Hey! Sorry for the long wait for this chapter, I was going to post it yesterday, but I was out all day. Thank you for all who favorited and alerted this! I think it's awesome that you all like it!

Replies to reviews:

88dragon06: Thanks again! :) But I didn't do the Tortuga scene yet, I'm doing that next :)

bekkarific: Thank you! I'm so happy that you're loving it :) Haha and I love the flirting between Jack and Nic, I love writing it. And I gave her a lot more lines in this chapter, hopefully you'll enjoy it.

klutzygal: I'm glad that you like it :) Hope you enjoy the chapter

SleepyHeather: Who doesn't like the scene when Jack breaks free? lol I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

Chapter Four: Attraction

Nicolette stood at the Interceptor's railing, watching the waves of the Caribbean overlap one another, it was a beautiful sight to her, the tops of the waves had a small white spot while seagulls called each other above. It calmed her down entirely, with her worries almost completely out the door. Jack looked at her from behind; he felt the need to leave the wheel for a moment so he took a rope tying it to the wheel to keep his course toward Tortuga and then stood behind her. He had heard her heave a sigh and he arched a brow, "You know," his voice startled her and she turned around, ignoring that he had scared her, he continued, "For someone who willingly came onto this voyage you seem awfully quiet ever since we boarded."

She rolled her eyes and turned back around. "Well," she started looking back into the sea, "I'm sorry if I bore you Captain Sparrow, I just haven't had a reason to talk yet."

Jack stood next to her and leaned over the railing. "Love, you don't have to be so proper, call me Jack," he noticed that she nodded slowly, but her eyes were glazing on the sea while she did, Jack couldn't help but smile at this. He looked to see where she was gazing, he couldn't help but feel the same beauty that she did, he loved the sea, well actually he was in fact a pirate so it was practically his life… his devotion. "Ah, beautiful, ain't it?"

Nicolette couldn't help but agree, "Very, the sea would always be a wonder of beauty." She stated biting her lip, the sea always caught her fascination; it seemed to calm everything that was working up inside of her. "I love it, it must be amazing living out here." Jack nodded.

"I lived out here a long time, and yet… this site still amazes me like it did for the first time I stepped off land and got my sea legs." Jack stated and Nicolette smiled sweetly, smelling the sea salt air, feeling the wind in her hair, it wasn't like sitting on the dock for her, it was something greater. The effect it had on her had a bigger effect than it did in Port Royal.

"Aren't all pirates like that though?" She asked mindlessly smiling still; she enjoyed watching the waves. "Aren't they all in love with the sea? Like it's their one and only?"

Jack shrugged, he wasn't sure how to answer that, but he tried to otherwise, "Not technically, no, with me, for example, I love the sea, I love my…" He stopped himself when he was about to say Pearl, he didn't want her knowing that he was the Captain of that ship before Barbossa and was mutinied upon because of Barbossa. She would probably think of him as pathetic, she eyed him suspiciously, and he tried to regain composure, "You know what, I'm a bad example. But I know some men who happen to commit piracy with a lass at home, love."

"Interesting and I'm assuming that you don't have any lass at home waiting for you at a port, eh? Is the great Captain Jack Sparrow lonely now?" Jack couldn't help but laugh at that statement. Him, lonely, that was the funniest thing that he had ever heard in his lifetime. At almost every port there was a bountiful amount of women who would by far wait for him, he had a reputation with women. But his hopes to prove her wrong were crashed when she added, "And wenches you can get at a brothel do not count, Jack. Those women would even let a castrated male bed them if they could earn a bit of shillings. Even if it wouldn't do much to satisfy them at all."

What was that implying? That prostitutes in ports weren't waiting for him, his one-night stands, the women that always wanted to slap him, only did it for money? That they didn't gain pleasure from their night like they didn't when some eunuch bedded them (which wouldn't be possible since they lacked… the necessary parts)? That couldn't possibly be, his charms always had women swooning all over him, he was known around in Tortuga by all of them and all of them clearly adored him, but why did that comment go straight to his head? He had absolutely no idea.

He laughed sarcastically, "Nicolette, you are such a laugh, you know. I happen to have plenty of lasses waiting for me. I don't think that any woman so far in me lifetime has ever not fallen for the Sparrow charm and believe-."

