Disclaimer: Don't own anything except original characters. All material (c) to respective owners.
I just realized how incredibly odd, and yet fluffy this chapter seems to be. It's a good chapter, but I miss the action lol. I will get the next one up ASAP. Thanks for reading.
Chapter 36: Ramblings of a Pirate
"It wasn't your fault he got hurt." I tried to reason, but he offered me a wry smile at that and released my arm walking over to his desk. "There was virtual chaos out there Jack; everyone could have been hurt, or worse. If it wasn't for your quick thinking…we would have been." He shook his head a sarcastic look on his face.
"I should have known better…Dexter saw ye with me remember. I sent Anders to guard you." He paused meeting my gaze, I had a feeling something was coming. "He knows that your different." I tilted my head curiously. "I never do that with anyone…" he stopped studying his ringed hand in thought. "What the hell am I saying to her?" he couldn't think of anymore to say and sighed irritably.
"I'm a liability." I stated knowingly watching his expression darken at my use of words. "I could always go back to Port Royal…I don't want anyone getting hurt." I winced, someone had already gotten hurt and it was someone he actually did mind getting hurt.
"Yer not a liability and aren't going back." I was rather shocked at the finality in his voice. "That man should know better then to cross me; he's in for a rude awakening." Now there was a side of Jack I hadn't seen since he took out Barbossa in the movie. "Ye look confused."
I couldn't help the odd sensation he was fighting with himself. "You're acting different." I noticed his brows furrow. "You're also avoiding something, you look far too troubled." His eyes closed avoiding my probing gaze; he knew how to keep me out and yet was doing a poor job at it.
He stood which startled me a minute and walked around exiting the cabin without a word. I heard him calling out to Gibbs and then he come back into the cabin. I opened my mouth to say something, but he cut me off placing his finger against my lips and shaking his head. "She's good…never known anyone to read people this well, especially me." Without allowing me to say another word he pulled me into another of those kisses, which again sent me reeling slightly. Rum, sea and everything that represented Jack pulled me into his embrace, my questions seemed to fog out of my brain and all common sense seemed to dissipate. He was easily sweeping me off my feet again, manipulating the situation into his favor for the time being.
I glanced up briefly seeing it was dark and heard soft voices in the room; I snuggled further in the blankets and returned to sleep. I was safe, the voices belonged to Jack and one of the crew that I knew, but I was far too tired to focus.
--Other POV--
Jack had been thinking over things for at least an hour and finally resorted to dragging Gibbs into his cabin. "Anders is doing fine?" Gibbs nodded, he was studying Jack curiously.
Gibbs couldn't remember seeing Jack so, not Jack; something was troubling him a great deal. "Ye ave somthin to ask?" Jacks eyes narrowed suspiciously for a minute, he then glanced over at the shifting form on his bed with an even more confused expression.
"This is all yer bloody fault, that and Lizzie." He sipped at his rum tracing one of his many scars on his arm lost in thought.
"Jack…wha ye talkin abou?" Gibbs tilted his head seeing various things flash across Jacks eyes, he was trying to keep something in.
Jack winced, that was the last thing he felt like going into detail on. "I don't care to say." He sipped more at the rum in hand and flicked something off his desk agitated with the whole situation running amuck in his brain. "It's not possible…I have never and won't ever, she isn't any different then any of the others." He glanced over at the form cuddled in his bed and cursed. "She's changed me…bloody hell." Gibbs felt his mouth open in an 'O' of surprise.
Cautiously knowing Jacks temper well Gibbs sipped from his flask and steadied himself, in case of a familiar outburst. "Are ye sayin ye ave actual feelin's for her Jack?" he ducked the sudden empty rum bottle aimed for his head and heard it thankfully land with a soft clank on a pile of papers and books, Blair didn't even stir at the noise. "Tha answers tha." He turned to eye the bottle, hearing Jack curse under his breath.
"I don't have feelings in that sense, it's impossible…" Jack sighed glancing over at the girl that come from the future and literally turned his life upside down. "…I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, untamable, freedom seeking, and a pirate in every sense." Blair muttered something and rolled over on her side.
"Aye." Gibbs hesitated briefly before sharing his thoughts. "Tha lass is too." This time Jacks eyes leveled with him with a 'what are you talking about' look present on his face. "She was always a bit of a strange one. That girl was always in trouble, Elizabeth used to get so frustrated with her at times. She was always fond of her freedom, untamable in her own ways and I remember one day down by the docks…" he smiled at the memory. "…Elizabeth and Blair were messing around the water and Liz did something to annoy her, she pretended to not care and waited for Elizabeth to turn her back. Elizabeth went into the water and came up sputtering pirate…Norrington come at the call. Unfortunately both girls got into a whole mess of trouble over that…Governor Swann had them both sitting in corners and doing chores for a week." He noticed a small smirk on Jacks face.
