Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Pirates of the Caribbean *sob*. I do, however, own
Tess, Keith, the twins, Ryan, Alex, and Troy. You use them w/o my
permission, you die. Painfully.
AN: Okay, I start out on another chapter. Wahoo! I thank all my loyal readers for sticking w/ me while I labor over my dad never letting me use the computer*fumes*. But that's okay. Hopes ya like!!!
Alex grabbed Tess' shoulder as she walked down the street. "Tess, we gotta talk."
She looked at him with curious humor, eyes sparkling. She was just leaving after a re-exploration of Tortouga with Ryan, four days after the Laughing May had anchored, and she was in a great mood. "Sure. What is it, Alex?"
He pulled her into an alley and stared at her. "It's about Ryan. Tess, you're getting' yerself into somethin' deep."
"What're ye talkin' about?" she asked him, sitting down on a crate cross-legged.
Alex scowled. "You know what I'm talkin' 'bout. Don't play games with me," he warned. "Everywhere you go, Ryan is there. On you ship, in the tavern, walking around the city, when the gang's out lootin'; it's getting out of hand."
Tess laughed. She twined the end of one braid around her index finger and pointed at him, in a manner much like her Uncle's. "Alex, you're mad."
"He wants something, Tess," the Spaniard said urgently. "And he's a soldier. Why would a soldier stick around pirates for so long if he didn't want something?"
She stopped twirling her finger and smiled an irritatingly innocent smile. "Congratulations, Alex. When did you find out?"
He smirked. "I have a source. Anyway, if you know he's a soldier, then why would you even hang around him?"
"He's different than how he was before."
"Really? How do you know that, Tess? Bandits killed his family, Tess; bandits later hung for being pirates. What's to stop him from keep on wanting revenge for his parents and siblings? He wants something, Tess. Something that only you have, that's valuable. Something that he knows will rip you to pieces, tear you apart. Something that'll hurt, bad."
"What's to say you're not lyin'?" Tess said calmly. She may have looked cool and calm, but inside she was fuming. "You're just jealous of him." She looked up at him, eyes flashing. "He would never do anything like that."
Alex stepped closer, grabbed her shoulders, and pulled her close, shaking her once, but hard. "He wouldn't?" he hissed. "And why wouldn't he?" Her mind raced as she thought back to the looks he had given her at the ball; the way he had acted in the dungeon; his first time in the ship; the way he seemed to listen always, no matter what. Lifting up her face so her lips were almost touching his right ear, she swiftly unsheathed one of her daggers and pressed the sharp tip of the lethal steel against his side.
"Listen up, Alex." She whispered, voice deadly, pushing her dagger against his skin threateningly. "I didn't earn my reputation as the toughest lady pirate in Tortouga easily. Ryan would never do that, ever! And he knows I would flog him from stern to bow if he did such a thing. You're just jealous of him, because I'm spending so much time with him. So back off, bucko!" Her temper flared like it usually never did. She dug her dagger in, cutting deep into his side. Hissing, Alex let go of her, pushing her away from him, and pressed his hand against the cut, sea-blue eyes emotionless. For some reason, her heart totally was turned against the thought of Ryan backstabbing her. Her soldier boy, the one she had saved from being thrown overboard, whom she had turned from a British soldier to a true-blooded pirate, turning on her? It was, to her, unimaginable. Sheathing her dagger, she smiled with no emotion at Alex, turned, and walked down the street, clearing her mind. No emotion. The best fighters fight without emotion. As she left, Alex spoke a last remark softly.
"He's a British spy, Tess. He's trained to fake emotions, play different roles. This is probably just another one of his roles to him. You told me that Hart knows about the treasure, and you met Ryan at Hart's castle. What's to say he isn't a spy for Hart?"
Tess froze. Her eyes went blank. For a moment, her mind strayed from its straight path of thinking. A spy? No way. She smiled grimly. She had seen Ryan fight before, and play poker. His emotions played in his eyes; his eyes were the windows to his soul. There's no way.she continued down the alley, looked down the street, then continued to swagger leisurely, a lone figure in the busy twilight of the pirate city.
"What's on your mind, luv?" asked Jack, masking the worry he felt. All dinner she had just stared into space, obviously deep in thought. That wasn't like her. She looked up at him, and grinned.
"Nothin', Uncle. Nothin' at all." She was silent, and then spoke up again. "Hey, Uncle, how well trained are British spies?"
Jack chortled, his arm around his newest conquest, Matilda. "Pretty well, darlin'. I've seen some that could be the dirtiest, most foul- mouthed, hard-hearted beggar in the streets of London during the day, and a push-over, rich, soft-minded gentleman at night. Only the best are spies." He peered at her drunkenly. "Why do ye want t' know?"
"Oh, no reason," she said airily, waving her hand. "No reason at all." She grabbed her tankard, dumped the rum down her throat, saluted a farewell to Jack, shoved her hands in her pockets, and walked towards the Black Pearl. Ryan had a lot of explaining to do.
Back on the ship, Ryan leaned on the sides of the crow's nest, sighing, thinking about what he had seen last night.
