Author's Note: Well this chapter is certainly full of twist and turns…and I'm intending to jerk you around for all it's worth…you guys are awesome and I loved all your responses to what you think Brenda and Trevor did…now you finally get to find out…but just a little hint, ALL OF YOU ARE RIGHT! You'll find out later….
______________
"OW!" Trevor's cry rang through the whole house. Brenda cursed herself from slapping him so hard. She covered his mouth with her hand and told him to shut up. He nodded and she slowly removed his hand. "Why'd you hit me?!" He yelled.
She smiled nervously, "Did I hurt you?"
He removed his hand from his cheek, "Well at least you didn't punch me like you did your father."
"That bruise is starting to fade…"
Trevor shook his head and stared at the short woman in front of him, "Why did you slap me?"
"Oh…that…well…" she paused, should I tell him the truth? "I didn't want you to do something we both might…"
"Regret?"
"Like."
He frowned, "You slapped me because you didn't want to do something that we both would…like. Is that right?"
"You make it sound like a mortal sin! I was just lookin' out for you bub!" she said pointing a finger at him.
He eyed her, "So does this mean we have a…"
"Mutal attraction? Yea, I would say so."
He frowned, how come she was so open with this? You'd think she would be repressing the emotions. Oh, like slapping me so we wouldn't do something isn't repressing her own emotions… "Wait, how is a slap in the face a way of looking out for me?"
Her mouth dropped, offended he wouldn't understand, "Trevor, you know as well as me…well…we're from two different societies…"
He rolled his eyes, "I am sick and tired of hearing that! Aren't we old enough to decide whether we like each other or not?! Aren't we old enough to put aside where we came from and just look at the person?!"
She paused, "We may be old enough, but your parents are too old."
He crossed his arms, when did love become a public affair?
"So what are you going to do about it?"
"Huh?"
"You said we're old enough to look past where we came from…what are you going to do about your parents?"
He stared at her, "First I want to make sure I won't get slapped if I touch your arm."
She scowled, "I didn't want anything to happen! And if you keep teasing me about it…I'll make sure you don't even get close enough to touch my arm."
He frowned, he didn't want that to happen. He sat on his bed, "How did this happen?"
She shrugged, "I made you open about our feelings." She smiled, "And don't you just adore me for it?"
He smirked, "Not really. Because all it creates is confusion, hurt, anger and awkwardness."
She looked at him, thinking he was right. It's not like they knew each other well enough to kiss or something, and without real feelings they were sure of, what was there to worry their parents about? She sighed. She when to the door and removed her cutlass. Before leaving the room she said, "The next time you get close, I won't slap you."
****
"I don't know how you did it."
Will looked at Jack. What is he talking about? Elizabeth and Rick were playing with the kids out in the yard but Will had gotten home from a long day at work and wanted to just rest. Jack just wanted to rest because he still had all these thoughts of old and young in his head. Was he too old? He wasn't sure, but he didn't want to break his back trying to figure it out.
The Caribbean air was cooling off slowly as the sun went down, creating the perfect atmosphere. Jack looked at his friend, "I don't know how you got through four pregnancies and five kids without going crazy."
"Why would I go crazy?"
Jack shook his head, looking out into the yard, watching the children having a wonderful time, "When Brenda was learning to walk, I was a nervous wreck. Beverly wasn't even as nervous as me. I was right behind Brenda every step and never let her hit the ground. When she grew up a little more and it was just me and her, I don't remember how long it took me to trust her balance when all she did was look over the railing. I thought for sure she was somehow get swept over board when all she was doing was standing on her toes, looking over."
Will laughed slightly, "I went through the exact same thing, trust me. It's especially the hardest with the first kid…" he looked out to his children as well, "Holding Sheldon and Suzanna was the hardest thing I ever had to do. They were so small…I thought I was going to break them."
Jack nodded, knowing the feeling. "You know, when I was younger, I remember taking a bunch and wanting to cry when I got that bloody black eye…but I didn't. And ten years ago, a little girl who came up to my waist with a pony tail…she could make me cry."
Will nodded as well, "It's amazing how tough you think you are until you have kids." Jack nodded. Will watched him and then said, "Did you talk to her?"
