Chapter XXII
The Feathery First Mate
'He told ye what?!' Duo jumped out of his chair, his eyes wide and his brows furrowed in sheer incredulity. The round wooden table wobbled and the fullest mugs spilt some of their contents in the already sticky surface. 'That fool!'
Relena gave him a weak but grateful smile.
'Did ye explain to him what happened?' Sally asked quietly, her eyebrows knitted sympathetically.
'He would not listen… Said it did not matter.' she shook her head lightly, resignedly. 'In a way, I think it really doesn't.'
'Of course it does!' Hilde's disbelief mirrored the braided pirate's. 'It wasn't yer fault ye didn't make it. If it hadn't been for those two snakes, ye would've!'
'Aye, but what's done is done.' Trowa, who had been leaning against a nearby wall, suddenly stepped closer. 'The reason why really makes no difference anymore… The what-ifs.'
'But they do!' the black haired woman insisted. 'Can't ye see? It ain't Lena's fault. She didn't choose to stay behind so Heero can just forgive 'er!'
'Not that easy.' Wufei, who had joined them at the table unwillingly, finally displayed some interest in the matter at hand. 'This ain't about who's to blame. It's about self-preservation. It's foolish to expose oneself to risks when one knows how to avoid them.'
'Heero's problem's that 'e thinks too much.' Duo argued.
'And yer problem's that ye think too little.'
Chaos ensued with all present trying to express their opinion simultaneously and in a louder tone than the others. Relena watched quietly. She had come to them for solutions not to try and decipher what was going through the Peacemillion's captain's head.
'Oh, my! How lively it is in here today.' Dorothy walked into the tavern, ignoring the fact that it was not yet open for the general public. At her entrance, the messy discussion ceased and those who had stood up in the heat of the moment reclaimed their seats.
'We're trying to make sense of Heero Yuy.' The braided pirate informed her, reaching for his mug. 'Care to butt in?'
'Where's Winner?' someone else asked.
'Still trying to find someone who'll take us to Africa.'
'Shouldn't ye be helping him?' the Chinese man raised an eyebrow at her as she pulled herself a chair.
'I'm not in as much of a hurry.' Dorothy waved her hand dismissively. 'In fact, I'm in no hurry at all! Now, please, do continue. I'm all ears.'
Trowa snorted, but it was Relena who spoke. 'I'm grateful to you all for your kind words, but… I need a solution now. The problem's already clear to me.'
'Understanding the problem is the first step towards finding a solution, darling.' The newly arrived blonde told her haughtily, settling on her seat. 'But I do agree we've already a very thorough idea what the problem's about.'
'What is it about then?' Chang questioned with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow.
'Love.'
All the men present snickered. The women remained comprehensively quiet. Relena smiled sadly to herself, remembering Heero's painful yet heartfelt confession. It was a part of the story she had kept to herself. It did not feel to her like that tiny little detail would make any difference to her voluntary problem solvers and she knew for certain the Peacemillion's captain's words had been meant for her ears only. She would not have wanted it any other way.
'There's absolutely nothing about this situation that makes it any different than other love affairs.' Dorothy continued with her air of superiority.
'Except for the fact that there is no love affair…' Duo whispered aside to Trowa.
'Our dear Miss Relena, like all women, is honest and open about her feelings. Heero, like all men, is ashamed of his and incontrovertibly stubborn.'
'We're not all ashamed!' the braided man immediately turned to her with an offended frown. 'I am most definitely not ashamed of my feelings!'
'Aren't you? What about when you still believed Schbeiker was a man? Weren't you ashamed of your feelings then?'
'What?! How can ye know 'bout that? Ye were still a dusty, mouldy statue in a siren den back then! Howard! Where's that decrepit blabbermouth? I'm gonna cut off his tongue and sew up his toadish mouth!'
'Enough about that.' The Chinese man's irritation was obvious. 'Get to the point already, woman.'
'My point…' she resumed with a significantly icy 'do-not-dare-to-interrupt-me' look. 'Is that we must handle this situation as if we were dealing not with the problematic Heero Yuy and the resilient Miss Relena, but with ordinary people.'
