Chapter 4 - Explanations
Around midnight, the full moon was shining brightly down upon the town, its beams shattering any bit of darkness Leigh could have hidden in.
She'd taken to walking along the shores down by the ocean, dipping her feet in the icy water and wondering about Jack. How could he have come back? Was he looking for her? Did he even remember her?
Leigh had already cried any tears that had come from the shock of seeing him, but a few still dripped randomly down her cheek as sorrowful questions came to her mind. She was making herself even more depressed.
Jack Sparrow was a ruthless man, one who lets go of his past without a doubt and takes on new lives without caring. He was a man who cared only about himself, and of no other. Well, at least, that was what he had become.
Jack wasn't always like that, not in Leigh's memory of him before he had taken to piracy and left her. He was full of life, an honest man filled with dreams and goals he was set on completing. Jack was spirited and a romantic, and he was humorous with her yet the most wonderful man Leigh had ever known.
Yet, for some reason, he seemed to have stopped feeling any love for her at all, and took off without notice to become a bloody pirate. Of all of his dreams he chose piracy.
It wasn't that Leigh didn't find pirates somewhat amusing, in fact, some of her best customers were pirates. But the thought that Jack would willingly give up a wonderful life with a girl who loved him with her heart and soul for a dirty ship and a life of pillaging, Leigh would never know.
As Leigh walked along the beach and watched the waves crash slowly onto the harbored shore, she took a deep breath and stopped in her tracks. She closed her eyes and listened to the waves and the gusts of wind and the quickening of her own breath and heartbeat. It was time to go home.
The walk back to the House seemed like a 10 day long journey to Leigh. Her feet weighed more with every step; her heart beat faster with every breath; and her prayers for hope were growing stronger with every shiver.
The House loomed in front of her as Leigh climbed the steps up to the front door slowly. She opened the door quietly, and noticed a few groups of drunks still lazing about the bar, but from the looks of it, Jack and his friends were gone.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Leigh began to climb up the stairs to her room. She didn't want to speak with anyone nor did she want to see anyone. She just wanted to be alone until morning.
She kept telling herself that everything was okay, and that he was gone and she wouldn't have to worry about him anymore, but for some unknown reason her heart was still pounding and she still had that shaky feeling in her gut that told her something wasn't right.
As she turned the knob on her door and pushed it open, she quickly walked inside and hastily shut the door before anyone saw her.
Her room was dark, almost pitch black, save for a streak of moonlight pouring in through the window. Leigh walked over towards her nightstand and was about to turn on the oil lamp when she heard the sound of footsteps behind her.
Instinctively, she grabbed the book on her nightstand and flung it behind her, hitting whoever was in her room. She heard a loud "Ow!" and quickly turned on her light so as to identify her potential attacker.
It was Jack Sparrow. A very angry looking Jack Sparrow at that, who was clutching the book and rubbing his shoulder. Leigh's heart dropped automatically and all the fear she'd felt before came flooding back. All of the anxiety, all of the anger, all of the heartbreak came rushing back into her so quickly that she felt herself faint.
Leigh couldn't see straight, her mind was clouded as was her vision. Her hearing became distorted as she felt herself begin to sway.
Jack suddenly looked concerned instead of angry as he stepped towards her, clearly noticing something was wrong.
"What's wrong, lass?" he spoke, though it sounded reverberated due to Leigh's current emotional condition. She gasped for breath.
The last image she saw before blacking out was Jack's concerned face, coming ever closer to hers.
~
"Wake up, darlin'.that's it, come to, for me at least."
Leigh's eyes opened slowly, her vision blurred. She felt sick to her stomach and felt extremely light-headed. She felt even more light-headed as she realized what had happened.
She had fainted in front of Jack! Feeling angry and embarrassed at herself, she opened her eyes fully and looked above her.
Jack was looking down at her, and his cool hand was stroking her forehead. His hat was off, and a red bandanna held his hair in its place.
"That's right." Jack muttered, grinning at her. "Are you feelin' better now?" he asked, receding to stroke her forehead as she sat up.
She tried to speak but her voice came raspy and hoarse, and Leigh immediately winced. Her throat was extremely dry. Looking to the window, she saw that it was still dark outside.
"How long was I out?" she asked after clearing her throat. She brought her hands to her face and rubbed her eyes.
"15 minutes maybe." Jack replied, leaning back in the chair he had pulled up to her bedside and crossing his arms across his chest. Leigh looked over at him with worried eyes, afraid that even if she looked at him too long, he would take a hold of her again and she would never let go.
