Fic: You Commandeered My Heart (5/8?) (SPN, Dean/Castiel, PG-13)
Title: You Commandeered My Heart (5/8?) - Plotting A Course
Author: anoradh
Rating: PG
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Genre: Pirate!AU, romance
Warnings: None, I think
Spoilers: None, I think
Word Count: ~4880
Author's Notes: Yes, this story is taking forever to finish, but then again, I’m the one writing it, so at least I’m not surprised. If procrastination was made an Olympic event, I would be the champion. Plus, I do have a life - sometimes. I will finish it, however, eventually.
Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me, but to the creators of Supernatural. I’ve just commandeered them for a while to play with them and will gladly return them when I’m done.
Summary: Dean is a dashing English privateer, making life difficult for the Spanish. Castiel is an officer in the Navy Royal. They meet at a ball and sparks fly, but their romantic evening is interrupted by a pirate attack. Dean is taken by the pirates and Castiel has to enlist the help of Dean's crew to save him.
Part 1 - An Officer And A Pirate
Part 2 - The Attack On Port Royal
Part 3 - Family Don't End With Blood
Part 4 - A Den of Iniquity
Part Five - Plotting A Course
"Well, aren't you a picture?" Dean's cellmate said, as the guards who'd dragged Dean back to his cell threw him unceremoniously on the floor. They were no longer on the ship, having apparently reached the pirates hideout. Judging by the dark, dank tunnels and even darker caves, they seemed to be inside a mountain or a large rock in the middle of the ocean, but that was as much as Dean could determine about their location, having been unconscious for part of the voyage here and below decks for the rest.
Dean merely groaned in answer, clutching his shoulder and doing his best to cling to consciousness. There was silence for a while, broken only by Dean's harsh breathing, then the sound of footsteps coming nearer. Dean opened his eyes to see a pair of buckled leather shoes standing in front of him.
"I guess we'd better do something about that shoulder", his cellmate's voice said above him.
Dean let out a helpless laugh, because at this point, it was either that or cry and Winchesters didn't cry. Except Sam, but he was a girl.
"I thought you didn't like me", he said.
"I don't", the man agreed. "But that doesn't mean I want to watch you suffer, especially not at the hands of a monster such as White. Now get ready, because this is going to hurt."
He bent down and helped Dean to put himself in an appropriate position. Then he grabbed Dean's arm and lifted it straight up. Dean choked back a cry of pain. A foot was placed just below his armpit and he bit down hard, preparing himself.
"On three", the other man said. "One..."
Dean let out a loud shout as the man pulled sharply on his arm and his shoulder snapped back into place. His head swam and black spots danced in front of his eyes, but the pain in his shoulder was already receding into a dull ache. He moved the joint carefully and felt it respond as it should, though it still hurt. Letting out a huff of relief, he looked up at his cellmate, who was staring down at him with a frown.
"Thanks", he said. “Although you should probably learn to count."
The man gave him a crooked grin and reached down to help him to his feet, using his good arm.
"The name's Victor", he introduced himself. "Victor Henricksen. In case you were wondering."
Dean nodded, stretching his back and moving around, trying to remind his body how to obey his commands. He felt stiff all over, his joints protested at the slightest movement and his wounds kept splitting open to start bleeding again. Tentatively, he raised his hands to feel his face and almost winced. His nose wasn't broken, but it was swollen, as was one side of his face. He had a split lip and, judging by the blood trickling down into his good eye, a split eyebrow.
"Yeah", Victor said. "White really messed up that pretty face of yours. It's almost difficult to look at you."
"Aww", Dean said, "and here I was hoping I'd be able to seduce you to pass the time."
Henricksen looked like he was trying to suppress a grin.
"Dream on, Winchester!" he said. "I know I'm a catch, but I'm strictly for the ladies and while you look rather like a girl, I don't think you entirely fit the bill."
Dean held up his hands in a staying gesture.
"Hey, you're the one who said you'd been chasing me all year", Dean said, then, "Wait, you think I look like a girl?"
Henricksen just rolled his eyes and sat down on the floor.
"So what did White want from you?"
Dean gave his body one last stretch, and then he sat down next to Henricksen.
"I'm not really sure", he said. "He wants me to join his fleet, for some reason."
"That's it?" Henricksen looked bemused. "And you didn't agree?"
Closing his eyes, Dean leaned his head back against the hard stonewall. The floor was cold and uneven, making it really uncomfortable to sit on, especially for a body as bruised as his, but at the same time, the cool wall against his back soothed some of his pain.
"I realise this is a difficult concept for you to grasp, Henricksen, but I'm not actually a pirate. And even if I were ", he continued loudly, when the other man opened his mouth to interject, "I still wouldn't follow a man like White. I do have a conscience, you know. It's about 6'4", with a whiny voice and a bitchy face, and its name is Sam. Admittedly, it's currently sort of far from here, but it has this sort of telepathic ability, which means that I can sense its disapproval no matter the distance."
"So you claim to know the difference between right and wrong", Henricksen said coldly. "I'm not sure that makes you any better than White. It just means that you know the choices you make are wrong and yet, you keep making them, over and over."
Dean frowned. This was so not the time to have this kind of discussion.
"Think what you like", he said. "It's more or less a moot point at the moment, anyway. The only choice I feel like making right now is to get the hell out of here. Will you choose to help me?"
Henricksen was quiet for a long while. Dean kept his eyes closed, but he knew the other man was studying his face. Finally, he heard Henricksen exhale loudly.
"Yeah", he said. "Got a plan?"
*****
"Wait!" Ruby said, interrupting the rather epic staring match going on between Castiel and Crowley. "Did you say Alistair White? Of the Lillith?"
Crowley tore his eyes from Castiel and looked at her.
"The very same", he said.
"Bloody hell, Sam", Ruby exclaimed. "Your brother knows how to get himself into trouble, doesn't he?"
Sam frowned.
