Normal Disclaimer.
Thanky as always to reviewers.
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Chapter Six - In Trouble in Tortuga
Elizabeth ran blindly. Every corner was littered with women and pirates. She ran off along side streets, her desperate breathing drowned by the rowdy shouts of the pursuing men.
It was dark, and hazy. Like being drunk but not as painful. Opening his eyes seemed like a major achievement, but Captain Jack Sparrow never gave up easily.
He sat up slowly, opening his eyes. Standing up was tricky at first, but after many years being on a swaying ship, under the influence of rum, it didn't bother him too much.
Jack walked over to the door, and stepped out onto the deck. The ship had been docked. It was Tortuga.
Jack suddenly felt a nagging worry start in his chest. Elizabeth. It was hardly a safe place to stop. Jack swaggered across to her cabin, and knocked on the door. No answer. He pulled the handle open. There was no one inside.
A sinking feeling began to develop in the pirate's chest. He looked around hurriedly. There were no guards left aboard. Rushing down the gangplank, Jack looked wildly into the night. He could just see Gibbs, downing a pint of beer in a nearby tavern.
"Gibbs!"
The man looked round. He smiled faintly.
"Ahh, Jack. You're dead ain't you?"
Jack decided to agree with the drunken first mate.
"Yes. But where is miss Swann?" "Oh, her. We shoved her off, here. Bad luck, that's what got you killed. ."
Jack turned slowly away, putting his hands together in prayer. She could be anywhere.
Suddenly he heard a scream. Followed by a lot of rowdy shouting. Several men ran past one of them called out;
"Oi! Jack, there's a right posh chit over yonder!"
Jack ran off in the indicated direction. His heart was pounding. Then he saw her, her dress trailing on the ground, her feet bare. One pirate, less drunk and faster than the rest, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to face him. Elizabeth was backed against a wall. She turned her face away to avoid his searching lips.
Jack pushed past the other pirates, bumping them into walls, knocking some of them down.
Elizabeth was trying hard now to fend off the unwanted advances. Then she felt his body pull away from her, before another person replaced it. Chancing a look, Elizabeth nearly fell head first into the soft brown eyes of Jack Sparrow.
"Jack, you're unconscious?"
"No love, I'm very much conscious."
He turned round, and called out to the mass of pirates behind him.
"You lot! Go find some other wenches! Leave this lass alone!"
To emphasise his point, Jack drew his sword. Several pirates collapsed, drunk. The others shrugged and walked off. One girl wasn't worth this.
He turned back to Elizabeth. Jack was about to ask what on earth she was doing, running around in Tortuga, when something un-expected happened. Instead of looking at him, or pushing him away, or slapping him, Elizabeth rested her head on his shoulder, and sobbed.
She sobbed and sobbed, till she was crying properly. Jack just stood there, a red blush flowing up his cheeks. He'd never had a woman start crying on his shoulder before. He patted her back gently. He had no idea what to do. He was a pirate, he ought to run her through, or drag her off into a dark alley somewhere and have his evil way of her, but he didn't want to. He wanted to take her somewhere safe.
"Come on, lass. Stop blubbin' and come with ol' Jack."
There was a sort of muted sob sound, which Jack took to be a 'yes'. He took her hand, and slid her head off his shoulder. Tears were streaked down her porcelain face. Her eyes glistened beautifully in the moonlight. Jack shook himself, he was being stupid again.
The two of them wandered back toward the 'Pearl'. By the time they had reached the ship, Elizabeth had dried her eyes, and was nearly herself again. She had also let go of Jack's hand. It was a welcome sight, the large wooden boat, with its black sails. Elizabeth went straight to her cabin, for a good long sleep. She felt exhausted, and worn out.
Jack, on the other hand, stayed out on deck. He felt confused. There were too many emotions shooting around inside his head. The first one was anger. He knew Gibbs to be a superstitious old fool, but not one who'd chuck a girl off into Tortuga. Even Jack wouldn't do that.
The second was puzzlement. Apparently, he, Jack, was supposed to be unconscious, or dead. Jack moved his fingers, and held his hand up in front of his eyes. He didn't feel or look dead.
The third was worry. Two reasons for worry. The first was how on earth was he made unconscious, or dead? How, or who? Could someone really get that close to him, and make him appear dead? The second worry was Elizabeth. Again, he thought, could someone really get that close to him?
There was a thud sound from behind him. Elizabeth's door had opened, and Elizabeth herself was standing in the doorway.
"Can't sleep." She looked warily round at the ship. Hugging herself for warmth, she stepped lightly over to where Jack was standing.
"You ought to go and get some rest, lass."
"I told you, I couldn't sleep."
"Well, fair enough, Lizzie, but you'll get tired."
Elizabeth shrugged.
"As you're up, you wouldn't mind tellin' me why I'm s'posed to be dead, would ye?"
"Poison."
"What?!"
"You collapsed on deck. The men thought you'd been killed by something. They blamed me, bad luck you see. They put you in your cabin, and during a storm, I snuck in. You were still breathing, and you had poison on your . . ."
Elizabeth stopped herself from saying 'lips'.
". . . breath. I could smell it."
Jack raised his eyebrows.
"You can smell poison? You're a handy thing to have about."
Elizabeth scowled. She hated lying, but she couldn't tell him the truth.
"But, usually you drink poison, right? But I didn't drink anything . . ."
Jack stopped, and reached down to a small flask hanging on his belt. He raised it up so they could both see it. Jack uncorked the top, and slowly poured it out onto the deck boards. It wasn't rum coloured. It was almost black.
