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peaktotheocean · 2 years

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all at sea

pairings: Stede/Ed, Jim/Olu, Lucius/Pete notes: a Jim becomes Dread Pirate Blackbeard fic, with therapy for all and Ed realizing that he’s more than his relationship and reputation summary:

"He threw me off the ship." Lucius' breathing is still so heavy that Jim isn't sure he's quite aware of where he is. Or who Jim is.

Gently as they can manage, which is still rather harsh, Jim reminds Lucius, "He’s a pirate."

Or- Jim rescues and hides Lucius. And then gets to work on everything else. A post-season 1 story.

When Jim pulls him out of the water, Lucius is so waterlogged and disoriented that not even threats or a knife against his throat could pull him out of it. It’s only after long, terrifying moments of stroking his hair— that Jim will deny vehemently if he ever brings it up— that Lucius' seawater coughs and nonsense mutterings turn into coherent sentences.

"He threw me off the ship." Lucius' breathing is still so heavy that Jim isn't sure he's quite aware of where he is. Or who Jim is.

Gently as they can manage, which is still rather harsh, Jim reminds him, "He’s a pirate."

"I know that," Lucius hisses and Jim is almost relieved at the show of bravado because it means Lucius probably isn’t going to die.

"We've all heard the stories of Blackbeard before we met...Ed," Jim says carefully. "Two very different men. This is Blackbeard."

"Yeah," Lucius sighs, his head still resting against Jim's shoulder. "Figured that out when he shoved me off the bow, thanks."

"Jesus."

Lucius' hands twitch like he doesn't know what to do with them and without thinking about it, Jim grabs them, their fingers tightening around his. Lucius is breathing so loud but Jim can't tell him to be quiet.

They think about the last time they saw Oluwande. Helping Roach out with that silly talent show act. All of them stuck on that godforsaken rock, with the exception of Frenchie, who might worryingly be considered disposable after he finishes whatever sewing the captain needs done.

Jim got one night with Oluwande.

One.

Jim refuses to let it be their only.

"Yeah. Yeah." Lucius squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head, his wet hair dripping onto Jim's shirt. "There’s a reason that I joined the crew of a man who looked like Stede. I wanted to get away from my life. I didn’t want a death sentence."

"Why didn't you leave after they got their Acts of Grace?" It's not an important question. Nor the one that Jim means to ask but they had been wondering. Though, now that they say it aloud, they realize the answer before Lucius can respond. "You didn't want to leave Pete."

Lucius huffs and he shrugs, not ashamed of his love or lover. He manages to lift his head again long enough to taunt Jim, just a little bit. "Don't look so smug. You came back for Olu."

"I did." Jim tries to sound as confident as Lucius. They think that managed about it around 80%. "We're both fools then."

"We're not fools. We're just in love."

"Same thing."

More than love, Jim knows. Oluwande said they could be family. Nana /liked/ him. Jim took both of those things to heart. And if Oluwande is dead, they'll take their dagger to Izzy's heart. And Blackbeard's.

Lucius laughs at that, unaware just how dark Jim's thoughts receded for a second. The noise pulls Jim back to the present.

Breathy and exhausted, smelling downright awful, but it’s still a laugh. Jim didn't expect him to react at all but it's nice. Lucius leans into them again for just a moment, nudging Jim in a way that makes them maybe just a little glad that he didn't drown.

"Ed and the captain were in love too," Lucius whispers as if it was a secret. Maybe it is now. Lucius knew more about their relationship than anyone and Blackbeard wanted him gone for that reason.

"And now they're not," Jim says flatly. "So it doesn't matter anymore."

They don't know what happened between the two men but it's none of their business. Especially not now when asking for such information could risk getting them killed just like Blackbeard attempted to do to Lucius.

"He was so sad. And then..."

"If I had to guess, he's still sad. Just...expressing it in a different way." One that's almost too familiar to Jim. They're not going to think about that similarity if they can help it.

"Now what?" Lucius asks, pulling back to look at Jim like...well, like his life depends on them.

It kind of does. It already has.

Jim knows Lucius is telling the truth about his place on the ship. He's not a pirate, not like them, not even like the rest of the crew. He'll do what he can, and Jim knows he'll take their orders with minimal fuss. But it's going to be all up to Jim now. Hopefully Frenchie a bit too but they can't risk Ed killing him. Not before having a plan to sneak him into the walls of the ship first. And they can't trust Fang or Ivan, with the wind blowing against them.

"We'll figure it out."

Lucius looks sick again for a moment and Jim wants to shift. If he's going to be sick, it's not going to be on their pants. But he only asks a question: "Do I need to sleep inside the chest again?"

Jim thinks about joking but the haunted expression on Lucius' face stops them. From the ocean, to the secret passage, and back to Jim's room. They can't put him in a confined space again just yet. Not unless they have to.

"No," Jim decides quietly. "They haven't come in my room, really. They only guard it from the outside. It's weirdly respectful and fucking annoying." It doesn’t mean that they’ll trust Ivan or Fang or anyone again anytime soon but it's one thing that's in their favor. For now. "You sleep behind me. Under the blankets."

"Got it."

"And if I tell you to get in the chest..."

"I do it."

"Good boy."

Lucius leans his head back against Jim's shoulder and they don't push him off. If getting shoved into the ocean wasn't enough of an indicator that things had gone to shit, Jim imagines that them being nice to Lucius would have been another sign.

One night, Jim tells themselves. Then Lucius can go back into the walls of the ship and they can figure out a way for the three of them to get the rest of the crew back.

And if there's an opportunity to kill Izzy in the process, Jim will gladly take it.

Consequences be damned.

It takes longer than Jim expects for the three of them to shift into a new normal. On some level, they know it's due to the unpredictability of Blackbeard, which certainly isn’t helped by the general existence of Izzy. They're both wild cards in their own way and not useful for when Jim is trying to manage a traumatized stowaway and an instrument-less musician.

Lucius remains what must be an exhausting combination of jumpy and tired. He retreats into the walls of the ship easily enough after a day or two but Jim thinks that’s because he’s more scared of being found again than being in an enclosed space. They can't blame him too much for that.

It’s still progress, Jim reminds themselves. And now they don't have to worry about anyone bursting into their room and finding Lucius in their bed.

On the other hand, Frenchie is doing his best to achieve a balance between helpful and invisible. Rather difficult at over six feet tall, but he pulls from his experience as a servant and Jim admires the effort. Even when Izzy sometimes looks twice at Frenchie, as if remembering just whose crew he came from.

They could do without that.

Frenchie's quest for invisibility helps Lucius though. Whatever time Frenchie doesn't spend on deck is time he slips into the passageways to keep Lucius company.

He isn't allowed to play his guitar on the ship anymore due to attempting to strum one morning and Izzy threatening to throw it overboard. But sometimes, Frenchie hums to Lucius.

The first time Jim finds them inside the walls, Lucius seems so normal. Besides hiding in a secret passage with his head in Frenchie's lap while his crewmate hums made-up ditties to him.

They hear Lucius giggle at Frenchie going through scales, trying to find just the right note to fit his new tune. Jim thinks that they could pretend they are all just playing one of Stede's childish games masked as team-building activities.

The second time, Frenchie's guitar isn't with him at all, even as a comfort item.

“Where is it?” Jim asks the obvious. They scoot down so all three of them are lining the wall of the passage, like sad peas in a pirate pod. Jim thinks they've got an hour at most. Izzy and Blackbeard are interrogating some poor soul they took off a Dutch merchant vessel and they've never seen Izzy more disgustingly excited to egg on his captain. The rest of the crew are taking advantage to eat a real meal while their bosses are occupied.

Frenchie and Lucius exchange a glance and Lucius reaches over and comfortingly pats Frenchie’s hand. He’s twisted up his tall frame to be able to tuck himself next to Lucius in a way that looks almost as miserable as his expression.

“Izzy?” Jim guesses darkly. They have a list of what they'd do to that man if alone in a room with him, and not surrounded by a crew loyal to him.

“Blackbeard,” Frenchie corrects them with a sigh, hunching his shoulders. “I’m counting myself lucky though. I don’t think he destroyed it.”

“Izzy would have,” Lucius mutters.

“Why would Blackbeard want to keep your guitar?” Jim carefully asks, trying to toe around the fact that Blackbeard didn’t even want to keep Lucius.

It’s not rare for a crew of any kind to have an instrument or two on board. Stede’s jam room was an obvious exception to the rules but…taking his guitar after Izzy already ordered him not to play it is strange. Or rather, it’s weird. And weird would be more of an Ed trait than a Blackbeard one.

“You don’t think…” Jim starts but stops themselves. They don’t want to give any of them hope. But it’s not hope, not really.

