Disclaimer: Jack! Come Back!!!! I didn't mean to touch your bum! It was
an accident! (winkity wink)
Author's Notes:
Heck yes, I finally get to update. Sorry luvs, I have been trying for days to update but things just keep popping up out of nowhere, like schoolwork, yadda yadda yadda.
Thank you for the feedback, I am loving every word!
So I went and saw the PotC movie for the tenth time last weekend for my birthday. I had lots of fun. I thought, "Hey, maybe if I saw it for the tenth time, I wouldn't want to see it anymore." (shakes head sadly) Apparently that isn't the case. MUST.......SEE..........AGAIN! Well I love watching it because it gives me a chance to study the way the characters speak, move, and act in general. Sparrow, of course, is my favorite part. My friend made me a sign that said "Have you seen my boyfriend?" and it had a picture of Sparrow on it. Unfortunately I didn't have the nerve to wear it in public. I did wear it in the bathroom though. Does that count? (crickets chirp) Okay, why don't I let you read on, hmm? Enjoy Chapter 26, mates! I love you all!
You like pain? Try wearing a corset!
PineAppleLint : )
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jack's voice was husky and rough, the words he spoke next in that tone he used when he wanted to do a bit of seducing.
"Well, luv, that is awfully kind of ye to offer," he paused, glancing in my direction with darkened, thoughtful brown eyes, "And I would be pleased to accept yer invitation."
"Wonderful, Captain Sparrow," the whore said and batted her eyelashes, leaning in close to him and kissing his earlobe slowly before proclaiming, "Let me tell my boss I shall be getting off work. Won't be but a moment."
"Don't take too long," Jack said with a wink and she smiled seductively, touching his shoulder. Her touch was more of a soft caress. She turned to leave and Jack smacked her on the bottom playfully. She blew him a kiss over her shoulder and walked briskly away.
I gripped the chair so tight, my fingers were turning white from lack of blood flow. My teeth were clenched and I took a slow breath, trying to settle myself down.
That's when the awful truth came back and hit me in the face. He was Captain Jack Sparrow. He was never going to change his loose ways, for that was part of his nature, a part of his piracy, a part of his life. I would never want to cage Jack's soul, for he was like a wild creature that need not be tamed. He enjoyed his freedom and flaunted it with a passion so many people envied.
"So, Ana Maria," I said calmly, my voice not betraying me and revealing my inner turmoil, "What brings ye to Nassau?"
Ana Maria stared at me with concern, and then shot a sideways glance at Jack, who was sitting at the end of the wooden table with his boots propped up on a chair, slouched comfortably. She knew I was hurting, but didn't utter a word about it.
"Jus' havin' meself a bit o' fun, dat's all," she replied with a smile, "And it seems to me dat da captain has been workin' ye a bit too hard. How bout we have ourselves a good time, hmm?"
"How do the two of ye know each other?" Jack asked, intrigued, peering out at us from underneath his tricorne hat.
"We were part of Snidely's crew," Ana Maria informed him, "For three years we worked on da same ship an' became friends. After Snidely was murdered we went our separate ways." She turned to me and added, "I heard ye 'ad gotten yer own ship and crew. For a while I thought ye had died with da rest of them."
Pain filled my eyes and I stared out the grimy window, being bombarded with images of dead bodies being washed ashore, driftwood riding the waves, the only remains of my beloved ship. The rest was sitting in the darkness of Davy Jones' Locker. Deserted, empty.
"I'm sorry for yer losses," Ana Maria commented quietly when she witnessed my change of mood.
"Can't change the past, now can we?" I said bitterly.
"At least ye got a ship to command," Ana Maria pointed out, "Snidely would have been proud. I sure miss dat bloke."
Jack piped up, "We killed the bastard who murdered 'im!"
"Did ye now?" Ana Maria asked, eyebrows raised.
"Sean Shadows," I said quietly, "He is no more. Jack and I made sure of that."
"Then ye did a good justice to da Caribbean, Gallagher," she said seriously, "A lot o' pirates wanted to see Shadows dead."
Jack cleared his throat.
