Usual disclaimers... humph!
Okay - for some reason FanFic has decided to stop emailing me my reviews... so I didn't get Linnie's, Druidans and BlueTrinity's reviews!! {not happy} Now if I can only figure out what the hell has happened I'll be a happy bunny. I didn't get the author alert for Ani's new chapter either? {grumpy}
Hope the system is at least working for you guys... here are the next three chapters. I suspect this might be the last calm before the storm... mwhahahaha!
***
Catherine needed the bosun's chair to get back on board the Black Pearl, being unable to climb up herself. Jack had been hoping to take a room in the town to avoid her having to struggle back onboard, but Jeremiah Hallam's warning had put paid to that. Secretly he was quite delighted to be thought of as such a danger as to warrant the honour of two frigates chasing him, but he realised that the other Captains there would not view it as such. The Black Pearl would not be a popular ship once news of the frigates leaked out and he felt it would probably be safer to go to the bay now.
"Captain," Jean Claude caught his arm as he headed towards the cabin in the darkness. "If Kitty's brother needs a bunk he can have mine. I do not mind sleeping in a hammock, and Kitty will need her own bunk herself."
Jack nodded, surprised at the offer. "That is most thoughtful of you Jean Claude. I will let Theo know." He watched as Catherine hobbled through the doors into their cabin, closely followed by Theodore with Charlotte. "Weigh anchor an' take us to th' bay... I don't think it will be too healthy fer us here until th' Old Man puts a lid on things!"
Jean Claude realised the sense of this. "The men will be disappointed..."
"They won't be disappointed at not havin' a blade in their backs!" Jack warned. "We've still got enough barrels of ale onboard t' keep them happy - an' they'll just have t' do without a whore fer a few days..." He looked across to Isaac. "Pass yer father's warning round th' ship an' tell 'em why we're leavin'!" he ordered, not in the mood to hold a crew meeting after a grilling from Old Man Hallam. Isaac nodded and headed below decks.
Jean Claude frowned uncertainly. "Um, Captain, where is the bay?"
"On th' other side of th' island - Oran knows th' way," Jack waved his hand airily as he sauntered towards the cabin. "I think I need t' find out what Spense has been up to..."
Jean Claude sighed and went in search of Oran and to find enough crew to man the ship. If the bay was on the other side of the island then it would be dawn by the time they reached it.
***
Will and Elizabeth soon joined the others in the main cabin, having checked that the children were safely asleep. Catherine sat on the stern window seat, her legs up and resting. She was smiling softly and cradling Charlotte as she fed her. Theodore and Jack were standing looking out the port-side window at Tortuga, drinking as they talked. All three looked up as they entered.
"Ah, we were waitin' fer yer t' get here," Jack smiled. "By t'morrow morning yer'll see yer new home Elizabeth!" He grinned mischievously. "An' I can get rid of yer bleedin' donkey!"
"Don't speak of James like that!" Elizabeth defended as she declined the offered bottle. Will held his hand out, only dropping it when his wife raised her eyebrow.
Jack laughed at his friend, knowing full well who wore the trousers in their relationship. "Oh come on luv," he bantered. "I said piss an' poo an' it's done nothin' but since it came aboard!" He slapped a bottle in Will's hand regardless. "Give th' lad a break Elizabeth!"
Will gratefully took a swig from the bottle before handing it back to Jack, studiously ignoring Elizabeth's glare.
"I think it is more important," Catherine interrupted, "to decide what we are going to do about Spense! It's going to be dangerous for everyone with two frigates as well as the Gauntlet in these waters."
"Well, we'll have t' wait an' see what th' Old Man comes up with," Jack sighed as he took a long swig from his bottle of rum. "But fer now we've just gotta take things easy whilst you get better..."
"Jack! The Pearl cannot sit idle for over two months!" she protested.
"Crew won't care as long as I pay 'em," Jack shrugged. "An' I'm not sailing without yer!"
"Jack!" she argued. "I could be hobbling for up to three months or more!"
"Yer'll be fine once rid of those crutches luv," he assured her. "I doubt we'll be shorebound fer longer than a month..."
"But what about the Governor?" Theodore worried.
"Yer should be safe here," Jack assured him. "Few people are stupid enough t' cross th' Old Man, and those that do don't live fer long..."
"I meant for you! What if the frigates discover you there?" Theodore worried. Even though he did not think the new ships would be stupid enough to approach Tortuga town itself, the bay being on the north side could be vulnerable to passing ships.
"I'll not be caught easily," Jack smiled. "There'll be a watch kept in th' crows nest with m' spy glass all th' time we're in th' bay. An' not even a frigate can catch us with th' sweeps employed." He glanced at Catherine who still held Charlotte, remembering their last brush with a frigate. "We'll get all of yer settled an' then see what happens," he shrugged. "Things can change quicker than th' tides an' they have t' cross th' ocean first..." He paused, realising how tired his wife looked. "But I think anythin' else can wait until th' morning. Jean Claude said yer an' Charlotte could have his bunk..."
"Thank you," Theodore said gratefully for he had wondered where he was to sleep for he knew that his sister would need her bunk. He stood and took his daughter from her. "Guess I'll change her and head to bed... goodnight all!"
"We'll walk with you," Will offered, unsure if Theodore knew where the Quartermaster's cabin was. "I think Catherine needs her bunk herself." He smiled as he realised she was already napping.
Jack smiled to himself as he locked them out of his cabin. "Come on luv," he whispered as he picked her up. "Let's get yer out of those clothes..."
