Chapter Two: Young Miss Pratt
Jack and Ana forced the old memories down for a bit. They had come to visit with good friends, and visit their friends that shall. It was late into the evening before Ana noticed her captain's disappearance and found him standing in a dark room, eyes focused intently on the moon that rose in the sky.
"Jack?"
The pirate captain looked back slowly at his first mate. Their eyes met and she noticed an old look in his she hadn't seen in some time. "You're quite good at masking it for several hours," she said slowly, "but you can't hide it forever, hmm?"
Jack gave her a quick smile that faded just as quickly as it come. "We're putting them in danger by being here."
Ana Maria cocked a dark eyebrow. "Norrington's given us safe harbor here, Jack. Do you trust that?"
"I don't trust the Pratts."
"Neither do I, luv, but we've got deal here they'd never expect." She kissed his cheek softly and wrapped her arms around his neck. "We'll be fine. Will an' 'is family'll be fine. Hear me, Cap'n?"
Jack pulled her closer and sighed into her dark hair. "Aye, luv, 'spose yer right."
"I'm tired, Jack. I'm going to bed."
"I'll be 'long in a minute, luv."
Jack watched her go quietly as he turned his eyes back to the moon. If anything were to go wrong with this, he wasn't sure Norrington's truce would help them, nor the Turners, but he supposed that he'd burn that bridge when he came to it.
-----------
Ana Maria was awaken some time later in the night as the bed they slept on was shaken. She opened one eye lazily and saw Jack sitting up, hands shaking. "Dream?"
He turned to haunted looking eyes toward her. "Aye."
"What about?"
He shook his head, his hair falling in his face with no bandana to hold it away. "Nothin', luv, sorry t' wake ye."
Ana frowned as she wrapped her arms around Jack. "Don' push me away, Jack."
"The Pratts showin' up brings up plenty of memories, luv. Ones right before the 'ole incident."
"Anderson?"
"Aye."
Ana sighed. Jack had had nightmares after their encounter with Anderson some time before, but they had subsided. She did not think it would do him much good to be waking at all hours of the night once more to frightening dreams that made even her unrelenting and brave captain shake. She opened her mouth to see what might fall out when she heard a knock at the door. "Who on earth would call so late?"
Jack stood slowly. "I'll go see." He stood - the unspoken command for her to stay put heeded for once- tugged a shirt over his head, and made his way down the hall. He nearly collided with a half asleep Will Turner. "Who'd be callin' this early? Or late?" Jack asked the younger man.
"Don't know," Will responded slowly, blinking several times to try to banish the sleep from his eyes. He made his way to the door without another word to the dark haired pirate and opened it slowly. "Miss Pratt?"
"I'm terribly sorry bother you at such a late hour, Mr. Turner," the young woman said, "but I simply couldn't stole away from my brother at any other time. Might I speak to Elizabeth for just a moment?"
"She's sleeping."
"But it's important!"
Will forced himself not to frown at the winy voice that was produced from such a pretty face. She truly was spoiled to the very core. Thank the heavens that Elizabeth hadn't turned out that way. "I can tell her in the morning if you'd like."
"Perhaps you know," she mumbled half to herself. "I ship docked today and I'm sure I've seen it before. The Black Pearl, wasn't it? I'm sorry, Mr. Turner, but I don't know anyone else in Port Royal, so I thought to ask Elizabeth if she knew anything of it."
The blacksmith narrowed his eyes a bit. "What do you want with the Black Pearl, Miss Pratt?"
"I know her captain," she answered proudly.
"Know me indeed," Jack said lowly, finally making his presence known. "What do ye want, Emily Pratt?"
Emily's eyes lit up at the sight of the dark skinned pirate captain. "Jack Sparrow!" she nearly squealed. "Is that really you? How long has it been?"
"Not long enough."
"Do you have my Ana Maria with you, Jack?"
"Tha's none of yer business, missy. I'd suggest ye leave me crew alone, savvy? You'll be in over yer 'ead if ye come after us now. You or yer brother."
"You couldn't do anything to me, Jack," she said as she approached him, tugging at his loose shirt.
Jack grabbed her by the wrist, twisting it at an awkward angle, his eyes narrowed dangerously as Will had only seen a few times before. This was the side of the pirate captain Jack Sparrow that few saw: the side hell bent on protection of someone and willing to kill anyone who might hurt that said person. "You stay away from Ana Maria, ye 'ear, luv? I'll rip ye and yer brother to shreds if ye don'."