Nicolette tsked at the man, interrupting him and with a smirk developing she stated, "Jack, I don't think you realize that I am talking of a bonny lass, one you are committed to, not some obsessed prostitute or one-night stand that you happen to be thinking of."

"Well, if you put it that way…" He started, but for once he seemed to be at a loss of words… that never usually happened to him before. For some reason he had suddenly admired that of her, but he was rather annoyed by it. He then snorted, "And why would you care?"

Nicolette only shrugged and looked back at the water, she asked not preparing for an answer, "Can't a woman ask of something from a man she had just met yesterday to at least quench her curiosity of said man?"

Jack had actually nodded at the good point she had made, and didn't question it any further. But she was curious about him? Curiosity led to attraction and attraction led to intimacy. Jack couldn't help but smirk at that, Nicolette didn't notice. He looked over at her and noticed the open wound under her eye, for some reason it made her seem even more attractive… if that were possible, "Nicolette," she turned her attention toward his deep chocolate eyes. He now sensed that it was time to shy away from the other subject, "where did you get that mark under your eye?"

She arched an eyebrow and he indicated where it was with the touch of his finger. Nic winced from his touch, it burned slightly, she didn't even know until now that she had gotten it, "Probably from last night." She stated simply. "Why are you asking?" Jack's finger still lied on the mark, it was most likely going to be infected if he didn't notice sooner, there was already redness growing around it, he made a face. Nicolette just stood there for a moment, for some reason, when he took his finger away from her cheek, she suddenly longed for him to touch her again… she had no idea why. The way he looked at her, his dark eyes, his rogue style, it all resulted in a bigger attraction than she had before. She didn't even realize that she had attraction for this man; she didn't think she liked him like that at all.

"You may need to get that cleaned, love, or it may get infected. Come." He backed away reaching out his hand for her to take. Nic just looked at it hesitantly and Jack rolled his eyes at her, "Don't worry, I won't bite just take it." Nicolette looked at it again and then she took it letting Jack drag her off the helm. He took her to a crate across from Will who was sharpening his sword. Jack looked around ignoring the sound Will was making and thought, if I was a Navy man where would I put my rum?

His eyes brightened, the cargo hold, he left Nicolette and Will alone and opened the latch to get down to the cargo hold, rum was bound to be down there, the Royal Navy may seem proper… but some might have taken a liking to it. Will looked over at Nic and asked, "Any idea on what-?"

She cut him off, looking behind her shoulder, "Will, I can honestly say that I do not have the slightest idea."

Below deck, Jack was looking around and there it was, deep in a corner though, strange, obviously someone was trying to keep a stash for no one else to see. He sauntered over to it and whisked it into his hand, holding it by the cork. He went back above deck satisfied and swaggered over to Nicolette who was still where Jack had left her. "This should help." He stated handing the bottle over to her.

Nicolette just looked at it with a look of distaste developing, she didn't enjoy the drink, and she hated the smell, so why would she even bother doing what he wanted her to do with it? How would this help her sod out the pain? Drinking it? That wasn't going to be the case. "And how is this supposed to help? Will drinking it ease my pain?"

Jack arched a brow, "No, no, no, don't be ridiculous, darling. Rum contains alcohol and alcohol helps clean wounds like you have there," he pointed at her cheek, "didn't you know that?" He asked and he found a rag that was on the crate where Will was sharpening his sword. Nicolette shook her head. Jack sighed and stated, "Oh, I thought you did, that's okay then. I'll do it for ya."

Nicolette cocked her eyebrow and said to him kindly rejecting the offer, "That's very generous of you, Jack. But really, I can do it myself."

He waved his hand and hushed that thought immediately. "Love, don't be ridiculous. I insist on doing this."

Nicolette sighed defeated, "Fine. Thank you, Captain."

Jack smirked at her and corrected with his eyes brightening, "Jack, if you please." Nicolette chuckled lightly and nodded to him. Will looked at him questionably as he dabbed the rum onto the rag, "Now, this may sting a little or... you know what you'll find out." He stated and with that he bent over inspecting her wound before he placed the rum doused rag under her eye. At first she winced, he was right it did sting, but not a little, and then to her surprise, she actually found it quite soothing. Jack pressed down on it and took her hand placing it onto the top of his while his other rough hand overlapped it.

