Chapter V

The Magic Pond of Privateers' Island

Heero stood at the bowsprit. It was a beautiful sunny day and the sea breeze was perfect. The crew had grown oddly quiet since they had left Hispaniola where they had stopped for a few more provisions, but – even though he should probably have been worried – he was fine with it. He did not miss the sea shanties or the gambling or the shouting… Silence was like a haven to him. At least until Winner decided to voice his own concerns.

'I'm worried about Duo…' he started, leaning against the railing, not bothering to make sure if the captain was even listening to him. 'He's not the kind of fellow who keeps to himself.'

'Maybe that's a good change.' Heero suggested even though he did see reason in the blonde pirate's concerns. 'An improvement.'

'Nay. I don't think it's a good thing at all. There's something in his mind, Heero. Something he doesn't know how to share.'

'Perhaps he wishes to solve his own problems for once.'

'Duo thinks out loud. He can't solve anything until he does.'

The captain sighed wearily, knowing he would have to be the one to not only give Maxwell advice, but ruin his own silent moment while he was at it. 'You're closest to him, Quatre. Why don't ye talk to him?'

'Because I have no right to ask him to tell me anything and I don't want to put a strain in our relationship. Besides he'll need someone to complain to once you're done.'

He snorted. 'Send him here. There's something I need to discuss with him either way. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.'

'Thank you, Captain!' Quatre beamed gratefully. He had not been a pirate for very long, and Heero often hoped that gullible trusting attitude was some sort of façade. Because if ever the blonde needed to deal with less honourable pirates, he would be in big trouble.

'You owe me, Winner. There're no favours here.'

'Aye, Captain.'

The blonde's steps had barely grown distant enough for the captain not to hear them when Trowa approached, carrying the pitch black kitten he had rescued from certain death at the hands of an evil looking fishwife. Or a fat zealot. Heero had already heard two different versions of the story in the five days since they had left Hispaniola. 'What is it, Barton?' he asked because he knew his quiet morning was over the moment Winner decided he had gone to the forecastle to hold court.

'The cat needs a name, Heero.'

'I'm sure you're perfectly capable of giving her one.'

'Aye. We voted. As captain ye are supposed to break the tie.'

He frowned. 'We're eight, Trowa. I haven't voted yet which means you've got 7 votes. How is that a tie?'

'Chang refused to vote.'

'I feared that was what you were going to say…' Heero sighed again because his frustration at the unnecessary interruption to his very short quiet time was too much to bear. 'What are the options?'

'Howard, Duo and Schbeiker think we should call her Jackie. Relena, Quatre and I prefer the name Shadow.' Trowa handed the captain the small ball of fur and saw a ghost of a smile cross Heero's face.

'Lowe would have never approved of this.' He commented to himself as he seemed to have a silent conversation with the feline.

'Black cats bring good luck to a ship.'

'Aye. So I've been told.' The captain returned the cat to the lookout. 'You rescued her, Barton. Name her what ye choose.'

'Rescued?' Trowa questioned with a confused frown.

'Aye. From a drunken whore with a bad temper.' Heero said and seemed to ponder his own made up version of the account. 'Or so the story goes.'

The lookout shook his head and returned to his post, his captain's internal joke lost on him. He crossed paths with Duo, who stood by the railing near the top of the stairs, fidgeting as he waited for his turn to speak to Heero. The braided pirate forgot his worries for a moment to poke the kitten between her yellowish eyes. Trowa scowled at him, pulling Shadow out of Duo's way.

'Wet-blanket.'

'Pest.'

The captain crossed his arms and cleared his throat, cutting the men's bickering off short. The long haired pirate approached him. 'Quatre said ye wanted to see me?'

'Aye. You've spent some time with Schbeiker now… I want to know if ye think he's ready to be a regular deckhand.'

'Aye! Definitely ready!' he halted at Heero's raised eyebrows. 'I can't be his nanny anymore, Heero. Aye? Can't ye, please, find someone else?'

'Ye just said he was ready, Maxwell. Are ye trying to fool me?'

