I'm baaacckkk!
No I haven't forgotten about this lovely story. No I haven't abandoned it by any means. Besides the fact that life got in the way, it's just been super rough for me to try and figure out how to continue the story through this one little part. I know how I want it to end, but I just had to figure out how to get from here to there if that makes any sense :) Also, this chapter is going to be on the shorter side, simply because I finally found a good stopping place where I could switch it to Ana's POV.
And don't worry. There will be a sequel to this story! I've been planning it for months because I want it to go a whole lot smoother than this one has gone.
Sorry for any typo's or grammatical errors, It's 1:30 AM and I am EXHAUSTED, but I'm sure I'll catch them and fix them later ;)
All the characters belong to their respective creators.
Hope y'all enjoy!
You're gonna have to leave me there, you might as well and get used to it. T'e more I thought about it, t'e more angry I got. Angry t'at she had to be put in such a position, and even more angry t'at there wasn't anyt'ing I could do to stop it. Even t'e cool night air on t'e way to t'e pub didn't soothe my heated temper.
"John?" Ana whispered, her voice breakin' t'rough t'e fog. "Is everything alright?"
Her face was creased wit' worry. Takin' her hand in mine, I pulled her close to wrap an arm around her. "Everyt'ing is fine my lass," I whispered, "I'm just focused on makin' sure you have a good time."
She blushed and snuggled into my side, we both fell into an easy pace as we walked down t'e street. As we slowly made our way to t'e pub, I could start to hear t'e sounds of t'e crowd. One glance at Jim and I could tell we were tinkin t'e same thing, this place is rougher than we thought it'd be.
"Uh, Ana, are you sure this is the place?" Jim asked
"Yup!" she answered, barely able to contain her excitement. "Isn't it great?"
"Looks a bit rough even for me," I muttered.
"Oh come on," she sighed, "You guys said I could go wherever I wanted. I promise it's not as bad as you think."
Seeing me hesitate, she grabbed my metal hand and pulled me towards t'e door. Once we were inside, it was packed wall to wall wit' people. T'e band was already on stage, but hadn't yet started to play, and t'ere was already an excited hum flowin t'rough t'e place. As we squeezed our way to t'e bar, I could barely hear Ana order her drink over t'e crowd.
"Jack on the rocks please," she shouted to t'e bartender. Since when did she drink straight whiskey?
"Startin' off wit' a bang are ya lass?" I chuckled.
She took a deep pull without even flinchin, t'en she looked up at me wit' a serious glance. "I have alot I want to forget before I can start having a good time, I need a head start."
Wrappin' my arm around her waist, I pulled her in close and whispered in her ear. "I have some tricks up my sleeve t'at can help ya forget all yer problems."
She giggled as a slight flush bloomed on her cheeks, t'e effects of the whiskey already takin' a hold on her. After orderin' a glass of ale for myself, we made our way back t'rough t'e crowd. We managed to find a table at t'e edge of t'e dance floor, finally gettin' settled I was able to get a better look across t'e crowd. I wasn't surprised to see t'at almost every man t'at was around us had been leerin' at Ana. She was in t'e same short lace dress as t'e last time we went out to a pub, so it was a given t'at she would've garnered a few glances here and t'ere, but you could tell t'at she was of a higher social class t'an t'e likes of these people.
One t'ing that did surprise me was to see t'at everyone was armed wit' either a pistol or a blade. Great. Obviously these people felt a need to arm themselves, just what that need was I wasn't sure. Just as I was makin' a second pass over the crowd, the band walked up on stage.
Thankfully Jim appeared at our table at the same time. All of a sudden everyone, including Ana, were on their feet cheering.
"You see what I see Jimbo?" I muttered, tryin' not to attract attention.
He nodded his head wordlessly. I could tell by the crease in his brow he had noticed everyone's weapons, and was concerned just as I was. "Don't mention it to Ana," he yelled back, "Last thing we need is her to worry."
Nodding my agreement, I glanced over at her to make sure she couldn't overhear us. Thankfully, the roar of the crowd drowned out our entire exchange.
