"You hungry?" JJ asked when the silence went on for a little too long. Mera nodded her head slowly.

"I'm gonna go drive by my house to get some clothes," Kiara said, standing. "Will you be okay here?"

Mera nodded again. She remembered what it was like the first time meeting all of her siblings. They hounded her, asking questions, pulling at her hair, dragging her off to a feed only hours after getting her gills and tail. While similar, this felt different, better than that. Mera knew that these people were concerned for her as a person and not just another set of fangs.

Kiara shuffled out of the room, leaving Mera with the three boys, who all stiffened suddenly.

"What, uh, what do you like to eat?" JJ asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm not sure. I've eaten nothing but human flesh for a very long time," Mera said. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Pope's eyes widened and John B covered a laugh with his fist. "I only mean to say that I am unfamiliar with the foods you eat here."

"I'll whip you something up," John B said, sending a wink her way. Mera smiled as he left, looking back at the remaining two boys.

"I'm sure you have plenty of questions to ask me," Mera said, straightening her back. She knew how humans were. They liked to ask questions, to understand things. She knew this when she made her decision to return.

"I was going to say the same thing to you." Pope slowly sat on the edge of the bed. "Why don't we take turns asking questions?"

"That's a stupid idea, Pope," JJ huffed. But Mera nodded her head eagerly.

"I would love to play this game."

Pope sent JJ a look that said "who's stupid now?"

"You ask the first question," Pope said, looking back at you. Despite his apparent dislike for the questions game, JJ sat in a chair and listened intently.

"What year is it?" she asked. The question had been on her mind since she woke up. It was impossible to tell how much time truly passed beneath the sea. Mera had sisters who had been alive for centuries. A part of her hoped that she may still have some relatives alive, but by the progression of the world and its technology, she didn't hold out much hope.

"It's 2020," Pope said. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but JJ interrupted him.

"Do mermaids have sex?" He asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"Dude!"

"What? I've always wanted to know."

Mera smiled, the tips of her cheeks turning pink.

"I am not used to speaking about such things so openly, but no. Mermaids, as you call us, reproduce only by turning other humans," Mera said. "As we are immortal, there is no need to reproduce as humans do."

"I am so sorry about him," Pope said, holding out his hand as if to shield Mera from JJ's entire being.

"Hey, it was a serious question," JJ said, slapping Pope's hand away.

"Are you kidding me?" Pope spun around to slap JJ's knee in retaliation. "We are having a conversation with a real-life mermaid and you ask her about sex?"

"Well, what do you want to ask her, Mr. Suit?"

"I'm not a suit, JJ."

"You're acting like one."

"And you're acting like a douche, did you know that?"

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, really."

Mera watched in increased interest as the two bounced insults off each other, taking turns slapping at each other's hands. Humans were so unusual.
John B returned not long into their prolonged argument with a plate of food.

"This is for you," he said, offering the plate to her and completely ignoring the slap fight going on between his friends. John B jumped onto the bed, stretching out his legs alongside Mera, who delicately picked up what looked like a sandwich.

"How long have you been a mermaid?" John B asked, tossing an oddly shaped piece of thin bread into his mouth.

"I became a mermaid in 1667," Mera said, looking up to the ceiling in hopes that it would help her mental math. "And if the year is 2020, then I have been under the sea for 353 years."

John B choked on whatever it was he put in his mouth, partially turning on his side to look at her better.

"Really?" He asked, still coughing. "That long?"

Mera nodded. She lifted the sandwich to her mouth and took a tentative bite, JJ and Pope still arguing in the background. Mera pushed down the desire to shove the entire thing in her face. When she lived beneath the ocean, there was nothing delicate about the way they ate. Living as a pirate, she had the same fate when it came to food. She was unsure whether or not times had changed since then.

There was nothing overwhelmingly delicious about the sandwich she ate, but Mera had long ago forgotten what real food tasted like. Even something so simple as bread, lettuce, and some kind of slimy meat made her moan with delight.

"This is amazing," she mused with a grin. John B's smiled perked up.

"You think so?"

