The Commodore's Daughter
Chapter Twelve
"The French guards are everywhere, but mostly here, here, and here." Thomas pushed a pin into Commodore Norrington's map of Port Royal at each of the three places. "Those are their strongest points." He grinned fiendishly. "This one –" he poked the pin stuck through the site of the governor's residence "– also happens to be their powder magazine."
Anna felt a fiendish grin that was the absolute twin of Thomas' creep onto her face. "Brother, you are evil," she chuckled.
"Thank you," Thomas said, bowing to the company – the pirates, the Turners, and Anna. Governor Swann had chosen to spend the afternoon with the commodore. "So, if we can find a way to get into those three strongholds – most notably the powder magazine – we can strike a critical blow at the nucleus of their power here." He glanced apologetically at Will and Elizabeth. "The governor's house may be blown up," Thomas confessed. "Actually, it's more than likely that it will be."
Elizabeth didn't miss a beat. "A house can be rebuilt, and much more easily than a colony retaken," she said at once.
Will nodded as well. "Blow it up if you need to," he told Thomas. "Never much cared for the decor anyway."
"Oh? And would you rather live in your shop, Mr. Turner?" Elizabeth teased.
"Elizabeth! Keep your mind on business," Will scolded playfully.
Jack leaned forward, clasping his hands loosely in front of him, elbows on the table, and resting his chin on his hands. "So what you're saying is that you need us to get in there." He cast a glance at his crew. "Us being we pirates. Or will the respectable citizens we're hazarding our lives for take any of the responsibilities on their shoulders?"
A short uncomfortable silence fell. "It may seem like you're being used," Thomas said finally, "but it is logical. You are, of all of us, most used to this sort of thing."
"Logic!" Jack dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Logic is for men who've nothing better to do than pore over the words of dead people. What I'm interested in is the actions of living people, and I'd like to know whether me and my crew will still be among them after this little revolution."
Anna bit her lip, twisting her hands in the folds of her skirt. Every word of his made painful sense, and only served to widen the class gap between them. It had not been obvious at all on board the Black Pearl, but in Port Royal it grew increasingly obvious, not only that Jack was of a station far too lowly to even converse with people of her class, but that instinct was kicking in and she was treating him that way. It sent painful little twinges into her heart, but she could think of nothing to say.
And then she had it, something so ridiculous and crazy that she knew it was perfect. "Jack, if what you want is for civilians to assist, I will be glad to come with your crew to blow up the governor's house."
A shocked silence descended on the room at her words. Jack turned, very slowly and with one eyebrow raised, to look at her. Anna flushed in embarrassment, but she stood her ground. "You will need someone who knows how the house is structured."
"Then let me go!" Will said quickly. "I have been living there for sixteen years, after all. And Anna may be needed –"
"Will, the people of Port Royal know you," interrupted Anna. "You're one of them, and they'll listen to and obey you much more easily than they would me. And they have to rise against the French for this to work. No, you have to do that, and I can't."
"But Anna –"
"The fact is, Thomas, there's really nothing I can help with other than this. Think about it – I can't raise a crowd, I can't fight, and I can't make speeches. But I can sneak around and speak softly, and I do know how the layout of the house. Also, I have much less to lose than Will or Elizabeth, who would be the natural choices as guides." She stared at Thomas, willing him to understand. "And I want to help in whatever way I can. Jack is right – we're not taking enough of the danger on our own backs. I think this is a good solution."
Before Thomas could protest, Jack spoke up. "If you're sure you know your way around –"
"Positive," replied Anna, blessing Jack for his timing, perfect for once. "That's settled, then. Mind giving us the locations of the other two major stations?" Wordlessly, not quite understanding what had just happened so speedily, Thomas handed over the paper with his notes on the French occupation. "And – do you think, if the pirates take care of two of the stations, the citizens can handle the last?"
