Disclaimer: As I stated in the last chapter, I do NOT own any of the characters from POTC unless I invented them, so suing me would be a waste of time.
A.N.: I've gotten several more reviews, and thanks to all of you that have taken the time to read, it really does mean a lot to me! Please keep R&R-ing!
Chapter 2: New Shipmates
"The name Turner isn't anything to me, lass. Now what're you doing all alone on this island?" Jack responded, searching her face, noting how strangely familiar her features were. She reminded him of Will.
"My crew dumped me here after they stole my ship. I tried to fight them," she said, showing Jack, Anamaria, and Gibbs the gashes that covered her arms and face. "If you couldn't tell, I lost. I was outnumbered." She lifted her skirt to show them the deep laceration in her thigh.
Anamaria frowned. "Girl, that looks infected. Let me see that." She knelt by the other woman's leg and inspected the wound, her fingers lightly tapping the swelling skin of the cut. Rosemarie gasped as Anamaria's hand slipped and touched the exposed tissue inside the wound. Blood ran out along with a clear liquid, and Rosemarie's leg buckled underneath her, sending her falling into the sand with a thump.
"I'm sorry, lass," Anamaria said quickly, helping the girl regain her feet.
"It's all right, I've been through worse." Rosemarie balanced rather unsteadily on her feet. "Listen, all I need is to get to Tortuga and get myself a new ship, savvy? If ye can help me out, that would be just smashing, but if not, I'll stay and wait for the next ship."
Gibbs looked at Jack and muttered, "'Tis bad luck to have women on board, Jack. We already have one on board, but to add another?" He shook his head.
Jack frowned at Gibbs. "She needs help, and I'll be damned if I'm going to turn her away." He looked back to Rosemarie, "Listen, lass. Will ye be willing to pull your weight aboard the Pearl? Because if ye aren't, I'll just leave ye here on this island."
"Aye, I'll pull my weight. Just get me to Tortuga, and then I'll be out of yer lives for good." Rosemarie held out her hand, "Do we have an accord, Cap'n Sparrow?"
"Aye." Jack took her hand and shook it roughly. "Let's get aboard then, shall we?" He started to turn, then spun back around to face Rosemarie. "Terribly sorry, I've gone and forgotten me manners. D'ye need a hand getting around, missie?"
"No, I can handle meself. I don't need help. After all, I've made it on this island all by me onesie for three days, I'm sure I can make it to your liddle boat." She grinned at Jack and kicked sand over her fire to extinguish it. When she smiled, her resemblance to Will was almost overwhelming.
"All right, then." Jack turned and swaggered back to the rowboat. When he reached it he stood beside it and waited for Rosemarie to limp up beside him while Anamaria and Gibbs swung into the boat. When Rosemarie reached the boat, Jack picked her up and placed her in the boat with a cheeky smile, then jumped in beside her. He took up an oar as did Gibbs, and they slowly rowed back to the Pearl.
Rosemarie looked around at the pirates on the rowboat. They looked like hardy, likely men, and Anamaria looked just as tough. They were just as dirty as she was, their hair long and tangled, many of them wearing bandannas to keep their hair out of their faces. Her gaze wandered to Sparrow's ship, the Black Pearl. She was a beautiful ship, streamlined and painted onyx. Her sails were furled and tied neatly, all of her windows were sparkling clean. It was obvious to Rosemarie that Jack cared a great deal about the Pearl, and that his crew respected him. Any ideas about commandeering Sparrow's ship flew out of Rosemarie's head as she came to these conclusions, she would be dead long before she had any chance of even trying to take over Jack's ship.
The rowboat sidled up next to the ship and Gibbs and another crewman hooked two giant steel hooks to metal loops that were attached to the bow and stern of the rowboat, and the crewman on board the Pearl began to pull the small dinghy up to the deck. Rosemarie gazed out at the island that had been her home for a little less than a week, cursing her former crew in her mind. She would be more careful next time she gathered a crew, and she would make sure that she got her revenge.
The crew was chanting a sea shanty to help them keep the rhythm as they pulled the ropes to raise the dinghy to the deck of the Pearl. When the small boat reached the deck of the ship, Jack jumped out, followed by his crew, Anamaria and Gibbs being the last out. Rosemarie stood up, her left leg shaking badly as it threatened to buckle under her weight. Trying her hardest not to show how much pain she was in, she jumped over the side of the dinghy and landed on the deck, forcing her leg to hold her weight. She gave Jack a look as if to say 'I'm just as tough as you are!' then looked around the deck, taking in her new surroundings. It was a lovely ship, the wood of the railings and deck shone dimly in the starlight.
"Anamaria, take Rosemarie to your cabin and dress those wounds," Jack said, looking at his first mate. "Also, if you have any old clothing you could dress her in, I'm sure she'd be glad to get out of that dress."
"All right Jack," Anamaria agreed. "Come with me, Rosemarie." She grasped Rosemarie's wrist, and began guiding her towards a door that led to the lower decks.
"Y'can call me Rose, there's no need to be using my formal name," Rosemarie said as she allowed herself to be led by the other woman.
"Rose, then," Jack called after her, "I'd like to see ye after your hurts are cared for and ye're dressed proper. Have Anamaria lead ye to my cabin. I'll be waiting." Rose nodded just as Anamaria led her through the door.