'He's ready, Heero. I swear! It's just…' Duo stepped closer, lowering his voice. 'Ye know how he never looks ye in the eye, eh? The other day, before the storm, a wave sent the ship up an' down and Schbeiker was gonna fall face first on the deck so I held 'im by the arm. There was this moment when our eyes met… It made me feel all funny.' The captain frowned awkwardly at him and the braided man took a step back uncomfortably. 'I can't be one of those unfortunate men-loving fellas, Heero. People get sent to the gallows for that!'

Heero gave him a long pensive look then shrugged. 'It'll only add "gross indecency" to the long list of things they'll hang ye for, Maxwell.'

'Nay. That's not me.'

'Just keep it low, Maxwell.' The captain told him seriously and took the stairs back to the main deck. He could hear Duo's continued protests as the other man followed him, but Heero ignored them. Maxwell tended to quiet down once he had vented, and he was already far too busy trying not to admire Relena's brand new dress or meet her questioning eyes as he made his way to the quarter deck.

XXX

'Are you asking my opinion?' Quatre enquired as they worked together and Duo nearly dropped his side of the anchor on the blonde pirate's feet only so he could throw up his hands in frustration. 'I think that, of all the crimes you've committed, this is the least criminal one.'

'I haven't committed anything!' he protested. Why did everyone seem to think he wanted to pursue something with the new recruit? Couldn't they just understand that all Duo needed was to stay away from Schbeiker and it would all be fine? There had been no time or money for wenches during any of their last stops… He was just lonely and Schbeiker was all delicate and awkward… He was actually quite feminine which was the braided pirate's only consolation.

'I'm just saying none of us would condemn you if you chose to…'

'Quatre, ye're not helping.'

'Oh… Sorry.'

They were quiet for a moment as they watched the anchor hit the water and sink to the dark bottom. 'Why are we docking here anyway?'

'Because Schbeiker said—.'

'Not him again!' Duo moaned painfully.

Quatre shrugged. 'It's not my fault he was the one who worked for the Royal Navy… Apparently, privateers used to stop here on their routes so there're provisions stocked in some hidden hole somewhere in this island. I told Heero I think we should spend the night… It's a full moon tonight, but the sky's getting cloudy… It's never good to sail blindly.'

'Don't take the cat, Bart'n! Ye're gonna lose 'er!' The braided man shouted after Trowa as he walked past them ready to leave the ship.

'Mind yer own business, Maxwell.' Was the lookout's friendly suggestion. Schbeiker was already there with Heero and seemed quite eager to leave the Peacemillion himself.

'Whatever he's got stashed in this island, he sure is in a hurry to get to it.' Duo commented with a frown. 'Ye don't think he could have set us a trap, do ye? 'Cause I told Heero it was okay to leave 'im unsupervised.'

'If you're that worried why don't you just ask him?' the blonde suggested casually and saw his friend's frown turn into a scowl.

'I ain't talking to him no more.'

'Do you know who's staying with the ship?'

'No one is.' Wufei was suddenly beside them, watching the rest of the crew make their way down. 'We're hauling her ashore so we can careen her. It'll up our speed, help us reach the treasure faster. Ye're expected to help pull as well.'

Duo followed the Chinese man across the deck. 'Do ye really think we'll make it past the sirens? Can Lena really get us through?'

'Don't worry, Maxwell.' Wufei turned to him with a grin that had the braided pirate taking a step back. 'We'll put 'er in a rowboat and send her up ahead… If she doesn't come back we turn the ship about and sail away.'

'We're voting on that, aye?' Duo asked, though the first mate was already on his way down. 'Chang!'

'Of course we're voting, Duo.' Quatre soothed him.

'What are we voting for?' Relena asked cheerfully as she approached them, followed by Howard. 'Looks like we are the last ones.' She told the old man.

'Is it true we're going to careen the ship?' he asked the younger pirates.

'Aye.' They answered, and Howard huffed wearily. 'We're supposed to help haul her ashore too.'

'Oh… It's a pity I'm an old man with so many aches and so little strength…'

The braided pirate snorted. 'Ye ain't getting out of this one, Howie.'

