Today was my first day at what might be a super new job...so being in a good mood and very exhausted from 2 hours of sleep (which contained horrible nightmares about said first day at job) (which didn't come true) (which makes today all the more super awesome) I thought I would post up this chapter for you to read and enjoy (hopefully). *I do not own Skins or Skins characters*

Chapter Twenty Two: Blow the Man Down

"Well gimps, you're a pretty sight!" Cook groaned as he rolled over to face the injured man who had cut him loose. "Do I know you?"

"No," Freddie answered, leaning forward to put pressure on the gushing wound in his leg.

"It's all gone to hell here hasn't it?" the sandy haired boy stated with a nod back to the beach. "Looks like you've been thought hell before though…you sure we haven't met?"

"We've never been properly introduced," the dark haired man answered. "I think we've been in the same places at the same time. Now can you help me?"

Mr. Cook sat up and looked around nervously, searching for any sign of Naomi or Emily, sending up a sinners prayer that he wouldn't see their bodies crumpled against the sand. Freddie winced in pain as he positioned his leg; he looked to the scraggy pirate in front of him and followed his gaze down the shore.

"They aren't there; I don't know which ones you are looking for, but they both headed up this way before the worst of it started," the dark haired man assured him. "So they are alive."

The blonde man shot him a grateful look. "Well let's get you taken care of then."

He managed to get his legs under him and stand up, reveling in both the pain and pleasure of finally moving his limbs again. Cook walked around and stuck his arms under Freddie's shoulders and began to drag him back, finally resting him against the trunk of a tree, and returned to the grass to collect the ropes he had been cut free of. He searched the ground for something to make a splint with and came back with a couple pieces of driftwood. He pulled off his shirt, placed it long ways under the injured leg, and offered a relatively clean section of rope to the dark haired boy, who paced it between his teeth as the scraggy man straightened the damaged leg. His dark blue eyes locked with the other boy's for a moment and Freddie nodded; there was a sickening crunch as Cook forced the bone back into place. The injured man's dark brown eye's rolled back in his head for a moment as he began to pass out; the pirate wrapped the wound and tied the splints in place before striking him hard across the face.

"Oi! No time for sleeping now mate!" the blonde yelled. "So that's it…we're even, yeah?"

"Not quite yet…" Freddie panted. "Stonem went that way…" He groaned, nodding his head to the left. "Campbell…that…" He pointed right. "I guess that makes up for me letting them take you back at port…"

"Right-o…" Cook said, stooping down to pick up the other man's knife. "…I'll bring it back…" he promised as he rushed off into the jungle.


"Fuck its cold." Katie gasped as she stepped back into the water.

"Careful, use the pole." Captain Campbell reminded.

"I have it…I'm not stupid you know…" The redhead huffed.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" The blonde laughed nervously as she began probing the water once again.

"So what happens when we find this wondrous treasure? We're still locked in here," the girl asked.

"Then we look for another way out," the captain answered.

"If there was another way out…wouldn't you have found when…oh I don't know. When you were trying to find a safer way in?" Katie questioned.

They were only a few feet into the tunnel marked with a swan and the walls were becoming narrow; Naomi spun around, frustration warming her face, and stared down the redhead.

"Then we'll hope that enough of my men survive and come looking for us," she spat.

"You don't have all the answers and you know it, so don't fucking yell at me for pointing it out!" the redhead said.

Captain Campbell smacked the stone wall of the tunnel with her bandaged hand and yelled, "Jesus…I just want to get out of here and away from you! You couldn't just leave us alone!"

"You stole my sister!" Katherine yelled back. "You took her and you turned her against me and turned her into a…"

"…a what? A fucking what?" The blonde sneered. "Now that we're on the subject, let's talk about you and Stonem…"

"I don't have to explain anything to someone like you!" she yelled back, her face turning red as she locked eyes defiantly with the captain. "You're nothing and no body; you're just a filthy, thieving, useless slag! My poor sister is just stupid enough to fall for you out of pity! She was always a bit off, everyone knew it; I had to work so hard just to push her to be normal, so that someday she might snap out of it and actually be something…"

Captain Campbell had heard enough; her palm smacked hard across the redheads face, the sound of the slap reverberated against the rocks walls.

"She is something! She's everything! She's perfect…" the blonde bellowed, "…and if your entire bloody family is too thick to see that then I don't want to have anything to do with your so called high class!"

The captain made a grab for the torch and Katie took several steps back.

"Hand it over…" Naomi growled.

Katherine shook her head wildly, suddenly terrified the captain would leave her there alone in the dark, her face still stinging and tears threatening to come.

"I said give me the torch," the blonde snapped, grabbing the base just above the other girl's hand.

They struggled, neither of them willing to let go; Katie dropped the rod and grasped the torch with her other hand. She pulled back hard and the next thing she knew she was under water, she broke the surface of the icy pool gasping and screaming, thinking for a moment that she had stepped into one of the snares. She heard splashing sounds ahead of her and then Naomi's coarse curses as she came up out of the water as well. They both flailed for a moment as their eyes began to adjust in the darkness; the captain had managed to keep hold of her rod while underwater and steadied herself against it as she stood back up.

"Katie…" she called, putting her hand out in front of her.

"I'm here…I can't move…I don't have my rod…" the girl whimpered an answer.

"Whose fault is that?" Naomi sighed as she felt her way forward in the direction of the other girl's voice.

"I can see light…" Katie said.

"It must be from the bonfire," the captain mused. "At least we will be able to find our way back."

