"I be a doctor an' sailor Cap'n, there be plenty to be concerned about." Daniel would not admit, not now, that he was concerned for Avery. The pieces stretched her thin and she was still in pain from the previous day. There was a part of him that cared for the well being of all that were on the vessel, though for many on board doctors there was a steely coldness where warmth in him rested. It was no strength out here on the open seas though, and he was well aware of it.

"Yer still in pain, an' I can see tha'. Did ye need more poppy?" He asked moving more into his doctor role.

~~~

Amelia blushed as the sailors passed by her tossing out compliments and winks, no doubt to see her blush more. She smiled and even laughed once or twice at a short tale of one of the sailors as he passed by her in the line for food.

This was not a world she knew well but she felt the freedom and thrill of it. This crew was different, this vessel was to be feared if angered but was otherwise very welcoming. Still, the rolling of the sea beneath them made her uneasy. She wished that these folk lived in her port but how she missed the land, and that would be the very thing that would kill the spirits of such adventurous people. She would never have been able to socialize with them anyway, likely being of the working class. Amelia missed the comforts of home, the fancy balls and occasional gossip that made it's way to her ears. She knew that she would also miss her time here on this vessel, and the opportunities to make her own decisions.

Amelia looked up and noticed someone dressed in black, almost as if they were clothed in shadows. It was unnerving. Had they been there long? She wondered if they would come into her line for food soon, and looked about for Scarlet to see if she knew the person. Among the people, Scarlet was blocked off from Amelia by the crowd of people trying to get food but Amelia did sport her. She figured if anything needed to be done, Scarlet would handle it with all the fire that her name suggested.

She smiled and shook her head. "No...I will recover. Time is the best healer for times like this...but since we are on the topic, have you noticed anything that we are in need of as in supplies or tools and such? I am trying to come up with a shopping report for Bane so when we reach port he and the others can gather supplies"

Bane walked over to Ameila and knelt down by her, so he could be at her height and said "My lady? I am quarter Master Bane. I haven't had a chance to welcome you to the ship yet...I was also hoping you could do a small favor for me. The man in black over there is Master Shade. He...well, he normally comes down for his green tea but it seems Lady Scarlet is...busy at the moment. Would you mind getting the tea for him?"

Iris stood by Scarlet and muttered "You need to talk to him, Scarlet...staying quiet won't fix anything..." Scarlet blushed brightly and said "There's nothing to say...no reason for us to speak..." Iris sighed and said "The head of protection and the cook of the ship need to be able to talk...besides..." She looked over at Shade and said "You two need to talk about what happened..."

Daniel paused to think before he suggested bandages and thread. He would have to get back to Avery with a list of herbs, if Scarlet hadn't already.

~~~

"Hello." Amelia spoke, giving a small curtsy as she did.

"Ah-... I will be back in a moment." Amelia supposed that if she left the spoon available in the morning mixture then each sailor could take their share. This would be her first time making tea outside of the home and she hoped that she could make it properly still, with different supplies.

She ventured back to the cooking area and rummaged around a bit before finding the kettle to hang over the fire. She filled it with water and kept an eye on it. While she waited for it to boil she found a small trey and a cup, slowly bringing together what she felt she should bring to serve tea. On a small wooden plate she arranged a spoon, some sugar and the loose tea leaves. She hoped that none of this would blow away... and then she thought of putting a bowl over top of it to keep the contents undisturbed.

Rather promptly Amelia emerged from the cooking area back into the deck at which the grew was eating. It was not hard to find Sage as he had a ring of space around him. The normally friendly crew seemed to keep their distance from him. The odd behavior concerned her and made her cautious in her approach.

