Fantasy Caught in the Waves (Closed)

[SheLuvsMusic]

The guard's reluctance to let them in was starting to aggravate Josephine. She hadn't expected the man to be so careful, but then again, why would they hire just anyone for this job? Apparently you had to not only be strong, but smart. She couldn't fault him. If it weren't for him and his fellow guards just doing their jobs correctly, the world would be a much more dangerous place. That didn't mean she found the situation any less annoying. Maybe she had been taking her beauty and charms for granted. Apparently there were men who were immune to them.

When Ella handed over her necklaces, she felt relief that finally something seemed to worked. She reached into her small bag to pull out what she had to offer, but froze when he gestured towards her face. "What?" she asked. Reaching a hand up, she touched a finger to her ear, horrified to find she had completely forgotten to take out her earrings. Her face went from surprise to stone cold in a second. "No," she said. "Not these. We gave you more than enough already."

The guard had to laugh at that. "You must not want to see your precious pirate that badly, then. I want the earrings, or we have no deal."

Josephine hesitated. She couldn't part with the emerald earrings. "I can't. They're... They were my mother's." She stole a glance at Ella, horrified, and feeling like an idiot for forgetting she was wearing her mom's jewelry at a time like this.

Unfortunately the guard was less than sympathetic. He only saw two spoiled rich brats in front of him. Where there was one set of emeralds, they could easily afford to replace them. Meanwhile, he would never be able to afford his daughter a pair of her own. "The earrings. Or get out, before I make you get out."

Hesitantly, Josie reached up to take the earrings off. She was biting back her tongue, biting back a few stressed out tears as well. This wasn't the only pair of earrings she had of her mother's, but they were her favorite. It was one of the few connections she still had to her. Still, if Josephine screwed this up for Ella... She was already trying so hard not lose her, too. Slowly, she placed them into the guards outstretched hands with a pang in her stomach.

The guard pocketed the jewelry, then nodded his head towards the doors. "Make it quick. And I don't want to see you back here again, you hear?"

 

[AvianJen]

Ella looked to Josephine with wide eyes when she realized that he was asking for their mother's earrings. Was that crossing a line? Ella wanted to say yes, but she didn't say anything when Josie reluctantly handed them over. It wasn't like her sister to forget a detail like that, but they were all under so much stress and Ella felt her heart swell with gratitude at the fact that Josie had been willing to give up the earrings for her. They were their mother's, and Ella knew how special they were. She resolved to give Josie her own favorite set of earrings when they got back, even though they were only modest pearls instead of glittering emeralds. She reached to squeeze her sister's hand, wishing she had time to comfort her or even say thank you. But the guard said to make it quick, and Peter's life was at stake here.

"Yes, sir," Ella replied. With that, she dashed past and opened the doors. Immediately she encountered two additional guards on the inside.

"What are you doing in here?" one of them asked.

"I'm here to see Peter," Ella replied. "There's some jewelry waiting for you outside- where is he?" Both men's eyes widened at the sound of jewels, and if the man outside had let her in then it must be for a good reason.

"All the way at the end," the other guard said, and the two made their way towards the door to see about the jewelry she'd mentioned. Ella picked up her skirt and dashed towards the end of the hall, not stopping to look at the other prisoners as she went past. She knew that it would make her too sad- that or they would make lewd comments at her, and Ella didn't have time for that. Her heart raced in anticipation of seeing him.

Finally she found Peter's cell, the last one on the right. It was dark and cold and was giving Ella flashbacks to being locked under the ship for so long, but the worst part was now Peter was experiencing it. She wanted to cry again upon seeing him locked up in there, but she stayed strong for the sake of delivering the message that would hopefully save his life.

"Peter," she said, to get his attention, reaching to hold onto the bars that separated them. Her voice cracked, betraying her emotions. She couldn't help it. What if this was the last time she ever spoke to him? "Peter, come here," she begged desperately. He had seemed pretty resigned to his fate this morning and she hoped that he had changed his mind, that he would be happy to see her now. "I need to talk to you. And Josie gave away Mother’s earrings to get in here so don't you dare tell me to go away." She didn't think he would, but just in case.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine just tried her best not to think about it. If she thought about it too much right now, it would get in the way of what they were here for. She couldn't be selfish when her sister's boyfriend's life was on the line. So, she followed Ella in, but with less urgency. She wanted to give them their space, so she left a few good feet in between them and sort of looked around while she stood as far from either side of the bars as she could get. The prison was dark, damp. She was pretty sure she saw a rat at her feet, and the way some of the men were leering at her and Ella made her nauseous. It was enough to make her regret the dress, but then again, these men would probably ogle anything with curves if it had been so long since they'd seen a woman. She wrapped her arms around herself, and waited, ignoring her surroundings as best as she could.

Meanwhile, Peter sat in the corner of his cell. He hadn't moved all day. Hadn't talked to anyone. His thoughts were occupied with Ella, and what was sure to be his impending death. It was odd. He'd always known this was a possibility, but now that it was happening, it felt so surreal. It was some kind of cruel twist of fate to suddenly have everything you wanted, only to have it ripped away from you like candy from a baby.

It took him a moment to realize someone was calling his name, but when he did, and recognized the voice, he immediately pushed to his feet and went the bars. "Ella?" he asked. "You shouldn't be here. What are doing here?" How did she even manage to get in here in the first place? But then he noticed her dress, and with a glance down the hall, he could see Josephine looking uncomfortable while she waited. Of course. These girls were Sinclairs. They were stubborn, and he had yet to see them not get something they wanted.

He didn't want to tell her to go, but he also didn't think it was safe or smart of her and her sister to come here. His face was one of shock and worry, but he didn't fight her. He simply took the moment to try and memorize the lines of her face. "Prison's not safe for girls like you. You shouldn't have come," he said, but secretly he was glad to see her.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella was overcome with too many emotions to know what to feel. She loved Peter so much, and seeing him locked up in a horrible place like this broke her heart. She'd worn her fancy dress to help them get in, but with it the juxtaposition was startling. People who weren't even convicted shouldn't be kept in places like this, but Ella didn't know what she could do about it. Maybe that was a question for the university.

She was relieved when Peter actually did come up to her, and didn't tell her to leave. At least, not explicitly. He'd looked so defeated this morning, and still did, but Ella hoped that she could give him something to be optimistic about. He couldn't just go quietly. Ella reached through the bars for his hand, and it broke her heart that was as close as they were going to get. "Well neither are pirate ships, but we tend to make out alright," she replied with a tiny, sad smile. "It's not safe for you either, you shouldn't be in here, it's...it's not fair. How could this happen?" A couple tears did manage to escape, rolling down her cheeks. She hated seeing him in there. It was the worst thing she'd ever felt, knowing that these bars prevented her from holding him or kissing him or giving him any kind of physical comfort. She could only imagine how he must be feeling.

