Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean, no matter how much I would like to… however, I do own my thoughts and interpretations for a future storyline. xP… and yeah!
Author Notes: So the fabulous pineapple fiend has started up again, with a brand-new screen name and everything! WOOHOO! I know all you guys are pretty excited. Well, maybe not, but I am, so … : yeah! This story will probably end up being JackOC pairing, and yeah, well… it will be because that's my favorite thing in the world of fanfiction? Also! Everyone should review … or Jack won't get rum, and he will hate you all! x3
When his life was ruined, his family killed, his farm destroyed, Job knelt down on the ground and yelled up to the heavens, "Why god? Why me?" and the thundering voice of God answered, "There's just something about you that pisses me off."
...Stephen King.
H e a r t I n A H e a d l o c k
The Ocean is an amazing being. It lives, and it dies, everyday, nigh… every moment of everyday, with every crash of every wave. It is the only eternal thing in the world. It is greater than both the sun and the moon. It is both… it is time. It is everything one needs. She speaks, the ocean; she calls to every heart in every being on the earth. Some hear the call and hate the lilting voice of the sea, those are the ones who cling to their land-legs and pray for short storms; far worse though, some cannot hear the call at all, blind to what they really need; yet, some of us, mates, hear the song and yearn for her. Yearn for the spray on your face and for arms to rock us to sleep, just like a wee babe. "Ev'vryone 'ere bettah be of the third, aye? … an' if not, ye can find an exit at the next port.
"''at was 'ow it fell from 'is lips." Gibbs finished, his voice growling out the end of his tale. In one way or another, Gibbs desired to be in the spotlight almost as much as Jack; but, while Jack made himself appear pompous and obnoxious, Gibbs looked adorable and won the hearts of millions of old ladies everywhere, but in the end, the "infamous" Captain Jack Sparrow would be the one remembered, not his sweet first mate.
"W'at story was 'is again?" a grizzled-looking pirate said from his seat at the galley table. His voice was deep and full of sleep; Gibbs doubted he had heard even the first couple of sentences before dozing off. He worked all day, he deserved his rest; however, Gibbs didn't deserve the man's stupid questions.
"The White Widow, you sodding idiot!" The voice attached to those words didn't exactly fit one's expectations. The lad was barely past puberty, about 14 or 15 with a large straw hat on his head. He was seated beside Gibbs at the table. The boy, Mack, was by far the most ambitious of all the pirates. He told anyone, ANYONE, his dream, which was to become the ruler of all pirates. Jack was always highly amused the statement and would while laughing make the boy say it over and over until Mack got angry and left the older pirates alone. Despite his young age and bad habit of screaming insulting things at dangerous enemies, Mack was slowly but surely becoming a more important member of the crew aboard the Pearl. "You shouldn't sleep halfway through a story and then ask questions. " The boy looked ready to launch himself at the older, and stronger, opponent.
"Easy, Mack." The red-haired man on the boy's other side held him down in his chair with only a hand on his shoulder. It didn't take Rob any strength really, the boy obeyed him most of the time. "You should allow Gibbs to finish his story if you like it so much." The boy was reluctant to relax back into his chair again, but after a few moments of thought it seemed evident he agreed with his red-haired companion.
The attention once again switched to Gibbs. Appreciation was shown on all of his features. He really enjoyed the young boy who would risk himself to save an old man some displeasure, despite his odd habits. Clearing his throat, Gibbs once again made his way towards the story firmly imprinted in his memory. "Aye, now… 'ere I be? Of course, t'e White Widow, by far one of t'e most feared ships to sail the Main or the East'n Seas… an' a beauty, too. "
"Is she more beautiful den da Pearl?" one of the newer crew members asked, one that hadn't experience the throws of battle or the lashings of the sea.
Gibbs paused for a moment. He hadn't been expecting it, and he loved the Pearl very much. Deep down, the first mate didn't want to admit that any ship could be as beautiful as this one, but the storyteller in him wouldn't allow him to underestimate the beauty of the mythical White Widow. "Well, mate. As the Pearl be dark wit' sails and wood of t'e blackest black, the Widow is a gem on da sea wid shining cherry and oak sides and cleanest white sails ye e'er seen." Gibb's hands, as Jack's, moved with him as he said every word. His gesticulation was almost perfect. Each small gesture and twitch of his fingers created a new image. It was a stunning example of his talents in weaving tales. He would have been the perfect grandfather, and perhaps was, because everyone is young and spontaneous at one point in their lives… or, at least, all pirates are.
