A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! Notice my friends feel compelled to give
constructive criticism! Lol. That's a good thing. Just remember character
development is a slow angst-ridden process.
Disclaimer: You already knew what I was going to say before you read it, you know. If you didn't, here's a reminder: I own nothing and no one. Happy now? Joy-suckers.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
My day was boring. I had wandered around the lower cabins for hours on end, and had only found storage compartments. Most of the ship was full of cargo, much of it canons and weaponry.
"Well they are pirates," I thought blandly, wandering down another narrow shaft. The cool air of the belly of the ship smelled terrible, but at the same time was infinitely better than the stifling humidity of Lark Haven's summer breezes.
I started to think about home, then. About how Mother and Father were taking the news that their eldest daughter had disappeared. I started to play scenes where Mother was crying and Father was shaking his head, saying "why? If we had only let her do what she wanted!"
So involved was I with daydreaming about my parent's regrets that I almost ran into a doorway at the end of the tiny hall. The door was nondescript, cracked and weathered wood that matched the rest of the vessel's. But there was nothing to lose. At worst I'd find the jail cell, and I knew for certain no one was in there. Pirates rarely took prisoners. Except for me of course, but at the time I fancied myself a passenger.
The door creaked open on rusty hinges and to my surprise I saw that the inside of the room was fairly well lit with covered candles hanging on the walls. But that wasn't what warranted a gasp from me. Instead it was the hundreds of sheathed swords hanging on the wall, each of their handles gleaming.
When I had been a little girl and played pirates with friends, we had used sticks for swords, jumping around the beach and diving off crude rafts. So I was immediately fascinated with the chance to hold a real sword.
Approaching the wall in back carefully I gingerly picked up one of them off a hook and in one motion I unsheathed it. The silver blade caught the candlelight and sparkled in the yellow glow as I held it as level as I could; Jesus the thing was heavy! I closed my eyes and imagined I was a pirate, ready to fight to the death for a last bit of treasure. Getting ready, I picked up the blade, and gripped it with both hands. Then using every bit of strength I had I swung it with all my might.... and landed on my bottom, sprawled on the ground.
"Getting yer practice in, love?"
Cursing under my breath I realized I had forgotten to close the door. Standing up with as much grace as I could muster I scowled at the infuriating pirate, "It is entirely rude of you to enter a room that I am in without informing me first. I wouldn't expect you to know that, though."
He sauntered over, ignoring my words, and picked up a sword off the wall, unsheathing it and holding the blade level to my nose, "Care to cross blades?"
Fear gripped my heart; surely he wouldn't dare point a weapon at a lady! Gulping and regaining my pride, I resolved that he was merely testing me. I picked up my blade and got my balance with the heavy object. He looked so contented I could have stabbed him then and there, but instead I stared him straight in the eye and said, "Ready?"
Sparrow leaned back in mock surprise, "Love, a pirate is always ready" and with that he lunged, blade flashing. I swung up my own sword clumsily, barely blocking the blow. It was then I realized he really was fighting and I became frantic. Throwing my blade wherever I could I hit the wall more than him. In the next instant I felt something in the back of my dress tear. Stopping in surprise, I saw Sparrow looking amused and realized that he had sliced the back of my dress from waist to collar, leaving the bodice loose and my back exposed.
"Now I suggest you surrender, love."
I felt tears of rage well up in my eyes and lost my temper once and for all, "what do you take me for? A puppet? Some girl you can get a rise out of and use for a laugh? Well I'll tell you something you dirty pirate, I'm not! Just because I can't sail or handle a sword or fight doesn't mean I'm not worth anything! Just because I'm 'beautiful' doesn't mean I can't think for myself! And I'll tell you what I think now you disgusting man, I think that you're just like every other man I've met, pirate or Naval officer! You see naught but a girl's body! Well forget that notion, Jack Sparrow! I'd die before letting you see any part of me!"
