Chapter 29: Reunions
Introductions had been simple enough, though Ranger did protest to Jack calling him 'Wall'. The boat trip kept Jamie and Will (jr.) silent, as they were rowing as fast as they possibly could, but their fathers could tell they were bursting to as Ranger countless questions.
As it was, Will (sr.) asked only semi-cordinal questions, but with an underlying tactic. By slowly drawing the convict out, it was a way of cross-examining him with what Jack already knew, and also seeing how much information he chose to give freely. It was something he and Jack had decided on, without speaking. Jamie saw the looks the two captains were exchanging, and wondered what they were planning. Will was too busy staring at the dirt-covered stranger - he knew he'd seen his face somewhere before, but he couldn't think where or when, and it was eating at his mind.
When they reached the Pearl, Jack knocked loudly, for someone to let the rope down. The rest of the crew wouldn't be too far away, and Jack wanted to get his new crew member on board before the ruckus started. The ladder dropped, and jamie was the first up. He was followed closely by Will (Jr.), before Jack, and Ranger; the senior Will took up the rear.
On the deck, Isabelle managed to wake the girl just as Ranger stepped off the edge. The girl's face went slightly paler than it already was, before lighting up with unmistakeable joy. "Raphaell!" she called suddenly, jumping up and running towards him. He hadn't seen her straight away, but when he heard her voice, he looked straight at her. "Maria!" he said, dropping to his knees and catching the girl in a hug.
Jack and Isabelle exchanged identical bewildered glances, but neither said anything as the return of the crew shook things up. Ranger and the girl were ushered under the deck by Will (Sr.), and the ship set sail immediately; the crew could hardly wait until they were far enough out to sea to relax and talk about their accumulated swag.
Jack headed towards the cook's quarters, and pointed to the bed. "It ain't much, but it's a sight better than the crew's quarters. An' once I find out *how* we came to have *another* girl on board, I've a few questions for ye, savvy?" At Ranger's nod, Jack sighed and headed back to the deck, collecting Will (Sr.) at the door. "Gibbs is gonna *love* this," he mumbled to himself. Will didn't say anything, just let him mumble to himself in peace. Besides, it wasn't as though Jack's actions were unusual!
Louisa sat in the crow's nest, scratching absently at the tattoo on her wrist. It was still painful, but she held back the tears that stung her eyes. If she didn't think about the pain, then it didn't exist. But it hurt *so* much. A thud sounded on the bottom of the crow's nest, and Jamie's face appeared over the edge. "Is there room for me?" he asked, and Louisa smiled, "Of course. There's plenty of room, you should know that, ye fool!" Jamie climbed in awkwardly with one hand, as he held a plate of food in the other.
"I brought you some dinner - Nine-cat said ye hadn't eaten," he added, and Louisa nodded, reminding herself to give her brother a sharp kick when she saw him next. "Thanks, but I'm not really that hungry," she said, watching as Jamie sat down across from her, setting the plate of food between them. For a time, neither spoke, until Jamie finally broke the silence, "Ye know, Ma'ma says talkin' is the best cure when your upset or worried 'bout something," he hinted, and Louisa managed a half-smile.
Jamie was persistent, "P'raps it works," he added, moving around so he was sitting beside her. "Ye can tell me anything, Cannonfire. I ain't some scurvy pirate intent on stealing from ye!" Louisa looked up at her friend, and felt something move inside her. "Why do ye do that?" she asked fianlly, tearing her gaze from his eyes. His eyes... they were such a deep brown Louisa felt as though she could lose herself in them forever. "Do what?" he asked quietly, noticing her gaze drop. Louisa rolled her eyes, "Call me by my nickname. I don't think ye've ever called me Louisa," she finished, and Jamie laughed, "I don't know. Honestly, I've ne'er even noticed before."
