See! I told you it wasn't the end! Have a little faith and stick with me.
***
A Hard Man To Predict
At the same moment that Maggie is stood by her window feeling the strange sensation in her body, Jack is standing at the helm of his newly commandeered ship, carefully bringing it into Tortuga. It is almost nine months since he was last here, since he met her.
He's spent most of those months languishing in prison while the redcoats decided whether or not to hang him, and thinking of her, the only one he's ever loved. But some quick work with a dinner knife on the day they were stupid enough to give him one soon saw his way out of that dingy cell, and now, here he is, back to find her.
The first place he goes to, as soon as the ship has been successfully docked, is Scarlet's. Dawn over Tortuga is never a pretty sight, and he's glad to get out of the foul-smelling street. No one is up inside the brothel, but Jack has been here enough times to know where the lady of the house's room is.
He doesn't bother to knock on the door, but simply walks in. There's some man in bed with Scarlet, but he doesn't care. He pulls the covers off them both with one hand, raising his pistol with the other. The man yells, and begins to swear, but when he sees who is on the other end of the pistol, he quietly gathers up his clothes and scrapes out into the hallway wearing nothing but a sheepish look. A sardonic smile plays around Jack's lips. Scarlet pulls the covers out of Jack's hand and up to her chin in the interests of modesty, her face white with fury.
'What do you think you are doing?'
'I've got a few questions for you, love.'
'What right do you have to burst in here like this' -
'No,' he says, levelling the pistol at her 'we are going to 'ave a civilised discussion, or I am going to shoot you. Savvy?'
Scarlet nods, her lips thin, Angry though she is, she knows Jack, and she knows not to push her luck.
'Now then,' Jack begins 'almost a year ago you had a girl 'ere by the name of Maggie. I gave you fifty gold pieces to keep 'er all to meself for a week, and I want to know where she is.'
'How should I know?'
'Because you make it your business to know things.'
'Why should I tell you? Last time you were here you lost me one of my best customers by threatening to shoot him in the head, and then you lost me a girl who could have made me a very rich woman by making her get all loved up over you.'
'Ah. So you sent 'er away then?'
Scarlet curses under her breath.
'Alright. She's gone. She said something about a sister somewhere.'
'Where?'
'I don't know! I can't remember all these things. You'd be better off looking around the other houses for her.'
Jack smiles derisively. 'Thank you so much for your time.'
As he leaves, he sees no sign of the man who he threw out of Scarlet's room, like the trash he undoubtedly was. Good riddance, he thinks. As he walks down the corridor, he comes to the room that was Maggie's. He listens at the door for a minute, then opens it and goes in.
The room is empty, and smells as if it has been shut up for a long time. Maybe Scarlet never found a replacement for Maggie. The bed is made, and he remembers the nights he spent in it with her. Some of the best nights of his life. He sits down heavily on the edge of the bed, and puts his head in his hands. He listens to the sounds of the waves on the shore and the moans of those who drank too much the night before.
He sits for what feels like an age, before mentally shaking himself, and hauling himself to his feet. The great Captain Jack Sparrow, pining like a boy. But still, he wonders where she is now, at this very moment. He hopes she isn't working in one of the other 'houses' as Scarlet calls them. To think of her with another man makes him sick with jealousy. He knows in his heart that if she isn't in Tortuga, he will never find her, because how can he search the entire ocean for one woman? But Tortuga, Tortuga he can do.
-----
Like Maggie, although he doesn't know it, he hasn't slept and hasn't eaten. He has bought many people drinks, flirted with many whores, and threatened several bar tenders. No one has seen her, no one knows anything, and she isn't working in any of the brothels in the whole of Tortuga. He goes back to his ship, to his private stash of good quality rum - it's no solution, and he'll feel worse in the morning, but at least he'll be numb until then.
On the empty ship, as the crew have gone whoring, drinking and thieving most likely, Jack sits in his cabin with a bottle in his hand, but he can't drink. It tastes strange in his mouth, sour somehow. He can feel the ship sway gently with the swell, and knows that this is going to be a long night. He thinks of Maggie and his time with her. He wonders if she's respectable now, and if anyone knows about her days in Tortuga. He remembers and remembers until he is sick with it, he thinks about every aspect of her until even the sea seems to be calling her name to him, taunting him.
He tries to sleep, but sleep will not come. He goes outside and stands at the helm again, and watches a second dawn come up on the town - how could a whole night pass and him barely notice? At the moment when the only woman he ever loved gives up her life for his child, Jack finally accepts that he will never lay eyes on her again.
***
Everyone stop crying! *hands out Kleenex* I promise you a happy ending, but it might be a little while in coming. Please review, and tell me what you think.
