w00t, thanks for all the reviews!
Little Miss Sparrow: Yes, it is an odd name, I agree. I refer to it in the introduction to the first chapter, if you recall.
pirateobsessed: Yes, Norrie. Who else but him, eh?
Jess is a Pirate: Yah-huh. That food fight was so lame. Almost as lame as all these freaking fire alarms! PEOPLE STOP BEING STUPID! -takes relity check- Yeah, that'll never happen. Anywho, it's been about eight years since I had a yoohoo. -scowls- lucky.
marauder4ever: Why thankee! Am updating, as you can see.
Authoressinhiding: You know, even when you refuse to review but rather leave a comment, it's always so encouraging, and I would just like to thank you for your constant support. You and Jess both have been with me from the start. -huggles and hands out rum-.
obbits14: Thankee for the review, mate! A marySue, from what I have heard, is a character who is perfect in every way but one, and that one flaw tugs at the reader's heartstrings a bit while not actually harming the character. Commonly, all the other characters love her. Male version: GarySue. Weird. And yes, I am well aware of her relation to dear Jamesie. You'll see in a bit. Yeah o.0 clones. Sorry, I had to think of something. Glad you liked it. And to answer your next question, we'll see.
animebishi: Yayy! New reader!Weehoo! -runs around in circles a few times- Am updating, I'm updating! Hold your horses (of which Jack is not one, by the way). -smirk-
Mrs Capt Jack Sparrows: Weehoo, 'nother new reader! -runs around in more circles- -runs into wall- ...Ow...anywho, danke for the luverly review! Here be yer update!
Disclaimer: DON'T SUE ME! -sobs- Why oh why must they make me admit what I do not have? -runs away to weep-
A/N: Just as a bit of background on James' mum, she was created from several different people, but Ames was considered the main original, because it was from her that his mum's personality, brain, and quite a few traits were taken. In short, she was the most used of all the sources of 'material'. So, she found him attractive? Duh. She saw the things she liked about herself reflected oh soslightly in his features. Oki, so it was originally going to be her cousin, but she wasn't really close to either of her cousins, so that wouldn't work. Then it was going to be her sister, but let's face fact: this is a self insert, and my own sis is a total Jacka$$, pardon my French, and she doesn't deserve him, so then it was going to be her, and I'm thinking -AWKWARD! AWKWARD!- So that couldn't work...so yeah. Now that I gots that done, here be teh next chapter. Enjoy, and as always, leave a review!
Chapter Ten: Boots and Truths
Jack managed to sneak out, finding his way back to the Swann mansion unnoticed. James and Amy strode out minutes later, quietly conversing, one offering slight explanations to the stories the other had heard described to him. A passing lieutenant did a double-take at the pair, as it were uncommon for a high-ranking Commodore such as this one to mingle with that who appeared to be a lowly street urchin. Once into town, sideward glances were less common, and the streets were not as crowded. "A TV is just a device we use which displays...moving pictures, so to say. A man-screen as you said, is a television with a screen of...oh, 'bout six feet diagonally," she was explaining. "Plenty expensive, that size. Much harder to get. Thousands of dollars at least, I can—" She stopped in her tracks, eyes going wide.
James had continued on a few paces before realizing she was not beside him. He turned and strode back to her. "What is it?"
It took her a few moments to reply, like she was biting down all sound. "Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap!" she finally managed, leaning on his arm for support as she lifted one foot. They both saw the blood dripping along her foot. James whipped out a kerchief and cleared some of it away, Ames tightening her hold on his arm as she bit back a cry of severe discomfort. Looking again, they saw a piece of glass poking out from her tender sole. She bit down a curse and instead exchanged worried expressions with the Commodore. "What d'we do?"
"This," was his reply, and he hefted her up into his arms. "Straight to a doctor with you."
"But I—"
"None of that. We'll get you fixed up, then it's off to meet up with Jack. Though, knowing him, he'll probably have run off by then."
"Come looking for us, anyway," she agreed. But their telepathic conversation was still fresh in her mind, and she reached out for his thoughts with her own, making a connection as strong as when he'd been standing beside her, and sent a message to him telling him they'd be a little late.
XxXxXxXxXxX
"Alreighty then. What seems to be the problem?" She could tell from the tone of his voice he was a kindly old Irishman, who sincerely only wished to help whoever came his way. She wished there were more doctors as warm-hearted as this back home.
"A bit of glass, Doctor," Norrington answered, setting Amy gently on the soft mattress. "I'll have a word with Governor Swann concerning Port Royal's sanitation."
"Oh that you will, Commodore. Now then, child, this will hurt a bit, so here, we'll put this between your teeth ta bite do'n on," said the elderly man, holding out a bit of leather.
