Disclaimer: Of course I own PotC! And Jack, and will and Elizabeth and all
the other characters! Mwahahahaa! *A guy from Disney who looks strangely
like Barbossa points a gun to my head* Okay,okay, I take it back!
A/N: I actually like this chapter, although others may disagree. Not much else to say about it, other than R&R! Thanks!
Chapter Nine-Intoxication
"That's a bad bruise you've got. Is it painful?" Jack asked Nicola when he saw her at noon.
"I was about to ask the same thing about that eye. You look like a panda bear with that eyeliner on as well! Although I have never seen a panda bear before, not up close." She replied.
"Well, now you have! If that arm gets too painful, take a break from the work. I don't want you, or anyone else, straining themselves too much today. Everyone is tired and we have too much work to do without having to look after an injured sailor, savvy?" He waved his arms frantically, showing his stress.
"Hmm." Was all Nicola answered. Her arm was extremely painful, but she didn't want to let on to Jack. He would carry on thinking she was weak and treating her like a guest aboard the ship, while all she wanted was to be part of the crew. Instead, she went to Gibbs for help.
"Gibbs, do you know any ways of reducing pain in a bruised arm? I am in agony right now." She explained.
"Sorry, ma'am, I haven't got a clue. You could try massagin' it with your hands, get the blood flowin', y'know?" he told her sympathetically.
"I shall try it. Thank you, Gibbs." Not surprisingly, it didn't work, and she ended up trying to do all of her work with the opposite hand. It wasn't long before Jack noticed this and came strolling over in his usual, drunken walk.
"You're lying." He said simply. "You are in massive amounts of pain but you don't want to admit it. One word: why?"
"Because," she started, sighing wearily, "you are constantly treating me like I'm pathetic and weak and I don't want you to think of me like that."
"Then how do you want me to think of you?"
Nicola had many answers for that question, most of which happened to be inappropriate for that time, so she answered "I want you to think of me as being independent, strong, a good team member. A good pirate."
"We haven't even started the pirate-ness yet, love, so I'm afraid I can't give you credit for that. But I don't think of you as being weak. I think of you as having different strengths to the others on this ship, that's all, and that's something to be proud of." No matter how negative a comment was, Jack could always twist it into being a positive thing. He was an optimist's dream, a pessimist's worst nightmare.
"So, what are we gonna do about that arm? I think you should rest it for now, you could be causing more damage."
Sighing, Nicola reluctantly agreed, and soon she was back by the side of the ship, looking out to the vast ocean surrounding her. It was so large that, ironically, it made her feel claustrophobic. She was annoyed that she couldn't work, but there was no point moaning about having time to spare. Sitting on the side of the ship, she watched as the others cleaned up the Pearl.
With all the spare time she was given, she had plenty of time to think. Firstly she thought about Jack, then about her family, then about Jack, then about what she would be eating for dinner (dry bread and maybe some cheese, knowing what the food supply was like onboard the ship), then about Jack, and then some more about Jack. Before she knew what was happening, he was intoxicating her mind with that grin and that voice and...
"Nicola, ma'am. I want to talk to you about St Vincent, we're nearly there." Gibbs called over to her, disturbing her thoughts at last.
"Oh! Yes, yes, of course, Gibbs." She said quickly, hoping he hadn't noticed the faraway look on her face.
When dinner time finally came, Nicola had only one thing on her mind-Jack- and she had no idea why. She mentally slapped herself when she sat down next to Gibbs, making sure she wouldn't drift off into thought while she was talking to him.
"Hello, Gibbs. You wanted to talk to me about St Vincent?"
"Aye, ma'am. Yer see, it's going to get violent when we attack the town, and I want to know if you're able to fight."
"Fight?" Nicola blinked. She hadn't expected this. "I have had no reason to fight physically in my life, so I would have to say that no, I don't."
"Ah. That could be a problem. You'll 'ave to stay onboard if that's the case. Being on watch isn't as bad as it sounds though."
