Usual disclaimers.
Merry Christmas you lot! Hopefullly these two chapters will keep you all quiet long enough for me to have a lazy Christmas!
***
Mid September
The pirate's head whipped round on hearing his name, recognising the voice but hardly the face. "Sparrow?"
Jack stepped forward, placing himself in front of Catherine. Oran and Little Feather flanked her protectively, a gesture not missed by Teves. He walked closer, eyeing the small woman speculatively, remembering nearly four years ago in the Faithful Bride Jack Sparrow admitting he was married.
"Well now Jack, this is a surprise. What are you doin' on this wreck?"
"Travellin' home," Jack smiled cautiously. Although protected by the Code for the duration of the parley, he was not entirely sure how things would turn out. "I would buy passage to Tortuga... if you're goin' home?"
Teves walked around Jack in order to see the woman more clearly. Dressed as a man, she had clearly been fighting, but somehow he would have expected that if she was daft enough to marry Jack Sparrow. Although she held his gaze, she bit her lip as he looked at her. "How much for the safety of your wife..."
"How much for your life if you touch me," she threatened before Jack could answer. Any earlier indecision revealed by her lip-biting disappeared, defiance in her voice as she stared angrily up at him, her pistol aimed and cocked.
Jack turned to her. "Kitty, it's alright. Nobody will touch yer under parley..." He placed two fingers on the barrel, forcing it downwards. "It's alright..." He held her gaze, listening as she uncocked the pistol before turning back to Teves. "Nobody touches my wife... savvy?"
Pelagius Teves watched the interplay between the Sparrows with interest. Jack's actions had left him in no doubt that she would have pulled the trigger if he had threatened her in any way, parley or not. "I am sure we could negotiate passage, for a price, Captain t' Captain like..."
"Well, yer be negotiating with Kitty then, she's Captain of th' Black Pearl!"
Captain Teves gasped, coughing in disbelief. "Your wife is Captain..."
Jack smiled, a lazy smile in the certainty that he now had Teves where he wanted him. "Aye, crew voted unanimously..."
"That is a story I have t' hear!" he declared, laughing loudly.
"Perhaps... a story for passage is a fair price..." Jack's lips twitched, trying not to smile.
"I still want gold..."
Jack shrugged. "Depends on th' Captain mate!" He turned to Catherine. "Do we accept?"
She walked forwards, standing before Pelagius Teves. "I am sure we can negotiate on the gold Captain..."
He looked down at her, not realising before how short she truly was. "I will assure you safe passage to Tortuga for your story and some gold... twenty-five a piece..."
Catherine glanced to Jack, relieved when he nodded. She had no idea how much gold he had taken from Lact's office, but apparently it would be enough without eating into her own secret supply. "Hundred gold it is."
He nodded towards where Captain Verde stood dejectedly with his remaining crew. "And the others?"
"They aren't my crew," she admitted, "but I would ask you to be merciful towards them."
Captain Teves turned to his crew. "Take what we need, but leave 'em enough to reach port!" He bowed to Catherine. "Satisfied?" She nodded. "Then if I have your word that you'll obey orders an' not harm my crew we have an accord an' you can cross to my ship."
"We have an accord," she agreed, shaking his hand. Teves was surprised at her ready agreement over the gold as well as her firm grip. "Now, if you'll excuse me, we'll gather our belongings..."
He watched them disappear into one of the side cabins, wondering if despite asking for the gold Jack Sparrow had still outsmarted him. He continued to watch as Jack's wife spoke quietly with the other Captain - for a moment he thought she passed him something, but he could not be sure.
***
Jack was in heaven... re-plaited, re-beaded hair and nursing a large rum! He shut his eyes, inhaling the aroma appreciatively, feeling the sway of the ship beneath him. "Ah, I've missed this!" He smiled broadly at Catherine as she sat across the table from him, Pelagius Teves to his right. Catherine had changed into a clean, unbloodied shirt and was tucking into the food before her eagerly.
She laughed at him. "Honestly Jack, people would think you haven't had a drink for a year!"
"Well, it's nearly that!" he declared defensively. "An' yer can't call ale a drink!"
