Ch. 13

The next day, Jack finally decided that they needed to be leaving. As the men loaded the last of the supplies onto the boats, he exchanged parting words with Chief Alagos. "I really can't thank you enough," he said solemnly. "For the supplies, for your hospitality…for helping Will. We'll never be able to repay you." He started to say more, but it was interrupted by a fit of coughing.

Chief Alagos rested a hand on Jack's shoulder and frowned in concern. "It is your own health that you should be worried about, my friend," he warned. "You're not as young as you used to be."

"Still younger than you, aren't I?" Jack shot back. Lowering his voice, he added, "I'm fine, Alagos. It's just a cough." Without turning around, he began to back toward the waiting boats. "We are forever in the debt of you and your people, Chief Alagos," he said. "May your island ever prosper, and your people remain safe. And may you live a long life, and may all you do be granted with-" He tripped on the side of the boat and fell backwards into it, banging his head on the low seat. "I'm alright!" he said loudly, holding up his hands. "I'm alright! I meant to do that! It was completely intentional!" Without another word, he motioned for the men to start rowing back to the Pearl. Laughing and shaking his head, Chief Alagos disappeared back into the thick foliage.

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Blackbird looked over at Will as the worked to clean the Black Pearl's railing.

"What?" he asked, seeing the look she was giving him.

"Oh, it's nothing," she replied offhandedly. "Just do me a favor: next time we decide to see how you're doing, remind me to leave you in the jail cell."

"Excuse me?"

"You're what started all this," Blackbird explained. "If we had just gone straight home from Kingston, that storm never would have blown us off course, and we wouldn't have had to deal with all this."

"Oh, but that wouldn't have been half as much fun!" he said. "Don't tell me that age is finally starting affect your taste for adventure."

"It most certainly is not!" she countered. "I'm no older than you!"

"Y'know, funny you should say that," Will teased. "Because I seem to remember a certain Ms. Blackbird Turner vehemently insisting that two minutes was enough to make her older than me." Cocking an eyebrow, Blackbird whipped her brother with the wet rag in her hand, only for him to retaliate by dumping the whole bucket of water over her head.

"That…" she said, spewing the dirty water and wiping her eyes "…was uncalled for."

Will grinned mischievously. "You started it. How about a compromise?" he offered. "Forty-one years young."

"And don't you forget it," Blackbird said haughtily, standing up and wringing out her shirt. Turning to leave, she added, "It was time for me to take a bath anyway."

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"Thanks, mate," Will muttered as Neely handed him a mug of rum. Neely just grunted in reply and went on with his work. Taking his drink into the other room, Will sat down alone at a table. He had finished about half the mug when Juan suddenly sat down across from him.

"Can I help you…?" Will asked when the young man didn't speak.

Juan took a deep breath and forced his hands to stop fidgeting. "Will, I…I need to talk to you about something…"

Will waited for the young man to continue, but he didn't. "Well, let's have it," he said impatiently.

"It's…well, I…"
"Juan has asked me to marry him," Marie said, coming up behind Juan. "We've been talking about it, and I'll be eighteen in six months. Even the most stringent of parents would agree that that's old enough to make my own decisions."

Smiling, Juan held Marie's hand and looked over at Will. "Will…I know you do not think very highly of me, but know this: I love Marie more than anything in this world. I…would be honored if you would give me your daughter's hand in marriage." His own hands were trembling from nerves, and he looked at Will apprehensively.

When Will didn't answer, Marie added, "Father, the only reason we ask is because we'd like to stay on good terms with you. We don't need your money for the wedding, or to get us started. Juan was apprenticed to a blacksmith when he was younger, so he can get a job somewhere as a journeyman to support us. We've planned this all out so that we can be completely independent. So in the end, what you say doesn't matter. Juan and I are getting married…with or without your permission."

Will frowned and stood up. "Both of you, come with me. We'll see what Jack has to say about this."

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Will strode into Jack's cabin without knocking, Marie and Juan following close behind. "Come in," Jack said sarcastically, looking up from the papers he was studying. "How may I be of service?"

"Jack, do you know what your son and my daughter are planning to do?" Will asked.

"Aye…"

"Isn't it outrageous?"

Jack frowned in confusion before catching on. "Ah, yes, completely ridiculous!"

"I mean, they seem to think that just by getting married, they can become completely independent," Will said, gesticulating wildly. "They obviously have no sense of the value of money."

"None whatsoever."

"Apparently you two don't understand the financial implications of having a wedding. You have to have a location…"

"And rum," Jack cut in.

"…A priest…"

"And rum."

"…A certificate of marriage…"

"And rum."

"…A house to move into…"

"And rum!" Jack insisted.

"…And rum," Will conceded with a slight grin. "My point is, the number of loans you would have to apply for just to cover the first month of marriage alone would ensure that you weren't independent for quite some time. Now, Jack and I are both fairly successful individuals. Were we both to chip in a bit-"

" 'ey!" Jack interrupted. "I never volunteered any of my money."

"Well, I just did it for you," Will said shortly. "Anyway, were we both to chip in a bit, I'm sure that you could find a decent house somewhere in Tortuga, close to the blacksmith shop. You see, ever since Ghost got married and moved away to start his own business, I've been falling behind in my work. I don't have time to train an apprentice, but I could really use a journeyman that has some experience in the field. Juan, do you know anyone like that?"

Juan look at Will in confusion. "Wait…are you saying…we have your permission?"

"I'm saying…maybe I owe you an apology, Juan," Will said heavily. "I will admit, I didn't trust you at all when I first met you. But understand, my judgment was strictly professional. My experience with pirates has taught me to trust no one and suspect everyone. I was wrong to draw such hasty conclusions. You're a good man, Juan…and I can think of no one that I would trust more with my daughter."

Her eyes wide with surprise, Marie hugged her father. "Thank you," she whispered.

Will winced as pressure was applied to the gash in his side. "Easy, love," he muttered. "We still have to talk to your mother about this. I have a feeling she'll be harder to convince."

"Nonetheless, this is reason to celebrate!" Jack said, pulling a bottle of wine and three glasses out of his cabinets. He handed them each a glass of wine and kept the bottle for himself. Raising the bottle, he clinked it with their glasses. "A toast, to the newly engaged couple!" he said, taking a big gulp out of the bottle. He was still drinking when they walked out of the cabin.

A/N: Wow...got this one up fast...maybe I will get this done by New Year after all! Anyway, happy chapter, good feelings, etc etc...you will all hate me soon enough...