A/N Yes. Here it is. Have fun. I was contemplating this story, and I decided that Raine is a bit of a Mary-Sue, so far. I'm sorry if she seems that way. I have a terrible habit of doing that. I'll try and change her, but I'm not sure how well it will turn out. Hard to change characters once you've started to develop them. I fixed a few mistakes from earlier chapters, but tiny ones, which won't matter to you if you've already read this and loved it. (Hehe) Read on, and rock on, my dear reviewers. I've left out the part where they steal the Interceptor instead of the Dauntless, because I couldn't think of a way to make that any more original, and you all know what happens anyway.
Oh, and by the way I know that Raine is a tad bit annoying: D that's sort of on purpose.
Chapter Five
Once the three were safely aboard the Interceptor, sailing at full sail away from the baffled sailors in the British Navy, who were trying in vain to catch up to them, were they fully able to relax. Will began to sharpen his sword, and Jack took his place at the helm, while Raine sort of wandered, pulling at ropes here and there, and leaning far out over the railing, until Jack told her that she was making him nervous. After which she stuck her tongue out at him and leaned over further, pretending to slip forward slightly so that Jack became annoyed.
In an effort to break up their silent quarrel, Will followed Raine around to watch her tug on ropes and check on various things, until she finally sighed and turned to him.
"Why are you following me around, boy?" Will glanced at Jack, who was humming something and staring at his compass, and fully content that Jack was not listening, Will turned back to Raine.
"Are you and Jack… you know…?"
Raine just stared at him. "What do you mean?"
"In love." Will said, blushing furiously. Raine furrowed her brow and cocked her head to the side.
"You were following me for that?"
"Well, what is your answer?" Will asked again, ignoring her question.
"Love is a strong word." She said, sitting down on a crate and leaning over the railing. "Jack and I go way back… I can barely remember ever being without him, actually. He's like my big brother… and I'm his little sister, y'know? We look out for each other, sort of. It's never really been a big deal." She shrugged and grinned. "I'm not the type of person to get attached to anything… Jack is though; he loves the Pearl more than anything else. I would do anything to see that man back where he belongs."
"Jack was captain of the Pearl?" Will asked, trying to absorb what she was saying. Raine sighed.
"There's no talking to you, is there? You missed the point, boy." She stood up off her crate, and walked back over to where Jack was standing. Then she asked him a question and when he answered, she scowled and went downstairs into the hold. Will decided to try talking to Jack.
"Er… Jack?"
"Aye." Jack said, and it was clear that he wasn't paying attention at all. But Will continued anyways.
"I don't think I could get used to women pirates."
Jack finally glanced his way. "Doesn't matter whether you can get used to it or not, mate. That's just what she is."
"I know, but… I mean, it's hard to imagine her with a sword and all, fighting or something…"
"She can't use it." Jack interrupted.
"Pardon?"
"She'll most likely kill me for telling you this, but she never learned how to use that sword. She carries it because she thinks it makes her look more like a pirate, and because she's so used to carrying it around. At least she can lift it."
"She can't use it?" Will asked.
Jack sighed, turning to Will. "Raine was right. You don't ever listen, do you? Ok, let me rephrase… nobody ever taught her how to use that sword. I learned from a man who refused to teach women, and I never was a very good teacher so I couldn't teach her. She is impatient and clumsy when it comes to swordfighting, so she just gave up on that aspect of her career. Do you understand now, William?"
"Yes." Will said quickly, and you could practically see the gears in his mind turning.
"Well, you'll be around pirates a lot more often now… it's in your blood, boy, and there's no escaping that. Not all pirates are males, though females are uncommon."
"What do you mean, it's in my blood? My father was a merchant sailor, my mother a respectable citizen. There is no piracy in my veins."
"Now, I wonder if your mother was just lying to you, or if she truly believed that your father, William Turner, also call Bootstrap, or Bootstrap Bill, was only a merchant." Jack said, turning back to the helm.
"My father was not a pirate!" Will said, drawing his sword and pointing it at Jack. "And there's no Raine here to help you now, so lets have it, a fair fight!"
