FicWad

TITLE: CAPTAINS
FANDOM: Gundam Wing
PAIRING: 1x2 and some het pairings in the background
RATING: R (will eventually be NC-17)
GENRE: AU, Adventure, Historical, Romance
WARNING: yaoi, crossdressing, swearing
DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything save for the story, so please don't sue poor little me
SUMMARY: The Caribbean in the time of pirates. Duo Maxwell is an infamous captain pirate bored with easy lays. His life will get much more interesting when he meets the dark Navy Captain Heero Yuy in the most unusual circumstances.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Owie!!! I have too much things to fit in Duo's point of view and too little for Heero lately, so this chapter is a little longer than the others and so will be chapter 13. I'm pretty sure you won't be too bothered by that but don't get too used to it as further parts might shrunk back to their original size.

Chapter 11 : The Pirates' Haven

Curses works in strange ways and the most annoying thing about them is not so much that they are relentless but that they are unpredictable. You think you have them all figured out and you are somewhat resigned to your fate, that's when the rules change. For some time, there are no new development to your endeavor and you naively think that maybe the curse has been lifted. With the lull you immerse in a false sense of security, you even begin to believe that maybe someone up there has intervened on your behalf at last. Of course, you don't act on your relief; you're wary still for a while, but after a few days you can't help but to give in and rejoice at your good luck. Then, fate strikes again and she appears all the more vicious for the calm spell you dared indulge in. Haphazardly alternating mere annoyances, great dramas and unexpected remissions, curses keep you on your toes and sooner or later they wear away the resolve of even the bravest of men so much that you have no choice but to give up. Unfortunately and that's where the relentless part of curses comes to play, even when all your hopes have been forsaken, even while you sit down dejected and says aloud: "I quit", you are still cursed and the worse has yet to come.

Once you come to terms with those few truths, you should understand the best way -well the only way really- to deal with a curse. It may be no use to wait for divine intervention but it is as pointless to give up. The way to go is to pretend there is no curse even when you know very well there is. It's just a matter of rolling with the punches, no matter what crappy hand the curse deals you next, you play with it the best you can and above all you avoid to think about the end of the game because for all you know you might not live to see it. That may appear as a strange strategy but when it comes down to it that's the sanest thing to do. Too bad it takes someone of outstanding character to understand that simple concept and you should be prepared to encounter fierce opposition by your peers on top of your curse's antics. Yet, a man has to do what a man has to do.

That's why Duo Maxwell was remarkably calm and composed when he came down from the gangway on the docks of Port-Royal. That is also for the same reason that all of his crew were gloomy, frustrated and not talking to him. It had been that way for three days, ever since they all woke up aboard Deathscythe to a scene of carnage amidst which their Captain was picking up the remnants of shredded sails and ... whistling of all things. He had welcome them with a great big smile some would have called manic and had cheerfully distributed brooms and rags ordering them to wash the ship. His apparent good humor would probably have been better received if he had imparted them with his knowledge of curses and his way to deal with them. Alas, the philosophy itself dictated that you should just ignore the curse and behave like it was any other day, thus the crew was left dumbfounded and angered by Duo's indifference. They obeyed his orders still because regardless of their mood, something had to be done regarding the state of the Deathscythe. There were bird droppings everywhere and no self-respecting sailor could tolerate a ship in such a disgusting state.

Soon the work was underway and there was a growing pile of unmendable things on the main deck. Among those lay every one of the black sails which was most troublesome as, as luck would have it, the wind choose the moment it was noticed to pick up. They were all watching the skeletal shapes the divested black masts made against the blue sky, it was dubious the newly awaken wind would be of any help in this instance. They were interrupted in their silent contemplation by the resounding splash of useless debris being thrown over the guardrail by their over-enthusiastic Captain. They joined him in his efforts mourning aside the absence of the damned cross amidst all that junk. Getting rid of the thing might not have saved them by this point but it still would have been very satisfying.

