This is Prompt No. 21-Gamble
….."Shane!" Mitchie gasped, her eyes as wide as saucers.
For a moment, Mitchie was sure that she must be dreaming. Having resigned herself to the fact that Shane was not going to come for her, he was the last person she had expected to see just hours before her execution. She pressed herself further against the wall, apprehension setting in. Perhaps this was a trick of Victoria's to gather more information. Mitchie peered through the darkness, examining this man before her and trying to deduce whether or not he was an impostor.
"Mitchie?" he asked softly, as though he was afraid to approach her. She noticed that his voice was barely a whisper and realized that he was trying not to wake the two jailers.
She hesitated. His voice sounded so familiar, so wonderfully familiar, that she found herself taking a step forward. The action aided her in seeing the man in front of her a little more clearly. Yes, this was Shane, she realized. No one could be separated from her for so many months and still have such a look of love on his face as he did right now. No one could look at her with that same look while she was dirty, ragged, and bruised, and not truly love her.
"Shane," she whispered, and took a step towards him, arms outstretched. In two strides, he was picking her up, whirling her around and covering her cheeks with kisses.
After a moment, though, Shane set her down and whispered, "We have to get you out of here." He was clinging to her as he said it, and Mitchie realized that he didn't want to let go of her anymore than she wanted to let go of him.
Sanity returned and she asked, "How did you get in here?"
Shane shrugged. "I gambled," he told her with a grin. He hurriedly explained how he had taken a chance and tricked the guards, and had then flown through the castle to get to the dungeon. "We have to go," he said again, ending his story. "The others are waiting."
Mitchie responded in a way that he hadn't expected. With all the force she could, she slapped him across his face. The force of the blow, coupled with the surprise Shane felt from the action, forced his whole head to the side and he gave a short little gasp of shock. Both of them paused to see if the jailers would wake, but when they didn't, Mitchie hissed, "How could you be so stupid?"
Shane blinked as he took in her furious expression. His utter surprise was clearly etched across his face and he raised one hand to touch his stinging cheek. "What was that for?" he asked. "How am I being stupid?"
Mitchie glared at him and responded, "You should know better than to risk your life like this! You shouldn't be here. You shouldn't have gambled your life away for me!"
It took a moment for her words to set in, but when they did, Shane's face grew red with anger. He grabbed Mitchie by her shoulders and pushed her gently up against the wall. "You listen to me," he told her in a voice that dared her to refuse. "You listen, and you listen well. You are my life. I wouldn't be able to live without you. Of course I came for you! Don't be so stupid."
Mitchie blinked for a moment, processing his words, and then threw her arms around him and held him tightly, burying her face in his chest. He smelled exactly the way she had remembered him to, and the familiar smell made everything seem more real in some minuscule way. "Oh Shane," she whispered.
Realizing that he had gotten through to her, Shane responded eagerly, wrapping his arms around her and holding her as tightly as he could until she whimpered in protest. He set her down, casting her an apologetic glance, and whispered, "Now, we really have to go."
Mitchie nodded and lifted one leg and then the other so that Shane could remove the shackles that he been secured around her ankles with the keys that he had lifted from Lonnie's pocket. Gingerly, Shane placed the shackles on the floor and then guided Mitchie out of the cell that had been her prison for the past months.
She winced as she hurried alongside him, trying to hobble on her broken leg. Shane noticed and slowed a little. "Sorry," he whispered each time she winced. She knew that time was not on their side, but she couldn't help the pain that hurrying brought her.
They made it to the stairs leading up from the dungeon and Shane motioned for Mitchie to move ahead of him. She made it up the first few stairs before she had to stop, breathless from the exertion. Shane was trying his hardest to close the dungeon door quietly, but the door kept protesting every couple of inches, making it hard for him to proceed. Mitchie watched as sweat broke out on his forehead as he tried to keep the door from banging or making too much noise.
