Chapter 11 - A Friendly Endeavor
Moonlight shone brightly through the grand, ceiling high windows of the room. Through the thin, gossamer drapes, the harbor could be seen, bits of fire glinting through its darkness.
Jack shifted his weight, wincing as the pain in his shoulder shook him.
"Keep still." Senara ordered, placing a warm cloth over Jack's wound, carefully patting down the dried blood. The wound wasn't too deep, but it was deep enough to cause an agonizing amount of pain upon impact. But, Senara was used to playing healer with Jack. It was kind of a ritual for them, in a sense. If he hadn't gotten hurt while saving her in the attack on Gyaros, they might have never fallen in love. Then where would she be? Senara asked herself, biting her lip. Unhappy, that's where I'd be.
"I'm fine, love. Please stop frettin' o'er me." Jack pleaded, his dark eyes glossed and stern on hers. "Come to bed." He added in a whisper, reaching out to touch her cheek.
Senara froze. She felt a burst of emotion in her heart at his touch, and closed her eyes.
"Just.let me clean this up." Senara replied, about to stand to pick up Jack's clothing which lay on the floor. He suddenly grabbed her arm and yanked her back playfully, causing her to topple onto the bed. "Jack!"
"Shh.don't want to be waking our hosts, aye?" Jack whispered, grinning.
Senara glared at him and leaned over to blow out the candle on the nightstand. Leaning into him, she ran her hands down his chest, following them with gentle kisses. Her mouth found its way to his, and she relaxed as he cupped his hands around her face.
This is how it should be, Jack thought contentedly. His girl in his arms, resting in a nice bed in a nice house. He would have preferred his ship, but then again, this was what she favored, so he wasn't about to contest.
"Tell me a story, Jack." Senara said, breaking the kiss to smile at him. Jack cocked an eyebrow inquisitively, a small laugh escaping his lips.
"Alright.what do you want to hear?" Jack asked, tracing her jaw line with his fingertips.
Senara thought for a moment, biting her tongue. "Ah, I know." She began, smiling. "Tell me the tale about how you got off the stranded island after your mutinous first mate marooned you."
Jack smiled bleakly, wetting his lips. "Uhmm.about that." he started, pausing to think about what to say. "I have a grander story, why don't I tell you that one instead?" he pressed, hopefully.
Senara laughed. "No.I want to hear about you escaping miraculously off the island. It sounds like a grand adventure to me!"
Jack blessed the dark right then, if Senara had seen his face she would have known he was a fraud in that department.but he'd done so many other impressive things, why couldn't she of asked about those?
"I'll just tell you about what happened after I got off the island, is that okay?"
Senara considered for a moment. "I suppose." She decided, laying her head upon his chest and giving him her undivided attention.
"Good. When I got off of that godforsaken island, me first plan of action was to find Barbossa and the Pearl.I was dying to get it back, you see? But how do you find a ship on the great Atlantic without your own ship? So I went in search of a ship to commandeer. It unfortunately took a lot longer than I had expected, and so for ten whole years I roamed the many lands of this world searching for the opportune moment in which I could pilfer me a ship and persuade meself a crew.
"Then, one day, I happened upon Port Royal, the very island we be sittin' pretty on right now. I managed to steal a ship with the aid of none other than Will Turner, who was in dire search of his kidnapped girlfriend, Elizabeth Swann."
"So that's how you met Will and Elizabeth!" Senara exclaimed, her smile beaming through the moonlight. "I think I understand now."
"Just listen, darling." Jack requested, placing a finger on her lips to silence her. "So, dear William and I headed for Tortuga, you remember Tortuga?"
Senara shuddered in remembrance, and looked to Jack, her eyes pleading for him to skip that part.
"Ah, right.anyhow, we ended up with a crew as mad as they come. We sailed and sailed for days, all the while in heavy pursuit of the Black Pearl. They were headed for the dreaded Isla de Muerta, you see, which was where they would break the curse that had laid upon them for 10 whole years."
