Chapter 10 allready? My, how time flies!

It's been a long time since I've seen the high planes of Expectation
and I'm way past the lowlands and the deserts of Failure and Doubt
and the last time I passed through Satisfaction
I felt like a stranger there
Now I'm leaving Normal and I'm heading for Who Knows Where

Cowboy Junkies

Will adjusted his cravat while glaring at his own image in the dusty mirror. The study was his personal room, and he had spent so much time in it the last year that the servants had given up on keeping it clean. Whenever they tried to enter he'd snap at them to get out, but he hadn't noticed the layers of dust until now. This place needed air, fresh sea air and…

He needed air. He huffed and turned towards Jack, who was sprawled in the chair by Will's desk, seemingly unfazed by the last half hour of talking and even yelling at some points.

Hopefully the girls hadn't heard…

"I hope I'm making myself clear?" he said.

"Clear as that window, lad," Jack grinned, nodding towards the grimy, rain-striped window on the other wall.

"I don't want my daughter to grow up to be some kind of ruffian or learn unseemly language from your crew."

Jack pretended to be offended. "My crew are all perfect gen'lmen. She won't e'en know they're blood-thirsty scallawags."

"We're not pirates. I'm a guild leader and she is a lady. We will not join any act of pirating or risk any run-ins with the law."

"I am in full acceptance of your position," Jack said gravely.

"Good," Will said and walked towards the door. As he opened it, he turned towards Jack and added: "And we're not staying for more than a month."

"What are they talking about?" Doll was leaning against the door next to Delila, their ears pressed against the door.

"Something about washing the windows I think…" Delila answered, trying to shut out the sound of Doll's voice. She listened intently, her whole body pressed tautly against the cold wood.

"I can't hear what they're saying!" Doll whispered, her voice taking on a pouting edge. She moved away from the door, stomping in protest against her delicate hearing.

"Shhh. Be quiet." Delila gestured, holding up a hand. It had been a lot easier when they were yelling, she mused wryly, grinning at the memory. The men sure had their share of lung-capacity. Suddenly a piece of conversation caught her attention.

"don't want…daughter… be some kind of ruffian … guild leader… she is a lady. We will not join… pirating…"

Delila felt her blood run cold and her cheeks grow hot at the same time. Was that how he saw her? A ruffian? A common criminal? Someone who would taint and ruin his precious daughter? She gazed over at Doll, who was sitting on the stairs, still sulking. She could never do anything to that precious person, why couldn't he see that? She had never had a real friend before, let alone one like Doll.

Abruptly the door opened, putting a stop to Delila's dark train of thoughts. She looked around for a way of escape, but finding none, she flung herself under a nearby desk, praying that they hadn't seen her. And that Doll had enough brains to keep her mouth shut.

Once the decision had been made, Will seemed to relax. He strode into the hall, not noticing his daughter half-hidden behind the railing near the foot of the stairs. Jack, however, was a born and raised paranoid bastard, and as always looked around when he entered a new room. You never knew who were waiting there to get you. He looked down – because short people can be tricky to spot up close – and instantly spotted a familiar piece of clothing peeking out from under a table. He silently sidled in front of it.

"You'd better get the girl, lad. Needs to pack her pretty dresses afore w'leave."

Will nodded, and called out: "Doll! Lijah! Come down, both of you." Silently he wondered what a girl raised by Jack Sparrow would do in a mansion…

"Take yer time, lass!" Jack hurriedly called out, noticing Doll stand up guiltily in the stairway. Will had his back turned and didn't see her. Jack gestured wildly, then quickly clapped his hands together in a 'let's get to it'-gesture when Will turned his way. Doll finally realised what he wanted, and tip-toed a little further up the stairs, then walked down it a bit more noisily.

Will turned and smiled at her, which surprised her to no end. Whatever could make her solemn father smile like that?

"Where's Lijah?" Will asked suspiciously.

"Present and accounted for!" a voice announced, and Will turned to see that the girl had magically appeared by Jack's side. She waved a chicken leg in the air: "I was just loot… er, borrowing some leftovers in the kitchen."

I probably look like an idiot. Delila certainly felt like an idiot, waving poultry around at random. She was quickly relieved from her embarrassment by her father, who snatched away the chicken-leg and started to gnaw away on it. She sent him a thankful smile, and he winked back at her. She felt a heavy weight lift off her shoulder. "Guess he's not mad at me anymore." With all the excitement the last hours, she hadn't had the time to try to explain. It was a bad thing to get on Jack's nasty side, the man really knew how to hold a grudge. He'd proven that over and over again. She shivered, suddenly feeling as if a cold breeze had flown trough the room, and scooted closer to her father.

Fifteen minutes later, Will was still standing in the same spot, looking more than a little confused. Instead of spending hours explaining his history with Jack to Doll, the girl had merely urged him forward to the "yes, we are going with them"-bit. Then she and Lijah had rushed upstairs to pack.

Jack sniggered at his confusion. "It's in 'er blood, y'know. She's a pirate."

"No she is n-"

"She's yours and Elizabeth's spawn, how's that s'pposed to add up to "lady"? Don't get yer pants in a bunch again," he added with a leer. "She can be both, just like my li'l demon offspring."

Will decided not to comment on that, but managed to smile at the pirate. "Guess I have to get ready too… want to help me make up an excuse for disappearing from the city and high society for a month?"

"Now that's more like it," Jack grinned.

Jack and Will eventually decided that a simple explanation was the best one. "Just tell 'em your pretty flower hasn't been thrivin' lately, and you felt she needed a vacation at sea." It wasn't a brilliant explanation, but it was a good one, and it didn't require a lot of work. Jack had looked disappointed at the fact that Will wouldn't let him elaborate on the story with some interesting details, or at least add an exotic disease.

"I'll go fill in everyone who needs to be notified. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." Will was looking at Jack sternly, trying to make him understand the importance of the message. "If anything goes wrong, it'll be on all of our heads, not just yours."

"Oi, oi!" Jack held his hands up in mock disbelief, trying to look wounded. "I'd never ruin that pretty hairs of yours; I know how ye feel 'bout it!" Which earned him another glare from Will, and giggles and laughter from the girls.

Will frowned, and turned his stare on the girls. "I trust you two to take care of him, all right?" The girls nodded, eager to be of assistance. Both wanted to get away as soon as possible.

"Soon… I'll see you again really soon." Delila thought, her thoughts far away with her love. "I can hardly wait…"

oooh, who's our little pirate dreaming about? ;)