INTO THE CARIBBEAN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN – Drink Up Me 'earties, Yo-Ho!
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"…so when they released me a day later I went straight back to the dock, but it was gone." Alex finished in disappointment.
"The rum was gone?" Jack asked in bewilderment.
"Aye," Alex nodded her head regretfully. "The rum was gone." Jack clutched his bottle of rum close to his chest. Alex eyed the bottle with a small smirk, awed at the fact that this man could drink so much and still remain unaffected. She was just finishing her second bottle as he was now finishing his third, but she'd need a few more to actually start feeling the tingle in her fingers. She wondered how much it would actually take for Jack to begin feeling lightheaded...it would be hard to tell when he finally got drunk though, seeing as he already had a permanent slur in his voice and swagger to his step.
"It must have been awful to lose all that rum…"
"You have no idea." Alex replied. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost that much rum again."
"Yeah, me either." Jack frowned.
They had been sitting underneath the shade of a palm tree, both within inches of each other since they shared the same tree trunk to rest their back against, and exchanging stories and lessons learnt but never followed. There wasn't a moment of silence between them until now, and Alex sighed in content as she looked out towards Jack's shrine of effects. It had been a while since they were on the beach they stared over, and Elizabeth was still gone. Looking over her shoulder in the direction where Elizabeth disappeared, Alex frowned and bit her lip in concern.
"Liz has been gone for some time…maybe I should go find her." She began to move to stand, but Jack gently grabbed her by the arm and tugged her back.
"No, luv. She'll be back when she calms down and realizes there's nothing we can do." Jack said knowingly.
"I know…but, I was being a little harsh to her, don't you think?"
"I think you handled it just fine. If you haven't done anything, I would have, and it would require that rope over there and possibly your shirt."
Alex began to feign laughter before abruptly stopping. "Oh, was that supposed to be a threat on her behalf?" She asked with a smirk.
"Ouch, darling." Jack frowned, but amusement danced in his brown eyes. "Don't take my word lightly, Keller. I stick true to my word."
"Nuh-uh! You never bought me the rum you promised back at Tortuga!" Alex accusingly pointed out with a large, triumphant smile.
"Because I mean to buy it the next time you and I stop there, savvy?" Jack cleverly replied with a grin.
"You think there's going to be a next time?" Alex smirked.
"There's always a next time, luv." Jack knowingly winked.
Alex rolled her eyes, but not knowing if she was feeling reassured because there was free rum in her future or if it was because Jack planned on being there with her after they got off this island. It didn't matter; either way she shook it off with a smile as she looked out towards the horizon. The golden sun began to set, painting the entire sky with colors from the darkest reds to the softest yellows. The water itself turned dark violet and would soon be as dark as the skies in due time.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Jack suddenly commented. Glancing over at him, Alex observed that he was resting his head back against the tree, his right arm resting on his bent knee and his fingers lazily curled around the mouth of his bottle. His face looked surprisingly solemn, yet utterly relaxed at the same time.
"Aye, it really is." Alex replied with a gentle smile. Sunsets were the only thing that always made her watch in awe, but they rivaled the magnificent number of the bright stars on a clear night. These, and watching the rhythm of waves crash onto the sandy shore, were the only things of nature she considered purely beautiful.
"It's one of the greatest rewards for being a pirate." Jack quietly murmured with a soft smile. "Breathtaking, really. I remember watching my first sunset as captain from behind the helm of the Pearl…" Alex watched him out of the corner of her eye, noting the longing in his deep voice that he didn't bother trying to hide. She only nodded and silently continued to watch the setting sun.
"Well," Jack started, breaking the comfortable air between them, "it'll be cold soon, and it wouldn't hurt to make a signal to make that bloody lass happy." He grunted as he started to shift his weight to stand, but suddenly stopped. "But if you're fine right where we are, I wouldn't mind making some more body heat." He impishly wiggled his eyebrows.