With that I stormed out on him for the second time in a day, this time hot tears running down my cheeks as I entered his cabin and slammed the door, locking it quickly, the torn back of my dress flapping ridiculously behind me. My reflection in the mirror showed a different girl than I was used to. Her complexion was blotchy, her eyes were swollen and red, her hair was tangled and limp from sword-fighting. I was ugly, and I was happy.
Throwing myself back on the plush bed I realized that this bizarre pirate whom I had know a little more than a day had pushed me farther than anyone I had ever known. In fact, I could scarcely remember the last time I cried. My sobs, though, wouldn't stop. I had realized that I really couldn't do anything special. Sure, I could ballroom dance and play the harp, but I couldn't do anything useful. That thought hit me like a lead balloon. I really was like an ornament, with no other purpose but to sit and look pretty.
"Love?"
The door swung open and Jack Sparrow's voice was softer than it had ever been. I yelled back childishly through the pillow, "How did you get in? And I am not your love!"
I could feel him sit down beside me on the mattress as he answered, "I have a spare key, love. It is my room."
His hand touched my bare back tentatively. I didn't move, so he started rubbing it gently, his calloused fingers grazing my skin and sending little fires through me. After a moment of silence he stopped and leaned closer, "look at me, love."
I looked over, and his face was different than I had ever seen it. Instead of smug, or inebriated, or annoyed, those dark eyes were tender. A shock ran through me to the ends of my toes.
"Yer not useless, Laurel. I've known you nary a day and you've proven to be more than a pretty doll."
His voice hypnotized me, and I nodded. Searching my face, he reached out a hand for me, leaning over and running his fingers through my matted hair. My heart was squeezed with anticipation as the air became charged with something I'd never known. His palm cupped my chin as he leaned down, our lips drawn to each other like magnets.
When his mouth was but an inch away he breathed, "Love, ye won't lock me out of my room again now will ye?"
My eyes opened wide and I quickly came to my senses. Out of his room! He had insulted me! Made a fool out of me! Captured me! Those lips couldn't touch mine, no matter how much my heart longed for it.
Scared beyond reason, I pushed the surprised Jack Sparrow off of me and ran into the lavatory, locking the door behind me. Sitting on the edge of the tub I put my face in my hands.
What was I going to do now?
Disclaimer: You already knew what I was going to say before you read it, you know. If you didn't, here's a reminder: I own nothing and no one. Happy now? Joy-suckers.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
My day was boring. I had wandered around the lower cabins for hours on end, and had only found storage compartments. Most of the ship was full of cargo, much of it canons and weaponry.
"Well they are pirates," I thought blandly, wandering down another narrow shaft. The cool air of the belly of the ship smelled terrible, but at the same time was infinitely better than the stifling humidity of Lark Haven's summer breezes.
I started to think about home, then. About how Mother and Father were taking the news that their eldest daughter had disappeared. I started to play scenes where Mother was crying and Father was shaking his head, saying "why? If we had only let her do what she wanted!"
So involved was I with daydreaming about my parent's regrets that I almost ran into a doorway at the end of the tiny hall. The door was nondescript, cracked and weathered wood that matched the rest of the vessel's. But there was nothing to lose. At worst I'd find the jail cell, and I knew for certain no one was in there. Pirates rarely took prisoners. Except for me of course, but at the time I fancied myself a passenger.
The door creaked open on rusty hinges and to my surprise I saw that the inside of the room was fairly well lit with covered candles hanging on the walls. But that wasn't what warranted a gasp from me. Instead it was the hundreds of sheathed swords hanging on the wall, each of their handles gleaming.
When I had been a little girl and played pirates with friends, we had used sticks for swords, jumping around the beach and diving off crude rafts. So I was immediately fascinated with the chance to hold a real sword.
Approaching the wall in back carefully I gingerly picked up one of them off a hook and in one motion I unsheathed it. The silver blade caught the candlelight and sparkled in the yellow glow as I held it as level as I could; Jesus the thing was heavy! I closed my eyes and imagined I was a pirate, ready to fight to the death for a last bit of treasure. Getting ready, I picked up the blade, and gripped it with both hands. Then using every bit of strength I had I swung it with all my might.... and landed on my bottom, sprawled on the ground.
