Fantasy Caught in the Waves (Closed)

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine had mostly requested the floor for selfish reasons. She didn't know what would happen when their father would get there, but he was most likely not going to be too thrilled with the fact that his two daughters were sharing a room with two men, one who was a stranger, and the other one he did not know well. Any further nights they had to spend here would certainly be apart, and whenever the time came to discuss their relationship, there was the possibility that this could be her last night with him. She liked how safe and comfortable she felt in his arms, so she wanted to take advantage of that while she could.

Once on the floor, she snuggled up against him. It wasn't the bed, but it wasn't terrible. It was certainly better than the ship, and of course Alec made everything better. She hoped there would be many more nights like this, but she tried not to think too much about their future right now. She also tried not to worry so much about Ella that it would keep her up. Once father got here, she was sure things would start to look better for her. They had to. It seemed impossible not to think about it, but eventually exhaustion won and her anxious mind turned off, allowing her to fall asleep for the night.

Peter hadn't even realized that he'd fallen asleep. It just sort of happened at some point while watching Ella. He only remembered how nice it felt to have her head on his shoulder, and the thought that she looked so much more at peace and more comfortable when she was asleep than he had seen her since she got sick. Eventually he must have closed his eyes and drifted off, and he only stirred once he felt her moving.

He let out a small, tired moan before opening his eyes and letting them adjust to the light. Nothing seemed really unusual or out of place for him until he realized that he was still in the bed with Ella and she was curled up against him. Apparently they had hardly moved all night except to edge closer to each other, but he was not complaining about having her there beside him. On the contrary, it felt nice, and so much more intimate and pleasing than waking up to a stranger or random woman from the night before.

When he realized she was awake as well, he smiled, and pressed his face against the top of her head. She still felt so warm against him. "Good morning," he said quietly, his voice a bit raspy from reading aloud all the night before and from sleep. "How are you feeling today? Any better?" If the heat he felt coming from her was indication, it was probably no, but he wanted to ask anyway.

 

[AvianJen]

"Mmm." Ella was still sleepy, but she didn't think that she was going to fall back asleep anytime soon. She liked cuddling and hoped that he wouldn't move, even though she felt horrible and he was probably just making her warmer. But she liked it. "Not much," she responded finally, letting out a sigh. Maybe she was slightly better, but she usually was in the mornings anyways. It didn't mean anything. "I'm a little hungry," she murmured after a moment. "But I don't want you to get up." She searched for his hand and grabbed it, holding tight. Something about lying beside him made her feel safer, as if he could protect her from dying. Of course that was completely ridiculous, but she liked the feeling. It was comforting, especially now that Ella knew now he cared about her. They couldn't define their relationship, but for now Ella was content with acting on her feelings (as much as she could at the moment) and seeing where that went.

Below them, Alec began to stir as well. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and pressed a kiss on Josephine's shoulder before sitting up. Glancing over to the bed, he saw that both Ella and Peter were awake. Almost immediately, he felt a pit of anxiety forming in his stomach. They had no way or knowing for sure, but it was very probable that the girls' father was going to be coming today. He and Josephine had run out of tomorrows, and today was finally the day on which their fate would be decided. It was scary.

Alec was tempted to dwell on it, but he needed to see if he could go get some more work today. If their father didn't make it, then they would be responsible for paying for another night and more meals, although Ella wasn't eating hardly at all. At least she was willing to drink.

"Morning," he said, standing. Immediately he turned his attention to Ella. "Feeling any better?" he bent over and pressed his hand against her forehead. She was still hot- very hot, actually- but it seemed like there might be a small improvement. She still looked weak and wasn't moving much, but at least she had the energy to keep her eyes open.

"I don't know," Ella responded. "I'm hungry."

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter couldn't help the small laugh that came out of him when Ella told him she didn't want him to get up and grabbed his hand. "I can't exactly help you with that problem if you won't let me get up," he said. He was still worried about her fever, but if she had even a little bit of an appetite, that was a good sign. Maybe things were going to start looking up soon. After that, he wasn't sure what would happen, but nothing was more important than her health.

He did like having her beside him, though. It was cozy, despite how almost uncomfortably warm she made him feel by laying against him. It also filled his heart with a little bit of something knowing that she wanted to be there. He wasn't sure how they had gone from barely speaking to this so quickly, but he wasn't complaining. Whatever this was they had, it looked like they were going to try and figure it out together. It might reap some consequences, but maybe it would be worth it in the end.

Josephine didn't want to get up, and when she felt Alec moving beside her, she took the edge of the blankets and rolled herself into them further. She didn't want to be awake because she knew being awake meant acknowledging all of the stresses in her life. It meant confronting Ella, and it also meant that in a few hours she could be confronting her father. She wanted to see him, but she also had it in the back of her mind that it also meant her and Alec were no longer going to be able to hide. How could having their relationship so visible feel both so amazing and so frightening at the same time?

Unfortunately ignoring their problems didn't make them go away, so she eventually convinced herself to get up. She wrapped one of the blankets around herself, and hearing Ella say she was hungry, she went and got her a piece of bread. She handed it to Ella then put her arms around Alec's waist, knowing he was probably going to want to find work again today. She selfishly didn't want him to.

"Father might be here today..." she said, pointedly staring at Peter when she said it. She was uncomfortable with him being in Ella's bed, with them wrapped around each other like they were. Father wouldn't like it either, and she hoped Peter was getting that message loud and clear.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella gave him a little smile in return. She didn't want Peter to get up, and she was sure that someone else would be up soon who could give her something. She was very comfortable, and if Peter were to stand she would have to completely readjust herself. Ella wasn't quite sure she had the energy for that anyways; she did feel a little bit better today, but she didn't feel great. Certainly still feverish, and if today was anything like yesterday she would be near death by the evening.

"Don't get up," she insisted again. "Just stay, please."

Alec moved to get something for Ella to eat, but Josephine beat him to it. He wrapped his arms around her and watched as Ella ate the bread, trying not to think about what might happen in the day to come. He didn't want their relationship out in the open, not at all. He wasn't ready, and all he could think about was that these might be the last moments he was able to spend with Josephine as a lover. Ella was taking bigger bites now so he tried to focus on the fact that was progress, and it didn't take too long for her to finish the bread.

