The ship lay at bay that morning, hardly rocking. The cold hair had a extra chill to it that seemed to go straight to the bone; and a freezing rain fell, every drop like a little ice cube.

Caroline shuddered a bit, holding her rain coat close to her small body, shivering. Her leg was much better then yesterday when the splint was taken of. Though it wasn't as strong as before, Caroline was able to walk around on deck today since the sea was calm.

Mr. Eccleston walked a little bit in front of her, the captain had basically put him in charge of her for the day, to make sure nothing else 'happened'. Which was perfectly fine with Caroline, nothing happening was just what she wanted today.

She looked up from under her hat to see Horatio standing by the railing, his rain coat on, and starring out towards the mainland. His back was turned to them, his hair was blowing in the cold wind.

Eccleston then walked over to Horatio and stopped a few feet away, looking rather annoyed. She knew what was coming,

"Mr Hornblower" Mr Eccleston walked up to him, "Mr Hornblower, What is that matter with you this day, I gave orders-" .

Horatio then turned to reveal his bruised and swelled up face. There was blue colored bruise across his face and one on his neck, his right eye was swelled up along with his cheek and that ugly part on his neck. Caroline couldn't help but grimace.

"God, what happened to you?" Eccleston asked, genuinely horrified.

"I missed my footing in the dark last night and fell, Sir" Hornblower answered, his voice not revealing any emotion whatsoever.

Caroline really couldn't blame him for not telling Eccleston what really happened. She had never told anyone, so why should he? Because they were scared, Caroline thought, scared of what Jack would do if the cat was out of the bag.

Eccleston raised an eyebrow, "On both sides of your face at once? Come, no more of this nonsense, with whom did you fight?"

Horatio just stared at him, not saying anything or making eye contact. Caroline looked at the ground.

"Well answer me, or you will be dealt with more leniently"

"I fell, Sir" Hornblower said again, still not looking Eccleston in the eye.

Then, her Caroline's dread, Eccleston said, without looking her direction,

"Mis Finny, with whome did Mr. Hornblower fight?"

She paused, twitching her right hand; then said quietly,

"He fell, Sir"

Eccleston sighed. "Very well, we'll see if a spell in the rigging won't teach you to tread more carefully" With that Eccleston pivoted and walked away across the deck, Caroline lingered for a moment.

"Oh Horatio" She whispered quietly, Horatio just starred at her with blank eyes. Non caring look that had plagued her face many a time before. Ones that said, 'My Life is living hell, why can't I just die?'

"Miss Finny!" Eccleston voice rang out over the damp deck, reaching Caroline's ears.

"Coming, Sir" Caroline sighed, then pivoted and followed Eccleston down into the hold.

()()()()()

The rest of the day passed surreal for Caroline, and probably Horatio too. He had been in the rigging for an hour, in the pouring, freezing cold rain. When Caroline had to pass the deck she couldn't look at him, she looked the other way and shivered in the rain. She couldn't really blame him for not telling and now hanging up in the rigging.

She couldn't really blame anybody but Jack, she could blame him for everything. For the fact that she was scared to be touch by any man minus Archie (It was most probably because he was the only man she fully and utterly trusted. Even over Clayton), for the fact that she had trouble sleeping at night, for the bruises on Horatio's face, for the past bruises on her own. For the bruises that covered her body in places where bruises shouldn't be, for that scar that went down her side, for Ian being dead. For Archie's fits, for his own scars and bloody bruises, for his pain and hers.

Caroline tried her best not to choke on the laughter the flowed from her throat; she was beginning to cry, tears running from her eyes. She reeled back against he wall, her side started to hurt. She was definetly having one of those never-to-be-beaten-or-compared laughed.

It was a dark, dreary and boring night. Most of the midshipmen and crew had gone ashore and were drinking themselves silly. Simpson had gone also, and she had decided the take the chance and stay to get some peace a quiet for once. Archie wasn't so sure that he wanted to leave her alone. So he snatched up one of his trusty Shakespearian novels and dramatized it for her. It was quiet comical.

"Damnit Archie!" Caroline said between fits of laughter, "you're making me cry!"

Archie smiled broadly and closed the book, "And how do you know that I didn't mean for that to happen?"

Caroline calmed down a little and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, "Did you?"

"Maybe, or maybe not" Then he took a step toward her," Maybe I just like to hear you laugh-"

Caroline squealed with laughter and she dove from her eat at the table and landed on the floor, laughing, "Archie! Don't you dare-!" She scrambled to her feet and got a few feet, before Archie literally 'tickled' her to the ground

"Stop!.....please-" She cried out smiling, enjoying every second of this, "Ssstttooopppp-"

Both of them froze at the sound of a bottle breaking, Archie jerked his head up, followed by Caroline struggling to her knees, quieting her laughter.

Simpson came crashing though the door, pausing for just a moment to take another slurp out of his bottle which was undoubtedly filled with rum.

Archie quietly rose to his feet and pulled Caroline up after him, then tried to walk away with our being noticed, the floor would not let them.

Simpson head jerked around at the first squeak and looked at them, from the look in his eyes, the room was uneven.

"Look" He words slurred together, "little Archie is taking a go, eh?"

Archie's cheeks flushed red of embarrassment, but he didn't say anything. Simpson continued,

"I thought that was my job-"

"-its no ones" Caroline's voice wavered a little as she tried to look brave, hopefully to the drunken man, it would work.

"Oh really, love?" He took a step forward and fell across the room and landed against the table, making her jump,

"Well-" He stood wobbly to his feet and smiled, the contents of his now broken bottle covered his shirt, letting out a stinking odor, " thats not really up to you is it?" Then he worked his way around the table. Caroline stepped back behind Archie, who stood his ground, his fame trembling slightly.

"L-leave her alone" Archie stuttered as he reached back and grasped her hand, Caroline shivered.

"What are you going to do about it, Boy?" Simpson smirked and his voice rose, "now, out of my way"

"N-No"

"Archie-" She was cut off as Simpson lunged at her, knocking Archie to the floor as he shoved her out of the way.

"Run!!" Archie yelled, struggling to his feet as Simpson pulled him back down and pelted him with his fist.

Caroline froze, then turned and ran across the room and out the door. She heard Archie's muffled cries and Simpson curses at him for resisting him from taking her.

She ran though the hall, tears falling from her brown eyes down her cheeks and brown hair flinging back behind her. Running till she reached the Wardroom, she crawled under a load of barrows and cried.

This was all Jack Simpson's fault, and she hated him for it.

A hour and fifteen minutes later, Horatio was taken down from the rigging. Caroline was there waiting for him, shaking legs and all. Least they had something in common

Taking a deep breath, Caroline walked over to where Horatio was lying on the deck, all strength sucked out of him. The men who had taken him down were talking amongst themselves. Caroline caught the eye of the a small boy standing nearby. He had blond hair that went to his shoulders and bright green eyes. He maybe was ten or eleven and was starring at Horatio's body with wide eyes.

"Tis not 'ight ma'am" The boy said, looking up at her, his Irish accent catching more of her attention, "It twas Mr. Simpson who beat 'im up. 'E 'ould be 'tha 'ne who 'ere, not Mr. Ornblower"

Caroline smiled at the boys innocence then lifted Horatio's arm across her shoulder

"No, no it isn't" She smiled sadly at him, "not right at all" then she turned around and helped the barely conscious Horatio across the deck to the stairs

This was going to be a long night, Caroline thought, a long night indeed.