A/N: I only just realized how many fics similar to this one are currently
online, and I would just like to point out that I didn't know it was such a
popular theme! Y'know, the whole girl-runs-away-meets-up-with-a-certain-
pirate plot. HOWEVER I hope you like my fic better than the others
(obviously) and that you will continue to read and review. The story gets
better, I promise!!!
Chapter Five-The Family Reunion
It took a couple of minutes for Nicola's sister, Juliette, to answer her door. When she did, Nicola almost fell over with shock. Juliette was wearing a shabby dress, her hair was half up, half down, and her face was smeared with make-up. Quite different to when Nicola had last saw her sister.
"Juliette! You look just like the other Tortuga girls!" she exclaimed.
Juliette took a minute before she recognised her little sister. "Nicola? Is that you?"
"Yes! I have come to discuss something important with you."
"Does it have to be now?"
Nicola paused with surprise. Her sister was telling her she was too busy! In the past, Juliette would have put anything and everything on hold for Nicola's problems.
Oh no! What if Jack is right? What if she doesn't care anymore?
"Well, yes, it does, Juliette. I sailed all the way here just to talk to you."
Juliette sighed. "Fine. But I'm pinning the blame on you if I'm late for my shift at the bar."
"You are a barmaid?"
"Yes. I suppose you had better come in."
She opened the door wider and let Nicola into her tiny, cluttered home. It was very dusty, so dusty that the old rugs on the wooden floor could barely be seen. Cobwebs hung low from the ceiling, there were holes in the wall and rubbish scattered all over the place. Horrified, Nicola followed her sister into the living room, though she was surprised it was actually suitable for living in.
"Now, what is it you want?" Nicola explained her story again, and watched for Juliette's reaction. There was very little change of her expression, except when the words 'arranged marriage' were mentioned, which caused her to frown slightly. The situation caused her memories to come flooding back, but Nicola was not expecting her reaction.
"Why should I care?"
"I...I thought you would help me. You are my sister, that is what sisters do."
"And when have you helped me? You didn't come here with me when I asked. You haven't been to see me before now. Looks to me that you only care about me when you need to care about me."
"I...I..." Nicola had no idea what to say. Her sister was right; half-right, anyway. "I have always cared about you, Juliette. Every day since you left I missed having you around. The reason I did not come here is because I could not leave home. Do you know what would have happened if I had left back then? Mother and Father would have killed me, and I mean that literally. If you ever return, they will kill you. Please, Juliette, you have to understand. Mother and Father were so upset by you leaving, I could not just walk out on them at the time."
"Hmph." Juliette would not listen. "I'm sorry, Nicola, but I can't help you at the moment. I have my own life to worry about, never mind your silly problems. Goodbye." She bustled Nicola out of the house and slammed the door. Nicola stood outside for a moment, shocked. She couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
Jack was right.
Holding back her tears, she went to the only place she felt she could go; back to the Black Pearl.
~~~***~~~
Jack finally returned to the Pearl at sunset, after spending the day at the tavern, like usual. He felt that the Tavern was the only place on land that made him feel as if he was on the sea. It was a home away from home for him, no matter which one he went to.
He was surprised to see a very miserable-looking Nicola standing on the deck, watching the sun sink below the horizon. She seemed to be lost in thought. Jack assumed things hadn't gone well.
"You alright, love? You don't look too happy. Did your sister..."
"She told me it was not her problem and that I should sort it out by myself. You may as well say 'I told you so'."
Jack sighed. He didn't really understand women, but one thing he knew for sure was that an upset lady was not a good thing.
"Maybe she's so upset about how her life turned out she doesn't want to help you have a good one. I wouldn't take it personal, love. She's just afraid you will be ashamed of her." He said, only realising afterwards that it was the most intelligent thing he had told anyone all day, maybe even all week.
"You think so?" Nicola looked at him, seeking sympathy.
"Well, by the sound of it, your sister wouldn't do such a thing for no reason, and that's the only reason I can think of...so it is more than likely the answer, savvy?"
"I'm afraid I do not understand, Mr Sparrow. " She answered.
"It doesn't matter." Jack answered in return. "How do you know my last name? That's the second time you used it, yet I never told it to you."
Nicola blushed. "Oh, I have been talking to the crew, and one of them referred to you as 'Captain Jack Sparrow' so I assumed that was your name."
"Well, love, I won' be havin' any of this 'Mr Sparrow' stuff. It's Captain, Captain Jack or Captain Jack Sparrow." He smiled. "Never forget the Captain part, or I will never forgive you, even if you are a lady."
"I do not expect to be treated any different from a man, though others clearly disagree. But I do not see how this matters, as I probably will not be sailing with you anymore. You have to do your pirate duty, and I...I have to sort out my life." Nicola sighed.
"I don't see why you don't stay with us. You would make a fine pirate if you weren't wearin' that frock of yours." He pointed to the elegant pale yellow dress she had been wearing for her entire journey. It had started to get a little grubby, since she hadn't changed in so long, and the hem was starting to become loose.
"What do you mean? I thought you were a person who treated women different from men." She asked.
"I treat men and women different, yes. But a pirate is a pirate no matter what their appearance may be. I used to have a woman in my crew a little while back, Anamaria her name was. She was once of the most vicious pirates I ever met, yet one of the most loyal to her captain. She got her own ship, though, and so she had to leave. Come to think of it, we're meant to meet up in a couple o' weeks." Jack told her. "Anyway, how do you know this is a pirate ship? I thought our disguise as a merchant ship was doing well!"
Nicola laughed. "I don't think anyone could possibly disguise the Black Pearl. It is the greatest ship in the Caribbean, so it cannot be hidden no matter what you try, Mr Sparrow."
"You're right there, love."
