Grey Sky Morning

By Shaz 1

Disclaimer: Okay I have told ya once, don't make me go through the pain of saying it again! Oh all right If I must! They don't belong to me all right!

Okay guys here is the sequel to A Friend in Need, you really need to read that mammoth of a story for this to make any sense at all! Thank you for all of your wonderfully kind reviews for that story, I hope that you will keep them coming for this!

Grey Sky Morning

Captain Jack Sparrow desperately tried to suppress a yawn, yet as eagle-eyed as ever, Ana Maria spotted the action.

"Jack go and put ya head down will ya, I ain't lugging you all the way back to your cabin again" she told him, her tone teasing, but her face full of concern. Jack had been through a lot in his life, suffered many near misses and attempts on his life, but recent times had been almost more than the eccentric pirate captain could take, and she had very nearly lost him. She sighed as she saw the stubborn set in his chocolate eyes. "Fine keel over at the helm, see if I care. I'll just leave ya there to sleep in the rain" she told him, both of them knowing that she wouldn't do that, she loved him too much to do so. He grinned at her, his unique mix of white and gold.

"Wouldn't be the first time love, now would it?" he responded with a wink. She rolled her eyes at his response, and left him to it, conceding the battle, but not the war.

Elizabeth giggled at her reflection in the mirror.

"Oh Miss, you look beautiful!" her maid gushed at her. Elizabeth Swan turned briefly to look at the girl that she had known for the last five years. Sarah had been her first personal maid, once she had been old enough to no longer require the nanny, and this was Sarah's first and so far only job, yet Elizabeth still felt embarrassed every time that the young woman called her Miss. She smiled at the pretty maid, in thanks for her comments for Sarah seemed just as excited by the impending wedding as she was herself.

"I can't believe that in two months I shall finally be married to Will!" Elizabeth commented to herself more than to the woman who she liked to think of as a friend.

"I know miss, is your special friend planning on coming to the wedding?" Sarah asked quietly, Elizabeth had told the girl about her adventures with the pirate, and the maid had not betrayed her trust, she had to admit that it did feel good to be able to talk about him to somebody, for he was a good friend to her and she felt no shame in admitting as such- however her father thought of things very differently.

"I don't know Sarah, I sent out an invitation, but the whole situation is going to be very awkward, after all James Norrington would not be pleased to see him" Elizabeth replied, as she began to undo the tiny buttons on her beautifully lavish wedding gown.

"Did you get a reply to the invitation?" Sarah asked, she enjoyed knowing that she knew a special secret, and was pleased that her employer felt able to confide in her.

"No, not as yet anyway. Still I should imagine that it can sometimes take its time to filter through to him" Elizabeth replied, hoping that that was the reason why she was yet to receive a reply.

"Well ma'am, if it is not too out of turn to say, I should imagine that if anybody could find a way to sneak into your wedding, the your friend would be the one" Sarah spoke her tone cautious, keen not to cause offence. Elizabeth chuckled lightly in response.

"Yes, yes I expect that he would be" she replied, her thoughts trying to conjure up the ways that Jack could possibly undertake in order to disguise himself.

Gibbs shivered in the cold of the night, his attention firmly set on his Captain. Jack either didn't notice that he was under scrutiny or just didn't care. Gibbs sighed at the picture his Captain presented, the younger man flexed his wrist as he held onto the helm with cold ridden fingers- the arm injury a result of his recent meeting with Harry Birch, as was the gaunt figure that still remained. Jack's body and mind had been under immense stress in the last six months, and some scars from that time were taking longer to fade than others, and it was the scars in his Captain's eyes that concerned the former navy man the most.

"He ain't gaining the weight back is he?" a female voice spoke from beside him, and Gibbs whirled around to look at the dark beauty that was Ana Maria. He shook his head sadly.

"No he isn't, mind you tis no shock, he don't eat less ya pin him down. Sides he ain't interested" Gibbs replied, his concern clear in his tone.

"Aye, well he bloody well will be interested by the time I've finished with him! Has he replied to Lizzie's letter yet?" she asked, her tone still clipped in a way that spelt trouble for their Captain. Gibbs unconsciously backed away from the irate female pirate, before answering.

"Er no, he ain't yet" he replied, deciding that the shorter his answer the less likely he was to dig himself into trouble.

"Right! This has gone on for long enough!" Ana replied, and with no hesitation she marched straight over to her Captain. Without so much as pausing for breath, she was beside the slight man, had physically grabbed hold of him and dragged him to his cabin before he even had the chance to protest.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Jack asked when he had himself orientated enough to voice the question.

"Sorting something out that should have been sorted weeks ago. I am sick of standing back and allowing you to finish the job that Birch tried his best to complete. Do you want me to have to sit back and slowly watch you wither away? Don't you think that I deserve more than that?" she asked, her voice clearly showing the frustration that she was feeling, but had held at bay for fear of upsetting her Captain. Jack looked at her through astonished eyes, and for once she was able to actually see past the cheerful façade that presented itself to the world, to the depths of confusion, pain and betrayal. She found it impossible to hold his gaze. "Jack all I am saying is that since Birch was killed it is like a part of you has been missing, you ain't eating and you are hardly sleeping" she told him, her tone deliberately softer in desperation to express her point without pushing her friend away. Jack sighed deeply and looked away, finding it hard to look at her when he could not deny what she said as the truth.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked her, the slurred edge completely missing. She looked up in surprise, expecting at least a mild denial, as she was used to from the cagey young Captain.

"Writing sommat to Lizzie 'uld be a start" she replied, and then finally receiving his nod she turned and left the cabin, without letting her friend see her grin. Jack sighed deeply as Ana left the cabin, he pulled his chair out and sat down at his desk, pulling out a sheet of parchment and his pen, after a few minutes thought he put pen to the paper and began writing, allowing his mind to flow freely onto the paper as he wrote. When he had finished he placed the pen back onto his desk, neatly folded the paper and placed it into the addressed envelope, licked it shut then placed that down on the desk, ready to be posted the next day when they reached port. With a sigh he pushed his chair back and got to his feet, choosing to ignore the dizziness that assailed him as he did so.

End Chapter One

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