The auburn-haired Prussian had found her way back to the first mate's quarters surprisingly quickly, but when one had found a good place to hide they remembered it well, committed it to memory as a new defence mechanism. As soon as she slipped in side Willa breathed a sigh of relief thinking that conversations were over for a while though, when she spun around to see Izzy waiting for her, the truth became obvious and quietude abandoned her.

"What did Bonnet want?" Izzy spoke the blond captain's name with such inveighed hatred.

"Just to give me some clothes." Said Willa quietly as she knelt down to unfurl the clothing she'd been given on the floor.

"They're going to be way too big for you, little lass."

Willa nodded and eschewed her urge to point out he'd just stated the obvious. She had to stay polite, had to stay sweet and innocent just like they expected from a girl her age.

"Ja, I can fix it though." She fidgeted with her hands a moment until the courage to make her request finally came. "May I have a knife, Master? Please?"

Izzy's eyebrows raised so high they almost vanished into his hairline. Suspicion descended on him and for almost a full thirty seconds he just stared at her as though going through an internal check list of things. She looked so tiny sat on the floor and Izzy totally avoided the way his brain tried to lock on to the sight of her dressed only in his shirt. No one's eyes have the right to be that green. Tiny, half-naked girl did deserve something to cover herself properly with, so, with a sigh, Izzy unsheathed his knife, flipped it in his hand so he held the silver blade and offered it to her. When she stretched up to take it Izzy pulled it roughly an inch away.

"Don't do anything stupid, lass." He warned, voice gravelly as always.

She did her best to flash him a sweet smile. "I promise."

"I'll be back on deck. Don't cut yourself."

Finally Willa felt the weight of Izzy's knife slip into her grasp; it was heavier than she'd expected but not ridiculously so. While she turned the blade over in her hands Izzy took his leave. Had he trusted the Prussian or had he just assumed her too pathetic to actually pose a threat. Unsurprisingly Willa greatly suspected the latter. She didn't know much about knives safe for the old stab-'em-with-the-pointy-end lesson, yet even Willa had to admit that it looked like a well-made blade. If the Pirate calling himself Izzy kept this on his belt then it must have been reliable. Getting hold of a weapon had been a much easier task than it had on Die Falke. (The Falcon) That being said, Wilhelmina doubted she was such immediate danger with the pirates than Kommodore Hohenstaufen.

In her opinion the crew she'd seen so far looked more focused on joking with one another than her, and, of course, that was a positive sign. Then there was Captain Bonnet who was nice – which of course had originally meant foolish – so would be useful to have on side. First Mate Hands had said that Blackbeard wasn't all that interested in her, so the way Willa saw it, as long as she kept her head down that mad man probably wouldn't be too much of a problem to her for the time being. Quite frankly it was Jim who seemed the most dangerous; they were logical but surprisingly moral and had the skills to deal some real damage if the mood took them. Jim also seemed to think Willa naïve though so could probably also be dropped into the not-currently-a-threat box. That left the Prussian with Izzy Hands himself. He was an odd duck. Izzy didn't fit with the crew, no, he was firmly on Blackbeard's side and clearly didn't care for Stede Bonnet. However, Izzy had taken care of her. Sure the others had shown concern for her being around Izzy but no one had stopped him taking her to his cabin now had they? Then there were his lovely blue eyes – Nein! Halt's Maul! (No! Shut up!) Izzy was broken but hardened just like Willa. Decision made, Willa would stay with Izzy for now. She hadn't known him long but he'd already proven he wouldn't hurt her … physically anyway. Besides, if Izzy developed a soft spot for her then surely Blackbeard would be slightly less likely to kill her. Izzy Hands would be her safety net for the time being.

There were more pressing issues Willa needed to fix though, chiefly amongst them being her need for properly sized clothes which would provide her some dignity. Her mother had loved embroidery and cross stitch, had taught her daughter at a young age so Willa wore her calloused finger as a badge of pride. Sadness passed over her face then at the reminder of her departed mother. Tears pricked in her eyes but Willa refused to let them out, she'd done enough crying in her life. After her mother's death she'd been raised exclusively by her brother and maids. She'd watched them mend numerous garments and had even started assisting after a while: Willa had every confidence she could pull this off. Primary issues seemed to be that Bonnet was so much taller than her and far broader, so alterations wouldn't be easy.

