Falling Full Circle
Very Curious
T for now. M ish in some parts;)
The usual disclaimer I DON'T own POTC and if I did it would become a TV series with JD starring in it.
CHAPTER 4
Scene: The navy ship has somehow been crippled by the pirate ship and is sinking. The other ship is preparing to make a speedy getaway when:
One of the members on the pirate ship notices something floating in the water that appears to be a body.
A red faced man of middle age and burly build peered over "Is that a body. Looks like one of ours," they hesitate trying to determine if the body is dead or just someone thrown overboard. Thinking its one of their own that's fallen overboard they decide to help. "Es moving, 'ehs alive! Well just don't stand there gawking at 'em! Throw down a line". They toss down a knotted ladder like rope.
"Grab it man!" Someone yelled, seeing the person in the water responding
veryl slowly . The young man swam toward the end of the knotted rope grabbed it tentatively and was slowly hoisted upward toward the deck of the ship. Several crewmembers rushed to the side pulling the young man up and over the edge and onto the deck of the ship.
Rory struggled over the edge finally flopping down on the deck.
"Who's 'e?" Muggs, one of the crew asked.
"I thought it was O'Brien" another member spoke, referring to the newest addition to their crew, a young man in his twenties.
"I'm over 'ere!" said O'Brien a bit disgusted that anyone would think he'd fall overboard.
The crewmembers stared not recognizing the strange young man they had rescued. He wasn't one of theirs. Was he with the British? He wasn't dressed as a redcoat but he could be one of the help? He was dressed better than them. The crew mumbled among themselves, this wasn't good; had they just rescued someone from the enemy's boat?
A large bearish man of about 50, leaned forward and looked the stranger over. He looked back over to the wheel where a slender dark figure was conferring with a young dark woman and said:
"Captain, we've suddenly found ourselves with an extra crew member that's not of our original party."
"Is that so?" A tall slender man called from the wheel looking down at his crew. Slowly turning toward the group huddled over what looked like a drowned body.
He sighed to himself as if careful not to show any undue concern over this turn of events and slowly began to saunter over to them.
" Is he alive?" the captain inquired.
"Yes but nearly half dead from exhaustion. God knows how long 'es been in the water."
It had to be one of the others from the navy ship. Though on further inspection, the young man could almost be one of them. Well not quite, he thought. His crew was practically dressed in rags almost. This person was clothed in what appeared to be freshly made clothing.
He started to wave most of the crew away except Gibbs and a ex-slave named Bolle to help carry the stranger down a small room of what served as the ships infirmary.
" If you ask me we should be taking him down to the ships holding cell if he's a member of the Sea Hawk." Gibbs said.
All in due time the captain thought. "let's just see if we can get him into some drier clothing. I don't want to take care of sick person on this ship." On the other hand if the young man got pneumonia and died, that would take care of their "unwanted guest" ' Oh well first things first, get 'em dry wake him up, then we'll find out just where he came from'he thought.
Gibbs and Bolle laid the body out on long table.
Gibbs started unbuttoning the shirt to remove the sopping wet clothing and stopped.
'Huh? What was the young man wearing underneath his shirt? Some strange article of cloth appeared to be covering his chest. He started with a few more buttons, then stopped.
Bolle and the captain had already made their way back up the stairs so there was no one to witness the shocked expression slowly making its way across Gibbs face.
"Uh ----- Capt'n."
" Let me know when he wakes Gibbs."
"Captain Sparrow, I think you better have a look at this."
"What is it Gibbs?"
"Look."
The young captain stared at first not getting what Gibbs was referring to. Then taking a closer look, took in the way the young mans chest protruded up ever so slightly. His eyes traveled down over the way the clothes were plastered to the young mans body, taking in the slightly rounded hips down the long lean legs to the feet which were now bootless. He looked at the feet, which appeared well cared for the nails trimmed back, and -what was that on the nails? It looked like paint. Some iridescent shade of the afternoon sky.
Neither of them had seen this anywhere before. What kind of person paints their nails?
Prostitute?
They finally drew their attention back to the face.
It was sort of understandable why they might have made the mistake of thinking they were looking at a young man.
He or rather she was young either in her late teens or early twenties . The facial features were almost asexual. The nose was fairly straight except for a slight bump and a bit wide across. The eyebrows arched but thick. Prominent cheekbones, the jaw slightly squared. Only the full mouth helped soften the rest of the features.But what had thrown them off was the hair. It was short. Well, short for woman and cut in uneven pieces of which the longest of which came to the jaw line.
