(A/N: Thought I would include a brief repetition from the previous chapter if, like me, you forgot where I left off...)

"Oh! Where are my manners? Miss Isles, meet the Dirty Robber's better half: my co-captain, Barold Frost."

"Not...Frostbite?" Maura asked, as he swept into a deep bow.

"The very same," he said, appearing glad to be recognized. "Now how about that food, Miss?" When Maura demurely declined, he said, "Well, then! It is getting rather late. May I suggest you and Clem get some rest? No doubt it has been an exhausting evening for you both." He walked past Jane to whisper in her ear, "You may thank me later if the night concludes with a more entertaining sort of exhaustion."

(She tripped him before he could fully walk away.)

"I actually do think I would like to rest, if that would be all right," Maura sighed. "I feel incredibly weary."

"Of course," Jane said. She snapped her feet together and with a stiff half-bow, offered her arm to Maura. The blonde smilingly took it, and found herself being led past the crew pulling anchor, past more dogs than she could count, and past the woman Jane had addressed as Holiday, standing at the helm and nodding at Jane as she passed. "We are a bit of a motley crew, I suppose," Jane said, opening the door to her cabin.

Maura stopped to smile at her before going in. "I find the diversity refreshing." When Jane followed her inside and lit a candle, Maura gasped softly at the luxury she could make out.

"You are surprised," Jane observed with a small laugh.

"It is all very fine," Maura said, taking the candle to explore the space a little more. The walls were decorated with beautifully detailed maps and what appeared to be Persian rugs; the bed's headboard appeared to be made of brass. "Very fine indeed," she murmured, running her hand along the softest blanket she had ever felt.

"Yes, well." Maura turned and the candlelight was thrown back on Jane, whose hands were clasped behind her back as she grinned in satisfaction. "Despite the rank life saw fit to give me, I have always liked the finer things in life."

"Oh? Is that why you like me so much?" Maura teased her, as Jane walked around her to hang up her coat.

The pleased look on Jane's face had been replaced by one of solemnity as she turned to gently take Maura's face in her hands. "In all my years at sea, I have been seen some of the world's greatest and most renowned earthly treasures. I have seen men lose themselves over gold, rubies, and silver. But there is not a single treasure in all that time which has tempted me more than the thought of being reunited with you."

Maura blushingly adverted her gaze, which is when she noticed a series of notches in the wood by the bed's headboard. Seventeen, to be precise. "Well, I see you found ways to occupy your time!" she said, pulling away from Jane and gesturing to her discovery. "You told me one or two!"

"What?" Jane asked, looking completely baffled.

"One or two amorous returns for your bravery! How many others-how many men or women-have you brought to this bed?! And to mark the amount, like some sort of contest! How many other knees did you make buckle with similar talk of peerless treasure?"

"Does the number matter to you?" Jane asked. "And please, before you answer, consider the reasons why. Could I possibly interpret this as jealousy?"

The number wasn't an issue, not really. The presentation seemed classless. Maura felt as though the cabin were starting to spin as her mind tried to find an explanation for her shifts in mood. "You kissed me," Maura finally blurted out. "Why did you never speak of it in any of your letters?"

"You kissed me back, milady."

"Yes, but- you initiated it! I was very confused!" Maura sputtered.

"When you did not mention it, I worried I had offended you and I did not want to risk upsetting you again. After all, you were promised to Fairfield." Jane sighed heavily, running a hand through a mess of curls. "And still that did not stop me at the time. Perhaps I never mentioned that kiss in our correspondence. But my love for you was poured into every word of every letter I ever sent you, Maura. Look." She carefully took the candle from Maura's hand, bringing it closer to the wall of the cabin and moving it along. Dozens of notches had been carved into the wood, some clearly covered by the maps and rugs. "If these each indicated a conquest, I would surely have died from one of those 'social diseases,' as you so delicately put it, long ago!" she laughed as Maura realized the notches easily numbered in the hundreds.

"What do they signify, then? Days at sea? That hardly seems a worthy reason to ruin such lovely wood."

Jane paused before answering, looking a tad embarrassed. "They indicate how many days had passed since I had last seen you. This cabin is my sanctuary. I ran out of books to read some time ago, and never replenished my library. Every night, I read at least one of your old letters for a bedtime story, of sorts. They bring me such calm and comfort, thinking of home. Remembering your sweet spirit, and the warmth of your friendship. Writing to you and reading your words in response has sustained me through some of my most troubling times." Her words trailed off, slipping completely from her mind as Maura stepped closer, a quietly determined look on her face. Jane's breath hitched before she said, "Maura? I consider you my dearest friend."

"The feeling is mutual," Maura said. "Now...have you any water, by chance?"