"Would you like me to go get you something from the front?" he asked. She could probably use some protein, if she could stomach it. "Soup, maybe?"

Ella hesitated. The bread seemed like a lot, but it probably would be good for her to eat a little more. "Okay," she agreed.

Alec nodded, kissing Josephine's cheek before leaving the room to get something for her. He returned within minutes, a bowl of soup and a spoon in his hands. He passed it to Ella and helped arrange her pillows so that she could sit up.

"Thanks," Ella murmured. She still leaned on Peter for support, but was slowly able to spoon the soup into her mouth without making a huge mess. She glanced up when Josephine mentioned their father might be here today, a small smile coming across her face again. Ella couldn't wait to see father. She was sure that he would be worried, but he would make everything better. It was hard not to think about the problems that his arrival might cause for Alec and Peter, though.

"I have an idea," she said, her voice weak but stronger than it had been last night. "I don't want to tell Father that Peter was a pirate. I just want to say that he's someone we met that has been helping us, because it's true." It was strange to refer to him as a pirate in the past tense; she still thought of him as a pirate, but he had left that life behind. Ella was proud of him for that, although she hadn't been able to express that to him just yet.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

"Yes, ma'am," Peter said with a little bit of a grin. It was a good thing he didn't really want to get up either. It was comfortable in the bed, and he liked having her by his side. He might have felt a little bit guilty about stealing Josephine's spot, but not quite enough to warrant him ignoring Ella's request to stay by her. Not even when Josephine gave him her all to familiar by now icy stare of disapproval.

Peter was unsure what would happen once their father got here, but hearing Ella's suggestion that they don't mention who he was came as a shock to him. He didn't think he would tell him, exactly, who he was, but certainly Josephine or Alec would have. They judged him too, but not nearly as much as her father would when he found out that Peter had been involved in the ransom stunt in the first place.

It came as a shock to Josephine, too. As if seeing her sister cuddled up next to Peter wasn't hard enough, how could she expect her to keep something like that a secret? "Ella..." she said, with a frown. Maybe it was true that Peter had helped them, but it didn't change anything about who he was and what he had done. If they omitted that part of the truth, wasn't it just as bad as lying?

"I don't know," she said, moving closer to Alec. She had enough to worry about as it was. Tonight could end up being a difficult one for her and Alec both, and of course she still worried about Ella's health. She already had reason to be concerned about Ella and Peter's relationship. She wasn't sure if she could handle the weight of two secret love affairs, and one of them she wasn't even sure she approved.

Peter wasn't sure what to say, if anything. He didn't feel like he could intrude on this decision, even if it was a decision being made about him. He tightened his hand around Ella's, knowing that if he was sold out as a pirate, it didn't matter what Ella's father's first impression of him was. With that information, he would certainly be arrested. Possibly hanged, if not at least imprisoned for the majority of his life.

"Please," he said. "I understand why you feel the way you do about me, but I'm honestly really sorry about the ways things ended up. And I'm very serious about leaving that life behind. I just want to start over, and I can't do that if I'm in jail."

 

[AvianJen]

Ella let out a tiny giggle. She would have blushed, but she was already red enough with heat as it was. Slowly, she finished about half of the bowl of soup before setting it aside, completely stuffed. She thought that her suggestion was a good one, and when Josephine acted like she didn't think so, Ella frowned.

"Josie," she said indignantly, getting a little too worked up for her own good. "He's done nothing but help us since we were put on that ship. We never would have gotten off if it wasn't for him, and you know it. And he paid for the doctor, and got me these books, and-"

"Ella," Alec said firmly. He crossed over to the bed and put his hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her to lay down again. "You need to calm down."

"No," Ella protested. "No, you don't understand. I'll never forgive you if you turn him in, never." He had made mistakes, but he was genuinely trying to make up for them and he had done so much. Ella thought that changed everything. She looked pointedly at her sister before finally settling back down, cuddling towards Peter again. She nodded when Peter made his own case, narrowing her eyes as she looked between Alec and Josephine. Ella loved her sister, but she was entirely serious. There was absolutely no way she was going to allow Peter to be turned in. If that was what Alec and Josephine wanted then Peter would have to run away, but Ella didn't want that either. She wanted him to stay. He was her friend, possibly something a little more than that, and she didn't want to lose him.

She also thought that it was incredibly hypocritical of Josephine. Ella had kept her and Alec's secret for two years despite her own reservations, so how could Josephine ruin Ella's relationship with Peter? She didn't want to bring that up, but she would if it came down to it. Nevertheless, getting so upset had spent just about all the energy she'd gained during the night, and she had to lay back down and try to relax.

Alec looked towards Josephine, grabbing hold of her hand. This was a fateful day for them all. He wasn't sure what to do about Peter. It didn't seem right to turn him in as a pirate knowing that he would be hanged for it, but he also didn't know that they should keep it a secret from their father. It was a difficult dilemma.

"Don't worry about it now, Ella," he told her. She looked upset and clung to Peter as if he might be torn away from her, which Alec didn't quite understand. One day they weren't even speaking to one another, and now this. It didn't add up, but he knew better than to question that right now. Ella needed to conserve her energy and rest- getting worked up was going to be detrimental to her health.

She seemed to calm down a little bit, but that probably wouldn't last if he and Josephine decided to discuss it in the middle of the bedroom. There was something else he wanted to talk to her about as well, though. "Josie, can we step outside for a minute?" he requested softly, not wanting to upset Ella any more. He needed to get to work, but he was very aware that when he returned their father might already be there. He and Josephine probably should have had this conversation a long time ago, but now was better than never.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine didn't really know how to respond to Ella's outburst. She was trying her hardest to be more patient with Ella when it came to Peter, but she couldn't help the fact that it made her extremely uncomfortable. She couldn't just forgive and forget and move on, despite the things that Peter had done to help, and she also remembered how much he had hurt Ella just a week ago, even if her own sister couldn't remember it herself.

She was thankful for Alec being there. He seemed to know how to calm the situation down better than she could have, although it hurt to hear Ella say that she might never forgive her if she turned Peter in. Would she choose a silly crush over her own sister? Josephine was only trying to look out for her, and she couldn't help how she felt about it.

