What's in a Name?
A/N: Well, 5 reviews in 2 days, I must admit, I was very very surprised! Thank you very much to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it.Jack's gonna be a bit of an ass for a while.I haven't fully made up my mind yet.After this chapter, everything will start to pick up pace a bit, just be patient with me, Rome wasn't built in a day. I might not be able to update until Saturday, it all depends on what I have to do for the holidays.
Disclaimer: I only own Christina and some of the crew.not even close to owning Jack.not that I haven't tried.
Last Time: Said captain came striding further into the room, gazed locked on me. "Take the helm, Ana," he said.
She nodded and left the cabin silently.
What's In a Name?
Chapter 2: An Evening with the Captain
After Ana or whatever her name was had left, I found myself alone in a room with a pirate captain.unable to stop him from doing anything. He moved towards the bed and withdrew a knife to cut through my bonds.
I smiled slightly in gratitude but I had neither the voice nor tongue to ask any questions. I stared at him, lounging on the bed very near me, looking like a cat looks at a mouse. My stomach sank further in me.this sealed my fate, I was his. And I couldn't do anything likewise.
"So, lass, I think we had best get ourselves acquainted, aye? Unless you'd like to have some fun?" he asked suggestively, eyes locked on my midsection.
"Have all the fun you'd like by yourself, captain, but I don't speak openly about myself to those I don't know," I said shakily. Then, noticing where his gaze was focused, I reached down and lifted his chin, so that he was looking elsewhere.
I knew that I was going to be slapped for this impertinence, I knew it the moment that I had done it. But it didn't come. I shifted slightly on the bed and stared longingly at the door.
"I'll take it that is a no.so, who exactly are you?"
Seeing it pointless to avoid his questions indefinitely, I answered in a squeak of a voice, "Christina Smit." I could feel his gaze boring into me.
I personally didn't see what exactly he was staring at. I wasn't that pretty. Maybe it was just lust.moving on.I wouldn't think about that right now.but I wasn't very tall, only 5'5 or so and had a slight tan. To my mother's horror, I had never managed to avoid the sun like most proper British girls were supposed to. My hair was blonde and reached the middle of my back, slightly wavy. I had a faint dusting of freckles across my nose and cheekbones and my eyes were a greenish colour. They seemed to change colors . . . along with my mood.
While I was so absorbed in my thoughts, said pirate captain was getting closer to me. A possessive hand landed on my shoulder and another around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I pulled away, or at least tried to and stared up at my captor feeling like a frightened rabbit.
"Come, come, love, do behave," he whispered.
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice betraying how afraid I was. I did my best to stifle the tremour that occurred when he caressed my cheek with one weatherworn hand.
"Captain Jack Sparrow, love, at your service," he said in a voice of mock cordiality in my ear.
I shuddered as his lips brushed my ear and pulled myself out of his grip and off the bed. I backed away slowly, trying to put as much distance as possible between this new man and myself.
"Leave me alone," I whispered hoarsely. "Let me go." I continued backing towards the door and when I reached it, I twisted the handle this way and that, pulling on it frantically . . . the door was locked.
Soft laughter met my ears. I whirled around and say Sparrow leaning up on an elbow, watching me and laughing. "Do you think I'd give ye such an easy out, lass?"
"The idea crossed my mind, yes," I muttered, leaning against the door, wishing that it would spring open and let me escape. It didn't.
"Please," I pleaded. "Let me go."
Sparrow stared at me, something hidden behind his eyes and said, "Miss Smit, be a dear and sit."
Reluctantly, I walked over to a chair as far away from the bed as possible and obliged.
Sparrow inclined his head slightly and said, "Now, love . . . "
Before I could think otherwise, I had opened my mouth to speak again. "Captain Sparrow," I said in as steady of a voice as I could muster, "my name is Christina Smit. Not some term of endearment that you use for the strumpets at the pub." Instantly, I knew that this was a mistake. Bloody brilliant, Christina, I thought. Let's just jump overboard, now, why don't we. Because he's surely about to kill you.
Sparrow raised a careful eyebrow and asked, "Just who do you think you are exactly?"
