Disclaimer: Yo Ho, Yo Ho, I don't own PotC! If you sue you'll only get a
pen, a notebook and maybe a pair of socks if you're lucky. ;-)
A/N: Once again, I thank you for the reviews! They make me so happy! Wanna know another thing that makes me happy? It's spring-time! ^___^ And another thing? The fluffy-ness begins in this chapter! Yay!
Chapter Six-A Hard Days Work and Another Dinner with Jack
The next day, Nicola awoke feeling a little better. The storm cloud which had been hovering above her had fizzled into a light, puffy cloud, the kind which rays of sunlight would suddenly burst through to give a heaven-like effect. Nicola's ray of sunlight happened to be Jack. She walked on to the deck to see him strolling around, deep in thought. The ship was tearing through the waves and rocking violently, yet Jack didn't even seem to notice, his balance never wavering. Nicola walked up to him.
"Good morning...Captain."
Jack looked up suddenly, surprised to see her in front of him. "Mornin'."
"Um...what is my first duty on board the Pearl?" she asked.
"Your first task is to change out of those clothes. Do you have anything less formal to wear?"
She shook her head. "I only have what I am wearing in terms of clothing."
Jack sighed. "Guess you'll be borrowin' my clothes, then."
He led her to his quarters and took out some fairly clean garments from a drawer. They were a lot cleaner and better quality than his other clothes, Nicola noticed. She didn't complain, however, and went into her room to change.
"Well, this is strange." She thought to herself as she gazed into the full- length mirror. Jack's baggy shirt and cropped trousers looked extremely peculiar on a girl who had never worn anything other than smart dresses. Then again, Jack's clothes would have looked peculiar on anyone other than Jack.
When he saw Nicola in his clothes, he burst into laughter, showing all of his gold teeth.
"It's not funny." Nicola said, scowling.
"I'm sorry! You just look so...so...un-lady-like. " "Well, if I were you, Captain, which thankfully I am not, I would get used to the sight. I'll be dressed like this all the time I remain on the ship. What is my next task?"
Jack thought about it. "I guess you could help the rest of the crew clean the ship. Just don't stay out in the sun too long."
Nicola laughed in his face. "I thought you were going to treat me like he rest of the crew? I am certain you do not tell them to be careful in the sun!"
"Sorry, love. I'm not used to treating a woman like that. You're not like Anamaria; you're still a respectable lady in my mind. I'll try not to do that again, alright?" He assured her.
Nicola nodded. "Good. I shall get to work immediately."
She spent hours scrubbing the deck with the rest of them, enjoying the hard work and getting a chance to talk to the crew some more. Sure, she was hot and she ended up pretty grimy, but it was nice to feel exhausted for once. When dinnertime came, she had a smile on her face.
As she was going down to eat with the crew, she noticed Jack heading towards her again.
"Nicola! You look happier than you were this morning."
"I am. I enjoy working hard." She said, still smiling.
"You know, that's kind of a shame, since I thought you would still be sad and I actually prepared you a special dinner."
"Oh. Why did you do that? I am a member of the crew." She was surprised that Jack had actually done such a nice thing for her.
"Yes, well, I, uh, thought it would cheer you up. I know women generally find it harder to get over a loss."
He had done it again. He had referred to her as a woman. He had made her out to be someone different to the others. Nicola decided to ignore it this time. After all, a dinner was involved.
"I am very grateful for your generous thought."
Jack grinned. "So, you had better come with me then...unless you would rather have dry bread instead of meat?"
"Of course not." She followed Jack down to the dining area where she had been that first day on the ship. That was ten days ago now. Ten days since she had left. While she was tucking into the meal of chicken and potatoes, she thought about her family back in Anguilla. Were her parents worried? Were they afraid she had gone to Tortuga? Did they have people out looking for her? Her thoughts rushed around her brain. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the softly glowing candles in the centre of the table, or the flowers from Tortuga lying next to her plate. It wasn't until Jack started talking to her that she noticed anything about the room.
"This dinner is supposed to cheer you up, but you're getting more and more sad each minute by the looks of yer. Are you alright?" He asked her.
"Yes. Just thinking about my home, that is all." She continued eating silently.
"Ah. Been a while now, innit? Since you were at home, that is."
"Yes. I wonder how my family are feeling about me running off." She sighed.
"Aww, cheer up, love. You should think more about yourself instead of other people who you might not ever see again. Then again," He didn't take his eyes of her as he spoke, "I'm a pirate, I wouldn't know much about other peoples feelings."
Nicola didn't speak. How are you supposed to reply to something like that? She had nearly finished her food, anyway, so she assumed it didn't need an answer.
They were both silent for a few minutes. Nicola went back to her thoughts, and Jack carried on watching her.
"You what you need to cheer you up?" He finally said. "A hat! You just can't feel unhappy when you're wearin' a hat!"
Nicola stared at him. Was he being serious? He always came out with the strangest things at the strangest times.
"A hat?"
"Yes, yes! A hat!" He picked up the tri-corn hat which had been sitting on the table. "Here."
"But that's your hat."
"I can do without it... for now. Might need it back tomorrow." He stood up, walked over to her and placed it on her head. It didn't cover all of her hair, leaving the stray locks to hang down and frame her face. Jack paused to look at her. He was speechless. "Uh, I, uh, I think it completes the look. You look beautiful!" He smiled at her, flashing the famous gold teeth yet again. Nicola smiled back. It was the first time she truly appreciated a complement from a man. And she had received a lot of complements in her twenty-four years of life.
"Thank you."
There was another silence. They didn't take their eyes off each other, didn't stop smiling. Then, they both realized what they were doing and things returned to normal. Nicola said goodnight and went to bed, Jack left to talk to a few members of the crew, and both of them were left to ponder their thoughts and feelings through the night.