"Great. More time to think about...ahem, things." She replied, almost voicing what had been dominating her brain.
"Think about what, exactly?"
"Oh, you know...my family, home..." Our captain with those gorgeous eyes, she added mentally.
Gibbs grinned. "You have somethin' else on yer mind that you don't want no one to know. I can tell."
"Maybe I do. But is it not rude to enquire further?" Nicola said indignantly.
"Well, beggin' yer pardon, but I was just wonderin' if yer needed to talk to somebody 'bout it. Must be hard not havin' another woman to speak to, after all." Gibbs shrugged.
Nicola struggled to hide her smile. Gibbs did understand her, if only a little. His words won her over and she decided she could afford to open up a tiny bit.
"I suppose I can talk to you. After all, it has nothing at all to do with anyone onboard this ship." She emphasized. "Where to begin...you see there's a man-"
"Ah, I thought it was somethin' to do with a man!"
"Yes, well, he lives back on land, of course, and I...I think he is extremely nice."
Gibbs' grin widened. "So you love him?"
"No! No, I don't love him. I just think he is very special, even though I don't know him very well. But back where I live, of course, I'm supposed to be getting married, so it would be hard to get to know this man without causing even more trouble back at home. Besides, I don't think he likes me the same way as I like him."
"Hmm." Gibbs thought about it. "I think he probably does like you, Nicola. An' I think the wedding at home is just your excuse, because the reason you ran away was to escape getting married, right? So, seeing as you have no intention of marryin' you must be sayin' that to comfort yerself. Yer just tryin' to avoid the hard part of talkin' to him."
She blinked in return. "How do you know that?"
Gibbs laughed. "I was always helpin' me sister out of problems like these. It's second nature to me now."
"So, what should I do about the problem?"
"It ain't so much a problem as it is nerve-wracking. Talk to him. Maybe wait a little while, though. I heard he was on the rum earlier."
Nicola nodded. Then she realized what Gibbs had just said. "Wait! I never said I...!"
But somehow Gibbs had managed to disappear out of the room before she could finish.
A/N: I actually like this chapter, although others may disagree. Not much else to say about it, other than R&R! Thanks!
Chapter Nine-Intoxication
"That's a bad bruise you've got. Is it painful?" Jack asked Nicola when he saw her at noon.
"I was about to ask the same thing about that eye. You look like a panda bear with that eyeliner on as well! Although I have never seen a panda bear before, not up close." She replied.
"Well, now you have! If that arm gets too painful, take a break from the work. I don't want you, or anyone else, straining themselves too much today. Everyone is tired and we have too much work to do without having to look after an injured sailor, savvy?" He waved his arms frantically, showing his stress.
"Hmm." Was all Nicola answered. Her arm was extremely painful, but she didn't want to let on to Jack. He would carry on thinking she was weak and treating her like a guest aboard the ship, while all she wanted was to be part of the crew. Instead, she went to Gibbs for help.
"Gibbs, do you know any ways of reducing pain in a bruised arm? I am in agony right now." She explained.
"Sorry, ma'am, I haven't got a clue. You could try massagin' it with your hands, get the blood flowin', y'know?" he told her sympathetically.
"I shall try it. Thank you, Gibbs." Not surprisingly, it didn't work, and she ended up trying to do all of her work with the opposite hand. It wasn't long before Jack noticed this and came strolling over in his usual, drunken walk.
"You're lying." He said simply. "You are in massive amounts of pain but you don't want to admit it. One word: why?"
"Because," she started, sighing wearily, "you are constantly treating me like I'm pathetic and weak and I don't want you to think of me like that."
"Then how do you want me to think of you?"
Nicola had many answers for that question, most of which happened to be inappropriate for that time, so she answered "I want you to think of me as being independent, strong, a good team member. A good pirate."
