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

CHAPTER 9


Jenny couldn't sleep. It was late, but she was bored at the house and the next day was Sunday, which everyone had off anyway, so she decided to go out. However, she was alone since Charity was by this time wherever it was she snuck off to every night, which come to think of it, Jenny had forgotten to ask when they had had their first meeting a few nights prior.

By one o'clock she strode out of the Anchor and Chain and headed back toward her home in the Governor's mansion. She'd had a drink or two, but if one took it into consideration, she wasn't even close to being tipsy. Mostly, she had sat there quietly sipping on her drinks and watching the scenes around the tavern. Now, she chose her usual way, through alleys to avoid any annoying merchants and vendors on the streets. Even though taking back ways were dangerous for a woman at night, no one could mistake her for a defenseless one with what she normally wore and carried on such occasional outings.

Eyeing everyone who passed her with cautiousness, there was one in particular that looked especially suspicious and actually quite familiar. "Hey!"

The man stopped mid step, first turning his head and then his body, very slowly.

"Yer Jack Sparrow!"

Jack closed his eyes, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Captain Jack Sparrow." Why did he have to keep correcting everyone? Especially now that he'd actually gotten his ship back. "And who might you be?" Her appearance and even the attitude reminded him much of another girl he knew and would try to visit one day over the next few that he remained in town.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that yer here and I've caught ye. Now, come with me."

"Miss, please, you don't want to be doing..."

"Don't tell me what I want to do." She didn't figure he would go easily, but she always went prepared for anything. Drawing her pistol, she pointed it down the alley at him. "Yer wanted sign said dead or alive and dead is just fine with me."

"Miss..." He tried once more to reason with her, but she didn't put the weapon away. Instead, the hammer made a click as she cocked the weapon, holding it steady with a deadly aim. "Please," He sighed. "Don't make me..." In that second, he saw her finger inching its way back on the trigger and he knew his time was just about up. She wasn't kidding, she was definitely going to shoot. His only reaction was to do the same, so he pulled his own from its holster.

Two shots cracked on the frigid night air.

"...shoot you." Jack finished in a horrified wince, when she had fallen to the stone walk.

Stuffing his gun hastily back in his belt, Jack hurried to the young woman's side.

Here and there, lights in random windows down the long alley flickered brightly to life from those who'd already gone to bed.

Very hurriedly, Jack swept up the girl and took to his original destination.

Will and Charity were in their usual places. Charity trying out the swords as Will continued to make them, carrying on into happier conversations than the one they'd had over Will's father, and only when there came a knock on the door did they stop to look at it and then each other.

"Hide!" Will mouthed, pointing to a corner where there were crates and sacks stacked at least four feet high. And with a deep breath, he went to unlock and open the entrance, just as Charity dove behind the supplies.

"Uh, mmm..." The man before him half cleared his throat. "We need a little help."

"Jenny?!" Gasped Charity. Having peeked over a box, she now emerged quickly from her hiding place over to open the door further.

Will was stunned at who carried the girl. What was Jack doing with a Governor's housemaid? For that matter what was he doing back in town? "Put her over here." He pointed to his right.

Blood brightly stained the material of the white button up shirt under the reddish v-necked one over it, as she hung limply in the pirate captain's arms. He brought her in and heavily laid her on a wooden bench.

"Jack?!" Charity asked, as stunned as the young blacksmith. "What have you done?!"

"Yes, what happened?" Will rushed around to get ready any items he could think of that would be needed to care for her.

"I just got in and I was on my way to see you. She was gonna shoot me!"

"What? So you thought you get your shot in first?!" Asked Charity angrily.

"What are you doing here?" He turned to imply the question toward the uninjured girl. It was nearly midnight, so what was she doing at the blacksmith shop? Especially alone.

"I just don't believe that's any of your business."

"And it isn't Elizabeth's either, is it?" Jack replied, raising a brow.

Her jawed dropped open at his out-of-line suggestion. "How could...?! That is not what we were doing!"

"A little help over here?!" Will ended their conversation before it grew into an even bigger argument than it was.

Giving up the never-ending shouting match, Charity rushed over to assist him as best she could. While running a hand down his face, Jack merely leaned back against a post to wait.

Provided the limited tools they could use on her, Will had cleaned them with boiling water and went to tedious work on removing the bullet, which had entered through Jenny's left side, and with what they could tell it hadn't hit anything vital. With success it was out in one minute and Will put a cleansed metal stake in the iron stove in preparation to cauterize the wound to prevent anymore blood loss or possible infection.

"Alright...Jack, come here. You know what I have do." He said to them, lifting the just-hot-enough stake from the fire. "And I need both of you to hold her down."

Charity looked a little uneasy, but then again so did Will, but she nodded and put her hands on her friend's shoulders and Jack took a grip on her legs.

To their disadvantage, Jenny awoke with a scream, trying to launch herself off the table. After she had settled and the pain had subsided, they helped her to move down to a pile of hay on the floor.

