Blind Fate

Chatper 6

Getting Dressed

By Carina

The next morning Anne barely felt that she'd fallen asleep before there was a pounding on the door that led to Sparrow's room.

"Oh Miss Annnneeee…Tis time to rise and shine, fore the day is early!" she heard Captain Sparrow's voice taunt her from the other side of the door.

Groaning and trying to clear the grogginess from her mind, Anne sat up and cleared her throat.

"Come in Captain Sparrow," she spoke curtly.

As always there was a light tinkling sound that accompanied Jack as he stepped into Anne's room.

Lifting her chin haughtily she asked, "What am I to do Captain Sparrow?"

"Now, now, not so fast lass. I'm glad you're anxious to get to work, but there's a more important matter at hand right now," he drawled.

Anne gave an impatient sigh as she wondered what sort of stipulation Sparrow had thought up now, "Oh? And what would that be?"

"It's up to you really, but I was only trying to do you a favor. After all, do you really wish to work in your night dress?" he queried, "Your very torn, very revealing, night dress?" he added with what Anne was certain was a smirk.

Anne felt her face flush. He was right. She hated that he was right.

Through tight pressed lips she spoke, "And what do you suggest I wear, Captain Sparrow?"

"Funny thing you ask lass, cause I just so happened to scrounge up some garb for your little self. Do you need my assistance in dressing?" he asked, his voice irritatingly smooth.

"No!" she snapped, "I can dress myself, thank you very much. Just leave the clothes on the edge of the bed."

"As you wish, Lass," he chuckled before he placed the clothes on the bed.

Anne waited until she heard him walk through the door and pull it closed after him, before she felt to the end of the bed searching for the clothes he spoke of. Her hands touched course fabric and she assumed she'd found them.

I wonder what the Captain picked out for me, she thought idly as she tried to separate the clothing.

After a few moments she had what felt like men's trousers in her hands.

I can do this, she told herself. Never mind the fact that Anne hadn't dressed herself in five years.

With only a bit of trouble Anne managed to wiggle herself out of her nightdress. Well…perhaps more than a bit of trouble. First Anne tried to lift the gown over her head, but she'd forgotten the corset tie in the back, of which she tried to reach next and failed miserably. Finally, in exasperation, she took the ragged fabric and ripped the gown off in parts.

Now fully naked (except for her bottom skivvies) she quickly proceeded to put on the trousers. Thankfully those were easy, and except for Anne trying to put both her legs in one pant leg, she got them up and tied the drawstring in only a matter of minutes!

She examined the remaining cloth pieces with her fingertips. There were three left. One was obviously the shirt she was to wear, and she supposed the second was her upper undergarment, but the third puzzled her.

Quickly she tied the breast band around her torso as best she could. The cloth ended up being a bit loose, but there was nothing she could do about it, and she certainly couldn't ask anyone for help.

Sighing she yanked the canvas shirt over her head only to get her head stuck in an arm hole. Anne growled in frustration as she put an arm in the shirt trying to get things in order. She only managed to get herself tangled up as she pulled and tugged in an attempt to rid herself of the dastardly fabric.

This is ridiculous! She fumed silently.

I'm twenty five years old! I should be able to dress myself!

But the sad fact was she couldn't. Having spent five years in the dark her fingers and arms seemed to have forgotten just how to put on clothing. Tears of frustration gathered in her eyes as she stumbled, stubbing her toe on the bed.

"Ow!" she cried trying to hop and grab her toe with her free hand. Her hopping caused her breast band to slip to her waist and she tried to detangle her other arm to grab it. Instead she ended up pitching forward and hitting the floor with a thud.

"Ahh!" she screamed angrily, smacking the wooden floorboard with her palm, cursing whatever force had brought such horrid luck upon her.

"Well, well….what a sight we make early in the morn," said the mocking, laughing tone that reached her ears, "If I had known you weren't partial to your garments and prone to temper tantrums I would have picked out some different clothes that suited your tastes."

"Get out!" Anne shouted at Captain Sparrow.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Lass," he told her as his voice came nearer, "See, you're wasting valuable time that could be spent working," his voice was closer as he bent down and placed his hands on her shoulders, "and instead you are dilly dallying in getting dressed," he gave her a quick yank that had her on her feet at once, "I swear, you women cause us men to age whilst you always ready and freshen yourselves up," and without warning he shucked her shirt over her head.

Anne immediately crossed her arms over her exposed chest and opened her mouth to lay into him, but before she could Captain Sparrow clapped a calloused hand over her mouth and snaked an arm around her waist pulling her against him. His warm breath tickled her ear as he spoke in a low voice.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You need to be dressed and obviously aren't capable of doing so yourself. So I suggest you be quiet and don't try to fight me."

"Besides," he added in a sultry tone, "There's not much to see."

Anne tried to bite him, but alas Sparrow had sensed this and moved his fingers to grip her jaw at the hinge so that her mouth stayed open.

"Now, Lass," he said in a voice that was such an odd mix of merriness and ice that it sent shivers down her spine, "I have been very tolerant of your behavior up until now. You will behave or I will throw you back into the brig."

His tone left no room for argument and her captivity was still fresh in her memory, so with a belligerent sigh she uncrossed her arms, settling for clenching her hands into fists at her sides.

He brought his lips close to her cheek as if to kiss it, so close that she could almost feel the moistness of them upon her skin, "A wise choice, m'dear."

Captain Sparrow then slid his hands down her arms causing goose bumps to ripple across her skin. Taking his sweet time he untied her breast band and then moved his hands up the inside of her arms to retie it around her breasts.

Anne couldn't stop the heat that she felt rising to her cheeks, especially when he told her to raise her arms so he could slide the shirt over her head which allowed him the opportunity to run his fingertips along her skin from her ribs to her waist, also causing her to shiver at his caressing touch.

She wasn't certain whether the blush she felt was due to modest embarrassment or a man's touch after five long years, she hoped it was the former, but either way she knew that Sparrow was intimidating her on purpose. Unfortunately it was working.

Damn him! She cursed silently.

Suddenly she felt some soft material cover her eyes.

"Hey! What do you think you are doing!" she cried indignantly.

"Covering your eyes of course. Wouldn't want you to scare the crew."

Anne let out a squawk of anger. This was even more violating than Sparrow having to dress her! If a pirate crew couldn't handle the sight of her, than who could?

Apparently no one, she thought bitterly, he didn't have to make it obvious though.

Sensing Anne was about to argue with him, Captain Sparrow swung an arm around her shoulders and guided her from her room into his own quarters, "Worry not, Faire Maiden, the fabric matches your eyes, so we'll not forget your damning look," he told her cheerily as he led her through his cabin.

She said nothing, but instead clenched her jaw as she fought against the few tears that slipped out of her eyes and were immediately soaked up by her blind fold. She refused to let the pirate scum see her cry, especially over something as petty as insulting her looks.

"Ready for your first hard day's work," he asked as they reached the door to the deck.

Taking a composed breath she cleared her throat and replied wryly, "I was born ready."

A/N: Eeek! I know it's been a long time, and I wanted to make this chapter longer, but then it would have taken even more time to post. So hopefully I'll have the next chapter up and going in the next few weeks. Yeah, hope you enjoy!