Chapter Three: Reality Sets in – Rather Abruptly
I groaned at the sensation of a warm palm caressing my cheek. "You've really got t'stop doin' that, love." His voice murmured in my ear, and I shift a little. My eyelids fluttered and opened slowly.
"Doin' what?" I asked, donning his accent in my confusion-hazed state.
"Faintin' in me arms. There's bound t'be talk. Wouldn't want th' ladies to be afraid of me, savvy?" He grinned. "Well, not a lot, anyway." I rolled my eyes and righted myself, breaking his grip around my back. He eyed me for a long moment, and shook his head.
"What?" I asked, scuffing my sock on the rough wood deck.
"Jus' where did ye come from, lass?" He asked confusion marring his face with a scowl. I shrugged.
"Does it matter?" I asked. "I'm here now." My gaze shot to his. "I seem to be with you, so, can't we just go from there?"
"Go from where? The fact that I found a girl, dressed peculiarly, asleep among the anchor ropes? One I've never seen before in Tortuga, and believe me, I know just about every lass on this rock." He wiggled his brows suggestively and I glared. "You don't know 'ow ye got 'ere, an' ye talk strange, not to mention act strange, for a woman."
"And just how is a woman supposed to act?" I hissed, my eyebrows drawing together to form a vertical line between them. He chuckled.
"Don't get yer dander up, love. I was just mentioning that no woman I know, not even prostitutes act the way you do. It's unnerving." He sighed.
My eyes stung. The one thing that had always been the nurturing part of my life was now another thing finding fault with me. Would I never find my place? Where could I go if I didn't fit in my world or his? Where else was there. "Well . . . I apologize, sincerely." I sniffled. His eyes shot to mine, the chocolate orbs dark with concern. "Now if you'll please excuse me, I'll be getting out of your hair."
I made my way to the gangplank, only to stop when his hand closed around my shoulder. "What? I'm leavin' your bloody ship, I haven't stolen anything and I've answered the questions I was required to. What else do you want from me?" I struggled to control the hitching in my voice, but he heard and cursed under his breath. He breathed out a sigh before hauling me backwards and wrapping his arms around me. My head settled on his shoulder, forehead pressed to his cheek.
"I'm sorry, lass." He said, stroking my back soothingly. "I didn't mean to upset you. This is all a bit . . . confusing for me to grasp, savvy?" I pulled back against his restraining arms, struggling against the warm glow settling inside my heart. The last thing I needed to do was develop feelings for this figment of my imagination.
He pulled me back into the circle of his embrace easily. I struggled for a moment before I just gave up, and collapsed against his chest. I couldn't stem the tears that ran down my cheeks, my body shaking with the force of my emotion. There were no words to describe the fear that was zipping through my bloodstream at that moment. I was in the one place I thought I could be happy, and the only thing I was feeling was absolute terror.
What if I couldn't get home? What if I had to stay in the movie forever? I had no family, no friends, no allies in this unknown world. Despite my prowess with movie quoting and production notes, I knew next to nothing about the era. I knew pirates were bloodthirsty, vicious, opportunistic men who would gut you as soon as look at you. Women were oppressed, not only in society but also through fashion. The thought of wearing a corset was the most frightening in the world. I didn't want to be here.
"'ush, love." I crumpled to the deck, and he followed, arms wrapped securely around me. I burrowed against his warmth, the tears continuing to course down my cheeks. "It can't be that bad, Chloe." He whispered, running a hand through my dark hair, which was falling out of the twisty I had put it in that morning – or when I was still in my world. I had no idea how much time passed between the two worlds, what would Einstein have to say about parallel universes in his theory of relativity? I shook my head, wondering what kind of idiot thought about Einstein when they were being hugged by a sexy pirate captain while inside their favorite movie.
"It is that bad." I insisted my voice thick and rough with tears. "I don't know where I am, how I got here, where my family is. Oh God, I want to see my mother." I wrapped my arms around his chest and sobbed brokenly. "I hate that worthless woman more than anyone can hate anything, but I would give my right arm to see her again." He stroked my back, and I felt a stir of pity for him. Here was this girl crying all over his chest, and he had no idea what was going on. My opinion of his character grew when he sighed and rocked with me.