"One could ask the same of you, Sparrow. Attacking our ship like that, what'd we ever do to you?" I retorted, another bloody brilliant comment.
"Pirate," came the reply.
Well that solves it, I thought to myself. So, I decided not to respond.
"Just answer the bloody question, you stupid little chit. Or do I need to persuade you?" He stood up from the bed and made his way over to the chair that I was sitting in.
I was nervous, not only did I not know what his motives were, I couldn't even see him. Suddenly, someone was kissing my neck. I jerked and said, "Captain Sparrow, I haven't the foggiest idea what your talking about or what you even asked of me in the first place. So I suggest that you just leave me alone, savvy? Or I'll talk even less than you might want me too," I answered hotly.
Well, once again, I had made a grievous mistake in my judgement. A pistol was pulled from a sash and smoothly placed against my temple.
"Okay, I'll talk," I said. And with that, I drew my legs into the chair as the pirate moved back to the bed and wished for additional strength. In a final effort to postpone whatever might happen after I finished talking, my eyes darted around the room, frantically. "Can you sit down or something, I don't like you being behind me like that," I said quietly. To my immense surprise, he obliged. Captain Sparrow cleared his throat loudly and taking the warning, I began to tell him about my time in school in England, caring for my mother during her illness and finally my brother and father's deaths. "And now, I'm here," I finished lamely.
Sparrow, who had stretched out on the bed during my tale, leaned up on one elbow and asked, "And what were you planning on doing in Port Royale, exactly?"
I answered as truthfully as possible, "I don't really know, exactly. It was my mum's . . . my mum's . . . idea to go there. She said that we had some family there and I would be getting married upon our arrival . . . but . . . " I broke off, unable to choke back tears.
Something softened in Sparrow's eyes and for one brief moment, I thought for a brief instant that he might not be that bad after all.
However, as soon as the thought crossed my mind, he immediately disproved it. He stood up and walked over to me, slowly, as though not to frighten me and then knelt down in front of me. I stared at him in terror and felt a rough hand reach up and wipe the tears from my face. An invisible hand clenched inside my stomach and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I stared wide-eyed at my captor, feeling completely helpless. I couldn't move back any farther and Sparrow was right up against me, his other arm locked on the back of my chair.
In a quiet voice, Sparrow said, "No matter who you think you are, love, now you're a captive on a pirate ship, the Black Pearl to be exact and that's how its gonna be for a while so, you're going to have to get used to it. You ain't gonna be pampered like some little princess, no matter how the devil you were raised."
I swallowed, trying to rid my mouth of the cotton seemed to be filling it. Well, I would have something to say about that statement. I had never been pampered in my life. If he thought that boarding school for twelve years of your childhood was all fun and games, than this bloke had it wrong. But first, I decided to try to figure out my situation before I did anything rash. In a quiet voice that wasn't like my own, I asked, "What are you going to do with me?"
After I had said this, I scooted back farther on the chair. But before Sparrow could answer, the chair flipped backwards. I fell ungracefully onto the hard wood floor and did a series of rather interesting flips before ending up lying with my nightgown tangled around my head.
Sparrow burst into a raucous laugh.
I stood and fixed my nightgown quickly before backing up farther into the cabin. I stopped when I collided softly with a bookcase.
Sparrow just continued to laugh.
Blushing furiously, I tried to divert my attention from the laughing man in front of me. Wide-eyed and red faced, I turned my back on him and gazed curiously at the bookshelf. Since when could pirates read? I wondered. I quickly scanned over the titles, but nothing struck me as being familiar. There were also maps and navigation devices littering the shelves in a messy jumble. Throwing politeness to the wind, if he had the nerve to laugh at me, then I could look through his things, I picked up a compass and flipped it open and shut repetitively.
"It's a compass," Sparrow said from behind me.
I turned and shot him a withering look and replied, "Yes, I know that. I'm not some bloody idiot." Almost as if I was trying inadvertently to annoy him, I continued to flip it open and shut, staring at him all the while.
