On her walk back to the Turner's, Julianne found herself smiling over her
visit with her cousin. Her day had gone so well that she had completely
forgotten about her argument with Jack earlier that day. Opening the front
door to the house, she was surprised to find the living room empty.
"Juli, is that you?" she heard Elizabeth call from upstairs.
"Yeah luv, it's me."
"Oh good, we've been waiting on you."
"M'I late for something."
"Yes, as a matter of fact you are. On occasion of your appearance, the four of us are going out to eat tonight, so don't get changed."
"You're kidding right?" she yelled back up taken slightly aback.
"I'm perfectly serious, no sense in letting all that good work go to waste without showing it off. We'll all be down in a minute so just sit right for a bit."
"Alright", she answered with a huff, and threw herself down in one of the living room chairs. Tapping her fingers restlessly on the arm of the chair, Julianne took no notice of the person who was slowly making their way down the stairs behind her. Finally realizing that there was another person in the room, whose attention was completely fixed on her, Julianne raised her eyes and met Jack's gaze. For what seemed like forever, neither said a word, but stared at the other each fighting their own confused emotions.
"I see they got to you too", Julianne finally said with a little smirk about Jack's also improved appearance, although he had not gone as all out as she.
Jack still stared at her speechless, completely amazed with what he saw but trying desperately to maintain a harsh demeanor.
"Stop gawking, you look like an idiot with your mouth hanging open like that!" Julianne snapped at him when he did not respond.
Closing it with a click, Jack still remained quiet under Julianne's critical gaze. From where she sat, Julianne examined Jack's new look, and he didn't look half bad. His usual mess of unruly brown hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, although he had opted to keep his beads and braids in and still wore his leather hat. He had traded his normal worn out captain's jacket for a very nice dark blue one of Will's and had a pair of matching white pants on with a blue stripe down the side of each leg, and now he even wore a pair of nice black shoes which looked to be brand new. Looking him up and down once more, she noticed that his collar was crooked, stood up, and walked over to him and began fixing it without looking him directly in the eyes.
"Jules", Jack began, grabbing her arms causing her to look up. "I'm sor."
"Save it", she cut him off dropping her hands from his collar.
"I mean it", he continued not releasing her from his grip. "What I said earlier, I mean, its just that, you were right alright, and I, well you are important to me even though I don't act like it, and I'm sorry for being such a jackass an' all.I know I put you through hell sometimes, ok all the time, but please, I don't want you to."
"Oh honestly Jack", Julianne said throwing up her arms exasperated; "don't you know me at all?"
When he didn't answer she went on, and went back to fixing his jacket. "Anyway, you think I'm going to spend another 15 years breaking in someone else?" This produced the result she was looking for, a smile.
"Jules", Jack eventually replied in almost a whisper, "you look amazing" he finished pulling her towards him.
"I know, I gathered when you made an ass of yerself on the street today while I was heading up to the fort."
"Oh you're right, that was you", he suddenly realized, stopping himself from kissing her. "I thought it was but was sure it couldn't have been. Anyway, I didn't bother you did I?"
"Surprisingly enough."
"See I did listen to what you said this morning."
Julianne nodded with raised eyebrows and returned to her seat in the armchair.
"So, what's Commodore Borrington up to these days", Jack inquired sitting in a chair across from her.
"Oh bugger off. 'E's not that bad."
"Try tellin' that to someone e' didn't almost hang."
Julianne was about to respond but stopped at the sound of two sets of footsteps pounding down the stairs.
"Well, don't you two just look positively charming", Will said cheerfully as he stepped into the living room.
"You just watch yer mouth there Turner. I'd hate to have to ruin our little evening out by leaving you incapacitated", Jack said in a jokingly threatening voice.
"Be my guest", Will replied, "you aren't much a challenge anyway considering you always resort to cheating."
"You dare impugn me honor boy?" Jack challenged stepping towards him.
"That's enough you two", Elizabeth cut in.
"Yes please, let's go. I'd really rather not be in this for much longer", Julianne added referring to her dress.
"Oh alright", Jack exclaimed whirling himself away from Will dramatically, "just go 'head and ruin our fun." This received a giggle from everyone, who promptly there after began getting themselves together to leave. All four stepped outside and waited a minute for Will to lock the front door, then like clockwork, make his way to Elizabeth, take her by the arm, and begin walking. Both Jack and Julianne exchanged an amused look over this and just as dramatically as he had been inside, Jack bowed ridiculously low to the ground, so that the tip of his hat almost touched the dirt, "My lady", he said to Julianne, then proceeded to make an obvious effort to look up her dress.
