Lost At Sea

@ BearGirl
Of course Marina had to be difficult. Of course she couldn't make his life easy. She couldn't do so when they were young kids and certainly not now. If Louis wasn't so into making things work for them this time around, he was sure he would of left her to fend for herself in the middle of the town, but, he was. So of course he had to carry the grown woman like a child through the town and into the next shop.

He'll really need a drink after this. Or five.

Being in the boutique, Louis allowed for Marina to have her moment of sitting on her own while he walked. His gaze never left the girl for more than a few moments at a time. He knew she was not happy, but she was obviously not happy with her past situations either. So, she'll have to get over it. Eventually.

"Marina, come. You need to try on a new dress." Louis said as the girl helping them left, his gaze focused on the girl in front of him. "You want to change with the girl, or do you want me to help you?" He asked, not trying to be perverted, but actually caring as he knew she couldn't move very well. "The dress she's grabbing for you should be lighter and easier for you to move in." He told her, plus, he was having her pick out some men's clothing that would fit her size.

Glancing towards the dressing room, Louis saw the dress that the worker was grabbing for Marina and couldn't help but to smirk. It was quite cute.

@ FallenHope95

Charlotte let out a small sigh as Louis told her she needed to try on the new dress. She ignored him for a moment, continuing to look out the window in hopes that someone trustworthy would walk by. Though, of course, no one did. So, slowly, the woman got up and with the help of the walls, she made her way to the changing room where the girl was. As the girl helped her dress, Charlotte was getting lost in her thoughts. At this point, it was becoming clear that Charlotte couldn't really escape and it was very clear that Louis was not going to give her what she wanted?

So now what? She was stuck with a stubborn man who was going to end up fucking everything up more than it already was. She really had no way out and Charlotte wasn't quite up for whatever was going to happen next. All she really wanted to do at the moment was go back to the ship and just hide in her room until she wasted away... maybe when they ended up getting caught, Charlotte could convince them all that the pirate had kidnapped her.

Once dressed, the woman helped Charlotte out of the room so Louis could see what it looked like. The dress actually almost fit the girl perfectly, only needing a few quick alterations to it to really fit her like a glove. The girl at the store smiled largely as she looked over Marina. "Oh look at how cute she is!" She said before moving down and started to mess with the hem of the skirt. "It just needs to be shortened a little."

With a little hum, she then turned and handed Louis the men's clothes that he had been asking for. "Will these do, Sir?" She asked as she looked them over a second time.

@ BearGirl
As Charlotte refused to listen to him, Louis was quite tempted to just throw her over his shoulder and take her to the dressing room. She'd probably be pissed that he'd of done that, but at the moment they really didn't have much time to waist and the more people who saw them the worst that it could get for them. Not to mention the possibility that she could be noticed.

Glancing up once Charlotte had given up and got changed. The silence was really the only thing that Louis could give right away. The way the dress fit Charlotte was perfect. The colors went with the collection and just everything else, it was just. Perfect. "Beautiful." Was the one word that slipped from the Captain's lips as he watched Charlotte for a moment more before he looked down at the clothing in the girl's arms.

Raising his hands, Louis looked through the garments before nodding his head. "These will do." He said as he looked at the woman and gave her a small nod of his head. "I will take all of this." He said as he motioned to all of the men's clothing for Charlotte as well as her dress.

Fishing into his pockets, Louis pulled out his little bag of coins and followed the woman towards the area where he was to pay for the new things. Then, handed the money over. He cast a small glance towards Charlotte before looking at the woman. "How long would it take to mend the dress?" He asked, curious as to how long they'd have to wait before they could head back to the ship so that the crew could finish preparations for the night.

"Are you hungry?" Louis asked Charlotte once he was done talking to the worker. His eyes taking in the appearance of the young woman for a moment. "Thirsty?"

@ FallenHope95

The girl ensured that the dress would be done in the morning, as the alternations were of little effort. Though she also offered to get them done much quicker, in an hour and a half's time if Louis was willing to pay extra for it. Once the decision was made, the worker nodded before heading off to do what she needed to.

