Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Her back hit the wall, the rank stench of rum and sunburned skin singeing her nostrils.

"Y'know it really is a shame Blackie knocked Alessandra up before I got my chance." This again? She shouldn't have been surprised. It seemed to happen almost every time shew closed her eyes for more than ten seconds now. A kiss on her forehead, her temple, her cheek. "She was hot snatch." His hand began to wander.

This was usually when her dad would call down to him, but Jack kept going. Oh wonderful. One of those dreams? She trembled as Jacks hands started working at the buttons on her nightgown, hoping he’d just get it over with quickly

"That's enough !" Came a sharp, stern voice from the darkness

Isa looked over Jack's shoulder at an unfamiliar figure, a tall woman with red hair and sharp icy blue eyes. Well almost unfamiliar. She’d seen that face before… 

“‘Scuse me, I’m a bit busy here.” Jack grunted

"Not anymore... Pissoff." The redheaded woman stepped forward, her face a statue that clearly wasn't about to take any shit

Jack smirked. “And if I don’t wanna?” This was…new. Alright Isa had no idea what the fuck was happening anymore

"You don't have a choice." Her voice got louder and more intimidating even though her outward expression remained the same. 

A little flicker of fear passed through Jack's eyes but he didn’t move, except to continue to fiddle with the button on the nightgown, eyes still on the stranger. The fear in Isa had given way to confusion, which gave her the opportunity her mind needed. The scratch of Jacks nail against her skin yanked her back into her body and she gave Jack a heavy shove, breaking away from the wall and dashing behind the woman. The woman swung a protective arm around her and used the other to put a stop to the encroaching man. "I believe I told you to piss off! " She stated again, her voice so loud that it shook everything around them. Though it wasn't loud to Isa. At least, the volume didn't bother her like it did Jack. Dream logic and all

Jack stumbled, drunk off his ass even in a dream, the fear in his eyes ramped up to ten before he scrambled up the stairs, disappearing into the dark. “Thank you.” Isabella breathed

"You're welcome, Isa dear." She turned, her face softer now and full of affection. "He won't bother you again."

Isa wasn’t entirely sure she believed her. She knew from experience that nightmares didn’t usually go away like that. But she was grateful for a respite for one night. “This…is a very unusual dream.” There was still shock in her voice almost like she didn’t believe this was happening.

"Well, I thought one good turn deserves another." She smiled as a warm fluffy bed appeared out of nowhere. "Would you like to lay down? It's very soft." She hummed

Isa nodded mutely, still very confused. As she settled herself on the indeed very soft bed, the familiarity in the woman’s smile struck her again. “I know you don’t I?”

"Yes and no." She smiled as she tucked a blanket around her. "You don't know me, but I'm sure you've seen my face before."

She winked at her as a small girl of about six came running up to her side. "Mama! Did you get the bad man?" She bounced as the woman scooped her up and balanced her on her hip

The realization hit Isa as soon as she saw the smile on the little girls face and the ring on the woman’s finger. “You-you’re them!” She stammered, sitting up in bed. “ Them them.” She was slowly coming down from her shock which made her very far from eloquent. She flushed. “Erm sorry that…you’re Joanna aren’t you?”

"Yes." She smiled as Bess hopped off her hip and clamored up into the bed next to Isa.

"Hello!" The child smiled brightly, her shining black curls bouncing around her face

“Hello. You must be Bess?” She greeted shyly before looking back at Joanna. “I…I beg your pardon but why? I mean, I’m grateful, more than I can say but I’m a total stranger.”…bloody hell was she always this bad at reading the room whenever she had a bit of a shock? 

"You're not a stranger to us at all, dear." Joanna smiled as she leaned down and took Bess into her arms before sitting on the bed next to Isa. "We've been watching over the lot of you for a while now."

“Oh…” she said softly. “I’m…not used to having people protect me. If I’m honest, usually that’s something I have to do myself.” It wasn’t a bad thing but it wasn’t the reality she was familiar with.

"I know dear. And it's something you've had to do for so long." She reached forward and cupped her cheek. "I'm sorry about that."

The hand was warm, gentle and Isa found herself leaning into it. The saddened look in the woman’s eyes and the way she held her daughter tighter sparked something in Isa. Halfway between sad and comforted. “Just the way the world works isn’t it?” She murmured. Stede had once told her how no child her age should have to be so cynical about the world already but she’d seen very little evidence to the contrary.

"Yes. But that doesn't mean you can't have a little boost now and again." She smiled as Bess settled in her arms, dozing off

“I suppose you’re right.” Isa agreed, smiling at the small child, half asleep in her mothers arms. “We’ve been doing our best to take care of Izzy.” She informed, a glimmer of guilt in her voice

"And you're doing a wonderful job." She smiled brightly. "He loves you ever so much."

A warmth came to her chest at the praise. “He deserves it…I’m sorry we didn’t bring him home in one piece.” In truth she still blamed herself for the state he was in. If only she’d been a little smarter…

"Dear one... That wasn't your fault. If it wasn't for you, he wouldn't have come back at all." She cooed. Her eyes held a pain that said she witnessed what he endured. "And while I would've loved to have had him back with us... He still has work to do."

