"You really didn't have to go to all this trouble, Ang," Aladdin said as Angelica poured him a glass of orange juice.
"Oh stop. You kept guard of my sister, which in of itself is daunting," she said returning the pitcher of juice to the refrigerator.
"Didn't you thank me enough last night?" he asked, taking a big bite of the seafood omelet she had made him.
She sat across the island from him winked and smiled. She leaned forward to kiss him on the nose.
"I can't thank you enough. I know you had to persuade your dad to do this. And it really means a lot to me."
Aladdin blushed, unsure of what to say.
"You know I'd do anything for you, Ang."
Her stomach filled with butterflies, knowing she had such a caring boyfriend.
"You're so sweet to me."
Aladdin winked.
Angelica hadn't really given her feelings for Aladdin much thought, other than she cared about him deeply. She didn't expect their relationship. She thought for a moment they should talk about it but chickened out and decided to change the subject.
"So, what's your next job?"
Aladdin shook his head.
"I'm not sure. I haven't talked to my dad about it yet. I'm sure he has something lined up."
"Hopefully it's a little more exciting than Royal Hall," Angelica teased.
"And less strange."
Angelica furrowed her brow.
"What do you mean?"
"He kept asking me about my dad and Pocahontas."
"Why would he do that?"
Aladdin shrugged his shoulders.
"I have no idea. I was just glad Royal walked in and the subject changed entirely. It just was really weird."
"Rolfe doesn't have a past with your dad, does he?"
Aladdin shook his head.
"My dad didn't live here when Rolfe was in town working for Ratcliffe."
Aladdin took a swig of orange juice. Angelica was racking her brain trying to come up with any possible reason, when Esmeralda came stumbling out of her bedroom in a silk emerald robe, her hair tied back in a pink scrunchy.
"What smells?" Esmeralda asked, looking a little unwell.
"Good morning, Es. Are you okay?" Angelica asked. "What some breakfast?"
Esmeralda walked into the kitchen, directly to the coffee maker.
"That depends. Is that what smells like death?"
"Your sister made me a seafood omelet," Aladdin responded, taking one last bite.
Esmeralda covered her mouth with her hands, holding back a wretch.
"No thank you. I'll stick with coffee. I don't seem to have an appetite this morning."
Angelica rolled her eyes.
"We do have some news for you, sis."
Esmeralda took a sip of her coffee.
"Oh yeah? Are Clopin and I going to be fighting over what your old room is going to be?"
Angelica was mortified when she saw Aladdin's shocked expression. She knew it was too soon to broach the subject. Instead of panicking, she went another direction.
"No, silly. Aladdin and Flynn won't be following you around anymore," Angelica said, diverting the subject.
Esmeralda's eyes darted from Angelica to Aladdin.
"What do you mean?"
"Norrington told Frollo he wasn't going to use you to get to Jack," Aladdin responded, wiping his chin and taking his plate to the sink.
"So your armed escort has been called off and you can see Jack again and won't be so grumpy in the mornings."
Esmeralda took another sip of coffee, contemplating the situation. Part of her wanted to rush back to her room and find her phone so she could call Jack and tell him she was on her way over. She hadn't been sleeping well at night not being able to see or talk to him. She knew this was good news for them, but she couldn't shake the doubt. The sinking feeling in her stomach that even though Norrington wasn't going to be a problem for her anymore, Frollo still could be.
Jack was having a similar thought as he and Will attended one last debriefing at Cassim's. Derek Royal thought it would be good for Jack and Will to get some information from Cassim and his men just in case anything else arose before they set sail in a few days. Jack and Will sat in Cassim's grand dining room at his long table across from two of Cassim's men while Cassim sat at the head of the table.
Jack couldn't hide the exciting stirring of warm feelings in his stomach when Phoebus sent him a text yesterday afternoon, but he knew there was still danger afoot. He could smell it. At this morning's briefing, he was hoping to gently persuade Cassim to keep his men guarding Esmeralda, at least until he set sail.
But alas, Cassim was not willing to be as negotiable.
"Men like Frollo don't back down quite so easily, mate," Jack said, trying to keep calm and hide his fear for Esmeralda.
"I understand but if Rolfe's campaign is no longer funding this operation, I can't very well supply men to protect her," Cassim responded taking a sip of coffee.
He cleared his throat.
"And from what I've been told by Omid and Yazan here," he gestured toward the two men sitting across from Jack and Will, "Esmeralda doesn't want the protection."