As Louis came back to her side and asked his questions, Charlotte shook her head at the man. She was not interested in eating or drinking at the moment. Her heart had already sunk into her chest and the mere thought of food seemed nauseating to her. Though, more than that, Charlotte was upset enough that they even went out. She was devastated that the man cut her hair and upset that he was forcing her to play dress up with him.

Additionally, Charlotte didn't want to speak or even look at the man that had - for some ungodly reason - been stuck at her side for the last several days. She wanted to head back to the ship, to lay down and to, hopefully, be alone. Tears started to well up in her eyes again as she looked around. Still, there was no one who could help her and she could just feel herself breaking and breaking more.

In truth, Charlotte wanted to have a complete breakdown in the middle of the street but there was still something in her that stopped her from doing that. Though she was sure it wasn't going to last past getting back on the ship.

@ BearGirl
It was kinda a scam that the woman would take til tomorrow to finish the small altercations. There wasn't much to be done to it. Still, though, he paid for the quick fix, wanting nothing more than to get things done as soon as possible. He'll get his money back eventually anyways. He was a pirate after all.

A small sigh escaped from Louis as he looked down at Marina. He could easily see that she was upset with him. With the way she was so quiet and how she wouldn't even dare look him in the eyes. "You're going to have to speak to me eventually." He told her honestly, leaning down and picking her up bridal style so that she didn't have to hobble along as they walked down the streets.

"If you want to cry, you can cry into my shirt." Louis offered, glancing down at the younger woman. His lips set into a slight frown as he noticed that she didn't look happy in the least bit. "All of this will make sense in a little while. Trust me, I'm helping you. I know it might not seem like it, but I am." He told her, his eyes looking ahead of them as he moved. Making sure not to accidentally walk into someone as he carried the young girl down the street.

As they passed by a small bakery, Louis got a small idea. "Let's get some sweets." He murmured, remembering slightly that the girl used to have a rather large sweet tooth when they were children. He had no idea if she still cared for sweets, but he hoped that she did and this small gesture could bring a small smile to her lips for the first time in a few days.

Walking inside, the sweet scent of cakes filled Louis' nose. The sweetness kinda caused his teeth to hurt, but he tried to ignore the feeling as he set Marina down and brought her with him towards one of the displays at the counter. "Do you see anything that seems remotely interesting to you?" Louis asked as he eyed one of the cakes that looked interesting. The red coloring and the contrast of the white frosting looked interesting. He hadn't seen a cake that color before.

@ FallenHope95

At Louis' offer, the woman immediately started to burst into tears. She was already on the edge of crying so him even mentioning it sent the young woman over the edge. Her face buried into his shirt, trying to hide the fact that she had lost any control over her emotions. Charlotte tried her best to keep it quiet as he carried her down the street. It was horridly unladylike and unlike her to lose herself in public like this. Even though she knew none of the passerbyres and they didn't know her, Charlotte didn't want to draw the attention.

Her heart shifted uncomfortably in her chest as the captain tried to reassure Charlotte that he was trying to help. She didn't understand how any of this was helping her. Things she had done before but didn't work, making her do things she didn't want to, bringing her out where someone might recognize her. His way of helping was not appreciated in the least. However, Charlotte would allow him the benefit that he was probably telling the truth about trying to help - at this point at least. Admittedly, Charlotte had been surprised that Louis did not bring her out in attempts to sell her back to those she was running from. And despite how much she hated his decisions, they did not seem to have the intent of harming her. None the less, Charlotte did not trust that there was not an ulterior motive behind his actions. She was scared of the why behind it and the consequences that would follow. Nor did she appreciate her choices being taken away again.

As Charlotte cried, she only vaguely heard what Louis had said after that, hearing something about sweets. Though she understood once he brought her into the bakery and set her down on her feet. As he led her to the display counter, Charlotte had her hands on her face, wiping away the tears had that been spilling over her eyes. At least the small outburst had worked in making Charlotte feel as though she could reel in her emotions in a small way. At least enough to get something from the baker.

