Help Is On The Way
Jan. 15th, 2012 10:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
intheheartTitle: Help Is On The Way
Rating: PG.
Summary: Aaron is not as abandoned as he thought.
AU: EPIC PIRATE AU
Notes: Yes, Pirate!Aaron has met Queen Elizabeth. Someday I'll write that story.
Aaron had planned his expedition very carefully.
Gail had to come back. Papa cried at night, and Aaron didn't like that. He knew Papa would be happier if Gail came back. And he missed Gail, and he even missed her baby. Besides, he knew Gail hadn't really wanted to leave them. He'd seen it on her face when she left. So he'd just go and get her and tell her that Papa didn't want her to leave either, and she'd come back and then everything would be all right.
Gail said she was from Kent. He remembered that. So he got out his father's map of England and measured the distance with his fingers. It didn't look very far at all. Probably he could walk there in a day, maybe less. He was a very strong walker for his age.
He would need money, in case he got hungry on the way, so he went into his father's chest and took out the small purse Papa said was only for emergencies. This, Aaron felt, qualified as an emergency. After a moment of consideration, he took the map too.
Then, that night while Papa slept, he slipped out of bed, grabbed his things, and crept off the ship.
He was very careful. Papa had told him that Plymouth was very dangerous at night, and that he was not to be out alone. So he didn't go through Plymouth, but followed the shoreline until he was well away from the lights of the town. He liked it, really. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks was soothing, like a lullaby heard in the distance even after he went out to the road. And the stars and the moon were so pretty, little gems in the sky.
He knew vaguely how to navigate, and he could find the North Star, so he was more or less certain that he was going in the right direction. But as the night went on and the mist began to rise, obscuring the road and the trees and the sea, Aaron began to wonder if he was doing the right thing.
He was only a very little boy, after all. And when he pulled out his map and squinted at it in the weird half-moonlight that filtered through the mist, he thought he really should have been in Kent by now. And his feet hurt. And it was getting darker. And there might be bandits.
And looking at the road now, swathed in mist, Aaron wasn't sure he could find his way home.
He sat down on a rock by the side of the road and began to cry.
He wasn't sure how long he cried there, but he didn't think it was very long, because his nose hadn't even begun to drip when it happened.
"Little boy!"
Aaron started and looked up, wiping at his cheeks. The imperious voice had come from a woman who stood in front of him now, dark hair falling over her shoulders, grey eyes the color of the sea watching him narrowly. "Little boy," she said, again. "Are you crying?"
"Yes, milady," he stammered. She was very scary. Like the queen had been when Papa had taken him once to an audience. Regal, Papa had called it. Women like that were always milady.
This lady snorted, and crouched down in front of him in one swift motion, like a hawk stooping. "I am not a lady," she informed him. "Why are you crying, little boy?"
"I'm lost," Aaron said. You always told the truth to ladies, even if they told you they weren't ladies. "I'm looking for somebody but I'm lost, and I don't know where to go."
"Ah." The lady sat back on her heels, still watching him narrowly. "Who are you looking for?"
"Gail," he said, promptly. "She was going to be my stepmama but something happened, I don't know what, and she had to go away. My papa's very sad that she's gone, and so am I, because I really liked her and I really wanted her to be my stepmama. So I'm going to go fetch her. Only she's in Kent and I looked it up--" he produced his map-- "and it didn't seem so very far, but I think I should be there by now, and I don't think I am."
The lady looked amused. "You are nowhere near Kent, little boy," she informed him. "Kent is at least five days from here, and I think you do not walk so fast."
"Five days?" Aaron started to cry again. He couldn't be gone for five days. Papa would worry! And it would be a whole five days back, too. A whole ten days of walking.
"Don't cry!" the lady ordered, and he tried to stop, wiping at his cheeks. "Don't cry," she said again, softening her voice a little. "You must go home, little boy. That's all."
"I can't," he said. "I don’t know how to get back."
The lady reached out and awkwardly patted his shoulder. "That's all right," she said. "I know. You live in Plymouth on the Bedrock Drift. I can show you how to get home."
He looked up at her eyes wide. "Can you? And how do you know that?"
She smiled at him. It made her look more mysterious but much less scary. "I just know," she said. "Come along, now." She got up, dusted off her skirts, and held out a hand to him.
Aaron took it, and hopped off the rock, and walked obediently beside her down the road.
"You live with your father," the lady said, abruptly.
"Uh-huh," he said, thoroughly puzzled but willing to listen.
"Is he good to you?" she asked.
Aaron beamed. "Oh, yes," he said. "I have the very best papa in the whole wide world. And I've been a lot of places," he added, solemnly. "I've been to France and England and Ireland and Portugal, and Scotland and Wales too. Papa says someday we'll go to the New World and he'll show me the red Indians. I would like to see an Indian."
The lady laughed. "I suppose you would," she said. "So you are happy with your father."
"Yes," he said. "Even Gail says my papa is the very best papa in the whole world. She says that if her baby had a papa as good as my papa then everything would be all right. But if she marries my papa then her baby's papa will be my papa, so you see I had to try and go get her. I like her baby, even if it's only a girl."
