Hi everyone! Yes I know, my other stories are still waiting for updates and have been for quite some time but I just could not find any inspiration to write anything for them in the past weeks. In the end I decided that I would write a small piece to help me get back on the creative track: my anti-wirter's-block one-shot. It was supposed to be more or less short, as you can see it obviously ended with less but anyway, this is something that had been floating around in the back of my mind for a long time, probably a result of too much Assassin's Creed. I did a bit of additional research before I wrote this but still, any and every historical nonsense in this one is purely my fault, as are other errors. Still, Enjoy! :)
Home Port
The morning sun was glinting on the water as Lauren looked out towards the horizon, her gaze lingering there for longer than it should and she knew it. It was the same every morning and every morning she would shake her head at her own foolishness. She didn't really know what kind of ship she was looking at from this distance anyway and even if she did, this one ship would surely not make an appearance just outside of Kingston harbor, in broad daylight and in plain sight of the Royal Navy. Yet she couldn't help but hope, for red sails, for a black flag appearing on the horizon, for crossed bones beneath a skull with a crown placed crookedly on its head.
The blonde woman finally tore her eyes away from the shimmering water and the burning longing it instilled in her heart, letting the sounds and smells of the waking city filter back into her mind: the screeching of the seagulls above as they fought over every piece of fish they could get, the faint shouting and laughing of men loading and unloading ships in the harbor below along with the salty air of the sea and the slightly foul smell a big city like Kingston always seemed to produce. Lauren was standing way above the harbor on a small grass patch under a palm tree that was on the same property as the tavern she worked in. Well, she had started working there a long time ago, now she practically co-owned it as her husband of three years was Edward Turner, one of the most well-liked men in all of Kingston and owner of the Drunken Pirate, the best tavern in town. He was a tall man with sandy-brown hair and a winning smile that made basically everybody like him and Lauren liked him just as well, probably even more than that. Edward was good to her, more than good actually. The man loved Lauren with every piece of his heart and he said so often when they were alone in their small apartment above the tavern. The blonde knew she was extremely lucky to have him. Her father could have just as well married her off to a man way older than herself, who thought her not worthy of doing anything besides cleaning his house and warming his bed. But he didn't. The moment she started working at the Drunken Pirate Edward fell in love with her and because he was not only well-known and liked but also fairly wealthy her father had jumped at the opportunity of marrying his daughter to him. The only problem her husband had was that he had a habit of drinking a bit too much, which showed again in that moment as strong arms placed themselves around Lauren from behind, a kiss placed on her cheek while the sweetly strong smell of rum engulfed her. "Good morning, my love." Edward rasped. He didn't seem to be drunk anymore but judging by the tone of his voice he was definitely hung-over and also in need of a bath and new clothes. Lauren was surprised that he was even up this early as usually he slept in after he had as much to drink as he did last night.
Maybe she had gotten used to it but she didn't think the smell of rum was all that bad and so Lauren let herself sink back into his embrace, uttering a good morning of herself. Edward's arms tightened around her for a second before he let go, coming to stand next to her, an arm around her waist and looking at his wife with a broad smile, his mid-length hair ruffled and all over the place, standing off his head at odd angles. Somehow, he looked strangely adorable like this. "Laur, I know you told me time and time again that you standing here every morning and staring out onto the water is just a habit and you have been doing it since way before the day I saw you for the first time but I keep thinking there's something more to it." His voice was still a bit parched, telling Lauren he had probably only just gotten up, his plain leather pants and white linen shirt cluing her in even more but his smile was just becoming broader and broader, both of his deep dimples showing. It told the blonde that he was just joking now but there had been a time when he was very concerned about why his wife chose waking up early and staring out at the horizon over waking up in his arms. He had suggested many things: A long lost family member, a handsome young sailor of the Royal Navy that she hoped would come home to her one day, a letter from a loved one who lived miles and miles away. He had come close at times but had never quite hit the nail on its head. How could he, anyway? How could he know that she was waiting for her to come home to her once more, to hold her in strong arms for a night or two only to leave again before the city awoke the next day? She had been gone years before she had even met Edward and by now she was long forgotten as the rowdy girl on Kingston's streets she had once been, only known and feared for her crimes against the crown and humanity in general.
"Ed, you can ask me as often as you like, the answer will always be the same: It really is a habit I acquired a long time ago. The sight of the sea calms me, you know that." It wasn't really a lie but it wasn't really the truth either. Edward though had no choice so he simply nodded, accepting her answer only to ask her the same question again in a week at the latest. "Why don't you go clean yourself up a bit? You know we will be having lunch with my parents today, don't you?" Lauren continued and for a moment her husband had the amusing expression of someone who just had a bucket of cold water dumped over his head but he recovered quickly. "Yes, of course." He said but when he saw Lauren's smirk he blushed ever so slightly, his grin never fading. "All right, Laur. I'll be ready on time, I promise. I'd never miss lunch with the Commodore." He leaned in go give her a kiss which she returned quickly before he shuffled off to clean himself and find fresh clothes. Lauren chuckled as she watched him walk away. In another life she would have been the happiest woman on earth, he would have made sure of that but as faith would have it, the blonde had found her soul mate long before good Edward even had a chance to make her melt with his smile. Still, Lauren was very happy to have him and somewhere deep down in her heart she knew she loved him, just not enough, never enough to make her forget where she truly belonged. She turned to walk back to the large wooden house containing their tavern and home at the same time but not before throwing one last look back at the sea. Hurry back to me, she thought and hoped the words would somehow find their way.
