(notes and disclaimer in first chapter; additional notes below)
~~~~~~~~
Elizabeth decided to begin at the beginning. They were still miles southwest of Savanna la Mer, and she wanted to start on her new project as soon as possible. Anamaria proved a difficult person to search out. Elizabeth exhausted herself combing the ship from bow to stern, finally coming across her quarry sitting on a barrel on the forecastle deck, spitting tobacco into the sea, where she had definitely not been ten minutes before.
Truth be told, Elizabeth was still a bit intimidated by Anamaria, her boldness when they were under attack on the Interceptor notwithstanding. She operated well under pressure, but in casual situations tended to be much shyer; she had never spent much time around women not of her own class, with the exception of maids.
Still, she was doing this for Jack's benefit, and she was determined to do it right.
"Good morning, Anamaria," she said brightly. "Lovely weather today, isn't it?"
Anamaria shrugged. She was not one for small talk. Elizabeth determined to cut right to the chase.
"I have a question for you, Ana."
Anamaria raised her eyebrows, interested.
"Do you now hold, or have you ever held, a secret undying love for Jack Sparrow?"
For an instant all she got was a frozen stare. Then Anamaria threw her head back and roared with laughter.
Elizabeth stood there, miffed. It had been a perfectly reasonable question.
Pressing a hand to her ribs Anamaria gasped, between chortles, "Had no idea you possessed such a sense of humor, little girl."
"Am I to take that as a 'no,' then?" Elizabeth sniffed, nose in the air, cheeks flaming. Her only answer was a fresh outbreak of mirth. She whirled on her heel and stalked away. It had been worth a try. They would certainly make a pretty couple. But then, she hadn't actually expected anyone as down-to-earth as Anamaria to put up with Jack's antics.
Elizabeth spotted Jack and Gibbs at the helm, pointing into the distance and arguing about some detail of navigation. It appeared that she would have to begin her search for Jack's perfect woman in a port town she'd never visited. Well. Elizabeth Swann had faced far more daunting prospects in her young life, and she was certain that she would rise to this occasion as well.
~~~~~~~~
"We're going *where*?"
Jack slung a companionable arm across Elizabeth's shoulders. "Like I said, we're going to the Lucky Drake, best tavern in town." She ducked away from him and he shrugged, bringing Will under his arm instead. Will stuck his tongue out at Elizabeth, but she was so busy working up a fret at Jack's news that she failed to notice.
"But there'll be no women there but barmaids and whores!" she wailed.
Jack slung Will around the dock, already deep in his cups, as Will kept him from tripping over a loose coil of rope. Most of the crew strung out behind the three of them, watching with amusement. "One can only hope."
Elizabeth placed herself directly in his path, hands on her hips, earning herself one of his full-body recoils of surprise. "How am I supposed to find you a suitable companion among that manner of woman?"
"Here's a thought," said Jack. "Trying looking. Try actually getting to know one or two. Then come find me – I'll be at the best table in the house. Business tomorrow, fun tonight." He pulled Elizabeth close again and this time she let him, though she was still pouting.
"You could have at least put something else on."
"What else would I have worn?" Jack asked, puzzled, looking down at his normal clothing.
"Perhaps a pair of breeches that weren't stained with tar?" she suggested petulantly. "We are going *out*, after all."
"No, we're going to a bar to drink," said Will. "It's really not the same thing."
"We shall have a *good* time," Jack promised, his fingers lightly tapping her shoulder. "Even you, Lizzie-my-love."
~~~~~~~~
1. First off, I want to thank everybody for the reviews! I've done nothing but squee over them since I posted the first chapter. I know this one's short and a teaser, like the first, but I promise we'll get to the actual matchmaking part in the next.
2. Although Savanna la Mer, and all the other ports I'll mention in the future, was as real as Port Royal, I've no idea how long it would actually take to sail from one to the other, or around the whole of Jamaica. So, expect the time factor to get vagued up real soon. I've done more research for my PotC fics than for any other fandom, but goshdarn it, I don't actually know how to sail :)
3. A couple people mentioned the possibility of J/E. Although the fic is running toward J/W, and the J/others was not meant to include our bonny lass, I do love writing any kind of interaction between the two characters. I hope that'll keep you interested regardless, but I've also thought of adding just a tiny shippiness -- I'm still OTP on J/W for the intents and purposes of this fic, but hey, as long as Jack is going around and snogging half the Spanish Main, he might as well snog Elizabeth too. Plus, can you imagine how much *that* would irritate dear William? So, the answer to the 'will there be J/E' question: yes and no ;)
Next up: first of the promised prostitutes
~~~~~~~~
Elizabeth decided to begin at the beginning. They were still miles southwest of Savanna la Mer, and she wanted to start on her new project as soon as possible. Anamaria proved a difficult person to search out. Elizabeth exhausted herself combing the ship from bow to stern, finally coming across her quarry sitting on a barrel on the forecastle deck, spitting tobacco into the sea, where she had definitely not been ten minutes before.
