Alchemy in Treasure

by Lithiasaur

Summary:

I watched pirates last night and this is what happens whenever I do that. Someone gets a pirate AU. This time? The Mean Girls squad hit the waves.

This was never meant to be an expansive story, but if people like what I have written, then maybe I'll do some more in this universe. Just let me know.

Regina George is the captain of a feared band of pirates, and has opted to raid an idyllic tropical paradise in search of a very specific treasure. Her name is Janis Sarkisian, and Regina is in for way more than she bargained for with her new booty. Of course, there is a treacherous first mate and the threat of rival pirate crew daring to threaten Regina's power and steal what she rightfully stole first.

Chapter 1: The Raid

One of the biggest allures of this tiny, island town was the fact that it was located so remotely inland that it was not exactly considered a port town. Despite its size and tropical location, it was quite difficult to navigate to, though worth the trip for anyone who knew just what they were looking for. It meant it was not the prime target for piratical attentions, leaving it largely unraided and free of the political and economical strife being on pirate maps can bring. It was an idyllic place, all told, though of course it had its own problems that its picturesque wealth and peace did not accurately reflect. Even so, it was where many who had earned their fortunes, or at the very least the right to a peaceful retirement, came to wile away their days and enjoy a life lived simply. People could live exactly the way they wanted to, surrounded by beauty and wealth, where nothing happened that was not planned.

Which was why it was particularly upsetting to see it on fire.

Janis found herself in the town square with people running all around her. She had been working on a commissioned piece for one of the exporters in town, but the paint she was using was strong enough that she needed to be outside, which meant a small studio she had just outside of the city proper. Dark, casual clothes stained with various colors of paint, she opted to wear a men’s shirt with the strings at the top just pulled enough to keep her body from being on full display. Her breeches and high boots were slightly more feminine, but she barely put thought into it. She had just come into the main streets for a break and found hysteria instead.

The flames had quickly reached a raging inferno status, and she was certain there was no way it could have done so naturally. Considering how damp the air was not just because of the nature of the island, but the fairly dreary weather as the seasons changed, she could not see a simple forgotten stove or discarded cigar engulfing the town so rapidly. There had to be an outside source, some sort of accelerant, or perhaps multiple fires being started all at once. She moved against the crowd, yelling and waving her arms, pointing some of the panickers toward the one safe path out of town and toward the hidden docks across the island.

There were other ways to get there, but they involved complicated paths through the tropical forest around them, and Janis was not certain the fires would not ‘spread’ their way into the trees.

The local police force were capable enough, for the limited number of things they had to see and deal with in their days. There was once a murder, several years ago, and it had consumed the entire town in drama and scandal, while keeping the law enforcement officials fully booked until the crime had been solved. To her knowledge, nothing of note had happened since. Even the weather here was mild, a temperate zone of the ocean not prone to storms or even extreme heat. So they were a little out of practice when it came to handling the sheer, uproarious chaos this disaster provided. Still, Janis spotted them doing their best, herding the people they were evacuating toward the docks, and doing their best to maintain some kind of order in the process.

“Janis!” A familiar voice called, and she stopped, panting. She was running toward the upper cliffs, where most of the housing had been nestled among strong, thick trees and sturdy rocks against a rising cliff face. She turned to see the Captain of the local guard, as good a leader and authority figure as the other elected officials, though with far lower pay.

“Norbury!” Janis hurried to the Captain, “what’s happening?!”

“Pirates are raiding!” The stressed Captain said, shaking her head. Her floppy, dark hair fell in front of her eyes, but she was too distracted to care about it. A common theme with her general state of being, even when not in the middle of a crisis. “No idea how they got in, the scouts didn’t see them, apparently, as no warning was given.”

“Are the lookouts even still alive?”

Norbury paused thoughtfully, then nodded her head with a click of her tongue. “That would explain why they didn’t send out an alert. Where are you running? The harbor’s the safest place right now, by the water. We can only hope the rains roll in and spare the town, but we’re not equipped to deal with pirates.”

In the distance, a gun shot rang out, and Janis jumped. She had never heard one before. Norbury’s face indicated she was not exactly experienced with them, either. Her expression grew more serious, and she held her hand out to Janis.

“Come on, ma’am, let’s get you somewhere safe.”

“Did you see Damian?” Janis asked anxiously, looking toward the cliffs rather than away toward the harbor.

“Not yet, but I’m sure he’s safe down there already. Not exactly the brave type: he was probably one of the first ones there. Might even have brought sandwiches.” Norbury sighed, though her rolling words were mostly unheard as Janis took off toward the path up to the houses and left her talking to air. “Janis! Wait!” She yelled, but another gunshot kept her from chasing after her. Grimacing, she turned toward the screaming, panicked wails of a group of women across the square, returning to her efforts to evacuate everyone. At least, everyone that wanted to be evacuated, anyway.

Janis ran as fast as her legs would carry her back toward the largest of the residential areas. The chaos here was startling, buildings looking not only damaged by fire or actively burning, but broken into and ransacked. Personal items, discarded by being worthless to their potential new owners, littered the cobblestoned streets. Broken glass from windows made the stones treacherous, as Janis learned the hard way as her fairly thin shoes were pierced by a long shard of glass. Crying out, she stumbled against a barrel and attempted to pull the glass out, but it had lodged itself so deeply and was so painful that she could not get her shaking hands, quickly blood covered, to get hold of it.

A scream drew her attention, and she steeled her nerves. Though the pain was severe, there was a young voice screaming in terror nearby and it drained any concern she might have had for herself out of her mind. Limping, she followed the echo of the sound toward a building, but whoever had been the source was quiet now. Black smoke billowed from the ransacked home that may or may not still have a child inside it, and Janis weighed her options. She could not move fast due to the painful limp, and she was not even certain this was the right house, if the scream had come from here. She did not know this building, nor what family might have lived there before all of this, and had no real reason to be risking her life by entering a building that might have been pure flames inside.

When another panicked, tear strained scream pierced the air, though, Janis lead with her shoulder and slammed her way into the house. The door gave way easily, likely already broken when she hit it, and she stumbled inside as a result. Nearly toppling as she landed too hard on her injured foot, she bit her lower lip and held her breath, looking around for the child. She covered her mouth, running toward a flight of stairs and, leaving bloody footprints behind her on the fabric covered steps, bounded up them. She heard coughing and whimpering now, and followed the sound toward a doorway. A clock in the hall had toppled sideways, blocking the door and preventing it from being opened. With a strain that emptied her lungs of the last of the fresh air she had, she pushed the clock out of the way with a horrendous crash and a sad, dying coocoo. She grabbed the doorknob, screaming as it burned her palm, and yanked her hand back with a swear. Grimacing at the pain she knew she was about to inflict on herself, she raised her injured foot and slammed it into the door, kicking it open while blood splattered all across it.

She fell into the room coughing and gagging, the scream kicking the door with her glass-injured foot had caused not even able to escape her throat with how acrid the air was. She heard a gasp and a sob, though, and it fueled her on. Dragging herself to her feet, barely able to put any weight on her foot now and resorting to hopping, she moved to the bed and found a little girl staring out at her with wide, blue eyes from under it.

“It’s okay,” Janis whispered, voice ragged and interrupted by coughs, “let’s get out of here.”

The little girl did not need much more convincing, launching at her and clinging to her neck immediately. Janis struggled to get to her feet, now hugging the child to her. Thankfully, it was just a matter of retracing her steps to get them out of the building, though she nearly collapsed the moment fresh air hit her burning lungs.

 

“Janis!!” Norbury’s voice met her, and the Captain came running up to them, looking shocked as Janis shoved the girl toward her.

“I need to find Damian,” Janis coughed, “get her to her mom, please.”

“Are you insane-” The little girl interrupted, bursting into tears at the mention of her mom. It seemed to ruin her lungs, and she collapsed against Norbury as she entered a violent coughing fit. Swearing, Norbury turned and ran off to find the doctors that were helping with the relief efforts. She yelled back over her shoulder. “Do NOT go anywhere, Janis! I will be right back!”

Janis, leaning on a wall and barely able to breathe, found her determination slightly restored just by the order. The will to defy it fueled her, and she waved her hand at the retreating Captain before pushing away from the wall. She did not get too much further before a new voice reached her ears.

“You’re a brave one, aren’t you?”

Janis jumped, still coughing, and turned to find the source of the voice. She failed in the effort as two people lunged at her from either side, both hidden, and seized her by the arms. Two swift kicks to her legs had her on her knees, and they pulled her arm out and back in such a way that they were able to keep her painfully immobile. She tried to struggle, but just pushing back against them made it feel like both of her shoulders would burst from their sockets. While straining just to breath, vision blurry at best, she was not in her best form for preventing whatever this was.

A form, the true source of the voice, stepped in front of her and she followed the slightly blurry line of strong, curvaceous legs up to dangerously canted hips, along a drawn, thin waist and up chest that had no business being as defined and powerful as it was. Her eyes came to rest on a face, like that of a goddess, set in falling, wild waves of blonde hair. Piercing blue eyes met her own dark ones, and held them captive more effectively than the two pirates gripping her arms. Just over her shoulder, a familiar, though distressed and vaguely annoyed looking face appeared.

“That’s her,” the comforting, familiar voice of her best friend said.

“D-Damian?” Janis wheezed.

“What a pity it would have been, if you got yourself killed playing hero,” the beautiful pirate laughed, throwing her hair over her shoulder with a casual, practiced flick of her wrist. She moved closer, bending a bit to reach a hand and catch Janis’ face in her deceptively dainty, surprisingly well manicured fingers. She forced Janis to tilt her head up, examining her dirty, smoke smudged face. Something she saw lit up her toxic, brilliant blue eyes, a smile spreading across her goddess like features. “My, aren’t you pretty, under all that soot. Damian never mentioned that.”

“Actually, I did,” Damian heaved a sigh and pushed past the pirate, making her give him an irritated look. He stooped in front of Janis, taking over for the pirate as he examined her face and then looked her over. He saw the small puddle of blood by her foot, grimacing. “She needs medical attention.”

“Karen will attend her on the ship,” came the noncommittal reply. It was unspoken that this may not happen, if ‘Karen’ found something more interesting to do.

“I’m so sorry,” Damian whispered, and Janis did her best to understand what was happening. The two pirates behind her forced her to her feet, though Damian swatted them away and scooped her up into his arms once they had tied her wrists together. From this angle, the presumed leader of the pirates could see her injured foot, blood still dripping from it. She lifted an eyebrow curiously, giving their new acquisition another thorough look before turning to the two other lady pirates.

“We’ve gotten what we’ve come for, girls,” she chuckled, in an almost song like voice, “let’s grab what treasure we can haul and get back to the ship. Damian, you have all the treasure you can carry. Get her back first, and situated. I will attend to her in my quarters.”

“Aye, Captain,” Damian mumbled, hugging Janis closer to him even as she grew impossibly light headed from the lack of oxygen in her system and lost track of everything around her. She sagged in his arms, and he quickened his steps as he hurried into the forest.

Chapter 2: The Bargain

Notes:

(I'm not going to lie, I'm a little obsessed with this story. I hope anyone reading has fun with it. )

Dark eyes slowly opened, though her surroundings were so unfamiliar to her she thought she might be in a dream. The space was opulent, which was not in itself a new decorative choice considering the people that lived around her, but it had never been her preferred style. The number of weapons lining the walls was new, and most of them looked as if they had been used for one nefarious purpose or another, and were now trophies of some sort. Treasure and spoils of engagements and battles at sea, as well as raids on towns like her own, filled all the shelf and counter space of the rest of the room. There were curtains that separated two parts of the surprisingly large space off from the rest, and what was beyond them remained a mystery for now.

Janis took a very slow breath, though her lungs burned cruelly with the effort and she broke down into a coughing fit that rattled her rib cage. Something in her back pulled uncomfortably, and she moaned as she tried to master herself. A cup was suddenly thrust into the corner of her vision, and she regarded it dubiously while swallowing her coughs.

“It’s not poison. It’s not even rum. Drink it,” a vaguely familiar, yet dangerous voice said. Janis shifted, but was unable to pull her arms forward from behind her. She realized they were not only tied together by the wrists, but secured to the uncomfortable chair she was sitting in. The cup got impatient, rattling, but there was no straw or anything for her to use to drink it with while her arms were incapacitated. She turned her head and spotted the pirate captain she had met before, giving her an annoyed look that fell just short of inaudibly calling her an idiot. The pirate gave her a radiant smile.

“Who are you?” Janis tried, voice cracking and throat burning unpleasantly. The pirate captain moved, grabbing a handful of Janis’ short, messy hair and tugging it backwards, forcing her head to tilt up. She used her other hand to tilt a bit of water into Janis’ mouth, leaving her sputtering at first, but then receptive when the ice cold liquid soothed her throat almost immediately. She drank a bit more, until the pirate pulled the cup away and let go of her hair.

“You’re welcome,” she said impatiently, and Janis scoffed, which resulted in another cough. “You and I have a lot to talk about. I’m going to need you to reign that in. The coughing. It’s disgusting.”

Janis opened her mouth to reply, but found herself fairly stupefied. She was not sure if she had ever heard anyone say anything quite so seriously, while sounding so dumb. She regarded the pirate in wonder, noting that her classically leather clad piratical look was augmented with sharp pops of pink and a fine eye for the latest fashions. Though she was a seafaring criminal, she had good taste. Expensive taste. And she was clean. It just left Janis further confused about just who had kidnapped her.

“What do you want?” she tried again, not sure if she was going to get any answers, unless her captor was already planning on providing them. She shifted her arms, shoulders aching, but her true motive was to test her restraints.

The Captain pointed a pink nail at Janis, but said nothing.

“Why?” Janis pushed, grimacing as she struggled not to cough. The pirate seemed appeased by this, offering her a beautiful smile.

“Your reputation. Damian sings your praises so beautifully: He tells me you’re known as a Treasure Alchemist. Someone that can turn trash into gold, metaphorically speaking.” Her eyes flashed dangerously, and Janis quickly understood she could not trust that radiant smile. Her extreme beauty was one of her tools, her weapons, and her will to manipulate made Janis’ skin crawl. She hated liars, and those that took delight in using or toying with others. This pirate was a classic example of all the things she hated the most while growing up, especially with her skills, which was why she chose to hide away and live a simple life through art and restoration.

“Metaphorically,” Janis confirmed, tensely. She pulled at her restraints, but the sudden motion made her dizzy. She realized she was light headed, without any other indications that she had been poisoned or drugged at some point. Eyes downcast as she tried to recover her senses, she saw a small pool of blood under her chair. Her foot had not been treated, though she noticed it had been cleaned.

The pirate seemed to notice the wheels in her captive’s head turning.

“My name is Regina. Most people, especially around these parts, call me Captain. Ah, are you catching on now?” Janis lifted her dark eyes to meet Regina’s cold stare, skin still prickling with that uncomfortable sensation of a mouse knowing it was being stalked by a big cat. She held the other’s gaze, though, out of sheer defiance.

“I’ve heard of you. Notoriously cruel. You torture your victims, and take them for all they’re worth. I’ve heard of the corpses you’ve left sucked dry in your wake. Joke’s on you, though, this time: I’m not worth anything.”

Regina lashed out then, dropping her toned, lithe body into Janis’ lap while seizing a handful of her hair again and pulling her head painfully up. She loomed over her, forcing her to look straight up as Regina stared down at her as if she were nothing at all. There were no smiles now. No warmth in her eyes. No softness in her touch. She pulled Janis’ hair to make sure it hurt, sitting in her lap and forcing her feet flat against the floor. The shard of glass still embedded in her foot made itself known, an agonized moan of pain getting dragged from the stubborn artist shackled to the chair. She bit the sound back, though, scowling up at Regina and wrinkling her nose in anger.

“You want me to play nice, Janis,” Regina said lowly, “and all that takes is you playing nice, in turn. You know what I want from you. You can become a member of my crew, give me what I want, and live a happy life serving me. I’ll take such good care of you, as long as you’re good to me.” Regina slowly let go of Janis’ hair, running her hands down her neck and smoothing them over her chest. She played with the strings of Janis’ man-ish shirt, though in the back of her mind she was judging her for dressing so embarrassingly.

Janis smashed her head into Regina’s nose while she was distracted with her judgmental thoughts, sending her spilling to the ground with a cry of surprise. The door to the room burst open immediately. While Janis crying out in pain was easy to ignore and par for the course, the pirates never heard their Captain in such a state, and came in on instinct, weapons drawn, at the sound of her body hitting the floor and the echo of her voice in pain.

Karen, the would be doctor, and Gretchen, Regina’s First Mate, stared in horror as Regina got to her feet with her hand over her face. Blood was pouring between her fingers, down the front of her leather vest and silky shirt.

“Captain!” Gretchen cried, mortified. Damian came into the room behind the two girls, blinking in wonder but immediately realizing his best friend was, unsurprisingly, causing chaos. Had she hit the captain somehow?

“Oh, God, no,” Damian breathed. Gretchen was at Janis’ chair, standing behind her with her sword pressed to her throat. It was biting her skin and making a line of red, blood pooling in tiny drops along the sharp blade. Janis had her eyes tightly shut, staying as still as possible and desperately, valiantly trying not to cough. Doing so would split her throat open, and she knew it. Damian held up his hands, fingers spread. “Let’s all calm down for a moment…”

“Captain, are you okay?” Karen had a handkerchief in her hand, holding it to Regina’s nose once she was able to get the other’s hands out of the way carefully. Regina shoved her, grabbing the cloth and pressing it to her nose for herself. She turned, eyes wild and face stained red, glaring at Janis.

“Change her mind,” she snarled, eyes shifting to Gretchen, “or I’ll practice on you before I introduce her to her own giblets.” Gretchen did not need to fully understand the order to leap into the work, nodding her head and lifting her sword away from Janis’ throat. The artist was about to fire back with something defiant and, potentially, sarcastic, but the pommel of the sword met the back of her skull and, in a burst of lights, she slumped forward in her chair. Damian let out a cry, but Gretchen pointed her sword at him in warning.

“Carry her for me. To the brig.” She was small, but she was fiery and perhaps the most dangerous pirate on the ship. Her reputation and status was earned through hard work alone: her body count rivaled any notorious pirate out there and she was not afraid to do whatever it took to appease her captain. She was feared for her capacity for torture, and even Damian, new to this pirate life as he was, knew exactly what she could do to Janis in order to get Regina’s way. She had no preventative guilt or doubt in her ability, no concept of a conscience, and no remorse.

Damian nodded his head, though his own guilt was in full force. While Gretchen did not have to worry about the trappings of emotion and fear, Damian had enough regret and pain to share. He had sold out his best friend, and so far, things had not been at all like what Regina had promised. He moved to untie Janis from the chair, catching her when she limply slumped sideways and hoisting her up into his arms again. Now he had to carry her toward more pain, when all he wanted to do was take her back to their quiet, little home. He had been spoiled and selfish, never satisfied and always dreaming of more. But those dreams had brought them both into Regina’s claws.

“I don’t think your nose is broken,” Karen was saying, softly. While her medical knowledge was sometimes guess work at best, it was still better than anyone else had to offer. She actually had been training to be a nurse, before giving it all up for a life at sea. She had also been doing fairly poorly at it, and was likely about to drop out of her studies and do something else, anyway, but she rarely reminded anyone of that. Medicine was so complicated, and had far more guess work and risks than she had been prepared for. The idea of gambling with lives had never appealed to her, and even during her tenure on this ship, she had not directly taken any from innocent people. The lives of those that opposed them, of course, were open for interpretation and valuation, dependant on the situation at hand.

“Get away from me,” Regina snarled, the blood from her nose having slowed as she dabbed the red cloth to her face just to be sure. It was almost impossible if there was no blood on it, however, or if she was just smearing it around further. Irritated, she threw the cloth to the floor, glaring as she watched Damian carrying Janis from the room. She hung limply in his arms, but Regina was sure she was smiling smugly, and it made her burn with a hatred she rarely felt flare to life so suddenly. No one embarrassed her. No one disrespected her. This woman, who she had been offering a beautiful life to, had done all that and an even greater sin. She had insulted her.

Alone, she would not stand for any of these trespasses. Together? She hardly knew where to begin in turning Janis’ waking life into a living nightmare.

Chapter 3: The Respite

Summary:

After being taken on board The Plastic by the notorious pirate, Regina, Janis is treated less than hospitably by her new hosts. She is tortured and thrown into a watery cell, and her traitorous best friend is there to tend to her. Regina offers them a surprising olive branch, but the peace is short lived.

It was cold, when Janis opened her eyes. She could feel nothing else, not immediately. She could see nothing at all: it was so dark, she thought for a moment that her eyes had not listened to her command to open after all. Two sounds met her. One was the soft sloshing of the thin layer of water that steeped the brig. The ship was riding low in the water, and though the bilge was being maintained by its stalwart human pumps, it was a difficult balance to achieve. The roiling of the ocean, with the promise of a storm in the damp air above, did not help matters. The second was soft sobbing, a combination of gentle, miserable moans and jerky, irregular sniffles. Janis continued to stare upwards until her vision cleared further.

She saw the source of the sobbing, but was not surprised. She had heard him in a fit of emotional misery more times than she could count, or remember. As clarity returned to her senses, more feelings and noises raced to meet her.

The cold was due to laying on her back, in the water. She felt it clinging to her like ice, though she knew it was not yet freezing temperatures. Her body trembled regardless, and the more it shook the more pain began to resonate across it. She moaned as the creeping agony became too much, body constricting in a painful way, drawing her arms and legs up off the ground for a moment before she lost control of them and they flopped lifelessly back down with a sad splash.

Damian cradled her head in his lap, reaching down to touch her face carefully, even as his tears continued to run down his face.

“J-Janis? Baby girl, are you awake?” He sniffled, words punctuated by guilty sniffles and whines.

“Depends on your definition, I guess,” Janis struggled to say, though she felt she got most of the key words out. Damian let out a pained laugh, carefully scooping her up a bit more and hugging her to him. She couldn’t make a strong enough sound of protest, but pain tore through her with the movement despite his best efforts. Her body felt heavy and unresponsive, but she did notice she was not restrained in any way. In her condition, which she was still taking stock of, she supposed she did not need to be.

“This… this isn’t what I wanted. You have to believe me. I had no idea it would turn out this way…” Damian blubbered, most of his words lost in Janis’ hair as he buried his face. At the very least, his arms around her and the warmth of his body offered her a lot of comfort despite the pain involved.

“You didn’t… think selling me to pirates… would end badly?” Janis jabbed, breathing slowly. Damian let out a whimper and she wondered if she was supposed to be feeling bad for him. “What did you get… out of it?”

“Janis… please…”

“Just tell me,” Janis sighed, sounding exactly as tired as she looked. Damian brushed her matted hair from her sweaty forehead. She felt warm, despite how cold her skin actually was. He could see she was shivered, and worried about infection or illness. He had pulled the long shard of glass from her foot while she was unconscious, and did his best to clean and close the wound, but she had been through a lot in a short period of time. Her body could easily be reacting poorly to it all, from the glass and fire to being actively tortured.

Gretchen had chosen one of her crueler, but more effective methods. One that relied less on leaving marks or opening wounds, but causing pain directly. She did this by using heat or pressure to cause extreme pain in sudden bursts, or repeated strain or hits for prolonged agony. She kept her victim, in this case a helpless, inexperienced artist with no criminal background, on the brink of something breaking, tearing, or exploding as long as she could, and generally the only relief came when their body shut down in defense. It left Janis with very few visible wounds, besides deep bruises and marks on her skin. None of her bones were technically broken, though her muscles were tortured and strained beyond measure, and she had no new bleeding wounds. Recovery would be slow but she would, in fact, recover.

Likely to engage in another round of torture, until the pirates got what they wanted.

“I think you’re the only person on that island who understood what a terrible place it really was,” Damian said, at length, as he steadied himself. “Being someone like me. Being different: it was a nightmare. I was their whipping boy, even though my family was just as well to do as any of the others. I thought I could handle the ridicule and isolation, especially after I found you… but… I was at the harbor once, when she rowed up in her dinghy. Regina, a veritable pirate queen. Her ship, the Plastic, was hidden somewhere. She found the perfect place to raid from, but she was unsure what was waiting for her.”

Janis listened quietly, thinking about how she met Damian. She had washed up on the shore, and he never asked her any questions about a past she longed to forget. He took care of her, until she was strong enough to find her own way, and that was when she shared her ability and skills with him.She had wanted to pay him back for his kindness, and somehow that had brought them here. Her eyes were shadowed as she regarded him.

“She read me like a book,” Damian was saying, “she promised me freedom. A place where I could be myself, and make my own fortune. All she wanted was whatever value the island had to offer and I.. I don’t know why I said your name. I think she knew what you can do: I never told her how amazing you are.”

“You… apparently told her… I was pretty,” Janis challenged.

“Er. Well. She wanted to know what you looked like…” Damian sighed, but this was a theatrical one, the kind he would give her when she was sarcastic to him when they were home and safe. “God, you’re shaking like a leaf. I wish I could take you out of here. You’ll die if-”

“You’re more than welcome to take her to your quarters, Damian,” a cutting, hollow voice just affecting warmth said lowly. Damian jumped, arms tightening around Janis as he sheltered her to him on instinct. She breathed a soft moan of pain, tilting her head to regard the self proclaimed pirate queen. She had cleaned up, and even changed her silky undershirt, though she had simply wiped down the resilient leather of her bodice and vest. “I’m glad Gretchen went easy on you, I was so angry, I forgot to set the rules. She’s good at knowing what I want.”

Janis grunted.

“We just… braided each other’s hair and… talked about boys,” Janis breathed, feebly patting her hand against Damian’s arm in an effort to get him to loosen his death grip on her. Regina smirked, arching an eyebrow at the stubborn artist. Though she knew more about Janis than she let on, she was still aware that Janis was just a civilian. An incredibly valuable one, yes, but she had no experience with the uglier side of things. This bravado and stubbornness was simply instinct and nature, and in a way it was impressive. She would probably make a good pirate, if only she were not so stubborn and joined Regina’s crew when she offered.

Perhaps a bit more time, and more sessions with Gretchen, would sway her.

“I bet you did. Damian,” Regina gave him a very sharp look and he sat up a bit straighter, regarding her with fear and respect. “I’ll leave her in your care, then. Go ahead and take her to your cabin. But behave yourself. You, too, Janis. And stay alive. I hope to talk to you soon about reconsidering my offer. You hear that, Damian? Make sure she survives her stay on The Plastic.”

“Aye, Captain…” Damian said dubiously, which made Regina laugh melodiously.

“What? Surprised? I don’t need to lock her up: where are you two going to go, on my ship? Nothing happens here that I don’t know about, but I know you weren’t even thinking about things like that, right?”

“No, Captain,” Damian quickly picked Janis up, getting to his feet with her in his arms. She offered no protest or resistance, slumped against him but still watching Regina with a quiet expression.

“Good. Damian,” she said, as he moved to scoot past her, stealing a look at Janis as he passed with her sheltered against him. Her eyes flashed when she found Janis staring back at her. There was something in that look that she at once hated and admired. “I let you on this ship because I saw something amazing in you. Don’t make me regret my generosity, and don’t prove me wrong.”

Damian shook his head helplessly, before hurrying from the brig and toward the crew cabins.

Thankfully, they were a little higher under the deck than the brig itself, which kept them drier than Janis’ previous accommodations. Somehow, Damian had been granted a small, comfortable room all to himself, with a bed and even a small window. He set Janis down on the bed carefully, checking her over once she was settled. She had passed out along the way, though she was stirring now that he was fretting over her once more. The difference between the brig and here was also notable in her shivering, which intensified now that she was reminded what being warm really was. He wrapped her in as many blankets as he could find in an effort to help warm her up.

“Baby girl…” Damian touched his hand to her face, once again checking for fever. She still felt warm, but he was hoping it would pass. He could ask Karen to check on her, as she seemed to be the nicest of the pirates on this ship, if that were any sort of a bar to set. Still, at the very least she would follow Regina’s order to keep Janis alive.

“I’m okay,” Janis mumbled, breathing a sigh of relief now that she was snuggled in a comfortable place, with someone she wanted to trust. Of course, he had shattered how effortless that should have been by selling her to pirates in the first place. He settled on the edge of the bed under her scrutiny, aware of her heavy stare but unsure what to say now.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, tears filling his eyes again. Janis sighed, looking frustrated but not moving to escape her blanket cocoon to comfort him. She doubted it would have helped, anyway, as he was deeply regretting what he had done already and nothing she could have said would make it better or worse. She was still unsure if she was angry or not, anyway, and if she opened her mouth to speak to him she could not be certain what side her words would be on. It was better not to risk it, and just stay silent. There were other things to be focusing on, anyway.

Regina had shown them both a small mercy, though neither were sure why. She was the master of manipulation, even Janis knew that from her reputation and the short time they had spent together so far. This was a play, of some kind, to allow them to become comfortable and stay close. Janis wanted to keep her guard up, but she found her eyelids drooping, and sleep weighing heavily on her mind. The warmth of the blankets around her was just too inviting. Compelling.

She might have gone to sleep if not for the sudden explosion of cannon fire on deck.

Chapter 4: The Hunters

Summary:

The ship is raided by pirate hunters, though they are seeking a very specific treasure.

Regina was less than amused by the unwelcome guests currently spilling over her railings like a tipped up cup of particularly thick oil. She put her hand on her hips, standing at the helm and watching as her crew rose to the challenge. Men and women appeared from below, swords and guns at the ready. In the middle of the chaos she spotted Gretchen, in pink to match her captain, tearing down anyone that got too close to her. Still, she got the impression that these raiders were no ordinary pirates, as they would certainly know whose ship they were daring to crash.

If they were a pirate crew that wanted to continue existing, recognizing the pink paint on the ship alone would be enough to keep them away.

Rolling her eyes away from the battle, she took in the ship that had grappled with them, moving to the rail and looking out over the water at it. It was painted black and looked old, but painstakingly restored and maintained. Expensive, for sure, and she had to admire someone who put that much work into making their ship look as spooky and battle worn as this one did, while keeping it in peak performance shape. She preferred to keep her ship looking as beautiful as she was. These strangers had a bigger ship, but that did not mean much of anything to her. It did mean they were able to absolutely flood her deck with nameless swords, and even Gretchen, having as much fun as she was, would not be able to maintain pace if the numbers did not ebb soon.

She heard voices and footsteps coming toward her, mounting the stairs from the deck and running up to where she was standing.

Tilting her head, she waggled her sword at her side in anticipation. It had been a while since she had some good old fashioned fun: the raid on that town had not exactly been difficult and no one had stood up to fight them. She could not help but think this raid and that one were related, but she was in no mood to share what she had rightfully stolen. If they were there for her treasure, her bounty, they would have to earn it.

It might be good to remind wanderers like this who the true Queen of pirates was, as it was clear they had no idea.

Regina stalked toward them, her tight fighting leather pants not impeding her ability to move as she easily slid into battle. Swords swung at her and she countered, catching blades and turning them away with almost effortless grace. One of the pirates that attacked her had a gun, but he fired his one shot to open air as she moved before he could truly aim at her, no matter how confident he had been. She cut them down almost effortlessly, much to her own disappointment, but Karen’s voice carrying shrilly over the din of battle caught her attention. Hurrying to look down at the deck, she spotted the tall blonde pointing wildly toward the other boat, looking around and finding Regina’s eyes on her.

“Captain! The prisoner!”

Regina whirled, spotting a large man and a much smaller woman dragging an unconscious Janis across the deck. Damian was nowhere to be seen, so she instinctively assumed he was dead. Considering how protective and loving he was about Janis, specifically, it was unlikely he would let them take her without a fight. While Janis was bleeding from her lip, having clearly been punched, the amount of blood on the large man’s shirt was disproportionate. Regina leaped from the top of the banister around the helm, landing lightly on deck before darting toward the large man. He had hoisted Janis under his arm, her limbs all dangling toward the deck, while the smaller woman seemed to be running defense.

The pirate Queen darted right by the woman and stabbed her sword straight into the man’s arm. She did not hesitate, never once worrying if she might miss or hit Janis. She was all confidence, all the time, and there was no reason for her to consider missing her target or failing in her goals. The man roared in pain, dropping Janis to the deck, where she remained in a helpless pile.

The giant man turned on Regina, pulling a just as giant sword to counter her attack once she had pulled her sword free. She met him head on despite the size and strength difference, not seeming intimidated in any way. The woman moved to Janis’ side, struggling to take up the task of continuing to drag her toward the grappled ship. While Regina was fighting, Janis regained her senses, being dragged very slowly, and was able to struggle her way free from the new threat. Kidnapped twice in one day was too much, even for the infinitely patient artist.

“Don’t run,” the woman said, pulling her sword and turning on Janis, sizing her up. Janis was unarmed, and looked to be barely in control of her limbs. She was already exhausted, which put the intruders at the advantage, and the addition of the large man’s punch to her jaw had added the extra perk of a possible concussion to her battle. Still, she stood as solidly as she could, fists raised even as her arms shook. “Are you seriously trying to fight me right now?”

“Well if I can’t run, what other choice do I have?”

The woman looked puzzled for a moment, then offered her a grin and a nod. She was close enough to Janis’ age, under all the dirt and grime of her time at sea, standing just shorter than Janis herself, if Janis were able to stand up to her full height. Due to having been recently and exuberantly tortured, however, Janis was slouching and looked like she could barely lift her arms, let alone swing them. The woman pirate had reddish brown hair, which she kept out of the way in a tight bun wrapped in a headband cloth.

“Cady,” the pirate offered, which got a cynical eyebrow from Janis as the other struggled to take slow, circular steps away from where she had been getting dragged.

“Does it matter?” she asked, opting to keep the pirate distracted.

“Just being polite, mate,” Cady laughed, before charging at Janis. Having been hedging her bets on her own value to these people, Janis was glad to see the other not using her sword, though she kept it in hand. Instead, she barrelled at Janis with her shoulder low, intending to tackle her. Janis gripped both of her hands together, lacking any kind of skills to rely on when it came to fighting, and just hoping to throw as much strength as she had left into one attack. Just before Cady slammed into her, she jerked her fists up as hard as she could, feeling a sickening crunch as she smashed both of them under Cady’s jaw. It was enough to knock Cady out mid-tackle, though her heavy body slammed into Janis and took them both to the deck anyway.

Janis groaned, but had very little time to rest the way she wanted to. She was running on adrenaline, anyway, and staying down too long would be a massive mistake. Grimacing, she pushed the pirate from on top of her and struggled to secure her to the railing nearby. She limped away from Cady after that, leaving her to her fate.

Regina was too busy with the large pirate to focus on the trial Janis was going through, raising her sword just in time to block the massive one being swung down at her. She had to brace her blade against the back of the blade, nearer its tip, to push back with more power. The man laughed, lashing out with his own free hand and punching her hard in the stomach. Regina fell backwards, and he continued his slash, catching her in hip as she bounced back. He had managed to slice a long gash in her hip, blood immediately spilling freely down her leg, but she held her ground as if she did not notice.

“Get off my ship,” she snarled.

“Not without my alchemist,” the man laughed.

“Then make me a good offer. Show some manners, or is brute force all you’re good at?”

“And why should I deal with pirates?” The man snarled, suddenly angry. He pointed his sword at her, shaking off a few drips of her blood as he did so. “I will leave here with my prize, and the added perk of slicing you and your entire crew to ribbons. Queen of the pirates? You live in a fantasy. Your world is as big as this ship: you have no idea what monsters are truly hiding in the sea.”

