I am back in the groove! YESH! I'm so happy! I started writing
this, and the second paragraph turned into something really cute, and I
thought it was too soon for it, so I put it at the end of the chapter and
it turned out so perfect! I really liked how this chapter turned out!
Before I continue on, I realized something....I don't have a disclaimer.
So I'm going to put one up for every chapter beginning now, and whenever I
get around to it, I'll put it in the chapters I've missed. So here it is..
Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the characters portrayed in it. I do, however, own Gale and any other character in this story that was not originally placed in the movie, unless I state otherwise.
Reviews:
Aragorn's Sexy Female Ranger: Thank you so much! I forgot to post my thank you to you last chapter, but not completely! I have msn, I just have to download it onto my new computer. I'll e-mail ya when I've got it!
Sinopa: I'm sorry you had to wait so long! I promise I'll keep the updates more regular! Thank you for your support!
Alydell: YES! I LIVE! lol..much laughs. About the grammar, I read it over myself and found some, but I was like "They've waited two months, and my BETA reader is gone. I'll just post it now and fix it later." So I'm gonna wait a couple of chapters, have my BETA read them all and then do it then. Thank you so much! I'll try to update sooner this time!
Kaitlyn: Thank you!
mrs wood felton: rofl! YES! RAPE! But you can't rape the willing..and trust me...if she wasn't willing then..she will be soon! Thank you!
DeppieHellcat: THANKYOU!! I love it, too! Of course, I should love it considering it's mine. lol. Don't worry, I won't stop. I love writing too much. DON'T PANIC! Gale WILL NOT....I repeat... WILL NOT become a weak girl. She actually gets stronger nearer to the end. I have no intention of making my character an invalid just because her life's a little wacked at the moment. She'll toughen up. Thank you!
Mesopotamia: So does this mean I can review your story without fear of a beating? lol j/k much laughs. Thank you!
Greeneyes616: Thank you!
aurora borealisl: Thank you! I'm glad you approve of Gale. I wasn't sure people would because..well..she's kinda...psychotic? So you saying you like her makes me happy. mushy mushy!
smmergurl: Thank you! No prob with the e-mailing thing.
Eradwyn: Thank you! Yes, when will they? I'm curoius of that myself because, to tell you the truth, I HAVE NO FREAKIN CLUE!!! I had this all graphed out...and then...well...it just turned out different than the graph and I'm all lost! lol. They will soon, this chapter has the most love in it thus far.
Isabelle Gibson: Isn't it?! I was thinking about drawing that particular scene, but I have to get myself back in the drawing groove again. I haven't done it in awhile. i came up with that because that puts me to sleep, too and I thought, wouldn't that be a cute little idea? So I put it in.
Nightingale16: GET A LIFE!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? GET UP! MOVE AROUND!! STOP TALKING TO ME!!!!!
Hernunky: 'ello!!! Thank you, your opinion means a lot to me, considering you know where I live and I actually know you personally. Yesh yesh, I know. You love me so much more than anything. I love you, too. Tankies!
NightShadow12: Thank you babe! DUN DUN DUN!!! heheh...dundun cssh...lol. LOVE YA DARLIN!!
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Gale awoke the next morning to the sound of seagulls. It was both annoying and unwelcome. Seagulls didn't stray far from land, so that meant that they hadn't left Tortuga docks yet. Pinching her eyes shut tightly, she tried to block out the sound. When her efforts to drown out the annoying clumps of feathers proved futile, she rolled over to get up. Straight off the bed. Grumbling, Gale groped for the edge of the bed to pull herself up. Once she was right side up, she glanced at the bed and found that Jack was not presently occupying it. She let a small smile grace her lips as she remembered last night. He had been so kind and gently. A far cry from the person she had originally thought him to be. Her smile slowly grew wider each second that she thought about last night. Scrambling to stand, she quickly threw on Jack's coat and hurriedly padded her way up the steps to the upper deck like a five year old on Christmas morning.
She found Jack at the helm, a bottle of rum in one hand, the other lying over one of the knobs lazily. He was humming some jolly, drunken tune under his breath and he was waving the rum around slightly. She suddenly felt a twinge of guilt rush through her stomach. She'd been so horrible to him lately, and he didn't deserve any of it. He had done nothing but help her since they'd met. In fact, it was because of him that she was still alive and had her chastity intact.
"Jack?" she called out to him. Jack turned and smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back.
"Mornin', lass. Sleep well?" He was still smiling, but when she looked in his eyes, she saw a look of seriousness in there. He was referring to her nightmare. He was genuinely concerned for her and it made her feel even more guilty. Nodding her head in affirmation, she opened her mouth to continue what she came up there to do, but Jack cut her off again. "Wonderful. Fine mornin' fer a swim, wouldn't ye say, lass?" Gale looked at Jack confused, but answered none-the-less.
