I hate disclaimers…
With thanks to Rowenablue, ducky, Marzbar, Chelsey, Lip Butter (welcome back!), Mrs Depp, JHG, bauer4eva, A Depp Girl, Miss Sophia, RosePearl, Pendragginink, AJ-Sparrow and last but not least, Hils.
Pen, don't you trust me…? (puts on best angelic smile)
Thank you all for you compliments on coming up with the nightshade, but Pen has to have some of the credit as she pointed me in the right direction. Makes you wonder about her though…! (only teasing)
And finally, sorry for being a day late!
…
Chapter Twenty: . 'We're respectably married parents! We can't behave like that!'
Eight days later
George Farrier paced the deck of his ship, once again disguised as the pirate ship, Voyager, as they neared the harbour of Road Town. He had been eagerly anticipating meeting Jack Sparrow and weedling his way into the brotherhood. The thought of failure, of being found out, had not entered his mind once. He stared at the Black Pearl, anchored near the outcrop, and for a fleeting moment he imagined himself at the helm of the ship. 'No-one would escape me then,' he thought wryly to himself, smiling at the irony of the fastest and most well-known pirate ship being used to hunt down pirates.
…
'Well, well,' Jack mused as he sat in the window of the sitting room, watching the disguised naval ship approach the harbour through his spyglass. 'So you've turned up then…?'
'First sign of madness,' Jenny teased as she entered the room having put Joshua down for a nap.
'I went mad years ago, as ya well know,' he chuckled, beckoning her over to join. 'He's here.'
'Who? Farrier?' she gasped, looking out of the window at the now familiar ship. 'It is them, Jack.'
'I'll get Phillips ter have a looksee, savvy? But I must say, you're startin' to convince me…'
'Good, because I know I'm right,' Jenny insisted. 'Just promise me you won't meet up with him alone.'
'Jen,' Jack admonished gently. 'He won't be drawin' his sword on me - he wants to get to th'brotherhood, remember?'
'I don't care – just don't trust him.'
'I don't either, Navy or not,' he smiled, kissing her. 'Has th'little bugger settled?'
'Yes,' she chuckled. 'No doubt your father called you worse.'
'Aye,' Jack laughed. 'Much, much worse.'
'Deservedly as well, I'll bet,' Jenny teased, skipping away as Jack lunged playfully for her.
'I was a good boy,' he pouted, chasing her around the settee. 'Until I turned pirate that is,' he added with a wicked grin.
'Now you're a better boy,' his wife laughed, squealing as he dived over the seat and landed in front of her.
'You want me ter remind you how much of a better boy I am?' he growled, pulling her to him and kissing her hungrily.
'Yes please,' she gasped as she came up for air. 'I've missed you.'
'Not half as much as I've missed you,' Jack replied as he started undoing the laces at the front of her pale green dress.
'I hope no-one comes,' Jenny worried, looking towards the door into the hallway.
'I reckon I will fer starters,' he laughed, easing the dress from her shoulders and pulling it down her body, then making a start on her undergarments.
'Jack,' she giggled, hitting him playfully. 'You know what I mean.'
'Sod 'em if they do,' he shrugged, grinning gleefully as she finally stood naked before him. 'You've still got a belly!'
'Yes,' she smiled, running her fingers down the opening of Jack's shirt, savouring the feel of his skin. 'At least it won't get in the way now…'
'Are you goin' ter undress me or what?' he rumbled, eager to make love to his wife once more.
'I want to enjoy every moment,' Jenny smiled, brushing her lips across his collarbone.
'Ya mean ya didn't before!' he protested indignantly as he tangled his fingers through her hair, anchoring her to him.
'You know damn well I did,' she mumbled as her lips and tongue explored the top of his chest and worked upwards. 'And always will.'
'That's all right then,' he chuckled, shivering with pleasure as she sucked on the tender spot behind his ear. 'I see you haven't forgotten much…'
'It's all coming back to me,' Jenny grinned as her fingers finally worked on the few buttons that Jack had done up on his shirt. 'Do you have to wear that damned sash all the bloody time?' she lamented as she struggled with the knot.
