A/N: Hello everyone! This will be the only Author's Note for this entire story, mostly to provide information. This story is AU after the Curse of the Black Pearl, and also a sequel to my other fic "He's a Pirate" (read it!). If you're new to reading this, welcome, enjoy, and please review! If you've read this before, I have something to say to you.
I have gone through and edited The Adventures of Christiana Thomas – overhauling Chris' background and adding a couple new chapters. New chapters are marked with ampersands, and chapters that have been edited/changed heavily are marked with exclamation points. Go ahead, read, and enjoy!
Also, I made a website for The Adventures of Christiana Thomas with pictures, family trees, and a bit of a background. If you want to check it out, go to my Author's Page and click the homepage button.
And for a disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and its characters belong to Disney, the songs found at the end of the chapters belong to the artists who wrote and sang them. The original characters and story, however, belong to me, and if you do anything with them, I will come to your house and I will cut yooooou!
Also, I do plan to do a sequel to this, but I'm going to write the entire thing before I post it. If you wish to read it, add me to your Author Alets!
Enjoy!
oOo
Chapter One
A Christening
The first rays of sun spilled over the horizon and gently touched the Black Pearl, which gently bobbed up and down on waves that were the color of sapphires. The bowsprit of the winged woman with a dove was illuminated, as were the black sails, and the dark wood of the hull seemed somewhat lighter in the morning light. Within the cabin that lay beneath the forecastle, a prone woman was in bed. The peaceful look of one in slumber was upon her face, until a sharp rapping resounded throughout her cabin. Chris' eyes snapped open. They immediately moved to the porthole and saw the sun on the horizon and then scanned back to the door, which was budging from the knocks.
"Chris!" Captain Jack Sparrow stumbled in her door. He was wearing his usual white shirt, trousers, boots, and sash tied about his waist. His bandana was slightly askew as he came to a halt just inside the doorway. He turned to the woman. "Chris! I can't find my pistol!"
"Pistol?" Chris groaned and rubbed one of her eyes. "Why are ye coming to me with that complaint?"
"It's the one I shot Barbossa with – You know how I am about sentimental value." The pirate captain replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. As he next spoke, he pointed an accusing finger at his quartermaster. "And ye, Thomas, were the last to see me conscious last night! I… I think." Jack tapped his chin in thought, his emerald ring glinting in the light from the porthole.
Chris inhaled deeply and thought back to the delightful rum soaked evening the night before. She didn't remember anything about Jack's pistol that seemed important to mention – until a glint of polished wood sticking from the sash at Jack's waist caught her eye. "Did you look in your sash?" She suggested innocently.
Jack looked down and saw the pistol's butt sticking from the brightly colored sash. He reached down and pulled the weapon out, inspecting it closely before replacing it. His mouth opened and closed once or twice before he replied, "Thank you. Wasn't so hard, was it?" With that, he walked back into the companionway, closing the door behind him.
Chris rubbed her eyes and contemplated staying abed for just five more minutes, but no, she might as well get up. She threw her covers off of herself, showing that she wore a white man's shirt, but nothing to cover herself other than that. Her cabin was not furnished richly or to any degree of fashion; at the foot of her bed there was a chest, a wooden screen for dressing was close to the porthole, and a desk with writing supplies on it sat right out of reach of the door when it opened. A small mirror hung above the desk, and that was the only decoration on the walls. Chris flipped open the top of her chest, tossed some clothing about, and pulled on a pair of canvas breeches that only reached to her mid-calf. She wore no shoes.
"Loki?" Chris called, turning back to her bed. A small brown monkey loped out from beneath the bed. His maw gaped in a yawn and then he looked up at her expectantly. The woman whistled and the monkey jumped onto her trouser leg, climbed up it and her shirt, and then perched on her shoulder. Loki contently sat there while Chris brushed her brown hair before pulling it back into a black and white damask bandana. She placed the brush in a drawer of her writing desk before crossing to her chest. She flung the clothes that had been tossed out in her search back inside and closed the top. She adjusted her breeches once more, making sure they weren't too tight, before leaving her cabin.
