A/N: This story still has no spoilers for DMC. I did include a reference however, for those of you who have seen the movie. I thought it might be entertaining. For those of you who haven't…it should go right over your heads. I am also aware that the word "teenager" was not used in the times this story is set in, however, I am using it for practical purposes…to keep everyone on the same page and what not. Sorry that it took me 2 weeks to post this time, I promise, promise, promise I will do better.
NinaSky…Oh yes, the storms are going to be a bit tricky, aren't they? But it wouldn't be as much fun without all the drama on the high seas!
JackNanamaria…Now, now, we don't have harsh feelings for Lizzie, do we:o) Jack and Ana having kids…hmmm…I suppose I could tip you off now and not keep you in suspense…but really, what would be the fun in that! Mwahaha…you'll just have to keep reading. You know, I feel bad too about Ana's lack of an arm. I hated writing that, but it did seem to develop her character as well as Jack's feelings for her. We saw a softer side of him for a while.
Kungfuchick…Another bit of Ana goodness :o) Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.
LongingforLlangarlia…Elizabeth's mind is fun to play with…she always seems such a contrast. Makes for a good story, I suppose. Now, if only I could get Jack to want to "Convince me" :o)
Captainme…Another Elizabeth hater, eh? It is so odd to me because I do find her so annoying and I sit down to write this and this story is what comes out. I suppose she makes an interesting drama queen, however. I also love reading everyone's thoughts on what is going to happen. Having the entire story outlined already makes it all the more interesting.
Fredsonetrueluv…Yea! A boost to my ego! Thanks very much mate! I hope you keep enjoying more and more with each chapter.
Eddie…"Vintage Captain Jack"…I love it! I could just picture him peeking out of the cabin…it all came through very clear in my head. Glad I passed on the pictures to the reader.
An-angel-in-hell…Yes, I agree. If everyone just had more sex things would go much easier and everyone would be a lot happier.
Johnnycakesdepp…Glad you are enjoying. It's good to "convince" my readers too :o)
Chapter Thirty Four
Jack drifted in and out of sleep for a couple of hours and when he awoke, he found Anamaria shuffling over the map at his desk. Rubbing his eyes, he pulled himself from the bed to see what she was up to.
"It's about time you woke up," she said. "Did I tire you out?"
Jack smiled. "What are you doing?" he asked, gesturing towards the map.
"Just redirecting our course a bit. I want to try and stay away from the storms as much as possible," she said, setting down his nautical ruler.
Jack put a hand on her back, rubbing softly, unconsciously.
"Yes, keeping us safe is a good thing," he confirmed.
"I need to go back into town. I was hoping to wait until the rain let up," she said, glancing at the windows, "but it doesn't look like that's going to happen."
"Leaving so soon already?" Jack pouted.
"I'm sure if you get really bored, you can entertain yourself with Elizabeth," she said. She wanted to take the comment back as soon as it had left her lips, but it was too late.
Jack pretended to ignore it and she tried to skip over it, "I've been here longer than I planned on in the first place. I've got some things to do and I need to catch up with Captain Aquino."
"As if I wasn't enough for you?" the captain pouted again.
Anamaria stood from his desk and went to reply, but thought better of it. Instead she kissed him briefly on the lips. "I'll be back in five days. Be ready to sail out," she said, leaving him and his questions about Captain Aquino behind.
Jack got dressed properly and spent some time hovering over the maps, plotting more of their course. Why was Anamaria so anxious to leave, he wondered. She seemed to be very close to Captain Aquino these days. Was there more to that than met the eye? He wasn't sure why he felt the way he did, but he trusted her. Who knew though, it could be his downfall. He was already going against his better judgment by agreeing to sail out at this time of year.
Yet she had seemed so insistent. He could have told her that she could go ahead and he could meet up with her later, but he didn't want to split up. He was afraid that time was coming soon enough as it was and he wanted to put it off as far as possible.
He spent the day plotting and replotting their course. There was simply no good way to get where they wanted to go this time of year, especially when dropping Elizabeth off somewhere was considered. He also had a strong suspicion that most of their regular crewmembers would not be anxious to go to sea this time around. They were accustomed to taking this time off to spend their loot and make merry. Only the ones who were already running short on gold would find themselves in need of making this trip.
Jack smiled to himself, thinking that with the men he knew, he could actually see them being out of money already.
