This is so overdue it's embarrassing. I am so sorry for the wait! I have just been mentally busy but I will try update faster.

*usual disclaimer*

Thank you for all the lovely reviews! Keep at it because that's where the motivation comes from! Enjoy!

"De Marques…"

Lúcia stirred in her hammock fitfully.

"De Marques. DE MARQUES!"

Lúcia awoke with a start and for the second time in as many days found herself in an ungraceful heap on the cabin floor. Moodily she looked up and recognized the red headed pirate laughing hysterically at her as a member of the crew. She was beginning to really hate that hammock. Summoning as much dignity as she could she picked herself up glaring pointedly at him as he calmed himself down. Eventually he gained his breath back enough to address her in what she recognized as an Irish brogue.

"You are wanted by the Quartermaster on the starboard side of lower deck in ten minutes. I use the term 'wanted' loosely, demanded that you be there is more how it was.

With a final grin he made his leave from the cabin. Lúcia quickly pulled herself together, drank some water then used a strip of the remaining fabric as a headscarf to hold her, now completely unruly, hair back before running down to lower deck, ignoring the aching kinks in her neck and back. There she sought out McGregor who was leaning against the wooden railing nonchalantly.

"Nine minutes Miss De Marques. You do like to take risks don't you? Another sixty seconds and I'd have had to give you a dunking as punishment for laziness and subversion!"

Unsure as to whether he was joking or not she gave him a cautious smile.

"Don't you look at me like that Missy. The Captain tells me you want to be 'useful' and the way I see it working on this ship makes you a part of the crew therefore it only be fitting that you are treated like a part of the crew!"

He turned and walked slowly down the deck. Recovering from her mild dumbstruck reaction she hurriedly followed him.

"So… what is it exactly I am to do?"

McGregor came to a sudden stop then looked upwards.

"JOSOA!"

For a moment nothing happened then without warning a rope dropped from the rigging above and a figure slid down it landing with surprising grace on the deck in front of them. The man was without a doubt one of the most curious individuals she had ever seen. Completely barefoot and of shorter than average height, his dark skin was matched by the deep brown of his eyes and black, intricately braided hair stuck out at all angles held back only by a richly embroidered bandana. A black tunic covered his torso but his heavily tattooed arms were exposed to the elements and though he was not brawny the muscle definition was evident to see. Baggy, tattered green breeches hung down to his calves where they were drawn tight by cords and a leather band adorned with various knives and pouches was slung across his chest and over one shoulder.

"Girl this is Josoa, the Boatswain of the Misty Lady"

Josoa stared at her suspiciously with intelligent eyes as Lúcia attempted a careful smile.

"It has come to the attention of the captain that Lúcia here wants to see more of the ship. She is however under duress to make herself useful for the duration of her voyage so as of this moment she is assigned as your subordinate."

He turned to Lúcia.

"If you want to make yourself useful on a pirate ship then you need to know the ship itself. Isn't that right Josoa?"

Josoa looked as though he was about to protest before buckling slightly under McGregor's steely gaze and nodding in acceptance.

"So it be"

Lucia noted that his speech was heavily accented with an inflection she was sure she had never before heard; it was almost musical. Apparently satisfied with Josoa's response McGregor wordlessly turned and marched away. Josoa shook his head then began to circle her in appraisal.

"You are small. This is a good thing. You sew dis shirt yourself?"

"Y… yes. Last night."

"De crew sayin' you saved the captain?"

"Well…"

"Or you bewitch him…."

"NO!"

"Dey do not want a woman on board…"

"Look will you please stop doing that?! And it's Lúcia."

Josoa stopped circling and flashed her a toothy grin. Gold teeth glinted in the sunshine.

"I no listen to such talk. I'm spendin' de most of me time in the riggings and the holds but I see what most do not. De captain, he intrigues you Miss Lúcia…"

"He's a pirate…"

"So am I. And so are you though it seems you do not know it yet."

He stared at her thoughtfully for a moment as she stood speechless.

"But you can sew and mend and you have de body for climbing."

Suddenly he grinned wickedly.

"Follow me Miss Lúcia and we will see how good an apprentice you be makin'!"

He swung himself round the mast and with astonishing speed and agility began to climb the rigging. Lúcia looked up and swallowed. It was very high…

Come on girl you climbed a Jacob's Ladder in front of Teague! If anything this should be easier!

She gritted her teeth, got a firm grip on the rope and slowly began her ascent. The wind was particularly strong that morning and the ropes swayed worryingly beneath her as her footholds slid around under her soft leather soles; she could see why Josoa chose to go barefoot! Though she was progressively getting higher the crow's nest still seemed impossibly far up.

McGregor could be watching, TEAGUE could be watching. You can do this Lúcia…

She clutched tighter at the rigging and climbed with determination. After what felt like an age she finally reached the crow's nest where strong, tattooed arms reached down and hauled her the remaining few feet. Her knees gave way a little as she slumped down onto the solid base of the lookout; she could swear she could hear McGregor laughing below. Looking up she noticed that Josoa was eying her with an expression of amusement and, could it be, approval. She smiled weakly in return.

Josoa's eyes sparkled with laughter.

"You need to climb swift girl, but you made it to de top and that is a start!"

He extended his hand to her which, after a slight hesitation, she took hold of and was promptly hauled to her feet. As her eyes adjusted to the glaring morning sunshine she allowed herself for the first time a proper look at the view; either side of the ship the azure ocean stretched for miles and miles. It was absolutely breath-taking.

"De climb is worth it no?"

Lúcia nodded expressively.

"Now Miss Lúcia. What do ye know about boats?"

