Chapter Two

"Kai, if I were fit enough to, I'd tan yer hide for gettin' us into this lick o' trouble 'ere, I would." As we had fled further into the darkness of the night, my companion drew her sword from the folds of her dress, but I knew there was nothing she could do with it while encumbered within all her gaudy frills. I, too, could barely run and yet the only burden I had to bear were the unyielding britches I'd been coerced into wearing.

"No te preocupes, mi amor," I assured her with a playful wink. "I just wanted to have a lil' fun with the Admiral is all." My explanation only earned me a glare, but the woman did not have a chance to argue before there was a sudden warning shot from a musket just outside of town, bidding us to quicken our pace. While she ran ahead of me, I was swift to whip out my pistol, and though the metal shone dangerously in the moonlight at the ready, I was still cautious about firing. After all, I wasn't certain of where the blast had come from, nor did I have any desire to waste a single bullet on some worthless-

"Maldición británico perros..." Before I could line up the shot, I felt a sharp tug on my trousers, and toppling over myself, I soon found that I had been pulled into a small rowboat. Not a moment after I had found myself there, I heard a sudden splash come from behind me, but when I glanced back at my companion, I found she had thrown her heavy gown overboard.

"Ya be a bloody fool fer takin' a shot like that, ya git" she scolded me fiercely, narrowing her eyes at me. "Best be hopin' they thought yeh drowned yerself, or there's no tellin' what'll become the likes of us."

"We not be out of the thick of it yet, love," I reminded her with a low whisper. After all, we still had to return to the ship anchored around the cape...

With a gentle nudge, our humble skiff slipped away from the dock, but we still waited a shy minute longer before trying to guide the small craft out of both sight and hearing of anyone that may come after us. It was mighty slow going, too, since we couldn't so much as dip a paddle for fear of being heard.

"Cap'n, wha' can we do?" the woman at my side whispered harshly. "E'en if they don' find us, wha' 'bout Denny an' the girls?"

"I told 'em to cast off if we didn't return by the time the moon settled o'erhead," I murmured, slipping off the fool's cap I'd been wearing as a part of my disguise in favor of my bandanna. "Now... keep low..."

She did as I instructed, and while I wasn't entirely certain of whether I should or not, I still took up the oars and began to row with slow, even strokes in time with the ebb and flow of the gentle waves. I muttered a prayer as I did so, but it did little to ease my troubled thoughts. Apparently my companion felt the same as I about such things, for she couldn't help but speak of the matter.

"No god 'ill 'ear the prayers of the likes of us," she muttered quietly. I only rolled my eyes, yet I knew she was right in saying so. After all, we were of a lot that meant no good towards anyone but ourselves, and though I'd like to think that our enemies were of the greatest of evils, I knew that in the eyes of the world, and perhaps even God himself, we were nothing but scum. All the same, I felt as though I should offer her at least some small comfort.

"Mantente fuerte para mí," I whispered, trying my best to smile for her. "Usted no tiene que preocuparse de mí a tu lado.."

"Kai, I don' 'ave a damn clue wha' yer sayin'," she sighed which caused me to chuckle. I only leaned over and gave her a kiss in its stead, but as it often was, she paid me no mind. "I'm still worried' 'bout the girls..." she mumbled, drawing herself even closer. "I knew we ought not to 'ave come 'ere for dis."

Before I even had the chance to try and reassure her yet again, we were blessed to have the Encantador de Soltera come into view around the next cliff face, yet it was far too soon to celebrate since a cannon blast heralded that our enemy had at last set sail after us.

"Don't return fire!" I ordered upon hearing the commotion on deck.

"But Captain! They be firin' at us, sir!"

"No, they only be tryin' to sniff us out," I explained as calmly as I could manage. "Hold fire and unfurl the sails." There was a hesitant pause on deck, but soon enough the woman beside me found herself once again. Not to mention her voice.