'Schbeiker said there's a pond at the northern side of the island.' Relena was the only one who seemed excited. 'At least we'll be able to bathe.'

'Together?' Duo asked with a smirk and had the pleasure of watching her blush furiously.

She did not bother answering him as she threw her legs over the railing and slid down the rope to the shore. 'You'll burn your hands!' Quatre shouted after her, then turned an angry glare at the braided pirate. 'Don't even try peeking at her while she bathes or Heero will rip your eyes out.'

'Aye, aye…' Duo raised his hands in surrender and watched the blonde man slide down.

'He meant that, Duo.' Howard told him seriously. 'I think the capt'n would take it very personally if ye peeked at that one.'

'I know, Howie. I just want a little bit of peace for once…' he looked down at the beach where the others were already gathered and frowned at Schbeiker who was still talking animatedly with Heero. 'Just a little bit of peace…'

XXX

After a long afternoon pulling molluscs off the Peacemillion's hull under the scorching hot equatorial sun, the crew was grateful to simply collapse on the sand banks around a pathetic little bonfire and sleep under the stars. Schbeiker was even more grateful they fell asleep before the fire had even died down to embers, he had been waiting for that moment ever since he had convinced the captain to dock at Privateers' Island. So he snuck out as soon as he could, cautiously stepping over the other sleeping pirates until he was far enough to move into a sprint in the direction of the pond.

As soon as he reached the margins, he anxiously rid himself of his clothes and stepped into the lukewarm water, relishing the feeling of cleanliness that spread all over him. He dove underneath the surface just as the clouds parted enough to let the moonlight paint the dark waters a shimmering silver. For as long as the oxygen in his lungs lasted he watched the sky from underneath the water, marvelling at how surreal it all was and only then realising just how tired his disguise made him feel. Before his thoughts could take an even more depressing turn, he remerged and it was when he realised he was being watched.

Duo's already big eyes were nothing but huge as he stood at the lake's margin, staring at the young woman who had surfaced where Schbeiker had disappeared a minute earlier. He had followed the other pirate, sure that he had brought them to that specific island for some shady reason and that he was surely up to something. When he saw – in the distance – his crewmate bathing, he nearly turned around and left, but then Schbeiker had dived and when he had not remerged the braided pirate had gotten worried and decided to approach. It was a good thing he had too or he might have missed the fact that the pond had transformed the awkward new recruit into a pretty young thing.

She screamed at him, and next thing he knew Duo was dodging huge rocks and even some snails and underwater plants aimed at his head. 'Stop looking, Maxwell!' Schbeiker shouted. 'Ye perverted blockhead! Why couldn't ye just fall asleep and stop following me 'round? Just for a couple o' hours?'

He moved his hands, struck completely speechless for once. 'Uh…'

'Turn around!' she ordered and – because he had absolutely no idea what to do – he did as told. 'If ye even as much as peek at me again I'll make personally sure ye never see another sunrise!'

'I ain't peeking! I never meant to! I swear!' he raised his hands finally finding his words. He could hear her leaving the water, her breathing shallow from her dive and then shouting and throwing things at him, then pulling her clothes back on.

'Are ye telling the others?' she asked finally, still angry but obviously also worried.

'What am I supposed to tell them? That the magic pond turned ye into a wench?' the moment he closed his mouth something hit him on the back of the head, making him almost fall face-first on the sand. Outraged, he picked up her discarded boot and – ignoring her earlier threat – turned to meet her eyes. 'What was that for?'

'Callin' me a wench.' She said simply, watching him rub his aching head unsympathetically.

'Can't call ye a bloke no more…'

'I was never a bloke.' She rolled her eyes exasperated.

'Ye weren't?' Duo held his breath until she had shaken her head. 'Thank ye, Lord.' He said then, raising his hands up to the sky. 'I thought ye were giving me a present, but this is even better.'

The young woman frowned. 'What was that about?'

'Long story.' He tittered still rubbing his head, however self-consciously.

'Should I throw me other boot at ye?'

'Nay… Please, Miss…'

'Hilde Schbeiker.' She informed him with a touch of reluctance.

'So that was why they kicked ye out of the Royal Navy.'

