Finally got around to updating! Go me!
There's one more chapter after this one, and I promise to post it very soon.
Rose slipped quietly into her cabin, hoping no other crewmembers were in there to say exactly when she had gone to bed. To her dismay she heard a faint rustling coming from the other side of the dividing curtain.
A shadow moved behind the curtain, but she heard no more noises. She drew her pistol, and drew the curtain aside.
"Rob!" she exclaimed, laughing, "What'd you think you were doing, scaring me half to death! I thought you were one of Skinner's men, sent to kidnap me."
Rob smiled slyly "What makes you think I wasn't sent to kidnap you?"
"Lard brain, if you were going to kidnap me you would've done it already."
He sat down in Haley's hammock, "That's true I suppose."
Rose laid back in her own hammock and sighed, "What're we going to do Rob? You know you can't best Skinner in a duel."
"What are you talking 'bout, you've never seen me fight." He scuffed the toe of his boot on the floor, "I could best Skinner."
"Skinner is bigger than you, and he has more fighting experience," Rose protested.
"But maybe I'm quicker, and more cunning." Robert smirked at Rose.
"Quicker, maybe, but old Skinner is slyer than a fox." She told him.
"Well, madam, I'll prove you wrong. I'll show you how very cunning I can be, and how unexpected." After saying that, he grabbed Rose and kissed her, pulling her onto his lap.
When he let go, she laughed, "Sorry Rob, but kissing Skinner will most definitely not help you win."
"Maybe not," he grinned. "But it might help me win the prize."
Rose shoved him off of her, "Behave yourself lad, wait 'til after we're supposedly married." She punched his arm playfully. "Besides, Jack probably needs our help, who knows what kind of trouble he'll get himself into with Skinner if we're not around."
Rob stood awkwardly, almost knocking Rose onto the floor, "Sorry," he told her, then left.
"How am I going to make Skinner lose?" she asked herself, combing her hair out with her fingers. "That's it!" She whispered, even though there was no one else to hear, and went off to get some help with her plan.
As evening came on, the two ships made for an island as an open place to duel, and Rose began to ask members of her crew for help. Most of them turned her down, for fear of being caught by Skinner's crew, but a handful of them thought that her plan was brilliant.
If her plan worked, the end result would be a marooned Skinner, and a captive crew.
Later that night, Rose found Skinner and offered him a drink.
"Why thank you m'dear," was all he said, and guzzled the wine that was dosed with sleeping powder.
Moments later, Rose led the drowsy Skinner towards the crew's quarters, where Gibbs and a few others would help her load him into a row boat and take him to the shore of the deserted island. But first they would pretend they were holding Skinner as a hostage for the members of The Black Pearl being held on the Fog Rider, sending one of their own five to report the lie to the rest of their crew.
Rose knew there were risks, but Robert's safety seemed more important at the moment. They could be rid of Skinner for good with no more bloodshed than necessary.
Skinner mumbled something in his drowsy state.
"Yes, yes," Rose told him soothingly. "It's time to go to sleep."
With all of her strength Rose heaved his great figure onto a pile of heavy blankets, and bent down to see if he was conscious or not.
He was breathing shallowly, and there was drool at the corner of his mouth.
Rose patted his shoulder, "Pleasant dreams," she told him. "For when you wake up there will be nothing pleasant about your life."
"Is he out?" Gibbs asked, coming up behind her.
Rose nodded.
Gibbs and the other three of their crew who were helping her lifted Skinner's large form into a rowboat, which they slowly rowed out, towards the island.
"Now," Rose said to Gibbs and another who had stayed behind. "Release the one you told the hostage story to."
"Here he is," said another man, bringing the squirming lump that was supposedly a man.
Rose knelt down next to the man and removed his gag. "Don't yell or we'll kill him, and tell your crew to release our five friends if they ever want to see the captain again.
The fellow nodded, and they sent him also in a rowboat to his own ship.
About ten minutes after the man had set out, a shot resounded across the water, coming from the other ship.
Rose knew that her plans were unravelling quickly. Their messenger had been shot and if the other crew found out it was one of their own men who they had shot, they would most likely try to keep one of their captives as a replacement.
The men in the rowboat carrying Skinner heard the shot also, and thought it best to turn back.
Upon their return, Rose had contemplated more ideas than she had in her whole life, but in the end only one seemed possible.
"So," said Gibbs apologetically, "I guess this is it."
Rose shook her head, "Not quite, there is still one more option." She glanced at the violently snoring Skinner, "In the morning we'll tell him that he got drunk and passed out."
Gibbs thought about this, then asked, "What of Robert?"
Rose frowned, "He'll just have to fight Skinner, who will have a hangover, and won't be as coordinated."
A particularly large snore brought them back to the present dilemma.
"Here," said Rose, "help me lift him back onto that pile of blankets."
Gibbs and Rose heaved the limp form from the rowboat and set him down.
"What now?" Gibbs asked Rose gloomily.
"Now," Rose told him, "we wait."