Mera nodded her head up and down, taking another large bite. Despite her best efforts to eat calmly, she had gulped the entire thing down in a few bites. When she was finished she sucked in a deep breath and smiled.

"Thank you, John B," Mera said, setting the plate in her lap.

"There's more where that came from, Mera," he said. She shook her head.

"I can't take anything more from you," she said with the wave of her had. "You have provided so much for me already."

John B blew air through his lips, offering the bag of the flat bread to Mera.

"Take anything you want," he said. Mera smiled again, sticking her hand inside the bag and pulling out whatever was inside, inspecting it carefully. "These are called chips."

"Chips?"

"Yeah. Fried potatoes."

"Potatoes?" Mera looked at the chip in her hand, wondering how on earth they made this out of a potato.

"Go on, try it." She was slightly wary of John B's smile. She was more than familiar with pranks. The crew of The Iron Anchor had a habit of pulling them constantly, especially on her. John B wore the same mischievous grin as they usually had before something blew up in her face.

But when she put the chip in her mouth, she found that there was no prank. It was salty and crunched when she bit down on it. Her eyes widened at the taste of it.

"You like it?" He asked her, his smile growing. "There are about a hundred different flavors and a million different brands."

"Flavors?"

"Like barbecue, sour cream, vinegar."

"I have truly missed many very interesting inventions," Mera said. John B offered another chip, which she took gladly.

"Oh, just you wait."

Once Pope and JJ finally finished their argument, Mera was deep in conversation with John B about the different kinds of foods that she had missed out on. Pizza sounded like something she would especially like. John B looked over to find Pope and JJ intently trying to listen in, so he decided to include them back into the conversation.

"Did you know that Mera is 353 years old?" He said. Pope's mouth fell open and JJ choked out a cough.

"Pardon?"

"Actually," Mera said, swallowing the piece of chip that was in her mouth. "I am closer to 369 years old. I became one with the ocean when I was 16."

"Wait, you died at 16?" Pope asked, eyebrows furrowed. Mera shook her head.

"No, I never actually died. I just put of mortality for a couple hundred years," Mera said, as if it was the most natural thing to occur. JJ scoffed, leaning back in his chair.

"That doesn't sound too bad," he said.

Mera narrowed her eyes at her hands, feeling an uncomfortable pressure suddenly build up near her heart.

"There were downsides to being immortal," she said, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

"Like what?" John B asked, picking a bottle off of the counter to drink.

"I had to watch my mother mourn for me and my father on the same day, unable to comfort her. And the worst part was, I'm not sure I even wanted to comfort her." Tears suddenly gathered in her eyes. "There is a numbness when you become apart of the sea. I couldn't feel physical pain, but I couldn't feel the emotional pain either. I have never mourned for my father, nor my mother, nor my crew. It felt so... empty."

The boys were quiet, unsure of how to comfort the girl in front of them. Mera spent a few moments silent, her eyes narrow and eyebrows pinched, nose threatening to run. Eventually, she shook her head and looked back up with a smile.

"Then, of course, there is that fact of tearing the flesh off of humans to eat," she said with a playful grin. John B paled, suddenly aware of how close to Mera he was sitting. JJ pushed himself upward.

"Anyone want a beer?" He asked, moving his finger across the room to point at each of them. Pope shook his head, chin pressed against his hands.

"I'll take one," John B said.

"Mera?"

"Is it like ale?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Then yes, I would like one."

"Cool." JJ tapped his knuckles on the doorframe as he left the room. For some reason, watching him leave made Mera somehow feel exposed.

"Mera," Pope said, finally dropping his hands. "Why did you leave the ocean?"

Mera heaved in a deep breath before letting it out as a sigh. There were too many reasons to condense into one simple response. Her mind searched for a way to explain it, but no good answer came to mind.

"I always felt called to the sea," she said, speaking slowly. "Even as a young child. My mother said that it was a part of my heart. I thought when I joined the sea that I would be completed, like that void I always felt would disappear, but it only deepened. I knew that whatever I was searching for couldn't be found on the ship I lived on and could not be found where I was under the water. Pair that with being haunted by the screams of drowning men and the lack of feeling, I saw no other choice."

