Disclaimer: yeah yeah yeah..
A/N: Here's the 5th chapter. We last left Rhiannon taking a bath in a barrel. Yes, a barrel. Hope you all like it! Now shoo! Go read!
Oh-and by the way, I have belatedly noticed that anything I had put into italics when I wrote this on Microsoft Word, are no longer in italics once its uploaded onto ff.net. I apologize for this, I know it must have irked some people, and I shall try to fix those mistakes as soon as possible. From now on, I will be using these( // at the beginning and end of each thought said inside of a characters head and these( * around words that I wish to emphasize. Again, terribly sorry for my blunder!!
............................... Where we last left off:
Sighing in contentment, she sunk down into the water and closed her eyes. Just as she thought she might dose off, the door burst open behind her. She shrilled in alarm and just barely was able to catch herself before jumping up, and so revealing her not-so-covered-self to the kohl rimmed eyes of Jack Sparrow.
...............................
She gawked as he strode across the room and came within two feet of her and set a pile of folded clothes on a chair and hung a towel over the back. She pressed herself as close as she could to the sides of the barrel and shrank as far below the rim in an attempt to conceal as much of her bare body as she could. He looked at her, a cocky grin on his face that just screamed "I dare ye t' get out o' that tub." He began to circle the tub, always with his eyes on her.
"Mr. Sparrow, I would ask that you vacate this chamber immediately! Do you have no decency what so ever?..Or are you just blind, because if you haven't yet noticed, 'mon capitaine', I am not wearing any clothes!" Rhiannon glared daggers at him and clenched her small fists in anger when he merely grinned.
"Oh, aye, I *have* noticed, love. That's exactly why I haven't left yet, savvy?" He arched one of his dark eyebrows and his terribly handsome face cracked into a wide grin plated in gold. She couldn't help admiring just how good looking he really was..
//Rhiannon what are you doing! You are supposed to be yelling at him, not *fawning* over him! Get a grip on yourself, girl!//
She felt like hitting herself in the forehead, but thought it would look mightily odd if she did. She wasn't really quite sure whether other people had such interesting monologues in their heads all the time, but she wasn't exactly pouncing to find out.
"Mr. Sparrow, I demand that you exit through that door," she pointed at the only door in the room, so as to make sure there was no way he could twist her words in any way, "Over there, and shut it behind you, so that I can exit this barrel of a bathtub and get dressed. We do have a dinner to attend do we not?" Rhiannon watched as he considered this, hoping he would take the bait and leave, she didn't really fancy having to find a way to get out of the tub, dry herself off, and get re-dressed all without him seeing while he was standing right there. Rhiannon figured he wouldn't really mind that awkward situation, since it would really only be awkward for her..*but* she wasn't the one to privilege him so, he could pay people for that. In fact, she was quite sure he spent many a doubloon on just such a practice.
"Aye, yer right, we do have a dinner to be gettin' to. Right then, I'll leave ye to get dressed, but I'm only givin' ye three minutes," he held up three long and tapered fingers and with that he turned on his tail, and swaggered his way from the room. Rhiannon cautiously raised herself from the water, listening intently for any footsteps or door creaks and slowly got out of the tub, shaking the excess from each foot the way a cat does when wet and agitated. She was sure that had she a tail like a cat, it would be twitching madly from side to side, for she was grumpy and (thanks to her long barrel-bath) wrinkly to boot.
She grabbed the towel off of the chair and dried herself, focusing on her sopping curls. Rhiannon then looked to the clothes he had brought her. Thankfully it was one of her own gowns, but it was not exactly her favorite- her mother had picked it out for her, hoping it would catch the eye of some eligible bachelor of the 'ton' and make the other mother's jealous that their daughters weren't wearing the same thing. It was scarlet red silk with belled and slashed sleeves that revealed lavender silk underneath. She wondered why Jack Sparrow had to randomly choose this very dress and then she checked herself.
//Hah! Oh no, I don't think he chose this dress randomly, he was probably up there with then all laid out side by side and then this one won his favor because of the horrible low neckline and the itty bitty waist.yes that sounds closer to the truth.//
Resigning herself, she snatched up the new petticoat and corset that had been brought along with the dress (//funny how he should know so much about what clothes a lady has to put on, seeing as how I'm quite positive he has had more experience with ripping them off//) and slipped into the petticoat. Then she picked up the corset and looked at it, contemplating how she was going to manage to put it on by herself without someone to help tie the laces. She went through a few experimental runs of putting it on backwards and tying the laces from the front, but it was so tight that she could not turn it around the right way and the petticoat would end up all twisted and bunched up, then she tried tying it from the back but her arms would not reach. After about five attempts, she threw the blasted article to the ground and went to stomp on it. Just as she was about to crush some of the fragile whale-bone ribs that made it keep its form, she was grabbed around the waist and flung to the side. Once her feet touched the floor and she regained some of her senses, she turned and found the abhorrent captain lifting her corset from the ground by the tip of his sword. He held it out to her, under her nose.
"Now, now love. Don't get yerself in a tizzy over one silly little corset. If ye needed help, ye could only have asked," Rhiannon grabbed the garment off the end of his cutlass and then glared, replying fiercely, "Where in the bleedin' hell did you come from!?"
"I said I would give ye three minutes," he held up the same three long and grimy fingers, "And yer three minutes were up," he folded the three fingers into a fist. "Lucky I had come, or ye would have destroyed that beyond repair. Now turn around and I'll help ye put' on." He made a gesture with his fingers as if he were stirring a drink that she took to mean "turn- around".
