A/N: Firstly, excuse the lack of updates. I had plans to do so before I
left for my cool trip to California but I didn't. Sue me, see what I care.
Also, I was planning to get some great inspiration from all the surfing
and stuff I did, but I didn't. And then I had the great fortune (dripping
with sarcasm) of having my parental units take away my internet during
school days. *sigh* woe is I/me/I don't really care about grammar.
Good, I'm done, here's the bloody story!
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She remained in the room, clutching the diary as if her life depended on it. Eventually her silent sobs subsided, and she raised her head up out of her arms. A single tear trickled down her cheek and past her nose until it came into contact with her lips. Slowly, she let her tongue dart out and deftly lick away the salty tear, letting the flavor linger in her mouth. Without warning she suddenly lifted the book above her head and flung it at the opposite wall.
~* Damn her. I hate her. I am nothing like her.*~
She crawled after the book and began to furiously rip the pages out. With ferocity that only a wild animal could match she tore and shredded every last piece she could find until she cut herself on one of the papers, drawing blood.
"Dammit." She cursed sucking on her injured finger. Bringing her cut up closer to her face, she watched the blood trickle down her palm. Abruptly she stopped staring at the blood and stood up gradually. She gave the shredded papers a fleeting glance before sneering at them.
"Yeh thought yeh could win, yeh thought yeh had me all fig'red out." And she walked out the door, knowing that the pieces would be gone when she returned.
~~**~~
Will was sitting near the ship's edge. With a knife he often carried he had begun peeling an apple. He was so focused in the task that he didn't notice Ashley plop down beside him.
"Hullo." She mumbled.
"You surprised me." He commented, not looking over.
She grinned at him. "I'm like a ghost."
"No. Not pale enough."
"Mmm. Are yeh done with that knife?" She pointed to it, now lying on the ground.
Will took a bite out of the fruit and nodded. After he swallowed he questioned,
"Why? Do you need it?"
"Yeh might say that." And with that she picked it up and climbed to the edge of the ship. Sitting on it she began rolling up her pant leg and taking off her boot. Partly curious and partly worried, Will abandoned the apple and stood near her.
"What are you doing?"
"Wiping away ah . . . shall I say the lingern' presence of me mum."
"And that would mean?"
"Getting' rid o' this damn thing." Saying this she shoved her ankle in his face. Will stopped breathing as the stench of her foot overpowered him.
"Oops. I often forget how bad they mus' smell." Pulling her foot away form his face she began to laugh; a real laugh that made Will grin, even though the powerful odor continued to hang in the air.
"So you're planning on cutting off your foot?"
She smirked at him, "No, I plant to cut off this." She indicated the black lettering that curled around the bone of her ankle.
"What is it?"
"I certainly can't read it. Yeh tell me."
"It says, 'death in cold blood.' Why is it there?"
"Something our crew believed in, I guess. It's a mark yeh get. If yeh swear that yeh won't rest until someone is dead by yer hand, then yeh get this mark. Now originally I planned to kill Wesset, but then a slight change in plan altered my decision. And since I have gotten my revenge on dear ol' mum, I can get rid o' this."
"A sort of settling of scores pact?"
"Yeah, yeh could call it that."
"And how will you get rid of it if it's in your skin?"
"Special stuff, the ink's supposed to come out real easy. The gel who did it said it would anyway." And saying what she slowly dragged the knife across her ankle, and watched the blood and ink mix. The two colors came together and turned a different shade of black, oozing down her foot, into the sea. As it hit the foamy water, it disappeared until there was no trace of it anymore.
"I's like life, Turner. Yeh never know how insignificant yeh really are 'til yeh join something bigger than yerself."
He nodded and continued to watch the fluid drip from the self-inflicted wound. As soon as it started to stop he tore off a piece of his shirt and grabbed her ankle.
"Allow me."
She let him tie the material around her, noticing the amount of care he displayed while wrapping the cloth. Delicately he finished fastening the fabric and rested his hand on her ankle.
"I can see why she'd love yeh." She commented before hopping down off the edge. Ignoring Will's questioning as to what she meant; Ashley put her boot back on and began to walk away.
~~**~~
"Mr. Turner! C'mere." Jack continued looking out at the sea as Will approached him. Will tried to hide his nervousness and asked,
"Something you wanted, Captain?"
"Yeah . . . I's about yer lass, Elizabeth."
Will began to mumble incoherently until Jack turned and grinned at him.
"What happened to your face?" Will indicated a purplish bruise on his cheek.
"Er. . ." Absently Jack began rubbing the discolored skin, "Let's jus' say somethin' was brought to my attention, savvy?"
"Jack, I don't know what Ashley has told you but I assure you that-" His hurried speech was silenced by Jack raising his hand off of the helm and putting it in front of Will's face.