Okay - for some reason FanFic has decided to stop emailing me my reviews... so I didn't get Linnie's, Druidans and BlueTrinity's reviews!! {not happy} Now if I can only figure out what the hell has happened I'll be a happy bunny. I didn't get the author alert for Ani's new chapter either? {grumpy}
Hope the system is at least working for you guys... here are the next three chapters. I suspect this might be the last calm before the storm... mwhahahaha!
***
Catherine needed the bosun's chair to get back on board the Black Pearl, being unable to climb up herself. Jack had been hoping to take a room in the town to avoid her having to struggle back onboard, but Jeremiah Hallam's warning had put paid to that. Secretly he was quite delighted to be thought of as such a danger as to warrant the honour of two frigates chasing him, but he realised that the other Captains there would not view it as such. The Black Pearl would not be a popular ship once news of the frigates leaked out and he felt it would probably be safer to go to the bay now.
"Captain," Jean Claude caught his arm as he headed towards the cabin in the darkness. "If Kitty's brother needs a bunk he can have mine. I do not mind sleeping in a hammock, and Kitty will need her own bunk herself."
Jack nodded, surprised at the offer. "That is most thoughtful of you Jean Claude. I will let Theo know." He watched as Catherine hobbled through the doors into their cabin, closely followed by Theodore with Charlotte. "Weigh anchor an' take us to th' bay... I don't think it will be too healthy fer us here until th' Old Man puts a lid on things!"
Jean Claude realised the sense of this. "The men will be disappointed..."
"They won't be disappointed at not havin' a blade in their backs!" Jack warned. "We've still got enough barrels of ale onboard t' keep them happy - an' they'll just have t' do without a whore fer a few days..." He looked across to Isaac. "Pass yer father's warning round th' ship an' tell 'em why we're leavin'!" he ordered, not in the mood to hold a crew meeting after a grilling from Old Man Hallam. Isaac nodded and headed below decks.
Jean Claude frowned uncertainly. "Um, Captain, where is the bay?"
"On th' other side of th' island - Oran knows th' way," Jack waved his hand airily as he sauntered towards the cabin. "I think I need t' find out what Spense has been up to..."
Jean Claude sighed and went in search of Oran and to find enough crew to man the ship. If the bay was on the other side of the island then it would be dawn by the time they reached it.
***
Will and Elizabeth soon joined the others in the main cabin, having checked that the children were safely asleep. Catherine sat on the stern window seat, her legs up and resting. She was smiling softly and cradling Charlotte as she fed her. Theodore and Jack were standing looking out the port-side window at Tortuga, drinking as they talked. All three looked up as they entered.
"Ah, we were waitin' fer yer t' get here," Jack smiled. "By t'morrow morning yer'll see yer new home Elizabeth!" He grinned mischievously. "An' I can get rid of yer bleedin' donkey!"
"Don't speak of James like that!" Elizabeth defended as she declined the offered bottle. Will held his hand out, only dropping it when his wife raised her eyebrow.
Jack laughed at his friend, knowing full well who wore the trousers in their relationship. "Oh come on luv," he bantered. "I said piss an' poo an' it's done nothin' but since it came aboard!" He slapped a bottle in Will's hand regardless. "Give th' lad a break Elizabeth!"
Will gratefully took a swig from the bottle before handing it back to Jack, studiously ignoring Elizabeth's glare.
"I think it is more important," Catherine interrupted, "to decide what we are going to do about Spense! It's going to be dangerous for everyone with two frigates as well as the Gauntlet in these waters."
"Well, we'll have t' wait an' see what th' Old Man comes up with," Jack sighed as he took a long swig from his bottle of rum. "But fer now we've just gotta take things easy whilst you get better..."
"Jack! The Pearl cannot sit idle for over two months!" she protested.
"Crew won't care as long as I pay 'em," Jack shrugged. "An' I'm not sailing without yer!"
"Jack!" she argued. "I could be hobbling for up to three months or more!"
"Yer'll be fine once rid of those crutches luv," he assured her. "I doubt we'll be shorebound fer longer than a month..."
"But what about the Governor?" Theodore worried.
"Yer should be safe here," Jack assured him. "Few people are stupid enough t' cross th' Old Man, and those that do don't live fer long..."
"I meant for you! What if the frigates discover you there?" Theodore worried. Even though he did not think the new ships would be stupid enough to approach Tortuga town itself, the bay being on the north side could be vulnerable to passing ships.
"I'll not be caught easily," Jack smiled. "There'll be a watch kept in th' crows nest with m' spy glass all th' time we're in th' bay. An' not even a frigate can catch us with th' sweeps employed." He glanced at Catherine who still held Charlotte, remembering their last brush with a frigate. "We'll get all of yer settled an' then see what happens," he shrugged. "Things can change quicker than th' tides an' they have t' cross th' ocean first..." He paused, realising how tired his wife looked. "But I think anythin' else can wait until th' morning. Jean Claude said yer an' Charlotte could have his bunk..."
"Thank you," Theodore said gratefully for he had wondered where he was to sleep for he knew that his sister would need her bunk. He stood and took his daughter from her. "Guess I'll change her and head to bed... goodnight all!"
"We'll walk with you," Will offered, unsure if Theodore knew where the Quartermaster's cabin was. "I think Catherine needs her bunk herself." He smiled as he realised she was already napping.
Jack smiled to himself as he locked them out of his cabin. "Come on luv," he whispered as he picked her up. "Let's get yer out of those clothes..."