Alice got about three-quarters of the way through the second glass as Jack explained what had happened. Resting her head back against the pillow, she looked up towards the ceiling. "Like I was thrown off and trampled by a stallion." Pressing her lips together, she shifted her weight to a more comfortable position. Even if she had wanted to, there was no way she would have been able to get up and move around. Flexing her hands, she felt the skin on her fingers pull and stretch letting her know just how damaged her body was. "Remind me not to do that again..." She groaned, finally letting her expression unscrew as she sank her weight back into the mattress.

Hearing voices coming down the hall, Marabelle set her mug on the counter and made her way towards the room that Alice was currently occupying. The scene she saw before her as she stood in the doorway was endearing. Remaining still, she just watched as Jack tended to her daughter, hovering, but being careful to respect Alice's space. Smiling, she crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame.

Jack chuckled and set the glass to the side, "I'll make sure to be with you next time you decide to do something stupid. That way I can get you out of there before something like this happens again." The guilt came creeping back, gnawing at his stomach. He could have prevented it this time as well. Can't dwell on it. Not now He thought, squashing the feelings. He pressed his hand to her forehead, then her cheek. "Well, good news, you aren't burning up as much as you were last night." He started to reach over for the medicine at the side table when he noticed Marabelle, watching them from the bedroom. His face started to heat up as he started to sputter, "A-Ah, Belle. I...I didn't see you there."

Closing her eyes as Jack's cool hand touched her face, Alice took in a deep breath and tried to lay still, even as the man beside her jumped. She would have opened her eyes to look at her mother, but it wouldn't have done any good. Marabelle moved from the doorway, softly closing the door behind her. Sitting on the very small edge, she studied her daughter's appearance, her heart breaking at every stitch she had to put into her skin to put her back together. "It's alright Jack, I won't breathe a word of this." Patting his cheek, her smile remained on her face. "How are you feeling, honey?" Alice finally cracked open her eyes and tried to focus on her mother's face. "Everything hurts.." She murmured, her hand reaching out for Marabelle's. "Let me give you some morphine... It will put you back to sleep, but that's what you need." Resting her daughter's hand back on the mattress, she moved to the end table and filled a syringe with clear fluid. In one movement, she wiped Alice's arm with iodine and stuck the needle deep into her muscle, injecting the pain killing drug. Without even a wince, Alice turned her attention back to Jack as he hovered nearby. "Please stay..." She mumbled, the numbing agent already working through her veins.

When he stood to let her mother tend to her, Jack finally realized the disarrayed state he was in. He was hesitant to leave, especially after Alice asked him to stay. He sat back on the edge of the bed and took her hand, "I'll be right back. I promise." He said, squeezing her hand lightly and waiting for her to completely knock out before letting go. "I figured I need a bath and a fresh change of clothes." He was about to ask whether she would watch over her when he stopped himself. This was affecting him more than he thought it did. He rubbed his cheek, "I'm also going to get some coffee." He shook his head and headed towards the door.

---

As Amy finished setting the table for breakfast, she realized that Elijah wasn't down yet. The young man was always an early riser. Concerned that last night's incident took a bigger toll on him than she thought, she went to his room with a mug of coffee and knocked once before opening the door, "Elijah? Are you al--" She stopped and blinked several times, hoping her eyes were deceiving her. There was no way that Elijah would be sharing a bed with her son's fiancee. And yet, there they were, tangled up underneath the blankets.

Quirking an eyebrow at Jack as he watched Alice drift off, Marabelle felt a smile form on her lips. There was more than a brother-sister love going on. Although she always knew her daughter's love of the Navigator, she had almost been certain that it wasn't returned. Alas, here he was, staring longingly down at Alice with the same expression that appears on her husband's face as he gazes at her. "I've got it from here, Jack. Go get something to eat. Your mother is cooking." With a shake of her head as he vanished out of the room, Marabelle allowed herself to laugh. Never in a million years did she expect things to turn out this way. Dipping a rag into a basin of fresh water, she got to work cleaning up her daughter's wounds.

---

The sudden opening of the door nearly startled Elijah off of the bed. Untangling his limbs from Josephine's in one fluid movement, he stared blearily at the intruder, reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. "Amy? What's wro--" All at once, his mind cleared and he realized now what Amy had walked in on. Looking down, the sheet had pooled around his waist, hiding the fact he was wearing pants, while Josephine's leg was bare and tucked on top of said sheet. "T-t-this is really n-not what it looks like!" He stammered, his face turning a brilliant crimson.

