Jack Sparrow was a man of amazingly hidden depth, a veiled
compassion, and incredible patience.
Except when it came to rum.
Oh, how he loved rum, his friend of years, his only trusted friend, save maybe Gibbs.
Why had Tara pushed him? Why had she attacked him using the only method that would rile him? Jack shook his head, the beads clicking in the way they did. He tried to focus on keeping the wheel steady, but somehow, Tara's scared little face kept swimming in front of him.
He had really frightened her, he knew that. And he was not proud of it. Conceited as he might be of his daunting reputation, he did not scare women, as a rule.
But she had dumped his rum... she must have known that it would irk him...
Still, he told himself, there was still some rum in the brig.
But he couldn't face going down there and seeing Tara.
She was probably crying. Women always seemed to do that, especially where Jack was concerned. Anamaria was probably crying right now too...
His thoughts went back to Tara. Maybe kidnapping her had been a bad idea. After all, they didn't need the money... luckily for Jack, none of his crew, maybe not even his trusted rum, knew the real reason why he had brought Tara Waller aboard... He felt as though he could trust Tara... she had even seen his scars.... He didn't show them to anyone... it had been by accident though...
"Land ahoy!"
The cry above brought Jack back to his senses, and he sighed.
Tara had been down in the brig for hours when there was a terrible jerk. The ship has stopped. They must have reached Tortuga.
Tara didn't want to move, but she had to say goodbye to Anamaria. So she stood up and walked unsteadily to the stairs. She went up and found that it was a cold night.
She walked around to Anamaria's cabin. Anamaria was just coming out, looking red-eyed. She was clutching a bag of her things.
"I'm leaving now," she said, still unaware that Tara already knew that.
"Oh, Anamaria," said Tara.
The pair of them walked in silence to the place where a plank had been set up leading onto the island. Jack was waiting at the top, looking sombre and also sober.
"I'm sorry, Anamaria," he said.
Anamaria faced him, and pressed his golden sparrow into his fingers. Tara stood to one side, feeling awkward.
"Goodbye, Captain Sparrow," said Ana.
She walked to the land. Tara followed, not looking at Jack. Tara hugged Ana.
"I'll miss you," Tara said.
Ana sighed. "Me too, my friend, me too."
With these words, she disappeared into the night.
Tara felt like crying. Jack had walked off the ship with his entire crew, and they moved along the street. Tara followed him. The streets were lined with dirty men and women in low-cut dresses. These women glared at Tara, as though afraid of new competition.
Jack and most of his crew disappeared into a tavern. Tara decided to explore. Wishing she was armed, she walked off.
The streets were all similar, and Tara received many glares as she passed the women. Finally she arrived at a small inn which looked somewhat more respectable than the rest. Feeling in the pocket of her shirt, she discovered that Anamaria had left some money in it, so she walked inside to get a drink.
It was hot and dark inside. The inn was fairly empty, save for a few men drinking rum. The woman serving drinks had bright green eyes and curly red hair. She looked quite amiable, so Tara went over.
"Can I have a drink please?" she asked.
"What of?" asked the woman nicely.
"Anything which isn't rum," sighed Tara.
The woman smiled and poured a glass of water. Tara paid for her drink and sipped it.
"Haven't seen you around these parts before," the woman said.
"No, the ship I'm with just pulled in," said Tara, forgetting again that she wasn't with the Pearl of her own accord.
The woman smiled, and offered Tara her hand. "Rosemary."
Tara took it and shook it. "Tara."
"So which ship would this be?" asked Rose, wiping the bar top.
"The Black Pearl," said Tara.
Rose made a funny choking noise.
"What?" asked Tara.
"I've been wanting a word with that Jack Sparrow," snarled Rose.
"Captain Jack Sparrow," said Tara automatically.
Rose looked at her thoughtfully. "Ye be mindful of him, Tara. Strange man."
"I will," said Tara, not admitting how scared she was of Jack.
"Where is he anyway?" asked Rose. "I've got a real bone to pick with him."
"I don't know," said Tara. "Some tavern. What do you want with him?"
Rose glared. "He stole three barrels of rum from me."
"They're floating in the Spanish Main right now," said Tara.
Rose raised her eyebrows. Then she sighed and wiped the counter some more. The door opened and in walked Jack Sparrow. He was looking at Tara, his eyes dark. Tara panicked, and remembered again that she wasn't armed.
"Sparrow," said Rose haughtily, blocking his way.
"Rosemary," he said with a big smile.
Smack.
Jack got a real good slap from Rose.
Tara used this as a time to escape. Leaving Rose screaming blue murder at Jack, Tara crept into the street and ran off, completely oblivious to where she was going.
