Male MC (Will Redgrave) x Charlie Smith
Part 2
Will and Charlie have been transported to the modern age, and first and foremost is seeing to Charlie's survival...
Written in the present tense
Part 1
Tagging: @choicesficwriterscreations, @jerzwriter
Warnings: Talk of death
Word Count: 1354
Notes: I don’t own these characters, they are the property of Pixelberry Studios.
An Alternate Path made on cooltext.com
I was thinking about this post I made ages ago, and decided to write a story sort of based on it
With no choice but to sit in the waiting area, Will grabs his phone, switching it on, but it switches off straight away. Getting to his feet, he goes over to the reception desk.
Will - Hi, do you have a lead I can use to charge my phone?
She quickly checks the shape of the charging port of his phone.
Nurse - Uh.. yeah. Here you go.
She hands him the end of a lead and he plugs his phone in. After a few seconds, he switches it on and takes a step out of the way whilst the nurse returns to their work. Opening up his photos, Will smiles at the one he took of the entire crew, Axton, Adelia, Charlie, Edward, Ginny, Jonas, Maggie, everyone. He sets the photo as his new wallpaper and also emails it to himself so he can do the same on his computer.
Doctor - Excuse me, Mr. Redgrave?
Will sets his phone down and turns to the Doctor.
Will - How is she?
Doctor - She'll be okay. We were able to counteract the poison, but we'll need to keep her here overnight.
Will - Can I see her?
Doctor - She's unconscious, but if you want to sit with her, that's okay.
Will - Yes please.
Doctor - This way.
The doctor leads Will to the room they're keeping Charlie and he finds her sleeping. Her arm hooked up to what Will guesses is the antidote to the poison. The doctor leaves them and Will closes the curtains around them to give them some privacy. Standing at her side, he takes her hand in his and smiles in relief.
Will - I'm so glad you're alive, Charlie. You changed my life in ways I never imagined possible. You all did.
He takes a seat, settling in for what is probably going to be a long night.
Groaning as she blinks awake, Charlie looks around to find herself somewhere she doesn't recognise. Looking over, she sees Will asleep in the chair and sits up. Will opens his eyes and rushes to stand, wrapping her in a tight hug.
Will - Charlie!
Charlie winces and he steps back.
Will - Sorry!
Charlie looks at the screens around her and at the tube connected to her arm.
Charlie - So we're really in your time?
Will - Welcome to the twenty first century. How much do you remember?
Charlie - I remember being at the temple and there was a woman.
Will - Magdalena. She was the reason we had a chance to say goodbye to Edward and Oliver.
Charlie - So what happens now?
Will - A new life. Together... if you'll have me.
Charlie laces her fingers with his and pulls him closer, capturing his lips with hers in a soft kiss. When they part, she smiles, giving his hand a squeeze.
Charlie - You're al mine, love.
Will laughs quietly, bringing Charlie's hand up and kissing her knuckles.
The next morning, Will and Charlie arrive at his home via a taxi and as they get out, Charlie looks at the vehicle in shock while Will pays the driver. They head in and Will hands up his coat while Charlie looks around.
Charlie - This is all... so strange... I don't even know where to begin.
Will - Wherever you want.
He sits on the sofa and Charlie sits with him, looking at their clothing and then seeing some of Will's hanging up.
Charlie - I guess I should consider some different clothes.
Will - We can order you some to be delivered.
Charlie - You can do that?!
Will - Yeah. Yeah, that's a thing these days.
Charlie - It's strange to think, yesterday we were in the nineteenth century, and now here we are.
Will - I know the feeling. But I'll help you get used to technology and other parts of this time.
Charlie - Thank you. For saving my life.
Will - That wasn't me, that was the Doctors.
Charlie rests against him and he wraps an arm around her, holding her close. They sit in silence for a while before Charlie breaks it with a whisper of three words.
Charlie - I love you...
Will - I love you too.
A few days later, after getting Charlie a few clothes as well as showing her a few things for day to day life in the modern world, Will sets a few parcels down on the floor next to him before taking the last one from the delivery driver and giving a signature.
Will - Cheers, have a good one.
Driver - You too.