"She be truly amazin', sailin' from port tah port and takin' down 'em all. Everyone knew the infamous Cap'n Ghost Conurei throughout 'ese waters some twenty years ago…" After a seconds pause he added thoughtfully while scratching his chin, "And many still do."
The whole table was listening intently to him while he talked, except for one lightly snoring from across Gibb's seat. "No one could putta stop to da the White Widow, and soon those ninny-legged British soldiers began to drop their swords at the mere sight of 'er on the 'orizon." A few of the men grew voices at that comment. Their eyes were stretched out, and their tone appreciative. Gibbs nodded, pleased by their reaction. "Aye, the Widow was one of the great beauties of the sea, no doubt about it."
For a moment, he looked like he was going to finish there. Indeed, for a minute Mr. Gibbs, the first mate on the Pearl, had intended to leave the rest of the story off. After all, the tale was a long one to tell. His attention fell to the bottom of his empty mug. This would normally signal the end, but something within him told him it wasn't right to cut it off there. A few of the men looked about to stand up when his attention was once again turned to the table. "No one really understands why it 'appened to 'er."
Everyone's eyes were on Gibbs. It was rare when the old man could outlast his rum, but they found themselves all the more interested because of that fact. "W'at 'appened to her, Gibbs?"
They had seen the bait, and they had taken it. That was all the invitation that Gibbs needed to start up again. He scooted closer to the center of the table, his voice reached but a whisper and still the crew all could hear. Everyone at the table desired an explanation. "After fifteen years o' pillagin' town after town the White Widow lost her Cap'n, and not to death or anythin' or the sort either. 'E just up and left to go settle with a gel 'e 'ad left 'ome with 'is kids about ten years 'fore. But, 'e left as any sensible man would --- rich. 'E 'ad more booty than most any of us could even imagine. Still, 'e loved 'is great ship very much and knew that if 'e didn't choose the next Cap'n a great strife would be caused upon his exit. So, 'e left the Widow to 'is first mate. 'Is first mate 'appened to be a little slip of a gel that was not a day over twenty two. A few challenged 'er for the roll, but the Captain 'ad knew 'er strength of heart, she struck them all down without much effort an' den they all 'ad a nice little visit to Davy Jones."
The men around him chuckled. They were naught but mere pirates, after all. "T'at doesn't sound that 'orible, Mr. Gibbs. I think you're just too long without pleasurable company and 'old distaste for women." Someone barked jokingly from Gibb's right. The old badger looked over trying to put a face with the words, but none would confess.
"If it doesn't sound bad den it probably's not finished, aye?" was his only answer to the joke. "Now, as I was saying, she took control of the ship and went around to t'e familiar ports making a name for 'erself. Cap'n Lou Rivera." Around the table a few "aww"ed in recognition. They had probably heard of her some ten years past, pillaging her little black heart out all throughout the Spanish Main.
"Then, after she 'ad her full of the Main, she picked up ship and went ta Singapore. You still heard o' the White Widow, though, beating the shit out o' the East India Company at every turn. The ship and 'er crew prospered; she seemed unmatchable even to the blood-thirsty inhabitants of the East." His face fell, yet he tried to keep all melancholy feelings to himself. He didn't want to ruin it, after all. "Then, suddenly, about three years back, the ship was found off a small abandoned island in the Main not to far from Nassau. She was smoking as if someone 'ad tried to torch 'er and not a soul aboard was alive. Somehow, the White Widow 'ad become a ghost ship. Yet, no one could find the beautiful Captain Lou Rivera onboard. No one knows what happened to 'er, but surely, it must have been death for she 'asn't been seen or 'eard from since." There was silence, every one wanted more. They wanted to take the mystery out of the mystery, because magic and superstition were only ignorance in the eyes of the shrewd man around the table, that is, except for Gibbs.
"Aye, I am sure the White Widow made more than a couple the night every member of her crew was murdered." The storyteller chuckled darkly, but none of his comrades joined in with him. Underneath him, the Pearl groaned. He had somehow forgotten the storm while he was telling his tale. The whole boat rocked more violently than usual, but he didn't mind it, after all, Gibbs was nothing but an old seadog. Anamaria and Jack were still outside double checking the ropes. He had been sent in to, well, Gibbs still wasn't too sure about why his Captain had told him, but Gibbs wasn't about to object to a dry room and mug full of rum.
"W'at do ye think 'appened, Mr. Gibbs!" Mack, as-per-usual, was excited about anything mysterious and/or creepy. His young body was nearly bouncing around the room, his head full of possibilities.