“I…I’m glad he stayed.” Her voice was weak. “I don’t know what I would have done if I lost him.” The thought of his limp hand in hers as she sang to him for what she thought would be the last time still haunted her and she thanked God every day that he’d followed her singing back. “It’s silly.” She said with a ghost of a laugh. “Most people only have one father, if any at all. I'm blessed with three and I still feel like I’d fall to pieces if I lost a single one of them.” As her thoughts caught up with her and she realized referring to Izzy as her father might be a bit offensive to his wife and a sheepish grin came over her face

Joanna leaned forward and wrapped her in a hug. "My dear... My dear... It's alright. I sent him back to be with you. And the ones he loves." She whispered into her hair. "I'm glad he's getting a second chance at being a father. And that you're blessed with three." 

She hugged her back. Vanilla. Just as Izzy had described her. “He misses you both.” She whispered. “He still blames himself for losing you.” There was a pain in her voice as she said it, saddened for the tragedy that grumpy old man had faced. She could only hope she brought a little bit of sunshine to his life.

"We know. But there was nothing to be done. The fever took out half of our town. If you like, you can tell him that we felt no pain." She gave her a sad smile.

"I think he does need to hear it." She said quietly. Lord knew that he wouldn't believe her when she claimed it wasn't his fault, maybe he'd listen to his wife. Something heavy suddenly dropped into her pocket and when she reached inside, she found the ancient compass Izzy had given to her before cutting the boat down and sending her away. A bittersweet tug pulled at her chest at the sight of the faded brass bearing the Gaelic message. "He said you guided me to safety. I...I really can't thank you enough for that. And for...and for sending him back."

Joanna nodded and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "It wasn't your time yet... Or his." She whispered as she wrapped her free arm around her and hugged her close

The hug was warm and the kiss tender and loving. Funny she didn't usually feel most physical touch in dreams. She would for the first few minutes of Jack's assault because she remembered his hungry touch but in the ones where he got farther, her senses just dropped and she was watching blankly through her own eyes. But she very much felt the embrace and the kiss. "Is this...are you real?" She blurted before she could stop herself, going a bit pink at her rudeness

Joanna chuckled as she laid Bess down on the bed next to her and gave her a full embrace. "I'm as real as you need me to be." She hummed into her hair. "But this is happening right now, if that's what you wanted to know."

"I see." She replied, settling into the embrace once more. For a moment she wondered if this meant her mother was indeed still alive (she suspected but she hadn't seen her since she was 9 so how was she to know?) because if she was, wouldn't her mother have tried to visit her as well...or maybe she just didn't want to see her in death either. She shook her head, shoving the bitter thoughts out of her mind and just let herself be held by the kind woman sitting in front of her. "I know you saw Izzy when he almost died. Have you visited him like this before?" She asked, hoping that Izzy had at least gotten a bit of happiness from his wife and child even after they'd passed.

"Yes. We sometimes do... But we try not to very often." She gave her a sad smile. "If he saw us every night, he wouldn't long for life. Only us. And that's not good. He has a life to live and others to love..." She smiled coyly. 

She nodded. "I can understand that." She hummed before a little chuckle shook her. "You should have seen how he blushed the first time my dad held his hand after he was rescued." She looked down at Bess, who was sound asleep by her side, snuggling up to her the way she sometimes would with Lucius during a thunderstorm. "He still sings those lullabies." She said, tucking a little curl behind the child's ear

Joanna beamed. "He has a lovely singing voice, doesn't he?" She hummed, gazing down at her fondly. "And I did see. I was hoping they'd find each other in the end... And look! He has three now. Lucky bastard." She giggled.

"Aye he does." She agreed. "Can't even count all the times he's soothed me through a nightmare or a rough day." She looked from Bess to Joanna again. "He especially loves singing your lullaby. The one I sang when he almost..." she couldn't bring herself to finish.

Joanna held her again. "Shhhh....shhh.... It's alright dear. Don't dwell on it now. You have him again and you won't be losing him soon." she ran her fingers through her hair.

She nodded, doing her best to calm herself but thinking about that day still hurt so badly. But she did have him back and she'd do everything in her power to keep him safe. All of them. It's what family did after all. A very slight tingle started in her stomach and spread to the rest of her body, giving her a strange floaty sensation. "I think I'm going to wake up soon." She stated.

Joanna nodded. "Would you like me to hold you until you do?" She asked softly

She nodded quietly, settling against Joanna as little Bess snuggled further against her. "Thank you again." She whispered. "For everything." For Jack, for Izzy, for herself...all of it

Joanna nodded and held her. "Of course dear. I'll always be here if you need me." She kissed her forehead. "Would you give Israel a message for me the next time you see him?" She asked softly

"Of course, anything."

Joanna smiled and whispered in Gaelic in her ear. " Our hearts burn bright. Our love burns more. I'll be forever waiting at our door ." She hummed. "It was part of our vows... So he'll know this happened." She chuckled

"Aye." She agreed, committing the words to memory, hoping that they'd stay there when she woke up again. The flicker and fluttery feeling grew stronger and she snuggled into the embrace. Funny, she'd never even met this woman in real life and she felt safer with her than she'd felt most days with her own mother.

"And just call my name if you ever need me here again, ok?" She asked, holding her close and letting her warmth wash over her.