He closes the door, setting the parcel in his hands down by the sofa before grabbing the others. He goes through them, and one in particular contains two phones. He grabs his sim card and puts it in one of them before plugging both in to charge. A few minutes later, Charlie steps out, running a brush through her hair.
Charlie - One thing I'm definitely enjoying about this time is the showers.
Will laughs, wrapping an arm around her. She looks over at the parcels, along with the two phones charging.
Charlie - Is that...?
Will - One's to replace mine. The other's for you...
Charlie picks up the phone for her, looking it over.
Charlie - You'll need to guide me in using one of these.
Will - Sure thing. I also found something else, I thought might be of interest to you...
He points at the computer screen and she sits down, reading about a museum exhibit.
Charlie - This is...
Will - Yeah. Wondered if maybe you wante--
Charlie - Yes! I need to know what became of them...
That afternoon, Will and Charlie arrive at the exhibit where they find a painting of the Poseidon's Revenge, along with a portrait of Oliver and Edward hanging side by side.
Curator - Good afternoon, I was told you were interested in the exhibit. To be honest, it has a lot of mystery surrounding it.
Will - How so?
Curator - Well, there is the mystery of what happened to the Quartermaster. We've been lead to believe that she died during an exploration, along with one of their crewmates.
Will and Charlie share a knowing look.
Curator - But what it known is that after their disappearance, they took the ship belonging to Admiral Cochrane, renaming it the Charlotte.
Charlie - The Charlotte?
Curator - After their Quartermaster.
Will - Wow...
Curator - There are also these drawings made their youngest crewmember, Ginny.
The Curator leads them over to a series of drawings. Each one of each member of the crew, including Will and Charlie.
Curator - You know, you two bare a resemblance to these two.
Will - Uh, coincidence.
Charlie - What happened to them?
Curator - Well, going by a journal kept by Captain Mortemer, as the world changed, so did they. Oliver returned to the navy after his father passed, and it seems there was an arrangement made between the two. The crew sailed, distributing their wealth to the people. But eventually, as time passed, so did they. One of the pages speaks of how Edward returned to his home, Gorvershire to live out his last few years. He left the Charlotte under the command of Ginny.
Charlie - Good for her...
Curator - Is there anything else I can help you with?
Charlie - No, thank you.
The Curator takes her leave and Charlie takes a shaky breath as she looks at the drawings. Will laces his fingers with hers, giving her hand a squeeze.
Charlie - Do you know where Grovershire is?
Will - No, but it won't be hard to find.
A few days later, Charlie and Will stand before Edward's grave. Charlie lays some flowers down before wiping some dirt from the headstone, reading the words.
'A life well lived'
Charlie - Thank you for everything, Edward.
She stands and Will kneels down, laying his own flowers down.
Will - We'll follow your words and live well...
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Hullos and Goodbyes
so ive never done an appreciation week before, but i saw @distantshoresaw coming up and decided to finally play ds earlier this month. ended up with plenty of inspo, so heres a short charlie-centric spin on canon :) hope im not too late yikes
T Rating (fluff with a dash of angst, no warnings)
Charlie x f!MC (Peyton Bellamy)
~3.7k words
-
“Ah-ha!” Peyton flourishes a small, golden compass, gesturing for the cameras following her every move, “This compass shall be our salvation and -”
Peyton stumbles on a slick deck, eyes wild as she glances about, the scene before her unimaginable. Swords clash, the occasional pistol or cannon fires, and shouts echo across the open sea. It’s a battle, and looks more real than anything she’s ever witnessed on set.
She’s ripped into the fray by a shout, “Get off our ship, pirate!” a man barreling down the deck towards her, a sword raised above his head. He slashes, cutting her across the arm until she’s staggering backwards, barely keeping hold of her bearings.
Her jaw drops, at a loss as blood soaks her sleeve. “That - That freakin’ hurt!” Peyton finally manages, eyes still searching futilely. “Where’s the medic? And why’s everyone still fighting? Cut!” she tries calling, but no one even glances in her direction.
Another man has cut in between her and the first, stealing his attention as Peyton simply gawks, lost in the rage of the battle, more of a storm than the sea beneath the ship. She holds her arm to her chest protectively, a dawning something filling her chest.
