St. Anne 2~Part 4.

St. Anne 2~ part 4

Written by: Justin O.

With a scene by: Kat (kfitzger@gofree.indigo.ie )

The day of the wedding was a busy day. Mondo was still getting prepared, James was helping Butch, and Jessie was helping Cassidy. "I still can't believe that you are getting married," Jessie said. "I just hope I will have a wedding as glamorous as this." Cassidy looked up at her, "Don't worry Jess. I'm sure you will have one soon." The room was silent for a couple of minutes until Cassidy broke the silence. " So… do you like anyone?" Jessie laughed, "Why do you ask?" "Just wanted to know," Cassidy said. Jessie looked down, " I don't think you want to know." Cassidy was puzzled, "Why what's wrong." "You'll think it's stupid," Jessie said. "No I won't," said Cassidy. Jessie blushed, "Ok." Jessie and Cassidy giggled like schoolgirls. "Well…," Cassidy said. "Ok," said Jessie, "James." Cassidy's mouth dropped, "James. You mean our James??" "Yeah so what," Jessie asked. "Nothing," said Cassidy, "I knew it." They stopped talking. Cassidy spoke, "You gonna tell him?" "No way," said Jessie, "Well I might. I just want to see if he will tell me first. If he likes me."

McKay was talking to the captain before he saw James. "James," McKay yelled, "Are your still coming to the watch with me tonight?" "Yeah," James said. "Okay," said McKay. James was on B deck, the second deck from the boat deck. James was pacing around. He was very nervous. He was Butch's best man he didn't want to look stupid. To busy himself James took a look at the deck plans by the staircase. "Ok," James mumbled, " The wedding is on C deck and I'm on Deck B. I have to go down one deck." James started down the stairs and met with Butch. It was 11:55am and Butch and James needed to be in at this time. "Good Luck Butch," James said. He patted Butch on the back. "Thanks," said Butch. They enter. The room was full of people. Mondo was waiting in the vestibule. "Hi guys," he said. "Are you ready?" Butch responded, "Yeah" Butch went up to the altar and waited.

5 minutes later Cassidy, Jessie, and the Bridesmaids entered. James almost dropped his jaw when he saw Jessie. James stuttered, "You lo…look nice J..Jess." Jessie blushed, "Thanks." Since James was the best man and Jessie was the head bridesmaid, her and James would walk down the aisle… Together! They started to walk down. "You look nice too," Jessie whispered, "I am so nervous." "Don't worry," James said, "I'm sure you'll be fine." These words confirmed, to Jessie anyway, that James liked her. She smiled and they took their place. After awhile Cassidy and her father started to walk down the aisle. "James whispered to Butch, "She looks nice." "I know," said Butch, "That was why we bought the gown." James could tell that Butch was being sarcastic. "I'm sorry," said Butch, "I'm just nervous." "That's ok," said James. The wedding ceremony started.

James just stood there while the whole thing was going on. He heard the preacher saying what all preachers say at weddings. "To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death to you part, ect." Mondo gave the rings and before James knew it the whole thing was over. At last, Butch and Cassidy were married. James walked out and shook Butch's hand and hugged Cassidy. The same with Jessie. At the reception there was a clamor of sounds and people. Dancing, eating, talking and sitting. James hit his spoon to his glass to get attention. "Can I have your attention," said James, "Thank you. I knew Butch and Cass since god knows when and I can not think of 2 better people that could be together." James rose his glass, "So I propose a toast to Butch and Cassidy: May you two have many happy years." "Hear, Hear," said Jessie. The whole group clapped and congratulated the new couple.

After a couple hours the noise died down and everyone left except for Jessie, James, Meowth, Butch, Cassidy, and Mondo. Butch suddenly remembered something. "James don't you have something important to do????" He winked at James. James frowned and got nervous. James looked at his watch, 9:50pm. He had 1 hour and 10 minutes until he needed to leave. Butch poked James in the back with is shoulder. James rolled his eyes and prepared himself. He cleared his throat, "Jessie can I speak with you for a second." Jessie looked at the time. "Well we should be getting back anyway." She went over to Butch and Cassidy. "See ya guys. Have a good time. I'll talk to you tomorrow." She hugged them all and they started back. Meowth spoke up, " Well I'm goin' to da bar. I need a drink." "Thank God! At least meowth won't be there," thought James.

James slowly pushed the door of their room, for he was nervous. He was shaking. At several points he had almost turned back to tell Jessie, "Never mind". But he knew that this was the best time to tell her. Besides, James had never felt so connected to Jessie since they got on the ship. The boss...well, he just had to absorb whatever the boss says to him.

He sighed and closed the door. He looked around the room, stalling. Jessie was waiting for James to figure out what was so important. He smiled quietly as he kept stalling, trying to find some way to get out of this. But James thought, "Even if she didn't make him feel like a significant person, like a somewhat intelligent person, she was still his best friend in the world. She wasn't so bad..."

He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked up at Jessie. She was the most beautiful thing he ever saw. Even in the late hours of the night, when most people looked like they had been dragged through a bush backwards, Jessie seemed to look gorgeous. He smiled and cleared his throat. She tapped her foot, arms crossed.

