Disclaimer: I don't own it! Move on with your LIVES! Don't sue!
Note: I wasn't very pleased with the last chapter...It was short, I know, but my brain just wants to get to them meeting so here it is. I'm sorry! This chapter is so long!
Here's To Freedom (Chapter 6)
Casey watched with a reminiscent smile as some of the new crewmen ran over to the side of the deck to get their first ganders at the wonder that was the city of Tortuga. To those who'd never seen it, the port was nothing more than a childish fantasy. It was only after one had arrived that they realized what it really was...
He remembered his first trip out there, and he doubted that the lady he'd spent it with had forgotten either. Why, yes, that was one hell of a story--
"Mister Shaw," called the captain from the helm, handing the wheel back to Lenny and approaching his first mate. "Drop the port anchor. We'll be here for the day." Convinced of his man's competence, he moved below deck to retrieve the essentials from his cabin.
Nodding sharply, Casey hollered "You 'eard him, men! Drop the port anchor, we're goin' ashore!"
A rousing cheer went up from the crew and they all dashed to their respective stations and went to work, pulling the Cara Mia into the harbor. There were grunts and groans, "heaves" and "ho's" as they yanked on the ropes, but suddenly, a huge commotion started over by the anchor.
Shaking his head and muttering under his breath, something about how many morons it takes to toss a chunk of metal over board, Casey hurried over to see what all the fuss was about. "What is it--," he asked, pausing as he saw precisely what IT was. Tipping his head to the side, he quoted his captain in the shock of the discovery. "Well, that's interesting."
* * * *
"Oh, where are you hiding!" shouted Jack, crawling about on the floor and rifling through the many papers that littered its surface in search of something of great importance. "Aha!" Shimmying under his desk, his hand fell upon the desired document. But before he could even relish in his success, there was a frantic knock at the door and then it flew open. Startled, he jumped and slammed his head against the rough wood, emitting a painful yelp shortly afterwards.
Casey looked at the captain, who, at present, had his rear end facing out, wriggling about in an effort to free himself from the desk, and raised an eyebrow. "Cap'in, we found something you might be interested in. That is, if you could spare a moment."
Rolling his eyes, Jack cursed whatever god existed for allowing a member of his crew to see him in such a state. "I'll never live this down," he muttered, slowly backing out of the small enclosure.
Hopping to his feet, he whirled around and his eyes slammed into the mossy green ones of a stranger...a very female stranger. Furrowing his brow, he silently wondered why she looked so frightened. "Who are you?"
She opened her mouth to respond, but Casey jumped in with his account. "She's a stowaway, cap'in! The men found'er in the extra anchor rope. Almost threw her over board, they did! She won't talk though."
"Well, I wonder why," he responded, his eyes never leaving hers. She really did have remarkable eyes. Shaking his head, he brought himself back to reality. Knowing that he'd get absolutely nowhere with his first mate interjecting at every chance he was given, he dismissed him. "Mister Shaw, I think I'll just take it from here."
The man looked puzzled. "Are ye sure, sir?"
Nodding prolifically, he sighed, feigning boredom, and added, "Interrogation can be awful boring, but it comes with the duties, I fear. If you would, take the men ashore. I'll join you when we're through here."
"If ye be insistin' Cap'in." Turning to leave, the man called back, "Juss beware, women are a frightfully persuasive lot, they are."
"Yes, yes, of course. Thank you, Shaw. I'll keep that in mind." Jack said, slowly closing the door as the man exited at the pace of a snail. As the final thud of the oak resonated in the quiet room, he turned back to his guest. "My apologies, luv. He means well."
Crossing the room, he motioned for her to take a seat across from his desk, but she declined. "Actually, sir, I would really like to explain my presence on your vessel here, if you'd allow me to."
Raising an eyebrow, he paused half-way through, attempting to sit down in his chair to say, "Well, someone's just rearing to go... How 'bout you tell me your name instead, luv?"
"My name is Miss Natalie Swann of Port Roy--."
"It can't be," he said, plopping down in the stiff chair with his dark eyes wide and full of questions. Leaning across the desk, Jack let out a humorless laugh and asked, "You aren't related to a Miss Elizabeth Swann, are you?"
He watched, in complete fascination and total anticipation, as she let out an exasperated sigh and responded, "Regrettably, yes. She is my elder sister, why do you ask?"
His mouth dropped open in shock. "Since when is there more than one Miss Swann?"
"Since I was born!" she exclaimed, "Although everyone has been so inclined to ignore my existence since her 'oh so horrific' brush with pirates." With a sigh, she shook her head, discouraged that she was just as invisible out of Port Royal as she was in.
