That's the most reviews I've got for one chapter, yet! :-D
Dead-Girls-Watch – Thanks again for the review, hunny ;-)
Ping Pong – Indeed he did. Jack could be my hero any day. lol. Thanks for
the review.
Akalei – Thanks for the review and the comment on my writing. Much
appreciated and I hope you continue reading on with the story. :-P
AznShawti – Thanks for the review. Like I said to Q.Annes Lace in the last
chapter, I too think it would be very uncharacteristic of Jack and Ellie to
fall in love so quickly, especially when there's such a history with Will to
consider and Jack's pirate life would put a great threat on anyone he is close
with. Hope you enjoy this chapter :-D
Cat Girl Utah – Ahh! I just edited this chapter as I
got your review about 2 minutes after I'd posted this before! lol. It's
probably because I was so flattered by your comment about my story being
unpredictable *blushes* Thank you. And thanks for the review. Hope you
enjoy this chapter! ;-)
Q.AnnesLace
– A long review
again, huh? :-D Thanks for that! What I
said to AznShawti could probably come into your review response also. I was
worried that Jack shooting the man would be a bit…uncharacteristic of Jack.
There was actually another version of that little 'scene' with the two
of them that involved more threats and shouting. However after much inner
debate, I decided that Jack gave the message of an attitude: actions speak
louder than words and decided that the readers should accept him
shooting the man. He is, after all, a pirate and not incapable of such things.
Anyone, I'm blabbering on again. Hope you enjoy the chapter ;-)
Cursed Sparrow – (hopefully you're still reading this story)
Here's long chapter ;-) My longest yet! *Thinks* Not that I've done many
longer chapters yet, but anyway...
On with the story!
~~~~~~
Jack walked out onto the deck, inwardly kicking himself for saying such things to her. Things he'd kept bottled up for years since he was a boy. It was his resentment towards her lifestyle showing though. Or her old lifestyle. She could afford to have high morals and principles. Despite this, his outburst would only raise further questions in the girl's mind. Questions she would no doubt follow through with in the future. The near future if he wasn't careful of letting things such as this slip.
Still, she had her own problems to face at the moment. That would put the questions on hold for a while. Perhaps she'd even end up hating him when she actually realised what he was like and not care about the questions. He was capable or shooting another man in cold blood. He was a thief. A fugitive for that matter. Sought out by pirate hunters and wanted dead by others. He knew of her fascination with pirates when she was a child. He also knew that as a child she dreamed up a fantasy in which pirates were honourable, heroes in their own way just fighting for freedom. Granted, they did want freedom.
But he probably wouldn't have become a pirate if he had things to loose when he was a young lad. He had absolutely nothing to loose and piracy, thieving…it was basically his only way to survive. Not only that…he admired his father. A loyal crewman of Black Bart Roberts' ship, despite his 'tough-love' outlook on parenting. Rarely did he and his father share father and son moments when he was a child.
He witnessed the hanging of his father in West Africa at the age of fourteen. A traumatising thing for a lad to witness. Like the death of his mother only four years before that when he was eleven. Rival pirates against his father invaded their home and set it alight, having showing no remorse in making sure that Mathew Sparrow's wife and son were killed.
'Captain,' a voice interrupted his thoughts.
Jack turned and came face to face with Gibbs. He glared at him a little, 'You were s'posed to be lookin' out for 'er.'
'I'm awfully sorry, Capt'n,' Gibbs apologised, regretfully, 'I only planned to leave her for a moment. The man couldn't 'ave spent a long time with 'er.'
'Long enough for…' Jack stopped himself and gave a dismissive wave, 'Forget it. Not like she was 'urt.'
'Look, Jack,' his friend spoke to him, 'I don't think 'avin' Elizabeth 'ere is such a good idea. Tonight proves it. Yer just askin' for trouble, Jack. She's Will's wife. Yer gonna last yerself in hot wat'r if ya aint careful.'
Jack frowned, realising what he was saying, 'Listen, it's not like that. I'm just lookin' out for 'er, keepin' 'er safe.'
'It's gonna change soon enough,' Gibbs said, without doubt, 'I seen the way ya looked at 'er this mornin'. When she was cryin'.'
'It wasn't like that!' Jack defended himself, 'She's my fri…I just care about 'er, is all. Will woulda wanted me to look out for 'er an' that's what I'm doin'. It's nothin' like what yer thinkin'.'
Gibbs looked at him for a moment, doubtfully. Before nodding and walking by onto the crew's cabin.
Jack watched after him a frown on his face. He could
honestly say, honestly, that he had never thought of a relationship with
Elizabeth Swann in that way. He had hope for a quick night with her on the
Island but that was years ago. When he'd went for her upon hearing of Will's
death he had no intentions of pursuing a relationship of any sort other than
the friendship they already had. Even having a friend could be considered a vulnerability
among pirates. He swore to himself that he wouldn't let his feelings develop
any further than this.
~~~~~~
The nights where the worst. She was so used to having Will next to her, telling her of the day that had been. Granted, nothing much usually happened during each of their days whilst in the safety of Port Royal. Well, what had been safety for the past four years since the attack of the Pearl. Even On the rare occasion that Will had to spend overnight working, their son, Jack, would jump at the chance to sleep in the same bed as her. It had been rare for her to sleep alone since her marriage to Will.