“What?” Lucius asks anyway, unaware of Jim’s inner conflict.

“He wants to learn to play. Maybe. Blackbeard does.” It seems so foolish when Jim says it aloud but it’s just odd enough to be the right answer. But again, Jim thinks it would be Ed learning, not Blackbeard.

Lucius lets his head fall back against the panels with a thud. He lifts it only to hit it once more but Frenchie, as if he’s seen this before, puts his hand between Lucius’ head and the wood before they can make contact again.

“Of course he does. God, he’s a mess. I've had break-ups before but not like this.”

“It's just an idea. It might not be true.” But the more Jim thinks about it, the more confident they feel in the idea.

It's only not truth yet because they don't know it for sure. But Jim needs to find out now.

They're not sure why, but there's something about just the possibility that's important. It's needling at them and they cannot push it down.

Deep breathes, just like Nana taught them.

One thing at a time.

Find the guitar, then suss out why it’s important.

No time like the present. Jim pushes themselves off the floor and checks their inventory. Two daggers, more than enough for anyone who gets in their way.

“Where are you going?” Lucius asks, brow furrowed. He’s distracted enough to stop banging his head against the ship’s paneling. Jim hopes Frenchie has a few more songs in him.

“Trust me.”

Jim is sure that the only reason Lucius and Frenchie don’t call after them is because the noise would draw too much attention. It’s a point in their favor and Jim has to go before they lose their nerve.

The noise from the mess is loud enough that Jim needs to look where they’re going in order to avoid anyone else. They can’t rely on their ears when one end of the ship sounds like a party. Though, they suppose it’s better than hearing whatever torture Izzy and Blackbeard are inflicting on the poor guy in the brig.

Stede’s room, Blackbeard’s now, is empty of most possessions. But it’s the secret additions that interest Jim. They see the mannequin on the bookshelf just like Lucius described to them when explaining the ship’s design. Jim wraps their hand around it and tilts it downward.

The panel slides open with a scraping noise that’s just a hair too loud.

Jim freezes but after a moment of panic, no one appears to be coming to investigate. They ride the adrenaline high and rush into the little closet.

All of Stede’s clothes are still hanging up. Jim knew he had to be storing extra ones somewhere and now they have their answer. Blackbeard got rid of the books but not the clothes.

Or the guitar.

The instrument is on the floor. Not thrown there but clearly loving placed onto a discarded robe.

Right next to it is Stede’s journal. Jim recognizes it instantly. Larger than any other book on the ship and with a properly marbled covered.

Fuck. How did he even get Stede’s journal?

As far as Jim knows, Blackbeard can’t read. Which means he’s just keeping Stede’s journal. For what?

Jim tries to remember what Frenchie and Lucius told them about the English raid. Frenchie dropping the journal but Black Pete retrieving it for Lucius to read from in order to make Stede eligible for an Act of Grace.

And now it’s in Stede’s closet. Blackbeard's closet.

Along with Jim.

They take one last look at the guitar and the journal before removing themselves from the secret room. They carefully and quietly shut the panel behind them and try not to think about if there are any secret panels on the ship that even Lucius doesn’t know about. Or worse, ones Stede told Ed-now-Blackbeard about that could be used against the three of them.

That's what occupies Jim’s mind on the slow, extra casual walk back to their room. Every extra peg and slightly warped wood gets a healthy dose of suspicion.

They slip back into through their own hidden wall in their room to find that Frenchie and Jim haven’t moved. Lucius breathes a sigh of relief when he sees them and even Frenchie's shoulders come down a bit.

"He's got the guitar,” Jim tells them, slipping back down into the spot they vacated only moments earlier. “And Stede’s journal.”

“Fuck,” Lucius whispers. Frenchie gives Jim a curious look, waiting for more information. But Jim doesn't have any to give.

"What does that mean?"

Jim only shrugs. “I'm not sure.”

They still think that it’s a good thing. Somehow. Or at the very least, it has the potential to maybe be a good thing. But it all rides on Blackbeard and Jim doesn’t trust anyone, let alone their new captain. And they don’t want Frenchie to think that he can ease up on his practiced invisibility. Not until they know more.

“Thank you.” Frenchie nudges their shoulder with his own. “It’s nice knowing that it’s still in one piece even though I can't play it. For now. I should get going though.”

Lucius makes a noise at that and Jim wonders if he’s thinking the same thing as them. That now isn’t a time to relax. Frenchie shouldn't go out onto the deck in good spirits.

“Let him go," Jim decides. "He’s good at keeping his head down.”

“Let me guess: he told you that he was born for espionage.” Lucius words aren’t harsh, more nervous than anything else if his shakiness if any indication. It gives way to quiet laughter and Jim can’t help joining in.

Frenchie gives Lucius’ cheek a hard poke, even as he laughs and right then, the three of them huddled together, Jim thinks maybe they're going to be okay. More than that, they're going to make sure of it.

“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” Frenchie promises but Lucius doesn't look mollified. "I'll bring you back some dinner later tonight."

The promise of food, however, and the knowledge that Frenchie is going to leave whether Lucius wants him to or not, has him waving off his crewmate.

“All right, all right. Go on, get!”

He wants until Frenchie is gone to turn serious. Lucius doesn't quite frown but he doesn't meet Jim's eyes either when he tells them, “He’s bringing me back too much. Someone is going to notice his portions are too big.”

The thing is, Jim has already noticed. They're surprised Lucius has as well, but they suppose there's not much else for him to think about besides continued survival and all that entails.

“We don’t want you to starve," they point out. But they both know Lucius is right.

"And I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. But I don’t want either of you caught.”

“Leave that to us,” Jim commands. They'll figure something out. Maybe Lucius can teach them how to pickpocket and they can sneak food away like that instead of openly on a plate.

They know it's not a long term solution. Nothing is, short of sneaking Lucius off the ship the next time they make port. But then what? The crew is already in two separate places. Then they'd be split to three. And that's even assuming Izzy won't have someone watching over Jim and Frenchie the second that someone spots land.

But Jim, perhaps a bit too emboldened by finding Stede's journal, can't bring themselves to care about the future just yet. They go to ruffle Lucius' hair and he playfully smacks their hand away, laughing while he does it.

"You really saw the journal there?" Lucius asks after they've both calmed down a bit. He sounds...hopeful. Jim can relate.

"I'm positive."

“That bastard.”

“He can’t read, right?" Jim checks. They take off their hat and balance it on their drawn-up knees. "I mean, he got rid of all the other books--"

“But he saved that one. And knew it on sight," Lucius finishes.

“And he’s keeping it hidden with Stede's clothes.” Jim wonders if they should have taken spare pants for Lucius to wear. But that would have been too bold perhaps.

There's no knowing what Blackbeard is keeping track of, even when it comes to Stede's clothing. He may not be wearing their captain's robe anymore but he's clearly using that room.

“What the hell happened between them?" Jim asks quietly. They're not expecting an answer. They've never really had breakups before. They've always just sort of, well, left. But the hurt and anger, Jim can understand that.

“I’m not sure." Lucius shakes his head. "They were so confident when they left together. But I suppose they were also taken into service so hard to say where they went from there."

Jim can remember feeling confident in themselves and another person. Making the decision to come back for Oluwande. Kissing him, his lips against theirs. Tucking themselves into their small bed that seems so empty again now with just one person sleeping in it.

“Olu and I had one night. One fucking night," Jim hisses, surprising even themselves with their outburst. And their honesty. It's boiling over and they can't seem to stop themselves. At least they know that only Lucius is hearing them.

They don't want Lucius' pity. But they know that he gets it, on some level. Not like Jim though. He had more time with Black Pete.

But his lover was left out on that rock too. And then the captain tried to kill him. Jim supposes they're somewhat on even footing for right now.

“If I promise not to tell anyone, do you want a hug?” Lucius asks carefully. His tone isn't mocking but it has dropped to a whisper. He sounds as though there's a lump in his throat and Jim hopes he isn't about to start crying.

It's only when Lucius moves closer and Jim opens their arms that they realize that they are the one who is crying. Just a little. It's enough. Their tears leave little smudged wet shapes in Lucius' shirt and Jim wants to be furious but right now, they're letting themselves be exhausted instead. And held by a friend.

“Why aren’t you crying?” Jim pulls back and wipes their eyes and is grateful for their short fuse that Lucius is looking down at his hands.

“I didn’t exactly have a delayed reaction back at the start of all this," Lucius says quietly, like he’s hoping even Jim won’t hear him with the scant inches between the two of them. Jim hadn't thought of that. Maybe it's the real reason he wanted to get out of their bed so quickly. To cry by himself in the walls of the ship. Christ but they're a pair.

