Usual Disclaimer.
Seriously guys, Will/Elizabeth fans, this is your last warning . . .
Thanks to you reviewy people as well!!
***********************************************************
Chapter Eight - Temptation
Elizabeth stared out to sea once more. Now she came to think about it, Will really hadn't been paying her much attention. There was no doubt he still cared about her, but did he really still 'love' her?
Elizabeth wasn't even sure if she loved him. She worried about him, but suddenly the idea of marriage seemed strange, almost laughable. It was like marrying a best friend. You got along as friends, but as a married couple, well it just wouldn't work.
Her eyes shifted onto the form of Captain Jack Sparrow. He had his back to her, probably trying to ignore, she thought.
What Jack was actually doing, was a quick, fervent prayer to any God who was listening, that he wouldn't do anything today that he'd live to regret. He lowered his hands, and opened his eyes. He couldn't pretend he didn't understand his own feelings anymore; he loved the woman sitting behind him.
She was a prissy, posh, fussy and stuck up English Governor's daughter. And he, Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl, one of the most infamous pirates in the Caribbean, had fallen in love with her. He could really strangle the God of pirates luck, sometimes.
"Jack? Are you even listening?"
"What? Oh, umm, yes. Yes, I am."
"No you're not. You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?"
"No, alright, I didn't."
"What were you thinking about?"
That was when Jack gave up on any pirate Gods there might be. His earlier prayer seemed to have all the effect of a single rowing boat against a tidal wave.
He was pretty sure that he would live to regret when his finer feelings over powered his normally agile brain.
"I was thinking about how much I love you."
Will was still striding through the thin streets of Totuga. Shopkeepers were leaning out from behind their stalls, and screeching their offers to the people. Women leaned out of upper windows to call down to lovers, or to shower passers by with water, and washing.
Will was in a good mood. Very soon, he'd be with Elizabeth, and then back to Port Royale, and . . . what? Marriage.
Marriage, it was quite an important word. He ought to propose first though. It would be different, being married. Nice, hopefully.
There was a sort of sticky silence hovering over the deck. Jack didn't want to move in case he got stuck in it. Elizabeth was looking at him, her eyes widening considerably every second.
"Pardon, Mr Sparrow?"
Jack swallowed. He didn't feel like he had any vocal chords left. His courage appeared to have run off up the rigging, and any cool, witty reply he might've had had curled up and died in his throat. Perhaps that was why he couldn't speak.
"Umm."
"I didn't think you said 'umm'."
"Oh? What did ye think I said?"
"Well, I thought, umm."
"Ha! See you didn't hear a word I was sayin' either!"
Elizabeth stood up. With a resentful look at Jack, she said:
"I'm going to my cabin. It's windy out here, and I don't like looking at that ship."
The door closed with a small thud. Jack threw the glass mug over the side into the sea irritably. He leant on the railings, and rested his face in his hands.
"What am I doin'? I'll either drive me-self round the bend, or Mr Turner will bend me round somethin' sharp and pointy."
A small, quiet thought sneaked forward. 'You could tell her again'.
Jack stared out at the beautiful waves. It was easy being a pirate. You sailed places, did what you liked, and sailed somewhere else. It wasn't difficult. But it had suddenly become the trickiest career in the world. Or at least being Jack Sparrow had suddenly become rather tricky.
Again, the persistent thought pressed forward. 'You could tell her again'.
Jack turned to look back at the closed cabin door. If he knew how Elizabeth felt, he might risk it, but . . . And then there was the 'whelp', to think about. What was he going to say? Something unpleasant, Jack decided.
The small, persistent, and very tempting thought tried again. 'You could tell her again'.
And then being a pirate seemed simple again. Captain Jack Sparrow straightened his shirt, checked his reflection in the rippling water below, and tapped on the door.
"Come in. What is it?"
"Miss Swann."
Elizabeth jumped a little at this. Jack 'never' called her that. Ever. Only when he was being un-bearably annoying, at any rate. She looked at him, he looked nervous, and for some, highly ill-logical reason, she to felt apprehensive.
"Jack, why are you calling me that?"
"Because you asked me to."
"Yes, but you never do anything I ask you to, so why start now?"
"What I said, on deck. Ah, well what I was tryin' to tell ye, was . . ."
Elizabeth stood up, and looked at him quizzically. She had heard what he'd said, but he was either drunk, or completely mad. Or both.
Jack inspected the floor. There was no help offered by the splintered floorboards. Then he noticed his own feet, or rather boots. He was a pirate, and . . .
He raised his head, looked Elizabeth squarely in the eyes and let loose a Cheshire cat-grin.
"Oh what the Hell, I'm a bloody pirate after all."
He reached forward, and wrapped his arms around her delicate waist. There was a sort of startled breath from his companion, before her face came level with his own. She was looking at him in a wide-eyed way, as if she couldn't believe what was happening.
"Jack! What are you doing?"
"I'm doin' what I'm s'posed to do in Tortuga. What are you doin'?"
Elizabeth giggled. She was going to say something like 'trying to escape being in Tortuga', but that would be a lie. Instead she reached her hand round Jack's neck, and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Me to. . .But Jack?"
"Hmm?" Jack was busy landing baby-soft kisses on Elizabeth's neck and shoulders.
"I thought you were going to stop pirates getting to me before William?"
"Ah, yes. Well Will should know better than leaving you with us pirates in the first place. We're not very good at keepin' promises . . ."
