Max looked at him curiously. He was a different pirate, he even looked different. "Hey, aren't you suppose to have a pirate hat and a talking parrot, an eye patch and a wooden leg?" she asked him curiously with an eye brow raised. There was a glint in her eye which indicated she was just teasing him. When he started laughing it was Max's turn to look at him like he was crazy, "what?" she demanded, her mouth forming into a pout. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, pirates were known to be quite crazy. Once again she got the scent of cinamonn and her mouth watered, Max was glad when he asked her to follow him. She half skipped to the kitchen! She just loved to bake, but most importantly she loved to eat her own baked goods. Her stomach growled at the thought of eating pastries! When James said land meant nothing to him she gave him a shocked look, how could the land mean nothing too him?! He had to be crazy, Max concluded in the end.

As they walked to the kitchen Max said nothing, only took in her surroundings. It was quite dark, the path to the kitchen. Max's eyes widened as she saw a wooden spoon smack James dead in the middle of his face. Max couldn't control her laughter, there were tears in her eyes as she clothed her stomach to ease the pain from the laughter. This fearless pirate got hit with a spoon! Max looked up innocently at the lady who had hit James. Max liked this lady already, when James had told her that their cook was a female Max had imagined some one scary and not nearly as motherly as this lady. Max smiled innocently as the lady addressed her, "it is quite right, though I wish he had consulted me before kidnapping me" she told the lady with a small smile. She waved at the lady, "hello, my name is Max" she said simply, she was still quietly laughing at the pirate captain.

James laughed when he heard her and smiled, "well that might be me in a few years but that was how my father looked most of thetime. But for now I am just James and I like how I am currently." he said as he smiled and lead her towards the kit hen. But when he saw her face he just sighed and shook his head. "let's just say land has never been nice to me and just brings back painful memories." he said as he looked at her andcontinued to lead the way. Land ment to him being alone, land had been where he lived when he had no one and were his father died. It was never nice to him and only the ocean seemed to be nice eventhough it harmed others more.

When James heard Maxs laughter he had a feeling that Beth was going to be her best friend. But he silently wished Beth hadn't and glared at her. When Beth saw the glare she smacked him against the head with her spoon, "that will teach you." she muttered as James held the side of his head. He couldn't say anything since Beth had been basicly his mother and to talk back at her men another wack in the head. Beth then smiled at max, "it is nice to met you max, I am Beth, cook and mother to all these pirates." she said happily, "oh and almost every girl he mets wishes that but you can't expect much from a boy who was raised by pirates. He is as polite as he can get." she said and James frowned, "I can be polite but when I am working bein polite doesn't really matter." he said and Beth laughed, "you always have to be polite to a girl, it is needed." she said as she looked at him and James sighed. There was no arguing with her, there never was.

Max snorted again as Beth smacked the side of his head this time. She was enjoying his pain immensely! Words could not describe the way Max was feeling, this was too her, karma. Karma and revenge that is, that would teach him to abduct Max or any other girl again! "Pleasure to meet you too Beth! It is hard to believe that a lovely person like you is a mother to pirates. That makes me kind of jealous of these men seeing as I never had the chance to know my parents" she said with a small sad smile. Max didn know what had made her say it but it was true, she had never met her parents, her grandmother was her only family and sometimes Max doubted if her grandmother was actually her own. Max's eyebrows raised when Beth said 'every girl he meets'.

She turned her glance at James and tilted her head. "So James is a part time kidnapper as well? Isn't that interesting.." she said laughing. "By the way thank you for the dinner, I was afraid that a man was going to be cooking on this ship, that almost made me terrified to eat the food" she told Beth with a modest shrug. It was fun talking to Beth, she seemed to be an easy going person, Max had taken a liking to he already. "If you ever need help with cooking let me know! I would be more than happy to help out" Max offered with a smile.

