Treasure: ℛℯ-𝒲𝓇𝒾𝓉𝓉ℯ𝓃 |Pirate!England X Reader|

𝚇𝚇

Name's POV

I've been back aboard the Siren for a few days now, and finally am able to get back into routine; though, things seem a lot different since Leon isn't around anymore.

The ship feels as empty as the crew's spirit is hollow.

No one speaks of his name— they're acting as though they are mourning a fallen comrade, lost to the grips of death.

Jack has brought him up a few times, though, asking about how he seemed to be settling in, and what his new home was like, but he would immediately shut down any questions I had about the night Leon left.

Between assisting Toby in the infirmary and helping Matthew with his maps, I've spent a lot of time by myself, lost in my own thoughts— I also haven't had anymore strange encounters with Kirkland since that time in his Quarters. I lean on the wall of the ship, the wind whipping my hair around my face before I tuck it behind my ear, gazing at the graying sky above the endless sea.

A storm must be blowing in.

"(Name)?" I turn to find Alfred looking up at me from the Quarter Deck.

"Yes?"

He averts his gaze, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Can you help me move some of these barrels into the ship?"

I chuckle, "Sure, Alfred." He nods curtly and begins making his way towards the barrels that need to be moved. As we begin moving the barrels under the deck, Alfred pauses and raises his head as we make our way back to grab another load. "What's wrong?"

"The sky," I watch from behind him as his head tilts. "It's unusually gray today."

"I was thinking the same thing." Being that I haven't experienced a storm aboard a ship before, his comment plants intense anxiety deep within me. "Should we be worried?"

He hesitates. "I'm not sure. Continue working here, I'm going to speak with Jack and Matthew." Just as he turns to head towards the Navigator Room, thunder booms in the sky in the distance, shaking the ship. "Shit," I hear him mumble under his breath, as he turns the corner.

As if only an instant, the sky darkens, releasing downpour like nothing I'd ever seen. The crew members begin barking orders at each other: "Batten the hatches!"

"Get ahold of the safety lines, men!"

My breathing quickens as the ship shakes again, violently, as waves crash aboard the deck. I hold onto a nearby pole to balance myself, attempting to drown out the screams of the men, holding to the safety lines for dear life. "Get the sails down, you wankers!" A gruff voice calls out amongst the roaring sea. I turn towards the stairway and see Kirkland emerging from below, followed closely by the core crew. They all rush towards the mast and begin untying the ropes.

Jack gets one tied down before he lifts his head, sharply turning his back to the crew and rushing towards the helm. "The anchor. We need to drop the anchor!"

"Wait! We don't have enough hands, we'll sink at this rate!" Toby shouts at him, to no avail.

My mind instantly flashes to Abel, who is sitting alone in a locked jail cell beneath the deck.

He'll die if he remains in that cell. He's a terrible swimmer, but he would at least have a chance.

I run down the stairs and into Kirkland's Quarters, and start rummaging through the drawers in his desk until I hear a pair of keys jingle. After I grab them, my feet run across the ship to the cell, praying that one of these keys are the right one. The closer I get, the louder Abel's pleads for help become. "Can anyone hear me?!" As soon as I come into sight, he audibly sighs in relief. "Oh, thank God, you're here, (Name). What's going on up there?!"