Sailing the Seven Seas *Starting/Not Accepting**

Mela

I bit my lip. Tying him to the railing... that was harsh. I resolved not to harm him. Ryker told me the same thing. I nodded.

"Poor Quinn... did you see how scared she was? This was the first time we've punished so hard with her on board." I said, rubbing my arms.

"Yeah..."

I dropped my head. We were at the usual hangout. You guessed it- the mast. Ryker patted my shoulder and got up. "C'mon. We've got to fix the sails, remember?"

I nodded and tied myself in. I climbed up the rope, and just as quickly dropped back down to squeeze Quinn's hand and smile sympathetically at her. I didn't know why she was so concerned, but I remembered the first time I had seen a punishment like this.

I ran back up the mast and worked at the knots, releasing the rest of the sails. It was barely drizzling now, but I was certain it would pick back up eventually. It'd be a long night for me and Ry. I tossed Ry his soaked shirt.

"Cover yourself!" I shouted.

"Oh, now you're worried about decency?"

"Oy, shut ye trap!"

"Didn't answer my question..."

"For the record, I didn't want any splinters gettin' in ye clothes!"

"Aw, are ye worried for my safety?"

"More like the fact ye wouldn'tve shut up for the whole night!"

".....Shut up."

I smirked. Ryker was good at initiating; I was good at winning. It was the natural order.

And I quite liked the natural order.

Quinn

Please don't hurt him too bad, I beg silently to each crew member I pass. This is awful, they can't do this to Jex. It's my fault...but even if I turn myself in, it won't change things for him. Overwhelmed, I sink down against a wall with my hands clenching my wet hair.

Mela walks over and sits beside me. Ryker, of course, stays in view. "Quinn, I know it's tough to see someone punished this badly. You'll find it isn't as bad to watch as you think. I want you to know that me and Ryker aren't going to touch him, okay?" she says gently. So that's how I come off.

"Thanks," I say gratefully, my heart lifted the slightest bit. All the less pain for him to go through.

JEX

I was only half-aware of what was happening, I was too lost in my own thoughts to comprehend my surroundings. Somebody was taking some of my clothes, and goosebumps crawled up my arms. It was freezing out... If they didn't kill me, I would freeze to death down here.

Somebody was slipping the ring off my finger, which snapped me back to reality. I turned my head so quickly it hurt, relieved to see it was Quinn. I thanked her silently, facing forwards and losing myself to my thoughts again.

Rosa, I might just join you sooner than I thought... That is, if they allowed me the grace of death, which was unlikely. Besides, I can't die... Quinn's.. Well, what was Quinn? My saviour definately, friend, yes... A slight smile worked its way onto my face as they tied me down. (Which, I was still hardly aware of.)

Wait...am I...

"Why the heck're you whistling?"

I was whistling? Oh... I was... A song Rosa used to sing to herself while she was working, or walking, or anything really... My smile widened, which earned me a few confused stares. I turned my head slightly, trying to find Quinn. She was there in the back, chewing her lip, face pale.

I am... Somebody throw me a rose and call me insane, I was in love with Quinn.

Quinn

Jex is acting strange, which worries me. Sure he just got tied to a rail for the next two weeks, but he's whistling, and smiling, and...he's looking at me with an expression that makes me feel...less cold. In fact, it almost makes me feel warm. I'm too worked up to smile, though.

I took Rosa's ring from him; who knows who could have taken it instead? Right now it's tied to and end of my bandanna, as is the ring my friend had given me.

I watch him from the back of the ship with concern. As Jack is walking past, he stops at Jex and punches him so hard his head snaps to the side. When he raises it, a steady stream of blood flows from his nose.

The shocked, pained expression on Jex's face brings tears to my eyes. I run to my quarters before I can start crying.

Turtle waited until all most of the others had walked down to the deck and then walked up to the stow away. He crouched down on a stair in front of his face and said, "Sorry mate. But it was this or overboard." He looked over the man's face, the trail of blood from his nose and the other harms done by the crew. He pointed a finger at the man's face. The man watched it dazily.

"This will hurt," Turtle said quietly. He grabbed the man's nose and pulled it one way, then another. There was a crack and the man cried out in pain, his eyes watering.

"You're welcome," said Turtle. "Now you can keep your pretty face pretty with a straight nose."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"I mean, you're being nice to me."

Turtle paused. "In fourteen days tell me who's nice," he growled. He started down the stairs.

"Wait!" the stowaway yelled. Turtle stopped. "How did you survive? Survive the fall?"

