Disclaimer: I do not own POTC! I only own my OCs (Annaliese and Nikko)!
Enjoy chapter 7!
Nearly an hour later, Jack was still at the helm, guiding the Pearl along the calm seas. It was getting close to the time for the sun to set. All too soon for his liking, he finished off the last of his bottle of rum. Just to be certain, he turned the bottle over and watched to see if any liquid dripped onto the wood floor below. When only a few drops managed to trickle out, he instantly raised his head.
"Gibbs! Take the helm!" Jack called the man forth.
"I'll be in my cabin," he added when Gibbs reached him. Jack strut down the stairs and took a left into the dim hallway. Upon reaching the double doors, he silently entered the cabin, looking around for the woman. He immediately found her curled up on his bed, asleep. She was positioned at an odd angle, keeping her injured arm out as to not put too much weight on the wound. Her little beast of a goat was also resting, but to Jack's delight, he was on the floor next to the bed. He noticed the food tray he had laid out earlier only had a few scraps left over.
Rum… He suddenly remembered his purpose and crossed the room to the cabinet. He grabbed an unopened bottle from inside and took a long sip after opening it. All the while, Jack noiselessly edged toward the bed, listening to Annaliese's quiet and peaceful breathing. He watched her for a moment.
She was thin and muscular, yet soft and fleshy in all the right places. Quite the opposite of gaunt Ms. Elizabeth. No, this girl did not live a sheltered life in a grand house with servants to do her bidding. She had to work for and earn her food and shelter every single day of her life. Her skin was quite tanned from being out in the sun all day, every day. No, this girl certainly did not hide from the outdoors under a parasol. Those striking icy blue eyes where concealed behind her closed eyelids. Her long, tangled strawberry curls were sprawled all over the place behind her. Both of her ears were pierced with a pair of large, golden hoop earrings. She then sighed and shifted slightly in her sleep, and Jack noticed that on her right thigh, partially exposed, was a tattoo! This girl was more like a native island girl than any proper English lady, and yet her voice dwells with such an accent.
Curse it all! Why is she so compelling?
Jack went and sat at his desk and took a big swig of rum. He observed the pair of untouched boots Gibbs had set out for the girl that was sitting among his maps and tools and smirked ever so slightly: this girl certainly had a mind of her own.
Why was he just sitting there staring at me? Annaliese wondered in silence as she lay motionless on the bed, He thinks I'm sleeping… He makes the most interesting faces as his thoughts pass through his mind. And he is quite handsome…with such a diverse character. He has a certain irresistible gleam in his eyes. Oh, his eyes…I love his eyes.
Annaliese opened her eyes after a moment and silently watched Jack as he began to look at his maps and fiddle with some navigational instruments. He had such long, elegant fingers that were adorned with his few lovely rings. She tried to get a better view of what he was doing, but her injured arm prevented her from even lifting her head. Jack must have felt her watching and instantly looked up at her.
"Ah, yer awake!" Nikko's head rose in alarm at his sudden words. Jack stood up and strolled over to the bed, extending his hand to Annaliese.
"I think it's time I gave ya a tour of the Black Pearl, luv," Instinctively, Annaliese put her hand in his and felt his long fingers encircling hers. With Jack's other hand supporting her from under her bandaged arm, he helped her up off the bed. As he did so, she could not help but breathe in his scent, a blend of sea salt, gunpowder, and sweat. With all of the scents combined, it was a rather unique and fascinating smell.
Jack led her to the doors. Nikko immediately got up and followed the pair, causing Jack to cast a wary look over his shoulder at him before opening the cabin door.
Annaliese noticed that the cabin was one of three rooms branching off from a hallway. To the left, she could see the main deck, but they took a right and came to a ladder at the end of the hall that led down below. Jack effortlessly began to climb downward, but Annaliese was hesitant, as she was worried she would slip and harm her arm even more than it already was.
"Come, come luv," Jack urged her on. "We 'aven't got all day."
"But what if I fall?" Annaliese asked him tentatively.
"Simple… I'll catch you…" Jack replied, smiling up at her from below, his gold teeth glinting softly in the candlelight. She returned his smile at his reassuring words and then started to step down the ladder, gripping the rail with her good arm. As she neared the floor, Jack took hold of her waist and placed her down firmly on the floor, which rocked softly from side to side along with the ships movements. Above them, Nikko bleated in distress from being separated from his beloved owner.
"Shhh, Nikko," Annaliese attempted to calm him, "I'll only be a minute." At her words, Nikko quieted down and stood by the ladder in wait for them to return.
"Now then," said Jack, taking her hand once again, "let's start from the bottom and work our way up." He led her forward.
"This is the galley," Jack continued. A few lanterns hanging from the ceiling cast enough light to see that both sides of the walls were lined with cabinets, counters, and a stove. There were several barrels, all labeled as food, water, or rum. Unorganized cooking utensils hung from hooks all around the room. A long table sat down the very middle of the galley, where the rest of the ship's crew supposedly ate their meals.
Jack then led Annaliese through a doorway and into a spacious area where numerous hammocks hung from the ceiling. The only light came from above through the upper doors that lead onto the deck. Annaliese realized this was where she was more than likely to sleep for the time being while she was traveling on this ship. But upon further inspection, she hoped she was wrong; the conditions were quite poor and she suddenly felt very uneasy.
