So sorry this has taken me forever to get this up. I've been having to write stuff for my creative writing class. My professor pushed up the deadline by like a month. I had to write two short stories to write in a manner of two weeks, and I was incredibly blocked. Anyways, I did manage to slowly work on this chapter. And now for acknowledgements. I would like to thank the following people who followed, favorited, reviewed the last chapter: justwonderingwhoiam, Pupluver43, jenni10121, mrusserey, screamlikeabanshee, lilybelle101, xenocanaan, AeydenOrion, xForgottenxFlamex, DominaUmbra666, and piercethedead. I appreciate everyone who read. I love you all very, very much. Onto the chapter!
Enchanted Forest – Past
Killian closed the door to Isabel's room as quietly as he could. Sneaking down the stairs, he found William sitting at the table in the kitchen. The older man sipped at a cup of water while looking over his orders list. The boy stood awkwardly to the side, watching the second father figure in his life. He admired William. After everything he had been through, William managed to get by. He even refused to take any sort of donations. Killian learned that the hard way. After a particularly good trip out, he tried to pay the man back for giving him somewhere to stay. William refused to take it, and for over two hours they argued about what Killian was going to do with his share of the treasure. Finally, William agreed to take the money but only if he could save it and give it back to Killian when he and Isabel got married. Money for William and Isabel was incredibly tight because William had gotten sick and couldn't work. Isabel even offered to take on a job, at least until William was back on his feet. He wouldn't hear of it. Most families in the village utilized their children, sending them off daily to work on farms or in the market. William said his daughter was far too delicate for that sort of thing. He wanted to make do with what they had, and when Killian tried to offer the money to Isabel instead, she refused to take it. Her father's mind was made up. They weren't going to change it for him.
"Don't just stand there," William spoke up. "Pull up a chair and sit with me. Or, grab that broom and finish Isabel's chores. I don't care. Just don't fucking stand there watching me."
Killian nodded, taking the broom. He figured some sort of movement would keep him from completely chickening out of what he needed to ask William. He wanted to know about the locket, and he knew that it was kind of a touchy subject for him. As it was the only thing left of Isabel's mother, it meant something to both of them. For Isabel, it was her mother. For William, there were a lot more memories associated with it. According to Isabel, it was the only thing her father ever needlessly bought, and he bought it as a wedding present for his wife. Isabel told him about how all she could remember about her mother was that she always wore the locket.
"What's on your mind?" William asked. Killian's eyes widened for a moment, and William just laughed. "You obviously want something. Spit it out."
The young boy continued to sweep. He nodded at William, realizing that it was probably best to get it over with. Something about making the second father figure in his life relive any bad memories he may have seemed wrong. Bringing up the necklace would make him remember things he pushed to the back of his mind. One night when William and Killian were up late, William had a little too much to drink. The mere mention of Isabel's mother launched him into a tirade about her death. Celeste died suddenly with no explanation.
"You aren't going to ask to marry Isabel, are you?" William asked.
Killian shook his head. "Not yet."
William gave him a suspicious look. "Then why do you look like you're about to pass out?"
"Isabel's necklace. I was wondering if maybe you could draw it for me," he said quietly.
The older man froze. Killian hated to think about what might be going through William's mind. Still, William raised himself from his chair and walked over to a desk. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a piece of kohl and a roll of parchment. He quietly returned to the table and began sketching something on the parchment. "I take it you need this for something important? Not just a pretty picture."
Killian nodded. "Aye. I want to find it for her."
"Why?" William asked. "It's probably long gone by now. Sold or buried or lost. Why bother with something that is most likely going to prove futile?"
"Because I love her, and I want to prove to her that I do," Killian answered simply with a shrug. To him, his reasons couldn't have been easier. Love had driven him to do many things when it came to Isabel. It wasn't just that Captain Finnegan sent him on the easier jobs. He actually turned down any opportunities to switch with his shipmates. Many of them had given up love for a life of piracy, and he was hoping one day to give up piracy for love. Should Isabel deem him worthy enough to marry, he would retire. He would give up a life of adventure for her. She probably would never ask that for him so he would surely have to make the decision on his own.
"Haven't you already proven yourself to her?" William held the piece of parchment out as if scrutinizing it.
Killian shook his head. "No. I don't think I have."
"You fought for her. Isn't that proof enough?" The older man set the parchment back on the table, not looking up at Killian.
"She doesn't know about it. I've been…keeping her from going to town," Killian said sheepishly.
