Feedback: As always, appreciated! Thanks in advance. And if it's turning to a Mary-Sue . . . do not hesitate to flame me!
Carly, now known as Ashley, had only been on The Black Pearl for five days, and was already anxious to get off at the nearest port. She loved the ocean, but
loathed her captain more. Also, she hated that stuck-up pain in her arse, Annamaria. Then there was the crew, they were all idiots. Blindly they followed the
lead of either Jack or Annamaria, too stupid to think for themselves. In fact, the only person she could actually hold a conversation was that Turner boy, even
though he was a wimp. But there was honesty when they talked, and she liked him, but purely as a friend, he was too innocent for her to ever advance on him.
Ashley was up in the crow's nest when she got her wish, she was sweating profusely. She could sweat more than any man on board. Her bluish-green bandana
was sopping wet, and her white shirt was clinging to her healing skin, which was much less red now. ~*Thank the bloody devil.*~ Seeing the crest of land, she
grabbed a rope, and dropped down to the deck.
"Land Captain!" Ashley stood in front of Jack with her hands on her hips. He nodded and then quickly stole a glance at her sweaty shirt. ~*Curse her binding,*~ the material she always wrapped around her breasts so that they stayed out of her way. But it still couldn't hide the bulge of her chest. Jack quickly looked away, but Ashley noticed. She was deciding whether to be infuriated or to simply hit him when suddenly she smiled. ~*Captain Jack I'm going to have a little fun with you.*~
Stretching her arms over her head, she allowed the binding around her middle to drop a little, exposing part of her flesh. Instantly Jack glanced down, but
pretended he was coughing, and then looked back up and tried to keep his eyes level with hers.
"Aye, uh, when will be landin' if ye had to be guessin?" He asked her, leaning back from her. She moved closer and clasped her hands in front of her, so that her
cleavage became more pronounced. To her satisfaction, Jack looked down in a more obvious way, but began coughing again.
"I believe less than an hour," she smiled sweetly, and then when Jack began coughing she moved even closer, "something the matter captain?"
"Er, no, but I'll be goin' to me quarters 'til we land. Inform me when we do." Jack hurriedly left the deck, and slammed his door. Ashley couldn't help but smile
as she watched the flustered captain leave the deck. Rearranging her shirt, and in much better spirits, Ashley began heading towards Will. He was taking a short
break, letting the sun beat down on his rapidly tanning body. ~*He's looking more like a pirate everyday.*~ Will grinned when he saw Ashley. She did not
return the grin, but plopped down next to him.
"Are you excited to be heading to Port Sabrye?" Will asked. He watched as she drew one knee to her chest, and let the other stretch lazily on the deck.
"Tha's where we're goin'?" She closed her eyes.
"You've heard of it?"
"Nope, never in me life. Just happy to get off this bloody ship."
"Really, why?"
"I hate taking orders, 'specially from the likes of Sparrow. I was a better captain than him when I was 13." Frowning Will tried to stick up for his friend.
"Jack may be a bit odd but he's-" Ashley interrupted.
"Bloody hell not you too! Forget I ever mentioned it." They sat in silence for awhile when Will asked a question that had been bothering him for some time now.
"Ashley . . . if your mother hated all men and taught you to do the same, then why are you befriending an entire crew of men?"
She sighed. "You live an' you learn, Mr. Turner. When I saw that poor boy's face as me mother cut him up, I was 'orrified. Then when it turned out he was
right, 'bout the trap and such, I felt a dozen times worse, I vowed I'd trust who I wanted, not jus' women an' not just men." She crawled up to the edge of the
deck now, sitting on the ledge. Her foot dangled off of one side as the other was flat against the ship's edge. Looking out at the water, she spoke.
"An' now, 'eres my question. Why would a lad such as yourself be gettin' mixed up with pirates?"
This time, it was Will who sighed. He started off by telling her about Elizabeth, and their friendship, how it blossomed into love, and how he had needed the
help of a pirate to bring her back. He continued with the story of his longing for the sea, and how he had left his true love.
". . . and that's how I ended up here." Smiling sadly, Will looked up at the girl who was now watching the waves splash against the ship.
"Why didn't you join in the royal navy?"
"Sorry?"
"If you love her as much as you say you do, then why not go back to her, and do something about your love for the ocean. Did you not say that the
Commodore was an acquaintance of yours? I'm sure he'd be happy to help."
"It's too late now though, I left her." Will didn't like this conversation. He wanted to know that this was the right thing to do, that he had saved them both from
a life of misery. But now Ashley's words echoed through his head. ~*If you love her as much as you say you do . . .*~
"I could make it look like you were taken by pirates. And then I drop you off and you start all over."
"That's a lie though."
"Every man can make a mistake can't he? And if he has the chance to correct that mistake, he should."
Instantly Will was aware that the sun was being blocked. He looked up to see Jack staring at the two of them, how long he had been there, Will didn't know.