Now Nicolette like the feeling of his hands on hers… why was she feeling for this man? "Just hold it tight to your skin, love. It should stop the stinging sooner or later." She nodded thanks, not trusting herself to say a word. Her eyes caught a glimpse of Jack's again; she was finding herself completely lost in them. She was desperate for a way out though.

She gulped and using her free hand she moved both of his away, "Thank you… Jack." They stood like that for a second not even, their gaze that was transfixed into each others eyes could have lasted a bit longer, but before it could, Will cleared his throat. Nicolette was relieved and almost mouthed, 'thanks' to Will while Jack turned toward him. Annoyed, not relieved like in Nicolette's case.

Jack said through his teeth, "For a man who made it an industry of avoiding boats, you're a quick study." Will went back to sharpening his sword and looked down at it on the crate.

He sighed and Nicolette watched the two intently, she knew what Will was going to tell him, she practically heard the story about twenty maybe thirty times! It was always the second set of sentences he would say to a man he had just met. She tried to pay no mind to it and kept nursing her wound while he explained to Jack. "I worked passage from England as a cabin boy." He stated and Jack was not interested in what the whelp was saying already and acted like he was paying attention while walking over to a line Will tightened earlier, examining it. "After my mother passed, I came out here… looking for my father."

Jack looked at the line and said seemingly uninterested about the boy's history, "Is that so?" He wanted to make sure that his voice at least sounded convincing to Will. Will abruptly gotten up and walked over to him. Nicolette blinked for only a second and then heard Will's accusations toward Jack. She tried not to listen… this was his manner, but she was always known for eavesdropping.

"My father, Will Turner." At the name Jack immediately turned around and walked up to the helm, Will followed continuing, "At the jail, it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter. I'm not a simpleton, Jack." Jack looked back to him and thought, I beg to differ, "You knew my father."

Jack couldn't help but sigh, the boy was bound to find out anyway, so he should tell him, the whelp that despised pirates that he was related to a pirate… and this said pirate was his father! He was going to find out sooner or later, so Jack had given in easily, "I knew him." Nicolette walked toward the two not really caring about her small, insignificant battle wound no longer. She threw the rag to the side. Jack continued, "Probably one of the few who knew him as William Turner. Everyone else just called him Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill."

Nicolette intruded while joining them on the helm, she heard of him before, he was a pirate unless there was another one of him lying around somewhere, but there was only one Bootstrap Bill for him to even earn that name, pure irony there. "Bootstrap Bill? The pirate?"

Will looked over at Nicolette gaping at her in shock, his father couldn't have been a pirate, he was a merchant sailor, and he obeyed the law.

"Aye." Jack stated walking back to the wheel untying it, he continued, "But a good man as well." With that he turned back to Will who was looking at him in anger, hands balled into fists that were ready to be flung. "I swear you look just like him."

"That's not true." Will couldn't grasp it and out of anger he laid down all of what he had thought was true. Jack turned back to the sea while Will kept on arguing the fact further. "He was a merchant sailor. A good, respectable man who obeyed the law.

Annoyed by him, Jack turned back around, "He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag." He turned back around with his hand on the wheel.

"My father," Will had reached for his sword unsheathing it ready to fight for his belief, "was not." Nicolette looked at his stupidity and rolled her eyes this man was hopeless, and she thought in her best efforts to not think of anything of his situation, it was frankly… stupid. She was thinking a lot of things about him in that category and frankly she didn't seem to like that truth that was presenting in front of her.

Jack heaved a sigh, seemingly not phased by the boy's actions, it wasn't surprising that he would fight for his belief, but if he had beat Jack that was one thing... Jack clearly remembered that he didn't. "Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting beat again."

"You didn't beat me." Will stated through his gritted teeth. Nicolette studied this and thought, I wouldn't point a sword at a man who was trying to help me rescue the love of my life. She would've said it too, but she didn't feel that it was the right time to put in her input of the matter. Maybe another, this was surely bound to happen again in her perception. "You ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd kill you."

