Chapter 5: Monkeys, Pistols, Questions and Goodbyes

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"Jack! What are you bloody doing to Eliz-"

Ana shoved Jack's body aside and found his pistol inches away from the nose of a thunderously angry-looking William Turner the Second. "-- Anamaria?" He finished, expression changing to puzzled. Ana lowered the gun with a sigh and rolled her eyes.

Will shrugged sheepishly. Jack stuck his head between the two and scowled, his eyes dancing still. "What did it bloody look like I was doing, mate?"

Ana whacked his arm half-heartedly. She was getting sick of being interrupted like this. "It's my dress, Will." Elizabeth's voice floated to them from the doorway. Will turned to her, tension leaving his face and arm going slack. "Jack was going to tell us what's so dreadfully important. He might need a disguise. He is also going to explain why he is destroying my father's house" Elizabeth crossed gracefully to them, hands on her hips.

"Ah," Jack looked to Anamaria for help, who gave him a "you did this by yourself" look. "Well," Jack tried again, eyes shifting to survey the damage to the room. The door lock was blown off, a chair was knocked over and ripped open, and the desk was swept clean of its possessions. The teasing light sparkled in his eyes "See, love, Ana here got raging angry with me and took out her terrifying temper on this poor, innocent room. I was scared to death."

Ana's eyes widened and she kicked Jack's shin. Jack yelped in pain and threw up his hands. "What I really mean is," he paused, "There was a monkey."

Elizabeth looked at him with incredulous eyes. "A monkey, Jack?"

"Aye, a tricky blighter he was too. Crawled through the window and near attacked Ana as she and I were--" he paused, taking a step away from the dark-skinned female pirate, "otherwise occupied."

Ana suddenly remembered she had the pistol in her hand and was sorely tempted, raising it dangerously. "Ye were saying, Sparrow?"

Jack made a little bow with his hands towards her. "Why don't ye tell them then, love? So I don't get it all wrong."

Ana sighed and tossed the gun onto the abused cushioned chair, realizing that she was almost as much as fault as he was for the mess. "Well, it doesn't really matter now who did it now that it's done? But we're very sorry and we'll pay for it all, aye Jack?"

Elizabeth frowned at the two but did not push the issue. "Why don't you both come downstairs to the parlor and we can talk in someplace that isn't in shambles?" Exchanging glances, Jack and Ana followed the engaged couple down the stairs, grinning sheepishly at the looks the maids were giving them. Ana shoved Jack, threw an arm around her shoulders and met the servants' glances with his own smug one. Ana rolled her eyes but did not bother to remove his arm.

They sat in the parlor uncomfortably for a few moments until Will finally became impatient, something Jack had realized he was prone to do. "Jack, why are you here?"

Jack leaned forward, "That would be Ana's tale, mate?"

The pair looked at Ana expectantly. She glared at Jack for a moment, who was currently wearing a very pleasant expression. "I'm being chased," Ana sharply said finally. "I'm a runaway plantation slave and now there be bounty hungers after me. They came up to the Pearl and we were only just lucky enough. Happy?"

"Ye gotta keep her safe for me, mate." Jack cut in, leaning over to Will and Elizabeth, who looked slightly wary of Ana's tone. "Just until this blows over."

Elizabeth nodded instantly. "Of course you can stay with us! She can stay here in my father's house with me, can't she, Will?"

Will nodded agreeably as well. "Bounty hunters, you say?" he asked thoughtfully, "For a plantation slave?"

Jack and Ana exchanged another look. Jack leaned over and said whispered loudly in Ana's ear, "I told ye he was a bit slow of a whelp, aye?" He straightened up and answered for Anamaria, "She was his, er, unwilling mistress, mate."

Elizabeth's hands flew to her mouth. "Please forgive our rudeness," she shot a poisonous glare at Will, who murmured an apology as well. "Jack, you're staying the night of course?" She asked, playing the part of the proper hostess once more.

Jack looked a little torn. "Er, no. Sorry mates, but those buggers are still searching for the Pearl and the crew's most likely in danger as it is from the bloody commodore of yours." He tried to catch Ana's eye only to find her eyes were downcast. "And if we wait too long that treasure on Isla de Muerta will find its way into someone else's pocket, savvy?" Elizabeth looked ready to comment on this reasoning, but thought better of it.

Elizabeth, Will, and Ana brought Jack to the front door. Elizabeth hugged Jack goodbye and kissed him on both cheeks. "Come back safe, Jack. I don't want to hear of any more curses." She leaned in to whisper in his ear, "We'll keep her safe." Jack gave Elizabeth a grateful look and kissed her cheek in a friendly manner.

Will still snatched Elizabeth out of his arms and gripped Jack's hand in his own for his own farewell. "Good luck," was all that Will told him. Elizabeth took Will's arm and the pair went back into the parlor.

Jack leaned against the doorjamb, arms crossed across his chest as he watched her. "Yeh'll be safe here," he finally told her. When she made no response, he shifted uncomfortably and smiled a little. "Ye know I can't stay, love. The Pearl is calling me. I gotta get that treasure for me crew, too, savvy?"

Ana tilted her head, grinning at him. "Pirate," she said knowingly then sighed. "I'm going to miss her."

"I know ye will, love. She's home." He watched Ana bite her lip like she wanted to say something but didn't know what. He watched her shoulders straighten and her lips purse as she decided better of it. Ana was a strong woman, and they were both pirates. She understood.

Jack reached up and untied the string that held one of the several gold coins in his hair and removed it. He held it up, and she watched him curiously as he admired the way the sun glinted off of it. He turned to her and pressed it gently into her palm, closing her fingers around it. "Do not lose this," he said very seriously. He grinned at her. "Take what ye can," he started.

"Give nothin' back." She finished with smile.

"It's our motto, Ana. Ye took her freedom, now don't give it back. If I lose such a lass as yerself then I swear on my honor as a pirate I'll be around to steal ye back, savvy?"

Ana grinned up at him, "I'll hold ye to it, ye scallywag." Ana pointed her finger and shoved it in his face. "I don't want to see ye back here until this whole thing has blown over, ye hear? A month, Jack."

His eyes widened. "A month? Ye don't want me around, do ye?"

"Jack Sparrow," Ana snapped. "Ye already tempt the fates as it is. Ye do not need more practice, do ye hear me?"

"Ana, love-"

"If ye come back here before a month is up, Sparrow, ye can find yer coin lying at the bottom of Davy Jones' Locker, savvy?"

Jack sighed heavily. Ana reached into her deep pockets and drew from it a pouch that she usually kept tied around her waist. She took out a large silver ring and turned it over in her fingers. "This here, was my father's. It's always been too big for me, but its always brought me luck. I want ye to take it."

Ana held it out to him, and Jack looked it over before slipping it on his ring finger of his right hand. He noticed the gracefully carved "A" on the inside and Ana told him knowingly, "For Adam. It's my insurance, and if ye don't bring it back to me I'll get ye, Sparrow."

"Yes, ma'am," Jack told her. He drew her into an embrace, and she kept him close. He kissed her hair like he had before and gently kissed her lips. Then he touched his hat and walked out the door down towards the harbor. Ana watched him as he walked away, his figure noticeable in the crowd by the way he swayed back and forth.

A month. That was a bloody long time.