Pirates of the Caribbean – The Secret of Hell Water
(A/N- update 7- 25-03) Ahhh!!!! The first draft I uploaded was NOT the one I wanted too- it was the one riddled with typos. (cringes) I'm sorry! This is the better version!
(A/N- Oh my god this chapter is long… ^^;; I really do tend to write novels, don't I? This thing according to my outline, was originally only supposed to be eight chapters, but I get so caught up in the details that it's probably going to be like… 14 or something instead. O.o Oiii vey… Oh well- I hope you like this chapter! By the end you'll know where I get my writing style. =D Oh ho ho ho—I live for the Historical romance novel!)
Chapter 5- SecretsLight streamed in through the open windows of the Black Pearl's Captains quarter. The air was warm and humid, which promised for the residents of the port town of Tortuga more intense heat as the day progressed. A cool sea breeze blew in, ruffling the tattered curtains of the cabin. Emma groaned and rolled over onto her side, keeping her eyes tightly shut. She felt incredibly tired. Her entire body felt as heavy as an anchor. The breeze died away and silence settled.
THUMP
Emma twitched and curled her knees up to her chest, desperately trying to keep blessed sleep from escaping her.
BUMP
She rolled over again, grabbing for a pillow, found a warm round object and hugged it to her, burrowing her face to try and keep the light away. It moved slightly, and as sleep gradually dissipated, Emma realized what she was holding was not a pillow. She cracked one eye open and then the other and found herself lying practically nose-to-nose with Captain Jack Sparrow. He was fast asleep with his jaw slack; the sun glinted off of one golden canine.
Emma screamed and jumped back, fell off the low bed, and hit the floor with a smack in a tangle of skirts and petticoats. Jack bolted up right in an instant, a pistol in his hand and looked about frantically. "I'llsendyatodaveyjones!" He continued to whirl the pistol about for a few more seconds, before he realized it had been a false alarm. Then, he slid the pistol back under his pillow and stretched his arms above his head, blinking the sleep from his eyes. Then he noticed Emma on the floor, she was holding her head in both hands and rocking back and forth.
" Good morning, love." He said with a coy smile.
" Ughhh…" was all the response he got from her.
" I'd imagine all the booze you consumed last night isn't agreeing with your head." He said conversationally.
Emma winced visibly and peered up at him through blood shot eyes." Wha—what happened? How'd I get—How'd you…?"She seemed incapable of completing her sentence, she wasn't sure if it was due the severe hangover, the shock of waking up in bed with a pirate, or a combination of the two. She wanted to ask him about the night before, but part of her wasn't sure she wanted to know.
His smile widened and he lay back on his elbows amidst some ragged cushions once finely decorated with gold embroidery. " Aye, it was a pleasant evenin'. The drink, the song, the company…" He looked at Emma through the corners of his coal black eyes, and one corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk. She blanched.
" What! No way! I'd remember something like that!"
" You were pretty fair gone, love."
" No! You're lying! Don't lie to me! Ughh…" In her outburst she'd tried to stand and failed miserably." You scummy, horrible pirate!"
" Aye, I'm a pirate." He said completely nonplussed, then leaned forward. She looked up and regarded him angrily." You have a colorful imagination, love. But you can't really blame me, can ye?" His face took on one of sheer innocence." When a lady so obligingly falls literally into my arms, passed out with drink? If you were me, what would you have done? It gets lonely at night sometimes. But you do snore something awful."
Emma pressed her hands to her temples. She wanted to scream in frustration.
THUMP
Jack looked up at the ceiling; the sounds of shuffling feet, thumps and scrapes above were becoming more and more audible." The mates are back…" He jumped off the bed gracefully, swayed for a moment, and then stooped down towards Emma, who hadn't moved from her spot on the hard wood floor. He set one hand against her chin and lifted her head up, making their eyes meet. She was feeling such a mixture of emotions, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
" Don't take it so seriously, love. It was just one night, and if it makes you feel any better, you spent it with your elbow solidly planted in the middle of my back." He grimaced and stood, arching his back for emphasis." I will admit," he said, furrowing his eyebrows and grunting as an audible 'crack' was heard. "…That was most uncomfortable." Then he turned on his heel and headed out the door into the corridor.
Emma listened to the sound of his boots as he ascended the steps up to the deck, then staggered to her feet and grudgingly followed after him, wondering what in the world had she gotten herself into, and most of all how this would affect her being cooped up on a ship with him for who knows how many months while searching for Hell Water and the treasure. She was deeply embarrassed. Getting drunk and passing out and then waking up in bed with Captain Jack Sparrow was the furthest thing from her expectations for this voyage.