"You 'eard the Cap'n, ladies! I'll not 'ave any of yeh causin' any grief lest the lot of ya be wantin' ta hang!" I chuckled to hear the women aboard our fine vessel begin to move about at a quickened pace under her orders, and not for the first time, I had to wonder who was truly the one in charge of the lot of of them. "And let us up, yeh gits!" My laugher was surely echoing across the waters by the time they managed to hoist us aboard, but they did as she bid them all the same. As they'd been instructed, the girls had released the sails, and though the breeze was weak, it was still enough to send us gliding across the water at an easy pace.

"Lady Claire! Yer back!" I didn't even have to see the girl or her red braid as it struck me to know just who it was that ran past me then. After all, her voice alone was quite the force, and had I not known better, I may have made some remark on it. Especially upon seeing the sight of the young girl throw her arms around the woman. "We were thinkin' we'd have to leave yeh behind!"

"Aye, an' I would've been proud of yas for doin' it," my companion assured her with a tussle of her bangs. "Yeh 'ave my dinner ready then, Annie Bell?" When the girl nodded eagerly and tore off down towards the galley, I only laughed. "She be a good lil'un," Claire mused as she shook her head, "but I'll be damned if I'll e'er un'erstand 'er way of thinkin' when it comes to dese t'ings..."

"She admires you," I replied simply before turning my attention to the crow's nest hanging overhead. "Denny! Have they found us, mi amigo?"

"No, señor, ellos fue directamente al mar," he replied, his head poking out from over the top of the basket. When he caught sight of the woman's eyes narrowing at him in the pale light of crescent moon, he was quick to try and translate as best he could. The poor fellow. "What I mean is... Ma'am, they's be goin' out to sea." She raised a brow as if that was the most plain thing in the world, but I gladly explained the situation to her if only for the sake of my friend.

"He means that they went straight out," I offered to which she nodded in understanding. Though I knew it frustrated Claire to no end when it came to these things, it was nothing less than relief for me to have a moment for myself. For you see, though I loved the woman, she could be a bit overbearing, and about the only peace of mind to be had was talking to the young man as he was the only one among the crew to know my native tongue. "I'd say they figured we'd go in that manner being as it'd be the quickest way for us to have escaped."

"I jus' wish ya both woul' quit with all dis hush-hush 'bout 'ere," she muttered. "Can't un'erstand a damn word of it..."

I was rather proud of myself for not reminding her that she was downright impossible to listen to at times, let alone understand. She'd spoken with a loose tongue from the very beginning, but I found it'd only gotten worse the longer she stayed away from shore. Though I wasn't a smart man by any means, especially compared to her sharp wit, I certainly felt like one when speaking with her those days.

"If ya keep starin' Kai, I jus' might 'ave to crack yeh one," she warned me with a scowl as she narrowed her eyes. I could only look away as I knew it was dangerous for a man to meet her gaze should she be in bad temper, and yet I found it was rather difficult for me to do so all the same.

"Disculpe, mi querido," I chuckled, "pero eres tan bella no podía apartar la vista." I heard Denny laugh from his post, but the woman before me was clearly unable to find the humor in my words as she gave me yet another glare. "Trust me, love, it's nothing less than what I speak from my heart," I assured her with a bow.

"Save yer fancy talkin' fer tonigh' then, eh?" Claire purred with a smile of her own, running a finger lazily beneath my chin as she made her way past me. "I wouldn't wan' ya ta was'e any of it now..." I felt my face warm slightly under both her touch and the sound of her voice, but I still did my best to keep my wits about my head than elsewhere. "Nami, keep up goin' wes' 'tll mornin' if yeh will," she continued on her way down into the galley. The woman at the helm gave her a stiff nod, but her cold, blue eyes frosted over as soon as she caught sight of me. "Comin' Cap'n?"

"Aye..." I agreed nervously as I slipped below deck, more than eager to escape the chill that had washed over me. "That Nami is a strange one," I murmured while resting my hands on the back of my head in thought. However, my companion only laughed at my discomfort. "What'cha laughin' about if you don't mind me askin'?"

