Disclaimer: ok this is the last disclaimer that I'm gonna put... I still do
not own Jack, nor unfortunately, will I ever, unless I get sucked into my
fanfic like all those lucky fangirls do in their stories ;] ...
A/N: Yayyy Heroic Jack has rescued Juliet and had a little moment with... himself? Lol not to worry tho, Juliet will develop into a very strong character.. and when will you find out what the J-shaped scar is from?? Hmmmm.. i dunno yet so give it a guess in a review.. i'd love to know people's predictions lol.. but i already know.. hehe.. Well enjoy and please R&R!!
A/N 2: If you review, I'll let you see the Johnny/Jack shrine ^_^ its so loverly =)
DeynaIanBloom: thanks for reviewing! I'm trying to keep it interesting, especially in this chapter, since it could fall into a kinda typical Jack- saves-girl setting, which I definitely don't want for Juliet... Hopefully it didn't come out that way *crosses fingers* let me know what you think!
Chapter 5: A Chat with Jack
Juliet's mind was beginning to awaken inside her head, and she showed signs of consciousness in her physical form as well. She let out a heavy breath, and cautiously opened her eyes. Not remembering the night before very well, she quickly shut them, after a brief glimpse of her surroundings, and realized she had no idea where she was. Had she been drinking, and gone off with some vulgar man? No... she could hold her liquor better than anyone she knew... Had she been knocked out and kidnapped? No... that was definitely not it. She would never allow it. But this was not her bed. These were not her old, hole-covered sheets. These were soft, luxurious cotton blankets. She moved her fingers slowly, eyes still tightly shut, caressing the smooth fabric.
Then she realized there were soft voices coming from the other end of the room she was in. Juliet slowly opened one eye, and scanned the dimly lit room without moving her head. As she laid eyes upon him, all memory of the previous night came rushing back to her. She observed two shadows sitting near a fire, whispering fervently, and obviously in deep conversation. That same silhouette she had observed in the pub sat before her, yet this time, his trademark hat was not on his head, but set on the small table near her bed.
Realizing that Jack Sparrow had come to her aid the night before, she abruptly became quite displeased with herself for needing his help. She hated to appear weak. She had spent the better part of two years proving to Jack that she was strong and independent, and yet somehow she always seemed to need him to save her. Even if she didn't want him to, he always did.
Juliet became very annoyed at that moment and without hesitation, she spoke up, startling Jack and Will.
"I didn't need you to rescue me Sparrow." She shot up from her resting position, with the aim to sit up straight, but immediately regretted it. She felt a sharp burning in her shoulder and collapsed back onto the pillow, face contorted in pain. Seeing this, Jack smiled knowingly, and arose from his chair.
"I beg to differ, luv," he replied nonchalantly as he walked over to her bedside. "And it's Captain, Captain Sparrow." Jack turned the chair that was placed next to her bed so that it faced her, and sat down on it. He placed his elbows upon his knees, hands dangling carelessly, and leaned forward slightly, grinning at her. Then he turned his head towards Will. "You wouldn't mind leaving us for a few moments, would you, Will?"
"Not at all," Will replied, and he swiftly rose from his chair and opened the door, giving Juliet a small nod before exiting the room. As the door shut, Jack turned back to Juliet, tilting his head slightly.
Juliet didn't like the position she was in, and made to get up again. However, a hand was suddenly lightly but firmly pressed just below her neck, restraining her.
"I wouldn't be trying to get up if I were you, darling. It'll only make it hurt more." Jack lifted his hand off of her chest and brought it back to his other. "Speaking of pain, that bandage needs to be changed, luv, and your wound cleaned. Besides, you and I need to have a little chat." Jack spoke with a hint of sarcasm, but his expression was gentle. He had predicted this reaction, so it was not a shock to him. Juliet merely glared at him.
"I don't need your help, Captain. I know how to change my bandages on my own." Once again Juliet tried to sit up, and once again she winced in pain. Jack shook his head, grinning slightly, and laid a hand on each of her shoulders, gently turning her so that she faced him.
