Disclaimer - Same as the Prologue. Just click the back button and save
yourself the trouble of suing me.
AN: Well, FF.net made me move my author's notes. Bah. But while I was takin' care of THAT business, I found myself wanting to write again. Yay! This chappie is a bit short, though not as bad as some previously. And don't expect another chapter TOO soon. But before Christmas. I hope.
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Chapter 9 - Anamaria Warren
The house was small, homely, yet larger and certainly cleaner than most of the homes on the outskirts of Tortuga.
Will, Jack, Tiger and the girls approached the house. At once, a surprisingly loud din began to emit from it.
"Tiger! JACK!!"
Suddenly the doors burst open and a flood of children, from toddler to teenager, came running out. Jack and Tiger were immediately swamped by yelling kids. Carol was amazed at the variety - there were more than a dozen of them, ranging from very dark black kids to pale redheads and even one little Asian girl. All were happy, well-fed, and exuberant. It was obvious that Tiger and Jack were considered favorite uncles, but the two eldest children, a boy and girl, both mulatto, detached themselves and approached Will shyly.
"Cap'n Turner?"
"Why, if it isn't Samantha! And - oh, my - James? How you have grown.I barely recognize you!"
"Where ya been fer de last ten years, Cap'n Turner? I hasn't seen ya since I was eight!" the girl exclaimed.
"Aye, and I was only five, I hardly remember ya, Cap'n!" That was the boy, taller but more youthful.
"Well, well."
Everyone looked up to see a beautiful mulatto woman standing in the doorway with a babe in her arms. Her long, dark hair flowed out from under a red bandanna, and she was dressed simply, in men's clothing. She looked to be about forty.
"Will Turner. Haven't seen you in this town for nigh on a decade."
Grinning from ear to ear, Will strode up and swept the little woman into his arms, babe and all.
"Anamaria! By the stars, it's good to see you again!" He set her down and eyed the multitude of children.
"You've been a busy girl, Ana. When I left you only had three."
Ana laughed brightly. "Oh, they're not all mine. I adopted half of them from other women who couldn't keep them. All the dark ones are mine - except for Tasha, there." A little ebon-black girl who looked to be about five waved shyly.
"So. What brings you to my door, my friends?" Ana asked, seeing the rest of the group for the first time. "And who are these lovely ladies?"
"Oh, I forget myself. Anamaria, this is Gina, Carol and Mary White, of St. Andrews'." The three girls curtsied and Anamaria nodded to them.
"They look a bit proper to be travelin' with the likes of you, my friend. You didn't kidnap them, I hope?"
Will looked uncomfortable. Mary came to his rescue.
"We are guests on Captain Turner's Ship, Miss..." She paused.
"Oh! It's Warren. But please, just call me Anamaria, or Ana."
"Ana," Will interjected, "I don't want them alone into Tortuga harbor - for obvious reasons - and I don't want to take them with me. May they stay with you tonight? We'll pick them up tomorrow morning."
"Why can't you leave them on the ship?" Ana asked. Will bit his lip. Jack, who had finally detached himself from the mob of children, was the one who answered.
"Ana, they're ELIZABETH'S children. Would you?"
"Oh." Ana's eyes grew wide. "I see. Sure, I'll take them for tonight. Here now, children, come inside." The throng of children instantly grew quiet and filed into the house. "You too, ladies. I'm sure I can find something for three young women to do in a house full of kids." She winked and ushered them inside. Once they were in, she turned to Will.
"White?" she asked, an eyebrow raised. "Not Turner? But..."
Will shook his head sadly. "Please. Don't."
* * *
"Alright," Will said as he, Jack and Tiger turned the corner. "Where are we headed?"
Jack gave him a look. "Where'd ya think, whelp? Gibbs. You need to get yourself a crew, mate." He chuckled. "After all, if I can't sail a ship all by me onesies, then YOU certainly can't."
Will rolled his eyes. "Thanks ever so, my fine feathered floppy-hatted friend."
"You're welcome. Ah, here we are."
Jack marched up to the door of a small, rather run-down cottage and banged on the door. After a moment, colorful swearing was heard and Gibbs poked his head out groggily.
"What in blazes - Jack! Blast ye, ye know better than to wake a man when he's - Well! Sink me sideways and call me a turtle, if it isn't Will Turner!"
Gibbs, now over sixty, was still the same as he ever was. He greeted Will warmly.
"I see you've moved on to higher things, Gibbs." Will said, his honey colored eyes dancing. "What happened to the pigs?"
"Funny, William. Come in, come in! You too, Tommy boy."
As Gibbs retreated into his home, Will gave Tiger a look.
"Tommy boy?" he asked. The corner of his mouth twitched with restrained amusement. Tiger almost blushed. Almost.
"I've known Gibbs since I was but a lad. He's rather set in his ways."
"He's always been set in his ways. Come on, Tommy." Will replied, grinning. Tiger cuffed him upside the head.
"Just because he does doesn't mean YOU can." he growled. Will laughed, and together they entered Gibbs' humble abode.
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Wai!! I need to take breaks more often! Look, I got TWO new reviewers!!
u-ne-korn: Eh . . . sorry about the skippage. And no, I haven't explained why Will took the girls yet. That's next chapter. It's complicated. And the part I jumped, well, you were supposed to just assume that they had won. (ie, I was too lazy to write the end of the battle.)
Tazz: *sticks out tongue*
E-chan: *sticks out tongue twice*
Dohgzmania: Here you go! *hands chapter on a silver platter*
Shiranai Seito: Lookie! I wrote more! *happygrin*
--------------------------------
Review! The more reviews I get, the more likely I am to have writing motivation!!
