Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one.
Check the end of this chapter for briberies, reminders, thanks and such.
Lip Balm
EDIT: JOHNNY DEPP'S BEEN ANNOUNCED AS THE SEXIEST MAN ALIVE BY PEOPLE'S MAGAZINE. [JUMPS UP AND DOWN]
…
The ebony sails filled with thick, salty air as the Black Pearl began to move forward, waves crashing into opposite directions of the ship as the momentum of the massive Pearl increased. Jack stood at the helm, one hand on the weathered, round wheel and the other on his hip. He turned around swiftly and looked at the ocean he was leaving behind, and then to the ocean ahead of him.
There was the usual clatter of the crewmen, bustling about, trying to please their beloved captain. Jack turned to the direction of Henry, who was sitting on the floor, looking quite expectantly towards him.
"See anything ye'd want to spend the night wit', love?" He asked, raising both eyebrows.
"Nothing worthy of a woman's eyes…" Henry put on a look of annoyance, "My hammock and my duties, Captain."
"Yer hammock?" Jack put a finger on his chin, mouth forming a small circle. "Yeh mean, ye will naught be sleepin' in me own quarters tonight? I insist that you do. Me bed is quite comfortable.." Jack smirked, enjoying the squirming look on Henry's face.
"You keep that tongue in your mouth, Captain Sparrow," Henry said smartly, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling rising from the pit of her stomach. She glanced at Jack, who was still staring at her, eyes glazed with a lustful sheen. "I'd rather be sleeping alone, like the rest of your crew.."
Jack looked incredulous for a moment, eyes roaming across her body, silent mind complaining dearly about the lack of tightness in the woman's clothes. Henry moved to the left a moment, raising her eyebrows in annoyance.
"The crew doesn't sleep by their lonesome, lass," Jack said, facing the ocean once again. "They sleep almost nex' to each other. Hammocks swingin' from side to side, bumpin' into each other and the sort. Sometimes, a hammock tears and a crewman shares a hammock with another crewman. Other times…"
Henry tapped her foot impatiently, boots pounding on the wooden floorboards loudly. "Do you, or do you not have a spare hammock?"
"Aye," Jack said with a small smile. "But sadly, there be a large hole in the mid of it. Quite a shame, really."
"Not to worry, Captain, I have brought a needle and some thread. I'm sure I could use some old clothing to patch that up.."
"I suppose," Jack said, giving the helm to Gibbs and walking over to Henry, placing an arm around her shoulders. "But the only space currently available is in a wee corner of me own quarters. Now, ye won't mind placin' yer hammock 'pon that innocent little corner now, would ye?" Jack put on a face of entire seriousness. Henry shrugged once, impatiently wrapping her arms around the familiar, oblong shaped package.
"And my duties?"
"Anamaria'll handle that."
A dark skinned woman with an overly large hat approached Henry, tossing a package of things sharply into her arms. Henry was careful as not to drop her own things; she caught it clumsily. Not only is her footwork horrible, Jack thought. 'Er hand/eye coordination needs working on too..
"Yer hammock, princess," Anamaria said with a small smile. She directed towards two double doors, surprisingly clean, compared to all the other things on the massive ship. Henry stepped inside the doors and found it to be Jack's quarters. She dropped the hammock, closing the door behind her and opening her own package of things quickly.
A muffled cluck was heard, and out stepped a white, golden-beaked chicken. It walked out cautiously, bobbing it's head this way and that., blinking rapidly and jumping about in a paranoid fashion. Jack's quarters would be kept alone by the other men on board, but it would be only a short while before the dear Captain himself sauntered in, finding his room as a cave of droppings. She took note of the yellowing maps, hanging in scrolls on the wall, thankful that chickens could not fly.
Henry looked around nervously, slumping down onto the floor in relief when she realized that no one was watching. Surely the chicken would be found out by night time, but until then, the beloved bird would have to be kept a secret.
