"What are my orders, Captain?"

Killian looked over at Murphy in surprise, "What makes you think I have any at the moment? We're at port, and this is your free time. Isn't there a shopkeeper's daughter somewhere looking to rebel against her father's strict rules? You have a type and knack for charming women like that."

Murphy laughed and said, "Her name was Isabelle, and she was sweet. I wasn't her first pirate, but she promised I was the best lover she's ever had."

"And you believe her?" Killian asked, laughing along with Murphy.

"Naw, but who cares? We both got what we wanted." Murphy then added, "She's sneaking out again tonight. Meaning I already have my entertainment lined up for later."

"Which brings us back to the question of why you think I have orders for you. The reason is?" Killian prompted.

Murphy shifted a bit uncomfortably and said, "I am not trying to put myself forward, but I feel as if I've been one of your more faithful men." He paused, cleared his throat, and added, "I thought maybe I could be of service to you and that you might have need of a bit of guard for her. Even on the Jolly Roger, she stands out."

"My men wouldn't touch her!" Killian barked out.

Murph flushed red, not wanting to speak on the idea of the crew being afraid to touch the Captain's woman. "Of course, Captain. I- I just meant…"

"Do you all think I'm a damn fool? I know about Milah. She was insatiable, and she told me who she slept with! She still always came back to me." That was what he comforted himself with, at least. It was what he thought about when she came to his cabin drunk and smelling of sex.

He shook his head to clear it of his thoughts of her. "She was willing. But my men wouldn't force a woman. Not one under my protection."

Murphy didn't argue with that. He couldn't. He knew Killian was right. The men aboard wouldn't try to force her because they knew their Captain wouldn't let that stand. One thought bothered him, though. "She's beautiful. Whatever she is, she's not a normal village girl."

"She's not. And you saw her handle my sword. It wasn't an accident that she was able to get it away from me. She's had some training."

"Is she running from a noble family? Maybe an unwanted marriage?" Murphy asked, thinking out loud.

"Possibly. But it doesn't fit all the facts. She's not put off by us pirates, and she doesn't act noble. She also didn't fuss about her small room or the food on board either."

Murphy nodded. "One other thing. She made a weird comment to me. She said she preferred outlaws when I had asked why she was being kind to me. The thing is, I believed her answer, and it felt like she was laughing at me when I mentioned we were criminals."

Killian shook his head. "I can't figure her out. She's the first real mystery I've come across in centuries."

"Orders?" Murphy asked again.

"Your Captain orders you to keep an eye on her and an ear out for danger. Something about her isn't adding up, and I intend to figure it out. Any assistance you can render will be monetarily rewarded. Tell Mac and Shorty too. You're the three I trust the most on board."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Murphy replied, smiling.

Emma had wanted to kick herself for so quickly, forgetting that when she was on board the Jolly Roger that she was flooded with lust. She knew the ship was amplifying her thoughts, but she was honest enough with herself to admit they were her thoughts, to begin with.

She did wonder why he would have a ship that worked to get him laid. Not once did it even cross her mind that she was the only woman that the Jolly Roger had ever done that to.

She worked to push the desire out of her mind like she had before. She had been able to block them when she worked at it. It helped her to focus on the annoyance that his ship was trying to get just another woman in bed with him.

She got the lustful thoughts out of her head and spoke to the ship. "Please stop. I can't go to his bed. I'm a virgin, and I believe in True Love. I won't be a one-time fling for a man who will soon forget I ever existed. I can't do that to myself. It would hurt too much."

Trust the broken man.

Emma sighed in frustration. "Does that line work on all the women? Do you expect me to run to his bed and give myself to him? I just can't."

No other women.

"He's had plenty of other women in his bed! Don't lie to me," she snapped.

I only like you. No other women.

"And if I sleep with him!? What then? Even if I believe that I'm the only woman you tried to get into his bed, I won't be the last he takes there. Leave it alone. You might have decided you like me because I have magic like you, but that doesn't change the facts."

Broken man needs you.

"I won't be like Susan. I have too much sense."