"I most certainly will not! I don't even know why you are in here! I'm in my petticoats for goodness sakes!" Realizing just how indecently covered she was in front of him, she searched for something to cover herself with. Spying the discarded towel, she grabbed it and drapped it in front of her.
"Blimey! Lass, belay that codswollop. Yer talking nonsense. Yer perfectly covered...a bit too covered for me likin', but I 'spose twill only be a matter of good time," he awarded her with a cheeky grin, "Now turn around and let me help you, I'm getting hungry and tired of waiting," he advanced and snatched the corset from her hands. When she didn't turn around immediately, he told her, "Look, love, I'm getting *real* impatient here. Either you turn around, or I'll pick you up and carry you out of here over my shoulder as you are." He gave her a pointed look showing her that he was quite serious.
"O-only if you close your eyes, sir," she added tentatively, hoping he wouldn't decide to snatch her up right then and there and carry her off.
"Alright, love," he sighed and rolled his eyes. With that he unwrapped some ratty piece of cloth that had been wound about his wrist and tied it behind his head. "Now, guide me hands and I shall help ye."
She took the corset from his hands and put it on then turned and awkwardly guided his hands to the laces on the back. "Pull," she said and pull he did. She gasped for air like a fish out of water but he kept pulling. She tried telling him to stop but there was no wind in her to fill her lungs and she could say nothing. She began to swoon-spots swam before her eyes and then everything went black-and she dropped in a faint to the floor, pulling him down along with her like a horse pulls the rider attached to its reins.
"Yearrrgh!" The blindfolded Jack landed with a thud on top of the unconscious girl, "Ooof." He ripped of the blindfold and looked down at her beneath him. "Well, love. I had hoped to be in this position sometime, but not quite under these exact circumstances," and with that he ripped off the corset, but she did not wake. Making a quick decision, he leaned over her and breathed into her mouth, giving her mouth to mouth resuscitation. Soon her eyes fluttered open and widened to the size of saucer plates.
She tried to push his bulk off of her, but to no avail. He just laid there, the length of his body pinning her to the floor with this head propped up on his elbow, the other casually inspecting his fingernails while she beat on his chest and screeched.
"Get off of me you great lout of a man! Get off! Let me up!" her face was turning red with the strength of her anger and indignation. It was almost hard to distinguish the transition from her usually pale face to her flaming-red and damp curls.
"Now calm down, love," Jack brushed the hair out of her face and looked calmly into her frantic eyes, "Just reef yer sails, lass. Aye, that's it, take a deep breath," he breathed with her and watched as the flush palled from her face and her breathing slowed.
Rhiannon took a deep breath and then continued in a more calmed manner, "Captain Sparrow, kindly would you help me to my feet so that I can finish dressing and then we can make our way to dinner." He obliged her and lifted himself up, then extended his arm down to her. She tentatively reached out to grasp his proffered hand and flinched back as their fingertips touched. She looked up into his eyes and saw something in there that gave her strength and clasped his hand tightly. He lifted her to her feet easily and then stepped back, conscious that he must be delicate with her in this mood.
"Thank you, kind sir," Rhiannon ducked her head, dipping into a small curtsy and then once again picked up the dreaded corset. She looked at it unsurely and then turned to him, "Um.would you mind helping me?"
"With pleasure, love, but..would ye mind skippin' the blindfold this time 'round?" He gave her a lopsided grin and she nodded vigorously. She did not want to go through what just happened *again*.
He held out the corset with both hands and Rhiannon ducked under one of his arms so that she stood with his arms around her and her back to him. She lifted her slender arms above her head and Jack cinched the corset around her. He would pull one lace at a time, waiting for her approval before moving onto the next until the entire thing was done up. Jack then picked up the dress and lifted it over her head, letting it spill down around her. Her head popped out through the neck of the dress and her arms found the sleeves. Soon enough her dress was laced up and she was running her fingers through her curls in an attempt to put them in some sort of order.
Jack gently turned her around so that she was facing a mirror she had not noticed was in the room. It was a tall, full length baroque-style mirror that she deduced must have been raided from some rich merchant ship or something of the like. Rhiannon blushed crimson when she saw how low the neckline of her dress was, she felt naked even with so much fabric drapped all over her. She did admit that the overall affect was rather nice, she just felt very exposed and uncomfortable with Jack standing there behind her, staring with evident appreciation.
"I think I would like to wear a different dress Mr. Sparrow," Rhiannon crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from the mirror. She always went through this with Mrs. Bathoe when he mother would try and force her to wear it to some outing or social function. As ever, Rhiannon put up a good fight and she was determined to win this time as well.
Jack stepped so that he was directly in front of her, and because of his greater height had to look down to see into her eyes. He found that he rather liked this vantage point, seeing as how if he looked a little lower than her eyes, there was a lovely little bit of cleavage for him to admire at his ease. One brow quirked and he granted her a lopsided grin. "No, love, this dress will do *quite* nicely I should think."
Rhiannon narrowed her eyes suspiciously and then her face flushed with bashfulness and rage. "Mr. Sparrow," she enunciated each syllable precisely, "Are you looking down my bodice, because if you are, I am most definitely changing. Now move aside and I shall go find something more suitable," she swept her way around him mumbling something that sounded like "no decency what so ever.the nerve of that incorrigible miscreant..."
"Arr.ye aren't getting off that easily, love," and with that he grabbed her round the waist and hoisted her with ease over his shoulder. She shrieked in surprise.