"We'll make sure of it," Elizabeth promised. "It's the least we can do." Anna smiled at her. "And I think it would be best if we split up now, since we're all working on different things now. Jack, Anna, why don't you take your crew and set up your plans." Jack pushed back his chair and went for the door, Anna and the Pearl's crew following him.
Once outside Norrington's study, Jack looked quizzically at Anna. "Where can we go that your worshipful father won't be offended by our presence?"
Anna controlled the scowl that rose to her face at his less-than-agreeable words about the commodore. "We could go to my room," she suggested. "No one comes in there without my permission."
"Suitable," Jack approved. "Lead the way."
It was odd, having a notorious crew of pirates casting dubious glances around her room like respectable houseguests. Anna choked back a laugh as Gibbs, a confused line between his eyes, stared in puzzlement at the sword over her bed. She didn't tell him that it was her father's sword when he was a young midshipman working his way up through the ranks of the navy, and that she had played with it as a child, and that he had had it put up over her bed for her last birthday. She did catch Annamaria looking somewhat wistfully at her closet, which she had left ajar after dressing. "Sit anywhere, I don't care," Anna said, plopping down herself on the carpet. Annamaria quickly took the desk chair, and Jack seated himself on the bed, leaving the others to join Anna on the floor. Hendrikson tried to perch on the desk, but Anna's sharp inhale and glance told him quickly that no one touched the desk without permission from Anna, and he slipped off. Zhao, smart man that he was, had colonized Anna's footstool. Anna told herself firmly not to laugh at the fact that it made a perfectly sized chair for him.
Once all were settled, Jack cleared his throat. "All right, here's my idea. We split up into two groups – which I will decide – and head for the two stations. The one at the powder magazine will of course be smaller, as the other one will have to do some fighting. We all agreed so far that it's a good idea?" Brief silence fell as everyone nodded their heads. It sounded perfectly reasonable to Anna.
"Good. Here's the catch. Listen very carefully. The group at the other station does not act until the powder magazine has been blown up." Jack grinned at the confused looks on their faces. "That way, the Frenchies at the other station will be confused and uncertain – which is the perfect frame of mind for an enemy to be in. It also gives the powder magazine group a little time to come and help out the other group, so the odds aren't so long. I'm guessing that the whole city will hear or see the governor's house blow up, what with it being up on that hill and all, so it'll be an easy signal to recognize. We still agreed?" More nods. Anna stared openly at Jack, astonished. These were battle tactics she'd never dreamed of – but they would surely work. The lack of honor in them would make them entirely unexpected to the French. She grinned. "Excellent," said Jack, smiling himself. "I'll decide on the two groups later – you'll all know by tonight, I promise. Now, shall we stop colonizing Anna's room?"
Anna looked, surprised, at Jack. "Picking up manners?" she asked, drawing guffaws from the crew.
"Nah," Jack answered, shaking his head unashamedly and standing up. The rest of the crew followed him out of the door, leaving Anna sitting on the floor of her own room and feeling something of an idiot. She had just gotten to her feet when a thought struck her mind and made her sink back to the floor. The pirates would probably start looking around the house. Norrington had kept them quite separate from all rooms but their own, and naturally they would be curious. And with her luck – and theirs – Norrington would find them, and then wouldn't there be hell to pay! Anna scrambled to her feet and ran for the door – only to smash headfirst into something standing in it.
She staggered back a few steps, her hand to her head, and sank onto her bed. Through the sting of a ringing head, she heard Jack's voice say, "If it's me disreputable crew you were rushing out to send back to their rooms, don't worry. I've already done it for you."
"Thank you," she muttered, finally daring to look out of her eyes. "But not for a lump which I'm sure will develop on my head in less than a minute."
Jack laughed. "You take things too seriously."
Anna gave her head a last rub and looked up at him. "Make me laugh, then," she suggested. "Tell me a story. Make me laugh."
"Is it that hard?" Jack stepped into the room, closing the door behind him, and took the desk chair.
