Broad Seas || One X One || Caebeeb and Pirate

[I wasn't sure what to do for the battle. I figured you'd have a better idea. You can god-mod if you need to. :v}

Jackson stood tall as the naval boat came up beside their ship, his crew standing beside him. He smiled at the guns pointed toward them, folding his hands behind his back. Laughing out loud at the captain's question, he shrugged, "What gives you the right to question? My matters are my own." He cleared his throat, tilting toward them, "But if it'll put you at ease, we have business to attend to. One of our men died. We've come to inform his family." He smiled jovially, "So, if you're done posturing, we'd like to be on our way."

Jackson played his part well, nodding his head sympathetically, "Ah, what a tragedy." His eyes drifted toward the gangplank as it was set down, and he sauntered over. "Yes, please. Come aboard. Refreshments are down that-a-way," he said sarcastically, gesturing toward the bow. He folded his arms over his chest as the men boarded his ship, eyeing the officer when he approached. "Might I see your papers, kind sir? How do I know that you are, in fact, an officer?" With a slight eyeroll, Jackson pulled a leather-bound notebook from his pocket, flipping it open and handing it over. He had kept it with him for the past several years, as Shane had had the bad habit of losing the forged papers.

Jackson gave a cocky grin at the man's comment, taking the papers as they were handed back to him. He raised a brow, "Was that a pun, officer?" he chuckled, trailing behind the small group as they inspected his ship. Whistling as they moved below deck, he glanced around with the men, making comments on his cargo as it was searched. He caught sight of the captain heading toward the small room Alice was in, moving toward him casually. He leaned against the doorway as the man spoke, glancing in at the heiress. "This is Elizabeth. We were providing her passage from the next town over," he chimed in. Pausing, he raised his hands, "I'm sure you want to hear that from her, though." He gave the man a sheepish smile, "I realize we don't really have the correct papers to transport her, but I hope you might be able to overlook this small fine."

Jackson tensed slightly at how terribly Alice lied, knowing that the officer saw right through their facade. He turned his focus to the heiress as the other man spoke, wondering why he wasn't arresting everyone on the ship yet. However, when he saw the expression on the woman's face, he knew that their little ruse wasn't going to be successful. Jackson gave a brief nod when the officer addressed him, watching the small group ascend the stairs before he turned and slammed his fist into the wall. "Dammit!" He let out a short breath and turned to Alice, "They know. Can't you afford theater classes with your masses of wealth?!" he groaned. At that moment, cannonballs began to rip through the wall very near them, a few bullets piercing the wood over their heads. Jackson immediately reached out to grab Alice, pulling her in against his body and twisting around so that any shrapnel would hit him instead of her. He guided her toward the opposite side just as a stray bullet sunk into his shoulder. He faltered slightly at the impact, flinching in pain. Moving quickly, he led her to the stairs and up to the top deck. The crew was taking cover and Jackson hastily waved an arm at the naval boat, gesturing toward the heiress. When the barrage stopped, he cast a quick glance at Alice. "Are you okay?" he asked as he gave her a once over to ensure that she was uninjured. He slowly turned back to the naval boat, "We have Lady Langley, hold your fire!" he called. Heaving a sigh, he put one foot in front of the other and guided her to the side of the boat. "They'll take you home. Take care, Alice," he murmured. When they reached the railing, he helped her up onto the unharmed gangplank, giving her a small nod.

