A/N: There will be many delicious developments to come, my dearies. I want to thank the reviewers of Chapter 23: BrendaC, Wander of the Roads, JacksFoxyLass, Pirate Gyrl, Padme4000, Katie, Andthentheymademetheirchief, Arein, Sentinel Sparrow, Kait, sparrow's strumpet, SittinOnACornflake, The DuTchess of Doom, senatorsarah, Lady Anarane, felicitousmomento, Deathly Nightshade, and AlterEgox5. If I missed anyone, I apologize and you are the best! Thanks for reviewing and telling me what you think. It is greatly appreciated.
Ana picked up her brush from the modest nightstand and ran it through her golden tangles. The simple strokes of the brush always seemed to calm her when her thoughts ran awry. Tonight was no exception when it came to inner confusion and turmoil.
First of all…Jack and June? When did such a union manage to take place? June was always an incorrigible tease, but Anastasia never thought Jack would consent…
And Mister Turner for that matter! He bloody kissed her back! Rather expertly, she might add. In the back of her mind, a tiny voice accused her of acting like a harlot, but she shushed it right up. Why not take action when the poor fool was afraid to? She gave him more than enough encouragement, but he never managed to take the bait.
Until now.
Oh yes, Anastasia Walker was becoming an excellent fisherman! Er, fisherwoman.
As if on cue, there was a rapping at her door. Before she could offer a meek reply, the door swung open to reveal a rather flustered William.
Almost dropping her brush, Ana remarked dryly, "You have already seen me in my nightshirt once before. I suppose I need not work to protect my decency anymore?" She swiveled in her chair to face him.
"Jack is not turning the Pearl around," Will informed her, sitting without invitation onto her squeaky cot.
"Please, make yourself at home," she replied with a raised eyebrow, "And Jack's a damned fool. This is half the result of his greed and his plan to make June raving mad."
"Bugger it, I don't want to hear their names together, let alone reminisce on the scene we witnessed tonight." William couldn't contain his visible shudder.
Letting out a bark of laughter, Ana said, "Amen to that. But we both saw it coming, didn't we?"
He nodded. "I suppose we did." Leaning back against the wall, he added, "I also came here to discuss something else of equal importance…"
The nightshirt slipped and bared a newly-tanned shoulder. Righting it, she frowned. "Out with it, then."
"Anastasia, I find your obvious attempts at flirtation to be a danger to your reputation."
Anastasia let out a bark of laughter. "You cannot be serious, Will!"
The look on his face suggested otherwise.
"What am I doing that is so disgusting to you?" She couldn't believe it. This was not the reaction she was going for!
"Anastasia, please…it is not meant to be insulting."
"How can it NOT sound insulting!" Ana stood up, clearly enraged, "You make me sound like a common whore!"
"Ana, I am just a bit concerned about the way you have been acting towards me. Tonight you kiss me without provocation and you know how I truly feel about you."
"You were the one making innuendoes, Mister Turner!" she shot back, "You mean to tell me that all that nonsense about sleeping in the nude doesn't count towards provocation?"
"You need to stop tempting me, Miss Walker…" Will responded calmly, but his voice seemed to be backed by a barely-contained emotion. Almost anger. A bit of frustration. He stood up so he was inches from her, "You know I am not capable of love, and yet you flaunt your agreeable assets in front of me as if to taunt me."
Anastasia opened her mouth and shut it.
"I am only a man, Anastasia," he ground out at her shocked face, "And I am afraid that I cannot hold back any longer this desire you have ignited in me."
Before she could react, his mouth came crushing down on hers, smothering her in hot, unbridled passion. His tongue sought entrance and she almost collapsed from the heat of his hands.
This wasn't the Will she had come to know…the sweet gentleman. This stranger was a complete scoundrel!
Her back hit something and she realized it was the cot as it whined to accommodate both of their weight. Will was on top of her, mercilessly plunging his hands into her long hair and tilting her head to gain better access of her swollen lips.
"Will…" she gasped, fighting to speak between his fiery kisses.
"Oh God, Anastasia…" he whispered in agony, "I've been without a woman in so long…"
"Will, stop!"
He stilled instantly and stared down at her in bewilderment. She stared back, licking her lips before murmuring brokenly, "Please get off of me."
He did so without delay. He continued to stare as she sat up and said quietly, "You come in to my room and tell me that you're worried about my honor and my reputation…and then you seek to take both from me during the midst of one night."
"Anastasia…" Will said in shame, "That was not my intention…"
After straightening out her nightshirt, she opened the door for him. Without so much as a glance, she said miserably, "I must ask you to leave at once."
He walked out without a word, and Anastasia was left to fight her own demons.
Meanwhile, June was down in storage looking for a delicious bottle of fine, imported rum and curling her lip at the unsanitary conditions of said storage room.
"Doesn't anyone know how to clean up around here?" June asked in disgust to no one in particular, "They're all pigs, the lot o' them…"
"Includin' me, luv?"
June raised her lantern to find Jack Sparrow leaning against one of the support beams of the Pearl, grinning triumphantly.
"Especially you," she retorted, going back to her search for some strong alcohol. She lifted the lantern to gaze at some small barnacle-looking sea creatures and they instantly sealed up when the light hit them. They could be her pets! She could give them whatever names she pleased…like Mister Barnacles! How original.
"I'll give you the pleasure o' cleanin' up this here storage room if it bothers ye so much," Jack continued, biting one of his fingernails.
Grabbing the nearest bottle, she eased the cork out with her teeth and took a healthy drink from it. "Fine. If ye want me to."
Jack blinked in surprise. "You will? No complaints?"
"Of course. Got to follow orders, don't I?"
"Are you drunk?" Jack questioned, sniffing around her and waving a hand in front of her face, "What's wrong wit' you? Out wit' it!"
"Nothing, my darling! All is right with the world!" she replied with a huge smile plastered on her face and a rather chipper expression.
Jack took off his hat and set it on the nearest shelf. He then grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close. "That's the fakest enthusiasm I have ever witnessed." Regarding her thoughtfully, he placed a suave kiss to the side of her mouth. "Tell ol' Jack what's troublin' you."
She pushed him away in annoyance and said, "Drop it. I don't want to talk about it."
"Is it the map?"
Her black eyes suddenly flashed red and he nodded. "I thought so. Let me handle it, luv."
"Let YOU handle it? It's MY map, in case you haven't noticed!" June cried. Steam was coming out of her ears.
"We're a duo, a duet, a team of two! Two to tango and all that nonsense, aye? I'm taken ye to Barcelona, aren't I? I wouldn't be yellin' at me in such a horrible screechin' frenzy all the time, if I were you." Jack pouted. "You should be appreciatin' me and my brilliance."
"That's the problem, Jack…you don't appreciate me!" She stomped around the room, waving her hands about, "And the 'hole crew knows it! You are ashamed o' me!" She finished off the last of the rum and clenched the empty bottle in her hand.
"Can ye blame me?"
The bottle came crashing down atop his head, leaving him unconscious amidst a clutter of broken glass.
"Opps. How did that happen?" she wondered aloud while delivering a soft kick to his side. He didn't stir. Turning him over, she went through his pockets until she extracted the map from his person. Whistling to herself, June stepped over Jack's still form and made her way back upstairs.
