Chapter: The Tormenting of Jack Sparrow
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Cold. Something was cold and wet on his face.
Jack wrenched himself from his blissful slumber, only to be met with a crashing, destructive headache, water streaming down his face, and Sophia poking repeatedly at his bare arm, holding a now empty bucket.
"You're not dead, then?" She peered carefully into his face, examining the haziness in his eyes.
"O' course not, woman! Wha' the bloody 'ell are you doin'?"
"You wouldn't wake up! So I. . . well. . ." She motioned vaguely towards the bucket and bathroom. "Water."
"So I see. Well, Miss Cuthburt, nex' time someone don' wake up when you shake 'em check th' bloody pulse 'fore you decide t' go an' pour bloody water all over their bloody faces!" Jack sat up, gesturing wildly as he spoke and glaring ominously at the shrinking woman before him. It was only then that he got a good look at her clothing.
Save for the cap she seemed to always wear over her hair, she'd discarded her previous outfit and opted for more practical garb: a much to big shirt and pants. The shirt reached down to her mid-thighs and the pants dragged inelegantly on the floor. In fact, they did look somewhat familiar. . .
"You stole me clothes!" Jack actually took a menacing step towards her, and if he hadn't gained control over himself he would have probably shook the life out of the infuriating wench.
Sophia was watching this display of rarely shown temper with hidden amusement. Sifting through the disgusting wads of clothing around the room for something that at least halfway fit was proving to be worth it. The captain was positively raging. "Well you couldn't expect me to wander around a pirate ship in naught but my nightgown, now could you?" She questioned, simpering innocently.
Jack just grumbled, reaching for his previously abandoned shirt and replaced it over his slightly damp form with jerky movements uncharacteristic to the normally suave captain. Sophia surveyed all of this mildly, a faint smile threatening to betray her mood. Slipping on his boots, Jack strode quickly towards to door into the outside world. "Stay 'ere, Sophia."
The afore mentioned woman grumbled something that sounded to Jack's ears like, "Miss Cuthburt, you repulsive bastard," before following him outside, blinking into the sunlight.
"I will not 'stay 'ere'! You left me all alone for the entire day yesterday, and I won't stand for it! I'm not a child, Mr. Sparrow. I can take care of myself!"
Jack whirled abruptly around to face her, his mouth pressed into a thin line, clapping his hands onto her shoulders and backing her up until she was pressed firmly against the now closed door. His eyes were flecked with an angry gold hue, and she could feel his hands tremble briefly against her shoulders in an effort to control his fury-fueled actions. Sophia could smell, once again, that strange mixture of rum and the sea. She felt a faint quiver of fear, or at least she hoped it was fear, shoot down her spine.
Jack's voice was strained. "Firs' of all, lass, there's a good reason you were t' remain in me cabin, an' second, I am th' captain an' as long as you are on me ship, which thankfully shouldn' be much longer, you will obey me rules, savvy?"
Sophia nodded, her eyes downcast. Jack was seemingly satisfied with this response, for her released her and swaggered off to the front of the ship in his usual fashion, not looking back to see if she would return to his cabin.
-
Gibbs found Jack at the helm of the Pearl, staring fixedly into the ocean with one hand on the wheel. He spoke quietly, as to not jerk his captain from his state of daydream. "Y'know, Cap'n, 's frightful bad luck t' –"
"I know. 'S bad luck t' have a woman aboard." Jack's voice was distant.
The bloody woman had gotten to him, of that he was sure. It was not often that he lost his temper over something as small as a nasty wake up call and some stolen clothes. It was something about the way she looked at them with those stupid, big gray eyes. Something about those eyes said, "Here, Jack. Look at me. What are you going to do about it?" Jack turned to face his fellow pirate, his calloused thumb unconsciously stroking the worn wood of the Black Pearl's wheel.
"An' for once, Gibbs, I think I migh' agree with you."
-
Jack was avoiding her. Sophia had spent the entire day wandering aimlessly around the ship, and even when he caught sight of her leaning precariously over the railing on the starboard side to catch a look at the waves crashing against the hull as they sped along, he did nothing. She was getting rather tired of it.
