BEHOLD!!! I LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!!!!!
Today is Tuesday, 10/7/03 and I have all day to do as I please. So here I am, for the first time since I finished the last chapter, trying to pull this particular chapter out of my crapper with an extremely large anus- probing wrench. It is both painful and tedious. I had all these ideas (courtesy of NightShadow12 and Jen) but I, for some reason, could not write them out. After many weeks of agony, I managed to finish it. So here it is.
Reviews: Sinopa: Thank you! thats-niki-to-you: Thanks, and someone else gave me alonger version. I appreciate your help :) MorgauseNokami: Morgause...hmm...She was the Sorceress Morgan's sister. Did you happen to read I am Morgan le Fay by any chance? And I'm sorry if she comes off as perfect, I'll try to make he seem less...well...perfect. neha saxena: I have updated! see! maybe not soon...but I did and that's all that counts....right? A reader: Thank you so much! For your first question...She doesn't have pms..she's just...well..bitchy. You'll find out in a bit more depth why she's so bitchy with Jack and she'll start being nicer later on. As for your second question..read and find out! Peach: At first, I wasn't going to reply to this, but I've obviously changed my mind. First off, if I'm assuming correctly from what you said, you haven't even read the story and you're already criticizing it. Second of all, if the best criticism you have is to accuse me of ripping off a name from two people I haven't even heard of much less care about and tell me I've got the spelling for the wrong gender, than you can forget leaving another review because I won't be reading it. By the way, generally reserved means most of the time, not always.
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It only took Jack a few seconds to find her floating lifelessly a few feet below the surface. Swimming over to her, he wrapped his arms around her middle and quickly shot to the surface. He drew in a large gulp of air when he emerged. When Jack didn't hear Gale do the same, he laid her down flat, pinched her nose shut, and breathed air into her lungs. He saw her chest rise and then fall from his breath entering and leaving her lungs. Trying a few more times, she finally convulsed and coughed up the water in her lungs.
Gale choked and gasped for air as she coughed up the sea water in her lungs. The salt burned her lungs and throat on its way up and her eyes teared from the effort. When Jack had thrown her into the water, she had only a few seconds to draw in a deep breath. Unfortunately, she had opened her mouth too late and had swallowed a large helping of water. It didn't help the fact that she had never learned to swim, so she couldn't get to the surface for air. She had watched helplessly as she sank deeper and deeper into the sea. Her eyes closed as she felt her body start to shut down. Her chest felt tight and her body weighed down by some unnatural force. By then, she had lost consciousness and hadn't felt or seen Jack dive in and pull her out of the water.
"Well, it's 'bout time. I was almost 'bout to give up on ye an' walk away." Gale had to wait a few moments before everything stopped warping in her vision before she registered what he had just said. At first, she didn't care. She had just been nearly drowned and her head was starting to pound from all that alcohol.
Alcohol.
Gale bolted upright, eyes wide. Now she remembered. She cursed his name inside her head. That swine had embarrassed her in front of everyone in that bar. Not only did he stop at that, but he tossed her in the sea, nearly drowning her, to boot! The nerve of that pirate dog! She was a lady and he had no such right to be tossing her around like a rag doll and nearly kill her! She seethed on the inside till the tips of her ears were a brightening red. Jack just raised his eyebrow in meager interest at her unexpected reaction.
"Careful, love. Wouldn't want te freeze that pretty lil' face of yers that way." Turning to him sharply, she pinned the infamous pirate with an ever-darkening glare. She stood up as gracefully as possible, straightening her wet shirt and pants as much as possible. Jack didn't miss the way the wet, white shirt clung to her skin and made it practically invisible. In this state of dress, not much was left to his imagination. And Captain Jack Sparrow's imagination was very fertile.
"How dare you, you brute!" Jack lifted an eyebrow as he slowly put back on his boots, jacket, and hat.
"Brute? Well, I'd 'ave te say lass, I 'aven't heard that one till now."
"So glad to know I've expanded your almost completely non-existent vocabulary."
"Hey, listen 'ere ye high-strung wench! If I recall, I twasn't the one dancing' round like a drunken fool, attractin' the attention of every breathin' male in the room! I jist saved ye'r ungrateful, pampered arse from being violated in the worst of ways! So if I was ye', I'd be thankin me with some thick kisses!" Gale's eyes widened in indignation.
"And if I recall correctly, you were the one that threw me in the water and waited till I nearly drowned in the first place!" Jack stood up, now fully clad in his pirate attire, and glared back at her.
"How was I supposed te know that ye couldn't swim? If I had known that, I wouldn't 'ave thrown ye in."