'I disagree.' Sally cut in, surprising all present, and shook her head sadly. 'I don't think Heero's issues shoud be dismissed that easily. Relena? What do ye think?'
The young woman felt suddenly uncomfortable. She had started to get used to her invisibility so, to suddenly become the centre of attention once more, felt awkward and intimidating. 'I'd like to hear what Dorothy has to say.'
'Ha!' the longer haired blonde celebrated and threw her tresses over her shoulder arrogantly. 'My infalible plan consists of a single intelligent strategy… You must seduce him.'
'Ye're joking, right?' Duo asked her, torn between scornful incredulity and disbelieving admiration.
'By no means!'
'And how do ye propose Relena should do that?' it was Hilde's turn to question and she was not any less doubtful of Dorothy's plan.
Relena herself – her cheeks on fire – could barely hear them over the pounding of her speeding heart.
XXX
Jay raised his head as soon as he heard the quiet, confident steps on the stairs. Heero's expression was unreadable, but there was something hard about it, something that had not been there before. It had been over a week since they had last seen the young captain. Some one sporadically made their way down to the brig to feed them, but it was never him. In fact – the old man noticed – he looked like he would have rather let them starve to death.
Lowe, who sat across from him, glanced up briefly and sneered discreetly at the sight of his son. 'Get yerself a crew yet?'
Heero's eyes narrowed a fraction, but he said nothing. His gaze slid to Jay and it was as if the pegleg could see the hatred burning behind it, the anger and the rage stirring in there. 'I've one question and I want ye to answer it truthfully, otherwise…' he managed to keep his tone measured despite the emotions and the clear threat behind his words. Jay could not help but feel proud of him. 'What did ye do to her?'
'What are ye talking about?' Lowe questioned, pinning the captain with a disdainful, scornful look. 'Have ye finally lost yer mind?'
'Relena.' He clarified, the name escaping his throat as if it pained him. 'How did ye stop her from getting to the ship that night?'
'Aye… He really has lost his mind.' The Peacemillion's former captain turned away with a derisive snort, but it was the grey haired man Heero was staring at.
Jay smirked.
'What…' the young man's anger spiked so it almost broke through his carefully placed wall of self-restraint. '…did ye do to her?'
'I didn't touch 'er.' The pegleg assured him, his expression deadly serious, but that only seemed to feed Heero's anger.
'Ye want me to belive ye stopped 'er without touching her?'
'Ye know what I meant, boy.' Jay retorted sternly for he had sensed what the young captain's worry truly was and he was insulted to be accused of rape or anything similar. 'I didn't harm the lass in any way… Merely gave 'er a paralyser. I even made sure the redcoats – her broher's men – found 'er and took 'er home so…'
'So I would think she'd chosen her old life over me.' Heero fought the urge to laugh at his own stupidity, instead he shook his head, incredulous. 'What did ye gain with this? What purpose did it serve?'
'None. Apparently.' Lowe complained. It was impressive how bitter he had grown in incarceration, his snarky wit having almost entirely left him.
'Ye cannot blame us for trying, lad. We did not spend a lifetime workin' on this to give up at the last minute.'
'So ye admit it was all in vain.'
'Nay. Nothing's ever in vain when it comes to science. We may not have achieved the expected results, but we've grown wiser for the experience… Especially you.'
The captain's jaw tightened and his hands – which hung limply by his sides – curled into fists. Jay knew how to feed his rage and Heero felt like either killing the man or pacing to drain the suddenly accumulated energy, but he refrained. 'What have I learned?' he asked out of sheer curiosity.
'Ye learned love…' Lowe spat the word as he pushed himself to his feet. 'Is like a poison, that it kills ye, destroys ye from inside out like a parasite and ye don't even realise it until it is too late and there ain't nothing left of the man ye once were.' The heavy silence stretched as the pirate regained his breath. His rage and frustration seemed to wane somewhat after that heartfelt speech. 'Ye learned that love's not worth the risks.'