Save for several leering looks, Sophia had not had any trouble from the crew, and some of the scruffy men had even approached her and introduced themselves in a somewhat shy manner. After several hours, however, they seemed to accept her as just another fixture of the ship and left her to her own devices. The captain, Sophia thought irritably, had tricked her into believing that the moment she stepped outside she would be raped just to keep her inside his cabin and out of trouble. She'd show him trouble.
Finally, after hours of nomadic wandering, Sophia stormed swiftly towards the captain, positioning herself so that she was standing in front of him so he had no choice but to see her. "At least give me something to do, Mr. Sparrow! I feel utterly useless just wandering about like a beheaded chicken!"
For once, Jack didn't correct her in the use of his name, but instead eyed her coolly with eyes the color of expressionless onyx. Silently and behind a face as stoic as rock, he admired the way a pink flush was spreading across her neck and cheeks. The neck of her – his – shirt was falling open to reveal a shoulder as white as alabaster. She righted it quickly and impatiently, awaiting his reply with those gray eyes flashing like lightening. "So, lass. You want somethin' t' do, eh? Alrigh', then."
Sophia balked slightly at the malicious glint in his eyes.
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"I didn't mean this, you scoundrel!" Sophia shouted hysterically at Jack's retreating form, before warily eyeing the mop in her hands. Sighing dejectedly, she sloshed the end of it around in the bucket of disgusting slop-like water at her feet, before slapping it on the deck and scouring away. It was quite hard work, actually. The head of the mop grew increasingly heavy with each dip in the bucket and the layers of filth that had accumulated on the deck proved fairly difficult to remove. She was glad she had traded her bothersome gown for the less hindering outfit she now wore.
It was well past dark when Jack found her. She had abandoned the mop and now was on her knees scrubbing at a persistent spot of grime with a scrub brush someone had given her. A single lock of hair had fallen unnoticed from her cap, black and curling tightly down to her lower back. It shone slightly blue in the new moonlight and suddenly Jack had the uncontrollable urge to take it between his fingers and run his hand down its shining length. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his jacket.
"I see th' work 'as taken t' you, love." His eyes had once again regained their twinkling playfulness. Gone was the cold glare that she had received earlier.
Sophia jumped as she heard his voice; she hadn't heard his footsteps as he approached her. Leaving the brush on the deck, she stood, her hands on her hips as she faced him. A light sheen of perspiration was apparent on her brow and she sported a smudge of black dirt on one cheek. "With no help from you, Captain, I'm sure. Am I finished?"
"Aye, an' I'm willin' t' bet tha' you're hungry." Jack turned, parading off to his cabin while Sophia followed a short distance behind, brushing what filth and such she could from her clothes.
When they returned again to the shadowy confines of the captain's cabin, Sophia discovered that a thick, glue-like stew had been laid out for them along with somewhat stale bread. Despite the unpleasant smells it was emitting, she fell upon the food like a starving woman. She looked up between bites to notice Jack quietly starting in on his own meal, retrieving a bottle of rum in the process. "Now that we have the time, Captain Sparrow, may I inquire as to where you are taking me?"
Jack didn't even look up. "Nassau Port, love. I'll drop you off an' you should be able t' barter a passage back t' Port Royal."
Sophia remembered having read something about this captain and Nassau Port. She dropped her fork. "But you sacked Nassau Port! Yes, I remember, you sacked it without firing a single shot. Don't they utterly despise you?"
"Not as much as some o' th' other places." Jack noticed the confusion written plainly across her striking features. "I've done worse things than sack ports, love." Sophia's eyes widened as he shot her a slightly maniacal grin. She fell silent.
Jack watched her as she resumed eating, before his eyes fell on her strange white cap. After several moments, he spoke. "Why d'you cover yer hair, lass?"
Sophia froze mid-chew, her eyes staring steadily at the plate in front of her. "You ask as if it's your business." Her voice was quiet. Jack detected a hint of sorrow in her tone, and held up his hands, palms facing her, in a defensive gesture. Neither of them spoke for the remainder of their meal.
-
"Captain Sparrow. . . you don't suppose I could take a bath?"
Jack started, his arm jostling the table. It was the first words she'd said to him since he'd asked her about her hair. Glancing up at her, he saw that she wasn't looking at him, and instead concentrated wholly on the grainy floor.
