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Post by Pirate on Nov 23, 2014 0:05:59 GMT -5
Alice frowned at his response, feeling completely helpless in the situation. She nodded at his question, her eyes flicking to Shane standing in the doorway. "I'm as okay as I can be," she replied, returning her gaze to him. Lowering her voice, she leaned a little closer to him in hopes that Shane wouldn't hear her. "What are we going to do? He's going to kill us when we get back to the ship."
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Post by Caebeeb on Nov 23, 2014 1:11:38 GMT -5
Jackson shook his head at her words, "He's not going to kill us. Well, he's not going to kill you." He frowned slightly, watching as his brother turned and moved toward them, putting his gun back along his spine in his waistband. He smiled devilishly at Alice, horrid thoughts running through his mind. "We've got this whole wide open space. Wanna have a little fun?" he insinuated with a wink, enjoying watching her squirm. Jackson wrapped an arm around Alice's waist and pulled her in against his side before he told his brother what he could do with his comments.
[Okay, I'm planning a fatal brawl. Should she be kidnapped again, or should they just have it out right there in the barn?]
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Post by Pirate on Nov 23, 2014 1:17:39 GMT -5
[Hmm...I think they should resolve it in the barn. Then Alice and Jackson can realize their love for each other, Alice runs away with him, and they live happily ever after.]
Alice shook her heads at his words, tearing up again when he said she specifically wouldn't die. "I don't want him to hurt you," she told him earnestly. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if Shane killed Jackson and she was left alive. She looked up when Shane moved from his post, cringing away when he gave her a look filled with horrible intentions. She gladly moved closer into the security of Jackson's protective embrace, turning away from the cruel man. She couldn't look at him at the moment, not after everything he'd put her through.
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Post by Caebeeb on Nov 23, 2014 1:39:10 GMT -5
[Wait, really? xD Should they go back to her family and tell them, or just leave?]
Shane set his sights on his brother, narrowing his eyes. He shoved Alice away from him before yanking the taller man to his feet to face him. He held him steady before he rammed his fist into his jaw, sending the injured man reeling back a step. Jackson immediately raised his fists, his wounded shoulder protesting. With a slight cringe, he slugged his brother in the eye before hitting him the the stomach and causing his to keel over. Shane shook off the advance pretty quickly, though, pulling his knife from its sheath and moving toward his brother. By now, the men had stumbled several feet from Alice, their eyes set on each other. Shane dodged forward, embedding the blade into his brother's thigh. Jackson let out a hiss of pain, his knee nearly bucking before he managed to get his footing. Shane ran at him before Jackson was prepared, and the two were sent sprawling to the dusty ground. Shane roughly yanked the knife from Jackson's leg, and the two fought over the weapon, punching and pushing at each other. Somehow, Jackson managed to wrestle the knife from his brother. Before he could really contemplate his options, or their consequences, he drove the blade into Shane's neck, meeting his eyes one final time. The older man sputtered, blood dribbling from his mouth and leaking from his neck. He managed to roll away from Jackson, clutching desperately at his throat before he slowly stilled, his head twitching slightly. Jackson climbed awkwardly to his feet, favoring his right leg. He stumbled away and fell back down into a sitting position, staring at his brother in stunned silence. He slowly ran a trembling hand through his hair, "He was a piece of shit, but he was the only person I had in this world," he whispered, his voice trembling.
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Post by Pirate on Nov 23, 2014 2:13:00 GMT -5
[It's probably easier for them to leave. She'll write them a letter or something sentimental like that.]
Alice gasped as she was tugged away from Jackson, protesting as she stumbled backwards onto the floor. She pushed herself up slowly, looking up to see that the men had started fighting. Afraid to get close, she stayed where she was, her hands going to her mouth when the fight became violent. She wanted to look away but her fear for Jackson kept her eyes locked on the duel. Once it was over, she sat in shock, her eyes fixed on the dying man on the floor as she saw the last of his life leak away. She felt sick to her stomach after what she had witnessed but she couldn't help her feelings of relief. They were free from him. Her gaze shifted to Jackson and she instantly felt guilty for her relief. He had just had to murder his own brother. He had fallen to the ground near her and she crawled over to him, wrapping her arms carefully around him from behind and resting her chin on his better shoulder, trying to be of some comfort to him. "That's not true. You have me as well," she said softly, hoping her words would make him feel better. She did care about him a lot. He had done so much for her and protected her through all of the recent events in her life. "You had to do it, Jackson. He would have killed you." She sighed softly, burying her face in his shoulder. "Thank you. You've saved me once more. I'm sorry it had to be this way."
