Fanfiction: Horatio Hornblower (G)
Title: J is for Jonah
Pairing/Characters: William Bush, Archie Kennedy, Horatio Hornblower; Bush/Côtard, Horatio/Archie
Rating: G
Fandom: Horatio Hornblower
Word Count: 816
Spoilers: For Mutiny, Retribution, Loyalty, and Duty.
Summary: William never was sure if he believed if there was any truth to the superstition about Jonah or not.
Notes/Warnings: Written as a sequel to C is for Côtard, Y is for Yearning, E is for Eager, A is for After, L is for Leave, I is for Inn, T is for Tangle, M is for Morning, R is for Return, F is for Fear, D is for Discussion, H is for Hammock, S is for Storm, V is for Voice, G is for Grasshopper, K is for Kill, and B is for Bracegirdle. No beta.
J is for Jonah
William never was sure if he believed if there was any truth to the superstition about Jonah or not. From the mutters he overheard, though, he knew a good many of the men aboard the Hotspur believed it. Styles was the most voluble of them, but he'd always had trouble keeping his voice down. Matthews tried to keep him quiet, but Bush heard the big bos'un's mate muttering about it anyway, claiming their American guests were Jonahs. If William were to name anyone as a Jonah, it would have to be Maguire. They should have realised there was something very strange about him being captured by the French, only to escape and row back to the ship. It proved to be a distraction, though, as French troops boarded the Hotspur from the other side of the ship.
What followed was a flurry of fighting: swords clashing, pistols and muskets firing. He caught glimpses of the others fighting in the rain: Styles, Orrock, Matthews, Archie, Wellard, and Hammond. He caught the sound of fighting belowdecks and followed it, spotting Horatio fighting a familiar figure: Wolfe, the coxswain who turned out to be helping France in order to free Ireland from England's rule. He was distracted briefly by a gunshot. Looking over, he saw a Frenchman falling dead at Archie's feet. "Mr Kennedy, with me."
"Right behind you, Mr Bush," Archie replied, following William in his mad rush down.
He pointed his gun at Wolfe, "Put the weapon down, Wolfe!" He hesitated to shoot, because his struggle with Horatio made it difficult to get a clear shot at him without endangering the commander.
Archie barrelled past William and tried to grab Wolfe from behind and pull him off Horatio. Whether it was lucky chance or Wolfe somehow knew, he elbowed Archie in the stomach, right where he'd been hit on the Renown. Archie fell back with a wince and Wolfe turned Horatio, shoving him into Bush, who struggled to keep them both on their feet. Horatio recovered quickly and straightened up, pointing his own gun at Maguire, who'd been leading the Billens from their quarters, "Stop there, Maguire or I'll shoot! I wish my guests to stay."
"Ignore him Maguire," Wolfe had stopped at the top of the steps and now pointed a gun at Horatio. William quickly aimed his own at Wolfe. Out of the corner of his eye, William could see Archie getting up and standing ready for anything. "He'd never shoot a man in cold blood, but I would and gladly."
"I will kill him, Wolfe," Horatio retorted, never taking his eyes off Maguire, who remained frozen with Mr and Mrs Billen behind him. "I have cause enough. Mr Kennedy, relieve him of his weapon."
Archie started up towards Wolfe, face determined, only to stop at Wolfe's next words, "He comes near me and I shoot you, Hornblower." William understood why Archie hesitated then. He wouldn't want to risk losing his lover. "So which is to be: me or you?"
"Or us both?" Horatio's words struck William like a dash of cold water. He had only to imagine André saying something like to understand how much more it must have hurt Archie. He didn't think too closely about what that meant in regards to his relationship with the Frenchman. He'd have time for that later. William didn't get longer to think on that, because Horatio gave him an order almost immediately, "Kill him, Mr Bush, and let him die for France."
William hesitated, catching a flash of movement up near Wolfe. He glanced at Archie and the second lieutenant nodded. His gun still trained on Wolfe, he told Horatio, "Can't."
"The decent Englishman," Wolfe's grin was fierce and dismissive, unaware of the danger that quietly moved closer. "If only you had the guts to match."
For once, Horatio seemed to lose control of his temper at William's seeming inability to do as he'd been ordered. "Obey my orders, Mr Bush, damn you!" Archie had rejoined them and William guessed he'd caught Horatio's attention somehow when he felt him start. Then Horatio looked up at Wolfe and saw what William and Archie had seen: Captain Bracegirdle, pistol in hand, silently approaching Wolfe. He nodded slightly. "All right, Mr Bush, let us have it your way. Let us surrender."
All three of them held up their hands and Bracegirdle moved closer. Just as he was about to shoot, a Frenchman grabbed him from behind, causing him to misfire. Wolfe ducked and made for the side of the boat. Maguire tried to take advantage of Horatio's distraction, but William shot him. Before anyone could stop Wolfe, he was over the side. Straightening up, Horatio looked at the Billens. Joseph held up his hands. "I surrender, Captain."