Pope bobbed his head up and down slowly. He said nothing else and neither did John B. The room was quiet until JJ returned with three beers. He tossed one to Mera, which she caught. He was about to offer a bottle opener when she broke the neck of the bottle off. Careful of the sharp glass, Mera took a long swig, oblivious to the agape jaws and wide eyes of the boys around her.

Pulling the broken bottle away from her, she smacked her lips a few times, scowling.

"This beer tastes very different from the ale that I am used to," she said, before looking back at the boys. Her scowl fell and she lowered the bottle. "What?"

"You just...the bottle," JJ said, pointing at her hands. Mera's cheeks flushed.

"I guess the strength has yet to wear off," she said. That meant there were going to still be side effects of leaving that she had yet to feel.

"You had super strength too?" JJ turned in a circle, hands over his eyes. "I want to be a mermaid so bad."

"I'm telling everyone you said that," John B said, pointing a finger at his friend. Pope laughed, leaning back. Mera smiled as she watched the friends interact. They reminded her of her crew, whom she remembered like she had left them yesterday. Maybe that was why she felt like she fit in with them so well. It was like she never left home.

"So, Kie, Pope, and I came up with a plan while you were asleep," John B said, pushing himself into a straighter sitting position. JJ looked away from Mera, remembering where he was when that conversation took place. The world Mera came from, it was shameful for a woman and a man to sleep in the same bed if they weren't married. She had hoped that in the world was full of things like beer bottles and pizza that the stigma and shame would have passed on.

"It's a pretty good plan," Pope said, pulling Mera back into the conversation.

"Plan for what?" She asked.

"For keeping you here, with us," John B said, as if it was that obvious. "And before you say something about being too much, we know that you have nowhere else to go and this world is incredibly different from the one you left. We want to help you."

Pope bobbed his head up and down in agreement. Mera felt a strange feeling build up inside her, her eyes beginning to sting. She recognized the feeling almost instantly; joy. Mera fought back the tears, not wanting to cry in front of her new friends. She swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded.

"What's your plan then?" She asked.

"Alright," John B said, leaning forward. "We tell everyone that you're my cousin, Uncle T's daughter. My Uncle T is supposed to be here taking care of me right now, but he's not so we've got to pretend that he is. We'll say you were living with your mom and the mainland but wanted to spend a summer with your uncle and your wonderful cousin. That's me."

JJ rolled his eyes, but Mera nodded slowly.

"Can you not live alone?" Mera asked him. "Why must 'Uncle T' be your guardian?"

John B cleared his throat, a sad look falling on his face. The other two boys looked at their feet and Mera instantly knew she had said something wrong.
"My dad is missing," John B finally said. Mera's heart sunk. She understood all too well how losing her father felt. "And since I'm not 18, I can't live alone without a guardian."

Mera scowled. She placed her hand over John B's in an attempt to comfort him, a movement that caught the attention of all in the room. She retracted her hand, cheeks turning pink.

"Where...where I'm from," she said, trying to cover for herself. "Many were married before they were 18 and living lives all their own. I myself have been betrothed to a pirate lord since I was ten and was expected to marry when I became a woman."

Mera had wished that it would be comforting, but it clearly just made the boys uncomfortable. She thought it best to hold her tongue on matters of the past for a while, at least until she was asked questions. She had no desire to make the boys any more confused or unnerved.

"Well," Pope said, trying to finish what John B had been saying. "You'll want a job so you can survive out here. John B works with the Camerons up at Tannyhill-"

"Tannyhill?" Mera asked, perking up and immediately forgetting her vow to stay silent.

"You know it?" JJ asked.

"Yes, my family had dealings with Denmark Tanny for years."

"I keep forgetting you're like a million years old," JJ said, putting a hand over his eyes.

"369," Mera corrected. JJ dropped his hand and gave her a smile.

"Right."

"The plan?" Pope's voice drew Mera's attention away from the blond and his smile.

