The next morning Lizzie woke up alone in the bed. She opened her eyes and looked around the cabin but no sign of Jack. She frowned and got up from the bed to start her chores. She dressed and brushed her hair, pulling it up in a high ponytail with a ribbon. She exited the cabin and got out on the deck and looked around her. The crew was walking around quickly and she assumed that they would be going from the Cove. She walked to the center of the deck and looked around for Jack but he wasn't there. A member of the crew passed by her and she stopped him.
"Excuse me, Marty…where is Mister Gibbs?" she asked him. The little man shrugged and looked at her.
"Don't know, miss…I think he and the captain went ashore…" he explained and Lizzie gave a nod.
"Thank you…um…they left alone?" she asked and he shook his head.
" Teague was here." He said before walking away. Lizzie placed her hands on her hips and looked at the dock before walking to the galley to start lunch for it was already late.
A few hours later as she was sitting in the galley, mending, again, one of Jack's shirts when she heard her name being called.
"Lizzie ? Where are you lass?" Gibbs called from the deck and she sighed before standing up. She headed up and she found him near the stairs.
"What is it?" she asked and he gave her a nervous smile.
"Nothing…just wondering where you were, is all." He said and she chuckled.
She came to stand close to him as he went to the railing and looked at him.
"So, where were you? Is he in trouble again?" she asked and he laughed.
"No, his father wanted to ask him why he didn't accept Elizabeth on the Pearl…they had quite a fight…" he muttered and she looked at the dock with a sigh.
"So, he's taking care of the woman…" she trailed of.
"Kind of…she doesn't have anyone else…but Jack's not wanting her here…" he said and she nodded.
"That's sad…" she said before her eyes caught something or better someone at the dock. Captain Teague, Jack and …a redhead woman was at the dock, close to the ship. Lizzie tilted her head to the side at the image and her eyes looked incredulously at the woman that was standing extremely close to Jack. No extremely close was an understatement, she was actually glued to him and he wasn't really trying to push her away. Lizzie placed her hands on her hips again and started tapping her foot on the wooden deck of the Pearl loudly, making Gibbs look at her funny.
"Lass? What …?" he started but she pointed with her head to the scene and Gibbs looked dumbstruck.
"Oh…who's that now?" he mumbled and Lizzie 's eyes glared at Jack. He obviously must have felt her glare because after a few moments he looked at her direction with a stupid grin on his face which quickly turned into a panicked grimace. He quickly tried to pry the woman away from his but she wasn't moving. She moved only when Jack abruptly turned around and started walking back to the ship. As she realized that the woman ran after him and onto the ship, she became confused.
Lizzie was staring with a scowl on her pretty face as her captain got on the ship and walked towards her and Gibbs with the woman following him like a puppy.
"Everything all right, Captain?" Gibbs asked with a hesitant voice as he saw the scowl on Jack's face and the lovesick face of the woman behind him.
"Fine." Jack answered stiffly, coming closer to Lizzie with the woman at his heel.
"But Jack…why can't I come with you?" the redhead whined and Lizzie 's eyes widened as Jack winced.
"Natalie, can you kindly remove your self from me ship? I told you before that no, you can't come." He said to the woman who just started whining even more.
"But why? I haven't seen you in ages! And now that you are here you only gave me a kiss. Why aren't you coming anymore to see me?" the woman pouted and Lizzie turned red from the anger as she glared at Jack who only smirked nervously.
"Yes, Jack. Answer the lady's question. Why you only gave her one kiss?" Lizzie asked in a fake sweet voice that made Jack swallow hard.
"Ali, luv…this is not what you think…the girl…" he started but Natalie cut him of.
"Now I am 'the girl'? That's not what you were saying a few months ago! You don't want me anymore?" the woman asked him in a high pitched and he turned towards her with narrowed eyes.
"No, I don't. I told you before. First of all, we have nothing and we couldn't possibly have something because you whine all the time, you are like a leech and you nagged in me ear every second of the day when I was coming for a …You know what for. Second of all I didn't give you a kiss; you almost sucked the life out of me! So, to answer your question. No, I don't want you here. So, why don't you remove your whiney person from me ship before I remove you meself! Savvy!? Go whine at my father!" he snapped, out of breath and Lizzie was trying hard not to laugh because she found the situation more than just amusing. The girl looked at him with disgust before walking away with her chin high in the air in an arrogant manner.
