Hello everyone... here is chapter 29. Slightly happier than the others. =)
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, added to their favourite and story alerts. Seriously guys, you make my day! No, my week!
This chapter was beta'd by the lovely Why Fireflies Flash. She's brilliant, go and check her out.
Disclaimer - I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean... I'm just using their characters for my entertainment. And yours. ;)
Once again, important announcements will be made at the end, so look out for them.
Chapter XXIX.
A Pessimist, An Optimist, And A Realist.
Three days.
It had been three whole days since the... incident, and Grace still hadn't woken. She had stirred once or twice, but it was only a small twitch before she would fall still again.
Jack couldn't sleep in the same bed as her; he feared her waking up, seeing him, and thinking that he was the one to do this. The last thing he wanted was for Grace to fear him; to hate him.
So, he had ordered Gibbs to get a hammock from the hold, and set it up in the side cabin. And that was where he slept.
Mind you, he didn't really do much sleeping, seeing as every time he did, his eyes would make the image of Grace, bruised and bleeding, reappear.
Lately, his mind had been creating the scenario too. He imagined her, alone, frightened, crying out for help, but no one would come to save her. He saw him, groaning in pleasure as he took something that he had no right to. And it made him want to kill him again. It made him want to get his body from the ocean and beat him, despite the fact he wouldn't feel anything!
It just made him mad.
So, instead of sleeping, he either took the helm, or drank the images away. The latter being his favourite way out.
Of course, neither was a long term solution. They only worked for so long.
'What is wrong with her?' He asked Ellen, as he, Erik, and Ellen gathered around the helm, looking over to the cabin door.
'It's just her way of coping, Jack. She's went through a fright, her body is recuperating.' Ellen replied, trying to show her friends that there was nothing to worry about. Of course, they didn't listen.
'"Her way of coping," seriously? That's your answer?' Jack retorted and Ellen just rolled her eyes.
'Yes. Her way of coping, Jack!' Ellen repeated, but not before heaving a sigh. 'I always thought you were the eternal optimistic, what changed?'
'I was. No, I am. Nothing's changed.' He muttered, inspecting his nails, a tell-tale sign that he wanted this conversation to go away.
'What if she doesn't wake up?' Erik asked, speaking for the first time since they grouped together.
Ellen groaned.
'Not you as well! Listen! She will wake up! Just give her time. How would you feel if something like that had to happen to you? It's a fright to the system. Give. Her. Time.' Ellen declared, before sighing heavily again.
She wrapped her shawl tighter around her shoulders.
'Look, I'm going to start dinner. You two shut up. She'll be fine. Honestly!'
But try as hard as they could, they couldn't believe her. They simply watched her walk away to the galley - how she could stay in there, they'd never know, after all, that's where it happened - and after sharing a glance, they both took off to separate destinations.
Erik left for the crew's quarters, where he spent most of his time when he wasn't on deck, checking up on Grace.
Jack retreated to his cabin, looking over her with worried eyes before he headed to the bottle on his desk, that was singing to him.
He was passed out, in a drink-induced comma that left him snoring loudly.
He was completely unaware of the fact, that in the next room, the woman he had been worrying about was twitching in the bed. Her face screwed up in fear and panic. Her body drenched in sweat as she tried to escape. Tried to get away from that man. The man who raped her; who was going to rape her again.
'No.'
It was barely audible, but it flitted past her lips as she tried to get him to stop.
'No.'
It was louder than before, but still not loud enough to bring anyone running. She was going to be left alone. He grinned at her, and suddenly a knife appeared in his hand.
'Please.'
He was going to kill her as well. She knew that much. She tried everything; she tried pleading, begging, struggling, fighting, but nothing worked.
'Please, no!' She exclaimed, loud enough that the captain sleeping in the next room stirred.
Was that his dreams or reality?
'No, no, no, no.'
She awoke with a start and a loud scream, that brought the pirate running through to the room in such a rush, he forgot exactly what she had been through.
He was beside the bed when he remembered, which was triggered by her cowering away from him, eyes pinched tightly shut as she hoped against hope that nothing would happen to her again.
'Grace?' Jack started, taking a hesitant step forward.
He didn't want to pressure her, of course, but he couldn't stand seeing her like this.
