Chapter 20

The entire crew had the Captain shunned.

Because the Captain, with their lives on the line, had made a choice.

He chose keeping you hidden over keeping them alive.

And had it not been for Scarpa's change of mind, they all would've been tortured to death before the Captain would have have uttered a word to them about you.

So they shunned you too.

It was you they were jealous of.

The Scurvy Raider was falling apart. And quickly.

The Captain's day that followed had mostly consisted of him laying on the floor of the Captain's Quarters (which were now in the Mapping Room, but you called it the same thing) and you treating his wounds, not falling for it this time when he insisted every little scratch needed stitching.

But how was the crew supposed to know what you were doing in there? It spited them even more.

That night at dinner, the Captain, no longer wishing to bear the dark scowls that his pirate crew shot at him, went to bed early.

Or at least, he tried.

So you went to go check on him.

"Umm, Captain? Are you alright?" you whispered, cracking his door open slightly.

He didn't reply.

You sighed, and entered his quarters, quietly closing the door behind you. "Captain, I know you're not asleep. Are you alright?"

"If I'm not asleep, you should know the answer to that question."

"Well, I'm here to help. Do you need anything? Can I get you something?"

"We're out of grog."

"I wasn't going to bring you any anyways. Now can I help you?"

"No, just... " He sighed, not sure what to say.

You crossed your arms and walked over to him, and crouched by his side, pulling up his blankets over him.

"You don't need to tuck me in," he muttered.

"I think I do."

"No. You don't."

You sighed. "Yes you do, you just don't know it. Like your crew needs you. They just don't know it."

"You can go now, Anika. I don't need anything."

You looked at him reproachfully.

"Go, Anika."

"You said I don't have to follow your orders."

"Well follow that one."

"How about you follow this one."

And you kissed him.

At first he was utterly surprised, then he...went to kiss you back, but you put a finger over his lips.

You weren't interested in kissing even more with that nasty breath of his. So he you let go. "Go to sleep Captain. Now."

He smiled. "Yes ma'am, Anika."

And even though he wasn't asleep when you left right then, you hoped it was enough to keep away the nightmares.

.

.

He burst awake with a gasp of "Augh!" and slammed the floor with his fist so hard, he woke you up with a frightened jump, and you tumbled out of the cot in fear, recalling the sound of the Captain in pain and the stomping of 'Serpent of the South' feet.

You gasped for air too, resisting a nightmarish flashback. "Captain, are you okay?" you asked, though you already knew the answer.

"Oh, I was you, it was you," he said, shaking his head and then looking at you deeply. "It's always been her, it's always been the same, every night, every day, every week, month, year. But this time it was you in her place, and I've never dreamed it far enough of you to hear you screaming, anyone screaming like that...You were screaming my name and I couldn't do a thing..."

"Captain, I'm right here," you said, readjusting your blankets that you'd rolled onto, now on the floor by him, and taking his hand. "I've told you. It won't happen again. Don't you worry about me, you've taught me how to handle myself. No one else is coming."

"No," he said. "Just the Captain of 'Murderer's Prize.'"

"And who and what is that?"

"Bad news."

"Look, I'm going to be fine. I promise. No Captain in the world can take me from you." You gave him a look that said, 'really, come on.'

His returned look said, 'I wish I knew it.'

"And you want to know why?" you asked.

"Why, then?"

"Because I already have a Captain. You."

He chuckled. He couldn't one-up that.

He started leaning in to you.

And you started leaning into him.

Until he gave you the longest kiss he'd ever given you.

Until he gave you the longest kiss he'd ever given you

And you held his hand all night.

And you held his hand all night.

.

~ ~ ~

.

So you can guess, that when the crew snuck into the cabin in the early morning before you woke up, so they could snoop around or take something they found worthy of a steal, (which they had never done before out of respect, but now that the respect they had was gone...) they were not very pleased to find you both on the floor holding tight to each other's hands, whether you were under the same blankets or not.