The blonde's hand grazed the redhead's arm and Katie latched on tightly, pulling herself close, shivering in the dark. "I thought you might just leave me here…"

"Tempting…but no…Emily loves you…if you deserve it or not…so I can't leave you in here to die…" Captain Campbell explained. "So guess we have more in common than we thought."

Emily's sister whimpered as the girl with the rod guided them forward, toward the light. When they passed through the natural archway, it wasn't the room they were expecting; there was no bright bonfire, just a beam of natural light shining down from an opening far above them. They gasped as they gazed at a large pile of crates and barrels on a sandy mound against the opposite wall.

"How did you never find that?" Katie asked, pointing at the small hole in the ceiling.

"I wasn't looking for an entrance on the mountain…" Naomi laughed. "It's too small to climb through…even if we could reach it…"

"You really love her…" The redhead sighed.

Naomi turned her head back down and met the other girl's gaze. "More than anything."

Katherine Fitch sighed as she shrugged. "Fine…let's grab some treasure and get you back to her then."


Emily followed close behind Captain Stonem as they made their way through the jungle; there were loud crashes coming from the direction of the beach and they both knew the ships were firing their cannons. The redhead wondered how badly damaged the Lament would be by time it came into view. She was still sniffling back tears as the crept through the dense foliage.

The wild girl stopped and stuck out her arm to stop the other girl as well.

"What?" Emily whispered.

"Ssshhh…hear that?" Effy asked.

"I don't hear anything…" she answered, straining her ears for any out of place sound.

Then she heard it—rushing footsteps, crashing towards them. Captain Stonem crouched down and pulled her pistol out of its holster, aiming it in front of her at the sound of the running. When the man burst into sight, she squeezed the trigger, but nothing happened; she swore and shook the gun as he bared down on her with his knife held high.

"Cook! Stop!" Emily screamed.

His head shot up at the sound of her husky voice, utter confusion written across his face, as he stared at the redhead. Captain Stonem took the opportunity to kick him squarely in the chest, knocking him back a few steps.

"Effy!" The redhead screamed again. "No!"

Cook swung with the small blade and the brunette dodged; his other arm came around and hit her hard in the jaw.

"Stop it!" the girl shrieked. "Fuck…just stop it!"

The pirate aimed, bellowed, and lunged for the scraggly man, who sidestepped and caught her around the waist; he swung her around and pinned her against his chest, holding the blade against her throat.

"Cook…Cook…please don't…please…" Emily begged, her hands held out towards him.

"Why? Look what she's done!" Cook seethed. "She's been trying to kill us…you want her to take you away now?"

"Cook…it's different now…we need her…" the redhead continued to plead. "Shit, Cook, what happened to you?"

"She happened to me, didn't she; her and her crew…and your sister…but at least that I had it coming…" the sandy haired man answered.

"Come now Cookie…don't hold a grudge…" Captain Stonem purred as she pressed back against him. "Alls forgiven…I'm on your side now…"

"Oh right!" he spat in her ear, not taking his eyes off Emily. "Don't know what pretty lies she's fed you…but she's a black heart…she'll gut us the minute our backs are turned, Ems…"

"No she won't…" the girl insisted.

"And why's that?" Cook questioned, tightening his grip on the brunette, and applying a little more pressure with the blade of the knife when he felt her squirm against him.

"Because Naomi has my sister," she answered, unaware of how confusing that would sound.

Effy gave her a cold glare and the redhead shrugged at her and made a face that meant oh that's what you are afraid of right now and rolled her eyes.

"She's in love with my sister," Emily added, for explanation.

"Tattle tale…" the brunette grumbled. "…I'll never confess anything to you on the brink of death again…"

"Ah…" the blonde man said uncertainly. "Really? Christ, that's a shame…"

He withdrew the blade and pushed the wild girl away from him; Effy turned, a cocky smile playing across her face, and was met with another swift punch from the shirtless pirate.

"Ah well then…as you say Effy…all's forgiven." He beamed.

"Cook!" Emily gasped, giving him a hateful look.

"Aw…Ems…look at me…they mussed all my pretty face up…" He chuckled, faking an apologetic look.

"I'm fine…he hits like a girl anyway…" Captain Stonem moaned as she rubbed her jaw, her eyes watering a little but no tears falling.

"Oi! It's a fucking girl what broke my bloody nose…" the blonde protested, "…has your sister always had a temper like that?"

"Yes," both girls answered.


Freddie stared down the beach; the Bloody Whore was still firing its cannons, despite the fact that there was no one left alive to fire upon any longer. All the men he had sailed with for the past few months were gone. In truth, the men who had been placed under his command had resented him; they were professional naval sailors and he was some merchant's pet crewman who was only there, in their opinion, to molly coddle some runaway once she was found. They had argued, sneered, and second guessed him at ever turn, but as he gazed at the destruction in front of him, he mourned their loss deeply, guilt swelling over him for every man and every family whose house was a little more empty now. He counted himself lucky that there was only his sister to mourn him if he didn't return, taking comfort in the fact that she had a family and was well cared for. He considered that if the few pirates left on the shore ignored him, or didn't realize he was still alive, he might at least see Katie and Emily—he may yet have a chance to know if they were alive and unharmed. Maybe he would have the chance to tell Miss Katherine Veronique Fitch that the little boy from the stables had never really gotten over her. Nothing would come of it, but at least it would be closure. The ship had ceased firing and longboats were being lowered; he closed his dark eyes, knowing he wouldn't be suffering the pain of guilt or wounds for much longer, and waited for them to reach the island and find him.

Once again I was going to wait longer to post but today just seems to be a good day and I wanted to test my luck out here. LOL All reviews are welcome and make me happy.