Jack and Annie stared at each other in horror. The other pirates were silent, their faces drawn with tension. Hearing another screech, Annie leapt to her feet and headed for the door. Jack hissed out at her, jumping off of the bed and standing in her way. Annie shot him a pointed look and tried to get by him.
For a pirate as slender as he was, he was hard to budge. Grasping her upper arms in his hands, he looked her straight in the eyes. Annie was momentarily lost in the brown depths before she focused on the words coming out of his mouth.
"Are ye daft woman ye can't go down there!"
"Watch me Jack, I won't let anything happen to him and YOU shouldn't want anything to happen to him either, for Sally's sake." Jack's lean face turned a mottled shade of red before he growled a few curses. Annie crossed her arms and tilted her head back.
"He's dressed like a wee pirate lad Jack, what are ye gonna do, leave the Commodore to search the house? Now get out of my way. I'm the only one he won't recognize, and I'm the least pirate-ish out of all of us." Jack tossed her a look and moved aside, his mouth drawn in a sullen line. Annie tossed her red hair over her shoulder and shooting him a triumphant look; she exited the room and made her way downstairs.
Hearing voices coming from a room to her left she went that way, fretting that she hadn't had time to change or brush her hair. Sweeping grandly into the room, her chin lifted and mouth set, she was furious to see the Commodore holding Ethan by his arm, glaring down at the little boy.
"Now see here, I asked you a question boy!" Ethan stubbornly glared up at the man, his jaw set. Annie put her hands on her hips and cleared her throat.
"Excuse me sir just what are you doing to my son?" Three pairs of curious eyes shot up to look at her. The Commodore, a tall man dressed in a military uniform, white wig, and with a priggish set to his lips stiffly bowed before dragging Ethan over to where she stood.
"He is your son milady? Forgive me if I enquire as to what nature your visit to Port Royal is and why your son is dressed like a little ruffian." Annie shot Ethan a warning look when he was about to open his mouth and add to their conversation; no doubt to inform the Commodore that she wasn't his mommy.
Prying the little boy out of the Commodore's grasp, she set him on her hip and favored the man with an irate glower. He took a step back, then recovered, smoothing the front of his doublet and cocking his head in a self-assured manner.
"I am here visiting my cousin Will, along with my two children. The babe is upstairs sleeping and will remain so unless there are going to be any further disturbances?" When the Commodore shook his head, mouth gaping open momentarily speechless, Annie inclined her own head gracefully in Will and Elizabeth's direction.
"Now if you will excuse me, I am going to send this little hooligan upstairs to bed." As she turned to go, her arms tight about Ethan, shoulders ready to sag with relief, they tightened again when the Commodore's arrogant voice pierced her head.
"You will be coming back to join us for dinner, won't you?" Shooting a look at Elizabeth, the other girl hastily beckoned over a servant and whispered something into her ear.
"Of course she will James, Mattie here will help her change into something more presentable, she only did just arrive a little while ago and was taking a nap when the boy slipped away, bless him. Hurry back." With that, the servant and Annie hurriedly left the dining room.
Commodore Norrington sat down at the lavishly decorated dinning table and gave Will a haughty look. Will looked back, his eyebrows slightly raised.
"I didn't know you had any other family," Norrington said as he toyed with his wine glass, the cranberry colored alcohol swirling around gently, catching the light from the candles.
Will smiled weakly, his face pale underneath his tan. Norrington had plenty of reasons why he respected Will, yet also disliked him greatly. Taking a large swig out of his own glass of port, he sighed.
"She's from my mother's side…twice removed."
"You're going to eat dinner with them."
Silence.
"Sluuuurrrrp."
"Yes Jack, I'm going to eat dinner with them."
"Oh really?"
"Sluuuuurrrp."
"Yes really, Damnit!"
"Hee hee, Annie said Damnit!"
"Sluuuurrrp."
"Will you stop that confounded slurping!?" Jack swung about to face Duffy, who sat feigning innocence, his spoon stuck in his mouth. It was hard for a bald-headed man with tattoos swirling up and down his bare arms and a few gold teeth littered here and there in his mouth to perfectly feign any sort of innocence, and he soon abandoned the idea.
"Sorry Cap'n." He said, wisely choosing not to provoke his irate leader. Mattie, a timid, pale mouse of a girl gulped at the roughly dressed and quite ripe smelling pirates. Duffy bared his teeth at her, squishing stew through them, and she turned deathly white and quickly averted her eyes, helping Annie slide a pale green gown over her head. Annie was glad for the cover, Jack's eyes had been roving over her figure thoroughly while she had stood in her shift, waiting.
Anna Maria slapped Duffy upside the head and when he whirled around to face her, she held up a finger in his face, warningly. Duffy watched her impassively for a few moments before grinning at her and winking. Anna Maria gave an exasperated sigh, and stalking over to Jack and Annie, neatly inserted herself between the pair.
"Jack what do ye care if she dines with the Turners and the Commodore?" Annie tilted her head back, waiting to hear the answer to this one. Jack averted his gaze and squared his jaw, before practically stomping over to the window and leaning against the frame, staring outside into the rapidly darkening sky.
"I don't, let the wench go." Annie bridled at being called a 'wench' and swept out of the room, head held high. Anna Maria shot Jack a befuddled look behind his back but was distracted when Duffy announced that they should all play a game of cards to settle them down.
