Okay, I realize that this has been massively slow, and for that, I apologize. See, I did try to work on it when I wasn't studying for midterms (grrr.....university....grr....), but then Jack kept asking why I was spending more time with "that blasted noisy box" (i.e. my computer) instead of with him.
Now, to avoid the risk of someone stealing him when I wasn't looking (I had to beat off two more fangirls yesterday) I spent my time with him, instead of working on the story.
However, by the time I came home from school today, Jack had discovered Hook, so he's off busy reading, and I can finally get some work done. Yay!
Cynikalbitch: Why, thank you! Someone appreciates me, anyways. Love the français!
Sweet A.K.: Ooh...I actually managed to make it sound like Jack, too? Wowsers. Thankies!
Saiyan-girl-cheetah: Boo-yah, Heather kicks ass! *runs off to go ass-kicking* Glad you liked it then, hope it gets better for you!
HyperCaz: Hm, I've been thinking of crossing them over, but how to make the perspectives work? Must think on that. And you are hooked cause I worked darn hard to make sure you would be, and there's been this miraculous strange bolt of lightening that hit me and made my work good, or something like that.
BubblyFizz03: Yeah, I kinda figured Jack wouldn't be able to handle that all that well.....mwa ha! Glad you liked the other one, thankies!
I88er-az: You do have a point there. Plus, no one wants to read that much Heather.....;P Although, oddly enough, I've not really a fan of chocolate anyway! Hey....I know someone with the exact same name as you, she went to my highschool! Amazing...
Sugaricing: You almost worship my writing?! *falls off chair* WOW! *huggles* You make me feel all specially......and what happens to Christine? Well.....if I combine these, you'll get to find out!
Ninjix: Aww....thanks! I'm glad you like it so much!
Valor: *huggles* Aww....thank you! Glad it was a good beginning, though. I was worried about that.
Eva: Thanks! Here we go!
Lyssa2: Erm. Yeah, maybe I should have been clearer on that, or something. Yeah, somehow, I can't see Jack being a perfect gentleman either....*laughs evilly* Millions of bloody plot twists, then? Can do!
Thunderfoot: Meh, the second chapter wasn't quick, though. And even combining, I'm gonna still try to keep this one short. I think I may combine, but it should be only 10 chapters at most. *crosses fingers* And seriously, I can sympathize with uni assignments.....Classics essay, library assignment, and a website due next week.....blarg.
Lady J. Riddle: Yay! *huggles* Someone proud of her for standing up to him! Though you're very right - it would be darn difficult to keep them around Jack!
AndriJ: Ooh....you were waiting for it and everything? Wow. And it was a good thing you checked! Although, it still took awhile for this one....
DarkBeauty: Yes, yes I am having far too much fun. :D Mwa ha! Turners!
Brem Nakada: Yes, yes he is. *grins* But I like cheeky little devils! Thank you so much!
Let's see, now....do I own Jack? *glances over her shoulder* Despite the fact that he's sitting on my bed reading, no. He belongs to Disney. And the Black Pearl? Jack's. Heather? Mwa ha! She's MINE! So no sue me.
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It was warm. Warm, comfortable, soft, blankets wrapped around me in an oddly tight twist, and still dark. I half opened my eyes, wriggling the fingers on my left hand to make sure they still worked, then trying to wiggle those on my right and rediscovered that they were bandaged. I'd forgotten about that. But of course, the moment I thought of it, all of that dull ache came rushing back, along with a sharp sting in the inside on my wrist. That would be the seawater - hadn't the doctor warned me about getting it wet?
Sighing, I closed my eyes again against the almost-dawn dimness of the room, and snuggled deeper into the blankets. Until I realized that I wasn't snuggling into blankets when those blankets tightened around me, and whispered, "Now this is more like it," in my ear.
Eyes snapping back open, I craned my neck back, discovering that what I had at first believed were blankets were, in actual fact, one pirate captain. "Oh, crap," I whispered.
He laughed. "Now that's a new one, luv." He nuzzled at my ear, lips brushing at the sensitive crook of neck and head. Oddly enough, it tickled my neck, until I realized that those ridiculous little braids of his were trailing across the skin. "You know, this would have to be a new experience, for me."
"What, waking up in the morning with a woman still fully clothed in your bed?" I shot back, trying very hard to ignore what those nuzzling kisses were doing to my insides.
"Actually..." there was a pause. "Yes."
I rolled my eyes. "Figured as much."
