A/N: Hello people! This chapter is a bit...spiritual? I'm not sure, but it's a good one, I hope :) I forgot to mention eariler that in the chapter before this one, the song that Carolina and Jack are singing is "Angels & Airwaves - Start the Machine".
Also, from this chapter onwards, one of my reviewers, Robin, has offered to beta my chapters! Thank you so much! I would also like to let you all know that I will be going away on a Snow Trip from tonight til the 25th or 26th, so the next chapter might not be out for a week or two, at the latest. I hope this chapter will suffice til then!
Enjoy!
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They screamed at each other for a moment more before she just stared at him, her eyes large with shock and her hands shaking. Jack had recoiled from the room, now standing in the hallway with his hands clasped together at his sternum, as if she was about to pummel him right there and then.
He was close.
Her eyes lit up with anger, she picked up a torch that was on her dresser and pegged it at him. Jack yelped as the object hit him in the shoulder, thinking that he wouldn't feel it, but he did.
"Get the hell out of my apartment!" She yelled at him while picking up a candle the size of a can and threw it at him also. Jack prepared this time, and dodged the object.
"What the bloody hell are ye' doin', woman!" He yelped again and ran down the hallway, the furious female trailing behind him. He skirted around the coffee table, using it between the two of them as a barrier. She was breathing heavily, her face pink with anger.
She stood across from him, the table between them, which was probably a good thing. Then, he saw her angry expression switch to fear almost instantly.
"This isn't real," she said, her eyes becoming fearful and confused as her hands went to her head and she began to pace. Jack's cautiousness of the furious female simmered and his shoulders dropped. She put a hand on her hip and the other on her forehead, "Oh my god, this can't be real," she looked at him and gave a startled jump, "you were just a figure of my imagination!"
"Actually - " Jack began.
"OH MY GOD!" She shrieked and he cringed from the height of her voice. He softened his expression and extended his hand while walking slowly towards her.
"Darlin'", he said in a warm tone and she looked at him and dropped her hand to her side. Her expression had become slack and he knew what was about to happen -
"Love, don't -" He began, rushing forward and catching her unconscious form just before she hit the ground. Holding her in his arms, her entire form limp, he murmured, "faint."
Lifting her weightless form up, hooking one arm behind her knees and using the other to support her torso, he carried her to the couch and ushered the cat to move.
"Bailey, scat!" The cat gave an annoyed stare before strolling away.
Laying her down softly, he made sure that a pillow was behind her head. Sitting down next to her, he observed the unconscious creature before him. A smile played at his lips. Deep down, he had a feeling that she would react like that, only that he had thought that the objects she would use as weapons against him, would pass right through him.
She always looked peaceful when she was asleep, or unconscious in this case. He observed her face for a moment, making sure that there were no abrasions, but involuntarily, his eyes drooped down her barely clothed form. He raised an eye brow.
"She is a woman," he mumbled to himself, forcing himself to bring his eyes to her face again, "after all, she ain't tha' little child anymore."
Sighing, his eyes suddenly lit up as an idea sprung to his mind. His idea consisted of entering her unconscious mind, into the 'dream' world to be exact. Leaning over her body, he put his hands onto her shoulders and quirked his lip, "Let's 'ope she can't throw objects at me in dreams."
And just like that, there was a flash and Jack was gone.
-
Carolinaslowly opened her eyes. She was sitting on a plain wooden chair, in a very darkened room. Across from her was a small square window, the glass segmented into four squares. Each panel of glass had crusts of dry salt running up them.
Where the hell am I, she thought idly to herself. She could hear the dim sound of waves. Then there was the sound of someone stumbling over something and letting out some very unflattering profanity.
"Son of a whore's -"
She recognized the deep, drawling voice instantly. Turning in her seat, she saw a disgruntled Jack Sparrow leaning against a large, mahogany desk and rubbing at his knee.
"Jack?" She timidly asked. He took a second to inspect his knee, before standing straight and turning his attention to Carolina.
"Love", he replied in a warm voice and held his arms out to her. She looked at him with a blank expression before standing up and facing him.
"You're not real", she replied and Jack put a hand to his chest in a hurtful gesture.
"That's not very nice," he mumbled, his brow furrowing before he said matter-of-factly with a hand gesture, "if yer' hadn't noticed Carolina, yer' did peg a torch at me several minutes ago, with unsuspecting' accuracy an' force," she rose an eye brow at him, "might I add."
"How do I know this isn't just me cracking after the years of stress?" She asked, her voice a little more confident than before.
Jack had closed the space between them with a couple of steps. She was now looking up at him, tilting her head. She couldn't help but feel that she hadn't grown at all since she was fourteen; still only just passing his shoulder. None the less, she did not move back.
"Love, I've known yer' since yer' where nothing' but a wee lil' lass," he said indifferently, "I was there fer' every moment in yer' life, up until this very second. An' yer' wanna know how I can prove it?"
"Ok, shoot for the stars Jack," she replied back while throwing a hand up, "enlighten me."
He stared hard at her, challenging her stern expression then he said without changing his face:
"I stole yer' last pieces of chicken this evening' at work."
Her eyes widened slightly and she pursed her lips, then said in an annoyed tone, "Jack, I was so hungry and you stole my food?"
He nodded proudly, "Pirate."
She wrinkled her nose at him and then furiously threw her hands up, "How do I know this isn't just me becoming insane?"
Jack looked uneasily at her, "Which part of 'I'm back' don't yer' get, lass?"
Carolina faced him again and sighed, "Prove it to me."
He rose an eye brow at her, "Yer' don't believe me?"
She now snickered and said mockingly, "Pirate."
A mischievous and amused grin arose on his features and he said, "Carolina, when yer' wake up, I'll be right by yer' side, in all me pirating glory -"
She sniggered. The darkened room had began to become hazy and luminous. She could feel herself slipping back to reality.
"An' yer' in all yer' disrobed glory", she heard the amused voice of Jack say before she opened her eyes.
-
Jack grinned. Carolina was looking at him, her large beautiful eyes glimmering. She didn't move, but continued to stare at him for a few moments.
"What do you mean in my disrobed glory?" She asked in a soft voice.
Jack smirked, his eyes lowering. Her eyes followed and she gasped, grabbing a pillow and covering herself, even though she did have undergarments on, she hadn't forgotten that Jack Sparrow was in fact a womanizer.
Jack chuckled, "It's nice ta' know yer' didn't pummel me with hard objects this time."
She frowned, "I had every right to use my womanly rage against someone who left me helpless and undermined as a child!"
Jack also frowned, "I had no choice, love. I was instructed to."
She rolled her eyes, pulling herself up from the couch and discarding the pillow, "What ever, Jack. Wait here, I'm getting changed."
Jack sat back into the soft lounge and sighed, "Suddenly not so shy 'bout 'er body."
She returned back several minutes later dressed in flannel pants and a singlet. She petted her cat as she passed it before sitting back on the couch and just staring at Jack.
After several minutes, he had become to feel and uneasy and asked, "What?"
And as quick as lighting, she pinched him on the arm. Hard.
Jack let out a howl of pain and sank away from her, clutching his injured bicep. "What the bloody hell was tha' for?" He demanded angrily.
Carolina's expressionless face slowly turned into a huge smile and she pounced on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.
A slightly confused and unsure Jack wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly also. He rested his chin on the top of her head, enjoying the scent of coconuts from her hair and skin. A sense of collected peace washed over him.
"You're back", she said into his chest, her voice airy with happiness.
Jack gave a hearty laugh, "I'm back."
