'What?'
Marin's voice was deceptively quiet, though her eyes flashed with fury as she rounded on her captain. Elias took an involuntary step backwards under her stormy gaze.
'You're handing me over to that . . . man . . . as a hostage?' she asked, her tone incredulous as she gestured wildly in Jack's general direction. 'I always knew you were different, but I never thought you were stupid.'
Elias gave her a flat look, his coal black eyes suddenly burning with anger. With a swift kick, the door to his cabin flew open and he motioned her to go in. Refusing to budge, Marin held her ground, not prepared to back down on something as important as her freedom.
'We'll continue this inside, Marin,' he told her firmly.
Something about the tone of his voice made her suddenly uneasy. She shook her head, copper curls working loose from their binding.
'No -'
His tone was not one you would wish to argue with.
'Inside, Marin.'
She stared at him, torn between duty to her captain and downright fury at being treated like a child. After a moment struggling with herself, she threw up her hands and stalked into the stern cabin, shooting a vicious glare at Jack as Elias stumped in after her.
Jack allowed himself a small smile, glancing around at the crew, who suddenly found themselves intensely interested in lengths of rigging and sailcloth they had never investigated fully before. His eyes fell on Elizabeth, standing at the hatch, her expression one of astonishment.
'Would you care to explain what all that was about?' she asked archly, not understanding his smug expression.
Jack shrugged.
'Should you be up on deck?'
Her eyes narrowed sharply.
'I'm pregnant, not dying,' he was told tersely. 'Come here and tell me what's going on.'
With a wave of his hand, Jack bowed elaborately to her and obeyed.
'Certainly, ma'am.'
They returned to her cabin below decks, more to be out from under foot than anything. Somewhat unaccustomed to being alone with an expecting woman, Jack waited patiently for Elizabeth to make herself comfortable before thumping down into a chair.
'Well?' Elizabeth asked.
He endeavoured to look confused.
'Well what, love?'
The atmosphere in the cabin grew slightly less welcoming.
'What's going on?' she asked again, her tone betraying the firm hold she had on her temper. 'And no lies, Jack.'
He gave her a wide eyed stare.
'Would I do that? Does this look like a face that could lie to you?' he protested, somewhat weakly.
Elizabeth's eyebrow rose.
'Yes,' she shot back succinctly.
Jack held her gaze for a moment, before shrugging once again.
'Fair enough,' he conceded. 'What it all boils down to is this: I have accepted a commission to retrieve Will and a certain locket belonging to Fitz from the Stella Maris, but Fitz is insisting on keeping you with him while I do so.'
'Whatever for?'
He let out a long suffering sigh.
'To keep me honest, love, I can't think why,' he said diffidently.
Elizabeth hid a smile at his aggrieved expression.
'I can,' she murmured, before adding in a louder voice, 'So what has this to do with Marin?'
'Ah yes, the girl,' Jack agreed. 'Pretty thing, lovely name . . . I've invoked the code. If he's holding you to keep me honest, I'll hold her to keep him trustworthy. Savvy?'
A frown appeared on his young friend's face.
'Doesn't she have a say in this at all?' she questioned. 'You can't just expect her to go with you willingly . . . especially after what you did to her in Port Royale.'
'So you heard about that, did you?' he grinned, leaning back in the chair. 'She doesn't have a choice, Elizabeth love, Fitz has shaken on it. Marin will go with me, willing or no.'
'That's barbaric!' Elizabeth declared, shocked at this cool bargaining with the girl's life.
Jack shrugged once more, heaving himself to his feet as footsteps on the deck above them slowed and stopped.
'So it may seem, but that's piracy, love,' he told her. 'Now I'm going on deck to see how many limbs Fitz is missing. Join me?'
