Chapter 51: Home Again
Alaina stood alone on the beach of Port Royale staring off into the moonlit ocean, letting the wind rustle her hair and swirl her simple white dress. It was a perfect night, all the stars were out, the moon was full, everything was perfect. Everything except that she was alone.
Loneliness had begun to become a common feeling with her. Especially back at the house. Carrick, Jack and James seemed to always be off doing something or another, Jill had become extremely hard to get a hold of and her father always seemed to be at her grandfather's or at the blacksmiths.
Mrs. Bates went to take care of her sick sister so she normally woke up to an empty house or when the boys were just about to leave. Her and Carrick had hardly said twenty words to each other since she had gotten back the month before.
Her little stay with the Pearl had been every bit of educational as she found out Jack was indeed capable of having feelings towards another human being when they were in Tortuga and he'd run into an old friend. Christine she thought she'd heard.
Though it was depressing as well to see the look on both of their faces when they saw one another. Alaina actually thought she saw tears forming in Jack's eyes as he talked to her. But that was all over. The Pearl was long gone.
Slowly she waded out in the water to her ankles, feeling the wet sand between her toes, the mild water rushing in then going back out again, and the fresh wind that caressed her face. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes she took it all in.
She wasn't aware of the figure that came behind her.
"Miss are you alright?"
Startled, Alaina whirled around to see a man standing right behind her. "Y- yes-I-uh- I'm fine," She stuttered completely off guard.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you," The man apologized.
"No, it's alright. I was just...ah..." She tried to think of what to tell him.
"You don't have to explain anything to me," He told her with a smile.
Alaina gave a small grin.
"Would you like to walk?" He asked after a few moments motioning at the wide beach. Alaina nodded and he offered her his arm. Gladly she took it and they began to walk.
"It's a wonderful night don't you agree?" He asked trying to start a conversation.
"Mm hmm." Alaina agreed smiling to herself as she felt the dry grainy sand stick to her wet feet.
"I don't believe I've seen you before, do you live in Port Royale?" He asked and she blushed, as he looked her up and down.
"I've all my life, but I've just recently came back from a trip." She told him slightly shivering as a gust of wind blew by. He noticed it and quickly took off his jacket and draped it on her shoulders.
"Thank you," Alaina said smiling at him.
"Think nothing of it," He assured smiling at her. "May I inquire as to where you traveled?"
"I'd rather not say," Alaina said afraid of what he might do if he knew that she had been collaborating with Port Royale's most wanted pirate.
"I see," The man said with a laugh.
Alaina sighed and blew a strand of loose hair from her face.
"You seem lonely," The man observed aloud. Alaina nodded sadly.
"I haven't had many people to talk to lately," She admitted regretfully.
"Well you can talk to me, whatever that's worth." He told her with a laugh. Alaina looked over at him and almost immediately felt comforted.
They walked down the beach in silence for a few moments, neither one wanting to break the calming peace that surrounded them. But finally Alaina spoke.
"Could we sit?"
The man nodded and they walked a few feet away from the shoreline and sat down. "If I may ask, did you know Alex Holden?" The man asked looking at her, his eyes glimmering with curiosity.
Alaina's stomach knotted at his name and looked away. "I did," She said trying to fight back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.
"Are you alright?" He asked concerned. Alaina shook her head no and tried to stand up. "Please don't leave," The man asked gently taking her hand and pulling her back down.
Alaina didn't have the will to break away from his grasp so she sank down onto the beach and began to sob. It was horrible, even after all these months, she still couldn't hear his name and not break down into tears.
She felt him still sitting next to her and slowly began to tell him all that had happened within the past year. Amazingly she found it wasn't as hard as she thought it would be. Every time she paused, he would just inch closer and comfortingly squeeze her hand.
After she had finished she slowly looked at his face to see it had completely changed. He no longer had the carefree, happy go lucky expression, but now had compassion and genuine concern engraved in his face. He had listened to her, soaked up every word and began to understand her despair.
After a second, he pulled back the strands of loose hair from her face and enveloped her into an embrace. Alaina closed her eyes and let go of all her fears and worries. At that moment she felt sheer contentment and bliss from a man she didn't even know the name of.
It felt wonderful, to pour out her soul to a complete stranger who didn't know her and who she didn't know. Names were trivial, so were ages, backgrounds, family, all that didn't matter. He was willing to listen and comfort her, something no one had done in a while.
Happily she felt herself slowly drifting off to sleep, and smiled to herself as she rested her head on his shoulder and sank into a dreamless sleep.
***
Will yawned and stretched as he leaned back in his chair and looked at the clock. It was almost midnight and she hadn't come back yet.
But something told him not to worry; maybe it was that fatherly intuition that he picked up over the past few years, but whatever it was it was helpful.
He was glad Alaina was back, but he noticed she didn't seem to be all that thrilled about being home. It didn't puzzle him at all, he knew she was angry at Carrick and wasn't over Alex's death.
When Alaina had told him Alex had done that for her Will had been speechless and he was no longer angry with the boy who'd given the ultimate sacrifice to save his daughter.
'You need to sleep Will,' His brain reminded and Will agreed but was too lazy and tired to get out of the chair. So after he stretched, Will set his head down on his desk and was soon fast asleep.
***
A/N: So sorry to all you who like Alaina/Carrick. I just think she needs more of a romance life than he has to offer...Anyhow thank you to EVERYONE who keeps on reading this and giving positive reviews!!