"What are ye telling me mate?" Jack found the story oddly amusing and terrifying in a sense as well.
"I'm sayin the reason she migh affect ye is because…yer alike." Gibbs waited for another rum bottle to fly, or Jack to loose his cool but nothing happened. "Jack?" he noticed a suddenly nervous expression cross Jacks face, he could have sworn the captain he had known for years suddenly seen the ghost of his past, present and future.
"You're afraid because we're alike." Jack remembered a quote along those lines, when he was being rather unpleasant to her in the beginning. "Gibbs…I'm not feeling like myself, ye keep things running tomorrow with Anna…I'll be there sometime in the later morning early afternoon." Gibbs nodded already seeing he had struck something that unnerved Jack and quickly left the cabin.
--Original POV--
I yawned slightly aware of the door closing and hesitantly rolled over; Jack looked almost as white as the sheet around my body at the moment. He reached for his bottle of rum taking a long drink and leaned on the edge of the desk. "What did I miss?" he looked either terrified or shocked into a stupor, wasn't sure which.
I hesitantly studied him longer, then finally spoke. "Jack?" I never seen that man jump so high in my life, which soon followed his familiar odd hand movements.
Taking a deep breath he looked over seeing I was now awake. "Ye scared me." I slowly sat up watching him cautiously walk over and sit on the bed. "Didn't realize ye had woken up." He was avoiding the question I had yet to ask.
"I won't bite…unless you ask." He realized he was leaning away from me and smirked at my implications. "What happened…you look sick." He studied me for a long minute and shrugged.
"Not feeling myself at the moment." I nodded watching him slowly slip out of his pants and climb back into bed. Cautiously I wrapped my arm around him and smiled feeling him return the gesture. "I'm fine love…don't worry so much." I nodded, feeling an odd sense of worry coming from him but finally fell back to sleep. "I'm not fine…she somehow has affected me." He fell into a confused sleep.
Knock, Knock
I rolled over at the sound of knocking and reluctantly sat up; Jack was gone and judging by the light it had to be late in the afternoon. I remembered him vaguely mentioning it was nearly eleven and he had to go check on the ship, but it felt like hours ago. I climb out of bed and quickly tossed on a pair of tan pants and navy blue shirt, brushing out my hair upon walking to the door. I opened it to reveal a rather healthy looking Anders, currently with an arm resting around his wounded side.
"Morning Anders." I smiled warmly tossing my brush among my things. "Jack send you?" he smiled slightly at this, but motioned me out of the cabin without answering.
I followed him easily up to the deck squinting against the afternoon light; I was informed by my current walking companion that it was nearly two in the afternoon. Once at the back of the ship he tilted his head, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Anders winced briefly when turning to face me. "Why did ye try to help me the other day, ye were in danger…I could have handled myself fine." I studied him feeling surprised he would ask such a thing.
"You were hurt and badly. I couldn't just abandon you…wouldn't have if you hadn't looked about ready to toss me to Anna-Maria like a fly or something either." He chuckled at this glancing back across the water. "Not in my nature to abandon someone."
He again chuckled watching as I rose a brow curiously. "Jack is right, ye be too bloody nice." I frowned at this; I had heard that far too much lately. "He talked with me and Gibbs a bit last night didn't act all together like himself. Was curious if you knew what was going on?" I shook my head; I had sensed the same thing the other night too. "Thought not."
"Anders…do you and Gibbs know something and aren't telling me?" he glanced at me out of the corner of his eye briefly. "I feel like your analyzing me for some reason and testing me too." I saw a brief flicker of a smile on his face, before he turned brushing his dark hair from his eyes.
"Ye are very smart, that much was true." I gave him a questioning glance. "Tia mutters often…she isn't as insane as you might think." I finally remembered what Jack had told me the night before, and was curious to what he was getting at. "He will in time explain things, I just am not saying what is on me mind…don't ask questions just keep doing what yer doing."
I eyed him wondering if he and Tia Dalma had more in common then I thought. "I feel like I fell into a riddle." He chuckled wandering off back to whatever duties he could manage with his current injury.
I was far too confused by then and almost winced when Gibbs come over to me. "Ye alright lass?" I shook my head and tilted it to the side. "Anders?"
