Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing nor anything resembling it, and it goes double for Pirates of the Caribbean which I’m pretty sure Disney has a monopoly on (like many other things). I warned at the beginning I would use quotes and this chapter is no exception. We’ll all just have to live with that knowledge.

Chapter 10

As it turned out, no amount of stubbornness was going to get Relena off of the island. She was too weary, her body exhausted from stress and anger, to row the brief and yet all too far distance back to The Heavyarms. As she waited for Captain Maxwell and Heero, she tried not to let her seething rage get the best of her. She could be calm and collected. She would be a veritable ice queen. The only problem with this idea was the way her body was obviously and involuntarily shaking and how, despite years of training in deportment, all she wanted to do was use a few of the colorful phrases Maxwell had taught her while they had been drunk. If Heero loved her, as she assumed he did, then his was of showing it was so obscure it made it look nonexistent. There is nothing worse then thinking that the person you love doesn’t think much of you, and the way he dismissed her as if she were just a nuisance confirmed her trumped up suspicions.

Finally, after what felt like ages, Heero and Duo wandered out of the cave. It appeared that Maxwell was a bit worse for wear after this ordeal and Heero had to support the pirate’s limping steps over to the boat, where Relena sat with her hands primly folded. There were no words exchanged while Duo and then Heero climbed into the boat. Heero took up the oars and steered them back to the larger ship. As they passed floating bodies of pirates and soldiers alike, Heero swallowed the impulse to tell Relena to shield her eyes. Firstly, because he was sure she wouldn’t listen, and secondly because she had probably seen worse during these past days and she might become even angrier at his presumption that she would be shocked. All he could manage were a few peeks at her, but all that netted him was a confirmation that a white dress is not something you take into battle, and that way she pressed her lips together so tightly couldn’t be a good sign.

The opening he was looking for never seemed to present itself. Duo, upon realizing that his crew had run off with his ship, simply became more tired and sank into his own mind so deeply that he fell silent for the rest of the trip even aboard The Heavyarms. Revenge on Winner, no matter how satisfying, would never be complete for Maxwell without repossession of his precious ship. Relena tried to offer condolences, but the words died in her throat as he too slid his attention to the rocking seas. It seemed to her that she was a burden to everyone today.

When Heero, Relena, and Duo found their way onto the deck of the pride of His Majesty’s navy, they were surrounded by soldiers who took Heero and Duo into custody and escorted Relena forcibly to a cabin. She was too tired and still to angry to protest enough to make a scene. Lady Noin joined her, fully expecting something along the lines of an onslaught of tears, but Relena had not been crying nor was she about to start. It seemed she had halfheartedly tried to undue her dress ties, but many of them were either too encrusted with salt and dirt to release, or she just stopped caring. So, with her nearly bare back revealing all her many bruises, she had passed out onto the bed in fitful slumber. To Lady Noin, this was particularly worrying, and therefore she made her way down to the cells where Heero was being silently but attentively watched by many guards.

No one seemed to have gotten out of the battle unscathed, and the grim expressions that people wore were seemed to hide the grief that played in the back of their minds for their fallen comrades. Many of the men nodded to Lucretia as she passed, deferring to the woman who had saved so many of them at the last second. If anyone had thought a woman’s place was out of battle, then they had made an exception or revised their opinion when Lady Noin, like some Amazonian queen, hacked her way up and down the ship defending those who seemed to be in trouble. The thought of barring her passage didn’t cross their minds as she was given the same respectful deference as the governor or commander.

In his cell, Heero seemed to be quietly contemplating his hand. He flexed it and then winced. Lady Noin tossed a clean bandage in between the bars and the young man looked up at her quizzically before accepting it.

“There’s bandages all over the place. You should be happy I had any extra left on me.”

