Press-Ganged (6/7) (Spuffy AU)
Mar. 9th, 2007 07:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fandomcornerTitle: Press-Ganged
Author: Hils
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Buffy/Spike, Giles/Anya
Disclaimer: Everything I have borrowed from Joss.
Summary: London, 1800. William finds himself in the last place he expects. The Royal Navy.
Dedications: Thanks as ever to Dave for the beta
William stared for a moment at the unconscious woman in his arms. How was it possible that they had come to be reunited like this? What had happened to take Elizabeth from the safety of her home and deposit her on this hellish ship? There were so many questions but Elizabeth was hardly in a position to answer them and this was hardly the place to be asking. Instructing his men to lock the pirate captain and any surviving crew in the brig of the British ship, William then turned his attention back to Elizabeth. She looked so delicate and fragile in his arms, despite the soot covering her face, and William was almost afraid to move her in case she shattered in his arms - or worse, it all proved to be a cruel illusion. However, it wouldn’t do to stand around on a badly damaged pirate ship, pondering the reality of their situation. As carefully and gently as he could, William hooked one arm under Elizabeth’s knees and scooped her up. He was amazed at how little she weighed even with her heavy dress. He carefully positioned her head so that it was resting on his shoulder and then slowly made his way back over the makeshift bridge and onto his own vessel. None of his crew spoke a word when they saw him and the beautiful woman in his arms, they merely watched as the young officer carried her into his cabin and closed the door behind him.
* * *
Setting Elizabeth down on his bed, William dipped a cloth into his wash basin and carefully set about cleaning her face. The soot and grime covering her face didn’t make her any less beautiful to him than she had been when he had last seen her, but he expected she wouldn’t like it when she woke up. He thought back to that moment, when they had said goodbye following their engagement. It had been a little over a month; but it felt like an eternity. So much had happened in those few weeks and he had changed so much he barely recognised himself. The scar Finn had left him with made him look like a common criminal, the sun had lightened his hair to a pale blonde and the work around the ship had given him muscles he hadn’t known even existed. Fear fluttered in his heart for a moment. What if Elizabeth didn’t want him any more? He was so different to the man she had wanted to marry and it was entirely possible she wouldn’t like these changes. It was a thought he couldn’t bear and thankfully he was prevented from pondering on it any further when someone tapped lightly on his door. William got up to answer it, casting one final glance at Elizabeth before he did so.
“Xander.” William smiled as he stepped aside to allow his friend to enter. “How are you?”
“Well, I survived the battle,” Xander replied with a grin, peering over William’s shoulder to where Elizabeth lay. “I heard about what happened. How is she?”
“She’s passed out,” William replied. “I feel as if I could do the same myself.”
“Well, don’t you go fainting on me. I doubt the men would enjoy seeing me carrying you across the deck.”
William blushed as he realised that most of the men must have seen him carrying Elizabeth.
“Don’t worry about it,” Xander said, sensing his friend’s discomfort. “They think it’s romantic. Who’d have thought a bunch of hardened sea-dogs would go all soft at the sight of a man being reunited with his woman?”
William had to smile as he imagined the looks on their faces.
“Anyway,” Xander continued, “the reason I came to find you is, the Captain has been asking for you.”
William’s face fell as he cast a glance at Elizabeth. He really wanted to be here when she woke up.
“I’ll have one of the men keep an eye on her,” Xander assured. “If she wakes up while you’re gone we’ll come and fetch you.”
William didn’t like the idea of Elizabeth waking up in a room with a strange man, but at the same time he knew he had to make his report to the Captain. Reluctantly he nodded his head and moved over to press a kiss to her forehead. Finally he forced himself to turn and leave her.
* * *
An unexpected sight met William’s eyes as he and Xander stepped out onto the main deck. A dozen or so women in various stages of dress stood there waiting for him.
“We found them on the other ship,” Xander explained. “It seems they were kidnapped from their homes and were being used for the pirates’ … amusement.”
The colour drained from William’s face and his whole body tensed as he realised why Elizabeth had been on that ship.
“I’ll kill them,” he hissed.
“Easy,” Xander soothed, pressing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “The gallows will see they get what they deserve.”
