Ack, just realised I forgot to put up a disclaimer. So here it is...not mine, its theirs. There :) Enjoy! And thanks again for the reviews :)
Gibbs stood beside Jack looking disgruntled with his arms folded across his belly.
"Ye see that," he muttered darkly. "Already got 'er sea legs. Looks like she been on a ship most of 'er life."
"I see it Gibbs," Jack said mildly."You know who she is."
"Aye. And it aint makin' me any happier. Its bad luck this -in more ways than one."
Jack struck a thoughtful pose; one foot braced on the wheel, his eyes gazing some point into the distance.
"Ye see Gibbs, its like this. There are times when doin' the right thing is walkin' away, and then there are times when not walkin' away is the right thing.
"And then there are times when the right thing- Gibbs?"
He glanced at the empty spot where Gibbs had been, then gave a grin which had nothing to do with humour.
"And then there are women, and all bets are off. Da da dada. Drink up me hearties, yo ho." He finshed softly, his dark eyes following Bonny.
_______________________________________________________________________
By midday the sun was too hot for hard work. Most of the crew had retreated below deck. Bonny found some shade near the front, the foc's'le, she remembered, under the foremast.
She nibbled at some hard-tack- tough, slightly bitter biscuits and stared out across the horizon. There was nothing exept for blue sky and sea as far as the eye could see.
Her body relaxed against the mast. Her nerves had been driven away by the hard work and she fell into a sort of doze, lulled by the sun the wind and the waves.
Unnoticed, Jack leaned on the rails nearby, taking in the sight. He saw it as his pleasure-no, his obligation, to examine any attractive woman within 40 foot of him. And he loved women. Almost as much as rum and the Pearl.
He loved their hair, their hands, their faces...their bodies...And this one had grown up fine.
Her aristocratic lines were still there, her delicate features, soft lips, but life on the street had hardened her face. Her brown eyes were colder, darker, her mouth less likely to smile than he remembered.
Of course she was a lot older too, and a bit skinny for his liking. Someone would pay for that, and whoever started her out on a life of crime (he sincerely hoped he wasn't to blame)
He found himself noticing the dotting of fresh freckles across her nose and cheeks, the long shadows of her eyelashes as they fell along her face. She looked so serene. Until she spoke, that is.
"What!" She scowled, spoiling the effect. "Thinking of a new way to torture me?"
"Never darlin'," he drawled lazily. "Just wondren' when yer going to show me that map again."
She flushed slightly, then arched an eyebrow.
"If you would be so good as to turn around?"
Hesitating long enough to make her blush again, he turned and cracked a smirk. He could hear the rustle of paper and clothing.
"Good place that," he commented. "Keep yer valuables with yer...valuables."
Bonny muttered some curses, then told him he could turn around. She held the map out looking red-faced and slightly rumpled.
Grinning, but (wisely) deciding not to comment, he took the map. He rubbed his chin. "It'll be over a day before we reach isla Roto. After we stop at Tortuga o' course."
Bonny looked up alarmed. "We're stopping?"
"O' course love. Can't go treasure huntin' without a bit of rum in our bellys." He winked. "And a bit of pleasurable comp'ny wouldn't go amiss."
He spun on his heels wearing a smirk at her third blush.
______________________________________________________________________
Bonny was disturbed once more when Gibbs bellowed her awake.
"We don't swing the lead on this ship lassie."
She stared up at him bewildered.
"Get up and haul keel lass. We stand no slackers."
She struggled to her feet with a groan and glared at him.
"What now? Shiverin' me timbers? Raisin' the mainsails? Walkin' the plank?"
"Now," he said slowly, clearly keeping his temper at bay, "We learn the ropes. The captain," he rolled his eyes," has decided you have to know this. So listen, don't speak, and pay attention."
He brandished a piece of rope. "Now watch carefully."
With lightening speed and a few complicated hand movements he tied a knot. He looked at her wearing a smirk. "Now you try it."
She arched an eyebrow and copyied his motions, just as fast and with the same result.
"Its called a bowline, Mr Gibbs. I was on a ship before, you know."
Turning rather red in the face, Gibbs growled. "And when was that exactly?"
She shrugged. "When I was a child. I don't remember when exactly."
"So, someone took time off a busy ship, to show a child, a female, how to try knots?"
"Aparantly." She barely kept the smugness out of her voice. "I also know the short splice, the fishermans bend, the sheet bend, the-"
"Enough!" Gibbs threw up his hands. "At least that means I can get on with something worthwhile now."