"So," Captain Teves prompted, "how did your wife get to be Captain of your ship?"
Pelagius Teves listened in amazement as Jack confessed how Jean Claude Lact had snatched him and forced him to work in the family coal mine. He was even more stunned to hear that his wife had gone into the French territories with just one crewman in search of him.
"Oran was the only one that could speak French," she shrugged as if it had been no big deal.
"But the French territories! You would have been hanged as a pirate if they caught you!" Pelagius could not believe she was so calm about her actions.
"They had Jack, there was no option. Even if we had caught Lact, he wouldn't have told us where Jack was... therefore we had to be sneaky."
Jack laughed, beaming with pride at his wife. "She does sneaky so very well, does m' Kitty!"
"So you have spent all that time trying to get home?"
"Well, Kitty didn't have many clues and even when she found me, it's a long way between th' Mississippi River and th' coast!" Jack smiled.
Pelagius shook his head in awe at what Catherine had done. She looked so small, dainty, beautiful... but was a pirate to the core. He was surprised at how good a team the two of them made, one often finishing the other's comments. Their eyes never strayed far from each other, and in an unguarded moment her love shone like a beacon from her eyes. How any woman could love a scruffy creature like Sparrow he would never know, but then he'd always swore women were strange. Once he'd contemplated marriage himself, a long time ago, their closeness making him wish it had turned out differently for him.
***
Catherine stood at the bow of the ship as Tortuga came into view, hand in hand with Jack. She was disappointed that the Black Pearl was not in the harbour, but equally relieved that the Swallow was not there either. The last thing she wanted was to bump into Jean Claude before she had the might of the Black Pearls cannons behind her. "Nearly home love!" she smiled, laughing at the delighted grin on Jack's face.
He enveloped her in a hug. "Thanks t' you I am!" Jack kissed the top of her head, regardless of those watching. "I owe you luv!"
"You owe me nothing Jack Sparrow! You'd have done the same for me, so don't go getting all sentimental like... savvy?"
He smiled. "Aye, savvy!"
They continued to stand there whilst the Willing Wench anchored in the harbour. Captain Teves rowed them ashore aided by some of his crew. "Well Sparrow, you're home now! I trust you will remember to pay the gold when you catch up with your ship..."
"Ah Teves, I was thinkin' you wanted th' gold now!"
Captain Teves blinked in amazement as Jack hauled a large bag of coins from within his baggage and proceeded to count one hundred gold pieces out on the quayside. He was even more amazed to find that the bag was not empty when Jack had finished counting. "Pleasure doin' business with yer Teves!"
Pelagius Teves burst out laughing, shaking his head as he realised how much more he easily could have asked for. "You are some pirate!" he smiled, stooping to collect th' gold. "How much have you got in that bag?"
Jack shook it carefully. "Dunno mate... enough I guess!"
He pointed a finger accusingly at Jack. "You owe me a rum in the Bride tonight!"
Jack smiled. "Yer know m' booth... I'll be there after I find lodgings." Jack held out his hand to shake with Teves but finding himself pulled close, back slapped in friendship.
"A large rum Sparrow!"
He took Catherine's arm as he led the way up into the town, eager to find somewhere to stay and head to the Faithful Bride. He knew a few places that would take lodgers and he headed to the cleanest one first. He'd slept in some dives in Tortuga and although they were all shabby he wanted the best of them for Catherine. A few gold pieces acquired them two rooms, a double and a twin across the narrow corridor.
Jack led the way to the Faithful Bride but was disappointed to see that his booth was taken by some scruffy looking pirates. "You're in m' booth..."
"Sod off!"
"You're in m' booth mate, and I suggest yer move!"
"Sparrow! Jack Sparrow!" A female voice squealed with delight from behind them. Jack turned cautiously - you never knew when those words would be followed by a slap. "What are you doing in my bar?" Sanchia Bastian stood before him, a delighted grin spread across her face. "We all thought you were dead!"
"Your bar?" Jack frowned. "Where's Rory?"
"Dead this past seven months..." She stared at the men in the booth behind them. "Move! This is Captain Sparrow's booth!" Muttering sourly they picked up their drinks, moving to a table nearby. "What are y' all drinking... other than rum that is?"