"Of course..." his kisses began to trail lower, now starting across my shoulder. Wait, why was my shoulder bare anyway? It shouldn't have been. "There's still enough 'night' left to remedy that situation."
I pulled away from him, though, to my slight (but only slight, really, all things considered) consternation, his arms were still latched around me with enough strength to prevent me actually getting away from him. Instead, I turned my attention to my bare shoulder, frowning at the shirt that had somehow become somewhat unbuttoned, and shifted in the night, exposing a shoulder, half my arm, and considerable amounts of my collarbone area. "Jack," I said firmly, making him look up from nipping at that offending shoulder. "I had a vest on last night. Why am I not wearing that vest now?"
He arched an eyebrow. "Ye were?"
"Yes. Dark green. Fitted. I was wearing it when I climbed aboard yesterday, perhaps you can recall that?" I glared at him, quite curious as to how he was going to weasel his way out of this one.
He frowned for a moment, turning his eyes skyward as though expecting to see a message printed on the ceiling. And then his eyes visibly lit up, even in the dim dark, like stars appearing suddenly in an ebony sky. "Ah, yes." He turned back, grinning. "I remember that. Very nicely fitted, if I do say so myself."
I admit it. I blushed. Again. "Jack...." I swallowed, trying to banish that darn feeling of delicious knots in my stomach. "Jack, what happened to that vest?"
Another pause. "You mean you don't know?"
"Ah, would I be asking, if I knew?" I shot him a dry look.
His eyebrows contorted themselves into some semblance of one raised, the other dipping over his dark eyes. "You mean you don't remember?"
It was my turn for eyebrows to do gymnastics. "Now, hold up here, Mr. Sparrow. I don't remember what?"
"Hoo dear," he released my waist finally, at least one hand, anyway, to roll back onto his back, gesturing wildly at the ceiling. "Ya hear that? She doesn't even remember!"
I do believe I gaped at him wide-eyed. Yes, gaping definitely occurred. "Jack...I didn't....I didn't do anything....stupid, did I?"
"Well, that depends on your definition of 'stupid'," he began, waving his hand again. But upon seeing my absolutely horror-struck expression, he sighed. "Luv, you took the stupid vest off in the middle of the night. Muttered something about being too hot. See? Right over there, you tossed it on the end of the bed."
I lifted my head a little, and checked. Sure enough, my vest lay crumpled at the end of the bed. I shot Jack one last suspicious look, then dropped my head back onto the pillow, but not before I yanked the collar of my shirt back up to my neck where it belonged. He just grinned, reaching up to play with a loose lock of my hair, twisting it round his finger.
It was comfortable, laying there, one of Jack's arms under me, just in the small of my back, the other hand idly playing its way across my hair, light slowing growing in the room. I rested my hands on my stomach, fingers laced, and my eyes started to grow heavy again. Eyes half closed, I barely noticed when his hand left my hair, but when I spotted it inching towards the buttons on my shirt, I spoke up. "Captain, if you want a smack right about now, then I would continue." His hand paused, hovering for a moment just above my chest, as though weighing the pros and cons, so I stressed the point just a little clearer. "In fact, should you continue, I may just demand to be brought back to Port Royal. I'm sure Francis would respect my wishes."
Jack's hand suddenly retreated, as the pirate muttered, "Damn pansy redcoat."
"He got a blue coat, actually," I murmured, willing to let the almost-unbuttoning go this time, since I was just so darn comfy. In fact, I was very nearly asleep again when a knock rang on the door, and Gibbs voice called for his captain.
Jack cursed, awkwardly pulling his arm out from under me, flexing it to get some feeling back into the limb. "Sorry, luv," he said as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, reaching for his boots. "Duty calls."
"Of course," I sighed, sighing. "It figures."
He laughed, turning back around, flopping down so he rested on his elbows. "Of course, I'm sure AnaMaria can handle the helm, so if you..." he was interrupted by Gibbs loudly knocking again, and he shot the door an irritated look. "I'm coming, already," he said with a sigh, hauling himself up.
Sitting up, I ran one hand through my tangled hair, then dangled my feet over the edge of the bed, reaching for my boots. Yanking them on, I had just stood and was running a hand through my hair again when Jack opened the door.
Gibbs stood in the opening, hand raised to knock again. He opened his mouth, then stopped, eyes widening as he gaped past Jack. I gave him my patented 'what, did I grow another head?' look, and glanced behind me to see what he was looking at. Nothing seemed out of place. Arching an eyebrow, I looked back at him, and asked, "What? Something wrong?"
