I carefully brushed the kohl across my upper and lower lids, blinking my dark eyes at the cracked mirror. I looked just as good as I had five minutes ago, excellent. After pinching my cheeks to bring some color to them and adjusting my clothes, I snuck out of my cabin.

I ran right smack into Eric's chest.

"Eric!" I exclaimed, stepping back and raking my hair back. "Fancy seeing you here, what can I help you with?"

He narrowed his eyes. "You're sneaking out."

I froze. "Uh, no! I was, um, going below decks because, um, I was, er..."

He was unamused. "Sure. Speaking of below decks, there's a leak Nina wanted you to check, in the rum locker."

I swallowed hard at that. Rum. I didn't want to be near any of that stuff... "Could you...do it for me?"

He uncrossed his arms, stepped forward and looking concerned. "Are you still upset about that? Being near it isn't going to --"

I shook my head, beads flying. He ducked out of the way. "No, I refuse to go anywhere near that room. Get Jacob to help, he's the carpenter!"

Eric grabbed my hand. "Come on."

I jerked away. "Eric!" I whined. "I wanted to go to the Drunken Lady! I want to see Cass!"

He sighed. "You can, later, the Pearl comes first. Come along."

I groaned all the way, but he dragged me down the stairwell and through the maze of cots, down some more stairs (luckily Eric was there to keep me upright, I had a bad history with stairs) and then he weaved me through the goats and chickens --

"Hey, Amelia!" I called to a chicken in passing. I received a cluck.

-- then we arrived in front of the rum locker.

I gripped Eric's hand like a lifeline. "I don't wanna. I wanna see Cass." I mumbled, like a five year old.

He squeezed my fingers. "You need to take care of the Pearl, for Jack."

I huffed. "And for mom. She loved her too."

"And for Adeena." He added. "You can do it."

I groaned one last time before kicking the door open with irritation.

Nina was hunched over by the wall, her albino hair reminding me of Taylor Sutcliff; she stuck out just as much. "Captain," She acknowledged, springing up. "It's right here, had I not discovered it sooner it could have flooded the room."

I stalked over to her, kneeling in the ankle-deep water and ignoring the bottles of alcohol that laughed at me. "That's unfortunate. I wonder what we hit."

She shook her head. "That's the odd part. It looks as if it were...put there on purpose, Captain."

I narrowed my eyes, leaning in closer, all of my nervous thoughts on the rum disappearing. "On purpose, eh? Hm, it looks as if it were chiseled."

"Yes." Nina said in a half sigh.

"And it has been chiseled in such a way that it could go unnoticed, and leak in enough to do damage." I added, rocking back on my feet and doing my best to look knowledgeable as I stated things they already knew.

"Yes," Nina repeated.

"Well!" I hopped up, splashing my albino second mate. She swore loudly and shook her hair frantically, water droplets flying everywhere. I tasted a hint of salt. "Eric, Nina, what do you think?"

"I think someone doesn't like you." Nina snapped, obviously annoyed.

Eric nodded. "It would seem so."

I ruffled Nina's already mussed hair, and then Eric's. His hair always laid flat, like mother's. "You two are absolute geniuses." I paused, folding my arms and going over my list of enemies. The Navy came to mind, but they were about as smart as a doorknob. "I wonder who doesn't like...me." I couldn't fathom the concept. "Someone doesn't like me..."

"Yes, Captain." Nina cleared her throat. Eric didn't bother to contain his smile.

My father looked mildly surprised, watching Giselle as she stalked away. "Did I deserve that?"

Mother cuffed the back of his head with a smile. "You deserve every slap you get, Jack."

My eyes followed the feisty woman. I didn't understand, why did she slap dad? "She doesn't like you, Jack?"

He looked at me with surprise. "Everyone likes me, I don't know what you're on about."

Mother rolled her eyes, flicking his nose. "No, Jacqueline, she does not. Idiot," She told Jack, kissing him gently.

"I think we investigate," I decided, pushing past my shipmates and out the door. The amount of rum surrounding me was starting to get to my head. "I'll go over the people I've conned, lately, and you two go and --"

Eric coughed, grabbing my sleeve. "I'm not stupid, you're going to sneak away again."

I stomped my foot with a whine. "Then come with me, or something, I want to do something!"

Eric turned to Nina, still clutching my sleeve. "Get Jacob to plug that up, we can't have the rum gone to waste, we'll have a mutiny. I'll escort the Captain --"

I cut in. "I don't need a ruddy escort!"

"-- wherever it is she wants to go." Eric finished. Nina nodded, darting around him and bounding away, presumably to find Jacob.

I whirled on him. "I'm not a child!"

"You obviously aren't," He said, "But despite the blind eye you tend to turn, your crew truly cares about you, and would hate for you to be hurt in any way."

I narrowed my eyes. "This isn't about two years ago, is it?"

He shook his head, nudging the door shut behind us as he pushed me along. "No, it's about you in general. You tend to dig yourself into holes, Jacqueline."

I took my hand from his, crossing my arms. "I always dig myself out."

"But someday, you'll dig yourself so deep that you won't be able to." He said, in a softer tone.

I had turned my back on him. With a sigh, I turned on my heel and into his chest, hugging him tightly. He returned it without comment. "I appreciate it. Come on, like I said, I haven't seen Cass in far too long."

He released me and I spun around, hoping my beads wouldn't catch his nose. "Follow me, Eric, I shall show you to the darkest corners of our world!"

