FicWad

Barbossa kept walking down the gangplank like what he had just said was no big deal. However, to me, it was a very big deal. I knew it shouldn't matter. I knew better than to fall in love with a pirate, but you just can't control your heart. I couldn't have done anything to prevent this very annoying and frustrating situation. What had happened had happened and there was no stopping it now.

"What kinda shops do ya like ta visit?" Barbossa asked, dismissing our previous subject and starting up a new one. I was caught off guard because I was so wrapped up in my thoughts, so I just ended up staring at him rather blankly for a few minutes. The captain rolled his eyes and me and said, "Don't tell me ya haven't been ta a shop before."

By this time, I managed to get out of my thoughts and back into reality. I thought for just a moment longer and then said, "I don't know. Any shop is fine really. It's just nice to feel land under my feet once more. But I do like shopping for dresses or jewelry." I frowned sadly as I thought about all the jewels and dresses I had left behind when I ran away from home.

"Jewels, aye?" Barbossa confirmed, his eyes glittering. He took me by the arm and took a sharp right once we reached the end of the gangplank. The town was small and cozy looking. I liked it. Barbossa led me to a shop to my right and opened the door. He stepped inside without hesitation. I stood in the doorway hesitating. Did I go inside too?

Barbossa looked back at me when I hesitated and waved me inside with a hand. I stepped inside cautiously, having no idea where he was leading me. Once I was actually in the room, my jaw dropped and my eyes widened. Everywhere I looked, something sparkled or glittered. It had to be one of biggest jewelry stores I had ever seen. Red rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and garnet gems were lines up on shelves all along the wall. Some had been encrusted into earrings, rings, bracelets, and necklaces.

Squealing with delight, I gazed around the store in awe. I felt just like a little kid left all alone in a candy store. Despite the number of gems in the room, my eyes immediately zeroed in on a necklace right in front of me. I went over to it and held it in my hand. It had a heavy gold chain and had a blood red ruby in the center of it. I loved it. If only I had some money with me. I looked at it rather sadly.

"That's a fine necklace," Barbossa said, coming to stand behind me. I could feel his shadow looming over me. For some reason, that didn't bother me in the slightest. Barbossa thought for a moment and then said, "Give it here." He held his hand out for my newly found piece of treasure. I had no idea why he wanted it, but I gave it to him nonetheless.

As soon as I had given Barbossa the necklace, he marched up to the man sitting in the corner of the room, watching us with an eagle eye. Barbossa leaned down and swung the necklace in front of the man's face. The man looked a little intimidated by Barbossa. It wasn't hard to tell he was a pirate. Looking nervously from the necklace to Barbossa, the man stammered, "That would be ten shillings."

Ten shillings? My mouth fell open. That was a lot! No way did I have ten shillings. I turned away sadly and looked towards the floor. Suddenly, Barbossa's voice rang out, "I'll take it." His words startled me. I turned around in shock to see Barbossa dumping ten shillings onto the floor. They clattered when they hit the wood of the floor and glittered in the light. The man gave Barbossa one more nervous look before kneeling down to pick up his loot.

Barbossa walked back over to where I was standing and waved me towards the door. Still in shock, I exited the shop and then turned to face Barbossa, "You just paid ten shillings for that!" I was still shocked by that amount of money. I didn't think I had had more than three shillings at once. Where had the captain gotten the money?

"Aye, so I did," Barbossa agreed with a nod. He held the necklace out to me. I stared at him in shock. He was actually going to give it to me? I looked up at him with wide eyes and stammered, "You're going to give it to me? It's...mine?" I had never had such a fine piece of jewelry before in my life. This was my first ruby.

"Aye," Barbossa said again, "What? Did ya think I got it fer meself? Come here. I'll help ya put it on." I felt like I was sleepwalking as I came to stand next to the captain and then turned my back to him so he could do the clasp on the necklace. I couldn't believe Barbossa had gotten me such an expensive gift. Was it just me or was it a rather romantic gift? Ah, here I go again. My thoughts always run away with me. Barbossa gave me the necklace as a simple gift exchanged between friends. There was no more to it.

I had been wearing my hair down today since I hadn't bothered to put it up this morning. It had fallen over my shoulders while I had been walking through town. Barbossa leaned forward to move my hair out of the way before he put the necklace around my neck. As his hands pulled my hair back off my chest, one of his hands brushed lightly against my breast. It took a lot of willpower on my part to keep from placing his hand back on my breast. It felt good and I didn't want him to stop.

The captain did the clasp on my necklace much too quickly and then said, "Spin around, missy. I want ta see how it looks." At his words, I turned back towards him, still thinking about that brief moment when his hand had rested against my breast. Barbossa stood back and observed me, obviously not thinking about the same moment as me.