Her face softened at that voice.
That wasn't his voice. No. That was Jack's.
Slowly, and hesitantly, she opened her eyes. Seeing Jack standing there, looking down at her with concerned eyes.
His adrenalin was high enough that it was masking any effects from the shock of the high quantities of rum.
'Jack?' She whispered, apparently needing verification that it was in fact him. The man she loved. The man that had no idea she felt that way.
'In the flesh.' He replied and she smiled. It was small, and didn't reach her eyes, but it was an improvement from the scream that had just erupted from her lips not a minute ago. 'D'you want me to go and get Ellen? She'll help you get washed and feed you.'
Grace cleared her throat, hoping to form a reply, but nothing came out, so instead she just nodded her head.
Jack didn't waste a moment, he turned in his spot and headed out of the cabin, walking to Ellen's and knocking on it three times. When she didn't answer immediately, he burst in the door.
'Ellen!' He exclaimed, only to find her and Erik sitting on her bed, talking.
He didn't think twice about this, however, he just told her what he needed to.
'She's woke up! Grace! She's woke up, and she's sweating and needs you to wash her, and feed her.'
Ellen didn't stop to think; she didn't stop to react. She dove from her bed and rushed past Jack.
Yet, as soon as she reached the door, she stopped. She took a deep breath, steeling herself; calming herself, before she reached out and grasped the door handle.
She opened the door and smiled widely when she noticed Grace, sitting up on the bed, the covers pulled up to her neck.
'Did... did you dress me? The last time I remembered my dress was... it was... ripped.'
'Yes, Grace, I didn't want you waking up and seeing yourself like that.' Ellen shook her head once. She didn't want to keep that image in her head, let alone having Grace see herself like that.
'Anyway? You want me to help you get washed? Then I'll go and make you something to eat?'
Grace nodded her head once, before she got up from the bed, albeit a little hesitant.
Of course, Erik and Jack had to hang back, seeing as the last thing they could do was barge in whilst Ellen was helping Grace wash and dress.
They stood on either side of the door, waiting until Ellen came out to get Grace something to eat before they would go in. In fact, they had decided to wait until Ellen was back with the food and ready to feed her.
Truthfully, Ellen hated doing this, she knew her friend never liked being treated like a baby, but she was fragile. And if this was what she needed to do, in order to make her friend feel safe again, then she would do it gladly.
She had decided something simple would do the trick and so cooked her some porridge, hoping it would be calm on her stomach, and wouldn't go down badly with her.
'How is she?' Gibbs asked her, as he helped her prepare the meal. It didn't take long, and it didn't take two hands, but the old man was concerned about Grace and she wasn't about to turn him away.
'All right, given the circumstances. Jack told me she woke up from a nightmare; she woke up screaming. But she seemed fine when I was helping her wash.'
'So the bath was all right? I tried to warm it up, thought it would help her relax.'
'She appreciated that.' She stated, but when she noticed the older man's sceptical look, she had to confirm it again. 'Honestly! She sunk into the bath, asked who filled it, and when I told her it was you, she told me to thank you for making it warm water.'
His sceptical look vanished and was replaced with pride.
He had done something to help the poor girl get back to normal. Well... as normal as she could, of course.
'Right.' Ellen muttered, as she realised that the porridge was now cooked and she scooped some into the bowl that Gibbs held out for her.
'Thank you, Mister Gibbs.' She smiled, as she took her shawl off her shoulders, and wrapped it around the bowl.
It would get warm; she didn't want Grace burning herself, and her shawl was the first thing she could reach.
She took the bowl off of him, before turning around and heading from the galley to the door of the cabin.
She eventually met up with Jack and Erik, the latter who opened the door for her, allowing her to enter, before they too followed her inside.
'Gracey? Babe? I've brought you some porridge.' Ellen opened, as she watched Grace, who had moved back to the bed, clutching Jack's pillow in her arms - something that Erik noticed - stirred and sat up again.
'Porridge? Really?'
Jack and Ellen chuckled.
You'll be back to your old self in no time, love. Jack thought, only thought; he didn't want to say it aloud, for fear of reminding her of what she had been through.
Grace lifted her eyes from the bowl that Ellen had placed in front of her, and looked over to Jack, who grinned at her, the same golden grin that was her favourite.
