Disclaimer: I tried to lure Jack into my house with rum, but Disney got in my way, so he's not mine.

AN: I just love the outfits the women in India wear, don't you? They're so beautiful and colorful that you can't help but love them! I dare you all to Google a search for women's outfits in the India style and not fall in love with them! After all, it appears Jack loves them, too, huh? Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 8: Garden Conversations:

Standing respectfully as Rose entered the room, Jack nearly swallowed his tongue as she approached the table, the material of her skirt flowing behind her like silvery wings. The shimmering blue, silk-like cloth was flattering on her, and the silver embroidered designs shone like the brightest diamonds. Against his will, Jack's eyes drifted up and down Rose's figure as she approached the table and took a spot directly across from him, blushing under his gaze as she took a seat. With her eyes not focused on him, Jack took his time in examining her.

She wore no gems except for the long silver chain in her hair and the blue sapphire that dangled just above the center of her eyebrows, which was quite fetching on her. The chain seemed to be attached to Rose's head with strands of her own hair holding it down; the rest of her brown locks were pulled back into a braid with silver ribbons wound around it. It was all so simple, and yet so elegantly beautiful that Jack had to keep swallowing to keep his heart from coming up and his tongue from going down his throat.

'Oh, bloody hell,' Jack thought as he sat down and the food came out. 'When I asked Nidhi and Padma to dress her in something nice, I didn't think they would do this!'

In truth, all Jack had wanted them to do was find Rose something nice, something that wasn't like the typical pirate garb that she had been wearing for the past several months. Jack had pictured Nidhi finding a nice, simple, Western-style gown for Rose to wear; he certainly hadn't expected his friend to go directly into the garment closet and find the most expensive silks and jewels to drape Rose in!

'On the other hand, maybe it's not so bad,' he thought as he slowly helped himself to some food, his eyes occasionally flicking upwards to look at the vision in blue before him.

It had been a while (nearly a decade, actually) since he had seen a European woman dressed in the Indian fashion, and that particular woman hadn't looked right in it at all. With Rose, Jack found that he liked the style on her immensely, and wanted to see her in a great many colors other than this one. He was sure that Padma would be able to dig out dozens of hues that would look wonderful on Rose, and since Jan owed him for helping with his trading business with the British, Jack was sure that a few pieces of clothing wouldn't be much of a problem.

Popping a forkful of curried lamb into his mouth, Jack smiled to himself as he began plotting a list of things to do during the rest of his stay.

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I couldn't help but feel a bit awkward as I ate my supper that night. The food was delicious, as usual, but how could I enjoy it when I could swear I felt Jack's eyes on me the entire time we were eating? It was flattering, to say the least, but after a while, I began to glance up at him to be sure that I wasn't imagining things. Sure enough, Jack's eyes darted away from me, looking down at his food as he ate or looking at Nidhi, Jan, or Padma whenever they spoke to him. So he was staring at me, it wasn't just my imagination!

'But do I want his attention?' I thought to myself as I ate a bit of rice and vegetables.

I would have to be a fool to say 'no,' but with Captain Jack Sparrow, one could never tell. After all, Jack was popular with women, and I had no idea if he had a true attraction to me or if it was just the fact that I was dressed in a rather enticing manner. No, Jack was probably looking at me that way because he had never seen me dressed this way before, that's all.

Holding back a sigh, I decided that having these new outfits might not be such a good idea. If it attracted this much attention from Jack, what would happen after the rest of the crew saw me dressed like this? Some of them would, undoubtedly, behave rudely and make suggestive remarks or advances on me, and I couldn't bear for that to happen; I had worked too hard to become a member of the crew, and for a simple thing like clothing to ruin all that would be a waste of all my time and effort.

'No, I'll have to tell Padma to see that I get normal sets of breeches, shirts, boots, and vests,' I thought, finishing the food before me and setting aside my fork. 'No more of elegant things for me!'

In truth, it broke my heart to have to give up the exotic outfits, but it had to be done. There was nothing more that I wanted except to have a whole chest full of colorful, exotic cuts of clothing like the ones I was wearing, but if it proved to be distracting to both crew and captain, then I would just have to give them up. Besides, where or when would I ever wear them again? They weren't practical for a new-found pirate such as myself, so I would have to keep this blue garment for special occasions, or (Heaven forbid) to sell if there was a dire need for money.

