Chapter XIV

The Young Messenger's Misadventure

'This is the place!' Dorothy clapped her hands in excitement, her eyes wide and sparkly. 'This is definitely the place!'

'I see nothing.' Chang hissed in the captain's ear.

'Neither do I.' Heero informed him. 'Just give the order.'

'Shorten sails! Drop anchor!' the first mate shouted however displeased by the situation. 'Trusting that woman was a mistake.'

'Perhaps… But we've got no other choice.'

The Chinese man snorted and that was enough to convey his thoughts on the matter. Dorothy was leaning over the railing, inspecting the waters around them. After decades asleep, it felt wonderful to piece her past back together not to mention to put her hands on the treasure her grandfather had gone through such lengths to hide so it would never be found, not even after his departure. 'Greedy old man.'

'What's that?' Quatre joined her at the railing, his eyes roaming the sea and a content smile on his lips. She watched him for a moment in nearly reverent silence. 'I asked Heero to let me talk to you in private before we begin.'

'Mmm?' she quirked a curious eyebrow and a teasing smile curved her lips. 'And why's that?'

'Is this really the right place, Dorothy?' he asked, meeting her gaze worriedly. Dorothy could see it was her he was worried about and not the treasure, the crew or himself. She did not know what to say. 'Because Chang is not in a good mood…' he continued when she kept staring at him. 'And soon neither will be Heero or the rest of the crew… Everyone here is really patient. We're sailors, so I guess we have to be, but… After months of travelling, fighting a dangerous monster, watching our ship get wrecked and our crewmates wounded… I don't think we'd be able to stand the disappointment or find amusement in your practical jokes.'

'Don't worry, Master Winner.' She smiled, amused that he would not be straight with her. 'I know my life is at stake here, but I assure you… This is the place.' Dorothy turned back to the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. 'This is where the Romefeller sunk.'

'Then that means the treasure is underwater.' The captain halted slightly behind them, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. He knew Quatre trusted the woman, but he could not do the same… At least not as easily and especially not after the things she had done. The final result might have been to bring the crew closer together, make Chang more respectful of Heero's position and less unsatisfied with his own, but surely that had not been her intention when she had named herself captain…

'Aye, aye, dear Captain.' She agreed, smiling devilishly. 'How long can you hold your breath?'

'Dorothy, please.' The blonde strategist begged her already exasperated. He had spent more time with her than any other member of the crew and grown somewhat accustomed to her sense of humour, but the others did not take so kindly to it.

Heero's eyes bore holes into her forehead, but she refused to be intimidated. Finally, the captain smirked lightly. 'We'll see… Chang!' he turned back to the helm where the Chinese first mate stood. 'The diving bell.'

'I'll explain the situation to the crew.' Quatre hurried after the black haired man, dragging an annoyed but still compliant Dorothy behind him.

'Gather all those who are willing to dive.' Heero told him. 'We'll take turns…and tell Maxwell he's going first.'

'Aye, Captain.'

Duo, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation from the main deck, walked up to the railing, climbing on it to inspect the waters. It was a good day for diving, sunny with a gentle, almost inexistent, breeze and quiet waves. Still… 'Why do I have to go first?' he questioned, eyeing the sea uncertainly. They had no idea how deep they were going or what they might find there aside from the Romefeller's remains.

'Ye are the one who can string a bigger number of words together before losing his breath and this first dive is to locate the treasure which means it'll probably take longer than the following ones.' Howard reasoned with him.

The braided man sighed, shrugging in resignation. 'It's so tiring being the best…' he whined dramatically.

'Save yer breath for the dive, Maxwell.' Heero advised, arriving at the main deck.

'These fellas are no fun.' Duo commented with Hilde as he jumped off the railing, dropping down beside her.

She shook her head hopelessly at him. 'Just be careful, will ye?'

'O' course, I'll be careful! I'm taking my dagger so I won't need to fight the sharks empty handed.'

'I'm serious, Duo.' The shorthaired woman met his eyes worriedly.

