Yet again, usual disclaimers apply throughout this tale. If you recognise it, it probably belongs to the Mouse – else it is mine!

Chapter 28 – The Wedding

Year 2 - November 16

The sky was overcast on the day of the wedding, threatening rain, but nobody on board seemed to care. Joshamee Gibbs rowed into Port au Prince to collect the minister who would perform the ceremony. "An Anglican priest," Jack had bragged when Will reminded him of a previous escapade. "A proper parson of the Church of England all robed and holy like!"

The minister had been uncertain about the ceremony, but the pirates had paid a very large donation to the church, as well as to the town for safe anchorage. The crew had been well behaved and indeed, only the more senior crew had been seen in town. Whatever people might say about the Black Pearl and her captain, he was an honest man in his own right and ran a decent ship… if you overlooked that he was, in fact, a pirate.

The women-folk were gathered in the main cabin, waiting for the minister to arrive. The pirates were courteous, offering him a drink before the ceremony. He declined, but looking at some of them, they had already started. Theodore looked towards the doors on hearing a startled gasp from inside, frowning at Jack who smiled smugly.

"I think we should start, if the ladies are ready?" the minister suggested, smoothing his robes from the climb on board.

Theodore knocked on the cabin doors. "Ladies?"

The doors opened and Elizabeth led James by the hand. He held a posy of flowers, the rich tropical flowers that grew wild throughout the islands. The decorous effect was somewhat ruined when two macaws flew from the rigging and sat one on each shoulder. Giggles echoed from the cabin and then Catherine emerged, her hand resting gently on her brother's arm when she reached the doorway. He realised that he had not seen her so happy for a long time, regretting for a moment that it was Jack Sparrow that had brought about this change in her. He wished it had been any other man and not one he would be honour bound to hang if ever he caught him.

He smiled down at his sister, noticing that she was wearing the red dress that she had worn to the Governor's mansion, but that Elizabeth had done her hair in ringlets woven with flowers. She, too, carried a posy of flowers, but it was the gem about her neck that drew most eyes, his included.

Jack had given her a small box the night before, warning her not to open it until just before the ceremony. She had been sorely tempted to peek, but had not, although she dropped the box in shock when she finally did open it. It was a ruby, the size of an apricot stone, cut to catch every angle of light and shaped as a heart. An ornate clasp allowed it to be attached to her pearl necklace. It was the finest gem that Jack had ever found, all right – stolen, and seeing it about her throat he knew he had kept it for the right reasons, hoarding it for years.

Even the minister stared. He cleared his throat. "If we are ready?"

Jack grinned lop-sidedly. "Yup, guess so!"

"You have the rings?" Will handed the minister the two rings that Jack had given him earlier as Catherine came to stand beside Jack.

"We are gathered here," he began, "to celebrate the marriage of Jack Sparrow to Catherine Reyes with the formal ceremony of the giving of rings. These rings are a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver and no receiver for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings forever remind you of the vows you have taken."

Jack fidgeted. Even his near-hanging had not gone on this long.

The minister continued. "Now, if you will repeat after me... I, Jack, take you, Catherine, to be my wedded wife..."

Jack gulped, realizing that there was absolutely no backing out, Theodore's glare confirming the fact. He took a deep breath. "I, Jack, take you, Catherine, to be my wedded wife..."

"To have and to hold from this day forward..." he said.

"To have and to hold from this day forward..." Jack smiled. He liked the holding bit, but the having was more fun.

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer..." the minister smiled, amused at the thought of a poor pirate captain.

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer..." Better and richer was far nicer Jack thought.

"In sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part..." he intoned.

"In sickness or in 'ealth, to love an' t' cherish 'till death do us part..." A long time off I hope, he prayed.

"And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness." The minister looked to Jack as he finished his vows.

"And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness." Unless I'm drunk, he would have liked to have added, but doubted the minister would agree to those words. He smiled as he saw Catherine looking at him with a thoughtful expression on her face, biting her lip as if she knew his thoughts.

The minister smiled as he turned to Catherine. "And now you, Catherine, repeat after me... I, Catherine, take you, Jack, to be my wedded husband..."

She looked as nervous as he, momentarily biting her lip, but when she spoke, her voice was level and calm. "I, Catherine, take you, Jack, to be my wedded husband..."

Jack's mind drifted as she repeated the same vows. Rings were exchanged and then he got to kiss her. The crew exploded in raucous jeering and cat-calls, but he ignored them. Eventually he came up for air. "Drinks all around!" Jack declared.

The crew cheered and headed below decks where the food and drink waited. Catherine and Zeke had worked hard in the galley and the trestles groaned under the weight of it all. Despite the party, Jack still kept a watch on decks. Straws had been chosen to see who would remain on watch whilst the others partied, but they knew it had to be done. He was pleased to see Joshamee Gibbs and Ned Cotton had volunteered for the watch, he wanted people he trusted. Joshamee rowed the minister back to shore and most of the pirates got soundly drunk.

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Jack smiled as he turned the key in the lock, barring any of the crew from entering. He turned, wobbling slightly as he removed his weaponbelt and pistol, before eagerly reaching for the laces of Catherine's dress… his wife's dress.

He mulled the words over in his mind, smiling to himself. His wife. Slowly he slid the red brocade from her shoulders, repeating his ministrations with her undershift as her nimble fingers removed his sash. He grinned as she reached for his breeches, groaning as she slid them past his hips. "Kitty," he murmured, tickling her neck with his braided beard, kissing, nibbling as his hands removed her undergarments. Momentarily he pulled away, eyeing her as she stood before him, naked but for her jewellery. He stepped from his breeches as she tugged his shirt over his head until he, too, was a naked. A grin split his face as he scooped her up, throwing her gently onto the bunk. "Mine!" he declared, climbing in beside her and planting kisses enthusiastically over her body.

Catherine smiled a little hazily back at him, realising she was only slightly less inebriated than he was. Although she had not drunk much wine, she was unused to it and, together with the atmosphere and the dancing, it had left her giddy. She wrapped her arms about him as his lips met hers, kissing him eagerly. "Mine too," she slurred, wrapping herself about him. "Mine too!"

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