“Besides..." Lucius swallows before he says the next bit. And Jim is so very aware of how he's refusing to make eye contact still. He's staring at the wooden finger that Pete whittled for him. "We know that they love us. You can hang onto that, in a way.”

Jim takes a deep breath and watches Lucius carefully. It's so easy to do when he's toying with the tassels on his discarded jacket that's been thrown over his lap. Wrapping them tightly around his wooden finger as if he could feel the pressure.

He's right though. Jim knows that Oluwande loves them. He told them so himself. Oluwande is family.

And Jim isn't about to lose anymore family.

Jim knows it’s meant to be a good thing when the Revenge passes by the crew’s rock and finds it empty. If they had been there, what would Jim have done? Overtaken everyone on the ship, including Blackbeard and Izzy, in order to rescue the poor bastards?

But they don’t have to run any fools errands because it’s empty. No crew, nor any sign that they had been there in the first place. Not even Pete’s silly powdered wig.

Jim reminds themselves that they should be heartened by the lack of evidence. But it’s really just another indicator of how far apart they are from Olu.

"Nothing?" Lucius double-checks. He’s been quiet most of the morning and Jim can tell they’re both having the same internal dilemma.

Jim doesn’t think Lucius would have jumped off the ship to join Pete in being marooned but they can’t deny the appeal of potentially doing the same for Olu. Not that Jim wants their reunion to be public and in front of half-starved crewmates but if the other option is no reunion at all, they’d consider it.

"No clothes, no props from their acts. Nada,” Jim confirms. “And I know this because we got close to it. Way too close. Izzy either wanted to bait us,” they gesture to themselves and Frenchie, “or he wanted to make sure they were dead.”

“And instead, the place is empty.”

"And that's a good thing, sort of— right?" Lucius looks between Frenchie and Jim.

"It means they're most likely still alive. We just don't know where they are."

“That’s better than nothing, I suppose,” Lucius murmurs.

“Barely.” Jim doesn’t quite think it’s fair that Blackbeard got to keep so much of Stede. His clothes, journal, his fucking ship. And all Jim and Lucius are left with a canvas bag and a leather satchel, respectively. And that’s only because Frenchie sweet-talked Fang into not tossing Olu and Pete’s belongings overboard along with the rest. He insisted that he could use the fabric for the captain if he needed anything else sewed.

Jim doesn’t know if Fang believed him or humored him. They’re not too inclined to trust either Fang or Ivan anytime soon regardless. Not with Izzy back to ruling with an iron fist courtesy of a mad Blackbeard. The bump on Jim’s head might be down to a dull ache but it’s still a reminder of the situation they’re in.

Jim has gone over this in their head each night and the only way they’d somehow convince at least Fang to be on their side, would be to reveal Lucius. They were unconscious when Blackbeard must have revealed Lucius’ death but they can’t imagine Fang took it well, not after treating his finger to a burial at sea.

It’s…well, it could be nothing. Just like anything else. But Jim hopes if they gather enough maybes and nothings that they can build some kind of foundation for a plan.

They never get that far.

Lucius isn’t surprised to see Jim the next morning but he slumps into disappointment when they come through the sliding panel in the wall.

“They’re not letting you off.”

It’s not a question. Jim and Frenchie didn’t expect to get any shore leave when the ship made port but it still stings.

“We knew it was a long shot.”

"No shit."

"I wouldn't have gone anyway,” Jim admits. Not that it wouldn’t have been tempting. “It's St. Augustine. I'm known by too many people there. And those people know Nana. I'm not leading Izzy right to her.”

The old broad can handle herself but Jim doesn’t want to tempt fate. They’ve had enough of that for a lifetime.

That's what Jim tells themselves a few hours later when they sneak up to the bow to look out at the St. Augustine coast as they leave it behind.

The sun has already crossed over the horizon an hour prior. The perpetually rebuilt St. Augustine watch tower is trying its hand at being a light but the town itself is casting enough brightness to warn or welcome anyone looking for it in the night.

The ship picks up speed and Lucius slips out of the little passage. Jim raises an eyebrow but doesn’t chastise him. They think it might be the first time he’s been out of the passages since they pulled him back aboard the ship.

“Do you think your Nana would like me?” Lucius asks, looking towards St. Augustine, same as Jim. He doesn’t get too close to the rail and Jim feels their clenched fists attempt to tighten further at the sight.

“No, but she’d feed you anyway,” Jim adds as consolation. Lucius nods, his smile small but still there.

“I’d take that. That seems more than fair.”

Jim meets Lucius gaze and the two of them can’t help laughing, just a bit. An exhausted kind of hopeless giggle but it’s still nice to be experiencing it together. They try to stifle themselves and Jim ducks down to hide with him in the fresh air.

“She liked Olu,” Jim whispers after a few minutes, as though it’s a secret.

“Of course she did. Who wouldn’t?” His tone is honest and Jim, for many the first time, realizes that they’re not the only one who misses the rest of the crew, not just their partner.

The moment is interrupted by a noise in the passage leading right to them. Their eyes widen at the same time and Jim moves faster than Lucius to stand in front of him.

“Someone is coming. Hide.”

“Hide where!” Lucius hisses but he’s already on the move, obeying the best he can given the situation. He tucks himself away into a place between the rail and where Buttons used to go out and converse with the figurehead, the former unicorn still headless.

Jim takes one last look at St. Augustine lights before they completely disappear into the night and the panel to the bow swings outward.

Izzy isn't drunk, they can tell that much. But he's clearly come looking for Jim with a purpose in mind if his smile full of bared teeth is any indication.

The tip of his cane thumps against the deck before he reaches the top of the stairs but even then, he and Jim are at nearly equal heights. Jim squints at him but doesn't move. They don't want to draw attention to Lucius' hiding spot.

There's a large piece of paper crumbled in the hand that isn't wrapped around the head of Izzy’s cane. He looks at Jim like a predator looking at their prey but Jim isn't about let that metaphor play through. Not when they still grip their blades tight and at the proper angle, just like Nana taught them.

"Sir," they say, with as much spite shoved into the respectful tone as possible.

Izzy tilts his head at them and scowls. “You don’t fool me. I don’t know what you’re planning but I’m going to put a stop to it.”

“I don’t think Blackbeard would like that," Jim says, a lot more confident than they feel. They know it's not ideal to bait a man with eyes as wild as Izzy's, a man who enjoyed eating his own toe and everything that came after it. "He wanted me for his crew after all."

“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him," Izzy says, slow and measured. He bares his teeth at them and waves the paper around. "And what he will learn tonight will only push him further off the rails."

"What are you talking about?" It's clearly a newspaper but Jim can't read what it says— it's too far away and crumbled up. But they can't get it from Izzy either, they don't want to get that close.

Izzy apparently feels different. But he comes towards Jim with his cane raised and no, Jim is not about to get knocked out again. They've had enough of that. They twirl their knife in one hand, unnecessarily perhaps, but it's a confidence booster.

One that they don't end up needing.

There's movement out in the corner of their eye that Jim sees but Izzy doesn't notice soon enough, just barely. A red blur rushes into the first mate and the paper in Izzy's hand falls to the deck at the same time that Lucius pushes him over the rail. His cane clatters against the side of the ship as it follows its owner down to the sea. Izzy gives only a single yelp right before there's a distant splash.

Jim snatches up the newspaper before the wind can carry it off of the ship. They look up and see Lucius looking down at where Izzy fell. His hands are shaking and Jim shoves the paper inside their pants pocket so they can go over and grab them.

Jim squeezes his hands twice before Lucius looks at them, dazed.

“I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“I’m about to not have anything in me.” Lucius rips himself out of their grasp and leans over the side of the railing. He empties the meager amount of food that’s in his stomach and there’s a part of Jim that not-so-secretly hopes some of it hits Izzy. It won't, but only because the ship is moving at such a fast clip.

“I went for one of your knives,” he says mournfully, holding it out to them. His hands are still shaking. "But I just couldn't..."

Jim carefully takes back the knife. Lucius looks like he might be sick again just holding it and Jim wishes Frenchie were here. Or that they remembered enough of one of his songs to see if it could calm Lucius down.

“Don’t ever pickpocket me again,” they say instead, with absolutely no teeth to the threat. “Unless it’s life or death.” Then, after another beat. “And thanks."

"Don't thank me yet. I survived that fall once and he's more of a cockroach than me." Lucius peers into the sea but it’s far too dark to see anything. "Do you think anyone heard him? The cane sounded louder than anything."

It's an unsettling good point.

"I'll head aft and make sure no one helps pull him aboard. Meet Frenchie in my room. Tell him what happened."

"But--"

"No buts. Go." Lucius still looks like he might try to empty anything left in his stomach but Jim wants Lucius safe and back in hiding before anyone else potentially sees him. "I'll check the passages before you sleep tonight."