"We haven't even started the pirate-ness yet, love, so I'm afraid I can't give you credit for that. But I don't think of you as being weak. I think of you as having different strengths to the others on this ship, that's all, and that's something to be proud of." No matter how negative a comment was, Jack could always twist it into being a positive thing. He was an optimist's dream, a pessimist's worst nightmare.
"So, what are we gonna do about that arm? I think you should rest it for now, you could be causing more damage."
Sighing, Nicola reluctantly agreed, and soon she was back by the side of the ship, looking out to the vast ocean surrounding her. It was so large that, ironically, it made her feel claustrophobic. She was annoyed that she couldn't work, but there was no point moaning about having time to spare. Sitting on the side of the ship, she watched as the others cleaned up the Pearl.
With all the spare time she was given, she had plenty of time to think. Firstly she thought about Jack, then about her family, then about Jack, then about what she would be eating for dinner (dry bread and maybe some cheese, knowing what the food supply was like onboard the ship), then about Jack, and then some more about Jack. Before she knew what was happening, he was intoxicating her mind with that grin and that voice and...
"Nicola, ma'am. I want to talk to you about St Vincent, we're nearly there." Gibbs called over to her, disturbing her thoughts at last.
"Oh! Yes, yes, of course, Gibbs." She said quickly, hoping he hadn't noticed the faraway look on her face.
When dinner time finally came, Nicola had only one thing on her mind-Jack- and she had no idea why. She mentally slapped herself when she sat down next to Gibbs, making sure she wouldn't drift off into thought while she was talking to him.
"Hello, Gibbs. You wanted to talk to me about St Vincent?"
"Aye, ma'am. Yer see, it's going to get violent when we attack the town, and I want to know if you're able to fight."
"Fight?" Nicola blinked. She hadn't expected this. "I have had no reason to fight physically in my life, so I would have to say that no, I don't."
"Ah. That could be a problem. You'll 'ave to stay onboard if that's the case. Being on watch isn't as bad as it sounds though."
"Great. More time to think about...ahem, things." She replied, almost voicing what had been dominating her brain.
"Think about what, exactly?"
"Oh, you know...my family, home..." Our captain with those gorgeous eyes, she added mentally.
Gibbs grinned. "You have somethin' else on yer mind that you don't want no one to know. I can tell."
"Maybe I do. But is it not rude to enquire further?" Nicola said indignantly.
"Well, beggin' yer pardon, but I was just wonderin' if yer needed to talk to somebody 'bout it. Must be hard not havin' another woman to speak to, after all." Gibbs shrugged.
Nicola struggled to hide her smile. Gibbs did understand her, if only a little. His words won her over and she decided she could afford to open up a tiny bit.
"I suppose I can talk to you. After all, it has nothing at all to do with anyone onboard this ship." She emphasized. "Where to begin...you see there's a man-"
"Ah, I thought it was somethin' to do with a man!"
"Yes, well, he lives back on land, of course, and I...I think he is extremely nice."
Gibbs' grin widened. "So you love him?"
"No! No, I don't love him. I just think he is very special, even though I don't know him very well. But back where I live, of course, I'm supposed to be getting married, so it would be hard to get to know this man without causing even more trouble back at home. Besides, I don't think he likes me the same way as I like him."
"Hmm." Gibbs thought about it. "I think he probably does like you, Nicola. An' I think the wedding at home is just your excuse, because the reason you ran away was to escape getting married, right? So, seeing as you have no intention of marryin' you must be sayin' that to comfort yerself. Yer just tryin' to avoid the hard part of talkin' to him."
She blinked in return. "How do you know that?"
Gibbs laughed. "I was always helpin' me sister out of problems like these. It's second nature to me now."
"So, what should I do about the problem?"
"It ain't so much a problem as it is nerve-wracking. Talk to him. Maybe wait a little while, though. I heard he was on the rum earlier."
Nicola nodded. Then she realized what Gibbs had just said. "Wait! I never said I...!"
But somehow Gibbs had managed to disappear out of the room before she could finish.