T'e band took to t'e stage wit' a flourish and kicked off a tune t'at everyone sang along wit'. It wasn't long before most of the crowd was dancin' around the room.
Ana sang along but mostly stared longingly out at t'e dance floor. Catchin' Jim's eye I shot him a wink and a nod, readin' my mind he finished off his drink then took Ana out to t'e dance floor. T'e sea of people practically parted for them as t'ey found a spot in t'e crowd. T'e band was startin' up a song for a popular line dance, so everyone was tryin' to get into place.
It wasn't hard keepin' an eye on her, her flamin' hair and short lace dress made t'at part easy enough. What as hard was watchin' how everyone else in t'e room was leerin' at her
. T'is was a bad idea. It took 3 songs before I was able to relax any, and another 4 more before I felt comfortable takin' my eyes off of her to head to the bar.
As the bartender was handin' me my drink, Ana and Jim had made their way back over to me. "Another Jack on the rocks please!" She shouted, her face glowing from dancing. Once she got her hands on her drink she sidled up to me.
"Are you having fun?" She asked.
"Aye," I answered, castin' one more cautious glance around t'e room before takin a seat on t'e barstool. "Are you havin' fun?"
"Yeah," she muttered. Glancin' up at me with a mischievous grin, she gently Nudged her way in between my knees. "I'd have more fun if you were my dance partner though."
I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss, the sweet sting of whiskey exploding in my mouth. " Yer gonna have to get me drunk before I start dancin' to t'is type of music."
"Oh is that so?" She laughed, "Bartender! Get me a couple of shots of Jack for my man here!"
I couldn't help but laugh along with her, as the bartender set up our shots we cheered and downed them one by one. Before long, I was just as drunk as Ana as she was leadin' me out to t'e dance floor.
The next few songs passed by in a blur, and next thing I knew my partner was nowhere to be seen. We had been dancin' a line dance so we had to switch partners periodically, but now Ana had vanished. Panic sobered me up quick, as I glanced around frantically trying to catch a glimpse of her red hair.
I finally caught sight of her being pushed out the door. Tearing off after her, I didn't even bother to look back to see if Jim was following or not. I barged through the back door into the alley, just to see one of the idiots had Ana pushed up against the wall.
Whiskey fueled my rage as I saw his knife slowly draw up the inside of her thigh. Her face was white and I could see her tremble in fear. Hell, she didn't even notice me coming up to rip the guy off of her.
I hit him like a freight train. The man wasn't bigger than me, but he wasn't no bean pole either. All it took was one punch and he was sent flying, his face making a sickening crack as if it the side of the building. I didn't have to even look to be able to tell his jaw was broken, his buddy I guess didn't want any part of it so he ran away.
As soon as the idiot had stumbled out of the alley, I turned back to tend to Ana. She was still standing there white as a ghost, huge tears forming in her eyes.
I gently took her face in my hands so she could focus on me. "Ana, lass look at me," she stood stock still, "Anastasia you're fine now." The use of her full name snapped her out of her daze.
"T-those men knew who I was John." She stammered.
Instantly my stomach dropped. "What do ya mean? How do you know they knew?"
A fresh new wave of tears started to fall. "They told me that my behavior is inappropriate for that of a future queen of Montressor." She whispered, "They saw us dancing, kissing, everything."
Shit. "It'll be okay lass," I tried to soothe her, "we can say they confused you with someone else."
"How many people were in that bar with hair as red as mine?!" She cried. I couldn't argue wit' her, she was right.
I pushed away from her and started to pace the alley, trying to think of a way to remedy the situation. As I ran my hands over my bandana a thought hit me.
"Ana, come here a second." I turned her around and started to quickly braid her hair.
"John, what are you doing?"
"Hidin' yer hair," I mumbled, securing the end of the braid wit some string. Next, I took my bandana off and wrapped it snugly around her head. "Can't bring attention to yerself if people can't see it."
Thankfully the bandana did a pretty good job of hidin her crimson locks, save for the tail end of the braid hanging down her back. At least this way it would help hide her identity atleast a little. "Lets head back inside for another drink", I offered.
