16: Fifty-seven Apples

The Black Pearl shot off at an amazing speed- loosing the British ship on the clear waters. Jade and Jack kept looking at each other, but neither was saying anything. Jade wished she had fought William harder so that Jack could save her with out her having to acknowledge the fact that she didn't want to be rescued. Now, because she had jumped from the Westdon Newcrest into Jack Sparrow's arms, she could not deny that she chose to be on the Black Pearl. And this just complicated the situation she was in even more.

Jack kept looking over at Jade, unable to hide his smile. He kept catching her looking at him, but she would always look away quickly to avoid his gaze. He didn't know why Jade jumped into his arms, when only the night before she had almost drowned trying to get away from him.

"I hope you realize you're still my prisoner, love." He said, finally breaking the silence. Jade smiled briefly but then hid it, and said nothing in response to him.

After a while he moved to the helm and took over for Annamaria, humming his beloved pirate tune to himself.

Jade went down into Jack's sleeping quarters and sat at his desk, looking out his window. Why hadn't she just let William take her? Why did she bother to struggle? Jade could have easily said that the pirate had forced her to write her running-away note, she could have arranged to successfully run away and make it seem as though she had been kidnapped or committed suicide- anything; but why did she jump into Jack Sparrow's arms and let him take her back? Jade did not want to be the captive of an arrogant pirate! The reason that she didn't want to be with William was because she would be nothing more than a mere possession to her!

Jade decided to explore the rest of the ship- something she hadn't bothered to do yet. She opened a door and was met by a wonderful smell of food. An older pirate was washing dishes and moving his head to a silent tune.

"Mr. Cotton? Right?" The man turned around and smiled, beckoning Jade to come in. Jade smiled and closed the door.

"What's for supper tonight?" Jade asked. He pointed to some parchment that had a list of things to do on it, with the things already done crossed out, and the meal plan for the evening written at the bottom.

Jade noticed that 60 apples needed to be peeled and that no one was helping him.

"Mr. Cotton, sir, why are you the only person working on supper?"

He took his pen and wrote down 'every one else needs to help make the pearl go fast- I don't write good'.

Jade nodded and opened a drawer, taking out a small knife and picking up an apple.

"I'll peel some, alright."

Mr. Cotton smiled, and motioned a thank- you.

Jade sat on a small wooden stool, and slowly began to peel the red apples that were just starting to bruise. Jade suspected that it was the reason they were getting rid of them.

Jack left the helm of the Pearl about an hour before supper was suppose to start and went to his chambers- but the Princess was not there. He checked the deck again, the navigation room, the dinning hall, the storage level, and finally, the sleeping quarters of the crew. But Jade wasn't anywhere.

Jack barged into the kitchen to find Jade startled to see him so worried, and what was more- she was bent over a large bowl of peeled apples, and had one mid-peeled in hand.

Jade was on one of her last apples, and thinking what Jack would give to see her working, when he burst through the door, a panicked look on his face, only to be replaced by a truly confused one.

"Are you workin'?" Jack asked.

"Don't look so surprised, Captain." Jade smiled. A blush came over her cheeks suddenly, and Jade brought her attention back to her apple. Had she just been flirting with a pirate? Her hand slipped, and the knife slashed across the palm of her hand.

Jade made a sharp intake of breath, and moved her hand away form the food before any blood came in contact with it.

She looked up to see Jack, only he had gone. Jade looked around, trying to find something to put against her bloody hand.

A moment later Jack returned with a long strip of cloth and took Jade's hand in his. He soaked her hand in luke-warm water and then tied the blue cloth around her hand gently.

Jack kept holding on to her hand, looking at it, smiling.

"Jack?"

"Hmm- oh." He let go of her hand. "It's just that, I used to know someone who once had her hand tied just like that once. She didn't like me much either- but, she came around to me in the end."

"What happened to her?"

"Well, far as I know she got married to a bloody blacksmith, good man 'e is. Bit love-sick though."

"Do you mean Elizabeth and William turner?"

"You know them?" Jack asked.

Yes!" Jade smiled. So this was Jack! "How do you know them?"

"It's a long story, love, I'll tell you some other time. Come on." Jack opened the door for Jade and led her out of the kitchen. "I'll get someone else to finish up here."

Jack led her to his room and she sat down on his bed.

Jack looked over to her and smiled.

"You were working. With out even being forced."

"Well- I was just wandering around and there was no one helping Mr. Cotton. I was bored- so…"

"I'll be right back." Jack left the room and got two men to help with finishing supper.

"So, do you want to have supper with the rest of the crew tonight?"
"Yes. I'd like that."

Jack led her to the dinning hall where the rest of the crew was shocked to see Jade sit down beside the Captain, across from Annamaria and beside Mr. Gibbs, who just woke up.

Jade enjoyed eating with the Pirates. They were funny, if not a bit crude, and everyone was always laughing with them. The dinning hall had a low ceiling, and all that the room was, was a long wooden table with benches and candles lit along the wall and set on the table.

"Arr… if yer a pirate now, Princess, we best find you a name!" Some one yelled out.

"What?" Jade laughed, "what to you mean?"

"Jumpin' Jade!" Someone else shouted, and everyone, including Jade, laughed.

"Well, it's quite alright, just Jade is perfectly acceptable."

"We'll find ya' a name, love, we all know you secretly want one." The captain yelled out.

"Though "Jumpin' Jade" is hardly ferocious." Jack smiled.