"I suppose, but what does that have to do with anything?" Gale replied, wary of Jack's actions. Jack looked appalled and Gale began to wonder if he had had a little too much to drink already that morning.
"It has te do with everythin'!" Jack twirled his way over to the edge of the ship in his little waltz that she had come to assume as his natural drunken walk. Setting his bottle of rum down next to him, he smiled stupidly at her.
"Jack, what are you talking about? You're not making any sense." Gale had come up to apologize for being rude, but he was already grating on her nerves and she was beginning to remember why she couldn't stand him before.
"That's Captain, love, and I be makin' perfect sense! We're goin' swimmin'!" Before Gale could say another word, Jack had flung himself overboard.
"Jack!" Gale screamed as she ran to the edge of the boat where he had thrown himself and searched the water for any sign of him. The only thing she saw was rippling foam and bubbles where he had landed. She began to panic when the bubbles and foam disappeared and there was still no sign of him. Suddenly, there was a small burst from the water, causing Gale to jump and let out a small shriek. Looking towards the explosion she found Jack looking up at her, laughing. Infuriated by the fact that he had scared her witless and was now laughing at her because of it, she screamed at him. This only caused Jack to laugh even harder.
"Jack! Don't you ever do that to me again! You scared the hell out of me!" Jack let out a few more guffaws before he composed himself and settled on just grinning shamelessly at her.
"That be a helluva lot of hell te be scarin out of ye. I didn't know ye cared about me that much, love!" Gale glared at him, but didn't rise to his bait.
"Of course I don't care about you! I was only worried that I would never make it to somewhere decent! If you die, who runs the ship?" Jack slapped a hand to his chest like he'd just been shot.
"Ye wound me, lass! Mr. Gibbs would 'ave taken charge of the ship, an' me crew would 'ave 'ad it all taken care of. There be no need te worry ye're pretty little 'ead." Gale scoffed at him.
"Yes, I'm sure they would have it all taken care of. After they've thrown me over board!" Jack only laughed at her more.
"Nonsense! Don't be ridiculous! Anamaria would have saved ye. She's smarter than the rest of them ye know. She'd 'ave kept ye an' made ye swab the deck! Now stop yer complainin' an' get down 'ere!"
"Unless you've forgotten Captain, in which case I'll remind you, I can't swim!"
"Well, if ye'd get down 'ere, I'd show ye how! Now let's move it. Just jump, I'll catch you, Pirate's honor." Gale gave him a dry look.
"Some honor. I swear, Jack, if you let me drown a second time I will haunt you till the end of your days!" Jack waved his hands in dismissal.
"Yes, yes. Good, good. Haunt me till I die, got it. Now could ye hurry it up?" Gale gave him one last glare, before she took off his coat and climbed over the railing till she was sitting on it. Feeling a little nervous, she looked down at Jack with uncertainty. When he waved his hands in the air impatiently she closed her eyes and covered her mouth before she slipped off the edge and plopped right into the ocean. Jack covered his head with his arms to protect his eyes from the water that splashed from the impact. Peeking through his arms, he looked warily at where she had submerged.
"Well, that twas graceful." Shrugging, he dived in after her. It didn't take him long to find her and he brought her to the surface again. When Gale felt them both break the surface, she took a long gulp of air. Looking at Jack she noticed that he wasn't the least bit out of breath.
"See? I told ye I'd catch ye, didn't I?" Gale looked at him blandly.
"Diving in after I've already fallen hardly constitutes as actually catching me, Captain."
"You didn't drown, did you?" Gale opened her mouth to correct him, but clamped it shut. He had her there. "Right. Now, let's begin. Pinch yer nose like this," Jack pinched his nose with his index finger and thumb to demonstrate. "an' take a deep breath an' hold it. When I say so, I want ye te close yer eyes." Once Gale had pinched her nose shut and held her breath, he told her to close her eyes and he slowly submerged them in the water. Once under, Jack opened his eyes and looked at her. Her hair was floating all around her in what seemed like thick, endless, ebony ribbons. He pulled her hand away from her nose. A few bubbles escaped before she quickly learned to hold the air in through her nose. After a few moments passed, he brought them to the surface again. When they emerged, Gale inhaled slowly and smiled slightly, eyes still closed. Jack looked at her and smiled, too. Her hair was sopping wet, clinging to her face and neck. Little droplets of water ran down her face and back into the sea. Gale shivered slightly and finally opened her eyes.
"It's cold." Jack chuckled.
"Of course it is. Ye get used te it after a bit. Now, lay over me arms on yer stomach." Gale nodded and did as she was told. Jack put out both his arms in front of him and she laid herself over them, keeping her head above the water. "Now kick yer legs, but not too hard. I don't want any of the sea water in me eyes. At the same time, use yer arms as if they were the paddles on a boat. Like this," Jack instructed has he freed one arm to take hers and forced it into the motion he described. Placing his hand beneath her again he watched as she did as he said. When he saw that her motions were in synch enough and she had gotten the hang of it, he slowly started to move his hands out from under her.
