Interlude for two captains

Interlude 2 Yo Ho the Drunken Sailor

The clouds had massed and the sun had long since given up the battle and retreated over the horizon and the lamps glowed bright upon the masts and rails when the music fell silent. She had played more music of her world, some she thought of old and some as new, much of it with the same fast and heavy beat but some much slower and sensuous. Some of it was sad, and to Jack ears much of it seemed almost indecently erotic. He had danced with her, then collapsed on the deck and watched her when the close proximity of her dancing showed signs of becoming more than merely embarrassing. She, however, didn't seem to embarrass easily, and as he watched her movements with appreciation he wondered what her ancestor the Commodore would have made of the idea that such a thing could be respectable. Elanor had laughed when, as she guided his hands around her waist, wrapped her arms about his neck and pulled his hip close against her own, he had pointed out that if he did that with a lady like her in his world then they would probably add molestation to his charge sheet.

Truth was that as it grew darker he'd been glad to stop and retire to his rum, for he was finding the whole business more than a little disturbing. She might have known that, for all she had been apparently oblivious to some things, for she made no complaint merely danced alone for a while longer then turned the sound level down and collapsed beside him. Jack had the feeling that she was simply glad not to be alone on this night.

Wnile they sat she had told him stories of Christmas in her world, of decorated trees and presents and things called cards, and instant messages around the world. But she had spoken of wars too, of hatred and want and fear, and the never ending misery that man could inflict on man in the name of god. He couldn't be sure but there were times when the lamps on her face were reflected back in something that looked close to dampness. Then he remembered the shore of the lake and was certain that she was glad that he had returned to break her solitude.

Shaking off her suddenly sombre mood she had demanded the details of Christmas's he had known. Most he'd invented on the spot for there was little of Christmas that he remembered. But other memories had intruded and he found himself talking of them while she watched with compassionate eyes.
"Memory," she murmured at one point, " a blessing and a curse. "
"Try to avoid it meself," he had said raising the rum bottle in her direction. "Most of mine you can have for no charge."
Both of them knew what they were referring to.
"Poor Jack, always the one to blame eh?"
"Not argue with that luv." He'd smiled, though he wasn't sure how much of a success it was.
Then she had reached forward and patted his leg,
"So let us stay in the present. Today the only day."
She rose suddenly and disappeared below returning with a tray and another spoon.

She had given him something she called ice cream, and what she named chocolate before she left to go below decks again, this time returning with two heavy green bottles of some fizzy wine, she handed one to him and they had toasted Christmas past and present as the moon rose silver above the purple sea. When the wine was finished she had brought out the brandy and allowed herself to be cajoled into trying the bottle of christmas rum. They had talked of other things then, of people and places and the stupid things that could happen. Finally they laid back on the decks staring up at the sky and inventing stories about the stars, Jack had called her liar when she told him that a man had stood on the moon and she had disappeared below decks only to come back with a picture of a man in a strange suit stepping onto a dusty plane, swearing to him that it was a photograph of man doing just that, whatever a photograph might be. When the rum was gone they had gone to sit beside the helm watching the moon riding the drifting clouds in icy splendour and trying to decide exactly where the man had stepped down, and laughing about the stories Mr Gibbs could make of it.

As the clouds increased and the stars and shoreline disappeared into shadow Elanor rose unsteadily from her perch and staggered below decks for a while, reappearing with two new bottles of that wine, two new and full bottles.
"Last of these but might as well drink them. No saying if there will be another time." She said as she returned.

Jack watched her meandering progress back towards where he was sitting with a frown, for something was obviously wrong. He thought about it for a moment, watching her sway with the rise and fall of the decks, her face set in lines of fierce concentration. He recognised that look but somehow it didn't seem right, not on her face. But the conclusion was inescapable and Jack looked up at her in owlish astonishment as she handed him the second bottle.
"Y're drunk." He slurred, "I'm drunk but that's not unexpected, but y're drunk too." He leaned back, frowning as he struggled to focus on her face, "never seen that before." He pointed a wavering finger at her, "Why y're drunk?"
Elanor shook her head vigorously, overbalancing onto a hatch cover as she did so,
"Not drunk, can't be drunk." She said and took a swig from her bottle.
"Yr'e drunk I say." Jack leaned towards her and poked her shoulder with an emphasising finger, "drunk as a lord." He narrowed his eyes and flittered a hand towards her, "and I've seen enough drunken lords to know one when I see one."
She took another swallow and shrugged her shoulders elaborately,
"Not drunk, can't be drunk," she drew a deep breath, "Engineered.. Got enzymes, can't be drunk." She shook her head sadly, "Never."
"Never?" Jack peered closely at her.
"Never," she agreed.
He reached out a wavering hand and patted her thigh heavily,
"That's sad, ver' sad. How d'ye manage? Worl's a harsh place, too harsh to be always sober. Wha's a man," he smiled his most golden smile and turned the bottle in careful hands, "or woman come to that, to do, if they can't get drunk when it hurts."
"Soldier on." she said morosely, "Engineered for that too."
Jack shook his head sending the beads in his hair rattling,
"Tis really sad, is that." He patted her shoulder in clumsy commiseration before taking a drink.
Elanor nodded in apparent agreement then sighed and raised her bottle to him, he crashed his against hers and they both drank some more.

