* * * * * * * * * * *
The next morning, Ana-Maria was not looking good. She staggered on deck, thankful that most of the men had managed to find their way to beds off the ship. Less people to see her in such a state. She'd left Sparrow in his drunken sleep by the fireplace, leaning against his arm on the wall.
Barl stood up, nodding her a greeting.
"Got a package. For a Captain Jack Sparrow." He said, with a grin. Ana- Maria made a disbelieving face.
"Captain?" She scoffed, and then winced. She touched her temple guiltily. "Don't let me ever drink again."
"Right." Barl said good-humouredly. "Funny though, isn't it? Not that I haven't used that line to pick up a girl before."
"What line?" Ana-Maria said, slow on the uptake. She made a slow, almost limping way up to the wheel. At least there she'd feel slightly more in control, even if her head seemed to want to fall off and roll away.
"Oh, you know. I'm a captain, got my own ship, one of the nastiest pirates you'll ever meet. It's a good pick up line, if your plucky enough to use it." Barl said, following her. Ana-Maria closed her eyes, shaking her head. "The boy's got a bit of spunk though. Came from that other ship that docked last night, rich kids, noble looking girl. Bit of a smooth talker, our old Sparrow."
"Did you look in the package?" She asked. Barl shook his head, patting down his pockets. He pulled it out, a small bulging package. Ana-Maria took it wearily, glancing down at it and shaking her head again.
"I better go give it to the Captain then, better'n I?" She said sarcastically. Barl laughed shortly, and nodded, watching the slight girl make her way back downstairs, her hand on her forehead.
Sparrow was woken when something quite heavy hit him on the head.
"Package for you." Ana-Maria said, after throwing the package at him. She moved to pull open the curtains. Sparrow moaned, rubbing his head.
"Gods, Ana. You know, most people don't get woken up by having things thrown at them." He said rubbing his eyes, and stretching. "Ah, remind me not to sleep there again. Got a bloody crick in my neck." Ana-Maria rolled her eyes and then yawned.
"Most of the sailors are recovering, so I don't think we'll be setting sail today." She murmured.
"What's this then?" He asked, reaching for the package.
"Don't know." She mused. "Came for a Captain Jack Sparrow." She gave him a stern look. "You must have gotten too drunk last night, and told some naïve girl you were a big swashbuckling Captain." She said, relaxing in the chair next the fireplace. Sparrow leant against the side of the chair, and raised his eyebrows.
"Oh yeah? Coming from the queen of drunkenness." He said rolling his head back to receive a little slap across the cheek.
"Remind me to never drink that much again." Ana-Maria replied. Sparrow tore open the side of the package, pouring the contents out into his lap. It was a square black box, and a scrap of paper. He flicked open the box, and found it was a compass.
"What kinda weird woman sends you a compass?" Jack said.
"Maybe she thought you were a really bad pirate, and that you might need it." Ana-Maria suggesting. He passed it up to her, and she examined it. She gave a derisive laugh. "It looks bloody ancient. Oh, and look! It doesn't even point North. Real Juliet you got there, Sparrow. She sent you a broken compass." She snorted, but looked down at Sparrow, whose face had gone completely still. If it were possible, the blood would have drained from his tanned face.
"Oh my god." He muttered.
"What?" Ana-Maria asked.
"I just remembered, we ran into Julia last night."
"Julia? You mean, Julia, your first. Julia? Julia, like, my step sister not by blood Julia?" She said, snatching the letter out of his hands, reading the letter out in an undertone.
"John, I could barely believe it when I saw you last night, I've dreamt of your face so often, I thought you might be another dream. But truly, you were a god sent. You must help me. I've been kidnapped. There's so much to tell you, but I must be brief. Father, your father, after you left, he told mother and everyone that you were his son, and that you were to inherit it all." Ana-Maria paused. "Inherit? Oh my god."
"Tom went insane," Ana-Maria continued reading. "He's got some crazy idea about finding this treasure, at the Ile De Muerta, and winning father back. And he thinks that I set this whole thing up, because of what was between you and me. He swears he's going to kill me when we get to the island. Please you must help me, you must stop Tom, I'm afraid for father and for your mother if Tom succeeds. Greed has driven him mad. I've taken this compass from him, it points to the Island. Tom already has the coordinates, so I don't doubt he shall make it there. Please, come after us. Stop him. With all my love, Julia." Ana-Maria finished in a hushed whisper. She scanned the letter again.