"I'm laughin' cause she ain' the kinda gurl ta take a likin' ta ya," she chuckled. "Course... I s'pose she don' like any man if she can 'elp it!"

"You sayin' she takes a liking to the ladies then?" I asked curiously. Not that it would've surprised me much, mind you, since there weren't many women who could resist my particular charm. Take the young miss I'd left behind not too long ago...

I merely laughed to think back on her startled expression when I brought up the blade to her ample chest. She'd seemed to have been caught off guard at first, but what had made me wonder all the more was the way she actually seemed to defy me after she came to realize there had been no injury to her person. I really hadn't expected for her to stay so calm given the circumstances of our meeting, and yet I could not deny that those ruby eyes of hers had all but dared me to draw blood from her very breast...

"Git yer 'ead outta yer ass," Claire growled as she snapped her fingers before my eyes. "Ya've been actin' funny e'er since ya caugh' sight of dat lil' miss on the dancin' floor, an' I ain' one fer sharin' my man wit' no lady the likes of 'er."

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, my dear," I replied kindly. However, when she scowled at me over her shoulder, I could only chuckle to see her sour expression. "Besides... you really can't tell me that you weren't eyeing up some of those fine gentlemen for yourself," I chided her gently though I wouldn't ever think to hold it against her. "Don't worry none, love," I assured her with a wink. "I promise to make you the wealthiest of women one day..."

"Non of it means a damn thin' ta me if I can't 'ave my wits 'bout me," she sighed. We stood there in silence as we lingered in the stairwell with her a mere step down from me, and though she'd turned away, I still could reach out and wrap my strong arms about her narrow, yet sturdy shoulders. "I'll not go to live the life of those pampered pets... not fer all the 'appiness in the world."

"But are they truly happier than we, my dear?" I asked. "Who is to say, love, that you an' are not the happiest out of the lot of 'em with open seas and endless skies all around us?" She offered me a toothy grin, but before I could give her a true kiss worthy of such a woman, I felt a sharp crack atop my head and seethed in pain.

"That's what you get fer tryin' to seduce my lady afore she gets some food in 'er," Ann scolded me as she wagged a wooden spoon in my face. "I'll not 'ave you womanizin' about in my galley, ya hear?"

"Aye, Annie Bell. That's my girl!" my companion laughed, untangling herself from my grasp. I must admit that I felt rather put out by all this, but there was nothing to be done about it. For deespite my mischievous ways, I decided to leave them be for the time being as I had no desire to fight for the woman at that moment- no matter how charming she may have been. My mind was tired and my thoughts worn thin after our shore excursion, and I wanted nothing more than the chance to shed this god awful clothing and rest my eyes a bit. Though I managed well enough without much sleep, it had been some time since I'd done anything so reckless...

However, just as I was about to retire to my own quarters, I just happened to find a young lady undressing herself. Of course I was fairly certain she would not have been doing so had she known I was to pass by the bunk house at that very moment, and so I was sure to give my thanks in a hurried, breathless prayer. Even so, I had not gotten the chance to so much as begin before she went to conceal herself from me.

"Pourquoi si timide, mon cher Natalie?" I asked with a playful grin. The woman scowled as a brush of scarlet made its way across her features, but I could only laugh at her next remark though I knew it was not her intention to amuse me in such a way.

"Je n'ai aucun intérêt dans l'aime d'un sale porc comme vous, monsieur," she huffed, making to turn her back to me. However, before she could do so, I saw her eyes widen with surprise, and upon glancing over my shoulder, I realized that my companion had returned to my side more swiftly than even I had anticipated. Though Claire said nothing of our exchange to either of us, the other woman could not keep herself from apologizing all the same. "That is to say, ma'am, the honour is all yours..."

"As it is yours," she assured her. Then, without another word, she linked her arm with my own and bade me to follow her. I merely trailed along at her side, uncertain of what to say myself, but once we found ourselves alone in one another's company yet again, she simply grinned up at me and said nothing before slipping inside of my chambers.