He extended a hand to help her from her seat. She stared at him, speechless for a moment, and took his hand, allowing him to lead her back up into the salty breeze just in time to see Marin burst forth from the cabin, muttering expletives under her breath as she stormed to the prow of the ship. The crew scattered before her, giving the impression that they were used to her temper. Elias stood in the doorway, his face red with anger at his girl's stubborn nature.
'I take it the persuasion didn't go as planned?' Jack asked innocently.
He found himself on the receiving end of a truly hostile glare and the cabin door slammed shut behind Elias, leaving him to stand with Elizabeth amid the sudden bustle that enveloped the crew once more.
*~*~*
The sea breeze blew cool on her flushed skin, calming the irate young woman far more effectively than any words or gestures could. There was something about the motion of a ship, the freedom of the open seas, that called to something deep within her, surrounding her with a feeling of safety and security.
Marin sighed. She knew the code had been invoked, knew also that Elias had not been bound by duty to inform her of his decision. He was bound by his word, and she also, bound to Jack Sparrow for the duration of his mission until both locket and man were returned to their rightful owners. There was nothing she could say or do that would counter the decision already made without her consent.
Then, too, there was Elizabeth to consider. Marin was well aware of her protector's reputation, and knew that he would not be above marooning her new friend if it meant the return of his locket. Unconsciously her fingers touched a similar trinket that hung around her neck, glinting in the dawn light.
She would not be a party to the deliberate murder of an innocent woman, let alone one in whom an even more innocent life was forming. She had had the care of Elizabeth since they had rescued her from the Maris, and the two had become friends very quickly. She knew how much her husband meant to Elizabeth, and could not bear the thought that, because of her stubbornness, they might never be together again.
Why then was she so against the idea of sailing with Jack Sparrow? For she was sure it was the man himself who had turned her so against the proposition. She was angry with herself for letting him get under her skin, and thanks to Dugan, the entire crew knew of his advance on her in the alleyway. However, they also knew she was less than happy with the encounter, a fact that had spared her a great deal of teasing.
Unbidden, her thoughts turned to the moment when his lips had touched hers. Taken by surprise, she had been more than a little shocked at his forwardness, even more so by the spark that grew within her the longer he held her close. She had fought him, or tried to, on principle, but she would never admit to anyone the unwanted feeling that she would have been happy for him to hold her that way for eternity. He had stirred something within her that she did not understand, and that irritated her. She did not want to give him the chance to do so again.
With a small noise of disgust at herself, she shook the thoughts from her mind, letting the soothing motion of the ship calm her frazzled nerves. There was a shout above her that a sail was sighted, but she knew it would be the Black Pearl, come to retrieve their captain as they were promised. She would have to follow him aboard, and earn a place among his crew on the voyage to Tortuga, where their search would begin.
She became aware of a presence behind her, and turned to find Elizabeth walking tentatively across the deck to join her. The two women stood together for a long while, watching as the sun rose bright over the Caribbean, and the Pearl drew alongside. Elizabeth drew in a breath, and Marin held up a hand to forestall her question.
'I will go,' she said softly. 'Though not for any of them.'
She turned to face her friend, laying a gentle hand on the new life growing within her.
'I will go for you, and your child,' she promised, feeling her heart go out to Elizabeth as tears sprang into the young woman's eyes. 'You will have your man back, Elizabeth, I swear it.'
Unable to find any other way to show her how much the oath meant, Elizabeth pulled the younger girl into her embrace, sobbing softly into her hair as they stood together in the bow.
'Thank you,' she whispered, drawing back with a grateful smile.
They heard the thump of the boarding plank as it swung into place between the two ships, and Marin felt her insides clench with unaccustomed apprehension at what she was letting herself in for. There was a cough nearby.
Dugan smiled up at his friend, his cheerful face strangely sad, holding out a string bag to Marin as she moved to pass him.
'Here, Miss Marin,' he said quietly, pushing the bag into her hands. 'I packed yer effects fer ye. Cap'n said ye'd be wanting tae board the Pearl wi' Mr Sparrow.'
