"That evening, as I watched St. Paul grow smaller in the distance from the waist of the Black Pearl, I felt my nerves becoming raw. I tried to force my mind to go blank and pretend I wasn't there, but I was. And my mind refused to stop thinking of what was about to come. My wedding night…"
"Gibbs! Head three points Northeast at 15 knots. I want to forget this town. And Gibbs. If I ever say 'let's pretend to be farmers' ever again, just shoot me Savvy?" said Jack making his way to the quarterdeck.
"Cap'n? Aren't you forgetting something?" asked Gibbs coolly. Jack spun back on his heel to face him with a confused look.
"I don't…" Then Gibbs nodded over to Victoria stood next to the rail with her back to the sea, her head bent down and her hands wringing her gloves nervously.
"Oh." he said standing straight.
"Best tell her what really happened back there aye?" said Gibbs. Jack clapped him on the back sending him off saying,
"Aye." Jack walked over to her and said,
"Miss…" He was about to call her Baker but then remembered she was now Mrs. Sparrow…his wife. My did that sound strange to him! He continued,
"Miss Victoria? Why don't you point to your bags and my men here can take them to my cabin aye?" Nodding she pointed over to her one suitcase and her guitar case. Confused he said,
"That's it?"
"That all I have." she said quietly. Trying to lighten the mood he said,
"Well Luv, you must be the first woman I've met who can pack all she needs into one itty bitty suitcase. Not even Anamaria can pack light!" At this he felt a wet rag hit the back of his head. He just closed his eyes, not even bothering to turn back at the bosun. Upon opening them, he saw that Victoria tried to crack a smile but fail miserably. So he bent over to pick up her belongings, hefted them onto his shoulder and said,
"Right then. Follow me please Mrs…. Uh…Milady!" And he turned and made his way into his cabin with Victoria following behind slowly her head still bent down. The crew shook their heads at her.
"Well at least she ani't a spoiled rich brat!" said Anamaria with her hands on her hips. Gibbs looks at her and said,
"Huh? How can you tell? The girl was wearing silk!"
"Silk that is ten years out of style. Must have been her mother's. Plus, she was wearing the sensible boots of a maid, not a society girl!" said Anamaria turning to return to her duties leaving Gibbs only to shrug and continue on his way.
Inside, Jack set her stuff down gently, and then gestured as if it were a dog ready to attack before standing up and turning to her who had sat down in a chair.
"Would you care for something to drink?" he asked.
"No thank you." she said quietly as she stared at the floor. He walked up to stand beside her saying gently,
"There's no reason to be afraid of me Luv." Gulping she said,
"You haven't given me any reason to not be afraid of you either, Captain." Sighing Jack walked over to the table where there was numerous rum bottles. Taking a long swig he said,
"Really? Then try this on for size, Milady. I had no desire to take you from St. Paul. As a matter of fact, I've never even seen you until before the wedding." At this Victoria snapped her head up and shouted,
"WHAT?"
"Jack explained to me what had really conspired that day. He told me how the Major had given him his freedom in exchange for the town's freedom from my teaching methods. When he finished, I stood up in outrage and cried,"
"That MORON! Cretan! Charlatan! That…that…"
"Blimy dog?" offered Jack from where he sat behind his deck, feet propped up taking a swig of his rum.
"Thank you. That Blimy DOG! URRGG! And those two old crones…"Victoria began to remove her hat pins and untying her bonnet. "Coming to my house, acting like my friends when they were just trying to make sure I was leaving! Ugly Hags!" she continued throwing the hat on Jack's mussed up desk. At this Jack jumped slightly but shrugged it off as she continued to rant and rave. He had to admit. He much preferred the fiery lass muttering to herself and hurling insults at people she would most likely never seen again than the fearful mouse she was moments before.
"And…and…you!" she started. Jack rolled his eyes. Here we go! He knew she would eventually start insulting him, calling him a 'filthy pirate', 'disgusting pig', or a 'despicable thief'. He had heard it all before. So imagine his surprise when she continued,
"Dragging you, an innocent party, into this whole ordeal must be the lowest thing of all!"
"Excuse me?" said Jack blinking in disbelief.
"You didn't care about the on goings of our town, so why couldn't they just let you be? The only reason you agreed to this whole charade was to ensure the safety of yourself and your crew! I'm sure you didn't want to walk away with a wife!" she said. Jack put a finger in his ear cleaning it out saying,
"Hold on, Luv. I must have heard you wrong." He stood up and walked around to the front of the desk to face her before he continued,
"Aren't you going to start blaming me for this?"
"No. Why should I? The Major used you to save his own neck. Using people is just wrong." she said looking down at the floor. He lifted her chin up and said,
"But I'm a pirate."
"But you're still a human being. And regardless of their occupation, no matter how…ill favored…a human being deserves to be treated with respect."
"That must be the first time someone has called me human before calling me a pirate." said Jack quietly looking into her eyes. Victoria tried to look away but found herself unable to. Embarrassed, she even found herself liking how the kohl around his brown eyes made them only more dark and intense. Finally he released her and started to walk back to his seat when he felt something inside of him. Like someone was pulling his soul away. Then as quickly as it came, it left.
'What was that?' he asked himself. Then shrugging it off he sat down and began to drink again. After a few moments, she said,
"So since ours was a marriage not wanted by either of us, what's to become of me?"