William wasn’t sure hanging was what those monsters deserved, he had something like hours of unrelenting torture in mind. Before he could start picturing it in detail he noticed two of the women were pushing their way to the front of the group. He immediately recognised Willow, Elizabeth’s maid, but he had no idea who the other one was. Xander, however, recognised her at once.
“Anya?”
William recognised the name as that of the woman Xander had told him about. She’d been in a relationship with Xander when he’d been forced into the navy. She looked less than pleased to see her former lover and William winced as she dealt Xander a hard slap to the cheek.
“You bastard!” Anya cried, on the verge of tears. “If you didn’t want to marry me you could have just told me. You didn’t have to run off and join the navy.”
“Anya, I—“
She slapped him again before he could finish the sentence. “I wouldn’t have minded not getting married so long as we still had great sex.”
William blushed, feeling like he was intruding on a very private conversation. Anya didn’t seem to care who heard though.
“You prefer being with these men to having great orgasms with me?”
“Of course not!” Xander protested, desperate to stop this tirade before he was totally humiliated. “I was kidnapped and forced into the navy, just like William was.”
This seemed to capture Anya’s interest and she turned her attention to William, who braced himself in case she decided to slap him too.
“You’re William? Elizabeth’s William?”
“I am.”
Anya grinned. “I can see why she was so anxious to get back to you. You’re very pretty.”
That feeling of fear fluttered in his heart again, as he wondered whether she would be pleased to see him when she saw what he had become. However, he smiled politely at Anya and thanked her for the compliment. Willow moved forward at that moment, no longer able to keep silent.
“Please, Master William, is Miss Elizabeth all right? Have you seen her? We tried to stop her from leaving the cabin but she wouldn’t listen.”
William smiled and gave Willow a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “She’s fine. She’s resting in my cabin.”
“I see you two didn’t waste any time,” Anya muttered under her breath, loudly enough for William to hear.
“She’s unconscious!” William exclaimed, appalled by her implication.
“I bet.”
Before William could start an argument with Anya, Xander interrupted. “We really shouldn’t keep the Captain waiting.”
“I’d like to come with you,” Anya announced. “I want to talk to the Captain about getting me and the other girls back to our homes.”
Neither Xander nor William wanted to argue with her and Willow didn’t want to be left alone, so in the end all four of them headed to the Captain’s cabin.
* * *
“What happened, sir?” William asked once they had been ushered inside.
Captain Giles had a large and rather swollen lump on his forehead and one side of his face was coated with blood. The lump itself was already turning a deep shade of purple
“Rather embarrassing really … took a fall when one of the shots hit us, cracked my head and spent most of the battle unconscious.”
“Perhaps you should see the surgeon,” William suggested.
“Nonsense, he’s dealing with men far more badly injured than myself.”
“I could help,” Anya offered. “I used to help the surgeon on the other ship when they were short of men.”
Captain Giles considered Anya for a moment and then nodded with a smile. “I would appreciate that, thank you. Mr Harris here explained what befell you poor ladies at the hands of those monsters.”
“It wasn’t really their hands that were the problem.”
Captain Giles stared at her for a moment, unsure whether she was joking or not. When he realised she was deadly serious he cleared his throat loudly.
“Well, quite. Nevertheless, I will see these men well and truly hung for their crimes.”
“Actually, some of them were rather well hung,” Anya replied with a fond smile. “There was this one man who was called Long John because—“
“Anya!” Xander hissed, horrified by the way she was speaking in front of the Captain. Captain Giles, however, seemed to be doing his best to hold back a smile.
“Do we have a plan, sir?” William asked, desperate to change the subject. “The pirate vessel is in no condition to be sailed back to London. I suggest we salvage what we can and then destroy it.”
“Are the pirates locked in the brig?” the Captain asked Xander.
He nodded. “Aye, sir.”
“Very well, William, I place you in charge while I get this blasted wound taken care of. Empty the cargo hold and set fire to the powder magazine. Then tell the helmsman to set course for London.”
William nodded. “Yes, sir.”
He, Xander and Willow then left, leaving the Captain and Anya alone. She smiled coyly at him and reached for the box of medical supplies
* * *
No sooner had William left the cabin than he was approached by one of the younger crew members.
“Sir, the lady is awake.”