"Once again, Jules, I must disagree," he laughed, calling her by this old term of endearment. Juliet's shoulders drooped slightly, and she let out a defeated sigh. She knew there was no way for her to win this battle. She let Jack ease her back to the pillow and turn her on her side. It only then occured to her that she was not fully clothed. Clad only in her underdress, (A/N: Think Elizabeth's outfit on the island w/ Jack...) she pulled the blankets up, attempting to her cover herself, only to have Jack replace them where they were.
"I won't be able to clean the wound if it's covered up, savvy?"
"No, Captain, I am NOT savvy," Juliet hissed as she whipped her head around to face him. "Meaning I do NOT agree, so you will unhand me this instant!" Juliet fought against the hands that firmly but gently restrained her from leaving the bed.
"I'm sorry, luv, but I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request. Meaning NO." Jack smiled as he imitated Elizabeth's common phrase, and shook his head at a struggling Juliet. "It's for your own good, Jules, and you know it. So hold still."
Jack released her and was happy to see that she did lie still, and he carefully unbuttoned the back of her dress, and slid the right side over, revealing only what he needed to to clean the wound. She felt Jack's fingers softly brush her cut, albeit it caused her no pain, only embarrassment. She knew in her heart that she HAD needed Jack to save her, no matter how much she could deny it, and that he willingly risked his life to keep her safe. She was embarrassed for behaving so rudely toward him, yet she was far too proud to admit she was wrong. Especially not to Jack Sparrow.
Juliet was glad Jack couldn't see her face at that moment, because she was blushing furiously. However, it was not the unbuttoning or her screaming conscience that bothered her, it was the fact that this was the first time in months, perhaps years, that her dress had been unbuttoned by someone other than herself, who was not interested in the services she was forced to offer. She knew Jack would do nothing that she would object to. He had always been that way, very different from most pirates. Jack respected women, and didn't treat them as if they were his playthings. It was probably the reason so many women were attracted to him in the first place.
A quiet whimper escaped Juliet as she heard Jack wringing out a rag that had been soaked in rum. She could handle pain quite well, but she certainly did not enjoy it.
Jack turned and examined the wound, frowning angrily as he looked at it and the bruises that surrounded it. He wondered if all those bruises came from last night's fight, or if they had been previously installed. He planned to find out, but first to clean the wound, before he missed his opportune moment.
It was a fairly shallow cut, since her attacker had been fairly drunk and already badly beaten up at the time that he gave it to her. There was less risk of infection because of its small depth, which gave Juliet a better chance of having the wound heal completely.
Jack took the damp, rum-soaked, rag and pressed it delicately to the wound. Juliet gasped as a stinging sensation ran through her shoulder, bringing silent tears of pain to her eyes. Jack felt her sharp intake of breath, and placed his free hand on her other shoulder, attempting to steady her.
"Jack," Juliet gasped between waves of pain. "How exactly-- owwww... What happened to give me this--- ahhh.. this wound??" She attempted to steady her breathing on her own, slowly becoming more accustomed to the searing pain in her shoulder.
"Well, luv, I can tell you a bit, but you'll need to fill me in on the rest, as I don't know how the fight began, just how it ended." Jack quickly recapped for her at what point he had come to her aid, being sure to emphasize his choice of words for Mr. Conway. A few moments later, he finished. "And you've been either asleep or unconscious since we arrived back here. Savvy?"
Juliet's eyes were cast down towards the blanket, her gaze was troubled and her lips pursed. Her mind was racing as she weighed her possible excuses for the fight. She knew Jack would be able to tell if she was lying. He had always been able to see right through her. And, therefore, she decided telling him the truth was the only way to go, unless she could get out of it completely.
"Now that I've supplied you with my half of the story, I'd like for you to supply me with yours." Jack had finished cleaning her wound and was beginning to re-bandage it, but he stopped for a moment and eyed the back of Juliet's head, since he could not see her face, and waited for a response.
"It's really none of your damn business, Sparrow," she shot, hoping she would stop his inquiries.
