Disclaimer: No mouse ears for me. No profit made, just a little fun.
A/N: A little shorter than usual, but it's been hard for me to get to the computer, and I figured some was better than none. You may not agree… Oh, and hi, Keith.
Wait For No Man
Chapter 6
That man wasn't who he said he was. She might be only four, but she wasn't stupid.
Lizbet opened one dark eye. Good, it was just her and Belle. The little girl sat up, wiggling her hands. No, still tied tight. She sighed. Papa was going to be very, very angry at that man. And Godpapa, and most 'specially Uncle Captain Jack.
Her lower lip trembled, ebony eyes filling with tears. Then she squeezed her eyes shut, tight. She didn't want to cry. The man would know she was scared if she cried.
It would be all right. Papa was sure to be coming. Lizbet was worried about Godpapa, though. One of the men had hit him on the head and he fell down, and she thought he might have hurt himself 'cos he didn't get up and make them leave her alone.
At least the rag around her mouth was gone. Pretending to be sick had been a clever idea, she thought proudly. Belle was not as clever. She still had a rag 'round her face, and was all tied up too, 'cept her hands were behind her and her feet were tied, which made her more tied than Lizbet was. Lizbet squirmed, trying to loosen her hands again. Uncle Captain Jack told her once that if a knot got wet it made it tighter. These knots must have got awful wet.
Lizbet looked around. The sun was up, streaming through a porthole in the hold. Lizbet knew they were in the hold 'cos it smelt horrid and fishy. She was sitting on a pile of dirty rags. She looked down at her nightie and shook her head sadly at its torn and stained condition. Papa really was going to be very, very angry.
Belle was awake now, she noticed. Lizbet struggled to her bare feet and padded her way over to her nanny, tugging Belle's gag down with both tied hands and then snuggling into the bound woman's lap.
Belle lifted her knees to bring the child closer. "Are you well? They hasn't hurt you?"
Lizbet curled against Belle's chest and sniffled. "My head hurts, back here." She rubbed carelessly at the back of her head.
"Bend it forward, let me see then." Belle spent a time trying to move Lizbet's honey-colored hair with her lips and chin, then gasped and said a sharp word Papa wouldn't have liked. Her voice got softer again. "You has a little cut there, lamb. They hit you on the head too, like old Belle and the good Godpapa."
"Why did they hit us, Belle?"
Belle frowned. "I don't know, child, not for sure." She kissed the tot lightly on the head. "But you know what I t'ink? I t'ink these pirates in for some unhappy endin's, when your papa and the Captain Jack come. And they is comin', don't you doubt that, not for a minute. Look at me, child." Lizbet looked up at the only mother she'd ever known. "You know I loves you, like my own child you are to me. And you know I don't lie to you." Lizbet nodded. "There may be scary times comin', Lizbet. But you don't fear, you hear me? You listen sharp and do what Belle say, quick and without askin'." Lizbet nodded again, her dark eyes solemn. Belle smiled. "Our time's comin', lamb, I promise. Old Belle, she got some pirate in her too."
Lizbet nodded a third time and nestled close, feeling much better. Belle never, ever broke promises.
~*~
There she was. Tortuga.
Edmund ran his fingers through his hair, pushing back the long strands that had long ago come out of his club and now constantly whipped across his face. He'd go retie it, but it was his turn at the sheets. Bill had the wheel; Jack was taking a well-earned nap after sailing them all through the night.
Will slept on. At least Edmund hoped he did. The young father was in a state of extreme exhaustion; he had finally fallen asleep while keeping lookout on the bow. The sight of Bootstrap Bill Turner tenderly picking up his full grown son as though he were no more than Lizbet's age and carrying him into the cabin was one that Edmund would remember for a long time.
Bill shouted to him; Edmund nodded and let out one of the lines, watching the sail fill with wind. They'd had a solid blow now for most of the early morning. Edmund squinted across the horizon toward the island that was rapidly growing in size. The harbor was dotted with sails; one of them had to be the Pearl.
Jack came up from below, looking refreshed. "That didn't take long," remarked Edmund.
"Aye. I never sleep much when on the sea," said Jack with a grin. "She's too exacting a mistress." He looked Edmund up and down. "You begin to look the part, Edmund."