William said nothing and quickly ran back to his cabin. He found Elizabeth sat on the edge of the bed looking a little confused but otherwise fine. She smiled when he entered the room, a smile that seemed to light up her whole face.
“I thought I might have imagined you,” she whispered softly as William took a seat beside her. He shook his head and took one of her hands in his own.
“I’m here, and I promise I’ll never leave you again.”
The two of them fell into silence as they both tried to process how they had come to find themselves in this situation.
“Why did you join the navy?” Elizabeth finally asked, turning to him with eyes full of sorrow. “Didn’t you want to marry me?”
Shocked, William leapt from the bed and knelt down in front of her.
“Elizabeth, how can you think that? Every day on this godforsaken ship I’ve held the memory of you in my heart. It was only the memory of you and the knowledge that some day I would find you again that kept me sane.”
“Then why--?”
William quickly told her what had befallen him. He tried to brush over what Finn had done to him but Elizabeth was an intelligent woman and she saw past the vague descriptions to the truth. Weeping at the horror of both his experiences and her own she pulled him into her arms, seeking comfort as much as she was giving it. Feeling her in his arms again was all it took to bring William’s own tears forward and they cried together, washing away all memories of the past with their love and happiness for what their future could be.
William saved Elizabeth the pain of reliving her experiences aboard the pirate ship. He had already heard what had happened from Xander and he merely held Elizabeth in his arms and assured her the men who had taken her innocence would pay dearly for it.
“What do you suppose will happen when we get back to England?” Elizabeth asked when all her tears had run out.
William honestly hadn’t had time to think that far ahead. Captain Giles was a decent man and William had no doubt he’d be freed once they returned to England. What happened after that was less clear though.
“We’ll return home, I suppose,” he speculated aloud. “Your parents and my mother must be frantic with worry.”
Elizabeth let out a sound which was half a laugh and half a sob. “Home? William, do you really think I can face my parents after what I’ve done? I’m little more than a common whore.”
William flinched at the word, which sounded so alien coming from Elizabeth’s lips.
“Elizabeth, you cannot think that they will blame you for what those monsters did to you? It was not your fault in any way and I’m sure your parents will understand that.”
“What if I told you I liked it?” Elizabeth asked in all seriousness. “Not being with those men, but the feelings of pleasure they gave me. It was like no other earthly sensation, William. I don’t expect you to understand and I imagine you’re ashamed of me.”
“Never!” William exclaimed fervently. “I could never be ashamed of you. You were placed in a terrible situation and you took what little good you could from it. Nobody can blame you for that. It’s true I have no experience of this pleasure but I hope that some day we can experience it together.”
His cheeks flushed red at the thought and it nearly caused Elizabeth to giggle. Instead she reached out and cupped his cheek in her hand. “You’re a good, kind man William; but I’m not sure that my parents will be so understanding. Even if they are, I don’t want to tarnish their good name with my reputation.”
William smiled at her, his eyes filled with adoration. “If you don’t want to go home then we won’t. Elizabeth, I love you and I don’t care where we go so long as we’re together.”
Elizabeth smiled shyly and for a moment William saw the innocent girl he had left behind in England.
“I love you too,” she whispered, leaning forward to kiss him. It was a soft and tender kiss to begin with, their first since they had become engaged, but Elizabeth soon deepened it and pushed William back so that he was flush against the wall. She climbed into his lap, trailing kisses down his jaw line and onto his chest as she worked at the buttons of his shirt. William let out a small moan of pleasure but a moment later he gasped, his eyes flicking open as he pulled Elizabeth’s hands away.
“We have to stop!”
* * *
Captain Giles gave a hiss of pain as Anya less than delicately pressed a soaked cloth against his wound. “I thought you said you knew what you were doing!”
Anya scowled and moved his hand so that he was holding the cloth in place himself. “You could try and show a little gratitude. I didn’t have to stay here and help you. In fact if you hadn’t been so clumsy you wouldn’t need my help at all.”
For a moment the Captain was silent. He wasn’t used to being spoken to in such a way. A man of his age and rank should be addressed with respect and Anya seemed to have no regard for this whatsoever. However, instead of chastising her as he should, he found an apology falling from his lips.