"Miss Swann," he said, leaning further over his desk and lowering his voice to a mere whisper, "I am Captain Jack Sparrow." In silence, he waited, no hoped, for the information to register in her mind. It would be nice to be feared, or even revered, for once.
The second those words escaped his lips, it was Natalie's turn to collapse into the nearest chair with an expression resembling that of a gutted fish. Stumbling over her words, she choked out, "Jack Sparrow!" She looked around her, and added in a hushed tone, "Then THIS is the Black Pearl? No offense, but I had imagined it to be a bit more terrible than this."
With a sneer he muttered, "Everyone's a critic." Rising from his chair, he paced across the cabin to the row of small square windows and looked out at the bustling city below. "And, in answer to your question, no, this is NOT the Pearl."
Returning his eyes to hers, he walked back again and elaborated upon his answer. "I had promised a ship to a member of my crew, and the one I had planned to give to her was retaken by the Royal Navy. She didn't seem to care about the circumstances, and, in turn, I lost me ship. You happen to be floatin' upon the Cara Mia, one of my...erm... Italian conquests," he added, with a mischievous grin.
Natalie then stood up and turned to face him, her emerald eyes boring straight into his, as if she was trying to read his thoughts, which unsettled him a bit. "So, Captain, what are you going to do about me?" She bowed her head slightly, expecting a death sentence or something dreadful like that.
"Well, we never touched upon WHY you are on my ship," he said, crossing his arms across his chest, trying his best to look formidable so as not to discredit any of the rumors she had heard. He tipped his head back with a devilish smirk, but quickly gave up looking suave. "So, why are you on my ship, Miss Swann?"
Sighing, she leaned upon the back of the wooden chair in front of her and began her tale. "Last evening, I was at a party given by a Master Geoffrey Eaton." Tugging at her deep green frock, she added, "Hence my rather uncomfortable attire. Anyhow, his idiot of son, for one reason or another, proposed marriage to me and before I could decline, the entire island had heard. I couldn't bear to break my father's heart, so I left a note explaining my absence at home, and stowed away on your ship."
The captain simply stood there, his kohl rimmed eyes wide and his mouth gaping in complete shock. Eaton, the debt, the engagement, it was all too uncanny to be real! "This is unbelievable," he said, shaking his head.
"What is it, Captain?" Natalie asked, her voice rising in fear of what he would do to her. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she wondered if she'd be swallowed whole or ripped to shreds by sharks if he made her walk the plank.
"Do you even realize..." he paused, a hand flying to his head in the utter insanity of their situation. Regaining his composure, he attempted his explanation once more. "My crew pillaged Geoffrey Eaton's house last night to reclaim a debt that was owed." Furrowing his brow, in deep concentration, he pieced together the information he had acquired. "He must have known we would come for the money eventually, money he didn't have. Not that you aren't charming, luv," he gave her a long, appreciative stare before continuing, "Believe me, you are. But the man was probably just looking after your father's funds, not your heart." Moving to her side, he casually slung an arm about her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Do not despair, darling, you'll find someone. Eventually."
Brushing his hand from her shoulder and shooting him a withering glance, Natalie replied calmly, "Well, if what you say is true, I am relieved that Master Eaton, the younger, does not feel anything for me." Clearing her throat, she struggled past the emotion that had suddenly surfaced at the realization that no one, not even Clark, cared for her. "But even though I cannot marry him, since I am not there, my father is still vulnerable to them."
"Maybe. The fact remains that you are, indeed, stranded here on the Cara Mia, unless I decide to..." he narrowed his eyes, for effect, and then forged on with his statement, "Dispose of you, of course."
She immediately turned to face him, grabbing hold of the flimsy, cream colored material of his shirt and raising her eyes to his, which had all the impact of a boot to the gut. "Please, sir, you mustn't! I promise to earn my keep if you allow me to stay on here. I'll learn the ways of the sea and I'll be just another one of the crew!"
Leaning in closer, he whispered, "Ah, but the fact remains, luv, that you aren't just another one of the crew." Pulling away from her grasp once more, Jack motioned to her and added, "How do you expect to work on a ship looking like that?"
"I--I--I'll find a way, Captain. Please?"
Contorting his rather becoming face in deep thought, he nodded, "I'll consider it. I must go ashore to join me crew, you will stay right here. DO NOT MOVE!" With a sigh, he moved towards the door. "Some of your friends seemed to have extreme difficulty with that rule, in particular."
Smiling, she waited until the door clicked closed before moving towards the window. Looking out at the action in the streets of Tortuga, Natalie grinned, saying, "Stay here? Not bloody well likely!"
