The Phoenix's Tear Ch. 3

I wasn't sure if it was the screeching of a bothersome seagull or the splitting headache that woke me up. Either way, it wasn't pleasant.

"Gahhh, I hate hangover," I uttered, putting a hand on my forehead.

"Aye, luv, it's too bad you can't hold your liquor as well as myself," said a voice from beside me. I sat up immediately and looked over at Sparrow, whom I had forgotten about.

"Easy luv," he chuckled.

"Yes, it is too bad," I retorted, eyeing him warily, but quickly getting over my shock at finding him awake. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long, I woke up a few minutes above you."

"Well, good, you haven't had much time to get into trouble yet, I drawled. He grinned and I continued, "I promised my first mate that I'd meet him at my ships this morning to go over a few things, so I'd best take my leave of you."

"Ehh, I've got nothing else to do this morning," Sparrow told me, "I might as well go with you, can't let a poor defenseless lady like yourself go gallivanting about by herself in a ruthless town like this without an escort. Can't have you being ravaged, now can we?"

Glaring at him for the "defenseless lady" comment, and replied "I'm surprised that you have so little faith in my abilities to defend myself. As a captain of my own ship and a pirate to boot, I must have had to defend myself at one time or another. Anyway, how do I know that you won't be the one doing the ravaging?"

He just grinned and shrugged, "Alright, alright, I confess that I was hoping that you might give me a tour of your ships. The Phoenix's Tear is quite famous you know."

"I suppose that I could spare a few moments of my very valuable time to show you around a little," I retorted, "Come on," Grabbing his arm I dragged him off to the docks, swaying a little from my hangover.

Before we got there, though, we ran into Thompson who glared at me, telling me that I was late.

"A commodore is never late, they arrive exactly when they mean to; everyone else is only early," I retorted.

He grinned, knowing me well, and then caught sight of Sparrow on my arm. "New plaything, eh?"

"Not really, I only met him on the way here, but he was so pretty that I couldn't pass up the opportunity." Now it was Sparrow's turn to glare at me for the "pretty" comment, nudging my side.

"Alright, if you insist, Thompson, this is Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl, if you can believe it, I've found someone who can keep up with my drinking."

"Happy to hear it, Commodore, now, shall we see to the ships and the matter at hand?" questioned Thompson.

"Yes, I suppose that that course of action would be best." I told him, starting off to the docks towing Sparrow. When we arrived at the docks, I looked around and muttered, "They have to be here somewhere, I made sure the crew tied them up here and I left some trusted ones to guard them overnight." I turned to Sparrow who was looking a little anxious, but quickly gave me a small smile and shrugged.

Turning to Thompson, I asked "Where's the ships, I was sure that they were here last night? Maybe we're on the wrong dock or something?"

"No, this is the right dock, it looked like your crewmembers that you were so unconcerned about made off with your ships."

"Now you know that's not entirely correct! I decided that we would take care of the whispers of mutiny this morning, it just happened to be a little late…" I mumbled as I sunk to the wooden dock beneath us. Putting my feet over the side, I stared dazedly at the horizon.

Sparrow sat down beside me, "Look luv, this isn't as bad as it looks."

"How do you know?" I spat. "The only crew I trusted completely, I left to guard the ships. The new crewmembers must have gone back to the ships last night, overpowered my guards, and sailed off with my ships. Bloody 'ell, I've gone from having two ships to having none at all in a matter of a few hours!"

"Yes, but you must have realized that you have some friends that can help you get your ship back."

"Yeah, like who?"

"Well, me for one," Thompson interrupted.

"Since I know how it feels to be without a ship, I suppose you can come along on the Pearl. You both obviously know how to be useful on ships, and I'm in the mood for an adventure. If you're nice I might even help you get your ships back," Sparrow informed me.

"You're offering to help someone who's in no position to do anything for you?" I asked.

"Yes, well, don't spread it around, it would ruin my reputation as a heartless pirate."

"Yes, we couldn't have that now could we," I drawled, not being able to help grinning, even in the midst of such a serious situation. "I can't think of any other alternative," I murmured.

"Right," he said excitedly, "To the Pearl!"