"Curse?"
"Yes, and a terrible curse it was, because you see, Cortés himself had placed a treasure on the island, and a curse was put upon it, so that when a mortal took even just one piece from the chest, that mortal would be cursed as the unliving but not yet dead."
He felt Senara shift her weight and pull in slightly closer to him. He fought back a laugh and held her closer.
"So, to make a long story short, we found the island with Barbossa on it, sent his crew scurrying out to battle the King's Navy, lifted the curse by replacing the last couple pieces, and shot Barbossa, killing him for good."
"So let me see if I understand you." Senara began, her voice tired and slow. "Elizabeth and Will ended up marrying, obviously, you ended up with your ship and a crew, and then you ran into the hurricane and ended up on my island?"
Jack smiled. "That about covers it, love." He said in reply, kissing her forehead softly.
"Mmm." Senara yawned, sleep starting to claim her as her eyes drooped and her breathing came heavy. "That sounds like a wonderful adventure."
"Yes.it was." Jack replied, watching as she drifted slowly off to sleep in his arms. Sighing deeply, he rested his head on hers and tried to fall asleep himself, only to have nightmares befall him.
~
An island on fire stands deadly still on the horizon. When closer, its streets appear empty and ghostly. All the buildings are burnt, the roads charred black. The trees nothing but lonely black sticks rising out of a burnt ground.
Off in the distance, one can see a fleet of ships fleeing the scene of their crime. A man stands upon the lead ship, his sapphire cloak blowing in the wind behind him. His hair blows about his face even as he desperately tries to comb it back.
The ship he sails hails an English flag, and the man smiles as he replaces a golden crown upon his head. The king's crown.
Jack shot awake, a cold sweat dripping down his face. His breath came in raspy gasps as he tried to calm himself. It was only a dream. Rubbing his face with his hands, he glanced down at Senara. She was calmly sleeping, her breathing normal.
Grunting, he slipped his legs over the side of the bed and tried to compose himself. What did the dream mean? Jack thought bewilderedly. He had a hunch, but it was a terrible one, and he hoped it wasn't true. What if the island was Gyaros.and the man.Prince Marcus? No, King Marcus, that was what he would be now.
Standing up, Jack walked over towards the windows and stared out at the sea. Its waves glinted in the moonlight like diamonds on a dark blue cloth. The moon's beams cascaded over the landscape, and nothing could have been more serene.
Sighing deeply, Jack fell back onto the bed, hoping to fall back asleep without having anymore dreams. He always hated them, but none caused worry like this one did.
~
"Wake up, sleepy head!" Senara called, shaking Jack awake. "It's time for breakfast!"
Jack moaned and rolled over, attempting to get back to sleep. Senara glared at him, reaching over and yanking him out of bed and onto the floor. Jack yelled as he fell. He definitely wasn't expecting that one.
"What do you think your doing?" he asked, shaking his head and taking her hand as she helped him up off of the floor.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Jack." She replied, grinning at him. Jack scowled at her, rubbing his head.
"Why do the desperate measures have to amount to me being pulled out of bed and onto the cold wood floor, hmm?"
"Because that's the least I could do to wake you up!" Senara replied hotly. "Now, c'mon, I'm starving."
The two of them headed downstairs, smelling the sweet aroma of bacon and eggs. Jack's mouth began to water as his stomach grumbled in reply. Hearing Senara giggle, he wrapped an arm around her and kissed her head roughly.
"Good morning, you two!" Elizabeth called from the dining hall as she saw them enter. "We've been waiting for you."
Jack looked at Will, who was seated beside Elizabeth, his head in his arms. He looked asleep.
"Looks like he didn't want to wait anymore, aye?" Jack stated, motioning to Will. Elizabeth gasped and shook Will awake.