'Aye.' Heero conceded after a moment. 'But some lessons should never be taught… If ye hadn't interceded I might've never…' he stopped, unable to continue without losing composure. He sounded torn, divided, yet none of the older pirates made any comment on it. His gaze strayed to the ceiling, but it was Relena he saw. Relena lying motionless on cold cobblestones, hoping she might still make it in time to sail away with him. Relena's cheeks stained with tears… Tears Jay had put there, tears Lowe had put there, tears he had put there. He drew his pistol, met the prisoners' eyes and the cocked it. 'We have caused far too much harm for three meagre pirates…'
XXX
Une sat at the dresser brushing her long brown tresses as Dorothy tried to convince Relena of the infallibility of her plan. The darker blonde seemed much more interested in watching the older woman as she tried to tie her mane into a dishevelled variant of a bun. It appeared to her like the key to a woman's attractiveness rested solely on making it look effortless, as if it had happened by chance, even though one had spent hours in front of the mirror. She sighed. Could she really seduce Heero? Could she make it look effortless?
'There is no way he could resist that…' Dorothy continued, though Relena had long stopped listening to her. The scenarios playing in her head were much more entertaining.
She was afraid of the outcome, but she was also anxious to try. 'Dorothy?'
'Mmm? What?' the woman seemed surprised, almost confused by the interruption.
'What if he falls for it?'
'What do you mean "what if he falls for it"? If he falls for it our plan will have succeeded.'
'Of course, but… What if I disappoint him? I mean…' Relena blushed fighting the urge to avert her eyes.
'Oh…' Dorothy said in realization.
'You cannot disappoint him, dear.' Une assured her, turning her head towards the two younger women. 'Not if he truly does love you. Do you believe he does?'
'Yes.' She nodded. Heero was not the kind of man who used words lightly. He would not have said a word had he not truly meant it.
'Well…' the older woman turned back to the mirror. 'True love might both assist and hinder your plans.'
'How so?' Dorothy questioned petulantly. There was no flaw in her plan as she saw it.
'Love…' Une continued, letting her hair back down and starting over. 'Is much more rational than simple earthshattering passion. If he believes that, by staying away, he's doing what's best for you, it might be nigh impossible to make him change his mind, especially if he's as strong headed a pirate as you make him seem.'
Relena sighed. 'I guess… I'll have to think about something else, some other way to bring him back to me.'
'Come on, Miss Relena. Surely you don't think he's stubborn enough to resist you…' the longer haired blonde's eyebrows drew together in incredulity.
'I…' she lowered her head embarrassedly. 'It's not as easy for me to be… enticing as it is for you, Dorothy. Besides what works on Quatre doesn't necessarily work on Heero.'
'Well… It hasn't really worked yet, but I see where you're going… They react differently and you have no idea what Yuy's going to do. Now that I think about it, it really is best for you to approach him a little more… cautiously.'
'He's not that dangerous, Dorothy.' Relena felt offended for Heero's sake.
Dorothy gave her a long pensive look almost as if she were sorry, but said nothing. It made the other blonde wonder if it really had been that horrible… The so called massacre conducted by the Peacemillion's captain. She feared the answers to her unasked questions because deep down she knew no mild killing would have left such an impression on the ever sadistic tattooed woman.
'I think…' Dorohty picked up suddenly, looking thoughtfully out the window at the darkening skies. 'Yours may be the right attitude after all… That means you're the only one who can do this.'
Surprised by those words, Relena took a moment to answer. 'I honestly hope you're right.'
XXX
'He told 'er what?!' Howard spilt his drink all over as his mug hit the table.
'That it didn't matter why she hadn't made it, he wasn't takin' her back and then he sent 'er on her merry way.' Duo repeated, nodding proudly at his deep knowledge of the story. 'Can ye believe that? What do ye do with a fella like that?'
'He needs a good beating that fool! Someone oughtta tan 'is hide!' the old man shook his fist to emphasize his point. 'Turnin' down a lass like our dear Miss Darlian!'
