Marabelle smiled at her son and how Josephine was trying to comfort him. There was definitely something that was going unsaid between them, but now was definitely not the time to bring it up. Leaning into her husband, she sighed and closed her eyes. "Since the Doc is in with her now, I suggest we all try to get a little rest while we can." She said just loud enough for all of them to hear. Elijah nodded silently, giving Josephine's hand a squeeze before moving to stand.

It wasn't a moment after the calm overtook the front room when a scream erupted from the back room. Alice, who hadn't seen the ship's doctor in nearly eight years, had woken up to him inspecting her wounds. "No, no, no..." She repeated over and over again, pushing herself off the edge of the bed, trying to get away from him. Scooting across the floor, she ended up pushed into the corner, unable to stand. Staring wide-eyed up at the man who had been leaning over her, she looked like a cornered animal, unable to escape and debating what it would take to fight her way out of the situation. Sound and movement from another area of the room drew her attention and she locked eyes with Jack. In an instant she froze, her heaving chest was the only thing moving on her body.

Jack watched as the doctor inspected her wounds. "How is it looking, James?" He asked. The doctor frowned, about to answer when Alice suddenly awoke screaming. James jumped backwards, startled as she retreated to the corner like an animal. Jack and the doctor exchange a look before Jack started to approach her slowly, "It's alright, Alice." He said softly. "You're alright."

At that moment, Sebastian had burst into the room, along with his wife. He looked from James to Alice to Jack. "What the hell happened?!"

Slowly, her animal like panic ebbed away and recognition of those around her finally seeped into her mind. After studying the faces of everyone in the room, her eyes returned to Jack's, staring up at him, making sense of the emotion that was playing out on his face. Marabelle made her way up beside her and placed a hand on her forehead, not receiving any more than a slight flinch of her eyes to acknowledge her presence. "She's practically on fire, she's probably becoming delirious." Wrapping an arm under her daughter's, she looked towards Jack. "Let me get your help getting her back in bed. We will need to take shifts monitoring her condition and trying to keep her cool... Doc, do you have anything we can give her to possibly bring the fever down?"

Jack nodded and went to help Marabelle. "Here, let me just carry her." He said, gently taking her into his arms and carrying her to the bed, gently placing her down. The doctor nodded and went to his bag, pulling out a small vial. "This should help with her fever and any pain that she may have. Have her take it every four hours." He said, handing it to Marabelle. "As for her wounds, just keep them clean. They have already been dressed very well."

Jack sat beside her on the bed, holding her hand. "I'll take the first shift." He said, not looking away from her. Josephine watched Jack tenderly brush some hair out of Alice's eyes and felt a tight knot form in her stomach. She turned away and left the room quietly.

Moving out of the way, Marabelle watched as Jack effortlessly picked Alice up and got her back into bed. Taking the vial from the doctor, she nodded, understanding his instruction. "Thank you very much, Doc. If we need anything further, we'll come get you." She said, handing the bottle to Jack once the initial dose was administered before turning and escorting the doctor back out to the door. Elijah watched Jack's actions before turning and following Josephine out of the room. He remained quiet as he walked behind her, making sure she wasn't going to go out wandering alone again tonight. "Are you okay?"

---

Alice struggled to remain awake once she was firmly back in bed, wanting to make sure that she was safe and not back in that jail cell. "Sor-- Fo-..." She barely whispered while working on peeling her eyes open to look at the person holding her hand. Nothing hurt anymore, allowing her mind to finally function as close to properly as her body temperature would allow. Focusing only for a few moment's on Jack, she tried to say something else, but the sound was lost in her feverish haze. Instead she just gazed up at him a moment longer before relaxing back and letting her eyes slip closed.

Sebastian followed his wife, thanking James for helping, even if he did scare Alice. Jack didn't notice when anyone left, staying by Alice's side diligently and holding her hand He shushed her gently when it seemed like she wanted to say something. "It's alright now. You're safe with us. Just rest." He pressed his lips to her forehead. He watched her as she slept, running his thumb over her hand lightly. All his conflicting feelings about Alice and their relationship went out the window as soon as he saw her broken in Sebastian's arms. But now that she was safe and recovering, the warring feelings came creeping back. He shook his head and tried to push it out of his mind once again. He would deal with it later.

---

Josephine looked up when Elijah spoke. She shrugged and looked down, going outside to sit at the back steps. "Is it wrong of me to feel jealous?" She asked quietly, looking out at the small herb garden and woods beyond that. "Am I overreacting? Jack always claimed to see her as a little sister so it's natural to be that attentive over someone you think is family, right?" She bit her bottom lip with uncertainty. "And besides, we aren't even together anymore." She looked down at the faint tan line on her ring finger where her engagement ring had been.

Marabelle lingered by the front door after the doctor left, her fingers toying with her wedding ring. “He doesn’t have high hopes for her but doesn’t want to say anything, it’s written all over his face.” Grimacing, she stared up at her husband. “What the hell did they do to her?” Giving her head a small shake, she closed her eyes briefly, trying to push back the guilt she felt. All of this happened because of decisions she made. Tugging her hair over one shoulder, she toyed with the curls as she thought things through.

