Love of a Pirate Ch. 01

"You insist on doing something stupid." Jack said, "You proposed to Miss Swan. She accepted. Then you just bedded Miss Matilda, quite thoroughly from the look of it and now you are surprised that she has decided to leave."

"She can't leave." Will whispered.

"Why?" Jack said, "Because you don't want her to? Because she has so much waiting for her in Port Royale?"

"What deal did she make with you Jack Sparrow?" Will demanded.

"I..."

"What deal Jack?"

"Fine" Jack sighed, "In exchange for a few... lessons and the certainty that you survived our little adventure with Barbosa, she would accompany me and provide me with companionship."

"What sort of ... lessons?"

"Well.. " Jack said, "I really don't think we should be discussing that."

"Tell me Jack." Will said firmly though he dreaded the answer.

"In a very round about way I taught her how to please a man." Jack rushed out, "She wanted to... how shall I put this? She wanted her one and only night with you to be special, unforgettable."

Suddenly Jack found Will's hands twisted in his shirtfront and his face inches from the angry young man's.

"You laid hands on her?"

Jack laughed. Then he pushed Will off of him. Taking a step back, he rested his hand on his cutlass.

"There are many ways to teach a woman to please a man that don't involve touching. Not that I would have objected to touching Matt. Fruit is very helpful." Jack commented, "But this is all besides the point isn't Will? You have your wench. You need to let Matt go. For her own good."

"But..."

"Think of it William? How do you think she will feel watching you and Miss Swan? Do you think it will bring her joy to watch the two of you? Haven't you figured It out yet Will?"

"Figured it out?"

"My you are stupid sometimes." Jack sighed with exasperation, "Mathilda is in love with you my dear boy. Has been for a long time now. She wanted her first time to be with you so she took lessons from me and then spent the night with you. She intends never to marry and to sail on the Black Pearl. In time, her pain will lessen, but not If she stays here. You can't have both of them William. And it seems to me that you've made your choice."

"How could I have made a choice when I just found out she was a woman tonight?" Will said softly.

"In your heart, Will, you've always known." Jack whispered, "I've seen it in your eyes. Let her go."

"I... I can't."

"Then give her two or three months, mate. That should be enough time to find out a few things. Like whether or not you've planted your seed in her belly," Jack said almost absently, "See if what you feel for Miss Swan is the real thing. If its not, then come to Tortuga. I'll make sure the Pearl is there... along with Matty. You'll have to win her back Mate. She's not going to come easy."

"Can I trust you?"

"Will, have I ever let you down?" Jack said with a small smile, "Our Mathilda is a very strong willed woman. And you're going to have to do some serious thinking and talking if you want to get her back. Provided, of course, you do want her back. Give it a couple of months, like I said. And we'll see what we'll see. It should be very interesting."

"You're up to something Jack." Will said heatedly, "I can feel it in my bones."

"Well, it could be that I want the fair Mathilda for myself and have no intention of bringing the Pearl or Matty anywhere near Port Royale or Tortuga in three months time. That I plan to steal her away from you and to seduce her so well and so thoroughly that she'll forget you ever existed. Or it could be that I want Matty to be happy and to have all that she wants. Or it could be that I happen to like you and want YOU to be happy too. That's a tough one, Mate."

Will looked hard into Jack's eyes. He tried to figure out what the crazy pirate was thinking, what he was planning, but he just couldn't do it. Then he turned to look at Matty. She lay on her side, curled into a small ball, one hand curled beneath her cheek. She shivered slightly and huddled beneath Jack's coat.

"Take care of her." Will said, "Or you'll answer to me, pirate or no pirate. You hurt her and I'll see you dead."

"On my word."

"Not good enough. Swear on the Pearl." Will demanded.

"Drive a hard accord, you do." Jack muttered, "All right. I swear on the Black Pearl that no harm shall come to Mistress Mathilda."

Will nodded and, with one last glance at Matty, he walked out of the cave. He had plenty of thinking to do and wasn't sure where things were going to go.

Jack watched Will walk away and smiled to himself. He'd planted a seed there. Well, not so much planted actually as uncovered and brought to light. Will loved Matty. The poor sod just didn't realize it yet. He was so smitten with the haughty Miss Elizabeth Swan. That wouldn't last long. He'd seen it a dozen times. Oh, Elizabeth was beautiful and spirited, but she was spoiled and indulged. Norrington would have been the perfect husband for her. He would have given her the world on a platter and kept her discreetly in line. Will would give her the world on a platter and let her do whatever she pleased. That's the way it was with society wenches like her.

No, Jack would bet the Pearl that, in three months time, Will would be in Tortuga to reclaim Matty. He would either have left or been jilted by the fair Elizabeth and come to realize where his heart truly lie. As sure as his name was Captain Jack Sparrow.