"I'll introduce you to Ward Cameron," John B said. "You just smile at him and I know he'll give you a job."

Mera nodded her head.

"You'll stay here with John B," Pope continued. "You'll work with Ward Cameron and we'll just keep going about our daily life."

"And that's the plan," John B said, putting his hands behind his head.

"I like this plan," Mera said. "But you're sure I am allowed to stay? I don't mean to be a burden."

"It's no problem," John B said, waving his hand. "Like I said, you're a Pogue now and Pogues help out Pogues."

Mera couldn't help her grin. The front door opened and Mera jumped, pulling the blanket tighter around her.

"I'm back!" Kiara yelled through the house. When she showed up in the doorway, she had a bag in each hand. "I have some clothes and some food for you, Mera."

"Thank you, Kiara," Mera said.

"You were a pirate, right?" JJ asked, pulling Mera's attention away from Kiara.

"Yes."

"But you talk like a rich kid."

"JJ, c'mon," Kiara said, giving him a look that reminded Mera of her mom.

"It's alright, Kiara." Mera turned to look at JJ. "My parents wanted me to be able to speak with British officials without my vernacular giving me away."

"Vernacular?" JJ breathed under his breath to Pope, who leaned back and whispered a quick definition.

"And then I spent more than 350 years with my brothers and sisters who all spoke in a variety of different ways and in many different languages. This is the one for me that felt the most fitting."

"Wait, how many languages do you speak?" Pope asked, an interested grin on his face.

"Hang on," Kiara said. "Let's save questions until after the girl has some clothes on."

"I like what she's wearing now," JJ said, with a grin. Mera felt her cheeks heaten again, a small smile on her face.

"All of you get out," Kiara said, a disgusted look on her face.

"This is my room," John B protested nonchalantly. "I think I should be able to stay."

"Nope!" Kiara said, shouting over the boys before Mera could hear the arguments they made for who got to stay in the room as she changed. "We're all going out to the front so she can change, yeah?"

The boys grumbled. Mera was grateful for Kiara and her ability to round up the boys when she needed to. It was a talent that Mera respected. Mera's mother became captain of The Iron Anchor because of her skill to round up the crew, even at their rowdiest. They respected her, followed her no matter what. If Mera wasn't mistaken, Kiara played a similar role amongst the Pogues.

Kiara herded the boys out of the room like cats, shutting the door behind her. Mera was now alone for the first time. She sat there, unmoving for a while, trying to see if being alone was something she liked. She never had before, but maybe she did now. After a few minutes, Mera decided that she did not like being alone and it was the last place she wanted to be. She dug through the clothes, pulling out a long pair of pants and what she assumed were undergarments. It was hot out, but there was nothing outside of the long pants that Mera could see herself wearing.

When Mera emerged from the bedroom, she was wearing a pair of Kiara's jeans and a blue tank-top, feeling more than exposed. JJ's sweater was in her hands as she shuffled toward her new friends.

"Hey!" Kiara said when she caught sight of Mera. "You look good!"

"Thank you," Mera replied, sheepish. "I don't know who's sweater this is, but thank you for letting me borrow it."

"Keep it," JJ said, arms crossed as he leaned against the countertop. "I got a million more back home."

Mera smiled, still feeling awkward and uncomfortable in the clothes she was wearing.

"We were thinking about going to town for a bit," John B said, scuffing his feet on the floor. "Introduce you to some of our friends to get the word out there that you're in town."

"If it's alright with you," Pope added quickly.

"That would be wonderful," she said, bowing her head slightly.

"Great!" JJ clapped his hands together and pushed himself off the counter.
"I also brought a hairbrush for you," Kiara said as the boys made their way to the front door. "I can brush your hair on the way there."

Mera hadn't thought about how haggard her hair much have looked. She wasn't sure she wanted to think about it after spending the last hour surrounded by people. Kiara approached her with a smile and looped her arm through Mera's, leading her toward the front door.

