"Treasure Can Be Misleading"

"Pocket With A Posy"

Chapter 11

"Port Royal, ho!" Gibbs' voice called through the cabin door.

Arcelia's eyes fluttered open, moonlight shinning through the windows, stretching out her arms and staring up at the ceiling.  With a casual glance to her side, she did a double take and they nearly popped right out of her head.

         What is it with this man finding his way into my bed? Her mind screamed, taking in the sight of the naked Lieutenant Skylark snoring beside her.

She then peeked under the blanket to confirm her fears, the quickly snapped them down again.

It happened, it actually happened!  Me and him she shook with unwanted comprehension.

She didn't finished her thought without screaming in horror and she scrambled out of the bed, snatching the blanket and wrapping it tightly around her whole body up to her neck.  He snorted awake, looking about for a moment before resting his eyes on her and smiling wide.

         "Morning?" he said, his groggy voice sounding questioning as he saw her staring open-mouthed at him.

         "You low-down manipulative slime!" she growled.

         "What? What's the matter?" he asked, not at all seeing why she was so angry with him.

He then looked down, now realizing the present situation, crossed his hands over his male area.

         "You tricked me!" she accused.

         "I what?!"

         "Did I stutter? You took advantage of me, you sick bastard! I thought you were suppose to be a gentlemen!"

         "Let me explain," he tried to say, but it didn't do him any good to speak.

         "GET OUT!" she hollered, looking as if she were about to explode.

Wesley hurriedly jumped into his pants and ran for the door, slamming it shut behind him.

         "Lover's quarrel, eh?" Jack commented, seeing Wesley's terrified face.

Wesley slipped on his shirt and grumbled something that sounded like 'bloody pirates'… or 'ruddy palm rights'.

Meanwhile, back in the cabin, Arcelia was getting dressed and spitting out horrific curses that were extremely unfit for a normal lady.

         "That conniving lecherous son of a bitch!" she ranted, pulling up her breeches.  She tied a long strip of cloth around her chest, since she didn't want to call someone down to help with her bodice.  She buttoned op her shirt, and was slipping on her shoes when the door opened and Jack swaggered in.

         "We're in the port. I'm going to return the present, just to tell you," he informed her.

         "No," she said firmly, making Jack paused as he turned to leave out the door. "I'm taking him back."

         "Suit yourself, luv," he shrugged. "Take someone with you though," he added over his shoulder.

*~*~*~*~*

         "Is he your 'birthday present'?" the one-eyed Ragetti asked.

Arcelia didn't answer, desperately trying to avoid looking at the Lieutenant.  Since Jack suggested she take someone along with her, in case things got rough, she decided on Ragetti because he was the only one she didn't mind being in the same boat with.  Their little rowboat soon hit the shore.

They then managed not to be seen as they crept along the streets of Port Royal, finally making it up to the Governor's mansion.  Arcelia coaxed Wesley into the window of his bedroom he's stayed in upon his first arrival at the mansion.

         "Lascivious parasite!" she hissed at him as she swung over the balcony railing outside his window.

         "Degenerate pirate," Wesley said in retort, disappearing through the window and into his room.

She then began walking away, still fuming.  Ragetti paused under the window, glaring up at it as if he would climb up and slit The Lieutenant's throat.

         "Come on, you," she whispered, motioning for Ragetti to hurry up.

He hurried up with make it by her side.

         "Why'd you ask for him if you wanted to get rid of him so badly?" Ragetti asked, not really understand her hurry to dispose of Lieutenant Skylark.

         "I didn't want him! This is all Jack's doing, the bastard. He got me into the mess and, so help me God, I'm going to tear him apart the minute I get back on that ship," she growled, her fists balling as she spoke.  This seemed to frighten Ragetti a bit.

Even back when she was a little girl she's had a horrible temper, and he'd usually been the one to calm her.  But it didn't look to promising that he would do it this time.

         As they passed by a small flower bush, he snatched up a small white flower and hid it in his shirt collar.

         Upon reaching the rowboat, she made to step into it.  But instead slipped and fell over, catching her foot under a rock and cutting the bottom of it open. She then launched into a string of curses that would make even the toughest and roughest of pirates blush.  As she got up, she hissed and grumbled in pain as she hopped on one foot to try and get into the boat by herself.  Ragetti then walked forward and lifted her up in his arms.

         "What are you doing?" she snarled, squirming to get free.

         "I'm helping you. 'Cuz of your foot," he said simply.

         "Well I don't need or want any help. Now put me down," she ordered.

He ignored her, stepping into the boat himself before setting her down on the seat at the back end of the rowboat.

         "When I say I don't want help, I mean it!" she barked, seizing the oars in her hands to start rowing out.  But Ragetti took them from her and started doing it himself. "Give me those!"

         "I'll do it for you," he offered forcefully.

         "Hand them back!" she demanded, holding out a hand.

         "Just keep quite, all right. I'm rowing us back," he said, getting frustrated with her childish attitude.

         "Give 'em to me!" she yelled.

He then let them go, setting them back inside the boat and looked her right in the eyes.

         "What the hell are you doing?" she crossed her arms over her chest, her anger only rising higher.

Without a word, he moved forward and wrapped both arms around her.  He tightened his grip, making sure she wouldn't get away.  This had been the same thing he'd done to calm her down as a child.  Since she was choosing to act like one, he'd treat her as such.

         "I'll give you till the count of three to let go of me, Ragetti!"

         "You calm down first, you little whelp!"

         "Don't you dare talk to me like that! I'm twenty-two for fuck's sake!" she shouted, outraged that he was treating her as if she were still a little child.

         "Then act like it!" he yelled back at her.

She continued to struggle, but the fight in her soon began to subside.  What was it with her and men lately? Why did they always manage to reduce her to such a defenseless lump?

         Sure she was calm now, he released her and picked up the oars then started rowing back to The Pearl.  She glanced down at her lap, a little embarrassed by what had just happened, and then spotted a white flower near her feet.  She picked it up, looking up at Ragetti.

         "Did you drop this?" she asked.

         "Yeah," he muttered back.

She twirled the white daisy in between her middle and index fingers, a soft smile soon replacing the saddened frown.  She then knew why he'd had it.

         "Thanks," she said quietly, reaching up and tucking the flower stem behind her ear.

He looked up at her, blushing ever so slightly, and a little surprised at her accurate guess.

The two remained silent until they reached The Pearl and were aboard.

         "Any teary goodbyes?" Jack asked her as she walked by.

She paused, then swiftly threw her fist into Jack's gut before continuing to her cabin.  He stumbled backward, clutching his stomach and coughing to try and recover the wind that was knocked out of him.  Ragetti went by, smiling at Jack as if to say 'Served ya right, ya stupid blighter' and then went off to another part of the ship.

         As she was safely locked inside her cabin, she threw herself onto her back and buried her face into the pillow.  She moved a hand and groped behind her ear for the white posy.  Lifting her head, she moved her eyes to stare at it.  For some strange reason, unknown even to herself, she felt unusually content as she gazed at the simple flower.  And you could almost say that she was happy only because it was Ragetti who'd given it to her.

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Author's Note ::    Awwwww! XD  Well, I'm for one pleased with how this turned out. ^-^  And if you are too, then I must be doing something right.  I personally like the look Ragetti gave Jack near the end… hehehe… 'blighter'… that means someone who's cursed [me thinks? o.O]… hehehe.  [jeez I sounded dumb. XP]  Anywho…hope y'all enjoyed it and that you'll keep on reading to find out what else is in store for Arcelia and the crew of The Black Pearl.  Now for the normal routine: Read/Review/Flame [optional], savvy? ;)