Chapter Nine

Lorelei wiped sweat from her face and hauled on the ropes, pulling aboard some supplies for the galley. She heaved and grunted in surprise when it abruptly let go and she landed on her backside at the first mates feet. She mock glared at him as he laughed, but she took the hand he held out to her and got to her feet. She wiped her hands down the side of her patched trousers and jumped over the side to the dock to bring up the next load. They were preparing for a trip, and Lorelei was in two minds about it, she was required as Captain to make the journey. Her father required it as part of his trade business but it meant leaving William behind. Luckily it would only be a short trip but she wondered just how her fledgling unconsummated relationship would fare with a separation at this point.

She shook her head, there was no choice. Not if they wanted to keep Haven fed and watered. That was what her Da did; he had become an honest merchant in his time on the Island. They continued to haul aboard stock and equipment, her barking orders to motivate her crew. She took a pull on the ale flagon that her bo'sun handed her and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, her jaw dropping in surprise as a ship entered the harbour. It was unusual for an arrival at this time of the morning; the sun had barely peeked over the horizon. She strode down the plank to the dock and watched as the ship began it's docking.

"They've pushed emself ta get here. Look at tha state o' thaship."

Lorelei jumped as her mate's voice sounded in her ear, "Nae ta mention tha craters in tha' side disguised as cannon ball hits. Whoever they be, they have seen a fight." They stood watching, not even bothering to hide their curiosity. Lorelei hesitated in between wanting to offer aid and awe at the damage done to the ship. Her eyes widened as recognition dawned. The wizened pirate staggering down the dock was none other than Thomas Griggs, one of Jack's drinking buddies and one of the few she herself would dare to call an ally. Never would she go so far as to assume him a friend, for he was a consummate pirate, but all in all he was a mostly good man.

Thomas hurried down the dock, straight for the Maiden, where he'd been informed that Lorelei was already aboard. Good. He didn't have a hankering to travel all the way to Bill's home to relay the message. He had men to see to the doctor and a ship to attempt to repair.

Lorelei ran towards the old pirate, he himself was wounded and bleeding. She offered him her shoulder when he reached her. "What happened Thomas? What banged ye up so bad?"

His face contorted into the best imitation of a smile he could muster as he saw little Lorelei coming to greet him. "'Lo lassie. Run in with th' East India, but we got away. Fools. Wern't even after 'er. She shot 'fore ev'n knowin ar intent. Had a message fer Jack from Ann' Marie and Gibbs. Be he on th' Maiden too?"

Lorelei staggered under the weight of the old pirate but she yelled to her mate, "Jonas ye be going fer tha doctor. Bring Bill an' Jack here ta." She helped the old man sit on the plank leading to the I Sea Maiden /I , "He be at Da's place. Ye want a drink Thomas?" She snatched the flagon from the bo'sun and thrust it at the old sea dog.

Thomas's face lit up in a much more genuine smile as he took the flagon in his hand and drank greedily, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and burping loudly. "Aaaaye... thas more like't. Saved th' ship but couln't save th' rum. Thas wha' I call bad luck 'tis."

"Men an' yer bleedin rum. How many died Thomas?" Lorelei thrust her hands on her hips in disgust. "What happen' tha' ye wern't after tha' East India."

Thomas chuckled. "More a them than us thas for sure. Damn fools. Loss o' some good booty too I tell ya. As fer the message, not sure it'd make much sense to ye. Kinda cryptic. Ye know Ann' Marie an' her love of drama. Somethin' bout an ol' lady friend o' his, some Liz'beth, went lookin' fer Jack and got 'erself mixed up with th' wrong lot. Finds 'erself comp'ny of the slavers now 'parently. Ann' Marie said they was givin' chase, and wanted ta get word ta Jack so's he could catch up? Dunno any lady Jack's e're come across tha'd be worth crossing tha alley fer let alone puttin' on chase, savin' yerself course."

Lorelei rocked back on her heels, "Elizabeth ye say? Taken by slavers? 'N Anna Maria is chasin' em?"

Thomas nodded. "Aye. She say Jack'd understand. Said twas a friend of theirs, 'parently she sailed with em all once?"