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Post by Caebeeb on Nov 23, 2014 2:31:05 GMT -5
[Okay. xD]
Jackson jumped slightly when Alice touched him, still a bit on-edge in light of recent events. He placed large, trembling hands over hers, his eyes still focused on his dead brother. Her words slowly sunk into his mind, and he was quiet for another moment, trying to piece everything together. Now that he was positive that his brother was dead, things felt different, strange even. It was a weird sense of relief and sorrow. He mourned the man his brother once was, and he bid farewell to the man he had become. Squeezing Alice's hands, he cast her a glance, "But I don't have you for long," he murmured. He slowly pulled himself away from her and climbed painfully to his feet, his wounded body aching. "Let's get you home before they send out a search," he mumbled numbly, turning his back on his brother's body and heading toward the door.
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Post by Pirate on Nov 23, 2014 12:12:21 GMT -5
Alice was hurt by his words and her eyes fell to the ground as he pulled away from her. She wanted to be there for him, especially when he needed someone. He shouldn't mourn alone. She got to her feet and turned toward him, making a quick decision. "I don't want to go home." Her voice was firm, her decision made. As much as she loved her family, if she went home, it meant that she had to marry the prince and she would be taken from them anyway to go live in his palace. She would rather make her own choice when it came to her fate. "I don't want to marry Edward. I don't want to become the queen." She knew it was selfish and childish to say those things. It was an honor for the prince to have chosen her and to become a symbol for their country. But she didn't want to be a queen. She didn't want the fame or the excessive luxury and she certainly didn't want to be married to a man she didn't love. She had feelings for Jackson and this was her chance to make a decision for herself finally. Even though things had grown distant between them in the past few days, it didn't mean her feelings for him just disappeared. She took a few steps toward him, taking his hands in hers and taking in a deep breath before looking him in the eye. "I want to stay with you."
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Post by Caebeeb on Nov 23, 2014 12:35:46 GMT -5
Jackson stopped short at Alice's words, a little startled by the weight behind them. He winced slightly and leaned against the barn door, turning to face her. He started to shake his head, but she contiued to speak. He furrowed his brows in confusion, watching as she stepped toward him, letting her grab his hands. He felt a little swell in his heart at her words, but he didn't feel like he could do that to her, like he could just yank her away from her family. "Alice," he whispered, pulling a hand away from hers to reach up and cup her cheek. "I cannot give you the things that he can. I cannot compete with him. I am not a good man, heiress. I am practically a different breed." He stroked a thumb across her cheek, giving her a weak smile, though telling her this was almost as painful as the knife wound in his leg. "It is an honor to marry the Prince," he whispered, dropping his eyes to the ground. "I like you a lot, Alice, but I would be a worse man than I already am if I let you come with me." He was starting to feel a little strange from the amount of blood he'd lost, and even leaning against the door he started to waver on his feet. His eyelids felt heavy, and he struggled to keep them open. "Alice, we need to go now," he whispered, not looking forward to the trek back.
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Post by Pirate on Nov 23, 2014 13:35:44 GMT -5
Alice shook her head as he began to say exactly what she didn't want to hear. He wasn't listening to her and she tried to stop his denial of her. But then he spoke the words she had said to him in parting earlier that day and she stiffened, hurt that he would throw them back at her like that and even more hurt that he was rejecting her after everything she had said. "You are a good man, Jackson," she insisted, but she drew away from him, stepping past him through the door. "The ship is closer," she told him, turning to look at him over her shoulder. "We can go back there and then you can dock at the main port." She supposed it was futile to continue to argue that she should stay with him. If he didn't want her to stay with him, then she would return to her former life and leave him be. Seeing that he wasn't doing well physically, she moved closer to him to offer her support and start in the direction of the ship. They probably only had another mile to go and she hoped he would be able to make it that far.
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Post by Caebeeb on Nov 23, 2014 13:55:04 GMT -5
Jackson didn't say anything as she insisted that he was a good man, squeezing his eyes shut. He'd never met a person who could ever dispute the fact that he wasn't. At her suggestion of returning to the ship first and then returning her home, he gave a small nod. When she came back to his side to help him, he glanced down at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Kiss me," he said quietly, "If you really want to come with me and not go home, kiss me right now and we'll never look back."
