A/N: So incredibly sorry about the humungous delay on this one. Have been away and various other complications arose. But it is finally done and for those who are still reading I hope you enjoy. I was uploading this and I have had touble with formatting so there is no deliniation between scenes. Please bear with me and I will try and fix it for the next one
There was no dock in Tortuga harbour for them to pull up to. There were docks, thin wooden affairs that cut the waters of the bay like wizened fingers, but they were apparently too small or "reefin' cockeyed" according to Jack. she had no idea what that meant but it all meant they had to anchor offshore and row in. Although Rogue personally thought it was because Jack couldn't parallel park and was too macho to admit it. However when she said as much she had received two very blank looks in return. She resolved to keep all her attempts at humour strictly grounded in this time. Actually, she thought, she just wouldn't bother.
Jack and Will dropped the anchor, not so simple a process as she'd assumed. It involved a lot more spinning wheels and manly grunting and straining but that wasn't such a bad thing she realised, watching from the rail with a small smirk and an appreciative gaze.
Having dealt with the anchor they lowered one of the rowboats over the side, giving Rogue rope burn in the process. Will looked shocked at the string of curses she spewed while blowing frantically on her burning hands. Jack just grinned, then laughed outright when she poked her tongue out at him.
"Now lass. You stay here and guard the ship" he said, swinging a bag over the side where it landed in the boat with a thump.
"What!" she demanded incredulously "Stay and babysit this stupid thing? No way in hell buster!"
"If you want to be on this little voyage you will do what I say" he said mildly but with a steely undertone. "Or do I have to give you the same lesson as Master William had afore?"
"I'd like to see you try" she blustered, not really ready to be tossed over the side.
Jack merely stared at her, his look challenging until she was forced to look away.
"We need someone to stay and keep watch."
"Well....why not Will? He'd be better than me, he's bigger for one."
Jack glanced across at Will who responded by hoisting himself over the side and dropping into the waiting boat.
"There be your answer lass" he said, making to follow suit. At the rail he paused and looked back at her, standing outraged and furious beneath the mast.
"Don't take on lass. I'll bring you a tot of brandy to keep you warm".
"Fuck off Sparrow. I don't want your damn brandy!" she yelled, not pacified by this offer in the least.
"As you wish" he answered calmly 'I'll drink it meself!" and with that he leapt over the side and lowered himself down into the rowboat.
Rogue heard the splash of oars and the voices of the two men, undoubtedly arguing already as they moved off toward the flickering lights of the town.
For about half an hour after they left, Rogue paced the deck fuming at the audacity of guys like Jack and at the general shittiness of life, hers in particular. It wasn't fair, she thought as she marched back and forth across the boards.
The first possibly fun thing and she wasn't allowed to do it. It was just like at home. Stupid curfew. Logan and The Professor were always so strict. In Caldecott she had been pretty much free to do whatever she pleased, Irene being blind a big help to her night life (although sometimes she had an uncanny ability to know exactly what Rogue had been doing. It was probably a parental thing). Plus with people like Scott and Jean there was never much fun to be had. Three hundred years in the past and she still couldn't get out.
Bloody Jack bloody Sparrow. Who did he think he was, ordering her around? Rogue was getting herself good and angry, just the right mood to do something defiant, like ignore Jack's orders.
"I mean why should I just do what he says?" she complained aloud "If he screws around I can just knock him out end of story. It's not like I can't defend myself."
Her gaze came to rest on a boat shrouded by canvas, half hidden under the stairs that lead up to the stern.
Pulling the cover off she sized it up. It looked big enough for two or three people but not too big for one person to handle.
Perfect.
While Rogue was congratulating herself for reaching the shore, she was having difficulty finding somewhere to put her boat. After some fruitless searching she tied it to the base of the pier, hoping that the boards would hide it from view.
"Who would have thought parking would be a problem?" she muttered to herself, tying the rope tightly with her best knots, which were considerably more complicated than they had been a few days ago, thanks no doubt to Jack's presence in her head.
Satisfied that the boat wasn't going anywhere soon she grabbed the support of the dock and pulled herself up onto the boards. Thank you fitness training she thought as she stood and brushed herself off. She still wore the shirt and pants she had filched from the ships stores but thankfully she had managed to salvage her boots. Their solid length encasing her calves gave her a measure of comfort. Something familiar and trustworthy in this crazy place.
She looked up at the town. It was a motley assortment of buildings clinging to almost bare rock. The town, if you could call it that, she thought, it looks more like a slum, rose in terraces away from the rocky shore. Even from down here she could hear the sounds of laughter, music, gunshots and shrieking. All the things that advertised a good time. Except the gunshots she amended, but I am more than 300 years in the past, so it could be a good thing here.
She decided that if she didn't investigate she would never know so she started determinedly up the dock toward the lights and noise, her boots thumping confidently on the wooden boards.
"Geeze would it kill them to bathe occasionally?" she wondered aloud, having been subjected to the unique smells of Tortuga for the last fifteen minutes. Rogue had decided that she wouldn't eat anything while she was here. She'd probably die of food poisoning for a start.
However, when she saw a man mouth open under a brandy keg she decided that she might be able to drink something.
I mean the alcohol would kill any germs she reasoned, and it'd practically be a crime not to have a drink while I'm here. It looks like the local custom. She watched a fat, bearded man chase a laughing, half-dressed woman down the street howling and barking at her.
Think I'll stick with the drinkin' custom she thought as she walked into the nearest pub. Tavern she corrected herself, they're called taverns here.