If he was grateful, she’d never be able to guess, but he had efficiently wound it over his hand and turned away so she figured he was fine physically. That his facial expression was approaching a pout didn’t escape her. Knowing the men in both Relena and her own life, Lady Noin figured that Heero had probably done something boneheaded and now he regretted it but didn’t know how to fix it. It was Milliardo’s way as well. They were similar in some ways, not that she would tell either of them that. Somehow she figured when the time came to convince her soon to be husband that Heero was a fine choice for Relena, saying that they were just as stubborn and just as bad with women wasn’t putting it in a very acceptable way. Lucretia never doubted that they would end up together, since Relena didn’t have eyes for anyone else.

Maybe he could take a broad hint. “You know, if you don’t say anything to a person, then they don’t know if you found their help appreciated.”

“. . .thanks. . .”

Even an ungrateful thank you was something. But she had a feeling he wasn’t taking the larger meaning to heart. Subtlety was Milliardo’s territory, Lucretia was a fighter at heart and terribly direct.

“Darn it all, boy, just talk to the girl. I’ll finagle your way out of this cell in a few hours, see if I don’t, and if you don’t have something good to say to that girl then I’m never helping you two hopeless kids ever again, got me? I’m not a fairy godmother.” If Heero heard her, she wasn’t sure, but his lack of response wasn’t hopeful. She ordered one of the guards in the room to get a bowl of water and some fresh clothes for both the prisoners and then wound her way up onto the deck.

Trowa was clutching a rag over one thigh while talking calmly to Kushrenada who was tightening a bandage on his arm. The noble governor had taken a bad but not lethal hit to the side and after being seen to by the doctor, had retired to his bed to rest the remainder of the voyage. Lady Noin thought it would be more politic to simply approach Treize rather than her fiancé, who by now was probably in a fine grump and unwilling to be reasonable about anything regarding his beloved sister.

“Excuse me, Commander, but may I have a word with you a moment?” Both men nodded a bow to her, flinching a bit in pain.

Treize offered her a smile that was the soul of courtesy. “Why, my lady, what is on your mind? You have already saved a number of my soldiers, helped to organize the first aid efforts, and seem to have enough energy left over to attend to other matters it seems.”

“I wish to ask you a personal favor.” She took a deep breath.

The commander was all attentiveness. “I wait with anticipation.”

“Would you drop the charges against Heero Yuy?”

A frown creased his aristocratic brow. “My lady, that is no mere trifle. The boy stole one of His Majesty’s ships, kidnapping a member of His Majesty’s Navy, and consorted with pirates. Legally, he’s in a rather grim position.”

Lady Noin felt the pressures of the day build in her heart. She didn’t have much of a trump to play, but she could try. “Would you do it for me. . . as a wedding gift?”

Commander Kushrenada closed his eyes slowly and considered her words. The three of them paused while they awaited his decision. When he opened his eyes again, he directed a level stare at Trowa.

“Seeing as I plan to step down before the trials actually take place to Mr. Barton here, I think I shall place the decision in his hands. This will be your first act as the new Commander of His Majesty’s Navy, Sanq branch, Mr. Barton, so choose well.”

She didn’t dare hold her breath. The young, now former, Captain was notorious for going by the book. He hated pirates with all his being. Now that they had a hold of the only one to escape his capture he might be feeling more lenient, but there was the added pressure that Kushrenada had placed on him. Whatever he decided now would set the tone of his command. Would Trowa possess an iron fist, as she suspected, or would he show some compassion? Last she knew, he had been trying for Relena’s hand as well, so this would eliminate the competition. Not that she trusted his motives so little. But all these thoughts flew through her head rapidly while Trowa looked to the deck with lidded eyes as he thought.

The clear light eyes he turned to her finally were not filled with the hard glassy determinations Lady Noin had expected, but something approaching humor. “Far be it from me to deny our Governor’s future wife such a small boon as a wedding gift. Instead of a trial, I’ll offer this: he will be released with the stipulation that he must work making tools and weapons for our Navy for two years. Think of it as a service plea bargain. He will be compensated, of course.”