“You! Girl!” booms, harsher on Peyton’s ears than any blast from the canons. It echoes in her ears, even as she whirls around, coming face to face with a furious, bright red naval officer, a pistol pointed at her chest. “Get off my ship, pirate!”
Peyton braces herself, tensing as he pulls the trigger. But the bullet doesn’t pierce her skin, doesn’t lodge in her gut. She’s thrown to the side, body hitting the deck as the shot whistles past.
Squinting, Peyton can just make out a familiar figure, one she swore she somehow saw back on set, only this time he appears more real than before, more flesh and bone than the mirage from before. “It’s you! But how…?”
“Are you hurt?” he asks, checking her for damage as he helps her back to her feet.
Peyton nods, still bewildered and panickedly searching the scene around them, from the woman laughing as she disarms a sailor, to the group of naval officers bearing down on her and the man before her. “I’m fine, but you should probably worry about them!”
He whirls around, spotting the raised swords before smiling back at her, “Ah, yes. Just a moment.”
“Edward!” The intimidating officer calls to him, face painted in a furious expression, “This isn’t over, you coward!”
The pirate - Edward - takes the challenge with a smirk, slipping back into the chaos of battle, as more and more shouts reach Peyton. She spins, finding the laughing woman from a moment before toying with a sailor.
“Surrender!” he shouts, slashing downwards.
“Surrender?” she guffaws, dancing around the deck in a taunt, “I’m just getting started.”
She drives him backwards, finally putting some effort into the fight, but smiling widely in amusement. His foot catches on rope, his leg nearly slipping out from under him before he catches himself, just barely holding the pirate off.
Peyton’s eyes follow the rope, see it loop over the main mast and back down again, right beside her. She grabs it, yanking with all her might as a startled scream sounds. The man’s wiped out on the deck when she looks back over, leg tangled in the rope and hands clawing at the tight grip it has on him.
The pirate spins around, a dazzling smile on her lips as she sizes Peyton up, pale green eyes skating along her body, “Hullo, love.” She finds Peyton’s eyes, her grin turning wicked as she winks, “Thanks for the help.” And with that she spins, waltzing back into the fray with her sword outstretched.
Peyton’s eyes follow her as long as they can, until a sailor’s stumbling before her, Edward locked in battle with him. He throws a dagger, the sailor’s sleeve catching on the tip and getting stuck to the mast, blade embedded in wood.
The fight rages on and on, swords and bullets singing alongside shouts and pained yelps, Peyton barely keeping her head about her. At one point another officer’s gaze locks on her, the man giving chase and slashing his sword incessantly at her again and again, grazing her already wounded forearm once.
She grimaces, weaving backwards through the crowded deck and jumping from every slice of the blade. It's hectic and a free for all, like a crowded cinema corridor after someone shouted fire, but somehow infinitely worse. Maybe it's the weapons.
“Retreat!” Edward bellows from across the deck, a body slumped at his feet and a pistol pointed at him. “Everyone, back to the ship!” he darts away, rounding up as many people as he can, and holding back the rest.
The intimidating officer from before, still just as furious, whirls around, blazing eyes landing on Peyton. “You there!” he rounds on her, rushing forward to cross the deck, shoving aside sailors and pirates alike.
“Move it, love!” the pirate with the green eyes from before swoops in before Peyton can react, appearing from seemingly nowhere and taking hold of Peyton’s uninjured arm at the last second. She hauls her back and away from the naval officer, dragging her towards the railing, every moment too quick for Peyton to keep up with.
The brunette's free hand sheathes her sword before fastening around a rope, her gaze finding Peyton’s as it gleams with mischief, “Hold on!” She releases Peyton’s bicep, her arm curling around her waist instead before they’re flying through the air, nothing but the sea beneath them.
“Oh my gosh!” Peyton shrieks, grasping at the pirate’s shoulders as wind whips her hair, a loud laugh sounding from beside her. Her face buries in the woman’s neck, the breeze on her skin at odds with the warmth from the body holding her.
From her first glimpse of the sea to hurtling over it, this day just keeps getting wilder, only a few stray thoughts of the set and her lines in Peyton's mind. Now all she can focus on is the flush on her skin and the tight hold around waist from the beautiful woman that might have just saved her life. Or doomed her to a drowning at sea.