It was turning out to be a crisp, cold morning above. Chris did not need to leave the forecastle, for she was heading for the galley, but she could smell the briskness in the air from the open doorway at the top of the stairwell. She climbed the stairs and turned into the galley to find Cotton already at the huge pot over the cooking fire. The galley was a simple room containing a rough wooden table with benches on either side in the middle, counters, cupboards and barrels bordering the edges, and a large place for a cooking fire set away from the ship's side and in the middle. Smoked meats, fruit, and dried vegetables and herbs swung from the ceiling, but not low enough so that someone would hit their head on their future meal. Chris nodded to the helmsman and cook when she entered and Loki jumped onto the table, shrieking as he often did to rile up Cotton's Parrot.
"Barnacles on the bottom! Barnacles on the bottom!" Mr. Cotton's Parrot crowed, bobbing his head up and down and dancing from talon to talon. Chris grabbed Loki by the scruff of the neck and sat him back on her shoulder. The monkey seemed satisfied by the parrot's reaction, and on her shoulder he stayed. Cotton tossed Chris an apple, as he usually did in the morning. Chris was biting off pieces of fruit and feeding them to Loki as Jack walked in, humming a tune. His tricorn was now on, as well as his coat. Usually Jack took his breakfast in his cabin, but it was not uncommon for him to take the first meal of the day with his crew. "Mornin' Cot, monkey…" He took a banana from a bunch hanging from the ceiling, "And Loki."
"Very funny, Sparrow." Chris replied, her tone sounding tired. Morning insults were the usual form of greeting from her captain after nights when all had been into the rum. Jack laughed and cleared his throat before he sat down at the table as Cotton dished out steaming spoonfuls of burgoo into bowls. Burgoo was a mixture of oats and pretty much anything leftover from the previous meal, and was almost always accompanied with fresh-made biscuits.
As Cotton slid the bowls to Jack and Chris, the other members of the crew entered, talking loudly. Gibbs fell onto the bench beside Jack and Cotton gave the new arrivals their bowls. "Good morning, Jack," Gibbs began, accepting his bowl. "Glad to see yer up and at 'em after last night."
"Mr. Gibbs, you should know better than anyone here that the drink is no weakness for me." Jack said, watching Chris tap her biscuit against the table. A few weevils fell from it.
"Where be our next port?" Gibbs asked, tapping his own biscuit. Weevils always had a penchant for getting into the flour onboard, no matter what Cotton or anyone else tried to do to keep them away.
"It's a bit of a personal errand, Gibbs." Jack said, biting into his biscuit. His nose wrinkled and he stared back at the end of a weevil sticking from his biscuit. He chewed what was in his mouth and swallowed. "We're going to Port Royale." He informed his crew as he tapped his biscuit to free it of any other insects.
Chris choked on the biscuit that she was eating. "Weevils?" Anamaria asked before slapping Chris' back a few times. Chris shook her head and coughed the bit of biscuit into her hand before catching her breath.
"Thank you, Ana." Chris panted, tossing the biscuit piece into her burgoo. She then turned to her captain. "Jack, are you mad? Why are we going there?" She asked. Several of her crewmates looked to Jack for the answer as well.
"Will and Liz 'ad a baby!" Jack said jovially. "A letter arrived in Tortuga about a week ago fer me, tellin' me about it. Christening is in a couple o' days, and you and I are going." He returned to his food as if what he had said was unremarkable.
Chris' blue eyes narrowed. "I reckon I don't have a say in this, do I?" Chris asked.
Jack chewed his food. "No."
"And I suppose I can't say how incredibly crazy this is?"
"No."
"Or the fact that you, yourself, are crazy for even wanting to attend such a minor thing as a christening?" Chris added, turning to Anamaria for support. "When was the last time you were even in a church?"
"I am not going to dignify that question with a response." Jack smiled, a bit of biscuit in his teeth. "Also, this means you get to wear a dress during the duration of our stay. How can I say no? And think of the baby, Chris. The poor little baby." He feigned a look of innocence, but his smile spoke more than his words. He was enjoying this.
"How long are we staying?" Chris asked, slapping her palm to her face. She peeked between her fingers and asked. "And you do know the longer we stay in Port Royale, the more danger that puts the Black Pearl and the crew in?"