"Fine, but no more PDA," she reasoned, "Who knows how many other people know my name by now."
"Deal," I agreed, sneakin' in a kiss before we walked back in.
We stopped by t'e bar for a refill and t'en settled back at our table, takin' special care to keep an appropriate distance this time. Thankfully t'e rest of t'e night went by wit'out any more incidents, though by t'e end of t'e night Ana and I were hangin' onto each other again. On t'e way back to t'e ship, we filled Jim in on what happened out in t'e alley.
"Why in t'e hell didn't you guys tell me this earlier?" Jim half shouted.
"Shhh," Ana whispered trying to contain a giggle. She had way too much to drink just like t'e rest of us. "I don't wanna talk about it Jim." She stumbled a few steps in front of us, threw her arms out and spun around.
"If we don't talk about it, it's like it never happened!"
We finally made it back to the ship after what felt like an eternity. As t'e rest of t'e crew wandered off to t'eir bunks, Ana started to walk over to t'e main mast to climb up to t'e crow's nest. Before she could climb up too far, I wrapped an arm around her waist and whispered in her ear.
"Nuh-uh, I don't t'ink it's a good idea for ya to be climbin' up thirty feet in t'e state yer in lass."
She turned around with a flushed face. "I'm not THAT drunk sir." she slurred, just provin' my point. Before she could argue anymore, I pulled her close to me and grabbed a nearby rope. Wit' a hard tug it vaulted us through t'e air till we were about four feet above t'e rail of t'e crows nest. We jumped over t'e rail together and stood t'ere for a few moments to give us a chance to regain our balance.
"Woah," she breathed, "Jim didn't show me that trick."
"All ships have 'em" I explained, "If we are ever under attack we need to be able to get up here as quickly as possible."
"Ah, I see," she nodded. Makin' her way over to t'e siding she gazed out to t'e stars wit' a sigh. I couldn't help but t'ink of t'e first time we were in t'e crows nest together. She had t'e courage to force me to face my emotions head on, somethin' no one else had managed to ever do.
T'at bravery was nowhere to be seen tonight. I carefully placed a hand on either side of t'e rail comin' up behind her. Immediately she leaned back against my chest and sighed.
"I'm scared John." she whispered.
I looked down at her small frame tryin' to t'ink of a way to reassure her. But how could I? I was terrified myself. Instead, I wrapped my arms around her waist protectively and looked out to t'e Etherium.
"I love you," I whispered into her hair.
She turned in my arms so she could face me. Wit' a shy smile on her face, she wrapped her arms around my neck. "Remember the first time we were up here alone?"
"Aye, how could I ever forget?" I growled. T'at encounter was not one I wanted to remember right t'is very moment.
"Did I catch you off guard that night?" She asked.
"You did more t'an catch me off guard lass," I breathed in her ear. Seein' her shiver filled me wit' satisfaction. "You caught me off guard t'an ran off before I could give ya an explanation."
"I know," she whispered, hoppin up on t'e railing, "but I'm glad I ran away."
"Is t'at so?" I ask, quirkin' an eyebrow. I wrapped my arms around her waist as she pulled me closer, our bodies fitting together like a puzzle. " And why is that?"
"Because you gave me a notion that you loved me too," she whispered, lookin' into my eyes. "You jumped out of this crows nest in a blink of an eye, I could tell you actually cared."
"I always did have a special care for ya," I admitted, "but I want ya to make me a promise."
"It depends," she whispered against my lips. Her usual spark ignited my fire, and it took everything I had not to kiss the breath out of her.
"I'm serious Anastasia." She straightened up takin' me more seriously. "Promise me you'll never run away from me again, please."
Placing a hand on her cheek, she closed her eyes and leaned into my palm. Stiflin' a yawn, she muttered, "I promise, John. I won't run from you again."
"Good," I carefully lifted her off of t'e railin'. "Now let's get ya to bed my lass, you have a big day tomorrow."
She wrapped her arms around me as I lowered us down to t'e main deck. "Yeah yeah, don't remind me." she whined. Once we touched down on t'e deck we stood in each other's arms for a few seconds, not yet wantin' to go to sleep.
