Disclaimer: Me no own POtC(no matter how much I wanna own Will). I only own Jeanne and all aspects surrounding her story. Don't believe? Ask Brii-chan.
Chapter 1: Jeanne
Rain was pouring down in Port Royal, soaking the streets so that it turned the town into one large mud pit. It seemed as though the entire island was drenched in dark, opaque hues. Everyone with a lick of sense was indoors at the moment, snug and warm in their homes. That is, everyone that had a home to go to.
A woman ran through the streets, black, knee-high boots squashing loudly in the mud. She was of average height, dark brown hair spilling out from beneath a midnight blue bandanna. She was dressed in black, her silk shirt and leather pants clinging to her body like a second skin. A pistol and a sword with a bright red sash falling from the hilt was looped into the belt on her hips, making her current career quite clear.
Her eyes darted from side to side, scanning the streets for shelter from the rain. Then, she caught sight of a smithy and darted over to it. She lifted the latch on the door and pushed it open, practically barreling inside and swiftly slamming it shut behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes, turning around to lean her back against the closed door. Her breath caught in her throat, however, when her eyes met the corner of the room. The ever-portly Mr. Brown sat in a chair, his hand closed tightly around a bottle of rum. The woman stood frozen against the door. His back was to her and he wasn't moving, but that is what effectively set her on edge; for all she knew, that bottle of rum was going to be used as a weapon. Her fingers hovered readily above her sword, only to twitch as an uncouth snore cut through the air, prompting a raised eyebrow from her.
She silently crept towards him, leaving a trail of mud in her wake. When she was less than a foot away from him, she nearly fell over, the overpowering stench of alcohol filling her nostrils. She fanned the air as she walked around to his front, seeing his eyes closed and his mouth wide open. She poked his belly a couple of times, gaining no response. Pursing her lips, she gave him a little smack across the face. Again, no response, which brought a smirk to her lips. "You don't mind if I stay here a night do you?" she asked. He simply snorted and dozed on. "Didn't think so."
She walked over to the area by the stove and stood in front of it, reaching back to untie her bandanna. She held it in front of her and twisted it hard, wringing it out before setting it atop of the stove. She then sat herself on the floor, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them in an attempt to keep herself warm. A heavy sigh passed through her lips as she stared at the flames in front of her, pondering the busy events that occurred not much earlier.
The woman pushed her dinghy onto one of the abandoned muddy shores of Port Royal, the sudden downpour plastering her dark hair to her face and back. She walked toward the buildings dotting the shore and slithered through a narrow alleyway, its end leading into town. "Alright, Jack…" She moved slowly through the town, her eyes shifting back and forth as she walked. "Where are you…?"
The streets were empty, not even a few boys rough housing in the mud as most boys would. Nobody was there, save for one woman. Elizabeth. She was all alone, but she was dressed rather elegantly and held a bouquet in her hands. Today, by the looks of it, was meant to be her wedding day. Poor dear… the visiting stranger thought.
Her head suddenly whipped around at the whinny of a horse, her eyes going wide as a troop of East India Company soldiers swarmed the island town like a great plague. Elizabeth dropped her bouquet took off running. Curiosity getting the best of her, the hazel-eyed woman followed with caution. The distance, surprisingly, was not very far. A significant crowd had gathered at this little site. There were also, however, more soldiers so she skidded to a halt, practically diving behind one of the pillars. A few women glanced at her warily, but she smiled and effortlessly spun a sad yarn about being an old flame of the groom. With sympathy and near tears, they naively bought the story. Women... the visitor thought with a subtle roll of her eyes.
Really, she just didn't want to be found because being noticed by those soldiers would only lead to disaster, seeing as she was a very active player in the pirate game.
Elizabeth ran underneath the arch to Will, also dressed to the tee and wrists bound in chains. "Will, why is this happening?" she asked with worry.
"I don't know." He looked her over with a small smile, "You look beautiful."