Crossing her arms, she frowned at Ella, trying to keep calm herself and not get too upset either. "I never said I would, I said I don't know." It was the only answer she could give, because it was the truth. Josephine wasn't sure what would happen when father got there, and if she was being honest, what happened to Peter was not her primary concern or worry. She only worried about Ella, herself, and Alec. The only way Peter even came close to factoring in was the way he affected her sister, and she wasn't going to apologize for that.

To Alec she nodded, and followed him outside into the hall. It was the first time she'd left the room since they got there, and she had to admit she needed the breather from Ella right now. She couldn't handle another fight or another outburst from her. Not right now. "Some day she's going to drive me into a mad house, I swear it," she said.

Peter was somewhat surprised at how quick Ella was to defend him, but he was glad there was at least one person on his side here. He couldn't say what Josephine or Alec would do, nor could he control it, but if he was turned in somehow, it would still be preferable to any more time spent on that pirate ship. Even if nobody else could forgive him, at least Ella was. At last maybe he could start learning a thing or two about forgiving himself as well.

He decided it was probably best to just let it be, and watched the other two leave the room. Clearly they would be discussing his eventual fate, but he tried not to think about it too much. Instead he just adjusted himself so that he could put an arm Ella and hold her against him. She might be his only defender in the world right now.

"It'll be alright, okay?" he said. "I can look after myself. You shouldn't worry so much about me." Even if he was turned in, it wasn't like he would stop fighting. He would probably run, if given the chance. That was the original plan, anyway. If he could disappear once he could do it again.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella just grumbled at Josephine's response, not entirely satisfied by it. She wouldn't be entirely satisfied until she promised not to tell Father about who Peter was, really, but she didn't think that was terribly unfair. Peter didn't deserve to be executed or spend the rest of his life in prison, especially after all that he had done for them. To Ella, it seemed horrible to even consider something like that. How heartless could Alec and Josephine be? "That's not good enough," she said to Josie, watching as Alec escorted her out of the room. Ella didn't understand her sister sometimes. She leaned in when Peter put his arm around her, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

"I know," she replied. Peter had spent most of his life living on a pirate ship, and she had no doubt that he was entirely capable of taking care of himself. "But I don't want you to get in trouble." If he did, Ella knew that it would be partially her fault. He could be long gone by now if he wanted to be and not have to worry about Alec or Josephine turning him in, but he was staying for her.

Outside, Alec smirked at Josephine's comment. "She's just feisty," he said, as if Josephine didn't understand that. "She'll calm down." He leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest. "But I think..." he began slowly, "that it might be best to just keep Peter's identity on the down-low for a little while. Saying something that would get him in trouble is only going to upset her, and that will make it harder for her to heal. She looks a little better this morning, but we both know how quickly that can change. There will be a lot going on when your father gets here, and there's more important things to worry about so let's just...not address that right away." Alec didn't particularly like Peter, but he wasn't doing anything harmful right now besides getting cozy with Ella, but that wasn't really enough to warrant putting him in prison.

"And as for us..." This was the conversation that Alec had been dreading. They both knew that they would have to own up to their relationship when her father stepped through that door, but they had never discussed how they were going to handle it. On the one end there wasn't much that they could do, but on the other, Alec at least wanted to make sure they were on the same page. "We don't know what your father is going to say. But what happens if he approves, disapproves?" Did Josephine want to get married tomorrow if he approved, or remain friends if he didn't? Or maybe she would never want to see him again.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

"I've been getting into trouble my whole life," Peter said, rubbing her arm gently. "Trust me when I say I know how to get out of it. You saw it for yourself. We helped take down Tom, and he was a lot of trouble." He was trying to be encouraging without letting her know how much it had killed him to kill Tom. The truth was if he was turned in and had to run, it might kill him just as bad to let Ella go. He'd nearly signed that death sentence once, but here he was.

"Just try not to fight with Josephine too much about me, okay? It's not a battle you should have to fight, and I don't want to come between you. If I do, it might end up hurting your cause rather than helping it," he said. It was possible Josephine would end up resenting him even more if this ruined the relationship between her and Ella, and he had to hand it to her. The girl was very protective, and she had reason to be concerned. This didn't come out of nowhere, and it was mostly up to Peter to convince her he was worthy and safe to be around Ella.

Josephine hated to admit that Alec might be right. She felt like Peter might be damaging for Ella in the long run, but in the short term, her health was affecting her more immediately. If she got too worked up, it might really get in the way of her making a full recovery, and her body was already slow fighting the fever as it was. It must be because of all of the stress, and if anything happened to Peter, it would only add to that. She frowned, but gave him a nod. "Yeah... you're right. But I'm still not making her any promises I can't keep."

As hard as it was to relent to that, it was almost easier to talk about than the next thing he brought up. Josephine visibly tensed, because their father disapproving of them was not a thought she wanted to entertain. But she had to, because it was a very real possibility. She was confused about why he asked what would happen if he did approve though. She thought it was obvious. "If he approves, then none of this has to end. We can be together, openly, and get our happy little future." It was the ideal dream, the one she hadn't been able to get out of her heart and mind since they first brought it up.

But if he disapproved... Josephine wasn't sure. She hadn't thought of a solution to that, she only knew that she couldn't bear the thought of giving Alec up. It seemed impossible. "If he doesn't, then..." she stepped forward and took his hands in hers. "Then we'll find a way to make it work. We'll find a way to convince him. I'm not going to give up on you. It's supposed to be you and me, nobody else."

 

[AvianJen]

Ella wasn't so sure if the whole thing with Tom was really getting out of trouble, and besides, that hadn't been him all one his own. "But I helped," she pointed out, looking at him and pouting. "And Nora helped. She did most of it, actually." That wasn't a very good example in Ella's opinion, but she knew that he did have a knack for getting out of trouble. He had to.

When he requested that she not fight with Josephine too much about him, Ella didn't know what to say. She definitely didn't want Peter to come between her and her sister, and if it came down to it than Josephine was of course more important. But she cared about Peter too, and he didn't deserve all the crap that Josephine gave him. They had been fighting a lot recently, and usually the topic of conversation was Peter. Ella didn't understand, though. Even if she did have a little crush, shouldn't Josie be happy for her? Ella knew that Josephine was just trying to protect her, but sometimes it was like she forgot there was only a year's difference between them. Ella thought that she was old enough to handle herself.