Beth let out a laugh when she heard her and then wrapped a arm around her. "well welcome to your new family." she said as she brought Max into the kitchen. James followed them in and beth glared at him for a second. Yet slowly a smile broke out on her face, she couldn't stay angry at him for long. She then sat Max down at a table, she deserved to relaxand eat some comfort food after going threw what she had today.

As she pulled out a apple pie and started to cut it she coudlnt' help but laugh when she heard her, "oh he cant kidnap girls and wouldn't do it unless he has to. But what I mean by every girl is any he has ever meets. Right when he starts to talk his politeness goes away." she said as she put two pieces of pie on plates and stated to put some ice ceam on top of it. When she heard the offer of help she coudlnt' help but smile. Gently she set the plates down infront of the two and smiled at Max, "I would love the help, it is hard to cook for a bunch of starving men half the time." she said as she looked at her. She then looked at Jace, "by the way you need to eat more." she said and put more ice cream on his plate. James just laughed as he took a bite, "I am fine, I am eating as much as I need to." he said but he and Beth both knew he wasn't in good shape. He hardly ever ate much and normally wouldn't eat unless Beth was watching like she was now. THey knew he did this because there wasn't enough food to go around to everyone and James let himself starve to keep his crew and many others from starving.

Max grinned playfully, "Never thought when I actually got a family it would be a bunch of angry pirates" she let out a soft laugh as she looked up at Beth and followed her to the table. Max sat down and looked at the apple Beth was going to serve them, it looked simpling delicious. Max could feel her mouth watering already, Max grinned at Beths comment. "Well, since I am technically going to be here for sometime I think we could come up with an idea to help him, what do you say to that Beth?" she asked while directing her grin towards James.

Max thanked Beth for the food, "Well I guess when I'm not making the map I could come down and help you cook" she said with a nod. She then turned towards James, "I'll need some parchment and some ink and possibly a compass" she told him with a small shrug as she put a spoonful of pie and ice-cream in her mouth. "Mmmm...Beth! This is absolutely delicious!" she squeaked as she shoveled another piece of pie in her mouth. Max looked at James, "I think Beth is right. You do look rather skinny" she told him with a nod of agreement towards Beth.

Beth laughed, "well we may be pirates but we aren't all angry, most of us are kind and just do this because we have to." she said as she looked at her. MOst of the pirates on this ship were here just to support there familys. James has his own reasons for doing what he did on this ship and no one ever said or compained about what he did. Beth then laughed when she heard her and nodded, "good, i think he will need help if he is ever to find a girl." she said and James smirked, "I am happy with how I am now." he said as he started to eat his pie a little bit.

Beth smiled as she sat down and nodded, "I would love the help." she said and then turned to James, "and you better get her what she needs if she is going to make a map for you." she said and James nodded as he continued to eat but wasn't even close to being a fourth of the way done with the pie. "dont worry, she will get everything she needs. I will make sure of it." he said but he wasn't to sure if Beth heard that since she started to laugh. "I am glad that you like it, I make the best pies on the sea." she said and James nodded. But when he heard there skinny comments he frowned and then heard something going on. "be right back, I think i have business to take care of." he said and right as he exited the room beth sighed. "he wont admit it but he is probably very underweight. Since we dont have much food on the ship he lets himself starve so the others can eat. The most I see him eat usually is a apple or a piece of bread." she said as she picked up his left over pie which was hardly even eaten and set it aside.

Max nodded understandingly, "I guess I know what you mean" she said softly. Max laughed, "I feel sorry for the women that agrees to marry him" she told Beth in a vey matter-o-fact voice and then glanced over at James and grinned. She didn't feel that bad on the ship. Sure he had still kidnapped her, but now that she thought about it her town was getting protection in return. Max rolled her eyes, "of course you're happy with who you are, it's just Beth isn't satisfied" she said speaking to Beth instead of James. Max continued to eat the pie, it was deeeeeliiiicious! Max couldn't seem to keep the spoon out of her mouth.