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Post by Pirate on Nov 23, 2014 14:14:29 GMT -5
Alice looked up at him when he spoke, confused by his words. She didn't understand why he was pushing her away and then saying things like that in the next moment. He seemed serious though, like this would help him make his mind up. She held his gaze for a moment, pushing away the last of her doubts before she lifted her hand to gently cup his cheek. She leaned up and pressed her lips to his without hesitation. This was what she wanted, to stay with him and make her own choice in what she did with her life. She felt her heart skip in her chest and a feeling of both exhilaration and happiness rush through her. She was finally doing something for herself and it felt very good to kiss Jackson after all of the previous tension between them.
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Post by Caebeeb on Nov 23, 2014 14:29:07 GMT -5
Jackson wasn't really expecting her to kiss him. He figured she would make some excuse to avoid it, so he was rather stunned when she pressed her lips to his. His hand came to rest on her lower back, his mouth gentle and pliant against hers. As if to ruin the moment, though, his legs buckled beneath him and he dropped to the ground, clenching his teeth in pain. He tried to stand back up, but his body was fighting him. He had exhausted himself in the past few weeks, both mentally and physically, and the two open wounds on his body were doing little to combat that. He let out a slow breath, leaning his head back. Turning his eyes to Alice, he gazed at her for a long moment, seeming conflicted about something. He didn't like what he was about to say. "I need you to do something for me," he murmured, "I need you to go to the ship and get a couple of my men, then bring them back here. Please. Be careful."
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Post by Pirate on Nov 23, 2014 15:10:38 GMT -5
Alice was surprised when Jackson violently broke away, falling to the ground in front of her. She was beside him in an instant, unsure of what to do. She felt completely helpless without medical knowledge or the physical strength to help him back. She held his gaze when he looked at her, seeing that he was conflicted about something. She waited patiently for him to speak, nodding when he requested she did something for him. She listened carefully, glancing over her shoulder in the direction of the ship. She wasn't sure how quickly she would be able to make it there and back. But she had to try. Turning back toward him, she nodded in affirmation, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I will be back soon." She got to her feet and started in the direction of the ship, looking back at him frequently over her shoulder until he couldn't see him anymore. After a while, she reached the dock and she boarded the ship quickly, calling for anyone who was nearby. A few men ran up to the deck and stopped short when they saw her. "Bloody hell, you look awful," one of them commented. Her dress was torn and covered with Jackson's blood and she was panting from the effort to breathe. "Jackson needs you," she gasped out, leaning against the railing to support herself. "What do you mean?" She sighed, unsure of why they were suspicious. "Shane came back. Shot him. Stabbed him. He's dying." She was finding it harder to breathe with her corset restricting how far her ribcage could expand. "Please come with me," she begged them. "How the hell did Shane shoot him? He's dead. For all we know, this could be a trap. I say we keep the heiress for ourselves. She's a pretty little thing, nice and quiet," one of them said suspiciously. "Stop questioning me and go help him!" she screamed at them, losing her composure. Jackson was dying and they were just standing there arguing with her. They seemed shocked by her order but nodded, one of them motioning for her to lead the way. She let out a relieved sigh and started back toward the barn they had stopped at. It took a while but when she could see Jackson still collapsed on the ground, she ran to him and fell on her knees at his side, her expression filled with worry. "I'm back. I came back and I brought them. You're going to be okay now."
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Post by Caebeeb on Nov 23, 2014 15:52:05 GMT -5
Upon seeing Alice in her disheveled form, James frowned. He wasn't the woman's biggest fan, but when she said that his best friend was hurt, he immediately stepped toward the front. He listened to the short argument, also shocked by her sharp orders. He volunteered to go with Mark to find Jackson. Before they departed, he turned back toward the crew, "Boil a pot of water, get out fresh blankets and towels, and find some spare clothes!" he called. The men nodded and went about filling the order before he jogged to catch up with Mark and Alice. He walked in silence, wary of Alice, but also concerned for his friend. Upon seeing Jackson leaned up against the barn door, he, too, ran to him. Jackson was groggy when they reached him, his eyes nearly shut. When Alice reached him, he smiled weakly at her words, giving her a nod, "Thank you." James and Mark were at his side moments later, both of them young and strong. "Jacks, you idiot," James said by way of expressing his concern. James gently moved Alice out of the way and Mark took Jackson's other side. The two men hoisted Jackson to his feet, the injured man letting out a groan of pain as his injured shoulder was jarred. Slowly, they helped him back to the ship, helping him aboard. The rest of the crew was simultaneously horrified at his condition and intrigued that Alice had been telling the truth. James and Mark helped him below deck and into the small room at the rear. Hastily, they stripped him of his soiled clothes and went to work cleaning his injuries with the warmed water. Following that, they stitched the wounds closed and layered several layers of cloth over them. After they helped him clean off the rest of his body, as well as his face and hair, he looked like a changed man with the lack of blood coating him. James helped him redress in a clean tunic and trousers before helping him into the bed, muttering something about "you bumbling buffoon" under his breath.