"Do you know of him?"
The look Ruby gave him very clearly proclaimed him denser than lead.
"I know him!"
Sam's face must have revealed what he was thinking, because she punched his shoulder, hard.
"Not like that!" she said and Sam almost sighed in relief. He knew Ruby was the least faithful mistress he could imagine - she couldn't even really be called his mistress - but the idea of sharing her with his brother's abductor turned his stomach. It was bad enough thinking about how many men she 'entertained' between their infrequent encounters; he did not want to put faces or names to them, especially not ones like Alistair White, who sounded decidedly unpleasant.
"So how...?" he asked.
"My father was a pirate", Ruby replied. "He sailed under White's command. After my mother left us, he brought me along on their voyages."
Sam blinked at her. He knew he was gaping, but he couldn't seem to shut his mouth. Although it did explain a lot.
"So", he began, trying to put words to the vague hope that had begun to grow within him, "does this mean...?"
Ruby's grin was blinding.
"Now aren't you glad I decided to come along, love?" she replied. "Honestly, I don't know what you'd do without me."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry", came an acid voice from behind them. "There are plenty of tuppeny tarts in this town to keep a man content, until he's ready to take on a real woman."
Miss Moore put her tray down on the table and began handing out mugs of ale. Sam's face felt as though it was on fire and he couldn't meet her eyes as he took the last mug from her. He thought he heard her sigh, as her fingers lingered on the mug for a moment too long, before lightly moving across his.
"Of course", she said quietly, "real women understand that men sometimes get lonely and that no good man comes without a past. She'll be willing to forgive and forget... as long as it really is past."
Encouraged by her soft tone, Sam ventured a glance at her face and saw a smile to match her voice.
"You need to find your brother, Sam", she said, "whatever it takes. Just be sure to come back to me afterwards. I'll be waiting, but not forever."
Then she swept away again, leaving Sam to stare after her. When he turned back to his friends, he found that they were doing the same.
"I can't decide whether that girl is brilliant or foolish", Ellen commented, making her daughter shrug.
"She's an excellent hunter", Jo said, glancing at Sam, "but considering her choice of prey, I'm leaning towards mental illness."
Sam glared at her, but chose not to comment.
"Anyway", he said sharply, "we need to get moving. Every moment we waste is a moment more Dean has to spend at the mercy of those bastards. Ruby, will you show us where they make berth?"
Ruby moved closed to him and gave him a peck on the nose.
"I told you, Sam", she said, "I'll do you one better; I'll take you there. You'd be lost without me."
"And it's catching", Jo murmured, earning herself another glare.
*****
Apparently, the Lilith made berth at a place called La Ensenada de los Condenados, or the Cove of the Damned. According to Ruby, it was a large rock located between Hispaniola and the Spanish Main, surrounded by many smaller rocks and treacherous underwater reefs. It was the perfect place for a pirate hideout: hidden, secluded and inaccessible.
The actual lair was a system of caves, accessed through an opening in the cove on the south side of the rock. It would take a skilled sailor to reach it, but the shallow keel of the Impala ought to give them an advantage. They could only hope that the pirates weren't expecting them, so that the entrance to the cove wasn't too well guarded.
They were all aware that Ruby's memories of the place were unreliable at best, considering that she had been a child at the time, but it was a place to start. Without her help, they would still have been sailing blind. Of course, the lack of further information meant that once they got there, they would have to improvise. There was no way to plan when they didn't know what they would be up against.
Still, Castiel wasn't too worried. Dean's crew was obviously very capable and they were used to having to think on their feet. Even without their captain, they functioned smoothly onboard, performing their tasks without needing to be ordered around and working together seamlessly. No, reaching the hideout was not what worried Castiel. It was what, or rather who, awaited them there.
Captain Alistair White. Castiel had never heard of him, which was surprising considering the reputation he apparently had among the shadier circles. His uncle Zachariah liked to keep track of the more important people on his waters and he rarely kept any of that information from Castiel, who was the cleverest man Zachariah had on the sea, as well as the most trustworthy. Castiel may not always have agreed with Zachariah's orders, but he had always been a dutiful soldier and an obedient nephew.
Castiel wasn't naive enough to believe Zachariah ignorant. Even if he hadn't known his uncle well enough to realise no information this important would ever pass beneath his notice, uncle Raphael's comments on the night of the attack suggested that he knew more than he let on and whatever he knew, Zachariah was certainly in on it.
For some reason, however, Zachariah had withheld what he knew about White from Castiel and this troubled him greatly. The only thing greater than Castiel's loyalty to his family was his integrity. He could only assume, therefore, that the reason Zachariah had not confided in him was some purpose so immoral that Zachariah knew Castiel would oppose it. It could not be mere coincidence that White had decided to kidnap both Dean and Anna. Whatever reason Zachariah had for keeping secrets, both White and Dean were involved somehow. Hopefully, by rescuing Dean, they would be one step closer to figuring it all out.
Castiel's musings were disrupted by a loud voice speaking up,
"What's he doing here? His type isn’t welcome."
A highly inebriated man stood swaying by their table and glaring in the vicinity of Castiel's face. He leaned forward, putting his fists on the table to support himself, while apparently trying to decide which Castiel to focus on, and continued,
"My old dad worked on one of them navy ships. Had to struggle like an animal or he tasted the whip. Then one day pirates attacked his ship. My dad fought bravely. The same can't be said for the officers onboard. Dad got a burial at sea, the pirates got nooses around their necks and the officers were promoted. As for my mother, left alone with three children, I'm sure you can imagine. So why don't you ask your friend how many innocent men's bodies have formed the steps for him to climb the ranks?"
While he spoke, spitting out the words with venom, Sam had risen and walked around the table. The people around them had also begun to take notice and there was a lot of muttering and dark looks being sent in their direction. Castiel's companions were all looking tense and he saw Ellen's hand creep towards her sword. A fight was brewing in the air.