Marin forced a smile for the little lad, ruffling his hair affectionately.
'Thank you, Dugan, that was very kind of you,' she told him, trying not to sound too heart-broken at having to leave the ship she had grown up on, even if it were just for a few months.
The walk to where Jack waited was one of the longest she had ever endured, and yet somehow she made it without stumbling or tripping, her manner poised and calm. The bag was taken from her unresisting hands and thrown across to the Black Pearl, with accuracy, if not care.
Elias stood off to one side, his expression unreadable as he regarded her. Marin felt her heart break again on seeing his neutral expression, and she could not prevent herself from moving to embrace him, holding back tears for fear of seeming weak before another crew.
'I'm sorry,' she murmured, as his arms came up to wrap possessively around her shoulders.
She felt him sigh, his hand stroking her hair with the gentleness he had never shown any other.
'As am I, lass,' he muttered.
She pushed herself out of his embrace, a tender scowl on her expressive features.
'And don't you let me hear you've been mistreating your guest,' she threatened. 'Or I'll mistreat you when I get back.'
Elias chuckled half-heartedly, unable to meet her eyes as she moved to stand beside the boarding plank. Jack offered her a hand up, and her gaze froze instantly.
'I am perfectly capable of walking aboard the Pearl myself, Mr Sparrow,' she said icily, proving her point deftly as her boots hit the deck of said ship gracefully.
Jack rolled his eyes, executing a near perfect bow to the crew of the Red Dragon.
'Keep to the code, gentlemen,' he said warmly, with a grin for Elizabeth where she stood by Elias.
They watched him over the boarding plank, each feeling a little something go with him. The bo'sun stepped forward.
'Beggin' yer pardon, cap'n, but should we be lettin' Miss Marin go alone?'
Elias tore his eyes from the ship across from them.
'Whatever happens, from now until the moment she sets foot among us again, is her challenge and hers alone,' he told his crew, and they could hear the sorrow in his voice at losing her, for any length of time. 'She must learn to cope without us.'
Aboard the Black Pearl, Jack was giving his orders and relaying an abridged version of his bargain to his crew. Marin stood off to one side, watching as they pulled away from the only home she had ever known.
A rope flapped past, and she instinctively grabbed for it, looking around for somewhere to secure the offending article. It was taken from her hands by a large sailor, who inclined his head to her politely.
'Thanks to you, miss, but a little lady such as yourself should not be working alongside sailors,' he said respectfully, hurrying past to secure the rope himself.
'But - ' Marin began, but he had moved out of earshot.
A stout man approached her, his weathered features stern.
'Well, miss, you'll be wanting to escape the company of these rough men, won't you?' he said shortly. 'I'll have someone show you to your cabin.'
'But I can help,' Marin protested, but was interrupted before she could get any further.
'Pardon me, miss, but you won't,' he said firmly. 'You're not one of us, so we'd ask you to keep to your cabin. Cotton here will take you below.'
As she was ushered below decks by the mute Cotton, Gibbs returned to Jack's side, shaking his head in apprehension.
'I've always said, cap'n, 'tis bad luck to have a woman aboard,' he warned.
Jack glanced over at Marin's retreating back.
'As I believe I have said before, Mr Gibbs, about another such woman,' he replied, pulling out his compass to check his bearings, 'it'd be far worse not to.'
*~*~*
What do you think?
And oh my gosh, I got TWO reviewers for one chapter! RESULT!
Savy - aww, you're so sweet. I'm really, really trying to get another chapter out soon, maybe tomorrow or the day after, but then you know, these little demons in my head keep coming up with plotlines! Argh! But I won't abandon this one, I promise!
jackfan2 - finally, someone who thinks the way I do! I've always thought Jack would stay fond of Liz and Will, and I'm trying to show that in this story. I'm sooo glad you like it.
Actually, I have a question for anyone who fancies clicking on the little blue button down there *hint, hint*. Is my characterisation up to scratch?