"This is the crew's sleeping quarters," Jack spoke up again, "and across the way there would be the infirmary, where all of the emergency supplies are located for the injured and it can also be used for surgeries and the like." Annaliese merely nodded in understanding as she continued to observe her surroundings.
"Below is more storage, ammunition, food, and water," Jack continued as he led her back into the galley and towards the stairs, "but it's quite unnecessary to go down there at this time."
He climbed up the ladder first and then assisted Annaliese on her way up. Nikko was exceptionally happy to see his mistress once again and he began hopping about, bleating elatedly. Annaliese smiled at him and tenderly scratched the areas behind his ears.
Jack then led her down the hallway towards the deck. But Annaliese found it odd that he didn't even seem to acknowledge the other two doors branching off of the hallway.
"What's in here?" she asked curiously, gesturing to the door in front of the cabin. Jack halted in his tracks and spun around on his heel to face her.
"That particular room is a spare room," he replied. "It's where we store our supplies before we can distribute them down below." Annaliese nodded again and he continued toward the deck.
"And what about this one?" Annaliese questioned, reaching her hand out to the knob of the door next to the cabin.
"No, no! There's nothing in there!" Jack hastily stepped forward, his eyes wide with apprehension. He grasped her wrist and their eyes instantly locked. Annaliese was rather taken aback by his sudden, brash reaction. She didn't know whether to apologize or question him further, but the silence was dreadfully uncomfortable. Abruptly, he smiled at her, instantly lightening the mood.
"Come now, there's more to see," Jack said keenly as he led her out towards the deck.
They walked up the stairs to the helm, where Gibbs was standing at the wheel. Down below, the crew members were hard at work, tending to the ship's many needs.
"I'll take the Pearl for now, Mr. Gibbs," Jack dismissed the man. Annaliese exchanged a quick smile with Gibbs as he left. She was astonished to watch as Nikko followed Gibbs down the stairs.
It seems he's taken a liking to Gibbs… She smiled to herself before turning back to Jack.
Jack lovingly ran his hands over the wheel as he told her of his adventures on the ship. As he babbled on, Annaliese noticed all the worn areas on the wheel and smiled. There was comfort here for him, like the worn, threadbare places on a child's teddy bear.
"May I?" she asked, reaching out to touch those worn, sacred spots. Jack looked startled at her outstretched hand. Their eyes met and locked once again, and he quietly answered, "Yes."
Annaliese lightly ran her fingers over the spokes of the wheel, polished so smooth from the touch of his hands. She smiled, imagining battles and storms and perfect days with breathtaking sunsets.
Jack's eyes darted from watching her hand to look at her face. Annaliese didn't even realize she had closed her eyes until she opened them and the intricate carvings and lanterns she saw over Jack's shoulder caught her attention. She stepped around him to get a closer look at them.
Again, she couldn't resist touching and began running her fingers delicately over the surfaces, feeling the different textures: worn exposed wood, thick layers of black paint, peeling paint.
She turned around to face Jack, who was still staring at her, his mouth open, seemingly dumbfounded. Annaliese only smiled, "She's beautiful, Jack… Show me more."
"Gibbs, to the helm!"
Jack took her hand in his again and led her around the ship. Sometimes he'd pause to tell her a story of something that had happened in that location. Sometimes Annaliese would find an interesting mark in the wood and ask him about it. But always, she was touching, caressing every surface of the Black Pearl he chose to share with her. And he was always watching her…watched her hand glide slowly over a railing. Watched her eyes widen in disbelief as he told her of his sea battles, and of sailing through a hurricane once. Watched her laugh as he remembered a joke he'd played on Gibbs one time. Watched as she ran her hand gently, soothingly, over the Pearl's numerous battle scars.
They reached the main mast and Annaliese looked up in astonishment. It was so tall! The massive dark sails languidly undulated in the late afternoon breeze. As she lowered her gaze, Annaliese noticed a worn area on the side of the mast and, of course, placed her hand on it. The exposed, highly polished wood was a bit larger than her hand.
She then reached down and pulled Jack's hand up to place it on the mast. A perfect fit. She looked at Jack again, and covered his hand with her smaller hand. She let her fingertips glide over his long, elegant fingers, over the back of his hand, trail down his wrist, and finally, letting her hand drift away from his. And she could have sworn she saw Jack tremble, ever so slightly.
The sun was now setting, and it cast a golden glow over him that made his eyes sparkle as he looked at her.
God, he really is beautiful… Annaliese thought in admiration.
Jack moved his hand away from the mast. He reached up to touch her hair, then touching her jaw with his finger and trailing her finger along her jaw to her chin. He leaned closer to her and gently lifted her chin up slightly. Annaliese looked up into his eyes and could feel their dark gaze. He was so close now. She could feel his warm breath on her lips. Time stopped and she waited for the touch of his lips to hers…
Ahaha! I'm so evil… What do you think will happen next? You'll find out in the next chapter!
I posted a link on my profile to a picture of Annaliese's tattoo. The picture is at the bottom of the page under the category 'The Gypsy and Her Sparrow'! Check it out!
TO ALL OF THOSE WHO REVIEW: I will send you a preview for the upcoming chapter (once it's available) to show you how much I appreciate it!
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