As much as Charlotte hadn't been very interested in eating, the young woman did always find it difficult to turn away the offering of sweets. She did have a very strong sweet tooth that Charlotte always had a difficult time in denying. Having even gotten the cooks at home to sneak her a few things during the times she was punished. The woman would not say she overindulged but her father probably would say the opposite. Her eyes glanced over the treats, seeing a few things that the woman would be interested in eating. Her eyes eventually stopped at the white and red cake. She looked at the baker, making sure he was paying attention before pointing at it.

@ BearGirl
Out of the corner of his eye, Louis caught sight of Marina picking out a slice of cake that she'd like to have. The gesture was enough to bring a small smile onto his face, although he was careful to not let her see it. As he didn't want her noticing that he was watching her in the first place.

"Make that two, and two Americano's." He told the man, then glanced down at Marina to see her reaction. "Unless you'd like something else to go along with the sweet cake." Louis paused as he waited to hear Marina's reply to his question. He wanted to make sure she got what she wanted from this shop. He wanted her to be happy about something that he's done for her. He wanted her to feel joy once more after she's been through so much hatred.

Once he had paid for everything, Louis pointed towards a small table to the side of the bakery and offered for Charlotte to take a seat. He even went so far as to pull out the chair for her as they waited for the man to box up their cake and drinks for them.

"I know you're probably really upset with me right now for cutting your hair and forcing you to buy new clothing. But, I really need you to trust me. We're doing all of this so that we can throw them off of your trail." Louis said, his voice quiet as he looked towards Marina. His childhood friend, his first crush. It pained him to see the tear streaks on her cheeks and the redness in her eyes. His heart ached for him to reach out and wrap his arms around her and hold her close to his body. He just wanted to comfort her, but, if she wanted to be free from the demons from her past first, then. He could live with that.

"After this, we will be heading back to the ship," Louis informed Marina as he leaned back slightly in his chair. His eyes focused solely on Marina across from him. "We will be leaving in a few hours as well." He informed her, then offered the baker a small nod of his head as thanks. Reaching out, Louis grabbed onto the cups handle and raised the hot coffee to his lips, taking a quick sip of it before placing it back onto the table.

Then, he raised his fork and took a piece of the red cake and raised it to his lips. A small smile formed on his lips as he noticed the red cake was some sort of chocolate cake. "Hmm, interesting." He murmured, noticing the contrast of the cream cheese frosting that coated the red cake.

@ FallenHope95

At the mention of the Americano's, Charlotte shook her head and ended up telling the baker what she really wanted. It was a more sweet drink. Unlike Louis, she had no desire to cut the sweetness of the cake with coffee. If anything, Charlotte just wanted something more sweet.

Once outside, Charlotte glanced off and looked at the people walking by as Louis spoke. She let out a small sigh as he mentioned that he needed her to trust him. Words she had heard before and she always regretted doing so. Did he really think she was just upset about the hair and the clothes. Admittedly, she was pissed about it but there was so much more to everything than that. Slowly, she turned her head back, looking up at Louis again. She knew she couldn't avoid looking at him forever. As pissed as she was, doing that for too long was even unreasonable to her. Her eyes glancing over at him, sizing him up, trying to figure out if she could consider trusting him. He was not like the others, she knew that. But was he different enough and in a good way?

Charlotte visibly relaxed once Louis mentioned that they were going to be leaving port in a couple of hours. Finally, a decision that she was able to agree with. It was best that they got out of here as soon as possible. Even though the woman was rather sure that no one had noticed who she was, she wasn't sure. Part of the issue was Charlotte had no idea where they were or even how far away they were from either country. She could even be in one of their ports and not realize it. After all, she had never gotten the opportunity to travel through her fiancee's country yet.

