X: Sexual Tension
"Swab the deck? Who does he think he is? I was just having some fun, arrogant, self-righteous prick." Meredith huffed, rubbing her arm as she made her way across the ship.
"I fink de Cap'ts feelin' a bit o' pressure." Ragetti said while mending a piece of rope.
"How do you figure dat?" Pintel glanced over at his companion.
" He 'asn't been the same since that 'ole bit wid Turner and Norrington. Ms. Wright." Ragetti greeted the girl as the pair turned to see her looking very put out.
Pintel questioned, his voice holding a hint of concern," Ye alright poppet?"
" Fine. Sparrow's a, well, where can I find a brush and bucket. The Captain has ordered me to scrub the deck." Pintel and Ragetti pointed to a corner of the ship in unison. Meredith then nodded and trudged off to fetch her tools.
"How do you explain that?"
Ragetti looked surprised. "That? Tha's just a bit o' unresolved sexual tension is all."
I grabbed the bucket and brush. For a moment I forgot what time period I was in. There was no running tap on the ship; rum was the only thing that flowed freely on the ship, and I was dreading going to ask Pintel and Ragetti. They were sending me strange looks that I didn't care to decipher. Almost as if they knew something I didn't.
Common sense quickly kicked in and I remedied my problem. Tying rope to the bucket, I cast it overboard and hauled it back up. I was never a very domestic kind of woman, I never had to be. Needless to say I was hating every single moment of my forced labour.
" Jack Sparrow. He's nothing but a misogynist pig. Black hearted scoundrel." I grumbled. I paused to push back a rebel strand of hair that continued to fall in front of my eyes. The sun was beating down and what I was wearing was not aiding my progress across the deck. Setting the brush beside the bucket, I gathered the bottom of my skirt on the one side and brought it up to tuck it into my belt. I did the same on the other, feeling much cooler. Tilting my head, I felt myself begin to relax and calm down a bit as a breeze began to stir the air.
When I opened my eyes, I met those of Jack Sparrow. Once more I found myself hypnotized. This was becoming a very, very bad habit. 'Chauvinist pig' I thought, wrenching my eyes away. "Why does he have to be so bloody good looking?" Grabbing the brush, I began to attack the deck with a fervor that I hadn't used yet. Trying to wash the man out of my hair, in a manner of speaking.
Jack adjusted his hat as he walked among the crew, stopping here and there to give orders. Scanning the deck Jack found Meredith stopping her work. He opened his mouth to berate her but the words were lost as he saw her tuck up her skirt; once more revealing those lovely legs and thighs. Jack quickly licked his lips as he watched Meredith sun herself and felt like her was caught plundering when she felt his stare.
"Why must every pretty wench be just that? A wench." Jack shook his head as he continued his tour of the ship, noting Decare was making his way towards Meredith. " Mr. Cotton, Mr. Cotton's parrot, keep a weather eye on my fiancé." The bird whistled and Jack took that to be assent. "Carry on then." Jack waved them by and moved on.
" Six men sitting on a dead man's chest, yo ho ho and a bottle of run." This wasn't so bad. I giggled, this pirate thing was starting to rub off on me. That or I was suffering from heat stroke thanks to the Carribean heat. Truth be told, while scrubbing the deck, pointless though it may be, and rubbing my hands raw had given me time to really meditate on what Jack had said to me two hours ago. If I took the time to look past my own ego, a feat, I could see Jack's view. A ship really was a small world in itself and if each person did not pull their own weight, we'd fall apart. There must be rules and consequences for one's actions. Otherwise there would be chaos. I decided I would peruse an action that was foreign to me, and apologize to Jack. Having made up my mind to do so, I felt strangely better for some reason. " Six men dead on a dead man's chest, yo ho HEY!" I yelled, dropping my brush as I felt my skirt being lifted. I whipped around to find Decare leering at me. " What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Yeh should hike up yer skirt a bit more. Make things easier for everyone." The way he grinned at me made my stomach churn.
"Do you know who you're talking to, or are you so drunk that you've forgotten yourself?" I stood to my full height. " I am engaged to marry YOUR Captain. Do not touch me again." I turned to walk away when I felt his hand wrap around my wrist. Pure instinct lead me to bring my free hand around which I hoped would hit my target: his jaw. As luck would have it, it didn't.
" Uh, uh, tha's not very nice. Jes button yer lip darlin', we can do this the easy way or the hard way." Decare sneered, pushing me back onto a pile of ropes.
" No. Get off." I shouted pushing at his face and chest.
"My yer a li'l spitfire. No wonder the cap'ts taken a shine to yeh." Decare barked, wrestling with his belt buckle. " Jes lay back and enjoy. Yeh may like it rough." He clamped his mouth over mine and I bit him. Hard.
" Arg. You little bitch." He cursed, spitting blood on my shirt.
" Jack. Help. Somebody. Let me go, you sick bastard. Jack."
" Shut up." Decare yelled striking me across the face. The pleasure in his eyes was evident as I cried out and that frightened me more than the idea of what might actually take place. " Yer nothing' but a two-bit whore. Did yeh think yer passage would be free?"
" Shiver me timbers, trouble aboard. Trouble aboard." Squawked the parrot as Mr. Cotton ran to the Captain.
" What in blazes is going on now?" Jack looked up from the charts he was comparing with Gibbs as he turned in the direction Mr. Cotton was frantically waving. " Bugger." Jack instantly dropped everything and ran.
" Will you shut up." Decare hissed, tearing at Meredith's skirts before moving to strike her once more. Jack ran behind Decare and pulled his pistol, effectively delivering Decare a blow to the head. He yelled falling to his back.
" Jack. Thank God Jack." Meredith cried as she launched herself into his arms. The crew gathered round and Marty along with Mr. Sally were holding Decare by the collar. Jack held Meredith away from him to take in her disheveled appearance. He bottom lip was swollen, bleeding and her left cheek was just beginning to bruise.
" Meredith did he? He didn't…"
" No, no, he tried but he didn't. Oh Jack." Meredith began to sob and only clung tighter to him. Inwardly Jack sighed in relief but that quickly passed to rage. Never before had he felt so impassioned. He spun, cocking the pistol and pointed it at Decare's temple, who remained on the ground, holding his head.
" Decare, you bastard. You have no honour. The crime you nearly succeeded in committing is punishable by death according to the code. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't." When he failed to answer, the majority of the crew agreed with Jack.
" Keep to the code Cap't."
" However, I am not a murdered. Thirty-five lashes by the cat-o-nines and then you will remain in the brig until we reach Tortuga. From there you will get off of my ship. If I should ever see you again, so help you, I'll send you to Davy Jone's locker myself. Take him away." Marty and Sally hoisted the barely conscious man and hauled him off. " As for the rest of you, if any one else so much as thinks about touching her, I will be keeping to the code. This is your only warning." Jack looked at Meredith who was now hiccupping and crying simultaneously. " Come on luv. It'll be alright." Jack began to lead her to his cabin.
" Jack. We have a problem." Mr. Gibbs bellowed. Jack looked toward the starboard side and pulled his spyglass from his coat. The captain held it to his eye.
" Bugger."