"I just...needed to give you something." She slipped the scroll through the bars as well. "I wrote you something, while you were gone..." she said. "It's just a dumb little story, but I wanted you to still have it." It was a silly story, but she thought that he would like it. It was the first "chapter" of what she'd hoped would become a tradition, an elaborate fantasy about two lovers on an adventure all over the world. She'd had the Odyssey in mind when she wrote it, and had dreamed up all sorts of fantastical locations for the pair to land. But for now, he would only get to read the beginning of the voyage.

Still, it comforted her that he might have something to hold onto while he was in here. She would have waited for him to read the whole thing, too, but they didn't have time. She needed to make sure that he got their message. "Look at page three," she said softly, tugging the ribbon off of the scroll and letting it flutter to the ground. She tugged out the third page and put it on top for him. "It's my favorite." The page outlined how she, Josephine, and Alec all intended to witness at his trial and the story they had decided on. She gave him a few moments to look it over before asking, "Do you like it?"

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter couldn't help the small smile on his face. He couldn't exactly argue with her logic, except maybe that the pirate ship hadn't been her choice. Visiting him in prison was. "I was always meant to end up in a place like this," he said. She might argue, but that was the truth. He had done quite a lot of bad things, even if he was trying desperately to make up for them. It wasn't like you could erase the past though, and ending up here was just karmatic justice. "But you..." he shook his head. It was bad luck to fall in love with him. He wasn't sure what would happen now, but he was thankful for a few months of happiness with her.

He could just barely slip the hand that she hadn't grabbed through the bars to wipe away the tears that escaped. It hurt to see her cry on behalf of him, but he was touched that someone cared about him so much. When she mentioned she had something for him as well, his heart broke even more. He didn't deserve her. Never had. But she was so full of life and love that he couldn't help but fall so deeply for her. "I don't know what to say," he said, taking the pages from her. "Thank you, Ella." The words would certainly help him get through this.

As she instructed, he flipped to the third page. He was expecting something that was more like what the rest of the pages were. So when he saw detailed plans about how she intended to get him out, he was obviously shocked. He looked up at her wearily. It was... It was a smart plan. If not desperate. Surprising as well that she enlisted the help of Josie and Alec.

"Ella..." he looked around, knowing that he had to be careful about how he answered her. Anyone could overhear. And then not only would he be screwed, but Ella and Josephine and Alec would be too for planning to get him off. He lowered his voice, pushed his face as far between the bars as he possibly could. "You're serious about this?" It seemed so impossible.

 

[AvianJen]

"No," Ella said vehemently. "No, you weren't. You say that again and I'll smack you." That wasn't the kind of thing he could be telling himself if they were going to get him out, and it wasn't the kind of thing that the guards needed to be hearing him say. The way he wiped away her tears almost made her cry more. How could anyone see fit to arrest him? Before he could retract it she captured his hand in hers and held it to her lips. It was the closest to a kiss she was going to get for now. What she wouldn't give to get behind those bars with him- Ella would stay there, rats and all, until his trial if she could. She felt guilty knowing the beautiful room she had to go back to, even though she'd be sleeping in his room tonight.

She did hope that he liked her story, and she was happy to be able to give it to him. She'd worked hard on it- Josie could do pretty embroidery and that was amazing, but Ella couldn't do much except for play the piano and write. She was glad that she'd chosen a story to do for him; if she'd written a song there was no way he'd be able to hear it.

He turned to the third page and she watched his reaction carefully. She couldn't tell if he liked the plan or not, but Ella didn't care as long as he complied with it. They weren't really in a position for him to want to make any changes to the story, so she hoped it was good enough. She drew closer to the bars as well, pressing her face against them and looking at him intensely. She nodded- of course she was serious. She hadn't let Josie give away Mother's earrings to give Peter that plan if she wasn't serious about it. "I want...no, I need you to read it," she said softly. "Over and over and over, until you have it memorized. Then get rid of it; I don't want anyone reading it except for you. Okay?" Her eyes were wide, silently begging him to agree.

"And I don't...I don't want you to worry," she added. "You shouldn't be in here in the first place, we're going to get you out. Alec and Josie and I, we all know what really happened," as she said it, she glanced down meaningfully to the paper in his hand. "We're going to get you out," she said again. "I don't know what that means for us, I...Father's already said he's going to arrange a marriage for me but I can't...I can't see you die." Ella could barely get the words out without bursting into tears.

Standing in front of him, the full reality of what that arranged marriage would mean began to sink in. Ella didn't want it. Maybe she was turning into Josie, but a world without Peter wasn't one that she wanted to be in. Even if he wasn't in her world, though, he could be in someone else's. He just couldn't die. "You're not dying on my watch, so just...just read the story and don't worry, okay?" she begged.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

(sorry for the delay. Work's been scheduling me until late on Fridays and then super early Saturdays and Sundays, so it really throws my sleep schedule and then I get too tired to post. I hate adulting.)

Peter hadn't said it to upset Ella, but it was just the way it was. There was always a chance he would be found out, that the life he experienced with Ella would shatter abruptly. It came as a consequence of his choices, and he had accepted that a long time ago. He didn't want to upset her further though, so he just let out a shaky sigh and let her kiss his hand. She comforted him as much as her presence also broke his heart. It hurt knowing she was hurting because he was in here, and he couldn't do anything to make it better.

The plan was something else he didn't entirely know how to react to. He was in awe at how put together it was. How even Josephine and Alec were rallying behind Ella to get him out. It was a testament to how much Ella had changed him for the better that his initial reaction wasn't to just dive in head first and follow along like he might have as a pirate. It felt almost morally wrong. After all he had done, why didn't he deserve exactly this? Ella was almost blinded to all of his faults. It was a reason he loved her. She supported him despite his wrongdoings. "I'll read it," he said, agreeing a moment later. "And I'm going to try really hard to stay here with you. But listen, Ella, I need you to be able to accept the less pleasant outcome of this."

He placed his palm against her cheek, stroking her lovingly with his thumb. "I don't want to die either, but... I might. And if that happens, I need to be able to know you're going to be okay. I need you to be able to accept it, and go on. I don't know when or if I'll ever get the chance to say this when I need to, so I'm saying it now. Just in case. If I die, don't give up. Go to university like we planned. Travel the world like we planned. And if you find someone worthy of you, then I want you to marry them. But don't just settle, alright? The Ella I know doesn't just settle. There's too much life in you, and it would be such a waste if you gave it all up just because of me. I need you to promise me you won't give up on yourself, just like you never gave up on me. Alright? That's the only way I'm going to make it through this."