The pirate’s still chuckling when they land on a neighbouring ship’s deck, and Peyton’s still shocked, arms tight around her assumed rescuer.
"Ye can let go now," she teases, carefully extricating Peyton from around her with a cheeky grin. A blush rises to Peyton's cheeks before her jaw drops open, baffled as she looks around the new ship and the bustling crew. “Hullo and welcome… to Poseidon’s Revenge,” the pirate grins, bowing and gesturing playfully.
“Um. Thank you,” Peyton nods stiffly, her hands wringing before her as she avoids piercing eyes.
“Don’t look so glum. At least over here no one’ll try to kill you,” she teases Peyton. “For the most part,” her smile falls for a second, before increasing tenfold, her hand jutting out in invitation with it. “I’m Charlie, this here ship’s quartermaster, and pleased to make your acquaintance…” she gestures expectantly.
“Peyton,” her palm collides with Charlie’s, shaking as enthusiastically as she can manage. “Peyton Bellamy. And, uh, hello.”
---
Peyton rolls over in the bed of the Captain’s cabin, sleep evading her as she tosses and turns. The ship quieted hours ago, the pirate partiers finally turning in sometime after midnight, the soft lapping of waves against the hull now the only sound.
It’s almost eerie, a calm before the storm of tomorrow, a cloud hanging over Peyton as she twists beneath the duvet, chasing a sleep that won’t come. She huffs, staring out across the Captain’s quarters at the furniture and decor, bathed in the night’s lights.
The door creaks open, a head of dark hair popping in, “Well hullo there.” Charlie’s grin is electric as she steps further inside, dramatically hanging from the door frame with that dark hair spilling down her shoulder, moonlight shining along its waves.
Peyton smiles right back without a second of hesitation, fumbling upright on the bed, the duvet splayed over her lap. “Hi,” she greets, heat rising to her cheeks in the low light.
“Alright?” Charlie’s smile dims, replaced by a growing softness in her eyes as she crosses the quarters, dropping beside Peyton’s folded legs. “Up pretty late,” she notes, eyeing the woman across from her.
“So are you.”
“Aye,” she snickers, “but I’m a pirate, I don’t play by the rules. You don’t strike me as the night owl type,” Charlie reaches out, prodding Peyton’s knee with her usual devilish grin.
“I’m not,” Peyton’s hair shifts as she shakes her head, unkempt in the late hour.
“So what’s keeping you up?”
Shrugging, Peyton laughs coldly, the warmth in her cheeks dissipating with it, “Oh, just my impending trial and probable execution. Nothing too serious.”
“Ah,” Charlie nods, her smile nowhere to be found for once, “That.”
“Yeah. That.”
“Y’know, love, for what it’s worth,” she nudges Peyton, “I don’t think yer a witch.”
“No?”
“Nah,” she shakes her head vehemently, expression serious, “A witch would be sneakier. And less smiley,” her grin breaks back out, one hand raising to poke at Peyton’s smile lines, the dents only growing. “Hmm. Less blushy too, I reckon.”
Peyton’s hands snap up to hide her face and the dark blush painting it, “You can’t even see my face! It’s dark!” she fumbles a protest.
“Saw ye when it was light out, though,” Charlie snickers, “All I hafta do is look at ye and there yer cheeks go.”
“That’s so not true,” Peyton’s features twist in a scowl as her hands lower slightly, frowning up at the pirate.
“I’m not judging. I know I’m simply irresistible.”
Hands lowered entirely, Peyton crosses her arms beneath her chest, eyeing up Charlie, “I know you less than a day and you’re already hitting on me.”
“I was focusing more on myself, love, but that doesn't mean yer not lovely.”
Peyton chuckles under her breath, shaking her head as the pair settle against the wall, their eyes roving absentmindedly. “Shouldn’t you be trying to get some sleep?” Peyton starts, finding pale green in the darkness.
“Shouldn’t you?” Charlie counters easily.
“I told you,” Peyton shrugs, deflecting. “Can’t really sleep when I know I’m dying soon.”
“Yer not gonna die.”
Peyton’s shoulders raise in a halfhearted shrug, “Robert certainly wants me to,” she murmurs beneath her breath.
“Robert’s not the captain.”
“You’re not either.”