Obviously I had breached the invisible line of his patience because he got up and walked towards me. As he approached I backed up until I collided forcibly with the bookshelf. He kept walking closer and finally stopped when he was mere centimeters away from me. Placing his hands on either side of my frame, he leaned down closer to me still. Heart in throat, I stared up at him, wondering what was going to happen.
"You have a lot to get used to, love. And you had best do it fast. Because that pretty little head of yours isn't going to stay untouched if that mouth of yours keeps throwing biting remarks."
I opened my mouth to ask him to please back away but was met only by lips pressed against my own. I gasped in shock but Sparrow only invaded my personal space further. I tried frantically to get away but he grabbed the back of my neck in a painfully tight hold. His tongue reached deeper into my mouth and all my strength focused on not vomiting. I raised my fists and began pounding frantically on his chest but he wouldn't step away. Finally he pulled back, and stared at me, eyes dark with . . . something I couldn't identify. I stared, frightened at him, feeling short of breath and bruised. I raised a shaking hand and felt my swollen lips, feeling the damage that he had caused them. Ooh, I hated him.
"That's what you'll be dealing with if you try to be a mouthy little wench again. Only the crew won't be as civil as I am. It's been a long trip, they're already about ready to go after anything that moves, don't give them further motivation. You might come to regret it," Sparrow said in a low, warning voice.
I nodded slightly and edged away.
Just then, the door to the cabin swung open and an old pirate strode in. Old is the best definition I have of him, although he wasn't extremely old. I guessed around 50 years or so. He was medium height and had a rather squat figure but a kindly face. He threw a glance at me before addressing his captain, "'S ready, cap'n."
Sparrow replied, "Thank you, Mister Gibbs," before he grabbed my arm in a tight grip and pulled me out of the cabin.
Once on deck, I saw my ship, the ship I had been on for the last three months, stripped bare of sails and engulfed in flames. I tore out of Sparrow's grasp and ran over towards the ship. "Mother!" I screamed.
I didn't even reach the rail before someone caught me. I stepped on the person's foot and smiled inwardly at the muttered swear word I had dislodged.
"Let her go," came Sparrow's voice.
He was watching me, again, and eerie light in his eyes. I didn't know if it was humour or sympathy.I hoped for the latter.
The hands holding me dropped and I ran at Sparrow. "Stop it! Stop it, now! Put the fire out! Stop!" I screamed, tears streaming down my face. My hand whipped back, almost on its own accord, and I slapped Sparrow hard across the face. Then I began pounding against his chest frantically, trying with all my pitiful strength to make him feel some fraction of what I was feeling.
Tears shimmered in my eyes making the flames dance before me. I stared in fury at Sparrow as rough, weathered hands grabbed my arms and pulled me away from him. As I fought harder, my arm was twisted behind my back painfully. Slowly, Sparrow walked towards me. He stopped so that his body was, once again, pressed against mine.
"You're testing me patience, lass," Sparrow said in a low whisper, almost a threat. A tanned, ringed hand extended and grabbed my chin, pulling my face up towards his. "Don't do it again."
I nodded feebly. Sparrow grasped my upper arm and pulled me up so that the entire crew could see us.
"Lads, a great haul we achieved tonight," Sparrow began. The crew as one cheered. Sparrow waited for them to quiet before continuing. "And now we even have a little guest for the remainder of our journey," this statement was met with more cheers. "Miss Christina Smit had kindly agreed to join us for a little while, so we should make her feel at home, aye?" Again, more cheers. I shot a glare at the crew.
One of the pirates in the crowd called out, "Cap'n will ye be sharing 'er too? A pretty 'un this time. She's enough to go around, aye?"
I gasped and tried to step back but Sparrow clenched my arm in an even tighter grip, so tight that I gasped again in pain. He pulled me closer still towards him and addressed the crew. "No fun for this one, she's mine, savvy?"
The pirate who had called out looked sulky but Sparrow took no notice and pulled me back to his cabin. As we went, the crew whistled and made rude comments about my state of dress, or lack there of, rather. Upon reaching his cabin, Sparrow didn't release me from his iron grip until he had ordered Anamaria to lock us in the room. At the sound of her retreating footsteps, Sparrow released me and I took refuge in the windowsill. As he walked further into the cabin, I watched him warily, wondering what the hell was going to happen.