The moonlight streamed through the window, giving a blue glow to the cabin. Her mind couldn't help drifting to Jack. His harsh words earlier had left lingering questions in her mind, as they would coming from anyone. There was more behind his character, his behaviour than she would have previously given credit for. She was sure of that now. The way his eyes burned with a passion as he let out his feelings of resentment for the world she came from.
Was he from a poor background as Will had been? Is that why he had depended on life as a pirate when he was a young man? She had read the stories. He was a lad of merely twenty one when he captained his first ship. Twenty two by the time his crew had betrayed and marooned him on that Island.
But that was as far back into the past of Captain Jack Sparrow the stories went. The books didn't recede further into his past, which was probably something Jack was happy about from the way he always seemed to cover up everything to do with his past. Her heart went out to the man not so far from her. For it was clear he'd had a hard childhood.
~~~~~~~~
Two weeks later, they were sailing the Caribbean. In circles, Elizabeth had
recognized. He had told her he hadn't decided on the destination he wished to
go to, so had simply sailed around the familiar parts of the Caribbean,
enjoying the feel of the ship rocking with the waves beneath her. Time was
infinite to him out here. He decided where and when they would go. This was
what he lived for. All that mattered and all he needed. Everything was right.
Except for the fact, of course, that still some of his crew believed that he was wrong in his decision to bring Elizabeth with them and had insisted she be taken back to her home in Port Royal. He had simply explained to them that she had and deserved a place onboard ship, reminding them that she was the wife of Will Turner and that had she not freed them from below deck of the Pearl, they would have been victim to Barbossa and his crew. After reminded of this, they agreed that she deserved a place, however very few were happy.
Fortunately for him, he hadn't let slip anything to do with
his past around her again. Not only that she had not questioned him since that
night and the awkward atmosphere that had lingered between the two of them
since he picked her up in Port Royal had slowly lifted over the past two weeks.
Like he said, everything was right. The way he wanted it to be.
'Captain,' a soft, female voice spoke behind him.
He turned from the side of the ship and smiled, 'Ellie.' He patted the woodwork of the edge of the ship, urging her to stand beside him, 'Y'all right?'
Elizabeth nodded as she walked beside him, looked down at the waves as they crashed gently against the side of the ship, 'Yes, I'm fine.'
He cleared his throat, 'Been thinkin' we might take the ship over to Singapore. What say you to that?'
She smiled a little, looking out at the horizon, 'I always dreamed of going to Singapore as a child. It's where my mother's sisters emigrated to not so long after my birth. They would send the most beautiful gifts.'
He grinned, 'So…that's a yes then?'
She looked at him and grinned back at him. 'Aye,' she responded, dropping her usual, proper English.
He smirked, 'Only been 'ere couple of weeks 'n' yer already turnin' into a proper pirate.'
She giggled and grinned at him, looking down at her hands that were clasped together. She looked up at Jack again and smiled, placing a warm hand on his upper arm, 'I really appreciate all that you've done for me, Jack,' she said, quietly, 'I fear I may come to depend on you.'
Jack looked into her eyes for a moment, before they dropped down to the hand resting on his arm. He swallowed, slightly uncomfortable and took her hand in his, lowering it back onto the edge of the ship, 'Just make sure ye don't get too dependant. After all, I'm a mere pirate who could be captured and hung at any day,' he joked, grinning.
Elizabeth, not seeing the humour in his statement, lowered her eyes and looked back out at the horizon, 'I may wake tomorrow in time to watch the sunrise.' She looked to the side at him, 'Perhaps you'd like your cabin back? It's been two weeks…'
He waved his hand, dismissively and smiled at her, 'Nah. Summer's a great time to sleep under the stars. I catch the sunrise every mornin'.'
She smiled warmly at him, 'Well then, perhaps I will join you beneath the stars to ensure I don't miss it.'
He looked at her and forced a smile, 'Perhaps.' He looked over at the sky in the distance, for the first time relieved to see the rain clouds closing in, 'Better give it a miss tonight though…looks like a storms headin' this way.' He looked at her.
Elizabeth held his gaze for a moment before smiling, 'Excuse me,' she made her way below deck. Jack watched after her, only a tiny hint of his perplexity showing on his face.
'Nothin' goin' on, huh?' Gibbs's voice spoke behind him.
Jack flipped around and glared at him, but could think of no words in defence. His friend merely kept his grin and continued onto the helm. Jack's eyes looked back in the direction Ellie had left before. He swallowed hard and drew in a deep breath, before turning and looking back out at the horizon. Never would he think of Elizabeth Turner as more than a friend.
~~~~~~~
Dum-de-de-dum…I'll have another chapter for ya soon, lads n lassies! :-P Oh! I
must ask you all something. I have yet to understand the meaning of these
words/phrases and was hoping someone would be so kind to explain them to me:
Savvy (lol, I'm hopeless really)
MarySue
They have only confused me since I have read/heard them.
