She cut through the icy waters like a knife, swimming with sure
strokes and pure confidence. The salt in the water stung her eyes, but she
kept them open nevertheless. The captain might be her father, but it would
ease the punishment none if the stupid boy drowned.
Up on deck, the adults were reminiscing, or, in Elizabeth's case, worrying.
"Jack, you're daughter is so little! Will's weight will surely drag her down! She can't carry him!"
"Love, calm yourself. The girl's an amazing swimmer and much stronger then she looks." He smiled for a moment, lost in memory. "Doesn't this seem so very familiar somehow, Elizabeth?"
She smiled back. "Yes. All those years ago when you saved me." She turned a half mocking half accusing eye on her old friend. "Then brought me on deck and threatened to kill me."
"Yes. Then your little soldiers tried to kill me, right before your boyfriend here tried to kill me."
"Yes, but only because you tried to kill Elizabeth and I."
"And then that old drunk nearly killed me, and you tried to kill me with that bloody oar when we were in that bloody cave."
"Because you were going to let Capitan Barbossa kill me in exchange for Elizabeth."
They stood there in silence for a moment. "Remind me again why we're friends?" said Elizabeth. Jack laughed, and a splashing sound came from the side of the deck. "Throw a rope, would ye? The lad was not made for easy floating." A rope landed in the water next to her, and they pulled them aboard. She laid the boy out on the deck. "He's not breathing!" Elizabeth cried. "Jack, why isn't he breathing?" "Cause his lungs ain't takin in air, lady, what do ye think?" Jac replied, being the little smart-ass that she was. At the horrified look on her face, she rolled her eyes. "Don't worry lady, he'll be fine." And with that, she sat him up and leaned him against her chest, then squeezed him round the middle just as hard as she could. His eyes open and he started coughing water up on the deck.
"Bloody hell, woman!" he wheezed. "Are you trying to drown me?"
She raised an eyebrow at him. "It weren't me original intention, true, but if yer willin to be jumpin back over on yer own terms, there be no one stopping ye."
He just kind of looked at her in stunned disbelief. "Somebody sure did go wrong in teaching you how to become a lady."
Now both eyebrows were in the air. "Oh, aye? Just what is that supposed to mean, lad?" Her voice was laced with the kind of danger only a woman can portray.
He noticed his mistake immediately. "Umm, what I meant to say was.You're more like a man than a woman. No! That came out wrong! I mean. umm." He took a deep breath to calm himself and chose his words with care. "What I meant was that.while you're clearly as strong as any man.If you should ever decide to dress like a woman, you'd be the prettiest one out there." Another raised eyebrow. "That's not to say you aren't pretty as it is." He added hastily. "I just means you're not what I'm normally used to."
She smiled at him, finally placated. "Where'd ye learn to sweet talk like that, boy-o?" She asked, quite a deal pleasanter than she had been earlier.
"Dad." He answered. "Mother said it would help me charm a lady one day, dad said it would save my life." Then, slightly under his breath, "I didn't believe him till just now."
Jac heard and smiled, deciding to take it as a compliment. Elizabeth also heard and decided it was a good excuse to punch her husband on the arm. He smiled sheepishly at her, rubbing his arm.
"Well," said Jack "This is a fine and lovely reunion, but we must be off."
""I know." Said Elizabeth. "I wish we could have talked longer."
"And why can't we?"
"Because you're leaving.and we're going to England."
"Come with us."
"What?!"
"Come with us. We have to stop in Tortugas, but we can take you by England, It's not that far away."
"Really?"
"Certainly."
"Sounds good." Will spoke up. Elizabeth looked at him incredously. "What? I miss sailing like it was meant to be, and besides, you wanted to go to England for a change. What could be a bigger change than Tortugas?"
