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About a week later...

The sun beat down hot and golden. I was in a horrid mood. I stalked around the ship glaring and heatedly shouting orders that no one dared to contradict no matter how ridiculous they were. Of course, being obeyed did nothing to help my mood. nothing anybody did helped at all. My husband wouldn't even attempt to approach me--said there was "somethin' forebodin' in the air" feh!--though his touch was the only thing that ever calmed me down when my temper spiked. My daughter was the only creature--human, vamp, or otherwise--that dared come near, and I yelled at her! she started crying and I immediately felt sorry. But when I tried to apologize Jennifer turned and ran--to Yuta of all people!--which just made me feel worse. And still no one would come near or even speak to me.
suddenly I was bowled over by something big and scaly; Jonny's dragon. It rammed into me from the back so I fell forward onto the deck.
"Jonny! Get your damned familiar off of me!"
The dragon's weight lifted and I rolled onto my side to see Jonny struggling to restrain it.
"I've told you time an' again, Jonny," I snapped as I climbed to my feet, "Keep your dragon under contr--oof!"
I was hit again, this time by the front by a big, feral ball of dogfur. I sprawled back onto the deck, my head smacking the wood and my hat flying off, under Lucas Geldings in his wolf form.
"Get off me Lucas!" I tried to push him off my chest, but he just put his paws on my shoulders and forced me back down, snarling.
"What's going on?"
"Should we help the captain?"
"What's gotten into Geldings?"
"For god's sake, somebody help the captain!"
The crew was abuzz. Scarlette, Sakura, Tayu and Kira moved to help me up but were blocked by a wall of creatures that suddenly surrounded me; lynx and wolf, gull and dragon, daemon and hawk, even Mari in sphinx-form--all bristling and snarling.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" I roared from the deck, "GET THESE ANIMALS BLOODY OFF ME!"
By that time I was more than just in a bad mood, I was furious. Something inside of me had snapped and I was so mad that I gave off heat. Lucas yelped and jumped off my chest. I swear some of his fawn-colored fur had been singed. As I stood all the familiars returned to their masters and cowered behind them. Looking around at my crew, I realized that they were terrified. Terrified of me. That definitely brought me back to my senses. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with ozygen, then expelled it in a long sigh.
"Alright now," I said, thoroughly calmed down, "Would anyone here care to explain exactly what just happened?"
Everyone shifted nervously. Still nobody dared to speak to me.
"C'mon; Scarlette, Vash, you of all people should know that I would never harm a single hair on any one member of this crew's head--"
Scarlette dove forward and knocked me, once more, off my feet. We hit the mainmast--my head hit wood for the third time that day--and rolled away. Scarlette released me, clutching her side.
"Scarlette! What happened? What was that about? Are you alright?" I pried her hands from her side; they were drenched in blood.
"Oh good Good!" I gasped, "Edokawa! Get Sumiko up here! Scarlette's wounded! I think she's been shot!"
My secondmate ran to fetch the medic and I cradled my friend's head on my lap.
"Why'd ya do it Scarlette? Why'd ya tackle me? Why take a bullet like that?"
"Trying--to protect you--Crimson sensed--"
"What? What did your familiar sense?"
"Sensed danger--all the familiars--and anthros--sensed it--around you--"
"Danger? How? Why?"
"Don't--know--aagh!"
She screamed and the sound pierced straight through to my soul.
"Scarlette!"
"Agh--hurts--like hell--Agh!"
"Where's Sumiko?! Get here here now!"
"Jaqueline, calm down. I'm right here."
A young woman with light pink hair and kind emerald eyes knelt beside me.
"Tell me you can help her, Kura. Please tell me you can."
"Y-yeah Sakura--help me--agh!"
"Kura, please. I don't like seeing Scarlette in pain like this!"
"I'll try, Jaqueline. Believe me, I will."
I squeezed Scarlette's cold hand as Sakura Sumiko bent to her work.
"Please, Scarlette," I murmured, tears dripping down my cheek and falling on my best friend's pale face, "Hang in there. Please don't die. Don't leave me. I can't lose another friend. I just can't. Please don't leave me. Please."
"I--ain't gonna, Jaquie--I ain't gonna die--don't worr--agh!"
Scarlette screamed and her tensed shoulders relaced against my lap as she passed out. A firm hand squeezed my arm and I looked up at the now-standing medic.
"I've removed the bullet and stopped the bloodloss. She'll be fine after some rest. Don't worry."
"Oh, thank you, Sakura Sumiko! You're an angel!"
"No, just a simple human. I have something to show you though. Once we're alone."
Vash gently extricated Scarlette from my grasp and carried her down to the infirmary. Sakura helped me to my feet, one hand on my shoulder and a grim light in her eyes.
"What is it you needed ta show me, Sumiko?"
"This." She held up the bloody bullet. there was something carved in it.
"C.J.S?"
"Yes. Jaqueline, that was a named bullet--a named bullet usually doesn't stop until it hits its target. That one obviously wasn't made well enough to serve its full purpose, but it obviously wasn't meant for Scarlette. You can guess what C.J.S. stands for."
"My name," I took the little metal bullet and crushed it in my fist. "Captain Jaqueline Sparrow."

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Ohmigod! Scarlette's been shot! Who would do such a thing? Maybe someone out for revenge? Tune in for the next chapter and the unveiling of this crime's perpetrator!

Comments please!