"All right," Ana Maria said with frustration, rolling her eyes, "Jack, ye did good, too."
Jack pointed to himself and nodded, grinning like an idiot.
"So what are da two of ye doing here, then?" Ana Maria asked before taking another hearty gulp of her rum.
My eyes met Jack's and he shook his head furiously. He didn't want me to tell. Ana Maria had a right to know Snidely had left treasure behind, for she had been a part of the crew. She had been as close to him as I had, and he had been like family. Whatever loot he had hid for safe keeping, she deserved a share.
"Well, see, Snidely left something behind.........." I began and Jack looked like he wanted to shoot me on the spot.
Sparrow's face was turning a vivid scarlet and he said madly, arms waving around, "Ye stupid idiot! What the HELL are ye tellin' her fer? I swear, woman, I shall tie ye up and throw ye into the ocean! I'll............."
"She deserves to know!" I argued, standing up in fury.
"That means we are going to have to split it 50/50/50!" Jack hissed, his fingers reaching for his sword.
I grabbed his arm, preventing him from unsheathing it and said fiercely, "Jack, no wonder ye are nothin' but a thieving scoundrel. Ye can't even do math."
"Captain," a soft voice said from behind me, "Are you ready to go?"
I turned; still keeping a hold on Sparrow, finding that the bar wench was back and pulling on her coat. Ana Maria was just watching all of us quietly, finding it all very entertaining.
"He will be with yeh in a few minutes, wench," I spat, "We still have some business to attend to."
Sparrow grunted in anger and pushed me off of him.
"Tell her if ye want, Gallagher," he said, eyes flashing, "But it is comin' out of YER share, not mine, savvy?" He turned to the whore and his face changed from an enraged frown into a pleasant, mischievous smile. "Shall we be goin', luv?" he asked, offering her his arm.
"Of course, darling," she said with a giggle and she shot me a dirty look as he led her to the door, his boots clunking against the old wood. He was whispering into her ear, causing her to blush like crazy as they disappeared out of the tavern.
I fell back into my chair with a sigh, massaging my temple with my index finger.
"Ye sure get on his bad side," Ana Maria said with a secretive smile.
"Tell me about it," I groaned, shaking my head.
"Doesn't it bother ye at all dat he is goin' to be havin' his way with dat whore in, oh, five minutes or so?"
"No!" I lied angrily, "Why would ye think such a thing? Why should I care if that idiot gets some pleasure out of that good for nothin' piece of flesh?"
Ana Maria chuckled and said softly, "Whatever ye say."
I leaned in close to her and said, "Now, about Snidely, he left some treasure behind and we are here to retrieve it. Since ye were a close mate of Snidely's, I think ye deserve a portion."
"Dat is awfully kind of ye, Gallagher," Ana Maria replied, eyes twinkling, "One can never have too much treasure."
"Well I'm glad ye think so," I said with a smile, patting her on the back, "Tonight at sundown, we will be goin'."
"All right, I'm in. Now we just have one thing left to do."
"And what is that?" I asked curiously.
"Celebrate!" Ana Maria cried. I laughed and was about to reply when a young man came up to our table.
We stared up at the tall figure and Ana Maria asked, "Somethin' we can do for ye, sir?"
He was big, with deep blue eyes and a mischievous grin, jet black hair tied back into a pony tail and in the prim, proper clothing of a gentleman.
"My mates and I are sitting over there," he exclaimed in a rough, low voice, full of proper English accent, "And it seems to me that you fine ladies are without company tonight. How about we buy the two of you a couple of drinks in exchange for an interesting conversation?"
I smiled wickedly and said, "That may be just the thing we need."
"Aye," Ana Maria agreed, "We accept yer invitation."
"Wonderful!" he said warmly and motioned us to join their table. There were twelve men sitting there, laughing and telling raunchy jokes, nursing multiple mugs of whiskey, ale, and rum. They glanced up to find us standing there and cheered.
"Finally! We've been without the sound of a fine woman's voice for so long," one groaned, causing the others to chuckle good naturedly.
We sat down, getting comfortable, and the man who invited us over shouted to the bartender, "Hey, my good fellow! Another round over here! And give these ladies some of your finest!"
