Alright, alright. I know it's been forever, but it's finally here! Chapter 20. So I've come to realize that some things I have more experience with others, but I'm not too great at predicting when chapters will come out. Sorry it's been so long. Let's see, since the last chapter was posted I've: Met Will Smith, Been to the Dead Man's Chest premiere in Disneyland (Johnny's even more gorgeous in person), been in a play, been in a short film (school production), wrote another one-shot (Gray Wings, check it out.), done TONS of homework, oh yeah, and started tennis practice again. Not to mention the fact that I got a scholarship for a theater school in Berkeley. GASP. I told you I've been busy. But camping's next week, so hopefully I can work on another chapter.
As Always, sorry for the long intros, but this chapter is kinda long so it makes up for the long wait, I guess. You tell me. But I did have it to you right in time because Dead Man's Chest opens tomorrow.
Once again, first thanks go to my brother. I'd be lost without you, Mark. Also special thanks to Jesse for editing, and all my readers who are sticking by me despite the long wait. Enjoy!
Solia's POV.
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First impressions are often entirely wrong. Jack Sparrow was proving that theory true at this very moment. I never know what's going on with him. He hates me. He loves me. He wants to kill me and send me back to that bastard Norrington. I can't read him. It's a game that no one will win. Now don't you think that's a little hypocritical? He probably feels the same way about you.
As soon as we set foot in Tortuga, I already knew that it was unlike anywhere I had ever been before. 'Friendly fire' rang out from every direction. Men half drunk ran around chasing their whores through the city. Some of them gave me looks, the sort of looks a starving man would give a piece of bread. I could feel myself trying to escape. I felt Jack's arms tighten around my waist, but the funny thing is that I didn't fight back. "Listen." He whispers. "The men in this town think that any woman they see is for sale. Just relax. I promise I won't let anyone touch you." I didn't answer him. I didn't feel the need. I felt safe with him. It was this unexplainable feeling that as long as he was there with me I would be okay. I can do this. I can pretend to be his girl for one night. It's better then pretending to be Norrington's girl. I would be pretending my whole life, living a lie. I would be suffering every time he slept with me, and I'd die when I had his child. I don't love him. I can't, and I can't be with someone I don't love.
The whole town smelled of rum. It sickened, yet fascinated me. This place is a part of people's lives. I don't understand it. The men look disgusting, like the only thing in their lives are whores and booze, and bathing doesn't matter. The women aren't any better, half naked and flaunting it for all the men to see, hoping they can fetch a few more shillings then their companion. We went through so many back alleys. I noticed a few men, even trying to get what they paid for in those back alleys, like they needed it now, and couldn't wait to find an empty room. If the city was this wild during the night, I think it's safe to assume that it's dead during the day. There would be men passed out drunk in the streets, looking more like rotting corpses than human beings.
A woman, in a red dress, fire red hair looked at Jack, a grin covering her face. My guess is at some point she was one of his whores. She looked at Jack, then at me and her grin fell into anger, hatred. She turned back once again to her companions, ignoring us.
"Look, he's got another whore with him." She laughs, the statement loud and obvious.
"Ain't she a beaut'?" Another laughs, coming closer to me. She's a blonde, as much, if not more spiteful than the redhead.
"Won't be long till he's found himself another cunt, 'eh?" Roaring laughter filled the air. These women, they're trying to make up for what they're feeling, what they aren't anymore. Wait, what are you talking about? You're not his whore. I don't want to be his whore, I don't want to be anyone's whore, and I hate the fact that they think that I'm his, that he's paying for me. Jack pushed us past them, trying not to cause any more problems.
"I'm not your whore." I tell him again. He nods.
"I know, I know." He says, his tone more understanding then tired. He knows that I don't like being here, being his whore. As much as he tried to hide it, I look like his whore, just like they said. To them I'm just another girl that he's going to throw away once he gets what he paid for, and I hate this. I'm not a whore. Not Jack's, not Norrington's, not anyone! I'm not anyone's whore! He tries to lace his fingers in with mine, but I don't let him and his hands return to my waist.
