Locks the Emmy in the safe and swallows the key HAH! I said it was mine, and forever mine it will remain. Ye shall never steal it, PaL! NEVER!
Secrets of the CaribbeanWritten By: Riley Barton
[Chapter Eighteen]
In all the years Scarlett had known Jack, she knew one thing above all: never trust him when he had that look in his eyes. She could still remember the last time she had seen that wild gleam. She had been seventeen at the time, and only a month previous they had been found hiding in the Marigold's steerage as stowaways. She and Jack had been mopping the deck when the rotund, vile first-mate on the ship had stridden out onto the deck. He looked sick, vaguely swaying on the spot. Jack, who had been about to toss the dirty contents in the mop bucket over the side of the ship, had noticed the man's seemingly drunkenness. He had glanced in Scarlett's direction, and she had known what he was about to do. She had given him a look, but she knew he wouldn't listen to her. She had simply turned her back on the entire scene, pretending she didn't know what her best friend was about to do. She had winced as she heard Jack trip over some rigging coiled on the deck, followed moments later by the splash of water and an angry shout from the Marigold's first-mate. That memory had long been forgotten, but now, seeing that familiar look again, it came back with a flying force.
Her heart skipped a beat, and her eyes went involuntarily to her son. Jack would never hurt the boy physically or verbally, she doubted, so the only remaining choice was hurting her. Yes, that was what he was about to do. He didn't have a fight to pick with Carver. This fight was with her, as it had been since they had been reunited in Port Royal. She looked at Jack again, but noticed out of the corner of her eye that Elizabeth was giving her a worried look. Beside her, Will was giving Jack a concerned frown. This was not going to end well.
"Ye wanna be a pirate, eh?" Jack asked, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the doorframe; he lazily cocked one of his eyebrows at the boy. "Yer parents must be proud, then, aye?" His eyes went to Scarlett across the room. "They were, after all, pirates themselves." Scarlett's face went pale and her eyes clouded in a silent fury.
"My parents?" Carver echoed in confusion. "My mum wasn't a pirate. She hates 'em."
"Is that so?" Jack's voice held an air of laziness within its usual slur, and his eyes were dancing merrily. "Well, yer mum has been keepin' one 'ell of'a secret from yeh."
Carver turned around and stared at his mother in childish shock. "Mama, you were a pirate?" he asked in awe.
Scarlett took a deep breath, her gaze flickering to Aubrianna. The other woman just shook her head, a sadness glittering in her brown eyes. She pursed her lips and weakly shrugged her shoulders. There was no way out of this one. Jack had let the cat out of the bag, and all out of spite. He has no idea what he has just done to her, Aubrianna thought sadly, looking at her only son. He has no idea.
Scarlett silently glared at Jack for a brief moment. "I was, Carver," she whispered, a stab of pain slamming into her at the wonder and delight on his small face. He was never meant to know. Why was all this happening, why did Jack always have to screw up her life? She seriously regretted that rainy day over two decades ago when they had met on that cold, stormy beach. God never should have allowed them to meet.
Jack saved you, the familiar, persisting voice in the back of her mind said. He saved you from your drunken father's hand.
Scarlett's lips twisted into a scowl. Only to toss me right back into Hell.
"Wow," Carver whispered. "Why didn't you tell me? You always said you hated pirates. Why?"
"I turned my back on piracy years ago, Carver," she replied. "It isn't the life I wanted, nor is it the life I want for you. Being a pirate is not all fun and games. It's a cold, hard life that you shouldn't have to bare witness to."
"Scarlett," Aubrianna's soft voice interrupted. She gently shook her head again. Carver was too young to hear of such vile pirate stories, and Scarlett knew that. Jack's presence was just fogging her mind, bringing the worst out of her –But it hadn't always been that way.
Aubrianna could still remember when, as a child, Scarlett would come running up the path to this very house and run in. The door had always been left unlocked, and she had been like family, never having to bother with knocking. She would always come to her first, ask where Jack was, and then go to him. Jack had once been her rock, the only person she could depend on. Her son had been the only one who was able to manage Scarlett. Though sweet, she had always had a vague temper that could sometimes get out of control. Jack had constantly calmed her down; she would never let anyone other than him near her.
Aubrianna sighed, looking between her son and the woman she loved like a daughter. How had things gone so wrong?
