the staircases. Taking a deep breath, she slowly descended down to the lower deck. In front of her were around twenty bunks strung up, clearly where the crew slept. And where Damon slept too now, considering he had given her his cabin. She pushed away the thought, unwilling to feel grateful towards him for anything. Turning, she followed the sounds of laughter towards the back.

There was a large wooden table, and the crew were gathered around it, chattering away. Rum bottles were strewn around the table and floor, some empty, some getting there, and others still full to the brim. Some of the men were conversing, roaring with laughter now and again. Others were involved in a game of some sort. Since nobody had noticed her yet, she took the opportunity to step closer, her curiosity piqued. She quickly recognized the game – Liar's Dice – a notorious game of chance and deception, popular amongst pirates. As she watched each pirate taking his turn, checking his dice and making wagers accordingly, it started to come back to her. Her father had taught her this game when she was young, and she had grown to love it almost immediately. They had played it constantly, every time her father was at home, even persuading her mother to join in from time to time. Until they had cut all contact with him, that is. As the game continued, the rules slowly came back to her, and she found herself chuckling along with the men, as one by one, each man lost until the final winner was declared.

"Elena!"

The sound of her name jolted her back to reality, as she looked across the faces, to see who had called her. Her eyes quickly met Billy's kind ones, as he smiled warmly at her.

Damon Salvatore

"Elena!"

Billy's voice from beside him did not surprise Damon. In fact what did surprise him, was how long it had taken for anyone to notice. He had seen Elena enter almost immediately, out of the corner of his eye. Growing up, he had been trained to be constantly observant. Very little escaped his notice. He had been taught this could be the difference between life and death. Whether you notice that knife behind you, before or after it has been sunk in your back.

So of course he had noticed her, as soon as she appeared on the lower deck, however conspicuous she thought she was being. He was careful to keep his gaze down, so she could continue thinking nobody had seen her. He was curious as to what she was doing here. He watched her, as she watched the game, curious to see what she would think. He was surprised when a small smile crept across her face. Ah, she was capable of smiling after all. The spell was broken with Billy's voice, as Elena's smile instantly vanished, replaced with an almost guiltly look, as if she had just been caught doing something she shouldn't have.

"Come, join us!" Billy extended the invitation, pointing across the table to the men sitting on the bench on the other side. Obediently, they shuffled accordingly, creating a gap between them.

"I-uh-I.." Elena started, looking suddenly unsure of herself. It was such a difference to the Elena Gilbert he had met in the pub that night, the one who had been full of life and confidence, the one who had showed no fear when talking to him, Damon Salvatore. To his annoyance, he felt a stab of regret at what he had done to her. It was because of him she was here on this ship, feeling so lost and out of place.

"Sit." He didn't even realize he had spoken, until he noticed the table had gone quiet. His men were looking at him, surprise in their eyes. Worried it had come off in an unfriendly manner, he extended a half smile. "Join us, as Billy offered."

She met his gaze, and something flickered in her eyes. She nodded, and sat in the gap his men had created for her. She looked down at the table, picking up the dice in her hand, almost weighing them there.

"You want to play?" Billy asked, chuckling. "We can explain the rules."

"I think I got it." Elena said, smiling slightly, as if she had made a joke that only she knew about. "From watching, I mean."

"Oho, smart girl! Alright, let's have at it." Billy said, scooping up all the dice and diving them equally amongst the players.

He shot a questioning look at Damon, but he shook his head. "I'll sit this one out." Damon said, taking a swig from his bottle.

As the game commenced, Damon leaned back in his chair and watched Elena play. He saw her visibly relax as she played, slowly joining in the conversation. As some of the men lost and were kicked out of the game, and the remaining players dwindled to four, Elena included, she even started contributing to the gentle ribbing and teasing the other men were doing. At one point, one of his men, Gibbs, even offered Elena a swig of his rum. Though she hesitated initially, she eventually accepted, laughing good-naturedly. Pirate's rum is notoriously stronger than the kind of rum server in regular bars, and so Damon was impressed when she didn't even make a face as she took a gulp. Finally the last round was down to just Billy and Elena.

"You've got this, Gilbert." Gibbs said, slapping her on the back. She jumped at first, but then laughed.

"I know, I know." She tucked her long hair behind her ears, as if getting serious. "You nervous?" She winked at Billy. He threw his head back and chortled.

"Just cos you beat all these losers, doesn't mean anything. When it comes to this game, I'm a different beast." He replied, winking, and earning hoots and hollers from the crowd.

Damon couldn't hold back his own smile, as he watched the showdown. He was also coming to a realization. She had definitely played this game before. It was one thing to just pick up the rules as you watched, but she was playing with finesse, tactically. The kind that doesn't come from just watching, it comes from experience. Billy made his bid, tilting his head to the side as he watched Elena expectantly. She chewed on her lip, as she eyed him.

