When Ana had been put to bed, Tara went out onto deck and lay down,
looking at the stars glittering like tiny jewels above her. Tears filled
her eyes.
The moon was most striking tonight, giant and dazzling in the inky black sky. It was reflected in Tara's large, vivid hazel eyes.
"Don't ye just want to fill yer pockets with them?"
Tara recognised Sparrow's voice behind her. She assumed he was talking about the stars. "I don't. That must be the pirate in you."
He walked over to her and sat beside her, looking over her.
"Your head is in the way of my vision of the stars," she said with seriousness.
"As is yer head in the way of my vision o' the deck."
Tara fought hard to hide her smile. "Anamaria is very upset."
Jack sighed. He lay down beside her. "I know. But I wasn't gonna lie to her, Tara."
"It's M-" she began.
"Miss Waller, I know," said Sparrow. "She's leaving in Tortuga."
"Why are we going there?"
"To check if yer ransom has been delivered yet."
Tara had almost forgotten that she was not on the ship voluntarily. "Oh. I see, Jack Sparrow."
"It's C-"
"Captain Jack Sparrow, yes," she said.
"Maybe we can come ter an accord," said Sparrow. "If I can call ye Tara instead o' frigid Miss Waller, then ye can call me Jack instead of bloody Jack Sparrow... yer driving me bloody mad."
"Okay... Jack."
He sighed. "Life is bloody complicated since ye came aboard me ship."
"I didn't come aboard," said Tara heatedly. "I was kidnapped from my last kidnappers."
Jack snickered. "Muse would have murdered ye by now. Still, he isn't far behind us."
"What?" asked Tara.
"Muse sells his captives, then captures them again to get more money," said Jack. "Normally it ends with him killin' the captive..."
Tara felt really scared. "You'll help me?"
"I'll have to, if I want yer ransom."
Silence fell. Tara felt secure next to Jack in a way she couldn't explain.
"Ye want some rum?" asked Jack presently.
"Um..."
Jack produced two bottles. They sat up and Jack handed Tara a bottle. He opened his and took a deep swig.
"I needed that; I was sobering up."
Tara looked dubiously at her own bottle. "I don't know... I mean, I don't drink, Jack."
Jack had drained practically half the bottle by now. "Relax."
Tara opened her bottle carefully. "I'll have a mouthful."
Ten minutes later, both Jack and Tara were absolutely legless.
"So I says to him, I says, 'Gibbs, the only reason why ye don't like women is because ye used to be one!'" Jack laughed.
Tara was crying with laughter. "Where's Gibbs now?"
"In Turtleooga," slurred Jack. "I mean, Tortoiseuga..."
"Who knows what you mean?" laughed Tara carelessly.
"I don't," cracked Jack, and they burst into fits of drunken laughter.
"Oh, Jack," said Tara.
Jack tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear. "Tara."
Tara stared at the stars as Jack drained his bottle of rum.
"Aren't the stars lovely tonight?" she asked absently.
"Not as lovely as you," said Jack.
He leaned closer to her, his eyes semi-closed, ready for the kiss...
Tara fainted just as his lips brushed hers.
Jack sighed, then lay down beside her, stroking her hair.
The moon was most striking tonight, giant and dazzling in the inky black sky. It was reflected in Tara's large, vivid hazel eyes.
"Don't ye just want to fill yer pockets with them?"
Tara recognised Sparrow's voice behind her. She assumed he was talking about the stars. "I don't. That must be the pirate in you."
He walked over to her and sat beside her, looking over her.
"Your head is in the way of my vision of the stars," she said with seriousness.
"As is yer head in the way of my vision o' the deck."
Tara fought hard to hide her smile. "Anamaria is very upset."
Jack sighed. He lay down beside her. "I know. But I wasn't gonna lie to her, Tara."
"It's M-" she began.
"Miss Waller, I know," said Sparrow. "She's leaving in Tortuga."
"Why are we going there?"
"To check if yer ransom has been delivered yet."
Tara had almost forgotten that she was not on the ship voluntarily. "Oh. I see, Jack Sparrow."
"It's C-"
"Captain Jack Sparrow, yes," she said.
"Maybe we can come ter an accord," said Sparrow. "If I can call ye Tara instead o' frigid Miss Waller, then ye can call me Jack instead of bloody Jack Sparrow... yer driving me bloody mad."
"Okay... Jack."
He sighed. "Life is bloody complicated since ye came aboard me ship."
"I didn't come aboard," said Tara heatedly. "I was kidnapped from my last kidnappers."
Jack snickered. "Muse would have murdered ye by now. Still, he isn't far behind us."
"What?" asked Tara.
"Muse sells his captives, then captures them again to get more money," said Jack. "Normally it ends with him killin' the captive..."
Tara felt really scared. "You'll help me?"
"I'll have to, if I want yer ransom."
Silence fell. Tara felt secure next to Jack in a way she couldn't explain.
"Ye want some rum?" asked Jack presently.
"Um..."
Jack produced two bottles. They sat up and Jack handed Tara a bottle. He opened his and took a deep swig.
"I needed that; I was sobering up."
Tara looked dubiously at her own bottle. "I don't know... I mean, I don't drink, Jack."
Jack had drained practically half the bottle by now. "Relax."
Tara opened her bottle carefully. "I'll have a mouthful."
Ten minutes later, both Jack and Tara were absolutely legless.
"So I says to him, I says, 'Gibbs, the only reason why ye don't like women is because ye used to be one!'" Jack laughed.
Tara was crying with laughter. "Where's Gibbs now?"
"In Turtleooga," slurred Jack. "I mean, Tortoiseuga..."
"Who knows what you mean?" laughed Tara carelessly.
"I don't," cracked Jack, and they burst into fits of drunken laughter.
"Oh, Jack," said Tara.
Jack tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear. "Tara."
Tara stared at the stars as Jack drained his bottle of rum.
"Aren't the stars lovely tonight?" she asked absently.
"Not as lovely as you," said Jack.
He leaned closer to her, his eyes semi-closed, ready for the kiss...
Tara fainted just as his lips brushed hers.
Jack sighed, then lay down beside her, stroking her hair.