AN: Well, FF.net made me move my author's notes. Bah. But while I was takin' care of THAT business, I found myself wanting to write again. Yay! This chappie is a bit short, though not as bad as some previously. And don't expect another chapter TOO soon. But before Christmas. I hope.
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Chapter 9 - Anamaria Warren
The house was small, homely, yet larger and certainly cleaner than most of the homes on the outskirts of Tortuga.
Will, Jack, Tiger and the girls approached the house. At once, a surprisingly loud din began to emit from it.
"Tiger! JACK!!"
Suddenly the doors burst open and a flood of children, from toddler to teenager, came running out. Jack and Tiger were immediately swamped by yelling kids. Carol was amazed at the variety - there were more than a dozen of them, ranging from very dark black kids to pale redheads and even one little Asian girl. All were happy, well-fed, and exuberant. It was obvious that Tiger and Jack were considered favorite uncles, but the two eldest children, a boy and girl, both mulatto, detached themselves and approached Will shyly.
"Cap'n Turner?"
"Why, if it isn't Samantha! And - oh, my - James? How you have grown.I barely recognize you!"
"Where ya been fer de last ten years, Cap'n Turner? I hasn't seen ya since I was eight!" the girl exclaimed.
"Aye, and I was only five, I hardly remember ya, Cap'n!" That was the boy, taller but more youthful.
"Well, well."
Everyone looked up to see a beautiful mulatto woman standing in the doorway with a babe in her arms. Her long, dark hair flowed out from under a red bandanna, and she was dressed simply, in men's clothing. She looked to be about forty.
"Will Turner. Haven't seen you in this town for nigh on a decade."
Grinning from ear to ear, Will strode up and swept the little woman into his arms, babe and all.
"Anamaria! By the stars, it's good to see you again!" He set her down and eyed the multitude of children.
"You've been a busy girl, Ana. When I left you only had three."
Ana laughed brightly. "Oh, they're not all mine. I adopted half of them from other women who couldn't keep them. All the dark ones are mine - except for Tasha, there." A little ebon-black girl who looked to be about five waved shyly.
"So. What brings you to my door, my friends?" Ana asked, seeing the rest of the group for the first time. "And who are these lovely ladies?"
"Oh, I forget myself. Anamaria, this is Gina, Carol and Mary White, of St. Andrews'." The three girls curtsied and Anamaria nodded to them.
"They look a bit proper to be travelin' with the likes of you, my friend. You didn't kidnap them, I hope?"
Will looked uncomfortable. Mary came to his rescue.
"We are guests on Captain Turner's Ship, Miss..." She paused.
"Oh! It's Warren. But please, just call me Anamaria, or Ana."
"Ana," Will interjected, "I don't want them alone into Tortuga harbor - for obvious reasons - and I don't want to take them with me. May they stay with you tonight? We'll pick them up tomorrow morning."
"Why can't you leave them on the ship?" Ana asked. Will bit his lip. Jack, who had finally detached himself from the mob of children, was the one who answered.
"Ana, they're ELIZABETH'S children. Would you?"
"Oh." Ana's eyes grew wide. "I see. Sure, I'll take them for tonight. Here now, children, come inside." The throng of children instantly grew quiet and filed into the house. "You too, ladies. I'm sure I can find something for three young women to do in a house full of kids." She winked and ushered them inside. Once they were in, she turned to Will.
"White?" she asked, an eyebrow raised. "Not Turner? But..."
Will shook his head sadly. "Please. Don't."
* * *
"Alright," Will said as he, Jack and Tiger turned the corner. "Where are we headed?"
Jack gave him a look. "Where'd ya think, whelp? Gibbs. You need to get yourself a crew, mate." He chuckled. "After all, if I can't sail a ship all by me onesies, then YOU certainly can't."
Will rolled his eyes. "Thanks ever so, my fine feathered floppy-hatted friend."
"You're welcome. Ah, here we are."
Jack marched up to the door of a small, rather run-down cottage and banged on the door. After a moment, colorful swearing was heard and Gibbs poked his head out groggily.
"What in blazes - Jack! Blast ye, ye know better than to wake a man when he's - Well! Sink me sideways and call me a turtle, if it isn't Will Turner!"
Gibbs, now over sixty, was still the same as he ever was. He greeted Will warmly.
"I see you've moved on to higher things, Gibbs." Will said, his honey colored eyes dancing. "What happened to the pigs?"
"Funny, William. Come in, come in! You too, Tommy boy."
As Gibbs retreated into his home, Will gave Tiger a look.
"Tommy boy?" he asked. The corner of his mouth twitched with restrained amusement. Tiger almost blushed. Almost.
"I've known Gibbs since I was but a lad. He's rather set in his ways."
"He's always been set in his ways. Come on, Tommy." Will replied, grinning. Tiger cuffed him upside the head.
"Just because he does doesn't mean YOU can." he growled. Will laughed, and together they entered Gibbs' humble abode.
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Wai!! I need to take breaks more often! Look, I got TWO new reviewers!!
u-ne-korn: Eh . . . sorry about the skippage. And no, I haven't explained why Will took the girls yet. That's next chapter. It's complicated. And the part I jumped, well, you were supposed to just assume that they had won. (ie, I was too lazy to write the end of the battle.)
Tazz: *sticks out tongue*
E-chan: *sticks out tongue twice*
Dohgzmania: Here you go! *hands chapter on a silver platter*
Shiranai Seito: Lookie! I wrote more! *happygrin*
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Review! The more reviews I get, the more likely I am to have writing motivation!!