Author's Note: Okay, like I said in the last chapter, I'm trying the
best I can to finish chapters soon. Plz be patient with me! BRITTNEY!!!!! I
CAN SPELL YOUR NAME RIGHT, I SWEAR!!!!!!!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Jack Sparrow, Will, Elizabeth, or any of the crew, but I do own the twins, Alex, Tess, and Ryan, and if you take my characters I will slit your throats.
Ryan sat in the crow's nest at late dawn, admiring the gold-and-amber necklace he had stolen. The crew of the Black Pearl had stayed in harbor for a week now, and the ex-soldier treasured the necklace as his first looting. He looked down the harbor, keeping a sharp eye out for any new ships. Since he slept in the crow's nest every night, he was the one who saw the more sneaky ships, the ones that crept in at dawn and hoped to be unnoticed. A ship came into view on the horizon, and he grinned and took out his silver spyglass Mr. Cotton had given him. The ship's flag was the same as every ship in the harbour, with the Jolly Roger high on its mast. But below that one was another flag, with a bloody music note on it. He shrugged, closed the spyglass, and climbed down the mast. "Hey Tess," he shook her from her sleep on some canvas. "There's a new ship, but this one looks funny. It's got a weird music note on the flag."
Tess woke up, looked curiously at him, and she took his spyglass and looked out at the far-away ship. Her lazy grin quickly changed into a scowl, and her eyes darkened. "The Laughin' May. No other ship would have that on a flag. UNCLE!" She hollered loudly down the hatch. "You better get up here, we got trouble!"
Captain Jack Sparrow stumbled up, rubbing his eyes. "What're ye talkin' about, love? There ain't not trouble-"
"The Laughin' May's coming, Uncle," she said sharply, and immediately Jack woke up.
"What? Keith weren't supposed to dock for another year!"
"I thought he was takin' some route along the Indies," commented Annie Marie, walking over from her make-shift bed at the stern.
Tess's uncle made a face. "So did I, but apparently not. Tess, wake up the crew. Annie Marie, you better get somethin' up here to keep them awake. Soldier boy," he said, using the crew's nickname for Ryan, "You get back up there an' tell us when they're in harbor. I don't want me brother sneakin' up on us while we prepare."
"Prepare for what?" asked Ryan, curious.
Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl looked at him with a lazy grin, brown eyes half-lidded. "Why, prepare for meetin', lad. Because me brother-in-law don't got a reputation as a tough pirate for nothin'."
Two hours later the crew of the Black Pearl was on the dock, waiting for the crew of the Laughing May to anchor and come onto the dock. Little over a minute passed before a young man walked down the plank. The man grinned at Tess. "Why, Tess, it's been so long, hasn't it? No, wait, I saw you at Hart's party, but I doubt you saw me." He eyed Ryan, and his grin widened. "Why, if it isn't Ryan Carmichael, from the British army." Ryan studied the man, a bit nervous at how he knew who he was. The man had black hair and his eyes were a stormy gray, and his nose was strong and straight. He wore a bright red vest with a clean white shirt and black pants; big golden hoops decorated his ears, while a red sash went around his waist.
Ryan was shocked as he realized who the man was, and he growled, "Why, if it isn't Terry Halfway. But that's not your real name, is it?"
"He's my second cousin, Troy Robinson." Tess stood straighter, eyes glinting dangerously. "Hello, Troy. I can't say it's a pleasure to meet you again."
Troy mock frowned, and he clucked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk, cousin! No need to be rude, is there?"
Jack spread out his arms and wobbled a bit. "What, no welcome for me? I'm the captain, and you addressed my crew first? Quite a womanizer you're becoming."
The young man's face turned from warm and welcoming to mean and cold. "Forgive me, Sparrow. I meant to harm," he said in a voice that said he wasn't sorry and he wouldn't care if he caused any harm. "Grandpa should be coming down soon."
