Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the characters,
so please don't sue me.
**************************************************************************** ****************
I racked my brain for fun stuff to do.
"Um, well, we could always go swimming.or maybe that's not the best
idea," I amended, eyeing the new bandage on Jack's chest. "How about just a
walk on the beach while we figure out something else to do?" Jack looked
doubtful for a minute, then perked up.
"Maybe something interesting's washed up on the shore. I'll bet all the
currents lead here. That's why I floated in." Jack made for the door, practically
salivating at the thought of treasure.
"I'll just meet you outside," I called to him, "I've got to put on my bikini."
Jack slowed his egress slightly, just long enough to ask,
"What's a bikini?"
"It's what I was wearing yesterday. I thought I might go for a swim while
you're scouting the beach." Jack did a full 180 and came running back. He stood
next to me with an impish smile on his face. A bit unnerved, I said,
"Uh, I'll just go change then, shall I?" and headed for my room. Jack
followed, so closely behind me that he nearly stepped on my feet twice. When I
reached my bedroom, I turned to close the door only to find Jack already sitting
happily on the bed.
"I thought you were going treasure hunting," I said. His eyes widened
slightly when I said the word 'treasure,' but then he adopted a scandalized look.
"Me go out and leave my lady unescorted? Perish the thought."
"Jack," I said firmly, pointing to the door, "I'm not getting dressed with
you in the room. Out." Jack looked hurt.
"Just thought it'd be fair, love. You've seen me without my shirt." This
was true, and I felt bad for a moment, but not bad enough to let him watch me
change.
"Sorry Jack, but no." I herded him out of the room, my heart squeezing as
I had to shut the door in his innocent face.
"Just yell if you need me, love," he said, his voice muffled through the
oaken planks of the door.
"I'll do that," I called back to him. Fortunately, I remembered where I had
flung my swimsuit the day before, so it wasn't long before I had it mostly on. The
neck tie, as usual, was giving me trouble, constantly catching in my long hair.
Somehow I had managed to tie it with one try last afternoon, which was lucky: I
probably would have exploded if I hadn't. After my eighth unsuccessful try and
the loss of several hairs from my scalp, I gave up. I walked back over to the door
and opened it with one hand, using the other to hold my top in place. Jack was
sitting on the floor across from the door, with his eyes closed and a dreamy smile
on his face. When he heard the door open, he looked up. I smiled tentatively.
"Help?" I asked in a small voice. He beamed and stood up.
"Knew you'd warm up to me. What's the difficulty, love? I don't see any
problem."
"I can't get the straps knotted and the top keeps falling off." Jack looked
politely puzzled.
"The problem.?" I glared at him, and he pretended to suddenly
understand.
"Ah yes, of course. The straps." He moved around behind me and took
the straps from my hands as I held my hair out of the way.
"Bowline or sheepshank?" I heard from behind me. I was mystified.
"What?"
"Bowline or sheepshank?" When I was silent for another moment, he
caught on and explained. "They're knots. Which d'you want?"
"Uh," I said. I'd gotten a book of knots for Christmas once, but I'd never
read more than a few pages. "Whichever you want, I don't care." Jack hesitated
for a minute, then began tying, clarifying as he knotted.
"Bowline's the best for mooring ropes. It's me personal favorite, good and
tight. It ought to hold your.your bikini up like a charm." He finished off the
knot with a flourish, his fingers brushing the back of my neck as he did so.
"There, that'll hold you. Ready now?" I nodded, smiling at him. I held my
hand out for him, hoping that he'd take it. Instead, he grabbed my arm and put it
around his waist while flinging his own arm around my shoulders. We walked
outside together, his fingers dancing up and down my shoulder as he hummed a
tune. When we reached the beach, Jack reluctantly disentangled himself from
me.
"Well love, I'm off. Don't go too far now." I laughed.
"Jack, this island is at most one square mile. I don't think I could escape
you if I tried."
"Oh good," he said, giving me a quick peck, then sauntering off a few feet,
kicking up sand as he went. For a moment I was badly tempted to join him, but
then I began feeling the hot sun beating down on my shoulders and decided that
cool water would be very welcome. I ran splashing into the waves, and amused
myself for about half an hour by swimming and watching Jack dig holes in the
beach. Eventually I grew tired and came out, dripping yet refreshed. I found Jack
busy using a palm frond to sweep the sand, which was flying everywhere. His
hair was coated in sand, as were his shoulders. When he saw me he stopped
sweeping and threw down the branch.