Lady Noin held out her hand. “I’ll take it, Mr. Barton. And I thank you. Good day to you gentlemen.” She shook Trowa’s hand and then dropped a quick curtsey to both men just to cover her bases before she retreated with a smile on her face. So, if Heero wasn’t a fool, he could have steady and well paid work for two years. It wasn’t just nice, it was generous, and since it was phrased in such a way, he could either choose charity or death from a certain guilty verdict. That proud boy wasn’t going to like this, but he could swallow his pride for Relena’s sake. Lucretia would inform him when she notified the guards of his release. Might as well give him the time to clean up and think about what he was going to say to Relena.

In the mean time, she had a wounded soldier waiting for her in her quarters, and if she knew Milliardo, he would be up for some comforting. Just so long as the comforting didn’t get too energetic. . . didn’t want him injuring himself any worse.

*

*

*

Heero had been led to a room he assumed was Relena’s by a guard who gave him a stony glare as he walked away.

“Lady Noin said you could be trusted not to be chaperoned in Miss Peacecraft’s room. Don’t do anything that would break the Lady’s trust.” Looked like Lady Noin’s fanclub had only grown stronger after her heroics. Heero wished that he could be spared such bravado and get this whole ordeal over with. It was probably going to go exactly how he thought it would, with him not even getting out one word of what he wanted to say and then being dismissed by an angry Relena. The way she hadn’t even looked at him with even a spark of anger in her eyes on the way back boded ill. When she had been mad at him in the past there had always been some emotion, but this time he saw nothing and he was actually scared.

Were they still engaged? He had thought about swiping a ring out of one of the piles of jewelry that were just lying around the cave when he and Maxwell had left, but something inside of him knew that Relena would be appalled at him if he did something like that. She would rather have the iron ring that was attached to his front door than a stolen bit of shine, no matter how valuable. So here he was, approaching her like a beggar, supplicating for any sign of affection in what were more than likely her brother’s clothes judging from the ruffles.

He knocked, loudly, hoping she would still be awake but feeling compelled to disturb her even if she was. A cantankerous looking Relena answered, but schooled her features into the frigid lines he had feared seeing.

“Yes, what could you wish of me at this hour, Mr. Yuy? It is well advanced into the evening and I would like to get back to my letter writing before I sleep.” Heero felt his heart constrict at ‘Mr. Yuy’ and simply narrowed his eyes and pushed his way in. Relena, forced back, gave a little exclamation of indignation.

“You don’t look surprised to see me.”

Relena sat at the small desk in the cabin, back stiff, hands neatly folded. “Lady Noin came an hour ago to attend to me, and she informed me of your good fortune. I congratulate you. If that is all you came to tell me, you may leave.”

“Damn it, Relena, that isn’t what I came to tell you.” He sat down heavily on the bed, frustrated and unwilling to continue when she was like this.

The feeling of primness exuded from her as everything in her body seemed to tense. “You shall refrain from using such language in my presence, sir.”

That was it; she was taking the act too far. He had heard her use some pretty bilious words when she had been dodging pirates in the cave a few hours ago, whether she had been aware of saying them or not. Now she was just being touchy for the sake of putting distance between them, and he didn’t want it. He forced the words out of his mouth reluctantly.

“I was scared.”

Her head cocked to the side, eyebrows curved into a delicate expression of confusion. “By what, may I ask?”

“When Maxwell told me you were out there, where the fighting was, I was scared more than you can imagine. I was even scared of my own death, because I knew that you might need my help and I wasn’t there. But that feeling was nothing.” She seemed to be softening, maybe, but he couldn’t tell because her straight back was facing him now as she regarded the wall behind the desk. “It was nothing compared to when I saw you in the cave. If the thought of you dead somewhere was awful, then the thought of you dying in front of me was unbearable.”