The emerald-eyed teenager set to work since it also kept her away from pirates and would make Izzy believe she was good at doing as she was told. Suddenly she chuckled to herself as she examined the trousers. Who would have thought pirates – with Blackbeard – would be safer than the Navy.

Since Willa wasn't entirely sure where to start with the brown leather trousers she stood and slid them on to see just how big they were. Too long, way too long, but the curve of her hips off-set the waist a little. Izzy's blade was carefully used to nick the legs of her new trousers where they'd need trimming before she slipped them off again and settled on the floor. With a simple mental plan Willa put all of her effort into cutting away the excess then helped herself to Izzy's needle and thread. His selection of thread was pretty much black or, well, black but that wasn't a problem for Willa.

When she'd quickly sewn the grumpy man's shirt sleeve Willa hadn't paid too much attention to the other things in the box but the second time she'd not been able to resist. Needle, thread, a sharpening stone and pomade lay inside but somehow the soap ball had returned and Willa couldn't figure out how or where she'd last seen it. It wouldn't be productive to dwell on that. She glanced around the little room to realize Izzy must have been wearing almost everything he owned save for the shirt she had on and the items in the box. Pretty much the man's entire life lingered in the container Willa held.

"He's not got anything else either." She murmured to herself.

A new wave of sadness washed over the girl with auburn hair as she closed the lid and returned to her self-set task once again. Most pirates probably lived the way Izzy did.

~X~

Thursday – or maybe it was Wednesday, it was so hard to tell when Willa spent most of her time sequestered away in her room with her nose stuck in a book. The von Krieger estate, a Gothic, imposing place, was vast and blissfully quiet most of the time, save for when the horses got rowdy in the stable or birds fluttered up from the nearby woodland, so Willa basked in her solitude. Anything that kept her away from her father was a boon in Willa's mind; books had become her safety.

As usual she'd sat herself on the floor with her back to the bed and her pillow as a softness to sit upon. Snow tumbled softly downward outside the window and forced a surprisingly pleasant chill through the glass into the room until the warming fire on the other side of the room rebuffed it. Willa had devoured two novels already that week so the teen was eager to finish her third, then maybe go horse riding simply to get some fresh air.

Any intention of finishing her latest tome died a quick death when Friedrich slipped into her bedroom and dropped down beside her with a sigh. The dark-haired man was two years older than his sister with broad shoulders and the sort of height that made one tilt their head back almost painfully to meet his eyes. How he'd ended up so tall while she remained so compact, Willa wasn't entirely sure. However, he was just as under their father's thumb as Wilhelmina herself. Though Friedrich had been born with the good fortune of being a boy so he actually had a future with some control ahead of him. Thankfully for Willa he'd also had the good fortune to be born with the kindness of their mother, rather than the gambling addiction and bad temper of their father.

"You shouldn't sit on the floor, sister, you'll get cold." He told her in that deep voice of his as he settled in beside her.

They often sat together to share a book, or occasionally they'd play a game. The two of them were the only real friend the other had. Private schooling, an arrogant father and the remoteness of the von Krieger estate didn't provide many friend-making opportunities for them.

Willa turned her green eyes to her brother's matching set. "I heard yelling a while ago, is everything all right, Fiete?"

He let out a little disgruntled hum. "The Kommodore is demanding his money, and our father is making his excuses as per usual."

"Father will see us destitute."

"Don't say that, sister." Friedrich sighed. "Even if it is true. Maybe you and I should run away and go on an adventure like in your books."

Willa lifted an eyebrow. "What? Just steal a ship and sail away forgetting neither of us know how to sail? We'd never make it out of the harbor."

"We could learn." He chuckled in that way that always made her feel better. "I could be a pirate. I know how to use a sword."

Friedrich's laughter quickly became infectious and soon the siblings were both snickering away at the thought of them on their own pirate ship with cannons and swashbuckling. Willa flipped her book closed with her finger between the pages to mark her place.

"You couldn't be a pirate, you're too noble."