"Well, as I've already said, it's against the Code to hurt the innocent, so I could just drop you off in Port Royal. I've got a couple of friends who are actually on the right side of the law. They can take care of you until you get yourself settled. Unfortunately, we aren't docking there for about three months yet." said Jack taking a swig.
"Three months? But Port Royal is only a day's journey from St. Paul if you ride the currents!" she protested.
"You know sailing?" he asked.
"I know geography and science and how the moon affects the tides." she said. Jack smirked,
"Well, actually, "he paused to take a swig, but upending the bottle finding it empty, he chucked it over his shoulder leaving it to crash against the wall.
" It's half a day's journey on the Black Pearl! Regrettably, I'm on the wrong side of the law there, but I have a system." he continued raising his index finger as he stood. Victoria took a seat to listen to him.
"Quite scientific really. Every time I dodge out of there, the Royal Navy is on me like the Plague for about a month. But once rumors about how I was taken by savages or killed in the Bermuda Triangle start going around, they stop looking so hard. Three more months and Bob's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt and I can return safe and sound to Port Royal to visit me good friend William Turner, master Blacksmith extraordinaire!" said Jack spreading his arms wide while leaning against the table. Smartly, she said,
"And then the Royal Navy finds out you're there again, and you have to dodge out again." He grinned,
"For every cause, there is an effect, Luv!" To which she replied,
"Actually, I believe the phrase is, for every action there is a reaction." He only grinned wider and said,
"You know you're very pretty when you smile." Realizing she was smiling, she said,
"Thank you."
"Maybe if we take advantage of our honeymoon, I can keep you smiling Savvy?" he suggested raising his eyebrows. She only laughed and shook her head no. His brows furrowed in confusion as he said,
"Isn't this the part where you slap me?"
"You didn't mean it so why should I?" she asked. He shifted slightly.
"How did you know I didn't mean it?"
"Because if you had wanted to take advantage of me Captain, you would have instead of trying to cheer me up and tell me the truth." she said. He gulped. This girl could read him better than he wanted her to! He shrugged saying,
"Just checking."
"So I'm to stay here for three months?" she asked.
"Yes."
"And the crew doesn't mind?"
"They voted on it and they all agreed you'd be better off getting away from that small little town of yours before they'd tried something drastic."
"Even more drastic than blackmailing a pirate captain into taking a wife?" she said with humor in her voice.
"Dangerously so." he implied seriously. She gulped at the thought.
"So once we do get into Port Royal, will we file for divorce?" she asked. He hesitated and pretended to look at some maps.
"Uh…actually…Luv…if it's all the same to you why don't we cross that bridge when we come to it?"
"Why?" asked Victoria.
"Well…uh…it's…it's just that I…was raised Catholic so I still hold on to some of that stuff, Savvy?" he said.
"Oh so you don't believe in divorce? Well that's understandable." she said. He looked at her.
"You aren't going to laugh?"
"At what? I'm a protestant so I don't believe in divorce either." she said.
"No, I mean the part about me being Catholic." he said.
"One of my students wrote a report on how pirates are often very religious people. It was very good, but I had to give him a C+ since the assignment was about the religions of a certain people, not how religious certain people are!" she said.
"There you go treating me like a human being again!" he said amused. Ready to change the subject, she said,
"So where will I be staying while I'm on board, Captain?"
"Ah, well milady, there's with the crew, but I think that for lack of space and modesty that would be the worst option."
"Obviously."
"You could bunk with Anamaria, but unfortunately she barely has enough room for herself. And last but certainly not least there's me." he said cocking his head to the left.
"You?…You mean sleep in here?…With you?" she asked eyeing the one bed in the corner.
"Aye!" he said lifting his eyebrows.
"Very well. I suppose you'll try to restrain yourself." she said.
"Only if you try the same, Luv!" he said. But all her response was a shake of the head.
"What no shock? No speech about propriety?" he asked. She stood up and squared him up saying,
"Captain Sparrow. I'm a schoolteacher. I've heard worst." He grinned once again and barked a loud laugh.
"You know Luv? You're all right!" And with that, he walked over to the door , opened it and yelled out,
"GIBBS!" Soon the first mate came running up.
"Sir?"
"Fetch me a spare hammock. Milady Victoria is going to be taking my bed during her stay." he said. Gibbs said confused,
"But don't you usually just make them join you in your bed until they…" Jack stomped on Gibbs foot making him yell,
"OWW!" Then Jack slammed the door in his face. Looking back at Victoria who had raised an eyebrow he said,
"What can I say, Luv? I'm a religious man not a Saint!"
"So that is how Jack and I started our relationship. Granted it wasn't much but it was a start. Apparently, I had made an impression on him by not expecting him to change but treating him like a person instead. I suppose it comes from being a sensible schoolteacher who gives their students the benefit of a doubt. So much so that he in turn treated me decently. He even had Gibbs bring up a folding screen he had 'acquired' in Singapore up from the hold so that I could change…"
"Blasted daft son of a…asking me to haul up this swag…good thing I don't mutiny on him stupid little…just so that little…can change her clothes!" muttered Gibbs as he entered Jack's cabin and set up the folding screen in the opposite diagonal corner from the bed.