---

"I don't think so..." Elijah said softly, taking a seat next to Josephine, watching her as she stared off into the distant wood line. She was going through a lot of internal turmoil and it tore at him to see it so plainly on her face. “My sister has always followed Jack around like a puppy. That kind of relationship never really goes away.” Propping his chin on an upturned palm, he sighed, the drain of the day’s excitement finally taking its toll. “Only time will tell at this point.” Glancing back to the woman at his side, Elijah found himself staring at her. “For everything that’s going on right now.” Looping an arm around Josephine’s shoulders, he tugged her to him, giving her a half hug.

Sebastian pulled his wife into his arms, holding her tight. "Don't worry, my love." He said, "Alice will pull through this. She's strong, just like her mother." He looked down at her with a reassuring smile. "She'll be up in no time, just like Josephine said." He pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Come, you should probably rest. It's been a long night and you've done a lot." He pulled away from her and took her hand, leading her to their bedroom. Despite his collected demeanor, Sebastian was raging inside. He had already started to put a plan that would drag everyone involved in his daughter's arrest to hell.

---

Despite everything she was feeling, Josephine couldn't stop the small smile that pulled at her lips when Elijah pulled her in. She rested her head against his shoulder, feeling the strong, fast beating of his heart. She sighed, "I do hope Alice gets better soon." She said, "No one should have been beaten down that much." Even though she hated the girl for breaking Jack and her apart, she couldn't help feel terrible, both for Alice and her parents. Especially her parents. Never before had she seen Sebastian that torn and despondent. It was painful to see.

As always, being wrapped in Sebastian's arms and held made her feel infinitely more secure. Breathing out a sigh, Marabelle rested her forehead against his chest, listening to the rumble of his voice as he spoke and taking in his familiar scent. Nodding once in agreement, she felt the soft tug from her husband as he led her down the hall leading to their bedroom. The flickering glow from Alice's room drew her attention and she paused to watch the movement of Jack's shadow as he watched over her daughter. "One moment..." She whispered, pulling away from her husband to pad barefoot down to the other end of the hall. "If you need anything," Marabelle started as she peeked into the room, realizing instantly that she probably startled the boy, "I'll be just down the hall." With a final glance at her daughter's beaten face, she gave Jack a soft smile and retreated back to the safety of her husband's arms.

---

Resting his cheek against the top of Josephine's head, Elijah took in what Josephine was saying. "Knowing my sister, she had something to do with the severity of the treatment she got." He said on a sigh, "Not that it gave the men the go ahead to beat her like they did..." Although he was a little shocked to hear from her that she wished a speedy recovery for Alice, it made him smile. Running his hand up and down her bare arm, he straightened and prepared to stand. "Come on, let's get inside. I'm sure Alice will wake us all if she needs anything." Looking down at the woman he had his arm around, Elijah's heart gave a heady thump and threatened to crawl up into his throat.

Jack jumped just a bit when he heard Marabelle's voice. He looked over at her and smiled, "Thanks Belle." He said before looking back at Alice. He sighed, "Get well soon, Alice." He murmured, caressing her cheek gently, "Its way too quiet without you yelling at someone." He chuckled to himself before sighing. He looked at her hand and how well it fit in his. He lifted her hand and kissed it gently, "I'm sorry." He mumbled.

---

Josephine nodded and stood with Elijah. She brushed off her dress before turning to the door. "Thanks." She said, looking up at him before they went inside. "You always know how to make me feel better, Eli. It almost makes up for the time you slapped me." She grinned and gave his hand a light squeeze before walking into the house. She was headed towards Jack's room that she shared with him before she stopped. She didn't want to share a room with him and she wasn't sure where to go. "I could go back to the ship..." She mumbled to herself.

Goosebumps formed along Alice's arms as she shuddered in her sleep. Whimpering once, she turned her head sharply to the other side, her teeth chattering together as the fever raged just beneath the surface of her skin.

---

As Josephine stood, Elijah followed suit, holding the door open as she entered. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?" He asked with a half cocked smile as he trailed her through the house, not realizing where she was going until she stopped dead in her tracks. "Stay in mine." Offering without a second of hesitation, until it sank in what he said. "I-I mean, I'll stay on one of the couches and you can stay in my room." Blushing and looking away, Elijah cursed his mouth. "Really, I'm not trying to get you into my bed or anything, just..." Blowing out a sigh, he reluctantly returned his gaze to Josephine's face, unsure what he was going to see there. "Yeah, I'll stay on the couch." He stated, turning on his heel and began walking back towards the front room.

Josephine stopped and looked back at him, blinking for a bit. The blank expression gave way to a wide grin as she watched him stumble and stutter over his words. She chuckled and grabbed his arm before he walked away. "It's fine. I'm not going to make you sleep on the couch while I take your room." She motioned to the hallway with her head, "I trust that you won't do anything inappropriate with me." She started to pull him towards his room.