"I'd kick you for that, but I'd 'ate to ruin Elizabeth's lovely shoes."
"Lucky for me then", he smiled standing up, and grabbed her arm and drug her along to catch up to the Turners who were now quite a bit ahead of them. They ended up at the nicest restaurant in the town, where Elizabeth conveniently knew the owner who sat them at the best table and served their dinners on the house. Taking advantage of the situation in true pirate fashion, Jack and Julianne both made sure to order the most expensive thing on the menu, along with quite a few bottles of wine which substituted for the evening's rum. It wasn't for another three hours later that the foursome returned to the Turners' humble abode, and by this point both Jack and Julianne had drunk enough for all four of them. Elizabeth was amazed at the resilience they both seemed to show for how much they had had to drink, seeing as neither one of them appeared anything worse than slightly tipsy.
"By the way", Will started up on their walk back to the house, "I should be done with that order of yours tomorrow Julianne."
"Well that was fast", she said turning around and slightly surprised.
"O' course it was", Jack interrupted, "he had good help."
"And I'm sure you contributed so much", Julianne rolled her eyes at him.
"I did", he replied matter of factly, "I tested each one out meself after 'e was done wit' it."
At this everyone laughed until Elizabeth spoke up on a more serious note. "So will the two of you be staying with us tonight? You said you would before you left and if Will's just about finished."
"Look luv, I know what you're getting at, and I thought I'd made it perfectly clear that it's just not going to work out between to two of us. And don't forget, you're a married woman now, I hardly think Will would appreciate the nonsense you've got in yer 'ead."
"OH JACK!" Elizabeth exclaimed hitting him across the back with her purse, as Will snickered beside her. "Is there ever anything other than a filthy thought in that head of yours?"
"Well?" he asked turning to Julianne.
"Not", she answered nodding to Elizabeth with a grin. "But lucky for you, your bedroom is at the far end of the hallway and even without Will being there I doubt he'd muster up the energy to walk that far in the middle of the night."
"Yes", Elizabeth responded with a laugh, "but you'll be in the room right next to him Juli. I'm sure that isn't too far for him to make it. What will you do if he comes to your door in the middle of the night looking for some, companionship?"
"Yes Jules, what would you do", Jack asked with big innocent eyes.
"That's simple", she began with a smirk, "I'd shoot you."
"Ohh, well Lizzie", Will said turning to his wife, "looks like you aren't the first person to decline the incredibly irresistible Captain Jack Sparrow after all."
"If you only knew my dear boy, if you only knew", Jack retorted, more to himself than Will, but instantly shut his mouth when Julianne's grip on his arm became unbearably tight.
"So, we'll take this conversation to mean that you'll be staying with us tonight", Elizabeth said turning everyone's attention back to more serious matters.
"Well, as long as you promise to deadbolt the door one this one 'ere's room, I guess we can stay" Julianne answered, causing another outburst of laughter from everyone except Jack of course, who eventually did smile when Julianne squeezed his arm again softly and winked.
***
Julianne sat on the bed in the guest room she had thrown her clothes in earlier, which she found, Elizabeth had washed in the course of her absence. It was almost 12:00, and Will and Elizabeth had turned in hours ago. The dress she had borrowed, she had been told to keep along with the shoes, and both were now thrown casually over the chair in the room. Sitting in only the bare essentials of clothing, Julianne watched herself in the mirror as she carefully re-plaited the tiny braids that hung towards the front of her head, and re-strung the blue and gold beads that dangled from them.
"Got your pistol ready?" a voice came from the door.
Turning around with a smile, Julianne found Jack standing just inside the room shutting the door.
"And what do you want?"
"Well, since there is apparently only one thing ever on my mind, what do you think I want?"
"OUT!" Julianne commanded pointing firmly back at the door, but instead Jack made his way over to the bed where she sat, sat down next to her, and put one arm around her shoulder.
"Oh come on luv, you wouldn't want to waste all this prettiness of ours now would you? Besides", he continued looking her over with a sly grin, "yer already half ready."
"ABSOLUTELY NOT JACK SPARROW. We are guests in the house, and I hardly think that Will or Elizabeth would appreciate that sort of behavior."
"What they don't know won't 'urt 'em", he replied turning her head towards him and kissing her. For a few minutes the feeling was mutual until Julianne regained her wits and pushed Jack backwards, "NO! Besides, just because I'm talking to you don't mean you're totally off the hook from before."
"Uhh", Jack threw up his hands flustered, stood up, and made for the door. "Fine, make me suffer. You really are as cruel as the stories say you know."