Still, Peter was probably right. Ella nodded reluctantly. "Okay," she murmured. "I'll try, I promise. I just don't want anything to happen to you because she still thinks you're some kind of evil pirate." Ella didn't even understand how Josephine could think that, but she couldn't help it.

Alec was glad that Josephine agreed not to say anything about Peter for now. They needed to worry about Ella's health first and foremost, and they needed to be careful not to do anything that might hurt her. "Well, maybe just tell her...unless we need to, we won't say anything about him," he suggested. "She should be content with that for now."

She didn't entirely answer his question the way he wanted, but he supposed that was the simple answer. If their father approved then yes, they would be able to be together. That was what he wanted, and he wanted the perfect future with her more than anything else in the world. He opened his mouth to ask how quickly she wanted to get married, but thought better of it. That wasn't a relevant concern right now.

Her reply for what would happen if he disapproved was a bit more surprising. Josephine had always had a knack for being romantic, one that Alec didn't really have, but he wasn't sure what he thought about that. They both knew that wasn't how it worked, and while her father could change his mind, if he didn't...Alec didn't see what either of them could do about it. And he certainly wasn't going to gain any favor by defying his wishes for his daughter. Alec squeezed her hands and gazed into her eyes, fantasizing what a life with her would really be like and wishing that he could be confident in knowing that he would get to find out. But he didn't know that, and he couldn't be the one to push her father.

"Josie," he insisted, "but what if? What if that doesn't work, and I end up...I don't know, hooking the horses to your wedding carriage? Because that might happen- we've always known that might happen. There's hope, but..." Alec wasn't allowing himself to get his hopes up too much only to get them dashed again later this evening.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

"Okay, so maybe not the best example," Peter admitted. "But my point is I would have found another way to deal with him had you and Nora not been there. I made my promise to you, and I would have found a way to keep it. I've also survived this long more or less on my own so far. Your sister is little intimidating sometimes, but I can handle her."

He leaned his head back. He was incredibly worried that the truth about him would get out, but there wasn't much he could do about it either way. All he could do was hope, and if not, all he could do was run or face the consequences of his past. He'd known that the minute he stepped foot on land, anyway. Josephine didn't really change anything except that the possibility of the truth might get out sooner than he'd anticipated. He just hoped it wouldn't, so he could get to spend a bit longer with Ella.

"I don't want anything to happen either," he said. "But I could understand it if it did. I'm flattered that you think so favorably of me, but I'm not entirely deserving. I just haven't earned her trust yet, but I will. Eventually." He would try his hardest, anyway. Everything was probably just too fresh right now, and emotions were high.

Josephine figured the least she could do was that. It wasn't a solid commitment either way, and maybe it would be enough to satisfy Ella for now. She knew it frustrated her, but really Peter was lucky Josephine hadn't already turned him in. If it weren't for Ella's strange infatuation with him, and the sudden way they made up, she probably would have already.

She didn't want to have this what if conversation though. She didn't want to picture a future without him. She never had. She had gone from a reluctant acceptance of the fact they wouldn't be together forever to entertaining the thought of them being happily married, and she could never go back. It was a bit frustrating, actually, that he was making her confront this when there was only one acceptable future for her now. The other possibility just broke her heart too much.

"You will be hooking horses to my wedding carriage. Our wedding carriage," she insisted. He was right that they always knew this day would come, but before it was always certain it would end. But then he'd snuck onto a pirate ship for her and changed everything. He was the reason they had any hope, and she refused to look at things the way they used to anymore. "If he doesn't approve, which he'd be mad not to, then... then marry me anyway. I don't want anybody else."

 

[AvianJen]

Ella smirked when Peter said that Josephine was intimidating. She supposed she was, a little bit, but Ella had grown up with her and was well accustomed to how protective she liked to be. It wasn't a bad thing either, it just was. Ella could only imagine how protective she would be over her own children someday. If Ella ever had children, she would probably operate under an "experience is the best teacher" philosophy.

She turned her head when Peter claimed that he wasn't deserving of her favor, frowning slightly. "Of course you are." She gave him a tiny peck on the cheek. "She just doesn't see that yet. And I guess you don't, either." Ella saw something in Peter that she couldn't deny. Despite his past, he was a good man, and it was impossible for her to believe anything else. He was a victim of circumstances, and he may have to pay some consequences for his actions which was fine, but he deserved a second chance. She couldn't stand to think of his life getting ruined because he'd decided to try and have a fresh start, in response to her advice, no less.

Ella adjusted herself so that she was laying down flat, curled against Peter's side. Her eyelids were getting heavy again, and the fever still hadn't gone away. She couldn't help but wonder how much rest her body really needed before it could heal itself, because this was getting old fast.

Josephine was not cooperating. Alec loved her and he understood that this was a difficult conversation, but they couldn't afford not to have it. He was trying, in spite of everything, to remain realistic. The realistic facts were that they might not get married. They couldn't treat that desire as if it was already fact, they couldn't. Because if it didn't work out, it would be a thousand times more painful.

Marry her anyways. That was her answer? "Josephine..." he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I love you, you know I love you. I don't ever want to be with anyone else, but we have to be realistic about this." She wasn't thinking it through. If he married her without her father's permission, it would be a massive scandal. Not only would it ruin her reputation, it would quite possibly ruin Ella's. If Josephine were to become pregnant than her father would have to allow the marriage to avoid a scandal, but that was an incredibly drastic measure that Alec definitely did not have the money for. He needed more time, more time than they would have once they got home. After what had happened with the pirates and with his failing business, Josephine would be married off as soon as possible.

She clearly wasn't going to change her mind, though, so Alec didn't know what else to say. "I guess we'll figure all that out if it comes down to it," he finally relented. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. Take care of Ella today, okay? I'll see you this evening." He placed his hands on either side of her face and leaned in for a kiss, knowing that this might be the last time they were able to do so openly if her father didn't approve. Just the thought of it broke his heart, but worrying wasn't going to change the eventual outcome.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter smiled, the small kiss on the cheek and her accompanying words giving him a little happiness. He was glad she thought so, but he also didn't completely agree. There were things about him that she didn't know. Things he wasn't sure might change her opinion of him if she ever found out. Maybe one day he'd want to tell her, but it was difficult right now when he was trying to make a transition to this new life. He was also afraid of losing her again. He preferred her company far more when she actually talked to him.