Not that that’s going to be happening anytime soon. And they both know it.

“Okay so maybe the plan is starting a little sooner than we anticipated," Jim admits.

Lucius rolls his eyes and it's nice to see another expression on his face besides grim terror and nausea. He leans forward conspiratorially, “I like that you’re calling The Plan as though we had one.”

“I was working on it!" Jim gives him a light shove towards the panel. Barely a push. "I still am. Go find Frenchie.”

Jim makes sure he's back in the passages and then does a not-so-subtle rush towards the back of the ship to check on the dinghies. Lucius managed to grab hold of the rope until Jim pulled him onto the ship but they're fairly positive that no one is going to help Izzy back aboard.

There's no sign of the first mate or his cane. It doesn't mean much in the long run but the sight of empty dinghies settles something in Jim.

They still do a walk around the perimeter of the ship and then head inside to do another lap through all the main rooms, avoiding the mess and the captain's room. No one questions their presence but Fang does throw them a newly-acquired orange.

Jim makes a show of starting the peel with their knife before tipping their hat at the crew and heading into the passages. They take the long way, making sure there's no final sign of Izzy even behind the walls.

They end at their room, where Frenchie isn't humming but Lucius is holding one of his hands rather tightly.

“Blackbeard is going to kill me. Again," Lucius is saying as Jim slips in, double-checking the door behind them.

“He didn’t succeed the first time and I won’t let him get close enough to try a second,” Jim swears. “Besides, Izzy being gone is a point in our favor. I’m sure of it.”

"No body?" Frenchie asks.

"None that I could see. I would have rather seen a body even if we had to hide it."

“I live in these passages," Lucius reminds them. "They smell bad enough, thanks.”

Jim hands the rest of the orange to Lucius in favor of digging in their pocket for Izzy's newspaper. He peels off one slice for Frenchie and then eats one himself, keeping up the pattern until the whole fruit is gone.

Sitting down in front of the boys, Jim flattens the long paper out on the floor in front of them and their heart sinks.

It's the first page of the East-Florida Gazette from the previous week. There's a smeared print of a jungle cat with the words "BONNET BURIED" over it.

“At least we know why he was acting so cocky," Jim murmurs. They can't image the sheer disgusting glee that Izzy felt when first finding the newspaper.

But then Jim actually reads the article. And their heart rises up again, so quickly that it ends in their throat. Jim smiles and turns the article upside-down so it faces Lucius and Frenchie.

“Read that," they demand. Lucius leans forward, dragging his finger along the underside of the sentences.

“What’s it say?" Frenchie asks impatiently.

“That Stede was mauled by a jungle cat," Lucius says slowly. "And then run over by a carriage. And then..." He tilts his head to one side and meets Jim's gaze, matching smiles growing on their faces. "A piano fell atop his head."

“That doesn’t…sound right.” Frenchie touches the print of the jungle cat. "Are you sure that's what it says? It sounds fake."

“It’s almost certainly fake," Lucius agrees. He leans back against the wall and lets out a single laugh. "God. That fool."

"A fuckery," Frenchie says reverently. "He finally nailed one."

Jim draws the newspaper back towards them and folds it up for safekeeping. They look up and don't bother hiding their smile. “You think he found the crew after facing down that ferocious jungle beast?”

Lucius taps his wooden finger against the floor. “I hope so.”

“Now what?” Frenchie asks.

They both look to Jim, who picks themselves up off the floor and starts pacing in front of them. They drop their hat in Lucius' lap and run their fingers through their hair. Hands on hips, they make a decision.

"Izzy is gone and Captain is coming for us. Stede, I mean. We need a real plan," Jim says firmly. “We have to move quickly. I think it's time we talk to Blackbeard."

Jim has never tried to take a captain hostage before. Olu was telling the truth back during the first mutiny attempt: Jim isn’t a fan of politics. But this is something different, and unfortunately unavoidable.

“We don’t mention Stede at all.” They’re not sure of what’s going to happen once they take Blackbeard hostage on his own ship but mentioning Stede certainly won’t help them. He’s already on Blackbeard’s mind enough.

“But Blackbeard kept his journal.” Frenchie isn’t arguing, not really, just stating a fact. An important one at that.

“It’s not completely about Stede,” Lucius says quietly, before Jim can stand their ground. “It’s about Ed.”

“Exactly.” Jim nods and Frenchie looks to Lucius for a more detailed explanation.

“I told Stede once that I’m pretty adept at break ups.” Lucius isn’t meeting either of their eyes. Instead, he’s playing with his wooden finger. Suddenly, Jim wonders just how he got here, caught up with Stede and pirates. But they can’t ask now.

“It sounds so cliche to say you have to love yourself before you’re in a relationship because,” Lucius rolls his eyes but still doesn’t make eye contact with Jim or Frenchie, “it’s so not true. But after a breakup, you need to at least want to make yourself whole again for you, not another person. Your happiness can’t just rely on someone else altogether.”

“So we don’t tell him anything about Stede then,” Frenchie sighs and leans his head back against the wall. He nudges Lucius’ shoulder and coaxes a small smile out of him. “Not the fuckery or that he might be headed right towards us.”

“Not a word.” They can all cross that plank when they come to it.

"You let me handle him once he's in the brig. I need the two of you to take care of Ivan and Fang." That’s the part of the plan that makes Jim nervous the most. Challenging Blackbeard is all well and good but his two large henchmen who they’ve seen commit murder more than once? One of whom knocked Jim out? That’s an issue. "Make sure they're really with us."

"Do you really think—“ Lucius starts but Jim cuts him off.

"I think if you look pathetic enough, Fang won't leave your side." The face Lucius makes would be scathing if he didn’t also still look like a sad puppy. "Yeah, just like that."

"Thanks,” Lucius says sarcastically but he’s priming himself to leave the comfort of Jim’s room, tucking his cropped jacket tightly around him. Frenchie’s fingers twitch nervously and Jim hopes that after all this, he gets his instrument back safe and sound— lots of sounds, even.

“Let’s do it.”

Fang and Ivan first.

Lucius is going to be the main distraction there, Jim knows. Then hopefully, if Fang is occupied with him, Jim and Frenchie can reveal to Ivan that Izzy is gone. With any luck, that’ll indict to Ivan that they mean business. He already voted to mutiny against Izzy once. Jim is hanging a lot of hope onto that memory and the fact that they haven't yet picked up any of Blackbeard's old crew up just yet.

Lucius hesitates at the door to the mess and Jim uses their foot to tap lightly at his heels, coaxing him forward.

Even being right behind him, Jim misses the initial plate-clattering and swears but by the time themselves and Frenchie are flanking Lucius, Ivan’s mouth is still gaping and Fang can’t take his eyes off of him.

“What the hell?”

“Lucius?” Fang whispers, disbelieving. Lucius manages a smile but Jim does wonder if he’s done being sick. He gives a little one-handed wave, wiggling his wooden finger.

“Lucius!” Fang says again, pushing his chair back from the table so forcefully that it clatters to the floor. Jim tenses as Fang rushes towards Lucius but he only gathers him up in a hug. It’s eerily similar to the night he swaddled Lucius in a blanket after he lost his finger.

Lucius clings back, hiding his face in the little nook between Fang’s shoulder and neck. If there’s a little sob, everyone ignores it. Not really out of politeness, but the task at hand.

“What the hell?” Ivan says again. He gets up from the table too, but slowly, circling Fang and Lucius.

“Captain shoved him off the ship,” Frenchie helpfully supplies. Ivan raises an eyebrow at Jim, expecting a better explanation.

“It didn’t take.” It’s the simplest answer they can give while Fang is distracted and Ivan doesn’t seem to know what to do. Jim realizes what he’s waiting for though.

“Does Izzy know?” He asks, eyeing the open door to the mess. Jim settles only slightly. If Ivan is asking that while watching the door, there’s a higher chance he wants to protect Lucius from Izzy rather than turn him in. Jim hopes. Regardless, Izzy isn’t a component in this problem anymore.

“Well—“ Lucius and Frenchie both start at the same time. Frenchie gestures for Lucius to keep going.

“I pushed him off the ship. About an hour ago actually,” Lucius manages to say without his voice shaking too much. Jim is pretty impressed. “We’d like to make Blackbeard see some kind of reason and I think that’d be easier to do now without Izzy around.” He puts on the same puppy expression that Jim had been hoping for, eyes a bit wider than normal, pout more worried than sad. Then he bites at his lower lip and asks, “Are you with us?”

“You did that?” Fang asks, still caught up in the attempted, maybe-not-so-attempted murder.

“He was going to kill Jim,” Lucius answers earnestly, which is a level of sweet Jim can’t begin to wrap their brain around.

