Sophie woke to the gentle rocking of the Black Pearl. She was surprised to find a lack of shackles or ropes binding her to a bedpost or something of the sort. Immediately, she recognized Jack's quarters, and as she did, the memory of what had occurred in her last moments of consciousness came to her.
Aidan must have been standing outside the door, because when Sophie said to herself, "Jeanette!" he came strolling in.
"Miss Sophie! You're awake!"
"Where are we?" She demanded, undermining Aidan's caring tone and standing to challenge him. Aidan raised an eyebrow. While Sophie was moderately tall, she was still shorter than Aidan's six feet and eight inches. Sophie glared at him. He smirked.
"We're coming across the middle part of the English Channel." Sophie nodded. That was to be expected; after all, Jeanette should have told them Sophie was in London.
Speaking of which, Sophie asked, "Where's Jeanette?"
"In Calais, probably returning to her home."
"Huh?" The latest statement had Sophie baffled. What did Jack want Jeanette for, then, if not to lead them to Josephine DeLancret on what he didn't realize was a wild goose chase?
(Three hours earlier)
Jack sat Jeanette down in his private dining room. The maid quivered with fear. "What are you going to do with me?" She stuttered in French.
"English, please, Mademoiselle."
Jeanette's eyebrows furrowed, partially in confusion and partially in response to Jack's sloppy English impression of the French language. Why did they all sound the same? "How did you know?"
"You were the maid of a man named Quixcompuex, no?"
Jeanette nodded warily.
"Well, Quixcompuex speaks excellent English. I could only assume, my dear, that you did as well." Jeanette glared at him suspiciously. "Now, tell me what you know about this map." Jack held up the map in front of the maid.
She gulped.
"Full story, missy."
Jeanette nodded. "You see, it starts with Countess Soleil and Count Phillip DeLancret, and their daughter, Josephine. Madam Soleil died and her husband could not control the free-spirited Josephine, so he sent her to her Uncle, Rene Quixcompuex. However, Monsieur Rene was away on business in New Orleans so often that his wife, Nadine, was often left to care for not only Josephine but also for her son, Galvin. Unfortunately, Madam Nadine despises children. She immediately sent the two away, where they ended up in the Far East. The map came back years later with Josephine, who was ready to act as Countess in her mother's stead at the age of eighteen."
"What happened in the Far East?"
Jeanette pondered for a moment. "I think she was trained as a Geisha."
"Then what's the map for?"
Jeanette shrugged innocently. "I don't know, but I bet she will."
"Where is she?"
"London, I believe. For a ball held for Prince George III."
"London it is, then," Jack said, then took Jeanette's hand. "Thank you, Mademoiselle Jeanette Fasset. You are free to go." Jeanette blushed. He led her to the deck and watched her disappear into the night. As soon as the maid was out of earshot, he shouted, "Gentlemen, we're going back to England! Make way for Dover!"
(Present)
Sophie went to storm out of the cabin, but Aidan blocked the door. She glared at him.
"Aidan, I have to see the Captain, immediately."
"I'm sorry, Miss Sophie, but ye can't. His orders."
"That I can't see him? He ordered that?" Rage began to accumulate in her.
Aidan smirked, debating on teasing the girl he saw as so short. When he saw the fiery look in her eyes, his mind was made up. "No, Miss Sophie. No one can see him." Teasing her would probably result in a swift kick to the goods downstairs.
Her eyes turned to slits. Subconsciously, Aidan's hands migrated to his crotch. "Move," She demanded.
When he didn't, she went to punch him in the stomach. It was a cowardly act, considering that she knew he could not hit back. She stopped herself.
Aidan could see the inner battle she was playing with. "Miss Sophie, I believe ye have some serious issues in accordance with taking your anger out on circumstantial presences."
Sophie raised an eyebrow, then shook her head, annoyed. "Listen, Aidan. Either you move, or I jump out the porthole."
Aidan snickered. "I mean no disrespect, Miss Sophie," He said patronizingly, "But I doubt you could fit."
Sophie glared at him again.
"So violent, Miss Sophie. I can tell what you're thinking about. You probably want to just about kill me right now. But think about it!" Aidan revised as she started to come at him. She stopped. "If you kill me, the Captain will be rather mad."
"Not much incentive to keep you alive, then, is it?" She sat down on Jack's bed.
Aidan opened his mouth to protest, then shut it again. The first thing to do when you realize you're digging yourself a hole is stop digging.
Sophie stood and walked to the porthole.
"Really, Miss Sophie, you aren't thin enough to fit. And anyway, all you have out there is water. Have you tried swimming the English Channel?"
Sophie smirked, and in her mind she said, "Once or twice."
"Don't try," Aidan said, worried about her smirk, "The cook won't like giving up some of his butter to get you out." He tried, but couldn't seem to keep the mocking tone out of his voice.
The smirk faded from her face. She, once again, glared angrily at Aidan, and, still glaring, she tied up the bell sleeves on both arms, revealing her wrists. She turned them over, and showed Aidan her Dragon and Snake tattoos, gesturing to them on at a time. Then, she gestured to the porthole. After grinning evilly at Aidan one last time, she whispered "Labor Lapsus."
Aidan couldn't believe his eyes when he witnessed what happened next. The snake tattoo on Sophie's right wrist popped up off of her arm in a spectral way, and wrapped its way up her arm. It then moved down the front right side of her body, simply elongating itself, not getting any thicker, and up the left, then the left arm, down the left side of her back and up the right, finally spiraling around her head.
When she was completely covered by the strange, ghostly glow, she bent herself over backwards, put two hands on the top of the porthole, and whisked her way through. When it looked like she wouldn't fit, namely around her breasts and hips, her body attenuated, just as the phantasmal snake had, and slipped through just as simply as the rest of her.