And even if none of that mattered because this plan did miraculously work, their life would still be different. He needed her to accept that too. They would work something out, but she had to prepared to fight even more. "There's also something else you should know," he said. "It might make this more difficult. And I don't know what it means for us after this, either. But... Your father was the one who wrote the letter that got me arrested."

 

[AvianJen]

((That's okay, I totally understand! I've had work schedules like that too, it's super hard to write after days like that!))

Ella managed a smile when he seemed to consent to helping them make their plan work. If he wasn't on board then all was lost, but he was going along with it. Maybe it was wrong, to lie, but Ella didn't care. It was also wrong for him to be locked up in here, and she was determined to get him out. All she was asking was for him to be determined too, and try his best to get out and stay alive. "Thank you," she said softly, gazing up at him. She wasn't surprised when he spoke about her needing to accept the "less pleasant" outcome...him dying.

"Stop it," she murmured, shaking her head. She couldn't think about him dying, it was too hard. "Stop it, I can't...damn you." He was going to make her cry again. Ella tilted her head, closing her eyes and leaning into his hand, trying to memorize the way his hand felt on her skin. Despite their careful planning, Ella knew that they might fail. Peter might still be convicted, he might still die. And Peter was forcing her to think about it. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to cry in response to what he was saying. When Ella pictured what her life would be like without him, it was...nothing. He had enabled her to dream up the life she wanted for herself, but without him there beside her? Ella didn't know if she could. How could she watch him die and not give up?

But, he was asking her. He was using the last opportunity they may have to speak to ask her not to give up, for him. It was different from Josephine demanding that she not settle and that she find someone else to marry, that she loved. Ella knew that may never happen to her again, and Peter wasn't insisting that it would. He was just asking her not to give up the life they'd wanted, even if she had to live it alone. If that was his dying wish and if it would help him get through these next couple weeks, then nothing would stop her from doing it. For him. "Okay," she said finally, her breath shaky. She nodded. "I promise. I'll go to university and I'll..." she trailed off, her voice cracking at the thought of traveling the world on her own. If he died, she didn't know how she could keep her promise to do that. Women didn't do well traveling alone, and her father would insist on marrying her off- the life they planned might not be possible...but she'd do her best. "I'll try," she finally settled on. "I'll try my hardest, but you need to try your hardest too. You can't give up, either, okay? It's not over yet." She understood him logically wanting to prepare for the worst and she loved him for it, but she needed him to be optimistic.

She reached through the bars up to his face and gently combed her fingers through his hair. It was tangled and probably dirty, but Ella couldn't care less. It physically hurt to not be able to get any closer to him than she was. She wanted to be close to him more than anything, especially now. She didn't want him to feel alone- she didn't want to leave, but she was becoming increasingly aware of the fact that their time was probably running out for tonight. She wanted to savor these last couple moments, but then he said something that changed everything and Ella's heart dropped to her stomach.

"What?" she breathed, hoping desperately that she'd misheard him. "No! No, why would he think that, I never said anything that would make him think-" Ella stopped herself and turned around slowly, seemingly just now remembering that Josephine was there. Josie told her that Father said Peter was recognized. If it was his letter, how could that be the case? "Josie," she said, not wanting to believe it was true. "Josie...it was Father's letter? Did he tell you that?"

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

(Yeah, it sucks. But anyways, if you don't get replies on Fridays and Saturdays, it's pretty much guaranteed it's because I worked until 9pm and had to get up at 6am the next day. Thanks for being understanding, I just feel like I've been kind of awful about replying lately)

Peter was really hoping she wouldn't fight him on this request. It was the one time where her stubbornness would get in the way. As much as he hoped he would get out of this to be there for her, they had to recognize the risk of that not happening. That didn't mean that he was alright with her giving up on everything she wanted just because he couldn't be there. He wouldn't want that for her. What he did want for her was everything they'd already discussed. An education, an adventure, love and happiness. She could still have those things without him, and she needed to realize that. So although he could see her struggling to accept it, he was relieved when she finally did. "Thank you," he said in return. "And I won't. I'm not. I can't give you up that easy."

If he did survive this, he still wouldn't give her up so easy. They saw what Josephine and Alec were able to accomplish, so why couldn't they get the same? He would run away with her if that was what it took. He loved her that much, and he knew she wanted to travel the world. He'd show her. If he survived this, he would stop holding back and give her everything she desired.

It would be nice if they didn't have to run, though. Unfortunately for them, their father was the biggest obstacle. Even if they did run away, Peter didn't want that to sever any relationship Ella had with her family. He didn't have a family anymore, so it seemed wrong if she was forced away from hers. That was why knowing her father wrote the letter was difficult. "I wouldn't have said anything if I didn't think it was important," he said with a frown. "I'm not sure how he found out, but... It's going to make your plan more difficult to carry if we can't get him to retract whatever he said in the letter."

Josephine looked over at Ella when she called. She had been trying to keep her distance, but now was the moment she had been afraid of. Fidgeting with a stray strand of hair, she looked wide eyed. "What? N-no," she stammered. It was harder to lie when faced directly with a question like that. It wasn't an accusation. Not yet. But Ella was a smart girl, and if she knew it was father who wrote the letter, how long until she figured out it was Josie's fault that father knew?

 

[AvianJen]

((Totally fine, and you're not! You put up with me when I was having a really hard time posting lol, I am not even mildly irritated. Take all the time you need!))

Ella was mostly satisfied when he agreed not to give up as well. He had seemed so resigned to his fate earlier and that had scared her, but hopefully the plan had given him new hope. She cracked a smile at him, feeling like she was alternating between nearly crying and smiling, but that was predictable- even with the horrible circumstances, he could still make her smile. He didn't even have to do anything. "Me neither," she said softly.

If he did get out of this, Ella had thought about running away as well. She knew it would be hard and that Josephine would fight her on it, but Ella would do it for him. And they didn't even have to stay away fro a long time, just long enough to get married, really. Once a woman was married she was under the jurisdiction of her husband, not her father. If she and Peter eloped there wouldn't be anything that that her father could do about it. He might not be happy, but he couldn't stop it and Ella knew that there was nothing she could do that would make her father love her any less. She hated to have to go against him, but...everyone kept on telling her not to settle. If she wasn't going to settle, then it had to be Peter.