"Well, regardless of anyone's opinion of me, you should just be focusing on getting better," he said to her, watching as she readjusted herself. He started to comb his fingers through her hair, trying to soothe and comfort her the best that he could. He could see on her face she was getting tired again, and as much as he'd love to talk to her about any number of things, he was more concerned she got her much needed rest. Whether he'd be there when she woke up he was unsure. He wished he could stay, but he also knew as one of the two able bodied men in the group, he really ought to do more than lay in bed all day.

Josephine frowned. She thought she was being realistic. She didn't expect her father to turn Alec away after all he had done for her, either. Even Ella had said so. And even if he didn't approve for whatever reason, then Josephine could never accept that. Not anymore. Not after all they had been through. The thought of marrying another man, going to bed with somebody she didn't love, and bearing anybody's children other than Alec's just was not an option anymore, despite what her father thought. It bothered her that Alec didn't seem to want to look at it that way.

"It won't come down to that..." she insisted some more, but her voice was somewhat weaker than before. The conversation had left her feeling anxious on top of everything else. She knew Alec loved her, but she was sensing that if they ever had to fight their father on it, that he might not be willing to fight for her the same way she wanted to fight for him. Would he really give up that easily? Let her father marry her off to some other man?

She let him kiss her, but she was clearly more deflated than before. She didn't want him to go, but watched him leave anyway before heading back into the room quietly.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella nodded sleepily. She knew that she needed to focus on herself, but she didn't really want to. There wasn't anything to do, just sit around and sleep mostly. That was one of the reasons why Peter's company was so welcome. That, and she loved the way it felt to have his hands in her hair. After two nights Josephine's braid had fallen out and her hair was probably tangled, but it felt nice anyways.

"Okay," she said finally, closing her eyes and drifting off. She didn't tell him to stay this time; though she wanted him to, she knew that he probably had better things to do than to sit around in bed with her. Josephine probably wouldn't let him sit in bed all day either, which was understandable. Still, she wished that he wouldn't go.

Alec frowned, able to sense Josephine's change in mood easily. He didn't understand why, though. Alec thought that he had made it perfectly clear how willing he was to fight for her; he had snuck onto a pirate ship and risked his life for her and her sister. He didn't have to do that, and he doubted that Josephine would have thought less of him if he hadn't. He wanted to marry her and surely she knew that- he wouldn't have come all this way if he just saw her as a temporary girlfriend to pass the time. But he couldn't fight for her the same way she could for him, not in this instance. She would be petitioning her father, a man who loved her and cared about her happiness. He would beg on his knees if it came to that, but he couldn't steal her away from the aisle. They would be together, but Alec really didn't think she wanted a ruined relationship with her father and her sister because of him. Especially when someone else could give her so much more. Surely all of this wasn't just his own insecurity, right?

It was frustrating that she was so upset about it, though. All he was trying to do was prepare for the worst, but if she didn't want to do that then it was her decision. At least he had tried. When she went back inside, he turned around and walked out of the inn to find something to keep him busy until the evening.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

The rest of most of the day passed by painfully slow. Peter eventually left Ella's side once she had fallen asleep to go and find some work, and once again the two girls were left alone. Josephine took Peter's place on the bed, sitting up against it with her arms wrapped around her knees, watching Ella sleep and thinking much too hard about the conversation she and Alec had. She had never wanted anything so badly in her life before, and she hated to think about what would happen to them if her father said no. She hated that Alec had even brought it up.

She tried to focus her energy on Ella instead, but it was a boring job since she mostly slept. It was a good thing, since it meant her body was trying to heal, but it left Josephine free of distraction. She didn't even get the chance to tell Ella that she would keep Peter's secret for now before she heard a knock at the door. She immediately hopped out of bed, her heart racing with anticipation. She opened it just a crack at first, to make sure it wasn't a stranger. But the person on the other side was most definitely not a stranger at all, and when she saw him, she couldn't help the smile on her face.

She opened the door the rest of the way and threw her arms around her father with such force she nearly knocked him down. "Father! You're here! I can't believe you're really here!" The joy and relief she felt when his arms tightened in his familiar bear hug around her was like nothing she'd ever felt.

"Josie," he said, pulling away from her only to take her face in his hands. "Let me look at you. Are you alright? What about your sister? Where's Ella?" Satisfied that Josie seemed in one piece, albeit a lot thinner and dirtier than she had been the last time he saw her, he moved away from her into the room. When he spotted Ella on the bed, he went to her. Sitting on the edge of it, he reached out to touch his other daughter, stroking the side of her face with his thumb. He felt for the first time how warm her flesh was, and it sank his heart to imagine how she had been through this last few weeks.

"Ella, darling," he said, trying to stir her out of her sleep. "Can you hear me? It's father. I'm here now."

 

[AvianJen]

Ella dozed off and on for most of the day. She woke up for an hour or two and decided to read some more of the books that Peter had gotten her, but that took up a lot of energy and she soon fell asleep again. The next time she stirred, it was because someone was touching her face. At first she thought that it was Peter, but when she heard the deep, familiar voice accompanying the feeling she knew that it wasn't.

As exhausted as she was, Ella forced her eyes open and turned to look at her father, a huge smile breaking across her face. "Daddy," she whimpered, tears welling up in her eyes. "You're here. You came." She reached out her arms for him and he leaned over, enveloping her in his.

"Of course I came, sweetheart," he murmured. It broke his heart to see the evidence of all that they had suffered, but at the same time he had started to lose hope of ever seeing his daughters again. To see them now, alive and relatively unharmed, was the best thing he ever could have asked for. He reached out an arm for Josephine, inviting her to join in a family hug.

"I'm so sorry," he said to them. "I'm so sorry I wasn't able to pay, I was trying to get everything together but..." he shook his head, guilt overwhelming him. "I was afraid I would be too late. Did they hurt you?"

"No," Ella replied weakly. She was overwhelmed with happiness, but didn't quite have the energy to show it. His arm around her back was supporting her, and she was still trying to let herself believe that he was actually here. "No, we escaped before they did."

