Disclaimer: recognisable characters, places and so on belong to the mighty Mouse and the god that is Joss.

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Chapter 2

Looking around himself, he noted the neatness of the little cabin. A blanket was tidily turned down on the narrow wooden bunk, and a shelf held a basin and a jug, both empty. Mal sat down on the bunk, rubbing his hands through his hair, and wished that the boat would stop moving and that Wash would get a move on.

A short while later there was a knock, and Gibbs entered again. He held out Mal's pistol.

"Cap'n thought you'd like this back."

"I would indeed," said Mal, taking the pistol and automatically checking it. Satisfied, he holstered the weapon and stood up.

Back on deck he found his crew stretched out again in the sun.

"Well?" he asked.

"I don't trust him," said Jayne, jerking a thumb at Jack Sparrow.

"Nor me," Mal agreed. "And he don't trust us. Guy's a pirate, and I reckon he'd have us off his boat in a split if that suited him best. Just at present, it don't suit, and we should count ourselves lucky for it."

"So where're we goin', capt'n?" asked Kaylee.

"Some place called Tortuga," Mal said. "Ain't no idea where in the world it is, but he reckons Wash'll find us there. It's five days' sail."

Jayne muttered something rude under his breath in Chinese which earned him a glare from Zoe and a blush from Kaylee.

"Meantime, we'll get along with the crew, best we can," Mal went on. "I'm told there could be fighting - if that's the case we'll lend a hand."

"Good," Jayne growled.

"Otherwise, sure they wouldn't turn down a hand with all these pesky ropes 'n such."

Kaylee lay back against the warm wood of the deck, shading her eyes. "Shiny," she said, happily.

Later, Mal wandered up to the helm and watched one of the crew at work steering. Sparow was nonchalantly leaning on the rail, half-keeping an eye on things. After a while he turned to Mal. "Fancy a turn, mate?"

"At …?"

"The wind's steady. And though she's capricious when she's a mind to it, today ain't one of them days."

Mal considered the great helm and the black sails towering above them.

"Looks awful tricky," he commented.

"Bollocks," Sparrow said cheerfully. "Sanchez, give Cap'n Reynolds the helm."

"Aye, sir." Sanchez looked across at the compass, swinging in gimbals in front of the wheel. "Bearing west-sou'-west." He made way for Mal, who took the helm, cautiously putting his hands on the wheel.

The ship lurched.

"Hey!" said Mal. "I ain't done nothing."

Sparrow stepped up beside him and laid one hand on the helm. Instantly the Black Pearl steadied.

"Just gentle movements," Sparrow said. "She doesn't need much." He took his hand off the wheel, and this time Mal managed to hold it steady. He could feel the great ship surging through the water below him, hear the wind thrumming in the sails and the ropes.

Sparrow squinted critically up at the masts. "Reckon we'll give 'er a little more canvas," he said. "Mr Gibbs! Let's break out the t'gallants. Wind's fair for a while."

Mal watched as men began to climb each mast, shimmying out on the long yards to loosen the ties holding the sails furled. Down on deck, others prepared to haul on ropes, and soon the sails at the very top of the three masts were billowing in the breeze and the ship had picked up speed.

He gave the helm back to Sanchez, who offered a warm grin, and headed down to the deck.

He found his crew still stretched out in the sunshine, Jayne snoring in a peaceable fashion. Kaylee smiled up at him.

"Ain't this nice, capt'n?"

"It'll do," Mal said. "Means of getting' us to someplace Wash can fetch us. Any luck with sendin' a wave?"

"Wire's busted," Kaylee explained. "I need a new one to fix it."

"Wire?"

"Copper'd do," she said.

"Reckon they're bound t'have something that would work," Mal mused.

"Fixing would be good," Zoe said, her hands pillowed behind her head.

Mal sat down, leaning against the rail. "Ask the captain," he suggested. "Got lots of shine in his hair."

