The Boat That Rocked (Rocketshipping Fanfic)
Part Twelve
The trigger pulled back, the barrel lighting up as the bullet fired, Alphonse's lips thinning into a sneer, the noise of a gun ringing in his ears.
Jaime's eyes were suddenly dry, the last fallen tear shivering on her cheek. She threw her body at Alphonse, her hands pushing the gun aside, a yell forming in her throat.
"Go!"
James turned mid-step, his legs twisting underneath him, almost tripping him up, his body lurching forwards as he moved towards the door.
The Marowak was moving, Budge was moving, everything was moving so slowly.
The door was in reach, his fingertips so close – pain flared in his side, agony stabbing above his hip like claws slashing and fangs gorging into his skin. It burns.
He cried out, stumbling, but continued on, finally reaching the door and running out, down the corridor, down the stairs, out onto the road where Jaime's car was parked.
There were footsteps behind him and hands pushed him forwards, a voice shouting in his ear, "Get in, get in."
She's safe. Jaime propelled herself across the car bonnet, getting behind the wheel as James got into the passenger's seat.
Budge was rushing out of the apartment block, his bullet wound forgotten, blood weeping into his eye, a gun in his hands. Alphonse followed him out, his expression pure rage. He was shouting, yelling, screaming, but his words didn't reach him. Everything felt numb.
The car was moving.
The world outside was moving.
The streets were a blur as they drove through the night, the first morning light glowing on high windows, glass glinting as the city woke to another day.
"James?" she sounded so distant, and when he turned to look at her, his eyes couldn't focus.
It hurts.
"James, stay with me, okay? Stay with me."
Why does she sound so scared? Why does she…
His hand moved and pain flashed up his side. He lifted his hand. Why is my palm red?
"Jaime…" he mumbled.
"What is it, James?" she was grasping his arm, her other hand on the driving wheel, her eyes flickering back and forth between the road and him.
"What happened…?"
He was staring at his hand, the red liquid gleaming on his skin. This is blood. I'm bleeding.
"You got shot," Jaime's voice sounded loud. "I attacked Alphonse. We got away, okay? We're getting out of the city."
He pushed himself up to look out of the car window. The city was indeed fading away, the buildings becoming less and less, the crowds decreasing.
"Where are we going?"
Jaime was silent.
He waited for an answer and when minutes passed, he turned to look at her. Her lips were moving but he heard nothing.
He blinked but when his eyes opened again, the world had gone black. No, no, it's happening again. I don't want to go back. Please, don't leave me here, not again. I don't like the shadows, the shadows scare me. Jaime, please, help me. Someone, don't let them take me. Jessie, please…don't leave me here…
-#-
James shot out of bed, his feet hitting the ground hard, his eyes blinded by the light that glared brightly in the room. Pain struck him and he fell to the floor, using the bed for support as he groaned, holding his side.
Hands suddenly surrounded him and he looked up to meet a pair of blue eyes. Jessie?
"What are you doing?!"
"Jaime?" he blinked, ducking his head, looking at the ground. Why did I think it was Jessie? Why Jessie, after all this time?
"Get back into bed, you can't push yourself."
Jaime helped him crawl on the bed, pulling the covers over him. She sat beside him, her cool fingers touching his cheek, leaning down to touch her forehead to his, her gaze so clear and beautiful that he reached out, his lips kissing hers.
After a few seconds, she pulled back but kept close, a gentle smile warming her expression.
"How long have I been out?" he asked.
"It's been a few days. You lost quite a lot of blood – I was so scared that you wouldn't wake up."
A pang of fear hit him, making him swallow, almost gasp for air.
"James?"
"It's alright," he starting running his fingers through her hair. "I was just reminded of when I was in a coma."
She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. "You remember that?"
"Not really," he spoke quietly. "It's just…I had a sense of something." Shadows. The shadows took me and I was left alone.
He frowned. His mind was straining, once again his thoughts and memories lost in a murky lake, a deep unforgiving fog that stole everything away.
James cleared his throat, trying to distract himself. "So, what's the battle wound like?"
He felt her laugh, a small quiet chuckle. "It'll scar, but you're past the worst of it. I got a doctor to stitch you up."
The room suddenly moved, the ground rising, the light shining through the window growing, the shadows shrinking back.
James struggled to sit up, leaning on his elbows. Jaime moved back, her hand still on his chest, prepared to stop him if she needed to. "Where are we?"
"We're on a boat," she said, motioning towards the porthole window with a jerk of her chin. "Alphonse and Team Rocket will be chasing us down and we needed to get away as soon as possible."
James had a strange feeling and studied the room. It looked like a small infirmary with the medicine-filled cabinet and the white-washed bed covers.
"A boat to where?"
Jaime looked excited and she straightened, clapping her hands together. "It's gonna be great – the perfect place to go to! It's in the middle of nowhere and it's pretty cut off."
The strange feeling wouldn't leave him and he repeated his question. "A boat to where, Jaime?"
She seemed confused by his tone and she reached for her bag in the chair beside them. She opened it up and searched inside, bringing out a map. She unfolded it and laid it across his stomach. She pointed to a red circle that she had obviously drawn on.
"Here." She was looking at him, expectant, waiting for his approval.
But James went cold.
"Here?" he repeated, his voice shaky.
Jaime nodded, a grin spreading across her face. "Alphonse or Team Rocket will never find us here."
She packed up the map, not waiting for any other kind of response from him. "The captain said we should arrive soon." She stood up, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I'm just gonna go and thank the crew – they helped me with you when we got on. It's a ferry with a lot on it but they still allowed us to use the infirmary."
Jaime turned and left, the door clicking shut behind her.
James bowed his head, gripping the bed covers in clenched fists. Ferry? Somewhere where we'll be able to outrun Alphonse and Team Rocket? That place on the map? It couldn't be… right?
-#-
James stepped off the boat onto the dock, the concrete ground pushing back hard against the soles of his shoes. One hand held his side, the other touching the rim of his hat, pulling it down over his face.
Jaime linked her arm with his, her face almost shining with pure happiness. She feels free.
"Why the cowboy hat, huh?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow.
She glanced up at him, closing on eye against the sun behind him. "It's cool, ain't it? It suits you."
He couldn't help but return the smile she gave him and shrugged. "If you say so."
She started pulling him along and the two walked down the dock, entering the port and leaving the ferry behind.
James watched the expression on Jaime's face, watching her joy, her childlike glee at discovering a new place.
She feels free.
But I feel like I've willingly walked right back into my cage.
As the two walked into the edge of the port, a man approached them. "You 'ere as tourists?" he asked them.
Jaime spun around, her arm tightening around his. "Ah, um…" she glanced up at him. "We're thinking of moving here."
"That so? Well, it's a nice place to live 'ere. Sure the 'appy couple will love it 'ere." The man smiled a toothless smile and moved away.
Jaime released his arm and skipped onto the empty road, doing a small spiral on her toes before turning to him, spreading her arms wide.
"We'll be happy here, yeah? We'll be safe."
James hesitated, his entire body wanting to grab that toothless man and demand a ticket back to the mainland before the ferry left.
But Jaime's expression stopped him.
He smiled, tilting his head to the side. "The happy couple will love it here."
She rushed up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, being careful of his wound. "I love you, James Cathcart.
"And I love you, Jaime Durand." He mumbled into her hair as he kissed the top of her head.
"We'll be happy." She murmured into his chest, as if repeating the words made it more real.
James looked up, scanning the empty street. But I know who won't be happy.