"Aye she sailed with Jack when he rid tha Pearl of Barbosa." Her face drained of all colour and she nodded. It would be so easy to ignore this and let her rival to William's affections disappear forever but...slavers. She couldn't leave her worst enemy to their brutal mercies. "Nathanial," She called to her bo'sun, "Ready tha Maiden ta sail. We will be searchin fer tha Pearl." She turned back to Thomas, "How long since ye seen the Pearl?" She listened patiently to his directions the seriousness of the other woman's situation driving away any thought of the consequences if they rescued her. Deep in her mind though, it niggled. If they found Elizabeth would William's love for the lady be rekindled? What if he didn't love her and she Lorelei was just some substitute.

Thomas's eyes bulged and he nodded. "Aye. So tis the gov'ners daughter then. Intrestin. Makes more sense now I s'pose." He lost all thought of anything but his own crew however when her first mate returned with the doc who he waved off of fussing over him and pointed the way to his ship as he stood to lead him. "There's much worse in me crew. I'm tough as boar's hide, I'll survive." He turned around and called back for Lorelei. "If Jack be needin' me, I'll be on th' Lady."

Lorelei nodded and stood. She directed her mate to help out in readying the ship and jogged the way she knew her Da and Jack would be coming. Her mind was in turmoil, but she knew what she had to do.

Bill and Jack both hurried their pace as they saw a frantic Ruby headed for them, stopping just short of her, her wild eyes causing a sinking feeling in the pit of both their stomachs. "What's happened Ruby child?" Bill asked softly.

"Tha Lady Day just docked in tha harbour. She be badly damaged. Tangled with East India but tha's nae what brought em. Anna Maria sent a message fer ye Jack."

Jack's eyebrow raised nearly to his hairline and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. "What's happened to me crew? To the Pearl?"

"Naught, they came across some slavers and be followin."

Jack's brow furrowed in confusion. "Followin' slavers? What the devil are they doin' followin' slavers?"

"Tha slavers have Will's Lady love," Lorelei controlled her voice until it was almost flat. "They have Elizabeth Swann."

Jack's jaw dropped open and his heart sank to his toes. "The slavers have Elizabeth? How the bloody 'ell did she get tangled up with slavers? Lemme guess. Hired a crew to find me, not botherin' ta find out their reputations. Fool woman." He paused for a moment and clenched his hands even as he rolled his eyes heavenward accusatorily. Just when she and Will had finally begun to find their way to one another, fate just i had /i to throw in the curve didn't it? "Great, juuust great."

"Tha Maiden will be ready ta sail in less than thirty minutes. We have ta go after her." It cost Lorelei so much to say those words. Her heart was already beginning to distance itself in order to protect her. "Jonas, go ta tha house and wake William. Get him ready ta sail and tell him he will need ta bring some changes of clothin fer me Da and himself. I'll be in me cabin plottin tha course."

Jack grasped Ruby's arm and looked her in the eye. "Ye sure ye don't want te go tell 'im? She's not 'is woman now ye know." He didn't bother to ask if she really wanted to go after Elizabeth. He knew his Ruby, and she was a good woman. She'd never leave her to the fate laid out for her, no matter what her personal feelings.

"I will tell em, when he gets here. Savin her ain't debatable. We are gonna do this." Lorelei's eyes were as hard as agates. "He needs ta find his true heart. His confusion over her holds him back. So this be his test."

Jack nodded and turned to Jonas. Tell 'im I'll be needin' extra clothes too, it appears this is gonna be our first official family outing." He was never as thankful to Will as he was right then. He'd gotten Bill to do what none of them had been able for ten years. He'd gotten him to start testing his sea legs once again, a bit at a time over the last few weeks, and now, Bill wouldn't have to stay behind.

Lorelei flashed him a grin as she boarded her ship and headed towards her cabin. Her trunk and clothing were already in the room. She sat at the tiny desk in the corner and spread out the map, plotting the course they needed to take to find I The Black Pearl. /I She tapped her finger thoughtfully as she thought more on this course of action. She would do what was right. She would never let another human suffer the indignities that Elizabeth would if left in the slavers hands, no matter that it may cost her, her heart. She threw the stylus down and cursed soundly, it was as she feared. The path the people traffickers took was to theArabia's, which made sense with a young blonde western woman as their cargo. She was so preoccupied with her muttering that she didn't hear the door behind her open.