End
Pairing/Characters: William Bush, Archie Kennedy, Horatio Hornblower; Bush/Côtard, Horatio/Archie
Rating: G
Fandom: Horatio Hornblower
Word Count: 816
Spoilers: For Mutiny, Retribution, Loyalty, and Duty.
Summary: William never was sure if he believed if there was any truth to the superstition about Jonah or not.
Notes/Warnings: Written as a sequel to C is for Côtard, Y is for Yearning, E is for Eager, A is for After, L is for Leave, I is for Inn, T is for Tangle, M is for Morning, R is for Return, F is for Fear, D is for Discussion, H is for Hammock, S is for Storm, V is for Voice, G is for Grasshopper, K is for Kill, and B is for Bracegirdle. No beta.
J is for Jonah
William never was sure if he believed if there was any truth to the superstition about Jonah or not. From the mutters he overheard, though, he knew a good many of the men aboard the Hotspur believed it. Styles was the most voluble of them, but he'd always had trouble keeping his voice down. Matthews tried to keep him quiet, but Bush heard the big bos'un's mate muttering about it anyway, claiming their American guests were Jonahs. If William were to name anyone as a Jonah, it would have to be Maguire. They should have realised there was something very strange about him being captured by the French, only to escape and row back to the ship. It proved to be a distraction, though, as French troops boarded the Hotspur from the other side of the ship.
What followed was a flurry of fighting: swords clashing, pistols and muskets firing. He caught glimpses of the others fighting in the rain: Styles, Orrock, Matthews, Archie, Wellard, and Hammond. He caught the sound of fighting belowdecks and followed it, spotting Horatio fighting a familiar figure: Wolfe, the coxswain who turned out to be helping France in order to free Ireland from England's rule. He was distracted briefly by a gunshot. Looking over, he saw a Frenchman falling dead at Archie's feet. "Mr Kennedy, with me."
"Right behind you, Mr Bush," Archie replied, following William in his mad rush down.
He pointed his gun at Wolfe, "Put the weapon down, Wolfe!" He hesitated to shoot, because his struggle with Horatio made it difficult to get a clear shot at him without endangering the commander.
Archie barrelled past William and tried to grab Wolfe from behind and pull him off Horatio. Whether it was lucky chance or Wolfe somehow knew, he elbowed Archie in the stomach, right where he'd been hit on the Renown. Archie fell back with a wince and Wolfe turned Horatio, shoving him into Bush, who struggled to keep them both on their feet. Horatio recovered quickly and straightened up, pointing his own gun at Maguire, who'd been leading the Billens from their quarters, "Stop there, Maguire or I'll shoot! I wish my guests to stay."
"Ignore him Maguire," Wolfe had stopped at the top of the steps and now pointed a gun at Horatio. William quickly aimed his own at Wolfe. Out of the corner of his eye, William could see Archie getting up and standing ready for anything. "He'd never shoot a man in cold blood, but I would and gladly."
"I will kill him, Wolfe," Horatio retorted, never taking his eyes off Maguire, who remained frozen with Mr and Mrs Billen behind him. "I have cause enough. Mr Kennedy, relieve him of his weapon."
Archie started up towards Wolfe, face determined, only to stop at Wolfe's next words, "He comes near me and I shoot you, Hornblower." William understood why Archie hesitated then. He wouldn't want to risk losing his lover. "So which is to be: me or you?"
"Or us both?" Horatio's words struck William like a dash of cold water. He had only to imagine André saying something like to understand how much more it must have hurt Archie. He didn't think too closely about what that meant in regards to his relationship with the Frenchman. He'd have time for that later. William didn't get longer to think on that, because Horatio gave him an order almost immediately, "Kill him, Mr Bush, and let him die for France."
William hesitated, catching a flash of movement up near Wolfe. He glanced at Archie and the second lieutenant nodded. His gun still trained on Wolfe, he told Horatio, "Can't."
"The decent Englishman," Wolfe's grin was fierce and dismissive, unaware of the danger that quietly moved closer. "If only you had the guts to match."
For once, Horatio seemed to lose control of his temper at William's seeming inability to do as he'd been ordered. "Obey my orders, Mr Bush, damn you!" Archie had rejoined them and William guessed he'd caught Horatio's attention somehow when he felt him start. Then Horatio looked up at Wolfe and saw what William and Archie had seen: Captain Bracegirdle, pistol in hand, silently approaching Wolfe. He nodded slightly. "All right, Mr Bush, let us have it your way. Let us surrender."
All three of them held up their hands and Bracegirdle moved closer. Just as he was about to shoot, a Frenchman grabbed him from behind, causing him to misfire. Wolfe ducked and made for the side of the boat. Maguire tried to take advantage of Horatio's distraction, but William shot him. Before anyone could stop Wolfe, he was over the side. Straightening up, Horatio looked at the Billens. Joseph held up his hands. "I surrender, Captain."
End