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Post by Pirate on Nov 23, 2014 16:54:22 GMT -5
Alice got to her feet as she was pulled away, watching as the men brought Jackson to his feet. "Careful," she warned them, biting her lip. She followed them back to the ship, waiting outside of the room as they took care of him. She paced impatiently, despite her aching feet. They still hurt from when they'd been torn up a few days ago and running around in her tight shoes had only given her more blisters. She was relieved when Mark exited the room, taking it as her opportunity to see Jackson. She stepped in, ignoring James and settling on her knees on the floor beside the bed. She took Jackson's hand, squeezing it gently to let him know she was there. He looked much better now that they had cleaned him up, although he looked pale from his blood loss. She sighed softly, resting her forehead against the bed. "I'm sorry," she muttered softly. "None of this would have happened if I wasn't involved."
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Post by Caebeeb on Nov 23, 2014 17:04:48 GMT -5
James glanced at Alice as she entered the room, deciding to give them a moment alone. Jackson glanced over as Alice came to his side, giving her a small smile. He squeezed her hand gently, shaking his head at her words. "It's not your fault that my brother behaved the way he did," he murmured gently. He tugged at her hand, trying to get her to stand up before he turned her so that her back was to him. He undid the ties on her dress before she could protest, and loosened the strings on her corset. "There," he said quietly. "You're wheezing's been bothering me all night," he chuckled teasingly before adjusting the ties on her dress so that it was tied once more.
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Post by Pirate on Nov 23, 2014 18:13:48 GMT -5
Alice looked up when spoke, giving him a small smile. When he prompted her to stand up, she got to her feet, frowning as he prompted her to turn around but playing a long. She gasped when he began to untie her dress, a protest rising on her lips as her hands flew to her chest to keep the fabric up. She stayed frozen where she was until she realized what he was doing, her shoulders relaxing. He was just helping her breathe easier. "Thank you," she murmured softly, taking in a deep breath as he redid the ties on her dress. When he was finished, she sat on the edge of the mattress, turning to looking down at him and giving him a small smile. She reached over and gently touched his cheek, her hazel eyes growing worried. "You aren't making me go back, are you?" she asked, worried that he may go back on what he said. Even though he was an honest man, it seemed like something he would do to make things right.
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Post by Caebeeb on Nov 23, 2014 18:26:22 GMT -5
Jackson sighed at her query, resting his cheek against her hand. "I should, but I won't. You don't have to go back unless you want to," he murmured, glancing up at her. "Please lie down with me. I told James to set sail. We'll be leaving soon." He gave her a weak smile, his eyelids heavy. It wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep, his normally tan skin a bit pale.
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Post by Pirate on Nov 23, 2014 18:58:53 GMT -5
Alice smiled and shook her head at his words. "I don't want to," she told him, happy he was going to let her stay. "I'll send my father a letter when we dock next." A faint blush touched her cheeks at his request but she complied, lying down beside him and gently resting her cheek against his shoulder. She watched him as he fell asleep, admiring his peaceful face. It wasn't long before she followed him, the steady rhythm of his soft breaths lulling her to sleep.
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Post by Caebeeb on Nov 23, 2014 19:16:51 GMT -5
Jackson started awake, sitting bolt upright and grasping at his wounded shoulder. He shook slightly, trying to catch his breath. Glancing toward Alice, he climbed out of the bed and got to his feet. He seemed distant, frightened even as he pulled on his boots and limped out of the small room, making his way up to the top deck. It was just before sunrise, and half the crew was tending to the ship. James was the first to see Jackson, and he headed toward the man, shaking his head. "You should be resting," he said emphatically. Jackson shook his head, "No, no. I need to be up here." James frowned, "Jacks, you--" Jackson cut him off, "I need to be up here. End of story," he muttered. James frowned, "Where are we headed?" Jackson shook his head, "I have no idea."
[Do you have any idea where they should go from here. XD]
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