Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and all associated characters belong to their respective owners. I just play and give back. All I can lay claim to are the OC's in this story – and not even them. They own themselves, alright? I guess I come out with nada. Sadly.
Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. '
Dedication: I dedicate this whole story to my grandpa who lived an eventful, healthy 86 years and instilled knowledge and the love of gardening in most everyone he came into contact with. He was joking up until the very end, and that's how I like to remember him.
Chapter 10 – Arrival
Jack moaned in response to the knocks sounding rudely on his door. The noise was muffled by the presence of his pillow and the pirate shifted lethargically. The knocking ceased and Jack exhaled, relaxing into a fresh position.
He flinched violently when the knocking resumed, louder this time. "Cap'n!" Gibbs nearly yelled through the door. "You're needed on deck, sir!"
"Blast it Gibbs," Jack growled, absently surprised at the weakness in his voice. "Didn' I tell ye t' solve yer own problems!"
"Aye sir, but-"
"Blast it, git yer tail in 'ere an' stop yellin'!" Jack snarled, his voice slightly stronger now.
"It's locked, sir."
With great effort, Jack lugged his head off of the pillow and hazily glared at the firmly shut and locked door. His body trembled of its own volition and he felt too weak and tired to move.
"Sir?"
"Comin' Gibbs," Jack muttered shakily, inching closer to the edge of the bed.
Gibbs placed one hand on the doorframe and rested some of his weight on it, waiting. He assumed he knew why Jack was taking so long to respond, but the man had proven him wrong on more occasions than he could count. Several thuds echoed from within the cabin, drawing the stares of a few crew members near enough to hear. Gibbs returned curious glances with cold stares, sending the men back to their tasks.
Finally he heard Jack clawing at the door and fumbling with the lock and he backed up a step. The door swung inward and Jack stood before him, shirtless and braced in the doorframe by a hand on either side. The younger was pale and doing his best to hide the fact that his whole body was trembling.
"Not a word Gibbs," Jack warned with a pointed finger, noticing the elder's knit brows. The pirate captain pushed himself off the doorframe and stood aside to allow the other to enter. Once Gibbs was inside, Jack closed the door and allowed his shoulders to slump as he leaned back on it.
Having expected the show of weakness, Gibbs moved quickly to his captain's side and took hold of his arm, offering his support. Jack waved him off and slowly paced over to the bed. With a sigh he sank gratefully to the mattress and held his head in his hands.
"What'd you do, Jack?" The elder was answered by a slow, vague swish of Jack's hand that seemed to direct the other's attention to the small bottle sitting on the tabletop. Gibbs picked the bottle up and squinted at its contents. "What's this?"
"Never mind." Jack mumbled, looking vacantly up. "What did ye need me fer?"
Gibbs replaced the small bottle and took a seat in one of the chairs. "Nothing at all. It's just that you were takin' an awful long time to make a reappearance." Jack quirked his head slightly and the elder took the hint to explain. "We're four days into the voyage, sir."
Jack's eyes widened fearfully and regained some of their focus. "Have th' boys noticed?"
"Nobody missed you when you turned in early on the second day, and yesterday was pretty quiet. Everyone assumed you were goin' over the charts or designing some special plan fer gettin' us into Port Royal. But this morning there were some questions, seein' as how you missed six consecutive meals and didn't have them brought t' yer cabin. So I figured I best come and check on you."
"Bloody right ye shoulda," Jack grumbled tiredly, running a hand down his face.
As the two fell into silence, it became more and more obvious to the elder that Jack was shaking uncontrollably despite his efforts to hide it. After several long moments of watching the other tire himself by trying to hide a trivial weakness, Gibbs cleared his throat and Jack's head shot up in response.
"Hungry, sir?"
"Aye," Jack whispered faintly, letting his head droop again.
Gibbs gently patted the younger on the knee. "Sit tight Jack, I'll be right back," he said quietly as he rose. Jack listened halfheartedly to the other's retreating footsteps and the subsequent opening and closing of the cabin door.
Closing the cabin door behind him, Gibbs shook his head mildly and sighed.
"Gibbs," Ana called lightly, approaching the quartermaster at an agitated pace.
The one looked up and met Ana's gaze evenly. A question burned in her eyes but the tension in her jaw made it evident that she would not give voice to the query.
"The Cap'n's fine, lass." Gibbs said quietly in answer to the unasked question. Without giving her time to respond, he passed her and descended to the galley.