"Calm down, calm down lass! We'll only be there about two days. Will said it was all right if we bunked with him and the family and we will drop anchor in a hidden cove. I've thought it all through, my rather questionable quartermaster. 'sides, I'm sure you'd love to go shopping for the latest fashions and perhaps take tea with those of your own kind." He was referring to the fact she came from a rather more distinguished background than your average pirate.
Jack had her, and Chris knew it. Besides, she'd never disobey an order from her captain. And while he hadn't verbally said, 'I order you to come with me,' it was clear he would if it came to that. "…I hate you, Sparrow."
"I know, love."
The next day, the Black Pearl docked in the same hidden cove where, more than a year ago, the ship and its crew had taken William Turner aboard. Jack was immensely happy about the whole situation as he waited on deck for his quartermaster to return from getting dressed. Chris emerged from below in a simple tan dress, the sleeves long and the waist not at all constricted like those of higher fashion. An apron with a small pocket was tied about her waist.
"Wait there!" Jack commanded. Chris stopped and stood still as her captain circled her, his finger tapping on his chin in thought. "Hmm… Hmm…" He vocalized. Those looking on, like Marty and Gibbs, smiled as Chris' cheeks blushed. Sparrow never did let an opportunity go by to tease her. She didn't know why, but then again, she would do the same to him. "Look at that masculine frame, that mannish chest!" There were chuckles from up in the rigging as Jack came to a stop in front of the woman. He sighed and was about to speak until he looked down at her feet.
"Where are the shoes?" He asked, for Chris' feet were quite bare and tanned against the wood of the deck.
"Aw, come on Jack, don't make me –" Chris began. She never liked wearing shoes ever since she began sailing. They hindered her climbing in the rigging and were just uncomfortable once she became used to running amok barefoot.
"Shoes. Come on, we have to sell this or else I'll be hanging from the gallows." Jack snapped his fingers and Chris grumbled as she headed below once more. She returned a few moments later with the shoes on. "Stay right there!" Jack framed the woman with his fingers. "Perfect! I should have pursued a career in fashion."
Chris rolled her eyes and then set them upon her captain. He was still wearing his regular clothing and effects. "Captain…Ye're not wearing that, are you?"
"What?" He looked down at his pirate garb. "There's nothin' wrong with these! It makes me seem like a young rogue, back from a grand adventure."
"A rogue you may be, Captain Sparrow, but young you are not." That got some chuckles from Chris' crewmates, and made them even for the teasing before. "Norrington isn't that stupid! Come!" She grabbed her captain's arm and pulled him into the forecastle and below to her cabin. Her chest lay open at the foot of her bed. She released her captain and dug through the chest until she found a pair of men's trousers, a shirt not unlike her own, and a jacket. "Put these on." She handed the clothes to him. He grinned saucily.
"Willin' to get a look at me any way ye can, eh Chris?" He asked with a wink.
"Don't flatter yerself. I already have come to the consolation that I'll have to burn those clothes when ye're done with them." She pointed to the screen and Jack headed behind it.
"Denial… is a harsh… mistress, Chris." Jack said as the sounds of him dressing and undressing came from behind the screen. He buttoned up his jacket when he emerged. He did not look much changed, especially since he still wore his tricorn and nothing could be done about his unruly dreadlocks, not to mention the adornment of beads and other materials braided into his hair. "I feel like an idiot."
At the sight of her captain looking like an uncomfortable fop with dreadlocked hair, Chris struggled to keep her face straight, but with his declaration, she lost the fight. She burst out giggling, and if she had been walking while doing so, she was certain she would have fallen down thanks to her shoes.
"Shut up." Jack grunted, striding towards the door.
"Wait, wait! I apologize, captain, but we must complete the ensemble."She went to her desk and from one of the drawers pulled out a length of navy blue ribbon. "Turn around." He did so and she took off his tricorn and bandana before pulling his dreads into as best a ponytail as possible and tying it in place with the ribbon. "Ye could actually pass for a regular man!" She declared, beaming as she admired her handiwork.
