Hey, thanks for all the reviews. I almost gave up on this one but since so many of you are still interested, I guess I can type the next chapter. Although I already did and its in a different state, I'll rewrite it so that you don't have to wait and I can move on to the next one. Hope you enjoy this one!
CHASING THE CHASED::Chapter Twenty::
Jack lifted his head over the barrels and grimaced. The Commodore was a few blocks away with Kat, as Thomas, and a few of his men. Planning the capture sounded easy enough but waiting was something Jack was not good at. Sniffing the empty rum bottle, he grimaced and tossed it over his head.
"OW!"
Uh-oh, Jack thought as he twirled around. Smiling, he raised his arms in a shrug hoping his darling face could get him out of—
CLUNK! No such luck."Bloody hell! Shouldn't you try saving your strength, luv?" Jack rubbed his head and glared at the girl. Riley came up, rubbing her own head.
"Well, if you hadn't been such a pig and thrown that thing, I wouldn't have thrown it at you, stupid." Riley sat on a barrel across from Jack, her arms crossed.
"Bet you wouldn't have thrown it at the Commodore," Jack murmured under his breath.
"Why would you think that, Sparrow?" Riley watched as Jack shrugged and concentrated on the street. Leaning on the fence, he tried not to look Riley in the face. He could hear her shift in her seat, her dress making soft sounds. The thought of what she would sound like in his clothes, with him in it of course, briefly ran through his mind. Now he really wasn't going to look at her.
Riley did notice that he refused to look at her and grinned. Well, well. Could it be that the great Captain was jealous? Riley looked down at the cobblestones and thought about that. Naw, Jack was a lover of all women. Maybe he was just peeved that Norrington had gotten to a girl before he could. That thought wasn't as pleasing but probably more believable. She decided to test him, and have a little fun while she was at it.
"You know, I don't know why you don't like the guy. I think he's very charming." Riley stood up and began walking around, letting her dress hover over the stones.
"Yah, like a snake." Jack said with disgust. "There's the light from Kat." He jumped down from the barrels and walked to the other end of the alley. "That gives us some time to prepare before that charmer of yours arrives."
"Maybe instead of letting you capture me," Riley began dancing around, lifting up her dress. Humming to an unknown tune, she twirled to and fro not caring of Jack's astonished look. "I should let Norrington do it."
"That … that isn't part of the plan, luv," he paused, not really liking what she was even suggesting. She wouldn't turn on him now, would she? No, she wouldn't turn him in.
Would she?
"Hmmmmm-hmm-hm," Riley hummed, ignoring Jack. "I imagine he'd be a very grand dancer, being in such a high status." She put her arms out as if dancing with an invisible prince. She closed her eyes and let her feet move along with the music in her mind. "Going to balls and dancing with all the princesses with everyone watching." Her breath slowed, "What a wonderful thing to be …"
Soon, the cobblestones were replaced by marble tiles and the barrels became dukes and duchesses. Music floated from somewhere nearby, the notes so sweet and soft. She could see herself being in the middle of the ballroom floor, surrounded by men waiting to dance with her. Her dark hair bound up in tufts and curls with her bangs sleeping on her neck.
Bleeding colors of red and gold enveloped her body. Tiny emeralds seduced her feet, snug in their world of movement. There was no finer moment than this. The most powerful sorceress could not defeat her. The great goddess of love could not disguise her. The strong Athena could not master her. No woman was like her and no man could hold her.
Her dress swept up the wind and stirred the sky, scattered stars falling in flames at her feet. What dream was better than this? All the men in the room were watching her. Eyes of all colors trying to catch hers. Around she twirled, her arms in a dance of their own. She could not be caught, nor tamed. Free to roam, free to become.
Suddenly, a voice called to her and she stopped and looked into the crowd. She raised her hand, stopping the music and all other noise in the room. Whoever this man was had better learn respect for higher authority! She turned to the crowd, her eyes blazing. "Come here if you wish to speak to me." she exclaimed, her voice demanding and enthralling.
A man stepped out of the cattle of people. He was a tall man with blue eyes, no brown and yet, they were green. Long black hair pulled tightly behind him in a thin stallion tale. Fine fabrics of black weaved about him and a soft cloak held him straight. Boots that pronounced his entrance through vibrations in the floor. He looked at her through questioning eyes, trying to talk to her about something of great importance.