“No,” the pirate concedes, “but Edward’s a good man. He won’t let ye die.”
“You swear?”
Charlie’s raises her hand over her heart, “I swear on the grave of someone’s father.”
A laugh bubbles out of Peyton, quirking her lips in an easy smile, “But not yours?”
“Mine doesn’t have a grave.”
Peyton shifts forward, inquiring curiously, “Do you visit him?”
“Not really.”
“Why not?”
“Takes more than a few drinks to get that story out of me, love,” the dark haired woman winks, tapping Peyton teasingly on the nose.
“I can wait,” Peyton nods determinedly, features still split in a tiny grin.
Charlie’s lips curve in a soft smile, her head gently thumping back against the cabin’s wall. A silence permeates the space between them, easy as the water outside, the tiny streams dripping down wood to rejoin the ocean.
“How’s yer arm?” Charlie finally breaks it, nodding to the wrapped arm cradled in Peyton’s lap.
“Hurts a bit,” she mumbles, turning it over.
“Lemme see.”
Charlie carefully takes Peyton’s arm, touch light and delicate as her fingertips ghost along her skin, carefully unbandaging the wound. “Did ye dump alcohol on it like ye made Samuel do?”
“Mmhmm,” Peyton hums from deep in her throat, watching cautious fingers dance atop her skin. “Stung like a bitch.”
A surprised laugh bursts from Charlie’s chest, hands pausing as she’s caught off guard, “Then don’t mix blood and booze next time,” she chuckles.
“There better not be a next time,” Peyton grumbles, glaring down at the cut.
“Well then,” Charlie shifts, folding her legs as she holds Peyton’s arm in her own lap, carefully redressing the wound until the wrapping is once again snug on Peyton’s skin. “You’ll be good as new in no time,” she beams, “It’s not that deep.”
“That’s what Samuel said.”
“He’s the doc for a reason.” The pirate stands, patting the other woman’s knee. “Now get some sleep,” before starting towards the cabin’s door.
Peyton lays back down, tugging the duvet back up. “Thank you,” she calls after the retreating form, watching the shadow pause and glance over her shoulder.
“Just get some sleep, love.”
With a nod, Peyton pulls the duvet to her chin, “Bye, Charlie.”
“I don’t like goodbyes,” Charlie turns, hanging from the doorframe once more with an easy smile, the smallest crease in her cheek. “Only g’nights.”
“G’night, Charlie.”
“G’night.” She calls back once more before letting the door fall closed, a strange, unfulfilled silence seeping into the cabin in her absence.
---
Peyton stretches out on the bed, groaning as her sore muscles tense and relax in a wave. Above her, Charlie chuckles, collapsing beside her and poking at her ribs until she attempts evading the jab. “Alright, love?”
Squirming upright, Peyton’s fingers pick at the hem of her shirt distractedly, gaze avoiding the curious green irises beside her. She clears her throat, forcing her shoulders to relax, “...Yeah.”
“What’s weighin' ye down, love?” Charlie nudges the woman’s knee, poking her until she looks up, trepidation swirling in her eyes.
“Nothing. We won,” Peyton’s lips pull into a forced smile, one that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “We won and now we’re free. Everything’s perfect.”
“You’d be happier if everything was perfect.”
“I am happy,” her smile grows, just as artificial and just as unconvincing.
Charlie sighs, her expression drooping, “Love -”
“Can I ask you something?” Peyton sharply cuts her off, impatience tight in her words.
Charlie nods casually, but her brows knit together, “‘Course.”
“What happens if everything’s not perfect?”
With another heavy sigh, Charlie scoots closer, wrapping an arm around Peyton’s shoulders as the latter curls into the former’s side. “What’s wrong?” she repeats, tracing slow circles along Peyton’s back.
Peyton doesn’t answer for a moment, fingers fidgeting with a button to occupy herself. “Remember when I said I saw something else? Where I was alone?” she whispers.
Nodding, the pirate hums in acknowledgment, fingernails scratching lightly as they trace a hipbone.
“It’s coming, I know it,” Peyton’s whisper harshens. “It’s coming and I don’t know what that means for you and I hate that.” Her hands ball into fists, knuckles whitening as she stares at them, entire body going rigid.