"Gibbs…what did I miss?" I sighed leaning slightly on the railing and watching the water caress the sides of the Black Pearl.
"Nothin." This time I closed my eyes muttering irritably at the run around I seemed to be getting that morning. "Ye can figure it out on yer own, seen ye do tha before." I gave him a sidelong glance.
"Gibbs…you know my patience too." He nodded taking a sip out of a familiar flask. "They are running very thin." He nearly choked on his drink turning to eye me worriedly.
Gibbs glanced around to be sure all was clear. "I am only sayin one thin." I leaned over to him; he was speaking awfully low at the moment. "Ye be a good thin for Jack, best thin in a long while." He easily sauntered off leaving me, even more confused then I already had been.
"Can anyone give me a straight answer around this ship?" I sighed surrendering to the odd afternoon events, then went off to find Jack. I easily dodged around the crew talking briefly with Anna-Maria about the screwy days events, and then finally found Jack attempt to sneak off below to what I assumed to be the rum storage. "He looks far too tired." I wondered if he was coming down with something and went after him. I noticed he didn't take long to vanish from sight and guessed my way around; I finally heard some familiar murmurings and discovered the rum storage. Cautiously I walked into the storage and followed the familiar muttering, finding him seated on a crate and staring at a half gone bottle of rum. Before I stepped out to talk with him he said some things that made me freeze in surprise.
Jack took a long swig of his rum. "Impossible…I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." He scowled staring at the bottle in hand. "I care for her, it's not possible though…I'm a bloody pirate." He glowered at the bottle and sighed miserably. "She's from another century, she claimed to be a lot like me…and now I'm seeing it in her. She's a pirate deep down, too nice though…pirate princess maybe." He finished off the bottle in hand and chuckled at his choice of words. "I don't know the meaning of the bloody word, Anders and Gibbs easily put it in me thoughts though. I'm not capable of…lo-loving someone." He wrinkled his nose at how it seemed to struggle from his mouth. "I can't love her…she's from a whole other world." He reached for another bottle of rum and muttered some more. "Is it possible for me to actually care that much?" he wondered aloud.
"Anders and Gibbs…they're trying to get him to admit feelings?" I listened to him mutter some more and nearly fell over when I heard the word 'love' mentioned in his random ramblings. "Do those two know more then they're letting on…could he care that much?" I felt my stomach knot suddenly; feelings, love and those types of things didn't seem compatible with Jack Sparrow. They weren't compatible as far as I knew, I had studied the movies to the point where Elizabeth threatened to take them away; there was no way possible he could fall in love with someone. "Is there a possibility he could?" my inner voice was fighting with my common sense and in the process; my heart was getting beaten all to hell. I was confused, excited, hopeful and everything in between.
I listened to him randomly mutter some more. "Pirate princess…angel of the sea?" he smirked again; she had proven she could be an angel and a demon at the same time. "Demon woman at times too." I wrinkled my own nose at his reference, I wasn't that bad or was I? "Can I actually…" he appeared to struggle with a word. "…are they right, have I, rather can I fall in love? Is she actually the one to change that aspect of my life?" he glanced down his now empty rum bottle and sighed. "Why is the rum always gone?"
I bit my lip to stop from laughing, I then carefully snuck back out of the rum storage to let him muse over his thoughts. Clearly the thing plaguing Jack was whatever we had together; I knew then why Gibbs and Anders had been so cautious about prying into things. I also knew why Jack had been acting so out of character, but did I dare believe that I had gotten my wish and the man had somehow fallen in love with me, Elizabeth's best friend of all people? I shook my head and decided to go up to the crows nest for the afternoon; I needed to clear my head.
--Jack's POV & Others--
"Gibbs…ye muddled my mind." Jack tossed aside his empty bottle and staggered more so then usual to his feet, even he was pushing his luck that day and knew it. He easily made his way out to the deck and saw business as usual around him, he also took notice that Blair was in the crows nest and chuckled. "Pirate princess with monkey abilities." He smirked at his thoughts and went back to the helm.
"Jack?" he glanced over his shoulder and offered a curt nod to Gibbs, Anders wasn't far off and took notice to the sarcasm in the gesture. "I know yer annoyed…I jus state it like it is captain." He noticed a prominent scowl appear on his face, before Gibbs quickly returned to his duties.
Jack was well aware of Anders coming up behind him and muttered something to himself. "Yes mate?" he relinquished the helm grudgingly to one of the other crew members and turned to face Anders, he knew he wasn't going to be left alone any time soon.