Edward managed to make himself presentable in time for lunch but it really wouldn't have made a large difference. Lauren's father was so fond of the man that he could have probably come to lunch drunk off his ass and Commodore Alexander Lewis would have still embraced him like his own son. As it were he shook Edwards hand wildly right after he had wrapped his only daughter in a bone-crushing hug. The Commodore was a bear of a man, tall and broad with muscle packed arms and chest and hard facial features, golden-blonde hair braided and tied perfectly to fit a man of his position. He was almost always in his uniform although he wasn't in active duty anymore and today was no exception, the white-lapelled long blue coat with golden ornaments making his appearance even more intimidating. Compared to him, Lauren's mother was tiny. She had the same golden-blonde hair Lauren inherited from both her parents as well as her daughter's slim frame. Her eyes were a honey-colored brown, exactly her daughter's color as well while the Commodore had icy blue eyes that could stare right into your soul. The only thing Lauren had visibly inherited from only her father was her strong jaw and aristocratic features.
Elizabeth Lewis embraced her daughter and son-in-law warmly, smiling broadly throughout lunch but not saying much to both men. She was, somewhat like Lauren but even more so, a rather quiet woman. Of course, it was also due to the fact that her husband rarely stopped talking once he got to his favorite topic: the Royal Navy. Edward was only too happy to join in on his tirade about how pirates were still treated way too lightly and so it went on for almost two hours, even after their lunch was long eaten and the plates cleared off the wooden table. Lauren just sat through it, willing her mind to not wander in the direction she was dreading, to the fear that was a constant in her life and that always made a particularly violent appearance whenever anyone would bring up this kind of topic. Instead she engaged in a small conversation with her mother. Before long Elizabeth asked "When am I finally getting my beautiful grandchild, Lauren?" for the seemingly hundredth time and like always, her daughter answered with a smile "When my dear husband leaves his rum for long enough to come to our bed sober." Another good thing about Commodore Lewis was that he had a voice like a firing arsenal so Lauren and Elizabeth could talk openly without him or Edward really taking notice. Also, the blonde figured, her husband's inability to stay sober had this very good side to it. Even in the beginning of their marriage she had let him touch her very rarely and when she did, her mind was somewhere else completely. Edward accepted it because he loved her as much as he did but of course their lack of nighttime activity showed in a lack of children even after three years of marriage. If it bothered the Commodore, he didn't show it but her mother sometimes looked at her like she knew something was going on that Lauren wasn't telling anybody. Elizabeth was an intelligent woman, another trait she had passed on to her daughter.
Half an hour of Royal Navy and pirates later they were finally out of Lauren's parent's house again, Edward gallantly offering his wife his arm as they walked back towards the Drunken Pirate. By now it was almost four in the afternoon and the first patrons would soon show their faces in the tavern so they walked back a bit faster than they usually would have. Edward stocked the long wooden bar while Lauren wiped their many tables and replaced a chair that had lost a leg last night while they had been trying to break up a particularly nasty fight. She was just glad that didn't happen more often. Edward may have been a bit loose on the drinking but he hated violence and strictly forbade it in his establishment, with exception to the arranged fights they had every so often where men and women alike would come to bet on the winner. Lauren didn't understand the fascination people seemed to have with it but as long as it filled the small chest where they kept their earned money, she was not going to complain about it.
Later that evening Lauren was standing behind the bar, hair tied into a high and quick ponytail with a leather strap, talking to the patrons she was currently serving their third round of the night. "I'm tellin' ya, Billy. They finally caught 'er for good this time! Headin' straight for the gallows, I heard it!" said Finn, a lanky sailor with the face of a mouse. He was a regular at the Drunken Pirate whenever he was on shore leave in Kingston. As a hand on some of the large cargo ships he came around the Caribbean and heard lots of things, most of them only half-true, if that, but he still loved to tell each story he heard at least three times to different people. Along with Lauren, his current victim was William 'Billy' Howard, an older man and former soldier whose hair was salt and pepper, his face worn. "Really now?" He answered in his deep voice and with a disbelieving smile "She has managed to get away so many times by now that I find that hard to believe." He nodded his thanks up at Lauren who just now placed two newly filled brownish cups in front of them. "Who are we talking about now?" She inquired with a laugh. While Finn's stories were seldom true they were usually entertaining and the more he spoke the more he drank and that could only put more money into her and Edward's small chest.
"Pirate Queen, o' course!" Finn whispered as if the name alone would bring doom on him, small eyes glinting with excitement and it was all Lauren could do to only raise her eyebrows in surprise. She wanted to jump over the counter and shake the man until he had told her everything he knew but she restrained herself, giving Finn a moderately interested look instead. "You sure?" She asked him and he nodded eagerly. "Bet me life on it! Heard two guards down in St. George's talkin' 'bout it. Said they were goin' ter hang 'er and 'er whole crew the day after but I couldn't stay ter watch, had ter be back on deck, ya know?"
A cold hand clutched at Lauren's heart immediately. She knew it had been way to long since she had heard any news and she was dreading that something like this might have happened. "Rubbish if you ask me." Billy countered. "I know St. George's is not exactly around the corner but news like this would have made it here way before you, Finn. She's the pirate with the highest bounty on her head I've ever seen and I've seen a lot of them in my time. They call her the 'Queen of Pirates' for a reason, you know?" Of course he was right, Lauren told herself. News like that would have made it to them way faster than a large cargo ship that stopped countless times along the way. Still she couldn't bear the thought that something could have happened, that she would never see her again.