Jack nodded, "We're fine…I pretty much explained everything."
"Jack…Gwyneth came to my shop today…"
Jack turned and looked at his friend, "She told you, I assume?"
Will nodded, "She said you wouldn't mind."
Jack shrugged, "I don't really. I was going to tell you though…"
"Well don't be ashamed of it, everyone gets scared of death…its human."
"Yea, but are you supposed to be human when you're Captain Jack Sparrow?"
Will paused, realizing that there was a big difference between Jack the Captain and Jack the man. "Well I'm glad the human side was more evident then the Captain side…"
Jack looked at him, "Really?"
Will shrugged, "Sure. I like Jack either way…because he's still one of my good friends and my mentor."
Jack beamed, turning his attention back to the kids. "Thanks Will. I needed that…"
****
"Yes?"
"Can you do something for me?"
"Anything."
"Cut my hair…"
Gwyneth's eyes widened as she looked at Brenda and then at her hair, "Are you sure dear?"
"Well I don't want you to shop it off…I love having long hair…but just trim it a little."
Gwyneth bit her lip, she hadn't cut hair in a while. She closed the current book she was reading, put the book and spectacles on the table next to her bed and got out from underneath the covers. She took Brenda's hand and led her downstairs to the kitchen. She told Jacque she needed scissors and he went and got some for her. Gwyneth sat Brenda down and took all her hair and put it in front of the back of the chair. She sighed, "Are you sure dear?"
She nodded, "Sure as ever."
"What are you two doing?" Mark asked, seeing the two, about to go up to his room with his brothers, "Isn't it past your bedtime, Auntie?"
She laughed sarcastically, "Don't mess with me Mark, you'll be next if you're not careful."
"No, but seriously, what are you two doing at this hour?" Jonathan asked.
"I'm cutting her hair! What does it look like!"
"It's awfully late…" Trevor added.
"Trevor Johnson! Do not tell me there is a law that says you can't cut hair at this hour!"
"Well no but…"
"Exactly!" she said, pointing the scissors at her nephews, but smiling, "Now leave us be! She asked me, and I'm doing it for her."
They shrugged, accepting that response. Trevor paused a minute however, before going up stairs with his brothers, "Brenda, come and get me when you're done…I'd like to talk to you…"
She nodded and he quickly left. Gwyneth hid her smile and tried to figure out how she was going to do this. The hair wasn't long enough to reach the floor when Brenda was sitting down, it was at an awkward spot when she was sitting down in fact. "Hun, get up and let me take the chair…I think that'll be a better angle."
Brenda did as she was told, and indeed, with Gwyneth sitting down, it made it a lot easier to cut, so she started, hair quickly falling around Brenda's feet. A twinge of anxiety went through her, so she quickly changed the subject.
"I talked to dad today…"
"Oh?" Gwyneth said, feeling a little jealous that she herself didn't get to talk to Jack.
"Yea, we had a nice long talk about everything he's been going through. And we talked about Beverly…I'm assuming you know?"
Gwyneth nodded, "I've known for a while."
"Yea, well I might've accidentally said something to her when I ran into them in the market place. It was pretty direct…I just hope she and the Commodore will be okay…"
"It needed to come out in the open sooner or later anyhow. I'm just surprised she hasn't told him yet. they've been married for thirteen years…but for all we know, he does know and what you said didn't bother them a bit."
"I hope so. But dad and I are going to go over there tomorrow and talk to them."
"Tomorrow?" she questioned, maybe he and I could spend some time together.
"Yea…are you hoping to see him?"
Gwyneth smiled, "You can read me like a book."
"It's one of my uncanny abilities!" A few more minutes standing there, and then Gwyneth was finished. She only cut off about an inch, still making her hair long, but Brenda pouted, "It's short…"
Gwyneth shook her head, knowing she was really happy with it but hadn't cut her hair in so long, she forgot what it felt like. "Well, now I am going to go to bed. I'll see you in the morning. Do you want me to wake you up?"
"Yea, sure, before breakfast preferably. Oh, could you go get Trevor for me?" she said, with a sheepish grin on her face.