"Oh, get up you mangy cad." Alex said as he chuckled.
"If you'd be so kind and collect some more rum, I'll take care of the fire, savvy?" Alex watched him sway to his feet then eyed the dark half-empty bottle in his hands. She doubted if he was in any state to safely start a fire, but she really wanted another drink and decided to slap herself later for trusting Jack's sense of judgment if anything went wrong.
"Sure," Alex shrugged as she stood to her feet and brushed the sand from her breeches. "I might as well try to find Lizzie while I'm out there, too."
"Must you really? I really enjoy having you all to me onesies."
"You had your time," Alex smirked. "I'll be right back."
"Want me to come along, just in case you get scared and want ol' Jack to protect you?" He smugly smiled.
"I thought you had a fire to make." Alex sweetly smiled, and almost laughed when Jack began to pout. What a cute faker, she amusedly thought. "Keep that up, Sparrow, and I won't bring you any rum at all."
Jack's pout instantly disappeared, and he narrowed his eyes at her. "Fine."
Turning her back on him, Alex rolled her eyes, and started to head towards the trees where the hidden cache of rum was. Good thing there was still enough light to see, or else she might have had to take up Jack's offer to come along…but only for to help her carry the bloody rum.
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After knocking on a random palm tree, taking three extra long steps, and jumping up and down like a fool for the third time in a row, Alex was finally staring down into the dirt cellar full of boxes and boxes and boxes of rum. It was way more than Jack could even consume in one day, and it was obvious that it had been a long while since the rumrunners last came by.
"Stupid Norrington," Alex mumbled as she cautiously went down the dusty steps, "Good for nothing blighter…always ruining my bloody day."
Bending down to get a closer look, she decided she'd only grab the boxes closest to her. She didn't dare go any further unless she had light to see the crates and bottles she'd otherwise trip over in the dark, or the spiders she'd blindly encounter. Alex shivered. Spiders. Not her favorite little biting, creepy-crawly creatures on the planet.
After tossing away dead palm leaves, brushing away the dirt and sand and occasionally slapping at her skin whenever she thought she felt something crawling along her arm, she managed to find an ideal crate that held the satisfactory amount of bottles. They were different sizes, shapes, and colors, but it all held one content: rum. Between pulling, pushing, lifting, and cursing, she triumphantly walked out of the cache with the crate securely in her arms.
She stood for a moment in thought, looking around her surroundings for any sign of Elizabeth, but there were none. She'll be fine, Alex reasoned with herself. Like Jack said, she'll be back when she's ready. She can take care of herself 'til then. After taking one last glance through the trees, she kicked the wooden hatch shut and began to walk back out towards the beach, cheerfully whistling a familiar pirate shanty as she did so.
"Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me…drink up me hearties yo-ho!" She sang as she treaded onto the cool sand. Her brows rose when she saw the enormous, roaring bon fire on the beach, and quirked them when she saw Jack sitting with his back to her.
"I'm not even going to ask how you did it." Alex said as she carefully set the box on the sand, placing it in front of herself and Jack for easy access. The pirate smugly grinned as he tossed an empty bottle over his shoulder, which Alex noticed was the bottle she left behind, and reached for a full one.
"Wasn't planning on telling you, darling." Jack winked. Leaning back and resting against his elbows, he uncorked the new bottle and took a large, lengthy gulp. Alex ran her fingers along the corks of the dark colored bottles until she chose one that met her satisfaction.
"I think I brought enough to get Elizabeth drunk whenever she comes back." Alex said, but more as a statement to the amount of rum she brought along. But, like always, Jack took it to another level.
"You like getting people drunk, don't you, Keller?" He teased.
Alex only dryly smiled while he laughed. "Y'know, I remember making a fire like this when I was a child back in England." She thoughtfully said. "Wasn't this large, of course, but what can you do with just a few dresses and a candlestick?" She grinned.
Jack turned to face her and raised his brow. "You're from England?"