" What in the world does he think of me? That I'm so easy? That he can just sleep with me any time he wants to?" She suppressed the rage boiling inside of her. " That Bloody PIRATE!"
She stomped up a few stairs, and then stopped as the movement made her head ache.
"Ugh—I'm NEVER touching that stuff ever again." She promised herself vehemently. Her rage had left her as quickly as it had come and she sighed audibly. She looked up at the remaining steps, not wanting to continue her ascent.
" It wasn't supposed to be like this…" She thought, and a wry laugh escaped her lips." Maybe I'm getting in over my head. Is this really the kind of life I want? I could go back home. It would be so easy too… I could just leave and never return and they would never find me, and 'Captain Jack Sparrow' would have his treasure map and probably…" she paused as a strange melancholy settled over her, "probably… not care one way of the other if I was gone…"
The remaining steps came slowly. She emerged into the full daylight, shielding her eyes from the sun streaming down on the workers. All the pirates were there, preparing the ship for a long journey. Barrels were being wheeled aboard, boxes and crates and armfuls of rope and some sturdy chain were being stored. Will and Elizabeth were among the workers. The crew chatted idly with them; some sang scattered phrases of pirate songs. Jack's voice could be heard above the bustle." Moises! You scurvy sea slug, take those swords and store them with the rest of the guns! Kursar, Don't put that rum in the Hold; it'll do no good for us down there! Take it to the Galley! But leave that casket for me!"
" Pieces of Eight!" interrupted a high-pitched voice. "Pieces of Eight!" Emma whirled about to find Cotton's parrot eyeing her from a high vantage point on the Mainyard.
" Yes," she agreed with him, talking softly under her breath." You'll all be rich before this is over… I hope…"
A gentle sea breeze blew up, sending loose strands of hair dancing about her face and she turned and breathed deeply. The wind, the roll of the waves, the bustle of the crewmembers, and the familiar creaking of the ship calmed her frazzled nerves. And though her head still pounded, it didn't seem so unbearable. The thought of the voyage made her heart pound in her chest and she clenched her fists in her skirts with excitement.
" I can't believe I almost considered leaving." She thought." I've come too far to back out. And as for Captain Jack Sparrow… Well… I won't let him win! I'll make him take me seriously!"
"Emma! There you are."
Emma turned to see Elizabeth approaching her. She looked lovely as the morning sunlight glinted off the beads that clacked and swung about in her hair. Emma thought idly that she might like trade jewelry in her own hair and maybe Elizabeth would be willing to braid it in if she managed to acquire some. She stored the thought away for future use.
Elizabeth gave Emma a sympathetic smile." How are you doing this morning?"
Emma pursed her lips, wondering if she should lie, or if she looked as bad as she felt, but Elizabeth answered her own question for her before she had the chance to open her mouth.
" You look a fright. Why don't you come with me and we'll get something to eat. It'll make you feel better."
" Thank you." Emma smiled with gratitude, but inside she was writhing with embarrassment. " Never again…" She followed Elizabeth down to the galley. "NEVER AGAIN!"
~*~*~*~
The preparations were complete, all the food, guns, knives, gunpowder, ammunition, and most importantly…rum… was stored safely, and The Black Pearl disembarked from Tortuga by mid-day. The overall mood of the crew was hearty and they sang at the top of their lungs while they worked at casting off and raising the black sails of the ship. The wind caught and the ship took off at terrific speed. Emma had heard the stories that it was the fastest ship in the Caribbean, and she no longer doubted their validity. They were on their way!
Emma had spent the rest of the day avoiding Jack Sparrow like the plague. If he was on deck, she went down below, if he went down below, she went on deck, and so on and so forth. She tried to be as inconspicuous as possible but it was plain for everyone to see that something had transpired between the two. Jack was indifferent to the whole ordeal. He stood straight and proud at the helm of the ship, the wind blew his wild assortment of braids and dreadlocks and loose strands of hair about his head, and his coal-lined eyes were focused on the distant horizon. He hummed a tune happily to himself, oblivious to everyone else about him.
"He gets like that when he's at the helm." One of the crewmembers approached, and Emma whirled around, trying not to look embarassed that he had caught her staring at Jack. She remembered his name was Crimp. He'd been present at the bar the night she met Jack for the first time. She had a mop in her hand, and a soapy pail of water sat at her feet, untouched. She quickly dipped in the mop and began to swab the deck.
"Oh really?" She said, trying to sound disinterested.