"Mr. Sparrow! Put me down this instant! Unhand me you dirty knave!" Rhiannon beat with her delicate fists on his chest and kicked her legs, but he would not put her down. He carried her out the door, up on deck, over the gangplank and across the docks. He stopped in front of the door to "The Prancing Pirate" (A/N: Sorry, I couldn't resist..one of my other obsessions happens to be LotR and my inner hobbit escaped). It was one of his favorite pubs and provided some of the best grog that could be found in Tortuga. "Arrr.," Jack growled in anticipation as he looked up at the sign swinging over the door.
By now, Rhiannon's struggling had died down some, so he bounced her on his shoulder. She started to sputter in indignation but he didn't give her a chance before he unceremoniously dropped her on rear end.
"Oof!" she rubbed her sore backside and glared up at him, taking a breath and opening her mouth so that she could start another angry tirade.
"No need to thank me fer the ride, love," he smirked and then swooped in and grasped her by her waist and swung her to her feet in a graceful arch that brought her leaning backwards over his knee with his face bent low above hers.
She sucked in a breath, thinking he might be as audacious enough as to kiss her right then and there. He leaned in until their noses nearly touched and his warm breath caressed her face, "We're here darling."
He tipped her back to her feet and then started off up the stoop stairs of the rowdy pub. She was still a bit stunned from what had just taken place and simply stood there with a wide-eyed expression. He turned when he didn't hear her following him and raised his eyebrows.
"If that's what ye want, love..," he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and then walked back to her. Before she knew what had happened he had grabbed her once more around the waist and she was slung like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder. He gave her a swift pat on the rear before stepping over the "Prancing Pirate's" threshold and chuckled when she jerked violently and almost sent herself on a short trip to the wooden floor.
"Mr. Sparrow," she gasped, and he bounced her again to shut her up. He made his way over to where some of his crew sat at a large corner table guarding the door to Captain Sparrow's private dining parlor. As he walked up there were some catcalls and hoots when they spied his burden and he grinned broadly, knowing she could not see. "Have ye brought us our dinner, Cap'n? Looks mighty tasty," some of the pirates licked their lips, leering and burst in to bawdy laughter.
"Grrr..Put me down!" Rhiannon beat on Jack's back some more and he dropped her. She once again found herself on her back side on the floor and she glared up at him ferociously. Her merely grinned at him which caused her anger to flare even more and she jumped to her feet.
"You, sir, are the most incorrigible,.the most impossible...argh!" Rhiannon sputtered to a halt, at a lost of words with her hands clenched tightly at her sides. "That's right, love," he patted her on the head, smoothing her tussled hair as if she were a child and then turned back to his mates. "Well, buckos, me and the lady will be adjournin' to the dining room," he stopped and grinned a Cheshire cat's grin, "so make sure we're not disturbed, eh?"
The crew chuckled and their eyes followed the lovely creature that followed their captain around the table in the direction of the door to the private dining parlor. Rhiannon's eyes bore into Jack Sparrow's back. She was imagining with relish him clad in irons, flanked by a group of navy-men garbed in spotless, red uniforms and being marched to his jail cell. He would look up at her as she stood next to her husband-the dashing Commodore Norrington and she would smile like a satisfied cat. His eyes would plead with her "please, please m'lady Rhiannon" and she would shake her head and walk off with the Commodore and she would forget all about the loathsome Jack Sparrow. //Its no less than the scoundrel deserves// she told herself vehemently.
While her musings consumed all of her attention, she did not noticed the serving wench that stepped backwards in front of her and she endeavored to step out of the way. Too late.
Rhiannon collided right into the back of the woman and heard the crash of various mugs and tankards smash against the floor. Rhiannon stood stock still, mouth hanging agape and then she remembered to help the poor woman. She bent to try and collect some of the shattered glass pieces but felt someone grab her by the elbow and lift her to her feet. She looked up to see the cheery face of plumb face of the woman she had knocked into. The woman had mousy brown hair up in a messy bun and way too much make-up, but she seemed kind enough. //I hope she isn't angry with me// Rhiannon eyed the ale spilled all over the woman's front and grimaced.
"By my stars, dear. What's a lassie like ye doin' in a place like this?" Then she noticed Jack standing off to the side, whistling as he looked at the ceiling as if he had never seen one before. "Yew, Jack Sparrow, what ye doin' with a bird like this?" she placed her hands on her ample hips and tapped her foot impatiently.
"We were just on our way to dinner, Jessim-darling. I'm terribly sorry for the mess; she gets nervous with so many people around. I'll just be taking her into the parlor and you can be a good wench and bring us our dinner." Jack hurriedly steered Rhiannon away before Jessim could say another syllable and pushed Rhiannon through the door to the parlor and shut the door behind them. Jessim watched as they left, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. //He's up to somethin', mark my words, // There was something about the girl that sparked her memory and she hurried off to the bar.
Meanwhile, in the parlor, Jack stood against the door frame, one leg crossed over the other and an arm crossed over his torso casually. He tugged on the braids at his chin as he watched her. She stood in the middle of the room and refused to look at him, or simply acknowledge him.
"Ye know ye can't ignore me forever, love," he stated nonchalantly.
"Yes I can," she turned her back on him, "I am very insulted with the way you have been treating me lately Mr. Sparrow. You let that woman think I was some sort of simpleton."
"Ye'll get over it," he pushed off against the wall and sauntered over to the small, intimate table in the center of the room. He pulled the chair out and sat down, resting his dirty boots on the table top and grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl. He took a large bite and then held the apple out to her, as if offering her a bite. Rhiannon wrinkled her nose in distaste and tilted her nose in just the right angle that it was the most contemptuous it could get.