Wind is a wonderful thing. It can cool you down on a hot day, change your course, and of course propel the ship. But it was not wonderful now. The wind is usually on my side. Not today. Someone up above decided to torture me and make the wind abso-bloody-lutely nonexistent. So to get out of Tortuga harbor, unfortunately we would have to do my least favorite part of sailing, while my adrenaline was pumping, making me want to get out of here and get revenge on my crew. We would have to warp, which takes positively forever due to the fact that we had to set out the longboat to drop the kedging anchor, warp the ship to the anchor by tying a rope to the anchor and winding the other end of the rope to the capstan, while the crew turns the capstan, pull up the anchor, and repeat. Multiple times. Oh, and did I mention that the tide was coming in!?

"I hate warping. With a passion. Did I mention that I hate warping?" I grumbled, not for the first or last time.

"Yes, luv, I believe you have, right before you almost jumped overboard to swim after your ships," Sparrow said, without looking up from the helm, acting completely nonchalant.

"I just hate not being in control of what's happening," I complained bitterly.

"I discerned that, Commodore." He replied sagely.

"Why do you keep calling me that, it's not like I have a fleet of ships anymore?" I said, breathing deeply, trying to relax.

"Once a commodore, always a commodore," he said, grinning and looking up.

I tilted my head, saying softly, "I suppose, you're right." I went over to the side of the Pearl and stared out to sea; not really looking at anything, just thinking.

No one bothered me until we were out of the harbor.

As I was drowning myself in my sorrowful thoughts, there was a tap on my shoulder. In defense mode, I whipped around, and a voice said, "Easy luv, I was only trying to tell you that you'll be happy to know that the wind is at our backs, and we're making good time. Now, where do you think they'll be taking your ships?"

Relaxing when I realized that it was only Jack, I tried to remember if I had heard anything mentioned. "I heard something about Port Morant. Just mutterings, mind you, but it's worth it to check it."

"That's on Jamaica, we can visit Will and Elizabeth!" he said excitedly.

"You mean those same one's you're always going on about, 'They helped me get The Pearl back! They helped me break the curse! I was marooned with Elizabeth! Will's the son of Bootstrap!'" I mimicked

"The very same. Wonder how many little buggers they have now. Last time I visited, it was all sighs and surreptious glances," he remarked, making a disgusted noise at the back of his throat and rolling his eyes at the same time I did. We caught each other's eyes and grinned. On a whim, I glanced up at the main topmast and noticed that the sails were starting to backwind. Pointing out to Sparrow that he should alter his course so that we wouldn't start to go backwards, he calmly told me,

"I've been doing this for years, do you think that I don't notice these things?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Only trying to help captain. I'll not make the mistake of trying to help again. Since you don't need my help, Oh experienced one; I'll be below deck. Stalking below decks, I didn't look back.

Later that day, after my anger had cooled and Jack left the helm to Gibbs, he went looking for me. I was watching him walk from his cabin to the crews, to the galley, even the brig.

"Yeah, like I would be there," I smirked. I knew that he would find me in the crow's nest eventually; there were only so many places one could hide on a ship. As enjoyable as this was up here in the cool breezes, watching the world, I knew that I would have to face him in due course, but I'm way too stubborn and prideful to apologize to him. Ahh hubris, the downfall of many. While he was busy checking the brig, I scampered down to go to the bowsprit, and surprise him when he came back above deck. I didn't have to wait long. Jack soon reappeared and saw me at the bow. Sauntering over to me, he said,

"I've been looking all over, where have you been?"

Keeping a straight look on my face, I remarked, "I've been here the whole time. I guess you haven't been searching carefully enough."

Scowling at me, he said, "We both know you haven't, we'll just pretend you haven't lied to me and get on with it. I just wanted to talk to you."

I was completely caught off guard at this announcement. I studied him, his beat up leather hat perched rakishly on his head, his hair and scarves flying in the wind, and his long brown overcoat billowing out behind him. I knew he'd caught me staring, which he knew I knew, but only said,

"Well, how about it?"

I nodded, and we both sat down on the deck and he called one of the crew to bring us some rum.

"Look, I know we've both been on edge," I started. He made a noise of disbelief. "Okay, I've been on edge, but not without reason."

"I know what brooding about what the future will bring looks like, I've done it enough myself. I've learned that it's best to talk about something else with someone to keep your mind off of it, he told me.

I nodded in agreeance, anything to keep my mind off The Tear.

"I warn you, it's not a nice story." I told him.

"D'ye think I've never heard a not so nice story?" he asked with a smile.

"Point taken, relax, it's a long one."