Hi! I'm not sure my chapter editing thing is working right. Oh well.
Usual Disclaimer.
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Chapter Fourteen - Scandals and Scuffles
Will struggled upright. He took in a few gasps of soothing air, before turning towards the brig steps. He started down the creaky stairs.
Jack heard the footsteps as Ana entered. Drawing away from Elizabeth, he was about to say something that no man should say in the presence of ladies, when another set of footsteps came audible.
Elizabeth and Jack sprang away from one another, but not in time. Will slowed to a steady pace, his face a mask of horror, which was riveted to Elizabeth glowing face.
Will couldn't speak. He was too horrified.
Ana just stood there. Eventually, she took Will's arm and tried to pull him away. But Will was determined not to be led away. He wrenched his arm from Ana's grasp, and lunged at Jack.
The Captain sidestepped neatly, but Will's flailing hand caught hold of Jack's collar, and the two of them whirled into the far wall with a crash. Elizabeth shrieked as the mass of bodies slammed into another wall. Ana stormed into the melee with a will.
After about five seconds, Jack broke free, grabbed Elizabeth's wrist and ran hell for leather out of the brig, Elizabeth, valiantly trying to hold up her skirts, hurrying behind him.
They burst out onto the deck. There was no one around. Elizabeth noticed the darkening bruises on Jack's tanned skin. There were also several cuts and gashes. She was about to find something to clean him up with, when Will shot out of nowhere. Elizabeth was about to speak, when she realised Jack wasn't there.
He was flat on back, with Will kneeling on his chest, his hands pinning Jack's neck to the ground.
"Will, let go of him!"
Will tightened his grip. Jack let out a warning gurgle. Will felt something cold on his neck.
"Get up, ye scurvy land lubber!"
Will stood up, raising his hands. Gibbs pressed the gun barrel harder into Will's neck. The rest of the crew filed out of their sleeping quarters. Upon seeing their Captain, apparently back from the dead, they all looked a bit confused. Gibbs however, was 'the' ancient mariner, and things that confused him, he simply ignored.
"Now get down to a nice cosy cell, Mr Turner. I'll not be havin' that sort o' thing on my ship. Er, 'your' ship Captain."
"Thank you Gibbs!"
Jack managed in a hoarse whisper. Will was shoved roughly down the stairs. Elizabeth knelt down next to Jack, who was trying to regain both his voice and composure.
"Jack, are you alright?"
Jack smiled wryly.
"Never been better, love."
Ana grabbed Jack by his hand and with one mighty wrench heaved him upwards. Jack shook his head, and felt the cuts and bruises on his face gingerly. He looked round at the assembled crew, who looked like lost sheep.
"Well, get on with it then!"
They vanished, literally into the woodwork. Men were everywhere, generally sailing the ship and as Jack put it, 'getting on with it'. They naturally assumed they carry on for Port Royale. Jack retired to his cabin, followed by a worried Elizabeth. Ana wandered after her, feigning tiredness, but secretly anxious that her brother was all right.
Gibbs, who had stowed Will away and returned on deck, turned to the crew.
"I guess we're goin' ta Port Royale to drop Mr Turner off."
Several of the crew nodded, and the ship carried on through the night.
Elizabeth was trying to clean the blood off Jack's cheek. It was easier said than done. Ana stood in the corner, laughing at her Captain's discomfort.
"Careful, feels worse now than it did before ye got here!"
Ana snorted in her corner.
"An' don't you start!"
Elizabeth sat back, a look of annoyance on her face.
"Jack, will you let me clean your face or not?"
Jack shrugged un-committaly. Elizabeth stared in again with what Ana could only think of as the 'Mother-Hen' routine. She tried to suppress her giggles but eventually it overcame her. However, one icy glare from her brother sent her scurrying outside.
Usual Disclaimer.
***********************************************************
Chapter Fourteen - Scandals and Scuffles
Will struggled upright. He took in a few gasps of soothing air, before turning towards the brig steps. He started down the creaky stairs.
Jack heard the footsteps as Ana entered. Drawing away from Elizabeth, he was about to say something that no man should say in the presence of ladies, when another set of footsteps came audible.
Elizabeth and Jack sprang away from one another, but not in time. Will slowed to a steady pace, his face a mask of horror, which was riveted to Elizabeth glowing face.
Will couldn't speak. He was too horrified.
Ana just stood there. Eventually, she took Will's arm and tried to pull him away. But Will was determined not to be led away. He wrenched his arm from Ana's grasp, and lunged at Jack.
The Captain sidestepped neatly, but Will's flailing hand caught hold of Jack's collar, and the two of them whirled into the far wall with a crash. Elizabeth shrieked as the mass of bodies slammed into another wall. Ana stormed into the melee with a will.
After about five seconds, Jack broke free, grabbed Elizabeth's wrist and ran hell for leather out of the brig, Elizabeth, valiantly trying to hold up her skirts, hurrying behind him.
They burst out onto the deck. There was no one around. Elizabeth noticed the darkening bruises on Jack's tanned skin. There were also several cuts and gashes. She was about to find something to clean him up with, when Will shot out of nowhere. Elizabeth was about to speak, when she realised Jack wasn't there.
He was flat on back, with Will kneeling on his chest, his hands pinning Jack's neck to the ground.
"Will, let go of him!"
Will tightened his grip. Jack let out a warning gurgle. Will felt something cold on his neck.
"Get up, ye scurvy land lubber!"
Will stood up, raising his hands. Gibbs pressed the gun barrel harder into Will's neck. The rest of the crew filed out of their sleeping quarters. Upon seeing their Captain, apparently back from the dead, they all looked a bit confused. Gibbs however, was 'the' ancient mariner, and things that confused him, he simply ignored.
"Now get down to a nice cosy cell, Mr Turner. I'll not be havin' that sort o' thing on my ship. Er, 'your' ship Captain."
"Thank you Gibbs!"
Jack managed in a hoarse whisper. Will was shoved roughly down the stairs. Elizabeth knelt down next to Jack, who was trying to regain both his voice and composure.
"Jack, are you alright?"
Jack smiled wryly.
"Never been better, love."
Ana grabbed Jack by his hand and with one mighty wrench heaved him upwards. Jack shook his head, and felt the cuts and bruises on his face gingerly. He looked round at the assembled crew, who looked like lost sheep.
"Well, get on with it then!"
They vanished, literally into the woodwork. Men were everywhere, generally sailing the ship and as Jack put it, 'getting on with it'. They naturally assumed they carry on for Port Royale. Jack retired to his cabin, followed by a worried Elizabeth. Ana wandered after her, feigning tiredness, but secretly anxious that her brother was all right.
Gibbs, who had stowed Will away and returned on deck, turned to the crew.
"I guess we're goin' ta Port Royale to drop Mr Turner off."
Several of the crew nodded, and the ship carried on through the night.
Elizabeth was trying to clean the blood off Jack's cheek. It was easier said than done. Ana stood in the corner, laughing at her Captain's discomfort.
"Careful, feels worse now than it did before ye got here!"
Ana snorted in her corner.
"An' don't you start!"
Elizabeth sat back, a look of annoyance on her face.
"Jack, will you let me clean your face or not?"
Jack shrugged un-committaly. Elizabeth stared in again with what Ana could only think of as the 'Mother-Hen' routine. She tried to suppress her giggles but eventually it overcame her. However, one icy glare from her brother sent her scurrying outside.