"Ye done talking yerself out of them yet?" Jack played stupid raising a brow in confusion and waving his hands around as if expecting him to say more. "Jack…I've known ye far too long, that woman has gotten to ye and ye aren't talking yerself out of those feelings…" He kept his laughter in check watching a very disgusted look grace Jacks face. "…I know ye hate feelings and that word more then anything, but face it. She's put up with ye at yer worst, brought ye back from the hell Lizzie left ye in, and she cares more for ye then she should. What are ye going to do about it?" he crossed his beefy arms and watched Jacks face turn from disgusted to a more irritated and somewhat defeated look.
Jack gave him his darkest scathing look and crossed his arms, choosing several more curses over an answer. "I don't bloody well know…it would be in yer and Gibbs best interest to stay out of it." He narrowed his eyes watching Anders open his mouth to say more. "I'll think on it…ye aren't going to let me be obviously." He made a shooing gesture hearing Anders chuckle before walking away. "Gibbs, Anders and Anna-Maria are probably the only ones that I let get away with that, or dare to try to get away with it." He shook his head staring up at the crows nest.
--Original POV--
I decided I had enough of watch duty and started my way back down to the deck below; Anders was waiting for my landing and smirked up at me. I decided to show off a bit and flipped down the last few rungs, landing easily on my feet.
"All yours Anders." I glanced up at the helm, seeing Jack was staring in our direction an odd expression on his face. "What did you and Gibbs do to him…he looks worse then when I left." He eyed me curiously; it promptly reminded me how stupid I was to admit to have seen him. "I sort of…
"Played pirate…ye did exactly what Gibbs said ye would. Now that ye have an idea…get a move on girl." I eyed Anders as though he had grown another appendage or something. "Go on." He nudged me lightly.
"Fine…" I glanced up at Jack seeing him tilt his head in a curious fashion. "…If I go overboard you and Gibbs better both be there, otherwise pray I drown." I snorted in irritation and made my way back across the deck, hoping to meet Jack halfway.
I barely got within a few feet and Jack started to the cabin waving his hand behind him in a gesture for me to follow him. I rolled my eyes determined not to say anything and followed after him. I kept my eyes steady on him as he paced inside of the cabin, I wasn't entirely sure what was coming but I knew he would eventually wear a hole in the floor if he didn't stop before long. I repeated the day's events that had occurred and tilted my head watching him suddenly stop realizing he was making me a bit suspicious, or worried.
He glanced everywhere but me and finally sighed sitting on the edge of his bed, resting his chin on his now crossed fingers. "Ye have been looking at me oddly lately love, should I ask what's on yer mind, or tell ye what's on mine?" I walked quietly over and grabbed the chair that I had once sat on nursing his once broken ribs; I then sat in front of him meeting his dark gaze.
"Is that a question or answer?" he smiled briefly, and then met my gaze again.
"Ye come to find me earlier…" I nodded, keeping my gaze with his. I wasn't going to lie to him and he knew it. "…Thank ye for not intruding on my thoughts and making this more complicated." I wasn't sure if he was being sincere or sarcastic at the moment.
"You needed your own time and your own answers. I figured it out a long time ago, I was actually trying to say more on the subject, but you stopped me." He furrowed his brows watching me carefully; I could feel his intense gaze practically burning through me. "It's not impossible…nothing is, things just seem improbable until one does something about it." His brows shot up and his face went slightly curious.
"Ye sure, ye aren't a philosopher or something love?" I shook my head, his humor wasn't like usual; I could sense he was considering the situation. "Yer too good for your own…
"Good. I hear that a lot lately, what is it with that anyway?" I noticed a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "I'm no angel, far from it actually."
"Yer a pirate princess…a pirate in some aspects, and a princess in others. Ye just be nice and care far too much, that is what makes ye unique." He stopped lowering his hands and reaching out pulling the chair closer and me with it. "Question is what do you see in me, that deserves that unique like quality…why do you care?" this was a bit of a shock for me, I hadn't really considered that.
I thought over the long talks I had with Elizabeth and Will, even if they didn't like my infatuation with Jack. "I care and don't need a reason, I feel connected with you…that's all I can really say, or explain." I noticed his eyes close and watched him lean back falling across the bed. "I must have said something wrong." I stood sitting on the bed and cautiously slid up where I could watch him. "Jack?"