"Like hell it doesn't." Amy's eyes narrowed dangerously as her eyes darted from her foster grandson to the harlot that had jumped awake as well, hand sliding under the pillow. When their eyes met, Josephine swore and quickly moved away from Elijah. "Amy, it's true. This isn't what it looks like!" The older woman put one hand on her hip, glaring daggers at the younger woman. "Get out of my house." Her voice was low and her knuckles were white around the handle of the steaming mug of coffee. "I offer you a home because you are my son's fiancee and I find you in bed with another man?!"
"Ex-fiancee."
"You are now. Now get out." She stepped to the side and gestured for her to leave.

"A-Amy, please!" Elijah slid from underneath the covers, both of his hands up, trying to regain her attention before the mug of coffee grew wings and migrated across the room. "They split before t-this whole Alice fiasco!" Taking two steps forward, he inched his way towards his adoptive grandmother. "If you need to be mad at anyone, be mad at my sister, not Josephine." He danced around the fact that Jack had been the one who was indiscreet first as that was Amy's son, and hell hath no fury. "Let's just calm down and be rational for a moment..." Finally at Amy's side, he wrapped his hands around hers and the steaming mug, slowly lowering it and gently removing it from her fingers. "Nothing happened. It looks a lot worse than it really is." Elijah said, smiling down at the older woman, "Would I lie to you, Granny?"

With her jaw jutted out pridefully, Josephine was ready to take on the other woman. The blind fury of the other woman killed any remorse or shame she may have felt. Her fists and jaw clenched, ready for a fight. But Elijah's interference damped the fire that was burning in Amy's eyes. She looked at Elijah, "What are you talking about?" She asked. "Your beloved son is in love with Alice. Do you not see the way he looks at her or do you need new glasses, Granny." She sneered. Amy's jaw twitched at the insult, her glare returning with full forced as she faced Josephine.

Losing all the ground he had just gained, Elijah's head drooped and he sighed. Looking over his shoulder, he frowned at Josephine. She couldn't have held it in for thirty more seconds. "Jo..." He groaned before turning his attention back to Amy. "What she said is true, although it could have been said a little more tactfully." Giving the older woman a sheepish smile, Elijah attempted to steer her out of the bedroom. "Why don't we get out of the bedroom before we draw any attention from someone..." Pausing, he finally pried the mug out of her hands. "Mainly my mother." Placing his arm around his 'grandmother's shoulders, he began escorting her out. "She already has one child in critical condition, and I don't think she'd like another."

With one last glare at the woman, Amy let herself be lead out of the room. When they were crossed the threshold, she pulled Elijah to the side, "You be careful around her, Eli." All her previous anger gone, replaced with only concern. "Don't go jumping into anything. She only thinks of herself. You deserve someone so much better, dear." She frowned, putting a hand on his cheek. She'd seen this story play out so many times and she didn't want Elijah to be caught with the short end. He had already been through so much.

Smiling at Amy's worry, Elijah bobbed his head in agreement. "I understand." Although he thought differently than her, he didn't say as much. He knew better than to get into a debate with the older woman, especially over something regarding a love interest. "Now, where's the rest of the breakfast that goes along with this?" He asked after taking a deep swallow of the deliciously dark liquid that he had been denied during his time on the ship. The mud water they claimed was coffee could pull barnacles off of the bow of the ship. Giving Amy a flash of his famous grin, he turned and made his way towards the kitchen.

The young man was going to get hurt but Amy knew she couldn't say anything more to him. While he wasn't as vocal as the rest of his family, he was still as stubborn. With one last glance at his room, she followed him to the kitchen. Josephine had waited until she had heard the second pair of footsteps retreat before leaving the room. She made sure to take one last glance around before going to Jack's room where her clothes had been. She didn't think she would get the same reaction as Amy's if she ran into say Sebastian but she didn't want to take chances. Jack was a golden child who could do no wrong.

With a bitter grimace, she stood in front of Jack's room. She hoped that he was still at Alice's side just so she wouldn't have to face him. Despite all her wishful thinking, when she opened the door, there stood Jack. He stopped and turned, still bent over his drawer. "Oh...Jo." He slowly straightened and turned to fully face her. "Whose...whose shirt are you wearing?" Josephine smugly thought she detected a hint of jealousy in his tone. Instead of answering, she went to the armoire and took out a dress to wear. "Jo. Jo, I'm--"
"Don't call me that." She snapped, glaring at him. "In fact, don't talk to me at all. You made your choice. May you two live happily ever after." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm as she turned and left the room and him. Elijah would be proud of her, she thought bitterly as she made her way down the hall, she restrained her tongue and her fist.

She was caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Sebastian pass her. The captain did a double take, looking back at her with a raised eyebrow before he entered into Alice's room. "Josephine looks as though she's about to kill someone." He commented as he walked up to his wife, kissing her on the top of her head. He pulled a chair up and sat Alice's bed, "How is she doing? Did she wake up?" He asked, brushing his fingers across her knuckles lightly.