"Aye, it's been said that the only love Captain Jack Sparrow ever had was The Black Pearl. That was why when Barbossa stole it from him, he dedicated all the remainder of his life to getting it back, and some say he went crazy from the shock of it all... When he was marooned, he'd been given a pistol with a single shot. And Jack carried it for nearly ten years before he finally used it to kill his enemy and reclaim his ship. He's like a different man when he's at the helm. He's tranquil."
" Crimp! Get over here ye bilge rat! And help me with these ropes." Came a shout from the stern of the boat. Crimp didn't waist a second more of idle chatter. He scampered away and left Emma alone with her mop and her thoughts on Jack.
" He's a pirate, but he's not a cruel one." She thought to herself." He did try to assuage me of my worries this morning after I woke up, I was just too sick to realize it until later." She'd promised herself when she took this venture to not get tangled up in any of that romantic nonsense stuff. It would create complications that she wasn't ready to deal with. But she couldn't help being attracted to the roguish pirate. The ordeal from this morning had brought into focus that unsettling thought. And as much as Emma tried to deny it to herself, she couldn't help but admit that maybe she might actually LIKE him.
" But that's all it is, just a silly crush." She told herself repeatedly while scrubbing one particularly nasty black stain on the deck that didn't want to come off. " I've got to pull myself together. It was just a night with him, and I don't even remember the slightest detail. I should just forget about it… I'll act like it didn't even happen."
She dunked the mop into the water and moved to another dark stain on the wood, feeling good about her decision. After all, she was trapped on a ship with him; she couldn't very well avoid him for the entire voyage.
~*~*~*~*~
Later that afternoon, Emma had a chance to sit down and chat with Elizabeth. She was very interested in the kind of person Elizabeth was. Anamaria was the only other woman on the ship besides the two of them, but she acted more like a man and spent most of her time up in the rigging, tying the sails or perching as the lookout.
And so, the two women sat in the galley, peeling potatoes and Emma finally got to hear the story of how Elizabeth came to meet Jack Sparrow and learned about the curse of The Black Pearl. It took the better part of the afternoon for her to tell the tale, and by the end Emma was beside herself with wonder. She loved stories and this one was fascinating. None of the stories she'd heard of Captain Jack Sparrow's amazing feats came even close to this one! He and Will both made a strange but excellent team. She hoped someday she might be able to see them together in action.
" I had no idea this ship had such a history!" She said amazed. She threw the last potato into the bucket and Elizabeth smiled.
" Well, it was a life changing experience for me. I'll never forget it." She focused a somber look at Emma." May I ask you a personal question?"
Emma stiffened. "It depends on the question…"
" Why are you here?"
Emma pursed her lips, trying to think of how to answer." I…well… the treasure…"
" The treasure? You had the map didn't you?"
Emma nodded. Elizabeth shook her head." Jack told us all not to question you about it, but I would really like to know how you got it. You couldn't have known his father… but the map was supposed to have gone down with his ship. That was according to the stories…"
Emma stood up abruptly. "The potatoes are done. I think I will go on deck for some fresh air." She smiled at Elizabeth, and inclined her head slightly. "Thank you for telling me your story."
Elizabeth watched her scurry out of the galley, thinking to herself that there was definitely something peculiar about Emma. Her eyes were such a dark and vivid shade of blue, they seemed unnatural, and the way she walked was strange as well. She managed to walk about the rocking ship with ease, but not in the way of a sailor. She glided about it like her feet hardly touched the floor at all.
"She can walk to the roll of the waves with such little effort. She must have lived her entire life on the sea to be able to do that." Elizabeth thought it was quite fascinating." But she is definitely hiding something and I know it has to do with that map. I wish I knew what it was!"
~*~*~*~*~*~
A few more days passed, and nothing particularly exciting could be told. Jack spent a good portion of his time at the helm of the ship, which was his favorite place to be, period. He enjoyed his occasional verbal battles with Emma, who seemed quite determined to prove herself worthy of the honorary title of 'pirate.' He admired her determination. She had asked Mr. Gibbs to teach her about tying the different knots in the ropes. And she practiced at every chance she got. She learned about navigation by the stars, nautical terminology, rigging the sails for the appropriate weather conditions, among other things.
"How is it, that you walk about this ship as if you've lived on one your entire life, yet you know next to nothing about sailing?" Asked Jack Sparrow one fine evening. The sky was a vivid shade of red as the sun set behind the horizon. It set his hair and jewelry ablaze with a red glow. Emma looked at him through the corner of her eye. She'd been reinforcing the knots in the sheets* in preparation for the night, which promised to be rather windy.