The establishment she had chosen bore the salubrious name of the Good Queen's Petticoat. Rogue thought it was meant to be lewd but to her it just seemed kinda lame.
Inside it was smoky and dark, the only light being provided by lanterns hanging at great intervals from the ceiling and a few candles in holders against the walls. There were lots of low rough-made tables with benches on either side scattered over the sandy floor. The bar ran along one side of the room and a narrow staircase led upwards on the opposite side.
That was it.
Except for the hundreds of drunken sailors and women she thought, watching the raucous and roiling mob of people that crammed the tavern.
Some were singing, some were dancing, or attempting to dance on the floor, the tables or each other, one guy standing on the back of a fallen friend and attempting to do a jig.
There were women, all made up like clowns, blind disabled clowns it looked like, who were dancing and kissing, and more with various men. It was a regular old 18th century piss up. At least they look like they're having fun, she thought wryly with only a trace of bitterness at her situation.
She manoeuvred her way through the stumbling, brawling crowd until she reached the bar. She had no clue what to order but was willing to be that Cosmopolitans and Martinis wouldn't be on the menu. Rum a voice in her head supplied. She couldn't be sure if it was Jack or someone else but she decided just to go with the suggestion.
She pulled out the small leather purse she had filched from Jack earlier. After all she had put up with from him she figured he at least owed her a drink. Looking inside she saw several strange looking coins, all of them a dull silver colour. It would probably be enough for one drink.
The meaty woman behind the bar looked up at her, idly polishing a pewter tankard.
"Rum" Rogue ordered, going with a general request and hoping the woman would fill in the size and price for herself.
With disinterested slowness the woman leant forward, removing a misshapen green bottle from under the counter. She poured a small measure of what looked like muddy water into a wooden mug in front of Rogue.
Rogue pulled out one of the silver coins and put it down of the counter.
The woman whisked it away and threw a few coppers beside her drink. She then moved down the bar to serve a skinny old man who was rapping on the wood with an empty wooden tankard.
Rogue regarded her drink for a while before picking it up and giving it a tentative sniff. There was no way she was rushing into this having learnt from previous drinking experiences the danger of gulping unknown alcohol.
She was just about to take a sip when she felt someone approach her from behind.
"Well little missy, how about you run up my mainsail?" a voice leered as stale breath in her ear announced an unwelcome distraction.
"Geeze what is it with this place? Every single guy!" she groused not turning around.
"Don't be like that now. I'll pay ye handsomely. Just in from the Leeward Islands with a hold full o' Spanish swag. What say we go upstairs?" he lowered both hands onto her shoulders.
She shook him off and turned around, eyes blazing with anger.
"Listen up moron 'cos I'm only gonna say this once. I don't want to go anywhere or do anything with you. You stink, you're clearly mentally challenged and your face reminds me of the back end of an particularly ugly mule", she stabbed a finger into his chest for emphasis ignoring his wide eyed shock. "So why don't you just fuck off and leave me in peace?"
Rogue turned away from him and picked up her mug, any good temper completely ruined. Every time she started to enjoy this place some dick came along and tried to molest her.
"Listen wench." he hissed angrily, not at all deterred by her comments "You'd best keep your mouth shut an'......"
He grabbed her shoulder again and she spun around, delivering a hard chop to his throat cutting off what he had been about to say. The man staggered back gasping and wheezing. Rogue didn't give him the chance to recover, advancing quickly to punch him in the stomach. Finally she got a chance to use her training. Having felt useless in her conflicts up to this point it was good to finally get to kick some ass again.
As he folded forward from the punch she brought her knee up to meet his descending head. He howled in pain and she drew back a foot, launching a kick straight into his groin. He folded right over with a squeal of agony. Rogue then brought her hand down on the nerve cluster at the base of his skull. The man shuddered then lapsed into unconsciousness.
Rogue straightened up, noticing for the first time that all activity in the bar had stopped and all eyes were riveted on her and the fallen man.
She looked around with a challenging stare, daring anyone to comment. There was an eerie hush for a long moment.
Then, just as quickly as they had stopped, the crowd went back to their previous activities, the mob of people swirling over the fallen man, who was being none to gently dragged away by a heavyset man Rogue guessed was a bouncer of sorts.
She turned back to her drink, staring once more into its murky depths.
"That was quite impressive little miss" came a voice from her right. Rogue looked up, ready to deal with this guy but saw that the man next to her hand his hands up in a pacifying gesture. "Tis good to see someone knock that windbag square on his arse" he grinned, displaying a mouth that had more gaps than teeth and those mostly gold. "Even if ye are only a maid".
Rogue glared at him and he again raised his hands "What say I buy you a tot of grog in celebration?" he offered with nervous enthusiasm.
Rogue nodded once, dropping her cold stare. Better drink this one if she was gonna have another.
She picked up the mug and downed the entire contents.
While she was trying to recover her lungs from her mouth and her eyes from the floor the man beside her yelled
"Aggie! Grog for me and my friend here." He turned to her , apparently ignorant of the fact that she was dying of asphyxiation "What's your name luv?"
"Rogue" she managed somehow, despite the fact her vocal cords felt like they had been burnt away with a blow torch.
He grinned and slapped her on the back. 'Name's Thomas. Enough of that water Rogue, try some real Tortuga grog. It could wake Queen Bess so it could, God rest her soul".
He bumped his mug against hers, drinking the contents with gusto.
Oh well she thought, Rome an' all, before picking up her own mug.
It only seemed like five minutes later, but in reality was several hours, and Rogue was having the time of her life.
She had suddenly acquired all these new friends. This was a new experience for her not having had many friends before.