Sparrow proceeded to remove his hat and jacket as I watched him tentatively from the window I was sitting in. Was this it? I wondered. Was this the last moment that I'd have any honour? Was I going to be raped on top of this all? How much worse was life going to get?
"Do you sleep, love?" Sparrow asked as he took off his shirt and got into bed.
I tried not to stare at his bare chest and muscles. In another situation, I would have likely found it attractive . . . but not here and not now. I did my best to remain cold and unattached when I said, "Not with you, Captain Sparrow, I assure you."
Grinning slightly, Sparrow replied, "Suit yourself," before falling into an instant sleep.
I doubted that he really was asleep, no one can do that, fall right asleep. So I waited until soft snores filled the cabin before I moved again. Silently, I stood and made my way to the door. Reaching it, I gently tested the lock. It didn't budge. Frustrated, I swept my hands over the desk trying to find the key. Where did he put it?! I knocked over something . . . Sparrow grunted and rolled over. I froze. I was caught . . . maybe . . . if I were a pirate with a hostage, where would I put the key to the room . . . I would keep it close to me. But that revelation brought only another feeling of dread, what if he was still awake . . . or woke while I was searching nearby him . . . it was a risk I was willing to take.
Tentatively, I walked over to the bed where he lay. I kicked one of his boots by mistake and it clunked to the floor. Again I froze. As I knelt down to pick up the boot, I noticed something in Sparrow's hand nearest me. Something that glinted off the moonlight that was streaming through the window. The key!
Slowly, painfully slowly, I reached out towards Sparrow's hand. As I grabbed hold of the key, the hand that I was so close to grabbed mine. I jumped and Sparrow sat up, wide-awake. Grasping my wrist in a painfully tight hold, he pulled me down on the bed next to him and said, in a low voice, "What'cha looking for, love?"
I struggled to pull away from him, but couldn't, his grip was too tight.
"Change your mind 'bout not sharing a bed with me, eh?" he said in my ear.
I continued to struggle against him, his hand was clenching my wrist so tightly that it hurt. Obviously wanting me to answer, or at least do something other than squirm, he squeezed my wrist into even a tighter grip. I uttered a soft word of pain but refused to look at him.
"I asked you a question, lass. Answer it," he said in that deceptively gentle voice that I was beginning to hate.
"The key," I hissed. "I was looking for the bloody key."
"I see . . . " Sparrow said to my ear. He pulled me towards him closer so that I was leaning against his chest, my wrist still in his tight grasp. "Well, love, looks like you'll be sleeping here, after all."
I tried again to pull away to look at him. "What?" I whispered hoarsely.
"Can't have you running away, now, can I?" Sparrow murmured, face now in my hair. "You might get another stupid idea."
I struggled harder against him and said, "It wasn't stupid, you just had to ruin my bloody plan."
Sparrow chuckled. "You really don't know much about pirates, do you lass?" he asked face still imbedded in my hair.
"No, thank you very much. I do not," I replied haughtily as I continued to struggle.
"Yes, well, its high time you learn. Pirates don't easily give up their advantage. So, I hope you like me bed, lass," Sparrow said as he pushed me over on the bed further.
Scowling, I lay on top of the blankets, feeling very much like a small child having a temper tantrum.
I started when an arm circled around my waist and pulled me so that I was up against him. "What are you doing?" I whispered, terified.
"Making sure you don't get any half-minded ideas and try to run away again."
I turned my head and glared at him angrily. It was so dark in the cabin that I could only make out the shadow of a smirk across his face . . . one that I really wanted to fix by smacking it off his face. My situation was bad enough without him making it worse.
Sparrow moved closer and said, lips brushing my ear, "Come on, love, you'll warm up to me."
I snorted and tried to ignore the warm weight on my stomach. Shivering slightly from the cold, I closed my eyes. It was a long time before I fell asleep.
~*~
A/N: Well, that's chapter two. Hope you liked it. Happy holidays!