Ana Maria grinned and leaned back comfortably in her chair.
"So where are ye boys comin' from?" she asked and I propped my elbows up on the table, listening to their conversations with interest.
"From England, actually," one of the cleaner gents piped up, "Just finished dropping off a load of goods at Nassau and needed to have ourselves a bit of well deserved fun."
I glanced over at a boy who seemed about seventeen years of age. He was gangly and quiet, but he was studying me closely.
"See somethin' ye like?" I asked and he jumped, unaware he had been caught staring.
"Nothing, miss, it just seems like you are, um," he mumbled, nervous.
"Yes? Out with it, lad," I coaxed with a smile.
"You look like a pirate," he finished, watching my reaction. The other gents chuckled and my grin widened.
"Who said I wasn't a pirate?" I asked mysteriously.
"How interesting!" the blue eyed man said, eyeing us, "Men! We have a couple of lady pirates in our very midsts!"
This caused more cheering from the men and Ana Maria and I laughed, trying to go along with their obvious pursuit to flirt with us.
"To lady pirates!" one hollered and held up his mug of rum, some of the amber liquid sloshing onto the dirty table.
I picked up my own mug of strong rum and my eyes met Ana Maria's.
"To Snidely," I said softly, so only she heard me. She nodded. Our mugs clinked and the mug touched our lips.
We threw our heads back and felt the strong warmth of freedom slide down our throats.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
So of course about a half hour later the men were totally smashed from consuming too much alcohol, whereas Ana Maria and I were just beginning to feel the fuzzy effects of the rum.
"..........And then the governor walked in, findin' me standin' there with his finest china and silver," I said, my words beginning to slur.
"Dammit, Gallagher, how did you escape that one?" a brown haired bloke asked, mumbling his words together and drowning in his rum.
"I threatened the man until he allowed me to escape," I replied, shrugging, "Threatening people is always fun, ye know?"
"Aye!" Ana Maria said with a grin and downed some more alcohol, "Like Jack Sparrow! Gallagher sure puts him in his place!"
"The infamous Jack Sparrow?" one man asked, the one who was holding me in his warm lap. I was having too grand a time to care whose lap I was in at the moment.
I rolled my eyes and poked the man in the forehead, proclaiming, "Infamous or not, it is incredibly easy to outwit that cad."
"Gallagher's right, gents," Ana Maria said, nodding, and yelled to the bartender, "Another mug o'er here, and make it quick!"
"I think ye had enuff," I said with a giggle as Ana Maria swayed in her chair and fell over.
The table roared with laughter as she picked herself off of the floor, grinning like a madwoman.
"I think we need another round," one gent slurred and I grimaced.
"That's enuff for all of ye. It's a shame when a woman can hold her alcohol better than all of ye fit men."
"But you are a pirate, milady," the gent said, waving his hands around, "And that ability is in your blood. I bet your blood is MADE of rum."
"Well that would be an interestin' sight, now wouldn't it?" I said and then peered out the window. The sun was setting. It was time for us to be preparing to leave.
Suddenly I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around and received a hard slap in the face. My head whipped back and I held my stinging cheek, massaging my jaw. When I looked back, Jack's whore was standing right in front of me, yet Jack was no where in sight. She looked downright MAD.
"Bitch," she snarled and threatened to slap me again but I grabbed her wrist.
"What the hell was that fer?" I growled and the men began hollering and hooting, wanting a fight to break out amongst us women.
"You took my customer! I was going to get paid tonight, but you ruined everything, you whore!"
"I'm the whore?" I asked, one of my eyebrows raised in a sarcastic manner.
"I had Captain Sparrow in my quarters and he wouldn't go through with it! He left me sitting there on the bed and ran out! I know it's because of you!" she cried and slapped me again with the other hand, for I was still fuzzy from the rum and couldn't find the reflexes to stop her.
The bar wench left in a huff, leaving two handprints outlined in red on my face.
"Hell," Ana Maria slurred, "Captain Jack Sparrow has got himself a BONNY LASS! And her name is GALLAGHER!" She giggled hysterically, finding it all insanely comical.
