*the Next day at noon*
Will walked down the dock stairs to the street and before he knew it Jack was on his elbows, asking questions, "Are you insane, Will?"
"No."
"That is Patrick Lindsey, Chief of Police's, daughter. His only daughter. His only child."
"So?"
"That makes him overprotective from the start. Not to mention that you're…"
"Yes?"
"Captain of a pirate ship A.K.A Bootstrap Bill the Notorious Pirate."
"So?"
"Her father will hang you and she'll hate you."
"Why?"
"She's afraid of pirates, has a bit of a distaste for them. A pirating ship was responsible for her mother's death. She's blamed the whole piratin' community for it."
"Leave me alone, Jack." Will said as he saw Colleen approaching, ignoring every word out of Jack's mouth.
Jack rolled his eyes and walked away. Colleen was all but skipping up to Will with a smile upon her face, her youth evident. When she got near he put his hands on her waist (and found he could indeed span it) and twirled her in a circle, when he put her down he put a small kiss on her nose.
"Noon, precisely, miss." He bowed his head so that his forehead was on her hairline and she blushed slightly as his hands slid from her waist to her lower back.
"I couldn't wait to see you again." She whispered truthfully, "I couldn't stop thinking about you."
"I'm glad you feel the same way I do." Will responded as he leaned down to put a kiss on those rosy lips of hers. Just as they came into contact a voice came from behind them.
"Colleen!! Colleen!! Where are you?!" The words were slightly slurred as though the caller had been in a good many bottles for a good long while.
Colleen's small body pressed against Will's in a scared motion and she let out a small whimper as she paled in fear, "My father."
Will put an arm around her and looked through the crowd to see if he could catch sight of the man but he couldn't, he could just hear his raving. He quickly led Colleen away from the voice and even grabbed a cloak from a stand nearby and covered her in it so that her lovely face couldn't be seen and he walked through London's streets further and further until Colleen took a hold of his hand. "This way." She squeaked out.
She led him down twisted alleyways and paths until she stopped them in front of a little cottage like building that was less then a block from the exact spot where Will's ship was docked. She went on her tippy toes and grabbed a key that was hidden in a small hollow on the top of the door frame.
"Quickly, he may still be following us." She motioned for Will to come inside and in seeing her shaking like a leaf as fear overtook her he quickly came in and wrapped her in his strong arms.
"Your shaking."
"I hate it when he's like that. He just goes stark raving mad when he's drunk." There was something besides fear in her voice and Will was almost afraid to ask what it was.
"He's never hit you, has he, when he's drunk?"
"Drunk or no." She squeaked and her whole body was racked with a small sob. He rubbed her back and cooed to her until she had cried herself dry of tears.
"Better now?" he asked, using his thumb to wipe away a lingering tear.
In a brave motion she brought her lips to his. For endless moments upon moments they just tasted each other and relaxed in the comfort of the other's arms. Slowly they pulled away so that they might take a breath, "Better now."
She smiled at him and he pushed her hair behind one of her ear's much to her dismay. When he did it revealed her ear and the side of her neck sporting an ugly bruise.
"God Colleen!" He said pushing the rest of her hair back to see the whole thing. He checked the other side to find nothing.
"The other one's not on my face." She told him, ashamed he had found it.
Normally he would've demanded to see it and if he happened to make passionate love to her so be it, but he wasn't going to do that. For the first time in his life he wanted to keep an honest woman of someone.
"Did he do this?"
She nodded, not meeting his gaze as he slammed a fist against the wall in anger.
"Why?"
She didn't respond. "Why Colleen??"
Still no response, he lifted her chin so that he was staring straight into her eyes, "Why? Tell me why."
"He saw you kiss me." She squeaked out in a voice that would've made a mouse seem loud, but he heard he and swore to himself and picked her up in his arms putting gently kisses over her face, "God I'm sorry Colleen, God in Heaven I'm sorry."
She pulled away from a kiss he was planting on her cheek and redirected it to her lips. Colleen loved the feel of his kiss so much that the first thing she though about after the beating was over was the next time she would feel it.