Author's Note: So Jack gets in touch with his inner feelings…but I'm not really sure how he would act since in the movie Jack wasn't that "deep" so bear with me and try to think of some guy that you know who has a HUGE ego and is supposed to be a "tough guy"…that's Jack. (Smile)
Jack stood outside Dinah's door the next morning. The crew was kept busy, making sure that they reached Barbados on time. They had already figured out not to test Jack's patience lately.
After Jack told Dinah of destination she went into her cabin and stayed there. He hadn't seen her since then. And everything she told him was whirling around in his head, driving him mad. The only way that he was going to get any sleep that night, (which was going to be hard in the first place, what with being at his mothers' house) was if he talked to Dinah now.
He had been pacing off and on for two hours in front of her door when finally Ana came up to next to him and knocked on the door. Jack looked in shock but once the door opened, he returned to his normal self. "Can we talk?"
Dinah looked and him and nodded, "But can we stay outside?" Jack nodded and led her to the stern. They both tried to stay unruffled about was going to be said. But it wasn't doing any good.
Jack stopped and leaned against the side of the ship, Dinah did the same but across from him.
"Look lass, I'm not much of a feelin's kind of a person, but I realize that you aren't someone who likes to bear their soul, and I appreciate you tellin' me that."
Dinah snorted and turned her head.
Jack sighed and kept going, "Two years ago was different. I was just captain and I was young…and you were the first girl that I actually, really cared for." Dinah turned and looked at him, thinking this might not be so bad after all. "But when Barbossa left me on that island, I had to go after him. You understand don't you?"
"Of course I do, you and your ship have a special bond." Dinah said frostily, turning her head again.
Jack noted the bite in the last comment and decided to explain. "My ship is all I have, lass! Did you expect me to throw that away?"
She turned to him and said angrily, "If you told me in the first place you could've taken me with you!"
"That was not the particular best time to have you along, lass."
"What, did you not think I could handle myself!? You taught me how to shoot, I know how to use a sword, what was it?"
"You were nineteen! And besides that I didn't want to risk your life for my ship!"
"But you were willing to risk the life of…ohh…Will? Was that it? And Elizabeth…and the rest of your crew? What since does that make?"
"Will was a different story entirely and Elizabeth got herself kidnapped and my crew know what their gettin' into! We're bloody pirates for god sake!"
"But I would've gone with you! Don't you realize that!?"
"Yes, I did. That's why I left the way I did. If you knew what I was up to, then you would've on my tail, and I didn't want that."
A lump formed in Dinah's throat and tears were at the brims of her eyes, threatening to rush down, but she kept going, wanting to get these feelings out of this man who had captured her heart long ago. "But didn't you say yesterday that if I was with you then I would be considered a pirate…what's going on?"
"I meant now, not bloody two years ago! Did you understand me when I said that you were the first person I really cared for and so I didn't want to risk your life!?"
Dinah paused. Now? He really cared for? Cared…past tense. But the now…?
"What's so different now from two years ago? So Barbossa's gone, but there could be others! And why would you want me now? You have Tortuga."
"Didn't you notice how I spent my last night on Tortuga?" Jack asked quietly, walking toward her.
"You were with me…wait, last night on Tortuga…as in…"
Jack got to her and put his hands on her waist. "My last night."
Dinah drew her head back, "Is that a commitment I hear captain, because the last time you made one…"
Jack dropped his head and picked it back up. He sighed in exasperation, "I told you I needed you because I didn't you want to get the idea that I wasn't comin' back. I wanted you to stay true to me…I'm a very jealous pirate yuh know."
"You didn't answer my first question Jack." Dinah asked seriously.
Jack took a step back and offered his hands up in defense. "Tell me what you want me to say then I'll say it. Because everything I do say you have to analyze it and ask me about it."
"All I want to know is if you're going to go through with this?"
"Go through with what, lass?!"
"You tell me you want me on your ship, you invite me to sleep with you, and you kiss me, I want to know if you like me or you're treating me like Scarlet or Giselle."
"Well…wait, how do you know them?"
"Where do you think I got the liquor?"
Jack smirked, somewhat impressed. "I dunno."
"You don't know what?"
"How I feel about you…"
Dinah felt like she had been slapped in the face and she had the tears to match it. "Then why blast did you drag me out here?! To explain why you left? That you didn't want to get me killed? And that you maybe want me on your ship now because I'm older and…more useful!?"
"Dinah, I still think you're beautiful, but when all I need is the Pearl, it's hard to figure out what else I want."
"So you do want me but you don't know how you feel about me?!"
"For gods' sake, Dinah, why do you make everything so difficult? I want you here! With me! Isn't that enough!?" He yelled.
"You just said you didn't know how you felt about me! I can't do that! I need to rely on something! I can't rely on you saying that you want me here one day and then the next I make you mad and you leave me on an island! I need more than that! I need a commitment from you!"
When Jack didn't offer her one, she wiped a tear away and said, "Then can I please have a bath, I want to look nice for your mother."
"Mum won't care."
"Can I please just have one?" She begged. Jack looked into her tear-filled eyes and saw the hurt he had caused her once again.
He nodded, "I'll have Ana Maria bring in one for you." She nodded once and left and slammed her door. Jack dropped his head in his hands and cursed.