Jack raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to join him at the table. She just stood there. Then it dawned on Jack, she was waiting for him to pull her chair out for her. He got up slowly and swaggered his way around the table, passing closely to her as he went, and then scooted the chair out from the table. She glanced at him and then the chair and sat down, not looking at Jack the whole time.
"Thank you, kind sir," she said stiffly and he then went back around to his seat and sat, elbows on the table as he leaned across to her.
"Call me Jack, love," he said, and then handed her an apple. Rhiannon took it tentatively, making sure not to let their fingertips touch. She brought the bright green apple back to her mouth and took a dainty bite. He look at her with his lusty, kohl rimmed eyes and watched intently as a drop of juice ran down her chin. He leaned the rest of the way across the table and kissed her on the corner of the mouth, licking the juice off with his tongue. Her eyes widened in shock and she jerked backwards, tipping her chair and crashing to the ground. Just at that precise moment, Jessim entered the room and stopped abruptly when she saw the questionable scene before her; Jack leaning over the table, and the poor girl flat on her back next to an overturned chair and her skirts in disarray, showing quite a bit of milky white leg.
"Blimey! What in 'Ell's name is going on in here!? Jack, what did you do to her!? And no lies!" She pointed a threatening finger in his direction.
"It's nothin' Jessim-darling. She just tripped on her skirts is all when she tried to stand up," Jessim was not fooled for a minute and crossed the room to Rhiannon's side, smoothing down her skirts and helping her to her feet for the second time in one night.
"Aye, its nothin', and I'm nothin' but the Queen o' bloody England," she helped Rhiannon brush her skirts off and righted the chair. Then she marched over to Jack, and despite his greater height, she seemed to loom over him and he brought his hands up in front of him as if expecting a blow, "What did ye do t' her? If ye 'ave harmed her I'll harm ye, right?"
"Right, love. Like I said, she only tripped," he eyed the rolled up parchment she held in one hand as if it were a weapon. She noticed him glance at it then remembered why she had come in here in the first place.
"Jack, I have somethin 'ere that might be of int'rest to ye," she handed him the parchment and watched him unroll it. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly and then he let it roll back up on itself. "Well that's int'resting, very int'resting."
"What's interesting?" asked Rhiannon, looking from one to the other in confusion, "Mr. Sparrow, what does that paper say?"
Jack ignored her. "Jessim, could you have our meal brought in for us, please. That's a dear.," he herded her to the door and then forcibly pushed her through the threshold and struggled to close the door against her opposing efforts. He let his arms go limp at his sides and wiped his brow as soon as he heard the door click shut and then turned the key in the lock.
"Strong girl that Jessim..Now, where we're we? Oh yes, here.," Jack walked back over to Rhiannon and wrapped his arm about her waist, pulling her close. She pushed against him, but he was stronger than she was and he leaned in closer, bringing his face very near to hers.
"M-Mr. S-sparrow, sir, please..!" Jack paid no attention to her protests and guided his nose along her jaw and then nibbled on her earlobe. Rhiannon shivered at the glorious sensation and then mentally chastised herself //What am I thinking!?// She tried to ignore the fact that she could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck. Rhiannon racked her brain, trying to think of something that would get him to stop these ridiculous antics, and then it hit her.
"Jack."
He stopped when he heard her use his name. It was the first time she had used his first name and he wondered if she had finally decided to give up her stubborn resistance of his advances. "I knew ye'd warm up t' me, love." His handsome face cracked into a wide, golden grin and he looked down into her upturned face.
"Jack..," Rhiannon's voice was husky and she watched as the pirate captain inclined his head once more to continue his ministrations of her earlobe. Then she searched him with her eyes, looking for where he had stashed the parchment and found what she was looking for tucked into the inside pocket of his coat. Thinking quickly, Rhiannon (not liking what she was about to do, but determined to do it) slipped her hands inside his coat. Jack smiled against the soft skin of her neck. She ran her hands up his torso and then let one stray up his neck while the other slowly made its way over to the parchment in its pocket. She was halfway to having it free when Jack grabbed her other hand (the one resting on his shoulder) and began kissing it, one finger at a time. She had to force herself not to squeak in protest or to pull her hand out of his, then quickly snatched the parchment the rest of the way out of his pocket and turned to run.
She had only taken a few steps when she was jerked backwards. She looked back in confusion and saw that Jack had a tight hold on her wrist. She glared daggers at him and then struggled to pull her wrist out of his grip, "Let me go!"
And he did.
Rhiannon flew backwards into the wall. Jack began advancing on her again, "Now Rhia-love, that wasn't very nice. We were having such a good time and ye had to go an' steal me parchment," he placed his hands on either side of her against the wall, "Ye could have only asked."
She scowled at him, and ducked under one of his arms and tried to unroll the parchment as she was chased about the room by him. She made it around to the other side of the table and finally got the paper open, but only got a glimpse of what was on the front before she felt him grab at her skirt and she dashed off once more. Rhiannon found refuge behind a chair and studied the drawing on the front-it was of Jack! Her eyes widened and she backed away into the corner as he slowly approached her. "Its you," she stated.
"Aye," he replied and continued to walk towards her. Rhiannon then realized that she would be backed into a corner and trapped with no where to go if she kept going in the direction that she was, so she stepped to the side and went back to her chair, standing with it once again between him and her. She studied the parchment further-it was a wanted poster, a wanted poster for Jack.
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A/N: So sorry it took so very long for me to update, I shall try very hard to be quicker with my postings. Just a few thank you-s to my latest reviewers:
ArenynCai: Yes, I am lucky to get reviews, and that's why I thank you my lovely Pooter. I shall send Billy over with a present for you in thanks..:) oh, and Jack will be showing us more *yippie!* but all in good time, all in good time.