"Or ever really" she mused aloud, barely heard over the din in the tavern.
But now she had lots and they kept buying her drinks and being nice, talking and all that. Just like friends were supposed to. She felt herself tear up at the wonderfulness of her new friends.
"I really love all of you" she said, feeling she just had to express the wonderfulness she was feeling. Wonderfulness. That's a great word, she thought.
"I'm gonna use it every day from now on" she vowed solemnly.
Her new friends nodded with equal solemnity , even raising their mugs in salute to her sentiments.
Of course she didn't realise how drunk she was, not having had much contact with grog in Bayville. It was probably a blessing she didn't know what was in that or she might have been decidedly less enthusiastic about drinking as much of it as she had and was still doing.
"Y'know" she slurred, her accent so thick that even if her companions hadn't been drunk, they'd have been hard pressed to understand her, 'Y'know I should take a picshure. To comm..comm....commmem...to 'member this moment. Forever. Frozen in honey. Or y'know amber. In time. I'm in time. The wrong time" she began to giggle hysterically which set off everyone else at the table.
Once several of Thomas' friends had arrived and joined them they had moved to a table, the benches a relief for Rogue's suddenly tired legs. There was one woman in the group, Demelza and she and Rogue had been bitching about the evils of men for the past hour.
"An' then they're all 'Oh lets just be friends' and 'You're like a sister to me' " Rogue complained loudly, waving her mug for emphasis "When all I really want is some hot monkey lovin'. Although not with an actual monkey, 'cos of the fur 'n' all".
'I knew a man who looked like a monkey" Demelza said, taking a generous gulp of her drink "Was hair from neck to ankles. Had a hard time finding the mast on that boat, let me tell you".
Rogue burst out laughing and Demelza joined her, the men watching in bemusement as the two women held each other and laughed until they cried.
"Must be a female thing." Thomas said to the old man from the bar who had joined them earlier. He nodded wisely in return, both men completely mystified.
She and Montgomery and Demelza and Pete and Thomas, her new best friends, were all walking toward the next tavern. Strangely walking had become suddenly more difficult than usual. But it was okay because her friends were supporting her on either side. She really loved them.
They were attempting to sing a song, but no one seemed to know the words. Rogue kept trying to sing a Chilli Peppers song but couldn't remember how it began. Or there was that one about the House. The great big house.
"in Nawlins" she slurred thoughtfully. "Nawlins. Its 'bin the ruin of many poor, ......somethings" she sang confusedly before giving up. Her friends all had better voices anyway. She'd just listen to them.
They were making their slow, unsteady way across the road when she suddenly spied a familiar face. Two familiar faces actually but one was much more welcome than the other.
"Jack!" she yelled, letting go of her friends who, in the absence of her support lurched drunkenly into a group of men coming in the other direction. There was much cursing and groaning as both groups tried to untangle themselves.
Meanwhile Rogue had swayed over to where Jack and Will stood in the middle of the street watching her with a mixture of exasperation and horror. Although that was mainly from Will.
She smiled, cocking her head to the side as she tried to focus on both of them at once. Finding this impossible she looked at Jack, not realising she was grinning like a maniac.
"Hey boys! How the hell are ya? Been enjoying the night life?" she lost her footing and fell against Jack, who caught her deftly, his hands grasping her arms firmly. He tried to set her upright but she sagged against him, arms going about his waist. She started giggling.
"I'll be easy on the goods" she said through her laughter missing the shocked expression on Jack's face at hearing his words to Elizabeth coming from her mouth. Still laughing she said, looking up at him from where she clung to his hips, half kneeling on the ground.
"Whoops. Not supposed to know that. I thought I didn't get you much. You must have a very..." she trailed off her thoughts occupied by the sword right in front of her face. "A sword. A cutlass!" she attempted to pull it from the scabbard but failed "Argh me hearties "she growled "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. We'll hang them from the rigging so we shall" she broke off into giggles again, loosing her hold on Jack and sliding to sit in the road.
Jack finally spoke anger lacing the amusement in his voice "An' what are ye doin' here hmm? I thought I told ye to stay on board all night". He looked down at her happily grinning face, resting comfortably against his knees.
She pushed off him and managed, after a few tries to stand up. Facing him she smiled and tried to hold her head up to meet his eyes. Something that was harder than it had been a few minutes ago. Or was that hours? She couldn't remember. Jack stood waiting for an answer, one eyebrow raised.
"Uh huh" she slurred waving a finger under his nose "You only said that, that I gotta stay on d'ship but not for how long!" she grinned triumphantly at her brilliant logic. Jack was about to respond when another thought occurred to her and she spoke right over the top of him.
"Besides, you said..." she lost her train of thought momentarily before quickly finding it again "you said that I couldn't come with you. Not that I couldn't come. So I came,.. all by myself!" She realised the double entendre she had unwittingly voiced and burst into giggles.
"We don't need you, we come when we feel like it. I came here and over there too!" she added between her snorts and snickers which she was trying, unsuccessfully to muffle with her hands, "I came after you!" she collapsed against Jack, shaking with laughter.
Will watched, horrified from two feet away. Jack, meanwhile was supporting her with a half amused, half exasperated expression, something he was doing more and more around her. He had no idea what she was going on about but both he and Will could see she was 3 sheets to the wind and listing fast.
Suddenly Jack burst out laughing, throwing his arm around her shoulder.
"You've got spirit little Rogue" he said, winking at her, a move she tried to return but somehow couldn't. "Since we're all here we should continue the festivities. I'll take you to the finest tavern in the Caribbean."
