Usual disclaimers... sob!
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Chapter 65.55.37.67.2 - A Farewell Party
Jack and Catherine did not emerge from the cabin until after dark, the party having already started on the beach. Jack rowed her to shore and they walked hand in hand towards the fires and the food. "Nice to have you join us Captain!" Oran laughed from where he lounged against a tree, Paul Fearnan and Isaac chuckling beside him.
"Well considerin' yer goin' t' be sailing off with m' wife soon, a man has t' make th' most of every opportunity," Jack retorted. He looked around the beach, trying to spot Jean Claude and Theodore. "Are th' others about?"
"I last saw Theodore sitting on the porch with Norrington," Isaac replied. "You sure only the four of them can go... I've never been to New Orleans..." he asked hopefully.
"I need yer an' Paul aboard th' Pearl," Jack explained. "Seein' as those goin' are th' only three that can take th' helm apart from m'self..." He looked skywards, his best martyred expression on his face.
Catherine looked at him in surprise. "I'm sorry Jack," she apologised. "I did not realise..." She bit her lip, worrying. "Do you want me to stay?"
"Nah, don't worry luv..." Jack smiled. "I'm sure I can manage t' teach these two not t' ground us..." Even though they would be sitting in a bay for the duration of her absence, he did not want to be the only one able to take the helm if trouble found them.
"You're going to teach us?" Paul Fearnan gasped in surprise. All of the crew knew how protective Jack was of his ship, reluctant to let many stand at the helm.
"P'raps," Jack teased. "If yer behave that is..." He turned to his current helmsman. "Find Jean Claude an' meet us on th' porch."
"Aye Captain!" Oran rose, dusting off his trousers and wandering down the beach. He guessed that the Frenchman would be at one of the quieter spots - although he would join in with the men and their pranks he still had the slightly aloof air of captaincy about him.
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Jack steered Catherine towards the house, grabbing some food for them both before sitting on the porch. "Theo, James," he nodded as he gently pulled Catherine down to sit on his lap. "Ta luv," he smiled as she reached for his rum, uncorking it for him.
"Jack!" He looked up to see Elizabeth, Will and his mother coming to join them. "You ready to leave tomorrow?" she asked.
"Aye," he grinned. "We'll leave with th' tide in th' morning. We'll drop off James an' our guest b'fore heading t' New Orleans." He turned to James Norrington. "Is Jimmy alright about stayin' with Elizabeth an' Will?"
"He was not particularly happy," James conceded, "but he saw the reasoning behind the decision..."
Jack nodded, pleased that James Schott was staying for he did not want the boy within reach of the Governor if things got messy. He grunted as Oran and Jean Claude arrived. "Thought yer'd gotten lost," he drawled, indicating for them to sit.
"So what is the plan?" Oran asked.
Jack shrugged. "Jean Claude knows th' city - not me," he said, looking to his quartermaster. "Well?"
Jean Claude smiled. "We will visit Paul first and discover where Mary is living. If the child is not yet born we cannot act... delivering one child to the world was enough for me!"
"But if it is?" Elizabeth asked.
"We snatch her and the child and bring them back to the Black Pearl and then on to Port Royal..." Jean Claude explained.
"You are going to leave Charlotte here until it is safe... yes?" Elizabeth interrupted.
"If you don't mind," Theodore confessed. "I don't trust Spense not to try something... I will send for her and Kasia as soon as it is safe." He had been delighted when Kasia had said that she would return to Port Royal with him,
"And that is your plan?" James Norrington gasped in disbelief at the lack of anything resembling a plan in what Jean Claude had said.
"Things need to remain flexible James," Catherine smiled, ignoring Jack's wandering hand. "We can't be too rigid..." She paused, slapping the offending hand as it wandered towards her breast. "We can't be too rigid in our plans when we know so little..."
"If Mary has been her charmin' self they might pay yer t' take her!" Jack grinned, ignoring another slap as he reached for her again. "I like rigid," he whispered in her ear, nibbling gently on her lobe.
"Will, could you pass me some water..." Catherine smiled, gesturing her empty glass, smiling as he carried the jug over to her from the table. "I can pour..." she winked at him, swivelling and dumping the contents over Jack.
