Disclaimer: I tried to lure Jack away from Disney and into my basement using vast amounts of rum, but he was too crafty for me, and therefore isn't mine.
AN: Wow, I never expected so many people to like my story! It's amazing! Thanks so much to those who are sending the encouraging reviews; they mean a lot to me and help to inspire as well as support my work. Here is chapter three. Enjoy, and please review!
Chapter 3: Dealing:
I could feel sunlight burning through my eyelids, which, in turn, created the largest headache I had ever experienced in my life. My first reaction was a loud groan, followed quickly by a wince after I realized that any sort of sound would only cause more pain. Instead, I held back any verbal complaints and cautiously opened one of my eyes.
It was daylight, of course, but there shouldn't have been that much light in my cabin in the first place. My room bore only one window that was far too small for letting in this much light. A quick glance around the room with one open, blurry eye told me that I obviously wasn't in my cabin, but was, in all likelihood, in the Captain's cabin. And from the snoring coming from beside the bed, so was the Captain.
As he uttered another snore, accompanied by a rather loud snort, I couldn't help but bite back a giggle. Cautiously opening my other eye, I was able to take in the sight of the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow sleeping in a chair next to the bed. His head was tilted back, resting on the back of the chair as his hands hung limply by his sides. Booted feet were straight out in front of him, and I swore that I saw a rum bottle roll from one foot to the other as the Pearl rocked on the gentle waves of the port. The sight was so amusing that a small laugh escaped my lips, followed quickly by a groan of pain when my head and stomach began to spin.
As though on cue, Jack instantly jerked awake, his brown eyes going from blurred with sleep to clear wakefulness in an instant. Taking one look at me, he gave me a soft, sympathetic smile as he reached over to feel my forehead.
"How're you feeling, luv?" he asked, keeping his voice barely above a whisper. "Need to run to the privy to be sick?"
At that moment, it was the perfect question as I instantly felt the need to throw up everything I had probably eaten since I was a child. Jack saw the look on my face and swept me up into his arms, racing towards a door on the other side of the cabin and kicking it open. He then deposited me in front of a basin, just in time for me to be sick. I felt his gentle hands in my hair, holding it back as I heaved up everything but my toenails.
Once that was over, I remained there for a few moments, gathering my wits as I felt Jack braid my hair back from my face. I was thankful when he left the room so I could have a moment's peace. Giving me a gentle pat on the shoulder before vanishing into his cabin, I heard Jack mutter a few things right before the puzzling sound of glass objects clinking together reached my ears. Curious, I composed myself enough to emerge from the privy and head back into the main cabin.
There stood Jack, brewing some sort of herb with a liquid in a bottle, shaking it up to mix it thoroughly. He grinned his usual grin when he saw me, teeth sparkling merrily as I collapsed into a chair, my face in my hands as I tried to block out the pain.
"I have to admit to being amazed by your rum consumption, luv," he said, still shaking the bottle holding the mysterious liquid. "Not many beginners can tolerate that amount of drinking in one night, and yet you came in second to Barton last night. Very impressive."
I groaned instead of responding to his words, too far gone into pain to actually say anything. I heard Jack chuckle before he placed his gentle hands on my shoulders, one going under my chin to make me look up at him.
"Drink this, Rose; it'll take away the pain and the stomach ailment."
From the way he said it, it was more of a gentle command than a suggestion. Obediently, I took the bottle and looked at it, watching the herbs float around inside the clear glass bottle. The liquid resembled swamp water, and the tiny bits of plant only added to the appearance of the greenish-brown concoction. I wanted to throw it overboard, but from the stern gaze Jack was giving me, I had better do as he said and not argue. Wincing, I took a deep breath and drank it down.
"Gah!" I said once I had had several gulps of the stuff. "That's absolutely terrible! What's in it?"
The man in front of me merely laughed. "You really don't want to know," he said, reaching out and taking the bottle from me.
I watched at he took a gulp himself before putting a stopper in the bottle and storing it away inside his desk, possibly for later use. "Alright, I'll take your word for it."
"Good." Dusting off his hands, Jack took a seat across from me and grinned. "Frankly, darling, I'm impressed that you managed to down that much of the potion, though you did need more of it to deal with all of the rum you had last night."