He wanted to ask how they had escaped, but there would be plenty of time for that. Now, he just wanted to worry about their well-being. "Josephine, I brought you a change of clothes," he told her. "Both of you, actually, but they're in my case. Has Ella been seen by a doctor recently? What about food? Do we owe anything to the innkeeper?" Ella was warm and obviously not feeling well- when he released her, she went straight back to laying down on the bed. He was concerned, but now that he was finally here his number one priority was taking care of his girls.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine gladly joined in on the family reunion, feeling overwhelmed with relief with that they were all together again. Things always felt much safer with their father around, and now they no longer had to worry about each other. At least, not as much as they did when they were separated. When he asked whether they had been hurt, Josie looked to Ella. She felt that there was a silent agreement there that they would never tell father all of the details. Although they had turned out a lot better in the end than either of them could have hoped for, the mental damage was sure to leave some scarring for some time to come.

She smiled at the mention of a change of clothes. They would probably fit just as poorly as her current dress was, but at least they would be clean. Clean and familiar, and nothing about them to remind her of the pirate ship.

"Yes, yes, and no," Josephine answered, thankful yet again for all of the help the two girls had. If Alec hadn't been there, and as much as she hated to admit it, Peter too, they really would have been a lot worse off. "The doctor wasn't much help, but maybe we can afford a better one now?" she asked. "And the food and room are all taken care of. We've had help." She wasn't sure she was quite prepared for him to meet Alec yet. Peter was different story, but in either case, she was a little nervous about it. It didn't matter right now, though. They had some time to themselves.

Their father nodded. "Good, good," he said. He hated to see his daughters in such a place like this and he wondered briefly what they could do about moving to a nicer inn with better accommodations in Ella's state. "I can see about getting you a better doctor, Ella," he said. "But I'm just glad to see both of my girls are alive. I'm not surprised you've managed to charm your way into some help." He still felt incredibly guilty for the ordeal they had to go through and that he had been unable to get the funds together. He did have some friends who managed to help him, but in the end it just hadn't been enough. "Don't you worry, though. We're going to find justice for you both."

 

[AvianJen]

"I don't want to see another doctor," Ella pouted. She had never liked to see doctors, but her complaining only made their father smile. Clearly, if she had enough energy to protest then she wasn't doing so bad. Hopefully this meant that she was getting better and they could go home soon. He would check on finding better accommodations, but if Ella was almost well enough to travel then it might be too exhausting to hop from place to place.

"Well, we'll think about it," he told her. He pressed a kiss to Ella's forehead and stood up, looking around the room. It did look like they had some food, which was good, even though there wasn't much else in the room besides the bed. Ella had some books lying next to her and a glass of water, and her dress was on the floor. But there was something in particular that caught his eye. There were two cots at the foot of the bed. He looked at them and then looked at Josephine, raising his eyebrows. He had a suspicion that Alec, his missing stable boy, had been helping them because of the letter they'd sent, but where was the young man now? And who did the other cot belong to?

Ella smiled, unable to be sour when their father was here. She opened her mouth to ask him when they could go home, but closed it again when she saw him looking at the cots. Again, she looked at Josephine, unsure if they should say anything about the boys. What about Peter? She felt a sudden panic when she realized that she had never confirmed with Josephine that she wasn't going to say anything about the fact that Peter was a pirate, and that he had been involved in the initial kidnapping. Father had even just said that they would get justice...what did that mean? The captain who had stolen them was dead. What justice could they have? Ella would much rather just go home and get on with her life.

As it turned out, they didn't have to explain Alec. A few moments later, the door to the room opened again, revealing Alec in the doorway. He froze when he saw the case on the floor and the other man in the room, recognizing his employer immediately. Part of him was happy that he had come and that things would get better now, but the other part of him felt like he was about to be sick.

"Sir," he said politely, nodding his head in acknowledgement. The sun was beginning to set and he had been sent home for the evening with a pocketful of extra money- though it appeared they wouldn't be needing it anymore. He glanced at Josephine, unsure how to go about this encounter. They both knew it was coming, but the conversation they'd had earlier hadn't been as helpful as he'd hoped.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine noticed their father eyeing the cots. She'd known that might bring up a few questions. Father would probably not be entirely comfortable with them sharing a room with two other men, but she was sure if she just explained that they could only afford one room and that nothing had happened... she opened her mouth to explain, but then Alec opened the door.

She felt her heart beating a mile a minute as she crossed the room to him. She thought this might be relieving, but now she wasn't so sure. She only felt nerves, and if they didn't explain their relationship exactly now, then they would have to soon. She took his hand in hers and pulled him into the room. Their conversation earlier had left her feeling uneasy, but she wasn't exactly upset with Alec. If their father said no and he continued to insist there wasn't a way to be together, then she might be, but right now they needed to support each other and do this together.

"Father," she said. "You remember Alec, right?"

The other man in the room nodded, his eyes drifting down to where his daughter was holding this man's hand. "My missing stable boy, yes," he said, then back to Josephine to explain.

"Well... he's been helping us. Ella and I... we'd probably be a lot worse off if he wasn't here," she squeezed Alec's hand, meaning every word she'd just said. "And Peter, too... Peter's been helping us, too." Ella could explain that one, but she was hoping it might buy her and Alec at least a few more moments of secrecy, although she wondered if their father would have put it together by now anyway.

Their father raised an eyebrow. "Who is Peter?" he asked, looking at Josephine, but she just looked to Ella. She hadn't had a chance to tell Ella she would keep Peter's secret for now, but maybe now that she hadn't Ella might get that message. That also meant it was up to Ella to explain to father who their extra companion was.

 

[AvianJen]

Alec really didn't want to come in. He was brave when it came to pirates and swords, but the thought of confronting the one man who had the power to decide his future was making him weak at the knees. He stood there, frozen, until Josephine came and took his hand to bring him inside. That alone was a bold move, and Alec watched her father carefully. As of yet, there was no judgment in his eyes, but that was bound to change. He felt Josephine squeeze his hand and was comforted slightly, but despite his calm demeanor on the outside, on the inside he was freaking out.

It was almost a relief when Josephine brought up Peter and diverted his attention. Ella was quick to speak up on her friend's behalf.

"Peter is our new friend," she told him. "We met him on the ship. He was...trapped, too. He helped us escape when we docked, and came with us." That was one way of putting it, and it wasn't exactly a lie. Peter had been trapped in a life that he didn't really want to be in, and he had escaped with them. "I think he's out working now," she added, as if that might give him more merit in Father's eyes.