Bonny watched him stalk off not bothering to hide her grin.
"READ!"
Bonny jumped and spun around. Jack wore a grin and had his head tilted specutively.
"Since ye know the ropes so well, ye can give the crew a hand and repair these ones."
He dropped a pile of ropes in her arms, and took them back when she staggered under their weight.
"Sorry, was thinkin' ye were a crewman there love. How could I forget."
She jerked the ropes off him and dropped them on the ground.
Sitting on the deck, she tried to get as comfortable as possible on the polished timbers.
Jack was hovering over her shoulder as he gave her 'helpful' instructions.
"Now what you do love, is splice the two ropes together."
Bonny was in the process of doing so, so she stopped and rolled her eyes.
"I know how to do it!" She snapped. He ignored her blithely.
"Now you weave the two ends together-"
She could feel his breath on her neck. A pleasant shiver ran up her spine and she willed herself not to blush. Chiding herself silently, she thought,"he's not going to be able to read my mind. Why am I blushing?"
His voice deepened slightly and lowered. She suspected a hint of amusement in his seductive tones and scowled again. 'Damn that infuriating man!' she thought, and, feeling flustered, dropped the ropes.
Jacks hand appeared in her line of vision as he picked them up, his hand brushing against her bodice. This time he spoke directly into her ear, his beard tickling her skin.
"Thought ye know how to do it, Darlin'. I wouldn't be making you nervous, would I?"
Shivering slightly, though not from the cold, she denied it.
"HAH!" It sounded embarrassingly forceful, even to her ears, and she blushed again. It seemed she had lost the ability to form words. She stuttered painfully. "I high- hardly think so!"
She could sense Jack grinning as he spoke.
"Just so I know love."
He walked back to the wheel, with (Bonny suspected) more than his usual swagger; his hair and coat streaming carelessly behind him.
She glared at his back and winced. She never got embarrassed or flustered. Why should a stupid pirate captain with a drunken cockney slur, bizzare hair and a walk like a frog make her nervous?!
She wasn't even going to think about him. Nope.
Not at all.
Nope.
Hey ya me hearties. Thanks for the reviews. I'm having so much fun writing this it should be outlawed. I've finished now, so the posts will be up daily. :) Yo ho ho!!!!
Gibbs stood beside Jack looking disgruntled with his arms folded across his belly.
"Ye see that," he muttered darkly. "Already got 'er sea legs. Looks like she been on a ship most of 'er life."
"I see it Gibbs," Jack said mildly."You know who she is."
"Aye. And it aint makin' me any happier. Its bad luck this -in more ways than one."
Jack struck a thoughtful pose; one foot braced on the wheel, his eyes gazing some point into the distance.
"Ye see Gibbs, its like this. There are times when doin' the right thing is walkin' away, and then there are times when not walkin' away is the right thing.
"And then there are times when the right thing- Gibbs?"
He glanced at the empty spot where Gibbs had been, then gave a grin which had nothing to do with humour.
"And then there are women, and all bets are off. Da da dada. Drink up me hearties, yo ho." He finshed softly, his dark eyes following Bonny.
_______________________________________________________________________
By midday the sun was too hot for hard work. Most of the crew had retreated below deck. Bonny found some shade near the front, the foc's'le, she remembered, under the foremast.
She nibbled at some hard-tack- tough, slightly bitter biscuits and stared out across the horizon. There was nothing exept for blue sky and sea as far as the eye could see.
Her body relaxed against the mast. Her nerves had been driven away by the hard work and she fell into a sort of doze, lulled by the sun the wind and the waves.
Unnoticed, Jack leaned on the rails nearby, taking in the sight. He saw it as his pleasure-no, his obligation, to examine any attractive woman within 40 foot of him. And he loved women. Almost as much as rum and the Pearl.
He loved their hair, their hands, their faces...their bodies...And this one had grown up fine.
Her aristocratic lines were still there, her delicate features, soft lips, but life on the street had hardened her face. Her brown eyes were colder, darker, her mouth less likely to smile than he remembered.
Of course she was a lot older too, and a bit skinny for his liking. Someone would pay for that, and whoever started her out on a life of crime (he sincerely hoped he wasn't to blame)
He found himself noticing the dotting of fresh freckles across her nose and cheeks, the long shadows of her eyelashes as they fell along her face. She looked so serene. Until she spoke, that is.
