*I do not own Skins or Skins characters* Hopefully this chapter is better than the last. This one contains some xXx so fair warning to avoid the marked areas if you are avoiding explicit content.
Chapter Twenty Five: Drift Wood
Katherine stood shakily at the wheel; the last time she had steered the ship it had ended with a nasty scar on her forehead but the captain and first mate had insisted she learn how to direct the vessel. Effy stood behind her; her hands gripping the handles below the ones the redhead clung to nervously.
"Don't be so scared," the brunette whispered in her ear, "we've got you."
The redhead closed her eyes and leaned back against the captain; for a moment she felt like she might understand what the wild girl felt about the ship, it was more than just a vessel, it was home and while it wasn't much to look at she was beginning to understand its unique personality. Unlike before the wheel seemed to guide the ship effortlessly; though it was possible that was because she had some help this time. After a few days of sailing the air was once again blowing sharp and cold and the warmth of the brunette's body was a welcome comfort.
"If you're going to steer you'll have to keep your eyes open." Effy laughed.
"I never said I wanted to steer." Katie groaned, still keeping her eyes closed. "I don't even need to know how."
"You do at the moment." The captain said, her voice pitching suddenly, "We're going to crash!"
Her brown eye's snapped open and she jerked the wheel sharply; her eyes scanning the open water ahead as she tried to determine what direction she needed to head. The wild girl behind her was laughing hysterically.
"Bitch!" Katie hissed, letting go of the wheel and trying to climb free from Captain Stonem's arms.
The brunette was still giggling and wrapped the girl up in her deceptively strong arms as Mr. Thomas took the wheel and steered them back on track. The redhead continued to struggle as she managed to turn around to face the captain.
"I hate you." She growled. "That was not funny."
"You know it was." Effy teased back, "And I know you love me. You'll get over it."
Katherine tried to look serious as she continued to argue with the brunette; who simply answered her sharp words with a soft kiss.
"Fine, I love you," the girl conceded, "but that doesn't mean I can't hate you too sometimes."
"It was funny." The captain insisted.
"Yeah, it was hilarious," Katie muttered, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, why do I need to learn how to do this?"
Captain Stonem didn't answer; instead she began pulling the girl down the stairs with her and into their room. Truth be told the redhead had been enjoying it until the captain had done that; but her fear of the ocean wasn't fully gone, she didn't know if it would ever be. The brunette seemed to have a natural ease with it but Katherine couldn't see past the horror of the possibility of sinking into the endless dark of the waters below them. She'd never even learned to swim; the thought of the cold water that seemed to have no bottom and she began to shiver just at the thought of it.
"What are you thinking about?" Effy asked.
"Sea shells…" Katie answered with the well known code for none of your business.
The brunette pouted but didn't push the subject; there were plenty of things she hoped to never have to talk about as well. The redhead still looked tense and that worried her; her confidence ebbing for a moment as she wondered – was she having second thoughts? Captain Stonem was so used to rushing headlong into disaster that she hadn't given Pandora's warning much of a second thought when the end was simply failure. What if failure or death wasn't what she had meant at all? What if it was a worse fate than that? The brunette shook her head – willing the unwanted thoughts away and gave the girl a seductive smile.
xXx
Effy wrapped herself around the redhead and pulled her down to the bed; Katie trembled a little, her mind still lost in the feeling of sinking, and the brunette gently traced the scar on the other girl's forehead before placing a feather light kiss on the jagged mark. The captain pulled the girl up a little and began to unbutton the girl's shirt as her lips focused their attention on the brown eyed girl's mouth. Katie's breath was hitching as she helped the brunette slide her arms free of the top and the wild girl threw it aside with an eager sigh. Effy traced her lips along the redhead's jaw line and down to her neck where she could feel the girl's pulse quicken; she tugged the laces of the corset teasingly - kissing a smile into her lover's neck as she heard the first pleading moan escape her. Katherine wrapped her legs around the brunette and drug her lower body roughly against the captain's thigh as she gripped the back of her shirt for more support. The dark haired girl left the corset intact as she leaned the girl back down on the bed and lightly grazed the already exposed portion of the breasts with her nails. The redhead moaned, an impatient demand, as she arched her body against the girl's leg again. Effy purred as she slowly loosened the laces and allowed the girl's chest to fall free; her tongue traced small circles around the girl's nipple and her free hand was pulling the fabric of the skirt up, the lace trimming tickling Katie's thigh and sending her heart racing all the faster as ever inch of her began to tingle. Her hands were in the other girl's wild hair now and they trembled with every new touch and flick of the captain's tongue.
