A/N: Hi all!
This is a Pocahontas one-shot, I really hope you'll enjoy it! Please don't forget to RR, your reviews really do mean a lot!
Thanks for always reviewing, I hope you'll like this!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pocahontas or anyone in this story.
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The knock on the captain's door startled him out of his letter to the king of England from Jamestown. John placed down his quill pen and cleared his throat before he said with out thinking, "It's open."
A few seconds later, John's eyes saw a face that he had not seen in a while, but he could still place the name. He dropped his blue eyes towards the paper and said, "You shouldn't be here."
The flat tone of the young man's voice almost made the even younger woman turn back from her task at hand. However she bit her lip and advanced farther in to the captain's cabin. She had traveled what seemed like many miles to her on foot, had pushed against the harsh winter winds, and had more than once fallen in the deep snow so she wasn't going to turn back now.
"I need to talk to you," the woman stated as the door shut behind her shivering form. Captain John Smith said nothing, only motioned for the native woman to sit down at the table.
"There's nothing that needs to be said," John began, "She said it all six months ago. I'm just here to drop off some supplies and that is all."
The firm harsh sound that emanated from his voice told the woman that he was trying to convince himself of that very fact;
"I believe you," the native calmly replied, "However I can sense that you wish to do more. I could tell just by the look on your face when your ship entered the harbor."
John arched an eyebrow at this, "You go to the harbor?"
"Yes," at John's questionable stare she continued, "Pocahontas does not know my whereabouts all the time."
"So I see," John replied as he stood, "It was nice seeing you, you should…"
"I'm not finished yet John," Nakoma said as she held up a hand, "I suggest you listen to what I have, to what I need to say to you. You are correct about one thing John; I should not be here."
Her statement was enough to put John back in his chair as he sighed and gazed at the woman in front of him;
"What do you want Nakoma?"
Nakoma sighed before replying, "Pocahontas still loves you John, a fact you'd know if you would come bye our village."
"I can't go to your village Nakoma, you should know why. He is staying there, do not come here and give me false…"
"John Rolfe left two months ago," Nakoma cut John's ramblings off, "You would know that if you would leave this cabin, ask the people of Jamestown, and/or come to our village."
"Why doesn't she come here if she loves me?"
John asked as Nakoma frowned, "She isn't here because of a rumor, a rumor that she is too proud to inquire of you if it is true or not. I know that she doesn't wholeheartedly believe the rumor, however still; a woman that is in love with a man countless miles away from her heart may believe silly things to keep it from breaking, to not let in the false hope that you just spoke about."
John scoffed at this remark, "What rumor are you talking about?"
"My friend has heard that you were courting a woman named Anne Stanton," Nakoma replied before she continued, "And that you had an illegitimate child with her."
"What?"
John wore the look that one would get if told that the sky would fall in a moment, "What are you talking about?"
"Anne Stanton," Nakoma answered, "Do you deny her?"
"No," John said as he sighed, "However I deny the child."
"So there was a child?"
"It was not my child," John firmly stated as he locked eyes with Nakoma, "The child was already born before I met Anne. I did have a relationship with her during the five years away from Pocahontas however that is all. No child was conceived with Anne."
From the way that John spoke, and the look that was upon his face Nakoma could tell that he was telling her the truth. His gaze never wavered from her own; his voice never losing the conviction of his words.
"I see," Nakoma replied, "I should have known that this was started by John Rolfe in his last effort to keep Pocahontas's love on him."
"I could see him starting that," John flatly stated as he sighed.
"So you have no excuse to not come and see Pocahontas," Nakoma stated.
"Does she even know I'm here?"
Nakoma gave an exasperated sigh as she looked at the captain, "Do you honestly need to ask that question? Of course she knows you are in Jamestown and since you have not bothered to come and see her it reconfirms in her mind the rumor about you and Anne."
"I do not believe this," John said as he stood and began to pace the small room, "You're saying that if I go over and meet with her that she'll just fall in my arms and everything will work out?"
"Yes."
"You're mad," John stated, "I don't think love is…"
"That easy?"
John nodded at Nakoma's question;
"Well," Nakoma began, "It is certainly stubborn."
A long moment of silence stretched between the two as John sat back down in his chair and faced Nakoma. Looking down at the table and noticing his half empty cup of tea made him raise his blue eyes towards the young woman.
"Can I get you anything, perhaps some tea?"
"Thank you," the woman quietly replied as John rose out of his place again and fetched a cup from the shelf behind him.
After pouring it and placing it in front of her John returned to his seat and watched as she took a sip of the warm liquid and repeated her thanks.
"You're welcome," John said as a question came to his mind, "Nakoma, why are you doing this? Why did you travel all this way?"
"Because you are here," the native woman answered.
"That's not what I mean," John said, "You know the weather outside is not well, it is like you are risking your life so that Pocahontas and I could be together. Why didn't you just come tomorrow?"
Nakoma took another drink of her tea before replying, "I heard that your ship may be leaving tomorrow, I was afraid that I would be too late."
John chuckled at this in which he received a glair from the woman across from him;
"We aren't leaving tomorrow, where did you hear that?"
Nakoma didn't answer as another moment of silence stretched between them, both of them just enjoying the quiet.
"I have my reasons as to why I'm doing this," Nakoma's voice cut off the silence, "I just want my friend to be happy I just want you to be happy."