Hearing that her father had sent the letter that got Peter arrested completely changed the game, though. Ella didn't know what he had found out, or how. She didn't know how to react to the news. "No, no...it's important," she agreed. "I'll figure it out. We have time before the trial, I'll convince him that whatever his source is, it's wrong. I'll tell him what really happened. And even if he doesn't retract it, it's...three against one. Four, really." Again, she glanced down to the paper he still held. "And it really is a story," she whispered, referring to the rest of it. She hoped that he liked it.

She narrowed her eyes at Josie, not thinking that her sister was lying but rather thinking that their father had lied to her about what really happened. Why would he do that? It was all going to come out on the witness stand anyways, so why would he lie to Josephine? "I'll get it out of him," she said resolutely. "I'll get the truth." She'd have to be clever about it, because Father couldn't know that they were here, but she'd figure it out and do her very best to convince him otherwise. Ultimately the judge would have to decide who he thought Peter was, but she was going to try her best to convince her father, too.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter had never had anyone fight for him so hard, and that in itself gave him enough strength to carry on. Even if this didn't work, at least they tried. And if it did? At least he'd be alive another day to fight for her too. Maybe their father would want nothing to do with him, but that didn't mean he had to give her up. It was hard to imagine her just letting him go, anyway. They would figure it out.

He gave her a soft smile at how hopeful she was. And again, at how she mentioned there really was a story among the plan. "Of course I'll read it. I'm sure it's just as wonderful as you are," he said, stuffing the papers into his waistband. "That reminds me. I have something for you, too. I saw it at the market, and I'm pretty sure it's not real, but..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace made with a fake mermaid scale as a pendant and handed it to her. "If we survived mermaids, who says we can't survive this, right? It seems fitting."

Josie bounced nervously on her feet. She didn't want Ella to speak to father about it, but if she asked her not to, it would only make it look worse. Maybe father wouldn't mention it was her, but Ella was smart. If he said nothing, she would still figure it out eventually. Would it be better to tell Ella first? Or would it make a difference? Josephine had no idea what to do, only that she was deathly afraid of losing her best friend and sister. She was already sweating with nerves underneath her dress at the thought.

"Ella, not to cut it too short, but we should go," she urged. Her fears about her sister were not the only thing worrying her. She hated this place - the smell, the way the men leered them, and the thought of what sort of crimes these people committed. And Alec was outside alone. She thought she might feel better just to be nearer to him, even if temporarily.

 

[AvianJen]

((Sorry for not replying yesterday! I actually went back to read some of the beginning of this roleplay and kind of got addicted to it, haha it's so good!))

Ella tried to smile, but the longer that she stood here the harder it was to see him behind bars. She hated it so much, it wasn't fair. Ella had waited for him for two weeks, confident that when he'd returned she'd go back to getting her goodnight kisses every night, reading with him in her bedroom...he was going to teach her how to swim properly, too. It would start to get cold soon, and then that particular opportunity would be lost. She had missed him so much, and now he was stuck here. She wanted him back home, snuggled up in bed with her. Not here.

When he said that he had something for her, too, Ella's eyebrows raised in surprise. She'd thought they would have taken everything from him on the ship, but what he pulled out of his pocket was a tiny little necklace, a fish scale hanging from it. Immediately, it caused Ella to smile as she understood why it would have made him think of her. She reached forward and took it, tilting the scale around and looking at all the different ways it caught the light. It was obvious that it wasn't a real mermaid scale; Nora's scales had reflected all the colors of the rainbow, not to mention bigger, but she loved it anyways. "It's real if we decide it is," she told him. "I love it, thank you. I'll never take it off." She meant that. She loved everything he'd given her, from her books to her little spyglass, but this was something she could wear always, no matter what happened. Thinking about it, she bent down to the ground and picked up the hair ribbon that had fallen when she'd untied the story. Reaching through the bars, Ella tied it into a knot around his wrist, fashioning the remaining strands into a bow. Maybe it was a little cheesy, but their situation was too desperate for Ella to care.

She didn't want to go, but even she could tell that their time was running out. She looked back to Josie and nodded- they needed to get home anyways, so she could find out from her father what had happened once and for all. She was tired of now having the answer to what should be a very simple question. "Okay," she murmured. Turning back to Peter she reached for his hand, holding it to her lips again. "I love you," she said. "I love you so much. And you're going to be okay, I promise."

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

(haha really? I'd probably just be too critical of myself if I did that! I gotta say though, thank you for actually being a reliable partner. I actually expect us to finish this roleplay. That almost never happens for me!)

Peter would miss all of that, too. It hadn't really occurred to him until just now that he would be spending the night here, and many subsequent nights, sleeping on a hard floor or occupying one of the few cots that lined the already overcrowded cell. He had gotten used to his silk sheets and comfortable matress, Ella curled up beside him. Faced with all that lay before him now, that past seemed like a fever dream. Any future with her was at an arms length, where he was just too short to grasp it firmly right now.

He smiled when he saw she liked the necklace. It was cheap (though overpriced), fake. A cheesy, charming little keepsake probably meant more for children. But he had thought of her, of their adventures together. Now that he had earned some money, it was hard for him to not fall into the habit of buying her all sorts of gifts. As soon as something caught his eye that made him think of her, he needed to have it just to see the look on her face when he gave it to her.

Unfortunately, the necklace may just be his last gift to her, and when it came time to say goodbye, the smile on his face dulled. "I love you, too," he said, wishing there were no bars between them so that he could kiss her properly. "And so will you. You'll be okay, too," he added. Despite her assurances, he did worry about her.

"Ella," Josephine urged again. "the guard is getting impatient." And she was getting impatient with worry fear herself. She approached Peter's cell then, no longer giving them their privacy. She couldn't say it out loud obviously, but there was a look in her eye that she hoped conveyed how sorry she was to Peter. Placing a hand lightly on Ella's shoulder to steer her, she muttered, "Goodbye, Peter. And good luck."

 

[AvianJen]

((Haha I love rereading my roleplays! Especially Ella and Peter, I've been going back and kind of looking at how their relationship started out and I just think it's cool how they've kind changed over time. The part where Ella's sick is like, the best part for everyone. And you as well! I've actually never "finished" a roleplay, I've had some really long running ones but they never reach an actual conclusion!))

Ella tucked the necklace in the neckline of her dress, not necessarily thinking that the guards would take it from her but not wanting anyone to see it, just in case. She would put it on when she got home. She looked up into his eyes intensely, trying to commit every detail about his face and every sound of his voice to memory. She nodded- she would be okay. For now. If he died that might be a different story, but Ella had to hold on to the hope that they would both be okay. Nothing would ever go back to normal after this, but it didn't have to be normal. Ella just wanted him there with her. And alive, even if he couldn't be with her. "Yeah," she agreed softly. "We'll both be okay."

