Codette took several steadying breaths, then followed Fenris. She tried to stall him to give the couple as much time as she could. "So Fenris are you going ashore with everyone else?" She asked, walking just behind him. "I'm not a fan of busy ports myself. Too many people to be seen by." she muttered the last sentence. "Would Laiden be intrested in going ashore, I wonder. He'd probably just enjoy seeing all the different types of people I'd imagine." Codette knew she was rambling, and she knew that it was just going to irritate Fenris.

Biting her lower lip in order not to groan with how horrible this attempt at a distraction was going, she thought about how Scarlett had succeded in her attempt.
"Hey Fenris, could you give me some help with something? I- I need someone I can trust to take a second look at my maps. You know the Caribean fairly well, do you think you could help me with some coastlines or islands I might have missed?" Thats a horrible excuse Codette. Really? Maps?

Fenris shook his head. "I don't enjoy going ashore, nor do I feeling of being crowded." Codette began to ramble, then, and Fenris' anger visibly rose as he answered the questions of another crew member. By the time she mentioned Laiden, he'd narrowed his eyes. "Joseph doesn't go anywhere without me," he said bluntly, turning to face the redhead. "He doesn't like being alone, even in the city."
Little did he know that Laiden had gone . . . and he wasn't alone.

Fenris glanced back to Codette as she stuttered out her request. He lifted an eyebrow, pausing to lean against the railing beside him. "Your . . . maps?" He looked a bit annoyed, but in his eyes there was amusement. "I'm sure you've seen more of the world than I have, Codette." He glanced toward the shore. "You've seen more than enough of the island maps, so you should be able to notice if something's missing."
The dark-skinned man frowned, turning away from her. "If you truly wish for me to look at them, I . . . will."

In the moments when Fenris was looking toward Codette, Laiden and Scarlett had moved up onto the deck. The look in Joseph's blue eyes was meant for Codette, and he waved lightly before the two of them disappeared into the crowds about the docking area. Fenris had missed it, thank goodness.
-

Joseph nodded. It would be a great idea to keep their things packed and ready to leave. He watched as Scarlett opened the window, and was glad when the salty breeze tugged at their features. It was a reminder that the sea wasn't far away, and . . . a comfort. The room was small enough to be comfortable, and the window gave it the touch of freedom that made it all less strange.
Laiden had followed Scarlett to the window, and was looking out when she kissed him. "Together," he whispered, squeezing her hands gently. He smiled a bit, trying to push Fenris and the others out of mind. Focusing on Scarlett, Joseph smiled again and wrapped her in a tight embrace. "We made it." It was finally getting to him.
He didn't have to worry about Scarlett's life any longer. They could run from anyone coming to get the treasure - and they were together. Joseph had never been so happy to be with one person before.

"Is there anywhere you want to go?" he asked. It was a bigger picture: where in the world would they go to avoid Marquet and his crew? "Anywhere?"

Scarlett thought for a moment. "Yes, We did. And now we'll have each other for as long as you want me." She said softly, pressing another kiss to his lips as he embraced her. At his words her emerald eyes brightened. "Anywhere? Hmm. Well were already at the very beautiful Barbados.. So maybe Dominica? Or..Aruba? Or Grenada?" She asked, trailing off. "Where do you want to go?" She asked, questioningly. "I'm unsure. I'd love to go back to Tortuga but that's the first place they'll look. So how about you pick the place to make our home?" She asked, pressing a kiss on the side of his jaw.

The smell of the salty sea air in their room reminded Scarlett of home, and she instantly felt happier, and seemed to have a glow to her. "I still can't believe were free! I won't be killed now!" She said excitedly, jumping and hugging Laiden. "And it's all because of you!" She said, flashing her pearly whites in a smile.

Codette's nervousness subsided as Fenris agreed. She noticed the Laden and Scarlett and looked away gracefully. Her attention on Fenris. "It is entirely possible I missed something. No one is perfect. " she bit her lower lip at the thought recalling her mother yelling at her for not being perfect. She blinked a few times to refocus on the present. "Would you care to see them now, or is there something you need to do?" Codette knew with the crew ashore and Marquet in his room, that no one would be below deck.

