The next morning Amera was out on the deck, enjoying her everyday routine.
She steered the Avenger through the blue waters and her crew was working
about the ship restlessly. Still, she couldn't get the previous night out
of her head. That stare, Jack's stare, it was impossible to let go of it.
And throughout the day, she tried to keep her mind on other things, but nothing helped. Finally, she made up her mind.
Jack awoke around ten o'clock that morning, and was still exhausted. His left eye was still shut, it felt very swollen. He felt too tired to get out of bed, but too conscious to go back to sleep. So he looked around, twiddling his fingers. Then, he saw a book on the table next to his bed. He couldn't read well, but he did know a few words or two in the book, and spent his time trying to make out what the other words were.
After Jack spent sometime reading, or what seemed like reading, there was a faint knock on his door. It opened, revealing Amera with a small tray with her. She kicked the door shut and placed the tray down next to Jack. On it was a hunk of bread, a bowl of soup, and some coffee.
"Eat up mate. There's not a lot left in the kitchen. It's a good thing we'll be in St. Lucia soon, we need to stock up badly!" Jack had already started gorging down the food, and looked up at Amera when she mentioned St. Lucia. "Yeah, we'll be there in two days if the weather stays this nice."
After Jack had finished the food, he looked at his mug of coffee and then up at Amera ready to throw her out the window if she didn't get him some rum instead. "Oh, Jack! Don't be so stubborn. Drink that up; it'll help you get your strength back." Jack gave her a look, then did as he was told.
"Well, since you don't have your voice back yet, obviously," Amera added, "I guess it would be good for you to know what I've been up to for the last two years...Unless you have something more productive to do in bed today!" Jack rolled his eyes and gestured her to talk.
And she did, she talked for hours. Even Jack was astonished she could talk that much. Still, her adventures were quite fascinating. She told of her journey in coming upon the Avenger, and all the raids and battles she had. What interested Jack the most was her defeat of the dreaded Robert Archer. Amera definitely had been busy all this time. But, Jack still wanted one question answered.
"It was very exciting, really, and Archer was quite a challenge-" Amera stopped talking when Jack reached out for her. Before she could protest, she realized Jack was touching her neck once again, wanting to know what she did with her father's necklace. "Jack, I already told you, I lost it." However, Jack was unconvinced. He stared at her, an unbearable stare. For five whole minutes, they sat in silence, until, Amera could stand his stare no longer.
"Fine! You want the truth Jack? Then here it is! I threw it away Jack, I threw that bloody necklace into the sea! The day I left your ship, as a matter of fact. I asked you if you loved me, and you told me, you told me you didn't! So I left, not bothering to even look back. I went to a cliff and threw that stupid sapphire away. I wanted to forget my memories! I wanted a new life! I didn't want to remember you, or anyone, or anything anymore!" By the end of her speech, Amera realized she was standing, and she had obviously been yelling. She was breathing heavily, and Jack was still sitting there; though he was startled by Amera's outburst, he tried to play it cool.
Amera then put her hand on her face, and wiped away a tear. She had no idea that she had cried. She could feel the pain rising inside of her, the memory of everything she had long forgotten. She sighed, and said to Jack, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that. I...I feel horrible." And to her surprise, she suddenly heard a loud voice, "Oh don't worry poppet, I enjoyed the show very much. Next time you feel like you need to scream your lungs out, my door's always open!"
Jack crossed his legs and put his hands behind his head in satisfaction. Amera was rising with such anger and emotion, that all she could do was turn and walk out of the room, shutting the door as she went, dead silent. Jack thought that his humor would've cheered her up, make her smile even. However, his plan had backfired.
Amera stomped out of the room completely mad and frustrated with Jack. All she ever did was be nice to him, tell him of her adventures. And then he goes and messes up everything. She didn't know what to do, or what to think. So, she walked down the hallway, going to the only place in her new life that made sense.
"Amera, I'm really really sorry for what I said earlier, want to get some rum?" Jack talked with himself as he walked down the lonely hallway late that night. He was almost completely healed from the fight with Torin; except his left eye, which was getting better but it was still hard to see.
He put his faded red bandanna back over his head, and cleared his throat as he stopped in front of Amera's quarters. "What in the hell am I doing?" He muttered before he knocked gently on her door. There was no reply. So, he shrugged and opened the door himself and walked in, closing it behind him.
The room was dark, Jack could barely see anything. He looked around until he saw Amera's bed, and she was there, fast asleep. Jack made his way over, but then stopped. She was naked. From where he was, all he could see was her back side; though it wasn't very clear because he only had one good eye. However, at that moment, the apology left his mind completely.
