Rainey! It's about time! And no, it's chapter 6. Sorry all. I reread it, and indeed it's chapter six. You must wait until the morrow Raine darlin'!

ChaoticLightningStorm: Oh, that's a Mary-Sue. Nope, nope, this ain't no Mary-Sue. Sorry to disappoint you.

Jeyke: No, no, no! You didn't sound annoyed at all! It's just some people have gotten after me for automatically assuming names, and the sexes they belong to, that's all. It's a good thing I wrote the first few chapters before posting them, eh? Makes my job a ton easier. THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER LOOOOOONG REVIEW!

Me: It's your choice to read this story, not mine.

Chapter 5

When he woke the next morning Melia wasn't there. He pulled on his jacket, boots and at the last minute, his sword before dashing out the door. Once in the small hallway he briefly paused. If I was a half starved girl where would I be? He didn't debate the fact that she would most definitely be in the galley. Upon reaching the above said place, he scoured the room for her, then went to question some of the inhabitants of her whereabouts. Mitty was the only one who had a vague idea.

"Came down here mad as a hornet. Said 'Where'd the filthy pirates put me clothes?' grabbed sumptin ta eat all da while a yowlin' bout how yer a stupid, vulgar pirate an' why, oh why, didn't dey blow 'er up wid da ship? Den she stormed off mutterin' sumptin 'bout the hull."

"How long ago was this?" Jack prompted.

"Bout 'alf hour 'go, Sir." Mitty said to Jack's retreating back.

"Well what's got inta' him?"

Jack stormed down the steps to the hull. He stopped in half step frozen to the spot with wonder. Melia was in there, wading through a room half filled with a sea of gold and silver coins and assorted other wealth. She was muttering to herself and didn't hear him enter. Once she was near the middle of the sea where several large trunks were she stopped and began digging in all the plunder, throwing different objects out of her way. He noticed that there were two trunks in the empty part of the floor. Did she...? After he regained his composer and took a few steps toward her.

"Ah, luv, what are you doin'?

She spun around so quickly that her dress got tangled around her legs and she ended up falling down. Jack rushed over to her side and began to help her up. She shook off his hand as soon as she was upright and shook out her skirts, just like a proper lady.

"Captain Sparrow. I was searching for my things that the blasted previous captain of this ship stored down here. As soon as I unearth them from all of this." She paused to wave her hand about the room. "I will have a couple of your men bring them up to my...our room."

She flounced around and grabbed the handle of the last trunk and began pulling to the middle of the room, flinging whatever happened to be in her way out of it.

"Question luv." He asked, dodging a golden plate that came sailing at his head. She paused briefly, her back still to him.

"Yes?"

"How do you plan to get this up to my room?"

She gave the trunk one final malicious tug, freeing of the debris that surrounded it, then turned around, brushing the hair out of her eyes impatiently.

"Captain Sparrow, you will get some of your men to get these to my room. Be sure the men are strong, for I have no idea as to how much each one ways and there are three of them total. I'll expect them to be in my room by two o'clock." Jack looked at her sharply.

"What in blazes to you mean? I don't believe I agreed to let you take over the CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS!"

"I believe I just ordered you to."

"HOLD IT! No one, and I mean absolutely NO ONE, orders Captain Jack Sparrow around, you hear me?! Now luv, you do realize I could put you back in da brig an' not give it a second thought. So I suggest you ordering me around if you like that bed you sleep in!" His voice held deadly seriousness.

"You wouldn't..." She spat.

"In a heartbeat."

She clenched her teeth as she fought back the intense urge to hit him. Instead she grabbed his chin, holding it lightly between her thumb and her index finger. She could tell this unnerved him a bit and took full advantage of his silence.

"Captain Sparrow, I would greatly appreciate it if my things were in the room you so kindly are sharing with me." With each word she grasped his chin harder and harder until there were nail indentations in it. "By two o'clock." With a rough jerk she released his chin and stomped up the stairs muttering something about filthy pirates.

Jack lifted a hand to massage the pain in his chin away, watching her disappearing backside. That was blackmail, what she did. He looked at the three trunks in the middle of the floor with absolute dismay before turning around and going in search of some crazy men to help him drag three hundred pound trunks up two flights of stairs to his quarters.

An hour later he sank into one of the galley's benches, completely exhausted and somewhat embarrassed. He had found that the three trunks were not one hundred pounds, but two hundred, at least. It had taken two men for each trunk and Mitty was the only one brave enough to help him. On his last trip he'd seen Melia standing near the helm, with a rather triumphant look on her face. All at once he knew there'd be absolutely no living with her after this.