Friedrich's face suddenly saddened. "Not if Father gets his way and-"

Willa cut her brother off abruptly with an assured tone. "He won't. We stick together."

Fiete wasn't anything like their father and never would be; the seventeen-year-old just didn't have a heart built for such evil. How such an intelligent, thoughtful human being had been sired by Gerhard von Krieger, Willa didn't know.

"You have so much faith in me. Thank you, sister."

With that he rested his head on her shoulder; Friedrich's long hair tickled her cheek and spelt vaguely of pomade. Sometimes it felt as though it were just Willa and Friedrich against the world.

"Father owes the Kommodore a lot of money, doesn't he." She didn't even bother to phrase it as a question. "I heard Heidi and Anna talking about it."

"Maids know everything, Willa. As for the money, I have absolutely no idea how much the insouciant cretin owes but even Father seems panicked this time."

Willa stared off to the ground. A log cracked in the fireplace; it spit forth a spurted flame like a dragon with a cough.

"That ship idea is starting to look appealing." She muttered but still Fiete heard; he did have his head on her shoulder after all.

"Mmm, it is. Grandfather isn't going to bail him out this time either."

Willa glanced at her elder brother with an expression that could only be read as a visual representation of the word seriously. It was the same look he used on her every now and again.

"Of course he won't." Finally his lifted his head from his sister's shoulder so she could look at him properly as their conversation continued. "The only reason he did before is because Mother begged him and Grandfather took pity on his daughter. Now that damn step-grandmother of ours is subtly forcing him to forget we exist."

Suddenly the sound of two heavy pairs of footfalls appeared. One was angry and vicious while another calmly strode along behind the first. Mentally the siblings braced for whatever impact was coming their way.

"What on earth is happening now?"

Almost before Friedrich had finished his sentence Willa's bedroom door was thrown open with such force that it bounced off the wall when it struck it, and Gerhard appeared with Kommodore Hohenstaufen just behind him. The blond man's uniform was as impeccable as the few other times Willa had caught sight of him but the smirk he unabashedly wore just didn't sit right with either of the von Krieger children.

"Get up, girl!" Gerhard spat at his daughter. "You're going with Otto."

In an instant Friedrich shot to his feet, his eyes pooled with outrage.

"Father-"

"Shut up! Wilhelmina, get up."

The auburn-haired girl didn't quite know what was happing so she found herself just doing as her father ordered. The book remained clutched in her hand as though it would somehow protect her.

"Be a good girl and come quietly." Gibed Kommodore Hohenstaufen; that smirk had only grown.

Friedrich moved to stand before his sister, to protect her like the loving elder brother he was. He didn't care if their father lost the von Krieger fortune or the estate but he'd not just stand there and let his sister- his sister- Friedrich didn't even want to think about it!

"I know what you want and I won't let you." The dark-haired teenager growled.

The uniformed blond chuckled then unsheathed his sword and pressed the tip to Friedrich's chest. Not a single person in that bedroom doubted for even a second that he'd cut the younger man down without an ounce of guilt. The siblings had watched their mother die slowly of consumption, they'd seen her just waste away and had been left with only each other. Consumption truly was an atrocious malady. Willa couldn't be the cause of Friedrich's death. That was why she placed her hand on her brother's shoulder.

"It is all right, brother, I'll be back soon enough." She tried to sound encouraging but it washed away when the blond snickered again.

"Oh no you won't. You're my property now, buttercup."

The book fell from Willa's grasp to the ground where it landed with a dense thud. Without warning she found herself under water drowning, everything went dark and cold, dank and the pressure almost forced Willa to her knees.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Friedrich demanded.

"It's perfectly simple, boy. Your father chose money over his own child."

"How dare-!" Gerhard tried but the Kommodore just spoke over him.

"We're done here, Gerhard. Freiin Wilhelmina's body, virtue and any other part of her I come across is now mine." Finally the blade was returned to its rightful place. "Come here, girl." She didn't move, the water was still over her and sharks were all around. "Now!"

In shock she slowly stepped toward him, Friedrich reached out to grab her but Hohenstaufen shoved him aside and yanked Willa too him so forcefully she stumbled into his chest. Willa could live another hundred years and even then she'd never forget the glee in the blond's eyes. He practically ripped her arm out of its socket and it wasn't until her brain registered that pain that she realized her brother was getting further and further away.

