A/N: Sorry this has been so long in coming, but this has taken a sick day to finish! And it was like, how the hell do I explain everything? I'm still not sure I have, properly anyway...
Disclaimer: Jill. And that's it. For now (Evil laughter)
Jill woke with a blinder of a headache. There were to two reasons it was better on a pirate ship. One, you could skive easily because there were so many of you, and two, someone always had something suitably mind numbing. So, last night had been spent sitting with a bottle in one hand trying to sort out her brain. It had come to her just before she passed out.
After the part of her brain not sodden with alcohol had had some time to kick the rest of her brain into action, she went to find Anamaria.
"Annie..." she used her brothers pet name for her. The others were to call her Ana. She came out of her daydream
"Hmm?"
"You were brought up on voodoo weren't you?"
"Yes, actually, I was," Anamaria furrowed her brow "Why?"
"Because you have to believe what I'm gonna tell you,"
"What?"
"Sit down please,"
Jill began to talk. After a while, she rolled up her sleeve and pulled off a bandage. Anamaria turned grey, and as Jill watched she slumped over.
"Dammit," she muttered, and held her up right with one hand and slapped her with the other. A few whacks and Anamaria came to, groggy and still grey in the face. She groaned, but snapped to as the events of the last few minutes came to her
"You slapped me!"
"Sorry," Jill shrugged. "I'll tell Jay. You didn't know our parents, and I think that someone who did will be able to tell it better."
"I don't think I could anyway," Anamaria's eyes glittered with unshed tears.
"Chin up lady, our Jay'll be able to sort it,"
"I hope so,"
"Ana! Hey, Ana!" It was one of the men
"Good luck," and she left. Jill rubbed her face in the manner of one weary, and
she went below deck, where she had a room that was used as a surgery and hospital. There was an ancient tea chest that had all the things Jill held precious. She tugged out some bits of jewellery, a couple of bits of paper, a swatch of tattered cloth, and then a battered leather bound book. She replaced everything else carefully and then tucked it in her shirt.
Jay was up on deck, behind the wheel. He hummed to himself as he kept the ship steady. Jill nudged him,
"Oi, you,"
"What?"
"A word in your ear?"
"What about?"
"In private,"
"Oh, right. Mr. Gibbs, take the wheel if you please,"
In the little room that served as Jack's office, Jill pulled out the book. There was a scuffle over who was sitting where. Jill tried to get Jay to move. He didn't. so she sat on him. He tipped her off. She pulled him down on with her, knocking the chair over and catching him on the nose. So he punched her back. They fought for a while, the way siblings do. nothing personal, but vicious, until it was settled by Jill bringing Jay's head into sharp contact with the desk. He reeled, and hit her in the stomach hard. (Both incidents had been accidental, but neither was going to admit to that) They ended up lying side by side on the floor, panting and rubbing bruises reproachfully.
"Anamaria's pregnant," Jill said
"What?" Jay sat up. "You serious?"
"Yep. Congratulations brother,"
Jay's face split into a slow silly grin
"But it's not good,"
"Why, what's wrong?" Jay stood up dreamily and got a bottle out of a cupboard. "Cheers,"
"Well, it's a long story." Jill took the bottle off him. "And I need you to hear it sober,"
Jay sighed, but the smile stayed.
"Go on then. You sit in the desk and read," Jay ordered. "I'll listen. I like a good story,"
Jill made herself comfortable by lying on the desk with her legs dangling. Jay righted the chair and rested his legs on her stomach. Jill sighed, but did nothing. She picked up the book, where miraculously it was still on the desk, and then started to talk.
"Remember how dad was supposed to be in the 'fair trade'?" she dropped the marks round the polite word for smuggling like someone would say that a lady and her male companion were 'good friends'.
"Yep,"
"Well, he wasn't. He joined the Navy. He was a squealer,"
"No. You're lying," A squealer was a Navy boy who worked with pirates, and then handed them in. If someone called someone else a squealer, they had better have very good proof they weren't.
"No I'm not, Jay," Jill pulled out a bit of paper from the book, sealed with the Navy's mark. Jay opened it and his lips moved
"Robert Sparrow, Rank: Informant, Ship: The Elizabeth, Pay: Five shillings, signed by General Stephan Norrington,"
"Seems we're not the only Sparrows to be known to the Norrington family," Jill took the pay slip back and slipped it back in the book. "However, he decided that pirating was more profitable, and turned to that. Ended up with a Captain Baggington. The book's his log," she passed that over too. Jack scanned the writing, which was in an uneducated untidy hand, with the letters every which way, like an old fence.
"So why tell me now? I'm a busy person Jill. Family history can wait. And I have some celebrating to do,"
"Hang on, let me read you some," Jill opened it at a place marked with a scrap of cloth. "One more thing. Do you remember Baggington?"