"Oh, really?" Gale asked. It came off as an accusation instead of an inquiry with all the sarcasm and skepticism dripping from every syllable. Jack opened his mouth to say 'really', but snapped it shut again. Gale nodded in triumph and continued to glare at him, nose high in the air like the snot-nosed brat she was. "That's what I thought." Determined to salvage some of his dignity from her, he straightened up and looked her in the eye.
"Maybe not, but I wouldn't 'ave taken so long te come in after ye. Besides, ye deserved it."
"I most certainly did not!" In an instant Gale felt Jack's hand seize her face and lock her lips in an intense, toe-curling kiss. It was rough and probing. He forced her lips open and plunged her mouth with his tongue, leaving no crevice untouched. His left hand was wrapped tightly, almost wrenchingly painful, in her long locks. She felt his right hand travel down her front and that's when her fogged brain kicked in and she began to struggle. She pushed against his shoulders but he continued on, roughly pulling the left shoulder of her blouse down just enough to expose a line of rosy skin. She tried screaming in his mouth but was dampened by his mouth on hers. He ignored her and slid down further. Gale began to panic, whimpering in his mouth. When his hand roughly tore her sash away and gripped the hem of her pants, he broke the kiss and stared at her with a hard expression. Gale immediately began screaming for him to stop and he watched impassively as tears rolled down her flushed cheeks.
"That's what was goin through ev'ry one of them pirate's minds. I saved ye from that. So next time ye want te be thankin' me, try not te do it by accusin' me of bein' the same filthy dog as the one I protected ye from." He pulled away slowly and Gale dropped to the ground sobbing. Gazing at her for a few moments, his eyes began to soften, thinking that maybe he had been a little too hard on her. Taking his jacket off, he kneeled down and wrapped it around her, over-lapping it in the front. He tenderly wiped away the tears with his thumb, cupping her cheeks in his hands. He grimaced mentally when she flinched away from his touch.
"I'm sorry." The words were so quite he barely heard them. They were shaky and spoken barely above a whisper. It was the most submissiveness he had seen from her and it didn't seem right somehow. He had wanted her to know that he was in charge and not her, that he was protecting her from the good of his heart, and no amount of insolence would be tolerated. But when he saw her crying there, so easily harmed and fragile, he regretted his actions. Her lips were red and swollen and would probably be bruised by the end of the night. Thinking of what he had just done made him flinch visibly. She wasn't accustomed to this life, and no matter how hard she wanted it, she still wasn't ready to take it on either. She looked up at him again, eyes watered and lips quivering. "You're right and I'm sorry. Thank you for saving me."
Jack nearly dropped his jaw when she wrapped her arms around his neck, his coat dropping to the ground. It was so gentle and such a caring gesture that it made his gut wrench. He had just violated her, albeit to make a point, and she was hugging him. Maybe she wasn't as selfish as she seemed. Probably not but it was still a moment he was savoring. Who knows when she would even look at him without screaming again. He returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around her.
She pulled away slowly, almost reluctantly, and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. Shocked, Jack stayed still for a moment as he stared in her eyes. He watched, mesmerized, as she slowly leaned forward and her eyes began to drift shut. Realizing what she about to do, he gently turned his head so she kissed a cheek. She looked at him confused and slightly hurt. All kinds of thoughts were running through her head, but before she could voice them, he wrapped her up in his coat again and stood up.
"Let's get ye back on the ship so ye can get some rest. Tis been a long day an' I'm sure ye be tired." Gale only nodded numbly as he walked her aboard the Black Pearl and down to the lower deck and his quarters. Once inside and the door was shut behind them, Jack walked her over to his bed and sat her down on it. Gale wiped her nose on her sleeve and gently rubbed the excess tears from her eyes. As for Jack, it was late and he was ready for bed. Pulling off his shirt, boots, and hat, he folded his arms behind his head and flopped right onto the center of the bed. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting Gale, he managed to bounce her right out of the bed and onto the floor. Popping one eye open, he peered over the edge of the bed to see her crumpled form on the ground.
"Are ye all right there, missy?" Muttering a few curses, Gale managed to right herself into a sitting position at the side of the bed where she had fallen. Not turning to look at him, she replied in a grumbled voice.
"I'll ignore that, Captain. And I'll also ignore the fact that you are taking up about every inch of the only bed on this room. Perhaps, the only bed on this ship." Gale thought about that for a few moments before adding, "Well, the only bed on this ship that isn't crawling with disease and cockroaches." Jack pondered her response for a moment.