'Arr!' the others seemed to agree rather too enthusiastically, making the following silence near deafening.
'So…' the oldest of the pirates resumed. 'Any volunteers?'
'It's yer plan, Howie.' The braided man waved his hand in front of his face.
'Shouldn't we ask Lena?' Hilde cut in, trying to be reasonable, but when they turned to the blonde woman they realised she was no longer there.
'Wha'? Where d' she go?'
'She went to her chambers to think 'cause she's sound enough to know better than to listen to yer drunken rambling.' Sally informed them patiently as she replaced the empty jugs on the centre of their table with full ones.
'We're far from drunk, Sal.' Duo made sure to inform the proprietress. 'We ain't even half-way there.'
They could hear the woman's snort even as she turned her back to them to tend to another of the busy tables. After a moment of silence, Hilde turned to Howard with a pensive frown. 'Ye really think a beatin' would've made any difference?'
'Naw.' It was the braided pirate who dismissed the idea, waving a hand as his face disappeared behind the bottom of his tankard. 'The man grew up being beaten, he's become immune to it.'
'Mmmm…' the black haired woman rested her chin on her hand. 'What can we do to help them?'
'Lock 'em up together 'til they resolve their issues themselves.' Chang leaned against their table, a bottle in his hand.
'Now, look who's drunk.' Duo smiled triumphantly up at the Chinese man.
'I'm working.' Came the snorted response before the man walked away. 'Not drunk.'
'His idea does sound good though, ye gotta give 'im that.' Hilde turned her mug around in her hand, feeling drowsy. Alcohol had that effect on her.
'How's it any good?' Howard narrowed his eyes at her. 'If we cannot watch?'
'Howie! Ye perv!'
'No, no, no. Ye misundertand. That's not what I meant.'
'Good ol' Howie.' The braided man patted him on the back smiling smugly.
'I'd like to watch them argue is all.' The older man explained nonchalantly.
'Why d'ye think it's a good idea?' Duo turned to Hilde, forgetting about Howard in a blink.
'Well…'
'Ye really think he'd be able to resist 'er? Locked up together in close quarters?' the old pirate guffawed. 'Jay an' Lowe may think the boy's something more than 'uman, but we know better. 'E ain't only human, he's a bloody mess!'
'Talk about bloody…' the braided man mumbled as images of their most recent battle flashed behind his eyes. He dried another mug. 'I fear Heero might kill 'er… Or himself.'
'Don't say that, lad. The captain's a wee bit confused, but 'e ain't lost his mind just yet.'
'What if…' Hilde sighed, laying her head on the table. 'What if we just… Convinced Heero to take her back in? We do need arms.'
'He'd never accept that.' Duo shook his head hopelessly.
'No, no. There's something there, lad.' Howard nodded at the black haired woman thoughtfully. 'Heero's always been practical, logical… Give 'im a reasonable excuse and 'e won't hesitate on takin' the missy back in.'
'I don't know, Howie.' The braided pirate shook his head, smiling gently at the sleeping woman beside him. 'I fear I don't understand him at all.'
XXX
When Heero walked into the tavern, silence immediately fell. It had been a couple of days since Trowa had started spreading the news… The Peacemillion was looking for new crewmembers. Sally hurried to greet the captain who acknowledged her with a nod. He frowned at the Maganacs and Quatre sitting at one of the round tables in the very heart of the saloon, thankfully the table that had been assigned to him was one of the corner ones.
'I'll bring ye some rum. On the house.' The proprietress offered.
'Thanks, Sally.'
Trowa arrived moments later, he had not been pleased with his captain since their prisoners' disappearance. Heero refused to tell him whether Jay and Lowe were at the bottom of the Atlantic or roaming around Tortuga and that infuriated the lookout who believed he was entitled to at least one of their lives in exchange for his sister's. Still, Trowa held back his complaints, sticking instead to his duties and helping the captain gather new hands for their crew.
A line of applicants soon formed in front of their table and they emptied their mugs as they interviewed them. Mercenaries, assassins, fishmongers, sailors, thieves… All categories of scoundrels who had one day washed ashore made an appearance. Yet, they seemed unable to find anyone worth it.
