A/N I own nada, you know the drill, just don't take Hope or her ship.
HOPE'S POV:
I was worried about not being able to steal a ship, but Jack seemed to think it was funny.
"No worries, love, because I've commandeered plenty of ships. All you need to know is that it's never stealing. Always commandeer, it's a nautical term. Got it, love?"
"Yes, well, knowing about nautical terms won't steal a ship, Jack." I said irritably.
"As a matter of fact, it will. Bu before we steal a ship, I have other matters to attend to…"
"Where are we going, Jack?" I asked him as he began to walk away from the docks and toward the city again.
"Well, I figured we would want a crew, and since we're already here, I can just ask for some help in that arena from one of my close friends. If he's still on vacation… he might have signed back onto the Pearl by now. I hope we can find him."
"And just who is this… friend?" I asked him irritably.
"Goes by the last name… Gibbs."
If I had been drinking something, I would have spit it out. But I was not drinking anything, so I would have to make due with stopping dead in my tracks. Jack stopped and looked at me, and he was confused.
"Jack," I said shakily. "I cannot accept help from someone by the name of Gibbs. No, way."
Jack gave me a confused look. "Well, I'm afraid that we're going to have to, whether you like it or not. Even if I have to drag you."
"You have to drag me then." I told him firmly, and took a step back. Jack sighed and slung me over his shoulder, proceeding to walk down the street. I got a rather nice view of his arse, but unfortunately I was too distracted to take advantage of it.
Finally, we stopped in front of a bar. "This looks right…" He muttered and set me down.
"I can't go in that bar, Jack." I told him, staring at the sign.
"Well, you're going to have to, because that's the bar Gibbs bought with his savings, and we need to talk to him."
"No, you don't understand, Jack. I CAN'T GO INTO THAT BAR!"
He lifted me up again and carried me inside, and by that time I was sure that my face was as white as snow.
Jack grinned when we got inside, and set me down at the counter. There was a rather fat and rumpled looking man behind the counter, drinking some amber liquid and talking to a customer.
"Gibbs!" Jack said cheerily. Gibbs came over and proceeded to ignore me as Jack ordered two rum's.
"Are you sure you want to start out with two? I thought you wanted to stay sober while I was on vacation." Gibbs said, pouring out some amber liquid into two glasses.
No was sure I was going to get it. Oh, no, Jack, what did you get me into?
"No, Gibbs, one of them's fer me mate here." And he grabbed my shoulder so I flinched. I saw the grin on Gibbs's face disappear.
"You 'ave no business bringing her into my bar, Jack." Gibbs said quietly. "I don't want her in here. OUT!" Jack looked at me. I wouldn't look him in the eyes.
I just stood up and left, and sat outside the door waiting for Jack.
JACK'S POV:
I felt like there was something I missed. Why was there such a big problem? Then again, she had told me that she wasn't allowed in the bar, but had I listened? Noooo. I looked at Gibbs.
"What did I miss?" I asked him. He was looking angrily at me.
"You have no business with her Jack! Listen to me, don't mess with that girl, she's trouble!"
I shrugged. "What's wrong with her?"
Gibbs looked unhappy, like he didn't want to tell.
"If you don't spit it out soon, Gibbs, then I'm going to leave, with her."
"Well…" Gibbs paused. "I really can't tell you, Jack. All I can say is, you need to be careful. You get to trust her… and she'll betray you. Witchcraft, some say, but I don't think so. See…"
"Tell me where you're getting this information. And why she can't be in the the bar." I asked him, soaking up every word he said. He looked uncomfortable, but lowered his voice.
"Now, look here captain; she used to be a sweet young thing, but now it's like she was betrayed or something… I don't know what happened, and I honestly can't say, but what I will say is; she killed her own brother, and I told her she wasn't welcome in here anymore. I ain't seen her since, but I haven't regretted it, because as soon as she left, business has been better. Don't tell me coincidence, because I won't listen, but that's all I'm saying. That's all I'm saying."
What Gibbs said didn't change much… I was still very much in the dark about Hope. I just nodded and got a quick drink, but looking around the room, I recognized somebody from my crew on the Pearl, and instantly felt better about a lot of things. We wouldn't have to steal a ship after all. When I got outside, Hope was standing there waiting.
"How'd you know I'd come back?" I asked her, curious. Maybe if I knew the whole story, I wouldn't want to hang around with her anymore.