Jack was now really annoyed with this boy, before doing anything he gestured for Nicolette to come by him and giving him a suspicious glare she obliged anyway. He then turned to Will, "Then that's not much incentive for me to fight fair, then, is it?" He held Nicolette by the waist and turned the wheel sharply to move the sail forward while ducking with her. Off his guard, it caught Will who was staring at it in shock and his sword flew onto the deck. The two stood right back up and Jack moved away from Nic, but Jack seemed to regret having to steer away from her warmth, and in the opposite sense so did she, but she had to mentally slap herself for that.

She wasn't able to come to the fact that Will was dangling over the sea; she looked at Jack, completely invoked by his action. She questioned to see what was going on in his dread locked head of his, are they perhaps tighter today? Most likely, this man was mad. Madder than any other man that she had met before. "Jack, what do you think you're doing?"

He shushed her and answered, "The boy needs to learn a lesson. Will you be kind enough to tie up the wheel for me to keep some sort of course?" Nicolette rolled her eyes and tried to do as she was told, Jack was annoyed, they were losing so much time, how was he ever going to be back on his ship again? He picked up Will's sword that was lying on the deck and pointed it at the now dangling Will who was struggling to hold on. Nicolette really felt bad for him and it pained her to see him like that, she never liked that face he made when he struggled, and certainly it didn't look any better scrunched onto the mast of a sail.

"Now as long as you're hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that matter are these, what a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you cannot. But pirate is in your blood boy, so you have to square with that someday. Now, me," Nicolette just had to roll her eyes, it wasn't a surprise to her that Jack had to add himself to the equation of Will not accepting his father's nature. "For example, I can let you drown but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by my onesy, savvy?"

Onesy? What about her? Nicolette glared at him and asked, "What am I? Dirt to you?"

Jack couldn't help, but chuckle at that and turned toward her, "Sorry, love, but your not one to be keen with the sails, believe me, I've seen you." She rolled her eyes and looked away, but Jack kept his gaze on her. Nicolette, feeling his eyes, turned toward him and he inquired, "Well?"

"Well what?" She asked annoyed.

"Anything to add for that poor whelp dangling for him to understand my lesson further?" She looked at him confused and he gestured for her to come along with it, "Come, come, don't be shy."

She sighed annoyed and glared at Jack yet again, who was only smirking. She came by his side and said, "Okay, uh, Will, for instance, I can right about now, slap Jack upside the head for being a complete and utter scoundrel," it was Jack's turn to glare at her, but she didn't notice it and continued, "but I cannot figure out how in the bloody hell he got you dangling nevertheless help you get back onto the deck without receiving angry glares from the man next to me."

Jack would give her many angry glares for slapping him upside the head if she tried, even if he had been slapped plenty of times by women, it would not change his belief, but he shook it off quickly and continued his lecture, "So?" Jack kicked down the lever on the wench bringing the sailing mast back, Nicolette and him quickly ducked it and Nic heard a thump onto the deck. She looked up seeing Will on his back lying down. She gave him a compassionate look as Jack continued, "Can you sail under the command of a pirate?" Jack flipped the sword, pointing the handle toward Will for him to take it, "Or can you not?"

Will looked at it pointedly and then hesitantly took it, not sure whether he was to trust this pirate or not. "Tortuga?" He asked.

With a smile, Jack answered enthusiastically, "Tortuga."

Nicolette couldn't help but ask again, "Tortuga?" She hated being left out, but she had to confirm it. Tortuga was the only free port of the Navy, she heard stories, of all the fights in the taverns, of all the rum spilling out of pirates' mouths. She'd always had wondered what it was like, but in another way she would not want to see the horrifying image that it might burn into her mind.

"Aye." Jack said walking back to the helm, untying the rope she had tied, she tied it tightly, almost too tightly, he was impressed. He took back what he said about her not being keen on sailing, she definitely had potential. Too bad that he wouldn't admit that to her. "Is there a problem?"

She shrugged and answered, "No problem. I'm just confirming if I had heard you right. That's all."

Jack nodded and wrapped his hand on one of the handles steering the ship. He'd always liked Tortuga, best pirate haven around, well it was basically the only pirate haven (except Shipwreck Cove, but he wasn't so ready to see his father… ever) that was allowed, it would be the pride of the Navy if they caught that many pirates, but they never felt the need to. They would probably be overtaken easily, just by the numbers of drunk pirates, pirates fight better in the drunken state believe it or not. There was proof of that in the taverns.

