Disclaimer: POTC belongs to people who think they're better than me.
Squirrel pulls her hood lower down over her face, hiding herself from curious passers-by and redcoats alike. She knows the drill. Get in, get what you need, get out before anyone sees you. Squirrel checks the purse under her cloak. Still there, still heavy. She smiles, then saunters from stall to stall, examining the wares with a careful eye.
Port Royal, Squirrel thinks. It really is an amazing place. If I didn't have a home on the Pearl with Jack, I would seriously consider staying here instead.
Squirrel sees what she was asked to get, and she buys three of them. The young woman in charge of the stall looks at Squirrel suspiciously, but accepts the gold coins graciously enough. Squirrel slides the bundle under her arms and turns to leave, picking up her other packages as she does so. Someone bumps into her, shouts a brief apology and carries on. Squirrel shakes her head, then checks her purse and packages. Everything is still there. The girl cloaked in grey looks around, then makes her way back to the docks.
Suddenly, she stops. She looks back into an alleyway. It looks familiar. The sign over the door, as well. Squirrel smiles slightly. Will's workshop. Well, why not? Squirrel thinks, I could ask him what he wants as a wedding gift. Her hidden face darkens slightly. And I have a favour to ask anyway. Squirrel hurries through the crowds of shoppers and knocks on the door.
Will answers it.
"Can I help you?" He asks, not recognising Squirrel. She smiles shyly at him.
"Jack was w-wondering about the w-wedding, Will."
Will's eyes widen in recognition, and he quickly ushers Squirrel inside.
"What are you doing here, Squirrel?" He asks in disbelief, then helps Squirrel untangle herself from the armloads of packages.
"Sh-shopping." Squirrel grins. Will raises an eyebrow.
"And what are you doing here?" Will, asks. "I mean, in my workshop?"
Squirrel looks down, shuffling her feet in the dirt. "T-two r-reasons. Firstly, J-Jack wants to know wh-what to g-get you as a-a wedding g-gift."
Will pales slightly. "You mean he's coming?"
Squirrel looks up, confused.
"He can't come unless he has an invitation." Will explains. "Miss Swann is the governor's daughter, so the wedding is an incredibly …" Will keeps talking, and Squirrel wonders how one man could use so many syllables in sentences that need to be short.
"So Jack's n-not invited?" Squirrel says sadly. She looks down again. "He w-was r-really looking f-forward to s-seeing you again, Will." She tries not to smile. Actually, Jack only wanted to come to the wedding for the free food and drink.
Will looks crestfallen. "That's not what I meant." He sighs. "Elizabeth doesn't want Jack anywhere near the wedding. She thinks he'll convince me to go on some random pirate adventure…"
Squirrel does as Jack orders. She gives Will a well-practised pleading puppy-dog stare. Will's defences crumble.
"Alright." He sighs, then smiles. "It wouldn't be the same without him. I'll write up an invitation for him. I really couldn't care what he gets me as a wedding gift. As long as Jack's at the wedding, that will be a gift enough." He looks at Squirrel. "Would you like me to write an invitation for you as well?"
Squirrel shakes her head. "I was g-going to ask Elizabeth m-myself."
Will nods. "She's been talking about you ever since she met you. I think you've got a good friend in her."
I hope not. Squirrel thinks dryly, then winces at the stab of guilt.
Will frowns slightly. "You said there were two reasons you were here. What was the second?"
Squirrel swallows. "I … I want you to make m-me a sword." Will looks at Squirrel, eyebrow raised.
"Why?"
Squirrel takes a deep breath. "There w-was an attack on the B-Black P-Pearl a d-day ago. I want to b-be able to d-defend myself if we're attacked a-a-again."
Will nods. "I don't see why not." He walks over to a whole range of swords hanging on the wall and selects one. "Try this one."
Squirrel's arm trembles under the weight, and Will lifts it out of her hands quickly. He chooses another sword. Squirrel shrugs sheepishly as the heavy metal blade tumbles out of her hands.
"They're t-too heavy for me." Squirrel explains. "I'm n-not strong enough to lift a n-normal blade."
"I see." Will quickly polishes the blade then returns it to where it hung earlier. "So I'll have to make you a special blade, is that it?"
Squirrel nods. "I c-can pay for it, if th-that's what you're w-worried about."
Will shrugs. "I'm not worried about that. But it seems to me that a sword isn't your type of weapon." Squirrel blinks, confused. "You see," Will continues, going to the forge, "If a sword is too heavy for you, then maybe it would be better if I made you a knife. A very light blade, just as fast as a real sword. What do you think, Miss Grey?"
Squirrel considers this for a moment, head tilted, then smiles shyly. "That s-sounds fair. Th-thankyou, Mister Turner."
"Call me Will." Will grins at her. "I will start it this very moment then!" He starts hammering away at a piece of metal, pulled red-hot from the forge. Squirrel watches, fascinated.
