Chapter Twenty-Two

The Sword Fight

Oooh, I do own Mrs. Flowers!

DxS Freak: Get your popcorn now! LOL

Whenever Kate looked into Jack's chocolate brown eyes, all she could hear was the word "curiosity."

"One word, love: curiosity," Jack said. "You long for freedom. To do what you want because you want it. To act on selfish impulse. You want t' see what it's like. One day you won't be able to resist."

Kate smiled. "Curiosity. You're going to want to know what it tastes like."

Chills went up her spine just at that one touch that Jack gave her. His hand gently rested on the back of their neck. They leaned in to kiss...and then that stupid fourth-grader had to ruin it.

Was if for the best that they didn't kiss? Was the universe trying to tell them that the two of them, no matter how much chemistry they had together, just should not kiss, even though Kate felt like she was going to die if they didn't?

"Ya okay, there, love?" Jack asked.

Kate snapped out of the part of her memory of yesterday before that fourth-grader came. "Yeah," she said. "I'm fine. Why do you call me love?"

"Why don't you eat?" he volleyed back, cutting up a blueberry pancake that Kate made for him.

"I asked you first," she said.

"I'll tell you why I call you love if you tell me why ya don't eat."

"I asked you first, though," she whined. She knew she sounded childish, but when she wanted something, by God, she got it!

"I'm curious 'bout why ya don't eat."

Curious. Just that word made her shut up.

You're curious about a lot of things, Jack, she thought.

"I'm curious as to why you call me 'love,'" Kate said.

"Fine. If ye're so bloody curious, I call every girl 'love.' Outta habit, I guess. If the apple were a girl, I'd call it love. It's neither compliment nor insult. Now, answer me, love, why don't ya eat?"

"Oh, my God! I do eat! I just don't eat breakfast."

"Ya don't eat enough. Ye're skinny."

She laughed. "I am not."

"So ye're fat, then."

The room was silent. Kate gave Jack a death glare. Her? Fat?! She was 5' 7" and one hundred pounds, she was not fat! She just hated to admit that she was skinny.

"What did you call her?" a voice from behind Kate asked.

She turned around and saw Will with an angry look on his face. And here comes the hero to save the day, she thought. I can handle my own battles, Will.

"He didn't mean anything, Will," Kate said, getting up and trying to block his view. That was hard to do, considering that she was shorter than him. Will's eyes were locked on Jack's. "It was just a joke. We were talking about something else–"

"No, I heard what you were talking about, Kate," he said.

"Good! Then you'll know that it was nothing."

"Kate, he called you fat when you're obviously nothing like that. I won't allow that pirate to degrade you on such terms!"

She stood on her tip-toes to look Will in the eye. She noticed that his eyes were nearly the same color as Jack's. Kate placed one hand on either shoulder. She knew that Jack was going to try to do something, like run and hide. And with Will being the rash man that he was...

"He's not degrading me," she purred. "I'd tell you if he was. After all..." Her lips moved closer to his. "A gentleman should defend his lady only when necessary, am I right?"

Apparently, Will didn't take this as a lesson on how to woo a lady (let's face it, Will was never great at that), and instead put a spare hand on her shoulder, since one was occupied by a sword, and looked around her head. She saw his eyes leave her's. She looked behind him and, lo and behold, Jack was gone from his place at the table by the window.

"Jack!" yelled Will, leaving Kate. "Jack, where are you?"

"Will, stop it, you're overreacting!"

Kate realized that this wasn't all just about him insulting her anymore. Maybe this still had to do with Elizabeth. She thought that he had gotten that out of her system on Tuesday...?

"Stay here, Kate," he ordered, going down the stairs.

"Will!" she yelled. "Stop it!"

"Katherine, stay!"

"I'm not a dog, you can't tell me what to do!" she followed him down the stairs. "It's not worth hurting him over. Frankly, you're acting like a child about it."

Will seemed to ignore her as he went through the garage door, through the garage, then to the backyard. Jack was hiding under the deck of the stairs.

"Jack," Will said, standing by the door, arms crossed over his chest. "You insulted Kate. Don't you owe her an apology?"