"With a cracked skull, I'm sure it will be," Anna returned. "Go ahead." She grinned at him. "I'm willing to try to laugh."
"All right, then." Jack leaned forward in the chair and, propping his elbows on his knees, rested his chin on his folded hands. "This, love, is the tale of how Captain Jack Sparrow, infamous pirate and scallywag, single- handedly sacked the port of Nassau without firing a shot. It's one of me favorites."
Anna chuckled in spite of herself. "And how much of it is true?"
"Are you insulting me? Let me tell the story. You asked for it." Anna conceded with a grin and tilted her head. "This happened during my first year as captain of the Black Pearl. Now that was a bad year for us pirates, a very bad year. Frigates often surprised us in the midst of a siege and whaled the timber off our ships when all we were trying to do was make a dishonest living, and the worst of those frigates always sailed from Nassau port. I had plenty of experience with that lot as first mate, and when I became captain I told myself I was going to put an end to those frigate attacks. And I was going to do it and make a name for meself into the bargain, as well." Jack nodded knowingly, and Anna smothered a giggle at the wise look on his face.
"So, in the spring of that year, I took the Pearl down right outside Nassau bay, and I told my crew the plan. I had a different crew then –" his face darkened for just an instant, but he regained his easy bantering voice so quickly Anna nearly thought she'd imagined it "– and they needed some persuading, but they agreed to the plan in the end. See, they thought we should do what we'd always done – sail to the port flying our pirate flag bravely and be beaten to death by one of those frigates. No, I knew what would happen if we went their way, and I had a better plan. It involved staying out of sight of Nassau proper for a while and waylaying a simple merchant ship. Luckily it had marines on board. So the Black Pearl sails into Nassau port a few weeks later, saucy as you please, and flying a bold British flag, with my men on deck dressed up as marines!"
It worked. Anna burst out laughing. Ignoring the pain in her head, she clutched the bedpost and laughed until her stomach ached – and kept laughing.
Looking far too pleased with himself to be legal, Jack went on. "I had given my crew strict orders. This was to establish ourselves under me, see – the Pearl was known and feared under the previous captain, but who was I? A nobody – not that I planned to stay one. So I told them, 'I don't care who threatens you – not likely that they will in these marine suits – but even if they do, don't fire a single shot. In fact, don't even carry pistols.' So none of us were armed at all. We docked and got off the ship, and then we scattered to all the ships in the harbor – most of which were frigates lying in wait for some unsuspecting pirate. Half of us went on board those frigates, and made our way below the decks and sabotaged the ships however we could. I remember I cut a nice big hole in the side of one and let the water come in. And there was one whose prisoners I freed. We all did whatever we could to make sure that those frigates would not sail soon again. I think Barbossa and his monkey even rigged something that would uproot the mainmast and the mizzenmast of the biggest ship there. I was quite proud of him.
"Then we left the ships and looted whatever we could. Marine disguises are handy – you can get anywhere in them. We came away with a fortune each bulging in our pockets and our coats, and got back onto the Pearl quick enough."
"What then?" Anna demanded, leaning forward.
"Then, about a month later, we docked in Tortuga. Some barkeeper or another told me about these pirates who had landed in Nassau the month before. Said they had made every ship in the harbor unfit to go to sea, some permanently, and that there was a price on the head of their captain. Me." Jack stood up and bowed exaggeratedly. "And that is the tale of how I made a name for myself and sacked Nassau port without firing a shot."
Anna grinned and clapped. "Wonderful!" she praised. "I should write it down so I won't forget."
"No, don't do that, or some upstart'll be copying my techniques!" Jack warned.
"All right. I won't, I promise." Anna kicked off her shoes and swung her legs up onto the bed. "Any more stories to tell?"
"Well, let's see..." Jack cocked his head and stared out the window. "No, I think I'm told out for the day."
Anna suddenly realized that she had opened her mouth and was letting loose a gigantic yawn. "Me too," she admitted. "I think I should rest."