Gwyneth rolled her eyes and nodded, "I'll see you in the morning Brenda…" and then went to Trevor's room to tell him his princess was awaiting his presence.
****
"So what did you tell them?"
Beverly slowly opened her eyes, seeing the dying flame in front of her. That's when she remembered that she had cried herself to sleep in front of the fire after a dinner without her husband. She had hoped he would be home soon, but she couldn't help but think this was the thing to push him over the edge.
She sat up, her back to the visitor, "I told them their father was having dinner with a friend."
"Did they believe you?"
She turned, tears already filling her eyes, "I hope so, because I didn't."
James Norrington sighed and walked to his wife, sitting down on the floor next to her, "I got to the Turner's doorsteps before I turned around and came back here. I spent the evening on our front doorstep thinking about you."
She sighed, "James, I'm so sorry. But even after all this time I thought that if you saw another imperfection in me…you wouldn't love me."
He stared at her, "What was the first one?"
Her bottom lips wavered, "I was with child when you first met me! When we got married Samuel was two years old! Isn't that enough?"
He shook his head, grabbing her hand and kissing it, "I fell in love with you. Not with your past and not with your mistakes. I'm sorry I left without saying anything, but I needed time to myself to think about everything."
"So you're not mad?"
He paused, "Maybe a little disappointed, that you didn't know me better than that after thirteen years."
She nodded, "That's understandable."
He sighed, "So do you completely trust me?"
She smiled, "With all my heart."
"And I have your heart?"
"Completely."
"And you have mine."
She smiled, feeling assured that her husband truly loves her and that he's not going to leave on something that happened in her past. She had a lot of things happen in her past that she's equally sorry and apologetic for. She nodded and kissed her husband, putting all her emotion into it and he kissed back, telling her his emotions through the kiss. They broke apart and made their way up to their room to hold each other in privacy.
****
"So what's this all about?"
Trevor stood in front of Brenda, thousands of butterflies in his stomach, his hands were calmly and his tongue felt like lead. "We…were you serious when you said…when you said you wouldn't slap me the next time I got c-close."
She stared at him, "I have a feeling you're a little nervous…"
"It's a possibility."
She raised an eyebrow, "I was serious…why?"
He nodded, okay… he told himself, and in one swift move he took a step near Brenda and bent down and kissed her. She was first surprised, and it showed. Trevor had his hands on both her cheeks, his thumbs running over her soft skin, obviously trying to calm her down. She eased up after a little bit and started to kiss him back. She drew her hand to his neck and wove her fingers through his blond hair.
She drew away with a gasp. She quickly removed her hand and stepped back. This is bad…I actually…enjoyed that…no. I couldn't have… She stared at Trevor, he had a look on his face. She knew he was concerned about her reaction to the kiss. "Something wrong?"
"You…you kissed me!"
He nodded, "Well I knew I wasn't kissing my mother…" She didn't smile, "I thought you said…"
"I said I wouldn't slap you if you tried to get close."
"And I got close."
"That's too close!" she said, backing away more. She hugged herself, all of the sudden feeling taken advantage of even though she encouraged the kiss by kissing back. She turned away, telling herself she was over reacting, that if she liked Trevor, then why was it such a big deal that he kissed her?
Trevor wanted to smack himself across the face. She doesn't like to be touched, idiot. "Brenda I'm sorry…I just forgot you don't like to be touched…"
She shook her head, turning back to him, "It's not that…"
"Then what is it?"
"It was…it was just a surprise though…"
"Oh…"
"But not an unpleasant surprise…but a surprise no less."
"Are you trying to tell me…"
"When I want to be kissed, I'll kiss you."
He nodded, his pride somewhat shot down, Well that's what you get when you're forward, idiot. He started to walk away but she said, "Was that all you came to do?"
He turned back around, "No…I wanted to tell you that I didn't care about what my parents or society thinks…I have feelings for a pirate."
"You sound like you thought it wouldn't ever happen."
"I didn't think it ever would. It's not every day when you meet a pirate like you…"
She paused, "Trevor it's only been about two weeks…not even that… how can you-"
"I'm not confessing my love for you! I'm just telling you how I feel now. And I realize you're a pirate and live on the sea…and I'm not and don't…but that's how I feel now."
