CHAPTER SIX: GOING TO PORT ROYAL

"How in the world did you convince Sunni to come to Port Royal?" Will asked, carrying his son on his back.

"A little sisterly advice," Elizabeth shrugged.

"Where's yer mother?" Jack asked, striding down the deck, stopping at his daughter still playing jacks.

Maddy looked up and pointed to the railing.

Jack knit his eyebrows and looked at the railing, then back at his daughter. Finally, it registered and he ran to the edge. "Caitlyn!" he yelled when he saw her in the water. "What in th' hell are ye doin'?"

"I'm cleanin' the hull!" she yelled back, diving under again.

"Dammit," Jack muttered, throwing his jacket and hat to the floor. He hauled off his gun and sword and then dove overboard.

Gibbs started at the splash. He looked around the deck for Jack or Sunni, but only saw Maddy sitting frog-style on the deck. "Maddy?"

"Papa jumped overboard after Mommy."

Gibbs rolled his eyes and went back to his chores.

"Sunni," Jack growled, grabbing onto his wife's arm. "What is going on?"

"We're going to Port Royal," she sighed.

Jack slowly smiled, realizing Elizabeth had convinced her. "An' now yer mad cause ye let Liz change yer mind?"

"So I'm cleanin' th' hull."

Jack wrapped an arm around her waist and began hauling her to the rigging. "As much as I appreciate yer initiative, luv, now is not th' time ta be cleanin' th' hull. 'Sides, I got a new cabin boy fer that."

"You got a new cabin boy?" Sunni looked over her should at Jack as they climbed the rigging. "Why? Didn't think we needed one."

Jack only frowned. "I'm th' cap'n. I make th' decisions."

Now Sunni frowned, wondering what had riled him up suddenly. She shook it off as he put a hand on her butt and hoisted her up over the railing.

"Maddy, time to get ready. You're comin' ta town with me and Daddy. We're goin' for supper."

"Do I have ta take a bath?" she whined. "I'm not takin' one unless Papa does!"

Sunni looked at Jack, the grime not having been touched by his swim. "What?" he asked defensively.

"No bath tonight, but before we go to Port Royal, both of ye are getting a good scrubbin'. Now hustle, little lady, we're supposed to meet your aunt and uncle and Johnny in a half an hour."

Suddenly, Port Royal was only a day away. The visit to Tortuga had not lasted near long enough for Sunni's liking, and now she was only twenty-four hours away from a dinner party at her father's house with all of the town's richest and most elite citizens. The ones with the largest hooks on their noses, and the longest sticks up their asses.

"What's Mommy doin'?" Maddy asked her father across the table as he sipped some rum at lunchtime. Father and daughter were enjoying lunch in the cabin, alone.

"I think she might be lookin' fer enough soap to wash all the dirt off of both of us combined."

"Do we have that much on th' ship?"

Jack laughed out loud, a sound that made the young child smile.

"Papa?" Maddy asked again, once Jack resumed eating. "Do people in Port Royal really have sticks up their asses?"

Jack choked on his biscuit and sat up straight. "Who told you that?"

"Mommy."

Jack rolled his eyes. "An' I thought I was goin' ta be th' one teachin' ye all th' new words. No, m'luv, they don't literally have sticks up their –er, butts, it's a figure of speech meaning they're stuck up, savvy?"

"If the people are stuck up, why are we going?"

"Well, that's where yer Grandfather lives-"

"We're going to see Grandpa John?" Maddy asked, referring to Jack's dad in Europe.

"No, no, this is yer mother's dad."

Maddy frowned, as if this concept had not entered her mind. "Oh. How come I've never met him afore?"

"Well," Jack said slowly, "He don't exactly like Sunni being married to yer dad, ye see?"

"Grandfather doesn't like you?" she screeched, not understanding that at all.

Jack laughed again. "Not really. But he promised to be nice, so I'm goin' ta be on my best behavior. Just like I want you ta be, savvy?"

"But Papa-"

"I'm serious, Maddy. This is important to yer mother, an' she don't want people ta be lookin' down on you an' me. So that means no pranks, no swearing, no yelling, and no animals, savvy?"

"What about Sammy?" Maddy cried, referring to her cat.

"Sammy's got ta stay aboard th' Pearl, Maddy, darlin'."

Just then, Sunni flung open the cabin door, soap in one hand, and a wash clothe in the other. "Okay, Miss Madelyn Marie, your bath time has come."

"No!" Maddy cried.

Jack laughed at the horror on his daughter's face.

"Don't be laughin' too hard, Cap'n Sparrow," Sunni warned with an evil grin. "You're next."

A half an hour later, Maddy came running from the bathroom, wearing a clean under dress, and her hair was still dripping wet.

"Hold it, young lady!" Jack called. Maddy froze at the doorway. "Inspection," Jack ordered.

Maddy smiled and then crawled onto her father's lap. Jack studied her for a second before lifting her hand to inspect her fingernails. "All the dirt is gone from under these things," he mumbled. Then he checked behind her ears. "No dirt there." Finally, he checked her hair. "An' it looks like yer mother got all th' bugs outta yer rat's nest."

"Papa, I don't have bugs in my hair!" Maddy cried exasperated.

"Ye don't, huh? Must be my hair with th' critters," he said in mock seriousness. Madelyn giggled. "Okay, ye are free. But try an' keep clean, savvy? If not, Sunni'll make ye take another bath."

"Mommy already warned me," Maddy sighed and then scurried out the door.

"Oh, Jack?" Sunni's singsong voice came from the bathroom doorway.

Jack frowned and turned toward the voice. Sunni was dripping wet from her struggle with Madelyn, but still held a wash brush and soap in her hand. "I believe it's your turn," she told him.

Groaning, Jack pushed himself out of his chair and obligingly went to the bathroom.

Once he was naked in the tub, Sunni snatched the soap from his hand. "I don't trust ye ta wash properly," she said, lathering a cloth. Jack raised an eyebrow, but allowed his wife to bathe him. She sensually ran the cloth along his shoulders, but not-so-sensually scrubbed his forearms and hands. "I think th' dirt is embedded in yer very fingerprints," she muttered.

Jack just took some suds and stuck it on her nose.

"Yer worse'n yer daughter," Sunni finally broke down and smiled. The serious look disappeared from her face and she sighed. "I'm soaking wet," she said, unlacing her dress. "Maddy wanted ta play a lot more'n get clean."

"Ye look like ye lost th' game," Jack commented, studying her wet dress.

Sunni didn't say anything as she shed her dress and then her under dress. Jack swallowed audibly. "Wh-what are ye doin', luv?"

"I need a bath as well," Sunni told him, "and I can wash ye a lot better if I'm in the tub with you."

Jack smiled mischievously. "Is that so?"

"No funny business, Captain Sparrow," Sunni warned, but there was no venom in her voice. "We're not more than a few hours from Port Royal."

Jack, paying no attention to his wife's heeding, reached up and pulled her into the tub with a splash. Her stockings were only half way down her legs, so they came in as well.

"Jack Sparrow!" Sunni cried out as soapsuds flew everywhere.

"Come wash me, Mrs. Sparrow," Jack whispered, nuzzling her neck.