Chapter Three: A Pirate's Proposal
Jack and James sat quietly on the top of the stairs the next morning, waiting for Alaina to come out of her room. Will had woken up late last night and ate, then went back to sleep, not knowing what went on that afternoon.
James turned his head around to his sister's door and watched for a minute. "She's not coming out is she?" he asked his brother.
Jack shook his head sadly and got up. James watched as Jack knocked on her door. "Alaina, its me, Jack, would you please open the door?"
No response.
"I'm sorry for getting you in trouble yesterday," he apologized, hoping to hear even a movement.
Again nothing.
"Alaina, open the door," he said, beginning to pound on the door. "James, get over here and help me," Jack hissed, and James immediately got up and they both banged on the door, begging her to open it.
"What's going on?" Will asked, coming out of his room fully clothed to see the two banging on the door.
"We're sorry," James said, stopping as he saw him; Jack followed, and they both stood there.
"For what?" Will asked, looking from one, to the other, to Alaina's door.
"Well, one, for waking you up, and two for getting Alaina locked in her room," Jack confessed, lowering his head in shame.
"You locked Alaina in her room?" Will asked, not understanding.
James shook his head and told him about yesterday.
Will sighed and moved them over. "Alaina, would you open the door?" Will asked, then waited a moment. He heard nothing.
"She didn't climb out the window or open her door. We were watching all night," Jack assured his father.
Will turned to his sons and smiled at them; they looked out for her when he couldn't. After another moment Will tried again. "If you don't want to open it that's okay, but just let us know you're alright." It was dead quiet for a few seconds then they heard a muffled sob.
Suddenly Jack smacked himself on the forehead and ran to his room. Will turned to James and his son shrugged. 'If Jack only knew,' Will thought with a shake of his head at how much his son really did act like Jack Sparrow, the man he was named after.
Presently Jack came back with a smug grin on his face as he produced a key.
"Oh I forgot about that!" James said, suddenly remembering them taking it out of her room the week before.
Jack nodded, and Will took the key from him and motioned for them to go downstairs. "But—" Jack began to protest but Will shook his head and pointed down the stairs.
"Okay," they agreed together, quietly going down the stairs.
Will waited until the two went out the front door before he inserted the key. He didn't know what to say, or do for that matter. Teenage girls weren't his strong suit. 'I wish Elizabeth were here,' he thought wistfully as he turned the handle and pushed the door in to find Alaina lying sprawled out on her bed, her head in a pillow with her clothes still on from yesterday. He knew they had to be because of the variety of stains on them.
He quietly shut the door behind him and sat down on the chair next to her bed.
Alaina looked up at him after a moment, and he knew that she'd been crying. "You don't have to talk to me," she told him, looking at the pillow again.
"Yes I do," he disagreed, and she looked back at him.
"About what?" she wanted to know.
"I don't know. I was hoping you did," he admitted with a little smile.
Alaina shrugged. "Don't ask me, I'm the one who's always wrong."
"You're smarter than most people give you credit for," Will told her truthfully.
"Why did you love mom?" Alaina suddenly asked, rolling onto her side.
Will was totally unprepared for the question. "What?" he asked, looking at her confusedly.
"Never mind," Alaina sighed, leaning her head on a pillow. The two stared at each other for a long time before either spoke again. "So when are you shipping out again?" Alaina asked casually.
"In a few weeks," he told her and noticed the familiar gleam that she used to have when he talked about shipping off.
"Where you going?" She asked, rolling on her stomach and propping her chin in her hands.
"If you come with me you'll know," he said, a smile forming on his face.
Alaina looked at him with shock. "That's cruel," she told him, her eyes narrowing at him.
"I'm quite serious," Will assured, leaning back in his chair.
Alaina's eyes grew wide but then she shook her head. "I can't," she told him sadly. "The boys will drive Mrs. Bates insane and who knows what they'll—"
"Alaina," Will cut in sternly; sometimes she was too grown up for her own good. "You don't have to worry about your brothers. They're good when you ask them to be."
Alaina looked at him for a few seconds then rushed up and gave him an enormous hug. "Thank you," she said gratefully, then pulled back and looked at her father, her eyes glimmering with excitement.
"It's about time you learned about what being a pirate really is," he teased, getting up and going over to the door. "Oh, and Alaina?" he said, remembering what he wanted to say and turning around.
"Yes?" she asked, sitting back on her bed and looking at him. "I appreciate you taking care of things, but you're only sixteen. Take advantage of being young."
Alaina gave him a smile and nodded. 'If only he knew,' she thought with a grin. Although she did admit she was always more responsible then the rest of her friends.
"Also the boys I believe wanted to see you outside for something," Will said, grinning at what their apology would be like.
Alaina nodded and opened her hand for the key. "Key?" she asked. The way she said it left no room for argument so he handed it to her.
"Just next time, keep your door locked so the pirates don't get in."
Alaina rolled her eyes. "You forgot misfit, misfit pirates."
Will shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately, your brothers act just like a pirate I know."
Alaina laughed as only one name came to mind: Jack Sparrow. "I'll see you at lunch." She laughed, shaking her head in amusement as her father went out.
Will sighed with relief at how well that went. 'Maybe teenagers aren't as hard as they say,' he thought, heading downstairs. Suddenly the door burst open and the boys ran in. "Where's the fire?" he asked playfully as they ran up past him to their room and slammed the door. Will shook his head in amusement as he went down to shut the door.
Before he closed it he caught a glimpse of a man walking down the street. Will blinked and shook his head at who he immediately thought it was. 'Jack wouldn't come back here,' he assured himself, but he wondered what else could have scared the boys.
Nevertheless, Will closed the door and headed into his study.
