Chapter 2
"Meg? Meg, wake up!"
"Whussit.?"
"Meg, are you awake?"
"I am now," I grumped, sitting up on my elbow. "What do you want?"
"Which suit looks better, the blue or the brown?"
I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you telling me, you woke me up at four in the morning just to tell you which suit looks better?"
He shuffled his feet. "Well.yeah."
"The brown one, now shut up and let me sleep." I turned on my side, trying to fall back asleep. I was vaguely aware that Will hadn't left the room. "What do you want, Will?" I snapped, ready to bite his head off.
"I need you to help me get ready."
"I thought you learned to dress yourself when you were four."
"Not for going to the governor's home."
"Wear a suit and brush your hair and call it good."
"Not helping, Meg."
"Worry about this later in the day."
"They're leaving for the ceremony at ten."
"What ceremony?" Was I forgetting something?
"Captain Norrington? He's stepping up to commodore?"
I leapt out of bed. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier? You filthy pig, I'll kill you when I get back!" I snatched a dress from the bed and hurriedly put it on.
"Meg."
"Why didn't you tell me, Will, you know Elizabeth invited me to go along, why didn't you remind me when you were freaking out about your suit?"
"Meg-"
"Where are my shoes? Will, where are my shoes?"
"MEG."
"WHAT?"
"Slow down. And you put your dress on backward."
I groaned and flopped back on the bed, feeling tense and frustrated. He sat down beside me and put his hand on my arm. "Come on, let me help you," he said gently. I stood up and stripped again, and he buttoned up the back for me. I caught my breath.
"Too tight?" I nodded, unable to speak. "Right.sorry." I nodded again and took a deep breath. He placed my hat atop my head and grinned. "All done."
I sighed. "Will, sit on the bed and let me brush your hair." I grabbed the brush and yanked it thru his messy hair until when I ran my hand thru it, it was soft and smooth and untangled.
"Meg?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you ever think about someone.you know.like I think about Elizabeth?"
"Well, I have no real idea on what you think about her, so I'll have to ignore your question."
"She makes me feel like I can fly," he said dreamily. "She makes me want to be everything and anything. She makes my heart race, my blood boil, and my stomach churn. She makes me want to grab her all the stars in the sky and give them to her forever to signify my love."
"Sounds kinky."
"Sounds wonderful."
"Well, to each his own."
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Do you like someone like that or not?"
"No, as a matter of fact, I don't. And I'm very pleased to stay that way, thanks." I pulled on the matching ribbon in his hair teasingly. "There. All done."
He smiled at me. "Thanks, Meg."
"Thank me later. If we're walking there we'd better get going. Now."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Young Turner, this is a very fine sword," Governor Swann crowed after Will's display of its use. I smiled at him; all that practice was good fro something. "Give my compliments to your master."
Will froze for a second. Mr. Brown had nothing to do with creating the sword. It was all Will's work. He pasted a polite smile on his face; I knew it hurt for his skills not to be recognized. "Of course, sir. A man likes being praised for fine work."
Governor nodded, then turned his head at the sound of "Will! Meg!" Elizabeth came downstairs, her new (it must've been new) silk printed dress rustling. Her hair was tied up and tucked in a bun underneath her flat hat. Geez, my hair was braided into tiny briads and twirled up into a bun, and she still looked better. She smiled at my brother, and he absolutely melted.
"Ahhhhh, Elizabeth, you look absolutely beautiful," her father praised, but she never took her eyes off of Will.
"Good morning, Miss Swann," he said softly, his eyes shining.
"Will, how many times must I tell you, call me Elizabeth," she smiled, her eyes alive and sparkling. Those two had the love bug for each other.
Only they didn't know it.
"I had a dream about you," Elizabeth said suddenly. I raised my eyebrows. "About the day we met. Do you still remember?"
"How could I forget?" he replied. My God, he's as soft as a velvet teddy bear with her. And how come I'd never heard of how they met before?
"Um, Elizabeth?" Governor interrupted. "We mustn't be late."
"Oh, right, right," she said, obviously flustered. "Well.come on, Meg. Let's go. Good-bye, Will."
I kissed him quickly on the cheek. "Do I have to remind you to be good?" I whispered in his ear.
"Not a chance," he whispered back. "I need to finish molding my sword blade anyway. Have fun."
We were rushed out the door and into the carriage, with Elizabeth at the window side, looking back at the house at my brother.
"Good-bye.Elizabeth."
