Disclaimer: Still don't own Jack, though I wish I did!
AN: Hey people! I still want to thank people for reading this story, it makes me feel really good about myself, and it helps inspire me to write a good story. Thanks to everyone who's left a review after reading! I love you all!
Chapter 7: Romance and Thomas Pierce:
Lara woke up the next morning in Jack's bed and no memory of what had happened the night before except for the romantic dinner and a few glasses of wine. Well, perhaps more than a few glasses; probably more like a few bottles. Her wine glass had never seemed to be empty the night before, and now her head felt like cannons were going off inside of it.
She looked over to the other side of the bed and saw Jack asleep with his shirt off and a smile on his face. That really woke her up. She sat straight up and looked down, sighing in relief when she discovered she was still fully dressed, though her top was partially unbuttoned. She looked over when she heard Jack chuckle.
"Don't worry, luv, nothin' happened," he said, smiling. He had been watching her inspect herself while pretending to be asleep.
Lara's eyebrow quirked. "Really? Then why are you smiling like that?"
Jack quickly put on an innocent look. "Like what, luv?"
She slapped his arm gently. "You know what I'm talking about! You look like a cat that's just caught a mouse!"
"Or a pirate who has just kidnapped his bonny lass?" Jack asked, sitting up and wrapping an arm around her while giving her a loving kiss.
"That too," she said after they broke their kiss. "So, nothing happened?" She was still worried. She wouldn't put it past Jack to try something and then redress her while she was asleep.
Jack faked a hurt look. "Don't ye trust me, lass?" He saw her eyebrow quirk even higher. "Um, don't answer that, luv; I'm not sure if I want the answer."
Lara smiled gently at him as she brought her hand up to stroke his cheek. "I trust you, Jack, but I'm not sure that I trust you when it comes to the two of us sharing a bedroom."
Jack's face turned sober as he took her hand away from his face and held it in his own. "Lass, I'd never force ye to do something against yer will or take advantage of ye. I may be a pirate, but I'm not like the other scurvy pirates."
She smiled at him before hugging him, then kissing him before remembering that he had no shirt on. She blushed. "Uh, Jack, would you mind putting a shirt on?"
Jack put on his cheeky grin. "What's the matter, luv, don't ye like what ye see?"
Lara blushed. Jack's grin got wider as he got out of bed and pulled a shirt off of a nearby chair. "No worries, luv. Nothin' will happen between us until yer ready." He offered her a hand and helped her out of bed. "I've got to say this, though; yer a fun and amusin' drunk!"
Lara's eyes widened before she smacked him in the arm. He left the cabin chuckling, leaving Lara some time alone to wash up and get dressed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
An hour later, Lara was on deck after having snatched some breakfast from the galley. Her headache was gone, and she was looking forward to seeing what would happen today. Most of the crew was still ashore in Tortuga, and those that had actually made it back were still below sleeping off their hangovers. She found Jack at the helm, staring at the horizon, so she went up to him and leaned on his shoulder. He responded by putting an arm around her waist.
"Jack, how long are we staying in Tortuga?" she asked.
"We'll probably leave in a few days," he responded. "If we stay any longer, the crew will be too drunk to do anything."
"Oh," was her only reply before turning to watch the sun reflect on the waves.
Jack was silent for a moment. He wanted to take her ashore, but he didn't want to be man-handled by anyone. However, if they went during the day, everyone else was too busy sleeping off the night before to do anything. He decided to let her decide.
"Lass, what do ye say to goin' ashore for a few hours in broad daylight? I won't let anything happen to ye, you've got my word on that."
Lara looked at the waves thoughtfully. "I suppose we could go, as long as we stay away from the bars and taverns, and other less desirable places." She raised an eyebrow when Jack didn't object.
"Of course, lass. I wouldn't want ye badly treated while we're there." He offered her his arm. "Well, milady? Shall we?" She grinned and took his arm, following him down the gangplank and onto dry soil. She lost her balance as soon as she hit land, and was lucky that Jack was there to catch her.
