A/N: wow, this took forever. Next chappie!
Chapter 10: Another Mysterious Captain
"W-What?!" Christine sputtered, not looking from Erik's serious gaze. "Y-You have feelings for me?!"
"I'm certain," he murmured, inching close. "I knew I shouldn't have kissed you, or gotten to know you. Familiarity can only cause feelings of attraction and…other emotions."
"Is that so bad?" Christine wondered, surprising herself with the way that sounded coming from her.
"For anyone around me, yes," he replied, ignoring his own surprise at her question and he smirked, "But it seems I couldn't myself."
"E-Erik…" she tried when he pressed her against the table. She tried to sit up on table to get away from him but he was too close to allow her to move.
"And the way you described the scenery last night," he continued, cupping her face in his hand, making her freeze. "It was as though you were describing my soul."
"Erik, please," Christine begged, casting her eyes away and feeling her heart pound in her chest at how close he was.
"You are not engaged, Christine," he reminded her, making her shoot her eyes to his. "And do not tell me you didn't enjoy the kiss we shared last night. You did, and I did as well. That's why I stopped before I went too far. I didn't want to take it any further unless you have feelings for me."
Christine's eyes widened in shock and he gave a small smile, taking her hands as he continued, "I know it's hard to believe a cold-hearted pirate is capable of feeling and romance. But I am only a man, not a monstrous sea-creature, contrary to what may be said by John and my crew."
He'd said this in an attempt to lighten the mood, but when she only continued staring at him he resumed, "I'll not go as far as confessing love only because I am uncertain about it. But, Christine, I adore you, and I only hope you can find it in that pure, innocent, beautiful heart of yours to like me, if only a little."
Erik pressed his lips to her knuckles and kissed them softly then looked into her eyes. She stared at him still, and he would have given anything to know what was going on in her head.
She suddenly slid her hands from his and placed then on his shoulders, pulling herself closer to him. Her face slowly leaned toward his, her eyes slowly closing. For a moment, Erik was unsure of what to do, but when her eyes shut completely and her lips brushed against his, he knew exactly what to do.
He wrapped his arms around her and closing his eyes he pressed his lips fully onto hers. She moaned in approval, pressing closer into him as one of his hands tangled itself in her luscious curls to pull her close and devour her mouth. Their tongues tangoed from one mouth to the other until they parted for breath.
Erik suspected she had done this to see if there was even a spark of feeling for him in her, and held his breath when she opened her eyes. She didn't flee his arms right away. A good sign, he supposed. Another good sign was the fact that a small smile started to creep onto her rosy lips.
"You have a wonderful way with words," she sighed, sliding her arms around his neck. "When Raoul confessed to me, he didn't have half the passion you expressed."
"I'm trying to see a point," Erik confessed with a smirk.
"I do believe I am attracted to you, Captain Destler," Christine smiled. "But I'm still not sure…"
"Shall I help you decide?" Erik smirked, pulling her back for another kiss and hiding his elation at her words.
"Now, Captain," she scolded, pushing away from him gently. "IK shall decide on my own. Remember, I'm not so cruel as to tell you 'I love you' when I do mean it."
"I thank the gods for that," Erik confessed. God knew how much he'd been through already.
"You concentrate on finding your sister," Christine suggested. "I shan't distract you any longer."
"Your mere presence distracts me, my dear," he growled in his throat, trying again to kiss her but she pushed him back again.
"Perhaps you should man the helm a while?" she hinted and Erik smirked mischievously.
"Giving orders on my ship again?" he wondered sarcastically and Christine nodded with a giggle and he nodded in understanding as he said, "Very well, but don't tell the men."
"Tell them what?" Christine wondered honestly with a frown and he pulled her closer.
"That I am now a slave to your slave to your will," he growled, hungrily.
"A slave?" Christine smirked, triumphantly. "I could get used to that."
"Of course you could," Erik smirked back. "And I would treat you like a Princess."
A knock on the door made them jump and Erik growled at the door. Christine placed a kiss on his cheek before leaving his arms to stand next to him and it seemed to calm his irritation slightly.
"What is it?!" he barked at the door and John took the liberty of entering the room.