Emily finally tugged her hand free, but only because Jack let her loose. Her expression was that of horror as she stumbled out of the house, eyes tearing up. "You'll regret it, Jack," she mumbled. "I'll get her back and you'll be with her, I can guarantee that." She gave him a sadistic smile, even if fear was at the corners. "You'll have a new story to tell those who ask, hmm?"
"Jus' get out."
Will turned to his friend as the girl left. "You two have a history."
"We do."
"Care to tell?"
"Not really."
"Please?"
"Sit down, lad. It's a bit of a tale."
------------------
"Who was at the door last night?" Ana Maria asked the next morning.
Jack picked the little boy up that had latched himself, once again, to his "favorite uncle's" ankles. "Emily Pratt."
"What was she doin' 'ere?"
"Lookin' for me and you."
"Tha's not encouraging."
Jack nodded his agreement. "I think our stay'll be cut short, luv, sorry," he said to Elizabeth.
"Oh Jack! You shouldn't let Emily Pratt run you two off."
"I'm not gonna be the cause of trouble to yer 'ouse. I was the cause of far too much trouble tha' made it's way to ol' Bill Turner's 'ouse an' I won't be fer this one."
"That's stupid, Jack," Will said from the breakfast table. "You have safe harbor here."
"I know, but..."
"No buts about it, Captain Sparrow!" Elizabeth announced. "You both are staying and that's final. I won't here another word from you, no don't here dare. Sit. Eat. Bill, please let go of your uncle, he can't eat breakfast with you latched onto him like that."
"But momma!"
"No buts from you either! See, Jack, you're teaching him bad habits by arguing with me."
The pirate captain couldn't help but chuckle at this. "All right, lass, fine. If tha's 'ow ye want it."
"Very much so."
Jack took a seat next to Will after Bill was placed firmly in his own chair. "She's just like yer mother," the pirate muttered.
"I know," Will answered with a grin. He opened his mouth to say something more when there was a loud knock at the door. "What on earth? How many visitors will we have this morning?" He stood and crossed to the door.
A redcoat stood there. "I'm here to pick up Miss Ana Maria. She's to come with us."
Ana looked at the man from her place at the table next to little Katherine. "What?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but there's been a charge against you." The redcoat looked thoroughly uncomfortable. It could have been Jack's glare that made him so.
"Wha' the 'ell do ye mean?" he growled.
"I'm sorry, Captain Sparrow, but Mr. Douglass Pratt had claimed she's a runaway slave of his. I... I have to take her in, I'm sorry."
"We 'ave guaranteed safe harbor here from Commodore Norrington," Jack protested.
"You'll have to discuss it with him. Miss?"
Jack stood, ready for a fight, but Ana place a hand on his own. "Please, Jack, didn't you say you didn't want trouble to follow you here? This is my trouble this time and I won't put Will and Elizabeth's family in danger because of this." She kissed him lightly on the lips as she moved her hand away, leaving a very shocked pirate captain to drop back into his seat. He watched her leave out the front door and had never felt more helpless in his life.
-------------------
A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone! I get onto this thing where I can really only write one fan story with any kind of length on it at one time. I think it's just a mental block thing, but oh well. I was working on my "Secret Window" fic which is now done so I believe I will return to this one before possibly trying my hand in a "Sleepy Hollow" fic I've got in mind. Yes, I've been going through Johnny Depp movies, if you see the trend forming. I really never meant to become a fan of his, but it's inescapable. My poor boyfriend is about to have a fit over it. Says he can't match up to him. I said, "He's twice my age and has a family, I'm not interested, no matter how pretty he is." So I think he doesn't hate him QUITE as much anymore. Lol
JackFan2: Thanks! I'm glad it didn't suck! My writer's block has started to leave for a bit, I hope. Glad it didn't sow! :)
LaVieSansAmour: Oh I've had kids tackle me to the couch and smother me with pillows.... They do everything to me b/c I'm too nice to get too mad at them. Oh well. Oh, I'm back on this story! ::waves:: I do have a possible idea for a oneshot on a new Secret Window fic. Hope you read it if I write it :)
Queen-Misift-01: Yay! Exams are done! Funfun! I hope you did really well on them! I'm sure you did! I got my SAT and ACT scores back pretty recently and didn't do so hot ::pouts:: Not good enough for the college I want, so I'll be off to take them again next time. Lovely as that is. Oh well! Until then I can write!
Kungfuchick: Yes! We shall all hate the Pratts! Bwahaha! I may make them more hateable than Richard Bruckworth, especially in this story. ::evil grin::
TrappedandAnnoyed: Well here ya go! Here's the next chapter! I'll probably have the others out each day as I tend to do. I just had a bit of a delay on this one b/c of "Two Months Later" but ah well... I'm still writing, so oh well! ::grins::
-
Jack and Ana forced the old memories down for a bit. They had come to visit with good friends, and visit their friends that shall. It was late into the evening before Ana noticed her captain's disappearance and found him standing in a dark room, eyes focused intently on the moon that rose in the sky.
