'P' IS FOR PIRATE
By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala

CHAPTER 6


Charity quickly found the barn-like shop where Will worked and waited for he and Elizabeth, just as she told them she would earlier that morning, before they had spilt up to attend Jack's hanging and hopeful escape.

Seeing them hand in hand ahead down the street, she smiled and answered the question she knew was coming before they could ever ask it. "He made it okay. They're gone."

"How can we repay you?" Now that they stood in front of her, Elizabeth grinned.

Just as Charity was about to tell her she expected nothing, Will cut in with a suggestion, smiling devilishly at the two. "Maybe she could have a place in your house. She's looking for a job and a place to stay in Port Royal...aren't you?"

Again, before the older girl could say anything, Elizabeth brightened. "That's a brilliant idea! It would be great to have you staying with us! And it pays good as well! You just need to be a little more...presentable in front of my father." She winced slightly, hoping she hadn't offended this woman who she wished to become friends with.

Well, she did tell Will she would think about it, and it did seem like a good change in her life from practically living at sea; besides feeling good to have friends again that were closer to her age. Charity smiled, giving in, appreciative that the two were trying to help her out. "I know. And I shall lose how I usually talk as well." She said in a higher more proper voice.

Elizabeth laughed. "Really all you need to lose, is that, your weapons, and you should let down your hair. I don't think father really would mind the shirt and pants, hopefully not. Do you want to go ask him? He should be home by now..."

The older girl sighed, a little nervous. "Sure. Uh, Will, can you keep my weapons here?"

"Of course," He smiled, taking them off her hands for the time being. "And good luck."

Arriving at Elizabeth's home, they found her father easily, coming from his study to the main entrance hall. Of course with no mention that Charity was in any way involved in the ordeal that had just befallen them all, Elizabeth asked her father if her new friend could have a place in their house.

"Did you have a past job?" He asked simply, looking curiously at her peculiar attire for a woman.

"I'm still a merchant sailor in Lively, sir. The company I'm with has done a lot of buying, selling and trading here in town. Ask any of the local businesses."

Governor Swann nodded. "But if you already have a job, then why do you...?"

"I'm quitting and moving here, sir. This is a bigger town, and...I'm just not really happy with where I am now."

"I see. Well, I'm sure we could use more help around here anyway. We did lose a few of the help from those skeleton pirates when they kidnapped Elizabeth..."

"Well," His daughter quickly spoke up, cutting away from the subject of pirates. "Father, thank you. I'll be back later and Charity will start first thing next week, when she comes back from Lively, won't you?" She began to drag the girl out the front doors.

"Of course; thank you, Governor, I will see you then!"

He waved and frowned, wondering to himself why Elizabeth was acting somewhat odd. Quickly though, he thought no more on it and went about his business.

"I'll have to wear a dress, won't I?" Moaned Charity, stalking down the steps, while retying her hair back in a ponytail. Had her life turned out with her parents, she too would have been rich and all she would have been wearing were beautiful dresses, just like Elizabeth, but she had gotten so used to dressing in what men usually did these days, the thought of wearing what she saw on the maids wasn't too appealing.

"Oh, it won't be so bad." Smiled Elizabeth. "Come on, let's go back to Will's and tell him the good news!"

The next day, Charity left at dawn, seeking the small town of Lively, the recent home that she was now leaving behind for another new one.

At noon, she at last stepped back onto the docks of southern Lively. She glanced with a sigh at the building to her left, holding the familiar sign above it's door, 'Montgomery Trading'. But at this hour everyone would be out for lunch with only a few on guard, so while she waited to see Ethan, she would pack up her few belongings and speak with her landlord.

One-thirty came and she sat on a single trunk in front of the Drifter's docking spot, still waiting for her former boss and going over the packed items in her head. She couldn't remember if she had one in particular and decided to check for it. Lifting the lid, she peered inside, pushing around clothing for a small velvet lined box full of her savings and a few pieces of silver jewelry.