"Jack, don't let go of me, okay?" Jack smiled, but kept moving back slowly without her realizing it.
"I'm not going anywhere, love." Eventually, Jack had backed a few feet away from her and she was swimming on her own. When she started moving along on her own Gale smiled.
"You can let go now, Jack. I think I'm good." Jack couldn't help the laughter that threatened to spill over his lips.
"Lass, I haven't been holdin' ye up fer quite a bit now. Ye've been swimmin' on yer own few the past five minutes." Gale stopped paddling with her arms, and just kicked her feet beneath the water to keep herself up. Turning around, she saw Jack trying very hard to keep above water because he was laughing. Her first instinct was to scream, but she found is humor contagious and a smile spread to her lips.
"Have I?" Jack nodded and Gale smiled wickedly. "Care to race, Captain?" Jack flashed her his charming smirk before he dived underneath the water. Gale squealed and tried to swim away, but Jack grabbed her ankle and pulled her under water with him. Luckily, she was able to take a quick breath of air before she went under. Jack shot up to the surface quickly, taking a quick gasp of air. Gale soon followed, laughter bubbling from her lips. Quickly spinning Gale around and wrapping her up in his arms, he pulled them both under. He let go of her when they were a few feet under and he swam a distance away from her. Gale opened her eyes and, after they adjusted to being under water, she chased after Jack. When he broke the surface, she was right behind him. The continued this game of tag for a while longer until it was beginning to get dark. By this time, they were out of breath, their muscles aching, and their cheeks hurt from all the laughter. They quickly composed themselves till they was only a short laugh here and there. Not wanting it to end just yet, they just floated there, staring at each other, smiles still plastered to their faces.
"I've never had so much fun in my life. I feel so....so free, Jack. Is this what it feels like for you? Is this why you became a pirate?" Jack smiled at her curiosity. He gently brushed a few wet strands out of her face, cupping her cheeks in both his hands.
"That's part of it, love." Jack watched a little droplet of water run down the bridge of her nose and stared in mild fascination as it rested on her lower lip. It quivered there for a few moments as if it would fall, but before it had the chance, Jack caught it with his lips. Gale opened her eyes in shock. The kiss was brief and fleeting, over before she had the time to register that he had indeed kissed her. He pulled back, but he didn't take his hands away from her face. Gale tried to form words to speak, but her mouth wasn't cooperating. The only thing she could seem to think about was his lips on hers. Even though, in reality, that hadn't been there first kiss, it felt like it was. She had wanted it and he had given it to her. That's what made it different from the rest. Gale shivered from the cold water, breaking the spell that they were trapped in. Clearing his throat, Jack took his hands away from her face.
"Well, it's time we be gettin' out of 'ere an' dryin' off. I've got an extra shirt ye can wear till yer things dry." Gale only nodded dumbly, still slightly shocked from the unexpected kiss. They slowly made their way back over to the docks. Once aboard the ship, Gale went to go back down to the lower deck. When she noticed that Jack wasn't behind her she turned and looked at him.
"Jack?" Jack turned at hearing his name. "Aren't you going to change?" Jack shook his head.
"No, love. I'll jist stand up 'ere an' let the sea's winds dry me off. Unless," Jack's voice took on the teasing tone he usually used when flirting. Gale rolled her eyes. "Of course, ye'd like me te come down an' watch ye change?" Gale shook her head, but couldn't help but smile. He was charming in a way, but he wasn't going to get her to admit that. Jack watched her back as she walked below deck before turning around to gaze at the sea.
It didn't take Gale long to find one of his extra shirts in the little desk next to his bed. She slowly peeled away all her wet clothing and slipped into the shirt. Compared to her cool skin, the shirt felt warm. Picking up all her discarded and wet clothing, she looked for somewhere to hang them so they would dry faster. After awhile, she found nothing and settled for spreading them out on the floor. Gale sat down on the bed and recalled the day's events so far, bringing a smile to her lips for the countless time that day. For once, they had not argued. She had actually had fun with him. The most fun she had had in a long time and she was exhausted. Lying down, she snuggled inside the covers and let herself drift to sleep, the smile never leaving her face.
Gale awoke hours later, sometime around the late evening. She let out a long yawn while stretching before she sat up. Looking down, she saw Jack's coat laying over her. She smiled again. He must have brought it down while she was sleeping. Getting up, she wrapped herself up in it's thick, comforting, warmth once more before she made her way up to where she knew Jack was.
She spotted Jack the instant she emerged from the stairwell. He was in his usual spot, staring out into the sea. he looked perfect and beautiful standing there with the hushed rays of sunset spilling around him, causing her to pause and stare in wonder. He wasn't handsome as most people would perceive the word to suggest. It was a more rugged handsomeness that he possessed. The untame, wild, freedom that was Jack Sparrow. He was meant for the sea and he belonged to it. She suddenly felt out of place and awkward. She briefly wondered if she would ever blend into this kind of lifestyle like he did. He made it seem so easy and natural. She could never measure up to him. He was everything her father had made him out to be.