"Jack?"
The pirate captain looked back slowly at his first mate. Their eyes met and she noticed an old look in his she hadn't seen in some time. "You're quite good at masking it for several hours," she said slowly, "but you can't hide it forever, hmm?"
Jack gave her a quick smile that faded just as quickly as it come. "We're putting them in danger by being here."
Ana Maria cocked a dark eyebrow. "Norrington's given us safe harbor here, Jack. Do you trust that?"
"I don't trust the Pratts."
"Neither do I, luv, but we've got deal here they'd never expect." She kissed his cheek softly and wrapped her arms around his neck. "We'll be fine. Will an' 'is family'll be fine. Hear me, Cap'n?"
Jack pulled her closer and sighed into her dark hair. "Aye, luv, 'spose yer right."
"I'm tired, Jack. I'm going to bed."
"I'll be 'long in a minute, luv."
Jack watched her go quietly as he turned his eyes back to the moon. If anything were to go wrong with this, he wasn't sure Norrington's truce would help them, nor the Turners, but he supposed that he'd burn that bridge when he came to it.
-----------
Ana Maria was awaken some time later in the night as the bed they slept on was shaken. She opened one eye lazily and saw Jack sitting up, hands shaking. "Dream?"
He turned to haunted looking eyes toward her. "Aye."
"What about?"
He shook his head, his hair falling in his face with no bandana to hold it away. "Nothin', luv, sorry t' wake ye."
Ana frowned as she wrapped her arms around Jack. "Don' push me away, Jack."
"The Pratts showin' up brings up plenty of memories, luv. Ones right before the 'ole incident."
"Anderson?"
"Aye."
Ana sighed. Jack had had nightmares after their encounter with Anderson some time before, but they had subsided. She did not think it would do him much good to be waking at all hours of the night once more to frightening dreams that made even her unrelenting and brave captain shake. She opened her mouth to see what might fall out when she heard a knock at the door. "Who on earth would call so late?"
Jack stood slowly. "I'll go see." He stood - the unspoken command for her to stay put heeded for once- tugged a shirt over his head, and made his way down the hall. He nearly collided with a half asleep Will Turner. "Who'd be callin' this early? Or late?" Jack asked the younger man.
"Don't know," Will responded slowly, blinking several times to try to banish the sleep from his eyes. He made his way to the door without another word to the dark haired pirate and opened it slowly. "Miss Pratt?"
"I'm terribly sorry bother you at such a late hour, Mr. Turner," the young woman said, "but I simply couldn't stole away from my brother at any other time. Might I speak to Elizabeth for just a moment?"
"She's sleeping."
"But it's important!"
Will forced himself not to frown at the winy voice that was produced from such a pretty face. She truly was spoiled to the very core. Thank the heavens that Elizabeth hadn't turned out that way. "I can tell her in the morning if you'd like."
"Perhaps you know," she mumbled half to herself. "I ship docked today and I'm sure I've seen it before. The Black Pearl, wasn't it? I'm sorry, Mr. Turner, but I don't know anyone else in Port Royal, so I thought to ask Elizabeth if she knew anything of it."
The blacksmith narrowed his eyes a bit. "What do you want with the Black Pearl, Miss Pratt?"
"I know her captain," she answered proudly.
"Know me indeed," Jack said lowly, finally making his presence known. "What do ye want, Emily Pratt?"
Emily's eyes lit up at the sight of the dark skinned pirate captain. "Jack Sparrow!" she nearly squealed. "Is that really you? How long has it been?"
"Not long enough."
"Do you have my Ana Maria with you, Jack?"
"Tha's none of yer business, missy. I'd suggest ye leave me crew alone, savvy? You'll be in over yer 'ead if ye come after us now. You or yer brother."
"You couldn't do anything to me, Jack," she said as she approached him, tugging at his loose shirt.
Jack grabbed her by the wrist, twisting it at an awkward angle, his eyes narrowed dangerously as Will had only seen a few times before. This was the side of the pirate captain Jack Sparrow that few saw: the side hell bent on protection of someone and willing to kill anyone who might hurt that said person. "You stay away from Ana Maria, ye 'ear, luv? I'll rip ye and yer brother to shreds if ye don'."