“Anya, I’m sorry. I do appreciate what you are doing for me.”
Almost instantly the frown melted from her face and she gave him a warm smile.
“You’re welcome, Captain.”
Carefully she took his hand in hers and pulled it away so she could examine the wound.
“It doesn’t look too bad.”
Then, without another word, she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the large lump on the Captain’s forehead. They both lapsed into silence for a moment and it was only broken when Captain Giles cleared his throat a little too loudly.
“Well … I … thank you again for helping me, Anya. I suppose you want to return to your friends now.”
“I don’t have to. If you want me to stay that is.”
“Well … I … that is …”
Anya silences him with another kiss, this time on his lips. It took the Captain a moment to recover his senses but when he did he returned the kiss with the passion in which it was given. A small part of him knew this was improper, that he should only be doing these things with a woman he was married to, but the feelings this woman brought out in him drowned out all elements of sense so that all he could think about was her. After a few moment of kissing, Anya pulled back and smiled coyly at him.
“I think you should lie down for a while, Captain. Head wounds can be dangerous.”
The Captain returned her smile and moved over to sit on the edge of the bed. As he removed his jacket and began to unbutton his shirt, Anya moved over to stand in front of him.
“I don’t think you should be left alone. Just in case your wound troubles you.”
“I quite agree, Anya. I quite agree.”
* * *
Eizabeth pulled back from William, her face a mask of confusion.
“Stop? I don’t understand. Don’t you want me?”
William took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “It isn’t that. I just want this to be done properly. I want us to be husband and wife when we make love for the first time.”
“Oh.” Elizabeth’s eyes fixed on William’s half open shirt and she let out a cry of horror. “Oh, William! I didn’t think! I just … oh, what must you think of me? The girl you proposed to wouldn’t have even considered such a thing.”
She buried her face in her hands and burst into tears before William had the chance to respond. His heart ached for her and without a word he pulled her into his arms and held her as she cried.
“It’s all right,” he whispered, desperate to ease her pain. “You’ve been through a lot. We both have. It’s bound to have changed us.”
“You must be disgusted with me,” she sniffled.
“Not at all. I want this as much as you do. Now, why don’t we pay a visit to the chaplain?”
Elizabeth’s head shot up as she realised what William was saying. “He can do that? You don’t want to get married with all our friends and family?”
“If you don’t care about those things then I don’t. All I care about is making you my wife. Nothing else matters.”
Elizabeth’s face lit up and she threw her arms back around him. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Now, why don’t we go and get married?”
While William buttoned his shirt, Elizabeth wiped her face with a damp cloth. Then, hand in hand, they headed out into the sun together.
An explosion caused Elizabeth to jump and she rushed over to the side of the ship just in time to see her former prison sink beneath the waves. William placed his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“You’re truly free now. It’s finally over.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.”
William and Elizabeth whirled around, their eyes wide with shock as they saw Angel and his crew standing on the other side of the deck. They were all fully armed.
“You think I lasted this long without learning a thing or two about escaping prison cells?”
Without a word William placed himself in front of Elizabeth and drew his sword. “Face me like a gentleman! Or are you afraid?”
Angel laughed. “Afraid? No. But then I ain’t no gentleman either.”
And with that he fired his pistol.
Elizabeth’s scream rang throughout the whole ship as William let out a grunt of pain before crumpling to the deck. Elizabeth knelt down beside him, tears streaming from her eyes as she examined the wound. William was unconscious, and although the bullet had only passed through his shoulder he was losing blood fast. It wouldn’t be long before he bled to death.
“Toss him overboard,” Angel instructed his men, “And lock the rest of them in the brig. I’ll decide an amusing fate for them later.”
Elizabeth let out a cry as William was pulled from her arms and dragged to the edge of the ship. Without thinking she ran over to Angel and threw herself at his feet.
“Spare him, please. I’ll do anything if you’ll just let him live.”
Angel smiled in amusement. “Well now, there’s an offer.”
He motioned to the men who were holding William and they stopped.
“I’ve been thinking about getting myself a decent woman for a while now. How about this: you agree to be my wife – and a good wife at that. You do that and I’ll let your boy live.”
Elizabeth looked over her shoulder to William and then back at Angel before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, praying William would understand.
