Liberty,Equality,Fraternity - by Cunien

Hello!
Wow, it's been a while! I arrived home from New Zealand on saturday, and I'm horribly jet-lagged, but still managed to write you this chapter. See? See how dedicated I am to you, dear reader (readers?)?

Anyway, having been away, I seem to have forgotten everything that I've written in the previous chapters, we have a new computer so I've lost all my notes and previous chappys at the moment, and am totally floundering. So, if there are any glaring mistakes, please, please point them out. If I've said one thing in one chapter, and completely changed it in the next, tell me, and I'll correct it. Obviously I'll try my best to find them and iron it out before I post this, but as I said, I'm nackered, I'm not up to much.

Plus I do believe that I've been over ambitious for this story. Whoops. Too late now.

Please forgive obvious typos and mistakes - I'm not the most observant person.

Warnings: As a series - Mild swearing, not so mild racism and slavery. Also violence and torture, mostly aimed at Jack - Don't worry your pretty little head about it - Jack doesn't.

Chapter 8- Unmasking an angel.

Pride's a funny thing, ain't it?
Especially when you're in my line of work, in this day and age. Used to be a time when we were setting a trend, and now you turn your back for 5 minutes and next thing you know there's a hundred bleeding pretenders to the throne. Everyone poor sap with an attitude problem and an empty purse has ideas of becoming the most feared pirate ever to sail the Seven seas. So it's important you stand above this kind of dross.

Luckily they don't last long.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: appearance is everything when you're a Gentleman of fortune like meself. That's why I take such good care of my personage.

Crawling never was a very dignified means of getting from one place to the next.

Unfortunately at this time there wasn't much choice - I seemed to had misplaced my legs.

So crawling like a babe at first, then pulling myself along with my arms, and then when I was too tired for that, just slithering along in the dirt like a snake, I finally reached the doorway to Nathan's house.

I had planned to pick myself up and walk through the door, you know, to make a good impression, but my body had other ideas. So crawling it was.

There was no one inside when I got there, and I thanked my lucky stars. Sarah and baby Anne were I don't know where. For obvious reasons, I wasn't really in the mood for socialising.

So I invited myself in, and then invited myself to some bread and water and a bed. I wasn't sure what kind of a welcome I'd receive from Nathan and his family when they returned from the fields, after what had happened with Dawit.

For a brief second I allowed myself to think about his family, his wife, Jira, his two daughters and his son- as if I hadn't thought about them enough when I was locked in that cell with nothing but ghosts and rats for company.

But I'm not one to wallow in misery when there's more important things to do, like sleeping.

Besides, the morning sun was still low in the sky, and it would be hours before anyone finished working the fields or the Grinding house. Right then I wanted nothing more than sleep, unconsciousness, or failing that, death.

After a fitful half an hour or so of trying to toss and turn the aches out of my back, I finally found myself drifting in and out of a far from satisfying doze. Things were just beginning to look promising, with sleep flirting on the edges of my mind, when I heard someone slip past the canvas sheet that served as a door in Nathan's house.

Thinking it was Nathan, or possibly Sarah, I pretended to be asleep. I didn't really feel like a confrontation right then, which, knowing me you'll realise is quite contrary to my nature.

The thing is, pretending to be asleep isn't such an easy thing to do. I've never really spent any time watching someone sleep - whenever I've been in a position to be around someone at that time of night there have been other games to play, more important, not to mention more enjoyable, than sleep.

So there I am, wondering if my eyelids are flickering and giving me away, and if you swallow when you're asleep, when suddenly I feel something against my cheek.

Now, this startled me a bit, but I managed to turn my jerk of surprise into a sleepy sort of squirm, which I believe was quite convincing.

But a few minutes later, it happened again. Something soft, something smooth was touching, nay, caressing my cheek. It was so gentle and felt so wonderful I couldn't help but turn into the touch, to feel it stroking gently from my
cheek-bone down to my chin and back again, swirling little circles across my skin.

Well, I've never been one to allow a mystery to remain just that, so I risked a peek.

And there was my angel, a bright halo of sunlight streaming in from outside. It seemed to dance around her head, touching her hair and painting it with red, like the colour of light shining through a bottle of rum.

It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Or have seen since. And I've seen the dawn light sparking from jewel bright minarets and domes; mountains so wild and endless they steal the very breath from your lungs; strange carved temples built by ancient hands and Sultan's harems that.... well, I don't really need to elaborate on that one do I. I mean, there's hundreds of girls in them harems, the chance of at least one of the being a stunner is pretty high. I sometimes think I should start collecting girls for my own harem... but here I am drifting away again, and though I'm sure you would find it all riveting, it isn't exactly vital to the telling of the tale.
Not this one, anyway.

Now, my angel was the last person I was expecting to see looking down at me right there and then. You know I mentioned those mountains that make your breath catch? Well, it was the same here, which resulted in me staring at her without remembering to breath for what felt like hours, before choking, hacking and coughing while she attempted to role me over and hit me on the back.

At least, that's what I think she was trying to do. It was a bit confusing there for a while. Not to mention highly unflattering. Not that I've ever needed flattering to make myself attractive to the fairer sex. Or any sex, for that matter.

Once we'd all calmed down a bit and remembered how to breath once more, it suddenly dawned on me that I was alone in the house, alone with an angel.

I blushed beet red.

I panicked for a minute there, feeling my cheeks burn strangely. It took me a while to realise what was going on, as I don't think I've ever done such a thing as blush before. There's not much as can make Old Mother Sparrow's son embarrassed.

she said.

said I.

My name's.. we both said, the same time.

