Drakeness from small Beginnings

Chapter 18: Night

–-----------------------Jo's point of view------------------------------

I went after him.

"Dad, wait."

He turned around. I hugged him.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For looking after Elena. I am really worried about her. I feel so bad for not telling her, but Nathan is right, isn't he? I mean it is safer for her not to know."

We pulled away.

"Yes, it is, but you had to tell her at some point. It had to be and issue some time or other."

We hugged again.

"Just ... bring me back something shiny, won't you?"

"Yeah, dad, sure. Be careful out there."

"Of course, Jo. But you be careful, too."

"As always."

After he left I went back inside the apartment and joined Nate, who was looking for something in our notes and maps.

"I am so sorry, Jo."

"For what?"

"For dragging you into this mess."

"You did not do that. I could have said no, but I didn't. It was the other way round. You were the one doubting and I said, it was the only way. This is my fault."

"No, it's not. We both created this.", he sighed.

"She will understand. Sometime she will understand."

"I hope so."

He looked trough some papers on the desk.

"Don't you think it would be better to sleep a little? I mean it's already late and tomorrow will be exhausting.", I suggested. He nodded and looked over to the bed. It was one of those for two people, like a married couple.

"I guess, one of us has to sleep on the couch."

"Not me!", I shouted and jumped on the bed.

"Oh, you wish." Nathan followed me and tried to push me off the bed. I quickly grabbed a pillow and threw it in his direction. It hit the target, but unfortunately he took it and threw it back. I caught it right before it could hit my face.

"What are we doing?", I laughed and laid down on the bed.

"I don't know.", he smiled and laid down next to me. "I can sleep on the couch, if you want to."

"Nah, that's not necessary. We can share, just like we did, when we were children."

"Ah, good old times ... "

"I'm going to bathroom.", I excused myself and went off. The bathroom was very tiny, but it had a shower, so I could wash myself. It didn't take long to shower, brush my teeth and change into some comfortable clothes. I came back to our room and laid down on one side of the bed. After just a few minutes I was fully asleep.

–-------------------------Nathan's point of view----------------------

After about ten minutes, I came back from the bathroom and entered our room. It was dark, so I supposed, that Jo was already sleeping. I tried my best to be silent and not to wake her and laid down on the other side of the bed.

Her eyes were closed, her breathing calm. She looked so beautiful, so happy. I lightly stroke her cheek.

If only you knew ...

I put a strain of her hair behind her ear.

Tomorrow we will find the treasure and save Sam and then everything will be okay. That is the moment, I will tell you, how I feel about you, the moment I will say: I love you, Jo.

I removed my hand and closed my eyes.

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"Nathan! Jo! Wake up! It's already seven am!"

"Sshh.. I hid my head under my pillow and tried to blend Sam out. He pulled away the pillow and shook my shoulders.

"We need to go or it will be too late."

"I'm awake, I'm awake." I sat up. "Jo?"

I looked over to her, but she was still sleeping.

How can anyone sleep so well, when Sam screams so loud?

"Jo?" I gently pushed against her shoulder. "Wake up, sleeping beauty."

She didn't move.

"I know you heard me. Get up, lazy turtle."

Jo desperately tried not to laugh, but failed amazingly.

"Lazy turtle? Where did you get that from?"

"What? It should make you laugh and it did.", I smiled at her. She rubbed her eyes and tried to straighten her hair. It still looked, like she went through a hurricane. I really loved that about her, but she kept complaining.

"Ugh, don't look at my hair. It's really dishevelled." She laid down again.

"No, don't lay down, you need to get up." I poked her shoulder.

"Sometimes, I think, that we're still five years old.", she laughed.

"What do you mean sometimes?"

"You now what, I am a grown-up and I will get up now." She didn't move.

"Now?"

"Yeah, now, just five more minutes."

"Not five more minutes!" Sam came back. "Get up now!"

–---------------------Jo's point of view----------------------------------

Nathan stood up. I followed him and after fifteen minutes, the three of us were ready to go. We rent a boat in the harbour and drove towards the island, where we expected to find Libertalia.

Sam was the first to drive and Nathan and I were sitting in the back. We had already driven for some time, when Sam told us, that there was an island. We got up and went to him.

"Jo, take the wheel for a second."

I did as Sam asked me to do and he walked away.

"You know, all this running around, surviving by the skin of our teeth, I don't think we've actually taken a moment to step back and appreciate just how far we've come.", Sam started and grabbed three bottles of beer out of a box and opened them. He handed each of us one.

"Sic parvis magna."

"Sic parvis magna."

"Uugh, actually I don't drink.", I said shyly.

"Oh, come on. That really destroyed the moment.", Sam complained, but took my bottle.

"By the way, it's still before noon and I am driving, so ..."

"Yeah, yeah, Jo Sullivan, our pedantic conscience.", Sam said.

"Well, someone has to be. And besides, without me you two would be dead already."

The two brothers laughed.

"That may be right.", Nathan said.