"May memory restore again and again
The smallest color of the smallest day:
Time is the school in which we learn,
Time is the fire in which we burn."
-Delmore Schwartz

Chapter Eight

The back door to Helena Port's only tavern swings open. A petite blonde stands in the doorway, an immediate tempered expression on her pretty face. But just as quickly, an attractive smile lifts at her mouth.

"Please tell me I ain't seein' things, for it looks as though Robin Harris herself is perched upon my doorstep!" she exclaims happily, her hands placed sarcastically on her hips.

I ignore Jack's questioning glance, and instead accept my old friend's warm embrace. "Hello, Mercy."

"And who is this you've dragged along with you?" She looks Jack over with approved blue eyes.

"Mercy, this is Jack. Jack, Mercy."

He bows, taking her hand for an introductory kiss. I smile, trying my best to hide my amusement.

"A gentleman! Robin, where on Earth did you meet someone as handsome and considerate as this man?" Mercy Hailey jokes.

"You obviously don't know him one bit," I quip, grinning at Jack for good measure.

"Well, c'mon inside, the both of you." She takes me by the hand and pulls me through the doorway. "Emmet is gonna go wild when he sees you, Robin!"

I look back to see if Jack is still following. "Robin?" the pirate whispers, but so only I can hear.

"I'll explain later!" I say.

Mercy is so excited to see me, which makes me happy in return. "You better tell me everything!" She says as she pushes her way past two barmaids. They must be new because I've never seen them before.

"I promise, I promise." I laugh at her excitement.

We pass through the swinging doors and into the tavern itself. It's early evening, so the large room is nearly empty. Given some time, though, it will be as packed as possible. I spot Emmet instantly, standing behind the bar and pouring drinks. He looks as healthy and handsome as ever.

"Emmet, you won't believe what I found at the back steps," Mercy tells her older brother.

He looks up and instantly his eyes meet with my hazel depths. "Two dead rats," I conclude. "Real disgusting things! You're going to have to throw them out because no one else wants to touch them."

Emmet, who is more like an older brother than anything, pulls me to him for a secure hug. And just as always, he's so tall that my feet are lifted from the floor. "My God, how long has it been, Robin?"

"Five months."

"And look," Mercy is holding Jack by the arm, "Our girl has found herself a male specimen!" She says with a laugh.

Jack raises an eyebrow at me and grins. "Captain Jack Sparrow," he introduces, and politely shakes Emmet's hand.

"The Captain Jack Sparrow?" Emmet's eyes grow wide.

"Why am I not surprised?" Mercy comments, shaking her head in amusement.

"What?" I say, "He's my current charge."

Emmet seems nothing but welcoming, as always. "You two want something to eat?" But we both decline.

"I'm sure you want a bath," Mercy says with a smile. Whenever I come back here she treats me like a princess. "When was the last time you had one?"

I sigh. "Forever ago. Thanks." And she waltzes off, swinging her hips, to make arrangements for such.

"Chester was here earlier, looking for you," Emmet says while he wipes down the bar, "I figured you'd show up sooner or later." He slides a dark glass of brandy my way, my favorite, and regards Jack. "What's your poison, Captain?"

"Rum." And I wasn't expecting anything different.

Emmet looks at the collection of bottles and assorted drinks behind the bar for a long moment. "Ey, Robin, you wanna do me a favor?" he smiles.

I hold my hand out, and he drops a ring of brass keys into my palm. "Just like old times, huh?" I quip as I ready myself to go down to the cellar.

"Exactly."

I grasp Jack lightly by the arm. "I'm taking him with me," I confirm to Emmet. Jack and I have some things to discuss.

As soon as we are through the door, Jack jumps to the chase. "All right, Robin, do ye feel like explainin'?"

A few of the workers around us glance up, startled by the abrupt voices in the quiet room.

"Shhh," I glare at him for causing a scene. Quickly unlocking the second door on the left, we start down the stairs.

"It's not a big deal," I tell him as I lead us expertly down to the cellars. "So, I change my name a lot." I shrug it off as though everyone has at least a dozen titles.

"Do they know that?" he asks.

"Yes," I reply.

"And this place?"

I pull out another key to unlock the last door, but I can't remember which it is. "I used to work here," I explain. "It's sort of like my own cache. You know, the Black Pearl has her own island where you keep all your treasure. This is that place for me." I try another key, but it's once again incorrect.