He slowly walked over to the edge of the bed. Jack thought for only a moment, until he got in the bed with her. He got close behind her and started rubbing her back. She was much firmer and tougher than the time she was on Jack's ship. Then, in the darkness, she turned over, only coming closer to Jack. And without any a dew, they kissed.
But, the kiss wasn't like the last kiss Jack and Amera shared. And he noticed there was something different about her, something very different. Jack came out of the kiss and looked close into her eyes. Actually, it was his eyes. Jack and Torin screamed as they laid there on Amera's bed.
Jack jumped up and automatically wiped off his lips in disgust. Meanwhile, Torin wrapped a bed sheet around his waist. "What in the hell do you think you were doing?" Torin yelled. "Oh, I'd like to ask you the same question!" Jack shouted back. There was no more discussion. They both leaped on each other and began wrestling angrily on the ground.
"What's going on here?" Amera said loudly and confusedly as she came into the room with a lantern in her fist. She set it on a nearby table as the two men got up from the floor and looked at her angrily. Jack was about to speak, when Torin pushed him out of his way and stated, "He came in here and kissed me Amera! You see, I told you there was something funny about him! He's a bloody puff!" "That's a bloody lie! I thought you were Amera! And the only puff here is you, mate!" And that's all it took, they turned on each other and began shouting as loudly as they could.
However, they stopped when they heard something. It was a chuckle, which soon became a full-out laugh. Amera was laughing, almost crying. She sank down to the floor hysterically. Jack and Torin looked at each other confusedly, then back at Amera. After a few minutes, she began to calm down. She stood back up and wiped her tears away. She didn't say a word.
"Where have you been all night? I've been waiting here for you!" Torin asked curiously. Jack agreed, "Aye, I came in this room lookin' for you!" Amera only sighed, and took off her black coat. Then she crossed the room over to the two and said softly, "I'm very tired. I hope you don't mind if I get some sleep? Savvy?" She led the two to the door, opened it and pushed them out gently. "I have to say, thank you! That was the funniest thing I've seen all evening! Next time you two feel like you need to scream your lungs out, my door's always open!" Jack looked at Amera in shock, as did Torin. "Night boys! See you bright and early tomorrow!" She shut her door, leaving Jack and half naked Torin in the hallway. Amera had just gotten back at Jack, and embarrassed Torin completely. All the two did was look at each other, then Jack looked back at the door and asked, "You're not gonna tell anyone about tonight, are you?"
And throughout the day, she tried to keep her mind on other things, but nothing helped. Finally, she made up her mind.
Jack awoke around ten o'clock that morning, and was still exhausted. His left eye was still shut, it felt very swollen. He felt too tired to get out of bed, but too conscious to go back to sleep. So he looked around, twiddling his fingers. Then, he saw a book on the table next to his bed. He couldn't read well, but he did know a few words or two in the book, and spent his time trying to make out what the other words were.
After Jack spent sometime reading, or what seemed like reading, there was a faint knock on his door. It opened, revealing Amera with a small tray with her. She kicked the door shut and placed the tray down next to Jack. On it was a hunk of bread, a bowl of soup, and some coffee.
"Eat up mate. There's not a lot left in the kitchen. It's a good thing we'll be in St. Lucia soon, we need to stock up badly!" Jack had already started gorging down the food, and looked up at Amera when she mentioned St. Lucia. "Yeah, we'll be there in two days if the weather stays this nice."
After Jack had finished the food, he looked at his mug of coffee and then up at Amera ready to throw her out the window if she didn't get him some rum instead. "Oh, Jack! Don't be so stubborn. Drink that up; it'll help you get your strength back." Jack gave her a look, then did as he was told.
"Well, since you don't have your voice back yet, obviously," Amera added, "I guess it would be good for you to know what I've been up to for the last two years...Unless you have something more productive to do in bed today!" Jack rolled his eyes and gestured her to talk.
And she did, she talked for hours. Even Jack was astonished she could talk that much. Still, her adventures were quite fascinating. She told of her journey in coming upon the Avenger, and all the raids and battles she had. What interested Jack the most was her defeat of the dreaded Robert Archer. Amera definitely had been busy all this time. But, Jack still wanted one question answered.
"It was very exciting, really, and Archer was quite a challenge-" Amera stopped talking when Jack reached out for her. Before she could protest, she realized Jack was touching her neck once again, wanting to know what she did with her father's necklace. "Jack, I already told you, I lost it." However, Jack was unconvinced. He stared at her, an unbearable stare. For five whole minutes, they sat in silence, until, Amera could stand his stare no longer.
