Disclaimer: Never owned it. Never will. I'm coping.
Note: I have no idea what I want to happen next, so this chapter will be as much of a shock to me as it is to you. Thank you for your killer reviews! You keep me going! Enjoy!
Here's To Freedom (Chapter 12)
It wasn't fair.
In less than ten minutes, after receiving more than a few growls from the unfortunate crewmen who had to share the space below deck with the madwoman he'd created, Jack was crawling back to her to beg for forgiveness. Yes, apparently the pirate captain had gone soft.
Stifling a bitter oath, he barked orders to the men on deck and disappeared into the lantern lit hull to square with Natalie, a task he was dreading immensely. The look in her eyes before was enough to scare even the sturdiest of men, and after the morning's rum intake, he was no longer all that sturdy.
Making his way along the corridor, he peeked into each doorway looking for her. She wasn't in the galley or the crew barracks, he noted, moving towards the door to his own cabin. Throwing it open, he found it a complete mess.
"Ah, juss how I left you," he said with a grin.
He turned to close it once more and moved to the final door in the long narrow hallway to the room where the Cara Mia kept her treasure...the room where Natalie had been staying.
Preparing to burst into the room, Jack paused and thought better of it, remembering that a girl such as herself would most likely fall to a fit of the vapors at his lack of propriety. Instead, he knocked sharply on the crooked slab of oak, waiting for her to bid him entrance.
The invitation never came.
With a groan, he hollered, "Natalie! I'm coming in on the count of three!" He paused once more, giving her another chance to reply, and when she didn't, Jack began to worry. Hurriedly, he yelled, "One . . . Two . . . Three!"
Pushing open the door, he found her cabin empty. His dark eyes scanned the small room once, then twice, before settling upon the door that lay ajar on the opposite side. "Oh, this bloody woman is going to be the death of me!"
Muttering, he crossed the room, the floor boards creaking under the weight of his boots, and stepped through the doorway, onto the narrow balcony that hung from the stern. Leaning over the rail and staring blindly into the sea, Natalie stood in silence.
Jack felt as though he wasn't being fair, just watching her unguarded and unaware of his presence. Clearing his throat, he put an end to her thoughts, cringing as she jumped in fright.
Her heart leapt in her chest and she quickly swiped beneath her eyes, trying to remove any evidence of the impact he'd had on her feelings. She refused to give Jack the satisfaction of knowing that he made her cry!
Narrowing her eyes, she refused to look at him, but muttered softly, dangerously, "What do you want now? Haven't you had enough fun for one day?"
At her angry words, he opened his mouth to speak, but she jumped in again before he had the chance.
Turning to face him, she gave him a scathing once-over, adding, "You would do well to save your taunting for some other occasion since Lord only knows how long I am going to be stranded here . . . with you."
Jack's eyes darted from her and he sighed, knowing full well that he was to blame for her complete change towards him. "Natalie," he said, searching for the words he needed to say to make her understand, but he could only think of one thing.
"I'm sorry, dear," the pirate said, his dark eyes boring into hers, full of sincerity and remorse. "What I said before was--I just can't--Oh, it's been a long week!" Jack lamented.
Natalie shook her head, unexpectedly slamming her palm down on the wooden banister in frustration, before returning her gaze to him. "Land's sakes, Jack! Will you just tell me what is going on in that head of yours?! I never know where I stand with you because of this aversion you seem to have with saying what you mean. It's simply maddening!"
She had a point, he noted, his mustache twitching as he considered his options. There was the truth, which had the potential to ruin everything before making it better, or there was the lie, which also ruined everything, sans good part. It didn't take a right mind to make that decision.
"Natalie, I'm growing to care for you. Too much, I suppose," Jack answered, his voice soft as he bared his soul to her. "But I cannot let this go on. I need to consider the safety of my men here because if the navy attacks the Cara Mia, there isn't much of a chance of her surviving."
Moving to the railing he looked out at the restless whitecaps, tumbling over one another in ceaseless motion, yet going nowhere, and sighed. "Plus, you need to go back where you belong. Where you'll be safe . . . and happy."
She dropped her head in defeat, not knowing what she should think anymore. She hated him for believing he knew what was best for her, but she understood that he had a responsibility to his crew, one that she had come to deeply care for and would wish no ill will upon. Natalie couldn't help admiring him for his selflessness.
"I understand, Jack," she said softly, moving closer to where he was slouched over the side as her anger slowly dissipated. She saw him glance over at her briefly and she smiled sadly.
Raising her hand to his cheek, she gently forced him to turn and face her as she said, "Just know that this has been the greatest adventure of my entire life and that you are the greatest man I have ever known. I will never forget what you have done for me." Then, she rose up on her toes and placed a soft kiss on his sun-warmed cheek, whispered "thank you" in his ear, and turned to leave.
