Well, as you probably know, Elizabeth has left Jack in Tortuga, with the threat of a hanging over his head. Let's continue...
Marietta Finch was busy in the bars of Tortuga. As flippin' usual. That was Marietta's sort of 'catchphrase'. Or, 'flippin' heck'. She was dreaming of the night that gorgeous William Turner had come to Tortuga, and saved her from a drunkard, and then actually taken an interest in her life, and then kissed her….
"Marietta, put your back into it, girl!" Frank shouted. Frank owned the biggest bar in Tortuga. Well, the only bar in Tortuga. And Marietta was getting extremely tired of it. But then Frank was her father. Marietta had used to live on Port Royal, until her father was thrown out because of deals with the East India Trading Company. Marietta wanted to be free on the ocean, like that Will Turner….
"MARIETTA! Stop dreaming and wipe the damn table properly!"
Marietta sighed. Why did she have to be stuck in Tortuga, wiping dried blood off of the tables? She scrubbed hard with the dirty rag she'd been given, the blood drying under her nails as her fingers poked through the holey old cloth. Marietta snapped as she felt a shard of glass pierce her hand. She threw down the cloth and marched across the bar to the mirror, a dirty pane of glass hung leaning against the wall. It was miracle it hadn't been smashed yet. She looked in, and glared at her reflection. She saw a nineteen year old girl, with fiery red curly hair tied up in a topknot that all the waitresses had, her chest hitched up in a puffball of a dress, ugly violet waves, a huge skirt, the bottom of it filthy where it had trailed on the floor. She had dark blue eye shadow, and bright red lipstick. She looked like what she was- a tart found only in Tortuga. She just wanted to get away. It was at that moment the door burst open.
"OK you scurvy dogs, all who want to sail with Jack Sparrow make a line right here right now. We are sailing in ten minutes, and if you want to be a pirate, line up here!"
That was the voice of the rogue Jack Sparrow. She liked him, she was more in awe of him. He had slept with all seven of her sisters, Scarlet, Jezebel, Isabella, Nina, Gertrude, Nancy and Florence. But he had never taken an interest in her. She quickly side-stepped the crowd that shoved to line up. Then she had the best idea she had ever had. Why shouldn't she line up? And if they turned her down, she'd stow away! It was one of the best ideas she'd ever had. She crept past her father, who was serving a drunk, and lined up with the others. The line eventually grew shorter, and then she was standing in front of the legendary Mr Gibbs, a man who'd sailed alongside Jack for many years.
"Aye, lassie?" he asked.
"I'd like to sail with ya." Marietta cursed her Tortugan accent.
"Aye? Is that so?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." Marietta answered.
"Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask the Captain of this little expedition." Gibbs grinned. "Jack?"
And then Gibbs turned to the famed pirate himself, Jack Sparrow. Marietta felt her heart skip a beat.
"Aye, Mr Gibbs?" Jack said in his lazy drawl.
"This young lass wants to join."
"Aye."
"Lass, Jack. She's a GIRL."
Jack sat bolt upright. "A girl wants to join me crew?" he said to Marietta in surprise. Marietta could only nod. Then a grin emerged on Jack's face.
"I know you. You're the lass that was so caught up in young William Turner on one of our previous visits."
Marietta blushed as red as her hair. "How-how did you know?" she stammered nervously.
"Lass, me and William go way back. I knew his father."
"Oh." It was all Marietta could think of to say. She was horrified her idol had heard of her. And seen her, more to the point. With Will.
"Mmm. Mr Gibbs, sign her up."
Marietta looked up, "You mean-"
"But, Cap'n, she's a lass!"
"Well spotted Gibbs. Sign her up. We need all the help we can get to find this treasure."
Gibbs softened. "Right Cap'n." He scrawled Marietta's name on the paper, and smiled.
"Welcome aboard the Pearl."
"Thank ye."
Marietta smiled and gasped. "She could not believe this was happening to her. "Where-where do I go?"
Gibbs laughed. He was used to Miss Swann on the ship, and of course Anamaria, but this one was as new to sailing as he had been thirty years ago. "Outside. Ye'll find two men. Pintel and Ragetti. Tell them Jack sent ye. They'll tell ye what to do."
Marietta nodded. She rushed outside, crouching down so her father wouldn't see her. Outside, in the cool night air, she saw two men standing beside a ship. The Black Pearl! As she approached, one of them nudged the other, and they slicked down their hair with spit and grinned, puffing out their chests. Marietta tried not to laugh, or look disgusted. "Well, I'm flattered. Do you two 'appen to be Pintel and Ragetti?" she said.
"Yeah! We is! Er, I mean, we are." said one, with blonde hair and a fake eye. "I'm Ragetti, and this is Pintel." The man beside him grinned, showing filthy teeth.