Bill swallowed hard but carefully masked his unease. He wasn't so sure he was ready for actually sailing. Standing on the ship was one thing, sailing on her was completely different. But there was no way he was staying here whilst his newfound family sailed without him. He'd be damned to hell beforehand. Well, he might be damned there no matter, but who knew. Whatever, he was going. He'd never been a coward before Barbossa, and suddenly, he was determined that he'd stop being a coward from this day on. He had no reason to fear anyway. Will had shown him that he could indeed still swim, that his sea legs hadn't disappeared, and now that his children were both sailing, his excuses were gone. He had to admit, he was thankful for it too. He'd never realised how crippling his limitations had been to him mentally. Ironic that the limitations were actually only mental themselves.

He snapped from his reverie and made his way up to the ship, sneaking up to the captain's quarters and easing the door open, needing to see how his little girl was truly doing. "Are ye truly okay Ruby love?"

Lorelei turned and motioned for her father to come in and sit down. "I be fine Da. Tha bastards be taking her ta tha Arabia's. Ye know what tha be meaning."

"Aye. From what Jack said of her, she'd be pure gold. Blonde, cultured, and virginal. Not ta mention headstrong. They love ta break em."

"So they wouldnae be harmin her or rapin her. Nae if they want their gold. She'll be well fed but once she makes it ta her new master she will be raped on silk sheets and expected ta endure if nae find tha experience pleasant. Tha other wives will be plottin ta kill her cause bein blonde and foreign tha master will favour her."

"She'd be lucky if they succeeded I reckon."

"If it got ta tha' point she'd be wantin ta kill herself." Lorelei ran a hand through her tangled hair. "An' I wouldnae blame her one bit."

Bill nodded. "It won't come to that though. The Pearl will watch her and wait for us, but if time gets too close, they'll attack themselves. The crew grew right fond of that young woman."

"As fond an' loyal as pirates become." Lorelei pinned the map down, her finger tracing the edge of the desk. "This be yer room Da. I will move ta tha mate's room an' he can bunk with tha rest o' the crew. This be yer ship."

Bill frowned. "Nae. This is yer ship Ruby. Ye were tha one tha' paid for it. Ye gave me the gold, but it was yers. And even if it had been mine, I had her commissioned for you, not me."

"Be ye sure Da?" She gave him a small smile, "I donnae mind ye takin tha helm or movin ta the mate's quarters."

Bill laughed. "Ruby love, just being on a ship again is more than I could have hoped for. Ta be here with you... tha's tha greatest gift of all. She's yers. Though, I won't complain if ye let me take a spell at tha helm once in awhile."

"Ye can take us outta tha harbour now if ye like. An' ye be taken tha' mate's quarters at least. Jonas willnae mind. Jack will have ta either share with tha crew or stay on deck."

"And Will?" Bill asked cautiously.

"He can bunk wherever he wants ta." Her voice was neutral. She wasn't sure how she felt, while she wanted his comfort it would shatter her if he found he did love Elizabeth and yet had been sleeping in her bed the whole time.

Bill reached out and grasped her hand in his gently. "He loves ye Ruby. Believe that. Whatever yer mind tells ye ta the contrary, the boy loves ye."

"He loves her ta Da." Lorelei shrugged, "Ye cannae tell me he dosenae. T'was ingrained in him so long tha' he cannae just drop it. He needs ta figure out just what kinda love it is now. If it be tha love he thought it was than I willnae stand in his way." Lorelei cut her father off before he could answer. "Tis be time ta take tha helm Da. If we be catchin tha tide we need ta leave now."

Bill sighed. She wouldn't listen to him. Will was the only one that could convince her. "Aye. I'll take the helm, though I'd feel easier if ye were at my side. It's been a long time."

Lorelei grinned, "Jack can stand by yer side. I think I'm gonna have some feather's ta smooth." She cocked her head, " Tha' if Jack has gotten outta his tiz at nae bein' captain."

Bill chuckled. "Jack'll survive." He straightened at the knock on the door, and made his way to it, accepting the hug from Will, along with his boyish happiness and gushing pride at his father sailing. Poor boy had no clue what he was about to face. It was going to test him to the depths of his character, and there was nothing he could do to save him the grief. He finally cut off his string of words with his raised hand. "Ruby'll be talkin' to ye. Right now I have a ship to take out of the harbor. Can ye believe it?"