"How much did I have last night?" I asked, feeling my headache and nausea drain away like water.
"Oh, about seven mugs," was the answer. "You passed out on number eight, which was how Barton managed to win that drinking game of yours."
"It wasn't my drinking game, Captain Sparrow," I retorted, putting my arms on the table and burying my head in them.
Good Lord, there was nothing I wanted more than to go back to my cabin and take a long nap. I probably wouldn't even wake up until the day we left Tortuga, which proves just how tired I felt. From beside me, I could hear Jack snicker a bit as he patted my head again. I seemed to be very talented at amusing that man, for some reason…
"It'd probably be more comfortable if you slept on the bed, Rosie," he said, gently pulling me into a sitting position by my shoulders. Once I was sitting straight up, Jack lifted me up into his arms and set me down on his bed. "It's much too far for you to walk to your cabin, and I don't trust you to not trip down the steps in order to get there." I mockingly aimed a punch at his shoulders, causing him to chuckle. "Now, get some rest, and don't worry about chores or anything. The crew taking the daytime watch won't be here for hours, if we're lucky, and once they get here, they'll take care of everything. Just rest your pretty head, darling."
Unable to protest, I closed my eyes and was asleep in an instant.
Watching her fall asleep, Jack didn't know whether to sigh or laugh out loud at the present situation concerning his only female crewmember. Instead, he merely shook his head and left Rose asleep on his bed, heading up towards the helm to do some thinking. Once he reached the large wheel, Jack put his hands on a couple of the spokes and gripped them tightly. Sometimes merely standing up at the Pearl's helm was enough to get his thoughts flowing.
'I swear, that girl is either daring, or insane beyond belief!' he thought, biting the inside of his lower lip. 'Imagine, a girl like her coming in second place in a drinking contest with pirates! And on her first try, too!'
For some reason, Jack's chest puffed out in pride. Since many men thought it bad luck to bring a woman aboard, the captain of the Black Pearl felt a certain amount of satisfaction in knowing that having Rose aboard had been his idea. After what he'd witnessed last night at the Faithful Bride, he felt as though he deserved some credit for introducing her to the life of a pirate, as well as the sweet liquor known as rum.
'We'll make a decent pirate lass out of her yet!' he thought, grinning broadly as he looked out of the bay and towards the Caribbean. 'I can hardly wait to see how that turns out…'
Glancing up at the sun to see what hour it was, Jack noticed that it was time for lunch. With Rose and the crew out of commission for the day, it looked like he would have to make his own meal or eat in one of the taverns. However, since he knew exactly what the usual inn or tavern used in their food, Jack decided to not risk his stomach and merely eat on the Pearl.
'Better than having a hole in my gut,' he thought as he made his way down to the galley.
Perhaps he'd actually find something decent to eat for Rose, too…
I woke with a head that felt as though it were packed with lint, my mouth feeling the exact same way. Looking around the room I was in, I remembered that I was in Jack's cabin, and how he had helped me with my hangover earlier that day. Or was it the same day? Damn, I would have to check and see. Fortunately, I heard Cotton's parrot squawk outside, which meant that he was still on duty guarding the ship and that I hadn't lost track of any days. Sighing with relief, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and glanced around the room.
Nothing much had changed, except that there was a tray with bread, butter, fruit, and water sitting on top of Jack's desk. The smell of the fruit was enticing, smelling of fresh melon and oranges, and I eagerly reached for the tray, pulling it towards me and snatching off the plate of fruit. Popping a piece of melon into my mouth, I couldn't help but wonder where the fruits had come from. I knew that there were none onboard, and we hadn't ordered any from the shopkeeper the day before either.
"Jack," I whispered around a mouth full of food. He really was a good man and captain.
Once my meal was done, I slowly climbed out of bed and went on deck. To my astonishment, the shadows forming on the deck showed that it was nearly evening, meaning that I had slept a whole day away! Looking around to see who was taking over the watch for that night, I saw, to my delight, Mr. Gibbs standing by the railing near the gangplank. He was now on guard, and he looked pleased to see me, as well.