"Charity!" Came hollow footsteps up behind her bent form. "Hey, I didn't know you were back! Just in time too, that job that goes to Black River, I've been saving you the part of being in charge. It's further away, so you'll need a crew this time..."

"Ethan," She turned toward the man, after covering the found article and fastening the latch on her wooden luggage. "Uh, thanks...but I can't. I just came to retrieve my things. I'm not going to be working here anymore...I'm moving to Port Royal."

"You're quitting?" This was quite unexpected. "Is there someone you know there? Someone you're staying with?" He wondered if family could be the reason she had asked to stay there a while in the first place.

"You could say that."

He smiled at such an unspecified answer. He should have known already he would never be able to find out anything about her that way. "Well, we're gonna miss you. My great grandfather started this business, and you're the first woman we've ever had to work for this company, you know?"

"Really? No, I didn't know that. So uh, do I have to take a rowboat all the way back to Port Royal, because I never realized how far away it really was. Or can I barrow someone to take me..."

Ethan laughed. "No need. You were an excellent devoted worker, Charity. For everything you've done here and for me, she's yours. You've more than earned it."

Charity stared back at him in shock. For the second time standing in this spot, she couldn't believe her ears. "You're giving the Drifter to me?" On the Pearl, Barbossa had told her once that someday she might have a ship of her very own to commander; apparently it was about to come true. "Are you sure you can spare a ship? I mean..."

"Yes, but on one condition," He paused, as her astonished stare turned into a questioning look. "You have to come back and visit."

Charity blinked. "That's it?! Come on, you know I will!" She chided, stepping in to hug him. "I truly can't thank you enough."

"No problem, kid. I expect at least once a year, okay?"

"How bout every six months?"

"Twice a year! Even better! Well, I guess this is goodbye for now then, Captain Roberts. Take care of her," He motioned toward the waiting ship. "And yourself." Then gave her a wink.

She grinned, untying the ropes that kept the Drifter in place. "Aye, I'll be seein' you in six months then. It was a pleasure workin' for you, Mr. Montgomery. And don't worry; she'll get the best I can give her. Thank you again." They shook hands and she bent down for a handle of the chest.

"Hey, ye need help with that?"

"Nah, it's not very heavy. Thanks."

Once onboard, she called to him from the helm, turning the wheel all the way to the port side. "Take care of yourself too, Ethan!"

Keeping there until she was too far away to see, he waved. Neither knowing that it just may be the last time they would ever see one another again.

It was on the brink of being midnight in Port Royal.

The town itself had only quieted, while the house of its head figure was utterly silent by the stroke of eleven-thirty.

Clad only in brown pants and a white button down shirt, Charity carried her boots so that all stealthiness remained to her benefit.

Even if she had been sneaking out for the past week, it was somehow odd tonight. Perhaps it was just her anxiousness, but she could swear it had never felt this quiet before and with every step down toward the way out, not a single breath left her body.

At the bottom, she looked about the hall with a slight sigh, carefully slipping the leather boots on.

Though the place she hadn't looked was behind her, where perched on the top landing of the staircase, a woman of twenty-three years watched the figure slink cautiously out one of the french entrance doors.

A small smile inched its way onto her thin pale face. This one was definitely under her suspicion.

TBC ...

mirkwood-elf-2931 :
Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! sigh the chapters are getting short again…well, this one wasn't really. But sorry, cuz' I know I'm getting slow at posting them too! LOL But the reason this one took so long is cuz' I've been really sick the past couple weeks with a virus that's been going around! But I'm feeling better now, so I'm starting to work on my stories again! And then when I went to post this the other day, they said any uploading was disabled because of a recovery process dealing with corrupted entries! So this is the first chance I've gotten since then.
Anyway, I forgot last chapter (mainly cuz' my author's note was getting too long on it) but thanks to Heart Full of Hate (my brother) for leaving me a review! You should check out his poem 'Pirate Pete'! It's funny! He wrote it to make me and Thala laugh when he found out we were starting this Pirates of the Caribbean fic, but I told him to make a profile on Fiction Press and he put it up! So his link is back on my profile if ya wanna go read it!