Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Marie and Caleb.
A/N: An extra long chapter for you guys, considering I made you wait for so
long. Thanks for all the great reviews!
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Marie quickly found her way to the galley after her conversation with Jack and had spent the afternoon preparing food for the crew. She had never had to cook so much before in her life. At home she only cooked for pleasure, never because she had to. Marie looked at her hands. She had burnt herself earlier, and a finger was bandaged. She looked a mess, and half-wondered what her mother would think if she saw her in such a state.
She rushed around, looking for certain ingredients while Gibbs continuously sampled the various dishes she had prepared, cheerfully praising her culinary skills and exclaiming that the crew hadn't had a decent meal in weeks. He even confided in her that he wasn't such a good cook himself, though he was the ship's head cook.
Footsteps announced the arrival of the crew. She grabbed a tray to take to one of the tables when Gibbs stopped her. "I'll serve 'em, missy. You just eat now, and take a break." She smiled gratefully at him and sat at an empty table at the corner of the cabin, placing her own plate before her. Marie looked around curiously, eating slowly.
She then spotted a handsome young man headed straight for her table. He was tall and muscular. His sharp features were accented by wavy brown hair, which he had attempted to tame by tying it back, though the wind had pulled some of it loose. One ear boasted a few hooped earrings, and his clothes were worn but looked as if they had been expensive.
Marie looked down and pushed at the food on her plate, imagining how terrible she must have looked after an afternoon in the kitchens. He sat across from her and extended a hand, "I'm Caleb. You must be Marie." He grinned at her as she took his hand.
"Nice to meet you," she looked him in the face for the first time. She noticed that he had stunning eyes. Gray, flecked with green. She forced herself to look away, and became extremely interested in the bits of laquer peeling off the walls.
"So, I heard you've been hired to keep us straight. Jack thought we needed a woman on board while Anamaria was away. He seems to think it good to have a woman's company nearby, though most consider a woman on a ship unlucky. I don't believe it 't all, though."
"Oh, now I've been hired, have I?" She cast an angry glance towards the table where Jack was laughing, a bottle of rum in one hand. "Just to let you know, Mr. Caleb, he's kidnapped me, and quite against my will."
"So what's your plan, then? Surely you wish to escape? To return to your home, attend balls, whatever your sort does?"
Marie looked at him indignantly, "My life isn't all about luxury, you know! I spend half my time wishing that- " She shut her mouth and glared at him. He was toying with her, she could tell from the smug grin on his handsome face.
"Wishing that you were away from it all? That's precisely why I became a pirate. Y'know, we're not all like the murderers you hear about in the stories on land. Just because we don't necessarily live by the rules doesn't exactly make us terrible, does it?" Caleb stood and picked up his plate, extending a hand towards her, "Care to join me on deck?"
Marie stood, ignoring the outstretched hand. "I suppose." Despite Caleb's forwardness, she did like him. He was clever, and honest. She left the galley and went with him on deck, taking a deep breath as the cool air hit her in the face.
The last sliver of sun was disappearing over the horizon, and the sky above it was streaked with pink and orange. She gripped the railing, watching the sun sink away, taking the last bit of light with it. Stars began to appear overhead, and the darkness consumed them.
Caleb was the first to speak, "It's so peaceful out here. All you can hear is the water lapping against the hull and the creaking of the rigging. It's almost like a song."
"I think it's creepy," Marie shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.
He nodded, mistaking her sarcasm for sincerity, "The Black Pearl used to be a cursed ship. Have you heard the tales?"
She watched the clouds overhead shift to reveal the moon, "Barbossa and the crew mutinied and left their captain stranded on an island to die with just a pistol and one shot. They stumbled across the treasure of Cortez' Aztec gold, and though they knew the treasure was cursed, they ignored the warning and spent the pieces away on frivolous pleasures.
"As the pieces were spent, their hunger and lust grew, and they became skeletons in the moonlight. Cursed men, doomed to sail the seas until they had gathered all the pieces once more and made a blood sacrifice of the one person who hadn't taken more than one piece. Bootstrap Bill, but they had already killed him. They needed his heir, Will Turner. So that's when Captain Jack Sparrow became involved. He escaped from the island and sailed to Port Royal. Will made a deal with him in order to rescue Elizabeth, who had been taken by Barbossa's crew. Together they broke the curse, and Captain Sparrow killed Barbossa and became Captain of the Pearl once more."
Caleb nodded, "Too bad that was all before I signed on this ship."
"Is the story really true? I mean, curses and all this talk of undead pirates?"
"As true as you or I am standing here on this ship."
Both Marie and Caleb turned to face Jack in surprise. "I-I didn't know you were there," Marie stammered.
Jack grinned, gold teeth twinkling in the moonlight. He twirled a golden coin between his fingers before flicking it at Marie. She caught the piece and looked in wonder at it.
"Thought I'd take it as a souvenir, considering the curse allowed for me to take just the one coin. Is all well up here?"
"Yes, Cap'n. I'll take first watch." Caleb smiled at Marie, "I suppose I'll see you later. Goodnight, Marie."
"Goodnight," she watched him climb up to the crow's nest.
"Found yourself a man already, and you haven't been on board for 48 hours yet."
Marie frowned at Jack, causing him to throw up his arms in a forgiving gesture. "My apologies, miss. Now, if you'll follow me below decks, I'll show you to your quarters."