Note: I wasn't very pleased with the last chapter...It was short, I know, but my brain just wants to get to them meeting so here it is. I'm sorry! This chapter is so long!
Here's To Freedom (Chapter 6)
Casey watched with a reminiscent smile as some of the new crewmen ran over to the side of the deck to get their first ganders at the wonder that was the city of Tortuga. To those who'd never seen it, the port was nothing more than a childish fantasy. It was only after one had arrived that they realized what it really was...
He remembered his first trip out there, and he doubted that the lady he'd spent it with had forgotten either. Why, yes, that was one hell of a story--
"Mister Shaw," called the captain from the helm, handing the wheel back to Lenny and approaching his first mate. "Drop the port anchor. We'll be here for the day." Convinced of his man's competence, he moved below deck to retrieve the essentials from his cabin.
Nodding sharply, Casey hollered "You 'eard him, men! Drop the port anchor, we're goin' ashore!"
A rousing cheer went up from the crew and they all dashed to their respective stations and went to work, pulling the Cara Mia into the harbor. There were grunts and groans, "heaves" and "ho's" as they yanked on the ropes, but suddenly, a huge commotion started over by the anchor.
Shaking his head and muttering under his breath, something about how many morons it takes to toss a chunk of metal over board, Casey hurried over to see what all the fuss was about. "What is it--," he asked, pausing as he saw precisely what IT was. Tipping his head to the side, he quoted his captain in the shock of the discovery. "Well, that's interesting."
* * * *
"Oh, where are you hiding!" shouted Jack, crawling about on the floor and rifling through the many papers that littered its surface in search of something of great importance. "Aha!" Shimmying under his desk, his hand fell upon the desired document. But before he could even relish in his success, there was a frantic knock at the door and then it flew open. Startled, he jumped and slammed his head against the rough wood, emitting a painful yelp shortly afterwards.
Casey looked at the captain, who, at present, had his rear end facing out, wriggling about in an effort to free himself from the desk, and raised an eyebrow. "Cap'in, we found something you might be interested in. That is, if you could spare a moment."
Rolling his eyes, Jack cursed whatever god existed for allowing a member of his crew to see him in such a state. "I'll never live this down," he muttered, slowly backing out of the small enclosure.
Hopping to his feet, he whirled around and his eyes slammed into the mossy green ones of a stranger...a very female stranger. Furrowing his brow, he silently wondered why she looked so frightened. "Who are you?"
She opened her mouth to respond, but Casey jumped in with his account. "She's a stowaway, cap'in! The men found'er in the extra anchor rope. Almost threw her over board, they did! She won't talk though."
"Well, I wonder why," he responded, his eyes never leaving hers. She really did have remarkable eyes. Shaking his head, he brought himself back to reality. Knowing that he'd get absolutely nowhere with his first mate interjecting at every chance he was given, he dismissed him. "Mister Shaw, I think I'll just take it from here."
The man looked puzzled. "Are ye sure, sir?"
Nodding prolifically, he sighed, feigning boredom, and added, "Interrogation can be awful boring, but it comes with the duties, I fear. If you would, take the men ashore. I'll join you when we're through here."
"If ye be insistin' Cap'in." Turning to leave, the man called back, "Juss beware, women are a frightfully persuasive lot, they are."
"Yes, yes, of course. Thank you, Shaw. I'll keep that in mind." Jack said, slowly closing the door as the man exited at the pace of a snail. As the final thud of the oak resonated in the quiet room, he turned back to his guest. "My apologies, luv. He means well."
Crossing the room, he motioned for her to take a seat across from his desk, but she declined. "Actually, sir, I would really like to explain my presence on your vessel here, if you'd allow me to."
Raising an eyebrow, he paused half-way through, attempting to sit down in his chair to say, "Well, someone's just rearing to go... How 'bout you tell me your name instead, luv?"
"My name is Miss Natalie Swann of Port Roy--."
"It can't be," he said, plopping down in the stiff chair with his dark eyes wide and full of questions. Leaning across the desk, Jack let out a humorless laugh and asked, "You aren't related to a Miss Elizabeth Swann, are you?"
He watched, in complete fascination and total anticipation, as she let out an exasperated sigh and responded, "Regrettably, yes. She is my elder sister, why do you ask?"
His mouth dropped open in shock. "Since when is there more than one Miss Swann?"
"Since I was born!" she exclaimed, "Although everyone has been so inclined to ignore my existence since her 'oh so horrific' brush with pirates." With a sigh, she shook her head, discouraged that she was just as invisible out of Port Royal as she was in.
