A/N: What did you think of my little bit of romance, eh? *wink* If you like the little lyrics I've put in at the beginnings of some of the chapters, go out and buy the CD's! They're both very good! "Watermark" and "The Memory of Trees" both by Enya. All lyrics by Roma Ryan, as I've said before. I might throw in some Loreena McKennitt as well, from "Book of Secrets." Read on!
~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter Nine: Rhythm of the Waves
'I did not believe
Because I could not see
Though you came to me in the night
When the dawn seemed forever lost
You showed me your love
In the light of the stars.
Breathe life into this feeble heart
Lift this mortal veil of fear
Take these crumbled hopes etched with tears
We'll rise above these earthly cares.
--"Dante's Prayer"
By Loreena McKennit
"Book of Secrets"
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Awwk! Rise and shine! Rise and shine!" Anne slowly opened her eyes to meet the black gaze of a brightly-colored macaw. She sat up quickly and watched the bird hop around her cot. She swiped a hand at it and it flew out of her open door. She went and closed the door and pulled on her coat and shoes, and tied her hair up in the bandana, placing the hat carefully on her head. She left the cabin and went up to the deck. The crew were all busy working, but as she stepped into the sunlight they stared at her.
"Mornin', Ms. Bonny!" shouted Gibbs. Anne gaped, surprised. "'S all right, miss, Jack told us." Oh, like that explains it, she thought. She saw Jack at the helm, and made no pretense to be quiet as she stomped up the stairs.
"You told them?!" she cried. He turned and grinned.
"Sure, why not? I figured it wouldn't be right if I went around gettin' cozy with a cabin boy, eh?" he laughed to himself at the thought.
"I thought you said they would think a woman aboard is bad luck."
"They do, but I had a word with 'em." Anne wondered exactly what word. Threats, probably.
"As long as no bodily harm was done," she said.
"Well...." Jack's smile widened.
"I just want you to know I very much protest to your comment the other night!" Anne said, crossing her arms.
"Which one, the one about my snores, or-"
"You know very well which one I mean!" she snapped, not wanting the crew to overhear.
"Ah, right. And I suppose I should apologize for your feelings for me too, eh?" he said quietly.
"I do NOT have feelings for you!" Anne replied. His eyes, such dark eyes, searched hers.
"Are you sure about that?"
"You can't tell me you have any 'feelings' for me at all! I've heard the stories. Ten barmaids in one night-"
"Now THAT was a lie," remarked Jack. "It was more like five..."
"I can't stand you!" Anne groaned and prepared to leave. The Captain grabbed her arm and pulled her over to the side, by the rail.
"Anne, look at me. Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?" he asked gently. She opened her mouth to speak, but Jack intervened. "On second thought, don't answer that." Anne clenched her teeth together and glared at him, her body language stating very clearly whether the answer was 'yes' or 'no.'
He sighed. What was a man to do? He pulled her to the wheel, and placed her hands upon it. She looked up at him, confused.
"Do you feel that, Ms. Bonny?" he asked. Then he lay down on the deck and pulled her beside him, pressing her ear to the wooden boards. "Do you feel that? The Black Pearl is alive... It has its own heartbeat, its own rythm..." Anne felt like rolling her eyes. I think the Captain's had a little too much rum, she thought. But as she listened more closely, she could feel it. She could hear it,too. Maybe not a heartbeat, but... something. It might have been the sound of the water lapping against the keel of the ship.
"I feel it!" she said. She closed her eyes and let herself relish the sound, letting it flow through her, inside her...
"See?" murmered Jack. "All you have to do is listen." After a few minutes she stood up. Jack made her touch the wheel again.
"Gibbs said you never let anyone else steer," she said. He put his hands over hers.
"You aren't steering. I am," he replied. She could smell him as he put his head over her shoulder. At first it had revolted her. But the mixture of sweat and salt and sea air wasn't quite so bad anymore. It was said that no one could tame the wild beast. But, maybe, a Sparrow could.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Land ho!" Jack looked up from his spot at the helm, Anne beside him still. He couldn't help grinning as he saw the coastline draw nearer. Tortuga. It was good to be back. Many experiences he had had in that filthy island, both good and bad. His cheeks almost burned with the memory of the many slaps and punches he had endured.
"Tortuga? I've heard stories... Sounds fascinating," said Anne.