"Aye but it is, luv. Now that I've become involved, it's my right to know about the situation." Juliet turned her face into the pillow even more, her heartbeat steadily increasing. She didn't want him to know. Although, she had a strong feeling he had already guessed, and just wanted to hear it from her.
"Come on, Jules, talk to ol' Jack. I know you didn't acquire all those bruises and cuts just last night. Tell me what happened since the last time I saw you." Jack leaned farther towards her and placed his hand encouragingly on her upper arm. "Tell me," he murmured quietly.
Juliet slowly withdrew her face from the pillow, took a deep breath and turned to face Jack. "Have you no idea, Jack? Did you not know when you left me here that you condemned me to return to the profession you've already removed me from once? You know perfectly well where these bruises and cuts are from. They're from the same kind of people who gave me them seven years ago. I've completely ruined any chance I might have had of escaping it."
She shook her head and looked down, away from Jack. How dare he? she thought. He knew what he was doing. He was making her weak again, bringing her to her knees only to once more hasten to her rescue. And yet through her anger, she knew how much she owed him.
Jack sat silent for a moment, observing Juliet through narrowed eyes. He then picked up the bandage again, wordlessly finishing his job, and re- buttoning her dress. She sat silently awaiting his withdrawal from the room. Then, he stood, but instead of turning to go, offered her his hand.
"It's settled, then," he said matter-of-factly. Juliet inclined her head and met his gaze. She raised her eyebrows curiously, and inquired as to his meaning.
"Jack, what are you talking about?" Without responding, Jack took her hand in his, and wrapped his remaining hand around her waist, pulling her upwards into a standing position. Even in the dim light, his gold teeth sparkled as he grinned.
"We'd best be hurrying, luv. The Pearl is weighing anchor at sunrise."
A/N: FINALLY!! It took me so long to write this chapter, and it's probably my longest and best yet... A question for reviewers.. is my character a Mary Sue? And what IS a Mary Sue?? I have no idea but they seem to be looked upon kind of negatively, so any constructive criticism is welcome.. Do you think I keep Jack in character? I try... well, let me know what you think so far!! Please review!
A/N: Yayyy Heroic Jack has rescued Juliet and had a little moment with... himself? Lol not to worry tho, Juliet will develop into a very strong character.. and when will you find out what the J-shaped scar is from?? Hmmmm.. i dunno yet so give it a guess in a review.. i'd love to know people's predictions lol.. but i already know.. hehe.. Well enjoy and please R&R!!
A/N 2: If you review, I'll let you see the Johnny/Jack shrine ^_^ its so loverly =)
DeynaIanBloom: thanks for reviewing! I'm trying to keep it interesting, especially in this chapter, since it could fall into a kinda typical Jack- saves-girl setting, which I definitely don't want for Juliet... Hopefully it didn't come out that way *crosses fingers* let me know what you think!
Chapter 5: A Chat with Jack
Juliet's mind was beginning to awaken inside her head, and she showed signs of consciousness in her physical form as well. She let out a heavy breath, and cautiously opened her eyes. Not remembering the night before very well, she quickly shut them, after a brief glimpse of her surroundings, and realized she had no idea where she was. Had she been drinking, and gone off with some vulgar man? No... she could hold her liquor better than anyone she knew... Had she been knocked out and kidnapped? No... that was definitely not it. She would never allow it. But this was not her bed. These were not her old, hole-covered sheets. These were soft, luxurious cotton blankets. She moved her fingers slowly, eyes still tightly shut, caressing the smooth fabric.
Then she realized there were soft voices coming from the other end of the room she was in. Juliet slowly opened one eye, and scanned the dimly lit room without moving her head. As she laid eyes upon him, all memory of the previous night came rushing back to her. She observed two shadows sitting near a fire, whispering fervently, and obviously in deep conversation. That same silhouette she had observed in the pub sat before her, yet this time, his trademark hat was not on his head, but set on the small table near her bed.