***
A Hard Man To Predict
At the same moment that Maggie is stood by her window feeling the strange sensation in her body, Jack is standing at the helm of his newly commandeered ship, carefully bringing it into Tortuga. It is almost nine months since he was last here, since he met her.
He's spent most of those months languishing in prison while the redcoats decided whether or not to hang him, and thinking of her, the only one he's ever loved. But some quick work with a dinner knife on the day they were stupid enough to give him one soon saw his way out of that dingy cell, and now, here he is, back to find her.
The first place he goes to, as soon as the ship has been successfully docked, is Scarlet's. Dawn over Tortuga is never a pretty sight, and he's glad to get out of the foul-smelling street. No one is up inside the brothel, but Jack has been here enough times to know where the lady of the house's room is.
He doesn't bother to knock on the door, but simply walks in. There's some man in bed with Scarlet, but he doesn't care. He pulls the covers off them both with one hand, raising his pistol with the other. The man yells, and begins to swear, but when he sees who is on the other end of the pistol, he quietly gathers up his clothes and scrapes out into the hallway wearing nothing but a sheepish look. A sardonic smile plays around Jack's lips. Scarlet pulls the covers out of Jack's hand and up to her chin in the interests of modesty, her face white with fury.
'What do you think you are doing?'
'I've got a few questions for you, love.'
'What right do you have to burst in here like this' -
'No,' he says, levelling the pistol at her 'we are going to 'ave a civilised discussion, or I am going to shoot you. Savvy?'
Scarlet nods, her lips thin, Angry though she is, she knows Jack, and she knows not to push her luck.
'Now then,' Jack begins 'almost a year ago you had a girl 'ere by the name of Maggie. I gave you fifty gold pieces to keep 'er all to meself for a week, and I want to know where she is.'
'How should I know?'
'Because you make it your business to know things.'
'Why should I tell you? Last time you were here you lost me one of my best customers by threatening to shoot him in the head, and then you lost me a girl who could have made me a very rich woman by making her get all loved up over you.'
'Ah. So you sent 'er away then?'
Scarlet curses under her breath.
'Alright. She's gone. She said something about a sister somewhere.'
'Where?'
'I don't know! I can't remember all these things. You'd be better off looking around the other houses for her.'
Jack smiles derisively. 'Thank you so much for your time.'
As he leaves, he sees no sign of the man who he threw out of Scarlet's room, like the trash he undoubtedly was. Good riddance, he thinks. As he walks down the corridor, he comes to the room that was Maggie's. He listens at the door for a minute, then opens it and goes in.
The room is empty, and smells as if it has been shut up for a long time. Maybe Scarlet never found a replacement for Maggie. The bed is made, and he remembers the nights he spent in it with her. Some of the best nights of his life. He sits down heavily on the edge of the bed, and puts his head in his hands. He listens to the sounds of the waves on the shore and the moans of those who drank too much the night before.
He sits for what feels like an age, before mentally shaking himself, and hauling himself to his feet. The great Captain Jack Sparrow, pining like a boy. But still, he wonders where she is now, at this very moment. He hopes she isn't working in one of the other 'houses' as Scarlet calls them. To think of her with another man makes him sick with jealousy. He knows in his heart that if she isn't in Tortuga, he will never find her, because how can he search the entire ocean for one woman? But Tortuga, Tortuga he can do.
-----
Like Maggie, although he doesn't know it, he hasn't slept and hasn't eaten. He has bought many people drinks, flirted with many whores, and threatened several bar tenders. No one has seen her, no one knows anything, and she isn't working in any of the brothels in the whole of Tortuga. He goes back to his ship, to his private stash of good quality rum - it's no solution, and he'll feel worse in the morning, but at least he'll be numb until then.
On the empty ship, as the crew have gone whoring, drinking and thieving most likely, Jack sits in his cabin with a bottle in his hand, but he can't drink. It tastes strange in his mouth, sour somehow. He can feel the ship sway gently with the swell, and knows that this is going to be a long night. He thinks of Maggie and his time with her. He wonders if she's respectable now, and if anyone knows about her days in Tortuga. He remembers and remembers until he is sick with it, he thinks about every aspect of her until even the sea seems to be calling her name to him, taunting him.
He tries to sleep, but sleep will not come. He goes outside and stands at the helm again, and watches a second dawn come up on the town - how could a whole night pass and him barely notice? At the moment when the only woman he ever loved gives up her life for his child, Jack finally accepts that he will never lay eyes on her again.
***
Everyone stop crying! *hands out Kleenex* I promise you a happy ending, but it might be a little while in coming. Please review, and tell me what you think.