"Thank you." She let her eyes slip closed and let the warmth settle over her body. When she opened them again, someone was still holding her, though it was no longer Joanna. "Morning Da." She whispered

Izzy shifted slightly and opened his eyes. He'd been awake for a few minutes, but hadn't properly gone about waking himself up. "Morning A stór..." Izzy smiled down at her

She nestled into Izzy's side. "You were right about Joanna," she murmured absentmindedly, "she does smell like vanilla"

Izzy stiffened. "What?" He asked, confused.

Isa was still in that fuzzy haze between asleep and awake and wasn't completely aware of what she was saying. "Joanna. She smells like vanilla, just like you told me."

"How.... How did you…?" He asked, holding her close

For a moment Isa was confused until her mind caught up to her. “I…I think I met her last night.” She said, bewildered. “I was having another dream about Jack and then someone just said ‘that’s enough’ and she was there”

A look mixed with love and adoration and sadness washed over his face. "Was she, now?" He asked, smiling softly, thinking that she just dreamed about her. She knew what she looked like from the portrait after all.

“She also told me to tell you something…damn what was it…oh something about waiting at the door…and burning bright…” she’d done her best to commit it to memory but it seemed she’d trained herself to forget her dreams a little too well.

Izzy gasped. "Our hearts burn bright. Our love burns more?" He asked softly, tears springing to his eyes

“That was it! Our hearts burn bright, our love burns more. I’ll be forever waiting at our door. ” she said it in Gaelic as Joanna had said them to her

Izzy let out a strangled sound as tears rolled freely down his cheeks. Those were words he'd never mentioned to anyone outside of his time with Joanna. There was only one way she could know them. "You... She was there?" He asked, gasping for air. "You spoke with her?"

Noticing the tears running from his eye, Isa felt a twinge of guilt and sadness tug at her chest. “I’m sorry I didn’t know it would upset you this much.”

"No...no... It's alright. I just... How did she look?" He smiled as he rubbed at the tear

“Well, at first she was pissed as hell but as soon as Jack left, she looked happy and calm. And she was so beautiful.”

Izzy let out a wet chuckle as he wiped at the tears. "Yeah... Firecracker when she's pissed off."

“The whole room shook when she told him to fuck off.” She said. “But after he left, she was a completely different person.” She nuzzled her head against his shoulder. “She had very gentle arms. And such a pretty laugh.”

Izzy smiled as he held her close and hugged her. "What... What all did you talk about?" He asked

“Mostly about you. How happy she was that you’d found love again, and with so many people. And I told her about how grateful I was that she made sure I got back to the ship safely and…and how happy I was when you came back to us.” She tucked her head under his chin. “She…she was especially happy that you got the chance to be a father again.”

Izzy trembled at that and held her close. "I love being your da, Isa... Never forget that." He whispered into her hair.

​​She leaned up and kissed his cheek before settling into his arms again, laying her head against his shoulder. “I love that you’re my da too.” She whispered back. 

Chapter Text

She had to get up eventually, an apprentice first mate had things to do after all but as she walked down the hall, she felt a strange weight in her pocket. She reached in and pulled out the compass. How in the…? Joanna you sneak. She started to head back towards Izzy’s bunk to give it back to him when an idea struck her and she tucked it back into her pocket. Half of her felt awful for taking something so precious from Izzy but she was also going to make double sure that he got it back. She just needed it for a quick project. On her way to the mess, she stopped by the little cabin that Lucius and Pete would share on rainy nights and knocked on the door. “Lu? You got a minute?”

"Hm? Or sure Bell, just finishing breakfast! Whaddya need?" He asked with a smile

“A drawing.” She pulled out the compass and carefully flicked it open, revealing the tiny portrait inside. “A replica of this. But larger. If you’re not too busy.”

Lucius gasped at it. "Bell... How did you get a hold of this?" He asked, concern in his voice

“Would you believe me if I told you it just appeared in my pocket?” She figured she might as well start with the truth as insane as it sounded. There was know way in hell he’d believe her but it was worth a shot

Lucius gave her a look that clearly said he didn't. But let it drop. "An enlargement of the portrait?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow and sighing. He tone read "you know we're walking on thin ice by having this, right?"

“Yes. And I know I’m playing with fire but the second you’re done with it, Izzy is getting this compass back. I swear on my soul.” She sighed. “He…I just want to make him smile. I’d do it myself but I want it to be amazing you’re the best artist I know.” Madame O'Nell had taught her a bit of drawing techniques and as good as she was at that, people gave her quite a bit of difficulty and she wanted the portrait to be perfect. Izzy deserved it.

Lucius closed his eyes and nodded. "Alright. I'll see what I can do. No promises that I'll be finished before lunch though."

“That’s fine. Whenever you can. I likely won’t get a chance to see him again until supper. Thank you.” She said with a sigh of relief. She knew that keeping the compass was a really shit thing to do to Izzy, especially after he spent so long thinking he’d never get it back but she wanted him to have a full portrait of his wife and daughter, even if it was just a sketch it was something.

Lucius nodded and patted her shoulder. "You've got my chores then right? While I'm working on my masterpiece?"

“Aye.” She agreed, though she doubted that he’d ever actually do his chores if he didn’t have a masterpiece to work on. “Thank you again. Really.”