"Well that's just stupid," William told him. "If she knew about it, maybe you wouldn't have me sketching the locket."
Killian shrugged. That was a good question. It was very difficult to keep Isabel from wandering into town, and he was sure she was finding ways to still go. Asking her to go to the river was the only way he could get her to forget about the village long enough. They would take a blanket and sit by the water for most of the day, just basking in the fact that they were together. Sometimes they would play tag. Other times they would talk about their childhood. Killian would do anything to keep her from wanting to run into any of the village gossips. He had heard what was going around about the duel, and Terence was not making it any better. Killian watched him sulk about town, bemoaning how he had lost to a coward. He would defend himself if distracting Isabel wasn't a full time job. Of course, Killian enjoyed spending whatever time he got with her. With his departure looming, he was happy to have time with her.
Isabel gave it a full five minutes before she was sure both Killian and her father were downstairs. Luckily, they were distracted enough to not notice when she dropped from the second story of the house to the ground outside the kitchen window. She carefully peeked over the window sill to make sure they weren't paying attention. Then she darted in the direction of the town. Staying at the house so much had been truly stifling. It was nice to go to the river almost every day, but then Killian would want to go home and stay there for the rest of the night. They had already been to the river that day, which meant Killian would not want to leave the house again until the following day. So she pretended to be incredibly tired. He hadn't even questioned it. He just laid down with her, rubbing her back until she supposedly fell asleep. She felt bad for tricking him, but how else was she going to get away?
Once she got far enough away from home, she stopped tiptoeing. Breathing in the fresh air, she felt somewhat exhilarated to be free. Not free. Just out. As much as she loved Killian, there were times when she needed time to herself. When he left, she would hate that time to herself, but given the fact he hadn't left her side since his return, she needed just an hour. He didn't like going into town because of the whispering behind their backs. Isabel didn't mind it as much. To her, the gossip just meant people were jealous of them. She always believed people were more jealous of their love than they were that she had him or he had her. It also didn't hurt that the older people in the village compared her and Killian to her parents. They always said that she was too much like Celeste. It was her vivacity and determination. No one ever actually believed that Celeste was good enough for William or the Smith name, but William and Celeste's love for one another could not be broken. Because of this, Isabel didn't mind when people would whisper about them.
"Is!" a high-pitched voice called out to her once she set foot in the village. Isabel looked around to see Penelope running towards her. The redhead scooped her up into a tight hug, knocking the wind from Isabel. "Oh, Is! I thought something had happened to you! I haven't seen you in so long! I thought that horrid pirate had killed you or kidnapped you or something just…just horrible!"
Isabel tried to pry the younger girl from her. "Why…why on earth would you think that?"
"Haven't you heard?" Penelope asked, releasing Isabel.
"Heard what?" Isabel raised an eyebrow at the girl.
"He attacked Terence for no reason," Penelope whispered.
"Don't be ridiculous, Penny. He's been with me this entire time," Isabel laughed.
"No. The other day. It was at like dawn or something," Penelope told her. "Terence was by the river and the next thing he knew, Killian was there telling him to stop getting all goony eyed whenever you would pass. He attacked him. Threatened to kill Terence if he didn't beg for his life."
"That's…no. Killian wouldn't do that," Isabel shook her head.
Penelope nodded. "It's all over the market. Terence hasn't been the same since."
Isabel crossed her arms over her chest and looked around the market. "Where is Terence?"
"He's around. Been sulking for days. He's really jumpy like he's just waiting for Killian to pop up behind him for another go," Penelope answered.
Isabel scanned over the market. Off in a corner, Terence sat on a stool outside of the bakery. His downcast gaze told her something was wrong with him, but he could have easily just been sick. "Right. Well, I'm going to go see what Terence has to say. You know how word is around the market, Penny."
She didn't let Penelope respond. Instead, she immediately headed in Terence's direction. As she walked towards him, the baker came out with a basket of bread for Terence to deliver. He looked up at her for just a second, and the look of terror that followed gave Isabel all the information he needed. Killian hadn't attacked him. It was the other way around, or he had started the rumor. Her pace picked up as he tried to get away from her quickly. She let him deliver the bread, but the second he turned to start back for the bakery, she stepped in his way.
"Terence!" she beamed. "Just the man I was looking for. Can we have a word?"
"Not now, Isabel," he mumbled.
"It'll only take a second," she told him, grabbing his wrist as he tried to brush past her.
"Isabel, I said not now," he frowned.