They were silent for a moment both considering the evil of the world. Then she leaned unsteadily across to him,
"Y're not drunk as often as you pretend," she tilted her head sideways and, at the third attempt, managed to wink at him, before prodding his arm with an stiff finger, "I know. Not nearly 's often, " she nodded, "Know it."
Jack leaned away from her and frowned,
"Who says that?" he demanded, "take me to him and I'll.. I'll."
"You'll what?" she slurred,
He waved an aimless hand,
"Get him to buy me a drink." he pointed at her, "at pistol point.,. Am a pirate yer know."
Elanor nodded, her face serious,
"Did know."
"Did you? Who told you?" Jack attempted to get to his feet without success, "Show me the instigator of such slander and I'll run him through."
She pointed a wavering finger at him,
"You told me."
Jack thought about that for a moment and then sighed and collapsed back again.
"Oh. Bugger."

For a moment they stared at each other in wide eyed silence then Jack leaned forward,
"Says you can't be drunk but I says you are prev... previo...prevar...Y're drunk now."
"Am not." She insisted with a frown.
"Are so!" he carefully wagged a finger at her, "do not be lyin' to Ol' Jack about that, tis not comradely."
She squinted sideways at him,
"Are you old? Wouldn't be where I come from, but here?" she shrugged and overbalanced against his shoulder.
He straightened her with solemn courtesy,
"It is all a matter of perspective I expect." He nodded sagely then stared at the bottle noting the fullness of it with approval, "escape the noose often enough and twenty one is old."
She nodded agreement emphatically and stroked his arm in commiseration,
"Mus' get very tiring, having to escape all the time, not surprised you take to the rum."
"Who says I do?" He demanded with eyes narrowed to slits again,
"You do."
"Do I?"
"Yes. All the time."
He thought about that for a moment, then smiled at her softly,
"Oh. Might not be telling the whole truth about that though, I admit, not always."
She smiled back,
"I know."

They were silent for a while, the sound of the music's lament washing across the decks. Then Jack leaned closer and looked at her from under his lashes,
"Now tell me, in confidence I swear, have you not left a husband behind you? Eh? How could a fine woman such as yourself, with all your....." his hand drew her outline in the air, "advantages..... not have a man to see to her needs."
"No husband, no children. Told you before I was in the navy. Resigned now o'course, but was. As for needs? Weeell. No different to you Jack, find what I can where I can." She looked at him sideways and a rather devilish smile flitted across her face,
"Though I'm more careful and I'd bet you're not without issue."
She seemed to find the idea funny and giggled as she dropped her head over the bottle in her hands. Jack frowned,
"Have not!"
She raised her head again and the grin widened at his expression,
"Bet you have, not as bad a man as you'd have me believe, you and your ladies. Next thing you know it'll be rocking cradles."
That brought the expected outrage,
"Will not! I'll have you know I'm very careful 'bout such things."
Elanor had found a certain item in his coat that suggested that he might mean that but she was not in any mood to give ground.
"When your' drunk?" she scorned taking another swallow of wine, "Ha! Bet there are lots of little Jack brats running about the Caribbean looking for their daddy."
"Are not!" he snapped, for a moment seeming genuinely annoyed by the idea.
Elanor smiled to herself, hiding her amusement as she saw the speculative look slide into his eyes.

