When Alex awoke, the first thing she noticed, her first thoughts were strangely of Aaron. And as a faithful guardian, there he sat next to her bed, gently dosing across her hand. She had never taken the time to notice how gorgeous he really was. His dark hair was swept back, allowing her to judge for the first time his Bohemian complexion. She also knew behind his darkness was a pair of delicate blue eyes. What on earth possessed him to stay the night here, kneeling awaiting her waking? And then with the will to rise and get dressed came the pain and the remembrance. Tracing a finger down her stomach Alex could feel the thick bandages wadding up against her gown. There was a bottle of rum on the dresser, and lavender water in a bin. Aaron, in his other hand, held the soft cloth which he had wiped away her sweat. Alex strained to turn on her side, stirring Aaron awake. He studied her for a moment, and realized what she was doing.
"Miss! Please, don't move. You'll tear your stitches."
"Aaron...were you here all night?" The boy blushed a bit.
"I was Miss. You got a nasty cut in the smithy."
"Smithy?"
"Blacksmith, Miss." Alex placed a hand on his cheek, almost shocking herself into what she was about to admit.
"Please Aaron, I do not call you Mr. Address me as Alex...or Alexandria." He smiled warmly and lovingly for the first time, showing no awkwardness.
"Then, my dear Alexandria, please lie back and do not strain yourself."
"I won't Aaron, no need to fuss." Aaron placed a soft kiss on her palm, and another on her forehead.
"May I?" he asked and pulled back her covers to check her wrapping. "You look a lot better Alex, nice and pink which means you're healing fast." She smiled and once again stared into his ocean blue eyes.
"Aaron, you have always been here for me."
"I try."
"I have never felt myself or even imagined loving a man. But you, you don't love me for the glamor. You love me for my heart, and you have for a long time now. Why didn't you ever say anything?" He leaned back into his chair, lowering his head.
"I did. Every day I offered you flowers, words of kindness. They told me you were not interested in a suitor, the towns. But, I knew you would warm up to me sooner or later. And later it was." Aaron leaned in to her, brushing back a strand of her hair. Maybe that was what she was always waiting on, someone who offered her time. Aaron had waited so long, and now was she finally letting herself go? They were so close, their breath a hairline apart. His lips gently touched her. She leaned in to his embrace.
"Aaron..." Suddenly, the door bursted open, revealing Elizabeth and a handsome character behind her.
"Oh dear! Was I interrupting? I'm always barging in at the wrong time." Elizabeth started to back out, but was caught by the man who Alex now remembered from the night before.
"Lizabeth my love, the two were just embracing the new birds and bees. Now, shall we enter and make our selves com and forted." Elizabeth swatted away his hand in remote disgust.
"The only reason you want in here Jack Sparrow is you remember we left the rum by Alex's bed."
"Captain dammit, and yes, I do remember a bit of the brew lying next to our dear and almost departed Alexandra...Alexandra something." Jack took Aaron's seat beside Alex and allowed himself to examine her wounds without warning.
"Excuse me!" said Alex, " Since when the bloody hell did I give you permission to observe my...parts?" He looked up at her, his face mildly amused.
"Since this dear old Captain was the one who pieced you back together last night. Had it not been for me you would've laid here till your last stroke of life which would not have been as glorious as planned. You would never have woke up to your little whipping boy here either, so please, amuse me and allow me the sight of your wound." He, as Aaron commented on the color and agreed she was healing nicely. Jack leaned back into his chair and stared at Alex for the longest time. He recognized her from somewhere, her eyes, all too eery. He felt for sure she was significant in one way or another. He loved the way she raised her chin in a certain Amazonian fierceness, and dabbled in the pleasure of evoking it often. Helping himself to the rum as expected, he offered Elizabeth a seat on the bed, in which she reluctantly accepted.
"I hate to admit it as much as anyone Alex, but Jack here did help you in a way none of us could've." Jack nodded his tattered hat, and took a generous portion of the bottle. Elizabeth nervously tried to straighten out the wrinkles in the sheets.
