They docked in Tortuga a few days later, leaving the Red Dragon to limp
into harbour under her own power since she would not be joining them in
their search. Jack knocked on Marin's door, wondering if there was anything
within that would do him damage if she threw it at him.
'Yes?'
He drew in a deep breath and stepped inside, braving her icy expression to stand beside her at the porthole.
'I was wondering if you had a wish to stretch your legs, love,' he said pleasantly. 'We're in Tortuga.'
Marin's tone was scathing.
'Really? I would never have guessed.'
Jack paused, taken aback by her refusal to even be pleasant to him. Admittedly, he had suggested to the crew that they keep away from her, and she didn't seem to have taken that too well. He tried again.
'The crew and I are stepping ashore,' he told her. 'Perhaps you would like to join us?'
She turned to stare at him, incredulous. Since the moment she had set foot on board the Black Pearl, the crew had pointedly ignored her, and Gibbs had made it abundantly clear that they were acting on captain's orders. Jack, on the other hand, had made it a point to visit her every day, making her feel even more of a prisoner when she could smell the sea salt on his clothes, and see the windswept look of his hair. Why should she want to spend any more time in his company than she had already?
But then, she had been shut up in this tiny cabin for three days, with only glimpses of the sea and sun. She was going stir-crazy, and knew she needed to get out, even if it were only for a few minutes. The prospect of an evening ashore was too good an opportunity to pass up.
'I would love to join you, Mr Sparrow,' she said, her tone a deal warmer than it had been all week.
Jack blinked in surprise. He hadn't thought she would give in so easily.
'Well, then, love, I am here to escort you to the boats,' he said, stepping aside for her to leave the little cabin. 'And it's Captain Sparrow.'
He didn't see the tiny smile that broke on Marin's face as he fell in behind her.
'Why should I call you that?' she asked politely. 'You're not my captain.'
Jack pondered this for a moment, seeing the logic behind her reasoning.
'Fair enough, love,' he conceded. 'Then I would consider it an honour if you would call me Jack.'
'Oh, I couldn't do that,' Marin protested, and this time, even he could hear the amusement in her voice. 'We haven't been properly introduced.'
Rolling his eyes in resigned acceptance, Jack motioned for the crew to help her down into the boat, noticing with a slight pang of jealousy how she allowed them to help her without a word. She wouldn't have let him do anything for her, of that he was certain. Perhaps she was still sore about the kiss, he thought, feeling his mind stray back to the alleyway.
He didn't know why he had done it. He hadn't been in mortal danger, so it wasn't a last chance for an earthly delight. She certainly hadn't been willing, so he hadn't done it for her sake. Something about her intrigued him, and he was determined to unravel the mystery around her.
He thumped into the boat beside her, careful not to intrude on the personal space around her slender form, and gave the order to shove off. This should be an interesting evening.
*~*~*
The crew were received with open arms by the people of Tortuga, leading Marin to guess that the Black Pearl spent more time docked here than any other port in the Caribbean. On their arrival, Jack was slapped a grand total of six times, by six entirely different women, much to the hilarity of the crew. Scarlet spat on him as he sauntered past, and Giselle wouldn't even acknowledge his presence when he nodded to her. He took it all in his stride, however, merely shrugging his acceptance of their treatment of him.
One of the younger men, an amiable fellow by the name of Solomon, had been put in charge of her for the night, and hadn't been slow to make friends with his companion. He kept close by her side, amusing her with side comments on the captain's behaviour and how well he deserved the punishment that was meted out to him by the whores of Tortuga.
They entered a rowdy tavern, men peeling off the group to make themselves reacquainted with those who lived in the port. At Jack's command, Gibbs stayed close to him, as did Marin, since she was technically under the captain's protection, and no one else's. Together the four of them approached a table occupied by a single woman.
'Ana Maria!' Jack greeted her warmly, seating himself before her. 'A pleasure it is to see you once again, and how lovely you look this evening!'
Ana Maria looked him over once with a distasteful expression, and nodded to Marin with a smile.
'Don't tell me he's got his hands on you too, Mar,' she said, ignoring him for a moment.
Marin grinned at her old friend.
'Only temporarily,' she assured the female captain. 'I see you've got a new ship.'
'Aye, the Dryad,' Ana Maria told her, a faint smile lightening her dark features. 'Found her anchored off Port Smith couple of months ago.'
'Correct me if I'm wrong, but she has the look of a ship of the line,' Marin mentioned, ignoring the startled looks she got from all three of her male companions.