I was able to hold back another sigh of disappointment as a light dessert of fruit pudding was put in front of me, the sweet aroma distracting me from my sad thoughts…if only for the time being.

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Forcing down the last spoonful of the fruity dessert, Jack pushed the small dish away to signal a servant to come and take it. He had been watching Rose rather closely and saw that she seemed a bit distracted and upset about something. A quick glance around the table showed that Padma saw it, too, and the two exchanged glances.

Talk to her, Jack's eyes pleaded with Padma. To his relief, she nodded in agreement.

"Well, now that the meal is over, perhaps the Lovely Flower will accompany me on a walk in the gardens?" Padma said, glancing over to her right side, straight at Rose.

Rose's head jerked up. "What? Oh, yes, of course," she said, standing up when Padma did and following her out of the room.

Once the two women were out of hearing range, Jack heaved a sigh of relief, unsure as to how much longer he could have held out. For some reason, Rose's mere presence had made the air seem thicker, as though he couldn't breathe with her sitting in the same room. His stomach was doing strange things as well, though he felt that it might have been the lamb he'd just had at dinner.

"You're a lucky man, Jack Sparrow," Jan said, grinning broadly at the odd look the pirate threw at him. "Not as lucky as I am of course," he reached over to grab his wife's hand and kiss it, "but lucky just the same."

"She's a sweet girl," Nidhi said, giving Jack a motherly smile. "Padma loves her like a sister, and she is so modest! She almost refused the outfit, but Padma talked her into having it made. She is so shy, much like some of the girls of our village."

"Were she born amongst our people, we would call her Malti," Jan said, lightheartedly as he ate his dessert.

"What does that mean?" Jack asked, unfamiliar with the name.

"Much as her current one does," Nidhi said, smiling. "You call her Rose after the sweet-smelling flower, and Malti means 'fragrant flower.' It suits her, does it not?"

"Yes, it does," Jack said turning his eyes towards the door. "If you'll excuse me…"

Getting up from his chair, he didn't notice his friends smiling at one another behind his back.

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"Padma, why did you call me Lovely Flower back there?" I asked as we walked through the lush, green foliage. "I mean, I know it is a nickname, but why did you call me that?"

"Because that is what you are," she said. "We are both flowers, you and I; you are named for the rose, and are strong as well as lovely, hiding a wit as sharp as a thorn. I am named for the lotus that blooms in the ponds, delicate and fair, accepting of my fate as a bride to a man I have rarely met, but still love, despite what you might think. Our names suit us both, do they not?"

I could tell she was smiling underneath the veil that she had wrapped around her face before we had moved outdoors. I had been asked to put one on as well, mine a dark blue to go with my outfit and Padma's a dull gold to go with hers. It was odd to wear it, but strangely enough, it felt nice to have something warding off the night air. The material was light, resting gently on top of my head as the right end wrapped around the front of my face, the other hanging loosely over the left side of my body.

"Now, what color of outfit would you like next?" Padma asked, glancing over at me. "We have many colors to choose from, and I know that several will suit you quite well."

"Actually, I was hoping to just get some regular pirate garb," I said truthfully.

Padma stopped walking, her nearly black eyes staring at me. "But surely you would like another outfit much like the one you currently wear?" she protested, obviously confused.

I sighed. "There's nothing I'd like more than to wear more of them, but they aren't practical for a pirate like me," I said hating myself for refusing the offer of such marvelous garments.

A slight clucking sound emerged from behind Padma's veil, and I could tell from the way her eyes were crinkled that my new-found friend was laughing at me.

"Always concerned about what's practical, my friend?" she asked, shaking her head. "Why not indulge in something that you both want and need while here in my country?"

"Because all of my life has been spent in a grand house like this," I said, waving my hand towards the immense palace behind me. "Granted, it wasn't as elegant, but my father was a wealthy man. Mother always insisted that I wear the grandest, most elaborate gowns in colors that didn't suit me at all, all of which was as heavy and impractical as can be." I shuddered in remembrance. "My parents indulged both themselves and me in every sort of luxury imaginable, and it drove me mad!"