Jack looked into the small mirror and shuddered. "Let's go." He snatched his tricorn before opening the door and leading the way above, Chris following. They emerged from below and as the two crossed to the jolly boat that would take them ashore, there were many snorts to cover up laughter from the crew at Jack's appearance. The captain just scowled and jumped into the small boat. Chris flashed a grin at the crew before she stepped into the jolly boat as daintily as any refined lady would. "Since ye all find something so infinitely amusing, I want all the decks swabbed and shining white when we return!" Jack ordered. That took some of the grins away, and the jolly boat began its descent towards the water. As it was being lowered, Loki jumped from the bulkhead and into the jolly boat. He crawled onto Chris' shoulder and sat there, peering at Jack with a cocked head.
"Not him!" Jack said, his face pulling into a mask of distaste. "Not that bleedin' monkey!"
"He's coming." Chris said plainly, scratching the ape's chin. "Many fine ladies keep these little creatures."
"Well good for them, but what about you?" Jack asked. Chris ignored him. Once the jolly boat hit the water, the ropes were unhooked and Chris and Jack took up oars and rowed the jolly boat ashore. He and Chris then covered the jolly boat with some branches from nearby palm trees after stowing it next to some bushes at the tree line. Once that was done, they began the trek to Port Royale. As they walked the path that would lead there, Loki would jump from Chris' shoulder, disappear, and return minutes later with shiny objects that had been lost in the surrounding foliage by others before them. Chris soon had a good collection of coins and spare bits of jewelry to tuck into her apron pocket.
After about an hour's trek, the pair came in sight of the port of Port Royale. "Will said they had a house, up by Liz's dad's mansion. We just 'ave to find it, is all." Jack said, surveying the sprawling port.
"And how do you propose we do that?" Chris asked. "I think we should be as discreet as possible."
"I am sure that 'discreet' would be one of my many middle names if I had a middle name, Chris, and it pains me that you think I have no tact." Jack clutched his breast as though it hurt. "Follow me." The two walked down into the town center, amidst the open market stalls and speeding carriages. Many of the houses were made of white adobe, and the aura of the town seemed peaceful and cheerful. Jack ran into a distinguished looking gentleman, apologized, and when the man walked off, Jack had a silver topped cane. He looked through the crowds of people, Chris following close behind, until he spotted a young boy carrying a basket. As the boy walked past, Jack stopped him. "You there, lad, d'ya know where William Turner the blacksmith lives?"
"Aye." The boy replied, shifting the weight of the basket in his arms.
"Would ye take us there?" Jack queried, flashing a smile of gold and teeth.
"I can't, sir, I have a delivery to make." The boy fumbled with the basket once more.
Jack dug in the pockets of his clothes, but found nothing. "Ye got a coin on ye, love?" He asked Chris.
Chris dug into apron pocket and extracted one of the coins Loki had found. He chirruped reproachfully as she tossed it to Jack. "I'll make it up to ye, mate, don't worry." She soothed him, scratching his head.
"Ye show us the way, ye get this nice coin. Alright?" Jack asked. The boy nodded vigorously with the prospect of earning said coin.
"Follow me!" The boy shifted his basket to his other arm and led them through the crowd, out of the town center, traversed up various roads, and finally, he led them up to a fairly big house that was in sight of the governor's mansion. It was also made of the white adobe, was two stories tall, and had a grand entrance with two columns. A drive led down to the wide gate that the boy had led them to.
"Thanks, lad." Jack tossed the coin and the boy caught it before running off, almost stumbling and dropping the basket in his haste. Jack opened the gate and walked up the drive, using his stolen cane freely with Chris walking beside him. When they reached the door, Jack tapped on it using the top of the cane. "I feel like a right toff." He mentioned to Chris. There was the sound of some talking inside.
"I have it, Betsy, don't worry. Go attend to Elizabeth. Go, it is fine, really." The door swung open and William Turner was looking at the pirates on his front step. His face turned into a mask of surprise. "Jack!" He groped for Jack's hand and shook it before he turned to Chris. "And Chris!" He gave her a quick hug before opening the door wider. "Come on in!"
Jack and Chris entered a wide, open room with a single staircase curving around the inside of the room and leading to the second level. The floors were polished wood, as was most of the furniture. Paintings decorated the walls, and a small table with crystal glasses and a decanter of liquor sat by the fireplace. There was a rack with a musket and two swords hanging by the staircase and grand candelabra hanging from the ceiling.
