#Disclaimer: It's not stealing, it's borrowing without permission! No profit being made, no infringement intended. I own nothing that Michael Eisner couldn't purchase with his pocket change.
Title: Pearl of the Sea
Rating: R
Warnings: Sex, violence
Spoilers: POTC
Beta:
Dedication:
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Spindrift caught in fiery curls torn loose by the wind. The maiden took no notice. Her attention was focused on the canvas draped body being tipped into the sea. Her father, the erstwhile captain of the vessel on which she stood, slipped into the waves without a sound. Peg turned away as soon as he vanished from sight, too numb to even weep. The first mate, now acting captain, placed a gnarled hand on her shoulder and guided her back to her cabin.
"There now, lass. Get ye below and rest a mite. Smitty'll bring ye somethin' ta eat in a bit." He grimaced at the lack of expression on her face. Like most of the crew, he had known her from childhood. She had sailed with them from the age of eight, when her mother had died.
Peg allowed herself to be led to her cabin. She mourned her father, of course, but she also mourned the death of her life as well. The sea was in her soul, it was part of her, and now she must prepare herself to leave it forever. She knew without asking that Mister MacGowan, the first mate, had turned the ship toward England.
Like it or not, her life now belonged to her father's elder brother. He was not an ogre. She had no doubts that he loved her, but he had never approved of her presence on the ship. She knew full well that every time they had docked in England he had pressured her father to leave her behind in his care that he might arrange a marriage for her. She would likely be married before the year was out to a suitable, and very dull, man of her uncle's choosing who would never allow her near the sea again. Peg lay down on her bunk, thinking it unlikely that she would rest. She was asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
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Captain Jack Sparrow was in his element. The wind that filled the sails of The Black Pearl ruffled the dark elf-locks that adorned his head as he stood at the Pearl's helm. A storm was brewing, and Jack planned to use it to his full advantage.
Daft, he was called, but it was the daftness of the fox. Beneath the thick ropes of his dark hair was a shrewd brain that calculated every angle and that saw every possibility. His dark, kohl rimmed eyes missed nothing and his face revealed little of what he thought. He had learned long ago that allowing himself to be underestimated placed him at a distinct advantage. A good pirate, he was, with a rare talent for coming out on top of any situation. Jack grinned to himself and consulted his compass. Yes, they would head to the East. He shouted to his crew and turned his beloved ship to the East.
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Shouts and the sound of cannon fire woke Peg from her restless sleep. She sat bolt upright in her bunk. Rising, she raced to the door of her cabin. A tug on the door confirmed her suspicion. Her father had left standing orders for her to remain in her cabin in the event that they were attacked. MacGowan had locked her in. The high whine of cannon reached her ears and she flung herself to the floor. The cannon ball passed over her prone body and shattered the door. Through the hole in the side of the ship she saw the black ship with black sails and the flag flying from its mast. Her hand flew to her mouth. Pirates!
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The last volley of the Pearl's cannons had brought down the merchant ship's mast. The crew swarmed over to the crippled ship, cutlasses in hand and knives and pistols tucked in their belts. They met little resistance. Jack swung onto the deck of the merchant ship, making his entrance in typical dramatic fashion. He dropped to the deck in front of the first mate.
"You the captain, then?" He eyed the first mate skeptically.
"Aye, the acting captain." MacGowan's answer was curt. Jack arched a brow at him.
"You'll do. We're relievin' you o' your cargo, mate. So long as you and yours keep quiet and behave, you live ta see another day. Anyone that thinks they're gonna be a hero gets a hero's death. Savvy?" MacGowan nodded, glaring at his crew. Jack glanced over his shoulder and snapped his fingers. The crew immediately set to work. Half remained on deck to guard the merchant crew; the remainder went below deck and began the process of transferring the cargo to the Pearl. Jack made his way to the captain's cabin.
He rummaged through the drawers and trunks, but found little to catch his interest. He did find a good sized cache of rum, which he promptly appropriated, and a few trinkets. He turned to go back up on deck when a flash of something blue caught his eye. He set the rum on the bed and ducked out into the corridor just in time to catch the wrist of a young woman wielding a sword far too heavy for her. He squeezed her wrist just enough to force her to drop the weapon.
"Well hello, luv. And just what'd you think you were gonna do with that?" He made a show of looking her over and then made to drag her up on deck. She set her heels and grasped the door frame with her free hand. "Now, luv, don't you think you're bein' a bit dramatic? Look, I'm not in the way of takin' prisoners. All I'm interested in is the cargo. Soon as we're done loadin' it on our ship, we're gone. You behave and you get to keep your head on your shoulders and your virtue intact. Savvy?"
She stared up at him in disbelief. Everything about his words and demeanor spoke of sincerity, but that warred with everything she had ever heard of pirates. His dark, kohl-lined eyes met hers steadily and she nodded slowly. He gave a brief nod of satisfaction and led her up to the deck. His crew hooted and made ribald remarks, which he answered in kind as he pushed her toward MacGowan. True to his word, as soon as the cargo was transferred, the black ship departed leaving the merchant crew to nurse their crippled ship to the nearest port for repairs. Peg watched the pirate ship sail away, hardly heeding the measured looks the crew was giving her.
She turned to search for MacGowan, finding him helping to make what repairs could be made so that they could rig the sails. She waited until he paused in his labors to address him.
"Where do we make for, Mister MacGowan?" Her tone held the proper amount of respect due a captain and he gave her a brief smile.
"Port Royal's nearest, Miss Margaret. I reckon we can make it in a few days, iffen we don't get rough seas." He appeared to consider his next words. "We was lucky, Miss Margaret. Usually pirates scuttle a ship. I don't know what you said to Sparrow, but he must've taken a shine to you."
"Sparrow?"
"Aye, Cap'n Jack Sparrow. That were the Black Pearl."
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