As it grew later in the day, Jack found himself growing sleepy. With the heavy rain that had been pouring down since the previous evening, it was impossible to tell what time of day it was. Dark black clouds covered the sky, refusing to let even the smallest ray of light through. The wind had picked up and the ocean was rough, he could feel the ship pitching to on the water's surface. If he stayed onboard through the night, it would be unpleasant at best.
He decided to find Elizabeth and go back into town. Knocking on the door of her cabin, he was greeted with a faint hello. Pushing open the door, he found her sitting on her bed, clutching Thomas' teddy bear to her chest. A steady stream of tears rolled down her face and she appeared disheveled.
"Are you alright?" Jack asked.
"Sure," Elizabeth answered, softly.
For the moment, he ignored her tears.
"I was thinking of going into town for the night. The storm is getting rough and I think we'd be better off on land," he announced.
"Alright," she said, gathering the bear and Will's sword, which still sat in the corner.
"You won't need these," Jack said, pulling the items from her hands and setting them on the bed. "They'll only get in your way. It's going to be a bit of a walk to the nearest inn and we're going to get quite wet on the way."
Elizabeth gave a pitiful look at being torn from her possessions.
"They'll be 'ere when we get back. The Pearl's not going to sink in Tortuga's harbor. This is as close to a home as she's got," he exclaimed.
"What am I supposed to take for clothes?" she asked.
Jack hadn't thought of that. Usually clothes weren't a necessity when he spent the night in Tortuga.
"Good question," he replied. "I'm not sure."
Trying to think quickly, he headed back to his cabin with Elizabeth following several steps behind. He picked up a small chest from the corner and stuffed a pair of his pants as well as one of her shifts inside. The chest barely closed, but he managed to get the latch in place. Taking a single bottle of rum from his cabinet and closing it he announced it was time to go.
Elizabeth led the way out of the cabin, Jack backtracking to get one more bottle of rum before locking the door behind them.
Making their way onto the deck and then out towards the dock, they were both soaking wet in less than five minutes. As they stepped onto the town's muddy streets, Jack passed her the two bottles of rum and wrapped an arm around her for protection. In a short time, he pulled her into the nearest inn. As he had expected, all of the rooms were already full for the evening. He cursed himself silently for giving up their room earlier and deciding to go back to The Pearl.
It wasn't until they were at the far edge of town that they finally found a room that was available. Unfortunately, the price included a whore and was typically only rented by the hour. An entire evening would cost the captain more than a shiny penny.
Too tired and wet to feel like negotiating, Jack pulled the eight shillings from his pocket and a young brunette peered around the corner at him.
"Jacquelyn, show this young couple their room and make sure the captain here gets what he paid for," the madam stated.
The young girl was quite pretty and Jack suspected she must be new to the trade to be as relatively cheap as she was. In a few months time, this girl would likely bring in an hour what he was now paying for the entire night. Once she was properly trained, that was.
Jack briefly thought of Scarlet, who undoubtedly would have had a room for him even tonight, despite the crowded conditions. Ah yes, he had helped train quite a few of her more talented whores back in his day. Breaking in the new ones had been one of his favorite tasks. She had given him a cheap price and he had turned her students into masters. He had trained her girls in the things that had brought huge sums of gold into her inn time and time again.
Jacquelyn led them upstairs to the second floor and let them into a room in the far back corner. Elizabeth went straight to the bed and Jack was left with the odd task of letting the whore know they weren't going to require her services. She pushed herself on him and Jack gripped her shoulders.
"It's alright luv, there'll be none of that this evening," he said.
She looked disappointed and he found himself wishing that he didn't have to send her away. She looked like she would be fun for one night, a lot more fun than Elizabeth was going to be. He glanced her direction to find her staring hard at him. If anything, she was just going to get him all worked up and then leave him with nothing as she had done the night before. He ran a finger across the whore's cheekbone, contemplating his situation.
Not missing an opportunity, she tugged at his pants, groping him hard. Jack gave a small grunt, reaching to pull her hands from him.
"You're very eager, aren't you?" he commented. "But as you see," he began, gesturing towards Elizabeth, "I'd have my hands full with the two of you."
"She doesn't seem very anxious to make sure you have a good time," Jacquelyn whispered hotly, managing to get one hand down the front of his pants.
Jack willed himself to pull her hand away. She was very good at what she had learned thus far.
"She's just being shy," he said, trying to hint towards her. "I thought you said you were ready for me luv," he tossed over his shoulder.
"Oh yes, yes, I am," Elizabeth tried.
"Well, go ahead and get that dress off then," Jack said.
