'So this is Tortuga?' Anya said as she squinted against the horizon, the sun sinking behind the clouds, the sky turning pinkish gold. She turned back to look at Jack, who was standing at the helm, smiling. She couldn't help but smile to herself. He looked so happy, like a child coming home after a long day far away. She looked back at the grungy streets, listening to the chaotic sounds of guns firing and looters whooping, stumbling around with whores on their arms. Well, if it was important to Jack…
'Weigh anchor! Prepare to go ashore!' Jack barked as he leaned off the helm and swaggered forward, not taking his eyes off the crumbling city. When he neared Anya she looked away and leaned against the rail, pretending to be amused by the site of Tortuga.
'Well lass, welcome to my home.' He said standing beside her with his hands on his hips. She smiled inwardly and rolled her eyes.
'It's…lovely?' she said with a laugh as she turned to face him.
'Tis.' He said simply, breathing in the air which smelled of cigar smoke and gun powder. Anya wrapped her arms around herself.
'You know Jack, as much as I'd like to be reacquainted with Captain Trigger-Happy Gordon, I think I'll just go to bed.' She said shrugging. She was about to turn away when she felt a hand touch her shoulder.
'But I thought I'd be showin' yah the sites, love.' Jack said, grinning as he took her hand in his. 'You be wantin a gentleman's company an all.' He said bowing and kissing her hand lightly. Anya couldn't suppress a chuckle.
'Not for you to take offense Jack, but firstly, your city hasn't much culture for you to show me, and secondly, you're no gentleman and you know it.' She said lifting her chin and winking at him as she withdrew her hand and made to walk away again. But Jack would not be discouraged so easily.
'I'll admit, pet, I am a bit of a rogue, but after being so hospitable and such, I was figurin you'd want to repay me.' He said as he followed her into his lodgings. Anya began folding the thin sheet that was balled on the edge of his bed.
'Repay you how exactly?' she said raising an eyebrow in suspicion. He shrugged, circling the room, absentmindedly trailing his hand along his possessions.
'By being my escort onto the island, of course.' He said as he finally stopped in front of her, towering over her small figure. She smiled, and made to look as if she were thinking about it. Truth be told, Tortuga intimidated her to no end. But she supposed with Jack by her side, no pirate would dare harm her. And for Jack's sake, she could feign interest for one night.
'I suppose if it will shut you up.' She said placing the sheet down on the bed, and then turning to look at him. But then she looked down at her tattered clothing and her knotted hair that was tied back from her face. 'But I look absolutely dreadful.' She said as she picked at one of the holes in her long striped skirt. Jack's smile widened. 'What?' she asked frowning.
Jack merely turned away and walked to his dresser, opening it and pulling out a long, only slightly weathered summer dress, which was long and sleeveless and a lovely green color. 'S'pose this'd do?' he said holding it up to her, to see if it would fit. Anya took it and held it to herself and smiled.
'It may just.' Then she looked up with a sly smile on her face, and it was Jack's turn to look suspicious. 'Jack, why exactly do you have a gown in your dresser? Is there something you haven't told me?' she said as threw the dress onto the bed. Jack shook his head vehemently.
'Was Anna Maria's.' he said quickly. Anya's face fell a bit but she tried to act normal.
'Oh.' She said turning to pick up the dress again. Jack detected this and coughed.
'It was her dresser first, and I guess I never had the time to give it back. Lucky, huh?' he said crossing his arms over his chest. Anya turned and nodded, accepting his explanation, but her face showed none of its happiness.
'Okay.' She said, trying to inflict guilt on the slightly squirming Jack.
'Love, you know I – '
'Jack, I know.' She said holding up her hand for him to stop. 'But I've got to get ready.'
'So, go on then.' He said frowning. Anya looked at him, waiting for him to get the point. 'Oh!' he said finally, crossing to the door. As soon as he'd shut the door, Anya shed her shabby clothing and put on the summer dress. It helped bring out her curves and the color emphasized her now bright green eyes. She pulled her hair down from its bun and it fell over her shoulders in golden waves. Well that didn't take long, she thought as she looked in the mirror, twirling in front of it and watching the dress swim threw the air. Perfect. Now all she needed was her 'gentleman'.