“Uh huh,” Regina said, looking bored. She did make a mental note of his confidence, and the fact that he had somehow known of her acquisition of the alchemist, despite how recent it was. They had not even hit a port to restock yet, and word could not have spread naturally. She had been the only one to find the girl, or know where or what she was, so how, then did this clown know about it? Perhaps it was a question she would have to ask her own crew, depending on how many were still alive when all this was over. “And who are you?”

“Duvall,” the man grunted.

“Oh, I see,” Regina laughed suddenly, running a hand through her blond hair and shaking it out, letting the strong wind of the gathering storm tease it for her. “The pirate hunter. Ugh, you guys are so lame. Couldn’t cut it as real pirates, so you go around killing them because you’re just not cool enough, huh?”

“Not quite,” he growled, but he looked angered. He took a step toward her, readying his sword.

“Which one were you again? The Captain that couldn’t even keep his crew in line and got ditched on an island? Boo hoo, how sad you had to, what was it? Eat your own foot or something? God, that’s pathetic.” Regina laughed, looking him over skeptically. “Couldn’t figure out how to get fish out of the water, huh?”

Losing his patience, which Regina had suspected he had very little of anyway, he charged at her. She moved to meet him, off balance because of her hip but not worried yet. His swings were brutal and fully powered, every ounce of his massive strength in each attack, but it made him slower and predictable. She focused on staying close, but dodging the blade, using her own much smaller size and greater speed to her advantage. The injury to her hip slowed her considerably, but not enough to make her worry.

She was able to get her sword locked with his, and with a powerful jerk of her dainty wrist she wrenched it from his grip. It clattered across the deck, but she kept the pressure of her attacks on. She was confident, grinning as she got close enough to drag her sword across his gut. Her smile fell, though, when no blood escaped what should have been a guts spilling injury, and instead he grabbed her by the neck with his massive hand.

He dragged her close to him, eyes wild.

“Think I didn’t come prepared?” He grunted, pulling a knife from his leathers and slamming it into her side. Regina gagged, and Duvall tossed her to the floor. He stalked toward her, bending to recover his sword before looming over her. “The Alchemist will be mine!”

“Hey meat head!” A voice called to him, above the din of battle and the rumbling thunder clouds overhead. He turned, surprised, but spotted the source. Janis was standing near one of the cannons, though they had all been fired at the start of the battle and no one had a chance to reload them. She had one hand pressed to the cool metal, as the sky split open and rain began to fall down in angry sheets. “I’m right here.”

Chapter 5: The Brawl

Summary:

Janis challenges the interloping Pirate Hunter Duvall directly, and puts her magic on full display at last. A Treasure Alchemist is many things, and dangerous not least of all, as Duvall comes to find out.

“Alchemist!” Duvall chuckled, shaking his head. “Get away from there, before you hurt yourself, my dear.”

“Hey, I was wondering,” Janis continued, ignoring him. She was breathing heavily, exhausted. “How much does a ship like yours need its mast?”

“Missy, if you can get that cannon to fire, I’d be mighty impressed. Get it aimed at my mast and hit in one shot? Now that’s just begging for a miracle. And there’s no one listening to our prayers, out on these waters.” Duvall stepped away from Regina, leaving her bleeding on the deck. She held her side, grimacing and watching Janis in confusion. “Now let’s get you safe and warm onto my ship, eh? You don’t want to stay here, anyway.”

“You’re not wrong about that, but I love how so many of you pirates have been trying to kidnap me without any real idea of what I can do.” Janis never used her powers in public, and yet, for some reason, she was putting them on full display while completely surrounded by enemies. No one here was someone worth fighting for or protecting, save only Damian. And even he had betrayed her because of what she was. Maybe she was tired of people making decisions for her, and her life being dictated by other people’s greed. If they wanted to see her skills, then she would happily give them a display.

She pressed her palm to the cannon and it fired with concussive force. She had not lit any fires, nor had she loaded a cannon ball into the massive gun. And yet at her touch, it fired, and a weighted chain uncurled in the air as it whipped its way across the water and toward the other’s ship. Duvall could only let out a cry of surprise and fury as the chains slammed into the mast, having ample space to do so considering their size, and the weight succeeded in crushing it into collapsing. The mast fell down to the deck of his ship in a tangle of ropes and heavy fabric sails, shards of metal and wood raining down on the crew still working on the ship. Chaos exploded in short order, his crew scrambling to withdraw and get back to their ship in a mad effort to rescue it.

A strange silence fell over the deck of The Plastic, Janis tiredly watching Duvall as he stared at his ship. Slowly, he turned his eyes toward her, full of rage and shock. She stared him down, holding her ground. It was easier, knowing she was a safe distance away from him and could probably, if she needed to, run should he charge at her. He did not seem like he was capable of moving just yet, his brain still trying to comprehend what he had just seen. He pulled a pistol from his belt, turning it toward Janis, who froze. She was no longer confident she could out run a bullet.

“Why would you choose these pirates?!”

“I didn’t. You’re all the same. But you hurt Damian: you shouldn’t have done that. It might be complicated, but he’s still all I have left. But don’t get it twisted: I’m not going to stay here, either.”

“I’m not leaving here without your power!” Duvall bellowed, and he started to charge toward her. Janis panicked, hesitating, but it was Regina that stopped him in his tracks this time. She got him from behind, driving the knife he had stabbed her with into his back. It was high enough to miss the protective armor he had been wearing that prevented her from gutting him before. He let out a roar of pain, whipping back and smashing his hand into her face, sending her sprawling. Janis took her chance and lunged for his gun, grabbing on to his wrist to keep him from firing it at Regina or, if he had turned back, at her.

“Then have it!” Janis yelled, over the rain and a crash of thunder. Lightning lit up the sky, crashing into the roiling ocean against the horizon. He screamed as the metal and wood of his gun twisted in his hand, piercing and lacing into his flesh, taking a new shape. She twisted the pistol into the shape of a rabbit, dragging his skin and muscle along with the inorganic parts to create a grotesque, useless, and almost cute new hand for him. He screamed all the while, until he was able to slam his other elbow into her gut and then slash at her wildly with his sword while she fell away from him. Now free, and in agony, blood running freely from his mauled hand, Duvall ran to the planks they had draped across the ships during boarding. Regina’s crew had already been disengaging the two ships, and the moment all the planks and rigging were free they began to pull away. The violent ocean, in tandem with the storm, actually helped them in this, putting distance between them and the crippled ship of Duvall in short order.

Regina got to her feet, taking a moment to absorb what had happened. She had witnessed actual magic, and the raw form of the alchemist’s power. She had heard so many stories of them, the rarest of treasure that any pirate might find, and now she truly knew she had one on her ship. Her betting and conniving had paid off, but even she had not been anticipating just what those powers could really do. The legends only spoke of taking garbage and making it into treasure: giving value to anything at all and thus creating endless wealth. She saw now that there was much more to it than that.

Gripping her injured side, the same as where her hip had been slashed, she turned and spotted Janis sprawled on the deck. She was face down and unmoving, the last attack from Duvall enough to expend the last of her energy. Regina wondered if she had been killed, moving toward her carefully. It did not fail to occur to her that this could be a trap: this woman was incredibly powerful and quick on her feet, though she had mostly scrambled her way through that encounter. She bumped her boot against Janis’ side, but the artist did not move. A streak of bright, thick blood ran out from under her.

“Shit. Karen!” Regina’s voice rang out, spotting the tall blonde as she was checking on fallen crew members nearby. “Karen! You’re still alive. Good. I need you to tend to this girl.”

“What about you, Captain!? You’re bleeding heavily!”

“Gretchen!” Regina was already moving away from Karen, leaving her to figure out how to drag Janis from the deck and into her lab. So many people had been injured or killed, it was difficult to even know where to begin. The order from her captain, then, made things a lot easier for her, and she quickly grabbed Janis under her arms and began dragging her backwards toward the trap door that led down into her chambers and where she kept her medical laboratory.

Gretchen had been at the helm, guiding them from the invaders, but once the course was set she left the helm and came down, throwing bodies of the fallen invaders, some even half alive, over the side of the ship and keeping stock of how many comrades they had lost. Those bodies they gathered in one place, to be given a more honorable burial later.

“Captain! You’re wounded!” Gretchen yelped, though she was sporting her own trophies from the battle. One of her arms was hanging limply at her side, sporting a large gash that went almost to the bone of her shoulder. She had wrapped a torn fabric around it and gave it no more thought. Karen would have her work cut out for her, putting them all back together again.

“Find me a captive, before you dump them all. I want to know how they found out about the alchemist,” Regina ordered, dismissing her first mate’s concern.

“Aye, Captain,” Gretchen said, in her deceptively small, sweet voice. She hurried off, barking at some of the others that had already been helping her to change their goals. She would not mention just how many live potential prisoners had already been dumped into the ocean, and just hope there was at least one more left to find. As it turned out, there was. She found a red headed woman bound to the railing of the ship, unconscious but fairly unharmed and looking exactly like the kind of captive Regina would want. It meant Gretchen would avoid being punished, and perhaps win a little favor with her captain.

It was nearly impossible to do: Regina demanded perfection from everyone at all times. Doing anything that might surprise and impress her, then, was nearly impossible to achieve. But Gretchen was always determined to shine just a bit brighter than everyone else. She had managed to claw her way to first mate status, after all. And now that she was at Regina’s side, she would make sure the other truly saw her. She ordered her team to wrangle the new prisoner and get her down to the brig for questioning, grinning ear to ear at her success and looking forward to being the one to pry all the answers Regina wanted out of this stranger. Hopefully she was a stubborn one, like that artist, so it would be fun.

Regina stalked across the blood splattered deck, following where Karen had disappeared and moving down into the chambers below. She entered the physician’s quarters carefully, hearing moans of pain from the filled beds, and most of the floor, from injured members of her crew. Janis was secured to a bed in the lab proper, looking very much like she was going to be experimented on because of it. Instead, she was having her wounds treated by a very tired, but still relentlessly optimistic, Karen.

“How is she?” Regina asked, approaching carefully and looking the pale artist over carefully.

“Bad,” Karen replied, in her chipper tone that was, fundamentally, inappropriate to almost every situation. “But I won’t let her die. She’s very lucky: the sword didn’t cut too deep and all her guts stayed inside. She’s got plenty of bruises, most I recognize from Gretchen’s work, but I think she’ll be just fine. She’s exhausted, though.”

“It must have a physical cost, using her powers. Interesting,” Regina hummed, reaching to brush a strand of water logged hair from Janis’ face. “Now, why did you choose to attack Duvall’s ship, when you could have gotten away?” Janis, being unconscious, had no response. “You prevented me from being killed, but I can’t figure out your motive.”

“She can’t hear you,” Karen pointed out, just in case her Captain had forgotten how sleeping worked. Regina heaved a sigh. “I’m finished with her for now. Can I tend to your wounds, Captain?”

“Yes,” Regina said, shaking her head. She drew her hand back, but regarded the resting alchemist in wonder. “Do you know what happened to her friend?”

“Damian? He’s over there,” Karen pointed to a curtain that led to where many other injured crew members were waiting or resting. “He’s helping me tend to the crew. I found him before everything went super crazy: he was stabbed, but I think he’s just a bleeder. He’s fine.”

Regina blinked, then looked at Janis. She clearly had not known her friend survived, considering how she bent her anger on Duvall and focused on ruining his ship. And his hand. Regina had not even begun to try and understand what Janis had done to it, or how, but she at least had perspective on how a seemingly innocuous ability to generate money could be turned into a weapon. She would have to rethink just how much freedom she gave the other on the ship.

“I guess that worked out, then,” Regina sighed. She sat down on an examination table, and Karen came over with some supplies to tend to her injuries. She had lost a lot of blood, and the rest was welcomed. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and trusted Karen to do her work.

Chapter 6: The Aftermath

Janis opened her eyes slowly, grimacing in regret immediately. Everything hurt. No matter where she tried to settle her attention, her body screamed in protest, despite her very best efforts not to move. It was the result of the torture, the battle and using her powers so much, the worst of it coming from the lattermost. She groaned, attempting to sit up at length, but finding her arms secured to the bed she was resting on.

“Oh, right,” she groaned, letting her body go slack against the uncomfortable bed, “prisoner.”

“That’s right,” Karen said brightly, coming in from behind a hanging sheet. She waved with a smile, Janis lifting one eyebrow at her. She did not find herself all that impressed by the friendly act, but her patience for pirates had been expended pretty early on. “The Captain seems nervous to make sure you stay put, so she had me tie your arms down. Usually, I do not do that to patients, just so we’re clear. How are you feeling?”

Janis opted not to reply, looking around the room instead. It seemed well stocked and clean, for a pirate ship. They took care of their crew members, at least, though she was still not sure this doctor had any actual training or knowledge.

“I noticed your back had some strange damage to it. Bruises, almost tears, that I didn’t recognize from Gretchen’s usual fun. They looked brand new, too, like from the battle. Captain says you have magical powers or something, so is that related?”

The glance in her direction was enough to confirm what Karen wanted to know, even if Janis continued to refuse to say anything to her. Really, she was just being rude. Karen had bound her injuries, after all. Cleaned the sword wound, and double checked the damage to her foot from before. She got her warm and as comfortable as possible, which she did have to admit was difficult on an examination table like that one.

“Janis!” Damian’s voice caught her attention and she turned to see him emerging from behind the same curtain. He hurried over to her, having been drawn by the sound of conversation from his work with the injured crew. He gathered Janis into his arms as best he could, hugging her tightly and kissing the top of her head. “Baby girl! You’re alive!”

“I should be saying that,” Janis breathed, though strained.

“You know I like it when you call me baby girl,” Damian agreed, pulling back and then moving his hands to brush her messy hair back. She looked pale and exhausted, eyes sunken and dark, face covered in bruises. There was a particularly dark one across her cheek, running up past her eye and temple and almost to her hair line. She’d been through hell in a very short amount of time, and he wished he could give her some small amount of comfort. “I’m fine. He stabbed me, but I guess I got lucky.”

Damian lifted his shirt, pointing to bloody bandages wrapped around his midsection. Janis remembered seeing the knife sticking out of his side, as if it had slid through his ribs and pierced something vital. There had been so much blood, her mind almost shut off. It was almost a relief to be punched by that Duvall, and dragged out of the room. Almost.

“I’m going to see if the Captain will let me take you back to my cabin. You were behaving yourself: I don’t understand why some random attack means you have to be chained to a bed!”

“I showed them my power,” Janis sighed, regret heavy in her tone. He looked surprised, then glanced at Karen dubiously. She was pretending not to be listening in the most obvious way, puttering around the room but then stopping when the conversation stopped and listening harder, just in case they were whispering. Damian had only ever seen Janis actively using her powers once in his life, and after that it was a sworn secret. She became an artist on the island, and owned a restoration and repair business, but everything that she did she did with her own two hands. Not her magic. She had once told him it was a curse, and she would only use it in a dire situation.

It was never worth the risk, or the price.

“Are you… okay?”

“Yeah. I didn’t do a lot. But I imagine she’s scared of me now.”

“Captain Regina is not afraid of anyone or anything,” Karen cut in stubbornly, looking annoyed as the two interlopers glanced her way. Neither looked surprised by her chiming in. “So I really doubt a beaten up artist from some backwater island resort is going to get to her. She just doesn’t want you getting any funny ideas, probably. You are a prisoner here, after all.”

“She’s not a prisoner,” Regina’s voice filled the room, commanding the attention and respect. It seemed to work on Damian and Karen, who both snapped to attention and faced her, giving her their utmost focus. Janis, who happened to be the only one Regina was actually watching, rolled her eyes and let her head lull to the side. Regina grinned, wondering where she got all that confidence from. Or perhaps she was misreading just what it was. Was she simply hiding her fear under bravado?

“Great, then I’ll take the next boat back home, please,” Janis grumbled.

“Cute,” Regina mocked, walking closer. She was limping, but she had been badly injured in the battle. It was a wonder how she was standing at all, as Janis had seen just how much damage she’d taken. Janis looked at her, her own expression tired and annoyed, which only seemed to make Regina’s smile widen. “Thinking about it, you could just use that little power of yours to get out of these restraints, isn’t that right?”

“I don’t use my powers.”

“You did last night,” Regina countered quickly, almost expecting the sharp answer.

“I had no choice. He was going to kill everyone.”

“Was he though?” Regina purred. She looked at Damian and Karen in turn, eyes growing sharp. “You two can leave us.” Her tone indicated it was not a suggestion, and both skittered from the room without a second of hesitation. They disappeared behind the curtain, either to tend to the crew members recovering back there, or to listen from a safe distance. Regina turned her attention back to Janis, leaning over the side of the bed. “He was going to kill me and my crew, certainly, but not you. Why not go with him?”

“I thought he had killed Damian. I was just seeing red, so I made him pay.” Janis was not looking at her captor, head turned away.

“But you came up with a very clever plan, and managed to keep him from shooting me point blank. You used your power to save my life. Did you think that would earn you some points during your stay here? Get me to have a change of heart?”

Janis turned her head suddenly, dark eyes blazing as she stared up at Regina, who was looking over her still. Not expecting her to be so close, their noses almost touched. It was Regina that pulled back just a bit, with an interested smirk on her face.

“I didn’t want to see anyone else get killed, alright? I get it, that’s part of the fun for you pirates, and you all don’t care when your lives end, or how many friends you lose: but I’m not a pirate. I can’t just stand by and watch people die.” She took a slow breath, voice trembling enough that she heard herself and was compelled to get her emotions under control. “He was killing all of your crew. He was winning. So yeah. I helped, to stop the chaos. Alright? Yeah, he was going to shoot you and I could have let him, but that’s just the thing. I couldn’t have. I can’t.”

“You didn’t kill him, either. You didn’t even try,” Regina pointed out, her voice deceptively soft now. She was watching Janis closely, almost uncomfortably so for the restrained artist. “It’s just like on the island. I saw you run into that house to save that child. No reason. Did you even know her? You were trying to find your own friend at the time, who could have been in even worse danger. A soft little hero type like you isn’t going to last long out here.”

“I don’t want to BE here,” Janis reminded her sharply.

“So free yourself,” Regina chuckled leisurely. She ran her hand down Janis’ arm, over the torn and stained fabric of her loose shirt. She stopped her finely manicured fingers at the shackles around Janis’ wrist, rolling the fabric back as if to watch.

“I’m not going to,” Janis growled, clenching her hand into a fist.

“Because it hurts you to do it, hm?” Regina guessed, running her fingers up and down Janis’ arm leisurely. Janis shuddered at the gentle touch, finding the pirate’s metaphorically blood stained hands surprisingly, alarmingly, soft.

“Not as much as you might think,” she growled, in warning.

“You’ll have to explain it to me, then, because I don’t see the issue here. And if you can’t use your powers effectively, that’s a much different issue. If you simply won’t, then I’ll, just as simply, make you. But if it will kill you to do so? Well, then, we’ll have to come up with something of a work-life balance, hm?”

Janis scoffed.

“I mean it. I can’t have you dying on me. I need to learn how your powers work, so I can integrate you into my crew. I want you to serve me, but if I don’t have to, I won’t make you my slave. You just have to be willing to work with me a little. Give me something.”

Janis turned her head toward Regina, finding her uncomfortably close again. She was still running her fingers up and down Janis’ arm, her touch slow and contemplative. Her bright blue eyes, however, were focused on Janis’ dark ones as they challenged her with fiery defiance. Janis could see what she was trying to do, what wiles she thought she had and how expertly she wielded them. She could even see how it might work on others, but she was in no mood to be taken advantage of.

And this was not her first rodeo, with someone looking to exploit her powers.

“Give you something? You’re trying to take my entire life from me. You’re asking me to be willing to be your tool, your coin stamping machine. You think I can print doubloons for you, and flood your ship with wealth, without any cost to you or me. You somehow think you can make me want to do that. Do you hear yourself when you talk? Like, at all? Your voice gets all high, like it’s coming from your nose, and you sound like a child. It’s pathetic, especially if you’re also trying to sell me this notorious pirate schtick.”

Regina felt cold anger slowly beginning to boil. She grabbed Janis’ face, under her jaw, so her fingers were holding her cheeks. She pulled her face up as far as it could go from the bed, Janis hissing in pain and irritation. With her arms still bound down, she was unable to do anything about the uncomfortable grip. Regina brought her face closer, staring down into Janis’ eyes. Her own were blazing now, anger boiling over and erupting into raw flame.

“No one talks to me that way.”

“Bite me.”

Regina considered it.

Chapter 7: The Escape

“I see they’re treating you as well as they’re treating me,” Cady chuckled, though her voice was strained. “Quite the hospitable bunch, eh?”

Janis did not lift her head up. She was hanging from chains in the brig now, having been evicted and relocated following her charming conversation with Regina. Clearly, she had not won those points the other had been accusing her of seeking. Her bare feet were just barely touching the ground, but it hardly mattered since there was a few inches of water flooding the piratical dungeon in that moment. Cady was sitting on the ground, in that water, with chains around her arms and ankles. She had been in the process of getting tortured by the very unfriendly Gretchen, when the First Mate had been called away suddenly.

Seeing Janis now, after she had been dragged in and hung up, Cady could assume what happened.

“Yeah…” Janis breathed, Cady looking up in surprise. She had not actually expected the other to be able to talk. “And they want me alive.”

“Ouch. That doesn’t speak well of my chances, then,” Cady wrinkled her nose, but did not seem all that afraid. She slouched against the bars of the cage, watching Janis thoughtfully. “So what’s, uh. What’s the deal with you, again? I know Duvall wanted you, but it’s not really my place to ask questions. Sword for hire and all. You do magic?”

“Something like that…” Janis sighed. Blood was running down her face and body from the beating she had received from Gretchen. It had not been as horrifying as the torture, in a way, but only because it was much faster. She had simply been beaten into unconsciousness, while Regina watched, until she called Gretchen off and personally dragged Janis down to the brig to string her up in chains. Her clothes were barely hanging on to her at this point, torn and caked in dirt and blood.

“What kind? Never heard of anything like that being real before,” Cady pressed curiously.

“Alchemy,” Janis relented, opening her eyes and lifting her head just enough to look across at Cady. The red headed pirate was watching with rapt attention, and Janis got a kind of innocent air from around her. She wondered about the other’s story, but knew it meant giving a bit of her own before she could ask. “I can turn things into other things. It depends. Some things are easier for me to do.”

“Whoa,” Cady said, looking as surprised as she sounded. “So why don’t you turn those cuffs into, like, paper, or something?”

“I’m too weak right now,” Janis said, honestly, head drooping again. She breathed a shuddering sigh, “and besides that, I don’t want to. I don’t use my powers. Not unless I absolutely have to. The last time I used them, it was to save a friend. I don’t know what got into my head tonight…”

“I wish I had seen it,” Cady sighed, “but someone knocked me out.”

“Sorry. To be fair, you have a glass jaw.”

“Very true. Now, do you want me to get you down first, or open the door?”

Janis opened her eyes, and was surprised to find Cady standing in front of her. The chains had been left on the floor, in the water, and she was already reaching up to pick the locks of the chains restraining Janis.

“What’s the point? We’re on a ship. There’s nowhere to go.”

“Ah, but we might impress the pirates. There’s a lot of unspoken rules and guidelines, between pirates. They’ll get a kick out of us showing up and crashing the party. Probably won’t think it’s worth it to put us back in the cage. Come on. Here, I’m going to undo these, but I’ll catch you, okay? I promise.” Cady turned whatever lock pick she was using in just the right way, releasing the cuffs. Janis moaned as she dropped, but Cady was true to her words, catching her carefully and quickly cradling her close.

She shifted them, draping an arm over her shoulder and moving to drag Janis to set her on the floor near the cage door. She had to get to work on that lock, but could not hold on to Janis for it. Once she was done, she returned to help Janis back to her feet carefully, the artist groaning in pain from the simple effort. She did her best to get her feet under her, though, and support some of her own weight as Cady walked her out of the cage. Getting up the stairs was much more difficult, but the unlikely duo managed it slowly but surely. Opening the trap door revealed the deck, and as they emerged into the bright daytime sunlight, raised voices immediately greeted them. Janis looked around, and Cady pointed toward a group of pirates in the middle of what looked like a team meeting. Regina stood at the center of the circle, addressing everyone and looking annoyed at all the voices yelling their apparent disagreement.

“Let’s see what they’re talking about,” Cady said softly, tugging Janis’ arm a bit more securely around her shoulder. Janis could hardly argue, moaning softly and letting herself be led toward the gathering, while Cady took care of keeping them out of sight. She set them down behind some barrels, poking her own head up to watch. Janis rested as best as she was able, but she was interested in the discussion. It sounded heated already, with pirates yelling over each other to be heard. With a very soft groan, she got to her feet and Cady quickly resumed supporting her, leaning on the barrels and peering over the top of them while keeping her arms around Janis so she could lean most of her weight on the pirate. For now, Janis allowed it: she was not in a place where she could be picky about who she worked with.

Regina had her arms folded over her chest and was looking annoyed. The pirates seemed to be yelling about their recent raid on the village, and subsequent attack they endured by pirate hunters. They were obviously blaming their new acquisition for the trouble, and accusing each other of being traitors. It was a witch hunt, it seemed, that Regina had set off by casually mentioning she knew one of them was a turn coat, and that they would not be sailing further until they tossed the rat overboard.

She was letting them argue about it, while watching passively. Her eyes were scanning the group, critical not just of whoever was talking at the time, but of those watching and listening, or taking swings. Her glance did fall on the barrels, where Cady tried to duck them down and out of sight, but Janis pushed her palms against the barrels and remained in sight. Her exhausted eyes burned as she watched the pirate queen. Regina looked mildly surprised, then smirked and returned her attention to the matter at hand.

The focus of the group had fallen on one of the pirates, Gavin, that was arguing the loudest, many having come to the conclusion that he was the rat. The louder he shouted about it, the more others turned on him, and the panic set in. He started confessing to other things, like stealing alcohol and spoils, in an effort to explain some of the other shady behavior he was caught up in. Regina was letting the crew handle the accusations and punishment, but paying attention to their every movement and word. Since he had made the mistake of confessing to other crimes, she was not particularly worried about stepping in if the pirates went too far. She knew he was not the one that had sold them out, but that was irrelevant.

If it drew out the real source, then she would let the witch hunt continue. Maybe the traitor that had sold them out to those hunters would begin to panic, and let something slip. Beyond that, just watching each of her crew for any tells in their demeanors, their poker faces, was a more vital use of her time than protecting the life of one wrongly accused pirate that no one seemed to particularly like, anyway.

Gretchen and another female pirate were wrestling Gavin’s arms behind him, fighting him toward the edge of the ship. The others were chanting crude insults and calling for him to be thrown overboard. Gavin himself was calling to his Captain, begging for her to stop them. Regina tossed her long, blond hair from over her shoulder, turning her head away and folding her arms across her chest.

“Stop this!” Janis yelped, limping toward the group, but unable to pull herself away from the barrels or other forms of support standing on the deck. She found herself leaning on a cannon, but the smooth, cold metal caused her to flinch. Stubborn, even against her own memories and trauma, she kept her hand on it and reminded herself that using her powers before had been a one time deal. The pirates turned toward the strange voice that continued to shout at them to stop, until finally Gretchen and the other pirate paused. Gretchen looked at Janis, as Cady reached the alchemist and offered to be her support. Janis leaned on her, and Gretchen let out a shrill sound of annoyance.

“How are either of you standing?! How did you get out of the cage?!”

“Cage? I was just taking a nap,” Janis breathed, leaning heavier on Cady than she would have liked, but finding none of her energy restored. She had no real rest, she supposed, and being unconscious had not quite been enough.

“Got my sea legs a long time ago,” Cady chimed, keeping her arms around Janis almost protectively, while watching the other pirates with feigned confidence. In no way had she wanted to introduce them to their new status as escaped prisoners, but Janis had forced their hand. Now, she just had to roll with it, and not let the pirates see her as anything but confident. Weakness was not often appreciated on pirate ships. And this one had a bit of a reputation, even among the worst. “Standing’s no problem, these days.”

Gretchen did not look amused, reaching for her sword and forgetting all about the pirate she had just been trying to throw overboard.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have been so nice to you, then. I’m sure you can still answer questions without a few toes.”

“I don’t think either of us would be inclined to, no,” Janis glanced at Cady for confirmation. The red haired pirate smiled at her in wonder, but nodded her head and looked back toward the increasingly frustrated First Mate.

“You catch more flies with sugar, you know.”

“Or corpses,” Gretchen snarled, drawing her sword and charging. Regina stepped leisurely between the two parties, a knife in hand. Janis wondered if she was on the verge of blacking out, her senses slowing down, as she could not follow Regina’s movements at all. She was not sure when the Captain had moved between them until a blur of pink drew her eye. Regina caught Gretchen’s blade effortlessly, turning it away with enough force in such a slight and calculated movement that it spilled the blade to the deck. Gretchen took a step back, panicking. “Captain!”

Regina regarded her critically for a moment, then turned to face Cady and Janis, noting that they seemed to be getting along quite well. She wondered if that was part of Janis’ powers, or perhaps an innate part of her value. After all, Regina herself was now protecting her, but only because she knew better than to let an Alchemist get killed in a pirate squabble.

“You both are full of surprises. Our little turncoat pirate hunter, and treasure alchemist. I thought you’d be fine in a cell together, considering when last I saw you together, one was kidnapping the other.”

“Well, I tried,” Cady chuckled, slightly nervous, but obviously doing her best to hide it. Janis stared tiredly at the blonde Captain, almost getting used to her antics at this point and yet still not feeling the fear everyone else had. Maybe she was too tired. “But she knocked a few teeth loose. Anyway, I’m glad to be off that ship. Even if this one isn’t quite as hospitable.”

“If I weren’t so busy rounding up escaped prisoners, I might be interested in your story,” Regina snarled, looking at Cady sharply. Her piercing blue eyes looked the other pirate, or pirate hunter, over for a moment before something seemed to click behind them, causing them to sparkle. She looked back at Janis, who, she had to admit, looked fairly pathetic. She could obviously barely support her own weight, her injured foot not helping, no doubt. But she had to be beyond exhausted, having lost a lot of blood from the sword slash and her other injuries. And her clothes were absolutely disgusting. Regina wrinkled her nose, then heaved a profound sigh, as if someone had been arguing with her.

“Okay, fine. Gretchen, take these two to my chambers. Karen, help them get cleaned up. Everyone else, stop this squabbling and get back to work: but don’t forget, I will find my traitor. If I haven’t already.”

The crew murmured, but were quick to get back to their duties. Gretchen, looking furious, came over and offered to help Cady with Janis. She was following her orders, exactly as they were given, and it was unlikely that she would cause any harm while Regina was still in eye sight. Still, Cady declined, looking toward the taller blonde that was moving toward them.

“Can you help me with her? She’s not heavy, but I’m feeling a bit faint, too.”

“Of course!” Karen chimed happily, taking up Janis’ other arm and easing it around her shoulder, stooping a bit to accommodate the height distance. Cady walked with her toward the Captain’s quarters, with Gretchen stomping her feet and following behind them. Regina was still watching them, the weight of her stare boring into the back of their heads, though her gaze mostly rested on Janis. Her Treasure Alchemist, a treasure in her own right. She supposed she could be taking a little bit better care of it.

With a devious smirk, she followed after the group.

Chapter 8: The Power

Summary:

Janis and Cady have a chance to talk in peace, while Janis recovers. Janis shows her the greatest secret she has ever kept, and exactly why Regina (and other pirates like her) want her power so badly.

The Captain’s Quarters were impressively large. Cady was looking around curiously, allowed to roam around while the others were busy tending to the Alchemist. For how badly they had beaten her, they seemed very keen on taking care of her now, and Cady could not quite piece together the whole story here. While she busied herself with exploring, she strained to listen to the pirates and the, for whatever it meant, alchemist.

Janis was resting on a long couch, though she had been granted a pillow and a blanket. She was dressed in a simple dress, all one piece of fabric and looking spectacularly like a slightly manipulated sack. At the very least, it fit her form well enough, and was not too uncomfortable. The fabric itself was surprisingly soft, though Janis had not been listening when Gretchen told her how expensive it was, where it was from, and how they had acquired it.

It turned out, Gretchen was incredibly talkative. The exhausted Janis had not been able to nod off with the constant chatter, most of which was mean spirited and directed toward her. She heard many times, about the couch and the dress and all the bath, that she did not deserve what Regina was giving her. That she had no idea how lucky she was, and how Gretchen would, and had, easily kill for this kind of attention from the Captain.

Regina dismissed her from the room shortly later, citing noise pollution.

Now Janis was left with Karen tending to her, and Regina monitoring nearby. The Alchemist was shivering from her bath. Despite the water being startlingly hot, it had been some time ago since she was scrubbed clean and her wounds redressed, leaving her damp hair to cool. She was too tired to be embarrassed by it all, and Karen had been strangely respectful. Or maybe it was not strange, as far as these pirates were concerned. Karen seemed untroubled, and acted as though she had done all of this a thousand times before. Drawing the blanket a bit tighter around Janis’ shoulders, the doctor got up and turned to her Captain.

“All clean and tended to. Do you need help getting her back to the brig?” Karen asked, then looked almost thoughtful for a moment before adding, “I can find Damian.”

“He’s probably leaning on the door,” Regina said, loudly enough for the door to make a distinct rattle. “But it’s fine. I’d like to talk to our guests for a bit.”

“Okay, Captain. Are you sure you don’t want me to check on your wound first?” Karen’s concerned was waved off, and she left the room with a bounce in her step. She passed Damian just outside the door, waving at him in surprise as she passed by.

Regina turned to the couch, but found Janis already dozing in her makeshift bed. It was probably the most comfortable she had been since joining the ship, minus her very short stay in Damian’s room. Even then, this couch was far more luxurious than the cot that the crew got. Cady had wandered over, and was kneeling next to Janis almost protectively, watching her with a soft, curious expression.

“How did Duvall come to find out about her?” Regina asked, arms folded over her chest. She was not being particularly quiet, but Janis did not stir. Cady shrugged her shoulders, tension growing in them. She had a history as a pirate behind her, and knew full well the tales of Regina and the Plastics.

“We were hired muscle,” Cady said, and Regina scoffed. She would hardly call the red headed pirate muscular, though she was obviously experienced and her body was well toned. She was still quite small and unimposing and, in any other circumstance, one might find her pretty. “He didn’t share with us, and I didn’t ask. But I was pretty good about paying attention, and I overheard a few things. You’re right about a traitor on your ship.”

“I don’t need you to tell me that,” Regina growled, though she was angrier now that she heard the confirmation. Janis let out a slow breath, dark eyes opening slowly.

“You asked,” she grunted sleepily. Cady giggled, and Regina’s frown deepened.

“Did you wake up just because you sensed a chance to be rude to me?”

“Heard, not sensed. Your voice is piercing.”

“Should I leave, or?” Cady laughed, scooting closer to help Janis sit up a bit. The Alchemist allowed her to, somehow trusting her easily and not even flinching when a pirate that had tried to kidnap her touched her. Regina was almost jealous, in a way, wanting to forge some sort of a relationship with the Alchemist, even only to utilize her powers. Perhaps she had come on a little too strong at their first meeting, though she did feel her kidnapping had been quite polite, all things considered.

“You might as well stay. I still haven’t decided if I want to throw you overboard or not yet.”

