A.N.- So here is the update, hopefully it was worth the wait! You all have been so supportive. I'm so excited where this story is heading and hope you follow me there.
Last Time:
"All hands-on deck." In the light of all their safety, the news about the mutiny would have to wait. When Riley was starting to help with the knots, she felt her should be bumped, she looked up to some gray fierce eyes paired with lightning striking behind him; it was almost enough to make her heart stop.
"Wouldn't it be a shame if some of us didn't make it through the storm?"
The wind was raging through the ripped-up flag, the crew jumped into action in attempts to weather proof the ship. Riley had to put Johnathan's words behind her if she had to focus on the task at hand since she didn't know much about how to preserve a boat in a storm such as this. Her eyes jumped up to sailors who were tying down the sail so the they weren't tossed to the wind's pleasure. Others were securing the rope for the cannons, because if they lost those it wouldn't be too long before others would claim their supplies and kill everyone on board. She almost felt helpless to help. She grabbed a rope and attempted to tie down a nearby cannon, but her knots weren't what they should be. A wave hit the ship and caused her to fall to the ground gasping for air wondering how she was going to survive despite the threat she received; if the crew didn't kill her the storm might.
She went to the other side of the ship and focused on the ropes. In a blink of an eye another wave crashed over the ship causing the other canon to come lose and head straight for Riley. She didn't have time to react, it was almost as if her feet were frozen in place. She heard the wood splinter into pieces as and her foot slipped casting her overboard. It was almost like she was free falling until the cold of the water hit her system, she fell into instant shock. She came up for air and try to scream only to have salt water enter her throat.
"Man overboard." The words were barely audible, and she was about to give up hope that she could be saved. The ship continued its course leaving her to the will of the waves.
At the words, Lucas froze from making sure that the wind didn't pick up the sails. His eyes scanned below and his heart rate quicken when he noticed that Riley was not below. She was working on making sure the weapons didn't shift with the waves, and he noticed the wood that was broken; it didn't long for him to connect the dots.
"No, no, no," He slid down the rope till his feet hit the deck. "Farkle, unlock the sail!" Farkle unhooked the rope from its place; Lucas tied the rope around his waist and didn't hesitate as he made a dash for where Riley fell overboard moments before. He didn't care in the moment that what he did was dangerous as his body dove from the ship trying to get as close to Riley as the rope would allow him to. The water hit his body but he could shake off the shock as he began to swim towards the brunette. Her body was sucked under and he dove just barely being able to grab her hand. He pulled her body flush against his as his arm slid around her torso, clinging to her. He pulled on the rope to signal the shipmates to start pulling the two up. They were tugged closer to the ship.
"Come on Riley," he whispered against her skin. He held her tighter as they were hoisted into the air the rain crashing against them and the wind making them sway. They were pulled on to the deck and just the security of the deck caused Riley to cough up the water that had made her way into her body. Lucas reached out and brushed Riley's hair back letting her breath.
"I'll take her below the deck." He wrapped his arm around Riley and hugged her providing what little body warmth that he could provide in attempts to stop shivering. He led her to a safe place to sit. Riley's body shivered and snuggled closer to Lucas without saying a word.
"You're safe now Riley." She leaned her head on his shoulder for support. Nothing in this ship really seemed safe, between pirates, mermaids, and nature against her; there wasn't much for her to rely on. Pirates.
"I got to go tell Maya"- She had to tell Maya about the mutiny so she can deal with the situation, but when she stood up she got dizzy and fell back into Lucas's arms.
"You're not going anywhere, whatever you have to tell Maya can wait."
"You don't understand, there's a mutiny brewing."
"Riley, you're fine. I won't let anyone hurt you." His eyes drifted over her face and his hand started to stroke her hair trying to calm her from the traumatic experience that just happened. He did his best to push any feelings that were rising in the pit of his stomach, but failed. His lips slipped up in a smile without a second thought. The news of a mutiny troubled him, and he almost wondered if someone was trying to kill Riley; anyone could have untied a rope here or there. If he wasn't there, he felt his stomach churn at the thought of not getting there in time. He glanced down to her once more only to find that she fallen asleep against him, her chest rising and falling in a pattern that seemed to calm him too. What he didn't realize was exactly how in over his head he was.