Once that was done and Deathscythe was clean again without having gone back to the pristine state he had been in before the seagulls' attack, Duo informed his crew they would switch back to the Sandrock and continue their journey as they were still expected by Serin and couldn't allow for more wasted time. There was no protest as they knew once in Port-royal the old man would disburden them of the cross. Thus, they did as told. The following days were anti-climatic and they anchored in Port-Royal without further incidents.

The first time you saw Port-Royal, you had to be awed. It was a city unlike any others, mostly because it gave off a feeling of freedom not found anywhere else. "City" might have been pretentious a word to use because it wasn't that big, but it was so busy, bustling with activity and resonating with joyous sounds that it appeared bigger than it was. It wasn't as seedy as people would have expected of a pirates' haven but it was true enough that there were very few law abiding citizens and even fewer honest trades. However, in spite of the inherent wickedness of most inhabitants and visitors alike, there were very few troubles around the town. Often arguments would turn into enormous brawls where every passer-by would come in give their two-cents and a few punches of their own, but those always ended with mere bruises, loosened teeth and the odd broken bone. Contestants eventually landed in the closest tavern making peace over a few bottles of rum and that was that.

It was rare that people died of anything but natural deaths in Port-Royal. Murders were almost unheard of. On the odd times it happened, the citizens did justice themselves because there was no authority to speak of. Offenders were usually turned away from the town and forbidden to come back against threats of reprisal. Executions rarely occurred because the various criminals living there already saw too much of them on the outside world and didn't want to contaminate their haven with such practices. Of course, if someone had really offended the community, they were fair game once at sea and past offenders never came back to Port-Royal, not so much because they feared punishment but because they were already too dead to come back.

Without laws, authorities nor anyone to govern, it shouldn't have worked and yet it did. The town was built on the private funds of everyone who wanted to contribute. Amazingly enough they were many wanting to. Pirates, escaped convicts, rogue slaves and other petty criminals had left their greed on the docks and learned to share, reveling in a blissful kinship only encountered in Port-Royal.

The only thing vaguely resembling organization was the way the docks were managed. A council of sort, not so much elected but composed of volunteers of all trades kept track of the comings and goings of the ships. It wasn't from a desire for order but as a very real necessity as if they couldn't care less for the identity nor the honesty of new-comers, they feared being infiltrated by Military. Anyone but those were welcome in Port-Royal, you needn't any credentials other than the sum of money the council asked of you to grant you dock space. That price could vary according to who was in attendance at the docks, the mood they were in or the impression you made on arrival, but no matter the amount of the fee no one cared to protest. Ban the occasional hijacking, the money thus collected was used to support the community with things of public utility. That entailed mostly repairing the docks, arming the port against eventual Military invaders and of course maintaining a steady stock of rum on the island.

Most of the world might have thought Port-Royal was Hell itself, but for its inhabitants, it was the closest of Heaven they could ever hope to go. If it hadn't been for his beloved Deathscythe, Duo would have probably made a home there and as it went it felt more like one for him than he had ever known. The Deathscythe was never anchored anywhere in its real form, not even in this pirates' haven as Shinigami needed to keep alive the mystery surrounding his ship and himself. The Sandrock however was a regular visitor there and Duo had fast and good deals with the council. In nary a moment the mandatory formalities were dealt with and Shinigami was on his way to Serin's shop.

Quatre, Meiran and Wufei were accompanying him. They were walking a few paces behind him, rigid as any honor's guard. That distance though wasn't kept with any sense of respect for their Captain but because, even if they didn't want to risk losing him in the crowd, they wouldn't be caught dead at less than ten feet from the cross he kept bundled in cloth under one arm. The curse hadn't done anything for a few days now and they feared it would make a last attempt on their life before they could get rid of the cross. On the off chance lightening would strike Shinigami or other such freak accident, they thought they were better off staying clear. In other circumstances, the three friends would have fought to be first in line to try and defend their Captain against any danger, but they were still a bit peeved with his casual attitude of the past days and had unanimously decided he could take care of himself for once.