That didn't make it any easier to leave him, though, and a look of panic came across her face when Josephine moved to lead her away. She didn't want to leave him here, but she didn't have any choice. "'Be careful," she said, backing up and finally letting her hand slip out of his. "Please. Read the story, and I'll...I'll see you soon, okay? I love you," she said again. "I love you, I love you, I love you. Don't forget it." Leaving him made her heart feel like it was breaking all over again, but Josie was right; they had to go. She let her sister lead her back down the hall and outside, where they nodded at the guards and headed across the street towards Alec. Ella held her arms around herself, overcome with worry. She hoped that he would read the plan, memorize it, make sure that he knew it for the trial. They would have to do the same.

And, she had to talk to their father. Ella still couldn't believe that he had written the letter, and he could be sure to get a very stern talking to. She would have to convince him of their plan, hopefully in advance...if that didn't work out, then hopefully three witnesses and Peter's self-testimony would be enough to hold against her father's. But it wasn't certain. Nothing was certain, and it was terrifying to not know anything.

Alec saw them come back out and stood up from where he sat. "Well?" he asked. "How did it go?"

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

(I've only finished a few. It's so satisfying because I rarely get dedicated partners. And it's like, "look at this cool story we finished together!" I love wrapping them up with happy endings, then getting to plan a new one)

Peter wasn't sure whether they would both really be okay. The plan might not work. He was willing to try, though, because if he didn't there really was only one way this could end. If they failed, at least he knew they had tried. It also meant the world to him just to know he had a family who would fight for him. His parents and sister were gone, but Ella was his family now. Even Josephine, in her odd way, was like the annoying, nosey sister. Maybe one day he could make sister-in-law her official title.

"Thank you," Peter nodded to her now, seeing that she really meant it. He knew that this was mostly for Ella, but he thought her fighting for him might have a little bit to do with her coming around to him. She did try. And if he didn't make it, he knew Josie would be there for Ella as she always had. As she and the love of his life started to leave, he watched for as long as he could before they disappeared in the dark. He was lonely again, but he clung to the story as a reminder he wasn't really alone.

Outside, the girls met up with Alec. Josie, feeling better to be out of the prison, but still unable to relax, went to his side to lean on him. There was a lot she wished she could say out loud, but for now, she could only sigh. "It only cost us all our jewelry, but it went fine. I think," she said, trying not to think about how naked she felt without her mother's earrings. "Peter seemed alright, considering. Do you think he'll go along with it, Ella?"

 

[AvianJen]

((That's so awesome! I've had multiple roleplays with the same person going on at once but like I said, never actually finished one. This will be a first!))

Alec put his arm around Josephine's shoulder, holding her tightly. Ella was beside herself, but he tried to offer her an encouraging smile. She wasn't sobbing, so that was a good sign. "All your jewelry?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. He'd known they intended to bribe the guards.

"All we brought," Ella clarified. With a sigh, she glanced over at her sister. "Thank you, Josie." She knew that it was hard for her to give up those earrings, and her sacrifice didn't go unnoticed. "He's agreed. He's going to do it. But he knows that Father wrote the letter that got him arrested." She glanced up at both of them, not accusatory in the slightest, but worried. Alec stiffened next to Josephine, knowing what that meant. If he knew anything about her little sister, Ella would know the truth within the hour. He had already figured that out, but he knew that Ella didn't know the truth.

"It just makes it a little harder," Ella grumbled. "We'll have to try to convince him that he misunderstood, wherever he got his information...it wasn't from me, I know that. I haven't said anything, and I'm sure you haven't..." she glanced up at them again. "But he lied to Josephine about how he found out. Why would he do that?" Probably because he didn't want it to be his fault, but it wasn't going to work on Ella. She would figure it out, and get it out of him once and for all.

Alec looked to Josie, unsure about what he should say or do. He held her a little tighter. "Do you want to get something to eat?" he asked the girls. "Since we're already in town, and it's late..."

"No, Rory will have food at home," Ella asserted. "I'm sure he can give you something, too. Can we just go, please?" After what she had learned, Ella was anxious to find out what had happened with her Father. She was upset, too, knowing that she had to leave Peter back in that horrible place.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

(It's exciting! Not that I don't love these guys, but I want them to have a good ending!)

Josephine didn't want to make this about herself, but she also couldn't help but feel a little deflated considering all that was happening. At least her boyfriend was alive and well, and she didn't have to worry about him being in prison or put to death, but on a smaller scale she had lots of her own to stress and worry about right now. "Including my mother's earrings," she said with a frown. Maybe Alec didn't notice such things, but she felt guilty for not remembering to take them off before leaving. They meant something to her. And on top of all of that, Ella was now one step closer to finding out the truth about how Alec ended up in jail. She'd lose a connection to her mother, and now she was worried she would lose her sister too.

By the way she felt Alec stiffen beside her, Josie knew he realized this too. She felt stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either she got caught in her lie, or she came forward with the truth and have Ella hate her anyway. Or she continued to lie and let the lie grow, but that seemed less than ideal as well. Ella was too smart for that and she would figure it out eventually anyway. And then what? They were back to where they were now. She felt the heavy weight of guilt upon her shoulders, and she was at a loss with what to do with it. It was honestly a mystery how Ella couldn't see it written all over her face, and of course that just made her feel even worse.

"Maybe he thought he was protecting you, Ella," she offered. Ironically, father hadn't lied. Josephine had. And it wasn't a lie to protect Ella as much as it was a lie to protect herself. The letter, she knew, that was written to protect Ella. In father's own way, that was all he wanted. It was all Josie had wanted as well. And now, by trying not to break her heart, it was exactly what she ended up doing anyway. What a mess.

Taking Alec's hand for comfort, she nodded. All she wanted right now was some tea and to be able to curl up next to her boyfriend. She didn't want to even think about the storm that was headed her way. "Come on," she said. Maybe they could hide in the stables like old times and Josephine could avoid her problems for a little while at least.

 

[AvianJen]

((Haha, me too. I get really attached to characters though, it'll be hard for me to let go! Also, weird question, have you ever taken the Myers Briggs test for your characters? I do it on occasion and I just did one for Ella, she's an ENFP and it's sooo accurate it made me laugh so much. Haha. I did one for Alec too and he's ISFJ, which I think is also pretty accurate.))

