Jack & Katrina
Disclaimer: No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy.
Author's Note: As I still seem to be stuck on my other stories… I find myself still pouring into these little ficlets. Let me know what you all think of this! Please! I hope it's ok!
Tattoos
All had gone well. Very well, in fact. The pathetic French vessel easily caved in and nearly handed over all its plunder on a silver platter. However, just as Jack followed the last of his crewmen onto the Pearl a dart pierced his heart as he heard one French sailor mumble to another how unthreatening the black ship appeared with the numerous barnacles appearing above the waterline. This, naturally, brought Jack to anchor the Pearl at the nearest uninhabited island.
"How we 'bout doin' 'ere, gents?" the pirate captain asked as he stepped into the cargo hold.
Gibbs looked up from a pile of rich fabrics, but before he could open his mouth little nine-year-old Jack jumped in from beside him. "Not bad, Dad!"
At this, Gibbs merely grinned at Sparrow. "Aye, not bad at all."
"And you sailors?" Jack turned his head to where a pile of spices lay for the count.
"Still counting," eight-year-old William the Third replied, his eyes fixed in concentration as his hand pointed at different items.
"Yeah, Dad," six-year-old John added. "Still counting."
Jack chuckled. "Is that so?"
"Aye, Jack," the former blacksmith spoke up as he etched a mark in the parchment he held. "We're still counting, so go away."
Jack chuckled again before giving a nod and pivoting around to leave.
Through the doorway and up the stairs Jack made his way to the main deck.
"Look, Karina!" Jack heard his wife announce as he emerged from below deck. "Daddy's right there!"
In no time at all the little three-year-old collided into his legs.
"Why 'ello there, me li'l love," Jack smiled down at his daughter.
"Daddy, you said I could help take care of the ship!"
"Aye, I remember sayin' that."
"Well, what can I do?"
"What do ye mean 'what can ye do?'" Jack frowned as he combed a hand through her dark hair. "I though we already discussed this. You, my Karina, are t' help your mother clean out our room."
"But that's not taking care of the ship! I wanna do something that-"
"Oh, but, me li'l love, that is takin' care o' the ship! That's the most important part o' the whole ship!"
Karina's pout was instantly replaced by a look of skepticism – one all too familiar to Jack as had been given many times in the past by his wife. "It is?"
"O' course it is, darlin'!"
"Why?"
Jack swiveled his head left and right, looking out across the deck, before lowering himself to his little girl to whisper, "Because it's the captain's quarters. And the captain's the most important person on this ship."
"Oh," Karina whispered in a mix of awe and understanding.
"And who is the captain o' this ship?"
Karina brightened into a big smile. "You are!"
"And who's family stays in the captain quarters?"
"Our family!"
"Right ye are, me li'l love," Jack said as he straightened up and took one of her small hands in his. "Now let's get back t' your mum so you can begin helpin' her, shall we?"
"Uh-huh," Karina nodded.
The two then walked toward the captain's cabin where Katrina was in front of the double-doors holding up baby Pearl by her hands as she attempted to walk.
"And what 'ave we 'ere?" Jack teased as he and Karina came closer. "Me li'l Pearl tryin' t' get her sea legs already?"
"Perhaps," Katrina laughed before sweeping the babe up into her arms so that she could stand straight to properly speak to her husband. "So how is everything below deck?"
"Goin' well as of now," Jack shrugged. "They're still in the process o' countin' everythin'."
"Ah," Katrina smiled. She then turned her eyes to her eldest daughter. "I saw that you spoke to Daddy."
"Uh-huh."
"And what have you decided to do?"
"I'm gonna help clean the captain's quarters!"
"Are you?"
"Uh-huh."
"Are you ready to get started?"
Karina looked up at her father, not sure of what to say. Jack merely nodded down at her.
"Yeah, I think so."
Katrina's smile widened. She then turned back to her husband. "Imagine that. My daughter now wants to help me."
Jack gave a lopsided grin. "She just needed a bit o' inspiration, love."
"Uh-huh," Katrina echoed her daughter. "Well, why don't we go in the cabin and get started. That way we can be all done by the time Elizabeth and Emily are done with cleaning the galley and cooking dinner."
After leaving little Karina to a proficient start at cleaning the captain's cabin with his wife, Jack walked along the brim of the Black Pearl eyeing the work of the rest of his crew cleaning the barnacles from his ship. The port side seemed to be cleaning up rather nicely, but the starboard side was another story.
"No, no, no!" Jack shouted down at Pintel and Ragetti. "You're not scraping hard enough!"
"Is this better, captain?" Ragetti offered as he gave an example of taking off a bit with the piece of iron he had.
"No, no! Stop that!" Jack cried out. "Don't go against the grain like that, man! You'll ruin me Pearl for good!"
"Aye, it would," Pintel agreed. "I tried t' tell him that, captain. This is the best way t' go about it." He then showed his way of attempting to break off a barnacle.
Jack brought his hand to his forehead with a groan. He then, with another irritated growl, stripped off his hat, coat, effects, and shirt and took hold of a rope to guide him to the two barnacle-heads trying to clean his ship.
