Author's Note -
Okay, so, I admit it, I'm a bit late on my updating. But ... bear in mind that I do have an extra person living with me at the moment and things are pretty crazy. HOWEVER, after Wednesday, my life will, though very sadly, return to normal. I really love having a host sister ... all I have is a brother ... a very annoying brother, mind, but having a sister changes things ... we can talk about just about anything ... its great. Well, now that I've sufficiently talked up my life, on with the show.
-A-
Author Thanks -
All right ... I'm gonna be in trouble again ... its really late and I need to go to bed but the weekend will be insane so, I'm forgoing my standard issuing of thanks to everyone who reviewed. I'm sorry but this week has been absolutely crazy so, don't murder me and I WILL issue proper thanks to reviewers of last chapter and this next update.
SO ...
GINORMOUS HUGS TO ALL MY REVIEWERS! I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU LIKE MY STORY! PLEASE CONTINUE TO ENJOY!!!!
-A-
Last Time -
When finally we went our separate ways, I tucked the secrets into the corners of my heart and went back to Jack's cabin. After what I had found out, I desperately wanted to either talk to someone or be alone or both at the same time ... even though I realised that it wasn't possible.
-A-
Beyond the Horizon
Chapter 8: Disconcerting Revelations
Though I had assumed that my face was suitably unreddened ... I was wrong. Oh so wrong. Apparently one of the blessings of the fairly fair skin that I had received from my mother was that tearstains don't vanish too easily.
So, with the fact that my face still looked as if I had been sobbing my eyes out for seven years completely beyond me, I wandered slowly towards Jack's cabin.
As was my luck for the day, I did not make it there unaccosted. First, I was stopped by Mister Gibbs who wanted to know what the general condition of the men were. I told him but couldn't help but notice the concern in his eyes as he watched me talk and gesticulate. Thinking that maybe Gibbs had had a few too many sips from his flask, I paid it little heed and wished him a good day before continuing on my way.
Like I had said, though, my luck of the day was completely against me. I turned a corner to the corridor before Jack's cabin and I heard from a way's behind me a voice.
A cool, deep and drawling voice. "Why do you cry, senorita?"
Completely startled, I whirled around, searching for the source of the voice. I located it quickly, standing in the open doorway of the crew's cabin was the dark stranger. Subconsciously, I took a step forwards. "Pardon?"
"Why do you cry?"
'So I had heard that correctly...' I thought. I kept running into this man. It was so odd that I couldn't even imagine the chances. The other crewmembers and I hardly ever crossed paths save for at meal times. All other times of day or night they were typically doing their jobs ... as this man should have been doing. It struck a faint cord inside me as I thought that he was shirking his responsibilities when the crew already needed all hands. "I'm not crying," I answered hesitantly.
He took a step forward and in pace, I took one backwards. "Si, senorita. You cry. You cry just as any woman cries. But the question was why?"
I took another step backwards hesitantly. "No, I don't cry, Mister -"
"I know what happened to you, you know. I heard Colin tell one of the other men once. You're not like other women who live on boats, are you? You're different."
"I don't know what you mean and I must be going. I have ... er ... things to do," and with nothing better to do, I turned and made a strategic retreat back to the safety of Jack's cabin.
To my immense happiness, no subsequent questions followed me down the hall and I was even happier to be within the safety of the cabin. I leaned back against the door, allowing myself to relax.
Glancing around the room, I saw Jack rifling through the desk drawers.
"How many times must I tell ye, Gibbs, don't be disturbing me. I need something and I do nae need yer help!" Jack growled.
"Well, that's well and good, perhaps I should go tell Mr. Gibbs that, then, shall I?"
Jack turned, grinning sheepishly over at me. "Yer done early, love."
"Aye," I mocked him. "I be a good wench."
"That you are."
"Actually, I crushed about as much cinchona as one can manage without actually loosing their arms so there will be definitely enough for a while. I'm afraid that if this doesn't die down soon, we'll run out. I mean, the men are getting better but there is no telling whether or not there will be a second round of it. Then I forced more tea down the throats of my patients so to speak and had the cabin boy help me in that task."
Jack sauntered closer over to me and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. He opened his mouth to speak but then shut it again and brought his free hand up to my face. "What's wrong?"
I shook my head. "Nothing. When I was crushing the bark, some flew up and got into my eye. Stung like the devil. Made my eye tear up something terrible."
Jack clicked his tongue, clearly seeing though my fib. "That explains one eye. Unless you meant to say that you got bark fragments into both eyes?"