"I heard that Mr. Gibbs…"warned Victoria humorously from her spot by the bed where she unpacked. Gibbs raised his shoulders quickly and then turned to her sheepishly saying,
"Apologies, …Missus." Victoria smirked.
"At least you can call me 'Mrs.' I don't think either the Captain or myself can come around to saying it."
"Well Jack Sparrow is not the marrying kind, ma'am. So you can imagine what kind of state he's in." said Gibbs.
"Well he only has to put up with a wife for about three months. If you can actually call me that." she said.
"Well a wife is certainly more than just a wedding band and a pretty face!" said Gibbs. Victoria turned to face him.
"Have you a wife, Mr. Gibbs?"
"Who me? No ma'am. Almost, but it never took." he said.
"If it's not being too nosy, what happened?" she asked.
"Her father didn't approve so I joined the Royal Navy in hopes of being a career office making his fortune. But after my first tour of duty I found her father had married her off. Never did become an officer." said Gibbs winking.
" That's a shame she couldn't stand up to her father." said Victoria.
"Aye, my lass never were one to stand up for herself. The only thing about her that I didn't like. Well, good night to you Missus." he said walking out.
"Good night." she called out. Victoria looked down at her left hand and began to study her wedding ring. A beautiful black opal with a million simmers and glimmers and sparkles encased in a gold band. Dark and beautiful. Just like her previous owner. Victoria stopped herself. Maybe she should return it? After all it wasn't a real marriage as far as loving each other. It was just a legal one. Victoria mused it must have been one of the only legal things Jack Sparrow had ever done in his life! And speaking of the devil, Jack came in singing under his breath,
"…and really bad eggs…" He kicked away some rum bottles and papers and clothes on the floor and began to set up his hammock in the corner opposite her bad. She looked around and noted everything was in a similar state plus with a few layers of dust.
"Captain?" she ventured. He stopped before he could start hammering to look over at her and say,
"You know Luv, you can call me Jack. After all we are…married…and all."
"All right, Jack. Say would you object terribly if I straighten things up around here?" she asked folding her hands. He looked around and said,
"I don't see why not. As a matter of fact, I'd appreciate it. I can make the Pearl shine, and keep the hold straightened up, but for the life of me, I can't keep me own cabin clean! Hmm!" He raised his arms in exasperation and smugged, making Victoria laugh. Before he could raise the hammer again, she asked,
"Jack? "
"Hmm?"
"Would…you like your ring back?" He thought it over a bit before saying,
"Nah. You hang on to it for a while."
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it." He lifted the hammer again when she interrupted,
"I've never worn anything this fancy before!" But this time he absentmindly hit his thumb.
"OWWHH! STUPID…BLIMY…SON OF A…!" he shouted holding his thumb. Victoria rushed over and pried his hands apart to get a good look.
"Here now! Can you move it?" she asked as he hissed. He tried it out and then said,
"Aye."
"Then no harm done." she said. But before she could move away she felt him moving his callous hands over hers slowly. She looked down at their hands in confusion.
"Jack? What are you?"
"Shame about hands like these. One day they're like silk and crème and after a few weeks on a ship they become like rough leather. Just trying to remember how they feel before they turn hard." he said not taking his eyes off her hands. Memorized she breathed,
"Is that a compliment or a warning?" He looked up into her eyes and said,
"Both." Removing his hands, he turned back to his work occasionally sucking the side of his throbbing thumb. She meanwhile turned back to the bed in a daze. Then she felt something inside her. Like someone pulling her soul away.
'What was that?' she asked herself. A few moments later, Jack was lying in his hammock gently rocking along with the ship. Victoria stepped behind the folding screen to change into her nightclothes. Unfortunately, Jack had a nice angle overlooking a little less than half of Victoria's body.
"So where are we headed?" asked Victoria with her back turned to Jack.
"Hmm?" he asked paying more attention to her unbuttoning her dress.
"Where are we headed?" she repeated slipping the dress off. As she began to slip off her corset, he replied,
"Thought we skim the Hispanola for a while. Take in the le…view!" He caught himself before mentioning her legs which he got a nice view of after she abandoned her petticoats.
"You know, this could turn out splendidly for me. I've always wanted to travel! To places like Morocco or India." she said pausing before pulling her shift off. Gulping he said,
"What's stopping you Luv?" As soon as he spoke she finished pulling off the shift to reveal her back and her bottom in nothing but her underwear. He leaned over trying to get a better view.
"Nothing really. So how long will it take?" she asked. Then she heard a thump behind her as she pulled on her nightgown. Peeking out around the screen she said,
"Jack?" From where he lay face up on the floor, he dryly said,
"This is going to be a long three months!"
"For the first few weeks of our voyage, life aboard the Black Pearl was fascinating to me and dull to the crew. I had only been on a ship once in my life due to the crossing over from England. But during that trip I was expected to stay quiet and not bother anyone. On the Pearl, I had the freedom to explore and observe. The crew was not exactly sure of me, so I decided to wait things out for them to get use to me. I amused myself by studying how they tied knots. For hours I would practice only half sure of their purposes and clueless to their names. One day Anamaria, the ship's boson was getting off her watch ready to relax when she saw me sitting on a barrel trying to tie a knot with a discarded scrap of rope. She walked over to me and said, "
"Need some help?" Victoria looked up from her knot to see the thin athletic black woman smiling down at her. Victoria smiled back,
"If you're sure I wouldn't be a bother?" Anamaria took the rope from her, cut it in two with her knife, and handing one piece back to her before settling down on the deck she said,
"You never know when a good knot will come in handy. I'm off duty anyway."