A/N: Here's the 5th chapter. We last left Rhiannon taking a bath in a barrel. Yes, a barrel. Hope you all like it! Now shoo! Go read!
Oh-and by the way, I have belatedly noticed that anything I had put into italics when I wrote this on Microsoft Word, are no longer in italics once its uploaded onto ff.net. I apologize for this, I know it must have irked some people, and I shall try to fix those mistakes as soon as possible. From now on, I will be using these( // at the beginning and end of each thought said inside of a characters head and these( * around words that I wish to emphasize. Again, terribly sorry for my blunder!!
............................... Where we last left off:
Sighing in contentment, she sunk down into the water and closed her eyes. Just as she thought she might dose off, the door burst open behind her. She shrilled in alarm and just barely was able to catch herself before jumping up, and so revealing her not-so-covered-self to the kohl rimmed eyes of Jack Sparrow.
...............................
She gawked as he strode across the room and came within two feet of her and set a pile of folded clothes on a chair and hung a towel over the back. She pressed herself as close as she could to the sides of the barrel and shrank as far below the rim in an attempt to conceal as much of her bare body as she could. He looked at her, a cocky grin on his face that just screamed "I dare ye t' get out o' that tub." He began to circle the tub, always with his eyes on her.
"Mr. Sparrow, I would ask that you vacate this chamber immediately! Do you have no decency what so ever?..Or are you just blind, because if you haven't yet noticed, 'mon capitaine', I am not wearing any clothes!" Rhiannon glared daggers at him and clenched her small fists in anger when he merely grinned.
"Oh, aye, I *have* noticed, love. That's exactly why I haven't left yet, savvy?" He arched one of his dark eyebrows and his terribly handsome face cracked into a wide grin plated in gold. She couldn't help admiring just how good looking he really was..
//Rhiannon what are you doing! You are supposed to be yelling at him, not *fawning* over him! Get a grip on yourself, girl!//
She felt like hitting herself in the forehead, but thought it would look mightily odd if she did. She wasn't really quite sure whether other people had such interesting monologues in their heads all the time, but she wasn't exactly pouncing to find out.
"Mr. Sparrow, I demand that you exit through that door," she pointed at the only door in the room, so as to make sure there was no way he could twist her words in any way, "Over there, and shut it behind you, so that I can exit this barrel of a bathtub and get dressed. We do have a dinner to attend do we not?" Rhiannon watched as he considered this, hoping he would take the bait and leave, she didn't really fancy having to find a way to get out of the tub, dry herself off, and get re-dressed all without him seeing while he was standing right there. Rhiannon figured he wouldn't really mind that awkward situation, since it would really only be awkward for her..*but* she wasn't the one to privilege him so, he could pay people for that. In fact, she was quite sure he spent many a doubloon on just such a practice.
"Aye, yer right, we do have a dinner to be gettin' to. Right then, I'll leave ye to get dressed, but I'm only givin' ye three minutes," he held up three long and tapered fingers and with that he turned on his tail, and swaggered his way from the room. Rhiannon cautiously raised herself from the water, listening intently for any footsteps or door creaks and slowly got out of the tub, shaking the excess from each foot the way a cat does when wet and agitated. She was sure that had she a tail like a cat, it would be twitching madly from side to side, for she was grumpy and (thanks to her long barrel-bath) wrinkly to boot.
She grabbed the towel off of the chair and dried herself, focusing on her sopping curls. Rhiannon then looked to the clothes he had brought her. Thankfully it was one of her own gowns, but it was not exactly her favorite- her mother had picked it out for her, hoping it would catch the eye of some eligible bachelor of the 'ton' and make the other mother's jealous that their daughters weren't wearing the same thing. It was scarlet red silk with belled and slashed sleeves that revealed lavender silk underneath. She wondered why Jack Sparrow had to randomly choose this very dress and then she checked herself.
//Hah! Oh no, I don't think he chose this dress randomly, he was probably up there with then all laid out side by side and then this one won his favor because of the horrible low neckline and the itty bitty waist.yes that sounds closer to the truth.//
Resigning herself, she snatched up the new petticoat and corset that had been brought along with the dress (//funny how he should know so much about what clothes a lady has to put on, seeing as how I'm quite positive he has had more experience with ripping them off//) and slipped into the petticoat. Then she picked up the corset and looked at it, contemplating how she was going to manage to put it on by herself without someone to help tie the laces. She went through a few experimental runs of putting it on backwards and tying the laces from the front, but it was so tight that she could not turn it around the right way and the petticoat would end up all twisted and bunched up, then she tried tying it from the back but her arms would not reach. After about five attempts, she threw the blasted article to the ground and went to stomp on it. Just as she was about to crush some of the fragile whale-bone ribs that made it keep its form, she was grabbed around the waist and flung to the side. Once her feet touched the floor and she regained some of her senses, she turned and found the abhorrent captain lifting her corset from the ground by the tip of his sword. He held it out to her, under her nose.
"Now, now love. Don't get yerself in a tizzy over one silly little corset. If ye needed help, ye could only have asked," Rhiannon grabbed the garment off the end of his cutlass and then glared, replying fiercely, "Where in the bleedin' hell did you come from!?"
"I said I would give ye three minutes," he held up the same three long and grimy fingers, "And yer three minutes were up," he folded the three fingers into a fist. "Lucky I had come, or ye would have destroyed that beyond repair. Now turn around and I'll help ye put' on." He made a gesture with his fingers as if he were stirring a drink that she took to mean "turn- around".