I nodded. "Bad luck."
He shook his head again, not being fooled. "What happened?"
"Its nothing ... I was reading and something just got to me, that's all," I hastened.
"What were you reading?" he inquired.
I shrugged. "Ummm ..." I stalled as my eyes scanned frantically around the room for something to fill in for literature. "Umm ... the Bible?"
Jack raised an eyebrow carefully. "Not that I question whether or not you've read the Bible, love, I'm sure that you have. But where did you find one on me ship?"
"The cabin boy had one."
"Know what's funny about that, Christy? When we took that boy on in Antigua, he didn't have two pence to rub together, let alone a holy book."
I sighed. There was no point in lying now. He knew that I was out of options. "Okay, look, I got thinking about Rhia and ... well, I miss her. Is that acceptable, Captain?" I said, defiance edged in my tone.
Jack pulled me closer. "Of course it is, love! Not that I'd like to see ye bawling like a stuck pig or anything but it's natural for ye to miss our daughter. She takes after her father in being miss-able, if you ask me."
I snorted slightly and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "Whatever you say, captain." Pulling away from him, I strode over to the window. "So, what is it that you were looking for when I came in?"
"My map of the bloody Caribbean is gone. Left it out this morn and now it's gone."
I frowned slightly. I remembered seeing it, truly I did but I had no idea where it could have gone. "Well, it can't have gotten up and walked away. Surely you just misplaced it."
"Love, I searched the entire bloody cabin."
My frown deepened and strangely enough, my thoughts flitted to the strange crewmember that I kept running into. "Who is the new crew member? The one with the Spanish accent."
"Rion. Why do you ask?" Jack asked, his head underneath the desk.
"I keep running into him. I don't understand it but I've had words with him twice today. He keeps complementing me."
THUMP.
"OW!"
"What did you do now?" I asked worriedly as I hurried over to see Jack rubbing the back of his head gently. That simple image told me exactly what he had done. He had gotten jealous and jerked his head up forgetting that the desk drawer was over him.
He looked up at me, pouting slightly. "Hit me head."
I crouched down beside him and gently felt the back of his head. "Oh ... poor little Jack. Does Jack need some honey to make his head feel better?"
Jack smirked slightly but continued rubbing his head.
I tutted my tongue slightly and shook my head. 'Only him.'
But while I was busy mentally scolding the man of my dreams, an arm snaked out and pulled me forward.
My eyes widened slightly as Jack pulled me in for a kiss. When we broke apart, he whispered, mouth still near mine, "Although, I could take another type of sweet to make me feel better."
I shook my head. "As tempting as that sounds ... no. We can't. You, Mister, have work to get done and I need to do ... things. So, we can't just dally our life away on that bed of yours."
Jack pouted further and opened his mouth to suggest one of a plethera of lewd comments he had in that brain of his but I simply wouldn't hear it.
"No, Jack. You have things to do," I chided as I stood up.
Jack grudgingly obeyed, the pout never leaving his face.
'Ooh, he is adorable when he pouts,' I thought. But I pushed that out of my mind as I added, "I'm getting quite good at telling our daughter that, Jack, when she pulls a face like that. Now I see where she gets it."
"Love," Jack whispered seductively as he leaned closer to me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
Knowing exactly what he wanted, I shook my head firmly, braced my hands on his chest and after giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek, pushed him gently away. I pushed him towards the door and said, with a bit more urgency then I had intended, "I'll be waiting for you. Hurry back."
Jack flashed a devious grin over his shoulder, donned his hat and left, whistling a merry tune as he walked.
-A-
Author's Note -
Okay, so better late than never, huh?
So, next few chappies should be relatively on schedule. Figure usually Friday through Sunday for post days. I'm desperately hoping for more free time ... you have no idea how much that concept alludes me right now. lol.
Hmm ... I hope everyone is doing well. I got my senior pictures taken on Sunday and I got the proofs back today. They were awesome! Some were funky but that's okay. And you'll never guess what I got some of them taken with.
Okay, so, that's your chore for when you review. Figure out what I did for my pictures. LOL. I'm serious, though.
I mentioned earlier that my brother was being annoying so anyone who is willing to drive here and take him gets the next chapter and a sneak preview of a special something WeasleyGirl and I are working on. Just a hint, it won't show up on It will (hopefully) be coming to a much realer level.
So, that's all for now.
Mange Klemmar
CrazyCanoeingGIT