Realizing that Jack Sparrow had come to her aid the night before, she abruptly became quite displeased with herself for needing his help. She hated to appear weak. She had spent the better part of two years proving to Jack that she was strong and independent, and yet somehow she always seemed to need him to save her. Even if she didn't want him to, he always did.
Juliet became very annoyed at that moment and without hesitation, she spoke up, startling Jack and Will.
"I didn't need you to rescue me Sparrow." She shot up from her resting position, with the aim to sit up straight, but immediately regretted it. She felt a sharp burning in her shoulder and collapsed back onto the pillow, face contorted in pain. Seeing this, Jack smiled knowingly, and arose from his chair.
"I beg to differ, luv," he replied nonchalantly as he walked over to her bedside. "And it's Captain, Captain Sparrow." Jack turned the chair that was placed next to her bed so that it faced her, and sat down on it. He placed his elbows upon his knees, hands dangling carelessly, and leaned forward slightly, grinning at her. Then he turned his head towards Will. "You wouldn't mind leaving us for a few moments, would you, Will?"
"Not at all," Will replied, and he swiftly rose from his chair and opened the door, giving Juliet a small nod before exiting the room. As the door shut, Jack turned back to Juliet, tilting his head slightly.
Juliet didn't like the position she was in, and made to get up again. However, a hand was suddenly lightly but firmly pressed just below her neck, restraining her.
"I wouldn't be trying to get up if I were you, darling. It'll only make it hurt more." Jack lifted his hand off of her chest and brought it back to his other. "Speaking of pain, that bandage needs to be changed, luv, and your wound cleaned. Besides, you and I need to have a little chat." Jack spoke with a hint of sarcasm, but his expression was gentle. He had predicted this reaction, so it was not a shock to him. Juliet merely glared at him.
"I don't need your help, Captain. I know how to change my bandages on my own." Once again Juliet tried to sit up, and once again she winced in pain. Jack shook his head, grinning slightly, and laid a hand on each of her shoulders, gently turning her so that she faced him.
"Once again, Jules, I must disagree," he laughed, calling her by this old term of endearment. Juliet's shoulders drooped slightly, and she let out a defeated sigh. She knew there was no way for her to win this battle. She let Jack ease her back to the pillow and turn her on her side. It only then occured to her that she was not fully clothed. Clad only in her underdress, (A/N: Think Elizabeth's outfit on the island w/ Jack...) she pulled the blankets up, attempting to her cover herself, only to have Jack replace them where they were.
"I won't be able to clean the wound if it's covered up, savvy?"
"No, Captain, I am NOT savvy," Juliet hissed as she whipped her head around to face him. "Meaning I do NOT agree, so you will unhand me this instant!" Juliet fought against the hands that firmly but gently restrained her from leaving the bed.
"I'm sorry, luv, but I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request. Meaning NO." Jack smiled as he imitated Elizabeth's common phrase, and shook his head at a struggling Juliet. "It's for your own good, Jules, and you know it. So hold still."
Jack released her and was happy to see that she did lie still, and he carefully unbuttoned the back of her dress, and slid the right side over, revealing only what he needed to to clean the wound. She felt Jack's fingers softly brush her cut, albeit it caused her no pain, only embarrassment. She knew in her heart that she HAD needed Jack to save her, no matter how much she could deny it, and that he willingly risked his life to keep her safe. She was embarrassed for behaving so rudely toward him, yet she was far too proud to admit she was wrong. Especially not to Jack Sparrow.
Juliet was glad Jack couldn't see her face at that moment, because she was blushing furiously. However, it was not the unbuttoning or her screaming conscience that bothered her, it was the fact that this was the first time in months, perhaps years, that her dress had been unbuttoned by someone other than herself, who was not interested in the services she was forced to offer. She knew Jack would do nothing that she would object to. He had always been that way, very different from most pirates. Jack respected women, and didn't treat them as if they were his playthings. It was probably the reason so many women were attracted to him in the first place.
A quiet whimper escaped Juliet as she heard Jack wringing out a rag that had been soaked in rum. She could handle pain quite well, but she certainly did not enjoy it.