Will clapped his father's shoulder. "That's wonderful Da. So where are we going?"

Lorelei swallowed as both pair of dark eyes turned toward her. She gave her father a look indicating that she wanted privacy and scowled as he left laughing. Once he'd gone she looked at Will. "Sit down Will...Do ye wanna drink?"

Will nodded. "Aye, I wasn't exactly expecting to be wakened and told to grab extra clothes for all of us since we'd be sailing within the hour. Not that I'm complaining mind you. I can't believe Da's going to sail her. I didn't expect him to be ready to sail nearly so soon." He took the drink with a smile, and reached out to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her to his lap, pressing his lips to hers and lingering there, nibbling and licking her lips and the tip of her tongue playfully. Life was so good. It just didn't quite seem possible that he'd finally found happiness.

Lorelei bit her lip till it bled. She saw the happiness etched into his face and she knew her words would destroy any sense of tranquility he had. She leaned into him, her arms slipping around his waist.

Will buried his face in her fragrant unbound hair, and smiled. She left it that way for him. She hadn't said as much, but he knew. Their conversation about her cutting it still fresh in his mind. She was just so wonderful. "I love you so much Ruby. I'm really glad we're all going along. The thought of you sailing without me, even for just a short time... I didn't like it at all."

She licked her lips and coughed to clear her suddenly dry throat. "Ye'll probably be liking this trip a lot less than ye think."

Will's brow furrowed and he leaned back to look down into her face. "Why do you say that? I just assumed you wanted to leave early. You were due to leave in three days anyway."

"We received a message this mornin from Anna Maria. They be chasin Slavers an needed us ta come."

Will's frown deepened, his confusion shining in his eyes. "Slavers? Why are they chasing Slavers?"

Lorelei wound her arms around him. She held him tightly, bringing her hands to rub his back. "They've got Elizabeth an' be taken her ta tha Ottomans."

Will's face slackened and his mouth went dry even as his stomach turned and he fought down a wave of nausea that had nothing to do with seasickness. His Adam's apple bobbed several times and he somehow managed to squeeze the words past the lump there, though they were hoarse and curt. "I see."

"We cannae leave her ta be sold ta some Sheik an' raped. They donnae hesitate ta kill headstrong women."

Will couldn't feel his extremities; everything including his brain was numb. "Right."

Lorelei cupped his cheek, "I be sorry William. I know how hard this be fer ye. But ye need ta do this. Ta bring some closure ta yer feelins."

Will could feel the anger slowly beginning to spread throughout his body. "I need to do this? She deserts me without so much as a word, never looking back, and now I'm expected to just sail blindly after her, risking my life to save her? Just when I finally found some peace?"

"Would ye condemn her ta rape and beatins an' possibly death?" Lorelei shot back.

Will turned to face the wall at the condemnation in her tone. Yes, he was a bastard apparently, but this wasn't fair. Just when he'd finally found Ruby, finally found a home, and a family, and love, Elizabeth still managed to force herself into his life again. It just wasn't fair. She left him for another man, and managed to get herself in trouble, and as usual, he was expected to pick up the pieces. Damn her to hell.

"At tha least yell get ta confront her with how ye felt when she left ye. It will help ye put it behind ye forever."

"I don't ever want to see her again Ruby. Ever. I i had /i let her go, but she just won't let me go." He hated himself, feeling a bit like he was watching the scene as a spectator and knowing that he was acting like a pouty child that couldn't get their way. He knew what would happen to her if she was sold, and he wouldn't wish that on any woman, but at the same time, why him?

Lorelei raised an eyebrow, "Then ye still have a few minutes ta get ta shore." she spoke softly, partly in relief that he would never be tested, would never have the chance to realise that he really did love the English woman, partly in disappointment. The Will Turner she'd come to love was always willing to put his heart and life on the line for the right cause.

