And if you read it and like it--please try to review it. It would really help motiviate me. And if you don't like it, I am open to constructive criticism. By the way, know what I love? How fanfiction.net is now letting me edit documents as I load them. It is so exciting. I can use italics and everything, and and indentation. How do you guys feel about the indents? Does it sorta break it up better? Easier to look at? No opinion? Alright, anyway. I should get to sleep. Two more weeks... two more weeks... Hope you like the chapter. Lots of Bill in this one.
Dearest William, it read. He smiled slightly, hearing her voice in his head.
I hope this letter finds you in good health. Thoughts of what might happen to you out there plague my thoughts every night as I try to fall asleep. Visions of you drowned, robbed, killed, hanged... Perhaps I'm just being foolish. Yet there's nothing I can do to stop worrying about you. I don't know what I would do if anything were to happen to you. But nay, I am sure you are quite well and that you don't wish to hear me fretting over you. Therefore, I shall say no more of that. Have you found gold and adventure out there on the high seas? You must tell me everything. After these past six months, you must be full of wonderful and exciting stories.
Life at home has been rather dull, I'm afraid. And ...quite difficult, as well, to be perfectly honest. I am in perfect health and under careful supervision, worry not. Unfortunately however, Father's health has gotten worse and I am beginning to worry if he will be with us much longer... He kept asking where you were for months. I've told my family that you have become a merchant. He never questions anything these days, however. He's far too frail and weak and tired to care about much of anything. He's so far removed from what he once was; I can hardly bear the sight of him. Mother has been under such strain, caring for him and worrying about supporting my sister. She says she must find her a husband one of these days. Poor Tessa, she is not yet fifteen and Mother is trying to find her a suitor! Tessa, of course, sends you her love. She misses you very much. As do I...
Oh William, you cannot know how much! We barely had any time to simply be together, to be married and young and happy, and it's been so long now since I've seen you. I'm thinking of you all the time. If I could only see you for a moment, just hear your voice again, and feel your arms around me... But I know you will visit when you can and that you are trying to earn money for us. I know I cannot keep you to myself, for the sea claimed your heart long before you ever saw me, but I wish to God I could, and that's the truth of it.
I wish you good fortune in all your doings. God keep you and bring you home soon.
Your loving wife,
Fiona
The young man sighed quietly and tilted his head back, resting it on the pole behind him wearily. His eyes closed for a moment, then opened as he slowly folded the letter and tucked it into his vest.
"Oh, Fi," he breathed sadly.
His thoughts were interrupted by someone bellowing his name.
"What?" he called back tiredly.
"I'm sendin' you a present! Just keep an eye on it until the cap'n gets back!"
An eyebrow shot up at this strange explanation and Bill rose to his feet cautiously, wondering what on earth he was supposed to keep an eye on. Soft footsteps descended the steep steps, and soon the scrawny form of boy was visible. The boy paused before the last two steps and jumped onto the ground, his bare feet giving a satisfying smack on the wood floor. He whirled around quickly, then stopped quite suddenly and leaned his head back to peer at the other person in the room. Bill's eyebrow went up a bit further.
"Bill Turner, weren't it?" the boy finally asked.
Bill nodded. "Aye. Jack?"
"The one and only," said Jack with a flourish.
Bill gave a small smile and shook his head. "What the devil are you doin' here?"
"What do you think I'm doing? I'm comin' along for the ride, mate! And for the pilfering and plundering and such," he said, sliding casually into a nearby chair.
"You talked to the cap'n then?" asked Bill, joining him.
"Aye," said Jack. "Actually, t'was 'im that asked me, not the other way around. Thought I'd be a good cabin boy, 'e said. Course," and here the boy leaned close to Bill, as if sharing a great secret. "I'm gonna' be much more than that, mate, mark my words. You remember this day, talkin' to me, and ye can tell tell yer little grandchildren how you knew me before I was a legend."
Bill rolled his eyes. "I'll keep that in mind," he said dryly, but the corners of his lips quirked in amusement. He watched the boy's fingers tap the surface of the table in a quick, uneven rhythm. Jack's eyes were flitting about the room as if following a sporadic fly, when suddenly they stopped and fixed upon Bill's face. They dropped lower to his vest, where the edge of the letter was visible. His arm darted forward and snatched the letter so deftly that Bill merely blinked in surprise.
