I was at the helm with Eric, arguing quietly to whether or not seagulls were a nuisance (I insisted they were majestic creatures with purpose) when Cass came trapesing up the gangplank and onto the deck.

"Jacqueline!" She demanded fiercely. She fell back slightly, meeting the stares of the crew with flushed cheeks.

"Cass," I waved. "Hello, how do you do?"

She hurried up the stairs, her pixie cut bouncing. "You are leaving!"

"Uh...yes?" I raised my eyebrows.

She shook a finger at me. "I knew it." She said, sounding resigned. "You didn't come to say goodbye, espece d'idiot!"

"Oh. Bye." I said smartly.

She rolled her eyes. "I came to ask you a question."

"Ask away," I said. "Oh, Eric. Could we continue our discussion later?"

He glared at me, nodding. I was winning our debate.

After he had stormed off to no doubt come up with more weak arguments, I turned to Cass. "I had a question for you, as well."

She glared. "You could have asked before leaving!"

I shrugged, grinning. "But here you are."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. You win."

"I always do!" I beamed, linking arms with her and leading us down the staircase. She eyed the hand I had placed on her arm suspiciously. "Now if you'll permit me to ask this of you, Cass, I would be absolutely tickled if you would do me the honor of joining my crew."

She blinked, turning to stare at me. "Your crew? Of the Black Pearl?"

"No, the bloody Flying Dutchman," I said sarcastically. "Yes, the Black Pearl. Would you? I know that you performed as a top man on your previous berth."

She slowly smiled. "I'd love to, Jacqueline. When would you like me aboard?"

I let her go, spinning on my heel so we faced each other. "As soon as possible!" I said. "In fact, we are making way this afternoon, so I would be snappy..."

She scowled. "You could have asked sooner!"

I beamed. "Yes, well, it only just occurred to me. Oh, and," I paused theatrically. "We'll be heading for the Ring of Fire."

Her eyes betrayed her shock. "Why? Why would you go to such a dangerous place?"

I rested a hand on her shoulder, going for the over-extravagant comfort that Jack would use on me. It used to annoy me to death. "Because, darling, adventure calls! I presume you were present at the meeting and you're only pretending to be worried?"

She looked cornered. I'd known Cass for a while, and one of her greatest assets, and an annoyance to me, was her ability to lie; to lie and act so easily. I envied her. "Yes, I know...I was testing you. I do it without realizing, Jacqueline."

I grinned. "And I love that about you, darling. Now do me a favor and get back here as soon as possible with your bags in tow -- I have things to brief you on."

She smiled, her eyes sparkling. Today they were a silvery blue, and her choppy wisps of red curled around her face. "Merci, Jacqueline, à plus tard." She waved, and was off again, shrinking back under the stares of the less modest crew members. She was beautiful, after all.

I shouted for them to "move their flea-bitten hides before I made them". They yelled ayes with renewed fervor. It amazed me how insulting a man can snap him into action. My mother had that thoroughly mastered, with both the ladies and gentlemen. 

So while Cass scooted off, I rushed below decks to find Maria.

Maria was a delicate flower, plain faced and petite. She had the smallest hands, and the palest skin you would find in the sun-soaked Caribbean. She rarely ventured outside, except meals, and instead hid away in the darkness of her personal cabin and sewed for the crew. I'd found her in Tortuga, hidden away behind a bar. Yes, I was stealing rum. Not for myself; for the anxious, alcohol deprived crew of the Pearl.

Have you noticed my dislike for the drink? You have? You're not stupid, then, good job.

Pigs, I thought as I slipped behind a hammock and knocked upon a small door. I believe the space was originally for storage, perhaps grain of some sort, because it was remarkably dry for being on a, well, ship.

"Maria!" I sang in my prettiest voice. "Maria, I have a job only you can do!"

She pulled the door open, and her translucent gray eyes peeked out, hidden behind her sheen of rich, mud colored hair. "Jacqueline," She said. Her voice didn't match the rest of her; it was authoritative, at times, and seductive, although I'm sure that was a complete accident. "How can I help you?"

Oh, her voice was unnerving. I hadn't spoke to her in so long -- it sounded like she was trying to seduce the daylights out of me.

"Actually no," I said quickly, before some rude observation left my lips. Adeena would do that, when she wasn't pleased. She wouldn't mean to speak in such a way, but she would, and --

"Mum," I asked, as we drew circles in the morning dew on the ebony railing of the Pearl, "Do you feel it?" We had been reciting the Spanish alphabet; I was on my third language, the first two being English and Siren.

"Feel what?" She asked, curious. I often sensed things before her. It was odd, she said, that I was so much stronger than her. I attributed it to my awareness -- Adeena hadn't known of her own 'powers' until she was older.