“I accept.”
Author: Hils
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Buffy/Spike, Giles/Anya
Disclaimer: Everything I have borrowed from Joss.
Summary: London, 1800. William finds himself in the last place he expects. The Royal Navy.
Dedications: Thanks as ever to Dave for the beta
William stared for a moment at the unconscious woman in his arms. How was it possible that they had come to be reunited like this? What had happened to take Elizabeth from the safety of her home and deposit her on this hellish ship? There were so many questions but Elizabeth was hardly in a position to answer them and this was hardly the place to be asking. Instructing his men to lock the pirate captain and any surviving crew in the brig of the British ship, William then turned his attention back to Elizabeth. She looked so delicate and fragile in his arms, despite the soot covering her face, and William was almost afraid to move her in case she shattered in his arms - or worse, it all proved to be a cruel illusion. However, it wouldn’t do to stand around on a badly damaged pirate ship, pondering the reality of their situation. As carefully and gently as he could, William hooked one arm under Elizabeth’s knees and scooped her up. He was amazed at how little she weighed even with her heavy dress. He carefully positioned her head so that it was resting on his shoulder and then slowly made his way back over the makeshift bridge and onto his own vessel. None of his crew spoke a word when they saw him and the beautiful woman in his arms, they merely watched as the young officer carried her into his cabin and closed the door behind him.
* * *
Setting Elizabeth down on his bed, William dipped a cloth into his wash basin and carefully set about cleaning her face. The soot and grime covering her face didn’t make her any less beautiful to him than she had been when he had last seen her, but he expected she wouldn’t like it when she woke up. He thought back to that moment, when they had said goodbye following their engagement. It had been a little over a month; but it felt like an eternity. So much had happened in those few weeks and he had changed so much he barely recognised himself. The scar Finn had left him with made him look like a common criminal, the sun had lightened his hair to a pale blonde and the work around the ship had given him muscles he hadn’t known even existed. Fear fluttered in his heart for a moment. What if Elizabeth didn’t want him any more? He was so different to the man she had wanted to marry and it was entirely possible she wouldn’t like these changes. It was a thought he couldn’t bear and thankfully he was prevented from pondering on it any further when someone tapped lightly on his door. William got up to answer it, casting one final glance at Elizabeth before he did so.
“Xander.” William smiled as he stepped aside to allow his friend to enter. “How are you?”
“Well, I survived the battle,” Xander replied with a grin, peering over William’s shoulder to where Elizabeth lay. “I heard about what happened. How is she?”
“She’s passed out,” William replied. “I feel as if I could do the same myself.”
“Well, don’t you go fainting on me. I doubt the men would enjoy seeing me carrying you across the deck.”
William blushed as he realised that most of the men must have seen him carrying Elizabeth.
“Don’t worry about it,” Xander said, sensing his friend’s discomfort. “They think it’s romantic. Who’d have thought a bunch of hardened sea-dogs would go all soft at the sight of a man being reunited with his woman?”
William had to smile as he imagined the looks on their faces.
“Anyway,” Xander continued, “the reason I came to find you is, the Captain has been asking for you.”
William’s face fell as he cast a glance at Elizabeth. He really wanted to be here when she woke up.
“I’ll have one of the men keep an eye on her,” Xander assured. “If she wakes up while you’re gone we’ll come and fetch you.”
William didn’t like the idea of Elizabeth waking up in a room with a strange man, but at the same time he knew he had to make his report to the Captain. Reluctantly he nodded his head and moved over to press a kiss to her forehead. Finally he forced himself to turn and leave her.
* * *
An unexpected sight met William’s eyes as he and Xander stepped out onto the main deck. A dozen or so women in various stages of dress stood there waiting for him.
“We found them on the other ship,” Xander explained. “It seems they were kidnapped from their homes and were being used for the pirates’ … amusement.”
The colour drained from William’s face and his whole body tensed as he realised why Elizabeth had been on that ship.
“I’ll kill them,” he hissed.
“Easy,” Xander soothed, pressing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “The gallows will see they get what they deserve.”
