Chapter Eight

"Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand."
-Neil Armstrong

"Mmm..." I murmur, trailing my lips up my lover's jaw and pressing myself closer to him. "Wake up, you wretch."

Captain Jack Sparrow sleeps on, his face completely at peace as I move to straddle his hips and place my palms flat upon his warm, bronzed chest. "Ja-ack," I call softly in his ear, taking a moment to bestow kisses and licks upon the skin.

He grumbles something incoherent in his sleep, pulling me closer to him unconsciously. Grinning, I sit up, watching for his breathing to return to a smooth, even pattern. The moment he does so, I call out loudly, "Lucifer, someone's burned all the rum!"

Jack's eyes instantly snap open, the startled expression on his face priceless. He darts up, nearly knocking me out of his lap, but manages to catch me before I do so. Bright laughter consumes me and then the room, my eyes sparkling with humor and radiance that I had feared I had lost.

Said pirate raises an eyebrow, circling his arms around my waist as he watches me laugh and smile at his love for rum and my love for teasing him. Then that sideward smirk claims his lips and he shakes his head at me, his eyes shining from sleep. "That's not funny, Andie," he scolds sleepily, but his expression is disobeying his words.

I place a kiss on his lips, still laughing, then sit back once again to regard him. "Then why are you grinning at me, you fool?"

With one hand he reaches out to run his calloused digits through my hair, then sliding the pads down my cheek to take my chin between his thumb and fore fingers. "I've never seen ye smile like that," he tells me thoughtfully.

"Like what?" I ask.

His other hand slides up my back, over the tattooed wings on my shoulder blades, and then back down again, caressing the skin softly. "Like yer completely content," Jack replies, moving to trace my bottom lip with his thumb. "Darling, you can bring a man to his knees when you smile at him like that."

If I was more of a lady, I would have blushed and thanked him, but instead I just lean forward to press my lips gently to his, just a simple peck to show my affection. "Maybe I should do it more often, then," I supply, my voice slightly husky.

He hums in agreement. "Indeed. In fact, if ye do, I'll be forced to lay every bit of me plunder at your feet."

I laugh, but it quickly dissolves into a sigh as my eyes fall shut, my entire body tingling as his hand does a little free roaming of my chest. "Mmm, it's not your plunder that I want," I tell him breathlessly.

His hand moves to the side as it's quickly replaced with his mouth. "Is that so?" he inquires, sliding me closer to him as my legs fit so perfectly about his hips. I tangle my fingers in his hair, opening my hazel eyes again.

And then he's flat on his back, my body over his, with my elbows holding me up at either side of his head and my ebony hair frames our faces like a silky black curtain. Paying no heed to be gentle, I nip his jaw hard with the ivory of my teeth and then lick his cheek like a great cat, nearly purring as he gathers me closer to him.

Jack chuckles, rubbing the coarse hair of his cheek along my shoulder and then leaning up to do the same, laving his tongue over my skin oh so slowly, deliciously, that I can't suppress the cold chill that creeps over my body.

"AnaMaria will not be happy with you in the morning," I tell him with a grin, knowing she has been at the Pearl's helm for many hours now, ever since we boarded the ship.

He kisses me. "Let her be angry."

88888

Jack is still asleep when I wake this morning, his face innocent and his flesh blissfully warm. I watch him for a long moment, a small gentle smile pulling at my lips before I press a kiss to his brow and quietly pull myself from his arms and dress, in need of some fresh water to quench my thirst.

I slip from the door, being sure not to wake the slumbering pirate close by. When he doesn't move or change his even breathing pattern at the hushed noises, I congratulate myself on a job well done.

I find Chester in the galley, alone and reading a thick, musty book at the table. "Morning," I greet him.

"Good morning," he replies. "Sleep well?"

I smile. "Wonderfully."

He laughs, an honest rumble from his chest. "I assume Jack took a large part in that."

"Well, he took part in keeping me awake, if that's what you mean," I reply with a chuckle.

Chester watches as I pull out the chair beside him and take a seat. "Things were different when you were gone," he tells me. "Jack was different."

"How so?"

"He was. . . to himself more. He wouldn't speak of you, and no one would dare mention your name around him. AnaMaria let it slip once that you had left him bitter, and Rodney said Jack tensed up so bad he thought he would strike her," my former boss explains.

My brow furrows. I know that I have been accused of causing trouble in the past, mostly of starting late night bar fights and being thrown in and creeping out of many jail cells, but something like this? Could my leaving effect someone that much? Something this personal and emotional? Somehow, I doubt it.

"He seems normal enough to me. Are you sure he wasn't angry about something else?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "He was angry because he let you get away."

"Oh," I reply after a moment. What am I supposed to say to something like that?

Then, Chester suddenly smiles. "But things are different now. You're back, and the both of you are happy, correct?

I nod, my body still pleasantly contented and warm from the aftereffects of what Jack and I had shared during the night and evening. "Very much so."

"There's so much to tell you."

I pull my feet up in the chair so I'm sitting cross-legged. "Then speak up, mate!"