"Good idea." Jack turned to the door, then back around to face her. "You have my apologies for your head."
"It's fine," she assured him. "You cured it." The pain chose this moment to return in a throbbing burst that left her clutching her head and muttering Annamaria's favorite oath.
"Very fine, I'm sure," Jack laughed. Anna didn't hear his footsteps coming close to her, didn't see him until her eyes fell on his booted feet by the bed. She looked up, startled, but he smiled calmly. "Relax, love." A little dubiously, Anna sat up and leaned against the bedpost as Jack carefully massaged the bump on her head. She winced once when he pressed it too hard.
Somewhere along the line, she became subconsciously aware that his fingers were no longer consigning themselves to the lump on her head, that they were straying into her hair. Anna sighed and closed her eyes, banishing the misgivings that rose into her mind. So she didn't see Jack lean closer, and was somehow hardly surprised when she felt his lips brush hers, as lightly as a feather. She had one last flare of uneasiness before she realized through the haze of delight that she was kissing him back, and then all her misgivings fled in the face of the pure happiness of the moment. She put her arms around his neck and smiled against his mouth.
Then he stepped back, and he wasn't kissing her anymore. Anna's arms fell limply to her sides. Jack looked surprised at what had just happened – he glanced out the window once before looking back at her. "Apologies," he said. "Not quite sure how that – I don't really know –"
Anna grinned in spite of herself. "You know, you're very endearing when you're confused," she told him.
"What?" Jack blinked. "You're not sorry, then? You are a respectable citizen, after all. Most respectable citizens are."
Anna laughed. "I'm not entirely respectable, Captain Sparrow, which fault I think I must lay at your door. So you'd better reap the fruits of what you've sown, and kiss me again. Savvy?"
Jack raised his eyebrows, and Anna saw a glint in his eye that made her shiver with happiness. "If you say so." In two strides, he was standing next to her and kissing her again, and this time he didn't stop after one kiss.
Anna was thrilled.
Chapter Twelve
"The French guards are everywhere, but mostly here, here, and here." Thomas pushed a pin into Commodore Norrington's map of Port Royal at each of the three places. "Those are their strongest points." He grinned fiendishly. "This one –" he poked the pin stuck through the site of the governor's residence "– also happens to be their powder magazine."
Anna felt a fiendish grin that was the absolute twin of Thomas' creep onto her face. "Brother, you are evil," she chuckled.
"Thank you," Thomas said, bowing to the company – the pirates, the Turners, and Anna. Governor Swann had chosen to spend the afternoon with the commodore. "So, if we can find a way to get into those three strongholds – most notably the powder magazine – we can strike a critical blow at the nucleus of their power here." He glanced apologetically at Will and Elizabeth. "The governor's house may be blown up," Thomas confessed. "Actually, it's more than likely that it will be."
Elizabeth didn't miss a beat. "A house can be rebuilt, and much more easily than a colony retaken," she said at once.
Will nodded as well. "Blow it up if you need to," he told Thomas. "Never much cared for the decor anyway."
"Oh? And would you rather live in your shop, Mr. Turner?" Elizabeth teased.
"Elizabeth! Keep your mind on business," Will scolded playfully.
Jack leaned forward, clasping his hands loosely in front of him, elbows on the table, and resting his chin on his hands. "So what you're saying is that you need us to get in there." He cast a glance at his crew. "Us being we pirates. Or will the respectable citizens we're hazarding our lives for take any of the responsibilities on their shoulders?"
A short uncomfortable silence fell. "It may seem like you're being used," Thomas said finally, "but it is logical. You are, of all of us, most used to this sort of thing."
"Logic!" Jack dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Logic is for men who've nothing better to do than pore over the words of dead people. What I'm interested in is the actions of living people, and I'd like to know whether me and my crew will still be among them after this little revolution."