"Maya, I need to talk to you." Riley rushed through the door shutting the door behind her. She figured early in the morning before most of the crew mates would be awake.
"Riley?" Maya muttered quietly still half asleep herself, she wasn't used to people barging in during her sleeping hours. The way that Riley was acting was enough to sober her body enough to hear the news.
"I didn't mean to burst in like this, it just important." At the sight the blonde sitting up was enough to launch her into news.
"Johnathan is planning a mutiny." Maya's eyes grew wide and a frown took over her features. She sat down on her chair and spread her hairs on the desk.
"Johnathan wouldn't do that."
"Maya, I saw him last night before the storm and they were planning something, you have to trust me." Their eyes connected and Maya let out a sigh.
"He was supposed to be second in command when Josh was the Captain, and then he picked me." Her eyes landed on the desk trying to look anywhere but the brunette, it must be some guilt residing with her. The conversation was interrupted with a knock on the door.
"Captain," Johnathan stopped short when his eyes landed on Riley. Maya stood from her seat.
"Rumor was you were planning on overthrowing me Johnathan," She reached for her sword and pulled half out to show off the blade. As short as the Captain was, it looked like she still intimidated the man as he took a step back furthering the distance between the two.
"That's not true," His eyes shifted once more from Maya to Riley back to his Captain.
"I saw you!" Riley's outburst almost caused the blonde to jump, normally the Riley she had seen was more on the timid side, but there was a fire in her.
"Captain, who are you going to believe? I have served under your rule for a year without question, and now this little rat and now you're going to believe her?" He almost sounded insulted, and when he said the word rat he spat in the direction of the brunette. Maya drew her sword and pushed her way into a position where it was against Johnathan's throat.
"Call her a rat one more time," there was almost a deep almost protective growl in her throat.
"Riley," the girl was eager to provide anything that her Captain needed in a blink of an instant. "Go get the shackles from down below." She was out the door as fast as her legs would allow her. Maya's steel blue eyes join Johnathan's gray ones.
"You're making a mistake," he muttered bitterly.
"One move and I will slit your throat, I wouldn't be testing me right now Johnathan."
Farkle did a double take making sure there were no prying eyes before he ventured down below deck. He was warned not to come down, it would lead to death, especially alone, but he couldn't help himself. Over the last day or so he had witnessed a living mermaid and now he had the opportunity to research it up close, which was an offer he couldn't refuse. Some of the crews had whispered that is was because they had captured the creature was the reason that the vicious storm fell upon them in the first place. He knew better than to believe the local superstitions, weather patterns like that were normal in the waters that they tread in.
The further he got below deck the more it blocked out any noise from the outside, and Farkle could have sworn he heard-crying mixed in to a sad song? The next step that his foot hit creaked signaling his presence and it grew dead quiet. When he reached the bottom he instantly felt a pair of eyes encroaching on his soul.
Farkle could see how easy it would be for mermaids to lure men to their death in the open waters; they were so enchanting. Her tail still managed to gleam in what little light that the room had to offer. Her long hair floated in the water around her body and her breasts were covered by this blue cloth and grew luminescent over the shoulders. Her stare didn't wavier and for once he felt nervous that he came down to see her.
"I didn't mean to disturb you." He ventured further closer, he wanted to see what the stories were about, but the more he talked the more he felt silly; he didn't even know if she could understand him. He had heard stories about mermaids like singing or hearing their prey sing, but that just meant that they like the sound of their language.
"Can you speak?" Most sailors probably didn't get to interact with the deadly creature in such a way; he considered himself lucky. Her lips tugged into a frown and she flicked her tail.
"Yes," She snapped back at the genius. It would only make sense that she would be able to speak to the prey that they drown. His feet moved even closer even though his mind was screaming not to, but it was almost if she had a hypnotic stare that he couldn't look away if he tried.