“I’m voting for ‘or not’, if it makes a difference,” Cady said, then shrank back a bit at the glare that told her no, it did not. She looked at Janis, whose expression was placid and, oddly, bored. Her civilian life must have made her oblivious to the danger she was in, but surely any normal person would at least be concerned they were kidnapped by pirates, even if they did not know the specific notoriety of the ship. Of course, because of the magic thing, Janis was no normal person, even if she seemed like someone Cady could easily be friends with.

“Are we going to have another ‘talk’ before you have me beaten or tortured again?” Janis interrupted, watching Regina. “You show me how nice you can be, then scare me with pain and the ‘dark’ side of your pink piracy?”

“Actually, I was just going to let you stay in here. I will lock the door, but I’ll send Karen to attend to you while you recover. We’ve got quite a journey ahead of us, so get comfortable. You’ll find everything you need in here. Of course, I’ll be back tonight.” Regina looked at Cady sharply. “You’re hired. Take care of her. If I can’t get her to use her powers for me, you both suffer. If she dies for any reason before then, you die too. Get it? Welcome to the Plastics.”

Regina turned with her almost patented flip of hair, Regina left the room. They heard a small click as the lock turned. After a beat, Cady looked at Janis.

“Is she serious?”

“Who knows, with her. I guess you’re my keeper now. That means you have to make me come around to using my powers for her,” Janis instinctively withdrew from Cady, leaning against the back of the couch and its arm. Cady regarded her curiously.

“Did you hear that? I heard she was going to do the hard work, and I just have to take care of you. If she wants your powers, then she can ask. I’ve never even seen them, right? So as far as I’m concerned, you don’t have any. Now. Hungry?” Cady got up, Janis watching her in wonder. She grinned, hurrying to a curtained off part of the ship. That was the living area, they had learned, where what served as a bath and private nook, with its own additional curtain, and the food storage area were. Or at least, the food deemed worthy of the Captain.

“What’s your story, anyway? She wasn’t interested, but I might be,” Janis asked, settling back down on the couch but ordering herself not to fall to sleep. Her stomach was growling aggressively now, though, which would help keep her from passing out.

“Why I was hunting pirates, you mean? Well, generally, I like to call myself an actual pirate, but I was trying to do a good turn for a friend. It turned out to be a bad idea, but there’s not much you can do on a boat in the middle of the ocean. So I did what anyone trying to survive would do, and rolled with it. Duvall didn’t really care about any of us, anyway, so he never learned our names. He won’t miss me now.”

Janis listened quietly, nodding her head along, though the clattering in the cabinets told her Cady was busy raiding.

“If you’re a pirate, what happened to your crew before that?”

“That good turn,” Cady sighed, pausing for a moment. “It was for them. I can only assume they’re in a different ocean by now, if they know what’s good for them. Doubt I’ll ever see any of their faces again.”

“Sorry…” Janis said, on instinct, then found she actually did feel bad for asking. Cady was a very honest sort, which seemed incongruent with her chosen life’s path, and Janis got none of the crawling hatred, fear, and distrust that Regina filled a person with.

“Well, you’re in the same boat. Literally. You won’t see your home again, most likely.”

“It was just a place I lived, not my home. I don’t have one. Pirates took that from me a long time ago. The only person I did care about ended up betraying me, though I guess I’m not too mad at him.”

Cady came over with a haul of dried fruits and meats, and other goodies she had taken from the cupboards. It was probably more than the two of them could eat, but at least she had considered options. She set them on the table nearby and dragged it over to the couch. She then found herself a cushioned armchair, pulling it closer as well. It created pockets in the fancy, almost matched rugs that covered the wooden floor, but Cady was not bothered by it. Regina, however, would not be pleased with the redecorating. Janis struggled to shift her position on the couch, but managed it after careful consideration. Cady offered her some food, letting her eat as slowly as she needed to.

“People can surprise us, in good and bad ways. You mean the guy that tried to fight Duvall when we came for you, right?”

“Damian, yeah.”

“Maybe there’s more to the story. He was definitely willing to fight for you, and I could tell he was doing his best. He just wasn’t very good at it. New to piracy, like you.” Cady tried to speak between mouthfuls, but forgot and did the opposite.

“Neither of us are pirates,” Janis sighed, eating carefully. It felt almost overwhelming, getting some food, and she had not noticed just how hungry she had been. Cady had a bottle of drinking water with her, as well, which she poured into a cup and offered to Janis. Janis drank greedily, hands shaking.

“No, you’re not. But I’ll have to teach you how to at least fake it, until we can get you off this ship. But first, I’ll do my job and get you better. You’ve had a nasty time of it, huh?” She had seen most of the damage while Karen was working on her, as there was not much concern for modesty, though even Cady had noticed the doctor taking some pains to be discreet. “I’m sorry. It’s a nasty business. I can’t say I’ve ever taken on a treasure on any of my voyages as valuable as you seem to be to Regina. Even so, she’s willing to break you first.”

“Are you trying to tell me to play her game?”

“Nah. Just warning you that it probably won’t be this nice for long. Take advantage of it while you can.” Cady chuckled, eating heartily. Janis reached for the water mug, which she emptied into her cup and then held in both hands. Cady glanced at her, eyes widening as the mug began to shift and move, shrinking into itself until Janis closed her hand around it. She looked at Cady, then opened her hand. A perfectly round, small ball of gold remained. Cady reached for it, looking it over in wonder. When she did speak, she was almost breathless. “Yeah I wouldn’t go around showing her that.”

Janis kept her hand outstretched, but turned it over to show Cady the back of it. A dark bruise had appeared, and as Cady leaned in to look she saw that it looked almost as if the skin had been pulled in different directions. It hadn’t split, this time, but it left damage beneath.

“It’s easier to use a material and change its shape, but even big changes will have a price. Changing the property of a material, like I just did, is incredibly difficult, and the strain on my body is… well. I’m sure you can see why a civilian like me can endure being tortured and beaten by pirates, at this point. I’ll suffer anything I have to, to keep this power dormant. Hidden. I just… don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

Cady regarded her quietly for a long moment. Her expression softened and she closed her hand around the precious little ball, putting it in one of her many pockets.

“Definitely not a pirate. But we can work on it.”

Chapter 9: The Monsters

Regina entered her chambers without much care, almost forgetting she had guests until she found the door locked. She unlocked it and spotted Janis asleep on the couch, half eaten and rummaged through food scattered on a table that had been unceremoniously dragged toward the couch and then pushed away, but in a different direction to the one it originated in. Cady was sleeping on the floor beside the couch, leaning almost upright on it beyond being slightly slumped toward Janis herself.

Regina frowned. Had this been a bad idea? No, she did not have those.

Cady stirred, opening her eyes and looking up as Regina walked closer. She got to her feet quickly, offering Regina a respectful bow of her head.

“Captain,” she said, softly.

“How is my Alchemist?” Regina asked, looking down at Janis, who was comfortably tucked in. She had some color in her face now, not looking quite so pale and drawn, and that dour furrow in her eyebrows had lifted a bit. Even though she was asleep, she looked a bit happier, at the very least.

“Janis. Her injuries started to hurt her, so she went to sleep. But she ate and relaxed a bit. Nice of you to let us borrow your fancy space.” Regina grunted and waved her hand, moving closer and looking Janis over critically. She saw the new bruise on the back of her hand, which was draped languidly across her body, and she felt something in her chest tighten. Getting up and turning to Cady abruptly, she gave her a critical look.

“Did she use her powers?”

Cady was unsure how to answer. Was she not supposed to talk about it? Regina had already seen them, and held all the power here. Lying would likely get them both in trouble. Hesitantly, Cady nodded her head. “She showed me how it worked. Very simply. She can change the shape of things.”

“And she just showed it to you, hmm?”

“Y-yes, Captain.”

“Have you two met before? Do you know each other?” Cady shook her head at the question, puzzled by the shift in tone. Regina looked irritated, which was not a new expression for her, but certainly never a good sign. “But she just demonstrated her powers for you, when she refused to even free herself from chains for me.”

Cady had an answer, but dared not say it. Thankfully, Janis spared her.

“Because Cady isn’t a dick,” Janis grumbled, turning away from them and tugging her blanket around her a bit more. She nuzzled into the warm pillow she was resting on, almost falling right back to sleep. Regina stared at her in shock, mouth hanging open. The level of disrespect Janis showed her was incomprehensible. No one ever dared, and Regina found she did not quite know how to respond to it. It was not as if she could just throw Janis overboard. She turned her eyes to Cady in warning, and she raised her hands defenselessly.

“Sorry, Captain! She’s just tired. What she means to say is, she doesn’t uh. Want you. To see them. Hmm.” Cady strained for a moment before adding, “yet?”

“Ever,” Janis mumbled.

“Oh, come on, Janis,” Regina said, moving to sit on the sofa and put a firm hand on Janis’ shoulder. Janis tensed, but did not turn toward her. “I get it. I roughed you up a bit. Stole you from your home. But I burned it to the ground, too, so there’s nothing to go back to. Think of this as a new start.”

Janis grumbled something into her pillow that sounded distinctly rude. Regina smirked, patting her shoulder harder than she probably needed to. She got up, glanced at Cady, then rolled her eyes and retreated to her bed. She drew the curtain behind her, and soon the lights of her lamps were put out. Cady sighed, returning to her resting spot beside the sofa, but found herself unable to sleep. She had a lot to think about, but she opted not to worry about anything beyond making sure Janis got the rest she needed.

For her part, Janis slept like the dead. It had been a long time since she was able to rest so fully, even back on the island. When she woke, she would attribute it to her physical condition: it was hard to be anything but tired after the beatings she had taken and all the blood she’d lost. The last thing she would do was give any credit to Regina’s couch and offerings of comfortable pillows and blankets. Still, that sense of comfort and warmth lingered over the next few days, as Janis spent a relatively quiet time healing in the privacy of Regina’s quarters. Karen checked in with her regularly, and Cady rarely left her side. Damian, as well, somehow managed to slip by Regina’s eye and all but move into the space to keep close with Janis. Cady and Damian hit it off right away, after she apologized for her former boss stabbing him.

After a few more days, Janis found herself out on the deck. Cady and Damian had helped her raid Regina’s clothes to find a more suitable ‘pirate’ look. She had to do a lot of editing with their suggestions, but settled on a mostly black get up. Pants, buckles, and a rather fancy and expensive looking coat that fit her almost as if it had been stolen for her. She was holding a sword and looking skeptically across a short span of the deck at Cady, who was likewise armed.

“I can’t wait to injure myself on my first day of seeing real sunlight again,” Janis whined, though Cady ignored her. It was the same complaint, in a different iteration. She was well aware that Janis did not want to learn how to sword fight, but there was no room for argument as far as Cady was concerned.

“She won’t hurt you, Janis!” Damian cooed, leaning on the rail of the ship and watching with rapt interest. He had been getting sword fighting lessons from some of the other pirates on the ship, though they had not been worried about hurting him. He had to learn fast, but felt confident enough now to defend himself. He was almost certain Duvall had only stabbed him because he had the element of surprise.

“I’m sure she won’t,” Janis said, looking at the sword as if it might bite her.

“Just keep the pointy end in my direction and you won’t hurt yourself, either,” Cady laughed, though she was suddenly wondering if this was a very good idea. She took a step forward, holding up her sword and indicating Janis should copy her stance. The alchemist complied, hesitantly, trying to settle into a stance she might be able to use. She might have been dressed like a pirate, but she certainly did not feel like one.

Cady tried to walk her through a few motions, taking leisurely swings at her, hoping to prompt her into a defensive stance first before teaching her how to attack. Janis was slow to respond, and quick to get frustrated, throwing her sword to the deck after only a few short swipes and awkward steps.

“That was a bit pathetic,” Regina’s voice almost sang, and Janis rolled her eyes. She caught a glimpse of a smug smirk as the Captain and her First Mate approached, but turned away before she got too long of a look. “But I can’t tell if it’s the teacher or the student that’s worse. Honestly, if you two want to make it as pirates on this ship, you’re going to have to try harder than that.”

“Good thing I don’t want to,” Janis shot back.

“I look forward to watching you get run through in our next raid, then,” Gretchen snarled.

Regina motioned for Gretchen to be quiet with a dismissive wave of her hand, and the First Mate fell silent. She stepped toward Janis, drawing her own sword. Cady immediately grew tense, and Damian pulled away from where he was leaning with his hands raised.

“Captain…” he said, cautiously.

Janis turned, eying Regina dubiously.

“What? You want to fight me? You saw exactly how invested I am in this: there’s no way. You’ll just slice me apart.” Janis folded her arms over her chest. Regina took a moment to recognize the outfit she was wearing, realizing it was made of pieces stolen from her wardrobe. She was hardly angry about it, though, finding that the alchemist wore it very well. Almost distractingly too well.

“They say the best way to learn is to learn from the best. There’s no one here better than me. Cady, pick up her sword.” Cady scrambled to recover the old, borrowed sword they had found in the holds, holding it out to Janis. The Alchemist took it, but looked annoyed to be doing so. She was tempted to use her powers to bend it, to make it unusable, but had been resisting using her powers so stalwartly for so long that it felt wrong to allow pettiness win. She watched Regina blandly, not bothering to take a defensive stance.

Regina did not really care if Janis was ready or willing. She attacked as she would any of her crew when they were sparring: as if they were an enemy. Janis was too slow to realize her mistake, jerking her body back rather than getting her sword up in time to block. The blade barely missed her, almost ruining the jacket she actually rather liked and had no intention of giving back. Irritated, she stepped forward again and this time raised her sword in front of her. She lowered her body a bit, shifting her legs and glaring at Regina bitterly.

“Now you’re focusing,” Regina purred. Her own stance was leisurely. She stood straight, feet slightly apart, sword down as she watched and waited. Her piercing blue eyes were doing most of the work, taking in everything there was to learn about her opponent. Janis did not attack, however, and Regina realized that she was not going to. “You really don’t like to hurt people, do you? After everything you’ve been through, and what you know any human would do to you if they found out what you are, you still think lives are precious. That’s so cute.”

“I’m sure that hole in your chest where your heart was supposed to be is filled with warmth and understanding, then,” Janis said, Damian and Cady giggling behind her. Janis was not trying to be funny, but it was nice hearing them, and knowing they were there. In a way, they were a safety net: they could at least step in if Regina seemed like she was going to go too far.

“Not quite. I don’t understand you at all. What a waste of power. Of raw talent. I couldn’t imagine putting people that hurt me above my own safety and happiness.”

“If you think that’s how it works, then no, you don’t get me at all. But then again, you are made of plastic, right? I wouldn’t expect you to understand anything at all. Not even simple math. Definitely not complicated human emotions.”

Regina charged, but she was grinning. She slashed from low to high, arching her blade, but Janis actually managed to catch it half way and block it with a surprisingly firm arm. Regina had her suspicions that Janis had some sort of background in fighting, or at the very least had been made to defend herself enough to have learned the basics. She worked so hard to keep her past and her abilities a secret that it compelled Regina to want to pry it all out of her. By force, if necessary, but so far that tactic had yielded no results. If anything, it had somehow made her trust other pirates and confide in them instead.

Which was more than a little annoying.

“Are you even human?” Regina taunted, dropping her voice as their sword play brought her close once more. Janis caught a swipe with her blade, the two locking and Regina pushing forward. Janis felt her back against the rail of the ship, growling as she stared into Regina’s deceptively pretty face. “Aren’t you a monster? I saw what you did to Duvall’s hand. And you had the audacity to make it cute.”

“I was panicking,” Janis strained to push Regina back, but the pirate captain was stronger. She held them in place, forcing Janis to face her questioning. “I wasn’t aiming for cute.”

“You were still aiming to destroy his hand. You almost sank a ship on your own, with one shot of an empty cannon. Your powers are monstrous and that makes you a monster.” Janis let out a cry of frustration, shoving back against the swords with renewed strength. Regina held her ground, not anticipating that Janis was expecting not to overpower her. She instead bet on Regina hardening her stance, setting her knees and body to continue her hold. It allowed her to slam her foot just to the side of Regina’s knee. It caused it to buckle painfully inward, wrenching Regina sideways and off balance for a moment. Janis was able to pull her sword free and leap away, retreating to Cady and Damian. Gretchen hurried over to Regina, catching her arm to support her but getting shoved away almost immediately.

Regina was grinning, looking triumphant even as Janis shot her the most hate filled glare. There were tears in the Alchemist’s eyes, and she was clearly shaken from the encounter. Damian had an arm around her shoulder, and even Cady was hovering close in an effort to comfort her. She had her sword in hand, and kept a tight stance just in case Regina attacked again. The Captain was content, it seemed, in the damage she had already done, and she sashayed away from them. They only saw her tossing her hair and smiling, and did not catch the slight hesitance, and the quick glance she stole at her depreciating treasure.

Chapter 10: The Pirate

Summary:

Janis tells Damian and Cady about a portion of her past that she would sooner forget than let others know about.

“She doesn’t know the first thing about you, baby girl,” Damian said, using his soft voice. It was a tone he saved for times like this, when someone was upset and needed to hear some comforting words. They were in his quarters, which seemed a lot smaller with three people, and Janis was hunkered down under a blanket on his cot. She pulled it down when he spoke to her, looking at him with a less than convinced look on her face.

“You didn’t see what I did to that pirate hunter,” she said softly. “I don’t know why I made it a rabbit! But Regina doesn’t get it. She saw what she saw, sure, but she barely understands what someone like her can make me do. What a pirate made me do before. I’ve seen the worst of my powers. I don’t care what she says: I’m not going to do it, ever again. I won’t make her treasure and I won’t… I won’t be a weapon.”

Cady watched in wonder. Damian obviously had some idea what she was talking about, scooting over to her and wrapping his arm around her once he fished her more completely out of the blankets. He kissed her head and she leaned into him, shoulders tightening and she hid her face and lost the fight against tears.

“Is it too early to ask for details?” Cady ventured, sitting on the end of the cot, which was most certainly over max capacity. Damian shot her a glare, but Janis poked her head out from his chest and looked at Cady tiredly. She motioned for her to get closer, the three settling into a small group so they could talk in relative quiet. Hopefully, anyone trying to listen in would have trouble doing so.

‘When I washed up on that island, I had just escaped from pirates that had me hostage for… a long time,” Janis said, vaguely. Damian nodded his head.

“I found her on the beach, and she was a mess. I didn’t think she was even alive, and when I found out she was, I definitely didn’t think she would survive. But I took her home with me like a lost puppy. A lost, drowned, horrifyingly injured and emaciated puppy.” Both Cady and Janis were looking at him, and he waved a hand in apology.

“I was living on a ship. The pirate… if monsters exist, he was one,” her eyes looked distant, her memories strained behind the glossy look. “He ran his ship with terror. I don’t remember ever hearing anyone speaking, let alone laughing. It was as if every member of his crew was a part of the ship, a cog in the machine. A thing, not a person. I never heard any names. I don’t even know his. He spoke to me, a couple of times, but I…” she put a hand to her head, grimacing in pain. Damian moved to hug her to him again and realized how badly she was shaking. She pushed him away gently, though, struggling on.

“He realized the cost my powers have. But he found a way around it. I could keep his ship supplied in ammunition and wealth, anything he wanted, as long as the price was paid. He would capture pirates, or civilians, or naval officers: it didn’t matter who the body was. He would give them to me, half dead. I could transfer the cost from my own body to theirs. I… tortured them, until they died and were replaced. He was so clever. He kept coming up with new, horrible ways to exploit my magic, and I was too scared, too brainwashed to stop him. Until one day.”

She looked at Damian, then at Cady. She had never told anyone this part of the story, not even when Damian had gotten her to tell him a little of her past while he was caring for her.

“I trapped him in the mast of his ship. He had me on deck, and wanted me to make an example of soldiers he had captured. I refused and he stabbed me, but knew I wouldn’t die. He ordered me again. I remember… putting my hand on the mast. I… I think I killed everyone. I only remember consuming him into the mast, making the wood pierce his body and hold him, circling his very bones. There was so much screaming. Pirates were pulling on their legs and I realized I had… used too much power. The deck had absorbed their feet, their legs. The soldiers were on the floor, in the floor, and they were screaming, too. My body had torn itself apart… I jumped in a lifeboat and took my chances on the sea.”

She lowered her gaze to the bed, not wanting to see the horror in her friend’s faces.

“I don’t think I wanted to survive. I really only remember waking up in Damian’s room after that. Warm, and safe.”

“Janis…” Cady’s touch surprised her, Janis actually jumping a bit when Cady’s warm hand touched her cheek. The Alchemist looked up with the gentle urging, tears filling her eyes as she shook her head. She did not deserve pity or understanding, but when she looked at Cady’s face, that was all she saw. “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine… what you’ve been though… I can’t…”

“It’s alright,” Janis said, patting the back of Cady’s hand and hardening her resolve a bit. She forced herself to stop crying, nodding firmly. “I’m fine. I survived. And I’ve resolved to never let my powers be used by anyone, for any reason, ever again. I’m way stronger now than I ever was back then, as a person. I won’t be broken. And I won’t hurt anyone. I know it doesn’t make up for what I’ve already done, but at the very least I won’t add to my list of sins.”

“Baby girl,” Damian sighed, wrapping her up in a very tight hug. She must have made that promise to herself the moment she jumped into that life boat, and yet he knew she had used her powers to rescue him after that. It made that feel so much more important, when it had already been a pretty big deal considering he would have died without her help. Knowing how much trauma she associated with the magic she had not chosen to have, but had simply been born with, only made each instance she chose to use it more meaningful. Even Cady felt a kind of awe, for the tiny display she had been given, and put her hand over the pocket that still held the tiny golden ball.

“I know you don’t want to, but we should probably still teach you how to defend yourself. Regina’s not going to stop. If she ever finds out just how powerful you are…” Cady could barely wrap her head around the story. After all, how could one small girl destroy an entire ship? She had to wonder what happened to that cursed ship, after she abandoned it. The way anyone left alive on it must have died… it was too cruel. But could Janis be blamed for it? Regardless, she could certainly be made to do it again. It really would propel Regina to the Queen status she longed for.

“Damian, do you know where we’re sailing to? Maybe we can jump ship…”

“Probably not. It’s a pirate haven. They’re going to unload and restock. So Cady’s right, we should get you fitting in on this ship. I mean, you’re already rocking the look.” Janis offered a half hearted laugh at that, nodding her head in thanks. “And we need to work on your attitude around the Captain. I get it. She’s a lot. But you’re not making life easier for yourself by being so rude.”

“I barely talk to her. And she kidnapped me. Not to mention the torture and beatings.”

“Cady tried to kidnap you and she’s been promoted into the friend sphere,” Damian pointed out, and Cady nodded, making a face.

“Maybe we can stop bringing that up at some point,” she whined softly. “I was just following orders. And I didn’t even like him.”

“Right, and Regina is the one giving the orders.” Janis added, feeling more relaxed with the idle chatter. It made her almost forget she was trapped as a prisoner on a notorious pirate ship. Besides Damian, she had never had a friend before, and now Cady was fitting right in with them. It was the kind of comfort she desperately needed, and she knew she was clinging to it tighter than was probably normal. Cady did not seem to mind, and Damian was happy to welcome her into their fold.

Janis was great, but she could be a little dour sometimes.

“She’s still the Captain. We all have to play by her rules. You can’t give her your powers, but at least stop antagonizing her.”

Janis grumbled and flopped against Damian, who chuckled and took it to mean she would try her best.

“I suppose I’ll have to go face her, anyway, since I’m apparently her roommate now,” Janis sighed. She was still required to sleep in the Captain’s quarters, and Cady had gotten moved out. She retained her position as Alchemist caretaker, but was granted her own small quarters near Damian's inside the ship. Janis was only a little jealous because of the privacy: the couch she was sleeping on was far more comfortable than these cots. She supposed it was Regina’s way of trying to force interaction between the two of them, despite it largely failing. Janis either pretended to be asleep whenever she was around, or spent her time elsewhere strategically.

“Be nice,” Damian warned, then, at the glare he received, he waved his hand. “Okay, just don’t antagonize her.”

“Good night,” Janis sighed, giving him a hug before scooting out of the cot. She gave Cady a hug too, for good measure, and found it was not as awkward as she thought it might be. Cady was very receptive to it, and returned it enthusiastically. She opted to hang out a bit longer with Damian, as she had not been assigned any other duties on the ship other than looking after Janis.

The Alchemist made her way back to the Captain’s quarters, getting used to the lay out of the ship slowly, but surely. It was actually a beautiful vessel, with surprising amenities. It was clear she took very good care of it, and updated it whenever she got the chance. In many ways, it was extravagant, and Janis did not doubt that was intentional. Why else would they paint large portions of the ship pink?

“Ah, there you are,” Regina’s melodious voice filled the room as soon as Janis entered it, the tired artist sighing as she shut the door behind her. There was no longer a need to lock it, though Regina had gotten in the habit of asking her to do so, simply out of a need for control. “I thought you would be pouting with your friends all night.”

“And I thought you would send Gretchen to drag me, piece by piece, back here if I tried,” Janis replied, instinctively and in a tone that some might have considered antagonistic. She winced, not wanting to summon Damian. “But here I am.”

“There you are,” Regina confirmed. She got up from her desk, walking toward the alchemist slowly, as if not wanting to spook her. She looked her up and down, nodding her head. “You know, I really hated the way those pants made me look, but they fit you very well. Your curves really fill them out beautifully.”

“What a fun way to call someone fat,” Janis growled, and Regina laughed, actually sounding surprised.

“That was supposed to be a compliment. Your body is amazing, and the leather works. Better than that joke you were wearing when we brought you on board. Whatever animal that jacket used to be was born to be worn by you.” Regina nodded her head in approval, rumbling happily. It seemed fashion really set her off, and Janis had opened a strange can of worms that she had not been anticipating. She shuffled awkwardly, no longer sure how to reply, which only seemed to spurn Regina on. “I’ve made you blush. Did no one on that island ever compliment you before? I thought they were supposed to be high class and snobs: they should know art when they see it.”

“Is there a reason you’re showering me in compliments, hours after telling me I’m a monster?” Janis asked abruptly, face still flushed a deep red. She still lifted her gaze to meet Regina’s challengingly, the pirate Captain smiling brightly because of it. Her eyes flashed in that dangerous way she had, usually before she did something cruel or dangerous.

“I didn’t realize you were so sensitive,” she cooed. “I’ll remember that the next time we spar. I was just trying to motivate you.”

“Mhm. I’m going to go to bed.” There was such a strange feeling in the air, Janis needed to disengage. To escape. She wanted to retreat to the relative safety of her blanket and pillow, the one little space she had to herself. Once Regina pulled that curtain around her big bed, it was almost like being alone. Regina was moving toward that curtain now, hips swaying leisurely with each step. Every move was calculated to be watched and Janis, though she was doing her best, found she could not look away.

“Of course. Have a good night, my Treasure.”

Chapter 11: The Night

Janis was not particularly happy to be sitting out on the deck in the middle of the night, but Regina had decided to invite one of her many admirers on the crew back to her bed, and Janis simply could not bear to listen to it. It happened regularly enough, and she seemed to have a set group she liked to pick from. Usually, Janis retreated to Damian’s cabin, but opted to give him a break tonight. After some deliberation on deck, where it was lightly raining and far too cold, she decided to try Cady’s cabin. She made her way under the deck and found Cady’s door open. It made it a little less awkward, when she poked her head into the room.

“Cady? You awake?”

“Yup.” Cady was sitting on her cot, reading. The book must have been stolen from the Captain’s quarters, though it was unlikely Regina would ever notice. She only used the books as decorations, to make the bookshelves look less sad. It was unlikely anyone ever considered actually reading them before. She waved, and set the book down on the bed as Janis shuffled over. She closed the door on instinct, always one for privacy and secrecy. “What’s wrong?”

“Regina is having some private time with someone. Maybe Gretchen this time? It was getting loud and I had to escape. Is it cool if I stay here tonight? I can sleep on the floor.”

“We can figure out some kind of an arrangement on the cot,” Cady giggled, scooting a bit to allow a very small amount of space for Janis to sit down. The ever tired looking artist smiled thankfully, fighting to get her belted boots off before settling in. She looked at the book as Cady picked it back up, tilting her head.

“What are you reading?”

“Some guy traveled all over the place, to find the most dangerous places he could, and write about all the animals he found there. It’s pretty interesting,” Cady said, noncommittally. She watched as Janis shrugged off her jacket, tossing it to join her boots on the floor. The alchemist then moved to settle a bit more comfortably in the bed, resting against the pillow while trying to leave Cady more than enough space. Cady couldn’t help the giggle, shaking her head. “You’re going to fall off.”

“I’ve been less comfortable,” Janis argued. “Especially on nights like tonight.”

“Ha, yeah, I can imagine. She asked me to join the rotation, you know, so some nights you might have this place all to yourself. What luxury, right?” There was a pause before Janis turned to look at Cady, the two much closer than either anticipated. Cady looked sheepish, knowing exactly why she was getting the stare down.

“You’re going to sleep with her?”

“Well, I mean. Why not? We’re stuck on this boat, and there aren’t a lot of options. She’s undeniably beautiful. I like her well enough, though I get why that’s a problem. We’re pirates, and for some of us it’s not about finding someone we connect with, or can love. That’s just not in the cards. A night works just fine.” Cady sighed as Janis turned away from her again. She scooted closer, resting her head close behind Janis’ on the pillow and snaking her arm over the other’s side. Janis was tense, keeping her back to her, but she seemed to relax a little into the cuddles. Cady found she hated the idea of Janis being mad at her, but had never doubted her decisions before. “Do you think I shouldn’t?”

 

“It’s up to you,” Janis sighed, glancing down at the arm around her. She supposed she could understand the need for contact, for connection, even in a fleeting way, during a lifestyle like this. She found herself placing her hand carefully on Cady’s wrist, just touching it lightly. She blushed, suddenly realizing where she was, and what they were talking about. Cady’s arm tightened around her, and she felt the warmth of Cady’s body pressing closer to her back.

“Or…” Cady breathed, and Janis shuddered at the shift in her tone. “We could just have our own nights.”

Janis let the words hang in the air, heat racing through her body. She turned slowly, shifting so that she could face Cady, and finding her only a breath away once she settled. She reached up, fingers hesitating before brushing lightly over Cady’s skin and tucking some of her red hair behind her ear. “That’s a terrible idea,” she breathed, as Cady leaned toward her. She felt her lips brushing Cady’s with every word, only barely resisting the urge to lean forward and silence herself. “Regina won’t allow it. If she wants you, she’ll want me, too.”

“Oh, god yeah, she wants you bad,” Cady laughed, and Janis jerked back, which only made her laugh harder. “Blame the leather pants!”

“You pirates are the worst,” Janis grumbled, making a show of trying to climb out of the bed. Cady caught her in her arms and tugged her down into the bed with her, in a rather haphazard pile. She caught Janis’ face in her hands and held it captive for a moment before pressing a firm kiss to her lips. Janis found herself almost melting into it, an electric pulse moving through her body. She pulled back abruptly, gasping and shaking her head.

Cady looked surprised, watching her carefully. She knew there was a lot of trauma bouncing around Janis’ head, and somehow felt she had only saw the tip of the iceberg when Janis was sharing before.

“Hey, you okay? No rush. I’m just having fun, Janis. It’s okay,” Cady said softly, following after Janis but not touching her right away. The Alchemist was sitting on the edge of the bed, breathing deeply.

“I just… I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Hurt me?” Cady blinked. “It’s not that serious. I’m not giving you my heart on a silver platter or anything, gorgeous. I’m just… we’re just… I really like being near you. Getting to know you. I want to know a bit more, if you catch my drift.”

“No, I get it. I know. I’m not... It’s not that. I just. Literally don’t want to hurt you. I’ve never… let myself get close to anyone. After what happened on that ship, after losing control for one tiny moment and finding that nightmare..” Janis hugged herself tightly, and was surprised to find Cady snaking her arms around her and hugging her from behind. Cady pressed a kiss to the back of Janis’ neck, idly playing with the belt of her pants before sliding one hand carefully between her legs.

“So you’re worried I’m going to rock your world so hard, you’ll lose control of your powers?”

“No, that is not…” Janis started, shuddering. She was fighting a smile and a laugh, finding it all too easy to relent under Cady’s sweet touches and alluring kisses. “Well, I don’t know! I don’t know what to think. But it’s worked so far. Why risk it?”

Cady got up on her knees behind Janis, moving her hands to slide up Janis’ body before caressing her breasts. She leaned close, kissing Janis’ neck and up to her ear, where she whispered. “Because sex is really fun.”

“That is a compelling argument…” Janis breathed, before catching herself. She reached up and grabbed hold of Cady’s wrists, prying her all too clever hands away from her chest and pushing them down. Once free, Janis got up, leaving Cady kneeling on the bed, and turned to face her. She looked thoughtful, unsure, but her expression softened as she shyly reached up to tug her own shirt over her head. Cady’s eyes lit up, absorbing the sight and letting out a shaking whistle of approval. “One night. And if I get freaked out, you can’t blame me for stopping.”

“No judgment here, gorgeous,” Cady laughed quickly, tugging her clothes off haphazardly as Janis climbed back into the bed. She barely got free of her shirt before she was kissing Janis soundly, the artist’s beautiful, urgent moan filling her ears and becoming the only sound she ever wanted to hear.

—-

It turned out, Cady had not been lying. Sex with her had been amazing, and Janis could tell she had been doing her best to remove any doubts that might have been lingering in the artist’s mind. She had been so attentive and undeniably skilled, Janis had no hope of calling it off early. The thought, and any worries she might have had, left her mind almost immediately. Instead, she was able to share a heated night of passion with the pirate, and learned far more than she had been prepared for. Maybe she should have been worried about how hard Cady was going to rock her world, but it was a very happy surprise. And she had not once lost control of her powers, or even thought about them.

Cady was looking particularly pleased with herself, all but purring as she laid with Janis on the cot. Janis was on her back, recovering, and Cady had draped herself against Janis’ side, fingers drawing idle lines along her toned abs and flat stomach.

“You wouldn’t know you were almost slit open not too long ago,” Cady said idly, taking the time to really admire Janis’ body, now that they had calmed and were languishing in a lull of activity. “No scars. Your skin’s perfect, actually. Beautiful.”

“Thanks,” Janis laughed, almost ruefully. She was lightly petting Cady’s hair, watching her think. “Part of my magic, I guess. At least it covers up all the damage it does to me, but I never really knew it extended to other injuries like that. Guess I just don’t scar. Physically, anyway.”

“Yeah, you have plenty of emotional ones,” Cady teased, her tone affectionate. She pressed a kiss to the spot she had been touching, then shifted so she could kiss a trail up. She passed between Janis’ still bare breasts, pausing to pay each one attention before continuing her travels. The Alchemist moaned, exhausted and warm, but couldn’t help how eagerly she was waiting for Cady’s lips to end their journey by meeting hers. She was granted this simple wish in short order, Cady kissing her into the pillows, and Janis wrapping her arms around her neck and shoulders.

“Not satisfied yet, pirate?” Janis breathed, once she was allowed to. Shimmering green eyes stared back at her, and the heated edge to them, the raw desire, made her blush. “Cady…”

“One night, you said,” the pirate rumbled, reaching down and letting her clever fingers explore between Janis’ legs. Admittedly, she had become much more familiar with the area over the last few hours. Janis rolled her hips forward, obligingly spreading her legs at the imploring touch. “So I want the entire night.”

