"Cramped? I call it cozy." Marina winked and entwined her arm with Jackson's, "My boat was more of a clipper with a few modifications here and there. She could catch lightning, but more often was a goods transport."

A smuggler then, perhaps. Again, Jackson was nagged that he knew this woman, if not personally then by reputation. He just couldn't remember. He raised his free hand and rubbed at his forehead for a moment; he was foggy and buzzing... and horny. It wasn't coming to him.

What did it matter? He glanced over at Marina as they left the bar together. It didn't. Not at all.

***

Brax glanced over his shoulder at Jane, Andrew and Gunny, all of whom were carrying crates full of bottles. Andrew and Gunny had sacks piled on top of their crates full of other foodstuffs. Jane had a large metal jug of salt.

They were almost back at the Cloudcutter, and Brax had picked up his pace. They hadn't used the same route to return as they had taken to leave, and everyone's senses were on high alert. Undertown was dangerous, but at night that barely covered it. Finally, they came in sight of the hidden smuggler's dock, and slipped inside as quietly as they could. Two figures stood together at the foot of the gangplank, and as they got closer they clarified into Alex and Dr. Damien. The doctor looked frazzled, almost desperate, and Alex's craggy face betrayed little except annoyance.

"What is it?" Brax asked, motioning his followers to go on up the plank.

"It's the Captain," Damien said. "He slipped away from me when I wasn't looking. Wrote that he'd be back soon. That was almost half an hour ago! I thought he'd be back here, but Alex hasn't seen him."

Alex shared a look with Brax. "It's impossible to look for him. He could be anywhere."

By now the crewmates had reached the top of the gangplank, but slowed once they were out of sight of the senior crewmembers below. Andrew and Gunny also shared a look, then looked at Jane. The Captain? Missing?

   Jane could only share their troubled look. The only reason she could think of that would take the Captain away would be something to do with the curse. She frowned and moved quickly down to the galley in order to stock the supplies, get them out of the way so that she would be ready. Ready for what? She didn't know. How dare he? she thought suddenly, anger flitting across her face. She slammed the container of salt down harder that she needed to. With an entire crew worried sick about him? She huffed under her breath and refocused her efforts on keeping her work space orderly.

   It didn't take her long, she knew the kitchen and stores like the back of her hand. And she was back up on deck after taking the stairs two at a time. She cast a cursory look about to see if anything had changed.

Damien and Brax had gone, but Alex had come back up on deck. He was leaning his crossed arms on the rail, staring down at the deserted dock. His jaw was clenched, his posture stiff. His eyepatch was toward Jane, but he twitched his head toward her when she came on deck, letting her know he knew she was there. The dark night around them was getting foggy and still.

   Jane crossed the deck to lean against the railing beside Alex. She didn't need to ask to know that the Captain had not yet returned. She breathed in long and deep, held it a moment, and let it out with a frown, "We can't go looking?" she asked quietly, unwilling to disturb the swirling fog, "Anywhere he might favor to go?"

Alex shrugged slightly with the shoulder closest to Jane. "Brax and Damien are checking back at the city doctors place. Other than that... no. Nothing to do but wait til he returns... or we get some news."

There was a slight noise out in the night, like a distant laugh. Or cough. Indistinct voices whispered through the fog, their origin impossible to determine.

   Raising her head slightly, Jane cocked an ear to listen, her gaze sweeping the fog for a glimpse of whoever was making those sounds. Her hand moved to grip the railing, and she leaned toward Alex, whispering, "Listen."

Jackson was walking along beside Marina, arms entwined. He was trying not to stumble. Trying not to cough. Trying not to make an ass of himself while they made small talk. He had unconsciously been leaning on her more and more, needing support to keep walking. Finally, as they stepped through one of the doors to the smuggler's dock, Jackson had to stop and bend over to cough, hard. The sound carried easily to the ears listening from his ship.

Quickly wiping at his watering eyes, Jackson straightened up despite the ache in his ribs and tried to smile disarmingly, but it came out more like a wince. "There she is," he said tightly, gesturing to the shape of his ship though the fog. "The Cloudcutter." He started coughing again. Damn it. He was going to scare her away.

"Ah, she is a magnificent ship," Marina rubbed Jackson on the back a little as he tried not to cough harder, "I want a closer look."
Poor man, Marina thought. The least she could do is make sure he gets on board safely. Marina still couldn't quite remember why that ship's name was so familiar.

She hoped it wasn't catching. Although, she had heard once that strenuous activity could help with such ailments. So really, she was doing him a favor.

Of sorts.

