The day started to fade into twilight and the crew began to head back to the sea. Clouds were beginning to pile up in the sky, growling with discontent. The Black Pearl was frequently silhouetted by pink flashes of lightning.
"C'mon lads, let's get home before they break!" Jack shouted over the crashing waves. Cotton and another were at the oars, his parrot was sitting, quietly for a change, in Jacquelyn's lap. The spray from the sea was blinding. The rain to fall as they reached the ship. Gibbs lowered the Jacob's ladder.
"Welcome back, Captain!" he boomed, pulling him over the side.
"Mr. Gibbs, how is my ship?" he said nodding.
"Nothing but steady seas, sir."
"Not for long." Jack squinted as he looked up into the sails. "We'll keep anchorage for tonight, then find a nice little harbor tomorrow." He turned his attention to Jacquelyn who was pulling herself up with her hands full.
"I hope the rain doesn't ruin these," she panted. "I've got plans for these silks." She ran with her head down to the cabin. Ana Maria rolled her eyes and climbed into the rigging, securing loose lines.
"Jack, you were gone for a good while," Gibbs said lowering his voice.
The captain shrugged. "You know how it is, mate. Learn the lay of the land, make some contacts-"
"Run into 'old friends'?" Gibbs finished for him.
"Yeah."
Gibbs nodded knowingly. "Harding?"
Jack shook his head. "No, no, no, mate. Leftenant Harding now. But we can slip in under him easy."
"If you say so, Captain. I'll send a watch up for tonight."
"On your way." The pirate turned toward his cabin as the drizzle increased into a deluge.
"Well today has certainly been entertaining," his daughter chirped, spreading a dark blue silk on the table.
"Where did you get that?" He asked ringing out his shirt.
"At the market. I had to barter for it."
Jack looked at her suspiciously. "What, pray tell, did you barter for that?"
"Nothing of yours." She stepped back to admire her purchase, brushing her hair out of her face. Jack grabbed her by the wrist and inspected her hand.
"Norrington's ring? I'm surprised at you," he tsked. She arched an eyebrow and handed him a rum bottle in exchange for her hand back.
"Why?" She sat in her chair and stared out the window. "I doubt he'll be coming around for it." She sighed. "He's probably forgotten all about me by now."
"Don't worry, love. A few more days here, and you'll probably forget him."
"What do you mean?"
Two heavy boots were on the table as he propped his feet up. "Well, I could just sell you off to some merchant for a bride. Be rid of you and I could plunder your wedding as I pleased."
"But what would you do for my dowry?" she teased.
" Why should I give anything else up? I mean, the bloke would be getting you and you are treasure enough, love."
"A pirate giving up treasure? Doesn't sound quite right, does it?"
He paused to think. She laughed as he acknowledged his defeat.
"I'm tired. I'll see you in the morning," she yawned mockingly.
He closed his eyes as the door to the chart room, converted for her stay, slammed shut. He took in final swig before getting to his feet. Thunder crash overhead as he doused the lanterns and prepared for bed. His dagger tucked under his arm and pistol under a threadbare cushion nearby, Jack stared out the rain-clouded window waiting for sleep to come.
-CRASH!-
"Oh what now?" he muttered under his breath. His eye opened slightly. It was still storming madly. An empty bottle rolled across the floor to and fro. The door had blown open, rain pouring into his cabin. He groaned as he pulled himself out of bed to close it. The boards creaked under his feet. Sparrow peered into the darkness. No one was standing the watch. "Lazy slugs, the lot of 'em," he growled closing the door, securing the bolt on it this time.
Something was out of place. The bottle rolling across the floor. It stopped. He turned slowly. A laugh came through the dark across the cabin.
"Harding."
"You need a better cabin boy, Sparrow. Your little girl seems to be dead weight."
A flash of lightning lit the cabin. Harding stood opposite the pirate. Jacquelyn, still in her night gown, stood next to him.
"Father?" She started for him, but Harding had her firmly by the hair. She yelped in pain as he tugged on it like a leash, pulling her into him. He held a pistol to her neck and smiled soullessly at Jack.
Jack met his eyes. "You think a pirate's going to pay a ransom, mate? I was going to sell her off here, unless you can make me a better offer." He edged his way to his dagger, still hidden under his blankets.
"Looking for this?" The soldier smirked, juggling his captive to pull the dagger out of his belt. "Which would you prefer, girl?" he crooned to her. "This," holding the pistol to her, "will make your end a little quicker, but it will wake everyone up; whereas this," jabbing her with the dagger's handle, "will be much quieter, but you could linger about in agony for a moment."
She stared blankly at her father who still hadn't flinched. Harding saw the connection.
"No? Well, let's let your father decide, hmm? Which will it be, Captain Sparrow?"
Jack held his head up straight, continuing his bluff. "Whatever tickles you, Harding."
Harding smiled like a child. "Alright then." He cocked the hammer on the pistol. Jacquelyn sucked in a sharp breath and wrenched her eyes shut. The rain was slamming into the windows. Harding's smile quickly hardened into a scowl as the trigger connected to the housing.
"NO!"
-BANG!-
Jack sat straight up in bed, sweating as the thunderclap rumbled away. The dagger was still lying under his arm. The empty bottle sat on the table, still empty he noted quickly. He crept to the chart room and threw the door open. Jacquelyn was snoring lightly through the raging storm. He rested his head on the doorjamb as he took in a sigh of relief. Slowly closing the door he went back to his couch. Jack stopped. He grabbed his blanket and settled in a chair at the table. The pistol didn't leave his hand.