"Liar." She accused, her eyes twinkling with excitement. She flipped her cup, displaying the values on her dice.

Billy leaned back in his chair, and made a big show of taking a chug of his rum. Elena tapped her foot impatiently, almost bursting out of her seat with curiosity. "Show me!" She ordered, and Billy chuckled.

"Alright, alright miss." He turned over his cup, and settled back smugly, basking in his victory. The men around him whooped, slapping him on the back, and knocking their bottles together in cheers.

"Ughhhhh!" Elena groaned in mock disappointment, but she was still smiling. "Good game." She congratulated Billy, offering him her hand. He shook it heartedly, meeting her grin.

"Not bad, not bad girl. You've got skills, rookie!"

Elena smiled, modestly, not replying though.

"Except you're not, right?" Damon cut in, meeting her gaze.

He noticed her smile dropped. "Not what?"

"A rookie. You've played before." He stated it in a way that it was clear, this was not a question. The rest of the crew were still chatting away, so nobody was really paying attention to them. So it was only Damon noticed the look that flashed across her face; was it fear? She paused, as if deciding what to say. He waited patiently, he was in no rush.

"My-my father taught me." She said quietly, looking down at the table.

"Mm." Damon said, in a noncommittal manner. He didn't add anything else. In his experience, he found that the less you speak, can sometimes encourage others to speak up more. For no other reason than to fill the silence.

"How did your father know this game?" Billy asked, but in a much friendlier way, as if he was just making small talk.

Elena looked up at Billy, avoiding Damon's unwavering stare.

"He-he worked on a ship. He was a merchant, for the British navy. He learnt it from someone who had spent time on a pirate ship."

Billy nodded, accepting her explanation, and resumed his conversation with Gibbs. Damon continued to watch Elena. Her cheeks had reddened, though that could have been the effects of the alcohol. As though she felt his gaze, she looked up, her light brown eyes meeting his. He felt like something had shifted in her face; where previously she had looked fearful, now determination blazed in her eyes. The intensity surprised him, as if she was angry at having been challenged. He looked away and took another swig of rum.

Who was this girl?

Elena

The next few days passed in a blur. Elena spent the whole day outside of the cabin, on the deck of the ship. She made conversation with the men in the crew, she helped out with the rigging and other work where she could. She ate her meals with the crew, and spent the evenings playing Liar's Dice with them. She would never have admitted this to anyone, but she actually enjoyed herself. Though the daily work on the ship was hard, and tiring, the crew remained in good spirits. They were jolly, passing time with various games, shantys, and jokes. It seemed Grip had been a recent addition, but the rest of the crew were tightknit. She could sense the loyalty and respect they had towards each other, and for their captain.

One morning, Elena was out on the deck, when she caught sight of something that made her heart soar. Land! They were pulling into a port, finally! As the ship docked, all the men came out on the deck, chattering loudly. There was a palpable buzz in the air, seemed she wasn't the only one excited about this development. She looked up at Damon, who was standing at the helm. His face was expressionless as always, and Billy was by his side, also as always. She wondered what would happen now. Would everyone leave the ship? Was this her chance? Almost as if he could read her mind, he looked down and met her gaze, smirking slightly.

As the ship ground to a halt, Damon descended onto the main deck.

"Go, enjoy. We'll depart early tomorrow morning. Be back by then, or else see you next year." He announced to the crew. The men pushed at each other good-naturedly, as they all clambered off the ship and down onto the dock. Elena watched as they all dispersed, in the general direction of the town. She held her breath and waited, to see what would happen next.

"I'll be off, Cap'n." Billy said, and Elena noticed something different in his voice. It had quivered slightly, almost with anticipation? "You coming? Millie'd love to see you."

Damon started to nod yes, before hesitating. "What about her?" He asked, looking at her.

Billy paused, unsure, and Elena took the opportunity to speak up. "I can stay here. I'll stay in the cabin, while you're out." She mentally admonished herself, she had sounded too enthusiastic.

Damon chuckled. "Nice try. You're coming with us." He looked back to Billy. "If that's ok with you?"

Elena was surprised, had he just deferred to Billy on something?

"Course, course! Come along then!"

Billy climbed down the ladder on the side of the ship, dropping down onto the deck below. Elena looked back at Damon, but he nodded towards the ladder, and waited. Elena told herself this wasn't a problem. Now wasn't the moment to escape, but no matter, she'd find another one. The more important thing was that they were on land! And the pirates surrounding her had dropped from 20, to two. Her chances of escaping had just increased dramatically. She followed the route Billy had taken, dropping onto the dock next to him. Damon was right behind her, and then they set off through the winding. Soon they arrived at a small house. As soon as they had entered, Billy was almost bowled over by a small body.