For the rest of the evening Lauren kept away from the two men under the disguise of being busy, chatting here and there and of course pouring drink after drink but she never lingered anywhere for too long, afraid of hearing confirmation that never came. She didn't sleep well that night and it wasn't because of Edward's loud drunken snoring or too tight grip on her waist at all. Fear was clawing at her heart and when finally, her silent tears had subsided she fell into a thankfully dreamless sleep, only waking up to her very surprised husband who thought he would find her outside staring at the horizon again. Together, they laughed off the strange occurrence, Edward telling her that she should take the next night off as she was obviously tired. Lauren smiled at his concern and thanked him with a kiss that felt strangely hollow, even more so than usual.
She pulled on a simple white shirt and brown pants for the day, taking her time braiding her hair and binding it with the usual leather strap to keep her mind busy. She was going to go shopping for a few things now that she didn't have to be ready to open up the tavern later that day, deciding that she would cook for just her and Edward tonight, something she hadn't done in a long time. Her husband didn't waste the opportunity to tell her how beautiful she was, pressing a kiss to her cheek as she walked past him with a smile. Yes, she was truly more than lucky to have him, she thought, she better get used to it.
It was another beautiful day in Kingston, the Caribbean sun burning down on the city and making its smell even worse than on a normal day so Lauren decided she would head down to the harbor to get what she needed. The Drunken Pirate was on one of the higher hills away from the water so she had to walk for about fifteen minutes before she could clearly smell the sea without the foul stench of the city lingering in her nose. The houses she passed on her way down were getting smaller and shabbier but the people, especially the locals, were nodding and smiling at Lauren as she walked by. The blonde was well known and some even asked her how the Commodore was doing to which she answered with fine or good, stopping for a quick chat here and there. All in all it took her about an hour to get down to the harbor and when she did she was in a way better mood than she had been when she woke up. She had just greeted another young woman and walked into a small alley that would shorten her walk to the harbor market immensely when she heard a very familiar voice behind and very close to herself.
"Lauren Turner. Long time no see." Startled, Lauren turned to find a tall, sandy-blonde man looking down at her with a wolfish smile. His curly hair was longer than she remembered and his beard bushier, the salt stains on the end of his long leather pants telling Lauren that he waded through water to get to shore. It would have been odd if the blonde hadn't known that he hadn't used the harbor to get to Kingston but like this, she was just extremely glad to see him. His linen shirt was dirty and Lauren knew that some of the brownish blotches on it were blood but she also knew that if he would be to take it off, all the scars and new cuts on his muscled and sun-kissed chest would become clearly visible so she preferred him this way. She was so shocked to see him that she didn't know what to do for a second but when it finally registered with her what him being here meant she lunged herself at him and flung her arms around his tall frame. He caught her with an amused yet slightly pained huff, patting her awkwardly on the back until she let go. Lauren took a step back and smiled somewhat sheepishly at him, a nervous chuckle leaving her chest. "I'm sorry, Dyson. I'm just so glad to see you. I heard.. terrible things.." She didn't get any further because the man standing in front of her nodded with a knowing look and stated "So you probably heard about St. George's. She already figured you would so she decided to head here straight after to show you we're all right."
Lauren just stared at him for a moment, mouth hanging open. "What happened?" She finally got out but Dyson shook his head. "She will want to tell you herself. She sent me to get you today because the bounty on her head's been raised again and she didn't think it safe to come in person." He paused before grinning in his usual wolfish way. "She also told me to hurry."
Lauren nodded eagerly. "Yes. Of course. I'll just have to tell Edward I won't be home for dinner, make something up..." She trailed off and started walking but Dyson caught her around the middle, pulling her back. "No need." He smiled "She has Kenzi taking care of it." He noticed the blonde's shocked expression and quickly added "No, not like that. Come, now. I wasn't joking when I said she told me to hurry. We were barely into that small hidden bay when she practically threw me overboard at gunpoint to go get you." That finally made Lauren laugh, even if it was only a melodious chuckle. She hurried after Dyson who led the way through alleyway after small alleyway, away from the harbor and out of the city as soon as possible. They were heading down a small path that was almost completely hidden by bushes, trees and other plants after about fifteen minutes of walking. By now Lauren knew this path but in the beginning she had seriously wondered how anyone could find it if they didn't know it was here, a fact that was no doubt the intent behind it.
They walked through the forest for a while, the blonde couldn't have guessed how long because her head was whirling and her heart racing. She only knew they were getting close to the sea again when the sharp smell of salt reached their noses and even that only served to make her heart beat even faster, so fast that Lauren was sure Dyson could hear it as they were walking fairly close together. A few moments later the trees finally parted and allowed the view of a small bay with crystal clear blue water, waves gently tapping at the narrow white beach. To both sides the cliffs rose up high into the sky, trees growing in their stony flaks to further obscure the existence of this bay to anyone passing by on the sea side. Finally, Lauren's eyes fell onto to majestic ship that was anchored in the middle of the small bay, red sails all rolled up. On top of the highest mast, black fabric flying in the wind, was the flag of a Pirate ship: two crossed bones beneath a crowned skull. The ship itself wasn't large at all, rather small and fast but still heavily stocked with shimmering cannons on either side, clearly visible on deck as they glinted in the early afternoon sunlight. Lauren knew that there was also an extra row of cannons hidden beneath deck on either side, always ready to provide extra fire power if needed. Finally, next to the full bronze figurehead that was a mermaid with her arms stretched out wide, one could read in golden letters on the dark wooden background of the ship's bow Queen Ysabeau. Lauren's heart soared as she focused on every curve of the bold letters and she hadn't even noticed that she had stopped walking until Dyson's voice broke through the blood rushing through her ears. "This is where I leave you, Lauren." He walked away towards a small dinghy on the shore, leaving her seemingly alone at the edge of the forest but the blonde didn't even notice as she was still staring at the golden letters assuring her that her lover and soul mate, the Caribbean's and probably the world's most sought after pirate captain, Ysabeau McCorrigan, the Queen of Pirates, had finally come back to her again after months at sea.
