„You promised, they might stay on board!"Kate glared at Jack.
He took a step back and moved his hands appeasingly. "They may stay on the ship." An evil glimmer lit up his eyes. "They just might not want to."
"You burned the damned ship!" Kate yelled, pointing a finger at her father`s ship that was being devoured by hungry tongues of fire.
"Yes." Jack didn`t even look guilty.
"You left them to die!"
"That`s not entirely right. There`s a nice little island nearby. I suppose they can swim there." Jack stepped towards her and layed a slender hand on her shoulder. "Look, luv, I couldn`t let them sail home and get the royal navy to yer rescue, eh I?"
Kate stared at him, for the moment at a loss for words. But then she moved her hand as if to cut the air. "That`s it!" She turned her back on Jack and walked away.
"What do ye think ye`re doing?" he shouted at her back.
"What does it look like?" she snapped. "I`m leaving."
"No, ye`re not." Jack growled. "We `ave a deal, missy."
Kate turned to face him, one eyebrow raised high into her forehead. "I just said I would come over to your ship. I never said I would stay here." And with that she turned and headed towards the rail.
Jack cursed loudly, ran after her and caught her just the moment she was climbing onto it. He caught her in his arms and put her firmly onto her feet. "Ye stay `here!"
Without a word Kate turned round trying to climb onto the railing again. Jack drew her back, threw her over his shoulder and hurried with the screaming and kicking girl under deck. He kicked a door open and threw her onto a bed, watching her with folded arms.
When Kate found herself alone with Jack again, her shouting immediately stopped. Instead she stared at Jack, who was towering over her, piercing her with dark looks. That was not good. No that was definitely not good. She had gone too far, she could feel the waves of heat radiating from his body; could see his dark eyes spraying black fire. Her eyes nervously shifted to the open door.
Jack leaned closer, his eyes flashing maliciously. "Please do it. Gimme a reason to..." His voice trailed away. To what? To hit her? Or doing something even worse?
She watched Jack kneading his hands restlessly. Big hands, strong hands. Hands that could choke her easily in a fit of rage. Hands that were rough and warm on her skin. Her cheeks coloured. What was wrong with her? This man had kidnapped her, she had enraged him and probably he thought about killing her right now and all she could think of was how it would feel being caressed by his hands? Stay in focus she told herself. Say something, no matter what, just break the tension, say something.
"A reason to what?" Damn it, wrong question, very wrong question.
Jack glanced sinisterly at her. "Better don`t tempt me."
Kate slowly backed away, pressing against the wall and pulled her knees towards her, embracing them, as if to protect herself. "Jack." She said hesitantly.
He braced his arms at both sides of her head against the wall, his eyes boring into hers. "There are some things ye must understand," his voice was alarmingly quiet. "I am the capt`n of this ship, and I am to be respected. If I tell ye to stay, ye stay. Ye will not yell, ye will not kick, ye will not bite. Ye will not question me in front of the crew again. Ye will just do as I tell ye to. I am to be taken serious, savvy?"
Kate swallowed hard, feeling his breath tickle her face. She could tell he was really angry with her and as much as she hated to admit it: she was really scared. She thought back at the day of her party, when Thomas had told her about Jack. He steals, kidnaps, blackmails ransom, threatens innocent people, violates the law, humiliates the government, fights, kills and gets away with it. The words still rang in her ears and when she looked into Jack`s blazing eyes the image suddenly fit alarmingly well.
The tension grew to the unbearable, as they were staring at each other silently; why didn`t he move? What did he want to do now? What did he expect of her to say or do?
"Savvy?" he repeated sharply.
Kate felt a lump rising inside her throat; part of her wanted to deny him the answer, he wanted to hear; part of her wanted to fight him, part of her wanted to give a sharp reply as she always did in such situation, even though she couldn`t remember to have ever been in a similar situation before. But a different part, probably the one caring for her survival, advised her very urgently to restrain herself. "Savvy." She whispered, feeling the pain of giving in almost physically.
"Okay." Jack relaxed visibly and sat down on the side of her bed. Patting her head lightly he asked: "What is there going on in this stubborn head of yer`s? Tell me, `ave I ever given ye a reason to not trust me?"
Feeling the tension disappear Kate`s impulsive self broke through again. "You have stolen my things, burned my father`s ship and kidnapped me!" she practically shouted and looked carefully at him, searching for a sign of growing rage, but she detected none. Jack`s face was all relaxed, and the familiar vivid sparkle of mischief had returned to his coal rimmed eyes.
"Ah yes, that." He scratched his head. "Ye can`t scold a cat for chasing a mouse. That`s what a pirate does."
"Real pirates don`t." Kate protested.
He smirked mockingly. "Oh I forgot me`s not a real pirate. What do I know? But ye `have books, wise books; ye know all `bout pirates." He layed back on his ellbows, his head near to her knees.