"Anything, lad, could 'ave 'appened, but I do think I know what attributed to it!" He looked around a second to make sure that Anamaria wasn't hidden somewhere and going to give him an earful. "… Bad luck, tis bad luck to 'ave just aboard a ship, imagine what luck you would 'ave after she was captaining for ten years. It was Captain Lou Rivera that sent 'er ship to the grave." His voice held the dark tone. He was serious, and it, in some creepy way, was sort of endearing to the other men at the table.
"Dis again, Mr. Gibbs!" The door knob was still in Anamaria's tanned hand from entering the galley. What woman, really deep down, didn't despise Gibb's sexist splurges. Ana just happened to be fortunate enough to tell him so… and so she did, "I'm just as good luck as any man and any other woman could be just as good as me, savvy?" Her voice growled out as she neared his seat.
Jack Sparrow… (Excuse me!) Captain Jack Sparrow entered the room behind Anamaria. His coat and hat were both wet, and the kohl eyeliner had left dark lines down his cheeks. He swaggered himself over to the apparent battle of the sexes before him. Mack quickly jumped up to offer his Captain a chair. The pirate captain fell down into the chair, the water from his clothes falling on both Gibbs and the red-haired Shanks. Jack looked over and with a jaunty smile wordlessly voiced his appreciation. A large mug was set down in front of him moments later by the boy. Brown-nosing, the crew had learned, was Mack's specialty. He swallowed half of the liquid down before coming back up for air. Jack probably could have gone longer, but a shout from behind him had startled him from his blissful alcohol. Glancing behind him, it took Jack only a few moments to assess the situation. Anamaria looking scary and Gibbs looking ready to pull some old, rum-induced, man-judo on her made him do it a little quicker than he would have. His eyebrow slowly rose and then finally his roaming eyes settled in the general direction of Anamaria's hand. Pulling his upper lip back in distaste, the turned back around and settled into his chair.
"She's right, man." Jack voice cut off the two practically bickering in his ear. He was lazily inspecting his nails, in a rather girlish, but studly, fashion. "It's not good form to be talkin' 'gainst women. I mean…" He paused trying to find a functional example of female Good Luck. "Lizzie! She married the eunuch and they are quiet peachy, aye?" He narrowed his eyes at the rum and took it into his hand once again. Bringing it too his lips he relished in the silence around him and the burn of good, free rum.
"…but Cap'n." Mack's voice was tentative as he questioned his captain's logic. Captain Jack was the only person Mack was ever tentative for, "wasn't Miss.Swann also 'eld captive by undead pirates, marooned on an island, and backhanded multiple times before that?" Everyone on the Black Pearl knew the first grand adventure of Captain Jack Sparrow by heart, it was a requirement.
The question didn't even faze Jack. He looked at Mack with one of his animated eyebrows raised and with a waggle of his fingers began once more to turn words into a hypnotist's act. "Doesn't that make the gel all the more lucky? And we should be more thankful, she took the whelp off our 'ands!" He made scooping motion as if Will could actually fit inside his hands. "The last thing we need is another eunuch aboard the Pearl, aye, Anamaria?" He eyed the sailors across the table accusatorily. They in turn, looked at one another passing the blame down the row.
Anamaria grinned down at Jack from over his shoulder in thanks, but he paid no mind to the sign. She was a wonderful pirate, and an asset to the ship, but, all in all, dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s – boring. It had been too long since his last incident and he was once again ready to open the sails of the Pearl to danger and liquor and scantily clad women. Maybe, though, this one could be minus one creepy island and one creepy old pirate with an abnormally large pirate hat… he had really had enough of those. A frown stretched from the Captain of the Pearl's lips to his barely kohl rimmed eyes as he thought lightly scratching his hair covered chin. He made a mental note never to think about Barbossa… ever.
As his men and woman conversed pleasantly over rum and grilled fish, Jack relaxed with his rum his thoughts of the next day which was steadily gaining on him. He would have to give a heading soon if he wanted to go after his next big adventure, but to know where he was to go he first needed to know find where he was going. The Pearl gave another great lurch and the table shifted slightly. It was getting choppier outside. Still, with the anchor dropped and the waves outside the great ship, the crew was content; and with the thought of Tortuga on the horizon and the appointment Jack had there, the captain was… Things weren't good aboard the Black Pearl, they were perfect.
A/N: That's it for the first bit… if you want more then just comment and it will be up in no time. I already have the first chapter written, so it all depends on your reviews ladies and gentlemen! This is the end now… PAINEAPPLE OUT!
paineAPPLE