"Easy there, lass, ye just need to get yer landlegs back." He set her up on her feet and put his arm around her waist, supporting her as she walked. "Is that better, lass?"
Lara blushed slightly as she smiled up at him. "Yes, thank you, Jack."
As the two walked around the edge of town, Jack was thankful that the wenches weren't on the street at this time of day. He didn't feel like getting slapped and having to explain things to his bonny lass.
Jack suddenly stopped in front of a particular store, pulling Lara into a stop next to him. She looked up at him. "Jack, what's wrong?"
He looked down at her, amusement showing in his eyes. "Nothin's wrong, luv. I think that we should go in here, ye might like it." He immediately started dragging her inside.
"Jack, what are you.." Her sentence was cut off as soon as she was inside.
It was a perfume shop, and the inside smelled heavenly, like a garden just bursting into bloom. Lara took a deep breath. She had never owned a bottle of perfume, it was so expensive. Elizabeth had let her borrow a bit sometimes, but Lara had never had her very own bottle. Only the wealthy could afford such wonderful scents.
She picked up a bottle of elegantly cut glass in the shape of a flower, and gently removed the stopper. A light and flowery scent came out, and Lara fell in love with it. Her heart fell when she realized she couldn't afford it. She inhaled one last time, smiling, then put the stopper back in and set it down. She turned around and found a grinning Jack standing right behind her.
"Find something ye like?" He knew she liked the scent, he could see it in her eyes.
She smiled. "Yes, but I could never afford it." She turned and looked at the other bottles, still thinking about that one bottle.
After a half hour of smelling the different scents, Jack finally escorted her out of the shop and showed her around, avoiding any remaining drunks left outside the taverns and bars. Since most of Tortuga was made up of bars and taverns, their tour concluded fairly quickly. Jack took his lass back to the Pearl and down to his cabin where he magically produced a cold lunch of meats, cheeses, and, of course, rum. Since Lara wasn't much of a drinker, especially after last night, she had water. The two of them spent the rest of the day talking about Jack's adventures around the Caribbean. That night, after another dinner for two, Jack went to check the deck while Lara got ready for bed.
As she finished undressing, she found something sparkling on the desk; it was the bottle of perfume she had admired. She picked it up and opened it. The flowery scent filled her nose and she couldn't resist putting on a drop or two. When Jack came down from the deck, he found her asleep in the bed, smiling.
After taking off his shirt, belt and boots, Jack climbed into bed, only to have Lara snuggle up next to him. He wrapped his arms around her, and sniffed. She was wearing the perfume he'd bought her. He grinned widely as he kissed her forehead before falling into a sound sleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Meanwhile, in Port Royal:
Elizabeth, Will, the Governor, and the Commodore were in the Governor's parlor room discussing their next course of action. The search of the island had turned up nothing, and the Commodore had some new news about the man who had hired the boy to deliver the note to the Worthington estate.
"It appears that we now know Miss Storm's abductor," the Commodore said, pulling a roll of parchment out of his pocket. However, before he could reveal it, Lieutenant Thomas Pierce was announced by the butler.
The handsome young naval officer walked into the room. Although he appeared professional, his eyes clearly showed worry and panic. He bowed to Elizabeth, then to the three other men.
"Mr. and Mrs. Turner, Governor, Commodore. I was wondering if you had any news about Miss Storm's whereabouts."
The Commodore shook his head. "We do not know where she currently is yet, Lieutenant, but I do know who has abducted her." He unfurled the parchment to reveal a drawing of Jack Sparrow. "It appears Captain Sparrow has been up to his usual bouts of kidnapping again."
Lieutenant Pierce turned pale; he was obviously thinking about what a pirate might be doing to a lovely young woman like Lara at that moment. "Sir, I would like to take a ship and search for Miss Storm. We may prove to be her only hope for rescue."
Commodore Norrington shook his head. "I'm sorry Lieutenant, but that is out of the question right now. You and your ship, the Kestrel, are desperately needed on island patrol, and I have no ships to spare at the present time." When Pierce made to protest, the Commodore held up his hand to stop him. "Miss Storm is a young woman of common birth. As harsh as that may sound, I cannot risk the British Navy for one woman. We did not even call out the whole navy when the Governor's daughter was abducted, for we could not then, nor will we now, risk so many British lives for one person. I'm sorry."
