A Pirate's Life For Us

Chapter 4 - Old Friends

"Everyone. Make ready. We leave at once."

Anne Bonny strode on to the deck of her ship, the William. Stede and the other wayward members of his crew made their way up behind them. Somehow, the others had managed to barter for a few supplies, which was a miracle considering he didn't think they had anything to trade.

His crew might not be the most competent. Certainly not the most fearsome. But they could be resourceful when they needed to be.

The William was about the size of the Revenge, but with none of the fripperies that Stede had built into his ship. The pirates who prepared to get the ship underway looked more like his own crew than Ed's or other pirate crews they'd witnessed. They didn't look fearsome and intimidating, but if they were anything like their captain, one would underestimate them at their peril.

The crewmembers greeted their new arrivals with curious, but not unfriendly looks. There were women among the crew - at least two that Stede could see. They moved efficiently, but there were smiles and laughter, and the occasional joke or ribbing.

Stede smiled softly. It was a comfort to him not every pirate ship was ruled by fear.

"Em. Captain..." Stede moved up behind Bonny. "Captain, my crew and I don't want to be a burden. Feel free to put us to work."

Bonny turned back to Stede. "Oh, I intend to. This isn't a passenger vessel. OI!" she whistled sharply and pointed to his crew. "You lot. There's a mass of supplies on the dock. Step lively and get it stowed."

The others looked at Stede. "Don't look at me. She's the captain."

Bonny gave Stede a wry little grin, and the men reluctantly made their way back down the gangplank to start hauling up bags of grain and barrels of water. "Well. I'm glad you aren't going to fight me for control. I hate the bullshit dominance showdowns, but sometimes they're necessary."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. Truth be told, I'm not much of a captain anyway. We're much better off under your command."

"Now you're just buttering me up," said Bonny. "But the way I hear it, Gentleman Pirate, you've been making a name for yourself. That's why I agreed to help you."

"Captain. I think the quartermaster shorted us on the oranges. I'm seeing..."

"Lucius?!"

"No. Oh my fucking god." Lucius stood there with a leger in hand, his face sunburnt to a bright red and peeling.

"How did you get here? We thought you were still on the Revenge!" Stede moved forward to embrace the man, but he stepped back and shook his head.

"Your boyfriend knocked me overboard because your chicken shit ass broke his heart," Lucius waved a quill menacingly at Stede. "If Fang hadn't sent a dinghy my way when he saw me go overboard, I'd be dead."

Stede blanched and swallowed.

"We fished him out when his dinghy drifted into a shipping lane. All he had on him was a water skin and a piece of lavender soap wrapped up like a sandwich with two bites out of it," drawled Bonny.

"I don't care what Ed says. It's not yummy," said Lucius with an indignant little foot stomp.

"Lucius?" lisped a voice from the gangplank. Black Pete dropped the bag of grain his was carrying and darted forward. Before the scribe knew what was happening, he was embraced and lifted off his feet, and soundly kissed. "Oh my god, I was so worried."

"Ow, ow...sunburn...sunburn..."

"Sorry, sorry."

Lucius leaned in to more gently kiss Pete, then he registered that it was more than just Stede and Pete who had ended up on the William. "Gang's all here. I see I'm not the only one Blackbeard discarded because of someone whose name rhymes with...peed." he finished ineffectually.

"Captain. Why are we helping him?" said Lucius. Pete lingered close and checked the worst of his burns, and gently adjusted the tie around his neck to protect a bad bit of burn. "I know from experience that nothing good comes from sailing with Stede Bonnet."

Stede's face fell, but he didn't argue.

Bonny looked between them both. "Because we're at cross-purposes, Lucius. I want to find Blackbeard and the Revenge as much as he does."

"Why?" asked Pete.

"Because Ed stole my husband. And then got him killed."

"Oh," murmured Stede. "Who was your husband?"

"Calico Jack."