Disclaimer: I do not own Jack, Will, Elizabeth, or the place in which this chapter takes place. I do own Cindy, Dèsirèè, and the stuff that makes up this written piece.
Author's Note:
Well it's time for my yearly update! Hmph, sorry about this guys. My life's been going in all different directions; I've moved across the country, had my first boyfriend, been focusing on slam poetry, etc. But, I just couldn't forget Dèsirèè and her friends. Okay, so yes, this chapter is short, but you guys gotta give me a break. I'm trying to get back on the horse with this story and I'm just testing the water with this chapter. Read, enjoy, and try to fall in love with them all over again.
With all my compliments,
T.F.
Will lead them through several back rooms, pressing upon the rag tag group the need for quiet. They finally reached a room that resembled a kitchen; a large stove on one side, some assorted cabinets surrounding the edges of the room and a small table near the center.
Will then proceeded to commit a cardinal sin, one that would tie him to the pirates forever: He asked if anyone would like a glass of rum. Immediately, two Captains jumped on his offer, pushing him out of the way and grabbing the bottle he held in his hand. Cindy politely refused, commenting that not only did she find the taste a bit too tart, but that she didn't think she would get the bottle away from Jack and Dèsirèè.
The two pirates had finally come to a decision about who would pour the drinks and who would get the glasses; Jack got stuck with doing the latter and Dèsirèè lovingly stroked the bottle of alcohol.
The cork stopper gave a jolly little pop as Dèsirèè pulled it out, the glass of the bottle and of the cups clinking together in good cheer. Will and Cindy had begun chattering friendly, exchanging customary questions of etiquette, inquiring after each other's health and happiness.
"Was that a cork popping that I heard?"
All conversation in the room stopped dead as the voice rang out, each person freezing where they were.
Busted.
The sound of bare footsteps got closer and a door, just to the left of where they were all huddled, opened, and a lady stepped into the room, silk robe billowing around her as she said, "Will, just what are you-"
Suddenly finding 4 pairs of eyes staring at you was enough to shock anyone, but the current collection of eyes were none to friendly, belonging to pirates, a whore, and a blacksmith. Elizabeth quickly pulled her robe closed, eyes searching the room frantically before lighting, falling upon a familiar, roguish face.
"Jack!" The normally reserved woman spun lightly across the room, stopping just short of jumping on the pirate, hugging him with a happiness that surprised everyone in the room, including Jack.
Dèsirèè simply shook her head, muttering 'Just when you thought you've seen everything' as she downed a large swig of rum.
"Oh," Elizabeth exclaimed as she hurriedly released Jack, catching the puzzled stare of Dèsirèè, "you brought friends."
"Ah, yes," Jack turned, letting the two women face each other, "Mrs. Turner, Dèsirèè Moore."
Dèsirèè bowed curtly and settled into her chair. "Pleasure, mum."
"And Cindy Rowan," finished Jack. Cee took Elizabeth's outstretched had and kissed it softly. "Enchanteè, belle mademoiselle," she whispered, her low voice hypnotically sweet.
Elizabeth's expression would have caused the most serious nun to laugh herself into tears. Dèsirèè drowned out her own mirth with a hearty swig of rum.
"Will!" exclaimed Jack, efficiently leaping over the awkward moment. "How's the life of a married man then, eh?"
As the three friends participated in the customary catch-up talk, Cindy joined Dèsirèè at the small wooden table, plopping down into a chair as Dèsirèè poured her a large glass.
"You really aught to be more…discreet, Cee," chided Dèsirèè gently. "I mean, she's already married."
"There's no harm in trying," Cee replied jovially.
Dèsirèè gave a small smile and then sighed. "We're wasting time," she whined, taking off her hat and running a hand over her hair. "I just want to get the key and get off of this rock."
There was a span of heavy silence between the two friends as Cee took a long, slow drink.
"Um…Dee?"
"Oui?"
"About the key…"
"…and as soon as we were able to vacate the charming premises of the jail," finished Jack, "we hurried over to greet you two."
Will was about to respond when a loud crack pierced the air. The group jumped collectively and whipped around to see what the trouble might be.
The remains of Dèsirèè's wooden mug were strewn across the floor, rum dripping from the jagged peaks. The pirate herself was running around the table, chasing after a certain prostitute who appeared to have the very fear of God put into her.
