Runaway Buccaneers
Chapter 2: Meet Cap'n Sparrow
Disclaimer: Unless it be from me head, I own it not. Translation of my ramblings: If it's from the movie, don't credit me. : )
Jack made an annoyed noise and sheathed his sword. He hadn't meant to scare the girl. And now she was unconscious on his floor. It wasn't exactly where or how he preferred his women, if in fact this was a woman. She could have been a child by the look of her fearful face. Jack shook his head and stooped down to pick up the girl. He struggled to open the door and unceremoniously dumped her on the bed, effectively waking the girl up.
"Wha—" Lachlan mumbled sitting up and coming face to face with Captain Jack Sparrow. "Eep!" she let out a noise and struggled to put some distance between them. "Who, exactly, are you?" she asked quietly, wanting to make sure she had assumed correctly.
"Why, don't you recognize me?" The man said taking a step back. "I'm the captain of this ship, the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow." The man said taking off his hat and bowing elaborately. Lachlan went pale. This was the man in charge, the one who would decide her fate. Jack Sparrow shook his head quickly and consequently stumbled to the side a bit. "Oh no, none of that fainting business. We have a small matter to settle. You see, you've snuck aboard my ship. And the pirate's code says that the penalty is death." Lachlan gasped.
"But—you aren't really going to kill me are you?" Lachlan got up on her knees on the wobbly cot. "Mr. Sparrow you just can't… I'll. I'll…I don't know what I'll do, but I know I'll be of more help to you alive than dead."
"It's bad luck to have a woman on board, savvy?" Jack Sparrow said calmly.
Lachlan seemed at a loss for words. She stumbled through a few syllables before finally uttering, "You can't! Oh, please, you don't understand!"
"And just what might I not understand, sweets?" Jack asked, sitting in the desk chair and propping his feet up on the desk. Lachlan glanced at her feet.
"I had to get away. My guardian, my adopted aunt one might call her, was trying to force me into some mold. I'm 20 and thus should be married by now, but because of my parents' deaths, I accepted no suitor. 'All the suitable men are taken' my aunt would gripe as she slapped me to get me to stand up straight. No matter how I tried to please her I was never good enough. I had to be free! I couldn't live with not being good enough. There were too many expectations." Lachlan searched the man's face for any signs of sympathy. She continued, "And so, I fled with a little food and clothing to the dock. Where I thought to sneak aboard a ship and perhaps go back to England. Upon random elimination, yours is the ship I wound up on."
"Right…" Jack began but was interrupted by Lachlan.
"I can cook! I'll cook food for you as payment for passage to where ever you sail next… but then again, my food can also double as a poisonous substance. What else…Aha! I have a locket my mum gave me. It must be worth something. Just...You can't kill me. Not when I've finally escaped!" Lachlan pleaded. Jack looked at the woman. He had already decided not to kill her. Despite his title, he wasn't fond of killing innocent women or children. His crew wouldn't like having her aboard, but they'd grudgingly accept her presence so long as he showed them he welcomed her aboard. Slowly Jack stood up and turned to face Lachlan.
"I can't bring myself to take the token from yer mom from ya, nor can I accept your…offer to cook." Lachlan blanched. "However, I won't kill you. There must be something that you can help with. Tomorrow we will see what that is, exactly." Jack finished and had time to brace himself before Lachlan hurled herself at him.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!!" Lachlan mumbled into his shirt.
"Right…watch the goods there, love." Jack said stepping back. Lachlan blushed and quickly let go. "Now, where are you gonna sleep? I don't trust the crew…" Jack cursed inwardly. "You must sleep in my bed. I'll…I'll sleep out here to make sure nobody messes with you." Damn, he had been looking forward to two hours of honest sleep.
"Oh no! I won't take your bed! I…Oh! I can drag three of those pillows in your room to the window ledge thing. I can sleep there. That way, you'll have your bed, and I won't be too much hassle!" Lachlan said. Jack followed her into the room and watched amused as Lachlan drug the three large pillows to the ledge and tried to situate them on there. He laughed out loud when she fell down exhausted on the ledge that was now covered in pillows.
"Did I mention the pillows were heavy, love?" Jack chuckled and staggered to his bed as Lachlan just groaned.
"Thanks for the forewarning," she uttered finally, burying her face in the pillows. She grew silent after that, and Jack could hear the heavy breathing of a deep sleep moments later. He chuckled to himself as he got situated in his cot. Finally comfortable, he looked at the P-shaped scar engraved on his forearm. It seemed now he wasn't worthy of the title 'pirate.' A ruthless pirate would not have allowed this girl to live. Jack had.
Tomorrow would be when the others discovered that he had gone soft on a little girl. He couldn't help but let out another light laugh as he tried to imagine the reactions of his crew when they discovered. He could only hope that they would stick with him in the matter, as they had in most others. Surely they would, as the girl did seem to be able to put up a decent fight against him, and could probably put up an even better one with him by her side. With this thought in mind, Jack Sparrow drifted off into his deep and long awaited slumber.
A/N: Many thanks to my beta and idea-helperer Selah. To all of my reviewers: you, my friends, rock. Thank you for your suggestions and encouraging words. If at anytime my story gets too stoopid to bear, please tell me what is wrong with it. I want to know so that I may somehow remedy it, eh? Any ideas are welcome. Lol.