"Look at you! Falling asleep while we have guests present!" Elizabeth scolded, glaring at Will. Will groaned and smiled weakly as he noticed Jack and Senara.
"She got me up at 5 am this morning to wait for you two to come down for breakfast." He explained, looking at Elizabeth sadly. "Only 3 hours of sleep she let me have...is this how married life is supposed to be?"
"Yes." Elizabeth replied crossly with a smirk, only to laugh as Will glared at her. "Oh, lighten up, Will." She added as she kissed his lips briefly and nudged him in the shoulder.
"See what I mean? I never know when she's being serious with me." Will declared, glancing at Senara and Jack. "She gets that from her father." He added in a hushed whisper.
"I heard that!"
Will laughed and bolted up from where he was sitting. Elizabeth stood up too, about to chase after him as he ran into the kitchens.
"He's such a child sometimes." She sighed with a fond smile. "But I love him. Anyways, have a seat!" she added, gesturing to the two other chairs at the table. "You must be starving!"
Jack pulled out a chair for Senara, motioning for her to sit. As she sat, he took his own seat and smiled at Elizabeth.
"You two must be exhausted from all that clamor last night.I hope you were comfortable in the guest room?" Elizabeth inquired, smiling.
"Yes, very, very comfortable." Jack replied, winking at Elizabeth. Senara noticed this and saw Elizabeth's shock and immediately protested.
"Nothing happened." She reassured her friend. "He just wishes something had." She added smartly. Jack frowned at her and was about to leave before Will stepped into the dining hall and sat down.
"Breakfast is on its way." He said happily. Noticing the embarrassment on Jack's face, Will looked to his wife. "Did I miss something?"
"No, nothing at all, darling." Elizabeth comforted Will, patting his arm. Three butlers entered the room, huge trays of food with them.
"Breakfast, Mrs. Turner, is ready." One of them said politely, lifting the first tray and placing a plate piled high with food in front of Senara.
"Let's eat." Will grinned, immediately digging in.
~
A quite breeze wafted past the porch, cooling the already chilled air down just slightly. Senara took a deep breath and enjoyed a quiet moment alone.
Jack and Will were inside, discussing something that Senara had no idea about. Elizabeth was chatting with her father about whatever Jack and Will were speaking of. So, really, Senara was the only one left in the dark.
However, she was quite convinced that she preferred this quiet silence to some dramatic discussion. Taking a sip from her cup of tea that was generously provided by one of the butlers, Senara began to wonder.
What could they be discussing? Was it about me? It was clearly important, but what did it involve? Senara sighed. She'd find out soon enough, that much was certain.
The sun was shining, and the early morning attitude of Port Royal was nothing but pleasant. Everyone in the town was optimistically cleaning up after the pirate attack, and Senara couldn't hold back any respect for them.
It was tough to handle an attack such as the one that had befallen Port Royal. She knew from personal experience. At least Port Royal wasn't at war with anyone.that they would hopefully never have to endure.
A noise behind her had Senara turning around, only to see Jack emerge from inside, his face blank. He sat down next to Senara on the porch and rested his face in his hands.
"What is it?" Senara asked, wrapping an arm around Jack.
"They're comin' with us." He replied matter of factly, his face still in his hands.
"Who? Will and Elizabeth?"
Jack turned his head and looked at her. "Aye." He said softly.
Senara was confused by his demeanor.why was he upset? "Well, this is a good thing, isn't it?"
"No.it was originally a good thing, until.now." Jack sighed. When Senara just looked at him, Jack threw up his hands in frustration. "Elizabeth's pregnant, and she neglected to enlighten me until now."
Senara's eyes went wide with shock and glee. "That's wonderful! Well, for her and Will, anyways. But Jack.why do they need to come?"
There was a short pause, where Jack glared at her, as if she should have already known. "Because, lass, we will need all the help we can get." He retorted angrily, standing up and stalking inside, slamming the door behind him. Senara bit her lip, worry in her eyes. What did he mean about needing help?