"Will–"

"It was a joke!" Jack said, getting out from under the stairs. "Friends make jokes. O' course, you'd know that if ya had friends."

Kate moved past Will so that she was between the two of them. She looked at Jack first. "Jack, that was unnecessary. And it's not like you have any more right now."

"I have Melissa! That's one more than The Whelp, darlin', and it's all a contest now."

Kate rolled her eyes and focused on Will. Before she knew it, Will's sword was out and he moved Kate out of the way.

"You insulted Kate," Will said, putting the sword to his throat. "It's personal now."

"It wasn't before?" Jack asked, drawing his sword, too.

Kate groaned. "You have got to be joking! Will, this is not funny! This is stupid!"

"And I'm sure dear William never intended this to be funny, love," Jack said. "It's not like he starts sword fights just fer sport."

Kate huffed and leaned against the house. Did they really have to do this outside? Old Mrs. Flowers next door was going to think that they were crazy!

"Fine!" Kate said. "Fight! See if I care!"

Will had made the first move, and now the two of them were engaged in a sword fight. And, much like some sword fights, this was about honor.

Will was fighting Jack because...well, Jack had insulted Kate – his Kate! And he wasn't about to let him get away with it. Not until he learned a lesson, at least. And why was Jack fighting? To just show that he wasn't a coward, even though he had gone on a lifeboat while the Kraken was attacking the Pearl? Who knew.

"You insulted Kate," Will said. He could feel sweat collecting on the back of his neck.

"You've said that, boy," Jack said. "Anythin' else ya care t' talk 'bout? How ya think ye're tough, defendin' ye're bonny lass o'er there? She doesn't need anyone to defend 'er. Ring a bell 'bout a lass ya used t' know?"

Will put in even more extra force as his sword met Jack's. "Kate is nothing like Elizabeth," he said through gritted teeth.

"Are they really that different, lad?" Jack asked. "They're both fiery..." A clang of the swords. "Attractive..." Another clang.

"Stay out of my business, Jack."

"She sure is a feisty one. 'Ope ya can handle 'er. Then again..." Another clang of the swords. "Lizzy was a feisty li'l lass. Couldn't even handle 'er, could ya?"

That had made Will even more angry. Who was he to talk about Elizabeth like that?

"Those fiery ones, though...They can handle Cap'n Jack," he said, grinning. "Wonder why that is."

Will didn't need to be reminded of Elizabeth again. He was getting over her, and here comes Jack, reminding him of that kiss the two of them had exchanged. Now Will couldn't afford to lose Kate to anything, particularly Jack. It didn't seem like those two were getting along like captain and first mate, which he felt relieved for, actually. That meant he was wasn't going to suffer another heartbreak with losing another love of his to Jack. Will couldn't know if he could stomach other one.

"Just stop it!" Kate screamed at the two sword-fighting men. God, they looked so childish fighting like that! And with swords! This was not the eighteenth century anymore, and right now, she did not feel like playing the roll of Elizabeth.

She half was already, anyways. Willingly, too.

They continued fighting. Not even Will turned to look at her to see why she was screaming. Why weren't they listening?!

"This is childish!" she yelled. "This is not how grown men settle their...you know what? Fine! Let's just haul out all our swords and start banging at each other! Have at it! Because that will certainly solve everything! I've had it with you both! I've had enough of rum-soaked, wobby-legged...pirates!!"

"What's that dear?" Old Mrs. Flowers asked from the house beside her's. She was on her deck, watching all three of them.

"Oh, it's, uh, just a play, Mrs. Flowers! For the community college!" Kate said. You couldn't sound any more stupid if you tried! she thought. "We're rehearsing!"

Old Mrs. Flowers nodded, then sat on a lounge chair on her deck and eagerly watched the three of them "act."

Was nothing going to stop them? They would keep going at this forever!

"Oh...!" Kate said, putting a hand to her forehead. "Oh, the heat!"

She collapsed to the ground harshly. She bit her lip so that she wouldn't let out a yelp of pain as she fell onto the ground.

