Chapter Nine-Rum, Bad Luck and Propositions
A/N Aww, Ari and Elli finally found each other! Now that they're together again, who knows what kind havoc they'll bring! By the way, sorry if some parts of this are sappy/pathetic. I was listening to classical music. Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies-savvy?
TriGemini-Yes, I suppose the tactic Elli used to get Ari's memory back was a bit ridiculous, but it was the only thing I could think of right then and I was in a hurry to get the last chapter uploaded.(I have to share the computer with my family.) And my muse decided to abandon me...sob...but now it's back and so maybe this chapter will be better and yes there has been a lot of humor, but there will be some drama/angst, so don't worry and thanks for reviewing.
Jinxeh- Yeah, Elli is crazy...but she was just trying to help... "But I don't want to go among mad people." Alice said. "Oh, but you can't help that," replied the cat, "We're all mad here-you're mad, I'm mad..." "But how do you know I'm mad?" Alice asked. "Well you must be or else you wouldn't have come here." Answered the cat. -Alice In Wonderland
Elli-Yes I know you would never listen to Jack in your entire life...(evil smile)
So, here goes...
"Ouch..." I muttered as I sat up and rubbed my head.
"Oh good, you're awake." I heard someone say. I looked around and saw Will sitting on the end of my bed. I smiled up at him brightly, but then winced when I touched the back of my head.
"Stupid Elli." I muttered darkly, remembering how she had tried to help me get my memory back. Will smiled, greatly relieved that I remembered everything again-it would've been really bad if I had forgotten everything about him and this whole adventure.
"So...did Jack ever tell us where we were headed?" I asked him.
"Oh, he said we were going to a town called Tortuga to look for a crew." He replied. I frowned a little at that.
"I don't think I like the sound of that place." I murmured and Will laughed.
"Elli said the same thing."
"She doesn't seem to get along with Jack too well." I noted, swing my legs over so I was sitting on the edge of the bed. "But she's never really got along with guys like him, I don't know why though, he doesn't seem that bad."
"How long have you and Elli known each other?" Will asked. I sighed and thought back all those years(I was only 22, but I felt a lot older.)
"Um...I guess our whole lives." I replied. "She's my best friend and the only friend I seem to have right now."
Will smiled faintly, a little jealous because he never had someone he could call a 'best friend', someone he could confide in and care for. He never seemed to get along with other boys in his home town back in England People always thought it was weird that his father was gone all the time and Will tried to not to think about all the things people had said about him and his mother and father behind their backs.
Suddenly Will felt my hand on his. "Are you alright?"I asked, my glassy green eyes full of concern. He looked really sad about something and that hurt my heart as well, I can't stand to see the people I care about in pain or upset or anything like that.
"I'm fine." He assured me. I smiled and he moved his other hand to lay it on mine, but I took my hand away and stood up, once again finding it too hard to breathe being so close to Will. How was I going to survive this trip if I kept having these awkward moments with him?
The cabin door slammed open and we both jumped. Elli laughed from where she stood in the doorway. She crossed the room and gripped me by the shoulders, catching me in another tight hug. This time I had to thank her for her random timing.
"You're up! Are you okay? Do you remember your name? Do you remember me?" She asked, gripping me tighter with each question. Will laughed a little as I tried to push Elli off of me, no use.
"Yes..." I replied, my voice strangled. Just then Jack also burst into the cabin. Elli's whole being changed instantly. She let go of me and stood up perfectly straight, her blue eyes turned hard and cold. Jack noticed this and shot her a dark look.
"I haven't done anything to you so you can stop glaring at me like that, love."
"I told you not to call me that!" Elli shouted. I snickered and threw an arm around Elli's shoulders.
"Aw, but it's a cute nickname." I said. She snarled and shoved me away from her.
"Shut up!" She hissed. I laughed and ran up the stairs, going out on deck before she had a chance to throttle me. Will followed, deciding not to get in the middle of Elli and Jack's fights.