All she sensed was confusion from the ship.

"You smell like sex," Shorty commented, wrinkling his nose at Murphy.

"Jealous?" Murphy shot back good-naturedly.

Just then, Mac joined them in the kitchen and shut the door tight, and locked it. Only Shorty and the Captain had the key to the room since all the food was stored there. He said, "I checked. No one else is around."

Murphy nodded and grew serious. "I spoke with the Captain earlier today. I have a request from him and…." He paused. He wanted to word it all carefully. What he was to say could be seen as disrespectful, but that was far from what he wanted. His desire was to serve his captain well and go above and beyond for him. "And things to discuss respectfully. I don't want to be seen as taking behind his back."

Shorty pressed his lips together in a fine line. He then said, "There is a woman on board. It will cause men to talk. Especially after… Milah." He frowned in thought and then added, "We know each other well enough. Not one of us betrayed him with her. I think we can feel free to talk. I trust both of your loyalty."

"Same," Mac added. "And we know you wouldn't talk to us like this if you didn't feel the same."

"Emma is important," Murphy added abruptly. "And that's no shock to any of us. I only mention it as a jumping-off point. The Captain agrees she's no mere village girl and says there is a mystery behind her. In fact, he told me to pass on that there is a monetary reward for any of the three of us if we can help him solve who she is."

"The three of us?" Shorty asked, surprised.

"He said he trusts the three of us the most."

Mac let out a low whistle. "Well, that wasn't something I expected to hear."

"He's not wrong," Murphy stated.

Shorty said, "It's still a lot to take in. I never expected he thought so highly of me."

Murphy let out a frustrated breath. "He sees more than we knew. He knew about Milah sleeping with members of the crew."

"You told him?" Shorty asked, shocked.

"No! He brought it up. It had to do with his belief that Emma is safe from the rest of the crew. He said they wouldn't force a woman. And then the rest came up."

Mac shifted, "He went through more than we knew for that worthless woman. Beyond losing a hand."

Murphy nodded and leaned forward. "And Emma's the first woman he's shown interest in since her."

Mac smiled and said, "And you want us to help get her? You like her."

"Don't you?"

Shorty shrugged, "Yeah. But what can we do, though? She's a runaway who…" He paused and smiled a big smile at his friends. "Adventure. She's a sheltered girl who wants adventure. Why not help her get that with the Captain?"

"Exactly," Murphy said, smiling at his two closest friends.

Mac then said, "So we work to keep her on board. We can show her the advantages of becoming one of us."

Earlier that night.

Emma didn't know what to do in the evening on a pirate ship. As the day drifted on, more and more men left to go to town to drink and have fun.

She wandered among the rigging, finding a sense of calm there. Having reached a tentative agreement with the Jolly Roger, she didn't have to fight lustful thoughts. In reality, the ship had realized she had gone down the wrong path with Emma. Now the sense of calm and belonging was one she promoted in her, and it was working worlds better.

Emma drifted her hand over one of the thick ropes that was tied tightly and supporting the main sail. "I came to see if you wanted to go to town for dinner," Killian said, interrupting her thoughts.

She turned and shook her head. "Shorty probably has something to eat. I planned to stay on board."

"And eat subpar food? Not to pick on his cooking, he only has a ship's kitchen and a small number of people eating on board tonight."

She shifted and gripped the rope a bit. "I'm still scared," she admitted quietly, blushing. "I didn't even realize that man was there."

"Hence my presence. I am offering to take you to town tonight and get you safely back to the ship," Killian offered, hoping she would just say yes. But nothing with Emma was that easy.

"I would hate to ruin your enjoyment of town. Surely there are other women who you'd rather be with tonight. I would just get in the way."

Killian walked up to Emma and leaned into her personal space. "Come. Let me take you to dinner and bring you back to the ship. You might be surprised and discover you can have fun with a bunch of pirates."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, but stop acting like you're all some big bad. You're merely pirates."

"As you wish," he replied. Murphy was right, he acknowledged. She was laughing at them.