Author's Note -

I'm alive!!!!

Okay, so, I think that you will definitely enjoy this chapter ... its a keeper, in my book.

Thanks are at the bottom ... because there are a bunch!

ENJOY!!!!

-A-

Last Time-

Jack flashed a devious grin over his shoulder, donned his hat and left, whistling a merry tune as he walked.

-A-

Beyond the Horizon

Chapter 9 - Taking Time

So, now that I was alone in the cabin once more, I was able to finally focus my thoughts on what I had found out during the day. The cabin boy, Tad, had seen his mother kill his father and then he had held is baby sister as she died. The boy must have been completely traumatised ... and probably still was.

But, for starters, I knew why he was so skittish around the men. He was afraid of strange men because they had been the bane of his existence earlier in his short life. I couldn't help but feel terribly for the boy but at the same time, I didn't see what I could do to help him apart from listening to him and try to keep him out of unfamiliar situations ...

I knew though, deep down, that he would have to come out of his shell eventually. Sitting closed off from the world stewing never did anyone any good, I knew that for sure ... from experience.

Although how to help the lad completely evaded my knowledge ... I had no idea what to do for him.

Frustrated, I walked over to the window, sat down, pressed my forehead against the cool glass and thought.

After seemingly ages, however, no bolts of inspiration had hit me so I decided that I would have to wait longer.

-A-

It is strange but life at sea has a certain rhythm to it. A predictability that can only be disrupted by natural causes (storms) or human caused events. Once that rhythm is started, it becomes impossible to break.

My days became very predictable. Wake up, boil water, medicate men, talk to men, make food for sick men, boil water again, do dishes, medicate men again, eat with Jack, sleep. Of course there were smaller things thrown in on random days but as a whole, my life had one giant rhythm to it and I became increasingly comfortable with it.

One of my little hobbies for down times was teaching Tad. I was surprised to learn that the lad was able to read and write. So, we worked on spelling and small word games ... nothing too difficult but enough to keep his mind of some of the traumas that he had seen. It crossed my mind that I should teach him French but I didn't think that he was quite there yet in ability. However, I stored that fact away in the back of my mind. 'Perhaps later ...' I thought to myself as I walked back towards Colin's cabin. 'Perhaps later I could help him with -'

"Stop!" I cried aloud.

Mr. Potts, who had been released from my care a few days before, was in the hall and froze completely.

'Okay, hadn't meant to talk to myself out loud.' I walked over to Mr. Potts and gently put a hand on his shoulder. "How are you feeling, Mr. Potts?"

He smiled down at me from his enormous height and said, "Right fine, Miss Christy. Back at me duties. Nice ta be movin' gain."

I smiled at him and bade him farewell before continuing on my course.

If I could have seen him through the back of my head, I would have seen that he shook his head, smiled and walked off. But I missed that ... thankfully.

-A-

The remainder of the day passed easily enough. I relaxed a bit by spending some time with Chaton ... I felt badly because she had been in Colin's cabin for ages and when I finally got her back I had little time for her. But, I was starting to get the oddest headache, though and it bothered me. I knew that I would need to watch myself, I had been keeping exceptionally busy and I thought that maybe it was catching up with me. Or at least that's what I was hoping for. But I won't deny that I didn't have the slightest fear of what I knew could cause the headache.

I just pushed that thought to the very back of my mind and continued to focus on things around me.

-A-

Several days following the malaria revelation, Jack and I decided that we both needed to take the evening off. And as odd as that seems, one would be surprised how much there is to do on a pirate ship. As I had mentioned earlier, I was almost constantly busy with caring for the men and now that they were slowly moving beyond my care, I took on minor responsibilities for the crew:

I mended sails.

I washed clothes for the men.

I helped with the cooking.

I cleaned out the crew cabins for the first time in more than a decade (or so I guessed ... because of the massive dust buildup.)

I kept Tad occupied when there was nothing else to do.

Needless to say, I had been quite busy and it is well known that a pirate captain never rests so, for one night, Jack and I decided to take the entire evening to ourselves. Jack put Mr. Gibbs in charge of his beloved Pearl and Colin made us a wonderful dinner ... considering the circumstances.

Jack had the rum out, of course, and after we had eaten, the evening had become an out and out drinking match.

"Face it, darling," Jack slurred. "You're bound to loose."

I scrunched my nose.

"Careful, yer face'll stay like that!"

I laughed. My mother used to tell me that when I was younger. "But you'd like it," I said petulantly.

"Hmm ... " Jack stood up and swaggered over to stand beside me. He grabbed my chair and rotated me so that I was facing him directly. Kneeling down beside me, he put a hand under my chin, so that my gaze was level with his. "Does a face like that kiss the same?"

I scrunched my nose to play along with him. "Guess we'll have to see, huh?"

Jack leaned closer. I could smell the rich odour of the rum on his breath. Gently he claimed my lips ... automatically my nose unscrunched ... thus failing the experiment but not hindering the kiss in the slightest.

When we broke apart, he murmured, "Perhaps ... but this," he gestured to my face again. "This is all the better."

I smiled and tugged on his beard gently. "Thought you were going to beat me, Captain?"

"Sure know how to ruin a moment, don't you love?" Jack said playfully as he resumed his drinking pose.

"Learn from the best. Now, come on, beat me!"

Jack quirked an eyebrow at me.

I blushed when I thought of the double meaning.

"Just tell me when and where, Christy and I'll accommodate."

I sneered at him. "Come on! I thought you wanted to drink me into a stupor so you could have your dirty way with me. The night is only getting older and we're only getting soberer."

Jack laughed. "Have it your way, love," he said as he poured more of the amber liquid into the glasses.