With the cake in front of her, the young woman started to eat. Unlike usual, Charlotte took her time to savor the taste. It had been too long since she had something as delicious as this cake. The twitch of a smile moved along her features as she took her second bite. As odd as it seemed, this little piece of sweetness had been the only thing to cheer her up in the slightest for weeks now. She took a sip of her drink, letting out a small hum as she did so before going back to her cake.

It seemed too quickly that the plate in front of her was empty. Her nose twitched slightly in displeasure. Charlotte wished that she had more chocolate and other desserts to fill herself on. Though she knew she should just be thankful for the bit she had received. Slowly, Charlotte pushed back her plate before picking up her drink and cupping it in her hands. In the least, she still had her somewhat sweet drink to tide her over before Louis decided it was time to head back to the ship. As far as she was concerned, the sooner the better. Since there was no way getting out of Louis' grasps, she might as well go back into hiding.

@ BearGirl
Usually, Silence was not something that Louis enjoyed. He liked things loud, rowdy, lots of energy. Then again, he's been surrounded by nothing but men for months so it was understood able that the company of a young woman would be different. Especially when one is in the presence of a noblewoman.

Glancing up, Louis noticed that Marina had finished her cake slice. That alone brought a small smile to his lips and pushed his plate towards her. "Finish it, I'm too full," Louis said as he motioned towards the half-eaten slice. His right hand moving to grasp the handle of his coffee and slowly raising it to his lips as he took a small sip of the bitter drink. A small sigh escaped from him as he lowered the drink. "This place isn't too bad." He mused as he glanced around the bakery and took everything it. It was cute, small but cute.

A small sigh escaped from Louis after a while of just relaxing and people watching. It was a nice little hobby that the young man had, but it got boring quite fast. Especially when the town was so small, with not much to really look at. Louis much preferred to explore cities when he could, his men also doing their own little hobbies at times as well.

"We should get going, Marina," Louis said once he noticed that both of their drinks were now gone. The light from the sun was starting to set and the whole place was starting to grow dim except for the lanterns that people were fighting for their storefronts.

It was almost time to go along with Louis' plan, he needed Charlotte to be safely back on his ship before his men got to work on setting things in motion. "Are you alright to walk?" Louis asked as he slowly stood from his chair and offered the younger woman a hand to help her up. "I'm sure your clothes are done and I bet the chef on the ship is making something interesting once more now that he's got supplies to cool with."

@ FallenHope95
Taking Louis' help, Charlotte got up on her feet from the table. She gave the man a small nod as he asked if she could walk. Charlotte could, but admittedly, it was still a struggle for her. Though she was pleased enough to hear that they were heading back to the ship. And with the treat of the cake still on her lips, Charlotte didn't try to make things as difficult as she had earlier. 

The woman followed him off to the seamstress where they picked up the clothes and soon after that, they were walking up onto the ship. An immediate sigh of relief came from the noblewoman as her feet pressed down on the wood. It was true that she didn't particularly want to be on the ship, but it was certainly better than walking around town and waiting to get caught. 

Heading back into her room, Charlotte laid down in the bed and fell sound asleep before dinner was even done. Even if she was awake, the woman would not have eaten it since she was now full off of the cake. 

Over the following week, Charlotte slowly got healthier and a little less stubborn. After two days, she started speaking to Louis again. Though, she kept any conversation they had minimal.  But, in the least, she did not pick any fights with him. She started eating her meals as well, no longer refusing food or throwing it overboard. This led to Charlotte looking much better and moving around with no issue. The injuries on her arms were now scabbing over. The woman even started to come up on deck to sit in the sun and relax. 

It was clear that Charlotte was still not particularly happy with her current arrangement. Nor did she trust Louis much either. Though, in the least, she had made the decision not to fight with him or any of the other crew. It didn't even seem that Charlotte was up to any scheme. Now that they had lasted a week on the ship - no father, King or fiancee in sight, Charlotte was starting to feel safe. 

(I hope you don't mind but I started the fast forward. Do you want to do the rings now?)