---

Jack noticed the chattering and touched her skin. She was still burning yet she shivered like she was freezing. He did what his mother would do when he was raging with a fever. Kicking off his shoes, he got into bed with her, pulling her into his arms and closing his eyes.

"Erm..." Swallowing as he was yanked towards the bedroom, Elijah fought to find something to say, but failed. The closer they got to the door, the more heat gathered in his cheeks. He could act slick and charm the pants off of every other woman in the world, but there was something about Josephine that turned him back into that tiny young boy that everyone picked on. "Inappropriate..." Giving in, he closed the door by leaning back against it, almost reluctant to move any closer to the bed that he was now going to share with this Spanish beauty. "I have a feeling you'd cut off my hands if I accidentally brushed against you." Sucking in a breath, Elijah forced himself away from the door and began taking off his outerwear, hyper-aware of Josephine and the remote possibility that she would look over at him.

"Probably." Josephine said, glancing back at him with a grin. She had started with the laces of her dress, "Do you mind if I take one of your shirts?" She asked, looking at Elijah. She watched him with interest as he undressed. Despite seeming very skinny and lanky, he was very muscular and lean. The smirk that crept on her face started to fall as she watched more intently. Her face started to heat up and she forced herself to look away, surprised at how intensely she was watching him. It wasn't that he was unattractive, he was the complete opposite. But he was suppose to be just a friend. A really sweet, kind and very attractive friend. She shook her head slightly, clearing her head of the inappropriate thoughts that were creeping up.

Having forgotten the details in the layout of his room, Elijah glanced around, trying to remember which drawer held his shirts. "Um.." Balling up his dirty shirt as he moved, he opened and closed a few drawers before coming across the one that his mother had used to unpack his belongings. Chuckling, he now realized how Marabelle had spent her time while they were springing his sister. "Here." Turning around right as Josephine realized she was staring, the smile that had been on his face grew. "Jo, here's a shirt." Tossing it at her, Elijah retreated to the other side of the bed to finish getting changed out of his dirty clothes. The tumble in the grass outside smeared a good deal of mud on his legs. His hesitation to remove them left him standing with his back to his potential bedmate, staring down at his legs, debating whether to change the pants or to say screw it and sleep as if she weren't here. But she is. He thought with a grimace, "Aw, hell..."

She was starting to regret her decision. As Josephine unlaced her dress and stepped out of it, she was internally cursing herself for acting so coy. This wouldn't have been a problem if Elijah wasn't...Elijah. She pulled off her chemise and pulled on his shirt. It surprised her to see that it fell just a little past mid-thigh. She never really thought of him as someone who was much bigger than her. Was I wrong. She couldn't let it get to her. They were friends and that was it. She was not going to make things uncomfortable by thinking otherwise. "Which side is yours?" She asked, turning towards him. She caught herself staring at his ass and quickly looked up.

Taking a moment and staring up at the ceiling as soon as the pants were off and replacement linen shorts were on, Elijah could feel Josephine looking at him. Like hell he was going to sleep tonight. "It m-makes no difference.." Scrunching his face up as the stutter made an appearance, he mentally slapped himself, "Which side would you like?" Turning to face her, he felt his warm cheeks heat back up. It wasn't that he was self conscious about being shirtless, it was that he was self conscious about being shirtless in front of a woman. There's a first time for everything, and he could think of someone much worse for this situation. Her expression was odd, freezing him on the spot. "S-Something wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong. Why would anything be wrong?" Josephine said quickly, averting her gaze. She looked at the bed and wondered if it was too late to make him sleep on the couch. Steeling her resolve, she went over to one side of the bed and went under the covers. She faked a loud yawn, despite not feeling even remotely tired. "G'night." She said, her back facing him and closing her eyes. Her mind was racing, however. She wasn't a stranger to men or sharing beds with them, so why did it feel so uncomfortable with Elijah?

Even though his pulse was pounding, Elijah followed suit. After blowing out the lamp on the end table, he slid under the covers, very nearly praying that he didn't bump into her. "G-goodnight, then..." Staring at the ceiling in the dark, his mind went over every possible scenario for the night before bleeding off into thoughts of the morning. How were they going to get out of this one unscathed, especially with Amy being notorious for waking everyone up at the crack of dawn just because she was awake. Turning his head to look over at the back of Josephine's head, he longed for the courage to just slide in behind her and hold her. "Ah, Jo...?" He surprised himself by saying out loud, "I-I..." Making a face in the dark, he pressed his palm against his face, "Never mind.."

The silence was deafening. Between her thoughts and the rustling of the sheets beside her, Josephine wondered if she was ever going to get any sleep. It provided a little comfort to know that he was as sleepless as her but she wondered if it was for the same reason. Her mind started to race as she went through all their interactions during the past year and a half that they have known each other. Pieces started to fall into place as she remembered every smile, grin, and smirk he's given her. She was stupid not to realize it earlier. Her thought had just trailed to all the instances where she unintentionally led him on when he spoke, derailing the train. She hesitated, weighing her options before turning around, "What is it, Eli?"