Disclaimer: I tried to lure Jack into my house with rum, but Disney got in my way, so he's not mine.
AN: Okay, people are tired of the recovery process, so I'm trying to end it now. Meanwhile, a long-awaited event occurs in this chapter, but you all will have to wait until the end of it to find out what it is! Ha! Meanwhile, happy reading and let me know what you think by reviewing! Thanks!
Chapter 18: Things Happen:
"Please, Jack?" I begged, staring at him with wide, pleading eyes.
"No," he said, crossing his arms over his chest in a stubborn and authoritative manner.
"But Jack-"
"For the last time, Rose, the answer is no!" Jack huffed, rolling his eyes.
"I only want to go outside for a little while," I whined, gazing longingly at the door that led outside the cabin. "I've been stuck in here for days! Can't I go out and get some fresh air? It might do me some good!"
"If you want fresh air, I'll gladly open the balcony doors," he retorted as he waved his hand towards them. "That'll get plenty of air in here for you to enjoy."
I couldn't prevent my eyes from rolling upwards in exasperation.
It was a week since I had woken up in Jack's cabin, and I was ready to go out of my mind with boredom. I had read through several books, hummed every song I could remember, and been read to by Jack, but the urge to get up and do something to exercise my body was inescapable. I needed to get out and walk, run, or do something to stretch my legs and enjoy the sunshine.
"Jack, if I don't get out of here soon, I'll go mad," I declared as I glared up at him from my post in the bed. "I need to move, not sit in bed!"
To my annoyance, my pirate caretaker shook his head. "Luv, I've only just gotten you to eat good, solid foods and to stay awake for more than a few hours at a time. I am not going to put your body at risk by letting you dance around the Black Pearl's deck!"
I could feel my eyes narrow in anger. "I do not plan on dancing around the Pearl, Jack," I snapped. "I plan to take a nice walk around the deck. That is all."
"Rose, there is no possible way that I'm going to let you set all your healing back by letting you go outside," Jack firmly stated. "You aren't ready, and I'll be damned if I let you hurt yourself because you feel like stretching your legs!"
"Oh, honestly," I huffed, my arms automatically shifting to cross over my chest before I could stop myself. I winced when I felt the wound in my left shoulder protest the movement.
"There, you see?" The smugness in Jack's voice was clear enough for anyone to hear.
But I wasn't going to let myself be defeated so easily. I merely settled my shoulder down back into its previous position and reset the sling that it was currently in, which had been created for me by Marty the Midget and Mr. Cotton. Once my shoulder was situated, I focused my attention back on Jack.
"This only proves that it's my shoulder that needs careful tending, not the rest of me," I said, waving my right hand towards my body. "My legs work fine, as you should know from the exercises that I've been doing in order to keep from losing them!"
Now it was Jack's turn to roll his eyes. "If you need to stretch your legs, stretch them inside the cabin," he said, as though it cost him a great deal to allow me to do that much.
I opened my mouth to argue, but at that moment, Gibbs entered the room with my lunch tray in his hands. He gave me an encouraging smile before he set the tray over my lap, and when he removed the covering, I completely forgot what I was arguing with Jack about. A good, solid meal of roasted fowl, vegetables, and, best of all, a slice of fruit pie!
"Where did you get the fruits for the pie?" I asked, picking up my fork and knife and attacking my lunch; it had been only yesterday that Jack had declared that I could have real meals besides soup.
"Oh, Cotton and that parrot of his went out to explore the island a bit a couple days ago, and they found the place packed with fruit trees," Gibbs answered, pulling up a stool so he could sit next to me. Jack frowned at him, but the first mate didn't notice. "Since we figured that we needed to fight scurvy, the men went ashore to begin harvesting fruits, bringing them back here to the Pearl so we could all have a few nice treats while we're here."
"I'd like to know who actually made the pie," Jack put in as he turned an inspective gaze upon the pastry slice. "Not that I suspect someone of poisoning the crew, but we all know that the men aren't very good when it comes to baking!"
"Oh, Miss Padma included a sort of cooking instruction book while we were loading up the galley," Gibbs informed him. "I know that Rose used a good deal of the recipes while we were at sea, but Cotton found the instructions on the pies, and with the crew eager to taste-test the results…well, you can imagine that Cotton can turn out a tasty pie right quick!"