"Only if I can join ye, love." Jack flashed her a cocky and entirely too handsome grin for Sophia's liking. She crossed her arms defensively over her chest and glowered at him.
"No, Sparrow, I'm completely serious. I smell." Sophia stated, rubbing at the smudge on her cheek as if to prove her point.
"Captain, love, captain." Jack corrected her distractedly, grasping her wrist with an agile hand and bringing her arm up to give it a whiff. Sophia could feel his scratchy mustache on the sensitive skin of the underside of her wrist. "Smell alrigh' t' me, but if you insist than jus' don' use too much water." He said, releasing her.
However, instead of heading towards the sanctuary of the bathroom, Sophia remained where she stood, her hands clasped in front of her. "It is fresh water, it is not?"
It seemed to Sophia that Jack took forever to answer, and when he did, she thought she felt his dark eyes boring straight through her. "What d'you mean by tha', lass?"
"I mean it's not from the sea. It's not salt water?"
"O' course it's not! Wha' d'you take me for, a barbarian?" His eyes were twinkling playfully, but she just stared composedly back at him.
"Actually, yes."
Jack watched the feminine sway of her hips as she stalked stormily into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her, before he crashed a balled fist onto the table with enough force to make the plates clatter. "Bloody woman."
-
The door didn't lock and the water was cold, but Sophia felt she was treating herself to a luxury anyway. The water felt silky against her skin as she submerged herself completely, her hair floating around her face like a cloud of darkness.
She'd been reluctant to remove her cap with Jack in just the next room, but after running her fingers through several strands, concluded that it needed a good wash just as the rest of her did. So now she grasped a brown, slippery bar of homemade soap and gave herself a good lathering, hair and all.
A good half hour later, she rose from the bath, shivering, and after replacing her hair in its customary bun beneath the cap, fingered the sleeve of Jack's shirt she'd taken. It had smelt of him when she'd first put it on, but now their scents had mixed into an unrecognizable aroma that Sophia found strangely pleasant. Nevertheless, she dropped it and the trousers into the soapy water and grimaced as it quickly turned brown due to the grime within the clothing. No wonder she had been so dirty.
When she emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed in newly fresh smelling clothes, Jack glared at her. "Firs' you steal them, an' now you wash them. Honestly, woman, you're bloody insufferable."
"I wasn't doing you a favor, then?" She smirked at him, her voice sure and smooth. "You know, Sparrow, it would do you well to have a bath once in a while as well."
Jack didn't reply, but instead pointed absently towards a pile of clothes on his desk, avoiding her gaze. "Those're for you, courtesy o' Anamaria."
"Oh, lovely! I was getting rather tired of these disgusting rags." Ignoring Jack's glare, she motioned for him to turn his back. "If you would be so kind, Captain." Jack almost reluctantly turned around, staring intently at the wall behind his bed.
Sophia wondered faintly if when she'd turn around to face him he'd be gawking at her. She quickly banished the thought from her mind and focused on changing in the least time possible. All the while she mused miserably.
This, Sophia Cuthburt, is what you've been reduced to. Changing your clothes in the presence of a man. No, even worse, a pirate! A disgusting, cocky pirate with no manners whatsoever. And working on a pirate ship! Lets hope we arrive at this Nassau Port quickly.
When she turned around she found Jack still staring earnestly at the wall. He had removed his shirt and boots once more, and as a result Sophia flushed and looked away, but not before she caught a flash of bronze skin and the firm strength that lay beneath it.
Hearing her turn around, Jack clambered beneath his sheets but, after many attempts, failed to fall asleep. The bathtub was still damp, so Sophia had no choice but to use the floor as sleeping accommodations. The sound of her shifting around on the floor in an effort to find a comfortable position echoed blatantly around the room. "'Ere, lass. Take the bed. I'm more used t' sleepin' on th' floor than you are." Jack said, sounding somewhat defeated.
Gratefully, Sophia thanked him and climbed into the now vacant bed. She could feel some of the heat that his body had left between the sheets, and the last thing she remembered was sensing that now familiar scent of rum and the sea.