"Please." Jack commanded. "Let me finish. I know tha' yeh are torn, Mr. Turner. Yeh have given yer heart to two mistresses; the lovely Elizabeth Swann and the sea." Saying that, he moved his hand away from Will's face to gesture at the water surrounding the ship. Jack then sighed and placed his other hand back on the helm.
"And, well . . . we'll be makin' a stop at Tortuga soon . . . whereas I'm sure yeh can find a boat to get yeh back to Port Royale."
Speechless Will could only nod and waited for further instructions.
"Now go off and don't do something . . . stupid." Jack watched as Will turned to leave shaking his head after him.
~*dim-witted whelp.*~
"Finally. That took near eternity." Ashley climbed up to where Jack was standing and crossed her arms.
"Do yeh ever think 'bout goin' away? Even for a minute or two?"
"Aw, I'm sorry . . . not used to getting' hit by someone other than a tavern wench are yeh?" Jack cringed a little and reached for the bruise on his cheek.
"Not sure I deserved that. In fact, first time a woman's ever punched me. Usually they stick to slappin'."
"It was jus' a friendly reminder."
Jack mumbled something under his breath and Ashley lifted her fist in a mock threat.
"What was that Sparrow?"
"Bloody hellcat." He muttered focusing his attention back to the sea.
Ashley walked over behind him, watching him steer the ship. They remained silent for awhile before he asked,
"Yeh wanna try?"
"Try what?"
"Try not askin' such stupid questions." He shook his head in annoyance. "Do yeh want to hold the helm for awhile?"
"Oh. Sure." Jack let go and stepped back, with a mock bow he allowed Ashley to step forward. Warily she grasped the helm and released a huge sigh.
"Feels good, don't it?"
"Mm." She nodded in agreement. "Haven't been in control of a ship in a long time. I forgot how good it feels."
Her calloused hands gripped the wooden handles tightly until her knuckles were white. She looked tense at the helm, but in control. Jack allowed her to steer for awhile, not leaving her side.
"Do yeh miss 'er?"
"Miss who?" He asked indifferently.
"The Pearl."
There was an uncomfortable silence. Ashley continued staring out past the horizon and Jack looked as though he wasn't going to answer.
"I'd rather have died with her."
She nodded. "I felt the same 'bout my ship."
"It's like yer connected with her."
"And she won't let yeh go."
Ashley turned her head back to look at Jack and he stared back at her, masking any emotion he might have been feeling. When she turned her head back she mumbled,
"But they need yeh, remember that."
Before Jack could give a reply Ashley motioned for him to take the helm back.
"I'm gonna help Gibbs."
As she retreated towards the other side of the ship, Jack shook his head.
~* I will never understand that wench as long as I live.*~
Good, I'm done, here's the bloody story!
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
She remained in the room, clutching the diary as if her life depended on it. Eventually her silent sobs subsided, and she raised her head up out of her arms. A single tear trickled down her cheek and past her nose until it came into contact with her lips. Slowly, she let her tongue dart out and deftly lick away the salty tear, letting the flavor linger in her mouth. Without warning she suddenly lifted the book above her head and flung it at the opposite wall.
~* Damn her. I hate her. I am nothing like her.*~
She crawled after the book and began to furiously rip the pages out. With ferocity that only a wild animal could match she tore and shredded every last piece she could find until she cut herself on one of the papers, drawing blood.
"Dammit." She cursed sucking on her injured finger. Bringing her cut up closer to her face, she watched the blood trickle down her palm. Abruptly she stopped staring at the blood and stood up gradually. She gave the shredded papers a fleeting glance before sneering at them.
"Yeh thought yeh could win, yeh thought yeh had me all fig'red out." And she walked out the door, knowing that the pieces would be gone when she returned.
~~**~~
Will was sitting near the ship's edge. With a knife he often carried he had begun peeling an apple. He was so focused in the task that he didn't notice Ashley plop down beside him.
"Hullo." She mumbled.
"You surprised me." He commented, not looking over.
She grinned at him. "I'm like a ghost."
"No. Not pale enough."
"Mmm. Are yeh done with that knife?" She pointed to it, now lying on the ground.
Will took a bite out of the fruit and nodded. After he swallowed he questioned,
"Why? Do you need it?"
"Yeh might say that." And with that she picked it up and climbed to the edge of the ship. Sitting on it she began rolling up her pant leg and taking off her boot. Partly curious and partly worried, Will abandoned the apple and stood near her.
"What are you doing?"
"Wiping away ah . . . shall I say the lingern' presence of me mum."
"And that would mean?"
"Getting' rid o' this damn thing." Saying this she shoved her ankle in his face. Will stopped breathing as the stench of her foot overpowered him.
"Oops. I often forget how bad they mus' smell." Pulling her foot away form his face she began to laugh; a real laugh that made Will grin, even though the powerful odor continued to hang in the air.
"So you're planning on cutting off your foot?"