"It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding…"
The woman's head craned out around one corner of the pillar and her eyebrows pushed together when she took note of the soldiers that surrounded the couple. On that, I would have to agree… She poked her head further around the corner to get a better view of the strange scenario. Then, she abruptly flung herself back the other way and planted herself against the wall, pursing her lips. Oh, bother… Why him?
Cutler Beckett turned around, allowing a pair of men to remove his coat. "Governor Weatherby Swann, it's been far too long."
A blend of shock and confusion played across the face of Elizabeth's father. "Cutler Beckett?"
"It's Lord, now, actually." he corrected him.
"Lord or not, you have no authority to arrest this man."
"In fact I do. Mr. Mercer." He called to his faithful assassin, making the woman struggle to quiet her now shallow breathing. Today was not her day; she just wanted to melt into that pillar and disappear. He lifted a paper from the box Mercer held. "Here we are. The warrant for the arrest of one William Turner."
The governor snatched it from Beckett and read it over, his face scrunching up once again. "This warrant is for Elizabeth Swann!" he said with disbelief.
"Is it? That's annoying, my mistake." Beckett said monotonously, waving his hand. "Arrest her."
"On what charges?" Elizabeth asked in a shout as she was pulled away from Will and ironed as he was.
"Ah-ha!" He handed another paper to Governor Swann, "Here's the one for William Turner." Another paper was being waved around, "And I have another for a mister James Norrington, is he present?"
"What are the charges?" Elizabeth demanded once again.
"Commodore Norrington resigned his commission some months ago." Governor Swann said, looking up from the warrants for a brief moment.
Beckett turned to him. The brunette held her breath, casually sliding to the side to remain hidden from sight. "I don't believe that is the answer to the question I asked."
"Lord Beckett!" Will cut in, "In the category of questions not answered—"
"We are under the jurisdiction of the King's governor of Port Royal and you will tell us what we are charged with." Elizabeth snapped, having lost all patience.
She smirked at Elizabeth's forcefulness, biting her lip to hold back a snicker. It's a wonder you haven't married yet, Beckett… She thought sarcastically.
"The charge," Governor Swann began, "Is conspiring to set free a man convicted of crimes against the Crown and Empire and condemned to death for which—"
He was silenced by the next words upon the page. Beckett picked up where he had left off, "For which the punishment, regrettably is also death." He stepped towards Will and the she poked her head around the corner further. "Perhaps you remember a certain pirate named Jack Sparrow."
"Captain!" Will, Elizabeth and, yes, even the woman behind the pillar corrected him sharply at the same time.
The third instantly slapped a hand over her mouth and mentally cursed herself, as well as Jack for instilling that instinct in her.
Mercer heard the extra voice and looked to his left. He saw no one, as she had moved out of his line of vision on another side of the pillar, but he refused to let his guard down as he turned back to his Master. The voice sounded too familiar for him to shake. "Captain Jack Sparrow." Elizabeth finished it.
A small smirk played at Beckett's lips. "Captain Jack Sparrow… Yes, I thought you might."
The brunette smirked once again, pleased with the rather informative scene she had just witnessed. She may not have found Jack, but at least now she had a pretty good idea of how to find him now.
She crept around to another side of the pillar and then took off running again, quickly making her way through the streets. Mercer, again, turned around as his well-trained ears picked up quick footfalls against the stone and then against the muddy street. His eyes followed the sound and he saw a silhouette moving among the grey hues, a hint of blue and a flash of red standing out among them. The figure disappeared into the rain and at this, his eyes narrowed with suspicion and malice.
The next morning, the pirate woman awoke to the sound of chirping birds outside the window. She unfolded her body and rose to her feet, stretching her tense muscles out. She grabbed her dry bandanna from the stove and tied it to her head while she walked towards the door. As she pulled it open, she turned to look at Mister Brown. Seeing as she wasn't arrested, his drunken slumber had lasted through the night. "Thanks again, mate." She said before exiting the smithy.
