Chapter 18
Joanne gave the men a look not to argue. She knew as well as them that they needed him to get on the ship.
“Sam, why don’t you just move on to another girl? You know you sleep with enough.” It was true. He was just another version of her older twin brothers.
“I want you,” He said definitely.
“That is just because I’m the only one who always says no.” She didn’t bother to go on because she knew it was pointless. She and her brothers all had told him this before. But he never listened. They all knew if she even did get with him, he would have sex with her and get bored with her after a month or two tops and if she liked him, she’d be heartbroken. That was partly why nothing ever happened.
“Anyway, hasn’t my brothers and dad already told you I couldn’t date you?” Her dad wasn’t any better than her brothers when it came to men. No boy was good enough.
Thankfully before more could be said the front door opened again and the sound of the twins laughter filled the house.
“Thank God your home,” Adam exclaimed. He had never been a friend of Sam. Especially when the man got a sixteen-year-old pregnant only a few years before and made her abort it.
“Sam, have you come to harass my poor sister again?” Luke looked a mixture of both annoyed, but proud of himself.
“You know she wants…” Sam started to say, but stopped when he saw everyone glaring at him.
“We were just around your house, Sam. Your mum said to send you around when we saw you,” Mike told him with a hint of a smirk.
“Fine, but I’ll be back later,” He said looking at Joanne and then bravely giving Junior a sneer. “Goodbye.”
He went over to Joanne, but Adam cleared his throat and gave him a warning look.
“Fine, I’m going. But I’ll get a kiss one day,” He said before leaving.
“I hate him!”
“Me too,” Adam agreed with Junior.
“Why are you even friends with him?”
“Because he was alright when we were young,” Luke defended.
“When he isn’t being a dick and trying to come onto Jo, he is actually alright,” Mike added.
“I love you, Junior. Sam is an idiot, you are my only man,” Joanne whispered to him as her brothers spoke among themselves.
Junior smiled and visually relaxed, “I love you too, princess.”
“You know that when we get to your home, your mother won’t let us share a bed until after we are married?” She thought out loud.
“My mother will have you like it or lump it, because I am not risking you being without me,” He said remembering what the book said. He didn’t want sleep without her either way, but also because he didn’t want Amelie to have a chance to try and frame him again. “We are going to be married anyway, so it doesn’t matter if we share a bed. It is not like we are going to consummate it before hand.”
“What?!” Mike’s raised voice made Joanne and Junior lookup.
“If that stupid little bitch tries anything I’ll slap her myself,” Luke almost growled.
“You told them about the book?” She asked Adam.
“Yes, he did,” Mike said.
**
“Kids,” Matthew’s voice echoed through the house as he entered the house. “I have lots of great news.”
He entered the living room, where they were all still sat.
“Yes?” They all looked at him expectantly.
“Really little ‘uns?”
“Dad,” Luke whined almost like a girl.
“I have sorted everything.”
“Everything?”
“Yes.” Everyone stare at him expecting more.
“What is everything, dad?” Joanne asked standing up.
“Aww, you look so cute in that,” He chuckled at her bunny clothing and hugged her.
“You always loved bunnies when you were little,” He remembered forgetting what they were speaking about.
The twins groan, Junior laughed and Adam rolled his eyes, “Dad is always like this. He starts saying something and gets distracted easy,” He told Junior.
“A bit like Luke then,” Junior thought out loud and Adam laughed. “Exactly.”
“Dad! You were saying you sorted things? What things?” Joanne asked calmly, as thpugh used to this.
“Oh, yes,” He said and sat down on one of the armchairs bringing his daughter with him.
“I’m too big to sit on you lap, dad.”
“Shh, you’ll always be my baby daughter. Even when you are married with children of your own.” He had always loved his children and if his wife had lived longer, he would have had a dozen.
“As lovely as this all is can you tell us already?” Mike asked growing annoyed.
“Right, I sorted things.”
Junior was laughing by this point and Joanne flopped back.
“Alright, alright. I’m only playing,” Matthew said finally. “I guess they told you about the book?” The twin’s nodded, “Well, I have spoken to a man I know he has the medicine for us. He will bring it around later tonight. He also is interested in buying the house, including all the furniture. I told him we would be leaving some clothing and stuff and he could give it away or keep it or whatever.”
“Wow, that’s great,” Joanne said excited.
“But that’s not all.” Everyone listened intently. “He is very crooked and I knew he could get things. I never told him why, but I asked him to get me some 1875 English bank notes.”
“He can do that?” Junior asked surprised.
“Yes, but some will be fake. But modern fakes would pass back then. We have all the correct stuff to make them. He will give us the notes as part of payment for the house. The rest will be in cash. We will still get jewellery and silks to sell with our money. He is also sorting out passable birth-certificates and bits. I gave him the names, dates, locations and so on. He thinks I’m a little insane, but will do it because I have the money.”
“What does this mean? When will we be able to leave?” Joanne asked.
“We will receive payment tomorrow, modern and old. Adam and the twins will still return tomorrow and instead of having to stay a week or two, we will be able to return the day after them.”
They all smiled happily, “That means everyone sort out what we want to keep today and tomorrow morning and then we will go shopping.”
“Can I choose some things to buy?” Joanne asked sweetly.
“Yes, angel,” Matthew said kissing her head.
“How come it’s alright for your dad to buy you things, but when I do you tell me off?” Junior asked curiously.
“Because I pay dad back at some point.”
“Even if I tell her not too,” Her dad added.
“But anyway, I didn’t know if I would be able to repay you.”
“You don’t need too, what I buy you are gifts because I love you,” He argued.
“I love you too, but I will not have you waste your money on me,” She told him and turned her attention to her dad.