'Don't ye' think ye're being a little too… demanding?' Sally asked when she approached between candidates to retrieve an empty jug and replace it with a full one.
'Keep their mugs full and they're certain to grow less demanding.' Chang added suddenly towering over his former crewmates. 'Need any help?'
'Piss off, Chang.' The lookout suggested annoyed yet not angry, his tone completely even.
'Now, now. 'E's right.' Duo agreed flopping down on one of the empty chairs, almost spilling his drink on Heero who glared daggers at him. In his alcohol induced boldness, the braided man barely noticed. 'Keep their mugs full and they'll soon stop being such pri—'
'Shut up, Maxwell. Chang, get out of here. Next!'
Relena crossed the distance between the front of the dwindling queue to their table in fast determined strides, then she leaned forward, her weight on her hands and let her resolute gaze bury into the captain's blank one. For a long tense moment there was only silence, thick and heavy. Duo immediately regretted having put himself in the middle of that and Trowa searched his mind for a decent excuse to leave.
He found none.
'You need a crew. A good crew. You know me, you've trained me and you're having no luck tonight so you must recruit me. You've no valid reason not to.'
Underneath her hard, unyielding façade, Relena's heart dashed madly. This had been Hilde's idea, brought to her by Howard, and it was the only real chance she had. If it did not work, all that would be left would be for her to climb on board the Peacemillion clandestinely and hope Heero did not throw her overboard once he found out. He was staring pensively, unblinkingly at her, making her wonder how much he had had to drink and whether she should be grateful for the spirits' influence on his judgement or not. At that moment, she sort of wished for a drink herself.
'Fine.' Was all he said. It was sudden and unexpected, and even Relena gaped for a second in surprise, holding back an euphoric and disbelieving "really?" lest he changed his mind. 'Have a seat.'
'Welcome back!' Duo grinned broadly and tried to hug her over both Heero and Trowa as she sat down. He got brutally shoved aside for the attempt.
'Thank you, Duo.'
'Sally, bring 'er a mug!'
'Next!'
The interviews lasted for another hour or so, though the Peacemillion's crew did not get any larger after the addition of Relena. Heero was too lost in his thoughts, too distracted to evaluate the candidates with the needed objectivity. Trowa was way too worried about Odin Lowe's fate and what would become of them if they could not gather a crew. Duo was just too far gone to care. He asked the applicants silly questions, laughing with Relena at their funny answers. Only the morning would reveal the results of their rum clouded decisions.
XXX
'Any luck?' Relena asked Hilde as soon as the black haired woman returned to the Peacemillion with a tired looking Duo in tow.
'Well…' she paused and frowned. 'Why are ye mopping the deck? Don't tell me Heero assigned ye swabbie!' Hilde was horrified by what she clearly considered an injustice.
The blonde woman blushed. 'No, I… The deck needed cleaning and I figured – since I've just come back – that I should take the initiative… As a thanks, you see.'
'If ye say so…' the black haired woman shrugged. Duo moaned and clutched at his head.
'Is he alright?' Relena frowned worriedly.
'Aye. Just hungover.'
'So?'
'What? Oh! Right! Nay… No luck. There were a few men I'd 'ave considered, but knowing our capt'n…' she shrugged again. 'Is he back yet? By the way.'
'Nay.'
'Good.' The braided pirate walked slowly past them. 'I'm gonna take a caulk.'
Hilde shook her head hopelessly as they watched him go. 'If Heero doesn't lower his standards we'll never – ever – have a decent crew and we need at least twice as many people if we mean to be able to sail comfortably.'
'What we need's a new first mate.' Howard, who had been lying quietly amidst a heap of rope, suddenly decided to take part in the conversation. 'Someone who'll talk some sense into him… Someone wise and eloquent…'
'I take it ye mean yerself.' The black haired woman raised a knowing eyebrow at him.
'I'm flattered ye think me wise and eloquent… If it's what ye really want I'd be proud to sacrifice me freedom to become first mate.'