Since the recipe for the pie came from Padma, and the crew had already helped Mr. Cotton produce the best outcome possible, I immediately began moving to the sugary treat. I scooped up a small bit of the pie with my fork and was about to eat it when the rascal pirate-captain snatched the bite right off of my fork and put it right in his own mouth!
"Jack!" I cried out in protest.
He merely smiled as he finished chewing and swallowing. "Just checking to see if it's safe for you to have, luv," he said, his fingers reaching for the rest of my pie slice.
I quickly pushed his hands away, brandishing my fork to keep him at bay. "Oh, no you don't!" I said. "You go get your own, Jack Sparrow! Go use your powers of authority on the Pearl and get to the galley for your own pie!"
Jack pouted, but stepped back, allowing me to finish my food (including my pie) in peace. As I ate, though, Jack kept a close eye on me, as though he feared that merely eating a normal meal would send me into unconsciousness! However, I ignored him in favor of the tempting pastry before me, polishing it off before I finished cleaning my plate of my vegetables.
"Why'd you eat the pie first and then the vegetables after it?" asked Gibbs as he took the tray off my lap. "Usually people finish their meal first, then have dessert afterwards."
I shrugged as I finished off the glass of water Jack had just handed to me. "It's a quirk of mine," I replied with a smile as I returned the glass. "Every time I eat something sugary, I need something salty or a glass of milk or water to follow it, otherwise, my mouth will start tasting odd. In this case, I ate the vegetables to wash away the sweet." Mr. Gibbs nodded a bit in understanding, but Jack just stared at me as though I were insane.
"It's an odd habit," Jack said as he led Gibbs towards the door of the cabin.
"My grandmother has the same problem," I replied with another shrug. "Now, since I've just eaten, I think I'll take a nap. You can go and play cards with the crew if you like." Jack opened his mouth to protest, but I raised a hand to stop him. "I know that you've been spending all of your time in here, but you really should go out and have fun. Go on, I'll be fine."
He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but finally, Jack nodded. "Alright, but promise to call if you need anything," he ordered firmly.
I nodded and waited until the door was securely shut before grinning widely. The sounds of his boots on the deck signaled that Jack was completely gone, so I threw the covers aside and proceeded to swing my feet over the right side of the bed and onto the floor. As my feet landed on the floorboards, I was extremely thankful that Jack had cleaned and unrolled the rugs he had found under the bed; now they served the wonderful purpose of softening the wooden planks to make it easier to walk on them.
Taking a deep breath, I clutched the bedpost with my right hand and, ever-so-slowly, began to lift myself off the bed. At first my legs were a bit wobbly, and I found myself falling back onto the bed three times before I successfully managed to stand properly. Once I felt sure of myself, I began moving my toes, picking up one foot and moving it around before setting it straight down and repeating it with the other foot.
I took another deep breath and sighed, preparing myself. The blood was flowing through my body, and now I had to practically re-train it to walk properly again, considering that, if I followed Jack's way of thinking, I would probably be tied to the bed and forbidden to leave for the rest of my life! Not that I minded being his patient, or, as of last night, sharing the same bed with him (for sleeping purposes only, of course), but…
'I just wish that we were sharing the same cabin for different reasons,' I thought, a feeling of melancholy rushing through me before I pushed it aside.
Now was not the time to let such depressing emotions distract me. I needed to walk, and I had to feel good about my ability to do so before it could happen, so I focused all of my energy on shuffling a few steps towards my left. By moving in that particular direction, it kept the bed close behind me, in case I fell over in exhaustion or accidentally tripped. I shuffled that way three steps successfully, then moved back to my original spot, smiling at my success before doing it once more.
After repeating this process several times, my legs began to feel a bit unsteady, as I had not used them in so long. Smiling, I took several steps back to my original position, then moved backwards so that I could sit on the bed, feeling tired but content with my exercise. I would have to do this many more times before I could really walk normally again, but I would do it, no matter what it took.
'I refuse to be known as the lazy crewmember,' I thought as I began to lie down on the bed, settling beneath the covers and bringing them over myself once more.
Feeling happy but tired, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
He knew something was going on, but he didn't know what. If there was one thing that annoyed Captain Jack Sparrow, it was that nagging feeling that something was happening right under his nose, but had no idea what it could be. The feeling had begun to occur a few days ago, when Rose had insisted that he spend more time with the crew while she napped and regained her strength.