"Really?" she asked, leaning into him, eyes wide and excited "Do they have grog?"
"There she is!" came an angry cry from down the road, interrupting Jack's reply.
A group of burly men, all of them filthy and dishevelled, were approaching their small party. Rogue recognised the man who had spoken as the man she had dropped in the bar, what seemed like a lifetime ago.
"Not you again" she drawled annoyed. "Look dude, I kicked your ass already. Once is enough. Your ass can't take another go. Even though its so fat." she started giggling again.
"Now there's no need for this" Jack began placatingly.
"Shut ye hatch" the man shouted "This little sow-bitch has a divvyin' comin'. And I mean to see it happen!".
Meanwhile the other people in the street seemed to realise that a fight was brewing and quickly made themselves scarce. Will watched them go apprehensively and even Jack looked concerned at the group that was now opposite them in the deserted road.
Rogue seemed oblivious to this as she stared down the men, her lip twisted in scorn and her eyes narrowed in anger.
This served to further anger her former opponent and he tightened his grip on his sword, knuckles whitening.
"Ye'll be sorry trull" he spat, stepping toward her.
An enormous wave of anger swept over her, making her growl involuntarily. Unbeknownst to her or the two men beside her, her eyes flashed burning yellow and in the flickering light her teeth seemed to be growing, fangs that gleamed in the night.
The man stopped and a ripple of unease ran through the others.
"What are you?" he asked, looking slightly concerned for the first time.
"I'm a freak!" she screamed hands curled into claws and raking the air beside her head.
Before he could move she leapt onto him, hands going for his throat. The genuinely terrified man raised an arm to defend himself and she promptly sank her teeth into it.
His muffled scream of pain acted as a signal to the others. They all rushed to help their friend but were intercepted by Jack and Will. The battle began in earnest.
Rogue stopped bashing her opponents head against the ground when she realised he had stopped moving and groaning. She looked up to see Jack and Will attempting to fight off the rest of the gang. Without thinking she sprang up and attacked to nearest man, driving both feet into his back.
She vaguely realised that she was fighting these very dangerous men while blind drunk but it didn't really worry her. If anything she was fighting better than she usually did.
Strangely not thinking about her moves made them easier. It was as if she flowed with the movement. In a frozen moment of lucidity she saw herself performing moves she had failed to master in all her classes at the Institute. Her vision was blurry but she could feel the man behind her swing a cudgel at her turned back. Before she could think she realised she had pivoted smoothly, bringing her leg around and knocking the club from the thugs hand with a paralysing kick to the wrist. He duly dropped the weapon and she jumped, this time landing the kick on his jaw. The crunch of breaking bone accompanied his shriek of pain and subsequent collapse to the filthy cobbles.
A sword flashed past her, narrowly missing her head. Rogue not realising that she had already dodged the blow. She rolled away and then flipped back onto her feet, staggering slightly as she stood up and the world spun.
Again her attacker swung his sword, but this time she darted forward and grabbed both his hands, where they held the hilt, effectively stopping the blow. Before he had time to force her away with his superior strength, she whipped one leg forward and nailed him squarely in the crotch. His eyes crossed and he fell, dropping his sword in the process. Rogue bent and picked it up, casually kicking him in the face as she straightened. Giving the sword a few experimental swipes she grinned. Turning quickly she brought it up to block a blow from another of the gang. Forcing him back she launched into a deadly earnest battle, sword humming through the air. It wasn't until much later that she would remember this fight and wonder and worry about her incredible sword skills.
Suddenly there were no more people attacking her. She stopped, confused, the sword falling to her side. Coming back to herself, which was quite difficult because the world still refused to stop spinning, Rogue looked around. All the men were down, some groaning, others frighteningly still. Her 'friends' had mostly disappeared and the street was deserted except for the fallen thugs, Jack and Will.
"Yes! Oh yes!" she crowed, surveying their victory. "I am the strongest mutant ever! Scott and his eyebeams are shit compared to me! Little Miss Telekinetic ain't got nothin'!" she raised her hands over her head, fists punching the air, her 'borrowed' sword held high.
One of the men moaned piteously, clutching his head and her attention snapped over to him.
"Yeah, you want some more loser? Huh?" she danced forward swinging the sword in wide arcs, "C'mon! Bring it! Bring it on bitch!" she threw her arms out wide, sword upraised in one hand, "Who's the greatest? Yeah!"
Strangely all her friends were quiet. Looking around in confusion, she remembered they had gone. While she was thinking about that and wondering where they had gone, two hands grabbed her firmly from behind, pinning her arms by her sides.
"Hey asshole! Let me go! You can't touch me! I'm the Rogue!"she yelled, struggling futilely to escape.
"Now now, little Rogue. That's enough for this evenin'. You come away with me quiet like now." Jack's voice said soothingly from somewhere near her ear.
Rogue considered struggling some more but the spinning had grown faster and her limbs no longer wanted to obey her, as she found out when she tried to free an arm. Jack's proximity was making it even harder to think, the distracting tickle of his breath on her cheek further confusing her already addled mind.
"Ok" she said relaxing in his hold. Jack released her and pushed her upright away from him. After which Rogue promptly passed out, hitting the ground with an ungraceful thud.
"Are all the women you know this crazy?" Will asked as Jack carefully lifted the limp girl off the cobbles.
"Not all of them." Jack answered, hefting Rogue over his shoulder and heading back toward the harbour, "Me mam was much worse".
TBC
A/N: Just a note on Rogue's drunken expertise, I actually have a friend who is the clumsiest person alive but get a few drinks into her and she is like a damn ballerina. Its uncanny. Plus see what I mean about the spacing? Oh well. It was late and I wanted to get this uploaded. I will try to do better next time. Damn computers!
