Disclaimer: If you recognise it from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean then, sadly, it is not mine.
Author's note: Don't give up on me... Sadly, paying gig's win out over my writing. I will update as often as I can though. Oh, and it looks like we're going with option B. Thanks to everyone who voted.
Chapter 3: Cheering the Captain
Joshamee Gibbs frowned as he watched his captain walk dispiritedly across the deck and disappear into his cabin. Again. Putting aside the line he was coiling, he leaned against the railing of the ship and gazed meditively into the water. Jack had been down ever since he went to that wedding a month back. Oh, he still oversaw the crew and made decisions about their next destinations and made the occasional raid, but everyone could see that his heart wasn't in it. And he spent most of his free time sitting by himself in his cabin, brooding.
It's not right, thought Gibbs. It's not like him to be so downhearted. Even the last time we stopped in Tortuga he didn't really enjoy himself like he normally does, and he spent most of his latest haul on some of the finest girls I've seen in that place! Didn't cheer him up though. He sighed gustily and shook his head. What they needed was a diversion. Something really good to snap the captain out of his depression.
"Ship!" The cry from above jolted the pirate out of his reflections. A ship! There'd be a raid, of course. Maybe he could find something on board to take the captain's mind off whatever was bothering him? He smiled in anticipation.
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The pirates on board the Black Pearl crowded the railing and watched with glee as the ship they pursued tried to pile on as much canvas as it could to make an escape. There wasn't a ship in the Caribbean that could match the Pearl, however. The two ship gradually drew closer together until they were almost touching and the order was given to board. Ropes were flung across the gap, heavy grapples tangling in the rigging and biting into the planks of the deck. The crew poured across, pistols firing and swords out as they prepared to do battle with their victim.
Gibbs fought through to the door that led to the cabins set aside for the ship's officers. With two more pirates in tow, they set about opening doors to see what loot they could find before the battle on the main deck finished. The first door they tried led to a sparse cabin with a single chest at the foot of the bunk. A quick check showed the chest to be unlocked but to contain only clothing. None of the pirates thought enough of the clothes to make them worth taking, and they moved on to the next cabin.
The door opened to another sparse cabin, but this one was occupied: a young woman was crouched beside the bunk with a long knife in her hand. She was obviously waiting for someone to open the door, since within a moment the knife had left her hand and neatly pinned the leading man to the doorframe by a fold of his shirt. "Don't come any nearer," she warned harshly.
"Why not?" returned the man she had pinned, a wiry individual known as Manny, struggling to draw the knife out of the wood and free himself. "You're unarmed now, luv. We're not." He finally managed to wrench the knife from the wall and stepped forward so his companions could crowd in beside him. Brandishing the knife, he took another step before stopping short as the woman drew another knife from under the mattress. She raised one eyebrow as if to say, 'Am I?' and stood up slowly.
Gibbs ran an appraising look over the woman. She was pretty, he decided. Very pretty. Perhaps she would make a nice gift for the captain? And if he doesn't want her, I'm sure she won't be without admirers in the rest of the crew, he thought. Privately, he decided that he wouldn't mind her for himself. But right now it was more important that he find a way to cheer the cptain. His black mood was affecting the morale of the whole crew. Placatingly, he said, "Now, missy, you just put that knife away and come along with us quietly. No need for anyone to get hurt, and you get to enjoy our hospitality for a while."
The woman turned luminous green eyes towards him and curled her lip in derision. "Of course, I believe you," she said in a voice heavy with sarcasm. "I'm sorry, sir, but I don't fancy being spoils. Now you all leave now, and we can all go about our lives quite happily." She gestured towards the door with the knife.
"Can't say as I fancy doing that, missy," Manny replied with a leer. Lunging forward, he grabbed for her arm to try and get the knife from her hand. He got a slash to the shoulder for his trouble, but while her hands were occupied Gibbs and the third pirate in the group circled behind her and got a secure hold on her. She struggled wildly, spitting curses at them as she tried to free herself until Gibbs brought the hilt of his own knife down sharply on her head and she slumped between them.
Hoisting her onto his shoulder, he said, "I'm thinking this little lass might make a nice gift to the captain. What say you, lads?" She was very light, he noticed. All to the good - it would make it easy to get her back to their ship.
The other two pirates grinned and nodded. "Aye, the little spitfire might amuse him, at that. He could do with some amusin'."
Gibbs nodded at the chest at the foot of the bunk. "Bring her things. She is going to be our guest, after all." Chuckling wildly, the three pirates made their way out of the cabin with their burdens. The fight on the deck had died down now, with the crew mostly subdued and under the watchful eye of several pirates. The rest were ferrying loot up from the cargo hold and passing it back across to the Pearl. In the confusion, the trio managed to get back to their own ship without questions being asked.
They had almost made it as far as the captains cabin. "What do you have there, lads?" They turned with slightly guilty expressions to face Jack Sparrow. His voice had sounded pleasant enough, but his eyes were like steel as he shifted his gaze from one to the other.
Clearing his throat nervously, Gibbs replied, "Thought we'd bring you a present, Cap'n. Found this lass on the ship, and thought you might like the company." He hauled the woman from his shoulder and turned her so that her face was visible. Hopefully the captain would be impressed enough with her looks to forget to tell them off for bringing live cargo aboard without his permission - a rule which Jack had adhered to strictly since regaining command of the ship.
The expressions that passed across the captain's tanned features ranged from surprise to confusion to horror as he noticed the swelling above her temple. His face hardened and he strode swiftly to the door of the cabin and wrenched it open. "Put her on the bed," he snapped. "Gently. And if that's her trunk then bring it too and leave it here. Then go and see to the rest of the loot and get us away from here." The three pirates jumped to do as they were ordered and backed nervously out of the room. It was rare that Jack got truly angry, and when he did he was quite capable of making life hell for everyone who crossed his path.
Many Thanks to:
• Candia - I only hope I did this scene justice, if we're comparing it to the movie...
• Appalachian Field of Lilies - Thanks. He's a deceptively tricky character to write well for.
• Indigo Phoenix - keep in mind that you hadn't actually met her... Jack's starry-eyed memories aren't necessarily the whole story
• lemonade - *giggle*
• Luthien - Sorry, dear, B's won.
• Tina - Thanks. :) There will be more romance in later chapters, I promise.