~ CrazyCanoeingGIT
A/N: Well, 5 reviews in 2 days, I must admit, I was very very surprised! Thank you very much to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it.Jack's gonna be a bit of an ass for a while.I haven't fully made up my mind yet.After this chapter, everything will start to pick up pace a bit, just be patient with me, Rome wasn't built in a day. I might not be able to update until Saturday, it all depends on what I have to do for the holidays.
Disclaimer: I only own Christina and some of the crew.not even close to owning Jack.not that I haven't tried.
Last Time: Said captain came striding further into the room, gazed locked on me. "Take the helm, Ana," he said.
She nodded and left the cabin silently.
What's In a Name?
Chapter 2: An Evening with the Captain
After Ana or whatever her name was had left, I found myself alone in a room with a pirate captain.unable to stop him from doing anything. He moved towards the bed and withdrew a knife to cut through my bonds.
I smiled slightly in gratitude but I had neither the voice nor tongue to ask any questions. I stared at him, lounging on the bed very near me, looking like a cat looks at a mouse. My stomach sank further in me.this sealed my fate, I was his. And I couldn't do anything likewise.
"So, lass, I think we had best get ourselves acquainted, aye? Unless you'd like to have some fun?" he asked suggestively, eyes locked on my midsection.
"Have all the fun you'd like by yourself, captain, but I don't speak openly about myself to those I don't know," I said shakily. Then, noticing where his gaze was focused, I reached down and lifted his chin, so that he was looking elsewhere.
I knew that I was going to be slapped for this impertinence, I knew it the moment that I had done it. But it didn't come. I shifted slightly on the bed and stared longingly at the door.
"I'll take it that is a no.so, who exactly are you?"
Seeing it pointless to avoid his questions indefinitely, I answered in a squeak of a voice, "Christina Smit." I could feel his gaze boring into me.
I personally didn't see what exactly he was staring at. I wasn't that pretty. Maybe it was just lust.moving on.I wouldn't think about that right now.but I wasn't very tall, only 5'5 or so and had a slight tan. To my mother's horror, I had never managed to avoid the sun like most proper British girls were supposed to. My hair was blonde and reached the middle of my back, slightly wavy. I had a faint dusting of freckles across my nose and cheekbones and my eyes were a greenish colour. They seemed to change colors . . . along with my mood.
While I was so absorbed in my thoughts, said pirate captain was getting closer to me. A possessive hand landed on my shoulder and another around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I pulled away, or at least tried to and stared up at my captor feeling like a frightened rabbit.
"Come, come, love, do behave," he whispered.
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice betraying how afraid I was. I did my best to stifle the tremour that occurred when he caressed my cheek with one weatherworn hand.
"Captain Jack Sparrow, love, at your service," he said in a voice of mock cordiality in my ear.
I shuddered as his lips brushed my ear and pulled myself out of his grip and off the bed. I backed away slowly, trying to put as much distance as possible between this new man and myself.
"Leave me alone," I whispered hoarsely. "Let me go." I continued backing towards the door and when I reached it, I twisted the handle this way and that, pulling on it frantically . . . the door was locked.
Soft laughter met my ears. I whirled around and say Sparrow leaning up on an elbow, watching me and laughing. "Do you think I'd give ye such an easy out, lass?"
"The idea crossed my mind, yes," I muttered, leaning against the door, wishing that it would spring open and let me escape. It didn't.
"Please," I pleaded. "Let me go."
Sparrow stared at me, something hidden behind his eyes and said, "Miss Smit, be a dear and sit."
Reluctantly, I walked over to a chair as far away from the bed as possible and obliged.
Sparrow inclined his head slightly and said, "Now, love . . . "
Before I could think otherwise, I had opened my mouth to speak again. "Captain Sparrow," I said in as steady of a voice as I could muster, "my name is Christina Smit. Not some term of endearment that you use for the strumpets at the pub." Instantly, I knew that this was a mistake. Bloody brilliant, Christina, I thought. Let's just jump overboard, now, why don't we. Because he's surely about to kill you.
Sparrow raised a careful eyebrow and asked, "Just who do you think you are exactly?"