William wasn’t sure hanging was what those monsters deserved, he had something like hours of unrelenting torture in mind. Before he could start picturing it in detail he noticed two of the women were pushing their way to the front of the group. He immediately recognised Willow, Elizabeth’s maid, but he had no idea who the other one was. Xander, however, recognised her at once.
“Anya?”
William recognised the name as that of the woman Xander had told him about. She’d been in a relationship with Xander when he’d been forced into the navy. She looked less than pleased to see her former lover and William winced as she dealt Xander a hard slap to the cheek.
“You bastard!” Anya cried, on the verge of tears. “If you didn’t want to marry me you could have just told me. You didn’t have to run off and join the navy.”
“Anya, I—“
She slapped him again before he could finish the sentence. “I wouldn’t have minded not getting married so long as we still had great sex.”
William blushed, feeling like he was intruding on a very private conversation. Anya didn’t seem to care who heard though.
“You prefer being with these men to having great orgasms with me?”
“Of course not!” Xander protested, desperate to stop this tirade before he was totally humiliated. “I was kidnapped and forced into the navy, just like William was.”
This seemed to capture Anya’s interest and she turned her attention to William, who braced himself in case she decided to slap him too.
“You’re William? Elizabeth’s William?”
“I am.”
Anya grinned. “I can see why she was so anxious to get back to you. You’re very pretty.”
That feeling of fear fluttered in his heart again, as he wondered whether she would be pleased to see him when she saw what he had become. However, he smiled politely at Anya and thanked her for the compliment. Willow moved forward at that moment, no longer able to keep silent.
“Please, Master William, is Miss Elizabeth all right? Have you seen her? We tried to stop her from leaving the cabin but she wouldn’t listen.”
William smiled and gave Willow a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “She’s fine. She’s resting in my cabin.”
“I see you two didn’t waste any time,” Anya muttered under her breath, loudly enough for William to hear.
“She’s unconscious!” William exclaimed, appalled by her implication.
“I bet.”
Before William could start an argument with Anya, Xander interrupted. “We really shouldn’t keep the Captain waiting.”
“I’d like to come with you,” Anya announced. “I want to talk to the Captain about getting me and the other girls back to our homes.”
Neither Xander nor William wanted to argue with her and Willow didn’t want to be left alone, so in the end all four of them headed to the Captain’s cabin.
* * *
“What happened, sir?” William asked once they had been ushered inside.
Captain Giles had a large and rather swollen lump on his forehead and one side of his face was coated with blood. The lump itself was already turning a deep shade of purple
“Rather embarrassing really … took a fall when one of the shots hit us, cracked my head and spent most of the battle unconscious.”
“Perhaps you should see the surgeon,” William suggested.
“Nonsense, he’s dealing with men far more badly injured than myself.”
“I could help,” Anya offered. “I used to help the surgeon on the other ship when they were short of men.”
Captain Giles considered Anya for a moment and then nodded with a smile. “I would appreciate that, thank you. Mr Harris here explained what befell you poor ladies at the hands of those monsters.”
“It wasn’t really their hands that were the problem.”
Captain Giles stared at her for a moment, unsure whether she was joking or not. When he realised she was deadly serious he cleared his throat loudly.
“Well, quite. Nevertheless, I will see these men well and truly hung for their crimes.”
“Actually, some of them were rather well hung,” Anya replied with a fond smile. “There was this one man who was called Long John because—“
“Anya!” Xander hissed, horrified by the way she was speaking in front of the Captain. Captain Giles, however, seemed to be doing his best to hold back a smile.
“Do we have a plan, sir?” William asked, desperate to change the subject. “The pirate vessel is in no condition to be sailed back to London. I suggest we salvage what we can and then destroy it.”
“Are the pirates locked in the brig?” the Captain asked Xander.
He nodded. “Aye, sir.”
“Very well, William, I place you in charge while I get this blasted wound taken care of. Empty the cargo hold and set fire to the powder magazine. Then tell the helmsman to set course for London.”
William nodded. “Yes, sir.”
He, Xander and Willow then left, leaving the Captain and Anya alone. She smiled coyly at him and reached for the box of medical supplies
* * *
No sooner had William left the cabin than he was approached by one of the younger crew members.
“Sir, the lady is awake.”