Elizabeth realized that he was putting her in a difficult position on purpose and she shifted uncomfortably on the bed.
Jacquelyn noticed her discomfort and took it to her advantage. "Let me show her how to be good to you," she said, dropping to her knees and working at his pants.
Jack grabbed her elbows and pulled her to her feet. He slipped two shillings from his pocket. "For your enthusiasm," he said, holding them out to her. "The lass on the bed will be the one showing me a good time tonight though."
Elizabeth pulled her dress loosely down from her shoulders, hesitant to show too much skin. It suddenly struck her however, that she should use this time when Jack was probably the most distracted for the evening to change out of her wet clothes. The whore was clearly holding his attention well and she might not have much longer.
She moved from the bed to the corner of the room in a few short strides, retrieving her shift from the chest Jack had brought with them. She slipped the wet dress over her head quickly and began pulling on the shift despite it sticking to her wet skin.
Jack, still slightly distracted by the whore, was never one to miss an opportunity when the time was right. Sensing Elizabeth's movement, he turned just in time to see her pull the shift down over her body. He sighed to himself. The one time Elizabeth was going to change clothes in front of him and he had missed it, all because he was trying to convince a bloody whore to leave him alone. The whole situation seemed very ironic to him.
"Ye see? She's embarrassed. Go on now luv," Jack encouraged.
Jacquelyn took a reluctant step out the door.
"I paid you for the entire evening so your madam doesn't even have to know. Just go on home," he tried.
She still seemed disappointed and Jack wasn't quite sure why. He had not only paid her for the evening, but he had also slipped her something extra and she hadn't had to do a single thing to earn it. As he had suggested, she could go straight home and no one would be any wiser.
Shutting and locking the door behind her, he turned to see Elizabeth wringing the water out of her hair onto the floor.
"You know if you'd pulled that little disrobing trick a bit earlier, it might not have been so hard to convince her to leave," he said, crossing the room.
"Oh, but you seemed to be enjoying it so," she replied, a small smile creeping over her face. Despite the fact they had both been soaked in the rain and almost unable to find somewhere to sleep for the night, she appeared to be in a better mood than she had been back in the cabin. He wondered briefly if his company was to blame for it.
"Captain Jack Sparrow turning away a whore," she continued. "I thought I'd never live to see the day."
"Yes, let's not rub it in, alright?" he frowned. "I didn't even get to take what I paid for."
Elizabeth let out a small laugh.
"And I missed you changing clothes during the midst of it," he added, pouting.
"Yes, I know," she said, a full smile over her features now.
Jack took off his hat, slinging the rain from it before he sat it on the dresser in the corner of the room. He rang the water out of his bandana and his hair before pulling his shirt over his head. He sat his boots off to the side and moved to get the extra pair of pants from the chest they had brought.
Elizabeth found herself staring at his tanned and scarred chest for what was far from the first time in her life. She was so distracted that she almost forgot to look away as the pirate began to slip out of his pants.
"Admire all you want luv," he said smugly, causing her to snap back to attention and just barely miss seeing him entirely undressed before her.
"Jack!" she exclaimed, willing her eyes closed. "A better warning next time, please."
"I didn't know I needed to give you a warning when you'd been standing there watching from the beginning," he commented.
She heard the bed creak and assuming he had sat down on it, cracked one eye open to ensure he was clothed. Jack held back a laugh as he pulled the cork from a bottle of his rum and waited for her to sit down beside him.
"This all seems very familiar," he said, taking a long drink and passing the bottle to her. "Now where were we?"
"No thank you," she refrained. "I learned my lesson about drinking in bed with Captain Jack Sparrow."
She crawled farther up onto the bed, crossing her legs underneath her in an effort to get comfortable. Jack pulled himself fully onto the bed as well, leaning against the headboard and taking another long sip of rum.
"So when are we leaving port?" she asked quietly.
"Anamaria plans to head out in five days. We'll be sailing for Madagascar, but first we'll need to find somewhere to drop you off."
"Five days!" Elizabeth was shocked. "It's the storm season Jack! We can't just head out into open water at this time of year."
"We've plotted the safest course possible," Jack said, sipping his rum. "We'll be fine. Anamaria is anxious to get things underway."
"Is she mad at me and is trying to kill us all?" Elizabeth asked, half joking and half serious.
Jack turned a curious eye to her, letting the hand holding his rum bottle fall into his lap briefly. "Why do you think Anamaria has it out for you?"