"Pirate!"
"Pirate", he repeated in a smart ass mimic of her before closing the door.
Julianne slept late into the following morning, and woke to find the sun was already high in the sky. Slipping into the comfort of her normal clothes, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen shortly after a quick stop in the bathroom. To her surprise, she found that Elizabeth was already fixing lunch, even though it was still only 11:00.
"Awfully early for that isn't it?" Julianne inquired.
"Not for today. Will has been up since just before 5:00 this morning, and he just finished his last sword a little bit ago."
"Somebody sure is in a 'urry to get movin'."
"You've no idea. He made me stay up last night to help him pack so that we could leave the minute he was done. Unless you and Jack still have things to do."
"No we're ready. In fact, I guess it's a good thing I got all that shopping done ahead o' time or e'd have to wait an extra day."
"Well all finished", a proud and cheerful voice broke into the conversation as the door between the kitchen and the shop flew open.
"Didn't think it was possibly you'd get em all done in just 5 days, but you sure did it mate", Jack added.
"So, we're ready to go then", Will further inquired.
"Just hold your britches on dear, we aren't going anywhere until we've eaten", Elizabeth answered.
Will obeyed, and marched himself over to the sink where he scrubbed off as much of the black that covered him as he could. Elizabeth, being clever as she was, served a nice little brunch big enough to fill everyone without being to heavy of a meal that early in the day. After they ate, Julianne proceeded into the shop where she examined Will's work, approved, and had them all wrapped and added to the cart load that they would take down to the ship with them, with the exception of the two she had ordered for Jack and herself. By 1:00 the little party had made its way down to the Pearl and had successfully loaded their belongings and made ready to set sail. Taking a last look over everything, Jack surveyed his ship, then jumped down and untied it from the dock. As the Pearl pulled out of the harbor with Jack at the wheel, Will and Elizabeth stood on the front deck of the ship over looking the oncoming crystal waters, hands entwined in one anothers', both thrilled to be going on another "adventure". Back at the helm, Julianne leaned on the deck railing smoking a pipe and watching Jack steer. She smiled to herself seeing him so happy and at home out on the sea, and felt the same sense of contentment settle over her as well. Turning to the front, her smile grew wider at the sight of the two young Turners who reminded her of two children full of excitement. Looking back towards Jack, her gaze was met by his. The two captains exchanged a thoughtful smile then both turned their attention back to the vastness of the ocean.
"Juli, is that you?" she heard Elizabeth call from upstairs.
"Yeah luv, it's me."
"Oh good, we've been waiting on you."
"M'I late for something."
"Yes, as a matter of fact you are. On occasion of your appearance, the four of us are going out to eat tonight, so don't get changed."
"You're kidding right?" she yelled back up taken slightly aback.
"I'm perfectly serious, no sense in letting all that good work go to waste without showing it off. We'll all be down in a minute so just sit right for a bit."
"Alright", she answered with a huff, and threw herself down in one of the living room chairs. Tapping her fingers restlessly on the arm of the chair, Julianne took no notice of the person who was slowly making their way down the stairs behind her. Finally realizing that there was another person in the room, whose attention was completely fixed on her, Julianne raised her eyes and met Jack's gaze. For what seemed like forever, neither said a word, but stared at the other each fighting their own confused emotions.
"I see they got to you too", Julianne finally said with a little smirk about Jack's also improved appearance, although he had not gone as all out as she.
Jack still stared at her speechless, completely amazed with what he saw but trying desperately to maintain a harsh demeanor.
"Stop gawking, you look like an idiot with your mouth hanging open like that!" Julianne snapped at him when he did not respond.
Closing it with a click, Jack still remained quiet under Julianne's critical gaze. From where she sat, Julianne examined Jack's new look, and he didn't look half bad. His usual mess of unruly brown hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, although he had opted to keep his beads and braids in and still wore his leather hat. He had traded his normal worn out captain's jacket for a very nice dark blue one of Will's and had a pair of matching white pants on with a blue stripe down the side of each leg, and now he even wore a pair of nice black shoes which looked to be brand new. Looking him up and down once more, she noticed that his collar was crooked, stood up, and walked over to him and began fixing it without looking him directly in the eyes.
"Jules", Jack began, grabbing her arms causing her to look up. "I'm sor."
"Save it", she cut him off dropping her hands from his collar.
"I mean it", he continued not releasing her from his grip. "What I said earlier, I mean, its just that, you were right alright, and I, well you are important to me even though I don't act like it, and I'm sorry for being such a jackass an' all.I know I put you through hell sometimes, ok all the time, but please, I don't want you to."