"Millie, my darling!" Billy gushed, lifting up the small body and squeezing tightly. Eventually they stopped, and Elena could see the young girl in his arms. She looked to be around six or seven.

"Billy's daughter." She heard Damon's voice in her ear, and jumped with surprise. She hadn't notice him move so close to her.

"You're home, my love!"

Elena saw another, slightly older, woman enter the room. She ran over to Billy, and hugged him tightly.

"I missed you so much!"

Elena looked away, suddenly feeling like she was intruding on a private moment. It was clear Milly and this woman were very special to Billy.

"Uncle Damon!" Millie squealed with excitement, and ran towards Damon. He lifted her up, and whirled her around as she giggled uncontrollably. Elena couldn't help but smile, the sight was so sweet.

"You're getting so big, Mil! Soon you'll be the one picking me up!" Damon said, as he placed her back down and pretended to sigh, as if exhausted. Millie giggled again and blushed. "Come on over here, let's give mummy and daddy some space." He took her by the hand and led her to the sofa, sitting down heavily, as she climbed into his lap.

Billy shot him a grateful smile, and then he and the woman, his wife Elena presumed, left the room, conversing in low voices.

"You gonna sit or what?"

It took her a second to realize that Damon was talking to her, and smiling shyly, she sat down next to him on the sofa.

"Say hi, Millie. This is Elena."

Millie looked at her suspiciously.

"Hi, Millie. Very nice to meet you." Elena said, giving her a warm smile.

"Hi, Elena." The little girl replied, before turning back to Damon. "Is she your girlfriend?" She asked, in the blunt, direct way that only young children can.

Damon chuckled. "No, no, not at all. Just, hm, just a friend." He shot Elena a grin over the top of Millie's head.

"Hmph." Millie made a sound implying she didn't know what to make of that, before continuing to babble away to Damon, telling him what she had been upto since he last saw her. Elena sat quietly, listening, and smiling as Damon gently teased the girl from time to time. Honestly she was quite surprised. This was a side to him that she had never expected. Millie clearly adored him, and he seemed to have similar affection towards her.

A while later, Billy and his wife returned, and she introduced herself as Gemma. She took them into the kitchen, and made them all hot cups of tea. Then Billy and Gemma took Millie on a walk outside, for some long awaited family bonding time.

"I had no idea Billy had a family. He never mentioned it." Elena said to Damon, who was sitting beside her at the kitchen table.

"He likes to keep his private life, well, private. As a pirate, having a family brings an element of danger. If the wrong people find out, they can be used against you. Having people you love, that you are willing to die for, is a dangerous thing to have. It means you can be controlled, be made to do things you would ordinarily never do."

Elena sensed a trace of bitterness in his voice, as if he was speaking from some personal experience.

"Is that why you don't have a family?"

He looked at her sharply, as if she had crossed some line. When she didn't look away, he sighed.

"Yes. It's why I never will."

They lapsed into silence for a few minutes, as Elena sipped on her tea.

"I don't understand though, Billy has this beautiful family here. Why is he sailing around the seven seas, instead of staying at home with them?"

She hoped this time Damon couldn't sense the bitterness in her voice, like she had in his. She couldn't help it though, this had reminded her so much of how her family used to be. Her father out sailing god knows where, stopping by once in a while, to see her and her mother. Her being totally unaware of who her father really was, what he did while he was away, as she was sure Millie was unaware of Billy's role as a pirate. She broke out of her thoughts, and looked up to see Damon was gazing at her, thoughtfully.

"Billy loves the seas. It's where his heart is." He finally answered, vaguely.

"And?" Elena prodded, sensing there was more to this story. As much as she believed Billy loved the sea, it wasn't a good enough explanation. She had seen the way he had hugged his wife and daughter, the way he had looked at then, full of adoration.

"Billy basically raised me. Of course he loves this family here, but he loves me too." Damon spoke haltingly, as if this was hard to admit. "Don't you think I've tried to get him to stop? I've told him so many times that he should retire, and just stay here with his family. That he shouldn't be endangering his life anymore, it's not worth it for him, not when he has people depending on him." Damon sighed, and stopped speaking. She was about to think that was the end of the conversation, when he continued. "But he always refuses. He says as long as I'm out there, sailing the seas and endangering my own life, he'll be right there beside me. He says I owe it to him to let him do that. And there's nothing I can do or say to change his mind."

He stood up abruptly, as if opening up had tired him out, and he was done.

"Come, let's go back to the ship. Billy will meet us back there."

It was only later that night when Elena was back in the cabin in bed, pulling the sheets tightly around her, recalling moments during the day that brought a smile to her face, did she realize that the thought of escaping had never once come to mind.

Thanks for reading! Would reallyyyy appreciate a review, thank you!