The moment the full weight of it finally hit Lauren was the moment she felt lighter than she had in months, all of her worries and fears fading into nothing and leaving behind only a swarm of fluttering butterflies in her stomach. It was also the moment a strong arm found its way around her waist, pulling the blonde backwards to press against a coat-clad chest. Lauren sighed as she felt the familiar sensation of the three pistols pressing into her back, the heavenly combination of salt water, leather and gunpowder overpowering her senses as she took a deep breath. It was all she could do before she was spun around forcefully, her mouth immediately covered by soft yet so strong and demanding lips. Lauren practically melted into the kiss, falling forward slightly but being held up by a strong arm as she was devoured by the woman in front of her. One calloused hand came up to slowly caress the blonde's strong jaw, holding her chin between two fingers, keeping her in place as if Lauren would ever even think of pulling back from what she had been longing after for months.
Finally, after what seemed like eternity but still way too soon, they had to break apart for some much-needed air. The rough hand now flat against her cheek Lauren opened her eyes to stare right into deep brown pools that watched her every breath with unspeakable devotion. The flame in them was as bright as ever, burning right into the blonde and all the way to her heart which it set on fire the same as every time before and with it every vein in Lauren's body. Her hands trembled as she reached up to cup both sides of the pirate's face, a single tear of relief and happiness forming in her eye but the brown orbs didn't miss that either. Anger flared in them for a heartbeat before soft lips were pressed to Lauren's again, loving yet commanding at the same time. Her beautiful smoky voice was concerned but sure as she spoke. "I'm here now, my love. I don't want to see tears in your eyes."
"Bo." Lauren's voice trembled and broke but she managed to get out a few more words "I feared you were dead." She grabbed onto the hand still cupping her own cheek, catching it along the wrist in a desperate grip to keep skin contact. Strangely, it had the exact opposite effect. With a muttered curse Bo yanked her arm free, taking a small step back and balling a fist with that right hand as if in pain. Acting out of pure instinct Lauren reached out and pulled that hand towards her again, careful to not touch the pirate's wrist this time. "What is it?" She asked but Bo just shook her head, seemingly annoyed at her own reaction. "Nothing." She growled "Bastards." She turned her head to the side and spat out angrily but didn't make a move to pull her hand from Lauren again. Still worried, the blonde took that as an ok to proceed and slowly, carefully, pushed back the fabric of Bo's sleeve. She was greeted by an angry black skull branded onto the side of the pirate's wrist, still red around the edges, showing her that it was fairly fresh and giving the small picture a sinister look, like the skull was alive and staring at her with glowing red eyes. Shocked, Lauren lifted her gaze again to find that Bo was staring at her, the fire in her dark eyes now wild and full of hatred. "Dyson probably already told you part of it. We had a little run-in with the Royal Navy around St. George's, got away of course but not before they took me to court and gave me this." She nodded towards her wrist, teeth clenched. "Means if the ever catch me again they can hang me without further questions." Bo chuckled darkly, some of her teeth she had replaced with gold glinting in the sun. "Made me feel so special, they did. Told me only the worst pirate captains get this little beauty on their arms. Of course, they thought I would be heading for the gallows the next day anyway, this was just protocol. What I did to them after served them right." The way she said the last part made Lauren wish she would never know what exactly Bo had done to those men. The captain seemed to sense her distress, bringing her out of it with a kiss pressed to the corner of her mouth. "I'm here now, my love. Nothing else matters, the way it has always been, right?"
Lauren couldn't help but lean into the short contact, instantly missing it again after it passed. She knew that there was nothing about Bo that wasn't dangerous or deadly, just being seen with her was by now probably punishable by death but for some reason, the most cruel and feared pirate captain got soft around the blonde, always careful not to tell her too much about what she had done but just enough to make Lauren understand that none of this was a joke or child's play, always giving her the option to leave and never look back. The blonde stared at Bo for a moment while the pirate waited for her answer and for the first time that day, she actually really looked at the woman who with ease held her heart in a dirty and calloused hand. There was no doubt about it, Ysabeau McCorrigan was as beautiful as she was deadly, or the other way around, whichever you preferred but either way, it made her extremely beautiful. Her long raven hair was pulled back out of her face, falling down the side and back of her head in soft, unruly waves. Most of it was right now hidden under her usual dark leather captain's hat, three pointed and with a long black feather attached to it. It was tipped back slightly, probably from their heated kiss earlier, Lauren figured. The rest of the captain was just as she remembered it as well: A long, blood-red coat with black and white lapels, ending just above the knee where Bo's strong leather-clad legs ended in knee-high black leather boots. The coat fell open across her generous chest, revealing a simple off-white linen shirt with a leather strap crossing from her left shoulder to right hip. Attached to it were the three elegantly curved silver pistols with polished wooden handles Lauren had felt pressed to her back earlier. Bo always liked to say she judged her opposite by the number and quality of pistols he wore which usually made her the winner in those competitions. Along with those strapped to the belt across her chest she had two more, larger and heavier than the others, belted to her sides right behind where her long saber was fastened to her left hip, a dagger to her right.
Finally, Lauren's gaze found Bo's again, the pirate still waiting for an answer to her earlier question. She would ask a similar thing often, as if to assure herself that no matter what she did, the blonde would still be waiting for her. "Of course. Nothing else matters when you're here with me." Lauren spoke one of her deepest truths. She knew that Bo had done terrible things only for the sake of her own gain and for what she liked to call 'her dream of freedom' but to the blonde it didn't matter. She had loved Bo way before she had done any of those things and she knew she would never stop.