"Oi!" Jack gasped with shock, evicting her from his lap as he stood dripping on the porch. "That was uncalled for Missy!" he protested.
Jean Claude, Theodore, Will and Oran roared with laughter, James chuckled quietly whilst Elizabeth smiled. Rose just looked shocked. "Catherine!" she spluttered.
"Serves him right!" Catherine laughed, aware that she was nearly as wet as Jack. "This is a crew meeting Jack - behave!" She reached for the second jug of water on the table. "And don't call me Missy!"
"No..." Jack pleaded, backing away from her as she started to count, stumbling backwards down the steps to the beach.
"One... two..." she grinned.
"Kitty!" Jack tried to keep a straight face but started laughing. "Now yer don't want t' do that... do yer?"
"Three... four..." she continued, raising the jug. Jack fled. Catherine placed the jug back on the table. "Come back you coward!" she laughed, knowing he would head towards the ships boats on the shore. "See you when we get back!" she shouted over her shoulder as she ran after him.
Rose looked at the food that they had left half-eaten on their plates. "Guess they weren't hungry," she sighed, picking the plates up and putting them on the table.
Oran and Jean Claude looked at each other and grinned. "Not for food," Oran muttered under his breath, causing Jean Claude to burst out laughing again.
"Pardon?" Rose frowned.
"Nothing," Oran evaded, trying desperately to look innocent, his green eyes twinkling with mischief. "Guess we'd better go see that the crew don't get too drunk Jean Claude..."
"Oui," Jean Claude nodded. "Excuse us," he said politely to Elizabeth and Rose before turning, spluttering with laugher as he headed down the beach with Oran.
"What was all that about?" Rose asked, turning to Will who was trying not to laugh as well.
"I think he was implying that Jack and Kitty would be spending some... um..." He coughed. "Some intimate time together..." he explained.
"Oh!" Rose blushed, her eyes following the direction in which they fled. She wondered if that was the last time she would see them, offering a brief silent prayer for their safe return. "I'll take these to the kitchen then," she flustered, picking up the plates and walked back into the house, muttering to herself about life on Tortuga. She wondered if she would ever get used to it.
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Chapter 65.55.37.67.2 - A Farewell Party
Jack and Catherine did not emerge from the cabin until after dark, the party having already started on the beach. Jack rowed her to shore and they walked hand in hand towards the fires and the food. "Nice to have you join us Captain!" Oran laughed from where he lounged against a tree, Paul Fearnan and Isaac chuckling beside him.
"Well considerin' yer goin' t' be sailing off with m' wife soon, a man has t' make th' most of every opportunity," Jack retorted. He looked around the beach, trying to spot Jean Claude and Theodore. "Are th' others about?"
"I last saw Theodore sitting on the porch with Norrington," Isaac replied. "You sure only the four of them can go... I've never been to New Orleans..." he asked hopefully.
"I need yer an' Paul aboard th' Pearl," Jack explained. "Seein' as those goin' are th' only three that can take th' helm apart from m'self..." He looked skywards, his best martyred expression on his face.
Catherine looked at him in surprise. "I'm sorry Jack," she apologised. "I did not realise..." She bit her lip, worrying. "Do you want me to stay?"
"Nah, don't worry luv..." Jack smiled. "I'm sure I can manage t' teach these two not t' ground us..." Even though they would be sitting in a bay for the duration of her absence, he did not want to be the only one able to take the helm if trouble found them.
"You're going to teach us?" Paul Fearnan gasped in surprise. All of the crew knew how protective Jack was of his ship, reluctant to let many stand at the helm.
"P'raps," Jack teased. "If yer behave that is..." He turned to his current helmsman. "Find Jean Claude an' meet us on th' porch."
"Aye Captain!" Oran rose, dusting off his trousers and wandering down the beach. He guessed that the Frenchman would be at one of the quieter spots - although he would join in with the men and their pranks he still had the slightly aloof air of captaincy about him.
###
Jack steered Catherine towards the house, grabbing some food for them both before sitting on the porch. "Theo, James," he nodded as he gently pulled Catherine down to sit on his lap. "Ta luv," he smiled as she reached for his rum, uncorking it for him.