"Nice place ye got here, Will…" Jack said, strolling deeper into the room. "Are you expecting the Queen anytime soon?"
Will laughed. "No. Governor Swann built and furnished it for Elizabeth and me when we were married. I think it is a bit much." He confessed before looking at both of his pirate friends and closing the door. "I can't believe you both are here."
"Well, we need to meet the newest addition of yer brood, don't we?" Jack asked, picking up a small statue that rested upon the fireplace mantle and examining the bottom.
Will gave Chris a look that said, We'd best make sure that that's still here when you leave, and she nodded. Will clapped his hands together and said, "Well, Elizabeth is upstairs with baby William, and so is Ali. She's actually been asking about Jack a lot lately."
"Well we shouldn't keep her waiting, should we?" Jack asked, replacing the statue atop the mantle. He turned and Will led the two up the staircase. As they reached the top, Loki jumped off of Chris' shoulder and scampered around a corner and out of sight.
"Loki!" Chris called after the ape, but he did not return.
"Don't worry," Will said, "It's only so big a house. He'll come find you eventually."
"I told you not to bring him," Jack whispered in Chris' ear. She shrugged hopelessly and Will opened the door to the first room they came across. They entered and found that it was Will and Elizabeth's bedroom. There was a large four poster bed with the curtains drawn back and a bassinet beside the bed. A dressing table with a large mirror sat in a corner, a wardrobe in another, and there was also a silk screen before what Chris assumed was Elizabeth's closet. Elizabeth was sitting up on the bed, Ali beside her, and a baby was in Elizabeth's arms.
"Christiana! Jack!" Elizabeth greeted as they entered. She sat up a bit straighter and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "How nice to see you!"
"Uncle Jack?" Ali asked, looking from the baby to Jack. Her face lit up brighter than torch doused in kerosene. She then let out a bellowing war cry of "UNCLE JACK!" She was like a cannonball as she bounced directly up from the bed and onto Jack in less than five seconds. The shock and speed of her attack knocked the pirate captain off of his feet.
"Ah! Attack of the four foot lass!" Jack yelled. He rolled over, but Ali stayed atop of him and on his back as he clawed at the carpet in a frantic move to escape. "I surrender! Oh dear God help me, I surrender!"
Will shook his head and beckoned Chris to the bedside, letting Jack deal with his daughter unaided. "This is our son. We've given him the name of William, like my father did to me." He said to the woman softly as Jack struggled to pull himself (with Ali attached) off of the floor. Elizabeth handed the baby to Will, who handed him to Chris. He had awakened with his sister's war cry and now peeked up from his wrappings drowsily. "We think we'll call him 'Liam' so he won't get confused with me."
Chris held Liam gently, as though he were easily breakable. His angelic pale face looked back up at her. He had dark black hair, like his father and the copper eyes of his mother. "He's a perfect little lad." Chris breathed to his parents. They smiled at the compliment.
Jack lumbered over, Ali on his back, and peered at the boy's face, his breathing heavy. "Let's just hope this one isn't a eunuch, eh Will?"
"Daddy, what's a eunuch?" Ali asked, her face popping over Jack's shoulder.
"Actually," Will said very loudly, "I believe lunch is ready. I can have them bring it up here so we can all eat together." Will disappeared for a few minutes, which involved Ali trying to rip Jack's hair out of his skull and Elizabeth, Chris, and Liam watching. Will returned with two servants bearing trays of food. The trays were set down on the dressing table and the servants curtsied and left the room. After the group had eaten a sumptuous lunch of roasted bird and soup, Jack was sitting back, resting his hand on his stomach when another servant entered.
"My lord and lady," She said, rising from a curtsey, "You have a visitor."
"Who is it?" Will asked, playing a game of keep-away with his napkin and Ali.
"Commodore Norrington."
Chris' eyes widened and Jack jerked so violently, his boot hit the dressing table and the empty trays fell to the floor with a clatter. "Hide!" Elizabeth commanded.
"Oh bollocks!" Chris stood before diving beneath Elizabeth and Will's bed. Jack, after picking up the trays, hid in the wardrobe. Will straightened the skirt of the bed as the servant looked at Elizabeth, confusion clearly written across her face.