"Are you kidding me? I ain't puttin' that in my mouth!"
"Oh, 'tis perfectly clean, dearie."
"Oh yeah? What's your method of sanitation?"
"A good boilin' in water, milady," the doctor answered patiently.
"And it doesn't warp? A likely story!" Yeah, it was a hobby of hers to be difficult just cuz she felt like it. Very much fun.
"Dried immediately over a hot fire, lady." Ames blinked. This guy was made to do this stuff. Doctors from her day would only have gotten annoyed at her. With a slight smile, she agreed, taking the offered leather and placing it between her teeth as instructed. The doctor (Dr. McGrennin, to be sure) returned the smile gently, pulling off his glasses—which were, she noticed, those little glasses with no earpieces that were balanced on the nose. "Alreight then. Ready, dearie?" She nodded nervously, seeing the grabbing tool in his hand. He clasped the tool around the glass, arm ready to pull back...
XxXxXxXxXxX
"Where are they?" Elizabeth asked, shifting impatiently on the couch. She had changed into more formal dress to suit the rank of their visitor.
Jack was pacing the room, and threw up his arms in a visual claim to a lack of knowledge on the subject. She said they'd be a bit late, but I can't imagine what could be taking them this long, he whinnied, though fully aware that they couldn't understand any of it. Moments later, though, there was a knock at the door, and Will opened it to reveal the girl, who hobbled in with hardly any balance to speak of, or so it seemed. What's wrong, luv? Jack asked, before noticing the bandaging around her lower leg and foot, and the crutch she was leaning on. James followed her in, carrying a brand new pair of boots, made specifically for her feet.
The Turners and pirate hurried over to her. She brushed off their questions answering only "I have now learned the importance of footwear," with a comically solemn expression. "I'll be in the study if you need me," she added over her shoulder, hobbling off toward the expansive library contained within the governor's study.
"Just remember Father will be back at dusk," Elizabeth called after her. "The last thing he wants is to find a stranger whom he would likely consider unwanted in his study."
"Aye," was the lass's distant response, echoing quietly down the hall.
The three watched her go before turning back toward James, who was looking a bit uneasy at the moment. "She stepped on a bit of glass in the street. I took her to Dr. McGrennin, then to a shoemaker's to get her something a bit more protective than bare feet," he explained.
...Meanwhile, while Norrington and the Turners conversed (though not without Jack's input as well, of course!), Ames sat at the desk in the study, sunlight filtering in warmly through the window, examining the piece of glass that had been pried from her foot. It was clean, now, and she could examine it closely. It was in a sort of triangular shape, with sharp, curving edges and serrated vertices, about an inch or three quarters of an inch along each edge. In no place did it lie flat, and she reasoned it must've come from a bottle of some sort or other. She held it up to catch the light, and examined it further. She likes to look at things, observe things. Many a time without even really seeing it. As now, she no longer saw the glare of sun on the glass, but rather a window to a fantasy world as she let her imagination take over. It was a world she visited often in her mind, and what she saw each time seemed to grow worse and worse. She now yet again glimpsed the destruction man was causing—hunting the centaurs for food and slaves, killing off werewolves because they were considered threats to the centaur populations as well as lesser beings than man, despite that they were half human, which to them served no purpose in living. The eagles, hippogriffs, flying horses and griffons were hunted for sport, and their numbers dwindled. Merpeople, lorolays (sirens), and hippocampi, along with other water dwellers like otter, dolphin, etc, suffered from the poison man continued to dump into the waters. Forest nymphs, pixies, fairies and sprites suffered terribly as their woods were destroyed for man's gain. When one looked at it like that, it was much easier to see what man was really doing to the world she had lived in—the world she was actually hoping to return to. The world that she hoped to help turn around, make better, so that wildlife would thrive and all could live in harmony, rather than tumultuous chaos and destruction of one another.
Ames blinked and shook her head, as she did on occasion, to clear away the images her imagination had produced, trying irritatedly to clear her head. Already, the sky was growing a golden color, and she knew her time in here was nearly up. So much for reading... Instead, she decided to return to the parlor, hobbling over to Jack to converse mentally, though he did every once in a while emit some equine sound, mostly without realizing it. After a while, though, as telepathy was actually quite draining, they decided to move back into speech. The thing is, nobody knows anything about this fruit. It's surrounded by myth and legend more than I am.
"That's saying a lot." They thought for a moment. "Wonder if that guy was playing something..." she thought aloud to herself.
Jack snapped to attention. Guy? What guy?
"There was this guy...he just popped up out of the water like a buoy and directed my attention to the Eohippus plant. I asked him if it was safe to eat, and all he said was that my captain might know."