Anna bit her lip, twisting her hands in the folds of her skirt. Every word of his made painful sense, and only served to widen the class gap between them. It had not been obvious at all on board the Black Pearl, but in Port Royal it grew increasingly obvious, not only that Jack was of a station far too lowly to even converse with people of her class, but that instinct was kicking in and she was treating him that way. It sent painful little twinges into her heart, but she could think of nothing to say.
And then she had it, something so ridiculous and crazy that she knew it was perfect. "Jack, if what you want is for civilians to assist, I will be glad to come with your crew to blow up the governor's house."
A shocked silence descended on the room at her words. Jack turned, very slowly and with one eyebrow raised, to look at her. Anna flushed in embarrassment, but she stood her ground. "You will need someone who knows how the house is structured."
"Then let me go!" Will said quickly. "I have been living there for sixteen years, after all. And Anna may be needed –"
"Will, the people of Port Royal know you," interrupted Anna. "You're one of them, and they'll listen to and obey you much more easily than they would me. And they have to rise against the French for this to work. No, you have to do that, and I can't."
"But Anna –"
"The fact is, Thomas, there's really nothing I can help with other than this. Think about it – I can't raise a crowd, I can't fight, and I can't make speeches. But I can sneak around and speak softly, and I do know how the layout of the house. Also, I have much less to lose than Will or Elizabeth, who would be the natural choices as guides." She stared at Thomas, willing him to understand. "And I want to help in whatever way I can. Jack is right – we're not taking enough of the danger on our own backs. I think this is a good solution."
Before Thomas could protest, Jack spoke up. "If you're sure you know your way around –"
"Positive," replied Anna, blessing Jack for his timing, perfect for once. "That's settled, then. Mind giving us the locations of the other two major stations?" Wordlessly, not quite understanding what had just happened so speedily, Thomas handed over the paper with his notes on the French occupation. "And – do you think, if the pirates take care of two of the stations, the citizens can handle the last?"
"We'll make sure of it," Elizabeth promised. "It's the least we can do." Anna smiled at her. "And I think it would be best if we split up now, since we're all working on different things now. Jack, Anna, why don't you take your crew and set up your plans." Jack pushed back his chair and went for the door, Anna and the Pearl's crew following him.
Once outside Norrington's study, Jack looked quizzically at Anna. "Where can we go that your worshipful father won't be offended by our presence?"
Anna controlled the scowl that rose to her face at his less-than-agreeable words about the commodore. "We could go to my room," she suggested. "No one comes in there without my permission."
"Suitable," Jack approved. "Lead the way."
It was odd, having a notorious crew of pirates casting dubious glances around her room like respectable houseguests. Anna choked back a laugh as Gibbs, a confused line between his eyes, stared in puzzlement at the sword over her bed. She didn't tell him that it was her father's sword when he was a young midshipman working his way up through the ranks of the navy, and that she had played with it as a child, and that he had had it put up over her bed for her last birthday. She did catch Annamaria looking somewhat wistfully at her closet, which she had left ajar after dressing. "Sit anywhere, I don't care," Anna said, plopping down herself on the carpet. Annamaria quickly took the desk chair, and Jack seated himself on the bed, leaving the others to join Anna on the floor. Hendrikson tried to perch on the desk, but Anna's sharp inhale and glance told him quickly that no one touched the desk without permission from Anna, and he slipped off. Zhao, smart man that he was, had colonized Anna's footstool. Anna told herself firmly not to laugh at the fact that it made a perfectly sized chair for him.
Once all were settled, Jack cleared his throat. "All right, here's my idea. We split up into two groups – which I will decide – and head for the two stations. The one at the powder magazine will of course be smaller, as the other one will have to do some fighting. We all agreed so far that it's a good idea?" Brief silence fell as everyone nodded their heads. It sounded perfectly reasonable to Anna.