~flashback~
Ryan was strolling down the street, watching, amused, at the on goings of the night life in Tortouga, when he heard a catch of conversation down an alley. "You say you know everything about this Ryan, right?" said a young masculine voice, with a hint of Spanish accent. Stopping dead in his tracks, he ducked down behind a crate.
"Yep, 'course Pete knows, Pete knows everything," said an old, crackly voice.
"Then tell me," the young man said irritably. "Don't ye fear, there's a hefty reward involved." The ex-soldier stiffened. Who would pay to get information about him?
"'E wuz born in a sea-side village in England, t' a Mister and Missus Carmichael. They wuz shippers t' the Isles, France, an' Spain. Pretty rich, they wuz. Should've moved to Liverpool or London, but they wuz 'fraid of the Plague. When 'e wuz ten ole One-Eye Tim- you remember ole One-Eye, don't ye? - Well, One-Eye an' his crew went an' got themselves land-bound for runnin' their ship int' the rocks, and decided to go thievin' for awhile. Young Alex's parents were two o' the hun'red people they murdered that year, an' all the boy wuz left with wuz scars an' the clothes on 'is back. Sure, ole One-Eye wuz caught an' hung later an' half o' 'is crew with 'em, but the other 'alf wuz still out there. As soon as 'e wuz old enough, 'e joined the British army as a spy. One hell o' a spy, that lad wuz. The best in the business. 'E did all sorts o' work afore they put 'im in ole Hart's castle." The man's voice lowered. "But just awhile ago, when ole Cap'n Sparrow 'n 'is crew escaped, an' 'e disappeared, there wuz suspicions on whether or not 'e wuz in our league. Huh, some said that because 'is parents were killed by pirates 'e wouldn't, never! But there're still searches for 'im, in case 'e knows somethin' 'bout the missin' pirates."
"They didn't once stop to think of his safety, or if he's alright? inquired the young man, voice dripping with amusement.
"Nope. Wot makes ye think that they'd care a drip for the lad? 'E's no one important. Iffen he went 'n died, right there in the middle of that fancy castle, no one would've cared about the twit." Ryan's jaw clenched, and his fists tightened, but he knew what the man had said was true.
~end flashback~
His fists tightened again, as he thought of the conversation he had heard, but he knew the old man was right. No one cared about his life- no one would miss him if he was gone. He looked over the sapphire and emerald ocean and sighed. Not even Tess would care, if she knew the truth.
AN: I tried my hardest to finish this one nice and quick, but I didn't make good time. Hope you liked it! In the chappies to come, Tess and Ryan get in an argument, Jack looses his cool, and Alex goes bad. Hope you had a great New Year and Christmas, everyone!!!
AN: Okay, I start out on another chapter. Wahoo! I thank all my loyal readers for sticking w/ me while I labor over my dad never letting me use the computer*fumes*. But that's okay. Hopes ya like!!!
Alex grabbed Tess' shoulder as she walked down the street. "Tess, we gotta talk."
She looked at him with curious humor, eyes sparkling. She was just leaving after a re-exploration of Tortouga with Ryan, four days after the Laughing May had anchored, and she was in a great mood. "Sure. What is it, Alex?"
He pulled her into an alley and stared at her. "It's about Ryan. Tess, you're getting' yerself into somethin' deep."
"What're ye talkin' about?" she asked him, sitting down on a crate cross-legged.
Alex scowled. "You know what I'm talkin' 'bout. Don't play games with me," he warned. "Everywhere you go, Ryan is there. On you ship, in the tavern, walking around the city, when the gang's out lootin'; it's getting out of hand."
Tess laughed. She twined the end of one braid around her index finger and pointed at him, in a manner much like her Uncle's. "Alex, you're mad."
"He wants something, Tess," the Spaniard said urgently. "And he's a soldier. Why would a soldier stick around pirates for so long if he didn't want something?"
She stopped twirling her finger and smiled an irritatingly innocent smile. "Congratulations, Alex. When did you find out?"
He smirked. "I have a source. Anyway, if you know he's a soldier, then why would you even hang around him?"
"He's different than how he was before."
"Really? How do you know that, Tess? Bandits killed his family, Tess; bandits later hung for being pirates. What's to stop him from keep on wanting revenge for his parents and siblings? He wants something, Tess. Something that only you have, that's valuable. Something that he knows will rip you to pieces, tear you apart. Something that'll hurt, bad."
"What's to say you're not lyin'?" Tess said calmly. She may have looked cool and calm, but inside she was fuming. "You're just jealous of him." She looked up at him, eyes flashing. "He would never do anything like that."
Alex stepped closer, grabbed her shoulders, and pulled her close, shaking her once, but hard. "He wouldn't?" he hissed. "And why wouldn't he?" Her mind raced as she thought back to the looks he had given her at the ball; the way he had acted in the dungeon; his first time in the ship; the way he seemed to listen always, no matter what. Lifting up her face so her lips were almost touching his right ear, she swiftly unsheathed one of her daggers and pressed the sharp tip of the lethal steel against his side.