"Jack?" Gale asked, somewhat timidly. He gave no notion that he had hear her, but she knew that he had. She walked up to him nervously, stopping only a foot away from him. "Jack, I-I wanted to apologize for the way I've treated you lately. I've been so rude to you, and you don't deserve it." Jack shook his head and smiled.
"No need fer that, lass. Ye've had it rough and besides that, I be a pirate. I didn't expect a well brought up lady such as yerself te like me immediately."
"That's just it. You're everything I want to be, and I've been acting like you're the Devil himself." Jack smiled bitterly.
"Ye don't want te be like me, lass. And the Devil isn't a bad analogy."
"Then forgive me, for I have sinned. I've fallen to the darkest temptation of them all." Jack looked up at her sharply and was taken back by the conviction in her eyes and her voice. Not one to be caught unawares, he continued as if her words hadn't affected him.
"And what would that be, love?" Jack asked, adding a little disbelief and disinterest to his tone to make it seem like he was not bothered by her sudden change in attitude.
"Freedom." That word alone caused the Captain Jack Sparrow to go rigid from the tip of his tricorn hat to the tip of his weather worn boots. Looking her straight in the eye, he tried to figure out what was causing her to act this way. That one word made her seem so much more mature than when he had first took her aboard his ship. Maybe she was meant to be a pirate after all.
After what seemed like eternity, Jack smiled at her. A slow, Cheshire cat smile like he knew something that she didn't. Chances are, he probably did, but she wasn't going to let that get underneath her skin. She smiled back, the same sly smile he hadn't given her, hoping to throw him off balance a little. It didn't work, even though she hadn't really expected it to. It was worth the try.
"Come 'ere, lass. I want te show ye somethin'." Jack waved his hand at her, bidding her to come over as he had asked. She complied, closing the gap that was between them. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he shifted her till she was standing in front of him. Taking her hands in his, he placed them on the ship's wheel with his hands over hers. Turning his head, he whispered into her ear. "What do you feel, love? What do you see out there?" Gale gasped when she felt his hot breath waft over her ear, cheek, and neck. That and the coat had fallen open and she was beginning to feel a draft. Not to leave his question unanswered, she looked over and out to the sea. The sight left her breathless.
It was beautiful. She finally realized why he stood here and stared for hours on end. The sea expanded for what seemed like forever. It was all around them and she realized for the first time that they had set sail. Tortuga was likely far behind them. Where were they going next? As soon as she asked herself that question she took it back. It didn't matter as long as it was on the sea. This was the freedom she had yearned for all those years. This was what her father had wanted her to see so badly. It wasn't plundering or looting. It wasn't drinking or swordplay. It was freedom. The ultimate freedom and the word suddenly became indescribable to her.
"I see..." Gale began, but she found it hard to continue. Turning her head to look at Jack, she found herself staring into his dark, kohl- lined eyes. There faces were only an inch apart, their lips a breadth from touching. She felt her breath suddenly dissipate, her heart beating rapidly against her breast. Her lids lowered halfway as if she was in some sort of fever.
"See what?" Jack asked, his breath washing over her lips, causing her knees to go weak. Almost as if he had sensed it, Jack wrapped one arm around her. He tore his gaze away from hers, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck. He inhaled her scent deeply, forever committing the fragrance to memory. He let out a long breath slowly, the sweet hotness of it causing her breath to speed up. His hand slid down dangerously low, stopping at her hip line. His fingers splayed out and then closed into a fist, catching the material of the shirt and pulling it up, but not so far as to reveal what he wanted so desperately to touch at that moment. Bunching the gathered material and holding it with his wrist, he spread his finger's again as if he was going to pull it up even further. Gale's breath caught in her throat and the hand he had abandoned quickly grabbed hold of his and covered it. He looked back into her eyes and waited for her to speak.
"I see who I am underneath this skin. I see everything I am capable of doing. I see my freedom stretched out before me in the form of endless waters. Freedom, Jack. Freedom is what I see." Jack smirked at her. Letting go of the material in his hands, he laced his fingers with her and held her to him tightly. Lowering his head, he watched as her eyes fluttered shut and his slowly did the same.
"Ahem." Their moment was cut short by a member of his crew loudly and enthusiastically clears his throat. Jack looked up, making it apparent he did not appreciate being interrupted.
"Mr. Gibbs? I trust ye be havin' a good reason te be botherin' me and the lass?" Jack asked while he pulled his hand away from Gale's and wrapped the coat around her so she was once more covered.
"Aye, Captain. I do. There be a storm comin' straight fer the Black Pearl an' a very nasty storm it be." Gale felt Jack instantly tense up, but when she looked at him she couldn't read his hard expression.
