14. Wanting

I observed the pants, boots, and loose shirt that I now wore. I was very pleased; the clothes were so much more comfortable and easier to maneuver in than anything I'd ever worn before. As Anamaria and I made our way to the deck, I went in search of Will. I found him helping some other crew members pull ropes for the masts. "Will!" I called as I began to run to him.

Will looked up and saw me, but judging by the size of his eyes, he mostly saw my clothing. The rope slipped through his hands as he continued to stare and the others, an older man with a parrot perched on his shoulder and a man half my height, pulled hard trying to keep the rope in place. They failed, however, and were send lurching forward, knocking into Will in the process and soon the three were lying on the deck floor. I heartily laughed myself to tears.

"Sorry, boys," Will murmured getting himself up and helping the other two. The others grumbled angrily and went after the rope again. Will walked to me. "Belle?"

I stood, trying in spite to conceal the giant grin on my face. "Yes?" I chuckled.

Will's eyes observed my outfit once more. "You're choice of clothing is…different today."

I giggled at his reaction. "Thank you for noticing."

"Can I talk to you?" His giant brown eyes bore into mine. I was excited and nervous.

"What about?" I questioned.

Will took a deep breath, as if what he was going to say didn't want to come out. "About…last night."

My face obviously turned three shades of red. I bit my lip, sucking in by breath and glancing around. I saw Anamaria's anxious face and the curious stares coming from Jack and the crew.

"Can we talk about this later, please?" I pleaded trying not to focus on everybody else. Will nodded, but his large brown eyes were obviously anxious for the conversation. My insides nervously shook. I didn't want to talk about it ever, yet I felt as though I might've exploded from all the tension and not knowing what was running through his mind.

Jack ran to us in his usual, unbalanced way. I assumed he felt the awkward strain in the air, for he decided to bolt over to inform us he felt a storm coming on. "Ye best be on guard, she feels like a bad one," he warned as he took me by the elbow and led me out of the circle of eavesdroppers. He led me into the captain's office. Maps were posted over the majority of the walls and were pinned to the table. Jack sat at the table, throwing his feet on top of the maps and twirling a compass in his hand. "Miss Anna, wha' on Earth did ya do to William last night?"

I stood before him with an uneasy expression. He obviously could sense something different, but what had he thought we'd done? Blood instantly ran from my toes to my cheeks, making every inch of my face red. "Wha-what makes you think tha-that something ha-" I stopped. I was the worst liar in the history of liars. My attempted defense only quirked Jack's attention: he knew something happened and now he was desperate to know.

"Aha! I knew it! Ye gave 'im a taste of wha' he's missin' out on."

"You need to stop interfering in my life, Jack." It was a pitiful attempt at changing the subject.

Jack took his feet of the table and set them on the floor. Leaning forward, he grinned maliciously. "Tell me," he commanded.

I sighed in defeat. "It was nothing really. We got back and I thanked him for saving me from that drunk man, and then – "

"He kissed you."

"Not exactly. He said he wanted to, and he almost did, but I can't kiss him knowing that once we get Elizabeth back his wanting me will stop and be replaced by wanting her. All I had to do was say her name and he stopped moving."

Jack chuckled, shaking his head. "That boy is in love wit ya. Trust me, Anna, he may've fancied yer sister, but after all this, he loves you."

I shook my head doubtfully. "I don't think so, Jack. He wouldn't have hesitated then."

"The boy's confused. Fer all this time he thought it was Elizabeth he wanted, but now he's getting' his glimpse o' the truth. 'e don't know which way to turn." Jack's eyes stared intensely into my own. "He loves you. Stop resistin'."

Jack's words should have been reassuring, but I couldn't believe them. Compared to Elizabeth, I was far less desirable. Her beauty and charm were far superior to mine. My entire life I'd been reminded of it, by Father, by suitors, by the entire town of Port Royal. Elizabeth was perfect and I definitely had complications.

"Where is Elizabeth, by the way?" I asked. Will hadn't known much about the conditions of my sister and I'd been hoping Jack did.

And he did. He told me about the Black Pearl, Barbossa, and Isla de Muerta, where we were headed. I happily listened, finally feeling as if I was somewhere I belonged. As Jack spoke, he didn't look down upon me, expect propriety, or talk as if I was mentally defected. He spoke as an equal, which is, I suppose, what I'd been wanting my whole life.

A/N: Finally a new chapter! Sorry its been so long: with this being my last year of school I've had a lot going on. But I'm back on track! Thanks for all the reviews and adds to favs and alerts. I really appreciate you guys!