"Now, you stay in here and don't make a noise…or a mess," Henry whispered, adding the last bit when noticing a large, cushy looking bed by the back wall. "Captain Jack won't be too keen on this, but it's the best we've gotten so far.."
The chicken bobbed it's head once and clucked loudly twice, agreeing.
Henry shushed it, stroking the feathers affectionately and then hesitating before getting up. She sighed, lifting her hands and dropping them. "Ye damn fluff-bird," she imitated.
…
Henry's arms and legs ached with every step she took, a pounding beat drumming itself all over her body, as if a hammer were being dropped on her head again and again. She winced as she went over the list of things to be done, and found out that she still had to wipe the deck and create some sort of meal on board.
Anamaria had given her a long list of things to be done before nightfall, and that nightfall was nearing mightily close. Jack watched her from a distance, making sure no snide comments escaped Henry's lips. She stayed quiet, though, and remained polite to everyone. Including himself.
"She wants something," Jack muttered, taking generous sips of his rum and watching the rippling waves beneath him. Henry bent over, picking up a bucket and grabbing a rag from a heap of greasy clothes in a corner. Jack watched intently, suspicious and intrigued.
"Enjoyin' the view, love," He slurred. Henry merely nodded, turning the other direction, wiping the floorboards with great fury. "I enjoy me deck sparklen clean, now," He said. "No need to chisel a hole in 'em."
Henry slowed down, pokes of hair falling in front of her face. She brushed them away, careful as to not look too worn out. In quite a long time, the deck was shining with a glowing luster, as Jack walked around on the burnished deck , observing. Sure enough, the layer of filth that had concentrated itself on building up on the floor was now gone.
"Ye did a g'job," Jack praised. He circled around her, eyeing her suspiciously. "And supper?"
"In a moment," Henry said, picking up two buckets of dirty water and emptying it over the side of the ship. She washed her hands quickly, ignoring the protests from her aching joints. Turning to a man with graying hair, she asked, "Excuse me, sir, can you point me to the kitchens?"
A large gold and blue parrot flew to the man's shoulder, screeching, Shiver me timbers. Shiver me timbers. The man pointed towards a straggly looking room, giving a wrinkly smile.
"He's a mute, lass, " Gibbs called from the helm, wisps of hair flitting around in the breeze. The mute man opened his mouth, revealing a set of blacking teeth and the remains of his tongue.
"Evidently.." Henry said, sticking out her tongue, as if making sure that hers was still intact.
"Terrible bad luck, she is," He muttered to Anamaria, who was standing casually behind Gibbs. Anamaria watched her, remembering Jack's own reaction with Mr. Cotton. "Aye," She agreed.
Henry entered into the kitchen, looking around at the barrels of pickles, packages of sea biscuits and the few tankards of ale and rum. There were wooden bowls and a few windows, hardly any utensils and many mugs, unwashed. Spider homes had begun to grow like hair in many corners, sticking out in all directions, like an outstretched hand. Like fluffy feathers.
Henry decided that she would have to check on her animal friend soon. She walked over to a drawer, pulling it out and revealing two squirming mice and a dead roach in the corner.
"And what'll we be havin'?" Jack said, surprising her. Henry jumped, turning around swiftly. Eyes widened when she saw that a fluffy, white chicken was squirming lightly in his grasp. "A nice bird, perhaps?"
"Two mice, instead," She declared snidely, concealing her surprise and picking up one by the worm-like tail. It wriggled around for a moment, before she dropped it back into the drawer, shutting it. "Or a roach?" Jack tightened his grip around the birds neck, as it made a strangled noise. "Drop him, you bloody rat."
Jack smirked. "Funny, last time I tried to catch this here fluff-bird, and did I a terrible job at doin' it. S'mazin' what a suppressin' bed sheet will do.."
She rushed over to the Captain, attempting to pry his arms loose, and failing. Jack smiled triumphantly, finally dropping the bird into Henry's cradling arms when she started to use her fingernails.