"You're in Tortuga, lass. I told you that." He whispered into my hair. "An' as to those other things, I'll help ye as much as I'm able, aye?" I pull back and look into his face.
"Where's the profit in it for you?" I ask brokenly, swiping a hand under my nose. "Pirates never do anything out of the goodness of their hearts."
"True enough." He said, chucking my chin lightly. "Which is why, while we do these things for ye, you're goin' t' 'ave t'work fer me."
"Work for you?" I repeated dumbly. "How?"
"As a sailor, galley-boy - er - girl, any small task me or me crew can think up." He sighed. "I know that probably doesn't suit ye, but it's me only offer. Do we 'ave an accord?"
"Agreed." I shook his hand quickly and we scooted away from each other. I drew my legs up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. "I feel so alone." I whispered, watching the moonlight play on the water of the harbor.
"But you aren't alone, lass." He murmured, running a hand through my hair again. "I'm 'ere with ye, for as long as ye need me. All you 'ave t'do is call, an' I'll be there, savvy?" He hauled himself up before offering me his hand. I took it and followed him below deck, hand resting lightly on the fabric covering his back as I struggled to navigate the unpredictable bob and sway of the boat under my feet. He looked over his shoulder at me.
"First time on a boat, love?" He asked motioning for me to precede him into his cabin. The candles had died down, but the room was still lit enough for us to see each other.
"Yeah." I nodded and sat down slowly on the bed. I noticed the only sleeping apparatus in the room was what I was sitting on. What were we going to do about that? I wondered. Hesitantly I broached the subject with Jack. "If you want me to sleep on the floor, I can, after all, I did drop in rather unexpectedly." I tried a grin, and even though it felt lopsided, I kept it there until he answered with a twitch of his own.
"Don't be silly lass. It gets cold on the water, savvy." He sat down beside me. "I'd welcome th' extra warmth." I blanched, but was grateful for the loss of light, and Jack didn't notice. He laid back and rolled onto his side; I turned onto my side, back to Jack and buried my head on my arm. A few seconds later I felt the bed shift and Jack wrapped an arm around my waist, surrounding me with warmth. I fell asleep to the comforting sound of his breath in my ear.
I groaned at the sensation of a warm palm caressing my cheek. "You've really got t'stop doin' that, love." His voice murmured in my ear, and I shift a little. My eyelids fluttered and opened slowly.
"Doin' what?" I asked, donning his accent in my confusion-hazed state.
"Faintin' in me arms. There's bound t'be talk. Wouldn't want th' ladies to be afraid of me, savvy?" He grinned. "Well, not a lot, anyway." I rolled my eyes and righted myself, breaking his grip around my back. He eyed me for a long moment, and shook his head.
"What?" I asked, scuffing my sock on the rough wood deck.
"Jus' where did ye come from, lass?" He asked confusion marring his face with a scowl. I shrugged.
"Does it matter?" I asked. "I'm here now." My gaze shot to his. "I seem to be with you, so, can't we just go from there?"
"Go from where? The fact that I found a girl, dressed peculiarly, asleep among the anchor ropes? One I've never seen before in Tortuga, and believe me, I know just about every lass on this rock." He wiggled his brows suggestively and I glared. "You don't know 'ow ye got 'ere, an' ye talk strange, not to mention act strange, for a woman."
"And just how is a woman supposed to act?" I hissed, my eyebrows drawing together to form a vertical line between them. He chuckled.
"Don't get yer dander up, love. I was just mentioning that no woman I know, not even prostitutes act the way you do. It's unnerving." He sighed.
My eyes stung. The one thing that had always been the nurturing part of my life was now another thing finding fault with me. Would I never find my place? Where could I go if I didn't fit in my world or his? Where else was there. "Well . . . I apologize, sincerely." I sniffled. His eyes shot to mine, the chocolate orbs dark with concern. "Now if you'll please excuse me, I'll be getting out of your hair."
I made my way to the gangplank, only to stop when his hand closed around my shoulder. "What? I'm leavin' your bloody ship, I haven't stolen anything and I've answered the questions I was required to. What else do you want from me?" I struggled to control the hitching in my voice, but he heard and cursed under his breath. He breathed out a sigh before hauling me backwards and wrapping his arms around me. My head settled on his shoulder, forehead pressed to his cheek.