"You'll live," Joseph breathed, sounding more than relieved. As the woman got more excited, so did he. His blue eyes lit up with joy, and he scooped her up in a hug that let them twirl about the room. "We can go to all those places. We can go anywhere." He didn't have anywhere he'd rather be than with Scarlett. It had been the same way while he'd been with Fenris: it wasn't where he was, but who he was with.
The teen had a feeling he would really love being with this woman for the rest of their days. This new life was worth dying for.
-

Fenris snorted lightly, turning to look at the docks once more. After a few moments, he nodded. "Now is fine." He had nothing else to do, anyway. And he planned on staying on the ship, so why not spend some time with Codette? Fenris stepped toward the lower deck with a frown. "I suppose there's no one else I'd rather do this for," he grumbled under his breath, not intending to be heard.
The dark-skinned male looked back to Codette questioningly the moment they arrived. "Which ones will we be looking at?"

Codette smiled happily and bounced as she walked down the steps below deck. he walked to her chest and pulled out her parchments, ink and quill. Setting up on her make-shift table, she stuck the quill behind her ear. "I need you to look at This area of the Dominica and then this map of Grenada." She pulled the two maps out of the pile. Then she sorted out two blank pieces of parchment incase of errors. "I know I have the basic shore shape, but details are unclear. Also any rocks or islands in the vacinity of shore are missing." She handed Fenris the maps, then started to untie her underbust corset. She prefered to be comfortable when working on maps. Although her thin shirt remained tight against her skin. "Do you know much about those areas? Or even the harbour of Port-au-Prince?" Codette was starting to loose herself again. Her focus nearly completly on the sketches infront of her. She dipped the quill into the ink, and was about to write something, but decided against it, tucking the quill into her ponytail, turning several curls black, just as they had previously faded to a barely noticable light grey from the last time she was mapping.

Accepting the map from Codette, Fenris scanned over it slowly. His gray eyes followed the coast line as he pried into his memory, searching for anything that didn't match up. He didn't notice he'd stopped looking at the map when Codette loosened her corset. Fenris frowned at himself, forcing his gaze back to the parchment in his hands. For once it was actually difficult to concentrate.
It was many minutes later when Fenris found something. "There is a series of small islands here," he cleared his throat before speaking, and then smoothed the map over the "table" so Codette could see what he was talking about. The islands were rarely visited, thus easy to overlook. They were hidden from view from the shore, and they were so small that they were hard to see from a distance. They weren't visited because they were full of feral tribes of natives and cannibals. It wasn't exactly the most luxurious island chain to visit.

Fenris' eyes flickered to Codette's face. She had the look of a woman completely consumed by her thoughts and work. It suited her - as did the blackened quill tucked into her hair. Somehow it made those auburn curls seem all the brighter in the dim light from the porthole.
"You are very thorough," Fenris said, referring to the maps. The detail Codette managed to incorporate was incredible. Once more he pointed out an area, mentioning the reef that many people had stumbled upon when the tide was low.

Somehow his thoughts moved back to Codette instead of the map. He really wasn't the type to sit around and fantasize about women - he never really had. Still, it was hard not to notice how the light brought her hair to a fiery hue, and how whenever she moved the stray curls framed her face perfectly. His thoughts lingered on more than just her hair, and once more Fenris found himself forcing his eyes back to the map before him.

"oh!" Codette gave a little sound of wonder. She leaned over to see where he was pointing. Dipping the quill in the ink pot, she tapped off the excess, and began to draw the islands where Fenris pointed. "Like this?" she asked, softly. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the attention the male paid her. Inwardly she smiled, pleased with herself. 'I could never be as bold as Scarlett, but sublty is severly underrated.'

She just hoped that he wouldn't blame her too much when he realized Laiden was missing with Scarlett.

When Fenris spoke again, it surprised her as she looked up. "oh, uh thank you. I need to be detailed, seeing as it's the only thing on board I'm any good at. Even if the Captain doesn't require or want my maps." Codette shrugged.

She gently laid down lines and curls represent the reef. "You know the area quite well don't you?"

"Just like that." Fenris watched Codette trace in the islands, and then the reef. Her conversational question made him smile mentally. Sure, he knew quite a bit about the surrounding areas.
It took a few moments to draw in the necessary spots, and Fenris was content with watching Codette as she focused on it completely. He really did think she looked nice with the expression on her face. It was when the redhead spoke that he blinked himself back into reality.

"I spend most of my time at sea," Fenris said with a shrug. He hated cities, and he hated being completely alone. It was one of the many dilemmas of his life. He solved it by becoming part of a crew, and avoiding large dwellings full of people. "I've seen and heard many tales of this part of the ocean."

