Twelve . More Rum
"Clear off this boat," Jack ordered, waving his hand vaguely at the mass of bodies. "Check to make sure there are no stowaways below deck. Splice the mainbrace and tie the rigging!"
"What?" someone asked.
"Just get the bloody ship underway!" he yelled, waving his arms around. "You do this a lot more efficiently," he admitted to India.
"I'm sure I don't look so theatrical, though," she smiled in return.
"Where are we headed?" one pirate asked.
Jack stepped up to the wheel of the ship. "First of all we're headed back for that island," he began, changing their course. "I believe you men were promised some treasure for your services, and some treasure is what you will receive."
Murmurs ran across the deck.
"What do you say to that, men?" he asked, rallying his troops.
"Aye! Arrh!" came the hearty reply.
"Excellent," Jack said, and directed the ship back towards the island.
Once they were within rowing distance, they weighed anchor and prepared to go ashore.
Jack selected several men to accompany him, leaving Gibbs aboard the ship for safe measures. India of course would not be left behind.
"Should we bring a lamp or something?" she asked.
"Someone fetch a lamp," Jack called to the group.
"You're welcome," India said. Jack smiled vaguely.
Presently a lamp was found, along with other provisions, and the rowboat was lowered into the water.
"If we're not back before nightfall ." Jack called back to Gibbs and the others who had remained behind, "Keep waiting. And pray that we haven't been eaten by cannibals. Oh, and see what can be done about the damage on the ship. I want her sea-tight before we're ready to sail to the ends of the earth."
Gibbs nodded.
Jack sat back, and his gang rowed ashore to begin carting a fraction of the treasure back to the ship.
They finally returned from their third trip between the island and the ship at sundown. The ship was now laden with treasure enough to repay each of the men from the crew, with some to spare.
As Jack had requested, the men who had stayed behind had worked diligently to repair the damage that had been caused from cannon fire in the fight with the Swann.
Making his way to the front of the ship, Jack called for the attention of the pirates. "Oy!" They looked to see what he wanted. "To begin I'd like to thank each of ye for having done what ye do best. I've nary had a finer set of hands on deck." He continued. "I've a proposition for you. How many of you scallywags would be willing to grace me with your presence as members of me crew?" Jack asked. "Now that I have befallen the command of this boat, I've half a mind to captain her."
"Aye," Gibbs spoke up, "That'd be the only half of his mind."
There was good-natured laughter, and Jack could only manage to glare to keep from smiling as well. When the noise dimmed, several men voiced the fact that they would like to join his crew. The vote was fairly unanimous, with perhaps half a dozen men wishing to return to Tortuga with their treasure.
Jack muttered something to the effect of 'A right bunch of pirates you are,' but agreed to their requests.
"Right then. We'll be sailing discreetly to Port Royal where those of you who wish to venture ashore may attend Captain Turner's wedding. After which we will return the rest of you to Tortuga before setting out for the high seas. On that note, I will bid you gentlemen of fortune good night," Jack announced, then stepped down from the prow of the ship. The men returned to their posts or retired below deck.
"And what about ladies of fortune?" India intoned and Jack sauntered past her.
"Aye," he said roughly, "ladies most of all. But will you be saying good night so soon?"
She looked at him, though her gaze met his lips and not his eyes. "Perhaps not," she replied. "There are a few things we might discuss."
"What say you we inspect the captain's cabin?" Jack asked. "I wonder what our mate Hawke kept in his quarters?" He grinned at the prospect of looting the pirate's possessions.
India joined in the spirit, her expression lightening. "You're nothing but a pirate at heart, Jack. No matter how long you stay ashore."
"Who said anything about staying ashore?" he wondered. "Even a pirate is obligated to go to his ol' mate's wedding!" They headed towards the captain's cabin, at the back of the ship. Entering the room where they had been questioned earlier that day, Jack poked around at the contents of some of the drawers and desktops. India continued into the adjoining room.
She halted at the doorway. The furniture of the room consisted of several dressers, chests, a washstand, and a rather imposing bed. The cabin was a mess. India's stomach turned at papers, clothing, and debris strewn across the room.
Jack wandered over to stand behind her, and gazed over her shoulder into the room.
"This looks like home," Jack commented.
"You have a home?" India asked naively, turning her head to look back at him.
"I suppose not," he amended his statement, "Though if I had one I'm sure it wouldn't be much tidier. I'm not exactly a marvelous housekeeper, savvy?"
"Maybe you need someone to clean for you," India suggested.
Jack's gaze darkened, and he backed up a step. After a pause, he swaggered back to look more closely at something that caught his fancy in the interrogation room.
"Jack?" India called after him, turning to see what was the matter. He was intently inspecting a sword, and didn't look up. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Did I say something? I only meant that ."
Whatever memory was haunting him, he shrugged it off. "It's nothing, love. Now, what do you say to a nice hot dinner, and a quiet good-night?"
Dinner and a quiet good-night had been just that, India found as she reflected upon the evening's happenings, lying on Hawke's bed. Where was Jack? He was somewhere in the other room, sprawled across some chairs with a blanket pulled over himself. Like a gentleman, he had insisted that she have the bed.
She wondered at that man. She didn't understand him one bit, and even deep down she could only guess at the reasons for all his actions. They had discussed very little while eating, making limited plans for visiting Port Royal. They had discussed even less after supper - Jack, seeming out of sorts, had bid her sweet dreams, sending her into the other room while he stretched out across a row of chairs that he had dragged beside each other. Out of courtesy, and insisting to herself that it was nothing more, she had brought him the blanket from the bed. Then she had returned all by herself to try sleep on Hawke's bed.
Some gentleman.
Jack lay across the chairs. They were certainly not the most comfortable bed he had ever had, but then, he'd lived through far worse. Perhaps they wouldn't have been so uncomfortable if he had been asleep rather than awake and worrying. He often thought in his spare time, but worrying was not something he was particularly in the habit of doing. Then again, neither was being sober for several days on end. Or being at sea. Two years was an eternity. Two years was far too long. He was nervous about returning to a life at sea, but he realized just how much he had missed it. On top of this, he was nervous about Will's wedding, because commitment always set him on edge. And the fact that the wedding was being held in Port Royal, the pirate-hunting capital of the West Indies, did little to comfort him. Thinking didn't seem to be helping to straighten anything out, so he tossed over - a feat accomplished only with difficulty on chairs - and pulled his blanked closer around him. He was nervous about India.