"Tis not exactly true, lass. Anamaria 'as a 'alfway decent bed." Gale turned and gave him a dry look before realizing he had his shirt off. She blushed a deep crimson red as she took all of it in. He had a lean muscle-tone and was well chiseled. He had a small frame, but it emanated power. Her eyes slid over his chest and down the dark brown line of hair leading into his pants. Blushing as she pictured where it lead, she quickly turned her head away. Jack had to chuckle. "True, true." Anamaria would have told Gale to suck it up and stop whining. She definitely was a priceless character, and an irreplaceable member of his crew. Gale had turned away from him again and was just sitting there, arms wrapped around her knees.
"Love?" Jack asked.
"Gale," she replied curtly, always reminding him what he already knew. Ignoring her irate reply, he continued on.
"Love, are you coming to bed or not?"
"I would, Captain, except you're hogging the whole bed." Jack looked down and confirmed that he was, indeed, hogging the bed.
"Well, so I am." Shuffling over, Jack lay on his side, back against the wall. "And now I'm not. Ready for bed?" To emphasis his point, Jack patted the empty space next to him in invitation. Just as Gale was about to get up and hop into bed, she stopped herself short. That was Captain Jack Sparrow on the other side of that bed. A pirate. A male pirate and an overly amorous, half naked one to boot. She stiffened at the prospect of sleeping in the same bed with him. She wouldn't do it. She couldn't do it.
"If it's perfectly all right with you, Captain, I'll stay right here." Jack raised an eyebrow, but said nothing else. He quickly flopped himself over so he was completely covering the mattress again. Gale stayed perfectly still right where she was.
"Suit yerself. If ye don't want a perfectly comfy bed te sleep in tenight than that only means the more room fer me." Gale hugged herself just a little tighter when Jack blew out the nearly burnt out candle on the little table next to the bed. It wasn't that she didn't want to. It was because she did. He made her feel things that she shouldn't feel for him. He was a pirate. A thief and a murderer. She only stayed with him because he had promised to fulfill her and her father's dream for her to become a pirate.
Thinking about that for a few moments, Gale realized the one major flaw in her logic. Her father was a pirate, too. The instant she thought about her father she felt tears come to her eyes. Her father was a pirate, and so was she. Or, at least, she was trying to be. If he was such a horrible creature, why was she trying so hard to become like him? Turning around to look at Jack, she watched his peaceful face. She knew he wasn't sleeping, he never really was. Jack didn't trust anyone with his life except him. He didn't even trust his own crew to not come in his room at night and slit his throat. Maybe she was looking at him in the wrong light. Perhaps, he wasn't as bad as she made him out to be. If she couldn't cope with him, how could she expect to become like him. He was everything she was trying to become, minus the insanity. He was everything her father was and everything she was afraid of at the same time.
The tears that were welled up in her eyes fell, and she let them. They trailed slowly down her cheeks, one after the other, and she didn't lift a finger to stop it. Standing up she gently nudged Jack in his side. Grunting, he looked up at her.
"Changed yer mind, did ye, lass?" Jack couldn't keep the triumphant lilt out of his voice or the victorious smirk off his face. He had felt her gaze on him and was simply waiting for her to finally submit.
"Just shut up and move over, you big oaf." Jack chuckled, but complied. He slid over to the side again as he waited for her to take off her leather vest and boots. He watched amused as she nervously wiggled her way under the sheet. She shuffled around for a few moments before lying extremely still. Biting back a chuckle, he wrapped his arms around stomach and pulled her close to him. Gale let out a tiny squeal and jumped when she felt Jack wrap his arm around her. She lay even stiffer when she felt his warm skin press against her back. Her face flushed again and she felt a slight twinge of pleasure in her lower abdomen. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and she held her breath so he wouldn't be able to realize the effect he had on her. Little did she know, he knew everything he was doing to her. Leaning over, he whispered in her ear.
"Relax," he breathed, purposely letting his breath trail over the lobe of her ear and her cheek. "I won't bite." Jack paused for a few seconds before he added, "Too hard." He felt Gale shiver beneath his arm and he knew it was from pleasure. Anticipation, not fear. He lay back on his side, but kept his arm wrapped around her. After a few moments, he felt her relax, her body going limp in his arms. Her breath was even and slow. She had finally fallen asleep. He looked over her peaceful features for a moment and, smiling, closed his eyes and let himself rest.
~*~ Dream Sequence ~*~
"Papa?" Gale turned around and saw a little girl sitting in an older man's lap. The little girl had a head full of darkest brown curls, skin a pale alabaster, and mahogany brown eyes. She was in a frilly white dress, with pale pink ribbons twisted into her thick curls. If it wasn't for the bare feet, and the chocolate smudges on her hands and face from her brownie, she would have passed for the perfect little girl. She was looking up adoringly at the old man she was sitting on. He was balding and his hair was an ugly gray, his face wrinkling and leathery, but his eyes conveyed so much happiness it made him the most beautiful man in the little girls eyes.