"I'm sorry, lass." He said, stroking my back soothingly. "I didn't mean to upset you. This is all a bit . . . confusing for me to grasp, savvy?" I pulled back against his restraining arms, struggling against the warm glow settling inside my heart. The last thing I needed to do was develop feelings for this figment of my imagination.
He pulled me back into the circle of his embrace easily. I struggled for a moment before I just gave up, and collapsed against his chest. I couldn't stem the tears that ran down my cheeks, my body shaking with the force of my emotion. There were no words to describe the fear that was zipping through my bloodstream at that moment. I was in the one place I thought I could be happy, and the only thing I was feeling was absolute terror.
What if I couldn't get home? What if I had to stay in the movie forever? I had no family, no friends, no allies in this unknown world. Despite my prowess with movie quoting and production notes, I knew next to nothing about the era. I knew pirates were bloodthirsty, vicious, opportunistic men who would gut you as soon as look at you. Women were oppressed, not only in society but also through fashion. The thought of wearing a corset was the most frightening in the world. I didn't want to be here.
"'ush, love." I crumpled to the deck, and he followed, arms wrapped securely around me. I burrowed against his warmth, the tears continuing to course down my cheeks. "It can't be that bad, Chloe." He whispered, running a hand through my dark hair, which was falling out of the twisty I had put it in that morning – or when I was still in my world. I had no idea how much time passed between the two worlds, what would Einstein have to say about parallel universes in his theory of relativity? I shook my head, wondering what kind of idiot thought about Einstein when they were being hugged by a sexy pirate captain while inside their favorite movie.
"It is that bad." I insisted my voice thick and rough with tears. "I don't know where I am, how I got here, where my family is. Oh God, I want to see my mother." I wrapped my arms around his chest and sobbed brokenly. "I hate that worthless woman more than anyone can hate anything, but I would give my right arm to see her again." He stroked my back, and I felt a stir of pity for him. Here was this girl crying all over his chest, and he had no idea what was going on. My opinion of his character grew when he sighed and rocked with me.
"You're in Tortuga, lass. I told you that." He whispered into my hair. "An' as to those other things, I'll help ye as much as I'm able, aye?" I pull back and look into his face.
"Where's the profit in it for you?" I ask brokenly, swiping a hand under my nose. "Pirates never do anything out of the goodness of their hearts."
"True enough." He said, chucking my chin lightly. "Which is why, while we do these things for ye, you're goin' t' 'ave t'work fer me."
"Work for you?" I repeated dumbly. "How?"
"As a sailor, galley-boy - er - girl, any small task me or me crew can think up." He sighed. "I know that probably doesn't suit ye, but it's me only offer. Do we 'ave an accord?"
"Agreed." I shook his hand quickly and we scooted away from each other. I drew my legs up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. "I feel so alone." I whispered, watching the moonlight play on the water of the harbor.
"But you aren't alone, lass." He murmured, running a hand through my hair again. "I'm 'ere with ye, for as long as ye need me. All you 'ave t'do is call, an' I'll be there, savvy?" He hauled himself up before offering me his hand. I took it and followed him below deck, hand resting lightly on the fabric covering his back as I struggled to navigate the unpredictable bob and sway of the boat under my feet. He looked over his shoulder at me.
"First time on a boat, love?" He asked motioning for me to precede him into his cabin. The candles had died down, but the room was still lit enough for us to see each other.
"Yeah." I nodded and sat down slowly on the bed. I noticed the only sleeping apparatus in the room was what I was sitting on. What were we going to do about that? I wondered. Hesitantly I broached the subject with Jack. "If you want me to sleep on the floor, I can, after all, I did drop in rather unexpectedly." I tried a grin, and even though it felt lopsided, I kept it there until he answered with a twitch of his own.
"Don't be silly lass. It gets cold on the water, savvy." He sat down beside me. "I'd welcome th' extra warmth." I blanched, but was grateful for the loss of light, and Jack didn't notice. He laid back and rolled onto his side; I turned onto my side, back to Jack and buried my head on my arm. A few seconds later I felt the bed shift and Jack wrapped an arm around my waist, surrounding me with warmth. I fell asleep to the comforting sound of his breath in my ear.
