He had the nightmare again. Shivering, drencehd in sweat, he tried to get ahold of his bearings. Still safe. As he settled back down, he closed his eyes and could still picture the frightening images.

Large hands grasping for him.

The huge figure chasing after him.

The gleaming ax left by the shed as he grabbed it desparately.

The horrible scream and crash that shook the earth would be ingraved in everyone's minds until the end of time, but no more than him.

They call him something different now. They looked at him with a mixture of respect and fear. The one who did the impossible. The one who went higher than the clouds. The one who lied and stole just to stay alive. The one who kills.

The one they call the Giant Slayer.

Rosie must have decided he let too much slip last night and was back to his usual brooding self at the wheel. She tried to talk to him but he was as shut up as a clam.

So much for that friendship.

After Jillian finished coiling rope, she headed for her cabin to think for awhile. It wasn't a cabin really, just a hastily empited storeroom hardly larger than an outhouse. The crew shared a room full of hammocks and Robinson would not have Jillian sleep in there.

She redidly agreed. She had to clean it more than once and the stench of body odor and fish was bad enough to only experience it once a week.

She was about to enter her room when she heard arguing waft from the Captain's Quarters. Pushing aside accusations of evesdropping, Jillian went to investigate.

Robinson and Eye-Eye were yelling over a map spread across the desk like a tapestry.

"We can't take that route!" the one-eyed pirate was yelling. "Its suicide!"

"Its a heck of a lot faster than taking to the open ocean. If we decide to hug the coast we'll arrive in half the time!"

"But Siren's Pass, Captain? You know what will happen if we're not careful!"

Robinson opened his mouth to retort but Jillian said, "I think its a risk we need to take."

The two reacted faster than thought possible. Robinson lept over the desk sword already drwan and Eye-Eye flung his knife at her. Twack. Jillian stared wide-eyed at the nine inches of steel quivering in the doorframe.

"WHO DARES-? Oh, its you," Robinson groaned. He sheathed his sword and went back to studying the map.

Eye-Eye retireved his knife. "What do you want?" he asked, rudely. His good eye squinted at her.

Jillian was still trying to get over the shock of almost being impaled. "I...I just wanted to see what was going on."

"You can't just barge-!"

"Come in."

Eye-Eye gaped as Robinson beckoned her to the desk. "But, sir!" he protested.

"It concerns her so she must know, though its highly unusual."

Jillian smiled smugly at the first mate. He stuck his tounge out and went to stare out the window.

"Look here." The two huddled over the large map. Jillian realized how close she was to the Captain and tried not to sweat.

Robinson didn't notice as he explained their predicament. "We need to get into Koralle waters as quickly as possible because March in the wild, open sea brings sea monsters and the occasional thunderstorm, though those are more common in the summer.

"We are still close enough to Grimm that we could sail close enough to the coast and avoid any unexpected surprises but we would have to sail through this."

He pointed to a long, narrow strip of water lined with sharp rocks on either side. "To get there faster, we would have to go through it but it could be deadly."

"Why?" Jillian asked. Eye-Eye snorted but they both ignored him.

"Its called the Siren's Pass. Mermaids guard the entrnace and try to sink any ship that tries to go through."

"By singing," Jillian remembered from her hours of reading. "It usually always works because men are more seduced by a mermaid's voice, so they are drawn into a trance and crash."

She saw the two males glaring at her. "Uhh, no offense."

"You see?" Eye-Eye interjected. "That is exaclty why I'm against going!"

"Its different now," Robinson argued. "We have her."

Jillian nodded until she realized he was talking about her! "What? Me? What can I do?" she shrieked.

"You're a girl," he said, as if that explained everything. "If we go through the Siren's Pass, we'll have to plug our ears and you can direct us so we don't crash."

Jillian shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know..."

"Oh, you can do it," Robinson scoffed. Eye-Eye sighed, defeated.

Jillian nodded slowly. "Alright, let's do it!"

Thunder boomed. The ship lurched violently and Jillian grabbed the table to keep her balance. "What's happening?"

Robinson and Eye-Eye cursed at the same time and the three of them stared out the window. "Dark clouds in the distance," the Captain said.

"Its one of those rouge storms!" Eye-Eye yelled. "The ship! We just finished repairs! Can she take it?"

"We hopefully won't have to find out." Robinson grabbed a coil of rope and headed out the door. "We have to out run it."

Even though Eye-Eye ordered her to stay out of the way, Jillian followed them to the top deck. The wind had picked up and it was blowing her dark hair everywhich way. The crew was running around, moving things below deck and tying down the cannons and sails.

Rosie and Robinson stood at the wheel together. The Captain was giving rapid orders as he tied the red-head to the mast, so he could stay in place. Rosie soaked in the situation; he gave a curt nod and resumed his calm demenor. The only difference was that his hands gripped the wheel just a bit tighter.

