I know I'm very evil for the cliffhanger last week, so enjoy the update!

Chapter Eleven: For Just One Yesterday

Cannon fire ripped through the air, and their kiss was broken as they stumbled to keep their balance. The passion and anger was quickly fading to concern for everyone, and Bill could have screamed at the knowledge that he finally managed to kiss her except it had been ruined. By a very unwelcome guest.

"All men to battle stations! Get the cannons ready!" Bill shouted, hand still holding Mabel's for a moment before he let her go. She was just as confused as he was, but even Mabel could see a threat when she saw one.

Pulling away from Bill, and leaving him to follow after if he wanted, Mabel rushed to the edge of the ship, staring at the opposing one that was getting closer by the second. Bill yanked her from the railing just in time as cannon fire rang through the air once more and a part of the deck where she had been standing a moment before was destroyed. Mabel clung to Bill and tried to get rid of the ringing in her ears, but she was visibly shaken. Not by the near death experience, but by the sight of the ship she had hoped to never see again.

"Gideon." Mabel breathed, looking over at the ship and seeing the flash of white that could have just been her looking for what she wanted, but it seemed like Gideon to her.

"Mabel, get below deck, go to my room. I don't care, just leave, now." Bill ordered, not even leading her, just giving her a push in that general direction. Mabel turned with a glare, arguments already forming on her tongue when she felt the deck shake with more cannon fire.

Mabel had learned a lot with her uncles. She learned when a ship had taken too much damage, she learned what it looked like when enemies had won. She knew what defeat looked like, and she knew the damage Gideon would cause, just for a victory.

"Yes, captain." Mabel said, looking up at him for just a moment. He knew what he was doing, but he didn't know Gideon like she did.

For a second, she stared at him, before grabbing his collar and forcing him down to her level to crash her lips against his own. The captain stiffened in surprise for a moment, before he kissed her back, lips moving against her own and tongue gently flicking out to brush against her lips, but Mabel didn't let it progress any further than that.

"I don't plan to go down without a fight, captain." Mabel whispered when she broke the kiss, hearing the ship return fire to Gideon's.

With that she turned away, darting over broken wood and ruined deck before Bill could stop her and force her downstairs. She stole a sword from one of the men, watching Gideon's ship come closer and closer, and all the while Mabel darted to the place she wanted to be, so that Bill wouldn't be able to catch her before it was too late.

"Tad!" Mabel shouted, stumbling and almost falling as the ship took another cannon. The first mate turned to her, watching her for a moment and then saw the captain trying to run after her. There was only so much deck space for her to run away on. "Keep Bill busy!"

Tad groaned, but still nodded, not even rushing past her but just walking. Mabel trusted him to do what was needed, and finally made her way to the perfect place to be seen.

She knew she was a sight, with her hair whipping around in the chilled sea air, the smell of gunsmoke in the air. A sword held loosely in one hand, but not without skill that would be needed to wield it as the deadly weapon it was. She stood above Bill's crew, who looked as ready to take orders from her as they would from Bill. Mabel didn't face them though, instead facing Gideon's ship, which was slowing to a halt next to hers.

There was just silence, as Gideon's crew stared across a small bit of ocean darkness to see her standing there, with her hand on a rope to keep her balance. Mabel honestly had no idea what she was doing anymore, but the cannons had stopped, and there was a way to avoid bloodshed, as long as she made the right move.

"Sugar pie!" Gideon's voice screeched over the water, and Mabel could just start to see his face. She almost winced at the nickname. "Ya alright, honey bear?"

"Gideon." Mabel said, even surprising herself with how soft her voice sounded. "I've been waiting for you to come and get me already."

Gideon almost beamed, and she could hear whispers among the crew, but even more loudly she could hear Tad and Bill arguing. For a long moment, there was just the sound of silence, as Gideon stared happily at her and Mabel realized that she was the reason why there was bloodshed and fights in the first place. Gideon wouldn't be attacking Bill right now if it wasn't for her.

There was silence for a moment, and then one long, rather slim, plank of wood stretched out between the ships, enough room for Mabel to walk across. Gideon had one of his crew hold the plank in place so that a sudden wave wouldn't throw her off, but even then a small wave would have easily fallen overboard. At least Bill had taken her another way, one that seemed safer than this.

"Gideon, darling." Mabel's voice was drowned out, and it was almost like she wasn't even there, it was like someone else was in her body, thankfully taking the small opportunity while it was there.

"As much as I know you hate Cipher." Mabel placed one foot on the plank, tentatively placing her weight against it, just to see if it would really support her. "I don't want you to hurt them."

Whatever argument Tad and Bill were having behind her silenced immediately at her words. Gideon's frown was visible even from where she stood on the other ship, and Mabel took one step out on the plank just to entice Gideon into saying what she wanted to hear.

"Come on back and we'll talk about it." Gideon called, which at this point was good enough for Mabel.