"VOUS PUTAIN FRANÇAISE STUPIDE!" Dèsirèè's eyes were wide and dark, anger tainting the pupils as she scrambled with ferocious tenacity after her soon to be late friend. "J'AI LAISSE LA CLEF AVEC TU PUISQUE J'AI PENSE QUE TU AVEZ EU L'INTELLIGENCE - À!" Dèsirèè gave another yell of uncontainable frustration. "L'OH, JE VAIS TU TUE!"
Cindy herself was clambering over and under everything she could find, knocking over chairs and various furniture as she went, crying "JE SUIS DÉSOLÉ, JE SUIS DÉSOLÉ, NE ME TUE PAS, NE ME TUE PAS!"
Now Jack's knowledge of the French language was limited at best, but he had spent some time in several ports of the French persuasion, and, being Jack, the phrases he recognized were "You stupid French whore!" and "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
Jack figured it was time for some intervention. He stepped just behind the fleeing French woman and let Dèsirèè plow into him with, he had to admit, a little more force than he had expected. "Now Dèsirèè-" he sputtered, trying to hold her still as she thrashed against him, trying to get to the shaky Cee behind him, "MOORE! Just calm down, for chrissakes!"
For a dreadfully long moment, the room was silent as Dèsirèè actually stopped moving, turning her murderous glare slowly onto Jack. "Oh merde. Cap'n…" Cindy glanced at the pirate sympathetically, backing away slowly, "ye shouldn't have said that…"
"Calm…down?" repeated Dèsirèè, as if the words were a foreign language to her. "Calm down, Cap'n Sparrow?" She planted her feet firmly on the floor and took a step back, her arms open wide. "Don't I seem calm to you?"
"Yes…," Jack nodded his head with wariness, "ye do."
"But, please, share with me how calm you'd be, if you were told that the one thing your future depended on had been lost by some empty headed French whore!" Jack's beautiful, braided, beaded goatee was soon to be at the mercy of a pirate beside herself with rage. Dèsirèè gripped the hair firmly and pulled down with vicious delight, eliciting a yelp from the Captain as she pulled him down to face level. "WOULD YOU BE CALM JACK!"
"NO no no, I would be very very upset," Jack assured her, on the verge of whimpering most pitifully.
Dèsirèè's free hand shot up, causing Jack to jump back before he could remember that she had him by the beard. He watched, frozen, as her hand tightened into a fist. Her pointer finger jabbed the air before coming slowly towards his face. Jack squeezed his eyes shut…
And felt a light tap on his nose.
"Good." She released him, rolling her shoulders slightly, eyes heavenward. "Now, what was I doing? Oh yes," in her corner, Cindy began to shake again, "I was on my way to viciously murdering a very stupid Frenchwoman by the name of CINDY ROWAN!"
"Please Dee! It wasn't my fault!" Cindy retreated further into her corner, seemingly wanting to cave in on herself.
"Just what exactly wasn't her fault?" inquired Will anxiously, a protective arm wrapped around his wife.
"Oh, not your fault then?" Dèsirèè continued advancing, seeming to ignore Will's question before turning to face him, a hand on her hip. "Not her fault, you see, that she happened to lose the bloody key, the one, singular thing that this entire job depends upon, the one, SIMPLE, thing I left her to do. Not her fault at all, don't you see?"
"You're the one who has the key?" Jack interjected with sudden illumination to why they had picked her up in the first place.
"Well. Had. I had the key." Dèsirèè rounded back on the shattered woman, causing her to begin shouting again. "But I haven't lost it, really I haven't! I know exactly where it is!"
"So you've told me dearest!" Dèsirèè's tone was far more upset than angry now, her pitch reaching heights of whining not before discovered. "In a safe! Inside a brothel! That we, naturally, can't get into! A lot of bloody good that does us now!"
A/N: So the gangs all here now, no? I can tell you there are only two more characters that are going to be introduced that haven't been hinted at. But that isn't for a while. So get to know these people, learn to love 'em.
The three steps to happiness: Read, Enjoy, Review. You've already read, I hope you enjoyed it, so review for cosmic peace and prosperity!
Your Obedient,
T.F.