"Yes, Gale?" The old man replied with a knowing smile on his lips.
"Papa, tell me about Captain Jack Sparrow again! I wanna hear how he sailed the seas and fought the British soldiers and about the Black Pearl and-" The old man chuckled causing the little girl to look up and smile brightly.
"Certainly, Gale. Which one do you want to hear first, my darling daughter?" Gale smiled as she watched her father begin to recount one of the many stories of Captain Jack Sparrow and himself. The happy memory soon faded though and Gale found herself standing on a dark room. There was nothing but blackness as far as she could see. Looking down, she found herself in the same blue dress she was wearing the night her father died. Only now, it wasn't ripped or covered in blood. Looking back up, she saw her father and the pirate from that night appear. She watched in horror as her father was shot in the heart. She ran forward to catch him but he fell right through her arms. She looked at her hands with wide eyes. Turning around, she came face to face with the pirate. Rage filled her and she ran towards him, fully intent on wrapping her hands around his neck and choking him until his head rolled off his shoulders, but to no avail. Her hands went straight through him as they had done before and she stumbled from the momentum. Catching herself before she fell, she turned around again. The floor around her father was covered in blood. So much blood it was abnormal. It slowly seeped it's way towards her, it's crimson fingers stretching out as if to grasp her and pull her into it's endless pool of red. She followed it's trail as it came ever closer to her feet.
Stepping back, she looked down at the front of her dress. It was torn and covered in blood. The whole front of her dress was covered in the thick, hot liquid, from the bodice down to the hem of her skirt. Feeling something trickle down the side of her face, she lifted a hand to wipe it away quickly. She looked at her hand to see what it was and found more blood. Panicking, she touched her face again and each time her hand came away with more blood. Frantically, she ran her hands over her face and jerked them through her hair as she felt more blood wash down her spine and face. Red filled her vision and she realized that she was bleeding from her eyes.
~*~ End Dream Sequence ~*~
Jack awoke with a start when he heard shrill screaming in his ears. He looked over and saw Gale thrashing and screaming next to him. Her arms and legs her flailing and kicking all over the place. Tears were streaming down her face. Her hands were scratching at her face and pulling at her hair. He watched with wide eyes as she nearly tore her own face off. For fear of her further injuring herself, Jack seized her arms and laid his body over hers to keep her from kicking. She struggled beneath him and he was beginning to find it difficult to contain her. She acted as if she was possessed by her own fear.
"Gale!" Jack shouted her name, but she didn't respond. He shouted it again, louder this time and she still didn't hear him. She continued to thrash about like a mad person. Somehow he managed to transfer both her wrists to one hand and, sitting up, he slapped her across the face. Instantly, Gale's eyes snapped open and she completely ceased all movement. She stared up at Jack with wide eyes. Her breathing was completely erratic and she was covered in her own sweat and tears. Slowly, Jack climbed off of her, letting her wrists go. He laid back down on his side, not once taking his eyes off of her. She continued to stare at the ceiling, slowly calming down.
"Gale?" Jack asked tentatively, unsure of whether or not to touch her. When she didn't look at him he tried again. "Gale, are ye all right?" Slowly, Gale turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were still wide, but she didn't seem to look as frightened as she had been.
"Jack?" Her voice sounded so small and helpless that it pulled at something in Jack. It was cracked, hoarse from her screaming. It sounded choked from her crying and it quivered from the fear so obviously welled up inside her. "Jack, I'm scared." He didn't bother to ask, he knew what she wanted. Gently, but firmly, he pulled her into his arms. She clutched one hand in his hair and the other arm wrapped around his back and that hand clutched his shoulder. He felt her shaking and quivering from crying and her fear. Her head was buried in his chest and he could feel her hot tears running over his skin. Jack slowly rolled on his back for better comfort, bringing Gale's head to rest at the crook of his neck. Cradling her left arm to her chest, she lay the other one over his stomach, firmly grasping his side as if she was afraid he would disappear. He held her head to his shoulder with the arm she was laying on, and he laid the other arm over hers, gently tracing soothing circles on her shoulder.
"Jack?" Popping on eye open, Jack looked down at Gale. She was looking at him, her eyes red and puffy, but no longer crying.
"Hmm?" He replied, now opening both his eyes.
"Will you play with my hair? Papa used to play with my hair at night and it helped me fall asleep." Jack nodded and when she laid her head back down, he began to gently run his finger through her dark curls. It was soaked in her sweat and tears, so it was hard for him to run his finger through it smoothly. Eventually, he managed to get the tangles out and it had dried some, making it much easier. Slowly, she fell asleep again, and dreamt a dreamless sleep for the remainder of the night.