As far as his character permitted, he could tease but never allow himself to get close or become emotionally involved. The past dictated his decision. It seemed so long ago that ... no, he shoved the thought aside. There was no use in thinking about it. Love hurt, and he hadn't ever given it a chance to heal.
There were certainly drawbacks to being a pirate and having to leave any relationship. And there were drawbacks in seeking pleasure over stability. Of course generally they were marginal so he managed to live with them, but sometimes he dwelt on the matter. For the past ten years, twelve years, fifteen ... he had attempted to treat women as nothing more than objects. Each was another conquest, another addendum to his long list of piracy. Each was impersonal so that it wouldn't be him getting hurt. Well, not emotionally anyhow. His face might argue otherwise.
He managed to keep tabs on his women most the time, he thought with a smile. The stories they could tell ... And yet, Jack placed faith in very few people. At heart, perhaps he was too forgiving for the vocation. He was still learning about trust, and betrayal. And India ... India was the first woman in a long time he had thought of as more than an object. But because she was Barbossa's daughter, it was harder for him to deal with his feelings towards her.
Hearing rain pattering on the windows and on the deck above him, Jack listened intently for signs of worsening weather. The wind rocked the ship somewhat more nauseatingly than usual. As the rain grew louder, Jack sighed and rolled over. Onto the floor. Cursing, he dragged himself to his feet. He would have to go up to the deck to give directions to bear out the storm.
India exhaled, unable to sleep because of troubled thoughts and rain overhead. She was uncomfortable. Frankly, Hawke's bed smelled bad. The room was a mess, and the untidiness grated at her nerves. How could she relax when anything could be threatening to fall on her? It was impossible to be calm with the ship being knocked around in the waves.
She sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Maybe she would go see what Jack was doing. Maybe she could wake him up. Maybe she could talk to him.
She hesitated. He was a pirate - at once it was what she wanted to be, and what she hated more than anything. He was not entirely there in the head, but again she wondered how much of it was living up to people's expectations of Captain Jack Sparrow. Not to mention that he had been friends with her father. And hence he was possibly old enough to be her father.
Well, all right. She would ask him for the comfort she had never received from her own father. No, she couldn't do that. It was too complicated. Just think of him as another person, she told herself. Oh, she couldn't do that either. He was Jack Sparrow, and not quite like any other person she had ever met.
She buried her face in her hands in frustration. After a moment, she stood up, her decision resolved. She walked to the door of the cabin, and pulled it open.
"Jack?" she asked quietly. There was no reply, and as she stepped into the room she saw that no pirate's form occupied the chairs where he ought to have been. A lamp fastened to the wall was lit, and dimly illuminated the room.
"Jack?" she repeated, walking over and picking the blanket up off the floor. He was certainly not here. "Blast damn pirate!" she muttered, heading towards the stairs which led up to the deck.
"Jack!" someone called over the rain and wind. He turned to look. A bleary-looking India stood before him.
"What do you want, love?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"
"I couldn't sleep," she admitted.
"It's awfully unpleasant weather out here," he pointed out unnecessarily. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather wait below deck? We wouldn't want you to catch a chill."
"Jack Sparrow, the day you start mothering me is the day I will curl up in a corner and keep my mouth shut!" India assured him.
"Point taken," he smiled. He moved to take off his overcoat, which he had presumably borrowed from Hawke's collection.
"And don't bother to give me that coat, Jack," she warned him. "First of all, I would have found a jacket if I wanted one. Second, it's not yours." She realized what she had said. "I mean, it's Hawke's, and it's filthy." She admitted to herself that she and Jack as well as the rest of the members of the crew were likely just as filthy, and didn't wait for him to point this out.
Jack shrugged and put the coat back on, his expression vaguely confused, and trying to figure out what India really meant by her comments. Jack quickly made sure that everyone on deck knew what they were doing. With an exaggerated sigh, he yelled some final directions to the crew, then ushered India back into the captain's quarters.
"What is it that you want, India?" Jack asked, in a resigned sort of irritation.
She made a face at him. "What do you mean, Jack? I'm not allowed to be on deck? Am I interrupting your oh-so-important work? Because I couldn't sleep and came to see what was the matter, it means that I want something?"
"Everything is under control, savvy?" Jack replied.
"So why are you being such a cad?" she asked moodily.
"India, love, why don't you go to bed?" he suggested coolly, trying to ignore her insults.
"Yes, that's right. Send the little girl off to bed so that Pirate Jack can continue uninterrupted." She shook her head in disgust. "If it wasn't for me, Captain Sparrow, you would still be sitting on your drunken ass in Tortuga, moping over your miserable failure of a life!"
He honestly wasn't sure whether to be angry or reprimanded or keep moping. He threw his hands in the air in despair. "Yes, but if I had me rum, we wouldn't be fighting right now!"
India stared at him for a minute before slamming a hand to her temples. "All right. Look, Jack. I'm sorry. I should have realized you're absolutely hopeless. My fault." She looked up at him. She spoke tensely, sarcastically. "Thanks for letting me come along for the ride. I'd appreciate it if you dropped me off in Tortuga after you've been to your friend's wedding. I have other things to do with my life than be second to you. I'll be going to bed now. Good luck to you, Jack Sparrow, because God knows you haven't got much else to rely on."
"India ..." Jack called as she walked into the other room, but she didn't pay attention. Why did that female insist on being so nerve- wracking? Jack clenched his fists, trying to calm down. His blood felt several hundred degrees too high. "Blasted strumpet!" he cursed through gritted teeth. He thought of shouting obscenities after her, but decided against it. It wouldn't do either of them any good. He paced over to the windows and looked out across the raging sea, the rain pelting down on the waves. He watched for a few minutes. Thankfully, the storm seemed to be subsiding.
He turned back into the room. The next task would be to arrive at Will's wedding on time and in one piece. What would he do about India? Then he realized that she could be incredibly useful in getting them all safely to Port Royal. And he admitted that he didn't really want to be angry with her.
He took a deep breath.
"India," he said, knocking on her door.
"Go away!" she called from inside the room.
"India, love, I need to talk to you."
"No you don't," she retorted. "And don't call me that!"
"Let me in and I'll stop, promise," he tried.
"A pirate never keeps his word," she said after a moment's contemplation.
"I can't help what I am, love. Take it or leave it."
