Disclaimer: I don't own anything save for my own creations blah blah blah, let's get that over with. Now on to business! Sorry about being so late and this chappie is a little short, but is still good…. I hope. So how are you all liking the sequel so far? I hope the flash-forwards aren't too confusing, if so I apologize, they'll only appear every so often. But, they do lead into the third and final segment of the story Updates might be a little farther apart though, half a week I'd say would be the latest so please bear with me if things get a little slow.
The Black Pearl
Just because one sleeps does not mean the one does not always sleep well, sometimes a person just cannot have the bliss of a dreamless rest. This was true to the aspiring pirate in the four poster bed aboard the fastest ship in the world. Even though she had slept in, until noon actually, the sleep had done her no good and not even in the embrace she loved so did she find peace. In her mind's eye she only saw the depressing events from the day before, over and over like her conscious knew no other thoughts from any moment before then.
Her sore eyes opened to the sun gleaming through the dirtied windows in golden beams, lighting the dust bits like a giant lantern. She watched as they danced through the air, so carefree they were, she found herself wishing she could fly away from the pain she felt just like they were. A rough hand at her shoulder made her turn her distracted gaze to the one whose bed she shared.
"Mornin', darling," he squeezed her upper arm.
"Jack?" she looked at him as though she was just knowing him.
"Yes, what is it?"
"I feel so strange…empty almost…but there's something else too, I can't describe it…" he lost sight of her face as she buried it behind her hands. But he knew what it was, he had felt the same way when he thought her lost to him; the deep piercing pain came first, then the empty feeling left by the person one loved so who had been taken so fast. There was more though, he recalled that part the most vividly, the next swirl of emotions were that of angry, like the fury that took over him when he convinced himself that the only way to truly avenge his lover was to kill the one who gave them away. Then came the acceptation of the fact-but there would be no surprise happy ending here-they had all seen the death for themselves.
"I know, dearest, I know," he drew her close, that was all he could do. This time though she did not cry, which should have confused him but did not, all Lucinda did was clutch at the front of collar and lay her face against his chest.
She was past tears already, her sense of responsibility told her that her sister would never have wanted Amanda or her to go on locking themselves up for days at a time weeping over her. And Jack respected her decision, he knew in the back of his mind she would not go on grieving like the damsels of old folk tales were said to. Oh no, none of that, but from here on there would be hell to pay, both of them would make sure of that.
Earlier in the day whilst Lucy slept he was visited by Gibbs, there was no sign of Daniel what so ever, it was as if he had vanished.
Captain Jack didn't want to tell her this, if she was over her tears already then soon enough she would want to go on for the cause. Telling her that she would have to wait for her revenge would not be a pleasant conversation, not at all.
"You've got that look on you face again." Jack looked down, half of her face was covered by a veil of hair, but though she appeared tired and tear stained her eyes had regained some of their spark.
"And what look would that be?"
"There's something on your mind and you don't like it. Tell me." No 'please', no sweet enticements to know what he thought, just a plain and simple demand.
"I really don't wanna get into this so early-"
"Is it about yesterday?" she sat up some, taking him with her.
"Maybe…" A set of slender fingers tipped his face to meet hers, her eyes begged him to be honest with her when her lips would not. "Ye won't like it," still those pretty eyes asked for answers. "Alright, alright. Gibbs came here earlier, 'bout two hours ago, and said there was no sign of Danny. We lost him somehow."
"Lost him? How did we loose him, this is the fastest ship in the sea!" In her excitement she tried to sit up completely as fast as she could, this only made her dizzy though, Jack had to support her. "I feel weak, Jack."
"Don't push yerself and calm down, I want to get Dan as much as ye, but ye need all your strength to do that."
Their roles seemed to have reversed, she was ready to charge into battle while he was the sensible one holding her back from hurting herself. Slowly she calmed and leaned back on the headboard and sighed, her belly grumbled.
