Jeff the Accountant Escapes the Wretched Burning Depths of Hades

Forgive Me, Lucius, pt 2

Laying on a pile of straw on the floor, Lucius was weak. From the near-drowning and subsequent work of pulling himself out of the water and holding on tightly to the board that not too long ago served as a platform for him to sit on, ostensibly so that he could clean barnacles from the ship's hull.

Fang had heard the boy's cries and instructed him to get to the board and hold on tight as he pulled him up slowly and carefully.

What would Izzy say if he knew that putting Lucius in the situation of hanging precariously over the side of the ship would be the thing that led to a friendship between the boy and Fang? A friendship Lucius thought was fortuitous, up until now.

For the last thing Lucius felt, looking up to see Blackbeard and Fang at the doorway, was good fortune.

"Fang, how could you?" Lucius shrieked.

Fang tried to move past Blackbeard but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Leave us" said Blackbeard. "The boy will be okay." "On my mother's grave" he added, after a pause.

Blackbeard never broke an oath he swore on his mother's grave. But the battle inside Fang was visible on his face and in his stance as he stood there, weighing the sanctity and power of Blackbeard's oath against the terror he saw on Lucius's face.

"The boy will be okay" Blackbeard repeated, taking his pistol from its holster and handing it to Lucius, handle first. An act that further befuddled Fang.

"Trust him" Fang said to his friend, trying to convey support and faith with a nod, and a reassuring look on his face.

"Alright, sure, of course. I'll trust him. Why shouldn't I?" Lucius sneered. But his words were to the closed door. Fang had left him. Alone with Blackbeard.

"That thing's probably heavier than you expected, I, a, expect."

"Don't make fun of me, Ed", Lucius said, shakily pointing the gun at Blackbeard. "You threw me overboard! I could've drowned!"

"Lucius, I was hurting. And hurt people hurt people, man. What can I say?"

Gawping silence from Lucius.

"I don't know why I tried to kill you, if that's even what I was trying to do. You know, you were the one who helped me realize that I had feelings for Stede. Remember? And that he felt the same way."

Blackbeard was now sitting on a coil of rope in the center of the room. He was taking in his surroundings, letting his mind wander slightly.

"But it went sideways somehow. Something, I don't know what, went wrong. I don't believe, I won't believe that Stede lied to me. We were going to escape. But he didn't show up when the time came."

"Ed, you..."

" I'm sorry, Lucius." Blackbeard said.

"owe me a huge apology" Lucius finished.

"Missing him hurts so much, boy. And..."

"Yeah, I know, I know, 'hurt people hurt people'" Lucius mocked. But the mockery left a bad taste in his mouth. Lucius lowered his eyes and said "I'm sorry. I'm the last person you have to explain your pain to. I was there with you. In the blanket fort."