"I am no one's bonny lass!" I replied with a scowl, "We are leaving NOW."
"Aw, but the night's just begun!" one man wailed and then passed out onto the table.
Ana Maria frowned and didn't budge from her chair, so I ended up grabbing her arm and pulling her out of there.
"Good night and sweet dreams, gentlemen!" she called and tipped her hat at them, winking. Some of the men hollered in disappointment but soon occupied themselves with more liquor.
Once we went outside, I felt better, the wooziness I felt gone, the cloudiness in my head disappeared. The clean, cool night air did me some good. It seemed to have the same affect on Ana Maria, for she immediately perked up and seemed more alert. It felt refreshing to be away from the stench of sweat and hard whiskey, the hot air suffocating from all the bodies occupying the tavern.
"We meet them near the dock," I exclaimed, pulling a still half intoxicated Ana Maria along the cobblestone streets of Nassau. The night was calm and soothing, the perfect night to claim hidden treasure.
Sure enough, Jack Sparrow was sitting on the dock, his legs dangling over the edge, his boots sitting next to him. His tanned bare feet skimmed the water, the moon light making his trinkets glow. He seemed to be deep in thought about something, as if in a trance.
"We pillage and plunder...." He murmured in that rough pirate's voice of his.
"Yer always singin' that idiot song of yers," Ana Maria said, making Jack turn and look at our approaching figures.
"That is a great song!" he argued, "It's really bad eggs!"
"Mmm, ye smell like bad eggs sometimes," I added with a smile, causing Ana Maria to snicker.
He narrowed his eyes at me and then stared out at the ocean, the horizon turning its usual magnificent colors, marking the beginning of a blissful night.
"Where's Will and Elizabeth?" Jack asked, not bothering to look at me.
"How the hell should I know? Out still enjoyin' themselves, I wager," I replied. I sat down next to him and sighed, stretching my limbs.
"Actually, we decided to arrive a bit early," Will exclaimed from behind us, Elizabeth still holding his hand, smiling warmly.
"And I am guessin' ye are ready to start looting?" Jack said with a grin, the excited gleam in his eyes, the one he got whenever treasure was involved, when he had pleasurable company for the night, or when he was presented with a bottle of good rum.
"Jack has got a bonny lass!" Ana Maria said and snickered again.
I groaned and said, "Remind me to never let her drink again."
"And who, luv, is me bonny lass, exactly?" Jack asked part in curiosity and part in amusement.
Ana Maria didn't answer, but her eyes said it all. She was staring at me with a big smile on her face.
"Oh hell," I muttered and Will laughed.
"How about it, Jack? I think it is about time you got yourself a bonny lass all to yourself," Will said, Elizabeth watching my face with a knowing smile.
Jack and I stood up, and I eyed all of them wearily, not liking the situation I was being shoved into.
"It matters what Gallagher thinks of the matter, boy," Sparrow replied with a wicked grin. He turned to me and said with dramatic emphasis, getting down on one knee and taking off his hat and placing it over his heart, "Me darling Gallagher, would ye accept the offer of bein' me bonny lass?"
My cheeks reddened and he stood up, coming eye to eye with me.
"I know what the answer will be, luv, and there's no use denying it. No female can resist the mysterious and seductive charms of Captain Jack Sparrow!"
"Oh, Jack, I guess ye have me all figured out, eh?" I said with a fake sigh, inching closer to him.
"Indeed I do, luv," he replied, flashing his gold teeth as he smiled.
"Well then I guess there's only one thing left for me to do," I informed him with a sly smirk.
"And what is that?" he questioned, curious.
"Close yer eyes," I said in a whisper full of lust.
He did as he was told and I watched in enjoyment as his lips slightly puckered, waiting for a kiss.
I glanced at Will, Elizabeth, and Ana Maria, who were watching with wide eyes as I cast them a sinful look.
My hands shot out in front of me.
And I pushed him off of the dock.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
That'll teach Sparrow for thinking he had Gallagher all figured out! HA! In his face! But (sigh), who wouldn't want to be his bonny lass? (silence) That's what I'm talking about! Review, please, and you will get a rabid squirrel to use as a weapon! Whoop whoop!
