by Poppets of the Pearl
a.k.a. Cherry-Alanna and LittleBlackStarz
Disclaimer: You know what we own. Adelia. Odessa. The plot. No stealing. And please no flames--be kind. Don't spoil the movie for us. But, Constructive criticism is accepted, with thanks.
~ Chapter 3: A Punishment and the Spanish Main
"Rise and shine, you drunken bastard!" Adelia yelled, sweeping the covers off of Jack's sleeping form. He grunted and swung for her.
"Go away. More sleep for the drunk, savvy?" he said, half asleep with a horrible hangover. Adelia chuckled, then suddenly gave him a hard whack with his pillow.
"Oh, that's it, you've gone too far!" Jack bellowed, standing up with the pillow in his hands, his eyes wide and a broad smile on his face.
"I'd like to see you TRY and get me," Adelia challenged, preparing to run.
"Eh, yer not worth it--this time in the morning."
Adelia's jaw dropped. "Not worth it, aye?" she asked dangerously, a sly smile spreading on her face. "You'll get what's coming to you, captain," she said with a wink before waltzing out the door.
Shaking his head, Jack fell back down upon his bed and covered his face in his hands. His head was throbbing and he felt only a little better than he'd felt the night before.
Walking out onto the deck, Jack breathed in the sweet scent of the sea, and as he stared off into the colorful horizon, he saw something that made his heart leap into his throat.
A small speck of land was visible, and Jack knew exactly what it was.
Spain.
Rushing inside, Jack quickly threw on his daily attire, consisting of clothes, weapons, and whatever one would need for a new day. He then dashed off to the kitchen and informed everyone of their current position. Will jumped up and ran out to the deck to see for himself.
Spying the land of Spain, Will leaned his elbows on the deck, enjoying the fresh salt-sea air and feeling of success to his mission.
"Is this where yer destined, sailor?" Adelia commented behind Will, noting his borrowed pirates ensemble.
Will whirled around, his sweet eyes dangerous. "Where are my clothes?"
Adelia grinned. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
Stalking away from her, Will headed down to his room. Along the way, he passed a room he recognized to be a woman's quarters. Tempted, he glanced around, checking that the coast was clear. Stepping inside, he began to shuffle through the various piles stacked in the room. Checking under the bed, he yelped in success.
"What the bloody hell are you doing in my room!?"
Will froze, his hands clutching his clothes. He had gotten caught. "Umm..." he responded, afraid to look at her.
"Well? I thought that was initiative enough fer ye to leave!" she yelled again, scooting him from the room and slamming the door in his face.
"Bloody wench," Will muttered under his breath, stalking off once again to his room to put on his own clothes.
~
The Spanish Main loomed ahead, scattered clouds dotting the brightening blue sky. Jack took a deep breath, excited to visit a country as beautiful as Spain. Will walked up behind him, his normally charming face hard with anger.
Glancing down at his friend, a smile broadened on Jack's face. "Your clothes! They're back!"
Will scowled. "Yes, but I had a lot of trouble getting them...thanks to that bloody wench."
Jack turned, a smirk on his face. "She likes you."
Will looked at Jack like he was crazy; after all, the girl had stolen his clothes! "Yeah, right; she hates me and acts accordingly.
"Think what you want, lad," Jack replied, a grin still on his face. "Now, where can we get me some miracle rum?"
Will bit his lip, feeling a little rotten. "I have to tell you something."
"Uh oh." Jack's brows furrowed, his smile fading. "There's no rum, is there?"
"No..."
"Then what was your real reason for going to Spain?" Jack asked.
"I want to find my sister. Well, half-sister," Will replied, looking down at his shoes.
"Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place, lad?"
"I thought you wouldn't want to take me if it was for that," Will declared.
Jack laughed, amused. "Do ye really find me so thick as to where I wouldn't help a friend find his long-lost sister?"
Will smiled, noting Jack's amused tone. "I guess I was a tad foolish, huh?"
"Now that that's settled, let's go find this sister o' yers."
~
Adelia glared unaffectionately at Will Turner's back while he watched the land of Spain drew nearer and nearer. They were still some miles away, about a half a day's journey, yet that foolish boy continued to stand there.
Jack, who was presently at Adelia's left, was standing at the wheel of the Pearl, steering (obviously). He routinely and continuously checked the course, his compass, and Adelia's scowling face. And every time he saw the frown upon her face and the glare in her eyes, he grinned.
Yet, at the same time, he recognized that fire in her eyes; she was planning something.
"Adelia, love, to the untrained eye, it may appear that you possibly could have feelings for the young Mr. Turner," he told her as he rested an arm around her shoulders.
As if he'd pinched her, her gaze shot to him. "I do not! Ye know better than any that I don't believe in that love foolishness, nor do I intend to."
He gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze. "I know. I know. Ye would rather have a ship on the open sea than a man at your side."