"And here I am." An older man walked down the plank. His black hair had a few long gray hairs in it, but it was still a deep jet color. His eyes were like Tess's; a brown so dark they could be black and, for some reason, almost hypnotizing. He wore a large, dark brown coat, red sash, brown trousers, cream shirt, and a tattered brown hat. He swept it off and bowed, smiling charmingly at his niece with a smile much like her own. "Tess! How good to see you again!" He turned to Jack and his eyes hardened, only lighting up slightly. "Hello, Jack. Haven't gotten into any more trouble, have you? Heard from my boy that you got yourself in jail because of the treasure, and now you've taken a soldier on as part of your crew? What is going on in your head, Sparrow?"
Jack took on his old diplomatic style, the same he had used when faced by his ex-crew and Barbosa. He lifted his hand and pointed at Captain Keith Robinson of the Laughing May, a lazy grin once more on his face. "Well you wouldn't know, now would you?"
Keith forced a smile. "No, no I wouldn't. Tess, luv, I was thinkin' maybe you 'n me could go talk sometime; y'know, uncle-to-niece?"
Tess sighed. "For the last time, Uncle Keith, I ain't telling you the spot of the treasure! It was Great Gram's secret, then Gram's secret, then Ma's, and now mine! I'm not telling, so stop asking. Savvy?"
His face went cold. "It'll never be savvy, Niece. Your Grandpa promised me the treasure, and I'm gonna get it. The women of this family can't keep the secret forever! And it was stupidity that instead of marrying an orphan so our family would get all the treasure, me sister went an' married a man wit' still-livin' family!"
Tess sighed. "Uncle, no one's getting' the secret, not even if me life was threatened, so you best go."
Keith's face began to turn red, and Troy stepped over, smiling. "Just because we want the secret don't mean that we won't stay for a little fun, eh Grandpa?" Keith pushed his grandfather up the plank back to the ship. Turning, he winked broadly at his cousin. "I'll see you around, Tess. Look for me; I'd be glad to have dinner with you sometime." Tess snarled and lunged for her cousin, but Ryan grabbed her arm. She stopped and watched them get onto the ship, before they started to walk back to the Black Pearl.
"That is why I hate Troy," she said to Ryan, eyes still dark and dangerous. "He wants to marry me, thinkin' that he'll get the treasure if he does. Huh, I'll die before I let that scum find it."
"What is this treasure?" Ryan asked, curious. "Your family seems pretty intent on getting it." They walked away from the crew and down to the tavern. Tess sighed.
"A long time ago, my family was rich, and livin' the life of the wealthy. Somethin' happened; I don't know what, Ma never told me, but me great grandma took the money an' hid it, so no one could take it. She never told me great grandpa, because she loved him greatly, an' she didn't want him to be tortured for information. They left the life of the respected citizens and, as they were still young an' me grandpa was a captain, became pirates. She passed down the secret location to her daughter, who was a skilled seawoman, who passed it down to her daughter, my mother, who passed it down to me."
"What kind of a treasure is it?"
Tess closed her eyes dreamily. "It's a treasure of silver platters and plates, tiaras, necklaces, bracelets and crowns of precious jewels like rubies, emeralds, perfect pearls, diamonds, and sapphires. There is a great red velvet cloak embroidered with gold thread, an' dresses of velvet, silk, taffeta, and chiffon in every imaginable color; tons of gold and silver coins, silk tapestries of leopards and wild animals in other countries weaved with bright, colorful threads; statues of birds with precious jems for their plumage and eyes." She opened her eyes, and sighed. "I've never seen it, but me ma told be what her Gram, my Great Gram, told her it was like, an' I'm not givin' me greedy family the treasure I've protected me entire life," she spoke heatedly. Ryan nodded and ran a hand through his long, sandy blonde locks as the innkeeper set down two tankards of drink.
"I agree. They shouldn't get it." He raised his glass towards her, then took a long drink. Neither of them noticed that Alex had followed them from the dock to the tavern. His blue eyes hardened as he looked at Ryan, and soften as he turned his gaze to Tess. Turning, he slipped out of the inn unnoticed, with one thing on his mind- Ryan was a soldier, liar, and a scoundrel, and Alex had to get him away from Tess.
AN: Looooooooooooong story!!!!! I'm so proud!!! ^_^ Reviews are accepted, as well as flames for not posting a lot of chapters. I'M TRYING, I SWEAR!!!!! I'll stop typing now and start on the next chapter. Tootles! (that is such a funny word, isn't it?)