'I know, I know.' He smiled reassuringly at her, letting all his confidence show. 'It'll be fine.'

'Come on, Maxwell, ye parrot-mouthed slug.' Chang glared at him as he helped Heero, Howard and Quatre hold the heavy diving bell in position.

'What ye say ye give me a kiss if I come back unscathed?' Duo winked at the young woman and was gone before she could answer. Hilde watched with a speeding heart and flushed cheeks as he got under the bell. She suspected he had not really meant that, but was surprised to realise she hoped he had.

XXX

When Duo finally remerged, he found the crew standing on the main deck staring anxiously at him. He stuffed his hands in his fat pockets and golden coins, colourful gems and heavy jewellery fell on the floor. The gold in his hands glistened in the sunlight, taking away the breaths of all present. 'It's gonna take days to bring it all up.' He informed, as marvelled as the others if not even more so for he had actually seen the extent of the treasure. 'We're rich!'

'Arrr!' the crew celebrated with him, glad not only for the treasure, but for the fact that their seemingly endless search had finally come to an end.

'Thank ye, bushy-eyebrowed Medusa.' The braided pirate hugged a surprised Dorothy in his excitement before hurrying to do the same to Hilde. 'Where's me kiss?' he asked her clearly joking, but before he could step out of their hug the young woman tilted her head, catching him completely off guard. It was a chaste brushing of lips, but Howard cheered and whistled, making the two blush furiously as they stood there afterwards, gazing into each other's eyes in surprising realization.

Relena smiled at the display though she could not help but feel slightly envious that they were allowed to be public about their feelings and she was not. Her eyes searched for Heero then, but he was distracted talking to his first mate with a deep frown on his face. She frowned worriedly at him herself. Everyone was celebrating in their own way… They had found Romefeller's lost treasure after years of searching, years of looting and fighting and killing dangerous monsters… So why was he not content?

'We could use the fishing net.' Chang was saying when she approached them. 'At least to bring up the chests and larger pieces of gold…'

'Aye, but that still won't make us fast enough.'

'We'll hold them back if they find us. We've still got all the larboard cannons.'

The captain shook his head gravely. 'We don't know who these people are or what they want, but if they realise we've found Romefeller's treasure I'm quite sure they'll want their cut.'

'If not the whole thing…' the Chinese man's frown deepened as he became genuinely worried. 'We haven't gone through all this trouble to hand our booty to some lucky thief.'

'Nay.' Heero agreed. 'One day. That's as long as we can stay here.'

'What about Barton's replacement?'

'Who would ye suggest?'

'Sally.' Chang paused. 'We need someone we can trust implicitly.'

'Aye.' The captain nodded, and the first mate was off to relay their plan to the crew.

'We're still being followed then?' Relena seized the opportunity to approach.

'One of us is working for the enemy.'

'What?' she stepped closer to him so they could talk in whispers. 'Who?'

'I'm yet unsure, though I have a strong inkling…' Heero's eyes narrowed as they fell on Jay. Relena could see it clearly.

'So we can't stay here for long…' she nodded in thoughtful understanding.

'Don't worry about it.' He reassured her and let his hand brush hers for a fraction of a second. 'Would ye give Barton the good news for me?'

'Bad ones too?' Relena asked with a worried smile.

He smiled lightly at her, despite the circumstances. 'He already knows.'

Her breath caught in her throat as his fingers traced ghost lines across her back, sliding over the fabric of her bodice as he walked past her and towards the diving bell where Quatre was already waiting for his turn. She stood there for a long moment wondering what that meant. It was when she met Dorothy's knowing smile and felt the blood rush off her face. There was no way she could have seen… It was probably just a hint the other woman had and, if Relena acted oddly, she would only confirm it. So she waited a minute longer, pretending to Dorothy and herself that she had not been affected and that nothing was out of the ordinary, before making her way to the captain's quarters.

Trowa was reading a book when she walked in, Shadow curled up on his lap. He looked as tranquil as he usually did, but Relena could see – by the pile of discarded reading material beside him – that he was bored. 'We found it.' She informed him, pulling up a chair.