We walked in silence, the occasional glances and comments from other women, and hungry stares from sleazy men. Finally we reached a little run down building, it wasn't as dirty as the rest of them. In a place like this, you could actually consider it nice. We stopped and Jack just stared at the door. The Brawler's Barrel, at least that's what the sign read. "We came to Tortuga...to go to a pub?" I ask Jack, confused. I really have no idea what this man is doing."Not just a pub, love. The pub." he grins.
"Jack, it's a pub. We came all this way to go to a pub and drink?" I ask. "If that's the case, this whole trip was pointless. You're not going to get me drunk, and you're not going to bed me. Got it?"
"Don't worry." he says, a little weary. "I'm not trying to sleep with you. This wasn't some clever plan to sleep with you. If that were the case, I would have had you a long time ago. This pub, just happens to be owned by an old friend of mine. Haven't seen him in a long time, figured it'd be nice to stop in..."
"Oh, and show him your prize?" I ask, interrupting him. "That's the real reason for the dress and this trip, isn't it?" I ask. "Nice to see you again, it's been a long time. Here I am, Captain Jack Sparrow come to see you and look who I've brought, it's the governor's daughter! Oh, isn't she a beaut'? I could get a good price for her, but I'm waiting to see if she'll sleep with me before I take her back." I imitate him. That's what it looks like. We're here to show me off. "If that's the case, Jack, I don't see any reason why it's necessary for me to be here."
"It's necessary because you're already here." He says, moving a little closer to me. "There's no turning back now, love. If you want to leave that's fine with me, but you'll be traveling these streets alone. You'll be facing up against those whores, and men. A lot of lonely men, and those are men who usually get what they want. So if you want to be safe love, stick with me. Get in that pub, savvy?" I can't seem to decipher if Jack's angry, or just plain tired of me. If anything it's more like a cold threat. It's a threat that I don't want carried out.
"Fine." I would challenge him, but what would be the point? I win, I walk back to the Pearl alone, and anything could happen. I loose, and I'm in a pub with Jack parading me around as his whore. I thought you established this. You can deal with being Jack's whore for one night. You can deal with anything as long as it keeps you away from Norrington... He wraps his arms around me.
"Ready?" He whispers, his voice soft and heavy in my ear, and so smooth it almost made me shiver. Without permission my head had nodded, and before I knew it he had opened the door and we were inside the pub.
It was cleaner then I had expected, at least in a town like this it could be considered clean. It smelled like the island, a mix of alcohol and spice. The smell of candle wax was heavy in the air, entwining with the rum into a sickly sweet, yet intoxicating scent that made you want to take it all in at once. The room was loud with chatter, but the sound of the door caused immediate silence. All eyes were on us. I wanted to get out of there. "Why are they staring at us?" I whisper, Jack's grip growing slightly tighter around me. He didn't answer, instead let the crowd answer for him. A few men coming up behind us, exchanging almost silent greetings and a slap on the back. We walked up to the bar, the chatter now a sea of comments. "It's Jack Sparrow." "Who's that whore with him?" "That's Jack?" "I'd like a piece of her." "That bastard owes me money!" The comments didn't stop. They only made me more curious about the man with his arms around me, the man that I've trusted my entire life to, and the man, that I'm not sure I trust at all.
"Now what?" I ask Jack. I don't like it here. It's better then being outside alone, he's right about that, but I just...I don't like it here.
"We wait." He says. Simple. He has a simple explanation for everything.
"We wait for what? We come all the way here, to come to a pub and wait?" I ask. "Jack, I need some answers. Now." He just smiles. "What's so funny about that?" He's making me angry again. All I want is an answer, and he can't even give me that.
"We wait for the opportune moment, love." He smiles. He sits down on a bench, and pulls me into his lap. I wiggle trying to get out of his grasp, but every time I do his arms get tighter around me. "You said you'd do this." He whispers. "You said you'd pretend for one night. Now do it, and do it right, savvy?" He loosens his grip and I stop struggling. "At least pretend like you're having a good time, I don't want my friend thinking that I've tortured you."
"Oh so we're waiting for a friend?" I ask, turning towards him. I want to see his face. "Jack Sparrow has a friend?" I smile. "How cute!" I tease him. "Oh! I get it! You need a pretty little whore to impress him, don't you? That's what I am. I'm you're pretty little whore, aren't I?" I smile. He rolls his eyes, but says nothing. "Aren't I your pretty little whore, Jack?" I ask him again. I tilt his head up to match his gaze
"Do you want me to say it?" He asks with no emotion. "Is that what you want?" I nod. I know he doesn't want to say it, but I want to hear him, I want to hear those words come out of his mouth.