"Why don't you have a seat, friend", Sam was saying, "so we can talk? What makes you think my friend is an officer?"
The man snorted and didn't sit down, though his eyes moved from Castiel to Sam.
"Do you think I'm an idiot? His manner of carrying himself proclaims him a nobleman and only men of the sea come here. The way he looks at everyone shows that he's used to ordering folks about, ergo" - he puffed himself up, obviously proud of his deducting skills and advanced vocabulary - "he's a naval officer. And that makes him a bastard who's going to taste my sword."
With a speed Castiel would not have thought him capable of in his current state, he drew the long sword from his belt and lunged at Castiel, who was only barely able to roll of the bench in time to avoid being run through. In the blink of an eye, the whole table were on their feet with their backs against each other, fending off the attacks of the rest of the tavern's patrons. Castiel was fencing against the first attacker and one of his friends, doing his best to dodge their attacks while avoiding those of his companions' opponents.
It didn't take long before the entire tavern had erupted into one big brawl. Swords were abandoned in favour of fists, bottles and any other objects that could conceivably and inconceivably be used as a weapon. Castiel, though used to large swordfights and the disorder of battle, had never been involved in a fight quite as chaotic as this one, where all rules were abandoned and pandemonium reigned. He was surprised at how invigorating he found it.
Ducking beneath a bench that was being swung around by a giant of a man even larger than Sam, he avoided being pinned down by another man being knocked to the floor and swiftly moved to stand with his back against the bar. A drunkard with an eye-patch threw a fist at him, but Castiel moved out of his way and used a bottle from the bar to knock him unconscious. He used the broken bottle to cut a gash across another man's hand, making him cry out and drop the table leg he'd been wielding, before bending low and sprinting towards the door. He reached it at the same time as a huge shape was being pushed through it and the momentum carried them both outside, where they landed gracelessly in the dust.
Castiel found himself sprawled across the other man with his face buried in a broad chest and with a tree trunk of a thigh wedged uncomfortably between his thighs. Before he could even think to move, the man began to stir. Castiel tried to reach his sword despite his awkward position, but Sam's voice below him reassured him.
"No offence, mate, you're handsome and all, but it's my brother who has a taste for men, not me. Besides, I'm fairly certain he'd have me keelhauled and flayed alive if I so much as looked at you the wrong way."
Castiel gave him a rare smile as he rolled off him and got to his feet.
"Don't worry", he said. "My tastes in men are very specific. They run towards a single man and while you share some of his traits, it's not enough for me to forget him."
Sam grinned widely and clapped him on the shoulder.
"I should hope not", he said. "I rather like you, Castiel, and I’d hate to have to feed you piece by agonising piece to the sharks for hurting my brother. Now let's get back to the ship. Bobby was to escort the ladies there when the fighting began and unless they put up too much resistance, they should be there by now. As for Ash, I think I saw him fly through the wall a while back, but I don't see him anywhere around here, so he must have been able to get back to the ship too. Hopefully, they'll have her ready to leave by the time we get there. I really want to find Dean soon."
With those words, he began walking towards the harbour, leaving Castiel to follow, while reflecting on the protectiveness in Sam's voice when he spoke of Dean and the unpleasant fate that in all likelihood awaited Captain White.
*****
The sound of footsteps echoing down the tunnel put a halt to Dean's discussion with Henricksen about various ways to escape. By now, they had almost agreed that the best way of getting out of their cell would be for them to knock the guard unconscious and steal his key, but they still had to figure out how to trick him into walking into their reach.
Then there was the question of how to find Anna and get out of here. They had both been blindfolded while they were being led to their cell and so they only knew the layout of the part of the lair that Dean had glimpsed while being taken to Captain White. From what he'd seen and what he'd deduced from behind his blindfold, he suspected that the system of caves they were in was huge and that getting lost in there would be all too easy.
This usually wouldn't have been enough to stop Dean - improvisation was his middle name, after all - but it turned out that Henricksen had a lot in common with Sam and insisted that they thought things through before they rushed ahead. Hence the reason why they were still sitting on their arses on the cold, hard ground when White appeared, followed by two of his pirates, dragging Anna along by the ropes that tied her hands together.
Dean stood up so quickly his head swam and rushed at the bars that separated him from Anna. This was the first glimpse he'd had of her since they'd left Port Royal and he felt almost giddy with relief that she was not only alive, but also apparently unharmed.
"Anna", he breathed. "Thank the heavens! Are you hurt?"
Anna's face was pale and her eyes were red shot, but she still held her head high and her lip didn't tremble. As always when he saw her, Dean felt a surge of admiration for her and he was suddenly reminded of her brother. Physically, the siblings were as unlike as a brother and sister could be, but they shared many of the same traits, such as integrity, righteous pride and a stubborn refusal to be quelled through force or intimidation. These traits were part of the reason why Dean thought so highly of Anna and why he had fallen in love with Castiel. Seeing them shine so clearly in Anna's eyes made him even more determined to get them both out of here and hopefully into the arms of her brother.
Anna nodded in reply to his question.
"I'm fine", she assured him, "don't worry about me. But you... Dean, you're hurt!"
But for the constant ache and the occasional flare of pain, Dean had almost forgotten about the state of his own body. He remembered Henricksen's words when he'd seen him and knew he must look a mess. He brought a tentative hand up to his face and almost winced at what he felt.
"I'm fine", he said, hoping Anna would believe him contrary to the evidence of her eyes. "I probably look worse than I feel. Our gracious host has been trying to make me fit in with his underlings. Apparently, ugly is a requirement to remain in these caves."
The guards holding Anna bared their teeth at him, which did nothing to contradict his statement. White tutted almost indulgently, as if reproving an insolent child.
"Really, Dean", he said, "I thought I'd told you, there's no need to be rude. We can't all be blessed with your exceptional beauty. I'd have thought you'd show me some gratitude, now that I've brought your lady to you,"
"Absolutely", Dean agreed, "and I'd be even more grateful if you let her go."