Author's Notes:
Heck yes, I finally get to update. Sorry luvs, I have been trying for days to update but things just keep popping up out of nowhere, like schoolwork, yadda yadda yadda.
Thank you for the feedback, I am loving every word!
So I went and saw the PotC movie for the tenth time last weekend for my birthday. I had lots of fun. I thought, "Hey, maybe if I saw it for the tenth time, I wouldn't want to see it anymore." (shakes head sadly) Apparently that isn't the case. MUST.......SEE..........AGAIN! Well I love watching it because it gives me a chance to study the way the characters speak, move, and act in general. Sparrow, of course, is my favorite part. My friend made me a sign that said "Have you seen my boyfriend?" and it had a picture of Sparrow on it. Unfortunately I didn't have the nerve to wear it in public. I did wear it in the bathroom though. Does that count? (crickets chirp) Okay, why don't I let you read on, hmm? Enjoy Chapter 26, mates! I love you all!
You like pain? Try wearing a corset!
PineAppleLint : )
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jack's voice was husky and rough, the words he spoke next in that tone he used when he wanted to do a bit of seducing.
"Well, luv, that is awfully kind of ye to offer," he paused, glancing in my direction with darkened, thoughtful brown eyes, "And I would be pleased to accept yer invitation."
"Wonderful, Captain Sparrow," the whore said and batted her eyelashes, leaning in close to him and kissing his earlobe slowly before proclaiming, "Let me tell my boss I shall be getting off work. Won't be but a moment."
"Don't take too long," Jack said with a wink and she smiled seductively, touching his shoulder. Her touch was more of a soft caress. She turned to leave and Jack smacked her on the bottom playfully. She blew him a kiss over her shoulder and walked briskly away.
I gripped the chair so tight, my fingers were turning white from lack of blood flow. My teeth were clenched and I took a slow breath, trying to settle myself down.
That's when the awful truth came back and hit me in the face. He was Captain Jack Sparrow. He was never going to change his loose ways, for that was part of his nature, a part of his piracy, a part of his life. I would never want to cage Jack's soul, for he was like a wild creature that need not be tamed. He enjoyed his freedom and flaunted it with a passion so many people envied.
"So, Ana Maria," I said calmly, my voice not betraying me and revealing my inner turmoil, "What brings ye to Nassau?"
Ana Maria stared at me with concern, and then shot a sideways glance at Jack, who was sitting at the end of the wooden table with his boots propped up on a chair, slouched comfortably. She knew I was hurting, but didn't utter a word about it.
"Jus' havin' meself a bit o' fun, dat's all," she replied with a smile, "And it seems to me dat da captain has been workin' ye a bit too hard. How bout we have ourselves a good time, hmm?"
"How do the two of ye know each other?" Jack asked, intrigued, peering out at us from underneath his tricorne hat.
"We were part of Snidely's crew," Ana Maria informed him, "For three years we worked on da same ship an' became friends. After Snidely was murdered we went our separate ways." She turned to me and added, "I heard ye 'ad gotten yer own ship and crew. For a while I thought ye had died with da rest of them."
Pain filled my eyes and I stared out the grimy window, being bombarded with images of dead bodies being washed ashore, driftwood riding the waves, the only remains of my beloved ship. The rest was sitting in the darkness of Davy Jones' Locker. Deserted, empty.
"I'm sorry for yer losses," Ana Maria commented quietly when she witnessed my change of mood.
"Can't change the past, now can we?" I said bitterly.
"At least ye got a ship to command," Ana Maria pointed out, "Snidely would have been proud. I sure miss dat bloke."
Jack piped up, "We killed the bastard who murdered 'im!"
"Did ye now?" Ana Maria asked, eyebrows raised.
"Sean Shadows," I said quietly, "He is no more. Jack and I made sure of that."
"Then ye did a good justice to da Caribbean, Gallagher," she said seriously, "A lot o' pirates wanted to see Shadows dead."
Jack cleared his throat.
"All right," Ana Maria said with frustration, rolling her eyes, "Jack, ye did good, too."