There was a pause. Then the door opened. India took a few paces back into the room. "Say what you came to say and leave."
"India, why don't we -"
"I'm not in the mood, Jack," she interrupted. "I'm tired. Please get to the point."
"Now now," Jack said, "Let's not get into another fight."
"We weren't fighting," India argued.
"All right then, let me just -"
"Hurry up."
Jack shrugged. "I need you to go ashore at Port Royal, speak to Elizabeth, and find out about the wedding."
"No."
"Why not? It won't be that hard. We'll find you a dress, and row you ashore. It will be easier for you to go unnoticed. Because you're a girl."
"I guess I'm useful for something then?" she commented darkly. "You know, you could find a dress and row ashore just as easily. Just shave your face and I'm sure no one would know the difference."
"I think you'd be much better at it," he countered, shaking his head and maintaining a sense of humour. "In fact, I'm sure you're the only one to do the job. I wouldn't last two minutes before someone realized how manly I am." He held his chin forward with hopes of dispelling any femininity of his image.
She rolled her eyes. "Don't patronize me."
"What should I do then, lo - India darling?" he asked, drawing suggestively closer to her.
She tried to keep glaring but found it nearly impossible. "Don't call me that either, Jack," she barely breathed, looking up into his face.
He smiled as innocently as possible, which for Jack meant that he was up to trouble. "Won't you go ashore?" he tried, brushing her hair out of her face.
"Never, Jack Sparrow," she said, frantically trying to fight back from the verge of doing absolutely anything he asked. There was no way she was going to don a dress, or set foot in Port Royal. Not even for Jack. She tried not to look into his eyes because she knew she would be completely lost if she did. To her horror, he placed a crooked finger under her chin and gently lifted her face to meet his gaze. Damn, she thought. Apart from the fact that she was actually enjoying the contact of his skin, she had gone into 'beyond denying him anything' mode. All it would take was one word.
With a small smile, he asked again. "Please?"
"Blast Jack Sparrow!" India muttered to herself, trudging along a cobble street of Port Royal in a dress. It was early morning, and the fog was lifting. A few of the pirates had rowed her ashore under cover of the dawn fog. Heaven only knew why Captain Hawke had hoarded dresses aboard his ship. Heaven only knew how anyone had finally convinced her to do this. No. She knew exactly why she was here. Three simple words: Captain Jack Sparrow.
It wasn't as though he was good-looking. All right, she admitted to herself, he was desperately attractive. And his actions? They were endearing, if nothing else. But it wasn't as though she meant anything special to him. He likely would do anything to anyone to get what he wanted. Well, it wasn't as though they had done 'anything.' I'm hopeless, she thought angrily to herself. He barely lifted so much as a finger, and I fell apart!
"Ugh!" she exclaimed. So much for being strong. She took a deep breath. She would get over him, she insisted. Besides, right now, she had other things to worry about. Like finding Will and Elizabeth and asking for the details about the wedding. She thought back to what Jack had said ... No! she thought fiercely, shoving him out of her mind. She would find her way on her own.
"Silly dress," she said, looking down at herself, almost ashamed at the contours of her own body. This dress certainly left little to the imagination. More people were out and about now, as the day had progressed just enough that merchants and customers had begun their daily routines.
"Excuse me," she said to a man in passing in the roadway. He paused and dragged his gaze over her from feet to hair. India felt violated, and crossed her arms protectively in front of her body. No one looked at her that way in Tortuga, partly because she was always dressed as a man, and partly because there were enough other women to look at. She felt so naked without her pirate accessories - hat, sword, belts, long-sleeved shirt, boots.
Taking a deep breath, she asked her question of the man. "Do you know where Will Turner lives?"
The man shook his head, and turned away.
"Bloody help you've been!" she yelled indignantly after him. He shot her a warning glance and made some comment about her being a forward woman, then continued away.
"If I had a weapon, you would not have dared to say that," she hissed, though he had disappeared into the crowd. As she continued onwards, people watched her sidelong. She wondered what was wrong with the way she looked, the way she carried herself, the way she acted. Was it so obvious that she didn't fit in?
"Excuse me," she tried again, but no one seemed to be paying attention. Sighing, she walked over to one of the vending stalls.
"Excuse me," she repeated. The man behind the counter gave her his full attention, hoping to sell something.
"Yes, miss?" he asked. "What can I do to assist you? May I offer you a yard of this fine linen?" He showed her the fabrics
"No thank you," she said, "But if it would be not too much trouble, sir, do you know the whereabouts of Mr William Turner's abode?"
Hesitantly the man shook his head.
"The Governor, then?" she asked. "I've just arrived in town and unfortunately I don't know my way around."
"Certainly," the man answered, "That house over there is where the Governor lives," he pointed to a rather large colonial building.
"Thank you," India replied, and dropped a half-decent curtsey. She handed the man a coin for his help, and he seemed somewhat cheered by this.
"Good day to you, miss," he called as she headed towards the stately house.
Running a hand over her hair to make sure it had stayed in place, she knocked on the door. Presently a butler opened it.
"Is the Governor at home?" she asked as formally as she could manage.
Judging her to be safe to allow admittance to the house, he nodded, and stepped aside to let her in. She looked around the high entrance hall, at the curved staircase running off to her left, and through the hall to the other rooms of the main floor.
The Governor came to meet her.
"Good day, Governor Swann," she said, dropping another curtsey.
"What can I do to help you, Miss ..." He waited for her name.
"I'm a particular friend of Elizabeth's," she explained. "Me name's - I mean, my name is India."
"India?" he questioned.
"Uh ... it's short for Isabella," she lied. "Elizabeth loves giving people nicknames." India tried to laugh but it sounded forced and brittle.
The Governor didn't seem to notice. Perhaps he was used to women acting false. "Yes, of course," he smiled. "She's upstairs. I'll call her." He turned and bellowed, "Elizabeth! There's someone here to see you!"
Elizabeth's form hurried to the second floor banister. "Who is it?" she asked.
"It's Isabella, dear," the Governor replied.
"Isabella?" Elizabeth asked confusedly, then caught sight of India. "Oh, yes, of course!" she said, coming downstairs. "I'm so glad to see you, Isabella."
The girls greeted each other.
"Won't you come sit down?" Elizabeth asked, motioning India towards the stairs. India nodded courteously, picked up her skirts, and tried to go up the steps without tripping on her dress.
"I'll leave you girls, then," the Governor said in his dazed sort of manner.