"William should be arriving back anytime now. I wish he had taken you with him Jack, there was quite a bit of damage done to the town." Alex perked.
"Damage? Was anyone injured?"
"Plenty," said Aaron, "Almost half of Port is in ruins. Whoever it was, they burnt down my mother's tavern, and the flower stand. Also, the bakery is missing windows, smithy needs a new wall. Hell, Commodore Norrington is in need of a new house all together. It had to be pirates. And how funny the only pirate ship, seen a hundred miles near here, was the Black Pearl..." Jack straightened in his chair and stared down the boy.
"Listen to me son, putting blame on a Captain who deserves none whatsoever is a risky deal."
"So sorry...Captain Sparrow. What I meant to do was threaten."
"Why you little..."
"You and your crew of bloodthirsty sea dogs burnt down the only home I've ever known! My mother, my poor mother mind you, is losing her mind with worry! Now we have to move like the rest of the citizens in order to find new jobs to pay for the damage done! You ruined Port Royal and everything it had in store for us!" Aaron held his arm to swing towards Jack. Jack, caught it with ease. His older eyes stared at the young man, and saw a portion of himself.
"You listen to me boy, I may be a pirate but I am in within standards of a respectable man. I didn't do this mate, and I never had the intentions of coming to do so. You are not the only young man who's had to suffer the idea of supporting a family and carrying on with a new life and you sure as hell won't be the last. But, seeking revenge in doing so gets you nowhere. So do us all a favor and in the mean time stay sitting down and closed mouthed. Savvy?" Jack lightly nudged Aaron's chin up, causing him to jerk at the pirate's touch. Jack returned to his seat, new conversation at hand.
"In all honesty dear Lizabeth, I haven't one idea who could've came and gone so fast. The only ship in the entire Caribbean's with that touch of speed is the Pearl, which leads me to believe a rouge troupe from the French lands has made its way south. Bit of a stretch, I know, but it's the only possibility at the moment." As Jack continued on, Alex was staring at Aaron. His words were, he was leaving Port Royal. His family had nowhere near the money of the Turners. Their recovery would not be as easy. She hated to admit the feeling of helplessness, loneliness, and the exaggeration of what some might call love. But it was there, in his eyes.
"...they call themselves Dupont. Captain's an old friend from when I was a wee cabin boy. Lizabeth, I'm not gonna blow smoke up your dress. If this is the man of destruction, we have more to worry about than a few broken doors." Jack narrowed his eyes at Alex. He leaned in towards her face, which she did not notice. His words made her jump.
"You seem a little distracted, scared?"
"Of course not. Will will certainly care for us."
"Really? And you do not believe I'm need here any longer?"
"Never said such a thing." His breath was hot on her skin.
"Didn't have to." The door opened about that time, revealing William. His shirt was covered in soot, hair slick with sweat. And his face was exhaustion.
"69 injured...12 dead. Horses, cattle, chickens, even the damn dogs are dead." Alex shut her eyes, letting tears roll down. Those words included sweet Abby. Elizabeth approached her husband.
"William...who are the deceased?"
"The Marriots, old barren couple, Ben and Mary Helden and their little boy, Ms. Creavy and her four kids...and...Norrington's wife." Elizabeth gasped.
"Plus, their only child. Little girl, barely three years old." The room was quite silent, even Jack removed his hat. So much was lost in one night. And no one was ready. Or as prepared as they needed to be. They had slaughtered the children, the women, only two men. Who could hold such a grudge against this small town? Was there even enough history here to start such a brawl? Finally, Aaron stood and walked towards the door.
"My family needs me. I'm leaving tonight." He stared into the eyes of Alex.
"I'm sorry." His last whispered words, and then he left. Alexandria beheld the sun out the window. She would never see him again. How fast their past had grown and their future died. Jack laid a hand on her arm.
"Look towards the horizon love, you're in for a whole new venture." And he was right. The next day, Alex was walking. And by the next week, she found herself aboard the Pearl. With no intention of returning to shore.