Jack pointed to himself and nodded, grinning like an idiot.
"So what are da two of ye doing here, then?" Ana Maria asked before taking another hearty gulp of her rum.
My eyes met Jack's and he shook his head furiously. He didn't want me to tell. Ana Maria had a right to know Snidely had left treasure behind, for she had been a part of the crew. She had been as close to him as I had, and he had been like family. Whatever loot he had hid for safe keeping, she deserved a share.
"Well, see, Snidely left something behind.........." I began and Jack looked like he wanted to shoot me on the spot.
Sparrow's face was turning a vivid scarlet and he said madly, arms waving around, "Ye stupid idiot! What the HELL are ye tellin' her fer? I swear, woman, I shall tie ye up and throw ye into the ocean! I'll............."
"She deserves to know!" I argued, standing up in fury.
"That means we are going to have to split it 50/50/50!" Jack hissed, his fingers reaching for his sword.
I grabbed his arm, preventing him from unsheathing it and said fiercely, "Jack, no wonder ye are nothin' but a thieving scoundrel. Ye can't even do math."
"Captain," a soft voice said from behind me, "Are you ready to go?"
I turned; still keeping a hold on Sparrow, finding that the bar wench was back and pulling on her coat. Ana Maria was just watching all of us quietly, finding it all very entertaining.
"He will be with yeh in a few minutes, wench," I spat, "We still have some business to attend to."
Sparrow grunted in anger and pushed me off of him.
"Tell her if ye want, Gallagher," he said, eyes flashing, "But it is comin' out of YER share, not mine, savvy?" He turned to the whore and his face changed from an enraged frown into a pleasant, mischievous smile. "Shall we be goin', luv?" he asked, offering her his arm.
"Of course, darling," she said with a giggle and she shot me a dirty look as he led her to the door, his boots clunking against the old wood. He was whispering into her ear, causing her to blush like crazy as they disappeared out of the tavern.
I fell back into my chair with a sigh, massaging my temple with my index finger.
"Ye sure get on his bad side," Ana Maria said with a secretive smile.
"Tell me about it," I groaned, shaking my head.
"Doesn't it bother ye at all dat he is goin' to be havin' his way with dat whore in, oh, five minutes or so?"
"No!" I lied angrily, "Why would ye think such a thing? Why should I care if that idiot gets some pleasure out of that good for nothin' piece of flesh?"
Ana Maria chuckled and said softly, "Whatever ye say."
I leaned in close to her and said, "Now, about Snidely, he left some treasure behind and we are here to retrieve it. Since ye were a close mate of Snidely's, I think ye deserve a portion."
"Dat is awfully kind of ye, Gallagher," Ana Maria replied, eyes twinkling, "One can never have too much treasure."
"Well I'm glad ye think so," I said with a smile, patting her on the back, "Tonight at sundown, we will be goin'."
"All right, I'm in. Now we just have one thing left to do."
"And what is that?" I asked curiously.
"Celebrate!" Ana Maria cried. I laughed and was about to reply when a young man came up to our table.
We stared up at the tall figure and Ana Maria asked, "Somethin' we can do for ye, sir?"
He was big, with deep blue eyes and a mischievous grin, jet black hair tied back into a pony tail and in the prim, proper clothing of a gentleman.
"My mates and I are sitting over there," he exclaimed in a rough, low voice, full of proper English accent, "And it seems to me that you fine ladies are without company tonight. How about we buy the two of you a couple of drinks in exchange for an interesting conversation?"
I smiled wickedly and said, "That may be just the thing we need."
"Aye," Ana Maria agreed, "We accept yer invitation."
"Wonderful!" he said warmly and motioned us to join their table. There were twelve men sitting there, laughing and telling raunchy jokes, nursing multiple mugs of whiskey, ale, and rum. They glanced up to find us standing there and cheered.
"Finally! We've been without the sound of a fine woman's voice for so long," one groaned, causing the others to chuckle good naturedly.
We sat down, getting comfortable, and the man who invited us over shouted to the bartender, "Hey, my good fellow! Another round over here! And give these ladies some of your finest!"
