The Call of the sea
By Latanya
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with the Pirates of the Caribbean or NUMA but I do own Pearl, her yacht "The Black Pearl II" and anything else that I made up.
Chapter Nine: Tortuga.
By the time they reached the pirate town of Tortuga, Pearl was well on her way to recovery though her arm was kept carefully bound to the splint and wrapped tightly to prevent anything from stopping the break from healing. The crew of the Black Pearl had been told that she had been a prisoner of Barbossa and that she'd been submitted to the curse.
Most of them had shrugged uncaringly about the story when they were told. However, Gibbs, Anamaria and many others believed that Pearl was the spirit of the Black Pearl made flesh because the strange woman seemed somehow linked to the ship. Most of the crew just treated her like they did Anamaria but with much more respect because of how she seemed linked to the ship and also because she was Jack's.
Grinning, Jack wrapped an arm around her waist and pointed at the bay ahead of them, "That's Tortuga luv, the greatest place a man can go."
"Yes, I'm sure it is Jack." Pearl murmured, playing with the end of one of the many braids, which had been appearing in her hair thanks to Jack's care. "When are you going to stop braiding my hair? It's starting to get annoying and difficult to brush."
Planting a kiss on her cheek, the captain disappeared off to the helm and started shouting out orders. Watching Tortuga slowly coming closer, Pearl felt a twinge of worry in the pit of her stomach and she prayed that nothing bad would happen while they were there. Turning around, she smiled to Anamaria, who returned the smiled before approaching her.
"Ye aren't worried about Tortuga are ye Pearl?" Anamaria stood beside her, staring out at the pirate town.
"Just a little. Anamaria, do you think Jack will run off to find himself one of his whores once we get there?" She asked out of pure worry, not jealousy.
The pirate woman raised an eyebrow, "Ye aren't jealous are ye Pearl? I know ye told me that ye won't give in to him until yer arm is healed but I don't think the Capt'n will run off to a whore while ye are 'ere."
Pearl nodded, "I'm not jealous because I know what men are like but what if Jack does go to one of the whores of this place because he can get from them what I won't give him because of my arm?"
"If ye're not jealous, then ye 'ave nothing to worry about do you?" She grinned and walked off to talk to Jack.
Sighing, Pearl turned back around and glared at Tortuga. Leaning against the side, she closed her eyes and enjoyed to feel of the spray against her face and the wind in her hair. When a hand slid under her shirt and rested in the small of her back, Pearl opened one eye and glanced to the side. Smiling, Jack pulled her to him and kissed her hungrily. Pressing herself against him, Pearl reached up with her good hand and removed his hat before putting it on her own head.
"Now Pearl, give me back me 'at!" Jack growled softly.
"Your hat? I believe Mr Sparrow, that it's my hat now." She chuckled at the look on his face and held tight to the hat so he couldn't take it off her.
He grinned and swept her up in his arms, "Do ye fancy a swim Miss Turner? I remember how partial ye are to going for a nice swim in the sea."
Shrieking when he held her out over the water, Pearl surrendered the hat, "Please take the hat Mr Sparrow and put me down."
"Put ye down Miss Turner? Aye, I can do that." He continued to hold her out over the water as she put his hat back on his head. "Where about in the water would ye like to be put down?"
"How about the deck of this fine ship Captain Sparrow?" She asked him politely, hoping he wouldn't drop her into the water.
Jack nodded, "Besides, I wouldn't want to ruin me hard work on ye arm. That'd be a bit pointless wouldn't it? Me, Gibbs and Anamaria put to much work into setting ye arm to want to throw ye in the water where ye'd end up hurting ye self some more. Actually, come to think of it, I know just the right place to put ye down."
"Jack?" Pearl murmured, "I don't think that's such a good idea considering how close we are to Tortuga now. Besides, I told you that you have to wait until my arm is healed before you do anything like that with me. I'm taking no chances at all."
He put her down on the deck and helped her stand, "Ye're as stubborn as a mule Pearl me lass but I don't know why I'd want any other. Will ye come into Tortuga with us?"
"Do you think it's a good idea Jack?"
Noticing her expression of worry, the pirate captain frowned thoughtfully. "I was hoping we could make a trip to a dressmaker to find ye some clothes to wear… not that I don't mind ye in my clothes but ye do need some of yer own."
Laughing, Pearl waved her hand at the town, "Why Mr Sparrow, are you offering to take me out shopping? What a wonderful idea, I quite like it."
Gibbs shouted out orders to drop anchor before turning to Anamaria, "They're not arguing are they? I don't think the Black Pearl would like it if her Captain upset her spirit."
"Do ye honestly believe that Pearl is the spirit of this ship made flesh?" The woman asked curiously. "I'll admit that there are some strange things about that woman but I don't think she's in anyway linked to the Black Pearl."