His gray eyes lingered on a small peninsula. Fenris couldn't recall anything about that part of land other than its beaches - and those he'd heard about from other men. Still . . . something about it called to him.
"I don't remember this island. Have you ever seen it?" A genuine frown of concentration was on his dark features as he looked over the area. He couldn't recall ever seeing the island in person, though plenty of times on a map. Why was it suddenly drawing his attention now?

When Laiden got excited Scarlett beamed, blushing as he twirled her around the room. "And it'll be amazing because I have you with me." She whispered, kissing him gently on the lips. She then felt her stomach grumble and blushed. "Wanna get some food from the tavern?" She asked, getting down from him swooping her up and then taking his hand. "I could use some rum." She said, flashing her pearly whites. "Have you ever drank before?"

Laiden smiled as he heard his friend's stomach growl. "Some food sounds good," he agreed, laughing. His features remained bright as he shook his head. "No, I've never drank. The stuff smells strange." Wrinkling his nose, he gave Scarlett's hand a squeeze. "I wasn't old enough before I met Fenris. After that, we just avoided taverns because he doesn't like people."
Just before they reached the door, Joseph paused. Leaning over, he gave her a long, soft kiss. "I'm glad we're together." With that, he opened the door and gently pulled her out with him. They headed downstairs toward the tavern area with the smell of food and drink calling out to them like nothing else.

Scarlett nodded slightly, smiling. "Well even though it smells horrible, it makes you feel wonderful." She smirked. "If you don't want to try it i'll let you have a drink of mine." She said, following him downstairs. She led him over to one of the wooden round tables and sat down in the rickety old chair. When a waitress walked over in a torn, stained dress and asked them what they wanted Scarlett cleared her throat. "Hm, how about a bowl of bean soup?" She asked, glancing at the wall where the specials were written. "And a bottle of rum, please." She said, leaning back in her chair and looking over at Joseph while the blonde waited to take their order.

"We'll have two of the soup," Laiden said, offering up some of the money he'd taken from Fenris. He was determined to try the rum, though wasn't sure if he would order one of his own quite yet. As the waitress moved off, Joseph glanced about the tavern. He'd only been inside of one once before, and that was with his parents when he was younger. It'd been a strange experience.
"Where should we go first?" Joseph asked, leaning forward against the table. His elbows rested on the smooth surface easily, and his blue eyes were bright with excitement.

"You pick since I picked the places." She said, leaning her elbows on the table too. Hopefully things would be like this forever. Her, Laiden, and freedom. She reached over and took Laiden's hand, squeezing it gently. "Thank you for helping me Joseph." She said softly, running her thumb over his hand softly. "But if I get caught don't come after me..Just make sure you don't get killed okay?" She said, frowning. "I don't want you to get hurt." She said, looking at how most of the men in the Tavern were eying her like she was a piece of gold. The dark haired woman sighed and looked back to Joseph. She knew they were all jealous of him. She smiled a little and leaned over, kissing the side of his face.

Joseph smiled. "Alright," he said, looking thoughtful. Where should their journey start? "Grenada," he said after a moment, his smile growing. As Scarlett took his hand, Laiden reached out and placed his free fingers over hers. "I will never stop loving you," he breathed, unaware of everyone's gazes.
Shen she leaned over and kissed the side of his face, Joseph laughed quietly. He'd never felt such devotion or care from anyone, and it was nice to see it from Scarlett. Laiden returned the action, kissing her cheek lightly. He didn't respond to her words about saving her. He knew that if she were to be captured, he couldn't keep his promise. Joseph had promised to stay safe if only Scarlett got better. Now that she'd recovered, he wasn't about to let her go. Even if that meant breaking his promise, he wouldn't watch her fall into the hands of Marquet . . . or even Fenris.

Their food was set before them a few moments later, and Joseph muttered his thanks before taking Scarlett's hand in a proper hand-holding fashion. "To our freedom," he said, lifting his spoon.
It was the best tasting food he'd ever had. Perhaps that was because he was sharing it with good company and a new-found sense of freedom. Still . . . he let the taste linger in his mouth. After a few bites, he watched Scarlett take a sip of her rum.
Questioningly reaching toward it, Joseph held Scarlett's gaze with a slight smile. He pulled the mug toward him, slowly sipping it. It tasted just as it smelled: odd. Still, it was a bit sweeter than he'd been expecting. When he set the cup down, he tilted his head a bit. It wasn't so bad. "Better than I thought," he admitted, smiling as he took another bite of his food.