"One could ask the same of you, Sparrow. Attacking our ship like that, what'd we ever do to you?" I retorted, another bloody brilliant comment.
"Pirate," came the reply.
Well that solves it, I thought to myself. So, I decided not to respond.
"Just answer the bloody question, you stupid little chit. Or do I need to persuade you?" He stood up from the bed and made his way over to the chair that I was sitting in.
I was nervous, not only did I not know what his motives were, I couldn't even see him. Suddenly, someone was kissing my neck. I jerked and said, "Captain Sparrow, I haven't the foggiest idea what your talking about or what you even asked of me in the first place. So I suggest that you just leave me alone, savvy? Or I'll talk even less than you might want me too," I answered hotly.
Well, once again, I had made a grievous mistake in my judgement. A pistol was pulled from a sash and smoothly placed against my temple.
"Okay, I'll talk," I said. And with that, I drew my legs into the chair as the pirate moved back to the bed and wished for additional strength. In a final effort to postpone whatever might happen after I finished talking, my eyes darted around the room, frantically. "Can you sit down or something, I don't like you being behind me like that," I said quietly. To my immense surprise, he obliged. Captain Sparrow cleared his throat loudly and taking the warning, I began to tell him about my time in school in England, caring for my mother during her illness and finally my brother and father's deaths. "And now, I'm here," I finished lamely.
Sparrow, who had stretched out on the bed during my tale, leaned up on one elbow and asked, "And what were you planning on doing in Port Royale, exactly?"
I answered as truthfully as possible, "I don't really know, exactly. It was my mum's . . . my mum's . . . idea to go there. She said that we had some family there and I would be getting married upon our arrival . . . but . . . " I broke off, unable to choke back tears.
Something softened in Sparrow's eyes and for one brief moment, I thought for a brief instant that he might not be that bad after all.
However, as soon as the thought crossed my mind, he immediately disproved it. He stood up and walked over to me, slowly, as though not to frighten me and then knelt down in front of me. I stared at him in terror and felt a rough hand reach up and wipe the tears from my face. An invisible hand clenched inside my stomach and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I stared wide-eyed at my captor, feeling completely helpless. I couldn't move back any farther and Sparrow was right up against me, his other arm locked on the back of my chair.
In a quiet voice, Sparrow said, "No matter who you think you are, love, now you're a captive on a pirate ship, the Black Pearl to be exact and that's how its gonna be for a while so, you're going to have to get used to it. You ain't gonna be pampered like some little princess, no matter how the devil you were raised."
I swallowed, trying to rid my mouth of the cotton seemed to be filling it. Well, I would have something to say about that statement. I had never been pampered in my life. If he thought that boarding school for twelve years of your childhood was all fun and games, than this bloke had it wrong. But first, I decided to try to figure out my situation before I did anything rash. In a quiet voice that wasn't like my own, I asked, "What are you going to do with me?"
After I had said this, I scooted back farther on the chair. But before Sparrow could answer, the chair flipped backwards. I fell ungracefully onto the hard wood floor and did a series of rather interesting flips before ending up lying with my nightgown tangled around my head.
Sparrow burst into a raucous laugh.
I stood and fixed my nightgown quickly before backing up farther into the cabin. I stopped when I collided softly with a bookcase.
Sparrow just continued to laugh.
Blushing furiously, I tried to divert my attention from the laughing man in front of me. Wide-eyed and red faced, I turned my back on him and gazed curiously at the bookshelf. Since when could pirates read? I wondered. I quickly scanned over the titles, but nothing struck me as being familiar. There were also maps and navigation devices littering the shelves in a messy jumble. Throwing politeness to the wind, if he had the nerve to laugh at me, then I could look through his things, I picked up a compass and flipped it open and shut repetitively.
"It's a compass," Sparrow said from behind me.
I turned and shot him a withering look and replied, "Yes, I know that. I'm not some bloody idiot." Almost as if I was trying inadvertently to annoy him, I continued to flip it open and shut, staring at him all the while.