"No problem. You want to check with the captain and see if he has an extra frame we could put it in?" He asked

“Aye that was my next stop.” She informed. Today was going to be busy to say the least. She had her own duties to take care of as well as Izzy’s usual ones and Lucius’s chores as well, on top of running around arranging this. But she wasn’t complaining. If she were honest she preferred to be busy.

Lucius nodded. "I'll be in your bunk. Come find me around lunch and we'll see where I'm at. If I don't find you first."

“Will do.” She said, slipping out the door once again and heading for the captains cabin. 

She was able to get a look at the progress during lunch (she was jumping around and doing a bit too much to find time to eat but she wasn’t super hungry to begin with) and by the time twilight bathed the deck, Lucius had sent someone to let her know the drawing was done and she was making her way to her cabin. When she saw the drawing, her eyes went wide. “Lucius…” she breathed. “It’s magnificent.”

Lucius smiled. He'd used her description and a reaaaal close look at the tiny portrait to add in some color to their faces and hair with some watercolors he had. "Thanks luv. Poured my heart and soul into it. Did you get a frame?"

“Aye, it’s waiting for me in the captains quarters. Father said to come get it any time.” She gingerly took the drawing from Lucius’s hands, doing her best to not crumple it too much. “Really I can’t thank you enough. He’s going to love it” she raised onto her toes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek

Lucius smiled. "It was nothing, luv. Just let me know his reaction, yeah?" He asked

Isa gave him a smile again before slipping out the door and making her way to the captain's cabin, finding the frame where her father said it would be. She made quick work of framing the drawing and scampered across the hall to Izzy’s bunk, taking a breath before knocking on the door

​​Izzy groaned softly as he stirred a bit in his bed. "Hm?" He asked, slowly opening his eyes

Isa poked her head into the door. “Up for some company?” Why was she suddenly nervous? Oh yeah, she was going to have to admit to having knicked the compass. She…just hoped he wouldn’t be too upset

Izzy groaned again as he situated himself in his bunk. "Yeah. Come on in."

She tucked the drawing against the door so he wouldn’t see it as she slowly walked to the bed, sitting down. “I…I need to apologize.” She said, a flicker of guilt in her eyes

"Hm? For what?" He asked as he sat up a bit

Without a word, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the compass, setting it in his hand, unable to meet his eyes

Izzy hummed. "How'd you get this?" He asked, no anger in his voice, only confusion

“The truth is honestly too batshit to believe but I’ll tell you anyway.” She sighed. “It appeared in my pocket in the dream last night. When Joanna mentioned helping me find my way home. Then I woke up this morning and it was still there.”

Izzy smiled and waved her over. "I believe you, a stór."

She let out a sigh of relief as she sat down on the bed, keeping the drawing from sight. With a sheepish smile she’d set the compass in his palm. “The only reason I took it was because…well…” she couldn’t think of a good way to say it, so she decided to say nothing, she simply picked up the drawing and set it in Izzy’s lap. “I wanted to make sure Lucius had a good reference.”

Izzy's jaw dropped as he took in the portrait in his lap. "How... How did you... Did... Lucius?" He asked, gracing his fingers lightly over the larger images of his wife and daughter's faces

Isa wordlessly nodded. “I did his chores so he’d have time to work on it. I didn’t want to keep the compass from you longer than I needed to”

Izzy sniffled and bit his lip, trying desperately to keep the silent tears rolling down his cheek from becoming all out sobs. "I... I don't know what to say..." He managed out

At first she was worried she’d upset him. “Are you alright?” She asked cautiously.

Izzy nodded, trying harder to keep the tears in. "I.. it's never... I've never gotten anything so... It's .. perfect..."

She leaned in and kissed his cheek, a gentle smile on her lips. “Care for some company again tonight?” It sounded so bloody stupid to admit out loud but she didn’t like falling asleep alone lately.

Izzy nodded. "Always... Will you help me hang it?" He asked

“Of course.” She gently took it from his hands. “Where do you want it?”

"Just there... At the end of my bunk. So it's the first thing I see every morning." He requested

She gave him a nod, hanging the drawing at the foot of the bed before crawling into bed next to her Da. She chuckled a little. “Shit I still feel terrible about taking the compass though.” She mused

"It's alright... When it's my time to go... It'll be yours." He hummed

Her breath caught for a moment and she didn’t know whether to be touched or saddened. It moved her beyond words that Izzy would bequeath something so precious to her when he passed. On the other hand, she didn’t want to think about losing him any time soon. So she simply snuggled close to him and whispered, “ Mo ghrá thú, Da ” (“Love you, da”)

"I love you too, a stór." He husked as he held her to him. "And don't worry. It'll be a long while before you get to collect on this trinket." He assured her

“Good. You better not die on me until I’m at least thirty”

"I'll make a note." He smiled, nodding and kissing into her hair

She snuggled further into her da’s shoulder letting out a deep sigh. Funny. Her Dad smelled like woodsmoke. Her Da had a kind of Smokey scent as well, but not in a fire way. Like a crisp autumn morning kind of smoke. She let out a heavy sigh again. Fuck it was barely twilight and she was already ready to drop

"Long day?" He asked softly, stroking her hair. He knew she was working hard. Especially since she picked up lucius' work as well

“Mmm, you could say that.” She hummed. She’d forgotten something hadn’t she…dinner! That’s what she forgot, for herself and Izzy. But she also didn’t wanna mooooooove.