There was a fine line of sweat that was standing out on his brow. The words were more terrifying to say than he thought they would be. If this didn’t work, if she didn’t forgive him. . . then that would mean he would have to come up with more words. Relena liked words after all, and if she wanted words then he would give as many as he had until she looked at him like he was hers again.

“I know I’m just the son of a pirate, and I know I’m just a blacksmith.” He was all too aware of both of these facts. There was a line of sweat around his shirt collar as well, and he pulled at it while he spoke. “But I should have told you every day from the moment I met you. . . I l-love you.” The word only stumbled off his tongue a little, but the next sentence was sure. “And if you marry anyone else, I swear he won’t live to see the wedding night.”

Not the most romantic thing he could have said, but it seemed to do the trick. Relena turned around, eyes more damp than he was prepared to confront at the moment, and threw herself into his arms. “You better give me a real proposal and a ring when we get home,” she said into his shirt in muffled mumbles. “Or else I really will hate you.” The kiss she planted on his lips was sweet, as she curled into his lap.

It was more than relief that flooded his adrenaline scorched system. And the sigh he gave into her hair after their kiss was a mix of the emotions he still couldn’t properly express for this girl who was not just a part of his life, but often felt like the reason for it. Suddenly, she shoved her body away, denying him her warmth and softness.

“Just because I still love you doesn’t mean I’m done being mad at you. Now get out.” She pointed and tapped a foot. “Give me a while to be mad and to finally, finally have some peaceful time to myself. I’ll tell you when I am calm and you can visit me safely.”

A bewildered Heero walked out into the hall. He had won, but lost. The guard, who had continued to wait until his exit, escorted him to his own cabin. When he got into the cabin he ripped off the ruffle around his neck violently and threw it on the ground. Somehow, it felt like he had been manipulated into expressing some sort of weakness, but he couldn’t pinpoint it. The idea left a sour taste in his mouth, but it was possibly Relena’s simultaneous acceptance and rejection that had him so oddly moody. It galled him that she had such control over his carefully repressed emotions, but the thought brought a mysterious and inadvertent smile to his face. What he didn’t know was that everyone had always known his weakness was Relena, but everyone had been too smart to point it out lest they tempt fate or the ire of Heero Yuy—whichever struck first.

*

*

*

Duo bounced a rock off the side of his cell wall. Now that they were back at the main island, things were looking pretty grim. At best he could get sent to a detention camp to be basically used as slave labor for the rest of his natural life. He’d prefer the death sentence if given a choice. At least the infamous Captain Duo Maxwell could go out with a bang. Maybe even a literal one if he rated firing squad. It depended on how much Barton still hated him for dodging capture all those years. If Duo had treated it as a game, then Barton had treated it as a personal assault to his honor and efficiency. It wasn’t as if Duo had done anything to assure Barton’s safety when he had been among the crew, although he hadn’t done anything to directly endanger it. But a simple live and let live policy did him no good when he was stuck in a jail waiting from his sentence on high. The rock bounced a little too hard, hitting him in the forehead, and he swore.

Why did they leave without him? He was their captain! It was his ship! Somehow he felt more sad and empty about this eventuality than he had about the mutiny. He could get angry at the mutiny, but all he could do was resign himself to the knowledge that Chang had made the decision he would have probably if he had been first mate. They better treat that ship right, she was a much abused old girl, and she had a lot of quirks that a less sensitive captain might not appreciate.

While he rubbed the spot where the rock had hit, Duo noted movement in the shadows. “Oi, come to gawk? You’ll get enough time to do it at the execution, so if you could restrain your morbid interest until I become very publicly a corpse then I would be much obliged.”

“You aren’t going to die.”

Duo stood up and lazily leaned against the bars. “And I suppose you came to let me out. Forget it. You actually have a future, don’t throw it away for a seadog like me. Get out of here Yuy.”