Let her go, he thought to himself as he watched her walk away, but his heart simply refused to comply. "Natalie . . . wait!" he called, reaching out for her hand and gingerly pulling her back to where he stood.
Unable to resist, Jack lowered his lips to hers and held her tight as he spun off into a world where nothing existed but this incredible woman and these incredible feelings. Natalie didn't fight his ministrations; she simply melted against him, matching his maddening fervor with her own passion.
Unable to close is eyes, in fear that it would all disappear, he watched as a myriad of emotions paraded across her beautiful features. Then her eye lids slowly fluttered open and she pulled back in his arms to smile up at him. He had never seen a woman look more beautiful in his entire life.
"Jack," she whispered, calling him back to reality, and gestured towards the door leading back into her room, her eyes full of trust and her lower lip caught between her teeth in nervous anticipation.
He locked eyes with her and his mouth could hardly form a response. Finally, he stumbled over his answer. "Are . . . um . . . are y-y-you . . . are you sure, luv?"
Natalie squeezed his hand and nodded. "I'm certain that this is what I want," she replied, her voice hushed, "I love you, Jack."
The words washed over him like the warm waves of a crystalline sea, filling him with the most indescribable feelings. She loved him! He felt like shouting it from the masthead! Natalie had said she loved him! And he loved her, more than words could convey . . . more than he'd ever loved anyone in his entire life.
With a grin, he kissed her once more as they stumbled out of the now setting sun and into the lamp lit room, intertwined forever.
* * * *
Will shouted a quick "thank you" back to the cook as he emerged from the galley carrying two shiny red apples, Elizabeth's favorite. He could hardly wait to see her face when he brought them to her, for she had been holing herself up in the cabin again for most of the day and this was just the thing to cheer her up!
With a merry gait, he had started back down the corridor to his room when suddenly, two voices rose above the muffled noise coming from the main deck. ". . . And after I marry that distasteful upstart, you'll be the Governor's new best friend and we'll be set for life!"
He heard the words and the blood in his veins turned to ice. In the shadows of the hull, he waited in silence for the Masters Eaton to leave before he moved. "Ah, that's my boy!" said the elder man, giving his son a pat on the back before they disappeared into their own cabin.
His fingers went numb from the complete shock, and slowly the apples slid from his grip to the floor with a thud. Not wanting to wait for someone to hear it, he hurried into his own cabin. Throwing open the door before quietly closing it again, he spotted his wife in the corner looking out the window and ran to her side.
"Elizabeth," he said, mildly out of breath, trying to make sense of it all so he could relay the important information correctly to her.
Her brows dipped in concern and she softly bid him silence as she pushed a lock of dark blond hair from his eyes. "William, darling, what is it?"
"The Eatons," he began, "They are using your sister to gain access to your father. I just heard them in the hallway." Moving across the room, he sat down in the wingback chair and leaned his palms on his thighs, hanging his head.
Elizabeth's eyes widened and she ran over to Will, sinking down in front of his chair to gain more of an understanding of what was happening. "But . . . how?" she asked.
Raising his troubled eyes to hers, he pawed through the information he had. "Well, the way I see it, Geoffrey must have been pushing his son to propose to poor Natalie so they would then be in the company of your father's funds and his power, as well. Considering how quickly it all happened, I would stake wages that they are in severe debt. Oh, this whole thing makes me sick."
She lifted her hand to her lips in horror and rose to her feet once more. She wanted to scream! She wanted to run down the hall and scream at those despicable excuses for gentlemen until her voice could no longer do so! This was all her fault.
Running her hands through her hair, she turned from Will and walked back to the window, where streaks of golden sunset had begun to pour into the small room. Looking out at the endless ocean, she shook her head and repeated, "This is all my fault."
At her softly spoken admission, Will's head shot up. Going to her side, he said, "Elizabeth, I won't have you blaming yourself for the poor judgment of others. You have done nothing wrong, darling." He wanted to strangle those cads for instilling this guilt in his already traumatized wife.
She spun around to face him, unshed tears shining in her eyes, and cried, "William, I pushed her towards that Eaton fellow!" Shaking her head, she lowered her voice and added, "I told her that she would be happy married to him. No matter how many times she told me otherwise, I refused to stop pushing."
"And now she's gone," Elizabeth said, lowering her eyes in shame.
"Oh, my dear!" he said, placing two fingers beneath her chin and lifting her head so he could look into her beautiful eyes, "You couldn't have known; they had us all fooled. But Natalie is safe from them for now which gives us some time to give those miscreants what they deserve. Justice!"
* * * *
So that's it! The plot has thickened! I apologize for this taking so long; I had oodles of homework to finish. I also know that the whole Natalie/Jack have made love thing is really unrealistic in almost two weeks of knowing one another, but it's necessary for the plot and you will soon see that there is indeed a method to my madness! Enjoy and please review! 3 Mimi
Note: I have no idea what I want to happen next, so this chapter will be as much of a shock to me as it is to you. Thank you for your killer reviews! You keep me going! Enjoy!