'It's Rose,' Jack's instincts told him as he chewed on his lower lip. 'It definitely has something to do with her, but I have no idea what it is.'
It certainly had nothing to do with her health; he constantly checked the wound and it was healing quite nicely, with no sign of infection. Still, something told him that whatever was bothering him had to do with the lovely girl currently lying down in his cabin…and in his bed…
One of Jack's hands reached up and slapped himself in the forehead. No, he would not think about Rose in his bed, or the fact that they were now sharing a bed at night, since Rose didn't like the idea of Jack spending who-knows-how-long sleeping in his chair. The only thing they did at night was sleep, but he couldn't risk the crew knowing that he was not only sleeping in the same cabin with the Pearl's only female crewmember, but that they were also sleeping in the bed!
'If they find out, they'll accuse me of favoritism during future disputes,' Jack thought, running a hand over his beard. 'That sort of thinking can cause mutiny, and I'll be damned if I let another mutiny happen on my ship!'
Biting back a sigh, Jack headed back to his cabin. He had left not ten minutes ago, on the thought that some time overlooking the cove from the helm would clear his head, but now he wanted nothing more than to be back in his cabin with a good book. Opening the door to his room, Jack froze in his steps. After a moment, when the shock faded and all that remained was anger, only then did he finally speak.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" roared a voice from the doorway.
I whirled around, pausing in my daily trek around the room and nearly falling over in surprise. There in the doorway of the cabin stood a very angry Captain Jack Sparrow, his brown eyes narrowed as he stormed towards me. I opened my mouth to reply, only to find myself thrown over his shoulder and carried back to bed like a sack of potatoes! I squealed in protest as I found myself tossed onto the bed, where I lay there, prone and unmoving.
"I told you to stay in bed!" Jack scolded, his voice loud and full of authority. "I trusted you to be alone and unattended, and this is what happened!"
That certainly got me to sit up and glare at him. "Oh, for goodness sakes, Jack, it's not like I was sleeping with a crewmember while I was in here!" I retorted. "I was simply walking around the room and getting some exercise!"
"And I told you that you weren't ready for it!" he snapped, crossing his arms and standing over me.
"I seem to have proven otherwise," I stated, lifting my head up stubbornly and triumphantly. "I've been walking around the room like a normal person for days! For God's sakes, Jack, it was my shoulder that was shot, not my legs! There's no reason for me not to be walking around and getting some fresh air and exercise that will only do me good!"
Jack stood there with his mouth moving but no words coming out, looking very much like a caught fish; if the situation hadn't been so serious and so full of anger and frustration, it would have been funny. Instead, we merely stood or sat there, glaring at one another, waiting for the other to give in to the argument of the opposing force. However, the opening of the cabin door interrupted our little standoff, drawing both of our attentions towards the intruder.
"Cap'n?" Mr. Gibbs said, walking inside. He paused when he saw the two of us with scowls on our faces.
"What is it, Gibbs?" Jack said, barely keeping his voice smooth and civil.
At that moment, Gibbs looked as though he wanted to run away, but since Jack was speaking to him, he had to reply. "Um, the crew was wondering if you would like to take Miss Rose ashore and show her the fine beach there," he said, looking uncomfortable under his Captain's glare. "Perhaps even do some exploring and the like, given that it's a fairly big place and all…"
I couldn't resist. "Oh, I'd love to go ashore, Gibbs!" I said, letting my joy show in my voice. "We'll be right out!" I turned my eyes towards Jack and put on my most aristocratic voice and manners. "If you'll excuse me, Captain, I'd like to prepare for our outing."
Gibbs looked stuck between looking pleased and uncomfortable as he walked out of the cabin, a fuming Jack following behind him.
After a quick visit to the privy and very carefully changing into a good, sturdy set of clothes that, thanks to Mr. Cotton, was now stored in Jack's cabin, I slipped on my boots and stepped outside, savoring the tangy smell of the sea mixed with the glorious scents of flowers and jungle greenery. It was a beautiful sunny day with just the perfect touch of wind to keep the heat of the day away.