Truth be told, Elizabeth was still a bit intimidated by Anamaria, her boldness when they were under attack on the Interceptor notwithstanding. She operated well under pressure, but in casual situations tended to be much shyer; she had never spent much time around women not of her own class, with the exception of maids.
Still, she was doing this for Jack's benefit, and she was determined to do it right.
"Good morning, Anamaria," she said brightly. "Lovely weather today, isn't it?"
Anamaria shrugged. She was not one for small talk. Elizabeth determined to cut right to the chase.
"I have a question for you, Ana."
Anamaria raised her eyebrows, interested.
"Do you now hold, or have you ever held, a secret undying love for Jack Sparrow?"
For an instant all she got was a frozen stare. Then Anamaria threw her head back and roared with laughter.
Elizabeth stood there, miffed. It had been a perfectly reasonable question.
Pressing a hand to her ribs Anamaria gasped, between chortles, "Had no idea you possessed such a sense of humor, little girl."
"Am I to take that as a 'no,' then?" Elizabeth sniffed, nose in the air, cheeks flaming. Her only answer was a fresh outbreak of mirth. She whirled on her heel and stalked away. It had been worth a try. They would certainly make a pretty couple. But then, she hadn't actually expected anyone as down-to-earth as Anamaria to put up with Jack's antics.
Elizabeth spotted Jack and Gibbs at the helm, pointing into the distance and arguing about some detail of navigation. It appeared that she would have to begin her search for Jack's perfect woman in a port town she'd never visited. Well. Elizabeth Swann had faced far more daunting prospects in her young life, and she was certain that she would rise to this occasion as well.
~~~~~~~~
"We're going *where*?"
Jack slung a companionable arm across Elizabeth's shoulders. "Like I said, we're going to the Lucky Drake, best tavern in town." She ducked away from him and he shrugged, bringing Will under his arm instead. Will stuck his tongue out at Elizabeth, but she was so busy working up a fret at Jack's news that she failed to notice.
"But there'll be no women there but barmaids and whores!" she wailed.
Jack slung Will around the dock, already deep in his cups, as Will kept him from tripping over a loose coil of rope. Most of the crew strung out behind the three of them, watching with amusement. "One can only hope."
Elizabeth placed herself directly in his path, hands on her hips, earning herself one of his full-body recoils of surprise. "How am I supposed to find you a suitable companion among that manner of woman?"
"Here's a thought," said Jack. "Trying looking. Try actually getting to know one or two. Then come find me – I'll be at the best table in the house. Business tomorrow, fun tonight." He pulled Elizabeth close again and this time she let him, though she was still pouting.
"You could have at least put something else on."
"What else would I have worn?" Jack asked, puzzled, looking down at his normal clothing.
"Perhaps a pair of breeches that weren't stained with tar?" she suggested petulantly. "We are going *out*, after all."
"No, we're going to a bar to drink," said Will. "It's really not the same thing."
"We shall have a *good* time," Jack promised, his fingers lightly tapping her shoulder. "Even you, Lizzie-my-love."
~~~~~~~~
1. First off, I want to thank everybody for the reviews! I've done nothing but squee over them since I posted the first chapter. I know this one's short and a teaser, like the first, but I promise we'll get to the actual matchmaking part in the next.
2. Although Savanna la Mer, and all the other ports I'll mention in the future, was as real as Port Royal, I've no idea how long it would actually take to sail from one to the other, or around the whole of Jamaica. So, expect the time factor to get vagued up real soon. I've done more research for my PotC fics than for any other fandom, but goshdarn it, I don't actually know how to sail :)
3. A couple people mentioned the possibility of J/E. Although the fic is running toward J/W, and the J/others was not meant to include our bonny lass, I do love writing any kind of interaction between the two characters. I hope that'll keep you interested regardless, but I've also thought of adding just a tiny shippiness -- I'm still OTP on J/W for the intents and purposes of this fic, but hey, as long as Jack is going around and snogging half the Spanish Main, he might as well snog Elizabeth too. Plus, can you imagine how much *that* would irritate dear William? So, the answer to the 'will there be J/E' question: yes and no ;)
Next up: first of the promised prostitutes