Thanks for the reviews! I always smile when I read them. Here is chapter
18:
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Tara sat alone for several minutes before there was another knock on the door.
"Will, please go away," sobbed Tara.
For a few moments there was a blissful silence, and Tara thought he had left. Then the door opened, and she saw, framed by the doorway-
Jack Sparrow.
"Oh, dear God, not you."
The words spilled out of her mouth before she had even thought. Jack did not seem too bothered.
"'e need to 'alk," he squawked out.
"How drunk are you?" Tara said, burying her face into her hands and crying.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked into Jack's eyes.
"I'm not drunk," he said, but his breath had the scent of rum.
"What do you want?" asked Tara, wiping her eyes.
He laughed, sitting down. "What do you think I want?"
"I do wish," said Tara, tears rolling down her cheeks, "that you would talk to me once without using your bloody brainteasers."
"So do a lot of people, luv," said Jack, "but if I did then I would lose my reputation of mystery."
Tara glared through her tears. "I'll tell you what I want. I want you to leave me alone, and I want to go home-"
Jack wrapped his arms around her suddenly, and held her tightly. Tara sobbed into his shoulder, surprised. Her thoughts strayed back to their drunken night, how safe she'd felt then.
"I wish I could send you home," said Jack. "I do. But Muse will kill you when he gets his hands on you."
"You only want the ransom," said Tara heatedly into his shoulder.
Jack opened his mouth, then closed it again. He had come close to revealing the secret which had haunted him for a long time. Now was not the time. She would know one day.
"Course I don't," he said gruffly, pulling out the ribbons in her hair, allowing her tresses to flow freely down her back.
"I-I'm scared, Jack," she admitted.
"I won't let Muse get ye-"
"No, about what happens when I do go home."
"Eh?"
"You wouldn't understand," Tara shrugged.
Jack mulled this over. This hurt him, but he hid that from Tara. "Ye could always try me."
"Okay, how would you like to be forced into marrying a tiresome lieutenant who is going no where and is just exasperating?"
Jack raised an eyebrow. "I'd sooner sink the Pearl."
"See?"
"Which lieutenant is it?"
Tara rolled her eyes. "Gillette, naturally."
"Well, he is a well-meaning man," said Jack thoughtfully.
Tara snorted. "That doesn't serve as a reason to marry the mule."
Jack sighed. He placed Tara into bed, and told her a story of when he had almost run over Gillette in the HMS Interceptor. Tara dozed off, and Jack kissed her forehead affectionately before leaving.
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A short chapter. There you are, a little bit of lurve. Or soppy stuff, depending on how you look at it. Is Jack in love with Tara? Is Tara in love with Jack? Is Will in love with Jack? Has the authoress gone mad? Will anyone review this piece of scrap? We're about to find out...
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Tara sat alone for several minutes before there was another knock on the door.
"Will, please go away," sobbed Tara.
For a few moments there was a blissful silence, and Tara thought he had left. Then the door opened, and she saw, framed by the doorway-
Jack Sparrow.
"Oh, dear God, not you."
The words spilled out of her mouth before she had even thought. Jack did not seem too bothered.
"'e need to 'alk," he squawked out.
"How drunk are you?" Tara said, burying her face into her hands and crying.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked into Jack's eyes.
"I'm not drunk," he said, but his breath had the scent of rum.
"What do you want?" asked Tara, wiping her eyes.
He laughed, sitting down. "What do you think I want?"
"I do wish," said Tara, tears rolling down her cheeks, "that you would talk to me once without using your bloody brainteasers."
"So do a lot of people, luv," said Jack, "but if I did then I would lose my reputation of mystery."
Tara glared through her tears. "I'll tell you what I want. I want you to leave me alone, and I want to go home-"
Jack wrapped his arms around her suddenly, and held her tightly. Tara sobbed into his shoulder, surprised. Her thoughts strayed back to their drunken night, how safe she'd felt then.
"I wish I could send you home," said Jack. "I do. But Muse will kill you when he gets his hands on you."
"You only want the ransom," said Tara heatedly into his shoulder.
Jack opened his mouth, then closed it again. He had come close to revealing the secret which had haunted him for a long time. Now was not the time. She would know one day.
"Course I don't," he said gruffly, pulling out the ribbons in her hair, allowing her tresses to flow freely down her back.
"I-I'm scared, Jack," she admitted.
"I won't let Muse get ye-"
"No, about what happens when I do go home."
"Eh?"
"You wouldn't understand," Tara shrugged.
Jack mulled this over. This hurt him, but he hid that from Tara. "Ye could always try me."
"Okay, how would you like to be forced into marrying a tiresome lieutenant who is going no where and is just exasperating?"
Jack raised an eyebrow. "I'd sooner sink the Pearl."
"See?"
"Which lieutenant is it?"
Tara rolled her eyes. "Gillette, naturally."
"Well, he is a well-meaning man," said Jack thoughtfully.
Tara snorted. "That doesn't serve as a reason to marry the mule."
Jack sighed. He placed Tara into bed, and told her a story of when he had almost run over Gillette in the HMS Interceptor. Tara dozed off, and Jack kissed her forehead affectionately before leaving.
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A short chapter. There you are, a little bit of lurve. Or soppy stuff, depending on how you look at it. Is Jack in love with Tara? Is Tara in love with Jack? Is Will in love with Jack? Has the authoress gone mad? Will anyone review this piece of scrap? We're about to find out...