Elizabeth's face crumpled. "Jack, I'm sorry. I know I've completely ruined your normal way of life."
He brought the bottle to his lips once more and took a long drink.
"I just," she was crying now, "I didn't know what else to do when I lost Will and Thomas. You were the only person who I knew wouldn't turn your back on me."
"You have nothing to be sorry for," the captain said, his voice low and thick. "I've told you so before and I'm not going to keep explaining myself. I'm a pirate. There is no normal way of life. Today I'm in Tortuga, tomorrow on the Spanish Main, and next month I could be sitting in a Turkish prison. It's all a matter of chance." He took another long drink of rum. "For you to sit here and cry day in and day out and say you're sorry you've ruined my life is ridiculous. I won't hear anymore of it."
Elizabeth dried her eyes and tried to hold in her tears. The silence grew between them as Jack continued drinking his bottle of rum. He offered it to her several more times, but she repeatedly refused.
"Jack?" she said softly, several minutes after his most recent offer.
He held out the bottle towards her, not even looking in her direction.
"No, I don't want the rum," she said.
"Oh," he commented, turning dark kohl rimmed eyes her direction.
"Where did you get those scars from?" she asked, gesturing towards his chest.
"I can't tell ye luv," he said, taking a long swallow. "We're not properly acquainted for that kind of storytelling just yet."
"Oh," she said, slightly disappointed. She was beginning to grow sleepy and decided to lean against the pirate's shoulder.
Jack resisted the temptation, instead putting an arm around her shoulder and allowing her to rest her head on his chest. It was a kind gesture, one that two close friends might participate in when they found themselves exhausted after a particularly long day and Elizabeth felt glad for Jack's company.
"Have you been a pirate all your life, Jack?" she asked.
Jack was curious as to why she had chosen that particular question. It was not one he normally entertained from anyone, but the past two days' events were wearing heavily on him and he felt inclined to share a very small glimpse into his past with Elizabeth.
"Believe it or not, I used to do a speck of honest sailing Elizabeth," he commented.
"Is that so?" she asked.
"I wasn't born into a naval family," the pirate began. "My mother was a gypsy. I never knew my father. As a child, we moved so often that by the time I was a teenager, I wanted nothing more than a permanent home. I took to the sea as a way to earn enough money to provide myself with that."
Elizabeth was growing sleepier by the minute, but she was also listening intently to Jack's story. He had never told her anything about his past. From as much as she could tell, Jack never really opened up to anyone. The only stories she had ever heard about him were the sensationalized tales of his adventures on the high seas. She wanted more than anything to know the true stories behind those experiences.
"I know it may seem a bit strange. In searching to settle down I only transferred myself into another life of constant traveling, but it's different here on the ocean, especially with The Pearl. She is my home.
"As a young man I worked on merchant ships. Being at sea came naturally to me. Hauling lines, furling sails, dousing canvas, all that had to be learned, but I was eager and it came easily. I had an honest goal at that time and the work was nothing compared to what I was to gain."
Jack took a long drink of rum.
"My plans fell through, but the money I had saved from the years' work at sea was enough to buy what you know as The Black Pearl. Back in our first years together she was simply The Pearl.
"When I first went out on my own, it was as a merchant captain, but it didn't take me long to learn that wasn't where the gold was. When the queen of Spain called for privateers and issued letters of marque, I decided to sign on. I had no loyalty to any particular country, but times were tough. Tides were always changing between the British and the Spanish and information traveled slowly overseas. I attacked a British ship two days after a peace treaty had been signed. We had not received news of the treaty and the ship happened to be of the British East India Company.
"Save for the men who jumped ship, my entire crew was captured and imprisoned. We were branded pirates and sentenced to be hung," Jack stopped, taking a long drink of rum.
"How did you escape?" Elizabeth asked.
"It's actually rather ironic," Jack began. "I'm sure he had no idea we were there. It just happened to be coincidence, but Captain Sewell and his crew of pirates from Neptune's Fury attacked the port that evening. We happened to escape during the chaos that ensued.
"After that, I turned pirate. I'd already been labeled that way and there was more gold in it for me anyway. I figured why not?"
"How did you get The Pearl back?" Elizabeth asked.
"Another time luv," he answered, reaching down to set his empty rum bottle on the floor. "Ol' Jack is very tired."
Jack stretched out on the bed and Elizabeth lay down beside him. In less than a minute, the captain was sound asleep. She listened to his steady breathing for a moment and then, deciding he must be fairly innocent in his sleep, curled up against him.