“I’m not making any promises,” Janis laughed, embarrassed but still honest. She did feel how slick just those purposeful little touches were making her, and felt as though her exhaustion was burning away with the rising heat of her own desire.

—-

The heavy knock on the door nearly scared both Janis and Cady out of the cot. They clung to each other, neither one ready to be awake. Not expecting anything out of the ordinary, Damian poked his head into the room.

“Did Janis spend the night here-” his words had started in a singsong kind of way, light and innocent, but fell once he spotted the two naked women sheltering behind a blanket together. Janis hid further down, Cady covering her with the blanket and laughing. Damian covered his mouth with a gasp, but he could not hide his delighted smile. Terror immediately followed, eyes widening as the door was pushed further open and Regina leaned on the door frame. She had gone to Damian looking for Janis, and when it turned out she had not slept in his chambers like she normally did had come with him to find her.

“Now isn’t this cute,” Regina said, dryly. She spotted the pile of leather clothing on the floor, and other articles in various places around it, and did not need to actually see Janis to know the lump in the blanket was her. Cady was grinning ear to ear, looking impossibly proud of herself, while Damian continued to weigh his choices. He did not want to incur the wrath of Regina by saying anything too soon, as he was not sure if she was furious or not.

“Alchemist, when you’re done playing hide and seek, I need you on deck,” Regina ordered, tone indecipherable. She did pause thoughtfully as she was turning from the room, back to everyone as she added. “Clothing optional.”

She disappeared into the ship, and Cady let out a wild cackle, diving into the blanket to retrieve Janis. Damian squealed and ran over to the bed, grabbing some of Janis’ clothing along the way. He joined Cady in her laughter, which only drove Janis further into the cot and out of their reach.

Chapter 12: The Tavern

Summary:

The pirates of the Plastic land in a bustling island town full of pirates. Cady, Janis and Damian make their way to a tavern, where they are set on unwinding. Despite a dubious warning from Regina, Janis allows herself to relax, which, of course, just opens the door to trouble.

Mortified. There was no other way to describe how Janis was feeling as she stood on the deck, fully dressed, but feeling unbearably naked under Regina’s piercing, curious gaze.

“Well, at the very least, it’s good to see you adopting our lifestyle a bit,” Regina said, at last, hand on the pommel of her sword. It was still in the sheath at her side, but Janis doubted the chances of it staying there. “I must say, I am very surprised by how comfortable you’ve gotten with our borrowed pirate hunter. I have to wonder what she’s done to earn your trust, when you won’t even spend more than five minutes speaking to me. And never in a civil tone. After I’ve given you a place to stay, and good food, and the best company this ship has to offer.”

“Do you mean yourself.”

“I do mean me. Even you have to admit, after our rough start, I’ve been nothing but nice,” Regina looked like she was preening, obviously proud of the efforts she had been making. Janis stared at her, then shook her head very slowly.

“Pointing out how nice you are doesn’t really help your cause. And it won’t make me forget that you’re just using me. Yes, I prefer the nice tactic to the torture, but neither are going to work.” Janis shook her head, almost feeling sorry for the spoiled Captain. She relied so heavily on her power and reputation, she hardly knew how to function without it. Or in spaces where it had no meaning.

Regina wrinkled her nose in distaste, crossing her arms over her chest without ever drawing her weapon. Janis relaxed a little, but not entirely.

“Whatever,” the Captain huffed. Her mind was working, though, and her piercing blue eyes flashed with an idea. If she could not get through to Janis, then she would just use her companions, just as she had done before. If she could convince Damian to sell her out and join the crew, then she could convince Cady to do the same. “I don’t feel like wasting my time sparring with you today. You’re making my skills worse, and I need an actual challenge. One of the cabinet’s in my quarters has a broken door: go fix it.”

“Sure,” Janis sighed, rolling her eyes and walking away. She was actually thankful for the task. On her island, she had taken up a life as an artist and a source of repairs for those that lived there. She became a regular handyman, or rather woman, and did it all without the use of her powers. It was always a nice way to distract herself, on a bad day, or enjoy the leisure of a good day.

Regina watched her go, smirking. She was facing a challenge, but she was up to it. In fact, instead of her usual annoyance, she felt oddly excited.

—--

The excitement on the ship was palpable as they drew closer to port. Everyone was just a little stir crazy, looking forward to dry land and a chance to restock the ship. Janis was vaguely contemplating taking her chances and disappearing into the town waiting for them, but nothing Cady told her about the pirate haven seemed particularly reassuring. When they bothered to speak to one another, anyway. Usually, they filled their time together in other, more intimate and mouth occupying ways. Speaking was generally considered unnecessary, unless they got into a contest that required making the other yell the loudest. Even then, words were optimistically replaced with moans.

Neither failed to miss the Captain’s increased interest in their playful, sexual relationship. She was curious, sometimes angry, sometimes jealous, and other times it seemed like she was on the verge of ordering the both of them to her bed. A number of times, she rounded on Cady while they were sparring and ordered her to stay away from the Alchemist altogether, but the order was never heeded for more than a few minutes after Regina was out of sight. They put little to no energy into hiding it, either, Regina somehow losing any control she might have thought she had over the two essential stowaways on her ship.

The Captain knew she would have to establish her dominance, and remind everyone on the ship just who she was, and how she had gotten the reputation that, quite frankly, should have been more than enough to keep everyone in check. It was irritating, to say the least, and Regina was in an increasingly bad mood even as the rest of her crew raised their morale. Once the anchors were dropped and the boats lowered, it was like they were all racing each other to see who could touch ground first.

Damian, Cady, and Janis moved to explore the massive beach side town that had been created around what few moldy, crumbling docks counted as a port. It was impressive in a unique way, having clearly been hobbled together over the years by the many, many pirates that passed through. Some buildings looked almost complete and real, like people who were actually employed to create them had put them there. Many others did not.

Most looked like they were built out of supplies that came off ships, harvested from raids, and from ships that crashed around the island. Most of it was surrounded by rocks and shoals that could not be safely navigated through, protecting it on almost all sides. The beaches that were approachable, like this one, were protected by other means. Cannons, mostly, hiding in the forest line and various bunkers across the landscape.

“Wow, it’s crazier than the last time I saw it! I think they built another layer on that bar! Who needs a three floor tavern?!” Cady was laughing excitedly. Most of the pirates from the crew were heading that way, so the three opted to cross the sand toward it, as well. A heavy hand caught Janis’ wrist, holding it with crushing strength that was only barely being restrained. Tight, but only enough to warn of even greater danger. Janis turned, not surprised to find Regina standing there.

She looked radiant, wearing some of her best. A Captain of her standing needed to be impressive, and clothes, it seemed, only furthered that ideal. She was beautiful, there was no denying it. Under the high sun and clear blue sky, she almost glowed. Her blonde hair was clean and full, her blue eyes blazing with a determined, barely contained flame. She was wearing her customary black and pink leather, but had not left her weapons behind. A sword and a gun clung to her belt, and Janis was sure there were multiple knives hiding with exceptional skill somewhere among the tight, form fitting outfit. It would be impressive to see where she pulled one out from, though suddenly Janis found herself no longer wanting to imagine it.

“Captain,” she sighed, stopping. To be allowed on a boat and onto the beach had been surprises so far, Janis certain she would be locked on the ship the moment talk of land began. Instead, she had been allowed to continue her relative freedom, under the greater scope of captivity, but there had to be limits. She assumed that was why Regina was clinging to her now.

“Alchemist,” Regina purred, keeping her voice low. “Don’t let anyone know what you are.”

“Thanks, I needed you to remind me of that. I’m usually just such a blabber mouth,” Janis grunted, her sarcasm instinct always strongest when Regina was in direct contact of her. The Captain almost looked amused, but there was a dark edge in her gaze that gave Janis a momentary pause. Something was off. Different. Though she had not been smiling, the very slight amusement Janis allowed herself to feel every time she was rude to Regina burned away under her gaze.

“Just don’t be stupid. No one here will help you. Nothing here comes without a price, and everything has value. So don’t let your guard down.”

Janis looked confused for a moment, but nodded her head. Somehow, her words failed her. She watched as Regina let go of her and sashayed away, heading toward the docks. It did not look like she was going to the bar, at least not right away, but Janis realized she did not want to know what Regina was here to do. Damian and Cady were waiting not too far away, and both gave her quizzical looks once she caught up to them.

Janis shook her head, with a shrug. They continued on their way and soon enough Janis was regretting ever getting off of the boat to begin with.

It was loud and crowded in a way the bars on her other island had never been. There, people sat at tables and talked quietly, and usually someone was playing an instrument. When there was a party or event being held, it was orderly chaos, and everyone seemed to be having fun. In this place, it looked like they were in the process of a violent riot with no clear sides, participants, or motive. Everyone was loud, everyone was moving, and there was blood, mess, and bodies everywhere. Most looked to be alive, or at least in the process of dying, and no one seemed particularly concerned. Not even the ones that were bleeding.

“This is incredible!” Damian yelled, looking excited. He turned to Janis, expecting her to be just as delighted, but saw the almost painful looking grimace on her face. He burst out laughing, wrapping an arm around her shoulder .”Oh, baby girl! Let’s find a table and have some fun! Cady, get drinks!”

“On it!”

They were able to secure a small table for the three of them, as most of the over revelers were too busy fighting each other or engaging in various, dangerous looking games all around the bar. Apparently, if Cady was to be believed, there were two more floors of this kind of thing and, judging from all the thumping and noise above their heads, it seemed correct. Cady came over with way too many drinks and Damian cheered.

“This is the life you were dreaming of, Damian?!” Janis yelped, as Cady slid her a mug and settled down beside her.

“Isn’t it amazing?”

“No!”

“Aww, you don’t like pirates, all of a sudden?” Cady teased, leaning to kiss Janis on the cheek, mostly to tease her. Janis pushed her face away, which only made Cady laugh more. She considered their relationship very casual and fun, but she knew Janis was someone she needed to be careful with. She had been through so much trauma, and there was undoubtedly more that they had not even begun to uncover, but she also felt doing things like this was good for her. She had been hidden away from the world long enough: they could have fun, and protect her at the same time.

“I’ve never liked pirates,” Janis countered, rolling her eyes. Damian laughed at that, while Cady pouted.

“I’m sorry, Janis, but I can definitely tell you that you do, in fact, like pirates,” Damian laughed. He gave her a dirty look, then transferred it to Cady, then back.

“Cady’s a pirate hunter,” Janis challenged, lifting her drink and carefully tasting it. It was revolting, but she could taste how strong the alcohol was and relaxed into it anyway.

“Got me there!”

The area around them seemed to quiet down, and Janis lifted her head from her mug. She looked around, noting just how many pairs of eyes were on them. One man got up, snarling as he stalked over. He looked at Janis, then at Cady.

“What did you just say?”

“That I don’t like pirates? Sorry, I was under the impression most pirates know they are unliked. In fact, most pirates in this bar seem to dislike each other,” Janis said, with a calm that surprised Cady. She was acting as if she were fully aware of the danger she was in, and accepted it. Almost welcomed it, as if she had any defense if she pissed these pirates off further. Beyond that, she was doing it to protect Cady. They never should have brought up the hunter thing, Cady making an even greater mistake by agreeing to it. What had just been quippy conversation in good fun was quickly making the air in the room turn sour.

“You don’t like pirates, and you’re in the company of a hunter, eh?” The man snarled, focusing on Janis now. Since she had chosen to speak to him so brazenly, he had to assume she was the leader of this tiny group. She even stood, so he was not looming over her quite so much. Dark eyes focused on his cloudy, obviously drunk ones steadily. Fearlessly.

“Reformed. And believe me, if she was here to work, you would not be on the list. Now leave us to our evening, please, and return to your own. You look like you’re having a lot of fun, and we’re not here to ruin that.”

The pirate considered her for a long time. She was an anomaly, and it registered with him. This whole table was, as he glanced at them. The three of them were clean and well fed, rare for pirates. She was pretty, and there was not an ounce of fear in her. She looked at him with an expression that was almost bored, and he was not sure if that pissed him off or worried him. What did she know, or think she knew, that he did not? He growled, then reached across the table to take Janis’ drink. She allowed him to, watching passively as he drained it and slammed the mug back onto the table. He stalked away, though, and Janis sank back into her chair.

Since he was behind them now, out of sight, Janis breathed a shaking sigh of relief. She looked at Cady, wincing.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, “I shouldn’t have said that out loud.”

“I wasn’t thinking, either. But hey, you were incredible. You’d make a pretty amazing Captain, you know.” Cady’s eyebrows were high on her forehead, eyes flashing in her excitement.

“Now I’m back to hating pirates.”

Chapter 13: The Beach

It was a miracle that they had been able to find this quiet spot on the beach, and yet they somehow managed it. Janis was laying on her back, staring up at the stars as if she had never seen them before. She was drunk, moreso than she had ever been before, but she could hardly let a band of pirates know that. Even Damian seemed to have slid right into the pirate life, laughing and singing with Cady under the stars on the beach while Janis was too dizzy and relaxed to even sit up.

“My poor, sweet light weight,” she heard Damian coo, somewhere above her. She did not open her eyes, which was surprising as she was not quite sure when she had closed them.

“She’s just not built for the pirate life,” Cady giggled, either several miles away or sitting directly on top of her. Janis had no idea, and opened one eye to see Cady’s face hovering close to hers. She offered her a lopsided smile, and leaned up to steal a gentle kiss, which Cady was happy to return. “So cute, though.”

“Oh, adorable,” Damian agreed, petting Janis’ hair as he sat beside her in the soft sand.

“I’m a grood pirate,” Janis grumbled, then paused, groaning. “I meant to say great but tried to say good.”

“Baby girl,” Damian laughed, though he nearly toppled sideways as he leaned over her. Cady grinned at him, and found herself perfectly happy. It was a sudden, startling feeling, and she drew back from Janis as she let the sensation settle over her alcohol laden mind. Janis sat up carefully, noticing the way Cady’s expression had fallen. Her gentle eyes and caring look only adding to Cady’s emotional strain. Cady threw her arms around Janis’ neck, hugging her tightly. Damian, spurned on only by witnessing a hug, wrapped his arms around them both and joined in. Janis started laughing, wiggling a bit.

“Is this how I die?!”

“Crushed by love, no better way to go,” Damian purred, not loosening his hold. Cady was thankful for the tight hug, taking comfort in the honesty of the warmth that surrounded her. After losing her ship and restarting her life in a way that had never quite suited her, she never expected to find happiness and friendship like this again. And yet here she was, with people she truly connected with. Maybe it really was love, as Damian said. She found herself looking at Janis, the drunk Alchemist feeling the weight of the gaze and offering her a shy, irresistible smile.

“No better way,” Cady confirmed, tightening her own hug and kissing Janis suddenly. It was soft but full, a smoldering heat hiding behind the needy press of her lips. Janis reached a hand up to catch Cady’s cheek, holding her gently and leaning into the kiss even as Damian laughed and cheered them on.

“Looks like we’re the ones interruptin’, this time,” a gruff, drunk voice barked as shadows fell across the three cuddling friends. Damian let the two girls go, Cady struggling to her feet and reaching for her sword on instinct. Janis was helpless, unable to get up and looking around in bleary confusion. Her eyes settled on a group of pirates that had stalked across the beach toward them, the soft sand and darkening evening masking their approach. She managed to recognize at least one of them from the tavern, reaching a hand for Damian’s arm to steady herself.

“Gentlemen,” Cady said, hand resting on her sword but not drawing it too prematurely. If they could avoid a fight it would be better for them all. “The beach is plenty big enough for all of us.”

“The beach’ll be perfect once you’re not on it,” the angry pirate from the bar growled, the leader of the bunch. He had obviously not gotten any less drunk from their previous encounter, though his anger had deepened considerably. His sword was already drawn and in hand, and the men behind him were armed with various weapons as well. Damian wrapped his arms around Janis protectively, helping her to stand.

“Then we’ll leave,” he offered carefully, “no problem. Come on, Cady.”

“No one’s leaving.”

There was a tense moment of forced silence as the three pirates from the Plastic forced themselves to not reply sarcastically. Janis opened her mouth, almost failing, but Damian kept her tucked tightly to his side and a gentle shake reminded her not to draw attention to herself. Cady was fielding this one, and the former pirate hunter lifted her hands in a show of peace.

“Listen, this is all just a misunderstanding. We’re all pirates here. Whatever you think you heard back at the bar, you’ve misinterpreted it. Just a bad joke.”

The angry pirate seemed to be done talking, instead opting to reply by charging forward and swinging his sword. Cady drew hers in time to block it, digging her feet into the sand to hold her stance. A brawl erupted immediately, the other pirates surging forward to attack Damian and Janis while their boss squared up against his chosen target.

Damian shoved Janis behind him, protecting her as he drew his own sword. It occurred to the quickly sobering, through fear and adrenaline, Alchemist that she had never really seen him fight before. Even through their training, he let Cady do the physical work, while only offering pointers and criticisms. For a moment, panic rose in Janis’ chest, thinking he would be cut down as a man lunged toward him with a wickedly curved blade. He not only blocked the incoming attack, but deflected it and followed through with his own attack, stepping away from Janis and leaving a man bleeding in the sand. She blinked, bile replacing the fear in her throat, but in the same confusing moment she was also relieved.

He was more than capable of defending himself, and her, but of course people were getting hurt. Drunk idiots who came looking for a fight, sure, but did that really make it okay to cut them down? Injure them permanently or worse. Janis stumbled backwards, as Damian surged forward to engage another pirate. She felt like a coward, shrinking back to hide, but the feeling alone was not enough to stop her feet from turning in the sand and pushing into an all out run. There was a bank of low bushes and thin trees nearby, which would offer her a hiding place if she could reach it.

Distantly, she heard Damian yelling for her to run and hide, and wondered if she had instinctively been responding to that. She knew the answer before the hope could really form, of course. He could not turn around to see it, but she had already been running before he spoke.

When she dove into the bushes and hid herself against a tree trunk, the doubt and revulsion truly settled.

At the bar, she had been fearless. She stood up against these same goons and defended the people she cared about the most. Now, when real weapons were drawn and lives were on the line, her first instinct was to run and hide. It was not to save herself: more than once she had thrown herself head first into danger. She ran into a burning building to rescue a stranger, after all, and she stood up to all of Regina’s threats without regard to her reputation. It was difficult to truly scare Janis, and she knew this fear was not cowardice in its classic form.

Cady and Damian meant too much to her to risk, which put her in an incredibly difficult position. She was allowing them to fight for themselves, and as obviously well trained pirates they were probably more than capable of doing so. But numbers were against them, and of course they had the added disadvantage of their night of drinking. If she joined in, she was not sure she would be able to control her powers. Drinking was untested territory, and the emotion of fighting, of protecting herself and them, was intense. She was unsure if she could control herself in a fight, considering she also just hated fighting in general.

So she found herself cowering against the tree, struggling with her thoughts and indecision. Reaching up, she clapped her hands against her cheeks, the sharp stings of the slap stirring her and steeling her resolve. She got up, dark eyes set on the fight across the sand, and reached to draw her sword. There was just no way she could hide while her friends were in danger. She was in control of her powers: only she could ensure her friends would not be hurt by them, and she just had to accept that.

The angry, drunken pirates were far more of a real threat than the chance of her losing control. She had to believe that. She had to. Drawing her sword, she charged from the bushes. Her bold progress was immediately halted as something cold was pressed to the side of her head.

“Stop right there, little missy,” a deep, rumbling voice snarled. Janis had already stopped, of course, recognizing a gun when she felt one touching her temple. “Drop the blade.”

She tossed her sword into the sand, holding her hands up and keeping her fingers spread. The pirate beside her grinned, looking her over hungrily. A beauty like this one was as rare a treasure as any gold they might pillage, at least in his world. His ship was small, his captain ineffective, and their hauls pathetic at best. They all but lived in that tavern, rarely summoning themselves together long enough to go out on a raid these days. His was a failed ship, but it seemed tonight, at least, he had gotten lucky. Or he would be.

“Ain’t never seen anything as pretty as your face,” he purred, moving closer. It was hard to take it as a romantic thought, with him still holding his gun against her head. With his free hand he grabbed her neck, thumb pressing to her chin to force her to look at him. She wrinkled her nose at him in distaste, all of her previous fear melting away now that she had something to focus on beyond her inner turmoil. He was far less terrifying than her doubts about her magic, and she took an odd sort of strength from that.

“Aww, and your face makes me think of a rat another rat has already eaten and regurgitated.” Her sweet tone clearly confused him, a smile creeping across his face before it was chased away by doubt and then finally replaced by a scowl. He hardly let her enjoy her verbal victory, taking the gun and smashing it against the side of her head instead of just slapping her. She hit the sand hard, falling sideways, and he was on top of her in an instant. He shoved her shoulders down with his meaty hands, one still holding on to the gun though no longer aiming it, and used his powerful body to pin her down. She cried out, fighting him, but her flailing had little effect.

“Been a long time,” he was mumbling, between thoughtful hums and eager grunts. He grabbed her neck with his free hand again, this time gripping it tight enough to restrict her air flow, while he struggled with her clothing with his other hand. The gun was getting in the way of his ultimate goals now, and he carelessly discarded it so he could pull her shirt open. Janis struggled harder, digging her nails into his arm and trying her best to pry his hand from her neck. Her arms were shaking from the effort, but there was something else behind the strain. Even as he pawed at her and did his best to assault her, she refused to use her powers. Somehow, she was protecting him from a fate he had no idea was only a thought away. All she had to do was make the choice, and his career, his legacy, his life would end.

She released one of her hands, growing dizzier the longer she went without a full breath. Groping across the sand, she desperately sought the gun he had cast aside. He grabbed her arm, snarling and forcing his face close to hers as he wrenched her hand back and held it between them.

“Ah, ah, now play nice,” he growled, alcohol tainted breath hot against her cheek. She turned her face away from his as he tried to kiss her, which just made him laugh. A gun shot split the night, the pirate jerking and staring down at her in shock before blood began to flow from his mouth, dripping onto her cheek. He slumped lifelessly on top of her.

Chapter 14: The Captain

Summary:

After rescuing Janis from a pirate with less than noble intentions, Captain Regina makes sure she is cared for and safe. The two have a short conversation, and Regina explains why she stepped in, though she has a few questions of her own. Janis retreats to find some peace of mind with Damian, but it seems her life, both piratical and romantic, will only keep getting more complicated.

Janis struggled to free herself from under the weight of the newly dead pirate. She shoved him sideways while crawling the other way, extricating herself with difficulty. A dainty hand appeared in front of her and she reached for it on instinct, grabbing it tightly and allowing it to help her to her feet. She was surprised to find herself staring into bright blue eyes, rather than the green she was expecting.

“R-Regina,” she said, voice still shaking along with her body. Regina reached forward and pulled her shirt closed carefully, adjusting her clothes to keep her presentable. Janis shrank back from her, embarrassed, but Regina was undeterred. She drew a soft cloth from her pocket and used it to wipe away the blood that had dripped on Janis’ bruising cheek.

“I told you to be careful here,” Regina said impatiently, holding the dirty cloth out to Janis for her to take. It was ruined now, and she no longer wanted it. Janis took it mindlessly, still struggling to catch up with all the events. Her heart was racing, and she felt nauseous. There were still sounds of battle in the air, which was enough to draw her gaze across the sand and toward Cady and Damian. They were still fighting the rest of the small crew, which snapped Janis’ brain back into operational status.

“Cady! Damian!”

“They’re fine, don’t worry,” Regina waved her hand, and Janis saw some of the other pirates from the Plastic, led by a very quick and clearly eager Gretchen, joining the fray and quickly overwhelming the threat. Relief flooded through her, and she wobbled. Regina caught her arm, offering her support. “There’s an inn deeper in the island that I’ve already rented out. You should sleep this off.”

“The alcohol, or the attack?”

“Yes.”

“Right,” Janis sighed, but relented. She allowed herself to be guided, though she was not really all that hurt. Her face was aching, where she had been struck by the gun, but beyond a bruise, she was physically unharmed. Even so, she could barely take a step without her legs giving out. Regina kept hold of her, putting an arm around her midsection and putting Janis’ arm around her shoulders.

“Janis! Are you okay?” Cady hurried over to the Captain and Alchemist once the dust had settled. Her opponent was face down in the sand, and had been before Gretchen and the others arrived. She had a long slash across her arm and side, an unguarded sword slash it seemed, but she was more concerned about Janis than her own bleeding. She touched her hand gently to the bruise forming on Janis’ face, wincing at it and looking guilty for not protecting her.

“Baby girl!” Damian was by her side immediately, looking Janis over with the same concern. Regina felt her irritation rising, trapped too close to their fawning.

“She’s fine, get out of my way and follow me,” the Captain grunted, and the two relented with a glance between them. Damian shrugged. They followed after her as she walked off, leaving Gretchen and her team to ensure none of the pirates that dared attack their crew lived to tell the tale.

The walk was fairly long, the inn secluded and well protected by the foliage of the island. Two pirates were standing at the entrance and they straightened up as Regina approached. They were not from the ship, as far as Janis could tell, so she had to assume Regina had hired them as extra muscle. Whatever she paid them, it was enough to get them acting like loyal servants. They were immediately fawning over her, offering to help with Janis and asking what she needed, though she ignored them and entered the inn. Damian and Cady followed, the latter relieved to see Karen sitting in the main room with her medical bag at her feet.

She perked up when she spotted them enter, seeing their blood stained clothes. She waved, just in case Cady, who was already walking toward her, had not seen her. “Oh, I’ll tend to your injuries! Come here!” She chirped, always happy to put her skills to the test and perhaps learn a few new things. This injury did not look all that complicated, though: just another typical sword wound.

 

Damian accompanied Regina up the stairs to one of the larger rooms. It was a nice enough place, considering where it was and who it catered to, though there were obvious areas of improvement. It was a far cry from the inns and hotels where he used to live, of course, and it was only marginally more comfortable than the ship he had just escaped. At least the room was bigger, and the bed was comfortable and warm. He helped settle Janis into it, though she was protesting that she was fine.

“Get us some drinking water,” Regina ordered Damian, who took the hint that he was no longer wanted in the room and could probably take his time returning. He nodded, petting Janis’ hair one more time before bowing his head to Regina and skittering from the room. He closed the door behind him.

After a moment of tense silence in which Janis knew a question was brewing, Regina asked, “why did you leave your hiding place?”

“Well it obviously wasn’t a very good one: he knew I was there,” Janis sat up carefully, putting a hand to her head and groaning. Now she was feeling the consequences of her choices. Her head was all but screaming at her, a combination of a hang over and the punch teaming up to make her wish she had chosen sobriety.

“You didn’t know he was there, though. You basically walked into his gun. You should have seen his face, like he’d been given a gift from the heavens.” Regina was not facing her, fussing with a bowl on a nearby nightstand.

“I saw plenty of his face,” Janis sighed. She shuddered, looking at her hands and finding them shaking. She had come too close to something terrible, and the shadow of it still lingered over her. “Thank you,” she said softly, not looking up but sensing Regina turning toward her. “For stopping him. I mean, you killed him, which isn’t great, but you also stopped him from…”

“There are certain things,” Regina interrupted, voice firm. Janis looked at her as if compelled, the commanding presence of the Captain difficult to ignore. Regina turned fully toward her, approaching the bed with a stern look on her face. “That I will not tolerate. You may not have noticed, Alchemist, that for all the things I take, and all the harm I do, I have never forced you into my bed. I have never forced myself on you, not like he was inviting himself to do. That is one thing that sets my crew apart from the others, besides our incredible good looks.”

She offered Janis a cloth she had cooled with water, and the Alchemist took it carefully. She pressed it to her forehead, sighing and hiding her face in it.

“I guess I never thought about it,” Janis admitted, voice muffled by the cloth that she refused to move, “though you’re definitely not subtle about what you want.”

“No,” Regina said, and Janis could have sworn she heard a smile, without daring to look up, “I would take you in a heartbeat, if you gave the slightest nod. He was not wrong about how beautiful you are, and believe me, I understand the concept a hell of a lot better than he did. I mean, just look at me.”

Janis did not.

“Anyway, sleep that booze off. Be careful the next time you go partying with your girlfriends, alright?” Regina’s tone, Janis could have sworn, was almost gentle in those few short words. With a profound amount of courage, Janis brought the cloth down, daring to peek up and steal a glance at Regina to check, but the pirate Captain was already heading out of the room. She passed Damian in the hallway, but did not even glance his way. He could have sworn her face was red, but she was moving too quickly and he was still focused on getting back to his best friend.

He entered the room carefully, seeing Janis sitting up in the bed. She had some color in her face, and was looking better than she had out on the beach. Breathing a sigh of relief, he came to the table beside the bed and set a tray with a pitcher of water and some mugs down. He poured her some, and she set the cloth she was holding down to take it with a thankful sigh.

“Are you okay?” she asked him, looking him over. He had cleaned up a bit, the blood on his clothes mostly washed off. He nodded, face bruised from punches but no other obvious injuries on him.

“I held my own. Weren’t you watching?”

“No, not really.” Janis sighed, glad to know that Damian had not seen that guy on top of her. He would have freaked out, she was sure, as he was even more protective of her now than before his betrayal. She had forgiven him, of course, but even now she found the lingering thoughts about it surprising. She wished they could go back to their friendship before all this piracy, as impossible as that was. There was no home for them, so all they could do was continue down the path he had put them on. The only thing she could do was walk beside him, as complicated as it was. She loved him too much to sever ties though, one day, they would definitely have to talk about how very complicated his decision made everything.

Today was not that day.

“I was hiding, in the bushes. One of the goons came for me, but Regina killed him,” she said, abbreviating the story as much as she could. “Cady got hurt, though. Did you see her when you were getting the water?”

“Yeah, I did, I knew you would ask. She’s fine, Karen’s stitched her up. She asked about you, too. You guys are so cute.” Damian gave her a knowing look, and she returned it with an oblivious one. “Oh, come on.”

“What?”

“You’re falling for her. Pretty hard. Not that I blame you. She’s beautiful, and charming, and surprisingly well read. Not to mention patient enough for your attitude.” Damian smiled at her lovingly, and she blushed. Lifting the cloth Regina had given her, she hid her face again.

“Pirates are way too complicated,” she mumbled. She felt the bed sag and soon Damian had his arm around her, hugging her close. She leaned into him, sighing and bringing the cloth down. He kissed the top of her head, moving so they could settle more comfortably in the bed. He did not mind letting her use him as a pillow, as long as she had no complaints about being a teddy bear.

“She seems pretty easy to read. She likes you, too. You guys have great chemistry, and I know you’ve been enjoying each other’s company. What’s the problem?”

“Cady isn’t interested in anything serious, and neither am I. I don’t think I’m capable of it, anyway. Plus, there’s Regina.” Janis sighed, relaxing into the conversation. She had always been able to confide in Damian, but had not risked it ever since he betrayed her to the pirates. Once again, she chided herself for turning to that thought, reminding herself that she had forgiven him.

“Oh, she can’t really stop you from being together. I think she knows you’re both too valuable to the crew to punish for something like that.”

“It’s not that. Regina is already sleeping with Cady, and she wants to sleep with me. She told me again, tonight. But the way she said it… I don’t know, Damian. It’s too much attention. I miss being the weirdo artist no one was interested in.”

“Aw, baby girl. You’re still a weirdo.”

The scoff that escaped her quickly became a laugh, and she cuddled against Damian as she hid her face against his chest. She laughed, hugging him tightly, and he returned the hug proudly. No matter what else changed around them, she knew their bond could simply not be broken. Complicated, sure, but everything seemed to be. Maybe that was what made it so worth holding on to.

Chapter 15: The Kiss

Summary:

(There's a lot of gay panic in this one. )

When Janis woke, she was alone. At some point, Damian had tucked her in and left her to sleep, though she doubted he was too far away. He had likely taken the room next door, if Cady hadn’t already. They were definitely nothing if not loyal, the trio not really knowing how to exist as unique entities at this point. Or so it felt, as Janis sat up and found herself wondering about them before anything else.

Her head drew her attention quickly enough. Everything hurt. Or maybe her head was just hurting with such profound intensity, it radiated through her entire body. Either way, she knew that she was not built to drink like a pirate, and there was no way she would ever be doing that again. Being struck so hard by a gun had not helped matters, either. She could barely remember everything that happened, straining to create an account of her night and all the choices that led up to her feeling so terrible.

After a long process of convincing herself, Janis got out of bed. She pulled a robe she found at the foot of the bed around herself for warmth and comfort, breathing in the fresh scent and savoring the luxury of such a simple pleasure. Clean. Warm. Not rocking softly on nauseatingly undulating water. Dry land was something she could never take for granted, not with all her experiences on the ocean being generally unpleasant. As she opened the door and heard a familiar voice speaking casually in a room nearby, she could not help but smile and amend herself silently.

Not everything the ocean brought to her was bad.

Moving toward the voice, she paused when she heard another one answering it. Leaning on the wall, she found a door slightly ajar, and the voices seeping from beyond it. Regina and Cady were deep in conversation, it seemed, though their voices were even and not locked in the usual argument or contest of sarcastic will they normally engaged in.

“So do something about it,” Cady was concluding, though Janis had missed the context of the rest of her words. For some reason, she felt her heart beating faster against her chest, and she leaned against the wall to listen quietly instead of just going inside. The door was open, after all, which probably meant it was not supposed to be a secret encounter.

“Aren’t you getting serious?” Regina countered, irritation rising in her tone.

“We said nothing serious when we started,” Cady sighed, but there was something sad in her tone. Apparently, Regina had caught it too. After a pause, Cady argued against the silent look she must have received. “You know exactly how amazing she is. So keelhaul me, for falling for her just a bit. You’re head over heels, too. And not just because you want to fuck her.”

Regina grunted. Janis felt herself blushing, catching a gasp before it could escape. She scooted a bit closer, hazarding a peek into the room. She could just see the two of them sitting around a table in plush looking chairs. Cady had a blanket over her lap, and was tending to the bindings over her injuries. She was changing them, it seemed, bloody ones already discarded. Regina was across from her, making her more difficult for Janis to see from the angle she had settled into.

“You don’t know the first thing about me, Pirate Hunter.”

“And neither do you, if you still think that’s really who I am,” Cady countered, her tone upbeat. That was one of the most charming things about Cady, Janis found: it was difficult to perturb her, or shake her will. She was determined and positive, always seeking a way forward without shying away from danger or difficulty. “I know you better than you think. Damian sees it, too. So why don’t you just talk to her?”

“I have. But the whole kidnapping thing still seems to be a hang up. Anyway, she’s into you now, and she’s one of those loyal types.” Regina feigned disgust, but it was not enough to fool Cady.

“You know that, but you still want to go for it. Does that mean you’d stop messing around with me and the others? She’d never ask you to, you know.”

Janis nodded despite herself. Cady was right. As annoying and hurtful as it would be, if she did ever pursue something with Regina, it would be on her terms. If that meant sharing her with the entire crew, as horrifying as that was to someone looking for a simple life like Janis, she would never force Regina to change. This was her world, her life, and it was what kept her happy. Janis still could not see herself taking part in it all, but in a hypothetical sense, the facts were correct.

It was hard enough sharing Cady with Regina, after all.

Regina, again, said nothing. Cady was smirking, though. Janis strained, but Regina had stood and was crossing away from the door, where Janis had no hope of seeing her. Something agreed with Cady, though, and Janis once again caught herself holding her breath.