"Captain Xenos, Sir," he reported, standing at attention, "of the Atlantis."
"Ah, perfect!" Erik smiled and turned to Christine to murmur, "A partner in crime." He looked back at John and asked, "And how far away is he, Mr. Stewart?"
"Coming up the starboard bow," a voice called from behind John who moved away to reveal a man with dark brown hair, gray eyes and a square jaw set on a frame not unlike Erik's, but slightly shorter. He wore a white shirt under a navy blue vest, blue trousers and brown boots covered by a blue overcoat with a red collar and cuffs of the sleeves, the embroidery golden thread, a sword on his hip.
"Xenos," Erik greeted, hesitantly then looked at John and demanded, "Why was I not informed of his arrival before hand?"
"Oh, don't blame the lad," Xenos grinned with white and gold smile, patting John's shoulder as he walked toward Erik. "I wanted to surprise you."
"You have," Erik admitted when the man stood directly in front of him. "But Xenos, it makes me uneasy when you surprise me."
Xenos gave a hearty then abruptly when he looked at Christine. He smile dropped slowly at seeing her and his eyes scanned her from top to bottom. Erik noticed this, and of course, so did Christine. She inched closer to Erik who wrapped a possessive hand around her waist.
"Something wrong, Captain?" he snapped, causing Xenos to snap his gaze to Erik and straighten with a smirk.
"She's a beauty," he complimented with the smirk and nodding at Christine. Erik glanced at her and gently moved her behind him which she didn't argue with.
"Not that I'm not happy to see you," he began, "but why are you here, Xenos? Where's your ship?"
Xenos sighed and gazed a long face at the floor for a moment before looking at Erik again to answer him and the other captain frowned in worry when he said, "I'm sorry, Erik. Your first mate picked me up in a dinghy…the Atlantis is no more."
"I'm sorry," Erik replied consolingly, not bothering to ask why he was apologizing, the answer to that question quickly emerged in Xenos's next words.
"We had her," he continued. "We found your sister."
Christine gave a small gasp but said nothing as Erik's eyes widened at the other man in disbelief as he breathed, "You found her? Where?!"
"On an unknown island," Xenos replied. "She was alone. I told her I was a friend of yours and she eventually came with me to my ship. I was going to bring her to you, but…" When he trailed off, Erik panicked but he waited for the other captain to finish, as patiently as he could. "The Navy got us."
"Which port?!" Erik snarled.
"How am I to know?!" Xenos snapped back. "But mark me: the next time I see that ship, I'll board her and wring her captain's neck for sinking my ship!" He pulled back as he gazed to the floor with a sigh of sorrow, calming himself before he back at Erik and continued, "They took your sister. They thought she was our prisoner."
"Damn!" Erik growled, running a hand through his hair. "By now she's told them who she really is and is now truly a prisoner." He looked back at Xenos and asked, "Who was her Captain?"
"I didn't see him, or hear of him," Xenos replied. "But the ships name was the Intrepid."
"What?" Christine breathed in complete shock, causing both men to look at her but she only looked to Erik with wide eyes as she explained, "That's Raoul's ship."
Erik straightened as Xenos frowned in wonder but the masked captain only looked back at him and instead of giving an explanation he asked, "How long ago was this?"
"Two days ago," he answered, still confused. "They had just left another island somewhere south."
"We were on an island south," Christine remembered, but Erik only nodded, still looking at Xenos.
"How could you possibly know that?" he questioned Xenos who gave a slight frown at him but it soon disappeared.
"I over-heard it from one of the less experienced lads," Xenos replied. "I was trying to explain who Krystal was, and he told me the only island around was the one they'd come from. Don't ask me what significance it has, or why he told me such a thing."
Erik rubbed his chin in thought as Xenos fidgeted on his feet, which Erik noticed and made a mental note of. Quickly glancing at him up and down, he turned to John, making the younger man straighten in the doorway as Erik said, "Mr. Stewart, show Xenos where he'll be staying until we can leave him at whichever port he'd like."
Xenos stared at Erik in surprise but smiled gratefully and said, "I owe you for this, Destler."
"Please, don't mention it," Erik nodded with a strained smile as the man followed John out of the cabin and once the door was shut behind them, Erik's smile instantly dropped and he turned to Christine.