"Ouch!" Captain Stonem giggled when the girl tugged too roughly at her dark mane, "…gentle with me love."
Less gentle with me, Katie thought but couldn't manage to say through her haze of ecstasy; try as she might her mouth wouldn't form words and all that came out was animalistic sounds of pleasure. Effy's icy blue orbs locked with her dark brown eyes as she slid her fingers into place; once again the brunette let out a small yelp as the girl's hands gripped her hair in urgent delight. The redhead let out a small murmur of apology and slid her hands back down to the pirate's shirt, not trusting her self control as the rhythmic caress of the pirate's hand brought on more desperate waves of rapture through her body. Her breath was coming so fast that Katie thought she might suffocate and she didn't realize she was crying until she had finished and Captain Stonem had turned away – perching herself on the opposite edge of the bed.
"Effy?" Katie said as she crawled over to the girl and tried to place a soft kiss on the back of the girl's neck.
The brunette scooted farther down the edge of the bed without looking at her. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" The redhead asked, reaching out to push some of the captain's wild hair aside.
"You're crying…I don't know what I did…" Effy whimpered a little, her voice trailing off, "…I ruin everything I touch."
"Don't be stupid." Katie laughed, wrapping herself around the brunette before she had a chance to move again. "You didn't do anything wrong…you've never cried…you know…um…"
"No over anything good." The captain said shakily.
"Then I'm just going to have to get better at it." The redhead crooned into the other girl's ear.
xXx
The witch's island came into view nearly a week later and once again Mr. Thomas was rowing them in a long boat to the shore; instead of a small box of treasure there was a large sack of the first mate's belongings tucked towards the back. Katherine could see well hidden distress on Captain Stonem's face and she wondered if Thomas had noticed it as well; but from the look on his face he was in no condition to detect the sadness in the brunette's face as she tried to play happy for him. The man's body language was a curious mix of excitement and fear, though the captain had assured him that he would be happily welcomed by his former lover, he obviously had worries of his own.
When they reached the shore Pandora was already pacing just outside the cave as Cassie held a lantern absentmindedly just inside the entrance; she broke into a run when she spotted the boat, her lopsided bun bouncing with every step. Thomas was out of the tiny vessel quickly and swimming the final yard to the shore. Katherine took Effy's hand and gave her a warm smile; the sight of the two embracing in the knee deep water where they met brought a bright smile to the captain's face and she began laughing as the blonde girl faltered in the water, the witch's enthusiasm nearly taking them both under.
"How'd she even know?" Katie asked.
"She drinks tea every morning." Effy shrugged.
The newly reunited couple was no longer on the beach when the women pulled the ship onto the sand and the captain tossed the man's pack over her shoulder. Cassie was dancing circles in the mouth of the cave when they reached her.
"It's so lovely isn't it?" She sang wispily as she continued her spinning. "Love is so lovely…the cave is singing with it…listen…"
The redhead couldn't help but laugh and the brunette gave the blonde a warm smile; Katie nearly doubled over when the captain joined the witch's dainty dance - dropping the bag from her shoulders and spinning lightly in the sand.
"It doesn't bother you at all?" Katherine asked without thinking.
"What?" Cassie asked with a vacant glace as she continued in her circles.
"Won't you feel lonely?" The redhead continued, already feeling a bit bad for pointing it out that the blonde would be alone on the island with a new couple.
"Oh…wow…" the thin blonde breathed, looking to Effy in confusion, "…I don't see how…more friends is lovely…" she seemed to be completely oblivious to Katie's concern as she waited for the issue to be explained.
Captain Stonem pulled the redhead into the dance and spun her quickly; sending the brown eyed girl staggering a little but giggling none the less.
"She means once we've left." The brunette lied, giving her girlfriend a meaningful look.
"Right…wow…" Cassie giggled as she finally stopped spinning, her arms continued to sway at her sides. "That's every so kind of you to worry…but the house will be warmer now without the cold pouring from Panda's heart…it'll be lovely really…it already is."
The girl leaned down the pick up Mr. Thomas's things but Captain Stonem beat her to them.
"I'll carry them," Effy insisted, "Do you think I'll get a chance to tell him goodbye?"
Cassie retrieved the lantern and twittered with laughter as she began to skip through the tunnel; sending the light bouncing across the damp walls as the two women followed slowly behind her. The brunette had gone quiet again; she'd come to rely on her first mate in many ways and his new happiness still struck her as bittersweet. Beyond that she needed answers and she was unsure if Pandora would be able to give them to her but she wasn't going to be able to leave without some sort of assurance from the witch – a cosmic promise that the girl next to her would remain hers, she wanted to be able to allow herself to trust that fate would smile on this one bright spot in her life. The wild girl took a shaky breath and wished she could trade ever ounce of her uncanny luck or one small guarantee of security. She could feel Katie's eyes on her and forced a smile as she lifted the girl's hand to her lips.