"So how long have you been a sailor Anamaria?" asked Victoria.
"Since I ran away from my master. Stupid me snuck aboard a pirate ship. Fifteen years later, here I be." said Anamaria. Deciding not to press her Victoria asked,
"And do you find Jack to be a good Captain?"
"Aye. Good. But crazy as a loon sometimes!" huffed Anamaria. Victoria chuckled,
"Really? Like when?" An hour later, the two women were laughing and carrying on. Victoria had not only learned about knots, but why Mr. Cotton never speaks, the more detailed account of Ana's life, Gibbs famous clam chowder, and of course the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow.
"Sea turtles?" laughed Victoria wiping tears from her eyes. Anamaria fought for breath.
"Aye! Sea turtles!" she laughed. Soon their laughter died down,
"So…do you find Jack to be a good husband?" joked Anamaria. Victoria grew a little quiet before looking down at her rope.
"I don't know. We're not really married except in the legal sense. But he does seem to treat me like a gentleman should."
"Jack? Jack Sparrow?" asked Anamaria scrunching her nose up.
"That notorious with women aye?" asked Victoria good naturedly.
"Well the women in Tortuga like him for more than just a few shillings I'll tell you that." said Anamaria.
"Really?"
"Aye. I was once even charmed by him. Him with his pretty face and his sense of fun. But then he stole my boat and sunk it. Stupid fool. Sides now that I know him better, I know I ani't really his type." said Anamaria.
"And the women of Tortuga are?" asked Victoria.
"God forbid! No, I think the only type of woman who could ever steal the heart of Jack Sparrow would have to be someone who's just as free spirited as him. Someone who likes to travel. A person he can talk to. Someone to match his wits." said Anamaria.
"His wits?"
"Aye. Truth is, Jack only drinks rum once a week. Then he acts drunk the rest of the time. Makes folks underestimate him and think he's a fool. But truth is, he's a smart one. Too smart for one like the likes of me. "
"What do you mean by that Ana?"
"Well, Victoria I can't even read or write. Hardly no one can on the Pearl." said Anamaria. Victoria bent over,
"Do you think the crew would like to learn?"
"Sure, any man who can write more than his mark is valued by the Breathen."
"I could teach you all. After all I am a teacher."
"When? We only have enough time between watches to do something 'sides sleep and grab a bite from the galley." said Anamaria.
"Besides…" Victoria and Anamaria looked up to see Jack looking down at them.
"Since I want to make sure the crew don't get too many ideas, how you would teach them is the question." he stated. Victoria stood up.
"Well…what do you suggest?"
"Teach me first." he said simply.
"But Ja…" started Anamaria.
"Don't you need to help Cotton with dinner tonight Ana?" said Jack not taking his eyes off Victoria. Mumbling with fury she got up and stomped away leaving Jack and Victoria alone. She shifted slightly.
"Well, what say you?" asked Jack. She looked up at him and smiled,
"When do we begin Captain?"
"Ye can start by getting out of that dress." he said simply. Shocked she said,
"I beg your pardon!"
"You're sweating like glass of cold water. And the ironic thing is you must be burning up in that dress. So since I want you to be comfortable, why don't you change into something cooler, Savvy?" said Jack. She looked down at the deck and said,
"I only have three dresses. One I don't dare wear all the time and the other is identical to this one." Looking her over a bit, he asked,
"Does this skirt detach from the rest?" Blushing she said,
"Yes."
"Then you go in my…our cabin…and fish out a few of me shirts. You can wear those with your skirts, Savvy?" Victoria looked up and him and said,
"Your shirts?"
"They're cooler to wear than what you got Luv. Or do you want to be hot and sweaty all the time?" he said raising an eyebrow and smirking. Finally she said,
"Thank you Jack." Holding up his hands as if in prayer, he nodded to her and then tucked his thumbs in his belt as he watched her walk off. Gibbs and Anamaria walked up to him once Victoria stepped inside.
"Jack! What's this I hear about Miss Victoria teaching you how to read?" Jack turned his head to Anamaria quickly to say,
"Tattletale!" Glaring at him, Anamaria said,
"Well, it's true! You're learning how to do something you already know how to do!"
"Aye, you wouldn't have been elected Captain if you couldn't read! And besides what are you going to tell her when she spies your book collection?" said Gibbs. At this Jack smiled at his first mate and says,
"That I use them to bash my first mates' head in. Now I want your words on the Code ye won't tell her, Savvy?" They both reluctantly nodded and satisfied Jack headed back up to the quarterdeck.
Meanwhile, Victoria managed to find some rumbled up shirts in a simple chest by Jack's bed. She smelled one just to make sure it's clean. Overall it was clean but it had this delightful earthy smell intoxicated with rum, sea salt and spices. Blushing upon realizing it was Jack's smell, she recovered herself and proceeded to detach her top half of the dress and pull on the shirt. It was a little baggy on her and missing one of the upper buttons but since it failed to expose her chest, she figured it was all right. She tucked the shirt ends into her skirt and fastened on an old belt she found in the chest around her waist. Rolling up the sleeves, then she dug through her bag to find a simple book she used to help the children start to read and walked out.
