Chancing Fate - Jack Sparrow x OC

Part 1 - Chapter 5

The sun was low in the sky by the time Caroline spotted the first signs of Tortuga. After nearly two full days out at sea with only Jack and Will for company, she was almost glad to see land. However, she had heard enough to know the type of area they would be landing in, and it had never been high on her list of places to visit. In fact, it would probably be listed as a place she would never want to go, yet here she was.

It seemed fitting though, having to spend the night in an awful town after spending all the daylight hours in her own personal hell. True to their word, she had been spent many hours of the day paired with each of them, learning tricks and tips to use later on. She had spent a little time the previous day with each of them, talking over things, but time had been limited then. Today was different though with the whole day ahead of them.

The morning had been spent with a sword in hand, taking swings at Will as she got accustomed to the extra weight she was swinging around. The first hour was spent remember her previous lessons, letting her muscles go through the actions that felt familiar. Of course, that wasn't without several corrections. And once he was satisfied with her hold, he wasted no time in putting her on the defensive. That's when it all went downhill.

There was no shortage of encouragement. Despite her struggles, he always pointed out what she needed to alter, how different footing would make it easier, but her positioning was all he could help with. Her labored breathing and shaking arms were proof of what else she needed to work on. This sort of physical activity was not something she was used to. Each hit she blocked threatened to have her arms cave in. And she knew Will was holding back.

Then there was the lingering feeling that constantly distracted her. On and off, an extra pair of eyes seemed to constantly wander to their sparring session.

Overall, she considered it more of a failure than anything. She certainly wouldn't believe she'd be winning any fights without a lot of luck on her side. But she would be better prepared for protecting herself. If push came to shove and she needed to block a sword coming for her, she might just come out alive. Maybe.

A short break was all she was given before the early afternoon brought about her next lesson. Will had run her ragged and then she was expected to be up on her feet and ready to go again. All she could do was ignore the subtle throbbing feeling in her shoulders and the newly added ache to her upper arms. When Jack had finally called her name, announcing it was time, dread was the only thing that could explain how she felt. She knew the work would still be hard, though with less risk at least. She had less chance of losing a limb working on the ship. But the other issue was Jack. More specifically, the fact that there was no way to avoid the close proximity that she would be stuck in while working with Jack.

Since coming aboard the Interceptor, she had come to realize he enjoyed invading her space. At any given chance, he would place his hands on her shoulders or sling an arm around her, taking advantage of when she was otherwise focused. On top of that, he joked and teased at her expense, laughing as he turned her into a blushing, flustered mess. He was like no man she ever had the pleasure or displeasure of dealing with and she had no idea how to react.

These expectations and what she really saw is what surprised her the most about their lesson. He didn't purposely flirt just to get her flustered, though she couldn't say there was no flirting at all. It seemed to be an unavoidable part of his personality. No jabs were taken at her expense. The teasing was kept to a minimum. It was just a quiet focus. Each time they moved to a different part of the ship, the occasional a comment or joke would be made, but after that, it was a serious focus as he walked her through each step. Up until that point, she hadn't seen him take much of anything seriously. Yet he was taking her request seriously and she appreciated it.