What in the World

Chapter 25

He eased Leah out into the hall and pulled the door shut behind them. He put his arm around her shoulder and she leaned heavily against him, her body wracked with sobs. He headed them towards the galley, and seated her at the table. He grabbed a bottle of rum, sat down beside her, and poured them each a mug.

"Here luv, drink up." He said softly, as he moved the strands of hair back that had fallen across her face.

"Oh Jack, what am I going to do?" she sobbed mournfully.

"Drink luv, plenty of time for talk later." He spoke as he slid the mug closer to her.

She raised the mug in trembling hands and sipped the liquid, feeling the burn as it flowed down her throat. Lowering the mug a few inches from her mouth she looked at Jack, "Why would he hate me?"

"Shhh luv." Jack said as he gently returned the mug to her lips. Making what he hoped were soothing sounds he began lightly rubbing her back waiting for the rum to take effect and calm her tears. When her sobs and tears had quieted he spoke, "Now where did you get the idea the Commodore hates you?"

"He said as much, said he never wanted to see me again, said he was done with me." Tears threatening to start falling anew.

"Leah," Jack said his hands and arms starting to gesticulate wildly the more he continued, "Ya can't be goin by what he's sayin in the state he's put his self in. Right now he's drunk…. he's more than drunk, he's….he's a rum soaked….. nay rum drenched….. A rum drenched…. Besotted by spirits, totally inebriated, alcohol filled, liquor sodden, pixilated, emotionally retentive, obtusely insensitive, lustfully frustrated, libidinally repressed, eroginously flustered son of a …..son of a …..Commodore right now."

With some bit of hope shining in her eyes now she said, "You don't think he meant the things he said?"

"Not a word of it luv." Jack said smiling at her hoping he was right. He couldn't go through any more tears from anyone at this point.

"Now what say you," he said with flourishing of hands, "We get you tucked into bed nice and cozy, and everything will be better in the morning, what say you to that luv?"

"I could use a nice soft bed. After a week in that cargo hold I must admit it would be nice to sleep on something a bit more comfortable than crates and boxes and odd pieces of ships stores." She said with a smile.

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Jack sat leaned back in his chair at his desk, his feet propped up on said desk, ankles crossed, absently tapping his fingers on his chin. He took a drink from the bottle he held in his other hand, "Hummm," he murmured to himself, "Well it appears that young Leah has indeed fallen for that stuffy bit of walking uniform that calls his self a Commodore. And him, bein the stuffy bit of walking uniform that calls his self a Commodore, has either by design or accident, and my vote here would be accident as the Commodore isn't near clever enough to have done it on purpose, has it seems thrown a wrench into the makins of a mutually agreeable relationship. I knew we should have hid the rum. The question remains however as to the proper way to revive and or renew said relationship in a mutually agreeable manner for all parties concerned, which would be, and for all intents and purposes include in fact, the fair and lovely Miss Courteen and the overly inhibited and grossly repressed Commodore Norrington." Taking another drink he smiled a rather wicked smile, the answer having just now popped into his head. "Aye, that should work."

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James awoke, and it took a bit for him to remember what had transpired over the past week. But it all came flooding back, the leaving, and the pain of her failure to say goodbye. The grief and anger started to build again. He didn't care if he ever saw her again, not after what she had done to him. He shook his head trying to dislodge the thoughts trying to take over. It was over and he was just as well off without her. He didn't need anyone. He was perfectly happy on his own. No need to dwell on any of it any longer. It was done as far as he was concerned, all best left in the past. His stomach gave out a rather loud growl then and realizing he didn't know when he had eaten last decided to go find something to satisfy his hunger. He heard voices from the galley as he approached but paid them no mind until he entered the door and found Jack and……..Leah? How could that be? Then he had a disturbing thought. Had that scalawag brought her aboard for himself? No wonder there had been no good bye at the dock. She was probably already in the Captain's cabin, maybe even his bed, waiting for him, the both of them laughing behind his back making a fool of him once again. "Now wait a minute you know better than that." He thought to himself, "There was nothing between them. You're letting your imagination run away with you." "If there was nothing between them then what was that you walked in on in the dining room that night? Was that imagination? I think not!"

Jack and Leah noticed James at the same time. Leah started out of her chair to go to him and was stopped dead in her tracks by the look on his face.

"Captain Sparrow, Miss Courteen, enjoying breakfast together are we?" James said in a very frosty tone, avoiding any eye contact with Leah at all.

"Ah Commodore, finally decided to put the rum down I see." Jack said with a smile, "Care to join us?"

"I think not Captain, I don't care much for the company you keep." And sent a glaring look towards Leah. He turned then and left the galley without another word.

"He hates me." Leah said dejectedly.

"No he doesn't." Jack said with a grin.

"He wouldn't even look at me." She said plaintively.

"I noticed that, wonderful isn't it." Jack said with a bigger grin.

"Wonderful? What do you mean wonderful? It was terrible, he hates me." She whined.

"Now Leah darlin, just trust old Jack when he tells you something, and what he's tellin you is that was wonderful, in fact it was more than wonderful, it was marvelously wonderful." His smile wide enough now to show the glint of his teeth.

Leah looked at him like he had lost his mind.

To Be Continued

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