"Its getting closer!" Smalls screamed from the crow's nest.

Peering over the side of the ship, Jillian could see the swells growing larger everytime they hit the Jolly Roger. Something bumped into her around the legs. It was Merko. He looked seasick.

"The waves hurt me," the elf groaned. His face turned green and he gagged. Jillian took a step back, not wishing to be covered in vomit.

"It'll be okay," she reassured him, leading him towards the steps. "You should go lie down."

"You'll be fine?"

"Yeah," she said quickly. It was sweet that he was seasick but he was worried about her.

Thunder boomed almost nearly overhead. "Come on," she muttered nervously, staring anxiously at the darkening sky. "Out run it."

No such luck. Smalls made it down the rigging just as a flash of lightning lit up the sky and rain began to pour down in sheets. Jillian's stomach twisted into knots.

"Brace yourselves, men!" Robinson shouted as the first monster wave crashed over the Jolly Roger. Everyone tried to hold onto something as cold sea water rushed across the deck, soaking them all. Jillian's hair hung in fat ropes that smacked her in the face. The crew began to panic slightly as they saw the obstacle course of waves upahead.

All except Rosie. He was like the calm eye of the storm. He confidently steered the ship, jerking slightly as they hit crest after crest. The look of fear not once flashed across his face.

A tied sail came loose and flapped helplessly in the violent wind. "Secure it!" Robinson bellowed and Smalls and Eye-Eye scrambled up the rigging to do so. Another wave rocked the ship.

Boulder was franticlly trying to tie down a cannon but the waves kept jerking it. He spotted her clinging to the rail and he shouted something but the wind and water washed it away.

Probably telling her to go below deck. Jillian stook her head subbornly. She was not going to huddle below deck and cower as the storm beat the ship around as if it was a toy. She stumbled to Boulder's side and helped him hold the cannon in place. He smiled and rumbled, "Thanks."

Robinson stumbled to them, as soaked as anybody. His blond hair was plastered to the sides of his face. Somehow, it made him look younger. "Where the heck is Sparky?"

As if on cue, Sparky appeared. He tried to run over but he tripped and decided to crawl the rest of the way. He was holding something in his hands and looked furious. "The storeroom is leaking!" he cried. "The gunpowder will be ruined!"

"It'll be fine!" Robinson retorted angrily.

That was obviously not what he wanted to hear. Sparky swelled in anger. "Its not fine! Look!" He flung what he was holding onto the deck. Big, wet clumps of gunpowder momentarily smeared the deck before another wave crashed over them.

Jillian choked on the saltwater in her throat and her eyes burned painfully. She tilted her head upwards and let the rain wash in them.

The interupting wave didn't deter the conversation. "I need help!" Sparky yelled.

"FINE!" Robinson shot back. "Boulder, go help him." The big guy didn't look all too happy about that, but he left.

"And you!" the Captain turned to Jillian furiously. "Go below decks!"

"No! I want to help!" she screamed. It was raining harder now; she could hardly she his livid face.

Lighting flashed as if confirming his mood. Smalls and Eye-Eye crashed to the deck near them. "Gaint wave, Captain!" the first mate warned.

Jillian closed her eyes, waiting for impact. She felt something wrap around her ankle but assumed it was seaweed. The four of them shouted as the wave slammed over them, harder than ever before. The ship tilted dangerously starboard and Jillian clung to rail.

There was a snapping sound. "The cannon!" one of them shouted. It had come lose and was rolling down the tilting deck. Jillian screamed as a force around her ankle began dragging her along with it.

"The rope! Cut the rope!" Robinson screamed. The thing that had caught her ankle was a lose rope tied to the cannon and now it was pulling her to the opposite side of the deck!

She scrambled to find something to hold onto but her hands only met slick wood. She vagley heard the guys shouting but couldn't see how they'd save her now. In desperation, she caused a large icicle to grow out of the deck. She clung to it but the weight of the cannon pulled her away from it.

Twisting her body she saw the opposite railing grow closer. Either the cannon was going to break through the wood and drag her into the sea or it would hit it and she would fling over it into the sea.

Both options were deadly. She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, family," she whisphered.

The cannon crashed into the rail and Jillian went airborne. She screamed, waiting to hit the water and-

Strong hands grasped her arms. She was pulled back onto the ship. The Jolly Roger rightend itself and Jillian landed ontop of her savior. She opened her eyes and found herself nose-to-nose with Robinson.

He had this look of relief on his face and she could finally see the color of his eyes since all the hate that clouded them was gone. They were bright green.

Jillian was so relievd to be alive, she burst into tears and clung to his blue jacket, not wanting to let go. She was embarrassed to be crying around the pirates but she couldn't stop. If Robinson was uncomfortable, he didn't show it. He wrapped his arms tighter around her as they continued to lay there as the storm began to disperse.

"Its okay," he said. "You're safe."