"Have you eaten yet, Isa?" He asked.

“Yeah…few hours ago I think.” She mused

"Isn't it about dinner time? You should eat something before you pass out." He whispered

“But I don’t wanna mooooooove” she whined

"Then I'll go get it... Where are the crutches?" He asked, looking around. Roach had left them behind for him. But they were only to be used in emergencies as his arm muscles were still healing

She sat up. “Nope you’re not going anywhere. Lucius will have my hide if he sees you walking around.” She said, immediately getting to her feet. “I’ll be back in a few minutes with a tray.”

"Will you... Bring lucius too?" He asked softly

“Absolutely.” She assured, kissing his cheek again before slipping out the door towards the mess

Izzy took her hand before she left and gave it a squeeze. "Thank you." He whispered again

“I did say you deserved to smile more. Decided to be a bit proactive about it.”

Izzy chuckled. "Fuck off."

“Shut up you know you love me.” She teased, wrinkling her nose at him before disappearing out the door again

Izzy chuckled and waved her off

Chapter Text

Isa may have been beat but she was definitely smiling as she walked down to the mess. To her relief, Roach had already set up a tray for Izzy, and had even gone the extra mile to set her rations on the tray as well. She smiled at him, took the tray, and shuffled over to the table where the rest of her family were joking away, hardly noticing her as she sidled up to Lucius. “Oi,” she whispered to the scribe. “Your presence has been requested.”

"Oh?" He smiled, taking the tray for her. She'd worked hard enough today

“Thanks.” She said with a tired little breath. “Izzy loved the drawing by the way. He put it right by his bunk so he could see it every morning.”

Lucius blushed. "That good, eh?" He smiled to himself

“He was speechless.” She informed. “He probably wants to thank you in person instead of just going through a middle man.” She held the door to the mess open for him. “Don’t you dare make this sexual. I mean a verbal thank you.”

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Yes, mum....."

“You’re grounded.” She joked

Lucius chuckled. "I can't help what he might do tho ..."

“If you do anything please refrain from doing while I’m in the room.”

"We'll warn you." He laughed. Isa rolled her eyes, only half joking. She was not looking forward to having to sprint across the hall when they inevitably started snogging.

When they reached Izzy’s door, she softly knocked. “It’s us”

"Come in." Came his gruff voice from inside.

She held the door open for Lucius, “Look who I found”

Izzy blushed and smiled as he invited them in. "Hello." He husked softly. Lucius smiled sweetly as well and sat next to him on the bed, leaving the other side open for Isa

She on the other hand crawled right into bed next to Izzy once more, slotting herself right in his arms

Izzy wrapped an arm around her and held her close, looking from her to the drawing to Lucius. "Thank you Lucius... I .. they're beautiful." He whispered taking his hand with his free one.

"Of course. Isa requested it. I'm just glad I did it justice." He chuckled shyly. Izzy had a look that could just undo him.

“I was gonna return the compass when I found it in my pocket this morning but then I just thought how every time you wanna see them you have to work to open it and the portrait is so small. I thought you’d want to see them a bit better.” She said with a smile as she nestled against him. “Also you need food.” She gave his arm a little tap

Izzy nodded. "You need food too, you know" he handed her plate off the tray

“I’ll eat in a minute.” She said, snuggling further against him, in no mood to move

Izzy nodded as he turned to Lucius. That special glint in his eye. Lucius smiled and hummed. "Better close your eyes for a moment, bell..." He warned as Izzy's hand left his and went to cup the back of his head

“You better fucking not…” she hissed, burrowing her face in her da’s chest

"Shhh, now. I'm just showing my gratitude to the artist." Izzy smiled as he pulled him in for a deep kiss. Lucius closed his eyes as he leaned in, lightly resting his hands on his shoulders. Fuck he was a good kisser.

Isa did her best not to groan and ruin their moment. Truly she was happy that they’d found happiness in each other. If they were anyone else she’d love seeing them be sweet on each other. But Lucius was her brother and Izzy was her da. Not by blood so it should be okay? It was just too many layers of strange. So she simply just kept her eyes closed and listen to the steady thump of her da’s heart

Izzy pulled back before he got carried away, though he nipped and nuzzled at his lips for a few moments more. Lucius felt dizzy, honestly. Maybe that's how he got his nickname... Kissing Izzy made you dizzy. He looked at him with heavy lids and a lusty smile. "Would you like a raincheck on expressing your appreciation for my art?" He asked, kissing the corner of his mouth. Izzy followed his lips for the briefest moment before he nodded. "Love to." He smiled.

Without opening her eyes Isa grabbed a pillow and chucked it at Lucius, hitting him square in the chest

"Oi!" Izzy chided. "Leave him be." He gave her a stern dad look, though there was no real weight behind it. Lucius chucked the pillow right back, accidentally knocking Izzy's tray of food to the ground. "Shit." He muttered under his breath. There went the moment. "I... I'll clean this up and get some more food. Sorry, luv." He bit his lip looking up at Izzy who just nodded and waved him off. “Don't be too long. I'm fucking hungry. And stop throwing fucking pillows in my room. The pair of you." He growled at them both.