"Your tea, sir." She spoke softly, hardly able to raise her voice to a regular volume. Her mother always said that her shyness with men would be what could make her an old spinster since it prevented her from catching and maintaining a man's attention. Amelia held the trey away from her body, a gesture for Sage to take it and use what he needed of it.

~~~

Daniel felt an odd silence hang about the room. It was comfortable and trusting but at the same time unnerving. This was not a silence that he had experienced before. He felt on one had compelled to speak, to say anything, just to break the still air. He also felt as if he should take his leave, not give away more than he should. The sickening part was that he ached for a confidante, something he had denied himself for years and knew that the female captain would not be a socially wise decision. He did not want to start something he did not yet have any intention of finishing.

"Ye 'ave a good crew." He slipped, giving in to breaking the still silence. He felt it now, the beginning of his downfall. He had just opened the door a sliver and knew that it wouldn't be long before the door to himself was burst wide open.

Shade looked down at the girl and knelt down, gently taking the cup from her. Then he took her free had and kissed the top of her hand with his covered mouth. "My thanks, my lady...I have heard you have been quite brave these last few days...if you are ever afraid or in need...all you have to do is call for me. Alright? I will hear you no matter where I am"

Scarlet was watching the pair, looking upset. Iris sat by Bane again and said "She won't talk about it..."

**********************
Avery blinked and looked up at him. "Yes...I trust them all with my life. They are my family after all...they are all I have in this world now..." She looked at him and said "And the crew trusts me, Daniel...I am always here to listen and help where I can...I want to help you. You can see that right? I have no games or tricks to play...and I don't plan on hurting you...please, won't you tell me what's on your mind?" She wanted him to trust her. She wanted him to feel safe here. She knew that he must have been alone for so long, feeling backed into a corner for who knows how many years...

Avery was right. At every turn where Daniel expected retribution he found mercy. A whisper in the back of his mind told him that maybe this is what the God of his childhood was supposed to be like. In both cases, he was not sure if submitting to the spell-like lifestyle was a good idea. He had always wanted to be his own man, and a good man too.

"This vessel an' crew be like none I ha' seen b'fore." He began, trying to gauge the flood of words and thoughts. It was both easy and difficult. It was very counter-cultural to seek information so directly and easily, but it felt safe. He chided himself for behaving like a curious boy. Still, Avery's eyes burned into him and he found that his withholding information was not him bowing his knee first but all the while she had been extending such kindness to him without want or need of any strings being attached. She had more than invited him into free speech. This was either a trap or honesty.

"Ye as a Cap'n I ha'e ne'r seen b'fore. " Daniel continued. "Tha' pow'r ye wield is terrifying, yet I ha' not seen a crew or Cap'n so well loved." Love, desire, his mind wandered while he pulled on it to keep on task and focused. There was something else, a caring that was small and warm in him. Though it was like what he felt for most of humanity, the caring nature of a doctor, it behaved somewhat differently. Daniel would come to realize later in his life that this, for the first time in years, was the beginning of true trust.

~~~

"Yes, Sir." Amelia responded, feeling flushed from the gentlemanly gesture. Oh how it made her feel like a sheep among wolves. Rather promptly, she turned to return to her post handing out the meals. It was all so new but the crew certainly made her feel as welcome as possible. Still, being surrounded by so many men at her age was unnerving at times. She knew that they meant no harm, it was just that Mother had always warned about what a wayward man might do and pirates were certainly (in her Mother's mind) considered wayward.

Avery nodded and sat up a little then said "What scares you? You haven't asked a lot of questions...knowledge does give comfort or so I am told..." She stood up slowly and went to the window, opening the curtains and looking out at the sea. "I know every single member of my crew...names, ages, birthdays...and why they are here."

Scarlet went to Amelia and said "Thanks for getting his tea...it helps him calm down after a fight. Do you need help with anything lass?"

"I be 'ere 'cuz this be where life has brought me." Daniel began. "Wi' a little propelling o' me own choices i' I be honest." He followed Avery to the window, folding his arms behind his back. This was something he had retained from his time in the navy. "Cap'n, nothin' an' everythin' scares me." he said, voicing the faintest thoughts that came to mind. It was cryptic, but about as open as he could be. Callous to the world but still sensitive to it too, jaded was what he had become.

"I've been on th' run from death since I was a boy. I do wha' I can t' get by. I' I can, I believe it be good to help others along th' way. Life ha' taught me tha' I need t' take care o' meself first though." Daniel said delving deeper into himself and pausing.

"How did ye come t' be what ye are now? Not often does a Lady become wha' ye are an' be successful." It was an abrupt change in subject but she was right, he did have questions.

~~~

"It was no problem Scarlet." Amelia said, playing with the cuff of her sleeve absently. "I have ever seen him, or someone like him before. He doesn't look like a sailor..." she let the unspoken question hang in the air, for Scarlet to fill in who Sage was.

Avery nodded and looked at him and said "My father was a navy captain...for fifteen years. Then his ship was hit and he lost his right leg. So he retired and when he returned home learned that our village was attacked...my mother killed by pirates. He found me...in what was left of our home...Bane protecting me with what little life he had left. So he took both of us and any man who would join him and went to the sea...not only hunting down the monsters who killed my mother but to change how things worked on the sea. It was years later he learned about the Pieces of Eight and decided their evil needed to end...he died a few years ago and I took his place as captain"

Scarlet looked at her and said "Sage is the Ship's protection officer. he is in charge of protection of the ship and its crew and everything between.

"Tha' be a sad tale." He said, acknowledging the pain she must have lived through.

"An' th' pieces o' eight? What be they an' what do they do?" He pressed, moving on.

~~~

"So he's not a sailor, but an officer?" Amelia hadn't seen an officer in his garb before. Then again most of the officers she had encountered were working under the royal flag. "Where does his allegiance lie?" She asked, startling at the happening of the thought leaving her mouth before she could stop it. Mother would have a fit if she kept up such poor self-control.

Avery sighed and said "You must have heard from the others that they are cursed...that is the best way to put it. You see, the pieces of eight bring good luck to whoever has them...but that luck comes at a price. If the price is not paid...the luck turns bad and the holder is doomed to the watery grave of Davy Jones. But for some reason...the pieces powers don't affect me. Its why I hold onto them on the ship...now my father told me that apart the pieces were deadly...but brought together...the world could meet a watery end...how that works I don't know but I know better then to test Fate and the gods of the seas..."