"I don't know if 'fascinating' is quite the word for it," remarked Jack.
After they went ashore, he headed off for his favorite tavern, the Faithful Bride.
"You are insufferable, you know that?" Anne said, as they walked in the door.
"Gotta have me rum, Ms. Bonny," he replied. She rolled her eyes.
"Right... One of your three loves."
"What was that?" Jack asked. She shrugged and sat down with him at a table. She noticed that the Captain got many admiring glances (Though slightly more loathing ones). He hailed a barmaid and asked for two glasses of rum.
"Why'd you get one for me? I don't drink," she said. He grinned and propped his feet on the table.
"You've gotta try it sometime, love. Might as well be now," Jack replied. The barmaid put the drinks on the table, smiled at Jack (Anne rolled her eyes) and went off. Anne glared at the glass as if it had insulted her. Slowly, she grabbed it in her hand and pressed it to her lips. Much like Jack's reaction to tea, she spit it out. Except, this time, Jack got a faceful. He wiped his face with the back of his sleeve and laughed.
"It's pretty shocking the first time, trust me," he said. Anne took another sip, keeping it in this time.
"Not bad," she said. Jack nodded in approval. Anne took another swig. It wasn't long before she had finished the glass. Then she ordered another. In fact, she was draining her third when Jack said:
"I s'pect it's time ta go, Anne," and he stood up. Anne unsteadily got to her feet, but almost fell over again. He grabbed her and helped her walk. "Don't think you should have drunk so much," he said. Anne shook her head.
"Naaahh, I feeel fine," she slurred, sounding an awful lot like him on his rum-drinking days. Which was every day, actually.
"Come on, Ms. Bonny, we best be getting you back to the ship," Jack replied, and escorted her down the street.
"Ya know, Jack, I can sorta understand why ye always talk so funny. It's 'cause you drink a lot," she said, giggling, and blabbed a lot more nonsense. When they finally did get to the dock, he stopped and let go of her.
"Just look at those stars, Anne. There's one thing Gibbs was wrong about. I have four loves. Me last one's the sky," said Jack, as he looked Heavenward. That's when he heard a splash beside him.
"Anne?" He looked down at the water, and caught a glimpse of reddish hair below the surface. "Bloody woman'll be the death of me!" and he dove in after her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Don't worry, there'll be some blood and gore in the future for all you non-romantics!
~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter Nine: Rhythm of the Waves
'I did not believe
Because I could not see
Though you came to me in the night
When the dawn seemed forever lost
You showed me your love
In the light of the stars.
Breathe life into this feeble heart
Lift this mortal veil of fear
Take these crumbled hopes etched with tears
We'll rise above these earthly cares.
--"Dante's Prayer"
By Loreena McKennit
"Book of Secrets"
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Awwk! Rise and shine! Rise and shine!" Anne slowly opened her eyes to meet the black gaze of a brightly-colored macaw. She sat up quickly and watched the bird hop around her cot. She swiped a hand at it and it flew out of her open door. She went and closed the door and pulled on her coat and shoes, and tied her hair up in the bandana, placing the hat carefully on her head. She left the cabin and went up to the deck. The crew were all busy working, but as she stepped into the sunlight they stared at her.
"Mornin', Ms. Bonny!" shouted Gibbs. Anne gaped, surprised. "'S all right, miss, Jack told us." Oh, like that explains it, she thought. She saw Jack at the helm, and made no pretense to be quiet as she stomped up the stairs.
"You told them?!" she cried. He turned and grinned.
"Sure, why not? I figured it wouldn't be right if I went around gettin' cozy with a cabin boy, eh?" he laughed to himself at the thought.
"I thought you said they would think a woman aboard is bad luck."
"They do, but I had a word with 'em." Anne wondered exactly what word. Threats, probably.
"As long as no bodily harm was done," she said.
"Well...." Jack's smile widened.
"I just want you to know I very much protest to your comment the other night!" Anne said, crossing her arms.
"Which one, the one about my snores, or-"
"You know very well which one I mean!" she snapped, not wanting the crew to overhear.
"Ah, right. And I suppose I should apologize for your feelings for me too, eh?" he said quietly.
"I do NOT have feelings for you!" Anne replied. His eyes, such dark eyes, searched hers.
"Are you sure about that?"