"Well???" He grinned. "I need to tell you something." "Come on James. I wanted to stay with Cass but you wanted to talk to me. What is it?!?!?" Her eyes hazed over with a look of one who had just been slapped in the face. Jessie was fuming mad.

He grinned. "Well, it's very important. I just can't bring myself to say it." She smirked. "Well I don't have all night." She looked around. "I'm waiting." James bit his lip. "Jess," he sighed, "It's important."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Well, it has to be important if you're procrastinating and sighing! What is it?" James sighed deeply. "You see Jessie...well, it's going to be hard to say this because...well..." Jessie looked on impatiently. "Will you hurry up?" James sweat-dropped. "Uhm...Jessie?" "What?" she yelled.

"I uh...I think...I think I like you." "Of course you like me! I'm a likeable kind of person!" "No Jess. I think..." His voice trailed off and he found himself stuck for wording. She looked on inquisitively, waiting for him to say something.

"Amazing. You're thinking," she muttered, resting her chin on her hand. "We'll be here for a good while..." James sighed deeply. "Jessie, I...I...think your hair looks...really nice." Jessie raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't it always?" "Well yes! Yes of course! But it...it looks...nicer. Than usual, that is." He ended his sentence with a sheepish grin.

Jessie smacked her forehead. "James?" James poked his head up. "Yeah Jessie?" She threw her hands up in the air. "You are the biggest dimwit in the world." She shouted, and then, to James' great surprise, she leaned forward swiftly and firmly placed her lips on his.

The kiss lasted only for a few seconds. For most of the period of time she was kissing him, James' eyes were wide open. His mind was working overtime, wondering what exactly was happening, and why.

She pulled away finally. "Idiot..." she muttered, smiling and flicking the blue strand of hair from his face. James looked puzzled for a moment. "Jessie?" Jessie snapped out of a daze. "What is it, James?" "Are you...are you a mind reader?" James asked.

"James!" Jessie wailed and buried her head in her arms. "No James, I am not a mind reader." "Then how-" James was cut off. "Listen James," she said, looking him in the face. "Remember the time we dressed up as a bride and groom?"

James grinned, "...yes." "Good," Jessie said. "What does that have to do with anything that happened!" James said. Jessie sighed, "Oh James you really are stupid." James had a smirk on his face, "Am I?"

"Yes," Jessie said. "Is this stupid?" He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips, grasping her slightly messy hair in his hand and savoring the fact that now her eyes were wide open, just as his had been. He pulled back. She finally smiled.

"No James." James had a puzzled face, "No what?" "That wasn't stupid." She grinned. "It was idiotic. But it was quite nice, so it wasn't stupid. Happy now, Einstein?" He grinned. "More than happy." "Good," she smirked. He stood up, "So you really do love me?"

She grinned at his ridiculous act. "Here's your answer." He turned around swiftly to see Jessie. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, with more passion this time. James heart was racing.

The doorknob started to jiggle. "5 bucks for a stinkin'……AHHHH!!" He screeched as he noticed the two humans in full liplock beside his bed. "Dat's a fine ting ta see!" he screamed. "Why I oughta-" he extended his claws but stopped abruptly. "Ahhhh forget it," he muttered to himself. "It's about time anyway."

And with that, Meowth grinned and slipped out of the room quietly, leaving his partners alone together. For he felt that it really had taken long enough. And now the opportunity was here, he decided to take the chance to have a quiet evening snack downstairs. It had been a long time since he had had some decent fillet of salmon.

"Well, at least 3 hours..." he thought, smugly, slinking into the dining room happily, smelling the scent of freshly cooked salmon in the nighttime; the smell of food, the smell of success.

James woke up. He smiled until he saw the time on his watch. James yelled, "10:50!!!" Jessie then woke up. "James what's the problem," she yelled. He calmed her down with a short kiss. "It's ok," James said. "Jessie before I go I need to tell you some things." "What," Jessie asked? "I'm helping out on the bridge," James said. Jessie had one thing to say. "You'll come back right??" James was surprised, "Yes I will."

"What was the other thing you wanted to tell me," Jessie said. James took something out of the desk. "I bought this for you awhile back. I just didn't know when to give it to you." James took out a beautiful necklace with a symbol on it. James gave it to her. "It means hope. Whenever I am around you I have hope." Jessie's eyes glittered with tears. "It's beautiful. I love it." James was happy. "Good." Jessie kissed James goodnight before he started to get his uniform on.

He put on his uniform jacket. He took his cap and fastened it over his head. Suits never appealed to James. They were too much like his childhood; formal, uptight, constricting. He saw Jessie sleeping just before he left. He really loved her. She was the best thing in the world to her.

Butch and Cassidy went back into their room. They kissed passionately. They were finally married. Butch went to the door and locked it. In the boss' room the Boss was fumbling with the little red thing on his desk. "One push," He mumbled.