"Yeah. He was that one who preferred to get villages and that. Didn't go for sea battles much. Tended to obsess. Last time I heard, he'd gone for some treasure or other,"
"Yeah. Captain Damask's pile. With dad. Listen," and she began
"Today we came to the cave. Damask's men had put everything in a big pile where they had intended to come back. Shame the Navy caught up with them really. Everyone scattered, throwing themselves on the gold. Suddenly the past few months, the storms, the illness, everything seemed worth it. I found two rings, identical with a small jewel in each. Worthless probably, but I can give them to the twins. I also found something for Sally, my wife, a perfect pink pearl necklace," Jill paused "I remember that. I sold it. Got a good price too," Jay sat back, closing his eyes. "Just get on with the account,"
"But the finest piece was a wooden box. It was carved with great care, and inlaid with rare woods, there was a fish, a bird, a lizard type thing and a mammal of some description. I opened it and inside were the four most beautiful jewels I haave ever seen. A fiery ruby set in gold and surrounded by garnets and smaller rubies, rising, like sparks in a fire. A cold diamond, set in silver with opal and pearl surrounding it, it was as beautiful as a cloud. A sapphire, set in silver again, with turquoise and blue crystal rising from it like bubbles from a fish. And last was a big chunk of jet, and tigers eye, amber and whorls of gold were worked into the silver that held it together, they were linked together by a gold and silver chain, and each link had a tiny piece of ruby sapphire diamond and jet, a miniature of their bigger brothers. It is one of the most beautiful and precious things in the whole horde, and I am keeping it. Maybe it will be enough to keep me off the seas forever." Jill stopped and flipped through
"There's a lot of guff about how the winds been and a few fights, look later if you're interested. But right now, we're interested in this," and she began to read again
"Today I sold the necklace for a ridiculous sum of money to the fence. Then later on, as I let a whore ply her trade, I had a very clear vision. A giant woman appeared. 'You have angered the spirits, and they demand satisfaction,' She sliced my arm, a skull etched in blood 'Bring back the jewels or die.' And she disappeared. I thought nothing of it, thinking the drink had brought it on, till I looked at my arm. There was the skull, drawn in red on my arm," she stopped "Remember that scar? He said it was good luck,"
"Yeah," said Jay, "given by an Indian guru. Lying old git,"
"Like father like son." Jill started to flip through a bit more.
"He went back to the fence, but he had already broken it down and sold it on... right, here's what we're after," and started to read again
"'I can't find it!' I cried. She told me that I would die
'No!' I shouted 'No don't! Wouldn't the spirits like more than my miserable skin? They could have generations!'
'The spirits would like more. They would like you, your children, and your children's children's spirits,' she told me.
'Fine, fine!' I said in relief and she disappeared. Now I have more time. I can find it. Easily."
Jill closed the book,
"Jesus Jack, I'm sorry," she sat up. Jack sat properly at the desk and lay his head in his hands
"Why should you be sorry? Taint your fault. It's mine, if it's anyones,"
Jill winced
"Let's leave that topic. We need to find the necklace,"
"When we stop, I'll get Will to ask around. He gets on with people better,"
"You mean he doesn't owe as much money,"
"Well..." Jay looked rueful. Then his face reset to gloomy.
"It gets worse though," Jill fiddled with the diary. "One night, dad saw the woman again. They can't take the curse off without the blood of a maiden. One that hasn't been um, touched. And they know who we are. They came a couple of weeks back. I guess that
was when Anamaria first..." she broke off, and coughed "You know..."
"I get it," Jay said irritably. He reached for the bottle again, but for a totally different reason.
"We've got till the babe's born. If we haven't found it by then..."
"How will we know?"
Jill rolled up a sleeve and undid a bandage. Like the rest of her body, her arm was scarred, though it was nothing compared to her face. And there was the skull. And below it a set of nine downwards strokes.
"They'll heal, one every moon, then we're toast."
"Well, the maiden is easy. We've got you,"
"When I first left home, I went to see Her uncle. Do you remember? She always had an uncle,"
"Yeah. He ran a club in a town along the coast,"
"Well, he wasn't Her uncle. He was Her pimp," Jay's face showed complete incomprehension "She was a a whore. A specialist, if you like. She did men with... different tastes," the words sunk in and Jay pulled a face
"With my err... good looks, I was an instant hit. Stuck it out for a few years too. Left in the end though,"
Jay looked away
"God, I feel like such a heel," he muttered, and took a slug from the bottle
"Don't worry 'bout it. I had it good. Babyface was the youngest. She were twelve when she killed 'erself. When I saw her poor little body laid out, I know I had to get out, or I would've been next."
Jay looked sick
"I don't mind. Two months later, I went back, got the others out, and burnt the place down, with him and the punters inside. It was the sweetest sound." A disquieting smile spread over her face. Jack knocked back the rest of the bottle and spluttered and coughed. Then he lay back and didn't move. Jill left silently.
)()()()()()()()(Anamaria's PoV)()()()()()()()(
It was Anamaria who found him passed out on the floor of his office, and helped him to the side of the ship when he turned a unbecoming shade of pea green. When he was done, he groaned
"Remind me why alcohol is considered fun,"
"I have no idea. You had the good news?"
"Yes, and the bad,"
Anamaria said nothing, just hugged him.
"She was a prostitute for a time, did she say that? She burnt down the brothel with her pimp and punter inside,"
Anamaria said nothing
"It wouldn't be so hard, but it was me who left her, and I can remember her helping Daz to steal loaves, and then I think of that..."
Anamaria hugged her man again
"I think will find that fence and that necklace. We need coordinates captain, not trips down Mem'ry Lane,"
And she led him away, back to the present.
A/N: The plot thickens... So, recap for anyone who didn't get that. They're all gonna die unless they find that necklace. OK? We good? Right, I'll update ASAP then.
Reader Shouts. Because the reviews I got were kinda cool.
SeXySuPeRsTaR: Um, good? Yeah. Knives tend to be sharp don't they. Kind of annoying...
alyios: Glad you liked it. (I think.)
Rose Noire le Mort: Yeah, you spelt it wrong. It's c-r-i-t-i-c-i-s-i-n-g. (Heh, spellcheck.)