Scarlett blushed. "And I will never stop loving you either." She said, turning a brighter shade of red then she already had been. When he raised his spoon she raised her mug. "To Freedom". She agreed, clinking the two together. She started to eat her food, surprised by how amazingly good it was. "Mmm. I haven't had food this good in years!" She said, smiling. "Just wait, when we get our own home i'll be sure to cook you dinner every night." She said, taking a drink of her rum as she thought of the future.

When Joseph took her mug and took a sip she smirked. "Like it?" She asked, and was happy with his reply. "It gets better the more you drink it." She grinned. At his words of where to go she smiled. "Sure, Grenada sounds wonderful. I heard they had very awesome beaches." She said, taking another spoonful of soup.

"Every night?" Laiden raised an eyebrow playfully. "That sounds like a job that isn't so fun." He tossed dark hair from his eyes before taking another bite of food. At Scarlett's comment about the drink getting better with every drink, he smiled a bit. "So I hear."
He caught the attention of the waitress and ordered one of his own - he didn't want to drink all of Scarlett's, after all. "Beaches, adventures, freedom. I don't think it could be better." He smiled at Scarlett before finishing off his soup. Apparently he'd been pretty hungry. Honestly, he hadn't had food that good since he'd been with his parents a few years prior.

"We should stay away from the ports until Marquet leaves," Laiden said quietly, his blue eyes filling with disappointment. "I don't want Fenris coming after you."
As another mug of rum was set beside him, the teen thanked the waitress and took a drink. The golden liquid made him smile a bit. His first drink was shared with the woman he loved. Perfect.

Scarlett nodded. "Of course. I don't want him coming after me either.." She smiled, then nodded at his words. "Yes, Every night." She said, grinning. "And if you put a ring on my finger someday i'll be sure to do more than cook." She teased. She soon finished her soup and watched as the waitress carried her empty bowl away. "That was so good.." Scarlett said, closing her eyes and remembering how amazing it had tasted.

She fluttered her eyes open and watched as he ordered his drink. "Good for you, your walking on the wild side." She winked. "I promise you'll really like it." She said, leaning back in her chair and yawning a little. She then took another drink of her rum and looked over at him.

"Wild side?" Joseph laughed, looking sheepish. "I don't know about that. Getting a drink and running from people who are after my girl . . . I guess you're right. It's a bit wild." He was still blushing from her comment about marriage. Honestly, he'd thought about it. He'd also tried to convince himself that he'd only known Scarlett for a couple weeks. Still . . . it was a tempting thought. Once he could afford it, Laiden figured it would be a good idea.

Seeing Scarlett's wink, the youth brightened again. That playful look in her eyes made Joseph smile. "I'm liking it so far," he said, lifting the mug as though to toast her before taking another drink. It felt good - it warmed him. It felt like it was chasing away the chill of the ocean. Fenris might have enjoyed spending his time on the sea, but Laiden could only remember getting sick every time he got on a boat. It was good to know that Codette offered him relief from the feeling during their trip to Barbados.

Meeting Scarlett's gaze as she looked at him, Laiden felt heat rise to his features. Her green eyes were piercing - they were full of so many different emotions. He loved looking into her eyes more than anything else. Setting his mug down (it was already almost halfway finished), Joseph reached out to lift a dark curl away from her eyelashes. "Every time you smile, your eyes light up." He smiled a bit, watching as she darkened with a blush. "I like it."

She blushed even darker when he said the comment about her eyes. "And I like you." she giggled, leaning forward and giving him a quick, but love filled kiss. Her long dark eyelashes fluttered a little and she quickly downed her mug. "Mmm.." She said, closing her eyes to enjoy the last sip. They then fluttered open and she looked over at Joseph. "Your girl?" She asked, giving a small laugh. "Then I guess I can call you my man?" She said, running her hand aimlessly through her long, dark curls. She stood up and took his hands.

"Then my handsome man, would you like to accompany me upstairs?" She asked, fluttering her long eyelashes. She was ready to be able to curl up with Joseph and actually spend the night in his arms, without being chained up and forced away from him. "Tonight you actually get to cuddle with me." She said excitedly, planting another kiss on his lips.