The van outside was unlike something Mera had ever seen before. She tried not to let it surprise her, but when Kiara gave her arm a squeeze, she realized that she wasn't covering up her shock as well as she had hoped. JJ helped Mera into the back of the van, offering his hand to pull her in. She took it and he pulled her inside.

As soon as she was sitting with her back to Kiara, JJ let go of her and turned to look out the window. Mera watched him flex the muscles in his hand, feeling a tingle in her own.

Kiara took the bottoms of Mera's hair, brushing the tangles out slowly. It was methodical, mind-numbing. Music bopped out of the radio, Pope, John B, and Kiara each taking turns talking at a million miles per hour. Mera tried to listen to what they were saying, but she found her mind turning back to JJ, sitting across from her, staring out the window.

"Your hair is so soft," Kiara mused, running her fingers through Mera's brushed hair. "Do you want me to put it back?"

"Could you braid it?" Mera asked.

"One or two?"

"Two please."

The van shuddered to a stop just as Kiara finished braiding Mera's hair. They all stepped out into the sun.

The sun. Mera lifted her face up to the sky, letting the heat from the sun beat against her skin. She breathed out as the wind rustled her hair. Mera hadn't felt the kiss of the sun in far too long. A smile spread across her lips, soaking in the warmth, letting it ease the tension in her bones.

"There is no way anyone will believe that she's your cousin," JJ muttered from behind.

"Dude."

"No, JJ's definitely right."

"Dude!"

"Who is this?" Someone asked from in front of her. Mera pulled herself from her trance and turned toward the voice. A boy stood beside her; tall, blond, wearing a pink collared shirt. Mera smiled at him and offered her hand.

"Mera," she said. The boy shook her hand.

"Rafe."

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine," Rafe said with a wide grin.

"What are you doing here, Rafe?" John B asked, walking up and standing behind Mera. She could feel the tension between them and her smile fell. She knew well enough when an enemy had boarded ship to know that there was something going down between her new friends and Rafe.

"Just talking to a pretty girl, here, John B. You got a problem with that?" Rafe asked. Mera felt her chest tighten, discomfort passing through her like ice.

"Yeah, I got a problem. She's my cousin," John B said, voice tight.

"There is no way she's your cousin. I mean-" Rafe's eyes scanned Mera's body, instantly making her tense. She felt her breath hitch. "Damn."

"Back off, Rafe," JJ growled, standing beside Mera.

"I can talk to whoever I want, JJ," Rafe snapped, his smile finally falling. Mera felt herself flinch. What was she doing, being afraid of a boy like this? She had fought and killed tougher man than him. She had dragged men to their deaths for hundreds of years. She had no reason to be afraid of him.

"There's no need for a fight, boys," Kiara said, Pope standing next to her by the van. "We're just showing Mera around."

"Mera, huh?" Rafe looked down Mera's body again.

"Back off, man!" JJ said, starting to take a step forward. Mera's hand shot out and grabbed JJ's wrist to keep him from going any further. Never before in either of her lives had she let someone else fight for her. She wasn't about to start now.

"I would really appreciate it if you would less us by," she said, smiling up at Rafe.

"But we were just getting to know each other." He reached out toward her, but before he got close, Mera slapped his hand away and jabbed the heel of her palm into his nose. He stumbled backward, blood dripping down his face.

"Shit!" John B put his hands against his forehead while JJ let out a burst of laughter.

"Mera!" Kiara cried out, stepping forward.

"What the hell?" Rafe coughed, blood pooling in his hands.

"Never touch a girl when she without her permission," Mera seethed, leaning closer to Rafe on the ground.

"You are so badass," JJ laughed to her from behind. Mera felt herself smile, but dropped it quickly.

"Let's just go," Kiara said, putting a hand on Mera's arm. Mera looked away from Rafe and back over at Kiara, who was pleading with her eyes for Mera to step away. From the look on Kiara's face, Mera could tell that this wasn't the first time she had been forced to beg her friends to stand down from a fight. Mera didn't want to be another burden on Kiara's back.

She nodded once, looking back at Rafe for a few seconds, before stepping toward Kiara and Pope. John B and JJ followed after them as they walked away.
JJ threw his arms around Mera's shoulders, giving her a tight squeeze.