Will's heart lurched in his chest and he cursed himself soundly as another emotion surged through him, one that was even more unwelcome than his selfishness. He realised that he couldn't leave the ship, because as much as he wanted to hate her, he didn't. Will shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut against the unfairness of it all.
"No. I can't do that. No matter what she's done I can't leave her to that fate without trying to help. I certainly can't ask you to risk your life and take the coward's way out myself." He bit his upper lip and buried his face in her neck, squeezing his arms around her in desperation. Why did he feel like she was in danger of slipping away from him? He didn't love Elizabeth. Not like that. He knew now that he never had. So what was he so afraid of?

Lorelei kissed him soundly. Her disappointment fading as the man she loved came to the forefront. "T''will be at least a seven day afore we catch up ta tha Pearl. Slavers donnae move so fast on tha open sea. Nae with a full cargo."

Will smiled softly. "Seven days huh?"

"Aye. This time ye nae be a guest on me ship. Ye'll get ta scrub tha decks an pump tha bilges with tha rest o' the crew."

Will crinkled up his face. "And here I thought you were intimating something infinitely more pleasant than bilge duty."

"What ye be havin in mind Mr. Turner?" Lorelei asked coyly as she leaned back to look him in the eye.

Will grinned. "Well, I seem to remember us having a bit of a... sparring lesson... in these quarters."

"An' I remember ye bein in a bad mood tha day"

"I seem to remember you pretending I'd killed you too. Even then the thought of having you taken from me tore my heart out."

"I thought ye hated me. "She nibbled at his lip, smiling as his hands slid over her bottom and up the length of her back, "So I'm ta take it tha' I willnae have ta have a hammock set up fer ye with Da or tha crew?"

Will shook his head and stared into her eyes. He wasn't sure how fast it might progress, and he prayed that she understood that, but he definitely wanted to share her bed. "I'd prefer to stay here with you, yes. And I was captivated by you from that very first moment. I would never have followed you if I hadn't been." He couldn't help blushing a bit at the thought of just what might happen in this bed. The thought that they just might finish what they had started here. It would be quite fitting in fact. Quite romantic.

Lorelei looked into his eyes, humour sparkling in her eyes, "Ye know tha' while we be on tha ship I be workin' an' I be Captain. It means ye be calling me Captain above deck."

Will's eyes sparkled mischievously. "And if I forget, or refuse?"

"Ye'll be cleanin' out tha bilges day in day out an' sharin a room with Jack."

Will frowned and bit his bottom lip. "Not precisely the kind of punishment I was hoping for."

"I donnae suppose it was, but nothin' must effect tha' discipline o' me crew. If I lose their respect, I may as well be dead cause they will attack me without thinking, when it comes down ta it they be pirates an' they are in it fer gain. "

Will sighed at her obvious lack of desire to tease along with him, but he could understand her concerns. "I was just playing; I never had any intention not to call you Captain."

Lorelei tangled her hand into his curls and pulled his head down to kiss him. She sucked on his lips. "Down here be another story." She kissed him lightly, flicking his lips with her tongue. "A whole 'nother story indeed."

Will caught her tongue between his lips and sucked it into his mouth, drawing on it slowly. His fingers bunched in the material of her shirt and he sighed at the pleasure touching her gave him. Somehow, miraculously, she was even able to make the reality of their mission fade into oblivion. "Mmmm... good."

Lorelei pulled back slightly, "I think I'll let Da and Jack take tha ship out tonight an' take the first shift on deck tomorrow. How does a quiet dinner with tha two o' us sound?" She sighed, "I'll have ta be on deck after we get on tha way ta steer our course. But after tha' I can set tha ship in Jack or Jonas' hands."

Will smiled. "Sounds lovely. I'm not really sure I'm quite ready to share you tonight."

"I feel tha' same. Who be knows wha' tha' futute holds. We may nae be able to have much private time."

Will groaned at that thought. "God I hope you are wrong."

"Aye so be I. But we be goin after tha scum o' tha ocean. It willnae be an easy road."

Will sighed softly but reached up to touch her cheek gently. "We'll make what time we have count then."

Lorelei sighed and sat on the edge of her bed. It was hard not to be disappointed. It had been a few weeks since they had declared their feelings for each other and while she did not begrudge the time they spent talking and rambling round the Island learning of each other, she wanted to feel him, wanted him to show her that ultimate trust and join with her. The longer it went without the more frustrated she became. And she was trying so hard to hide her impatience because she knew he needed to be ready, and tried not to pressure him.

