FicWad

Jax was pacing again. After Quinn had told him everything she had heard, he had asked Cai, who was on watch, to go get Jade and have her guarded at all times. “If they come up empty, they might go for her anyway.”

“There’s no way he’ll be able to figure it out, right?” Quinn asked, leaning against the desk. “Only you and I know.”

He nodded. “We need to come up with a father though because he will try to catch you off-guard.”

“It would have to be someone no one knows.”

“Preferably someone from my father’s crew,” Jax mused. “Alf Mason.”

“Who?” Quinn asked.

“Exactly,” Jax said. “He’s dead and no one knows who he is or what he looked like.”

“Alright: Alf Mason,” Quinn said, letting the name gain familiarity on her tongue. “I guess there’s not really anything else we can do about all this right now.”

Jax shook his head. “Just hope for the best.” He stood in front of her and took her hands in his. “I’m sorry I was an ass earlier.” He brought her hands up to his lips and kissed them gently.

“I forgive you,” Quinn said with a small smile. “You’re under a lot of stress right now.”

“Yeah, but you’re right. Arrogance only works in certain situations.” He grinned. “Like turning you on, apparently.”

Quinn laughed. “And even that, in only very specific situations.” She stood on her toes to kiss him, arms curling around his neck.



That night, Quinn felt herself shaken awake and opened her eyes to find Cyrus’ concerned face.

“It’s Cai,” he said. “He can’t stop coughing.”

Quinn quickly pulled on her clothes and quietly crept out of the room to not wake Jax. She followed Cyrus to the forecastle. From outside the door, she could already hear the hacking cough. Inside almost everyone was awake, trying to cover their ears with pillows to drown out the noise. Cai was lying in his hammock, curled on his side and coughing into his arm. His face was pale and damp and his eyes teary and red. It seemed like a regular cold, but the cough did not sound good.

“How long has he been like this?” she asked Cyrus.

“He’s had a cold for a week or so, but it only got bad tonight.”

Quinn nodded. “Well, until we know for sure what it is, make sure he gets rest and fluids. If he gets worse, come get me.”

Cyrus nodded.

“Oh, and make sure you wash your hands and all that. We don’t need everyone else catching this, especially not now,” she added.

When she returned to bed, Jax woke up. “Where’ve you been?” he asked blearily.

“Cai has a cold. Nothing to worry about,” she said and slipped under the covers.



The next morning, Jax was already up when Quinn woke up. She found him in the guest bedroom with Jade, who was not pleased with her new bodyguard situation.

“I’ve always been allowed to go out on my own,” she protested. “What’s different now?”

“There’s a possibility someone might try to kidnap you to use as leverage,” Jax explained calmly.

“Who?” she demanded.

“I... can’t tell you,’ Jax said.

“How can I be safe if I don’t know who’s out to get me?”

Jax sighed, then caught sight of Quinn in the doorway. She smiled at them. “Maybe you two should spend the day together,” she suggested. “Then Jax can be your bodyguard, but it’ll be more fun.”

“But don’t you have to practise for the duel tomorrow?” Jade asked.

Jax grinned. “Practise? I could beat him with my eyes closed with one hand tied behind my back!” He swung an imaginary sword around blindly until Jade laughed.

Jade was much more cheerful as she and Jax left the room. “Keep an eye out,” Jax said to Quinn as they passed by.

“Always do,” Quinn said, and he quickly kissed her on the cheek.

“Gross!” Jade called. “Let’s go!”

Jax laughed and allowed her to pull him up the steps.

Quinn had a late morning shift at the shop, so she did not have much time to scout for what Seamus was up to. As she headed back to the shop, she hoped Jukes would be able to find him before anything bad happened.



The bell on the front door tinkled and Quinn turned to see Seamus of all people walk inside. She tensed but tried to seem relaxed. “Seamus,” she said. “What can I do for you?”

“My father is looking for an old compass of his,” he said. “He thought it may have ended up here.”

“Perhaps,” Quinn said. “There’s a whole bunch of compasses in that display case.”

He browsed around for some time and Quinn tried to ignore him. He finally came up to the counter empty-handed.

“No luck?” Quinn said, sympathetically.

“Nope,” he said. “It’s probably at home somewhere, misplaced; you know how fathers are.”

Quinn laughed nervously. “Yeah.” She knew where this was going.

“You’ve never mentioned your father, Quinn,” he said. There it was.

