The Pirates Trouble

Chapter Four: A Special Request.

I wake up the next morning, my hair wet with tears, and by myself in the cabin. Getting out of bed, a piercing pain arouses in my lower back and stomach area, forcing me to lie back upon the bed. A knock sounds at the doors.

"Who is it?" Surely it will not be the Captain.

"Mr. Jo." The friendly voice responds.

"Come in." I say loud enough so he will hear me. "Please don't mind how awful I appear."

"Miss Kate, you never appear badly, especially to our dear Captain." Mr. Jo replies as he opens one of the doors and shuts it behind him.

He walks over to the chair where my old clothing resides and sits upon it and the clothing itself.

"What am I to do?" Hopelessly I ask, burying my head in my hands.

"I thought what you did was very brave." He replies. "But you did give our Captain quite the scare. He was all ready to jump in after you."

"I wouldn't of had to jump into the sea if he had not thrown the child overboard." Protests I, lifting my head out of my hands.

"The Captain is not always in his right state of mind when it comes to things that might harm his crew," States Mr. Jo. "But most importantly you."

"Did you not hear the way he spoke to me?"

"Aye, I did, but I also heard the way you spoke to him, Miss Kate. Threatening to leave him?"

"What else was I to do? First, he scolds me for trying to tell him that there is a more reasonable way to deal with children than yelling and threatening them. And second, telling me my actions to save the innocent, until proven guilty, child was dumb and inconsiderable."

"He just worries of spies, Miss." States Mr. Jo. "And our well being, of course."

"I believe I am being secluded due to me helping the child, correct?"

"A stowaway should always be brought to the Captain's attention upon first sight. And you helpin' him, most likely, made Captain lose some trust in you."

"A child, Mr. Jo."

"An unknown child, Miss Kate. We don't know where he's comin' from or who he's been with."

He does have a point. "Well, what am I to do?"

"My suggestion, talk to him. He requests your presence in the study." Mr. Jo says as he gets up from the chair and heads towards the doors. "Be wary with your answers."

Once Mr. Jo's presence leaves the cabin, I begin to uncontrollably shake. Maybe I shouldn't go, maybe I'll just stay here in the cabin and fake ill.

Deciding I wish him not to be any more angry, I stand from the bed and flatten the wrinkles in my sleep garment. Placing my boots upon my feet, I walk out of the cabin and walk to the deck, up the stairs, and stand before the study door.

I knock as quiet as a mouse scampers. "Who is it?" Captain Wolfe's piercing voice growls.

"M-Me."

"In." Shortly he responds.

I carefully open the study and close it behind me. Captain Wolfe has rearranged one bear skinned chair so it frontally faces the fire, a beer mug hangs from his hand that I can see.

"Are you intoxicated?" I ask quietly.

"Im a pirate, nothing intoxicates me anymore." He responds roughly. "Nothing except you."

"You must be." I respond, I inching my way closer towards the chair. "I want to talk to you."

"I believe it is I that wishes to speak with you." Says he as I now look around the chair to see his eyes glimmering as they stare intently at the roaring fire. "I'm sorry."

Extending my hand down carefully towards his face, his scruffy chin caresses itself against my palm, and his tired eyes look up sorrowfully into my own.

"You look as if you didn't sleep." I whisper.

"Perhaps." He responds. "I wasn't thinking, that was no way to treat that child. That was no way to treat you. I made you almost risk your life due to my actions, and I am ashamed."

Bending down, we meet eye level. "But I am sorry as well, for you were only trying to protect the crew, to protect us."

Taking his hand gently into my own, I hold it onto my stomach.

"I always will," He reassures. "I promise."

"I should have told you about the child as soon as I saw him." Says I. "I could have risked all our lives."

Tears silently fall down my face, but I feel a thumb wipe them away. "You were only trying to protect the child, coming from one as yourself, I'm not surprised."

Silence and crackles of the fire are the only sounds now in the study.

"How can someone like you be in love with such a monster as myself?"

He stands now and helps me up as well. Looking up into his eyes, I see a world I could never leave, even if I tried. He takes my face into his hands and kisses me passionately.

"I do have one request to ask of you." I whisper into his ear as we embrace tightly.

"Anything." He muffles into my neck.

"I want my family at the wedding."