~
Moonlight shone brightly through the grand, ceiling high windows of the room. Through the thin, gossamer drapes, the harbor could be seen, bits of fire glinting through its darkness.
Jack shifted his weight, wincing as the pain in his shoulder shook him.
"Keep still." Senara ordered, placing a warm cloth over Jack's wound, carefully patting down the dried blood. The wound wasn't too deep, but it was deep enough to cause an agonizing amount of pain upon impact. But, Senara was used to playing healer with Jack. It was kind of a ritual for them, in a sense. If he hadn't gotten hurt while saving her in the attack on Gyaros, they might have never fallen in love. Then where would she be? Senara asked herself, biting her lip. Unhappy, that's where I'd be.
"I'm fine, love. Please stop frettin' o'er me." Jack pleaded, his dark eyes glossed and stern on hers. "Come to bed." He added in a whisper, reaching out to touch her cheek.
Senara froze. She felt a burst of emotion in her heart at his touch, and closed her eyes.
"Just.let me clean this up." Senara replied, about to stand to pick up Jack's clothing which lay on the floor. He suddenly grabbed her arm and yanked her back playfully, causing her to topple onto the bed. "Jack!"
"Shh.don't want to be waking our hosts, aye?" Jack whispered, grinning.
Senara glared at him and leaned over to blow out the candle on the nightstand. Leaning into him, she ran her hands down his chest, following them with gentle kisses. Her mouth found its way to his, and she relaxed as he cupped his hands around her face.
This is how it should be, Jack thought contentedly. His girl in his arms, resting in a nice bed in a nice house. He would have preferred his ship, but then again, this was what she favored, so he wasn't about to contest.
"Tell me a story, Jack." Senara said, breaking the kiss to smile at him. Jack cocked an eyebrow inquisitively, a small laugh escaping his lips.
"Alright.what do you want to hear?" Jack asked, tracing her jaw line with his fingertips.
Senara thought for a moment, biting her tongue. "Ah, I know." She began, smiling. "Tell me the tale about how you got off the stranded island after your mutinous first mate marooned you."
Jack smiled bleakly, wetting his lips. "Uhmm.about that." he started, pausing to think about what to say. "I have a grander story, why don't I tell you that one instead?" he pressed, hopefully.
Senara laughed. "No.I want to hear about you escaping miraculously off the island. It sounds like a grand adventure to me!"
Jack blessed the dark right then, if Senara had seen his face she would have known he was a fraud in that department.but he'd done so many other impressive things, why couldn't she of asked about those?
"I'll just tell you about what happened after I got off the island, is that okay?"
Senara considered for a moment. "I suppose." She decided, laying her head upon his chest and giving him her undivided attention.
"Good. When I got off of that godforsaken island, me first plan of action was to find Barbossa and the Pearl.I was dying to get it back, you see? But how do you find a ship on the great Atlantic without your own ship? So I went in search of a ship to commandeer. It unfortunately took a lot longer than I had expected, and so for ten whole years I roamed the many lands of this world searching for the opportune moment in which I could pilfer me a ship and persuade meself a crew.
"Then, one day, I happened upon Port Royal, the very island we be sittin' pretty on right now. I managed to steal a ship with the aid of none other than Will Turner, who was in dire search of his kidnapped girlfriend, Elizabeth Swann."
"So that's how you met Will and Elizabeth!" Senara exclaimed, her smile beaming through the moonlight. "I think I understand now."
"Just listen, darling." Jack requested, placing a finger on her lips to silence her. "So, dear William and I headed for Tortuga, you remember Tortuga?"
Senara shuddered in remembrance, and looked to Jack, her eyes pleading for him to skip that part.
"Ah, right.anyhow, we ended up with a crew as mad as they come. We sailed and sailed for days, all the while in heavy pursuit of the Black Pearl. They were headed for the dreaded Isla de Muerta, you see, which was where they would break the curse that had laid upon them for 10 whole years."