"Not wise, boy, to be crossing blades with a pirates." Jack said shoving his sword away with his hand. He turned to the wheel and spun it around, so that the sails came flying around to hit Will.
"Now as long as you're just hanging there, listen up," Jack said. "There are only two things that really matter. What a man…"
"What are you doing?" Raine's voice came from behind him. She seemed shocked, and she was practically running toward them, across the deck.
"Oh no…" Jack muttered in a low voice. He backed up a bit as Raine spun the wheel, making the sails come back over the deck. Will fell to the floor, and Raine turned to Jack, walking until she was right under his nose, in his face.
"What do you think you're doing, Jack?" She lowered her voice so Will wouldn't hear. "Can't you just for once be and honest, caring person and talk to the boy instead of threatening him? If he dies, we're going to be in a rather full pot of boiling water. If he doesn't want to believe it, he doesn't have to. That's not our problem."
"He has to at least know who his father is. Was."
"Fine." She turned around and walked over to Will, helping him up. Then she lifted his face so he was looking into her eyes, and she said, "Will, you're father was Bootstrap Bill, one of the finest pirates there ever was. That's nothing to be ashamed of, and it's something you have no choice but to believe, savvy?"
Will frowned. "I still don't think…"
"Did I say that you had a choice?" Raine asked him, her temper taking over. "Nobody ever said you had to be a pirate, boy, but will you just admit to yourself that you have pirate blood?"
Will said nothing.
Raine left it be… if he still didn't want to believe, that wasn't her problem. Although it was making her mad.
Jack led the way through the streets of Tortuga, with Will following closely behind him staring in disgust at all the women prancing around obscenely and men drunkenly helping themselves to the women. Raine bounced around with delight, winking at some people and calling out to some of the women here or there. Will just stared, until Jack found himself needing to explain.
"Only home she's ever known." He muttered so Raine wouldn't hear. "Everybody's got to have a place to keep their heart."
Once Jack managed to find Gibbs and drag the three of them into The Faithful Bride, which was not easy, because Raine kept finding a million other places and people that she had to visit before they could leave again, he ordered the rums and otherwise kept the three of them on task… Jack was the only one who seemed to have a direct purpose in mind.
It was hard for her, but Raine managed to shut up. Taking the mug of rum Jack gave her, she prepared to follow him into the back room, but he stopped her, putting up a finger.
"Keep an eye on the eunuch, Raine, please. Please do this for me."
Raine had that hurt look in her eyes which he hated so much.
"Raine, please darling, do this for me."
"I want the Pearl back just as much as you do, and I understand what is going on!"
"Well, you understand just as well as I, which is why you won't need to be part of the conversation. You already know everything I have to say, about Will and the Pearl! Please, Raine, just… stay here."
Raine turned around and walked back to the doorway where Will was standing, not saying anything to Jack, but clearly angry. Will opened his mouth to speak to her, in an effort to calm her down or something, failing miserably anyway.
"Don't say it." Raine said to his sharply, sipping at the mug of rum Jack had bought her. She stared at it for a second and then frowned and set it down on the table, pushing it away from her.
"I never get to hear the plan." She said quietly, and Will only just barely heard her.
***~***
Jack stood at the helm proudly, admiring his ship. He had dreamed of it being his for his whole life, of having his very own freedom waiting for his command. He ran his eyes over his ship fondly, thinking of every curve and cranny on the ship, all of which he knew, since he helped build it.
His eyes settled on Raine, who was watching him from the ratlines, leaning against the ropes with an annoying grin on her face, just watching him.
"What?" He asked, curious as to what she was thinking, just… staring at him like that.
"It's just that… oh, I don't know… you look like you belong there."
She gave him a sad little smile, and climbed down from the ropes, starting to walk below deck.
"Raine, wait." Jack called after her. She turned around to look at him. "You belong here too."
She walked back to him and set her hands on the helm beside him.
"I know that, genius. We got into this together, remember?"
"Aye," Jack said, squinting into the horizon. "But I'm doing all the work."
"You wish."
"I know."
"Yeah right. They should be calling me captain."
"Ah," Jack grinned. "But they're not, love."
"Shut up."