There was no dock in Tortuga harbour for them to pull up to. There were docks, thin wooden affairs that cut the waters of the bay like wizened fingers, but they were apparently too small or "reefin' cockeyed" according to Jack. she had no idea what that meant but it all meant they had to anchor offshore and row in. Although Rogue personally thought it was because Jack couldn't parallel park and was too macho to admit it. However when she said as much she had received two very blank looks in return. She resolved to keep all her attempts at humour strictly grounded in this time. Actually, she thought, she just wouldn't bother.
Jack and Will dropped the anchor, not so simple a process as she'd assumed. It involved a lot more spinning wheels and manly grunting and straining but that wasn't such a bad thing she realised, watching from the rail with a small smirk and an appreciative gaze.
Having dealt with the anchor they lowered one of the rowboats over the side, giving Rogue rope burn in the process. Will looked shocked at the string of curses she spewed while blowing frantically on her burning hands. Jack just grinned, then laughed outright when she poked her tongue out at him.
"Now lass. You stay here and guard the ship" he said, swinging a bag over the side where it landed in the boat with a thump.
"What!" she demanded incredulously "Stay and babysit this stupid thing? No way in hell buster!"
"If you want to be on this little voyage you will do what I say" he said mildly but with a steely undertone. "Or do I have to give you the same lesson as Master William had afore?"
"I'd like to see you try" she blustered, not really ready to be tossed over the side.
Jack merely stared at her, his look challenging until she was forced to look away.
"We need someone to stay and keep watch."
"Well....why not Will? He'd be better than me, he's bigger for one."
Jack glanced across at Will who responded by hoisting himself over the side and dropping into the waiting boat.
"There be your answer lass" he said, making to follow suit. At the rail he paused and looked back at her, standing outraged and furious beneath the mast.
"Don't take on lass. I'll bring you a tot of brandy to keep you warm".
"Fuck off Sparrow. I don't want your damn brandy!" she yelled, not pacified by this offer in the least.
"As you wish" he answered calmly 'I'll drink it meself!" and with that he leapt over the side and lowered himself down into the rowboat.
Rogue heard the splash of oars and the voices of the two men, undoubtedly arguing already as they moved off toward the flickering lights of the town.
For about half an hour after they left, Rogue paced the deck fuming at the audacity of guys like Jack and at the general shittiness of life, hers in particular. It wasn't fair, she thought as she marched back and forth across the boards.
The first possibly fun thing and she wasn't allowed to do it. It was just like at home. Stupid curfew. Logan and The Professor were always so strict. In Caldecott she had been pretty much free to do whatever she pleased, Irene being blind a big help to her night life (although sometimes she had an uncanny ability to know exactly what Rogue had been doing. It was probably a parental thing). Plus with people like Scott and Jean there was never much fun to be had. Three hundred years in the past and she still couldn't get out.
Bloody Jack bloody Sparrow. Who did he think he was, ordering her around? Rogue was getting herself good and angry, just the right mood to do something defiant, like ignore Jack's orders.
"I mean why should I just do what he says?" she complained aloud "If he screws around I can just knock him out end of story. It's not like I can't defend myself."
Her gaze came to rest on a boat shrouded by canvas, half hidden under the stairs that lead up to the stern.
Pulling the cover off she sized it up. It looked big enough for two or three people but not too big for one person to handle.
Perfect.
While Rogue was congratulating herself for reaching the shore, she was having difficulty finding somewhere to put her boat. After some fruitless searching she tied it to the base of the pier, hoping that the boards would hide it from view.
"Who would have thought parking would be a problem?" she muttered to herself, tying the rope tightly with her best knots, which were considerably more complicated than they had been a few days ago, thanks no doubt to Jack's presence in her head.
Satisfied that the boat wasn't going anywhere soon she grabbed the support of the dock and pulled herself up onto the boards. Thank you fitness training she thought as she stood and brushed herself off. She still wore the shirt and pants she had filched from the ships stores but thankfully she had managed to salvage her boots. Their solid length encasing her calves gave her a measure of comfort. Something familiar and trustworthy in this crazy place.
She looked up at the town. It was a motley assortment of buildings clinging to almost bare rock. The town, if you could call it that, she thought, it looks more like a slum, rose in terraces away from the rocky shore. Even from down here she could hear the sounds of laughter, music, gunshots and shrieking. All the things that advertised a good time. Except the gunshots she amended, but I am more than 300 years in the past, so it could be a good thing here.
She decided that if she didn't investigate she would never know so she started determinedly up the dock toward the lights and noise, her boots thumping confidently on the wooden boards.
"Geeze would it kill them to bathe occasionally?" she wondered aloud, having been subjected to the unique smells of Tortuga for the last fifteen minutes. Rogue had decided that she wouldn't eat anything while she was here. She'd probably die of food poisoning for a start.
However, when she saw a man mouth open under a brandy keg she decided that she might be able to drink something.
I mean the alcohol would kill any germs she reasoned, and it'd practically be a crime not to have a drink while I'm here. It looks like the local custom. She watched a fat, bearded man chase a laughing, half-dressed woman down the street howling and barking at her.
Think I'll stick with the drinkin' custom she thought as she walked into the nearest pub. Tavern she corrected herself, they're called taverns here.
The establishment she had chosen bore the salubrious name of the Good Queen's Petticoat. Rogue thought it was meant to be lewd but to her it just seemed kinda lame.