Will frowned and reached out to take her hand in his, threading their fingers together. "What's wrong love?"

"Naught is wrong." She summoned up a smile. "I just rushed head long inta this without thinking as is me usual wont." She'd never admit that she dreaded his reaction when he saw his former fiancée and spoke to her for the first time since she'd run. Things changed dramatically after danger, realisations were made. What gnawed at her the most was Elizabeth Swann was reportedly one of the most beautiful and elegant women in the Caribbean and Lorelei could never hope to live up to that pedestal, not with her curly forest fire hair and sun browned freckled skin, her peasant accent and figure or her mannish ways.

Will's stomach knotted up as he saw clearly in her eyes that she was hiding the truth from him, as always. She still didn't trust him. Not really anyway. And it ate at him. Why didn't she believe that he loved her? No, they hadn't consummated their relationship yet, he just hadn't been able to as yet, but damn it, he'd been there, opened himself up and bared his soul to her. Why couldn't that be enough for her? He closed his eyes for just a moment before leaning in and wrapping his arms around her, pulling her down onto the bed and into his arms. He settled her back and derriere firmly into the curves of his body, his knees nestling behind hers and his hand resting lightly on her stomach. "I'm sorry you have to do this. Go along and search for her."

"Tis tha only thing ta do. I couldnae leave her ta tha fate tha' awaits her." Lorelei leaned into his warmth, taking comfort from his strong sinewy arms around her.

"I'm still sorry that you have to go along. I... can just imagine how it must make you feel. You... you do realise that she means nothing to me... right?"

Lorelei sighed, "We both know tha' not be true Will. She means somethin' ta ye. Even if it be hatred. Tha's why ye be here. Ye need ta face her an' find out what ye really feel. Ye need ta let out yer betrayal to her so she knows an' never treats anyone like tha' again."

Will sighed. "I'd rather just never see her again period. But she was my friend for a long time, and I can't leave her to that fate either."

"Ye also donnae know yer capacity ta forgive once ye hear her story. There be two sides, and her claimin ta love Jack was just nae believable."

"If she left me and didn't love him, that's even worse."

"I donnae think she left cause she didnae love ye."

Lorelei squeezed her eyes closed tightly, no matter how many times she tried to explain it he wouldn't listen. She empathised with the other woman because she understood that urge to fly free. To not be answerable to any man. In Elizabeth's position she would have had more restrictions on her then Lorelei, what with having her attire and manners always under scrutiny. Being told what to do and expected not to complain. Lorelei shuddered violently, if she'd been living that life she would have run too. Will just did not understand that it was not him she didn't love, it was the life and she'd thought that by going with her heart and marrying the man she loved, that she would escape the confines. The fact that Will had risked death for her had made it romantic, but when she'd realised that back at Port Royale life wouldn't change, not even with her marriage then she had fled it the only way she knew how.

Will could almost feel the distance yawning between them again and he sighed, barely resisting the urge to release her and turn over. He'd obviously said the wrong thing again. What the hell did she want from him? Did she actually want him to care about Elizabeth? To forgive her? Not bloody likely. Not in this lifetime anyway.

Lorelei lay silently until a knock at the door startled her. She hastily sat up and pushed her hair out of her face. She growled under her breath at the stray curl that kept falling into her eyes, what possessed her to keep it untied? She threw open the door and scowled at Jonas. But she followed him when he told her they were about to depart and that Bill was at the helm. She turned towards Will. "It's time, did ye wanna see Bill's finest moment?"

Will nodded and stood to follow her. "Aye captain. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

They headed up to the deck but Lorelei stayed out of her Da's view. She smiled at Jack when he came to stand next to her. It never reached her eyes. Her crew worked efficiently as they hauled on the lines and hosted the sails. She was proud of them, and glowing with pride. Not only had she seen her beloved Da take his first steps back to happiness but he had seen her achievement in training her crew to be the best.