Louisa let herself look into his eyes again. They were hypnotyzing. It was a while again before either spoke; this time Louisa broke the silence. "D'ye think... I mean, would... d'ye think I'm marked, cheapened, now I've this tattoo?" she asked, turning her hand so her wrist was exposed. It was red raw, and looked to be infected, unlike it had at the auction. "What's happened to it?" Jamie asked, his voice holding nothing but concern. Inside, he felt a ball of anger building, growing so fast it was all he could take to not let it appear in his voice.
"It wasn't tattooed until just before you came to 'claim' me; at the auction, it was only ink, but they said all the girls who were sold had to have it permanent," Louisa said, but it came out barely louder than a whisper. Jamie said nothing, but let his hand find hers, linking their fingers together. Louisa felt the tear slide down her cheek, but tried to keep the others back. She couldn't cry - she was the daughter of a pirate, raised on the sea! She'd seen a lot worse, had had a lot worse happen to her! "I told them that I knew the look of some people, that you wouldn't like me to be marked, but they didn't listen. They didn't listen," she broke off, her voice choked with sobs.
Once the tears started, she couldn't stop them; she let go of Jamie's hand, and instead hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder. The ball of fury began to disaperate, leaving only a feeling in the pit of his stomach that he'd never felt before. It was a deep feeling, one which felt like a combination of lust, desire, need, and caring. He wasn't entirely sure of what it was, but, he decided, it didn't appear to be harmful, so he let it be, and didn't give it a second thought. Whilever it made him feel so warm, so content, it was nothing to worry about.
All through the night, Louisa cried, until exhausted she fell asleep with her head on Jamie's lap. Isabelle climbed up with a blanket, which she handed to her brother without a word. Underneath the crow's nest, on the deck, the crew partied through the night, oblivious to anything else there was on offer. No one had heard Louisa's sobs, and for that Jamie was glad. No one else knew, and that was how it was going to stay.
*****
A/N: I apologize for not updating befoer now, but i'm stuck in a camping ground where there's not even any mobile phone signal, and have had to resort ot pen and paper to keep writing! Anyway, I've decided to give you 2 chapters for a while, I'm still working on Chapter 30, and I hope you like them. Any comments, suggestions, whatever, there's a little thing called a review button in the corner down there, so please use it!
Introductions had been simple enough, though Ranger did protest to Jack calling him 'Wall'. The boat trip kept Jamie and Will (jr.) silent, as they were rowing as fast as they possibly could, but their fathers could tell they were bursting to as Ranger countless questions.
As it was, Will (sr.) asked only semi-cordinal questions, but with an underlying tactic. By slowly drawing the convict out, it was a way of cross-examining him with what Jack already knew, and also seeing how much information he chose to give freely. It was something he and Jack had decided on, without speaking. Jamie saw the looks the two captains were exchanging, and wondered what they were planning. Will was too busy staring at the dirt-covered stranger - he knew he'd seen his face somewhere before, but he couldn't think where or when, and it was eating at his mind.
When they reached the Pearl, Jack knocked loudly, for someone to let the rope down. The rest of the crew wouldn't be too far away, and Jack wanted to get his new crew member on board before the ruckus started. The ladder dropped, and jamie was the first up. He was followed closely by Will (Jr.), before Jack, and Ranger; the senior Will took up the rear.
On the deck, Isabelle managed to wake the girl just as Ranger stepped off the edge. The girl's face went slightly paler than it already was, before lighting up with unmistakeable joy. "Raphaell!" she called suddenly, jumping up and running towards him. He hadn't seen her straight away, but when he heard her voice, he looked straight at her. "Maria!" he said, dropping to his knees and catching the girl in a hug.
Jack and Isabelle exchanged identical bewildered glances, but neither said anything as the return of the crew shook things up. Ranger and the girl were ushered under the deck by Will (Sr.), and the ship set sail immediately; the crew could hardly wait until they were far enough out to sea to relax and talk about their accumulated swag.
Jack headed towards the cook's quarters, and pointed to the bed. "It ain't much, but it's a sight better than the crew's quarters. An' once I find out *how* we came to have *another* girl on board, I've a few questions for ye, savvy?" At Ranger's nod, Jack sighed and headed back to the deck, collecting Will (Sr.) at the door. "Gibbs is gonna *love* this," he mumbled to himself. Will didn't say anything, just let him mumble to himself in peace. Besides, it wasn't as though Jack's actions were unusual!