Alec grimaced. He wanted to feel bad for Josephine about the earrings, but he was really just so worried about everything else that it didn't really seem like much. He held her tightly, but didn't know what to do besides that. He felt awful, knowing that Peter might lose his life and really, it was all his and Josephine's fault. A pair of earrings didn't seem like a bad price to pay...but he knew that there would be a much higher price to pay for their carelessness. Especially if Ella found out the truth...knowing Ella, she would.

Ella huffed, rolling her eyes in irritation. "He wasn't saying it to me, he was saying it to you," she pointed out bitterly. "Why would he lie to you?" Ella was furious with her father, not only for turning Peter in but for lying to Josephine about it. She'd have to be clever about how she went about it all so that Father didn't know that she'd actually been to see Peter. Ella didn't want to make things worse while she was just trying to find out answers.

When Josephine agreed to go she nodded and the they headed back to their rented carriage. "I'll meet you back at the house," Alec said softly, pressing a kiss to the top of Josephine's head. He knew that she would come out to the stables to see him, if not before Ella put the pieces together than surely after. With that, he returned to his horse and headed for the Sinclair estate, going straight for the stables.

Ella was quite for most of the ride home. She didn't know what to say, what she could say to Josephine. They'd talked about everything already and now...now it was done. Peter would work with their plan and they'd figure out how to get him back home. But Father was a different story. She took the time in the carriage to think of how she should approach the topic with her father, but she thought the best way was just to be as transparent as possible. When they arrived home she walked inside and went straight to their father's office.

"Father," she said. "I need to talk to you. Do you know why...do you know why Peter was arrested? It's not true that he was recognized by someone like you told Josie, is it? There wasn't anyone there to recognize him from anything."

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

(I do too. But I've definitely done spin off roleplays before haha. That's fun. And no, but that sounds super interesting! I'll have to take one for Peter and Josephine and let you know what they are!)

Josephine knew it was petty, but focusing on the earrings gave her a distraction from focusing on the more painful things. Peter's life, and consequently her relationship with Ella were in danger, and she honestly didn't know how to cope with it. This was different from how her relationship with Alec had been in danger. Different from being kidnapped. While those two things had been awful in their own right, this felt much, much worse. The other two events happened to her. Not because of her. Even if she didn't mean it to happen this way, if Peter died, there was no way to undo that.

Ella's irritation only made her feel worse about it all. Because he wasn't lying, she thought. I was. "Why does anyone lie, Ella?" she snapped. "Because it's easier than admitting the truth." And easier to lie and hope they never find out that truth than see the look on their face when they inevitably put it together. She knew it was wrong, but this was difficult for everyone involved. With a sigh, she shook her head. "Sorry. I just... I'm tired. Confused. I want to go home."

At least they were all agreeing on that. So she nodded to Alec, and after the awkwardly silent ride home, she only went upstairs to her room briefly to change back into a more comfortable outfit before heading back out to the stables. She was hoping to hide for a little while. Ella would probably find out any minute now and know exactly where to find her, but at least the stables and Alec provided the illusion of safety. Seeing him waiting for her, she wordlessly went to him and wrapped her arms around his torso. Buried her face in his chest. Tried really hard not to start crying with stress and guilt and thoughts about how Ella would react.

Mr. Sinclair had his own frustrations about the latest drama in their family, and it was making it more difficult than usual to concentrate on his work. He was upset with Josephine for keeping such a secret from him, worried about Ella. It wasn't his intention for her to get hurt, but that didn't mean he was about to let Peter's sins go unpunished. He could hardly believe he had fallen for the act for so long. Hardly believe someone could take advantage of his daughters like that.

That said, he knew it wouldn't be long before Ella came knocking, pressing him for answers. Josie already had, and he wasn't an idiot. He knew she had come to him to find out for Ella. Whatever Josephine had said, it clearly wasn't satisfactory enough. Actually, by what Ella was asking, it was clear Josephine had avoided giving her the actual truth. It was understandable, although it left him a bit more disappointed in his eldest daughter.

"Ella, sweetheart, I know this must be difficult for you, but Peter was arrested for piracy," he said, as if that wasn't already clear. "He manipulated you, and the sooner you come to realize that, the better off you will be."

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

In case you were wondering, Josie is an ISTJ (similar to Alec, so maybe they have more in common than we thought.) Although it was hard to take the test for her because a lot of her reactions depend on the specific scenario. Peter was ENFP too haha. No surprise there.

 

[AvianJen]

((Ah that's so interesting! I loved looking at the romantic relationships tab on 16 Personalities, those types all perfectly describe how they go about their relationships I feel like haha. ISTJ talked about not being bothered by gender roles and having strong traditional family values, ISFJ talked about getting the greatest pleasure out of taking care of their loved ones and then ENFP was spot on too. And a spin off sounds so fun! Maybe if Ella and Peter end up running away we can do a spin off with that, I can see them getting into a looot of trouble haha.))

Ella looked to her sister in shock when she snapped at her. "So what?" she snapped back. "I don't care if it's easy. None of this is easy!" Yes, she was upset with her father, but it was nothing that couldn't be fixed if she could just...straighten things out. Ella softened slightly when Josephine apologized and nodded, but she was still visibly upset. This was the worst day of her life, without contest. Being kidnapped was a close second, but this...they had done something, and Ella was proud of that. But the man she loved might be killed, and Ella was going to agonize over that possibility until his trial was adjourned.

Speaking to her father was not an easy thing, and his response was what she might have expected. He didn't give up the truth easily, but Ella knew she could weasel it out of him. She took a seat across from where he sat at his desk, leaning forward. "He was arrested for piracy," she agreed, "but he's not a pirate. He was on that ship to save someone, same as Alec. His sister. He was better at pretending than Alec was, that's true, and the captain trusted him. He even had Josie and I fooled for a while until he helped me kill the captain so he could take over and set us free. If killing that evil man was a crime then I'm afraid they'll have to arrest me, too." Ella had never told her father exactly how they managed to get off, but it was true; she and Peter had conspired together (with Nora) to kill the captain. And they had.

"And after that," she continued, "when I got sick, Peter was the one who paid for the doctor. He used almost all the money he had to help us, even after setting us free. His sister was gone, sold to slavers or worse, so he did what he could. He helped us, and he's not a pirate any more than Alec is. So I want to know why he was arrested. I want the truth. I deserve the truth." Ella stared her father down, not about to take no for an answer.

Alec was in the stables when Josie came out, ready to comfort her with open arms. He couldn't imagine what she must be feeling; Alec felt crippled with guilt as it was, and he didn't even like Ella that much. Or Peter, for that matter. But Peter had proven over and over again that he was a good man who loved Ella, and now he might die for it. It was dangerous to fall in love with a Sinclair girl.

