Chapter Six
The two got back to manning the ship a bit awkwardly. A strange silence settled over them as they tutted about the ship, heading for Tortuga. It was nightfall when Jack actually began speaking to Elizabeth instead of just barking commands in her general direction.
"Listen, about earlier...you know. It was...a one time thing. You're not my type, too pure. Plus, I'm a bloody pirate, I can't commit. You understand, love? I won't have you moping about all sad because I don't love you, or swooning around thinking I do. Just setting things straight, savvy?"
Liz tried to look as if she didn't care; as if casual sex with pirates was a common occurrence in her drab life. "I understand perfectly well. Why would I be in love with a scoundrel such as yourself, anyway? I'm only here because I want to help William."
Sparrow nodded, staring in the direction of Elizabeth's breasts. She may have been a dull fuck, Jack thought lustily, but seven hells she's got an amazing body for a girl of such a young age. Put many a whore to shame, she would. She could do good in the business. Mayhap Scarlet can set her up, I doubt her father will be pleased that she's run away to save a brat blacksmith and then fucked a pirate. She'll need something to fall back on incase things at home don't blow over well. Blow. Ha. Jack snickered, and Liz looked puzzled. The pirate shook his head and went back to steering the ship.
"Off to bed with you now. We should reach Tortuga by midday on the morrow. We've made good time despite our little...detour." Jack began to sing as Liz wandered into the captain's cabins and snuggled down under the covers. She dreamed of Jack's hands touching her in places she never knew existed.
Liz woke the next morning to find Jack asleep next to her, stark naked. She bolted up with a yelp and scrambled out of the bed. Jack mumbled sleepily and opened his eyes.
"Wha...what's wrong?" he sat up, the covers not covering him at all. Liz averted her eyes.
Jack chuckled. "Well, aren't we shy this morning? Yesterday you fucked me, and today you're afraid of my cock? You're an odd egg." He stood up, lazily dressing just to peeve Liz who kept her eyed downcast the entire time. When he left the room, Liz fixed her own clothes and wished she had something that fit better.
She stumbled rather sleepily into the searing morning sun to find Jack at the wheel, adjusting their course. Blinking, Liz went to a rail of the deck and watched the waves rush by as the rough wind propelled the ship toward the pirate island.
The day was uneventful, and filled mostly with snappish comments from Jack, as he was anxious to get to Tortuga, for that meant he was one step closer to getting his ship back. When night began to fall, Liz saw the brightly lit island not far off. By midnight, they'd docked the ship and Liz followed Jack closely as he wove his way through raucous crowds.
Jack approached a tavern and nearby stood two underdressed and over-makeup-ed women who Liz knew to be whores, despite her having led a rather sheltered life. Just because she was rich, didn't mean she had no clue what a brothel was.
A whore dressed, if you could call it that, mostly in red with auburn hair and a large nose rushed up to Jack.
He grinned wide and opened his arms for embrace. "Scarlet!"
She grimaced, raised a hand, and slapped Jack so hard, his head spun to face Elizabeth who stood shocked into silence.
"I don't think I deserved that." Mumbled Jack
he whore strode away, only to be replaced by a woman in white, with blonde hair, and smudged lipstick.
Jack turned to her, grinning sheepishly.
"Who was she?" asked the whore in a squeaky voice, hands on her impossibly slender hips.
Jack opened his mouth, no doubt to spew a lie, when he received another head turning slap across the face. This time when his face found Liz his cheek was bright red.
"I may have deserved that."
Moments later Liz found herself standing in front of a pigsty holding a bucket of icy water. Jack was doing the same. Sleeping among the large pigs was a dirty, loudly snoring man. Liz squinted and thought he looked somewhat familiar.
Jack heaved his bucket of water onto the man, causing him to jump up, dagger in hand, sputtering and shouting. "Curse you for breathing you slack-jawed scoundrel!"
The man stopped cursing when he saw Jack though. "Bloody hell! Jack Sparrow come back from the dead!"
