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Chapter Four: Pines

She had taken over his bed. He supposed that's what he got with threatening her with the brig, and making sure that no one else would touch her, but she had taken his bed, and flat out refused to share with him. It was ridiculous! He was the captain of the ship, but apparently he was taking orders from his new guest-slash-prisoner.

It had taken almost two hours to convince her to get out of the crow's nest and back into bed, two hours of talking and questioning and wondering just what the hell she had gone through with Gleeful. Bill at least didn't have to worry about her getting her sea legs, since she already knew her way around a ship, but when he asked how long he had been with Gleeful she had either lied or had been on a ship before.

"I don't know, maybe two days? I don't know where he's going if that's what you're asking." Mabel had replied when she was laying in his bed, with his blanket wrapped around her and getting rid of her fever. "Where are we heading?"

"To a port, we need supplies and some new clothes for you." Bill said, flipping through Gideon's book for what seemed like the thousandth time today. Mabel perked up a little, but did her best to hide it from Bill.

She spent a lot of time in his bed, recovering, but she had this unfortunate habit of stealing his clothes. It irritated Bil to no end, and Bill found himself spending more and more time on deck. She spent a whole day in bed after coming on his ship, sleeping silently and working away the fever that had formed.

They were almost at port when she had come out on deck, wearing one of his shirts and a pair of his pants, looking as though she belonged on a ship more than some of his crew. Bill stared at her as she walked around, talking to some of the members of his crew only to be met with cold shoulders. They stared at her with a bit of disdain, and honestly Bill couldn't really blame them. She looked fragile, still bandaged, it didn't seem as though she would know anything being on a ship.

"So, already?" Tad asked, watching as Mabel was finally addressed by someone else, giving the task of swabbing the deck. She did it without complaint, more than likely just looking for something to do.

"What are you talking about?" Bill never took his eyes off of her, watching as Mabel glanced up at him and quickly looked away when she saw him staring.

"You already bedded her?"

Bill's gaze snapped from Mabel to Tad, glaring at him for a moment before looking back at the girl. She was one of the few women on this ship, he didn't want anything to happen to her. Gideon had taken her for a reason, and Bill knew it wasn't just for personal reasons.

"This book she had, I think I know what Gleeful was after." Bill decided to change the subject, pulling out the book which had never left his side since he got it.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Tad leaned over his shoulder, looking down at the book which was a mix of writing and strange symbols that he didn't recognize.

"Remember why we first wanted to sail? Why we stole this ship in the first place?" Bill asked, flipping to the same page as he always did. "This is it."

Tad ripped the book out of Bill's grasp, ignoring the complaint of protest and Bill's struggle to get it back. Really, they acted like children at times, but they eventually settled down with Tad looking down at the book in glee and Bill with a proud grin on his face.

"So we're doing this?"

"We're doing this."

Two days of being sick, two days of telling Bill Cipher everything she knew about Gideon. Finally though, she had gotten sick of staying locked up in the captain's quarters and decided to make herself useful. The stares she got from the crew were more than likely due to her raiding Bill's closet, but it was better than actually being locked away. She had no doubt Gideon would have locked her in the brig if she had dared to step outside of his cabin.

Swabbing the deck wasn't bad, she had done worse chores on her uncle's boat when they were in a bad mood. Fixing years of bad relationship didn't just suddenly end because they decided to make up. There had been arguments, there had been bad times, but that's what happened with family. They didn't stop being family just because they had a fight.

"You've done this work before." A voice sounded behind her, just as she finished the last part of the deck. Tad stood behind her, hands tucked behind his back and curiosity in his voice. Mabel placed the mop back in the bucket, turning to give him attention.

"I've been on a ship before, what can I say?" Mabel asked, turning her gaze to the choppy waters of the sea.

"Consort to Gideon, no doubt." Tad replied, laughing at the anger on her face.

"What's your problem?" Mabel asked as Tad took a long step forward, and Mabel took a step back almost in sync with him. She didn't know if she said anything wrong, or if Bill had a problem with her, but she was suddenly more on guard than ever before.

"Oh, you're my problem." Tad took another step forward, watching as Mabel's back hit the railing and her hands went out to grasp it. It was nice to have her backed against the railing, staring at him as though She was afraid he was going to push her overboard.

"I think it's obvious, isn't it?" Tad leaned against the railing, hands on either side of her to keep her from rushing away. "You seem to think you have a place here, that for some reason the captain likes you. Just let me tell you, Pines," he hissed her last name like it was a curse, "that you need to think again."