Jack looked at her thoughtfully for a long moment before smiling slyly and sidling closer, sliding his arm around her waist. His fingers began a slow meander across her ribs and towards her belt buckle, as he watched her closely through the fall of his hair,
"Though world moves on I suppose, time and tide if you take my meanin?" he edged his shoulder closer still, his fingers stroking the end of her belt, " and if you were a little more friendly..., well maybe we could make a start on addressing our mutual absence of...issue."
He tilted his head, looking at her expectantly, for all the world like a child asking for more chocolate. Elanor understood the look and slapped his fingers away, shaking her head and ignoring the pout that followed,
"In your dreams!" she snorted, "even if I were so inclined you can't stand up in one piece. Let alone get bits of you...." she waved a hand in the general direction of his groin. "Co-ordinated."

He gave an outraged squark at that and let go of her, hauling himself to his feet with some difficulty,
"Can I not?" he began pulling at his shirt, trying unsuccessfully to tug it free from his breeches, "I'll show you, missy.. Captain...I'll show you...I can take me drink and still see to a ladies satisfaction, as plenty o' ladies in Tortuga and elsewhere would attest to, Singapore too," he glared at her while still trying to disentangle his shirt, " my efficacy is no way impaired."
Elanor gave another snort and waved the bottle in her hand in his direction,
"Well y're payin' 'em so what are they likely to say? Eh?"
That brought more shirt pulling and a thunderous frown,
"Tha's a slander, and not a bit true. Come over here madam and I'll prove it to you, I'll show you who's bloody incapacitated!"
On which word he over balanced and fell beside her in a heap.
"Oh," he reached for the bottle, "but I'll just have a drink first shall I?"

He took another deep swallow then toppled sideways to lie with his cheek against her midriff, where he settled with a loud, satisfied and rather provocative sigh.
"Jack, get up!" Elanor protested.
"Why?" he said snuggling his face deeper into her, " I is comfortable enough here." He patted her thigh and settled himself as if to sleep.
Elanor pulled at his braids impatiently,
"Well I isn't and your beard is leaking wine onto my shirt. It's my favourite too!"
"Ah," his mouth was muffled by the shirt he was staining; then slowly and reluctantly, and with an unnecessarily convulsive wriggle, he turned over before settling himself comfortably again, nestling his head against her rib cage, "I's a nice shirt too," he slurred softly, "hangs very....." he caught her narrowing eye and smiled disarmingly, "prettily."

He closed his eyes and reached up winding his finger through her hair, feeling the silk snag against his rings. Pulling her down towards him, he sighed happily again,
"How about a little rest then what say you to another dance then, hmmm?"

***

In the end they didn't dance, probably just as well they would both tell themselves later, no saying where that might have ended up. Though they were both sort of sure they did know and couldn't decide whether sense or stupidity had won the day. But it was comfortable enough as they rested in a drunken haze. Jack's head was heavy on her thigh and her fingers had somehow found their own way into the thick folds of his hair, his eyes were all but closed while his hand was wandering aimlessly up and down her lower leg. The bottles were nearly empty and the two drinkers were sleepy and disinclined to move. They had laid like that for unmeasured time, the strange restlessness they both still knew settled for a while and memory quiet. They were alive and it was Christmas and that was all that mattered.

It was a church bell tolling somewhere on the shore that stirred them, and Elanor rather wished that it hadn't given that the return to her full senses was not comfortable. Reluctantly she sat straighter,
"Feel sick!" She said with a mix of outrage and horror in her voice.
Jack snuggled deeper,
"Ha! Woman can't take her liquor, and her a captain too." He smiled up at her, his eyes as wide and black as the night sky in the lamplight.
"Can too." Elanor shrugged him carefully off her lap and clambered uncertainly to her feet, where she turned and pointed at him, "Can drink you under the table any day."
Jack propped himself up on his elbows with a frown,
"Could not!
"Could so, I told you, got enzymes, ver' special enzymes." She squared her shoulders, over balancing slightly as she did so, and catching hold of the mast to stop her fall, "Alcohol does not touch me," she said with ponderous dignity.
Jack's frown dissolved and he giggled, reaching forward to pat her ankle,
"Seem pretty touched at the moment luv!"
Elanor glared at him then sagged, her eyes closing
"S'mthin' funny about this drink. Bloody rum! I think I'm goin' be sick." She straightened and turned towards the rail flapping her hand at Jack. "Can't be sick on't decks, never hear the last of it."
She staggered forward slightly and stopped as if unable to make her legs work.