Fang makes a face at that and Ivan does a complicated a hand gesture. Whatever the meaning, the implication isn’t lost on Jim that they don’t seem surprised by Lucius’ words. Neither is Jim though, Izzy never liked the fact that Jim and Frenchie had been kept aboard the ship. He had wanted to get rid of everything Stede Bonnet which is laughable whenever Jim remembers just whose ship they are sailing on.

“If you need a minute—“ Jim starts, impatience heavily bleeding into nerves in their tone. They’re only not gripping their knives outright because they’re hoping not to use them.

“We don’t. We’re in,” Ivan answers, nodding to Fang.

“Really?” Frenchie grins but Jim doesn’t let their guard down. They’re glad Frenchie asked though because it does seem too good to be true. Ivan holds up both hands, shaking his head.

“I don’t want to be the next Izzy. I know where my toes have been.” Then, with less humor. “Blackbeard like this, it’s not. He’s Blackbeard yeah, but with Izzy over the last few weeks, he’s just…unhinged? More than usual. He’s going to burn out or blow up and then we’ll all be dead for the mistakes he makes.”

He’s right. Jim has heard the stories about Blackbeard’s younger days but that was with a fleet of ships and a vetted group. Not a skeleton crew that Blackbeard continually swaps out every chances he gets.

“You’re doing it?” Ivan asks Jim, who grimaces.

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go.”

“How do I know I can trust—“

But Ivan cuts Jim off with a hand before they can go further.

“You don’t,” he says simply. “But like I said, I prefer all my toes where they’re at. And Fang’s been miserable for days,” he adds. They both look over where Fang is still holding Lucius so tenderly that it looks as though he might fall apart. “It was like Blackbeard killing his puppy all over again.”

Jim concedes the point. “Surprisingly good comparison.”

“I can still hear you,” Lucius calls over to them.”

“Sé, hombrecito,” they call over to him. “Fang, watch him. Make sure he doesn’t fall off the ship.” Jim ignores whatever comment Lucius makes under his breath. “Frenchie, with me and Ivan.”

They’ve walked to the captain’s room countless times before, covered every inch of this ship during the voyages with Stede and post-Stede but never for something like this. It feels heavy and Jim wishes it didn’t. They’ve been on crews that have mutinied before, crews with ships that had sunk. But this is still different.

The door is partially open already and Jim sucks in a breath through their teeth. It doesn’t have to mean anything. Frenchie is watching them from behind and Ivan’s keen eyes are scanning the area around them. Surely Blackbeard is still in there. He hasn’t left the room much at all since Izzy took over.

Jim uses one hand to slowly push open the door, leaning back even as they do it. But there’s no acknowledgement.

When there’s enough space for Ivan to go through, he does so, slipping past quickly, ready for action.

But there’s nothing.

Jim follows him in, with Frenchie close at their heels. Ivan is still checking the room, walking around the perimeter as quiet as he can manage but there’s no one that they can see. The curtains are drawn with the except of one over the empty bed which is letting in enough of the full moon to at least shine off some of the brass sconces and illuminate parts of the space. That leaves the corners dark though. Jim is very aware of those corners and peers behind the door, which is still empty.

Ivan turns towards them with a silent shrug. Jim puts a finger to their lips and points at the secret panel. Even though he doesn’t seem to quite understand, Ivan pays attention as Jim pulls the little mannequin down. The panel creaks open as Ivan’s eyes widen.

“Can I help you?” A gruff voice comes from behind the three of them.

Jim whirls around and sure enough, Blackbeard is there, peering past them into the closet like he’s on the team.

They move quickly, brandishing their knife but Blackbeard, for all his inconsistent rage, is still Blackbeard. Wicked fast and working to disarm Jim with infuriating speed.

And then he’s not.

Blackbeard crumbles to the ground like a wooden puppet with its strings cut and standing above him is Ivan, holding a small brass whale in his hands.

“Thanks,” Jim manages to get out as they catch their breath.

“Don’t mention it.” He tosses aside the whale and it lands with a thud.

Frenchie is on the ground next to Blackbeard, not touching, just observing.

“Stunned, not dead,” he decides. “You want shackles or rope?”

“Let’s get him to the brig first.”

Ivan gets his hands under Blackbeard’s arms and Frenchie grabs his legs. Jim is right next to them, keeping close watch to make sure Blackbeard hasn’t yet regained consciousness. That’s the last thing they need.

“He can probably pick locks,” Jim mutters once they’ve laid him inside the brig. They turn to Frenchie who has iron shackles in one hand and coarse rope in the other. “Tie the most complicated knots you can manage. His wrists and ankles.” Jim looks down and thinks to add, “And his thumbs.”

Thumbs are far too useful, Jim knows.

And they’re rather pleased with their decision to render Blackbeard’s thumbs inoperable, especially when the man wakes up a half hour later.

Blackbeard’s head lolls to the side and his lidded, haunted eyes meet Jim’s through the bars, without a care in the world. Jim isn’t sure how long he’s really been awake before letting them know it. Enough to take stock of his situation though.

“You can’t cage the kraken,” he says it as a matter of fact but he also just sounds so downright miserable.

He plays it so well, and Jim isn’t wondering if Frenchie is onto something with the existence of some kind of magic or witchcraft. Surely one man’s desolation isn’t enough to blanket the whole room with a depressive fog.

“I’m not,” Jim murmurs, loud enough for him to hear. “I’m caging Edward Teach.”

Blackbeard face shifts for just a moment and Jim can see in real time how he was going to open his mouth to say something reflectively and then managed to stop himself. The mask slips back on almost flawlessly. But Jim’s been there and there’s no fooling a kindred spirit.

But Ed still tries to anyway.

“They’re the same person,” he tells Jim with a practiced laziness that they don’t buy at all. But before they can answer, some of the remaining crew come down the stairs.

Jim let their eyes flick their direction for a moment. Fang and Lucius.

Blackbeard’s eyes glaze over Lucius and he looks confused for just a moment before letting out a hollow and sickening laugh. Jim can physically see the change he makes when he tilts to lean towards Lucius, which is more haunting than it has the right to be.

“He knows.” Blackbeard nods at Lucius. “He knows why I’m like this. He helped. And then…” He trails off as if he’s remembering something. Blackbeard lifts himself up to peer into the other cell in the brig. It’s empty.

“No Izzy?”

“Izzy is gone,” Jim tells him and knows they don’t misinterpret his reaction to the news. The slight shift, Blackbeard holding himself tight and then that tension being released just a bit. If Jim hadn’t been looking for it, the body language would have been easy to miss.

“Well he’s off the ship same way I went so ‘gone’ might be a relative term,” Lucius says quickly. He’s nervous and Jim hates that for him but they’ve done all they can for him right now, which is keeping Blackbeard tied up and behind bars. Still, he’s susceptible to Blackbeard’s smoke and mirrors. They all are.

“Go find Frenchie and make sure he got his guitar out of the closet,” Jim orders, without taking his eyes off of Blackbeard. He notices and squints at them.

“But—“ Lucius tries to argue and it’s sweet, in a way, he wants to be there to support Jim. But this conversation is better for them to have alone.

“I’ll be fine,” Jim soothes. “He’s not going anywhere.” There’s some whispering and commotion but they both obey, however reluctantly. Jim is going to have to remember to thank Fang.

And even as Fang and Lucius head back up the stairs, Jim and Blackbeard don’t break off eye contact.

“Lucius liked you. He tried to help you and you made him fear you.”

Blackbeard doesn’t answer that but he doesn’t need to. Jim saw the way he interacted with Lucius after the breakup. He confided in him. The boy knew too much and he couldn’t have that.

"Stede liked me too and looked what happened there."

Jim blinks. They weren’t expecting Blackbeard to just admit it like that. It’s infuriating in a way. For all the mystic and mystery, it really is still about Stede, the gentleman fool. There’s more, sure, history and manipulation but all Jim hears is that Blackbeard left Jim’s boyfriend on a rock after his boyfriend left him.

“A bad break up isn’t a reason to murder people and drive your fleet into the ground,” Jim says as measured as possible, which isn’t very measured but they’re doing their best. Olu’s teal earring flashes through their mind and they tamp down on the memory. Now isn’t the time.

“Blackbeard doesn’t need a reason.” He’s not arguing and he’s just that much closer to a sing-song voice. But Jim won’t break easily.

“Blackbeard is an unhinged asshole,” Jim says instead of immediately throwing their knife which they personally think shows growth of character and self-control. “But Ed? He’s pretty okay. Not great taste in music but he cares about people. That’s without Stede and without Izzy. Just Ed.” He looks like he’s paying attention even if he won’t meet Jim’s eyes so they keep going. “We liked Ed. And I think Ed liked Ed too. And that’s good enough reason to bring him back.”