Disclaimer: I do not own Jack Sparrow, Will, Elizabeth, or any of the crew, but I do own the twins, Alex, Tess, and Ryan, and if you take my characters I will slit your throats.
Ryan sat in the crow's nest at late dawn, admiring the gold-and-amber necklace he had stolen. The crew of the Black Pearl had stayed in harbor for a week now, and the ex-soldier treasured the necklace as his first looting. He looked down the harbor, keeping a sharp eye out for any new ships. Since he slept in the crow's nest every night, he was the one who saw the more sneaky ships, the ones that crept in at dawn and hoped to be unnoticed. A ship came into view on the horizon, and he grinned and took out his silver spyglass Mr. Cotton had given him. The ship's flag was the same as every ship in the harbour, with the Jolly Roger high on its mast. But below that one was another flag, with a bloody music note on it. He shrugged, closed the spyglass, and climbed down the mast. "Hey Tess," he shook her from her sleep on some canvas. "There's a new ship, but this one looks funny. It's got a weird music note on the flag."
Tess woke up, looked curiously at him, and she took his spyglass and looked out at the far-away ship. Her lazy grin quickly changed into a scowl, and her eyes darkened. "The Laughin' May. No other ship would have that on a flag. UNCLE!" She hollered loudly down the hatch. "You better get up here, we got trouble!"
Captain Jack Sparrow stumbled up, rubbing his eyes. "What're ye talkin' about, love? There ain't not trouble-"
"The Laughin' May's coming, Uncle," she said sharply, and immediately Jack woke up.
"What? Keith weren't supposed to dock for another year!"
"I thought he was takin' some route along the Indies," commented Annie Marie, walking over from her make-shift bed at the stern.
Tess's uncle made a face. "So did I, but apparently not. Tess, wake up the crew. Annie Marie, you better get somethin' up here to keep them awake. Soldier boy," he said, using the crew's nickname for Ryan, "You get back up there an' tell us when they're in harbor. I don't want me brother sneakin' up on us while we prepare."
"Prepare for what?" asked Ryan, curious.
Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl looked at him with a lazy grin, brown eyes half-lidded. "Why, prepare for meetin', lad. Because me brother-in-law don't got a reputation as a tough pirate for nothin'."
Two hours later the crew of the Black Pearl was on the dock, waiting for the crew of the Laughing May to anchor and come onto the dock. Little over a minute passed before a young man walked down the plank. The man grinned at Tess. "Why, Tess, it's been so long, hasn't it? No, wait, I saw you at Hart's party, but I doubt you saw me." He eyed Ryan, and his grin widened. "Why, if it isn't Ryan Carmichael, from the British army." Ryan studied the man, a bit nervous at how he knew who he was. The man had black hair and his eyes were a stormy gray, and his nose was strong and straight. He wore a bright red vest with a clean white shirt and black pants; big golden hoops decorated his ears, while a red sash went around his waist.
Ryan was shocked as he realized who the man was, and he growled, "Why, if it isn't Terry Halfway. But that's not your real name, is it?"
"He's my second cousin, Troy Robinson." Tess stood straighter, eyes glinting dangerously. "Hello, Troy. I can't say it's a pleasure to meet you again."
Troy mock frowned, and he clucked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk, cousin! No need to be rude, is there?"
Jack spread out his arms and wobbled a bit. "What, no welcome for me? I'm the captain, and you addressed my crew first? Quite a womanizer you're becoming."
The young man's face turned from warm and welcoming to mean and cold. "Forgive me, Sparrow. I meant to harm," he said in a voice that said he wasn't sorry and he wouldn't care if he caused any harm. "Grandpa should be coming down soon."
"And here I am." An older man walked down the plank. His black hair had a few long gray hairs in it, but it was still a deep jet color. His eyes were like Tess's; a brown so dark they could be black and, for some reason, almost hypnotizing. He wore a large, dark brown coat, red sash, brown trousers, cream shirt, and a tattered brown hat. He swept it off and bowed, smiling charmingly at his niece with a smile much like her own. "Tess! How good to see you again!" He turned to Jack and his eyes hardened, only lighting up slightly. "Hello, Jack. Haven't gotten into any more trouble, have you? Heard from my boy that you got yourself in jail because of the treasure, and now you've taken a soldier on as part of your crew? What is going on in your head, Sparrow?"