"So what, if I'm still here next week and there's another girl who catches your eye, am I history?"
"As in…I'm keeping myself safe for when you leave…"
She completely understood once he said that. She half smiled, thinking she should be careful to do the same thing. She would never admit it, but she wouldn't want her heart broken. "Well just consider what I did a…way to keep both of us safe."
He nodded, feeling a little bit better. He sat down on the couch, "Do you want to start a fire?"
She raised an eyebrow, "Are we going to be talking some more?"
He shrugged, "Why not?"
Smiling she said, "And yer not trying to seduce me…?"
He shook his head, "I will do no such thing…" he said getting up and starting to build it in the fireplace and then finally lit a match to it. "Not unless you want me to."
"I shall not be swayed by your sweet words…" she said, sitting down. Trevor came and sat down next to her. Soon they started talking as easily as they always had and began to feel sleepy. The last thing Brenda remembered was thinking, if I do fall asleep here…Trevor will take me up to my room…
****
Gwyneth woke up very unpleasantly the next morning by a loud shriek that seemed to echo through the whole house. She quickly put on a robe and raced downstairs and to where she heard the loud yell come from. There was her sister, a face full of horror, looking at a large couch where two people had fallen asleep. Brenda and Trevor. Both in each other's arms still sleeping.
The first thought that entered Gwyneth's head was, Trevor's a heavier sleeper than I thought…but they'll wake up soon. The second thought was, they're sleeping on a couch together and you're thinking about when they'll wake up! She instantly felt like pulling each hair out of her head one by one.
Gwyneth and Faith watched as Brenda's eyes slowly opened and her hands that were holding tightly to Trevor's shirt loosened a little. Trevor's arms that held her firmly to him didn't move however. Her eyes popped open when she saw who she was latched onto. She moved just a little and fell completely off the couch with a bump. She quickly looked around, her face completely drained of all its blood when she saw Faith and Gwyneth.
Faith crossed her arms, "Trevor, get up. Now." Faith was usually an easy going person, someone you couldn't anger easily, but when you did get her angry, she was a force to be reckoned with. And even Trevor knew that.
His eyes popped open as well and he looked to see Brenda sitting on the ground, face white as a ghost. He looked to see what made her so scared. He quickly sat up himself when he saw the look on his mother's face. "You're lucky you're father isn't here."
Trevor swallowed, hoping that was the case. "Before you think anything bad…let me explain-"
"Please do, because I have plenty of things going through my head."
He smiled weakly, "We didn't do anything. We were just talking…and we must've fallen asleep."
"And you found each other's arms so easily?"
Brenda couldn't hold it back, "You idiot!" She said, grabbing the first available pillow and launched it at his head, "Why didn't you take me upstairs when I fell asleep!"
"Me? Why didn't you wake me up when you noticed I was dozing off?!"
She growled, "I feel asleep before you, dimwit."
"I wouldn't be so sure."
They both looked at Faith and Gwyneth, realizing there was a time and place to have this conversation and this wasn't it. Brenda smiled nervously, "Faith, I'll do whatever you say. But just know, that I didn't do anything with your son…no matter how incriminating it looks."
Faith stared at Brenda, "Fine. Please excuse us."
Brenda nodded and got up, slipping past Gwyneth and giving her an 'I'm sorry' look and then going up to her room. Faith looked at her son and shook her head, "What were you thinking?"
He paused, Does she want me to answer that truthfully? "Well…I obviously wasn't thinking."
She raised an eyebrow, "This, the day after what your father and I told you. Did you pursue her?"
"Mom, I'm not going to stop talking to her because of what you think."
Faith paused, "You're right, and if you did, I'd be worried. You're not one to always obey. But Trevor, this isn't a little while lie about skipping rocks when you should've been doing chores! Last night could've affected your whole life!"
"But it didn't mom! Nothing happened!"
