Chapter nine

It would prove to be a total of six days before Luna and James would talk again.

Currently, she and Henrietta were in the kitchen. Both women were dressed as gypsies and covered head to toe in flour. Luna was all in blue, wearing less than she normally did, meaning both clothing wise and jewelry. Both her tattoos were visible, though partially obscured by cake batter.

Luna swiped her hand in the empty batter bowl wiping out any of the remaining batter and chased Henrietta around the small island. Henrietta grabbed the bowl and ran.

"I swear if you put that on me, I'll dump this bowl on your head," Henrietta threatened.

"You wouldn't dare," Luna snapped back.

"Try me."

Luna lunged at her lady-in-waiting narrowly catching Henrietta's arm and dove behind the island. Henrietta chased after her trying to drop the bowl on her head, which she almost succeeded right as at throat cleared in the doorway.

Luna squeaked in embarrassment as Henrietta hid the bowl behind her back and tried to look innocent.

"Am I… interrupting something?" Admiral Norrington asked. A smirk played on his face as he took in the utterly destroyed kitchen.

Luna peeked up over the counter. "Uh, nothing more than a little… female bonding."

The Admiral nodded. "Yes, well, might I have a word Missus Church?"

"No."

"Pardon?"

"Not with me looking like this." Luna, still behind the island, crawled over to the wash basin and poured in some clean water, dipping a rag into it. She made quick work of cleaning the majority of batter and flour off her but she would definitely behaving a Venetian bath later this evening.

Once she seemed clean enough, she stood and walked over to James. "Now, how might I help you Admiral?"

"I was hoping that perhaps we could talk in private?"

Luna looked to Henrietta who gave a reassuring nod. "Of course. Henrietta, I shan't be gone long."

"Take your time, missus."

Luna led James out of the kitchen and into library.

"Luna..."

"James..."

"I, er, wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have kissed you."

"No, you should not have."

"But I'm not sorry I did."

"You're not making any sense, carissimi."

"Luna," he sighed and took a step towards her. "Your mother told me about the curse."

"What?" she asked, eyes wide.

James looked at her. "That's why you ran away, isn't it? That's why you haven't visited your family this week? You're avoiding me."

Luna chuckled humorlessly. "You're just full of yourself aren't you? James, if I wanted to avoid you, we wouldn't be having this conversation." She turned to the bookcase and skimmed the titles.

"Is that why you can't look at me?"

"No," she stated all too quick. "James, do you have any idea the mess you made with just that one kiss?"

"Luna-"

"No. I can't do this."

"Can't do what?"

Luna spun around, her hair flying out. "You and me. I and you. Us. I refuse to let meself get hurt again, dragi."

"I won't hurt you."

Luna chuckled. "That's what Jacob and Nate said. And now look at me! I'm a mess."

"You're getting off topic."

She watched in astonishment as he sat down on the sofa nonchalantly. He was right, she was starting to get off topic. How he knew that confused her. No one had ever caught on the her that fast.

"James, this won't work out. Trust me."

He frowned up at her. "How can you possibly know that?"

"Just because I fell for you sans help from the curse, doesn't mean anything. Somewhere along the line you'll hurt me. But no matter what you do, I'll keep coming back."

"What are you talking about?" Norrington gazed at the gypsy slightly amused but at the same time worried that something was utterly wrong with the woman. Was she mad?

"James, just trust me on this," she says as she sits next to him. "I've been through it before."

This only confused him farther. What was she going on about? "Luna..."

"Why do you think I was so quick to forgive Spar- Jack?" The slip up didn't go unnoticed. Luna chuckled. "I never found Jack very attractive when I was younger. I was at that age... and he was just like my older brother. I didn't fall for him like those other men. Jackie and I were always just friends. At the end of his time with the Company, Beckett had asked us to pick up cargo from Africa. We arrived only to find them people..."