'Is it as big as they say?'

She nodded, glancing around thoughtfully. The books had never caught her eye before. 'According to Duo, it'll take us days to bring it all up.'

He frowned worriedly. 'What did Heero say?'

'That we can't stay here longer than a day.'

'Makes sense.' Trowa nodded more to himself than to her.

Relena stood up, walking around the room so she could take a better look at the books. Maybe next time they docked she could reorganize things a little… The dining table that stood against the wall on the left was piled with books as well as charts and sailing instruments. They had been having their meals on the round table at the centre of the room, where Quatre and Heero planned and discussed their strategies, and that involved putting away charts and sailing instruments whenever they decided to sit down to eat, which was not as often as she would have liked. She would push the bed they took turns sleeping in against the back wall, instead of letting it drift away from it, that would make up more room to walk around and to pull the dining table away from the wall. Then they could build cabinets to put all the books and trinkets in.

'How about this one?' she asked him, pointing at one of the bottom titles.

'I've already read all of them.'

'All of them?' she did not bother hiding her surprise.

'I was nine when I joined the crew…and not a very good reader, so Jay made me.'

'Oh… Then you were the first one after Heero.'

'Aye.'

'Would you mind…?'

His lips curved somewhat sadly. 'I will try.'

XXX

Nine year old Trowa Barton arrived at the chancellor's manor as fast as he could. A servant of the man had come to his sister, Catherine, who sold flowers to passers-by in the crowded streets of Port au Prince, and informed her that they needed to make use of his services. From the moment he learned to walk, he had spent every available second on the rooftops, turning them into a fast and safe route to any location on the city and so he had become the most reliable messenger around.

The chancellor's guards received him at the gates, treating him with cold contempt - he was, after all, nothing but a child – and left him to wait for the chancellor at the gardens which were as far into the property as they would allow him to go. Trowa had never dealt with anyone of such high status before, but he managed not to fidget during the few minutes he spent waiting. In his short life, it was the first time he was seeing something like the riches the man had surrounded himself with... It was both breath-taking and intimidating.

'Trowa Barton?' the chancellor finally appeared, impeccably dressed in the finest of garments and the boy could only think of his ten year old sister dressed in old tattered rags. 'Is it true you are the best messenger around? That you can deliver messages quickly and discreetly? Can I rely on your discretion?' the boy nodded, not trusting his voice in the man's presence, but that seemed to be enough. The chancellor offered him a small envelope sealed with wax and the man's family crest. 'Can you deliver this to Monsieur Bonnet by midnight tonight without being seen?' Trowa took the envelope gingerly, making sure not to touch the chancellor's hand, and nodded with as much conviction as he could muster. The client seemed satisfied. 'Return here in a week to receive your payment. If everything goes according to plan you'll receive thrice your usual fee.'

Thrice his usual fee was not exactly a lot of coin, but it was more than he had ever even seen at once. Still, after having met the chancellor and seen his manor, the way he lived and some of the things he owned and comparing all that to what little he, his sister and his uncle had, he suddenly wanted more. Not just for him but for Catherine. Trowa fingered the thick, rich paper of the envelope he had thrust into his waistband… It seemed to weigh him down with whatever secrets it carried and – for a moment only – he wondered how much those secrets were worth and what he would be able to buy with the money. A moment of weakness was all the idea needed to plant its seeds in his head.

He stopped by the street where his sister usually worked. From the church's roof, he watched her for a few minutes, her basket still full of withering flowers, her eyes dull and tired. She was like a ghost trying to be noticed by the living and breathing, and Trowa knew if he did nothing things would only get worse. So he found the nook in the bell tower, where he usually hid for a few minutes rest during busier days, and pulled the envelope out of his waistband. Once he had opened it there would be no hiding the violation from the recipient…

Catherine was still in the street, barefoot and dressed in rags and in Trowa's head not a single doubt remained. He opened the envelope. His uncle had taught him to read a little and, even though he was not exactly good at it, he understood enough of the letter to know where he needed to go next.