His eyes slowly opened meeting my worried gaze. "Yer going to haunt me." I felt my face fall into a puzzled expression. "I didn't mean that in a bad way, somehow you've changed me, or reminded me of a part I didn't know existed. You pirated my heart…somehow." I felt realization slowly dawning across my face and watched his hand wave lightly in the air as he spoke. "Ye be a pirate, but somehow ye pirated me…the pirate princess that tamed Captain Jack Sparrow." I studied his odd expression watching his hand pause in the air. "Ye know something?" I shook my head; he was speaking more or less in his usual riddle filled, complicated fashion. "I don't care…ye can only tame a pirate so far."
I leaned over studying his expression; he appeared totally off in his own little world. "Jack?" he glanced up and smiled almost amusedly.
"Ye confused yet?" I felt a small smile tugging at my lips and nodded. "Aye, me too." I felt his hand slowly lace into my hair and pull me down to meet him halfway. "Ye know what yer getting mixed up in right?" I felt his lips claim mine before I could say anything, this kiss was different then the others, almost possessive but in a very pleasant way.
He broke away slowly, watching me studying him thoughtfully. "I knew what I was getting into, when I first come to your room…but…" I took a minute to consider my words carefully. "I wouldn't change it or take anything back." His familiar devilish smile slowly appeared and he pulled me down on top of him.
"Ye knew long before that…ye knew the minute ye met me. Ye know me better then most…ye said we were a lot alike." I smiled feeling his hand lightly brushing through my hair. "Ye stole my most prized treasure, something I forgot I could actually give." I smiled in spite of myself. "I think…" he paused thinking it over carefully. "I know…it's possible. I love ye." I felt my stomach flip, it was true.
"He loves me, he the famous captain Jack Sparrow…I don't believe it." I studied his expression for a long time, he was more serious then I had ever seen him before. "He means it." I leaned down near him and kissed him very softly. "I love you too…have for a very long time." This time everything changed, I had gotten through Jacks strongest barrier and now had my wish come true.
I didn't feel like moving, even when I felt someone nudge me from my content sleep. "Not moving." I smirked at the various reasons Jack and I had accomplished to cause my lack of ambition. I felt an odd almost tickle sensation on my shoulder and ducked under the blankets, unfortunately that didn't stop the sensation and I realized finally it was Jack. He was trying to get me to wake up and the tickle sensation was from his feather light kisses.
I sighed giving up and rolled over glaring up at an amused smirk on his face. "I was content not to move…thank you very much." He chuckled at the resentment in my voice and shrugged.
"As much as staying here appeals to us both, we're stopping for supplies…before Tia Dalma's. That means, yer to stay at my side at all times." I realized it meant we were making dock at Tortuga and made a face. "Amusing." I reached over grasping my pillow and thumped it into his face.
"Not amusing." His startled expression was enough to make me laugh; he then caught my second attempt and returned the favor, stealing my pillow in the process. "Pirate!" I accused playfully, he offered a mock bow and stood to get ready.
He stopped seeing I had rolled over. "Don't make me pull ye from that bed and dress ye." I rolled over with my brows raised. "I won't get anything done if that's the case." I couldn't help but laugh at him; he was stating I was a distraction.
"Sorry to be a distraction…I could use one of your own terms against you though." This time he rose a brow eyeing me curiously. "Persuade me to move." I couldn't help the impish grin on my face.
"Hmmm." He considered that very carefully, finally a mischievous grin crossed his face and it wasn't a good one in his usual sense. "I could persuade ye overboard, the water would wake you up…it's late at night and nice and cool, as I recall during my rib incident." He smirked at the far from amused expression on my face.
"You would too." He smirked tossing me my clothes. "You're a pirate in every sense of the word." I reluctantly started dressing glaring at him, but the laughter in my eyes was giving me away.
"Aye…like ye didn't know that." He started gathering his effects, while I gathered my things around brushing my hair out and struggling into my boots. "Ye remember…right now Tortuga is not as safe as it usually is." I stopped hopping around finally managing my boot.
I walked over meeting his eyes. "When is it ever safe?" he chuckled shaking his head. "But it's fun, that's all that counts." I grinned cheekily and he pulled me to his side.
Outside the cabin I took notice that half the crew had already vanished, leaving the few members on first watch. "She's definitely got pirate in her." Jack scanned the docks for any sign of trouble and led the way casually off the Black Pearl. Once we got into town I felt instantly at home among the chaos, whores were walking around flaunting themselves, fights were abound and laughter was in the air. I was very much glad to be alone with Jack and get to see Tortuga at its best, which Elizabeth had always told me wasn't pleasant; I found it very much pleasant.