"Two rums, an ale and a wine if y' have it, else another ale." Jack smiled as Catherine, Oran and Little Feather slid into the now vacated booth beside him. Sanchia returned quickly, bearing a tray with five drinks, pushing Oran closer to Little Feather to make room so that she could sit down too.
"So, what have y' been doing?" she pressed. "Even that drunk Gibbs has been behaving himself!"
Catherine snorted with laughter. "Gibbs couldn't behave himself if he tried!"
"No, honestly!" Sanchia assured her. "He hasn't been drunk in here for nearly a year..." She looked at Jack. "About when you disappeared..." She paused, looking at him closely, noting he was clean shaven. "Come on... tell!"
Jack gave her the abridged version of his tale. "So has Lact been in lately?"
She shook her head. "I haven't seen the Swallow since that day... I guess they've been avoiding Tortuga. It is meant to be safe here - feuds are meant to be left offshore!"
"Well, enough of them... what about th' Pearl? When was she last in?"
"About sixweeks ago... so she should be back soon!"
Jack grinned at this news, eager to be reunited with his ship. He looked up, noticing Teves standing before them.
"Back two hours an' already cornering th' market in pretty woman," he laughed. "Mine's a large rum Sanchia... on Sparrow!" Jack nodded and Sanchia slid away to fetch his rum.
***
Jack followed Oran to the bar, ostensibly to help carry their fourth round of drinks back to the booth. He handed his helmsman several gold pieces.
"Captain?"
"Find yerself a whore mate... get m' wife out of your mind!" Jack's voice was quiet, but the warning was clear.
"But..."
"That's an order Booth. I might be turning a blind eye t' yer gaze, but others are noticing..."
"I'd never touch her Captain..." Oran protested.
"I know." Jack smiled, his gold teeth flashing in the light. "If I thought any different you'd be dead already." His voice lowered, threatening violence. "It ends now Booth - or I will take action!"
Oran swallowed nervously. "Aye Captain... first whore I find then..."
"Aye, that'd be right sensible!"
Merry Christmas you lot! Hopefullly these two chapters will keep you all quiet long enough for me to have a lazy Christmas!
***
Mid September
The pirate's head whipped round on hearing his name, recognising the voice but hardly the face. "Sparrow?"
Jack stepped forward, placing himself in front of Catherine. Oran and Little Feather flanked her protectively, a gesture not missed by Teves. He walked closer, eyeing the small woman speculatively, remembering nearly four years ago in the Faithful Bride Jack Sparrow admitting he was married.
"Well now Jack, this is a surprise. What are you doin' on this wreck?"
"Travellin' home," Jack smiled cautiously. Although protected by the Code for the duration of the parley, he was not entirely sure how things would turn out. "I would buy passage to Tortuga... if you're goin' home?"
Teves walked around Jack in order to see the woman more clearly. Dressed as a man, she had clearly been fighting, but somehow he would have expected that if she was daft enough to marry Jack Sparrow. Although she held his gaze, she bit her lip as he looked at her. "How much for the safety of your wife..."
"How much for your life if you touch me," she threatened before Jack could answer. Any earlier indecision revealed by her lip-biting disappeared, defiance in her voice as she stared angrily up at him, her pistol aimed and cocked.
Jack turned to her. "Kitty, it's alright. Nobody will touch yer under parley..." He placed two fingers on the barrel, forcing it downwards. "It's alright..." He held her gaze, listening as she uncocked the pistol before turning back to Teves. "Nobody touches my wife... savvy?"
Pelagius Teves watched the interplay between the Sparrows with interest. Jack's actions had left him in no doubt that she would have pulled the trigger if he had threatened her in any way, parley or not. "I am sure we could negotiate passage, for a price, Captain t' Captain like..."
"Well, yer be negotiating with Kitty then, she's Captain of th' Black Pearl!"
Captain Teves gasped, coughing in disbelief. "Your wife is Captain..."
Jack smiled, a lazy smile in the certainty that he now had Teves where he wanted him. "Aye, crew voted unanimously..."
"That is a story I have t' hear!" he declared, laughing loudly.