Ana Maria grinned and leaned back comfortably in her chair.
"So where are ye boys comin' from?" she asked and I propped my elbows up on the table, listening to their conversations with interest.
"From England, actually," one of the cleaner gents piped up, "Just finished dropping off a load of goods at Nassau and needed to have ourselves a bit of well deserved fun."
I glanced over at a boy who seemed about seventeen years of age. He was gangly and quiet, but he was studying me closely.
"See somethin' ye like?" I asked and he jumped, unaware he had been caught staring.
"Nothing, miss, it just seems like you are, um," he mumbled, nervous.
"Yes? Out with it, lad," I coaxed with a smile.
"You look like a pirate," he finished, watching my reaction. The other gents chuckled and my grin widened.
"Who said I wasn't a pirate?" I asked mysteriously.
"How interesting!" the blue eyed man said, eyeing us, "Men! We have a couple of lady pirates in our very midsts!"
This caused more cheering from the men and Ana Maria and I laughed, trying to go along with their obvious pursuit to flirt with us.
"To lady pirates!" one hollered and held up his mug of rum, some of the amber liquid sloshing onto the dirty table.
I picked up my own mug of strong rum and my eyes met Ana Maria's.
"To Snidely," I said softly, so only she heard me. She nodded. Our mugs clinked and the mug touched our lips.
We threw our heads back and felt the strong warmth of freedom slide down our throats.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
So of course about a half hour later the men were totally smashed from consuming too much alcohol, whereas Ana Maria and I were just beginning to feel the fuzzy effects of the rum.
"..........And then the governor walked in, findin' me standin' there with his finest china and silver," I said, my words beginning to slur.
"Dammit, Gallagher, how did you escape that one?" a brown haired bloke asked, mumbling his words together and drowning in his rum.
"I threatened the man until he allowed me to escape," I replied, shrugging, "Threatening people is always fun, ye know?"
"Aye!" Ana Maria said with a grin and downed some more alcohol, "Like Jack Sparrow! Gallagher sure puts him in his place!"
"The infamous Jack Sparrow?" one man asked, the one who was holding me in his warm lap. I was having too grand a time to care whose lap I was in at the moment.
I rolled my eyes and poked the man in the forehead, proclaiming, "Infamous or not, it is incredibly easy to outwit that cad."
"Gallagher's right, gents," Ana Maria said, nodding, and yelled to the bartender, "Another mug o'er here, and make it quick!"
"I think ye had enuff," I said with a giggle as Ana Maria swayed in her chair and fell over.
The table roared with laughter as she picked herself off of the floor, grinning like a madwoman.
"I think we need another round," one gent slurred and I grimaced.
"That's enuff for all of ye. It's a shame when a woman can hold her alcohol better than all of ye fit men."
"But you are a pirate, milady," the gent said, waving his hands around, "And that ability is in your blood. I bet your blood is MADE of rum."
"Well that would be an interestin' sight, now wouldn't it?" I said and then peered out the window. The sun was setting. It was time for us to be preparing to leave.
Suddenly I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around and received a hard slap in the face. My head whipped back and I held my stinging cheek, massaging my jaw. When I looked back, Jack's whore was standing right in front of me, yet Jack was no where in sight. She looked downright MAD.
"Bitch," she snarled and threatened to slap me again but I grabbed her wrist.
"What the hell was that fer?" I growled and the men began hollering and hooting, wanting a fight to break out amongst us women.
"You took my customer! I was going to get paid tonight, but you ruined everything, you whore!"
"I'm the whore?" I asked, one of my eyebrows raised in a sarcastic manner.
"I had Captain Sparrow in my quarters and he wouldn't go through with it! He left me sitting there on the bed and ran out! I know it's because of you!" she cried and slapped me again with the other hand, for I was still fuzzy from the rum and couldn't find the reflexes to stop her.
The bar wench left in a huff, leaving two handprints outlined in red on my face.
"Hell," Ana Maria slurred, "Captain Jack Sparrow has got himself a BONNY LASS! And her name is GALLAGHER!" She giggled hysterically, finding it all insanely comical.
"I am no one's bonny lass!" I replied with a scowl, "We are leaving NOW."