"He seems pleasant---"
"Stay away from him," Erik broke in and she frowned in confusion as he headed to his desk. "I don't trust him."
"I thought he was your friend," Christine recalled as he sat at his desk against the far wall.
"He's a pirate," he replied, scooting his chair forward as he looked at the papers on the desk. "He'll say 'friend' one day and betray said 'friend' the next." He glanced up at her then back down at the papers as he said, "I don't appreciate the way he looked at you, either. His explanation of how he knew their cast off was shaky, at beast, as well."
"Erik," Christine called gently, walking to the desk and leaning in front of him. "He has no ship. What motivation would he have to deceive you?"
"Who knows?" Erik replied, not looking at her. "He's a pirate, as I said. He doesn't need any other motivation than that."
Christine nodded, deciding not to argue and watched Erik as he looked at the maps and charts. He glanced up at her again and saw they worried look in her eyes as she stared at the table's surface. Feeling him staring at her, she glanced at him as well, frowning as he stared at her in evaluation.
"What is it?" she wondered. "Why are you staring at me thus?"
"You're worried," he stated and her frown deepened only slightly, but he continued, "You're worried about what will happen when we finally meet Raoul, aren't you?"
Christine's eyes widened before she looked away from him, ashamed that he could read her so easily. Erik stood to step around his desk and stand in front of her, his hands gently on her arms as she gazed up at him in wonder.
"I'm not upset at your worrying for your friend," he assured her with an expressionless face and tone. "But you must know that if he tries to barter Krystal for you, it will not end well." He stared her in the eye as hers widened slightly. "He may die by my hand, Christine. I don't wish for it to happen that way, but it's only fair that I prepare you for the worst."
Christine nodded, her lower lip quivering and tears forming in her eyes. Seeing her on the verge of sobbing, Erik pulled her against his chest and held her as she began shuddering with sobs, her hands desperately gripping his back to pull him closer for comfort.
"Forgive me, my dear," he murmured. "I ask you this in advance for my actions, but I know you may not forgive me."
"There is no need to ask for my forgiveness, Captain Destler," she shuddered, pushing away from him enough to look up at him as he frowned down at her in utter confusion. "You never asked for anyone's forgiveness for your previous actions. I understand what must be done. I may not like what will happen but I am prepared for the worst. I always have been."
Erik stared down at her in complete shock and she only sniffled then kissed his cheek, then murmured, "On the helm, Captain."
She stepped away from his arms and toward the small inner-room she'd been using and shut the door after she stepped in, leaving a stunned and confused captain Destler in the main cabin. He shook his shock away and sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair then he marched to his door. He marched across the deck and to the helm where John stood, keeping the ship on course.
"Cap---?"
"Come about, Mr. Stewart," Erik ordered before his first mate could ask what was wrong.
"Come again, Sir?" John frowned and Erik stared at him incredulously.
"About face, sailor!" he rephrased, then brought his face centimeters from his first mate's wide-eyed expression and ordered as simply as he could, "Turn. The. Ship. Around."
"Sir---?"
"Is it so difficult to steer, Mr. Stewart?!" Erik snarled, shoving John out of the way and spinning the helm to turn the ship around.
"But, Sir!" John tried, hurrying to his captain's side. "That's heading toward the Navy ship, isn't it?"
"That's right, lad," Erik nodded, still spinning the wheel. "I won't leave me sister with that bilge rat any more than time will allow. We'll meet them, head on."
"And ask for a parley?" John wondered, hopefully but Erik didn't respond as he straightened the Phantom Pirate's course.
The truth was, he expected a full out battle with Raoul. Cannons blazing, swords and grapples and all that. But with Christine and Krystal at risk of being hurt or killed, he supposed a parley would be the safest course of action to protect the two women he treasured. So he decided to parley with the Commodore, but if he stepped over the line, of tried bartering his sister for Christine as if they were just things and not the beautiful women they were, he would kill the Commodore quicker than he could say 'Parley.'
Erik Destler refused to lose the things he truly cared for to the man who left him for dead…Commodore or not.
A/N: sorry i left you all in suspense. life got in the way. well, what do you think? reviews?