XXX

Odin Lowe sat alone in his cabin contemplating his son's future. He had to find the boy a tutor… He had no time to teach the brat himself and he needed him to be well educated if he ever wished Heero to succeed him as the Peacemillion's captain. Lowe also wanted to make sure his son did not commit the same mistakes he had and a tutor that understood that point-of-view was essential. He had heard about a man named Jay who had once been a pirate and a captain much like himself, but that had given it all up to study ways of turning men into weapons. That man was his main choice at present, except for the fact that no one knew where to find him.

'Capt'n!' there was a knock on the door.

'What?' he spat irritated, glaring at the wooden surface.

'There's an urchin 'ere to see ye.'

'An urchin?' Lowe questioned sceptically.

'Says 'e's gotta talk to ye, Capt'n. Says its important. Should we send 'im on his merry way?'

'Nay.' The captain stood up, scaring the pirates who had gathered in front of his door when he finally opened it. 'I'll talk to him.'

He met the boy on the main deck, looking really small and intimidated as the crew surrounded him with either curious or malicious smiles. Still he did not let his feelings show, but stood his ground quiet and serious. Lowe was immediately reminded of his son. 'I'm Captain Odin Lowe. Me men tell me ye wish to speak to me. Go on, lad, now's yer chance.'

'I 'ave a message from the chancellor.'

'To me?' the captain raised surprised sceptical eyebrows.

The boy shook his head. 'To Monsieur Bonnet.'

'Ah… Ye wish to sell the information.' Lowe smiled scornfully and sniggers could be heard behind him. 'How much for?' he lowered his head so the child could whisper the value in his ear then burst out laughing. 'Ye really think we've that much gold, boy?'

'I heard yer name before! They say ye are one of the most vicious pirates of the seven seas! That ye have no soul!'

'Aye, but do they say I'm the richest? Do they say I have gold?' there was a moment of silence in which Lowe could see the boy's confident mask slip. There was panic growing in his green eyes. 'I figured as much… Hand us the message, lad, and we'll let ye go. I'll even tell the chancellor we took it from ye by force.'

He saw the way the child looked around and knew he would try to escape, but he was not prepared for it either way. The boy ducked underneath one of the taller pirates' legs, dashing across the deck and up the ratlines in the blink of an eye, then slid down the ropes from the crow's nest to the forecastle, running towards the bowsprit from where he jumped to the docks. Lowe still watched for some time as he made his way across the rooftops, losing all the foolish pirates who had attempted to follow. It was an impressive skill he had. Impressive indeed.

XXX

Catherine had just started walking the streets, holding her flower basket in both arms, preparing herself for another long hot day of being pushed, ignored or stared at with contempt. There were the eventual customers, of course, some of them were even kind to her, but still not all. There was no other option… She had no other choice but to be there and sell her flowers. It was either that or starving. The money their uncle made working at the docks was hardly enough to feed them. Her brother did his part too and so… She had to do hers.

The streets of Port au Prince were strangely empty that morning and the air seemed thicker than usual. Catherine shuddered underneath her old tattered shawl, trying to keep the cool morning air out. Trowa had not come home that night and even though that happened from time to time, when he had to deliver a message or another, that morning it worried her for some reason. Something felt horribly wrong.

'Oy, lass.' A man approached her suddenly. 'Ye're the messenger boy's sister, ain't ye?'

'What if I am?' she asked boldly, despite her fear of the man. She would not allow herself to be threatened by him.

'Where is 'e?'

'Why?' Catherine took a step back, holding the basket closer as if it could protect her.

'The chancellor wishes to see 'im.'

'I don't know where 'e is.' She said doubtfully and hoped the man would leave her alone.

'He's hiding then…The lil' rat.' His dangerous yet pleased tone had her eyes widening alarmingly. She did not know what had happened, but she knew Trowa was in serious trouble. 'Ye're coming with me, lass.' The man warned her when she took a step back. 'Someone's got to convince yer brother to come out and talk to us.'