"Well, first of all, I found new information on this curse of yours," Chester tells me.

Ah, the curse. Or, the Signs of Athena, as we often refer to it as. Along with a strange connection to everything else considered bad and unholy, such as black cats and snakes, it is also not uncommon for the people around me to feel the effects of the aura and energy from said curse. In example, my first few weeks aboard the Pearl the first time had left the crew ill and delirious.

But there is more to this curse than bad luck. I am also rewarded with many strange attributes as of a quick healing process and sharp senses, along many more. With all the bad comes some good, Chester used to tell me.

And although I could use this power for good, and well, evil, I am careful to keep the two balanced. Frankly I am too mischievous to let the good overrun the streets and too heartfelt to allow the bad to do so. And well, because it's my job. Or at least it was, anyway.

"Apparently there is some sort of ritual to open Athena's Temple," Chester complies.

"Wait. . . what?" I respond, completely dumfounded.

"I was in Greece about a month ago when I overheard two men talking about a mysterious curse and the Blood of Athena. A ritual," he explains, and holds up the book he was reading beforehand. "It says here that the one with her curse is the key to the fortunes within the temple."

This curse is connected to Athena, the Greek Goddess of War, because of the strange connections with the good and bad that I mentioned previously. I was born with the same calling as she; to keep the natural balance. . .well, balanced out.

"So, that's good?" I ask.

Chester shakes his head. "Well, I'm not so sure, but thus far, I don't believe you will live through the ritual."

"Oh," I reply. "Well, that's bad."

He chuckles. "Yes, I'd say so. But this could cause problems if people know about the curse. Who all on the ship know?"

I think about this for a moment. "Jack. And Jaden, I think. Maybe Rodney. But that's it. The rest think everything is just a coincidence."

Chester nods. "Be sure to tell Jack to keep it to himself. I'll tell the other two. We want to keep this close to our chests."

I nod. "Done."

He smiles. "It's good to have you back, Andie."

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When I open the door to the captain quarters, I'm surprised to find said captain sitting up in bed, just now waking with the sheet pooled in his lap.

"Where'd ye run off to?" he asks me, his voice deep and gruff from sleep.

I slide into his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck to welcome him with a good morning kiss. "I was talking with Chester," I say.

Jack holds me close by my waist, and kisses me again. "He putting ye to work already?" he inquires.

"In a way," I reply. "Apparently he overheard a conversation about my curse being the key to open a temple in Greece." I was never really one to break news to someone lightly. Anything but blunt is not my way.

Jack's row furrows. "What?"

I shrug. "He doesn't know much about it yet. But until then, he said we should keep the matter of the curse between us. In case it should lead to other problems."

He nods in understanding. "Ye never cease to amaze me, love. Just when I think I got ye figured out, ye go and surprise me again," his mouth barely brushes mine, teasing me. "Unpredictable."

I smile. "And you love it."

"Do I, now?" the pirate asks with a raised brow, that golden grin lighting his handsome face.

I nod. "I keep you on your toes, always guessing. You love the challenge."

He chuckles against my neck, adoring the skin with kisses. "Perhaps yer right."

But the truth is, I know I'm right. I know him more than he would most likely want me to. He has always kept many things close to his vest, as have I. We break down one another's walls whether we like it or not. It both intrigues and frightens me.

"Situation number one
It's the one that's just begun
But evidently it's too late.
Situation number two
It's the only chance for you
It's controlled by denizens of hate.
Situation number three
It's the one that no one sees
It's all too often dismissed as fate.
Situation number four
It's the one that left you wanting more
It tantalized you with it's bait."
"Situations" -Jack Johnson


Reviews are wonderful, as always!

Just to let you all know, although I appreciate everyone's feedback, I am only going to start replying to people's reviews who have asked a question and/or the ones I have a reply to; I'm sorry about this but there are so many of you (which is great! Thanks!) and I have been running low on time.

MyChaoticImages: I love that you love the song lyrics at the end of every chapter. I thought adding a personal touch was something that would make this story different and more interesting, and the fact that it has made it more personal for you as well is great!

Dreadlockedpencil: I can't really imagine Jack in a velvet suit or with an afro, haha. But I have to admit, I love your interesting subconscious.

Terradaina: Wondering is always good, but I can't give anything away! You'll just have to keep reading to find out! I live in the US, in Kentucky. It's about twenty minutes from Cincinnati, Ohio if you know where that is.

VooDooJayneSmith: Hmm... I choose Jack with cookies, haha. Of course I listen to my reviews, not only do I love you all but I care about your opinions and such as well. Thanks for being so excited and giddy in your last review, it was most amusing!

ThePerfectFlaw: Well, in the third chapter when Jack and Andie are in the garden there is a bit of oral in there, although it wasn't extremely detailed. Oral sex is a big thing in writing because there is a fine line between crude and sensuous, but I will most defiantly give it another shot. Rodney had a playmate? Since when? Haha. Well, you're right, Rodney does need a playmate... which is why there is mention of one in an upcoming chapter!