Queen of the Seas Ch. 46

   Henriette was about to yell back, but from the other side of the ship, Fits was screaming, "WHERE'S HENRIETTE? WHERE IS SHE?" He sounded terrified.

   Henriette peeked around her Captain, "Yes?" she asked quietly.

   "How do you know? How, Are you sure?" Freede started to walk towards her uneasily, tripping over his own feet.

   "I just, Do." Henriette stuttered back.

   Freede stopped Fits, "What ON EARTH is she blabberin' about, Boy?"

   Fits twiddled his fingers together, "She, uh, I, um, Well," he started, trying to find the right words.

   "Captain?" Henriette tapped his shoulder and in blind rage, Freede spun around, waving a fist. Henriette ducked and caught his elbow, pushing him into the rail as he had done to her before, "CAPTAIN! Will you just listen?" Henriette backed away, "Fits and I," she tried.

   "If I can just get a word in?" Fits stepped up beside her, "We were drunker than a critter drownin' in whiskey." He nodded for Henriette to continue.

   "Fits and I, as you may remember, were very, VERY drunk that night, and we got a little out of hand-"

   "A little?" The crew burst into laughter until Henriette's dagger landed in the mast beside them.

   "I don't have to miss," she informed the crew with a glare, "So," Henriette turned back to Freede-who was standing patiently with a scowl on his face, "When we got a little out of hand, we ended up making a baby."
~ ~ ~
   Fits hit the deck again, passing out just as before.

   Freede stared at his fallen crewmate, and simply laughed, "You're telling me, that Fits here, scored?"

   Henriette swung her palm across Freede's cheek, knocking his head to the side, "Really Cap?" she hissed, pinning her ears, "I don't care what condition I'm in, but you need to shut yer trap 'efore I shut it for ya!"

   Freede turned back to Henriette, his cheek burning red, "Get off my ship."

   Fits started murmuring, coming 'round again, "And the water, and the birds," he rolled his head back and forth.

   Henriette leaned down, rolling Fits over completely and helping him sit up, "C'mon, Fits, Wake up," she tried.

   "Get off my ship." Freede repeated.

   "CAPTAIN!" Fits screamed suddenly, waking up and throwing himself to his feet, "Captain! Henriette! What?"

   Freede turned Fits around roughly, pushing him aside so he could see Henriette, still kneeling where Fits was laying before, "Get OFF!"

   Fits stopped himself from falling, "Now that's no way to speak to her, Cap'n," he tried for her sake.

   "You stay out of this or you can join her on the sand!" Freede waved a fist at Fits.

   Henriette pulled her dagger out of the mast, splintering the wood loudly, "I'm leavin, Freede, Just hush up!" She stormed to the crew's quarters and yanked her bag off her cot, stashing her coat, Benny's gloves and the rest of her belongings in it. She pulled Benny's bag out from under his cot, and tossed both over her shoulder. She tucked her dagger in her belt and headed above deck again. She stopped on the plank, sighing to herself, "Don't come cryin' to me for repairs, I'm out!" She yelled, staring Freede down through her good eye.

   She walked down the plank, stomping all the way down to the docks, not listening to the murmur going on around her.

   "Henriette! Wait!" She turned to see Fits half running, half falling down the plank behind her. Over his shoulder was his bag, zipped and filled with all his things.

   "Did Freede kick you off?" she asked, astonished and wondering what he might have said.

   "Nope."

   "So you just… Left?"

   "Yup."