A laugh escaped Gibbs's mouth and Jack glared at him, silencing him as he walked away. Jack glared daggers at his first mate's back until he was out of sight
"Always the charmer…" Lizzie said with a chuckle but inside she was full of envy for a woman she again didn't even know. Jack looked at her with a frown as she shook her head.
"What?" he said and she continued shaking her head as she tried to walk past him but he stopped her with a hand on her waist.
"Lizzie , luv…wait." He said quickly, his face softening as he came to stand in front of her.
"What now, Jack. I don't want to hear one of your love stories again…" she said with a sigh.
"Love story? Hell no! This is no love story. The lass is obsessed with me!" he blurted out and she looked at him bored.
"Obsessed? Wow…" Lizzie said.
"Aye, she kind of has a soft spot for me cause I helped her find a way to earn money. She's at my father's house. She helps him around and now she'll help with our dear king's mutt…eh…child!" he said quickly and Lizzie looked at him with suspicion.
"Right…okay…" she said as she went to leave again.
"No! Wait…Aren't you going to say something?" he asked her with wide eyes.
"Like what? You explained it to me. I have no questions….Wait, on second thought I do have one. Do you always make women believe that you love them in order to have a…what you pirates call it…? Oh, yes, a romp?" she asked him calmly and he narrowed his eyes.
"Where did you hear that word?" was the only thing he was able to come up with.
"Does it really matter?" she asked him and she tried to break free again but he only tightened his hold around her.
"Yes, it does. I'm supposed to be the bad influence here." He said with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood but she only looked at him wearily and the smirk quickly disappeared from his handsome face.
"I have work to do…" she mumbled as she turned around but he kept her in place.
"I'm the captain and right now I say that you don't have." He said as he pulled her into his arms.
"Why are you so stubborn? What did you expect from me Jack? To make a scene? Well sorry to disappoint you but I have no right to make one. So, please if you want to eat sometime soon unhand me." She said but he stared at her.
"What do you mean you have no right?" he asked her ignoring her other comments.
"I mean that I don't. We don't have anything." She said and her words hurt him more than he was willing to admit.
"Really? As I remember correctly I've kissed you numerous times. I don't think that was nothing." He said and she looked away.
"All right…so? You seem to kiss a lot of women lately." She said and he looked at her face searchingly.
"You're jealous…you are actually jealous of that girl…" he whispered amused and she sighed.
"Drink some rum." She said and with that she pushed him away. Walking to the galley, leaving him with a smug grin on his face.
"She cares." He said satisfied before snapping out of it.
"Bugger! Now, she's mad…GIBBS!" he yelled and the older man hurriedly ran to him.
"What is it?" he asked worried.
"We're leaving this place." Jack said, looking at the direction that Lizzie walked to.
"Where to?" Gibbs asked.
"Um…don't know…Tortuga I guess…" he answered absentmindedly as he walked away. Gibbs threw his hands in the air and started yelling orders to the rest of the crew.
Jack entered the galley and found her standing near the table, staring at the food she had made.
"Well done, captain. The food is burnt. But you can live with just rum right?" she asked, knowing it would be him without even having to turn around.
"Darling…you don't have to worry about the food…come here, eh?" he said to her but when she turned around her eyes were shining with anger.
"Stop your petting, Jack! You weren't even trying to push her away! I even saw the stupid grin you had on your face!" she snapped and he smiled inside.
"Well you know me, luv…can't disappoint a young woman." He said teasingly but he realized it was the wrong thing to say when he saw her inhale sharply and coming closer to him with a dangerous glint in her eyes.
"I think I start to know you too well, Jack. That's my problem. Hope you're not too hungry because suddenly I feel a bit sick. Why don't you cook for your crew? I'm sure they'd appreciate it!" She said and she left the galley, leaving him with an unsaid witty reply.
"Bugger…bugger!" he muttered as he sat down at a chair, rubbing his temple and cursing his stupid mouth.
"Gibbs is right…I have a big mouth…bugger! Now what? I'm starving…" he mumbled as he stood up and started searching for something to eat it while thinking of something to make things right between them.
End of chapter 16
Author's note: Thank you for reading! Please review! It will make my day if you do. I'll also give you a cookie…or rum…or maybe a visit from Jack? :)
gave a nod.
"You take the ring and I take…a kiss…"he said and she laughed.
"Okay…" she said softly, making him grin widely.
He reached up and kissed her passionately on the lips, his hands entangled in her long hair. He growled into the kiss and pressed his lips harder against hers and she lost her balance, falling on top of him, making him laugh into the kiss. She gasped as he parted her lips and deepened the kiss, his left hand moving to the back of her neck while his right one stroked her flushing cheek. When he moved back he was grinning and she was blushing like a tomato.