Jack was steering the ship with precision and mastery. He enjoyed the wind in his hair and the sea spray on his face. His heart lifted just a little bit higher when each cap breaked on the ocean. He looked down and did a double take when he saw Victoria walking towards the quarterdeck ladder in one of his old shirts. And for some reason, Jack's heart leaped even higher than any whitecap could make him. He wetted his lips as he looked her over. There was just something about a woman wearing a man's shirt he found…undeniably appetizing. He put on a serious look as she finally made her way to his side and said,
"Well? Do I look alright?" Pretending to just notice her arrival, he quickly skimed her over making a mental note about how much of her chest he could see, and said,
"It'll do." Her face fell a little. She had been hoping for more of a compliment than that! Brushing it off she said,
"When would you like to begin your lessons Captain?"
"An hour before dinner?" he offered.
"Fine." she said turning to leave. Not taking his eyes off the horizon he said,
"Lovely view, isn't it?" Then Victoria smiled and looked around at the ocean and the late afternoon sun shining brightly in the blue sky.
"Yes, the ocean is beautiful." she stated while smiling.
"Who was talking about the ocean Luv?" Jack said coyly looking at her. She turned her eyes towards him in disbelief. Was he talking about her? She quickly began to walk away leaving behind a grinning pirate captain to contemplate,
'Oh, I'm going to have fun with this one!'
"The next few days I spent more than one hour before dinner with Jack. Every free moment he had, Jack would pull me into another lesson. I didn't really mind except he had this total disregard for personal space that he practically sat in my lap! (Not that he probably wasn't contemplating it!) And when I would read aloud to him, I would look at him through the corner of my eye and see him not paying any attention to the book but looking at me. I got so annoyed with his lack of seriousness, I began tugging on the braids in his beard to make him turn towards the book. The first time I did this, Jack yelled at me and I kept yelling back at him until we both didn't know what we were yelling about. The second and third time, he just glared at me. I wasn't sure why, but eventually he just started to take it as if it were an inside joke. When I wasn't teaching Jack I was making friends with the crew. One night after pulling out my guitar to play, the sailors on deck at the time asked me join them in a sea chantey or ten. This got me started on the idea of setting a reading and writing lesson to the music of the sea shanties so that they could learn the alphabet while working on their chores. I also began a through cleaning of 'our" cabin. It took me days but eventually I began to see the floor. But one fateful day, I was surprised to find something in an huge old chest that could only be described as a change in the winds…"
Victoria leaned over a large trunk she had found underneath Jack's bed. Whereas everything else she found under there had weeks of mold and dust built up, this chest had been handled very much and the layers of dust told her that this chest was only opened about a few days ago. It was too heavy to be clothes but no lock on it meant that gold and silver it did not contain since Jack was no fool and he knew how to keep treasure safe. Reasoning to herself that Jack had given her permission to go through all his effects to clean up the room, and because her curiosity plagued her, Victoria cautiously opened the trunk. Her eyes grew wide with surprise.
Shakespeare! Homer! Voltaire! Socrates! And numerous tales from Arabia! Books containing great thought, ideals, passions, emotions filled the chest. Wait. Why would a pirate who couldn't read have books? Picking up a book on top, "Hamlet" it was, Victoria saw a piece of paper tucked inside the pages. Flipping the book open, she saw an old yellowed map. A map that she knew had been draw by Captain Jack Sparrow since that was the signature that was signed at the bottom. Victoria also noted the various notes on the map concerning currents, tides and other such variables. Notes that couldn't have been written by a pirate who couldn't read. Victoria narrowed her eyes and slammed the book shut.
Five minutes later, she stomped out on the deck clutching the book in her hand.
"Aye Lass! Are ye going to share one of your songs with us?" asked Gibbs, who was sitting by the rail regaling the crew with a tale.
"Where's SPARROW?" hissed Victoria. Then she spied him on the main mast trestle tree, looking through his spyglass. Then she stomped over to some rigging.
"Guess not." said Gibbs. Then to the crews' shock and protest, Victoria climbed onto the rail and started climbing the rigging as if she actually knew what she was doing. Ignoring Gibbs cries of,
"Victoria! Lass, get DOWN!" She simply kept climbing up to where Jack was. Jack looked up from his spyglass to the commotion below. When he heard Gibbs he looked down at the railing and saw Victoria climbing up towards him! Startled, but not wanting Victoria to become distracted and fall, he helplessly watched until she came close enough for him to pull her up onto the small platform and say,
"Victoria! What in the blue blazes are you doing? It's dangerous to climb up here! You can break your neck!" Seeming to snap out of a daze she said,
"What?" Then she looked down and shrieked grabbing onto the closest thing next to her which happened to be Jack.
"How high is THAT!"
"About fifty feet. But didn't you realize that when you started climbing up here?" asked Jack enjoying the feel of her arms clutched around his neck. Still looking down at the deck, she said
"I was so mad at you I forgot that I had never climbed the rigging before and so I didn't think to be scared!"
"Well that's true you didn't think. But why were you mad at me?" asked Jack. She then snapped her head around and glared at him.
"I'm still mad at you! You…you…lying, odious, scoundrel!" she said. Jack sighed,
"I knew it couldn't last."