Jack smiled, "At your service, Gibbs."
Mr. Gibbs shook his head, and Liz realized then that he was the man who spoke of pirates to her the day they'd found Will. She remembered him constantly drinking and talking of bad luck with women aboard ships. He stepped closer now and smiled, "No, at your service, Captain Jack."
A terrible smell wafted through the air and Liz wrinkled her nose. Jack had made her fill a bucket with icy water in case one wasn't enough to wake Gibbs. Now with all her strength she heaved it at Mr. Gibbs, dousing him again.
"I'm already awake, damn you!" he shouted, wiping water from his eyes.
"Sorry," Liz giggled. "That was for the smell."
Gibbs looked at her, rubbed his eyes, and then looked at her again. "Miss Elizabeth, is that you? My, you've grown in to some kind of woman!"
Liz nodded and struggled to think of some compliment for Gibbs, but it was hard; he slept with pigs. Jack saved her though, by offering Gibbs a drink so they could talk. The three headed for the nearest tavern, and Liz was made to wait at another table while Jack and Gibbs spoke.
"So what can I do ya' for, Jack?" asked Gibbs, sipping his ale, which was noticeably less then that of which Jack had bought for himself.
"Well, I have me a mind to get back my ship, and I know just how to do it."
"But...Barbossa and his crew...it's his ship now. They all think you're dead."
"Then I have the element of surprise. They've found Turner's boy, but they need the last medallion, and that girl, Liz Swann has it. I've got me a plan that involves those Navy men following us that's sure to get me back my ship."
Gibbs looked skeptical. "And what of the others?"
"To all hells with them! As long as I get my ship back, I care not of what happens to the rest. After I gut Barbossa, the rest is to the wind. Now find me a crew crazy enough to follow my orders by tomorrow and I'll see you have a share o' that treasure Barbossa's got hidden."
The next morning Jack and Liz stood inspecting the group of grungy pirates Mr. Gibbs had rounded up for Jack's new crew. They walked down the line, Gibbs trotting behind, babbling about how each man was worth his weight in salt. Funny, because just as he said that, the three passed a midget. Jack stopped in front of an old man with a beard and a parrot on his shoulder.
Jack was asking him if he could follow orders, Mr. Gibbs was saying how he was mute, and babbling about how the parrot could talk for him. "Wind in your sails," was all the parrot said. Liz rubbed her head. The night before Jack had ordered her some ale, and she'd gone and drunk too much. Not to mention she'd went and slept with Jack again, because she was so out of it. If sleeping with a pirate captain was going to become a habit every time she got drunk, Liz decided she would have to stay far from the liquor bottle.
Jack and Liz and Mr. Gibbs reached the end of the line, and Jack thought he'd heard a slightly female voice. At the end of the line, was a skinny, dark skinned lad with a wide rimmed hat. Jack removed the hat, releasing a tumult of black hair and revealing a rather comely woman.
"Anna Maria!" Jack exclaimed. She slapped him. As his face was turned to Liz she murmured, "I suppose you didn't deserve that one either." "Oh no," said Jack, "That one I deserved."
"You stole my ship!" the feisty woman yelled.
"Borrowed, love, borrowed. With every intention of giving it back."
Anna Maria slapped him again.
"Listen, I'll give you a new ship."
Anna Maria looked skeptical.
"A better ship!"
"That ship!" Piped in Liz, pointing to the Interceptor.
"That ship!?" Jack glared at Liz, but she merely tapped her cheek with her hand. Jack frowned and mumbled, "That ship."
"Aye!" Shouted Anna Maria and the rest of the pirates echoed and prepared to board.
"Captain, it's frightful bad luck to have a woman aboard, let alone two." Gibbs whispered once the rest were out of earshot.
Sparrow watched Liz and Anna Maria walk away. "It would be far worse not to." Leaving Gibbs puzzled, Jack helped prepare the ship.