"Please, mum?" added their son charmingly. She looked at their near identical smiles and sighed. "I should really slap the lot of you." Smiles vanished to be replaced by puppy-dog eyes. "Fine, Fine!" She turned back to Jack. (A/N: Hey, that rhymed!) "We'd love to come with you." He grinned. "Then what are we waiting for? All make ready! Lift the sails! Hoist the boom! We're going to Tortugas!"
"Jac, show our guests to their cabin."
"Aye. Right this way."
They followed her to the other side of the boat, listening to a running commentary. "At's the Captains room, and this here is the First mate's cabin, which is where you'll be stayin. If ye'd like to get settled in, I'll take the lad and show him about. Twill see the both of ye at mess." The older Turners nodded their thanks and Jac led Will away.
"What's this Tortugas place we're headed to?"
"Tis a pirate's haven. There's virtually no manner of law there, and we can walk about safe. Only from the gallows, mind ye. Tis still a good chance of being shot or havin ye throat sliced open."
"And the Capitan wants to bring Mother to this place?!?"
"No worries, messmate. If the Captain says she'll be safe, then she will. As long as ye and yer kin stay with me or one of the crew, ye shan't have much problem."
"What's it like there?"
"As said, pirate's haven, pirate's heaven. Women there who would slap ye as soon as sleep with ye, drinks to satisfy the worst of drunks, always a good fight to be had, and stealin's not even a bother, so long as ye know who not to steal from. Tis a rough-and tumble place, where ye look out fer yerself and ye don't get caught, cause there taint be a lad on that island who'll go easy on ye if ye do, lessen he be drunk, which also be likely."
"Tortugas." He thought it over for a moment, leaning against the rail, staring out at the ocean. A sudden gleam in his eye spoke of longings untold of treasures and adventures unknown. "Tortugas." He repeated quietly. "Sounds like a fine place."
************************************************************** Hey again, Ishi-chan here. I finally got around to up dating, I'm really really sorry it took so long. I've been working on a new one of mine, a HP Inuyasha crossover. Summary in profile, if you care to look. Should be posting soon. I'd like to send a thanks out to Rose Angelz and Vicki Turner, my only two reviewers. I'm hoping for two more before the next chappie, but if not oh well. Have a good one! Smiles! Ishi-chan
Up on deck, the adults were reminiscing, or, in Elizabeth's case, worrying.
"Jack, you're daughter is so little! Will's weight will surely drag her down! She can't carry him!"
"Love, calm yourself. The girl's an amazing swimmer and much stronger then she looks." He smiled for a moment, lost in memory. "Doesn't this seem so very familiar somehow, Elizabeth?"
She smiled back. "Yes. All those years ago when you saved me." She turned a half mocking half accusing eye on her old friend. "Then brought me on deck and threatened to kill me."
"Yes. Then your little soldiers tried to kill me, right before your boyfriend here tried to kill me."
"Yes, but only because you tried to kill Elizabeth and I."
"And then that old drunk nearly killed me, and you tried to kill me with that bloody oar when we were in that bloody cave."
"Because you were going to let Capitan Barbossa kill me in exchange for Elizabeth."
They stood there in silence for a moment. "Remind me again why we're friends?" said Elizabeth. Jack laughed, and a splashing sound came from the side of the deck. "Throw a rope, would ye? The lad was not made for easy floating." A rope landed in the water next to her, and they pulled them aboard. She laid the boy out on the deck. "He's not breathing!" Elizabeth cried. "Jack, why isn't he breathing?" "Cause his lungs ain't takin in air, lady, what do ye think?" Jac replied, being the little smart-ass that she was. At the horrified look on her face, she rolled her eyes. "Don't worry lady, he'll be fine." And with that, she sat him up and leaned him against her chest, then squeezed him round the middle just as hard as she could. His eyes open and he started coughing water up on the deck.
"Bloody hell, woman!" he wheezed. "Are you trying to drown me?"
She raised an eyebrow at him. "It weren't me original intention, true, but if yer willin to be jumpin back over on yer own terms, there be no one stopping ye."
He just kind of looked at her in stunned disbelief. "Somebody sure did go wrong in teaching you how to become a lady."