"Are you thirsty? I must warn you, it is not advisable to drink any of the water currently aboard the ship. Some ale, perhaps?"

"No," Maura laughed. "I mean, water to clean yourself with. I think I would like very much to kiss you again, but now that time is a little less of the essence, I think I would prefer it if you were a little...cleaner?"

Maura never thought she would see a pirate blush, but she could swear she saw red starting to tint Jane's cheeks as she hurried over to a table at the opposite end of the room. After depositing the candle in a holder over the desk, she uncorked a very dusty bottle, pouring a little of the water into a small wooden bowl. She pulled a red cloth from a hook over the desk, then felt Maura's hand at her wrist.

Maura's voice was soft: "Sit, Jane. Let me."

With a light push to her shoulder, Jane found herself seated in the cabin's sole chair. Maura dipped the cloth into the water, wrung it out, then decided to first attack the black streak of powder on Jane's forehead. It was stubborn, and she scrubbed as hard as if she working on a wooden surface and not in fact a person; Jane couldn't help wincing a little bit. Maura was relentless in her work, telling Jane as she did so how important cleanliness was to personal health, to the work of a medic. Now and then Jane made some sort of humming noise to indicate she agreed (or at least heard and understood). When Maura paused to decide where to strike next, she realized Jane's gaze was locked on her face. Her eyes were warm, so full of adoration and admiration. A smile overtook Maura's frown of concentration as she wiped away some ash from Jane's cheek.

The boat shifted suddenly, and Maura found herself tripping into Jane's lap.

"Well, hello!" Jane laughed. "It seems we have finally cast off, and that you have yet to acquire a pair of sea legs."

"So it would seem," Maura agreed.

The positioning was a tad awkward, but rather than stand up again, she twisted around to dip the cloth back in the water again. She loved the feeling of Jane's arms around her. It felt so comfortable and secure, so natural. But after a few moments, she realized it might not be so terribly comfortable for Jane. She paused her cleaning to ask, "Is this all right?"

"This is perfect."

Maura resisted the urge to kiss her for saying it, wanting to wait until her work was complete before indulging herself. She bit her lip and took the cloth to Jane's chin. "May I ask something? Am I right in understanding that Frostbite wants me to stay in this cabin?"

"That was what we had figured on, yes," Jane said. "Aside from his quarters, they are the nicest on the ship. I shall of course be staying elsewhere."

"What? Why?"

Jane's eyebrows rose in light surprise. "For the sake of propriety, of course! Or at least for your own comfort. I find sleeping on deck can be quite soothing; I shall be fine there."

"On deck? That hardly sounds appealing, let alone soothing."

"Oh, you would be surprised," Jane said. "The ocean air, the stars shining brightly in the sky like pearls, the sound of the water lapping against the boat. A beautiful symphony of sights and sounds, coming together. You feel somehow all alone in the world, and yet also a part of something great and grand that you have yet to fully comprehend."

"You do make it all sound rather lovely," Maura admitted. "Perhaps sometime I shall have you to join you out there on deck."

"I would like that very much," Jane said with a smile.

Maura folded the cloth and placed it back on the desk next to the bowl. "But after the exhaustion and confusion of tonight, I think I would be better suited to a night of sleep in an actual bed - which is so kind of you to offer me. It is too kind, really; I fear I could not take you up on it unless you were to join me in that comfort as well."

Jane's grip around Maura tightened slightly. "I would like that even more."

"Would you?" Maura asked with a teasing grin. She traced her finger from Jane's forehead down her cheek, resting at her jawline. "Tell me how much."

"Actions speak louder than words, milady." With that Jane swiftly got to her feet, effortlessly sweeping Maura into her arms. So intent on pulling off the cavalier action, Jane had forgotten the injury on her arm. It didn't hurt too much (especially in relation to the rowing), but all the same she was glad it just took a few strides to reach the bed, whereon Maura was deposited. "Are you going to sleep with that cloak about you?" Jane asked, somewhat facetiously.

Suddenly feeling a bit shy, Maura said, "No...I thought I would remove it once the candle was snuffed. I was in bed before all the fighting roused me out of my sleep earlier this evening, if you recall."

It then dawned on her that they had departed so quickly from her home, she had no clothes with her besides the ones on her back. Jane perceptively picked up on this concern and said, "Do not worry about your wardrobe aboard the Dirty Robber, Miss Isles. We have been given some of the finest clothes on God's green earth as gifts of gratitude, and I am certain they would suit none better than you. We would wear them ourselves if we were not so often engaged in behavior which is not, shall we say, befitting such grandness," she added with a laugh.

"And what do you wear to bed?" Maura asked quietly.