Taking a deep breath, she decided that she better make the most of the moment.
"What are you doing here?" she asked softly, her voice shaky.
Jack only grinned. "I'm here for reasons I do not wish to share with just a common bar mistress." He replied, his accent and style of words slightly different from years of living around the world.or so she supposed.
Leigh let out a sigh of exasperation. He never was one for giving a straight answer. The worried look disappearing from her face, she felt suddenly more confident and even felt loathing towards the man who sat in front of her. Even if it was her fault that he left.or so she had always assumed.it still didn't mean that she couldn't be angry at him for barging into her life again. Even if he didn't know who she was.
Slipping out of the bed, she walked over to her trunk and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. Taking a long swig straight from the bottle, she wiped her mouth and turned to glare at Jack.
"Do you even realize all of the shit you've put me through?" Leigh asked, turning to the window and laughing hysterically when all he did was shake his head, a serious look on his face.
She didn't know why she was laughing, but it came out in sickly gasps that had her choking afterwards. Taking another swig from the whiskey bottle, she felt him approach her from behind.
"Get the bloody hell away from me!" She shouted heatedly, pointing a finger at him. "I cannot believe you had the nerve to step in here today and act like you don't even know me and just pretend like I'm supposed to go along with this!"
Jack's eyes narrowed as he stared at her. Leigh could see the concentration and thought in his expression, and felt her own face melt into sadness by just staring into his deep brown eyes.
"No." he said very softly, his voice nothing more than a hushed whisper. His hand reached out and touched her cheek gently, brushing away a tear that had fallen as Leigh had stared at him. "My God, Leigh.what have you done to yourself?" he said quietly, causing Leigh to burst into tears and fall to the ground at his feet.
Jack bent down and immediately tried to hold her, but she pushed him away. "Get away from me!" she screamed, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I didn't want to see you again after you'd left, and frankly I don't want to see you now!" she lied, pushing past him and heading for the door. Jack whirled around and caught her by the arm, pulling her towards him.
"Look, I know what I did was wrong, okay?" he protested, his voice harsh and his grip dangerously tight on her arms. His eyes glared at her with a fiery heat she had never seen. He was shaking and his expression was slightly tired and worn. "I can't take back the past Leigh.I can't do it."
"Yeah?" She responded, shaking her arms free. "Well, neither can I!"
"Just because I left doesn't mean that you have any reason to go whoring yourself around! Your better than that!"
Leigh fumed with fury towards him right then. What the hell did he know, anyhow? "You have no idea what I've been through, Jack Sparrow. And let me tell you, if you hadn't left, I bet I wouldn't have gone through half of the shit I've gone through." Leigh spat, her tears falling angry and heated. Who was he to judge her and tell her what she had a right to do?
This time, instead of running away from him, she stood in place. A feeling of pride came over her as she remembered what she had been through. The feelings she had towards the Wilcox house and towards her new family and towards her new friends all came through in a sense of satisfaction that Jack couldn't ever relate to.
"So your blaming me then, is that it?" Jack bellowed, sending chills of fear down Leigh's spine. She'd never known him to be angry.passionate, but not angry.
Her face was wiped with terror as she began to back away from him, feelings of regret falling over her. She had definitely spoken too much.
Leigh backed up against the edge of the bed, her legs touching the freezing wrought iron bars. Jack followed her, almost taunting her.
Suddenly, his expression changed. He'd seen the terror in her eyes and immediately felt sympathy. His face became one of sorrow and apologies as he came closer to her and wrapped her in a tight hug.
Leigh broke out into tears once more against him, and though she tried to fight him off, she couldn't. She melted into weakness in his arms, for he was her only weakness.
"How could you leave me.how could you?" she muttered through her tears, her hands now clutching his vest and shirt tightly.
Jack held her closer. "I was a fool...a dream filled fool." He kissed her head softly, sending waves of emotion through her. His body was warm against hers and immediately his close presence had calmed her down.
Backing away from him, she tried hard not to look at him. She didn't want to believe that he was back. She didn't want to get her hopes up that he was going to stay.
Jack leaned in to kiss her, and Leigh painfully put a hand to his lips. "I can't do this, Jack. The past cannot be undone.I'm sorry." She said quietly, her face stern and her tears dried. She was not going to be made a fool of again. Not this time.
Turning from him, she went to the door and opened it, leaving hastily without turning to say goodbye.