Today is Tuesday, 10/7/03 and I have all day to do as I please. So here I am, for the first time since I finished the last chapter, trying to pull this particular chapter out of my crapper with an extremely large anus- probing wrench. It is both painful and tedious. I had all these ideas (courtesy of NightShadow12 and Jen) but I, for some reason, could not write them out. After many weeks of agony, I managed to finish it. So here it is.
Reviews: Sinopa: Thank you! thats-niki-to-you: Thanks, and someone else gave me alonger version. I appreciate your help :) MorgauseNokami: Morgause...hmm...She was the Sorceress Morgan's sister. Did you happen to read I am Morgan le Fay by any chance? And I'm sorry if she comes off as perfect, I'll try to make he seem less...well...perfect. neha saxena: I have updated! see! maybe not soon...but I did and that's all that counts....right? A reader: Thank you so much! For your first question...She doesn't have pms..she's just...well..bitchy. You'll find out in a bit more depth why she's so bitchy with Jack and she'll start being nicer later on. As for your second question..read and find out! Peach: At first, I wasn't going to reply to this, but I've obviously changed my mind. First off, if I'm assuming correctly from what you said, you haven't even read the story and you're already criticizing it. Second of all, if the best criticism you have is to accuse me of ripping off a name from two people I haven't even heard of much less care about and tell me I've got the spelling for the wrong gender, than you can forget leaving another review because I won't be reading it. By the way, generally reserved means most of the time, not always.
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It only took Jack a few seconds to find her floating lifelessly a few feet below the surface. Swimming over to her, he wrapped his arms around her middle and quickly shot to the surface. He drew in a large gulp of air when he emerged. When Jack didn't hear Gale do the same, he laid her down flat, pinched her nose shut, and breathed air into her lungs. He saw her chest rise and then fall from his breath entering and leaving her lungs. Trying a few more times, she finally convulsed and coughed up the water in her lungs.
Gale choked and gasped for air as she coughed up the sea water in her lungs. The salt burned her lungs and throat on its way up and her eyes teared from the effort. When Jack had thrown her into the water, she had only a few seconds to draw in a deep breath. Unfortunately, she had opened her mouth too late and had swallowed a large helping of water. It didn't help the fact that she had never learned to swim, so she couldn't get to the surface for air. She had watched helplessly as she sank deeper and deeper into the sea. Her eyes closed as she felt her body start to shut down. Her chest felt tight and her body weighed down by some unnatural force. By then, she had lost consciousness and hadn't felt or seen Jack dive in and pull her out of the water.
"Well, it's 'bout time. I was almost 'bout to give up on ye an' walk away." Gale had to wait a few moments before everything stopped warping in her vision before she registered what he had just said. At first, she didn't care. She had just been nearly drowned and her head was starting to pound from all that alcohol.
Alcohol.
Gale bolted upright, eyes wide. Now she remembered. She cursed his name inside her head. That swine had embarrassed her in front of everyone in that bar. Not only did he stop at that, but he tossed her in the sea, nearly drowning her, to boot! The nerve of that pirate dog! She was a lady and he had no such right to be tossing her around like a rag doll and nearly kill her! She seethed on the inside till the tips of her ears were a brightening red. Jack just raised his eyebrow in meager interest at her unexpected reaction.
"Careful, love. Wouldn't want te freeze that pretty lil' face of yers that way." Turning to him sharply, she pinned the infamous pirate with an ever-darkening glare. She stood up as gracefully as possible, straightening her wet shirt and pants as much as possible. Jack didn't miss the way the wet, white shirt clung to her skin and made it practically invisible. In this state of dress, not much was left to his imagination. And Captain Jack Sparrow's imagination was very fertile.
"How dare you, you brute!" Jack lifted an eyebrow as he slowly put back on his boots, jacket, and hat.
"Brute? Well, I'd 'ave te say lass, I 'aven't heard that one till now."
"So glad to know I've expanded your almost completely non-existent vocabulary."
"Hey, listen 'ere ye high-strung wench! If I recall, I twasn't the one dancing' round like a drunken fool, attractin' the attention of every breathin' male in the room! I jist saved ye'r ungrateful, pampered arse from being violated in the worst of ways! So if I was ye', I'd be thankin me with some thick kisses!" Gale's eyes widened in indignation.
"And if I recall correctly, you were the one that threw me in the water and waited till I nearly drowned in the first place!" Jack stood up, now fully clad in his pirate attire, and glared back at her.
"How was I supposed te know that ye couldn't swim? If I had known that, I wouldn't 'ave thrown ye in."