Seriously guys, Will/Elizabeth fans, this is your last warning . . .
Thanks to you reviewy people as well!!
***********************************************************
Chapter Eight - Temptation
Elizabeth stared out to sea once more. Now she came to think about it, Will really hadn't been paying her much attention. There was no doubt he still cared about her, but did he really still 'love' her?
Elizabeth wasn't even sure if she loved him. She worried about him, but suddenly the idea of marriage seemed strange, almost laughable. It was like marrying a best friend. You got along as friends, but as a married couple, well it just wouldn't work.
Her eyes shifted onto the form of Captain Jack Sparrow. He had his back to her, probably trying to ignore, she thought.
What Jack was actually doing, was a quick, fervent prayer to any God who was listening, that he wouldn't do anything today that he'd live to regret. He lowered his hands, and opened his eyes. He couldn't pretend he didn't understand his own feelings anymore; he loved the woman sitting behind him.
She was a prissy, posh, fussy and stuck up English Governor's daughter. And he, Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl, one of the most infamous pirates in the Caribbean, had fallen in love with her. He could really strangle the God of pirates luck, sometimes.
"Jack? Are you even listening?"
"What? Oh, umm, yes. Yes, I am."
"No you're not. You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?"
"No, alright, I didn't."
"What were you thinking about?"
That was when Jack gave up on any pirate Gods there might be. His earlier prayer seemed to have all the effect of a single rowing boat against a tidal wave.
He was pretty sure that he would live to regret when his finer feelings over powered his normally agile brain.
"I was thinking about how much I love you."
Will was still striding through the thin streets of Totuga. Shopkeepers were leaning out from behind their stalls, and screeching their offers to the people. Women leaned out of upper windows to call down to lovers, or to shower passers by with water, and washing.
Will was in a good mood. Very soon, he'd be with Elizabeth, and then back to Port Royale, and . . . what? Marriage.
Marriage, it was quite an important word. He ought to propose first though. It would be different, being married. Nice, hopefully.
There was a sort of sticky silence hovering over the deck. Jack didn't want to move in case he got stuck in it. Elizabeth was looking at him, her eyes widening considerably every second.
"Pardon, Mr Sparrow?"
Jack swallowed. He didn't feel like he had any vocal chords left. His courage appeared to have run off up the rigging, and any cool, witty reply he might've had had curled up and died in his throat. Perhaps that was why he couldn't speak.
"Umm."
"I didn't think you said 'umm'."
"Oh? What did ye think I said?"
"Well, I thought, umm."
"Ha! See you didn't hear a word I was sayin' either!"
Elizabeth stood up. With a resentful look at Jack, she said:
"I'm going to my cabin. It's windy out here, and I don't like looking at that ship."
The door closed with a small thud. Jack threw the glass mug over the side into the sea irritably. He leant on the railings, and rested his face in his hands.
"What am I doin'? I'll either drive me-self round the bend, or Mr Turner will bend me round somethin' sharp and pointy."
A small, quiet thought sneaked forward. 'You could tell her again'.
Jack stared out at the beautiful waves. It was easy being a pirate. You sailed places, did what you liked, and sailed somewhere else. It wasn't difficult. But it had suddenly become the trickiest career in the world. Or at least being Jack Sparrow had suddenly become rather tricky.
Again, the persistent thought pressed forward. 'You could tell her again'.
Jack turned to look back at the closed cabin door. If he knew how Elizabeth felt, he might risk it, but . . . And then there was the 'whelp', to think about. What was he going to say? Something unpleasant, Jack decided.
The small, persistent, and very tempting thought tried again. 'You could tell her again'.
And then being a pirate seemed simple again. Captain Jack Sparrow straightened his shirt, checked his reflection in the rippling water below, and tapped on the door.
"Come in. What is it?"
"Miss Swann."
Elizabeth jumped a little at this. Jack 'never' called her that. Ever. Only when he was being un-bearably annoying, at any rate. She looked at him, he looked nervous, and for some, highly ill-logical reason, she to felt apprehensive.
"Jack, why are you calling me that?"
"Because you asked me to."
"Yes, but you never do anything I ask you to, so why start now?"
"What I said, on deck. Ah, well what I was tryin' to tell ye, was . . ."
Elizabeth stood up, and looked at him quizzically. She had heard what he'd said, but he was either drunk, or completely mad. Or both.
Jack inspected the floor. There was no help offered by the splintered floorboards. Then he noticed his own feet, or rather boots. He was a pirate, and . . .
He raised his head, looked Elizabeth squarely in the eyes and let loose a Cheshire cat-grin.
"Oh what the Hell, I'm a bloody pirate after all."
He reached forward, and wrapped his arms around her delicate waist. There was a sort of startled breath from his companion, before her face came level with his own. She was looking at him in a wide-eyed way, as if she couldn't believe what was happening.
"Jack! What are you doing?"
"I'm doin' what I'm s'posed to do in Tortuga. What are you doin'?"
Elizabeth giggled. She was going to say something like 'trying to escape being in Tortuga', but that would be a lie. Instead she reached her hand round Jack's neck, and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Me to. . .But Jack?"
"Hmm?" Jack was busy landing baby-soft kisses on Elizabeth's neck and shoulders.
"I thought you were going to stop pirates getting to me before William?"
"Ah, yes. Well Will should know better than leaving you with us pirates in the first place. We're not very good at keepin' promises . . ."