White grinned and shook his head.
"No, I don't think so. I have other plans for dear, beautiful Anna."
He turned around and ran a finger lightly down Anna's nose, over her mouth and chin and down her chest, like a knife cutting her open. Dean suddenly felt ill.
"Don't you lay a hand on her, White!" he rasped out. "I mean it. Harm a hair on her head and I will teach you the real meaning of pain. You think you know torture? It's child's play compared to what I'll do to you if I find so much as a scratch on her body."
To his disgust, White merely looked delighted at his words and moved closer to the bars, his eyes fixed on Dean, burning with a manic gleam.
"That's it, my boy", he said, "that's what I'm talking about. I knew you had it in you. All that rage, all that loathing. Wouldn't it feel amazing to let it all out, to take it out on someone else instead of just directing it all inwards? I know what you've been through, Dean. Your mother dying to protect you during a pirate attack, while your father was at sea and you were too young to save her. You taking care of your brother, since that was all you were good for, until you were both old enough to join your father's crew. Sam wanting to leave you to go to school and you unable to raise enough money to help him. John taking a bullet to save your worthless life. And now Anna, about to go under the knife because you're too weak to save her. Dean, Dean, Dean. When will you stop letting people sacrifice themselves for you and take responsibility for your own life?"
His words cut through Dean, sharper than any blade. He had finally discovered White's true talent: the way he could find a person's weaknesses and use them as weapons. His words were as echoes of Dean's darkest thoughts, the ones that plagued him in the dead of night, when he was alone in his quarters and there was no way to hide from the truth within him.
"I will never give in to you", he spat out, but it came out choked around the lump in his throat that he could not swallow.
White looked almost sadly at him, the pity in his eyes almost convincing.
"Oh, but you will", he said and Dean could not contradict him. He watched White leave, his guards following with a frightened-looking Anna between them, and White's words rang in his ears, "You will!"
*****
"Land, ho!" Ash called out from the crow's nest. He leaned over to look down at the people on the deck. "It looks like it could be the place!"
Sam raised his spyglass and looked in the direction where Ash was pointing. Sure enough, there was a huge rock rising out of the sea, its surface jagged and foreboding. Waves washed up against its sides and shattered into a rain of droplets and foam. He looked over at Bobby, who was studying the sea charts together with Ruby.
"It's around where you said it'd be", Bobby was saying to the girl.
Ruby grinned triumphantly.
"Told you", she said. "Promised I'd take you here, didn't I?"
"Do you think you could wait until we've actually checked that it's the right rock before you start gloating?" Sam asked.
"Never mind him", Jo said from where she was leaning over the railing, trying to catch a glimpse of the rock. "He's always a big grump when he's sore and he hates having to concede to women."
"Don't you have anything better to do, Jo?" Sam grumbled.
The girl moved away from railing to stand in front of him, hands on her hips.
"See", she said to Ruby, "a grump."
Ruby smiled and slipped an arm underneath Sam's.
"Yes, but an adorable one", she said. "Look, he even pouts."
Sam tried not to roll his eyes, but it took too much effort. He heaved a deep sigh.
"Do you think you could wait to tease me later? Only, I'm a bit busy at the moment. I've a ship to command."
"Command away", Ruby replied. "You're ever so handsome when you do that."
"Good thing it serves some purpose", Jo mumbled. "Heaven knows it doesn't do much good in terms of making the crew listen."
Sam clenched his jaws, trying to think of a mature and suitably dignified response, but it was no good. In the end, he settled for his and Dean's usual solution to Jo's insolence.
"Ellen, your daughter's being a pest!"
"Joanna Beth, leave Sam alone! He doesn't need you to cause him difficulties; he manages that quite well enough on his own."
It really wasn't worth it to try to get any form of respect from his crew, so Sam decided to be thankful for small favours as he watched Jo stalk off in a huff.
"Thank you, Ellen!" he called.
"Anytime, hun" came the reply.
"Think you can circle that rock to take a look at the other side?"
"Gee, Sam, I don't know! It's about that time when I usually brush my hair and practise fluttering my eyelashes, but I guess I could make an exception for you."
There came a sound that was suspiciously like a snort from Bobby. Sam turned to glare at him.
"You want to take over?" he asked and Bobby shook his head, his grizzly beard quivering in amusement.
"I think you're doing a great job, Sam", Chuck slurred as he wobbled past them on his way below deck, a bottle of rum as always clutched in his hand. "Almost like a proper captain."
"Great", Sam replied. "Thanks, Chuck!"
Ruby giggled.
"Poor baby!" she cooed. "No one appreciates you like I do."
Sam smoothly sidestepped her as she went to kiss him and looked around.
"Has anyone seen Castiel?"
*****
Castiel was standing at the bow, looking towards the rock that was steadily growing bigger as the ship came closer. His heart was pounding with excitement. This was the place! He could feel it. Something within him, some deep instinct told him that Anna and Dean were inside that rock. They only had to find a way to reach them.
He kept his eyes fixed on the rock, even as someone came to stand next to him. Judging by the towering shadow he cast, it was Sam. He didn't speak, but stood silent beside Castiel, gazing out across the waters. The Impala moved quickly and smoothly through the waves as Mrs Harvelle steered her around the rock.
Finally, Sam broke the silence,
"Are you ready for this?"
There was no need to ask what he meant. Castiel knew as well as Sam what a dangerous venture this was. Captain White did not sound like the type of man to give up easily and the Impala's crew would be severely outnumbered.
"I'm ready", Castiel replied. "We'll get them back, Sam."
Sam nodded and put a large hand on his shoulder. He drew in breath to speak again, but let it out in a loud gasp.
"Bloody hell!" he said and turned around to address his crew, “All hands to your stations! We're under attack!"
