The Empress of the Seas

For the next few days Jack did anything to piss me off. He was still mad about how my son could steal his sword right from under his nose. But Princess stayed by me and when ever she saw Jack coming she would growl and show her teeth.

Princess, I would say, was just about full grown now. The top of her head was just below my hip and her paws were humongous- Jack wasn’t very happy about how big she got.

Now I was walking across the deck, Princess at my heals, when she started her low warning growl. I turned around and saw Jack coming up to me and glaring at Princess. I put my hand on her head and brought it down her back, quieting her. She still never took her eyes off Jack.

“Can I help ye?” I asked, bored.

Before he could speak, Princess barked threateningly and Jack brought back his hand to hit her but I caught it.

“Join me in my cabin?” he asked calmly but by the look in my eyes he knew he made a mistake.

“No,” I glared at him. “And next time ye try to hurt her, I won’t stop ye. She’ll take care of ye by herself.” I threw his hand down and stalked away but he wouldn’t leave me alone.

“Join me in my cabin?” he asked again as we ate and Princess was chewing on scraps in the corner.

“No,” I said still mad from before.

After maybe the fifth time he asked I wasn’t mad at him anymore. It was just fun to tease him.

He slide a piece of paper under my door three nights later once again asking me to go to his cabin. I found him sitting in the galley alone, his feet up on the table, biting into a green apple. I went up behind him and put my hands on his shoulders, moving them down to his chest before walking away.

Once I was gone he looked at the paper I left in his lap. No.

I sat on the railing of the ship by the wheel, swinging a bottle of rum, looking out to sea. I hardly noticed Jack walking over. This time he didn’t ask me a silly question. Instead he just stood behind me, I could feel his warm breathe on my neck. I breathed in deep his strong smell of rum but didn’t move. I figured that would bother him more- I was right.

But he still said nothing. Instead he kissed my ear. I stiffened there and I could tell he was smirking. He kissed my ear again then went down to my neck before I jumped up.

“What the hell was that?” I asked wiping my neck.

“Well ye wouldn’t talk to me any other way so I had to find something ye wouldn’t expect.” He was smirking. He walked around me and I could feel him breathing on my neck again. “Join me in my cabin?” he whispered.

I turned to him slowly and gently pushed him back to the rail. Leaning closer to him I whispered back in his ear. “No.”

As I walked away I only allowed myself one look back. I smirked up at him but he smirked right back. I wondered what he was thinking.

Later that night, Crystal and I were sitting in the middle of the deck playing a game of cards. We laughed drunkenly as Kyle was loosing a game of Tug of War with Princess. The stars in the sky were our only light.

Half way into our game I heard footsteps and looked around to see Jack coming towards us, two rums in his hand and his signature smirk still on his face.

“Look Jack, how many times do I have to tell ye I’m not going into your bloody cabin?!” I slurred, accidentally dropping my cards.

“That’s fine, “he smiled. “Crystal, would ye join me in my cabin?”

I blinked a few times, dissolving what he said. Crystal had a similar expression.

“Ok…” she said and stood up. She almost fell over but Jack caught her. He slide his arm around her waist and handed her a bottle of rum, leading her to his cabin.

I sat there in disbelief for a few moments. I felt so… jealous. I didn’t know why but I suddenly had the erg to slap Crystal across the face. I got up and stumbled to his cabin but didn’t go in. Running my hand over the wall, I found a hole and peeked through. I could only see Jack’s desk and his hand reaching over for another rum.

Just then Princess slammed into me and I fell to the ground. Gibbs came running up from the galley to see what the noise was.

“Emma, ye ok?” he asked worried but I could tell he was completely drunk. Then Jack walked out of his cabin holding a passed out Crystal in his arms.

“Ah Gibbs, glad ye are still awake. Take Ms. Crystal to her room please.” He said and handed her to Gibbs who looked confused but brought her down nonetheless. “Not trying to spy are we Emma?” Jack turned to me and I starred up at him from the ground.

“No,”

“That’s all ye can say to me lately.” He shook his head. “I think it’s time ye learn a new word.” He said and scooped me up, carrying me into his cabin.

“No, no, no!” I tried to fight him but having tiredness come over you on top of being drunk doesn’t help much.

“Say it with me: yes.” He laughed and put me down but didn’t let me go.

I scrunched my eyebrows and tried my best to not listen to him. “No.”

“Ok let’s try some questions,” he began. “Do ye like Captain Corus?”

“No.” My conscious mind may have been wasted but my subconscious knew very well how close he was to me.

“Did ye ever plan to marry Grotter?”

“No.”

“Do ye want me not to kiss ye?”

“No-” it was too late to realize that he tricked me but that hardly mattered. Because for that moment it was only me between Jack and the wall, our lips together.