I sent out a pulse again, doing my best to restrain it so it didn't disturb the water. I was strong, too strong, at times. I would learn to control it later. "There's something, like us," I said. "Different, I guess."

Her immediate response hurt, and she said it even though I had felt her reach out, felt her sense it as well. "You're crazy." Her voice was scalding.

She regretted it all at once, grabbing my hand and keeping me with her. "Ignore it, there are plenty of Sirens in the ocean. They won't mind us."

I forgave her. "What's to stop them?" I insisted.

She flicked my temple affectionately. "You. Your aura is unbelievable."

"I need you to find me a spare room," I continued through the aching flashback. Of all the things to remember... "Cassandra, do you remember her? She'll be staying with us."

Her dainty lips curled in a smile. "I can do that at once, captain."

I stuck my tongue out at her, standing and stepping back so she could remove herself from the small opening. She barely needed to duck her head to escape the four foot entryway. "You know, I am taken."

She raised her eyebrows, giving another smirk. "Oh really? Pray tell."

I shot her a glare. She was draped in an obviously handmade robe; you wouldn't find a dark and heavy garment like that anywhere in the Caribbean. "His name is the bloody Caribbean, love, now show me to the vacant space."

She laughed, and I followed her small figure. I was small, to most, but if I was small Maria was tiny.

Cass would find herself in a average sized room, for a ship, and hopefully she would be satisfied because that's as good as it got for her.

It was early afternoon when the redhead herself returned to the ship, swinging a small purse at her side. I met her at the railing, cocking an eyebrow. "You were gone four hours for that?"

She smirked. "I had to find someone to watch the Drunken Lady, did I not? I originally planned to take more, but, this was all I needed."

I rolled my eyes. "Follow me, minx." She snorted before following.

I showed her to the small room she would occupy for grandeur of our expedition, then dragged her through the maze that was the Pearl to my own cabin, in which Eric was already waiting, sitting patiently on the floorboards, back pressed against my desk. "You are on top of things," Cass observed with a grin.

I ruffled Eric's hair, lifting the top of my desk after swiping the mess atop it aside. "He's such a good first mate, isn't he." He swatted my hand away. Then I tossed my notebook to Cass, wondering how many people I would welcome into my investigation. "Read, tell me your thoughts, and as you are doing that --" I glanced at the clock hanging precariously from the wall, "I'm gonna find someone to man the helm as we depart. Eric! Is this the course, here -- good, yes, I'll just be a moment --" I darted from the room, hurrying across the deck. "Nina! Nina!"

She appeared out of nowhere, looking bored. "What, Captain?"

I shoved the maps into her arms. "Go," I ordered, gesturing at the helm. She went, waving her free hand, which held a flask, as a goodbye. "Oi! On deck! We are leaving!"

I had the crew bustling about soon after, and I was shutting my cabin door soon after that. "That's done!" I grinned. "Now, darlings, your thoughts?"

Eric spoke in his usual calm and soothing way. "I suggest we continue with the original plan, ergo, continue on to the Ring of Fire."

Cass waved the notebook and then tossed it to me. "I agree with Eric. Concerning Capitaine Sutcliff, I am suspicious." Eric nodded his support.

I blinked, catching it. "What?"

"He knew your mother, the day before her death, did he not? And then his capitaine passed on, and he takes the position." She shrugged, blushing under our stares. "I think Adeena knew more than any of us do."

The idea of my mother being mixed up in some sort of mystery thrilled me.

I spun on my heel. "Unfortunately, she is dead."

"Yes, really? Hadn't noticed." Cass asked sarcastically.

"Do me a favor and revert into your shy cowardice, Cassandra," I retorted. I had spoken lightly of Adeena's death, but that didn't mean I was content with others doing the same. "I guess there isn't much to do, then?"

Eric smiled softly. "Unless you can manage to transport us from here to there in a second, Jacqueline."

I was struck, suddenly, by his smile. He rarely did. Not that he was unhappy, it was that he wore an indifferent expression, tranquil and peaceful, for the majority of the time. But he was smiling at me, and his blue eyes were so bright...

I shook myself, cursing mentally. "Ha, as if. That's a tad futuristic. For now...Cass!"

She jumped, startled. Her translucent eyes turned on me. "What could you possibly want?"

I smirked. "Aren't you a member of this crew? Get out there!"

She cuffed my head on her way out.

"Eric, you too!" I said playfully, yanking him up and beaming. "Go on! Go be a good first mate!"

"And how can I help you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Get out of my sight, my heart's beating weird and I don't get it, I thought. "Take the helm from Nina. I think she's drunk."

He brushed past me. "Aye aye, Jacqueline."

I sank into my desk chair as he left, furrowing my brow and staring at my hands. "Ti diáolo?" I whispered, irate. Freaking Eric. Freaking Cass. Freaking Sutcliffe. Freaking everything.

What the hell?