"Listen up, Alex." She whispered, voice deadly, pushing her dagger against his skin threateningly. "I didn't earn my reputation as the toughest lady pirate in Tortouga easily. Ryan would never do that, ever! And he knows I would flog him from stern to bow if he did such a thing. You're just jealous of him, because I'm spending so much time with him. So back off, bucko!" Her temper flared like it usually never did. She dug her dagger in, cutting deep into his side. Hissing, Alex let go of her, pushing her away from him, and pressed his hand against the cut, sea-blue eyes emotionless. For some reason, her heart totally was turned against the thought of Ryan backstabbing her. Her soldier boy, the one she had saved from being thrown overboard, whom she had turned from a British soldier to a true-blooded pirate, turning on her? It was, to her, unimaginable. Sheathing her dagger, she smiled with no emotion at Alex, turned, and walked down the street, clearing her mind. No emotion. The best fighters fight without emotion. As she left, Alex spoke a last remark softly.
"He's a British spy, Tess. He's trained to fake emotions, play different roles. This is probably just another one of his roles to him. You told me that Hart knows about the treasure, and you met Ryan at Hart's castle. What's to say he isn't a spy for Hart?"
Tess froze. Her eyes went blank. For a moment, her mind strayed from its straight path of thinking. A spy? No way. She smiled grimly. She had seen Ryan fight before, and play poker. His emotions played in his eyes; his eyes were the windows to his soul. There's no way.she continued down the alley, looked down the street, then continued to swagger leisurely, a lone figure in the busy twilight of the pirate city.
"What's on your mind, luv?" asked Jack, masking the worry he felt. All dinner she had just stared into space, obviously deep in thought. That wasn't like her. She looked up at him, and grinned.
"Nothin', Uncle. Nothin' at all." She was silent, and then spoke up again. "Hey, Uncle, how well trained are British spies?"
Jack chortled, his arm around his newest conquest, Matilda. "Pretty well, darlin'. I've seen some that could be the dirtiest, most foul- mouthed, hard-hearted beggar in the streets of London during the day, and a push-over, rich, soft-minded gentleman at night. Only the best are spies." He peered at her drunkenly. "Why do ye want t' know?"
"Oh, no reason," she said airily, waving her hand. "No reason at all." She grabbed her tankard, dumped the rum down her throat, saluted a farewell to Jack, shoved her hands in her pockets, and walked towards the Black Pearl. Ryan had a lot of explaining to do.
Back on the ship, Ryan leaned on the sides of the crow's nest, sighing, thinking about what he had seen last night.
~flashback~
Ryan was strolling down the street, watching, amused, at the on goings of the night life in Tortouga, when he heard a catch of conversation down an alley. "You say you know everything about this Ryan, right?" said a young masculine voice, with a hint of Spanish accent. Stopping dead in his tracks, he ducked down behind a crate.
"Yep, 'course Pete knows, Pete knows everything," said an old, crackly voice.
"Then tell me," the young man said irritably. "Don't ye fear, there's a hefty reward involved." The ex-soldier stiffened. Who would pay to get information about him?
"'E wuz born in a sea-side village in England, t' a Mister and Missus Carmichael. They wuz shippers t' the Isles, France, an' Spain. Pretty rich, they wuz. Should've moved to Liverpool or London, but they wuz 'fraid of the Plague. When 'e wuz ten ole One-Eye Tim- you remember ole One-Eye, don't ye? - Well, One-Eye an' his crew went an' got themselves land-bound for runnin' their ship int' the rocks, and decided to go thievin' for awhile. Young Alex's parents were two o' the hun'red people they murdered that year, an' all the boy wuz left with wuz scars an' the clothes on 'is back. Sure, ole One-Eye wuz caught an' hung later an' half o' 'is crew with 'em, but the other 'alf wuz still out there. As soon as 'e wuz old enough, 'e joined the British army as a spy. One hell o' a spy, that lad wuz. The best in the business. 'E did all sorts o' work afore they put 'im in ole Hart's castle." The man's voice lowered. "But just awhile ago, when ole Cap'n Sparrow 'n 'is crew escaped, an' 'e disappeared, there wuz suspicions on whether or not 'e wuz in our league. Huh, some said that because 'is parents were killed by pirates 'e wouldn't, never! But there're still searches for 'im, in case 'e knows somethin' 'bout the missin' pirates."
"They didn't once stop to think of his safety, or if he's alright? inquired the young man, voice dripping with amusement.
"Nope. Wot makes ye think that they'd care a drip for the lad? 'E's no one important. Iffen he went 'n died, right there in the middle of that fancy castle, no one would've cared about the twit." Ryan's jaw clenched, and his fists tightened, but he knew what the man had said was true.
~end flashback~
His fists tightened again, as he thought of the conversation he had heard, but he knew the old man was right. No one cared about his life- no one would miss him if he was gone. He looked over the sapphire and emerald ocean and sighed. Not even Tess would care, if she knew the truth.
AN: I tried my hardest to finish this one nice and quick, but I didn't make good time. Hope you liked it! In the chappies to come, Tess and Ryan get in an argument, Jack looses his cool, and Alex goes bad. Hope you had a great New Year and Christmas, everyone!!!