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Melia stared at him, unwanted tears forming in her eyes. She had never been awful to anyone as means of getting even for something they didn't even do. Yet here he was, putting up with her, honoring her requests, or demands as it were, just like Jonathan...No, Jonathan was a respectable, good, no wonderful man. Jack...er...Captain Sparrow was a pirate and deserved to be treated as such. A triumphant look crossed her face. She at least knew he'd give in to her requests with a little bit of prodding. She turned and moved towards the rail separating the deck from midair and stared at the rolling waves for the good part of an hour.

That is how Jack found her, sneaked up on her, and yelled in her ear. Causing her to scream, spin around, and almost slap him before she thought better of it. Instead she whirled around and stomped off to the captain's quarters. After she'd pushed a small dresser in front of the door to ensure privacy, she rushed to the nearest trunk, lovingly running caressing the slightly cracked leather. She grabbed a ribbon around her neck and lifted it over her head. Dangling from it was a skeleton key that fit all three of the trunks. She took a deep breath and inserted it into the trunk closest to her.

A squeal shattered the air. Inside were all sorts of gowns and their accessories, snugly packed together. She picked up the top gown and held it to her. It had been so long since she'd heard the rustle of taffeta, felt the softness of velvet, inhaled the sweet smell of the dried flowers and bits of cedar her mother scattered amongst her gowns to keep them fresh. She gingerly set it down on the bed so she could wipe away the tears that spilt from her eyes. She lifted gown after gown out in search of something plain. She finally found a peach colored gown, that didn't appear to need a corset and slipped into it, savoring the feeling of a fresh dress after almost eight months in the same old one. Once she was in it she realized that such a gown could not be worn when one had not had a decent scrub since the now dead pirate had came to Tortuga. With reluctance she took the gown off and put on the dirty one, making a mental note to ask Ja...the captain where she could get a bath. After setting the gown on the bed with the others she moved to the next trunk and carefully turned the key.

A sob of joy shook her small frame. The inside was one half filled with books, the other boxes of paper, ink, quills, and pencils, both lead and colored. She scooped up an armload of books, hugging them to her. After a few moments of silent tears, she released them to look over the titles. There were fiction, biographies, educational books, poetry, everything she'd missed most. With each new title fresh tears coursed down her face. She turned from the now huge pile of books in front of her and lifted a sheet of paper from the first box, savoring the brightness of a fresh page. Soon it was marred with her tears.

She stood and moved toward the last trunk, mentally preparing herself for what she knew it's contents would be. When she opened it, everyday dresses met her eyes. As she dug deeper she found several pairs of boots and slippers. Bonnets, shawls, and the like. And finally, a small, ornate chest containing her jewelry. She carefully lifted it out and stared at it for a long moment. After deciding that the old wound could now be opened, she lifted the lid. The gleam of the jewelry, brought a soft smile to her lips. She lifted piece by piece, letting the memories wash over her and with each memory came a fresh flood of tears. There was her mothers string of pearls. The gold and emerald necklace she got for her thirteenth birthday. The diamond necklace that had had a jewel added every year until she was sixteen. Countless pieces she'd inherited from her father's mother. An opal ring her uncle sent last Christmas.

A piece buried at the very bottom brought on compulsive sobs. Cries of anguish could be heard from the galley to the stern. Tormented screams echoed throughout the ship. She was clutching the piece to her chest, her head buried in her knees. The haunting cried continued for hours on end until Jack could not stand it any longer. He went to the room and pushed the door right open, in spite of the great measures she had taken to keep it shut. He knelt behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her.

"Do ye want ta tell Jack 'bout it?" She stiffened at his touch, but then forcibly relaxed.

"No. No I do not. I just want to..."

The thought was left hanging as she began crying again, this time letting him hold her. Leaning on him, letting him stroke her hair, and murmur soft words of comfort, it was so good after holding it in for so long. After a good part of an hour had passed she stopped crying and removed herself from his arms.

"Captain Sparrow, I would greatly appreciate it if you'd get a tub up here along with some hot water. I feel the need to bathe."

She stood and left the room, setting a small object on top of the dresser. Almost as an afterthought she paused.

"Thank you Captain."

And she was gone. Jack looked around him at all the womanly things that filled the room, the brightly colored dresses on the bed, stacks of books on the floor, the three open trunks, partially filled. And finally the glittering object on the dresser. He moved toward it and picked it up. A diamond engagement ring shone in the palm of his large hand.