"Mark my words Anamaria, the ship is rewarding Jack for his love for her." The first mate glanced over at Jack and Pearl who were kissing again and he smiled.
Following his glance, Anamaria shook her head, "He'll break her heart like he does with every other woman and she knows it. Ye can't deny that he 'as a bad record with women. I just don't want to know what the rest of the crew will be like when he breaks her heart."
"Ye speak like it's set in stone Anamaria. How can ye be so sure that he will break her heart?"
"Because Pearl knows it as well. She knows that Jack will go off with some whore once they're in Tortuga and she knows it's because she's denying him. I don't think that she'll have him back if he does even though she knows it will happen." She shook her head again sadly. "I like the woman and I don't want to see her hurt. As soon as I get me own ship, I'll invite her to join me crew and get her away from Capt'n Jack Sparrow."
"He won't let ye do something like that Anamaria and ye know it. Ye won't be taking either of his Pearl's away from him." Gibbs shrugged and turned away to yell out orders for the boats to be lowered into the water.
Jack spun about to face his crew when they started to line up for their shore money, "And remember, not a word about where the Isla de Muerta is. Ye all 'ave two days on shore and I expect ye back when it's over."
Standing beside him with her arm in its sling, Pearl met Anamaria's gaze and smiled, nodding in response to her mouthed question, "Jack, I hope you don't mind if I go around Tortuga with Anamaria. I figure the company of a woman familiar with this place would be safer than the company of a pirate who'll be making his way to the nearest tavern with a tankard of rum."
"I don't think so lassie, ye promised to go shopping with me." He caught her good wrist and frowned. "Why are ye in such a hurry to get away from ol' Jack?"
Pulling away from him, she shook her head. "Jack, perhaps we should talk else where?"
He pulled her to him and leant down, whispering in her ear, "I heard yer conversation with Anamaria and ye have nothing to fear about me going to some whore. There's no reason to when I know I've got ye. Understand Pearl Turner that I'll wait for ye to be ready because there is no other woman who could possibly compare to ye self."
Lifting her eyes to his, Pearl saw the conviction there and smiled faintly, "What I was going to say Captain Sparrow is that I do not mind if you go to some whore so long as you remember that you can do better."
"Then we 'ave an accord!" Jack chuckled, kissing her gently. "I won't go to a whore because I know I can come back 'ere and be with someone who's twice as good as them and who loves me."
Taking his offered hand, Pearl climbed down into one of the boats with help from Cotton. She sat down between Jack and another of the men while they rowed towards the shore. Once in Tortuga, Jack lead her through the streets towards a dressmaker that he knew would have lovely clothes that would suit her.
"I hope ye won't mind wearing a corset sometimes Pearl lass…." Jack opened the door to the shop and signaled that she should go in first.
Pearl looked around at the dresses and other clothes in awe; she'd never seen anything like it. The shopkeeper glanced up at them and studied Pearl for a moment before smiling at Jack.
"Well if it isn't Captain Jack Sparrow!" The woman came out from behind the counter and walked over. "My daughter has been wondering where ye have been."
He cringed, "I can explain Dolly but first, have ye got any clothes that would fit me Pearl 'ere? She needs some new clothes and I promised her that I'd take her to the best dressmaker in Tortuga."
Dolly turned her gaze to the slender, fragile looking woman with her arm in a sling who was standing beside Jack, "She's only a little bit of a thing! Don't ye feed her much Jack Sparrow?"
"Little?" Pearl hissed, turning to Jack. "I'm little! It's called being vertically challenged and I'm actually five foot nine."
"It's alright girly, I didn't mean yer height. What I did mean was that beside most women in Tortuga, yer a twig. How do ye manage to keep yer waist so slender without a corset? And ye hips! They're the narrowest I've ever seen!" Dolly turned around to a rack of dresses and pulled out a few.
Jack looked around and found some pants and shirts that would fit Pearl. "Is there any news of the royal navy being in these waters?"
While Dolly was helping Pearl out of the clothes she was in, she replied to Jack's question with a simple 'no'. "Now luv, I've got a corset here that'll fit ye perfectly." She put the corset on Pearl and started doing the laces up really tight.
Pearl's breath hissed out through her teeth and she muttered curses about the stupidity of whoever invented corsets. When Dolly was finished, she carefully helped Pearl into the dark green dress she'd picked out. Jack came around the corner and stopped short, staring at Pearl in amazement. The dress she was in had a deep, plunging neckline that revealed her breasts slightly – which hade been pushed up by the corset - and it hugged to her waist closely.
"Why Miss Turner, ye look lovely in that dress." He smiled at her look of annoyance.