"Whatever you say love." I called over my shoulder. Elli took off one of her boots and chucked it at me, but I was already up on deck and it ended up smacking Jack on the arm.
"What the hell, I didn't do anything to you!" He shouted.
"You called me love! Now Ari will never let me hear the end of it!" Elli shouted back, also running up onto deck with every intention to throttle me, because I was still laughing. Jack sighed and shook his head as he watched Elli chase me around the deck while Will just laughed. This was going to be a very long and interesting trip.
We arrived at Tortuga in the early evening, we would've gotten there sooner, but Jack had to teach all of us the basics of sailing and such. Also he and Elli argued every ten minutes over the most ridiculous things. Actually, there were arguing as we sailed into the crowded harbor.
"Will you two year olds shut up?" I shouted over their raised voices.
"Look what you did, you made her mad!" Elli cried.
"That was your fault!"
I rolled my eyes and Will helped me lower the gangplank. I walked down it and Will followed me. Jack and Elli followed as well, still arguing over who made me mad. At least they were arguing about me!
As soon as we walked into Tortuga, Jack and Elli stopped fighting. Elli, Will and I looked around, curious while Jack just grinned as he looked about the familiar town.
Everyone in this town was hopelessly drunk and it showed. People were firing off their pistols at random people or things for no apparent reason while whores lined the streets and clustered around the entrances to bars. It was also incredibly loud, the shouts of drunks, gunshots, screams and breaking glass filled the air. The whole town also reeked of sweat, vomit, alcohol and other bodily fluids and I fought the urge to gag. Basically, it was the worst town I had ever been to.
"What do you think?" Jack asked us, while still grinning.
"Are you kidding me?" I shouted. Elli rolled her eyes.
"Of course- he had to bring us to a god forsaken like this." She muttered. Jack heard her.
"You know, I don't think I like you very much." He replied.
"You think I care?" Elli snapped.
"Well, if every town where like this, no man would ever feel unwanted." Jack said, once again going on about how great this town was.
"Yeah cause it's full of prostitutes, I seriously doubt any one of them is without child." I said rather loudly. Will and Elli laughed while Jack glowered and stalked off down the streets purposefully as if he was looking for something or someone. We all decided to follow him, even though Elli would have rather ditched him.
As we walked down the streets, we were stopped by prostitute in a red dress that seemed to know Jack. And he seemed to know her.
"Scarlet!" He called, smiling at her, but she didn't return the smile and slapped him instead.
"I don't think I deserved that." Jack muttered, looking dazed.
"Sure." Elli muttered sarcastically. He glared at her, but before he said anything, another prostitute in a filthy white dress walked up to Jack.
"Giselle." He said happily, but Giselle did not look happy to see him.
"Who was she?" Giselle sneered in a thick accent.
"What?" Jack asked in reply, still dazed. That earned him another slap. Elli snickered.
"I might have deserved that." Jack admitted and stalked off down the road, trying to ignore Elli's teasing words. I rolled my eyes and pantomimed strangling Elli. Will laughed and laid a hand on my shoulder. I felt my heart beat quicken.
"They're not so bad." He said softly, still smiling.
"Feh." I replied, indifferent. A slightly uneasy silence hung between us and I felt the need to say something, something clever that would make him laugh, but before I could say anything, we reached our destination. Our destination was a pigsty with a man laying next to two pigs.
"I'm not even going to ask about that." Elli said, looking down at the man with obvious disgust in her eyes. Jack grabbed a bucket of water and splashed the man, which instantly caused the man to start and wake up, the pigs didn't seem to mind the water.
"Can't get a breather you slack jawed idiot!" The man shouted in a slurred voice. I eyed the dagger in his hand warily-drunks should not be holding weapons.
"That was incredibly random." I muttered.
"Hey, he's cranky when he wakes up-just like you Ari!" Elli cried cheerfully. I stuck my tongue out at her which earned me a gentle punch in the arm.