Ana Maria laughed.
'You're not wrong there. Pride of the King's Navy, she is.'
'Was,' Marin corrected, with an impish grin.
Ana Maria nodded again, hiding her smile behind the tankard she raised to her lips. Setting the worn metal back on the tabletop, she turned her attention to Jack.
'What do you want, Jack Sparrow?' she said bluntly.
Jack looked offended.
'Why would you think I would want anything from you, love?' he asked indignantly. 'Is the want of your company not good enough?'
Ana Maria looked him over once again, before turning back to her tankard.
'For you? Nothing is ever that simple with you,' she stated calmly, leaning back to regard him with expressionless eyes.
Solomon coughed suddenly, spluttering something about getting a drink before hurrying away. Marin watched him go, feeling her own amusement at Ana Maria's treatment of Jack threatening to bubble over. She glanced over the crowd, suddenly unable to shake a feeling that something wasn't quite right with them.
Her gaze travelled across the heaving mass of people, and lit on a young woman, not much older than herself. She was glaring murderously at Jack's back, and deftly weighing a knife in her hands. With presence of mind learnt from years living among pirates, Marin kicked Jack's chair from under him as the knife thudded into the table. He stared at the throbbing blade for a moment, knowing if he hadn't been knocked to the ground, it would now be decorating his back.
Gingerly he reached out to still the vibrating blade.
'Not sure I deserve that,' he muttered, letting Gibbs haul him to his feet.
The attacking woman stalked through the crowd, grasping Marin's collar roughly.
'Don't you do that again, you cow,' she hissed. 'He deserves all he gets.'
Marin very calmly removed the woman's hands from her coat, her eyes never once leaving those of her aggressor.
'Of that I have no doubt,' she told the woman. 'But he has a duty I must see him perform, and you won't kill him before then.'
The woman sneered down at her, confident to a fault.
'And who's going to stop me, little girl?' she laughed. 'You?'
Aware that most noise and movement in the tavern had stopped to watch this by-play, Marin looked the older woman up and down. She could see, out of the corner of her eye, Gibbs holding Solomon back, and knew suddenly that this was her chance to prove herself to the crew of the Black Pearl.
'If I must,' she said calmly.
Instinct took over the crowd, and they began to move backwards, providing a largish space for the women to fight.
'What's your name, darling?' the barkeeper shouted across the room.
Never taking her eyes from Marin's neutral expression, the older woman removed her knife from the table.
'Hester,' she called to him. 'My name's Hester.'
He nodded, writing it down in a small book.
'And yours, love?'
Marin gave him her name, trying not to smile as he began taking bets.
Hester turned away, laughing at her adversary, and spun back, throwing a punch at where Marin's face had been. Her balled fist hit unresisting air, throwing her off-balance slightly. She felt a tap on her shoulder, and Marin's fist smashed into her face. As she staggered back, there was a roar from the crowd and her knife appeared in her hand.
Not wanting to face her in an unfair fight, Marin drew her dirk from her boot, circling her opponent with the grace of a cat. She could see Ana Maria watching her, one hand restraining Jack from involving himself. This was her fight, she took it to understand, even if she was fighting for him.
Hester lashed out with her knife, causing Marin to stumble sideways to escape the deadly blade. Sensing an advantage, Hester rushed her prey, bending her back over a nearby table as she tried to plunge her knife between the younger girl's ribs. Marin's free hand held a vicelike grip on her wrist, keeping the blade as far from her as possible. Her feet kicked the air for a moment, before finding a purchase on Hester's legs. The older woman went tumbling away as Marin kicked at the back of her knees, pushing herself upright once more.
There was an approving roar from the crowd as both women came together again, blades flashing in the lamplight. Hester's knife flew from her hand, and she threw herself at Marin, pressing the girl back against a wall. As she fought to keep her opponent's hand from her throat, Marin was unaware that Hester was pushing her wrist up to the lamp beside them until it was too late. She gave a sharp cry of pain, and the blade dropped from her hand as the hot glass seared her unprotected skin.
Now in pain, as well as angry, Marin threw Hester away from her, whimpering slightly at the pain in her hand before throwing herself back into the fight. Hester grasped a bottle, smashing the end to give herself a wicked looking weapon. Marin took one look, and made for the balcony above them, not prepared to fight a woman armed with a broken bottle. Hester watched her go in satisfaction, laughing as she declared herself the winner.
She turned to glare once more at Jack, and found Ana Maria between her and the captain, who was peering into the crowd with interest.
'Move,' she said harshly, her tone uncompromising.
