--On Deck (morning)--
Chapter 55: What's Going On?
Everyone was moving about the deck as they come into sight of Port Royal, Jack was ordering about while the others avoided him at all costs. Jack was still in a very irritable mood and hadn't had enough time to sort through his issues with Brandi. Elizabeth and Will were both staring over at the oncoming port in worry and excitement, but somehow the unknown had dampened a great deal of their enthusiasm especially after the scene in their cabin the night before. Will and Elizabeth both knew something was going to go down and something even serious enough to keep Brandi from her usual self, it had bothered Elizabeth most of the night and she was now tired and very cross.
"Get that blasted thing before it goes overboard." Elizabeth muttered under her breath watching Ragetti run after his eye at a distance and then glance up as though startled by her. "Sorry…long night." She whispered feeling guilty for being so harsh to him.
"No worries Miss." Ragetti said with a smile as he went off to work ducking under crewman moving things across deck.
"Where tis the lass?" Gibbs questioned seeing the couple were concerned over the issues among their friends.
"Asleep." Will answered seeing Elizabeth was sending a deadly glare at the oblivious Jack. "I hope." He said observing Elizabeth and cringing at what might happen to Jack if both women were to gang up on him.
"Anna…could you go find Brandi?" Elizabeth asked seeing Anna-Maria pause in her duties and shoot Elizabeth an "are you bloody nuts" look. "That answers that." She muttered leaning against Will and returning to glaring at Jack.
--In Jacks cabin--
"What's going on?" I wondered sitting up seeing no sign of Jack and noticing a slight imprint beside me on the bed where he had been the night before. I stood shifting around the cabin and finally found my way to the door. I was quite surprised to find it unlocked and finally made my way to the deck seeing Port Royal was approaching rather quickly in the distance and then groaned at the sight of the Dauntless moored off the side of one of the military docks. "This is going to be a loooong stay." I thought staring at the men running around the ship as though preparing it for a rather fast departure, which in turn peaked my interest. Soon we were docked and without a second thought I walked of the barely lowered gangplank ignoring all those aboard the Pearl and paused within a short distance of the active Dauntless sensing someone come up behind me and pause. I turned to see Elizabeth standing there observing my actions curiously before she also noticed the activity and stood there staring around in curious wonder.
"You're back." Growled a soft defined voice as I turned to face Gillette eyeing both Elizabeth and myself with a disgusted look.
"Nice to see you too lap dog." I muttered ignoring the evil look I received and following after Elizabeth who was approaching a rapidly walking Norrington headed toward the Dauntless. "Hello James." I said in greeting ignoring the sour look I received and seeing Elizabeth observing him carefully.
"What's going on James?" Elizabeth asked hearing a very irritated sigh and then saw him wave her away. "Hey." She cried following after Norrington who easily went around her and me both straight to the Dauntless.
"If you must know Miss Elizabeth, Grisham, and his most trusted crew managed an escape the other night and I am out to retrieve them." Norrington replied before ordering everyone to get ready to leave. "I would appreciate it if you extended your visit in Port Royal…and left those two out of this." He said pointing in the distance at me and Jack who were eyeing the situation together.
"He looks mad." Jack said as I nodded stepping out of his reach knowing full well he was still trying to get on my good side. "Can't we call it off love…this is very tiring." He said rolling his eyes as I gave him a very evil glare of my own and swatted away his arm that attempted to move around my shoulders.
"Jack…stop." I warned ignoring the huff beside me and watching Elizabeth surrendering in frustration before walking over joining us. "What's going on Elizabeth?" I asked seeing her frown before she shrugged and walked over with Will motioning us to follow. "Yick…corsets and dresses again." I thought sourly before following the couple through several alleyways of Port Royal until we came to the mansion which we were quickly ushered into. Elizabeth watched Jack and me head up the stairs before she dragged Will to a meeting with her father.
"Something is seriously wrong here." Jack muttered beside me as I nodded both of us entering Elizabeth's old room and both sighing irritably. "Can we discuss this…tension?" he questioned as I flopped across the bed wrinkling my nose at the trunk that was set into the room and groaned irritably. "Brandi, we work well together but only when we forgive each other…at the moment I think ye might run me through." He said as I sat up throwing a pillow at him and crossing my arms a scowl on my face.
"You. Are. So. Stubborn." I growled before deciding against the rant that came to mind and sighing. "Revenge isn't always the answer Jack…I can't blame you for wanting it though, he did take over the Pearl…I'm fine with that, just stop ordering me around I hate it." I said observing him for a reaction and noting the dark look in his face at the mention of Grisham taking charge of the Pearl. "Oops." I thought realizing I had gone a bit too far with my lecture. "You know what I mean…if you need my help ask, don't just assume I'll do whatever you say…I may love you but that doesn't mean I'm not my own person."
"Yer annoyed because of that…that's all this damn fighting is about?" Jack asked exasperatedly as he waved his hands around like a lunatic. "Bloody woman…I thought I had done something serious." He muttered leaning against the door and giving me a hard annoyed look.