The basket hit the sandy ground, flowers falling everywhere as Catherine turned tail and fled. She ran as fast as her ten year old legs could carry her, but she knew she was no match for an adult and was not surprised when the man caught her by the shawl. Her little hands quickly untied it and soon she was running again in the direction of the docks where her uncle was… He was the only one who could help her.

She never heard the shot.

Her legs gave out on her when the pain spread, burning her insides, setting her heart aflame. The man was on her before she even hit the ground. 'Why d'ye do that? he asked a second man as he approached from the opposite direction.

'"Shoot 'er if she tries anything." Those were our orders.'

'I thought we would use 'er to lure the brat to us.'

'We don't have time. The chancellor's ship is already setting sail. Just leave her there and let's be off. Once the brother finds her he'll come running to us.'

XXX

Red smiled when the boy fell on his hands and knees. He surely could take a beating, their captain's son, but he had not yet mastered the art of not displaying his pain to the world and that was what the older pirate had been instructed to do… Hit him until he no longer felt it, or at least until he no longer showed that he felt it. Odin Lowe stood by the stairs that linked the gun deck where they were to the sleeping quarters above, his arms crossed as he watched with a displeased frown. It was clearly not good enough for him yet.

'Excuse me, Capt'n…'

The captain turned away from his bruised and battered child to greet the pirate that had just arrived at the gun deck. He need not say a word, a mere look was enough for the man to relay his message. 'Boy's back, Capt'n. The one who escaped us the other day.'

'And his sister?'

'Dead, Capt'n. Ain't that why 'e's here?'

'Aye.' Lowe smirked widely, then met Red's eye over his shoulder. 'Keep going.'

Red's smirk was as wide as the captain's as he pulled the boy to his feet one more time. 'C'mon, shrimp. Is this really all ye can stand? Or is it that ye like getting yer arse kicked?'

As the captain climbed the stairs he kept listening to the pirate's taunts. At least to those Heero seemed to have become immune. It was a start even if he could not yet work through pain the way his father expected him to. His progress however was astounding, and Lowe was confident soon he would have surpassed even him.

He met the young messenger at the very spot where they had first talked, but – as expected – he seemed like a completely different child. His earlier demeanour had spoken of hope and defiance, but now it spoke of nothing but pain and anger. The salty white lines that marred his soot stained cheeks and the hard narrowing of his green eyes marked the end of his childhood. 'They killed 'er… The chancellor's men…' was all he managed to say.

So the boy thought the chancellor's men had been the ones that killed his sister… Lowe had been prepared for a completely different kind of negotiation, but that made things a lot easier for him. His lips curved upwards in a smirk. 'Do ye want revenge? Do ye wish 'im dead?' he asked and the boy nodded vehemently, making him thoughtful for a moment. He had to be careful for if the brat discovered the truth behind his sister's death it would all be put to waste. 'I will help ye on one condition… That ye pledge yer loyalty to me and use yer magnificent gift to benefit the Peacemillion and her crew.'

'I swear! I'll do it! Just… Please…'

'Weigh anchor, ye lazy crap sacks! All sails after the chancellor's ship!' the captain shouted and as the crew started running about, he met the boy's eyes again. 'Welcome aboard, lad.'

XXX

Trowa was mopping the main deck's floor when the captain's son descended from the quarter deck and gestured for him to follow. He looked around for a moment afraid that someone might see him abandon his post. Once he had paused to wipe the sweat off his forehead and it had been enough for them to start calling him a weakling and a lead-swinger. He was used to being called a landlubber, but the new nicknames were not very appreciated. Heero had told him to ignore them, it was the first time the captain's son had spoken to him. The other boy – much like himself – was sparse with his words. Trowa did not blame him. For someone of his status Heero was extremely ill-treated.

Sure that no one was watching, he followed up the ratlines all the way to the crow's nest. The other boy was already waiting for him with his telescope ready. He handed it to Trowa. 'What do ye see?'

'The chancellor's ship.'

'Aye.'