Mabel stood there for a long moment, hands gripping the railing and not sure what else she could even do. He watched for a moment as fear seemed to cross her face, but then, she did the strangest thing. She actually moved, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a hug. He was as tense as a rock underneath her touch, but didn't move away from her.

"It's okay. I'm not trying anything. I just want to go home." Mabel said after a moment, feeling Tad slowly hug her back.

Eventually he pulled back, staring down at her with confusion for a moment before she smiled and scampered off. Heading downstairs to the captain's room before Tad could even say another word. He stared at her until she was gone, and didn't move from his place until Bill came forward and stood next to him.

"She really is the one." Bill said, crossing his arms and watching Tad glance down at himself, almost expecting a knife to be sticking out of his back.

"She's a Pines." Tad leaned against the railing, watching the flash of anger cross Bill's face. The history between the family's was long, and rough. Mabel seemed ignorant of it though.

"It doesn't matter. She's the one we've been looking for." Bill shook his head, looking at Tad before following after her. "Get ready for port, we need to make sure we're prepared for this."

She sat in Bill's bed, back against the headboard, knees against her chest. If she had a sweater, she would be deep in sweater town at this point, but she didn't have any. She had no idea what that was up on deck with Tad, but she just wanted to make friends, not enemies.

She had to 'take care' of Gideon to go home, but she didn't want to take care of him in that way. As much as she wanted to get away from Gideon, he was someone she grew up with, he was someone who still had good in him, he could be great. There was a reasons why Mabel hasn't joined her uncles on their sea adventures when she got older, and that was a part of the reason. Mabel was built for life, not for death.

She was in a silent pout when Cipher came back, sighing and hanging his coat up. The moment that and the hat came off, it was amazing to see how much he looked like a normal person. If she had met him on the streets, without the ship and the sea, she would have actually been all over him, and it was a sad thing to admit to herself.

He didn't say anything as he moved over, looking down at her and sitting on the edge of the bed. She curled up further away from him, not wanting to get closer but not wanting to make it completely obvious that she was moving further away from him. Bill sighed slightly, moving and sitting close enough to her that she wouldn't be able to move away without having to climb over him.

"Look, I think I've been pretty nice here. I need to change your bandages." Bill sighed, already expecting the argument about this. Mabel didn't move, but she did send him a look that almost made him laugh. He likened her to a kitten who wanted to lash out, but was just too cute to. Even if he knew she packed a deadly slap.

"Go get the doctor to do it." Mabel sighed, but still presented her arm to him. Bill's fingers untied the end, unraveling and revealing the torn skin underneath it.

"He's busy, just shut up and let me." The captain of the ship sighed, honestly more than annoyed with her tone and her attitude. No one else dared to speak to him like that. No one else dared to move and push him out of line. Mabel Pines was someone special though, and Bill had to say he was intrigued. He just wished she wasn't so annoying at the same time.

"I want to go home." Mabel whispered when her arm was bandaged and he began to unravel the one around her head. Bill glanced down, meeting her eyes for a moment as he looked over the marks on her head and tried to see if she was getting an infection.

"I'll take you when you help me take down Gleeful. I hate that kid." Bill mumbled, ignoring the fact that he was almost sure Mabel and Gideon were the same age. They most certainly didn't act like it, and while Mabel had been a thorn in his side, she hadn't been annoying to him.

"I don't want to kill him." Mabel whispered, still staring up at him. Bill fingers paused as they pushed against the cut, watching her wince in pain for a split second. When did he get so close to her? She was almost sitting in his lap, she was so close.

Really, he had been too long without someone. She stared up at him, hazel eyes wide and trusting, practically sitting in his lap with slightly parted lips that seemed to be begging to be kissed. He made sure that her head wound wasn't infected before he started wrapping it once more. Really, she was too fragile for her own good.

He continued to stare down at her, even when he was done tying the bandage around her head and she continued to stare up at him as though he was her entire world. Bill's fingers slowly moved down from her hairline, brushing across her cheek to touch her jaw and chin. She was lovely, he would never be able to argue about that, he just wondered if she was really staring up at him as though he was her world, or if he was just imagining it.

"Did you send Tad to talk to me?" Mabel asked in a soft whisper, and in a moment of daring, his finger moved from her lower lip to brush along her lower lip. Mabel pulled away slightly, snapping Bill back into reality.

"...We arrive at port tomorrow. I'm sure you'll like it." Bill said, taking himself back and breathing deeply. "I expect you to move into a cot where the rest of the crew sleeps tomorrow."

"Wait, Bill-"

He moved slightly, getting up from the bed and leaving the room with a slam of the door that made even Mabel flinch. Mabel groaned, moving and burying her face into the pillow that reeked of Bill, wishing she was home.