"Oh, really?" Gale asked. It came off as an accusation instead of an inquiry with all the sarcasm and skepticism dripping from every syllable. Jack opened his mouth to say 'really', but snapped it shut again. Gale nodded in triumph and continued to glare at him, nose high in the air like the snot-nosed brat she was. "That's what I thought." Determined to salvage some of his dignity from her, he straightened up and looked her in the eye.
"Maybe not, but I wouldn't 'ave taken so long te come in after ye. Besides, ye deserved it."
"I most certainly did not!" In an instant Gale felt Jack's hand seize her face and lock her lips in an intense, toe-curling kiss. It was rough and probing. He forced her lips open and plunged her mouth with his tongue, leaving no crevice untouched. His left hand was wrapped tightly, almost wrenchingly painful, in her long locks. She felt his right hand travel down her front and that's when her fogged brain kicked in and she began to struggle. She pushed against his shoulders but he continued on, roughly pulling the left shoulder of her blouse down just enough to expose a line of rosy skin. She tried screaming in his mouth but was dampened by his mouth on hers. He ignored her and slid down further. Gale began to panic, whimpering in his mouth. When his hand roughly tore her sash away and gripped the hem of her pants, he broke the kiss and stared at her with a hard expression. Gale immediately began screaming for him to stop and he watched impassively as tears rolled down her flushed cheeks.
"That's what was goin through ev'ry one of them pirate's minds. I saved ye from that. So next time ye want te be thankin' me, try not te do it by accusin' me of bein' the same filthy dog as the one I protected ye from." He pulled away slowly and Gale dropped to the ground sobbing. Gazing at her for a few moments, his eyes began to soften, thinking that maybe he had been a little too hard on her. Taking his jacket off, he kneeled down and wrapped it around her, over-lapping it in the front. He tenderly wiped away the tears with his thumb, cupping her cheeks in his hands. He grimaced mentally when she flinched away from his touch.
"I'm sorry." The words were so quite he barely heard them. They were shaky and spoken barely above a whisper. It was the most submissiveness he had seen from her and it didn't seem right somehow. He had wanted her to know that he was in charge and not her, that he was protecting her from the good of his heart, and no amount of insolence would be tolerated. But when he saw her crying there, so easily harmed and fragile, he regretted his actions. Her lips were red and swollen and would probably be bruised by the end of the night. Thinking of what he had just done made him flinch visibly. She wasn't accustomed to this life, and no matter how hard she wanted it, she still wasn't ready to take it on either. She looked up at him again, eyes watered and lips quivering. "You're right and I'm sorry. Thank you for saving me."
Jack nearly dropped his jaw when she wrapped her arms around his neck, his coat dropping to the ground. It was so gentle and such a caring gesture that it made his gut wrench. He had just violated her, albeit to make a point, and she was hugging him. Maybe she wasn't as selfish as she seemed. Probably not but it was still a moment he was savoring. Who knows when she would even look at him without screaming again. He returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around her.
She pulled away slowly, almost reluctantly, and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. Shocked, Jack stayed still for a moment as he stared in her eyes. He watched, mesmerized, as she slowly leaned forward and her eyes began to drift shut. Realizing what she about to do, he gently turned his head so she kissed a cheek. She looked at him confused and slightly hurt. All kinds of thoughts were running through her head, but before she could voice them, he wrapped her up in his coat again and stood up.
"Let's get ye back on the ship so ye can get some rest. Tis been a long day an' I'm sure ye be tired." Gale only nodded numbly as he walked her aboard the Black Pearl and down to the lower deck and his quarters. Once inside and the door was shut behind them, Jack walked her over to his bed and sat her down on it. Gale wiped her nose on her sleeve and gently rubbed the excess tears from her eyes. As for Jack, it was late and he was ready for bed. Pulling off his shirt, boots, and hat, he folded his arms behind his head and flopped right onto the center of the bed. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting Gale, he managed to bounce her right out of the bed and onto the floor. Popping one eye open, he peered over the edge of the bed to see her crumpled form on the ground.
"Are ye all right there, missy?" Muttering a few curses, Gale managed to right herself into a sitting position at the side of the bed where she had fallen. Not turning to look at him, she replied in a grumbled voice.
"I'll ignore that, Captain. And I'll also ignore the fact that you are taking up about every inch of the only bed on this room. Perhaps, the only bed on this ship." Gale thought about that for a few moments before adding, "Well, the only bed on this ship that isn't crawling with disease and cockroaches." Jack pondered her response for a moment.