Isa didn’t say anything, she simply flipped Lucius off as he walked out. Fuck she seemed to tire out so easily these days. Well she also did a lot that day. And how many hours of sleep did she get last night….? Who fucking knew. She sighed and settled against Izzy. “I’m glad you like the drawing.” She whispered

"I love it.... they're perfect." He sighed softly. "Now eat your food. You've done a lot today and you need to be replenished.”

“Fine.” She huffed, sitting up and taking the plate from Izzy. Oh sweet, Roach made that spicy chicken stew (he made some veggie stew specially for Izzy). “Sorry I accidentally made Lucius drop your food.”

"It's ok." He grunted. "You both need to learn when to behave. Like when my food isn't between you both." He grumbled like a proper put upon dad. “Now eat.”

She sat up all the way, taking the bowl from him, taking a few small bites. Temporarily she forgot how tired she was because she remembered how hungry she was.

Izzy hummed a satisfied note as she began to eat. "Better?" He asked when it looked like her appetite had caught up with her

“Little bit, yeah.” She chimed warmly

"Good." He grunted as he rested back against the wall and closed his eye

“Think I overdid it a bit today” she murmured with a little chuckle

"You look it. Sleep in a bit with me tomorrow ok? Take a load off and recharge." He suggested

“Tempting. Very tempting. But someone has to do you work.” She made quick work of the stew, setting the bowl on the side table and yawning. “Begorrah, I didn’t get this tired at the brothel and I was usually doing almost as much. Definitely woke up earlier”

"The WHAT!?" Izzy's eye shot open as he sat up so suddenly it strained his ribs and he fell back coughing

“BEGORRAH!” she said again. “Izzy dont sit up all the sudden like that you’ll make it worse.”

"You..cough can't just.... Cough hack fuck... Are... Are you ok? Cough cough" he fell back against the pillow to try and catch his breath

Isa was only half registering what he was saying, too busy focusing on the heavy breaths he was taking and winces of pain. She reached for her canteen, unscrewed the cap and held it out to him. “Drink.” She said flatly

Izzy closed his eye and took a deep drink, focusing on his breathing

“Now you wanna tell me why you freaked out like that?”

"You wanna tell me why you decided now was the perfect time to just .. drop the fact you worked in a brothel?"

“Oh. Oh goodness I thought I told you. I. I’m sorry. I thought you knew.” She replied, a flicker of guilt in her eyes. She didn't think Izzy was the kind of person who looked down on brothels but she never had the chance to tell him and by the time they started seeing each other as family, she'd incorrectly assumed that he knew

"No.. no! I... Are you alright?' he asked, lurching forward again but ignoring the pain to hold her face. "Did they hurt you?" He asked, his eye looking her up and down

“Hurt me, what…?” A light flickered on in her eyes. “Oh! No, no no no no no. I wasn’t a bed girl!” she assured quickly. “I started as a maid and when the Madame heard me singing one day she hired me as a floor show to entertain clients until one of the girls was ready.”

A look of relief washed over his face as he pulled her close and hugged her. Thank Christ... He knew what certain gents were like. Especially those sick fucks who were into children.

She gently rubbed his back. “Madame O’Nell would never hire anyone younger than seventeen. Or anyone who wasn’t 110% comfortable with the job." she gave him a bit of a squeeze, kissing his forehead. “I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to scare you like that. I genuinely forgot that I didn’t tell you that the sirens den was a brothel”

Izzy nodded, relaxing a bit as he took another drink of water

“Her sister ran a halfway house just up the road. If she got a potential hire for a bed girl and found out she was only turning to sex work because she had no other choice, she’d send her right to her sister.” She informed, wanting to paint the best picture of the Madame that she could. She owed her so much after all

Izzy hummed as she talked, his heart rate falling back to normal "She sounds decent."

"She was more than decent. I owe her a lot." She remembered how frantically she wrote the letter to the madame as soon as she was back on the ship after escaping Leviathan. Poor woman was probably worried sick until she got confirmation that Isa was safe. "She took my mother and I in after I...after she lost her first job and then when..." she took a breath, "when I lost my mother, she let me stay at the brothel for free." Usually the girls had their own homes to go to when they'd finished their shift for the night but some had nowhere to go. Madame O'Nell always let the girls stay but kept a third of their pay to cover rent. Isa and her mother used to live in a small cottage not too far from the dock but after she lost her mum, Isa had nowhere to go and Madame O'Nell let her stay for free so she could save every penny she made for getting her own home when she was old enough

"She sounds like a good woman. And like you weren't taken advantage of." He hummed, holding her hand and squeezing it as his breath finally evened out

"Aye she is indeed." She looked out the little porthole to the setting sun over the dark waves. "Maybe I should put in a request for shore leave if we're ever near Sligo. I'm sure she'd love to meet you and father and dad."

Izzy smiled. "I'd love that." He sighed happily as there was a soft knock at the door. 

"Dinner replacement service..." Came Lucuis' voice from the other side

Before Izzy could say or do anything, Isa had zipped to the door, letting Lucius inside before strolling back to the bed, crawling back to her original spot snuggled next to Izzy. "How did Roach react when he heard you'd dropped dinner?" Isa teased, being her best annoying little sister self

"Wasn't shocked." He snipped back, sticking his tongue out at her. 

