My A/Ns are really very dull and pointless, and you really don't need much
of an introduction, so hey, just read on!
***
A Hard Man To Predict
She sits on the floor in her tiny dirty box of a room. James is asleep in her hammock, and she is watching him idly, her eyelids drooping. She half- wonders what Anamaria is saying to her father, but is cut off in mid thought by her door creaking open.
The air movement makes the solitary candle flicker, casting her visitor in a slightly spectral light.
'Can we talk?'
She nods, and gets to her feet. They walk solemnly up to the deck, and stand on one side away from the lone guard. The Hawk is just visible by the moon and starlight, but she tries to avoid looking at it.
'Phoenix,' he begins, but she cuts him off.
'Please don't call me that. It's not my name; I just wanted a new self for a new life. I don't know if I want this life anymore.'
She can hear Matthew's surprise. 'But this is the life you always wanted, why...?'
'Since when did anyone ever really know what they want?'
'I know what I want.'
She turns to look up at him, more than a little surprised at his new forceful tone.
'I want you. Faye, Phoenix, I don't care. I love you, and whatever life you choose, if you want me to go with you then I will.'
The kiss lasts for an eternal moment. All pretence gone, all forced courage, all brittle strength disappears in a heartbeat. She is someone new, not a serving girl or a juvenile murderess, but a woman with something to protect. When it ends, she pulls back a little and looks him into his eyes.
'I have this feeling that now I should say that I know what I want too. I really don't, but I think I have a much better idea.'
Shared laughter reaches out into the night air, floating up to the stars.
------
Mere feet away, there is no laughter. Jack and Anamaria sit in silence over two heavy mugs of rum.
'Why didn't you ever tell me?'
Anamaria sighs. 'What would I have said?'
'You could have said something, and not just gone without a word.'
'It was the best thing to do, don't you see?'
'No! No I don't see! Why don't you tell me?'
'Alright I'll tell you. I couldn't stay at sea while I was pregnant; I couldn't have my baby out in the middle of the ocean. As soon as I knew I left. Maybe I shouldn't have sneaked away like I did' –
'You left me asleep when we were docked in Trinidad. There is no maybe about it, love; you definitely shouldn't have sneaked away like that. And you took a hefty load of loot with you.'
'Fine, fine, I was wrong there. I stayed on the island, I had James there, and I lived off what I took from you. I ran into Santos there, all bitter and twisted and wanting revenge. He found out James was your son, and he took him away. This was about two years ago I think, and he's been blackmailing me ever since to find a way to get to you and take the Pearl.'
'You should have just killed him.'
'His crew would have killed my son, and then me. I couldn't let that happen, even if it meant sacrificing you.'
'He could have taken the Pearl before. Why didn't he?'
'He wants you as well. He wants to see you beg before you die, and he wants you to see Phoenix die too. He also wanted you to know how I'd betrayed you, but I've already told you that.'
'You didn't really betray me. You did it to protect your son.'
For the first time, Anamaria actually meets his gaze. Jack realises how much she's gone through over the last two years, and how much she must want Santos dead.
'He's our son, Jack. Santos will come tomorrow when he finds out what's happened. He'll attack and he'll be after you, me, and your children. Let's just leave now while we still can.'
'No, if we leave he'll follow. We'll have to face him sometime and it may as well be when we're prepared for it. I know what I'm up against, love.'
She lays her hand on his, and the memories associated with her touch send shivers up his spine.
'Do you remember Havana?'
Jack grins.
-------
As night slowly recedes and turns into the grey false-dawn light, the crew is already up. The ship is a hive of activity, with everyone doing something to prepare for the ensuing battle. The Hawk is already beginning to move towards them, so a pre-emptive strike is out of the question.
All hands are on deck, except Faye. No one is calling her Phoenix anymore, and it was a lesson quickly learned. Some of the men met her in Tortuga, and have related their experience to the more fortunate members of the crew, so even her empty threats carry a certain weight.
Faye is in her tiny room, with James who is finally awake. He seems utterly unfazed by his change of location and this new person who is taking care of him, which is good. Faye doesn't need a crying child to care for. She almost wishes he'd go back to sleep. He slept all through his rescue, so why not a few more hours?
Her heart is in her mouth now. Matthew is on deck, and she wants to be up there too, making sure nothing happens so him, protecting him. But, on her father's orders, she is to stay and protect her brother instead. There is no one else he trusts well enough except Anamaria, and she is needed too much. Faye is burning to know how Jack and Anamaria came to have a child in the first place, but the thought fly out of her mind as she hears the cannon fire and the first shouts of the battle over her head.
James's bottom lip begins to tremble, and his eyes fill with tears at the sounds. Faye holds him tightly, rocking him to and fro and crooning softly under her breath to him. The roar of the battle is terrifying, and all the worse because she feels so helpless. All Faye can do is hope that they remain undiscovered, or Jack might lose both his children.