Kate cleared his throat. "No, but..."
Jack sat up again and turned to her, his eyes looking serious for once. "Books are not real life, luv. They are just..." he waved carelessly. "Paper. That`s what they are. Paper. Words. Not real. Fantasy."
"But..."
"Ye wanna know what a real pirate does?" he leant closer to her. "He sees a treasure, he chases after it, he takes it and he will never give it back." He raised his hand and ran his finger gently over her cheek. "He boards, he fights, he conquers." He brought his fingers under her chin, raising it up to him; His lips neared hers and suddenly Kate just wanted to wrap her arms around his neck, pull him closer, feel the touch of skin against skin, merge into him.
A loud knock against the open door spoilt the moment.
"Capt`n." An elder man with a round friendly face stood in the doorframe.
Jack sighed and turned around. "Me thinks ye don`t know each other yet. So, that`s Gibbs, me eldest mate." He pointed to the man and back to Kate. "And that`s Kate, our hostage." Kate stiffened. A hostage. She almost had forgotten how she had come to this ship. Jack, who didn`t seem to notice her moodswing, looked questioningly at Gibbs. "What ye want?"
"Ye`re needed on deck, capt`n." Gibbs said.
Jack sighed and looked at Kate. "Ye see, a capt`n work is never done. But" he leant closer, smiling seductively. "me cabin is just beside yers. If ye wanna know what pirates do, ye can come over to me later and find out." He ruffled her hair playfully, before he got up and followed Gibbs outside.
"So what is it?" He asked outside, hurrying along the corridor.
Gibbs, who followed him, hesitated shortly, before he answered. "Ye `have to set a new course, Capt`n."
Jack slowed down and frowned. "Ye know the course. Ye could `have set it yerself." He stopped and turned to his friend, one eyebrow raised high into his forehead. "But," he began slowly. "Ye were concerned, eh?"
Gibbs avoided his eyes mumbling something incoherent. Then he raised his eyes, looking firmly at Jack. "Ye`re not the most patient man, Jack."
"Meaning?"
"God damn it! She`s Sanders` child. Kidnapping her – okay; blackmailing her family – okay; frightening her a bit - okay. But what did ye think ye were doing in her cabin?"
The corner of Jack`s mouth twitched. "That girl has no respect for anyone. Someone has to teach her." He grinned broadly, quickly moving on. Gibbs followed him more slowly, shaking his head and mumbling. "Women on board mean bad luck."
He took a step back and moved his hands appeasingly. "They may stay on the ship." An evil glimmer lit up his eyes. "They just might not want to."
"You burned the damned ship!" Kate yelled, pointing a finger at her father`s ship that was being devoured by hungry tongues of fire.
"Yes." Jack didn`t even look guilty.
"You left them to die!"
"That`s not entirely right. There`s a nice little island nearby. I suppose they can swim there." Jack stepped towards her and layed a slender hand on her shoulder. "Look, luv, I couldn`t let them sail home and get the royal navy to yer rescue, eh I?"
Kate stared at him, for the moment at a loss for words. But then she moved her hand as if to cut the air. "That`s it!" She turned her back on Jack and walked away.
"What do ye think ye`re doing?" he shouted at her back.
"What does it look like?" she snapped. "I`m leaving."
"No, ye`re not." Jack growled. "We `ave a deal, missy."
Kate turned to face him, one eyebrow raised high into her forehead. "I just said I would come over to your ship. I never said I would stay here." And with that she turned and headed towards the rail.
Jack cursed loudly, ran after her and caught her just the moment she was climbing onto it. He caught her in his arms and put her firmly onto her feet. "Ye stay `here!"
Without a word Kate turned round trying to climb onto the railing again. Jack drew her back, threw her over his shoulder and hurried with the screaming and kicking girl under deck. He kicked a door open and threw her onto a bed, watching her with folded arms.
When Kate found herself alone with Jack again, her shouting immediately stopped. Instead she stared at Jack, who was towering over her, piercing her with dark looks. That was not good. No that was definitely not good. She had gone too far, she could feel the waves of heat radiating from his body; could see his dark eyes spraying black fire. Her eyes nervously shifted to the open door.
Jack leaned closer, his eyes flashing maliciously. "Please do it. Gimme a reason to..." His voice trailed away. To what? To hit her? Or doing something even worse?
She watched Jack kneading his hands restlessly. Big hands, strong hands. Hands that could choke her easily in a fit of rage. Hands that were rough and warm on her skin. Her cheeks coloured. What was wrong with her? This man had kidnapped her, she had enraged him and probably he thought about killing her right now and all she could think of was how it would feel being caressed by his hands? Stay in focus she told herself. Say something, no matter what, just break the tension, say something.
"A reason to what?" Damn it, wrong question, very wrong question.
Jack glanced sinisterly at her. "Better don`t tempt me."