"Well, what are ye waitin' fer? Quit standin' around an' get 'er ready! There ain't a storm out there that ol' Pearl can't handle an' I'll be damned if I let it 'appen now."
Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the characters portrayed in it. I do, however, own Gale and any other character in this story that was not originally placed in the movie, unless I state otherwise.
Reviews:
Aragorn's Sexy Female Ranger: Thank you so much! I forgot to post my thank you to you last chapter, but not completely! I have msn, I just have to download it onto my new computer. I'll e-mail ya when I've got it!
Sinopa: I'm sorry you had to wait so long! I promise I'll keep the updates more regular! Thank you for your support!
Alydell: YES! I LIVE! lol..much laughs. About the grammar, I read it over myself and found some, but I was like "They've waited two months, and my BETA reader is gone. I'll just post it now and fix it later." So I'm gonna wait a couple of chapters, have my BETA read them all and then do it then. Thank you so much! I'll try to update sooner this time!
Kaitlyn: Thank you!
mrs wood felton: rofl! YES! RAPE! But you can't rape the willing..and trust me...if she wasn't willing then..she will be soon! Thank you!
DeppieHellcat: THANKYOU!! I love it, too! Of course, I should love it considering it's mine. lol. Don't worry, I won't stop. I love writing too much. DON'T PANIC! Gale WILL NOT....I repeat... WILL NOT become a weak girl. She actually gets stronger nearer to the end. I have no intention of making my character an invalid just because her life's a little wacked at the moment. She'll toughen up. Thank you!
Mesopotamia: So does this mean I can review your story without fear of a beating? lol j/k much laughs. Thank you!
Greeneyes616: Thank you!
aurora borealisl: Thank you! I'm glad you approve of Gale. I wasn't sure people would because..well..she's kinda...psychotic? So you saying you like her makes me happy. mushy mushy!
smmergurl: Thank you! No prob with the e-mailing thing.
Eradwyn: Thank you! Yes, when will they? I'm curoius of that myself because, to tell you the truth, I HAVE NO FREAKIN CLUE!!! I had this all graphed out...and then...well...it just turned out different than the graph and I'm all lost! lol. They will soon, this chapter has the most love in it thus far.
Isabelle Gibson: Isn't it?! I was thinking about drawing that particular scene, but I have to get myself back in the drawing groove again. I haven't done it in awhile. i came up with that because that puts me to sleep, too and I thought, wouldn't that be a cute little idea? So I put it in.
Nightingale16: GET A LIFE!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? GET UP! MOVE AROUND!! STOP TALKING TO ME!!!!!
Hernunky: 'ello!!! Thank you, your opinion means a lot to me, considering you know where I live and I actually know you personally. Yesh yesh, I know. You love me so much more than anything. I love you, too. Tankies!
NightShadow12: Thank you babe! DUN DUN DUN!!! heheh...dundun cssh...lol. LOVE YA DARLIN!!
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Gale awoke the next morning to the sound of seagulls. It was both annoying and unwelcome. Seagulls didn't stray far from land, so that meant that they hadn't left Tortuga docks yet. Pinching her eyes shut tightly, she tried to block out the sound. When her efforts to drown out the annoying clumps of feathers proved futile, she rolled over to get up. Straight off the bed. Grumbling, Gale groped for the edge of the bed to pull herself up. Once she was right side up, she glanced at the bed and found that Jack was not presently occupying it. She let a small smile grace her lips as she remembered last night. He had been so kind and gently. A far cry from the person she had originally thought him to be. Her smile slowly grew wider each second that she thought about last night. Scrambling to stand, she quickly threw on Jack's coat and hurriedly padded her way up the steps to the upper deck like a five year old on Christmas morning.
She found Jack at the helm, a bottle of rum in one hand, the other lying over one of the knobs lazily. He was humming some jolly, drunken tune under his breath and he was waving the rum around slightly. She suddenly felt a twinge of guilt rush through her stomach. She'd been so horrible to him lately, and he didn't deserve any of it. He had done nothing but help her since they'd met. In fact, it was because of him that she was still alive and had her chastity intact.
"Jack?" she called out to him. Jack turned and smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back.
"Mornin', lass. Sleep well?" He was still smiling, but when she looked in his eyes, she saw a look of seriousness in there. He was referring to her nightmare. He was genuinely concerned for her and it made her feel even more guilty. Nodding her head in affirmation, she opened her mouth to continue what she came up there to do, but Jack cut her off again. "Wonderful. Fine mornin' fer a swim, wouldn't ye say, lass?" Gale looked at Jack confused, but answered none-the-less.
"I suppose, but what does that have to do with anything?" Gale replied, wary of Jack's actions. Jack looked appalled and Gale began to wonder if he had had a little too much to drink already that morning.