Castiel looked towards the part of the rock just coming into view and saw a huge galleon glide towards them, like monstrous beast of prey. Apparently, they had been expected and the battle was about to begin.
Author: anoradh
Rating: PG
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Genre: Pirate!AU, romance
Warnings: None, I think
Spoilers: None, I think
Word Count: ~4880
Author's Notes: Yes, this story is taking forever to finish, but then again, I’m the one writing it, so at least I’m not surprised. If procrastination was made an Olympic event, I would be the champion. Plus, I do have a life - sometimes. I will finish it, however, eventually.
Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me, but to the creators of Supernatural. I’ve just commandeered them for a while to play with them and will gladly return them when I’m done.
Summary: Dean is a dashing English privateer, making life difficult for the Spanish. Castiel is an officer in the Navy Royal. They meet at a ball and sparks fly, but their romantic evening is interrupted by a pirate attack. Dean is taken by the pirates and Castiel has to enlist the help of Dean's crew to save him.
Part 1 - An Officer And A Pirate
Part 2 - The Attack On Port Royal
Part 3 - Family Don't End With Blood
Part 4 - A Den of Iniquity
Part Five - Plotting A Course
"Well, aren't you a picture?" Dean's cellmate said, as the guards who'd dragged Dean back to his cell threw him unceremoniously on the floor. They were no longer on the ship, having apparently reached the pirates hideout. Judging by the dark, dank tunnels and even darker caves, they seemed to be inside a mountain or a large rock in the middle of the ocean, but that was as much as Dean could determine about their location, having been unconscious for part of the voyage here and below decks for the rest.
Dean merely groaned in answer, clutching his shoulder and doing his best to cling to consciousness. There was silence for a while, broken only by Dean's harsh breathing, then the sound of footsteps coming nearer. Dean opened his eyes to see a pair of buckled leather shoes standing in front of him.
"I guess we'd better do something about that shoulder", his cellmate's voice said above him.
Dean let out a helpless laugh, because at this point, it was either that or cry and Winchesters didn't cry. Except Sam, but he was a girl.
"I thought you didn't like me", he said.
"I don't", the man agreed. "But that doesn't mean I want to watch you suffer, especially not at the hands of a monster such as White. Now get ready, because this is going to hurt."
He bent down and helped Dean to put himself in an appropriate position. Then he grabbed Dean's arm and lifted it straight up. Dean choked back a cry of pain. A foot was placed just below his armpit and he bit down hard, preparing himself.
"On three", the other man said. "One..."
Dean let out a loud shout as the man pulled sharply on his arm and his shoulder snapped back into place. His head swam and black spots danced in front of his eyes, but the pain in his shoulder was already receding into a dull ache. He moved the joint carefully and felt it respond as it should, though it still hurt. Letting out a huff of relief, he looked up at his cellmate, who was staring down at him with a frown.
"Thanks", he said. “Although you should probably learn to count."
The man gave him a crooked grin and reached down to help him to his feet, using his good arm.
"The name's Victor", he introduced himself. "Victor Henricksen. In case you were wondering."
Dean nodded, stretching his back and moving around, trying to remind his body how to obey his commands. He felt stiff all over, his joints protested at the slightest movement and his wounds kept splitting open to start bleeding again. Tentatively, he raised his hands to feel his face and almost winced. His nose wasn't broken, but it was swollen, as was one side of his face. He had a split lip and, judging by the blood trickling down into his good eye, a split eyebrow.
"Yeah", Victor said. "White really messed up that pretty face of yours. It's almost difficult to look at you."
"Aww", Dean said, "and here I was hoping I'd be able to seduce you to pass the time."
Henricksen looked like he was trying to suppress a grin.
"Dream on, Winchester!" he said. "I know I'm a catch, but I'm strictly for the ladies and while you look rather like a girl, I don't think you entirely fit the bill."
Dean held up his hands in a staying gesture.
"Hey, you're the one who said you'd been chasing me all year", Dean said, then, "Wait, you think I look like a girl?"
Henricksen just rolled his eyes and sat down on the floor.
"So what did White want from you?"
Dean gave his body one last stretch, and then he sat down next to Henricksen.
"I'm not really sure", he said. "He wants me to join his fleet, for some reason."
"That's it?" Henricksen looked bemused. "And you didn't agree?"
Closing his eyes, Dean leaned his head back against the hard stonewall. The floor was cold and uneven, making it really uncomfortable to sit on, especially for a body as bruised as his, but at the same time, the cool wall against his back soothed some of his pain.
"I realise this is a difficult concept for you to grasp, Henricksen, but I'm not actually a pirate. And even if I were ", he continued loudly, when the other man opened his mouth to interject, "I still wouldn't follow a man like White. I do have a conscience, you know. It's about 6'4", with a whiny voice and a bitchy face, and its name is Sam. Admittedly, it's currently sort of far from here, but it has this sort of telepathic ability, which means that I can sense its disapproval no matter the distance."
"So you claim to know the difference between right and wrong", Henricksen said coldly. "I'm not sure that makes you any better than White. It just means that you know the choices you make are wrong and yet, you keep making them, over and over."
Dean frowned. This was so not the time to have this kind of discussion.
"Think what you like", he said. "It's more or less a moot point at the moment, anyway. The only choice I feel like making right now is to get the hell out of here. Will you choose to help me?"
Henricksen was quiet for a long while. Dean kept his eyes closed, but he knew the other man was studying his face. Finally, he heard Henricksen exhale loudly.
"Yeah", he said. "Got a plan?"
*****
"Wait!" Ruby said, interrupting the rather epic staring match going on between Castiel and Crowley. "Did you say Alistair White? Of the Lillith?"
Crowley tore his eyes from Castiel and looked at her.
"The very same", he said.
"Bloody hell, Sam", Ruby exclaimed. "Your brother knows how to get himself into trouble, doesn't he?"
Sam frowned.
"Do you know of him?"
The look Ruby gave him very clearly proclaimed him denser than lead.