Inside it was smoky and dark, the only light being provided by lanterns hanging at great intervals from the ceiling and a few candles in holders against the walls. There were lots of low rough-made tables with benches on either side scattered over the sandy floor. The bar ran along one side of the room and a narrow staircase led upwards on the opposite side.
That was it.
Except for the hundreds of drunken sailors and women she thought, watching the raucous and roiling mob of people that crammed the tavern.
Some were singing, some were dancing, or attempting to dance on the floor, the tables or each other, one guy standing on the back of a fallen friend and attempting to do a jig.
There were women, all made up like clowns, blind disabled clowns it looked like, who were dancing and kissing, and more with various men. It was a regular old 18th century piss up. At least they look like they're having fun, she thought wryly with only a trace of bitterness at her situation.
She manoeuvred her way through the stumbling, brawling crowd until she reached the bar. She had no clue what to order but was willing to be that Cosmopolitans and Martinis wouldn't be on the menu. Rum a voice in her head supplied. She couldn't be sure if it was Jack or someone else but she decided just to go with the suggestion.
She pulled out the small leather purse she had filched from Jack earlier. After all she had put up with from him she figured he at least owed her a drink. Looking inside she saw several strange looking coins, all of them a dull silver colour. It would probably be enough for one drink.
The meaty woman behind the bar looked up at her, idly polishing a pewter tankard.
"Rum" Rogue ordered, going with a general request and hoping the woman would fill in the size and price for herself.
With disinterested slowness the woman leant forward, removing a misshapen green bottle from under the counter. She poured a small measure of what looked like muddy water into a wooden mug in front of Rogue.
Rogue pulled out one of the silver coins and put it down of the counter.
The woman whisked it away and threw a few coppers beside her drink. She then moved down the bar to serve a skinny old man who was rapping on the wood with an empty wooden tankard.
Rogue regarded her drink for a while before picking it up and giving it a tentative sniff. There was no way she was rushing into this having learnt from previous drinking experiences the danger of gulping unknown alcohol.
She was just about to take a sip when she felt someone approach her from behind.
"Well little missy, how about you run up my mainsail?" a voice leered as stale breath in her ear announced an unwelcome distraction.
"Geeze what is it with this place? Every single guy!" she groused not turning around.
"Don't be like that now. I'll pay ye handsomely. Just in from the Leeward Islands with a hold full o' Spanish swag. What say we go upstairs?" he lowered both hands onto her shoulders.
She shook him off and turned around, eyes blazing with anger.
"Listen up moron 'cos I'm only gonna say this once. I don't want to go anywhere or do anything with you. You stink, you're clearly mentally challenged and your face reminds me of the back end of an particularly ugly mule", she stabbed a finger into his chest for emphasis ignoring his wide eyed shock. "So why don't you just fuck off and leave me in peace?"
Rogue turned away from him and picked up her mug, any good temper completely ruined. Every time she started to enjoy this place some dick came along and tried to molest her.
"Listen wench." he hissed angrily, not at all deterred by her comments "You'd best keep your mouth shut an'......"
He grabbed her shoulder again and she spun around, delivering a hard chop to his throat cutting off what he had been about to say. The man staggered back gasping and wheezing. Rogue didn't give him the chance to recover, advancing quickly to punch him in the stomach. Finally she got a chance to use her training. Having felt useless in her conflicts up to this point it was good to finally get to kick some ass again.
As he folded forward from the punch she brought her knee up to meet his descending head. He howled in pain and she drew back a foot, launching a kick straight into his groin. He folded right over with a squeal of agony. Rogue then brought her hand down on the nerve cluster at the base of his skull. The man shuddered then lapsed into unconsciousness.
Rogue straightened up, noticing for the first time that all activity in the bar had stopped and all eyes were riveted on her and the fallen man.
She looked around with a challenging stare, daring anyone to comment. There was an eerie hush for a long moment.
Then, just as quickly as they had stopped, the crowd went back to their previous activities, the mob of people swirling over the fallen man, who was being none to gently dragged away by a heavyset man Rogue guessed was a bouncer of sorts.
She turned back to her drink, staring once more into its murky depths.
"That was quite impressive little miss" came a voice from her right. Rogue looked up, ready to deal with this guy but saw that the man next to her hand his hands up in a pacifying gesture. "Tis good to see someone knock that windbag square on his arse" he grinned, displaying a mouth that had more gaps than teeth and those mostly gold. "Even if ye are only a maid".
Rogue glared at him and he again raised his hands "What say I buy you a tot of grog in celebration?" he offered with nervous enthusiasm.
Rogue nodded once, dropping her cold stare. Better drink this one if she was gonna have another.
She picked up the mug and downed the entire contents.
While she was trying to recover her lungs from her mouth and her eyes from the floor the man beside her yelled
"Aggie! Grog for me and my friend here." He turned to her , apparently ignorant of the fact that she was dying of asphyxiation "What's your name luv?"
"Rogue" she managed somehow, despite the fact her vocal cords felt like they had been burnt away with a blow torch.
He grinned and slapped her on the back. 'Name's Thomas. Enough of that water Rogue, try some real Tortuga grog. It could wake Queen Bess so it could, God rest her soul".
He bumped his mug against hers, drinking the contents with gusto.
Oh well she thought, Rome an' all, before picking up her own mug.
It only seemed like five minutes later, but in reality was several hours, and Rogue was having the time of her life.
She had suddenly acquired all these new friends. This was a new experience for her not having had many friends before.
"Or ever really" she mused aloud, barely heard over the din in the tavern.