"Oh, mother's love-it's you Jack." The man said in relief, recognizing his old friend.
"Did he just say 'my first love?'" Elli cried. (A/N-Elli really thought he that's what he said.)
"Oh my God! Jack, are you gay?" I shouted, a grin tugging at the corner of my lips.
"NO!" Jack shouted.
"Are you sure? You don't fancy Will or anything do you?" Elli asked. I laughed in spite of it all. Will also laughed, it was funny and Jack looked so frustrated.
"No, he fancies that guy." I said and pointed to the man in the pigsty.
"Oh yea, that's right." Elli agreed and smiled at Jack evilly.
"Shut up." Jack muttered and turned back to the man who was also smiling a little.
"What do you need Jack? Don't you know it's bad luck to wake a man who's sleeping?" The man said."Ah, fortunately I know how to counter it. The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking," Jack said. Elli and I blinked. I just barely followed that and the man looked confused as well.
"Aye, that'll about do it." The man replied and Jack helped him to his feet and just narrowly missed being splashed with water, for Will had poured another bucket of water on the man.
"Blast it! I'm already awake!" The man shouted.
"That was for the smell." Will replied, putting down the bucket.
"Will, just water is not going to help the smell." I muttered. Will smiled a little and we followed Jack and his friend to this one tavern called 'The Faith Ful Bride.' It had a bride carved out of wood standing by the front and her hands were manacled. Lovely.
The inside of the tavern was more lovely than the outside if possible. It was jam packed, and yet more people kept pouring in. At least ten different fights were going on at once and pistols were being fired off left and right which made me paranoid. Whores were also packed in here, pushing their way through the crowd. Jack made for the bar counter and Mr. Gibbs made for a far corner in the tavern. Elli and I found our own table next to where Mr. Gibbs and Jack were to sit and Will leaned against the wall next to us.
Soon Jack returned with two mugs of rum and went and sat with Mr. Gibbs. Soon they were engaged in a serious looking conversation, but Elli and I paid them no heed because we were having our own conversation.
"So what have you been up to?" Elli asked me. I shrugged my shoulders.
"Nothing much." I replied. "How about you?" I asked and Elli went on to tell me about how she was trapped in the governor's house and how she hated Elizabeth. I didn't hear the rest of what she said because Will was distracting me.
Elli suddenly slammed her fist down on the table, making me jump.
"Ah ha!" She cried happily.
"Elli, what was that for, do you want to give me a heart failure?" I demanded.
"Well if you were paying attention to me instead of Will, I wouldn't have scared you like that." Elli hissed.
"I was paying attention to you!" I countered.
"What was the last thing I was talking about?" Elli demanded, folding her arms over her chest. I sighed and closed my eyes.
"Alright, so I don't know what you were talking about, but I can't help it if he's distracting me!" I shouted and motioned to Will, who was looking in the other direction thank God!
"You like him don't you?" Elli asked, grinning slyly.
"Yes." I muttered.
"Does he like you?" She asked in reply.
"Ouch. No he doesn't, he likes Elizabeth-the stupid bloody girl who's ass we're saving!" I shouted in frustration and slammed my own fist on the table.
"Wow, that's ironic." Elli muttered.
"Too ironic." I replied and walked up to the bar, needing wine or some kind of alcoholic drink that would make me feel less miserable, hey-if I drank enough, I wouldn't feel anything at all. I ordered my drink and walked back over to my table when I saw some ugly whore walking towards Will, who looked like he was trying to get away.
"Here kid." I said and shoved my drink into the hands of some random guy that walked past.