"You sound surprised." She smirked.
"Well, England lasses, to me, are like Miss Swann, all proper and by-the-book and such. But you, you're..." He trailed off, and waved his hand about as he searched for the right word.
"Different?" Alex suggested.
"No, not different…just a different outcome from something different." Jack amusedly grinned, but Alex just raised her brow at him and slightly narrowed her gaze. "But don't take me wrong, luv! Different is good, and I prefer you over any pompous woman."
"Yeah," Alex laughed, "I'd prefer myself over them, too."
"But what I don't understand, luv," Jack slowly smiled, and the tone of his voice made Alex watch him suspiciously. "Is why you prefer the nickname Alex over Alexis…another sign of rebellion, maybe?" He smugly grinned.
Alex's eyes went wide. He had figured it out? But…he…how?
"You probably thought I forgot your whole name thing, didn't you, luv?" He chuckled. "Not that hard to figure out, really. Alexis…it's a pretty name, simple, something new…Alexis." Jack drawled, speaking of her name like he was testing wine and commenting on the exquisite taste. "Alexis…Lexie….Lexie-loo…now that's fun to say."
"Stop it!" Alex snapped. "That's enough!"
"Ah, touchy, are we?" Jack smirked as he watched her in amusement.
"I hate that name." Alex growled. Bloody hell, why him! He's worse than Fred!
"You didn't seem to mind when young William used it."
Alex stilled, and slowly removed her fingers from her ears. A faint smile appeared as she recalled the memory…Will had called her full name to get her attention when he needed her to show him how to tie the ropes, and again when she fell overboard on the Black Pearl before waking up on this beach. She frowned.
So much had happened since the day Will stormed into the fort and released Alex and Jack, telling them the dreadful news of Elizabeth's kidnapping. She had no idea what she was getting herself into when she followed them back towards the docks. Her knuckles tightened around the rim of the bottle as her throat constricted, and her breathing became slow and deep as she tried to keep control of her emotions. She had no idea that she would be returning to Port Royal without Will if she ever escaped from this island. Lowering her head, Alex played with her rings, silently watching the flame's reflection on the silver band as Jack straightened his posture and awkwardly cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry, luv." He suddenly said solemnly.
Alex turned and faced him, a little taken back at the seriousness in his tone. "Sorry about what?"
"William."
Silent at his simple yet meaningful answer, Alex took long gulps of the rum in her hands, savoring the burning taste of the old liquor that ran down her throat. Finally, after a moment of watching the fire flicker and twirl, she said, "Don't be."
"Did you ever get the chance to tell him?" He hesitantly asked.
Alex shook her head. "No." Her voice caught in her throat in her answer, and she hoped that Jack didn't notice, but by the look in his face, she obviously was horrible at hiding her emotions or he knew how to read people very well. Most likely the latter, but one could never tell.
"I'm sure he knows you care about him." Jack reasoned. "And I'm sure he loves you, even if it's not the same love you want from him." Alex only nodded, staring intently into the cackling flames. He sighed, and then his eyes sparkled with an idea. "What say you if we take all of this," He elegantly waved his hand towards the box of rum after a long moment of silence. "And get ourselves completely drunk?" He slowly suggested with a grin.
Alex shrugged, then grabbed her rum and thoughtfully studied it. It wouldn't be a bad idea to drink and forget. Uncorking her bottle, she sang, "Drink up me hearties, yo-ho."
Jack watched quizzically as she drained a quart of her drink and wiped her mouth against her sleeve. "What was that, luv?" He curiously asked.
"What was what?"
"You know," Jack crazily motioned his hands at her, like that would explain what he was trying to say. "Yo-ho?" Alex only stared at him wide-eyed, thinking the rum and heat had finally gotten to his head, but then it all clicked together.
"Oh, that?" Jack nodded curiously. "It was a song I learned as a child. It made me to start think it would be exciting to meet a pirate."
"Well, let's hear it." Jack strongly insisted.