He wrapped his arms around Josephine and held her tight, swaying back and forth slowly. But he didn't know what to say to comfort her. "Peter will be okay," he attempted anyways, "and Ella will forgive us. The plan is good, it's going to work." He didn't want to think about what would happen to Ella and Josephine's relationship if Peter actually did die. So he didn't bring it up.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

(that sounds extremely accurate for them. And maybe. I've been known to do even a spin off of a spin off lol.)

Mr. Sinclair let out a slow sigh. His daughters, as much as he loved them, would be the death of him. Since the day their mother past, he could have sworn he aged twice as much as he should have just taking care of them. They didn't make it easy, especially not these days. Especially when it came to their choices regarding men. A stable boy and a pirate? His girls? He would have never predicted this ten years ago.

"Ella, I'm sure that is what he might have told you, but-" he started to say, not wanting to argue. Not now. And had the story been real, why had these secret been kept from him for so long? Why lie and say he'd been a prisoner? But before he could even argue that point, Ella was talking about killing a man. He stopped short of what he was saying, eyes wide with surprise. "You what?" he asked.

But she kept going. Ella, his stubborn, strong headed daughter, would not let the matter rest. Words were spilling out of her at a pace that was making it difficult for Mr. Sinclair to keep up. When she finally finished, his mouth set into a firm line. "Ella, I'm sorry, but the truth has been a little hard to come by lately. How do you know that his story wasn't a lie he told you? How do I know you're not lying to me now? You and your sister haven't had the best track record recently, except, apparently when you think no one is listening."

Back in the stables, Josephine clung tightly to Alec. "What if he's not?" she asked. She would be responsible for his death. She didn't even consider Alec a victim in all of this, because as far as she was concerned, it was just herself who had the real issue with Peter. Maybe Alec liked to hear about it, with curiosity, but Ella wasn't his sister to worry about. So whose fault was it that they talked about Peter anyway? Hers. Most likely. And if Ella did blame Alec, if she never forgave him, what did it matter? They didn't like each other much anyway to begin with.

"I'm going to lose her," she said quietly, her voice strained with pain. "Even if Peter lives, she'll figure out it was me. She'll hate me, and I'll lose her. Just like I lost my mom." And those stupid earrings she would never get back somehow became a metaphor for everything that was going wrong in her life right now. "Just like I lost John's friendship, and like I almost lost you. But worse, because she's my sister. And she's my only real friend, and... I tried so hard to be supportive, but now all she'll see is that I betrayed her."

 

[AvianJen]

Ella had never said that Peter was a prisoner, she'd said that he was trapped. In her opinion, there was a very big difference. She did manage to accomplish the shock she had intended by telling him about how they had killed the captain, though. "That's right," she said. "We teamed up, and we sent the captain overboard so that we could go free. I'm just as much of a criminal as he is." She didn't think that killing Tom was a crime at all, but that was partially the point.

When she'd finally finished all of her explaining, she sat back and crossed her arms, daring him not to give her the answer she wanted. "It's not a lie," she insisted vehemently. It was a lie, partially, but that wasn't the point. Ella loved her father, but she would lie to him for the rest of her life if it meant that Peter got to live as a free man. "His being a pirate was a lie. Really, Father, I know I'm not the most...I know I'm a little different than other girls, but why would I fall in love with a pirate who took part in kidnapping Josephine and I? Do you really have so little confidence in me? I'd like to think I'm a little smarter than that, and Peter never acted around you, never. You know exactly who he is, and I don't know what changed your mind but it's wrong." Her words came out quickly, hopefully convincingly, but she it took a moment for his own words to sink in. What did he mean, when no one was listening?

Ella's mind started spinning as she looked back on the past couple of weeks, trying to imagine a single instant where she might have revealed that Peter was a pirate. She couldn't think of a single time that she had mentioned it in the past several weeks. She hadn't even insinuated it in her story, which was a not so subtle representation of them. But if she hadn't said anything, then... Ella's eyebrows drew together and she leaned forward, her voice lowering from frantic to incredibly serious as the puzzle started to put itself together. That was why Josie had been acting so strange- it was her fault, and she knew it. "What did Josie say?" she asked.

Alec didn't know what so say. He rubbed her back soothingly, but knew that it probably wasn't helping at all. "If he's not..." he sighed, not even wanting to imagine what that would look like. "I don't know, love. I don't know." The last thing Alec wanted was for Josephine to lose another member of her family, but if Peter was killed he couldn't see it working out any other way. Ella wasn't unkind but she was hardheaded, and with the man she loved in his grave...well, that would be a challenge for anyone to forgive.

"Well, you didn't lose me," he reminded her, tightening his arms around her. He felt horribly unworthy, comparing the value of his company to that of her sister and best friend, but it was the only encouragement he could think of. "You'll never lose me. And we're in this one together, you know." Alec wouldn't be nearly as upset if Ella decided never to speak to him again because they didn't really speak in the first place, but he was feeling the guilt of this, too, the fear. He didn't know how he would live with himself if Peter died because of what they'd said. He sighed again at her words, one thing in particular sticking out to him. He knew he really shouldn't go there, but...

"Love, did we really try to be supportive?" He was genuinely asking, because he didn't know. "Because all I remember is myself being critical and judgmental. We talked bad about them behind their backs, we..." he shook his head sadly. "I tried to give Peter advice once, but I was never kind to him. Not really." Alec paused for a moment, reflecting on all of it. Neither he nor Josie had treated Peter very well, and now the man might die because of what they said. It was a hard pill to swallow. "If he gets out, we'll do better," he decided. "No more judging, no more gossiping. We'll make a better effort, and Ella will come around."

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

"I..." Mr. Sincair honestly did not know what to say. If what she was saying was true, killing this man was merely self defense. He couldn't hold her accountable for that, even though she was capable of such a thing shocked him beyond belief. He had often wondered just how the girls managed to escape a pirate ship, but the details of that particular story were always hidden from him. So far, the most information he managed to get about their time onboard the ship had come from Josephine. And even then, she had talked about unbelievable things such as mermaids.

"You are not a criminal, Ella," he said firmly. "Whatever you had to do to get off that ship... No one would count that against you." And she was no pirate. Peter on the other hand, well... He didn't know what to believe. One daughter said one thing, and the other the opposite. He shook his head in frustration. He did not want an innocent man to die, but he also could not allow a pirate to go unpunished. To take advantage of his youngest daughter, and by proximity, all that their wealth could afford Peter too. "I don't think you are unintelligent, but no one is immune to clever manipulation. Including myself, which is why I'm not sure I trust my initial impression of Peter right now." Hell, his own daughters had each hidden some pretty major secrets from him. A secret relationship, this business with Peter, the loss of his youngest's virginity.