Thanky as always to reviewers.
***********************************************************
Chapter Six - In Trouble in Tortuga
Elizabeth ran blindly. Every corner was littered with women and pirates. She ran off along side streets, her desperate breathing drowned by the rowdy shouts of the pursuing men.
It was dark, and hazy. Like being drunk but not as painful. Opening his eyes seemed like a major achievement, but Captain Jack Sparrow never gave up easily.
He sat up slowly, opening his eyes. Standing up was tricky at first, but after many years being on a swaying ship, under the influence of rum, it didn't bother him too much.
Jack walked over to the door, and stepped out onto the deck. The ship had been docked. It was Tortuga.
Jack suddenly felt a nagging worry start in his chest. Elizabeth. It was hardly a safe place to stop. Jack swaggered across to her cabin, and knocked on the door. No answer. He pulled the handle open. There was no one inside.
A sinking feeling began to develop in the pirate's chest. He looked around hurriedly. There were no guards left aboard. Rushing down the gangplank, Jack looked wildly into the night. He could just see Gibbs, downing a pint of beer in a nearby tavern.
"Gibbs!"
The man looked round. He smiled faintly.
"Ahh, Jack. You're dead ain't you?"
Jack decided to agree with the drunken first mate.
"Yes. But where is miss Swann?" "Oh, her. We shoved her off, here. Bad luck, that's what got you killed. ."
Jack turned slowly away, putting his hands together in prayer. She could be anywhere.
Suddenly he heard a scream. Followed by a lot of rowdy shouting. Several men ran past one of them called out;
"Oi! Jack, there's a right posh chit over yonder!"
Jack ran off in the indicated direction. His heart was pounding. Then he saw her, her dress trailing on the ground, her feet bare. One pirate, less drunk and faster than the rest, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to face him. Elizabeth was backed against a wall. She turned her face away to avoid his searching lips.
Jack pushed past the other pirates, bumping them into walls, knocking some of them down.
Elizabeth was trying hard now to fend off the unwanted advances. Then she felt his body pull away from her, before another person replaced it. Chancing a look, Elizabeth nearly fell head first into the soft brown eyes of Jack Sparrow.
"Jack, you're unconscious?"
"No love, I'm very much conscious."
He turned round, and called out to the mass of pirates behind him.
"You lot! Go find some other wenches! Leave this lass alone!"
To emphasise his point, Jack drew his sword. Several pirates collapsed, drunk. The others shrugged and walked off. One girl wasn't worth this.
He turned back to Elizabeth. Jack was about to ask what on earth she was doing, running around in Tortuga, when something un-expected happened. Instead of looking at him, or pushing him away, or slapping him, Elizabeth rested her head on his shoulder, and sobbed.
She sobbed and sobbed, till she was crying properly. Jack just stood there, a red blush flowing up his cheeks. He'd never had a woman start crying on his shoulder before. He patted her back gently. He had no idea what to do. He was a pirate, he ought to run her through, or drag her off into a dark alley somewhere and have his evil way of her, but he didn't want to. He wanted to take her somewhere safe.
"Come on, lass. Stop blubbin' and come with ol' Jack."
There was a sort of muted sob sound, which Jack took to be a 'yes'. He took her hand, and slid her head off his shoulder. Tears were streaked down her porcelain face. Her eyes glistened beautifully in the moonlight. Jack shook himself, he was being stupid again.
The two of them wandered back toward the 'Pearl'. By the time they had reached the ship, Elizabeth had dried her eyes, and was nearly herself again. She had also let go of Jack's hand. It was a welcome sight, the large wooden boat, with its black sails. Elizabeth went straight to her cabin, for a good long sleep. She felt exhausted, and worn out.
Jack, on the other hand, stayed out on deck. He felt confused. There were too many emotions shooting around inside his head. The first one was anger. He knew Gibbs to be a superstitious old fool, but not one who'd chuck a girl off into Tortuga. Even Jack wouldn't do that.
The second was puzzlement. Apparently, he, Jack, was supposed to be unconscious, or dead. Jack moved his fingers, and held his hand up in front of his eyes. He didn't feel or look dead.
The third was worry. Two reasons for worry. The first was how on earth was he made unconscious, or dead? How, or who? Could someone really get that close to him, and make him appear dead? The second worry was Elizabeth. Again, he thought, could someone really get that close to him?
There was a thud sound from behind him. Elizabeth's door had opened, and Elizabeth herself was standing in the doorway.
"Can't sleep." She looked warily round at the ship. Hugging herself for warmth, she stepped lightly over to where Jack was standing.
"You ought to go and get some rest, lass."
"I told you, I couldn't sleep."
"Well, fair enough, Lizzie, but you'll get tired."
Elizabeth shrugged.
"As you're up, you wouldn't mind tellin' me why I'm s'posed to be dead, would ye?"
"Poison."
"What?!"
"You collapsed on deck. The men thought you'd been killed by something. They blamed me, bad luck you see. They put you in your cabin, and during a storm, I snuck in. You were still breathing, and you had poison on your . . ."
Elizabeth stopped herself from saying 'lips'.
". . . breath. I could smell it."
Jack raised his eyebrows.
"You can smell poison? You're a handy thing to have about."
Elizabeth scowled. She hated lying, but she couldn't tell him the truth.
"But, usually you drink poison, right? But I didn't drink anything . . ."
Jack stopped, and reached down to a small flask hanging on his belt. He raised it up so they could both see it. Jack uncorked the top, and slowly poured it out onto the deck boards. It wasn't rum coloured. It was almost black.