"Ye didn't think that back then, Scarlett," Jack said. "You loved being a pirate." His eyes glinted. "Not to mention a certain pirate."
Scarlett's eyes flashed and she leapt to her feet, her hands balling into fists. "Don't even start with me, Sparrow!" she shouted. "I can be just as heartless as you if I want."
Elizabeth's eyes grew wide as she looked between her two friends. She did not like how this was going, not at all, and Scarlett's young son was unknowingly caught in the middle of it. She glanced at Will sitting beside her. He raised an eyebrow at her, his gaze flickering to Jack. She knew what he was trying to ask her, and she indistinctly nodded. Yes, she had caught the meaning of Jack's words.
"You're Jack Sparrow?" a small voice spoke up above Scarlett's angry shouting. Everything came to a stand still, all eyes falling to the small boy who had spoken up in excitement.
Carver gazed at Jack with a wild grin. Again, he repeated his question: "You are Captain Jack Sparrow? The captain of the Black Pearl?"
"Aye," Jack replied after a moment's hesitation. "Ye've heard o' me?"
Carved nodded. "You're the best pirate around, the most famous!" The pleasure on Jack's face was all too evident as his lips turned up in a smile.
Scarlett felt as if the air had been knocked out of her. "How have you heard of him?" she asked just above a whisper.
Carver looked at her over his shoulder. "People talk 'bout him in the marketplace when grandmother and I buy stuff. Some of th' kids do, too. They say that he's killed a big whale, and that he can kill a man with his eyes closed!"
Elizabeth and Will doubted Scarlett could get any paler.
Jack chuckled. "I see my reputation precedes me."
"It was a blow fish," Scarlett grumbled, glaring at Jack, "not a whale. It was a small, stupid blow fish."
Jack grinned. "Come, come, love, don't spoil the boy's admiration for me. Tis healthy for a young chap to 'ave a role model."
"Role model?" Scarlett scoffed. "I sincerely hope not. Having a conniving, sneaky rat for a role model is far from healthy."
"A rat, am I?" Jack smiled. "Is that th' best ye can come up with, darling?"
"Don't call me that," she hissed through gritted teeth.
"It didn't used t' bother you."
Will leapt to his feet and stepped forward, placing a hand on Carver's head. He smiled at Aubrianna and inclined his head graciously. "I believe we have overstayed our welcome. Thank you for your hospitality."
Elizabeth joined him. "Yes, thank you. You're home is wonderful, and I only wish we could stay longer."
Aubrianna smiled warmly, though she looked a little strained. "Why thank you, Miss Swann, and I must disagree, Mr. Turner, you have not overstayed your welcome. In fact, I insist upon all of you staying the night, and however longer you may need." She looked to Jack. "From what William has told me your ship is in much need of repairs and may need to stay in port for a couple of days. I would be honoured if the three of you and your crew, Jack, would join us here until your ship is fully restored."
"Aubri," Scarlett interrupted, stepping forward to stand alongside her son, "I doubt the Captain and his crew would feel at ease here. Perhaps we could pay for a couple of rooms in a nearby inn that they could stay in."
"Me crew might prefer to stay on the Pearl," Jack said, taking a step into the room, "but I would rather enjoy getting to know the young lad here better." He smiled engagingly at Carver. "Would you like that, boy?"
Carver grinned. "I would," he replied happily.
Scarlett bit her lip, giving Jack a look that could freeze the sun. "I am certain the Captain of the Black Pearl has better things to do than spend his time with a young boy."
"Nonsense," Jack replied, returning Scarlett's look. "I think I would enjoy it, really. A lonely pirate such as meself doesn't get to talk wit' many children very often."
Aubrianna licked her dry lips, wishing she had never opened the invitation. Her heart had gotten the better of her, lacking in judgment. How could she think that a couple days of living together could smooth out years of anger and resentment? She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She really was an old fool. An old motherly fool that hoped that her only remaining family could get along, though how this would happen was out of her hands.
Author's note: This chapter sucks. It's short, not much of story development… Argh, all of you please ignore all the obvious facts. It's just that it's been six days since my last post and I seem to have a writer's block. For this chapter I did, at least. I think I know where I'm going for the next chapter, so I hope it will come out faster than this one. All of you PLEASE review. I missed getting those…