"I can help you right now, seeing as I'm not doing anything else" she said with a grin. "I think you make the best pie in the world!" she told Beth grinning. "Even better than me!" Max admitted. "He looks sort of skinny" Max said with a shrug. "I think I may have more fat on me than he does" she grinned as she pulled on her cheeks to show off the baby fat she had never lost on her face. Max frowned and suddenly she felt guilty for eating the pie, she watched as James disappeared through the doorway. Max grabbed James's plate from Beth's hand, "I'll go give that to him for you" she said smiling. With a small wave to Beth Max went through the door and up the stairs, she had heard the noise as well and decided to wait in the door archway until she caught a sight of James.

Beth smiled at her and couldn't help but laugh. IN all truth she knew that which ever girl won James heart they would gain a very caring man. James just glared at Max slightly but in a kiding kind of way, "maybe I should force you to marry me so that you have to suffer." he said and Beth laughed a little bit, "sure, you can do that but I am sure you would never do that." she said and James smiled and nodded, "she is right thought, I am to kind to do that." he said and soon left after that.

Beth smiled when she heard her, "I would love to take that offer." she said and smiled more, 'and I am glad that you think so. It is a old family recipe." she said happily and chuckled when she saw her baby fat. James had lost all the fat on his body basicly since he started to starve himself. Beteh then nodded as she watched her take the plate and smiled, "at least he has another person looking after him." she said softly. James had found some of his men fighting and he quickly jumped into the middle of this. "what is going on?" he asked and then his one crew men pointed at the one that was beaten pretty badly. "I found him stealing some of the treasure we got from our late raid. I thought it was my duty to punish him." he said and James glared at him, "there is a reason for everything so lets hear him out." he said as he looked at hte badly beaten man. "i-i stole because my family... we lost alot of money and I cant support them as well as I use to on the money you give us. I just needed a little more so we could get back on our feet." he said softly and closed his eyes. He thought he was going to get beaten but instead james touched his shoulder, "then take my share of the raid, you can surely use it better then I can." he said and the man just stared at him but slowly nodded. "now if that is settled you all get to bed, tomorrow I want to set sail back home so that we can get more food." he said and they all nodded and started to walk away. Most were suprised that there captain would give up his gold so easily but others just didn't care. James watched them go and then headed out to go and check everything on the boat.

Max snorted, "I think I would have to throw you over board before I even say I do" she stuck out her tongue and yelled after James. Max had heard everything that James had said and done, she found herself smiling at his actions. Max shyly came out of the shadows with the pie still in her hand. "James?" she called out his name and ran after him, she tapped his shoulder and smiled at him. Max handed him the pie, the ice cream was melting. "I think you should eat this before of mysteriously disappear into my stomach" she told him laughing. "By the way, if you don't finish this...I will have to force feed you" she told him with a small shrug.

Max looked at him with curiosity, "Why did you give up your part of the money?" she asked him softly. Max saw him a different light now, "You weren't born a pirate...were you?" she asked him. He wasn't exactly as ruthless as the other pirates she had heard about, maybe she was wrong...maybe all pirates weren't ruthless idiots. Max looked around the ship, it was huge! And it looked even bigger without the crew, she saw the wheel of the ship and her eyes widened. Her mouth fell open a bit, she turned to James, "do you think you would ever let me steer your ship?" she asked him grinning.

James was surprsied when he felt a tap on his shoulder and looked to see it was Max with his plate of pie. When he heard her he couldn't help but chuckle as he took it from her. He should of Guessed that beth would send someone after him to give him the pie. "dont worry, I promise I will eat it." he said and took a bite right infront of her. He continued to eat and found that he was extreamly hungry.

He smirked when he heard her, "I dont need the money." he said but when he heard her he nearly choked on a piece of Pie. He then thought of something to say but since he knew that she wasn't going to stay long he decided just to tell her the truth. So he simplay nodded, "yeah you should say that, when your a orphan with nothing you can only dream of having something." he said as he looked at her. He saw her checking out the wheel and chuckles slightly when he heard her and nodded, "sure, you just have to promise me that if you do drive you wont crash this ship. It was my fathers." he said as he looked at her.

