CHAPTER 14: Professional Pirates…

"Welcome aboard Master Turner!", shouted Gibbs from the helm when he saw the four boarding the ship. Will smiled at Gibbs, whose face sank once he saw the two women on the deck. Gibbs looked away, mumbling something about "bad luck", and "rum".

"HOIST THE MAIN SAILS! SET SAIL EAST! TO BARBADOS!", Jack shouted, earning a shocked look from Will and Elizabeth.

"Barbados!", Elizabeth screeched to Will. "Can you believe it!", she said with a smile hugging Will. Phoenix went up behind Elizabeth and patted her on the shoulder. "You'll love it…", she said with a smile, leaving the Turners' and walking into Jack's cabin.

Phoenix quickly changed her clothes, quietly singing a song, putting on her favorite red bustier, tight black pants and knee-high black boots. Just as she was applying her kohl to her eyes, Jack came waltzing in, and changed his clothes just as fast as Phoenix had. He slowly walked up behind her as she was fixing her hair into a ponytail.

"Luv… I 'ave a question for ye…", he asked as she finished doing up her hair. "Where were ye born?", he asked, looking her in the eyes.

Phoenix looked at him confused for a moment. "Jamaica… Port Antonio… why?", she asked. He'd never asked her that before, but she didn't see how it could be important.

"Ye were usin' an accent when ye were just singin' a moment ago. I was curious…", Jack said, kissing her gently on the neck. Phoenix giggled and slightly blushed. "Actually… it's the same tune a friend of mine sings…", Jack said walking towards the cabin doors.

"That's impossible… No one sings that song but my grandmother… unless…", Phoenix thought in disbelief.

"Tia Dalma sings it every time I see 'er… Do ye know 'er?", Jack asked turning to face Phoenix. Phoenix's eyes grew wide with shock…

"I--- Uhh--- yeh… on an occasion. It must've stuck with me then eh?", she said nervously biting her lip. Jack looked her over once questioningly.

Jack nodded at her, then opened his mouth to speak. "I like yer outfit luv…", he said with a wink & a smirk, and then walked out of the cabin.

Phoenix exhaled deeply. "I luv ye Jack… but I don't think I could trust ye with a secret such as this…", she said to herself as she picked up her locket from the side-table. She looked it over for a moment and then opened it, letting the music fill the room.

oooooooooo

Elizabeth walked across the deck to Jack. "Jack… where's Phoenix?", she asked as he looked down at his compass. "In me cabin I believe…", he said, studying and shaking his compass around frantically. Elizabeth giggled and proceeded to Jack's cabin.

She knocked, but no one answered. Elizabeth slowly opened the door of the cabin. "Hello? Phoenix? Are you in here?", she asked.

"I'm over here… sorry…", Phoenix said sitting on the bed, studying her locket. Elizabeth heard the end of the song as Phoenix snapped the locket shut. Elizabeth went over to the bed and sat down beside Phoenix.

"Now… tell me… do you love Jack?", Elizabeth asked, her face as bright as a little school girls', ready to gossip. Phoenix laughed at her question and thought for a moment, playing with the ring Jack had given her.

"With all me heart… I couldn't imagine him never bein' here with me…", she answered the question, beginning to fidget with her locket once more.

Elizabeth's smile quickly faded and turned into a frown as she looked down at the locket Phoenix held in her hands…

"That locket… that's the locket of---", Elizabeth began, breathless. Phoenix shot up quickly. "How do ye know of the locket?", Phoenix questioned, worried.

"I won't tell anyone… I promise. But… if you have that, that means you're---", Elizabeth began again.

"---Related to him, yes… Now please, don't let that information leave this room…", Phoenix finished. Elizabeth looked frightened as she nodded, her eyes never faltering from Phoenix's.

"Does Jack know?", Elizabeth asked with curious eyes. Phoenix shook her head, her eyes focusing on the locket once more.

"I love Jack… but he's still a pirate. I don't want him to use this information against me or… my grandfather…", Phoenix said sadly.

"Grandfather?", Elizabeth questioned. "Aye..", Phoenix whispered back to her. "Yer the only person outside my bloodline to know this… So guard it, and guard it well…", Phoenix said looking Elizabeth in the eyes. Elizabeth nodded. "Good…", Phoenix smiled at her, placing her locket back on the side-table.

oooooooooo

Just as Phoenix and Elizabeth emerged from the Captain's cabin, they saw a young boy being dragged across the ship… no older than 15.

"Cap'n! We 'ave ourselves 'ere a stowaway! Shall I cut off the lads ears?", the burly man said while grazing his blade along the boys' ear.

Jack looked down at the young boy, pale of fear and laughed. "Now lad.. what ye be doin' on me ship?", Jack asked the young boy leaning close to him.

"I mistook this ship for a merchant ship! But you're! You're pirates!", the young boy quivered. Jack laughed a hearty laugh and looked at the boy once again.

"You say that like it's a bad thing…", Jack grinned leaning back looking around at his chuckling crew.