The last time Willa saw her brother his face was taking the brunt of their father's fist as punishment for trying to race after her.

~X~

After a calming breath Willa wiped away a tear and forced herself back to work. She couldn't think of Friedrich longer, if she did she'd only break. Simply to give her hands something to do she broke the leather she'd cut from the brown trousers down into uneven strips, then used her fingers to comb through her auburn hair to get the knots out. As soon as it was in some semblance of order she pulled all her auburn hair over her left shoulder and braided it. The leather actually made a pretty strong tie.

Heavily focused on her task, Willa tried the leather pants on again to discover one leg was ever so slightly longer than the other but it wouldn't be overly noticeable. She may have known how to sew thanks to her time with the maids but that didn't mean she was skilled. A belt would be a benefit she'd need to search for. The Prussian slipped back down to the floor now she had something to cover her lower half. Altering the leather pants had taken almost all of her knowledge so she doubted there was much more she could do with the linen shirt.

Boots strode down the passageway then and for a moment Willa thought she'd drown again, her heart raced, her hands shook but then those boots passed by Izzy's cabin and vanished once more like they'd never been there to terrify her in the first place. Everything was all right, Hohenstaufen was dead and he'd damn well stay that way; he'd been washed away in the sands of time. Back to work, that was what she needed. Back to work where things were safe.

The shirt was important and it was nice to have something to focus on that wasn't her immediate survival. It was refreshing and after almost an hour – or maybe it was longer – Willa actually started to hum to herself. Willa didn't know she could still do that. It was the same song her mother used to sing to her and Friedrich when they were very young. The auburn-haired beauty smiled softly to herself; maybe there was hope for her yet.

Carefully Willa pulled off Izzy's black shirt and replaced it with the white one Stede had gifted her with. Somehow she was surprised when it was even bigger on her than Izzy's which was ridiculous because of course it was. Unsure of how exactly to fix the oversized issue, Willa tied it up at the back as tightly as she could. For a moment she debated putting in a few stitches to hold it but the knot showed no signs of loosening so she disregarded the idea as a problem for another day's Willa. Not wanting to look like a child in her father's clothes she rolled up her sleeves to the elbows but wasn't quite as lucky as with the knot. No matter how she folded them the sleeves just wouldn't stay put and soon irritation set in. The knot may not have required a couple of stitches to hold it in place but the sleeves fucking did, that was how she found herself yanking the fabric over her head once again.

Willa had always done her best not to be a snob, she'd come from two families of great wealth but that didn't make her better than others. Her title was inherited rather than something she'd earned and to be honest she'd never cared all that much for the fancy clothes. However, in that moment sat on the floor of a pirate's cabin dressed in borrowed men's clothing, Willa couldn't help the small want for her lady's maid to help her which circled inside her stomach. Yet, that having been said, the clothes of pirates were so much easier to get in and out of; even if her chest had no support whatsoever.

A few shakes of the shirt proved the stitches were in tight enough to hold the linen sleeves in place and Willa swelled with a sense of accomplishment. Heidi would be proud of her. She pulled the shirt over her head and Izzy chose that exact moment to enter the room then almost fell over her.

"Fucking hell, lass! Why are you on the floor?"

He managed not to drop the wooden bowl he'd brought in with him as he stumbled around the teen to the small table where he set it down. Willa meanwhile ensured to shuffle quickly out of his way and gathered up the scraps of fabric left over from her efforts. Izzy just stared at the young girl he had to share his cabin with as she awkwardly pushed the offcuts away into the corner by the bed. When she finally stood and turned to face the pirate she wondered if maybe she'd tied the shirt a little too tightly; for a girl of fifteen she was rather blessed in the chest department. In hindsight perhaps dressing more like Jim would have been better, but then again she'd been raised in full dresses and stays. Willa could always loosen the shirt later.

"I left your knife on the table, Master." She told the elder man sweetly.

That jolted First Mate Hands out of whatever he was thinking and back to the world around him. Izzy grabbed the blade and returned it to his belt simply for something to do. He couldn't help noticing the way she'd painstakingly folded the shirt that she'd been wearing earlier and left it beside the knife. His impromptu roommate was tidy at least.