They were both silent for a moment, watching the last rays of the sun disappear behind the horizon.
"It's Captain Jack Sparrow. Or at least Mr Captain Sparrow."
Chapter Five-The Family Reunion
It took a couple of minutes for Nicola's sister, Juliette, to answer her door. When she did, Nicola almost fell over with shock. Juliette was wearing a shabby dress, her hair was half up, half down, and her face was smeared with make-up. Quite different to when Nicola had last saw her sister.
"Juliette! You look just like the other Tortuga girls!" she exclaimed.
Juliette took a minute before she recognised her little sister. "Nicola? Is that you?"
"Yes! I have come to discuss something important with you."
"Does it have to be now?"
Nicola paused with surprise. Her sister was telling her she was too busy! In the past, Juliette would have put anything and everything on hold for Nicola's problems.
Oh no! What if Jack is right? What if she doesn't care anymore?
"Well, yes, it does, Juliette. I sailed all the way here just to talk to you."
Juliette sighed. "Fine. But I'm pinning the blame on you if I'm late for my shift at the bar."
"You are a barmaid?"
"Yes. I suppose you had better come in."
She opened the door wider and let Nicola into her tiny, cluttered home. It was very dusty, so dusty that the old rugs on the wooden floor could barely be seen. Cobwebs hung low from the ceiling, there were holes in the wall and rubbish scattered all over the place. Horrified, Nicola followed her sister into the living room, though she was surprised it was actually suitable for living in.
"Now, what is it you want?" Nicola explained her story again, and watched for Juliette's reaction. There was very little change of her expression, except when the words 'arranged marriage' were mentioned, which caused her to frown slightly. The situation caused her memories to come flooding back, but Nicola was not expecting her reaction.
"Why should I care?"
"I...I thought you would help me. You are my sister, that is what sisters do."
"And when have you helped me? You didn't come here with me when I asked. You haven't been to see me before now. Looks to me that you only care about me when you need to care about me."
"I...I..." Nicola had no idea what to say. Her sister was right; half-right, anyway. "I have always cared about you, Juliette. Every day since you left I missed having you around. The reason I did not come here is because I could not leave home. Do you know what would have happened if I had left back then? Mother and Father would have killed me, and I mean that literally. If you ever return, they will kill you. Please, Juliette, you have to understand. Mother and Father were so upset by you leaving, I could not just walk out on them at the time."
"Hmph." Juliette would not listen. "I'm sorry, Nicola, but I can't help you at the moment. I have my own life to worry about, never mind your silly problems. Goodbye." She bustled Nicola out of the house and slammed the door. Nicola stood outside for a moment, shocked. She couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
Jack was right.
Holding back her tears, she went to the only place she felt she could go; back to the Black Pearl.
~~~***~~~
Jack finally returned to the Pearl at sunset, after spending the day at the tavern, like usual. He felt that the Tavern was the only place on land that made him feel as if he was on the sea. It was a home away from home for him, no matter which one he went to.
He was surprised to see a very miserable-looking Nicola standing on the deck, watching the sun sink below the horizon. She seemed to be lost in thought. Jack assumed things hadn't gone well.
"You alright, love? You don't look too happy. Did your sister..."
"She told me it was not her problem and that I should sort it out by myself. You may as well say 'I told you so'."
Jack sighed. He didn't really understand women, but one thing he knew for sure was that an upset lady was not a good thing.
"Maybe she's so upset about how her life turned out she doesn't want to help you have a good one. I wouldn't take it personal, love. She's just afraid you will be ashamed of her." He said, only realising afterwards that it was the most intelligent thing he had told anyone all day, maybe even all week.
"You think so?" Nicola looked at him, seeking sympathy.
"Well, by the sound of it, your sister wouldn't do such a thing for no reason, and that's the only reason I can think of...so it is more than likely the answer, savvy?"
"I'm afraid I do not understand, Mr Sparrow. " She answered.
"It doesn't matter." Jack answered in return. "How do you know my last name? That's the second time you used it, yet I never told it to you."
Nicola blushed. "Oh, I have been talking to the crew, and one of them referred to you as 'Captain Jack Sparrow' so I assumed that was your name."
"Well, love, I won' be havin' any of this 'Mr Sparrow' stuff. It's Captain, Captain Jack or Captain Jack Sparrow." He smiled. "Never forget the Captain part, or I will never forgive you, even if you are a lady."
"I do not expect to be treated any different from a man, though others clearly disagree. But I do not see how this matters, as I probably will not be sailing with you anymore. You have to do your pirate duty, and I...I have to sort out my life." Nicola sighed.
"I don't see why you don't stay with us. You would make a fine pirate if you weren't wearin' that frock of yours." He pointed to the elegant pale yellow dress she had been wearing for her entire journey. It had started to get a little grubby, since she hadn't changed in so long, and the hem was starting to become loose.
"What do you mean? I thought you were a person who treated women different from men." She asked.
"I treat men and women different, yes. But a pirate is a pirate no matter what their appearance may be. I used to have a woman in my crew a little while back, Anamaria her name was. She was once of the most vicious pirates I ever met, yet one of the most loyal to her captain. She got her own ship, though, and so she had to leave. Come to think of it, we're meant to meet up in a couple o' weeks." Jack told her. "Anyway, how do you know this is a pirate ship? I thought our disguise as a merchant ship was doing well!"
Nicola laughed. "I don't think anyone could possibly disguise the Black Pearl. It is the greatest ship in the Caribbean, so it cannot be hidden no matter what you try, Mr Sparrow."
"You're right there, love."
They were both silent for a moment, watching the last rays of the sun disappear behind the horizon.
"It's Captain Jack Sparrow. Or at least Mr Captain Sparrow."