Will suddenly spoke up. "Well, what if Elizabeth and I went in search for her? Perhaps there is a ship and a crew willing to help?"
Elizabeth instantly perked up. "Will is right. I know that the Worthington family owns a small ship. I'm sure that they would be willing to lend it to us."
The Commodore looked to protest, but the Governor stopped him. "I believe my daughter and son-in-law are right. They are friends of Captain Sparrow, and it is possible that they could perhaps negotiate for Miss Storm's safe return. After all, he does owe them his life."
The Commodore nodded, but didn't look happy at the idea of negotiating with pirates. "Very well. I currently have more naval sailors than I have ships, so I should be able to arrange for them to accompany you on your voyage. I'll have them ready by tomorrow if Mr. and Mrs. Turner are able to get the ship from the Worthingtons."
Everyone nodded and soon parted ways, but not before Thomas pulled Will and Elizabeth aside to speak with them.
"Mr. and Mrs. Turner, surely you know how fond I am of Miss Storm. If there is any way for you to bring her back, I would be eternally in your debt."
Elizabeth patted his arm in sympathy. "Don't worry, Lieutenant. If there's any way for us to bring her back, we will." Thomas nodded before walking off.
Will grabbed his wife by the arm. "Elizabeth, why did you say that? What if she doesn't want to come back? He might go after Jack and try and kill him for taking Lara away!"
"What else was I supposed to say, Will?" Elizabeth asked her husband. "Besides, I said *if* there was a way to bring her back. That leaves a small loophole, doesn't it?"
Will exchanged smiles with his wife. "Now you sound like a pirate." The two kissed before walking up to the Worthington estate, hand in hand.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: What will happen next? Will the Turners find Jack and Lara? Will Thomas Pierce go stupidly insane and look for Lara himself? Find out next chapter! And please, leave a review! It keeps my muses happy!
AN: Hey people! I still want to thank people for reading this story, it makes me feel really good about myself, and it helps inspire me to write a good story. Thanks to everyone who's left a review after reading! I love you all!
Chapter 7: Romance and Thomas Pierce:
Lara woke up the next morning in Jack's bed and no memory of what had happened the night before except for the romantic dinner and a few glasses of wine. Well, perhaps more than a few glasses; probably more like a few bottles. Her wine glass had never seemed to be empty the night before, and now her head felt like cannons were going off inside of it.
She looked over to the other side of the bed and saw Jack asleep with his shirt off and a smile on his face. That really woke her up. She sat straight up and looked down, sighing in relief when she discovered she was still fully dressed, though her top was partially unbuttoned. She looked over when she heard Jack chuckle.
"Don't worry, luv, nothin' happened," he said, smiling. He had been watching her inspect herself while pretending to be asleep.
Lara's eyebrow quirked. "Really? Then why are you smiling like that?"
Jack quickly put on an innocent look. "Like what, luv?"
She slapped his arm gently. "You know what I'm talking about! You look like a cat that's just caught a mouse!"
"Or a pirate who has just kidnapped his bonny lass?" Jack asked, sitting up and wrapping an arm around her while giving her a loving kiss.
"That too," she said after they broke their kiss. "So, nothing happened?" She was still worried. She wouldn't put it past Jack to try something and then redress her while she was asleep.
Jack faked a hurt look. "Don't ye trust me, lass?" He saw her eyebrow quirk even higher. "Um, don't answer that, luv; I'm not sure if I want the answer."
Lara smiled gently at him as she brought her hand up to stroke his cheek. "I trust you, Jack, but I'm not sure that I trust you when it comes to the two of us sharing a bedroom."
Jack's face turned sober as he took her hand away from his face and held it in his own. "Lass, I'd never force ye to do something against yer will or take advantage of ye. I may be a pirate, but I'm not like the other scurvy pirates."