"Tis not exactly true, lass. Anamaria 'as a 'alfway decent bed." Gale turned and gave him a dry look before realizing he had his shirt off. She blushed a deep crimson red as she took all of it in. He had a lean muscle-tone and was well chiseled. He had a small frame, but it emanated power. Her eyes slid over his chest and down the dark brown line of hair leading into his pants. Blushing as she pictured where it lead, she quickly turned her head away. Jack had to chuckle. "True, true." Anamaria would have told Gale to suck it up and stop whining. She definitely was a priceless character, and an irreplaceable member of his crew. Gale had turned away from him again and was just sitting there, arms wrapped around her knees.
"Love?" Jack asked.
"Gale," she replied curtly, always reminding him what he already knew. Ignoring her irate reply, he continued on.
"Love, are you coming to bed or not?"
"I would, Captain, except you're hogging the whole bed." Jack looked down and confirmed that he was, indeed, hogging the bed.
"Well, so I am." Shuffling over, Jack lay on his side, back against the wall. "And now I'm not. Ready for bed?" To emphasis his point, Jack patted the empty space next to him in invitation. Just as Gale was about to get up and hop into bed, she stopped herself short. That was Captain Jack Sparrow on the other side of that bed. A pirate. A male pirate and an overly amorous, half naked one to boot. She stiffened at the prospect of sleeping in the same bed with him. She wouldn't do it. She couldn't do it.
"If it's perfectly all right with you, Captain, I'll stay right here." Jack raised an eyebrow, but said nothing else. He quickly flopped himself over so he was completely covering the mattress again. Gale stayed perfectly still right where she was.
"Suit yerself. If ye don't want a perfectly comfy bed te sleep in tenight than that only means the more room fer me." Gale hugged herself just a little tighter when Jack blew out the nearly burnt out candle on the little table next to the bed. It wasn't that she didn't want to. It was because she did. He made her feel things that she shouldn't feel for him. He was a pirate. A thief and a murderer. She only stayed with him because he had promised to fulfill her and her father's dream for her to become a pirate.
Thinking about that for a few moments, Gale realized the one major flaw in her logic. Her father was a pirate, too. The instant she thought about her father she felt tears come to her eyes. Her father was a pirate, and so was she. Or, at least, she was trying to be. If he was such a horrible creature, why was she trying so hard to become like him? Turning around to look at Jack, she watched his peaceful face. She knew he wasn't sleeping, he never really was. Jack didn't trust anyone with his life except him. He didn't even trust his own crew to not come in his room at night and slit his throat. Maybe she was looking at him in the wrong light. Perhaps, he wasn't as bad as she made him out to be. If she couldn't cope with him, how could she expect to become like him. He was everything she was trying to become, minus the insanity. He was everything her father was and everything she was afraid of at the same time.
The tears that were welled up in her eyes fell, and she let them. They trailed slowly down her cheeks, one after the other, and she didn't lift a finger to stop it. Standing up she gently nudged Jack in his side. Grunting, he looked up at her.
"Changed yer mind, did ye, lass?" Jack couldn't keep the triumphant lilt out of his voice or the victorious smirk off his face. He had felt her gaze on him and was simply waiting for her to finally submit.
"Just shut up and move over, you big oaf." Jack chuckled, but complied. He slid over to the side again as he waited for her to take off her leather vest and boots. He watched amused as she nervously wiggled her way under the sheet. She shuffled around for a few moments before lying extremely still. Biting back a chuckle, he wrapped his arms around stomach and pulled her close to him. Gale let out a tiny squeal and jumped when she felt Jack wrap his arm around her. She lay even stiffer when she felt his warm skin press against her back. Her face flushed again and she felt a slight twinge of pleasure in her lower abdomen. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and she held her breath so he wouldn't be able to realize the effect he had on her. Little did she know, he knew everything he was doing to her. Leaning over, he whispered in her ear.
"Relax," he breathed, purposely letting his breath trail over the lobe of her ear and her cheek. "I won't bite." Jack paused for a few seconds before he added, "Too hard." He felt Gale shiver beneath his arm and he knew it was from pleasure. Anticipation, not fear. He lay back on his side, but kept his arm wrapped around her. After a few moments, he felt her relax, her body going limp in his arms. Her breath was even and slow. She had finally fallen asleep. He looked over her peaceful features for a moment and, smiling, closed his eyes and let himself rest.
~*~ Dream Sequence ~*~
"Papa?" Gale turned around and saw a little girl sitting in an older man's lap. The little girl had a head full of darkest brown curls, skin a pale alabaster, and mahogany brown eyes. She was in a frilly white dress, with pale pink ribbons twisted into her thick curls. If it wasn't for the bare feet, and the chocolate smudges on her hands and face from her brownie, she would have passed for the perfect little girl. She was looking up adoringly at the old man she was sitting on. He was balding and his hair was an ugly gray, his face wrinkling and leathery, but his eyes conveyed so much happiness it made him the most beautiful man in the little girls eyes.