"I know him!"
Sam's face must have revealed what he was thinking, because she punched his shoulder, hard.
"Not like that!" she said and Sam almost sighed in relief. He knew Ruby was the least faithful mistress he could imagine - she couldn't even really be called his mistress - but the idea of sharing her with his brother's abductor turned his stomach. It was bad enough thinking about how many men she 'entertained' between their infrequent encounters; he did not want to put faces or names to them, especially not ones like Alistair White, who sounded decidedly unpleasant.
"So how...?" he asked.
"My father was a pirate", Ruby replied. "He sailed under White's command. After my mother left us, he brought me along on their voyages."
Sam blinked at her. He knew he was gaping, but he couldn't seem to shut his mouth. Although it did explain a lot.
"So", he began, trying to put words to the vague hope that had begun to grow within him, "does this mean...?"
Ruby's grin was blinding.
"Now aren't you glad I decided to come along, love?" she replied. "Honestly, I don't know what you'd do without me."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry", came an acid voice from behind them. "There are plenty of tuppeny tarts in this town to keep a man content, until he's ready to take on a real woman."
Miss Moore put her tray down on the table and began handing out mugs of ale. Sam's face felt as though it was on fire and he couldn't meet her eyes as he took the last mug from her. He thought he heard her sigh, as her fingers lingered on the mug for a moment too long, before lightly moving across his.
"Of course", she said quietly, "real women understand that men sometimes get lonely and that no good man comes without a past. She'll be willing to forgive and forget... as long as it really is past."
Encouraged by her soft tone, Sam ventured a glance at her face and saw a smile to match her voice.
"You need to find your brother, Sam", she said, "whatever it takes. Just be sure to come back to me afterwards. I'll be waiting, but not forever."
Then she swept away again, leaving Sam to stare after her. When he turned back to his friends, he found that they were doing the same.
"I can't decide whether that girl is brilliant or foolish", Ellen commented, making her daughter shrug.
"She's an excellent hunter", Jo said, glancing at Sam, "but considering her choice of prey, I'm leaning towards mental illness."
Sam glared at her, but chose not to comment.
"Anyway", he said sharply, "we need to get moving. Every moment we waste is a moment more Dean has to spend at the mercy of those bastards. Ruby, will you show us where they make berth?"
Ruby moved closed to him and gave him a peck on the nose.
"I told you, Sam", she said, "I'll do you one better; I'll take you there. You'd be lost without me."
"And it's catching", Jo murmured, earning herself another glare.
*****
Apparently, the Lilith made berth at a place called La Ensenada de los Condenados, or the Cove of the Damned. According to Ruby, it was a large rock located between Hispaniola and the Spanish Main, surrounded by many smaller rocks and treacherous underwater reefs. It was the perfect place for a pirate hideout: hidden, secluded and inaccessible.
The actual lair was a system of caves, accessed through an opening in the cove on the south side of the rock. It would take a skilled sailor to reach it, but the shallow keel of the Impala ought to give them an advantage. They could only hope that the pirates weren't expecting them, so that the entrance to the cove wasn't too well guarded.
They were all aware that Ruby's memories of the place were unreliable at best, considering that she had been a child at the time, but it was a place to start. Without her help, they would still have been sailing blind. Of course, the lack of further information meant that once they got there, they would have to improvise. There was no way to plan when they didn't know what they would be up against.
Still, Castiel wasn't too worried. Dean's crew was obviously very capable and they were used to having to think on their feet. Even without their captain, they functioned smoothly onboard, performing their tasks without needing to be ordered around and working together seamlessly. No, reaching the hideout was not what worried Castiel. It was what, or rather who, awaited them there.
Captain Alistair White. Castiel had never heard of him, which was surprising considering the reputation he apparently had among the shadier circles. His uncle Zachariah liked to keep track of the more important people on his waters and he rarely kept any of that information from Castiel, who was the cleverest man Zachariah had on the sea, as well as the most trustworthy. Castiel may not always have agreed with Zachariah's orders, but he had always been a dutiful soldier and an obedient nephew.
Castiel wasn't naive enough to believe Zachariah ignorant. Even if he hadn't known his uncle well enough to realise no information this important would ever pass beneath his notice, uncle Raphael's comments on the night of the attack suggested that he knew more than he let on and whatever he knew, Zachariah was certainly in on it.
For some reason, however, Zachariah had withheld what he knew about White from Castiel and this troubled him greatly. The only thing greater than Castiel's loyalty to his family was his integrity. He could only assume, therefore, that the reason Zachariah had not confided in him was some purpose so immoral that Zachariah knew Castiel would oppose it. It could not be mere coincidence that White had decided to kidnap both Dean and Anna. Whatever reason Zachariah had for keeping secrets, both White and Dean were involved somehow. Hopefully, by rescuing Dean, they would be one step closer to figuring it all out.
Castiel's musings were disrupted by a loud voice speaking up,
"What's he doing here? His type isn’t welcome."
A highly inebriated man stood swaying by their table and glaring in the vicinity of Castiel's face. He leaned forward, putting his fists on the table to support himself, while apparently trying to decide which Castiel to focus on, and continued,
"My old dad worked on one of them navy ships. Had to struggle like an animal or he tasted the whip. Then one day pirates attacked his ship. My dad fought bravely. The same can't be said for the officers onboard. Dad got a burial at sea, the pirates got nooses around their necks and the officers were promoted. As for my mother, left alone with three children, I'm sure you can imagine. So why don't you ask your friend how many innocent men's bodies have formed the steps for him to climb the ranks?"
While he spoke, spitting out the words with venom, Sam had risen and walked around the table. The people around them had also begun to take notice and there was a lot of muttering and dark looks being sent in their direction. Castiel's companions were all looking tense and he saw Ellen's hand creep towards her sword. A fight was brewing in the air.
"Why don't you have a seat, friend", Sam was saying, "so we can talk? What makes you think my friend is an officer?"
