Disclaimer: I succeeded in capturing Jack, but Disney stole him back, so now I don't own him.
AN: I love a good cliffhanger…they're so much fun! (Laughs evilly) Okay, seriously, though, as a holiday gift, I'm posting the final two chapters of this story before my vacation. Enjoy & review!
Chapter 12: Reunions and Seduction:
Jack's POV:
Glancing quickly between Nerissa and the stern-faced woman in front of him, Jack did his best to figure out the situation without looking confused. This was Nerissa's mother? Hadn't the woman died in childbirth, when Nerissa's brother was born? It didn't make any sense! And why the bloody hell didn't Nerissa look surprised to see her mother alive and well, commanding a Siren ship?
'This is getting to be a bit much,' he thought, frowning. Out loud, he said, "Yes, what can we do for you, Captain…?" He trailed off, leaving it open so that the Siren could fill in the space with her name.
Instead of answering, though, the Siren captain merely gave him a once-over before turning her gaze to her daughter. Her black eyes narrowed to slits, and she spouted something in a foreign language that Jack didn't understand. Her tone, though, spoke of her displeasure over something. Glancing over out of the corner of his eye at Nerissa, he saw her lower her eyes and gave her mother a bow that Jack had only seen a few Asian people give to their superiors. The act surprised him; never had he seen Nerissa submit to anyone, and here she was, willingly bending to the will of another! Opening his mouth to speak again, Jack was interrupted by Nerissa placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Captain Catalina of the Savage Blade, this is Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl," she introduced. "Captain Sparrow, this is Catalina Fox, captain of the Savage Blade and my mother."
Jack bit his tongue as her brown eyes pleaded for him not to ask any questions until they were safe from prying eyes. He gave small nod/bow to the Siren in front of him, who replied with a brisk nod. Nerissa then spoke to her mother in the foreign language, and was answered by one of the other four Sirens who stood behind their captain. Nerissa nodded and turned towards Jack and the crew of the Pearl.
"Captain Catalina demands to speak privately with Jack Sparrow and the members of the crew that he considers his council," she said, her voice reaching every inch of the ship, above and below. "It is a matter of utmost importance. While these talks are in progress, the Black Pearl and its crew may be assured of their safety."
Jack frowned in thought. "Gibbs, Annamaria," he called, summoning the two crewmates he trusted most. "Let us escort our guests to my quarters for this little chat."
A hand on his arm stopped him from moving, and Jack turned his head back to look at the hand's owner. "I'll be needed as well, Captain Sparrow," Nerissa said. "As a sort of…intermediary between the two parties, you understand." She jerked her head towards the five Sirens currently onboard. "And only three Sirens will be going below for the talks."
Jack nodded and led the small party into his cabin.
Nerissa's POV:
Although she appeared to be calm and collected, Nerissa was actually nervous as hell. She knew that her mother had been alive and well all this time, especially since she had seen her several times over the years during her birthday. Although Catalina appeared to be stern and cold, she really was a good woman and tried her best to be a good (though distant) mother to her only daughter.
In her heart, Nerissa felt terrible about lying to Jack and the crew about her mother's supposed 'death,' but she couldn't risk having the British Navy finding out that Catherine Fox was really Catalina, a Siren captain and pirate! After all, the woman was considered in high esteem among the female pirate band, practically a Siren queen.
As Jack, Annamaria, Gibbs, and the Sirens took their seats at the large round table in Jack's quarters, Nerissa knew that she'd have to break some more surprising news. Taking a deep breath, she seated herself between the two parties, folding her hands on the table in a businesslike manner. Both crews looked extremely on edge and extremely tense. Nerissa sighed and looked towards the Black Pearl's captain and crewmembers.
"Captain Sparrow, Mr. Gibbs, Annamaria," she said, nodding to each person as she spoke their names. "I'd like you to meet my mother, Catalina, and my two aunts, Sahara and Riana." Nerissa nodded to the women as she spoke.
Surprise flickered across Jack's face, but he quickly hid it. Instead, he nodded to the three women and leaned back in his chair, pressing his fingertips together under his chin in thought. A few moments of silence passed before Jack made his first move.
"So what, exactly, can I do for you ladies?" he asked, glancing back at the Sirens, who still wore stony expressions.