His eyes, still trained on his thumbs, don’t react. Jim is pretty sure Izzy is dead but if he isn’t, they’re going to kill him slow. How he could ever want Blackbeard over Ed is a mystery to Jim. And maybe to Ed too.

There’s long minutes of quiet but Jim can see the gears moving. They can also hear Frenchie and his guitar from up on the deck. A slow, mournful tune akin to a funeral dirge.

“You think I’m a good reason?” Blackbeard asks quietly, as though he really doesn’t know and needs to hear the answer. Maybe he does.

“I think that you’re a great reason. With or without Stede. When you’re not being Blackbeard,” Jim says honestly.

They don’t know if it’s the right or wrong answer. It seems wrong at first. Blackbeard’s face gets stormy again and he tilts it just right so it hides in the shadows and accentuates the black marks he drew there. Jim isn’t sure how he learned that but they imagine the story is more heartbreaking than they would have thought just a few weeks ago.

“I am Blackbeard. I am the Kraken.”

His tone is so helpless and cruel but not towards Jim. He’s not saying these things as facts but rather as traps for himself to fall into.

It’s so familiar that Jim aches. And curses Stede, who no doubt is dealing with his own demons but Jim is less inclined to be sympathetic when he left one behind for them to handle.

"Blackbeard is just a part of you,” they say quietly. “Same as Bonifacia was to me. And we are more than our parts."

He’s quiet again. It’s a comforting pattern and Jim knows they’re not just being optimistic. Blackbeard is listening and hearing what they’re saying.

“How did you know?” Blackbeard asks. He gestures to himself, his painted face. His disguise.

“You kept his book. And Frenchie’s guitar.” The secret closet is a secret no longer. Jim idly wonders if Stede had any pants in there that could fit Lucius. He’s been in sea and sweat-soaked clothes for far too long now.

“What did you keep?” Another question. Jim doesn’t know if the questions can link together and guide Blackbeard out of his own head but they will answer every single one just in case.

“My family’s dagger at first,” Jim admits. “And the idea of revenge for them. You can live on revenge but you cannot survive on it.” Something they would never admit to Nana. They love the bloodthirsty nun but things are different when you’ve promised yourself to poverty for a higher being. “We’re very similar, you and I.” Jim used the dagger to point between themselves and Blackbeard.

“What did you do?”

They haven’t done anything. They’re still doing it. It’s never done really. It just becomes part of life.

“Found a new path,” Jim says instead, trying not to focus on the endlessness of it all. It did really fold into their life but if they had known that originally, it would have been too overwhelming, they think. And Blackbeard is already at that point. “New people, new purpose. Trying out piracy for a while. It’s going okay.” Blackbeard doesn’t react and Jim takes a moment to think of Olu. Piracy was definitely going more than okay.

“Sounds hard,” he grumps and Jim tries their best not to smile at him. It is hard. Not any harder than giving up piracy to serve the king but Jim knows he had Stede at his side then. He did it for Stede in the first place.

“I am terrified that I might lose myself to that anger again. So I made myself a life where I couldn’t,” Jim says honestly. Shouldn’t and couldn’t and wouldn’t. “I know I cannot go down that road again. And neither should you.”

It’s not just Olu. It’s Lucius, Frenchie, Wee John, all of them. But more importantly, it’s them. It’s Jim. They like themselves far too much now to give it up in any way.

“Life is not just about lovers. It’s about yourself,” Jim keeps going. They can’t seem to stop and they don’t think they should, not when Blackbeard seems nearly captivated. “It’s about friends too. And, against all odds, sometimes your crew and friends are one in the same.”

“Not Izzy though,” Blackbeard says, mostly to himself.

“No. Fuck that guy.”

Blackbeard, in a headspace where he’s almost nearly Ed, blinks at Jim, remembering something. “Did Lucius really push him off the ship?”

“Yep. And saved me in the process.”

“Good for him.”

Jury is still out on that but Jim agrees even if Lucius’ hands are probably still shaking regardless of being in Fang’s hold.

"You know,” Jim takes a cue from Blackbeard’s more relaxed body language and leans back against the wall, “You're a good sailor when you're not being an absolute twat.”

And finally, Ed, not Blackbeard, laughs at the joke, breathy and a little too high-pitched bud it’s there.

“Edward Teach, born on the beach,” he sings under his breath. It’s still loud enough that Jim can hear it. It sounds like a rhyme he’s sang dozens of times. “But not much good on land.”

“If you want to be part of a crew again, just let me know,” Jim offers. They’re already forming a plan. It’s got too many steps but all are necessary for their comfort, the crew’s, and Blackbeard’s. No, for Ed.

He shrugs too quickly but Jim thinks that’s good. He’s only just realizing there might be other options. Ed gives Jim a rather thoughtful look and they wonder if Ed would take them up on a wet rag to clean off their face.

“Have you ever considered being Blackbeard?” He asks suddenly. Jim flinches just a bit but enough that they know Ed sees it. He raises his tied hands up beer he can. “I don’t mean it like that,” he says quickly. “Not like,” he gestures to himself, “I just meant, if I was looking to retire. The name still carries a lot of weight.”

“Retire?” Jim isn’t unfamiliar with the word but the concept is still a confusing one. Stede had used it along the same lines as when he used 'vacation.' They assume retiring is the opposite of being a pirate.

“Just. Think about it, would you?” Ed winks at them. “You’ve already got the beard, right?”

It's a slow build, which Jim thinks is probably for the best. Ed remains and Blackbeard doesn't return, at least not in earnest. And all of Ivan's toes stay where they are but that could also be because Jim made that rule number one.

“Rule number one. No more toe eating.” Jim nods at Ivan who raises a hand in acknowledgment.

“That’s fair enough.”

"Thank god,” Frenchie gives a little nervous giggle but Ed just waits patiently for the next rule.

“Rule two: you let me lock you up at night.”

It isn’t lost on anyone that it’s still night when Jim declares this rule. Ed’s eyes might have cleared but Jim isn’t foolish. He needs time to re-settle into his skin and a night (or potentially a few more days) in the brig will be a respite for all of their nerves.

Especially Lucius.

“Jim?” Lucius starts and then immediately stops when he sees the look on their face.

“All right,” Ed agrees easily, glancing between the two of them.

Jim takes a step back so that they can lean into Lucius.

“It’s not just about you feeling comfortable.” But it’s not not about that either. Jim’s grown fond of Lucius and even with Fang for protection until they meet with the crew again, Jim doesn’t think it’s the best idea to let Ed and Lucius encounter each other by surprise on the ship. Certainly not at night. But Lucius doesn’t need to hear that in detail.

“Just until we think we can really trust him again. Or until you don’t feel nervous whenever he’s free to walk about the ship. So until he proves he can be trusted, he’s in here at night." Jim doesn’t take Lucius hands, not here, but they do their best to give him a reassuring smile. It seems to work and he nods at Jim before stepping back, right into Fang’s hold.

Jim turns back to Ed who, they know, watched the whole exchange. They can’t worry about that though.

“It’s fair. Boring but fair,” Ed conceded. There isn’t much to do in a cell overnight, Jim admits, but there’s few options available to them. He’ll just have to be bored.

“Frenchie can teach you guitar if you’d like.” Jim looks over at Frenchie, whose got his guitar in hand and nods to them. It was the first thing he went for once Blackbeard had been secured. He seems more relaxed than he’s been in days and even Jim can freely admit that they’re ready to hear something else besides the sound of the sea.

“Yeah, all right,” Ed mumbles, shift and oh god, he’s embarrassed, Jim realizes. Which is a positive sign because Blackbeard doesn’t get embarrassed but Ed does. Jim wonders how far he got in teaching himself guitar. As long as Frenchie is willing to give lessons, it’ll be another thing to keep Ed’s mind off of Stede and Blackbeard and the Kraken.

“Any other rules?” Jim asks the crew. If a crew could be four people who do real jobs, Lucius, and Ed. They’d make it work. The group mostly shrugs and trudges back up the stairs.

“Wait. Jim,” Ed calls.

Jim gestures for the rest of them to head to the deck. They all linger for a moment longer but eventually go. Obeying orders will be something they have to work on until Olu gets back.

Ed is still tied up but Jim isn’t about to undo the ropes, not just yet. This is night zero of their trial period. Jim feels as anxious as Lucius but they desperately want this plan to work. Not just for their sake but Ed’s too.

"I just. Thank you,” he murmurs quietly, head down. Jim just sighs.

"Don't thank me yet."

There's three weeks of awful guitar lessons before Jim hears something from the brig that's truly in tune. They think that the next time they make port, they’ll ask Frenchie to pick up another guitar just for Ed to use.