"That is something serious…I don't like hurting people for my revenge or anyone else's, innocent bystanders should not be used like that." I said hearing voices in the hall and pausing in my lecture standing and walking over leaning my ear against the door sensing Jack shift around and do the same.
--Outside the Door--
"Elizabeth this is a very bad idea…with Jack's mood the way it is and their constant fighting…keeping that from them will send them both over the edge." Will whispered carefully to his wife observing the door they were very close to before moving further away.
"I know that Will." Elizabeth muttered following her husband out of hearing range of her old room.
--Inside the room--
"What are those two talking about?" Jack asked softly near my ear making me jump at the close proximity.
"I have a feeling it's something to do with Grisham." I muttered straining my ears and hearing no more of the conversation. "Norrington was in an very big hurry to leave and clearly wanted to avoid me as much as you." I said turning and meeting curious brown eyes allowing a small smile seeing Jack intent in thought.
"Ye don't think Grisham got away do you?" Jack questioned his brows quirking inquisitively as I nodded frowning slightly at the dark look that again crossed his face. "I need to find out, cover for me love." He said before I started to protest he was out the balcony and somehow managing to climb down the side of the house.
"Bloody pirate." I thought hearing feet coming toward our room and freezing in panic. I needed an excuse for Jack and quickly which I knew would be very difficult in the current situation. "Not so difficult." I thought wrinkling my nose in annoyance wondering if I could pretend we were working on making up or not. I heard a hesitant tap at the door and grumbled running over to my trunk ignoring it as the clothes literally exploded into the room and quickly gathered several of the dresses tucking them in the bed hoping it would appear to be a human form. I then went to the door and cautiously opened it hoping if it was Elizabeth she didn't insist on coming into the room. Elizabeth stood there hands clasped expectantly before sighing and tilting her head in thought. She had changed into a crème colored dress with a rose print and looked thoroughly uncomfortable.
"What is it Liz?" I asked seeing her cross her arms thoughtfully before nodding and motioning for me to follow her. "Jacks asleep." I whispered seeing her roll her eyes and give me a curious look before she realized what she had assumed happened hadn't. "No…he's still in trouble. I'm too high maintenance remember?" I asked hearing a small giggle before she nodded leading me down to an identical room nearly in every detail of hers except there were two balconies.
"Brandi…please I'm begging you do not repeat what Will and I are about to discuss with you…I don't think it's wise to go rushing off after all that's happened." Elizabeth said hesitantly before I gave her a hard look and tilted my head in expectation.
"Grisham, Ridley, Gwen, Liana, Kimball and Wallace managed to escape. The rest of his crew are still trapped in the cells and are scheduled to hang tomorrow morning." Will said seeing me cringe at the idea of the men hanging before my eyes widened in realization and I slapped my face in annoyance.
"What?" Elizabeth questioned as I sighed and shrugged. "Brandi…you're hiding something, I know that look." She muttered her hands now on her hips eyes intently studying me.
"Where's Jack?" Will questioned as I smiled and explained he was asleep in the room and had become thoroughly agitated with me. "Oh." He answered giving me an observing look as intent as Elizabeth's. "You're lying." He said as I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed my arms.
"Yes I am…but Jack will bite of my head if he finds out I gave him away." I thought seeing the couple both give me a very intent and annoyed look. "Please don't." I thought watching as Will quickly exited the room followed by Elizabeth forcing me to run after them both into the room I shared with Jack. I closed my eyes as Elizabeth walked over and yanked the blankets quickly from the bed.
"Bloody woman what the hell or ye doing?" cried Jack sitting up and glaring at a very startled looking Elizabeth. "Jack…he's back." I thought rubbing my neck in relief and watching Will eye me again suspiciously.
"Sorry Jack…Brandi was acting all suspicious is all, had to check." Elizabeth said before excusing herself and Will from the room shutting the door quietly behind them. I waited until I was sure they were gone before turning to Jack.
"That was close…Jack you know very well I'm a bad liar." I grumbled flopping on the other side of the bed and sighing relieved he had managed to get back into the room before the couple found out he had vanished.
"I had a feeling ye might be needing me back soon." Jack said with a smirk as I rolled over and smacked him in the arm. "What did they tell ye…because Grisham is not in the cell and neither are our other good friends." He said a dark look again crossing his face.
"You found out what they told me." I answered feeling his hand lightly rubbing my arm and for once not pulling away, my mind was elsewhere and I knew our stay in Port Royal wouldn't last long with Grisham loose. "Are you going to give James a chance to catch him, or chase him down yourself again?" I asked seeing his eyes were dark at the thoughts clearly racing through both our minds.
"I think I'll give the good Commodore a few days…before I go find him myself." Jack answered seeing a genuine smile cross my face for the first time in what felt like a very long while. "I see that was what you weren't expecting me to say." He said as I nodded snuggling closer into his embrace and relaxing.
"I half expected you to order us to immediately return to the Pearl." I muttered yawning tired and finally comfortable against Jack listening to the rhythm of his breathing and feeling my lids grow heavy.
