"Who is actually out there?" the brunette asked in annoyance as she still fought the lanky man in front of her.

"Old friend." Jack rolled his eyes as he finally let go of the woman just from being tired of her constant fighting. It was one thing to play a game of cat and mouse with the good and the bad, but this…this just got tiring.

Immediately that door was opened as Epps made her way out into the hallway of the ship, holding her middle with her hands.

Then she stopped.

A friend meant this woman …or girl who had done all the crying wasn't human. Gazing in back of her shoulder at Ferriman she just glared.

"This is my ship." something had appeared beside him as Maureen looked back once more towards the voice.

"Last time I checked, I'm the one who ferried it…" Jack snapped, looking at the raven haired beauty with pure anger.

"Well, that was before this bitch blew it up, now wasn't it?" the other snorted.

"Who are you?" Maureen finally asked, more than confused.

"Forgive me. Actually don't. But this is a private matter… by the way, nice curls." the door closed shut. Locked.

----

"What would he say?…" Abigail took a seat on the bed that Ferriman had slept on, the very bed that was his comfort with Maureen for the while.

"He?" Jack asked, pulling out a cigarette from the nearby open draw.

"You know who I'm talking about, Ferriman." Abi yawned softly, picking at her pink painted nails.

"This isn't your job. You were supposed to leave the mortal alone. There are consequences for this, you know?" flicking her thumb and forefinger nails together as she shook her head.

"I can't really expect better of you…" a dramatic sigh as the lithe figure got up from the bed and began to walk, no pace, along the carpeting.

"Leave, Abigail." Jack muttered when his cigarette wouldn't light with the lighter.

"I sent Andy to deal with you. Me? I'm just a warning." and slowly, her figure began to turn into a mist. The door unlocked and when Maureen stepped inside it was then that she saw the color drain from Jack's face.

"What now?" she didn't look happy.

"You have to trust me…" Jack said flatly, finally lighting the cigarette.

----

"Take me to my mother." Dizzy growled as she placed her back firmly against the wall with her arms crossed over her small chest.

"Can't kiddo." Andy replied with a small smirk.

"Then what are we going to do, stand here and have you just keep grinning and smirking?" she was growing bored with the situation.

"Well, I thought since you're I her /I daughter you might get the point." flatly drawn out.

"No. I'm here to stop you from doing anything remotely crazy that will get in our way."

"Our?"

"Evil VS. good, don't you kids ever read the Bible? No. Neither did I."

----

"Hey…hey." a strong hand started to rub Katie's back softly, but in a quick pace as if to try to get her to come to.

"You passed out little lady." the first mate said as the nurse handed the girl a plastic cup of water.

"I what?" that English accent began, her hand reaching out for the cup and slowly took a sip. It was true. She wasn't dead.

"You were unconscious, sweetie." the nurse replied.

"Oh." pretending to act dumb founded as the red head attempted to sit up but several people tried to stop her.

"Take some water and lay back down." the nurse smiled sweetly.

"I have to…find my parents." Katie looked at her wide eyed.

"They're in the waiting room, you'll be all right, just lay down and I'll call them in."

Blinking did she find herself nearly gasping.

"What?" a sharp whisper.

---

"See it's simple. You tell the police, I kill you. You tell other passerby's, I kill you. And if you attempt to scream like a lunatic in the middle of the public…"

"You'll kill me?" Desarae asked a bit curious, and both afraid.

"No. I'll send you to a mental institution. Clear?" Andy asked.

"Yeah." a depressed tone.

"Good."

-----

"Trust you!" Maureen nearly was crying she was laughing so hard. But Ferriman didn't look amused.

"You want me to be sent to hell? That's exactly what will happen-"

"Good-"

"If… you die."

Her smile dropped.

"See, when you blow up a Ferriers' ships…you're asking for trouble. A balance is set to only collect those that sin…but if we break that balance… things start to happen. And the world starts to lose its … balance." he felt like an idiot.

"In other words we're fucked." a sigh as she slid down the wall a moment, contemplating what to do next.

"Pretty much." Jack gave her an odd look.

"You're not giving up, right, Maureen?" a smirk.

"No, I'm just thinking."

"There's nothing to think about." tossing that cigarette down onto the carpet as it went up in an imaginary flame and disappeared, not one spot left on the carpeting.

"What happens if the balance is completely thrown off?" her dark eyes looked up at him with curiosity.

"A lot of shit happens."

She raised an eyebrow.

"You know…I never went to church. But there's a balance between good and evil. And you crossed it Maureen."

Now it was her turn to give him the odd look.

"We have a deal… with …" he stiffened a sneer.

"God."

"See, if we just do our jobs…collecting the 'damaged' sinners. Then we're okay. But if we lose what we've collected… they're reincarnated into different people…people that were one good… and that's a bad thing."

Furrowing her eyebrows as she began to get up and softly took a step forward to him.

"You're saying Murph's soul… is in a serial killer's body or something?" her heart skipped a beat.

"Exactly."

"How do we stop it?" she asked, hesitantly.

"We have to collect more souls. Or…you die."

"What!" Epps nearly shot through the roof.

"WE!" her eyes widened.

"We. You caused the damage, I did my job. It has to be done by you and me." Jack drawled.

"Why?"

"I don't make the rules, Maureen!" he grumbled loudly.

Sadness laid within her eyes.

"Do I have time to think?" knowing the answer.

"No." Jack rolled his eyes.

"Are we all done bitching and moaning now, really it's not so bad…" a smirk.

"You're trying to save your own ass aren't you?" she hissed.

"Pretty much."

"I have a daughter, Jack. I have …" cut off.

"A life?" Jack asked, a grin.

She looked down to the floor.

"Anyway… I need to give you your 'powers'. You're not going to like the outcome…"

"What?" suspicious.

"You have to die by my hands… "

Epps gasped.

"In order to get some fucked up powers you need to kill me? Hell no, Ferriman."

"It's that or…"

"Death!" she cried.

"Well. See I lied… you die either way. And might I add… you've got one hour."

----

To be continued.