Caribbean Hybrid

Title: Caribbean Hybrid
Rated R
Chapter Author: DesiringPirates
Summary: Elizabeth finally talks to Achille. Is he as nice as Selene said he
is, or is he cruel?

_________

Chapter Sixteen

"Why, hello there, Mrs. Sparrow."

Elizabeth frowned at Achille, who was approaching her on the deck. She
tensed up and locked eyes with him, preparing to throw a load of curses at
him.

But it never came. Instead, Achille held out his hand, and there was a small
package in it. Elizabeth looked down at the package and back up at him,
questioning his motives.

"A gift, for the new bride." Achille smiled warmly at her, and Elizabeth
carefully grabbed the package, afraid that it might explode in her hand. "Go
on. Open it. I swear, it doesn't bite."

Elizabeth unwrapped the gift and opened a small, brown box. Opening it, she
gasped, and saw that it was a... a... a diamond ring!

"What?" Elizabeth asked in shock, and fingered the beautiful ring. It was a
small stone, but it still shined in the sunlight and different colors danced
on it's glossy surface. "Why are you giving this to me?"

Achille gave a short laugh, and placed his hands behind his back. "It's a
wedding gift. I noticed Sparrow was too cheap to get you a ring, and even if
he did, whatever he picked wouldn't be worthy to grace your hand. Besides,
no one is wearing it. No one had worn it for nearly fifteen years, it's just
collecting dust in my closet."

"And why should I accept it?"

"Call it a peace offering. I don't wish to fight with you, Miss - I mean,
Mrs. Sparrow. I want to make this trip as pleasant as possible, for the both
of us."

"Really?" Elizabeth pursed her lips in anger and growled: "Then why won't
you let me go home?"

"Because." Achille watched as her face melted into confusion. "I want to
torture Jack a little bit. He deserves it."

"No, he doesn't." Elizabeth responded, without even thinking.

"Really, then?" Achille turned darker, as old memories came upon him. "How
about this, Mrs. Sparrow - you know, obviously, that he has experienced
sexual relations before he married you?"

"Of course." Elizabeth answered, unsure as to what Achille was getting at.

"Before you met Jack, did you think that sharing a bed was something married
people did, and anyone who did it prematurely was ruined?"

Ashamed, Elizabeth nodded her head once. She was about to bed Jack, and she
didn't have a ring on her finger.

"Imagine this, then. A man, who falls in love and is happy to marry his
lady, finds out that she is ruined- and not only that, but a fifteen year
old boy had laid with her. In the woods, even, where animals mate. Imagine
the pain that man felt when he found out about it. Imagine the shame he held
for her, his future wife, and had no choice but to leave her. And that
fifteen year old child, one who doesn't even have hair on his lip yet, comes
at the man with a sword, intent on killing him because he shamed the boy's
love."

Elizabeth was silent. "And the man was..."

"Me. The boy, your husband. So believe me when I say, you two can go without
your wedding night for a little while longer." Achille paused, and studied
Elizabeth. Cure or no cure, she was quite beautiful, and he knew exactly why
Sparrow chose her. "I'm not going to hurt you, Mrs. Sparrow. Why should I,
after all? I'm not a bad man. There is no reason why I would harm you."

"Oh." Elizabeth dropped her gaze from him to her hands, and smoothed her
dress out. Maybe he wasn't as evil as Jack let on. Maybe, when he touched
her that first time, his blood was only hot from the fight he had with Jack.

"Are you hungry, Mrs. Sparrow?"

Elizabeth nodded. "A little. I haven't had much to eat these past two days."

"Would you care to join me for dinner, then, Mrs. Sparrow?" Achille offered
her his arm, and Elizabeth was a little put off. But her fears calmed when
she noted that he only wished to have dinner with her, maybe talk a bit
more.

Elizabeth took his arm, and gave him a small smile. "Please- call me
Elizabeth."

"Then you may call me Alain."
_____________

"So you ducked the tree branch?" Elizabeth asked, immensely enjoying the
story Achille was telling her.

"Oui, I did. And the damn bastard chasing me hit it head on. Knocked him out
cold." Achille laughed, and took a sip of his wine. "Poor guy. I stole all
his coins and necklaces, though."

Elizabeth smiled, and brought out a small bite of fruit to her mouth. Then,
thoughts of Jack, her 'supposed' husband, filled her mind... his touch...
his smile... Elizabeth sighed, and dropped the fruit onto her plate. She
rubbed her hands together, and lowered her eyelids, and felt ashamed for
having a good time with Jack's enemy. But was it wrong? Was it wrong to
enjoy the company of another? All he did was tell her story after story of
his adventures, and she listened. Only listened. So why did she feel...
dirty?

"Elizabeth?" Achille touched her shoulder briefly to bring her back to
earth. "Mrs. Sparrow? Are you alright?"

Elizabeth looked up at Achille, looked at the concern in his eyes (Was it
fake? She could not tell...) and, against her wishes, her gaze dropped down
to his lips. A new bout of shame wracked her heart, and she looked back down
at her hands.

"I'm... just a little sleepy." She faked a yawn, but it turned into a real
one. "I wish to retire."

"Certainly." He looked around, and both of their gazes fell on the bed.
"Oh."

"I... I'm going to see if I could go sleep with Selene." Elizabeth said,
standing up.

Ever the gentleman, Alain Achille (Elizabeth realized halfway through dinner
that it roughly translated to 'Handsome Pain'... and she shuddered when she
thought of it, he was so gentle today.) stood up when she did, and smiled at
her.

"No. Don't leave."

"What?" Elizabeth's mind immediately thought of the two of them, sharing a
bed, and a picture of an angry Jack flashed through her mind.

"You take the room. I'll go sleep with the crew." Achille smiled, seeing the
blush on Elizabeth's perfect shaped cheeks. "Why? Did you think I meant for
us to..." At Elizabeth's shocked glare, Achille laughed. "Oh, Gem... believe
me, I do not wish to get skinned alive by Sparrow. Even though it would be
worth it..." his eyes roamed her body hungrily, then snapped back to normal.
"At any rate, you are my guest, and you didn't exactly come on happy terms.
I insist."

Elizabeth straightened up, and nodded. "Oh. Well, then, yes, I would be
happy to take the room. Thank you very much."

Achille smiled. "Your welcome." Achille walked around the table, and took
Elizabeth's hand gently in his own. "Until tomorrow... Mrs. Sparrow..." and
he bowed and placed a gentle kiss on her hand.

"Goodnight, Captain Achille." Elizabeth curtsied, and watched as he exited
the room and closed the door behind him. She quickly ran over and locked it,
then placed a heavy chair in front of it. This ship wasn't like the Pearl-
the men here were vicious, and hungry for the taste of female flesh. The
only reason why Selene was fine on board was because she would strike them
down if someone even looked at her wrong.

Elizabeth eyed the box Achille had given her, and reached out and grabbed
it. She opened it to see the beautiful ring... where did this ring come
from? ... and quickly closed it. Just because she accepted it, which was
only to keep him off her back, didn't mean she would wear it.

Elizabeth opened the curtains to the windows,wanting to see the night sky
(and wondering if Jack was looking at it to... probably with a bottle of rum
in hand, the drunken fool...) and slipped out of her torn dress. Poor dress.

She imagined Jack buttoning up her dress, trying (and succeeding) to talk
her into sharing a bunk. A sob, and Elizabeth folded the dress and placed it
on a chair.

Elizabeth missed him. Who wouldn't? Even though Achille was nice to her
today, she still had an off feeling about him. She wished- no, hoped that
Jack would swing onto the deck, grab her, and take her back to the Pearl
where he would kiss her to death and make her feel loved. She longed for the
touch of his chapped lips on hers, and feel the roughness of his mustache
and beard on her smooth skin.

He tasted warm. And spicy. And, god, she just wanted to be in his right now.
Maybe they would be on deck, looking up at the stars; or maybe they would be
lying naked in his bed, covered in a sheen of sweat from their lovemaking.
It didn't matter- she just wanted him here.

Elizabeth's gut turned, and she sat on the bed to try and control herself.
But the tears, which were so familiar to her eyes now, came, and she laid on
the bed, fingering the sheet, wishing Jack was there and telling her:

"No worries, Peapod. I'll protect you."