"Jim invited you to go eat with them and the others." He told her in a disinterested fashion.

"I would rather remain here."

Izzy didn't seem to care either way so simply moved on to the next topic he had. Nice and systematic, that was how Izzy liked it.

"Captain Blackbeard has ordered you remain aboard for now, so you don't have to stay cooped up in here. As of tomorrow you'll have chores like everyone else now you're part of the crew. If we need a translator then you'll do it." He folded his arms over his chest. "Anyone bothers you or you have a problem, you tell me. Blackbeard put me in charge of you so you tell me, you don't for a moment bother him. Understood?"

Wilhelmina nodded. "Ja, Meister."

Izzy's eye twitched. "And stop fucking calling me that. It's weird." He grabbed the bowl from the table and practically shoved it into her hands. "Now eat your fucking food or go to the galley. I'm going to take the opportunity while they're all busy."

Willa's eyebrow raised in confusion but it faded quickly when he hauled out his soap ball and wash cloth from his box of things then promptly disappeared. Something told her he rather liked Stede's bathroom though would never admit it. Israel Hands really wasn't a talkative person. Alone yet again Willa sat cross-legged on the bed and stared down at her bowl. Chores had been expected and truthfully she was grateful they weren't of a sexual nature. Yes, Willa could cope with chores. She knew nothing about ships but if someone showed her what they wanted she'd be okay. 'Part of the crew' Izzy had said. Maybe being aboard the Revenge really would be a good thing for her. If nothing else she'd been fed well so far.

Still missed her brother though.

~X~

When the man with more gray in his hair than black known as Izzy Hands returned to his quarters he found Willa dozing on his bed having changed back into her slip at some point. He dumped his stuff as Willa let her eyes flutter open to find he looked years younger with wet hair; it suited him. Over his arm hung his leather waistcoat and neckerchief, the scent of soap filled the air.

Though she didn't hide that she was awake she was much too sleepy to bother opening both eyes. For the first time she took a good look at him, at the tattoo on his neck, and it reminded her of a shawl her mother had favored.

"I'm on watch tonight," he began without bothering to look at her, "so I'll be gone a while." No change there then, muttered Willa internally. "No one is stupid enough to come in here so you'll be fine."

The older man slipped back into his waistcoat then secured his neckerchief in its rightful place with a golden ring. Green eyes watched him run his hands furiously through his hair to slick it back in an attempt to go from adorable to intimidating that didn't quite pan out.

"You shouldn't go out there with wet hair, Master." She advised lightly. "You could catch a cold."

Izzy peered at her incredulously. People never showed concern for him, not genuinely anyway.

"I'll be fine, little lass. And stop calling me master." Honestly he'd started to think she did it to just annoy him.

He didn't wait around for another word to leave her lips, just cleared out the room as though there were suddenly a grenade in there. Willa sat up on the bed as she thought to herself. Izzy Hands acted tough but someone showing him genuine concern apparently threw him off instantly. Adorable. Izzy Hands was adorable Willa decided.

The next day would be her third aboard ship, well, the third she was awake enough to remember anyway. It also seemed to be her first day as a pirate. The Prussian hoped Friedrich would be proud of her, even slightly.

With a sigh she fell back down to the bed and let slumber take her.

~X~

Everything hurt but the coldness of her skin had started to numb it for which Wilhelmina was thankful. She wasn't sure if she'd slipped off the bed or if Hohenstaufen had shoved her off when he'd left the cabin. She supposed it didn't really matter, either way she'd found herself leaned awkwardly against the bed with her left arm still tied tightly to it.

Pitch black, that was the only correct description of the cabin, and it must have been night because her stinging eyes couldn't spy even a hint of light coming through the window. The ship rocked back and forth with an eerily comforting sway but Willa ignored it. Why was everything so quiet? Nothing should have been that quiet. Did the world even exist beyond the cabin door, or was it only a void outside?

