The Love of a Dragon

Chapter 8: The Softer Side of Sparrow

Jack watched Will depart to the holds again and called Gibbs to take over the wheel. Gibbs frowned a little. It was no secret to him that Jack fancied Dragon, all one had to do was see the way his eyes tracked her, or know the open threats he laid on any many who might harm her, but it was also not secret that the Captain was a notorious womanizer.

"Maybe having Mister Turner back on board isn't such a lucky thing after all. All we need is a battle of swords." Gibbs muttered to himself as Jack disappeared into the ship after Dragon.

Dragon was banging through her cupboards looking for supplies when Jack entered, surveying her rear. "So Dragon how are things working out with Mister Turner?"

Dragon, startled, banged her head on the cabinet while emerging. Cursing in Greek and thumping her feet, she curled herself into a corner of the kitchen. "Damn it all. Captain, would it kill you to not sneak up on people!"

"Sorry luv, force of habit and all that." He rumbled, that irritatingly mischievous smile still hanging off his words. He went to the sink, picked up a clean rag and dipped it into a bucket of cool water and came over to kneel by her. Much to her surprise he put a hand to her head gently probing. "Tell ol' Jack where it hurts luv." She looked at him suspiciously, but seeing only concern and warmth in his eyes, she pointed to a small bump on her head.

"Here," Dragon growled.

"You needn't look at me like that. I do care about ye. I'm sorry I scared ye Dragon. Does that feel better?" His voice suddenly gently remonstrative.

"Yes," she replied surprised. "I thought I was the Doctor."

"Well, someone had to take care of things before you got here. I'm not nearly as brilliant with healing as you are, but as you might imagine, I've built up some experience over the years with bumps to the head." They both laughed. She got up and put some distance between them again. She didn't like being too close. She started to forget who she was dealing with. He was dangerous, like a grease fire. The man had far too much savvy and swagger; very dangerous.

"Things with Will are going well Captain. He's a hard worker and takes direction from a woman well." Dragon reported a little too quickly, sighing in relief at the return of personal space.

"Good. I'm glad you're keeping an eye on my friend." Jack replied, smiling, his voice casual, but not missing her reaction.

"Friend Captain? I thought you didn't have friends?" Dragon jibbed, her inner calm restored.

He gave her a hurt look, but she wasn't sure if he was mocking her or not. "Of course I have friends," Jack replied indignantly. "Most of them are also crew tha's all. I have Gibbs and Anna Maria. I have Will and I have you don't I?"

"Yes Jack, I suppose you and I have the closest friendship two people who don't trust anyone can have." Dragon replied laughing. Jack wasn't laughing though.

"Yeh don't trust me?"

Dragon caught the serious look in his eye. "Captain, I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you. I trust you with some things, but only so far. It's not personal. It's just that you can't absolutely trust anyone. In the end people die, get hurt, whatnot. That might not be able to come to your aide, even if they want to. And you and I prize our freedom above all else and that means we can't be trusted if that's compromised."

Jack shoved down his vulnerability again. "Yes I suppose you're quite right. Later we should drink to it. To the closest friends two highly suspicious people could be. Excellent, I'll get the rum!"

"Captain," Dragon called out laughing. "I have work to do. Work I cannot do while drinking rum. The crew would be most displeased if I fouled up a meal on account of rum drinking in the morning."

"Late morning," Jack argued, pleased that he had gotten her to laugh for him.

"Regardless," Dragon retorted, trying to put a stern tone into her voice. "I will not drink while working."

Will came in and sat down the supplies, smiled and left for more.

"Excellent point." Jack replied as Will disappeared up the stairs. "Have Mister Turner work, so you can drink."

"Captain enough," replied Dragon, laughing so hard, so could hardly breathe now. "I am not comfortable leaving Mister Turner to my work. Certainly not on his first day, and not when I am perfectly capable of doing it myself."

"I'm glad you're keeping the lad busy. I was worried that would be a problem."

"Oh?" Dragon replied, curious.

"Well you are constantly busy and everything seems to get done. I thought there might not be work for two." Jack replied, drawing out his words and rolling them around the room.

"Oh there's always something that's needs to be done Captain. Having Will here means I'll get to sleep a bit more."

"Well I should hope you're sleeping enough girl. You're a pirate now, not a sailor nor whatever you were before," The Captain admonished his voice suddenly fierce. "You pull more weight around here than two of most of my crew and that's not a criticism of them. You get the sleep you need Dragon, you hear me and you send anyone who objects to me or the end of your blade!"

"Captain, I didn't know you cared so much." Dragon replied laughing lightly trying to lighten the Captain's strange mood.

"I don't want my doctor and cook sick and useless, that's all. I don't want you thinking you can be ill treated or taken for granted just cuz yer a woman."

"Thank you." Dragon replied, her voice tender and serious for the first time.

"Besides," Jack began, the swagger back in his voice. "I hope you will have time to do more than get enough sleep with Will here to help."

"Time to do what?" Dragon replied, her voice becoming playful and suggestive.

"Time for pleasurable leisurely activities." Jack rumbled matching her tone.

"Of what sort?" Dragon teased, starting to close the gap between them.

"Of your heart's choosing." Jack answered, drawing closer.