-
The next five days or so consisted of Sophia trying in every which way to get on Jack's nerves, and persistently insisted on being given tasks to perform. When she was given the task of peeling potatoes she somehow managed to let all of them escape out the porthole and into the churning seas below. When mending the extra sails she ripped one of them clear down the middle. While swabbing the decks again she dumped the entire bucket of water out and the decks were spongy for two days. Jack was getting quite fed up with her.
The crew, however, adored her, save for Anamaria who never adored anyone. She was their proper lady, and they loved her for it, going out of their way to make her comfortable. At dinner, her plate always had a small bit of something sweet to accompany the main course: an orange slice, bit of molasses or something of the like. They overlooked her shortcomings, which were becoming rather blatant due to her task of annoying Jack to the utmost extent, assuring to her that all crewmembers made mistakes sometimes as well. All of this disgusted Jack. His crew was going soft over something as minor as a new person on the ship.
"Are ye sure ye don' wan' me doin' tha', Miss Cuthbur'? I sure I could do it much faster, an' we wouldn' wan' ye fallin' into th' sea, now would we?" Sophia looked down from her perch among the riggings into the kind face of Thandor, a young cabin boy. She could feel a salty spray against her cheeks and for the first time in many years, wished her hair was loose and around her shoulders so the wind could sift carefully through the locks. She quickly banished the idea, and climbed still higher, reveling in the freedom of her limbs now that she didn't have cumbersome skirts to manage.
"Nonsense, Thandor! Don't be ridiculous. I'll manage perfectly up here by myself." She shouted down at him, shooting him a warm smile.
Jack watched the woman climb about the riggings as if she was born for it, and despite his growing aggravation with her felt a spark of admiration. She'd taken to the life of a pirate quickly, and, amazingly, seemed almost happier now than she was when she first boarded the Pearl.
He knew she was egging him on with her silly mistakes. She was not dimwitted enough to cause them without having a purpose behind it. And yet, when she would laugh, whether over something he said at dinner or the antics of the crew, he would forget that he had ever been angry at her. She was laughing much more nowadays.
Jack returned his attention to their path of travel only to see a massive wave headed directly for the bow of the ship. Cursing himself for his mistake, he threw the wheel to the port side, hoping the sudden change would help them avoid at least the worst of the breaker. He braced himself for the immense heave they were sure to feel in a matter of seconds, spreading his legs wide and gripping firmly on the wheel. "Brace yerselves, mates!" He bellowed.
Many of the men in the crow's nest and riggings were nearly thrown from their positions, some holding on with one hand. Jack nearly lost his footing with the force of the swell. Sophia had not heard Jack's warning, and Jack heard Thandor's shout and whirled about only to see a flash of the woman before she collided roughly with the roiling ocean.
"Oh bloody 'ell!" Jack was running before he even had a chance to think, taking off his jacket as he went, intending to dive in after her, but he was too late. Thandor had already jumped off the railing when Jack reached his destination, and all he could do was search the surface of the water with an anxious gaze, the beads and trinkets in his hair brushing against the side of his face as he looked.
This is the end, then. Sophia thought calmly as she sank further beneath the ocean, struggling fitfully against the current. And then the pain started. She released a silent, watery scream, before an arm grasped her around the waist, propelling them towards the surface.
Jack threw a rope down to the young lad with Sophia in tow, and, with the help of the other crew, hoisted the pair onto the deck. Thandor lay, gasping and spitting, before Jack offered him a hand and helping him to his feet, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Well done, lad." He praised quietly.
The remainder of the crew had gathered around Sophia, blocking her from view. One of the scruffier looking men peered closely at her. "She be makin' funny sounds when she breathes, Cap'n. I think we should give 'er mouth t' mouth, jus' in case." He said, a little to eagerly for Jack's liking. The captain strode quickly towards them, shoving the men aside with a wave of his hand.
"Ye will do no such thing, men." He replied quickly. "Go an' finish your duties. The lass 'ere will be jus' fine." But now, as he looked upon the sobbing girl on the deck with her arms crossed tightly over her middle and curled up into a rigid ball, he wasn't sure. Reluctantly, the crew dispersed.
Eyeing Sophia quietly, he knelt down to her level, lifting her chin so that he could glance briefly over her features. Her face was etched with immense hurt, tears flowing freely down her already damp face. Jack's eyes widened and he drew back slightly at the emotion in her own eyes. They were nearly black with pain. "Jesus. . . Sophia? Wha's wrong?"