William said nothing and quickly ran back to his cabin. He found Elizabeth sat on the edge of the bed looking a little confused but otherwise fine. She smiled when he entered the room, a smile that seemed to light up her whole face.
“I thought I might have imagined you,” she whispered softly as William took a seat beside her. He shook his head and took one of her hands in his own.
“I’m here, and I promise I’ll never leave you again.”
The two of them fell into silence as they both tried to process how they had come to find themselves in this situation.
“Why did you join the navy?” Elizabeth finally asked, turning to him with eyes full of sorrow. “Didn’t you want to marry me?”
Shocked, William leapt from the bed and knelt down in front of her.
“Elizabeth, how can you think that? Every day on this godforsaken ship I’ve held the memory of you in my heart. It was only the memory of you and the knowledge that some day I would find you again that kept me sane.”
“Then why--?”
William quickly told her what had befallen him. He tried to brush over what Finn had done to him but Elizabeth was an intelligent woman and she saw past the vague descriptions to the truth. Weeping at the horror of both his experiences and her own she pulled him into her arms, seeking comfort as much as she was giving it. Feeling her in his arms again was all it took to bring William’s own tears forward and they cried together, washing away all memories of the past with their love and happiness for what their future could be.
William saved Elizabeth the pain of reliving her experiences aboard the pirate ship. He had already heard what had happened from Xander and he merely held Elizabeth in his arms and assured her the men who had taken her innocence would pay dearly for it.
“What do you suppose will happen when we get back to England?” Elizabeth asked when all her tears had run out.
William honestly hadn’t had time to think that far ahead. Captain Giles was a decent man and William had no doubt he’d be freed once they returned to England. What happened after that was less clear though.
“We’ll return home, I suppose,” he speculated aloud. “Your parents and my mother must be frantic with worry.”
Elizabeth let out a sound which was half a laugh and half a sob. “Home? William, do you really think I can face my parents after what I’ve done? I’m little more than a common whore.”
William flinched at the word, which sounded so alien coming from Elizabeth’s lips.
“Elizabeth, you cannot think that they will blame you for what those monsters did to you? It was not your fault in any way and I’m sure your parents will understand that.”
“What if I told you I liked it?” Elizabeth asked in all seriousness. “Not being with those men, but the feelings of pleasure they gave me. It was like no other earthly sensation, William. I don’t expect you to understand and I imagine you’re ashamed of me.”
“Never!” William exclaimed fervently. “I could never be ashamed of you. You were placed in a terrible situation and you took what little good you could from it. Nobody can blame you for that. It’s true I have no experience of this pleasure but I hope that some day we can experience it together.”
His cheeks flushed red at the thought and it nearly caused Elizabeth to giggle. Instead she reached out and cupped his cheek in her hand. “You’re a good, kind man William; but I’m not sure that my parents will be so understanding. Even if they are, I don’t want to tarnish their good name with my reputation.”
William smiled at her, his eyes filled with adoration. “If you don’t want to go home then we won’t. Elizabeth, I love you and I don’t care where we go so long as we’re together.”
Elizabeth smiled shyly and for a moment William saw the innocent girl he had left behind in England.
“I love you too,” she whispered, leaning forward to kiss him. It was a soft and tender kiss to begin with, their first since they had become engaged, but Elizabeth soon deepened it and pushed William back so that he was flush against the wall. She climbed into his lap, trailing kisses down his jaw line and onto his chest as she worked at the buttons of his shirt. William let out a small moan of pleasure but a moment later he gasped, his eyes flicking open as he pulled Elizabeth’s hands away.
“We have to stop!”
* * *
Captain Giles gave a hiss of pain as Anya less than delicately pressed a soaked cloth against his wound. “I thought you said you knew what you were doing!”
Anya scowled and moved his hand so that he was holding the cloth in place himself. “You could try and show a little gratitude. I didn’t have to stay here and help you. In fact if you hadn’t been so clumsy you wouldn’t need my help at all.”
For a moment the Captain was silent. He wasn’t used to being spoken to in such a way. A man of his age and rank should be addressed with respect and Anya seemed to have no regard for this whatsoever. However, instead of chastising her as he should, he found an apology falling from his lips.
“Anya, I’m sorry. I do appreciate what you are doing for me.”