"Thank you, father," Elizabeth said, then followed India upstairs. Elizabeth led India to her room, then closed the door behind them.
"India, what are you doing here?" she asked, sounding genuinely pleased and surprised.
"Jack sent me to - I mean, I came to find out more about the wedding, because the pirates are worried about lingering around Port Royal for too long," she explained, trying to make it sound like the trip had been her idea.
"Don't worry," Elizabeth began, "Commodore Norrington is away at the moment, and my father has been - rather negligent of capturing pirates of late."
India exhaled. "Jack will be glad to hear that," she said, without thinking about the fact that she was still talking about him.
Elizabeth nodded. "Yes. And the wedding is planned for the end of the week."
"Where's Will?" India asked. There was a small cough from the other side of the room, and Will stood in the doorway between adjoining chambers. His clothes were a little disheveled, along with his hair, which had fallen out of its ribbon.
"Oh!" India exclaimed, realizing that she had interrupted something. "I'm terribly sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Will smiled.
"All right, I won't," India assured them.
"I meant to ask you," Elizabeth began. "Would you like to be my bridesmaid?"
"I ..." India thought about it for a moment. "I suppose so," she agreed. "I will have to find a different dress, though," she said, looking down at herself. "Jack found this one, and -" She cut herself off. Why couldn't she last two minutes without mentioning him?
"You could stay here for the next couple days until the wedding," Elizabeth offered. India's gaze darted over to Will. "He was just visiting," Elizabeth explained slyly. "And besides, there's more than enough room in this house for several guests."
"I would love to, but I have to tell the boys what's happening," she said. "I'm supposed to meet them tonight after sundown. But," she added, "if I may, I would prefer to stay here than on that ship!"
"I can't say that I blame you," Elizabeth smiled.
And so it was agreed that India would spend the remainder of the week with Elizabeth, of course after informing Jack of the plans for the wedding. When he found out, Jack argued with India for several minutes, then, amazingly, resigned to her decision. Hawke's ship, now under Jack's command, would stay well offshore of Port Royal, and watch for any British merchant ships which might be looking for pirates.
She hated admitting it to herself, but India was relieved to be spending some time away from Jack. It would give her a chance to breathe, and try to sort things out. She felt in danger any moment of falling for the man.
It was a bright morning. India and Elizabeth were excitedly getting ready for the wedding. Elizabeth and her servant women had to help India more than she was helping Elizabeth, because India had shoved aside much of her knowledge of manners and clothing to devote herself to a pirate lifestyle.
And now she was wearing a dress that Elizabeth had given to her, not the one that Jack had found. The absence hadn't been long enough, she guessed, because she was still thinking about him. Frequently.
"What do you think of Jack?" India asked.
At first Elizabeth seemed a bit offended, but then she turned the question over in her mind and smiled. "He was the first pirate I ever met ... not counting Mr Gibbs, or Will - but I didn't really know they were pirates at the time. I suppose it was rather exciting," she admitted, "But I've always loved Will ... so you see, there wasn't really any question of ..."
"No, of course," India assured her.
"I'm not really sure about him, though. He always seems to do exactly what you don't expect him to do," Elizabeth continued. "I'm sorry. If you want a better sketch of his character perhaps you should ask Will. I don't know Captain Sparrow very well."
"I'm not sure that anyone does," India commented. She changed the subject and they spoke of something else. Her thoughts, to her dismay, still strayed to him. Tonight she would see him again.
"I love weddings," Jack said with a smile to anyone and no one in particular. The ceremony had gone rather smoothly and uneventfully, and Will and Elizabeth were now happily married. Jack laughed to himself and wondered how long they would stay that way. And yet they were both very fastidious people. Maybe they would quietly reach old age together in a tidy, comfortable abode in Madagascar. Somehow Jack felt that Will would much rather be making swords than following in his father's footsteps, even though piracy was in his blood. At any rate, now that the wedding was over, darkness was falling, and the party was about to begin. And that meant drinks. Jack loved drinks.
Sitting down amongst the other guests at a table down near the beach, Jack picked up a glass and filled it with rum. With a sigh, he downed the drink, and poured himself another.
Food was passed down the table.
"I could do this more often," Jack commented.
India, who was sitting near him, shook her head. "Jack Sparrow, one day you will drink yourself to death," she asserted.
"Perhaps, love, perhaps," he said, "but not today."
Jack raised his glass. "I'd like to propose a toast to the groom and bride. The bride ... Wonderful girl. Never would have worked between us though, darling," he added to Elizabeth, mostly for Will's benefit. "But she taught me the greatest pirate song that ever was. And I thought, since Will's become a fine pirate, we all ought to sing it together." He had most people's attention, so he continued. "Mna da na na na, and really bad eggs, drink up me hearties yo-ho ..." And thus began a raucous chorus of 'A pirate's life for me ...' followed by cheering and laughing and more drinking.
Time passed, and people floated from one table to another. India stood up and made her way over to where Will and Elizabeth had ended up, speaking with some guests at a smaller table. Characteristically, Jack swaggered over, a bottle in hand, to attempt something stupid. He was singing another bawdy song, his voice gravelly and swerving off-tune. He slumped down in one of the chairs.
"How's everyone over here tonight?" he asked.
"Fine Jack, we're just fine," Will replied.
"That's good to hear. I was just thinking ..." he began. Everyone groaned.
"No no no," he assured them. "Hear me out. I was just thinking how happy you two are going to be. I'm very ... happy for you." He smiled broadly. "Whadda ya say to more rum?" he said, hoisting his bottle.
Elizabeth looked down at the tablecloth, India rolled her eyes, and Will shook his head slightly. Undeterred, Jack took a swig, set the bottle down, and crossed his arms in front of him on the table. "So off to Madagascar, is it?" he asked.
"That's what we had hoped, now that we're done here," said Will. "By the way, what became of Hawke?" he asked.
Jack tilted his head. "Oh him? He jumped overboard so we let him go."
"You let him go?" Will asked.
"What else was I supposed to do? I couldn't have killed him!" Jack insisted.
"Why not? You shot Barbossa," he pointed out. India froze. Jack widened his eyes, and Will realized his mistake.
"Sorry about that, Jack," Will said quickly, tensely waiting to see India's reaction. Jack turned to India, but she refused to look at him.
"India?" he asked.
"Oh ..." she said, looking disoriented.
In the background, Will continued apologizing.