   Jane came running down the gangplank from the Cloudcutter, Alex right beside her, "Captain!" she called in a subdued shout, anger and relief in her voice. They came to a stop before the pair and Jane looked at Marina in bewilderment, "What's going on?" she demanded cautiously, her gaze turning in concern to Jackson, her hands clenching and unclenching in uncertainty.

Jackson finished coughing and cleared his throat. "I'm, ah... giving Marina here a tour of the Cloudcutter." He gave Alex a look while he raised an arm to give Marina a squeeze around the shoulders.

Alex narrowed his single eye. He tapped Jane on the arm with the back of his knuckles, and turning slightly, gestured with his head that they should go back to the ship.

   Jane opened her mouth to speak, but paused and decided against it after looking at Alex. She turned to follow him back up the gangplank, unable to hide the concerned expression on her face. She stood again at the railing, leaning back against it to watch the Captain and the woman with him. She gave out a quiet sigh, wondering what the Captain was playing at.

   She took the opportunity to observe Marina. She definitely looked like a woman in charge, and at least she wasn't a seedy looking. She didn't seem to be taking advantage of the Captain, so Jane folded her arms to watch.

"I'm surprised you have a lady crew member on board," Marina commented, "Pleased, yet still surprised." She wrapped her arm around Jackson's waist and followed his lead up the plank.

"I'm full of surprises," Jackson grunted as they stepped on board. He saw the worry on Jane's face, but the guilt wasn't enough to make him stop and explain. He led Marina to his cabin and shut the door soundly behind them. Then he grinned at her. "Were you wanting an actual tour, or will this do?"

Beside Jane, Alex sighed. "We can be relieved that the Captain was just chasing some girl. But Raff will definitely have words for him come morning."

   Jane just shook her head and pushed away from the railing, "I suppose." she frowned and sighed as well, "I'm going to try and sleep during what's left of the night." She gave Alex's arm a pat in farewell and made her way below to her little room. Relieved? Yes. Confused? Yes. Not really desirous to follow the path some of her thoughts threatened to go? Yes. After washing her face, Jane curled up in her bed and banished the thoughts of her day so that she could get some rest.

“This will do very nicely.”

~

Marina slid the hooks through her earlobes, her gold tinking and sparkling in the early morning sun. The disks on the end of the chains spun as she shifted her hair over her shoulder. Brown skin bare, she bent to pick up her white shift, which had been discarded uncaringly to the floor.
Knowing where Jackson’s eyes were, she wiggled a little, smirking devilishly. Straightening, she pulled it over her head. The rest of her jewelry sat on a small table. Sometimes she forgot how much she wore until she saw it all in a pile.

Jackson sighed, slowly stretching out on his narrow bed as he watched Marina dress. His head and muscles ached, though he felt a vigor in his thoughts that hadn't been there yesterday. He felt more hopeful. If he could still romp like he did last night, his situation wasn't as bad as he had feared. True, Marina did most of the work, but... it was still fun.

"I still feel like I know you from somewhere," he said softly. He started slowly sitting up. His cough hadn't bothered him since he woke up, and he kept his breathing shallow to try and keep it that way.

"Strange," Marina clipped on her golden talisman around her neck, "I have the exact feeling about you. Have you ever been to the Bloodoak tavern? I'm a little," she clicked her tongue, "notorious there."

Jackson laughed, carefully. "Don't know a sky pirate who hasn't been to the Bloodoak. Though I frequented it more in my... younger days." He had been about to say 'Sanctaphrax days', but stopped himself. "Perhaps that explains it."

Now upright, he slowly rested his weight onto his legs as he slid off the bed. They held him, so he reached for his trousers, flung over the back of the chair behind his desk.

"Pirate has harsh connotations, sweet thing," Marina leaned against the small table, "Now a name like Jackson Knight has got to have a few stories behind it."

Jackson grinned at her, delight twinkling in his green eyes. "Of course it does! But you'll have to try harder than that to get them out of me." He quickly leaned close and kissed her on the cheek.

"Playing coy?" Marina slowly fiddled with Jackson's fiery hair, twirling it around her adorned fingers, "Then let's make a deal. You tell me a little something, and I think about telling you a little something in return."

Jackson grinned again, this time a cocky half smile. "I know just the thing," he proclaimed. "It'll be tough to beat, my dear. Do you remember the Great Storm that happened a few years ago?" He had no doubt that she would. Great Storms were very rare and always garnered huge attention. He decided not to mention that he had inadvertently caused it.

Marina's eyebrows rose, "I remember my crew drinking themselves into a stupor to avoid pesky academics." Marina rested her arms around his waist, waiting.

"There were rumors of one ship that returned to Undertown with a cargo of freshly harvested lighting, of all varieties. One ship that rode the Storm and survived. And guess what?" He bent his head and kissed her neck, then whispered in her ear. "You're standing in it."