"Only a girl?" The lady looked down at him, and he could see her raise an eyebrow.
"Oh, no," Aaron said. "Oh, I didn't mean that. I like you. And Gail is nice for a girl. But her baby screams a lot, and it's boring."
The lady laughed again. "Never mind," she said. "I agree that babies are very boring. But mothers love them all the same. Do you think your mother loves you?"
"My mother?" He blinked, startled. He never thought about his mother, really. "I don't know. Papa says she does. I don't remember her so I don't know."
"Hmm." The lady was silent for a moment. "Did she die?"
Good. A question he could answer. "No," Aaron said. "She went away. Papa said she had to. And Papa said it was good that she left me with him, because she loved me very much but only Papa could take care of me." He finished this on a somewhat doubtful note. Not that he doubted his papa, but...
"Your papa is right," the lady said, unexpectedly. "Mothers always love their babies very much. But sometimes they can't take care of them." She was silent a moment, then added, "Sometimes, it doesn't matter how much you love someone. Sometimes you just can't stay."
Aaron looked up at her, puzzled. "Did you have to leave your baby?" he asked.
She looked down at him, and smiled rather sadly. "I did," she said. "He's happy, and well-loved. I can ask for nothing more."
"That's good," he said, practically. "And I'm sure he loves you."
"Oh," she said, smiling a little happier now, "I know that he does."
Aaron was about to ask more, but the mist had begun to lighten with the daybreak, and he could hear a dull clopping sound now, like hooves in the mist. "Is that a horse?" he asked.
"Yes," the lady said. "I promised to show you the way home, little boy. Here it comes." She stood him up on another rock, balancing him carefully. "Just you stand here, look as hard as you can, and you'll see."
He looked obediently, squinting as hard as he could. Gradually a shape wavered out of the fog, a horse and a rider, moving slowly but steadily. He squinted even harder and began to make out details: a sleeve, a skirt, an odd lump on the rider's chest. Finally the rider came very close, and...
"Gail!" he exclaimed, delighted.
"Aaron?" She reined the horse over, steadying her baby in the sling across her chest, looking at him as if she'd never seen him before. "God's nightgown, Aaron, what on earth are you doing out here?"
"Looking for you!" he told her, joyfully. "I was coming to find you!"
"You shouldn't be out here by yourself," she told him sternly, but her face was full of joy too.
"I'm not by myself," Aaron said. "The lady's looking after me."
Gail blinked at him. "What lady?" she asked.
He turned around to introduce her, but the lady had gone.
Rating: PG.
Summary: Aaron is not as abandoned as he thought.
AU: EPIC PIRATE AU
Notes: Yes, Pirate!Aaron has met Queen Elizabeth. Someday I'll write that story.
Aaron had planned his expedition very carefully.
Gail had to come back. Papa cried at night, and Aaron didn't like that. He knew Papa would be happier if Gail came back. And he missed Gail, and he even missed her baby. Besides, he knew Gail hadn't really wanted to leave them. He'd seen it on her face when she left. So he'd just go and get her and tell her that Papa didn't want her to leave either, and she'd come back and then everything would be all right.
Gail said she was from Kent. He remembered that. So he got out his father's map of England and measured the distance with his fingers. It didn't look very far at all. Probably he could walk there in a day, maybe less. He was a very strong walker for his age.
He would need money, in case he got hungry on the way, so he went into his father's chest and took out the small purse Papa said was only for emergencies. This, Aaron felt, qualified as an emergency. After a moment of consideration, he took the map too.
Then, that night while Papa slept, he slipped out of bed, grabbed his things, and crept off the ship.
He was very careful. Papa had told him that Plymouth was very dangerous at night, and that he was not to be out alone. So he didn't go through Plymouth, but followed the shoreline until he was well away from the lights of the town. He liked it, really. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks was soothing, like a lullaby heard in the distance even after he went out to the road. And the stars and the moon were so pretty, little gems in the sky.
He knew vaguely how to navigate, and he could find the North Star, so he was more or less certain that he was going in the right direction. But as the night went on and the mist began to rise, obscuring the road and the trees and the sea, Aaron began to wonder if he was doing the right thing.
He was only a very little boy, after all. And when he pulled out his map and squinted at it in the weird half-moonlight that filtered through the mist, he thought he really should have been in Kent by now. And his feet hurt. And it was getting darker. And there might be bandits.
And looking at the road now, swathed in mist, Aaron wasn't sure he could find his way home.
He sat down on a rock by the side of the road and began to cry.
He wasn't sure how long he cried there, but he didn't think it was very long, because his nose hadn't even begun to drip when it happened.
"Little boy!"
Aaron started and looked up, wiping at his cheeks. The imperious voice had come from a woman who stood in front of him now, dark hair falling over her shoulders, grey eyes the color of the sea watching him narrowly. "Little boy," she said, again. "Are you crying?"
"Yes, milady," he stammered. She was very scary. Like the queen had been when Papa had taken him once to an audience. Regal, Papa had called it. Women like that were always milady.