He explained to her, "We need a crew if we are to sail to Isla de Muerta, the three of us would be fine island to island, but in open water we don't stand a chance." He looked over at Nic who was digesting it, his face turned serious, "Now, Nic," she looked over concerned at the sudden change of his tone of voice. "Tortuga is not really a place for you at all. I suggest that you stay by me or your friend William."

She sighed and smiled amused, not concerned like she was before, awe, she thought, he actually cares about me, that's so sweet. "Is the dear Jack Sparrow caring for a blacksmith's daughter like me?" Her tone of voice was playful and sounded surprised. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you care for someone else instead of yourself."

He chuckled, he didn't think she was right, he thought that she was far off, but in his heart it was definitely true. It would definitely pain him to see her get hurt, raped, or even… he tried not to think about that. He said back jokingly to not reveal what he truly thought of the matter, "And if I didn't know any better, I'd say that the rum has gotten to your head, you didn't drink any of it right?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head no, she couldn't help but not hide her repulsed expression, "I would never, never, ever drink that vile drink in my life."

"Have you ever tried it?" She shook her head no and he chuckled gesturing toward it, "Don't knock it, love. But if you're not going to, can you do me a favor and hand it over?"

She rolled her eyes and said, "If you stop calling me love maybe I'll consider your favor."

Nooo, his head screamed and he sighed annoyed, he never usually called a woman her real name, well he had but that was beside the point. Oh, what he had to do to quench his rum addiction, "I will only call you your name for this entire voyage. You have me word. I'm a man that thinks loyalty is very important."

"A pirate who thinks loyalty is important... that's the strangest thing that I had ever heard in my life and it seems impossible." She stated in disbelief.

Jack only shrugged. "I have a never-ending streak of honor." Nic contemplated it for a moment and then she walked off muttering something about men and their rum and she took it off the crate that she was on earlier. Will went back to sharpening his sword, he still couldn't believe that his father was a pirate, it still couldn't possibly be. He noticed Nicolette snatching up the bottle of rum but didn't question it, he wasn't going to miss it, he didn't like it at all. It smelled vile and sometimes the color of it reminded him of something disgusting.

She went back to the helm and held it out to him, he smiled sheepishly, "Thanks, lo-." He stopped short in the sentence receiving a glare that could kill him within seconds. It felt so wrong to not call her love. This wasn't going to last, he will find a way around it. "Sorry, forgotten, Nic. Thanks Nicolette." She smiled gently as he took it from her. He mumbled, "Love," before he had taken a swig. Her smile was soon wiped away when she heard it.

Before she could note it, he held a hand up, going back to his serious stature that he had before, "Now, lo- Nicolette," this habit was definitely going to be hard to break, "go downstairs with William to find yourself a cutlass, judging by last night you can fend for yourself against pirates, so just in case you get into trouble in Tortuga you have a weapon to defend yourself."

She nodded, but before she left to get one, she asked, "When are we getting to Tortuga?"

Jack shrugged, "Judging by the speed we are going, by nightfall. And we are making excellent time, your friend will be getting his bonny lass soon." And he would be getting his Black Pearl soon as well. Nicolette nodded but looked down, oh yeah, her, she thought, she still had her feelings with Will, but she wouldn't admit them to Jack. But she didn't have to, it was written all over, the moment he had said 'bonny lass' her head went down in disappointment.

So that's why she's here, he started thinking to himself, she loves him, but he loves someone else. The look on her face didn't seem pleasing to Jack, he was going to do what he did best, comfort women of feminine nature, but he didn't want to press it. Not taking the risk.

Her tone was now depressed, it almost made Jack feel the same as her, "Yeah, he'll be happy," But I won't, she thought. "If you excuse me." She muttered and left the helm while Jack looked at her from behind, his smile falling, that girl depressed like that had to stop and he would make sure of it, too. It even put him in a depressing mood. He tried to quickly get over it and took a swig of rum, but the image of her with her head hanging in depression became imprinted and he figured that it wasn't easy to get over it at all.

Uh oh, Jack knows that Nic loves Will (or she thinks she loves him) but he doesn't know that she is slowly turning toward him ;) Hope you all enjoyed!

Reviews?

*Revised*