She smiled at him before hugging him, then kissing him before remembering that he had no shirt on. She blushed. "Uh, Jack, would you mind putting a shirt on?"
Jack put on his cheeky grin. "What's the matter, luv, don't ye like what ye see?"
Lara blushed. Jack's grin got wider as he got out of bed and pulled a shirt off of a nearby chair. "No worries, luv. Nothin' will happen between us until yer ready." He offered her a hand and helped her out of bed. "I've got to say this, though; yer a fun and amusin' drunk!"
Lara's eyes widened before she smacked him in the arm. He left the cabin chuckling, leaving Lara some time alone to wash up and get dressed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
An hour later, Lara was on deck after having snatched some breakfast from the galley. Her headache was gone, and she was looking forward to seeing what would happen today. Most of the crew was still ashore in Tortuga, and those that had actually made it back were still below sleeping off their hangovers. She found Jack at the helm, staring at the horizon, so she went up to him and leaned on his shoulder. He responded by putting an arm around her waist.
"Jack, how long are we staying in Tortuga?" she asked.
"We'll probably leave in a few days," he responded. "If we stay any longer, the crew will be too drunk to do anything."
"Oh," was her only reply before turning to watch the sun reflect on the waves.
Jack was silent for a moment. He wanted to take her ashore, but he didn't want to be man-handled by anyone. However, if they went during the day, everyone else was too busy sleeping off the night before to do anything. He decided to let her decide.
"Lass, what do ye say to goin' ashore for a few hours in broad daylight? I won't let anything happen to ye, you've got my word on that."
Lara looked at the waves thoughtfully. "I suppose we could go, as long as we stay away from the bars and taverns, and other less desirable places." She raised an eyebrow when Jack didn't object.
"Of course, lass. I wouldn't want ye badly treated while we're there." He offered her his arm. "Well, milady? Shall we?" She grinned and took his arm, following him down the gangplank and onto dry soil. She lost her balance as soon as she hit land, and was lucky that Jack was there to catch her.
"Easy there, lass, ye just need to get yer landlegs back." He set her up on her feet and put his arm around her waist, supporting her as she walked. "Is that better, lass?"
Lara blushed slightly as she smiled up at him. "Yes, thank you, Jack."
As the two walked around the edge of town, Jack was thankful that the wenches weren't on the street at this time of day. He didn't feel like getting slapped and having to explain things to his bonny lass.
Jack suddenly stopped in front of a particular store, pulling Lara into a stop next to him. She looked up at him. "Jack, what's wrong?"
He looked down at her, amusement showing in his eyes. "Nothin's wrong, luv. I think that we should go in here, ye might like it." He immediately started dragging her inside.
"Jack, what are you.." Her sentence was cut off as soon as she was inside.
It was a perfume shop, and the inside smelled heavenly, like a garden just bursting into bloom. Lara took a deep breath. She had never owned a bottle of perfume, it was so expensive. Elizabeth had let her borrow a bit sometimes, but Lara had never had her very own bottle. Only the wealthy could afford such wonderful scents.
She picked up a bottle of elegantly cut glass in the shape of a flower, and gently removed the stopper. A light and flowery scent came out, and Lara fell in love with it. Her heart fell when she realized she couldn't afford it. She inhaled one last time, smiling, then put the stopper back in and set it down. She turned around and found a grinning Jack standing right behind her.
"Find something ye like?" He knew she liked the scent, he could see it in her eyes.
She smiled. "Yes, but I could never afford it." She turned and looked at the other bottles, still thinking about that one bottle.
After a half hour of smelling the different scents, Jack finally escorted her out of the shop and showed her around, avoiding any remaining drunks left outside the taverns and bars. Since most of Tortuga was made up of bars and taverns, their tour concluded fairly quickly. Jack took his lass back to the Pearl and down to his cabin where he magically produced a cold lunch of meats, cheeses, and, of course, rum. Since Lara wasn't much of a drinker, especially after last night, she had water. The two of them spent the rest of the day talking about Jack's adventures around the Caribbean. That night, after another dinner for two, Jack went to check the deck while Lara got ready for bed.
