Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Chapter 2 – Inside And Out
No matter how hard Elizabeth tried, sleep just wouldn't claim her again. She was disgusted with herself. Having erotic dreams about a pirate when you're the governor's daughter was simply not acceptable.
Sighing in defeat, she quietly lit the candle next to her bed again, and picked up her book. But as much as she tried to engross herself in the words on the pages, scenes from the dream kept recurring in her head.
She growled in frustration. She slammed the book shut again, and threw it back on the bedside cabinet where it came from.
She blew out the candle again, and lay her head down on the pillow. She came up with the simple conclusion that it would just be her little secret.
Yes, that would do. Nobody else had to know.
-----
Jack sighed. Now how in the bloody hell was he going to get down from here? Why was it that predicaments formed so much easier where Jack was involved? Jack smirked.
Pirate.
Now, then. He cursed under his breath. Why didn't Governor Swann think it wise to keep trees in his back garden?
"Oh, yes, so that when a pirate arrives in the middle of the night to touch up his daughter, he wouldn't be able to escape in a hurry," Jack muttered sarcastically.
He smiled slightly when he saw a long metal drainpipe running down the side of the house. "Ah."
Ignoring the growing fear inside him, he never was good with height on land, he carefully got hold of the drainpipe, and, ever so carefully, he started to climb down it.
Five minutes later, his boots finally came back into contact with solid ground. He wiped his hands on his shirt to get rid of some paint chippings and turned around, squinting in the dark.
He stepped forward, hearing a branch snap beneath his foot. He jumped slightly, and then decided there was no use hesitating; he had to make a run for it. Ignoring the sounds of breaking branches from plants, he just ran. He ran until he nearly came into head first contact with the wall at the back of the Governor's garden.
Thank God for my stealth, he thought sneakily, as he hoisted himself up and over the stone wall without a problem. It was only a matter of seconds before the pirate disappeared into the darkness of the night.
-----
Elizabeth was starting to get scared. After hearing a branch snap outside, very loudly, she might add, she had become very paranoid.
Breathing heavily, she climbed out of bed. The coldness of her room immediately hit her; she saw her breath steaming in front of her face. Hearing the floorboards creak eerily underneath her feet, she crossed the room to her window.
She drew back one of the curtains and looked down into the darkness of the garden below. She squinted to try and see better when she thought she detected movement in between the ferns and plants her father insisted on keeping.
She watched as the shadowy figure, if that's what it was, drew closer quite quickly to the wall at the foot of the garden. Whatever or whoever it was seemed to hesitate before climbing over the wall easily.
She saw a tiny shimmering glint of silver as the figure climbed up onto the wall, and then everything was still as he jumped off and disappeared.
She frowned as a million and one questions ran through her head. Who was it? What were they doing here? Why didn't she feel threatened by their presence? And, most importantly, why the bloody hell did she enjoy that dream?
Feeling, if possible, even more confused than before, she went back to her bed, trying her hardest to think of things like her upcoming wedding to Will, and what dress she was going to wear, but all her thoughts kept spinning around to Jack.
-----
Jack himself was now nearing the docks of Port Royal's harbour. After running for a good ten minutes, he had finally slowed down to a walk, and was enjoying his little moonlit stroll through the town.
Of course, even in the dead of night, he had to keep his eyes peeled for guards that might be lurking. He passed a tavern and even that was silent. Port Royal really could do with some livening up...
He sighed as he continued walking, finally arriving on the docks. He scanned the shore for his ship, but being dark, and the ship having black sails, that wasn't such an easy feat.
It was only the sight of Cotton's parrot vaguely in the light of a lantern that he managed to make it out.
He smiled and made for it hastily. He wanted to be out of here before sunrise.
A few minutes later, he was on deck and being approached by his first mate, Joshamee Gibbs.
"Did you get what you went in for, Cap'n?" he asked anxiously.
Jack considered a moment. "You could say that," he smiled slyly, "but someone certainly did."
Gibbs, too, smiled. Jack rolled his eyes so that Gibbs couldn't see. He clearly thought he, Jack, had killed someone.
"I saw Elizabeth Swann, too," he added in casually.
"At this time of night? I bet she wasn't best pleased..." Gibbs said thoughtfully.
"She sounded like she was pleased," Jack muttered. "We just spent a bit of time getting to know each other, that's all."
"You mean, like...inside and out?" Gibbs asked.
Jack gave him a perplexing look. "I doubt you will ever know the true coincidence behind your words, Mr. Gibbs. But, yes, inside and out."
Gibbs nodded interestedly. "Where we headin' then, Cap'n?"
"Tortuga," Jack replied without hesitation. Gibbs nodded as Jack moved away to his cabin.
He shut his cabin door behind him and looked down, once more at his hands...moreso his fingers. Without warning, he suddenly felt unbelievably sickened with himself.
What the bloody hell had he done?
He scratched his head in thought after he'd pulled his shirt off. Well, he'd be safe in Tortuga...wouldn't he?
I like to think Jack has an ounce of decency in him, and that he will come to feel bad for what he's done.
Review please!
QueenSerenity818 out.