"Yes, Gale?" The old man replied with a knowing smile on his lips.
"Papa, tell me about Captain Jack Sparrow again! I wanna hear how he sailed the seas and fought the British soldiers and about the Black Pearl and-" The old man chuckled causing the little girl to look up and smile brightly.
"Certainly, Gale. Which one do you want to hear first, my darling daughter?" Gale smiled as she watched her father begin to recount one of the many stories of Captain Jack Sparrow and himself. The happy memory soon faded though and Gale found herself standing on a dark room. There was nothing but blackness as far as she could see. Looking down, she found herself in the same blue dress she was wearing the night her father died. Only now, it wasn't ripped or covered in blood. Looking back up, she saw her father and the pirate from that night appear. She watched in horror as her father was shot in the heart. She ran forward to catch him but he fell right through her arms. She looked at her hands with wide eyes. Turning around, she came face to face with the pirate. Rage filled her and she ran towards him, fully intent on wrapping her hands around his neck and choking him until his head rolled off his shoulders, but to no avail. Her hands went straight through him as they had done before and she stumbled from the momentum. Catching herself before she fell, she turned around again. The floor around her father was covered in blood. So much blood it was abnormal. It slowly seeped it's way towards her, it's crimson fingers stretching out as if to grasp her and pull her into it's endless pool of red. She followed it's trail as it came ever closer to her feet.
Stepping back, she looked down at the front of her dress. It was torn and covered in blood. The whole front of her dress was covered in the thick, hot liquid, from the bodice down to the hem of her skirt. Feeling something trickle down the side of her face, she lifted a hand to wipe it away quickly. She looked at her hand to see what it was and found more blood. Panicking, she touched her face again and each time her hand came away with more blood. Frantically, she ran her hands over her face and jerked them through her hair as she felt more blood wash down her spine and face. Red filled her vision and she realized that she was bleeding from her eyes.
~*~ End Dream Sequence ~*~
Jack awoke with a start when he heard shrill screaming in his ears. He looked over and saw Gale thrashing and screaming next to him. Her arms and legs her flailing and kicking all over the place. Tears were streaming down her face. Her hands were scratching at her face and pulling at her hair. He watched with wide eyes as she nearly tore her own face off. For fear of her further injuring herself, Jack seized her arms and laid his body over hers to keep her from kicking. She struggled beneath him and he was beginning to find it difficult to contain her. She acted as if she was possessed by her own fear.
"Gale!" Jack shouted her name, but she didn't respond. He shouted it again, louder this time and she still didn't hear him. She continued to thrash about like a mad person. Somehow he managed to transfer both her wrists to one hand and, sitting up, he slapped her across the face. Instantly, Gale's eyes snapped open and she completely ceased all movement. She stared up at Jack with wide eyes. Her breathing was completely erratic and she was covered in her own sweat and tears. Slowly, Jack climbed off of her, letting her wrists go. He laid back down on his side, not once taking his eyes off of her. She continued to stare at the ceiling, slowly calming down.
"Gale?" Jack asked tentatively, unsure of whether or not to touch her. When she didn't look at him he tried again. "Gale, are ye all right?" Slowly, Gale turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were still wide, but she didn't seem to look as frightened as she had been.
"Jack?" Her voice sounded so small and helpless that it pulled at something in Jack. It was cracked, hoarse from her screaming. It sounded choked from her crying and it quivered from the fear so obviously welled up inside her. "Jack, I'm scared." He didn't bother to ask, he knew what she wanted. Gently, but firmly, he pulled her into his arms. She clutched one hand in his hair and the other arm wrapped around his back and that hand clutched his shoulder. He felt her shaking and quivering from crying and her fear. Her head was buried in his chest and he could feel her hot tears running over his skin. Jack slowly rolled on his back for better comfort, bringing Gale's head to rest at the crook of his neck. Cradling her left arm to her chest, she lay the other one over his stomach, firmly grasping his side as if she was afraid he would disappear. He held her head to his shoulder with the arm she was laying on, and he laid the other arm over hers, gently tracing soothing circles on her shoulder.
"Jack?" Popping on eye open, Jack looked down at Gale. She was looking at him, her eyes red and puffy, but no longer crying.
"Hmm?" He replied, now opening both his eyes.
"Will you play with my hair? Papa used to play with my hair at night and it helped me fall asleep." Jack nodded and when she laid her head back down, he began to gently run his finger through her dark curls. It was soaked in her sweat and tears, so it was hard for him to run his finger through it smoothly. Eventually, he managed to get the tangles out and it had dried some, making it much easier. Slowly, she fell asleep again, and dreamt a dreamless sleep for the remainder of the night.