“I have called work and told them I won’t be in anymore. They said to drop off the uniform. Thankfully they already paid me all I was owned so all is good. But now I have to go online, I have to order a few things next day delivery,” She told him kissing his cheek and standing up.
“I’m going to do it now.” She went to leave the room but paused hearing someone stand up. Without turning back she held out her hand, “Come on then, Andy,” She said knowingly and he instantly took her hand.
“Let’s go up to my room, I’ll give you a lesson on the internet.”
“Will you bring this bunny thing with us? You look very adorable in it,” They men heard Junior say as they disappeared up the stairs.
**
“You can do so much,” Junior said in awe as Joanne finished paying for her shopping and then played some music whilst clicking on another site.
“What’s the…” Junior suddenly stopped speaking. Joanne looked at him to see his face was now bright red and he was looking down at his knees.
She returned her gaze to the screen to see a popup had appeared and not just any, but a popup of a highly enhanced naked woman with a naked man’s member in her mouth.
Joanne quickly closed it. “Sorry, I didn’t open that.”
“Is that really what women look like?” He asked shyly. Joanne remembered the woman who had bad implants, which looked like tennis balls stuck to her chest and her body so nipped in, it made her look sick.
“No, not at all. She would of had a doctor do that.”
He breathed a sigh of relief, “Thank God. She was scary.” Joanne laughed.
“You didn’t like her?” He looked at her as if she was insane.
“Did you see her?” He said blankly. “I have no idea why women in this time would do that to their body. I may not have seen you naked. But I know you are perfect.” He stroked her cheek and his eyes fell to her lips. He leaned in and kissed her shyly, almost like he had never kissed her before.
“Does seeing that kind of stuff embarrass you?”
“Yes, but I am used to that kind of stuff popping up. I normally am alone though and I close them straight away.”
“There is much like that on this internet thing?”
“More than you’ll know. You can type any word in and I guarantee something sexual will come up.”
“I would like to lay and hug you now, if that is alright,” He asked so sweetly that she couldn’t help but say yes.
“I love you, princess Annie.”
“I love you too, Jr.”
**
“Annie!” A voice yelled from downstairs that evening.
“Dinner’s done! Get your ass down,” Luke added.
“Come on,” She grabbed Junior’s hand and dragged him to the top of the stairs. Then let go of it.
Sat on the banister and slid down the rail, jumping off when she reached the end.
“Graceful as butterfly,” She said in a singsong voice.
Junior, on the other hand, watched her scared, but then amused. Before walking down the stairs to join her.
“You are going to kill yourself.” He gave her a scolding look, but she could see him fighting back a smile.
“Butterfly,” She flapped her wings and flew into the dining room. Junior followed laughing.
“What did I tell you about that?” Matthew said guessing.
She looked up thoughtfully, “Umm, I am a beautiful butterfly and can do anything I want?” She asked sweetly.
Her brothers and Junior watched amused and her dad shook his head. “No, I said you’ll break your neck and not to slide down the banister.”
“But it’s so fun…” She pouted.
“No.”
“But…?”
“You can be my princess instead,” Junior told her kissing her cheek. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“Urr. You two are too sweet. I’m gonna be sick,” Luke pretended, holding his stomach.
“Go on.” Jo reached out to take his plate. “I’ll eat your food then.”
“No, it’s mine, piggy,” He exclaimed slapping her hand away. She just laughed.
Matthew and Adam both looked surprised at how easily she was eating. In the past, she always struggled.
They noticed before that she had put on a little weight, it filled her tiny frame out more, making her look more curvy, happy and healthy, but without being fat.
“This is really good,” Junior complimented.
“I know. My dad is the best cook. He will have to live with us forever so he can make us dinner.”
“Is that so?” Matthew asked amused.
“Yes and when we have children eventually you can be a nanny and care of them whilst me and Junior work,” She told him then quickly added.
“Don’t worry they’ll be on the boat too, so you won’t miss the sea.”
“Are you sure Andy will let you do that?” He questioned his daughter.
“He definitely would,” Junior told him. “I think he prefers her to me. He would do most things she asked. He adores her.”
“She has Papa Smurf wrapped around her little finger,” Luke said agreeing.
“Papa Smurf?” Matthew asked laughing. “He does kind of look like him with that big white beard.”
**
They spent the rest of day laughing and sorting out the things they wanted to take with them.
Surprisingly that only took a few hours. Once they had done that, they all sat in the living room and watched their favorite movies once more for the last time.
Matthew and Adam both spent a lot of the time watching Junior and Joanne together. Junior worshiped her. He spent a lot of time himself watching Joanne.
He watched her every expression as she watched the movies. He would frown when she did and smile when she did. He sat with his arm around her and would place a kiss on her cheek every few minutes.
She would notice him watching her and smile, making his smile widen. She would peck his lips and go back to watching the movie.
Matthew was happy for them, but Adam was a little jealous. He was not a virgin, but he wasn’t a player like the twins. He had only ever had one, one night stand and several relationships. He didn’t like one night stands, he preferred to have a long term partner. But sadly he hadn’t found the right one for himself yet.
That night they were allowed to share a bed again, but had to keep the door open. They didn’t mind though, they were not planning on doing anything until they were married anyway.
**
Late last night, Matthew’s friend call around with the medicines and the following morning, early before most of the house were awake, he came with everything else. Including the bank notes and birth certificates.
“We got everything sorted so fast, that if we manage to buy everything today and the bits you ordered come, then we can all go back today,” Matthew thought out loud.
“Luke and I’ll stay at home and wait for the postie. We can invite Sam around and convince him to let us have the key to the boat for a few hours. You’ve lot go shopping to do,” Mike told them.
“You think you’ll be able to do that?” Adam asked.
“Pretty sure.”
“Good. Do that and we’ll be back later with dinner. Just don’t do anything stupid.”