" I don't have to answer that."
" Aye… you don't have to." Jack Sparrow repeated under his breath, half to himself. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other as a silence descended between the two, then checked a (working) compass, and called for Mr. Gibbs to take the helm. Emma watched him head below deck, probably to his cabin and sat back with a large sigh.
" How much longer can I keep this up?" She thought." Everyone wants to ask questions that I can't answer! I hate being so secretive… but if they found out I'm sure they'd just throw me off the ship." She laughed bitterly to herself." Probably walk the plank…yeah- like that would do me any good at all." She set to rechecking all the ropes again with renewed vigor." They'll find out eventually. It's only a matter of time. I had hoped that I could assert some kind of place among the crew as a pirate myself, then I would have a chance to reason with them… but with the way things are going, we'll be back from Hell Water by the time that happens! I can't keep up this charade forever. Maybe I should just get it over with and deal with the consequences."
She stood up and headed down the steps to the door leading into Jack Sparrow's Cabin. She paused in front of it; hand poised to knock, then turned away at the last instant and ran across the length of the boat until she found herself in the bow. She sat down with her back against the Foremast and leaned her head back, breathing the salty sea air in through her nostrils, trying to calm her nerves.
" Maybe I'll do it tomorrow."
~*~*~*~*~
The next day was beset with difficult weather conditions. The wind was strong and erratic and rain sprayed down on the crew as they hurried about the ship reinforcing the sails and checking the lines. Elizabeth and Will worked at repairing a torn sail high up across the topmast. Jack spent his time at the helm, fighting the roaring waves. Emma had no time for her own worries, she carried rope from one end of the ship to the other, securing lines and providing help where asked. When the weather began to get too treacherous, she was ordered below. She did not argue.
The next day was similar but not as severe, and the day after milder still. They all ran together in a confused jumble, no one got much sleep, but the overall attitude of the crew was surprisingly elated. They fought against the elements with vigor and were well attuned to the workings of the ship, determined to not give into Mother Nature. Mother Nature could have easily won, if she'd put up a good enough fight, but this round went to the crew aboard The Black Pearl.
Emma counted three days before life on deck went back to a semi-normal state of idleness. The crew lounged about in the warm sunshine, taking this opportunity to relax, drinking rum and singing. A few kept to necessary posts, but took part in the merriment. She, Elizabeth, and Anamaria sang along in harmony with them.
We extort, we pilfer, we
filch, and sack,
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.
Maraud and embezzle, and even highjack,
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!
Jack's voice carried loudly from the helm as he sang the chorus. He waved a mug around over his head and the pirates on deck smacked their mugs together. They were not drunk, but getting there. Mr. Gibbs took the helm when Jack went into his cabin, probably in search for his reserve casket. Emma stood up quickly. Despite her resolve to never drink again, she had given in to one glass of rum, which was enough to make her giddy, but certainly not drunk and on the verge of passing out. She'd been thinking all morning about her problem of secrecy. Luckily the past few days had kept people busy enough to not ask her questions, but this day gave her a good opportunity to talk to Jack Sparrow, and she would not waist it. The alcohol that clouded her mind helped to assuage her worries, and gave her the courage to do what she knew needed to be done.
" I have to ask Jack something." She announced to Elizabeth. Who lounged with her back against Will's chest. They sat together, happy to get a moment of relaxation after the trying weather." I'll be back in just a moment."
They watched her head towards the stern and knock on Jacks door.
Elizabeth craned her head to glance at Will." Something has been bothering me." She said.
" Oh?"
" There's more to Emma than meets the eye. I'm sure of it. She's hiding something."
" Well, that's pretty obvious, I think the whole crew knows it, but they don't press it." Will said softly into her ear.
" Yes, but…"
" It's her business, Elizabeth, not ours."
Elizabeth shook her head and sighed." I can't shake this feeling I'm getting… it just feels… uncomfortable."
" Uncomfortable?"
" Like… something bad will happen."
Will put his arms around her and hugged her reassuringly. Elizabeth leaned her head against his shoulder. " Well, if something bad does happen, I'll protect you."
She laughed and glanced up at him, her hair ornaments glinted brightly in the sunlight." That's also my line."
~*~*~*~*~
Emma knocked on the door to Jack's cabin and waited.
She heard a faint shuffle and his voice, " Come in."
She opened the door and stepped in boldly, closing it behind her in one swift motion. Jack stood in the middle of the room, holding a second casket of rum in one hand as she had predicted.