"Enough!" Izzy growled between them. "I'm too old and too injured and too hungry to put up with this shit." He grumbled as Lucius handed him his plate. 

"Not too old for my shit just yet, luv..." Lucius winked at him

“Don’t make me throw another pillow.” She threatened, backing down when she saw Izzy’s “I’ve had enough of your shit” face, so she simply stayed quiet, yawning again

Lucius rolled his eyes and plunked down on the other side of Izzy, snuggling up to him apologetically. "Sorry dear, you eat now." He hummed

Isa wiggled herself out from under Izzy’s chin, still snuggling close to him but not so close that he could eat. “Good thing I ate earlier, with you two flirting and making me nauseous.” She wrinkled her nose at Lucius before yawning again. “D'you know if the sailcloth got hung up? I forgot to do it after I finished mending that hole.”

"It did, dear. You're alright." Lucius assured. Izzy just relaxed between them as he ate his veg stew

“Good. I wouldn’t have been happy if I had to get up again just to hang it up…” she trailed, not opening her eyes

Lucius hummed against his neck. "Yeah, got Pete to do it. He hadn't done anything constructive today."

“Did anyone on the crew do anything constructive today?” She said with a tired chuckle

"You did." Lucius chuckled feeling sleepy himself. Shit. He might bunk in here tonight too.

“Fair enough. But hey, you never do your work anyway so at least it got done at all.” She mused before yawning again

"Hey. I worked today!" Lucius insisted as he pointed out the painting on the wall

“Again fair. But even if I hadn’t commissioned you, you’d have found a way to weasel out of chores”

"Rude." Lucius balked, setting a hand on his chest, though the glimmer in his eyes was all jest

"That's it. Both of you. OUT!" Izzy groused

“Mmm, don’t wanna move tho.” Isa groused right back. She had yet to open her eyes and was quipping without even looking at either of them

"That's too fucking bad. I'm injured and tired and I can't take you two bitching anymore."

Lucius slid his arms around his middle and gave him a gentle squeeze. "We'll behave... We promise... Right... Bell?"

Isa, once again without even bothering to open her eyes, simply answered back, "I will if you do." before settling against her Da again. Izzy turned his head and gave her a pointed look. And that was with his only eye. So he was serious. Her eyes may have been closed, but she would've felt him shift and turn against her. She cracked one eye open and gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry Da.” She replied. “Trap is shut and it’ll stay shut.” Her eye slipped closed again. As much as she did enjoy bitching at Lucius, bothering Izzy was the last thing she wanted. Plus it was too much brain power to quip right now. “Oh, forgot to ask. Did Roach come by to change your bandages this afternoon?” It had been almost a day since they’d been changed and she didn’t want him getting an infection

"He did before he started on dinner." Izzy hummed, finishing his bowl of soup and working on his torn piece of bread with a slice of sharp cheese on top.

“Good.” She hummed, flicking through the list of chores in her mind and checking off each double. She’d likely pass out any second and she was not going to leave anything undone. Check that the dinghy’s were in working order…she did that earlier Sweep the mess and kitchen…first thing she did after breakfast Inventory… “Shit!” She gasped, her eyes flicking open.

"What?" Izzy and Lucius both startled

“I forgot to do inventory!” She groaned, face palming before huffing, reluctantly slinking out of Izzy’s arms. “I’ll be back in about an hour.”

Izzy held her hand. "Hey... Hey... Where you going?" He asked, pulling her back into the bed

“To do inventory?” Didn't she just say that?

"Not tonight you aren't. You're coming back to bed." He insisted firmly

She was honestly too tired to argue but she didn’t like leaving chores undone. And if she didn’t do it, who would? “We’re docking tomorrow to restock and I said I’d do it today. Besides, if I don’t do it, it’s not gonna get done.” She glanced up at Izzy, knowing he knew that feeling all too well

Izzy reluctantly let her hand go. "Alright... But you come right back here after. Got it?" He shook a finger at her.

She sighed, thankful she wouldn’t have to have this argument with Izzy. “Lucius, could I borrow a page or two from your notebook?” She didn’t know where she’d left hers, for all she knew Olivia had flown off with it

Lucius nodded and pulled out a few pages, handing them to her. "there should already be a pen in the store room." He hummed.

She gave him a curt nod and scurried out the door

Izzy waved her off before leaning back against the bunk. "She works hard, that one."

“Too hard if you ask me.” Lucius added, nuzzling against him.

"Well maybe if she had some help" he hummed

“Mmmmm I’ll let you know if I find anyone” he quipped.

Izzy swatted his ass for that one.

“Well someone’s in a mood” he purred

Izzy grunted. "You gonna let me thank you fully for your amazing artwork now?" He asked softly.

“You up for it?” He teased, pulling out his best bitch smirk. “I recall you saying something about being too old.”

Izzy gave him a hard look. "You know what? Maybe I'm not up for it, actually." He huffed, calling his bluff

The smirk instantly disappeared. Oh fuck, he had not intended for that to happen he just wanted to tease a little. “Oh…well um…” shit this didn’t usually happen

Izzy pulled him closer, kissing him softly. "It's fun riling you." He chuckled

“Bastard” he quipped, kissing him back.