"Well, I think that's enough for today. I must've been right about the
currents. What d'you think?" He held out his hand, and I gasped. Four rings and
a bracelet lay nestled in his palm, glistening gold in the sun.
"You found those?" I asked, entranced. I should probably mention here
that I'm completely in love with gems, pearls, and every kind of precious metal.
Jack beamed proudly.
"Yep. They just popped out of the beach like sand crabs. You want one?" I
did, desperately, but I had to be polite.
"Oh, but they're yours, Jack, you found them. Finder's keepers."
"Aye, and loser's weepers. I savvy, but as they're mine now I can give or
keep them as I please. Pick one, I want ye to have it." I beamed at him and gave
him a massive kiss.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" I enthused, now examining the rings.
Jack looked impressed and bemused.
"So that's how to get ye warmed up, eh? Your obsession with treasure is
positively piratical, love." I shot him a grin.
"So I've been told." Then I bent all my attention to choosing a ring. I
must've taken about fifteen minutes to choose, changing my mind whenever I
thought I'd decided. Finally I ended up choosing a gold and ruby ring with
diamond accents, remembering the red water that first alerted me to Jack's
presence.
"I think I'll take this one," I said, lifting the chosen ring out of his hand.
"Good choice, love. Red's a good color for you. But how're ye going to
wear it? It's too big for you." I shrugged.
"They're all too big. I'll have to find some string or something so I can
wear it around my neck." Jack thought for a second, then pulled out a knife he
had somehow concealed in his toga-wrap. He reached up and cut off a small
hank of his long hair and handed it to me.
"I haven't got any string, but will this do?" I took the hair from his hands,
feeling the salt-weathered strands rough with sand between my fingers.
"That's lovely. Thank you," I said softly.
"My pleasure, love," he replied in the same tone. We were both silent for a
few moments, looking deep into each other's eyes. I looked away first, gazing
down at the ring and hair I held in my still-wet hands.
**************************************************************************** ****************
I racked my brain for fun stuff to do.
"Um, well, we could always go swimming.or maybe that's not the best
idea," I amended, eyeing the new bandage on Jack's chest. "How about just a
walk on the beach while we figure out something else to do?" Jack looked
doubtful for a minute, then perked up.
"Maybe something interesting's washed up on the shore. I'll bet all the
currents lead here. That's why I floated in." Jack made for the door, practically
salivating at the thought of treasure.
"I'll just meet you outside," I called to him, "I've got to put on my bikini."
Jack slowed his egress slightly, just long enough to ask,
"What's a bikini?"
"It's what I was wearing yesterday. I thought I might go for a swim while
you're scouting the beach." Jack did a full 180 and came running back. He stood
next to me with an impish smile on his face. A bit unnerved, I said,
"Uh, I'll just go change then, shall I?" and headed for my room. Jack
followed, so closely behind me that he nearly stepped on my feet twice. When I
reached my bedroom, I turned to close the door only to find Jack already sitting
happily on the bed.
"I thought you were going treasure hunting," I said. His eyes widened
slightly when I said the word 'treasure,' but then he adopted a scandalized look.
"Me go out and leave my lady unescorted? Perish the thought."
"Jack," I said firmly, pointing to the door, "I'm not getting dressed with
you in the room. Out." Jack looked hurt.
"Just thought it'd be fair, love. You've seen me without my shirt." This
was true, and I felt bad for a moment, but not bad enough to let him watch me
change.
"Sorry Jack, but no." I herded him out of the room, my heart squeezing as
I had to shut the door in his innocent face.
"Just yell if you need me, love," he said, his voice muffled through the
oaken planks of the door.
"I'll do that," I called back to him. Fortunately, I remembered where I had
flung my swimsuit the day before, so it wasn't long before I had it mostly on. The
neck tie, as usual, was giving me trouble, constantly catching in my long hair.
