Elle was on her forth round of drinks when Zara sashayed up to the table. She plopped down in Miles lap.

"Hello, Darling." she purred. Then she looked around the table. "How ar-" her question stopped abruptly as her eyes landed on Elle. Zara's eyebrows shot up and she looked at the others questioningly.

They gave her looks as if they were just as confused as she was.

Elle leaned back in the chair. She studied the wall with a vague expression. She barely held the half empty mug. She hummed under her breath, then stopped. Hand shaking she lifted the mug. Misjudging the distance the rim clashed with her chin.  The contents splashed, dripping down her chin. She hardly noticed, but righted the mug and took a deep drink.

The mug made a thunk as she put it on the table. She slumped forward, her chest pressed against the table. Her hand wrapped around the mug handle in a death grip. She sighed loudly.

"Um, shouldn't someone do something? " Zara whispered.  Her head cocked to the side.

"That don go well." Harv said. "Cap'n tried on the last round. He told him to go to hell." He made sure to refer to Elles as "he".

"That's not all he said. He made a comment- or two- about Talbot and some nuns in France. " Miles said and cleared his throat. Miles to was careful to call Elle by 'he' instead of 'she'. "Pretty sure the nuns would have been offended."

Harv gave a gruff sound of amusement. 

Talbot glared at them all.

Zara lifted an eyebrow at the captain. "No comment from you?"

He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.  The scowl on his face deepened.

"Apparently not." she said and turned her attention back to Miles.

Miles grunted, but it seemed to be an effort to hide the sound of a laugh. Talbot stood and shoved the chair back with his legs. If the wall hadn't been behind him the chair would have crashed to the floor.

Back straight he walked away from them. He remembered when Elle had over indulged and drank too much rum. Zara had rescued her before she had revealed her true gender. Occasionally he still found himself angry that Elle hadn't confided in him from the start. He knew he couldn't say with certainty what he would have done. Her duplicity had cost him many uncomfortable nights and days. Unfortunately it had started before he had learned her secret. 

He had started to doubt his own mind. For a while he had tried to drown his interest with willing company at every port. When they had been at sea and that was not an option he had thrown himself into work. He had pushed the crew relentlessly. At points he had pushed Elle harder than any of the others. He lashed out at her when teaching her the sword.

He away said it was for the boys own good. It was important for the boy to be able to defend himself. Every word was true but there were truths that he didn't acknowledge as well.

His frustration with his own ability to handle the situation nearly caused him to ban her from the ship. It hadn't helped that Harv had put her into the cabin next to his.

He had started to hate himself for obvious reasons. He had believed that he had been attracted to a innocent young boy. He knew there were men that were attracted to other men, he had never judged them. He considered it their personal business regardless of Society's restriction and views. They were adults.

His problem was first and foremost that Ella was just a child. Secondly he had never had such an interesting before in anyone of his own gender. The fact that he believed that Elle had been a child of no more then 12 or 15 had disgusted him.

He had been fighting his attraction so long that even now he found it uncomfortable. Elle was of marriageable age but she was still innocent. She cussed and dressed like a pirate. She was deadly with a sword. She worked like a man. She was intelligent. But he would bet his last farthing  that she knew nothing of men. He couldn't ignore that. He wouldn't take advantage of it.

He grabbed the arm of the passing waitress and asked her where the tavern owner was.

He had quickly arranged the use of the rooms that they had leased the night before for another night. He had a feeling that they would be needed. Deanton charged the same as the night before.

Talbot didn't care. They didn't need the baths tonight or even the laundry services. They may need those rooms. One room most of all.

They wouldn't be able to get Ella to the ship without having to carry her. He didn't think that he could carry her in his arms that long without having some sort of reaction. And he certainly didn't want to watch Harv carry her.

That settled he made his way back to the table. He ignored their curious looks and settled back in his chair. He crossed his arms over his chest and tipped the chair back on two legs. It leaned back and rested on the wall.

Elle had been laughing at something that one of the others had said but now she was suddenly silent. She was leaning heavily over the table. One arm was stretched out over the tables wooden surface. Her body was folded in a way that allowed her buttocks to be planted fairly firmly on her seat. Her

head rested on her outstretched arm. Her fingers seemed to be tracing the patterns in the woods old grain. Her mug had somehow managed to be refilled in the time during his brief absence.  He scowled at the mug that was just inches from her hand. 

"Tara brought it." Harv said and Talbot looked from the mug to him. Harv shook his head. "There wont be more tanight."

Talbot nodded.

Elle pushed against the table but barely managed to sit up half way. She reached for her drink and slid it closer to herself. With anyone else in other circumstances Talbot may have laughed at the clumsy attempt to drink the brew. He wasn't laughing now. Their table was quiet.

He felt — bitter. This display was his fault. Somehow.

He had spent the past eight years carefree, unattached, and uncaring of the civilization around him. He had been the second son to a minor Duke. He had been raised knowing his brother would one day take the reigns and he would be free to continue his life of ease. His brother had died of an illness that had effected much of the city. Suddenly he had been thrust into responsible he had never wanted and had been ill equipped to handle.  Seven months later he had fled. Within two months he was a pirate.  If he were honest with himself he'd admit there were times that he really had regretted running away.