Here's To Freedom (Chapter 12)
It wasn't fair.
In less than ten minutes, after receiving more than a few growls from the unfortunate crewmen who had to share the space below deck with the madwoman he'd created, Jack was crawling back to her to beg for forgiveness. Yes, apparently the pirate captain had gone soft.
Stifling a bitter oath, he barked orders to the men on deck and disappeared into the lantern lit hull to square with Natalie, a task he was dreading immensely. The look in her eyes before was enough to scare even the sturdiest of men, and after the morning's rum intake, he was no longer all that sturdy.
Making his way along the corridor, he peeked into each doorway looking for her. She wasn't in the galley or the crew barracks, he noted, moving towards the door to his own cabin. Throwing it open, he found it a complete mess.
"Ah, juss how I left you," he said with a grin.
He turned to close it once more and moved to the final door in the long narrow hallway to the room where the Cara Mia kept her treasure...the room where Natalie had been staying.
Preparing to burst into the room, Jack paused and thought better of it, remembering that a girl such as herself would most likely fall to a fit of the vapors at his lack of propriety. Instead, he knocked sharply on the crooked slab of oak, waiting for her to bid him entrance.
The invitation never came.
With a groan, he hollered, "Natalie! I'm coming in on the count of three!" He paused once more, giving her another chance to reply, and when she didn't, Jack began to worry. Hurriedly, he yelled, "One . . . Two . . . Three!"
Pushing open the door, he found her cabin empty. His dark eyes scanned the small room once, then twice, before settling upon the door that lay ajar on the opposite side. "Oh, this bloody woman is going to be the death of me!"
Muttering, he crossed the room, the floor boards creaking under the weight of his boots, and stepped through the doorway, onto the narrow balcony that hung from the stern. Leaning over the rail and staring blindly into the sea, Natalie stood in silence.
Jack felt as though he wasn't being fair, just watching her unguarded and unaware of his presence. Clearing his throat, he put an end to her thoughts, cringing as she jumped in fright.
Her heart leapt in her chest and she quickly swiped beneath her eyes, trying to remove any evidence of the impact he'd had on her feelings. She refused to give Jack the satisfaction of knowing that he made her cry!
Narrowing her eyes, she refused to look at him, but muttered softly, dangerously, "What do you want now? Haven't you had enough fun for one day?"
At her angry words, he opened his mouth to speak, but she jumped in again before he had the chance.
Turning to face him, she gave him a scathing once-over, adding, "You would do well to save your taunting for some other occasion since Lord only knows how long I am going to be stranded here . . . with you."
Jack's eyes darted from her and he sighed, knowing full well that he was to blame for her complete change towards him. "Natalie," he said, searching for the words he needed to say to make her understand, but he could only think of one thing.
"I'm sorry, dear," the pirate said, his dark eyes boring into hers, full of sincerity and remorse. "What I said before was--I just can't--Oh, it's been a long week!" Jack lamented.
Natalie shook her head, unexpectedly slamming her palm down on the wooden banister in frustration, before returning her gaze to him. "Land's sakes, Jack! Will you just tell me what is going on in that head of yours?! I never know where I stand with you because of this aversion you seem to have with saying what you mean. It's simply maddening!"
She had a point, he noted, his mustache twitching as he considered his options. There was the truth, which had the potential to ruin everything before making it better, or there was the lie, which also ruined everything, sans good part. It didn't take a right mind to make that decision.
"Natalie, I'm growing to care for you. Too much, I suppose," Jack answered, his voice soft as he bared his soul to her. "But I cannot let this go on. I need to consider the safety of my men here because if the navy attacks the Cara Mia, there isn't much of a chance of her surviving."
Moving to the railing he looked out at the restless whitecaps, tumbling over one another in ceaseless motion, yet going nowhere, and sighed. "Plus, you need to go back where you belong. Where you'll be safe . . . and happy."
She dropped her head in defeat, not knowing what she should think anymore. She hated him for believing he knew what was best for her, but she understood that he had a responsibility to his crew, one that she had come to deeply care for and would wish no ill will upon. Natalie couldn't help admiring him for his selflessness.
"I understand, Jack," she said softly, moving closer to where he was slouched over the side as her anger slowly dissipated. She saw him glance over at her briefly and she smiled sadly.
Raising her hand to his cheek, she gently forced him to turn and face her as she said, "Just know that this has been the greatest adventure of my entire life and that you are the greatest man I have ever known. I will never forget what you have done for me." Then, she rose up on her toes and placed a soft kiss on his sun-warmed cheek, whispered "thank you" in his ear, and turned to leave.