"I most certainly will not! I don't even know why you are in here! I'm in my petticoats for goodness sakes!" Realizing just how indecently covered she was in front of him, she searched for something to cover herself with. Spying the discarded towel, she grabbed it and drapped it in front of her.
"Blimey! Lass, belay that codswollop. Yer talking nonsense. Yer perfectly covered...a bit too covered for me likin', but I 'spose twill only be a matter of good time," he awarded her with a cheeky grin, "Now turn around and let me help you, I'm getting hungry and tired of waiting," he advanced and snatched the corset from her hands. When she didn't turn around immediately, he told her, "Look, love, I'm getting *real* impatient here. Either you turn around, or I'll pick you up and carry you out of here over my shoulder as you are." He gave her a pointed look showing her that he was quite serious.
"O-only if you close your eyes, sir," she added tentatively, hoping he wouldn't decide to snatch her up right then and there and carry her off.
"Alright, love," he sighed and rolled his eyes. With that he unwrapped some ratty piece of cloth that had been wound about his wrist and tied it behind his head. "Now, guide me hands and I shall help ye."
She took the corset from his hands and put it on then turned and awkwardly guided his hands to the laces on the back. "Pull," she said and pull he did. She gasped for air like a fish out of water but he kept pulling. She tried telling him to stop but there was no wind in her to fill her lungs and she could say nothing. She began to swoon-spots swam before her eyes and then everything went black-and she dropped in a faint to the floor, pulling him down along with her like a horse pulls the rider attached to its reins.
"Yearrrgh!" The blindfolded Jack landed with a thud on top of the unconscious girl, "Ooof." He ripped of the blindfold and looked down at her beneath him. "Well, love. I had hoped to be in this position sometime, but not quite under these exact circumstances," and with that he ripped off the corset, but she did not wake. Making a quick decision, he leaned over her and breathed into her mouth, giving her mouth to mouth resuscitation. Soon her eyes fluttered open and widened to the size of saucer plates.
She tried to push his bulk off of her, but to no avail. He just laid there, the length of his body pinning her to the floor with this head propped up on his elbow, the other casually inspecting his fingernails while she beat on his chest and screeched.
"Get off of me you great lout of a man! Get off! Let me up!" her face was turning red with the strength of her anger and indignation. It was almost hard to distinguish the transition from her usually pale face to her flaming-red and damp curls.
"Now calm down, love," Jack brushed the hair out of her face and looked calmly into her frantic eyes, "Just reef yer sails, lass. Aye, that's it, take a deep breath," he breathed with her and watched as the flush palled from her face and her breathing slowed.
Rhiannon took a deep breath and then continued in a more calmed manner, "Captain Sparrow, kindly would you help me to my feet so that I can finish dressing and then we can make our way to dinner." He obliged her and lifted himself up, then extended his arm down to her. She tentatively reached out to grasp his proffered hand and flinched back as their fingertips touched. She looked up into his eyes and saw something in there that gave her strength and clasped his hand tightly. He lifted her to her feet easily and then stepped back, conscious that he must be delicate with her in this mood.
"Thank you, kind sir," Rhiannon ducked her head, dipping into a small curtsy and then once again picked up the dreaded corset. She looked at it unsurely and then turned to him, "Um.would you mind helping me?"
"With pleasure, love, but..would ye mind skippin' the blindfold this time 'round?" He gave her a lopsided grin and she nodded vigorously. She did not want to go through what just happened *again*.
He held out the corset with both hands and Rhiannon ducked under one of his arms so that she stood with his arms around her and her back to him. She lifted her slender arms above her head and Jack cinched the corset around her. He would pull one lace at a time, waiting for her approval before moving onto the next until the entire thing was done up. Jack then picked up the dress and lifted it over her head, letting it spill down around her. Her head popped out through the neck of the dress and her arms found the sleeves. Soon enough her dress was laced up and she was running her fingers through her curls in an attempt to put them in some sort of order.
Jack gently turned her around so that she was facing a mirror she had not noticed was in the room. It was a tall, full length baroque-style mirror that she deduced must have been raided from some rich merchant ship or something of the like. Rhiannon blushed crimson when she saw how low the neckline of her dress was, she felt naked even with so much fabric drapped all over her. She did admit that the overall affect was rather nice, she just felt very exposed and uncomfortable with Jack standing there behind her, staring with evident appreciation.
"I think I would like to wear a different dress Mr. Sparrow," Rhiannon crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from the mirror. She always went through this with Mrs. Bathoe when he mother would try and force her to wear it to some outing or social function. As ever, Rhiannon put up a good fight and she was determined to win this time as well.
Jack stepped so that he was directly in front of her, and because of his greater height had to look down to see into her eyes. He found that he rather liked this vantage point, seeing as how if he looked a little lower than her eyes, there was a lovely little bit of cleavage for him to admire at his ease. One brow quirked and he granted her a lopsided grin. "No, love, this dress will do *quite* nicely I should think."
Rhiannon narrowed her eyes suspiciously and then her face flushed with bashfulness and rage. "Mr. Sparrow," she enunciated each syllable precisely, "Are you looking down my bodice, because if you are, I am most definitely changing. Now move aside and I shall go find something more suitable," she swept her way around him mumbling something that sounded like "no decency what so ever.the nerve of that incorrigible miscreant..."
"Arr.ye aren't getting off that easily, love," and with that he grabbed her round the waist and hoisted her with ease over his shoulder. She shrieked in surprise.