This lady snorted, and crouched down in front of him in one swift motion, like a hawk stooping. "I am not a lady," she informed him. "Why are you crying, little boy?"
"I'm lost," Aaron said. You always told the truth to ladies, even if they told you they weren't ladies. "I'm looking for somebody but I'm lost, and I don't know where to go."
"Ah." The lady sat back on her heels, still watching him narrowly. "Who are you looking for?"
"Gail," he said, promptly. "She was going to be my stepmama but something happened, I don't know what, and she had to go away. My papa's very sad that she's gone, and so am I, because I really liked her and I really wanted her to be my stepmama. So I'm going to go fetch her. Only she's in Kent and I looked it up--" he produced his map-- "and it didn't seem so very far, but I think I should be there by now, and I don't think I am."
The lady looked amused. "You are nowhere near Kent, little boy," she informed him. "Kent is at least five days from here, and I think you do not walk so fast."
"Five days?" Aaron started to cry again. He couldn't be gone for five days. Papa would worry! And it would be a whole five days back, too. A whole ten days of walking.
"Don't cry!" the lady ordered, and he tried to stop, wiping at his cheeks. "Don't cry," she said again, softening her voice a little. "You must go home, little boy. That's all."
"I can't," he said. "I don’t know how to get back."
The lady reached out and awkwardly patted his shoulder. "That's all right," she said. "I know. You live in Plymouth on the Bedrock Drift. I can show you how to get home."
He looked up at her eyes wide. "Can you? And how do you know that?"
She smiled at him. It made her look more mysterious but much less scary. "I just know," she said. "Come along, now." She got up, dusted off her skirts, and held out a hand to him.
Aaron took it, and hopped off the rock, and walked obediently beside her down the road.
"You live with your father," the lady said, abruptly.
"Uh-huh," he said, thoroughly puzzled but willing to listen.
"Is he good to you?" she asked.
Aaron beamed. "Oh, yes," he said. "I have the very best papa in the whole wide world. And I've been a lot of places," he added, solemnly. "I've been to France and England and Ireland and Portugal, and Scotland and Wales too. Papa says someday we'll go to the New World and he'll show me the red Indians. I would like to see an Indian."
The lady laughed. "I suppose you would," she said. "So you are happy with your father."
"Yes," he said. "Even Gail says my papa is the very best papa in the whole world. She says that if her baby had a papa as good as my papa then everything would be all right. But if she marries my papa then her baby's papa will be my papa, so you see I had to try and go get her. I like her baby, even if it's only a girl."
"Only a girl?" The lady looked down at him, and he could see her raise an eyebrow.
"Oh, no," Aaron said. "Oh, I didn't mean that. I like you. And Gail is nice for a girl. But her baby screams a lot, and it's boring."
The lady laughed again. "Never mind," she said. "I agree that babies are very boring. But mothers love them all the same. Do you think your mother loves you?"
"My mother?" He blinked, startled. He never thought about his mother, really. "I don't know. Papa says she does. I don't remember her so I don't know."
"Hmm." The lady was silent for a moment. "Did she die?"
Good. A question he could answer. "No," Aaron said. "She went away. Papa said she had to. And Papa said it was good that she left me with him, because she loved me very much but only Papa could take care of me." He finished this on a somewhat doubtful note. Not that he doubted his papa, but...
"Your papa is right," the lady said, unexpectedly. "Mothers always love their babies very much. But sometimes they can't take care of them." She was silent a moment, then added, "Sometimes, it doesn't matter how much you love someone. Sometimes you just can't stay."
Aaron looked up at her, puzzled. "Did you have to leave your baby?" he asked.
She looked down at him, and smiled rather sadly. "I did," she said. "He's happy, and well-loved. I can ask for nothing more."
"That's good," he said, practically. "And I'm sure he loves you."
"Oh," she said, smiling a little happier now, "I know that he does."
Aaron was about to ask more, but the mist had begun to lighten with the daybreak, and he could hear a dull clopping sound now, like hooves in the mist. "Is that a horse?" he asked.
"Yes," the lady said. "I promised to show you the way home, little boy. Here it comes." She stood him up on another rock, balancing him carefully. "Just you stand here, look as hard as you can, and you'll see."
He looked obediently, squinting as hard as he could. Gradually a shape wavered out of the fog, a horse and a rider, moving slowly but steadily. He squinted even harder and began to make out details: a sleeve, a skirt, an odd lump on the rider's chest. Finally the rider came very close, and...
"Gail!" he exclaimed, delighted.
"Aaron?" She reined the horse over, steadying her baby in the sling across her chest, looking at him as if she'd never seen him before. "God's nightgown, Aaron, what on earth are you doing out here?"
"Looking for you!" he told her, joyfully. "I was coming to find you!"
"You shouldn't be out here by yourself," she told him sternly, but her face was full of joy too.
"I'm not by myself," Aaron said. "The lady's looking after me."
Gail blinked at him. "What lady?" she asked.
He turned around to introduce her, but the lady had gone.