"Fine! You want the truth Jack? Then here it is! I threw it away Jack, I threw that bloody necklace into the sea! The day I left your ship, as a matter of fact. I asked you if you loved me, and you told me, you told me you didn't! So I left, not bothering to even look back. I went to a cliff and threw that stupid sapphire away. I wanted to forget my memories! I wanted a new life! I didn't want to remember you, or anyone, or anything anymore!" By the end of her speech, Amera realized she was standing, and she had obviously been yelling. She was breathing heavily, and Jack was still sitting there; though he was startled by Amera's outburst, he tried to play it cool.
Amera then put her hand on her face, and wiped away a tear. She had no idea that she had cried. She could feel the pain rising inside of her, the memory of everything she had long forgotten. She sighed, and said to Jack, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that. I...I feel horrible." And to her surprise, she suddenly heard a loud voice, "Oh don't worry poppet, I enjoyed the show very much. Next time you feel like you need to scream your lungs out, my door's always open!"
Jack crossed his legs and put his hands behind his head in satisfaction. Amera was rising with such anger and emotion, that all she could do was turn and walk out of the room, shutting the door as she went, dead silent. Jack thought that his humor would've cheered her up, make her smile even. However, his plan had backfired.
Amera stomped out of the room completely mad and frustrated with Jack. All she ever did was be nice to him, tell him of her adventures. And then he goes and messes up everything. She didn't know what to do, or what to think. So, she walked down the hallway, going to the only place in her new life that made sense.
"Amera, I'm really really sorry for what I said earlier, want to get some rum?" Jack talked with himself as he walked down the lonely hallway late that night. He was almost completely healed from the fight with Torin; except his left eye, which was getting better but it was still hard to see.
He put his faded red bandanna back over his head, and cleared his throat as he stopped in front of Amera's quarters. "What in the hell am I doing?" He muttered before he knocked gently on her door. There was no reply. So, he shrugged and opened the door himself and walked in, closing it behind him.
The room was dark, Jack could barely see anything. He looked around until he saw Amera's bed, and she was there, fast asleep. Jack made his way over, but then stopped. She was naked. From where he was, all he could see was her back side; though it wasn't very clear because he only had one good eye. However, at that moment, the apology left his mind completely.
He slowly walked over to the edge of the bed. Jack thought for only a moment, until he got in the bed with her. He got close behind her and started rubbing her back. She was much firmer and tougher than the time she was on Jack's ship. Then, in the darkness, she turned over, only coming closer to Jack. And without any a dew, they kissed.
But, the kiss wasn't like the last kiss Jack and Amera shared. And he noticed there was something different about her, something very different. Jack came out of the kiss and looked close into her eyes. Actually, it was his eyes. Jack and Torin screamed as they laid there on Amera's bed.
Jack jumped up and automatically wiped off his lips in disgust. Meanwhile, Torin wrapped a bed sheet around his waist. "What in the hell do you think you were doing?" Torin yelled. "Oh, I'd like to ask you the same question!" Jack shouted back. There was no more discussion. They both leaped on each other and began wrestling angrily on the ground.
"What's going on here?" Amera said loudly and confusedly as she came into the room with a lantern in her fist. She set it on a nearby table as the two men got up from the floor and looked at her angrily. Jack was about to speak, when Torin pushed him out of his way and stated, "He came in here and kissed me Amera! You see, I told you there was something funny about him! He's a bloody puff!" "That's a bloody lie! I thought you were Amera! And the only puff here is you, mate!" And that's all it took, they turned on each other and began shouting as loudly as they could.
However, they stopped when they heard something. It was a chuckle, which soon became a full-out laugh. Amera was laughing, almost crying. She sank down to the floor hysterically. Jack and Torin looked at each other confusedly, then back at Amera. After a few minutes, she began to calm down. She stood back up and wiped her tears away. She didn't say a word.
"Where have you been all night? I've been waiting here for you!" Torin asked curiously. Jack agreed, "Aye, I came in this room lookin' for you!" Amera only sighed, and took off her black coat. Then she crossed the room over to the two and said softly, "I'm very tired. I hope you don't mind if I get some sleep? Savvy?" She led the two to the door, opened it and pushed them out gently. "I have to say, thank you! That was the funniest thing I've seen all evening! Next time you two feel like you need to scream your lungs out, my door's always open!" Jack looked at Amera in shock, as did Torin. "Night boys! See you bright and early tomorrow!" She shut her door, leaving Jack and half naked Torin in the hallway. Amera had just gotten back at Jack, and embarrassed Torin completely. All the two did was look at each other, then Jack looked back at the door and asked, "You're not gonna tell anyone about tonight, are you?"