The man snorted and didn't sit down, though his eyes moved from Castiel to Sam.
"Do you think I'm an idiot? His manner of carrying himself proclaims him a nobleman and only men of the sea come here. The way he looks at everyone shows that he's used to ordering folks about, ergo" - he puffed himself up, obviously proud of his deducting skills and advanced vocabulary - "he's a naval officer. And that makes him a bastard who's going to taste my sword."
With a speed Castiel would not have thought him capable of in his current state, he drew the long sword from his belt and lunged at Castiel, who was only barely able to roll of the bench in time to avoid being run through. In the blink of an eye, the whole table were on their feet with their backs against each other, fending off the attacks of the rest of the tavern's patrons. Castiel was fencing against the first attacker and one of his friends, doing his best to dodge their attacks while avoiding those of his companions' opponents.
It didn't take long before the entire tavern had erupted into one big brawl. Swords were abandoned in favour of fists, bottles and any other objects that could conceivably and inconceivably be used as a weapon. Castiel, though used to large swordfights and the disorder of battle, had never been involved in a fight quite as chaotic as this one, where all rules were abandoned and pandemonium reigned. He was surprised at how invigorating he found it.
Ducking beneath a bench that was being swung around by a giant of a man even larger than Sam, he avoided being pinned down by another man being knocked to the floor and swiftly moved to stand with his back against the bar. A drunkard with an eye-patch threw a fist at him, but Castiel moved out of his way and used a bottle from the bar to knock him unconscious. He used the broken bottle to cut a gash across another man's hand, making him cry out and drop the table leg he'd been wielding, before bending low and sprinting towards the door. He reached it at the same time as a huge shape was being pushed through it and the momentum carried them both outside, where they landed gracelessly in the dust.
Castiel found himself sprawled across the other man with his face buried in a broad chest and with a tree trunk of a thigh wedged uncomfortably between his thighs. Before he could even think to move, the man began to stir. Castiel tried to reach his sword despite his awkward position, but Sam's voice below him reassured him.
"No offence, mate, you're handsome and all, but it's my brother who has a taste for men, not me. Besides, I'm fairly certain he'd have me keelhauled and flayed alive if I so much as looked at you the wrong way."
Castiel gave him a rare smile as he rolled off him and got to his feet.
"Don't worry", he said. "My tastes in men are very specific. They run towards a single man and while you share some of his traits, it's not enough for me to forget him."
Sam grinned widely and clapped him on the shoulder.
"I should hope not", he said. "I rather like you, Castiel, and I’d hate to have to feed you piece by agonising piece to the sharks for hurting my brother. Now let's get back to the ship. Bobby was to escort the ladies there when the fighting began and unless they put up too much resistance, they should be there by now. As for Ash, I think I saw him fly through the wall a while back, but I don't see him anywhere around here, so he must have been able to get back to the ship too. Hopefully, they'll have her ready to leave by the time we get there. I really want to find Dean soon."
With those words, he began walking towards the harbour, leaving Castiel to follow, while reflecting on the protectiveness in Sam's voice when he spoke of Dean and the unpleasant fate that in all likelihood awaited Captain White.
*****
The sound of footsteps echoing down the tunnel put a halt to Dean's discussion with Henricksen about various ways to escape. By now, they had almost agreed that the best way of getting out of their cell would be for them to knock the guard unconscious and steal his key, but they still had to figure out how to trick him into walking into their reach.
Then there was the question of how to find Anna and get out of here. They had both been blindfolded while they were being led to their cell and so they only knew the layout of the part of the lair that Dean had glimpsed while being taken to Captain White. From what he'd seen and what he'd deduced from behind his blindfold, he suspected that the system of caves they were in was huge and that getting lost in there would be all too easy.
This usually wouldn't have been enough to stop Dean - improvisation was his middle name, after all - but it turned out that Henricksen had a lot in common with Sam and insisted that they thought things through before they rushed ahead. Hence the reason why they were still sitting on their arses on the cold, hard ground when White appeared, followed by two of his pirates, dragging Anna along by the ropes that tied her hands together.
Dean stood up so quickly his head swam and rushed at the bars that separated him from Anna. This was the first glimpse he'd had of her since they'd left Port Royal and he felt almost giddy with relief that she was not only alive, but also apparently unharmed.
"Anna", he breathed. "Thank the heavens! Are you hurt?"
Anna's face was pale and her eyes were red shot, but she still held her head high and her lip didn't tremble. As always when he saw her, Dean felt a surge of admiration for her and he was suddenly reminded of her brother. Physically, the siblings were as unlike as a brother and sister could be, but they shared many of the same traits, such as integrity, righteous pride and a stubborn refusal to be quelled through force or intimidation. These traits were part of the reason why Dean thought so highly of Anna and why he had fallen in love with Castiel. Seeing them shine so clearly in Anna's eyes made him even more determined to get them both out of here and hopefully into the arms of her brother.
Anna nodded in reply to his question.
"I'm fine", she assured him, "don't worry about me. But you... Dean, you're hurt!"
But for the constant ache and the occasional flare of pain, Dean had almost forgotten about the state of his own body. He remembered Henricksen's words when he'd seen him and knew he must look a mess. He brought a tentative hand up to his face and almost winced at what he felt.
"I'm fine", he said, hoping Anna would believe him contrary to the evidence of her eyes. "I probably look worse than I feel. Our gracious host has been trying to make me fit in with his underlings. Apparently, ugly is a requirement to remain in these caves."
The guards holding Anna bared their teeth at him, which did nothing to contradict his statement. White tutted almost indulgently, as if reproving an insolent child.
"Really, Dean", he said, "I thought I'd told you, there's no need to be rude. We can't all be blessed with your exceptional beauty. I'd have thought you'd show me some gratitude, now that I've brought your lady to you,"
"Absolutely", Dean agreed, "and I'd be even more grateful if you let her go."