"Good. Here's the catch. Listen very carefully. The group at the other station does not act until the powder magazine has been blown up." Jack grinned at the confused looks on their faces. "That way, the Frenchies at the other station will be confused and uncertain – which is the perfect frame of mind for an enemy to be in. It also gives the powder magazine group a little time to come and help out the other group, so the odds aren't so long. I'm guessing that the whole city will hear or see the governor's house blow up, what with it being up on that hill and all, so it'll be an easy signal to recognize. We still agreed?" More nods. Anna stared openly at Jack, astonished. These were battle tactics she'd never dreamed of – but they would surely work. The lack of honor in them would make them entirely unexpected to the French. She grinned. "Excellent," said Jack, smiling himself. "I'll decide on the two groups later – you'll all know by tonight, I promise. Now, shall we stop colonizing Anna's room?"
Anna looked, surprised, at Jack. "Picking up manners?" she asked, drawing guffaws from the crew.
"Nah," Jack answered, shaking his head unashamedly and standing up. The rest of the crew followed him out of the door, leaving Anna sitting on the floor of her own room and feeling something of an idiot. She had just gotten to her feet when a thought struck her mind and made her sink back to the floor. The pirates would probably start looking around the house. Norrington had kept them quite separate from all rooms but their own, and naturally they would be curious. And with her luck – and theirs – Norrington would find them, and then wouldn't there be hell to pay! Anna scrambled to her feet and ran for the door – only to smash headfirst into something standing in it.
She staggered back a few steps, her hand to her head, and sank onto her bed. Through the sting of a ringing head, she heard Jack's voice say, "If it's me disreputable crew you were rushing out to send back to their rooms, don't worry. I've already done it for you."
"Thank you," she muttered, finally daring to look out of her eyes. "But not for a lump which I'm sure will develop on my head in less than a minute."
Jack laughed. "You take things too seriously."
Anna gave her head a last rub and looked up at him. "Make me laugh, then," she suggested. "Tell me a story. Make me laugh."
"Is it that hard?" Jack stepped into the room, closing the door behind him, and took the desk chair.
"With a cracked skull, I'm sure it will be," Anna returned. "Go ahead." She grinned at him. "I'm willing to try to laugh."
"All right, then." Jack leaned forward in the chair and, propping his elbows on his knees, rested his chin on his folded hands. "This, love, is the tale of how Captain Jack Sparrow, infamous pirate and scallywag, single- handedly sacked the port of Nassau without firing a shot. It's one of me favorites."
Anna chuckled in spite of herself. "And how much of it is true?"
"Are you insulting me? Let me tell the story. You asked for it." Anna conceded with a grin and tilted her head. "This happened during my first year as captain of the Black Pearl. Now that was a bad year for us pirates, a very bad year. Frigates often surprised us in the midst of a siege and whaled the timber off our ships when all we were trying to do was make a dishonest living, and the worst of those frigates always sailed from Nassau port. I had plenty of experience with that lot as first mate, and when I became captain I told myself I was going to put an end to those frigate attacks. And I was going to do it and make a name for meself into the bargain, as well." Jack nodded knowingly, and Anna smothered a giggle at the wise look on his face.
"So, in the spring of that year, I took the Pearl down right outside Nassau bay, and I told my crew the plan. I had a different crew then –" his face darkened for just an instant, but he regained his easy bantering voice so quickly Anna nearly thought she'd imagined it "– and they needed some persuading, but they agreed to the plan in the end. See, they thought we should do what we'd always done – sail to the port flying our pirate flag bravely and be beaten to death by one of those frigates. No, I knew what would happen if we went their way, and I had a better plan. It involved staying out of sight of Nassau proper for a while and waylaying a simple merchant ship. Luckily it had marines on board. So the Black Pearl sails into Nassau port a few weeks later, saucy as you please, and flying a bold British flag, with my men on deck dressed up as marines!"
It worked. Anna burst out laughing. Ignoring the pain in her head, she clutched the bedpost and laughed until her stomach ached – and kept laughing.