"That was the coolest thing I've ever seen," JJ said, beaming.

"You handed Rafe his ass!" John B laughed. "You're going to be my favorite cousin."

Mera smiled at the two of them as John B tapped her shoulder with his fist, a feeling of pride burning in her chest.

"Look, Mera," Pope said, stepping in front of her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "That was pretty sick back there and I'm sure Rafe deserved it, but this isn't like your pirate ship. We can't go around punching people. It'll bring too much unwanted attention and could get you into some serious trouble."

"C'mon, chief-"

"JJ, Pope's right," Kiara said. "You get too much attention and people will start asking questions. You have to lay low, Mera."

The feeling of pride soured in Mera's chest. She felt like she was being chastised by her parents and it wasn't a good feeling. Still, she acknowledged what they were saying with a nod.

"Good, let's go get some ice cream."

***

"You didn't like that boy very much, did you?" Mera asked JJ, taking a bite out of her ice cream.

"Oh, jeez, Mera," JJ said, cringing. "You don't bite it. You gotta lick it."

"Lick it?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

Mera watched how JJ was eating his ice cream and mimicked him. It was much more pleasant to her teeth than biting it.

"No, we don't really like Rafe," JJ said finally, once Mera got the hang of her ice cream.

"Why?"

"He's a kook, one of the worst."

"I don't understand that word. 'Kook.'"

"They're all filthy rich and the only one who gives two shits about the rest of us on this island is Kie." JJ pointed his ice cream at Kiara as she ordered up at the front.

"I understand that," Mera said. "My parents were born with nothing, forced to steal and beg for food, while the British lived comfortably in their big houses with their slaves."

Her voice shook as she spoke, hands curling into fists.

"You know they got rid of slavery?" JJ said, licking the top of his round ice cream. Mera nodded.

"Many of my siblings were those lost at sea from the slave ships coming from Africa. And every new brother or sister we gained, they told us about the world above land as they knew it. Many of my siblings were sad to hear of the end of slavery for they feared it meant less food, fewer people willing to turn and join us," Mera said and she shook her head. "But I saw those slave ships, I boarded them. The cargo we stole was people more often than not, human beings who did not deserve to be in chains."

"You and Kie would get along really well," JJ said. Mera scoffed softly, trying to pull herself from the memory she had dropped herself into. Kiara slid into a chair beside Mera, holding a cup rather than a cone.

"What kind did you get?" She asked Mera.

"Chocolate," Mera said. "JJ said it was the best kind."

JJ raised his eyebrows, biting into his waffle cone.

"One thing you should learn," Kiara said with a playful tone. "Don't ever listen to JJ. He's constantly full of shit."

"Hey!" JJ protested, but Mera nodded her head with a smile.

"Sounds good to me."

By the time they all left the ice cream parlor, the rumor had already buzzed around that John B's cousin was in town. A few people whispered to each other as the group of five walked past. Mera felt that same fear in her bones when Rafe was looking at her once again. Never before had whispers bothered her. She would keep her head high, walk on without a care. Apparently, she had changed much since joining the ocean.

A strange sound from behind startled Mera. She spun around and realized that she wasn't the only one to tense. JJ, who stood behind her, stepped in front of her ever so slightly as a large blue and white truck with strange lights pulled up behind them.

"These are the police, Mera," Pope whispered to her. "Law enforcement."

Mera nodded, mouth running dry. Pirates and law enforcement had never gotten along. Maybe these police, as Pope called them, were more accepting of different kinds of people than in her time.

A woman stepped out of the front of the car.

"John B Routledge," the woman sighed, walking over to them.

"What can I do for you, Sheriff Peterkin?" John B said and took a step toward her.

"I heard you have a cousin in town," the Sheriff said, looking at the group behind him. "That her?"

Mera put a hand on JJ's shoulder. When he looked back at her, she nodded her head and he stepped out of the way.

"My name is Mera, ma'am," she said, putting out a hand for the Sheriff to shake.
"Good to meet you."