Alaina stood alone on the beach of Port Royale staring off into the moonlit ocean, letting the wind rustle her hair and swirl her simple white dress. It was a perfect night, all the stars were out, the moon was full, everything was perfect. Everything except that she was alone.
Loneliness had begun to become a common feeling with her. Especially back at the house. Carrick, Jack and James seemed to always be off doing something or another, Jill had become extremely hard to get a hold of and her father always seemed to be at her grandfather's or at the blacksmiths.
Mrs. Bates went to take care of her sick sister so she normally woke up to an empty house or when the boys were just about to leave. Her and Carrick had hardly said twenty words to each other since she had gotten back the month before.
Her little stay with the Pearl had been every bit of educational as she found out Jack was indeed capable of having feelings towards another human being when they were in Tortuga and he'd run into an old friend. Christine she thought she'd heard.
Though it was depressing as well to see the look on both of their faces when they saw one another. Alaina actually thought she saw tears forming in Jack's eyes as he talked to her. But that was all over. The Pearl was long gone.
Slowly she waded out in the water to her ankles, feeling the wet sand between her toes, the mild water rushing in then going back out again, and the fresh wind that caressed her face. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes she took it all in.
She wasn't aware of the figure that came behind her.
"Miss are you alright?"
Startled, Alaina whirled around to see a man standing right behind her. "Y- yes-I-uh- I'm fine," She stuttered completely off guard.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you," The man apologized.
"No, it's alright. I was just...ah..." She tried to think of what to tell him.
"You don't have to explain anything to me," He told her with a smile.
Alaina gave a small grin.
"Would you like to walk?" He asked after a few moments motioning at the wide beach. Alaina nodded and he offered her his arm. Gladly she took it and they began to walk.
"It's a wonderful night don't you agree?" He asked trying to start a conversation.
"Mm hmm." Alaina agreed smiling to herself as she felt the dry grainy sand stick to her wet feet.
"I don't believe I've seen you before, do you live in Port Royale?" He asked and she blushed, as he looked her up and down.
"I've all my life, but I've just recently came back from a trip." She told him slightly shivering as a gust of wind blew by. He noticed it and quickly took off his jacket and draped it on her shoulders.
"Thank you," Alaina said smiling at him.
"Think nothing of it," He assured smiling at her. "May I inquire as to where you traveled?"
"I'd rather not say," Alaina said afraid of what he might do if he knew that she had been collaborating with Port Royale's most wanted pirate.
"I see," The man said with a laugh.
Alaina sighed and blew a strand of loose hair from her face.
"You seem lonely," The man observed aloud. Alaina nodded sadly.
"I haven't had many people to talk to lately," She admitted regretfully.
"Well you can talk to me, whatever that's worth." He told her with a laugh. Alaina looked over at him and almost immediately felt comforted.
They walked down the beach in silence for a few moments, neither one wanting to break the calming peace that surrounded them. But finally Alaina spoke.
"Could we sit?"
The man nodded and they walked a few feet away from the shoreline and sat down. "If I may ask, did you know Alex Holden?" The man asked looking at her, his eyes glimmering with curiosity.
Alaina's stomach knotted at his name and looked away. "I did," She said trying to fight back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.
"Are you alright?" He asked concerned. Alaina shook her head no and tried to stand up. "Please don't leave," The man asked gently taking her hand and pulling her back down.
Alaina didn't have the will to break away from his grasp so she sank down onto the beach and began to sob. It was horrible, even after all these months, she still couldn't hear his name and not break down into tears.
She felt him still sitting next to her and slowly began to tell him all that had happened within the past year. Amazingly she found it wasn't as hard as she thought it would be. Every time she paused, he would just inch closer and comfortingly squeeze her hand.
After she had finished she slowly looked at his face to see it had completely changed. He no longer had the carefree, happy go lucky expression, but now had compassion and genuine concern engraved in his face. He had listened to her, soaked up every word and began to understand her despair.
After a second, he pulled back the strands of loose hair from her face and enveloped her into an embrace. Alaina closed her eyes and let go of all her fears and worries. At that moment she felt sheer contentment and bliss from a man she didn't even know the name of.
It felt wonderful, to pour out her soul to a complete stranger who didn't know her and who she didn't know. Names were trivial, so were ages, backgrounds, family, all that didn't matter. He was willing to listen and comfort her, something no one had done in a while.
Happily she felt herself slowly drifting off to sleep, and smiled to herself as she rested her head on his shoulder and sank into a dreamless sleep.
***
Will yawned and stretched as he leaned back in his chair and looked at the clock. It was almost midnight and she hadn't come back yet.
But something told him not to worry; maybe it was that fatherly intuition that he picked up over the past few years, but whatever it was it was helpful.
He was glad Alaina was back, but he noticed she didn't seem to be all that thrilled about being home. It didn't puzzle him at all, he knew she was angry at Carrick and wasn't over Alex's death.
When Alaina had told him Alex had done that for her Will had been speechless and he was no longer angry with the boy who'd given the ultimate sacrifice to save his daughter.
'You need to sleep Will,' His brain reminded and Will agreed but was too lazy and tired to get out of the chair. So after he stretched, Will set his head down on his desk and was soon fast asleep.
***
A/N: So sorry to all you who like Alaina/Carrick. I just think she needs more of a romance life than he has to offer...Anyhow thank you to EVERYONE who keeps on reading this and giving positive reviews!!