She cast a last glance at the moon overhead, and followed Jack down the stairs.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Marie quickly found her way to the galley after her conversation with Jack and had spent the afternoon preparing food for the crew. She had never had to cook so much before in her life. At home she only cooked for pleasure, never because she had to. Marie looked at her hands. She had burnt herself earlier, and a finger was bandaged. She looked a mess, and half-wondered what her mother would think if she saw her in such a state.
She rushed around, looking for certain ingredients while Gibbs continuously sampled the various dishes she had prepared, cheerfully praising her culinary skills and exclaiming that the crew hadn't had a decent meal in weeks. He even confided in her that he wasn't such a good cook himself, though he was the ship's head cook.
Footsteps announced the arrival of the crew. She grabbed a tray to take to one of the tables when Gibbs stopped her. "I'll serve 'em, missy. You just eat now, and take a break." She smiled gratefully at him and sat at an empty table at the corner of the cabin, placing her own plate before her. Marie looked around curiously, eating slowly.
She then spotted a handsome young man headed straight for her table. He was tall and muscular. His sharp features were accented by wavy brown hair, which he had attempted to tame by tying it back, though the wind had pulled some of it loose. One ear boasted a few hooped earrings, and his clothes were worn but looked as if they had been expensive.
Marie looked down and pushed at the food on her plate, imagining how terrible she must have looked after an afternoon in the kitchens. He sat across from her and extended a hand, "I'm Caleb. You must be Marie." He grinned at her as she took his hand.
"Nice to meet you," she looked him in the face for the first time. She noticed that he had stunning eyes. Gray, flecked with green. She forced herself to look away, and became extremely interested in the bits of laquer peeling off the walls.
"So, I heard you've been hired to keep us straight. Jack thought we needed a woman on board while Anamaria was away. He seems to think it good to have a woman's company nearby, though most consider a woman on a ship unlucky. I don't believe it 't all, though."
"Oh, now I've been hired, have I?" She cast an angry glance towards the table where Jack was laughing, a bottle of rum in one hand. "Just to let you know, Mr. Caleb, he's kidnapped me, and quite against my will."
"So what's your plan, then? Surely you wish to escape? To return to your home, attend balls, whatever your sort does?"
Marie looked at him indignantly, "My life isn't all about luxury, you know! I spend half my time wishing that- " She shut her mouth and glared at him. He was toying with her, she could tell from the smug grin on his handsome face.
"Wishing that you were away from it all? That's precisely why I became a pirate. Y'know, we're not all like the murderers you hear about in the stories on land. Just because we don't necessarily live by the rules doesn't exactly make us terrible, does it?" Caleb stood and picked up his plate, extending a hand towards her, "Care to join me on deck?"
Marie stood, ignoring the outstretched hand. "I suppose." Despite Caleb's forwardness, she did like him. He was clever, and honest. She left the galley and went with him on deck, taking a deep breath as the cool air hit her in the face.
The last sliver of sun was disappearing over the horizon, and the sky above it was streaked with pink and orange. She gripped the railing, watching the sun sink away, taking the last bit of light with it. Stars began to appear overhead, and the darkness consumed them.
Caleb was the first to speak, "It's so peaceful out here. All you can hear is the water lapping against the hull and the creaking of the rigging. It's almost like a song."
"I think it's creepy," Marie shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.
He nodded, mistaking her sarcasm for sincerity, "The Black Pearl used to be a cursed ship. Have you heard the tales?"
She watched the clouds overhead shift to reveal the moon, "Barbossa and the crew mutinied and left their captain stranded on an island to die with just a pistol and one shot. They stumbled across the treasure of Cortez' Aztec gold, and though they knew the treasure was cursed, they ignored the warning and spent the pieces away on frivolous pleasures.
"As the pieces were spent, their hunger and lust grew, and they became skeletons in the moonlight. Cursed men, doomed to sail the seas until they had gathered all the pieces once more and made a blood sacrifice of the one person who hadn't taken more than one piece. Bootstrap Bill, but they had already killed him. They needed his heir, Will Turner. So that's when Captain Jack Sparrow became involved. He escaped from the island and sailed to Port Royal. Will made a deal with him in order to rescue Elizabeth, who had been taken by Barbossa's crew. Together they broke the curse, and Captain Sparrow killed Barbossa and became Captain of the Pearl once more."
Caleb nodded, "Too bad that was all before I signed on this ship."
"Is the story really true? I mean, curses and all this talk of undead pirates?"
"As true as you or I am standing here on this ship."
Both Marie and Caleb turned to face Jack in surprise. "I-I didn't know you were there," Marie stammered.
Jack grinned, gold teeth twinkling in the moonlight. He twirled a golden coin between his fingers before flicking it at Marie. She caught the piece and looked in wonder at it.
"Thought I'd take it as a souvenir, considering the curse allowed for me to take just the one coin. Is all well up here?"
"Yes, Cap'n. I'll take first watch." Caleb smiled at Marie, "I suppose I'll see you later. Goodnight, Marie."
"Goodnight," she watched him climb up to the crow's nest.
"Found yourself a man already, and you haven't been on board for 48 hours yet."
Marie frowned at Jack, causing him to throw up his arms in a forgiving gesture. "My apologies, miss. Now, if you'll follow me below decks, I'll show you to your quarters."
She cast a last glance at the moon overhead, and followed Jack down the stairs.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