"And what would a lovely young lady such as yourself be doing out 'ere?"
"I'm joining your crew, and Mr Gibbs said I'd have to ask you fellas about what I 'ave to do."
The two men looked at each other and laughed. "A girl? On the ship? Only Anamaria and Miss Swann were allowed on the Pearl, missy. You're not goin' anywhere."
Marietta decided to go for the usual tactic she used to get her own way. "You know who I am, don't ya fellas? Marietta Finch. Frank's daughter. You know, Frank, the owner of the bar? The only bar?"
Pintel raised an eyebrow. "Aye? So?"
"So he can give you free rum if you let me on board. Which Jack said I could do anyway."
Pintel and Ragetti looked at each other, contemplating what she had said for a mere second, before replying. "Welcome to the Pearl."
Marietta grinned. It always worked. "Thankya kindly."
Ragetti grinned. "The pleasure is ours, Miss Finch."
Marietta smiled. She'd never been called 'Miss' before. She suddenly had a thought.
"What is the treasure that we're looking for? Jack seems to think it's very important."
Pintel smiled. "Yeah, old Jack fell in love with this really posh girl from Port Royal. You know of Governor Swann?"
Marietta flinched. He was the one who'd had her father banished. "Aye."
"Well, it was 'is daughter."
"Oh, aye?" Marietta asked, interested, a plan already forming in her head.
"Aye."
Jack suddenly bellowed at them from across the rocks, standing outside the bar.
"Oi, you scurvy dogs, get ready to set sail!"
"Aye Cap'n!" Ragetti yelled back.
"What 'appens now then fellas?" Marietta asked.
Pintel smiled. "As we said before, welcome to the Pearl."
Marietta smiled and bent over to pick up her bag she had placed on the floor.
"Allow me, Miss Finch." Pintel bowed, grinning, and picked up her bag, tossing it over the side of the ship, as Ragetti pulled himself across the ropes.
"Oi, fellas, how do I get on the ship?"
"Pull yourself up the ropes!" came the reply.
Marietta looked up at the long thick ropes. this was going to be a challenge. "Flippin' 'eck." she muttered. This hadn't been in the barmaids training. It was just wipe wipe, serve serve. Marietta pushed up her sleeves and tried to grasp the rope with flailing hands. She managed to hold onto it for less than minute, and then she fell into the lapping waves below. They were very shallow though, so she didn't go under the water, though she did get soaked.
"Need a hand there Missy?"
Marietta struggled to stand up, shivering whilst her idol was watching her, with an amused expression on his face.
"N-no, I'm just dandy thankya Jack."
"Your funeral." he smiled.
Marietta blushed to the roots of her curly hair and gritted her teeth, pushed up her sleeves, and jumped for the rope, missing it entirely and landing this time in deeper water. She came back up to the surface spluttering and coughing, her hair drenched and her make-up washed away. Jack was trying not to laugh, along with a few other members of the crew. Seeing her embarassment, Jack sent them to board the ship so he could watch her fall again alone. But this time she was going to try her hardest not to fall. She ripped a lot of her big flouncy dress, revealing an extremely frilly, thick black lacy dress, much to Jack's delight, his eyes widening as she tore off the material. He shook his head to remind hinself to the task ahead, finding Elizabeth. Marietta was ready. She jumped up, grabbing the rope, and caught it! She heaved herself along, aiming directly for the ship's deck. One hand in front of the other, and repeat, and then with all her strength, she forced her arm to drag her across, and swung across to the ship's deck. She'd made it! She was trying not to smile, but was beaming with pride. A barmaid had done that! Ha! But then the ship lurched violently as the crew pulled up the anchor, and Marietta slipped on the slimy floors, and disappearing over the edge, screaming, arms flailing, she landed in Jack's outstretched arms, a huge grin on his face.
"Lass, are you sure you're ready for me? I mean, the sea? Are you sure you're ready for the sea?"
Marietta ran her tongue over her top lip seductively and winked, finally something she could do- barmaid style flirting. "I'll let you be the judge a' that, Jack Sparra."
Jack suddenly looked taken aback.his arms dropped to his sides, and for the third time that night, Marietta found herself sitting in cold water. That was the last straw. Hero or not, he had to be taught a lesson. "OI!" Marierra squawked angrily, glaring up at the dreadlocked pirate, who seemed to be distressed. Jack snapped back to reality, but still seemed quite flustered. "Ah, sorry about that love. Why don't we walk up the boarding plank this time, eh?" He pulled her roughly to her feet. "No hard feelings?"
Marietta's reply was a slap, something she had learned from her sisters, then she stormed off through the waves, stomping up the plank and disappearing onto the ship. This was going to be an interesting journey.
R&R!