A Pirate's Love

Chapter 48

Chapter 48

"If I had acted instead of contemplating my actions last night, we'd never gotten the chance to find anything out from the whelp in the brig as I would have killed him before he had the opportunity to tell us anything, so perhaps ye should consider that for I was angry enough and just begging for a reason to kill him seeing as I was enraged as I was." Jack retorted.

She knew how angry he was. "I know Jack. I'm sorry. It seems that everything I do makes you angry

Jack could not help but smirk. "Not everything." He purred.

Madeline noted the change in his voice, but didn't turn. She leaned her head against the wall. "Jack, I want my baby back."

Jack moved closer to her and placed her hands on her shoulders, "I made ye me promise, now it may take some time but I will keep it." He said softly.

Madeline closed her eyes at his touch. "I know Captain. I'm sorry if it has seemed I've doubted you. You've always kept your word."

Jack gently turned her around to face him, he lifted her chin. "Do ye have any idea how much I love ye?" he asked.

Her eyes welled with tears. "Even though I've defied ye at every turn?" she asked in a whisper

"Perhaps I am a fool after all." Jack smiled.

Madeline reached up and cupped his cheek. "No Jack, ye aren't a fool."

Jack moved away from her. "Perhaps from now on ye will do a little more contemplating and a little less acting." He said picking up his journal. He turned around, "So what is it ye read that yer so curious about," he asked.

Madeline's hand dropped to her side. She was very nervous. "I'm sorry Jack. I saw a page that you must've written after I left you." she said moving to sit on the small bunk

"Did ye think perhaps ye were wrong?" Jack asked.

"Aye Jack. I did. I should've stayed. I should've told you about the child I carried." she said quietly, not looking at him. "I've regretted leaving you."

Jack shook his head. "I meant did ye ever think that what ye read might have nothing to do with ye at all?" he asked smirking.

Madeline's head snapped up. Was he in love with someone else?

"Give me a line or two of what ye read." Jack quipped.

Madeline looked at him. The words were burned into her memory. "Um, it said 'I thought we were in love. I thought she loved me. Perhaps I was just a fool'."

Jack nodded and opened his journal, flipping through the pages he finally found what he was sure she had read, "I continued to sit at his table and watched the poor lad continue to lament about his lady love after finding her in bed with me in Tortuga. I don't know if I'll ever see her again. My heart aches every damn day since she's left. I don't know why she left. I thought we were in love. I thought she loved me. Perhaps I was just a fool, he cried into the mug of rum I'd bought him. I told him not to take it so personally and that she and I had nothing between us but sex. And he should go after her. He took my advice and as he dashed from the tavern I lifted his purse and had a jolly good laugh," Jack read to her. He didn't close the book. "Would ye like to read it yerself?" he asked offering the book out to her.

Madeline looked at him with eyes wide. "No." she said flustered. She stood up and began to pace. "I have no right to ask, but was that before or after I left?"

"Yer right ye have no right to ask." Jack grinned as he closed the journal. "Do ye really think I'm the pining kind?" he asked.

Madeline continued to pace. "No Captain, ye wouldn't pine." She walked over to her bunk and nervously folded the blankets. Madeline stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "I just, I ....." she mumbled her words. "What are ye smiling at?"

"Because yet once again yer proving to me how often ye fail to listen to me." Jack quipped knowingly.

Madeline stopped what she was doing. "Do ye have any orders for me Captain Sparrow?" she asked.

Jack pointed to the chair, "Sit." He said sharply.

Madeline walked over to the chair and sat.

"Ye've also proven to me that I only get any positive response from you when I am being cold and harsh. Why is it the first sign of my showing ye the slightest bit of kindness or decency ye turn around and act like a spoiled little girl? I told ye not to leave that chair till I said otherwise and yet the moment I lighten up on ye your arse comes out of the chair and yer standing by the bloomin window." Jack asked.

Madeline pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them. "I'm sorry Captain.," she said quietly. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Am I going to have to beat some sense into that head of yers? Are ye going to keep acting this way for the rest of the trip because I am not going to tolerate it, savvy?" Jack snapped and slammed his fist on the desk. How dare she turn her face from him while he was speaking to her?

Madeline jumped when his fist slammed down. "Nay Captain. I won't act this way any longer." She said looking him straight in the eye.

"Maddy I am not fooling around with ye, so help me ye have pushed me to the brink so unless yer wanting me to wring yer neck ye best mean what yer saying to me." Jack growled.

Madeline continued to look him in the eye. Her look never wavering. "I do." she said sternly.

"Time will tell love, now get out of me sight before ye get me riled up again," Jack growled as he stood up and turned his back on her. He was breathing so hard, he wanted to throw her in his bed and once again teach her what it meant to have him love her, that his love was not always nice or soft. He continued to stand there waiting to hear the door shut.

Madeline got up and slowly headed towards the door. "Jack." she said quietly.

Jack sucked in his breath and held it, waiting for her to speak without looking at her; if he turned he would be on her like a dog on a bone.

Madeline watched him. She wanted nothing more than for him to take her in his arms and tell her everything would be all right. "I love you and thank you.," she whispered as she quietly shut the door behind her. She leaned against the closed door and sighed heavily. She would try her damndest to win back his trust