"Curse?"
"Yes, and a terrible curse it was, because you see, Cortés himself had placed a treasure on the island, and a curse was put upon it, so that when a mortal took even just one piece from the chest, that mortal would be cursed as the unliving but not yet dead."
He felt Senara shift her weight and pull in slightly closer to him. He fought back a laugh and held her closer.
"So, to make a long story short, we found the island with Barbossa on it, sent his crew scurrying out to battle the King's Navy, lifted the curse by replacing the last couple pieces, and shot Barbossa, killing him for good."
"So let me see if I understand you." Senara began, her voice tired and slow. "Elizabeth and Will ended up marrying, obviously, you ended up with your ship and a crew, and then you ran into the hurricane and ended up on my island?"
Jack smiled. "That about covers it, love." He said in reply, kissing her forehead softly.
"Mmm." Senara yawned, sleep starting to claim her as her eyes drooped and her breathing came heavy. "That sounds like a wonderful adventure."
"Yes.it was." Jack replied, watching as she drifted slowly off to sleep in his arms. Sighing deeply, he rested his head on hers and tried to fall asleep himself, only to have nightmares befall him.
~
An island on fire stands deadly still on the horizon. When closer, its streets appear empty and ghostly. All the buildings are burnt, the roads charred black. The trees nothing but lonely black sticks rising out of a burnt ground.
Off in the distance, one can see a fleet of ships fleeing the scene of their crime. A man stands upon the lead ship, his sapphire cloak blowing in the wind behind him. His hair blows about his face even as he desperately tries to comb it back.
The ship he sails hails an English flag, and the man smiles as he replaces a golden crown upon his head. The king's crown.
Jack shot awake, a cold sweat dripping down his face. His breath came in raspy gasps as he tried to calm himself. It was only a dream. Rubbing his face with his hands, he glanced down at Senara. She was calmly sleeping, her breathing normal.
Grunting, he slipped his legs over the side of the bed and tried to compose himself. What did the dream mean? Jack thought bewilderedly. He had a hunch, but it was a terrible one, and he hoped it wasn't true. What if the island was Gyaros.and the man.Prince Marcus? No, King Marcus, that was what he would be now.
Standing up, Jack walked over towards the windows and stared out at the sea. Its waves glinted in the moonlight like diamonds on a dark blue cloth. The moon's beams cascaded over the landscape, and nothing could have been more serene.
Sighing deeply, Jack fell back onto the bed, hoping to fall back asleep without having anymore dreams. He always hated them, but none caused worry like this one did.
~
"Wake up, sleepy head!" Senara called, shaking Jack awake. "It's time for breakfast!"
Jack moaned and rolled over, attempting to get back to sleep. Senara glared at him, reaching over and yanking him out of bed and onto the floor. Jack yelled as he fell. He definitely wasn't expecting that one.
"What do you think your doing?" he asked, shaking his head and taking her hand as she helped him up off of the floor.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Jack." She replied, grinning at him. Jack scowled at her, rubbing his head.
"Why do the desperate measures have to amount to me being pulled out of bed and onto the cold wood floor, hmm?"
"Because that's the least I could do to wake you up!" Senara replied hotly. "Now, c'mon, I'm starving."
The two of them headed downstairs, smelling the sweet aroma of bacon and eggs. Jack's mouth began to water as his stomach grumbled in reply. Hearing Senara giggle, he wrapped an arm around her and kissed her head roughly.
"Good morning, you two!" Elizabeth called from the dining hall as she saw them enter. "We've been waiting for you."
Jack looked at Will, who was seated beside Elizabeth, his head in his arms. He looked asleep.
"Looks like he didn't want to wait anymore, aye?" Jack stated, motioning to Will. Elizabeth gasped and shook Will awake.
"Look at you! Falling asleep while we have guests present!" Elizabeth scolded, glaring at Will. Will groaned and smiled weakly as he noticed Jack and Senara.