“Why are you so happy to let me try and steal your girl?” Regina challenged suddenly, anger flaring. She must have whirled around, as Cady raised her hands defenselessly.

“It’s better than watching you pine away. Kind of a pathetic look, for one of the ocean’s most feared Captains.”

There was a long silence, before Regina finally allowed herself some honesty.

“I haven’t earned it yet. I told you, Cady. You have no idea who I am, or what I’ve done.”

“So tell me. Or better yet: tell her.”

Suddenly, Janis felt like she was somewhere she had no right to be. She blushed furiously, pushing away from the wall, aiming to take herself back to her room. Her head was still hurting, and she wondered if the attack had left her brain rattled. She bumped directly into Damian, who wrapped his arms around her instantly.

“Janis!” he cried happily, just glad to see his dearest friend back on her feet, and failing to notice how embarrassed she looked. Soon enough, Cady was poking her head out of the room, grinning ear to ear.

“There’s my future Captain!” She said, hurrying over and joining Damian in hugging her. He easily welcomed her, his arms long enough to accommodate them both. Regina leaned in the doorway, watching them with a placid enough expression. Her eyes fell on Janis, though she was hard to see in the midst of the cuddles. Eventually, her friends let her go, though she remained leaning on Damian both for support and comfort. She looked even more embarrassed now, but at least it provided cover for her.

“You guys are so stupid,” she pointed out, but she loved them anyway. And it was true, in their strange way, the trio, at least, had become a real crew. The bond between them could only be described as love, even if it was not technically traditional. It could be enough, Janis was slowly coming to understand. In fact, it could be exactly what she always wanted.

—-

Regina was not in a hurry to get the crew back out on the water. It seemed customary for them to relax on this island, at this particular inn, for a comfortable amount of time before they went out on their next raid. Even so, Regina herself seemed busy. She was planning their next big score, and was constantly being visited by other pirates passing through the island for deals and arrangements. Her work, it seemed, was never done, and Janis was beginning to see that her reputation was not only that. She truly was one of the most sought after pirates on the seas.

Janis was feeling much better, her bruise all but healed. Of course, the magic that ran through her body certainly helped, as it took very little time compared to what it probably needed. Healing was never an issue for her, considering the cost of her magic.

She was sitting in what was meant to be a community area, when others were allowed to stay at the inn. As it was, no one but the crew she had already become accustomed to was around, and they were most certainly not coming into the room filled with books. Janis, however, had found a simple freedom in being able to sit down and read for a bit, not even caring which book she picked off the shelf to start.

“What are you reading?” A curt, but somehow soft, voice asked. Janis had not heard the door open, and turned toward it now to find Regina leaning in it. She stared for too long a moment before remembering she needed to answer when someone asked her a question.

“Er,” she managed, looking down at the words that now seemed unintelligible. She cleared her throat, stalling for time, but her brain refused to engage. Finally, she gave up. “I don’t know.”

“Must be good,” Regina scoffed, moving into the room. The door closed behind her, but Janis could not tell if that had been intentional or not when she was staring so hard at the pages in her lap. Janis cursed herself for being so stupid, and wondered why her brain was suddenly refusing to fully participate. Echoes of the conversation she should not have been eavesdropping on rattled around in it, and she knew from the heat behind her cheeks that she was blushing again. She refused to look up as Regina entered the room and took a seat in one of the plush chairs beside her.

Regina said nothing, just watching Janis and assuming she was too engrossed in her terrible book to look at her. She noticed the pretty pink in her cheeks, and the soft expression in her generally warm and friendly gaze. Despite how dark and powerful her eyes were, they never seemed completely devoid of hope, which was something Regina could not fathom. After everything the Alchemist had been through, would continue to go through, for just being what she was. Something she had never had a choice in. She still chose to endure, and held her face against the wind, toward the sunlight, in hopes of finding something better.

She was a simple creature. Regina knew her idea of a free life was to be on an island, just like the one her crew had raided, hidden but peaceful. Not causing harm, not bringing harm to anyone else. But was that a life? The pirate could not fathom settling for being boring and unknown. She supposed that was why she had chosen the seas.

Well. One of the reasons, anyway.

Stirring from her thoughts, Regina realized the two had been sitting in silence for some time. Janis’ pink cheeks had darkened into a deep red, and Regina finally saw her quickly flicker her eyes upward to check if Regina was still staring at her. When they made eye contact, Janis dropped her gaze back down to the book. She had not turned a page since Regina came into the room.

“You’re beautiful,” Regina said, by way of an explanation for her intense stare. “It’s hard to look away.”

“I wish you would. I can’t think,” Janis breathed, her voice barely a whisper. The room was silent, and that was the only reason Regina could really hear each word.

“Do I make you nervous?”

“Of course you do. You’d make anyone nervous,” Janis quipped, that challenging edge returning to her tone. It was another thing Regina found so charming and captivating. Janis was brave, even when she was terrified. She resisted, without burning down all the bridges around her. She dared to exist, in a world that likely would have been better without her. At least, without her powers. A lot of temptation and trouble were hinged on those.

“Why’s that?” Regina was grinning now, and all but purring. She leaned on one elbow, on the arm of the chair, toward Janis. They were close enough due to the layout of the space, but with her leaning toward the Alchemist it almost felt too intimate. Regina imagined she could feel the heat of embarrassment radiating off of Janis. Or was that something else?

Janis looked at her, to her surprise. She found the other leaning toward her almost challengingly, though she stopped before crossing the invisible line between them.

“You know why. You’re the Pirate Queen. Beautiful and powerful and everything else they say. You wield it like a weapon.”

“So you’re scared of me,” Regina continued to purr. She did not lean back, her piercing blue eyes examining Janis’ face critically, but always returning to the steady gaze of those dark, thoughtful eyes staring back at her. Janis shook her head, too stubborn to look away now.

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” she sighed. “And you know it. Stop messing with me. I’m just trying to read and. You know. Exist. Quietly. Why are you here?”

“I just wanted to know what you were reading,” Regina shrugged and leaned back in her chair, though she continued to watch Janis intently.

Janis rolled her eyes and breathed a heavy sigh. She slouched back into her chair, as if freed from invisible chains that had been keeping her upright. She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose with two fingers. After a moment, she gathered herself, and turned toward Regina once more.

“Thank you, again. For before. Killing that guy. I can’t say I’ve ever had anyone kill for me, like that,” she spoke casually at first, then paused, and a thoughtful air came over it. It was chased by a breeze of sadness, and she glanced away. “Well. I guess I have. But not to protect me. I owe you one.”

“You owe me a lot,” Regina said, but her tone was softer now. She did not miss the troubled thoughts, memories, that haunted the other. Janis grunted, then moved to hold the book she was reading out to Regina suddenly. Puzzled, Regina reached for it, but as she did, the pages and cover began to shift and change. She watched in wonder as they condensed into themselves, becoming dense, changing before her very eyes into something else entirely. It glistened and shrank, until a small, golden brooch, in the shape of a skull and crossbones, stared at her from Janis’ palm.

Regina looked up at Janis, eyes wide with surprise. Janis motioned the brooch toward her, and Regina carefully took it. It was beautiful, as if crafted by a master, and Regina wondered if Janis’ skill with her powers dictated how perfectly she could make things like this. She lifted her gaze from it to ask, but saw a dark stain spreading across the sleeve of Janis’ loose fitting nightshirt.

There was always a cost.

“Thank you…” Regina mumbled softly, closing her hand around the small gift. “But I don’t want you using your powers like this for-”

Her words were cut off as Janis moved from her chair and across the short distance between them in one smooth motion. Her lips met Regina’s, stopping her order. The kiss was soft and chaste, and when Janis pulled away and ran from the room, Regina’s lips were left tingling. She had only gotten the most fleeting taste of something she had been longing for, and it only made the fire in her burn brighter. She stared at the door Janis had disappeared through, and for the first time in a very long time, felt absolutely lost.

Chapter 16: The Omen

Summary:

Big history and information dump. Sorry for the formatting on this one, I could have done this a better way, but I wasn't sure if I wanted this story to get too long. Still, Regina and Janis continue to be impossibly attracted to one another, and unapologetically gay, so at least there's that.

Janis was sitting in the room she had been given, in front of the nightstand. She was using the well kept mirror to help her see the wound that had ripped open on the back of her shoulder from using her powers, but even with it she found it incredibly difficult to reach and see the cut. Her skin had split apart quite viciously this time, and she supposed that was because she had made gold from something entirely unsuited. The more difficult the transmutation, the bigger the price she had to pay. Making it so detailed, first painting the picture in her mind long before ever putting her plans into motion, also elevated the cost.

It was complicated, and even she did not know all the rules. She tended to avoid the need to, by not using her powers at all. Lately, that seemed less and less easy to do.

She had her shirt folded in her lap, but when she heard the door knob jingling she quickly grabbed it with one hand and held it against her chest in an effort to cover her exposed breasts.

“Don’t come in!” She called, panicked. The door opened anyway.

Regina stepped into the room, and closed the door behind her. In an effort to protect her dignity, Janis turned away from the door, leaving Regina a full view of the wound that had opened up on her shoulder.

“That looks nasty. Let me help you: you’ll never get it like that.” Regina came closer, reaching a gentle hand and smoothing it across Janis’ back, carefully, as if to warn her of the touches to come. Janis tensed, and Regina felt the muscles in her shoulders tightening in her discomfort. She remained quiet, reaching around Janis to pick up the water bowl and cloth from the nightstand in front of her. Janis burned with embarrassment, but dared not move.

After a silent moment of cleaning the wound with the cloth, dipping it in the cool water that was quickly turning pink from the blood, Regina hummed thoughtfully.

“I’m surprised you don’t have any scars,” she said, her voice strange. Janis had the impulse to turn around and look at her, just to figure out what face she was making, but resisted it.

“I don’t scar,” Janis said, voice low and clipped.

“Not even back then?” The strange tone only deepened, and Janis felt a cold shiver run down her spine that was not caused by the water drips that escaped from the cloth.

“Back when?” She dared, though something inside her screamed at her to not ask.

“I still have mine,” Regina continued, almost as if she did not hear her. “But maybe you don’t remember. You weren’t much of a person, back then. You weren’t anything at all.”

“Regina…” Janis felt her breath catching in her throat, her heart beat deafening in her own ears. A dull ache clawed at the back of her head.

“When I was a little girl,” Regina began again, “I sailed on a ship with my father. He called it the Tyrant’s Omen. He called himself Tyrant. He was not a very humble or kind man, as you might have guessed.” She smoothed her hand down Janis’ spine, as if chasing the shudder she felt moving down her body. “I was collateral from one of the prizes he had claimed. My mother served him, on his ship, with so many other slaves. But he took a liking to me, I suppose, and began to teach me the way of piracy. In his way, anyway. He never looked at me like I was anything but a failure and an annoyance, but I supposed I was the best he had.”

She grunted, but shook the memory off.

“He was never known to be anything but cruel, but there came a time when he was almost manic in his pursuit of one prize. No one knew what possessed him. He slaughtered and raided with a feral cruelty, wasting everything in his path and claiming no treasure, no bounties: nothing. He burned every island we landed on to the ground but did not do his usual looting and clout chasing. His crew became furious, rebellious, but he slaughtered them in turn and replaced them without learning their names. No one, nothing, mattered. He was a man crazed, and one thing called to him.

“And then, one day, he came on deck with a smile on his face. None of us had ever seen him smile. He held aloft a beautiful little girl with raven hair and innocent eyes. Barely my age. She trembled and he carried her around like she was a doll. He tossed her into the brig and told me that no harm, outside of any he wrought, would ever come to her. She was his treasure.That it was my job to ensure it, or I would be thrown to the sharks. I believed him, of course: I’ve seen him sail to his favorite part of the ocean just to feed his enemies to sharks.”

Regina took a breath. She waited to see if Janis would interrupt, but the Alchemist was silent. Regina stared at her in the mirror, though Janis was looking away.

“I brought her food every day. She didn’t speak, but she still seemed so sweet. Then I learned of her powers. She could change things. One thing to another, but it was always so bloody and terrible. He brought her bodies to sacrifice, and made demands of her, forcing her to make whatever he wanted, according to his never ending whims. He was cruel to her, but I continued in my duties as diligently as I could. It always looked like her skin had been torn apart from the inside, as if she were punishing herself for the work she was forced to do. I tended those wounds, just like this one. I was too young to realize that was what they were. Punishment. That she was wounding herself. I thought it was him.

“But I made a mistake. I brought her food one evening, and she, silent as she ever was, took the tray and made a little toy horse out of it. I had mentioned, at some point in all my babbling to try and make friends with her, that I loved horses. She remembered, and she thanked me with this little trinket. When my father found out she had used her powers for me, he became enraged. He took us both to the deck and whipped us in front of the crew within an inch of our lives. He took her back to her work, but now no one cared for her. He kept her alive, but she stopped being human. In a different way, so did I. I blamed her for what happened to me, I had never asked for a gift, and as she shut herself away and became less and less real to me, I became more and more like my father.

“I remember kicking her, when my father brought her on deck to kill these soldiers that had betrayed a deal he made with them. They were corrupt fools who thought they could outsmart the devil. But then, everything changed. All at once. His treasure, his prize, became a monster.”

“You…” Janis finally spoke, and Regina finished wrapping a binding around her injury. She had been working on it the entire time she talked. She helped Janis put her shirt back on, her touches careful and soft. Her hands were warm from the work, though Janis’ body was cold to the touch. “You were on that ship… I locked it all away… I didn’t remember his name, the ship. You. A little girl… I remember… after you were beaten, I broke down. I wanted nothing else to do with that world…”

“Who could blame you? I was living in hell, but you? I always comforted myself by thinking at least I wasn’t his treasure.”

“How did you survive? I killed everyone…”

“You didn’t. I mean, you killed a lot of pirates that day, and my father died a slow, miserable death at sea, but your magic spared all of the slaves and servants. Somehow, you even chose to spare me. The ship twisted around me, blocked the view of my father but it did nothing to harm me. When we all escaped our cells and locked rooms, we found the carnage, but you were gone. I was torn between anger, my father begging me to free him, and excitement, at the chance to be free of him. Better than him. But my mind was just as twisted by him as yours was. All I could think was finding you, the one thing he truly loved, and making you mine. Using you better. Becoming the greatest pirate ever known, in all the oceans, because of it. So I was bent, in many ways, in a similar, mad quest that had consumed him so long ago. I just did things differently. Instead of fire and blood, I used wiles and fear.”

Janis was silent, absorbing everything she had been told. It was a lot to process, and certain parts of her mind were still damaged beyond repair by her past. She was holding her head, the dull ache having now become a screaming pain.

“My last parting shot was to sail all the slaves to land, to free them. I then sent the ship back out into the waters, all the pirates still clinging to life wailing in misery. My father’s voice carried over them all, but his was pure anger. He cursed us. Me, you. Everyone. I set that ship on fire and then watched from the cliffs as it was swallowed, in flames, by the water.”

“Regina…” Janis turned at last, looking at the Captain with tears streaming down her face. “You are nothing like your father.” She spoke so earnestly, it struck something deep inside Regina. Like a sharp, ice cold blade. It was shocking, forcing Regina to take a sharp, painful gasp of air. “You’re a lot of things, but I see goodness in you. You’re so much more than any of this. I hate pirates but I don’t… I can’t hate you. Please, don’t make me hate you.”

Regina’s mouth fell open, but she was not sure what to say. In fact, she was unsure what she was being asked. Janis threw her arms around her, hugging her so tightly it almost hurt, and pulled them together. She kissed Regina heatedly this time, the innocent sweetness of her last effort quickly forgotten. Regina pushed her back onto the nightstand, sitting her on it, holding her firmly by the hips and kissing her just as passionately. For a moment, they were lost in a vortex of heat and pain, and no small amount of confusion. Janis’ hands sank deep into Regina’s golden hair, but she gripped it too tightly and then pulled Regina’s head back abruptly, panting for air. Tears were streaming down her face but, to her surprise, she found the Pirate Queen in the same state.

Janis mouthed a word, but no sound came out. She carefully pushed Regina back, freeing enough space for her to leap off the nightstand and skitter from the room. Regina let her go, panting as she placed one hand on the nightstand to support herself. She took a very deep breath, the taste of Janis’ lips much deeper now, but still not managing to satisfy that almost feral hunger inside her. She shuddered, scared, in many ways, but not yet capable of facing it. She forced herself to stand tall, gathering her emotions and looking toward the door that was still wide open.

For one reason or another, Janis had not managed to close it behind her. Maybe she had not tried. Regina followed after her. A moth to flame.

Feeling like a fool, Regina knew this was all chaos of her own making. It could have easily been avoided, and yet, had felt compelled to tell Janis the truth, why she had been hunting for her, and how she had known so much about her from the very beginning. Finding Damian had been a pure stroke of luck, but Regina would have never stopped looking. One way or another, she would have found her Alchemist. Her treasure. A sickening lurch twisted her stomach, but she forced her feet to keep moving. Somehow, she had to see this through to an ending of some kind: she could not just let Janis run away.

Not this time.

Chapter 17: The Death

Summary:

(Content warning ahead, for those triggerable. Lots of blood, lots of violence. Someone loses a limb. Someone dies. But hey, these ARE pirates.)

The forest offered silence, but not much else. It was dark, and it was cold. A storm was in the air, though no rain was falling. Janis shivered, hugging her bare arms around herself. Her thin shirt was not meant for anything but sleeping under a heavy, warm blanket. She was not even wearing shoes, having forgotten to grab them in her hurry. Still, the sharp cold was startlingly refreshing, and it cleared her senses in a way that she desperately needed. It gave her focus, and a singular clarity.

It answered no questions, but at least she was able to think now.

When had she fallen so hard for Regina? When had she allowed herself to? Or was it all involuntary? Was any of it involuntary? Janis gripped her head, the ache returning as she strained to push down long lost memories and pain that was surging for dominance in her mind.

The gun shot rang out, and Janis barely understood how to process it. There was a loud explosion, but she had not seen any threat. She barely felt it when the large ball passed through her bones and burst through her shin in a spray of gore. The next thing she was truly aware of was being on the ground, screaming in agony, clawing at her leg as blood poured from the horrifying wound. A shadow fell over her, and she could not make out its source. Her world was upside down, considering how she had fallen, but soon enough the laugh that filled the otherwise still and silent forest revealed her assailant.

“D-Duvall!”

“Alchemist,” the man growled, his voice so heavy with hatred, it was a wonder he had not fallen on her and snapped her neck with his bare hands already. “Finally, I’ve found you. And to think, I just had to let you come to me! Thank you, for that.”

The man emerged from the shadows of the trees and moved to stoop next to his downed victim. She did her best to roll away from him, but her leg was utterly useless after the damage his one shot had created. She saw the smoking gun on his belt, but considering its power as a hand cannon, she doubted he had enough time to reload. Not that it was particularly helpful information as he pointed a sword toward her. He had plenty of other weapons.

“Get away from her!”

Regina’s voice exploded through the trees, almost as loudly as the initial gun shot. She leaped over Janis’ fallen body, Standing over her and brandishing her sword protectively to keep the attacker at bay. Duvall grinned at her, waving his sword in invitation for a fight. His other hand had been removed, the embarrassing reminder of his first encounter with the angry Alchemist removed and replaced with a long, thick and wicked looking blade. It was short but deadly, and Regna noted it immediately as something she would have to avoid.

Janis was losing blood at an alarming rate, her head already light and the color fading from her vision. She felt Regina grab her, though it did nothing for her dizziness when Regina began shaking her roughly.

“Stay awake, Janis! You have to stop the bleeding!” Regina pulled a belt from her pants, quickly looping it around Janis’ injured leg and pulling it as tight as she could. Janis let out a piercing scream, but Regina grabbed her face and shushed her as gently as she could manage in her panic. “I know it hurts. I know. But keep it tight: you’re not dying here.” She pulled the makeshift tourniquet tight and took Janis’ hand carefully. She pressed the leather strap into her palm, closing her hand around it and tugging it. “Keep this as tight as you can, okay? Don’t let go.”

“R-Regina…”

“Look at you two, such close friends now! How beautiful! But that’s still my booty, and I’ll be taking it back. Ah, Regina, I’ve been waiting for this.” He held up his sword, having put his expended hand cannon back on his belt. He had no time to refill it, but he had used the shot as well as he could have hoped for. There was no chance of the Alchemist running now, and he could focus entirely on Regina herself. She was ready for a fight, standing over her fallen treasure and holding her sword steady. The anger in her face was telling enough, and Duvall grinned at her.

“The rabbit was a better look for you,” she snarled, doing her best not to glance down at Janis every time the badly wounded artist moaned in pain.

“I’m going to let her watch me rip you apart with this,” he lifted his bladed arm, growling. The pain of his hand being twisted in metal and wood was still fresh in his mind, though he had chopped the limb off the moment he had a chance to. He charged and Regina moved to meet him. She was lightning quick, and kept her guard up, her focus solely on Duvall and his movements. While she was worried for Janis, she could not afford to let the other pirate get an advantage over her. As long as she kept him in her sights and controlled the direction of the battle, Janis would be safe enough. She just had to be fast, and end the fight before Janis lost too much blood.

Ducking low, Regina pulled herself just outside the range of Duvalls driving slash down at her, dragging her sword up and slicing him clean across his hip and side. He yowled in pain, swinging his bladed arm at her. She dodged it, but he followed with a counter swing of his sword that opened a long gash across her back as she pulled herself away. She braced herself, barely missing a step, and charged again almost before he had a chance to right his own stance. He was wide open, and she took the opportunity to grab on to his bladed arm with one of her hands. WIth the other she drove her sword forward, attempting to run it through his gut. He was able to jerk his body sideways just enough to take the sword just above his hip, letting out a cry of fury and pain. He stabbed his own sword into her side in retaliation, and the two became locked together. Regina refused to let go of his arm, and twisted her sword as she scowled up at him. His blade had not penetrated her body as deeply or at as clean an angle as hers had, and his grip wavered as pain tore through him.

Even so, he was grinning at her.

“REGINA!” Janis’ voice filled the forest, but the warning in her tone still did not reach Regina in time. She barely felt the sword that pierced her from behind, but when she looked down she saw the thick, ugly cutlass, dripping with blood. She lost her grip on Duvall’s arm, and he slammed his bladed hand into her side, meeting the other blade inside her body. She gagged, turning her head to see the smiling face of her first mate staring at her with wild delight burning in her traitorous eyes.

Gretchen yanked her cutlass free, and Duvall did the same with his blades. He raised a boot and kicked Regina away from her, the pink pirate falling backwards and landing heavily in the grass. Duvall stumbled to stand over her, even as Gretchen moved to his side to support him almost sweetly. He gave her an affectionate smile before turning his sword in his hand and stabbing it down into Regina’s already ravaged body, as if to pin her to the ground where she had fallen.

Janis was screaming. She was not aware of it, no conscious thought being spared to the desperate way she called for Regina as she struggled to crawl toward her prone form. All she could think about was getting herself to Regina’s side, as if she could do something to stop what was happening. Change what had already happened. A shadow fell over her and she felt herself being hauled up, three strong arms wrestling her to her feet, even as her broken leg sagged under her. She beat her fist against Duvall’s chest, and he laughed.

“Calm yourself, Alchemist. This is freedom: you’ll see. I’ll take such good care of you. You’ll be my queen. And when I’m done with you, you won’t be the only one of your kind any more. Doesn’t that sound nice? A family, and a home,” Duvall purred, delirious from blood loss, but his plans were an easy sell. Gretchen stood behind Janis, supporting most of her weight and holding her arms tightly behind her. Janis stared up at Duvall in horror and disgust as the other ran his one good hand down her cheek in a mockery of care and gentleness.

“No…” she breathed, screams having died out while he spoke. He tilted his head, not catching her word, but surprised as she leaned her cheek into his hand. He thought he was getting somewhere, breaking her with the death of her previous owner. Or maybe his hollow promise of peace and freedom really struck a desire she sheltered deep inside her. Of course, he cared nothing for her happiness, and sought only to breed more magical tools to secure not only his present, but his future. He ran his thumb over her cheek, smearing blood across it. Her dull gaze sharpened on his face, dark eyes flickering. A shudder pushed its way through his body, as violent as a typhoon, and a heavy hand of dread settled on his shoulders. He attempted to pull back, but it was too late.

He was touching her. All she needed was contact. Even with her hands held behind her, her magic coursed through him. Every buckle and button on his intricate, expensive clothing became weapons. His gun, his hidden knives, his belts, and even the thicker pieces of leather. Every solid source of material she could manipulate were seized by her immense power. She forced them all inward, creating knives from leather and nickel. His clothing tore and twisted, and he screamed as he stumbled backwards.

Gretchen let go of Janis in horror, the Alchemist falling to the floor. It had only taken a moment, but Duvall had suffered the full force of Janis’ ability to be a weapon. He lay on his back, away from where Regina and Janis had fallen, gagging and twitching. His body, each of his vital organs, had been pierced by some sort of half formed, but completely solid and sharp, blade. Blood was running freely from his mouth, and by the time Gretchen reached his side, his eyes had rolled back. He was dead. Fighting nausea, Gretchen ran, without a second look back.

Janis dragged herself on her elbows across the blood stained grass. She knew her body had been torn from using her powers, but she ignored all the pain. There was only one thing she could focus on, and it was the prone, painfully still body she finally managed to reach.

“No, Regina, don’t do this. You can't do this,” Janis panted, looking over the horrifying injuries and knowing it was too late. No one could save her, not like this. Regina’s eyes were closed, but her body was still warm. There was the faintest of pulses under her skin, and Janis pressed her hands to her desperately. She had nothing left to lose, no idea what she was doing, but she refused to be forced into mourning. Pulling the sword free, cutting her palms open for the trouble, she threw it away almost petulantly, tears streaming down her cheeks as hatred for a man she had already killed coursed through her.

“I won’t let you,” she breathed, pressing her bloody palms to Regina’s ravaged body. She closed her eyes, and the silence of the forest filled her. She focused on her magic, the power that ran like a river through her body, as much a part of her as blood and air. She imagined pushing it all into her palms, into Regina. While she had manipulated materials into flesh and bone before, she had never attempted anything like this. But she kept her mind clear of doubt now. If she failed, at the very least, she hoped she would be taken, as well. This was the very last thing she could do. Beneath her palms, sinews torn apart by metal drew close to one another. Organs that had been punctured closed and resumed their functions. Skin stitched itself and veins reconnected, resuming flow.

As Regina drew a deep, painful, ragged breath, Janis collapsed on top of her.

Chapter 18: The Dead

Summary:

Readers seemed very concerned following the cliffhanger of the last chapter, so I thought I might put out a small update between chapter uploads to help ease anxiety! I am sure this is exactly what people were hoping for, and no one will be worried about Janis or Regina now. You're welcome.

>> ;;

In her long journeys across strange seas, Regina had heard many stories about death and beyond. There was a rumor, popular among the more fearful and dubious pirates, that there was a place where souls could go, between life and death, where their soul was still vulnerable and could be stolen away by evil, become a menacing spirit to forever haunt the seas, or eventually find its way to a better place. Regina was not sure she had ever given it a second thought, once she heard about it, as it struck her as stupid and needlessly romantic and fearful at once: death was permanent. There was no chance to come back, no further threat beyond that ultimate darkness.

Now, she found herself wondering, idly, as her blood drained itself from her body without her consent, if she was in that place now. If this was a place between life and death, at least the pain was gone. But there was a lot of screaming. Her eyes were open, staring unseeingly at the night sky. Her name curled around her ears, piercing into her dull mind like a knife, but she could barely register it beyond acknowledging that somewhere nearby, her name was being screamed over and over and over.

She felt something. Cool and wet. Did it rain in the space between life and death? Somehow, she doubted it. It was only a couple of drops, anyway, and they rolled down her cheeks as if they had been her own tears.

Then, jarringly, she felt something else. Her heart beat. Once, hard, against her chest. She took in a ragged breath, lungs suddenly screaming to be filled, as if she had been holding her breath rather than no longer needing it. Her dry eyes begged to be blinked, and she screwed them shut as she gasped and coughed. That air she so desperately dragged into her body was almost immediately pushed out again when something heavy fell on top of her. Heavy and lifeless. She pushed her hands against it, and found them slick against something damp and warm, slipping off of the weight.

Her eyes snapped open, and the forest around her came into focus. Her hands gripped at that weight on top of her, fabric slick with blood squelching unpleasantly under her palms as she wrenched herself free while carefully trying to cradle the body that sagged in her arms as she moved them both. She got to her knees, cradling the body close, and finding it so much lighter and far more important than her dying thoughts had allowed her to consider only moments before.

“Alchemist!” she screamed, her own voice hitting the same knife wounds Janis’ pained cries had left in her mind. “Janis! Oh, god, what have you done?!”

For a horrible moment, Regina thought Janis was dead. Her body was so still, so limp, it felt as if all life had been torn away from it. Her eyes were closed and she had blood running down or smeared across every patch of bare skin and staining through her ruined clothes. There was so much of it, Regina quickly had to piece together that Janis had torn herself apart with her own magic. Looking down at herself, she realized she no longer had the holes and tears in her body from Gretchen and Duvall’s swords.

With shaking hands, she slid Janis’ ruined shirt up, revealing her ravaged body. Alongside all the wounds, mostly surface and flesh level, of her magic, there were terrible, deep looking gashes in her stomach and side. She had no ability to compare, as her own were completely healed and she had not really been in the right mind to take stock of them when she was dying, but they were not as deep as the original ones. Even so, to her eyes, they looked fatal.

With a leg that looked to be held together just by sinews and shards of bone, and all these bleeding gouges, Regina was certain. She hugged Janis to her, anyway, one hand cradling the back of her head and tucking her close to her neck as a painful, almost inhuman sob tore its way out of her chest.

Captain Regina did not cry. Maybe she got misty eyed. Maybe she got emotional in private. But never where she might be seen. Just once, alone, with the very woman she was now desperately holding in her arms. Being vulnerable in any way was a direct path to being killed, out on the seas, or worse: ruining her reputation. Here, in the privacy of the darkness that blanketed them, she sobbed openly, tears quickly streaking her bloodied face. A gentle whispered murmur brushed her ear and she shuddered, drawing her head back and looking down at Janis. The Alchemist was still lifeless in her arms, head lulled against her shoulder, but a glimmer of starlight revealed dark eyes staring at her.

“J-Janis…”

“I’m sorry…” Janis said again, trying harder and grimacing. There was no describing the pain she was in, and her body’s ability to process it was also shutting down. It was a blessing, in its way, but she knew she would never restore itself now. Whatever shut down, it shut down for good. It was only through sheer force of will, a desperate need to say one last thing to her captor, that she could find small words still circling her increasingly silent mind.

“Shut up,” Regina warned, moving to slide one arm under Janis’ knees while the other supported her back. She struggled to stand, rising as slowly as she could in a fruitless effort not to hurt Janis further. It was impossible, both to avoid pain, and to cause more. “You’re going to be okay. Do you think I will accept you giving up now? Absolutely not, Janis. You are my alchemist! My treasure! I will not let you go, not now!”

“S-sor…” Janis’ painfully soft voice failed her, and her eyes lost focus. Her head fell back, and Regina let out a scream, stopping just short of shaking the body in her arms. Her vision blurred, but she ran without seeing, letting her feet guide her back toward the Inn as fast as they could carry her.

Not fast enough.

Chapter 19: The Consequence

“Karen!”

Regina broke the front door as she kicked it inwards, racing into the inn. Her voice was loud enough to shake the walls, and crew members were quick to come flooding from their rooms or the parlor where they were drinking and relaxing. Cady gasped and ran to her when she saw the limp form of Janis hanging in her arms. She looked lifeless, covered in blood. When she got close enough, Cady saw how many gashes had been torn through her body from the inside out, but she had no idea what kind of magic Janis would have had to do to destroy herself in this way. She thought back to Janis’ story, about killing an entire ship on accident. Was this what it had been like, back then?

Karen and Damian came running over, pushing through the gathering crowd. Regina found the closest fainting couch and set Janis on, being as careful as she could. Her clothes were torn and drenched in blood, Cady hurrying to her side to see if she was injured.

“What happened?” She asked, but Regina pushed her away to look at Karen.

“You have to save her,” she ordered, in a tone that usually meant no arguments. Karen, overwhelmed, nodded her head, but turning to Janis she was unsure she could fulfill her Captain’s order. Damian had sprinted from the room, and was already coming back with her medical bag and as many supplies as he could gather. Regina turned to her crew, not caring who was listening. “Go into town! Find any person with medical knowledge that you can!”

Crew members scattered, each one taking the urgency in the order to heart.

“Are you okay?” Cady asked Regina again, gripping her arm. Regina looked at her at last, anger burning beneath the pain in her eyes. “Are you hurt?”

“No. She made sure of that,” Regina said, voice low. She turned fully to face Cady, and the other stood taller on instinct. There was a power to the Captain that even Cady could not resist in that moment: she knew a command was coming, and she had already agreed to it, without even hearing what it was. “Gretchen’s betrayed us. We’re going after her. Now.”

“Yes, Captain,” Cady said, and she turned to gather the rest of the crew. She needed no further instructions, getting them to rush back to the ship to prepare it for launch. Duvall’s ship had already set sail.

Karen was hard at work, but she had an impossible task ahead of her. Janis’ body was all but shredded by her own power, torn from the inside out, but beyond that there was something new. A dark stain against the bruises that she had never seen before. It was most prominent in her leg, which already looked like it was barely holding on by a few muscles, but it was spreading from every where her magic had punished her. Seeping into her body, like something similar to an infection. Karen, despite her lack of real training, knew it was magical in nature, and she was pushing a boulder uphill if she wanted any hope of combating it.

Still, she squared her metaphorical shoulders, and began shoving that boulder. Thankfully, she had Damian at her side, who was busily working away to clean, wrap and even stitch wounds. She had never had an apprentice before, but ever since he had joined the ship he picked up everything she had to show him with surprising skill. Now, his help was invaluable to her, and she instructed him almost without thought. They moved in sync, focusing on the worst injuries first.

Regina watched them for a long moment, but there was nothing she could do to help. Janis was in their care, and she had to trust in her crew to take care of each other. To protect her treasure, where she had failed to. She turned and forced herself to leave, not wanting to interrupt despite how desperately she wanted to see Janis’ face one more time before she left. She held on to the image of her moments before, as the forest streaked by, cradled in Regina’s arms, covered from head to toe in blood, but smiling. Her voice echoed inside Regina’s head, but she closed her eyes and refused to hear it. She would not let her say goodbye.

“Captain,” Cady was waiting at the door. She turned and followed as Regina brushed by her, dutifully falling only a step behind her at her side. She was terribly worried for Janis, but did not fail to miss how vital this mission would be for them all. They were doing this for the Alchemist. Not to steal her away from anything, not to force her to make any kind of treasure or be any kind of prize. She was a member of the crew, someone they loved, and she had been betrayed. This was personal. A matter of pride, and devotion.

The two broke into a sprint, then a run, and were soon on the deck of the Plastic with the rest of the gathered, equally somber crew. They set sail in the wake of Duvall’s ship, and their traitorous first mate.

—-

There was no saving the leg.

Though Karen and Damian, as well as the medics found in what passed for a town on this island, tried, the strange infection had claimed it. It was threatening to spread further through her body, as it seemed to be set deepest in the leg, almost like that was its source. She removed it just below the knee, as cleanly as she could, though it only added more strain to Janis’ already precarious condition.