'Of course I do,' he replied, batting her hands away and doing it himself. 'It's part of what makes me…'
'Captain Jack Sparrow,' she chorused with him.
'You takin' th'piss?' Jack growled, chasing Jenny around the room once more.
'No!' she shrieked, trying to dodge past him but finding herself falling down onto the settee instead. 'Cheat!'
'Pirate!' Jack grinned as he deftly undid his breeches and kicked them off. 'God, I've missed ya,' he growled as he lay on top of her. 'So very much…'
'Come and have me then,' she purred, guiding him to her entrance. 'We've a few weeks to catch up on.'
'That we have,' he smiled as he gently eased into his wife, sighing as her warm tunnel engulfed him. 'An' I'm still on shore leave fer another day or so…'
'I'm sure Shay could manage a while longer than that,' Jenny chuckled as she brought her legs across his back and started thrusting along his manhood.
'At this moment in time, he can have th'Pearl until his nibs is old enough ter take over.'
'Can I have that in writing?' Jenny laughed, her laughter turning to moans as Jack took up the rhythm and began pumping into her.
'Written with my own blood,' he mumured huskily, burying his face in her neck and inhaling her scent.
'There no need to be so drastic,' she chuckled, using feather light touches to stroke his back until she cupped his buttocks in her hands and pulled him in harder. 'Please,' she groaned. 'Harder.'
'Your wish is my command,' Jack growled and began to thrust deeper into his wife, savouring every moment, every movement of her beneath him once more.
'Oh Jack…' Jenny moaned, clinging on to him as her need became more urgent. 'Jack!' she screamed as her passion overflowed and her juices poured over his pulsating manhood until she was fully spent.
'I've missed ya so much,' he whispered as he looked down at her flushed face, brushing a damp tendril of hair from her eyes.
'I've…missed… you,' she gasped as she pushed back down his length. 'Now it's your turn.'
'That won't take long,' Jack grinned as he took up the pace again, until, with an almost agonised grunt, he poured his seed within her.
'Stay inside me a while,' Jenny begged, holding her husband tightly as he recovered.
'All right,' he agreed, lying on top of her but being careful not to press his full weight down. 'I reckon that's th'longest I've been without makin' love since…' Jack shook his head ruefully. 'I can't even remember,' he chuckled.
'That's down to your rum addled brain!' Jenny teased. 'And old age…'
'Oi! Any more of that, missy, an' I'll have yer down th'brig,' Jack threatened jokingly.
'You'll look after Joshua then?' she enquired innocently.
Jack eased himself up and looked down at Jenny, merriment dancing in his eyes. 'You always manage ter get me over a barrel, eh?' he grinned.
'No – that's one place I've never had you,' she pouted, the corners of her lips quivering as she tried to suppress a grin.
'Can still be arranged…' he suggested, wriggling his eyebrows.
'Jack Sparrow!' Jenny admonished playfully. 'We're respectably married parents! We can't behave like that!'
'We might be married parents,' Jack laughed. 'But we sure as hell are not respectable!'
'True,' she giggled. 'And there's an old barrel outside the kitchen door…'
'An' ya have th'nerve ter call me incorrigible?' he exclaimed. 'I was a perfectly decent pirate before I met you, young lady.'
'And now you're perfectly indecent,' Jenny whispered huskily as she started to grind her hips, smiling seductively as she felt him start to harden inside her.
'Very, very indecent…' he rasped as he kissed her deeply.
…
'What shall I do about Farrier, if indeed that is who Malster really is?' Jack asked of Joshamee as they sat in the kitchen of the small house, which he and Scurvy Tom shared, drinking coffee. He had left Jenny asleep on the settee, and after making sure their son was all right, had walked down the winding path to seek out his former quartermaster.
'How do you mean?'
'Do I deal with him myself or bring Condent into it?'
'Not like you to be undecided,' Gibbs replied.