"Oh yes. She has quite the temper. I was more afraid of her than I was of this man Frollo," Omid spoke up.
Will saw Jack's dark eyes dart from Cassim to his men, unsure of what he would say next.
"Name your price," Jack said without a second thought.
That was not what Will was expecting.
Will turned to him, surprised. Jack was a pirate. A smuggler. A hunter of gold. He had never known Jack to throw around money in reference to a woman unless he was paying for that woman's services. Will knew Jack well enough to know that he was not only serious about his offer to Cassim, but that he was serious about Esmeralda.
"I'm sure he doesn't even know," Will thought to himself.
Will knew if he didn't get Jack out of there now, Jack was about to do something stupid and not at all Sparrow-like.
"Jack, I think they've made their position pretty clear," Will spoke up.
Jack turned to Will very annoyed.
"Did I ask for your opinion?"
"Well, no. But Jack - "
"Then know your place, William."
"I suggest you take the advice of your second in command, Sparrow," Cassim added.
Just before Jack responded, Will saw the writing on the wall.
"Time to go," Will uttered, grabbing Jack by the shirt and pulling him up.
"You've been a lovely host this morning, Cassim. We appreciate all your efforts and those of your men," Will said, dragging Jack out of the dining room and into the foyer toward the front door.
"Have you gone absolutely mad?" Will harshly whispered as soon as they were out of ear shot.
"To what are you referring?" Jack retorted as he pulled Will's fingers from tugging his shirt as if they were grimy germs.
Will rolled his eyes and motioned toward the door.
"At Cassim's prices, we cannot afford to him. Even if it is to protect as you have so well articulated it in the past 'your bonnie lass.'"
Will waited for Jack to respond as they stood on the front porch of Cassim's house. Jack was staring into space as if Will hadn't just said that Jack had a woman he wanted to risk his entire fortune for.
"We haven't exhausted all options yet, mate."
Will furrowed his brow.
"Exactly what does that mean, Jack?"
"My dear William, I believe this moment is precisely the opportune moment in which we are to reveal a certain secret about a certain mayoral candidate to the proper parties. Savvy?"
"Jack. Be rational. We leave in a few days. I'm sure Esmeralda will be fine. You have to remember, Flynn and Aladdin are still her friends. They will still protect her."
"And what about Anya?"
"What about Anya?
"What would you do if it were Anya in this precarious predicament?"
Will froze. He had no words.
"Thought not," Jack responded, knowing his answer.
"Well then, off to Royal Hall, we go!"
Will had an idea that he knew would divert Jack's plan.
"How about some rum first?"
Jack's ears perked up at the sound of his first love – rum.
And the two headed to Pridelands for a brunch cocktail.
Back at the Teach apartment, Aladdin was getting ready to leave, too.
"Can't you stay for a little while longer?" Angelica asked, partially whining.
"I wish I could, babe. But my dad wants to go over the final report from guarding your sister. I have to go get Flynn," Aladdin responded.
The two stood in front of the apartment door, fiddling with each other's fingers and staring longingly into each other's eyes. Esmeralda rolled her eyes watching them stretch out their goodbye as long as humanly possible.
"If I already didn't have an appetite," she thought, "I definitely don't now."
"I promise, I'll hit you up later and we can have dinner together," Aladdin said, gently caressing Angelica's cheek with his thumb.
Angelica smiled.
"Perfect. Have a good day, babe," she said before kissing him.
And with that Aladdin was gone.
Esmeralda couldn't help but chuckle watching her moon-eyed little sister.
"What's so funny?"
Esmeralda stifled a full on laugh.
"Oh. Nothing. You two are just...cute. That's all," Esmeralda responded.
Angelica rolled her eyes.
"Well at least I'm not throwing plates," Angelica said, grabbing her phone and her purse.
Esmeralda raised an eye brow.
"What does that mean?"
Angelica headed for the door.
"Figure it out, sis,. I have photos to edit and clients to see," said winking and laughing to herself as she ran right into Pocahontas leaving at the same time.
"Oh! Oops. I'm sorry!" Angelica apologized.
"No, really. It's alright."
Angelica smiled.
"I'm sure you're happy now that Cassim's latest job is complete," Angelica said, as the two walked down the stairs together.
"Why do you say that?" Pocahontas curiously asked.
She didn't know what Angelica meant. Did Angelica somehow figure out that she and Rolfe have a past?