Her words seemed to set the captain at ease again, the small indentation between her brows flattening out at once as she smiled a brilliant smile and took Lauren's hand in her own. "Come on then, Milady. Let me show you your cabin for the night." She turned and led them towards the shore, letting out a loud whistle through her teeth that sent a few nearby birds flying out of their respective trees. The signal fulfilled its purpose, though: almost immediately, a man in a small dinghy could be seen paddling towards where they stood on the shore. As he got closer Lauren recognized the strangely handsome dark-skinned man to be Hale, one of Bo's original crew members. He was clad simply in short linen and leather, a light scar parting his face crookedly across the nose. "Mrs. Turner" He greeted her as soon as he was near them but Bo shot him a look that told him he wouldn't be using that last name again if he wanted to keep his tongue. Nothing set the pirate captain off like any mention of Lauren's husband, even if he was very good to her. Bo was an incredibly jealous person and it was all the blonde could do at times to keep her from murdering Edward, especially in the beginning of their marriage.
"Sorry, Capt'n." Hale immediately apologized and went to push the boat ashore when Bo raised a hand to stop him. "Leave it. I'll handle it." She instructed and so he stayed in the dinghy, keeping it in place the best he could while soft waves rolled past him. Bo reached down to pull of her boots, throwing them at Hale who caught them dutifully and before Lauren even knew what was happening she had been scooped up into strong arms bridal style, now feeling pistols pressing to her side as the brunette pulled her close. Following an unspoken request as well as her own desire, the blonde wrapped her arms tightly around Bo's neck, placing her head on the pirate's shoulder and inhaling the scent she loved so much as she was carefully carried through the water and towards the dinghy floating some thirty feet away.
Hale watched them with interest in his eyes but otherwise kept his face neutral, probably weary of pissing his captain off even more but Bo didn't seem to notice or care. Her sole intent seemed to be getting Lauren to the dinghy safe and dry, and of course showing off her strength along the way. Carefully, she placed her into the small wooden boat, afterwards hoisting herself up and in with ease and a winning smile, nodding to Hale who began rowing them back to the Queen Ysabeau at once. His strokes were strong and so it didn't take long at all before they reached the side of the majestic dark wooden ship, a rope being thrown down for them to climb up. Bo went up first, followed by Lauren who was helped up by Hale until the captain could reach her from above, pulling her up with both her hands clutched tightly in Lauren's. Once up, the blonde faced the smiling and dirty faces of the rest of Bo's crew, the widest of grins of course being Kenzi's. The short and slim girl came up to her immediately while the captain walked over to the bronze figurehead, kissing the top of the mermaid's head like she always did when she came back to her beloved ship, no matter if she had been gone days or mere minutes.
"Lo!" Kenzi greeted Lauren, punching her on the arm with a grin so big it seemed to split her face in half. The tiny woman used to have raven hair but every time the blonde saw her, at least one more strand of it had been colored in all shades of the rainbow and beyond, adding to the many beads she had already tied into it and making Kenzi look almost like a peacock, the most colorful and flamboyant peacock alive. Compared to her hair, her attire was tame, just a sleeveless black linen shirt torn to tatters at the bottom and worn leather pants ending in high boots similar to those Bo had already put on again. On her bare right upper arm one could see the already a bit faded ink showing a black crown, the reward for sailing with Bo for so long that she deemed you her family. "Kenzi." Lauren smiled, lightly rubbing her arm where the small woman had punched her playfully but with force.
"Still the same wimp I remember, I see." The pirate grinned, chuckling and all of her comrades joined in. They all knew the beautiful blonde lady form Kingston that had stolen their captain's heart a long time ago and they all liked her, not only because Bo became a bit more tame whenever she was around.
"I'd be careful, Kenz. I had to break up a bar fight not long ago and I was told I have a mean right hook." Lauren joked back and the crew roared with laughter, this time at Kenzi's expense who smiled along with them. The sailors, tall and short, old and young, men and women immediately welcomed the blonde back into their midst as if she had never been gone, patting her on the back, laughing and joking until they were all silenced by a voice like a clap of thunder. "I hope you're all having fun?" Bo was slowly walking back down the stairs leading up to the ship's bow, her eyes dangerous as she eyed each and every one of her crew. For a moment it was so quiet that the only sounds were the waves below and the clacking of Bo's boots on the wooden stairs until she stopped three steps from the bottom, towering over all of them.
"Since we're in Kingston I suggest you leave the ship for a while. Find a nice boy or girl in town to keep you company tonight, drink way more rum than you should but don't forget: be back by noon the day after tomorrow or you'll never set foot on this ship again." She looked them all over once again but the atmosphere seemed to relax significantly. It was still quiet but when the captain bawled "What are you waiting for? Off ye go!" they all roared in approval "Aye, Capt'n!
The chaos that followed made Lauren feel like she was standing in the middle of a hurricane. Bo walked towards her and, after she had roughly grabbed Dyson by the collar of his shirt and said something to him to which he nodded before hurrying off as well they were finally left alone on the ship except for three men who would be the alarm post for the remainder of the day and the coming night. They, too, hurried out of sight when they felt Bo's stare on them.