“We can’t let you die.” This voice was higher, feminine, and out of the shadows melted two familiar forms.

“This is madness.”

Heero’s mouth quirked. “Or brilliance.”

Relena produced a key from a dark fold of cloth. “You save my life, Captain Maxwell. This is the least I can do for you.” The key turned after some jiggling. “And I’ll have you know, this was all my idea.”

“You should have found a way to keep her home.” Duo remarked to Heero as the jail cell door swung open with only a slight squeak. The old doors used to be loud, but these new ones had yet to rust enough to produce a good screech.

“I could no sooner make her than you could make Hilde do anything.”

“Point taken.” Duo grimaced. He missed his pirate maid and her fierce temperamental nature.

Now that he stared freedom in the face again, he wasn’t sure what to do. His motivations had nearly deserted him. Even if he hadn’t thought death to be the best choice, his faith in his fellow pirates had been severely cracked. With no allies except for this young couple he was forced to abandon, Duo didn’t know what course of action to take. That choice was stripped from him as his first action became obvious. Hilde seemed to launch herself from another set of shadows, wrapping her small form around him and attaching her lips to his with an ardor he found himself matching after a moment of shock. The vitality had instantly energized his body as he was given back reason to carry on. No firing squad could touch him in this mood.

The feel of her body, bristling with knives just beneath her clothing, was familiar and welcome. “Come to kill me yourself? Didn’t trust His Majesty’s troops and their aim?”

“You know it.” Her second kiss was a teasing reminder of the first. “Now let’s get out of here before these upstanding citizens feel obliged to report us in.” She gave a wink to Relena and Heero. Heero shifted on his feet, obviously uncomfortable with the situation. Even though Maxwell knew that Heero would report this in a second if not for the fact that it involved Relena, he didn’t hold it against the man. They each had their way.

“Well, you two, I imagine I won’t be getting an invitation to the wedding. Wouldn’t be able to come anyway. Far too busy.” Maxwell gave them both a small but polite bow. “I offer you my best wishes, if you’ll accept the wishes of a pirate.” His eyes were on Heero as he spoke.

The young man levelly regarded Maxwell then gave a tight nod. “You’d better get a move on, it will be pre-dawn soon and you’ll lose your edge. As it is, I’m sure Barton will hunt you even harder than before.”

Duo gave his radiant, almost goofy smile, and swept his hat off of his head. “I don’t have much, but please accept this as a present to the both of you. A memento, really, of our time together.”

“It’s a greasy old hat.” Heero was obviously not a sentimental person.

“Thank you very much, Captain Maxwell, I shall treasure it.” Relena stepped up and gave the pirate a hug before taking the gift. She withdrew back to Heero’s side and he dropped a hand on her shoulder.

Maxwell looked back at the two once more, a fond glint in his eye. “I feel bad for not going out in a show of bravado. Perhaps. . . could you lock my cell again?” Relena laughed and nodded. “Farewell, and good fortune to you.” And then the room seemed to empty itself of presence. Maxwell was a veritable force of nature, Heero thought to himself.

“We need to get out of here fast, Relena.” Heero warned her, and she nodded. He tried not to think about the tight black pants and shirt she was wearing, matching his, as they crawled along at his urgings. Often he had thought it was silly to have such bright and easily seen uniforms at night, as all the navy’s patrols did, rather than something simple and black. Then again, if the navy was smart then they would not have given Heero the job of making the keys for the new jail. He still had 1 year and 10 months left of his sentence, and he couldn’t wait until he was a free man again. Once he was really free then he and Relena could get married. Until then, she had agreed to a long engagement. They hadn’t told her brother yet. Lady Noin said she’d find the right time to break it to him, so that he didn’t attempt to break Heero. The governor himself was getting married in a few months, so odds were it was going to be a little while before Heero and Relena had to deal with uncomfortable stares.