Was she a prisoner of some sort? The captain wondered. But that didn't quite explain that strange sack attached to her back.
Gibbs had removed it placed it upon a small table in the corner.
"We found this on her -- it was strapped to her back" Gibbs said.
"Has anybody else seen it?" the long tressed pirate captain throwing him a look, eyes glittering .
"Just some of the crew captain, but nobody/s taken a look inside."
The captain bent down for a closer look. It appeared to be some kind of sack with various other compartments on the outside and within. There were some strange seams (zipper) running across the top of the sack with a nub at the end. There were more of the strange seams along the side and flaps that seemed to be outside compartments. "Curious, very curious" speaking under his breath.
He pulled on it flat like nub at the end of one of the seams and to his surprised it slowly began to tear open. He peered in trying to see, Spied what appeared to be several objects contained within and began pulling the first one out.
The first object appeared to be some kind of small satchel with more seams.
He pulled it open and looked inside to see a strange round disk -like object. He pulled it out. Joined to it was some kind of black string with a then flexible band with nubs attached to either end.
On further inspections there seem to be eight flat round objects contained in some kind of transparent pouch on the side. (CD/ holder/ compartments)
What in 'ell is that?" exclaimed Gibbs.
Sparrow just looked at Gibbs, made a face.
The captain put the object back its place zipped it up and…. Jack decided he could inspect fully later in the full privacy of his cabin. He also saw there were more objects contained within to go through.
"I'm taking this back to my cabin where I can inspect this without being interrupted. I trust you will not say anything about this to the crew, Gibbs? Jack looked at Gibbs hard, his look saying 'You didn't see anything of this.'
"Aye, Captain" said Gibbs, backing away not sure he wanted to know any thing about the strange contents. Bad luck bringing a woman on board he had always said. This one seemed to be stranger than most.
The captain murmured dismissing him. Gibbs turned started up the steps " Oh and Gibbs tell Anna Maria to come down her for a moment. We're putting her temporarily in her quarters till we can clear some space for her"
He turned back to the woman lying on the table and started examining the jewelry on her fingers, the silver and gold rings. 'Well this design looks familiar', noting the silver ring on her middle finger with the dark stone that was a more feminine version of the one on his hand. 'Apparently we share the same taste in loot?'
He thought about pulling them off her fingers then stopped noting something showing under the wet sleeve now clinging to her wrist. "Now what's this?" He rolled back the cuffs and felt his breath intake sharply. Can it be? He looked harder at the thick gold band covering her wrist. Impossible! Surely they would have taken it from her if they knew she had this on her person? Very curious indeed.
The captain took her wrist, put his hand on the bracelet and began to gently tug. It didn't budge. He began to gently twist the band, it loosened somewhat but still wouldn't come off. "Oh blast it" finally grabbing her wrist none too gently and gave it a hard pull.
Suddenly the young woman's eyes flew open. Sparrow nearly jumped back. He didn't know why but he had not expected her to wake up. Large brown-gray eyes stared back. Her hand flew out, smacking him hard across his face.
"Leave that alone!" She cried or tried to. It came out more like an unintelligible croak.
"Oww! I really didn't deserve that!' Well maybe he did, he amended, since he was more or less trying to steal her jewelry. But hey, he was a pirate, that's what he did.
'Haven't even landed at Tortuga and already I'm getting slapped' he thought.
Suddenly the woman's eyes rolled back and she more or less fainted back onto the table.
Anna Maria came down the stairs. "Captain, what is it? Gibbs said you wanted to see me?"
"Yes, this woman" he indicated to Rory, glancing at his first mate.
Anna stopped staring at the prone figure on the table.
'' Lend her some of your old clothes. Were going to try to get 'er dry and put 'er in your quarters."
"Oh no you don't", Anna began.
"Temporarily until we can clear some a room for 'er. We'll probably clear out the old storage space again that used to be Boggs old room. Look until we decide what to do with 'em, I mean 'her"
Anna scowled not wanting to give up any privacy to the odd stranger." Why cant she just stay down here?" Or better yet Anna thought one of the two cells for prisoners in the next room?
"Preeetty pleeeaase dear?" The captain sing songed, giving her his best Cheshire cat ear to ear grin (even though it hurt to smile now that he'd gotten bitch slapped).
"Urghh" his first mate growled. "Okay but that room better be ready by tomorrow night or else somebody's gonna be sleeping on the deck an it aint gonna be me!"
"Oh and help me get some of her wet clothes off" he added.
"Ya gotta be kidding me."
He ignored her and tried to take the bracelet off again. Still no luck.