Marin's voice was deceptively quiet, though her eyes flashed with fury as she rounded on her captain. Elias took an involuntary step backwards under her stormy gaze.
'You're handing me over to that . . . man . . . as a hostage?' she asked, her tone incredulous as she gestured wildly in Jack's general direction. 'I always knew you were different, but I never thought you were stupid.'
Elias gave her a flat look, his coal black eyes suddenly burning with anger. With a swift kick, the door to his cabin flew open and he motioned her to go in. Refusing to budge, Marin held her ground, not prepared to back down on something as important as her freedom.
'We'll continue this inside, Marin,' he told her firmly.
Something about the tone of his voice made her suddenly uneasy. She shook her head, copper curls working loose from their binding.
'No -'
His tone was not one you would wish to argue with.
'Inside, Marin.'
She stared at him, torn between duty to her captain and downright fury at being treated like a child. After a moment struggling with herself, she threw up her hands and stalked into the stern cabin, shooting a vicious glare at Jack as Elias stumped in after her.
Jack allowed himself a small smile, glancing around at the crew, who suddenly found themselves intensely interested in lengths of rigging and sailcloth they had never investigated fully before. His eyes fell on Elizabeth, standing at the hatch, her expression one of astonishment.
'Would you care to explain what all that was about?' she asked archly, not understanding his smug expression.
Jack shrugged.
'Should you be up on deck?'
Her eyes narrowed sharply.
'I'm pregnant, not dying,' he was told tersely. 'Come here and tell me what's going on.'
With a wave of his hand, Jack bowed elaborately to her and obeyed.
'Certainly, ma'am.'
They returned to her cabin below decks, more to be out from under foot than anything. Somewhat unaccustomed to being alone with an expecting woman, Jack waited patiently for Elizabeth to make herself comfortable before thumping down into a chair.
'Well?' Elizabeth asked.
He endeavoured to look confused.
'Well what, love?'
The atmosphere in the cabin grew slightly less welcoming.
'What's going on?' she asked again, her tone betraying the firm hold she had on her temper. 'And no lies, Jack.'
He gave her a wide eyed stare.
'Would I do that? Does this look like a face that could lie to you?' he protested, somewhat weakly.
Elizabeth's eyebrow rose.
'Yes,' she shot back succinctly.
Jack held her gaze for a moment, before shrugging once again.
'Fair enough,' he conceded. 'What it all boils down to is this: I have accepted a commission to retrieve Will and a certain locket belonging to Fitz from the Stella Maris, but Fitz is insisting on keeping you with him while I do so.'
'Whatever for?'
He let out a long suffering sigh.
'To keep me honest, love, I can't think why,' he said diffidently.
Elizabeth hid a smile at his aggrieved expression.
'I can,' she murmured, before adding in a louder voice, 'So what has this to do with Marin?'
'Ah yes, the girl,' Jack agreed. 'Pretty thing, lovely name . . . I've invoked the code. If he's holding you to keep me honest, I'll hold her to keep him trustworthy. Savvy?'
A frown appeared on his young friend's face.
'Doesn't she have a say in this at all?' she questioned. 'You can't just expect her to go with you willingly . . . especially after what you did to her in Port Royale.'
'So you heard about that, did you?' he grinned, leaning back in the chair. 'She doesn't have a choice, Elizabeth love, Fitz has shaken on it. Marin will go with me, willing or no.'
'That's barbaric!' Elizabeth declared, shocked at this cool bargaining with the girl's life.
Jack shrugged once more, heaving himself to his feet as footsteps on the deck above them slowed and stopped.
'So it may seem, but that's piracy, love,' he told her. 'Now I'm going on deck to see how many limbs Fitz is missing. Join me?'
He extended a hand to help her from her seat. She stared at him, speechless for a moment, and took his hand, allowing him to lead her back up into the salty breeze just in time to see Marin burst forth from the cabin, muttering expletives under her breath as she stormed to the prow of the ship. The crew scattered before her, giving the impression that they were used to her temper. Elias stood in the doorway, his face red with anger at his girl's stubborn nature.