After a few moments, Will looks up. "It takes a full two days to make a good sword. I could probably finish your order in about a day, but you may have to come back later. Is that alright?"
Squirrel nods. "There was one other thing, Will." She bites her lip, then smiles. "I w-wanted to hear the s-story from your p-p-point of view."
"Story?" Will pauses, thinking. "Oh, about the curse of the Black Pearl."
Squirrel nods. "I heard it from Elizabeth and from Jack. But I wanted to hear it from you as well."
"Why?"
Squirrel shrugs. "If I h-have all sides of the s-story, then I could…" Squirrel looks around. "I d-don't know… Maybe know what it was r-r-really like?"
Will smiles, then returns to work on Squirrel's blade. "I see."
Squirrel picks up her packages. "So in ab-about a day then?"
"Mmm." Will says, concentrating on the metal. "Come back tomorrow. It should be ready." He pauses. "And Jack's invitation as well." He grins sheepishly. "Don't tell Elizabeth that I'm inviting him, please?"
"My l-lips are s-sealed." Squirrel grins, then clambers back out into daylight.
She hurries back to the docks, and finds Ana waiting impatiently.
"What took you so long?" She grumbles. "Her Majesty's redcoats've been coming so close I could spit on em!" She pauses in her ranting to cast an eye over the packages that Squirrel is tossing into the boat. "You got everything, then?"
"Everything I c-c-could carry." Squirrel pants, trying not to let her exhaustion show. Ana grins, then quickly rows the boat out of the docks.
"Don't be too long at Elizabeth's!" Ana calls out as she heads over the bay. "I'll be back in about two hours!"
Squirrel waves to the Negro woman, then turns and heads back into Port Royal. This time in Port Royal, Elizabeth's carriage isn't there to whisk her to the mansion on the hill. Squirrel trudges through the streets of the port city, feeling the heat of the sun through her cloak. Finally, Squirrel reaches the mansion.
She knocks on the door and waits, fanning herself with her hand. A servant answers the door.
"Can I help you?" He says, looking down his nose at Squirrel.
Squirrel smiles sweetly. "Yes. C-could you tell Miss Swann that M-Miss Grey is here?"
The servant sniffs, then closes the door. Squirrel rolls her eyes. Bloody upperclassmen. A few minutes later, the door opens again, and the servant ushers Squirrel inside, trying not to look sheepish.
"Apology a-accepted." She grins at him as Elizabeth comes rushing down the stairs.
"Squirrel!" She squeals with delight. "I knew you'd come back! How have you been? Look at you! You're an absolute mess! Do you want to have a bath? No offence, or anything, but you look like you need one! How have you been, Miss Grey? How have you been?" Squirrel smiles and lets the barrage of questions wash over her.
"It's g-good to see you again, Elizabeth." Squirrel interrupts, smiling. And it's true. Elizabeth may speak way too much for her own good, but she is still pleasant enough company.
"Come in, come in!" Elizabeth leads Squirrel through her mansion. "You simply must tell me everything that's happened since you left! Oh!" Elizabeth claps her hands, and two maids appear. "Draw a bath for Miss Grey, and get out her dress." Squirrel silently marvels at Elizabeth's musical accent. Very English. Very proper. Elizabeth and Squirrel wander out onto the terrace, Elizabeth talking all the while.
"Actually," Squirrel interrupts at an opportune moment, "I'm here a-about the w-wedding."
Elizabeth's face lights up. "Of course!" She beams. "I can't believe that I'm finally getting married! Soon I really will be Elizabeth Turner!"
Squirrel sits and lets the conversation, one-sided as it is, continue.
"But dear me! I'll have to write you an invitation!" She rings a small bell, and a steward appears with inkwell, quill and fancy gilded paper. Elizabeth pens a few lines quickly. Squirrel marvels at the way that this woman can talk and write at the same time. The steward disappears with the inkwell and quill, and Elizabeth blows delicately on the ink, making it dry.
"What d-do you w-want as a w-wedding gift?" Squirrel asks politely. Elizabeth stares, then thinks for a moment.
After a few moments' blessed silence, Elizabeth smiles and says, "I don't really mind. As long as it's a gift from you, Miss Grey, I'm sure it will be fine. You're the first real friend I've had for a long time, you know. All my other friends only come to the dinner parties with their frills and lace and their chatter about how rich they are and how many admirers they have at the moment…" Squirrel smiles and nods. "It's rather boring, actually." Elizabeth smiles kindly at Squirrel. "You're the first friend I've had that actually listens to me."
A maid appears in the doorway. "Miss Grey's bath is ready, Miss Swann." Squirrel allows herself to be ushered away.
And it's nice not having to talk to someone for a change, Squirrel thinks. Sometimes it's fine just to have one-sided conversations. She lets herself a slight smile. And it's nice to have a real friend.
A/N: I had forgotten how chatty I'd made Elizabeth. I apologise if that offends anyone… also, my views on that Will Turner boy. Ha ha ha to all you Orli fans -bleee!-