"I see," their father responded. There wasn't much to say about this Peter character at the moment; he would have rather he got his own room, but obviously money was tight. Frankly, he was impressed they'd been able to afford what they had, which seemed like was primarily due to both Alec and Peter. "I look forward to meeting him." Ella smiled and nodded. That had gone well enough, but with that out of the way it forced the attention back on Alec and Josephine and their joined hands.

"So you..." their father turned back around to look at the couple, "went after the girls?"

"Yes, sir," Alec replied. "I did."

"Well, then. My daughters and I are indebted to you and grateful for your bravery, but...why? Why put yourself in such danger?" Their father raised an eyebrow- he already knew the answer. He could read Josephine's behavior, and there was only one reason his stable boy would chase after pirates. But still, he wanted to hear it from the boy himself. It was true that he was indebted to this man, and very thankful for all he had done for them. But he wasn't sure what he thought about everything else.

"I was worried," Alec said, his hand tightening around Josephine's. It was the only giveaway to how terrified he was. "I...I'm in love with your daughter, sir. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to her and I didn't at least try to do anything about it." His words were entirely true, though he was incredibly fearful of the consequences. At least it was out. He'd said it.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine was holding her breath and barely aware of it. This was the moment they knew was coming all along. Just a moment before she had been overwhelmed with joy at their family being reunited, and now she was fearful of what her father, the one man who held more power over her life than she did, would say. She had thought she'd been prepared for this, but when Alec finally admitted to her father that he was in love with her... her heart skipped out of love, but also fear. As optimistic as she had been this morning, things suddenly felt very different now that they were facing it in reality.

Their father had suspected something between his daughter and his stable boy from the moment he received the letter from Josephine. Nobody snuck onto a pirate ship for just anybody. What he wasn't sure of, was the extent of their feelings towards each other. He hadn't known whether Josephine returned Alec's feelings, or whether he had snuck onto the ship in some sort of desperation to impress her. Their father had always thought that Josephine was extraordinarily picky when it came to the men in her life. For whatever reason, none of the men he had arranged for her seemed to work out. He had always thought it was because they shared a similar interest for her in that only the best would be suitable for her, but now he was beginning to see that might not have been the case at all. Had she been seeing his stable boy behind his back this entire time?

"Josephine?" He wanted an explanation from her as well. He wanted to know how long this had been going on, and if she could confirm this supposed romance of theirs. He was entirely grateful for Alec's help, but he was more than a little upset that his daughter had been keeping this secret from him. She was risking scandal, risking her own future that he'd been trying to secure for her, and for a boy who had next to nothing to offer her.

Josephine found herself letting go of Alec's hand, only to hold onto his arm instead. She never wanted to let him go. "I love him, daddy," she said. "I know he's not what you've always pictured for me... but Alec's a good man. He's been good to me, and I love him." She watched nervously for his reaction, but so far he had been mostly quiet, and his expression mostly unreadable. She couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Their father was silent for a long moment while he thought things over. "Well, while I suppose I must thank you both for your honesty, you must understand why am I incredibly disappointed in you. You, Josie, should be ashamed of lying of to me and those poor men this whole time about your affair. You have wasted all of our time if you never had any intention of settling down with any of them. And you, Alec, should have come to me the moment you started having feelings for my daughter. All of this could have been avoided long ago."

"But... father, it wasn't like that-" Josephine began, but he cut her off to turn his attention to Ella for a moment. "And you, Ella? Did you know about this?" He as equally disappointed in her if she had known and not bothered to inform him.

 

[AvianJen]

For a second, Alec's heart began to soar. Hearing her declare to her father that she loved him and him thanking them for their honesty seemed like a good sign...until he said the word disappointed. Disappointed? And then the word affair came about, which Alec wasn't entirely sure was appropriate, but nevertheless it held a negative connotation. Alec looked slightly bashful when he turned on him, although he didn't quite understand. Come to him and what, lose his job? Forbid Josephine from ever seeing him again? If he didn't approve now, it seemed highly unlikely that he would have been gracious then.

The color that remained in Ella's face drained out when their father turned to her. Why did they have to involve her in this? Her heart went out to Alec and Josephine, but she never would have imagined that she would get in trouble for their secret romance. "I-I..." she stammered, not sure what to say. "I didn't think it was my place," she finally settled on. That probably wasn't going to be a satisfactory answer. Father was a loving man, but he was stern. He had high standards for both Ella and Josephine, and they had failed to live up to those standards. "I'm sorry," she said finally, punctuating her apology with a cough. His face softened, almost as if he'd forgotten that she was sick, and turned back to the couple in question.

"With all due respect, sir," Alec spoke up. He was panicking, but it was now or never. "I know that I'm not the kind of man that you...that you would have envisioned for your daughter. I don't have much- I don't have money, or land, or family, but I do love your daughter, and I would do anything for her. I'm willing to work to become the man that she deserves, truly. I'll to whatever it takes to earn your favor."

Their father regarded him with a critical stare. He wasn't sure what to make of all this. On one end, he wanted Josephine to be happy, and if this was true love then who was he to stand in the way? But on the other, more practical end, this man had nothing to give his daughter. He didn't even own land of his own. And who could tell whether this was real love or just infatuation? It was a forbidden romance- it could be Josephine wanting to rebel before she got married. There was no way to tell, not yet. Alec seemed genuine, but vows wouldn't get him anywhere. He couldn't just allow his daughter to marry someone that could hardly even provide for himself.

"I appreciate your sincerity, Alec," he said. "I can see how much you two care for each other. But I'm sorry. This..." he gestured between the two of them, "cannot go on any longer. Not for the foreseeable future."

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine felt like the world had stopped spinning and everything was now happening in slow motion. She had been so hopeful, so optimistic, that father would come to accept this. She'd pictured a happy future with Alec, raising kids with him while he raised horses, living a comfortable life. She didn't need anything too extravagant, and it wasn't an overly exciting picture, but it was what she wanted, and what would make her happy. And now their worst fear was coming true. He was saying no. He was essentially demanding they separate. This was what Alec had tried to warn her about, and she'd stupidly ignored him.