"There. We are square." He said as he relaxed on the bed and winked at her. She looked at the ring still clutched in her hand and smiled.
"Thank you." She whispered and he nodded, pulling her to rest on his chest.
"Me girl has to have pretty trinkets, aye?" he said, kissing her hair while she looked at the silver ring with a smile on her she wasn't so mad at him after all.
End of chapter 17
Author's note: See? Lizzie can't stay mad at Jack for a long time! I wouldn't either!
Thank you for reading! Please review and tell me your
steady footsteps to his cabin, his blood boiling inside his veins with each step he took, the crew watching in horror as he passed by them on his way inside.
"Do what Gibbs says." He said to them a she disappeared in his cabin, closing the door firmly behind him.
He walked in and placed her gently onto the bed. He moved back and took of his coat, before pulling up his shirt sleeves.
"My God, luv…what did he do to you…? Where was I?" he choked out as he watched her unmoving body. He removed Gibbs's coat and almost gasped as he inspected more closely the bruises and scratches on her neck and shoulders. It took him almost two hours to clean her and take of her destroyed dress, the bile in his throat rising even more the moment he saw the dried blood on her legs. At that moment Jack knew exactly what he would do with the man that hurt her.
"You won't get away with this, you bastard…I swear on me mother's grave you won't…" Jack hissed as he stroked Lizzie 's hair, glaring at the wall next to the bed with furious dark eyes, his heart filling with rage and want for revenge the longer he looked at her bruised face.
"Remove that thing from me ship." He said in a hoarse voice as he replaced his pistol to his belt and left the brig with loud heavy footsteps as a pool of blood surrounded Peter's unmoving body.
Jack entered his cabin again; expecting to see Lizzie awake but she was still exactly as he had left her. He closed the door and took of his coat and vest before climbing onto the bed beside her. He touched one of her hands and realized that she was cold. Carefully he gathered her in his arms and pulled her close to his warmth.
He was lying there for a few hours until morning came. He had his eyes closed when he felt movement coming from the woman in his arms. He opened his eyes wide open and saw her struggling into his embrace.
"Shh, luv…just me…" he whispered a she held her close to him.
"Jack?" she whispered into his chest as she slightly calmed down.
"That's me name, darling. Calm down…no need to panic…" he said to her as he saw her looking at him with fear.
"Just…please let me go…" she whispered and he loosened his tight grip. She moved back and winced in pain as the moment caused an extreme pain between her legs.
"Easy…easy there…lie back…" he said to her.
"Tell me what he did, luv." He said to her but she shook her head as tears rolled down her cheeks
"I can't…I can't, Jack…" she whispered as his hand wiped away her tears.
"Why not? Why don't you tell Jack what happened, hmm?" he said to her, placing a kiss to her cheek, his heart breaking when he felt her flinch slightly from his touch.
"I'm ashamed…" she choked out and he looked at her lovingly.
"No reason to be…it's just me here, eh? Just ol'Jack here…" he said as he stroked her hair.
"I can't…I'm sorry." She said, shaking her head from side to side.
"Okay…okay. Maybe later." He said with a gentle nod as she tried to sit up. He helped her and she grimaced in pain.
"Will you let me check? I mean…you might need to be cleaned up…" he said to her uncomfortably, swallowing hard.
"What? You?" she asked him with wide eyes.
"No…not if you don't want to. You can do it. I'll bring you water, aye?" he said to her kindly as he stood up from the bed. She looked at him as he took a cloth and wet it with water before returning back to her.
"Here. I'll…just turn around, aye?" he said to her softly and she gave a nod, her whole body shaking as she took the cloth from his hand. He turned around and she pushed the covers away from her body before gathering up the night dress. She froze at the amount of dried blood she saw there and started slowly cleaning her self.
"D…did you dress me?" she asked as she cleaned the dried blood from her inner thighs.
"Aye…I was alone." He said and she sniffled.
"I'm glad." She whispered and a smile came to his face, happy that she trusted him.
When she was done she made to stand up to go and wash her hands but she got dizzy and almost fell down if it hadn't been for Jack's reflexes. He caught her and pulled her close to him.
"All right?" he asked and she nodded.
"Yes…I need to wash my hands." She said.
"Let's go then." He said a she guided her to the side cabin. She washed her hands and face, wincing as she felt a sting on her lip where the scratch was.