The young woman didn't mention anything about Kocoum, and how the guilt of his death had resulted of John and Pocahontas not being together in the end; the blaming of herself had overwhelmed her for the past five years.
John scoffed at her revelation, "You want me to be happy? Lets be honest Nakoma; you and I were never friends."
"Oh really? Why did you invite me in to your cabin, offer me a cup of tea, talk to me, and also remember my name after five years of not seeing one another?"
"I remember names," John gave a short reply as it was Nakoma's turn to laugh at the captain's remark
"You and Pocahontas belong together," she said as she took a drink of her tea and placed the empty cup on the table, "The weather is clearing up, I am going to head for home now."
Nakoma stood and then stretched as she wrapped her heavy coat around her, "Just say that you'll think about coming."
"Nakoma, how can you be so sure…"
"John," Nakoma began, "She loves you, and you love her, why are you fighting this? Why are you scared?"
The captain didn't reply as Nakoma headed towards the door and before John could say a word she was gone.
The next two days were uneventful, much to Nakoma's dismay. She found herself avoiding Pocahontas whenever she could, didn't say much in terms of conversation, and most of all she was angry at John.
"What is the matter with you?"
Startled, Nakoma dropped the basket of clothes that she was about to hang by the fire in order for them to dry;
"What?"
Nakoma inquired as she recovered from her surprise and turned to face her friend;
"You've been acting very strange Nakoma, what is wrong? Are you upset at me?"
'I'm upset at myself.'
Nakoma thought however she replied with, "I just have a lot on my mind."
Pocahontas sighed as she looked at her best friend since childhood, "What is on your mind? You can tell me, I won't get mad at you."
Nakoma dropped her gaze as she began to hang the clothes by the fire, "I tried to do something but it didn't work out."
"What do you mean?"
Pocahontas asked as she helped her friend with the clothing;
"John Smith," Nakoma began, "I went to Jamestown and saw him."
"Oh," Pocahontas replied, "Why did you go to Jamestown?"
"It's not important," Nakoma gloomily answered, "It didn't work."
"What didn't work? Nakoma, it isn't like you to be so vague."
"My daughter," the two girl's discussion was interrupted by Powhatan as he approached the women from behind, "There is someone here to see you."
Both girls turned around however they only saw Powhatan as he smiled at his daughter;
"Father, is it John Smith?"
Powhatan's grin grew wider as he answered, "Yes my daughter, he is in your hut."
"Nakoma," Pocahontas turned to her friend.
"You can tell me all about it later," the woman answered as she turned back to the fire and Pocahontas sprinted towards her own hut.
The native woman couldn't work the strings to the entrance to her longhouse fast enough as sure enough Captain John Smith stood in the middle of the structure.
"John," Pocahontas breathed as she saw him, "You're here!"
She smiled as she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him in a grateful hug to see his face again.
"I'm so sorry," John whispered as he buried his face in her hair, "I am so sorry Pocahontas, I'm sorry for being so foolish, stubborn, prideful and not chasing after you before you and John Rolfe left London…"
The princess placed a finger to his lips, "John it's alright, we are both at fault here."
With just a simple touch along with her words the captain seemed to fully relax against her as he lowered his head to her own. As the long-awaited kiss finally ended, Pocahontas took John's hand and guided him to a place where they could sit down.
"There is something that I must know John…"
"The rumor about Anne Stanton and I is not true," John firmly stated as Pocahontas sighed.
"How did you know that I was going to ask that?"
"Nakoma told me that was why you had not come to Jamestown."
"Nakoma, what does she have to do with this?"
It suddenly clicked in Pocahontas's head; the reason that Nakoma had been avoiding her, the reason that she had been so quiet was because of John.
"She mentioned that she saw you at Jamestown, she didn't say she talked with you."
John chuckled as Pocahontas smiled;
"Nakoma?"
It was later that day, that John had found Nakoma stirring a stew that she was making for her dinner;
"Wingapo John," the young woman greeted as she placed down the spoon that she had been using, "Are you having dinner with Pocahontas?"
"As well as her father," John said as he smiled, "I wanted to find you though before dinner."
"What fore?"
"I want to thank you; you were right about Pocahontas and I. We are going to court one another for a while and then we will see what happens."
"I'm happy for the both of you," Nakoma answered as she grinned up at John, "I think that is a good idea, about the two of you courting each other before rushing in to marriage."
"Yes," John replied as he nodded his head.
"Well," Nakoma began as she turned back to the stew, "You better get going before Pocahontas and Powhatan start to wonder where you are."
"I guess you're right," John said as he looked at Nakoma, "Do you want to come and eat with us?"
The woman shook her head, "I'm sure the three of you have a lot of catching up to do, you go ahead."
"Oh Nakoma," John laughed, "I want you to come."
"So, you're inviting me then?"
"Yes," John stated.
"You know, you only invite friends to gatherings."
John winced at her remark, "I'd really like it if you'd come to dinner with us. I'd like to get to know the woman that Pocahontas constantly talks about."
Nakoma slightly brightened at this, "She talks about me?"
"Yes," John replied as he smirked, "Now, will you be a friend and come?"
Nakoma beamed up at John, "Alright, you've persuaded me; I'll just save the stew for tomorrow."
The two friends laughed as Nakoma stored the food and they began to walk towards Powhatan's hut, the knowledge that two relationships have started not lost among them.
..00..00..00..00..00End Of, "Friendly Persuasion."..00..00..00..00..00..00..00..