"I know you're thinking it, just say it." I tell him. "Everyone in this pub thinks it, you're friend is going to think it, those people on the street thought it. Just say it, Jack. Just say it and get it over with." Why are you doing this? You're messing with him, with you. Do you want to be his whore? Is that why you're doing this? I just want him to tell the truth, to say what he's thinking, to be honest with me, for once since I've met him.
"You're my pretty little whore." He says, brushing a little piece of hair away from my face. He says it with no emotion, but he feigns a smile. "Are you happy now?" He asks. "Does that make you happy?" I smile.
"Yes it does, because for once, Captain Jack Sparrow, you're being honest with me. When you're honest with me, I can trust you." I take his face in my hands. "I want to trust you okay, Jack?" I smile, and he returns it. We sit there in silence for a few moments, not knowing what to say to each other. It's funny because in a place like this, even the quiet moments aren't so quiet.
"Want something to drink?" Jack broke the silence.
"What?" I ask, snapped out of the semi-trance I had been in.
"Something to drink..." He starts to stand up, bringing me with him. "...after all, we are in a pub." He smiles and we walk over to the bar. He slams his hand down on the bar and it sort of startles me. "That's how you get them to notice you, love." He says. "Want anything?" He asks me again.
"What you're having." I say quickly. "I'll have what you're having." I don't know what to ask for. I've never been in a pub. I've never had anything stronger then wine. I had champagne at my engagement party, but that's about it. You better be careful around him, Solia. You let your guard down in a place like this, next thing you know you're in his bed without your clothes or any clues as to what happened the night before.
"You're going to drink rum?" He's shocked. I've managed to shock him.
"I'm going to drink rum." I smile. "Is that so hard to believe?" He laughs.
"Aye, I thought you were a little angel. You know, no alcohol." He smiles. "You want to drink rum? Want to try it? By all means do so, but I'm not going to babysit you." He laughs, making a bunch of gestures with his free hand. His other hand is still around my waist.
"You don't think I'm strong enough for it, do you?" He shakes his head, but doesn't answer. "You think I've never had a drink in my life, and I can't handle it!
"Just being honest." He says. The bartender, a tall black man, finally makes it to us. Jack opens his mouth to talk, but I cut him off.
"Two mugs of your finest rum." I smile. The bartender nods, looks at me funny, then leaves to get our drinks. Jack looks at me shocked, and says nothing; he just smiles. The bartender disappears behind a door for a bit, then returns to get our drinks from one of the barrels behind the counter.
"You're going to pass out, love." He smiles. "And I'm not going to carry you back to the Pearl when it happens."
"And what are you going to do when I down it without a fuss?" I challenge him. He took a slight bow.
"Whatever you want." He grins. "This stuff is strong." I know he's lying to me. I can't trust him, but in some strange way I trust him more than anybody else.
"Of course, after you drink three bottles you're going to be a little drunk." I laugh. He shakes his head, laughing at me. "You're lying. I'll be fine."
"Just don't get drunk. I don't want to have to carry you out, and I'm not going to baby you in the morning when you're sick, savvy?" I nod, and the bartender came back with our drinks.
"Miss." He puts the mugs down on the counter and looks at Jack. "Pay up." He sticks his hand out, Jack gives him a few coins. "She any good?" He asks, Jack doesn't answer.
"Good?" I say angrily "I'm not...OW!" Jack pinched me, my guess is to shut me up.
"Excellent." Jack grins, cutting me off. The bartender laughs then leaves to attend to the other customers. I wanted to argue with him, I wanted to turn around and slap him, but I couldn't. I couldn't do anything. He told me to do this right, but I'm not sure if I can. I don't want to go back to Port Royal, but I'm not sure if I can handle this. "You know, that's the kind of stuff that will give you away." Jack leans in and whispers in my ear. "Don't answer questions like that." I swallowed back anything I wanted to say to him, anything that wouldn't help us get through this night. It was quiet for a while, Jack took a big swig of his rum. He was staring at me the whole time.