Kaylee frowned, before decisively standing and giving her tangled locks a tug. "Guess I might just do that," she said, heading towards the helm.

The ship surged on through the waves, and Mal reflected he had just about got used to its motion. Over at the helm, Kaylee was involved in a deep conversation with Jack Sparrow, the pirate gesticulating madly.

"Reckon he's sly?" Jayne asked, watching.

"Nah, he ain't sly," Mal said. "Kaylee ought t'be watchin' for him."

Watching or not, Kaylee returned triumphant ten minutes later brandishing a thin strand of some sort of metal that she said would work to fix the radio. She settled down immediately to mess with it. Mal closed his eyes, and with the sun beating down on his eyelids, drifted off to sleep.

He was woken, curtly, much later by Anamaria who informed him there was supper in the mess. The others were already there, and appeared to be getting on well with the crew of the Black Pearl. Kaylee was explaining the workings of the radio to a group of men. Jayne was engaged in lurid descriptions of battles, trying to outdo the men he was talking to. Only Zoe was quiet, but her eyes were flicking round the room as she ate, taking in the pirates around her.

Mal slid on to the bench by her side.

"Hi," he said.

"Captain."

"Captain Reynolds!" said Sparrow, turning from his conversation with Gibbs. "Sleep well?"

"Huh," Mal said, finding himself irritated at the fact that Sparrow had remarked on his slumber. He dug his spoon into the bowl put in front of him, discovering something salty and fishy within - palatable enough, and better than mouldy protein. He ate his way methodically through the bowl, listening to half an ear as Sparrow argued some nautical point with Gibbs.

"How's Kaylee doin' with that radio?" he asked Zoe, as he scraped the bowl a short while later.

"Reckons she can fix it," Zoe said. "Says she'll have Wash waved, tomorrow morning."

"Good girl," Mal said approvingly. He put his spoon down. "Soon be back to protein."

She raised her eyebrows, but said nothing.

Sparrow rose from his seat and waved his hand in the air for silence. To Mal's astonishment, the room full of rowdy men did quieten.

"We're headin' for Tortuga," the captain said. "Should be there in a few days. Till then, usual order of things. There ought to be the odd merchant out, so keep a sharp eye and maybe we'll have something to raid. That's all."

The crew stood, and filed out in groups - some heading to their hammocks, others on deck. Sparrow glanced at Mal.

"Fancy a nightcap, Cap'n Reynolds?"

He was going to refuse, and to take to his bed for the night - it'd been a long and queersome day - but somehow Mal found himself sitting in Sparrow's cabin with a cup of rum in his hand. It was good rum, too, better than he'd had in many a tavern across the border planets. He discovered it was easy to sit and listen to Sparrow talk, about places he'd been and things he'd done, to watch his hands waving through the air, and to drink the rum (which kept on coming). He shared his own tales too; Sparrow laughed loud at the story of Mal's unwanted bride and the havoc she wrought.

Eventually he found himself yawning over the latest cup of rum, and some time later had managed to extricate himself from Sparrow's company and find his way down to Gibbs's cabin. He kicked his boots off, and fell gratefully into the narrow bed.

Mal was woken by a hand on his shoulder, which made him sit up and reach for his pistol all at once.

"Just me, cap'n," said Zoe. "We're needed on deck."

Mal rubbed his eyes and blinked at her. "Huh?"

"Glad to see you slept, sir," she said. "There's a ship out there, and we're attackin'."

He swung his legs out of bed and went to find his boots. "Are we?"

Zoe put her hands on her hips and regarded him. "You've got a hangover," she said.

"No I ain't," Mal retorted. "I'm fine."

The ship gave a lurch, and he put out his hand and held on to the bunk until it was still again.

"See you on deck, sir," said Zoe.

He looked around for water, or somewhere to relieve himself, and found nothing; so he checked his pistol was at his hip and followed her out of the cabin door.

