Here's where Annabeth tours the ship, I tried my best to inform myself about living arrangements aboard vessels back in those days, still I'll probably ignore a few things (like the nonexistent hygiene these guys had, and the fact that they didn't have a proper bathroom) and I'll just lessen the brutal conditions they went through, as it really does little to the plot.

Hope you enjoy Chapter 5 :)

PJO belongs to Rick Riordan.

As soon as Rachel untied her from the chair, Annabeth felt a lot more comfortable.

She hated crammed spaces and the small cabin had begun to fill with people too quickly for her taste.

Rachel was a happy redhead. She had her hair tied messily in a bun and wore a loose shirt and leather trousers. She seemed very content with showing the new prisoner -no, guest- around.

"So Annabeth," she said. "How come you're here? The crew is dying to find out."

"Your captain thought it funny," she replied, curtly.

"Your captain, too, now," Rachel reminded her, still cheerfully. "But what were you doing in those docks? If you saw the ship and they caught you, you two must've been nearby."

"We were resting," she shrugged indifferently.

Rachel gave her an incredulous look, "Resting? At a dock at twilight? Surely there's more to that. Unless you and Jason..."

"No nothing like that!" Annabeth's eyes widened, all intentions to be closed and humourless forgotten. What did this girl think of her honour? "Jason is but a friend to me, perhaps a brother of sorts."

"Spill then," Rachel smirked at her reddening face.

"All right, I was escaping my home," Annabeth admitted, finding no way off the topic. "Not forever. For a bit, at least… My mother she... well, my father died and it was high time I found a husband. Thus my mother made this event to invite bachelors. But I needed a break!"

"Marriage does seem like the end of the world, doesn't it?" she laughed.

"Are you married?" Annabeth wondered appalled.

"What? No!" Rachel chuckled. "But my father thought I should be and found me a suitor, and I rejected him and joined a ship crew instead."

"You didn't want to marry the man so you left and joined the pirates?" said Annabeth dryly.

"I did leave a note," she said thoughtfully. "He won't miss me."

"This is not what I imagined," Annabeth admitted.

"What did you imagine?" the redhead asked, with a knowing smile.

Annabeth shrugged, "A bunch of ferocious criminals escaping the gallows?"

Rachel laughed heartily, "I can't deny some of us have been caught in minor illegal acts. But no one has been condemned to the gallows, yet."

"Just wait until Jason's father figures out where he is," she deadpanned. "Are all outlaws like you?"

"No, no," Rachel shook her head. "We've met a lot of troublemakers. Some are despicable. The thing about this crew is that we don't murder unless we have to. We're mild."

"Then aren't you attacked by others?"

"Sometimes," she admitted. "But more often than not pirates protect other pirates. As awful as they might be, they'd rather attack merchants and flagships than us, I reckon."

After a second of pause she added, "Plus I said we didn't like killing, not that we were unknown to it."

Following that cheerful note they walked around for a good half an hour. Rachel showed Annabeth were the crew mess was, what the different parts of the boat were called, and that the toilet (which she called head) was right beside the berth, which they hadn't yet seen.

They came across Jason and that Leo boy once, and Annabeth saw her friend talking animatedly with a copper skinned girl she hadn't seen before.

"That's Piper," Rachel said as they kept walking. "She's also rather new herself. And Leo, too."

"Who's been here the longest?" she asked.

"Well, this ship belonged to the captain's father," Rachel explained. "And back then the crew was almost another. Percy practically grew up in these walls, he's one with the vessel. Other than him, I'd bet it's probably Luke, the first mate, you've met him. Or Grover."

"Grover?"

"He's left for a while," the redhead shrugged. "He had to do I-don't-know-what inland, and took a leave of absence. He'll eventually come back, though. He's Percy's best friend."

Annabeth smiled, but then it faded. The way Luke and Rachel had spoken of Jackson, as if he was such a great person. To her, the man was if anything, a weird-minded convict. He was rude, inappropriate and ignorant. The way she'd imagined any pirate: egotistical, impulsive, and smug. He was less violent, perhaps, but he was still a nuisance.

Rachel was studying her face.

"Look," she said. "I can't convince you to like the Cap', but if you're staying on this ship, you might as well try to see what's good in him. He's not a cruel man. He's got to be tough here and there or no one would ever respect him."

"He took me away," Annabeth reminded her.

"But you were unhappy, weren't you?" Rachel said. "How about you think this as a new beginning?"

Annabeth shrugged. She missed her mother, and wondered whether they'd be looking for Jason and her.

"Come," Rachel tugged on her arm. "I'll show you where you'll be sleeping and borrow some new clothes for you."

The room was just a big space filled with hammocks. Many, many of those. Annabeth eyed them warily.

"Here's it," Rachel smirked, as if expecting some comment.

"Men and women sleep together?" she asked, trying not to sound too scandalised. "How... liberal."

Rachel laughed. "No," she said. "Guys sleep around the hallway. Although I can't neither confirm nor deny some rumours here and there."

The duchess raised an eyebrow. Fantastic, that was the second time in half an hour where the redhead had mentioned people sleeping around. She was surrounded by promiscuous misfits.

"And somewhere over here..." Rachel kept talking as she fumbled with the key of a chest, in a corner. "You're too tall to fit in my or Piper's clothes, but try these."

She passed Annabeth a shirt, a vest and trousers.

"Do you not have a skirt?" she asked politely. "I like them better."

"If you want to survive here," said Rachel. "Better wear something that won't get in your way in case of a fight."

Annabeth's shoulders dropped, "Where are the changing rooms?"

Rachel stared at her blankly, "I can turn around, if it makes you feel better."

Annabeth nodded reluctantly but didn't express her thoughts. Clearly Rachel was too loyal and proud of the ship. Were Annabeth to be honest about what she thought about the place, and people, and rules, she'd make an unnecessary enemy. Well, enemy was going too far. But definitely an unnecessary rival. And what she needed were allies.

One of the things Annabeth noted was that activity never ceased in Jackson's ship. People walked here and there, and nobody seemed to question it.

"Isn't it late?" she inquired as she finished changing.

"If you're tired we can continue your tour tomorrow," Rachel offered. "I have early duty anyway, so..."

"That is not what I meant," Annabeth shook her head. "But I wouldn't mind some dinner."

The redhead smiled, "I'll get you something, though usually we're strict about food. Remember we're on a limited ration, and stuff. Nautical rules and all, you understand."

She nodded. When Rachel left, she sat down on the chest they'd taken the clothes of. She pressed the palms of her hands to her eyes. What mess had she got into?

Crew mess is some sort of dinning hall those old ships had, if they had any at all.

And thank you to the guest who told me about the confusion with "sighted" and "sighed" last chapter, it's something I hadn't really realised until now! I've changed it, though, so thanks again :D