"Ile de Muerta? Oh my god, they're dead already." Ana-Maria whispered.
"What do you mean?" Jack said, spinning round to face her. "What is it?" Ana-Maria bit her lip.
"It's not even real, it's a myth. Its an island you can only get to if you know where it is." She said jaggedly.
"Or if you have this compass apparently." Jack said grimly.
"But, it's not real. And even if it is, you the straits you have to cross, they've sunk a thousand ships. It's a death mission." She stuttered.
"But we have to go." He said, standing, his mind whirling ahead, to Julia, frightened in some cavern.
"Jack, I can't." She said, rising.
"What?" He said, spinning around.
"I can't put the men at risk that way. Julia's ship, its got a full nights start on us, and half the crew aren't on the ship, and how would I rationalise it to them? That I want to chase a foreign ship half way across the ocean on a mission of certain death for what? A girl that they don't know."
"She said there was treasure." He started hopefully. She shook her head, and he gazed heaven wards. "Is that what you pirates what? Treasure and gold, a bit of sparkle?" He snarled, his hands bunching into fists.
"Jack, I can't. I can't do it. I'm sorry. Its not even real."
"If it wasn't Julia you'd help." He said, casting her a suspicious look.
"I can't do it, Jack. I'm sorry. I feel for the girl, but. the navy will be after her anyway. Her father would have," She started, and finished hopelessly. She placed her hands on Jack's shoulders and shook him slightly.
"We're pirates Jack," She tapped him on the chest, "We don't go on rescue missions. Leave that for the Red Coats." Jack looked down at he compass in his hands, and nodded.
"Alright." He said, looking at her with a glint of purpose in his eyes. She touched his cheek.
"I'm sorry. Jack, it shows what good man you are, a noble man, to want to go after her." She said quietly, watching a mix of anger and sorrow play across his face. Her hand moved from his cheek down to his mouth, and her thumb played slightly with his bottom lip.
She kissed him once, slowly, then drawing away. He looked at her, his eyes unreadable. Then he pressed his lips against her, kissing her so hard that she arched back, her body pressed flat against his.
His fingers tore at her clothing, tearing the buttons off her shirt with a passion that she couldn't work out if it was anger or lust.
"Wait, wait, Jack, hold on a second," She said. "I want to tell you something. Look, for a long time, well, being Captain's the only thing I've ever loved, Jack, the only thing I've ever dreamt about. But now, I think.. I think I love you Jack. Jack or John, I love you." She stumbled over her words, looking at the place where his neck meets his shoulders. His face softened, the anger flooding out of him.
He looked into her eyes, saw the raw emotion that was there, and nodded. She kissed him again, slower, more tenderly and he shivered, his eyes fluttering open for a second, with a look that would have chilled Ana- Maria, had she been able to see it.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
He rose, dressing quickly. He didn't have much time, he knew that. Soon, the other pirates would be coming back. Only Turner, Crow, Carlos and the new recruits were on the ship; he'd asked Ana-Maria.
He'd felt guilty, oh so guilty, putting that sleeping drug in her drink.
But he had to find Julia. He couldn't leave her to get murdered.
Jack glanced at the sleeping girl in the bed, her face content, her skin slightly flushed. Having her in his arms again, having her ruffle his hair in that affectionate way, feeling her kiss on his chest. Being able to talk to her again, to touch her.
Why had this had to happen now?
It was tempting, tempting to just forget about Julia, to forsake his old live for his new one.
His old girl for his new one.
But he thought of Julia, of all the love she'd given him, of the trouble he'd caused her. He pulled on his boots, scowling. Ana-Maria was going to be so mad at him when she woke up .
Turner was playing cards, staring sulkily at them. Crow laughed.
"Come on, or I think there'll be a boot strap coming you way." Crow joked, nudging Turner in the ribs. Jack came up behind them.
"Turner, if I just might have a word?" He said with Jack Sparrow charm, which usually set danger bells going.
"What?" Turner said gruffly, as Jack Sparrow ushered him into a corner of the hull."
"Want to see your wife and kid, Turner?"