"It has te do with everythin'!" Jack twirled his way over to the edge of the ship in his little waltz that she had come to assume as his natural drunken walk. Setting his bottle of rum down next to him, he smiled stupidly at her.
"Jack, what are you talking about? You're not making any sense." Gale had come up to apologize for being rude, but he was already grating on her nerves and she was beginning to remember why she couldn't stand him before.
"That's Captain, love, and I be makin' perfect sense! We're goin' swimmin'!" Before Gale could say another word, Jack had flung himself overboard.
"Jack!" Gale screamed as she ran to the edge of the boat where he had thrown himself and searched the water for any sign of him. The only thing she saw was rippling foam and bubbles where he had landed. She began to panic when the bubbles and foam disappeared and there was still no sign of him. Suddenly, there was a small burst from the water, causing Gale to jump and let out a small shriek. Looking towards the explosion she found Jack looking up at her, laughing. Infuriated by the fact that he had scared her witless and was now laughing at her because of it, she screamed at him. This only caused Jack to laugh even harder.
"Jack! Don't you ever do that to me again! You scared the hell out of me!" Jack let out a few more guffaws before he composed himself and settled on just grinning shamelessly at her.
"That be a helluva lot of hell te be scarin out of ye. I didn't know ye cared about me that much, love!" Gale glared at him, but didn't rise to his bait.
"Of course I don't care about you! I was only worried that I would never make it to somewhere decent! If you die, who runs the ship?" Jack slapped a hand to his chest like he'd just been shot.
"Ye wound me, lass! Mr. Gibbs would 'ave taken charge of the ship, an' me crew would 'ave 'ad it all taken care of. There be no need te worry ye're pretty little 'ead." Gale scoffed at him.
"Yes, I'm sure they would have it all taken care of. After they've thrown me over board!" Jack only laughed at her more.
"Nonsense! Don't be ridiculous! Anamaria would have saved ye. She's smarter than the rest of them ye know. She'd 'ave kept ye an' made ye swab the deck! Now stop yer complainin' an' get down 'ere!"
"Unless you've forgotten Captain, in which case I'll remind you, I can't swim!"
"Well, if ye'd get down 'ere, I'd show ye how! Now let's move it. Just jump, I'll catch you, Pirate's honor." Gale gave him a dry look.
"Some honor. I swear, Jack, if you let me drown a second time I will haunt you till the end of your days!" Jack waved his hands in dismissal.
"Yes, yes. Good, good. Haunt me till I die, got it. Now could ye hurry it up?" Gale gave him one last glare, before she took off his coat and climbed over the railing till she was sitting on it. Feeling a little nervous, she looked down at Jack with uncertainty. When he waved his hands in the air impatiently she closed her eyes and covered her mouth before she slipped off the edge and plopped right into the ocean. Jack covered his head with his arms to protect his eyes from the water that splashed from the impact. Peeking through his arms, he looked warily at where she had submerged.
"Well, that twas graceful." Shrugging, he dived in after her. It didn't take him long to find her and he brought her to the surface again. When Gale felt them both break the surface, she took a long gulp of air. Looking at Jack she noticed that he wasn't the least bit out of breath.
"See? I told ye I'd catch ye, didn't I?" Gale looked at him blandly.
"Diving in after I've already fallen hardly constitutes as actually catching me, Captain."
"You didn't drown, did you?" Gale opened her mouth to correct him, but clamped it shut. He had her there. "Right. Now, let's begin. Pinch yer nose like this," Jack pinched his nose with his index finger and thumb to demonstrate. "an' take a deep breath an' hold it. When I say so, I want ye te close yer eyes." Once Gale had pinched her nose shut and held her breath, he told her to close her eyes and he slowly submerged them in the water. Once under, Jack opened his eyes and looked at her. Her hair was floating all around her in what seemed like thick, endless, ebony ribbons. He pulled her hand away from her nose. A few bubbles escaped before she quickly learned to hold the air in through her nose. After a few moments passed, he brought them to the surface again. When they emerged, Gale inhaled slowly and smiled slightly, eyes still closed. Jack looked at her and smiled, too. Her hair was sopping wet, clinging to her face and neck. Little droplets of water ran down her face and back into the sea. Gale shivered slightly and finally opened her eyes.
"It's cold." Jack chuckled.
"Of course it is. Ye get used te it after a bit. Now, lay over me arms on yer stomach." Gale nodded and did as she was told. Jack put out both his arms in front of him and she laid herself over them, keeping her head above the water. "Now kick yer legs, but not too hard. I don't want any of the sea water in me eyes. At the same time, use yer arms as if they were the paddles on a boat. Like this," Jack instructed has he freed one arm to take hers and forced it into the motion he described. Placing his hand beneath her again he watched as she did as he said. When he saw that her motions were in synch enough and she had gotten the hang of it, he slowly started to move his hands out from under her.
"Jack, don't let go of me, okay?" Jack smiled, but kept moving back slowly without her realizing it.