Jack got to his feet at the third attempt and slung an arm around her waist,
"Allow me to be of some assistance Captain Cavendish, been sick over more rails than you've....." his free hand circled aimlessly for a moment,".. well anything you've done a lot of."
Elanor clung to him her eyes dazed and half closed and Jack was more than tempted to claim that beautiful mouth as a Christmas present; but the look on her face told him that she wasn't jesting and against all odds she was indeed about to be sick. With solemn care he helped her to the rail holding her shoulders while she heaved and shook.

Finally she stepped back and stared up at the sky in fear, Jack caught the look and the fumes of rum retreated as they always did when needed,
"What is it luv? Your'e just a little on the go, few sailors who haven't been in their time, no need to look so distraught. I'll not blame you for it. Nor say anything of it if that is what concerns you."

She turned to look at him, wide eyed and horrified, and saw that he meant what he was saying, but then he didn't understand did he?

Jack felt his heart sink as he caught the look and fear tightened on him as she allowed him to gather her against his shoulder, not protesting at his hands tightened around her.
"We are alive Elanor, we made it back luv." He said into her hair, "What can there be for you to look so?"
"Something is wrong Jack, very wrong. I mean it. I am immune to the intoxicating effects of alcohol, I can't get drunk, just like I can't get pregnant unless I want to, and I won't catch the pox or the clap or die of malaria or cholera. I'm engineered so that I can't. So why do I feel like this? " her fingers tightened on his shoulder, "What has happened to me?"
He marked her words for later investigation and settled himself to calming her,
"Maybe it's the after effects of the lake water eh! Perhaps you are not quite well yet. It will get better, you will go back to being yourself I'm sure of it."
She pushed closer against him,
"Will I? How can you be so sure when we know so little about it? What has that water done to me Jack? What did the map mean?"
She eased herself from the circle of his arms,
"What has it done to you Jack? What was that you were wishing for down there, what was it that you really wanted most? Was it immortality? Was that all you wanted?"

***

Gibbs returned to the ship early to invite Captain Elanor to take breakfast with Polly and her family, feeling somehow uneasy at leaving her alone while he and Jack took off to enjoy themselves. She had been quiet since they returned from that godforsaken island, and there had been shadows in her eyes, just as there had been in Jack's. As he pulled towards the white ship sitting all aglow against the lightening sky Gibbs wondered, and not for the first time, what had happened to them in the cavern beneath the sea. Something had he was sure of it, for neither of them had come back what you might call easy, and though they had brought the water back too Jack had shown little sign of triumph, being almost subdued. Yet he didn't think the problem lay between them for they had been careful, almost protective, of each other since they had returned.

The sight of Jack's boat moored cosily against the Chasers side sent his eyebrows into a hard line and his heart pounding, when Jack had set off he had been determined to reacquaint himself with the ladies and after the weeks of enforced... denial.... had seemed more than ready to enjoy their company. ' It would have taken something powerfully bad' Gibbs reflected with a sinking stomach, 'to cause him to return here before he had drunk and wenched his fill.' With Jack that was likely to take more hours than a night. But the boat was here, though he had been gone barely long enough to reach the port and find the lasses, which suggested that he had not gone to Tortuga at all, and that was certainly bad news. He must be ill or hurt mortal bad to abandon his trip and return here so soon.

Gibbs tied his boat along side Jack's and hurried up the sea ladder and onto the decks. The ship was silent, the ghost apparently taking no notice of his return, and the helm was unmanned. For a moment he debated calling out, then changed his mind and headed below to find his captains, neither of whom proved easily found. Jack's cabin was empty, and when he could bring himself to knock, then put an ear to, Captain Elanor's door he found it silent. With a curse he headed to the galley, it was likewise deserted but for a green glass flagon the labels all gold and white and the remains of some food he didn't recognise. He frowned, and then return to the decks to search.

It didn't take him long to find them, they were both sprawled in the shadow of the helm, and the sight brought an unholy grin to Gibbs face, and not entirely in relief. They were cuddled together and wrapped around each other like a pair of frightened babes. Captain Elanor's head was suspiciously close to being on Jack's shoulder while his cheek was definitely laid against the top of her head. One of Jack's hands was wrapped in her hair, the silvery sheen of it shaming his rings, while her hand was curled loosely around his hip. Beside them two more of those dark green flagons were empty and discarded.

With another smirk and a shake of his head he took himself back to his boat, breakfast would wait and tonight there would food and feasting enough to make up for a lost meal. Neither of them would thank him for waking them now so he'd leave them to sleep and wake alone and he'd come back later when it was safer.

'Merry Christmas, captains both' he thought as he descended back to the boat and headed off towards his breakfast.