She smirked at him, "No, I plant to cut off this." She indicated the black lettering that curled around the bone of her ankle.
"What is it?"
"I certainly can't read it. Yeh tell me."
"It says, 'death in cold blood.' Why is it there?"
"Something our crew believed in, I guess. It's a mark yeh get. If yeh swear that yeh won't rest until someone is dead by yer hand, then yeh get this mark. Now originally I planned to kill Wesset, but then a slight change in plan altered my decision. And since I have gotten my revenge on dear ol' mum, I can get rid o' this."
"A sort of settling of scores pact?"
"Yeah, yeh could call it that."
"And how will you get rid of it if it's in your skin?"
"Special stuff, the ink's supposed to come out real easy. The gel who did it said it would anyway." And saying what she slowly dragged the knife across her ankle, and watched the blood and ink mix. The two colors came together and turned a different shade of black, oozing down her foot, into the sea. As it hit the foamy water, it disappeared until there was no trace of it anymore.
"I's like life, Turner. Yeh never know how insignificant yeh really are 'til yeh join something bigger than yerself."
He nodded and continued to watch the fluid drip from the self-inflicted wound. As soon as it started to stop he tore off a piece of his shirt and grabbed her ankle.
"Allow me."
She let him tie the material around her, noticing the amount of care he displayed while wrapping the cloth. Delicately he finished fastening the fabric and rested his hand on her ankle.
"I can see why she'd love yeh." She commented before hopping down off the edge. Ignoring Will's questioning as to what she meant; Ashley put her boot back on and began to walk away.
~~**~~
"Mr. Turner! C'mere." Jack continued looking out at the sea as Will approached him. Will tried to hide his nervousness and asked,
"Something you wanted, Captain?"
"Yeah . . . I's about yer lass, Elizabeth."
Will began to mumble incoherently until Jack turned and grinned at him.
"What happened to your face?" Will indicated a purplish bruise on his cheek.
"Er. . ." Absently Jack began rubbing the discolored skin, "Let's jus' say somethin' was brought to my attention, savvy?"
"Jack, I don't know what Ashley has told you but I assure you that-" His hurried speech was silenced by Jack raising his hand off of the helm and putting it in front of Will's face.
"Please." Jack commanded. "Let me finish. I know tha' yeh are torn, Mr. Turner. Yeh have given yer heart to two mistresses; the lovely Elizabeth Swann and the sea." Saying that, he moved his hand away from Will's face to gesture at the water surrounding the ship. Jack then sighed and placed his other hand back on the helm.
"And, well . . . we'll be makin' a stop at Tortuga soon . . . whereas I'm sure yeh can find a boat to get yeh back to Port Royale."
Speechless Will could only nod and waited for further instructions.
"Now go off and don't do something . . . stupid." Jack watched as Will turned to leave shaking his head after him.
~*dim-witted whelp.*~
"Finally. That took near eternity." Ashley climbed up to where Jack was standing and crossed her arms.
"Do yeh ever think 'bout goin' away? Even for a minute or two?"
"Aw, I'm sorry . . . not used to getting' hit by someone other than a tavern wench are yeh?" Jack cringed a little and reached for the bruise on his cheek.
"Not sure I deserved that. In fact, first time a woman's ever punched me. Usually they stick to slappin'."
"It was jus' a friendly reminder."
Jack mumbled something under his breath and Ashley lifted her fist in a mock threat.
"What was that Sparrow?"
"Bloody hellcat." He muttered focusing his attention back to the sea.
Ashley walked over behind him, watching him steer the ship. They remained silent for awhile before he asked,
"Yeh wanna try?"
"Try what?"
"Try not askin' such stupid questions." He shook his head in annoyance. "Do yeh want to hold the helm for awhile?"
"Oh. Sure." Jack let go and stepped back, with a mock bow he allowed Ashley to step forward. Warily she grasped the helm and released a huge sigh.
"Feels good, don't it?"
"Mm." She nodded in agreement. "Haven't been in control of a ship in a long time. I forgot how good it feels."
Her calloused hands gripped the wooden handles tightly until her knuckles were white. She looked tense at the helm, but in control. Jack allowed her to steer for awhile, not leaving her side.
"Do yeh miss 'er?"
"Miss who?" He asked indifferently.
"The Pearl."
There was an uncomfortable silence. Ashley continued staring out past the horizon and Jack looked as though he wasn't going to answer.
"I'd rather have died with her."
She nodded. "I felt the same 'bout my ship."
"It's like yer connected with her."
"And she won't let yeh go."
Ashley turned her head back to look at Jack and he stared back at her, masking any emotion he might have been feeling. When she turned her head back she mumbled,
"But they need yeh, remember that."
Before Jack could give a reply Ashley motioned for him to take the helm back.
"I'm gonna help Gibbs."
As she retreated towards the other side of the ship, Jack shook his head.
~* I will never understand that wench as long as I live.*~