'I know,' Jack sighed. 'What if Jenny's wrong? I could risk makin' an enemy of him.'
'Davy thinks it could be the same ship as well,' his former quartermaster reminded him.
'Thinks… maybe… it's too hit an' miss fer my likin', Gibbs. I want definite proof.'
'You can't get it, not without searching his ship, so you'll have to go with Jen's instincts.'
'I could always play along, take him to th'next meetin' an' feed him false information,' Jack mused, tugging at his beard braids.
'You'd have to let th'others know – it'd be too risky otherwise.'
'Aye, an' there's th'small matter of him being around fer th'next three or four days. Then we'd have ter wait an' see if he takes th'bait – it might be a month or more before we could nail him. That's too long, he could get away an' I might never have another chance. If it is Farrier…'
'There might be a way…' Joshamee pondered, lost in thought himself.
'Yes…' Jack prompted.
'It would involve getting Condent involved though.'
'D'ya want me on me knees pleadin' with ya, Gibbs?' Jack sniped.
'We could perhaps orchestrate a brawl, involving Malster's men. Whilst it's going on, some could slip aboard th'Voyager and have a looksee.'
'What about those on watch? Unless… we create a distraction outside as well?'
'Such as?' Gibbs asked, although he had a feeling he knew what Jack had in mind.
'Maybe get a couple of ships ter fire blanks at each other – that'd get their attention long enough for someone to sneak into Malster's cabin an' have a look around.'
'It would mean bringing in more than Condent though.'
'Condent would tell them ter fire without revealin' why he wanted them to.'
'True,' Joshamee nodded. 'It could work.'
'It had better work as I can't see that anythin' else will,' Jack sighed ruefully. He had desperately wanted to be the one to capture or kill the Commodore's captain, just not this close to home. 'I'll put on double guard at home while it's goin' on.'
'Yes, we'll have the women and children at your house.'
'Aye. Get plenty of brooms in fer th'minx,' he chuckled. 'I'll call a ships meetin' for this afternoon. I want everyone there – Tom, Luke an' Fin included. We'll go over it in more detail then, savvy?'
'Aye, Cap'n,' the older man nodded, deferring to the other man automatically. 'I'll spread th'word around.'
'Discretely…' Jack reminded him.
'Very discretely,' Gibbs agreed.
…
The deck of the Black Pearl buzzed as Jack informed them of Jenny's suspicions and what he had planned.
'Are ya sure, Cap'n?' Andrew McCarrick asked, his eyes wide with astonishment.
'No, which is why we need ter sneak aboard th'Voyager an' check, savvy? Some of you will be guardin' th'house with th'women an' children, some will be in th'town, causin' yer usual havoc,' Jack grinned. 'An' a couple will come with me to Malster's ship.'
Eager hands shot in the air, volunteering for the last proposal and slowly descended as Jack shook his head.
'I've already got in mind who I want ter come with me. Davy, Luke an' Pauly.'
'M-me?' Pauly Wilson stammered, unable to believe that his captain would trust him with such an important task when not so long ago, he was suspected as being a spy for the Navy.
'Aye, you, Mr. Wilson. Cookie, Pete, Drew, Shay, Fin, Gibbs an' Tom will be guardin' th'house.'
'Aye, Cap'n,' the designated men nodded, Shay and Finan relieved that they would be able to watch over their wives and children.
'Any questions?'
'Does Condent know about this?' came a voice from the lower rigging.
'Not yet, I'm just on my way ter see him now. I don't need ter remind ya that this goes no further than th'ship's rail. If Malster gets wind of this, we're finished before we've even started an' if he really is a pirate, then we'll have made an enemy.'
'Another enemy,' Billy Wheeler quipped dryly.
'Yes, another enemy – an' we can do without that right now. Off ya go an' if I find that anyone has blabbed, I'll flay yer skin myself, savvy?' Jack growled. 'Then feed ya to th'sharks…'
The crew dispersed in a sombre mood. They knew their captain wouldn't do such a thing, but the fact that he had threatened it brought home how seriously he was taking the matter.