@ BearGirl
A small sigh escaped from the captain as he leaned back in the chair that was in his personal office. Maps of all of the seas he's sailed littering his walls, some with little notes on them while others looked barely touched. His dark eyes weren't on those vast adventurous maps no, his eyes were instead focused on the rings that he wore on his fingers. Rings that he hadn't taken out of his private safe in years.

Since the day that they left the town that he got Marina's clothing from, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about when he left home. He had burned down half of the town the night that they set sail, making sure to leave the locks of Marina's hair and her old dress behind for others to find. A dead pig burned in one of the buildings, too far gone to tell if it was a human or not. It was done in a similar fashion as to when he faked his own death. Nathan Preston was no longer around, burned to death in a barn one night because an animal knocked him out before kicking over a lantern he had been using.

Another sigh escaped from the young captain as he raised a hand and rubbed his tired eyes. All of these old memories were giving him a headache. Reaching out towards the bottle of scotch on his desk, Louis poured a decent amount into a glass he kept on his desk. The amber colored liquor slouched a little bit in the cup before settling in the bottom.

"To Nate." Louis mused, raising the glass to himself and taking a few sips of the liquor. It burned as it went down, but it was also sorta smooth. Delicious just the same though. Raising his gaze towards the door as a knock was heard, Louis couldn't help but sigh. He had told everyone to not bother him, but it seemed like no one cared to list today. "Enter." He called as he looked down on the rings and started to take them off. They were a little small now as he had become more of a man over the years. No longer the young lad with stars in his eyes, wanting to see the world.

(Sounds good with me~)

@ FallenHope95

Charlotte walked into the pirate captain's office once he allowed her to. It felt like it had been centuries since she was last in the room. The dinner with him just felt so long ago when in reality, it had really only been two weeks. Though a lot has changed since then and she really did try to keep her contact with the captain to a minimal. However, tonight she had a question and a small request for him. One she was hoping he would accept since Charlotte had been being quiet this week. 

Her eyes dropped on the man as she entered. "Good Afternoon, Captain." She said while walking further in. Her eyes dropped down to what he was fiddling with in his hands, and immediately her heart fell deep into her stomach. Charlotte didn't even have to get close to know what they were, and who they belonged to. The woman's body immediately grew tense as fierce rage ran through her. In an instant, Charlotte grabbed the closest sword from the weapon's rack in the room.

The woman then immediately strode up to the man and pointed it at his neck. A burning rage lighting up her eyes, her chest rising and falling heavily as intense emotions moved through her. Half of her just wanted to shove the sword right through the man's neck but a part of her held back. "If you move or yell for help, I swear to God that I will have this sword through your neck in an instant. And I promise you, you'll be dead before you have the chance to do anything." Charlotte hissed at him. She felt confident that she would be able to enact revenge before he could stop her. Charlotte actually knew how to fight, thanks to her father and old friend, and despite him being a pirate captain, the woman was sure he wasn't as good as either of them. 

"Where did you get those rings? I know they don't belong to you." Charlotte pressed the sword into his neck a bit, but not enough to make Louis bleed. "I will know if you are lying." 

@ BearGirl
Glancing up towards the door as it opened, Louis couldn't help but to go a little still. He wasn't expecting for Marina to come into his office. She was usually off doing who knows what. She was still recovering so he hadn't assigned her a job yet. So of course, he knew she probably had some free time of her hands since she had nothing else to do.

Just watching her reaction as she took a glance at what he was wearing was a clear indication for Luis to remember that she cared for him in their younger years. Back in simpler times, back when they both didn't know anything about the world that was around them.

Still keeping the same hold on the drink, Louis just leaned back more in his chair as he faced Marina. His expression showing his indifference towards everything. Although, he'd be a liar if he didn't say he could see the improvement in her stance and how she held it. "You're not very scary holding that." He told her, ignoring the feeling of the sword against his jugular vain. "Your holding it out to far, and the sword needs to be at more of an angle." He instructed as he easily reached out and grabbed the blade. The sharp metal dug into the palm of his hand ever so slightly as he easily lifted it away from his face.