"What?" I ask, finally.
"You ordered it, you better try it." He picks it up and hands it to me. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to..." He takes it out of my hand and puts it back down on the counter. I snatched it back up.
"And give you the satisfaction of being right? No, I don't think so." I smile, and raise the glass to my lips. He stares at me, wide-eyed. I swallow the liquid. Spicy yet sweet it burns my throat, Jack laughs. I try to swallow and keep from coughing it up at the same time. It takes a few seconds, but I down it and smile. "It's good." Jack can't stop laughing.
"Good?" He asks, I nod. There was a long pause.
"What are we doing here again?" I asked. I didn't know what else to say, If his friend owns this pub, it didn't really seem like he was interested in seeing us.
"I told you. My friend owns the pub."
"How good a friend?" I ask.
"He was on the crew a couple years back after I got the Pearl again." He brushes some more hair out of my face. I had my hands on his shoulders.
"It's messy today." I say, tucking my hair back behind my ears. "You going to tell me about that?"
"You want to hear one of my stories?" He asks.
"I hear pirates have the best." I smile. He nods, and his face becomes serious. He tilts my chin up with his hand and looks me over, and smiles. His hands returned to my waist.
"I guess I can trust you." He smiles at me. "It was about ten years ago, maybe longer. I had just become captain of the Pearl, I traded somebody for a map and a compass. They both lead to the Isla De Muerta. It's an island that nobody can find, except for those who already know where it is." He smiles.
"Will you take me there one day?" I ask, resting my head on his shoulder. It was getting late, and I was getting tired. Don't you dare get to comfy there, Solia. That's how it starts. First the rum, then the stories, on deck watching the stars. You get even sleepier, and where does he take you? Don't dig yourself any deeper than you already are.
"No." He says. "There's treasure there. It's cursed...but that's another story. Vowed never to go back there again after I got the Black Pearl back. Didn't want to loose it again. Lost that ship and I lost my freedom."
"Oh." I say. "But what does that have to do with the man who owns this pub?" I ask.
"I'm getting there." He says. "The crew mutinied to get the treasure, left me without the Pearl. Gibbs helped me round up a crew to get the Pearl back, and Mark was on it. Good man. Good pirate." He smiled at the memories. "Good with the women too." I roll my eyes. Of course he had to mention that. "No, not like that at all. He had a...with...well...let's just say he was a gentleman. Sometimes we couldn't tell if he was on our side, or the navy's."
"Sounds like you, but a little more honest." I smile, but it doesn't matter how 'honest' they are; I still can't trust them.
"Like I said, he's a good man." Jack smiles. "And this is his pub, so hopefully he'll come around soon." He says.
"We've been here forever." I sort of whine. "All these men are staring at us, can we please go?" Since we left the Pearl, I had felt like men had been staring at me. I wanted to go back on the ship so I could feel a little safe, safer then I felt now.
"We're not leaving until I talk to Mark," He says firmly. "and that's that."
"Jack, please?" He shakes his head no. "I hate you." I mumble.
"I can make you happier then he can." A voice says. "How much?" I'm not a whore, leave me alone. I can't talk to him. I can't even look in his direction. I just continue to stare at Jack.
"Leah, just ignore him." He whispered in my ear. I shook my head no, but he snapped at the man. "Back off!" Jack says. "She's mine." I'm not yours! I couldn't say anything.
"Sod off!" I say. "Can't you see I'm busy?" I hate this. I'm not a whore, but to save myself I have to act like it. There's got to be an easier way to hide out in Tortuga without having to be a whore, and Jack just didn't tell me because he thought this would be more fun.
"How much?" He asks again.
"Can't you see I'm busy?" I tell him. "Besides, you couldn't afford me." I look over in his direction.
"How much?" He asks again. Jack hadn't said anything. He was making me do all this on my own. I could kill him for that. "If this jackass can afford you, I'm sure I can. How much?" I got off Jack's lap, in order to face the man. He was a stern looking Filipino man in his mid twenties. It seemed like this life had hardened him; you could see it in his eyes. Height was never one of my best qualities, so I stretched to my full height, and then some, in order to properly look him in the eye.