Ana Maria glanced over the woman's shoulder and smiled.
'Whatever you say, my lady,' she said softly, and stepped backwards as Marin slipped from the crowd to Hester's side, wresting the bottle from her opponent's hand and throwing it in the fire. With a shriek of fury, Hester spun to face the younger girl, and met a fist coming towards her. There was a dull crack, and she slammed backwards into the wall, blood pouring from her nose.
Breathless, Marin glanced about at the crowd, who were obviously waiting for Hester to get up again. She bent to retrieve her dirk, breathing hard, and heard the barkeeper announce her as the victor. There was a surge of movement towards the bar as men scrambled to collect their winnings. She noticed a fair number of the Black Pearl's crew among them. Gibbs gave her an approving grin as he jostled past, Solomon in tow.
A hand gripped her shoulder, and she turned to find herself face to face with Jack, his expression one of feigned astonishment.
'Darling, I never knew you cared,' he began, but didn't get any further.
With a low snarl, Marin punched him, and he staggered backwards under the force of the blow. He gazed after her with unfocused eyes as she stalked away, shaking her head at his stupidity. Gibbs came up beside him, chuckling softly.
'I told you it were bad luck to have a woman on board,' he said, slipping Jack's arm over his shoulders. 'Come on, sir, let's get you back to the Pearl.'
*~*~*
I LOVE YOU GUYS! You're all wonderful! *huge hugs all round*
awoogawaltz - I have a confession to make. I'm not Scottish. If you read Terry Pratchett's 'The Wee Free Men', you'll know exactly where I got all the spellings for the accent from. But you'll forgive me that, won't you? *innocent smile*
jackfan2 - I always think my chapters are too long, would you believe? It's nice to hear that someone doesn't mind the length. I reckon Liz and Jack would have set their differences aside by now - it has been about three years (!) - and after all, there's Will to consider isn't there?
Savy - *shakes in terror* You wouldn't maroon little old me, would you? Although, if a certain captain were to come along, I'm not sure I'd mind - after all, I have to get my characterisation perfect, don't you think? *grin*
Ariandir - cor, thanks! I get so worried when I'm writing Jack - he's such a tricksy character! I shall savour my muffins and rum, and you shall have to come round to tea at some point!
Thanks again to all you wonderful, wonderful people who reviewed, you really made my day! *again with the pointing to the little blue button*
'Yes?'
He drew in a deep breath and stepped inside, braving her icy expression to stand beside her at the porthole.
'I was wondering if you had a wish to stretch your legs, love,' he said pleasantly. 'We're in Tortuga.'
Marin's tone was scathing.
'Really? I would never have guessed.'
Jack paused, taken aback by her refusal to even be pleasant to him. Admittedly, he had suggested to the crew that they keep away from her, and she didn't seem to have taken that too well. He tried again.
'The crew and I are stepping ashore,' he told her. 'Perhaps you would like to join us?'
She turned to stare at him, incredulous. Since the moment she had set foot on board the Black Pearl, the crew had pointedly ignored her, and Gibbs had made it abundantly clear that they were acting on captain's orders. Jack, on the other hand, had made it a point to visit her every day, making her feel even more of a prisoner when she could smell the sea salt on his clothes, and see the windswept look of his hair. Why should she want to spend any more time in his company than she had already?
But then, she had been shut up in this tiny cabin for three days, with only glimpses of the sea and sun. She was going stir-crazy, and knew she needed to get out, even if it were only for a few minutes. The prospect of an evening ashore was too good an opportunity to pass up.
'I would love to join you, Mr Sparrow,' she said, her tone a deal warmer than it had been all week.
Jack blinked in surprise. He hadn't thought she would give in so easily.
'Well, then, love, I am here to escort you to the boats,' he said, stepping aside for her to leave the little cabin. 'And it's Captain Sparrow.'
He didn't see the tiny smile that broke on Marin's face as he fell in behind her.
'Why should I call you that?' she asked politely. 'You're not my captain.'
Jack pondered this for a moment, seeing the logic behind her reasoning.
'Fair enough, love,' he conceded. 'Then I would consider it an honour if you would call me Jack.'
'Oh, I couldn't do that,' Marin protested, and this time, even he could hear the amusement in her voice. 'We haven't been properly introduced.'
Rolling his eyes in resigned acceptance, Jack motioned for the crew to help her down into the boat, noticing with a slight pang of jealousy how she allowed them to help her without a word. She wouldn't have let him do anything for her, of that he was certain. Perhaps she was still sore about the kiss, he thought, feeling his mind stray back to the alleyway.