They were moving along the cliff, just outside of the fortifications of the main naval base, when Relena stopped near a small clearing and a tree. “Oh Heero,” she breathed “Look at that. . .” In the pre-dawn light they watched black sails billow. He was on his way, that strange, flippant, and strong braided pirate who both of them had become oddly fond of despite themselves. “Do you think we did the right thing? He was a pirate after all.”

“And a good man.” Heero offered after some thought about the matter. “You shouldn’t have to come tonight.”

“Nothing was going to stop me.” She wound an arm around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. “Whatever we’re in, we’re in together.”

He grumbled a little at that one. “I refuse to put you in danger again. And now you don’t have a crazy pirate woman brandishing knives at me to make me change my mind.”

“You weren’t threatened by her at all, I know it. Admit it, you just have a hard time telling me no.”

The petulant silence made her laugh, which he quickly covered with one hand. They weren’t out of danger quite yet. Getting a better idea, he replaced his hand with his lips. This proved to be an actually worse idea, as he lost awareness of his surroundings now that her lithe body was pressed up against him. He bent back one of his fingers sharply and the pain got him to refocus on the real task at hand, which was escaping without detection.

“You know,” Relena said as they continued to crawl along, trying to control her flushed face and quickened breathing, “Being engaged is practically like being married when it comes to some things. . . or so I understand from some of my friends. Like Dorothy. She told me that. . .”

Heero, still forced to watch Relena’s swaying hips as well as stifle the wonderful images she was giving permission for him to think about doing to her, tried not to let his groans become audible. He might just take up his fiancé on that offer tonight, if she kept talking like that.

Leaning on the wall above them, tracking the rustle of bushes but saying nothing, Commander Barton smiled to himself. It was a whole hearted smile, because of the vague jealousy he felt when he had spied them watching the very object he had so carefully been monitoring as well. When he had received a mysterious message from a Miss Une yesterday, he had had some idea that he would be watching from a distance while the one pirate he never caught retained that title to a certain extent. Maybe it was some sort of stupidly fond and illogical reason he posted fewer guards tonight, but he didn’t feel as self-recriminating about it as he had expected.

The Black Death was a beautiful ship, Trowa allowed himself to think, too bad he was going to have to hunt it down and blast it to splinters. But not yet. The letter he had placed in his uniform, close to his heart, had seen to giving the fast ship at least a day, maybe two, to get away. Who knows if they would even stay in the Sanq? Once they were out of his waters, he could not follow. But the letter had obliquely promised that should that be the case, if he should later meet a cook in need of employment by the name of Une then he should know if the chase was to be on again. He would wait for that day, and do his job as well as he could until then. No one else had offered up quite the challenge that Duo Maxwell had.

Trowa snorted. Captain Duo Maxwell.

*

*

*

Duo didn’t handle the wheel reverently so much as comfortably. Hilde had retreated to allow him some time to himself, but Wufei had stepped up to receive orders. He reminded his captain that soon enough the royal navy would be on their heels. Duo looked unconcerned, and waved his first mate away.

“But captain, where are we going?”

His braid, no longer kept down by the hat, flapped against his back in the wind. Duo resolved in his mind, then and there as he looked into the horizon, that that would just not do. “Why, somewhere I can get a new hat, Chang. Perhaps France. They always had rather flouncy hats. Nice big feathers in them at jaunty angles. I could get you one too, maybe Sally wouldn’t make you sleep in the barn anymore.”

“She doesn’t make me sleep in the barn. . .” Chang mumbled as he wandered off. Obviously the captain had a plan. They knew what he was like, and the crew would just accept his decisions until he chose to enlighten them.

With eyes that saw further than the mere line of water before them, Duo smiled to himself that wide toothy grin. He didn’t need to go anywhere, really, since his bliss was here.

“Bring me that horizon. . .” he told no one in particular, before adding in song, as an homage to the noble Miss Peacecraft—the future Mrs. Yuy— “Drink up me ‘earties yo ho!”