"Hey," he cried belatedly, leaning forward in an attempt to grab it back. Jack rose quickly and turned away, shielding the paper with his back. Bill followed him, and tried once more to reclaim his letter, but after failing again, he huffed in irritation and stood back, folding his arms. "Jack," he said slowly, trying to be patient. "Give me back my letter."
"Well, let's just have a little looksie, eh? We're mates, right? Your business is my business and all that?" Bill glared and Jack grinned cheekily and unfolded the paper. "Now, what's this? A love letter, mm? Got a bonnie lass pinin' after you somewhere, Billy?"
"Jack!" cried Bill in disgrace and anger.
"I'm just playin' with ye, mate," said Jack with an easy smile, tossing the letter in Bill's direction. "I can't read."
Bill's face cleared and he smiled a little, despite himself. "Oh," he said. He stooped and picked up the letter with as much dignity as he could muster. "Well, you still shouldn't just go takin' people's private things like that," he said, using the letter to point at him for emphasis.
Jack raised his eyebrows. "'Shouldn't take people's things?'" he asked in disbelief. "What kinda' pirate are you?"
Bill glanced upward momentarily, then clarified. "At least not from another pirate. Especially from your own crew. It's not right with the code."
Jack considered this wisdom, eyes cast downward and brows furrowed. His lips pursed and he nodded slowly, looking deep in thought. He looked up and met Bill's eyes.
"So it was a lass then, wasn't it?"
Bill clapped his hand against his head and dragged it over his face.
"Aye, Jack," he admitted with a chuckle. "You win."
Jack grinned. "What's her name?"
Bill sighed in defeat. "Fiona."
"What's she like, then, your Fiona?" he asked. It seemed to Bill that he sounded like he cared, which surprised him. He sat down again and Jack followed, leaning his elbows on the table and resting his chin on his hands, eagerly awaiting information.
"Beautiful," Bill finally answered dreamily.
"I knew it!" Jack interjected triumphantly. Bill eyed him strangely and the boy quieted again, returning his chin to his hand contritely, as if waiting for Bill to continue.
"And she's..." Bill trailed off, deep in thought. "She's the kindest soul I've ever met. She was willing to look past my being a pirate an' see me for who I am, even though her family would disown her if they knew what I really do out here. Her father gave her a hard time as it was... Bloody bastard, he is. But you'd never guess, the way she talks about 'im. She worries about everyone... always wants to help everyone... And her smile..." Bill smiled, thinking of her smile.
Jack, who had seemed so curious, finally seemed to have grown bored of this thread of conversation and was staring into the table blankly, sitting very still. Bill finally remembered him and coughed, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Yes, well... We married a year ago."
That woke Jack up. "Married?!"
"Aye," said Bill simply. His corners of his mouth twitched as he watched the shocked and bewildered expression on the younger boy's face as he struggled to speak.
"What the hell did you do that for?!" he finally got out, eyes wide. Bill looked slightly insulted and Jack said more gently, "Not that she's not a fine girl, I'm sure. It's just..." He trailed off. "...must be hard, is all."
Bill's face grew sad. "Aye," he said softly. Jack looked at him awkwardly. His new friend seemed to have become quite distressed and Jack searched for a new subject.
"Where'd ya learn to read?" he asked suddenly.
Bill glanced up at the sudden change in subject. "My father taught me."
"Ah." Jack felt an uncomfortable feeling of envy rise in him and he chewed his lip uneasily. He didn't know how to read or write. He'd never had a father to teach him. He didn't even know who his father was...
"Would ye like to learn, Jack?" asked Bill, as if he could hear his thoughts.
Jack stared at him without answering for a moment. Bill's eyes were sincere and shining. Jack nodded. Bill smiled. "Alright. I'll teach ye then, so long as you promise not to use yer knowledge to read any of my things, eh?"
"Deal," said Jack, holding out his small hand. Bill grinned and clasped his hand firmly. Both young men paused and glanced at the ceiling as the sound of footsteps on deck met their ears. The glanced back at each other and simultaneously rose from their seats to climb back up onto the main deck.