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

CHAPTER 14

The anxiousness to get away seemed to make the night drag on forever for the ten new crew members' of the Drifter. But everyone went home to pack as many belongings as they could and afterward went straight to bed.

Earlier, Jack had picked Morgan from the group to tell her captain to meet him in his cabin on the Pearl.

At last, she showed up at midnight.

"What do you want?"

Jack took in Charity's visible state carefully, noting what familiar object was carried in her left hand, realizing without a doubt that she was drinking. She wasn't the type to get drunk very often, at least not as drunk as she was. "Charity, what are you doing?"

"I came to see what you wanted of me. Morgan said that..."

"No, I mean...you don't usually drink. What's going on? What is that?" He pointed to the bottle.

"None of your business; I'll do what I want. You're not my keeper, Jack."

"Maybe not, but look at you now! I thought you were different. I've never seen you like this..." The Black Pearl's captain shook his head, looking her up and down, studying her sudden change.

"Maybe it's because we haven't seen one another in ten years! I was only eleven the last time I saw you! How do you know anything about me, huh!"

"I don't really, but I know you wanted a good life, and you finally had one." He explained, trying to give her hope that maybe not all was lost after what had happened. "So why are you doing this to yourself? You could start over again..."

"And again and again! Like I have three times now!" She yelled in a slurred manner, gesturing with the bottle, the liquid inside foaming from being shaken and swung in the air. "What other choices do you think I have? I'm branded for life, I can't get rid of this thing!" She held out her arm, the marking clearly visible even in the dimness of the candle lit room. "You of all should know! If I was found out once without a scar, when I was so sure I wouldn't be, then I will be found out again! So I must simply live as your kind does and accept it!" With that, she turned to slightly stagger from the cabin, slamming the door.

Jack winced visibly, slumping down in a chair. "That didn't go over too well." These feelings were odd for him, but he actually really cared and wanted to see Charity and even Jenny living as they should have all this time.

She had been searching for the better part of a half hour. Where could she be?

Readying to round the north corner of a tavern, there came the sound of glass smashing against something solid to the east. Jenny turned in that direction, standing a moment in stillness, then cautiously went to investigate. But all that she found was who she had been looking for in the first place. "Iron, there ye are. What are ye doin' out here? Shouldn't ye get some sleep, if we're to leave...?"

But the huddled form of the girl remained facing at an angle away from her. "Jenny, please...I will later..."

The brows of the Drifter's second-in-command creased together. The shards of the glass she had heard break, covered the bottom of the stone stairs that Charity sat at the top of. And it seemed as though her friend's voice was trembling; soon she knew what was happening when she realized the captain was also hiding her face. "Iron, what's wrong?" She stepped down to sit beside her, but this time she received no answer at all. "Iron," She grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand away to see what she could of a wet streaked face in the dim light shining down from the night sky.

Charity shook her head. "What have I become, Jenny? Huh? You know I have nothing against you and your background...but this isn't me; it wasn't meant to turn out like this! I was suppose to become a successful doctor like my father!" Biting her bottom lip, she adverted her damp gaze to the stars. "Not a pirate...a non-wealthy one at that."

Jenny wondered when she was finally going to let go and stop acting like she could handle everything thrown into her life's path. Her heart went out to her, but at that last line, she actually chuckled. "It could be worst."

"How?" Charity looked over to her for a good explanation.

"Fer starters, we coulda been part of Jack's crew."

"Well...yes, but had there been any danger of that I'm sure we both would have prevented it. Once was enough for me."

"I'm sure it was."

They sat in silence for a moment. Then one of them started up again.

"Come on, Iron, I don't need you sleepin' all day tomorrow and making me give all the orders." Jenny stood, pulling on the captain's arm.

Charity grinned, and gave into getting up. "Hope no one comes across my glass mess...like drunks or something..."

"Heh, bet they'd sober up pretty quick, eh?"

Chuckling, the two made it back to their quarters on the ship, soon asleep, yet soon to wake again when first light shone through their windows.

Having said no set time for anyone to arrive that morning, while Charity and Jenny ate their breakfast, they sat patiently on the railings, waiting for someone to show up. And eventually everyone did, though only a few at a time. Among the first were Taylor, Samantha, Jacqueline, Natasha and Lucas. The girls went quickly aboard to claim personal spots below deck, but before Lucas could get any further than placing a foot on the gangplank, he heard a higher voice than his own ring out to him from behind.

"Hey! Luke, wait!"

Jumping down from their places, the captain and quartermaster looked at one another, then stared at the boy who was running up the long pier toward them, dragging a travel bag with both hands.

"What are...?" Lucas started, looking slightly puzzled.

"I wanted to know if I could join the crew with you!" The young man heaved out, breathing deeply from all his running to make it in time.

"Alright, I make the decisions here," Smiled Charity. "What's your name? And how old are you?"

"Dillon Bryce, ma'am, and I'm twenty. Luke here is my best friend; we grew up together."

Charity nodded approvingly. "Think you can be a gunner with him?"

Dillon's eyes widened in excitement. "Yeah! We used to mess around his dad's ship when we were little. Remember, Luke? We always thought the guns were the best part!"

Lucas' face finally broke into a grin, as he nodded. "But what about your parents? Did you sneak off?"

"No! We talked all last night about what you said about joining this crew and they really thought it was time I get out on my own!"

"Then welcome aboard, Bryce." Charity held out a hand toward her ship.

"Thank you so much!" He said, and the two friends went to unload their stuff onto the ship and check out the cannons it sported.

About that time, the four girls had returned to find that there was another male boarding the ship.

"Who was that?" Asked the helmsman quietly, pointing.

"Dillion Bryce; he's a friend of Cross'. And so, he'll help man the guns."

"But, Captain," Just as Jacqueline had done, Taylor also lowered her voice even though the boys were out of earshot. "That makes thirteen of us!"

"Yes, and eleven of us are women, which should be worst, but I'm not superstitious, Johnson." Charity sighed. "Come on, ladies, we have to wait on the rest of us anyway, so help me with the supplies and maybe we can shove off this rock a bit sooner, eh?"

The four, along with Jenny, complied and they each took one of the fifteen large crates sitting on the dock filled with the supplies that the captain and the quartermaster had went in on with the money they'd saved from their former job in Port Royal.

TBC ...

mirkwood-elf-2931 :
Wow, Emily, I can't believe that! That's cool you live in a town called Lively!
And jeez, I just realized it's been a little over a year since I posted the first chapter of this story and I'm just now on 14! I'm getting slow...LOL...well, I've had slight writer's block lately, and I am writing six different fics at once (that's including this one) so I sorta have an excuse…hehe...but anyway, I maybe be slow at getting them done, but don't ever think I'll leave a story unfinished like some authors! I would never do that:-)