"You can't tell me you have any 'feelings' for me at all! I've heard the stories. Ten barmaids in one night-"
"Now THAT was a lie," remarked Jack. "It was more like five..."
"I can't stand you!" Anne groaned and prepared to leave. The Captain grabbed her arm and pulled her over to the side, by the rail.
"Anne, look at me. Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?" he asked gently. She opened her mouth to speak, but Jack intervened. "On second thought, don't answer that." Anne clenched her teeth together and glared at him, her body language stating very clearly whether the answer was 'yes' or 'no.'
He sighed. What was a man to do? He pulled her to the wheel, and placed her hands upon it. She looked up at him, confused.
"Do you feel that, Ms. Bonny?" he asked. Then he lay down on the deck and pulled her beside him, pressing her ear to the wooden boards. "Do you feel that? The Black Pearl is alive... It has its own heartbeat, its own rythm..." Anne felt like rolling her eyes. I think the Captain's had a little too much rum, she thought. But as she listened more closely, she could feel it. She could hear it,too. Maybe not a heartbeat, but... something. It might have been the sound of the water lapping against the keel of the ship.
"I feel it!" she said. She closed her eyes and let herself relish the sound, letting it flow through her, inside her...
"See?" murmered Jack. "All you have to do is listen." After a few minutes she stood up. Jack made her touch the wheel again.
"Gibbs said you never let anyone else steer," she said. He put his hands over hers.
"You aren't steering. I am," he replied. She could smell him as he put his head over her shoulder. At first it had revolted her. But the mixture of sweat and salt and sea air wasn't quite so bad anymore. It was said that no one could tame the wild beast. But, maybe, a Sparrow could.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Land ho!" Jack looked up from his spot at the helm, Anne beside him still. He couldn't help grinning as he saw the coastline draw nearer. Tortuga. It was good to be back. Many experiences he had had in that filthy island, both good and bad. His cheeks almost burned with the memory of the many slaps and punches he had endured.
"Tortuga? I've heard stories... Sounds fascinating," said Anne.
"I don't know if 'fascinating' is quite the word for it," remarked Jack.
After they went ashore, he headed off for his favorite tavern, the Faithful Bride.
"You are insufferable, you know that?" Anne said, as they walked in the door.
"Gotta have me rum, Ms. Bonny," he replied. She rolled her eyes.
"Right... One of your three loves."
"What was that?" Jack asked. She shrugged and sat down with him at a table. She noticed that the Captain got many admiring glances (Though slightly more loathing ones). He hailed a barmaid and asked for two glasses of rum.
"Why'd you get one for me? I don't drink," she said. He grinned and propped his feet on the table.
"You've gotta try it sometime, love. Might as well be now," Jack replied. The barmaid put the drinks on the table, smiled at Jack (Anne rolled her eyes) and went off. Anne glared at the glass as if it had insulted her. Slowly, she grabbed it in her hand and pressed it to her lips. Much like Jack's reaction to tea, she spit it out. Except, this time, Jack got a faceful. He wiped his face with the back of his sleeve and laughed.
"It's pretty shocking the first time, trust me," he said. Anne took another sip, keeping it in this time.
"Not bad," she said. Jack nodded in approval. Anne took another swig. It wasn't long before she had finished the glass. Then she ordered another. In fact, she was draining her third when Jack said:
"I s'pect it's time ta go, Anne," and he stood up. Anne unsteadily got to her feet, but almost fell over again. He grabbed her and helped her walk. "Don't think you should have drunk so much," he said. Anne shook her head.
"Naaahh, I feeel fine," she slurred, sounding an awful lot like him on his rum-drinking days. Which was every day, actually.
"Come on, Ms. Bonny, we best be getting you back to the ship," Jack replied, and escorted her down the street.
"Ya know, Jack, I can sorta understand why ye always talk so funny. It's 'cause you drink a lot," she said, giggling, and blabbed a lot more nonsense. When they finally did get to the dock, he stopped and let go of her.
"Just look at those stars, Anne. There's one thing Gibbs was wrong about. I have four loves. Me last one's the sky," said Jack, as he looked Heavenward. That's when he heard a splash beside him.
"Anne?" He looked down at the water, and caught a glimpse of reddish hair below the surface. "Bloody woman'll be the death of me!" and he dove in after her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Don't worry, there'll be some blood and gore in the future for all you non-romantics!