He had thought of going home but was unsure what his father's reception would be. In The past year he had almost sent a letters to hus father. He had written it but never handed it to Elle to deliver.

His given name was Talbot Alexander James not James Talbot. He sighed.

"What's wrong,  Cap'n?" Harv asked. 

Talbot let the chair fall back on all four legs. "Have you ever regretted the choices you made? Wondered if you should have went left when you went right?"

He watched as Harv though over the question. "Yes, but I ain't sure I really had that many choices. Fate sometimes chooses for us." he knocked on the table with his knuckle. "I don't regret joining your crew six years ago, Cap. I know that ain't your question but there are worse crews to be on." he said. Talbot caught the glance the made to Elle.

Zara and Miles were trying hard to appear invisible.  Zara was keeping an eye on Elle who was turning her empty mug in circles. Elle had resumed her position on the table.

Miles had buried his face in the curve of Zara's neck and wrapped his arms around her waist. 

Talbot nodded. He had flash of Elle on other ships. Not pleasant. 

Elle was singing under her breath.

"He's not going to be able to walk to that ship." Harv said looking at Elle.

"I know. I paid for the rooms." as he pushed his chair back on two legs.

"At least its not rum, Cap'n." Harv said.  He took a drink from his own mug.

"Elle. Elle?" Zara said suddenly.  She jumped up from Miles lap and leaned over the table. She grabbed Elles hand and shook it. "Elle. Wake up. Wake up, Elle." she shook her harder, when she got no response she grabbed Elles shoulder.  She pulled Elles limp body up from the table.

Talbot dropped the chair to the floor, moved around the table, grabbed Elles shirt and shook her.

"Damnit." He learned down and placed his ear by her mouth. Her heard her exhale and draw another shallow breath.  "Breathing." he told the others. No one remained in their seats.

A few of the patrons close to there table had stood as well. Some murmured to each other.

"He's fine." Harv told them with an amused laugh. Talbot hoped they accepted it at face value. "He just can't handle his liquor. "

"Maybe someone should take him to his room?" Zara intoned. Harv and Miles nodded.

Talbot nodded, then he sighed. He leaned down and lifted Elle from the seat.

"Want some help?" Harv asked moving closer.

"No. The kid weights about nothing." Talbot told him, his voice sounding harsh. He shifted Elles weight so she hung over his shoulder.

He made his way through the tables and to the second floor hallway.

He shifted her again. He tightened his grip on her waist and  leaned her against the wall. He used his arm and body is a brace to keep her limp form from sliding to the floor.

With his other hand he opened the door. she's so small, he thought if he scooped her back up in his arms. Not a muscle in her body move.

He kicked the door closed with a soft thud behind him. her eyes fluttered open. She blinked up at him.

"Hello, Captain." She said in a singsong tipsy voice.

A board squeaked as his weight settled on it.

"You know, " she said and lifted up her hand. Her finger traced the scar on his face. Her fingers feather-light. She said wispily, "You're actually quite handsome." Her fingers brushed over his lips.

He couldn't suppress the hunger her touch created. The groaned. His brain understood that she didn't know what she was doing. His body had not gotten the same message.

Her arm fell and dangled limply just have a second after her eyes closed.

Realizing he had froze halfway to the bed he took a step forward.

She made a soft protesting groan when he laid her on the bed. He straightened up and turned to leave the room. He realized there was no way that she could possibly sleep comfortably that way. He debated leaving anyway. He turned back and looked at her. She was sleeping peacefully, if not comfortably. He stood there for a moment. She mumbled something in her sleep and he stepped forward.

Curious he waited for her to say more. stubbornly remain silent. She move her legs and he noticed her boots.

He figured the least he could do was take off the boots. He took  her boots off, placed them on the floor partly shoved under the bed. Then he removed her coat. As soon as he slid it off she sighed contentedly. His hand froze, the thin coat suspended in the air. He almost cursed. He watched her as he put the coat on the end if the bed. She wore a red shirt, and pants that were secured by a cloth belt tied in the front.

He could do this. She'd sleep better. He'd close his eyes so he wouldn't see anything. He quickly untied the belt. He had to roll her on her side to slid it off.

He wondered how anyone could be so incompacitated by just a few drinks. She was tiny, maybe that was part of it. There was no way she weighed more then 52 kilograms. (100 or 110 pounds ?)

He reached for the shirt. His hands shook. He unbuttoned two buttons and left the room.

In the main part of the tavern he found the others. He bent close to Zara's ear, pointedly ignored the annoyed look from Miles, and whispered in her ear.

"Elle needs your help." 

After Zara left he felt like a fool. He could have undressed her. He'd undressed plenty of women. The difference was all the others had been experienced, willing, eager, and conscious. None of them had made his hands shake.

He was a bloody fool. He should have told Elle he was taking her to the convent first. But, no, he had wanted to delay it for just a short time. Selfish and bloody foolish.