"And I said now," she argued. "You have some explaining to do I think."
"Please can it wait? I have deliveries today. A lot of them." He tried to move past her again.
"Then I'll accompany you. You can carry more if I help." She didn't have time to help him. Killian and her father were only going to buy that she was napping for so long. Terence huffed. It was the kind of huff that gave away he was giving in. Isabel took it as a sign to employ the only trick she knew worked on anyone. Her bottom lip poked out slightly, and her eyes seemed to grow in size. As she spoke, her voice had gone soft and sweet. "Please. It really won't take that long." Terence couldn't even look away from her. His mouth opened slightly and he nodded dumbly. She grinned, and the two of them began walking. She gave it a few minutes; at least until they were on their way for another delivery. "Tell me about the other day with Killian."
Terence swallowed thickly, glancing down at her. "There's nothing to tell."
"Bullshit," she coughed.
"Fine. My feelings for you aren't exactly a secret." He waited for her to nod in confirmation. "I believe that I am better for you than he is, and I challenged him to a duel."
"A duel. With a pirate. Are you stupid?" she asked. Then she bit her lip, realizing she probably shouldn't be too harsh with him if she was going to get down to whether or not Killian actually threatened his life. "Continue."
"I tricked him into meeting me by the river. I let him believe that you were waiting for him," Terence went on. "We fought for you. Whoever won would have you. As you said, I'm stupid and believed I would win. I did not. I asked him to kill me since I couldn't have you."
"Why would you do that?" Isabel demanded. It sounded silly coming from him. He wanted to die because he had lost her. She was never his to lose, though. It didn't' seem worth it, yet he admitted to asking Killian to end his life.
"Because I have loved you since the moment I met you, Isabel. I know you do not share my feelings, but given enough time, you may one day," he said quietly.
"No. I won't," she answered sadly. "Killian is my true love, Terence. As long as he is in this world and I am living, nothing will change that. Even if something were to happen, my heart would never fully belong to you. I care for you, but I care for you as a friend, as a brother. No one in this town sees it. Killian is honorable, and despite what everyone wants to believe, I love him with all of myself."
Terence nodded. "I figured as much."
"One day you're going to meet someone who will make you forget all about me," she told him.
"I doubt that," he sighed.
"You will, and you'll wonder why you ever thought I was it for you." She turned to him, handing the basket of bread to him. "And I hope you find that person. I hope she's just as wonderful as you seem to think I am. I hope she's everything you've ever wanted, but I'm not. I can't be."
They said their goodbyes. Isabel hurried home. She had maybe an hour before Killian checked in on her.
The house was silent. Isabel sat up in bed, listening for any sound to break the quiet. A few minutes passed and nothing caught her attention. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she got up quickly. She rushed over to her dresser, running a brush through her hair. She didn't want to chicken out. As she stared in the mirror, she wondered if what she was about to do would change things; if she and Killian were going to change. Isabel tiptoed to the door, opening it slightly. The faint glow of a candle shined up the stairs from the first floor, and she figured her father had fallen asleep downstairs again. As quietly as she could, she slipped out of her room. Killian's room was across the hall, and Isabel silently crossed the floor. Lifting her hand to knock, she hesitated. Knocking might alert Killian, but it might also alert her father. She didn't want to explain anything to William. It was better if he didn't know. Grasping the doorknob, she held her breath and turned it. She lucked out. The tattletale knob kept its groans to itself, as did the door.
Darkness filled her eyes for a moment. Except for just a tiny bit of the moon shining in, Killian kept it rather dark. He liked it that way. He said it reminded him of a ship below the deck. He explained once that the darkest place he'd ever been was the crew's quarters when the lights were all blown out. Anyone afraid of the dark might slip into madness. Isabel would have been one of those people. The dark didn't help her sleep at all. The darker it was in her room, the more her mind felt uneasy. As she stood at Killian's door, she had to remind herself that she was there for a reason. Still, while she gathered up even more courage, her hands stayed pressed to the door behind her.
Once she adjusted to the darkness, she padded over to the bed. The moon shined just enough on Killian that Isabel could make out his arm curled up, tucked underneath his head. She could see what part of his face was exposed, and she almost gasped at how beautiful he was. Reaching out, she brushed her fingertips over his jawline. His slight facial hair tickled, but she continued to stroke his chin. Then her fingertips ran along his pursed lips. For a second, she thought she felt him press a kiss to her fingers. When he didn't stir, she chalked it up to the darkness. As much as she enjoyed the peaceful look on his face, she needed him awake. She rubbed his arm gently and whispered his name. He stirred but only to pull the blanket over him more. Leaning in, she kissed his cheek.