"Aw, but the night's just begun!" one man wailed and then passed out onto the table.
Ana Maria frowned and didn't budge from her chair, so I ended up grabbing her arm and pulling her out of there.
"Good night and sweet dreams, gentlemen!" she called and tipped her hat at them, winking. Some of the men hollered in disappointment but soon occupied themselves with more liquor.
Once we went outside, I felt better, the wooziness I felt gone, the cloudiness in my head disappeared. The clean, cool night air did me some good. It seemed to have the same affect on Ana Maria, for she immediately perked up and seemed more alert. It felt refreshing to be away from the stench of sweat and hard whiskey, the hot air suffocating from all the bodies occupying the tavern.
"We meet them near the dock," I exclaimed, pulling a still half intoxicated Ana Maria along the cobblestone streets of Nassau. The night was calm and soothing, the perfect night to claim hidden treasure.
Sure enough, Jack Sparrow was sitting on the dock, his legs dangling over the edge, his boots sitting next to him. His tanned bare feet skimmed the water, the moon light making his trinkets glow. He seemed to be deep in thought about something, as if in a trance.
"We pillage and plunder...." He murmured in that rough pirate's voice of his.
"Yer always singin' that idiot song of yers," Ana Maria said, making Jack turn and look at our approaching figures.
"That is a great song!" he argued, "It's really bad eggs!"
"Mmm, ye smell like bad eggs sometimes," I added with a smile, causing Ana Maria to snicker.
He narrowed his eyes at me and then stared out at the ocean, the horizon turning its usual magnificent colors, marking the beginning of a blissful night.
"Where's Will and Elizabeth?" Jack asked, not bothering to look at me.
"How the hell should I know? Out still enjoyin' themselves, I wager," I replied. I sat down next to him and sighed, stretching my limbs.
"Actually, we decided to arrive a bit early," Will exclaimed from behind us, Elizabeth still holding his hand, smiling warmly.
"And I am guessin' ye are ready to start looting?" Jack said with a grin, the excited gleam in his eyes, the one he got whenever treasure was involved, when he had pleasurable company for the night, or when he was presented with a bottle of good rum.
"Jack has got a bonny lass!" Ana Maria said and snickered again.
I groaned and said, "Remind me to never let her drink again."
"And who, luv, is me bonny lass, exactly?" Jack asked part in curiosity and part in amusement.
Ana Maria didn't answer, but her eyes said it all. She was staring at me with a big smile on her face.
"Oh hell," I muttered and Will laughed.
"How about it, Jack? I think it is about time you got yourself a bonny lass all to yourself," Will said, Elizabeth watching my face with a knowing smile.
Jack and I stood up, and I eyed all of them wearily, not liking the situation I was being shoved into.
"It matters what Gallagher thinks of the matter, boy," Sparrow replied with a wicked grin. He turned to me and said with dramatic emphasis, getting down on one knee and taking off his hat and placing it over his heart, "Me darling Gallagher, would ye accept the offer of bein' me bonny lass?"
My cheeks reddened and he stood up, coming eye to eye with me.
"I know what the answer will be, luv, and there's no use denying it. No female can resist the mysterious and seductive charms of Captain Jack Sparrow!"
"Oh, Jack, I guess ye have me all figured out, eh?" I said with a fake sigh, inching closer to him.
"Indeed I do, luv," he replied, flashing his gold teeth as he smiled.
"Well then I guess there's only one thing left for me to do," I informed him with a sly smirk.
"And what is that?" he questioned, curious.
"Close yer eyes," I said in a whisper full of lust.
He did as he was told and I watched in enjoyment as his lips slightly puckered, waiting for a kiss.
I glanced at Will, Elizabeth, and Ana Maria, who were watching with wide eyes as I cast them a sinful look.
My hands shot out in front of me.
And I pushed him off of the dock.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
That'll teach Sparrow for thinking he had Gallagher all figured out! HA! In his face! But (sigh), who wouldn't want to be his bonny lass? (silence) That's what I'm talking about! Review, please, and you will get a rabid squirrel to use as a weapon! Whoop whoop!