"Mr. Sparrow! Put me down this instant! Unhand me you dirty knave!" Rhiannon beat with her delicate fists on his chest and kicked her legs, but he would not put her down. He carried her out the door, up on deck, over the gangplank and across the docks. He stopped in front of the door to "The Prancing Pirate" (A/N: Sorry, I couldn't resist..one of my other obsessions happens to be LotR and my inner hobbit escaped). It was one of his favorite pubs and provided some of the best grog that could be found in Tortuga. "Arrr.," Jack growled in anticipation as he looked up at the sign swinging over the door.
By now, Rhiannon's struggling had died down some, so he bounced her on his shoulder. She started to sputter in indignation but he didn't give her a chance before he unceremoniously dropped her on rear end.
"Oof!" she rubbed her sore backside and glared up at him, taking a breath and opening her mouth so that she could start another angry tirade.
"No need to thank me fer the ride, love," he smirked and then swooped in and grasped her by her waist and swung her to her feet in a graceful arch that brought her leaning backwards over his knee with his face bent low above hers.
She sucked in a breath, thinking he might be as audacious enough as to kiss her right then and there. He leaned in until their noses nearly touched and his warm breath caressed her face, "We're here darling."
He tipped her back to her feet and then started off up the stoop stairs of the rowdy pub. She was still a bit stunned from what had just taken place and simply stood there with a wide-eyed expression. He turned when he didn't hear her following him and raised his eyebrows.
"If that's what ye want, love..," he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and then walked back to her. Before she knew what had happened he had grabbed her once more around the waist and she was slung like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder. He gave her a swift pat on the rear before stepping over the "Prancing Pirate's" threshold and chuckled when she jerked violently and almost sent herself on a short trip to the wooden floor.
"Mr. Sparrow," she gasped, and he bounced her again to shut her up. He made his way over to where some of his crew sat at a large corner table guarding the door to Captain Sparrow's private dining parlor. As he walked up there were some catcalls and hoots when they spied his burden and he grinned broadly, knowing she could not see. "Have ye brought us our dinner, Cap'n? Looks mighty tasty," some of the pirates licked their lips, leering and burst in to bawdy laughter.
"Grrr..Put me down!" Rhiannon beat on Jack's back some more and he dropped her. She once again found herself on her back side on the floor and she glared up at him ferociously. Her merely grinned at him which caused her anger to flare even more and she jumped to her feet.
"You, sir, are the most incorrigible,.the most impossible...argh!" Rhiannon sputtered to a halt, at a lost of words with her hands clenched tightly at her sides. "That's right, love," he patted her on the head, smoothing her tussled hair as if she were a child and then turned back to his mates. "Well, buckos, me and the lady will be adjournin' to the dining room," he stopped and grinned a Cheshire cat's grin, "so make sure we're not disturbed, eh?"
The crew chuckled and their eyes followed the lovely creature that followed their captain around the table in the direction of the door to the private dining parlor. Rhiannon's eyes bore into Jack Sparrow's back. She was imagining with relish him clad in irons, flanked by a group of navy-men garbed in spotless, red uniforms and being marched to his jail cell. He would look up at her as she stood next to her husband-the dashing Commodore Norrington and she would smile like a satisfied cat. His eyes would plead with her "please, please m'lady Rhiannon" and she would shake her head and walk off with the Commodore and she would forget all about the loathsome Jack Sparrow. //Its no less than the scoundrel deserves// she told herself vehemently.
While her musings consumed all of her attention, she did not noticed the serving wench that stepped backwards in front of her and she endeavored to step out of the way. Too late.
Rhiannon collided right into the back of the woman and heard the crash of various mugs and tankards smash against the floor. Rhiannon stood stock still, mouth hanging agape and then she remembered to help the poor woman. She bent to try and collect some of the shattered glass pieces but felt someone grab her by the elbow and lift her to her feet. She looked up to see the cheery face of plumb face of the woman she had knocked into. The woman had mousy brown hair up in a messy bun and way too much make-up, but she seemed kind enough. //I hope she isn't angry with me// Rhiannon eyed the ale spilled all over the woman's front and grimaced.
"By my stars, dear. What's a lassie like ye doin' in a place like this?" Then she noticed Jack standing off to the side, whistling as he looked at the ceiling as if he had never seen one before. "Yew, Jack Sparrow, what ye doin' with a bird like this?" she placed her hands on her ample hips and tapped her foot impatiently.
"We were just on our way to dinner, Jessim-darling. I'm terribly sorry for the mess; she gets nervous with so many people around. I'll just be taking her into the parlor and you can be a good wench and bring us our dinner." Jack hurriedly steered Rhiannon away before Jessim could say another syllable and pushed Rhiannon through the door to the parlor and shut the door behind them. Jessim watched as they left, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. //He's up to somethin', mark my words, // There was something about the girl that sparked her memory and she hurried off to the bar.
Meanwhile, in the parlor, Jack stood against the door frame, one leg crossed over the other and an arm crossed over his torso casually. He tugged on the braids at his chin as he watched her. She stood in the middle of the room and refused to look at him, or simply acknowledge him.
"Ye know ye can't ignore me forever, love," he stated nonchalantly.
"Yes I can," she turned her back on him, "I am very insulted with the way you have been treating me lately Mr. Sparrow. You let that woman think I was some sort of simpleton."
"Ye'll get over it," he pushed off against the wall and sauntered over to the small, intimate table in the center of the room. He pulled the chair out and sat down, resting his dirty boots on the table top and grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl. He took a large bite and then held the apple out to her, as if offering her a bite. Rhiannon wrinkled her nose in distaste and tilted her nose in just the right angle that it was the most contemptuous it could get.
Jack raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to join him at the table. She just stood there. Then it dawned on Jack, she was waiting for him to pull her chair out for her. He got up slowly and swaggered his way around the table, passing closely to her as he went, and then scooted the chair out from the table. She glanced at him and then the chair and sat down, not looking at Jack the whole time.