"Oh but before we do that 'elp me get this off her will ya?" indicating the bracelet.
Anna Maria's eyes widened. "Pretty fancy" noting the inlaid jewels.
"Just 'elp me and don't ask too many questions."
Anna sighed walked over and began tugging at the young woman's wrist. Much to the captains surprise it practically slid off this time. She handed the bracelet to him. 'Too bad I didn't get to her first, that man has all the dumb luck', she thinking what she could've bought or traded for a piece like that.
"What?" Anna Maria looked at his flummoxed expression.
It was practically stuck on before. "Huh. For a moment there I thought was gonna have to chop off her wrist."
His first mate rolled her eyes and said "Captain you 'aven't ever chopped off anybody's wrist to take something." Well she wasn't entirely sure of that statement, not in the time she'd known him.
She turned to get some of her old clothing from her quarters and headed up the stairs.
She was back in a moment. "Here these should fit 'er, they're my old clothes when I was a mere girl. She emphasized that last remark.
Jack looked at her, not sure if she was alluding to their sometimes strained relationship over the past years or whether she was remarking on the woman's lanky form.
He should leave and go upstairs to take care of business on the ship. Anna could get her into some drier clothing.
"Well what are 'ou waiting for Captain? Hoping to see something you 'avent seen before?" She smirked.
Sparrow growled something under his breath, but she was sure it was sounded like "Bloody women."
Jack went to his quarters and locked the door. Anna Maria would only be too glad to take over the helm for a while. Walking over to his desk, to examine the strange objects.
Somebody's got some explaining to do… He would deal with the strange woman later.
Anna turned to the still unconscious woman and started removing the rest of her clothing. "You know it help greatly if you woke up now so I don't feel like some kind of mortician preparing a corpse." She started pulling down the pants.
"HEY!" Suddenly the woman woke up. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Trying to get yourself into some drier clothing before you catch your death of 'ol miss prissy pants."
The young woman frowned at Anna. "Where am I?"
"Ya aboard the Black Pearl."
Rory stared and slowly yeah right she thought "Uh huh" she slowly drawled. She had heard the name before, but it wasn't familiar to anyone who didn't really know his or her history of the Caribbean.
"Sooo-- let me guess, that would make its owner---
"Actually I'M its owner" Anna cut in "or at least I was".
Rory brows knit together at this information. She began again. " So that means the person running this good ship lollypop has to be none other than----"
"Captain Jack Sparrow" Anna supplied with a mix of pride and -it wasn't really contempt maybe regret in her voice?
"Of course." Rory tried not to roll her eyes at the young Jamaican woman. 'These people really know how to stay in character' she thought.
"Um well" trying to remember the events that led to how she got here aboard The Black Pearl in the first place. Even the name of the captain sounded vaguely familiar. Where had she heard it before? "Could you take me to see him?''
"No"
"No?"
''E's busy. 'ere just put these dry clothes on. I've got work to do myself 'ant stay here all day jabbering to the likes of you can I? The 'aptain says I'm to let you my room for a night till we get you settled in---- "
"Settled in your room?"
The next statements from Anna Maria the next came motor mouthing a mile a minute:
"Ya? You daft woman? Unless of course, you want to bunk in the crew quarters, but I wouldn't recommend it. Oh they're not really bad sorts, not like the crew Captain 'ad when Barbosa was 'ith em,but ya gotta remember they don't come across too many women for months at a time and they could still get ideas. Especially that redhead, he's an young one and full of the devil, possibly worse than the cap' cuz he's still a bit new and me, I can take care of ma' self if anybody gets an funny ideas, been on me own since I 'as a girl of ten. Sleep with a big knife 'uder me pillow. DONT MOVE it 'ya 'ear? My quarters is up those stairs make a left go down the 'alley way second door to your right. And your name is?"
"Uh Rory"
'Funny name' thought Anna. But then, most of the crew went by funny names of some sort. "Mines Anna Maria. Oh and Uh Rory if your feeling better already you can get your skinny arse on deck and help out the crew. Ya no good to anyone just sitting around sleeping all day!"
Not waiting for an answer Anna Maria flew back up the stairs.
Speechless, Rory could only stare at her opened mouth as she disappeared from sight. Completely forgetting to ask her if they could possibly take her back to the harbor to make a call to her friends.
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R and R
No, most of those weren't errors that spell check missed just my pathetic attempts to mimic either a Cockney or Jamaican accent. I should probably should not do this, its driving my spell check crazy. Other misspellings are my attempt at slang.