But now she had lots and they kept buying her drinks and being nice, talking and all that. Just like friends were supposed to. She felt herself tear up at the wonderfulness of her new friends.
"I really love all of you" she said, feeling she just had to express the wonderfulness she was feeling. Wonderfulness. That's a great word, she thought.
"I'm gonna use it every day from now on" she vowed solemnly.
Her new friends nodded with equal solemnity , even raising their mugs in salute to her sentiments.
Of course she didn't realise how drunk she was, not having had much contact with grog in Bayville. It was probably a blessing she didn't know what was in that or she might have been decidedly less enthusiastic about drinking as much of it as she had and was still doing.
"Y'know" she slurred, her accent so thick that even if her companions hadn't been drunk, they'd have been hard pressed to understand her, 'Y'know I should take a picshure. To comm..comm....commmem...to 'member this moment. Forever. Frozen in honey. Or y'know amber. In time. I'm in time. The wrong time" she began to giggle hysterically which set off everyone else at the table.
Once several of Thomas' friends had arrived and joined them they had moved to a table, the benches a relief for Rogue's suddenly tired legs. There was one woman in the group, Demelza and she and Rogue had been bitching about the evils of men for the past hour.
"An' then they're all 'Oh lets just be friends' and 'You're like a sister to me' " Rogue complained loudly, waving her mug for emphasis "When all I really want is some hot monkey lovin'. Although not with an actual monkey, 'cos of the fur 'n' all".
'I knew a man who looked like a monkey" Demelza said, taking a generous gulp of her drink "Was hair from neck to ankles. Had a hard time finding the mast on that boat, let me tell you".
Rogue burst out laughing and Demelza joined her, the men watching in bemusement as the two women held each other and laughed until they cried.
"Must be a female thing." Thomas said to the old man from the bar who had joined them earlier. He nodded wisely in return, both men completely mystified.
She and Montgomery and Demelza and Pete and Thomas, her new best friends, were all walking toward the next tavern. Strangely walking had become suddenly more difficult than usual. But it was okay because her friends were supporting her on either side. She really loved them.
They were attempting to sing a song, but no one seemed to know the words. Rogue kept trying to sing a Chilli Peppers song but couldn't remember how it began. Or there was that one about the House. The great big house.
"in Nawlins" she slurred thoughtfully. "Nawlins. Its 'bin the ruin of many poor, ......somethings" she sang confusedly before giving up. Her friends all had better voices anyway. She'd just listen to them.
They were making their slow, unsteady way across the road when she suddenly spied a familiar face. Two familiar faces actually but one was much more welcome than the other.
"Jack!" she yelled, letting go of her friends who, in the absence of her support lurched drunkenly into a group of men coming in the other direction. There was much cursing and groaning as both groups tried to untangle themselves.
Meanwhile Rogue had swayed over to where Jack and Will stood in the middle of the street watching her with a mixture of exasperation and horror. Although that was mainly from Will.
She smiled, cocking her head to the side as she tried to focus on both of them at once. Finding this impossible she looked at Jack, not realising she was grinning like a maniac.
"Hey boys! How the hell are ya? Been enjoying the night life?" she lost her footing and fell against Jack, who caught her deftly, his hands grasping her arms firmly. He tried to set her upright but she sagged against him, arms going about his waist. She started giggling.
"I'll be easy on the goods" she said through her laughter missing the shocked expression on Jack's face at hearing his words to Elizabeth coming from her mouth. Still laughing she said, looking up at him from where she clung to his hips, half kneeling on the ground.
"Whoops. Not supposed to know that. I thought I didn't get you much. You must have a very..." she trailed off her thoughts occupied by the sword right in front of her face. "A sword. A cutlass!" she attempted to pull it from the scabbard but failed "Argh me hearties "she growled "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. We'll hang them from the rigging so we shall" she broke off into giggles again, loosing her hold on Jack and sliding to sit in the road.
Jack finally spoke anger lacing the amusement in his voice "An' what are ye doin' here hmm? I thought I told ye to stay on board all night". He looked down at her happily grinning face, resting comfortably against his knees.
She pushed off him and managed, after a few tries to stand up. Facing him she smiled and tried to hold her head up to meet his eyes. Something that was harder than it had been a few minutes ago. Or was that hours? She couldn't remember. Jack stood waiting for an answer, one eyebrow raised.
"Uh huh" she slurred waving a finger under his nose "You only said that, that I gotta stay on d'ship but not for how long!" she grinned triumphantly at her brilliant logic. Jack was about to respond when another thought occurred to her and she spoke right over the top of him.
"Besides, you said..." she lost her train of thought momentarily before quickly finding it again "you said that I couldn't come with you. Not that I couldn't come. So I came,.. all by myself!" She realised the double entendre she had unwittingly voiced and burst into giggles.
"We don't need you, we come when we feel like it. I came here and over there too!" she added between her snorts and snickers which she was trying, unsuccessfully to muffle with her hands, "I came after you!" she collapsed against Jack, shaking with laughter.
Will watched, horrified from two feet away. Jack, meanwhile was supporting her with a half amused, half exasperated expression, something he was doing more and more around her. He had no idea what she was going on about but both he and Will could see she was 3 sheets to the wind and listing fast.
Suddenly Jack burst out laughing, throwing his arm around her shoulder.
"You've got spirit little Rogue" he said, winking at her, a move she tried to return but somehow couldn't. "Since we're all here we should continue the festivities. I'll take you to the finest tavern in the Caribbean."
"Really?" she asked, leaning into him, eyes wide and excited "Do they have grog?"
"There she is!" came an angry cry from down the road, interrupting Jack's reply.