"Aye, it's the perfect touch," Barbossa commented with a confirming nod. He held his arm back out to me. I took it and spoke straight from my heart as I said, "Thank you so much. It's the best gift anyone has ever given me." That was true. Anything from Barbossa would be the best gift there could be. I would even like a half of one of his half-eaten apples.

"Think nothing of it," Barbossa said, squinting ahead of him as he brought me to wherever it was that we were going next. Wanting to know just where that place was, I tilted my head up at him and said, "Where to now, Captain B?" Barbossa chuckled at the nickname and this time did look down at me. Our eyes met and a sparkle or two crossed between us.

Barbossa pointed a finger at a shop just a little ways ahead of us and said, "Just over there ta the dress shop. Ya definitely need a new dress." I smiled happily at the prospect of a new dress. The most exciting part was the fact that I was actually going to be able to pick out this dress. Before, mother had always chosen my dresses for me.

Just wanting to make sure Barbossa knew of my fiancial state, I murmured, "I have no money..." Barbossa rolled his eyes at me and replied as he opened the door to the shop, "Do ya honestly think I expected ye ta pay for it?" Barbossa reached inside his coat pocket and then took my hand. He opened it up and dropped another ten shillings into it.

I gasped and stared at the captain with shock. When I was able to get over my shock, I murmured in amazement, "This is...for me?" Barbossa gave me a look that meant of-course-it's-for-you and replied sarcastically, "Nay, it's fer Jack." Jack squealed excitedly from Barbossa's shoulder at the mention of his name. Barbossa smiled affectionately at the monkey and fed him a peanut.

"Thank you," I told Captain B gratefully. I felt honored to have so much money. Captain B waved it away as if it was no big deal and replied, "Go buy yerself a dress and whatever else ya need." He paused for a moment and then asked almost hopefully, "So, will ye have ta be fitted fer a dress before ye go buyin' one?"

I frowned and thought about that for a moment. I usually did have to be fitted or try on dresses before buying them. I nodded at Barbossa, wondering why it made any difference to him at all. For some reason, Barbossa was avoiding my eye. Hm, I could immediately tell something fishy was going on...but what?

"Ye know where the ship is, aye?" Barbossa asked me, pointing in the direction of the ship. "Yer not goin' ta get lost around here, right?" I frowned at the question and thought about it for a moment. It was a pretty small town. I knew where the ship was and I didn't think I could get lost although you never really know. But for the captain's sake, I was going to say that I wasn't going to get lost.

"Yeah, I can find my way around here okay," I replied with a not very confident nod. Then I lifted an eyebrow and asked him suspiciously, "Why do you ask?" Barbossa tilted his head back and looked up at the sky. It might have been a casual gesture, but I knew that it was just another way to avoiding looking me in the eye.

"There's a bit of business I have ta attend ta here in this town," Barbossa explained, skill looking up at the sky. "So what do ya say to me goin' off ta do my business, you gettin' yer dress and whatever else ya wanted, and then we meet back at the Black Pearl?" Barbossa finally looked at me with a questioningly look on his face.

"Um, yeah, that's fine," I replied with a nod. To be honest, I wanted Barbossa to stay with me. However, I really owed it to him not to complain as he had just given me ten shillings. Barbossa immediately smiled at me when I agreed. He opened the door to the dress shop and waved me inside, "In ya go. I'll see ya in a little bit."

I stepped inside the shop and looked around. I had two choices. I could stay here and get a dress or I could do something that would be much more interesting; follow Barbossa. I had to admit that my curiosity had certainly been perked when he said he had some business to attend to. What kind of business was it and why did he have to attend to it?

It took me only another moment of hesitation before I knew what I was going to do. Looking twice in both directions to make sure that no one was watching me, I stepped back outside and started creeping down the street behind Barbossa. He strode along with absolutely no clue that I was stalking him. We walked to the opposite side of town. People were scurrying around now and it became hard for me to keep Barbossa in view sometimes.

After what seemed like an eternity, Barbossa finally stopped at a bar. He pushed the door open easily and moved inside. Deciding to risk it, I slipped through the door as well and went to hide behind a barrel. Barbossa went to a table at the corner of the room and sat down. I was surprised to see he didn't get a drink. Wasn't that what bars were for? If he wasn't going to get a drink, then what was he here for?

I watched for a few minutes, completely puzzled. Finally, something actually happened. A slender woman with blonde hair piled on top of her head and with heavy makeup on her face sidled up to Barbossa. She smiled at him with perfectly shaped red lips and said, "Ah, Hector, it's been too long. What brings you back to town?"

"I figured ya'd still be here, Alexandria," the captain said with a smile. "Eh, I'm after the fountain of youth with me crew. But a trip ashore always helps ta release the tension." Barbossa smiled and winked at Alexandria. The woman obviously called Alexandria smiled and replied, "Of course, Hector." She held out her hand expectantly. Barbossa dropped several coins into it.

"Come on," Alexandria said, pulling the captain to his feet. "Let's go somewhere more...private."