"Oh honestly Jack", Julianne said throwing up her arms exasperated; "don't you know me at all?"
When he didn't answer she went on, and went back to fixing his jacket. "Anyway, you think I'm going to spend another 15 years breaking in someone else?" This produced the result she was looking for, a smile.
"Jules", Jack eventually replied in almost a whisper, "you look amazing" he finished pulling her towards him.
"I know, I gathered when you made an ass of yerself on the street today while I was heading up to the fort."
"Oh you're right, that was you", he suddenly realized, stopping himself from kissing her. "I thought it was but was sure it couldn't have been. Anyway, I didn't bother you did I?"
"Surprisingly enough."
"See I did listen to what you said this morning."
Julianne nodded with raised eyebrows and returned to her seat in the armchair.
"So, what's Commodore Borrington up to these days", Jack inquired sitting in a chair across from her.
"Oh bugger off. 'E's not that bad."
"Try tellin' that to someone e' didn't almost hang."
Julianne was about to respond but stopped at the sound of two sets of footsteps pounding down the stairs.
"Well, don't you two just look positively charming", Will said cheerfully as he stepped into the living room.
"You just watch yer mouth there Turner. I'd hate to have to ruin our little evening out by leaving you incapacitated", Jack said in a jokingly threatening voice.
"Be my guest", Will replied, "you aren't much a challenge anyway considering you always resort to cheating."
"You dare impugn me honor boy?" Jack challenged stepping towards him.
"That's enough you two", Elizabeth cut in.
"Yes please, let's go. I'd really rather not be in this for much longer", Julianne added referring to her dress.
"Oh alright", Jack exclaimed whirling himself away from Will dramatically, "just go 'head and ruin our fun." This received a giggle from everyone, who promptly there after began getting themselves together to leave. All four stepped outside and waited a minute for Will to lock the front door, then like clockwork, make his way to Elizabeth, take her by the arm, and begin walking. Both Jack and Julianne exchanged an amused look over this and just as dramatically as he had been inside, Jack bowed ridiculously low to the ground, so that the tip of his hat almost touched the dirt, "My lady", he said to Julianne, then proceeded to make an obvious effort to look up her dress.
"I'd kick you for that, but I'd 'ate to ruin Elizabeth's lovely shoes."
"Lucky for me then", he smiled standing up, and grabbed her arm and drug her along to catch up to the Turners who were now quite a bit ahead of them. They ended up at the nicest restaurant in the town, where Elizabeth conveniently knew the owner who sat them at the best table and served their dinners on the house. Taking advantage of the situation in true pirate fashion, Jack and Julianne both made sure to order the most expensive thing on the menu, along with quite a few bottles of wine which substituted for the evening's rum. It wasn't for another three hours later that the foursome returned to the Turners' humble abode, and by this point both Jack and Julianne had drunk enough for all four of them. Elizabeth was amazed at the resilience they both seemed to show for how much they had had to drink, seeing as neither one of them appeared anything worse than slightly tipsy.
"By the way", Will started up on their walk back to the house, "I should be done with that order of yours tomorrow Julianne."
"Well that was fast", she said turning around and slightly surprised.
"O' course it was", Jack interrupted, "he had good help."
"And I'm sure you contributed so much", Julianne rolled her eyes at him.
"I did", he replied matter of factly, "I tested each one out meself after 'e was done wit' it."
At this everyone laughed until Elizabeth spoke up on a more serious note. "So will the two of you be staying with us tonight? You said you would before you left and if Will's just about finished."
"Look luv, I know what you're getting at, and I thought I'd made it perfectly clear that it's just not going to work out between to two of us. And don't forget, you're a married woman now, I hardly think Will would appreciate the nonsense you've got in yer 'ead."
"OH JACK!" Elizabeth exclaimed hitting him across the back with her purse, as Will snickered beside her. "Is there ever anything other than a filthy thought in that head of yours?"
"Well?" he asked turning to Julianne.
"Not", she answered nodding to Elizabeth with a grin. "But lucky for you, your bedroom is at the far end of the hallway and even without Will being there I doubt he'd muster up the energy to walk that far in the middle of the night."
"Yes", Elizabeth responded with a laugh, "but you'll be in the room right next to him Juli. I'm sure that isn't too far for him to make it. What will you do if he comes to your door in the middle of the night looking for some, companionship?"
"Yes Jules, what would you do", Jack asked with big innocent eyes.
"That's simple", she began with a smirk, "I'd shoot you."