Nerissa saw her mother's eyes narrow, and decided try and stop her before she did something regrettable. "He means no disrespect, Mother," she quickly blurted out in the language of the Sirens. "Captain Sparrow merely cares a great deal about his crew. He treats them as well as the Sirens do, and he simply wants to be sure of what it is you want from them."
"Then tell him that I demand to be treated with respect," Catalina snapped, black eyes flickering between the other pirate captain and her daughter. "He has no right to insult me in this manner."
Nerissa turned back to Jack. "My mother does not appreciate your tone of voice, Captain," she said, her eyes pleading with him to be calmer and more respectful.
Jack's face suddenly turned expressionless. "My apologies, milady," he said, nodding his head. "But I truly would like to know why you've chased down my ship."
Catalina listened to Nerissa translate as she carefully eyed her male equal. "Tell him that I simply wished to be sure that my daughter was still alive after being abducted," she declared.
Nerissa translated quickly before she sighed. "I think, perhaps, it would be better if you actually talked to him yourself, Mother," she said, quirking her eyebrow. "This meeting will take forever if you don't stop pretending to not speak English. Besides," she grinned, "I already told them how you and Papa met and were married."
Catalina's eyes flashed briefly before she nodded in acquiescence.
Jack's POV:
"So be it," Catalina said in perfect English. Even her tone had taken on the accent of the English nobility.
Jack nearly had a heart attack. Bloody hell, now he knew where Nerissa got her shrewdness from! Taking a deep breath, Jack shifted his eyes to Nerissa, who merely winked at him in reply. Ah, so she was the reason her mother decided to spring this little surprise, hmm? Well, he'd have to deal with her later. Meanwhile, he had some fast-talking to do with the Siren captain and her two crewmates.
"Well, as you can see, dear Nerissa is in perfect health and condition," he said, leaning back in his chair, looking relaxed but ready for anything that might happen. "What else can I do for you?"
The Siren captain smirked. "For one thing, I would like to take my daughter onto my ship," she said, also leaning back in her chair, crossing her legs and glaring at him.
'Ah, so the Siren is trying to be intimidating to scare me,' Jack thought, quirking an eyebrow.
Well, he wasn't falling for it. Besides, he had bigger fish to fry. Glancing over at Nerissa, he saw the surprise and fear in her eyes. It was obvious that she hadn't expected that to be brought up during the little 'discussion' between her mother and Jack, and now that it was out in the open, he knew that leaving the Pearl was something she did not want to do. Deep inside, Jack knew that there was no way he was going to let Nerissa marry some fop who couldn't satisfy her need for adventure, excitement, and freedom. So he'd just have to take measures into his own hands.
"I'm afraid that's out of the question," he said, nearly laughing at the shocked expressions on the three Sirens' faces, as well as Nerissa's. "You see, I saved Nerissa's life, and therefore she owes a blood debt that I think would be best worked out if she were here on the Pearl." Jack flashed his golden grin. "So I'm afraid that I'll have to refuse your request."
The cabin went silent for a while before Nerissa's mother reluctantly nodded her head in agreement. "We will respect the blood debt that my daughter owes you, Captain Sparrow," she said, the angry spark in her eyes betraying the flat tone in her voice. She glanced over at her daughter and spoke something in the Siren tongue before getting up and walking out of the cabin, taking her two crewmembers with her.
Watching her mother and aunts leave the cabin, Nerissa took a deep breath before turning her attention to the cheeky pirate captain that sat oh-so nonchalantly in his chair.
"Are you mad?" she gasped, pressing a hand to her heart. "She could have killed, or have had you killed, in an instant for acting that way towards her! Do you realize what could have happened?" She pointed her finger at him to shut him up. "These aren't your normal pirates, Jack! They have friends and connections in very high places all over the world so that no matter where you go, you'd end up dead."
Taking a deep breath, Nerissa managed to calm herself down before addressing the captain once more. "My mother wishes for us to follow them to one of the islands here in the Caribbean that the Sirens control. You will need to speak with the Caribbean branch of the Siren Council, and the crew will be unharmed and treated as guests, so there is nothing to be alarmed about. It will take three days to get there."
With those words spoken, she stalked out of the cabin, muttering to herself and leaving a very surprised Jack Sparrow behind her.
Three Days Later, Jack's POV:
The voyage to the Sirens' hidden island was an uneventful one, even though the crew of the Black Pearl was extremely nervous about heading into Siren territory. The men (and woman) paced endlessly whenever there was nothing else to do, and many of them kept shooting uneasy glances towards the Savage Blade, which floated just up ahead of them. Meanwhile, Jack stayed his usual calm self and steered the Pearl with his captaining skills, his face intense and serene as the ship sailed right up to the docks of the Siren island called Oasis.