"What!" She scowled, spoiling the effect. "Thinking of a new way to torture me?"
"Never darlin'," he drawled lazily. "Just wondren' when yer going to show me that map again."
She flushed slightly, then arched an eyebrow.
"If you would be so good as to turn around?"
Hesitating long enough to make her blush again, he turned and cracked a smirk. He could hear the rustle of paper and clothing.
"Good place that," he commented. "Keep yer valuables with yer...valuables."
Bonny muttered some curses, then told him he could turn around. She held the map out looking red-faced and slightly rumpled.
Grinning, but (wisely) deciding not to comment, he took the map. He rubbed his chin. "It'll be over a day before we reach isla Roto. After we stop at Tortuga o' course."
Bonny looked up alarmed. "We're stopping?"
"O' course love. Can't go treasure huntin' without a bit of rum in our bellys." He winked. "And a bit of pleasurable comp'ny wouldn't go amiss."
He spun on his heels wearing a smirk at her third blush.
______________________________________________________________________
Bonny was disturbed once more when Gibbs bellowed her awake.
"We don't swing the lead on this ship lassie."
She stared up at him bewildered.
"Get up and haul keel lass. We stand no slackers."
She struggled to her feet with a groan and glared at him.
"What now? Shiverin' me timbers? Raisin' the mainsails? Walkin' the plank?"
"Now," he said slowly, clearly keeping his temper at bay, "We learn the ropes. The captain," he rolled his eyes," has decided you have to know this. So listen, don't speak, and pay attention."
He brandished a piece of rope. "Now watch carefully."
With lightening speed and a few complicated hand movements he tied a knot. He looked at her wearing a smirk. "Now you try it."
She arched an eyebrow and copyied his motions, just as fast and with the same result.
"Its called a bowline, Mr Gibbs. I was on a ship before, you know."
Turning rather red in the face, Gibbs growled. "And when was that exactly?"
She shrugged. "When I was a child. I don't remember when exactly."
"So, someone took time off a busy ship, to show a child, a female, how to try knots?"
"Aparantly." She barely kept the smugness out of her voice. "I also know the short splice, the fishermans bend, the sheet bend, the-"
"Enough!" Gibbs threw up his hands. "At least that means I can get on with something worthwhile now."
Bonny watched him stalk off not bothering to hide her grin.
"READ!"
Bonny jumped and spun around. Jack wore a grin and had his head tilted specutively.
"Since ye know the ropes so well, ye can give the crew a hand and repair these ones."
He dropped a pile of ropes in her arms, and took them back when she staggered under their weight.
"Sorry, was thinkin' ye were a crewman there love. How could I forget."
She jerked the ropes off him and dropped them on the ground.
Sitting on the deck, she tried to get as comfortable as possible on the polished timbers.
Jack was hovering over her shoulder as he gave her 'helpful' instructions.
"Now what you do love, is splice the two ropes together."
Bonny was in the process of doing so, so she stopped and rolled her eyes.
"I know how to do it!" She snapped. He ignored her blithely.
"Now you weave the two ends together-"
She could feel his breath on her neck. A pleasant shiver ran up her spine and she willed herself not to blush. Chiding herself silently, she thought,"he's not going to be able to read my mind. Why am I blushing?"
His voice deepened slightly and lowered. She suspected a hint of amusement in his seductive tones and scowled again. 'Damn that infuriating man!' she thought, and, feeling flustered, dropped the ropes.
Jacks hand appeared in her line of vision as he picked them up, his hand brushing against her bodice. This time he spoke directly into her ear, his beard tickling her skin.
"Thought ye know how to do it, Darlin'. I wouldn't be making you nervous, would I?"
Shivering slightly, though not from the cold, she denied it.
"HAH!" It sounded embarrassingly forceful, even to her ears, and she blushed again. It seemed she had lost the ability to form words. She stuttered painfully. "I high- hardly think so!"
She could sense Jack grinning as he spoke.
"Just so I know love."
He walked back to the wheel, with (Bonny suspected) more than his usual swagger; his hair and coat streaming carelessly behind him.
She glared at his back and winced. She never got embarrassed or flustered. Why should a stupid pirate captain with a drunken cockney slur, bizzare hair and a walk like a frog make her nervous?!
She wasn't even going to think about him. Nope.
Not at all.
Nope.
Hey ya me hearties. Thanks for the reviews. I'm having so much fun writing this it should be outlawed. I've finished now, so the posts will be up daily. :) Yo ho ho!!!!