Hey you guys, I'm so excited that this posted. I actually wrote this two days ago and have had problems posting it up but i'm excited that it's now accessable to you all. For those of you who didn't really know whaat was happening with the last chapter, you'll realise it now i'm sure. I really hope you enjoy this :). Please R&R. d/s: i own nothing but my own creations.

Chapter Eight: Freedom

Jack twitched his nostrils as he smelt the sea air and the sand, blown at him by the soft wind. He gave a sigh as he recalled what had happened the previous day, the other ship and him getting marooned in this island yet again….with her!

He suddenly recalled her being there and opened his eyes to check she hadn't taken what remained of his rum. His eyes grew wide as he looked at where his stomach should have been and saw the soft, blonde carpet of her hair.

Somehow in the night she must have rolled over and fallen asleep on top of him. Her Head was resting on his chest, one of her arms was stretched across his stomach and one of her legs lay diagonally across his own. He smiled to himself and hoped she didn't wake up soon.

He closed his eyes and focused on the way her body felt, sprawled across his own. Too soon he felt her move her hand and then stop dead and then hurriedly lift herself back off him and scurry backwards. She had definitely found herself on top of him accidentally. He smiled wider as he imagined the look she must have had on her face when she realized.

He slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to the side so that he faced her. "Morning love."

"Oh, you're awake now. I wondered when you'd wake up." She said hurriedly, obviously stressed and embarrassed.

Jack sat up, making it look a more difficult task than it actually was. "Augh," he groaned, "My back's aching bad this morning. It's normally only this bad when I fall asleep with something heavy on top of me. Did you sleep well love?"

Annabelle blushed heavily, "Yes Thankyou." Jack smirked at her and then got up, as did she.

"Well now would be the time for breakfast but there's nothing to eat so it looks like we'll have to skip it and go straight to the rum. Where is the rum anyway?"

"Are you blind?" Annabelle's indignant character returned. "What do you think those leafy green things are above you? And what about those curved yellow things attached to them?"

"Bananas? Well I suppose that is better than nothing. There's no way I'm climbing that tree though with my bad back." A smirk and she sunk down in embarrassment.

"Well if I climb the tree, what are you going to do?"

Jack grinned, "I'll be there to catch you if you fall and to enjoy the view."

Her face flushed for the third time that morning she turned and stalked away to the closest tree. Glancing back at him with a look that said "Just wait" she pulled the back of her dress forward through her legs and then pinned it to her bodice so it looked like a pair of pants. "That's one job lost." She smirked and then hurriedly tried to climb.

She did a pretty good job of climbing the tree, Jack had to admit. Arms possessing strength that he'd obviously underestimated pulled her body after them, a continuous rhythm.

When she got to the top she snapped off a huge thing of bananas, gave a small declaration of success them gave a high-pitched cry as the weight of the bananas made her lose her balance and fall out of the tree.

For probably the first time ever, Jack was true to his word and caught her in his arms as if she were weightless. He held her close to himself for a minute, her face close to his until she smiled and said "Well are you going to put me down or not Dicky?"

After a second of hesitation, he put her back down on her feet. He reached out to grab a banana and was prevented by her hand that grabbed his own. "Oh no you don't. Being with pirates I've learnt a few things and I know now that it's in my blood. I am currently in possession of the bananas and have no reason or inclination to share them with you."

She grinned defiantly and he returned a half smile. "Can't a bargain with you at all? Any way that I can earn a portion of the treasure?"

She shook her head and laughed. "Catch me."

And with that, she took off across the island, laughing all the way. Jack didn't realize when he began to laugh as well.

He lost sight of her for a moment and when he came around the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks. Annabelle stood in front of a man, her face white with fear as his arm wrapped around her neck and held a knife to her throat. The bananas lay abandoned at her feet.

Jack held his hands in the air to show he had no weapons. "Let her go mate." He sighed, trying to convince the other pirate with his tone and his eyes to let her go. She just stared frantically at him, begging him with her eyes to help her.

"There's nothing you can give me mate. Either she comes with me or she dies, right here and now."

Jack started to panic, wait, why was he so worried? She was only a woman after all. He could always get another one. As much as he told himself that though, for some reason he didn't believe it. There was something special about this girl that was pleading with her eyes right now, the blade that threatened her life half obscured as the wind blew her long, soft, blonde hair.

Suddenly, she started to visibly calm and her eyes sparkled. "What has she thought of?" Jack asked himself.

"Sir, you don't have to hold that knife to my throat. I don't want to stay here with him. I will come…very…willingly." Jack felt momentary envy as her hand briefly moved across the pirate's trousers and cupped his groin. She winked at Jack and he looked at her questioningly.

The pirate groaned with desire and released her. Still holding him, she turned to face him and then squeezed with all her might, making him scream and then fall to his knees. She then proceeded to kick him in the same place until he fell onto his side, with his knees bent and his hands covering his badly injured body part.

Jack cringed. He could almost feel it himself. He almost felt sorry for the bugger. She picked the knife up and then threw it away towards Jack. Then she spat on the pirate and leaned down and whispered in his ear "Not in a million years Mate."

She stood up and looked at Jack, who still stood staring in shock. "Aren't you coming?"

She smiled mischievously and then they headed towards the dinghy that was their passage off the island that Jack most certainly would not miss but whose events would most certainly stick in his mind.