Leaning back in the chair she was occupying, Marabelle turned her attention to her husband as he walked through the door. "I wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't already." She said in response to his comment regarding Josephine. Smiling softly, she leaned against him, resting her cheek on his shoulder. "She was awake and talking when I came in here this morning. I overheard her telling Jack that she didn't remember anything." Pausing for a moment, she watched Alice's chest rise and fall gently beneath the blankets. "But I'm not really all that surprised. Between the trauma she experienced and her fever, those memories of what really happened may never surface." Marabelle sighed, "Although that may be a good thing. No one needs to have the memories of being restrained and beaten. Or worse." The idea of a man laying a hand on her daughter made her chest tight, "God help them if they did anything else to her." Leaning forward, Marabelle pushed sweaty strands of black hair off of Alice's forehead and out of the wounds there.

---

Elijah sat at the kitchen table quietly working on his second cup of coffee while Amy was busy in the kitchen. His mind slowly ticked through the events of the past few days and what he had planned for the near future. One thing he couldn't figure out was how he was going to tell the Captain that he wasn't planning on coming back out to sea. The men had all thought it a huge joke when he said he was leaving. Would they give him the choice? Frowning, he looked out the window, watching the fog slowly retreat back over the ocean.

The hand that had been resting on his wife's waist tightened slightly at the thought of anyone touching his daughter. Sebastian looked at his daughter's sleeping face. He had sent Heath to find out what had actually happened to his daughter and who was responsible for her state. He hadn't heard from the young pirate just yet but when he did, he was going to burn all those who were responsible to the ground. No deity would be able to save them from his wrath.

As the series of events that led up to this point replayed in his mind, he was reminded of Marabelle and her new husband. He glanced at his wife as she leaned back against him. The lines around her eyes and mouth had grown more pronounced and yet she was still as beautiful as the day he swept her away many years ago. The idea that someone else woke up to the same face these past couple of years ate away inside of him. He rested his chin on her shoulder, "Will you and Alice come away with me this time?" He asked quietly.

---

Jack, still reeling from Josephine's confrontation, blindly made his way to the kitchen following the scent of coffee. As he pushed into the kitchen, his mother looked up and regarded him with a pitiful smile. She handed him a cup of coffee, "I'm so sorry to hea--" Jack just shook his head as he took the cup, "I don't want to talk about it right now, Ma." He said before taking a long sip, welcoming the painful burn. Amy patted him on the shoulder, "Breakfast is on the table." She said.

As she watched him walk to the door of the dining area, she remembered that Elijah was sitting at the table as well. She opened her mouth to tell Jack but he had already gone through. "Oh dear." She mumbled to herself, touching her chin. Perhaps Jack didn't know about his fiancee and Elijah yet. Eli wouldn't say anything...right?

The sudden tautness of Sebastian's body immediately put Marabelle on the alert. This whole situation had to be difficult for him, knowing Alice lashed out at the only person she held responsible for everything. She had reached an age where she was no longer naive and understood everything that was going on around her. Including the physical abuse that Marabelle received at the hands of Joseph after one too many drinks. What she wasn't expecting was the question to come out of his mouth, requesting she and their daughter return to the ship when they decide to leave port.

Opening her mouth to speak then closing it when she realized she didn't have an answer, she pulled back to look directly into her husband's emerald green eyes. "If I do, then I will need time to clean up matters here as my father's health is failing and..." Making a face as if she tasted something sour, she dropped her gaze. "There's always the matter of Joseph." He hadn't awoken yet from the strike Alice had delivered to his head, and it was unknown if he would. "How long would I have?" Staring down at her hands in her lap, Marabelle was almost afraid to look up as she didn't want to see the expression her husband was wearing.

---

Elijah heard the voices and the footsteps long before Jack entered the dining area. Fighting back against his fight or flight response, he stayed put, willing himself invisible. He knew the other man knew about his involvement in the dissolution of their engagement but wasn't sure to what extent. Feeling the gaze of the larger man on him, his body froze, mug hanging midair halfway between the table and his mouth. What do I do? Elijah was used to solving battles between others, but when it came to conflict that involved him, he was at a loss.

Every time Sebastian came back, he had asked her the same question and every time, Marabelle always refused. So when she didn't outright refuse the offer this time, he allowed himself to hope. "We were going to leave port in about a week's time but if you need more time, we can wait." The past four years had been painful without her and on more than one occasion he thought about retiring early. And yet, every time he thought about turning back, something would stop him. He knew he would go crazy, staying landlocked for too long.