The curiosities' shop of Serin was situated about a mile from the docks in what passed for the good neighborhood of Port-Royal. The walk took little time and soon Duo was standing in front of a nondescript wooden house only distinguishing itself from the others by an obvious lack of repairs. It was easy to notice the changes the shop had undertaken since their last visit a month and a half ago. For one, it was closed with planks barring door and windows and even more worryingly the sign which used to proudly announce: "Serin's Curiosities" was conspicuous by its absence.

Duo sighed then complained mumbling: "Why am I not surprised?"

"Huh?"

The pirate threw an humorless glance to his friends who had joined him in his contemplation of the shop. It wasn't anymore time to keep their distance, cross be damned and them with it. Wufei and Meiran appeared disbelieving, but sharp intelligence was at work behind Quatre's aqua-marine eyes.

"Do you think Serin's dead?"

"A possibility... but doubtful."

"So where is he? Last time, I got the feeling he wanted that cross very bad. He was ready to pay anything. Someone like that wouldn't just... vanish."

Duo was tapping nervous fingers on his chin, expression thoughtful. "He wouldn't, would he? Unless..."

Uneasy, Quatre studied his Captain. "You're thinking about something."

"Hmm hmm, I am." He thought some more then pursued at Quatre's probing look. "I'm just beginning to think all of this has been damn convenient. Serin is a collector, he doesn't like to part with any piece of his collection. He only sell something as a last resort when he wants something else badly enough that he knows the sacrifice will be worth it. Yet he offered us a fortune for that cross and didn't even try to bargain while he knew he would have to sell good items to afford our fee. The facts simply don't seem to add up..."

"And you're thinking about that now?" Wufei, obviously pissed still. "Perhaps that thing's worth it. It might grant immortality or endless wealth for all we know. That's not like we could learn anything about it beside its location..."

"My point exactly. We had it for a few weeks now and we didn't see it do anything good. If it could, we would have. We couldn't find anyone to tell us what it did and yet it was no trouble at all to find it. I'll admit it was a little hard to retrieve but nothing we couldn't deal with and everyone who knows anything about us would have known we would succeed. That's convenient, don't you think?"

Quatre hissed a startled breath: "Allah! It's like someone wanted for it to land in our lap."

"Yeah. And whoever it was went to great lengths to make sure it would. Serin isn't a man easy to buy."

"But who?"

It was the first time since the seagulls Duo had heard Meiran talk. She looked badly shaken. Wufei was the one to answer.

"Who knows? Shinigami didn't make all that much friends the last few years. That could be anyone..."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence 'Fei."

Quatre cleared his throat to try and dissipate the argument he felt coming. He had had a little time to think and he didn't like the picture forming in his mind one bit.

"Speaking of convenient, didn't you ever wonder what the Epyon and the Romfeller fluyte were doing just outside the archipelago where we found the cross. It's inhabited but technically it still is Lagrange territory so they should have no business there. It could be a coincidence but..."

"But there's no such things as coincidences. It's like they were waiting for us. They knew we would be there. They only had to wait for us to retrieve the cross, hope it would do its mumbo-jumbo which they must have seen confirmed when we were caught in the first storm and attack once Deathscythe was already mangled. Clever. I can't believe I missed that!"

"Let Wufei deal with the self-flagellating Duo, it doesn't suit you. Will you let us throw the cross away now?"

Wufei glared at Meiran who studiously ignored him. She was instead concentrating her ire on her Captain who looked mighty pissed himself. He could do without her sarcasm, the situation was bad enough without someone needing to remember him how bad of a screw-up he was, thank you very much. He was readying a scathing retort when he noticed her appearance. He had carefully avoided looking at her the past few days, it was easier to do so in order to pretend the curse didn't exist. Only now did he take the time to assess her condition. She had nasty scratches all over thanks to her encounter with the seagulls from Hell. Some looked pretty bad and most would scar. He grimaced. Her face was ashen and she was trembling. She didn't look all that good but moreover, she looked scared. Meiran was a brash young woman, always standing up to any danger with nary a concern for her well-being. She was all heart and no brain most of the time, she wasn't afraid of anything. She shouldn't look like a wraith-like child whose just been told the monsters under her bed were real and had it in them for her. He took a big cleansing breath trying to reign in on his temper. They all were having a bad month and taking it on each other wouldn't help any. He sighed heavily, weary to have to disappoint his friends once again.

