October 25th, 1678
Brittany drifted in and out of sleep. She couldn't see a thing, light came and light went out, she had no idea how much time had passed or where she was. Maybe I died, she thought to herself. Maybe she had died by the hand of the sea or perhaps a mermaid. She did vaguely remember a beautiful dark skinned girl with penetrating eyes; that's silly, mermaids don't hurt anyone. Or perhaps it was all just a dream. If she had died, maybe this was heaven but then again, heaven couldn't be this painful or this terribly stinky. Maybe she was in that purbatory or whatever they called it, either way it wasn't pleasant in the slightest.
She groaned uncomfortably even as a soft caring hand pushed her neck up, followed by a warm liquid being brought to her parted lips. It tasted like boiled fish but it wasn't bad, she definitely had worst at the ship. Brittany gulped it down as her throat was feeling incredibly dry. She felt the recipient emptying out as she drained all the warm liquid, then it being pulled out of her grasp even as she followed it for more. Though in just another second another liquid was pressed to her lips, and this time it seemed like fresh cool water and the blonde gratefully licked her cracked lips after the water had washed down her throat and the lingering taste of fish. Brittany groggily exhaled as she felt sleepiness pulling her in once again.
This process repeated itself, Brittany didn't even know how many times; always a warm caring hand with the softest touch and always a broth being brought to her lips with such mildness. She didn't know if this was just another part of her hallucinations but at least it wasn't an unpleasant one, like the pain she could still feel on her body that had become somewhat familiar to her at this point.
Brittany blinked her eyes open, for what felt like ages. The clarity made her eyes hurt so she quickly shut them down again. After a moment she opened them more slowly, taking her time to adjust to the light, but her vision was still a little blurred. She took a sniff around and realized the horrible smell that had overwhelmed her before wasn't as bad anymore. And when she tried moving her body from the place she was resting, she realized something else, the pain had mostly vanished.
Her eyes widen as she looked at her own body that was covered by a soft blanket. She inspected herself, the first thing she noticed was, that she could actually see with both of her eyes. Bringing her hand to touch her face she felt just a little bit of swelling but it was definitely much better than before. She sat up on the bed and found that her arms and legs were tightly wrapped with bandages and there was a healing bruise at her stomach. Brittany blushed and felt a little uneasy at the thought that someone must have stripped her of her clothes to treat her injuries.
The blonde immediately got defensive, covering her exposed torso with the blanket and looking around trying to figure out where she was and how she got here. The last thing she remembered beside her vague dreams was her on the boat facing the storm and that shiny red light at the end just before she passed out.
Brittany analyzed the place she was in; a small cabin as far as she could tell, with little to no furniture and a hearth by the wall that seemed to be used recently. The place didn't look familiar and looking around she didn't like the fact that she couldn't find her Cutlass or her clothes. Brittany tried getting up but her legs were still sore and wobbly, and she didn't want to injure herself further. She then noticed her undergarments were cut shorter and she frowned.
Feeling anxiety rising up at her vulnerable state, she saw an empty shell of a coconut by the bed and took it. Brittany hit the shell against the hard rock surface right beside her bedding until it cracked, choosing the bigger and sharper edge of the shell and hiding under the blanket; at least with this she could still defend herself. Then again, if the person had taken the time to carry Brittany here and treat her wounds, they mustn't be that bad, right? She found herself wondering.
But years of experience in the sea had taught her that she just couldn't trust people, especially strangers. And impressions were most definitely deceiving most of the time.
Brittany was brought out of her musing when she heard a noise coming from outside. She lied back down and firmly clasped the piece of the shell under the sheet just as the door was being opened. The woman pretended she was still unconscious but slowly peeked one eye open.
All she could see was a woman's back as said woman was dragging a heavy bucket inside the cabin. Brittany couldn't help but let out a little sigh of relief. Sure, she wasn't about to underestimate this stranger but if worst came to worst, a woman, especially a small stature woman such as this one, was much easier to overpower than a strong build man.
Still, as this stranger seemed to have cared for her injuries and feed her, Brittany didn't intend on doing her any harm, unless it was absolutely necessary. She seemed harmless enough to Brittany, with her small frame and lean body, accompanied by the fact that she wore commoner's clothes.
"Shit!" Brittany heard coming from the dark haired woman a few meters from her and tried not to jump in surprise. She saw the woman stretch her back and swipe her hand on her forehead as she had finally managed to move the bucket inside, by the hearth.