"Perhaps... a story for passage is a fair price..." Jack's lips twitched, trying not to smile.
"I still want gold..."
Jack shrugged. "Depends on th' Captain mate!" He turned to Catherine. "Do we accept?"
She walked forwards, standing before Pelagius Teves. "I am sure we can negotiate on the gold Captain..."
He looked down at her, not realising before how short she truly was. "I will assure you safe passage to Tortuga for your story and some gold... twenty-five a piece..."
Catherine glanced to Jack, relieved when he nodded. She had no idea how much gold he had taken from Lact's office, but apparently it would be enough without eating into her own secret supply. "Hundred gold it is."
He nodded towards where Captain Verde stood dejectedly with his remaining crew. "And the others?"
"They aren't my crew," she admitted, "but I would ask you to be merciful towards them."
Captain Teves turned to his crew. "Take what we need, but leave 'em enough to reach port!" He bowed to Catherine. "Satisfied?" She nodded. "Then if I have your word that you'll obey orders an' not harm my crew we have an accord an' you can cross to my ship."
"We have an accord," she agreed, shaking his hand. Teves was surprised at her ready agreement over the gold as well as her firm grip. "Now, if you'll excuse me, we'll gather our belongings..."
He watched them disappear into one of the side cabins, wondering if despite asking for the gold Jack Sparrow had still outsmarted him. He continued to watch as Jack's wife spoke quietly with the other Captain - for a moment he thought she passed him something, but he could not be sure.
***
Jack was in heaven... re-plaited, re-beaded hair and nursing a large rum! He shut his eyes, inhaling the aroma appreciatively, feeling the sway of the ship beneath him. "Ah, I've missed this!" He smiled broadly at Catherine as she sat across the table from him, Pelagius Teves to his right. Catherine had changed into a clean, unbloodied shirt and was tucking into the food before her eagerly.
She laughed at him. "Honestly Jack, people would think you haven't had a drink for a year!"
"Well, it's nearly that!" he declared defensively. "An' yer can't call ale a drink!"
"So," Captain Teves prompted, "how did your wife get to be Captain of your ship?"
Pelagius Teves listened in amazement as Jack confessed how Jean Claude Lact had snatched him and forced him to work in the family coal mine. He was even more stunned to hear that his wife had gone into the French territories with just one crewman in search of him.
"Oran was the only one that could speak French," she shrugged as if it had been no big deal.
"But the French territories! You would have been hanged as a pirate if they caught you!" Pelagius could not believe she was so calm about her actions.
"They had Jack, there was no option. Even if we had caught Lact, he wouldn't have told us where Jack was... therefore we had to be sneaky."
Jack laughed, beaming with pride at his wife. "She does sneaky so very well, does m' Kitty!"
"So you have spent all that time trying to get home?"
"Well, Kitty didn't have many clues and even when she found me, it's a long way between th' Mississippi River and th' coast!" Jack smiled.
Pelagius shook his head in awe at what Catherine had done. She looked so small, dainty, beautiful... but was a pirate to the core. He was surprised at how good a team the two of them made, one often finishing the other's comments. Their eyes never strayed far from each other, and in an unguarded moment her love shone like a beacon from her eyes. How any woman could love a scruffy creature like Sparrow he would never know, but then he'd always swore women were strange. Once he'd contemplated marriage himself, a long time ago, their closeness making him wish it had turned out differently for him.
***
Catherine stood at the bow of the ship as Tortuga came into view, hand in hand with Jack. She was disappointed that the Black Pearl was not in the harbour, but equally relieved that the Swallow was not there either. The last thing she wanted was to bump into Jean Claude before she had the might of the Black Pearls cannons behind her. "Nearly home love!" she smiled, laughing at the delighted grin on Jack's face.
He enveloped her in a hug. "Thanks t' you I am!" Jack kissed the top of her head, regardless of those watching. "I owe you luv!"
"You owe me nothing Jack Sparrow! You'd have done the same for me, so don't go getting all sentimental like... savvy?"
He smiled. "Aye, savvy!"