Three weeks of Ed meeting Jim down by his cell each night to be locked in until the morning. The first few days, Ed is almost too eager to go back in. But around day ten, he hesitates a bit. His head is tilted listening to the rest of the crew on deck and Jim can tell that it’s less about not wanting to be locked up and more wanting to be with them.

After all, Jim reinstated story time. And even though Ed gets locked up after they or Lucius finish a chapter, there’s still idle discussion before everyone drifts off to sleep.

Though, there’s not many books left on the ship. They had done an unfortunately impressive job at getting rid of Stede’s library but there were a few hidden under the mattress and one Spanish one that Jim had taken from their childhood home.

So far the shopping list for the next port reads: guitar, books, oranges, and a crew.

In the meantime, Jim tasks Lucius with writing down stories on the blank pages of Stede’s journal as well as Jim’s. It keeps him occupied and ensures they don’t run out of stories to tell. He even draws illustrations for them, with Frenchie and Fang hanging over his shoulder arguing about what mermaids and selkies really look like.

Lucius spends two whole weeks being jumpy every time he sees Ed or even if he just thinks he sees Ed. For all their talk about how Lucius is a puppy, Fang is the one who follows him around like a guard dog whenever he’s off duty.

But on the dawn of the twelfth day, Jim heads to the brig and finds that Lucius has already beaten them there.

He’s perched on a barrel right next to the cell, head bowed. Ed is gazing at him with his eyes so wide that Jim wonders just how long they’ve been talking.

"There’s a reason I’m out here and it’s not because I left home thinking that I’d be a fantastic pirate," Lucius says quietly. "We've all felt like monsters at some point in our lives. Those of us who don’t quite fit in.”

Ed is silent for far longer than Jim is comfortable with but they don't dare interrupt. When he finally speaks, Jim takes a peek at Lucius' face and it's like his heart is breaking. "Does that feeling ever stop?"

"Well," he starts slowly. Lucius reaches one of his hands through the bars and Jim holds their breath. But Ed only grabs it like it’s a lifeline and squeezes. "Turns out that some monsters make a pretty okay family. If you let them. And that helps.”

Lucius uses his spare hand to pull a handkerchief out of his pocket and passes it through to Ed. He wipes his face, shaking his head all the while.

Jim steps down loudly on the next landing, making themselves known. But instead of pulling away from each other, both men just peer up at them with exhausted smiles.

“Morning, Jim.” Lucius scoots over on his barrel to make room for them which they don’t take. Jim goes right to the door of the cell and opens it for Ed.

“Morning to you both.” A very good morning at that.

All in all, it’s going well. Jim leads and listens to Ed a lot. They now understand why Stede had Lucius take so many notes. Ed’s been sailing since he was a teenager and the knowledge isn’t limited to raids and the weather but also the tides, alliances, and animals. He recites whole histories of settlements and knows just where to stop, who to give a few extra pieces of coin in order to gain a lead.

It’s a lifetime of knowledge that Jim can’t hope to soak in but they make Lucius write everything down anyway. At this rate, Lucius has already gone through Jim’s two spare journals and well, it’s another item added to the shopping list.

The most interesting part is that Ed enjoys it. They knew from his exposition about the fog and the full moon that Ed loves telling stories with a captive audience, but he doesn’t act like a man giving away his secrets. He treats it as though he’s a proper teacher. And Jim takes advantage, asking questions right back, sometimes for hours on end until one night they go far too late.

Lucius is yawning, leaning against Fang, quill slipping from his hand but Jim and Edward are still at it. Edward has been keeping an eye on the new whalers up North as they’ve expanded through the Atlantic and he wonders if that won’t disrupt migration patterns, leading the whales and their predators further south— right into proper pirate territory.

“You’d be able to sell the oil and—“ Ed is cut off by his own yawn and Jim can’t resist a laugh.

“That’s bed, I think,” Jim nudges at his hip with their foot. Ed sighs and makes to get up but Jim stops them.

“Lucius?” They ask, gleam in their eye, even this late.

“Oh god, leave him here, he’s fine,” Lucius murmurs sleepily. He finally lets the quill and journal drop and turns to bury his face between Fang’s shoulder blades.

“You heard him.”

“Taking orders from your scribe now?” Ed asks but Jim can see just how pleased he is. He snags a blanket from the barrel and covers himself, curling around to face the crew. Ivan keeping watch, Frenchie and Jim on hammocks, and Fang and Lucius keeping safe between them.

“He’s a necessary judge for some things,” Jim admits. They’re pirates and they don’t need a moral compass. In fact, the profession strongly discourages it. But having Lucius around is a good reminder of why exactly Blackbeard wanted him gone.

It’s something Jim keeps in mind even as they listen to and learn from Ed.

They can’t pull off raids with such a small crew. And Jim isn’t ready to bring aboard anyone new. They could hire on a few people for a trial period, try some things out, test some of Ed’s expertise.

But Jim knows the real crew they want. And whenever they find them, Stede is going to be with them. They just know it.

But eventually, after only three weeks, their time is up.

It’s somewhat of a relief that Jim doesn’t have the weight of the decision anymore but it also makes them want to throw their knife into the mast as hard as they can. Because they don’t know if Ed is ready yet. But it can’t be helped. And more than that, he might never be ready to face Stede.

Frenchie’s music fills the deck again, Ed and Ivan are arguing about the sails, and Lucius is drawing a crab that Frenchie pulled out of his fishing net.

Jim can almost pretend it’s a regular day on the Revenge when Fang shouts from the bow.

"We've got visitors!”

Jim knows who is it before they even pull out the scope. No one sane would willing cross paths with the Revenge, the ship known to have Blackbeard aboard.

Then again, Stede Bonnet never claimed to be sane, nor his crew.

Jim moves quickly but Ed is already moving but towards the opposite rail.

“Don’t you dare jump off this ship!” Jim grabs his arm. He stares at them, pleading, but they don’t give in or let go.

“Are you going to let me hide in one of the passages until they leave again?” Ed asks hopefully.

Leave again.

Not for the first or last time, Jim thinks they could murder Stede Bonnet if it wouldn’t make Olu disappointed in them.

“It was his ship first. He knows all the passages,” Jim points out. It would just be an agonizing game of hide-and-seek.

They’re not getting anywhere and Lucius comes over and gently takes Ed’s other hand, a lighter grip than Jim has on his wrist.

“I once jumped out a window of a public house to avoid an ex but this seems a bit drastic.” Lucius pats his hand and Ed gazes up at him, lost. He leans in and promises, “You’re going to be fine, remember?”

No, Ed doesn’t seem to remember but he stays put anyway, Ivan taking Jim’s place so they can speak for the ship.

“Permission to come aboard?” Stede shouts, If he’s surprised that Jim is the one who answers, he doesn’t show it. Or perhaps he’s just too occupied. He seems more worried than Jim has seen him and Jim has seen him nearly hang before. He’s not dressed in fancy clothes anymore and he looks, well, Stede looks fine truthfully, but fine for a regular person, not a wealthy landowner.

“Granted,” is all Jim manages since they’ve got one eye trained on trying to make sure Ivan doesn’t let Ed go anywhere as the crew boards.

“Oh my god. Pete.” There’s a clattering on the deck as Lucius drops the ship’s journal. Before he can move towards him, Pete is there, scooping him up in an impressive way that makes Jim forget that Lucius is the taller of the two. Lucius’ shoulders are shaking and they give Pete a lot of credit. The man clearly loves Lucius for who he is, even when he’s crying in front of two pirate crews and not even Pete’s hand rubbing at his back or making soothing shushing noises helps quiet him.

Wee John lifts up Frenchie in a hug and he holds his guitar above his head so it doesn’t get smashed. Roach slams into the back of him, sandwiching him between them. Swede and Buttons quickly follow.

And then there’s Olu. Last to come aboard, probably just to annoy them. Jim knows they have a stupid smile on their face right now because Olu has one too. A nod is all they can handle right now but Olu nods back because he might not understand what’s happening but he trusts them. God, Jim loves him.

“Uhh…Izzy?” Stede asks, very obviously trying not to stare right at Ed who isn’t managing quite as well. He can’t take his eyes off Stede.

“Dead. Maybe.” Jim shrugs. They’d honestly forgotten about him that quickly. “Lucius pushed him off the ship and if there's one thing we've learned, it’s that that kind of action might not be as fatal as one hopes.”

Black Pete beams proudly at their words but Lucius turns green at the reminder so he tamps down the expression rather well and quickly, Jim thinks.

Stede and Olu exchange furtive glances and Jim just knows that’s going to be bad news once they weasel it out of Olu. But that’s for future Jim to deal with.

