The Pirate with Gout led the boy down to the docks. The little fellow gaped in wonder at the forest of masts, his little head tipped back as far as it could go. It was clear he had never been to the port before.

"There she is!" The Pirate with Gout exclaimed as they reached a far corner of the port. "That's the boat."

The boy followed his gaze. "You mean that old broken one over there?"

The Pirate took his hand of the boy's shoulder just long enough to smack him upside the head then continued on as if nothing had happened.

"This, my boy, is a gangplank." He swept a hand for the boy to proceed him.

"Oooh! A gangplank!" The little Albino stared at the ridiculously common object in what appeared to be genuine admiration. He stepped cautiously onto it and bounced a bit as he realized the board gave slightly under his weight. He scurried up the plank with the pirate right behind him.

"Say, what's this?" Was the first greeting as he reached the ship's deck. The man with a hook for a hand eyed him a little suspiciously. At the question several other pirates looked up from what they were doing to see the newcomer.

The boy hesitated nervously but the Pirate with Gout prodded him forward and onto the gently rocking ship. "It's alright, lad."

The pirates quickly gathered around and the boy found himself surrounded.

"What'ja bring that home for?" Asked the Pirate with the Accordian.

"You going to enter the urchin-throwing contest?" Asked the Pirate who had a Hook for a hand.

"I don't think he'd make the size qualifications." Said a generically burly pirate.

"Awwwwww! He's so cute!" Squealed a Surprisingly Curvaceous pirate in a startlingly un-masculine voice. He pinched his cheek and the boy shrugged a shy smile. He couldn't remember anyone calling him cute before.

"Say, lads," Another voice spoke up. "What's this all about?" A very tall, thin young man with a red scarf pushed through the small crowd. His eyebrows rose in surprise when he saw the little albino. "Well, hello?" He glanced curiously at the Pirate with Gout who gave him a sheepish smile. He bent down to the boy's level and held out a friendly hand. The boy shook it. "Hey, there young fellow. What are you doing here?"

The boy glanced briefly at the Pirate with Gout. "I'm looking for a family. He said there might be one here I could have."

There was a unanimous round of sympathetic sniffles from every one of the pirates. There was also a loud 'honk' as the Pirate with the Accordian blew his nose into a hankie.

"How sad! An orphaned boy!" Said someone from the back.

"Poor fellow." Said the Pirate who Likes Sunsets and Kittens as he wiped a tear away.

The Pirate with the Scarf gave a small disapproving glare to the Pirate with Gout. But gave a resigned sigh and a gentle smile to the boy. "We'll see what we can do."

The Pirate Captain was sitting at his large oak desk, the window behind him revealing the bustling port. He had his eye to the mouth of a clear bottle, frowning at the elaborately strung ship inside it. He turned the bottle upside down and gave it a hard shake. Unsatisfied, he poked his forefinger into the opening wiggling the tip at the little ship. "Blast!" He whispered as he realized he was stuck.

There was a knock on the cabin door and a moment later his first mate peeked his head in. "Captain?"

"Ah! Number Two, come in!" The Captain beckoned the young man in, knocking over his inkwell with the bottle still attached to his finger. He glanced at the growing puddle of ink for a moment then decided to pretend it hadn't happened. "How in Neptune's Dutch oven are you supposed to get the ship out?" He stuffed the bottle under his arm and yanked on it. But his finger stuck fast.

The Pirate with the Scarf just shook his head and smiled. He never knew what he was going to find the Captain doing when he came through that door. "Would you like some help Captain?"

The Pirate Captain looked up, just a little sheepishly. "Yes…yes I think that might be advantageous."

The Pirate with the Scarf grabbed the bottle firmly in both hands and pulled. Nothing happened. They stared at each other for a beat. "I have an idea." Number Two reached a thin leg up and firmly placed one foot in the center of the Captain's chest and heaved pulling the Captain's arm out way further than it should go. There was a great deal of grunting and even a bit of sweating as both men strained in opposite directions. Then there was a small 'pop' and they flew apart. The Pirate Captain crashed into his chair and Number Two tumbled backward, somersaulting once before colliding with the wall.

The first mate shook his head to clear the stars from his vision and smiled just a bit to find the bottle in his hands. He rose to his feet and set the bottle on the desk as the Pirate Captain dusted himself off. "There's someone to see you, Captain." He said, choosing not to comment on what had just happened.