A chuckle bursts from Charlie’s chest, good natured as she jostles Peyton playfully, “It means I get more rum to myself!”
“Charlie,” her tone’s on edge, with cracked words, “I’m serious.”
“Aye, so am I,” the joking tone drops from her voice, replaced with as much urgency as Peyton’s. “I know what I saw, and that was me and you in the future. I don’t care how messy everything else is, I know those moments are perfect and that’s what’s coming.”
“Still…” Peyton heaves a sigh, her head lolling forward, weighed down by a million thoughts. “Okay,” she puffs up her chest, turning to face Charlie and taking her hands in hers. “Okay," she repeats to convince herself. "Even if everything’s perfect, I need to say something just in case.”
“That sounds like a goodbye.”
“It is. It doesn’t have to end up being final, but I just -” Peyton sighs, frustrated and gesturing wildly before forcing her hands down. “I want to say goodbye in case I need to.”
“But yer comin’ back,” Charlie’s head cocks to the side, confusion in light green, “And I already know I’ll wait for ye. No point in goodbye.”
“Charlie…” a hand scrubs down Peyton’s face. “Please. I don’t want to regret it.”
“Aye,” Charlie concedes, nodding in acceptance. “Don’t regret it again,” she whispers the last few words under her breath, just to herself.
“Charlie Smith,” Peyton starts, sucking in a deep breath, squeezing the hands in hers, “Thank you, and goodbye. Thank you for opening my eyes to what I could be, and to what else is out there. Thank you for saving my life more times than I could probably count, thank you for teaching me how good rum is -” Charlie chuckles “- and thank you for - for letting me care about you.”
“Goodbye… Charlie Smith.” Peyton lifts their interlocked hands, pressing a soft kiss to Charlie’s knuckles.
“Well, Peyton Bellamy,” Charlie says in a low, teasing voice, “I should thank ye, too. For putting up with our crazy lot, which is no easy feat. And for watching my back around contacts, or mutineers. And for being there, even when I’m up in the middle of the night, or drunk off my ass, or grieving a man that never liked me.
"And for letting me care about ye too, and letting me learn how to care. I wasn't always sure, I could, but you've proved to me again and again and again and again and -”
"And again," Peyton giggles, tears welling in her eyes as she bites her lip, fighting against them and squeezing Charlie’s hands tight.
"And again." Peyton sniffles, with a smile - a real, genuine smile - quirking her lips, with a soft laugh shaking her shoulders. “Thank ye and goodbye, Peyton Bellamy.” She mimics Peyton, lifting their hands and kissing the other woman’s knuckles.
“Who knew a pirate could be so sweet?” Peyton gives a watery laugh, taking back one hand to wipe beneath her eyes.
Charlie chuckles back, thumb brushing over the palm still in her grasp. “Aye, sweet as candy. Ye feel better now?” she questions carefully, dipping her head to catch Peyton's gaze.
“Yes,” Peyton nods resolutely, a deep breath relaxing her posture.
Charlie’s palms find Peyton’s cheeks, warming them as she tilts her head down just enough to press a kiss to her forehead, “See? Everything’s perfect.”
---
“You ready?” Robert’s gaze flickers up to Peyton’s, cautious as his hand rests a few inches above a small, golden compass.
Her jaw clenches, shoulders rigid beneath her top, her own hand poised. She glances across the museum, halting on painted pale green eyes staring back at her, a smile in them even on canvas. “As I’ll ever be.”
Her fingers brush the cold metal, a jolt alighting throughout her body in response, the world distorting around her. Robert and the museum are replaced by swirls of blue and purple, distorted colours and images as time rushes past her. Glimpses of different eras, of typewriters and candles and pots of ink, of poofy skirts and corsets and wigs.
Her feet hit dirt, knees nearly buckling as she reels from the impact, unsteady on her feet. Wood and a carefully constructed building has been replaced with grass and open night sky, displays and antiques replaced by a distant dock and candlelit windows. Tiburon hums with life, even in the late hour, with ships towering over the waters a ways away.
Eyes open in bewilderment, Peyton’s jaw hangs open, gaze roving curiously over the scene before her. Her eyes pause on a figure walking down the path before her, head down and arms full of supplies, burlap sacks and bundles of cloth. Dark hair billows in the light breeze, curls floating like a waving flag, but far more beautiful.
