Chapter Text
- NOW -
Eighteen months.
Stede had read somewhere that the average lifespan of a pirate was between two years to eighteen months, back when he had begun to research what life at sea would be like for his two young children and wife. Oft he would lay awake at night, Mary honking snores louder than the geese his father loved to butcher and by the din of candlelight read about ships and swashbuckling.
It seemed rather romantic, didn’t it? The sea, away from the filth of the land. He had found more comfort in playing pirates with his two children than playing within the rules of high society. They had seemed to get along in that regard, Mary and Stede, in that most of their circle were unnecessarily mean and who needed the additional stress of trying to decipher every encrypted word, subtle smile, or eyebrow raise.
Eighteen months, give or take was the quote he had been given when he asked the shipbuilder when he could launch the 60-ton sloop he had intended to name Bonny Concord when he had been foolish enough to think that Mary would have enjoyed life at sea.
“That seems a bit long for what I’m requesting.” Stede had tried to bargain, he had not been lying to Lucius when he informed him that he was a bit of a salesman.
“Yours is not the only ship that I have commissioned.” The gruff man stated and rolled his eyes at Stede.
“Yes. Right. Well, I suppose that the finer things in life require patience, I bid you good day.” Stede had responded, bowing his head politely before returning to his waiting carriage.
Ed had been at sea longer than eighteen years, and on nights like tonight, Captain Bonnet can’t remember if it was Edward himself who had told him so, or if he had read it somewhere. After all, so much had happened in the last few months, days, and hours.
“Captain?” Oluwande asked waking Stede out of his reverie, the light of the sunset a multitude of colours dancing across the horizon.
“Yes?” He responded wearily, I’ll have to work on that, He thought. Cannot have the crew worrying needlessly.
“We’re here.” Olu informed him. Stede turned to smile briefly at his first mate and Wee John standing somewhat nervously behind him. The Swede crossed his arms across his chest licking his lips as he watched Roach carefully.
“Right.” Stede clapped his hands together, turning to Olu, a smile painted on his face.
“Time for negotiations.”
“Ye know ye walkin’ straight en to eh trap Captain.” Buttons called over his shoulder, Livy perched upon his skull as he bathed stark naked in the glow of the full moon.
“Maybe, maybe not. We won’t know unless we try.”
It was an abysmal answer and Stede knew it, and yet he knew it was the only real answer any of them could come up with for Edward had not earned his reputation for being caught or leaving any witnesses behind.
Stede’s crew, for the most part, were going out on a limb coming back to Nassau in a sloop abandoned by Edward, and Stede knew he was asking a lot of them, but they all needed answers and one word reached them that Spanish Jackie had sent out a summons for any wayward members of the Gentleman Pirate’s crew, they were running out of options that made sense.
Stede, Olu, the Swede and Wee John boarded two small rafts and rowed to shore, careful to hide their boats as best as possible. Roach and Black Pete had stayed behind with Buttons, it being a full moon and all, to guard the Revenge, the Swede joining Stede and the small group ashore.
“Now who am if anyone asks?” He asked them quietly under the light of the moon.
“Captain Thomas.” They all chimed.
“And why are we here?”
“For a holiday.” The voices were slightly out of sync, but mostly in unison.
“Excellent! Well, let us see what Spanish Jackie has to offer.”
Walking the streets of Nassau this time was in many ways, different from the first few, the pep in his step somehow diminished as he wove his way through the drunken roar of the crowded streets.
Their entrance into Jackie’s establishment happened without the same level of fanfare as the first time when he still was introducing himself as the Gentlemen Pirate and the music is as loud and off-key as always as they approach the bar. A new face working behind it looked toward them and then at Jackie.
Without asking the bartender pulled three cups and uncorks a bottle, red liquid flowing into their tumblers in front of them.
“We didn’t order,” Olu mentioned while Stede took the cup and tipped it towards Jackie.
“You didn’ have to, Jackie said it’s on the house.” The bartender tells the small group, and Wee John shrugged before reaching for the wine.
