Thanks for the reviews- keep 'em coming! I know this isn't too exciting up
to now, but the ending is coming up, in a few chapters.
****
For a moment it was pure bliss- floating in cool, clean, fresh water, life blurring away.
Tara saw Sparrow swim past and grab her arm, but to no avail. She shook him off and let herself float down.
Soon Sparrow was back, an arm fixed firmly around her shoulders. She struggled, but he was so much stronger, and he pulled her up. They broke the surface of the water, and Sparrow stared at her, his hands on her slender shoulders.
"What were you thinking?" he asked, in a more shaken than angry voice.
"I figured that if I were dead, you could claim no money out of my father."
Jack Sparrow raised an eyebrow. "Clever. But you forgot one very important thing, luv."
"I'm not your 'luv'," Tara said heatedly. "What did I forget?"
He grinned, revealing his golden teeth. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."
Tara glared at him, angry. "What difference does that make?"
"I would have pretended you were alive. He would never have known the difference."
Tara slapped him. He turned his head with the impact, his beads clicking almost comically.
"Get back on the ship," he growled, pushing her aboard.
She climbed over the side and stood angrily, looking at the crew. Sparrow climbed over.
"The question is," he said, touching his red cheek lightly, "what do I do with ye now?"
"Ye could just take me home," she retorted sharply. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth, shocked and angry at herself for allowing pirate language to leave her mouth. She vowed silently to never say 'ye' again.
Sparrow chortled. "Ye? Are we being a bad influence, Tara?"
"It's Miss Waller to you," she said. She had never lost her temper like this, been so angry that she was not afraid of a man she should almost certainly be petrified of.
"Aye, 'tis that," Sparrow replied indifferently, sounding bored with the conversation.
They faced each other, Tara gradually finding her anger replaced with terror. Sparrow's chocolate eyes were dark with what she was sure was fury.
"Jack Sparrow," said a female voice sleekly from behind me.
Tara turned to see a tall, dark woman. She was clearly a pirate, her once good looks moulded into a hard face by the life she lived. She was dressed very differently to Jack, who dressed very wildly, almost flamboyantly. This woman was dressed in plain clothes in pale colours, which made her skin look even darker.
"Anamaria," Sparrow said coolly.
"Jack, I do hope you aren't taking unfair advantage of Miss Waller," said Anamaria harshly.
He turned slightly pale. "Would I do that?" he slurred, looking cockily at Tara.
"I'm serious, Jack," said Anamaria steadily. "You lay a finger on her, I take a rusty knife to your... effects."
Jack Sparrow scowled and stomped off, muttering loudly about rebellious captives and wayward crewmates. Tara looked at Anamaria.
"Um... thanks," said Tara, feeling warmth towards this pirate.
"It's okay," said Anamaria, shrugging. "I better go after Jack and apologise... I was a little short with him."
She walked off. Tara followed behind, careful to keep in the shadows. Anamaria went into Sparrow's cabin and shut the door behind her. Tara pressed her ear against the door.
"Jack?" Anamaria asked tentatively.
There was a tense pause. "Anamaria."
"I know I was a little short with you..."
"A little short?!" Jack was shouting. "You forget that I am the bloody captain, NOT YOU!"
"Oh, grow up, Jack."
"See?! I give you practically free reign on this bloody ship and you... you had no right to do that!"
The crew had all turned to stare. Jack Sparrow was not bothering to keep his voice down.
"Jack, we've been friends forever."
"I'm still the captain," Jack said softly, so that Tara had to lean even closer to hear him.
"I just want you to leave the Waller girl alone."
Tara could hear the smile in his voice as he answered. "I will... but I doubt if she'll be able to stay away from me!"
****
There it is folks, ready for your R&R pleasure. Next chapter, coming soon.
****
For a moment it was pure bliss- floating in cool, clean, fresh water, life blurring away.
Tara saw Sparrow swim past and grab her arm, but to no avail. She shook him off and let herself float down.
Soon Sparrow was back, an arm fixed firmly around her shoulders. She struggled, but he was so much stronger, and he pulled her up. They broke the surface of the water, and Sparrow stared at her, his hands on her slender shoulders.
"What were you thinking?" he asked, in a more shaken than angry voice.
"I figured that if I were dead, you could claim no money out of my father."
Jack Sparrow raised an eyebrow. "Clever. But you forgot one very important thing, luv."
"I'm not your 'luv'," Tara said heatedly. "What did I forget?"
He grinned, revealing his golden teeth. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."
Tara glared at him, angry. "What difference does that make?"
"I would have pretended you were alive. He would never have known the difference."
Tara slapped him. He turned his head with the impact, his beads clicking almost comically.
"Get back on the ship," he growled, pushing her aboard.
She climbed over the side and stood angrily, looking at the crew. Sparrow climbed over.
"The question is," he said, touching his red cheek lightly, "what do I do with ye now?"
"Ye could just take me home," she retorted sharply. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth, shocked and angry at herself for allowing pirate language to leave her mouth. She vowed silently to never say 'ye' again.
Sparrow chortled. "Ye? Are we being a bad influence, Tara?"
"It's Miss Waller to you," she said. She had never lost her temper like this, been so angry that she was not afraid of a man she should almost certainly be petrified of.
"Aye, 'tis that," Sparrow replied indifferently, sounding bored with the conversation.
They faced each other, Tara gradually finding her anger replaced with terror. Sparrow's chocolate eyes were dark with what she was sure was fury.
"Jack Sparrow," said a female voice sleekly from behind me.
Tara turned to see a tall, dark woman. She was clearly a pirate, her once good looks moulded into a hard face by the life she lived. She was dressed very differently to Jack, who dressed very wildly, almost flamboyantly. This woman was dressed in plain clothes in pale colours, which made her skin look even darker.
"Anamaria," Sparrow said coolly.
"Jack, I do hope you aren't taking unfair advantage of Miss Waller," said Anamaria harshly.
He turned slightly pale. "Would I do that?" he slurred, looking cockily at Tara.
"I'm serious, Jack," said Anamaria steadily. "You lay a finger on her, I take a rusty knife to your... effects."
Jack Sparrow scowled and stomped off, muttering loudly about rebellious captives and wayward crewmates. Tara looked at Anamaria.
"Um... thanks," said Tara, feeling warmth towards this pirate.
"It's okay," said Anamaria, shrugging. "I better go after Jack and apologise... I was a little short with him."
She walked off. Tara followed behind, careful to keep in the shadows. Anamaria went into Sparrow's cabin and shut the door behind her. Tara pressed her ear against the door.
"Jack?" Anamaria asked tentatively.
There was a tense pause. "Anamaria."
"I know I was a little short with you..."
"A little short?!" Jack was shouting. "You forget that I am the bloody captain, NOT YOU!"
"Oh, grow up, Jack."
"See?! I give you practically free reign on this bloody ship and you... you had no right to do that!"
The crew had all turned to stare. Jack Sparrow was not bothering to keep his voice down.
"Jack, we've been friends forever."
"I'm still the captain," Jack said softly, so that Tara had to lean even closer to hear him.
"I just want you to leave the Waller girl alone."
Tara could hear the smile in his voice as he answered. "I will... but I doubt if she'll be able to stay away from me!"
****
There it is folks, ready for your R&R pleasure. Next chapter, coming soon.