"What?" she said, breathless, her voice breaking. Her nerves were turning into a wild desperation. "No! No, you can't make me give him up. Father, please, please don't do this! I won't leave him!" Her heart was breaking, but she was also in shock. She had wanted to be happy that their father had come for them, but now she was beginning to think it was the worst thing to ever happen to her.

"Josephine," her father said sternly. She hated it when he addressed her like that, because it meant he was serious. "You can, and you will, end your relationship with Alec. As gratitude for his help, I will allow him to keep his employment under me, but only if you two agree you will no longer see each other."

Josie felt tears well up in her eyes. Stop seeing each other or he would fire Alec? That was his ultimatum? That was incredibly unfair, and she thought it was also cruel. It meant that he would lose his job if they stayed together, and it would be her fault. It felt like the walls were closing in on her and she could barely breath. How could he do this to her? She could barely stand to look at him, or anyone for that matter, and she didn't say anything as she turned around and bolted out of the room, shoving past Peter on her way out, who was just now returning from his day of work.

"Josephine?" he asked, confused as she ran by him, but she didn't acknowledge nor answer him. When he wandered into the room a moment later, he wasn't sure what to expect, or what had just happened. At first he worried that something was wrong with Ella, but he knew the moment he laid on eyes on the strange man that this must be their father. He immediately made him nervous, and he would have introduced himself if it were not for the fact that something dramatic had clearly just went down.

"Is... everything alright?" he asked cautiously.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella hated this. She hated what was happening and she hated that she couldn't at least get out of the room to give them all their privacy, but she was stuck watching as both Alec and Josephine had their hearts broken by her father. She didn't say anything. Instead, she just turned on her side and examined her fingernails, trying not to get too upset. But it was upsetting; this was the end of Josephine and Alec's romance. Josie would be forced to marry someone that she didn't love, and for some reason Ella felt much worse about it than she had ever expected to.

Alec didn't even know what to say. Of course he understood how serious her father's ultimatum was; if he continued to see Josephine, not only would they still not get married but he would lose his job. That would mean having to move to find another and possibly never seeing her again. He couldn't lose his job, but he couldn't bear the thought of losing Josephine. It seemed, though, that he already had.

His heart broke when her father voiced his decision, but Josephine's pleading tore it to shreds. He wished that there was something he could do. Anything. And he hated himself for not being a better man. If only he had more money or more influence and wasn't just a stupid stable boy who spent his days taking care of horses, then maybe he would be worthy of her. She was the one person in his life who saw more in him, brought out the best in him, and the one person that was being taken out of his life.

When Josephine ran out of the room, Alec hesitated only a second before dashing after her. Surely they could at least have a moment to themselves. He caught up with Josephine down the hall and captured her in his arms, pulling her close. "Shhh..." he said, stroking her hair. "It's okay, Josie. I'll pick up a second job, keep working until I can buy a house in the country and then we'll ask again. We'll keep asking until he says yes, just like you said." It wasn't okay, and Alec had a nagging feeling that that wasn't going to work. But he would try. He didn't have anything else to do with his life, and she gave him purpose.

Inside the bedroom, Ella wasn't sure what to do or how to respond to the recent turn of events. She wanted to say something to her father, but she knew that whatever she said would not be well-received. Now was not the time. She did hear Peter come in, though, and she pushed herself up on the bed knowing that someone would need to fill him in on his story.

Their father watched Josephine and Alec go, feeling guilty but confident that it was the right thing. "It will be," he muttered to the man who had just stumbled in before fully turning his attention to him. "You must be Peter." He looked the man up and down, taking in his long hair and unkempt appearance. It wasn't much worse than the rest of them, though.

"I was just telling Father how you were trapped on the pirate ship too, and helped us escape," Ella spoke up from her bed.

"Yes," their father confirmed. "Thank you for anything you have done to help my daughters. It appears I am indebted to you as well for their safety."

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine collapsed into Alec's arms. She did not cry often, but she was crying now. She couldn't help herself. She felt defeated, and stressed, and so heartbroken. She didn't think it was possible to hurt this much. It was somewhat comforting to hear Alec say they would keep trying, but somehow she just had a feeling it wouldn't work. Even if Alec did get a second job, even if he worked to save up money, could he be fast enough? Father would be impatient with her now. She would be expected to marry, and soon, and at some point he was going to grow tired of her refusal. Her time as an unwed woman was running out.

"It's not okay," she sobbed. "How could he do this? It's not fair!" What other man would sneak onto a pirate ship for her? Alec had literally risked his life to save hers, but according to her father, it wasn't enough. She had never thought of her father as being a man who only cared about money, but it seemed to be all he cared about when it came to choosing her husband. She could be well taken care of financially, but any other man would never be able to give her what Alec could. The fact that she might not even be able to talk to him anymore without risking him his job was the worst part of all of this.

She pulled back only enough so that she could look at him. "Please don't give up on us... just say you won't give up on us." She knew he had essentially just said that, and it warmed her heart, but she needed to hear him say it again. Whatever was going to come in these next few weeks, it was going to test both of them, and she just needed to hear that there was at least still a chance.

Peter was confused, his question not entirely answered. However, he could assume that the relationship between Alec and Josephine had not been well received. He pitied them, but it also made him wary about what lay in store for him and Ella. If their father could disapprove of a man like Alec, then he would most certainly disapprove of him being around his other daughter.

He looked at their father, feeling naked under his scrutinizing gaze. "Yes, sir," he said, and then was surprised to hear what Ella had told him. She wasn't lying, but it wasn't exactly the entire truth either. It made him feel a little guilty to be standing here, but he supposed his very life would be in danger if their father ever realized the whole truth.

"Yes, sir," he repeated. "But really, I only did what I did because it was the right thing to do. Your daughters are... they are very brave for what they faced."

"I can only imagine what being on that ship was like. For all of you. Tell me, how can I repay you for the help you've given my daughters?"

Peter's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He was honestly just trying to survive, he had hardly expected to be rewarded in any way. "Oh, no sir, I don't to be repaid. Really. I just wanted to make sure everybody made it out alright." He glanced to Ella, feeling strange about having this conversation, and extremely uncomfortable in the presence of her father. He had a feeling this was a powerful man, despite the troubles the girls explained they were having with their family's finances.