Scarlet smiled and said "He isn't an officer...or a sailor...his more in the warrior class. He always says his life belongs to the captain of the ShadowStrike..."

"Aye, 't be a bad idea t' chance upon a true goddess o' th' sea. They be a tempest all their own." Daniel echoed. "We collect these for wha' then? Is i' t' bring th' world t' end?" He doubted this was the cause but one never knew exactly what lay in the hearts of others.

~~~

"Oh, so... he is bound to the ship as opposed to a person?" Amelia inquired, fairly sure she was correct.

She shook her head as she moved across the cabin to the bar along the other side window, pouring a liquid from a glass decanter. "My father wanted to keep that curse from the seas from hurting anyone else...so his and now my mission is to find the pieces and hide them in the one place no one will find them..." She took a drink from the glass and flinched, the taste harsh.

scarlet nodded and started to clear plates away. "Exactly...I don't know the full story...but what you need to know is that he won't hurt ya and if you need help in anyway...you can ask him"

"Ahhh... An' 'till th' end o' time pirates will hunt for th' gems, now all collected into one nice neat little package, 'till they become myth?" Daniel asked, his tone sounding harsher than intended. He was trying to tease Avery. "Tis a nice thought t' take up yer father's mantel." he continued, aiming for a more genuine tone to smooth over his roughness.

~~~

Avery nodded, feeling somewhat cautious and curious of the man in question. "Is he nice, like the doctor?" She asked, absentmindedly letting the comparison of the two men slip from her tongue. The two men were certainly cut from different kinds of cloth.

She smiled and said "I don't know how it will end...but I have to do this...for him" She took a drink, sighing as she did. "Its not the only reason...the side you saw of me...the demon side you saw...I want to do good with my curse...and it may be the last thing I do before...before..." She took another drink, steeling her nerves.

Scarlet smiled and said "He is very nice...quiet but nice...he just doesn't talk very much"

Daniel took on a scowl as he watched Avery. There was a faltering in her voice as she began to struggle getting words out to finish her sentence. It sparked concern within him, and thus the scowl. He guessed that her fear was of dying. After all, the both of them were old for pirates.

"b'fore ye meet yer maker?" He tried to help, still sounding gruff but trying to be encouraging that she may meet the positive side of death as opposed to whatever hell he was likely damned to.

~~~

Amelia took on this information. Sage had seemed more than courteous with her, not the most quiet but first impressions can always be wrong.

The two continued their work as the crew ate and slowly brought back their dishes to be cleaned.

She laughed weakly and said "I wish it would only be death...no...I fear that one day I will lose...myself to that demon side you saw before...and it will take over and I will be the side that doesn't come out..." She took another drink, her hands shaking. She hadn't told anyone her fears, but with two shifts in two days, it was starting to worry her. Badly.

Sage watched Scarlet from afar, his eyes never leaving Scarlet's face.

"Aye, t'would be a shame and a grievance." Daniel agreed. "This curse tha' ailes ye is far beyond me knowledge bu' I am th' doctor o' this ship and tha' means that ye be in me care too. I'll do wha' I can t' help." He said, further trying to comfort Avery.

He was surprised, to a degree, that Avery was confiding so much in him. It encouraged him and concerned him. She, this crew openly showed weakness and found strength in each other for it. He still wasn't sure if he could fit in but the more he talked ot this particular crew, the more he almost wanted to.

"Mayhap we should find land, a quiet port t' rest a while." Daniel suggested. he hoped that maybe some time off of the sea would do Avery good.

She walked back to her desk and looked at the maps in front of her. "We will be close to a port in a day...its a big port with lots of thing to do and suppliers...it would be a good spot to relax for a few days" She sat down on her desk and rubbed her neck. "Its been a while since we've been on land..." She looked at the doctor and said "It will help with the little girl you found...Scarlet learned she's a nobles daughter"

Daniel was shocked that the girl was of noble blood. He figured, with her mannerisms she was, at the very least, a new addition to the crew from the colonies. Never did he think of her as nobility but subtle differences made sense.

"Aye, then port we'll make." Daniel understood the importance of returning Amelia to her family. There was another he also harbored concern for, but this one was not an alluring innocent.

"Cap'n, If i may be excused..." he intended to leave Avery in order to return with a remedy his mother had taught him for a troubled mind. As well as to avoid the temptation of wrapping his arms around her. She was so trusting the way she had her back turned to him and the creamy side of her neck exposed from underneath her hair.

She nodded and said "Of course...let me or Bane know if you are in need of supplies...I will be working on a list for the crew to gather once we reach port" She drank from her glass, taking a breath when he left. She sighed and muttered "I have to get a grip...come on Ave get a grip..."

Bane was in the medical bay, waiting for the doctor.