"Clear off this boat," Jack ordered, waving his hand vaguely at the mass of bodies. "Check to make sure there are no stowaways below deck. Splice the mainbrace and tie the rigging!"
"What?" someone asked.
"Just get the bloody ship underway!" he yelled, waving his arms around. "You do this a lot more efficiently," he admitted to India.
"I'm sure I don't look so theatrical, though," she smiled in return.
"Where are we headed?" one pirate asked.
Jack stepped up to the wheel of the ship. "First of all we're headed back for that island," he began, changing their course. "I believe you men were promised some treasure for your services, and some treasure is what you will receive."
Murmurs ran across the deck.
"What do you say to that, men?" he asked, rallying his troops.
"Aye! Arrh!" came the hearty reply.
"Excellent," Jack said, and directed the ship back towards the island.
Once they were within rowing distance, they weighed anchor and prepared to go ashore.
Jack selected several men to accompany him, leaving Gibbs aboard the ship for safe measures. India of course would not be left behind.
"Should we bring a lamp or something?" she asked.
"Someone fetch a lamp," Jack called to the group.
"You're welcome," India said. Jack smiled vaguely.
Presently a lamp was found, along with other provisions, and the rowboat was lowered into the water.
"If we're not back before nightfall ." Jack called back to Gibbs and the others who had remained behind, "Keep waiting. And pray that we haven't been eaten by cannibals. Oh, and see what can be done about the damage on the ship. I want her sea-tight before we're ready to sail to the ends of the earth."
Gibbs nodded.
Jack sat back, and his gang rowed ashore to begin carting a fraction of the treasure back to the ship.
They finally returned from their third trip between the island and the ship at sundown. The ship was now laden with treasure enough to repay each of the men from the crew, with some to spare.
As Jack had requested, the men who had stayed behind had worked diligently to repair the damage that had been caused from cannon fire in the fight with the Swann.
Making his way to the front of the ship, Jack called for the attention of the pirates. "Oy!" They looked to see what he wanted. "To begin I'd like to thank each of ye for having done what ye do best. I've nary had a finer set of hands on deck." He continued. "I've a proposition for you. How many of you scallywags would be willing to grace me with your presence as members of me crew?" Jack asked. "Now that I have befallen the command of this boat, I've half a mind to captain her."
"Aye," Gibbs spoke up, "That'd be the only half of his mind."
There was good-natured laughter, and Jack could only manage to glare to keep from smiling as well. When the noise dimmed, several men voiced the fact that they would like to join his crew. The vote was fairly unanimous, with perhaps half a dozen men wishing to return to Tortuga with their treasure.
Jack muttered something to the effect of 'A right bunch of pirates you are,' but agreed to their requests.
"Right then. We'll be sailing discreetly to Port Royal where those of you who wish to venture ashore may attend Captain Turner's wedding. After which we will return the rest of you to Tortuga before setting out for the high seas. On that note, I will bid you gentlemen of fortune good night," Jack announced, then stepped down from the prow of the ship. The men returned to their posts or retired below deck.
"And what about ladies of fortune?" India intoned and Jack sauntered past her.
"Aye," he said roughly, "ladies most of all. But will you be saying good night so soon?"
She looked at him, though her gaze met his lips and not his eyes. "Perhaps not," she replied. "There are a few things we might discuss."
"What say you we inspect the captain's cabin?" Jack asked. "I wonder what our mate Hawke kept in his quarters?" He grinned at the prospect of looting the pirate's possessions.
India joined in the spirit, her expression lightening. "You're nothing but a pirate at heart, Jack. No matter how long you stay ashore."
"Who said anything about staying ashore?" he wondered. "Even a pirate is obligated to go to his ol' mate's wedding!" They headed towards the captain's cabin, at the back of the ship. Entering the room where they had been questioned earlier that day, Jack poked around at the contents of some of the drawers and desktops. India continued into the adjoining room.
She halted at the doorway. The furniture of the room consisted of several dressers, chests, a washstand, and a rather imposing bed. The cabin was a mess. India's stomach turned at papers, clothing, and debris strewn across the room.
Jack wandered over to stand behind her, and gazed over her shoulder into the room.
"This looks like home," Jack commented.
"You have a home?" India asked naively, turning her head to look back at him.
"I suppose not," he amended his statement, "Though if I had one I'm sure it wouldn't be much tidier. I'm not exactly a marvelous housekeeper, savvy?"
"Maybe you need someone to clean for you," India suggested.
Jack's gaze darkened, and he backed up a step. After a pause, he swaggered back to look more closely at something that caught his fancy in the interrogation room.
"Jack?" India called after him, turning to see what was the matter. He was intently inspecting a sword, and didn't look up. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Did I say something? I only meant that ."
Whatever memory was haunting him, he shrugged it off. "It's nothing, love. Now, what do you say to a nice hot dinner, and a quiet good-night?"
Dinner and a quiet good-night had been just that, India found as she reflected upon the evening's happenings, lying on Hawke's bed. Where was Jack? He was somewhere in the other room, sprawled across some chairs with a blanket pulled over himself. Like a gentleman, he had insisted that she have the bed.
She wondered at that man. She didn't understand him one bit, and even deep down she could only guess at the reasons for all his actions. They had discussed very little while eating, making limited plans for visiting Port Royal. They had discussed even less after supper - Jack, seeming out of sorts, had bid her sweet dreams, sending her into the other room while he stretched out across a row of chairs that he had dragged beside each other. Out of courtesy, and insisting to herself that it was nothing more, she had brought him the blanket from the bed. Then she had returned all by herself to try sleep on Hawke's bed.
Some gentleman.
Jack lay across the chairs. They were certainly not the most comfortable bed he had ever had, but then, he'd lived through far worse. Perhaps they wouldn't have been so uncomfortable if he had been asleep rather than awake and worrying. He often thought in his spare time, but worrying was not something he was particularly in the habit of doing. Then again, neither was being sober for several days on end. Or being at sea. Two years was an eternity. Two years was far too long. He was nervous about returning to a life at sea, but he realized just how much he had missed it. On top of this, he was nervous about Will's wedding, because commitment always set him on edge. And the fact that the wedding was being held in Port Royal, the pirate-hunting capital of the West Indies, did little to comfort him. Thinking didn't seem to be helping to straighten anything out, so he tossed over - a feat accomplished only with difficulty on chairs - and pulled his blanked closer around him. He was nervous about India.