Jack took on his old diplomatic style, the same he had used when faced by his ex-crew and Barbosa. He lifted his hand and pointed at Captain Keith Robinson of the Laughing May, a lazy grin once more on his face. "Well you wouldn't know, now would you?"
Keith forced a smile. "No, no I wouldn't. Tess, luv, I was thinkin' maybe you 'n me could go talk sometime; y'know, uncle-to-niece?"
Tess sighed. "For the last time, Uncle Keith, I ain't telling you the spot of the treasure! It was Great Gram's secret, then Gram's secret, then Ma's, and now mine! I'm not telling, so stop asking. Savvy?"
His face went cold. "It'll never be savvy, Niece. Your Grandpa promised me the treasure, and I'm gonna get it. The women of this family can't keep the secret forever! And it was stupidity that instead of marrying an orphan so our family would get all the treasure, me sister went an' married a man wit' still-livin' family!"
Tess sighed. "Uncle, no one's getting' the secret, not even if me life was threatened, so you best go."
Keith's face began to turn red, and Troy stepped over, smiling. "Just because we want the secret don't mean that we won't stay for a little fun, eh Grandpa?" Keith pushed his grandfather up the plank back to the ship. Turning, he winked broadly at his cousin. "I'll see you around, Tess. Look for me; I'd be glad to have dinner with you sometime." Tess snarled and lunged for her cousin, but Ryan grabbed her arm. She stopped and watched them get onto the ship, before they started to walk back to the Black Pearl.
"That is why I hate Troy," she said to Ryan, eyes still dark and dangerous. "He wants to marry me, thinkin' that he'll get the treasure if he does. Huh, I'll die before I let that scum find it."
"What is this treasure?" Ryan asked, curious. "Your family seems pretty intent on getting it." They walked away from the crew and down to the tavern. Tess sighed.
"A long time ago, my family was rich, and livin' the life of the wealthy. Somethin' happened; I don't know what, Ma never told me, but me great grandma took the money an' hid it, so no one could take it. She never told me great grandpa, because she loved him greatly, an' she didn't want him to be tortured for information. They left the life of the respected citizens and, as they were still young an' me grandpa was a captain, became pirates. She passed down the secret location to her daughter, who was a skilled seawoman, who passed it down to her daughter, my mother, who passed it down to me."
"What kind of a treasure is it?"
Tess closed her eyes dreamily. "It's a treasure of silver platters and plates, tiaras, necklaces, bracelets and crowns of precious jewels like rubies, emeralds, perfect pearls, diamonds, and sapphires. There is a great red velvet cloak embroidered with gold thread, an' dresses of velvet, silk, taffeta, and chiffon in every imaginable color; tons of gold and silver coins, silk tapestries of leopards and wild animals in other countries weaved with bright, colorful threads; statues of birds with precious jems for their plumage and eyes." She opened her eyes, and sighed. "I've never seen it, but me ma told be what her Gram, my Great Gram, told her it was like, an' I'm not givin' me greedy family the treasure I've protected me entire life," she spoke heatedly. Ryan nodded and ran a hand through his long, sandy blonde locks as the innkeeper set down two tankards of drink.
"I agree. They shouldn't get it." He raised his glass towards her, then took a long drink. Neither of them noticed that Alex had followed them from the dock to the tavern. His blue eyes hardened as he looked at Ryan, and soften as he turned his gaze to Tess. Turning, he slipped out of the inn unnoticed, with one thing on his mind- Ryan was a soldier, liar, and a scoundrel, and Alex had to get him away from Tess.
AN: Looooooooooooong story!!!!! I'm so proud!!! ^_^ Reviews are accepted, as well as flames for not posting a lot of chapters. I'M TRYING, I SWEAR!!!!! I'll stop typing now and start on the next chapter. Tootles! (that is such a funny word, isn't it?)