By the time Scarlett finished her drink, Laiden had finished his. "You can call me whatever you want," he said, looking playful. He loved her playful kisses here and there, and enjoyed watching her every movement. As the last bit of his rum disappeared, Joseph found himself admiring Scarlett even more. She was right about one thing: the drink tasted better after many sips.
"I would love to," Joseph said, bowing slightly with a laugh. Taking her hands readily, the youth met her kiss with a grin. By the time she mentioned cuddling, he'd laughed. "Maybe I can." He was the one pulling her back, embracing her before slipping a bold arm about Scarlett's shoulders. "I'm thinking it's a good idea." A playful kiss was placed on Scarlett's cheek, and then the side of her throat.
That was when he noticed the eyes of someone else lingering on Scarlett. With a possessive grin, he chuckled . . . and kissed her after snagging her chin. "I'll enjoy anything as long as it's with you, Scar." His more outgoing demeanor must have had something to do with the amount of alcohol he'd consumed.

Since Scarlett hadn't drank in awhile, she was acting a bit like Laiden. Though she was more giggly compared to his now drunk manly ways. When he put an arm around her she led him upstairs and down a long hallway to their small, but cozy room. It was the last in the hallway. She took the skeleton key out of Josephs pocket and then unlocked the wooden, slightly cracked door and led him inside, locking the door behind him and sitting the key on the bedside table.

With a sly smile she replied, "Well I hope you do everything enjoyable with me." She said, planting another kiss on his lips as she gently sat him on the bed. "Do you care what I sleep in?" She asked, untying her underbust corset so that she was just wearing a long sleeved grey shirt that Fenris had given her. The top few buttons of the button up shirt were undone, so it still looked like a dress on her. She then untied her boots and sat them by the bed, and then sat her underbust corest on the desk across from the bed.

Now that she was done changing she turned towards him and walked over, kissing him gently on the lips and running her slender hand through his dark hair. "Call you anything I want?" She said, grinning. "What if I wanted to call you something really stupid sounding? I think i'll just stick to Hott stuff. Or Joseph." She smirked.

((*BURSTS INTO LAUGHTER* ". . . so she as just wearing a long sleeved gray . . .!?!?!?!" HAHAHHAHAh, I love your spelling mistake in that sentence. :rofl: You should take a look at that. *purrs and bursts into more giggles* That made my day! :3))

As they made their way to the room, Laiden responded to Scarlett's sly smile with one of his own. "I hope so, too." HOnestly, every moment with Scarlett was enjoyable, even if she wasn't paying attention to him (which she almost always was).
Scarlett's question made him laugh. "I don't care what you sleep in," he said offering a wink to the woman. He met her kiss with one of his own, watching as she went about taking off her boots and other random articles of clothing.
Joseph himself would probably sleep how he always did. At that point, he wasn't really thinking about it.
He was still sitting starstruck when Scarlett moved closer and met his lips, bringing him back to life. As she ran a hand through his hair, Joseph nearly purred (or he would have, had he been able to). "If you called me something stupid, I would just laugh with you every time you said it."
His crooked smile grew, and when Scarlett smirked, Laiden laughed. "Just Joseph is good." He gave her sleeve a light tug that left part of her neck and shoulder exposed. He took the opportunity to leave a kiss there on her collarbone, and then leaned back and sighed. "I always wondered why Marquet liked rum so much. Now I know." It made everything feel lighter, more exciting. Everything could be seen through a different shade of glass.

((BAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA! I didn't even notice that! XDDDD))

Scarlett shivered at the kiss placed on her collarbone and then collapsed on the bed, looking up at Joseph. She took his hands and laced them with hers. "Thank you for coming with me.." She whispered, then nodded at what he said about Marquet. "Yes! That's exactly why he drinks it." She said, smirking. She yawned slightly, her emerald eyes looking up at him with dreamy eyes. "I'm so lucky to have found you. Despite the circumstances." She said, her red lips turning into a smile. "And yes, Just Joseph is good." She said, closing her eyes for a few moments. Then opening them. "Cuddle with me." She said, making her lips form into a pout. "Pwease?" She asked, flashing her pearly whites. "I want you to warm me up."

"There's nowhere I'd rather be," Laiden said, watching as the woman fell against the bed. When she took his hands, he felt warm shivers race down his spine. The dreamy look in her eyes was captivating. "I'd say the circumstances made it better for both of us," he said quietly, watching as Scarlett closed her eyes. Her plea made the teen laugh. "There's a please in there?"
He leaned over her to press a kiss to her lips, falling beside her after he pulled away. Joseph rolled onto his side, watching Scarlett for a few moments before wrapping his arms about her and pulling her against him. It felt nice to have her warmth so close to him - and knowing that Fenris or some other crew member wouldn't walk in on them. "You don't have to ask, Scar." He felt elated that this woman was there with him - and it was easily seen in his eyes.