" Jack Sparrow!" She said haltingly, advancing towards him, for her heart was racing. " Oh God… how am I going to even say it?"
" Captain… Captain!" He corrected her.
She continued her reckless advance, ignoring his comment." I have something I need to tell you, I—"
In that instant, several things all happened at once. Emma's foot hit a fold in the carpet, which was sticking up a good two or so inches from the ground, she tripped and fell forward, straight into Jack, who dropped his casket of rum in order to catch her. Her momentum sent both of them sprawling onto the floor. She lay completely on top of him with Jack's arms encircling her, pinning her own arms between their bodies. Silence descended in the cabin with the exception of the sound of the rolling rum casket and a dull thud as it hit the far wall.
Emma just stared down at Jack Sparrow's face in shock, wondering what in the world had she just done THIS time and how in the world was she going to correct it. Jack gazed up at her inquisitively, not bothering to let go of his hold.
" If you wanted me so badly, you didn't have to pretend to trip." Then gave a slight grimace. " You could have just said something and spared me the bump I'm going to have on the back of my head."
Emma blinked, his words taking time to sink in. Then their precarious position dawned on her and she squirmed to get up. "Let go of me!"
He didn't budge. She exerted every muscle she had to the furthest of her strength, but it did no good. She exhaled in frustration, and gazed down into his deep brown, coal-rimmed eyes with a mixture of fear and anger. He looked up at her intensely in that moment, and their eyes locked. Her struggle abated quickly as she found herself overwhelmed by his gaze. She could see herself clearly in his eyes, and for a fleeting moment thought about how incredibly good looking he was.
" What is it? Do I have something strange on my face?" Jack asked her in a gruff tone.
And then she did something she never thought she'd do, and completely without thinking…She kissed him.
It wasn't just any kiss; she kissed him with such passion, and ardor that it took her breath away. He smelled of a mixture of sea salt and fresh air and tasted like rum. After a second, He opened his mouth and returned it with equal fervor. They kept their lips locked for what seemed to Emma like an eternity, and when she finally drew back, opened her eyes and looked at him, he was gazing at her with a mildly interested expression. She wondered in that instant, if he was going to laugh at her.
" That's very interesting." He finally said after a moment.
She furrowed her brows, taken off guard by his comment. " What is?"
" You're a very good kisser. I admit I was wondering…"
She opened her mouth, trying to think of a suitable retort, but in that instant, the door to Jack's Cabin slammed open.
" Captain!"
Emma recognized the voice of Will Turner, and felt her entire face go beet red.
" Yes?" Jack said nonchalantly, not bothering to move from his spot on the ground and despite her best efforts to escape, continuing to hold onto her with ease.
There was a moment of hesitation from Will, and Emma thought that if there had been ground underneath them, she might wish to be swallowed up and die of embarrassment. Finally, he spoke. "Anamaria has spotted a ship off the starboard side. It's still a fair distance, but she thinks it might be a trading vessel."
Jack's eyes lit up in that instant and his voice took on a good-humored ring." Tell the mates that I'll be there shortly."
" Aye…" Will said, then there was another short pause, and Emma heard the door behind them close. She gazed down at Jack in alarm.
" Too bad, darling…" Jack said, continuing to trap her eyes with his intense gaze." We'll have to continue this later." He released his hold on her and she sprang up to her feet. She stood still, not knowing what to say and feeling unbearably awkward. He took his time standing up, straightened his bandana and then snatched his hat from the top of his desk and planted it firmly on his head. Then, he gave her a wink and swaggered out of the room in his usual style. Emma just stood in the center of the room, completely dumbstruck.
" He is a great kisser too…" She found herself admitting, then shook her head and clutched her skirts to her with balled fists. "What the hell did I just do?" She thought. " I kissed him! Kissed Captain Jack Sparrow!"
The encounter had gone in the completely opposite direction from where she'd wanted to take it. And what was worse, she hadn't accomplished anything except make Jack think she wanted him!
" But you do want him." A little voice in her head admitted. Emma paled, gazing down at the ground and noticed the little fold in the carpet that had caused all this chaos. She kicked it down angrily. " How in the world do I keep on getting beaten by him!?" She thought testily. "Every thing I try and do he always up's me one! First it was the whole situation with the map, then that ordeal in Tortuga, and now this? That bloody… PIRATE!"
She turned and stalked out of the room, wondering if this was some kind of horrible nightmare. " Or…" she mused, still tasting the traces of rum from his lips, "A very unusual dream."
*sheets- a term for ropes used to secure the sails