"Killian," her voice just above a whisper. "Wake up, my love."
He groaned and turned over. "Isabel, go to bed."
Her heart fluttered. At least he had woken up. "I can't sleep. We need to talk."
"Can it wait for morning?" he asked groggily.
"No," she bit her lip. "It's time sensitive." And that it was. They only had that night, that moment really, for Isabel to do what she woke him up for.
He sat up and the moon revealed that he was shirtless. Isabel's breath hitched, but she quickly recovered. The bed shifted as he reached over to the nightstand. He lit the lamp on it, and a faint light flooded the room. The boy looked Isabel over, and what he saw was his usually confident girlfriend biting her lip out of nervousness. Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her softly. "What on your mind, love?"
She took his hand. "I know about Terence."
Terror covered his face. "H-how?"
"It doesn't matter," she shook her head. She scooted forward. "You fought for me."
"I-I had to," he stuttered. "I can't lose you. I won't lose you."
"No you won't," she smiled. Isabel brought his hand to her lips. "I love you, Killian, and I want to show you how much."
His eyes widened as she moved his hand down, leaving it over her heart. "I know how much you…"
She cut him off with a kiss. His hand fell, grabbing her by the waist to pull her close. They'd shared a few kisses that were as heated, but Isabel poured her soul into it. She climbed onto his lap. Her hands buried themselves in his hair, and as she tugged on it, he moaned. She pulled back, looking into his eyes. "Make me yours." It sounded like a desperate plea. Her heart belonged to him, but the need for him to make her his completely started to take over. She didn't want to think what would've happened had he lost. Instead, she would rather celebrate his victory. He earned the right to physically claim her. Even without being married, she wanted him to take his prize, but he pushed her away. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Wha-did I do something wrong?"
Killian shook his head while gasping for air. "No. I just…I can't do that."
"Why not?" she demanded.
"Because it wouldn't be right," he told her.
Isabel opened her mouth but shut it quickly. It wouldn't be right. She frowned, backing away from him further. He didn't want her. He didn't want her, and she stupidly made a fool of herself because she assumed he did. She didn't know what to tell him or what to say. She just knew he didn't want her. So she stood up and started backing away from the bed. "I…I'm just going to go."
"Wait. Is…" Killian closed his eyes. "Don't go."
"I'd really rather go," she said quietly.
"I want to, but…" he took a deep breath. "I would rather wait until we're married. You're not like the girls in the village, and I just think waiting is better. I love you too much to besmirch your name."
She swallowed thickly. He wanted to wait until they were married? It was never a questions of if they'd get married. When was the problem. They never talked about it in concrete detail. It was just something that was always going to happen. They never really questioned it. Killian wanting to wait certainly never came up in conversation, and until that night, neither of them really acknowledged sex as anything other than what everyone else did.
Killian stood up, walking over to Isabel. He took her face in his hands. Tilting her head up, his thumbs stroked over her cheeks. "You don't have to give yourself to me like that, Isabel. I want your heart more than I want your body."
She took a shaky breath. Even as he was still turning her down, his words made her feel light and warm. She cast her gaze down, and deep blush covered her cheeks. With only the lamp on the nightstand, it looked much darker than she'd like. "I should let you rest."
"No. Stay. I've always wondered what it would be like to wake up with you in my arms," he said sheepishly, blushing just as red.
"We take naps all the time, love," she giggled.
"But those are short, during the day, and not nearly as romantic as waking up to your beautiful face every morning," he chuckled.
"This is because you turned me down, isn't it?" she pushed him playfully.
"Little bit," he admitted with a shrug.
She shook her head. "You are ridiculous. And father would probably kill you."
"Would he? I don't think so. Come on, Isabel," he grinned. "I'll be nothing but a gentleman."
"That's obvious. Considering…" she trailed off.
"Yes, yes." He took her hand, pulling her back over to his bed. Sitting with her, he stroked her hair. "So…how do you know about Terence?"
"Like I said, love. It doesn't matter. It would only matter if I'm angry and I am not," she smiled.
"I still have to know," he insisted.
She shook her head. "Don't worry that pretty head of yours, Killian. It's not important."
"But it is," he sighed.
"One day. I'll tell you one day. That's all I'm going to tell you," she told him. "Now let's go to sleep, okay?"