Although he remained calm on the surface, the captain of the Black Pearl was inwardly torn. Nerissa had been avoiding him since his meeting with her mother and had locked herself in her cabin. The only time her door opened was when Annamaria went to visit her with food, and that just made Jack's heart tear. He didn't like not being able to see Nerissa for such a long period of time, and it was driving him mad! The only thing that cheered him up was that she had to come up when they docked.
As soon as the Pearl was safely anchored at a dock in the Siren town of Oasis, Nerissa magically appeared at Jack's side, her face impassive as she gazed at the quaint little place. It wasn't so much of a town, really; it was more of a seaside village that was unusually organized and clean. Men and women alike walked the streets, and children played with no sense of fear of attack in their eyes. Jack looked towards Nerissa for an explanation.
"The Sirens only choose islands that have some sort of natural barrier or means of defense," she explained, smiling a bit. "Mostly islands that have dangerous reefs which requires a good sense of navigation to get through. It keeps our most precious treasures safe: the children."
Jack nodded his understanding and waited for Captain Catalina to give him and his crew the signal to leave the Pearl. A sound like that of a bird call was made, and Nerissa immediately began heading down the gangplank and onto the dock, the captain and crew of the Pearl following close behind.
That Evening: Nerissa's POV:
That evening, after the crew of the Black Pearl had been shown to comfortable lodgings in one of the town's boarding houses, they were all escorted to a large banquet hall. Catalina was there, as were several of her senior crewmembers, and there was more than enough food to satisfy everyone's needs. As they all settled down, Nerissa watched as her mother stood, a cup in her hand as though to make a toast. Everyone else raised their cups as well.
"Tonight we celebrate the safe return of one of our beloved Siren sisters," she declared, her eyes drifting towards her daughter. "We also give this feast in thanks to the men and women who brought her home to us."
They all raised their glasses and drank before eagerly digging into the food. As she ate her roasted chicken and drank her wine, Nerissa glanced across the room and noticed that Jack had hardly touched his food and was instead watching her. Raising an eyebrow, she saw his brown eyes flicker at her before focusing on his dinner. Shrugging, Nerissa turned back to her supper. Once the dishes were cleaned up and everyone had eaten their fill, Catalina stood up to make another announcement.
"For this evening's entertainment for our guests, we have selected our best singers and dancers to perform traditional dances from the various cultures that make up the Sirens," the female captain said, her voice reaching to the far ends of the room. "Please move towards the dance hall."
Suddenly, a plan formed in the back of Nerissa's mind. She now had a way to snap up Captain Sparrow's attention and, hopefully, his attraction.
Jack's POV:
So far, the evening's entertainment had been…well, entertaining. In his life, Jack had never heard such a diverse variety of singing and music, as well as the dancing. From Asia to the English isles, the music had many roots, and all were from different cultures. Jack could clearly see that his crewmen were enjoying it, as was Annamaria, who managed to get the chance to talk with other pirate women from Africa and to compare stories from their lives. However, it was the dancing that kept Jack's full attention that night.
The dances involving swords, fire, and acrobatics had been interesting, but his attention was soon focused on a group of lovely ladies who came in dressed as belly dancers from Arabia. Jack immediately sat up and kept his attention on the women who wore red veils over their faces, their bodies covered in red silk and gauze, leaving their midriffs bare for all to see. Gold disks hung from their heads and their waists, chiming softly as their feet silently carried them to their positions on the dance floor.
Jack had to swallow hard at the sight. He'd heard about these types of dances, but had never seen one for himself. The women who performed such dances were said to use their bodies in seductive manners, evoking desire within a man with every move they made. It didn't help that the veils worked much the same way a lady's fan did in England: as a tool to cast secret glances over at men, asking them to come and follow the woman to a secret place where they could meet.
Again Jack swallowed as the drummer in the corner struck up a steady beat, several other instruments joining in to create a melody that was guaranteed to provoke the sense of need. The dancers spun around and struck poses as one, the gold disks wrapped around their bodies chiming as they moved. Once more the women turned, their eyes flicking out towards various men in the audience, each dancer choosing one man to be their focus during the dance.
