A/N: Hello, readers! yay, reviews! They are making us happy! This is a somewhat short chapter, but I think it is an important one. Apologies for it's length, but my muse is utterly exhausted (and I was up late last night, so I'm tired). Anyhoo, please enjoy, because this was kind of a hard one to write and still keep Jack in character. Let me know if you think I did (or if you didn't think I did).
It took Jack a full three minutes to remember that he kept a set of the keys to the brig tucked under one of his various sashes, but another five to dig them out. Quite fortunately, Anna-Maria did not know he had those keys, so, with luck, he would be able to deliver his favorite line ("I'm Captain Jack Sparrow"). His thoughts darkened suddenly. The crew wouldn't dare mutiny … would they? He trotted up the stairs two at a time, and then came to an abrupt stop when he was faced with Ellie, giving him a venomous look. He teetered dangerously on the edge of the top step, and had to grab the rickety rail to keep from falling again.
"What do you want now?" he hissed, trying to keep his voice down. All of his usual good humor had been completely worn away, revealing raw nerves. All because of this kid!
The little girl held out a set of keys. Jack stared at them in consternation.
"I was going to let you out."
Jack was completely nonplussed. He worked his mouth a few times, then asked,
"Well, why's that love?"
"'Cause Anna-Maria was mean to you."
Jack lowered his eyebrows, not understanding.
"She yelled at you a lot. I don't like when people yell."
There was something really pitiful in the little girl's voice. Jack had a flash of the emotion that, as a pirate, he always tried to repress, the very thing Anna-Maria had accused him of not having: compassion. Jack knelt down so that he was eye-to-eye with Ellie.
"Did someone yell at you, love?"
"My papa."
"Does he live in Tortuga?"
"Not anymore. He left when my mother died."
"So you were in Tortuga alone?"
"Yes."
Suddenly, Ellie ducked her head as if embarrassed, handed the keys to Jack, and scurried away above decks, leaving Jack kneeling like a fool at the top of the stairs. He didn't move for a moment, but worked the keys through his fingers, studying them idly.
"That's interesting …" he murmured. "That's very interesting."
A/N: I know, I know. I told you it was short. I know I used Jack's too-often-used-in-fanfic phrase "That's interesting", but I genuinely thought it fit here. Let me know if you think so, please!! Sorry, no kisses from Jack this time; he's asleep, poor little muse. He's very tired. ::gives Jack a pat on the head::
It took Jack a full three minutes to remember that he kept a set of the keys to the brig tucked under one of his various sashes, but another five to dig them out. Quite fortunately, Anna-Maria did not know he had those keys, so, with luck, he would be able to deliver his favorite line ("I'm Captain Jack Sparrow"). His thoughts darkened suddenly. The crew wouldn't dare mutiny … would they? He trotted up the stairs two at a time, and then came to an abrupt stop when he was faced with Ellie, giving him a venomous look. He teetered dangerously on the edge of the top step, and had to grab the rickety rail to keep from falling again.
"What do you want now?" he hissed, trying to keep his voice down. All of his usual good humor had been completely worn away, revealing raw nerves. All because of this kid!
The little girl held out a set of keys. Jack stared at them in consternation.
"I was going to let you out."
Jack was completely nonplussed. He worked his mouth a few times, then asked,
"Well, why's that love?"
"'Cause Anna-Maria was mean to you."
Jack lowered his eyebrows, not understanding.
"She yelled at you a lot. I don't like when people yell."
There was something really pitiful in the little girl's voice. Jack had a flash of the emotion that, as a pirate, he always tried to repress, the very thing Anna-Maria had accused him of not having: compassion. Jack knelt down so that he was eye-to-eye with Ellie.
"Did someone yell at you, love?"
"My papa."
"Does he live in Tortuga?"
"Not anymore. He left when my mother died."
"So you were in Tortuga alone?"
"Yes."
Suddenly, Ellie ducked her head as if embarrassed, handed the keys to Jack, and scurried away above decks, leaving Jack kneeling like a fool at the top of the stairs. He didn't move for a moment, but worked the keys through his fingers, studying them idly.
"That's interesting …" he murmured. "That's very interesting."
A/N: I know, I know. I told you it was short. I know I used Jack's too-often-used-in-fanfic phrase "That's interesting", but I genuinely thought it fit here. Let me know if you think so, please!! Sorry, no kisses from Jack this time; he's asleep, poor little muse. He's very tired. ::gives Jack a pat on the head::