“Captain, I have a bad feeling about this.” Olu whispered, the Swede nodding behind him as Stede watched the bartender pour him another cup.
“We should probably test it to see if it’s poisonous.” Wee John suggested.
“Ja, I agree.”
“And how would we go about doing such a thing?” Stede asked the crew with confusion.
Without warning, Stede felt a hand touch his shoulder and before he knew what was happening, his dagger was out and pointed at the man’s eye, the blonde captain’s forearm pressed against the other man’s throat.
“Touch me again and I’ll open your veins.” Stede calmly stated without blinking, much to the concern of Olu.
“Enough!” Spanish Jackie called out, and Stede allowed Wee John to pull him away from the cowering pirate under him.
“Everybody out.”
Bonnet’s crew watched as the patrons of Jackie’s tavern all exited out the front doors, the only table still occupied is her own in the corner.
“Remember the plan,” Stede told Olu before he clapped him on the shoulders. “Wee John should be able to get you back if anything goes awry.”
Olu nodded at Stede before Wee John followed his captain over to Spanish Jackie’s table, the first mate standing in the distance listening to their conversation.
“You’ve got balls, I’ll give you that.”
Spanish Jackie exhaled a long plume from her cigar, the blue tinge smoke slightly suffocating as Stede slid into a chair opposite her.
“Yes well, lucky thing that, considering how many times they have been threatened with removal from my persons.”
“What?”
Stede’s posture was still quite rigid from all the years of good breeding, but as he crossed his arms in front of him, a gesture not considered to be used among the upper crust, he smiled politely.
“I heard you were looking for the crew leftover from the Gentleman Pirate, I was hoping to find out what you know about my missing crewmates.”
Jackie narrowed her eyes at Stede before a cheshire smile engulfed her features.
“Phillip baby, bring out the boy.”
Stede looked back to Wee John, who looked back to the Swede, who looked back at Oluwande who shrugged haplessly before the crew all turn back to see a ragged Lucius, clothed in some of Stede’s summer collection, albeit a bit ruined, standing in a hallway entrance.
“Oh thank god, finally,” Lucius flourished, hastily moving to stand by Wee John.
“Lucius, good to see you are well!” Stede happily proclaimed, blinking back and forth between Jackie and his scribe. Lucius snorted.
“No thanks to you.” Lucius rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest, before popping his left hip.
“This one escaped your ex.”Jackie explained.
“He is not my ex.” Stede scrunched his face.
“He should be.” Lucius clapped back.
“Try telling Blackbeard that.” Jackie puffed.
“Why should Edward be my ex, Lucius?”
“Because that bitch tried to kill me—”
“Kill you! Are you sure? Ed adores you.”
“No Captain. Edward adores you, or at least he did, until you managed to tear his heart out. Whatever happened between you two, Ed’s not really there anymore, he’s let Blackbeard take over.”
Lucius and Wee John watched as Stede’s face fell, the lines from months in the sun creasing that made him look decades older than he really was. Stede looked to Jackie who shrugged her shoulders.
“Seemed to take it pretty hard when he found out you were dead.”
Stede closed his eyes and breathed deeply, “No matter, I’m working to rectify the problem. Do you know anything about Frenchie or Jim?”
Spanish Jackie smirked, ashing her cigar on the floor. “Nothing’s free Genital Pirate, not even your boy Lucius.”
Stede looked at Jackie quizzically and then across the bar to Olu who shrugged.
“I’m hoping to make a trade. Your boy for one of your crew.”
Stede was at a loss. He wasn’t fond of the trafficking of humans and did not feel he owned anyone or expected any of his crew to switch places to stay with Spanish Jackie.
“Pardon?” It was a delayed response, he knew, but it was one of the last polite things he could muster at such a request.
“One of your crew for this one. He reads, and writes which is probably way more up your ally than mine. He also knows the same things I do about the other side of the story if you know what I mean. Seems fair to me. I’m not asking for anyone specific, just someone more useful.”