Jack was one of the chosen, and he found himself underneath the heated gaze of a brown-eyed woman. She winked at him and he gave her a smirk in return. His dancer's eyelids lowered so that she could look up at him through her thick eyelashes, suddenly teasing with her gaze, asking him to follow her with not just his eyes, but with his body as well. Jack moved to accept her silent offer, but was held back by several pairs of hands.
Looking behind him, he saw several Sirens sitting around him in a semi-circle, all of them keeping a sharp eye on his movements. He could clearly decipher that they were there to make sure that no harm came to the dancers twirling around the wooden dance floor. A quick glance about the room made him realize that the other men picked out as targets for the dancers were also well guarded by Sirens. Sighing, Jack sat back and tried to focus on the dance without moving from his spot.
The woman who had chosen him as her focus for the dance never ceased to amaze him with her movements and her hidden beauty. Since no veil hid her hair, he saw that his dancer was brunette, the tiny gold medallions in her hair standing out and twinkling against the dark brown color. She was not tall and thin like a few of the other dancers, but was instead graced with enticing curves that enhanced her lovely, revealing red costume instead of taking away from it. Jack watched his enchanting dancer sway her hips back and forth in a hypnotic rhythm that he couldn't take his eyes off of to save his life.
From his haze, Jack could hear the women behind him laughing, their giggles of amusement somewhat pulling him back to real life as the dancers began to approach the men that they had set their sights on. He held his breath as she moved closer, her eyes only leaving his when she twirled, her red skirt flying around her in a silken red cloud before bringing her intense brown gaze back towards his eyes.
Jack swallowed hard, unsure as to how much longer he could control himself. If this got anymore intense (and if he got anymore sexually frustrated), he might just have to toss this girl over his shoulder and haul her back to the Pearl, willing or unwilling! He'd fight off every one of the Sirens around him just to get this dancer back to the Pearl and sail away with her, he wanted her that badly. And from the look in her eyes, he could tell that she wanted him, too.
For the briefest moment, a familiar glint passed through the eyes of the woman in front of him. It was then that Jack realized that he knew that look from somewhere, but couldn't remember where he had seen it. A wink from those eyes quickly diverted his attentions once more, and all thoughts of recognition flew out of his head as she twirled and dipped her hips only a foot away from where he sat. Jack's jaw dropped open as she moved closer, her face suddenly coming even with his.
'Is she going to remove that bloody veil and kiss me?' he wondered, his throat suddenly dry as a desert island.
If she were, he hoped that she'd do it, and do it now. He wouldn't say 'no' to such a thing. After all, what man would? Well, unless he was a eunuch, of course, which he was proud to say he wasn't. Swallowing hard, Jack realized that his mind was babbling at him, which had never happened before when encountering women. The sly, amused twinkle in the dancer's eyes told him that she knew exactly what she was doing to him, and that she was enjoying the sight of watching him squirm in his seat. However, instead of letting him sit there and become frustrated, she reached out a hand and gently stroked his face with soft fingers.
Sighing, Jack took in everything he could about the touch. Her fingers were soft, but were slightly callused from work; with her being a Siren, he wasn't surprised. These women worked for a living, and he doubted that there was a true slacker amongst them. The gentle fingers drifted towards his lips and ghosted across them, like the brushings of a flower's petals or a butterfly's wings. It was the softest, most loving touch that Jack could ever remember feeling, and he wondered if this was part of the dance or not.
He opened his eyes to stare into hers. No, the emotions she was displaying through her touch were indeed real, as real as the love sparkling in her eyes. She leaned forward so that the veiled part of her face even with his, her hidden lips level with Jack's own parted ones. Before he could blink, she was kissing him through the thin silk. He could feel the warm moistness of her lips through the fabric, the material somewhat enhancing the experience instead of taking away from it.
He sighed against her mouth. 'I am most definitely in love,' Jack thought to himself, his insides turning hot and melting from the fire that flowed through him.
And then it was over. The dancer pulled back and rejoined the others, all of whom had struck poses at the end of the dance. Once the music had stopped, Jack immediately rose from his seat and raced over to the woman who had captured his heart with a single dance. While the other dancers retreated, giggling as they slipped away, Jack removed the veil from the woman standing in front of him.
It was Nerissa, gazing up at him with flirting brown eyes.
AN: How was that for a chapter? Review to let me know how you liked Jack being the seduced instead of the seducer!