Max grinned, "You better! Or else...Beth will get you" she said with a small laugh. She looked at him kindly when a shocked expression came over his face, "Don't worry...I think I'm an orphan too, though my grandmother denies it...but I've never seen a picture of me with my parents and neither of my parents looked anything from me" she said with a small shrug. She sighed, she could only imagine what he felt. Max poked James in the ribs, "I think Beth is right...you are a bit too skinny" she muttered. She hated talking about her parents, or even her grandmother now that she was away from home.

Max raised an eyebrow, "Then I believe it is a horrible idea to let me steer this ship. I think I should start with something smaller, maybe a sail boat" she told him laughing. James was lucky to ever have known a parent figure, it was almost something she could easily envy about James. "It's a nice ship" she said smiling at James, "It looks very sturdy" she said with a nod. Max yawned, it was a nice night. The breeze was gentle and the sea was almost calm.

James chuckled slightly and smiled at her, "I know she will." he said and soon finished his pie. He then nodded and looked over at hte ocean, "I cant even remember my parents. All I know is that I lived on the streets till I was twelve and then I came here. I dont even remember what town I use to live in anymore." he said as he looked at her and chuckled slightly when she felt her poke him. "I know I am, but the duty of being a captain is to make sure that your crew is well fed." he said as he looked at her. "and if you know the truth about me then you should know my real name, I am Axel, Axel james masterson." he said as he looked at her and smiled.

James then laughed when he heard her and smiled, "dont worry, I will be at your side to make sure that you dont crash the ship." he said as he looked at her and smiled. He then ondded, "it is, it was my adoptive fathers ship. When he was killed i got the ship and everything on it and all the dutys that belonged with it." he said as he looked at her and noticed the yawn, "you look tired, you should go and sleep."

Max smiled, "At least you had a father figure. I've...never known my parents, my grandmother says they died when I was just three so obviously...I can't remember anything" she gave a sort of a shrug as she smiled sadly. "Yes, but it also doesn't make sense if the captain falls sick when his crew obviously admires him" she said tilting her head. "Pleasure to meet you Axel" she said laughing, "As you already know, my name is Max, Max Zhao" she said with a mock formal bow. She reached her hand out for the plate, "Here, I'll take it to Beth later" she said with a small smile.

Max grinned, "So, want to help me right now?" her eyes shone, she was excited to try and steer this ship! "Sort of like my grandmothers bakery" she said nodding as she eyed the wheel once more. Max shook her head, "I am not going to bed until you let me steer this ship" she turned to him with a pleading look in her eyes. "Please!" she said smiling once more.

Axel nodded, "Mine died when I was two or three. I cant really remember since I was little. All I know is that by the time i was seven I was alone and had been alone for a long time." he said as he looked at her. "well I will eat a little more but not much, we still have a few days to go till we can get more supplies." he said as he looked at her and laughed when he saw her bow and bowed back, "it is nice to met you for real this time." he said as he looked at her and then handed her the plate, "here." he said as he returned a smile.

He then thought for a moment and when he saw hte excited look in her eyes he coudlnt' help but smile, "sure, why not." he said as he smiled at her. He then took a step towards the wheel and motioned for her to follow, "come on, it is alot easier to steer then most people think."

"Well, now that I am your prisoner on this ship maybe I can help you bargain for the supplies. People say I can be quite scary when I need things done" she told him grinning. Max might not have looked it, but she could be quite serious and scary when bargaining for supplies, after all she had learned how to bargain from her grandmother. Her grandmother had always taught her to save money when buying supplies for their bakery because they were at a location which got raided by pirates often. Max smiled and took the plate, she was glad that he had eaten something.

"Really?!" she asked him smiling. Max giggled quietly and followed him, she put the plate down carefully on a ledge and walked up behind the wheel. "Well, only if you're sure that you will be here just in case I go crazy with the wheel" she said with a small nervous laugh. Of course, she was only kidding about the whole crashing part, but...Max liked to be sure of things, well more likely, she loved to careful about anything and everything. She watched James for approval as she stood behind the wheel.