They continued to stand there whilst the Willing Wench anchored in the harbour. Captain Teves rowed them ashore aided by some of his crew. "Well Sparrow, you're home now! I trust you will remember to pay the gold when you catch up with your ship..."
"Ah Teves, I was thinkin' you wanted th' gold now!"
Captain Teves blinked in amazement as Jack hauled a large bag of coins from within his baggage and proceeded to count one hundred gold pieces out on the quayside. He was even more amazed to find that the bag was not empty when Jack had finished counting. "Pleasure doin' business with yer Teves!"
Pelagius Teves burst out laughing, shaking his head as he realised how much more he easily could have asked for. "You are some pirate!" he smiled, stooping to collect th' gold. "How much have you got in that bag?"
Jack shook it carefully. "Dunno mate... enough I guess!"
He pointed a finger accusingly at Jack. "You owe me a rum in the Bride tonight!"
Jack smiled. "Yer know m' booth... I'll be there after I find lodgings." Jack held out his hand to shake with Teves but finding himself pulled close, back slapped in friendship.
"A large rum Sparrow!"
He took Catherine's arm as he led the way up into the town, eager to find somewhere to stay and head to the Faithful Bride. He knew a few places that would take lodgers and he headed to the cleanest one first. He'd slept in some dives in Tortuga and although they were all shabby he wanted the best of them for Catherine. A few gold pieces acquired them two rooms, a double and a twin across the narrow corridor.
Jack led the way to the Faithful Bride but was disappointed to see that his booth was taken by some scruffy looking pirates. "You're in m' booth..."
"Sod off!"
"You're in m' booth mate, and I suggest yer move!"
"Sparrow! Jack Sparrow!" A female voice squealed with delight from behind them. Jack turned cautiously - you never knew when those words would be followed by a slap. "What are you doing in my bar?" Sanchia Bastian stood before him, a delighted grin spread across her face. "We all thought you were dead!"
"Your bar?" Jack frowned. "Where's Rory?"
"Dead this past seven months..." She stared at the men in the booth behind them. "Move! This is Captain Sparrow's booth!" Muttering sourly they picked up their drinks, moving to a table nearby. "What are y' all drinking... other than rum that is?"
"Two rums, an ale and a wine if y' have it, else another ale." Jack smiled as Catherine, Oran and Little Feather slid into the now vacated booth beside him. Sanchia returned quickly, bearing a tray with five drinks, pushing Oran closer to Little Feather to make room so that she could sit down too.
"So, what have y' been doing?" she pressed. "Even that drunk Gibbs has been behaving himself!"
Catherine snorted with laughter. "Gibbs couldn't behave himself if he tried!"
"No, honestly!" Sanchia assured her. "He hasn't been drunk in here for nearly a year..." She looked at Jack. "About when you disappeared..." She paused, looking at him closely, noting he was clean shaven. "Come on... tell!"
Jack gave her the abridged version of his tale. "So has Lact been in lately?"
She shook her head. "I haven't seen the Swallow since that day... I guess they've been avoiding Tortuga. It is meant to be safe here - feuds are meant to be left offshore!"
"Well, enough of them... what about th' Pearl? When was she last in?"
"About sixweeks ago... so she should be back soon!"
Jack grinned at this news, eager to be reunited with his ship. He looked up, noticing Teves standing before them.
"Back two hours an' already cornering th' market in pretty woman," he laughed. "Mine's a large rum Sanchia... on Sparrow!" Jack nodded and Sanchia slid away to fetch his rum.
***
Jack followed Oran to the bar, ostensibly to help carry their fourth round of drinks back to the booth. He handed his helmsman several gold pieces.
"Captain?"
"Find yerself a whore mate... get m' wife out of your mind!" Jack's voice was quiet, but the warning was clear.
"But..."
"That's an order Booth. I might be turning a blind eye t' yer gaze, but others are noticing..."
"I'd never touch her Captain..." Oran protested.
"I know." Jack smiled, his gold teeth flashing in the light. "If I thought any different you'd be dead already." His voice lowered, threatening violence. "It ends now Booth - or I will take action!"
Oran swallowed nervously. "Aye Captain... first whore I find then..."
"Aye, that'd be right sensible!"