"Of course, you do." Farkle stuttered, usually he was good with words but they seemed to escape him right when he needed them; of course, one of the first things that he did was insult a mermaid. It didn't take long for him to notice there was a pool of water that was gathering on the floor right below her prison. There was no way that she would survive till they got to another port, she would be dead and no use to them. He looked around the material that was at his disposal on the floor till he found a putty they used to repairs leaks on the ship. He pinched off enough that it would not be missed but it would still do what he needed to do. He stood back from his work impressed in what he could accomplish with limited time and material, the mermaid was not.
"I don't need your charity." Clearly her defenses were still up, and he didn't blame her. They had taken her away from her home, her family, friends, and now they were headed to sell her in the market to which they would probably misuse her magical properties.
"It wasn't charity; I just thought you would want to remain alive." He countered in a soft voice and then he saw hers start to soften.
"Why," by her tone it had sounded like she had given all hope of being free.
"I'll make sure that you get back to your home," the promise slipped out before he could even stop it. He didn't know how he would fulfill the promise, but it he now felt obligated to get her back home.
Her eyes widened at his words, what human would allow her to go back? She didn't get the chance to reply because there was a commotion up on the deck. He looked towards the door and then back to the mermaid one more time before heading back upstairs. He didn't need want to leave her down there alone, but he needed to see if he was required on deck. They had been through so much in the last 48 hours, but what plagued his mind was how he would keep his word.
"You can't do this!" Johnathan shouted from the shore. It was a quick trip to a nearby deserted island in which they navigated the ship close enough for him to be able to swim to shore with his supplies. Maya almost took a certain pleasure watching the traitor being pushed to shore with the waves. The price for being the leader of the mutiny and to put the fear of God in the sailors so they wouldn't step out of place again. He was placed on an island and Maya was gracious enough to give him a loaf of bread, a canteen of water and a pistol with one shot. Some of the pirates removed their hats in a sign of respect, even though he was being marooned they had spent over a year with the guy.
"That's where your wrong, I'm the Captain I can do as I see fit." She shouted in return. Maya suddenly started to bark orders sending the crew into their place so the ship may make its way into the ocean. The crew went back to mingling with each other as if marooning someone was something they did daily.
Riley was out the stern of the ship watching the island with the man that she placed there disappearing in the distance. She felt terrible; she had never had someone's well-being in her hands, to play judge and jury for. She felt her stomach twist in knots. Her gaze shifted from the island with thoughts that of a man dying to the blonde man who was standing at the side of the ship his vision caught on never ending sight of the sea. She didn't know what to think of him anymore; sometimes they would have these moments with Lucas, and she would think that there were more between them, and then something happened between them that would pull then back to square one.
He saved her from the mermaids; she had no doubt that if she stood where she did for long enough that she would become a victim to the depths. Lucas had gotten that cut by fighting to keep the ship safe, without everyone fighting for their lives it was a good chance that they would just be skeletons on the ocean floor.
And then there was the storm, Lucas had put himself in harm's way just to save her. She still could feel the water presence in the lungs as the waves tossed her like a rag doll. The sensation of his arm wrapped around her provided instant peace as he pulled her from certain death. He dove into the raging waves just to go after her; if anything happened to that rope then there would have been two casualties that day.
If she was just a reward for him, it wouldn't make sense for him to risk his life in those situations unless her father's reward was one of a lifetime.
Her first instinct was to go and talk to him, but her pride held her feet in their place. It was hard to face him knowing that she owed her life to him not once, but twice. She looked around at the other crew members some were glaring back at him upset about the trouble the mutiny had caused for them all. She knew she could trust Maya, and her friends, but other than that she didn't know who she could talk to. She needed as many people to trust, so she needed to put whatever feelings that stirred when she thought of the blonde.
She passed behind him and leaned against the railing that held her from falling into the murky depths. He glanced in her direction before his eyes drifted back to the water.
"Hi," she knew that she acted cold towards him, but that was her defense mechanism. The corner of his lips twisted upwards in a lazy smile.
"Hey," he turned his head and their eyes connected and in an instant a deeper connection was born between the two with one small greeting and putting their pride behind them.
A.N.- So Rucas fluff, some Smarkle and some action which is far from over. The next chapter is done and just waiting for you all. Let me know what you think! You all are amazing!