Axel smiled at her and nodded, "I would like the help, I need all of it that I can get." he said as he looked at her. "and I am sorry for kidnapping you. I just need hte treasure you know about worse then ever before. I hope you can understand." he said as he looked at her and really did hope that she could. She would find out once they get the treasure what he had planned for it and hopedfully then she would understand that.

He then smiled and nodded as he headed to the wheel and smield at her. "really and I am sure that you wont go crazy at the wheel. If I did think that you would I wouldnt' let you behind it." he said as he looked at her. He then smiled at her, "now take the wheel at ten and two. " he said as he looked at her and smiled.

Max shrugged, "I think I'm getting over the fact that I was abducted against my will" she said with a small laugh. "I'm actually...enjoying being out at sea, it's kind of...calming." she said as she faced the wheel. "How will you use the treasure once you get it? Because honestly, you don't strike me as the crazy greedy kind" Max said thoughtfully. "I actually think other wise, I tend to be a bit...childish at time" she whispered as she shyly moved behind the wheel.

She gave him a strange look, "Ten...and two?" she whispered, she was facing Axel again, her mouth slightly open as she tried to grasp what that term might have meant. "You never told me that there were pirate terms involved!" she told him with a shake of her head as she laughed. Max had no idea what to do, she bit her lower lips and continued to look at Axel confused. She realized she would need to learn the pirate way of speaking.

Axel nodded when he heard her and smiled, "the sea is always calm and nice or at least it has been for me." he said and liked the sound of her laugh. He was also happy that she wasn't mad at him for abducting her still. He had his reasons and he chuckled a little when he heard her, "your right, I am not the greedy kind." he said and looked out at the ocean for a second, "when my father was still alive he showed me everything he did. He took me to all the other towns that hte navy abuses or the places that no one cares about. Each time he took me there he gave them some of the treasure he found so that they could continue to live and have a chance to do better." he said and then smiled at her, "now it is my duty to help them so I plan to give the treasure away." he said as he smiled at her.

When she looked at him he couldnt' help but chuckle. "of course there are terms, why wouldn't there be?" he asked as he looked at her and knew that she would get hte learn them after a while. he got behind her and took her hands, "now ten and two are the positions of a clock. So you place your hands where those postions are. So ten is here and two is there." he said as he placed her hands on the wheel and smield at her. "once youve been on the ship for a while you will get use to hearing terms like this." he said as he smiled at her.

"And let us hope for the sake of my sanity that it continues to be nice" she said laughing. She had heard how bad the sea could get at times. Max had heard stories of how the sea had tossed ships around till there was nothing except a few pieces left of them. Max nodded as she listened to him, she had no idea how tough a pirates life truly was. They were away from their families for long periods of time, they needed too loot in order to fill their own bellies...she could go on and on. Max smiled, "That was very kind of him, and I think it's very kind of you too continue that for him" she looked nervously at the wheel.

She blushed, "Hey! It's not nice to laugh at some one who's learning!" she looked away rolling her eyes. Max's eyes widened as he took her hands, she put it on the wheel like he told her too. A clock? Of course! The wheel was round like a clock! Why hadn't she thought about it?! "Oh! I see!" she told him with a laugh. "I can't believe I didn't figure it out! It works like a clock!" she looked at the wheel and she giggled. "Hey! You're right! This is a whole lot easier than it looks!" she laughed as she steadied her hands on the wheel and looked up at the night sky.

Axel chuckled and nodded, "hopefully it will be nice.' he said as he smiled at her but knew that a storm would happen sooner or later. He just hoped it wouldn't be to bad since he didn't want anything bad happened to his ship or his crew. "thanks, I am glad that you think it is kind. THe crew understands what I do but sometimes disagrees since I only take what we should and leave enough for the people I steal from." he said as he looked at her and smiled.