Emily finally tugged her hand free, but only because Jack let her loose. Her expression was that of horror as she stumbled out of the house, eyes tearing up. "You'll regret it, Jack," she mumbled. "I'll get her back and you'll be with her, I can guarantee that." She gave him a sadistic smile, even if fear was at the corners. "You'll have a new story to tell those who ask, hmm?"
"Jus' get out."
Will turned to his friend as the girl left. "You two have a history."
"We do."
"Care to tell?"
"Not really."
"Please?"
"Sit down, lad. It's a bit of a tale."
------------------
"Who was at the door last night?" Ana Maria asked the next morning.
Jack picked the little boy up that had latched himself, once again, to his "favorite uncle's" ankles. "Emily Pratt."
"What was she doin' 'ere?"
"Lookin' for me and you."
"Tha's not encouraging."
Jack nodded his agreement. "I think our stay'll be cut short, luv, sorry," he said to Elizabeth.
"Oh Jack! You shouldn't let Emily Pratt run you two off."
"I'm not gonna be the cause of trouble to yer 'ouse. I was the cause of far too much trouble tha' made it's way to ol' Bill Turner's 'ouse an' I won't be fer this one."
"That's stupid, Jack," Will said from the breakfast table. "You have safe harbor here."
"I know, but..."
"No buts about it, Captain Sparrow!" Elizabeth announced. "You both are staying and that's final. I won't here another word from you, no don't here dare. Sit. Eat. Bill, please let go of your uncle, he can't eat breakfast with you latched onto him like that."
"But momma!"
"No buts from you either! See, Jack, you're teaching him bad habits by arguing with me."
The pirate captain couldn't help but chuckle at this. "All right, lass, fine. If tha's 'ow ye want it."
"Very much so."
Jack took a seat next to Will after Bill was placed firmly in his own chair. "She's just like yer mother," the pirate muttered.
"I know," Will answered with a grin. He opened his mouth to say something more when there was a loud knock at the door. "What on earth? How many visitors will we have this morning?" He stood and crossed to the door.
A redcoat stood there. "I'm here to pick up Miss Ana Maria. She's to come with us."
Ana looked at the man from her place at the table next to little Katherine. "What?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but there's been a charge against you." The redcoat looked thoroughly uncomfortable. It could have been Jack's glare that made him so.
"Wha' the 'ell do ye mean?" he growled.
"I'm sorry, Captain Sparrow, but Mr. Douglass Pratt had claimed she's a runaway slave of his. I... I have to take her in, I'm sorry."
"We 'ave guaranteed safe harbor here from Commodore Norrington," Jack protested.
"You'll have to discuss it with him. Miss?"
Jack stood, ready for a fight, but Ana place a hand on his own. "Please, Jack, didn't you say you didn't want trouble to follow you here? This is my trouble this time and I won't put Will and Elizabeth's family in danger because of this." She kissed him lightly on the lips as she moved her hand away, leaving a very shocked pirate captain to drop back into his seat. He watched her leave out the front door and had never felt more helpless in his life.
-------------------
A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone! I get onto this thing where I can really only write one fan story with any kind of length on it at one time. I think it's just a mental block thing, but oh well. I was working on my "Secret Window" fic which is now done so I believe I will return to this one before possibly trying my hand in a "Sleepy Hollow" fic I've got in mind. Yes, I've been going through Johnny Depp movies, if you see the trend forming. I really never meant to become a fan of his, but it's inescapable. My poor boyfriend is about to have a fit over it. Says he can't match up to him. I said, "He's twice my age and has a family, I'm not interested, no matter how pretty he is." So I think he doesn't hate him QUITE as much anymore. Lol
JackFan2: Thanks! I'm glad it didn't suck! My writer's block has started to leave for a bit, I hope. Glad it didn't sow! :)
LaVieSansAmour: Oh I've had kids tackle me to the couch and smother me with pillows.... They do everything to me b/c I'm too nice to get too mad at them. Oh well. Oh, I'm back on this story! ::waves:: I do have a possible idea for a oneshot on a new Secret Window fic. Hope you read it if I write it :)
Queen-Misift-01: Yay! Exams are done! Funfun! I hope you did really well on them! I'm sure you did! I got my SAT and ACT scores back pretty recently and didn't do so hot ::pouts:: Not good enough for the college I want, so I'll be off to take them again next time. Lovely as that is. Oh well! Until then I can write!
Kungfuchick: Yes! We shall all hate the Pratts! Bwahaha! I may make them more hateable than Richard Bruckworth, especially in this story. ::evil grin::
TrappedandAnnoyed: Well here ya go! Here's the next chapter! I'll probably have the others out each day as I tend to do. I just had a bit of a delay on this one b/c of "Two Months Later" but ah well... I'm still writing, so oh well! ::grins::
-