Tides of deception ✺ Outlander/Stephen Bonnet Fanfic

♤23. Preparations🕷

The gentle rock of the ship on the waves was no comfort to Maria as she stood on deck, her fingers tracing the edge of the pistol Stephen had handed her. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden light over the water, but the ominous feeling of what lay ahead weighed heavy on her chest. She had asked to come with him, demanded it even, but now, as Portobelo drew closer with every passing hour, the doubt crept in.

Stephen stood a few feet away, his arms crossed as he watched her handle the weapon. His eyes were sharp, scanning her movements with the intensity of a man who had been in countless battles. The pistol felt heavy in her hands, its cold metal foreign and dangerous.

"First lesson," Stephen's voice cut through her thoughts, "hold it like this." He stepped closer, adjusting her grip on the gun with his rough hands. His touch was firm but careful, his warmth a stark contrast to the chill of the weapon. "If you're going to shoot, you need to be steady. The slightest tremble can send a bullet wide."

Maria swallowed hard, her stomach tightening as the weight of what she had agreed to settled in. She had seen Stephens unhinged side, knew what kind of man he was, but this-this made her feel different. The thought of firing a gun herself, of being in the middle of a bloody raid, made her heart race with fear.

Stephen must have seen it in her face because he stepped back and tilted his head, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You're not sure anymore, are you?"

She looked away, shame creeping into her chest. "I... I don't know. It's just..." She trailed off, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's a lot."

Stephen's expression darkened, his tone hardening. "You can't have doubts now, Maria. We're nearly there. Doubt will get you killed."

She flinched at his words, biting her lip as she looked back at him. "I wasn't expecting it to feel like this."

"What did you think it would feel like?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous, the way it got when he was on edge. He stepped closer, the intensity in his gaze almost overwhelming. "You're walking into a fight. It's bloody, it's brutal, and you need to be ready for it."

Her throat felt dry, her grip tightening on the pistol. "I just didn't want to be left behind. I wanted to help."

"And you can help," Stephen said, his voice softening slightly. He reached out, tilting her chin up so her eyes met his. "But not if you freeze up the moment things get ugly."

She took a deep breath, nodding as she tried to shake the fear from her mind. "I won't. I won't freeze up."

Stephen held her gaze for a moment longer before stepping back again. "Good. Now, let's try again." He pointed toward a barrel set up on the deck, a makeshift target for practice. "Aim for that. Keep your arm steady, and breathe."

Maria raised the gun, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to focus. The weight of the pistol was more than just physical-it was a reminder of everything she had committed to by staying with Stephen. The freedom she thought she wanted, the adventure, now felt dangerously close to a fatal mistake.

Her finger hovered over the trigger, her pulse racing in her ears.

"Steady," Stephen said behind her, his voice a low growl of command. "Breathe. Don't let fear get into your head."

As Maria aimed at the barrel, her hands were unsteady, nerves getting the best of her. She took a deep breath, squeezed the trigger-and missed, the shot hitting the deck instead with a sharp crack that made a few crew members flinch.

Nearby, Declan* shook his head subtly, his expression tinged with quiet disapproval. He kept his gaze low, just out of Stephen's line of sight, but the flicker of disappointment in his eyes was clear enough to anyone watching closely. His mouth pressed into a thin line, and he glanced at Stephen, whose focus remained fixed on Maria, thankfully unaware of Declan's reaction.