"Ah…so it is because of your wealthy upbringing that you insist on something practical and useful?" Padma asked, looking at something over my shoulder.

I nodded. "I'm tired of wearing things that are too heavy, too elaborate, and too gaudy!" I huffed, crossing my arms. "The clothing here in India is beautiful, of course, but it is also light, and the veils keep the sun off of one's face." I turned and looked over at Padma. "I'll happily keep this outfit, if only to wear on special occasions or celebrations, but I'm a pirate, too…I need something I can wear in all sorts of weather and situations, and this," I waved at my outfit, "is nothing of the sort. I hope you can understand."

"And it doesn't help matters at all that Captain Jack Sparrow nearly drooled all over my parents' table the moment he saw you in that outfit," she said, giggling at me.

"No, that didn't help, either." Thank goodness the veil hid my blush; otherwise I would have died of embarrassment right then and there!

Padma laughed and gently tugged me towards a bench. "But do you not want to attract his attention?"

From beneath the blue material, I sighed and took a seat beside her, the silk puffing out over my mouth. "It is only the outfit that attracted his attention," I said, suddenly feeling sad. "Jack is a great admirer of women, and he probably would have looked that way no matter what female was in this outfit." Once again, I gestured to emphasize my point. "Without this wonderful material, I'm nothing special."

A gentle hand on my arm caused me to look up into Padma's dark eyes. They were soft and gentle, as well as filled with kindness and an emotion that I could only describe as sympathy.

"You are special, Lovely Flower, otherwise you would not be on the Black Pearl," she said, squeezing my arm. "Jack Sparrow must think highly of you if he let you join his crew, and I know that Mr. Gibbs does not enjoy the idea of women onboard ships, either as crewmembers or otherwise." She suddenly winked at me.

I shook my head. "True, it was Jack who insisted I join his crew," I said. "I didn't want or expect to, but he invited me, right before I was to get married, so I mostly think it was an offer out of pity or maybe understanding. And Mr. Gibbs has been like an uncle or second father to me on the Pearl; I would never have guessed that he didn't like me being onboard!"

Padma chuckled. "And then, there is Jack…" I stiffened at that sentence, trying to thing of a good reply.

"Who is standing right here," declared a male voice from right behind me. I whirled around, my eyes colliding with Jack's. "No need to talk about me behind my back, savvy?"

I couldn't help but blush as one of his kohl-lined eyes winked at me.

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The conversation had been fascinating to listen to, as well as enlightening. He had known that Rose was different from most (if not all) noblewomen, and to hear her confess her dislike for her pampered upbringing made him want to grin smugly at his intuition. He'd had a gut feeling that Rose (or Angela, back then) didn't belong in the life to which she had been born, and he'd been right!

'Of course I was right! I'm always right,' Jack thought to himself as he leaned over a bit, trying to hear a bit more of the conversation from the shadow of the pillar he was hiding behind.

"And it doesn't help matters at all that Captain Jack Sparrow nearly drooled all over my parents' table the moment he saw you in that outfit," he overheard a giggling Padma say.

"No, that didn't help, either." Jack frowned at Rose's words. She sounded a bit…sad?

Padma laughed. "But do you not want to attract his attention?"

Jack's heart stopped in his chest. Did she want his attention? He listened closer, tilting his head to the side so he could hear better as the two women walked towards a bench.

"It is only the outfit that attracted his attention," Rose said, her voice definitely taking on a sad tone. "Jack is a great admirer of women, and he probably would have looked that way no matter what female was in this outfit." He heard the rustling of fabric, as though she were moving her arms. "Without this wonderful material, I'm nothing special."

And in that, she was wrong. True, Jack loved women, each and every shape, size, and color they came in. He'd seen many women in exotic outfits and costumes, but for some reason, seeing Rose emerge in a cloud of silver, blue, and sparkling stars made him want to swallow both his heart and his stomach at the same time.

'Never felt like that before.' The mere thought of it made Jack want to ponder the meaning of the whole thing. 'Perhaps I'd better meditate on that for a while.'

Yes, a good few hours of meditation would do him some good. It was a handy skill he'd learned in both India and China, as it had come in quite handy over the years. Nothing like being alone with one's thoughts, especially with critical ones like this one!