Damian was sitting with her, taking his twelve hour shift of watching over her. Usually, he stayed longer, even when another doctor or Karen herself came to relieve him. Getting him away from Janis’ side was an almost impossible task, though Karen did her best to make sure he was taking care of himself, as well.

“Baby girl…” Damian said softly. He had been talking to her, singing to her, and reading to her so much, his throat was sore. But he did not give up, never wanting her to spend a moment feeling like she was alone. He brushed his hand across her fevered forehead, smoothing her hair from her face. He kept her clean and presentable, dedicating his entire being to her care. He loved her, completely, and knew he could expect nothing less if the roles were reversed. She would bend heaven and earth to make sure he was safe, secure, and could heal. He often thought about what she would do, with each decision he made. She was everything to him, and facing losing her was ripping him apart inside. “I need you to keep fighting. I know you’re tired. I can tell. But don’t lose hope. Don’t you want to see them when they’re back? They’re out there, being heroes, just for you. It’s so romantic. Please, Janis. Just don’t give up.”

Tears stung his already red eyes, which was surprising as he had thought he’d used them all up by now. He held on to her hand, lifting it once he was satisfied with her hair and wrapping his other hand around it, as well. He kissed her pale knuckles, feeling no resistance in her arm as he held it. She was deeply asleep, and he was unsure if she would, if she could, wake.

She was wrapped almost head to toe in bandages. There had been so much damage, Damian was reminded of the first time he found her. Except this time, her body was not healing quickly, as it had done every time she used her magic before. He blamed it on the inky black bruises that marred her skin, around the tears. It was preventing her magic from working the way it was meant to, though he had no idea what had caused this strange poisoning in the first place. No one left behind on the island had the story, though Duvall’s body was enough of a hint.

“I bet you were so brave out there,” he sniffled, setting her hand down and smoothing the blanket. For the tenth time, he made sure her pillows seemed comfortable and checked her pulse. Slow, soft, but there. No change from last time. “I never thought I would see Regina like that. She was so scared for you… it’s crazy to think, how far things have come. How much we’ve all changed. Sometimes I think… maybe it would have been better, if I had never made that stupid decision to sell you out to a bunch of pirates. I never meant… if I had known it would end up like this, that I would have to see you like this… oh, Baby girl, I’m so sorry.”

Tears did come, and they fell just as freely as the first time he had cried over her, the night they were tasked with saving her life. An order no one could ignore, after seeing the look on Regina’s face. No that they would have, anyway, considering. He leaned on his elbows on the edge of the bed, burying his face in his hands.

“I wish I could take it all back… go back home, so we can just live our peaceful, boring little lives. Who needs pirates?”

‘I like pirates…” Janis breathed softly, watching Damian with hazy, feverish eyes. Damian nearly choked on his gasp, tears falling even faster and heavier now. He reached a shaking hand to touch her cheek, as if to make sure he was not just imagining. In the few hours he had allowed himself to fall to sleep, after all, he had nightmares that started this way. He felt her warm skin, and she smiled so softly at him he thought his heart might just burst.

“Janis,” he managed, “y-you…”

“I… I’m okay…” Janis sighed, though she was not really in the position to make that assessment. Damian shook his head, but he knew the fact that she had woken up was the best sign he could have hoped for.

“You didn’t give up,” he finally managed to say, rubbing one hand against his eyes, “I thought you were… I thought…”

“I know,” Janis closed her eyes, “me too. But you were being so loud… couldn’t sleep.” She did her best to lift her hand off the bed, though she was not able to lift it very high. He took it in both of his once again, pressing another kiss to her knuckles before resting his forehead against it. She watched him by only opening one eye, exhausted from the simple effort of saying a few words. Still, she smiled, and he made the mistake of looking at her. He burst into tears again.

“Sleep now, Janis,” he said softly, moving to very carefully place her hand down, and tuck her in despite the blankets not moving from the last time he did it. “I’m going to take care of you, and when Regina and Cady get back, you’ll be one hundred percent for them, okay? You’ll need all your strength, I imagine.” He grinned, but she had already closed her eye and was breathing slowly and evenly. Once he was sure she was sleeping safely, he got up and hurried to find Karen and the other doctors that had opted to stay and keep an eye on her. The pirates here were all very loyal to Regina, minus the wayward ones that passed in and out at the bar. Even then, most knew better than to cross her. It became wider knowledge that the injured woman at the Inn was a part of her crew, and those that had no interest in helping at least kept a respectful distance.

Even the Inn Keeper was dutiful to Regina, having already been generously paid. They allowed the doctors and extra people who took the place of Regina’s crew once they left to stay without charge, so long as they were doing something to help the Plastics. They had moved Janis to Regina’s room, the best in the place, and were invested in her care and well being in Regina’s stead. Karen, of course, was her primary caretaker, but no one failed to see how close Damian was to the injured woman. When his voice began echoing through the Inn, announcing that Janis had woken up, the place was quickly buzzing with excitement and interest. Karen almost had to fight her way through the hall to get to the room, though she did not allow anyone besides herself and Damian to enter while she examined Janis’ condition.

She had made it through a very critical time in her recovery, but she still had a long road ahead.

Chapter 20: The Reunion

It was a warmer day than it had been, the sky a clear and pretty blue with only the softest of breezes rustling the light fabric of Janis’ dress. She had made herself a couple of them in her down time while recovering, as they were easier to deal with, as she adjusted to life without a foot and lower leg. She walked with Damian or Karen every day across the forest and to the beach, where they waited for any sign of Regina and the crew returning. It had been a worrying amount of time, though Karen reassured the other two that Gretchen would likely keep running until she had nowhere else to go. And Regina would not stop chasing her, though Karen was certain Regina would inevitably win out.

Weeks melted into months, and Janis was beginning to lose hope. She focused on her recovery as much as she could, walking with crutches until her leg had healed enough for her to begin designing a prosthetic for herself. Once the magical infection worked itself out of her system, her body was mostly able to heal the way it used to. Except this time, scars were left behind. It was strange, but only a few of the wounds left behind scars that would not fade, and she realized they were in the same places where Regina had been stabbed. And of course, her leg was a striking reminder of the entire ordeal.

Even so, her only regret was not being able to stop Gretchen from running, not even thinking to. Now Cady and Regina were out there, and she had no idea if they were coming back. Sighing, she looked up from her perch on a fairly comfortable rock overlooking the ocean when she felt Damian drawing closer. He held his arms out to her, as he always did on the return trip.

She nodded her head, and he scooped her up. She was tired, and did not have all of her energy back yet, her body still expending most of its reserves in her healing. They walked every day to restore her functions and keep her strong, but sometimes she needed help back. Damian did not mind carrying her, and in fact seemed to take a great deal of pride in it. He carried her effortlessly, while she held onto her crutches.

“I’m sure they’re going to be back soon,” he said, which was another common occurrence in their new day to day. She nodded her head quietly, and leaned against his chest.

—-

Janis was sweating and exhausted following her workout. She pushed herself as hard as she could, getting stronger day by day and adjusting to life on one leg. She had not been able to make herself a replacement yet, but she’d drawn out a few different plans and ideas for what it might look like, along with the measurements she would need. She was hoping she would be able to start working on it soon, but she needed to make sure she was healthy enough to begin the project properly.

Sighing, she strained as she leaned on her crutches. She swung her body forward, resting her weight on her good leg, before bringing the crutches forward again and beginning the process over. After her workout, her arms felt like noodles, and she was struggling to get herself into the dining room so she could find some food. She was later than normal, pushing herself too long, and by now she was usually taking her doctor appointed nap. Or at least, Damian usually made sure she was resting in some way by now. If not asleep, then at least with a book.

Something kept him from coming to look for her today, however, and she felt like she had slipped her jailor. He meant well, but his constant attention and worry was stifling, sometimes, especially when her plans for her own progress did not align with his. She butted heads with him more than once on being babied, but he always managed to get Karen on his side. Inevitably, they won out. Sighing heavily, she could almost see their point, having been left to her own devices and finding herself worn to the bone, and her leg aching unhappily.

Pushing the doors open, Janis awkwardly made her way into the dining room. She came to a sudden stop when she heard a chair scooting backwards suddenly. Several gasps filled the room, and she looked around to see the largest of the dining room tables occupied by a group of familiar faces. Standing at the head of the table, her chair tipped over and on the floor behind her, was Captain Regina.

Everything froze.Even the breath in Janis’ chest caught, and her lungs burned as she lost track of how long she was stuck in that moment. Her eyes were locked on Regina’s, lost in their fathomless blue. Distantly, she heard muffled voices. A hand caught her arm and she turned her head to see Cady’s face grinning at her, teary eyes full of excitement to see her friend alive and almost walking around. Janis realized the last time any of them had seen her, she had been torn to shreds. The last time she saw Regina…

“I’m okay,” she heard herself reassure, and Cady caught her in a tight, awkward hug. She was careful of the crutches, catching Janis around the waist and hiding her face against the Alchemist’s chest for a moment. Janis bent her head, expression softening as time restored itself. She took in a deep breath of Cady’s scent, the crawling anxiety that had been mounting in her chest suddenly releasing and disappearing. She pressed a kiss to the top of Cady’s head. “I missed you so much.”

“You have no idea,” Cady sniffled, her words broken by sobs. Janis was surprised by that, unable to recall a time when Cady was so shaken and upset. She always kept herself composed and upbeat, but she had truly been terrified they would return to find Janis had not made it. After a long moment of gathering herself, Cady looked up at Janis and smiled brightly. Her eyes shimmered, but the fear had been chased off. “You look amazing, by the way.”

“Oh, shut up.” Janis shook her head. She knew, leaning on her crutches in her sundress, she looked fairly pathetic. In Cady’s eyes, however, she was the picture of strength and determination. After hearing the story from Regina, she had feared the worst for the long weeks they were at sea. The fact that she was out of bed, breathing and functioning, was more than she could have hoped for. Tears threatened to overwhelm her again and she pulled back abruptly, swatting at Janis in mock irritation as she retreated. Damian caught her, hugging her tightly.

Janis’ eyes were drawn to the figure moving swiftly toward her. Regina’s surprisingly soft hands caught her face and she found herself staring into the same eyes that had captured her focus only moments before. Pain, confusion, and no small amount of pure happiness swam in them. Janis dropped her crutches, letting them fall away haphazardly as she covered both of Regina’s hands with her own.

“Hey,” she said, throat tightening. She found it almost impossible to speak, and realized tears were slipping down her cheeks and into Regina’s palms. Regina examined her for a moment longer, as if making sure she was not a dream, and then pulled her into a bruising kiss. Janis welcomed it without a thought, throwing her arms around Regina’s neck and hugging her close as she returned the heated kiss. The crew that had been gathered at the table, discussing everything that happened between the two split halves, murmured and attempted, as a unit, to avert their gaze. Cady giggled as she hid against Damian, though he was unabashed in watching the reunion.

Regina scooped Janis into her arms, almost without breaking from the kiss. She disappeared down the hallway, and Damian cleared his throat.

“They’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” he said, fanning himself with one hand.

—-

Regina set Janis down on the bed almost reverently, pulling back and smoothing a hand across her cheek and up into her hair. She shook her head, examining her face closely, and Janis found herself blushing under the intense scrutiny.

“You are so beautiful,” Regina breathed, her voice soft in a way Janis had never imagined it could be. She failed to form any words, resting against the pillows and headboard and watching as Regina sat carefully beside her. “You were so pale the last time I saw you. Lifeless. I thought…”

“I thought the same thing,” Janis said, voice shaking. “The last time I saw you, you were laying in that grass, in all that blood. You’d been cut to pieces… when I saw Gretchen behind you… I couldn’t do anything, Regina. I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry? You saved my life,” the Captain shook her head, long, clean blonde hair falling in waves around her shoulders. She was dressed fairly casually, for Regina anyway, and Janis wondered how long she had been at the Inn. Enough time to clean up and gather the crew. Damian must have told her she was resting. Janis lifted her hands, looking at her palms. There was a line across each one, where she had gripped the sword and pulled it from Regina’s body. She had assumed the scars she was left with were the markers of the damage she had somehow taken from Regina’s body, as the ones on her torso matched, but these lines had not come from Regina. There were many facets of Janis’ own magic that even she was still learning.

“I don’t know how I did that,” she admitted, looking at Regina. “I just couldn’t sit there and let you die, after doing nothing to help you. Hell, you were only in danger because I ran into the forest like an idiot.”

“It was incredibly stupid,” Regina said, and Janis looked at her in surprise. The Captain was grinning at her, though, and Janis flushed in embarrassment. “But I guess I did unload a lot on you. I should have told you all of that sooner-”

“I don’t care about any of that,” Janis cut in sharply. It was Regina’s turn to look surprised. “I mean, I do. Believe me, it’s been on my mind while I’ve been bed ridden, but. What are we going to do? We can’t change the past. I can’t not be what I am, and neither can you. You can’t change your parent, and I can’t change my powers. All we can do is figure out a way forward that doesn’t make us miserable. So you like being a pirate. You’re really, really good at it.”

Regina rolled her eyes, but found herself silenced by Janis’ words. She listened intently, letting them sink into her mind. She was sitting on the edge of the bed now, her hands in her lap, facing into the room rather than toward Janis herself. Janis shifted, with some difficulty, and leaned against her shoulder carefully. Her foot touched Regina’s, drawing the pirate’s attention. Sadness settled heavier on her shoulders.

“Being on that ship. The Tyrant’s Omen. I learned a lot about how horrible life could get, and how easy it was to stop being human. I saw all the things a person could do to really turn into a monster. Your father- no, that pirate. Tyrant. He raped and murdered his way to whatever he wanted. He tortured the lucky ones, like me.”

“You considered yourself lucky?” Regina scoffed, shaking her head. She did not dare shift her gaze over to Janis, though, even as the other leaned against her a bit more. She felt a soft hand on her shoulder, but did not draw her eyes away from the one dainty foot resting against her boot.

“Not at the time. But I got through it. I survived a real monster. I’ve done so many things I’m not proud of, and can never forgive myself for, but I’m going to keep heading toward the life that I want. I’m only going to get there if I push myself forward. You’re the same way. You think you’re nothing but your father’s shadow, but your ship is nothing like his. You know your crewmember’s names, for one. You treat them like family. I mean, a pretty strict and scary family, but at least there aren’t any sharks. Right?”

Regina finally looked up, finding Janis’ soft, urgent eyes boring into her. She smiled softly, shaking her head in wonder, but no words came to her. What could she say?

“I like being a pirate on your ship, Regina. So. If you’ll let me, my next step forward is to not be your captive any more. I want to be a member of the crew. What do you think about that?”

“I think that’s a terrible idea.”

Chapter 21: The Doctor

Janis looked irritated as she sat on the grass with her crutches beside her. Cady and Damian were practicing with their swords, and she was watching them following her own workout, which they now both helped her with. She knew they were just trying to be near her and help her as best they could, even if sometimes she felt she would get more productive efforts made without them there. They were careful, annoyingly so for pirates, when it came to pushing her too far.

She was staring off into the distance, mind whirling. It had been a few days since her conversation with Regina, and she got the distinct impression that the Captain was now avoiding her.

“What a pout,” Cady teased, sounding breathless as she wandered over for a break. She flopped down into the soft grass next to Janis and leaned over, kissing her cheek sweetly. Janis looked at her, still frowning, and Cady took the opportunity to kiss her lips. It seemed to work, at least, Janis relenting and giving her a small smile. “That’s a bit better. Still pissed at the Captain, huh?”

Janis leaned against Cady’s shoulder, setting her chin on it and heaving a sigh. Cady cooed softly in approval, doing her best to reassure her sweet Alchemist as best she could. Damian plopped down near them, a thoughtful expression on his face as he looked from Cady to Janis and back again.

In his eyes, they were as close to a perfect couple as a pirate could manage. Cady clearly cared more for Janis than she let on, or could ever be ready to say out loud. Damian considered himself an expert on recognizing love, despite having never experienced it himself. He was still a hopeless romantic, reading all the books and engaging with gossip with anyone that would indulge him. He did miss that part of their former home, as the pirates had very few interesting relationships to nurture. He had all his eggs in this love triangle shaped basket, and had been taking very careful mental notes. Cady most certainly loved Janis, but it was his own best friend that he was having the most trouble reading.

Maybe that was because Janis, herself, was unsure who she loved. If she should allow herself to love either of them, or if she was simply wrestling with the fact that she had feelings for them both. She kept her cards close to her chest, though, and Damian struggled to read her moves before she made them. Cady and Janis were sweet together, and their strongest bond was formed between their jovial and playful relationship. It was so easy, and he could see they made each other happy. But was it requited love? True love?

Captain Regina complicated things. A lot. Damian needed more notes on that front.

“I haven’t talked to her,” Janis sighed, moving away to give Cady some freedom. The former Pirate Hunter just scooted after her, sliding her arm around her from behind and letting them both settle comfortably together.

“She’s really busy with the Duvall stuff. Gretchen’s not giving anything up, but seems cocky as hell. There’s no telling what she got up to before she got caught. A lot of his crew escaped, too, which means there are a lot of new enemies out there… she’s just worried they might come after you, now that the word is out about an Alchemist.” Damian reached over and patted Janis’ good knee, and she fixed him a glare.

“You should just try to talk to her, Gorgeous,” Cady said softly, prompting a chest rattling sigh from an increasingly frustrated Janis. “I’m sure she has plenty to say, but you know how proud she is. If she thinks you’re mad at her-”

“I am mad at her,” Janis grunted.

“Girl, you survived losing a leg and having your body tear itself apart from the inside out: I think you can find the courage to go find that pink Goddess and tell her you want to be a pirate,” Damian huffed abruptly. Janis blinked at him, and even Cady looked wide eyed in her surprise. “What? It’s obvious you just want to be together, but for some reason you two are getting in your own way.”

“That is not-”

“Oh, it definitely is,” Cady interrupted, waving her hand. “She’s in a horrible mood, too. Damian’s right. You saved her from dying, right? And she fought across the ocean thinking you were going to die anyway. And after all that time, stewing in her anger, asking me if I thought you would be waiting for us when we got back, she didn’t even kill Gretchen. She wanted to, and I didn’t stop her: she thought about you, and didn’t do it.”

Janis’ expression softened. She had heard the overview of their journey after Gretchen, but she had not heard the details. Mostly because Regina refused to talk to her, and was impossible to track down despite the relatively small size of the Inn.

“You’re cheating,” she grumbled, and Damian rubbed her leg affectionately.

“Just go find her and talk to her, Janis. You’ll both feel better if you do.”

—--

Regina was, in fact, avoiding Janis, but not for the reasons the others were guessing. While she was not interested in listening to Janis plead for a place on her ship, it was not their last discussion that had her ducking down hallways whenever she heard those crutches approaching.

After Janis stormed from the room when Regina declined her idea to join the crew officially, Regina was left to her own devices. She aimed to follow Janis, track her down immediately, but one thing distracted her. A notebook, with designs for a new leg in them. Regina was struck still, looking over the beautiful sketches, and realized Janis had been doodling them while she was stuck in the bed following her encounter with Duvall, while Regina was off sailing. It was really all she could do, and there were more ideas than Regina could really wrap her head around.

Doing what any pirate worth their salt would do, she took it. Janis was so distracted with her own recovery and her new focus on proving to Regina that she could be a pirate like any other, if not better, she had not yet noticed it was missing. The Captain doubted that grace period would last too much longer, and she had to take advantage of the grace she was given. Though she was not particularly creative or crafty, and certainly lacked the talent of her artist Alchemist, she took it upon herself to make Janis’ new leg. By hand, following one of the sketches that struck her the most as best as she could.

It turned out to be far more difficult than she anticipated.

She thought about going to Damian, or even Cady, for help with it, but she knew neither could be trusted to keep the project a secret from Janis for too long. Either she would sense something amiss with them and get them to spill the details with her charm and earnestness, or they would simply accidentally mention it like the idiots they both ultimately were. No, she could not risk going to anyone so close to Janis on a personal level. Instead, she went to Karen.

It was both a success and a mistake.

While Karen had promised to keep the secret of Regina working on the prosthetic from Janis, she was also not all that useful in its creation. She had very keen hands and was good with technical work, but had no eye for art. Regina had to strain herself to replicate the designs in Janis’ book, realizing just how deeply the Alchemist’s artistics talents ran. Regina had to order her to do the most specific of tasks, and did her best to sketch things out in as clear a way as Karen would be able to translate to the wooden leg.

Regina breathed a heavy sigh of relief, leaning back in her chair and regarding the wooden leg on the table. Karen was sitting on the other side of the table, still holding her carving tools. The table was littered with splinters of wood and curled shavings peeled away during their efforts. She looked across the table to her captain, eyes hopeful and curious.

“I think this one will do.”

Karen smiled brightly, setting her carving tool down and looking at the leg curiously. She had helped with the measurements and shape, but Regina insisted on doing the intricate designs herself. They were shaky and imperfect, but Karen appreciated them all the more for that. Having spent such a long and intimate time with Janis, she felt she knew the Alchemist better than anyone else, save only Damian. And she knew she would adore the work the generally aloof and far too egocentric Captain put into the carving, regardless of its technical skill.

Because, if she were honest, it was pretty bad. Cute, charming in that way, but definitely nowhere close to the designs in the sketches. At the very least, though, it was anatomically correct, and would support janis’ weight and serve a sturdy peg leg. Better than most pirates in her position could hope for, anyway. She looked up from their work and found her Captain staring at her. Withering a bit, she bowed her head respectfully.

“Karen,” Regina said, voice unfamiliar. Karen glanced up, simply because she had not recognized the tone despite how long she had dutifully worked on the crew of the Plastic. “You saved her life, and for that I owe you more than I can ever repay. You are… one of, if not the most, important people on this crew, and I don’t think I have ever truly thanked you for the work you’ve done to learn how to keep us all alive. I ask a lot of you, every time we go on a raid or are caught by an unexpected raid… but you have never let us down. I just… I really need you to know how much I value you, and your skills. How much it means to me… that you… she’s only alive because of you. I can never truly repay all that I owe you.”

“Captain! You gave me an order, and I followed it, as I always do! And always will,” Karen smiled brightly, and Regina remembered Janis’ reassurances about her crew, her family. While it had not been true of her first mate, she saw how loyal Karen was. Something she always took for granted, acting as though her crew were replaceable. Despite that, she had many crew members that had joined her at the start of her campaign and still remained. While there was inevitably trimming and those that could not cut it, she had managed to create a fine crew that she could rely on. Newest members, like Cady and somehow Damian, were included in that.

“Thank you, Karen. Really.”

“Any time, Captain. It was really hard, and Damian helped so much. We got a lot of help, actually. A lot of people on the island respect you, and Janis is so sweet. I really couldn’t let her die: I can see why you, and Damian, and Cady all love her so much.”

Regina found herself wordlessly staring, not sure Karen was really listening to herself as she babbled. She was bright and happy, and sometimes too honest. She noticed things without knowing it, and spoke about them without really understanding their true meaning. Regina shook her head, glancing away for a moment to gather herself before standing and reaching for the leg.

Karen stood, out of respect. Regina nodded her head and offered a gentle smile before leaving the room and heading to Janis’ chambers. She hoped the other was still out, so she could leave the surprise in her room for her, with a letter she had been working on over a few restless nights.

Chapter 22: The Treasure

Summary:

Following a surprisingly kind gesture from the Captain herself, Regina and Janis finally give in to their feelings for one another.

Notes:

( As a heads up, this chapter is a little saucy! Nothing explicit, obviously, but definitely two ladies enjoying a night together. Feel free to wait for the next one if that's not of interest to you! )

Regina untied the leather straps that kept her corset tightly secured around her, breathing a heavy sigh as her chest was freed. She tossed it to the side, to join the pile of the rest of her clothing, as she got ready to turn in for the night. It had been a difficult and long day. Between revisiting Gretchen after leaving her to rot with her injuries and reintroducing her to Regina’s unique torture methods, and then holding council with her crew and seeking further leads on Duvall’s wayward crew, the Captain was stressed and tired. She felt stuck, unable to make any progress in either getting revenge for the betrayal she suffered, or in ensuring Janis remained safe.

She had already tossed her boots and socks to the side, and had changed her breeches for loose fitting pants. She was just tugging a long, loose nightshirt down over her head when she heard the door open behind her. Rolling her eyes, not interested in any further trouble or conversation, she turned with a deep scowl on her face. It immediately disappeared when she saw Janis watching her thoughtfully from the doorway.

They were both silent for a long moment, staring. Janis stepped forward, then turned and closed the door. Regina heard the lock click into place as Janis slowly turned back toward her and then leaned back on the door. She was wearing a robe, obviously ready to turn in for the night herself. Breath hitching in her throat, Regina opened her mouth, trying to think of something to say, but no sound came out. It would not have mattered, anyway, as Janis took one step forward.

She reached up to her robe and gently pushed it from her shoulders. Regina watched as it fell to the floor almost soundlessly, eyes widening when she found her Alchemist, her treasure, standing naked in her chambers. The only thing she wore was the prosthetic leg Regina had given to her, attached to what remained of her own leg by a cloth sleeve and a couple of soft belts. And scars. She wore scars now, where before her body had never made them. Her magic had not healed the large wounds she had taken from Regina, stark across her midsection and side against otherwise pristine skin.

If Regina was having trouble breathing before, now she had completely forgotten how to now.

Janis moved forward, taking slow, careful steps. She had not brought her crutches, or maybe left them just outside the door. Whatever the case, she was walking without them now. Despite strong impulses to run to Janis and support her, Regina stayed where she was. She waited, letting Janis take her slow steps across the room toward her. Once she was close enough, Regina moved to take Janis’ hands in hers. She pulled her closer, knowing it would knock her off balance, but quickly let her go and wrapped her arms around her as she fell against the Captain.

Regina finally drew a breath, and felt revived by the soft scent of Janis’ hair. She bent closer, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder, and closing her eyes as she took a moment to commit the smell and taste to her memory.

“You are more beautiful than I could have ever imagined,” Regina whispered, kissing along her shoulder and into the curve of her neck. Janis tilted her head on instinct, allowing those probing kisses, but in the same moment placed a gentle hand against Regina’s chest and pushed her back. The touch was not enough to move her, but she felt the warning and pulled back on her own.

Janis was blushing, the sweetest look on her face. Regina was immediately intoxicated, wanting more, and leaned to catch her lips in a fierce kiss. If Janis was going to protest in any way, her thoughts were momentarily lost as she leaned into Regina’s incredibly soft, full lips. A whimper managed to escape, prompting Regina to pull back with a radiant smile on her face. That blush she was so addicted to on Janis’ face only deepened.

“Don’t lie to me,” Janis whispered, voice shaking.

“You’re beautiful,” Regina doubled down, a hand trailing down Janis’ body to rest on her hip. She guided Janis with that hand, taking a step backwards toward her bed while keeping Janis as close as possible. Even so, Janis had to take her own steps, and was walking mostly of her own accord. It was a small show of respect, and only deepened the beautiful rosy pink blush that spread across her face. Enchanted, Regina found she could not draw her eyes away from Janis’ face, bumping her heel against the foot of her bed before she knew it. She stopped, bringing Janis to her almost as if they were dancing.

In a way, they were.

Now that Regina had Janis close to her, she could barely draw herself away. She trailed her lips along the artist’s shoulder again, but this time found her way along Janis’ jaw before she could finally steal a kiss. There was nothing hurried or shy about this one, nothing pained or uncertain. She held Janis’ face gently in one hand while the other remained on her hip, keeping their bodies close as she sought Janis’ taste in earnest. Janis, helpless to stop it, let a soft moan escape her as she opened her mouth invitingly, tilting her head and letting Regina take what she wanted. Giving it to her, and wanting more.

Regina turned them effortlessly, Janis finding herself in a sweeping twirl before she could really kick her brain back into gear after the mind numbing kiss that brought her world to a complete halt. She was carefully guided down to sit on the edge of the bed, Regina’s care and graceful movements taking her breath away. It was easy to do, she argued with herself, when she had barely had a chance to catch it again. Staring up dumbly, she watched as Regina took a poised, confident step back. Her eyes were locked on Janis’ not giving her the option of looking away, the burning intensity in Regina’s gaze too intoxicating.

Janis watched, and Regina tugged her own shirt over her head. She had only just gotten it settled, anyway, and now she no longer needed it. She slept in little else, and laughed as Janis’ jaw visibly dropped and her eyes widened as her gaze poured over the Captain’s body. Her breasts were ample and perfect, of course, but Janis’ eyes fell below them after a lingering moment of silent appreciation. There were no new, bright scars on Regina’s body. Maybe a glimmer of anxiety, or doubt, crossed Janis’ face, or maybe it was the hand that lifted to cover her own midsection bashfully, but Regina recognized the meaning. She smiled warmly and offered Janis a wink, turning and pulling her blonde hair over her shoulder to present Janis a view of her back.

It was riddled with long, thin scars. Old, but never vanishing. Janis stood, awkwardly, and put a hand on Regina’s shoulder both to support herself and to keep her from turning around again. She bent close, pressing warm kisses to some of the marks. It was Regina’s turn to shudder, and after a moment more of letting Janis explore, she turned. She caught Janis’ hand in hers once it left her shoulder, bringing it to her lips and pressing her own kiss to it in a kind of reverence that Janis was simply not expecting.

“Lay down,” Regina instructed, but her tone was new. Janis hesitated again, and Regina ignored a pulse of desire at just how bashful and sweet the other was. Still innocent, despite her exciting, sometimes devious romps with Cady while they thought Regina was not watching. Or maybe they knew it would always get back to her, in one way or another, and wanted her to know exactly what they were up to. As careful as when she stood, Janis eased herself back down to the bed, never taking her eyes off of Regina’s face. She looked for clues, for indications she was doing things the way Regina wanted, but for some reason the Captain chose tonight to be a complete mystery about her desires. The thought never occurred to her that Regina had already gotten what she wanted, and was now just as lost as Janis as far as what to do with it.

Regina nodded her head slightly, and Janis complied. She leaned back on her elbows, scooting a bit further up the bed. Regina leaned over her, her own legs guiding Janis’ apart as she reached a hand to touch her face. Her golden hair was falling in waves over her shoulders, and for a moment, Janis was reminded of the last time Regina was above her. It had not been like this, and she shoved it out of her mind. Easy enough to do, as Regina called her attention as she trailed her hand down from Janis’ still parted lips, over her heavily, but slowly, rising chest, between her breasts. Her lithe fingers and piercing blue eyes lingered here, gaze flickering up to Janis’ in something akin to a challenge. She tapped her finger, but then continued her path down.

When her fingers passed over Janis’ flat stomach, taking a slight turn just over one of her hips and detouring down her leg, Janis made a noise of both protest and concern. She looked down, leaning up more on her elbows to watch as Regina’s hand came to a stop just over the cuff that ran around the sleeve that connected Janis’ old leg with her new one.

“Regina, don’t-”

“Trust me,” Regina purred, untroubled. She engaged both hands now, kneeling at the edge of the bed and bending close. It was easy enough to loosen the buckles, though she took a moment to admire them. The attachment was entirely Janis’ design, added after she found the gift waiting for her in her room only a few nights ago. The leg looked to be shaped a bit better, smoothed out, and the carvings Regina and Karen had taken so long to carve had been treated with some sort of sealer. She had not touched them in any other way, though with her skills she could have made something truly beautiful. Instead, she preserved what she had been given, and added to it to be functional. Even so, the craftsmanship was clear, and she had done it without the use of her powers.

She was an artist first.

Almost reverently, Regina bent to press a kiss to the inside of Janis’ thigh, eliciting a deep, thrumming shudder that ran through Janis’ very core. It dragged a luscious moan from somewhere deep inside her, which she tried to cover by clamping her hands over her mouth. It was too late, though, and Regina was almost purring in pleasure.

“I want to hear you,” she said, sounding distracted, but a Captain’s orders always carried weight. Janis willed herself to move her hands, but she bit her lower lip and kept careful focus on Regina in an effort not to be caught off guard again. Regina, seemingly too occupied to glance up and ensure her directions were followed, continued to unloosen the belts until she was able to slide the prosthetic off and set it carefully at the edge of the bed. Janis again made a soft sound. At least this time she did not cover her mouth.

The wound had not healed well, but Regina stared openly. Her eyebrows furrowed and she moved closer, running her lithe, careful and skilled fingers over the scars and dark, strange stains. Though the poison that had coursed through her eventually ran its course and she was spared, the evidence remained only here. It highlighted the angry scar, despite the doctor’s best efforts to make it as neat as they could. Distantly, she heard Janis apologizing, asking her to cover it again, but Regina held her hand up, comically between Janis’ legs, to stop her talking. She bent close and pressed a loving kiss to the injured leg, then followed the path her fingers had taken moments before back up, only this time with her lips. She stopped as she came to rest perfectly centered between Janis’ legs, still looking ready to purr as she pressed a deceptively chaste kiss exactly where she wanted.

“You’re playing with me,” Janis moaned, flopping back into the bed and covering her face with her hands.

“No, I’m treasuring you.”

“Regina,” now Janis sounded almost annoyed, but was quickly silenced as the Captain demonstrated what she meant.

Chapter 23: The Bed

Janis was curled against Regina’s warm body, basking in the glow of the heat they had generated together. Janis was idly watching the rise and fall of Regina’s chest, fingers lightly tracing paths across her skin. Regina was simply watching Janis, arm around her, keeping her as close as possible without crushing her.

“It was worth the wait,” the Captain teased, after a long moment. Janis laughed, and the sound was like music. Regina’s enchantment only grew, eyes widening as she watched a light pass through Janis, making her seem almost ethereal. She looked up and smiled, chuckling and watching Regina with eyes that hid absolutely nothing, and Regina was helpless. She had no defense, when there was nothing to defend against. All she found looking at her in that moment was a peaceful, happy woman that cared for her.

They had been together for hours, experiencing the heights of passion and pleasure, and maybe showing off whenever one of them was given the chance. Showing each other what they could do, how good they could be for the other, and catching up on every ounce of desire each stolen glance, too long stare and snide innuendo had stockpiled. Light was filtering through the shuttered windows, but neither cared. The door was locked, and no one dared disturb them.

“You can’t be that easy to please,” Janis scoffed, though she was far too content to put up much of an argument. Her body felt warm and heavy, and it did not respond to any command that drew her away from Regina. Regina, it seemed, had more energy left, as Janis soon found herself on her back with Regina swinging a leg over her hip and settling down over her. It was not the first time that evening that she had been stradled, but it made her blush as if it were.

Regina looked down at her with a calm, curious expression. It was dangerous, her piercing blue eyes glimmering in a way that sent a flush of heat through Janis’ body. Regina arched toward her, taking her hands and cupping Janis’ breasts in them, making her hiss in pleasure. She was overly sensitive now, a status condition Regina was well aware of. Regina was almost purring, languid and at ease. She bent closer, running her tongue over one of Janis’ nipples.

“I’m not,” Regina mumbled, pressing her lips against soft flesh. Janis moaned helplessly in response, chest rising to meet that eager mouth seeking her sensitive spots out. Regina growled, a pleased and dominant sound, her other hand massaging and caressing the breast her mouth was not occupied with. She wanted to be fair, after all.