Jack wasn't a fool. He knew he couldn't sail an entire ship all by himself to the Ile de Muerta. But something Jack's also always known about is leverage.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The next morning, Ana-Maria was not looking good. She staggered on deck, thankful that most of the men had managed to find their way to beds off the ship. Less people to see her in such a state. She'd left Sparrow in his drunken sleep by the fireplace, leaning against his arm on the wall.
Barl stood up, nodding her a greeting.
"Got a package. For a Captain Jack Sparrow." He said, with a grin. Ana- Maria made a disbelieving face.
"Captain?" She scoffed, and then winced. She touched her temple guiltily. "Don't let me ever drink again."
"Right." Barl said good-humouredly. "Funny though, isn't it? Not that I haven't used that line to pick up a girl before."
"What line?" Ana-Maria said, slow on the uptake. She made a slow, almost limping way up to the wheel. At least there she'd feel slightly more in control, even if her head seemed to want to fall off and roll away.
"Oh, you know. I'm a captain, got my own ship, one of the nastiest pirates you'll ever meet. It's a good pick up line, if your plucky enough to use it." Barl said, following her. Ana-Maria closed her eyes, shaking her head. "The boy's got a bit of spunk though. Came from that other ship that docked last night, rich kids, noble looking girl. Bit of a smooth talker, our old Sparrow."
"Did you look in the package?" She asked. Barl shook his head, patting down his pockets. He pulled it out, a small bulging package. Ana-Maria took it wearily, glancing down at it and shaking her head again.
"I better go give it to the Captain then, better'n I?" She said sarcastically. Barl laughed shortly, and nodded, watching the slight girl make her way back downstairs, her hand on her forehead.
Sparrow was woken when something quite heavy hit him on the head.
"Package for you." Ana-Maria said, after throwing the package at him. She moved to pull open the curtains. Sparrow moaned, rubbing his head.
"Gods, Ana. You know, most people don't get woken up by having things thrown at them." He said rubbing his eyes, and stretching. "Ah, remind me not to sleep there again. Got a bloody crick in my neck." Ana-Maria rolled her eyes and then yawned.
"Most of the sailors are recovering, so I don't think we'll be setting sail today." She murmured.
"What's this then?" He asked, reaching for the package.
"Don't know." She mused. "Came for a Captain Jack Sparrow." She gave him a stern look. "You must have gotten too drunk last night, and told some naïve girl you were a big swashbuckling Captain." She said, relaxing in the chair next the fireplace. Sparrow leant against the side of the chair, and raised his eyebrows.
"Oh yeah? Coming from the queen of drunkenness." He said rolling his head back to receive a little slap across the cheek.
"Remind me to never drink that much again." Ana-Maria replied. Sparrow tore open the side of the package, pouring the contents out into his lap. It was a square black box, and a scrap of paper. He flicked open the box, and found it was a compass.
"What kinda weird woman sends you a compass?" Jack said.
"Maybe she thought you were a really bad pirate, and that you might need it." Ana-Maria suggesting. He passed it up to her, and she examined it. She gave a derisive laugh. "It looks bloody ancient. Oh, and look! It doesn't even point North. Real Juliet you got there, Sparrow. She sent you a broken compass." She snorted, but looked down at Sparrow, whose face had gone completely still. If it were possible, the blood would have drained from his tanned face.
"Oh my god." He muttered.
"What?" Ana-Maria asked.
"I just remembered, we ran into Julia last night."
"Julia? You mean, Julia, your first. Julia? Julia, like, my step sister not by blood Julia?" She said, snatching the letter out of his hands, reading the letter out in an undertone.
"John, I could barely believe it when I saw you last night, I've dreamt of your face so often, I thought you might be another dream. But truly, you were a god sent. You must help me. I've been kidnapped. There's so much to tell you, but I must be brief. Father, your father, after you left, he told mother and everyone that you were his son, and that you were to inherit it all." Ana-Maria paused. "Inherit? Oh my god."
"Tom went insane," Ana-Maria continued reading. "He's got some crazy idea about finding this treasure, at the Ile De Muerta, and winning father back. And he thinks that I set this whole thing up, because of what was between you and me. He swears he's going to kill me when we get to the island. Please you must help me, you must stop Tom, I'm afraid for father and for your mother if Tom succeeds. Greed has driven him mad. I've taken this compass from him, it points to the Island. Tom already has the coordinates, so I don't doubt he shall make it there. Please, come after us. Stop him. With all my love, Julia." Ana-Maria finished in a hushed whisper. She scanned the letter again.