He didn't know why he had done it. He hadn't been in mortal danger, so it wasn't a last chance for an earthly delight. She certainly hadn't been willing, so he hadn't done it for her sake. Something about her intrigued him, and he was determined to unravel the mystery around her.
He thumped into the boat beside her, careful not to intrude on the personal space around her slender form, and gave the order to shove off. This should be an interesting evening.
*~*~*
The crew were received with open arms by the people of Tortuga, leading Marin to guess that the Black Pearl spent more time docked here than any other port in the Caribbean. On their arrival, Jack was slapped a grand total of six times, by six entirely different women, much to the hilarity of the crew. Scarlet spat on him as he sauntered past, and Giselle wouldn't even acknowledge his presence when he nodded to her. He took it all in his stride, however, merely shrugging his acceptance of their treatment of him.
One of the younger men, an amiable fellow by the name of Solomon, had been put in charge of her for the night, and hadn't been slow to make friends with his companion. He kept close by her side, amusing her with side comments on the captain's behaviour and how well he deserved the punishment that was meted out to him by the whores of Tortuga.
They entered a rowdy tavern, men peeling off the group to make themselves reacquainted with those who lived in the port. At Jack's command, Gibbs stayed close to him, as did Marin, since she was technically under the captain's protection, and no one else's. Together the four of them approached a table occupied by a single woman.
'Ana Maria!' Jack greeted her warmly, seating himself before her. 'A pleasure it is to see you once again, and how lovely you look this evening!'
Ana Maria looked him over once with a distasteful expression, and nodded to Marin with a smile.
'Don't tell me he's got his hands on you too, Mar,' she said, ignoring him for a moment.
Marin grinned at her old friend.
'Only temporarily,' she assured the female captain. 'I see you've got a new ship.'
'Aye, the Dryad,' Ana Maria told her, a faint smile lightening her dark features. 'Found her anchored off Port Smith couple of months ago.'
'Correct me if I'm wrong, but she has the look of a ship of the line,' Marin mentioned, ignoring the startled looks she got from all three of her male companions.
Ana Maria laughed.
'You're not wrong there. Pride of the King's Navy, she is.'
'Was,' Marin corrected, with an impish grin.
Ana Maria nodded again, hiding her smile behind the tankard she raised to her lips. Setting the worn metal back on the tabletop, she turned her attention to Jack.
'What do you want, Jack Sparrow?' she said bluntly.
Jack looked offended.
'Why would you think I would want anything from you, love?' he asked indignantly. 'Is the want of your company not good enough?'
Ana Maria looked him over once again, before turning back to her tankard.
'For you? Nothing is ever that simple with you,' she stated calmly, leaning back to regard him with expressionless eyes.
Solomon coughed suddenly, spluttering something about getting a drink before hurrying away. Marin watched him go, feeling her own amusement at Ana Maria's treatment of Jack threatening to bubble over. She glanced over the crowd, suddenly unable to shake a feeling that something wasn't quite right with them.
Her gaze travelled across the heaving mass of people, and lit on a young woman, not much older than herself. She was glaring murderously at Jack's back, and deftly weighing a knife in her hands. With presence of mind learnt from years living among pirates, Marin kicked Jack's chair from under him as the knife thudded into the table. He stared at the throbbing blade for a moment, knowing if he hadn't been knocked to the ground, it would now be decorating his back.
Gingerly he reached out to still the vibrating blade.
'Not sure I deserve that,' he muttered, letting Gibbs haul him to his feet.
The attacking woman stalked through the crowd, grasping Marin's collar roughly.
'Don't you do that again, you cow,' she hissed. 'He deserves all he gets.'
Marin very calmly removed the woman's hands from her coat, her eyes never once leaving those of her aggressor.
'Of that I have no doubt,' she told the woman. 'But he has a duty I must see him perform, and you won't kill him before then.'
The woman sneered down at her, confident to a fault.
'And who's going to stop me, little girl?' she laughed. 'You?'
Aware that most noise and movement in the tavern had stopped to watch this by-play, Marin looked the older woman up and down. She could see, out of the corner of her eye, Gibbs holding Solomon back, and knew suddenly that this was her chance to prove herself to the crew of the Black Pearl.
'If I must,' she said calmly.
Instinct took over the crowd, and they began to move backwards, providing a largish space for the women to fight.
'What's your name, darling?' the barkeeper shouted across the room.
