Disclaimer: I don't own POTC. Or LJS.

Chapter 52: Emotional Turbulence

That night was a long one, and they were all cold and hungry. But as promised, they were fed a decent breakfast in the morning before Camille was again let out of the brig and into Long John's cabin.

"Do you want to know the real reason for your mother's-" he was interrupted by a knock on the door. "For God's sake, what is it, man!" he demanded, shouting and banging his crutch on the floor.

The door opened, and there stood, to the reader's enjoyment, a naked Captain Jack Sparrow. I'll give you a moment to let that sink in. deep breath Ahhhh. Camille just looked at him. Long John slapped his forehead, pulling at his face.

"Good morning, starshine!" Jack sang in his raspy singing voice. "You know John…" he staggered back a little. "I-I can't remember what I'm about to say…but someday you'll know. And when the time is right, I'll know," he made motions with his hands, "and then this will all come together…you know? D'you see what I'm sayin' to you, mate…matey-mate-mate? Mate?"

Camille wanted to laugh so badly, but she was still so angry at him. "Hello, Little Jack," she said as she glanced down and back up.

"Little Ja-" he began, swooning around. "I'll have you know tha' this is an impressive package for my age," he said, shaking his finger at her.

"Yes, I suppose it is quite impressive for a 50-year-old man," she retorted.

"Fifty?" Jack asked in a high voice. "I'll 'ave you know that I'm not a day over nineteen."

Camille almost began laughing. Her mouth hurt from trying so hard not to. Here she was, in the middle of what was supposed to be the most dangerous and threatening situation of her life so far, and Jack was talking to her naked. It was hilarious. Jack stumbled off, singing to himself.

Camille turned back to Silver as if nothing had happened. "You were saying, Captain?" she asked, so seriously that it threw Long John into a short state of confusion.

"Yes…well, er…" then he cleared his throat, remembering where he had left off. "Do you want to know the real reason for your mother's death, Miss Quartermaine?"

"You mean, other than the fact that she died protecting the treasure from fiends such as yourself and Jack?"
"Your father was a fool, young missy," he said, his eyes positively ablaze now. "Morgan was a thief and a liar, and a grand one at that. She conducted all of her misdoings right under the man's nose."

"You have quite a way of twisting your words, Captain Silver," she interrupted calmly. "All women are thieves and liars, if you haven't already found that out for yourself."

"Quite true, that is. Quite true, Miss Camille," Long John said without even the slightest hint of irritation in his voice. "But you be severely overlookin' one mundane detail."

"The only detail that I need to know, is that you need us alive to help you to Diablo's Gate," she replied cleverly, and she could finally see a tiny flicker of annoyance in Long John's eyes.

But the tone of his voice remained steady. "As soon as that gold be in my pockets, ye'll be no better off than your mother's rottin' corpse at the bottom o' the oceans."

She narrowed her eyes, leaning closer to him. "I can't wait for death to come and relieve me from this hell," she hissed before getting up and leaving his cabin. She was furious, and her anger at Jack was only feeding the fire. Speaking of Jack…

"Camille!" his hand (clothed now) reached out from behind a corner and she jumped back, more in anger than surprise that he was not drunk. "Camille darling, you must listen to me," he said.

"You want me to listen to you? I've listened to your lies and played your game long enough!" she exploded, slapping his hand away and causing the fearless leader to shrink back. "You tricked me, Jack Sparrow. I let you…" she said slowly, shaking her finger at him. "I let you into my house; into my life! I let you meet my father…and what for? So you can have your bloody treasure! And then when I finally get a chance to see you to ask you what the hell is going on, you're so stinking drunk that you can't stand or even say my name! You want me to listen to you, Jack Sparrow? You listen to this: I NEVER liked your ship!" she ended, her voice reverberating off the sails like a powerful gust of wind.

Jack's eyes widened, and then narrowed dangerously. The woman had gone too far, insulting his Pearl; insulting his life. "You wouldn't dare," he said, he said, putting his face right in front of hers.

"Oh, yes I would. And you come any closer to me I will throw you off this damned ship. And you can swim around in the sea until your tacky, worn down, ugly little Black Pearl decides to pick you up because-"

He smacked her. He let go and just backhanded her, sending her flying backwards with blood seeping from her mouth. She looked back at him with cold, hating eyes and he knew that their skirmish had definitely gone too far this time. This was no longer an act. They had carried it past its limit, and now it was over.

She wiped her mouth, taking the key out of her pocket and setting it down at Jack's feet. "Take it, Sparrow," she said coldly before getting up. "I never want to speak to you again," she said before going down into the brig.

Jack looked at the small key, bending over to pick it up as he glanced at the empty spot where Camille had been sitting up. He straightened up. He had not been drunk last night or this morning. But tonight…tonight he was going to drink until he stopped breathing.