As the day went on it became apparent to her that Josoa knew absolutely everything there was to know about boats; from the knots in the rigging to the barnacles on the hull. Impossibly strong and unbelievably agile he was responsible for the maintenance and repairs to the Misty Lady as well as the supply stores therefore knew every inch of her inside and out. As he flooded Lúcia with a wealth of information she did her best to follow and retain it which was no easy feat as Josoa was as difficult to keep up with physically as he was to keep up with mentally. After four hours of constant climbing, scaling, swinging, crawling and hauling she was feeling completely beaten as she leant against the mast for support.

It's funny though that even though I am exhausted I don't think I have ever felt this invigorated!

Josoa interrupted her musings as he landed in front of her with a light clunking noise.

"I must make me report to de Captain now. There is food in your cabin… and I bet you be wantin' to sit down no?"

He flashed her a gold-glinted, knowing grin as she tried her best not to crumple with relief in front of him and headed back towards her cabin gratefully.

"Oh and Miss Lúcia?"

She turned, surprised, back to Josoa whose grin widened even further.

"You climb good."

Teague triple checked his coordinates as he waited for Josoa to make his daily report regarding the state of the Misty Lady. Presently he heard an energetic knock on his cabin door.

"Enter"

Josoa came springing through the door as expected with a wide grin on his face. Teague groaned inwardly as he recognized the extra zeal in the Madagascan man's step and demeanour; he had hoped that subjecting Lúcia to a day of physical tasks would put her off life on board the Misty Lady and irritate one of the most respected members of his crew thus strengthening the hostility against her. However, judging by the boatswain's mood, his plan had somewhat backfired.

"What have you to report Josoa?"

Josoa smiled somewhat excitedly.

"De girl has some salt about her! She climb all day follow me all about de ship up and down, keepin' up good. She very agile!"

"I meant the ship's report Josoa!" Lúcia's agility was really not something he needed to hear about in detail…

"Oh. Yes. We be needin' some fresh rope from de next port for sure Captain and de lower decks need some work to stop de wood splittin'. I work on this today with two more yes?"

"Yes, fine. Take Franco and the girl."

Josoa smiled wickedly.

"De girl is strong Captain. She light too and learn fast. She make a good member of dis crew!"

"She is NOT a member of this crew Josoa she is simply earning her keep."

"She earned it good dis morning!"

"Glad to hear it. If you have nothing else to report then send McGregor in on your way out."

"Sure Captain. De girl has nice legs too no?"

"OUT Josoa."

Josoa laughed astutely and darted back out of the cabin. Teague knocked his head against the table with a dull thunk.

Lúcia lay flat across the wooden floor of her cabin. Never in her life had her muscles ached so much as they did in that very moment. She had tried to settle into that blasted hammock but after only a few minutes of discomfort she gave up on that situation entirely and had lowered herself onto the sweet, open relief of the deck. She groaned lightly as the breeze blew through the ajar cabin door tauntingly circulating the baking air of the cabin instead of bringing the coolness she desired. Not that she would ever give Teague the satisfaction of knowing that she was in slight discomfort… she snorted.

Si, if you by 'slight discomfort' you mean that you feel as though you were trampled by a bull…

Another wave of boiling air blew around the cabin. Defeated, she mustered all of her remaining energy and hauled herself to her feet with a sharp inhale of breath. Slowly exhaling she forced her legs to walk slowly out of the cabin. The mild sea breeze hit her like the breath of an angel and for a moment she was unable to do anything but revel in the relative coolness it brought. As reality returned to her she became aware of a sound… no, not a sound, a beautiful, all-encompassing and complex piece of music. With a mind of their own her legs carried her towards the direction the beautiful melody was coming from. As it grew louder she became aware that a figure was leaning along the masthead playing some form of intricate instrument. A chill swept down her body as she suddenly and painfully became all too aware who the figure was.

Teague.

She threw herself behind the mast and let out a sharp moan as the sudden movement sent a spasm of pain through her limbs. The music stopped suddenly. Mustering all her courage, aided by the fact that she was hidden in the shadow of the great mast, she held her breath and slowly peered round to see Teague scanning the deck with narrowed eyes. The moonlight highlighted the regal structure of his cheekbones and the deep set of his eyes and Lúcia found herself unable to look away as he slowly relaxed and began again to move his sculpted, rough fingers across the strings of the instrument with unbelievable complexity.

Coming to her senses, Lúcia began to creep slowly back to the cabin telling herself that the hot flush she felt was simply due to the weather and the pain in her limbs. Unbeknownst to her dark, twinkling eyes watched her from the rigging above.

She had been in her cabin no more than ten minutes and was mentally preparing herself for the torture of the hammock when she heard a soft, melodic series of knocks on her door. She cautiously opened it before visibly relaxing when she realized that it was Josoa who treated her to an intelligent grin.

"My intuition tellin' me dat you be achin' a bit yes?"

"Oh, a little maybe…"

Josoa's grin widened impossibly.

"A little only? I suppose you don't be needin' dis den?"

He held out a small wooden container.

"I was thinkin' you might need some of dis soothin' balm from Josoa's home but…." He laughed at her panicked expression and handed her the tub. She smiled gratefully.

"Josoa you may be my favourite person upon this ship…"

"Oh I am not so sure about dat… You seem to be likin' the captain's music well enough"

He flashes her a final grin and chuckled at her fraught expression,

"Don't you worry Lúcia. Josoa won't say a word…"

And before she could recover her wits he bounded off into the night. Lúcia shook her head and lifted the lid of the container. A spicy, herbal smell rose from it and she experimentally ran her finger through the balm before massaging some into her shoulder. Slowly she felt relief spread through the joint. Her face melted into a smile and she made a mental note to make something amazing for Josoa before her time on the ship was up.

Thoughts?