“Well, it never really seemed relevant,” Quinn said.

“Who is he?”

“Alf Mason,” she said as firmly and resolutely and truthful-sounding as she could. “He was on the original crew. He’s dead now.”

Seamus nodded. “I see.” Nothing betrayed whether he believed her or not. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Yeah, see you,” Quinn said. As soon as he was gone, she leant back against the wall, allowing herself to fully breathe again. As her heartbeat calmed, she wondered if he had believed her. Only time would tell.

•••

Her shift ended right before dinner, and Quinn closed up the shop and started back towards the ship. Just as she was about to go up the gangplank, she heard her name called behind her.

“Quinn!” Jukes was sprinting towards her, lowering their voice as they neared her. “Seamus is at Captain Hook’s right now. I don’t know what it means, but it’s odd.”

Quinn felt her stomach drop as she remembered her conversation with the infamous Captain. If anyone could figure out who she was, it was him. “Oh, no,” she breathed.

“Where is Jax?”

“Out with Jade,” Quinn said and started running into the city, Jukes close behind.

They found them in a café downtown.

“What’s happened?” Jax asked.

“Seamus is at your father’s house,” Quinn gasped, out of breath.

Seeing the fear in her eyes, Jax needed to ask no more questions. “Jukes, take Jade back to the ship, keep her under guard.”

“But Jax –” Jade started.

“Jade,” he said. “This is important.”

Soon they were running again, Quinn following Jax’s lead.

“Do you think he knows?” Jax asked.

“Maybe not yet,” Quinn said. “But he did say I looked familiar.”

They skidded to a stop in front of a tackle shop in the north side of the island, named ‘Hook, Line & Sinker.’ Quinn was too stressed to appreciate the pun.

Jax threw open the door and they charged through the dark and empty shop and bounded up the back steps. They burst into a large room, where Seamus sat across from Captain Hook. They both turned to them as they entered, Seamus in surprise, Hook with casual interest.

“Speak of the devil and he –” Hook started to say but stopped when he looked at Quinn. Recognition flitted over his features. “Perhaps I do know who you are after all.”

Quinn and Jax realized their mistake. Running in here seemed to have been exactly the memory jog Captain Hook needed.

“Alf Mason was never resurrected by the Beast because he did not die in the battle with Pan.” He spoke slowly, calmly. “He died earlier, fighting the Indians.”

“Indigenous people,” Quinn corrected automatically.

“I’m sorry?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she muttered, feeling his piercing blue gaze and shrinking under it.

“Seamus, what the hell?” Jax said, trying to stall his father’s realization.

“I am merely trying to learn about the gang I’ll be leading tomorrow,” Seamus said.

“You’ll have to face me fir –”

“I do not care for your meaningless bickering,” Hook interrupted, eyes still on Quinn, and tilted his head to the side. “You look so much like your mother, my dear.”

“What?” Jax asked.

“My mother?” Quinn said, barely breathing.

“Yes,” he continued. “Very pretty dark woman we met on our travels. Extremely clever; your father was quite taken with her. He nearly gave up piracy to be with her – he actually went through with it when he learned she was pregnant.”

“What was her name?” Quinn breathed. Everything else had fallen away – she had nearly forgotten why they were here. Nothing else mattered.

“Izula”

Quinn smiled a little, trying to blink away the tears forming in her eyes. “Izula.”

“You resemble her a great deal, too,” he said. “Except your eyes – those are your father’s.”

“This is all very heartwarming,” Seamus snapped. “But who is her father?” The spell was broken, and Quinn felt more grounded again.

“If you tell him, father,” Jax said. “I swear I’ll –”

“Gentleman Starkey, my former first mate.” Hook’s eyes, which had betrayed nothing before but curiosity, now blazed with anger. “The traitor. The reason we are all on this sodding island.” He rose from his chair, hook glinting menacingly.

Jax started to step in front of Quinn, but she stepped forward, drawing her sword. “I am not my father,” she said. “I never even know him.” Her mind was still whirling from all she had learned, but she would have to unpack it all later.

He looked at her drawn sword with a pitying smile. “It is naively charming that you think you could best me.”

“But the two of us could,” Jax said, drawing his sword and standing beside her.

He observed both of them a moment, looking eerily similar to how Jax did when he calculated the odds of something. “You are both more valuable to me alive,” he said finally.