"I feel like a whore Jack which would explain why you think the dress looks lovely on me." She growled, taking a few steps to see how it felt. "And I hope god has condemned who ever invented corsets to the hottest part of hell."
Smiling, Dolly handed four other dresses to Jack and rolled her eyes, "Is that all ye be wanting Captain Sparrow? And don't ye be believing her, she doesn't look like a whore… she's to beautiful to be a whore."
Paying the dressmaker, Jack watched Pearl as she wondered around the shop with her arm still in its sling. How the two women had managed to get her into that dress without hurting her arm, he didn't know but he figured it wouldn't be easy to get her back out of it. Leaving the shop with Pearl's clothes wrapped up in a box, Jack led her towards a tavern he thought was at least half decent by her standards.
When they walked in, Pearl took in the sights of drunken pirates being served by dumpy women in rather revealing while whores sat in their laps. She turned to Jack and raised an eyebrow, feeling even more irritated by the dress she wore. He put his arm around her waist and directed her over to a table in the corner where they could see the whole room easily.
Just as they were about to sit down, a dark haired woman stormed over and slapped Jack, "You bastard!"
"Jessica." He cringed, seeing the look of fury on the whore's face.
She lifted her hand to slap him again and Pearl lashed out to crab her wrist, "Back off slut."
"Who do ye think yer calling a slut?" Jessica shrieked, going to slap Pearl with her other hand.
"Whoa there Jessica, ye don't want to be doing that." The captain of the Black Pearl could see that Pearl was waiting for the whore to hit her. "Pearl me luv, just apologize to the fine lady and back down."
Pearl snorted, "What fine lady? The only thing I see here is a whore who dared to hit the man I love!"
Hissing, Jessica replied, "Yer welcome to the bastard but ye wont be nothing more then another notch in his stick. The famous Captain Jack Sparrow doesn't know how to love. He just screws women and leaves them. Ye'll be no different from the rest of us."
"I don't think so Jessica." She smiled faintly and let the woman go.
Spinning on her heel, the whore stormed off in a huff, leaving Jack and Pearl staring at each other thoughtfully. Pearl shook her head, looking around the tavern sadly while Jack waited for Pearl to slap him as well.
"Perhaps I should go back to the ship Jack? I wouldn't want you to receive any more slaps because of me." She smiled sadly at him, her green eyes dull.
"Pearl…." He started.
"No Jack, you don't have to explain anything to me. I know what men are like and you are no different to the rest of them when it comes to your needs. Please take me back to the Black Pearl, I don't want to stay in this town any more then I have to."
Nodding, Jack led her out of the tavern and back to the shore to where the boats had been left. Helping her into one, he pushed it out into the water before jumping in and taking the oars. Rowing in silence back towards the Black Pearl, Jack cursed himself for taking her into a tavern. What Jessica had said about him was true, he had had a habit of taking women and leaving them but he had changed now that Pearl was in his life. She meant everything to him and he didn't want to loose her.
Helping her climb aboard the ship, Jack followed her into his cabin and put the box of clothes down on the table. Pearl stared at his back with conviction in her eyes; she knew what she had to do.
"Jack, could you help me out of this dress before you leave?" Pearl asked softly.
He followed her instructions and soon had her standing there with the dress at her feet, "Pearl me luv, I'm so very sorry for taking ye into that tavern. I should 'ave known better then to do that."
Shrugging, Pearl picked up the dress and put it on the back of a chair before growling in frustration that she still had the corset on. Chuckling, Jack undid the laces quickly and put it over on the table with the other clothes. Breathing deeply, Pearl was sure that her ribs were near to breaking from being in that corset. Sitting down on the bed, she watched Jack pace around for a moment before she coughed.
Turning to face her, the pirate captain frowned. "Are ye alright Pearl? Nothing's wrong is it?"
She looked so sad sitting there that Jack had to go over and sit beside her, cupping her face in his hands. "Jack, do you really love me?"
"Of course I do Pearl! I don't ever want ye to leave me and I'll always be beside ye to protect ye from danger." He locked eyes with her. "Do not believe what that whore Jessica said because I'd never do something like that to ye. I love ye Pearl."
"Good because there's something I want." Pearl leaned in and kissed him.
Catching onto her meaning, Jack grinned happily before remembering her arm, "But ye arm isn't healed Pearl! I thought ye wanted to wait until ye arm was healed fully?"
"Well I chanced my mind and I'm sure a man as experienced as you can manage not to hurt my arm."
"Are ye absolutely sure Pearl? Yer not just doing this because of what Jessica said are ye?" He searched her eyes for any sign that she was doing this because of jealousy.
When he found none, Jack smiled and kissed her. Pushing her back on the bed, he waited for a protest and received none.
"I do love ye Pearl." He whispered in her ear.
