Status: Complete
Skull and Dagger
Re-united.
Twin delighted laughs echoed through the salty sea air as the lovers reunited. Frank snatched Annabelle up in his arms the instant he set foot on the deck of his former ship, and their lips melded together as if each were tasting their first meal after weeks of starvation. Needy hands caressed and stroked as if reassuring their owners that the other was truly there, truly real...
“A little help here?” Elizabeth demanded in annoyance.
Several of Bob’s men managed to tear their eyes away from the spectacle mid-deck and helped Elizabeth up onto the ship from the small rowboat they’d taken across. Gerard climbed nimbly up the rope ladder behind her.
“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Elizabeth sulked. “It’s not like they haven’t done this before...only with less groping.”
“Imagine going for an entire week without sex,” Gerard whispered in her ear.
Elizabeth’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh, those poor people!” she lamented, wiping a tear from her eye. “It’s so romantic, isn’t it?”
“Elizabeth, you are undoubtedly the strangest woman I’ve ever met,” Gerard informed her.
“Oh?” Elizabeth gave him a skeptical look.
“Why do you think I love you so much?” he countered.
A smile lit up her face at that. “You know,” she commented shyly, “that mission from hell taught me something...”
“Did I mention that I didn’t like that?” he inquired.
“It turns out that the prospect of being with other men is unappealing,” Elizabeth bit her lip. “I mean, the gatekeeper was disgusting and kinky, but even the more handsome men...nothing!”
“That’s...sweet,” Gerard said, mildly confused. “Although in a very strange way...”
Elizabeth nodded vigorously. “Do I get another ‘I love you’?” she inquired hopefully.
“I love you...”
Darla pointedly nudged Bob and gestured in the direction of the second couple. “Pick up some pointers,” she advised.
“About how you’re going to become monogamous?” he countered.
Darla frowned. “Good point,” she agreed, letting out a bored yawn. “Can we go yet?”
Bob sighed. “Frankie?” he tried in vain to catch the other captain’s attention.
“What is it?” Gerard demanded, approaching Bob with Elizabeth on his arm.
“We want to get out of here before the entire navy swoops in and blows us sky-high,” Darla informed him matter-of-factly.
“Sounds like a plan,” Gerard agreed, instantly stepping into a role of authority. “We don’t have enough of the original crew left to sail this ship. Bob, can we borrow some of your men for the voyage back home?”
“Take whoever you like,” Bob agreed with a shrug. “We brought more than enough to man two ships.”
“Good,” Gerard nodded, “I’ll try to get all my men to their posts.” He rolled his eyes when he realized that the men in question were all standing in a circle around Annabelle and Frank who were still kissing. “I’ll need about a dozen of yours,” he instructed Bob before dashing off to the task in front of him.
“Rather bossy for a first-mate,” Darla commented, removing a nail file from the folds of her dress and examining her perfectly manicure hands. “Isn’t he?”
A proud smile lit up Elizabeth’s face. “Oh, he’s not first-mate anymore,” she informed them, turning to follow her lover. “He’s captain,” she shot back over her shoulder.
Bob coughed in surprise, half-choking as a stunned Darla pounded heavily on his back. “What?!” he demanded to the empty space on the deck Elizabeth had just occupied.
“A little help here?” Elizabeth demanded in annoyance.
Several of Bob’s men managed to tear their eyes away from the spectacle mid-deck and helped Elizabeth up onto the ship from the small rowboat they’d taken across. Gerard climbed nimbly up the rope ladder behind her.
“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Elizabeth sulked. “It’s not like they haven’t done this before...only with less groping.”
“Imagine going for an entire week without sex,” Gerard whispered in her ear.
Elizabeth’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh, those poor people!” she lamented, wiping a tear from her eye. “It’s so romantic, isn’t it?”
“Elizabeth, you are undoubtedly the strangest woman I’ve ever met,” Gerard informed her.
“Oh?” Elizabeth gave him a skeptical look.
“Why do you think I love you so much?” he countered.
A smile lit up her face at that. “You know,” she commented shyly, “that mission from hell taught me something...”
“Did I mention that I didn’t like that?” he inquired.
“It turns out that the prospect of being with other men is unappealing,” Elizabeth bit her lip. “I mean, the gatekeeper was disgusting and kinky, but even the more handsome men...nothing!”
“That’s...sweet,” Gerard said, mildly confused. “Although in a very strange way...”
Elizabeth nodded vigorously. “Do I get another ‘I love you’?” she inquired hopefully.
“I love you...”
Darla pointedly nudged Bob and gestured in the direction of the second couple. “Pick up some pointers,” she advised.
“About how you’re going to become monogamous?” he countered.
Darla frowned. “Good point,” she agreed, letting out a bored yawn. “Can we go yet?”
Bob sighed. “Frankie?” he tried in vain to catch the other captain’s attention.
“What is it?” Gerard demanded, approaching Bob with Elizabeth on his arm.
“We want to get out of here before the entire navy swoops in and blows us sky-high,” Darla informed him matter-of-factly.
“Sounds like a plan,” Gerard agreed, instantly stepping into a role of authority. “We don’t have enough of the original crew left to sail this ship. Bob, can we borrow some of your men for the voyage back home?”
“Take whoever you like,” Bob agreed with a shrug. “We brought more than enough to man two ships.”
“Good,” Gerard nodded, “I’ll try to get all my men to their posts.” He rolled his eyes when he realized that the men in question were all standing in a circle around Annabelle and Frank who were still kissing. “I’ll need about a dozen of yours,” he instructed Bob before dashing off to the task in front of him.
“Rather bossy for a first-mate,” Darla commented, removing a nail file from the folds of her dress and examining her perfectly manicure hands. “Isn’t he?”
A proud smile lit up Elizabeth’s face. “Oh, he’s not first-mate anymore,” she informed them, turning to follow her lover. “He’s captain,” she shot back over her shoulder.
Bob coughed in surprise, half-choking as a stunned Darla pounded heavily on his back. “What?!” he demanded to the empty space on the deck Elizabeth had just occupied.