As far as his character permitted, he could tease but never allow himself to get close or become emotionally involved. The past dictated his decision. It seemed so long ago that ... no, he shoved the thought aside. There was no use in thinking about it. Love hurt, and he hadn't ever given it a chance to heal.
There were certainly drawbacks to being a pirate and having to leave any relationship. And there were drawbacks in seeking pleasure over stability. Of course generally they were marginal so he managed to live with them, but sometimes he dwelt on the matter. For the past ten years, twelve years, fifteen ... he had attempted to treat women as nothing more than objects. Each was another conquest, another addendum to his long list of piracy. Each was impersonal so that it wouldn't be him getting hurt. Well, not emotionally anyhow. His face might argue otherwise.
He managed to keep tabs on his women most the time, he thought with a smile. The stories they could tell ... And yet, Jack placed faith in very few people. At heart, perhaps he was too forgiving for the vocation. He was still learning about trust, and betrayal. And India ... India was the first woman in a long time he had thought of as more than an object. But because she was Barbossa's daughter, it was harder for him to deal with his feelings towards her.
Hearing rain pattering on the windows and on the deck above him, Jack listened intently for signs of worsening weather. The wind rocked the ship somewhat more nauseatingly than usual. As the rain grew louder, Jack sighed and rolled over. Onto the floor. Cursing, he dragged himself to his feet. He would have to go up to the deck to give directions to bear out the storm.
India exhaled, unable to sleep because of troubled thoughts and rain overhead. She was uncomfortable. Frankly, Hawke's bed smelled bad. The room was a mess, and the untidiness grated at her nerves. How could she relax when anything could be threatening to fall on her? It was impossible to be calm with the ship being knocked around in the waves.
She sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Maybe she would go see what Jack was doing. Maybe she could wake him up. Maybe she could talk to him.
She hesitated. He was a pirate - at once it was what she wanted to be, and what she hated more than anything. He was not entirely there in the head, but again she wondered how much of it was living up to people's expectations of Captain Jack Sparrow. Not to mention that he had been friends with her father. And hence he was possibly old enough to be her father.
Well, all right. She would ask him for the comfort she had never received from her own father. No, she couldn't do that. It was too complicated. Just think of him as another person, she told herself. Oh, she couldn't do that either. He was Jack Sparrow, and not quite like any other person she had ever met.
She buried her face in her hands in frustration. After a moment, she stood up, her decision resolved. She walked to the door of the cabin, and pulled it open.
"Jack?" she asked quietly. There was no reply, and as she stepped into the room she saw that no pirate's form occupied the chairs where he ought to have been. A lamp fastened to the wall was lit, and dimly illuminated the room.
"Jack?" she repeated, walking over and picking the blanket up off the floor. He was certainly not here. "Blast damn pirate!" she muttered, heading towards the stairs which led up to the deck.
"Jack!" someone called over the rain and wind. He turned to look. A bleary-looking India stood before him.
"What do you want, love?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"
"I couldn't sleep," she admitted.
"It's awfully unpleasant weather out here," he pointed out unnecessarily. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather wait below deck? We wouldn't want you to catch a chill."
"Jack Sparrow, the day you start mothering me is the day I will curl up in a corner and keep my mouth shut!" India assured him.
"Point taken," he smiled. He moved to take off his overcoat, which he had presumably borrowed from Hawke's collection.
"And don't bother to give me that coat, Jack," she warned him. "First of all, I would have found a jacket if I wanted one. Second, it's not yours." She realized what she had said. "I mean, it's Hawke's, and it's filthy." She admitted to herself that she and Jack as well as the rest of the members of the crew were likely just as filthy, and didn't wait for him to point this out.
Jack shrugged and put the coat back on, his expression vaguely confused, and trying to figure out what India really meant by her comments. Jack quickly made sure that everyone on deck knew what they were doing. With an exaggerated sigh, he yelled some final directions to the crew, then ushered India back into the captain's quarters.
"What is it that you want, India?" Jack asked, in a resigned sort of irritation.
She made a face at him. "What do you mean, Jack? I'm not allowed to be on deck? Am I interrupting your oh-so-important work? Because I couldn't sleep and came to see what was the matter, it means that I want something?"
"Everything is under control, savvy?" Jack replied.
"So why are you being such a cad?" she asked moodily.
"India, love, why don't you go to bed?" he suggested coolly, trying to ignore her insults.
"Yes, that's right. Send the little girl off to bed so that Pirate Jack can continue uninterrupted." She shook her head in disgust. "If it wasn't for me, Captain Sparrow, you would still be sitting on your drunken ass in Tortuga, moping over your miserable failure of a life!"
He honestly wasn't sure whether to be angry or reprimanded or keep moping. He threw his hands in the air in despair. "Yes, but if I had me rum, we wouldn't be fighting right now!"
India stared at him for a minute before slamming a hand to her temples. "All right. Look, Jack. I'm sorry. I should have realized you're absolutely hopeless. My fault." She looked up at him. She spoke tensely, sarcastically. "Thanks for letting me come along for the ride. I'd appreciate it if you dropped me off in Tortuga after you've been to your friend's wedding. I have other things to do with my life than be second to you. I'll be going to bed now. Good luck to you, Jack Sparrow, because God knows you haven't got much else to rely on."
"India ..." Jack called as she walked into the other room, but she didn't pay attention. Why did that female insist on being so nerve- wracking? Jack clenched his fists, trying to calm down. His blood felt several hundred degrees too high. "Blasted strumpet!" he cursed through gritted teeth. He thought of shouting obscenities after her, but decided against it. It wouldn't do either of them any good. He paced over to the windows and looked out across the raging sea, the rain pelting down on the waves. He watched for a few minutes. Thankfully, the storm seemed to be subsiding.
He turned back into the room. The next task would be to arrive at Will's wedding on time and in one piece. What would he do about India? Then he realized that she could be incredibly useful in getting them all safely to Port Royal. And he admitted that he didn't really want to be angry with her.
He took a deep breath.
"India," he said, knocking on her door.
"Go away!" she called from inside the room.
"India, love, I need to talk to you."
"No you don't," she retorted. "And don't call me that!"
"Let me in and I'll stop, promise," he tried.
"A pirate never keeps his word," she said after a moment's contemplation.
"I can't help what I am, love. Take it or leave it."
There was a pause. Then the door opened. India took a few paces back into the room. "Say what you came to say and leave."