"You'll get to spend more time with him now."
Internally, Pocahontas breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh. Yes. Of course. I'm actually going to make him dinner tonight."
"That should be fun! I promise, Aladdin and I will have dinner here," Angelica laughed as they reached the bottom of the stairs.
Thinking about the first time she met Cassim, Angelica thought about her conversation with Aladdin this morning about Rolfe's questions. Before they parted, Angelica thought she should let Pocahontas know, woman to woman.
"Listen. I'm off to the studio, but I did want to let you know something that Aladdin shared with me this morning."
Pocahontas cocked her head.
"I'm sure you know that Aladdin and Flynn were guarding Rolfe as well as Esmeralda right?"
"Yeah. Cassim told me."
"Okay. Well I guess, Aladdin had a very strange conversation with Rolfe the last time he was guarding him."
Pocahontas's stomach dropped, fearing the worst had happened.
"What was it about?"
"I guess, Rolfe kept asking Aladdin about you and Cassim."
"Oh really? That is strange."
Pocahontas decided to laugh it off.
"Maybe he wanted to see if he still had a chance with me after seeing me at the Jungles' party the other night," she laughed.
Angelica joined in.
"Oh, I didn't even think of that. Haha."
Pocahontas jovially shook her head.
"These men. When will they ever learn?"
"Some of them never do!"
The two of them laughed and went their separate ways. Angelica headed toward the Waterhole Shops to the Photo Studio, while Pocahontas did a quick turn around and headed toward Royal Hall. She had to confront Rolfe and tell him to back off.
Derek Royal's man Rogers let her in straight away. Rolfe was still in Derek's study going over a speech he was going to give at the high school. She wasn't going to waste any time with formalities.
"Why are you asking those in your employ about my romantic life?" Pocahontas pointedly asked, shutting the door.
John Rolfe looked up from his desk. His face paled. His eyes brightened. He rose from his chair and walked around to stand in front of her.
"Pocahontas. Well, this is a pleasant surprise."
"No. It isn't. It's an ambush."
"Pardon?"
"Answer the question. Why are you asking Aladdin about my relationship with his father?"
"Oh. So you found out about that. How?"
Pocahontas crossed her arms.
"It doesn't matter how. Now, for the third time. Answer the question."
Rolfe sighed.
"Alright! Alright! I was just curious, I guess."
"Curious? Is that all you were, John. And don't forget. We were married for two years. I know you better than you know yourself."
Rolfe smiled cockily.
"Oh I haven't forgotten that."
"Get that smug look off your face, John. I know you were asking to see if you and I could rekindle something. Tell me the truth."
"Okay. Yes. It did cross my mind after seeing you the other night at the Jungles. It's been 5 years, Pocahontas. Coming back to Fantasia to run for mayor and seeing you again. It was comforting."
Pocahontas rolled her eyes.
"John, I haven't been comforting to you in four years. Or do you not remember the last six months of our marriage?"
"I know. You're right. And I'm sorry I asked Aladdin when I had told you I was going to be discrete and not mention our past together. But I just thought that if you weren't serious with him, then..."
"Then what? I'd take you back? John! You - "
"I know what I did. And I've apologized to you for that. But I am a changed man. That was a long time ago. I was under the influence of a very bad man."
Pocahontas paused and looked him deep in the eye.
For a split second.
He thought she was about to kiss him.
"You're right. You've apologized. And that was a long time ago. And I'm a changed woman. And my romantic life is no longer your concern. Are we understood?"
Rolfe sighed again, defeatedly.
"Understood. I won't ask about your love life again."
"Thank you. Now, if you'd excuse me. I'm running late for work."
Rolfe nodded and ushered her to the door.
"Let me get the door for you."
He opened the door.
"I really do wish you the best, Pocahontas."
She stopped to bid him farewell.
"I appreciate that, John. I hope your campaign is successful."
"Sorry, am I interrupting something? Rogers told me to meet Derek back here."
Both of them turned to see a stunned and curious Anya staring back at them.
Pocahontas shook her head, thinking quickly on how to save face.
"Nope. I was just leaving. Thank you Mr. Rolfe for committing to the conservation and preservation of animals."
And she walked right past Anya, back through the hallway to the front door, feeling confident she'd made her point to John Rolfe clear as crystal.
Anya on the other hand was not so sure about the charming mayoral candidate now as she watched his face boring holes into the back of Pocahontas as she left.