On deck all was chaos, with men hurrying around hauling on ropes and preparing cannon to be fired. Mal spotted Zoe and Jayne, both checking their guns, in the midst of it all. By the helm there was Jack Sparrow, looking horribly bright and awake.

Hanging on to ropes as he went, because the ship seemed to be bucking around something dreadful, Mal made his way up to Sparrow.

"Heard you might need a hand," he said.

"Captain Reynolds!" Sparrow favoured him with a shiny grin. "We've got prey." He gestured ahead of the ship, where Mal could see another set of towering sails. "Dutch merchant," said Sparrow. "Belay the foretop clews!" he called out. "Look," he added, turning to Mal. "If you and yours could hang around midships - 'bout where your mate is now - and use those little guns of yours when we come close, I'd appreciate it. We'll be boardin' her but you needn't join us, unless you fancy it."

"All right," said Mal.

"Ta," Sparrow returned.

Mal went back to his crew. "Seems they've plans to board," he told them. "We're to help out as we can."

Jayne bared his teeth in a grin. "Good." He squinted down Vera's barrel. "I'm likin' this trip more 'n' more."

"Where's Kaylee?" Mal asked.

Wordlessly, Zoe gestured upwards and Mal followed her pointing finger. Up in the tangle of rigging he could just see Kaylee, leaning over a yard tying ropes with the help of the pirate by her side.

"Well," he said.

"Boat's just another engine to her, sir," said Zoe.

"Long as she's making herself handy," Mal said, then put out a hand to steady himself as the Black Pearl heeled over suddenly. From the helm Jack Sparrow was bellowing orders, and the crew were hurrying to obey them. They had closed now on the other ship and the tension was palpable.

Their ship was heading towards the prey now, carving up the water under her bow. Mal chanced a look at Zoe and Jayne, and saw their faces narrowed in concentration. As the Black Pearl came close to the other vessel, Sparrow called out another order and within a few minutes she had heeled again and was slowing. Men were down from the masts now. The next thing Mal knew was a shudder and a boom as one of the Pearl's big guns fired, sending a ball into the water just shy of the merchant ship.

After that things all got a bit confusing. It was unlike any battle Mal had ever been in before - and, he reflected as he aimed and fired at the men on the other ship, he had been in a few. There was smoke and noise from the cannon on both vessels; the shouts of men as they swung from deck to deck; the clash of swords and crack of pistols. Through the smoke Mal thought he could see Jack Sparrow fighting a close battle with another man, swords flashing. He did not stop to think, but took careful aim and fired, and saw the man fall. Sparrow flashed a look round before hurrying on to his next quarry.

Eventually it was all over. The Black Pearl's crew were back aboard, with chests and bags of loot, and the stricken merchant was drifting. Sparrow, standing over the stolen goods, surveyed it with pity in his eyes.

"Pretty ship. Shame. Ah well, her crew'll survive, I reckon." He turned to Mal. "Ta, mate. I'd have had him eventually, but you helped."

"Didn't think you'd noticed 'twas me," said Mal.

"Got to keep your wits about you in a fight," Sparrow remarked. "Now, what have we here?"

Mal left him picking through the loot, which seemed to be a mixture of foodstuff, weapons, and a mass of glittery stuff with no use, and went to find his own crew. They were sitting on the deck with their backs against the railing, Zoe holding a rag to her forehead.

"It's all right," she said, waving off his comment. "Just a scratch, sir."

"Kaylee?" Mal asked.

She flopped a hand wearily at him. "Shiny, cap'n, honest. Just a bit yawny."

"You ain't goin' to fall off up there?"

"Not a chance," said Kaylee. "Was hangin' on tight."

"Don't be going falling," Mal warned, nevertheless. "We need you back aboard Serenity."

"Speaking of?" said Zoe.

"I'm sure we're headin' there now," Mal said. "Ain't much we can do, though. I recommend a spot of enjoyin' the sunshine, while we can. And Kaylee, you can see how that wave's coming along."

She yawned. "On it, capt'n."

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TBC