Now both eyebrows were in the air. "Oh, aye? Just what is that supposed to mean, lad?" Her voice was laced with the kind of danger only a woman can portray.
He noticed his mistake immediately. "Umm, what I meant to say was.You're more like a man than a woman. No! That came out wrong! I mean. umm." He took a deep breath to calm himself and chose his words with care. "What I meant was that.while you're clearly as strong as any man.If you should ever decide to dress like a woman, you'd be the prettiest one out there." Another raised eyebrow. "That's not to say you aren't pretty as it is." He added hastily. "I just means you're not what I'm normally used to."
She smiled at him, finally placated. "Where'd ye learn to sweet talk like that, boy-o?" She asked, quite a deal pleasanter than she had been earlier.
"Dad." He answered. "Mother said it would help me charm a lady one day, dad said it would save my life." Then, slightly under his breath, "I didn't believe him till just now."
Jac heard and smiled, deciding to take it as a compliment. Elizabeth also heard and decided it was a good excuse to punch her husband on the arm. He smiled sheepishly at her, rubbing his arm.
"Well," said Jack "This is a fine and lovely reunion, but we must be off."
""I know." Said Elizabeth. "I wish we could have talked longer."
"And why can't we?"
"Because you're leaving.and we're going to England."
"Come with us."
"What?!"
"Come with us. We have to stop in Tortugas, but we can take you by England, It's not that far away."
"Really?"
"Certainly."
"Sounds good." Will spoke up. Elizabeth looked at him incredously. "What? I miss sailing like it was meant to be, and besides, you wanted to go to England for a change. What could be a bigger change than Tortugas?"
"Please, mum?" added their son charmingly. She looked at their near identical smiles and sighed. "I should really slap the lot of you." Smiles vanished to be replaced by puppy-dog eyes. "Fine, Fine!" She turned back to Jack. (A/N: Hey, that rhymed!) "We'd love to come with you." He grinned. "Then what are we waiting for? All make ready! Lift the sails! Hoist the boom! We're going to Tortugas!"
"Jac, show our guests to their cabin."
"Aye. Right this way."
They followed her to the other side of the boat, listening to a running commentary. "At's the Captains room, and this here is the First mate's cabin, which is where you'll be stayin. If ye'd like to get settled in, I'll take the lad and show him about. Twill see the both of ye at mess." The older Turners nodded their thanks and Jac led Will away.
"What's this Tortugas place we're headed to?"
"Tis a pirate's haven. There's virtually no manner of law there, and we can walk about safe. Only from the gallows, mind ye. Tis still a good chance of being shot or havin ye throat sliced open."
"And the Capitan wants to bring Mother to this place?!?"
"No worries, messmate. If the Captain says she'll be safe, then she will. As long as ye and yer kin stay with me or one of the crew, ye shan't have much problem."
"What's it like there?"
"As said, pirate's haven, pirate's heaven. Women there who would slap ye as soon as sleep with ye, drinks to satisfy the worst of drunks, always a good fight to be had, and stealin's not even a bother, so long as ye know who not to steal from. Tis a rough-and tumble place, where ye look out fer yerself and ye don't get caught, cause there taint be a lad on that island who'll go easy on ye if ye do, lessen he be drunk, which also be likely."
"Tortugas." He thought it over for a moment, leaning against the rail, staring out at the ocean. A sudden gleam in his eye spoke of longings untold of treasures and adventures unknown. "Tortugas." He repeated quietly. "Sounds like a fine place."
************************************************************** Hey again, Ishi-chan here. I finally got around to up dating, I'm really really sorry it took so long. I've been working on a new one of mine, a HP Inuyasha crossover. Summary in profile, if you care to look. Should be posting soon. I'd like to send a thanks out to Rose Angelz and Vicki Turner, my only two reviewers. I'm hoping for two more before the next chappie, but if not oh well. Have a good one! Smiles! Ishi-chan