She did not smile. "Intuition." Was her simple answer. But I wouldn't drop it that easily.
"Why did you kill-"
"I felt like it." She said sharply, cutting me off. She wouldn't look at me, and instead just started walking down the street.
"Now, that's not very nice." I told her.
"Welcome to my life." She said, still in a not very nice tone.
"Look, I want to help you, so would you open up a little?"
She stopped dead on and looked right at me, and I could see I and said the wrong thing, maybe for personal reasons. She looked horrified, like now she was certain I was trying to betray her.
"Now, wait a moment, love, whatever it is I said, I'm sorry…" She turned away from me, her chin lowered.
I instantly wanted to take back what I had said… why did it have this effect on her?
I didn't know what to say. We were just there, suspended for a moment, neither of us sure what to do next, when I realized she was crying. I wouldn't have known, but I saw a droplet slide down off her chin. Not knowing what else to do, I pulled her right up next to me, and we just stood there.
HOPE'S POV:
I couldn't believe he had just said that. Those were the exact words… words which I will never forget… that cost me my whole innocence. To my brother, no less.
For twelve years. Twelve whole years, I had spent sailing the seas, pillaging, ransacking, stealing for no good reason, hoping to forget it all. Twelve years of my life wasted. And it still hadn't worked. I had worked hard… practicing in front of the mirror… not to break down, or feel visible pain. My eyes were the secret… or rather, they were how I kept the secret. But then Jack came, and it was like… he brought up all the pain fresh. I had been kind and open with him for awhile, switching between moods. But I had kept everything a secret. And now, I couldn't help it. I broke down, in silent tears, hoping to god that he wouldn't notice that he would just leave me alone. I needed to be alone so that I could pull myself back together, put back on that pretend facsimile that I could live the way I wanted to. But every day is the same… I don't have anyone who I can trust.
When I was young, I wanted so much to live up to everyone's expectations. But when people expected you to do things, then when you failed to do them, they would hate you. I was so naïve, thinking I could be a crowd pleaser. I felt I had been named Hope for a reason, and that I had to live up to my name… there is always hope. But getting my ship changed everything.
When I got that ship… there was something new to focus on. I didn't have to live up to expectations… I was free. But I selfishly wanted more. My brother Christopher had learned the whereabouts of a certain large pile of gold, and all I had to do was get him to tell me where it was. It should have been simple enough. But I was found before my plan could kick in. After learning what I was after, I was left among my brother's crew. To be their entertainment. My brother left me no mercy! I escaped, but not after my innocence was gone. I persuaded Chris to tell me where the treasure was with my gun, and then killed him anyway.
An eye for an eye.
But it was over. All of my hopes were gone, and I learned the bitter truth; you don't have opportunities unless you're born with them. I most certainly was not born with opportunities.
So here I was. Tears soaking down my cheeks, after all those times I had tried to hide my pain, my desperate need to get somewhere through all of the people trying to bring me down.
And then Jack did something that scared me more than anything of my whole life five times over. He pulled me close to him, and held me tight against his torso until my tears stopped.
I had never had anyone to talk to… to understand everything I had been through. And I didn't trust Jack. Any minute now he could just leave me behind to find my ship on my own. The only friends and hope's I've ever had have all betrayed me.
And that's why it scared me. I didn't want to get close to Jack, because for all I knew, he could just want to abandon me somewhere.
But I didn't have anything else to do. I just figured… well, It can't get any worse than this, so why don't you just trust him a little?
So I hugged him tight, and then told him that we should probably get a room at an inn, because it would get dark soon, and I and some things to tell him… things I had never told anyone else.
"Oh, and by the way, Hope… about commandeering a ship… why don't we just take mine?" Jack suggested as we walked toward an inn.
I gave him a look. "You could have mentioned that before I went to my mother's."
Jack just shrugged. "I didn't know the Pearl was in port until after we went into the bar. I saw a man from my crew there, so we're in luck. No stealing!"
"What can I say?" Hope said irritably. "I'm thrilled."
A/N Ahem… I am very disappointed. One review! Utterly pathetic, people. I really am going to need some opinions soon. NICE OPINIONS! Constructive criticism is more than welcome, as long as you say it nicely. Thanks to Alicia tha Skull, At least SOMEONE is reviewing, and if anyone else out there is reading this and not reviewing, shame on you! Press that little purple button down there please!