"sorry, coudlnt' help it." he said as he looked at her and smiled when he saw her eyes grew wide and knew she was understainding everything now. He then nodded and smiled, "it is okay, sometimes people dont get that for a while. he said as he looked at her and slowly took his hands away form hers, "I am glad you think it is easy, now why dont you trying turning this to the right?" he asked as he looked at her and smiled.

Max nodded in agreement, "Why would I not think it's nice! I mean, it is absolutely wonderful. You're like the robin hood of the sea" she said with a small grin. "I can understand how the crew feels, but then I also understand where you are coming from. Boy it must be hard making all these decisions! I would go crazy trying to see which ones are right" Max told him with admiration in her voice. She returned his smile with a small one of his own.

She blushed and shook her head, "It's fine" Max said shrugging. Max shyly turned the wheel to the right. She was actually enjoying this! Max laughed, "This is amazing!" she giggled. Max could feel the wind blow through her short teal hair, she closed her eyes for a brief moment before opening it again. "Where to next captain?!" she asked him excited for a chance behind the wheel.

Axel smield and nodded, "yeah that is what my father use to call himself and I love being able to do this. It feels better then just having a store and trying to sell people food." he said as he looked at her and smiled. He then laughed and nodded, "oh and you have no idea how hard it is. Half the time I want to pull the hair out of my head or beat the crap out of the guys that dont understand. But in the end it is all for the best and things turn out great." he said as he smiled at ehr and you could tell he loved doing this more then anything else.

When he saw the blush on her cheeks he coudlnt' help but think it looked cute on a teal haired girl. When he heard her shout he knew that the sea had earned a place in her heart. Usually when it did you coudln't get enough and longed to be out here, like him. He then smiled at her, "okay, I need you to turn the ship noth east and try to keep her in a straight line. By morning we should hit land and possibly get some of our supplies." he said as he looked at her.

Max smiled, she realized that it was nice and it was more than anything that Max could have done to help out people who were victims of raids. "But, your crew seems pretty reliable and they seem so laid back. Not to mention they respect you, it's kind of hard to believe that you would need to beat them to get them to do things" she said with a grin. Max was surprised that her hands were steady on the wheel, the ship was going the way Axel had told her to steer.

Max tilted her head as she tired to figure out which way was North Wast, she frowned and looked at the compass in front of her too help. When she thought she had gotten it figured out she turned the ship, she quickly steadied the ship with a swift motion of her hand. "Am I going the right way?" she asked Axel. Max didn't like to admit it, but, she had absolutely no sense of direction what so ever.

Axel smiled at her and nodded, "they are reliable, it is the new recrutes that I have ot beat some sence into. They expect that I am some kind of monster, someone who wants to only steal and not give back. When they see how I really am they dont want to listen and do everything they want. But I make sure they listen." he said as he watched her. She was a natural at the wheel, she was able to keep it straight and steady.

He smiled as he watched her look at the compass and try to get the right durrection. He then smiled and nodded, "yeah, your going hte right way." he said as he smiled at her, "if I didn't know any better I would think that this wouldnt' be the first time that you have done this. Have you ever been on a ship before?" he asked as he looked at her.

Max grinned, "It's always the new ones" she said shaking her head. In a way she understood what Axel meant, when her grandmother hired new employees to help out with the bakery it was Max's job to train them and boy where they ever so annoying to train. They never followed the instructions you gave them, and when you would try to correct them, they would act all high and might and ignorant. "You're a really good leader, I have to give you that" she said smiling.

Max gave him a sigh, "I'm glad I'm going the right way." she was almost sure that she had the ship going the wrong way. She blushed at the compliment, "Thanks" Max gave a small laugh when he asked her if she had been on a ship before. "No, I haven't I'm a land lover, I...I've never thought about steering a ship" she said with a shrug. "It is absolutely beautiful here, especially the night, you can see all the stars" she looked up at the moon and smiled. It truly was beautiful.