"So, now. Let me show you our cabin." Bo said with a smile, offering Lauren an arm which the blonde took with an amused eye-roll. The contrast in the pirate captain's behavior was almost comical at times, especially since the cabin they would be sharing for the night was always the same; it was Bo's captain's cabin. Nevertheless, the brunette led Lauren through the double doors at the rear end of the main deck like the blonde had never seen the inside before, making a sweeping gesture with her hands as the door closed behind them. Almost everything was the way Lauren remembered it: the large canopy bed leaning against the back wall between two windows, the oil lamps lining the walls, the large wooden table in the middle with maps scattered all over it. This time though, two large wooden chests were lined up against the right wall, making Lauren wonder what was in them. Bo answered that question immediately, though as she walked over to one of them, taking a large key out of her pocket and unlocking it, making Lauren's jaw drop as she opened it. Inside the chest were more silver and golden coins than she and Edward would ever earn even if they lived and worked another hundred years and they weren't poor by any means. That didn't seem to be what Bo was searching for, though. She started rummaging through heaps of coins, her forearms completely vanishing in valuable metal until she finally pulled them out with what she wanted.
"No. Bo." Lauren tried to protest but she was helpless to stop the golden pocket watch from being placed into her hand. "This is one of my gifts to you this time but there is much more to come, my love." Bo informed her before pressing a kiss to her lips again, effectively robbing Lauren of the breath she didn't know she had been holding. "Bo." The blonde started again but the pirate pulled her in for a forceful kiss this time, pressing the woman in her arms up against her muscled frame and holding her there while she took what Lauren gave so willingly with a delicious whimper. When they broke apart it was Bo who spoke first. "No, Lauren. Before you start again like you do every time, you can and you will accept my gifts to you. If I could love you openly, I would shower you with presents, I would make the world see what it means to hold my heart. I would buy you proper clothing, fit for a queen not this poorly worked fabric that poor excuse for a husband makes you wear. I'd put a crown on your head so everyone would see what you mean to me! But I can't!" She slammed the treasure chest behind her shut again, making the coins inside tinkle from the force of the movement. "So at least accept my gifts to you, what little I can give to you without anyone noticing." The last words were spoken in a whisper, the roaring fire in the captain's eyes diminishing until it was the loving flame Lauren knew was reserved solely for her.
"Where is this coming from?" the blonde asked as she stepped closer to Bo again whose eyes never left her own, encircling her with her arms. The brunette was quiet for quite some time before she finally spoke "I thought I was going to die on St. George's. I thought I was never going to see you again, never kiss you again or hear you laugh. Never have you in bed with me again and feel the one person next to me who truly loves the monster that I am. I.. we managed to escape from St. George's because of a string of lucky circumstances. Actually I had planned to try and escape alone, knowing they would shoot me on sight, hence sparing me the gallows but Dyson wouldn't let me. It was a complete suicide mission but we somehow managed to get to the Queen unseen. I got everybody out before I blew up the whole fort so that I never had to come back there and face that fear again." She laughed and it sounded somehow cruel. "The great Queen of Pirates, the blackest soul to ever sail the seven seas, yet I'm afraid of dying. No, I'm afraid of what will happen to you when I die. So I brought all of this." She gestured towards the chest next to them. "This is just a small part of what is mine but it will be yours from now on. I will make sure that you and your family will be well cared for, even if your future children will probably never know who gave it to them."
When she finished Bo was smiling, genuine and soft, an expression that was extremely rare to cross her face, so rare that Lauren couldn't remember when she had last seen it.
The blonde herself was almost in tears at her lover's confession, torn between wanting to pull Bo close to never let go again and arguing with her about how she always called herself a monster. In the end, Lauren did neither. Instead, she pulled the pirate captain close to her, pressing their mouths and bodies together in a kiss that said all she could not. Bo willingly let it happen for a minute before the blonde felt her turning back into the fierce woman she usually was, the Queen of Pirates who was never afraid of anything, taking what she deemed hers without mercy. Before long, Lauren found herself pressed down against the captain's bed, the fire in Bo's eyes wild and all-consuming as she stared down at her lover. As she was slowly stripped of all her clothing, her simple shirt landing on the floor next to the captain's expensive coat and leather boots, the familiar feeling she would only get with Bo seeped in through her every pore. The brunette's strong hands were rough and calloused from years at sea but they felt ever so gentle as she started running them over each inch of flesh she revealed. For the first time in months, Lauren felt complete, like she belonged were she was.
She was undoing the straps of Bo's many weapon belts, carefully placing her lover's prized possessions off to the side before starting to untie the small knots that held her shirt together. The blonde held her breath, her heart racing as the worn off-white linen fell off Bo's shoulders and exposed her complete upper body to the blonde who, no matter how well prepared she thought she was from the times before, had to let out a sharp breath, half moan, half huff of shock. With her perfect breasts and arching collarbones the pirate captain was most definitely beautiful beyond anything Lauren had ever seen but since their first faithful night so many years ago Bo's body had weathered many battles and for each there seemed to at least one scar. The pattern of the marks had burned itself into the blonde's memory long ago: several white blotches told her where bullets had been pulled out of the pirate's sides, long fleshy pink scars where blades had cut her. There even was a short and very thin white line where she had been stabbed right beneath the ribs. A few new cuts, almost healed by now showed above the flexing muscles of her arms and Lauren was careful to caress them at first but got bolder as she felt Bo's gaze burn hotter as she ran nimble fingers over each and every one of them.
Spurred on by their incredible longing they kissed wildly, moaning into each other's mouths as Lauren's hands slid down the brunette's back, feeling along the hard clefts in the skin where a whip had stung many times years ago, when Bo had first become a pirate. Proud, arrogant and stubborn she was never one to follow rules and that got her in trouble often. The first rule she had truly learnt on a pirate ship was that cruelty was not something to be used sparingly in this world, closely followed by the conclusion that she had to get to the top of the food chain, and fast. In the end it took her two years to build a crew and become captain on her own ship, the wounds on her back long healed but never forgotten, making her ruthless and strong.