'I take it the persuasion didn't go as planned?' Jack asked innocently.
He found himself on the receiving end of a truly hostile glare and the cabin door slammed shut behind Elias, leaving him to stand with Elizabeth amid the sudden bustle that enveloped the crew once more.
*~*~*
The sea breeze blew cool on her flushed skin, calming the irate young woman far more effectively than any words or gestures could. There was something about the motion of a ship, the freedom of the open seas, that called to something deep within her, surrounding her with a feeling of safety and security.
Marin sighed. She knew the code had been invoked, knew also that Elias had not been bound by duty to inform her of his decision. He was bound by his word, and she also, bound to Jack Sparrow for the duration of his mission until both locket and man were returned to their rightful owners. There was nothing she could say or do that would counter the decision already made without her consent.
Then, too, there was Elizabeth to consider. Marin was well aware of her protector's reputation, and knew that he would not be above marooning her new friend if it meant the return of his locket. Unconsciously her fingers touched a similar trinket that hung around her neck, glinting in the dawn light.
She would not be a party to the deliberate murder of an innocent woman, let alone one in whom an even more innocent life was forming. She had had the care of Elizabeth since they had rescued her from the Maris, and the two had become friends very quickly. She knew how much her husband meant to Elizabeth, and could not bear the thought that, because of her stubbornness, they might never be together again.
Why then was she so against the idea of sailing with Jack Sparrow? For she was sure it was the man himself who had turned her so against the proposition. She was angry with herself for letting him get under her skin, and thanks to Dugan, the entire crew knew of his advance on her in the alleyway. However, they also knew she was less than happy with the encounter, a fact that had spared her a great deal of teasing.
Unbidden, her thoughts turned to the moment when his lips had touched hers. Taken by surprise, she had been more than a little shocked at his forwardness, even more so by the spark that grew within her the longer he held her close. She had fought him, or tried to, on principle, but she would never admit to anyone the unwanted feeling that she would have been happy for him to hold her that way for eternity. He had stirred something within her that she did not understand, and that irritated her. She did not want to give him the chance to do so again.
With a small noise of disgust at herself, she shook the thoughts from her mind, letting the soothing motion of the ship calm her frazzled nerves. There was a shout above her that a sail was sighted, but she knew it would be the Black Pearl, come to retrieve their captain as they were promised. She would have to follow him aboard, and earn a place among his crew on the voyage to Tortuga, where their search would begin.
She became aware of a presence behind her, and turned to find Elizabeth walking tentatively across the deck to join her. The two women stood together for a long while, watching as the sun rose bright over the Caribbean, and the Pearl drew alongside. Elizabeth drew in a breath, and Marin held up a hand to forestall her question.
'I will go,' she said softly. 'Though not for any of them.'
She turned to face her friend, laying a gentle hand on the new life growing within her.
'I will go for you, and your child,' she promised, feeling her heart go out to Elizabeth as tears sprang into the young woman's eyes. 'You will have your man back, Elizabeth, I swear it.'
Unable to find any other way to show her how much the oath meant, Elizabeth pulled the younger girl into her embrace, sobbing softly into her hair as they stood together in the bow.
'Thank you,' she whispered, drawing back with a grateful smile.
They heard the thump of the boarding plank as it swung into place between the two ships, and Marin felt her insides clench with unaccustomed apprehension at what she was letting herself in for. There was a cough nearby.
Dugan smiled up at his friend, his cheerful face strangely sad, holding out a string bag to Marin as she moved to pass him.
'Here, Miss Marin,' he said quietly, pushing the bag into her hands. 'I packed yer effects fer ye. Cap'n said ye'd be wanting tae board the Pearl wi' Mr Sparrow.'