"Yes, but it's your responsibility no matter what. If something did happen, then you would be held responsible, no matter who Brenda was. At least in my eyes you would be held responsible. You're the man in this…relationship, and you need to take care of her. Of her as a person and her reputation! I don't care if she doesn't care, but I do. And along with her reputation, comes yours."
Trevor sighed, hearing all this for the first time was creating an impact, but did she think this was going to go farther? He knew that he would be hesitant and so would Brenda.
Faith sighed, "Trevor, is all this just going in one ear and out the other?"
He looked up at her, "No mom. It's making perfect sense, and you have a perfect right to say anything you want to."
"Come here…" she said. He got up and went to her. She hugged him and kissed his cheek. "Now go get ready for work." When he left the room and she heard his door shut, she collapsed on the nearest chair. "What am I going to do?" She said, almost in tears, "I can't keep this from Edward, but if I tell him, I know he'll want to throw Brenda out…" She covered her eyes with her hand, "Gwyneth, I don't know what to do."
Gwyneth bit her lip, seeing her sister's dilemma. "Have me tell him."
"What?" Faith said, looking up at her, her blue eyes stained with sorrow.
"Let me tell him what happened. I'll take full responsibility for Brenda."
"Why would you do that?"
Gwyneth paused, thinking it would be obvious. I don't want to explain it to her now… "Do you want to be there when I tell him?"
She nodded, "I think I should."
"Very well. When is he due home?"
"Tonight," Faith answered.
Gwyneth nodded, "We'll tell him after dinner, how's that?"
"That's fine."
"Okay, well if you excuse me…I'm going to go talk to Brenda."
****
"Gwen, please, don't be a bloody fool. I'll be fine."
"Brenda, if Edward saw what Faith did, then you wouldn't be standing here right now. You'd be in Captain Regan's care, a noose tied for your execution the next morning."
Brenda stared at Gwyneth. She was sitting on her bed and Brenda was brushing her hair. Her father was due any moment and as soon as he got there, they were off to the Commodore's. "Yer brother would do that?"
"In a heartbeat. Now do you believe me?"
Brenda turned back to the mirror, "You don't need to talk to him in my behalf!"
"If I don't, then who will?"
Brenda paused, knowing she wouldn't. The only way she would talk to him would be over a sword fight. She shrugged, "I dunno."
"Exactly. I'm just telling you to warn you."
Brenda put her brush down and turned to look at Gwyneth, "Do you really believe us?"
"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I?"
Brenda shrugged, "I've just never been…caught in that kinda of situation before and I've never had to have someone…test their trust on me."
"I still trust you Brenda."
She nodded, "Okay. I just…"
"No explanation needed hun. I trust you."
Brenda looked at her, square in the eyes, seeing Gwyneth was really telling the truth. A slow smile spread across her face. "Thanks Gwen." She was about to give her a hug, but then she heard Faith call her. She quickly crossed her room and opened her door, going over to the banister and looking down. "Ready to go, Bean?" Jack called.
She smiled, "Sure dad," making a mental note, reminding him never to call her that in public again. But as she walked down the stairs, she noticed a change in her father's appearance. Was that a dirty shirt, a scarf around his head and sea boots she saw? Yes, yes it is.
Gwyneth came out of Brenda's room, making sure to tie her robe closed. Jack saw her out of the corner of his eyes, "Gwen…" he said, calling up to her, "You want to spend some time with me today?"
She nodded, a smile making its way across her face, "Very much so."
"Wonderful. When I drop Brenda off here…I'll get you. Sound good?"
She nodded, "I'll see you then."
****
Jack and Brenda returned to the Johnson house about two hours later. They had had a nice time talking with the Commodore and his wife and then having lunch with their family. Jack thought it was ironic that he found himself in Commodore Norrington's house, eating lunch with his family, after all these years. Maybe the two hadn't made a solid relationship, but it was better than mortal enemies.
When Brenda got dropped off at the Johnson's, Gwyneth took her place. She and Jack went back to the Turner's. Jack explained that the family had brought Elizabeth breakfast in bed for her birthday and were going to spend the day at the beach. Rick was around the house somewhere, but Gwyneth and Jack went out into the yard, just to make sure.