Before she could take another step, a hand grabbed her by the back of her shirt, hauling her back from the railing and on the deck. She landed hard on the deck, more than likely getting more bruises than she could count, staring up at Bill who was aiming his gun.

For just a second, there was no sound, and then Mabel got up, shoving her weight against Bill to throw off his balance just as the gun fired. There was a tear in the sail a couple feet above Gideon's head, but Gideon stood unharmed, and Bill was glaring down at her like she just betrayed him in the worst possible way. She supposed that in a way, she had, but it was about to get worse.

"Are you an idiot? He'll kill you!" Bill was working on reloading his gun, but Mabel still stood in between him and his mark.

"No, he won't." She braced herself for the lies, something she had never been good at before. "Don't tell me you actually believed that I cared?"

More cannon fire, this time from Bill's ship as sailors took matters into their own hands. Bill was staring down at her in anger and shock, while Mabel was doing her best to remain aloof like she had planned this all along. She walked past him, this time the captain letting her, not even letting herself relax.

"He sent you over here?" Bill grabbed her wrist, tearing the sword out of her hand and tossing it overboard. Mabel tore herself away, nearly falling when Gideon's ship returned fire. Her window of opportunity was slipping past.

"That's right." Mabel said, not skipping a beat. Her uncle's would have been proud of her for lying so well.

"You're still my prisoner." Bill tried to grab her again, and whether it was luck or Tad actually helping her, Tad came falling out of nowhere, taking the captain down with him.

She didn't hesitate this time, climbing back on the railing. For a moment, the fire of guns and cannons ceased, as everyone watched her carefully balance her way over the water and onto Gideon's ship. Don't look back, she told herself, her stride wavering only once when the water turned rough for just a moment, nearly tossing her into the water. If she fell, she might just be crushed between the two ships they were so close. Finally, she made it, hands shaking with adrenaline and wishing she could just go back on land. She had never actually been on Gideon's ship willingly before, it was a strange feeling.

"Sugar plum, are you okay?" Gideon asked, fat fingers cupping her cheeks and looking her over. Mabel nodded, placing her hands over his. Everyone wanted an act? She could give them that.

"I'm okay, can we just leave, please?" Mabel asked, giving him her best pleading look. "I don't want to see any blood."

Gideon didn't even have to give the order, with the last cannon fire from Gideon's ship, they set the sails to start off away from Bill. Mabel almost felt like she had been the prize that everyone had been searching for, first going to Bill and now back to Gideon, who had taken her in the first place.

"Well, don't I get a kiss for saving ya?" Gideon asked, puckering his lips up.

Mabel had to bite her tongue to stop herself from saying that he hadn't rescued her, he had interrupted one of the best kisses of her life and caused enough wreckage that she wasn't sure Bill's ship would be okay.

They weren't that far from Bill's ship, close enough that Mabel could see the crew still running around to hastily fix repairs. For a moment, Mabel considered saying no, but Gideon's hands tightened on her face and she realized she had waited just a second too long before answering.

With images of a blond pirate captain in her head, Mabel pressed her lips chastely against Gideon's own, ignoring the dread and guilt in the bottom of her stomach that refused to go away.

"What's wrong with you?" Bill grabbed Tad by the collar of his shirt, hauling him up and slamming him against the mast. "I should keelhaul you for what you've done!"

Men were scrambling around to try to save the ship from whatever damage it had, but Bill didn't care one bit. He was angry at Tad, he was angry at Mabel, and he was angry at himself for being played so well.

"We don't surrender! She was the prisoner here!" Even Bill knew that was a lie. Mabel wasn't a prisoner, and she never had been.

"The ship's falling apart! If she hadn't done that, we'd all find a nice watery grave." Tad pried Bill's hands off of his collar, fixing his shirt.

"She played us." Bill snarled, still able to see the kiss they were sharing. He was sure that they were going to have the best party when they got away.

"She did the only thing she could to get Gleeful to leave." Tad returned without even pausing. "Are you going to let him win?"

If they hadn't been through so much together, Bill would have shot Tad right then and there and ended the matter. Bill Cipher did not give up. Bill Cipher didn't let others win. Bill Cipher kept what he considered his, and Gideon Gleeful had just manipulated it right out of his hands. Bill Cipher didn't lose.

"Fix what you can, get this ship moving. I don't care if we work all night! Gleeful is not getting away from us that easily." Bill shouted, hearing his men cheer from their places. It wasn't easy for any of them to accept a bit of defeat, but at least it kept them grounded.

"Sir? How do you even know where he's going?" Kryptos asked, quietly enough for his voice to almost be swept away by the sounds of repairs. Bill still heard him though, sighing slightly.

"She told me on the first day she was here." Bill pulled out a rather old book, checking his compass for the direction. "Head east! Prepare for a war, boys!"