"This jackass is a good man, and he'll pay up." I say, confidently. Why the hell are you defending him? "So wait for another night, but tonight I'm his." Maybe I'm his forever. What the hell are you saying? Listen to yourself! You don't want Jack! The situation is getting to you, you just want to get out of here with everything, including your virginity, in tact, and the way you're talking you're only making it more difficult.
"I've got the money, so why don't you tell that bastard to take a hike." He says. I didn't answer, and he kept going. "I'll buy her off of you. How much?" He asks Jack, but Jack said nothing. He could ignore it, but I couldn't. Why isn't he sticking up for me? I wanted to punch him, but I couldn't do anything. I felt like a whore. I felt like property, and this is the exact reason why I left Port Royal: I didn't want my life decided for me.
"You couldn't afford me, so back off!" I say again. He took a step forward, trying to intimidate me.
"Look, missy, I asked a simple question. How much?" He took another step, forcing me backwards. I took a quick look behind me. He was backing me further into the bar.
"You couldn't afford me even if you were the commodore in Port Royal. I make my decisions, not the money, so give it up." I put my hands on my hips, trying to gain a balance in case he pushes me back again.
"Leah!" I heard Jack bark again, but I ignored him. I had to do this on my own. I proved him wrong with the rum, and now I was going to prove myself here.
"I don't know where you're from, but money makes everything..." He grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to him. "...and a whore doesn't make her own decisions." He said in a low voice. "How much?"
"There are hundreds of other whores on this island, you could pick anyone..." I was trying my hardest not to let my voice shake.
"You want the truth?" He asks. He pulled me closer to him. I was shaking, and I could feel him looking down my dress. I could smell rum, but I wasn't sure if it was on his breath or if it was the atmosphere. "You..." He tilted my chin up to meet his gaze, and brushed the hair out of my eyes. "...are one of the most beautiful girls I've seen in a very long time." He leaned in closer. I was trying not to shake. I couldn't let him know that I was afraid. "Besides..." His lips brushed my cheek. "...you're his." He whispered, his gaze now fixed on Jack.
"Jack..." I barely breathed. The man sort of laughed, it made me shiver. "Jack..." I tried to shout, but I couldn't. "Jack!"
"She said to leave her alone!" Jack was behind me, anger in his voice. I felt the man turn me around, his arm around my waist, keeping me in place, unable to escape. Jack had his pistol pointed at him. He stopped, it seemed like something registered, something from the past, but he didn't put the gun down. "Let her go!" The man's pistol was at my head, then aimed straight for Jack.
"Who, Jack?" He asks. "Her?" I felt his breath on my neck. "Her?" He asks Jack again. "Her..." I felt his hands, and I swallowed, trying not to cry. "You know..." He whispered in my ear. "...You just say the word, and you're out of here."
"Just let me go." I could scarcely hear myself. "Just let me go, please." I begged.
"Aww, come on." He whispered. "We could get out of here, have a little fun..." He chuckled. "...What do you say, hmm?" His hands, and the gun were on my hips, pulling me closer to him. "...I know we could have fun." I could hardly see Jack, but from what I did see, he had murder in his eyes.
"Just leave me alone." I begged. I felt the barrel of the gun deeper in my side. "Please, leave me alone." My eyes were hot, and blurring, but I was still trying not to cry. I couldn't let him find me out. Whoever he was, he couldn't know that I didn't belong here.
"You want it that way?" He asks, shoving the gun even farther into my skin. "Maybe you want to die, huh?" He asks. I shook my head no, but he didn't listen. I felt the hot tears rolling down my cheeks, burning my skin. I could almost see Jack, with his gun raised. "I think you do." He whispered. "You're going to get shot...but where, is the question."
He had a deep chuckle; that in itself scared me. "The back's nice." He pushed the gun into my spine, I could feel the blood rushing to it. "Or what about here?" He slid the gun up towards my chest and dug it into the soft flesh. "Right through the heart. You'd like that, huh?" He turned me around, facing him. I could hardly see. He brushed his hand along my face. "Such a pretty girl." He grinned. "Maybe you want it right between the eyes, where you can see it."
Everything was a blur. I was gasping for breath. I felt the barrel pressed hard against my head. I couldn't see anything, then the gun clicked.
"Where's your hero now?"