AN: I want to say a big, heartfelt thank you to Grumblebear for being my beta this chapter. You're awesome!

A Pirate Calling

Chapter Eleven: Reminisce

"You look like shit."

Fay snorted into her coffee cup. "Thanks. I appreciate that."

Lira shrugged, picking apart her croissant. "Just thought I would let you know."

"Yeah well," Fay paused as a yawn overtook her. "I didn't sleep very well last night. Shadows and all that."

Lira's eyebrows furrowed. "You still having nightmares?"

Fay took a deep breath, her gaze going to the people walking by the picture window they were sitting next to. "Every night."

"Maybe you should have someone keep you company at night. Protect you from the demons," Lira replied, smirking.

Fay almost spit her coffee out. "Not on your life."

"You never know. You may enjoy it!"

Fay rolled her eyes. She paused, the cup almost to her lips. "Let's do something tonight."

With a bite halfway to her mouth, Lira looked up at her. "What?"

"Let's do something. Go out like we used to do. It'll be fun."

Lira pretended to think about it and then a smile crept over her face. "Oh, well I suppose."

Fay simply smiled around her cup.

"Are you sure you don't want to go with us?" Adele asked as she picked up her purse.

Fay shook her head. "No. Galvin and I still have a few more boxes to go through. Hopefully we can get that done tonight."

A flash of disappointment flickered across Adele's face. "Okay. I guess you know where we'll be if you need anything. Angie's studying at a friend's house so call her cell if you need her."

"I know."

Adele pulled her into a hug. "I've missed you. You know that, right?"

Fay took a deep breath and hugged her mother back. "I know."

Adele pulled away slowly and squeezed Fay's shoulder. "We'll be back in a couple hours."

Fay nodded. "Have fun," she smiled. She watched her mother walk to her car, squinted her eyes against the slowly setting sun. Fay turned her attention away once the car left the driveway. Her eyes turned up slightly to the ceiling.

She hadn't heard from Galvin all day. Fay wasn't sure she wanted to know what he was up to.

"Do we need to be there?"

Jack was silent for a moment. "We'll need to convene," he replied. His eyes swept over his room again and landed on a closed door across the room. Curiosity got the better of him and he moved toward it. Ah. A closet. "I don't think this is going to go away easily."

"What's going on Jack?" the voice asked, with a hint of concern. "What do you know?"

He was silent again. A one-sided smirk crossed his lips as he pulled an item from the closet. An ornate replica, almost perfect he might add, of a seventeenth century lady's dress, complete with corset.

"Jack?"

Jack shook his head. "Sorry. I'll tell you once you get here. How soon can I expect you?"

There was hushed whispering on the other end of the phone. "We can take a red eye out tonight. Be there first thing in the morning."

Jack nodded even though he knew they couldn't see him. "Good," a knock on his door drew his attention away. "Yes?" he called.

"Jack?"

"Not you."

His door opened slowly, Fay poking her head in. The moment her gaze hit the dress her expression changed from curiosity to anger to embarrassment in five seconds. "Where did you-?"

Jack's smirk widened. "I'll have to call you back." Without waiting for a reply he flipped the phone closed. He gestured at the dress in his hand. "I found it in the closet."

Fay walked slowly toward him, her eyes lingering on the dress. "I can't believe she kept it," she whispered almost to herself.

"So it's yours I take it?"

She nodded slowly. "Lira and I used to always go to the Renaissance Festival whenever it was in town. This was the dress I wore."

"Really." It was a statement, not a question.

"We would go every year," she replied, a wistful tone in her voice.

Jack held it out to her. "Why don't you put it on?"

Fay's eyes flicked up to his. "No. I don't think so."

"Why not? You would wear it in a crowd of strangers but not in your own home?"

Fay stepped back slightly, her eyes still on the dress. "It never looked good on me. I never had the chest to fill it out."

His eyes shifted over her. "Looks like you do now."

Fay opened her mouth to say something but shut it. "I don't-"

Jack stepped closer. "I could always put it on for you . . ." He let his voice trail off, his tone suggestive.

Her eyes snapped up to his. "I'd like to see you try."

He moved closer to her again, holding the dress to the side and raising his other hand. Jack's fingertips brushed against the bare skin of her shoulder and played with the strap of her shirt, keeping his eyes locked on hers. He was daring her to stop him. She was daring him to continue, to see how far he would take it.

Jack trailed his fingers down the front of her shoulder, began to dip his fingers into the rim of her shirt. Finally Fay swatted his hand away. "Fine. I'll put it on." At his hopeful expression she continued, "By myself."

Jack feigned an expression of hurt. Before he could say anything more Fay snatched the dress from his hand and left the room.

Looking in the mirror now Fay realized why she had stopped wearing the dress. The corset, and she still wasn't quite sure how she got it on, pinched and pushed her breasts up entirely too much. She wasn't a prude by any means but even this was too revealing. The dress was floor length and soft against her skin, made of a silk that caressed every inch of her.

The dress had three quarter sleeves that ended in tufts of lace. Hand sewn flowers graced the bodice; dark red thread against pale blue fabric. There was lace sewn into the edges of the dress covering the top of her breasts as well.