…
'Jack!' Edmund Condent strode across the hall of his mansion and clapped his friend on the back. 'I hear congratulations are in order.'
'Aye,' Jack grinned, allowing himself to be ushered into Condent's study. 'A son.'
'So th'family name is safe then?' he chuckled. 'To what do I owe this pleasure?'
Jack sighed deeply, in two minds whether to tell his cohort or not. 'I think I may have some information…'
'Oh? What sort of information?'
'A while back, when we were still livin' on Nevis, Jenny and Davy Phillips, one of my crewmen, sailed ter San Juan to warn me about an extra ship and an increase in troops at Charlestown. On th'way they came across a Navy ship a few miles out an' th'sun was against them. Jenny swears blind that th'same ship was docked at San Juan as a pirate ship.'
'You mean they disguised the ship? So why are you telling me this now?'
'Because th'ship belongs to Henry Malster…'
'The Henry Malster that is here an' is interested in joinin' th'brotherhood?'
'Aye,' Jack sighed. 'Th'one an' th'same.'
'You're not convinced…?'
'She could be mistaken – they weren't close enough ter see the naval ship properly, an' if she is…'
'And if she isn't…?' Condent put in. 'What about your crewman? Do (Does) he think it's th'same ship?'
'He says it could be, but he isn't certain.' Jack paced the floor, indecision gnawing away at him. 'What I was thinkin' of doin' was maybe orchestratin' a brawl with his men an' maybe a couple of ships havin' a mock fight to get th'attention of th'Voyager's watch, then sneakin' aboard an' havin' a look around – what do ya reckon?'
'See if there's anythin' incriminatin' on board?'
'If they are Navy, there would have ter be uniforms, letter stamps, flags an' th'like,' Jack reasoned. 'If I could find definite proof, we could take him an' his crew out.'
'When were you hopin' to do this?' Condent asked, his mind already formulating a plan of action.
'Soon – maybe tomorrow night? I'd need you ter get a couple of ships to fire blanks at each other.'
'I'll see to it,' Edmund Condent nodded. 'But I want Malster myself if he is indeed Navy.'
'We have an accord,' Jack nodded, shaking his colleague's hand.
'I'll get things sorted an' come an' see you later – we can fine tune it then.' He led the way to the door, to show Jack out.
'Come fer supper. I'll drag my cook in ter prepare it or Jen'd have my hide,' Jack grinned.
'I look forward to it,' Condent smiled. 'Eight bells?'
'Eight bells'll be fine. See ya later,' he waved as he walked down the drive, then turned towards the town, keen for a drink.
…
'Captain Malster!' Jack called as he spied the man talking to another by the doorway of a tavern.
'Captain Sparrow!' Malster replied, throwing his arms open in greeting. 'Good to see you again.'
'Aye, you too,' Jack smiled, marvelling at his own acting skills. 'Should have been a performer,' he mused to himself.
'Let me buy yer a drink.'
'Never one ter refuse,' he replied, following Malster into the tavern. 'I'll have an ale.'
'Ale,' Malster ordered from the barkeep. 'How is your good wife?'
'Fine,' Jack smiled noncommittally.
'Has she had th'baby yet?'
'Aye,' he nodded as he picked up the beaker from the bar. 'A son.'
'To sons an' heirs,' Malster toasted, raising his own beaker.
'Sons an' heirs,' Jack repeated. 'An' you go anywhere near my son an' heir an' I'll kill ya, Navy or not,' he thought darkly, uncertain as to why he did not trust this man when he was not even sure that Jenny was right. 'One of my men is gettin' married next week an' th'crew are havin' a party tomorrow night. Would you an' yer crew be interested in joinin' in?'
'Thank you,' Malster beamed. 'As you well know, any excuse fer a booze-up,' he chuckled. 'Where will it be?'
'Th'Stag.'
'We'll be there,' he replied eagerly, reasoning that anything to get more affliated with Jack could only be a good thing.
…