"I found this book in your cabin…" she said holding up the book she still held in her hands.
"Amongst a variety of other books as well! And tucked inside was an old map, with YOUR handwritten notes! You lied to me Jack Sparrow! You could read the whole time!" she finished.
"Well I never said I couldn't read. I just wanted you to teach me. I can't help it if you assumed that a 'bloody pirate' couldn't read."
"I didn't assume anything!" she said.
"You assumed I was going to rape you the first night we met!" said Jack as Victoria's mouth dropped.
"I didn't know you!"
"Never make assumptions based on people you don't know Luv. Tis bad luck!"
"Well, I'm not a bloody mind reader, Jack! Until one gets to know someone, first assumptions is all one has to go on. And since my information about you was based on a lie, how was I not suppose to assume you were going to rape me? I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions Jack but that gives you no right to try to make me hate you!" yelled Victoria.
"What?"
"You have been putting up borders and trying to present yourself to me in the worst possible light since the moment I got here. And I'd like to know why a kind, decent, man like yourself would try to have me turn away!" yelled Victoria.
"Maybe because I'm not ruddy used to having a kind, decent, woman like yourself find me a kind, decent, man!" yelled Jack back. Suddenly the ship dipped to the waves of the sea and Jack and Victoria stumbled on the trestle tree until Jack's back was pressed against the mast with his hands wrapped around Victoria's waist and her body even closer to Jack's. Gasping, Victoria closed her eyes tightly for a moment until she began to realize how close she was to Jack. Stealing a look at him, she only found herself locked with his dark orbs. Jack's voice cracked,
"Maybe…we should get down on the ground now." Gulping and nodding yes, Victoria let go just long enough for Jack to help her onto the rigging so that they could begin the climb down.
They had not spoken since they were once again on the solid deck waist. Victoria went to bed without supper and Jack stayed at the helm most of the time. Finally, Anamaria sent him to bed. She had to stifle a laugh when she noticed Jack hesitate at the door. Finally stepping inside, he saw Victoria fast asleep on his bed. He quietly walked over to her side and sat down on the bed watching her sleep. She looked like an angel to him in her simple white nightgown, innocent face and brown hair infused with gold. Thinking back to that afternoon, he had to grin when he thought of this sensible, levelheaded woman climbing the rigging without a second thought. But that only meant that a part of her was bold and fearless when she wanted to be. As he gently brushed a strand of hair out of her face he admitted to himself what he had realized that afternoon. If she had fallen that afternoon, he didn't know what he would do. For reasons unknown to him, he didn't want to lose the lass. Shaking his head, he got up and walked over to his hammock and climbed in. First thing in the morning, he'd make things right.
Victoria awoke the next morning and stretched all over until her muscles relaxed again and she felt she could lay in bed all day. Then she caught a whiff of a delicious aroma and turned her head towards the clinking of glasses. There was Jack setting up breakfast for two on the round table in the cabin. She sat up and began to pull on her dressing gown saying coolly,
"Good Morning." Jack turned and nodded solemnly,
"Morning."
"What's all this then?" she asked, not yet getting up.
"An apology." said Jack humbly.
"For…?"
"For misleading you into thinking I couldn't read. And for trying to find a way to make you hate me. And for yelling at you yesterday." said Jack walking over to stand over her at the bed. She clutched the robe around her chest and said,
"Apology accepted. And I'm sorry for yelling at you and calling you names." she said guiltily but still a little coolly..
"Are you hungry?" asked Jack. Despite her loud growling stomach, she only replied,
"A little." As he walked back over and pulled out a chair, she pulled back the covers and practical flew over to her plate. Before Jack could pull the chair in, she had said a quick word of grace and began to fill her plate with the sausages and eggs. Jack also sat down, crossed himself and began to eat as well. They sat in silence. All the while, Victoria realized that this was her first actual meal with the captain. She had eaten with the crew and according to them, Jack was known to skip a meal or grab some humble snacks of hardtack and cheese or an apple. Swallowing a little sausage, she finally said,
"So…was yesterday our first big fight as man and wife?" Jack smiled down at his eggs.
"I suppose it was. We've butted heads before but we've never gone to bed angry so it were. Funny old world, ain't it?" he concluded looking up at her.
"I just hated that you kept your abilities a secret from me. I hate secrets. Makes me feel so…stupid. That's why I made my student's promise to never keep a secret from me." she said.
"Well milady, if that's what it'll take to get back on your good graces, then I swear on pain of death to never keep a secret from you, Savvy? So what do you say? Do we start over?" he asked extending a hand out to her. She eyed him and then his hand and said,
"Agreed." But she couldn't pull her hand away. Jack wouldn't let her. Once again he was rubbing his callous fingers all over her hand.
"Your hands are hard milady, but they're still so silky feeling. Why is that?" he asked with a humorous glint in his eye. Catching her breath she said,
"I don't know." He released her and returned to his plate leaving Victoria to try to remember how to blink.
"That day, I experienced my first pirate raid on a merchant vessel. I was surely disappointed. I had expected a fierce battle or at least a duel between Jack and the captain of the merchant vessel. Instead, the cannons were shot twice for warning until the other ship ran up the white flag. Once the Pearl had sailed up beside her, a gangplank was laid across the railings. Jack, Gibbs, and a few armed pirates walked over to the other ship and conversed with the captain…"
"Quarter, Captain. We ask for quarter." said the tall Dutch man.
