Alright, here, the real flesh-on-bone of Meryl and Bart's relationship... or the beginnings of it at least. I'm coming up on 100 reviews- I've got 99 as it stands! YIPEEEEEEE! I feel special. *beams*

Right then, here's the chappy.


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Meryl took in stride behind Bart as he lead her down the passageway . He opened the door to his cabin and stepped inside, holding it open that she could follow. The hinges creaked as he swung it shut and turned to her pensively.

"You wanted to talk to me?" She asked, gazing longingly into his shadowy eyes.

"Shhhh..." His finger stayed her lips as they met his. He broke the kiss quickly, before it had time to morph into anything more passionate, and cradled her jaw-line tenderly. "Meryl, I love you." He whispered.

And then his lips were on hers again, so quickly that she thought she must have imagined those words. Her fingers pressed lightly against him, prying his body from hers. What should she say? "Could you pretty please repeat that last part for me?"

"I love you." And again he kissed her. She trembled as his arms encompassed her body and his tongue delved deep into her mouth. She moaned softly and felt him smile against her.

He broke the kiss and stared into her eyes again. "Do you love me, Meryl?" She looked so... blank. He felt a wave of fear wash over him. "Please, just tell me. I would rather have your honest answer."

She felt his arms tense around her. Love. Can one fall in love in only a week- no, not even a week, three days? "I..."

He pushed her away from him abruptly. "Never mind." His hand reached for the doorknob.

"Don't!" She cried. He turned to face her. "Please Bart, don't go. I... I just... Love, Bart?"

He smiled. "Love, Meryl. Love as in I cant go an hour- no, not a minute without thinking of you. Love as in the all-or-nothing, until-my-dying-day, forever-and-eternal stuff of legends." His hand found hers. "I love you, Meryl." He paused. "Please, just don't answer me if you mean to say no. Just don't answer."

"Nobody has ever said that to me before." Meryl said in a voice that was a little strained by emotion. "Nobody. Never. Not even my own family..." A tear spilled out of her brown eyes and flickered off of her eyelashes. It was probably the first time she had cried in years... "Please don't toy with me."

Bart wiped the tear away gently. "I wouldn't lie to you, m'lady. M'love."

She flung her arms around his shoulders. "I don't even know what love is, Bart. It's not a reality for me. Love is... something other people have. Not me... love doesn't exist with me. Nobody has ever loved me-"

"I love you, Meryl." He interrupted.

Something in Meryl felt different; growing up in Tortuga had been such an unloving experience, such a 'take what you can, give nothing back' existence. Never in her life had she heard the words "I love you, Meryl." It filled her with a sort of giddy high, a dizzying sensation that made her swoon, a fear of what might happen if she allowed herself to be loved, if she let her guard down.

Hell, she thought, I don't even know what love feels like.

"I cant answer you, Bart, except to say that I care for you."

He smiled weakly and kissed her again. She'll come around, he assured himself. She just needs time. She's different- she's not like other women. She just needs time...

And time he would give her. But in the meantime, he thought, I'll do to her the best thing I know to do. And he gently nudged her lips apart, sliding his tongue into her mouth, tipping the roof of her mouth lightly. She moaned with pleasure. He repeated this again and again, until Meryl felt as if she might just fall at his feet and beg for him to take her right then and there.

His kiss was like nothing she had ever felt before. It wasn't tender or gentle or innocent, nor was it hard or lusty. It wasn't fiery, it didn't plead to bed her like Jack's sometimes did. It was just... amazing. One of Bart's arms moved to the small of her back, where his thumb rubbed lightly, causing her to arch her hips into him. His other arm moved from her neck to her ebony hair, tousling it playfully. His tongue continued to probe at the roof of her mouth.

She felt her loins begin to stir. There it was, she was hopeless. Bart had her. He could now bend her to his every wish, and she would comply. Willingly. There was nothing she would deny him.

His lips pulled off of hers abruptly and he perked his head up, glancing at the ceiling, which was really the floor of the deck above.

"What's wrong?" Meryl panted, still recovering from the way he had kissed her.

He paused to listen. "We've reached the Imprintor." His arms removed themselves from her heated body.

Meryl sighed. "Must you go now?" He was so good at... things.

His hands fell upon her hips and he lifted her up off the ground, twirling her around and then laying her down upon his lumpy bed. "Wait here. I'll try to get back soon." He turned and left with obvious reluctance, calling out through the doorway "Goodnight, m'lady."

"Goodnight!" Meryl called after him. She sighed and lay her head back down on his pillow, pulling the blanket up around her already sweating body. "Love." She tried the word out on her tongue. "I'm in love." It sounded so false that she had to stifle a giggle. "I love you, Bart." Laughter escaped her mouth and when it subsided, she found that she was really quite tired. She rolled over onto her front and breathed in the salty scene if Bart's pillow.

Her eyes drifted closed...


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Queen's Own Fool-

Addictive, eh? Hmm... cool. I feel special. Woo-hoo! Ok, well, nope, I didn't know that The Princess Bride was a book... only that it made one hell of a good movie! Right then, I'll update now... so by the time you read this, I will have ALREADY updated- HAH! *apologizes for outburst* What can I say- I'm high on fruit punch!