Almost instantly the frown melted from her face and she gave him a warm smile.
“You’re welcome, Captain.”
Carefully she took his hand in hers and pulled it away so she could examine the wound.
“It doesn’t look too bad.”
Then, without another word, she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the large lump on the Captain’s forehead. They both lapsed into silence for a moment and it was only broken when Captain Giles cleared his throat a little too loudly.
“Well … I … thank you again for helping me, Anya. I suppose you want to return to your friends now.”
“I don’t have to. If you want me to stay that is.”
“Well … I … that is …”
Anya silences him with another kiss, this time on his lips. It took the Captain a moment to recover his senses but when he did he returned the kiss with the passion in which it was given. A small part of him knew this was improper, that he should only be doing these things with a woman he was married to, but the feelings this woman brought out in him drowned out all elements of sense so that all he could think about was her. After a few moment of kissing, Anya pulled back and smiled coyly at him.
“I think you should lie down for a while, Captain. Head wounds can be dangerous.”
The Captain returned her smile and moved over to sit on the edge of the bed. As he removed his jacket and began to unbutton his shirt, Anya moved over to stand in front of him.
“I don’t think you should be left alone. Just in case your wound troubles you.”
“I quite agree, Anya. I quite agree.”
* * *
Eizabeth pulled back from William, her face a mask of confusion.
“Stop? I don’t understand. Don’t you want me?”
William took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “It isn’t that. I just want this to be done properly. I want us to be husband and wife when we make love for the first time.”
“Oh.” Elizabeth’s eyes fixed on William’s half open shirt and she let out a cry of horror. “Oh, William! I didn’t think! I just … oh, what must you think of me? The girl you proposed to wouldn’t have even considered such a thing.”
She buried her face in her hands and burst into tears before William had the chance to respond. His heart ached for her and without a word he pulled her into his arms and held her as she cried.
“It’s all right,” he whispered, desperate to ease her pain. “You’ve been through a lot. We both have. It’s bound to have changed us.”
“You must be disgusted with me,” she sniffled.
“Not at all. I want this as much as you do. Now, why don’t we pay a visit to the chaplain?”
Elizabeth’s head shot up as she realised what William was saying. “He can do that? You don’t want to get married with all our friends and family?”
“If you don’t care about those things then I don’t. All I care about is making you my wife. Nothing else matters.”
Elizabeth’s face lit up and she threw her arms back around him. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Now, why don’t we go and get married?”
While William buttoned his shirt, Elizabeth wiped her face with a damp cloth. Then, hand in hand, they headed out into the sun together.
An explosion caused Elizabeth to jump and she rushed over to the side of the ship just in time to see her former prison sink beneath the waves. William placed his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“You’re truly free now. It’s finally over.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.”
William and Elizabeth whirled around, their eyes wide with shock as they saw Angel and his crew standing on the other side of the deck. They were all fully armed.
“You think I lasted this long without learning a thing or two about escaping prison cells?”
Without a word William placed himself in front of Elizabeth and drew his sword. “Face me like a gentleman! Or are you afraid?”
Angel laughed. “Afraid? No. But then I ain’t no gentleman either.”
And with that he fired his pistol.
Elizabeth’s scream rang throughout the whole ship as William let out a grunt of pain before crumpling to the deck. Elizabeth knelt down beside him, tears streaming from her eyes as she examined the wound. William was unconscious, and although the bullet had only passed through his shoulder he was losing blood fast. It wouldn’t be long before he bled to death.
“Toss him overboard,” Angel instructed his men, “And lock the rest of them in the brig. I’ll decide an amusing fate for them later.”
Elizabeth let out a cry as William was pulled from her arms and dragged to the edge of the ship. Without thinking she ran over to Angel and threw herself at his feet.
“Spare him, please. I’ll do anything if you’ll just let him live.”
Angel smiled in amusement. “Well now, there’s an offer.”
He motioned to the men who were holding William and they stopped.
“I’ve been thinking about getting myself a decent woman for a while now. How about this: you agree to be my wife – and a good wife at that. You do that and I’ll let your boy live.”
Elizabeth looked over her shoulder to William and then back at Angel before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, praying William would understand.
“I accept.”
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Date: 2007-03-10 12:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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