Then, standing, up and keeping his grip on the blade. Louis used his other hand and reached out. Hitting her arm in a way that he'd learned would dislodge a weapon form someone's hand. "A friend gave them to me. A dead one." He told Marina as he looked her in the eyes. "Before a special friend of mine past away, he gave them to me and told me to keep them safe." A small sigh followed as Louis ran a hand through his hair. His glass sitting on the table, calling for the captain to drink it.

"If you'd really want to intimidate someone, don't charge them head on like an idiot." Louis said as he let the blade go, a few drops of blood coming from a few shallow cuts where the blade barely cut into his palm.

@ FallenHope95
Charlotte let out a gasp of pain as he disarmed her. A deep frown on her face as she realized how easy it had been for him as well. While Charlotte was no expert swordsman, she was better than the average fighter. She should easily be better than some pirate that never learned properly... though maybe he wasn't the average pirate. He hadn't been so far. "I didn't ask for fighting pointers." She snapped at him. 

"And you're a liar." Charlotte said as she walked up to him, pushing Louis against his chest. She wanted to knock him down but admittedly, she wasn't that strong. "The man who owned those wouldn't have given them to anyone willingly. Those aren't yours. They don't fucking belong to you and I can't believe a low life like you has them and was wearing them. God, you're so insufferable."

Turning on her heels, Charlotte was quick to grab the rings on the desk. Just having them in her hand started to bring tears to her eyes. It had been so long since she saw any traces of him... And admittedly, it hurt Charlotte to even be reminded of the loss she felt. 

The woman headed over to the open window of his room before turning to Louis. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as the next words came out of her mouth. "Tell me the truth or I'll throw them out into the sea." Even as the words left her lips, Charlotte could feel the ache in her chest. She didn't really want to do that. She didn't even get rid of her own rings so doing so to Nathan's felt impossible. She wanted to keep them but Charlotte wanted the truth more than the rings. Plus, it would surely be better to throw them out then let Louis keep them. 

@ BearGirl
All of the words that Marina was throwing at him just bounced off like nothing. He really didn't care if she was mad, she had every right to be. So, who was he to tell her to stop and grow up? He had abandoned her, and left her to suffer through god only knows what. She had no one to protect her once he left her alone.

A small sigh escaped from the captain as he turned and watched as she grabbed his rings. He really made no big deal of it at first. He had her rings after all, so it could be seen like they were trading. "Then you didn't know your friend very well." Louis murmured quietly as he went to the side of the room, ripping one of his shirts to make a makeshift bandage because he was too lazy to go and see the doc.

What had actually gotten his attention though, was when she said she'd throw his rings out to the sea. That, brought a scowl onto his face as he looked at Marina. "Don't you dare." Louis said as he eyes Marina with narrowed eyes. A scowl appearing on his lips once more as he looked away for a moment as he tried to figure out what to say at the moment.

It took Louis a while, but he did eventually let out a sigh before turning to look towards the younger woman. "Alright, fine. I'm Nathan. Happy, Charlotte?" Louis, well, Nate asked as he looked towards the now short-haired girl. "What else do you want me to say? I faked my own death and ran from home, my dad was an ass and I didn't want to work under your dad for the rest of my life." He blurted out, his mouth running faster then his mind was able to process.

@ FallenHope95

Charlotte looked back at the man intensely as he started to scowl at her. Now she had hit a nerve, and hopefully one that would give her the truth that she was looking for. She had many fears of what the captain might say. Worst of all, if he was the one who had killed her dear friend. Charlotte knew she would want him dead if that was the case, but Charlotte had no idea if she would be able to actually do it. It was clear enough that he was a good swordsman and he was certainly stronger than her.

When those words left Louis' lips, the woman let out a little gasp. She stepped back away from the man, her heart starting to beat wildly. Never in her most absurds thoughts did Charlotte think he would say that to her. The woman felt completely thrown off. The way he said her name, her real name sent shivers down her spine. It sounded so real. It sounded exactly how Nathan sounded when he used to be mad at her.