My name's Megan Kelly. I know your Jack Sparrow. She had a slight lilt to her voice, that could have been Irish.

I mumbled, Yes. Yes that's it. Jack. I'm Jack.

I seemed to have forgotten my name there for a moment, in the face of such unearthly beauty.

I'm sorry. she said. If it means anything. I don't suppose it does. I'm sorry for what he does to you.

I smiled, trying desperately to hoist myself into a sitting position, in an attempt to look slightly more alive. There was no need to ask who he' was.
I wouldn't worry if I were you - I've had worse.

She smiled a little, but not as though she really thought it was funny, and a frown still creased her perfect face.

So - says I at my most charming, and feeling a little more confident now I wasn't lying there staring up at her. I felt that being in a position to see right up her nose might spoil my angelic vision of her.

Megan. what brings an angel like you to hell?

Both the frown and the smile slipped from her face, and something blank and formal replaced it.

Please Mr Sparrow, just because I've seen you dripping wet and bleeding on my carpet doesn't mean we can dispense with the formalities.

Excuse me, I points out, It's not me that's chose to sit alone in a house with a pirate and a brigand, stroking his face in a most informal way - you can't expect much more from me. It's in me nature. I grinned.

She flustered for a moment, and I made a mental note to annoy her more often, if I could, as she looked quote stunning when she pouted. I found I like her in all moods and weathers.

If you're that concerned you should have brought a chaperone, Miss Kelly.

Megan frowned and sat down with a half repressed sigh that came out more as a sort of puff. I don't know why I came to see you. she said quietly, more to herself than me I think. She stared at the floor, her shoe scraping little circles in the dirt.

I suppose you couldn't help yourself eh? Been bewitched by my smile the first moment you saw me I expect?

I knew I was pushing my luck, but I couldn't help myself. You see, I've never tried to seduce a woman like her before. To be honest it's not that hard when most of the ladies you come across are in Tortuga, which isn't exactly the hub of chastity and morality in this world. In fact, most of the woman I come into contact with are as devious and dishonest as me. Which is really something let me tell you.

So in that respect, I'm not really practised at charming your more principled type. If they're going to fall for me, it's normally because they want a bit of rough, you know. And I've nothing against that, if I get the goods, if you know what I mean. I am a pirate after all. And a man.

But this was different. This was new. This was difficult.

Megan looked at me, a rather haughty look on her face.
I suppose you think I'll be charmed by your rusticity. I'm not.
This rather caught me off guard. I was going to have to change tack on this one.

says I, backing off a little.

So she sort of gathers herself together with a deep breath and says, No I'm sorry, but there's really nothing that can be done. I wish there was, but there isn't. We must resign ourselves to the fact that we're going to be here for the rest of our lives, Mr Sparrow.

That's as maybe, luv, but it strikes me that on my account at least, that may not be too long now. Anyway, you could leave if you wanted. What's stopping you from jumping ship right now?

There are....extenuating circumstances. You wouldn't understand.

Circumstances. An...engagement ring. That would definitely qualify as a circumstance. Wouldn't you say? I pushed.

Megan jumped up and looked down on me furiously.
That is none of your business! she fumed, pacing the floor. The circumstances may be rather different for the both of us, Mr Sparrow, but a gilded cage is still a cage.

She made as if to leave, but turned at the last moment. If you die, Gabriel will win.

This ain't a playground scuffle darling. Higher stakes now. And unfortunately I'm in the middle of one hell of a loosing streak.

I didn't mean to make her sad, really. I wasn't used to people getting upset on my account, so it took me rather by surprise.

You can't.. leave me here. Alone. Megan's eyes were glistening.

You're on an island surrounded by hundreds of people. Or don't you count the Africans among the ranks of men? I was trying to reassure her, but it didn't come out right. Like I said, this is unmapped waters for me.

She paled and said, You know what I mean.

Don't worry luv - I'm waiting on a miracle, see. Should be here any day now.

And despite it all, I didn't really think that I was going to die.
Cause I'm Jack Sparrow, see?
It sounds like I'm pulling your leg, I know, but I'm not. If I can hang on long enough, stay alive, keep my wits and all my limbs about me, then things always turn out alright, in the end, don't they? Sooner or later Jack gets dealt a good hand, and when it comes, it always worth the waiting. I was expecting a Royal flush any time now.

So Megan takes a deep breath, and wipes her eyes. When she looks at me again I can see that she's pulled herself together, and I feel proud.
she sys, firmly. , and she walks out the door.

I call after her, and she sticks her head back through the door.
Don't go doing anything...stupid. On my account. Eh?

She nods, and smiles, and then she's gone. Just like that.

And then my head fell back on the bundle that was a pillow, and I let myself sleep. I was so exhausted and wonderfully happy. So what if she was Gabriel's fiancé? Jack Sparrow wouldn't have got anywhere if he let things like that get in his way.

TBC.....

Okay, so not much happens in this chapter, but there will be more action soon. We just needed to meet Megan.
I just need to get back into the swing of things. This is the first time that I've written a chapter, and then gone back and totally rewritten it. Normally, it's just there, first time, with the exception of a few typos and spelling mistakes. But this time I think Jack had taken a little cruise and left me alone - gone on holiday as I was away in New Zealand. But now he's coming back - he's sailing into port right now, shouting the story at me, just from a little way away. Next chapter, or maybe the chapter after that, will answer a lot of questions about Megan. You won't have to wait 2 and half months for it this time though. I'm going to try and write furiously before I go to University in september. Because then I will be a student. And therefore a lazy bum.

Thanks for reviews since I last posted, hope there's still someone out there willing to read this.

x.x.x