"India, why don't we -"
"I'm not in the mood, Jack," she interrupted. "I'm tired. Please get to the point."
"Now now," Jack said, "Let's not get into another fight."
"We weren't fighting," India argued.
"All right then, let me just -"
"Hurry up."
Jack shrugged. "I need you to go ashore at Port Royal, speak to Elizabeth, and find out about the wedding."
"No."
"Why not? It won't be that hard. We'll find you a dress, and row you ashore. It will be easier for you to go unnoticed. Because you're a girl."
"I guess I'm useful for something then?" she commented darkly. "You know, you could find a dress and row ashore just as easily. Just shave your face and I'm sure no one would know the difference."
"I think you'd be much better at it," he countered, shaking his head and maintaining a sense of humour. "In fact, I'm sure you're the only one to do the job. I wouldn't last two minutes before someone realized how manly I am." He held his chin forward with hopes of dispelling any femininity of his image.
She rolled her eyes. "Don't patronize me."
"What should I do then, lo - India darling?" he asked, drawing suggestively closer to her.
She tried to keep glaring but found it nearly impossible. "Don't call me that either, Jack," she barely breathed, looking up into his face.
He smiled as innocently as possible, which for Jack meant that he was up to trouble. "Won't you go ashore?" he tried, brushing her hair out of her face.
"Never, Jack Sparrow," she said, frantically trying to fight back from the verge of doing absolutely anything he asked. There was no way she was going to don a dress, or set foot in Port Royal. Not even for Jack. She tried not to look into his eyes because she knew she would be completely lost if she did. To her horror, he placed a crooked finger under her chin and gently lifted her face to meet his gaze. Damn, she thought. Apart from the fact that she was actually enjoying the contact of his skin, she had gone into 'beyond denying him anything' mode. All it would take was one word.
With a small smile, he asked again. "Please?"
"Blast Jack Sparrow!" India muttered to herself, trudging along a cobble street of Port Royal in a dress. It was early morning, and the fog was lifting. A few of the pirates had rowed her ashore under cover of the dawn fog. Heaven only knew why Captain Hawke had hoarded dresses aboard his ship. Heaven only knew how anyone had finally convinced her to do this. No. She knew exactly why she was here. Three simple words: Captain Jack Sparrow.
It wasn't as though he was good-looking. All right, she admitted to herself, he was desperately attractive. And his actions? They were endearing, if nothing else. But it wasn't as though she meant anything special to him. He likely would do anything to anyone to get what he wanted. Well, it wasn't as though they had done 'anything.' I'm hopeless, she thought angrily to herself. He barely lifted so much as a finger, and I fell apart!
"Ugh!" she exclaimed. So much for being strong. She took a deep breath. She would get over him, she insisted. Besides, right now, she had other things to worry about. Like finding Will and Elizabeth and asking for the details about the wedding. She thought back to what Jack had said ... No! she thought fiercely, shoving him out of her mind. She would find her way on her own.
"Silly dress," she said, looking down at herself, almost ashamed at the contours of her own body. This dress certainly left little to the imagination. More people were out and about now, as the day had progressed just enough that merchants and customers had begun their daily routines.
"Excuse me," she said to a man in passing in the roadway. He paused and dragged his gaze over her from feet to hair. India felt violated, and crossed her arms protectively in front of her body. No one looked at her that way in Tortuga, partly because she was always dressed as a man, and partly because there were enough other women to look at. She felt so naked without her pirate accessories - hat, sword, belts, long-sleeved shirt, boots.
Taking a deep breath, she asked her question of the man. "Do you know where Will Turner lives?"
The man shook his head, and turned away.
"Bloody help you've been!" she yelled indignantly after him. He shot her a warning glance and made some comment about her being a forward woman, then continued away.
"If I had a weapon, you would not have dared to say that," she hissed, though he had disappeared into the crowd. As she continued onwards, people watched her sidelong. She wondered what was wrong with the way she looked, the way she carried herself, the way she acted. Was it so obvious that she didn't fit in?
"Excuse me," she tried again, but no one seemed to be paying attention. Sighing, she walked over to one of the vending stalls.
"Excuse me," she repeated. The man behind the counter gave her his full attention, hoping to sell something.
"Yes, miss?" he asked. "What can I do to assist you? May I offer you a yard of this fine linen?" He showed her the fabrics
"No thank you," she said, "But if it would be not too much trouble, sir, do you know the whereabouts of Mr William Turner's abode?"
Hesitantly the man shook his head.
"The Governor, then?" she asked. "I've just arrived in town and unfortunately I don't know my way around."
"Certainly," the man answered, "That house over there is where the Governor lives," he pointed to a rather large colonial building.
"Thank you," India replied, and dropped a half-decent curtsey. She handed the man a coin for his help, and he seemed somewhat cheered by this.
"Good day to you, miss," he called as she headed towards the stately house.
Running a hand over her hair to make sure it had stayed in place, she knocked on the door. Presently a butler opened it.
"Is the Governor at home?" she asked as formally as she could manage.
Judging her to be safe to allow admittance to the house, he nodded, and stepped aside to let her in. She looked around the high entrance hall, at the curved staircase running off to her left, and through the hall to the other rooms of the main floor.
The Governor came to meet her.
"Good day, Governor Swann," she said, dropping another curtsey.
"What can I do to help you, Miss ..." He waited for her name.
"I'm a particular friend of Elizabeth's," she explained. "Me name's - I mean, my name is India."
"India?" he questioned.
"Uh ... it's short for Isabella," she lied. "Elizabeth loves giving people nicknames." India tried to laugh but it sounded forced and brittle.
The Governor didn't seem to notice. Perhaps he was used to women acting false. "Yes, of course," he smiled. "She's upstairs. I'll call her." He turned and bellowed, "Elizabeth! There's someone here to see you!"
Elizabeth's form hurried to the second floor banister. "Who is it?" she asked.
"It's Isabella, dear," the Governor replied.
"Isabella?" Elizabeth asked confusedly, then caught sight of India. "Oh, yes, of course!" she said, coming downstairs. "I'm so glad to see you, Isabella."
The girls greeted each other.
"Won't you come sit down?" Elizabeth asked, motioning India towards the stairs. India nodded courteously, picked up her skirts, and tried to go up the steps without tripping on her dress.
"I'll leave you girls, then," the Governor said in his dazed sort of manner.
