Chancing Fate - Jack Sparrow x OC

Part 1 - Chapter 7

The night had been long after the storm. Caroline watched as she moved across the deck, spotting each crewman as they finished tightening a rope or picking up whatever had been knocked over. The exhaustion was evident even through the darkness. Clouds still loomed overhead, blocking out most of the moonlight that should have been there, and what little light remained caught on damp wood, wet rope, and the tired outlines of men who had spent the last hours fighting the sea. Through all the moving bodies, Caroline did what she could to help out. With each passing task, she would find one of the few crewmates she knew who would give her something to do before moving on again.

Most of what she was given felt small, but even small tasks seemed harder with numb fingers and soaked sleeves clinging heavily to her arms. She carried loose coils of rope out of the way, steadied a crate while someone else fastened it down, and passed a lantern to a man who barely looked at her before moving on. No one had time to explain more than a word or two, and Caroline found herself following gestures more often than commands, trying to stay useful without stepping where she should not.

Now that the danger had passed, the shaking in her arms had started to settle in properly. Every time she loosened her grip on something, her fingers ached in protest. The ship still seemed to move beneath her even during calmer stretches, her body instinctively bracing whenever the deck shifted even slightly. More than once, she caught herself glancing toward the black water beyond the railing before quickly looking away again. During the storm, there had been moments she truly thought she might be swept overboard. Her father had told enough stories over the years for her to understand exactly what rough seas could do to a ship and the people aboard it. Knowing those stories and standing inside one were two entirely different things.

By the time things had settled, Caroline had no concept of time. All she knew was that it was far later than she was used to staying up. Even during the past several days, there had been plenty of late nights, but nothing felt like this. The storm had left a strange buzzing beneath her skin, as if her body had not yet understood it was allowed to stop bracing. One by one, the crew slowly trickled below deck, calling it a night. Before she knew it, only a handful remained above deck. Giving up on moving anytime soon, she lowered herself onto the damp floorboards with her back pressed to the outer wall of the captain's quarters. She was half tempted to stay there until morning. Logically she knew that would be a poor choice in the end, but she was saved from having to force herself to move.

A hand stretched down toward her, causing her to lift her head and follow the arm upward until she met eyes with Will. While there weren't too many people she expected to see standing in front of her, it was surprising to see him. She felt all they had done since coming out here was argue. Then again, on a ship full of strangers, who else was there to turn to? Trust did not stretch very far out here.

As she took in his appearance, she couldn't help but think back to the moments she had seen him struggling during the storm. On multiple occasions she had watched him get knocked into the rail or stumble into someone else while trying to keep his footing. He had worked hard helping keep the ship afloat. Now that it was over, he simply looked windswept and worn out, his hair still damp and his shirt clinging to him much the same as hers. Whatever frustration had lingered between them felt quieter beneath the exhaustion.

"If you're going to call it a night, might I suggest not sleeping on the floor?" Will asked earnestly.

Taking his hand, Caroline let him pull her to her feet. Her knees nearly buckled once she stood fully upright, exhaustion hitting harder the second she stopped leaning against something solid. "It was a thought," she admitted as she brushed what water she could from her clothes. She honestly wasn't sure if she would even recognize what dry felt like at this point. Everything was simply damp. "Thank you, though. I might have actually stayed there."