Will longed to reach out and hold her hand, but he knew that it was inappropriate. Okay, truthfully he wasn't sure what was and wasn't acceptable. She'd asked that he call her Captain though, so he assumed that he was to treat her just as any other crew member would above board. He couldn't help but resent the idea just a bit. He smiled at both her and Jack when they turned toward him, his eyes straying again to his da, whose face was a picture of pure bliss if he'd ever seen one. It was enough to actually make him forget his own woes for the moment, and that was saying a lot. The truth was that he was scared to death of what would happen when he was forced to face Elizabeth again. He wasn't sure how he would react, but somehow he had a feeling that Ruby expected him to realise he wasn't over Elizabeth. That was the one reaction he could assure her he would not be having, except that she wouldn't listen.

Once they were out onto the open ocean Lorelei took the helm and plotted their course. She handed the tiller back to her father's course and began prowling the ship, making sure everything was running smoothly and there were no hiccups. She even climbed the crow's nest to take the watch's report. It took her a couple of hours to complete her rounds; she was more thorough than usual to keep her mind pre occupied and not to dwell on the ache in her soul. Eventually though, she had to return below deck where Will was stretched out along her bed, reading.

Will looked up from the book he'd just picked up in a desperate bid to distract himself. Practicing with his sword had not done the job. It just made him think of all the people he'd like to punish with it right now. That bastard pirate that had hurt Ruby, the one that was apparently going to get more of a reprieve than he and Jack had meant to give him, and Elizabeth. No, he didn't want to use his sword against her, though he couldn't deny that in the last few hours he had indeed realised that he truly was still angry, and that simply made him even more angry. He smiled as Ruby made her way across the room, her hair damp and a few ringlets curled up enticingly against her cheek, having escaped the confines of her scarf. Her skin shone with the sheen of perspiration, and her scent greeted him as she got closer, muskier and headier than it was when she wasn't sweating, turning him to mush and his mouth to cotton. "You look like you've been hard at it."

"Aye, I like ta check on everythin tha' I can. It means I spend a fair portion o' tha day climbin' tha rigging and scalin tha crow's nest."

Will pouted playfully, "You mean I missed watching you climb?"

"Aye and haulling on tha' lines" Lorelei grinned at him as she began stripping off her sticky shirt. Most pirates and hygiene only had a nodding acquaintance, but Lorelei felt the need to be scoured clean.

"Mmmm..." He murmured as her breasts were revealed to his hungry gaze, his tongue snaking out to lick his lips absently. "I knew I should have stayed above deck and pretended to be useful."

"Why did ye come down here? Tis a nice day on deck." She pulled off her trousers and dropped them in a heap on the floor as she used the bowl of water set on her sideboard to wipe the sweat from her body. She ran the sponge over her glistening skin, sighing at the touch of the cool water. "What have ye been doin'?"

Will stood as if in a trance, and moved to her, taking the sponge from her hand and dipping it into the water, squeezing out the excess over her breasts and stomach, gasping a bit as the trail of water continued down and caught within her feminine curls. "I ummm..." He stroked the sponge across her collarbone before traveling down to first one breast and then the other, lingering decadently on each one and thrilling when she let out a small moan. "I ummm... practiced... with my sword." He blushed slightly as he realised just how that came out sounding.

Lorelei's laugh was low and husky. "Did ye just?" Her eyes were smoky with sudden desire.

Will nodded. "I did. Are you regretting that you didn't come down to watch me now?"

"Bitterly. A chance ta see ye hot an' sweatin yer chest all ripplin and glistenin. Nae woman in her right mind would ever wanna miss tha' sight." She pressed against him sensuously.

Will leaned in and caught her bottom lip between his teeth, pulling gently before releasing it. "Mmmm... and I can guarantee you no man in his right mind would willingly miss watching your perfect backside swaying as you climb, or sponging you off afterwards. Especially the sponging off part." He licked his lips again as he trailed the sponge down her back to make small circles on the body part under current discussion.

Lorelei giggled girlishly, "Are ye flirtin' with me Mr. Turner?"

Will grinned rakishly. "Dunno, would ye be likin' it if I was Cap'n?"

"I be thinkin' it could earn ye some favour." Lorelei leaned in and kissed him lingeringly. She took the sponge from him as she bit his lip. "I be thinkin tha' ye be in need of a wet down." She slipped her hand under his shirt the sponge gliding across his taut stomach, "Ye be lookin' mighty hot."

"Mmmm... positively scorching. And something tells me it's only bound to get worse."