Lady-Errant
She was in the crow's nest. Again.
Muttering dire but toothless threats of retribution, he climbed into the morning light, sure and agile, and finally pulled up beside her.
"Good morning!" She smiled, not noticeably abashed.
"Is it? This seems to be becoming a habit with you, disobeying orders. I distinctly remember telling you to stay on deck."
"I'll be more careful this time. The weather is so very fine, and just look at the view. How could I resist?"
He did look. The sea spread out in a vast circle around them, the light wind rippling the water to a sheet of silver and gold, the sky a dome of pale blue. The coast of Africa was barely a smudge on the horizon, even at this height, and the Canaries now lay far astern, fading much faster than the memory of French Leave On Lanzarote featuring E. Swann in the lead role, with AnaMaria playing the Willing Accomplice. A fortnight standing mids would straighten Ana out. As for the Young Missy…well, raking her over the coals of his considerable displeasure was obviously an inadequate penalty.
"That's all well and good…" he began, and then suddenly broke off. He pulled the spyglass from his pocket, extended it, and held it to his eye.
"What is it?"
"A ship." Bloody hell.
"Pirates?"
"Maybe."
"But, that's all right, is it not? We're pirates, too."
He gave her a Look, then set the glass to his eye again. "There's pirates and pirates," he said, grimly. "Some o' these fellas that ply the coast of Africa ain't the sort one wants to socialize with, if you get me drift. Looks like we'll be crossin' paths soon, about noon, I'd say."
"Is there no way to avoid them?"
"Take us days out of our way. Maybe they'll be nice fellas, an' bugger off when they see we're a similar breed. It's happened before." He put the spyglass away, and turned to her. "Where's Mitchell?"
"I told him I'd keep watch and sent him down."
Jack glared at her. "Mitchell would've seen 'em an hour ago: that's why he's assigned here."
"Oh."
"Oh!"
"You won't punish him? It was my fault."
"I should punish you! A rope's end to that sweet backside of yours, p'rhaps."
She chuckled.
He snapped, "Aye, you're laughing now! We'll see if you, or any of us, find the humor in it later. Let's get down there. Carefully!"
o-o-o
"What? What do you mean I must hide?" she said angrily. "I fought alongside you five years ago, and you made no objection!"
Jack rolled an exasperated eye toward Elizabeth, and the glimpse of Gibbs' subdued but obvious amusement did nothing to abate his annoyance.
"That was different!"
"It wasn't!"
"It was!" he snapped, in a voice that brooked no argument (though there seemed little chance of her paying heed to this warning). "Barbossa and company was a known quantity, and there was no real choice in any case!"
"It's because we're lovers now, isn't it?" She tilted her chin at him, eyes narrowed.
His own eyes widened, and he flinched inwardly at the chuckles that went 'round the table. "What?" he exclaimed, then added quickly, "No, don't answer that! We all heard you the first time. Now you listen well, Miss Elizabeth Bloody Turner, it don't matter a whit whether you understand or agree with my orders, I'm the Captain and you'll do what I tell you to do or there'll be hell to pay, savvy?"
He could see her grinding her teeth.
Jenkins burst in. "Captain! They've raised their colors!"
"Bloody hell!" Jack turned back to his wayward guest. "Are you going to get below, as I told you, or shall I have you tied and gagged and carried down?"
She gave him a look that should have felled him then and there.
But she went.
o-o-o
It had been an interesting negotiation, culminating in a short, pitched battle that had stained the decks of his precious Pearl, mostly with filthy Algerian blood, praise be. The devils had sounded the retreat quick enough after their leader was thrown to the sharks, though, and could now be seen limping away in their crippled brig, headed toward the coast.
"Gibbs! Let's lay on canvas and show 'em our backside. And set a couple of the lads to cleanin' up this mess."
"Aye, Captain."
But as Gibbs began to roar out his orders, Ana came to Jack, blood on her hands, looking grim.
"Are you all right?" Jack demanded, startled.
"It's Elizabeth, Jack."
He felt his heart stop.
o-o-o
When he finally saw her, quite alive, but her whole arm bloody from a vicious cut across her beautiful shoulder, his temper didn't snap so much as explode. She sat there, disturbingly quiescent under the onslaught of words and his hands as he unwrapped the makeshift bandage. When he paused for breath, she put in, "But I only went up to get a knife from the arms chest. I needed something! Ow. That hurts!"
"Of course it bloody hurts, you bloody little fool! Christ almighty, your father's like to murder me if he sees this. And if you think it hurts now, just wait 'til Gibbs starts sewing it up. A half dozen stitches to close it. Maybe more!"
There was a great deal more in the same style, and she sighed, and was silent.
o-o-o
She was not quite silent, later, though the laudanum helped. He held her hands tight, and watched Gibbs do his work, carefully, carefully, and kept talking to her throughout, as much to comfort himself as her. As the wound was bandaged, he wiped her tear-stained cheeks with a damp cloth, and was pleased to see that his hands were steady, even if his heart was not.
o-o-o
She slept fitfully, and he dosed her with laudanum again to get her through the night with some degree of comfort. The next morning she refused it, though.
She was a little feverish that day, uncharacteristically quiet and lacking in appetite. However, toward evening he was able to leave her, to man the helm for a few hours and center himself, again, with the aid of his dark lady, while his golden one fell at last into a more natural sleep.
Or so he'd thought. His cabin was empty when he returned to it. Muttering, he fetched his flask, took a short swig, and went looking for her.
o-o-o
He found her, blanket-wrapped and pale, watching the sea and infinite stars.
"All right?" He sank to the deck beside her.
"No. It hurts."
"Stitches do. Here." He pressed the flask into her hand. She grimaced. "Drink it! That's an order."
She colored. Uncorked, sipped, a little, then more. Coughed.
He slipped his arm around her. She leaned into him. "Next time, you'll obey orders, and you won't be hurt, eh?"
"Still scolding?" she complained.
He kissed her.
As they settled back, a star fell, hissing across the sky, startling both.
Then she said, "It's Will. Laughing."
"Aye." He smiled.
-.-.-