"C'mon lads, let's get home before they break!" Jack shouted over the crashing waves. Cotton and another were at the oars, his parrot was sitting, quietly for a change, in Jacquelyn's lap. The spray from the sea was blinding. The rain to fall as they reached the ship. Gibbs lowered the Jacob's ladder.
"Welcome back, Captain!" he boomed, pulling him over the side.
"Mr. Gibbs, how is my ship?" he said nodding.
"Nothing but steady seas, sir."
"Not for long." Jack squinted as he looked up into the sails. "We'll keep anchorage for tonight, then find a nice little harbor tomorrow." He turned his attention to Jacquelyn who was pulling herself up with her hands full.
"I hope the rain doesn't ruin these," she panted. "I've got plans for these silks." She ran with her head down to the cabin. Ana Maria rolled her eyes and climbed into the rigging, securing loose lines.
"Jack, you were gone for a good while," Gibbs said lowering his voice.
The captain shrugged. "You know how it is, mate. Learn the lay of the land, make some contacts-"
"Run into 'old friends'?" Gibbs finished for him.
"Yeah."
Gibbs nodded knowingly. "Harding?"
Jack shook his head. "No, no, no, mate. Leftenant Harding now. But we can slip in under him easy."
"If you say so, Captain. I'll send a watch up for tonight."
"On your way." The pirate turned toward his cabin as the drizzle increased into a deluge.
"Well today has certainly been entertaining," his daughter chirped, spreading a dark blue silk on the table.
"Where did you get that?" He asked ringing out his shirt.
"At the market. I had to barter for it."
Jack looked at her suspiciously. "What, pray tell, did you barter for that?"
"Nothing of yours." She stepped back to admire her purchase, brushing her hair out of her face. Jack grabbed her by the wrist and inspected her hand.
"Norrington's ring? I'm surprised at you," he tsked. She arched an eyebrow and handed him a rum bottle in exchange for her hand back.
"Why?" She sat in her chair and stared out the window. "I doubt he'll be coming around for it." She sighed. "He's probably forgotten all about me by now."
"Don't worry, love. A few more days here, and you'll probably forget him."
"What do you mean?"
Two heavy boots were on the table as he propped his feet up. "Well, I could just sell you off to some merchant for a bride. Be rid of you and I could plunder your wedding as I pleased."
"But what would you do for my dowry?" she teased.
" Why should I give anything else up? I mean, the bloke would be getting you and you are treasure enough, love."
"A pirate giving up treasure? Doesn't sound quite right, does it?"
He paused to think. She laughed as he acknowledged his defeat.
"I'm tired. I'll see you in the morning," she yawned mockingly.
He closed his eyes as the door to the chart room, converted for her stay, slammed shut. He took in final swig before getting to his feet. Thunder crash overhead as he doused the lanterns and prepared for bed. His dagger tucked under his arm and pistol under a threadbare cushion nearby, Jack stared out the rain-clouded window waiting for sleep to come.
-CRASH!-
"Oh what now?" he muttered under his breath. His eye opened slightly. It was still storming madly. An empty bottle rolled across the floor to and fro. The door had blown open, rain pouring into his cabin. He groaned as he pulled himself out of bed to close it. The boards creaked under his feet. Sparrow peered into the darkness. No one was standing the watch. "Lazy slugs, the lot of 'em," he growled closing the door, securing the bolt on it this time.
Something was out of place. The bottle rolling across the floor. It stopped. He turned slowly. A laugh came through the dark across the cabin.
"Harding."
"You need a better cabin boy, Sparrow. Your little girl seems to be dead weight."
A flash of lightning lit the cabin. Harding stood opposite the pirate. Jacquelyn, still in her night gown, stood next to him.
"Father?" She started for him, but Harding had her firmly by the hair. She yelped in pain as he tugged on it like a leash, pulling her into him. He held a pistol to her neck and smiled soullessly at Jack.
Jack met his eyes. "You think a pirate's going to pay a ransom, mate? I was going to sell her off here, unless you can make me a better offer." He edged his way to his dagger, still hidden under his blankets.
"Looking for this?" The soldier smirked, juggling his captive to pull the dagger out of his belt. "Which would you prefer, girl?" he crooned to her. "This," holding the pistol to her, "will make your end a little quicker, but it will wake everyone up; whereas this," jabbing her with the dagger's handle, "will be much quieter, but you could linger about in agony for a moment."
She stared blankly at her father who still hadn't flinched. Harding saw the connection.
"No? Well, let's let your father decide, hmm? Which will it be, Captain Sparrow?"
Jack held his head up straight, continuing his bluff. "Whatever tickles you, Harding."
Harding smiled like a child. "Alright then." He cocked the hammer on the pistol. Jacquelyn sucked in a sharp breath and wrenched her eyes shut. The rain was slamming into the windows. Harding's smile quickly hardened into a scowl as the trigger connected to the housing.
"NO!"
-BANG!-
Jack sat straight up in bed, sweating as the thunderclap rumbled away. The dagger was still lying under his arm. The empty bottle sat on the table, still empty he noted quickly. He crept to the chart room and threw the door open. Jacquelyn was snoring lightly through the raging storm. He rested his head on the doorjamb as he took in a sigh of relief. Slowly closing the door he went back to his couch. Jack stopped. He grabbed his blanket and settled in a chair at the table. The pistol didn't leave his hand.