God her arms hurt! Normally they'd be tied up above her head until all the blood had drained away leaving them limp and lifeless. Slowly Willa reached up through the darkness to where her left wrist had been bound and desperately started to tug on it in an urgent attempt to loosen the knot, but no no avail. Fucking navy men and their infallible knots. Willa needed a knife – and a bath – but Kommodore Hohenstaufen wasn't stupid enough to leave either laying around for her to take advantage of.

"Friedrich." She stuttered out.

All Willa wanted was her brother, he'd always made her feel safe. To just go back to him where she could be happy and read her books, that was her truest desire. No, not a desire, it needed to become a goal. It would become a goal, and if she couldn't complete it then death would be her consolation prize.

With what little strength she had left in her body, Willa pushed herself to her shaky feet and yanked on her bond with all her might but the rope didn't give way; not that she'd really expected it to. Fate wasn't known for it's kindness in Wilhelmina's experience. In the end she had no choice but to give up or rip her arm off.

There was a pause and then Willa's green eyes darkened. Kommodore Otto Hohenstaufen had taken her maidenhead, took her dignity and separated her from the only person who loved her. The monster wouldn't be taking her will as well.

"Ficker!" (Fucker) She growled to herself.

The auburn-haired teen would get out of this hell her father had forced her into. Just because she happened to be born female did not make her weak! A renewal of determination flooded through her icy body; she'd not give in to Hohenstaufen another second. Hands planted on the wood so she could push herself up to the bed for something soft to sit on at the very least, but instead, since kismet hated her, Willa's palm caught on something sharp. Quickly she yanked her hand away to her mouth to suck on the small cut. The irony flavor of her blood had regrettably become an all too-familiar taste. Something strange made itself known to the Prussian then though. Refreshing, the sting of pain was refreshing. Hohenstaufen hadn't done this, no, this pain wasn't one of his sick gifts, this was hers. Willa grinned. She liked this.

Lightbulb moment, a flicker of light in her dark existence as an idea danced through her mind. The pain didn't matter in that second, not when she'd got a plan. Her cut hand snapped back downward to feel around for whatever the sharp object happened to be. It was stuck in the floor and clearly metal. Nail! It was a fucking nail holding the floorboard down! Suddenly escape seemed so much more possible. Her heartbeat thundered with excitement as she clawed at the floor in the dark. It hurt, broken and snapped her nails, but it was a goodsort of pain that just pushed her onward. Slowly the wood splintered away around the top of the exposed nail. Uneven but square. The damn thing was in well – of course it was otherwise the ship wouldn't have been seaworthy – but she had more than enough resoluteness to stick with it; that nail would come out whether it wanted to or not.

Ten minutes passed, then an hour, then two but Willa didn't slow down for a moment. She needed to get the nail out of the ground before – Willa froze as a key slipped into the cabin door's lock. Hohenstaufen had returned, her time was up. The door swung open revealing the irritating Kommodore carrying a lantern. Willa had been so heavily focused on her task that the sound of footsteps had totally passed her by. The last thing she wanted was her escape plan getting blown to bits from the very beginning, so she took the opportunity to brush the wood shavings underneath the bed when he turned to close the door, then pulled her hand to her chest.

The scent of the sea followed Otto Hohenstaufen in, a salty tease of fresh air. He strutted forward until he towered over the fifteen-year-old girl and then he snapped his fingers in silent order. Willa knew exactly what he wanted. Wanted her to kneel before him like the pet he insisted she was. No, she'd had enough.

"Scher dich zum Teufel!" (Go to hell!) Willa glared with ire. "Verpiss dich." (Fuck off)

Having a gambling father with disreputable so-called friends had left Wilhelmina able to swear like a sailor, though most of the time she attempted to be polite.

Hohenstaufen's entire face turned dark and that little vain at his temple throbbed with rage.

"Halt den mund! Was glaubst du wer du bist?!" (Shut your mouth! Who do you think you are?!)

Willa tried to kick at him but he was bigger and much stronger than the young teen could ever hope to be. He grabbed her violently by the hair.

"Nein! Nein! Nein!"

Willa pushed and kicked, she'd not be his plaything. Wouldn't just roll over and take whatever he wanted her to. She refused to submit to him no matter what. He was weak, spent most of the time beating her since he couldn't keep it up. Pathetic! She'd keep kicking.

"Lass!"