"How do you know about that?" Turtle asked.

"I hear talk on these stairs," the stow away grinned. "How did you?"

Turtle sighed, and winced. He hoped this didn't lead to being found out by the crew, but there were going to be questions. "I just did, okay?"

"They heard a crack! You should be very, very dead right now."

"But I'm not. And now you're tied to the railing of the stairs onto the deck and will get beaten and frozen. You're welcome."

With that, despite argument from the stow away, Turtle went down the stairs, hid in the storage room and put his head in his hands, hoping that he wouldn't be found.

Mela

I winced as the rope unraveled in my hands. I tied it around the mast. I should get another... I headed for the stairs. I saw the stowaway, and paused. I glanced around, making sure no one could see me, then untied my bandana and wiped at his face.

"I'm sorry I can't do more.... I'm just a sailor. I fix the sails, knot the ropes, check the horizon." I said, retying my bandana. He smiled.

"Thanks anyway. Really, blood on your face is really annoying."

I chuckled- I knew. I trotted down the stairs and towards the storage room, where we kept coils of rope. I had grabbed one and was about to head back out to see how Ryker was faring when I heard a sigh. I froze. I swear, if it was another stowaway, I'd shoot myself.

I rolled my hips back, hands on each side. I marched over to two tall barrels that were pressed too close together and yanked them apart. I paused and raised my eyebrows.

"Turtle?"

"Turtle?"

Turtle snapped his head up.

"Oh... hey Mela."

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm just... looking for a sharpening stone..." he said. He pretended to be running his hands around feeling for one.

"No, you're not. What are you doing?"

Turtle sighed.

"Hiding."

"I'd think you'd be sleeping! You nearly died today!"

"No. No, no I didn't Mela." Turtle sighed. "Because I can't die."

Mela paused.

"What?" she said.

"It's a long story. But I - argh, why do I tell anyone?" he asked himself, suddenly angry. Mela took a step back. "Sorry. I - shouldn't have told you. I'm just joking." Turtle laughed fakely.

"What did you mean, Turtle?" Mela asked slowly. Turtle sighed.

"Never mind."

"I do mind."

"I don't want to be mistaken for a witch!" Turtle exploded. "I can't die, Mela! It's impossible! And let me tell you, I've been tried before!"

Mela looked shocked, her eyes wide. Then she quietly said, "You need to tell Captain this."

"No."

"Tell Captain."

Turtle growled. "I will not."

"You have to!"

"Why do I have to?"

"Because you can help us, Turtle!"

Turtle groaned and dropped onto the floor again.

"We won't hurt you," Mela whispered.

Turtle looked up at her with tears in his eyes, and slowly nodded.

"If you tie me, I'm escaping," Turtle whispered. "I am and always will be selfish. I come first. I don't want to be hurt."

Mela swallowed, and they walked to the Captain's room.

"Yes?" demanded the Captain as Mela knocked. Turtle groaned. "Come in."

Turtle and Mela walked in, and Captain looked up at them. "What is it?"

"Turtle has something to tell you," Mela blurted. "Can I go?"

Captain frowned. "Sure." To Turtle: "Yes?"

Turtle shook his head and sat heavily in a chair. He wiped his eyes.

"Turtle, what is it?" Captain asked cautiously.

"My mum lived in a hut on an island that you can only reach by sea. It was very secret, you know."

Captain sat, listening.

"On the day I was born, my mum had no one to help her. She didn't want anyone to help. She grabbed me and dunked me in the Fountain of Youth."

"What?" Captain said. "That's impossiable, Turt. There is no -"

"There is," David said. Captain paused. This was the first time Turtle had interrupted her, ever.

"Go on," she said.

"If dunked on the day you're born, you'll grow, but you won't die. I don't know whether I'll die from old age or stop aging, I have no idea. But I can't die."

Captain gaped.

"But - how - WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU COULDN'T DIE?" Captain shouted. Turtle stood and pushed a hand through his hair angrily.

"WHY DO YOU THINK I DIDN'T? I NEARLY GOT SUNK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN LAST TIME!"

"I HAVE BEEN WITH YOU FOR YEARS, YOU TRUST ME AS YOUR CAPTAIN -"

"THAT DOESN'T STOP PEOPLE FOR CALLING WITCH!"

"IT CAN HELP US! OF COURSE WE WON'T SINK YOU!"