Adelia smiled. "Exactly." Suddenly she turned serious. "Jack, I was abused and shunned by my mother and her gypsy people for being a white pirate's child, even though it was my mother's mistake for fallin' in love. I was forgotten and lonely when you took me in and opened me eyes to the sea. You told me stories of Blackbeard, for goodness sake. And when I was about 13, and turning into a woman as you put it, you turned me over to my foster parents; two people whom I'll never forget. I'm eternally grateful to you, Jack, and love you more than you deserve, but none of that means I have to like your noble friend."
Jack frowned slightly at the mention of Adelia's mother and the resentment Adelia's tone had held for her mother. (Not that he could blame the lass, her fortune-teller mother had never done anything but blame and punish her daughter. In his mind's eye, no woman such as that deserved to be a mother.)
Yet, he still had to smile at Adelia's loathing of Will; and at the fact that she thought him a noble.
"Love, ye can at least try bein' civil to him," he informed his oldest friend.
As if in deep thought, Adelia put a finger to her chin. "Um, let me think...no."
Jack rolled his eyes, but grinned just the same. "In any case, there has to be a proper punishment for yer stealing of young Mr. Turner's clothes. Will certainly agrees that a punishment is needed."
It was Adelia's turn to roll her eyes. "A punishment? What will ye have me do? Peel potatoes? And what are ye goin' to this Turner boy for? I don't like the fact that ye two have been talkin' about me! What have ye told the boy?" she demanded.
Jack cocked an eyebrow at her tone, but didn't question her on it. "What we talk about is none of yer business, love. Besides, we don't discuss anything ye would be ashamed of, hopefully. But, back to yer punishment: Ye have to wear a dress for the rest of the day. On the ship, in Spain, wherever we happen to be at."
Adelia's grey eyes teased him. "A dress? Are ye jokin' ?"
Jack gave her shoulder another squeeze. "Nope. Love, if ye go to your room, ye'll find a dress laid out on th' bed."
~
Adelia stalked her way to her room, somewhat thankful she didn't hate skirts as much as she used to. Which, she supposed, was why Jack had selected this particular 'punishment.'
She still frowned at the thought of Jack and this Will discussing her, especially since Jack easily became drunk. Lord knows, she thought, what he's tellin' this boy.
Adelia opened her door, ready to scowl at whatever Jack had selected. But she couldn't scowl at this dress, it was so beautiful, but at the same time--so simple.
It was slim and long, and was probably going to hug her curves a little too much for comfort. It was made of deep shades of red velvet, and contained glints of silver. The skirt itself contained a burnt-out pattern that was replaced with a light velvet red. The top half was corset-style and was a medium shade of red cotton. White lace sleeves began at the shoulder and flared out completely.
Adelia affectionately rubbed a hand over the velvet skirt.
Well, she could give Jack one thing, she pondered as she shrugged out of her own clothes, he certainly knew what women liked.
~
Will watched as the land of Spain drew closer than ever. He could see the docks and ports from where the Pearl was; they couldn't be any farther than 3 miles off.
Will tried desperately to contain his excitement, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Spain. It was where his half-sister was, and he would learn her story. Somehow all this made him feel closer to his father, and he was glad for the connection.
All that he'd heard about his sister from Mr. Brown, the blacksmith, was that she was his senior by 5 years, was a gypsy, lived in Spain, and that her name was Odessa. So, all in all, he had no idea what or who he should be looking for.
"Beautiful sight, isn't it, lad?" asked Jack's voice behind Will.
Will turned his head and acknowledged his pirate friend. "Aye," he said jokingly.
"Come with me, lad, to see an even more beautiful one," Jack told him, his words bursting with pride.
Will shook his head. "I'd rather not, Jack. You see-"
"Adelia is serving her punishment," Jack declared, watching Will's movement at his announcement.
Will turned his head sharply. "Well, in that case," hopping down from the bow.
Will followed Jack, a grim smile of satisfaction playing on his face. Hopefully, that bloody wench got what she deserved.
But that feeling was quickly shed away as Jack pointed at Adelia's figure standing near the wheel, cheerfully conversing with Gibbs and Anamaria. She was wearing some red Victorian-looking dress that tightly hugged curves he didn't even think she possessed. Her dress certainly brought out the violent color of her hair and the roses in her cheeks, he silently concluded.
But he also realized that it was more of a punishment for him to be looking at her, than for her to be wearing the blasted thing!
Jack silently watched as Will gazed a little too long at Adelia for his taste. It's not that he didn't agree with the boy, Adelia looked stunning. Why, if he'd been younger and they didn't have a big brother/little sister past, he would have been wearing the same awe-struck, practically love-struck, expression as Will.
Smirking at that interesting thought, Jack turned to look at Adelia just as her eyes met his.
Grinning, she stuck out a friendly tongue at him. But when she turned her grey eyes to Will's brown ones, she glared and sent him a very unladylike gesture with one of her fingers. With that, she turned her back on both of them.
Will knew he should be insulted, but God damn it, he couldn't gelp being attracted to the bloody wench. Dress or no dress. Hate or no hate the girl felt for him.
"Land ahoy," Anamaria yelled from the wheel as she expertly guided the Pearl into port with eaze.
"And so the search begins," Jack said to Will as he laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Come on, lad."
~*~
You know you want to review