She can hear two voices giving orders; one is their father, and one is deeper, with a harsh accent that she doesn't recognise although she knows who it must be. Santos, the man who is after their blood. And it is getting closer.
Faye lifts James up, and hides him behind some crates in the corner, taking down the hammock and sitting him on it.
'Please don't cry James, please don't cry. Just sit tight for a moment and everything will be alright.'
He nods, and tearfully plugs his thumb into his mouth. Faye spins around as the thud of a body falling down the stairs reaches her ears. Doors open and close, until the only door left is the door in front of Faye. She pulls the daggers out of her boots, and waits.
It slams open, the noise making Faye's ears ring. There he stands, shorter than she expected.
'Phoenix Sparrow I presume,' he snarls. 'Very...ornithological, isn't it?'
His bloodied sword and her daggers clash hard, and she can hear James's stifled sobs behind her.
'So you have the brat here too do you? How wonderfully time saving for me.' Santos breathes into her face.
The fight is gruelling, and Faye is slashed many times, her clothing ripped and bloodstained. Occasionally she gets her own back and Santos will have scars to remember her by. But, for all her strength and all her skill, Santos has the advantage of weight, height and experience. It is not long before Faye is on her back with both her daggers kicked out of reach. She tries vainly to get up, but the point of a sword is at her throat too soon. She squeezes her eyes shut, and waits for darkness.
'It was a pleasure meeting you, Faye. I wish your father could be here to see this, but I'-
He stops, and Faye dares to open her eyes. The look on Santos's face is one of sheer shock. Faye looks down; following his eyes, and sees the sword blade is sticking out of his chest. His eyes glaze, and he is no longer looking at anything in this world. The blade is withdrawn, and Santos's corpse begins to fall forward. Faye has the presence of mind to roll to one side so she isn't crushed.
In the doorway, with blood rusted sword in hand is a sweaty, filthy, extremely dishevelled Matthew. And to think I was worried about protecting him, Faye says to herself.
'I thought I might lend a hand,' he tells her, as he helps her to her feet.
'Wonderful timing.'
Faye goes to pick up James, and winces at the pain of her various wounds.
'Let me take him. You need to get to the surgeon I think.'
There is silence, true silence. The battle is over.
'Did we win?' she asks through the haze of her small agonies.
Matthew grins and he balances James on one hip and holds Faye up with the other arm.
'Did we ever.'
***
Please review, it would make me all smiley and write more chapters!
***
A Hard Man To Predict
She sits on the floor in her tiny dirty box of a room. James is asleep in her hammock, and she is watching him idly, her eyelids drooping. She half- wonders what Anamaria is saying to her father, but is cut off in mid thought by her door creaking open.
The air movement makes the solitary candle flicker, casting her visitor in a slightly spectral light.
'Can we talk?'
She nods, and gets to her feet. They walk solemnly up to the deck, and stand on one side away from the lone guard. The Hawk is just visible by the moon and starlight, but she tries to avoid looking at it.
'Phoenix,' he begins, but she cuts him off.
'Please don't call me that. It's not my name; I just wanted a new self for a new life. I don't know if I want this life anymore.'
She can hear Matthew's surprise. 'But this is the life you always wanted, why...?'
'Since when did anyone ever really know what they want?'
'I know what I want.'
She turns to look up at him, more than a little surprised at his new forceful tone.
'I want you. Faye, Phoenix, I don't care. I love you, and whatever life you choose, if you want me to go with you then I will.'
The kiss lasts for an eternal moment. All pretence gone, all forced courage, all brittle strength disappears in a heartbeat. She is someone new, not a serving girl or a juvenile murderess, but a woman with something to protect. When it ends, she pulls back a little and looks him into his eyes.
'I have this feeling that now I should say that I know what I want too. I really don't, but I think I have a much better idea.'
Shared laughter reaches out into the night air, floating up to the stars.
------
Mere feet away, there is no laughter. Jack and Anamaria sit in silence over two heavy mugs of rum.
'Why didn't you ever tell me?'
Anamaria sighs. 'What would I have said?'
'You could have said something, and not just gone without a word.'
'It was the best thing to do, don't you see?'
'No! No I don't see! Why don't you tell me?'
'Alright I'll tell you. I couldn't stay at sea while I was pregnant; I couldn't have my baby out in the middle of the ocean. As soon as I knew I left. Maybe I shouldn't have sneaked away like I did' –
'You left me asleep when we were docked in Trinidad. There is no maybe about it, love; you definitely shouldn't have sneaked away like that. And you took a hefty load of loot with you.'
'Fine, fine, I was wrong there. I stayed on the island, I had James there, and I lived off what I took from you. I ran into Santos there, all bitter and twisted and wanting revenge. He found out James was your son, and he took him away. This was about two years ago I think, and he's been blackmailing me ever since to find a way to get to you and take the Pearl.'