"A bit desperate," he muttered, looking at the fury swept woman and her bird intently before continuing. "Ye did a terrible job at tryin' to conceal it, love. One'd have to be both deaf and blind as not to hear and see the squaking, mangy bird, flappin' around in me quarters."
"I wasn't attempting to conceal him," she spat. "Just… hidden for a few."
"Now, I'd 'preciate it if'n you gave me one good reason as to not throw that fluff bird o'er board," Jack said with a smile. "…or to eat 'im for supper."
Henry took a step back, taking out her sword. "I'll kill you before you come near him!"
"All this for a fluff-bird?" Jack asked with a raise of eyebrows. He added, "Again?"
Henry hesitated before putting away her weapon, shaking her head. She would never be able to cross blades in her worn out predicament. Jack reached over, placing his head close to her shoulder. "Now, do ye want ter tell Cap'n Jack all 'bout yer troubles?"
"No," Henry said firmly. Jack grunted, leaning in close to her face.
"Ye've been quiet, love. Now, I know that it isn't common amongst women, but ye best be telling me where that birdy comes in with the Pearl and meself." Henry stared back, dark eyes boring into his own.
"There is nothing that involves your ship and her Captain, Captain. I am but a lonely woman, searching for the sea," Henry said in even breaths, striking herself mentally for sounding like a beggar. "At least have me here until Tortuga. Even then, I will work my bloody ass off for no pay, until the Pearl is shining and ready to leave."
Jack stared for a moment, eyes searching for any catches or traps. "Until Tortuga, then…"
Henry nodded pathetically, reminding herself that there would be time for convincing later. Jack left the kitchen quarters, as Henry searched through the cabinets, dropping her chicken onto the floor, cursing madly. "Damn Captain, I'll show that bloody bastard what's going to be for sup. My own feet, that cad. We'll show him, Chicky, won't we. Bloody great captain that oaf is, slinking 'bout and not waiting for a good explanation, lustful jackass.."
"And m'dear Henrietta," Jack called at the doorway, slightly muffled. "I expect ye and yer "Chicky" to be in me quarters in a few. The crew can eat their own feet, those cads." There was a loud chuckle, and then the creak of a floorboard, as the sound of stepping boots faded away.
Chicky clucked once, evidently as frustrated as Henry was.
…
Please review. :]
What, you want bribes? Fine. Today, I bring you the complete autobiography of Captain Jack Sparrow. He wrote it while he was locked in my closet, I forced him to write out his whole life, detail by detail. And he did, and now I'm going to use it to bribe my reviewers.
Mind you, the handwriting is a bit…slanted and scraggly, but it'll do.
Excerpt from page 105. "I ne'er like chickens. Nay, they be cluck-cluckin' all the time, and they spew they're dropping from their asses much too many times a day. I dun't think I even take a shit that many times in a week. But no…good ol' Henry gotster brin' that damned fluff bird onto me ship. ME SHIP. I mean, how dare she. It is I, CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW, INFAMOUS CAPTAIN OF THE BLACK PEARL..and animal caretaker? I dun't think so, mate. Captain Jack Sparrow was going to have a word with that gel. Gorgeous as she was, she wasn't goin' to get away wit' it!"
Review, and get your copy today!
And a BIG, HUGE THANKS to my reviewers! Bellethephilosophers'scookie [Chickens do rock! They taste good, too. ;]] xw0kenn0wX [Not to worry! There will be more!] Captinsparrowsfeistylass [I'm glad you like my story! Let's hope he doesn't hurt the poor chickie. :/], Ed-wood [I'm so thrilled to hear that you like my stories. :D And your Benny and Joon story is going about marvelously. So don't worry about it!,] Nikki Stagger wall [Thanks for the review, and guess what. DECEMBER SECOND IS MY BIRTHDAY. WOO!]
I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written! :]