A huge, happy smile found its way to my lips and I cheerfully made my way to the longboat that was waiting for me. Jack was there, looking extremely unhappy and annoyed, but the rest of the men looked thrilled that I was coming along. They waved and called out encouraging remarks as Jack gently took my arm and helped me to sit down at the front of the boat. As the men rowed towards shore, Dusty the Parrot separated himself from Mr. Cotton and took a place on my uninjured shoulder, gently rubbing his beak against my chin in a way that made me giggle. The men looked pleased at my laughter, and kept me chatting with them all the way to shore.
When the boat pulled into shallow water, I was ordered to stay inside it until we were fully beached on the sand. I did as they asked, and once the boat was on land, Jack helped to lift me out and gently set me on shore. Despite his opposition to my being there, I gave him a thankful smile, which clearly startled him. For a moment, Jack seemed to freeze as he looked at me, seeming to try to find something false with my smile, but unable to do so. Instead, he gave me a small smile in return.
"Come on, luv," he said, wrapping an arm around my waist. "Let's go see what this place has to offer, aye?"
"Aye, Captain," I said, giving him a mock salute before allowing him to lead me into the jungle.
The island was, in fact, deserted, with nothing but a few animals and numerous birds living there. It wasn't a small place, but it wasn't a large one, either, which allowed the whole crew to thoroughly explore the whole thing in about two days. With no one and nothing living there to oppose us, Jack was content to lead me along a wide strip of beach, one that ran the length of the cove that sheltered the Pearl. I paused a few times to rest myself, since the only walking I had been doing for several days were around a ship's cabin, but I felt quite good with the sea air flowing over me, filling my lungs and combing through my hair. Presently, I was sitting on a huge beached log, one which had been worn smooth by the water and tossed up to where the jungle met the sand. The sounds of the waves lapping on shore and the birds singing in the trees were soothing, and I felt relaxed to the point of drowsiness.
"Would you care for some lunch, luv?" Jack's soft voice whispered into my ear.
I opened my eyes and saw him standing there with a large palm leaf lying in his hand, in the center of which held several fruits and a bit of fowl. Jack gave me a smile as he joined me on the log, the two of us eating our meal in silence. When Jack had disposed of the last bone and fruit peel, we sat and watched the waves come in with the tide.
"I'm sorry," Jack said softly, catching my attention.
My head turned so that I could look at him. "For what?" I asked, puzzled.
"For being such an ass," he explained. "I owe you my life, and the last thing that I wanted was to see you endanger your own like that." Jack waved for me to be silent when I tried to protest. "I was just as stubborn about recovering from my own bullet wounds, and if you were one of the other men, I would have tried to convince you to heal faster and get up sooner than you have been." I felt his hand land on my arm and felt my heart flutter in pleasure. "It's not right and it's not fair for me to treat you like a delicate flower…even though that's what you look like and what I feel you are."
My mouth suddenly went dry and I did my best to swallow. I could feel my heart beating like mad as Jack's fingers caressed my arm, slowly moving down to grip my hand. I could feel us moving closer to one another, our lips inches apart when I heard someone call my name.
"Rose!" Jack said, shaking my shoulder, startling me out of a sound rest. "Rose, come on, we've got to get back to the Pearl."
I felt ready to curse the gods as I sat up on the blanket that the crew had laid down for me to rest on while visiting the island. Sighing, I brushed myself off and tried not to cry. It had been just a dream…a wonderful, wishful dream for a girl who would never be able to attract the attentions of the man she loved. The whole idea made me want to scream and burst into tears, but since Jack was here, I wouldn't be able to do that until later.
'Perhaps when I'm back on the Pearl and alone in the bed or in the privy,' I bitterly thought, barely holding back tears. 'I can't break down in front of Jack, I just can't!'
"Here, let me help you," Jack said, offering a hand and completely oblivious to my emotions.
Biting back my frustration, I accepted it and stood up, dusting off sand as Jack folded up the blanket and hooked it over his arm. He then jerked his head towards the boat, indicating we should be going. I had barely taken a step forward when I tripped on a tree branch and fell…straight into Jack's arms.
Glancing up at him, I could feel my face redden in embarrassment. However, Jack wasn't looking at my face…he was looking at my lips. I barely had time to realize this before his head lowered and pressed his lips against mine.
AN: Muhahaha! (grins evilly) Yes, they finally kissed! Woohoo! Now please review!