Except when it came to rum.
Oh, how he loved rum, his friend of years, his only trusted friend, save maybe Gibbs.
Why had Tara pushed him? Why had she attacked him using the only method that would rile him? Jack shook his head, the beads clicking in the way they did. He tried to focus on keeping the wheel steady, but somehow, Tara's scared little face kept swimming in front of him.
He had really frightened her, he knew that. And he was not proud of it. Conceited as he might be of his daunting reputation, he did not scare women, as a rule.
But she had dumped his rum... she must have known that it would irk him...
Still, he told himself, there was still some rum in the brig.
But he couldn't face going down there and seeing Tara.
She was probably crying. Women always seemed to do that, especially where Jack was concerned. Anamaria was probably crying right now too...
His thoughts went back to Tara. Maybe kidnapping her had been a bad idea. After all, they didn't need the money... luckily for Jack, none of his crew, maybe not even his trusted rum, knew the real reason why he had brought Tara Waller aboard... He felt as though he could trust Tara... she had even seen his scars.... He didn't show them to anyone... it had been by accident though...
"Land ahoy!"
The cry above brought Jack back to his senses, and he sighed.
Tara had been down in the brig for hours when there was a terrible jerk. The ship has stopped. They must have reached Tortuga.
Tara didn't want to move, but she had to say goodbye to Anamaria. So she stood up and walked unsteadily to the stairs. She went up and found that it was a cold night.
She walked around to Anamaria's cabin. Anamaria was just coming out, looking red-eyed. She was clutching a bag of her things.
"I'm leaving now," she said, still unaware that Tara already knew that.
"Oh, Anamaria," said Tara.
The pair of them walked in silence to the place where a plank had been set up leading onto the island. Jack was waiting at the top, looking sombre and also sober.
"I'm sorry, Anamaria," he said.
Anamaria faced him, and pressed his golden sparrow into his fingers. Tara stood to one side, feeling awkward.
"Goodbye, Captain Sparrow," said Ana.
She walked to the land. Tara followed, not looking at Jack. Tara hugged Ana.
"I'll miss you," Tara said.
Ana sighed. "Me too, my friend, me too."
With these words, she disappeared into the night.
Tara felt like crying. Jack had walked off the ship with his entire crew, and they moved along the street. Tara followed him. The streets were lined with dirty men and women in low-cut dresses. These women glared at Tara, as though afraid of new competition.
Jack and most of his crew disappeared into a tavern. Tara decided to explore. Wishing she was armed, she walked off.
The streets were all similar, and Tara received many glares as she passed the women. Finally she arrived at a small inn which looked somewhat more respectable than the rest. Feeling in the pocket of her shirt, she discovered that Anamaria had left some money in it, so she walked inside to get a drink.
It was hot and dark inside. The inn was fairly empty, save for a few men drinking rum. The woman serving drinks had bright green eyes and curly red hair. She looked quite amiable, so Tara went over.
"Can I have a drink please?" she asked.
"What of?" asked the woman nicely.
"Anything which isn't rum," sighed Tara.
The woman smiled and poured a glass of water. Tara paid for her drink and sipped it.
"Haven't seen you around these parts before," the woman said.
"No, the ship I'm with just pulled in," said Tara, forgetting again that she wasn't with the Pearl of her own accord.
The woman smiled, and offered Tara her hand. "Rosemary."
Tara took it and shook it. "Tara."
"So which ship would this be?" asked Rose, wiping the bar top.
"The Black Pearl," said Tara.
Rose made a funny choking noise.
"What?" asked Tara.
"I've been wanting a word with that Jack Sparrow," snarled Rose.
"Captain Jack Sparrow," said Tara automatically.
Rose looked at her thoughtfully. "Ye be mindful of him, Tara. Strange man."
"I will," said Tara, not admitting how scared she was of Jack.
"Where is he anyway?" asked Rose. "I've got a real bone to pick with him."
"I don't know," said Tara. "Some tavern. What do you want with him?"
Rose glared. "He stole three barrels of rum from me."
"They're floating in the Spanish Main right now," said Tara.
Rose raised her eyebrows. Then she sighed and wiped the counter some more. The door opened and in walked Jack Sparrow. He was looking at Tara, his eyes dark. Tara panicked, and remembered again that she wasn't armed.
"Sparrow," said Rose haughtily, blocking his way.
"Rosemary," he said with a big smile.
Smack.
Jack got a real good slap from Rose.
Tara used this as a time to escape. Leaving Rose screaming blue murder at Jack, Tara crept into the street and ran off, completely oblivious to where she was going.