Brittany realized the girl was now moving towards her and quickly shut her eye again, pretending to continue her sleep. Hearing footsteps approaching, she tightened her grip on the shell on instinct. She felt more than heard the brunette woman crouching beside her and move something near her.
She tensed a bit when the woman seemed to move even closer. Brittany felt a hand hovering over her face and seconds later soft fingertips grazed her cheek. The hand had barely touched her and Brittany felt something, like electricity, she could barely process it before she instinctively opened her eyes. The blonde swiftly grabbed the brunette's wrist, startling the woman above her.
Brittany saw the woman moving her hand to her waist in reflex; probably for some weapon, and immediately stopped her from moving as she menacingly brought the edge of the shell to touch the side of the woman's face with precision. The woman's brown eyes widen at Brittany's movements, certainly not expecting them.
She smirked internally for successfully being able to overpower the other woman even when she wasn't at her best condition. But upon looking at those deep dark eyes, she realized why the woman seemed so familiar before. Her stance slacked and without even thinking Brittany whispered.
"You." Brittany cocked her head to the side, softening her grip on the woman's arm, making the brunette scrunch her face up in confusion and shock.
This was the woman, the dark haired mermaid from her dream, or was it a memory? Brittany couldn't tell anymore. But this was definitely the same woman; she would recognize those penetrating eyes anywhere.
"You saved me." she said, finally releasing the woman's arm and lowering the shell. She didn't know why she did it. This woman could still have an agenda for saving her, but something in her gut told Brittany that she could be trusted.
"Are you a mermaid?" Brittany blurted it out. Her voice still scratchy from sleep and days of unused. Santana didn't know what to say. This girl was definitely intriguing. She was attacking her at one moment and asking weird questions at another.
But by the girl's serious expression, Santana figured she meant it, so she shook her head. The brunette thought she saw the woman looking a tad disappointed though she seemed to quickly recover and ask in the next second. "Then, why did you save me?"
Santana was baffled by the question, to tell the truth, she didn't really know why she had saved the girl. Something in the back of her mind suggested what it might be the reason but she just ignored it once again.
Not knowing how to respond, Santana simply shrugged to the other girl; who seemed to deflate again at her response.
"Wait," Santana paused for a moment, taking in what the woman had said before. "Mermaids don't save people, they kill them."
"What?" The girl looked perplexed, like Santana was the one talking nonsense. "No, that's not what my Mama told me." She protested while shaking her head "They help people that are lost at sea and save people that fall in the ocean." She explained matter-of-factually.
Again, Santana didn't know how to react. She couldn't believe she was actually discussing mermaids with this woman. It was incredible how much innocence this girl had, and for some reason Santana wasn't rolling her eyes at what the blonde was saying, but she found it completely endearing coming from her. She wondered how a person like that could be a pirate, and for a second even pondered the possibility that this girl might not be one, but then remembered how fast she had moved before and how deathly she was with something as simple as a coconut shell. And it just made Santana shudder, wondering with even more curiosity how the woman had come to this kind of life.
Realizing she was probably taking too long to respond and for some reason, she didn't want to upset the young woman in front of her, Santana decided to just nod, and change the subject.
"Here." she said as she turned to the side to get another clean shell and filled it with fresh water, she had just gathered.
Brittany sat up with some difficulty and eyed the shell for a moment with its clear liquid, before deciding to trust the brunette and grabbed it, noticing that as her fingers grazed against tan ones, she felt that weird feeling at the tip of her fingers again. She mumbled a thank you under her breath before greedily emptying the shell. Her throat was feeling dry and scratchy and the water helped sooth the feeling.
Brittany lifted her gaze from the bowl and caught the small woman looking tentatively at her, the brunette quickly avert her gaze with a dark shade of red flushing even her tanned cheeks. Brittany couldn't help but think this woman was absolutely gorgeous; with her darker skin tone, delicate face and plump lips. She was sure someone so beautiful had to have some sort of mystical powers. Before she could stop herself she blurted out another question.
"Are you sure, you are not a mermaid?"
Santana whipped her head back to the strange woman and noticed that now, she was the one staring at the brunette. She had her face scrunched up and her head tilted to the side with inquiring eyes and the only word that went through Santana's mind was adorable. It simply amazed her that this woman could go from suspicious to adorable in a matter of seconds. That was definitely an interesting combination.