"WELL THERE ARE A HELL OF A LOT -"

"What is going on in here?" asked Ryker at the door, astounded. Captain and Turtle were only half a meter away from each other with their mouths open and their fists clenched. The Captain fumed.

"Is it true?" Ryker asked.

"Is what true?" the Captain asked.

"Is Turtle - is Turtle really -" Quinn hesitated, pushing her head in through the door.

"How do you know about that?" Turtle demanded.

"The whole boat can hear you, idiots," snarled Jack, who'd appeared. "Witch."

Turtle growled, lifting his top lip.

"You know by now that I will live a hell of a lot longer than you, Jackie boy. Just try me."

Jack pulled a face and walked away.

"What are we going to do?" Captain said quietly. Turtle glowered. Captain caught the look. "Turtle, you're still my gunman. I'm not going to hurt you." She waved a hand. "Go to sleep."

"I'll be awake."

"Whatever."

Turtle walked out, his heart sinking. The last time, he'd been twelve. You'd think he'd have learnt by now.

Something took him off guard and wrapped its arms around his chest. Turtle blinked, shocked.

"It's okay," whispered Mela. Mela, who with Ryker was like a child to him. Mela let go and ran off up the deck.

David felt warm. And as he settled into his hammock, alone in the room, he thought maybe everything was going to be alright. Not everyone that lived forever was a witch. Turtle crossed his chest, blessed silently Mela and Ryker, and fell into the sleep he'd said he wouldn't have.

Quinn

Wow. My room is right next to the Clare's, so I could hear every word they were saying. In fact, I pressed my hands over my ears as hard as I possibly could, and still heard them crystal clear. Crytal clear, loud as hell; and I'm sure hell is very, very loud.

There are tons of secrets on this ship, I think. Secrets that are being revealed.

I'm a girl (Though I already knew that). There's another stowaway (Though again, I already knew that). Turtle is immortal. What next, Mela is a mermaid? Jack is my father? Ryker is a wizard? The Cap'n is in love with Jex? I sure hope not. It's highly doubtful, but who knows?

I already know Miss Grace and Jall are in love, but for their sake, I sincerely hope they aren't discovered. I sincerely hope that I'm not discovered! Again! 'Cause this time, it's no little thing; I hid a stowaway.

Oh my God, I probably will be found out, I realize. If I am...I hope there are more secrets on the Calypso that will make the Cap'n angrier than if, well, her own apprentice betrayed her.

JEX

I frowned and furrowed my brow. The Fountain of Youth existed? Better yet, it existed and Turtle couldn't die... I wasn't sure if that would pose a problem for me or not, but I didn't want to think about it. But...how could it exist? My grandfather had spent the last twenty years of his life searching for it, and he had come up bone-dry! If he were here right now, there's no telling what he'd do to get the location out of Turtle.

Well, with any luck, they'd all be too stunned with this news to be concerned about me. Or maybe they'll all be stunned and forget to feed me and I would die of starvation... Or maybe they'd all be furious for some reason and take it out on me.

I really needed to stop being so negative... Quinn wouldn't forget to feed me, that much I knew... Thinking of Quinn, when the heck did I plan on confessing? At this rate, that would be never.

The wind got stronger suddenly, making me shiver. My teeth were starting to chatter... Oh good lord, how was I going to survive two weeks in this freezing whether? If they didn't beat me to death, I'd more than likely freeze. The next two weeks were something I was dreading.

Quinn

It's night, and everyone is in their rooms. It's freezing out. This could be a good opportunity. I run down to the kitchen, where Miss Grace is cleaning up. "Quinlan-I mean Quinn, the kitchen is closed now. What do you want?"

I take a deep breath before saying, "I want food to give the stowaway." She pauses and looks up at me curiously.

"Why? And why are you being so honest about it?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Because he needs more than bread twice a day!" I cry. "Besides, I know You wouldn't tell, considering you did the same for a certain someone?" I raise my own eyebrow and she sighs.

"Okay, Quinn, the leftovers from tonights dinner. I was going to throw this away." She hands me a container full of soup.

I grin. "Thanks, Miss Grace!"

"Just tell me this; were you stealing food for him the entire time he was on this ship?"

Um. Oh. I hesistate. "Later," I mutter and run off to the top deck. Jex doesn't look as bad as he could, and the blood is mostly off his face, although a little is dried around his nose. "I brought you food!" I say, grinning.

"Thanks Quinn. Listen-"

"So I'll just hold this up so you can drink it...I don't have a spoon and your hands aren't free."