As she finished undressing, she found something sparkling on the desk; it was the bottle of perfume she had admired. She picked it up and opened it. The flowery scent filled her nose and she couldn't resist putting on a drop or two. When Jack came down from the deck, he found her asleep in the bed, smiling.
After taking off his shirt, belt and boots, Jack climbed into bed, only to have Lara snuggle up next to him. He wrapped his arms around her, and sniffed. She was wearing the perfume he'd bought her. He grinned widely as he kissed her forehead before falling into a sound sleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Meanwhile, in Port Royal:
Elizabeth, Will, the Governor, and the Commodore were in the Governor's parlor room discussing their next course of action. The search of the island had turned up nothing, and the Commodore had some new news about the man who had hired the boy to deliver the note to the Worthington estate.
"It appears that we now know Miss Storm's abductor," the Commodore said, pulling a roll of parchment out of his pocket. However, before he could reveal it, Lieutenant Thomas Pierce was announced by the butler.
The handsome young naval officer walked into the room. Although he appeared professional, his eyes clearly showed worry and panic. He bowed to Elizabeth, then to the three other men.
"Mr. and Mrs. Turner, Governor, Commodore. I was wondering if you had any news about Miss Storm's whereabouts."
The Commodore shook his head. "We do not know where she currently is yet, Lieutenant, but I do know who has abducted her." He unfurled the parchment to reveal a drawing of Jack Sparrow. "It appears Captain Sparrow has been up to his usual bouts of kidnapping again."
Lieutenant Pierce turned pale; he was obviously thinking about what a pirate might be doing to a lovely young woman like Lara at that moment. "Sir, I would like to take a ship and search for Miss Storm. We may prove to be her only hope for rescue."
Commodore Norrington shook his head. "I'm sorry Lieutenant, but that is out of the question right now. You and your ship, the Kestrel, are desperately needed on island patrol, and I have no ships to spare at the present time." When Pierce made to protest, the Commodore held up his hand to stop him. "Miss Storm is a young woman of common birth. As harsh as that may sound, I cannot risk the British Navy for one woman. We did not even call out the whole navy when the Governor's daughter was abducted, for we could not then, nor will we now, risk so many British lives for one person. I'm sorry."
Will suddenly spoke up. "Well, what if Elizabeth and I went in search for her? Perhaps there is a ship and a crew willing to help?"
Elizabeth instantly perked up. "Will is right. I know that the Worthington family owns a small ship. I'm sure that they would be willing to lend it to us."
The Commodore looked to protest, but the Governor stopped him. "I believe my daughter and son-in-law are right. They are friends of Captain Sparrow, and it is possible that they could perhaps negotiate for Miss Storm's safe return. After all, he does owe them his life."
The Commodore nodded, but didn't look happy at the idea of negotiating with pirates. "Very well. I currently have more naval sailors than I have ships, so I should be able to arrange for them to accompany you on your voyage. I'll have them ready by tomorrow if Mr. and Mrs. Turner are able to get the ship from the Worthingtons."
Everyone nodded and soon parted ways, but not before Thomas pulled Will and Elizabeth aside to speak with them.
"Mr. and Mrs. Turner, surely you know how fond I am of Miss Storm. If there is any way for you to bring her back, I would be eternally in your debt."
Elizabeth patted his arm in sympathy. "Don't worry, Lieutenant. If there's any way for us to bring her back, we will." Thomas nodded before walking off.
Will grabbed his wife by the arm. "Elizabeth, why did you say that? What if she doesn't want to come back? He might go after Jack and try and kill him for taking Lara away!"
"What else was I supposed to say, Will?" Elizabeth asked her husband. "Besides, I said *if* there was a way to bring her back. That leaves a small loophole, doesn't it?"
Will exchanged smiles with his wife. "Now you sound like a pirate." The two kissed before walking up to the Worthington estate, hand in hand.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: What will happen next? Will the Turners find Jack and Lara? Will Thomas Pierce go stupidly insane and look for Lara himself? Find out next chapter! And please, leave a review! It keeps my muses happy!