"No." Alex defiantly answered.
He rolled his eyes. "We have the time. Let's have it!"
"No!" She repeated. Then, gazing out towards the dark waves past the shore in thought, she mumbled. "I'll need to have a lot more to drink."
Jack impishly grinned, and in a deep, spine-tingling voice, asked, "How much more?" Taking a large swig of his rum, he intently watched her from the top of his bottle and waited for an answer.
Alex opened her mouth to reply, but a flash of white caught her attention. Looking over Jack's shoulder, she watched as Elizabeth quickly shuffled through the sand towards them and wordlessly sat beside Alex, staring intently into the fierce fire.
"I'm sorry for my outburst and not being reasonable…it was wrong of me." Elizabeth said suddenly in a passive tone, either to Alex or Jack, or both of them. Jack looked over at Alex with a raised brow, but she only shrugged, and motioned her head towards the box of rum. Nodding in understanding, Jack grabbed a bottle and handed it over to Alex.
"We're getting drunk, and you might as well join us if you want to able to stand us for the remainder of the evening." Alex explained with a small smile as she held the glass bottle in front of Elizabeth for her to grab. "Trust me, its good stuff."
Elizabeth carefully eyed the dark liquid before her, and with a sigh, she took the drink and cautiously uncorked it. Alex and Jack watched closely as she took a small whiff, scrunched her nose at the aroma, and finally took a large gulp.
"Am I right?" Alex grinned, watching her reaction excitedly.
Elizabeth wrinkled her nose in distaste and warily eyed the bottle. "What is this? Rum?" She coughed.
"Only the best!" Jack proudly announced. Then after swishing the liquid around, he shrugged and thoughtfully added, "Well, at least around here."
"C'mon, take another swig and it'll get better." Alex reassuringly encouraged.
"Oh yes, much better." Jack added with a mischievous chuckle.
Alex laughed, feeling her despondent mood quickly lift. "And hurry it up! We have a song to teach!" Toasting her bottle with Jack's, who was grinning madly, Alex tipped her head back and drank, watching Elizabeth with enjoyment as she took another hesitant drink from her own bottle.
Oh yes, Alex slyly thought, this is going to be fun.
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Alex was laughing madly, so hard that she had to bend down and hold onto her knees for support. Jack stopped his swaying, which had increased like the amount rum he drank, and bent over to stare at her through narrowed eyes.
"What's so funny, luv?" He suspiciously asked.
"I honestly don't know!" Alex stopped laughing, her breathing coming in short gasps. "I forgot!" She broke into laughter again.
They had been drinking for two straight hours, and the reason Alex was laughing was because Elizabeth was drunk, and it was just plain hilarious. Clearly she had nothing that was as strong as rum because she had turned tipsy from just drinking one bottle. Alex had come next and Jack had followed not far behind. It was completely dark now, and the only light they had came from the large fire they were circling and from the bright white stars. They had been singing and dancing, laughing and swaying, and at the moment in her drunken state, Alex couldn't ask for anything more.
"Alex, get up! You must dance with me!" Elizabeth giggled, clumsily pulling Alex to her feet. She swayed a bit to regain her balance before pointing a finger at Elizabeth.
"You know I don't dance!" She exclaimed.
"Sure you do, luv!" Jack grinned. "Here, I'll do it with you."
With the hand that still held his drink, he wrapped it around Alex's waist and firmly held her free hand with his other. He swaggered a bit to his left, pulling her with him and almost making them both fall, but with a triumphant smile he held them both steady.
"Now, if my mind serves me well, I believe it goes like this…" He began to drunkenly lead her in a simple dance that went in uneven circles with their bare feet shuffling in the sand. Alex laughed at the serious concentrated look Jack had on his face, but it was only a matter of seconds before he started to laugh too and began to step on her foot playfully.
"Ouch, watch it!" Alex loudly yelped.