Seeing as she hadn't eaten anything in a couple of days, she decided to "borrow" some bread from the nearby bakery. She didn't get much, just a two loaves and a bag of crumpets, which she plowed through like a starved goat. As she was finishing up the crumpets, she spotted Will being led through town by two soldiers. She stuffed the last of them into her mouth and sneakily followed after them, being careful not to get close enough for them to see her, but not so far as they would slip out of her line of vision. She stopped when she saw where they were taking them, hiding behind a large arrangement of crates. Unfortunately, the soldiers led Will into a large building, which was guarded by more soldiers. "Splendid. Marvelous. Bloody perfect." she muttered sarcastically, planting her hands on her hips. "Now what am I to do?"
After a few moments of pacing and thinking and beating the heel of her hand against her forehead multiple times, she saw a large window on the side of the building. Seizing this perfect opportunity to get more of the information she desired, she snuck around to it. She reached down into her boots and pulled a knife out of each of them, then jammed them into the cracks between the bricks above her. Hoisting herself up, she put her feet on the wall and easily began to scale it; she had obviously done this before. Quite a lot of upper body strength for a woman, this one.
She made it below the window and was prepared to pull herself up onto the balcony when she caught a glimpse of Will and, more importantly, Beckett. She ducked back down again and stayed put, allowing her to stay hidden, but still hear and the conversation at hand.
"… So, you get both Jack and the Black Pearl." She heard Will say.
"The Black Pearl?" Beckett questioned.
"The property you want that he possesses."
What does Beckett want with the Pearl? She wondered as the soles of her boots began to slide on the bricks and the knives began to loosen in the cracks. She kept a firm grip on her knives, readjusting her footing on the wall.
"…The item in question," Beckett continued, "Is considerably smaller, and of far more value. Something Mr. Sparrow keeps on his person at all times. A compass?" Will's gaze became distant, as though he seemed to remember it. "Ah, you know it. Bring back the compass, or there's no deal."
"So he's got to get Jack's compass, huh?" She muttered to herself, the knives now hanging out by the tips of the blades. "Well, then." She grinned deviously. "I guess I am looking for Jack's compass as well."
Right as she said that, her feet slipped and the knives came out of the wall, causing her to fall into the rose bushes planted below the window. Hundreds of thorns jammed into her skin at once and, although she tried to stifle it, she shrieked rather loudly, bringing a few soldiers over there to investigate. She was gone by the time they got over there, though, not but an imprint of her body left in the bushes.
The woman bit her lip as she pulled the last thorn out of her skin, looking up at the sound of a door opening. From her position in the noonday shadows, she could see that Will was just exiting the building.
A worried frown creased the man's brow. He had agreed to find the compass, sure, but it had been well over three years since he had last seen Jack. It was not until now that he realized that he did not even know where he would start. Or how he would even get there once he figured it out. Just as these despairing thoughts where filling his mind, he heard a feminine voice from behind him. "You. William… Turner, was it?" The blacksmith stopped, looking around cautiously at the fact that his name was spoken from a voice he didn't recognize. "You're familiar with Captain Jack Sparrow?"
"Yes…" He answered the voice after a moment, his brows settling down over his eyes with suspicion.
"Small world." The woman giggled and stepped out of the shadows, crossing one foot over the other and perching her elbow to lean casually upon the pillar beside her. "I know him as well."
Will could not help but stare at her, giving her a quick assessment. She was quite the lovely girl, there was no doubt about that. Her perfectly arched brows sat above a pair of mischievously playful hazel eyes, which only served to enhance the child-like quality of her face. It was also likely that she was a scrapper. Why else would she be wearing a sword and pistol on her belt? Keeping these notes in mind, he racked his brain, trying to figure out what sort of relation she could possibly have to Jack. Could she be a past lover? Judging by her face alone, she almost seemed young enough to be his daughter.