'Aye.' Hilde confirmed, watching him scratch his chin thoughtfully. 'So?'

'"So" what?'

'What will ye do about this?'

XXX

As soon as the others had picked – apparently random – spots around the fire and lied down, Relena returned to the ship. Ever since she had officially joined the crew, the captain seemed to be avoiding her and yet – as hard as she might try – she just could not remember a single thing she might have done to upset him. She convinced herself it was all because of his quarters, which he had lent her back when her stay was only temporary and now was too polite to claim back, so she meant to corner him and tell him that she was moving her things down to the sleeping quarters with the rest of the crew. Hopefully, once that was settled, they would go back to normal.

The sky was cloudy and the night dark. When Relena looked up at the Peacemillion the ship seemed twice as tall… She had never climbed a rope before… There had always been a deck and a ramp or someone to pull her up, but she was not going to give up that easily. Her brand new dress gave her a lot of mobility and yet by the middle of her seemingly endless climb she was feeling as restricted and weighed down by it as she would have by her old dress. When she reached the deck, her arms ached and – against her better judgement – she feared they would fall off. She lied down on the deck and closed her eyes, content to celebrate the feat she had just accomplished simply by catching her breath. It was in that compromising position that Heero found her.

He cleared his throat, forcing her to open her eyes and acknowledge his presence, then stared at her with raised eyebrows waiting for the explanation. 'You should take your quarters back.' Relena told him. 'I'll move my belongings to the sleeping quarters.'

'You climbed back up here all by yourself?' he asked, clearly uninterested in their sleeping arrangements. She was not sure if he sounded surprised or horrified.

'Yes, why?'

'You won't be moving anything anywhere… At least for a few days.' His eyes ran over the extent of her, probably assessing the state her dress was in. 'Did you use yer legs?'

'My legs?' Relena asked, frowning up at him.

'To help support your weight.'

'I used my knees…' she blushed self-consciously, feeling the sting on the inner side of her bruised knees and quickly stood up, trying to distract him from her suddenly mangled self. Unfortunately, for her, the captain was very focused. He took her hand, lifting it, and gently flipped the palm upwards so he could assess the rest of the damage. 'Part of that was from sliding down earlier…'

'What were you trying to prove?' he asked with a painful frown and caressed her palm so lightly Relena could feel the ghost of his touch on her inflamed skin even after it was gone.

'I only wanted to prove to myself that I could do this.' She confessed though a part of her did feel like she had to earn her place there.

'Had you asked me I would have told ye you could do it, but that you'd prefer to practice first.'

Relena pulled her hand back, feeling like a little child rebuked by a parent. 'You haven't really been accessible lately… Not to me at least.'

Heero opened his mouth to protest, but something in her sparkling eyes had him changing his mind. 'No, I haven't.' he conceded. 'You have my apologies.'

That seemed to soothe her building temper. 'Apology accepted.'

'I must have some salve left…for yer hands.' The captain nodded at her palms, suddenly illuminated by the moonlight. 'And knees.'

As she prepared to follow him back to his quarters they heard a distant scream. It was low, but still discernible enough to make every hair on their bodies stand on end. Their eyes met. Hers wide with worry and his grave and cold. 'What was that?' Relena asked in a whisper.

'Come.' Was all he said, offering her his hand which she took without a thought. 'Hold on to me and I'll hold the rope.'

She enlaced his neck with her arms, praying that they would not get sore until morning, and they slid back down to the sand and dashed in the direction where they had wordlessly agreed the scream must have come from.

XXX

Quatre poked what remained of the nightly fire while they waited patiently for whatever announcement Heero was going to make. Trowa, much like the blonde, was trying to distract himself, pretending he was not curious. He waved a palm leaflet above Shadow's head, smiling when the kitten jumped clumsily upwards, missing the target completely. Wufei frowned at that, too worried about whatever craziness their captain was about to do to be able to enjoy the furry distraction. Howard laughed.

'She's still got a lot to learn.' He commented.

'She'll be a great hunter when she grows up.' Relena's smile widened as she took a seat.