Somehow I had managed to tie it with one try last afternoon, which was lucky: I
probably would have exploded if I hadn't. After my eighth unsuccessful try and
the loss of several hairs from my scalp, I gave up. I walked back over to the door
and opened it with one hand, using the other to hold my top in place. Jack was
sitting on the floor across from the door, with his eyes closed and a dreamy smile
on his face. When he heard the door open, he looked up. I smiled tentatively.
"Help?" I asked in a small voice. He beamed and stood up.
"Knew you'd warm up to me. What's the difficulty, love? I don't see any
problem."
"I can't get the straps knotted and the top keeps falling off." Jack looked
politely puzzled.
"The problem.?" I glared at him, and he pretended to suddenly
understand.
"Ah yes, of course. The straps." He moved around behind me and took
the straps from my hands as I held my hair out of the way.
"Bowline or sheepshank?" I heard from behind me. I was mystified.
"What?"
"Bowline or sheepshank?" When I was silent for another moment, he
caught on and explained. "They're knots. Which d'you want?"
"Uh," I said. I'd gotten a book of knots for Christmas once, but I'd never
read more than a few pages. "Whichever you want, I don't care." Jack hesitated
for a minute, then began tying, clarifying as he knotted.
"Bowline's the best for mooring ropes. It's me personal favorite, good and
tight. It ought to hold your.your bikini up like a charm." He finished off the
knot with a flourish, his fingers brushing the back of my neck as he did so.
"There, that'll hold you. Ready now?" I nodded, smiling at him. I held my
hand out for him, hoping that he'd take it. Instead, he grabbed my arm and put it
around his waist while flinging his own arm around my shoulders. We walked
outside together, his fingers dancing up and down my shoulder as he hummed a
tune. When we reached the beach, Jack reluctantly disentangled himself from
me.
"Well love, I'm off. Don't go too far now." I laughed.
"Jack, this island is at most one square mile. I don't think I could escape
you if I tried."
"Oh good," he said, giving me a quick peck, then sauntering off a few feet,
kicking up sand as he went. For a moment I was badly tempted to join him, but
then I began feeling the hot sun beating down on my shoulders and decided that
cool water would be very welcome. I ran splashing into the waves, and amused
myself for about half an hour by swimming and watching Jack dig holes in the
beach. Eventually I grew tired and came out, dripping yet refreshed. I found Jack
busy using a palm frond to sweep the sand, which was flying everywhere. His
hair was coated in sand, as were his shoulders. When he saw me he stopped
sweeping and threw down the branch.
"Well, I think that's enough for today. I must've been right about the
currents. What d'you think?" He held out his hand, and I gasped. Four rings and
a bracelet lay nestled in his palm, glistening gold in the sun.
"You found those?" I asked, entranced. I should probably mention here
that I'm completely in love with gems, pearls, and every kind of precious metal.
Jack beamed proudly.
"Yep. They just popped out of the beach like sand crabs. You want one?" I
did, desperately, but I had to be polite.
"Oh, but they're yours, Jack, you found them. Finder's keepers."
"Aye, and loser's weepers. I savvy, but as they're mine now I can give or
keep them as I please. Pick one, I want ye to have it." I beamed at him and gave
him a massive kiss.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" I enthused, now examining the rings.
Jack looked impressed and bemused.
"So that's how to get ye warmed up, eh? Your obsession with treasure is
positively piratical, love." I shot him a grin.
"So I've been told." Then I bent all my attention to choosing a ring. I
must've taken about fifteen minutes to choose, changing my mind whenever I
thought I'd decided. Finally I ended up choosing a gold and ruby ring with
diamond accents, remembering the red water that first alerted me to Jack's
presence.
"I think I'll take this one," I said, lifting the chosen ring out of his hand.
"Good choice, love. Red's a good color for you. But how're ye going to
wear it? It's too big for you." I shrugged.
"They're all too big. I'll have to find some string or something so I can
wear it around my neck." Jack thought for a second, then pulled out a knife he
had somehow concealed in his toga-wrap. He reached up and cut off a small
hank of his long hair and handed it to me.
"I haven't got any string, but will this do?" I took the hair from his hands,
feeling the salt-weathered strands rough with sand between my fingers.
"That's lovely. Thank you," I said softly.
"My pleasure, love," he replied in the same tone. We were both silent for a
few moments, looking deep into each other's eyes. I looked away first, gazing
down at the ring and hair I held in my still-wet hands.