Snippet #1320573

Willow watched, her pistol pointed at Elric, cocked and ready to fire. She had faith in her ability to shoot, in fact, she knew she wouldn't hit the marine, but if she shot, the whole crew would shoot, and then Elric would shoot, and there would be 60 shots in Elric, one in the marine, and we'd be no closer to Havana, and down two members. She thought the pirates must be having such a smooth sail. Sometimes she thought about joining a pirate crew, escaping the politics of Europe, saving her life. But what crew would take her? She'd killed someone or stolen something from a majority of those pirates out there, no, in all probability they'd probably rape her, beat her, and throw her to the sharks. That was fantasy talk.

She was interrupted in her thoughts by loud shouting.
"FOR THE CAPTAIN!"
"FOR KING AND COUNTRY!"
The crew was almost instantly aflame with cheers and shouts.

Elric spoke up after a moment. "This is clearly going nowhere. Your threats, though grandiosely said as they may be, will not work on me. You act as though shouting and snarling will make me cower, I find it to be rather repulsive. Can you get it through that thick skull of yours? I come abroad, offer help, get ordered to the cell, then you threaten capital punishment? This has gone directly opposite the way I thought it would. 'Hi, I'd like to help you bring my Fiance home'. 'To the gallows!' When you repeat it back it seems kind of foolish. It's kind of like two colliding ego's unwilling to compromise. Actually, it is exactly like that."
He chuckled and shook his head. Willow at first saw this as a confirmation if his unwillingness to back down, but soon realized there was more behind it.
"This is really quite pathetic." He muttered, likely to himself and to the Captain.

He stood still for a moment, thinking. At last he spoke up. Willow caught a glimpse of his eyes, the harsh red now softer, as he'd decided to back down.
"Mr. Hamilton, I find you to be arrogant, egotistical, stubborn, and somewhat of a snarling idiot. But, for her sake, its probably better you're that way. If it's still on the table, I will take the original offer. Keep me locked up and then leave me at the next port. I will find my way back to England just fine. If the offers not on the table, your man and I will die right here. Either way, I want you to promise me you'll bring her back. Not for a King that shuns her, and not for a country that abandons her, but for her."

Willow gulped in shock that he was the one to fold. She gulped again as he spoke the last part. Not for a King that shuns her, and not for a country that abandons her, but for her. She lowered her gun. He really loves her..she thought to her self. At last she realized this was where the captain made his decision. He'd said she was free to make suggestions, so why not? She leaned over to him, and whispered to him.
"Captain, I think pretty boy would be a lot easier on the eyes in chains than with bullets saturating his body. I think your man there might also be a bit more productive if he was alive. Maybe we should lock Elric up, and release him in Havana. I'd volunteer myself guard duty, if don't want anyone else to?" She looked back at Elric, his face waiting for a response from the Captain, and she wondered if he really was afraid to die.