Chapter 10: Can a pirate love?

The next night the black pearl made port in Tortuga. The ship was in desperate need of supplies and the crew needed a night off. Captain Jack practically ran down the gangplank, happy and excited to be in a port that felt like home. Beth, on the other hand, was more hesitant.

"Aren't you coming?" Jack asked her.

Beth turned a shade of green. "I think I'm going to puke" she said sickly.

"Don't tell me your seasick" said Jack shaking his head.

"No!" said Beth "it's because this port stinks!"

"You'll get used to it" Jack said.

"Somehow, I highly doubt that" she muttered.

"Come on, I'll buy you a drink?" he offered

Beth rolled her eyes but made her way down the gangplank and walked side by side with Jack.

"I thought you said you've been to Tortuga before?" he asked.

"I have once, but I barely remember that trip" Beth explained "I was only seven years old."

"I can't imagine bringing a seven year old to a place like Tortuga" said Jack.

"Well, you know my dad, you learn young or you don't learn at all" said Beth.

"Ah yes, how is Captain Musket?" asked Jack.

"His aim is still sharp" laughed Beth. Beth's dad Captain Musket was well-known for his trusty pistol that he kept on him at all times. She remembered stealing it a few times as a child and shooting it off on his ship the blazing horizon. She got put in the corner for using up all his bullets.

Jack laughed at her joke as he did she slipped her hand in his. Jack stopped laughing and looked down at their hands.

"What are you doing?" he asked confused.

Beth only smiled in response.

"Oh, I get it" Jack said holding their hands up "one, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war!" jack thumb-wrestled Beth.

"I win!" he said.

Beth's smile faded as the walked into a tavern called 'the faithful bride.' Jack ordered two rums for them as they sat down. Beth watched as a bar fight started, she watched it with a look of boredom on her face. Jack wanted to start a conversation, but again his mind went blank when he was around her.

'Why is it so hard to talk to her' he thought 'it was never this hard when we were kids.'

Beth turned to him, her green eyes shining like emeralds.

'She's so pretty' he thought sighing.

Beth stared at him. "Did you just call me pretty?" she asked.

'Did I SAY that? Or just think it? Was I talking? I must have been, she heard me!' he thought 'oh no, she's looking at you, say something!'

"Uh… no." said Jack nervously "I was talking about our waitress she's kind of pretty."

"Oh" said Beth going back to watching the bar fight.

Jack didn't know to say, he needed to collect his thoughts. He told Beth he was going outside for some air. He ran outside the tavern feeling slightly sick.

"Come on, pull yourself together" he told himself "it's just Bethany, she's just some girl!"

Though he said it, he didn't mean it. It was hard for Jack to admit it, but he thought he was falling for Bethany. He wouldn't admit it because than things would be awkward between them and he had a reputation to up hold. Bethany was more than just some girl, she wasn't just some wench he could just love and leave. She meant something to him, and it was changing him, somehow.

"What am I suppose to do?" he asked himself.

Jack looked beside him; there was a barrel to his left with a bottle of rum on it. He picked up the bottle and looked at it.

"I'm going to regret this in the morning" he said "but then again when have I not?"

~P.O.T.C~

Beth had been waiting at the table for two hours, she had finished her drink but Jack's was still on the table.

'Where is he?' she thought.

She went outside the tavern to look for him after running around town for five minutes she found him; the only problem with that picture was the blonde wench flirting with him. Beth wanted to cry, but she wasn't about to cry, not in public, not over some wench and especially not over Jack Sparrow.

"I should have known" Beth said to herself sadly "pirates don't love."

She walked to the docks and sat with her feet above the water. She looked at her reflection in the water and started to cry. She hated this, all of this. She wanted her ship she wanted her freedom; she wanted to be able to put Jack sparrow and love out of her mind.

Beth heard footsteps on the dock and quickly wiped away her tears. She turned and saw Jack standing behind her. 'Of course' she thought sarcastically.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly.

"Why are you crying?" he slurred.

'Drunk as usual' she thought.

"I'm not crying, I never cry" she said.

"Your eyes are red, luv" he said "you've been crying."

"Just leave me alone!" she shouted getting up.

"And now you're mad" he told her "what? Are you going through some kind of … womanly time?"

"What?" she yelled "no!"

"Then what is it?" he yelled back.

"Ugh! You know what Jack, I don't need you! There are plenty of ships at sea! I could pick anyone and sail off without you!"

"But you can't!" jack said pointing a finger at her.

"Why the hell not?" she shouted "you aren't the boss of me! I'm my own person! You have no power over me!"

"It's not me that has the power over you, luv." Jack said "it's you that has the power over me!"

Beth looked at him "what? That makes no sense!"

"Beth I dove you!" he said not able get the word out. Partly because he was drunk and partly because he didn't want to say it.

Beth raised an eyebrow. "You what me?"

"Beth, I grove you!" he slurred.

She looked at him, generally confused.

Jack sighed heavily "I love you, Bethany Rodgers. There, I said it!"

Beth's face softened. "What do you mean you love me?"

Jack took another swig of rum from the bottle he held. "Every time I'm around you, I'm clueless on what to say to you. And when I'm not around you I'm thinking of you. And when I try to talk to other women I feel sick and guilty."

Beth thought about this. Could Jack actually love her? Was he really nervous this whole time?

"Well… you know… I kind of…um…" she stuttered.

"What?" he asked.

"I kind of love you too!" she said quickly.

Jack looked surprised. "Oh…good" he said.

There was a heavy long silence for about three minutes.

"Can I give you something?" Jack asked Beth.

"Sure" she said thinking he meant rum.

But he didn't give her rum; instead he leaned forward and planted his lips on hers. For a split second she thought about pushing him off and kicking him in the shin, but she didn't. Instead she closed her eyes and put her fingers through his hair deepening the kiss. His lips tasted sweet and spicy like rum and she loved it, she loved every second of it.

AN: R-O-M-A-N-C-E! there you have it! Hope you enjoyed it! Reviews?