"Getting yer practice in, love?"
Cursing under my breath I realized I had forgotten to close the door. Standing up with as much grace as I could muster I scowled at the infuriating pirate, "It is entirely rude of you to enter a room that I am in without informing me first. I wouldn't expect you to know that, though."
He sauntered over, ignoring my words, and picked up a sword off the wall, unsheathing it and holding the blade level to my nose, "Care to cross blades?"
Fear gripped my heart; surely he wouldn't dare point a weapon at a lady! Gulping and regaining my pride, I resolved that he was merely testing me. I picked up my blade and got my balance with the heavy object. He looked so contented I could have stabbed him then and there, but instead I stared him straight in the eye and said, "Ready?"
Sparrow leaned back in mock surprise, "Love, a pirate is always ready" and with that he lunged, blade flashing. I swung up my own sword clumsily, barely blocking the blow. It was then I realized he really was fighting and I became frantic. Throwing my blade wherever I could I hit the wall more than him. In the next instant I felt something in the back of my dress tear. Stopping in surprise, I saw Sparrow looking amused and realized that he had sliced the back of my dress from waist to collar, leaving the bodice loose and my back exposed.
"Now I suggest you surrender, love."
I felt tears of rage well up in my eyes and lost my temper once and for all, "what do you take me for? A puppet? Some girl you can get a rise out of and use for a laugh? Well I'll tell you something you dirty pirate, I'm not! Just because I can't sail or handle a sword or fight doesn't mean I'm not worth anything! Just because I'm 'beautiful' doesn't mean I can't think for myself! And I'll tell you what I think now you disgusting man, I think that you're just like every other man I've met, pirate or Naval officer! You see naught but a girl's body! Well forget that notion, Jack Sparrow! I'd die before letting you see any part of me!"
With that I stormed out on him for the second time in a day, this time hot tears running down my cheeks as I entered his cabin and slammed the door, locking it quickly, the torn back of my dress flapping ridiculously behind me. My reflection in the mirror showed a different girl than I was used to. Her complexion was blotchy, her eyes were swollen and red, her hair was tangled and limp from sword-fighting. I was ugly, and I was happy.
Throwing myself back on the plush bed I realized that this bizarre pirate whom I had know a little more than a day had pushed me farther than anyone I had ever known. In fact, I could scarcely remember the last time I cried. My sobs, though, wouldn't stop. I had realized that I really couldn't do anything special. Sure, I could ballroom dance and play the harp, but I couldn't do anything useful. That thought hit me like a lead balloon. I really was like an ornament, with no other purpose but to sit and look pretty.
"Love?"
The door swung open and Jack Sparrow's voice was softer than it had ever been. I yelled back childishly through the pillow, "How did you get in? And I am not your love!"
I could feel him sit down beside me on the mattress as he answered, "I have a spare key, love. It is my room."
His hand touched my bare back tentatively. I didn't move, so he started rubbing it gently, his calloused fingers grazing my skin and sending little fires through me. After a moment of silence he stopped and leaned closer, "look at me, love."
I looked over, and his face was different than I had ever seen it. Instead of smug, or inebriated, or annoyed, those dark eyes were tender. A shock ran through me to the ends of my toes.
"Yer not useless, Laurel. I've known you nary a day and you've proven to be more than a pretty doll."
His voice hypnotized me, and I nodded. Searching my face, he reached out a hand for me, leaning over and running his fingers through my matted hair. My heart was squeezed with anticipation as the air became charged with something I'd never known. His palm cupped my chin as he leaned down, our lips drawn to each other like magnets.
When his mouth was but an inch away he breathed, "Love, ye won't lock me out of my room again now will ye?"
My eyes opened wide and I quickly came to my senses. Out of his room! He had insulted me! Made a fool out of me! Captured me! Those lips couldn't touch mine, no matter how much my heart longed for it.
Scared beyond reason, I pushed the surprised Jack Sparrow off of me and ran into the lavatory, locking the door behind me. Sitting on the edge of the tub I put my face in my hands.
What was I going to do now?