It was the physical part of that strength that Bo used to her advantage now, looping an arm under and around the arched back of the woman beneath her, pulling Lauren up with her like she weighed little more than a pillow, their mouths never stopping their hungry assault on each other. The was one of the things the blonde loved most about her lover, the way she made her feel weightless, helpless in her pleasure to feel anything but. Edward was strong, yes and he could pick her up with ease as well but there was something about the way Bo's muscles curved and strained, how they twitched beneath Lauren's searching fingers like they did right now that made her sublimely superior, like it was the pirate captain's simplest trick to make her lover shudder and scream above and beneath her, wherever she desired or wanted her.
"Oh.. Bo.." Fire raced through the blonde as Bo left her mouth to suck hard on her neck while she held her tightly on her lap, the nails of her right hand clawing at Lauren's side. She was already trembling and the pirate captain's hands hadn't even wandered anywhere beneath her navel yet. With a salacious last lick to her lover's neck Bo's mouth came to a halt right next to Lauren's ear, asking in a voice that was a whole octave deeper than usual "Yes, my love?" She chuckled at the twitch that shot through the blonde but the fingers tangling into her raven hair, pulling her back forced a moan to fall from her lips. "I've waited months for you. No more teasing." Lauren growled, pushing Bo down onto the soft bed beneath them with a powerful shove. The pirate laughed but she had obviously understood as the fire in her eyes glowed brighter still, eyeing her lover with unbridled hunger as Lauren slid off her lap and out of her pants in no time, just standing there looking at Bo with scorching eyes for a second but the brunette was having none of it. She sat up and turned quickly so she was sitting almost at the edge of the bed and, reaching for her lover, pulled her back onto her lap where Lauren's heated core making contact with her hard abs, a strained whimper ringing through the cabin. Bo was quick to grant her love's wish then, one hand steadying the blonde while the other reached between them and down, two fingers slipping effortlessly inside only to be hugged and trapped immediately by Lauren's wet heat. Then the pirate began to move fiercely, forcefully, all the while holding her lover up who, arms wrapped around Bo's neck, found it harder and harder to concentrate on any coherent thought. Her movements soon became erratic, riding the brunette's fingers with reckless abandon. She threw her head back to scream her impending release to the heavens above but suddenly she felt like she was falling backwards, Bo's steadying arm gone. A gasp of shock was about to tumble from her lips but then the pirate's hand was back, gripping the back of her neck with force and crashing their lips together. All the while her rhythm never faltered and so Lauren found herself clawing at the scars on Bo's back, screams she believed to be her own filling the cabin only to be greedily swallowed by the woman on whose lap she was.
The brunette held Lauren tightly as she came down from her incredible high, small aftershocks still coursing through her body every now and then. Laying down and cradling the blonde on top of her she slowly kissed her way all over her face until Lauren pulled back slightly with a beautiful smile on her face. The sight triggered a question in Bo's mind and so she whispered "Does he know how to do this to you?" against her lover's lips. Lauren's smile faltered ever so slightly but nonetheless she stated "You already know the answer to that, captain." before pressing a soft kiss to the brunette's lips.
It was true, Bo did know that her lover rarely even let her husband touch her, she also knew that he liked to drink which made it even easier to keep him from Lauren's bed but she couldn't help herself. The blonde loved her, not him, she waited for Bo, wanted her despite everything she had done but the brunette still needed to hear it so she just stared up at Lauren until the she relented, knowing her pirate captain well. "You need to hear that you're the only one I love, that I melt at your every touch and forget myself only in your arms? Is that it? Because I do, Ysabeau. It's you. It's only ever been you."
The jealous animal Bo harbored inside herself purred in content at the whispered words, the burning heat inside her rising as it had not really been quenched before. They kissed slowly this time, yet passionately nonetheless before Lauren started to take control. "Let me show you." She husked, sitting up to seductively stare down at her lover, the brunette's hands coming to rest on her hips, the fire in her eyes crackling.
Hours later Lauren lay curled up into Bo's strong body, her head resting on a broad shoulder while the fingers of one of her hands slowly, sleepily, traced every white and pink scar on the brunette's chest. The sun had set by now, the last light of the beautiful day painting the sky a beautiful fading red that shone through the glass of the windows behind them, coating the room in an eerie but not uncomfortable glow. With the darkness came the cold as well but the lovers were well-prepared, the heavy and warm leopard-coats Bo kept as blankets draped across their naked bodies. The pirate always claimed she had hunted and skinned the great cats herself and Lauren believed her but still, she was always somewhat careful with the stories her lover told.
They hadn't spoken for hours now and they didn't have to, communicating through looks and touches, sighs and gasps as their burning need subsided gradually, leaving behind pure devotion and love as they instinctively as well as from years of experience knew how to kiss and touch the other. They heard some of Bo's crew return just as the brunette's body arched upwards off the bed ever so slowly, a silent moan pictured beautifully on her face. The crew was singing joyfully and also a bit drunkenly on deck but the captain let them. They had earned what they loved most, drinking and singing, just as much as Bo earned a few more nights with the woman she loved with all her heart. Actually, the somewhat beautiful cacophony of voices from outside served as a wonderful lullaby for Lauren who, exhausted not only from her afternoon in bed with Bo but from months of worrying for her lover, fell asleep quickly to a song about the wicked crimes of a pirate captain from long ago. Once again she thought as she breathed in the scent of the sea mixed with gunpowder, this was where she truly belonged, on a ship where the crew sang at night, the strong and protecting arms of the most deadly pirate in the world lovingly wrapped around her.