I leaned down and pressed my forehead against hers. We both took a deep steadyin' breath, waitin' for t'e other to be the first to break away. "I don't wanna go to sleep," she muttered.
"Why not lass? You've gotta be exhausted by now."
"Because if I sleep then that means tomorrow will come faster."
"If I make you forget about it, well you get some sleep?" I growled, pullin' her even closer to me. She caught onto my mood and shot me a mischievous grin.
"I'm not sure Cap'n" she whispered coyly, "But it's always something I'm willing to try." Not wantin' to waste a single second more, I picked her up and carried her off to our bedroom.
Thankfully Ana was able to get to sleep after an hour or two of lovemakin', but all I could do was lay t'ere awake watchin' her snooze away. She was on her stomach huggin onto one of t'e pillows. T'e sheets had slipped down to her hips, leavin' her back bare to t'e firelight. Bein' careful not to wake her, I rolled over on my back and stared at the ceiling. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught her arrival gown glistening in te firelight. I never thought I could hate a piece of clothing, but I had to fight the urge to throw the damn thing in the fire.
After layin there for a few minutes I couldn't get my mind to stop. Throwin' a glare at the gown, I went to take a shower before I did somethin' I'd regret. Damn thing is mocking me I swear. T'e hot water did a good job of washin' my worries away, but the serenity the steam brought me was interrupted with the sound of the bathroom door slipping open.
I thought Ana was sneakin' in to join me, but that changed when instead I heard t'e sound of her emptying her stomach. Right away I shut t'e water off, threw a towel around my waist and rushed to tend to Ana.
"Why is this happening to me," she groaned, still hangin' over t'e ceramic bowl.
"Maybe ya had too much to drink lass."
"I don't think that's it, I threw up before we ever went out."
She's right. Maybe..maybe she's-
My thoughts were immediately cut off as a fresh wave of heaving overtook her. As I held back her hair and rubbed her back, my mind went through all the possible illnesses that could be afflicting her. Once she was done, she barely had enough energy to lift her head.
"Let me run you a bath lass,"
She nodded, not having the energy to even argue. "Let me brush my teeth first." As she hobbled over to the sink I set to work running the bath.
Once she was done she didn't hesitate to slide into the bath tub. Right away she leaned back and sighed, letting the relaxing water soothe her almost to sleep.
I asked her if she needed anything, she only shook her head. After a moment or two of just relaxing she whispered, "My sides are killing me,"
"Aye," I muttered, "I bet they are. You were dry heaving for about 10 minutes."
She laid t'ere for a short time, I took a washcloth and carefully wrung t'e warm water up and down her arms. As I sat t'ere quietly, my mind kept returning back to the one thing. Before I lost courage, I quietly asked Ana t'e question t'at was burnin' in my mind.
"Lass," I whispered, "I have a question for ya, and I don't want to scare ya any."
"What is it," she grumbled, eyes still closed as she laid back in t'e tub.
"Are ya sure t'at you aren't pregnant?" I asked carefully.
Her eyes shot open, but other than that she didn't move. "What makes you think that I am?"
"Well, you haven't been able to hardly keep anything in your stomach since yesterday. You were sick before you started drinkin' so it can't be because you had too much whiskey, and let's be honest. We haven't been exactly as careful in bed as we probably should be."
I watched her carefully for any sign of distress, and was surprised that she showed none. Instead, she just closed her eyes and sighed tiredly.
"Even if I was I wouldn't have any way of knowing."
"So yer afraid t'eres a possibility."
"I didn't say that," she repositioned herself so she was leaning on t'e side of t'e tub. "I'm not late or anything, other than this nausea there isn't any other symptoms I've been having."
"Hmm," I muttered. Maybe she's right, I'm probably just overreacting.
"What would you do if I was?" she asked quietly, almost shyly.
"T'en I'd climb up to t'e highest roof in Montressor and shout it as loud as I could," I reached out to gently run my fingers from her neck down to her shoulder, "And t'en get us out of here as fast as lightenin'."
"And where would we go?" she giggled.
My fingers trailed up to cup her gorgeous face, "Anywhere yer little heart desires lass."