Jack glanced over his shoulder too, but instead of gaping, a rather lecherous grin spread across his features, before crossing the floor, and reaching a hand forward to grab the collar of my shirt, which had somehow managed to slide down again. Tugging it up to its proper position, he grinned, reaching down to do up a couple of the buttons. "Ye were getting mighty close to showing Mr. Gibbs a sight I don't think he's seen in a long time, lass."
I shot him a scadalized look, jerking back from his hands on my shirt buttons (again). "Do you mind?" I demanded, to which he just laughed, wrapping an arm around my shoulder, and leading me back to the door, and his first mate.
"Well, now, Gibbs," Jack confronted the older man, who's eyes had still not lost their gaping look. "To what point and purpose would you have been interrupting us this morning?"
Gibbs started, coughing nervously. "Er...right. There's something you ought to be seeing, Captain."
Jack rolled his eyes, and sauntered out onto deck after the other man. Despite what one might think, I discovered, still dipped comfortably under his arm, that matching his swaggered pace wasn't even all that difficult, especially when you have motivation for keeping up the ridiculous thing. And despite the fact that I didn't want to sleep with the man, (well, not yet, anyway) I think, I suspect, I'm pretty sure, that I was rapidly losing myself to the spell of those hypnotic black eyes.
"Now, what's this ye think I need to see this early in the morning?" Jack asked lazily, now that we'd reached the prow. Gibbs solemnly took out a spyglass, handing it to Jack, then pointing to a spot on the horizon. Jack lifted his arm from my shoulder to hold the glass, aiming it out over the waves.
I looked in the direction he pointed, but all I could see, in any direction, amidst the endless water, was a tiny black spot on the horizon. It was on this that Jack was focusing, and although I could see nothing of interest in a tiny, far away spot, a rather devious smile was spreading across Jack's face.
"Now that is interesting, isn't it?" He smirked, lowering the glass, and passing it back to Gibbs. "Nice big one, too. Fair to burst with swag, I'm certain."
"Are either of you planning on telling me just what it is you're talking about?" I demanded, earning a grin from Jack and a startled look from Gibbs. He muttered something - as always - about women being horrible bad luck on board a ship, but handed me the glass.
Nodding my thanks, I set the device to my eye, wincing as a severely twisted world jumped into view. These old spyglasses had the worst, distorted lenses. But we'd had a set just like these in that lighthouse museum I'd worked in the summer of freshman year in highschool, and when the days were slow, I could sometimes be found at the top of the lighthouse, when I should have been dusting the light, playing with the spyglass. What's the point of having old artifacts, anyway, if you can't use them? So all my memories of playing with that thing, trying to spot the boats as they headed in and out of the power-plant harbor on the point came back to me, and I twisted the focusing lens until I could see that spot on the horizon.
"Hmm. Nice ship. Spanish armada. Headed..." I paused to check the sun. "East, so no doubt headed home with a nice hold of Caribbean gold." I grinned, looking up at Jack, who looked somewhat startled.
"How'd you know it was a Spanish vessel?" He asked, taking the glass to check again for himself.
"It's got the flag, right on the back prow," I pointed out, shaking my head as he twisted his face up in a strangely cute expression, trying to make out the flag. "C'mon, don't tell me that the great Captain Jack Sparrow can't make out a flag from this distance."
He shot me a quick sideways look, then waved his hands for a moment, landing dramatically on his chest in a flourish. "O' course, luv! I am Captain Jack Sparrow, after all, aren't I?" He nodded to Gibbs. "Set a course, mate. We'll be taking us some shine, methinks."
Gibbs nodded, as Jack solemnly offered the glass back to Gibbs with a dramatic flourish. Gibbs then turned, barking out orders, letting all know the plan.
Jack watched appraisingly for a moment, the spun, setting his hands on my shoulders. "And you, lass, are naught but a pirate whelp, and, what was it Barbossa called ye again? Ah, yes. A hellcat."
I smirked, and decided that yes, I was going to send this man horribly mixed messages. Such is the feminine prerogative.
Sliding my hands around his waist, I tilted my head, slipping close to him. "Best keep a watch about yourself, then, Captain, as it is my experience that cats tend to devour sparrows."
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Mwa ha! End of chapter!
Oh dear. Jack just discovered the color photo inserts in the middle of the book.....and is now loudly declaring that anyone who dresses like Captain Hook is a pansy.
I think he's jealous.
REVIEW!!!! Mwa ha!