She couldn't stop herself, she smiled back at him, hooking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, before she looked down to the porridge again.
After taking the spoon in hand and scooping it into her mouth, her face screwed up in distaste. She hated porridge.
'I know you hate it! But think about it, would you rather have something soft and smooth like porridge, or something crispy and chewy, and solid like stew.'
Grace smirked. 'Point taken.'
She was starting to feel better already. Her friends were back with her, talking to her as if nothing had happened, and right now, at this moment in time, that was what she needed, to pretend as if it never happened.
Though, she had to admit, having everyone watch her was a little... nerve-racking.
'I, uh, can you... I mean, I don't want to be rude...'
They took the hint though.
'Don't worry about a thing, love, we'll come and see you after you've finished, eh?' Jack replied with a wink, and after a small bow, he and Erik left the room, leaving her alone with Ellen.
When she was finished her porridge, Ellen took the bowl and took it down to the galley.
'Don't you go in there without me.' She demanded, as she shut the door behind her. 'I don't want her feeling like people are ganging up on her!'
She didn't give them a chance to reply, she just assumed that they would listen to her.
Which they did.
Only when she finally returned did they enter the room, to the terrible sight of Grace's head buried in her hands, crying.
Ellen, unable to stand the sight, rushed over to her, sitting down on the bed beside her and rubbing soothing circles on her back.
Jack stood near the bed, not touching her, but offering her the comfort of having his presence there. If she found any comfort in that, of course.
Which he knew she did.
Erik, seeing the sight of her like that, forgot about the fact that he wasn't the one that could stop her tears anymore, and reached out to touch her shoulder.
What he didn't expect - what no one expected - was Grace's reaction. She flinched away from the contact, and whimpered, pulling out of Ellen's embrace, she threw herself into Jack's, burying her face deep into his jacket and inhaling his scent.
No one could understand why she reacted like this, but they didn't ask her, and they had no plans of sitting down and discussing it. Ellen and Jack just gave Erik a look, telling him to leave the room right now, and that'd they'd let him know how she was doing when she had fallen back asleep and they left her alone.
Grudgingly, Erik turned and left the room, unable to understand why Grace - his ex-fiancée - reacted the way she did.
When Jack left the room, after kissing Grace's forehead goodnight, he was cornered by Erik, who had apparently not taken too kindly to Grace's reaction to his touch.
'I don't get it! Why is she afraid of me? I didn't do anything! And why isn't she afraid of you? You're a man as well!' Erik ranted and Jack had finally had enough.
'D'you really want to know what I think?' Jack growled, unable to stop himself, as he stalked towards the other man.
'The reason she is afraid is because of what this bastard did to her, savvy? He hurt her.'
Erik nodded.
'Right. Well, I have never hurt her.' Jack stated, his eyes dark as they bore into Erik's blue ones, that held nothing but fear.
Looking at him, you never thought the pirate captain could be so frightening.
'Think about that.'
What did you think about it? What do you think about Grace's reaction to Erik? And what Jack said to him? Review and tell me! =)
Okay, the poll has been closed, and the winner is Bye Bye Blackbird. So, Echoes Down the Stream (an HP fanfic) will be posted after this story is finished, and when the Confusing Two Sparrows series ends, that's when Bye Bye Blackbird will be posted. So, I'll never be away from this fandom. =) I've updated my Order of Stories to be Published list on my profile, so you can see what is coming up.
Oh, and if any of you are Guns N' Roses fans, I'm writing an Izzy Stradlin/OC fic, but it won't be posted here (as you know, real-people fics are not allowed), so if any of you wish to read that, let me know via review or PM and I'll send you a link to the site I'm publishing at. =)
Remember, like my Facebook page. I'm at 7 likes right now (thank you to all the people who have liked it so far!), and if three more people like it, I'll update as soon as I reach 10. So, if that happens today, prepare for a double update. If that happens tomorrow, then I'll update then. So, please, go and like the page, and I'll update as soon as I get 10 likes. =D
Uh... I think that is it... no, it's not, I'll be posting another poll within the next week or so, but I'll let you know more about that in the next update. Yep, that's it now.
Review, please.
~Charlotte.x