Looking far too pleased with himself to be legal, Jack went on. "I had given my crew strict orders. This was to establish ourselves under me, see – the Pearl was known and feared under the previous captain, but who was I? A nobody – not that I planned to stay one. So I told them, 'I don't care who threatens you – not likely that they will in these marine suits – but even if they do, don't fire a single shot. In fact, don't even carry pistols.' So none of us were armed at all. We docked and got off the ship, and then we scattered to all the ships in the harbor – most of which were frigates lying in wait for some unsuspecting pirate. Half of us went on board those frigates, and made our way below the decks and sabotaged the ships however we could. I remember I cut a nice big hole in the side of one and let the water come in. And there was one whose prisoners I freed. We all did whatever we could to make sure that those frigates would not sail soon again. I think Barbossa and his monkey even rigged something that would uproot the mainmast and the mizzenmast of the biggest ship there. I was quite proud of him.
"Then we left the ships and looted whatever we could. Marine disguises are handy – you can get anywhere in them. We came away with a fortune each bulging in our pockets and our coats, and got back onto the Pearl quick enough."
"What then?" Anna demanded, leaning forward.
"Then, about a month later, we docked in Tortuga. Some barkeeper or another told me about these pirates who had landed in Nassau the month before. Said they had made every ship in the harbor unfit to go to sea, some permanently, and that there was a price on the head of their captain. Me." Jack stood up and bowed exaggeratedly. "And that is the tale of how I made a name for myself and sacked Nassau port without firing a shot."
Anna grinned and clapped. "Wonderful!" she praised. "I should write it down so I won't forget."
"No, don't do that, or some upstart'll be copying my techniques!" Jack warned.
"All right. I won't, I promise." Anna kicked off her shoes and swung her legs up onto the bed. "Any more stories to tell?"
"Well, let's see..." Jack cocked his head and stared out the window. "No, I think I'm told out for the day."
Anna suddenly realized that she had opened her mouth and was letting loose a gigantic yawn. "Me too," she admitted. "I think I should rest."
"Good idea." Jack turned to the door, then back around to face her. "You have my apologies for your head."
"It's fine," she assured him. "You cured it." The pain chose this moment to return in a throbbing burst that left her clutching her head and muttering Annamaria's favorite oath.
"Very fine, I'm sure," Jack laughed. Anna didn't hear his footsteps coming close to her, didn't see him until her eyes fell on his booted feet by the bed. She looked up, startled, but he smiled calmly. "Relax, love." A little dubiously, Anna sat up and leaned against the bedpost as Jack carefully massaged the bump on her head. She winced once when he pressed it too hard.
Somewhere along the line, she became subconsciously aware that his fingers were no longer consigning themselves to the lump on her head, that they were straying into her hair. Anna sighed and closed her eyes, banishing the misgivings that rose into her mind. So she didn't see Jack lean closer, and was somehow hardly surprised when she felt his lips brush hers, as lightly as a feather. She had one last flare of uneasiness before she realized through the haze of delight that she was kissing him back, and then all her misgivings fled in the face of the pure happiness of the moment. She put her arms around his neck and smiled against his mouth.
Then he stepped back, and he wasn't kissing her anymore. Anna's arms fell limply to her sides. Jack looked surprised at what had just happened – he glanced out the window once before looking back at her. "Apologies," he said. "Not quite sure how that – I don't really know –"
Anna grinned in spite of herself. "You know, you're very endearing when you're confused," she told him.
"What?" Jack blinked. "You're not sorry, then? You are a respectable citizen, after all. Most respectable citizens are."
Anna laughed. "I'm not entirely respectable, Captain Sparrow, which fault I think I must lay at your door. So you'd better reap the fruits of what you've sown, and kiss me again. Savvy?"
Jack raised his eyebrows, and Anna saw a glint in his eye that made her shiver with happiness. "If you say so." In two strides, he was standing next to her and kissing her again, and this time he didn't stop after one kiss.
Anna was thrilled.