"What?" Jack asked innocently, again stepping on her foot as he continued to lead them. "It's how the fancy Brits do it!"
"No, it's not!" Elizabeth piped up in frustration before taking a lengthy drink from her bottle.
"She's right, we're doing it all wrong!" Alex exclaimed, and then clearing her throat, started speaking with an English accent. "Oh, Mr. Sparrow, what a lovely outfit you have worn to my pointless ball! Is that new?"
Jack chuckled, and using his snobbish accent from before, answered, "Nay, my pampered darling! I've had it for three boring years and just unfortunately found it. It was a gift from my dear mother!"
"Oh, how charming." Alex replied, and laughed at the irked expression Elizabeth held. "How are we doing, Lizzie? I haven't been to a ball before, but I'm guessing this is how it usually goes." She laughed, and then yelped again when Jack playfully stepped on her toes. She glared at him, but he only cheekily smiled in return.
Narrowing her eyes, Elizabeth watched them dance for a few more seconds before she gleefully smiled and began to madly giggle. "Yes, actually. Right down to the point!"
"Let's sing again!" Jack suddenly exclaimed with a wide grin.
"Yes, lets!" Elizabeth enthusiastically added, and Alex amusedly laughed when she took another swig of her rum. She really was drunk, and it was downright side-splitting.
"What song?" Alex asked, stopping in the middle of her dance and looking up towards Jack, who immediately smiled in thought.
"Our song, luv!" He animatedly shouted, and without a second thought, he released Alex and began to dance around the fire. Elizabeth needed no encouragement to accompany him, and with a shrug of her shoulders, Alex decided to join in.
With a mixture of dancing and swaggering, twirling and waving their arms, they drunkenly circled the large bonfire while singing Jack's new favorite song for the hundredth time that alcohol-influenced evening.
"…we're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs, drink up me 'earties yo-ho! Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirates life for me!" They all chorused together and Jack enthusiastically ran around with his arms outstretched like a bird. Like a Sparrow.
"I LOVE this song!" Jack loudly exclaimed. He abruptly stopped, and turning on his heel, he sang extra loud, "Really, BAD eggs! Whoa…" He clumsily fell, and when Elizabeth approached, he grabbed her arm and pulled her down to a halt. "When I get the Pearl back," He pulled Alex down on his other side, and she fell with a chuckle. "I'm gonna teach it to the whole crew, and we'll sing it all the time!" He smiled excitedly.
"And you'll be positively the most fearsome pirate in the Spanish Main!" Elizabeth slurred, and right after she finished her ego-boosting comment for Jack, she gently slumped back onto the sand, completely out cold. Alex laughed and Jack watched the sleeping form confusedly, but with a small shrug he turned to the next available listener.
"Well, not just the Spanish Main, luv. The entire ocean. The entire world!" Jack corrected confidently with wide, brown eyes, motioning his hand about while the other casually slipped around her waist, his arm resting along her back. Alex raised her brow at the hand on her hip, but said nothing. It actually felt…kind of…nice...
"Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know." Jack's voice began to soften, and Alex couldn't help but lean into him. His deep voice was serene and relaxing, and she sighed in content as he continued to speak with more feeling. More want. More need.
"It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails – that's what a ship needs." He paused, his hand outstretched towards the dark horizon. "But what a ship is…what the Black Pearl, really is…is freedom." He finished in almost a husky whisper, his intent gaze fixated out towards the ocean. Looking up into his black eyes, Alex saw genuine longing and pure desire. She smiled sadly, knowing how hard it must be for him right now to be separated from his ship.
"Jack…it must be really terrible for you to be trapped on this island." Alex quietly said as she rested her head against his shoulder and in turn inhaling a scent that she hadn't noticed before. It was an appealing smell that held the mixture of rum, the salt from the sea he had sailed years upon, and his own unique masculine scent. Feeling a bit tired, she smiled against his warm, clothed shoulder.