"Miss Swann," he said, leaning further over his desk and lowering his voice to a mere whisper, "I am Captain Jack Sparrow." In silence, he waited, no hoped, for the information to register in her mind. It would be nice to be feared, or even revered, for once.
The second those words escaped his lips, it was Natalie's turn to collapse into the nearest chair with an expression resembling that of a gutted fish. Stumbling over her words, she choked out, "Jack Sparrow!" She looked around her, and added in a hushed tone, "Then THIS is the Black Pearl? No offense, but I had imagined it to be a bit more terrible than this."
With a sneer he muttered, "Everyone's a critic." Rising from his chair, he paced across the cabin to the row of small square windows and looked out at the bustling city below. "And, in answer to your question, no, this is NOT the Pearl."
Returning his eyes to hers, he walked back again and elaborated upon his answer. "I had promised a ship to a member of my crew, and the one I had planned to give to her was retaken by the Royal Navy. She didn't seem to care about the circumstances, and, in turn, I lost me ship. You happen to be floatin' upon the Cara Mia, one of my...erm... Italian conquests," he added, with a mischievous grin.
Natalie then stood up and turned to face him, her emerald eyes boring straight into his, as if she was trying to read his thoughts, which unsettled him a bit. "So, Captain, what are you going to do about me?" She bowed her head slightly, expecting a death sentence or something dreadful like that.
"Well, we never touched upon WHY you are on my ship," he said, crossing his arms across his chest, trying his best to look formidable so as not to discredit any of the rumors she had heard. He tipped his head back with a devilish smirk, but quickly gave up looking suave. "So, why are you on my ship, Miss Swann?"
Sighing, she leaned upon the back of the wooden chair in front of her and began her tale. "Last evening, I was at a party given by a Master Geoffrey Eaton." Tugging at her deep green frock, she added, "Hence my rather uncomfortable attire. Anyhow, his idiot of son, for one reason or another, proposed marriage to me and before I could decline, the entire island had heard. I couldn't bear to break my father's heart, so I left a note explaining my absence at home, and stowed away on your ship."
The captain simply stood there, his kohl rimmed eyes wide and his mouth gaping in complete shock. Eaton, the debt, the engagement, it was all too uncanny to be real! "This is unbelievable," he said, shaking his head.
"What is it, Captain?" Natalie asked, her voice rising in fear of what he would do to her. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she wondered if she'd be swallowed whole or ripped to shreds by sharks if he made her walk the plank.
"Do you even realize..." he paused, a hand flying to his head in the utter insanity of their situation. Regaining his composure, he attempted his explanation once more. "My crew pillaged Geoffrey Eaton's house last night to reclaim a debt that was owed." Furrowing his brow, in deep concentration, he pieced together the information he had acquired. "He must have known we would come for the money eventually, money he didn't have. Not that you aren't charming, luv," he gave her a long, appreciative stare before continuing, "Believe me, you are. But the man was probably just looking after your father's funds, not your heart." Moving to her side, he casually slung an arm about her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Do not despair, darling, you'll find someone. Eventually."
Brushing his hand from her shoulder and shooting him a withering glance, Natalie replied calmly, "Well, if what you say is true, I am relieved that Master Eaton, the younger, does not feel anything for me." Clearing her throat, she struggled past the emotion that had suddenly surfaced at the realization that no one, not even Clark, cared for her. "But even though I cannot marry him, since I am not there, my father is still vulnerable to them."
"Maybe. The fact remains that you are, indeed, stranded here on the Cara Mia, unless I decide to..." he narrowed his eyes, for effect, and then forged on with his statement, "Dispose of you, of course."
She immediately turned to face him, grabbing hold of the flimsy, cream colored material of his shirt and raising her eyes to his, which had all the impact of a boot to the gut. "Please, sir, you mustn't! I promise to earn my keep if you allow me to stay on here. I'll learn the ways of the sea and I'll be just another one of the crew!"
Leaning in closer, he whispered, "Ah, but the fact remains, luv, that you aren't just another one of the crew." Pulling away from her grasp once more, Jack motioned to her and added, "How do you expect to work on a ship looking like that?"
"I--I--I'll find a way, Captain. Please?"
Contorting his rather becoming face in deep thought, he nodded, "I'll consider it. I must go ashore to join me crew, you will stay right here. DO NOT MOVE!" With a sigh, he moved towards the door. "Some of your friends seemed to have extreme difficulty with that rule, in particular."
Smiling, she waited until the door clicked closed before moving towards the window. Looking out at the action in the streets of Tortuga, Natalie grinned, saying, "Stay here? Not bloody well likely!"