“How do you have so much energy?” Janis breathed, though her voice hitched in her throat and her words cracked. Regina pressed a kiss to the soft skin between Janis’ breasts as if in answer, though it did nothing to answer the question. Watching her idly, Janis reached down and ran her hand through Regina’s thick, golden hair. It was soft and clean, and the pirate obviously took very good care of it. This was the messiest Janis had ever seen it, minus one other time, and for that she was rather proud. Regina glanced up at her, those dangerous eyes flashing.

“I just can’t get enough of you,” she rumbled, pressing a sweet kiss to the scar Janis had earned from healing her. She looked at it curiously, lifting a hand to trace the discolored marks thoughtfully. Janis admired her, breathing slowly.

“The others are going to wonder what happened to us,” Janis said, feeling Regina’s other hand sliding down her body. She breathed a helpless sigh, which quickly reversed into a gasp, Regina moving further down the bed so she could shift her attention to Janis’ lower body. It was all too easy for her to slide off of Janis and take up position under her legs instead, letting her knees rest on her shoulders as she grinned down at her now from between her thighs. Janis moaned, both in embarrassment and surprise, body arched up off the bed save for her upper back and shoulders, which she used for balance. Regina was careful, always aware of Janis’ bad leg, but also not hindered by it.

“No, I don’t think anyone is wondering what’s going on in here,” Regina teased, voice low and rolling over her syllables with a luscious growl. She let her tongue further articulate herself without words, Janis dropping her head back into the plush blankets and moaning loudly in pleasure, proving Regina’s point all too easily.

—-

There was a soft knock at the door. Regina got up, carefully draping a blanket over Janis as the other slept deeply. She smiled, tucking some of Janis’ dark hair behind her ear so Regina could bend close and place a tender kiss to the artist’s cheek. Janis did not stir, and Regina smiled at her warmly. She was beautiful like this, Regina decided. The knock came again and the Captain sighed, getting up and crossing the room. Along the way, she picked up Janis’ discarded robe, tugging it around herself before she unlocked and opened the door.

Without surprise, she found Damian and Cady grinning at her from the hallway. They were carrying trays loaded with food and drinks, and they both, as if practiced, lifted them invitingly. Regina rolled her eyes and stepped to the side, allowing the duo to enter. She closed the door behind them, but this time did not lock it. They were already crossing the room toward Janis by the time she was done, and she heard them giggling and chattering as they set the trays down on a nightstand.

“What did you do to her, Captain?” Damian cooed, sitting down carefully on the bed and admiring Janis’ sleeping face. She was out cold, and did not even shift when the bed did.

Regina shrugged, but failed to hide how proud she was of herself. She climbed into the bed, sliding behind Janis and wrapping one arm around her possessively. Janis hummed, nuzzling closer to the warmth of Regina’s body on instinct and lifting a hand to lightly hold on to her arm.

“Awww,” Cady, sitting next to Damian, elbowed him excitedly. He nodded his head in silent agreement, and Regina fixed them a dangerous glare. Cady waved her hand dismissively. “You two are adorable.”

“But she’s probably needing her medication, and for that she needs to eat,” Damian said, nodding solemnly despite the massive grin on his face. He still considered himself her doctor. Regina’s puzzled look caught him off guard, the Captain sitting up to rest against the headboard.

“Medication? She’s in pain?”

“Of course, she lost a leg. I’m surprised she kept up with you this long,” Damian laughed, seeming jovial enough, but Regina was instantly stricken with the guiltiest look either of them had ever seen on her face before. In fact, Cady was certain she had never seen a sadder expression, even while the two were on the seas and did not know if Janis had even survived.

“Hey, if she was hurting, she would have told you. You probably just had her mind on other things. Things she obviously liked,” Cady offered gently. She got up and moved to the other side of the bed, closer to Regina, so she could sit down and reach to take the Captain’s hand reassuringly. To her surprise, Regina allowed it, though her eyes were on Janis.

“She certainly didn’t seem to be slowed down,” Regina said, causing the other two to giggle. She grinned, perking up, and looked at Cady challengingly. “You must have taught her well. Of course, there are always more things for her to learn.”

“Is that so?” Cady glanced across at Damian, who rolled his eyes. He reached to carefully nudge Janis, though the Alchemist was stubborn about waking up. Eventually she opened her eyes, looking up and finding everyone not only surrounding her, but staring down at her. Remembering that she was very naked, she clung to the blanket and shrank down into the bed.

“Er… wha…?”

—-

Janis was wrapped in one of the lighter blankets from the bed, doing her best to keep herself covered. She looked miserable, sitting with Damian on one edge of the bed, Cady on the other, and Regina beside her in the middle, against the headboard. Regina was leaning on her languidly, doting on her in a way that she was not certain she liked, as it felt like she was carrying some sort of apology in her movements. Damian and Cady kept exchanging glances and smiles, which she also did not trust or like.

“Is the food that bad? I’ve never seen anyone look so unhappy to be brought breakfast in bed,” Damian teased lightly.

“Not the food,” came the tight, terse reply.

“We have all seen you naked, at this point,” Cady reminded, and Janis tugged her shield of a blanket tighter around herself.

“That doesn’t mean I just want to be casually naked around everyone!”

“I’m cool with it,” Cady grinned, and Regina nodded her head, leaning in to kiss Janis’ ear and almost whisper into it.

“Me too.”

“And I’m happy you’re naked and not needing stitches, so,” Damian shrugged. “But I can get you some clothes, don’t worry. Just relax. You’re safe with us, you know.”

“I know,” Janis sighed.

‘Actually, I’d love to see how those scars are looking,” Damian added, as he moved to gather some clothes for Janis to slip into. He was taking his time, despite there not being a lot to pick from. Regina watched him thoughtfully, making a note in the back of her mind that her Alchemist’s wardrobe needed some attention.

“Scars?” Cady looked surprised, then confused. “I thought you didn’t scar?”

“It’s new to me, too,” Janis said, her blush softening as she got more comfortable. She shifted, adjusting the blanket for a moment as she held her chest protectively under her arm, hiding her breasts enough to feel comfortable dropping the blanket. She sat up straighter, leaning to show Cady the scars left behind when she took Regina’s wounds. Regina was sitting on that side and instinctively ran her dainty fingers over the smooth, dark marks. They were still discolored from that strange, inky blackness that had poisoned her recovery, though it was fading slowly. Damian returned, settling on the bed and leaning close to examine them. Having so many eyes focused on her body made Janis uncomfortable, no matter how many times she told herself she trusted them completely.

Regina slid her arm around Janis’ side, scooting closer and effectively blocking the scars once she felt they had been viewed long enough. Cady sat back and Damian turned his attention to the clothing he’d brought over, offering a loose shirt to Janis. She was distracted, taking comfort in Regina’s small gesture, and the two sharing a sweet kiss because of it. That made Damian’s eyebrows lift a bit, a furtive glance shifting toward Cady, who nodded conspiratorially.

“Thanks,” Janis said softly, as Regina helped her into the shirt and the other two pirates crept away from the bed.

—---

“Oh, she’s got it bad,” Damian giggled, wrapping his arms around Cady and hugging her close. It was half in solidarity, expecting her to have some mixed feelings about two people she was actively intimate with getting together, no matter how freely she lived the pirate’s life. The other half was pure excitement.

“Which one,” Cady laughed, letting him hold on to her as they walked down the hallway. He had left the medicine behind and had promised to report to Karen, but it seemed as though Janis was doing just fine. He shook his head, tugging Cady into his room to further discuss things.

“Regina, of course. Janis is a sweet, romantic soul. Before you, though, she had no experience, and honestly I think she’s still in love with you, too. So this is going to be hard for her. But Regina? She’s never met anyone like Janis: it’s going to rock her whole world. Change things. Maybe everything.”

“It sure will,” Cady breathed, and Damian finally saw a flicker of that pain and doubt he knew she was hiding. He gripped her hand tightly, reassuringly. Through their mutual love of Janis, they had gotten quite close, and he hated to see her trying to hide her aches from him. She smiled at him, beautifully sad, and he felt his heart breaking for her sake. Her valiant effort to be open minded was costing her, in a way almost similar to Janis’ powers. There was always a price, and many different kinds of magic.

“Are you okay with this? Like… really? I know you don’t really have any feelings for the Captain, beyond loyalty and I suppose enjoying her bed, but… around my Baby Girl, you’re a different person.”

“She’s changed me, too, I guess. But I want her to be happy, and I know how torn up inside she is about all this. Pirates, eh? It’s not an easy life, even in the fun bits. But I guess I’m not really worried because… I’ve seen the way Janis can see the good in anything, anyone. She doesn’t give up, so I won’t, either. The only thing we can do is keep moving forward, right? So. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how this all shakes out, and where I stand at the end. All I know is I have a home again, and friends that I love. A purpose, too. She, you guys, gave that to me.”

Damian tried not to show how emotional he suddenly felt, and his spectacular failure to do so earned him a very tight hug from the red-headed former pirate hunter.

Chapter 24: The Offer

Peace returned to the island. Or at least, the level of peace that an island run by and for pirates could sustain, anyway. For the beleaguered crew of the Plastic, it was perfect. New crews rolled through with their treasure, utilizing the bar and various shops before setting sail for a new adventure, which kept the pirates that lingered on the island entertained.

Captain Regina was not hurried. She wanted her crew to rest, and those that got bored could always join a different crew as it sailed out. Most were patient, and well aware of the real reason she was taking her time before mounting a new raid.

Janis had set up a little workshop, to work on art and restoration services to those who sought them out. It reminded her a little of her old life, except now most of the work came from pirates, and she had one less leg than she used to. Despite all that, she was content, maybe even happier than she ever had been. Damian saw her smiling more, her laugh brightening any space she walked into. He saw all kinds of eyes on her, from curious crewmates to new pirates discovering her workspace.

Not to mention Regina and Cady.

“Girl, I wish I was you,” Damian sighed, leaning back in his chair. Janis rolled her eyes, leaning over a work counter and carefully carving a new head for a wooden doll that had seen some trauma. She was not sure of the story behind it, or if there were even children on this island to give it to, but she had been commissioned to restore it with great care, and she intended to do her best work. “They’re so sweet, your two lovers.”

“Ugh, Damian, shut up,” Janis tried not to look at him, focusing on the gentle, soft curve she was creating for the doll’s sweet, innocent face. Her movements were precise and planned, her mind seeing exactly what she intended to make and allowing her to break it down into simple, controlled movements. It was distracting, though, having him talk of her love life and seeing two beautiful faces jump into her mind while she was trying to focus on work.

“Well. One of them is just going to show up soon, anyway, and you know it. They might come here together.”

“I hope not. You’re in a very specific mood.”

“If you mean that I’m loving love, then you’re right,” Damian moved to her, placing his hands on her hips carefully. She set her tools down and let him draw her backwards, turning toward him and finding herself being held as if they were going to dance. There were no musicians nearby, but the lack of music did not seem to impede him. He lifted her hand in his, smiling down at her in that charmed, lovestruck way he got when he was particularly happy. Relenting with a laugh, she let him lead her in a spin away from the work counter.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“I’ve always wanted you to be happy,” Damian pulled her to him, arm tightening around her back and hip. She watched him curiously, even as he let go of her hand and instead ran his fingers down her cheek. He was so close, admiring her beautiful face in a way she had never seen him do before, his eyes flashing. He had no interest in her, not sexually. His tastes ran toward men, as they had discussed several times before, and she had always been aware of it. Still, he stared at her. She could see him plotting, the strings of ideas being pulled and laced together in his mind, but she had no idea what it might be.

“Are you jealous?” she tried, daringly.

“Of course not,” Damian laughed, flatting his hand against her cheek and patting it as if she were a dog. And not one that was following all the directions it was being given. “But I do love you. Janis, I was thinking…”

“That’s never a good thing,” the Alchemist sighed. She pushed him away from her, waving her hand over her shoulder as she turned back to her work.

“If you wanted to give this all up, one day,” he said, following her. “And have a family. With one of them. Or both of them. I’d do it, you know. I mean. I’d help you. You know?”

Janis had only just picked up her knife, but it was immediately clattering against the worktop as she turned toward him. He reached for her hands, holding them in both of his own. She let him, taking a step toward him.

“What are you talking about, all of a sudden?”

“I was just thinking,” Damian reiterated, “in the future. Just so you know it’s not… not an option. If you want to have a family, with Regina, or Cady, or both of them, and you… wanted to add a child to that… I could help you.”

“Damian…”

“Seeing you that night, after the battle with Duvall. After Regina and Cady ran off to avenge you… all I knew was my best friend was dying. There was almost nothing I could do about it, either. Karen and the others saved your life. And you, of course, because you’re so strong and amazing. But watching you struggle, knowing any of those moments could have been your last… you would have been gone, and that was it. The only impact I would have had on your life would be ending it, because I sold you out to pirates. But I love you, Janis. In only a way that you and I can love each other. It was specifically designed, just for us, this feeling. I want to give you more, give you something that has meaning. I want to give you the life you deserve, and if this is how I could hope to do it, then it’s all I want. And don’t think it’s just to make up for mistakes. If you had shown any interest in anyone, back on that island, I would have offered the idea then. I’ve always wanted to be a part of your happiness.”

“But you are,” Janis struggled to say, “I love you. You’re my best friend, the greatest person I have ever known. I have fun around you, with you. You make me feel like my whole me: you’re the only one I ever trusted, and you saved my life. Twice now, if not more. It sounds like you think you owe me something, but you don’t. I don’t hold any of this against you, and even if you made a mistake selling me out, just look where it’s gotten us. How can I be mad when-”

“I know,” Damian cut in, grip tightening on her dainty, soft hands. He watched them for a moment, her fingers flexing around his, then looked into her beautiful face and was almost immediately lost in her dark, soulful eyes. “I’m happy, too. I’m lucky, that it all worked out this way, and I know what you think about the past. Every choice brought us here, and they’re gone now. I get it. But I’m looking toward the future. Your future. I know Regina will just steal you a kid if you want it, or Cady will find someone in need to fill your family with. But… this is my offer. Not for right now, or at all if you don’t want it. But it’s here. I’m here. Always.”

“Damian,” Janis breathed. She was fighting valiantly, tears burning her eyes as she stared at him stubbornly. She blinked at last, tears slipping down her cheek, and he bent to kiss one away while the other escaped. Shaking his hands from hers, she threw her arms around his neck instead, hugging him tightly. He was taller than her, making it easy for him to envelop her in his arms and haul her off of the ground. He held her effortlessly, his own tears lost against her shoulder as he buried his face into the crook of her neck.

“Am I interrupting something?” Captain Regina’s voice almost sang, as she walked into the small work space and saw the two hugging. By the shaking of their shoulders and all the sniffling, she knew full well that she was interrupting something intimate, but she did not let that stop her. She watched as Damian very carefully set Janis down, making sure her fake leg was settled and supported her before he pulled away to regard the Captain with a curious mixture of respect and disdain. She smiled at him as he bowed, approving of the curt stiffness in his shoulders that pulled him back up after only a moment.

“Yes, you are,” Janis said, leaning on Damian’s arm for a moment. More than just because her leg demanded it. Her face was flushed and she looked dizzy, an overwhelming amount of emotions pulsing through her body and mind in one, small, intimate moment. She fixed her powerful, dark eyes on Regina, though, and she held herself steady. “What brings you here?”

“I missed you,” Regina said, with a shrug and without missing a beat. Janis floundered, and Damian’s giggles burst from him, filling the room.

“You’re too cute, Captain!”

“You don’t get to say that, Damian,” the feared pirate captain reminded with a dangerous edge to her tone that Damian completely ignored. He hurried over to her, wrapping her up in a hug and forcing a smile to finally damper the mood she was trying to impress on them. “Ugh, get off of me!”

“Fine, fine. Janis, think about what I said. I’ll be back later.” He eyed Regina coyly, looking her up and down and then glancing at Janis with a wink. “Much later.”

“Damian!”

“Oh, let him think whatever he wants,” Regina sighed, unable to hide her smirk as he scooted from the workshop. She waited for a beat, in case he had another quippy thing to say, then turned to Janis with a warm smile. “Hello.”

“Hey,” Janis said, with a sideways smile. Regina took a step toward her even as Janis was doing the same, the two meeting in a kiss and all but melting into each other’s arms. Every time Janis saw her, it felt like they had been apart too long. It was ridiculous, especially considering the two had only just parted ways a couple of hours earlier, after spending almost the entire night together. Again.

“You look happy,” Regina said softly, tucking some stray hair behind Janis’ ear. Janis blushed softly, shaking her head but offering no argument. “What was it he said?”

“Oh. Er. Nothing,” Janis stammered, unconvincingly. If nothing else, she managed to look even happier thinking back on it and failing to hide it. Regina smiled, charmed.

‘You know if I ask him, he will just tell me, right? He has no real will.”

“It’s personal.”

Regina regarded Janis for a moment and then, to both of their surprise, relented with a shrug and a wave over her shoulder.

“Alright, I’ll drop it, then. Come on, I need you and Cady right now.”

“You need us?” Janis echoed, letting Regina tug her arm and falling into step behind her with only a couple of wobbles.

“Not like that,” Regina grunted, then considered. “Well. Maybe after. It’s about Gretchen. She’s finally given me something. A lead. Come on, I need you at the Inn.” Regina kept hold of Janis’ hand, not giving her much of a choice, but she did her best to keep up. It had taken a lot of hard work to figure out her pace, to walk and run again, but she was glad to put that to practice as often as she could. She had canes and crutches strategically stored around the Inn and the neighboring areas, including her workshop, but she was doing her best not to need them. This time, she was hardly given the option to grab anything, and had to rely on Regina if her leg decided to give out or start hurting.

At the mention of Gretchen, her heart sank low in her chest, a rush of cold flooding her body and chasing off all the warmth from her conversation with Damian. She asked no questions and offered no resistance, the baby doll she had been working on forgotten on a table.

Chapter 25: The Three

Summary:

Janis, Regina, and Cady search the ship for clues about Gretchen's true employer. In the process, they get a little distracted.

“An employer?”

“I thought Duvall was the employer,” Cady frowned, leaning back in her cushioned seat. They had gathered in the library, just the Captain, First Mate and Alchemist. Janis’ frown deepened with her confusion. “I mean, he was the one that hired me. But he was already in contact with Gretchen, somehow, at that point. We had our target and he knew where to find your ship. I had no idea who his contact was, but it definitely seemed to be working for him. He gathered his crew of disposables and we set out for only one treasure.” She pointed at Janis, though her expression was apologetic.

 

“Well, he wouldn’t have told you anything, anyway. You were just bodies he needed to get his ship moving, and to fight my crew,” Regina was standing, pacing in front of the chairs and considering the facts as she knew them. “He never told you anything about where he was from? What he was going to do once he got Janis away from the Plastic? A destination after that encounter?”

“I wasn’t the navigator. I just happened to be standing close to him when he went for Janis, so I got roped into capturing her. He never told me anything. Didn’t have a First Mate, either. More than likely, if any of us had survived, he would have put into the nearest port and ditched us with his treasure the second he could.”

“And Gretchen made sure to kill every crew member left behind on our deck,” Regina sighed, thinking back.

“He never said anything specific to me, either,” Janis said softy, her memories turning to a different night. She could almost feel his hands on her, holding her as if she had already belonged to him. His words, his promises. She hugged herself and shuddered, “he talked to me like he had a better life planned. He talked about taking me somewhere, making a family with me. But he never said where. He said I would be his ‘queen’.”

Regina and Cady were watching her now, and neither looked happy.

“Monster,” the pirate hunter growled.

“Bastard.”

“Yeah, well, he’s dead now,” Janis tried to shrug it off, but there was a waver in her voice that just dragged another angry growl from Regina. Cady’s expression softened, into one of worry and understanding. Janis was not proud that she killed Duvall, and it hurt her to have his blood on her hands. No matter what he did to them, or threatened and never got a chance to follow through on. Regina crossed to Janis, holding her hand out to her and demanding it be taken. Janis reached up, fingers trembling, but took Regina’s hand with a soft breath.

“Queen, hm,” Cady sighed, tapping her fingers on the side table. “He was always full of shit, tooting his own horn. Paid really well, flashed his money around. That was why he got a crew of hunters and mercs together so fast. Hired a fancy ship. Dressed with no expense spared. Like you, Pirate Queen.”

“So he wanted to take my place, and drag Janis around with him like a trophy.”

“Maybe, but he had to have a home base. It’s not like he lived on a ship, like us. If we can find his regular port of call, we might find his employer. Maybe Gretchen has some address or map in her belongings that might give him away?”

“Can’t we get any more information out of Gretchen?” Janis asked quietly, carefully. Regina shook her head and refused to make eye contact with her.

“Not for a while.”

“Is she…”

“Broke her jaw,” Cady cut in quickly, seeing the doubt crossing Janis’ features. “She’ll be speechless for a while, but I’m sure she earned it. She’s got some real nasty things to say about me and you.” At Regina’s quizzical look, she added, “Karen told me.”

“Of course she did. I had her tend to the mess afterwards,” Regina waved it off, still holding on to Janis’ hand. “Alright, so we’ll dig around her quarters. She might have had time enough to hide it or get rid of it, if evidence ever existed, but that would require her thinking ahead enough. I never thought her much of a planner, but I suppose she did betray me. Smarter than I thought.”

“Not that smart. It’s not that hard to outwit you,” Cady teased, giving Regina a flirtatious look. Somehow, Janis blushed because of it, but it succeeded in making the Alchemist relax and giggle. For that, Regina was thankful, and she nodded slightly in Cady’s direction. “Let’s get to that ship.”

—

It felt nice, in a way, to be back on the deck of the Plastic. The ship was beautiful, and as it rested in the port it was clearly being well taken care of. It was nothing but the best, for all of Regina’s crew, and that included the ship itself. It was as vital a member as any others. If not more so, in some cases.

Janis found herself wondering what she could contribute, if she convinced its Captain to let her back on board. It was difficult for her to shake the melancholy that island life had returned to her, and she realized that it might not be the life she longed for any more. She did her best to focus on the matter at hand, shaking off intrusive thoughts and moving toward Gretchen’s cabin. She followed Regina and Cady, having never actually been inside the former First Mate’s living quarters before. The only moments they had really spent any length of time together was usually in the brig, where Gretchen was torturing her.

Not something she was going to miss.

Regina opened the door and entered, though Cady stopped to hold the door and let Janis in with a grin on her face. Janis rolled her eyes, but found herself tipping her head in a show of regal appreciation, trying to hide her flirtatious smile as Regina turned back toward the two of them. Cady straightened, letting go of the door, and Janis leaned on her cane.

“I’ll check the desk,” Regina said, either pretending not to notice, or opting to ignore them, “Janis, check the closet. Cady, the shelves.” Feeling as though they were being separated for causing trouble, Cady and Janis exchanged a glance before moving to their designated search zones.

“This is a closet?” Janis grumbled loudly as she stepped into the space Gretchen had designated for her clothing. She had fashioned a much larger space than most might have utilized, and there were more clothes hanging from strangely matching hangars than Janis had ever seen before. And she had seen Regina’s personal collection. Somehow, Gretchen was even more of a fashionista than the pirate Queen herself, though she supposed Regina had other things to focus on most of the time and was simply doing her best to keep herself imposing while fashionable. Gretchen’s tastes were wild and baffling, though she at least kept things organized. Coats were together, shirts, under shirts, vests and corsets, dresses, skirts, pants. No shorts.

Gretchen did not believe in shorts.

Janis was not sure what she was looking for, but imagined she would know it when she saw it. A note or letter, maybe, or something to indicate she had been in communication with not only Duvall, but someone pulling his strings. Cady had said they had a traitor on their ship, someone that was sending messages somehow, but Janis doubted she knew how the communication was actually taking place. She thought back to them finding her island, but by the time she encountered them, everything had been burned and they were on their way back to the ship. If Gretchen had time to send a message then, only Regina or Karen might have noticed it.

It felt like she was on an expedition in a deep jungle, digging through thick forest leaves and bushes, but instead they were made of both soft materials and startlingly hard leather. She was doing her best to check as many pockets as she could, but the task seemed endless. On some of the coats, it was like more pockets were spawning as she was rooting through them. She heard the fabric jungle rustling and tensed, until familiar arms wrapped around her sides and a warm body pressed against her back. Somehow, she knew who it was without turning, able to tell them apart simply by their touch. No, beyond that. She’d known who it was the moment she felt their presence.

“Cady, Regina is going to get annoyed,” she said softly, turning her head toward her shoulder but not turning further. She could feel Cady shrug.

“Let her. I just wanted to know how you were doing. With her, you know. And in general. She occupies a lot of your time, you know. And when it’s not her, it’s Damian.”

Janis felt a sting of guilt, letting go of the coat she was digging through and turning in Cady’s arms. They were close, of course, but she did not pull away as she examined the sad expression in Cady’s usually bright, lively green eyes. Lifting a hand, she touched Cady’s cheek gently, guiding her eyes up to see them better in the gloomy closet. Cady smiled just at the touch, leaning her cheek into Janis’ warm palm.

“Are you okay? I mean. You know. With all of this… we haven’t really talked much, you’re right. I’m sorry about that. I might just be avoiding it, without thinking about it. Damian tells me I’m good at that,” Janis sighed. Cady shrugged again, holding her gaze.

“She loves you. A lot. I’ve known that for a long time. I saw her when we were hunting down Gretchen, and she thought… I was with her, doing everything I could to support her, when I felt myself breaking down, too. We both love you, it turns out.”

“But we said… you said…” Janis stumbled, the weight of Cady’s small confession, nothing surprising and yet still hanging so heavily in the air, settling on her shoulders. She flexed her fingers against Cady’s cheek, running her thumb along the gentle curve.

“I know what I said. And I still mean it, if it’s what you need. Nothing serious, not if you don’t want it, and not if you’re devoted to Regina. Serious is so complicated for pirates, for a life like this. But… at least for me, and maybe for her, you make complicated seem worth it. No, I know it’s worth it, if it means getting to spend more than my fair share of time with you. I’m… I’m sorry, Janis.”

She had never heard anyone apologize for falling in love before, and Janis felt her chest tightening because of it. She drew a small gasp of air in, but it got stuck in her throat and she stared breathlessly at Cady for a moment before leaning toward her on instinct. She was a breath away from stopping any further apologies when a third voice joined the conversation, forcing her to jerk her head back so fast she nearly knocked herself off balance.

“Don’t apologize,” Regina said, arms folded over her chest as she watched them. How long she had been standing there was anyone's guess. She had a curiously calm expression on her face, piercing blue eyes shifting from Cady, to Janis, then back again. “Don’t apologize for something that’s not your fault. I thought you were a pirate, not some lovesick teenager.”

“Regina,” Janis said, surprising herself with her protective tone. It had the opposite effect on Regina, who shot her a beautiful, resolve-melting smile. Suddenly, Regina was stepping toward them. Neither moved, save only to create a little space between them as Regina placed herself there. First, she kissed Janis, hard and lingering, fixing her another sharp, almost painful look as she pulled back, before she turned and kissed Cady with surprising care. Point seemingly made, she moved toward the entrance to the closet, beckoning over her shoulder with a finger.

Janis and Cady exchanged glances, then helplessly fell into step behind her.

“Where are we going?” Cady managed.

“Taking a break,” Regina purred, “but not here. My cabin.”

Chapter 26: The Crew

“Did this get easier,” Janis panted, as the last of her clothing was pulled over her head and tossed aside, “or a thousand times more complicated?”

“Maybe stop thinking for a little,” Cady purred, pressing her lips to Janis’ in an effort to encourage her to agree. Strong arms wrapped around Janis from behind, and she felt a curious, brave hand slide between her legs. She gasped against Cady’s lips, reaching back and gripping Regina’s hip.

“I love that helpless, innocent face you make when you’re so turned on you can’t focus,” Regina teased, speaking into Janis ear before running her tongue along its delicate edge. Janis sank her other hand into Cady’s red hair, wild after being let free from its bandana, and tugged her head back a little. Cady looked happily shocked by it, a grin spreading across her face as she gave Janis a small moment to gather herself.

“This is unfair,” the Alchemist pointed out.

“Oh, don’t worry. Neither of you are getting off that easy,” Regina rumbled, then paused to consider her words. “Well.”

Cady giggled, moving to lean over Janis’ shoulder to steal a kiss from the pirate Captain. Janis felt Cady’s fingers joining Regina’s between her legs, a sharp gasp and a deep moan competing to escape her trembling chest at the same time. She dropped her head against Cady’s shoulder, body moving of its own accord with the teamwork. Regina tugged them toward the bed, a command neither had any will to ignore.

—

By now, they knew Janis was a heavy sleeper. Especially after being thoroughly worn out, which both other pirates had made sure to do. She was sleeping soundly, curled in the blankets and fluffy pillows of Regina’s plush bed, skin glowing a soft, lovely color, hair wild around her worn, contented face.

“She’s beautiful, huh?” Cady asked, sitting with Regina on the edge of the bed.Both were looking back at Janis, both with almost exactly the same fond expression on their faces. Love struck. Hopelessly so.

“Some pirates we are,” Regina scoffed, getting to her feet. She walked confidently despite having no clothes on, Cady’s eyes drawn to her as she crossed in front of a window and the moonlight from outside washed over her pale skin. “Letting someone like that steal our hearts so easily.”

“You think it was easy?” Cady teased, getting up but keeping a light sheet wrapped around her body. She was confident, but maybe not as effortlessly so as Regina. “I feel like I put up a fight.”

“Maybe. I was hopeless. Pathetic, really. She resisted me more than I ever resisted her. To be honest, I don’t even know how any of this happened.” Regina took a slow breath, closing her eyes as Cady hugged her from the side, leaning against her. “It never should have.”

During their travels together, when Cady earned her spot as new First Mate while chasing Gretchen down to make her pay for everything Duvall had done to them, Cady learned Janis’ story. She had already gotten Janis’ side of it, but she learned even more from Regina with the tale of their shared stay aboard the Tyrant. Understanding their bond better helped her accept the way their relationship had developed, but really, she hardly needed the backstory. She could plainly see how much Regina cared for Janis, even if the pirate herself resisted showing it. Accepting it.

“You love her,” Cady said softly, looking up at her. “And she loves you. Sure, some things are going to change, even more than they already have, but is that a bad thing? I mean, especially when you consider what you’re gaining by letting things change a little.” She glanced back toward the bed and Regina turned with her, watching the sleeping Alchemist for a long moment.

“She is beautiful,” Regina sighed, and Cady knew she meant more than just her appearance, just as Cady herself had. She smiled, sliding her hand into Regina’s and gripping it reassuringly. The Captain seemed confused, looking down at their hands, and then at Cady in search of an answer. She did not seem to see it in Cady’s expression, her frown deepening. “And what about you? You’re not going to do something stupid and romantic, like try and leave my ship so we can be together, are you?”

“Cute idea, but no. I’m way too selfish for that. I’ve found what I wanted, even if it’s weird and complicated. I know you heard what I told her. But complicated works for me. You two work for me.”

“Me?”

“If that’s alright with you, Captain. I’d like to continue on your ship, as your First Mate. And second… uhm. Mate.” Cady grinned at Regina sheepishly, and for the first time in her life, saw Regina blush. The Captain looked away stubbornly, but continued to hold Cady’s hand. After composing herself, she turned back, nodding and bending closer. Cady met her in a kiss, moving to wrap her other arm around Regina’s neck and dropping her sheet in the process.

Janis watched them from the bed, not interrupting or wanting to draw their attention from each other. It felt strange, to be watching them, but they obviously needed that conversation. And where ever it was going now, as Regina lifted Cady onto her desk. Blushing furiously, Janis ducked down into the bed and pulled the blanket over her head, face burning ear to ear. She would have to unpack everything she had heard and seen in the morning.

—-

Janis woke up to find herself curled in Regina’s arms. She vaguely remembered the two returning to the bed, and joining in on their continued fun. Turning, she found Cady was not beside her, and not on the other side of Regina, either. Puzzled, she looked down at Regina, who was watching her passively.

“Good morning, my Treasure,” Regina said softly. The room was glowing with the gentle light of the morning, and Janis sighed as she luxuriated in its warmth. She had a blanket wrapped around her, but she only held it loosely as she moved to greet the pirate Captain properly. The kiss lingered, Regina breathing a tired, but always willing sighed against Janis’ sensitive lips. Janis pulled away, shaking her head with a laugh.

“We got a little distracted, huh?”

“As far as I’m concerned, that was necessary,” Regina shrugged, sitting up and resting her back against the side of the ship. Janis took it as an invitation, using her hands to help her guide her leg over Regina and settle onto her lap. She was facing her, hands resting lightly on her shoulders. Regina watched her curiously, with a vague air of confusion about her. She set her hands on Janis’ hips, though, sharp blue eyes watching her keenly.

“You and Cady figured some things out,” Janis said softly, admiring Regina’s face, brushing some of her blonde hair back. She was unfairly beautiful, blessed in a way Janis had never seen before. Like something from a painting, or meant to be etched in stone. A Goddess gracing mortals with a moment of their time. “I was kind of listening. You guys made it really difficult not to.”

“Why do you think we took it back to the bed?” Regina grinned, wondering if Janis had any idea how beautiful she was. Regina felt like she could see every thought that crossed Janis’ mind, her eyes so pure and clear, innocent and filled with a warmth she had barely understood before. A deep, soulful kindness. Her dark hair had settled in tight waves just over her shoulders, almost flawless skin pale despite the work out the night before. “What about you? Did you figure anything out?”

“Maybe,” Janis sighed. Her blanket had slipped from around her, but she felt safe and warm without it. “I want to be with you, Regina. A part of your ship, your crew. Your life. Cady has her place, but what am I? You can’t shelter me at that Inn, just because I lost a leg. I’m hurt, maybe, but not ruined. I can still be useful. I was never meant to be a pirate anyway, right? But I could do something else. Anything. So we can be together, and not just the idea of together while I wait for you and every person I care about to return from whatever raid or adventure you go on next.”

“Is that what you see? When you imagine the future I could build for you? Trapped at that Inn, my trophy of a wife? Is that so bad, to be safe and protected, but loved beyond measure?”

Janis paused, her heart fluttering as she searched Regina’s eyes and found her gaze steady and clear.

“I don’t want that.”

“I know you don’t,” Regina sighed, leaning forward to kiss her lightly. “I don’t want to trap you anywhere. But we’ve seen how dangerous this life is, especially for you. Moreso for you. Your magic… people will always be hunting for it. People we don’t even know are out there are probably looking for you right now. Word would get out so fast, and if you were sailing with a pirate like me? It wouldn’t be hard to track you down, and something worse-”

“So, what, you’re scared? I’ve done the hiding on a quiet island thing. If someone wants to find me, they’re going to. You proved that. But if they know who I’m fighting with? And they heard tale of what happened to others who tried to mess with me? Why would they try anything? I’m safest with you. And I’m happiest that way, too. This is the most… alive I have felt, in all my living quietly. Living loud, stupidly pink, suits me better. You let a pirate hunter be your First Mate. You can find something for an Alchemist to do.”

“An Alchemist that won’t use her powers,” Regina reminded, and Janis’ eyes flashed. Regina saw actual anger there, blazing bright for only a fleeting moment before it settled into the more recognizable and common irritation that usually filled her eyes when they argued. “And I wouldn’t make her.”

“I’ll be your handyman. I’ll keep the ship running perfectly.”

Regina started laughing, shaking her head. She sat up fully, to Janis’ surprise, and wrapped her arms around the Alchemist’s shoulders.