Ana found herself suddenly lost and confused. She stood uncertainly, staring hollowly at the closed cabin door. A part of her demanded that she enter and ascertain Jack was 'fine' for herself, and yet…she couldn't. She backed up a step and then another and shook her head.
As Gibbs was returning to Jack's cabin, he passed Ana, who was pale and pacing quickly with her head down. The old sailor had only a moment to contemplate this odd behavior before he reached the cabin door and had to face the more pressing matter of his malnourished captain.
A quiet knock sounded on his door and Jack jumped. "Come'n," he muttered, not noticing that Gibbs had already entered with a tray of food balanced on one hand. Jack started again as the tray appeared in his peripheral vision and he weakly dragged his head up. He glanced over the tray of food uninterestedly and made no move to take any of it.
Exhaling silently, Gibbs took a bowl of stew and a spoon from the tray and placed them in Jack's hands. Jack sighed heavily.
"I know lad, but ye need to eat." Gibbs said quietly, nodding toward the stew. Slowly and very reluctantly, Jack began to sip at the stew, still having no real interest in it.
"Jack," the one's eyes darted up from his meal at the sound of his name, "Where'd you git that?" Gibbs finished, indicating the golden medallion that hung around the neck of the younger.
Jack waved the spoon vaguely in the air. "Aneaia." Gibbs quirked an eyebrow in question. The spoon traced a larger path in the air. "Caciques' daughter."
ZzZzZzZzZzZ
A heavy cloak of darkness covered the night-ridden land with the only light coming from the sliver of moon surrounded by a sprinkling of stars. Lazy white wisps of cloud traveled through the night sky and passed over the eerily luminescent moon, casting a shadow upon the land to complete the shroud of darkness.
The gentle, omnipresent lull of the waves rolling in and crashing against the shore was the only sound…the only sound until the distinct crackling of wind-filled sails drifted in, preceding the dark ship that slowly made her way into Kingston Bay.
A large cloud floated nearer to the moon and a moment after the dark ship's anchor touched the water, the port town was bathed in solid blackness.
"When should we expect you back Cap'n?" Jack leveled his dark gaze at his quartermaster and his message was understood. "The code. Aye Cap'n," Gibbs said quietly, casting his gaze down at the deck.
Jack pulled the hood of his heavy cloak up over his head, casting his face in shadow. He turned away from Gibbs and the cloak billowed out around him as he walked to the rail where a rowboat was waiting in the water below.
ZzZzZzZzZzZ
Ana rapped her fist against the heavy wood of Jack's cabin door. Her first knock sounded loud and frighteningly empty, making her hesitant to knock again. When several minutes had passed with no response, she raised her fist again and just before her hand connected with the wood, a voice stopped her mid-motion.
"Lookin' for someone, Anamaria?"
Ana spun around and faced Gibbs with a resigned but somehow grateful expression. "Where's th' Cap'n?"
"He's gone ashore lass."
"What? Alone?"
"Aye." Gibbs caught Ana's arm as she pushed past him, heading for the ship's rail. As she was spun gracelessly into him, Ana cast a heated glare up at him. "Nay lass, he ordered that no one follow him. Th' crew's not allowed shore leave until he returns."
"Well Jack's an idiot." Ana spat, pulling free of Gibbs' grasp and storming to the ship's rail.
Thunder rolled in the distance and Gibbs, feeling uncomfortable with the situation, followed Ana to the rail where she was already arguing with another crewmember about getting a boat lowered.
"I'm sorry miss, but Captain's orders-"
"Screw his orders," Ana snarled, glaring down at the frightened man. "He's clearly not in his right mind. Now lower a boat." Ana took in a sharp breath as strong hands caught hers and pinned them up behind her back at an awkward angle. She instantly took the offensive, cursing and kicking wildly but making no progress in getting free.
"Johnson, Stewe, would you kindly escort Miss Anamaria to her cabin?" Gibbs called to two large crewmen. The two quickly crossed the deck and took one arm each, restraining the hissing, kicking and cursing female. "Thank you gentlemen. And please, make sure she stays where she has been confined."
As the two men began dragging Ana away, she dug her feet in and made slim progress in hindering their forward movement. "Gibbs!" she screamed. "You'll regret this!"
Gibbs' previously hard expression softened somewhat as he reminded himself of the cause of her actions. After a moment, he addressed the two thugs struggling to keep their holds on the wildcat. "Kindly lock her in the brig for the night."
Ana's frown darkened and she spat at Gibbs' feet as she was forcibly dragged below.