Jackson had hardly released Alice's hand when the commander spoke snidely to his crew, irritated. He glared at the man, his earlier smart ass sense of humor gone. Casting a quick glance toward the heiress, he gave her another slight nod, ensuring her that it was alright for her to cross. He and the rest of the crew all held the same shocked expression when Alice spoke up on their behalf. Jackson followed the conversation tensely, uncomfortable with what the commander was accusing them of. Yes, most of it was true, but he was trying to do the right thing here. "Alice, it's alright. We'll be alright," he said quietly from behind, reaching up to touch her hand just as the lieutenant demanded that he be shot. He tensed, not unaccustomed to the pain of a bullet. When Alice leapt down in front of him, he was startled, taken aback that she was protecting him. He raised his brows as she talked back to the commander, still staring at her when she turned to face him. Smiling at her words, Jackson motioned for his men to pick up the pace, his eyes still on the heiress. As the crew hastily dropped the sails to catch the full force of the wind, Jackson cupped Alice's face to pull her forward and press a kiss to her forehead. "That was brave. Didn't think you had it in you, heiress," he chuckled, pulling away to smile at her. The other men loudly called their appreciation as they guided the wounded boat ** at an angle away from her home. The ship's navigator came running up to the pair, "It's not safe enough to dock here, but the ship isn't in the best condition to travel. We might be able to make it to the next town over, but it's thirty-five miles away." Jackson glanced toward the docks of Alice's small town, which was quickly shrinking as they moved away from it. It looked like there were several navy boats and foot soldiers milling about. Muttering a curse, Jackson turned back toward the navigator and waved him on, the man nodding and running off. With a sigh, the captain turned back toward Alice, "I'm sorry, Lady Langley. It's just not safe enough. I have to think about my crew, as well. As soon as you left, they would have strung us from the highest tree. We'll sail in a different way next time. My promise is still true." He offered her a smile before going to help his men guide their ship to safety. The sun was dipping below the horizon when they set anchor and tied on at the docks if the next town, the waters calm around them. Jackson made his way over to the young woman, having hardly remembered the bullet in his shoulder. The rest of him was still bruised and battered, so it really just faded in. He helped her off the ship, immediately noticing broken glass and wood from cargo crates being dropped. Casting a quick glance toward Alice's bare feet, he wrapped his arms around her waist and hips, lifting her up so that she was parallel with him, but her head was above his. "I'll get you a room and meal first, then we can go buy you some legitimate clothing." He glanced up at her with a smile, carrying her toward a lodge. As he had the first time, he introduced her as his wife and requested hot water for their bath. After paying, he led her their room, and the water was brought up a few minutes later. When the bath was filled, he gently grabbed her hand and led her to it, grabbing a small cloth. He dipped the material in the water to dampen it before turning to the heiress and lightly dabbing at her wounded cheek. Chuckling slightly when he was finished, he tilted his head, "It makes you look interesting," he said with a smile. Gesturing toward the water, he said, "Go ahead and clean up. I'll be in the other room." He headed for the bed and sat down, exhausted.

[Stop being right. Geeze. xD Okay, okay, just a moment.
^^ Okay, it's edited.]

Jackson leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as Alice bathed. He hung his head between his shoulders, letting out a long, slow breath. He was tense and exhausted, the stresses of the last week weighing heavily on him. His eyes were drifting toward the heiress without him really noticing and he was soon taking in the soft curve of her neck and the way her dark hair fell over her shoulders. Slowly straightening up, he pressed his hands into the mattress and leaned back. It wasn't until she stood up to get out that he realized he was staring, and he shamefully dropped his eyes, feeling guilty about breaching her privacy. He kept his eyes glued to the floor until she joined him, lifting his head when she sat down beside him. At her words, he glanced down at his shoulder, "Oh, it's probably fine. I don't even feel it. I'm going to go clean up." He got to his feet, before pausing on second thought and pulling off the small bag of coins at his hip. Offering her the bag, he smiled, "Go get something to eat. I'll join you in a little bit." Once she took the coin purse, he headed toward the tub, pulling off his clothes wearily and flinching as his shirt tugged at his bullet wound. He slipped beneath the water a moment later, allowing its warmth to soothe him. After washing off, he cleaned his shoulder as best as he could before he got dried off and dressed. Feeling better, he headed out of the room and down to the lower level, spotting Alice and taking a seat beside her.

[xD]

Jackson's lips titled into a smile when Alice told him she had ordered for them both, giving her an appreciative nod, "Thank you." He watched her for a moment, chuckling at how swiftly she ate, impressed at the ladylike way she did so. Dropping his eyes to his own bowl, he began to eat just as hungrily, his aching body grateful for the sustinance. Finishing just before she did, he stretched slightly, turning toward the heiress when she offered him his coins back. "It's the least I can do," he murmured, taking the bag and reattaching it to his belt. Getting to his feet, he offered her his hand to help her up before leading her to the door. "Let's see if we can find some decent clothes," he said as he headed out into the street. After meandering for a few minutes, he found a small shop that sold various tunics and trousers, along with boots and several other types of shoes. Glancing at Alice, he headed inside, grabbing a few new sets of clothes for himself. "Sorry they don't have fancy ball gowns and expensive slippers," he chuckled, waiting for her to choose something.