The figure pauses a ways down the path, freezing on the spot. Familiar eyes find Peyton's - so, so familiar. Like a jade, vibrant even in the dark of night, and even brighter as they widen, almost disbelieving.
“Hullo,” Peyton exhales, an anxious smile on her lips.
Charlie’s jaw has gone slack, the grip of her hands loose, cloth held within them slowly falling to her feet. She takes a few tentative steps, her pace quickening as one hand extends cautiously, as if she’s expecting the woman before her to dissolve in a mirage.
Only she doesn’t. Peyton’s real, and here, solid flesh and bone beneath the moon, with the cool night air brushing her skin. Charlie’s fingertips brush her cheek, and a light explodes in her eyes, an excitement that was previously masked by hesitation as she jolts to life, wrapping Peyton in the tightest hug she can.
“You’re supposed to say hi back!” Peyton giggles loudly, breathlessly, into her shoulder, her own arms curled around Charlie’s neck.
“Hullo!” the Siren Queen cheers, spinning the woman in her arms around and around, “Hullo forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and -”
“And ever! I get it!” laughing, Peyton buries her face in Charlie’s neck, her feet finally finding the ground once more.
“If you want a hullo, I’ll give you a hullo,” Charlie laughs, giddy and just as breathless. She pulls away, jade colliding with Peyton’s own eyes as she stares into them, imploring and excited. “I told ye it wouldn’t last. And look at ye, back again.”
Peyton shakes her head, more fond exasperation than anything else before her eyes scan their surroundings. Scan the distant lights of Tiburon, the grass beneath their feet, the lapping of waves on a beach a ways away. “When is here exactly?” Her eyes find pale green, find the beaming smile in light irises, “How long was I gone?”
“Three weeks or so,” Charlie’s shoulders lift in a shrug. “The crew was startin’ to call me crazy,” she grins, chuckling at her own expense.
“Oh gosh,” Peyton’s hands clap together excitedly, “the crew! I missed them!”
“Ye wanna go say hullo? Seems Robert’s beaten us to it,” Charlie notes the man’s absence, glancing about momentarily. "Or gotten up to somethin' nefarious."
Peyton hums in contemplation, her hands rising and one nail tracing along Charlie’s jawline, “Just a few more moments..." Her fingers slip into brunette tresses, the gaps between them filling with soft strands as she gently tugs Charlie closer, the already small gap between them disappearing.
“Well, hullo there,” Charlie nearly purrs, smiling against Peyton’s lips as her arms wrap tighter around her waist.
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Male MC (Will Redgrave) x Charlie Smith
Part 3 - Finale
A year has passed since Will and Charlie came to the modern age, and now they look for one more piece of the puzzle for answers about the past...
Written in the present tense
Part 2
Tagging: @choicesficwriterscreations, @jerzwriter
Warnings: Use of a gun
Word Count: 1128
Notes: I don’t own these characters, they are the property of Pixelberry Studios.
An Alternate Path made on cooltext.com
I was thinking about this post I made ages ago, and decided to write a story sort of based on it
ONE YEAR LATER
Having made a career change from aspiring actor to treasure hunter, Will, along with his partner in both business and life, Charlie, slowly get closer to the co-ordinates.
Charlie - Nearly there. That looks like the temple in the distance.
Will grabs some binoculars, looking through them.
Will - Didn't look like this last time.
He hands them to Charlie and takes control of the boat so she can look for herself.
Charlie - Time hasn't been kind to this place.
Will - I'll get the diving gear ready.
After riding the water for a bit longer, Charlie brings the boat to a stop and set up their diving marker before getting into the diving gear. Will give Charlie a thumbs up and she does the same before sitting on the edge and falling back into the water. As they swim down, they find an entrance into the temple and make for it.
Once inside, they switch on their torches and find their way through as they remember, but thankfully without the traps this time. They soon reach the surface of the water after exploring the tunnels, finding themselves in the portal room. The room where everything changed. They swim over to the steps, removing their masks and oxygen tanks before approaching where the portal was, finding only a stone arch.
Charlie - Do you think maybe it can't open again after we came to this time?
Will - I don't know. But maybe someone does...
