Cotton appeared by Elizabeth´s side and his parrot squawked, "As straight as the crow flies!"
"Aah!" Elizabeth screamed in spite of herself. She was sure what the parrot had "meant" was that something bad was happening.
Gibbs yelled at Elizabeth, "Miss Elizabeth, don´t be afraid! Cotton means that the weather is going to be rough.Ó He gestured toward the gathering clouds.
Elizabeth sighed. "IÕm going below deck." She took her carpet bag and looked at Will, who was being showed by Annamaria how to steer. She grinned to herself and to her horror, Gibbs ran up to her.
"Elizabeth, I´ll show ye to yer quarters."
"Oh no, Mr. Gibbs, that´s quite all right," Elizabeth told him quickly.
Damn tease, Gibbs thought. I´ll use my charms to seduce her. "Miss Elizabeth, it´s no use trying to shake me off. I´ll show you to your room, it´s no trouble, none at all."
Shit, Elizabeth thought, and then shook her head. Had that come from HER brain? Preposterous. She allowed Gibbs to guide her down the rickety, narrow wooden steps.
"Here it is," Gibbs said huskily. He waved a hand, indicating the small room with a mattress, table, chair, and several candles.
Elizabeth was distressed. Such small living quarters! "I didn´t think it would be so. . . cozy. . ."
"Aye, it´s not what you´re used to. But the best chambers are reserved for the captain and first mates, and since you happen to be a newcomer, ye an´ Will are the least ranked. Though if I were captain I certainly wouldn´t leave you alone." When Gibbs said this there was an odd glimmer in his eyes.
Elizabeth laughed uneasily and knew she was going to have to get out of her room fast. "Mr. Gibbs, I´m going to show Will this room- it´s small but absolutely marvelous!" She stampeded up the stairs and knocked Jack over. She scrambled up and helped Jack to his feet.
"Good Lord," Jack said, "Elizabeth, seriously, watch where ya going!" He shook his head and more moths flew out. His coins and beads clinked.
"Sorry," Elizabeth breathed. She closed her eyes and leaned forward, suddenly overcome by the weight of her coats and general warmth of Jamaican air. It didn´t help that Jack was standing in front of her.
"Elizabeth!" Jack cried. He caught her and she popped her eyes open again. "C´mon, let´s get these clothes off of ya." He led her to the captain´s cabin.
"Jack," said Elizabeth, very drowsily, "you think I´m inexperienced, don´t you?"
"No," Jack lied. "I´ve bin these seas many years an´ I´ve seen worse pirates ´n you." He led her into his comfy quarters and sat her down on his bed. I´m sitting in my bed with Elizabeth, he thought giddily.
Elizabeth was regaining her senses. She slipped off the coats. "Jack, we´re in bed together." In bed with Jack Sparrow like so many other girls, she thought somewhat grumpily.
"We are. Let´s get this dress off of ya." Jack was ready.
Elizabeth was too. "Jack, kiss me." They looked at each other and lunged. Kissing hungrily, their tongues met for the first time. Elizabeth undid the snaps and buttons of her dress, leaving just her petticoat.
Jack, with one leathered hand, pulled Elizabeth so he was on top of her. As they discovered each other with their mouths, they didn´t know Annamaria and Will were in Annamaria´s room doing the exact same thing.
As they reemerged with their rumpled clothes, Jack and Elizabeth saw Annamaria guiding the Pearl with shaky hands.
I just kissed Will Turner, she kept thinking. Will may not have agreed until I threw him onto me. She smirked to herself and looked up to see Jack and Elizabeth, staring at her. Oh my God! What is this, a love boat? If they didn´t just do the same thing Will and I just did I´ll eat my favorite boots.