Never taking her eyes from Marin's neutral expression, the older woman removed her knife from the table.
'Hester,' she called to him. 'My name's Hester.'
He nodded, writing it down in a small book.
'And yours, love?'
Marin gave him her name, trying not to smile as he began taking bets.
Hester turned away, laughing at her adversary, and spun back, throwing a punch at where Marin's face had been. Her balled fist hit unresisting air, throwing her off-balance slightly. She felt a tap on her shoulder, and Marin's fist smashed into her face. As she staggered back, there was a roar from the crowd and her knife appeared in her hand.
Not wanting to face her in an unfair fight, Marin drew her dirk from her boot, circling her opponent with the grace of a cat. She could see Ana Maria watching her, one hand restraining Jack from involving himself. This was her fight, she took it to understand, even if she was fighting for him.
Hester lashed out with her knife, causing Marin to stumble sideways to escape the deadly blade. Sensing an advantage, Hester rushed her prey, bending her back over a nearby table as she tried to plunge her knife between the younger girl's ribs. Marin's free hand held a vicelike grip on her wrist, keeping the blade as far from her as possible. Her feet kicked the air for a moment, before finding a purchase on Hester's legs. The older woman went tumbling away as Marin kicked at the back of her knees, pushing herself upright once more.
There was an approving roar from the crowd as both women came together again, blades flashing in the lamplight. Hester's knife flew from her hand, and she threw herself at Marin, pressing the girl back against a wall. As she fought to keep her opponent's hand from her throat, Marin was unaware that Hester was pushing her wrist up to the lamp beside them until it was too late. She gave a sharp cry of pain, and the blade dropped from her hand as the hot glass seared her unprotected skin.
Now in pain, as well as angry, Marin threw Hester away from her, whimpering slightly at the pain in her hand before throwing herself back into the fight. Hester grasped a bottle, smashing the end to give herself a wicked looking weapon. Marin took one look, and made for the balcony above them, not prepared to fight a woman armed with a broken bottle. Hester watched her go in satisfaction, laughing as she declared herself the winner.
She turned to glare once more at Jack, and found Ana Maria between her and the captain, who was peering into the crowd with interest.
'Move,' she said harshly, her tone uncompromising.
Ana Maria glanced over the woman's shoulder and smiled.
'Whatever you say, my lady,' she said softly, and stepped backwards as Marin slipped from the crowd to Hester's side, wresting the bottle from her opponent's hand and throwing it in the fire. With a shriek of fury, Hester spun to face the younger girl, and met a fist coming towards her. There was a dull crack, and she slammed backwards into the wall, blood pouring from her nose.
Breathless, Marin glanced about at the crowd, who were obviously waiting for Hester to get up again. She bent to retrieve her dirk, breathing hard, and heard the barkeeper announce her as the victor. There was a surge of movement towards the bar as men scrambled to collect their winnings. She noticed a fair number of the Black Pearl's crew among them. Gibbs gave her an approving grin as he jostled past, Solomon in tow.
A hand gripped her shoulder, and she turned to find herself face to face with Jack, his expression one of feigned astonishment.
'Darling, I never knew you cared,' he began, but didn't get any further.
With a low snarl, Marin punched him, and he staggered backwards under the force of the blow. He gazed after her with unfocused eyes as she stalked away, shaking her head at his stupidity. Gibbs came up beside him, chuckling softly.
'I told you it were bad luck to have a woman on board,' he said, slipping Jack's arm over his shoulders. 'Come on, sir, let's get you back to the Pearl.'
*~*~*
I LOVE YOU GUYS! You're all wonderful! *huge hugs all round*
awoogawaltz - I have a confession to make. I'm not Scottish. If you read Terry Pratchett's 'The Wee Free Men', you'll know exactly where I got all the spellings for the accent from. But you'll forgive me that, won't you? *innocent smile*
jackfan2 - I always think my chapters are too long, would you believe? It's nice to hear that someone doesn't mind the length. I reckon Liz and Jack would have set their differences aside by now - it has been about three years (!) - and after all, there's Will to consider isn't there?
Savy - *shakes in terror* You wouldn't maroon little old me, would you? Although, if a certain captain were to come along, I'm not sure I'd mind - after all, I have to get my characterisation perfect, don't you think? *grin*
Ariandir - cor, thanks! I get so worried when I'm writing Jack - he's such a tricksy character! I shall savour my muffins and rum, and you shall have to come round to tea at some point!
Thanks again to all you wonderful, wonderful people who reviewed, you really made my day! *again with the pointing to the little blue button*