"Jack!" He looked up to see Elizabeth, Will and his mother coming to join them. "You ready to leave tomorrow?" she asked.
"Aye," he grinned. "We'll leave with th' tide in th' morning. We'll drop off James an' our guest b'fore heading t' New Orleans." He turned to James Norrington. "Is Jimmy alright about stayin' with Elizabeth an' Will?"
"He was not particularly happy," James conceded, "but he saw the reasoning behind the decision..."
Jack nodded, pleased that James Schott was staying for he did not want the boy within reach of the Governor if things got messy. He grunted as Oran and Jean Claude arrived. "Thought yer'd gotten lost," he drawled, indicating for them to sit.
"So what is the plan?" Oran asked.
Jack shrugged. "Jean Claude knows th' city - not me," he said, looking to his quartermaster. "Well?"
Jean Claude smiled. "We will visit Paul first and discover where Mary is living. If the child is not yet born we cannot act... delivering one child to the world was enough for me!"
"But if it is?" Elizabeth asked.
"We snatch her and the child and bring them back to the Black Pearl and then on to Port Royal..." Jean Claude explained.
"You are going to leave Charlotte here until it is safe... yes?" Elizabeth interrupted.
"If you don't mind," Theodore confessed. "I don't trust Spense not to try something... I will send for her and Kasia as soon as it is safe." He had been delighted when Kasia had said that she would return to Port Royal with him,
"And that is your plan?" James Norrington gasped in disbelief at the lack of anything resembling a plan in what Jean Claude had said.
"Things need to remain flexible James," Catherine smiled, ignoring Jack's wandering hand. "We can't be too rigid..." She paused, slapping the offending hand as it wandered towards her breast. "We can't be too rigid in our plans when we know so little..."
"If Mary has been her charmin' self they might pay yer t' take her!" Jack grinned, ignoring another slap as he reached for her again. "I like rigid," he whispered in her ear, nibbling gently on her lobe.
"Will, could you pass me some water..." Catherine smiled, gesturing her empty glass, smiling as he carried the jug over to her from the table. "I can pour..." she winked at him, swivelling and dumping the contents over Jack.
"Oi!" Jack gasped with shock, evicting her from his lap as he stood dripping on the porch. "That was uncalled for Missy!" he protested.
Jean Claude, Theodore, Will and Oran roared with laughter, James chuckled quietly whilst Elizabeth smiled. Rose just looked shocked. "Catherine!" she spluttered.
"Serves him right!" Catherine laughed, aware that she was nearly as wet as Jack. "This is a crew meeting Jack - behave!" She reached for the second jug of water on the table. "And don't call me Missy!"
"No..." Jack pleaded, backing away from her as she started to count, stumbling backwards down the steps to the beach.
"One... two..." she grinned.
"Kitty!" Jack tried to keep a straight face but started laughing. "Now yer don't want t' do that... do yer?"
"Three... four..." she continued, raising the jug. Jack fled. Catherine placed the jug back on the table. "Come back you coward!" she laughed, knowing he would head towards the ships boats on the shore. "See you when we get back!" she shouted over her shoulder as she ran after him.
Rose looked at the food that they had left half-eaten on their plates. "Guess they weren't hungry," she sighed, picking the plates up and putting them on the table.
Oran and Jean Claude looked at each other and grinned. "Not for food," Oran muttered under his breath, causing Jean Claude to burst out laughing again.
"Pardon?" Rose frowned.
"Nothing," Oran evaded, trying desperately to look innocent, his green eyes twinkling with mischief. "Guess we'd better go see that the crew don't get too drunk Jean Claude..."
"Oui," Jean Claude nodded. "Excuse us," he said politely to Elizabeth and Rose before turning, spluttering with laugher as he headed down the beach with Oran.
"What was all that about?" Rose asked, turning to Will who was trying not to laugh as well.
"I think he was implying that Jack and Kitty would be spending some... um..." He coughed. "Some intimate time together..." he explained.
"Oh!" Rose blushed, her eyes following the direction in which they fled. She wondered if that was the last time she would see them, offering a brief silent prayer for their safe return. "I'll take these to the kitchen then," she flustered, picking up the plates and walked back into the house, muttering to herself about life on Tortuga. She wondered if she would ever get used to it.