His eyes went wide at the likelihood of the possibility, as Jack was known for being rather promiscuous. Then, Will gave her another once-over, letting out a sigh of relief. No, she looks nothing like him, thank heaven.
"Ahem." The blacksmith was pulled from his daze in a heartbeat to see the brunette place her free hand on her hip, a smirk dressing her face. "I know I'm rather attractive, but it is considered rude to stare."
But she certainly has his sense of humility…
"Who… exactly are you?" he asked her after a long silence.
She formed her fingers as if she was wearing a dress and she bent at the knee, mimicking a curtsy. "Monroe. Jeanette Marie Monroe of Tortuga, Pirate Extraordinaire. But you may call me Jeanne. Everyone else does. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with 'Lord' Beckett," She mimicked quotation marks with her fingers, stopping to snicker, "And I understand you must retrieve Jack's compass." He nodded his head. "Then perhaps we will be able to help one another."
He raised an eyebrow at her, somewhat curious as to why she wanted to see Jack. Very few people wanted to, and those who did wanted to see him dead. "Do you have business with him?"
"Are you joking?" Jeanne asked, clenching her teeth angrily. "Who doesn't have business with that idiotic, inconsiderate, rum-soaked piece of fish meal?"
"I'll take that as a yes." Will muttered to himself.
She almost fell into a string of curse words, but took a couple of deep breaths to stop herself. "Anyhow," she sighed, having regained her composure with a grin, "I'm sure you've heard that if you wish to catch a cat, you must think like a cat. So, if you want to catch a pirate…?"
Will nodded once again. "I must think like a pirate." He completed it.
"And what better way to do so than to have a pirate at your side?" Her face lit up. "Why, with my pirating prowess and your current government-sponsored mission, we could easily—"
He raised a hand to silence her. He could already see where this was going and he would not allow it. "I can see your point, Miss Monroe, but I don't think that would be the wisest of choices." He scratched his head, unsure. "This would be quite the dangerous endeavor for a minor."
Her eyes narrowed at him and she scoffed. "I assure you, there is absolutely nothing minor about me, Will." He blinked, taken aback by the fact that she so informally called him by name. "I stand before you at twenty-four years of age as former head barmaid of the Faithful Bride, one of the rowdiest taverns in Tortuga. And you see this sword?" She asked, pointing to the sword on her hip. "Her name is Delilah, and she's not here because it's the latest fashion. Besides, Danger is my middle name."
A little grin curved his lips. "Didn't you say it was Marie?" he asked, biting back a chuckle.
"Oh, you know what I mean." She waved her hand casually, placing her hands on her hips again. Will's stature remained unchanged, which likely meant his mind hadn't changed either. She sighed, frowning. "Alright, look, I've been trying to catch that weasel for the past three years and the quickest way to him seems to be through you so…"
His brows rose in confusion; maybe this woman was a jaded flame after all, if she's spent so much time chasing him. "You've been searching for him for that long a time?" Most would have given up by now.
"Give or take a couple of months. Why is that so difficult to—ah… You clearly aren't seeing my relationship to him." She surmised, smiling slyly and pointing to herself. "I'm his protégée."
Once again, Will's eyebrow arched with surprise. In all of his explanations and stories about Jack's life, Gibbs had failed to mention that the pirate had a pupil, let alone a female one. "Really, now?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest.
She rolled her eyes. "Well, it's more former protégée, seeing as I'm doing very well on my own and I haven't seen him in over seven years." She laughed a little. "Knowing him, he's probably gotten so drunk he doesn't even remember me. But," She suddenly looked at Will with sharp eyes, "There's something he owes me and I would very much like to have it. As of now, you are my only hope of finding him."
Will started to turn and walk away, much to her disappointment. A little spark rose in her eye, though, when she got an idea. "And… I am your only hope of finding him."
She smirked as the blacksmith stopped, knowing her words had him hooked. She sauntered over to him, circling him. "Where would your search even begin? You have no idea where he is. I have a few leads on his whereabouts and I know how he thinks." She looked him up and down and let out a little laugh. "You look like a pansy who can't haggle with a school boy. I make my living off of haggling, and can do so in five languages."