"Show him in, and please, take Alice to her room. It's time for her nap." Will commanded.
"What about Uncle Ja—?" Chris heard Ali ask, but Will somehow silenced her and Chris watched as Ali and the servant's feet left the room. There were a few moments of silence and then Chris watched, her nose itching courtesy of the thick layer of dust underneath the bed, as someone wearing polished shoes entered.
"Good day, Mr. Turner, Mrs. Turner." She heard him say. Her breath caught in her chest as she recognized her brother's voice. "I came to see your new addition to your family and give you my best regards."
"Of course." Elizabeth said. Weight shifted on the mattress above Chris and she held her breath.
"What's his name?" Norrington asked. Chris could see his legs relax slightly.
"William." Elizabeth answered. "It's a family name; we decided to stay with it."
"Of course. He looks like you, Mr. Turner."
"Why thank you." Will replied. Chris' nose had begun to run, and now it was being tickled. Damn dust! She thought. She needed to sneeze, but she couldn't. She couldn't sneeze, couldn't –
"A-ACHOO!"
She saw Norrington's legs snap into an attentive position from their formerly relaxed stance. "What was that?" She heard him ask. Damn!
Will's voice sounded nervous. "It was probably Ali. I told her to have her nap. She might have snuck past her nurse."
"Ah." His voice was doubtful.
Chris cursed silently at herself as her nose began to tickle again. Norrington continued to drone on about something concerning something else, and Chris noticed that something was running back and forth in the hallway. Every few minutes, a furry brown creature would run down the hall, dragging something, and Ali would chase after it. Loki… Norrington, Elizabeth, and Will were oblivious to what was happening in the hallway until something crashed and broke. Chris felt weight shift off the bed as Ali's wails filled the hall, and she saw Norrington's and Will's legs hurry out the door.
Chris quickly slid from under the bed, her dress covered dust. She tripped over her shoes and cursed. Elizabeth stood from her bed, a bit shaky, and placed Liam into the bassinet. "Ye might want to clean under there, for future reference, Elizabeth." Chris mentioned as Elizabeth hurried her behind the silk screen.
"Be quiet, he doesn't suspect anything!" Elizabeth hissed. Chris didn't know about that, but she hid against the many clothes that hung inside the screen as Elizabeth bounded back to her bed, pulling the covers over herself just as Norrington and Will walked in. Chris could see through the small slats between the segments of the screen. Will was carrying Ali, who was looking upset and huffy, and Norrington was following, carrying a screeching Loki by the tail.
"She's fine, she just broke a vase." Will said, rocking his daughter in his arms, but he looked tense. His eyes kept straying to Loki and the skirt of the bed.
"This… creature was chasing after her." Norrington said. "He does look awfully familiar, doesn't he?"
Loki screeched and whipped his head around, sinking his teeth into Norrington's hand. The Commodore yelled and began shaking his arm wildly, trying to free himself of the monkey. Loki released his bite and fell to the floor. He sniffed the air before catapulting behind the screen. He rushed up Chris' leg and onto her shoulder, letting out a chitter of joy. Damn, damn, damn! Chris cursed silently.
"I'll get that beast!" Norrington declared, drawing his sword and charging for the screen. Chris had never seen his face that shade of red before.
"Commodore! Calm yourself!" Will said, placing Ali on the bed, but it was too late. Norrington charged behind the screen, coming face to face with Chris. She narrowly dodged his sword's blade as he came to a halt.
Norrington's mouth opened in shock and his sword clattered to the floor. "Christiana!" He exclaimed, his tone full of incredulousness.
She smiled and shrugged. "Sorry James." Chris grabbed him by the shoulders before kneeing him in the groin and then throwing him against the screen. It collapsed forward and Norrington found himself swallowed by Elizabeth's clothes for the moment. Chris shot forward and pulled open the door of the wardrobe. Jack tumbled out, his hair free from the navy blue ribbon.
"What happened?" Jack demanded, holding his hat to his head. His cane was clutched in the other hand.
"Our trip has been cut short." Chris replied briskly. Jack pulled himself to his feet and the two pirates stood in front of the Turner family.