'Is that why we've stopped?'

Heero nodded. 'Lowe's waiting for nightfall so we can dock unseen.'

The new swabbie could not hide his surprise. 'We're not going to attack them?'

'Lowe says this is yer revenge and no one else's.'

He was on his own. That was a scary thought… As scary as understanding that he would have to kill the chancellor himself. Trowa was not sure what he had expected, but this certainly was not it. To take someone's life with his own hands… The thought had never really crossed his mind before and, not even picturing Catherine, letting his anger over her death get the best of him made things any easier. 'I can't do this…' he whispered in sudden realisation.

The captain's son turned to him, his face blank. 'Ye can move silently. Reach the chancellor unseen, shoot 'im and flee. Don't think, just do it.'

He constructed the whole plan in his head and, though he was still unhappy about it, he knew it would have to do. 'Have ye ever…'

But Heero refused to even let him finish. He offered Trowa his pistol and accepted his telescope back. 'One bullet. Be careful not to get the powder wet.' Was all he said and took the ladder back to the main deck.

It was not long before night fell and the Peacemillion slid slowly and quietly into port, docking a couple ships away from the chancellor's vessel. Part of the crew retired to their hammocks and part went ashore to enjoy whatever Kingston had to offer them while a few remained on board to look after the ship. Odin Lowe saw him off, his son a silent shadow behind him. Trowa knew it was either avenging his sister or dying while he was at it. If he came back empty handed it would be his face that would get shot.

He wandered around the pier for some time trying to appear inconspicuous as he watched the chancellor's ship. His man was alone in the captain's cabin and there did not seem to be anyone patrolling. There was, however, a group of four sailors playing cards around a lamp on the main deck. They might not hinder his entrance, but they would surely hear the shot and try to stop him from getting away. Trowa needed a plan, but since he was not the best of strategists he decided to figure it out as he went.

Praying not to fall into the water, he jumped onto the ship's hull, clinging to the edges of its wooden decorations. Moving sideways, he made his way down the forecastle, past the main deck and up to the quarter deck where he finally moved over the railing, sneaking quietly towards the captain's cabin. The heavy wooden door was noisy, but not loud enough to attract immediate attention for the chancellor would surely think it was the captain returning and the sailors would surely think it was the chancellor going out for a stroll. Or maybe Trowa was being optimistic.

His man sat at a small wooden table by the window, his back to the door, and seemed to be dozing off. He moved quickly and quietly as not to wake him. There did not seem to be anyone coming to investigate the sound, but his heart was so loud in his ears he could not be completely sure. At least he knew the window would be his way out, if he could will his legs to stop shaking.

Don't think, just do it. Heero's words echoed in his head as he drew the pistol. He stood behind the chancellor, he could not bear to look at the man's sleeping face. Holding the gun in shaky hands, Trowa spared a thought for his elder sister, blinked back tears and fired. As soon as he had recovered from the loud blast, he was opening the window and jumping into the water.

XXX

Relena, who had lowered herself back into her chair at some point during the story, looked truly horrified. 'And how did you…' she paused to gather her thoughts while Trowa stared unseeingly out the window. 'How did you discover Lowe had been the one to…'

He smiled sadly at her. 'Heero found out, a decade or so later, and told me.'

'And you did not…'

'What? Kill Lowe? I thought about deserting… Disappearing… Leaving the past behind, but that would mean leaving the present and future behind also. The Peacemillion and these fellas here were all I had.' he shrugged.

'And what happened to your uncle? Did you just leave him?'

Trowa's mouth curved downward however slightly. 'He knew where I was going… What I was doing, but he did not approve… Some people must be left behind.'

She could feel her own heart sink at those words and looked down at her hands, remembering her father and mother, remembering Pagan. 'I'm sorry, Trowa.' She said simply, but it was enough.

He nodded in understanding. 'Ye should head back now. Heero might need ye.'