"I didn't realize the police drop by every time family visits from out of town," John B said, obviously tense. Tread lightly, Mera told herself.

"I've just never heard mention of a cousin from Big John or your Uncle Teddy." The Sheriff rested her hand on her hip. "Just wanted to make sure nothing fishy was going on."

Mera heard JJ cough over a laugh.

"I've been living with my mom," Mera said. "I haven't had much contact with my dad in years, but he reached out, wanted me to come down."

"Why now? On top of taking care of John B here, now he's got his long lost daughter in town."

"Is this an interrogation, Sheriff?" John B asked, defensiveness clear in his voice.

"It's alright, John B," Mera said, putting a hand on his arm. "You see, ma'am, my dad wrote me and my mom a few months back, said his brother was missing. I didn't even know I had an uncle, or a cousin. My dad said something about regrets and doing right by me, you know the drill. My mom has a lot of work and couldn't come down, but it's summertime and I wanted to see my dad and to meet my cousin."

"And seeing your dad, how has it been?"

"He is very different than I expected."

Mera smiled at the Sheriff, hoping that she wasn't rusty on all of the things her parents had taught her about lying. With adults, be as innocent as possible. Smile, bat your eyelashes, make things sound worse than they are. And if it is a woman, rely on her maternal instincts. She'll want to protect you, Mera, make her think she needs to.

Eventually, the Sheriff dropped her hand from her waist and gave Mera a rather unconvincing smile.

"It's good to meet you, Mera," the Sheriff said. "If any of these boys give you any kind of trouble, don't be afraid to call me."

"Thank you, Sheriff."

"See you around, John B."

When the Sheriff stepped into her car and drove away, Mera heard a collective sigh escape her friends behind her.

"C'mon," John B said. "Let's get home."

***

"Damn," Mera whispered, spotting a brown stain on her jeans.

"What's up?"

"I got ice cream on Kiara's jeans," Mera said, chest tightening. "I didn't realize it dripped the way it did."

"It's alright," Pope told her. "You can just change."

Mera's lips twitched awkwardly to the side.

"Don't tell Kiara, I don't want to sound ungrateful, but the other pants she brought are rather...short and I'm not used to wearing something like that," Mera said, leaning forward toward the boys, afraid that Kiara would hear, even though she was outside on the phone. "I don't mind wearing these. I once wore a blood-stained shirt for a week before we made it to port."

"Don't sweat it," John B said, waving off what Mera said about the blood-stained shirt. "You can borrow something of mine."

He turned away from the dining room and headed down the hall.

"You guys have been too kind to me," Mera said, looking back at JJ and Pope. "I don't deserve this kindness or respect."

"You saved JJ's life, Mera. I think you deserve more than what we can give."
Mera felt tears sting in her eyes as she hung her head.

"You don't know the things I've done," she said, her words trembling.

"What do you mean?"

John B turned back around the corner, holding a pair of pants in his hand, completely unaware of what he walked into.

"These are just a pair of sweats, but they're clean." He tossed them at Mera. She caught them and forced herself to smile.

"I'll be right back."

Mera hurried off to the other room. As soon as the tight jeans were off of her legs, Mera let out a breath of relief. She quickly pulled John B's grey sweats, pulling the elastic as tight as they would go. Walking back to the dining room, Mera had a smile on her face. These pants were much more similar to the trousers she once wore. It almost felt like being home.

"How do you do it?" JJ asked, almost breathless.

"Do what?" Mera asked, realizing that the sweats she wore had pockets. A wider smile spread across her face.

"Nevermind."

Kiara came through the front door, a frown on her face.

"My parents won't let me stay," she said. Mera's heart deflated. "I have a shift tomorrow morning and they want me home. I'm sorry, Mera."

"Don't worry, Kiara. I am fine staying here with JJ and John B."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Mera said. "You and Pope have a life to live that I have no desire to get in the way of."

"We'll see you at the party tomorrow night, though," Pope said, pointing a finger at Mera.

"A...party?"

