Brother Dear (pt 2 of My Dear Captain)

Chapter 3

Alfred was in the Williams' library when we found him. He appeared to be talking to someone secretly, his voice hushed and urgent. I stopped Jonathan when we walked in, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation, but Jonathan was having none of it. He darted past me and ran up to Alfred, tugging excitedly at his shirt. "Alfred, Alfred! Come play Peter Pan with me and (y/n)!"
"Jonathan!" Alfred exclaimed, slightly startled at the sudden appearance of the small boy. "What are you playing?"
"Peter Pan! I'm already Peter, and (y/n) is Wendy."
"I'm sorry Jonathan, but I'm a bit caught up at the moment."
"Aw! Please Alfred?"
"Maybe Captain Nicholls will play with you!"
"I don't know, he won't be back from his studio until-" I began saying, but the person Alfred had been whispering to earlier came out of hiding and my jaw dropped.
"James what are you doing here?" I asked, surprised he had come back so soon!
"Alfred wanted to talk to me about a very urgent matter so I left work early! One of the many benefits of being self employed," he smiled.
"Oh," I said, "What was that urgent matter?"
"Nothing, we'll talk about it tonight! Now, about that game!"
Jonathan dragged us outside and handed us his props. James got a large, black pirate hat, a wooden hook, and a wooden sword. He looked at the items curiously and said, "Who am I playing again?"
"I'm playing Peter Pan, (y/n) is playing Wendy, and you're playing Captain Hook!"
"That's hardly fair!" James laughed, donning the large hat and holding the hook in his hand.
"James just play the game," I laughed. He rolled his eyes playfully and tucked the hand with the hook inside his sleeve, making it look like he really did have a hook for a hand! Jonathan cheered and we began. Whenever Jonathan needed to fly, I always picked him up and spun around, and he always shrieked with laughter. He had a little bell that he used as Tinkerbell, and he rang it every time he pretended to speak to her. Then came the part where James, or Captain Hook, kidnapped me! He wrapped one arm around my waist and pulled me away from Jonathan.

"Ha ha! She's mine now!" James cackled.

"Never!" Jonathan shouted, "I'll save you Wendy!" I laughed until my sides hurt and watched them fight from behind a bush. Occasionally I would cheer Jonathan on, and James would always look at me with a pretend wounded expression. The last time I did that, Jonathan took advantage of his distraction and pretended to stab James, and he fell dramatically to the ground. "Alas," he cried out dramatically, securing the wooden sword between his arm and his side, "I have been struck! Oh woe is me!"

Jonathan giggled and skipped up to me, pulling me gently out from behind the bush and pretending to run off with me. "See Wendy! I told you I'd save you!

"Yes you did indeed!"

We ran by James and just as I passed him, he latched onto my ankle and I fell forward. "Haha! But Captain Hook has not yet been vanquished!" he laughed, pulling my back to his and resting his chin on my shoulder to grin mischievously at Jonathan. Jonathan scowled but then grinned, and I could sense James' confusion at the change in expressions. He charged at us, and I stood up before he got to me and allowed James to deal with the small boy. Jonathan tackled him to the ground but James easily pinned him and let him go, but not after tickling him! Jonathan shrieked with laughter and begged James to stop, which he did, and I watched to whole turn of events with amusement.

"I think it's safe to say that Captain Hook won this round," James said, standing up next to me and breathing heavily as he rested one hand on my waist.

"Aw! But the good guys are always supposed to win!" Jonathan protested. James chuckled and, "Fine, we can say you won this time." Jonathan cheered and ran off to go find something else to entertain him.

"Well that was entertaining!" I said, turning to face my husband.

"Yes I'm sure it was!"

"You still want a child?"

"More than ever." I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that maybe he wouldn't become overwhelmed when I told him that I was, or could very likely be, pregnant. The thought thrilled me, but terrified me at the same time. Of course I was ecstatic that I might be having a child, and as much as James insisted that he wanted on, did he really? Was it just the thought he loved?

"My dear are you alright?" James said, cupping my cheek and examining my face with concern.

"Hm? Oh yes, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" You look pale!"

I was about to answer when a familiar feeling of nausea filled me. "Uhm, on second thought, I might not be. I need to get inside, now." We rushed inside and I held myself together until I got into the water closet. When I came back out, James looked at me with concern and asked what was wrong. "I'll tell you when we get home alright?"

"Then that should be soon," another voice interjected. Mistress Elizabeth stood behind James with a stern but caring look on her face. "(Y/n) I'm sending you home for the rest of the day."

"Madam, I'm fine! It was just another bout is all, nothing more."

"My dear you need to rest! Go home and relax. I'm sure James would be happy to care for you!" James nodded in agreement and I looked at them with exasperation.

"You two are overreacting-"

"No, (y/n), you're under-reacting! This has been going on for several days now," James said. My eyes flicked between the two of them, trying to figure out away to convince them that I was okay, but I knew there wasn't a chance of that happening, so I gave in and agreed to go home. James smiled with relief at me and joined my side, kissing me on the cheek.

"Thank you my love."

"You're welcome," I said begrudgingly.