'Aye… Help keep the rat population under control.' The Chinese man had a practical view of the situation.

'Rat population?' the blonde woman questioned immediately regretting not having considered that sooner… Maybe there was still time to ask Heero if she could stay up at the captain's quarters. They could take turns sleeping. She would not mind working night shifts…

'Me ship has no rats!' Howards protested.

'I believe it is my ship now.' The captain cut in finally arriving, with Duo and a guilty looking young woman they all took a minute to recognise.

'Isn't that…'

'My real name's Hilde Schbeiker.' The black haired woman said, finally meeting their eyes and using her normal confident voice now that she no longer needed to hide her identity. 'I'm sorry I lied to ye, but I wasn't just kicked out of the Royal Navy when they discovered I was a woman… I nearly lost my life and I didn't want to risk going through that again.'

'Why didn't you tell us? We already had a woman on board.' Quatre asked her, sounding not only confused, but also hurt by her mistrust.

'Well, I… I thought Relena was the captain's…' Hilde saw the other woman's eyes widen and looked away, refraining from finishing. She was glad Heero was standing right beside her for she would not have liked to see his face right then.

'Why didn't ye tell us when she joined the crew?' it was Wufei who questioned her next, but his tone was neutral.

'I thought it was too late… I didn't want a repeat of what had happened at the Royal Navy…'

'Then why now?' Quatre frowned worriedly at her, and Hilde blushed.

'Cause I found out.' Duo answered for her.

'Maxwell found out?' the Chinese man looked dumbfounded.

'I thought Yuy had done it.' Trowa agreed with him.

'Oy! Why not Maxwell?' the braided pirate questioned them with an angry frown. 'Are ye underestimating my intelligence?'

'I bet he found out by mistake.' The blonde man whispered.

'I bet he tried to grope Schbeiker.' Howard suggested.

'Oy! I'm still here!' Duo protested, but the others were far too engaged in their own private conversation to listen to him.

'Ye should never underestimate Duo's deviancy…'

Heero cleared his throat another time, tired of the never ending gabbing. 'I have promised Ms Schbeiker she will not be harmed, but I think we should vote on whether she remains a part of the crew or not.'

'Aye.' Relena was the first one to give her opinion and she made sure to send Hilde a comforting smile.

'Aye.' Quatre agreed and so did Howard.

'Aye.' Said the braided pirate and met the black haired woman's eyes seriously.

'Well… That's already four votes out of seven.' Wufei observed pushing himself to his feet and brushing the sand off his breeches. 'Are we settin' sail, Capt'n?'

'Aye.' Heero nodded. 'Those who wish may bathe first, but afterwards gather yer belongings and return to the ship.'

As the others welcomed Hilde – or the real Schbeiker – into the crew, Relena ran after the captain. 'Heero!' he paused for a moment, allowing her to catch up. 'I couldn't thank you earlier…for the salve.'

He dismissed her thanks by resuming his walk. 'Winner used to be like you when he joined. Where he comes from there's barely any water so he felt he needed to prove his worth.'

'And has he?'

'There never was a better strategist.' He told her honestly, meeting her eyes for a second. Relena fell silent as she hurried to keep up with him. 'Ye don't need to move to the sleeping quarters.'

'What?'

'It doesn't bother me to share my quarters with you.'

She remembered Hilde's words and hesitated, wondering if she should end their – clearly indecent – arrangement, but then there were the rats… It would be a while until Shadow grew up and took care of those. Besides, everyone knew she was not Heero's…whatever it was the other woman had refrained from saying, and Relena was a pirate now so what did she care what others thought anyway?

'I'm honoured to share your quarters, Captain. Thank you.' She curtsied, forcing him to halt in his step and turn to her.

'Hn.' He nodded, then shouted for Barton. 'He's going to show you how to climb a rope. Make sure ye pay attention.'

Relena smiled at his back. 'Aye, Captain.'


TRIVIA:

Black cats - While black cats may be seen as a sign of bad luck by most, by sailors at the time they were seen as a source of good luck not to mention the incredible work they did controlling pests on board. Some sailors even believed cats had the power to control and foresee weather changes. Crazy much, eh?