"I'm not going anywhere, love." Eventually, Jack had backed a few feet away from her and she was swimming on her own. When she started moving along on her own Gale smiled.
"You can let go now, Jack. I think I'm good." Jack couldn't help the laughter that threatened to spill over his lips.
"Lass, I haven't been holdin' ye up fer quite a bit now. Ye've been swimmin' on yer own few the past five minutes." Gale stopped paddling with her arms, and just kicked her feet beneath the water to keep herself up. Turning around, she saw Jack trying very hard to keep above water because he was laughing. Her first instinct was to scream, but she found is humor contagious and a smile spread to her lips.
"Have I?" Jack nodded and Gale smiled wickedly. "Care to race, Captain?" Jack flashed her his charming smirk before he dived underneath the water. Gale squealed and tried to swim away, but Jack grabbed her ankle and pulled her under water with him. Luckily, she was able to take a quick breath of air before she went under. Jack shot up to the surface quickly, taking a quick gasp of air. Gale soon followed, laughter bubbling from her lips. Quickly spinning Gale around and wrapping her up in his arms, he pulled them both under. He let go of her when they were a few feet under and he swam a distance away from her. Gale opened her eyes and, after they adjusted to being under water, she chased after Jack. When he broke the surface, she was right behind him. The continued this game of tag for a while longer until it was beginning to get dark. By this time, they were out of breath, their muscles aching, and their cheeks hurt from all the laughter. They quickly composed themselves till they was only a short laugh here and there. Not wanting it to end just yet, they just floated there, staring at each other, smiles still plastered to their faces.
"I've never had so much fun in my life. I feel so....so free, Jack. Is this what it feels like for you? Is this why you became a pirate?" Jack smiled at her curiosity. He gently brushed a few wet strands out of her face, cupping her cheeks in both his hands.
"That's part of it, love." Jack watched a little droplet of water run down the bridge of her nose and stared in mild fascination as it rested on her lower lip. It quivered there for a few moments as if it would fall, but before it had the chance, Jack caught it with his lips. Gale opened her eyes in shock. The kiss was brief and fleeting, over before she had the time to register that he had indeed kissed her. He pulled back, but he didn't take his hands away from her face. Gale tried to form words to speak, but her mouth wasn't cooperating. The only thing she could seem to think about was his lips on hers. Even though, in reality, that hadn't been there first kiss, it felt like it was. She had wanted it and he had given it to her. That's what made it different from the rest. Gale shivered from the cold water, breaking the spell that they were trapped in. Clearing his throat, Jack took his hands away from her face.
"Well, it's time we be gettin' out of 'ere an' dryin' off. I've got an extra shirt ye can wear till yer things dry." Gale only nodded dumbly, still slightly shocked from the unexpected kiss. They slowly made their way back over to the docks. Once aboard the ship, Gale went to go back down to the lower deck. When she noticed that Jack wasn't behind her she turned and looked at him.
"Jack?" Jack turned at hearing his name. "Aren't you going to change?" Jack shook his head.
"No, love. I'll jist stand up 'ere an' let the sea's winds dry me off. Unless," Jack's voice took on the teasing tone he usually used when flirting. Gale rolled her eyes. "Of course, ye'd like me te come down an' watch ye change?" Gale shook her head, but couldn't help but smile. He was charming in a way, but he wasn't going to get her to admit that. Jack watched her back as she walked below deck before turning around to gaze at the sea.
It didn't take Gale long to find one of his extra shirts in the little desk next to his bed. She slowly peeled away all her wet clothing and slipped into the shirt. Compared to her cool skin, the shirt felt warm. Picking up all her discarded and wet clothing, she looked for somewhere to hang them so they would dry faster. After awhile, she found nothing and settled for spreading them out on the floor. Gale sat down on the bed and recalled the day's events so far, bringing a smile to her lips for the countless time that day. For once, they had not argued. She had actually had fun with him. The most fun she had had in a long time and she was exhausted. Lying down, she snuggled inside the covers and let herself drift to sleep, the smile never leaving her face.
Gale awoke hours later, sometime around the late evening. She let out a long yawn while stretching before she sat up. Looking down, she saw Jack's coat laying over her. She smiled again. He must have brought it down while she was sleeping. Getting up, she wrapped herself up in it's thick, comforting, warmth once more before she made her way up to where she knew Jack was.
She spotted Jack the instant she emerged from the stairwell. He was in his usual spot, staring out into the sea. he looked perfect and beautiful standing there with the hushed rays of sunset spilling around him, causing her to pause and stare in wonder. He wasn't handsome as most people would perceive the word to suggest. It was a more rugged handsomeness that he possessed. The untame, wild, freedom that was Jack Sparrow. He was meant for the sea and he belonged to it. She suddenly felt out of place and awkward. She briefly wondered if she would ever blend into this kind of lifestyle like he did. He made it seem so easy and natural. She could never measure up to him. He was everything her father had made him out to be.