'Ye know Heero'd never take ye, eh?'
'Ye don't know that. Ye can't know that until we've talked to the captain.'
'About?' Heero reached the end of the gangplank and stepped onto the main deck with a tired, however blank, face.
'The grog's over.' The old man said before any words could fall out of Hilde's slowly opening mouth. She glared at him, disappointed.
'Any luck, Capt'n?' Hilde decided to ignore Howard and turned to the younger man instead.
'Aye.' He said, surprisingly. 'But not much.'
'And?' the black haired woman even stood on her toes to try and see if he had left anyone waiting at the pier, new deckhands, but there was no one.
'"And" what?'
'And where are they?'
'Negotiations will be finished tomorrow morning.'
'Does that mean we're setting sail?' her eyes lit up.
'Soon.' He promised not wishing to let her down for some reason. Perhaps because Relena was watching him closely. He turned to her and she immediately resumed mopping the deck. Howard watched them thoughtfully.
Trowa arrived then, a green parrot on his shoulder. They all stared at him perplexed. 'His name's Zero.' He offered, but it did not seem to be enough to draw the attention away from him. 'That's 'cause I won him in a game of cards so he cost me nothing.'
'At least we've got one more crew member.' Hilde laughed and Relena smiled.
'Ha!' Howards exclaimed. 'Good one, lass. And 'e does have all the qualities to become our new first mate!'
'Anchors aweigh. Anchors aweigh.' Zero agreed wholeheartedly.
'Oh, how explendid!' the ladies approached the parrot excitedly.
Heero shook his head. 'Trowa will be our new first mate. It's already been decided.'
'What if I refuse?' the lookout questioned, his voice barely wavering as he met the captain's eyes. Even Zero went silent. Under all the scrutinizing pairs of eyes, Trowa blushed and cleared his throat. 'I'm sorry, but I don't wish to be first mate. I rather stay up at the crow's nest where it's… quiet and… peaceful.'
'I understand.' Heero said simply, frowning lightly as if he suddenly envied the lookout's position. 'Howard…'
'Why! I think Darlian should be first mate!' the older man suggested cheerfully and entirely unexpectedly.
All eyes fell on the blonde woman whose knuckles turned white around the mop's shaft. 'Oh, no, I…' she finally dared to meet the captain's eyes since the previous night at the Scroll and Talisman and tried to reason with him. 'I can't. I know nearly nothing about sailing! I've still so much to learn!'
'Ye underestimate yerself!' Hilde rebuked her, turning to Heero herself. 'I too think Lena will be a remarkable first mate! She has the makings of a great leader!'
'Besides bein' first mate's all about shoutin' the captain's orders to the rest of the crew. Really… The parrot could do it.' Howard explained nonchalantly and – for some reason – Relena glared unhappily at him for it.
'Anchors aweigh. Anchors aweigh.' Zero shouted from Trowa's shoulder.
'Ha! 'E must've been a captain's parrot!'
'Being first mate's much more than simple mindless parroting.' Heero cut in before the blonde woman could feel further offended.
'Aye.' Hilde agreed. 'Or Howie wouldn't 'ave wanted the post for himself.'
'But…' Relena blinked at Howard. 'If you wished to be first mate, then why…'
'Nay.' He waved her away and shook his head, his easy smile ever present. 'Ye, deary, will make a much better first mate for our treasured capt'n.'
'Well, I… I suppose I could try if…' she met the captain's eyes reluctantly. This time it was Heero who looked away.
'It's fine.' He said seriously. 'The majority of the crew seems to vote for ye, so…' he cleared his throat, forcing himself to meet her eyes. 'We shall head for the Scroll again tonight to try and gather more recruits. At sundown.'
'Aye, aye, Captain.'
'And find someone else to finish mopping that deck. That hardly befits the Peacemillion's first mate.'
'Aye, Captain.' Relena said and beamed. She could not help it.
On the background, Zero repeated his mantra. 'Anchors aweigh. Anchors aweigh.'