Their bliss lasted two days in total, days in which Lauren sat in bed with Bo, stood next to her on deck as the sun rose high behind the cliffs keeping them from detection and joked with Kenzi, Hale and Dyson as well as all the other crewmembers. Joined by her lover she enjoyed the cool water of the small bay and lay under the stars. It wasn't until one afternoon Dyson, Bo's first mate, informed his captain that the winds were favorable and she nodded, so solemnly and sure that it made Lauren's bubble of love and happiness burst immediately. Her heart raced as she watched the pirate captain bark orders at her crew to get the ship ready, the blood rushing through her ears making it hard to understand the individual words. This was the part of Bo's visit that the blonde always dreaded, the moment she had to say goodbye to the love of her life once again, never knowing if she would ever see her just one more time.
"Take me with you." Lauren pleaded when they were alone in Bo's captain's cabin one last time, pressed up against each other beneath the leopard coats. "I can't. This is the life I chose to live, not you. The blood and violence, the price we pay for this dream of freedom. This isn't what you want." Bo reasoned but Lauren's tears were making it hard for her to form real sentences. She wanted to grant her that wish, she wanted to so badly it hurt because it was her wish as well but she knew it would only make her lover unhappy in time. "I don't care!" cried the blonde, as so many times before. "I only want you. Everything else is nothing to me."
Bo sighed. This would be very hard again, like it was every time. "You remember the last night we had together before I went to join the Royal Navy to get out of Kingston?" Lauren nodded slowly, tears still glistering in her eyes but Bo refused to let them make her falter. "You wanted me to save the money I earned there, to make sure we would have enough to last a lifetime when I returned even though I didn't have to do anything to be rich. Hell, they only let me join the Navy because I was the Governor's daughter anyway." The brunette chuckled, the memory of her family pained her but she had sworn to never look back the morning that Navy ship sailed out of Kingston harbor so long ago. "I just wanted to be free, whatever the cost. I knew I would desert the Navy, I knew I would become feared and respected as a pirate. The only reason I did what I did was for this dream of freedom I dreamt every day and now I'm living it. This is my dream, not yours. Yours was to have a nice house, two kids who you would name Ethan and Charlotte and just enough money to make you a happy woman for the rest of your days."
Lauren had to smile as she recalled the night she had said those things to Bo. It had been warm and stuffy in the Governor's mansion atop the highest hill surrounding Kingston but they had pressed close together all the same, knowing that when morning came, they would have to part for longer than they ever had. "I remember." The blonde said with a warm smile but still somewhat sadly. "You were, are, a part of that dream Bo. Back then I already knew with absolute clarity that I would only ever love you."
"I love you, too." The pirate captain said as if it were a praise to a god, pressing Lauren as close as she could and kissing her deeply; the only thing tainting their embrace were the few tears that slid down the blonde's nose to drip onto Bo's. She knew what was coming. "Leave now, my love." Bo whispered against Lauren's lips when they finally parted. And despite everything she wanted and needed, despite herself, the blonde nodded slowly and went to gather her strewn clothes. All the while dark brown eyes followed her, the flame in them so dull now that it nearly didn't exist anymore. When she had gathered all her belongings Lauren left without another glance, she knew that doing so would just make it even harder. She walked past Dyson, Hale, Kenzi and all the others, the first mate nodding reassuringly, the quirky woman giving her a reassuring crooked smile and a pat on the back but nobody said anything. Hale rowed Lauren back to shore in absolute silence and never lingered as the blonde slipped into the forest. The last thing she heard before the sounds of the nightly woods surrounded her was a loud woman's voice bellowing commands as if her life depended on it.
Lauren got home long before Edward was done down in the Drunken Pirate. She slipped in through the back, straight up to the apartment they shared, quickly checking under a particular floorboard to see if the things Bo had given to her had indeed been delivered by the stealthiest of her crew and it had. The golden pocket watch lay on top of a pile of golden coins that she would probably never even think of spending. She could never give them away as Bo's presents meant everything to her, they showed how much the pirate captain loved her and cared for her well-being.
Edward came upstairs not much later, delighted to find his wife back with him. To Lauren's surprise he didn't ask where she had been. In fact, he was so quiet about it that the blonde half suspected Kenzi to have a lot more to do with it than the small pirate would ever admit.
Lauren didn't sleep well that night, wrapped in Edwards arms. She woke up often and at one point she though she saw a figure in a blood-red coat and a three pointed captain's hat standing over her, looking down at her but when the blonde shot up in bed she saw only the curtains of the open windows drifting in the wind. The moon must have reflected off of them, Lauren figured but she couldn't quite shake the feeling that Bo had actually been here, stealing one last look.
The next evening, while Lauren was wiping down the bar to keep herself busy as it was a fairly slow night, Finn the sailor could be heard as he told a story that this time everyone already knew. "They were chasin' after 'er, showed 'erself in broad daylight but she got away! Ship was too fast for the Navy, they said. They'll raise the bounty on 'er head again, I bet me life on it!" Lauren just smiled to herself as the Drunken Pirate resounded with approving murmurs. They had all heard the story of the Queen of Pirates being sighted just outside Kingston harbor with no hints to what she had been doing there in the first place. The Queen Ysabeau had outrun the Navy ships easily and so Lauren had, for the first time since she had started looking out at the horizon in the morning, seen swelled red sails and a black flag in the distance, becoming smaller and smaller until it faded from sight. Hurry back to me, Lauren had thought again with a pang of familiar longing in her heart.
Fin
Well I sure hope that you enjoyed this little venture outside of my usual genre, let me know anyway what you thought. I'll see if this helps at all in defeating this wonderful writer's block that decided it would sit right on my lap during vacation time. Not that I have a problem with things sitting on my lap, not in general at least but this was an unwelcome surprise. ;) Anyway, take care, I hope to see you all again soon. :)