What Is & What Will Never Be
Chapter 14
Disclaimer: Don't own Pirates
"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life fer me. Really bad..."
"Gibbs, what the bloody hell are ye doin'?" Jack snapped irritably, as he continued to look towards the horizon as he steered the ship.
"Oh, uh..." Gibbs stuttered, unaware that Jack had heard him.
"Not stealin' me tune now, are ye?"
"Wouldn't dream of it, Cap'n!"
"Good, then."
Gibbs was just turning to walk away, when he was called upon again.
"Gibbs!"
"Aye, Cap'n?" he stopped and turned back.
"The White Sea."
Gibbs expected Jack to continue, but when he said no more, Gibbs murmured, "What do ye think of it, Cap'n?"
"S'awfully far from where we're normally berthed, eh Gibbs?"
"Well, in a matter of—in a sense..." he paused. "Yer...yer not sayin' ye can't take the voyage are...are ye Cap'n?" he asked cautiously, in a slightly surprised way.
"'Course not", Jack retorted. "S'no question of the longevity o' the voyage. I'tis, actually: why have I, the great Captain Jack Sparrow, not heard of such a treasure in the White Sea, while all the rest of you had?"
"Well, Cap'n ye hadn't been out on sea fer quite some time an' the news prob'ly hadn' o' reached ye..."
"Not reached me!" Jack swung around indignantly. "Preposterous! Poor excuse, indeed!"
He checked his compass, then quickly snapped it shut.
"Where's it from? Russia?"
Gibbs looked at him blankly for a moment, until Jack urged, "The treasure?"
"Oh...I wouldn't be the one ter know, Jack. Tha's a question ye'll have to get answered from the Cap'n o' the Bounty 'imself when we get there."
"Aye", Jack muttered softly, ending the conversation and Gibbs had the cue to leave the Captain to think in peace.
"Ah, damn it all", he murmured to himself. "I'll 'ave a word with the Cap'n o' the Bounty alrigh'. Bloke can 'ave a word er two with me pistol. Think he can win a bloody negotiation, can he? Hah! He's talkin' to Captain Jack Sparrow! Jack Sparrow, savvy!" Jack shouted to the wind.
"Jesus...what the bloody 'ell's wrong with me", he muttered after feeling like he had completely lost himself. "Better question yet—what's wrong with me compass?"
The compass was beginning to spin madly in circles.
Jack rolled his eyes up to the sky, giving a beleaguered sigh.
Should he have told Will, or shouldn't he? Well, no of course not—the words came from Pintel and Ragetti! And were they trustworthy enough? Especially in that highly inebriated state? But the second they muttered that they were having a ball in Tortuga with the 'gracious lassies', and they slipped the name of one to him...
No...She? It couldn't be the same lass. Definitely not. Come now, she was supposed to have disappeared months ago...
But...did disappearing really mean...?
Nonetheless, Jack decided he would get a hold of the two pirates when he arrived—see if they'd happened to pay a visit to Scarlet...
"Well...Captain!" Gibbs clasped a hand upon his shoulder. "We've made record time this go 'round, 'aven't we?"
"We have, mate! Aye! This calls fer celebratin'! Where's the rum, man?" Jack drawled as he stepped off the just-docked Pearl.
"Eh...we've run clear out, Cap'n."
"Wha'?"
"Out, Cap'n!"
"Absurd!" Jack differed. "We 'ad what? 50 flasks of it...?"
"Don't worry, Captain", a seductive voice murmured close to him. "We have plenty for you...free of charge."
Jack looked into the deep blue eyes of the temptress; the eyes lined in black (much like Jack's), the curve of a smile upon the red lips that matched the flaming red hair...and his eyes wandered to the tight corset...
"Miss Scarlet", he acknowledged, and kissed her hand. "Pleasure to see ye."
"Definitely, Jack", she murmured, pressing her body to his, all the while entwining her hands into the sash of his belt. She then smiled devilishly as she reached into the bosom of her corset, taking out a tiny gold key, and placing it in Jack's hand. "Come to my room", she whispered, before pressing her ruby lips against his.
He pushed her away, saying rather politely, "Sorry luv—I'm taken."
She looked disbelieving for a second, but then, before Jack could expect it, she had slapped him hard across the face.
"Damn ye, Sparrow! Who is it then, tonight? Sibyl? Jezebel?" With a vicious glare, she turned on her heel and stalked off into the crowded streets of Tortuga, not before wrenching the key back from Jack.
Jack cleared his throat, fingering the side of his face.
"And again, Jack, again", Gibbs muttered at his side.
"I know, I know", Jack answered with a Hey-what-can-I-say—I'm-Captain-Jack-Sparrow shrug.
"Well, Jack, ye'll be meetin' with the Captain tomorrow since we made early time, so..."
"We'll find Pintel and Ragetti, an' the rest o' them", Jack affirmed. "Then, we'll 'ave some drinks. We can sleep on the Pearl."
"Aye, Cap'n."
"Excusez-moi, madame?"
Jade turned around. "Oui?"
She was facing a nice-looking young man; his long auburn hair was tied back, and he wore working attire, much in the same fashion as Mr. Turner's.
He smiled. "Vous êtes beau." (You are beautiful )
She smiled at the flattery. "Oh, merci monsieur..."
"Trop beau." He took her hand. (Too beautiful)
"Monsieur..." Jade attempted to draw her hand away, but he continued to hold it.
"Venez avec moi", he ordered. (Come with me)
"Monsieur, s'il vous plaît..." she protested.
"Il y a rien à avoir peur de", he murmured with a laugh, (There is nothing to be afraid of) as he took a tighter hold around her wrist and lightly pulled her forward.
"Pardon, monsieur!" Jade exclaimed as she yanked away from him. "Je ne sais pas quivous êtes, et vous n'avez aucun droit...!"
(I don't know who you are, and you have no right to...)
"Que est cet causerie de non-sens, puis?" he interrupted with a loutishly. (What is this talk of nonsense, then?). "Qui je suis n'est pas important." (Who I am is not important)
The Frenchman turned and walked a circle around Jade, surveying her.
"Ce qui est important..." (What is important...) He grasped her wrist again firmly, and pulled her to him. "Est que vous appartenez dans beaucoup..." (Is that you belong in much) he paused with a grin as he brushed his hand briefly across her jaw line. "Meilleure compagnie." (Better company)
Jade's eyes flashed angrily as she struggled away form his grasp and backed away from the mysterious man.
"Obtenez loin de moi, vous monstre!" she shrieked (Obtain far from me, you monster!), bringing up her hand to hit him.
He grabbed the hand, and growled, "Vous pensez je laisserai juste une jolie chose comme vous desserrez pour être défilé autour et utilisé par un escroc? Ne pensez pas que je n'ai pas vu le homme vous forcer autour de la ville." (You think I would just let a pretty thing like you loose to be raveled around and used by a swindler? Do not think that I did not see the man forcing you around the city)
Jade was breathing heavily now, filled with trepidation. "Qui l'enfer sont vous? Que voulez-vous avec moi?" (Who the hell are you? What do you want with me?)
He gave a cold laugh. "Est-ce que j'ai déjà répondu à cette question, doux rose?"
(Did I already answer this question, sweet rose?)
"Oui!" (Laughingly) "Mon nom n'est pas important. Et peut-être vous pouvez deviner ce que je veux... avec vous."
(My name is not important. And perhaps you can guess what I want...with you.)
The man let the last two words linger meaningfully as he said them.
Jade gave him a look of horror.