James and the Turners, overhearing, strode over to see what was happening. This man. Was he dark brown in the hair? Looked to be late in the teens or early in his twenties? Ames nodded. Jack cursed. He knew what would happen. They warned me of the rumors and I didn't listen. It's just like with the curse, only not quite so bad.
"Rumors?"
Aye. Tales tell of water demons in and around that basic area. But they aren't supposed to pull their trickery unless provoked.
"Well maybe you did something to anger him."
Perhaps. But that means we must return immediately to find out what I've done, and have him tell us how all this can be undone.
"Miss Amy," James said in that moment of silence that followed. "What exactly are you two...talking...about?" Todd quickly explained.
She finished in record time, and the five were in a thoughtful silence, when a frantic knocking pounded at the door. Will opened it to find Murtogg and Mullroy standing there, panting for breath. "We were told the Commodore was seen coming here," Mullroy explained hastily. Will stepped aside for them to see Norrington, who stepped forward to hear what they had to say. "Sir, the Black Pearl was seen approaching on the horizon." Hidden in the shadows with Amy, Jack smiled. He knew they'd come back for him.
"Sir, what's your plan of action?"
"Hold fire. Do not attack them—let them dock...if they dock, that is."
"Sir?"
"Those were orders, soldiers," the Commodore stated calmly, firmly. "Go on." The soldiers nodded, looking uncertainly at each other before hastily departing. As soon as they were gone, James nodded to the other four, picking up the lass's wooden crutch from where it leaned against the wall, as well as the boots, and offering them to her so they could depart.
Elizabeth and Will exchanged a glance, before the former took a half-step forward. "We won't be going with you." Jack fixed them both with a confused stare, making sure to exaggerate his outward emotions so they understood. "Someone needs to cover up James' tracks, and yours too, Amy: I think people around town have noticed you, and have begun to wonder." Jack nodded, satisfied with the explanation.
The three headed for the door, Ames leaning on Jack a moment as she carefully slipped the boots on. She wobbled in their stiffness, and was for once glad she had a crutch that needed using. Don't worry, lass, that kind of boot breaks in nice and fast, Jack assured her as she tried to find her balance. Finally, with a nod to the Turners, they left, hurrying through the streets, Jack being sneaky in his own way, to make a quick visit to the Commodore's house so as he could pick up anything of his mother's which he thought he might need. As he searched through an old desk, Todd and Debbie gazed out a window.
"They're going for that cove they left us in, aren't they?" Jack nodded. "That's about three miles out. How far away are they?" A nicker. "...Two leagues!"
"Three miles away?" James looked up, then glanced at her foot. "No. With you in your current state, it would be best if you didn't walk for that long or far."
"Jack can give me a ride. That'll be quicker."
"Pardon me, but I don't think I can keep up with a horse."
Jack whinnied softly. "He reckons he can hold us both."
James straightened up, looking surprised. "I—ah, I can't ride, miss."
"Oh." She pointedly gazed at an empty cart across the street. Then back at him, a suggestive spark in her eye and a sly grin creasing her face.
"No, you're not thinking of—" Her smile widened. "Amy, as a firm upholder of the law, it is my job to—" She blinked, then turned to the puppy-dog pout for support. James couldn't take it. Neither could her mum, nor a few of her close friends. And, in spite of himself, neither could the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow –cough cough–Horse–cough cough–
"You don't have to take part in it you know. Just...lose the wig and uniform." He blinked at her, surprised by the sudden change of subject. She did that often, as he would eventually learn. "Well you can't expect to go aboard a pirate ship dressed as an esteemed Commodore, can you? I mean honestly! It's common sense, mate!"
He heaved a sigh, nodding his agreement. Never before had he met a woman as young as this who would so boldly take charge, over even himself included. Even his mum hadn't been quite like this. But then again, she had been older, and perhaps knew the place women held a bit better than this lass did now.
Minutes later, after warning his servants and such that he'd be away for a while, the three wove through the brush. Jack was once again a horse, now. Once in the right position, Ames guided Jack toward the cart, James hidden within the jungle that bordered this part of town,and looked around to make sure no one was watching. Following Jack's murmured instructions, she quickly hitched him up in the harness.
An old Tibetan merchant stepped out of a nearby building just in time to see Jack take off toward the trees, Ames on his back, and the contents of the cart spilling into the street. It took him until after both horse and cart had disappeared into the shadowed depths of the jungle that he fully realized that his heads were rolling down the road. "MY CABBAGES!"
XDD Sorry, had to put the cabbage man from Avatar in there. He's just a must have for that kind of scene. Lightens the mood and oh forget it, I just thought it was funny. There goes my humor, wasted again since I always crash and burn and am never actually funny to anyone but me mum (who I had laughing to tears this afternoon). Lol, now REVIEW!