Charlie - Magdalena.
At the mention of the Pirate Queen's name, the portal opens, the force of it throwing the two off their feet for a moment as Magdalena steps out.
Magdalena - Welcome, William. Charlotte.
Charlie - Your majesty.
The two get to their feet, brushing themselves off.
Magdalena - It is strange, seeing you both like this. What's been a year for you was only moments ago for me.
Will - You mean, when we were still in the eighteen hundreds?
Magdalena - Yes. And I know why you're here.
Charlie - What happened?
Magdalena - The scales balanced once more, allowing your friends to concentrate on their enemies. However, things did not go as the Admiral expected...
THE PAST
Robert looks around, noticing that Will and Charlie are gone.
Robert - What happened?
Edward - They returned to Will's time. Thanks to Magdalena's help.
Oliver - It's over, father.
The two draw their swords, pointing them at the two.
Admiral - Indeed it is son, just not in the way you think.
He draws his pistol, aiming it at Edward.
Admiral - Goodbye, Captain.
Just before he pulls the trigger, Robert grabs the Admiral's arm, sending the shot elsewhere. Edward and Oliver watch in shock as Robert throws the Admiral back, drawing his sword.
THE PRESENT
Magdalena - The last I saw, Oliver took his father prisoner. After that, they went their separate ways.
Will and Charlie share a look of shock.
Will - Maybe getting to stay in the past gave Robert a change of heart...
Charlie - Maybe. But there's something we need to know. Who is Robert?
Magdalena - He was once an Archaeologist, then during one of his digs, he came across a compass. The same compass that took you to the past. And like you, he ended up in the past, but unlike you, it did not go with him.
Charlie - Your compass.
Magdalena - Yes.
Will - So what now?
Magdalena turns her gaze on Will, her mouth forming into a smile.
Magdalena - Live your lives. They will live theirs.
The portal opens and Magdalena steps through. Just as soon, it closes. Leaving Will and Charlie in the silence. She sits on the steps, processing the information. Will sits with her, neither of them saying anything for a few minutes.
Charlie - I want to go home.
Will - Okay.
A few days later, Will and Charlie set their bags down and Charlie grabs the post on the ground and goes through it. But she soon freezes when she sees one in particular addressed to both of them.
Will - Charlie?
Charlie - It's for both of us.
She opens it up to reveal two letters, one typed up, the other handwritten, and much older looking. Charlie reads the typed one first.
Charlie - 'William and Charlotte, please do not find this strange, but we came across this letter with instructions not to deliver it until this year. However, finding you proved easier said than done. We hope you can make sense of it.
Will raises an eyebrow as Charlie opens up the older letter. She covers her mouth in shock. Once she has read it, she hands the letter to Will so he can read it.
Dear Will & Charlie,
I hope this letter finds you in your new lives in the future. Whilst it may have been months for you, it has been decades for me. But our time together remains as fresh as if it happened only hours ago.
I am honoured to have been able to call you both my friends, and know that I, as well as Oliver and the crew have lived well. And that is how I hope you live your lives. Lives with no regrets.
Whilst time has not given us a chance to reunite, I hold you both, along with everyone in our lives in my heart. And should this letter find a way to you, think of it as a way of keeping all of us with you.
Live well,
Edward
Will wipes a few tears from the corners of his eyes and Charlie wraps him in a hug.
Charlie - I love you.
Will - I love you too.
THE PAST
On the beach, Oliver puts his bound father in a rowboat before turning to Edward.
Oliver - So this is it. Where we part ways.
Edward - It would seem so.
Oliver bats a glance at his father's naval ship, a smirk in the corner of his mouth.
Oliver - That said, I should remind you that piracy is against the law. But... If you were to commandeer my father's vessel, I may allow you a head start.
Knowing what Oliver is saying, Edward extends his hand, and Oliver shakes it.
Edward - Good luck.
Later, Edward stands at the wheel of his new ship with Robert at his side.
Edward - I'm thinking we should rename this vessel.
Robert - And which god were you thinking this time?
Edward shakes his head.
Edward - No gods. Just an extraordinary person. Charlotte.
Robert laughs lightly.
Robert - As you wish, Captain.
The two share a nod as they sail onto the next chapter of their lives.
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