He blinked then, a few flutters of lashes before looking up at Wee John who still stood behind him.
“I should confer with… we need to talk it through—”
“As a crew.” Wee John and Lucius interjected.
Jackie nodded, leaning back in her chair as Stede, Wee John and Lucius walked over to Olu and the Swede.
“Stop.” Jackie calls, holding up her hand. “Come here Lucius, like I said Bonnet, nothing comes for free.”
Lucius flapped his arms, “Fighting over me. Love that.”
“Any news on Jim and Frenchie?” Olu whispered as Wee John and Stede leaned in close.
“Seems that Lucius might know the answer to that, but Jackie wants to trade Lucius for one of us.”
Olu’s reaction reminded Stede of his own as his face scrunched up.
“I don’t like this.” Olu shook his head.
“Nor do I,” Stede concurred, “And I want you to know, I would never ask any of you to do something that you were uncom—"
“I’ll do it.” The Swede offered, looking around the group.
Stede and Olu turned to the Swede.
“After the crew tried to eat my Swedish meatballs, I feel unable to sleep. Maybe I sing for Spanish Jackie, clean the bar, it not be so bad.”
Wee John turned to Stede, “I did hear Roach and Buttons suggestin’ that with the lack of funds for provisions, we could always go back to plan C.”
“Why is it called plan C.”
“Cannibalism.” Both the Swede and Wee John said slightly out of sync, and it occurred to Stede that he may have to have lessons with the crew on the perks of speaking in unison, it hits him with a slight delay, the ramifications of what they are currently suggesting.
“Oh, yuck.” Stede turned to Olu who nodded in agreement. What had happened in the few short days he had left them? Four when he had found the crew, four more trying to catch up to Blackbeard who seemed always outside their grasp. After Hornigold had offered him the revenge back, he had only one singular goal; to catch up with Edward, no matter which Navy he had to lie to in hopes of catching up to the only person, he had ever loved outside his children.
“If that is what you desire, I would be forever grateful.”
“Ja sure.” The Swede blinked and walked over to Spanish Jackie, who then released Lucius’ wrist. Lucius made his way over to the rest of the crew, "Thank god, I cannot wait to wash this town from my hair."
"Is Jim safe?" Olu asked, holding Lucius by the shoulders. "Define safe. Last I knew they were still alive. I'm trying very hard to care right now, but I would really prefer if we have this conversation back on the ship where I assume Pete is waiting."
They all nod, looking over at the Swede who has already begun to sing for Spanish Jackie, much to her delight.
“Thank you, Jackie.” Stede sighed with a smile, his arms raised before flopping haplessly at his sides.
“Dude, I had you gutted and sent Blackbeard after you. Now you come in here, sayin’ shit like that after I told your boyfriend you’re dead, sent Hornigold after him, and took one of your crew in trade?”
Stede looked over at a clean and safe Lucius, the Swede looks more relaxed than he has in days, far away from the cannibal-inspired gaze of Roach and Buttons. When he looks back at Jackie she still appears genuinely confused.
“Yes.” Stede smiled genuinely, a lilt to his voice he has not heard since he realized with Mary he was in love with Edward.
“What the hell are you thanking me for?”
She doesn’t take compliments well, Stede thought because after all, Stede was learning.
“If it was not for your intervention, I would never have met Ed. As for the other things, you’re still a pirate after all. Can’t expect much more than that!”
Lucius looked to Stede with confusion, annoyance etched into his features. He was dressed well, in summer linens that were hidden in the compartments that no one was to know about on the Revenge with the exception of himself and Ed.
“MMMkay, it’s time for us to go.” Lucius declared placing his hands on the shoulders of Olu and Stede and pushing them towards the exit.
“Wait, shouldn’t we say goodbye? Go get the Swede’s things and bring them to him?”
“There is time for this and there is time for that okay, captain dear? And there is little time left before Blackbeard gets what’s coming to him, so we best be on our way.”