"I'm hungry," she crossed her arms over the noisy section of her body.
"I'll go talk to cook, anything in particular ye want?"
"No, just as long as it's hot," a tiny smile graced her weary face.
"Anything, my love," he kissed her cheek before setting off for her lunch.
The Demon
Daniel Sparrow paced relentlessly across the floor of his own, more opulently decorated, cabin, his face a mask of pure fury. In the corner stood the thin youth who had headed his captain's orders to kidnap the Collins girls, only there was something new about the lad. As it was this was no lad at all, but rather a young woman dressed as a boy. Her carrot colored hair hung poorly cut about her collar, now free from the hat that confined it when she was out on deck.
"It was only the first battle, Dan, there'll be another chance," she said trying to calm the dandy down.
"That doesn't matter, Brandy! Now that buffoon will be searching all the seas for me!"
"It's not like he could catch us," she grumbled.
"I know that! But now we've lost out element of surprise and that brother of mine is tricky and if the slightest word of our course leaks then I know he will be waiting." The well-dressed man ran a hand through his uncommonly clean, long, dark hair, making it fall from its hold of bright red ribbon at the base of his neck.
"Well in that case, where should we go then?" Brandy stood at attention, ready to fulfill any order he gave her, loyal as she had ever been. He had taken her in when no one else would, once her father a noted rumrunner had been taken into custody on obvious charges. That was five years ago, and she had never once looked back, being his First Mate was better then what her no good single parent had in mind for her. In the waning days of his alcohol smuggling 'Papa' had been running low on funds, the answer to this? Why he had a young daughter did he not? Not overly beautiful but not plain either, she could bring in the extra coins he needed to pay off his debtors. Luckily for her, one of the first person she had been hefted onto was none other then Daniel, who after seeing her deal with a previous 'customer' with a cleverly hidden blade, had asked if she would be as so kind as to join his crew.
"To the House," he finally said after several minutes of thinking to himself.
A knock at the door silenced any more conversation that would have been shared by the two, the Second Mate stepped in, looking over the edge of his spectacles nervously.
"Yes?" asked Dan pompously.
"The men 'ave found somethin' ye might wanna see, Captin," the aging man said. An obviously plucked eyebrow raised in the man's direction. "On the deck, Sir."
"Oh? And what would this be?"
"I think it might be a mermaid, Sir," the poor little man looked as though he was about to faint from fear.
"A mermaid? Well I must say I haven't seen one of those in while, I'll be right up." He waved off the lower pirate, a poor imitation of a French aristocrat then returned to his previous conversational companion. "Get me the Crown." Brandy nodded and walked over to a small wooden box sitting on a chest of drawers. It was intricately carved with waves, flying fish and dancing nymphs, there was also a rather large silver lock on the box as well. The girl in boys clothing produced a key from a secret compartment under the chest and unlocked the beautiful case carefully, as if it would break at any moment.
Inside was a glowing, brilliant crown made of coral, shells, pearls and numerous blue and white gemstones. She picked it up and presented it to her Captain who took it with equal care. Daniel brought it over his head, looking like he was making himself king, and placed the delicate jewel on his perfectly combed head.
"The House," he said in a low voice, totally concentrated on what no one knew save his own mind.
In that moment the wind began to push at the ship, the water seemed to stop on the surface while the rest moved beneath. Then the Demon was propelled at breakneck speed across the sea, as though the galleon weighed nothing at all. After that the pirate man took the Crown off and set it back into the small hands of his best crew-member who in turn put it back into its protective case.
"Now to the deck," the two of them walked up the short flight of stairs and opened the doors to the rest of the ship. What they found was not a mermaid, now that the kelp and debris had been removed from the body they saw that they had not caught a maiden of the sea but one of the land.
"Where am I?" the girl asked her own mind, rubbing her blond head wearily. It seems that luck was on Daniel's side, not only did he have the speed and arms to destroy his eldest brother, but he also now had the bait.