Santana found herself giving the blonde a small smile and shook her head "No, I'm sure." she chuckled a bit, before getting the bowl back and setting it aside.
Brittany still stared in wonderment at the other woman, if she was gorgeous before, when she smiled she was just breathtaking. And Brittany immediately wondered what she would look like with an even bigger smile. Even if she wasn't a mystical creature, this woman was definitely something special either way.
While her guest seemed to be deep in thought, Santana decided to give her some space, gathering her things quickly and started walking away. Santana had only taken a few steps when she heard the woman's soft voice again.
"What's your name?"
She stopped mid step and turned around to face the blonde. She hesitated, being a pirate, this woman was out to recognize her if she said her real name. Santana wandered if she should lie to her. But before she could stop herself, her lips were already moving in defiance.
"Santana."
"Santana?" the girl asked for confirmation. And the brunette, being stunned by her own stupidity, just nodded in response.
"I'm Bren-, I mean, I'm Brittany." She stuttered in response, a blush covering her face and ears. The word adorable seemed to cross Santana's mind again as she felt her lips twitching in a small smile. But it did surprise her that Brittany hadn't recognized her yet, maybe she wasn't that famous after all. Instead of being offended as she normally would be, in a way Santana was actually grateful for that.
Santana's smile turned into a smirk as she asked as normally as possible. "I'm guessing Bren is your name as a man?"
"No, actually is Brent. Brent Pierce." The woman immediately replied without even thinking, and her blush intensified as she ducked her head to avoid eye contact, after processing what she had just shared.
Seeing the girl's embarrassment, Santana's voice turned soft as she inquired "Why do you dress as a man, Brittany?"
Brittany just continued looking downwards, clearly embarrassed. She wasn't sure if she even had her voice anymore, plus the fact that Santana called her by her name set her stomach to fluttering unaccountably.
"I-I… " Brittany stammered but couldn't get the words out and just stared even harder at her own lap.
"Nevermind." Santana interrupted, waving her off and taking a few steps towards the woman. "And I won't tell 'bout you."
"What?" Brittany lifted her gaze with a perplexed expression and couldn't help but stare into soothing brown eyes.
"You don't have to tell me." The smaller girl without even realizing flashed the blonde a warm smile. "I'm sure you had your reasons."
Brittany went to say something but Santana continued, interrupting her again
"You should get some more rest." she said moving towards the cabin's door, and turning back to add with a small smile, before she stepped out "I should be back with supper in a while."
The blonde breathed out in relief as she lied back down on the makeshift bed. She wished the woman had stayed longer but she was grateful for some time to gather her thoughts. The brunette seemed so kind to her and she had no reason to. Santana, she remembered the name with a smile. Santana even promised to not reveal Brittany's secret to anyone else. It all seemed too good to be true, especially given everything Brittany's been through lately. She was also very grateful that Santana hadn't asked how she got her injuries, which brought her thoughts back to the reason she was here in the first place.
Brittany had always gotten a weird vibe from Sam, and she knew he and his goons weren't nice people, but she never thought they would go that far especially with someone from their own crew; she had lost all respect for those men. She may not have many friends aboard, but she was sure, at least most of them didn't have anything against her. She wondered if anyone had missed her yet. Or would they have believed Sam's lies? Puck sure wouldn't buy any of it and she didn't think Kurt would either. Thinking about her dear friends, she let sleep take over once again.
Brittany woke up next, to the wonderful smell of fried fish. The smell so familiar, yet so distant in her memories like from a previous life; it used to be Lord Tubbington favorite dish many years ago. She opened her eyes and noticed the dimmer light coming from the hearth. Realizing the sun must already have set.
She sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, feeling less sore than before. But she did notice the bandages in her arms seemed fresh. Brittany covered her upper body with the sheet, feeling a bit self-conscious just as Santana's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Ye're awake." She said before clearing her throat. "You're awake." Santana repeated as she approached the bed with some banana leafs on her hands. Brittany just nodded, while looking at her own hands.
"Here." Santana laid the banana leafs on the floor by the bed and opened the leaves to reveal four crispy fried fish. "Supper is ready." Brittany's mouth watered just looking at them. "I thought you could use eating something solid."
Brittany just mumbled a thank you and waited for Santana to pass two of the fish to her. As soon as she did, the brunette got up, seeming to have forgotten something and walked towards the hearth and picked up two shells and filled them in the bucket with clean water.