The Captain perked up. "Really? What about?"

"The Pirate with gout brought him aboard. He..um...". Number Two rarely had to struggle for words but he wasn't quite sure how to express the situation. "...wants to join the crew, sir."He finally settled on.

"Ah! Splended! Splendid!" The Captain glanced in a small mirror on the wall, making certain his beard was in in order and his hat was on straight. Had to make a good impression, you know. "What's the fellow like? Has he ever battled a colossal squid?"

"Somehow I doubt it."

"That's alright. ". He said cheerily. "They can't all be perfect I suppose. Let the fellow in."

The Pirate with the Scarf opened the door and the Pirate Captain whipped his cutlass from his belt, did a perfect summersault and leaped to his feet with his very best: "Aarrrrr!" But the only one in the doorway was a completely nonplussed Pirate with Gout. The Captain let out an annoyed huff. It appeared that he had just wasted his best entrance. "Well, where is the cove?"

The Pirate with Gout looked beside him in surprise as if something should have been there. Then he rolled his eyes and said: "You can come out now."

"Is he going to yell again?" Asked the slightly trembling bulge under his coat.

"Gout, old boy,". The Pirate Captain eyed the other man's coat suspiciously. "I think we've got to do something about that flea problem of yours."

Number Two rolled his eyes a bit while the Pirate with Gout opened one side of his coat to reveal a small white face peering. "Aw. That's just a friendly greeting."

The tiny boy crept out and smiled up at the befuddled Pirate Captain. "Who are you?"

The Captain quickly recovered from the shock of seeing a child on his ship. He struck a heroic but deliberately unintimidating pose. "The most famous pirate captain to ever sail the seven seas!"

The boy's eyes lit in recognition. "Than you must be Black Bellamy!"

The Pirate with Gout clamped a hand over the albino's mouth. There were several loud groans from just outside the door and the Pirate with the Scarf dropped his face into his hand with a resounding 'smack'.

The Pirate Captain narrowed his eyes and for just a moment looked as if he might announce a pint size plank walk.

"He didn't mean it, Cap'n." The Pirate with Gout insisted.

The Pirate Captain glared suspiciously at him fore a moment than shrugged it off. "No I am not Black Bellamy! For your information I have a much more luxuriant beard and my shanties could beat the barnacles of his any day."

"Oh.". Said the little albino, vaguely aware that he had somehow offended this pirate. "Than you must be that other most famous pirate captain. The one nobody knows about."

The Pirate Captain stared at the boy for a long moment than turned to the Pirate with Gout. "Is he doing that on purpose?"

"I don't think so, sir."

"So, boy, you want to join the crew, eh?". The Captain asked in his 'interrigation voice.

The boy just stared at him as if he wasn't quite sure of the question.

"Do you think you have what it takes to be a pirate?"

"I might if I had a fancy beard like yours."

The Captain's chest seemed to inflate as he brushed his luxuriant beard. "I say, bright little fellow isn't he?"

"So we can keep him?"

"Oh, come now! We're a pirate ship not a nursery." The Pirate Captain looked the boy skeptically up and down as if not quite sure what to make of him. "I mean really, Gout old boy, it's a child. What do they do?"

"He can help me in the galley, Sir." The Pirate with Gout put a big hand on the little albino's shoulder.

"We could use a cabin boy, Captain." The Pirate with the Scarf reasoned. There was just a slight hint of pleading in his voice.

The Pirate with Gout nodded enthusiastically.

"Cabin boy? Of course!" The Captain exclaimed. "Good thinking Number Two. No ship can do without a cabin boy." He looked down at the boy and frowned. "But this won't do. This won't do at all."

The young albino's hope sank to the floor. They needed a boy, just not him. With a heavy sigh he began to turn back towards the door when the Captain snatched his hat from off him. The luxuriant bearded pirate looked at it disdainfully before tossing it over his shoulder. "No, that certainly won't do! If you're going to be a pirate you can't be wearing a lubber hat like that."

"B-but I sunburn easily." The boy meekly protested, placing a snow-white hand on his head.