"Quinn, thanks, but there's something I gotta tell you." He looks at me with those warm, intense brown eyes. I swallow nervously. A LOT of secrets have been told lately, and I'm not sure if this one is good or bad.

JEX

I took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to say what I wanted. She looked nervous, which might not be a good sign... did she know what I was about to say, or was she just afraid of some other horrifying secret? So Quinn, around mid-night I grow fangs and wings and prey on inoccent children. It's a nice life and all, but I sorta need you to untie me so that I can go wreak havoc on inoccent mortals, you know--not Turtle. Now, wouldn't that be a story?

But no, that's not what I want to tell her at all. What I want to tell her is harder to say somehow. If I was a monster, a scream would probably be satisfying. But I wasn't a monster, or so I told myself. No, if she screamed after I told her this I would die on the spot.

My eyes wandered back to the sky. If I kept staring at her like that I'd both creep her out and start blushing fiercely. Not that she could tell in the dim light, but still.

"I-uh..." I swallowed hard and bit down on my lip, returning my gaze to her. Just say it ya ninny! "I... what would you say if I told you I loved you?" I said it so quickly I wasn't even sure if she had heard me, but I had said it. Good boy, now all you have to do is survive her screams of terror. The thought wasn't at all soothing, but expect the worst and never be disapointed.

Quinn

Wow. That was unexpected. "I'd say..." I set the soup down and hug him. "...that I love you too. And that I didn't expect you to love me, because you still love Rosa. What wouold you say to that?" Despite the cold, I suddenly feel very warm.

Jex chuckles, surprised. "I'd say I didn't expect you to say that, and I decided to take your advice and move on. What would you say then?" I can not believe we're playing this game.

"I wouldn't say anything," I tell him, "I'd do this." Without a second thought, I close the distance and kiss Jex on the lips.

Ryker

Mela walked out hurriedly, and went straight up the mast, immediately scouting out the cliffs in the dark. I just knew she was. She was my best friend- I knew when Mela was feeling homesick for Ireland. It was just so Mela. The moon decided to show its pretty face, and shone directly onto Mela.

The breath caught in my throat for a second. Her hair was shining practically silver, her body poised elegantly as she hung from the mast. I caught a glance of a glint of black on her thumb, and a flash near her head- the moonlight must've struck her eyes. And her eyes...

My god. I was thinking this about Mela. My Mela. Irish, blond headed, green eyed, beautiful Mela.

Mela, my best friend.

There must be something wrong with me.

Eventually, after I had struggled for quite a bit with my emotions and Mela had spent about ten minutes staring at a bunch of cliffs, she slipped down. I wanted to run over and catch her, help her down, do something... gentleman-y. But then she would look at me funny, and my heart would lurch, and I would do something stupid. Again.

So I just walked on over, a little swagger in my step, ruffling my hair. Mela bit her lip and rubbed her arm. You have no idea how badly I wanted to just... do something stupid. Very stupid.

Fortunately, Mela saved me the trouble.

Mela

I had no idea what I was doing. I s'pose nearly being tossed overboard, being pelted repeatedly with balls of ice, watching your only father figure fall to his doom, finding another stowaway, then finding out aforementioned father figure couldn't die took its toll.

That's what I kept telling myself as I kissed Ryker.

I shivered a little. Partly with joy -I was kissing Ry!, partly with a factor of "Oh, god, this is weird."

But joy overrode everything, joy that I had finally, finally found a place. With Ry, on the Calypso.

I belonged here.

It just took kissing the only guy I've ever and will always love to realize it.

Captain Clare Davies didn't sleep that night; why sleep, she reasoned, when so many secrets were being revealed--she had to deal with each and every one of them. Clare stared at the wooden floorboards of her room, noting the thin layer of dust she'd been allowing to collect. She made a note to take care of that later. But first, she had to deal with Turtle.
It was four in the morning, but Clare had no respect for time, or waiting. She strolled to his room, and knocked firmly on the door.
The door opened, revealing Turtle with red-rimmed eyes. Clare gave a shaky breath.
"Can I come in?"
"As you wish, Cap'n."
Clare shut the door behind her, and watched as Turtle went to sit on the edge of his bed. She looked at him, her gaze steady and unwavering.
"Turtle, I don't see you any different then before." She gulped. "Sure, you may not die, but that doesn't make you a different person."
Turtle nodded, a surprised look on his face. The face she had kissed. Clare smiled.
"You're still the man I kissed when I thought you were going to die," she mumbled.
Turtle's eyes shot up.