The moonlight poured in through the windows of the Captains' Quarters, casting shadows on the floor from the window frames and darkness to flit through shadows in the rest of the room. It had been a very exhausting evening. After trying unsuccessfully to get Fate to try and talk or even eat something, Hayate and Nanoha had escorted her back to the VIP quarters down the hall where her three other companions were staying until they made port in Mid-Chidla tomorrow evening. The two captains had found themselves back in their quarters, silence hanging between them as Hayate peered out the windows at the rear of the ship, watching the water foam in the wake of the ship's movement. Nanoha had went into the bathroom, draining the bathtub and gathering up Fate's clothes, folding them neatly as she could with the intention of visiting a tailor once they were back home. Once that was done, she had prepared for bed, brushing her hair alone in front of the mirror for the first time since they had began their voyage. She didn't blame Hayate though, she was feeling just as horrid as her lover surely was. Resigning herself to the fact that there wasn't much she could do about it, she had left the bathroom and made her way to their bed, climbing under the covers. Hayate had looked over at her then, finally brought from her trance. She quickly stripped down and pulled on her own night clothes, aware of her lover's eyes following her movements. She slipped between the sheets herself, adjusting to get comfortable as Nanoha moved to cuddle into her side.

Pirates!Nanoha

By: LowFlyer1080

That was the same position she was currently in, now almost two hours later. She was still wide awake, unable to find comfort in her lover's embrace and fall asleep. The moonlight held her sight since she had laid down, watching it make its way slowly across the deck, weaving as though it were rocking with the waves instead of the ship rolling lazily back and forth. Thoughts ran rampant through her head. What had happened to Fate that she found herself in that position? Who did that to her? Why was she so concerned for the woman beyond what she normally would have been? Was it Scaglietti? Was it someone else? Would they ever even find out before he was executed if it was him?

So many questions, and none with answers.

She couldn't talk to Fate about it, obviously. She didn't want to bring up what happened earlier. The pain was still too fresh in those burgundy eyes of hers. Eyes that had pierced her soul just as Nanoha's own did. That right there was a whole other can of worms that she didn't even want to consider at the moment. For some reason, the blond girl had stirred feelings inside her heart that up until now she had only felt when in Nanoha's presence. Not to confuse the issue, because Nanoha still conjured those same feelings in her, just as powerfully as before.

Except now Fate did as well...

Sighing softly against a headache that she felt fast forming, she looked down at her lover, checking to make sure she was sound asleep. Restless, tired, angry, and shamed, she slipped from bed, careful not to wake her sleeping lover. She dressed silently and picked up her boots. Padding barefoot across the deck she slipped out into the hall, shutting the door behind her before putting on her boots. Nanoha was a heavy sleeper many nights, but often times she would awake for no reason at the slightest sound. Over the years, Hayate had learned how to become quite stealthy when trying not to disturb her lover. For now though, she thought as she put on her boots, she had no intention on being stealthy. Frowning, she set off down the hall, her intentions and thoughts set on only one person who was currently below decks.

In the brig.

Descending through the decks, she made it to the brig where four of her crew were standing guard over the currently sleeping prisoners. They were slightly surprised at seeing Captain Yagami awake and down here but none showed it. They were curious though and even a bit concerned at the near murderous look on the woman's face as she breezed past them, not even acknowledging their salutes as she grabbed the key to cell number five off its hook.

"Captain Yagami?" One of them dared question.

"Silence." Came the short, menacing reply, as the brunette jammed the key into the door lock, turning it and opening the cage. She stalked the few feet over to the sleeping form of Scaglietti and kicked him hard in the ribs, startling him awake with a grunt of pain.

"Well well well, to what do I owe the pleasure, Captain?" He replied groggily as he came fully awake and struggled to sit up on the cot. It was a difficult feat considering his hands were chained behind his back.

His only reply was a sharp backfist to the side of his jaw. He said nothing, but spat out a rotten tooth that had broken off, along with some blood, onto the floor.

"I thank you, Captain. That tooth was becoming most bothersome." He replied with a bloody grin.

Growling angrily, she slugged him in the stomach, doubling him over off the cot onto the deck and coughing a few times trying to get the wind back in his lungs. By now the guards were approaching the cell. She stopped them with a harsh glance and a single word. "Hold!"

The commotion was beginning to stir the former crew of the Saint's Cradle. Captain Yagami grabbed Scaglietti by the throat and dragged him to his feet, her strength surprising even him a little. Slamming him against the prison cell bars, her grip on his throat tightened.

"You're going to tell me exactly what you did to Lady Fate. And I had better like the answer." She threatened. Her rage was rolling off her in waves now and her crew wasn't sure what to do. They had never seen her act like this before.

"Or you'll do what exactly?" He choked out from the pressure around his neck.

Her only response was to draw out a large caliber pistol from behind her back and jam the barrel between his legs making him grunt with discomfort and squirm a little. An ominous clicking sound followed in the silence, stopping him dead as he realized she had just cocked the hammer back. For once, beads of sweat actually formed on the pirate's brow. He could smell the faint scent of sulfur coming up from between them. He knew the gun was freshly loaded and with more powder than normal. Looking in her steel blue eyes he knew she was serious.