Obligingly, they arranged themselves in a circle on the bed, legs crossed Indian-style. Duffy started dealing the cards, then with an innocent air, looked over at Anna Maria, who sat grimly eyeing her hand.
"Loser has to give the winner something." Anna Maria's gaze sharpened and she stuck out her lower lip as she contemplated the hardly innocent pirate.
"Give them what?" He leaned over and with his warm breath tickling her ear, whispered; "whatever they want" into her ear. She shuddered and drew away but not before she saw the wicked flash of his smile.
Outside of the Governor's mansion, far enough away from the gate that he wouldn't be noticed, a man stood in the steadily lengthening shadows and waited. He contemplated lighting his pipe, but he decided against it, not wanting the smell of the tobacco to give him away.
He had been watching her for some time now, after he realized what it was exactly that he had given her. It wouldn't be long before he took it back, by any means necessary. Tonight, was definitely going to be the night. A low, throaty, evil chuckle rippled across the warm Jamaican night air, causing a maid outside of the mansion throwing out dishwater to shiver and get goose bumps as if an autumn breeze had tickled her neck.
The dinner with the Turners and the Commodore was surprisingly uneventful. Annie thoroughly enjoyed Will and Elizabeth, and was put off by the stuffy Norrington. Apparently Elizabeth's father was away on business in other parts of Jamaica at the moment. When they retired for a few drinks before Norrington went on his way, Annie begged a headache and carrying a sleeping Ethan back upstairs, she was shocked to see Jack and only Jack in the guest bedroom. He laughed at her surprise, his voice syrupy and immediately she knew he was drunk.
As if to confirm it, she spotted an empty bottle lying on the bed beside him. Hastening over to the cradle where Gwen slept, she let out a sigh to see that the infant was still peacefully slumbering. Jack made a noise deep in his throat.
"As if I'd let anythin' happen to the lass," Annie lay Ethan down on the bed and stripped off his stockings and shoes. Shooting Jack a furious look, she turned down the sheets and tucked the boy in.
"Getting drunk and having a baby to watch are NOT two things that one mixes, Jack Sparrow. Where are the others?" He made a fluid, offhanded gesture towards the window, and she stifled a laugh to see some bed sheets tied together hanging out the window, the end secured to the bed.
"They went back to the Pearl. Duffy and Gibbs said they'd come back in the morning." Annie stilled and lifting her head, looked at Jack. He was watching her, his eyes heavy and half-lidded. Smiling blearily, he cupped her cheek with a dirty, rag-wrapped hand.
"Come back for just you, you mean. You ARE leaving me here with the children, aren't you?" Jack drew back as if she were on fire, and looked away. Annie went around to his side of the bed, and put her hands on her hips. Jack finally looked at her and nodded slowly.
"Aye that was my intention, to leave ye here. Ye'd all be better off without me; I'm not any good in situations like this."
"Damnit Jack, why do you have to be so irresponsible? I thought a Captain never shirks his duties, why you sodding, bloody…" When his mouth captured hers she was overwhelmed with the fumes and taste of rum that poured into her mouth through his. He snaked his hands around her waist and then tangled one in her hair, freeing it of the pins that Mattie had used to tame it.
Annie struggled briefly but finally sagged against him in defeat, putting her arms firmly around his neck and deepening the embrace. She couldn't deny that she was attracted to the strange pirate, so why bother trying? All the anger and dislike she had showed towards him were one hundred percent real enough, but underneath it all she was afraid of having feelings for someone again. Connor had left her with a broken heart and soul and she wasn't about to deal with any of that again.
When they broke apart, gasping for air, Jack had a satisfied smirk on his face that immediately put Annie's hackles up. Casting her eyes downward, her cheeks flushing, she wasn't the least bit amused when he grumbled something in her ear before laying a hand on her collarbone where the neck of the gown she wore opened up.
"What did you say?" she inquired tersely. Biting back a chuckle, he tried to look solemn.
"I said, now that I know how to shut you up…" Annie gasped and would have struck him if it wasn't for a loud crashing noise downstairs and yelling. For the second time that night, the two looked at each other in horror and Jack leapt to his feet and jerked the door open. Annie grabbed the children and dove underneath the bed, hastily quieting their drowsy cries. Shushing them softly and praying with every other breath, she hoped for the best.
Shout Outs!
Jaina Kenobi – Wow, Europe I bet you'll have a blast! Here's a chapter for when you get home!
Reese Sparrow – Sorry it took me so long, I've been busy. I want to see Shrek2, I haven't yet. Who WOULDN'T want to take a nap with Jack?! :D
Micheala90 – You're welcome, I like how your story is coming. And thank you for reading mine I'm glad you like it!
Just Duck – I'm glad my characters seem how they would be in the movie, that makes me happy to hear. Ethan definitely met a Commodore…He will annoy him more later. Psst…go read 'Going Home' by RiotAct…(that author should be familiar to you…::wink wink nudge nudge::)
Nada Zimri – I got your profiles, no worries. I'm going to be using you in my story soon. I think I'll write out the next chapter to that one tonight as well. Hehe yes that should definitely prove that Will is not a eunuch but you can't keep a good Cap'n Sparrow down..
JamieBell – Yes 'rotund' is a word me and my friends think is rather amusing so I had to throw it in there. I pictured Will being good with children, he seems like that type. I know it was short, but this one is longer, hope you like it.