"Meg? Meg, wake up!"
"Whussit.?"
"Meg, are you awake?"
"I am now," I grumped, sitting up on my elbow. "What do you want?"
"Which suit looks better, the blue or the brown?"
I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you telling me, you woke me up at four in the morning just to tell you which suit looks better?"
He shuffled his feet. "Well.yeah."
"The brown one, now shut up and let me sleep." I turned on my side, trying to fall back asleep. I was vaguely aware that Will hadn't left the room. "What do you want, Will?" I snapped, ready to bite his head off.
"I need you to help me get ready."
"I thought you learned to dress yourself when you were four."
"Not for going to the governor's home."
"Wear a suit and brush your hair and call it good."
"Not helping, Meg."
"Worry about this later in the day."
"They're leaving for the ceremony at ten."
"What ceremony?" Was I forgetting something?
"Captain Norrington? He's stepping up to commodore?"
I leapt out of bed. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier? You filthy pig, I'll kill you when I get back!" I snatched a dress from the bed and hurriedly put it on.
"Meg."
"Why didn't you tell me, Will, you know Elizabeth invited me to go along, why didn't you remind me when you were freaking out about your suit?"
"Meg-"
"Where are my shoes? Will, where are my shoes?"
"MEG."
"WHAT?"
"Slow down. And you put your dress on backward."
I groaned and flopped back on the bed, feeling tense and frustrated. He sat down beside me and put his hand on my arm. "Come on, let me help you," he said gently. I stood up and stripped again, and he buttoned up the back for me. I caught my breath.
"Too tight?" I nodded, unable to speak. "Right.sorry." I nodded again and took a deep breath. He placed my hat atop my head and grinned. "All done."
I sighed. "Will, sit on the bed and let me brush your hair." I grabbed the brush and yanked it thru his messy hair until when I ran my hand thru it, it was soft and smooth and untangled.
"Meg?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you ever think about someone.you know.like I think about Elizabeth?"
"Well, I have no real idea on what you think about her, so I'll have to ignore your question."
"She makes me feel like I can fly," he said dreamily. "She makes me want to be everything and anything. She makes my heart race, my blood boil, and my stomach churn. She makes me want to grab her all the stars in the sky and give them to her forever to signify my love."
"Sounds kinky."
"Sounds wonderful."
"Well, to each his own."
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Do you like someone like that or not?"
"No, as a matter of fact, I don't. And I'm very pleased to stay that way, thanks." I pulled on the matching ribbon in his hair teasingly. "There. All done."
He smiled at me. "Thanks, Meg."
"Thank me later. If we're walking there we'd better get going. Now."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Young Turner, this is a very fine sword," Governor Swann crowed after Will's display of its use. I smiled at him; all that practice was good fro something. "Give my compliments to your master."
Will froze for a second. Mr. Brown had nothing to do with creating the sword. It was all Will's work. He pasted a polite smile on his face; I knew it hurt for his skills not to be recognized. "Of course, sir. A man likes being praised for fine work."
Governor nodded, then turned his head at the sound of "Will! Meg!" Elizabeth came downstairs, her new (it must've been new) silk printed dress rustling. Her hair was tied up and tucked in a bun underneath her flat hat. Geez, my hair was braided into tiny briads and twirled up into a bun, and she still looked better. She smiled at my brother, and he absolutely melted.
"Ahhhhh, Elizabeth, you look absolutely beautiful," her father praised, but she never took her eyes off of Will.
"Good morning, Miss Swann," he said softly, his eyes shining.
"Will, how many times must I tell you, call me Elizabeth," she smiled, her eyes alive and sparkling. Those two had the love bug for each other.
Only they didn't know it.
"I had a dream about you," Elizabeth said suddenly. I raised my eyebrows. "About the day we met. Do you still remember?"
"How could I forget?" he replied. My God, he's as soft as a velvet teddy bear with her. And how come I'd never heard of how they met before?
"Um, Elizabeth?" Governor interrupted. "We mustn't be late."
"Oh, right, right," she said, obviously flustered. "Well.come on, Meg. Let's go. Good-bye, Will."
I kissed him quickly on the cheek. "Do I have to remind you to be good?" I whispered in his ear.
"Not a chance," he whispered back. "I need to finish molding my sword blade anyway. Have fun."
We were rushed out the door and into the carriage, with Elizabeth at the window side, looking back at the house at my brother.
"Good-bye.Elizabeth."