Though as the initial shock of his statement slid away, Charlotte let out a small growl. Her eyes moved up and down at the man. Admittedly, there was a slight resemblance between Nathan and Louis. However, it certainly was not enough to say they were the same person, or even from the same family. Nathan had been well kept, and put together. He had been strong but he was a lean man. Louis was rough, rugged with scars on him. Plus, he was bigger than Nathan was, muscle wise at least. "No you're not."

Charlotte stood up straighter, her hands clenching down on the rings. God she wanted to hurt Louis but it was best to stay away so she could throw the rings overboard if needed. "Nathan was my best friend and you're not him. Nathan is dead!" Charlotte started to scream, her chest falling and rising quickly as she did so. "I went to his funeral. His family saw his body. They buried him. You can't trick me. Besides, Nathan would never do that to me. He would tell me if he was going to run away. He would never just abandon me like so you're little story doesn't work on me."

@ BearGirl
Breathing in deeply through his nose, Nate closed his eyes and rubbed them. He was beyond annoyed right now. He knew Charlotte's actions like the back of his hand. They had grown up together for many years and this, this was something he really didn't want to get into with her right now. She was never meant to find out who he really was, she was never meant to remember him as her best friend who had killed themselves.

"Just." Nate started, then let out the breath that he had been holding in before opening his eyes and looking towards Charlotte. "Just sit down and we cat talk things through like damn adults, alright?" He suggests, eyeing the short haired girl for a while more before he'd continue anyway.

"I staged everything, I bought a carcass from the local butcher and had it stashed in the barn the night that I left. For the record, I did ask you if you'd want to leave with me. Multiple times, you were just too interested in if daddy would be home tonight or if he'd be staying with his men at the barracks again." Nate explained. "I've brought it up multiple times, Car. Many times, but you never seemed to have taken it lightly. I couldn't stand it, I had to leave. I needed freedom, I needed to breathe."

Allowing for some silence to fall between the two of them, Nate allowed Charlotte to take in everything. She needed to hear what he needed to say, she needed to hear that he had tried and she had neglected him. She needed to know that he was always thinking of her, up until the day he left her. The day he decided to live his life for himself and no one else.

"Look, Charlotte," Nate said after a while, wanting to just get things going. "Why don't you ask me some questions that only the real Nate would know. That way, you can see that I'm really him."

@ FallenHope95
"No, you didn't!" Charlotte retorted clear distress setting into her voice. "I would have begged you not to go, to stay with me. You know I would have done anything for you and you think I would just let you run away without a word? In the least, I would have gotten you to promise me to meet in a year or get letters from you or something. I wouldn't just let you leave!"

The woman held back a sob before taking a deep breath, trying to get herself to come back to reality. Slowly turning so her back was now facing him. She couldn't believe that this man was getting her wrapped up in his insane story. It was just the way he was speaking, the way Louis was saying her name that kept pulling her under. That the captain even used her nickname, Car. It felt like a stab to her heart. 

There was no way his story could be true, right? While she had not been allowed to, Nate's family and her father both saw his body. Surely a carcass of some animal at the butcher shop would not fool them? Both men had fought, had seen what dead men looked like. And Charlotte knew Nate had never seriously told her that he was going to run away. Sure, he made his jokes but that was all they were, stupid little bits of banter...

Charlotte opened up her hands, looking down at the rings. There was no doubt in her mind that they were Nathan's. She knew them well enough and they certainly were not fakes. The captain was probably trying to get out of admitting that he killed Nathan. Only Nate's murderer would have his rings unless he was telling the truth. Slowly, Charlotte turned back to Louis. There was an easy enough way to settle this. Either he was Nate or his killer. 