With a nod and a sad smile at the quietly purring Shadow, Relena stood and walked out. The sun hit her with all its strength as she stepped onto the quarter deck, forcing her to shield her eyes as they adjusted. It was nearly useless, she realised, for part of the brilliance was coming from the ship herself. The main deck was already piled with gold, glimmering up at her as she made her way down the stairs. 'This is…' she started, halting besides Hilde, but there was no way she could finish it, there were no words to describe her amazement. All she could do was gape.

'I know, right?' the black haired woman agreed with a wide smile, her eyes sparkling in delight. Relena suspected a big part of that joy was actually due to that earlier kiss the other woman had shared with Duo and she was happy for her friend. It was when the diving bell was pulled up and Howard returned to the main deck, clothes soaked and pockets full of gold. 'It is my turn next. I should help them.'

Hilde rushed to help the others pull up the fishing net, heavy with loaded chests and larger pieces of gold. Relena saw Duo, Quatre, Howard, Heero and Chang get into an argument over the inefficacy of their method. She frowned at the captain's scowl, to him this situation was turning out to be more stressful than it was happy.

'You think he'll dive with or without the shirt?' Dorothy asked quietly next to her ear.

'What?' she nearly jumped out of her skin.

'You think he has tattoos? Scars?'

'What are you talking about?'

'Or do you already know?' the longer haired blonde's voice grew low and suggestive and Relena's eyes widened as she finally realised who they were talking about. 'Our dear captain…' Dorothy confirmed, finally deciding to clarify.

'Why would I know?' she questioned, appearing as incredulous and annoyed as she possibly could.

'Well… Most men are really… really thick and Hilde seems to be a little like that as well, but I'm not. I've seen the way you look at each other.'

Relena forced out an amused chuckle. 'You're seeing things, Dorothy.'

'Am I?' the other woman questioned thoughtfully.

'Yes, you are.'

'If Miss Relena says so…' Dorothy shrugged and walked away, leaving her feeling foolish as if she were lying to herself and everyone could see it. Her eyes found Heero again. His discussion with the others seemed to have reached its end and, as the others moved to help Hilde get into the water, the captain started making his way to the lower decks. She hurried to catch up to him.

He paused for a second, only enough to meet her eyes, assuring himself that she was all right. 'We're asking Jay for his chest. If we use it to bring the gold up it'll go a lot faster.'

'I think Dorothy knows.' Relena nearly tripped on her own feet as she tried to keep up with his accelerated pace. Heero paused when they reached the stairs that led further down to the gun deck. 'About us.' She explained, but he was not paying attention. He held up his hand, signalling for her to stop and be quiet, his eyes were fixed unseeingly at the bottom steps and his eyebrows were knitted in concentration. She strained her ears to hear what he was hearing.

'Is that really the only way?' a voice asked. She did not recognise it.

'Aye.' Jay answered. 'It has to be done.'

'Heero?' Relena whispered, taking his arm. His eyes had widened in horror-laced surprise, and the mere sight of him made her chest tight with dread.

The captain did not seem to hear or even see her anymore. He continued down the stairs at a much slower, cautious pace. She followed, feeling as if she were choking, and her legs shook as she took the steps one by one. Heero froze as soon as he reached the deck, forcing her to take a step to the side so she could see past him.

Standing across from them was Jay, he did not look surprised to see them, but his usual smile was missing. A few feet ahead of him was a younger taller man. His thin lips curved upwards into a smirk when he saw them. Relena gasped. Despite the height difference, the similarity was evident. She turned to Heero worriedly, his jaw was clenched and his eyes hard. As she watched, his mouth moved in distaste to form a single, much despised, word. 'Lowe.'


A.N.: cat asked about the captain's quarters so I added a little description in this chapter. Hope it's given you all a better idea of what it looks like. It's not big enough for two beds so they take turns sleeping, after all Heero doesn't sleep much anyway and, since the crew is small, there are plenty of spare hammocks in the sleeping quarters. :P

Bits and pieces of this chapter were inspired by Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag (I've used the soundtrack as background to write this story. It's bloody perfect!) and by the 1995 film A Little Princess which I loved growing up.