'You should have just killed him.'
'His crew would have killed my son, and then me. I couldn't let that happen, even if it meant sacrificing you.'
'He could have taken the Pearl before. Why didn't he?'
'He wants you as well. He wants to see you beg before you die, and he wants you to see Phoenix die too. He also wanted you to know how I'd betrayed you, but I've already told you that.'
'You didn't really betray me. You did it to protect your son.'
For the first time, Anamaria actually meets his gaze. Jack realises how much she's gone through over the last two years, and how much she must want Santos dead.
'He's our son, Jack. Santos will come tomorrow when he finds out what's happened. He'll attack and he'll be after you, me, and your children. Let's just leave now while we still can.'
'No, if we leave he'll follow. We'll have to face him sometime and it may as well be when we're prepared for it. I know what I'm up against, love.'
She lays her hand on his, and the memories associated with her touch send shivers up his spine.
'Do you remember Havana?'
Jack grins.
-------
As night slowly recedes and turns into the grey false-dawn light, the crew is already up. The ship is a hive of activity, with everyone doing something to prepare for the ensuing battle. The Hawk is already beginning to move towards them, so a pre-emptive strike is out of the question.
All hands are on deck, except Faye. No one is calling her Phoenix anymore, and it was a lesson quickly learned. Some of the men met her in Tortuga, and have related their experience to the more fortunate members of the crew, so even her empty threats carry a certain weight.
Faye is in her tiny room, with James who is finally awake. He seems utterly unfazed by his change of location and this new person who is taking care of him, which is good. Faye doesn't need a crying child to care for. She almost wishes he'd go back to sleep. He slept all through his rescue, so why not a few more hours?
Her heart is in her mouth now. Matthew is on deck, and she wants to be up there too, making sure nothing happens so him, protecting him. But, on her father's orders, she is to stay and protect her brother instead. There is no one else he trusts well enough except Anamaria, and she is needed too much. Faye is burning to know how Jack and Anamaria came to have a child in the first place, but the thought fly out of her mind as she hears the cannon fire and the first shouts of the battle over her head.
James's bottom lip begins to tremble, and his eyes fill with tears at the sounds. Faye holds him tightly, rocking him to and fro and crooning softly under her breath to him. The roar of the battle is terrifying, and all the worse because she feels so helpless. All Faye can do is hope that they remain undiscovered, or Jack might lose both his children.
She can hear two voices giving orders; one is their father, and one is deeper, with a harsh accent that she doesn't recognise although she knows who it must be. Santos, the man who is after their blood. And it is getting closer.
Faye lifts James up, and hides him behind some crates in the corner, taking down the hammock and sitting him on it.
'Please don't cry James, please don't cry. Just sit tight for a moment and everything will be alright.'
He nods, and tearfully plugs his thumb into his mouth. Faye spins around as the thud of a body falling down the stairs reaches her ears. Doors open and close, until the only door left is the door in front of Faye. She pulls the daggers out of her boots, and waits.
It slams open, the noise making Faye's ears ring. There he stands, shorter than she expected.
'Phoenix Sparrow I presume,' he snarls. 'Very...ornithological, isn't it?'
His bloodied sword and her daggers clash hard, and she can hear James's stifled sobs behind her.
'So you have the brat here too do you? How wonderfully time saving for me.' Santos breathes into her face.
The fight is gruelling, and Faye is slashed many times, her clothing ripped and bloodstained. Occasionally she gets her own back and Santos will have scars to remember her by. But, for all her strength and all her skill, Santos has the advantage of weight, height and experience. It is not long before Faye is on her back with both her daggers kicked out of reach. She tries vainly to get up, but the point of a sword is at her throat too soon. She squeezes her eyes shut, and waits for darkness.
'It was a pleasure meeting you, Faye. I wish your father could be here to see this, but I'-
He stops, and Faye dares to open her eyes. The look on Santos's face is one of sheer shock. Faye looks down; following his eyes, and sees the sword blade is sticking out of his chest. His eyes glaze, and he is no longer looking at anything in this world. The blade is withdrawn, and Santos's corpse begins to fall forward. Faye has the presence of mind to roll to one side so she isn't crushed.
In the doorway, with blood rusted sword in hand is a sweaty, filthy, extremely dishevelled Matthew. And to think I was worried about protecting him, Faye says to herself.
'I thought I might lend a hand,' he tells her, as he helps her to her feet.
'Wonderful timing.'
Faye goes to pick up James, and winces at the pain of her various wounds.
'Let me take him. You need to get to the surgeon I think.'
There is silence, true silence. The battle is over.
'Did we win?' she asks through the haze of her small agonies.
Matthew grins and he balances James on one hip and holds Faye up with the other arm.
'Did we ever.'
***
Please review, it would make me all smiley and write more chapters!