Well, it was of no importance to her. Here was a man worthy of her, standing so nobly like a prince who held the world in his palm. She smiled and outstretched her hand to him, beckoning him to come to her. He approached her slowly, looking at her hand and then into her eyes. Taking her hand, he stopped in front of her. She twirled her body and let it fit with his and guided his hand to her back.
"Dance with me," Her voice sounded low and unlike her own. Yet, the man smiled and grasped her tighter. When they began to dance, she could feel the ocean spray on her face. It was like waltzing underneath a waterfall.
His breath smelled faintly of rum, warm and dangerous. Around and around they went, dancing faster and faster. The music began to slow and their bodies clung closer. Eyes met and looked nowhere else. Hands intertwined and joined. Bodies were near and a heat rose up between them. The end of the song was drawing near and as if in step and tune, they swayed with the last lingering notes.
She felt his hand rise and his weight shift. Wrapping her arm around his neck, she let herself bend backwards as he gracefully dipped her. Her back arched as her hair touched the floor. His breath tickled her neck, her cheek, her lips. He leaned forward, his face brushing so delicately against hers. A tingle of excitement rang through her as his lips lingered above hers.
"You dog!" an angry man screamed.
"Wo, what's going on here?" a young woman questioned.
The spell was broken and Riley felt herself flush with embarrassment. Jack, pausing to glance at the Commodore, was still lingering above her. But as soon as the Commodore began running toward them, he picked her up and ran down the street. Riley was just glad to be as far away from that alley as she possibly could. Not far behind them was Kat and Norrington, and Will, they hoped.
"For a man with a lot of heavy clothing on 'em, that man can surely run very fast, wouldn't ye say, luv?" Jack asked, tilting his head over to the girl. He made a mental note of the blush on her face but decided it was best to leave that unsaid.
"Let's just get this night over with!" she shouted as they turned a corner, down into a small dungeon. Past all the empty cells and down another staircase, they stopped at the end of the tunnel. Riley leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.
"Hide back there, Kitten. Can't let 'em see ye," Jack went over to the cell right where the Commodore would see him and waited, sword out.
"Just want you to know," Riley glanced over at Jack, "that whatever you saw or did with me a couple minutes ago, didn't happen."
"Of course not, luv." Jack turned to her and smiled, "can't even remember a thing 'bout it."
"You won't remember much of anything when I'm through with you, Jack Sparrow!" The Commodore came running down the stairs, his own sword drawn. He ran down them two by two and was in such a hurry that he didn't see the rat running across the steps. Riley and Jack watched as he fell down the rest of the way, landing on his back. With a loud groan of pain, Norrington closed his eyes and passed out. Jack thrust his sword back into it's sheath in disgust.
"Well, that was a waist of a good plan!" he shouted. "Why didn't we just push him down the bloody stairs in the first place!" Growling in frustration, he headed back up the stairs where he met Kat and Will.
"Did you take care of him, Jack?" Will asked, his hand quickly hiding behind him. Kat, on the other hand wasn't quick enough and let her hand remain in the air a few seconds before pulling them back. (if you don't know what just happened, then you need to go read some Dr.Suess books)
"Blasted moron did hisself in," Jack pulled his coat closer to his body, suddenly aware of the cold ocean air. "Tripped down the stairs and knocked his bloody self out."
"Better than you two getting in a fight of testosterone," Riley came out and took the small coat Kat was offering. "Thanks." She buttoned it all the way up, glad that her cleavage was no longer on display. Kat just shrugged and smiled. Then, her eyes lit up and she sighed. The girls exchanged glances and knew that they wouldn't be getting any sleep for that night.
Tomorrow would be another day.
::END OF CHAPTER TWENTY::
Okay, so its actually a lot different from what I had originally wrote (which was that Jack was supposed to 'seduce' Riley with the commodore watching and then they're supposed to fight. Except, Riley is supposed to be all 'no, I don't think I like you and I still think you're a pig' whole kind of thing. I can put that in to the next chapter if you'd like. Add any ideas or something, just a tidbit of something even and I can add it in. not like I'm out of ideas or anything but just in case you did have an idea, I'd like to hear it. This chapter basically was about Riley going crazy … or is she? Could this be another vision? Could there be another man coming along? Oooooohhh!! Any questions … no, Lacey, I won't be giving out free chocolate and no there will be no kissing scenes with you and Will. And, if anyone sees any writing mistakes, can you please tell so I fix that? (spelling, punctuation, missing words, capitalization) Thanks!