"Marvelous." Dragon replied, their faces inches apart. "Well it's been a long time since I've had that sort of opportunity. I'll have to think long and hard about exactly what I want." She replied, drawing out every word.

Then she turned abruptly and walked over to one of the cabinets. "I'll let you know if it's anything that requires your involvement or permission." Dragon's eyes locked on Jack's.

"Permission." He breathed. Jack eased back out of his lean, never breaking eye contact. "Be sure that you do." He smiled languorously and took his leave tipping his hat to Dragon as he passed out the door.

As Jack returned to the helm, Will brought the last sack of potatoes from the holds. He came into the kitchen and caught a glimpse of Dragon laughing inwardly, her eyes far away before ducking back into the cupboards.

"Did you find everything we need for dinner while I brought up supplies?" Will asked, carefully laying the potato sack by the others.

"No, not at all. The Captain was being most distracting." Dragon replied halfway between amusement and frustration.

"He does seem to have that effect on most women." Will sighed, his ill mood still hanging over him in spite of his efforts to the contrary.

"If you even start comparing me to some lovesick, empty-headed female, I'll skin you. I just enjoy a good battle of wits and when you're a skirt around that man, you better have damn good footwork."

"Good footwork?" He seized on continuing the conversation, anything to distract him.

"Yes. Jack is constantly trying to get me to drink with him for one thing."

"Oh? I thought you didn't drink."

"I don't but he keeps trying anyway making up celebratory occasions and the like."

"For example?" Will inquired, slowly becoming amused.

"Oh 'Talk like the Royal Navy day' or 'We got more Rum Celebration' or 'I opened a New Case of Rum Inaugural Celebration'"

"I see." Will replied laughing.

"You have to be very quick on your verbal footwork to get out of it without insulting the Captain."

"I see what you mean by needing good footwork."

"Yes well, enough of this. Work to be done." Dragon, digging herself out of the cabinet. We have everything we need here. Did you get everything on the list?"

"Yes," Will replied handing the list back to Dragon.

Dragon surveyed the food he brought up, comparing it to the list. "Excellent. Now we need supplies for lunch. I'll come down with you this time. I can't keep getting ambushed in the kitchen."

Will cringed inwardly at going back into the holds, but he followed and they got the lunch food. He half listened as Dragon explained where to find everything for lunch which was nearly always, cured meat, bread, and fruit and cheese when available. Will kept scouring his memories for something his uncertainties couldn't dispute as proof he was once loved by Elizabeth. Hours later, when lunch was long over and He was sitting in the kitchen peeling potatoes in silence with Dragon. His efforts were still coming up empty handed. Dragon, who had been aware for the last couple hours that his attention was poor, especially when he nearly drank a candle, was reaching the end of her patience.

"I'm not really one to talk about bottling up secrets, but lad, you have two choices: speak up or regain your focus." Dragon glowered.

Will sighed deeply. "Sorry Dragon. I was trying not to lose my focus."

"I'm sure you were." Dragon sighed exasperated. Then looking at him more carefully, his misery laid bare upon his features, her heart softened a bit. "She must have really been something." Dragon's voice gentled.

"She was everything." He breathed. "I loved her since we were children. She saved my life. I was adrift at sea and she saw me. She got the men on her ship to save me. She protected me."

Will went on to tell Dragon about the adventure to save Elizabeth and the curse of the Aztec gold. He finished by telling her about his rescue of Jack Sparrow from the gallows.

"Sounds like you're even now."

"Me and Jack?"

"No. Jack still clearly feels a debt to you, or you wouldn't be here. I mean you and Elizabeth are even. She saved you and then you saved her."

"She saved me from the gallows."

"No, her father did. You said so yourself and his motivations are as much about his affections for you as for his daughter. It sounds like he didn't do it to make sure you two got married or anything. I mean it doesn't sound like he really thought it was a great match from the start."

"No, I don't suppose he did and I can't exactly say he was upset when she changed her mind about me either."

"I wouldn't think so. It sounds like the captain was right. Blue blood won out in the end."

"Thanks that really softens the blow."

"You can't feel badly about their bad breeding."

Will laughed. "Bad breeding?"

"Well, you'd never see some pirate lass marrying for status or money. Status is useless. It can't warm you, feed you, or shelter you and money we get on our own. We don't depend on some man to amass our fortunes like some poorly bred useless aristocrat."

"I've never thought about it quite like that before."

"Look I'm not really one for being tied down period, but if I was, it would be for something more tangible than blue blood foolishness. I have plenty of money and life's comforts. If I tied myself to someone it would be because it was mutually beneficial and we wanted it. Money ain't enough."

"What about love?"

"Love's a tricky thing. Smoke and mirrors really. How do you ever know if it's really there?"

"I know exactly what you mean. I've been twisting the last ten years or so around in my mind over and over trying to find some proof of her love for me and it isn't there. I mean I can prove she cared about me, but that's it."

"See, tricky. But raw instinctual need. That you can know. That may not be love, but you can know you want someone in your bed or your life. Want isn't tricky."

"I'll have to ponder that one." He smiled and returned to his work.

"You do that Turner." Dragon replied, watching him for a moment before returning to her own work.