"Hey, thanks!" He called, I just nodded and walked forward. I ran ahead of the whore and wrapped my arms around Will's waist before she could touch him
"Sorry." I said sweetly to her as she glowered. I then wrapped my arms around Will's neck, seeing as she was not going away, just stood there watching us carefully. I heard Will's breath catch in his throat. "Play along." I whispered in his ear as I ran my fingers through his thick brown hair, my own heart beating loudly in my ears. I laid my head against his chest and he wrapped his arms around my waist. I closed my eyes as I felt him pulled me closer towards him, pressing me against him. I kissed him softly on the shoulder and opened my eyes, letting out a shaking breath, relieved that the whore was gone.
I looked up at Will and smiled softly. "That was close huh?" I whispered. He nodded.
"It was, thank you." He replied, just as softly. I saw Mr. Gibbs and Jack stand up, getting ready to leave and I turned my gaze back to Will who had still not let me go for some reason.
"Will, they're done. We better get ready to leave." I pointed out. And instead of pulling away from me, Will leaned forward, closing the already small distance between us. We were so close that if I leaned forward just a tad, I could've kissed him and I fought the strong urge to do this. He leaned forward though and almost brushed his lips against mine, but then he seemed to remember something and pulled away from me completely, taking his arms from my waist.
He followed Jack and Mr. Gibbs out of the bar and Elli walked up to me as I watched him walk off, confusion shining in my eyes.
"Wow, I seriously thought he was going to kiss you. I thought he loved Elizabeth." She noted.
"I don't know what he was thinking, I thought he loved her too." I replied.
In the morning, after we stayed the night in a filthy, rat infested inn, we stood on the docks before a line of men. We, actually Jack was searching for some good men to be on his crew. Quite frankly I thought they all looked rather mad and some of them were. There was Mr. Cotton, who had no tongue(and opened his mouth to prove it to us, as if we needed to see his stump of a tongue) and had trained his macaw parrot to talk for him and then there was this little midget and I seriously wondering how he could be of any help...maybe he was incredibly strong or something...
"What's the benefit for us?" Some one shouted as we looked at the rest of the men. Jack walked down to the sailor who had spoken up and we followed him, curious. Jack pulled off the wide brimmed hat that the sailor was using to hide his face and found that it was no man, but a pretty, black female pirate.
"Anna Maria!" Jack said cheerfully, even though he looked rather nervous. She smacked him hard and Jack winced.
"Hey! I like her!" Elli cried.
"I guess you didn't deserve that?" Will asked Jack softly.
"No, that one I did deserve." Jack admitted and Anna Maria nodded in agreement.
"You stole my boat." She hissed, emphasizing each word.
"Borrowed..." Jack attempted to correct her, but she slapped him hard again. Elli laughed, this was all so amusing to her. "Borrowed without permission." Jack corrected himself. "But I had every intention of bringing it back to you."
"But you didn't, did you?" Anna Maria cried.
"It was her fault!" Jack cried and pointed to Elli.
"What?" Elli shouted.
"What, she fell out of the bloody sky and crashed into your boat?" Anna Maria demanded.
"Actually yes." Jack replied. Anna Maria shook her head.
"You'll get another boat." Will cut in swiftly. "A better one." He smiled his unfailing bright smile.
"A better one!" Jack agreed, enthused.
"That one." Will said and pointed to the 'Interceptor.'
"That one?" Jack hissed and then noticed the whole group was watching us. "Aye, that one." He agreed. "What say you?"
"Aye!" Everyone, including Anna Maria shouted. They all raced onto the ship and we followed them, but Mr. Gibbs stopped Jack as he headed for the ship.
"No, no Captain, it's frightful bad luck to bring a woman aboard, let alone three." He said, glancing at Anna, Elli and I.
"It'd be far worse not to." Jack muttered, looking Heavenward before walking on the ship as well. Will shrugged and followed Jack and Mr. Gibbs reluctantly followed him.
Now, I don't believe in Mr. Gibbs superstition about woman being bad luck on board a ship, but I knew one girl who was the cause of all our bad luck and she just so happened to be the girl I agreed to help save. Why couldn't Will have been the one to get amnesia when he was hit on the head?