“Ed, can we talk?” Stede asks in an endearingly hopeful tone. He doesn’t move closer, He and Ed are as opposite rails, giving each other as much space as possible on the deck of a ship.

Instead of answering, Ed looks over at Jim. He’s guarded but even then, Jim sees the uncertainty. He doesn’t want permission, he wants advice. All Jim can offer is their protection. If it comes down to the two of them, Jim will protect Edward Teach from Stede Bonnet.

“Up to you. We’ll be here,” they promise, nodding at the crew.

“Yeah, okay then,” Ed mutters and Ivan lets go of his arm.

“Take the room,” Jim advises. Not that Ed has used the captain’s rooms since he was put in the brig. No one has which is only a surprise because Jim thought Lucius would have taken the mattress. But no, they’ve all been sleeping on the deck together.

“Is this like what you were saying?” Jim hears Pete ask Lucius. “When you break up with someone and they come ‘round asking for something of theirs back?”

Lucius laughs against Pete’s neck. “And you think Stede is going to ask for what back exactly? His journal? His ship? Us?” He gestures to himself and then to Jim and Frenchie. Jim watches Pete’s grip tighten on Lucius in real time. Lucius considers himself and Frenchie part of Jim’s crew now. And it’s a nice feeling. But Jim wants them all back together if they can manage it.

They watch Ed carefully walk ahead of Stede into the captain’s room and then the door shuts behind them. The rest of the crew split off into catching up and Jim feels Olu come up next to them.

“Are they going to be all right? Captain and Ed?”

“I don’t know—“ And there’s nothing they can do about it right now. Jim grabs Olu with both hands and reels him in for a kiss.

There’s a wolf whistle that Jim just knows is from Roach. And maybe this crew isn’t the worst but once the hooting dies down, they’re keenly aware that privacy is needed as soon as possible if they want to keep kissing.

Jim leads Olu to their room which still has remnants of Lucius’ time hiding. Olu seems as though he wants to ask about it but Jim shoves any extra bits off the bed and then it’s a good while before either of them speak again.

And when they do, Jim tries their best to catch Olu up on the goings on of the ship. But there’s a piece of the puzzle that Jim is missing and they’re hoping Olu knows it.

“What did Stede do? Ed would only say that he left.”

“He did leave,” Olu says, which doesn’t answer Jim’s question, not really. “He was pretty gutted by it, I think.”

“He was gutted?” Jim can’t stop themselves from saying. “Blackbeard threw Lucius from the ship after they broke up! What exactly did Stede do that warranted that kind of response?”

Olu is quiet enough that Jim settles back down into the sheets. He doesn’t meet their eyes and Jim takes it upon themselves to press their face into his bicep, hoping he can talk if they’re not watching, if they at least pretend to be calm. They know it’s not Ed or Blackbeard’s fault altogether. People are responsible for their own actions but clearly there was a catalyst that made him vulnerable enough for Izzy’s manipulations.

“They promised to run away together, I guess,” Olu tells them quietly. “And Bonnet got cold feet and got guilty about his wife and kids and…left Ed waiting on a dock.”

Jim shakes their head in disbelief, bangs getting tangled against Olu’s skin. The actions certainly don’t warrant murder but they can maybe see how Ed broke down a bit.

Christ.

“They both deserve better,” Jim decides aloud. “But if they’re it for each other, they need to step up their game.”

As much as Jim wants to linger with Olu in the privacy of their room, they’re too anxious for that. They’d rather pace around the deck a few times, planning their next move now that they’ve got a full crew.

They see Lucius out of the corner of their eye, still standing upright but leaning on Pete. Pete waves Jim over and they can’t help but smirk.

“Thank you. He told me what you did,” Pete tells them. Lucius, clearly embarrassed, elbows Pete in the ribs but that doesn’t change his expression.

“He saved me,” Jim says truthfully. “But you’re welcome. No take backs.”

“You wish—“ Lucius starts but Pete has a hand over his mouth before he can say anything else.

“Let them go for now, sweetie.”

They are just disgustingly cute as Jim remembers and he wonders if Pete even knows Lucius’ name. They’re not sure they’ve ever heard him use it, sticking strictly to pet names.

It’s a thought for later, much much later. When Olu isn’t watching with from across the deck with a little smile.

In the end, Stede doesn’t ask for anything except Ed. Not the ship, not his journal. Not even any of his fancy clothes.

Jim thinks they’ve woken up to Frenchie strumming down the corridor, happily serenading the crew far too early in the morning. But a knock on the door makes them realize that whoever it is must have knocked before.

By the time Jim covers Olu and themselves, the person is gone. But Jim isn’t the only one peeking around corners below deck.

“Captains— well, Stede and Ed are asking for everyone to come up on deck, if that’s all right,” Wee John announces from the top of the stairs.

There’s a shuffling up to the deck and Roach is handing out a few ship’s biscuits to tide people over before breakfast. Jim goes to stand next to Lucius and Pete, Oluwande following them, back to the rail.

“Anything?” Jim asks Lucius. He’s sitting on an overturned crate and Pete has both arms around his waist, his chin resting on Lucius’ shoulder. Jim wonders if Pete’s let go at all through the night. They know Oluwande tried not to.

“Roach says that Buttons says they stayed in the captain’s room the whole night. A lot of talking.”

Jim raises an eyebrow and Lucius holds up his hands. “Talking is the only thing I know about. And for the record, I hope that’s the truth.”

“Me too,” Jim murmurs.

They want to protect what they built here, what they’re still in the process of building. They’re not sure if they can go back to the Stede and Ed show, especially now that they know they shouldn’t. No one should, not Ed or Stede most of all.

Before they can go down that path, Ed emerges from the captain’s room carrying all his leathers, minus the knee brace. He’s wearing an outfit not unlike Stede’s, plain and open, the leather brace overtop the brown fabric. He makes a beeline for Jim and holds out his leathers, his Blackbeard outfit.

“Now what?” Jim asks, taking them carefully. They examine Ed’s face and he seems…peaceful. Not dazed or worried, but maybe even a little excited.

“We’re just going to take the dinghy, if you don’t mind,” Ed drops casually. The crew starts talking all at once and Stede comes out of his old quarters and leans against the capstan, watching Ed with such a loving expression that Jim almost wants to turn away.

“You’re leaving?” Olu manages to be heard through the chatter.

“Are you sure?” Jim asks Ed, ignoring Stede best they can. Ed is still their priority and might continue to be even after leaving their ship. They clench their fingers around the leather and wish they had more than three weeks with Ed. They still have so much to learn but they have their crew now. And that’s not nothing.

“I’m sure,” Ed leans in close. “Thank you,” he whispers. “You’ll be a great captain.”

Jim finds Olu and smiles. He smiles back, even though he has no idea what’s going on.

“I think we have a better candidate for captain now.” Olu perks up, confused but Jim holds up the hand not holding the leathers. “But we’ll be sharing the digs.”

“You want me to be captain?” Olu asks. “What about you?”

“I’ll have a different job.” Jim winks at him.

Ed lets his hand run over the smooth leather material one more time and Jim is so grateful that they get to see the expression on Olu’s face when they realize what that means.

Jim watches as Ed turns on his heel and leans back to them just once more.

“I can stay on as an extra enforcer if you want?” There’s a glint in his eye and it’s tempting but Jim shakes their head. They need to let Ed go. Ed needs to let Ed go.

Jim turns towards Olu and doesn’t bother to try and hide their smirk. Fang and Ivan will be enough to handle. They’ll get the rest of them into shape. “We’ll be okay.”

“Course you will be,” Ed mutters. “You’ll be a great Blackbeard. You’ve already got the beard if you need it,” he reminds them.

“If you need anything,” Jim starts but Ed waves them off.

“St. Augustine. I know. Thank you,” he says again, the most serious Jim has seen him since his first night in the brig. But his eyes flick to Stede and he smiles.

They really do only take the dinghy. Jim can respect Stede a smidge more for that. He doesn’t ask after any of his possessions. He just wants Ed.

Jim moves to the rail to watch them sail off. Frenchie is playing something that manages to sound joyous and mournful at the same time. Jim guesses they can strike the extra guitar from the shopping list. Lucius comes up next to Jim and knocks their shoulders together.

“I’ll still be needing a scribe, you know,” Jim offers, cocking their head towards him with a smirk. Lucius pretends to consider the offer, tapping his wooden finger against his jaw.

“You know how to write,” Lucius reminds them, giving them an out.

“Sí but not calligraphy.” Jim presses a hand to their chest in mock surprise. “Certainly not art. And someone will need to illustrate Blackbeard for the masses.”

Lucius, beyond all reason, eyes the leathers with fondness. He shrugs and holds out his hand.

“Well, if you insist.”

on ao3 here

#our flag means death #this is my fic tag

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