A/N: Once again, I thank you for the reviews! They make me so happy! Wanna know another thing that makes me happy? It's spring-time! ^___^ And another thing? The fluffy-ness begins in this chapter! Yay!
Chapter Six-A Hard Days Work and Another Dinner with Jack
The next day, Nicola awoke feeling a little better. The storm cloud which had been hovering above her had fizzled into a light, puffy cloud, the kind which rays of sunlight would suddenly burst through to give a heaven-like effect. Nicola's ray of sunlight happened to be Jack. She walked on to the deck to see him strolling around, deep in thought. The ship was tearing through the waves and rocking violently, yet Jack didn't even seem to notice, his balance never wavering. Nicola walked up to him.
"Good morning...Captain."
Jack looked up suddenly, surprised to see her in front of him. "Mornin'."
"Um...what is my first duty on board the Pearl?" she asked.
"Your first task is to change out of those clothes. Do you have anything less formal to wear?"
She shook her head. "I only have what I am wearing in terms of clothing."
Jack sighed. "Guess you'll be borrowin' my clothes, then."
He led her to his quarters and took out some fairly clean garments from a drawer. They were a lot cleaner and better quality than his other clothes, Nicola noticed. She didn't complain, however, and went into her room to change.
"Well, this is strange." She thought to herself as she gazed into the full- length mirror. Jack's baggy shirt and cropped trousers looked extremely peculiar on a girl who had never worn anything other than smart dresses. Then again, Jack's clothes would have looked peculiar on anyone other than Jack.
When he saw Nicola in his clothes, he burst into laughter, showing all of his gold teeth.
"It's not funny." Nicola said, scowling.
"I'm sorry! You just look so...so...un-lady-like. " "Well, if I were you, Captain, which thankfully I am not, I would get used to the sight. I'll be dressed like this all the time I remain on the ship. What is my next task?"
Jack thought about it. "I guess you could help the rest of the crew clean the ship. Just don't stay out in the sun too long."
Nicola laughed in his face. "I thought you were going to treat me like he rest of the crew? I am certain you do not tell them to be careful in the sun!"
"Sorry, love. I'm not used to treating a woman like that. You're not like Anamaria; you're still a respectable lady in my mind. I'll try not to do that again, alright?" He assured her.
Nicola nodded. "Good. I shall get to work immediately."
She spent hours scrubbing the deck with the rest of them, enjoying the hard work and getting a chance to talk to the crew some more. Sure, she was hot and she ended up pretty grimy, but it was nice to feel exhausted for once. When dinnertime came, she had a smile on her face.
As she was going down to eat with the crew, she noticed Jack heading towards her again.
"Nicola! You look happier than you were this morning."
"I am. I enjoy working hard." She said, still smiling.
"You know, that's kind of a shame, since I thought you would still be sad and I actually prepared you a special dinner."
"Oh. Why did you do that? I am a member of the crew." She was surprised that Jack had actually done such a nice thing for her.
"Yes, well, I, uh, thought it would cheer you up. I know women generally find it harder to get over a loss."
He had done it again. He had referred to her as a woman. He had made her out to be someone different to the others. Nicola decided to ignore it this time. After all, a dinner was involved.
"I am very grateful for your generous thought."
Jack grinned. "So, you had better come with me then...unless you would rather have dry bread instead of meat?"
"Of course not." She followed Jack down to the dining area where she had been that first day on the ship. That was ten days ago now. Ten days since she had left. While she was tucking into the meal of chicken and potatoes, she thought about her family back in Anguilla. Were her parents worried? Were they afraid she had gone to Tortuga? Did they have people out looking for her? Her thoughts rushed around her brain. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the softly glowing candles in the centre of the table, or the flowers from Tortuga lying next to her plate. It wasn't until Jack started talking to her that she noticed anything about the room.
"This dinner is supposed to cheer you up, but you're getting more and more sad each minute by the looks of yer. Are you alright?" He asked her.
"Yes. Just thinking about my home, that is all." She continued eating silently.
"Ah. Been a while now, innit? Since you were at home, that is."
"Yes. I wonder how my family are feeling about me running off." She sighed.
"Aww, cheer up, love. You should think more about yourself instead of other people who you might not ever see again. Then again," He didn't take his eyes of her as he spoke, "I'm a pirate, I wouldn't know much about other peoples feelings."
Nicola didn't speak. How are you supposed to reply to something like that? She had nearly finished her food, anyway, so she assumed it didn't need an answer.
They were both silent for a few minutes. Nicola went back to her thoughts, and Jack carried on watching her.
"You what you need to cheer you up?" He finally said. "A hat! You just can't feel unhappy when you're wearin' a hat!"
Nicola stared at him. Was he being serious? He always came out with the strangest things at the strangest times.
"A hat?"
"Yes, yes! A hat!" He picked up the tri-corn hat which had been sitting on the table. "Here."
"But that's your hat."
"I can do without it... for now. Might need it back tomorrow." He stood up, walked over to her and placed it on her head. It didn't cover all of her hair, leaving the stray locks to hang down and frame her face. Jack paused to look at her. He was speechless. "Uh, I, uh, I think it completes the look. You look beautiful!" He smiled at her, flashing the famous gold teeth yet again. Nicola smiled back. It was the first time she truly appreciated a complement from a man. And she had received a lot of complements in her twenty-four years of life.
"Thank you."
There was another silence. They didn't take their eyes off each other, didn't stop smiling. Then, they both realized what they were doing and things returned to normal. Nicola said goodnight and went to bed, Jack left to talk to a few members of the crew, and both of them were left to ponder their thoughts and feelings through the night.