Jane's smile softened a bit. "Not much, to be honest. But if that makes you anxious, I can wear some more-"

"No," Maura said, breathless. "Do not feel the need to accommodate me." When Jane started to unbuckle her belt, Maura shut her eyes and said, "Just... do you think you could put out that candle, first?"

Smiling at Maura's sudden onset of modesty, Jane chuckled. "Certainly."

She walked back over to the desk and blew out the candle, immersing the cabin in darkness. Maura's heart pounded loud in her ears as she heard Jane continue unbuckling the belt; she removed her own cloak, but the rustling fabric did little to smother the (nerve-wracking? Exciting? Oddly intoxicating) sound of Jane undressing. Maura folded the cloak as best she could in the dark and was about to set it on the floor when Jane said to just leave it on the edge of the bed. A few moments later, Jane walked over and took the garment, hanging it on the hook near her own coat. Maura marveled at how well Jane could move in the dark - she heard no faltering footsteps, no bumps into furniture. Her own eyes began adjusting to the dark, and she could faintly distinguish Jane's outline, bending over to remove her boots and step out of her breeches.

Maura tucked her knees up to her chest. "Jane?"

"Yes, Maura?"

"Was it true what you said before? I mean... did you really make love to a maharajah's daughter?"

She could both hear and see Jane pause before answering, her voice pitched as black as the midnight sky: "Yes." She stretched and walked back to the bed. "Does that bother you?"

"No, 'bother' is not the word I would use."

"Which one, then? I know you have a vast vocabulary, one to rival the most detailed dictionaries."

"Yes, and yet I do not know which word I would choose."

"May I still stay here, or shall I sleep elsewhere?" Jane asked. Her tone made it clear she was not annoyed or exasperated, but rather, interested in doing whatever Maura was most comfortable with.

"Of course I want you here," Maura said.

"Well, if you are certain…" Jane pulled back the blanket and slipped into bed, and was surprised at how quickly Maura glommed to her side. "Oh," Jane said gently, working her arm around Maura's shoulder. "Well, this is very nice indeed."

Maura hummed her assent, and after a few moments of peaceful silence, shifted her hand along Jane's bare arm. She marveled at its warmth, but especially at the clear strength thrumming beneath Jane's skin, even when her body was resting. It excited Maura to feel her like this; she never would have assumed that such a seemingly ordinary body part could send a thrill down her spine, but there it was. When her hand came into contact with fabric on Jane's shoulder, she leaned over and kissed the skin also offered there.

Jane whispered her name.

"Yes, Captain Clementine?"

Jane groaned and laughed at the same time. "It just seems a shame," she finally said. "You took such care in washing this gorgeous face of mine, with the intent of kissing a clean one, and here we are lying in the dark, not kissing. I do not wish to press you," she quickly added, "but merely wanted you to know that were you to follow up, I would certainly not protest."

"Would you protest if I said I did not wish to follow up?"

The short silence which followed the question was nearly tortuous. "That all depends," Jane said eventually. "On whether you were being serious, or wanting us to make a game of it." The soft, embarrassed giggle she got in return let her know that the answer lay closer to the second guess. "I see," she chuckled. "Do you wish to be ravished in this bed, Miss Isles? I do not intend to be facetious when I say, I am not sure whether you would be prepared to handle it."

"I concede you may be right." But I think I should like to very much, one day. Just not in the immediate future. "But for now… this will have to do." She tilted Jane's face closer to her own, kissing Jane's chin, then her cheek. "It is a lovely face, after all," she murmured before bringing her lips to Jane's.

"I must admit," Jane whispered between slow kisses. "When I set my course for home, I did not dare dream that this particular evening might end this way."

"Oh?" Maura asked, giving Jane one last kiss before propping herself up on her elbows a bit. "And how did you anticipate it might end?"

There was an opportunity for a joke, to make light of the comment, but after a moment's hesitation Jane decided to be honest. She slid her fingers through Maura's hair, then traced her cheek and let her hand rest there as she looked up at her. "I worried you would never want to see me again. I worried that you would be horrified by what I have become, and upset that I had not been entirely honest with you about it. I was afraid that… bringing you out of harm's way, at least physically, might damage our emotional relationship. And yet here you are – not only with me, but in my bed."

"Tonight has been altogether shocking, if I were to put it in a word," Maura eventually said. She turned her head to kiss Jane's palm, reassuring her. "There is still much to wrap my head around. I have so many questions that I do not even know how to phrase yet. But I think …I think I have loved you a very long time, and lacked the words or ability to fully understand that concept. You may rest assured, Jane—if the goings-on tonight have not convinced you, I do not know what will: no matter what comes, I would never leave you."

A/N: Thanks for reading, folks! I don't anticipate this becoming a full-on, linear story. Just sort of a few scattered pirate-themed scenarios, updated whenever the muse strikes.