Finally, the door closed with a low thud. Shane and Mitchie waited for a moment, tense, to see if the jailers would wake up. All remained quiet, though, and Shane used the keys to lock the door from the outside. Without speaking, he turned and picked Mitchie up, one arm wrapped around her tiny waist, and the other under her knees. Then, he jogged up the stairs and set her down safely on the landing.
"Can you walk?" he whispered to her, searching her face for signs of hesitancy or pain.
Mitchie nodded. "Yes," she said softly, steeling herself against the pain she knew would come if she did.
Shane nodded. "Good." He looked her up and down and winced, obviously hurt by what he saw. "We'll get you to a doctor soon," he promised her, "but for now-"
"We have to go," Mitchie finished for him.
Shane smiled widely at her. "I've mentioned that before, haven't I?"
Mitchie smiled as well. "Once or twice," she said.
Shane gave her hand a squeeze, and then they were slinking through the palace, ducking past a soldier here, hiding behind a tapestry there. Mitchie was out of breath by the time Shane abruptly yanked her through a doorway and led her down the short stairway into the kitchen.
As soon as Mitchie entered the kitchen, she froze. So many memories swept through her as she remembered the last time she had been in this place. The hand holding Shane's tightened as the lone figure in the kitchen looked up at their arrival.
"Is she alright?" the young woman asked.
Mitchie's mouth opened slightly in surprise. "Alice?" she whispered, remembering the young cook that she had filled in for on the day she had been arrested.
Alice nodded. "It's me," she said softly. "My life wouldn't have been the same without you," she told Mitchie. "Gabe was angry at how many hours I worked, so he was going to call off our courting if I wasn't available that day that you helped me." She held up her hand and Mitchie saw the wedding band that adorned Alice's ring finger. "I owe our happiness to you," she said softly.
Shane watched the scene with a smile on his face. His Mitchie, ever the helper to those who needed it. His heart soared as he watched Alice carefully hug Mitchie, and then, all he could think about was the urgent need to kiss his wife. He cleared his throat, a distraction as he cleared his head. "We should be going," he said regretfully.
"Of course," Alice said softly, stepping back from the hug. She smiled at Mitchie. "Go, and Godspeed."
Mitchie nodded and moved toward the door, Shane right behind her. "Goodbye," she said as she stepped out the door. Though she had not known Alice very well, Mitchie was disheartened to know that she would probably never see her again, and there would be no way for them to correspond since all letters at the court were examined.
"Goodbye," Alice whispered, and then she was gone, the door closing and obscuring her from the Grays' view.
Shane, without saying a word, took Mitchie's hand and squeezed it affectionately, silently offering his support. "Come on," he said gently, and then they were off again, running through the courtyards, sliding into the shadows, and effectively slipping out of the gates without detection due to the diversions that had kept the guards busy elsewhere.
Shane led Mitchie as fast as possible through the heart of London, weaving through the town and avoiding the Watch. "Where are we going?" Mitchie gasped out, pulling Shane to a stop so that she could catch her breath for a moment.
"We're heading towards the port," Shane told her. He seemed pained to ask, but added, "It's just a little further. Are you alright that far?"
Mitchie nodded, telling herself that she could make it. She would make it. "I'm fine," she bravely told him. "Let's go."
They flew through the rest of the streets and were soon greeted by the fishy smell of the port. As the ships in their berths came in sight, Shane dropped Mitchie's hand and cupped his hands around his mouth. A sound very much like an owl's hoot issued forth, and almost instantly, a shadow stepped out from around a nearby establishment.
Mitchie shrank back, tensing, but Shane put a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright," he assured her. "He's a friend."
As the figure stepped closer and the light of the moon fell on him, Mitchie's eyes widened. "Jeff!" she cried.
Jeff nodded, smiling back at her with a slightly bashful look on his face. "Sorry I had to stretch the truth a bit," he apologized. "I didn't know if Shane was going to make it in time."
