FicWad

I woke up to the soft rocking of the ship on water. Only, I wasn't in my hammock under the deck, where I should be. I'm in a soft, cushion like bed.

And then reality sank back in. My crewmates were all dead. The ship I'd called home now probably sat at the bottom of the ocean we sail on at the moment. And Gerard....

I gasped and sat up as a few vague memories of my brain drifted through my head. And saw I was naked.

My clothes were by the collar I'd wore not so long ago. I touched my neck and found that it was tender.

And, when I tried to cross my legs, I felt it. The stinging, bruise like pain in my lower half, making me cringe every time my heart would beat. It felt like a huge bruise on top of a sunburn.

I grit my teeth and used sheer will power to stand up. It felt like my insides had been ripped out of me and I staggered, grabbing the wall under the porthole.

The sky was dark, the stars dotting the sky. And, from the deck, I saw no light on the water. Everything was dark. Why?

I got dressed painfully, but bared though it. But I wasn't sure if it was okay for me to leave this room. The captain's quarters.

My teeth closed over my lip as I thought of that. He'd left me alone in his living area. A boy he'd just stolen and fucked into oblivion hours ago. If that.

Weighing my options, I looked around his room. What I saw made me curious.

It was the mirror next to the wardrobe. I walked over to it and peered in.

Though the room was dark, I shone like the stars in the sky, my skin bright in the dark. And, against the pale skin of my neck, I saw deep red and purple marks, the size of apples. Then I looked at myself.

It'd been years since I saw myself outside of water, a spoon or a pot. Not once a mirror in all that time.

My face was longer, still a little rounded around my cheeks. There was a long, light yellow-purple bruise across my cheek and up at an angle, over my nose a bit and the corner of my forehead.

I looked closely at my features, seeing my rounded nose and large lips. My hair was still short from the last cut, not yet touching my ears, and I had a little stubble on my chin.

Turning to the side a little so I could get a better glace at the marks on my neck, I saw the reflection of the door. There was a dark shape standing there, blocking the very little light from the world past it.

I gasped and whirled. There was a soft laugh and the shape came closer. I knew that laugh, though I'd just heard it not long ago.

"Gerard." I sighed, my hand going to my neck, hiding the marks. He laughed again softly and took my hand by the wrist lightly. His eyes caught mine as he moved my hand away.

"Hello." he smiled at me now, leaning forward to kiss me. The ship rocked, and he sighed. "Well, since you're awake, come with me." he pulled me by my hand out to the deck.

I saw a huge ship - easily five time the size of the Madapple - sailing toward us. His men were all running around like we'd just set the ship on fire.

A few stopped and looked at him. From the corner of my eye, I saw his head bob in a nod and they took off again. "What's that?" I asked him as the ship rocked again.

"They're moving the cannons down there. It's almost time." he said with a huge grin on his face. His fingers laced through mine and held tightly. "I've been waiting years for this day. The day I take down The Elite." I could hear the bubbling insanity in his voice and held his hand as tightly as I could.

The Elite. It was a well known goods charter ship that carried goods and passengers from England all over the world. And he was planning on wiping it out of the waters in one night?

Then again, the ship I'd been on, The Mise, was bigger than his, and probably with twice as many men. And look at how that one ended.

For whatever reason, I felt like I had to protect him. Even though my mind knows I don't, my body wants to keep him from moving away from me. "Gerard, are you sure?" I whispered to him.

He looked at me, his eyes shining like the water under the full moon. There was a deafening blow from under us and the ship shook like a dog. But I couldn't look out of his eyes, even as I saw the explosion of the other ship reflecting in them. "Too late now." he smiled at me and kissed my lips quickly.

From his belt, he pulled a hand cannon. He let out a high whistle and a rope flew at us from above.

He grabbed it and took at least twenty paces back. I watched as he broke into a break neck sprint, jumping onto the rope a moment before he would have fallen over the side.

My eyes tracked him as he swung high and let go, landing on The Elite's deck. British soldiers were fighting tooth and nail, but, as I watched, a plank was put up to bridge the two ships. A few women came across, some holding children and some sobbing.

Some even carrying boxes. There was a loud scream and I looked over just in time to see Gerard, his sword piercing the body of the captain of The Elite, known only for the color hat he wore.

Instead of the uniform black with white trim, his as blue with red trim. He fell overboard, many women shrieking at the sound of the splash.

Another plank was added next to the first, giving the women a more stable footing. Many took it. I had to admit, these men were somewhat human to a lady.

They helped them over onto the deck, lifting them by their waists. And they let the children stay with the mothers. But they still told them all to get on their knees, only not binding the ones with infants.

By groups, thy were taken to the prison. Some children started to cry, which set off the infants. To my surprise, nobody was struck or yelled at.

The ones that weren't leading or guarding were looting, sending goods up onto the ship with a pass line. Gerard was nowhere to be seen. Once all the en were back on The Madapple, he finally came into sight, a long rope in his hand.

As we all watched, he set it on the deck of the Elite and pulled a match out of his hat. He struck it on his boot, and it flared to life in the dark night.

He dropped it onto the rope, which caught easily, and started toward the planks. His boot buckles made each step like a bell ringing against the hiss of the burning rope.

Once he was back to our side of the plank, he nodded. The plank was evened out and held there by a huge man.

Gerard's pace didn't slow and his balance didn't waver. He jumped over the edge, his clothes lifting with the air. "See?" He said as he took my hand in his again, turning his eyes to the Elite as it slowly floated away.

I could still hear the hiss. Still see the glowing trail it set. But why had he....?

My question was answered as the Elite exploded, pieces of wood flying in every direction. Cheers rang out around the crew. Gerard said nothing, just watched with bright, happy eyes.



















So another chapter and I'm about to pass out cause the meds I
m on for y allergies. So R+R and I'll hopefully have up chapter 2 sometime tomorrow.

Hugs and Funions,
-Lala