She hissed faintly through her teeth as another wave of pain shot through her belly. "Jack. . . Please. . ." Her voice was rough and nearly silent. Jack scooped her up in his arms and, surprised at how light she was and how she seemed to collapse frailly against his chest, almost sprinted towards his cabin. He laid her gently onto this bed, his ring-clad hands hovering over her like frightened birds.
"Where does it 'urt, love?" She didn't answer him, instead squeezing her eyes shut and turning her face towards the wall, her breathing hitched and irregular. Jack saw that her arms were still grasping her torso firmly, and, carefully easing them away, grasped the hem of her shirt, intending to lift the fabric up to reveal whatever mortal wound he was sure lay beneath. Before he could move, Sophia sat bolt upright, her eyes wide and clear.
"Jack, no! Stop!" She placed her hands on his chest, pushing him weakly away. "Get out! Leave me alone, please!" Jack withdrew, shock evident on his features as he stood, staring at her incredulously.
"But your 'urt! You need someone t'-"
"No, I'm not! I'll be fine! I just need a moment. Get out, Jack!" She rose from the bed, her knees very nearly giving out on her as she gasped painfully, before pushing him frantically towards the door, finally succeeding in getting him out and locking herself into his cabin. Her legs finally failed her and she fell in a lump of sodden clothes onto the floor, whimpering.
Jack heard the thump of her falling and began pounding desperately against the door forcefully enough to make the hinges rattle. "Wha' the bloody 'ell d'you think you're doin', Sophia! Let me in, ye loony!" The crew had collected around their captain by that time, each one hollering their persuasions.
"C'mon, Miss Cuthbur'!"
"Let 'im in, lass!"
"We don' want ye t' die!"
After five minutes or so of this, the door finally swung open to reveal a completely whole, smiling Sophia. Jack and the other men stared at her, mouths agape. "Thank you very much, gentlemen, but I'm quite alright." She cast her eyes around the group, assuring them with her eyes that she truly would be fine. She found Jack's gaze, holding it for a moment. She thought she saw suspicion within their dark depths.
The crew was seemingly satisfied with her reassurances, and returned to their previous activities, but the captain remained where he was standing, staring at her. "I don' believe you." Before Sophia could reply, Jack had one arm clasped tightly around her waist, his free hand grasping her blouse and lifting it up to display most of her torso. Sophia clapped her hands on her, thankfully, still covered breasts to prevent the shirt from ripping off completely.
Nothing. Jack's eyes searched the expanse of pale skin before him. There was nothing, it was perfect. He raised a single finger to trace the skin where a wound should have been. "Wha' happened?"
Ignoring the small shiver that assaulted her spine as he touched her, she glared ferociously at him, bringing her right knee up to meet the tender place she knew every man possessed. Jack dropped her immediately, hands lowering to grab his crotch as he grimaced and his breath whooshed out, letting out a string of profanity that caused Sophia to blanch briefly.
She quickly regained her voice. "If you ever touch me again, Sparrow, I will slit your throat with your own sword while you sleep." Her tone was quiet and deadly, but Jack looked as if he hadn't even registered her words. He was bent in two, groaning like a dying cow.
Sophia turned and marched towards the door, but before she could open it, Jack's hoarse voice met her ears. "Lovely waist, darling."
She spun around, her eyes shooting daggers at the captain, to find him grinning a strained grin at her. She stared him down for several more moments until he began to look slightly uncomfortable imagining what fate was to become of him, before flying out the door into the bright sunlight, grumbling.
Jack watched her through his haze of pain, noticing her fingertips tremble momentarily against the doorknob.
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A/N: Mwahaha! And so the plot thickens. I hope you guys liked this chapter, because it was great fun to write! Next chapter there's our lovely lovely drunk Jack, Nassau Port, and a little surprise (haha) to look forward to.
You know what I love almost more than drunk Jack? Reviews. Lots of them. Please? –Puppy dog eyes-
Oh, and I probably won't be adding another chapter until next weekend because this week is finals. I have soooo much to do! Sorry! I promise I'll make the next chapter really really long to make up for it!