"Nein!" Willa had endured enough at the hands of her father and the Kommodore.

"Lass, wake the fuck up!"

"Nein, tun Sie mir nichts." (No, don't hurt me)

Green eyes snapped open to stare daggers at her attacker but this man was smaller and had facial hair. This man was shaking her rather than growling or hurting her.

"Little lass, you're having a goddamn nightmare."

That wasn't Hohenstaufen's voice, the accent was English and more importantly the language was English. Izzy, it was Izzy. The emerald-eyed teenager suddenly ceased her fighting at that realization. He knelt on the bed beside her with an awkward expression on his face, almost like he had no idea how to proceed. When he sat back on his haunches Willa just launched herself into his lap, wrapped her arms around the elder man's shoulders and buried her face into the tattooed side of his neck. She felt him tense into something statuesque before he finally sighed and deflated slightly.

Israel Hands was not a tactile person, though that being said, it was a crying teenage girl in his arms. He fought the natural instinct to push her away and instead used his right arm to prevent her slipping from his lap while the other cautiously raised to stroke through Willa's auburn hair. By no means was he used to comforting anyone let alone a Prussian teenager. He was a pirate not a priest and he certainly wasn't the damn twat known as Bonnet. Yet, deep down inside him, there was something that said he had to try. Willa was just a kid.

"Do you want me to get the seductress?" He tried with more softness and consideration than he was used to. "Lucius is good at talking until you forget your thoughts." Tears just continued to tumble though and Izzy felt increasingly uncomfortable. "You're alright, little lass."

This wasn't what Wilhelmina had wanted; she'd meant to present herself as a useful girl that the first mate would want to keep around, want to protect. She'd washed that all away with a single nightmare. Hohenstaufen just kept destroying things for her.

Thanks to some kind of magic Izzy continued to hold her until she'd finally cried herself out. As soon as she had Izzy took the opportunity to lay her down on the too-tiny bed where they could avoid physical contact again.

Blue eyes watched her lay there quietly while he removed his neckerchief and the golden ring which held it in place. She said nothing, just watched him in return while he continued to shed his clothing, waistcoat then shirt which he folded surprisingly neatly. When he sat to remove his boots Willa slipped off the bed and shuffled to aid him. She'd done this before and he hadn't liked it then either.

"You don't have to, lass." He chimed in.

"I want to, Master." She had to look useful again. Had to.

The man with salt and pepper hair opened his mouth to complain; he was good at complaining. Izzy should have been sir, Mister Hands or First Mate Hands, not her master. Pirate or not he wasn't a slave trader and he really wasn't into owning girls hardly out of being kids. Sill it gave her something to do, so he let her remove his boots and set them to his left by the bed. For a split second Izzy thought he'd need to order her back up onto the bed but no, Willa was smart enough to go willingly without a command.

They lay there a few moments, darkness shrouded around them until Izzy's raspy voice shoved the silence aside.

"You were saying something, what did it mean?"

"What did I say?"

"Vir somethin' zusam-somethin'."

Had she not just woken up from a nightmare Willa would have found his attempt at German funny, certainly laugh worthy.

"Wir halten zusammen." She corrected. "It is something I and my brother used to say to one another a lot. It means 'we stick together'."

Willa didn't know if that was the answer Izzy had wanted or expected, but it was the truthful one at least. The first mate asked no follow up questions and Willa did her best to push her brothers' face from her mind.

Sleep, sleep was Izzy's main priority there and then, not random bits of German from a sleeping teenage gril. With a stretch he yanked off his glove, tossed it aside then shed his pants. Once in only his smallclothes Izzy lay down beside her and, yet again, felt her attempt to take up as little space as was physically possible. Izzy didn't care, she could do as she pleased as long as the screaming in German didn't start up again. He just blew out the candle plunging them into darkness and shut his eyes.

"If you have another nightmare, do me a favor and don't slap me." Willa paled. She'd slapped him? "Got a good right hook on you though."

That comment actually made Willa smile a little. Kommodore Hohenstaufen would have beaten her for hitting him, but Izzy Hands had actually complemented her. An odd pirate, there wasn't another description for his kind of pirate to be perfectly honest. Then again, all the pirates she'd encountered so far were odd.