"The more I learn about ye," Jack declares, "The more I realize you're a complete stranger."

I don't understand why, but those words stab me right in my black heart. "I'm not a stranger, Sparrow. You know me better than anyone else has in a very long time." I try the last key. "God dammit, which bloody key is it!"

Jack snatches the ring from my hand and gets the door open with his first try, completely effortless. "That may be true, but it doesn't make ye any less confusin'. The more I figure ye out the more of a mystery ye become." He leans against the doorframe, swinging the jingling keys with his right hand.

"It's all a part of the game, Sparrow," I present, and bend to lift a crate filled with bottles of the best rum in the Carribean. "Help me with this, will you?"

He lifts it himself so much easier, and I lock the door behind us as we part from the cellar.

"You'll tell me all of your deepest darkest secrets one day, Andie. And I promise ye that."

I only grin in reply, never agreeing to anything of the sort. "We'll see about that."

As we are walking through the back room to get to the main tavern, I spot Sadie Black, who I thought had left Helena Port a long time ago. Or so I hoped.

"Robin Harris," she says, her green eyes sizing me up with disgust. "Haven't seen you for a while," she grins a fake friendly smile, "It looks like you've gained some weight since our last encounter. What, can't get that corset any tighter?"

I glare at her in pure annoyance. "At least I can wear a corset without snapping the strings," I hiss. I can hear the tapping of Mercy's heels tapping behind me. "You may want to take a look in the mirror, Sadie. It reads 'beast' across your forehead," I say sweetly. A little too sweetly.

"All right, girls," Mercy takes me by the arm, "Same rules go as last time. Don't talk to one another, don't even glance each other's way." She leads Jack and I back out to the tavern.

"What the hell was that about?" Jack sets the crate of rum behind the bar.

I take a seat and glare at the back door. "I despise her."

He settles beside me. "That's obvious."

"Sadie and Robin have a history of not really liking each other," Mercy watches as a dirty group of men, laughing and hollering, waltz in from the main doors. "I don't understand why you two just can't get along," she ponders.

"Because she's a bitch," I point out, "She starts it every single time! I just finish it."

"Like that time you finished it by giving her a bloody lip?" Emmet suggests.

I laugh, receiving an apathetic look from both my friends. "Oh, come on," I say, "That was funny." I smile at Jack. "She didn't even try to hit me back. She just complained and pouted to Emmet like a child." The pirate has the decency to chuckle. "See?" I point out to them. "Funny."

"Well you didn't have to hit her," Mercy argues.

I take a swig of my brandy. "Whatever."

88888

The bath water sloshes and gracefully slides off my leg as I rest my ankle on the edge of the tub.

"I offered Jack a bath as well, but he was having none of it." Mercy shares as she drops a towel on the chair closest to the tub.

"He's a pirate," I conclude, "Clean doesn't exactly scream scary."

"He did, however, agree to share yours," she smiles knowingly, as though she understands everything that's going on in my head. "But I told him it wasn't an option."

I laugh, but say nothing.

"He likes to look at you," she says, "And I don't think it's just because you're easy on the eyes."

My brow furrows. "What are you getting at, Mercy?"

"Oh, nothing." she smiles. "So, tell me!"

"Tell you what?"

"Does he live up to his reputation?"

I'm silent.

"You and a very handsome, very famous pirate who's always on the Navy's wanted list? Don't tell me you haven't jumped his bones already!" she laughs.

I shift nervously in the water, wondering how she will react to the truth.

Her faces takes on the very definition of surprised. "You haven't? My God, you like him! I never thought I'd see the day!"

"Mercy, you're all wrong. It's rare that we even stop arguing! There's no way in Hell!" But despite my words, I can feel heat rushing to my pale cheeks.

"Robin, you're blushing!"

Glaring at her in frustration, I then dunk my head beneath the water, hoping I can wash away the embarrassment.

88888

Once clean, I dry myself off while Mercy leaves to help a few of the barmaids in the back room. I slip into my usual color of ebony and do my best to towel-dry my hair. But as I glance at myself in the mirror, I can't help but wonder if I look any different from the last time I was here. My hair is the same; long and dead straight, a shimmering shade of black. My eyes are the same hazel, framed by heavy lashes. My skin is soft and fair. But something tells me I'm different. Somehow, I'm just not the same.