I detected a sigh before he obeyed.

The Drunken Lady is what remains of an old ship, a ship which went by the title of Our Lady of Divine Inspiration. Some witty pirate changed the name to Our Lady of Divine Inebriation, and due to the amount of lazy pirates that occupied Shipwreck Cove, the unique name had fallen to The Drunken Lady.

When Jack was roughly my age, as I had been informed, the tavern had been run by a burly man who styled himself Steve and his French wife. Where they were I didn't know, but I did know one of their daughters, Cassandra (Cass as she preferred), ran the place as of late. I didn't know her last name. She kept things like that to herself.

"You can either wait here," I told Eric at the entrance, "Or you can join me as I discuss womanly issues, men, and clothes with Cass. Your decision."

He glared at me before heading off to join a card game. He was practically a professional at poker. I pitied his opponent.

Cautiously, I wove my way through the miscellaneously placed tables, glad for the britches I wore, rather than a skirt. Drunken men could be animals, as you may very well know.

I leaned against the counter. "Cass, darling, wherever have you gone?"

"Jacqueline?" Someone's voice, aghast, floated from the back room.

Cass' head popped out from the curtains sectioning off the living quarters, her blue green eyes wide with surprise. "Jacqueline! Long time no see, amie!"

I beamed, clasping her hands and resisting the urge to squeal. Jacqueline Sparrow did not squeal. Instead, I resorted to babbling in French. "Chérie, ça fait toujours! Je vous ai manqué comme le coucher du soleil, l'amour!"

"Je connais!" She agreed with a smile, gesturing for me to come around the counter. "How have you been?"

I obeyed, sitting on the splintered stool she indicated. She perched on the counter. "I've been simply excellent, you?" She hadn't changed much. Same brown trousers, stained cut off shirt (the large scar across her ribs was clearly visible), same dull brown waistcoat. Her ginger hair was shorter, however, this time it was cut in choppy waves that ended just below her pierced ears.

"Également," She answered. "I met a man, last year, and we see each other occasionally."

I pushed for details, and she obliged with a shy smile. Cass was bisexual, and acceptance in this day and age was ridiculously hard to come by, unfortunately.

"I almost shot him, je le jure," She laughed, a tinkling sound. "What brings you to Shipwreck Cove, besides? You usually avoid port, do you not?"

I winced. Yes, I did. It had a lot to do with the amount of Navy that seemed to permeate every inch of what I knew of the world, and the amount of enemies my parents left over, and then the amount of adversaries I had accumulated. "Ah, you haven't heard? The Fifth Brethren Court concurred not five hours ago."

She sobered. "You are a Lord, No? What's happening this time? The British are not trying to exterminate us again, I hope."

I hope she's the only one who jokes about that. I thought sourly. "No, we thought it necessary. Less and less men seem to act on the account, as of late."

She sighed sadly, looking beyond me at the open windows. From The Drunken Lady, the port was visible, as well as the grand brigs that swam in the lovely Caribbean water. "Unfortunately." Her eyes gleamed, and she fixated her bright gaze on me again. She had the weirdest eyes. Depending on the light, they could be silver, blue, or green. "How are the Lords? Are there any interesting characters?"

I smiled, for some odd reason. "Well, the Pirate Lord of the Red Sea, he was interesting. And..." I frowned. "Barboussa's successor, she was awfully sour. Her name was Ai Fan." I grinned at her.

She laughed. "Her parents must have been terrible." She focused again. "The Red Sea? Is the man red as well?"

I blinked. "How did you know?"

She shrugged. "He visited earlier." Her shimmery eyes were intense. "He inquired about you."

I sat up. "What? Really? Me?" I was flattered.

She rolled her eyes. "Oui. He wondered where he could find you, so I pointed out the Pearl. He thanked me and left."

I smiled, pleased. "See, my fame is spreading."

"Or your infamy..." She muttered.

"I wonder if he still wishes to speak with me," I thought aloud. "He didn't mention anything else?"

"Non," She said, swinging her legs. "Connard didn't even order a drink..."

Another pirate that doesn't drink? I wondered, considering the thought. I was decidedly curious.

"Jacqueline."

I turned, and low and behold, Eric. "Oh, what is it, 'mom'?"

He was unfazed. "I think we should head back, Captain. The crew is probably good and drunk by now."

I sighed, standing, ignoring the slight complaint from my joints. I'd been sitting on my knees for a while. "Coming. Cass, je te verrai plus tard."

"Au revoir!" She waved, hopping off the counter as an already drunken pirate stumbled up to the bar.

I fell into step beside Eric, noting the small leather pouch that swung from his hand. "Victorious?"

"You know it," He said with a hint of pride. "I don't need it, as you know. Here."

I stared as he grabbed my hand, unfolding my fingers and then closing them around it. I felt the sharp contours of the coins through the leather. "Isn't it yours? You won it." I didn't move, regardless.

We had stopped outside of The Drunken Lady. "I don't want it. Use it for the Pearl, or something of your own."

I pocketed it slowly. "Thanks, Eric." I linked our arms.

He smiled quietly, guiding me down the sloping pathway, lined by the remnants of ships and seafaring transportation. I heard the soft clink of metal in my one of many pockets.

As I looked to the sliver of moon held by a thread, among a sea of stars, I thought of the Pirate Lord of the Red Sea. What is it you want with me, Sutcliff?