She stopped in front of him. "And I actually have a boat. What, were you planning on paddling your way to him?" She folded her arms over her chest, her smirk growing. "Face it. You need me." Will was silent for a moment, the slight anxiety in his eye betraying his stoic expression. She turned on her heel and started to walk away, opening her mouth for the coup de grace. "Well, good luck to you. Give my regards to the fiancée. Pity, you two made such a promising match…"
Will's lips tightened into a line. The situation he was in was already complicated enough as it is and this woman just added to the frustration. However, it was necessary that he leave Port Royal as soon as possible and at the moment had no way of doing so. But here she was, practically handing it to him on a silver dish. If agreeing to the terms she presented was the only way to save Elizabeth, then so be it.
"Wait." He called out to her, making her turn around. He ran a hand through his hair as he reached his decision, letting out a breath of frustration. "If you're to come with me, you must do what I say, when I say it."
"Mm-hmm. Understood." Jeanne replied, smiling impishly as she nodded her head and crossed her fingers behind her back. "Just keep in mind that we are partners. Equals. You can't get rid of me by simply saying 'stay here' or something of that nature. Most people fail to grasp that I'm much smarter than the common mutt. So." She held her hand out for a shake. "Do we have an accord?"
Will stared at her hand cautiously, a wave of deja vu hitting him. Three years ago, a pirate had been reaching through the bars of a prison cell asking the same question, and that pirate had been her supposed mentor Jack Sparrow. Will had nearly been killed numerous times because of Jack and if this girl was anything like him—and that fact was being proven moment by moment—he was only to get more of the same. But once again, he remembered the task at hand and put his suspicion aside and grasped her hand. "Indeed we do." He released her hand and straightened his coat. "Well, Miss Monroe, I have a small errand to run before we depart so—"
"Oh, enough with the formalities, Will." She said through another heavy sigh. "It's so…" She snapped her fingers, searching for the right word. So…"
"Proper?" He suggested the word for her rather matter-of-factly.
"Boring." She corrected him flatly, placing her hands on her hips as she turned away from him. "I'm not listening to another word you say unless that word is 'Jeanne.'"
Will shook his head, putting a hand up. "Miss Monroe, I think it's best if we keep this on a professional basis." She started humming a tune, but did not respond to him. His lips tightened. "Miss Monroe—"
"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me." She cut him off with a song. "We extort, we pillage, we filch, we sack. Drink up, me hearties, yo ho."
"Miss Monroe, this is childish." He scolded her, rolling his eyes.
She made no response and kept on singing, growing louder. "Maraud and embezzle and even hijack! Drink up me hearties, yo ho!"
"Miss Monr—"
"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!"
His eyes hardened and out of annoyance, he took a step towards her and swiftly grabbed her shoulder. "Jeanne—"
"There you go!" She squealed and turned to look at him, throwing him a wink. "Now we're getting along, no?"
And with that comment, she brushed his hand off and strolled off into town off into town, humming quietly to herself.
Will followed behind her, still overwhelmed with disbelief. This girl is… odd. He said to himself as he watched her movements, Very odd. Then again, she claims to be Jack's protégée, so I shouldn't be surprised…
Jeanne's face popping up in front of him broke his thoughts. "Dear, you are going to have to lead the way," she said innocently, "Because I haven't the slightest idea where we're going."
All Will could do was stare at her, wondering what he had just agreed to and whether or not he would live to regret it.
Ana: Oh well, that was the first chapter. Please, Please, Pleeeeeeeeeease don't totally flame. PLEEEEEEEEEEASE!
Hanah: Yeah, Ana worked really hard on this. Beencouragingful.
Ana: "Encouragingful"? Is that even a word? -.-
Hanah: It is to me!
Ana: Ay mi... Hasta la bye-bye! See you in Chapter 2