"Hmm." The Captain frowned and twirled his moustache in thought. Suddenly his eyes lit up. "I have it!" He reached into his coat and pulled out a pale blue, polka dotted handkerchief. "This ought to do. Lot's of pirates wear head scarf's. Keeps the sweat from your eyes, you know." Tying a knot in the kerchief he pulled it over the boy's head. It was far too big and sank down over his eyes, leaving only his mouth and freckled nose visible. "You see? Perfect!"

"But I can't see."

"Well, if you're going to be picky about it." The Pirate Captain tied another knot, pulling the scarf up on one side, revealing one pink eye.

"Better do the other side." The Pirate with Gout suggested. "Make it even."

"Yes, of course." A couple more twists and there was a knot on each corner. The adjustment had made a perfect fit. "There. That should do it." The captain brushed his hands together and stood back to admire his handiwork. A frown quickly grew on his face and he shook his head. "Perhaps not. He's still missing something." He snapped his fingers as it came to him. "A belt!". He popped his head out the door. Someone get this boy a belt with one of those shiny clasp thingies on it."

The Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate disappeared for a moment and came back with a thick belt with a polished silver buckle and set it in the boy's hands. "Here you go, lad."

The Albino stared at it reverently for a moment then hugged it tightly, a look of awed disbelief on his young face as he stared up at the Captain. "This is mine?"

"Of course. Every pirate needs a shiny buckle somewhere in his wardrobe."

"I never had a real live belt before!" He hugged it close to his face and nuzzled it as if it were a kitten.

The Pirate with Gout rolled his eyes. "It's for wearing not for cuddling." He snatched the belt away and wrapped it around the boy's tiny waist, buckling it for him.

The Pirate with the Scarf couldn't help but chuckle a bit. The belt was far too wide spanning nearly from the boy's hips to halfway up his chest and with the size of the buckle it was clear he would have trouble sitting down.

"Now, what's your name lad?" The boy began to answer but the Pirate Captain waved it away. "It doesn't matter. Nobody'll use it. If you want to be a really successful pirate you need a catchy nickname. Every good pirate has one, you know. Blackbeard, Captain Hook, Captain Blood." He ticked each one off on his fingers.

"Um...I believe that last one actually was his name." The Pirate with the Scarf corrected.

The Captain completely ignored the comment. "That's why I give every member of my crew a snappy nickname. " He moved over to and placed a hand on his first mate's shoulder. "The Pirate with the Scarf, whom I at times refer to as Number Two. This is the Pirate with Gout and I, of course, am the infamous Pirate Captain!"

"Besides" The Pirate with Gout added. " He can't remember our first names."

"Now!" The Pirate Captain said, sounding as official as he knew how. "What about you?" He looked the boy up and down thoughtfully stroking his beard. "The Unimpressively Tiny Pirate?"

The Pirate with the Scarf raised a finger. "Um, he won't always be that small, Captain."

"Oh, yes. Of course. Of course. What about The Unusually Pale Pirate?". He didn't wait for a response to that last suggestion. "Krakken's biscuits, boy! You really don't get out of doors much do you?"

"I believe it's because he's albino, Captain.". The first mate offered.

"That's it!" The Captain snapped his fingers triumphantly. "The Albino Pirate! Rather suits him I think."

"You've done it again, sir!". The a pirate with Gout said approvingly than looked down at the boy. "What do you think Albino Pirate?"

The boy beamed . "It sounds just like me!"

The Pirate Captain gazed proudly down at his youngest recruit. "Now you're part of the crew." He held out a hand for the Albino Pirate to shake

The boy looked straight up at him. "Is a crew anything like a family?"

"It's exactly like a family.". The Pirate with the scarf said.

The boy ignored the pro offered hand and threw both arms around a very startled Pirate Captain. The Captain glanced over at his first mate for help but Number Two just smiled. The Captain looked back down, smiled and patted his new shipmate on the head.

The Pirate with Gout threw open the door to the cabin, revealing the entire crew directly behind it. "We've got a new shipmate!"

There was a resounding cheer as the newest pirate was escorted onto the deck and introduced to the crew. The boy beamed as the pirates doted over him and promised to make him the best sailor the world had ever seen.

The Pirate Captain and his first mate watched the cheerful chaos with approval. "Should we start Ham Nite early?" The Pirate with the Scarf asked.

"Splended idea Number Two!"

The Pirate with Gout hobbled over to them with a huge smile on his beefy face. "This is our most adorable adventure ever!"