Marin forced a smile for the little lad, ruffling his hair affectionately.
'Thank you, Dugan, that was very kind of you,' she told him, trying not to sound too heart-broken at having to leave the ship she had grown up on, even if it were just for a few months.
The walk to where Jack waited was one of the longest she had ever endured, and yet somehow she made it without stumbling or tripping, her manner poised and calm. The bag was taken from her unresisting hands and thrown across to the Black Pearl, with accuracy, if not care.
Elias stood off to one side, his expression unreadable as he regarded her. Marin felt her heart break again on seeing his neutral expression, and she could not prevent herself from moving to embrace him, holding back tears for fear of seeming weak before another crew.
'I'm sorry,' she murmured, as his arms came up to wrap possessively around her shoulders.
She felt him sigh, his hand stroking her hair with the gentleness he had never shown any other.
'As am I, lass,' he muttered.
She pushed herself out of his embrace, a tender scowl on her expressive features.
'And don't you let me hear you've been mistreating your guest,' she threatened. 'Or I'll mistreat you when I get back.'
Elias chuckled half-heartedly, unable to meet her eyes as she moved to stand beside the boarding plank. Jack offered her a hand up, and her gaze froze instantly.
'I am perfectly capable of walking aboard the Pearl myself, Mr Sparrow,' she said icily, proving her point deftly as her boots hit the deck of said ship gracefully.
Jack rolled his eyes, executing a near perfect bow to the crew of the Red Dragon.
'Keep to the code, gentlemen,' he said warmly, with a grin for Elizabeth where she stood by Elias.
They watched him over the boarding plank, each feeling a little something go with him. The bo'sun stepped forward.
'Beggin' yer pardon, cap'n, but should we be lettin' Miss Marin go alone?'
Elias tore his eyes from the ship across from them.
'Whatever happens, from now until the moment she sets foot among us again, is her challenge and hers alone,' he told his crew, and they could hear the sorrow in his voice at losing her, for any length of time. 'She must learn to cope without us.'
Aboard the Black Pearl, Jack was giving his orders and relaying an abridged version of his bargain to his crew. Marin stood off to one side, watching as they pulled away from the only home she had ever known.
A rope flapped past, and she instinctively grabbed for it, looking around for somewhere to secure the offending article. It was taken from her hands by a large sailor, who inclined his head to her politely.
'Thanks to you, miss, but a little lady such as yourself should not be working alongside sailors,' he said respectfully, hurrying past to secure the rope himself.
'But - ' Marin began, but he had moved out of earshot.
A stout man approached her, his weathered features stern.
'Well, miss, you'll be wanting to escape the company of these rough men, won't you?' he said shortly. 'I'll have someone show you to your cabin.'
'But I can help,' Marin protested, but was interrupted before she could get any further.
'Pardon me, miss, but you won't,' he said firmly. 'You're not one of us, so we'd ask you to keep to your cabin. Cotton here will take you below.'
As she was ushered below decks by the mute Cotton, Gibbs returned to Jack's side, shaking his head in apprehension.
'I've always said, cap'n, 'tis bad luck to have a woman aboard,' he warned.
Jack glanced over at Marin's retreating back.
'As I believe I have said before, Mr Gibbs, about another such woman,' he replied, pulling out his compass to check his bearings, 'it'd be far worse not to.'
*~*~*
What do you think?
And oh my gosh, I got TWO reviewers for one chapter! RESULT!
Savy - aww, you're so sweet. I'm really, really trying to get another chapter out soon, maybe tomorrow or the day after, but then you know, these little demons in my head keep coming up with plotlines! Argh! But I won't abandon this one, I promise!
jackfan2 - finally, someone who thinks the way I do! I've always thought Jack would stay fond of Liz and Will, and I'm trying to show that in this story. I'm sooo glad you like it.
Actually, I have a question for anyone who fancies clicking on the little blue button down there *hint, hint*. Is my characterisation up to scratch?