---

The mystery of Josephine's nightshirt was solved as soon as Jack laid eyes on Elijah. How could he have been so stupid. It was only a matter of time before the kid stole her away from him. The look on his face only confirmed Jack's suspicions. He stared at him for a good long moment before lowering his mug and narrowing his eyes. "So, I should congratulate you, right? Finally acting like a pirate after all." He set his mug on the table, "What with stealing your crewmate's woman and all."

Taking a moment to chew on her lower lip, Marabelle silently debated what she should do. One glance at her daughter gave her all the answers she needed. The life on land didn't suit them and as much as she tried to pretend, she couldn't keep up the Parliament rouse any longer. "Are you sure you want her on board?" Motioning towards her husband's female clone, she allowed herself to giggle. "You'd be missing half your crew before you knew it. Especially now that we know what she's capable of."

---

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Elijah was nearly gleeful when Jack finally spoke. Talking was good. He could work his way out of just about anything with words. Forcing his muscles into motion, he gently set the mug down as he spoke, "I may be a thief, but I don't steal something that belongs to family." Meeting Jack's gaze, he feigned bravado, not wanting to be pushed around by the one person who yanked him forcefully out of his shell when he was younger. The dangerous glint in the other man's eyes opened a pit in his gut. There would be no reasoning with him at this point. "Jack, please." Lowering his voice, he slowly stretched his fingers upwards, giving Jack his palms. He didn't want to fight, especially not here in Amy's house.

"I have no doubt that she would fit in just fine with the crew." Despite being pirates, his crew respected anyone who could hold their own, be them women or men. "In fact, I feel as though she would be a really useful addition the ship." There was no doubt in Sebastian's mind that Alice wouldn't be the best pirate out there. It was in her blood after all. He was already making plans with her in it. But it wasn't Alice he was worried about, "Are you alright with coming back onto the ship?" He asked, wrapping both his arms around her.

---

Elijah had always been hard to place. While Jack had always respected and enjoyed the presence of the younger man, he never knew where to place him. He always felt there was something underneath the gentle facade. He approached him, fists clenched as he finally was able to pinpoint exactly who Eli was, what he always was. "That's it then, hm? We're not family? After all we've been through?" He cracked his knuckles before lifting the other man forcibly out of his seat to his feet. "Well, I guess that makes it easier for me to beat the shit out of you." He growled through clenched teeth as he threw the first punch.

Marabelle's giggles slowly disappeared as Sebastian's question sank in. Would she be okay living on the ship again? Leaning into the embrace and looking up, she placed a soft peck on her husband's cheek. "I'll be with you again and that really makes every other point moot." Although she smiled up at him, her stomach twisted at the idea of leaving land again. This time it was most likely for good. "Will your crew function alright with a Captain that is missing a good deal of the time because he's with his wife?"

---

As Jack approached, Elijah knew he was in trouble. He was definitely beyond words and his rational thought process was drowned in his need to place blame on someone besides himself. Feeling his eyes widen as his whole body was hauled off of his seat, his body immediately tensed for the impending strike. He took too long to think and unable to find the words that would somehow free him of this situation and found himself somehow staring at the floor, struggling to breathe. Jack's fighting style was slow and calculating, but when he made contact it was devastating, just as the punch to his gut showed. After a moment to recover, he shoved himself away and out of his grip, hitting the table and knocking over the mugs of coffee.

Stumbling back a few steps, Elijah managed to get into an area with a little more room to move. Dropping into a defensive position, he stared up at the bigger man, not wanting to add to his aggression. "Com'on mate, let's not do this." Panting as he caught his breath, he watched Jack's body language. "I don't want to fight you." He stated plainly, relaxing his posture and dropping his hands to a less aggressive stance.

"I'm sure they'll manage." Sebastian chuckled, kissing her neck lightly. His heart swelled at the thought of his entire family being reunited once again on the ship. His crew would probably commit mutiny if they found out just how excited he actually was about this idea. He remembered those long nights when he first came aboard the Death Omen, yearning for companionship and familial support. Over the years, he had formed a ragtag family with the crew but it just wasn't the same. The crew wasn't necessarily known for their loyalty and consistency. And yet, when he finally found his family, they were split up once again. This time, however, they were going to stay together, like a family.

---

"You should have thought of that before you stole my girl." Elijah's attempt at diffusing the situation only made Jack angrier. Every bad thought Jack had against the other man came flooding back into his mind which only fueled his rage. The weak, pacifist attitude that Elijah adopted got him out of so many sticky situations but he wasn't going to let him slip out of this. He approached him with a murderous intent. He swung again, this time aiming for his jaw. If he broke his jaw then perhaps he wouldn't try to spew any more of his 'communication' shit.