When Teague said that they should act as if they were going to die the next day, he never imagined how things would end up.
So it came to him as a shock when he woke up with a hang over, and Serenity in his arms. "Oh shit." Teague mumbled, slipping out of the bed. Realizing his lack of clothes, he reached for the blanket, and was about to yank it to cover himself, before deciding that she probably wasn't dressed either.
Quickly getting dressed, he looked around. "This aint my room." Teague mumbled, looking around. Serenity's room was simple, with just a bed, a dresser, a full size mirror, and a small window. Teague walked over to the window and his jaw dropped.
Danielle's garden was just as he remembered. Full of different color flowers that were in full bloom. In the middle of the garden was a huge Japanese oak tree, something that Jack had sent to his mother when it was just a sapling. Around the garden was a stone wall, that was covered in moonflowers.
Teague hadn't looked at the garden since his wife's death. He had thought it was dead, with no one taking care of it.
Walking into the garden, Teague's jaw dropped. There was an old chest sitting under the tree. A chest he had given to Danielle for her birthday the year she died. He walked over to the chest and kneeled down, before pulling his set of skeleton keys out of his jacket pocket and using it to open the chest. Inside was a letter, written in a beautiful handwriting.
'My Dearest Teague,
If you are reading this, I hope it is because you've found someone to take care of you who also is taking care of this garden. As strange as it may sound to you, I'd rather you find another woman than die a lonely man as I am sure you're oh so determined to do. You need more than just The Code as your companion. It is just a book, with no heart and no warmth. You need a woman by your side as well.
My only requirement is that she be a strong woman, who can say no to you with no fear...
Also, do tell Jackie to stop sleeping around and to settle down.
Wishing you the best of luck, Danielle.'
"Danny, you worry too much." Teague mumbled, smirking. "Though I suppose Jackie should find himself a wife. I was half his age when I found you." He then sighed. "Serenity is just so young. She could do so much better than this old dog. Hell, I'm going to be dead long before she reaches Jackie's age."
"Even if I could do better, I don't want better." Serenity said, walking up from behind. She was now wearing a white nightgown. "I want you. I love you, Teague."
"No." Teague said, standing up. "You are still young. You're in love with the idea of being in love. You have no idea what love is-"
Serenity slapped Teague. "You have no idea how wrong you are! How could you say that, after everything I've done for you? If it weren't for me, you would've starved yourself years ago! Oh yeah, that is a great way to go. Captain Teague, Keeper of the Code, starved himself to death by reading an oversized book all day!"
"I pay you to cook for-"
"Yes, and I turn around and use that money to buy food to cook!" Serenity shouted. "You idiot! You think that the meat I cook for you was free?"
"I thought your family-"
"My family? What family? They all left a month after you hired me!" Serenity shouted angrily. "They left because of the gossip! 'Is Serenity actually Sparrow's daughter?' 'Is she Teague's daughter?' 'I wonder how much she owes Teague.' 'Did she have Sparrow's child?' I'm so-"
Just then, the shouting started. Teague sighed, pushing Serenity out of his way. "Sound like they're here. I'd better go keep an eye on things. You go get dressed, then make sure there's enough rum for a small army. We're gonna-"
"I'm not done talking to you-"
"I am." Teague said, walking away. "Just make sure you're not seen. Lord knows what these men might think of."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall...
Captain Jack Sparrow stood there, with a rope coiled over his shoulder and a huge smirk on his face. He tied a loop on the end of the rope and tossed it into the tree. He tugged on the rope, to make sure it was secure, before climbing up the wall.
It was really unnecessary for Jack to climb up the wall and down the tree, but he just simply loved doing it. Mostly because his mother hated it when he did that.
When Jack slipped out of the tree, he saw Serenity glaring at Teague's back. Smirking, Jack walked over and placed his hands on her waist. "'Ello, Luv."
That was the first time Jack had ever been punched by a woman. Serenity looked down at the man she just punched, and screamed. "Oh my god!" She shouted.
"You punch me and you're panicking?" Jack shouted back, rubbing his jaw as he stood up.
"You're supposed to be dead! Teague was upset for days after he found out!"
"Luv, I am not a ghost if that is what you're thinking. Kinda hard to punch a ghost the way you just did." Jack said, looking at Serenity. "Are you sure you're a lass, Lass?"
Serenity slapped Jack, before storming off.
Jack rolled his eyes, before looking around. 'Mum must be inside, with Da. I hope she didn't get too upset.' He thought, before shivering. 'I hope I don't have to see Da tonight. He'll kill me if he finds out about Barbossa.'
That night, Teague and Serenity sat by the door to the Main Hall, listening. Serenity was peeking out of a peep hole on the door. "I only see eight people in chairs."
"Let me see." Teague said, as Serenity moved aside. "Ah. Sao Feng's late. Must've spent too long in his bath house."
'Stalker.' Serenity thought, smirking at Teague.
"Well, that's interesting." Teague mumbled. "Thought Jackie shot Barbossa."
"I'm guessing these people don't like each other?"
"Correction: they hate each other's guts. Never has there been a Brethren Court of pirates who hated each other as much as this bunch."
Serenity nodded in understanding as another argument started in the other room. "Just out of curiousity, how many feel absolute hate towards another?"
"Chevalle-the one with the excessive amount of face paint-and Villanueva-the short Spanish man who likes to shout- are always fighting and plotting to stab the other in the back, though I think that's more their culture." Teague mumbled, pointing at the right people. "And then there's Jackie and Barbossa."
"How much is your culture invol-"
"They're fighting over a ship." Teague said flatly. "The Black Pearl, fastest ship with the wind. Against the wind, the Flying Dutchman is faster, but that still leaves the Pearl as a pretty damn good ship."
"And you're on Jackie's side, right?"
"No. As the Keeper of the Code, I am not allowed to get involved." Teague said, smirking. "I'm not sure who's side to pick, if I could. Sure, Jackie's my son so it'd be assumed that I'd be on his side, but I also helped raise Barbossa." He then laughed at a memory. "As a teenager, Barbossa had a lot of trouble wooing women..."
Serenity smiled, listening to Teague laugh. She then peeked through the peep hole. "Who's the new woman?"
"New woman?" Teague mumbled, looking out the peep hole. "Huh? She's new. Never met her. Jackie seems to know her well. I'll ask him later."
They listened in silence for a few moments, until Teague was summoned. He stood up, cocking a pistol. "You stay here. Don't want them to see a woman with me."
"Why not?" Serenity asked, offended.
"Nothing to do with you. I'll explain later." Teague said quickly, before walking out.
Serenity nearly jumped at the sound of the pistol firing. She quickly looked out, and released a sigh of relief when she saw Teague holding the smoking pistol. Looking at the Pirate Lords, Serenity smiled. "Leave it to Teague to scare the Pirate Lords." She mumbled, before sitting in a chair. "I'll just sit here. Teague's a big boy. He can take care of himself. Besides, everybody in that room looks too scared to try anything."
By the time Teague walked back in, Serenity was asleep in the chair...
Not much to say about this chapter...
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