“But if you’re Starkey’s kid,” Seamus said. Quinn turned to him quickly. She had nearly forgotten he was here. “then you couldn’t have been born on the Isle.” Quinn could see the cogs turning in his mind. “You knew basically nothing about the Isle when you first joined –”

“I was homeschooled,” Quinn interrupted desperately. “I was hardly let outside.”

“– because you didn’t grow up on the Isle,” he realized. “You grew up in Auradon.”

Quinn breathed out shakily and glanced over at Jax whose hand was moving towards his sword.

“Careful, Jax,” Seamus said. “The duel isn’t until tomorrow.”

“What duel, son?” Captain Hook said lazily, watching this all unfold with slight amusement.

“He challenged my place as captain,” Jax said, not taking his eyes off Seamus. “but clearly he was afraid he couldn’t win if he’s resorting to blackmail.”

“You’re the one who let a hero and a traitor on to the Crew,” Seamus spat.

“She can’t help where she’s from and her father was a traitor, not her,” Jax replied. “You, on the other hand, are most certainly a traitor. Conspiring with Maleficent to replace me as captain?”

Quinn looked between them with worry. Jax was angry, but calm, while Seamus looked like he wanted to light both of them on fire. There was no way this would end without a fight.

“Those aren’t the actions of a leader or a captain,” Jax continued. “But of a coward.”

With a yell, Seamus attacked, and Jax’s sword was out in a flash to block him. Quinn jumped back, ready to grab her own sword, but stopped, realizing that this was Jax’s fight, not hers. There could be no doubt that Jax was capable.

So she stood to the side as the two, former allies and maybe even friends, slashed away at each other, teeth bared in twin sneers. On the other side of the room, Hook had not stirred from his chair, watching the fight unfold in front of him.

Jax’s movements were graceful and calculated as ever, but Jukes was right in that Seamus was a talented fighter himself. Where Jax was all smooth manoeuvres and footwork, Seamus slashed and hacked ferociously. He was larger than Jax and used this to his advantage.

For a little bit, Quinn was worried that Jukes had overestimated Jax. Perhaps he could not beat Seamus.

“When I return to the ship victorious,” Seamus taunted. “I’ll tell the Crew about your little girlfriend.” He slashed broadly at Jax, who jumped aside. “They’ll never trust you again.”

Jax’s mouth curled into a sneer but said nothing. Quinn watched them with concern – surely they were tired by now. Then she saw what Jax was doing. In letting Seamus prattle on, in nimbly jumping in and out of his way, he was purposefully tiring him out. She noticed Seamus’ movements slow, his comments shorten and disappear as he focused entirely on the fight.

That was what Jukes had meant – Jax was not physically the strongest of the two, but he was clever enough to make up for it. She scolded herself for doubting him. Of course, he could win, he was Jax the Magnificent after all.

Seamus could see it too. When Jax’s fist connected with his jaw and he came back spitting blood, Quinn saw a flicker of fear in his eyes. But he simply grinned, blood staining his lips. “You know just beating me won’t help you,” he said as they circled each other. “Even if I lose, if the Crew finds out, they’ll kick you out anyway. The only way to stop it is to kill me.” He raised his eyebrows. “And I don’t think you have the balls to do that.”

A growl barrelled up Jax’s throat and turned into a yell as he moved so quickly, Quinn hardly saw what happened. Seamus crumpled to the ground and for a moment she was afraid that he had killed him but realized that he was just unconscious.

“You just proved his point,” Hook said dryly from his seat.

“Shut up, father,” Jax snapped, surprising everyone in the room. “He will face the Crew for his betrayal.” He looked over at Quinn. “with some modified details, of course.”

Jax and Quinn lifted Seamus’ unconscious body and began to carry him out of the room.

“Hold on,” Hook said, and they turned back. “Quinn Starkey, I hope you remember that I know who you are, and should I ever require a favour…” he warned.

Quinn’s jaw clenched. “I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out.” She inclined her head. “Captain, have a good night.”

“You as well, Miss Starkey,” he replied. “Goodnight, son.”

Jax turned and they left without a word. Once they were out of sight of the shop, Jax looked over at Quinn. “Are you alright? He dropped a lot on you there.”

“I don’t know, I –” Quinn started but was interrupted as Jukes nearly ran into them.

“Oh, wow,” they said. “I see the duel happened earlier than planned.”

Jax grunted. “You’re hilarious, Jukes, now give us a hand.”

“It’s unfortunate really,” they continued. “I was looking forward to seeing you beat his ass.”