Disclaimer: I'm having déjà vu.
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Elizabeth sat there, looking at Jack, her mouth open quite unbecomingly.
"W-What?" She asked, stuttering.
"I need ye ta take care of Jackie fir me. I can' do it, no on the Pearl, anyways. Ye don' need ta do much, just give 'er clothes an' food an' things."
Jackie stood there, next to Jack, feeling very awkward.
What if Elizabeth said no? What if she turned them in? Then Jack would be hanged, and Jackie would be placed in an orphanage.
"Please?" Jackie whispered, looking at Elizabeth. "Please?"
Elizabeth turned her gaze to the girl, and then turned it back to Jack, calculatingly.
Then she looked at Will, and they communicated silently.
Will looked at Jack, and Elizabeth put her head back in her hands. "Jack," Will said, "I need to talk to you."
Jack eyed him suspiciously, but got out of the chair, and followed Will out of the room, leaving Jackie alone with Elizabeth.
Jackie shifted from foot to foot, wondering what was going to happen.
Elizabeth peeked through her fingers and said, "Sit."
Jackie blinked, but sank slowly into the chair.
"Jackie," Elizabeth said, head still in her hands, "How old are you?"
"Twelve, ma'am," Jackie said, rather nervously.
Elizabeth sighed. "We cannot just go let you live out on the streets – and a ship is no place for a girl."
Jackie perked up slightly.
Elizabeth opened her mouth to say something else, but Jack and Will walked in.
"Why, thankee, Liz," Jack said, giving her a grin.
She just snorted.
"Jackie, do you have anything? I mean, do you have a bag, or something?" Will asked.
Jackie suddenly sat straight up, looking around. "I did have a bag…" she said, "but I can' remember…" She trailed off, and pursed her lips slightly, trying to remember. "I think…" she started slowly, "that I left it in the shop."
And then she said a phrase that she had heard used frequently on the Pearl; mostly when a pirate named Darius tripped over the ropes and slammed his face either into the floor or into Anamaria.
Elizabeth gasped, Will raised an eyebrow, and Jack grinned.
Jackie blushed, and slapped a hand over her mouth. "Uh-ee" She said through her hand.
Will shook his head, and said, "Jackie, we've decided that you're staying here until you're a little older, and then – if you want – you can go with Jack on his boat."
"Ship."
Jackie smiled a smile so large it almost didn't fit on her face.
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Will left to get Jackie's bag, leaving Jack, Elizabeth, and Jackie alone together with the still sleeping Eddie.
Jack fell asleep on the couch, leaving Jackie and Elizabeth alone together.
Elizabeth and Jackie sat there in an uncomfortable silence.
Jackie cleared her throat nervously, and said, "So, um, how'd you two meet? You'n'Jack, I mean."
Elizabeth's eyelid twitched, an obvious attempt to keep from rolling her eyes. "He arrived at the port just in time to rescue me." At Jackie's questioning glance, she continued, "You see, I couldn't breath, and I was standing on top of a cliff. I fainted, and Mr. Sparrow dived in and saved me.
"He then used me as a shield, and escaped."
"Huh," Jackie said.
They sat in silence a few more minutes.
"Jack tol' me a story – while we were on the Pearl, I mean – an' I'm not sure if I believe 'im – would ya know anything about it?"
Elizabeth shifted, and raised an eyebrow.
"Well, 'e said tha' there was another person – Barbossa – took over the ship fir a while, an' tha' 'im an' 'is crew turned into skeletons when the moonlight hit 'im?"
Elizabeth shuddered, and nodded. "Yes, that's true. Right after Jack and I met, Barbossa and his men kidnapped me."
"Oh!" Jackie exclaimed.
Elizabeth nodded, and after a second, said, "Here we are, just sitting here. Let me show you to your room."
Elizabeth stood, smoothing out her skirt as she did so.
Jackie stood up, self-consciously pulling on the waistband of her pants, and followed Elizabeth up the flight of stairs to a room.
"Here," Elizabeth said, "You can sleep in here until we get something a little bit more permanent."
Jackie stuck her head in the door and eyed it suspiciously.
"Go on," Elizabeth urged. "It won't disappear."
Jackie glanced back over her shoulder at Liz and then took a tentative step inside the room. She stopped by the bed, and looked around. "I…I…"
Elizabeth leaned against the doorframe. "What do you think?"
"It…it…It's lovely," Jackie stuttered. "T-Thanks."
She sat down on the bed, and stifled a yawn.
Elizabeth smiled tiredly at her; motherly feelings coming up to the surface—she wanted to protect this small dirty girl.
"I'm going to get Maya and Holly to help you with a bath, all right?"
Jackie nodded, and sat down on the edge of the bed, awkwardness returning.
Elizabeth nodded back, blinked, and then turned on her heel, walking away.
Jackie glanced around the room, wondering what she had gotten into.