"What is it you be needing?" I asked at last upon having found my voice.

"I trust ya'll be willin' ta 'elp meh out of dis mess," she explained with a laugh as she gestured towards her rather unfortunate dress. However, it seemed she was already busying herself with stepping out of the first of several petticoats, and I soon found myself in a fit of laughter when she nearly tripped herself doing so. Luckily for her, I was swift enough to catch her before she landed on her pretty little ass.

"Be needin' help sooner than you thought, eh?" I teased, my hot breath brushing against her tender neck. She stifled a moan at first, but I didn't have a chance to take the matter any further since without any means of warning me, she snapped her head up and popped me one square in the jaw. The pain of my teeth ramming against one another so suddenly was just enough to knock any sullied thoughts clear out of my head. "Damn woman... you really got me good that time," I seethed, nursing my injured chin.

"Need meh to kiss it better, love?" the woman laughed. I merely rolled my eyes, but the smile I'd been wearing not too long before once again found its place upon my face. Of course, it was hard to be discouraged when such a woman is undressing herself in plain view... though I must confess the truth of the matter was it was rather difficult not to grin upon seeing her struggle to undo her corsets by herself.

However, all I had to do was draw my sword and cut the laces before it dropped to the floor, and as far as I was concerned, that's where such a useless piece of clothing belonged. She only stood in awe for a moment until she offered me a broad grin in thanks. "A'ways willing to draw yer sword, I see," she chuckled, not even troubling herself with making herself decent. "What? Ya act like ya ne'er seen me like dis, Kai... an' we both know dat ain't true."

"Aye, but that doesn't mean I don't find you to be a beautiful sight all the same," I assured her. "I was only thinking that I was sure there was another dress you're supposed to be wearing underneath it..." I explained although it was clear by her raised eyebrow that she was having none of it.

"Don' ya tink dere's 'nough shit I 'ad to put on?" Claire snapped as she jabbed an accusing finger towards the discarded clothing that was strewn across my floor. "I couldn' e'en fuckin' breathe!" With that I couldn't help but laugh, and as expected, it only fueled her anger. "Wha' ya laughin' at? Ya jus' got yerself some tight-ass britches..."

"That's a problem all it's own, love," I remarked with a knowing smile as I slid up alongside her.

"Oh, git off a meh, yeh hussy," she teased with a sly grin. "Yeh can' 'spect meh ta take care of yeh sorry ass e'ery time yeh git all hard up, yeh know." Though the woman was talking tough, I knew she didn't mean a word of it. After all, she wasn't the type of girl to refuse a man in need.

"Come on now..." I purred, drawing her close to me once again. "You can't expect a man like me to be able to control himself around a lovely woman such as yourself." She pulled away from me then, and as she did so, I could only watch as her bare hips swaying while she swaggered on over to my bed. That woman was enough to drive a man to do crazy things, I had to admit... especially when she insisted upon laying herself out so nicely on my own linens. "No me mendigar, el amor..." I pleaded, getting down on my knees at her side and resting my hand atop hers.

"A'right..." she relented, feigning a heavy sigh. "Brin' yer ass on up here afore yeh hurt the best part of yerself with all that grovelin' down there."

"Is that all I'm good for?" I asked while feigning a sigh of my own. "You be hurtin' my pride sayin' thing like that."

"Tha's all any man's good fer if yeh ask meh," she assured me as I brought myself into bed with her. "Now... show dis 'lady' jus' how she likes it done, eh? If we're dyin' tomarra, I wanna know yeh loved righ' by meh..."

--

Author's Note: As for the use of other languages in this story, I've done my best to make sure that Google Translator gets as close as possible to the true essence of what is being said, but it's inevitable that it won't always give the perfect translation. Because of this, I'll be more than willing to offer further translations if any one needs them.

Unfortunately, there is no translator for Claire... although I can and will act as interpreter if necessary. XD