Usually being in a bathtub cheered Dinah right up, but two things were different this time. First, she had no bubbles. Bubbles helped her relax and get her mind off things, and second, the water was lukewarm. Usually Isabelle put hot water in her tub and she was in it before it could cool off one degree, but I guess being on a pirate ship limited you.
The lukewarm, no bubble bath brought nothing but clean skin to Dinah. They were due to Barbados in half an hour, Dinah was looking foreword to seeing Katherine, but the memories she was afraid were going to get to her heart. Or my head as Jack likes to think…I don't analyze everything, do I? I just don't want to make the same mistake again. Giving him my heart when all he gave me were a handful of kisses, a few walks on the beach and somewhat commitment…
Dinah got out and dried herself and put on her undergarments, but when it was time to tie her corset, she couldn't. She peeked her head out the door and saw Cotton's parrot, which she affectingly called CP, and said, "CP! Go get Ana Maria!" In a flash he went down stairs and got her. She came up the hatch from the galley and looked around, since CP didn't really say who needed her.
She saw Dinah and went into the cabin.
"What's wrong, mate? I heard you and Jack arguing, but I didn't really want to get involved so-"
"Ana, I don't want to talk about it...But can you tie me up?"
Ana gave her a strange look. "My corset," Ana immediately understood and turned her around to tie her up.
"Is this too tight?"
"No, that's perfect. If only Isabelle knew where perfect was…" Dinah muttered.
"What was that?"
"It's fine."
"'kay," as Ana tied her up she wondered where the rest of the crew was going to be.
"Ana, where are you going to be?"
"We're leaving."
Dinah turned completely around and faced her friend, "Leaving? As in on the Pearl?"
Ana nodded. "Didn't Jack tell you?"
"No…he didn't."
"We're goin' to go find some ships and raid 'em and then maybe find The Douglas but Jack wants to be there when we do, so I dunno, but we're going to be gone for at least a week, mate."
Dinah mouth dropped open. A week? Alone with Jack? "And at the most?" she asked.
Ana shrugged, "About two weeks. But that's the most. It doesn't take that long to find a ship, Dinah. You know that."
Dinah felt dizzy. She sat down on her cot and breathed in and out slowly, making sure to get enough oxygen to her head. Ana left, seeing nothing wrong with Dinah and having no reason to stay. Dinah got up and put on a light blue dress, matching her eyes almost perfectly, that she had bought in New York when she and Ana snuck off the ship. She put on her heels and put in her dress, all her clothes, her harmonica and a journal in a little trunk that Ana had brought in earlier.
As Dinah lugged her trunk out the cabin she felt a hand on top of hers, lifting the trunk up, she looked up and saw Jack. "Let me take that for you, lass."
"I can do it. I'm not as fragile as you think I may be." She said, still holding on to the trunk.
"Yes, but I wouldn't want you to trip and hurt your ankle or rip your dress."
As much as Dinah didn't want to admit it, he was right. She let go and muttered, "Like you'd care."
He took it and carried it to where his trunk was. He set it down and looked out onto the island coming closer. He could already see his mother's house and regretted agreeing to this, especially since Dinah was going to be with him. Being the only man in the house is hard enough, but with Dinah it was going to be insufferable.
He sighed and turned his attention to Dinah, who was now standing in the middle of the ship saying her good-byes to Ana. She obviously told Dinah about the 'leaving' thing. How could it possibly slip my mind? Oh that's right, Dinah was distracting me… She looked very attractive in the dress that she bought, simple yet very flattering.
"Cap'an we're here." Gibbs said disrupting Jack's thoughts. She grimaced and nodded. Gibbs and Cotton got the two trunks and went down the plank to the two servants waiting to take their things. Jack walked over to Dinah while she was hugging Ana and cleared his throat.
They pulled apart and Dinah starting pinching her cheeks, "You look fine, luv." Jack said.
Dinah glared at him. He rolled his eyes, finding that there was no way to make this woman listen to him and he held out his arm. Dinah looked at him and then at his arm, she took it cautiously and together they walked down the plank. They followed the two servants to the house until they saw her.
Katherine Williams was in her late fifties, wealthy due to her son's father and her son, she had bright blue eyes (which Jack DID NOT get) and jet black hair. Katherine was a no-nonsense kind of woman. She had made a child with a pirate but not been married. Right now she was wearing an apron over her clothes and her hair was half-way up in a bun, the rest flowed down to her chest.
When she saw Dinah she stopped and smiled, at the fact that Dinah was here, Jack brought her, and they were together. But knowing her son, that look on his face told her that it'd been a bumpy ride there. She walked faster and Dinah broke away from Jack's arm and walked to Katherine at the same speed. When Katherine reached Dinah she held her tightly, stroked her hair and said with tears running down her face, "Peanut! Oh I missed you so much!"
Author Thanks:
Dalas Ray: I'm so glad you like my story and I'm trying my best to write everyday! So just be patient!!!
Melody-raine: Well ummmm I'm not really sure that I'm going to write more…but maybe! I got to think of Ideas! This story is kinda of based on me and friends feelings towards men and relationships…so I duno…! But thanks for reading!
HyperCaz: I'm glad you like Jack…and I hope I write him right…lol.