Norrington raised his eyebrows, glancing down at himself. True, he'd removed his coat and waistcoat; they were unnecessary nuisances when sailing. His white shirt hung loose and unbuttoned, tied at the waist with a sash he'd found in the hold. Well, he'd seen both Jack and Bill wear their shirts this way, letting the body of the garment fill with cool sea breezes instead of sweating like a pig in heat. It only made sense.
His boots were scuffed after a night at sea, his breeches tighter than usual in the humid air. Edmund glanced back up at Jack, who was chuckling. "I think I carry off the look of a pirate at least as well as you do a gentleman, Lord John," the governor said, a twinkle in his steel-gray eyes.
Jack laughed in earnest then. "Better, I should say. Welcome to Tortuga, Edmund."
~*~
"You told me you'd killed Norrington." The speaker's tone was surprised and annoyed.
"We did, left him with a dent in his head the size of my fist." That person nodded, causing the coins and beads tangled in his long black hair to jingle slightly.
"Then would you care to explain that?"
The false Jack took the spyglass offered him and peered through it. "A Navy ship? I'll be scuppered."
His questioner sighed. "No doubt. I don't see any sign of troops, however, nor young Turner, though it's unthinkable he'd not be on board. With Sparrow, of course."
The pirate nodded. "What do ye want me to do?"
"We'll simply move our timetable up a bit. Take our guests to the house now; I don't want them in the way."
"Aye." 'Jack' bowed his way out of the cabin.
~*~
Lizbet tightened her lips and made her angriest face at the pirate who held a knife at Belle's throat, but he didn't care. "Ye understand, then, me young missy? Ye makes a noise I don't like, and Nursie here goes to visit Davy Jones."
Lizbet knew what that meant, and she didn't want Belle to die. "I'm not stupid. Just like you're not Uncle Captain Jack."
The pirate smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile at all. " 'Uncle', is it? Never ye mind, poppet. Soon enough I'll be the only Jack Sparrow on the Spanish Main."
No you won't, thought Lizbet rebelliously, but she knew not to say so. The man who wanted to be Uncle Captain Jack pulled her hair up and rammed a big hat on her head. She looked down at herself in dismay. They'd made her dress like a boy. Ew.
Lizbet watched as they made Belle scrunch down in the bottom of the dinghy, where nobody could see her. The pirate tugged at her arm and sat her next to the other pirate in the small boat. "Ye'll sit here, then, young miss, and no trouble now. And ye," he added to Belle, who was looking very, very angry, "I don't want to hear nuffink out of ye or I'll cut the child. Clear?" Now Belle looked more scared than angry, and she nodded.
The hat was hot and the dinghy was smelly. Lizbet stuck out her lower lip and looked away from the stupid pirates. Suddenly her dark eyes opened wide. " 'Scuse me?" she said in a very small voice.
"I tol' ye to be quiet, lass."
"May I ask a question, please?" she whispered.
The pirate stared at her, his eyes all small and mean. "What, then?"
She nodded at the ship they were passing. "What does that boat say?" Lizbet was very proud of herself for saying 'boat'. Then they would think she was even dumber, and she could fool them. Stupid pirates.
The pirate glanced over his shoulder, then laughed. Lizbet hated people who laughed for no reason. "That, my hearty, is the famous 'Black Pearl'."
Lizbet nodded, looking at Belle. " 'Kay." Belle looked back at Lizbet, and the tot knew Belle had understood her. Lizbet knew perfectly well that that was Uncle Captain Jack's ship. She just wanted to make sure Belle knew, too.
~*~
Will yawned and sat up, disoriented. How long had he been asleep? He squinted at the cabin window, putting up a hand to block the sun that streamed through it. Was it midday?
He got to his feet and crossed to the window, opening it to catch a sea breeze. No, not midday, just a particularly bright morning.
The bay of Tortuga was spread out before him, filled with ships of every description. Including… Will smiled slightly. The Black Pearl. He wondered briefly whether Jack had gone over, but a quick glance told him that all the Makara's skiffs were in place. Waiting for Will himself, most like. He made to close the window, then paused. A small dinghy was rowing for shore, carrying two men and a small boy in a preposterous hat. Will's lips tightened, his mood rapidly darkening. That child must be just about Lizbet's age.
He closed the window and headed for the deck.