Snapping back to the present, he barely caught on to what was being said by Padma. "Jack Sparrow must think highly of you if he let you join his crew, and I know that Mr. Gibbs does not enjoy the idea of women onboard ships, either as crewmembers or otherwise."

He barely bit back a chuckle at the mention of his friend's superstitious beliefs about women and ships. The disbelief in Rose's voice as she talked about Gibbs' kindness towards her was amusing, though Jack figured it would be; after all, Gibbs had never said a harsh word towards Rose the entire time she had been serving on the Pearl.

"And then, there is Jack…"

'Uh, oh,' he thought, beginning to panic. Better to avoid trouble now than having to undo it later! He quickly put on a relaxed air right before he emerged into the gardens.

"Who is standing right here," Jack declared, coming up behind Rose. He watched in amusement as she whirled around, her eyes colliding with his. "No need to talk about me behind my back, savvy?"

Feeling rather bold, Jack gave Rose a wink, which likely caused her to blush in reply as she usually did in encounters like this. 'And she always blushes so beautifully, veil or no veil,' he thought to himself as he looked down at her, his gaze going straight towards hers.

With the veil covering her entire face, Jack suddenly found himself entranced by the alluring dark eyes behind the shimmering blue silk. Usually when he was alone with her, he focused on one small part of her face, trying to ignore her little nose or the dimple that showed on the right side of her mouth when she smiled at him. Today, it was her eyes, and damn if they weren't the most brilliant brown eyes he'd ever seen!

'Whoa there, mate!' Jack thought, trying to control himself while appearing relaxed and nonchalant at the same time. 'What are you doing, thinking like that? It's time to end this and run for a cold bath!'

"Rose, darling, I don't believe I've told you how fetching you look in blue silk," he said smoothly, giving her a broad grin. "Padma, be a dear and fix her up with some more of those lovely outfits, would you?" He saw Rose begin to protest and raised his hand to stop her. "Don't you go arguing with me, darling," Jack felt himself ordering before he could stop himself. "Besides, a lovely girl such as yourself deserves something lovely to wear, savvy?"

"But Jack-"

He cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Luv, if you don't accept it of your own will, I'll have to order you to take it," he said while putting on his 'Captain face.'

Rose sighed and rolled her eyes. "Aye, sir," she said.

"Wonderful!" Padma exclaimed, clapping her hands. "We'll get started right away! Come, Rose, we'll have to pick out materials today so that the seamstresses can start tomorrow morning!" She quickly grabbed her friend by the arm and dragged her out of the garden, chatting about the numerous colors that would go well with Rose's hair, eye, and skin color.

Watching them leave, Jack suddenly felt a surge of triumph. He was going to see Rose in many more Indian women's garb, and for some reason, he felt extremely pleased with the idea. In his mind, Jack could almost see her in numerous styles and colors that the rainbow would envy, his heart suddenly speeding up in his chest. It was definitely time for that cold bath.

Humming his favorite song, Jack turned and headed inside.

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I watched in amazement as Padma combed through the storage room that held all of the clothing materials. She chattered on and on about how I would look wonderful in red, emerald green, and violet, and how either silver or gold thread would be used to make the embroidered patterns on all of my clothes.

However, I wasn't listening to a word she said. Instead, my thoughts drifted back to our talk in the gardens with my friend, and how Jack had magically appeared without warning. Had he overheard what had been said? It was possible, but since he jumped in right when Padma was about to talk about him, I preferred to hope that Jack had merely shown up at just that point in time and hadn't heard much before that.

'And he said he wanted me to get new clothes,' I thought, looking at the growing pile of silk in my arms. 'Why would he do that? It's not as though I could wear it around the ship while doing chores!'

He certainly was a puzzle. Either Jack truly wanted me to have something lovely for myself, or he wanted me to have these clothes for another reason. I had seen the heated look in his eyes as he gazed at me while I was in these outfits, and I knew that he was attracted to me. But since he hadn't really seen me before this, I related it to the clothes. Looking at my armful of silk, I knew I would have to accept the new wardrobe, if only to keep Jack's wonderful brown eyes looking at me in that way.

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AN: Well, what did you think? It was kind of boring, but the next chapter holds better stuff, I promise! Please review!