"So," Began Jack. "Why are you...like her?" He motioned to Charity, as she and Will went about cleaning the evidence up. "Dressed like her, I mean."

"Well, we work for the Goovenair. What do you do?"

"I loot and kill people..."

The smug look on Jenny's face was wiped away and replaced by a pout. "Why do men always get to have all the fun?"

"You did, Jack. Like I did. Unless you've gone back to your old ways...?" Charity questioned the wanted captain, eyeing him.

Jenny looked back over at the tone and word choice her friend used with this pirate. "You know him?!"

"Listen; there are a couple things I haven't told you about my past. When I was six, my parents were killed by pirates...pirates from the Black Pearl. A raid ordered by Captain Sparrow here and his first mate Barbossa."

Being blamed once again, Jack folded his arms and turned his head, as though he too were pouting.

"They then took me with them for some bloody reason and I was put to work and made a crew member for five years, until Will's father helped me escape them, before he laid the curse, because they'd committed mutiny leaving Jack behind stranded on an island. So Barbossa became captain of the Pearl and was the one who attacked Port Royal and took Elizabeth."

"Why didncha just tell me this before? You said there wasn't much to yer story." Jenny tried to sit up and not wince at the pain, wishing she'd had more to drink at the tavern than she did. "Ye knew yer secret was safe with me."

"I'm sorry," She ran her fingers through her hair. "This is my fault. If I'd told you the whole thing, this would never have happened."

"Nah, don't go blamin' yerself, Iron. I woulda shot'im anyway."

"Hey! I am in the room!"

"So?!"

"Will you lot please keep it down." Out of annoyance, Will cut into the conversation for a second time. "You'll be having every angry shop owner around here out of bed!"

"Well, he woulda deserved it, Turner! If I'd known then about what he did to Iron here, I'da still...!"

"Jenny, it's okay. I almost wanted to kill him myself not so long ago. I haven't forgiven him and I probably never will, but I've tried to see the situation in a different light. He's not really so bad once you get to know him."

Jack looked up and smiled at her rather sarcastically. "Thank you."

Jenny peered around the old dim barn as if just realizing she was in a strange location. "So this is where you sneak off to every night, Iron. And by the way, Turner, did ye know I'm a pirate too?" Said the completely Irish looking housemaid with a completely British accent.

Will looked at Charity, then over at Jenny, raising a brow. "When did that happen?"

"When I was born."

Charity hid a laugh at the reply and proceeded to tell Jenny that she would cover for her as long as she needed.

"And you can stay here for tonight." Added Will. "We can move you into your room tomorrow at the mansion, and tell them you're feeling ill."

"Just thank goodness Governor Swann won't be back for a few more days." Muttered Charity, thinking she could also sneak her weapons into Jenny's room at the same time.

"Yeah," Jenny agreed sleepily. "And thanks, Turner."

Soon, she did fall asleep and the three around her sat in mute.

"You never answered me, why are you here? And every night?" Jack tried again for the real reason Charity was there at the shop.

"At nights Mr. Brown isn't here, so I help Will with his work; you know, because he's a blacksmith. And we talk, I give him advice...on stuff...like Elizabeth."

Will put a hand over his eyes and shook his head. Not exactly something he would like to have admitted.

Jack didn't seem to notice him, nor look as though he was entirely convinced with the reasons Charity had finally come out with, but he said nothing; until he could stand it no longer. "Does Elizabeth know?"

Charity sighed and rolled her eyes. "No, okay, she doesn't know! No one does now besides you and Jenny! And Elizabeth doesn't know about Jenny either; I don't think she wants her to find out. So, if you see her, keep it quiet."

"What? She works as a maid like you?"

She confirmed him right and added. "I know; she's certainly not the type, but I'm not either, now am I? She has a story too. And how did you find out I was a maid anyway? Jenny may have said we work for the Governor, but I never said what I would cover her for. Are you checkin' in on me again?"

Jack shrugged, leaning back to prop up his feet on a table used for hammering out hot metal. "No, I was here while you were off in Lively quitting your other job. Turner told me."

Will nodded to confirm of his telling the truth.

"Fine." She then turned to completely face the blacksmith. "I'll stay with Jenny for the night, so whatever it is Jack wants you for..."

"Well, nothin' really, can't a friend just drop by?"

"Not you."

"Alright, let's put it this way. He saved my life, remember? I...owe him."

"Kinda like you owe me."

Will sighed. "Could you two take this somewhere else?"

"Sorry." Charity stood to walk about the room. "He started it."

This said, Will's eyes reverted to the ceiling in exasperation. These two being his friends now, he feared they would never grow out of their childish arguing as long as either lived to keep seeing the other and he would have to hear it now every time they were all together.

TBC ...

mirkwood-elf-2931 :
Sweet, this one was longer than usual!