"Looks like it's you and me keeping watch tonight, Rosie!" he said, smiling at me. "Probably isn't a bad thing, considering the amount of drinking you'd done last night!"
I winced. "Remind me never to do that ever again, Gibbs," I said, rubbing my forehead. "Once was enough for me!"
Beside me, the first mate of the Black Pearl chuckled. "Aye, but a fine job you did of it, lass," he said, patting me on the back. "The whole crew was surprised to see you drink more than one, and once you passed three…whew!" He laughed. "We all started taking bets on how many you would do past, and I won since I thought you'd get through six rums!"
Now I was both blushing and grinning. "I hope that I get a share of that bit of profit," I said, raising an eyebrow as Gibbs immediately stopped laughing. "After all, I was the one doing all the work!"
The older man beside me sighed. "Aye, that be true," he admitted reluctantly as he reached for his belt purse.
I ended up several coins richer that night, and learned that keeping watch on the Pearl wasn't so bad. Most of the town was too busy getting drunk, finding entertainment, or running around like idiots to try and sneak onto or steal a ship. Therefore, it was relatively easy and fun sitting on a barrel on deck, Mr. Gibbs telling me all sorts of tales about the Pearl and Jack's numerous adventures.
"Sea turtles?" I asked during one story. "Jack escaped an island on the backs of sea turtles?"
"Aye, by using human hair from his back!" declared Gibbs, grinning proudly, as though he had been the one to do it and not Jack.
"Gibbs, really…" I said, laughing that the image. "Of course, with that wild hair of his, it wouldn't surprise me one bit…"
"Oh, it wouldn't, ay?" asked a familiar male voice from nearby. Turning around, I spotted Jack with a frown on his face. "And what, may I ask, is wrong with my hair?"
I chuckled. "Well, it certainly is…unique," I said, smiling innocently at him. "Wild, but unique."
"Wild, huh?" he replied, stroking his beard. "Do you happen to like wild, Rose?"
'Oh, dear, another flirtation attempt by Captain Jack Sparrow,' I thought, holding back a grin. "Sorry, Captain, but the only way I'll find that out is on my wedding night. You know, upper-class morals and all that…"
Jack looked surprisingly disappointed. "Morals are overrated, darling," he said, winking at me. "Boring, too, you know."
"Maybe, but I still have them," I said, returning my attention towards Mr. Gibbs while trying to ignore the dashing pirate captain coming up beside me. "Do you have any other tales, Gibbs?"
"Actually, I'd like to tell her about the island natives who made me their chief," Jack said, fully getting my attention. "Why don't you go check on things at the helm, aye, Gibbs?"
"Aye, sir," Gibbs said as he got up, leaving the two of us alone.
Suddenly I found myself very uncomfortable. I had never really been alone with Jack like this before, and had no idea how to go about handling it. True, he was a good man, but he was also a pirate and my captain. If he tried to make advances on me, there was no possible way I was going to allow him to get any further other than touching my hand.
To my surprise, Jack didn't attempt anything, but instead pulled out a bottle of rum from his blue coat and pulled out the cork, taking a long drink before handing it to me.
"Now, here's a real story for you, luv," he said, diving right into his tale.
Gibbs said that I needed to practice sword fighting with him in order to earn a reputation on the Pearl. I suppose he meant that I needed to be known as a good fighter for when we went into battle, and that I needed to gain the respect of the crew. I knew that a few members already liked me; Mr. Cotton could hardly do without me, since I was a particularly good with his bird, and Mr. Gibbs seemed to think I was alright, even though I was a woman. Then there was Marty, the midget, who seemed to harbor some sort of "fondness" for me beyond that of a friend; he was always nearby and following me whenever I was on deck doing chores, which the others felt was rather amusing.
Well, back to the point, no pun intended.
"Gibbs, I know about which part of the sword is the blade and which is the handle," I said, exasperated. "We've been over this a dozen times!"
Currently, Gibbs and I were in one of the main storage rooms in the Pearl. Presently, it was empty, given that we hadn't done any raiding yet, and was the perfect place to hold a lesson in weaponry. However, the fact that my instructor kept treating me like a delicate flower or a stupid child was beginning to get on my nerves. So far, I doubt that we had spent more than two hours actually clashing swords together!