“I’m messing with you, my Treasure. As if I could be parted from you, now that I have you back. You’re never leaving my sight again. I love you.” She pulled back, taking Janis’ face in her hands and staring her directly in the eyes again. For a moment, Janis thought the air between them might catch fire from the sheer intensity, staring back at Regina with wide eyes. She reached up, holding the back of Regina’s hands with both of her own. Having her full attention, Regina continued, “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Regina. My Captain,” Janis barely recognized her own voice, despite how strong and certain it sounded in her ears. Maybe because of that. It really had not cleared up anything on her understanding of their relationship status, beyond knowing what she felt she already knew. But hearing it, in Regina’s voice, in no uncertain terms, somehow meant everything. Changed everything. Despite how tired and sensitive they both were, Janis all but crushed Regina’s lips in a kiss, sliding her hands from Regina’s and locking her arms around her shoulders. Regina obliged, holding her close, returning each desperate, searching kiss with her own.

“Gone five minutes and you two are all over each other again,” Cady sighed, walking in. She had dressed and gotten herself together, and had returned to Gretchen’s room in order to do some hunting, and to give them some time alone. It seemed to have worked. Janis looked back at her, tucking herself against Regina and giggling. Regina held on to her possessively, scowling at Cady for the interruption.

“Come on, I’ve got something you’ll both want to see. Get dressed: we’ve got investigating to do!”

Chapter 27: The Quest

Damian glanced up when the three pirates, to varying degrees at least, walked into the dining hall. He was sitting at the table with a snack, Karen sitting beside him. They watched the trio curiously, Damian arching an eyebrow.

“There you three are! I was wondering what happened to you guys. Where have you been?”

“Fucking on my ship,” Regina said, passing by him and into the kitchen. Cady stopped dead in her tracks and Janis let out a long groan of misery and frustration. Damian blinked, digesting the words, then slowly turned his eyes on Janis and then Cady. Their faces told him more than enough, and he jumped out of his seat.

“No details,” Janis said firmly, pointing at him, then whirling on her cane to point just as firmly at Cady. She lifted her hands helplessly.

“I’m bad with torture. He might get it out of me,” she confessed, with a laugh.

“I want details,” Karen said airily, looking mystified, yet enchanted.

Janis covered her face with her hands, letting the cane fall to the floor. She mumbled something into her palms about what her life had become, but no one bothered to hear it. Instead, Cady was already pulling up a chair to join Damian and Karen, as they gathered closer to listen to her tale. Janis did quietly note that it took absolutely no torture to get her to ease into the tale. Sighing, Janis opted to leave them to it, crossing the room and following Regina’s footsteps into the kitchen. She had not bothered to pick up her cane, but could manage short distances fairly well if she went slow.

She was focusing on her steps, looking down and watching her feet with a grin as she estimated her own progress to be quite impressive. When she stopped and looked up, she found Regina leaning on a wall not too far away, watching her curiously and with a passive, almost teasing look on her face. Janis immediately blushed, embarrassment chasing away her pride as she stood awkwardly near a counter.

“Uhm.”

“I’m surprised you can walk at all,” Regina purred, moving toward her and offering her a hand. Janis took it sheepishly, allowing their arms to be hooked together so Regina could walk with her and act as her cane. “Considering what we did to you. And the one leg thing, I guess.”

“Tougher than I look,” Janis mumbled, barely able to form a sentence. She cleared her throat, mastering her embarrassment for now. “Cady is recounting the whole thing, likely in too vivid detail, to Karen and Damian right now, if you’d like a refresher.”

“I think I can remember it just fine. Come on, let’s grab some food and retire to the study. I want to look at that ticket Cady found. There’s a good map in there.”

—

The room they now deemed the study had easily become one of Janis’ favorite rooms in the Inn. It was the space where guests could come and enjoy the small library of books and a couple comfortable chairs in peace. There was a desk and, as Regina had pointed out, a framed, intricate looking map that hung on the wall behind it. During her recovery, Janis, once she was no longer bedridden, would come here to try and keep her mind off of things. Only a couple of the other pirates left behind by Regina ever bothered to use it, though she was surprised to find herself often sharing the space with a quiet and respectful Karen.

Instead of sitting in her favorite chair, however, Janis found herself leaning over the writing desk. Regina had taken the map down and gone so far as to remove it from its frame. She had it spread across the desk, and had placed the small piece of paper Cady had found in Gretchen’s chambers on it. Janis had only gotten a short glance at it back on the ship, before Regina snatched it from Cady and ordered them back to the Inn. It must have been something important, though, as Cady’s eyes had been shimmering with excitement and pride when she gave it to the Captain. A true First Mate, Janis thought, with a smile she knew would look silly if Regina caught her musing. She managed to go unnoticed, refocusing on the map and paper.

“It’s a ticket to something?” Janis asked, reaching for it. Regina let her take it, nodding her head as she searched for something to write with. Janis looked at it thoughtfully, not recognizing the address on it, but reading that it was an invitation to some sort of ball. Her eyebrows lifted when she realized she recognized the name of the host. “This is an art collector. A big deal. Our island was a haven for the arty types, the rich. They would talk to me about him, and say he’d like my stuff.”

“If he’s Duvall’s employer, then that might mean something,” Regina said, brow further furrowing. “But for now, we don’t know if it’s him or someone that was meant to be at that party. Still, I can’t imagine why else Gretchen would have it. She wasn’t exactly a part of that scene, considering she spent all of her time on my ship. She would have to have been very prepared, communicating with Duvall during raids. I just don’t know when she stopped being loyal to me. I’m assuming before we captured you.”

“She didn’t tell you?”

“I was only focusing on what she shared with Duvall. She could have been loyal to him for years: I have been looking for you for a very long time, Janis. Hell, he could have planted her on my ship, after finding out what my intentions were. We’ve crossed paths before, he was a well known pirate hunter. It hardly matters now, I guess. She fed him information about you, and he passed it on to his employer.”

“So he probably knows everything about me,” Janis looked nervous now. The idea that even more people know who she was, what she was, made her immediately feel vulnerable, despite knowing she was no longer alone, hiding on an island. She had people that would fight for her, and with her, but the last thing she wanted to do was cause them even more trouble. If all she could do was be a source of danger, she would quickly feel like nothing but a burden. Regina was watching her, as if attempting to read her thoughts.

“It depends on how much leverage Duvall wanted. Something tells me he would keep as much as he could from this employer: but he obviously knows enough to want your power. Maybe they were orchestrating some sort of trade or payment.”

“The way Duvall spoke,” Janis said softly, not risking looking at Regina as she swam through a deluge of dark, violent memories, “he didn’t make it seem like he was going to be giving me to anyone. Hell, he had a whole future planned.”

“Pirate hunters and pirates don’t think all that differently. More than likely, he was going to double cross this employer. His plans don’t matter: he’s gone,” Regina’s voice softened a bit, and she leaned to touch her shoulder to Janis’ gently. It was a small gesture, not drawing her attention from the course she was mapping out, but it was more than enough. Janis leaned against her, taking a deep, slow breath.

“I know. So what do we do? He’s lost contact with Gretchen and Duvall: do you think he’ll send more goons after you? Obviously he knows who to look for, no matter how much information they have or haven’t shared with him.” Regina wished she could soothe the look of guilt and anxiety from Janis’ face, but could not think of how. She was not the type to lie to someone for the sake of sparing their feelings, and she had never really concerned herself with protecting others. Now, she found herself wanting to protect Janis from a slightly inconvenient breeze.

To do that, she needed to stay focused. She pointed to the map.

“We go to the party. We have an invitation, after all. We find out what he knows, what he’s after, and what he hired Duvall to do. If he knows less than we think, then we might not even have to worry about more people learning of the Alchemist. If he does already know about you, then we will work from there. He made a very bad mistake, hiring anyone to come after me, for any reason: it’s only fair that I make sure he understands that. I am the Queen of the seas, after all.”

—-

It did not take all that long to get her crew assembled. She stuck to people she knew and trusted, running a smaller team than she was used to. After Gretchen’s betrayal, she needed to be more careful about who she trusted, but she also knew everyone that had been on the boat during this last adventure had a chance of knowing and spreading tales of the Alchemist. So she made sure every pirate that had sailed with her, and survived the various battles, was back on deck and accounted for. She did not, however, replace very many of the dead. There were a few people she trusted from the island that joined, more medical staff and some of the staff of the Inn, but she did not take any further risks.

Damian found Janis on the deck once they were well under way, leaning on a rail and looking out over the water. She looked calm, a soft smile on her face. He was careful not to startle her as he approached, leaning on the rail next to her and taking a deep breath.

“Nice to get off that island, huh?”

“Considering there was a time where I might not have even gotten out of that bed again? Yeah, it feels pretty good,” Janis sighed, into the soft breeze that skimmed the surface of the roiling, salty water. She looked at him meaningfully, and he smiled, reaching to hook his arm in hers. She leaned on him immediately, nuzzling her cheek against his arm. “You’re getting buff, you know.”

“Oh, stop,” Damian cooed, clearly happy with the praise. She felt his arm flex under her hold, and she rolled her eyes as she chuckled. They leaned on each other in silence for a long moment, looking out over the water and listening to the creaking of the ship as it rocked along its path away from the island they had called home for so long. Janis knew she should have felt something like sadness, leaving that familiar inn behind, but somehow she could not muster it. After everything that had happened on that island, no matter how kind and welcoming the Inn and its staff had been, Janis was glad to leave it behind. It was like turning the page and seeing the chance for a new chapter to begin.

Chapter 28: The Journey

The journey was as uneventful as sailing across the ocean could be, when one factored out bad weather, long nights, and rough seas. It took Janis a bit of time to adjust to life at sea again, but at least this time her traveling arrangements were much more comfortable than her first experience on the Plastic.

There were times when she lost her balance and became too nauseous to remain on deck, and retired to Regina’s quarters to rest. Considering how long she had been bed ridden, she was not exactly surprised to have lost her sea legs, but she did feel like a burden because of it. As if all that progress she had made in proving herself a pirate had been reset, and she was back to being a helpless island bumpkin. At least this time she got to sleep in the most comfortable bed the ship had to offer, instead of in ankle deep, sewage stinking water in the brig. The Captain herself managed to find more than a fair amount of time away from her duties to come and check on her Alchemist, to top it all off

Ultimately, despite the embarrassment, Janis could hardly complain.

“We will be making landfall soon, my Treasure,” Regina said, as she adjusted Janis’ pillow. Janis watched her idly, amused by how dutifully the captain was tending to her. She wondered if Regina even noticed, but did not risk pointing it out for fear that it would make her stop. Pirate pride was a fickle thing, at best, and Janis could easily imagine Regina getting embarrassed and stomping her way out of the room if told she was being soft. “We are not going to take any chances with it: we’re landing deep in the continent, and it will be a few day’s journey just to reach the port town we’re aiming for. We will still make it in time to crash the party, of course.”

Janis was finding it difficult to pay attention, with Regina gently petting her hair as the two cuddled close in the plush bedding. While Janis was wearing a light set of pajamas, Regina was in her usual piratical attire, minus shoes and her bulky outer coat. She obviously had better things to do with her time than doubt on her seasick former captive, especially if they were approaching the shore. Janis selfishly nuzzled her face against Regina’s shoulder, lightly draping her arm across the Captain’s body to claim her as a pillow. Accepting her new role, Regina ran her fingers through Janis’ thick, dark hair and hummed softly. The sound was pretty and gentle, drawing a deep, comfortable sigh from the Alchemist.

“What is the plan for this gala?” Janis heard herself mumble.

“You’ll go to a party. You and Damian, I think. No one knows who you are, and you can easily pass for a traveling wealthy pair that picked up an invitation somewhere. There’s no point for me to play dress up: this employer will know who I am. Even if Gretchen and Duvall were planning to betray him the entire time, he would be fully aware of me. I don’t want to risk Cady, either, being recognized, though I doubt Duvall put any stock in his throw away crew. So, we will make our own grand entrance, once we’ve scoped the place out.”

“Not a bad plan,” Janis laughed, before sitting up a bit and forcing herself to wake up. It was too easy to doze, as comfortable as she was. “Except no one is going to believe Damian and I are rich, or together.”

“Oh, please. You both come from a smaller version of the place we’re heading: North Shore is where all the rich people buying your art and vacationing on your island come from. It is massively protected, though, and has an annoyingly impressive naval guard. Pirates don’t dare raids, as they are generally shot down before they get within eye line of the continent itself. Anyway, no one will blink twice at travelers like you.”

Janis sighed, thinking Regina was missing her point on purpose.

“And we’re supposed to just go to this party? I’m not exactly good in social settings, and I definitely can’t dance.”

Regina looked at Janis curiously, then kissed the side of her head and encouraged her to snuggle down again by wrapping her in a gentle hug. Janis sighed and did so, closing her eyes as the gentle rhythm of Regina’s heartbeat immediately began to soothe her. Though her anxieties stubbornly clung to the back of her mind, it was hard to focus on anything other than how comfortable her personal, overqualified caretaker was making her feel. Even the lingering nausea was chased away, leaving her in a sleepy, warm stupor.

“I look forward to teaching you, then, my love.”

—--

It was strange to be so relieved to have solid earth under her feet again, when only a few weeks before she had been yearning for the sea. She supposed it was mostly because she no longer felt crippled by illness, now that the floor was no longer rocking at the whim of the winds. She also could not complain about being wrapped in Regina’s arms, flirting and sneaking kisses under the guise of learning how to dance.

Cady and Damian were watching, and offering advice on their steps and movements. Of course, Damian stepped in now and then so the two could practice their dancing together, as a faux couple. It turned out to be easier than Janis thought, but she supposed it was because she trusted him. After everything they had been through, how deeply they were connected, it only made sense that their love felt honest. Because it was, in its way, even if it was not naturally romantic.

There was no other man she would want to pretend with.

“Gosh, I wish you could come with us, Captain. You too, Cady. You’d both look so lovely, cleaned up for a party!” Damian sighed, watching Janis and Regina dancing in circles. There was no music, but it hardly mattered. Janis was getting the hang of things, moving with more grace and fluidity as she grew steadier on her one leg. Regina was more than a little impressed, though she played it cool: she never wanted to treat Janis like she was damaged, knowing how much that annoyed the artist. Still, to see her mastering her fake leg so well was an impressive thing to witness.

“Oh, we’ll be there,” Regina said, with a nod, tugging Janis close and ending the dance. She tucked a strand of Janis’ hair behind her ear as an excuse to run her fingers down the Alchemist’s face, and was rewarded with a loving smile. It was easy to get lost for a moment, just holding on to the treasure she valued most in all the world, but there were things that needed to get done before they could set out toward North Shore.

They were lodged in a small inn toward the center of town. They had actually dropped anchor some miles off shore and used smaller boats to approach the dock. Considering how busy the port town was, no one noticed them, and no one seemed on alert for pirates. They had all dressed as plainly as possible, even Regina, who was not particularly happy about it but at least had plenty of clothes to choose from. Plain only meant not to look like a pirate, after all, so she still looked like she came from, and with, some wealth. Cady and Janis benefited from her collection, but everyone else had to be creative with their apparel. The crew opted to filter in separately, and would meet back up in North Shore.

Of course, Regina, Cady, Janis and Damian opted to stay together, no matter how unsafe it might have seemed. Together, they decided, they were strongest: and the risk of anyone being told about them in time was small enough that they felt they could avoid detection. And if not, they were more than capable enough to handle any wrinkle in the plans that popped up. Karen also joined them, and no one was upset about it. She had somehow earned a spot among their ranks without anyone really noticing it: she was loyal, friendly, and of course, they could always use a doctor.

The pirate’s life was a dangerous one.

Somehow, though, it was one Janis was becoming more and more comfortable with. It was wild, unpredictable, and full of terrifying dangers. She had never felt so threatened in all her life, and was constantly assaulted by thoughts of what doom might lurk just around the corner. Yet she never found herself thinking she would rather be back on her quiet little island. Not any more, anyway. All these strange turns had brought her to this moment, wrapped in Regina’s protective, possessive arms, with Cady and Damian supporting her. It was almost perfect. Minus all that previously mentioned danger and anxiety.

If they could somehow be free from that lingering doubt, the shadow cast by Duvall and Gretchen, after this party… Janis almost did not want to allow herself to think about how nice it might be. A life. A real one. Hidden, but not alone. An Alchemist, but also someone’s treasure.

Regina noticed the pensive look on Janis’ face, the way her eyes were distant and a little misty, and leaned in to give her a soft, reassuring kiss. Janis focused on the golden haired Captain beside her, blushing softly and waving her hand.

“Do you want to go over it again, or do a different dance? How many of these do I have to learn, anyway?”

—-

They did not have a lot of time to get comfortable in the little town, arranging carts and horses, stocking supplies, and hitting the road before they lingered too long. Regina was concerned about news of their arrival getting out, no matter how careful they were in town to keep the crew apart and keep up the roles they would inevitably play at the party. It was actually a relief to be away from all those new faces and the sights and smells of a new town: Janis was almost overwhelmed by how different it was.

And this was a ‘small’ town: the city they were heading to was apparently massive. She wondered if she even knew how to be normal in a group any more. It was not like she was particularly good at it, even before all of this. Now, she had the bad influence of pirates to further ruin her ability to blend among regular people.

Sighing, she had a long trip ahead of her to worry about everything she wanted to. She leaned on Damian, who instinctively leaned toward her and rested his chin on her head. He was already napping, while Cady and Regina were out on the front of the carriage, steering and navigating. Janis closed her eyes, willing herself to just rest until something worth worrying about actually popped up. For now, all she could do was have faith in the plan Regina had set for them.

And try not to throw up. Apparently, the rocking of the carriage as it bounced over uneven paths was just as upsetting, if not more so, on her stomach. It was going to be a very long trip.

Chapter 29: The Market

North Shore was so much more than Janis was prepared for, despite everything Regina told her about it. It was beyond rich, beyond lively. Every corner seemed filled with life and excitement, with tall buildings and finely paved roads bustling with life and commerce. Having been in small cities and even smaller boats for months on end now, Janis was overwhelmed by all the sensory input suddenly available to her here.

Though Regina warned her not to wander, Janis could not help herself. She almost immediately wandered, and on her own to boot. Any sense of self preservation was instantly lost in the face of curious exploring and the call of a thriving market full of artists, cooks and other people selling their home made wares. It was fascinating, and they seemed to arrive on a day when business was booming. Was this a once in a while thing, or was it always like this? Janis could hardly tell, weaving through the crowds largely unnoticed despite her cloak and cane.

She felt like some sort of old wizard, sneaking around oblivious normal people, but she supposed that was closer to the truth than not.

Her attention was drawn to the smaller stalls, where people had obviously spent a lot of time making their wares from scratch. The larger ones, with loud people yelling for attention and offering samples, were obviously able to employ people to do a lot of the hard work. While that did not necessarily mean they were any worse or better than anything else, it made them less appealing to Janis. The artist appreciated the hard work, having made her own small name by using her natural talents, her trained resources, and her endless determination rather than the magic she kept sleeping inside her.

She approached one of the sellers. A woodcarver, with hand hewn animals and ornaments decorating their table. They were unpainted, but that did not make them any less beautiful. She smiled, admiring the craftsmanship, though her hand hesitated over a carving of a rabbit. She picked it up, though, looking at it for its art, rather than the memories it stirred.

“Do you like it, miss?” A soft voice asked, and she nearly jumped, setting it down carefully and retreating into her cloak a bit. The source of the voice was just setting down a carving of a bear, which looked almost pristine in all its roundness. A fat bear, ready for winter.

“Uh, yeah,” she said carefully, realizing she was acting more like a thief than anything else, and thus making herself far more obvious than if she had just been enjoying the market like everyone else. “I’m sorry, I should have asked before I touched them. They’re very beautifully done, though. I can see where you’ve taken the effort to smooth the grains of the wood.”

“How do you know I made them?” the young man grinned at her challengingly, and she lifted an eyebrow. Was he trying to sell her things with his charm alone? It was disappointing, as she felt he should rely more on the skill of his work than his tongue. Maybe that was not how things worked around here, in a market so packed.

“Your hands,” she said, with a shrug. It was his turn to look surprised, glancing down at his hands. She had only seen them briefly, but she could see how calloused and dry they looked. He worked hard, but he likely did not make enough money to take care of his skin the way some artists in better positions might like to.

“Good eye,” he grinned, then reached for her hand and took it carefully. She allowed him to, the two exchanging a glance. “By that logic, you must live in a glass dome, and touch nothing at all. Are you a princess, my lady?”

“A similar trade to yours, actually,” Janis said, taking her hand back. He thought he was winning her over, but she supposed she could appease him with a sale. It was the work she appreciated the most, but his charm was undeniable. He must have been very popular, around these parts. Even now, she noticed a couple of girls at another stall looking fairly put out, and pointing at her leg as they whispered behind their hands. She ignored them effortlessly, reaching for the rabbit carving again carefully. She made sure to move slowly, so he could watch her hand, and the girls whispering about her could get all the wrong ideas.

“You’re an artist as well? Not a wood carver, though, surely. That’s not a fitting art for someone that is basically art herself.”

“But it’s what you dedicate your life to,” Janis said, eyes flashing. He looked startled again, then grinned at her broadly and nodded his head. He appreciated her wit, at least, and shrugged his shoulders.

“Alright, you got me. It is what I love to do, so I guess I can’t knock it, huh? Not the best line I’ve ever dropped. But I’ve never had anyone call me on it before. You’ve just been humoring me this whole time, and I can tell when a girl isn’t interested. Tricky. Where do you come from, all of a sudden? I’ve never seen you around before. And to be honest, it looks like you’re trying not to be seen. Doing a bad job, I might add.”

“I’m just trying to enjoy the market. We’ve just traveled here, my husband and I,” she said, with a laugh. It tasted odd in her mouth, referring to anyone as her husband. Strangely, a certain Pirate Captain flashed into her mind, rather than her best friend and pretend partner. “But it was for his business. I had no idea what sort of a place this was. This market is… almost magical.”

“It sure is,” the young man laughed, reaching to hold on to the rabbit she was carrying. She looked at him and he guided it toward her, giving her a bright smile. “Take it. Something to remember your trip here.”

“I can pay-”

“Please, don’t. Just promise you’ll come by again, some time, and that’ll be more than enough. I’d love to learn more about you, where you’re from. Unless your husband will be mad? No ill intentions, I promise.”

“He might consider keelhauling you,” Janis said thoughtfully, once again imaging her pirate lover.

“Yikes. A sailor, huh? I’ll keep that in mind.” He grinned, then pulled his hands back and held them up innocently. “The name’s Glen. Glen Coco.”

“Coco? Did you just make that up, or did you have it in your pocket?”

“Why would I lie to a beautiful woman like you? Especially one that’s not from around here. Ask anyone: I’m kinda a big deal in the art market scene. Glen Coco will do right by you.” He grinned again, giving her as charming a wink as he was capable of. She lifted her eyebrows slightly, but otherwise kept her face expressionless. He started laughing, apparently not put off by his failure to win her heart at first meeting. “Do I get a name?”

“Janis,” she said, with a shrug.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it,” she felt a creeping sense that she had already said too much. Was her name common in this city? Did that mastermind, the one who had been paying Duvall to hunt her down, know what it was? If he did, he would have fed all of his minions information about her. Including a charismatic young artist just looking for his big break. She hugged the rabbit to her, fighting off the instinct to suddenly flee. Instead, she feigned calm. “I’ll come back, and tell you the rest. Is that a deal?”

“Perfect.”

Janis smiled, looking down at the carved rabbit. She felt a small amount of anxiety, but somehow the interaction made her feel better about the shape. And she could not deny how expertly crafted it truly was. She just needed to trust that this young man was as innocent as she wanted him to seem. Thanking him a few more times, she finally moved on into the market, carrying her gift and feeling in lighter spirits, despite her self imposed scare.

Something inside her told her she needed to get back to her crew. Her ‘husband’ was probably looking for her, as were her girlfriends. She did not hasten her steps, walking casually through the market and trying to blend in as best she could. She even had the hood of her cloak down now, to dispel that appearance of a thief or a roaming, dangerous stranger. Instead, she was just a young woman in a new place, enjoying a lively market, like so many others seemed to be. Knowing this was a tourist attraction, of sorts, was almost a comfort, and made limping through the crowd that much more casual.

Finding the alley that had brought her to the market in the first place, Janis felt a small amount of relief. She knew the tiny, inconspicuous inn they were staying at was only a few blocks away, and walking there was simply a quiet journey out of the main hub of the business district. Unfortunately, she was unfamiliar with which areas were more dangerous as the sun went down.

As she rounded a corner and spotted the smoke stack of the inn, a shadow fell across her path. Janis stopped, not easily intimidated these days, and looked at the obvious brigand standing in front of her.

“Your money, love,” he said, with a toothy, yet toothless, grin, “or your life.”

She felt someone step from a shadow behind her. A group effort, but a small one. Two men. Somehow, she was not all that intimidated, despite knowing she had no real weapons but a short knife on her, and could not, would not, use her magic. Somehow, she doubted these two goons could compare in any way to the piratical company she had been keeping of late.

“I choose my life,” Janis said, casually. “Let me pass.”

“Clever,” said the man behind her, who was tall and spoke like a snake, “but that’s not what he meant, lovely.”

Janis tried not to look as irritated as she felt at their pet names and soft, mocking tones. Maybe this town was an easy mark for them, with all its tourists.

“Look, boys, I’m just trying to get to a bed for the night and rest. I’m not interested in company or trouble, okay? You’re making a mistake if you think I have anything worth your time on me.” She tried, offering them a peaceful way out. True enough, she would really only be able to surprise one of them but if they were common brigands she had the chance of scaring the second one off.

“A gorgeous woman like you? Even with that bum leg, we could think of a few uses for you, if you ain’t got the cash.” The man in front of her sneered. She felt the one behind her drawing closer, imagining he was aiming to surprise her while the first man talked. She pulled her knife from her belt, turning and slashing at him with the intention of scaring him more than hurting. She drew a shallow line across his belly as a result, but it was enough for him to jump back with a yowl. The other man lunged, wrapping his arms around her from behind and crushing her in his grip. She kept hold of her knife, but had to attempt to turn it around and jab it back at him in a limited space. A loud voice interrupted the trio, and somehow made her captor release her.

“Stop!”

The simple command worked. Maybe they recognized the voice, or knew who was brave enough to issue it. Whatever the case, the two would-be robbers, or worse, released Janis and went sprinting down the alley. Janis, still clutching her wooden rabbit, was left baffled for a moment, then turned to see the source of the voice. Her eyes widened as she realized she had, in fact, truly recognized it.

“Norbury?!”

Chapter 30: The Boy

“Oh, you’re radiant! You’re glowing! I’m so happy to see you, Janis. I thought you were dead, after that pirate raid! What happened?!”

Norbury had only just let go of Janis’ face, examining every detail with tears in her eyes before throwing her arms around her neck for yet another hug. Janis allowed it, finding relief and comfort in the very familiar hold. Norbury had kept them all safe, back on their home island, and it seemed her loyalty to the law had not lessened despite the change of location. Judging by her outfit, she had even risen in the ranks, which only put an underscore on just how long they had been away from their old lives.

“The pirates kidnapped me,” Janis said, honestly, “but we’re okay. Uh. Actually, it’s a really complicated story…”

“And your poor leg…” Norbury said, only half listening. They had returned to Norbury’s home, and were seated in a comfortable, though not excessively large, living room. She clearly still lived alone, but that had always been her style. She often invited Damian and Janis over when they were young, aware that they had no one caring for them and doing her best to make sure they at least kept warm and had full stomachs during the roughest times. Janis could not remember a time when Norbury had not been there, somewhere, in her days on that island. It made her feel strangely guilty, for not really thinking about her or missing her until seeing her now. All at once, her emotions surged forward, and she hugged Norbury tightly without the other initiating it this time. It caught the officer slightly off guard, but she was quick to return it, squeezing Janis tightly.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Janis breathed, pulling back. Norbury nodded, reaching up and cupping Janis’ face again. It was as if she needed to touch her, just to make sure she was really there. Janis realized it must have felt like losing two of her own children at once, with Janis and Damian going missing. She looked after them, even at a distance, letting them live their isolated, secret lives while also making sure they were never destitute. It was always above and beyond the line of duty, and Janis knew it was because Norbury was a special kind of person, rather than being particularly good at her job.

She cared. She had always cared.

“I can’t get over how amazing you look. What are you doing here? Did you say the pirates kidnapped you?!” It seemed to hit her then, and she released Janis abruptly. “How did you get away?!”

“Well. I didn’t,” Janis sighed. She shook her head slowly, motioning for Norbury to get comfortable as she leaned back as well. The cushions of the sofa were plush and soft. Expensive, maybe, though not overtly so. Norbury seemed to be living comfortably, within much better means than she was earning back on their home island. For all the wealth there, the police rarely saw it. It had never seemed fair, back then, when Janis considered all Norbury did to keep everyone safe, and how much she truly cared for people, no matter who they were or what they came from. “I’m going to be talking for a while, you better settle in.”

“Let me get some drinks.”

—

Cady was not a stranger to large towns and city life. In fact, she was not a stranger to this particular city. North Shore was always a fun place to be, and she had secured her last job here, before finding what finally felt like her home aboard the Plastic. Not that anyone here would recognize her or bother to remember her face: she was just another shadow in a long line of faceless nobodies joining crews and working for hire. At the time, when she joined Duvall’s ship, she had known she was expendable.

At least now she knew she had always been destined for more.

In many ways, she was grateful for the turns her life took, good and bad, as she ended up on that garish pink ship in the end. She had to suffer some profound losses in her life, as most who took up the brand of a pirate often did, but she had no true regrets. If she changed anything in her past, after all, she knew she would never have stepped foot on the deck of the Plastic so long ago, and most certainly would never have formed the bonds she now held so dear. With Janis she had found a true friend, and someone she could truly love and trust. With Regina, she found a captain worth dedicating herself to, and someone she knew would protect her heart should it be offered. This crew, this ship, was her home. Her true home.

When Regina asked her to keep an eye on Janis from a distance, Cady readily agreed. True enough, they could not all be seen together at any one time, but no one would think anything of two strangers passing a couple of times on busy streets, as long as Cady was careful about not looking like she was following anyone. She thought it sounded easy enough, until they hit the market and she immediately lost track of her mark.

Really, she had never been a very good pirate hunter.

Still, she was not necessarily worried. She trusted Janis’ judgment and level head, and her ability to charm her way out of the worst situations, even if she did not realize she was doing it. That was one of her super powers, beyond the actual magic she had: she was effortless to love. It was probably why Regina fell so hard, and why Cady had already accepted her own fate when it came to being hopelessly devoted to the Alchemist. She did have a job to do, a task assigned to her by her captain, and no matter how lighthead she got when she thought about her girlfriends Cady needed to get back on task. She reached the market and began to search, idly and with casual glances, for the cloak she knew Janis was wearing. Across a few stalls, she saw it, breathing a small sigh of relief, and caught a profile glance of Janis’ pretty face looking down at what looked to be a wooden carving.

She was just shopping, blending in. Sort of. The cloak was a bit much, seeing it now, and it definitely made her look like either an easy target or someone up to no good.

“On that note,” Cady said, continuing her thought out loud as she turned suddenly, catching the hand that was reaching for one of the pouches she wore on her many belts and turned to look at its owner with a sharp, deceptively playful smirk, “that’s my pocket. You must be lost.”

She released the hand, turning as its owner took a step back. She was still smiling as she pointed a wicked looking knife at the stranger, though she held it low and casually enough that most people passing by could not really tell what was going on. Cady tilted her head, lifting her eyebrows expectantly.

“My mistake,” the would be thief grunted, before slipping into the crowd and hurrying away. Cady rolled her eyes and moved to put her knife back in its sheath. She managed to miss, dropping the knife to the cobbled floor with a clatter. She sighed, throwing her hands up as she bent to pick it up.

“Man, that almost looked cool,” she grumbled. Her hand fell over the knife’s hilt, where she found it bumping into a much larger hand that had gotten there just a fraction of a second sooner. She paused, looking up expecting to see the thief again, but instead an unfamiliar man was smiling brightly at her.

“I thought it was still pretty cool. Even if you dropped your…” he glanced down and pulled his hand back, as if suddenly realizing what he was reaching for. Cady snapped the blade up, returning it to its sheath with a more practiced grace this time. He watched her, blinking in wonder. “Really scary knife.”

“A gift from a friend,” Cady said, with a wink.

“I don’t know if that makes me feel better,” the man said, pausing thoughtfully. He stood up, offering her his hand instead. “Aaron.”

She regarded him for a moment, taking in his expensive looking clothes and well kept hair. He was one of those painfully dashing types, she could tell. One who never had adventure enter his privileged world, and likely had a fancy house filled with expensive things. Like many of the people around here. Someone with more money than sense, and got bored easily enough to find themselves flirting with vagabonds on market days. She took his hand and gave it a vigorous shake.

“Cady.”

—-

Janis had to be careful with her story. She explained as much as she could, while crafting a tale that did not include her powers. She watched as Norbury leaned back in the comfortable chair, finishing off her glass of wine. This was not the first time this had happened during the story, though she was polite when she refilled her glass to always ask Janis if she wanted some. Despite Janis keeping her wits about her and declining each time. She could see her long time friend struggling with the tale, particularly when she described her initial time on the Plastic, and her dangerous encounters with Duvall.

Norbury asked no questions, however, and let Janis tell her tale up to them coming to the city, to find the man who had been hunting her. Silence settled and Janis suddenly felt like maybe she should have accepted the wine when she had the chance. At length, Norbury drew in a breath.

“You need to be careful, Janis. The man you’re looking for… he’s powerful here. In all the wrong ways. If he wants something, he gets it. And with a talent like yours…”

“I’m not that talented,” Janis grunted, shaking her head. For the duration of her recapping, she had avoided implying she was the one that was being targeted. She pretended to have gotten wrapped up in Regina’s business after joining her ship, and though she was honest about her relationship with the Captain, she created a narrative that made Duvall use her as a weapon against Regina, which in many ways was not a lie. She knew she was Regina’s weakness, just like Regina was hers. And, of course, the source of all her new found strength. The strength to do things she had never even dreamed of before, like survive losing a leg and willingly sacrifice her own life if it meant saving the woman she loved.

“You’re an amazing artist but we both know that’s not what I’m talking about,” Norbury sighed, actually sounding annoyed. “Do you really think I never noticed your magic? I’m many things, Janis, but stupid is not one of them.”

Janis stared, wide eyed for a moment. She shook her head, opening her mouth to try and deny it, but Norbury lifted her hand to silence her before she could come up with an unconvincing lie.

“When Damian found you, you were both just children. How could he have nurtured you back to life, when he was an orphan and barely keeping himself fed and warm at night? He came to me, and I made sure you both stayed alive. When I saw you, I knew you would die, but I couldn’t break his little heart. I let him try, and you healed. I might have thought it was a miracle, if I were the religious sort, but I figured it was probably something a bit more… magical.”

The police officer stood, shaking her head and wobbling a bit as she crossed the room to a dresser that stood against a far wall. She opened it, digging through whatever was stored inside while she continued to speak, leaving Janis to sit dumbstruck on the sofa. She was struggling to understand how she had never realized Norbury knew about her. Why she never thought to ask, and certainly never considered telling her. Was it because she had been keeping it secret, or because she had actually never felt like she needed to?

“I’ve never known what you can really do, but I know you’re special, Janis. And if Aaron Samuels knows that, you’re in very real danger.”