Jack turned and examined the wound, frowning angrily as he looked at it and the bruises that surrounded it. He wondered if all those bruises came from last night's fight, or if they had been previously installed. He planned to find out, but first to clean the wound, before he missed his opportune moment.
It was a fairly shallow cut, since her attacker had been fairly drunk and already badly beaten up at the time that he gave it to her. There was less risk of infection because of its small depth, which gave Juliet a better chance of having the wound heal completely.
Jack took the damp, rum-soaked, rag and pressed it delicately to the wound. Juliet gasped as a stinging sensation ran through her shoulder, bringing silent tears of pain to her eyes. Jack felt her sharp intake of breath, and placed his free hand on her other shoulder, attempting to steady her.
"Jack," Juliet gasped between waves of pain. "How exactly-- owwww... What happened to give me this--- ahhh.. this wound??" She attempted to steady her breathing on her own, slowly becoming more accustomed to the searing pain in her shoulder.
"Well, luv, I can tell you a bit, but you'll need to fill me in on the rest, as I don't know how the fight began, just how it ended." Jack quickly recapped for her at what point he had come to her aid, being sure to emphasize his choice of words for Mr. Conway. A few moments later, he finished. "And you've been either asleep or unconscious since we arrived back here. Savvy?"
Juliet's eyes were cast down towards the blanket, her gaze was troubled and her lips pursed. Her mind was racing as she weighed her possible excuses for the fight. She knew Jack would be able to tell if she was lying. He had always been able to see right through her. And, therefore, she decided telling him the truth was the only way to go, unless she could get out of it completely.
"Now that I've supplied you with my half of the story, I'd like for you to supply me with yours." Jack had finished cleaning her wound and was beginning to re-bandage it, but he stopped for a moment and eyed the back of Juliet's head, since he could not see her face, and waited for a response.
"It's really none of your damn business, Sparrow," she shot, hoping she would stop his inquiries.
"Aye but it is, luv. Now that I've become involved, it's my right to know about the situation." Juliet turned her face into the pillow even more, her heartbeat steadily increasing. She didn't want him to know. Although, she had a strong feeling he had already guessed, and just wanted to hear it from her.
"Come on, Jules, talk to ol' Jack. I know you didn't acquire all those bruises and cuts just last night. Tell me what happened since the last time I saw you." Jack leaned farther towards her and placed his hand encouragingly on her upper arm. "Tell me," he murmured quietly.
Juliet slowly withdrew her face from the pillow, took a deep breath and turned to face Jack. "Have you no idea, Jack? Did you not know when you left me here that you condemned me to return to the profession you've already removed me from once? You know perfectly well where these bruises and cuts are from. They're from the same kind of people who gave me them seven years ago. I've completely ruined any chance I might have had of escaping it."
She shook her head and looked down, away from Jack. How dare he? she thought. He knew what he was doing. He was making her weak again, bringing her to her knees only to once more hasten to her rescue. And yet through her anger, she knew how much she owed him.
Jack sat silent for a moment, observing Juliet through narrowed eyes. He then picked up the bandage again, wordlessly finishing his job, and re- buttoning her dress. She sat silently awaiting his withdrawal from the room. Then, he stood, but instead of turning to go, offered her his hand.
"It's settled, then," he said matter-of-factly. Juliet inclined her head and met his gaze. She raised her eyebrows curiously, and inquired as to his meaning.
"Jack, what are you talking about?" Without responding, Jack took her hand in his, and wrapped his remaining hand around her waist, pulling her upwards into a standing position. Even in the dim light, his gold teeth sparkled as he grinned.
"We'd best be hurrying, luv. The Pearl is weighing anchor at sunrise."
A/N: FINALLY!! It took me so long to write this chapter, and it's probably my longest and best yet... A question for reviewers.. is my character a Mary Sue? And what IS a Mary Sue?? I have no idea but they seem to be looked upon kind of negatively, so any constructive criticism is welcome.. Do you think I keep Jack in character? I try... well, let me know what you think so far!! Please review!