"Ohh, well Lizzie", Will said turning to his wife, "looks like you aren't the first person to decline the incredibly irresistible Captain Jack Sparrow after all."
"If you only knew my dear boy, if you only knew", Jack retorted, more to himself than Will, but instantly shut his mouth when Julianne's grip on his arm became unbearably tight.
"So, we'll take this conversation to mean that you'll be staying with us tonight", Elizabeth said turning everyone's attention back to more serious matters.
"Well, as long as you promise to deadbolt the door one this one 'ere's room, I guess we can stay" Julianne answered, causing another outburst of laughter from everyone except Jack of course, who eventually did smile when Julianne squeezed his arm again softly and winked.
***
Julianne sat on the bed in the guest room she had thrown her clothes in earlier, which she found, Elizabeth had washed in the course of her absence. It was almost 12:00, and Will and Elizabeth had turned in hours ago. The dress she had borrowed, she had been told to keep along with the shoes, and both were now thrown casually over the chair in the room. Sitting in only the bare essentials of clothing, Julianne watched herself in the mirror as she carefully re-plaited the tiny braids that hung towards the front of her head, and re-strung the blue and gold beads that dangled from them.
"Got your pistol ready?" a voice came from the door.
Turning around with a smile, Julianne found Jack standing just inside the room shutting the door.
"And what do you want?"
"Well, since there is apparently only one thing ever on my mind, what do you think I want?"
"OUT!" Julianne commanded pointing firmly back at the door, but instead Jack made his way over to the bed where she sat, sat down next to her, and put one arm around her shoulder.
"Oh come on luv, you wouldn't want to waste all this prettiness of ours now would you? Besides", he continued looking her over with a sly grin, "yer already half ready."
"ABSOLUTELY NOT JACK SPARROW. We are guests in the house, and I hardly think that Will or Elizabeth would appreciate that sort of behavior."
"What they don't know won't 'urt 'em", he replied turning her head towards him and kissing her. For a few minutes the feeling was mutual until Julianne regained her wits and pushed Jack backwards, "NO! Besides, just because I'm talking to you don't mean you're totally off the hook from before."
"Uhh", Jack threw up his hands flustered, stood up, and made for the door. "Fine, make me suffer. You really are as cruel as the stories say you know."
"Pirate!"
"Pirate", he repeated in a smart ass mimic of her before closing the door.
Julianne slept late into the following morning, and woke to find the sun was already high in the sky. Slipping into the comfort of her normal clothes, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen shortly after a quick stop in the bathroom. To her surprise, she found that Elizabeth was already fixing lunch, even though it was still only 11:00.
"Awfully early for that isn't it?" Julianne inquired.
"Not for today. Will has been up since just before 5:00 this morning, and he just finished his last sword a little bit ago."
"Somebody sure is in a 'urry to get movin'."
"You've no idea. He made me stay up last night to help him pack so that we could leave the minute he was done. Unless you and Jack still have things to do."
"No we're ready. In fact, I guess it's a good thing I got all that shopping done ahead o' time or e'd have to wait an extra day."
"Well all finished", a proud and cheerful voice broke into the conversation as the door between the kitchen and the shop flew open.
"Didn't think it was possibly you'd get em all done in just 5 days, but you sure did it mate", Jack added.
"So, we're ready to go then", Will further inquired.
"Just hold your britches on dear, we aren't going anywhere until we've eaten", Elizabeth answered.
Will obeyed, and marched himself over to the sink where he scrubbed off as much of the black that covered him as he could. Elizabeth, being clever as she was, served a nice little brunch big enough to fill everyone without being to heavy of a meal that early in the day. After they ate, Julianne proceeded into the shop where she examined Will's work, approved, and had them all wrapped and added to the cart load that they would take down to the ship with them, with the exception of the two she had ordered for Jack and herself. By 1:00 the little party had made its way down to the Pearl and had successfully loaded their belongings and made ready to set sail. Taking a last look over everything, Jack surveyed his ship, then jumped down and untied it from the dock. As the Pearl pulled out of the harbor with Jack at the wheel, Will and Elizabeth stood on the front deck of the ship over looking the oncoming crystal waters, hands entwined in one anothers', both thrilled to be going on another "adventure". Back at the helm, Julianne leaned on the deck railing smoking a pipe and watching Jack steer. She smiled to herself seeing him so happy and at home out on the sea, and felt the same sense of contentment settle over her as well. Turning to the front, her smile grew wider at the sight of the two young Turners who reminded her of two children full of excitement. Looking back towards Jack, her gaze was met by his. The two captains exchanged a thoughtful smile then both turned their attention back to the vastness of the ocean.