"Right," Gibbs said, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to another.
"Honestly, Gibbs, just attack me already!" I snapped.
"You heard the girl, mate, attack!" called a voice from the doorway. Turning, Gibbs and I saw Jack standing there, a smirk on his face. "She won't learn anything if you just stand there treating her like an idiot!"
Sighing, Gibbs raised his sword and swung. I immediately brought my blade up to block it, the sound of metal meeting metal filling the room. Satisfied that I was actually getting somewhere, I raised my sword again, eager for more of the experience. Imagine my surprise when Gibbs backed away, shaking his head.
"I can't do it, Cap'n," he said. "It's nothin' against you, lass, it's just…well, it's damned uncomfortable for me to teach you."
From his position in the doorway, Jack sighed. "Alright, Gibbs, head upstairs and take some bandages and rum to Rosie's quarters," he ordered. "She might need them before the day is done. Then I want you up at the helm, savvy?"
"Aye, sir," Gibbs said, tucking away his sword and running up the stairs. Once he was gone, Jack turned his attention to me.
"Alright, luv, let's get started, shall we?"
For hours he tested and taught me, only showing enough mercy by not fully harming me as a true enemy would have. I acquired numerous cuts, scrapes, blisters, and slivers from falling, but I felt it had all been truly worth it. By the end of the lesson, I was in pain, sweating like mad, and exhausted, but far more experienced than I had ever been before. Jack had more than made up for the lack of effort Mr. Gibbs had been putting into our lessons, and for that, I was grateful.
"Good, very good," Jack praised, grinning in the light glowing from the lanterns hung all about the room. "You have a tiny bit of natural talent in fighting with a blade, but talent will only get you so far. From now on, whenever you aren't doing chores and as long as one of the storage rooms is empty, you come down here and practice. Make sure to get either Gibbs or myself to teach you, the other men might not be so merciful on you, savvy?"
"Aye, sir," I said, still slightly panting. I used a handkerchief to dab away the sweat that was dribbling down my face, thoroughly tired out as I rubbed my eyes with the cloth. "With your permission, I'd like to tidy up a little before I go made supper, Captain." Pulling the cloth away, I found Jack standing not three inches away from me, a rather broad smirk on his face.
"Don't make me remind you about my name again, darling," he said, his voice soft as it reached my ears.
"Oh, right…Jack," I said, my tongue turning dry in my throat. While I swallowed, I began silently thinking, 'Don't fall for him, young lady, he'll only break your heart! Remember his reputation with women!'
"Very good!" Jack exclaimed, suddenly very happy. "Now, get some good cold water, wash up, and go fix something nice and simple for dinner. We don't need the cook suddenly drowning in her own pot from exhaustion, now, do we?"
I gave him a silent salute before running out of the room, the sweat currently on my face having nothing to do with the fighting lesson.
Putting his sword away, Jack mopped his face with the sleeve of his shirt. The girl was good, for a noblewoman, and a quick learner. It also helped that she had real, true spirit, and wasn't afraid to pick up a weapon that was sharp, deadly, and required much skill. She could easily use a pistol, but after the shot was gone, what else could she use in a raid? Skill with a sword was a necessity while serving on a pirate ship, and he'd be damned if he lost someone because they didn't know how to fight!
Shaking his head, Jack Sparrow could only smile to himself. Rose was a hard worker, and he had no doubts that she would follow his orders about practicing during her spare time. If only he could get her to call him by his first name more often; even members of the crew managed to do that without trouble!
'And what was the red in her cheeks about?' asked a corner of his mind. 'That certainly wasn't due to the little workout the two of you did!'
'Just a bit of flirting, mate, nothing more,' Jack thought to himself. 'Just a way for me to keep my wooing skills sharp and have a bit of fun with her, that's all.' And if it kept Rose on the tips of her toes, well, then, there was nothing to worry about, right?
Tired out, Jack sighed and headed up to his cabin, eager for a bit of rum to calm his blood down before dinner.
AN: Well, there's chapter three! Please review!