She smiled, closed her eyes and leaned into my hand like she always did. I leaned over to give her a quick kiss, t'en stood up to head to t'e bedroom.
"Where are you going?" she pouted.
"If ya haven't noticed lass, I'm still in t'is blasted towel. Remember what happened last time I was traipsin around so scantily clad?"
T'e realization finally dawned on her, her face flushed a deep crimson as she tried to cover her grin wit' her hands.
"Let me go get some shorts on and I'll be right back," I bent down to kiss her head and headed to t'e bedroom.
It only took me 30 seconds to get dressed and back in t'e bathroom, and in t'at short amount of time Ana had already fell asleep. Poor t'ing really is exhausted. I let her relax for a little while longer before wakin' her up to get her back to bed. If I had to guess it was nearly 5 am, and I'd have to be gettin' breakfast ready for t'e crew soon.
"Come on lass, time to get out." I whispered as I pulled t'e plug out of t'e drain. She groaned as the water was loudly sucked down, and t'anked me as I helped her out and into my robe. As I tied t'e sash around her thin waist, she wrapped her arms around my neck and leaned against me.
"I don't wanna go to sleep," she grumbled into my shoulder.
"Aye, I know," I soothed, "But I'm not givin' ya much of a choice. You need yer rest." I could tell by her grip that she wasn't lettin' go anytime soon, so I wrapped my arms around her as she relaxed against me more.
"I told you don't remind me," she growled, "I want to forget." I could tell by t'e way she was leanin' against me t'at she was already halfway asleep. Ignorin' her protests, I scooped her up and carried her back to bed. Once she was settled in, I climbed in beside her and pulled her close to me. Before I knew it her breathin' had turned deep as she finally relaxed enough to fall back asleep.
I didn't get a wink of sleep t'e rest of t'e night. By t'e time we'd laid back down it had to have been about 4:30 in t'e mornin'. As I laid t'ere watchin' t'e morning sky lighten to a dim grey, I played through t'e escape plan over and over. This HAS to work. T'ere is no way it can't work. I waited until t'e clock chimed at 4:45 before carefully untanglin' myself from Ana's arms. T'ankfully she only stirred for a few seconds before rollin' over to settle back to sleep. Not wantin' her to wake up, I quickly gathered an outfit and snuck my way into my stateroom to get dressed.
As I made my way down to t'e galley I ran into Jimbo. "Well yer up early," I joked. Even t'ough he was second in command, after a night of drinkin he usually didn't wake before dawn.
"Yeah, I couldn't sleep" he muttered, "Figured I'd head down here to help get a head start on breakfast."
We sat in silence for a few moments, sippin' on coffee waitin' for t'e caffeine to kick in. It wasn't long before Jimbo broke t'e silence.
"How'd she sleep?" he asked carefully.
T'e wheels in my head started to turn. Do I tell him about her gettin' sick? I knew in my gut t'at t'e reason she was sick was because our baby was growin' in her belly, but she was right. We had no way of knowing for sure until we could get her to a doctor.
"She slept fine," I lied, "tossed and turned a bit but otherwise fine. I snuck down here so she could get some extra shuteye, figured she'd need her energy to get t'rough today."
He nodded quietly while takin' a sip from his steamin' cup. "Speakin' of that, I received a message from our insider connections through the night. Everything is in place for today. All we have to do is pull the trigger."
"Good," I heaved a sigh of relief, "T'anks again for all yer help wit' t'is Jimbo. I couldn't have pulled it off alone."
"I wouldn't let you do it alone, you old scallywag," he grinned.
We sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before we heard t'e familiar creak of Ana comin' down t'e stairs.
"Good morning boys," she greeted us cheerfully, walking over to the stove for a cup of coffee.
"Mornin'" we both echoed back to her. I watched her carefully for any more signs of sickness. Judgin' by how quick she came down after me, I guessed she got up right after I left.
"You ready for today Ana?" Jim asked.
She had her back to us so I couldn't read her expression. "Absolutely," she replied clearly, determination filling her voice. "I'm borderline excited to get ready to roll."