A group of burly men, all of them filthy and dishevelled, were approaching their small party. Rogue recognised the man who had spoken as the man she had dropped in the bar, what seemed like a lifetime ago.
"Not you again" she drawled annoyed. "Look dude, I kicked your ass already. Once is enough. Your ass can't take another go. Even though its so fat." she started giggling again.
"Now there's no need for this" Jack began placatingly.
"Shut ye hatch" the man shouted "This little sow-bitch has a divvyin' comin'. And I mean to see it happen!".
Meanwhile the other people in the street seemed to realise that a fight was brewing and quickly made themselves scarce. Will watched them go apprehensively and even Jack looked concerned at the group that was now opposite them in the deserted road.
Rogue seemed oblivious to this as she stared down the men, her lip twisted in scorn and her eyes narrowed in anger.
This served to further anger her former opponent and he tightened his grip on his sword, knuckles whitening.
"Ye'll be sorry trull" he spat, stepping toward her.
An enormous wave of anger swept over her, making her growl involuntarily. Unbeknownst to her or the two men beside her, her eyes flashed burning yellow and in the flickering light her teeth seemed to be growing, fangs that gleamed in the night.
The man stopped and a ripple of unease ran through the others.
"What are you?" he asked, looking slightly concerned for the first time.
"I'm a freak!" she screamed hands curled into claws and raking the air beside her head.
Before he could move she leapt onto him, hands going for his throat. The genuinely terrified man raised an arm to defend himself and she promptly sank her teeth into it.
His muffled scream of pain acted as a signal to the others. They all rushed to help their friend but were intercepted by Jack and Will. The battle began in earnest.
Rogue stopped bashing her opponents head against the ground when she realised he had stopped moving and groaning. She looked up to see Jack and Will attempting to fight off the rest of the gang. Without thinking she sprang up and attacked to nearest man, driving both feet into his back.
She vaguely realised that she was fighting these very dangerous men while blind drunk but it didn't really worry her. If anything she was fighting better than she usually did.
Strangely not thinking about her moves made them easier. It was as if she flowed with the movement. In a frozen moment of lucidity she saw herself performing moves she had failed to master in all her classes at the Institute. Her vision was blurry but she could feel the man behind her swing a cudgel at her turned back. Before she could think she realised she had pivoted smoothly, bringing her leg around and knocking the club from the thugs hand with a paralysing kick to the wrist. He duly dropped the weapon and she jumped, this time landing the kick on his jaw. The crunch of breaking bone accompanied his shriek of pain and subsequent collapse to the filthy cobbles.
A sword flashed past her, narrowly missing her head. Rogue not realising that she had already dodged the blow. She rolled away and then flipped back onto her feet, staggering slightly as she stood up and the world spun.
Again her attacker swung his sword, but this time she darted forward and grabbed both his hands, where they held the hilt, effectively stopping the blow. Before he had time to force her away with his superior strength, she whipped one leg forward and nailed him squarely in the crotch. His eyes crossed and he fell, dropping his sword in the process. Rogue bent and picked it up, casually kicking him in the face as she straightened. Giving the sword a few experimental swipes she grinned. Turning quickly she brought it up to block a blow from another of the gang. Forcing him back she launched into a deadly earnest battle, sword humming through the air. It wasn't until much later that she would remember this fight and wonder and worry about her incredible sword skills.
Suddenly there were no more people attacking her. She stopped, confused, the sword falling to her side. Coming back to herself, which was quite difficult because the world still refused to stop spinning, Rogue looked around. All the men were down, some groaning, others frighteningly still. Her 'friends' had mostly disappeared and the street was deserted except for the fallen thugs, Jack and Will.
"Yes! Oh yes!" she crowed, surveying their victory. "I am the strongest mutant ever! Scott and his eyebeams are shit compared to me! Little Miss Telekinetic ain't got nothin'!" she raised her hands over her head, fists punching the air, her 'borrowed' sword held high.
One of the men moaned piteously, clutching his head and her attention snapped over to him.
"Yeah, you want some more loser? Huh?" she danced forward swinging the sword in wide arcs, "C'mon! Bring it! Bring it on bitch!" she threw her arms out wide, sword upraised in one hand, "Who's the greatest? Yeah!"
Strangely all her friends were quiet. Looking around in confusion, she remembered they had gone. While she was thinking about that and wondering where they had gone, two hands grabbed her firmly from behind, pinning her arms by her sides.
"Hey asshole! Let me go! You can't touch me! I'm the Rogue!"she yelled, struggling futilely to escape.
"Now now, little Rogue. That's enough for this evenin'. You come away with me quiet like now." Jack's voice said soothingly from somewhere near her ear.
Rogue considered struggling some more but the spinning had grown faster and her limbs no longer wanted to obey her, as she found out when she tried to free an arm. Jack's proximity was making it even harder to think, the distracting tickle of his breath on her cheek further confusing her already addled mind.
"Ok" she said relaxing in his hold. Jack released her and pushed her upright away from him. After which Rogue promptly passed out, hitting the ground with an ungraceful thud.
"Are all the women you know this crazy?" Will asked as Jack carefully lifted the limp girl off the cobbles.
"Not all of them." Jack answered, hefting Rogue over his shoulder and heading back toward the harbour, "Me mam was much worse".
TBC
A/N: Just a note on Rogue's drunken expertise, I actually have a friend who is the clumsiest person alive but get a few drinks into her and she is like a damn ballerina. Its uncanny. Plus see what I mean about the spacing? Oh well. It was late and I wanted to get this uploaded. I will try to do better next time. Damn computers!