The captain was angry, they could both tell.
"We've almost landed. Ashley, you'll be guardin' the ship tonight. If so much as a scratch is on me ship when I get back I'll gut ya, and feed yeh to the gulls." At
the end of saying this, Jack ordered Will to come with him, as the entire crew made way for the dock. ~*I won't be alone guarding this ship. Someone will be
watching me, Jack doesn't trust me enough to leave me here. If he does then he really is a terrible pirate.*~
~~**~~
Night fell and Ashley sat upon the deck, humming a random tune. She began to tap her boot on the deck when she heard voices below her.
"Oy! Patrick! We got ourselves a feisty one!" Ashley looked below as Annamaria was surrounded by 4 giant men. Two others were lying on the ground, with
slit throats, but now she was powerless and trapped in the center. ~**Sigh* Guess it's up to Ashley to save the bloody day.*~ She would have preferred to let
the girl be taken over by the men, but if Jack found out what happened, she would have been sinking to the bottom of the Caribbean, and she wasn't ready to go
just yet.
"Eh, lookout! Someone's coming!" One of the meatier men shouted as Ashley strode down the gangplank.
"Who's there?" Another one asked. A loud bang and meaty man number one falling to the ground resulted in panic from the lot of them. Annamaria would have
escaped but she was still in the tight grip of one of the cretins. Ashley knew that he was too stupid to threaten her, and was just worried about his own safety.
So she scattered the remaining group of them by taking down another one, which left her, Anna, and the last man.
"Show yousself, coward!" The man spat out.
"Aye I be no coward," came Ashley's gruff response.
Sneaking up behind the man would have been no problem in the dark, had it not been for Will's untimely entrance. He was walking up the dock, carrying a
lantern when the man holding Annamaria captive saw Ashley about a foot away from him. Will was so startled by all this that he dropped the lantern in his
confusion, and Ashley heard him unsheathe his sword.
"No Will!" Ashley cried out, "I'll deal with him, just get the crew back here!" Will ran back down the docks and disappeared as Ashley heard another bang, and
felt a bullet whiz by her ear. She put her pistol down, it wouldn't do her any good in the dark. ~*Okay, mate, let's see what you do now.*~ She lunged at the
bigger silhouette, and stabbed him with her sword. The stab had allowed Annamaria to break free, and she pulled out the sword now sticking out of the
offender. But before she could even stab the man again, he knocked her down, and went after the now unarmed Ashley. Eyes still not used to the darkness, she
kept running until she felt the edge of the dock. Her body lurched forward and could not control where she was going. ~*Please let him not land on me.*~
And then she allowed herself to drop into the water.
~~**~~
By the time Will had found Jack and Gibbs, Annamria was already free. When she saw the three men she explained what happened and then pointed to the
water.
"Think she may have swam somewhere onto shore. But tha' other man's dead, saw his body thrashin' about and I got him." She held her pistol tightly in her
hand as she said all this.
"Right then, we split up. Gibbs, you and Anna go that way," he indicated left, "and me and Jack will go this way." Will and Jack began heading up the shore
when they heard chattering and movement. Quickening their pace, they slammed right into Ashley, who began cursing when she saw it was them. ~*Bloody
freezing when you come back on land. Especially when there's no sun.*~
"Ashley!" Will shouted. "Are you alright?"
"I need rum, it's bloody cold!" At saying this Jack protectively held his flask of rum. Ashley saw him hold it, and she snatched it out of his hands and began
gulping it down.
"S'oppit! 's mine ya see." He was slurring his words together as he tried to snatch the flask out of her hand. But he was horribly drunk and he missed. Will
immediately took off his coat, and wrapped it around Ashley's shoulders.
"Thanks," she muttered as she grabbed hold of the staggering captain's arm. The two sober ones had to prop the drunk captain up, otherwise they would never
had made it back to the ship. Jack was dragged merrily along as he sang silly songs, whined continually, and kept asking why Ashley wasn't expecting pay.
Jack giggled and said to Will, "She's a fine one ain't she? Found her at the tavern, sittin' all alone. But that won't be the case tonight, will it luv?" He smiled at
Ashley, his golden teeth gleaming.
She simply groaned and asked, "Is he always like this?"
"He's always drunk, but this time he's really smashed." Will and Ashley eventually made it to captain's quarters where Will said he would go get Annamaria and
Gibbs, to inform them that Ashley was now found. Ashley began grumbling as she helped the captain get his coat and vest off, all the while he tried to play with
her hair. At first she kept swatting his hand away, but eventually let him, to keep himself occupied. She sighed as she took off his final shirt, and then laid him
down on the bed. Getting up to leave he grabbed her hand and winked, "Where do you think your going?"
"To my quarters."
"I dun think so luv." He tried to pull her down with him, in vain. Giving him one last look of disgust she snatched her hand away, and headed out of the drunk
captain's room.