In his room, Will was a smoking a cigar and making smoke rings. He was dressed in only a pair of breeches, displaying his defined, glistening muscles. Elizabeth, forgive me. Annamaria was just showing me how to commandeer a ship and then she got me somehow into my bed. He smiled. She´s certainly a good kisser. Oh no! Elizabeth! Then he buried his face in a pillow. What have I done? What will she think?! She´ll murder me! Lost forever to Davey Jones´ locker. Annamaria, that strumpet!
Jack was eating fish and a roll in the mess hall. The rest of the male pirates except Will were eating noisily. Will was not in sight.
"He´s known to be reclusive," Jack said to himself.
"What´s ´at?" Gibbs said. "You say anything Jacky?"
"No. Hey, Gibbs, what were ya doin´ with Elizabeth below deck?" Jack asked, his mouth full of buttered roll. Crumbs spewed from his mouth.
Less´n than what I´d´ve liked, Gibbs thought with a scowl. "Showing the lass ´er room."
"You didn´t do anything else, mate, right?" Jack asked. "She seemed quite frightened."
"I didn´t do nothing!" Gibbs practically yelled and stomped away, leaving the rest of the crew quite confused.
Elizabeth and Annamaria ate in Annamaria´s room with their fish, rolls, and wine. Annamaria´s room smelled sweaty. . . almost exactly what Jack´s room smelled, after Elizabeth and Jack had kissed a lot, Elizabeth realized. She looked up in horror at Annamaria, calmly chewing her fish.
"You and Jack kissed each other, didn´t you?" Elizabeth cried, wincing. She felt dirty and used. That bastard!
Annamaria´s hand shot out and grabbed Elizabeth´s throat. "Jack and I haven´t done ANYTHING," she snarled. "Now, YOU and Jack, thatÕs another story!"
Elizabeth gasped. "How did you know?!"
"Honey, I just know." Annamaria released Elizabeth from her grip.
"Then who did you kiss. . . for a long time?" cried Elizabeth. She squinched her nose up again.
"I don´t think that´s any of your business," sniffed Annamaria, swilling her drink.
"Was it Gibbs?" Elizabeth visibly shuddered.
"Oh, God, no!"
And Elizabeth went down the list of the Black Pearl´s crew and Annamaria denied all of them until Elizabeth got to Will.
"W- Will?" stammered Elizabeth. When Annamaria bit her lip and turned away, Elizabeth let out a yowl. "You cheated on him," Annamaria pointed out.
She was right. Elizabeth felt even worse. "I have to tell him!" she declared. She got up from the table and turned to look at Annamaria. "I forgive you." Then she ran off.
Annamaria growled to herself. How could she tell Will that she was just using passion as a way to venting her frustration and hurt? But now that she thought of it, Will was quite a catch. She sat back in her seat and grinned again.
Elizabeth clattered down the stairs to WillÕs room. She found him face down on his mattress. She knocked on his doorjamb. He looked up and jumped. "Oh my God, Elizabeth-"
"It´s all right," she whispered. "I know everything."
Will looked terrified. "I´m so sorry, Elizabeth."
"It´s all right," Elizabeth repeated. She looked down at her hands and wrung them. "While you were with Annamaria, I was with Jack."
WillÕs eyes were ablaze. "I´ll kill him."
"NO! I. . . wanted to." Elizabeth looked up apologetically.
Will fell back onto his bed and smashed the nearest pillow and brought his hands to his face. "Leave, Elizabeth," he half-growled, half-sobbed.
Elizabeth´s eyes were threatening to spill over. "I can´t do this, Will!" she cried and she ran out to the bow. She considered flinging herself off but a rough hand grabbed her wrist.
"Don´ wanna be doin´ that," slurred Jack. "Who´s goin´ ta keep me warm at night?"
"I can´t do this!" repeated Elizabeth. "I just can´t!" She tore her wrist away and ran down to her room.
Jack was too drunk to think straight but he yelled at the crew to start setting up to sail through the night. They complied and Annamaria, wearing her fancy, if tattered, hat and a heavy jacket, sidled up to Jack and said, "Tortuga?"
Jack responded, "Tortuga."