"Thank you, father," Elizabeth said, then followed India upstairs. Elizabeth led India to her room, then closed the door behind them.
"India, what are you doing here?" she asked, sounding genuinely pleased and surprised.
"Jack sent me to - I mean, I came to find out more about the wedding, because the pirates are worried about lingering around Port Royal for too long," she explained, trying to make it sound like the trip had been her idea.
"Don't worry," Elizabeth began, "Commodore Norrington is away at the moment, and my father has been - rather negligent of capturing pirates of late."
India exhaled. "Jack will be glad to hear that," she said, without thinking about the fact that she was still talking about him.
Elizabeth nodded. "Yes. And the wedding is planned for the end of the week."
"Where's Will?" India asked. There was a small cough from the other side of the room, and Will stood in the doorway between adjoining chambers. His clothes were a little disheveled, along with his hair, which had fallen out of its ribbon.
"Oh!" India exclaimed, realizing that she had interrupted something. "I'm terribly sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Will smiled.
"All right, I won't," India assured them.
"I meant to ask you," Elizabeth began. "Would you like to be my bridesmaid?"
"I ..." India thought about it for a moment. "I suppose so," she agreed. "I will have to find a different dress, though," she said, looking down at herself. "Jack found this one, and -" She cut herself off. Why couldn't she last two minutes without mentioning him?
"You could stay here for the next couple days until the wedding," Elizabeth offered. India's gaze darted over to Will. "He was just visiting," Elizabeth explained slyly. "And besides, there's more than enough room in this house for several guests."
"I would love to, but I have to tell the boys what's happening," she said. "I'm supposed to meet them tonight after sundown. But," she added, "if I may, I would prefer to stay here than on that ship!"
"I can't say that I blame you," Elizabeth smiled.
And so it was agreed that India would spend the remainder of the week with Elizabeth, of course after informing Jack of the plans for the wedding. When he found out, Jack argued with India for several minutes, then, amazingly, resigned to her decision. Hawke's ship, now under Jack's command, would stay well offshore of Port Royal, and watch for any British merchant ships which might be looking for pirates.
She hated admitting it to herself, but India was relieved to be spending some time away from Jack. It would give her a chance to breathe, and try to sort things out. She felt in danger any moment of falling for the man.
It was a bright morning. India and Elizabeth were excitedly getting ready for the wedding. Elizabeth and her servant women had to help India more than she was helping Elizabeth, because India had shoved aside much of her knowledge of manners and clothing to devote herself to a pirate lifestyle.
And now she was wearing a dress that Elizabeth had given to her, not the one that Jack had found. The absence hadn't been long enough, she guessed, because she was still thinking about him. Frequently.
"What do you think of Jack?" India asked.
At first Elizabeth seemed a bit offended, but then she turned the question over in her mind and smiled. "He was the first pirate I ever met ... not counting Mr Gibbs, or Will - but I didn't really know they were pirates at the time. I suppose it was rather exciting," she admitted, "But I've always loved Will ... so you see, there wasn't really any question of ..."
"No, of course," India assured her.
"I'm not really sure about him, though. He always seems to do exactly what you don't expect him to do," Elizabeth continued. "I'm sorry. If you want a better sketch of his character perhaps you should ask Will. I don't know Captain Sparrow very well."
"I'm not sure that anyone does," India commented. She changed the subject and they spoke of something else. Her thoughts, to her dismay, still strayed to him. Tonight she would see him again.
"I love weddings," Jack said with a smile to anyone and no one in particular. The ceremony had gone rather smoothly and uneventfully, and Will and Elizabeth were now happily married. Jack laughed to himself and wondered how long they would stay that way. And yet they were both very fastidious people. Maybe they would quietly reach old age together in a tidy, comfortable abode in Madagascar. Somehow Jack felt that Will would much rather be making swords than following in his father's footsteps, even though piracy was in his blood. At any rate, now that the wedding was over, darkness was falling, and the party was about to begin. And that meant drinks. Jack loved drinks.
Sitting down amongst the other guests at a table down near the beach, Jack picked up a glass and filled it with rum. With a sigh, he downed the drink, and poured himself another.
Food was passed down the table.
"I could do this more often," Jack commented.
India, who was sitting near him, shook her head. "Jack Sparrow, one day you will drink yourself to death," she asserted.
"Perhaps, love, perhaps," he said, "but not today."
Jack raised his glass. "I'd like to propose a toast to the groom and bride. The bride ... Wonderful girl. Never would have worked between us though, darling," he added to Elizabeth, mostly for Will's benefit. "But she taught me the greatest pirate song that ever was. And I thought, since Will's become a fine pirate, we all ought to sing it together." He had most people's attention, so he continued. "Mna da na na na, and really bad eggs, drink up me hearties yo-ho ..." And thus began a raucous chorus of 'A pirate's life for me ...' followed by cheering and laughing and more drinking.
Time passed, and people floated from one table to another. India stood up and made her way over to where Will and Elizabeth had ended up, speaking with some guests at a smaller table. Characteristically, Jack swaggered over, a bottle in hand, to attempt something stupid. He was singing another bawdy song, his voice gravelly and swerving off-tune. He slumped down in one of the chairs.
"How's everyone over here tonight?" he asked.
"Fine Jack, we're just fine," Will replied.
"That's good to hear. I was just thinking ..." he began. Everyone groaned.
"No no no," he assured them. "Hear me out. I was just thinking how happy you two are going to be. I'm very ... happy for you." He smiled broadly. "Whadda ya say to more rum?" he said, hoisting his bottle.
Elizabeth looked down at the tablecloth, India rolled her eyes, and Will shook his head slightly. Undeterred, Jack took a swig, set the bottle down, and crossed his arms in front of him on the table. "So off to Madagascar, is it?" he asked.
"That's what we had hoped, now that we're done here," said Will. "By the way, what became of Hawke?" he asked.
Jack tilted his head. "Oh him? He jumped overboard so we let him go."
"You let him go?" Will asked.
"What else was I supposed to do? I couldn't have killed him!" Jack insisted.
"Why not? You shot Barbossa," he pointed out. India froze. Jack widened his eyes, and Will realized his mistake.
"Sorry about that, Jack," Will said quickly, tensely waiting to see India's reaction. Jack turned to India, but she refused to look at him.
"India?" he asked.
"Oh ..." she said, looking disoriented.
In the background, Will continued apologizing.