"I don't know Ef…" Pandora sighed nervously, "…it's risky…"
"I always have been…" Captain Stonem insisted, "…I need this…"
"Does she know?" The blonde bobbed her head towards the door, her lopsided bun coming loose once again.
"Does she have to?" Effy asked, a wary look on her face.
"Of course…stupid…I can't do that kind of thing without her…you being all…" Panda stopped herself quickly.
"We being all what Panda?" The brunette whispered.
The witch shook her head wildly and covered her ears for a moment; an action the captain had grown used to over the years she had been on the ship together. Thomas had never gotten used to these moments, Effy cast a quick glance out the window to be sure he didn't see it now, he always seemed to feel that he should be able to help the blonde when the forces inside her seemed to fight to be heard. In time the girl was still again and she placed her hands back on the table, her face a little flushed, as she took a deep breath.
"Don't ask." Her soft eyes pleaded as she whispered, "it's a matter of faith…"
"And what of us that don't have that…" the captain sighed as she tilted her chair back.
"THEN FAKE SOME." The voice erupted from the witch, causing Effy to nearly topple over.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Pandora panted from the table.
The door slammed open and Thomas was at the witch's side in moments, shooting an angry look at the brunette, and was comforting her. Panda laughed and tried to assure him that she was ok.
"It's ok…honest Thomas…it's not Effy's fault." She soothed.
He gave the wild girl an apologetic smile, though his eyes clearly indicated that whatever had been going on was over now, and the captain stood up with her hands in the air.
"It's all fine…I'll just…go think outside." Captain Stonem chuckled, making an over dramatic backward step for the door.
"Honest Thomas…I'm fine…you'll get used to it again I promise." The blonde smiled, as she fished through the box in front of her. "Don't leave without this Ef…" she called tossing something to the pirate who caught it and stared down at the item in her palm.
The brunette smiled and shrugged as she pulled the door closed behind her.
"What's that?" Katie asked, pouting a little when the girl stuffed her hand into her pocket instead of showing her.
The redhead was about to torture the captain a little for not showing her; but there was a look in the brunette's eyes that was only familiar to her and she grew suddenly worried. What had happened inside the shack?
"Hey…" the girl soothed as she slid her arm around the pirate's waist, "What are you thinking about?"
Effy fingered the cold metal ring in her pocket, her heart giving a little lurch as she choked out the words, "..sea shells…"
"Fine." Katherine huffed as she drew her arm away.
The redhead felt Captain Stonem grab her hand but she didn't look at her; the sky was pink but inside the hollow mountain everything was dark except for the light from the little hut and a few candles strewn about the ground. Cassie let out a musical sigh and breezed into the small cabin and leaving the door slightly ajar behind her.
"Katie…" Effy sighed but the girl didn't look at her as she continued, "…I've never known what I'm doing…I've never thought…I just do…my whole life…the people I should have loved I hated…or acted like I hated…treated horribly…but things have always turned out fine…life has been decidedly unfair in my favor."
"What are you talking about?" Katherine sighed.
"I want to be better…and I don't know if I ever will be…but I could try…actually try and not pretend…I think…" the wild girl continued faster and Katie felt her arm being pulled down slightly.
The redhead looked back at the girl and couldn't see her at first; Captain Stonem was kneeling on the ground beside her and Katherine's jaw dropped open.
"Effy…what?" She stammered, squinting down at her. "Are you ok?"
"I could be…if you'd stay with me…I could actually love…and not just play at it," the brunette was shaking violently as she fumbled to get the ring free from her pocket, she couldn't seem to think clearly as she held it up to the girl clumsily, "if you could do the same…if you think you could really feel it…then I could too."
Katherine was frozen for a moment; her heart beating so loudly that she wasn't sure she had heard the other girl correctly. Her eyes focused on the ring being held out to her and knowing she had seen that design somewhere before, Fitch's Luck, that was the patter set in gold and pearls. Effy was already beginning to withdraw the ring, tears escaping the corners of her eyes, as she took in Katie's expression. Something clicked in the redheads mind and her free hand shot out to stop the other girl's hand.
"Yes! Yes!" She babbled, dropping down on the ground next to the captain. "Yes."
"Lovely…ever so lovely…" Cassie cheered from the shack. "Oh wow…"
Hope you all enjoyed this Keffy installment. Leave a review if you enjoyed it or even if you hated it. My beta reader is still on vacation in England, so I hope it was still readable.