After about an hour talking about families and birthdays, Gwyneth finally confessed that she knew how Jack felt, because she had lost both her parents in the same month. Her mother especially was the hardest. But she got through it, and Jack admitted that since the talk with Brenda, he had started to heal.
"I think just getting it off my chest helped me a lot." Jack told her.
"It makes sense. It certainly doesn't help to keep things locked up inside you forever."
He nodded, "So I might go back to the Pearl for a couple more years, but I'm not decided yet."
The mention of the Pearl brought an instant knot to Gwyneth's stomach. They were on the porch swing, her leaning on him, both hands entwined with the others, and Jack's arms wrapped around her. She should've felt at ease, should felt perfect. And she did, until he said he might go back to his ship.
What were you expecting?
I'm not sure…but I wasn't expecting to be feeling this again.
She sighed, her eyes going to their hands. Jack seemed to be unbothered by his statement, so why was she making such a big deal out of this?
"Jack…" she started, not sure she wanted to say this "We're close, right?"
He paused, "Aye…What's on your mind, Gwen?"
"Well…I just didn't think you'd be leaving…"
He raised his eyebrows, knowing how she could've gotten that impression. "Well Gwen…"
"And I know that's selfish of me, to think that and everything…but...I-I…like having you here. Those fourteen years were almost unbearable."
If his heart wasn't breaking, it certainly was now. "Gwen…"
"But I just want to know, and I know it might be a little late now, but…what exactly am I getting myself into?"
Jack stopped. He looked around nervously, what is she getting herself into? How do I answer that?
Tell her you're a scum bag, and this is all a fake. A fake to win a stupid bet.
Is it all about the bet now? Has it become something more? When I agreed to this, I wasn't sure how I feel about her, but now I'm pretty confident about it.
Stop it now. Save yourself the heartache and stop it now.
I don't think I'll be able to…
Then you'll be sorry.
I don't think I will… He paused, saving a minute to consider what he really felt, but he knew what he felt. Now that he was face with the opportunity, he was sure how he felt. "I love you," he said plainly, "that's what you're getting yourself into."
Gwyneth's breath caught in her chest, did he just say what she thought she just said? Hasn't she been yearning to hear those words from someone since Nathan Swann died? She had been waiting to hear those words from only one person since he died, and now that she had heard them, she hesitated with her own feelings.
"You don't know how long I've waited to hear those words…because I feel the same way." she whispered. Jack smiled. He hugged her tighter and bent down and kissed her.
------------
A/N 2: Dun, dun, dun! I'm sure all of you are just about dying. I just hope…well never mind. AND! As you all can see…Jack is finally on the road to recovery, bringing out old clothes that Captain Jack Sparrow wears. I'm excited!
Author Thanks:
DragonFlyGirl: Well I'm glad you got caught up with all my chapters, and still reviewed for each one! I can certainly understand about being busy.
Vicki Turner
Albe-Chan
Dawnie-7: Yea, I thought I needed to add the Commie and Beverly in there.
Piper8188: Yes, Juicy is good, isn't it? Oh! I read your one shot for Secret Window…it was good. I liked it a lot, did I send you a review? If I didn't, tell me and I'll get right on that, k?
PiratePrincess91: YAH! New reviewer! I'm glad you finally decided to review…nice job. Have you read the other story, There's Your Trouble? It's alright if you haven't, I just want to know.
ThePinkPanther: Something big still to come? Yes, I think so. I think everyone else will to…in fact the NEXT CHAPTER will be something rather…large, you could say. But oh well. Ha, ha! I think I like you're passing out thing better than what I came up with…lol.
Emma436: I know you didn't have time, but I really would've loved to hear what your thoughts were on my story…and what's going to happen next! But I can understand with a mother hovering over you like a bug, you might want to finish quickly. Well I'm glad you're going to update soon. You can send me an e*mail about my character. I'm still kinda confused for that. Are you just going to write it, or do you want me to write something? Whatever you decide is of course, fine. I'll be excited just seeing my name in your story! You're the first one who actually liked the Commodore and his wife getting into a fight…weirdo. Lol. Oh, Jack realizes A LOT about himself in this chapter…you'll see. Well, I hope you liked it.