Obviously I had breached the invisible line of his patience because he got up and walked towards me. As he approached I backed up until I collided forcibly with the bookshelf. He kept walking closer and finally stopped when he was mere centimeters away from me. Placing his hands on either side of my frame, he leaned down closer to me still. Heart in throat, I stared up at him, wondering what was going to happen.
"You have a lot to get used to, love. And you had best do it fast. Because that pretty little head of yours isn't going to stay untouched if that mouth of yours keeps throwing biting remarks."
I opened my mouth to ask him to please back away but was met only by lips pressed against my own. I gasped in shock but Sparrow only invaded my personal space further. I tried frantically to get away but he grabbed the back of my neck in a painfully tight hold. His tongue reached deeper into my mouth and all my strength focused on not vomiting. I raised my fists and began pounding frantically on his chest but he wouldn't step away. Finally he pulled back, and stared at me, eyes dark with . . . something I couldn't identify. I stared, frightened at him, feeling short of breath and bruised. I raised a shaking hand and felt my swollen lips, feeling the damage that he had caused them. Ooh, I hated him.
"That's what you'll be dealing with if you try to be a mouthy little wench again. Only the crew won't be as civil as I am. It's been a long trip, they're already about ready to go after anything that moves, don't give them further motivation. You might come to regret it," Sparrow said in a low, warning voice.
I nodded slightly and edged away.
Just then, the door to the cabin swung open and an old pirate strode in. Old is the best definition I have of him, although he wasn't extremely old. I guessed around 50 years or so. He was medium height and had a rather squat figure but a kindly face. He threw a glance at me before addressing his captain, "'S ready, cap'n."
Sparrow replied, "Thank you, Mister Gibbs," before he grabbed my arm in a tight grip and pulled me out of the cabin.
Once on deck, I saw my ship, the ship I had been on for the last three months, stripped bare of sails and engulfed in flames. I tore out of Sparrow's grasp and ran over towards the ship. "Mother!" I screamed.
I didn't even reach the rail before someone caught me. I stepped on the person's foot and smiled inwardly at the muttered swear word I had dislodged.
"Let her go," came Sparrow's voice.
He was watching me, again, and eerie light in his eyes. I didn't know if it was humour or sympathy.I hoped for the latter.
The hands holding me dropped and I ran at Sparrow. "Stop it! Stop it, now! Put the fire out! Stop!" I screamed, tears streaming down my face. My hand whipped back, almost on its own accord, and I slapped Sparrow hard across the face. Then I began pounding against his chest frantically, trying with all my pitiful strength to make him feel some fraction of what I was feeling.
Tears shimmered in my eyes making the flames dance before me. I stared in fury at Sparrow as rough, weathered hands grabbed my arms and pulled me away from him. As I fought harder, my arm was twisted behind my back painfully. Slowly, Sparrow walked towards me. He stopped so that his body was, once again, pressed against mine.
"You're testing me patience, lass," Sparrow said in a low whisper, almost a threat. A tanned, ringed hand extended and grabbed my chin, pulling my face up towards his. "Don't do it again."
I nodded feebly. Sparrow grasped my upper arm and pulled me up so that the entire crew could see us.
"Lads, a great haul we achieved tonight," Sparrow began. The crew as one cheered. Sparrow waited for them to quiet before continuing. "And now we even have a little guest for the remainder of our journey," this statement was met with more cheers. "Miss Christina Smit had kindly agreed to join us for a little while, so we should make her feel at home, aye?" Again, more cheers. I shot a glare at the crew.
One of the pirates in the crowd called out, "Cap'n will ye be sharing 'er too? A pretty 'un this time. She's enough to go around, aye?"
I gasped and tried to step back but Sparrow clenched my arm in an even tighter grip, so tight that I gasped again in pain. He pulled me closer still towards him and addressed the crew. "No fun for this one, she's mine, savvy?"
The pirate who had called out looked sulky but Sparrow took no notice and pulled me back to his cabin. As we went, the crew whistled and made rude comments about my state of dress, or lack there of, rather. Upon reaching his cabin, Sparrow didn't release me from his iron grip until he had ordered Anamaria to lock us in the room. At the sound of her retreating footsteps, Sparrow released me and I took refuge in the windowsill. As he walked further into the cabin, I watched him warily, wondering what the hell was going to happen.