Izzy held the back of his head and held him close. "It still baffles me how you want me after all this." He motioned to his face

“You could say I have a type…I only go after guys with good hearts.” He kissed his cheek before traveling along his jaw. “And you can argue that you’re not a good man all you want…but would a bad man have left himself behind so his daughter could escape?”

Izzy flushed hard as he kissed him. "You... You're... Fuck off..." He couldn't think of a good retort.

“I could…but I’m sure you and I both know I’d rather fuck you.” He flirted

Izzy blushed and chuckled. "You'd like to fuck me?" He asked. Lucius hadn't topped him in any of their liaisons so far

Lucius had meant to ask to ride him but after hearing Izzy say “you” and “fuck” in close proximity of each other it just slipped out. But he was willing to go with it. Izzy had already pounded some truly sinful sounds from lucius and turnabout's fair play. “If you feel up for it.” He said gently, not wanting to overexert the first mate

“I do think it would be a lovely way to spend an evening.” He purred

Chapter Text

Okay that was the last of the spare lumber…368, no wait, was it 369? She glanced at the strip of paper in her hand. Lumber-369, nails-398. Wait 398? She huffed, rubbing her eyes. Why did 6 and 9 have to look so similar? Alright that was it for the repair materials now she’d just do the rations and she’d be done. No she’d started with rations hadn’t she? She looked at the list again. Fuck. She knew she had to finish this but fuck she just wanted to sleep. She sank to the floor, resting her head against one of the crates. Fuck it. Her eyes drifted closed and this time she didn’t even stop them

About ten minutes later, wee john passed by on his way to the deck. "Hello there?" He chuckled, tapping her foot with his. "That can't be comfortable."

“Mmm?” She mumbled. Fuck what time was it? The paper was still in her hand…dammit she needed to finish inventory…she looked up at wee John, too tired to think of a damn thing to say.

"Look pretty sleepy there, changeling... Wanna come up on deck with us?" He asked, offering his hand

She had to finish inventory…nah fuck it. Her legs shook as she took Wee John's hand and clumsily stood up, almost flopping against him.

"Woah now... I gotcha..." He chuckled as he scooped her up like a babe in his arms

She once again said nothing, just letting out another soft “Mmm,” laying her head against his shoulder. He had nice warm arms…

Wee John kissed the top of her head as he walked out onto the deck. "Found another for the pile!" He chuckled as he indicated the sleeping Isa in his arms. Swede and Frenchie happily waved them over

“Pile?” She asked, utterly lost, cracking open one.

A warmth came to her chest at the sight of the rest of the crew, with the exception of the captains and Lucius and Izzy (oh great they were probably balls deep in each other by now), were all snuggled together. To her shock, even Jim was among them, who looked like they’d been dared into it by Olu and Archie and didn’t want to admit they were enjoying it. She let out a quick amused breath before letting her eye slip closed again, not yet asleep, just listening to the whispers of her family around her.

“Looks absolutely knackered.” Oluwande observed with a gentle little laugh

"Found her passed out during inventory" Wee John chuckled as he settled down next to Frenchie and placed her between himself and Olu. 

"Why didn't anyone tell her that I already did inventory?" came the Swede's distinct accent. 

"You didn't mate... You just drew smiley faces next to drawings of food and wood and shit." Came Frenchie's voice in response. 

"That's my system. We're happy because we have food and wood and shit." 

"I don't think that's how inventory works, my dude." Chuckled Jim

Another quick amused breath puffed out of Isa at the sounds of the hushed quips of the crew. As Wee John settled back into his spot, Isa snuggled in close to him, a complete instinct at this point. 

“Wait, that was you?” Roach sat up. “I was wondering who drew smiley faces all over my shit.” 

“No offense Roach but who else would it be?” Fang smiled with a little roll of his eyes

"Fair... The potato sack was looking at me funny." 

"Here ye go, changeling." Wee John whispered as he pulled a blanket from the pile and covered her in it. "Sleep tight..." 

"Hey... No fair, it's my turn to be the little spoon!" Pouted Pete. 

"Nuh-huh, mate. When Lucius isn't here, you know you're the default big spoon!" Fang snipped back. 

"I'll big spoon you Pete while you little spoon fang!" Smiled the Swede, who was already the little spoon to Jackie, who was utterly passed out with her arms around him.

"Awww... Thanks man! My back always gets cold otherwise." Pete beamed as he snuggled against the Swede with Fang snuggled against him so the five of them formed a queer little spoon chain.

“Guys shut up,” Oluwande hissed, cocking his head towards Isa, who was now dozing soundly with her head laid over wee John's cushy chest.

 "sorry..." 

    "Sorry!".       "Sorry." 

"Sorry.".     "Sorry"    "sorry."

Isa opened her eyes just once more, glancing around at her very odd family before closing them once again, finally letting her mind drift off. Olu gently rubbed her shoulder. “Sleep tight kiddo.”

Wee John brushed his fingers through her hair until he fell asleep, humming softly at Frenchie curled up against his other side

Soon enough the whole crew was dozing, with the exception of Buttons, who was standing in the pale moonlight, Olivia on his head, playing a sweet tune on his tin whistle

Lucius was passed out on top of Izzy, dick still half inside him. Not that either complained. And Ed and Stede were tangled up in each other as well. The whole boat slept peacefully through the still, quiet night.