"Yeah, we all get together at the boneyard, drink beer, dance, whatever," Pope said.

"That sounds like fun. I will see you at the party then."

"I'll take you home, Pope," Kiara said. "Bye, guys."

"See ya."

Watching Pope and Kiara walk out of the house suddenly made Mera feel like a part of her was leaving with them. She watched the door shut behind them, watched Kiara's car pull out of the driveway.

"Are you good?" John B asked. Mera had almost forgotten they were there. She turned around, smile on her lips, and nodded.

"Tired, I think," she said, twisting her hands.

"You can sleep in my bed," John B said. "I'll take the floor."

"No, it's alright. I'm used to a bed on the floor."

"No, no, no, sweetheart," JJ said, putting his hands on her shoulders and leading her off toward the bedroom. "A princess never sleeps on the floor."

"JJ, I'm not-"

"You are tonight."

Mera found herself once again in the bedroom.

"We'll be out there," John B said. "If you need anything, just let us know."

They were halfway out the door when Mera turned around suddenly.

"I don't want to be alone," she blurted, taking a quick breath after she said it. The boys stopped and turned back around. "I can't remember the last time I was completely alone."

John B and JJ glanced at each other.

"As your cousin, I wouldn't feel right staying," John B said and bumped JJ with his elbow. "He can stay with you."

"You're not her cousin, dude," JJ said as John B started to pull the door shut.

"Sleep tight!"

JJ and Mera stood awkwardly on opposite ends of the room. He shoved his hands in his pockets and she tucked hers under her arms, both refusing to look at each other. JJ cleared his throat, tapping his foot against the nightstand. Mera was regretting her decision to say anything at all.

"Thank...thank you for staying," Mera said finally. JJ looked up at her suddenly, shaking his head.

"It's no problem."

"Well, um, I'm going to...." She pointed at the bed.

"Yeah, of course." JJ waved his hand toward the pillows, stepping out of the way. Mera went to the other side of the bed, crawling under the blankets.

"You aren't sleeping in your clothes, are you?" She asked him. JJ's cheeks turned slightly red as he looked anywhere but at her.

"No, but-"

"I want you to sleep comfortably," she said, pulling the blanket up to her chest. JJ nodded his head slowly. When it was clear to Mera that he wasn't going to move until she did something, she rolled onto her side, closing her eyes. "My eyes are closed, JJ."

She heard him shuffle around, mumbling to himself about something or another. She finally felt the bed dip underneath him as he slid under the covers. Mera rolled onto her back, sitting so close to the edge, her arm practically dangling from the bed.

"I have slept in closer quarters with men before," Mera said into the darkness. "There is no reason to be uncomfortable."

"Are you telling me that?" JJ asked. "Or yourself?"

Mera tensed her jaw, letting out a deep breath.

"I'm not sure."

There was silence again. Mera could hear the wind rustling the reeds and leaves outside, the water lapping against the dock, the sound of JJ breathing.

"You said you were engaged."

"Betrothed."

"Yeah." JJ let out a deep breath. "What was his name?"

"Jeremiah Hayne."

"What was he like?"

"I don't know. I never met him."

"You were going to marry someone you never met?"

"That was the world I lived in, JJ. It was a treaty with him and his armada. We needed the extra aid, the ability to sail his waters."

"Weren't you...upset about it?"

"Not really. It was for the best of my crew."

"Oh."

"Do you have a betrothed?"

"God, no." JJ let out a short laugh. "Anyone my dad chose for me would be the last person I would want to marry."

"So there's no one?"

"Um, no. Just me and the Pogues."

"Kiara-"

"No. Kie and I tried it out a while ago. Didn't work."

"Oh."

They fell silent again.

"We should probably sleep," JJ said. "John B is going to take you to Ward Cameron's tomorrow."

"Yes, of course."

"Rafe is his son, so watch for him. I doubt he'll say anything about how you kicked his ass, but just don't go anywhere by yourself. Guy's a psychopath, I swear."

Mera smiled into the darkness.

"I'll be careful."

"Night, Mera."

"Goodnight, JJ."