James was walking to the bridge when Mondo stopped him. "Hi James," Mondo said, " Is everything ok?" James sighed, "Yes Mondo." Mondo sighed with relief, "Good. So miss Jessie is ok." James rolled his eyes. He went to the bridge. "James," McKay said, "Good you're here. Take watch on the starboard side." James clocked in and went to the right side of the ship. The time was 11:15 pm. "Calm tonight," James said. McKay looked at James, "It is alright. Very calm."

The time kept rolling by. James noticed a small panel at the wheelhouse. "What is this?" James asked. "That is the watertight compartment panel," McKay said. "If we run into trouble we shut the doors so the water doesn't keep going in the ship. 13 compartments." James was surprised that they had that much safety precautions. On the St. Anne it was every man for himself.

James was getting tired. It was only 11:40. James knew that McKay was tired too. But the passenger's safety depended on them. James got awake when he slapped himself a couple times. 11:50 pm: James was practically slapping himself silly. "James," McKay yelled, "Pull yourself together. You can do this." James took his binoculars to keep him awake. He looked around.

In the Boss' room the Boss put his finger around the red thing. "At a push.." he trailed off. "Oh wont 11:55 ever come?" He was shaking when he thought of what was going to happen. He glanced at his watch, 11:54:45. He kept looking. "5…4…3…2…1," the Boss counted down. "ONE!! Bye Bye." He pushed the button.

James looked on at the sea: quietness. DING, DING, DING, DING, a warning bell from the look out tower rang. James jolted from a daze. RING, RING, went the phone. "James pick that up for me," McKay said. James picked up the phone. "Hello?" The lookout yelled in the phone, "Is anyone there?" James was worried, "Yes what is wrong." "It looks like…a fake type of iceberg… type of thing.. RIGHT AHEAD." James jolted again, this time with fear. "Thank You." McKay saw James running. "Berg right ahead!!!!" McKay ran to the wheelhouse. "Hard to Port!!" James ran over to the telegraphs and turned them to Full Astern. James and McKay ran back to the bridge.

DING, DING, DING, DING!!! The engine room was alive with noise, Men shouting orders to reverse the engines. In the boiler rooms the workers shut the dampers to create more steam. The engineer yelled, "Go, go, faster, faster!!" Speed started to pick up.

On the bridge James and McKay watched the ship start to turn slowly. Inch by inch the St. Anne 2 turned. "It might just clear." James said. It kept turning. All of a sudden a big piece of the object came out of nowhere. SCREECCCCCCCCCCHHHHHH……….noises were heard. The wheel shook. The sound hurt James' ears. "She hit," McKay said, his voice was shaking like the ship. James ran to the watertight door panel and sounded the boiler room alarm. He started the switch to shut the doors.

He looked at the lights light up, showing that the doors were shut. One by one, lights lit up until 13 lights glowed. James could hear McKay yell, "Hard to Starboard." The grinding nose stopped. The captain came out. "What was that." "An object that we could not see." McKay said. James started, "We tried to clear it but the ship hit." The captain froze with fear, "All Stop!" The ship came to a halt. The captain started orders. "Get the builder to sound the ship. McKay tell the phone and wireless room to stand by. James get the rest of the officers to the bridge." James and McKay went to attention, "Yes Sir!"

James ran to the officer's quarters. "Everybody up!! Get to the bridge." The officers got up in a hurry only to see James run out the door. He ran to his room. He needed to tell Jessie and Meowth what had happened and get them to a lifeboat. James feared the worst. "Jessie," James whispered. "Jessie." Jessie woke up so did Meowth. "What is it James," Jessie asked. Just then James thought of the panic that could arise in Jessie and Meowth. "I have no time to explain. Please put on your lifebelt and get to the boat deck." Jessie was speechless.

James ran back to the bridge. He heard the captain and the builder discussing something. The rest of the officers were at attention. James asked McKay what was wrong. He didn't know. The captain had a grim look at his face. "Gentlemen this ship will sink. In about 2 hours. We do not want to create panic. Get the lifeboats out, order lifejackets to be worn and get them to the boat deck. Please hurry." James stood aghast. The memories of the St. Anne were coming back. He just hoped that they all got out safe. "Butch and Cass," James yelled. He forgot them. He ran to their room. The door was locked. He knocked, no answer. His knocking turned to pounding. "What it is," Butch asked? "Open up. It's James". He opened. James was scared, "Guys. The ship will sink. Get on your lifebelts and get to a boat on the boat deck." James ran off.

James then went back to his room to get Jessie and Meowth. Jessie looked at James. She was worried when she saw the look of panic on his face. James spoke, "The… ship… will sink." Meowth screamed, "WHAT?!?!?!?!" "In 2 hours or so. Please get to the boat deck." Jessie had her hand over her mouth. "Not again, not again," she sobbed. James had to calm her partner down. "Jessie it will be ok. There are enough boats. But you need to get up there." Jessie calmed down. "But what about you?" "Don't worry," James said, "I'll be along. Do not worry." They left to the boat deck. James knew time was of the essence. The St. Anne 2 was going to sink.

End of St. Anne 2 part four.

Part five: The final part of the St. Anne 2 series.

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