The Fallen Stars

Chapter 24 Ainsley.

"You sure you're okay?" I ask.
She sighs.
"Yes, Ainsley... I'm fine. I just want to learn a little about my mother. She was a pirate's daughter... I want to feel the ocean." She answers.

How?.... Damião must have told her.

"So... you know everything then?" I ask carefully.

She adjusts her broken leg a little. She's sitting on her bed... Damião's booknook... we're on his ship... on the waters. I asked Damião if I could just speak to Esme, and reluctantly, he agreed. She's wearing a long dark green dress with a brown corset... her feet bare. Her hair is in a loose braid flowing over her shoulder.

"Well, just of my mother... only that she and Damião's mother were best friends. And that she's from here." She explians.

I stay quiet, I look down at my shoes.

I can hear her take a breath.

"Can I ask you something?" She asks, unsure.
I look up at her, her face calm.
"Anything." I answer.

"Why did you take me in if you knew my blood was pirate?"

I frown at her question... of course, I made it clear that I hate pirates... and if I knew she had pirate blood in her, why would I take her in? If only she knew that I also had pirate in my blood the same blood as hers. I should tell her I should've told her the second we met.

"You and I... we are quite similar." I whisper.
"What do you mean?" She asks, confused.
"I'm... you and me.... we share the same... blood." I say out of breath.
"What?" Was a whisper of desperation.
"I'm your brother, Esme." I state, closing my eyes.

She stays quiet.

I open up my eyes, her face shocked, but her eyes are getting teary.

"My brother?" She whispers.
I nod.
"Why, didn't...." she didn't finish.
"I know I should've told you from the start... I just didn't think it was the right time." I explained.

"It's been a month, Ainsley.... there wasn't one moment you couldn't have told me?" She cries, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry!" I cough... tears are starting to come.

"We got separated when you were five... mum and dad were murdered. For a year, we lived at one of mom's friends. But she died soon after. But I never ever forgot about you! I was always looking for a way to escape and find you. Until Mer y Tierra was calling me. But after I arrived here, I started planning on how I could find you... it took a long time. And I'm so sorry that I kept you waiting. I hope you can forgive me Es." I fall to my knees a few feet away from her. The tears finally fell.

The silence is all the noise in the room, and the distant voices of the crew outside... and the gentle rock of the ocean against the ship.

I look down at my hands, which is resting on my lap. I close my eyes.
I hear Esme getting up. She's hopping her way on one foot. She makes small groans.
And then she stops.
I open up my eyes... she's sitting in front of me.
Smiling sweetly with tear stained cheeks... and red swollen eyes, making her blue eyes stand out.

"So you're the boy from my dreams? The one who always called me Essie?" She whispers.
I look up at her, confused.

She remembers... the best day of our childhood together.
I had this burgerking paper crown on my head... and a red towel as a cape, around my neck. Mom was washing the bedding, so it was a great hide and seek, or tag play area. Essie was wearing this plastic crown that had a big pink heart... and a matching plastic wand.
I was saving Essie from this 'dragon', which was a dragon teddy of mine.
I told her this:
"Essie follow me. I know where we can be free."

I smile to myself.

"I know where we can be free." I whisper.

We both look at each other, and she starts to cry, laugh... and I grab her tightly into a hug. I cry into her shoulder.

"I'm here, Essie... I'll never ever leave you again!" I say, my voice muffled by the hug.
"You better not, you idiot!" She says, chuckling.
I pull away just a bit to look at her.
"Oh my... we just got together again... and immediately you call me names." I tease.
She playfully rolls her eyes.
"You're my brother... I can call you whatever I want." She smiles mischievously.

I smile at the word brother... I feel so much better... having that off my chest, I feel free!

"But wait." She says, turning serious again.
I look at her, waiting.
"Who's our father?" She asks, searching my eyes.
"Jack Pan... grandson of Peter Pan." I answer.
She breathes in.
"So we have Captain Hook's and Peter Pan's blood in our vains?" She asks, her eyes wide.
I nod.

"Wow." She whispers under her breath.

And then the door opens. And the captain is standing there in midstep... dumbfoundedly. But then he clears his throat.
"Well, this is a sight to be seen... Ainsley Pan crying." He states nonchalantly.

I clench my jaw.

"Damião... don't, just don't." Esme warns.
"Alright, love, I was just kidding." He says.
She rolls her eyes for the name love.

Who the hell does he think he is?

"You know I can always take you back." I whisper, so only she can hear.
She shakes her head.
"The doctor here will have my head if I leave... she won't have my leg heal into a weird lookin coral or something." She says, softly chuckling.

"What kind of doctor is that?" I ask, confused.
"The pirate kind." Damião states.
I roll my eyes.
"Alright, you two... can you please act like gentlemen and not like toddlers." Esme orders.
"I think you're only talking about him, love... I'm always a gentleman." He says, chuckling.
"You're a pirate! You're far from being a gentleman!" I exclaim.

"Well, not to a person who's at the other side of my blade... which you are very close to becoming." He growels.

"Oh, is that so? Your face looks like it needs a black eye.... or a broken nose." I sneer as I stand up to face him.

"HEY! Danmit! You two are freakin toddlers!" Esme yells at both of us.
She's still sitting on the ground.
"Damião, can you please not slit my brother's throat." She says as she's getting up.
"Ha! I doubt that he would be able to do that." I chuckle.
He glares at me.
"I can always make a demonstration, if you'd like." He sneers.
"AND AINSLEY! Cut the crappy remarks!" She orders.
I turn to look back at her.
"What? What crappy remarks? I'll have you know my remarks are fantastic, actually... I have the best remarks in the entire Mer y Tierra!" I state.

"Oh bloody hell... you're the only person who thinks that Pan... there is nobody else." Damião says snarkly.
I turn to face him again.
"I will kill you." I whisper through gritted teeth.
"I'd like to see you try." He remarks back.
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Esme exclaims.
We both look at her.
"Look Damião please don't kill my brother. Ainsley, please don't kill my friend." She looks at him, then me, with desperation in her eyes.
"Friend?" I retort.
"So he finally told you." Damião says at the same time.
She frowns at Damião.
"Wait... you knew?" She asks him.
"It was not my story to tell." He answers gently.

And I watch him... the way he looks at her, the way he's acting, the way he's speaking to her... he's different than a month ago.

Ha! Somehow, my little sister got it right to change a pirate!

But I look at him again then at Esme...
The way they are talking with their eyes tells me something else than just friends.

They are falling in love. And they don't even know it.