I smiled devilously and downed the glass quickly before slamming it onto the table for show.

The eyebrow quirked again as Jack took his own drink and poured us another.

I flashed a quick smile and took the drink. Somewhere in the far recesses of my mind, I recalled the night of my first drink and how completely drunk I had gotten. I compared that memory to the present ... when I was fighting a loosing drinking match with Jack. Even though I wanted to try, I knew the chances of me beating him in a drinking match were slim to none. He was bigger than me, had more of a tolerance for rum and all things alcoholic, and he was a man. The cards were stacked against me.

Jack shook his head at me. He knew I was stubborn but he knew just as well as I did that I didn't stand a chance. He took the drink quickly and poured another round.

So it continued for a good five or six rounds ... but truth was that I lost complete track.

"You know," I slurred, as a ran a hand over the back of Jack's neck. "This isn't fair."

He turned to look up at me. "Why?"

"Because ... because ... because you cheated?!" I said uncertainly.

"I did?"

I nodded fiercely as I plopped into his lap. "You did."

"How would I manage that, love?" he asked, sounding thoroughly amused.

"You just did, you bloody pirate," I said as I slapped him gently over the back of the head, knocking his hat off. "Whoops."

Jack laughed and picked it off of my lap and put it on my head.

"Do I look sexy as a pirate?" I asked, pulling the hat to an odd angle.

"It suits you," he replied, trying to hide his laughter.

"Good," I muttered as I pushed myself up. I staggered around the cabin, crying, "Ey! I'm Cap'n Jack Sparrow! I even got the walk! Look Jack! I'm you!" For some odd reason, this stuck me as hilarious and I fell into an uncontrollable fit of giggles.

Jack pushed himself up and came over to me ... walking with more of a stagger than usual. He wrapped an arm around me and led me back over towards the bed. "I think you've had enough, Christy."

I pulled a face. "But ... I want more rum ... I like that stuff, now ... its good ... its all your fault that I like it, you know ... I didn't drink before ... and then you came around ... you and your rum and your beautifulness and swagger and your eyes that go on forever and your ... your voice that carries me away when you tell stories and your mystery and your ... your ..." Fortunately I didn't have time to finish my babbling complements because I passed out.

So, I didn't know that Jack caught me, carried me to bed and brushed a light kiss on my lips before murmuring, "I love you, too, love." Had I been awake, I would have known that he crawled in beside me and wrapped me tightly in his arms before drifting into his own alcohol-induced slumber.

-A-

Author Thanks -

-A-

Chapter 7 -

Lil Bit - Hey lady! Lemme know and I can help you shrink everything down no problem about it. Thanks for the review as always, poppet. Hope you liked it. In the planner we trust.

RMB - Thanks, mate! Thanks for the heimlich ... gag ... its always appreciated, lol. Hope you liked the chappie!

Moulin-Rouge-Pirate - Thanks! Hope you liked the chappie ... and trust me the identity of the 'creepy dude' will come out in time.

Jinxd n cursed - Thanks! I'm glad that I've got people curious. Just wait and see. Hope you liked the chappie.

lady lorethei - Thanks! Hope you liked the chapter.

Anaknusan - Thanks! Actually ... I sorta need you to send me the site again ... my little brother .... gotta love him ... sorta deleted that email from you ... roar. Hope you liked it.

TriGemini - Thanks! Tension, tension, tension ... just wait and see ... mwhahahahaha! Hope you liked the chapter.

S.S.I. - Thanks! Mutinious reviewers! Ahh! Run! Hide! Save yourselves! Hope you liked the chappie.

Jeeves who is too lazy to sign in - Thanks! ROAR ... laziness must die! lol. jk. Hope you liked it.

Piper8188 - Thanks! Did ya like the JC action in this chappie? I enjoyed writing it. Hope you liked it!

-A-

Chapter 8

TriGemini - Thanks! Yeah, I really liked that part too! Great minds think alike.

S.S.I. - Thanks! So, it sounds like a plan, man, we'll both get rid of annoying sibs and be happy! lol. Hope you enjoyed the chappie.

Moulin-Rouge-Pirate - Thanks! Patience, grasshopper, all will be revealed in time.

RMB - Thanks! Yeppers, that's me, the busy bee.

lady lorethei - Thanks! Yeah, having an exchange student was GREAT! I loved having her here ... I miss her really bad, though. She was soo much fun ... and we got to eat real food, just kidding mom ... no, I'd recommend it to anyone. Can't tell you, mate ... sorry .... if I did, I'd have to kill you and I'm not up for murder. Wait and see, it'll come out in time.

DugaDugabowbow - Thanks! Jack's always cute ... he's Jack, lol.

Anaknusan - Thanks! So, it looks like your brother, my brother and S.S.I.'s brother are gonna be in the woods together, lol. That's a good idea ... not letting yourself read someone else's work until you've posted anything of your own ... I must admit that i've fallen uber far behind in my reading but c'est la vie.

Lil Bit - Thanks! It wasn't supposed to be an action packed chappie, silly ... its called foreshadowing ... there's a point and a purpose to everything ... just ask Bob. Anywho, see ya tomorrow. To the planner raises water glass

jisAtsU siLENcE - Thanks! Hope you continue to enjoy it!

-A-

Author's Note

Well, now that that is all outta the way, REVIEW!

Thank you all soo much for your support and even those of you who read and don't review (yes, I know you're out there), its nice to know that people like reading the things that I write.

Well, not much to say today. Hopefully another chappie will be ready by next Thursday or Friday ... no school on Thursday, yay!

mange klemmar

CrazyCanoeingGIT