Chapter 36

Preparation and a Party

Rena reveled in the kiss, it was the first time he had kissed her. She was so ecstatic she felt as if she would burst. She felt him pull back suddenly and opened her eyes questioningly.

"I can't do this, I'm married," he whispered in horror before running off. She sighed exaggeratedly. She had never thought she would see Jack run away from anything, certainly not her.

She turned back to the wheel, looking out over the horizon. Things had been much simpler when Jack was dead. She had buried her feelings deep inside hidden from herself. Now with him back they were surfacing and bringing along her memories, the way he touched her, the way he said her name. God she loved him, and he was married.

"Cap'n?" Ana asked and Rena looked to see her walking up to the helm.

"Yes Ana?"

"Crew wants te know if ther'll be a celebration this eve," Ana said.

"Course there will be, they fought hard and deserve to party that way as well. After the rights to our dead we will party," Rena said solemnly. Ana nodded and walked off to tell the crew the good and bad news.

Jack returned to the room he was staying in with his daughter only to find she wasn't there. After sitting on the bed and waiting for her he decided to take a walk around deck, mostly to find her. As he walked around the pirates smiled and grunted at him, he would just nod to them and walk away. He had no idea how to act with pirates, especially irates who thought he was their long lost Captain.

"Hello Jack, what can I do for ye?" A man asked as he walked by.

"I was looking for my daughter," he said.

"Ah yes, the young lass, she's with me wife right now touring the belly of the ship," the man said. Jack nodded his thanks and left towards the stairs.

Jack walked down the stairs into a dimly lit hallway and cursed himself. This was a pirate ship how could he have let his daughter go wandering about with no one except a scruffy pirate to keep her safe from the other pirates?

"Jessie?" He called quietly as he walked down the hall, looking in open doors and staying away from the ones that were closed. He made it to the end of the hallway without finding her. There was another flight of stairs that he took, this was even darker than the hallway he had just traversed.

"Who's there?" A voice hissed as he reached the bottom and as he turned the corner he saw he was in some sort of jail. He remembered Rena telling the pirate woman to keep Jessie out of the brig because they were holding someone; this must be the brig she spoke of.

"Thomas?" The voice asked and he walked quickly to the last cell only to see his wife.

"Paula?" Thomas asked in shock.

"Today we have lost Brant, a good man and a damn fine sailor. We commit him to the sea where he dedicated his life. God take this man, he will be missed," Rena said. She stood at the starboard side of her ship, Jon and Ana held the body of their friend wrapped in muslin while the rest of the crew stood, heads bowed behind her. "Would anyone else care to speak?" She asked.

"I would," Ana said, when Rena nodded she turned to address the crew. "Brant would'na want ye all te be sad, ye know that. 'e was full o life and love. I love'd him, I will miss ye Brant," she stood tall, holding her dead lover in her arms. Ana turned to Jon and nodded, and they dropped him into the sea. He disappeared quickly into the depths, the water that was his life swallowing him in his death.

"So where's Jack?" Gabby slurred drunkenly, a rum cork between her teeth.

"I haven't seen him actually, not since we were at the helm," Rena laughed at her friend.

"That's rather odd," Gabby said suddenly after spitting the cork out.

"Why's that?" Rena asked suddenly sober.

"Because Jessie as just looking for him," Gabby said. Rena dropped her rum and stood quickly, realizing the implications of this.

"Shit," she whispered as she started off towards the brig. "Warn the crew, tell em to stop drinking," Rena said quickly to Gabby as she ran down the stairs.

She didn't know what to expect but she knew Jack wasn't Jack yet and would be influenced easily by the woman that claimed to be his wife. She pulled her pistol and ran down the hall to the stairs. Once she reached them she looked downwards and listened carefully. There were voices, more than two. She walked quietly down a few steps before listening again.

At least four people were talking, and the topic of conversation made her weary.

"-back now, you can take the ship," a woman said, more than likely Jack's wife.

"I'm not sure about this Paula, why would they listen to me?" Jack asked.

"Because you're this Captain Jack Sparrow fellow, they have to listen to you," Paula said.

"Besides we were getting sick of Rena anyway," a voice she knew well said, chilling her blood. It was Jake, Jake was planning a mutiny.

"I like her though," a younger sounding voice said, making her smirk, Jessie.

"She kidnapped you and tried to kill me," Paula said in an appalled tone of voice. Suddenly Rena faltered on the slick steps, and after cursing the cabin boy who had washed them, fell down the stairs. When she hit the bottom she looked up to see a group of startled pirates, the last thing she thought before everything went black was, there were definitely more than four here.

Muahahahaha... Damn I'm evil! I hope you all forgive me for the ending, but oh well! It had to be done. Anyway I'm wanting (thinks for a moment) fifteen reviews for this chapter! I have 270 so now I want at least 285. You can do it, I know I have a whole bunch of people reading this. I'm counting on you! I'll update as soon as I get 285, promise. Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, I really love to read your reviews! Thanks again, I hope you liked this chapter!