"Jack?" Gale asked, somewhat timidly. He gave no notion that he had hear her, but she knew that he had. She walked up to him nervously, stopping only a foot away from him. "Jack, I-I wanted to apologize for the way I've treated you lately. I've been so rude to you, and you don't deserve it." Jack shook his head and smiled.
"No need fer that, lass. Ye've had it rough and besides that, I be a pirate. I didn't expect a well brought up lady such as yerself te like me immediately."
"That's just it. You're everything I want to be, and I've been acting like you're the Devil himself." Jack smiled bitterly.
"Ye don't want te be like me, lass. And the Devil isn't a bad analogy."
"Then forgive me, for I have sinned. I've fallen to the darkest temptation of them all." Jack looked up at her sharply and was taken back by the conviction in her eyes and her voice. Not one to be caught unawares, he continued as if her words hadn't affected him.
"And what would that be, love?" Jack asked, adding a little disbelief and disinterest to his tone to make it seem like he was not bothered by her sudden change in attitude.
"Freedom." That word alone caused the Captain Jack Sparrow to go rigid from the tip of his tricorn hat to the tip of his weather worn boots. Looking her straight in the eye, he tried to figure out what was causing her to act this way. That one word made her seem so much more mature than when he had first took her aboard his ship. Maybe she was meant to be a pirate after all.
After what seemed like eternity, Jack smiled at her. A slow, Cheshire cat smile like he knew something that she didn't. Chances are, he probably did, but she wasn't going to let that get underneath her skin. She smiled back, the same sly smile he hadn't given her, hoping to throw him off balance a little. It didn't work, even though she hadn't really expected it to. It was worth the try.
"Come 'ere, lass. I want te show ye somethin'." Jack waved his hand at her, bidding her to come over as he had asked. She complied, closing the gap that was between them. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he shifted her till she was standing in front of him. Taking her hands in his, he placed them on the ship's wheel with his hands over hers. Turning his head, he whispered into her ear. "What do you feel, love? What do you see out there?" Gale gasped when she felt his hot breath waft over her ear, cheek, and neck. That and the coat had fallen open and she was beginning to feel a draft. Not to leave his question unanswered, she looked over and out to the sea. The sight left her breathless.
It was beautiful. She finally realized why he stood here and stared for hours on end. The sea expanded for what seemed like forever. It was all around them and she realized for the first time that they had set sail. Tortuga was likely far behind them. Where were they going next? As soon as she asked herself that question she took it back. It didn't matter as long as it was on the sea. This was the freedom she had yearned for all those years. This was what her father had wanted her to see so badly. It wasn't plundering or looting. It wasn't drinking or swordplay. It was freedom. The ultimate freedom and the word suddenly became indescribable to her.
"I see..." Gale began, but she found it hard to continue. Turning her head to look at Jack, she found herself staring into his dark, kohl- lined eyes. There faces were only an inch apart, their lips a breadth from touching. She felt her breath suddenly dissipate, her heart beating rapidly against her breast. Her lids lowered halfway as if she was in some sort of fever.
"See what?" Jack asked, his breath washing over her lips, causing her knees to go weak. Almost as if he had sensed it, Jack wrapped one arm around her. He tore his gaze away from hers, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck. He inhaled her scent deeply, forever committing the fragrance to memory. He let out a long breath slowly, the sweet hotness of it causing her breath to speed up. His hand slid down dangerously low, stopping at her hip line. His fingers splayed out and then closed into a fist, catching the material of the shirt and pulling it up, but not so far as to reveal what he wanted so desperately to touch at that moment. Bunching the gathered material and holding it with his wrist, he spread his finger's again as if he was going to pull it up even further. Gale's breath caught in her throat and the hand he had abandoned quickly grabbed hold of his and covered it. He looked back into her eyes and waited for her to speak.
"I see who I am underneath this skin. I see everything I am capable of doing. I see my freedom stretched out before me in the form of endless waters. Freedom, Jack. Freedom is what I see." Jack smirked at her. Letting go of the material in his hands, he laced his fingers with her and held her to him tightly. Lowering his head, he watched as her eyes fluttered shut and his slowly did the same.
"Ahem." Their moment was cut short by a member of his crew loudly and enthusiastically clears his throat. Jack looked up, making it apparent he did not appreciate being interrupted.
"Mr. Gibbs? I trust ye be havin' a good reason te be botherin' me and the lass?" Jack asked while he pulled his hand away from Gale's and wrapped the coat around her so she was once more covered.
"Aye, Captain. I do. There be a storm comin' straight fer the Black Pearl an' a very nasty storm it be." Gale felt Jack instantly tense up, but when she looked at him she couldn't read his hard expression.
"Well, what are ye waitin' fer? Quit standin' around an' get 'er ready! There ain't a storm out there that ol' Pearl can't handle an' I'll be damned if I let it 'appen now."