"It's not that simple Meiran. I wish it was, believe me I really do, but we can't get rid of the cross..."

"The Hell we can't! What are you waiting for? For someone to die? I'll do it if you want. You give me that piece of crap and I'm going to throw it in the ocean and that's the end of it."

Quatre had put his hand on Meiran's shoulder while Wufei blocked her path to Duo with a solid arm. They were restraining her but with little enthusiasm. It was clear that if the woman really wanted to be free she could have shaken their hesitant grasp. It was also very clear on the two men's expression that they would let her go if their Captain didn't come up with an explanation about why he wanted to keep the blasted cross fast. The bounty argument didn't hold anymore with their buyer missing and no amount of money was worth their past trials anyway.

"Curses are tricky. None of you have ever been cursed before. I have and I learned a few things. If it looks too easy, it usually because there's a trap somewhere. I don't know how this one works and yeah there is a chance that throwing the cross away would lift it..." He waved the hand which didn't hold said cross to stop the new protestations. "...but it also can make it worse, much worse. Giving the circumstances, I'm guessing it will be the latter. Someone went out of his way to doom us and I don't think they would have make it that simple a problem to solve. As you said yourself Meiran, nobody died... yet. The curse might not be at full-blast and I for one have no desire to see it coming down to that. With the luck we're having lately, I'm not taking any chances. We'll have to know exactly what this artefact is and what it does before doing anything about it. And that's final!"

All three of his friends were studying him for any sign he wasn't being truthful. They couldn't find any. Shinigami didn't joke with curses, he wouldn't dare, of course they didn't know that. When Quatre would finally have come up with an answer to his Captain's diatribe be it with support or another argument, Meiran collapsed as if her strings had been cut.

Instantly the three men were crouching over her, frantic and trying unsuccessfully to rouse her. Compassionate as usual, Wufei was slapping her with plenty of energy with no result whatsoever save for reddening her otherwise pallid cheeks. Even more inept with women, if at all possible, Duo was replaying all the feminine dead faints he had ever witnessed and loosened her corsage to help her breathe. Of course, that might have been more useful if Meiran had been the type to wear a corset or to fake languor to attract attention. Disgusted, Quatre chased them both away with a few words and a mean glare. Once he had the room to work, he did a basic exam of her vitals. He didn't like what he found and his frown threw his two friends in another bout of hysteria. Tough males, my ass! Give them a swooning female and they were falling all other themselves. He would have liked to see them growing up with twenty-nine sisters, that is the way to toughen up a man.

"She's burning up, her heart's beating too fast and she has trouble breathing. I don't like the color of her skin either. I'm not sure it's wise to move her but we can't leave her on the street. Whatever she has, we need a doctor and soon."

The three exchanged worried looks and a world of silent communication. In no time Meiran was ensconced in Quatre's coat and cradled close in Wufei's arms like she was the most precious thing in the world. They were running to the docks desperate to take her to the security of the Deathscythe and the competent care of Doc O. Duo in full Shinigami persona was opening the way, rudely pushing aside anyone who showed the least intent to slow them down. Midway he almost collided with a just as hurried Abdul whose sigh of relief upon finding his Captain was swallowed as soon as he noticed the unconscious girl.

"Ahmad, Howard and O have also collapsed Captain. What do we do?"

"Damn! If O can't treat her we have to find another doctor and it better be fast if it is an epidemic. We may all be contagious."

Coming from Quatre it was a worrying statement even worse because it came with a cuss. Quatre Winner never cussed. Duo was looking around trying to find someone to point them to the closest doctor. Alas, in his panic his friend had spoken aloud and if there were words not to utter in a Caribbean settlement, even one of fearsome pirates, they were "epidemic" and "contagious". They were completely alone on the street. Duo swore, he hated feeling helpless.