***********************************************
Yeah, yeah, I know, it took WAY too long for me to update and it IS a short chapter, but I just started school, and its so HARD!! :'( you all understand cuz you all love me, right? And I promise the next chapter, there'll be dancing and romancing and a lil bit of action. So please review (as always) and I swear, I SWEAR (praise the lord) that I'll post in the next three days, or YOUR NEXT CHAPTER IS FREE!!! Ahem…. So yeah, thanks for the awesome reviews. Love ya guys! STOKES
'Weigh anchor! Prepare to go ashore!' Jack barked as he leaned off the helm and swaggered forward, not taking his eyes off the crumbling city. When he neared Anya she looked away and leaned against the rail, pretending to be amused by the site of Tortuga.
'Well lass, welcome to my home.' He said standing beside her with his hands on his hips. She smiled inwardly and rolled her eyes.
'It's…lovely?' she said with a laugh as she turned to face him.
'Tis.' He said simply, breathing in the air which smelled of cigar smoke and gun powder. Anya wrapped her arms around herself.
'You know Jack, as much as I'd like to be reacquainted with Captain Trigger-Happy Gordon, I think I'll just go to bed.' She said shrugging. She was about to turn away when she felt a hand touch her shoulder.
'But I thought I'd be showin' yah the sites, love.' Jack said, grinning as he took her hand in his. 'You be wantin a gentleman's company an all.' He said bowing and kissing her hand lightly. Anya couldn't suppress a chuckle.
'Not for you to take offense Jack, but firstly, your city hasn't much culture for you to show me, and secondly, you're no gentleman and you know it.' She said lifting her chin and winking at him as she withdrew her hand and made to walk away again. But Jack would not be discouraged so easily.
'I'll admit, pet, I am a bit of a rogue, but after being so hospitable and such, I was figurin you'd want to repay me.' He said as he followed her into his lodgings. Anya began folding the thin sheet that was balled on the edge of his bed.
'Repay you how exactly?' she said raising an eyebrow in suspicion. He shrugged, circling the room, absentmindedly trailing his hand along his possessions.
'By being my escort onto the island, of course.' He said as he finally stopped in front of her, towering over her small figure. She smiled, and made to look as if she were thinking about it. Truth be told, Tortuga intimidated her to no end. But she supposed with Jack by her side, no pirate would dare harm her. And for Jack's sake, she could feign interest for one night.
'I suppose if it will shut you up.' She said placing the sheet down on the bed, and then turning to look at him. But then she looked down at her tattered clothing and her knotted hair that was tied back from her face. 'But I look absolutely dreadful.' She said as she picked at one of the holes in her long striped skirt. Jack's smile widened. 'What?' she asked frowning.
Jack merely turned away and walked to his dresser, opening it and pulling out a long, only slightly weathered summer dress, which was long and sleeveless and a lovely green color. 'S'pose this'd do?' he said holding it up to her, to see if it would fit. Anya took it and held it to herself and smiled.
'It may just.' Then she looked up with a sly smile on her face, and it was Jack's turn to look suspicious. 'Jack, why exactly do you have a gown in your dresser? Is there something you haven't told me?' she said as threw the dress onto the bed. Jack shook his head vehemently.
'Was Anna Maria's.' he said quickly. Anya's face fell a bit but she tried to act normal.
'Oh.' She said turning to pick up the dress again. Jack detected this and coughed.
'It was her dresser first, and I guess I never had the time to give it back. Lucky, huh?' he said crossing his arms over his chest. Anya turned and nodded, accepting his explanation, but her face showed none of its happiness.
'Okay.' She said, trying to inflict guilt on the slightly squirming Jack.
'Love, you know I – '
'Jack, I know.' She said holding up her hand for him to stop. 'But I've got to get ready.'
'So, go on then.' He said frowning. Anya looked at him, waiting for him to get the point. 'Oh!' he said finally, crossing to the door. As soon as he'd shut the door, Anya shed her shabby clothing and put on the summer dress. It helped bring out her curves and the color emphasized her now bright green eyes. She pulled her hair down from its bun and it fell over her shoulders in golden waves. Well that didn't take long, she thought as she looked in the mirror, twirling in front of it and watching the dress swim threw the air. Perfect. Now all she needed was her 'gentleman'.
***********************************************
Yeah, yeah, I know, it took WAY too long for me to update and it IS a short chapter, but I just started school, and its so HARD!! :'( you all understand cuz you all love me, right? And I promise the next chapter, there'll be dancing and romancing and a lil bit of action. So please review (as always) and I swear, I SWEAR (praise the lord) that I'll post in the next three days, or YOUR NEXT CHAPTER IS FREE!!! Ahem…. So yeah, thanks for the awesome reviews. Love ya guys! STOKES