"Oh, yes," Jack quickly admitted, tightening his hold around her waist and pulling her closer. "But the company is infinitely better than last time I think," He looked down his nose at her body, which Alex noticed before slightly narrowing her eyes at the hand that curled around her waist. "The scenery has…definitely improved." He added with a pleased chuckle.
"Mr. Sparrow!" Alex interjected with a slur, pushing herself away from him and out of his hold.
"Hmm?" He hummed in confusion.
"I'm not entirely sure I had enough rum to allow that kind of talk!" Alex exclaimed. Jack pointed his finger at her with a small knowing grin.
"I know exactly what you mean, luv." As he continued to intently stare into her eyes with the same grin, which now looked a little mischievous to Alex, he curled his mustache carefully. Alex chuckled and lifted her rum up for a toast.
"To freedom?" She suggested.
Jack slightly titled his head and eyed the bottle in her hand before darting his eyes to hers. He softly shook his head and huskily said, "To the Black Pearl." After clinking their drinks together, Jack took a single long gulp from his bottle and Alex took a sip from hers while she thoughtfully watched him.
The man beside her, now only clad in his white long sleeved shirt and a simple pair of charcoal-colored breeches with his striped sash, was momentarily betraying the infamous name known throughout the seven seas and the label he carried on his right forearm wherever he went. He was drawing the line at being a pirate and starting on something new; he didn't want more gold than the kings or queens of England, more rum than he already had, or the most beautiful woman in the Caribbean to warm his bed. He wouldn't even want the whole world even if it was offered to him on a silver platter, because the only thing that meant the world to him was his beloved Black Pearl. His freedom, his pride, his life, had been stripped away from him, and Alex determinedly decided that since she couldn't help Will anymore, she would be sure to help Jack. Will would have wanted her to.
"Like what you see, luv?" Jack deeply laughed, breaking the serene silence that had fallen between them.
Alex only chuckled, giving him an innocent half-smile. "I'll help you get your ship back, Jack." She said, staring intently into his black eyes. "I'll help you get the Pearl."
Jack continued holding their gaze, his eyes momentarily drifting to her lips before returning to her eyes once more. Gratefully, he smiled. "Then I have nothing more to worry about, luv…" He chuckled, placing his arm back around her waist and tightening his comforting hold. Feeling the exhaustion of the past days catch up to her and the effects of the rum tearing down her senses, she yawned as she relaxed her head against his shoulder but fought her hardest to keep up the conversation.
"What's it like, Jack…freedom, I mean. Being able to do whatever you want and go wherever you please?" She quietly asked. He had spoken of it so passionately and it was unknowingly slowly attracting her. The only freedom she knew was confined in Port Royal, but after sailing around the Caribbean with Jack, she hungered for more.
"It's the greatest thing in the world. I can't even think of anything to compare it to because there isn't anything."
"Not even rum?" Alex asked.
"Not even close, but I like your thinking." Jack grinned. He sighed, and Alex felt the warmth of his chin rest on top of her head and the upward curl of his lips against her hair as he gently spoke.
"Keller?"
"Hm?" She sleepily murmured.
"I want you to be a part of my crew when I get the Pearl back…that is, if you want to." He offered. "Then, I'll show you what freedom really is."
Alex smiled, nestling herself in the crook of his arm. "I'd really like that, Jack." She yawned tiredly, feeling her entire body relax in his gentle hold around her as she slowly began to shut her eyes.
"I knew you would, luv." He huskily whispered, his warm breath slightly muffled in her black hair. When her eyes finally closed the last thing she heard before drifting to sleep was the low chuckle from his throat and the deep voice that softly began to sing the familiar pirate shanty into the night air.
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A/N: Hey everyone, I'm back! Thanks to those who reviewed, it was great seeing your comments in my e-mail box when I got home. I don't have enough time once again to thank everyone individually, but I'd still like to say a big THANK YOU! to everyone who has reviewed! You guys rock.
Now, leave some reviews, me hearties!