"Captain Yagami, cease this at once!" One of the crewwomen said.

"SILENCE! That is an order!" She shouted, never taking her eyes off the man in front of her.

"Ah. Now I see." He grinned, "You want to know if I stole the fair maiden's flower? And if I had, what then? Are you going to shoot me? Go ahead. I'm a dead man already, but you know that if you do anything to hurt me, the TSAB will have your command faster than you can pull that trigger."

The Captain ground her teeth and pressed the barrel into him a little harder. She had been determined not to let this sniveling little rat get the better of her, but it was difficult not to respond to his taunting.

"Ahh yes. I can only imagine what it would have felt like to taste Fate. Feel her warm, young body pressed tight against me. Her arms wrapped around my neck and her head tilted back in ecstasy, moaning and crying out with lust and desire. Mmmm. I can see it now." He laughed, closing his eyes. "She'd be so vocal about wanting it. Needing it. And it'd drive me that much harder to give it to her. Make her beg for me."

It was so hard for Hayate not to pull the trigger. Her finger pressing against it ever so tighter and tighter, feeling the firing mechanism slowly start to give way. Just a hairsbreadth more...just a fraction further...

"It's too bad really that that would never happen. Nor would I allow it to happen, my dear Captain." His voice stopped her. Her brow narrowing. "You see, for as horrible and as nasty and as black-hearted and cutthroat I may be, I don't force myself upon women. That's something my code strictly forbids, and one of the few rules I've always abided by. No no, my sweet. I wouldn't ever force myself upon a woman who was unwilling or unwanting of my desires and needs."

"And how do I know that you're not lying just to save those worthless giblets of yours you miserable Belkan sow?" Captain Yagami growled again.

"By this time tomorrow I'll be swinging from the gallows. What possible reason would I have for lying to you if it did me no good to do so? And if you don't believe me, go ask Fate yourself. Though from you being here, I'm surprised she even let on to what happened to her." Scaglietti spat back. "And before you ask, no I have no idea who did that to her. I tried getting her to talk to me before but was met with nothing more than shaking, tears, and whispered pleas. I gave up on trying to seduce her and threw her back in my brig."

Captain Yagami threw the man to the deck, kicking him once more in the ribs as she leveled the pistol to the man's head. Her hand shook as she ground her teeth together, staring down with hatred at the man even as he looked defiantly back up at her. She saw no fear in the pirate's eyes nor hint of lies or deception. She knew he was telling the truth. And he was right too. He'd be dead by tomorrow so what would he gain by lying about such a thing to her. She thumbed the hammer, pulling the trigger and letting it slowly back down as she lowered the weapon, placing it back in her belt behind her back. Turning swiftly on her heel, she moved back out of the cell, slamming the iron bars shut behind her and re-locking them. She made to leave but a parting word passed from Scaglietti stopped her.

"If you are really set on seeking retribution for the Lady, then perchance you might start looking in Tortuga. An inn there called the Shady Lion run by a man named Bartholomew. It's all I managed to get out of her." He called out.

Captain Yagami looked back at him, a frown of confusion on her face. "Why would you tell me this when I'm taking you and a large amount of your crew to your executions?"

"As I said before, I may be a black-hearted cutthroat and as foul as they come, but that doesn't mean I force myself on women. I know my time is limited, but I'll be able to go quietly knowing that vengeance will be swift and merciless upon whoever did that to her."

Hayate's face softened minutely before she nodded. "I may not like you, Captain, but I thank you. My apologies for my actions."

"Bah! Just go find the son of a bitch and send him to the depths of hell!" Scaglietti growled before returning to lie down on his bunk, his back facing Captain Yagami.

Hayate smirked a little before moving away past her still shocked crew. She hung up the key on its hook before making her way back up decks to her quarters. Taking off her boots at the door she snuck back in the darkened room. Placing them silently next to her desk as she always did, she stripped back down out of her clothes. They would make port tomorrow at Mid-Chidla and she would have to figure out a way of not only keeping her new guests on board the Reinforce, but getting an assignment that took her out near Tortuga. She had some questions for this Bartholomew character that Captain Scaglietti had mentioned. And she was sure that they could manage to at least stop a few more pirate vessels while out near there. After all, Tortuga was one of the main ports of calling that was safe harbor to the riff-raff and scallywags that sailed the seas. Slipping into her nightshirt, she made her way to the bed. She set the pistol down on the nightstand and climbed carefully back under the covers, lying down next to Nanoha who merely shifted a bit and slid her arm back over Hayate's waist, still very much asleep. This time Hayate's eyes managed to close and her body accepted the sands of Morpheus.

End Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Nanoha

A/N – Sorry about the extremely long delay and short update. Between work and other stuff happening, it's been hard trying to get a handle on the story again. Writer's block hasn't helped me at all either.