Wanting to see the new in my reflection, I seek out a pair of sewing sheers in a drawer. Carefully, I begin trimming off long locks my hair. The sheers make quiet snipping noises in the silence of the room.

Once satisfied, I release a sigh of relief. My head feels lighter. Still thick, my once waist-long hair falls carelessly over my shoulders to just above my elbows. It's quite a change, bit it feels good between my fingers.

Someone knocks on the washroom door. "Andie?"

"It's open," I say invitingly.

It's Jack. "Mercy told me ye'd be in here."

I smile. "How's the crowd?"

"Insane," he replies of the customers out in the tavern.

"It always is."

But Jack's giving me a strange look. "What?" I snap.

He eyes me with those dark depths for a moment longer. "Why do ye look different?"

I feel somewhat uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze. "I cut my hair."

Jack breathes in the change for a minute and then says, thoughtfully, "I like it."

I can't hide my smile. "I bet you do, Sparrow. What difference does a few snipped hairs make to you?"

"It doesn't. Yer beautiful either way," he grins, but he seems so sure.

I ignore the pang in my gut. "Hitting on me now, are you? Well, you're not getting anything from me, Captain," I tell him with a smirk.

"It was just a compliment, Andie. I thought women liked those sort of things."

I laugh. "We do."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is the person dishing out the compliment," I confess humorously.

"I don't think so," Jack says, reaching out two long fingers to trail innocently along my jaw line. "I think the problem is ye."

A frown turns down my lips. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

He smiles. "See? Yer so defensive all the time."

"I am not defensive," I argue.

He just nods, inspecting his fingernails as though he is bored with the conversation.

"Whatever," I sigh. "Let's go snatch ourselves a bottle or two of rum."

88888

After a long night and a few drinks, I've decided to hit the sack.

"Come on, Jack, I'll show you to the spare room." Mercy smiles politely.

"Oh, don't bother, he can stay in my room," I say before I catch myself.

My friend laughs, her blue eyes twinkling. "All right. If that's okay with you, Jack."

"No complains here, love."

"Goodnight," I tell her, and blow Emmet a kiss. He's still pouring drinks for late night customers.

As we pass through the backroom, a group of barmaids sit in the corner, chatting aimlessly. They all suspiciously grow quiet when they spot us and give me strange looks. I roll my eyes and brush off their ignorance, moving past to the attic staircase. They all gawk at Jack as he follows behind, smiling and batting their lashes at him; a man compelling yet dangerous.

"Captain Sparrow, are you sure you want to spend the night with her?" Sadie Black's voice purrs from the center of the pack. "She's been all over the island!" She flaunts at him and pulls at his collar with her long claw-like fingers. "I'm sure a man with your reputation would prefer to spend the night with a clean woman."

Jack reaches up to peel her bony hands off him and opens his mouth to speak-

But I beat him to the chase. "Close your legs, Sadie. No one wants your services."

She glares at me. "Why do you even come back to Helena Port? We don't want you here, Robin. Everywhere you go you leave a tainted trail. I, for one, am not wanting to deal with your shit."

My hazel eyes are ablaze. "Why so angry with me, Ms. Black? Oh, I'm sorry, is your syphilis acting up again?"

Sadie launches herself at me, teeth bared and red-brown hair flying, but Jacks steps in her way before she reaches her destination. I laugh, always finding her hatred for me most entertaining. She tries to swat past him, but unfortunately for her, Jack's a fabulous barricade.

"Ladies, ladies," said pirate tisks. "There's no reason to be fightin' over me."

I scoff at him. "Does everything always have to be about you?"

He considers this a moment before nodding.

"What did they do now?" I look over to see Mercy standing behind Jack, hands on her hips. I feel as though she is my mother, scolding me for fighting with an annoying sibling.

"I didn't do a thing," I say, "I just want to go to bed."

She breathes a heavy sigh and waves me toward the stairs. I comply, and continue embarking on my journey to the attic, but I can hear her ordering the other girls to get back to work.

As we reach the top, I'm not surprised when Jack takes the opportunity to swat at my backside. "Keep your hands to yourself, Sparrow." I warn.