"Very good. My men will leave you enough food and water to make it to Port Sebastian. You can get supplies there without worrying about the Spanish." said Jack as more of the Pearl's crew came over and made their way down to the hull. Over on the Pearl, Victoria whispered to Anamaria,
"Is that it?"
"Well a pirate's life ain't always an exciting one, lady." Ana whispered back.
A few minutes later, all the swag from the Dutch ship had been taken and brought aboard the Pearl. Just before Jack turned to leave, another man with long blond hair and a scruffy shaggy beard raged at the Dutch captain,
"NO! Captain! We can't be robbed by miserable pirates! Especially English ones!"
"MR. Yoder, I will not risk the lives of women and children!" yelled the Captain.
"Neither will I." said Jack strongly but plainly. Fuming, Yoder turned back to Jack and said,
"This is not over, pirate!" Tipping his hat at he man, Jack merely walked off the ship, ready never to see it again. The gangplank was returned and the ships went their separate ways. Later that night, Jack was sitting with his feet propped up on the desk and writing in some huge books laying across his knees. Victoria was reading the copy of "Romeo and Juliet" Jack had leant her, or at least, she was trying to. Finally, her curiosity won out and asked him,
"What are those?" Jack looked up to her seat on the bed and gulped. With one leg propped up, her chin resting on her knee and the candlelight hitting the gold in her brown locks just right, all while sitting on HIS bed, she looked good enough to eat. Recomposing himself he said,
"Just the ship's account books."
"May I see?" He looked skeptically at first but then remembering their accord of no secrets, said,
"Alright." She walked over to him and looked over his shoulder reading. She bent down and unknowingly let Jack sneak a peek down her chest. He blew the annoying and wonderfully feeling silken locks off the side of his face only to make her tremble from his rush of warm air on her neck. Blushing, she stood up straight and said,
"I don't understand. I've seen at least a dozen ships that must have held more 'swag' than the Dutch in the last few weeks. Why didn't we go after any of those?" Jack smiled,
"Because some of them could have blown us out of the water with their guns. Besides, the ones like the Dutch ship have the crooked captains that can afford to be stolen from, Savvy?"
"What?"
"I have a few mates around the world who send me information on the Captains of merchant vessels. They tell me about the despicable one's who are only one step away from turning pirate themselves, and I in turn, hunt them down and steal from them. After all, the honest merchants are usually the saps who aren't very good in business and they need all the money they can. I guess you can say, I'm a privateer for the honest merchant sailor, Savvy?" he grinned up at her. Amazed at this newfound knowledge, Victoria had to admit it was at least more honorable to steal from a crook than an honest man. It wasn't honest, but it was more honorable. But then she felt a hand rubbing her lower back. Looking down at Jack and raising an eyebrow, she said,
"I can approve of only stealing from crooks, but I don't approve of ill-placed hands 'Savvy?' Confused, it took Jack a minute to figure out that he had absent-mindedly placed his hand on her back. Removing it, he said,
"Apologies."
"Yeah right." said Victoria walking back to her book. Jack shook his head. What was the matter with him? Now he didn't even know when he was making advances towards her! What was this girl doing to him?
All was quiet again for a few more minutes with both lost in their books only occasionally stealing looks at one another. Then a roll of thunder sounded overhead making Victoria jump. Jack closed his wager book and sighed.
"That storm's turned on us. Best go call all hands." said Jack getting up and strapping on his belt. Victoria walked over and helped him get his coat on.
"Thank you." he said as she folded his collar up and said,
"Just don't catch Pneumonia hmm? Wouldn't want to catch anything."
"Right." said Jack. Then without realizing it, Jack kissed her cheek and she let him. As Jack turned and walked to the door, he stopped just as Victoria had stopped when she turned to go back to her book. What was that? Without saying anything, Jack rushed out and Victoria shook her head. What was that man doing to her?
The storm was rough and threatening to capsize the Pearl. Trying to read her book, but finding her thoughts with a certain pirate captain, she finally got up and peeked out the door. The rain was falling in sheets and the crew had tied their waists with rope so they wouldn't fall overboard as they scrambled to control the ship. Victoria stepped out a little careful to hold onto the door. The thunder rolled a warning. The lightening flashed and Victoria looked up and behind her and gasped. She saw Jack at the helm, spinning it wildly back and forth with a huge grin on his face. But his eyes were wild. Wild and passionate. Her stomach felt like it was in knots and something within her chest was as excited as Jack was. He was in sure ecstasy as he took on the storm. He enjoyed the danger. Victoria wondered if he knew how attractively wild his eyes were. Finally she slammed the door shut and leaned against the wood trying to catch her breath and calm her racing heart. Why did she just feel compelled to join him out there? What was going on with her?
After what seemed like ages, she felt the ship's rocking grow calmer. She looked across the room and out the bay windows and saw the storm had died down. Contemplating if she should look again, she was interrupted by a loud boom. But it was not the boom of thunder, but of cannon fire. She heard the ball whistling closer and then a splash of water.
"CANNONFIRE!"