Mitchie smiled indulgently. "It's fine," she said softly, smiling at him as well.
"You didn't give up, though, did you?" Jeff asked with a grin.
Mitchie smiled and reached out to hug him. "No, I didn't," she said, "and it's all thanks to you."
Jeff blushed and stepped away from Mitchie, jerking his thumb in the direction of the sea. "The ship's ready to leave. You'd best get going."
Shane pulled Jeff into a handshake that morphed into a hug as well. "Thank you," he said softly. "Thank you for taking care of my wife."
Jeff returned the hug. "Anything for you," he said truthfully.
That statement struck a chord in Shane and he remembered what Caitlyn had said long ago. "There is one last thing I need from you."
Jeff nodded. "Anything," he said, and by his tone, Shane knew that he meant what he said.
Shane put a hand on Jeff's shoulder and said very seriously, "It might be difficult."
Jeff shook his head. "I can do it."
"It takes skills," Shane warned.
"I learned everything I know from you," Jeff countered.
Shane nodded and then said, "I need you to go back to your home. I need you to propose to that Amy of yours, and I need you to marry her. I need you to have a family, and live to an old age." He paused for a moment and then added softly, "I need you to live a full and complete life."
Jeff began to protest, and Shane knew that if he didn't put a stop to the missions, Jeff would never back down.
"No," Shane said forcefully, using a tone that he had never before used with Jeff. "There will be no more missions. There's nothing left for you in this life. You have a family and a girl that loves you. Make use of it." He gave Jeff a pat on the back. "For me," he added, knowing that that would be his leverage.
Jeff seemed to struggle for a moment, debating between the two worlds, both of which he wanted. Finally, after a long while, he nodded. "Very well," he said resignedly. "I'll do as you ask."
Shane pulled him into one last hug. "Thank you," he said. "You know where to write to. I expect progress reports." He winked to show that he was teasing and then turned to join Mitchie, who had hung back from the two young men, not wanting to intrude.
"Everything alright?" she asked.
Shane nodded. "Yes," he said. "Just clearing up some unfinished business." He smiled at her and asked, "Shall we go?"
Just as he spoke, a bell pealed in the distance. Jeff whirled around and the group watched in horror as more bell towers took up the chorus and lights started to come on in houses. "What's happening?" Mitchie cried, gripping Shane's arm tightly.
"The spy's escaped!!" someone called in the distance. "The spy's escaped!"
Jeff whirled back around and pushed Mitchie and Shane toward the ship. "You need to go, now," he told them.
The crew on deck scurried around, making the necessary last-minute preparations that needed to be done as Shane helped Mitchie scramble aboard. Safely on the ship, Mitchie and Shane came to the railing to wave to Jeff just as the ship began to drift out of port. They saw Jeff wave back and then slip into the shadows, appearing no more, even to their well-trained eyes.
"I taught him well," Shane said smugly, earning a half-hearted poking from Mitchie.
"You're silly," she said softly, hugging him even as she said it.
"Shall we go to our cabin?" Shane asked. "The captain secured some warm water for a bath."
Mitchie's eyes lit up. "A bath?" she asked excitedly. "An honest-to-goodness bath?"
Shane laughed and nodded. "Yes," he said. He moved some of her hair back off her neck and ran his fingers lightly over the bruises he found there, his touch feather soft. "Perhaps there will be more than just jail dirt to wash away."
Mitchie nodded, understanding that he meant the memories. "I agree," she said, taking his arm. "We should start right away."
Shane led the way down into the hull, not noticing the captain's worried look. He failed to notice that almost every sailor was glancing back at London, looking nervous, and he failed to notice the large navy ship that was just beginning to set sail.
"All hands on deck!" the captain called to his crew. "We're not out of this one just yet!"
A/N: UH OH!! Just as everything was going well, huh? LOL! Thanks so much for the reviews, guys. Keep them coming!!! Hope you enjoyed this long chapter. Tell me by reviewing!! :D