***
Jack and James sat quietly on the top of the stairs the next morning, waiting for Alaina to come out of her room. Will had woken up late last night and ate, then went back to sleep, not knowing what went on that afternoon.
James turned his head around to his sister's door and watched for a minute. "She's not coming out is she?" he asked his brother.
Jack shook his head sadly and got up. James watched as Jack knocked on her door. "Alaina, its me, Jack, would you please open the door?"
No response.
"I'm sorry for getting you in trouble yesterday," he apologized, hoping to hear even a movement.
Again nothing.
"Alaina, open the door," he said, beginning to pound on the door. "James, get over here and help me," Jack hissed, and James immediately got up and they both banged on the door, begging her to open it.
"What's going on?" Will asked, coming out of his room fully clothed to see the two banging on the door.
"We're sorry," James said, stopping as he saw him; Jack followed, and they both stood there.
"For what?" Will asked, looking from one, to the other, to Alaina's door.
"Well, one, for waking you up, and two for getting Alaina locked in her room," Jack confessed, lowering his head in shame.
"You locked Alaina in her room?" Will asked, not understanding.
James shook his head and told him about yesterday.
Will sighed and moved them over. "Alaina, would you open the door?" Will asked, then waited a moment. He heard nothing.
"She didn't climb out the window or open her door. We were watching all night," Jack assured his father.
Will turned to his sons and smiled at them; they looked out for her when he couldn't. After another moment Will tried again. "If you don't want to open it that's okay, but just let us know you're alright." It was dead quiet for a few seconds then they heard a muffled sob.
Suddenly Jack smacked himself on the forehead and ran to his room. Will turned to James and his son shrugged. 'If Jack only knew,' Will thought with a shake of his head at how much his son really did act like Jack Sparrow, the man he was named after.
Presently Jack came back with a smug grin on his face as he produced a key.
"Oh I forgot about that!" James said, suddenly remembering them taking it out of her room the week before.
Jack nodded, and Will took the key from him and motioned for them to go downstairs. "But—" Jack began to protest but Will shook his head and pointed down the stairs.
"Okay," they agreed together, quietly going down the stairs.
Will waited until the two went out the front door before he inserted the key. He didn't know what to say, or do for that matter. Teenage girls weren't his strong suit. 'I wish Elizabeth were here,' he thought wistfully as he turned the handle and pushed the door in to find Alaina lying sprawled out on her bed, her head in a pillow with her clothes still on from yesterday. He knew they had to be because of the variety of stains on them.
He quietly shut the door behind him and sat down on the chair next to her bed.
Alaina looked up at him after a moment, and he knew that she'd been crying. "You don't have to talk to me," she told him, looking at the pillow again.
"Yes I do," he disagreed, and she looked back at him.
"About what?" she wanted to know.
"I don't know. I was hoping you did," he admitted with a little smile.
Alaina shrugged. "Don't ask me, I'm the one who's always wrong."
"You're smarter than most people give you credit for," Will told her truthfully.
"Why did you love mom?" Alaina suddenly asked, rolling onto her side.
Will was totally unprepared for the question. "What?" he asked, looking at her confusedly.
"Never mind," Alaina sighed, leaning her head on a pillow. The two stared at each other for a long time before either spoke again. "So when are you shipping out again?" Alaina asked casually.
"In a few weeks," he told her and noticed the familiar gleam that she used to have when he talked about shipping off.
"Where you going?" She asked, rolling on her stomach and propping her chin in her hands.
"If you come with me you'll know," he said, a smile forming on his face.
Alaina looked at him with shock. "That's cruel," she told him, her eyes narrowing at him.
"I'm quite serious," Will assured, leaning back in his chair.
Alaina's eyes grew wide but then she shook her head. "I can't," she told him sadly. "The boys will drive Mrs. Bates insane and who knows what they'll—"
"Alaina," Will cut in sternly; sometimes she was too grown up for her own good. "You don't have to worry about your brothers. They're good when you ask them to be."
Alaina looked at him for a few seconds then rushed up and gave him an enormous hug. "Thank you," she said gratefully, then pulled back and looked at her father, her eyes glimmering with excitement.
"It's about time you learned about what being a pirate really is," he teased, getting up and going over to the door. "Oh, and Alaina?" he said, remembering what he wanted to say and turning around.
"Yes?" she asked, sitting back on her bed and looking at him. "I appreciate you taking care of things, but you're only sixteen. Take advantage of being young."
Alaina gave him a smile and nodded. 'If only he knew,' she thought with a grin. Although she did admit she was always more responsible then the rest of her friends.
"Also the boys I believe wanted to see you outside for something," Will said, grinning at what their apology would be like.
Alaina nodded and opened her hand for the key. "Key?" she asked. The way she said it left no room for argument so he handed it to her.
"Just next time, keep your door locked so the pirates don't get in."
Alaina rolled her eyes. "You forgot misfit, misfit pirates."
Will shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately, your brothers act just like a pirate I know."
Alaina laughed as only one name came to mind: Jack Sparrow. "I'll see you at lunch." She laughed, shaking her head in amusement as her father went out.
Will sighed with relief at how well that went. 'Maybe teenagers aren't as hard as they say,' he thought, heading downstairs. Suddenly the door burst open and the boys ran in. "Where's the fire?" he asked playfully as they ran up past him to their room and slammed the door. Will shook his head in amusement as he went down to shut the door.
Before he closed it he caught a glimpse of a man walking down the street. Will blinked and shook his head at who he immediately thought it was. 'Jack wouldn't come back here,' he assured himself, but he wondered what else could have scared the boys.
Nevertheless, Will closed the door and headed into his study.
***