"She got me up at 5 am this morning to wait for you two to come down for breakfast." He explained, looking at Elizabeth sadly. "Only 3 hours of sleep she let me have...is this how married life is supposed to be?"
"Yes." Elizabeth replied crossly with a smirk, only to laugh as Will glared at her. "Oh, lighten up, Will." She added as she kissed his lips briefly and nudged him in the shoulder.
"See what I mean? I never know when she's being serious with me." Will declared, glancing at Senara and Jack. "She gets that from her father." He added in a hushed whisper.
"I heard that!"
Will laughed and bolted up from where he was sitting. Elizabeth stood up too, about to chase after him as he ran into the kitchens.
"He's such a child sometimes." She sighed with a fond smile. "But I love him. Anyways, have a seat!" she added, gesturing to the two other chairs at the table. "You must be starving!"
Jack pulled out a chair for Senara, motioning for her to sit. As she sat, he took his own seat and smiled at Elizabeth.
"You two must be exhausted from all that clamor last night.I hope you were comfortable in the guest room?" Elizabeth inquired, smiling.
"Yes, very, very comfortable." Jack replied, winking at Elizabeth. Senara noticed this and saw Elizabeth's shock and immediately protested.
"Nothing happened." She reassured her friend. "He just wishes something had." She added smartly. Jack frowned at her and was about to leave before Will stepped into the dining hall and sat down.
"Breakfast is on its way." He said happily. Noticing the embarrassment on Jack's face, Will looked to his wife. "Did I miss something?"
"No, nothing at all, darling." Elizabeth comforted Will, patting his arm. Three butlers entered the room, huge trays of food with them.
"Breakfast, Mrs. Turner, is ready." One of them said politely, lifting the first tray and placing a plate piled high with food in front of Senara.
"Let's eat." Will grinned, immediately digging in.
~
A quite breeze wafted past the porch, cooling the already chilled air down just slightly. Senara took a deep breath and enjoyed a quiet moment alone.
Jack and Will were inside, discussing something that Senara had no idea about. Elizabeth was chatting with her father about whatever Jack and Will were speaking of. So, really, Senara was the only one left in the dark.
However, she was quite convinced that she preferred this quiet silence to some dramatic discussion. Taking a sip from her cup of tea that was generously provided by one of the butlers, Senara began to wonder.
What could they be discussing? Was it about me? It was clearly important, but what did it involve? Senara sighed. She'd find out soon enough, that much was certain.
The sun was shining, and the early morning attitude of Port Royal was nothing but pleasant. Everyone in the town was optimistically cleaning up after the pirate attack, and Senara couldn't hold back any respect for them.
It was tough to handle an attack such as the one that had befallen Port Royal. She knew from personal experience. At least Port Royal wasn't at war with anyone.that they would hopefully never have to endure.
A noise behind her had Senara turning around, only to see Jack emerge from inside, his face blank. He sat down next to Senara on the porch and rested his face in his hands.
"What is it?" Senara asked, wrapping an arm around Jack.
"They're comin' with us." He replied matter of factly, his face still in his hands.
"Who? Will and Elizabeth?"
Jack turned his head and looked at her. "Aye." He said softly.
Senara was confused by his demeanor.why was he upset? "Well, this is a good thing, isn't it?"
"No.it was originally a good thing, until.now." Jack sighed. When Senara just looked at him, Jack threw up his hands in frustration. "Elizabeth's pregnant, and she neglected to enlighten me until now."
Senara's eyes went wide with shock and glee. "That's wonderful! Well, for her and Will, anyways. But Jack.why do they need to come?"
There was a short pause, where Jack glared at her, as if she should have already known. "Because, lass, we will need all the help we can get." He retorted angrily, standing up and stalking inside, slamming the door behind him. Senara bit her lip, worry in her eyes. What did he mean about needing help?
~