"Well…" Jack said, looking at the collapsed screen. The clothes were surging forward as Norrington tried to free himself. Jack bobbed his hat. "Cheers!" He grabbed Chris' elbow and pulled her from the room. They raced down the stairs, Loki screeching from Chris' shoulder the entire way, and they burst out the front door to the drive. The Commodore's carriage was waiting with two brown horses and about four soldiers.
"Stop them!" They looked up and saw that Norrington had opened a window above and was half hanging out, shouting and brandishing a pistol. "They're PIRATES!"
The four soldiers un-shouldered their rifles, but Jack was quicker. He used his cane to knock three of the four out, while Loki pounced on the last one and clawed at his face. Chris worked on freeing the horses while Jack "persuaded" the driver to step down. Chris hurriedly unhitched the geldings and jumped onto one of them, Jack following suit.
"Loki!" Chris whistled as Norrington fired his pistol at them, the bullet shots making the horses skittish. Loki jumped off of the soldier and onto the horse's rump, scrambling up to the mane.
"Someone! Stop them!" Norrington shouted once more, but his pleas were fruitless. Jack and Chris spurred their horses and galloped down the drive and various streets back to the town center. The knowledge of them being pirates somehow reached the soldiers in the town center (or maybe it was the fact they were riding a pair of naval horses and were obviously not naval sailors. Also, Chris was a woman) and several shots were fired in the air, causing innocent bystanders to duck and scream. Jack used his cane to his full extent, destroying several market stands in the process by breaking supports. Within minutes, the pair had made it out of the town center and their horses were racing down the path they had traveled by foot earlier.
When they arrived at the cove, they abandoned the jolly boat and the horses, opting instead to dive into the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean. Several members of the crew were swabbing the decks, not noticing the return of their captain and quartermaster until they climbed the aboard, dripping wet. "Set sail! We have soldiers on our tail!" Jack commanded.
The crew on deck sprung up immediately, not asking any questions as they began to make preparations to become underway. Chris helped pull up the anchor and even climbed into the rigging in her dress until they had sailed a good distance from Port Royale. When things calmed down, she finally changed back into her trousers and shirt before returning above deck to the bridge. Jack stood at the wheel, guiding his ship expertly.
"When am I gettin' me clothes back from yer cabin?" Jack asked, looking anything but comfortable in his formal garb. He had unbuttoned the jacket to catch any passing breezes.
"As soon as you please." Chris answered, stretching her bare toes out on the warm deck. "Does this mean we won't be going back to visit for a while?" She asked, smiling teasingly.
"Seeing as I have stirred up the soldiers once more, Norrington wants to skin me alive, and I destroyed some of Port Royale's market stands, I say there is a fair chance that we won't be going back anytime soon." The captain paused. "I guess."
Chris laughed. "I thought as much."
Jack adjusted his bearings on the helm. "Thanks for comin' with me, Chris. Ye're a good friend."
"I went for Will and Liz, not for you." Chris responded in a cantankerous fashion. "Well, that and seeing ye dress like a toff."
"Like I said Chris, denial is a harsh mistress." Jack replied, throwing her a coy look.
Chris smiled. "Ye're a good friend too."
"Oh please, stop it before I make meself sick!" Jack bellowed. Chris laughed and headed for the top. "Oi!" Jack called as she began climbing into the rigging. She turned back to look at her captain and he smiled, sweeping his hat from his head. "Always good to half ye by me side in a scrap, Thomas." He said before plunking his hat back onto his head.
Chris returned his grin. "Likewise, Sparrow." With that, she climbed into the rigging and the Pearl sailed into the east.
oOo
Ooh. you make me live
Whatever this world can give to me
It's you, you're all I see
Ooh, you make me live now honey
Ooh, you make me live
You're the best friend
That I ever had
I've been with you such a long time
You're my sunshine
And I want you to know
That my feelings are true
I really love you
You're my best friend
Ooh, you make me live
I've been wandering round
But I still come back to you
In rain or shine
You've stood by me girl
I'm happy, happy at home
You're my best friend.
You're the first one
When things turn out bad
You know I'll never be lonely
You're my only one
And I love
The things that you do
You're my best friend
Ooh, you make me live.
I'm happy, happy at home
You're my best friend
You're my best friend
Ooh, you make me live
You, you're my best friend.