Let her go, he thought to himself as he watched her walk away, but his heart simply refused to comply. "Natalie . . . wait!" he called, reaching out for her hand and gingerly pulling her back to where he stood.
Unable to resist, Jack lowered his lips to hers and held her tight as he spun off into a world where nothing existed but this incredible woman and these incredible feelings. Natalie didn't fight his ministrations; she simply melted against him, matching his maddening fervor with her own passion.
Unable to close is eyes, in fear that it would all disappear, he watched as a myriad of emotions paraded across her beautiful features. Then her eye lids slowly fluttered open and she pulled back in his arms to smile up at him. He had never seen a woman look more beautiful in his entire life.
"Jack," she whispered, calling him back to reality, and gestured towards the door leading back into her room, her eyes full of trust and her lower lip caught between her teeth in nervous anticipation.
He locked eyes with her and his mouth could hardly form a response. Finally, he stumbled over his answer. "Are . . . um . . . are y-y-you . . . are you sure, luv?"
Natalie squeezed his hand and nodded. "I'm certain that this is what I want," she replied, her voice hushed, "I love you, Jack."
The words washed over him like the warm waves of a crystalline sea, filling him with the most indescribable feelings. She loved him! He felt like shouting it from the masthead! Natalie had said she loved him! And he loved her, more than words could convey . . . more than he'd ever loved anyone in his entire life.
With a grin, he kissed her once more as they stumbled out of the now setting sun and into the lamp lit room, intertwined forever.
* * * *
Will shouted a quick "thank you" back to the cook as he emerged from the galley carrying two shiny red apples, Elizabeth's favorite. He could hardly wait to see her face when he brought them to her, for she had been holing herself up in the cabin again for most of the day and this was just the thing to cheer her up!
With a merry gait, he had started back down the corridor to his room when suddenly, two voices rose above the muffled noise coming from the main deck. ". . . And after I marry that distasteful upstart, you'll be the Governor's new best friend and we'll be set for life!"
He heard the words and the blood in his veins turned to ice. In the shadows of the hull, he waited in silence for the Masters Eaton to leave before he moved. "Ah, that's my boy!" said the elder man, giving his son a pat on the back before they disappeared into their own cabin.
His fingers went numb from the complete shock, and slowly the apples slid from his grip to the floor with a thud. Not wanting to wait for someone to hear it, he hurried into his own cabin. Throwing open the door before quietly closing it again, he spotted his wife in the corner looking out the window and ran to her side.
"Elizabeth," he said, mildly out of breath, trying to make sense of it all so he could relay the important information correctly to her.
Her brows dipped in concern and she softly bid him silence as she pushed a lock of dark blond hair from his eyes. "William, darling, what is it?"
"The Eatons," he began, "They are using your sister to gain access to your father. I just heard them in the hallway." Moving across the room, he sat down in the wingback chair and leaned his palms on his thighs, hanging his head.
Elizabeth's eyes widened and she ran over to Will, sinking down in front of his chair to gain more of an understanding of what was happening. "But . . . how?" she asked.
Raising his troubled eyes to hers, he pawed through the information he had. "Well, the way I see it, Geoffrey must have been pushing his son to propose to poor Natalie so they would then be in the company of your father's funds and his power, as well. Considering how quickly it all happened, I would stake wages that they are in severe debt. Oh, this whole thing makes me sick."
She lifted her hand to her lips in horror and rose to her feet once more. She wanted to scream! She wanted to run down the hall and scream at those despicable excuses for gentlemen until her voice could no longer do so! This was all her fault.
Running her hands through her hair, she turned from Will and walked back to the window, where streaks of golden sunset had begun to pour into the small room. Looking out at the endless ocean, she shook her head and repeated, "This is all my fault."
At her softly spoken admission, Will's head shot up. Going to her side, he said, "Elizabeth, I won't have you blaming yourself for the poor judgment of others. You have done nothing wrong, darling." He wanted to strangle those cads for instilling this guilt in his already traumatized wife.
She spun around to face him, unshed tears shining in her eyes, and cried, "William, I pushed her towards that Eaton fellow!" Shaking her head, she lowered her voice and added, "I told her that she would be happy married to him. No matter how many times she told me otherwise, I refused to stop pushing."
"And now she's gone," Elizabeth said, lowering her eyes in shame.
"Oh, my dear!" he said, placing two fingers beneath her chin and lifting her head so he could look into her beautiful eyes, "You couldn't have known; they had us all fooled. But Natalie is safe from them for now which gives us some time to give those miscreants what they deserve. Justice!"
* * * *
So that's it! The plot has thickened! I apologize for this taking so long; I had oodles of homework to finish. I also know that the whole Natalie/Jack have made love thing is really unrealistic in almost two weeks of knowing one another, but it's necessary for the plot and you will soon see that there is indeed a method to my madness! Enjoy and please review! 3 Mimi