Jack saw the whole thing happen. She saw Kate yell at the two of them, then talking to an old lady neighbor, then she fainted.

Sure. She fainted. She was fine two seconds ago. But, to the lass's defense, it was hot out...girls could never handle the heat, anyways. Men sword-fighting could, though. Men could handle anything.

"Oi!" Jack said, putting a hand up in defeat. "What say you to a truce, mate?"

"And under what conditions?" Will asked, still keeping his sword at the ready in defense.

"Yer lass o'er there," Jack said, pointing to Kate. "If ya don't know how t' get 'er breathin' again–"

"Kate!" Will said, putting his sword down and running over to her. Jack rolled his eyes. How dramatic...

"Kate!" Will repeated, kneeling by her. "Darling, are you alright?" He put a hand on her cheek.

Obviously just putting a hand on her cheek and saying her name as if it a gift from God Himself was not going to revive her. But Jack knew something that would...

"Does she have one o' those bone-crushin' devices on?" Jack asked, kneeling by her. "Y'know, one of those..." He made an hour glass figure with his hands.

"I'm not sure, she said that ladies don't wear dresses, so my best guess would be no...She just collapsed from the heat, Jack. I'll carry her in."

"No, I'm pretty sure that she has one on," Jack said, lifting her silky pink shirt up and peeking underneath it to see a toned, tan stomach.

Kate shot up, her green eyes glaring at Jack. "What are doing, you pervert?"

"Ah, whadda know? It's a miracle," Jack said, grinning.

"Both of you, in the house, now," Kate said, standing up.

"Kate," Will said tenderly. He held one of her arms. "You shouldn't be moving this fast. You just fainted."

"And you! Jack's not the only one I'm frustrated with right now! You don't even listen to me when I tell you to stop fighting! You just keep banging swords with Jack like I'm not even here!"

"No, Kate–" Will said, trying to calm her down.

"No, Will, I deserve an explanation!"

God, did she remind Jack of Lizzy right now. She had that same look in her eyes when she got mad, the way her hands were on her hips...not to mention the same fieriness.

"If this was about defending my honor, I don't want to hear it," she said.

"Oooh, I love it when a couple fights," Jack said. "Come to think of it, I usually am the source of their problems."

Will gaped at Jack. "See, Kate? This is what I mean! This is why I'm fighting with him! Because every time he opens his mouth, some smart comment comes out!"

Kate turned around and looked at Jack and sent him a look that says "Please don't make me start falling for you more."

"Let's go in," she muttered, heading for the garage door.

The old woman on the deck stood up and started clapping, a huge smile on her face. "Bravo! Bravo!"

Was this woman mad? "Bravo"? This was not a bloody play! Unless this is how she got her entertainment...then she was a very lonely woman.

When Kate heard the woman saying "bravo", she turned around, a look of embarrassment on her face. "Please don't ask..." was all she said.

Kate's Blog Entry

This is how my morning went: I make breakfast for Jack. We joke around. Jack jokingly calls me fat. Will overhears. Will and Jack go outside to start a sword fight. Yes, an actual sword fight. Mrs. Flowers sees the three of us, and I give her the impression that we're rehearsing for a play. I "faint." Jack "revives me" by lifting up my shirt (that little pervert, I am going to kill him! Well, I mean, yeah, I do kind of want him to lift my shirt up just a teensy weensy bit so he can see a little bit of my stomach...but not in front of Will, for God's sake!). Mrs. Flowers says "bravo", thinking that we did a great job with the play for the community college. Really, what else could go wrong this morning? I'm sort of mad at Will for thinking that he has to be tough and defend me and uphold my honor (not that I really have much, with the way I've been acting lately and everything). And I'm mad at Jack because, well...cause he's sort of an idiot always...and Will's right, he's too loose with his mouth. But isn't that why I kind of like him? I mean...I love Will because he's so cute in the sense that he always has to rescue the damsel in distress...See? I kind of like Jack and love Will! So there's no cheating! Wait...no one ever said anything about cheating...God, I am not thinking about cheating!

XOXO,

Kate