~
Around midnight, the full moon was shining brightly down upon the town, its beams shattering any bit of darkness Leigh could have hidden in.
She'd taken to walking along the shores down by the ocean, dipping her feet in the icy water and wondering about Jack. How could he have come back? Was he looking for her? Did he even remember her?
Leigh had already cried any tears that had come from the shock of seeing him, but a few still dripped randomly down her cheek as sorrowful questions came to her mind. She was making herself even more depressed.
Jack Sparrow was a ruthless man, one who lets go of his past without a doubt and takes on new lives without caring. He was a man who cared only about himself, and of no other. Well, at least, that was what he had become.
Jack wasn't always like that, not in Leigh's memory of him before he had taken to piracy and left her. He was full of life, an honest man filled with dreams and goals he was set on completing. Jack was spirited and a romantic, and he was humorous with her yet the most wonderful man Leigh had ever known.
Yet, for some reason, he seemed to have stopped feeling any love for her at all, and took off without notice to become a bloody pirate. Of all of his dreams he chose piracy.
It wasn't that Leigh didn't find pirates somewhat amusing, in fact, some of her best customers were pirates. But the thought that Jack would willingly give up a wonderful life with a girl who loved him with her heart and soul for a dirty ship and a life of pillaging, Leigh would never know.
As Leigh walked along the beach and watched the waves crash slowly onto the harbored shore, she took a deep breath and stopped in her tracks. She closed her eyes and listened to the waves and the gusts of wind and the quickening of her own breath and heartbeat. It was time to go home.
The walk back to the House seemed like a 10 day long journey to Leigh. Her feet weighed more with every step; her heart beat faster with every breath; and her prayers for hope were growing stronger with every shiver.
The House loomed in front of her as Leigh climbed the steps up to the front door slowly. She opened the door quietly, and noticed a few groups of drunks still lazing about the bar, but from the looks of it, Jack and his friends were gone.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Leigh began to climb up the stairs to her room. She didn't want to speak with anyone nor did she want to see anyone. She just wanted to be alone until morning.
She kept telling herself that everything was okay, and that he was gone and she wouldn't have to worry about him anymore, but for some unknown reason her heart was still pounding and she still had that shaky feeling in her gut that told her something wasn't right.
As she turned the knob on her door and pushed it open, she quickly walked inside and hastily shut the door before anyone saw her.
Her room was dark, almost pitch black, save for a streak of moonlight pouring in through the window. Leigh walked over towards her nightstand and was about to turn on the oil lamp when she heard the sound of footsteps behind her.
Instinctively, she grabbed the book on her nightstand and flung it behind her, hitting whoever was in her room. She heard a loud "Ow!" and quickly turned on her light so as to identify her potential attacker.
It was Jack Sparrow. A very angry looking Jack Sparrow at that, who was clutching the book and rubbing his shoulder. Leigh's heart dropped automatically and all the fear she'd felt before came flooding back. All of the anxiety, all of the anger, all of the heartbreak came rushing back into her so quickly that she felt herself faint.
Leigh couldn't see straight, her mind was clouded as was her vision. Her hearing became distorted as she felt herself begin to sway.
Jack suddenly looked concerned instead of angry as he stepped towards her, clearly noticing something was wrong.
"What's wrong, lass?" he spoke, though it sounded reverberated due to Leigh's current emotional condition. She gasped for breath.
The last image she saw before blacking out was Jack's concerned face, coming ever closer to hers.
~
"Wake up, darlin'.that's it, come to, for me at least."
Leigh's eyes opened slowly, her vision blurred. She felt sick to her stomach and felt extremely light-headed. She felt even more light-headed as she realized what had happened.
She had fainted in front of Jack! Feeling angry and embarrassed at herself, she opened her eyes fully and looked above her.
Jack was looking down at her, and his cool hand was stroking her forehead. His hat was off, and a red bandanna held his hair in its place.
"That's right." Jack muttered, grinning at her. "Are you feelin' better now?" he asked, receding to stroke her forehead as she sat up.
She tried to speak but her voice came raspy and hoarse, and Leigh immediately winced. Her throat was extremely dry. Looking to the window, she saw that it was still dark outside.
"How long was I out?" she asked after clearing her throat. She brought her hands to her face and rubbed her eyes.
"15 minutes maybe." Jack replied, leaning back in the chair he had pulled up to her bedside and crossing his arms across his chest. Leigh looked over at him with worried eyes, afraid that even if she looked at him too long, he would take a hold of her again and she would never let go.