Sparrow proceeded to remove his hat and jacket as I watched him tentatively from the window I was sitting in. Was this it? I wondered. Was this the last moment that I'd have any honour? Was I going to be raped on top of this all? How much worse was life going to get?
"Do you sleep, love?" Sparrow asked as he took off his shirt and got into bed.
I tried not to stare at his bare chest and muscles. In another situation, I would have likely found it attractive . . . but not here and not now. I did my best to remain cold and unattached when I said, "Not with you, Captain Sparrow, I assure you."
Grinning slightly, Sparrow replied, "Suit yourself," before falling into an instant sleep.
I doubted that he really was asleep, no one can do that, fall right asleep. So I waited until soft snores filled the cabin before I moved again. Silently, I stood and made my way to the door. Reaching it, I gently tested the lock. It didn't budge. Frustrated, I swept my hands over the desk trying to find the key. Where did he put it?! I knocked over something . . . Sparrow grunted and rolled over. I froze. I was caught . . . maybe . . . if I were a pirate with a hostage, where would I put the key to the room . . . I would keep it close to me. But that revelation brought only another feeling of dread, what if he was still awake . . . or woke while I was searching nearby him . . . it was a risk I was willing to take.
Tentatively, I walked over to the bed where he lay. I kicked one of his boots by mistake and it clunked to the floor. Again I froze. As I knelt down to pick up the boot, I noticed something in Sparrow's hand nearest me. Something that glinted off the moonlight that was streaming through the window. The key!
Slowly, painfully slowly, I reached out towards Sparrow's hand. As I grabbed hold of the key, the hand that I was so close to grabbed mine. I jumped and Sparrow sat up, wide-awake. Grasping my wrist in a painfully tight hold, he pulled me down on the bed next to him and said, in a low voice, "What'cha looking for, love?"
I struggled to pull away from him, but couldn't, his grip was too tight.
"Change your mind 'bout not sharing a bed with me, eh?" he said in my ear.
I continued to struggle against him, his hand was clenching my wrist so tightly that it hurt. Obviously wanting me to answer, or at least do something other than squirm, he squeezed my wrist into even a tighter grip. I uttered a soft word of pain but refused to look at him.
"I asked you a question, lass. Answer it," he said in that deceptively gentle voice that I was beginning to hate.
"The key," I hissed. "I was looking for the bloody key."
"I see . . . " Sparrow said to my ear. He pulled me towards him closer so that I was leaning against his chest, my wrist still in his tight grasp. "Well, love, looks like you'll be sleeping here, after all."
I tried again to pull away to look at him. "What?" I whispered hoarsely.
"Can't have you running away, now, can I?" Sparrow murmured, face now in my hair. "You might get another stupid idea."
I struggled harder against him and said, "It wasn't stupid, you just had to ruin my bloody plan."
Sparrow chuckled. "You really don't know much about pirates, do you lass?" he asked face still imbedded in my hair.
"No, thank you very much. I do not," I replied haughtily as I continued to struggle.
"Yes, well, its high time you learn. Pirates don't easily give up their advantage. So, I hope you like me bed, lass," Sparrow said as he pushed me over on the bed further.
Scowling, I lay on top of the blankets, feeling very much like a small child having a temper tantrum.
I started when an arm circled around my waist and pulled me so that I was up against him. "What are you doing?" I whispered, terified.
"Making sure you don't get any half-minded ideas and try to run away again."
I turned my head and glared at him angrily. It was so dark in the cabin that I could only make out the shadow of a smirk across his face . . . one that I really wanted to fix by smacking it off his face. My situation was bad enough without him making it worse.
Sparrow moved closer and said, lips brushing my ear, "Come on, love, you'll warm up to me."
I snorted and tried to ignore the warm weight on my stomach. Shivering slightly from the cold, I closed my eyes. It was a long time before I fell asleep.
~*~
A/N: Well, that's chapter two. Hope you liked it. Happy holidays!
~ CrazyCanoeingGIT