Suddenly there was a pretty blond in front of him. He managed to stifle his startled gasp -barely- and studied the apparition. She looked thirty-something, pretty with serious blue eyes, twin braids and a kind if reserved smile.

"Hi! I hear you need a doctor."

He wondered how she could have known so fast or arrive in the nick of time when he was pretty sure she hadn't been there a minute ago but knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Yes we need a doctor. My friend collapse and three more people on my ship."

"Okay. Follow me. That's just around the corner. Send someone to bring the others over. The third on Camino Perez."

It was said on such a no-nonsense tone that nobody thought to argue. With a swift glance from his Captain, Abdul went back running toward the docks while the others followed the blond woman. She walked at a brisk pace and they matched her speed. In under five minutes, the little procession entered the ground floor of an unpretentious two-stories building. They were ushered in a clear room smelling of disinfectant. There was a neat desk and two chairs in a corner, a few cabinets and tidy bookcases along the walls and a small bed in the back. Without being urged to Wufei deposited his precious burden on the bed and stayed close hovering over her protectively. He didn't look like he planned to leave her side anytime soon. Duo was standing at the open door watching the street for their other friends who shouldn't be too long in coming. The woman downed a clean apron she had just taken out of a cabinet and washed her hands in a bassinet full of soapy water. When she went to look over Meiran, Quatre got in her way.

"Excuse me Miss...?"

"Po. Sally Po. You can call me Sally. Every one does."

"Sally. Right! Where is the doctor?"

"I am! Now if you'll excuse me I have a patient to attend to."

She elbowed him aside but was again interrupted a step further, by Wufei this time. She sighed.

"You're a woman!"

"Fine observation skills you have there lad. If you could move, it would be easier to treat your wife."

"She's not my wife. And you can't treat her! You're a woman."

"Girlfriend, whatever! Believe it or not I am a perfectly qualified doctor and this girl needs care now. So unless you want to let her die, scram!"

Sally was clearly annoyed but Wufei didn't look like he would move. She looked for support from the others and arrested her choice on the nice-looking blond who appeared the more level-headed of the three. Quatre gazed in her serious eyes for a moment and coming to a decision pushed his Chinese friend out of her way.

"She seems to know what she's doing and she's all we got, so play nice for the time being, please."

Wufei argued for a while longer but it was quasi impossible to sway Quatre once he had taken a decision. Anyway, he was right: they didn't have much choice. He went to sulk in a corner still keeping Meiran and the lady doctor under a watchful gaze. Sally was ignoring them both and the exam was already well underway. She was efficient, that was evident to see for anyone looking on without prejudice against her sex. She was also keeping her face carefully blank, not giving away the slightest clue as to the condition of her patient. The atmosphere was tense and growing tenser by the minute.

"She's covered in wounds. What happened to her?"

"She was attacked by seagulls."

Sally looked up sharply and stared incredulous at Wufei. "Seagulls? Do you expect me to believe that load of crap? I need to know what really happened." Her tone oozed with disapproval. She clearly thought one of them had hurt Meiran. Most likely Wufei who protested indignantly. Quatre kept his calm. He didn't blame her. That was the more logical explanation and so much easier to believe than the reality which sounded just... well insane. He cleared his throat and impressed on her how serious he was by a pointed look once she glanced his way.

"Seagulls! I know that sounds insane but it's true. We were attacked by crazy seagulls three days ago and most of our crew was hurt. Meiran's just took the worst of it. We can show you our scratches if you want."

Sally tried to stare him down but returned to her task when she saw it wouldn't work. She was still shaking her head and mumbling, unconvinced, though she had better things to do than argue the point.

"She has sutures, did one of you do them?"

"No. We have a doctor onboard, he did them."

"So if you already have a doctor what are you doing here?"

"He's one of the three others who collapsed. They should bring him in shortly."

"Great! I'll have to treat a colleague, just what I needed. Doctors make the worst patients and I can already guess he'll also have something to say about me being a woman..."

Her angry mutters were interrupted by Duo's grave voice. "They're here."