"No!" Sparrow huffed we he arrived between the two pirates, taking the iron tool from Ragetti. "This is how ye clean me ship!"
For the rest of the afternoon Jack continued to help out in cleaning his ship – from the barnacle-covered hull to swabbing the main deck. And as he went about in directing his crew and joining in on the work, Karina, from the time the cabin was done being cleaned, stood at the doorway of the captain's quarters watching him.
"What are you doing, Karina?" Katrina asked as she approached her daughter after putting baby Pearl down for a nap.
"Nothing," Karina murmured, her eyes completely fixed on her father.
Katrina simply gave a small smile as she too looked across the deck at her husband. Jack had his beck toward them as he and a few other men were untangling and retying a few of the lines from the main mast.
"Mamá?"
"Yes, Karina?"
"Why is Daddy the only one with all those things on his back?"
"You mean the tattoos?"
"Uh-huh."
"I don't know."
"Hmmm… Mamá?"
"Yes, Karina?"
"What do the tattoo things mean?"
"Well, what you see on your father's back is a poem."
"A poem?"
"Yes, a poem… something like the words of a song."
"Oh. And what does the poem say?"
Katrina smiled to herself as she placed on her daughter's head. "Why don't you ask him to tell you about it when he's done working."
"Oi, it's so bloody hot out there!" Jack declared upon enter his cabin an hour later.
"Are you all done, Daddy?" Karina asked as she jumped off the bed from reading a book with her mother.
"Nearly there, me li'l love," Jack nodded before grabbing the bottle of rum off his desk and taking a large gulp of it.
"Daddy?" Karina questioned as she came closer to her father.
"Yes, me li'l love?"
"What do all those words on your back say?"
Jack choked on his rum.
"What was that, me li'l darlin'?"
"The tattoo things all over your back. What do they mean? And why don't nobody else have 'em, too?"
Jack looked at his little girl for a long moment before decidedly put down his rum on the desk again and squatting down to her level.
"You want t' know what all these mean?" he asked as he pointed to where some of the words were tattooed on his upper arms and shoulders.
"Uh-huh," Karina nodded before her eyes caught sight of other things. "And those… and those," she then added as she pointed to the scars on his chest and the other tattoos inked on his body.
Jack took a deep breath. "Well, t' begin with… the words on me back are a poem."
"I know. Mamá told me that… but what does the poem say?"
"The poem says:
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world."
Karina looked at Jack in confusion. "But what does that mean?"
Jack gave a small laugh. "Basically, Karina, it means to not take anything for granted, love life to the fullest, and be the best person you can be."
"Oh. I like that."
Jack grinned. "Glad ye do, me li'l love."
"And what about the other tattoo thingies on your arms and chest-"
"Well this one wi' the letter 'P' isn't a tattoo, but it means I'm a pirate."
"Uh-huh."
"This one wi' the sparrow flyin' means freedom. I added your brother Jack's name underneath it soon after he was born."
"Uh-huh."
"Up 'ere just above me elbow," Jack pointed with his left hand at the crossed swords, "represents your brother John… his name's underneath it."
"Uh-huh."
"Now, the one o'er 'ere on me heart," Jack pointed at the small red rose, "is for your mother… and her name is just below that."
"Uh-huh. And what about me?"
"I'm gettin' there. You're next. See?" Jack asked as he pointed to the upper part of his left arm just above his elbow with his right hand. "Ye see the mermaid with the chest and all the jewels?"
"Uh-huh."
"That's for you, darlin'. Your name is just under that."
"Yay!"
"And lastly, there's this one for your li'l sister," Jack said as he pointed down to the lower part of his left arm. There tattooed on his arm was the emblem of the Black Pearl, the winged maiden holding out the little sparrow bird. "And ye see I 'ad her name put below that one, too."
"Oh. And what about that thing?" Karina asked as she pointed to the scar along the inner part of Jack's arm at his elbow.
"That, is a scar from a very bad fight."
"And that?" she asked pointing to the mark at the top right corner of his chest, left by Blackbeard.
"Another scar… from a very bad man."
"A very bad man?"
"Aye, me li'l love. Very bad."
Karina reached out her small hand to touch it. "Strange."
Jack gently removed her hand with his. "I know, darlin'."
"And those things?" Karina's eyes wandered a little lower.
"These," Jack pointed to the wounds in the right side of his chest, "are sores from where somebody shot me wi' a gun."
Karina's eyes went wide. "Somebody tried to shoot you Daddy?"
"Aye."
"You mean… somebody wanted to kill you?"
"Aye, me li'l love."
"Like that very bad man?"
"Aye."
"Why?"
Before Jack could answer, Katrina spoke up from the bed. "Because they were bad people who didn't like your Daddy."
"Why didn't they like you, Daddy? I like you. Everybody likes you."
Exchanging a look with his wife, Jack sighed and settled to answer with, "I don't know."
"Oh," Karina replied sadly.
Suddenly a cocky grin spread across the pirate's face. "Actually, the reason why those people didn't like me is because your daddy's Captain Jack Sparrow."
A smile reappeared on Karina's face. "And nobody messes with Captain Jack Sparrow!"
"Right you are, me li'l love. Right you are."