"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"
"LOAD THE GUNS! FIRE THREE ROUNDS THEN IF THEY DARE COME ABOARD, FIGHT UNTIL I SAY OTHERWISE SAVVY? ANA! TAKE THE WHEEL, WE STILL HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS STORM! GIBBS! I'LL BE RIGHT BACK I HAVE TO GO GET MY SWORD FROM THE CABIN!" yelled Jack from outside. Victoria backed away and scrambled to get the sword. Just as she did, a sopping wet Captain Jack Sparrow came in. Holding the sword out to him, she said,
"We're being attacked?" Nodding and taking the sword from her, Jack strapped it across his shoulder.
"Who'd attack in the middle of a storm?" asked Victoria irritatingly.
"That would be the Dutch. Apparently the ship we sacked earlier." stated Jack going over to his cabinet. He pulled out and tucked in his sash a few extra guns making sure each one was loaded first.
"Jack?" He looked up at her with those same wild eyes. She breathed,
"What can I do?" Walking towards the door he said,
"Just bolt the door and stay inside Savvy?" Nodding she added just as he was about to close the door,
"Jack!" He looked at her again.
"Be careful." she said quietly. He nodded and then slammed the door and began to shout out orders again. She locked the door behind him and prayed,
"Keep him safe, God. Keep him safe."
Meanwhile, the battle began. The Dutch returned fire just as quickly as the Pearl did. After three rounds, grappling hooks from both sides flew and clutched at the railings. Screams of fury were heard from both sides. Boarding planks were dropped and men flew to the decks of the other. Swords clashed and shots were fired. Jack shot a few shots with one pistol then discarded it and traded it for another, this time clanging swords with the enemy. At the helm, Anamaria struggled to keep her hold on the Pearl while Gibbs and Cotton fought off the sailors trying to reach the quarterdeck. A sailor swung on a line unto the quarterdeck behind Anamaria and she, without hesitation, pulled out a pistol and fired into the man's chest before turning back to the wheel. Jack finally found himself eye to eye with the blonde Dutchman, Mr. Yoder.
"Yoder, isn't it? Pleasure to see you again!" said Jack humorously. He replied coldly,
"The pleasure to cut your throat is mine!" They clashed swords, parrying and thrusting trying to gain the advantage.
"Now what I'd ever do to you?" laughed Jack with a menacing growl.
"You insulted my honor! I pride myself…" Jack ducked his head from Yoder's sword three times. "On being a good sailor! Never robbed by a flithy thief like you! So much I just committed mutiny to uphold my honor! And I'll not be outdone by a pirate!" yelled Yoder through the pouring rain.
"Well then, I'd hate to put a black mark on your record but if you'll excuse me!" yelled Jack as he quit playing games and began to take the advantage leaving the Dutchman surprised and struggling to hold his own.
Meanwhile, Victoria knelt by a hole in the door to watch the battle. With every fallen sailor, clash of sword and gunshot, she'd never felt so helpless in her life. And keeping her eye on Jack's duel with the Dutchman didn't help her nerves. Finally, Jack knocked the sword out of Yoder's hand and looked around.
"Look around mate. Half your crew's dead, your ship's about to capsize and if I were you, I'd cry 'Quarter', Savvy?" Yoder simply raged in defeat before yelling,
"Kwartaal! Ledereen steunt naar het schip!" Jack lowered his sword as the pirate crew cheered and the sailors returned to their boats. Smiling, Victoria stood up to unbolt the door and open it, ready to congratulate Jack and help with the wounded. Yoder was being lead back to the Dutch ship in a daze by a man muttering in Dutch trying to reassure him. Turning his back to the man, Jack replaced his sword and began to check for damage, but when he saw Victoria at the door, he smiled and began to make his way over. But torn between rage at the English pirate and despair over realizing he couldn't return home defeated, he pulled a musket out of his mate's belt and aimed at Jack.
"JACK, LOOK OUT!" yelled Victoria seeing this action. Jack whipped his head around and upon hearing the gunshot, ducked behind a barrel. But not before the musket ball hit him above his knee. Crying out in pain, Jack clutched at his knee and gritted his teeth. The pirates advanced on Yoder and knocked him unconscious and telling his mate to go back without him. Victoria rushed over to Jack and kneeled over him.
"JACK! Don't move! Gibbs! Ana!" yelled Victoria. Yoder was led down to the brig and Gibbs and Ana found the pair behind the barrel with Victoria holding Jack's head up. She looked up at them and said,
"Gibbs, help me get him up. Ana, you know medicine right?"
"Aye?" said Anamaria nervously as Gibbs pulled Jack's arm around his neck. Following Gibbs example, Victoria began to help Gibbs pull Jack up who let loose a mouthful of profanities.
"Get what you need from the galley and fresh water. Some boiling some not. And come to our cabin soon as you can alright?" said Victoria as Jack leaned on her and Gibbs. Nodding, Anamaria turned and ran down to the galley ordering Cotton and the short man Diago to follow her.
"Come on Jack lad. This way!" said Gibbs reassuringly. They walked slowly as Jack cried out in pain when even the slightest pressure was on it. Finally they laid Jack in his bed, almost as exhausted as he.
"Get him out of those clothes Gibbs. I'm going to make some bandages." said Victoria as Gibbs got to work. She also dug out some fresh clothes and blankets to keep Jack warm all the while praying,
"Don't let him die, don't let him die, please don't let him die!"