"Let me see, luv." He said as he turned her face towards him. He looked at her face and lightly touched the bruises on her cheek. His eyes went to her lip and brushed a wet cloth over the scratch, making her wince.
"Ouch…" she whimpered and he smiled to her.
"Me, kiss it better?" he asked her, pointing to himself and she looked at him with wide eyes.
"Um…no it's okay…I'll jut lie down for a while." She said, looking away from him and moving back from his arms.
"Darling, you don't have to be afraid of me. I would never hurt you." He said sadly and she swallowed.
"I know…I just…can't stand to…you know…" she said and he gave a stiff nod.
"Okay. Let's get you to bed." He said. She lied down again and as he was fixing the covers around her she spoke again.
"Where is he? Is he on the Pearl?" she asked him in a small voice and he quickly shook his head.
"No, sweetheart. He won't hurt you again. I made sure of that. Now go to sleep." He said, moving some hair away from her face. She gave a nod, not asking any more about that. Just as he was about to leave she spoke again.
"Jack?" she asked in a quiet voice.
Immediately he turned around and looked at her lovingly.
"Yes, darling?" he said gently.
"Later…can I take a bath?" she asked him, not helping but feeling dirty.
"Of course. Sleep for a few hours and I'll wake you to take a bath and eat something, hmm?" he said to her softly and she offered him a small smile.
"All right. Thank you." She said as she closed her eyes.
"Me pleasure, luv." He whispered before walking out of the cabin, not knowing that she didn't sleep but only cried with her face buried in his pillow, inhaling his scent.
End of chapter 19
Author's note: Thank you for reading! It's going to be a hard time for Lizzie , isn't it?
Please review and tell me what you think! I'll give you a nice piece of apple pie that I just made myself! (And yes, I can cook!) :)
bare arm. Quickly, as if he had burnt her, she pushed him away from her, gasping.
"No…don't do that…no…" she muttered fearfully as he looked at her confused. His mouth was slightly open and his breathing labored while he blinked rapidly.
"Darling…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He said, trying to control his breathing along with his desire for her.
Nice work, Jackie. His inner voice said to him but he was too busy staring at her trembling form to care.
"Don't do that again, please Jack…" she whispered, shaking her head.
"What did I do, luv?" he asked her gently as he came closer again.
"Your hand in my hair. Don't do that please…Just…please bring me a dress. I need to get dressed." She said looking away from his piercing eyes, hugging her self with her cold hands. He nodded, feeling like an idiot and a bastard for trying to kiss her when she was like that.
"All right, luv…I'll…get you a dress." He whispered as he turned around and walked to the side cabin. He opened the chest and picked a blue dress. He brought it back to her and she took it from him without looking at him at all.
"Will you go outside for a minute?" she asked as she turned away from him. He shouldn't have to deal with her problems, she felt like a burden.
"Of course. Take your time. I'll be at the helm if you need me." He said in a steady voice as he exited the room, mentally slapping himself for his foolish behavior.
"Bugger! Me and me urges! She's going to hate me! Bugger!" he cursed as he walked to the helm and took it from Cotton, looking at the sea with sadness and anger written all over his face.
Lizzie stared at the closed door with the dress in her hand. She wiped away a tear and walked to the bed. She took off the towel and slowly dressed herself. She brushed her hair and looked around the cabin.
"I don't mean to push him away…I don't…" she whispered brokenly as she sat down at Jack's chair next to the table. She looked around and saw that Jack's coat was on the table. She reached with her hand and took it in her arms. She leaned back on the chair and hugged the clothing to herself, inhaling Jack's scent by burrying her nose on the worn fabric. The familiar smell brought a small smile to her face and her eyelids dropped closed. She fell asleep curled on the chair with Jack's coat in her arms.
A couple of hours later, when Jack returned to the cabin, he found her still asleep in his chair. A smile crept to his lips when he saw her hugging his coat and came closer to her. He looked down at her and shook his head.
"Can you be anymore cute, sweetheart?" he whispered as he carefully picked her up bridal style and carried her to the bed. The movement caused her to whimper and clutch the coat even closer to her as if she was afraid that someone would take it away from her, making him chuckle with amusement.
"I won't take it from you, luv. Even if I was freezing me butt off I wouldn't take it away from you. I promise." He whispered as he kissed her forehead and stroked her cheek.
"Maybe you don't hate me after all, hmm?" he said to her before he slowly backed away from the bed and sat on the chair she had been sitting, watching over her as she sl