"Thank you, kind sir," she said stiffly and he then went back around to his seat and sat, elbows on the table as he leaned across to her.
"Call me Jack, love," he said, and then handed her an apple. Rhiannon took it tentatively, making sure not to let their fingertips touch. She brought the bright green apple back to her mouth and took a dainty bite. He look at her with his lusty, kohl rimmed eyes and watched intently as a drop of juice ran down her chin. He leaned the rest of the way across the table and kissed her on the corner of the mouth, licking the juice off with his tongue. Her eyes widened in shock and she jerked backwards, tipping her chair and crashing to the ground. Just at that precise moment, Jessim entered the room and stopped abruptly when she saw the questionable scene before her; Jack leaning over the table, and the poor girl flat on her back next to an overturned chair and her skirts in disarray, showing quite a bit of milky white leg.
"Blimey! What in 'Ell's name is going on in here!? Jack, what did you do to her!? And no lies!" She pointed a threatening finger in his direction.
"It's nothin' Jessim-darling. She just tripped on her skirts is all when she tried to stand up," Jessim was not fooled for a minute and crossed the room to Rhiannon's side, smoothing down her skirts and helping her to her feet for the second time in one night.
"Aye, its nothin', and I'm nothin' but the Queen o' bloody England," she helped Rhiannon brush her skirts off and righted the chair. Then she marched over to Jack, and despite his greater height, she seemed to loom over him and he brought his hands up in front of him as if expecting a blow, "What did ye do t' her? If ye 'ave harmed her I'll harm ye, right?"
"Right, love. Like I said, she only tripped," he eyed the rolled up parchment she held in one hand as if it were a weapon. She noticed him glance at it then remembered why she had come in here in the first place.
"Jack, I have somethin 'ere that might be of int'rest to ye," she handed him the parchment and watched him unroll it. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly and then he let it roll back up on itself. "Well that's int'resting, very int'resting."
"What's interesting?" asked Rhiannon, looking from one to the other in confusion, "Mr. Sparrow, what does that paper say?"
Jack ignored her. "Jessim, could you have our meal brought in for us, please. That's a dear.," he herded her to the door and then forcibly pushed her through the threshold and struggled to close the door against her opposing efforts. He let his arms go limp at his sides and wiped his brow as soon as he heard the door click shut and then turned the key in the lock.
"Strong girl that Jessim..Now, where we're we? Oh yes, here.," Jack walked back over to Rhiannon and wrapped his arm about her waist, pulling her close. She pushed against him, but he was stronger than she was and he leaned in closer, bringing his face very near to hers.
"M-Mr. S-sparrow, sir, please..!" Jack paid no attention to her protests and guided his nose along her jaw and then nibbled on her earlobe. Rhiannon shivered at the glorious sensation and then mentally chastised herself //What am I thinking!?// She tried to ignore the fact that she could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck. Rhiannon racked her brain, trying to think of something that would get him to stop these ridiculous antics, and then it hit her.
"Jack."
He stopped when he heard her use his name. It was the first time she had used his first name and he wondered if she had finally decided to give up her stubborn resistance of his advances. "I knew ye'd warm up t' me, love." His handsome face cracked into a wide, golden grin and he looked down into her upturned face.
"Jack..," Rhiannon's voice was husky and she watched as the pirate captain inclined his head once more to continue his ministrations of her earlobe. Then she searched him with her eyes, looking for where he had stashed the parchment and found what she was looking for tucked into the inside pocket of his coat. Thinking quickly, Rhiannon (not liking what she was about to do, but determined to do it) slipped her hands inside his coat. Jack smiled against the soft skin of her neck. She ran her hands up his torso and then let one stray up his neck while the other slowly made its way over to the parchment in its pocket. She was halfway to having it free when Jack grabbed her other hand (the one resting on his shoulder) and began kissing it, one finger at a time. She had to force herself not to squeak in protest or to pull her hand out of his, then quickly snatched the parchment the rest of the way out of his pocket and turned to run.
She had only taken a few steps when she was jerked backwards. She looked back in confusion and saw that Jack had a tight hold on her wrist. She glared daggers at him and then struggled to pull her wrist out of his grip, "Let me go!"
And he did.
Rhiannon flew backwards into the wall. Jack began advancing on her again, "Now Rhia-love, that wasn't very nice. We were having such a good time and ye had to go an' steal me parchment," he placed his hands on either side of her against the wall, "Ye could have only asked."
She scowled at him, and ducked under one of his arms and tried to unroll the parchment as she was chased about the room by him. She made it around to the other side of the table and finally got the paper open, but only got a glimpse of what was on the front before she felt him grab at her skirt and she dashed off once more. Rhiannon found refuge behind a chair and studied the drawing on the front-it was of Jack! Her eyes widened and she backed away into the corner as he slowly approached her. "Its you," she stated.
"Aye," he replied and continued to walk towards her. Rhiannon then realized that she would be backed into a corner and trapped with no where to go if she kept going in the direction that she was, so she stepped to the side and went back to her chair, standing with it once again between him and her. She studied the parchment further-it was a wanted poster, a wanted poster for Jack.
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A/N: So sorry it took so very long for me to update, I shall try very hard to be quicker with my postings. Just a few thank you-s to my latest reviewers:
ArenynCai: Yes, I am lucky to get reviews, and that's why I thank you my lovely Pooter. I shall send Billy over with a present for you in thanks..:) oh, and Jack will be showing us more *yippie!* but all in good time, all in good time.