The ballroom of the Governor's mansion was aglow, candles in silver wall sconces imitating the blurry stars dotting the night sky. Tudor, decked out in a new creation of the finest china silk of purple and gold, flitted about, playing co-hostess with Elizabeth, chatting with the little groups as she sashayed around the room. As she drifted from cluster around the Governor to Elizabeth's faction, her eyes darted across the room to where Morales lurked, flirting with some poor, unsuspecting young girl. She continued, not looking him in the eye and found her way to Elizabeth.
"Could I speak to you a moment Elizabeth?" Tudor said as she approached, but before they could pull away from the guests, Morales interrupted them, bowing, and then taking Tudor's hand. "Senorita Smith, may I have this dance?" Tudor shot a pained look to Elizabeth, who was giving her a pitying glance as she was whisked away by the Spaniard.
"You look most charming tonight, Senorita Smith."
She laughed politely. "Looks can be deceiving Morales. I do believe that I am never quite as charming as I look." She said snidely. "But I have discovered that this is true of life. One looks one way when really they are an other way entirely. Just a façade really."
Morales laughed. "You speak so bitterly for one so young."
She glanced at him quickly, but avoided eye contact. "I do not think I am quite as young as you like to imagine me to be." She said coolly. "Just another false image I imagine." She paused, and looked at him calculatingly. "Much like I imagine you are not as virtuous as you seem to be."
"May I cut in?" The Commodore's voice came over Morales' shoulder. "Or am I interrupting an important conversation."
Tudor shook her head as they stopped dancing, but never took her eyes off her prey. "Oh, no. We were just finished." She silently emphasised the last word then took the Commodore's waiting hand.
"Elizabeth asked me to come rescue you." Norrington explained with a sheepish grin.
She smiled back at him. "Thank you. Where is Elizabeth? I've been trying to catch a quiet moment with her I was interrupted last time." Tudor asked as she scanned the crowds for her friend as they turned around the floor.
"She is over at the refreshments table, I believe. Allow me to escort you over there." He said, offering his arm, and led her to Elizabeth.
"Thank you for the lovely dance, Commodore. You are a marvellous dancer." She said to him, as he was about to leave her side.
He blushed and bowed. "I suspect that has more to do with your previous partner then my own meagre dancing graces." He said then left.
"Elizabeth, you're looking so flustered, why don't we take a moment of serenity in the garden – escape from all the hustle for a few moments." She suggested, worriedly.
"I would enjoy that very much." She answered, linked her Tudor's arm and began towards the nearest doorway leading into the garden.
As they went out through the French Doors, Tudor sighed and patted Elizabeth's arm. "I have a confession to make, dear."
Elizabeth led them along a path lined with exotic flowers. "I'm sure is can't be a terrible one Tudor."
Tudor cleared her throat nervously. "Well, What I mean to say is that – well – remember the night Jack Sparrow tried to find you?"
"Yes." Her eyes lit up with hope. "Is there another message from Will?" She took both of Tudor's hands in her own in her excitement.
"Well . . ." Tudor hesitated again. "Yes . . . in a way. . ." Before she could finish a sentence a pistol was cocked at her, and then pulled away quickly.
"What took you so bloody long?" Jack yelped. "Will's half frantic, scouring the garden in case something happened to Elizabeth."
"Jack?" Elizabeth said his name in confusion. "What are you doing here? What's this about Will? He's here . . . now?" She released Tudor and began to back away, looking a bit stunned and panicked.
"Calm down Elizabeth, it's alright." Tudor reached for the girl. "Jack, where is he?" she questioned, perturbed.
Jack opened his mouth to respond, but instead Will's voice came from the darkness behind him and he stepped out into the light shinning from the doorway.
Elizabeth stood transfixed for a moment, then rushed to him and threw herself into his arms, muttering only, "Oh Will."
Will let out the breath he had been holding in a sigh of contentment as he rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Oh, darling, I love you. Please say you'll never send me away again."
Tudor and Jack shared a communal groan and roll of eyes, even though they were both secretly pleased.
"I hate to disturb this touching scene . . ." A weasely voice with a lisp and an accent come from the dark behind them. "But I fear I must. Julio, Pedro, bring Miss Smith here please. Sisco, watch the others." Morales ordered and two giant brutes came forward and grabbed Tudor from behind before she could see where they were coming from.
"Tudor!" Jack shouted, drawing his sword and rushing forward, Will also bearing his weapon and positioning himself in front of Elizabeth.
Tudor quickly elbowed one of the giant oafs in the groin, toppling him to the ground, then squirmed, trying to escape the grasp of the other. "Get out of here – run!" She yelled to her friends as she pulled her hairpiece out, sending her curls flying.
She found herself roundly ignored as Jack charged her other assailant. Elizabeth grabbed a dagger from Will's belt and with a yell, hiked up her skirts and rushed forward. Will stood stunned for a moment and watched her then joined the skirmish himself.
"What the hell are you doing? Get out of here!" She yelled again to no avail. Elizabeth looked like a street-fighter, jabbing Will's dagger at Pedro, who was still doubled over in pain, while trying to block her blows, as Will went after Sisco, who was now charging towards Elizabeth.
