Chapter Twenty-Eight: The 'L' Word

Will stepped quickly off the Black Pearl, followed closely by Alaina, Jack, and James. It wasn't that Will didn't like the ship; he just was ready to be back on the ship he was more familiar with. And that was the Constance.

Almost as soon as they boarded the Constance Hans, Nickle, Davidson, and Jamico came up and greeted them. "Captain," Hans greeted with a smile, shaking Will's hand. "Glad to see you found her," he said, looking at Alaina and giving her a wink.

Alaina gave a small smile, shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight, and scanned around for Caitlyn.

"Guess who?" a laugh said from behind her as a pair of hands covered her eyes.

"Caitlyn!" Alaina cried joyfully, turning around and giving her a tight hug.

"Missed you too, Alaina!" Caitlyn assured, gladly returning the hug. "I thought you had been killed or something horrible."

Alaina's smile faded as she remembered Alex. "Yeah, well, I have some stuff to tell you," she told her friend, letting go.

"Later?" Caitlyn asked.

"Later," Alaina confirmed.

"Oh, Caitlyn," Alaina said as her friend looked puzzled at Jack and James, who stood next to their sister. "These are my brothers Jack and James," Alaina introduced, putting a hand on their shoulders as she said their names.

"So you're the misfit pirates I hear roam about the Turner household?" Caitlyn teased, giving them a smile. The boys blushed and nodded.

"James," Will called out to his son, and James turned to see his father motioning him over to where he and a few crewmembers stood talking.

"Excuse me," James said, politely excusing himself and walking over to his father.

"Excuse me," Jack mocked his brother and walked over to where Captain

Sparrow, Ana Maria, and Gibbs were coming up.

Caitlyn and Alaina both laughed and shook their heads. "So how have you been?" Alaina asked curiously.

"Well, other than being worried sick about you, I've been just dandy," Caitlyn said, looking behind Alaina as a sandy haired man stepped up behind her friend.

"Oh, and Caitlyn," Alaina began, turning around and taking Carrick lightly by the arm, pulling him up to them. "This is Carrick. Carrick, Caitlyn," she said with a smile, glad to be introducing her two closest companions.

"Nice to meet you," Carrick mumbled, sticking his hand out and avoiding Caitlyn's eyes.

"Likewise, Carrick," Caitlyn agreed, taking his hand and shaking it, feeling an instant attraction to him.

Alaina noticed Carrick's nervous behavior and shook her head. "So then," she said with a hint of a smile, "now that you two have met, how about we go for a little exploration of Oldger?" Alaina said with a smile, bouncing off towards the gangplank.

"Welcome to the wonderful world of bad ideas and misadventures," Caitlyn laughed. Carrick nodded and sighed as they began to follow her out into the harbor.

***

"Where'd Alaina go?" Will asked, concerned, looking around and not seeing her.

"She went off with Carrick and Caitlyn," Jack told him, coming up with his namesake.

"Oh no," Will groaned, putting his forehead in his hand.

"Seems like she's found new companions to go gallivanting about with," Jack said with a smile, glad that his sister was acting more like her old self.

"Do you know where they went?" Will asked, exasperated at his daughter's antics. Both of them shook their heads. "Wonderful, just wonderful," Will muttered, turning around and walking off.

"Don't stress out, Will! She's with Carrick for god's sake!" Jack yelled after him, attracting a few glances from the crew around him.

"Don't remind him," his namesake warned.

"Does he think there's something going on between the two of them?" Jack asked, looking down at the boy.

"He's not the only one," Jack replied, shaking his head.

"What would make you all think that?" the pirate wondered aloud.

"The fact that Alaina and Carrick have been together for the past five days, talking, eating, doing chores together." Jack stopped and looked at the captain. "You can't say you haven't noticed it too," the boy said, surprised.

"Actually, can't say I have," Jack said after a minute of thought.

"You must have it really bad for Ana Maria then," the boy remarked with a sly grin.

"Have what?" Jack asked.

"Ah," Jack said, shaking his head. "Do I really have to spell it out for you?"

"It would be most helpful," Jack told him in a lower tone, noticing that Ana

Maria was looking over at them with a brow raised.

"I'll give you a hint," Jack said, winking at Ana Maria. Jack listened closely to the boy. "It starts with an 'L.'"

Ana Maria frowned and walked over to them. "And what are you two talking about that would give so much directed attention at me?" she asked, looking at her captain and then his namesake.

"We were—" the younger Jack began, but the captain put his hand over the boy's mouth. "We were just talking about your womanly features," he covered up with a grin.

Ana Maria narrowed her eyes at him. "I suggest you find something else to talk about, unless you want to be short a ship and a first mate," she told him cruelly, then gave a grin at the young Turner. "And I suggest that you never pick up his habits or his 'charm,' and run away from him as fast as you can."

***

"Well, what do you want to do?" Alaina asked, turning around to face her friends and walking backwards.

"I'll tell you what I don't want to do," Caitlyn offered with a sigh. Alaina raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't want to get in any trouble."

"Oh come on, Caitlyn, you make it sound like every time I go out somewhere I get in trouble," Alaina laughed, stepping over a cat that was rubbing around her ankles.

"Give me one instance where we haven't," Caitlyn challenged and Alaina immediately stopped to think.

"Umm," she began, thoughtfully tapping her chin. "How about—no, wait," she said, narrowing her eyes in concentration. "What about that one time in—no, bad one too."

Caitlyn and Carrick both watched in amusement as Alaina tried to come up with one. "Oh well, there's a first time for everything," Alaina mused, shaking her head and resuming her backwards walking.

"You might want to turn around," Carrick advised as she almost tripped.

"Do I hear something?" Alaina asked, putting a hand to her ear.

Carrick smiled and shook his head. He had become used to her sarcastic and odd comments, and now thoroughly enjoyed them.

"Carrick! Oh, I thought you had lost your voice or something," she teased, and he grinned.

"I'm kind of hungry, actually," Caitlyn admitted as the smell of fresh baked bread floated under their noses.

"Mmm, me too, now that you mention it," Alaina agreed.

Carrick laughed. "I am too."

"Well then, what do you say we stop and eat, then go about our merry little way?" Alaina asked.

"Sounds good to me," Carrick agreed. Caitlyn nodded, and they made their way into the shop.

A/N: I am done!! My muse is gone and I'm out of Ideas. OUT OUT OUT!!! So damn it someone give me something to work off of PLEEZE!!! I am so bored and these chapters are getting worse and worse!

So someone PLEASE HELP ME!!! Or I'll just skip to the end and have everyone die!! *laughs evily* hmm...theres an idea. AHH!!! Someone save me from the madness!!!!!!