White grinned and shook his head.
"No, I don't think so. I have other plans for dear, beautiful Anna."
He turned around and ran a finger lightly down Anna's nose, over her mouth and chin and down her chest, like a knife cutting her open. Dean suddenly felt ill.
"Don't you lay a hand on her, White!" he rasped out. "I mean it. Harm a hair on her head and I will teach you the real meaning of pain. You think you know torture? It's child's play compared to what I'll do to you if I find so much as a scratch on her body."
To his disgust, White merely looked delighted at his words and moved closer to the bars, his eyes fixed on Dean, burning with a manic gleam.
"That's it, my boy", he said, "that's what I'm talking about. I knew you had it in you. All that rage, all that loathing. Wouldn't it feel amazing to let it all out, to take it out on someone else instead of just directing it all inwards? I know what you've been through, Dean. Your mother dying to protect you during a pirate attack, while your father was at sea and you were too young to save her. You taking care of your brother, since that was all you were good for, until you were both old enough to join your father's crew. Sam wanting to leave you to go to school and you unable to raise enough money to help him. John taking a bullet to save your worthless life. And now Anna, about to go under the knife because you're too weak to save her. Dean, Dean, Dean. When will you stop letting people sacrifice themselves for you and take responsibility for your own life?"
His words cut through Dean, sharper than any blade. He had finally discovered White's true talent: the way he could find a person's weaknesses and use them as weapons. His words were as echoes of Dean's darkest thoughts, the ones that plagued him in the dead of night, when he was alone in his quarters and there was no way to hide from the truth within him.
"I will never give in to you", he spat out, but it came out choked around the lump in his throat that he could not swallow.
White looked almost sadly at him, the pity in his eyes almost convincing.
"Oh, but you will", he said and Dean could not contradict him. He watched White leave, his guards following with a frightened-looking Anna between them, and White's words rang in his ears, "You will!"
*****
"Land, ho!" Ash called out from the crow's nest. He leaned over to look down at the people on the deck. "It looks like it could be the place!"
Sam raised his spyglass and looked in the direction where Ash was pointing. Sure enough, there was a huge rock rising out of the sea, its surface jagged and foreboding. Waves washed up against its sides and shattered into a rain of droplets and foam. He looked over at Bobby, who was studying the sea charts together with Ruby.
"It's around where you said it'd be", Bobby was saying to the girl.
Ruby grinned triumphantly.
"Told you", she said. "Promised I'd take you here, didn't I?"
"Do you think you could wait until we've actually checked that it's the right rock before you start gloating?" Sam asked.
"Never mind him", Jo said from where she was leaning over the railing, trying to catch a glimpse of the rock. "He's always a big grump when he's sore and he hates having to concede to women."
"Don't you have anything better to do, Jo?" Sam grumbled.
The girl moved away from railing to stand in front of him, hands on her hips.
"See", she said to Ruby, "a grump."
Ruby smiled and slipped an arm underneath Sam's.
"Yes, but an adorable one", she said. "Look, he even pouts."
Sam tried not to roll his eyes, but it took too much effort. He heaved a deep sigh.
"Do you think you could wait to tease me later? Only, I'm a bit busy at the moment. I've a ship to command."
"Command away", Ruby replied. "You're ever so handsome when you do that."
"Good thing it serves some purpose", Jo mumbled. "Heaven knows it doesn't do much good in terms of making the crew listen."
Sam clenched his jaws, trying to think of a mature and suitably dignified response, but it was no good. In the end, he settled for his and Dean's usual solution to Jo's insolence.
"Ellen, your daughter's being a pest!"
"Joanna Beth, leave Sam alone! He doesn't need you to cause him difficulties; he manages that quite well enough on his own."
It really wasn't worth it to try to get any form of respect from his crew, so Sam decided to be thankful for small favours as he watched Jo stalk off in a huff.
"Thank you, Ellen!" he called.
"Anytime, hun" came the reply.
"Think you can circle that rock to take a look at the other side?"
"Gee, Sam, I don't know! It's about that time when I usually brush my hair and practise fluttering my eyelashes, but I guess I could make an exception for you."
There came a sound that was suspiciously like a snort from Bobby. Sam turned to glare at him.
"You want to take over?" he asked and Bobby shook his head, his grizzly beard quivering in amusement.
"I think you're doing a great job, Sam", Chuck slurred as he wobbled past them on his way below deck, a bottle of rum as always clutched in his hand. "Almost like a proper captain."
"Great", Sam replied. "Thanks, Chuck!"
Ruby giggled.
"Poor baby!" she cooed. "No one appreciates you like I do."
Sam smoothly sidestepped her as she went to kiss him and looked around.
"Has anyone seen Castiel?"
*****
Castiel was standing at the bow, looking towards the rock that was steadily growing bigger as the ship came closer. His heart was pounding with excitement. This was the place! He could feel it. Something within him, some deep instinct told him that Anna and Dean were inside that rock. They only had to find a way to reach them.
He kept his eyes fixed on the rock, even as someone came to stand next to him. Judging by the towering shadow he cast, it was Sam. He didn't speak, but stood silent beside Castiel, gazing out across the waters. The Impala moved quickly and smoothly through the waves as Mrs Harvelle steered her around the rock.
Finally, Sam broke the silence,
"Are you ready for this?"
There was no need to ask what he meant. Castiel knew as well as Sam what a dangerous venture this was. Captain White did not sound like the type of man to give up easily and the Impala's crew would be severely outnumbered.
"I'm ready", Castiel replied. "We'll get them back, Sam."
Sam nodded and put a large hand on his shoulder. He drew in breath to speak again, but let it out in a loud gasp.
"Bloody hell!" he said and turned around to address his crew, “All hands to your stations! We're under attack!"
Castiel looked towards the part of the rock just coming into view and saw a huge galleon glide towards them, like monstrous beast of prey. Apparently, they had been expected and the battle was about to begin.