Jack, having quickly downed Julio, turned to see Morales watching. Tudor stood next to him of a moment, catching her breath, then said in a gravelly tone. "Morales is mine." And with a silent understanding, they traded weapons, Jack now running to Elizabeth's aide, and Tudor stalking predatorily over to Morales.
He swung his sword up, blocking Tudor's blow above his head, the Spanish rapier much more wieldy then the heavy pirate cutlass. He smirked at her, clearly foreseeing his victory. "Give up Miss Smith, you cannot win." They traded moves again and Tudor cocked her head as the clinched again.
"You're making the same mistake all the others have, Morales." She said, jabbed and parried then held position again. "You're underestimating me – well don't!" She yelled angrily as she managed to pull her cuff pistol out from it's place in her pocket hoops and pulled the trigger not even having to look twice sending a bullet squarely in his chest. She sneered as he slowly fell to the ground. "Compliments of the British Empire, rat!" She said after spitting on him, then turned back to Will, Elizabeth and Jack. She silently handed the cutlass back to Jack, but before anything could be said, the sound of troops marching and the Commodore barking orders echoed into the garden. "The gun shot must have raised alarmed." Tudor realised the mistake she had made in the stress of the situation.
"Quick, you have to go!" Elizabeth whispered frantically to Will and Jack. "They'll arrest and hang you both and . . . and . . .GO!" She stumbled over her words as the footsteps neared.
Will turned to her. "No! I won't leave you again!"
"No, leave her!" Jack yelled, running past Will.
Tudor, calm as ever, took charge quickly, motioning towards the other end of the garden. "Here, this way – there's a good spot to climb over the wall down here. It leads to an alleyway that will take you straight to the pier."
"Wha -? How do ye know that?" He paused and looked up the wall she indicated then stared at her inquisitively.
She shot him a look that cried 'how dense can you be?' and shook her head. "Do you really think that I walked out the front door in nothing but a petticoat and a man's shirt to come to you boat everyday?" She asked scathingly.
"If anyone had the gall to, t'would be ye, no doubt." He muttered and scurried over the wall. "Will, hurry it up will ye!"
"I'm not leaving Elizabeth!" Will hissed at Jack who was perched atop the wall.
Footsteps came closer. "Spread out. Search the garden!" Norrington's voice was heard above the din.
Tudor sneered, rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No more time for this circus – everyone! Over the wall – NOW!" She ordered, well practised in the art. Even if Jack and Will escaped and weren't found, she and Elizabeth would have a lot of explaining to do, and that would get complicated. They all needed to get out of there now. "Will, you get over first and help Elizabeth down." She organised with ease, feeling right at home in the situation, having seen countless wars on the continent, and took charge naturally.
Will boosted Elizabeth up and Jack took her hand and helped her down the other side as Tudor stowed her now useless pistol and grabbed the silk hem of her dress and tucked it under the base of her corset. The boys lowered themselves to the other side as she started to scale the wall herself. She quickly swung an exposed leg over the top of the wall, but lost her balance as she pulled the other over. She reacted quickly this time and did not fall but was left clinging rather precariously to a niche in the wall.
Jack, waiting anxiously to be off, reached out to help her just as she had decided to brave any injuries she might sustain from dropping from her foothold, and launched herself toward the street, right onto Jack.
Elizabeth and Will turned when they heard a thump and a guttural "oof" and saw Tudor lying on top of a startled Jack.
"Sorry." She mouthed silently, and squinted, pained from her rough landing.
Jack, obviously winded himself, didn't respond, but looked up at her, her wild curls falling in her face and onto his chest. He picked one up and slid it through his fingers, then brushed a lock away from her cheek. His other hand reached up to grip her upper arm while the other laced itself in her mane of curls.
"Come on! We need to hurry!" Elizabeth whispered urgently.
Tudor's eyes flicked to Jack's and she held his gaze intently for the briefest of seconds, curiosity and intensity flickering in their silvery depth. "Aye." She rasped out, finding breath again, and slowly sat up. "You're very nice for breaking falls. Thanks." She winked impishly at him, still pinned under her.
"My pleasure." He grumbled, sitting up himself. Just then they heard a Marine call to his comrade as he discovered the evidence of their handiwork. "We better be off." They hurried to the docks.
Tudor quickly took the lead, knowing they way. Will and Elizabeth, hands clasped followed closely behind her, and Jack took up the rear, making sure no one followed them. Tudor skipped sure footed over all the ditches and debris, not bothering to slow her pace for those not familiar with the path.
Soon the buildings surrounding them thinned out and they heard the crash of waves in the distance. In the moonlight the solitary pier sat in the distance, The Pearl anchored at the end. Tudor motioned for them to hurry. "Quick, everyone, get on the ship." She whispered urgently as she let them pass her.
"Pardon me?!" The group halted short of the gangplank at Jack's strident whisper. They turned to see him standing behind them, his pose defensive, his fists on his hips. "Now tell me, just whose ship do ye think this is?" He asked indignantly.
Tudor shot him a look of disbelief. "So sorry." She apologised sarcastically. "Well?" She asked expectantly, deciding to humour him.
