Disclaimer: POTC isn't mine. Surprisingly.
REVIEWS WOULD BE SPIFFY! -cries-
Squirrel slips her cloak lightly around her shoulders, humming to herself. The warm fuzzy fog still hasn't passed, but at least now she's capable of doing things on her own. Ana tosses the jewel-encrusted orb from hand to hand idly.
"That dress really suited you." She says kindly. "Don't know why you'd want to take it off already."
Squirrel smiles. "It is really hard to do anything in it. I could barely even run, you know."
Ana raises an eyebrow. "Love the accent too, poppet. Did Lizzie lend you that as well?"
Squirrel laughs. She pulls her fingers through her hair, now free from its elaborate styling. "It's grown longer." She notes, partly to herself. Ana chuckles. Squirrel smiles, then sits on the edge of her bed and twirls her amulet through her fingers. She sighs happily, looking out into space.
"You seem to be in a good mood, Miss Grey." Ana smiles knowingly. "Care to share your secret?"
Squirrel parts her lips in a rare wide grin. "Just had some facts proven, is all."
Ana grins. "So I was right then. You really have changed him." She winks. "I must say, the pair of you looked pretty fine in those outfits." Ana snorts, trying not to laugh. "Especially the Captain." She sniggers.
Squirrel beams and opens her mouth to speak.
"ALL HANDS!" Gibb's voice shouts from above deck. Ana and Squirrel exchange bewildered and surprised glances before dashing out of the cabin.
On deck, a handful of pirates are circled around a single man, holding him at gun- and sword-point. He's thin, and resembles a mangy dog more than anything else. Ana and Squirrel come as close as they dare. Squirrel finds her hand straying to her side, reaching for the hilt of her short sword.
"Well, this is interesting." Jack says, sauntering back and forth in front of the man. Squirrel notes with a smile that he's back in his normal outfit; bandana, hat, coat, vest and raggedy cloth belt. It seems to suit him much better than the cape outfit he wore for the wedding.
"So," Jack says, swaggering to a halt, "Care to tell me what exactly you were doing on my ship?"
The mangy man grins. "Got a present for yer."
"Really?" Jack says with a slightly irritated smile. "That wouldn't have anything to do with you trying to strangle Mister Cotton's parrot, would it mate?"
"KEELHAUL 'IM!" Mister Cotton's parrot squawks ferociously. Mister Cotton himself looks pretty peeved.
"Cottony's right," Gibbs says. "We've got no place aboard this ship for enemies." Gibbs smiles pleasantly at the mangy pirate. "Looks like you'll be walking home."
The mangy pirate's grin doesn't fade. "I know that, berk. 'S why I'm here. Give the gift, then walk 'ome. 'S our agreement."
"Our?" Jack raises an eyebrow.
"Captain Smif'." The pirate grins. "Oh, and he sez Bella sends 'er love to you, Sparrow."
There's a flash of grey, and Squirrel is suddenly beside the pirate, a knife held tight against his throat. The crew of the Pearl appear too shocked to do anything. The mangy pirate grins even wider, chuckling slightly.
"So Smif was roight, then." He says, looking up at Squirrel. "You are a feral widdle fing when pissed orf."
"Squirrel," Jack says gently, "I don't know where you got that blade, but put it down and move away." Squirrel looks up at him, and Jack is taken aback by the expression on her face. Squirrel's eyes are as cold and hard as the steel blade in her hands.
"I'm sick of listening to what Smith has to say." Squirrel tells the mangy stowaway, each word sounding like a piece of ice. "And I don't want his presents."
The pirate hitches his thumbs in his belt, seemingly at ease despite the knife at his throat. "Tough luck, luv. 'S what I'm here for. Tough luck."
"I don't believe in luck." Squirrel says coldly. "It's all skill, all a matter of chance." She looks up at Jack, and her cold stare melts away. "Except in Jack Sparrow's case."
"Chances are then," the mangy pirate smiles pleasantly at Jack, "That Plan B's going to work after all."
Jack swears and pulls his pistol from his belt. But the mangy pirate is quicker. The small knife hidden in his belt comes flying out, and Squirrel tries to dive out of the way of both Jack's gun and the mangy pirate's knife. Her blade and his meet with a clang. The blades clash again, and this time, Squirrel cannot block the blow. Squirrel gives a yelp that is smothered by the roar of Jack's pistol. Her blade flies out of her hand and then spins in a lazy circle on the deck.
It's all over in a moment. The mangy pirate stares at the bleeding hole in his chest, then looks down at Squirrel, grinning again.
"You took something from us all, Sparrow!" The pirate says, falling to his knees, "And now we're taking it back!" The man collapses to the deck, still laughing. "She's just another girl, in't she? In't… she…"
Squirrel holds a hand over the cut on her wrist as she rises to her feet. Jack puts away his pistol and steps over the dead pirate. "Are you alright, luv?"
"I'm fine." Squirrel tries not to look injured. The happy fog, the dizzy feeling, fades instantly. Memories come flooding back. Every woman in Tortuga knows his name, knows his face, knows him… and I'm the only one who doesn't.
How could I have been so stupid?
Love is, as they say, blind.
I fell in love with him…
"Good." He smiles, then turns back to the crew. "Get this filth cleaned up! He's starting to stink."
"I think he stank to begin with." Ana says dryly, kicking the corpse twice.
But he doesn't love me…
He lied. He lied he lied he lied…
Squirrel feels the knowledge spreading through her body, her heart spreading it through every vein in her body. She feels strange. Dizzy. But it isn't pleasant. Not this time.
I'm just another girl from Tortuga…
Squirrel finds it hard to breathe. Something crushing her chest, squeezing her lungs.
"That's an interesting sword, Squirrel. Where'd you get it?" Jack picks up the blade and examines it. "Not a sword, but not a knife either. Very nice work. Did Will make it?"
Her face feels cold. Cold and damp. She lets her jaw hang open and her arms hang limp. They're so heavy… She blinks, panting. Jack looks over, and sees Squirrel swaying in her feet.
"Squirrel?" Jack asks, concerned, "Are you alright?"
She blinks again. The image of Jack blurs and spins. "It h-hurts…"
The ground sways, and then comes rushing towards her. Jack only just catches Squirrel before she hits the deck. There's blood pouring down her hand. Jack looks briefly at the cut on Squirrel's wrist. He frowns. Squirrel's face is pale, and she's shivering.
"Ana! Gibbs!" The captain shouts, "Help me! She's been poisoned!"