Kate slowly backed away, pressing against the wall and pulled her knees towards her, embracing them, as if to protect herself. "Jack." She said hesitantly.
He braced his arms at both sides of her head against the wall, his eyes boring into hers. "There are some things ye must understand," his voice was alarmingly quiet. "I am the capt`n of this ship, and I am to be respected. If I tell ye to stay, ye stay. Ye will not yell, ye will not kick, ye will not bite. Ye will not question me in front of the crew again. Ye will just do as I tell ye to. I am to be taken serious, savvy?"
Kate swallowed hard, feeling his breath tickle her face. She could tell he was really angry with her and as much as she hated to admit it: she was really scared. She thought back at the day of her party, when Thomas had told her about Jack. He steals, kidnaps, blackmails ransom, threatens innocent people, violates the law, humiliates the government, fights, kills and gets away with it. The words still rang in her ears and when she looked into Jack`s blazing eyes the image suddenly fit alarmingly well.
The tension grew to the unbearable, as they were staring at each other silently; why didn`t he move? What did he want to do now? What did he expect of her to say or do?
"Savvy?" he repeated sharply.
Kate felt a lump rising inside her throat; part of her wanted to deny him the answer, he wanted to hear; part of her wanted to fight him, part of her wanted to give a sharp reply as she always did in such situation, even though she couldn`t remember to have ever been in a similar situation before. But a different part, probably the one caring for her survival, advised her very urgently to restrain herself. "Savvy." She whispered, feeling the pain of giving in almost physically.
"Okay." Jack relaxed visibly and sat down on the side of her bed. Patting her head lightly he asked: "What is there going on in this stubborn head of yer`s? Tell me, `ave I ever given ye a reason to not trust me?"
Feeling the tension disappear Kate`s impulsive self broke through again. "You have stolen my things, burned my father`s ship and kidnapped me!" she practically shouted and looked carefully at him, searching for a sign of growing rage, but she detected none. Jack`s face was all relaxed, and the familiar vivid sparkle of mischief had returned to his coal rimmed eyes.
"Ah yes, that." He scratched his head. "Ye can`t scold a cat for chasing a mouse. That`s what a pirate does."
"Real pirates don`t." Kate protested.
He smirked mockingly. "Oh I forgot me`s not a real pirate. What do I know? But ye `have books, wise books; ye know all `bout pirates." He layed back on his ellbows, his head near to her knees.
Kate cleared his throat. "No, but..."
Jack sat up again and turned to her, his eyes looking serious for once. "Books are not real life, luv. They are just..." he waved carelessly. "Paper. That`s what they are. Paper. Words. Not real. Fantasy."
"But..."
"Ye wanna know what a real pirate does?" he leant closer to her. "He sees a treasure, he chases after it, he takes it and he will never give it back." He raised his hand and ran his finger gently over her cheek. "He boards, he fights, he conquers." He brought his fingers under her chin, raising it up to him; His lips neared hers and suddenly Kate just wanted to wrap her arms around his neck, pull him closer, feel the touch of skin against skin, merge into him.
A loud knock against the open door spoilt the moment.
"Capt`n." An elder man with a round friendly face stood in the doorframe.
Jack sighed and turned around. "Me thinks ye don`t know each other yet. So, that`s Gibbs, me eldest mate." He pointed to the man and back to Kate. "And that`s Kate, our hostage." Kate stiffened. A hostage. She almost had forgotten how she had come to this ship. Jack, who didn`t seem to notice her moodswing, looked questioningly at Gibbs. "What ye want?"
"Ye`re needed on deck, capt`n." Gibbs said.
Jack sighed and looked at Kate. "Ye see, a capt`n work is never done. But" he leant closer, smiling seductively. "me cabin is just beside yers. If ye wanna know what pirates do, ye can come over to me later and find out." He ruffled her hair playfully, before he got up and followed Gibbs outside.
"So what is it?" He asked outside, hurrying along the corridor.
Gibbs, who followed him, hesitated shortly, before he answered. "Ye `have to set a new course, Capt`n."
Jack slowed down and frowned. "Ye know the course. Ye could `have set it yerself." He stopped and turned to his friend, one eyebrow raised high into his forehead. "But," he began slowly. "Ye were concerned, eh?"
Gibbs avoided his eyes mumbling something incoherent. Then he raised his eyes, looking firmly at Jack. "Ye`re not the most patient man, Jack."
"Meaning?"
"God damn it! She`s Sanders` child. Kidnapping her – okay; blackmailing her family – okay; frightening her a bit - okay. But what did ye think ye were doing in her cabin?"
The corner of Jack`s mouth twitched. "That girl has no respect for anyone. Someone has to teach her." He grinned broadly, quickly moving on. Gibbs followed him more slowly, shaking his head and mumbling. "Women on board mean bad luck."