Louisa sat in the crow's nest, scratching absently at the tattoo on her wrist. It was still painful, but she held back the tears that stung her eyes. If she didn't think about the pain, then it didn't exist. But it hurt *so* much. A thud sounded on the bottom of the crow's nest, and Jamie's face appeared over the edge. "Is there room for me?" he asked, and Louisa smiled, "Of course. There's plenty of room, you should know that, ye fool!" Jamie climbed in awkwardly with one hand, as he held a plate of food in the other.
"I brought you some dinner - Nine-cat said ye hadn't eaten," he added, and Louisa nodded, reminding herself to give her brother a sharp kick when she saw him next. "Thanks, but I'm not really that hungry," she said, watching as Jamie sat down across from her, setting the plate of food between them. For a time, neither spoke, until Jamie finally broke the silence, "Ye know, Ma'ma says talkin' is the best cure when your upset or worried 'bout something," he hinted, and Louisa managed a half-smile.
Jamie was persistent, "P'raps it works," he added, moving around so he was sitting beside her. "Ye can tell me anything, Cannonfire. I ain't some scurvy pirate intent on stealing from ye!" Louisa looked up at her friend, and felt something move inside her. "Why do ye do that?" she asked fianlly, tearing her gaze from his eyes. His eyes... they were such a deep brown Louisa felt as though she could lose herself in them forever. "Do what?" he asked quietly, noticing her gaze drop. Louisa rolled her eyes, "Call me by my nickname. I don't think ye've ever called me Louisa," she finished, and Jamie laughed, "I don't know. Honestly, I've ne'er even noticed before."
Louisa let herself look into his eyes again. They were hypnotyzing. It was a while again before either spoke; this time Louisa broke the silence. "D'ye think... I mean, would... d'ye think I'm marked, cheapened, now I've this tattoo?" she asked, turning her hand so her wrist was exposed. It was red raw, and looked to be infected, unlike it had at the auction. "What's happened to it?" Jamie asked, his voice holding nothing but concern. Inside, he felt a ball of anger building, growing so fast it was all he could take to not let it appear in his voice.
"It wasn't tattooed until just before you came to 'claim' me; at the auction, it was only ink, but they said all the girls who were sold had to have it permanent," Louisa said, but it came out barely louder than a whisper. Jamie said nothing, but let his hand find hers, linking their fingers together. Louisa felt the tear slide down her cheek, but tried to keep the others back. She couldn't cry - she was the daughter of a pirate, raised on the sea! She'd seen a lot worse, had had a lot worse happen to her! "I told them that I knew the look of some people, that you wouldn't like me to be marked, but they didn't listen. They didn't listen," she broke off, her voice choked with sobs.
Once the tears started, she couldn't stop them; she let go of Jamie's hand, and instead hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder. The ball of fury began to disaperate, leaving only a feeling in the pit of his stomach that he'd never felt before. It was a deep feeling, one which felt like a combination of lust, desire, need, and caring. He wasn't entirely sure of what it was, but, he decided, it didn't appear to be harmful, so he let it be, and didn't give it a second thought. Whilever it made him feel so warm, so content, it was nothing to worry about.
All through the night, Louisa cried, until exhausted she fell asleep with her head on Jamie's lap. Isabelle climbed up with a blanket, which she handed to her brother without a word. Underneath the crow's nest, on the deck, the crew partied through the night, oblivious to anything else there was on offer. No one had heard Louisa's sobs, and for that Jamie was glad. No one else knew, and that was how it was going to stay.
*****
A/N: I apologize for not updating befoer now, but i'm stuck in a camping ground where there's not even any mobile phone signal, and have had to resort ot pen and paper to keep writing! Anyway, I've decided to give you 2 chapters for a while, I'm still working on Chapter 30, and I hope you like them. Any comments, suggestions, whatever, there's a little thing called a review button in the corner down there, so please use it!