But he knew he had slipped when she asked about Josephine. Mr. Sinclair knew very well that Ella might blame her, so he had absolved not to tell her this particular detail. But his daughter, smart as she was, had caught on anyhow. With a sigh, he shook his head again. "Nothing that I should not have been told in the first place. All of this could have been prevented a long time ago. I could have set you up with a nice husband, but after this scandal, Ella, I worry about you." A pause. "You are not pregnant, are you?"

Josephine knew what would happen if Peter died. Ella would spend eternity blaming her, hating her. And Josie would probably spend her life holding onto both tbe guilt of letting a man die and the grief of losing her best friend. How could she possibly live a decent life with that hanging over her? Her only chance of earning Ella's forgiveness was if Peter made it out of this alive. But even then, their relationship would forever be changed if Ella learned the truth.

She sniffed, and looked up at him. Her eyes were a bit wet from the first hint of tears. She hated crying, but this year she had done more of that than probably the rest of her life combined. "You can't promise me that," she said. He might not intentionally leave, but like her mother, he could get sick. He could be gone at any moment. But now she was just being melodramatic. "And this isn't your fault. I'm the one who's been constantly worrying over her and her relationship. Besides, she wouldn't blame you nearly as much as she'd blame me anyway. She'd probably forgive you sooner." And she knew Ella didn't even like Alec all that much to begin with. "She'd forgive you just to spite me, probably."

She chewed on her lower lip, not really liking what he said next. It bothered her because she felt like she had been trying. She'd been trying so hard to accept Peter. "I never told father. Not intentionally. Not even when I thought I should. I've... I've included him in games. Talked to him at dinner. I didn't even rat them out to father when I spotted them together. I gave Ella advice, too. And..." she gave a little groan, pushing away from him. Not because she was angry with him, but because she felt suddenly restless and torn and confused. "How can I not be judgemental? He's this... This constant reminder of how I could have died or been sold into slavery. And he was handed this life on a silver platter while father banished you from our home, all the while he's screwing my sister. I don't want him to die, but I find it so hard to separate him from all the tragedy I've experienced this year. I just... I don't know that I can do much else. I can help save him, but then? I can't force myself to like him, Alec."

 

[AvianJen]

Ella raised her eyebrows at her father, smugly. "Well, that's all that Peter's done wrong. So I guess he's not a criminal either. He did what he had to do to get himself and us off, that's all." Admittedly, Ella didn't know what he had done before she met him, but he hadn't been a bad person when they'd first been introduced. And whatever he'd done...Ella firmly believed he did it because it was what he had to do. That was the only reason the Peter she knew would do anything bad. When he suggested that she could be a victim of "clever manipulation," though, Ella had to roll her eyes.

"Father, Peter's not clever like that," she told him. "He's the worst liar you've ever met. He wasn't even a good pirate." With a sickening feeling in her stomach she realized that was true, but hopefully he would manage to pull off the lie she'd asked him to tell. Peter was always honest; he'd never tried to be someone that he wasn't, at least not since living here. He'd just been working on discovering who he was, who he could be. "He hasn't manipulated me, and he hasn't manipulated you."

So it was Josie. Ella narrowed her eyes, unable to stop the feeling of intense betrayal that washed over her. How could Josie do that to her? To Peter? And then lie about it. She and Alec had been talking about Peter, had they? It had to be Alec, because Josie didn't talk to hardly anyone else. And to think she'd almost begun to believe Josephine was starting to accept him. But her father's question caught her off guard. Ella stared at him, her face growing red with both embarrassment and anger. She clenched her fists, leaning back in her chair. Oh, so that was it. Josie, gossiping to her boyfriend about how her slutty little sister was sleeping with a pirate. "Maybe," she said tensely. "What would happen if I am?" Ella wasn't pregnant, at least as far as she knew, but she wasn't above using it as collateral. Might as well, if he knew. It was unfortunate that he knew, but she wasn't going to deny that she and Peter had slept together.

"But really, Father, you're going to take Josie's word over mine? She's jealous, you know. She's jealous that Peter has better prospects than Alec, jealous that Peter wanted to be with me when Alec's been saying no to her for two years. You think she hasn't tried to persuade him? She hates Peter because of it, of course she's going to exaggerate." Part of that was just Ella's anger at her sister coming out, but part of it could actually be true. Josie was jealous, and Ella wouldn't be surprised if that was part of the reason she still didn't like Peter.

Alec didn't think that Ella would forgive him out of spite for Josephine; more likely she'd wind up hating both of them forever. He could see it: Alec and Josie would get married, Ella would stay here and get her degree without ever visiting, and then she'd be off. Who knew if she'd ever get married...if word about the more intimate side of she and Peter's relationship got out, that decreased her chances substantially. "She's not going to do that," he said, shaking his head. "She'd be more likely to forgive you. She loves you, Josie. It's just that she loves Peter, too."

He didn't know what else to say, because that was the dilemma. Ella did love her sister, but Peter was the man she'd wanted to spend the rest of her life with. He let her pull away, listening as she tried to sort through her thoughts. He understood where she was coming from completely, because he felt the same way. To him, Peter would always remind him of their time on that ship. He wanted nothing more than to forget it, and he knew that Josephine wanted that, too. Peter was a reminder of that horrible experience, but...he was also a good person. It had taken Alec a while to realize that, but he knew it was true. He didn't deserve what he was getting.

"I know, love," he said sympathetically, leaning against the wall. "I know. And you don't have to like him. Even if he lives, the chances of him staying in Ella's life are slim. But...try and think of it this way. If you'd never ended up on that ship, I don't know that we ever would have been allowed to be together. Ella might never have found someone she loves, and I know how much you wanted that for her. And Peter...maybe it's time we stop thinking of him as the pirate sleeping with your sister and start thinking of him of the reason we got of that ship. Because he is." He'd been brave in trying to save them, but Alec knew that he hadn't done anything. It was Peter who knew how to pull the strings that ended up setting them free. "I know it's hard. And it may not even matter in the end, but...it might help to sell this story we've got to tell if he's going to live. And if things are ever going to be the same again for you and Ella, then he has to live." There was no sense in dancing around it. "I think she'd come around eventually, but..." It would take a while. Years, even. He couldn't imagine how he would feel if someone said something that ended up getting Josephine executed.