"Fine. What nickname did I call you that you always hated? What was the last Birthday gift that I gave you before you supposedly ran away?" Charlotte moved onto her last one, determining to give him a trick question. The real Nathan would know the truth, the fake would just answer the question the way it was. "Lastly, when we were 15, I convinced Father to let you come on vacation with us to Malmö. What did I tell you when we were alone on the docks?"

@ BearGirl
Annoyance filled Nate as he listened to Charlotte. He knew she wouldn't just accept things as they were. She always had to make things work in her favor. She was never the one to see her faults unless they were pointed out to her. She was always the victim, and usually, Nate was fine with it. In this situation though, he couldn't have her think that way. She needed to see that he was here and alive. That Nathan was alive, her best friend growing up, was alive.

As Charlotte turned her back to him, Nate moved back to his chair and sat down. A hand running through his messy hair. He needed a cut, probably should of gotten one while at the island before setting it ablaze, but whatever.

A small snort of amusement escaped from Nate as he leaned back in his chair. His arms crossing over his chest as he arched an eyebrow. He knew she would do what he had suggested. What he didn't expect though was for her to ask him such simple questions. "From when we were children or teenagers? When we were kids you'd call be sprout because I was so lanky as a kid, then as we got older you kept calling me Natters. Which I still really hate by the way." Nate started, playing along with this little game of hers.

"The last gift you gave me was this." Nate said as he opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a beautiful dagger that was in it's sheath. "You told me you had it commissioned as a Christmas present, but kept it took to long, so you settled for giving it to me on my birthday instead." He told her, admiring the detail that was put into the hilt of the dagger.

After admiring the dagger for a moment more, Nate put the dagger back in it's secret spot. His gaze shifting back towards Charlotte as she spoke once more. Slowly, Nate's eyes narrowed as he listened to the question. Not knowing what to say because he couldn't fully remember ever going on vacation with her other then when they were far younger.

"We never went to Melmo together Char." Nate started, leaning forward a little bit so that his elbows could rest on the desk. "Your father invited me in front of you, but once you turned your back, he told me no. I was to old to be left alone with you, he told me. As for that dock part, you told me nothing, as you were being ushered by your father to board." He told her, his lips slowly dipping as he slowly remembered that was also the day that he had decided to run away from home. "That was the day I decided I actually wanted to leave. No more imagining it." His gaze lowered as a few more memories filled his mind, including the one where he had watched his funeral from afar.

Not to mention that her father actually knows his secret. That though, he would never let slip or so help him.

@ FallenHope95
The anger in Charlotte's eyes dissipated as she saw the dagger Louis pulled out of the desk. It was the exact one that she had given him, with the correct story along with it. Charlotte knew it wasn't something that he carried everywhere, not like his rings. Though her face complete dropped, becoming blank, as the man before her answered the Melmo question correctly. It was a trick question and he got it right. A question that Charlotte was sure only Nate would remember correctly - and something he wouldn't tell others. 

The woman looked over Nate once again, now beginning to see the hidden features of who he used to be. It was true that the man had changed a lot, enough so that she didn't recognize the man she used to see every day. But it was him, underneath all that hair, scars, muscles, tan and scowl. 

Charlotte found it difficult to breathe as if she was choking on her own emotions. The woman was overjoyed to see Nate again, that he was still alive and somehow back in her life. But she also felt betrayed that he would leave in the first place and heartbroken that Nate didn't tell her the truth once she was on his ship. So many more emotions wrapped around her neck. Though her face showed none of it, her years of experience helping her to control her appearance. That was all that ever mattered, how she looked to others. 

So many horrid thoughts and questions spun around Charlotte's head. None of which she felt prepared to deal with. She tried her best to push her thoughts out as she slowly walked up to his desk and laid the rings down. They were his and her desire to keep them had dropped immensely. "I am glad that you are happy here." Charlotte's voice was soft and lady-like now that she had pulled her noblewoman appearance back up. "I apologize for having caused you trouble, captain."

Turning, Charlotte started to make her way out of the room. In the least, Charlotte knew she was not prepared to deal with anything else that might leave his mouth.