Taking a deep breath, she decided that she better make the most of the moment.
"What are you doing here?" she asked softly, her voice shaky.
Jack only grinned. "I'm here for reasons I do not wish to share with just a common bar mistress." He replied, his accent and style of words slightly different from years of living around the world.or so she supposed.
Leigh let out a sigh of exasperation. He never was one for giving a straight answer. The worried look disappearing from her face, she felt suddenly more confident and even felt loathing towards the man who sat in front of her. Even if it was her fault that he left.or so she had always assumed.it still didn't mean that she couldn't be angry at him for barging into her life again. Even if he didn't know who she was.
Slipping out of the bed, she walked over to her trunk and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. Taking a long swig straight from the bottle, she wiped her mouth and turned to glare at Jack.
"Do you even realize all of the shit you've put me through?" Leigh asked, turning to the window and laughing hysterically when all he did was shake his head, a serious look on his face.
She didn't know why she was laughing, but it came out in sickly gasps that had her choking afterwards. Taking another swig from the whiskey bottle, she felt him approach her from behind.
"Get the bloody hell away from me!" She shouted heatedly, pointing a finger at him. "I cannot believe you had the nerve to step in here today and act like you don't even know me and just pretend like I'm supposed to go along with this!"
Jack's eyes narrowed as he stared at her. Leigh could see the concentration and thought in his expression, and felt her own face melt into sadness by just staring into his deep brown eyes.
"No." he said very softly, his voice nothing more than a hushed whisper. His hand reached out and touched her cheek gently, brushing away a tear that had fallen as Leigh had stared at him. "My God, Leigh.what have you done to yourself?" he said quietly, causing Leigh to burst into tears and fall to the ground at his feet.
Jack bent down and immediately tried to hold her, but she pushed him away. "Get away from me!" she screamed, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I didn't want to see you again after you'd left, and frankly I don't want to see you now!" she lied, pushing past him and heading for the door. Jack whirled around and caught her by the arm, pulling her towards him.
"Look, I know what I did was wrong, okay?" he protested, his voice harsh and his grip dangerously tight on her arms. His eyes glared at her with a fiery heat she had never seen. He was shaking and his expression was slightly tired and worn. "I can't take back the past Leigh.I can't do it."
"Yeah?" She responded, shaking her arms free. "Well, neither can I!"
"Just because I left doesn't mean that you have any reason to go whoring yourself around! Your better than that!"
Leigh fumed with fury towards him right then. What the hell did he know, anyhow? "You have no idea what I've been through, Jack Sparrow. And let me tell you, if you hadn't left, I bet I wouldn't have gone through half of the shit I've gone through." Leigh spat, her tears falling angry and heated. Who was he to judge her and tell her what she had a right to do?
This time, instead of running away from him, she stood in place. A feeling of pride came over her as she remembered what she had been through. The feelings she had towards the Wilcox house and towards her new family and towards her new friends all came through in a sense of satisfaction that Jack couldn't ever relate to.
"So your blaming me then, is that it?" Jack bellowed, sending chills of fear down Leigh's spine. She'd never known him to be angry.passionate, but not angry.
Her face was wiped with terror as she began to back away from him, feelings of regret falling over her. She had definitely spoken too much.
Leigh backed up against the edge of the bed, her legs touching the freezing wrought iron bars. Jack followed her, almost taunting her.
Suddenly, his expression changed. He'd seen the terror in her eyes and immediately felt sympathy. His face became one of sorrow and apologies as he came closer to her and wrapped her in a tight hug.
Leigh broke out into tears once more against him, and though she tried to fight him off, she couldn't. She melted into weakness in his arms, for he was her only weakness.
"How could you leave me.how could you?" she muttered through her tears, her hands now clutching his vest and shirt tightly.
Jack held her closer. "I was a fool...a dream filled fool." He kissed her head softly, sending waves of emotion through her. His body was warm against hers and immediately his close presence had calmed her down.
Backing away from him, she tried hard not to look at him. She didn't want to believe that he was back. She didn't want to get her hopes up that he was going to stay.
Jack leaned in to kiss her, and Leigh painfully put a hand to his lips. "I can't do this, Jack. The past cannot be undone.I'm sorry." She said quietly, her face stern and her tears dried. She was not going to be made a fool of again. Not this time.
Turning from him, she went to the door and opened it, leaving hastily without turning to say goodbye.
~