"Jack, Beckett isn't going to be happy," Luna said as she looked back behind them to the shrinking splotch of land that the African people were left. It's was a fairly decent island, on which Luna knew slavery was banned. "This is the third shipment of cargo you've botched. Remember what he did to you the last time? I have no doubt he'll do it again. And who's gotta take care of you then? ."

"I liked it better when I only understood half of what you said, Lu." He wouldn't look her in the eye, because he knew she was right.

"Doar pentru că știi că am dreptate!"

"Lu, people ain't cargo."

Luna groaned. "Velit necne, non est valde beatum Beckett. Cum praesertim hoc erat personalis shipment!"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Stick to one language, dragi."

"My apologies but you, sir, need to make up your mind."

"About?" he prompted.

"About a lot of things, Sparrow. I didn't run away for no reason."

Jack sighed and motioned to his first mate to take the wheel. "No, Gypsy Lu, from what you told me, you ran away to have a normal life."

"Da, and that's exactly why I was planning on jumping ship once we arrive in the colonies."

Jack grabbed her and brought her down to his cabin. "Luna, love, what yer proposin' be insane. There is no way me best friend is goin' to jump ship anywhere, as long as I'm captain."

Luna frowned. "Jackie, please. I have to get a way from the sea. At least for a while."

He studied her face and frowned. This is exactly what she wanted. "Okay."

"That's no fair, Sparrow! You- stai, ce?"

"You 'eard love," Jack sighed. "You're right. When we reach Georgia we'll start anew. I'll work something out with Smithy..."

"We? Jackie, you don't plan on coming, do you?" Her eyes were wide as she took in the calculating look on her friend's face. "What about the Wench?"

Jack, looked up to her. "She's just a ship. You, on the other hand, aren't as resilient."

"I can handle myself, Sparrow!"

"You are a twelve-year-old Romanian girl. Don't think that the colonists won't snatch you up and throw you in the field first chance they get. You're my best friend, love, I'm not letting that happen to you."

Luna winced at the thought. "And how is you being with me going to stop them?"

"You'll be my slave. Not literally, love. You can remove that look from your person."

She only frowned deeper. "No."

"Than what do you think we should do?"

She thought for a moment. A thought passing through her head of a fake marriage, but she shook that from her mind. It would never work. "I dunno."

"We could... never mind. You wouldn't agree..."

"Now, tell me."

He laughed humorlessly. "E o idee proastă."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do."

"What is it?"

"Marriage."

"I had the same idea."

"You did?"

Luna nodded. "Da, and I thought it might work, carissimi," she lied.

"You pretended to be married?"

Luna huffed at the interruption. "No. We never got the chance. Beckett crossed our path as we continued to sail towards Georgia. The crew and I were locked in the brig while Jack spoke with Beckett. I didn't know at the time Beckett was branding Jack." She smiled sadly, tears in her eyes and when she spoke again her voice was severely hindered. "Beckett had ordered her to be burned and sunk..."

"If you were locked up how did you..."

"Jack made the deal with Jones." It was silent for a long while before Luna started to laugh.

James stare at her, stunned at the sudden change in attitude. "You're laughing?"

"I find it funny that I always manage to tell you my life story."

He smiled. "That's all you. One question though, what was the point in telling me the story?"

She sighed and leaned into him. "Oh, um... to tell how I fell in love with Jack. It was of my own doing, not because of some ancient curse." She pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek, dangerously close to his lips. "Much like I did with you."

"What about Lord Beckett?"

Luna grinned. "Oh, my marriage to him is purely because when he dies, whether by my hand or the Brethren's, his entire fortune goes to me. He has no other family."

"You promise?" James wondered.

Luna nodded. "Always."

A/n: Pirate.

Doar pentru că știi că am dreptate - Just because you know I'm right.
Velit necne, non est valde beatum Beckett. Cum praesertim hoc erat personalis shipment (latin) - Like it or not, Beckett it is not to be very happy. Especially as this was a personal shipment.
E o idee proastă - It's a bad idea.

I love you guys!
Lyra Raine Sparrow