"Ile de Muerta? Oh my god, they're dead already." Ana-Maria whispered.
"What do you mean?" Jack said, spinning round to face her. "What is it?" Ana-Maria bit her lip.
"It's not even real, it's a myth. Its an island you can only get to if you know where it is." She said jaggedly.
"Or if you have this compass apparently." Jack said grimly.
"But, it's not real. And even if it is, you the straits you have to cross, they've sunk a thousand ships. It's a death mission." She stuttered.
"But we have to go." He said, standing, his mind whirling ahead, to Julia, frightened in some cavern.
"Jack, I can't." She said, rising.
"What?" He said, spinning around.
"I can't put the men at risk that way. Julia's ship, its got a full nights start on us, and half the crew aren't on the ship, and how would I rationalise it to them? That I want to chase a foreign ship half way across the ocean on a mission of certain death for what? A girl that they don't know."
"She said there was treasure." He started hopefully. She shook her head, and he gazed heaven wards. "Is that what you pirates what? Treasure and gold, a bit of sparkle?" He snarled, his hands bunching into fists.
"Jack, I can't. I can't do it. I'm sorry. Its not even real."
"If it wasn't Julia you'd help." He said, casting her a suspicious look.
"I can't do it, Jack. I'm sorry. I feel for the girl, but. the navy will be after her anyway. Her father would have," She started, and finished hopelessly. She placed her hands on Jack's shoulders and shook him slightly.
"We're pirates Jack," She tapped him on the chest, "We don't go on rescue missions. Leave that for the Red Coats." Jack looked down at he compass in his hands, and nodded.
"Alright." He said, looking at her with a glint of purpose in his eyes. She touched his cheek.
"I'm sorry. Jack, it shows what good man you are, a noble man, to want to go after her." She said quietly, watching a mix of anger and sorrow play across his face. Her hand moved from his cheek down to his mouth, and her thumb played slightly with his bottom lip.
She kissed him once, slowly, then drawing away. He looked at her, his eyes unreadable. Then he pressed his lips against her, kissing her so hard that she arched back, her body pressed flat against his.
His fingers tore at her clothing, tearing the buttons off her shirt with a passion that she couldn't work out if it was anger or lust.
"Wait, wait, Jack, hold on a second," She said. "I want to tell you something. Look, for a long time, well, being Captain's the only thing I've ever loved, Jack, the only thing I've ever dreamt about. But now, I think.. I think I love you Jack. Jack or John, I love you." She stumbled over her words, looking at the place where his neck meets his shoulders. His face softened, the anger flooding out of him.
He looked into her eyes, saw the raw emotion that was there, and nodded. She kissed him again, slower, more tenderly and he shivered, his eyes fluttering open for a second, with a look that would have chilled Ana- Maria, had she been able to see it.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
He rose, dressing quickly. He didn't have much time, he knew that. Soon, the other pirates would be coming back. Only Turner, Crow, Carlos and the new recruits were on the ship; he'd asked Ana-Maria.
He'd felt guilty, oh so guilty, putting that sleeping drug in her drink.
But he had to find Julia. He couldn't leave her to get murdered.
Jack glanced at the sleeping girl in the bed, her face content, her skin slightly flushed. Having her in his arms again, having her ruffle his hair in that affectionate way, feeling her kiss on his chest. Being able to talk to her again, to touch her.
Why had this had to happen now?
It was tempting, tempting to just forget about Julia, to forsake his old live for his new one.
His old girl for his new one.
But he thought of Julia, of all the love she'd given him, of the trouble he'd caused her. He pulled on his boots, scowling. Ana-Maria was going to be so mad at him when she woke up .
Turner was playing cards, staring sulkily at them. Crow laughed.
"Come on, or I think there'll be a boot strap coming you way." Crow joked, nudging Turner in the ribs. Jack came up behind them.
"Turner, if I just might have a word?" He said with Jack Sparrow charm, which usually set danger bells going.
"What?" Turner said gruffly, as Jack Sparrow ushered him into a corner of the hull."
"Want to see your wife and kid, Turner?"
Jack wasn't a fool. He knew he couldn't sail an entire ship all by himself to the Ile de Muerta. But something Jack's also always known about is leverage.
* * * * * * * * * * * *