"Pirates are the scum of the earth!", the young boy spat at Jack… fear clear in his voice. Jack looked at him once more.

(Professional Pirate – By: Muppet Treasure Island)

"Why boy, when I was just a lad,

Looking for my true vocation,

My father said now son,

this choice deserves deliberation." , Jack oddly enough… began to sing. Phoenix and Elizabeth's faces lit up, but Gibbs merely rolled his eyes and took another swig of his flask.

"Though ye could be a doctor,

or p'raps a financier,

My boy why not consider,

a more challenging career!"

Just then, the rest of the men on board began to sing. "Sing it lads!", Jack exclaimed as he went up to the helm.

"Hey Ho! Ho! You'll explore all the shores!

You'll keep yer mind and body fit,

By working out of doors!", they finished, and Jack began again.

"True friendship and adventure

are what we can't live without!

And when yer a professional pirate

that's what the jobs about!"

The crew began to laugh heartily while watching the expression on the boys' face. Phoenix and Elizabeth were in tears at Jack singing a song about pirates.

"Some say that pirates steal

And should be feared and hated

I say, we're victims of bad press,

It's all exaggerated…"

"We'd never stab ye in the back,

We'd never lie or cheat…", at this last part, Will scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"We're just about the nicest guys

ye'd ever want to meet!"

Phoenix and Elizabeth ran up to the helm with Jack and began singing along side him to the young boy.

"Hey Ho! Ho! It's One for all for one,

And we'll share each share wit the likes of ye

And treat ye like a son!"

"We're gentlemen, the fortunate

It's what we're proud to be

And when yer a professional pirate"

"You'll be honest brave and free!

The soul of decency!

You'll be loyal and fair and none the square!

And most importantly"

Just then, Elizabeth and Phoenix beat Jack to the verse and finished the rest of his song.

"When yer a professional pirate,

You're always in the best of companyyyyyy!", they finished, earning many shouts of appreciation. The young boy who had been frightened before, was now bright eyed and laughing along with the crew.

Jack laughed as he walked down to the young boy and helped him off the floor. "Consider yerself our new cabin boy… GIBBS!", he shouted. "Show young master… what's yer name lad?", he asked.

"Walker, sir… at yer service!", the boy said merrily.

"Haha! Walker! Gibbs, show 'im around will ye?", Jack said, before turning on heel and walking up to Phoenix and Elizabeth.

"My word Jack Sparrow… I didn't know ye had a voice…", Phoenix said with her hands on her hips locking eyes with a grinning Captain.

"All secrets will come out in due time dearie…", Jack said, battling her tongue with his own. Elizabeth gave Phoenix a worried look, then went to join Will.

"For both our sakes… I hope not…", Phoenix thought as she broke the kiss with Jack. "I'll be in yer cabin reading…", Phoenix said to Jack before she turned and walked away. Jack nodded and went over to Elizabeth and Will.

"Ye can both use the extra cabin below deck… It's not big, but… it'll do", jack said to a happy Will and Elizabeth. "Roberts! Show em to the extra cabin will ye mate?", he asked while walking down to the galley.

"Aye cap'n…", Roberts answered, introducing himself to the young couple.

oooooooooo

Jack walked into the galley and sat down at the head of the small island-table with an apple in-hand. "Deal yer generous captain a hand mates…", Jack said while watching the remainder of a poker game.

"So cap'n… tell us… what's it like with Phoenix…", a young Lawrence asked Jack with eagerness in his voice. Jack laughed and placed a bet.

"She's a bloody goddess…", he said while studying his cards. He wasn't a "kiss n' tell" sort of man. "But… I'll tell ye this… I think I wanna spend the rest o' me life with that woman.", he said placing a flush down onto the table. A couple of the men looked at Jack with disbelief. The young Lawrence now had a sullen expression on his face, probably because his chances with Phoenix were now entirely un-imaginable. As if they weren't before…

A couple of hours later, the men at the table were drunk off their arses and smoked more than enough hemp to last them quite some while. Jack looks very drowsy, but still had a smirk plastered on his face.

"Now, Now… ye boys wouldn't be slackin' on the job now would ye?", Phoenix said entering the room walking over to a happy Jack. The men began to laugh and shout, "his fault", pointing at their captain. Phoenix merely giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Come on ye…", she said as she grabbed Jack by the arm and led him from the galley. Just as the laughing subdued, the men saw their captain run frantically into the galley and grab a bottle of rum, laughing, and running back from where he came. They began to chuckle again and went back to their card games.

oooooooooo

"Jack… ye don't need anymore rum…", Phoenix said, taking the bottle from Jack and pushing him down onto his bed. Jack gave a disappointed grunt and attempted to reach for the bottle.

"Bubba!", Jack began to whine with outstretched arms. "Oh for the love of Christ…", Phoenix said rolling her eyes at Jack while she pulled off his boots for him. Phoenix got off Jack and began to douse the candles of his cabin. She suddenly heard Jack's loud snores and began to giggle. "Bloody pirate…", she said as she laid beside him snuggling into his shirt.