"Everyone! To this ship! Quick!" He ordered, then started to run.
She just stood there for a moment. "I can't believe I didn't think to say that." She muttered and shrugged, then followed after him.
Once onboard, Jack starting bellowing orders for them to make way. Will and Elizabeth went off alone to some corner of the ship, blatantly ignoring his duties, leaving Tudor and Jack alone at the helm. "I leave you and Elizabeth off at Tortuga. I'm sure ye'll have some connection to get you home." He said.
Tudor glanced sidelong at him. "I'll stay." Jack looked up at her inquisitively and she looked him squarely in his eyes. "You fought for me back there. I owe you. I'll fight for you, and we're square."
He looked at her as if surprised to receive such gratitude, then extended hi hand, glad for any reason that should cause her to reconsider. "Aye, Welcome to the crew then!" He grinned widely.
She smiled back at him for a moment. "You probably saved my life back there." She hesitated and shrugged. "I don't know what to say – I'm not used to things like that happening." There was an awkward silence for a moment, then she again shrugged, shook her head and moved for the stairs. She turned back suddenly. "You called me Tudor back there." It was almost more of a question then a statement.
He had already turned back to the helm. "Did I?" He seemed to be searching his memory.
She smiled patiently. "Yes. You did." She told him simply.
"Then I must have." He said, imitating her custom of winking and turned back to the work at hand.
Amused annoyance washed over her face and she shook her head. She had really meant to ask him why, but it didn't really matter. "Right – Well, I best go find Elizabeth and decide on a plan." She said, and made her way down the stairs.
"I'll be along in a moment. God knows that boy has no sense when it comes to matters concerning 'his lovely'." He said, took a compass out and gazed at the horizon.
"I hate to tear you away from whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears, but we have a problem." Tudor said as she approached the young couple who were, in fact, whispering.
Will sprang to his feet, his hand flying to his side arm. "Problem?" He asked in alarm.
"Calm down for the love of God! No one is threatening Elizabeth!" She said with a sigh. "Your worse then the Duke de Marseilles! Every ten minutes the man went off! 'They're trying to kill me! Why do they want to kill me? Do you think they are trying to kill me? I do believe my swallowing a grape seed was an assassination attempt. Do you think they are trying to kill me? Are my hose rent? I do believe they were rent in the last attempt to kill me!' Completely paranoid!" She went off on a tangent, then fumed to herself a moment. Will stood, a blank, yet slightly worried expression on his face, staring at Tudor, her breathing coming in spurts. "Lord, you're paranoid." She Cleared her head with a shake. "Anyway, the problem lies in what we are going to do with Elizabeth," She explained. "Not who's trying to kill her." Tudor couldn't resist adding.
"Aye," Said Jack walking up. "That is a problem. Ye see, originally, I was going to leave the two lasses off in Tortuga, what as Elizabeth had someone to defend her, but since Tudor here," he gave her a slap on the back, "has decided she'd rather stay with me, that's no longer a possibility.
Will went pale, and his eye almost seemed to start twitching as his face scrunched up. "You want to do what?! You WILL NOT put Elizabeth off in Tortuga alone! I forbid it! What do you mean you want to put Elizabeth off in Tortuga alone? I'll kill you if you even think about it again! I'll – I'll . . . I'll kill all of Tortuga! There is no way I'm letting you put her off there with no defense!" Will ranted, his face turning bright red and his voice raising three decibels.
Tudor and Jack stoop together, jaws dropped in surprise at his hissy-fit. Jack then thought of something. "You're not going to hit me with an oar again are you?" He asked worryingly.
Will was about to go off again, but Elizabeth calmed him quickly by placing a reassuring hand on his arm. Then her glance turned to the other two. "Tudor's staying?" Jack nodded. "Why can't I stay as well?"
"Well, it's quite simple really . . ." Jack began but halted in mid sentence to think. He held up a finger to indicate reason #1 and began several sentences but reason one never came. 'There isn't really a reason." He finally finished.
"Are you sure that it's a good idea?" Tudor asked.
"Will would be ten times worse if we didn't have her." He shrugged.
"But God only knows how long we'll be away. The governor doesn't know she's gone, but that won't last long. Soon we'll have the entire fleet out after us, looking for her." Tudor rationalised.
"Jest like old times then." Jack said with an impish grin, then sauntered back to his work.
Tudor just shrugged, giving up. She wasn't really worried.
"Promise me Elizabeth, promise me we'll marry the moment we return." She heard Will begging as he held Miss Swann's hands in his.
Before Elizabeth could respond, Tudor, who was now leaning against the ship's rail, chimed in. "Why bother waiting?"
They both looked up at her curiously. "What do you mean?"
"Just that. Why wait? Jack's a captain – get him to marry you." She suggested as if it were blindingly obvious.
Will and Elizabeth looked at each other, then at Tudor, then at Jack who stood unsuspectingly at the helm.
A/n; Alright, sorry about many things, 1; the eternity it took to update, 2; the stupidness of 's formating and 3; how badly I suck at action scenes. But I do promise my personal favorite chapter to come next!