A soft knock sounded at her door. She didn't answer, unsure if the corset would even allow her enough air to do so. It didn't matter. The door opened slowly, Jack poking his head in silently. Fay watched him from the mirror to gauge his reaction. He wore a smirk at first which was quickly replaced by a look of almost unadulterated shock as his gaze landed on her.

"I'll need you to close your mouth, Mr. Galvin."

Jack hadn't been sure what to expect when he opened the door but he sure as hell hadn't expected this. She was stunning, plain and simple. He had a flash of a woman long ago; similar features. The woman turned to him and smiled. Jack blinked and she was gone, Fay taking her place.

"I'll need you to close your mouth, Mr. Galvin."

Jack closed his mouth without realizing it had fallen open. "I just came to check on you."

"It took awhile," she replied, still looking at him in the mirror, her hands fluttering over the bodice of the dress. "I forgot how much of a pain in the ass the corset was."

Jack walked up to Fay slowly and stopped just behind her. He ran his fingers lightly over the outside of her waist. He leaned into her, his hands resting on her waist, his chest hitting against her back, his mouth hovering next to her ear. "You could've just asked me to help," he whispered.

Fay's eyes met his in the mirror. "Why do I have the feeling that you have more skill in undressing women than you have in dressing them?"

Jack chuckled, the sound tickling her ear. "You wound me, Fay."

Her eyes widened. She had never heard him call her by her first name like that. Not that soft, that . . . tenderly. Jack began to turn her around and, to his surprise, she let him. His hands squeezed her gently. His lips whispered over the skin of her right cheek.

Fay's eyes closed involuntarily. "Mr. Galvin-"

"Jacob."

"I don't think-"

"Then don't."

Fay felt the shiver roll down her spine as his lips touched hers. The kiss was gentle, tentative, not at all like the rough, demanding personality he displayed at every other moment. She raised her arms, fisting the folds of his shirt.

It was Fay that deepened the kiss. It was Fay that moved them closer together by moving her hands up his chest and wrapping them around his neck. It was Fay that nibbled at his bottom lip. And it was Fay that felt her body start to tingle as his hands began to roam.

Fay had a feeling that it would have led to more if she had let it and if his phone hadn't rung at that precise moment. It had been entirely too long for her and, let's face it, he was one hell of a kisser. He moved one hand-oh such wonderful hands- to his phone and hit a button to silence it.

Jack moved his hand to the back of her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair, his thumb stroking the base of her jaw. He pulled away slightly as his phone began to ring again. Fay felt the tiny puff of air against her lips as he let out a frustrated sigh.

"Sorry," he whispered, his lips still brushing hers. Fay shook her head slightly in understanding. Jack answered it before the phone stopped ringing. "Yes?" he paused as the other person started speaking. "Slow down, Bella."

Fay flinched at the name and all of her senses, the rational ones, came flooding back. What was she doing? Here she was standing in her room and making out with someone who had made her life a living hell for the last couple of days. She pulled away slowly. Jack's fingers tightened on her waist as his eyes went to hers.

She gripped his hand slightly, remembering exactly how those hands had made her feel only a minute ago, and pulled away completely. Jack's eyebrows furrowed as he stared at her, his expression becoming quizzical.

"Yes," he said, answering some question Bella had asked him. "Alright. I'll be there." He paused. "Of course. I'll see you then."

He looked at the clock on the phone once he hung up and let out another sigh. "I'm sorry," he said. "I have to go meet someone."

Fay just watched him.

"I am sorry."

"I'm sure," she answered, her voice coming out harder than she meant it.

He frowned at her for another minute. "We'll talk later." He paused in the doorway, one hand on the knob. "Don't go anywhere tonight."

She nodded and watched him leave. "Stupid," she whispered to herself. "So frickin' stupid."

Of course she had no intention of doing what he told her.

"You sure your friend isn't going to mind you leaving him here like this?" Lira asked.

Fay snorted in response as she smoothed down the red shirt she wore and brushed invisible dirt from her long black skirt. "He's hardly a friend. And no, he won't. He had to go out anyway. Said he had to meet a friend or something like that."

"Who would he know here?" Lira asked, puzzled.

Fay shrugged as she put on the necklace her father had given her when she was a child. "Don't know, don't care," she replied, her fingers tracing the intricate design of the charm.

"Do I sense some tension there?" Lira asked, watching her in the mirror.

Fay felt her cheeks heat up and then chased away the feeling with thoughts of his phone conversation. "Please. There's nothing between me and Galvin."

If Fay had been facing Lira she would have seen the slight flicker of anger cross her friend's face. She turned to her a moment later. "Are you ready to go?"

Lira smiled. "Yeah. Let's go."

Fay led the way out of her bedroom as she pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail. It was when they were at the top of the stairs that it happened. She didn't sense the danger until it struck. The only thing she knew were the hands on her back, the air as it whistled past her ears. Fay felt the first step strike her in the shoulder and temple. The last thing she felt was the second stair as her head connected with it again.

AN: At the end of the next few chapters I will be posting little character profiles that will be important for the story. There will probably be nine or ten in total. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter!