Somewhere in the Enchanted Forest. Present-day
EIGHT HOURS LATER, Jaclyn returned from her duties as Captain and collapsed on the bed beside Erica who was halfway into reading about the history of magic and its different forms and uses. A sigh left Jaclyn's pretty pink lips and Erica put her book away as she turned her attention to Jaclyn
"Nadie sabe hacer nada ... todos son idiotas" A frustrated voice left her lips and Erica pinched her eyebrows together in confusion, it was too fast to even comprehend the words that came out of her girlfriend's mouth and she found herself growing a little frustrated, it was so much easier when Jaclyn would just use English but then she realised that Jaclyn only slipped into Spanish subconsciously when she felt comfortable and the fact that Jaclyn now felt comfortable enough around Erica to do so warms Erica's heart
She lay back into the pillows, next to Jaclyn and then moved her head down so that she was lying across the brunette's chest, the steady thumping of her girlfriend's heart soothing her as it echoed in her ears and Jaclyn's hands wound into her hair, pulling at carding through her hair at a lethargic pace, with no real rush and it slowly lulled Erica to close her eyes and marvel at how...normal this all was, being in Jaclyn's arms. It didn't feel weird or strange or awkward like she feared it might've been. Instead, it felt like she was always supposed to be there, wrapped in Jaclyn's arms feeling safe and secure and like nothing bad could ever touch her. Finally, she opened her mouth and asked the question that had been nagging at her "Tough day gorgeous? What were you saying? You said it in Spanish ... and I-I don't know--"
Jaclyn paused, hand frozen still wrapped in Erica's blonde locks, and she let out a surprised noise as she looked at Erica "Oh! I forgot you didn't understand Spanish yet...Sorry it's been a long day and sometimes when I'm not paying attention I slip back into Spanish I said...Nobody knows how to do anything, everyone is an idiot"
"Can you teach me how to say it?" Erica begged, closing her eyes again as Jaclyn petted her hair
"Yeah sure. I'll teach you how to say it" Jaclyn told her with a small smile, liking how childish Erica was being after not really being able to see that side of her as she was always so serious and never really let her guard down unable to just be herself and smile, so it was nice to Erica just letting herself be and not putting on this front of being this strong and guarded woman
She was both anyway but it was nice for Jaclyn to know she didn't act like that all the time and was comfortable enough around Jaclyn to let another side of her show. They spend the. next few hours going over Spanish verbs, what order you should say stuff in like the noun before the adjective so instead of beautiful flower it becomes flower beautiful and then they moved on to how to say the sentence properly before Jaclyn told her how she would normally just say it
"What's it like for English to not be your first language?" Erica asked after their first proper lesson taking ahold of Jaclyn's hands and holding onto her. Her large blue eyes were thirsty for knowledge and Jaclyn loved the fact that she was asking about her experience and not just assuming that she knew everything
"Well at first it was difficult because I learnt Spanish alongside English and as a child, I would often get them mixed up or say stuff in an order that only made sense in my head like I would start off saying something in English and finish the rest of my sentence in Spanish that sort of thing and then when I got past that I would have to translate what I wanted to to say from Spanish in my head to English as it came out my mouth. Obviously when I got older and because of the years I've walked the Earth I've stopped needing to do that as much but still get stuck on the occasional word or phrase mostly in Spanish now as I've been speaking English for such a long time but now that I'm back on my ship I will slip into Spanish as I Captain my ship that way...I'm sorry if it's annoying and makes no sense, if there's anything I say that you don't understand tell me and I will translate as best I can as there's sometimes not a direct translation"
"That sounds hard...I'm sorry that you had to go through that darling. On top of everything else, I mean being a woman in your time doesn't sound too appealing on top of that you were a woman in what people tend to see as a male distributed profession and you had to prove that you weren't crazy for being attracted to women...I'm assuming"
"You're right and that's why I created the legend of Jack Sparrow"
Erica raised an eyebrow "And how's the legend different from the person in front of me?"
"They are similar people. We're both flirty and we adore the gorgeous blonde in front of us, but Jack Sparrow is an exaggerated tale of my life. I'd take bits and pieces of my life and exaggerate the bits that sounded boring to make me sound better, to make myself look better and most of those rumours were started by me to boost my status. Honestly, the rumours of my life and what I've done are so blurred that I have no idea what's fact and what's fiction, but I think it makes me more interesting"
"That's true. You are interesting"
"Gracias my dear" Jaclyn winked at her before moving to sit up, taking off her leather brown frock and rolling up her sleeves to her shirt, and Erica saw a flash of a scar on her right forearm, a question bubbled to her throat but she let it simmer. Now was not the time. "Now if you'd excuse me. I'd like to take a nap"
"Lie with me then" Erica stated, looking up at Jaclyn, all she wanted was to be wrapped back into Jaclyn's arms, loving the heat that radiated from the woman but it seemed that the woman pirate had other ideas
"It's okay, I'll take the hammock. I don't want to take up your space"
Erica sighed and turned back to her book while Jaclyn lay in the hammock, her hat covering her face as she was lulled to sleep by the sway of the hammock
* * * * *
Somewhere in the Enchanted Forest. Present-day
Waking up with a start, Erica thrashed in the bed as she attempted to sit up, waking up Jaclyn in the process who was laying in the hammock, like she had been doing for the past week and a bit even though Erica protested that was a completely ridiculous idea and that it was her bed and she shouldn't be thrown out of it, and that she would be more than happy to find a bed, Jaclyn resisted and said that she could have the bed for as long as she wanted
While Erica attempted to get her heartbeat under control -- and failing -- Jaclyn walked across the room and sat on the bed, before striking up a match and lighting a lantern and a few candles so they could see properly before she turned her attention back to Erica and put her hand on her back "You okay gorgeous?"
"I'm okay--It's just scars" Erica's words were a mere broken whisper
"I get that. Scars on your body are tough but people can see them so they sympathise somewhat. It's the scars in your head which are the difficulties because people don't see them and so they pretend their not there as if their fiction, tales from a story, but they are just as real as you and I"
"How do you always know what to say?"
"Call it a gift" Jaclyn winks and pulls her body into her and cradles her head and softly strokes her head. It was such a tender moment and Erica wondered how on earth this woman became the feared Pirate Captain Jack Sparrow "But no I know all this because I have them to, around three hundred years I died for a few months and was taken to a place known as Davy Jones locker and even though it happened so long ago I still have nightmares of that place, that's why I was up most of the time in Neverland"
"I'm sorry you died?"
"Yep but it's alright because Elizabeth and Will bought me back"
"Oh okay"
"The point is that scars tell us where we've been but they don't tell us where we want to end up. They don't define us" Jaclyn told Erica in a soothing voice as Erica woke up from another nightmare. Her body shaking and her heart was beating so loud she can hear it in her ears, but she tried as best she could to focus on Jaclyn's voice
"I-I have more scars than I ever wanted too" Erica admits, her voice quiet almost like a child and she was still shaking but Jaclyn shushes her and gently pushes her back down to the bed before laying down next to her and cradling her body as if she was trying to protect her from the world, and as Erica's breathing evened she found herself never wanting to leave this moment but she knew by morning that moment would be shattered
Jaclyn kissed her hairline and pulled Erica in closer to her body making Erica sigh in content this is where she wanted to stay for the rest of her life "I'll stay with you tonight. I'll stay with you every night until you don't need me anymore"
"I don't know how I could ever not need you" Erica twisted in Jaclyn's embrace so that she was facing the pirate and gently stroked the side of her face, their voices matching barely above a whisper as they didn't want to wake up the others "You changed my life, Jaclyn Sparrow. After I found out I was not the Saviour like everyone thought and I broke up with Rachel, who I really did love because it wasn't right to be selfish and keep her from her happy ending. You came into my life and like a whirlwind, you flipped it upside down and I could no longer see straight. With the darkness building in my heart, you were the one that offered me a way out -- a way to forget and be selfish for once go after what I want. Once Rachel said I was her light in the darkness but I don't believe that's true. I think you are mine"
Erica had no time to react after she had finished speaking, her hands were suddenly pinned above her head and Jaclyn was on top of her smirking down at her before their lips attach. This kiss held desire and lust and was different from the few tentative kisses they had given each other since they had started dating
Jaclyn pulled away so the two could breathe as she was still looming over Erica, with the same crooked smirk "And I think you are mine, I will do anything for you sweetheart. I don't care about the darkness, it's actually quite exciting love and as long as you are with me you don't have to worry about the darkness"
"But I killed someone! Is that exciting?"
"No. I'm not saying it's a good thing but we're all battling our demons your demon just happens to be literal darkness and you have to remember yes you may have killed people but you killed them for a good reason. You killed Cora to save your mom from darkening her heart and you killed Alice to save yourself" Jaclyn explained with a small frown
"Is that not technically a serial killer?" Erica raised an eyebrow
"Maybe" Jaclyn shrugs "But you're doing it to protect your family. That's brave"
"Will you stay with me?"
"Always and hey maybe if this is still bothering you when we manage to find Emma and get back to Storybrooke -- home -- then maybe you should start seeing the cricket. I heard from Keira, who sees him that he actually helps her. Maybe he can help you too"
"Maybe" Erica mummers
* * * * *
Somewhere in the Enchanted Forest. Present-day
"Hey beautiful" Erica heard as she woke up, bleary-eyed and with a bit of a headache. The cabin was flooded with natural light and Erica guessed that she had slept in later than she meant to, especially when Jaclyn sat on the edge of the bed, a lazy smirk stretching across her face "Time to get up we just pulled into port"
"I don't feel beautiful, especially after last night" Erica moaned burying her face further into the pillows and she heard Jaclyn chuckle and the bed dip as Jaclyn crawls up the bed and wraps an arm around her frame, resting her head on her back
"You will always be beautiful. My sleeping beauty"
"How do you do that?" Erica asked, turning her head to face Jaclyn and reaching out to touch the side of her face, she didn't know why but she was fascinated with touching Jaclyn. Touch had always been her love language and it seemed that Jaclyn was the same "How do you always make me feel so beautiful with only a few words?"
"Because I'm your partner. It's my job to see the stuff you don't see in yourself. For example how beautiful you are"
"God you are really going to kill me if you keep saying stuff like that"
"Well don't die on my yet Swan because I am not taking your corpse around on the day that I have planned for us"
"You asking me on a date Sparrow?"
"I am but if you die I'll have to drag your dead body through the streets and kiss it" Jaclyn said with a teasing smile, though there was a note of concern in her voice and Erica somehow knew that Jaclyn was serious about not wanting her to go anywhere "And well I don't want to do that so from now on you aren't getting rid of me, sorry but its true babe. As long as you chose me I will always choose you"
"In that case yes I will go out with you"
"Really?"
"Yes, I'd be honoured"
With that, Jaclyn surged forward crushing their lips together in a heady kiss of tongue and just a little bit of teeth that left Erica breathless and just a little bit lightheaded when they finally pulled away for breath Erica pulled back a little and fanned her cheeks, smiling she tries to control the red painting her cheeks "If you keep kissing me like that, I'd have started dating you sooner"
"Mmm I told you I'd wish for you to kiss me like that"
"Looks like you got your wish"
"That I did and I'm so glad I got that chance"
"Did you imagine you'd be here with me, back then? Back in the Enchanted Forest when you were looking for the compass?" Erica asked, softly and nervously as nerves bit in her stomach, anxious to hear what Jaclyn would say about it
"I think I always knew that we'd end up here...I mean from the moment I saw you I could tell you had something about you that just made me want to know you more and that's why I wanted to get to know you and slowly but surely I got to see behind the walls you put up. Got to the broken girl putting herself back together with the same broken pieces and I adore that girl, she's got fire in her and I'm enthralled by fire and the way it burns and I know if I get too close you will burn me too but baby let the world burn because as long as I'm with you I don't care"
"Oh babe you're going to coax me into wanting to stay forever"
"That's good because I wouldn't want you to leave"
Matching grins adorn their faces, for now, they were just two people in a relationship, trying to find out where this would go and hoping it didn't end any time soon because that would devastate them, after all, they were just two broken people trying to find their place in the world --- and praying that they would find it with each other because they both finally had one good thing going for them and they didn't want to lose each other
* * * * *
Somewhere in the Enchanted Forest. Present-day
Laughter spewed out of Erica's mouth as Jaclyn took her from place to place trying to show her everything, something about wanting to 'Show her where she would've grown up if an evil bitch hadn't thrown a temper tantrum and threatened the kingdom' apparently she had discovered most of the Enchanted Forest while on her pirating years with Killian
"Babe!" Erica laughed, setting her hand on Jaclyn's bicep and squeezing slightly bringing her to a stop "Slow down, okay? We have all the time in the world to see things but you know for now I just want to spend time with you"
"You have me...You will always have me"
Jaclyn spun around in Erica's grasp, so they were face to face and stepped just a little bit closer so there was no gap between them, the rest of the world seemed to fade away when Jaclyn's dark eyes met her green ones and she couldn't breathe, the air sucked out her lungs...How does someone breathe again, something about opening your mouth and letting the air fill up your lungs and then releasing it again right? But right now such a simple task seemed impossible
"You alright sweetheart?" Jaclyn asked with a cocky timbre in her voice that made Erica know that Jaclyn knew that she wasn't and she knew the blonde had let the brunette inside of her head
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine"
"Mmm sure sweetheart"
"Oh just kiss me"
"As you wish sweetheart" Jaclyn mummers before catching her lips and dipping her back allowing a squeal to tear out of her throat which was swallowed by Jaclyn. Time stretched on forever and it was just the two of them, hands wrapping around each others body, too afraid to let go until they had to pull back for air
Erica's eyes were sparkling as she looked at Jaclyn again, her heart jumping to her throat and doing flips, when she could finally regain her composure she took Jaclyn's hand and started walking towards a tavern
"Hold up sweetheart" Jaclyn whispered, lips working against the shell of her ear as she stopped Erica from moving any more "We need to dress you for the times and realm we're in -- in clothes that fit you"
Erica looked down at the clothes she was wearing, one of the crew's old shirts that were a bit too big for her and hung limply around her frame and a pair of breeches that were too short and clung around her ankles, even though she may have worn the clothes that fit the time, they definitely didn't fit her
"Yeah I agree"
Like an excited child, Jaclyn drags Erica with her, darting like a rabbit to different places, picking up a shirt here or a pair of breeches there and thrusting them all in her direction which weighed Erica down before giving her something thatt Erica had only seen in period tv shows and dramas but Erica knew exactly what they were, a corset
"Okay so this here is a corset" Jaclyn began as she pulled a face and Erica had to squish down the laughter she felt building in her throat at the face that Jaclyn was pulling "It's like a bra but there so much more restrictive any way I thought I would give you the option of whetther to bind your breasts or wear a corset because your bra is probably gross by now"
"Yeah...I haven't had a proper shower in a week"
"Best not spread that information around"
"Yeah your right, I'm sorry...I'm sorry for everything"
They walked back towards the Black Pearl, hand in hand the clothes slung over their arms, they used the rigging ropes to get back onto the ship. And then Erica slipped into the Captain Quarters and slipped out of the ill-fitting clothes and the old bra, tying cloth around her chest to bind her breasts before slipping into the new ones, the new shirt fitted properly and made it look like she had an actually chest and the breaches hung low on her waist but she actually liked it and tied the shirt into a knot and slipped on one of Jaclyn's hats..Just for fun as well as an old black frock coat she found lying around
Walking out, her movements were uncertain, she liked it but would anyone else? She must admit she wasn't very adjusted to the clothes that people (or pirates) wore in the Enchanted Forest, but she knew she would quickly adjust and she saw Jaclyn hanging around the edge of the ship looking at the land and twisting something in her hand and she quickly made her way over, her boots and the crashing waves allowing her to go unnoticed
"What we looking at?"
There were a few moments in your life where everything just makes sense. Everything clicks together and makes sense, and you finally understand why you were born and who you were supposed to have around in your life like the day you get married to the one person you pray will be your forever or when you're looking back at your life, only to realise how much you have actually accomplished.
When Jaclyn turned around, her pupils blown wide and eyes dancing with mirth, this was a moment to Erica that just made sense. This was a moment where the world flipped off its axis and then righted itself, this was the moment where everything that she had done led her to this moment, right here and right now and this was the moment that she knew she would be with Jaclyn forever
"You...You looking fucking hot" Jaclyn said, struggling to comprehend a sentence
Erica's face was dusted with a pink blush "You think so?"
"Oh darling, I know so"
It was only then that Erica realised how close they actually were, and went to take a step back out of habit but Jaclyn caught her before she could get too far with deft fingers and pulled her back into her, flush against her chest craning her neck a few extra inches to whisper around the shell of her ear "Where do you think you're going?"
A shiver ran down her spine and she looked up into her girlfriend's eyes, who was looking back at her as if she was the only person in the world and Erica's heart sped up as all the air was stolen out of her lungs
And then suddenly Jaclyn was smothering her, lips on lips, igniting a spark within both of them as Erica tilts her hand to get better access to Jaclyn, letting her mouth part so that Jaclyn's tongue could dive in and explore her mouth as hands going to the back of her head and carding through her hair and Erica manages to bite down on Jaclyn's bottom lip before drawing it into her mouth and sucking
Fingers slid down Erica's arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake as Jaclyn picks her up and puts her on the side of the ship before sliding in between her knees and reconnecting their now swollen lips swallowing the surprised yelp
They stayed in that posistion, a heady exchange of lips and tongue, hands touching hair shoulders and arms as they fight to stay connected to one another even when they weren't kissing. Time passed and folded in on its self and they didn't know how long they had stayed like that pulling each other in, only to ebb away at the last second and draw each other again
Only when drunken cheers rang in their ears did they finally come back to their senses and pull back smiling softly at each other, messy hair, flushed cheeks and swollen lips on show for everyone to see
When the clambered back onto the ship, there are many pats on the back in Jaclyn's direction and hollers as Erica tries to slip away but before she can Gibbs catches her by the arm "Oh, I'm sorry Mr Gibbs--"
"Gibbs will do just fine lass"
"Okay"
"Look umm--" He started, pausing to scratch at his neck "I think I owe you an apology, I haven't been welcoming about you joining the crew and I'm sorry for that but clearly your good for Jack. I mean in the few weeks that she's been back I've never seen her so happy...At least in recent memory and she would never kiss someone -- let alone a lass -- on the deck of the ship like that"
"To be fair we thought we were alone"
"I can tell but still thank you"
"You're welcome," Erica says, glancing back at Jaclyn and for a moment they catch eyes and Jaclyn winks before Erica turns back to Gibbs "I would do anything for her without a second thought"
"I know but be careful, that loyalty may come with a price"
Those words may haunt her yet.