The door creaks open as I twist the nob, and we're welcomed by a great darkness as Jack chuckles at my response to his busy hands.

"That was handsome of ye, bein' all possessive over me and whatnot," Jack announces, the humor lighting his voice.

I rummage around in the iniquity, lighting candles. "I'm not possessive over you in any sense," I argue. "No charge of mine will be touching the likes of her. I'd have to leave you behind."

"You've got quite a space here, darling," Jack says, looking about the room.

As I do the same, I realize that everything is as I left it five months ago. Rich silks and various objects that I collected from India still hang from the far wall, my things still sitting on the bedside table and vanity. The walls are colorful with many paintings and even poetry that I once plastered on it's surface.

"Did you do this?" Jack questions, his fingers skimming along the many shades and pictures.

"Yep." I drop down onto the bed and kick off my boots. "I used to be really into the arts," I explain.

"I see that," he says, thoughtful as he observes the works of my own hand.

I watch him for a long moment, silent, as he breathes everything in. It's the first time I notice the small scar along his strong jaw and eyebrow. He's continually brought up my past and adventures, asking questions. I realize now that although I know more about him then he does of me, I still want to know more.

"How did you get that?" I ask, touching my jaw in comparison.

He smiles, a warm smirk as he looks away from the walls and back to me. "I'll tell ye, but only in one condition. Ye share with me a scar of your own." We both know that by scars he means history.

But I have to consider this for a moment. "Deal."

"All right, love, ye first."

I shrug. "Which do you want to know about?"

He settles down beside me and removes his boots and various effects. "The most interesting one, of course."

"Okay," I respond and begin thoughtfully gathering up my skirts to reveal to him the milky white flesh of my left leg. On the inside of my thigh is a long, fading mark. "A couple of months back while I was in Spain, I spent a night or two in a prison. The first night, one of the soldiers tried getting a little too close for comfort." Jack reached out, tracing the memory with a gentle caress. "When I refused him with a blow to the head, another came after me with a blade." I gasp as his eyes catch mine, and he bends to brush the flesh with a healing kiss. The few seconds feel like hours of pure torture. I pull at him. "Your turn."

He smiles that infamous incubus grin. "This?" He grabs a hold of my hand and brings it to his jaw. My fingertips skim along the mark there, just as he had done to mine seconds before. "Well, love, before I had the Pearl, I worked on the crew of many ships. The first was called The Madrigal . I didn't hoist the sails as I was supposed to, and the captain was not very excepting to mistakes."

I watch him for a moment, listening to the short story. "He wore rings?" I question, observing the mark.

Jack nods. "One on each finger."

I lean forward, pressing a soft kiss to the scar before I reward his jaw with a kittenish lick. He stills for a moment in response, to which I can't help but chuckle. His fingers dig into my sides not a moment later, tickling me in revenge.

"Sparrow!" I warn, trying to get away from him. But I can't hold back my uncontrollable laugh, trying my best to push him away but pull him closer simultaneously. He finally gives in and lets his arms circle around my waist as I tug him down to the covers with me.

His lips are only mere centimeters from mine. "Jack-"

"Shut up, love." His kiss is sweet, light, exploring. I find myself curious to unravel everything about him in return.

Nine pages! The longest chapter I've written yet. And considering this week is my Spring Break, I'll hopefully be getting a lot more done. I am so into this story that I can't stop writing it. In fact, I posted this chapter so quickly because I almost had the entire thing written weeks ago. I just had an idea and went with it. So thanks to random rambles, you have a quick update.

P.S. For those of you who read my other story "Wayding Waters", I'm hoping to update sometime this week. I'm so sorry it's taken me so long, but I've had a bit of a block with this story.

Cookies in return for reviews!

Peaches and Cream, Orlando's Hot Chick, Funkyflamingo, A Depp Girl, Spanish-Eyes2, & SuperMonkey289: Glad you enjoyed.

Captain Mary Sparrow: I don't only write about Jack getting in trouble. That gets old. I like plots. I like to build up plots. And I also like to write feel good chapters, which was what the last one was. It's moving along, just be patient.

Jadeddreamz: Haha, you know, I agree with you. Andie should pursue her urges. (Hell, I would if I was her! Damn, I'd be all over that man!) And I think she will eventually. . .