She got back by Brittany's bed side and handed the shell to her, and the blonde took a sip and nodded in appreciation for the gesture.
A silence felt upon them as they munched on the fish. Brittany noticed the fish tasted pretty good, and she wondered how Santana had done that, there wasn't any pantry with spices in sight as far as she could tell. The last time Brittany tried helping in the Galley, Matt the head cooker, had gotten mad at her for burning the whole pot of oatmeal; since then she had been banned from the kitchen area and was only allowed to help with the servings.
Looking around as she ate the crispy fish, she noticed there wasn't much around at all. The cabin looked almost abandoned aside from the hearth, her bed and Santana's, which she had just noticed now a few paces from her own. She questioned if Santana really lived here.
Something at the back wall caught her eye though, squinting a bit, she saw an old chest. She wondered what was inside and if it was Santana's. She pondered if she should ask or not, she didn't want to overstep any boundaries with her kind host.
Brittany looked back at her companion and found the woman staring at her. She didn't know what to do so she settled for starting a conversation. "D-did I sleep too much?"
Santana shook her head as she had just taken a bite of her fish, and after a few chews responded "Don't worry, your body needs rest."
Another silence fell, with only the crackling of the fire filling the room. Until Brittany got the courage to ask another question.
"How long have I been here?"
"It's been about two days, since I found you," Santana supplied as she took a sip of water.
"Do you know how long you'd been wandering on that dinghy?" Santana asked back, lifting her gaze from her fish to meet with blue eyes.
Brittany just shook her head with a frown. "I just remember the storm," she muttered, as she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to recall what had happened. Her memories all felt like a dream and it was difficult setting them apart from reality, but one thing she did remember.
"A big storm, and then I remember seeing a red light in the sky…" she thought for another moment scrunching her face up before finishing "…and that's it."
Santana immediately stiffen at the statement. She felt a crease forming between her brows. Great, she thought to herself. Just when she thought it might have been a coincidence. Just, great. She didn't believe in fate; she didn't want to believe in fate. Once again she shoved all her memories and new found feelings to the back of her mind.
Brittany noticed Santana's posture change as soon as she stopped talking and wondered if she had said something wrong. She didn't want to upset her host, but she could already see a frown on Santana's face so she changed the subject.
"The fish was good," Brittany said as she crewed on her last bite and gave the woman a beaming smile.
Seeing such a bright smile, Santana couldn't help but allow a smile of her own to form, even if it was a small one. And she gave the woman a nod before standing up and picking up the leafs and shells on the floor.
Getting to the hearth and throwing the leaves and fish spines on the fire, that angelic voice filled the room again.
"Why did you help me?" Glancing up over her shoulder Santana looked at the blonde, noticing she looked more serious than before.
Santana released a sigh and moved to her new uncomfortable bed, if you call it that. "I had my reasons." She whispered but she knew Brittany had heard her; the beds weren't far from each other.
Both women lied down and settled for sleep. Brittany could already feel her body aching and asking for more rest. Santana lied on the hard floor covered by a single blanket, before covering herself with a thin sheet, facing away from her companion.
"Santana…" Brittany whispered after a few minutes of silence. She had wanted to say something and finally had the courage.
Brittany's voice sounded amazing saying her name, Santana couldn't help but think. She wondered if she should answer or not, maybe she should just pretend to be asleep and she wouldn't have to. But the brunette rolled her eyes at herself when she found herself humming a response in the next second, it's like she couldn't even control her body.
Brittany thought about all the things she would like to tell this girl and all the things on her mind, but for now she settled for a whispered, "Thank you."
Santana made a noise of acknowledgement trying to feign indifference but she couldn't deny the huge smile that appeared on her face at the sheer sincerity in Brittany's voice and she thanked the darkness and her position that Brittany wouldn't be able to see it.
"Good Night, Santana" she heard from behind and with a content sigh she drifted off into a peaceful slumber.
Ahem...hello there people!
I have been looking for a beta for this story for a long time now but that didn't go very well. And I hadn't realized how long it's been so I'm sorry about that. It totally slipped my mind, so I wanna thank the lovely thisisbrittana for reminding me and getting me to write/edit this chapter for you guys. I'm still not sure, but I hope you like it, if anyone here is still interested. Please let me know what you think.
As you might imagine, all mistakes are totally mine.
Ducks