Thanks to the reviews from: GirlX2 and caripsle.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own characters which are easily recognized because hey, surprise surprise, they weren't in the movies!
Chapter Seven: Of Dresses and Rum
Jack went sauntering through the streets, peeking in doorways, occasionally inquiring to local shop owners if they had seen a "young lass with brown hair and blue eyes, about yeigh tall (gesturing to a height about to his hip)". No one had seen heads or tails of her, which made Jack even more nervous until he came upon a simple dress shop, just off the main street of the wharves. He poked his head into the store and spotted her: the young girl sitting near a woman in her twenties, talking animatedly.
"Ah, Mary, there you are luv!" He cried, waltzing in confidently. Mary's demeanor changed quicker than a storm hitting the open seas when she saw him. Her eyes grew wide with fright and she disappeared behind the young woman with a high-pitched yelp, clinging to her skirts protectively.
"May I help you?" the young woman asked, a cold edge to her voice.
"As a matter of fact, yes. That little girl belongs to me."
"You own her?"
"Not exactly but she does have a passage on my ship so if you'll just…"
"Mary, dearest, could you go in the back for a few minutes? This man and I need to have a little chat." The woman asked the girl kindly. Mary darted behind the curtain that led to the back rooms quick as lightning in synchronization as Jack stepped towards the counter that separated the two parties, the beginnings of a quick-witted lie poised on his tongue.
"Now, my good woman…"
"DON'T YOU FUCKING TRY TO TALK YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS ONE, YOU STUPID, HORNY, MINDLESS GIT!" She bellowed at him. Jack cringed, knowing only one person -or being, rather- would be so bold as to curse him down like that.
"Lady Luck, darling, it's wonderful to see you again!" He responded, holding his hands out and smiling warmly. "You look quite different than last time I saw you."
"Oy Jackie, how could ya be so bloody idiotic?" She clapped a hand over her face.
"Now wait a second… I was just doin' what I do!"
"WITH A CHILD AROUND?"
"She was safe in town with Auburn, luv! In some inn or whatnot!" He whined. "Come on, can't ole' Jack have some fun now and again?"
"Auburn?" The Lady's expression furrowed in confusion.
"Yes, my cabin boy. Takes care of her, keeps her busy," Jack replied encouragingly, hoping that this bit of information would calm the raging spirit.
"Auburn…" She rolled the name around for a few minutes, thinking.
"Old lover, pra'ps?" Jack queried.
"Oh Jackie, is that all it is with you?"
"No, there's the sea. And the Black Pearl. And treasure. And…"
"Why did ye threaten her Jack? She's only a child! Ye know, if I hadn't found her, she'd probably be dead or knocked into the harbor or somethin'? Ye really are the thickest bastard I've ever had to come in contact with."
"Wait, why are you in Boston anyways?"
Lady Luck shrugged. "Eh, I like to pop around to different ports, take different forms to make a few coins here an' there, see different people."
"So nothing to do with watchin' me arse, eh?"
"Why would I waste me time with that?"
Jack rolled his eyes. "So, now may I have Miss Mary back?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No!"
"Why the bloody 'ell not!"
"She has to come back to you on her own; I can't make 'er."
"Sure you can! A few fancy words and cooing or whatever you do and she's perfectly fine again!" He waved his hands ceremoniously for effect.
"But Jack, she's not my responsibility…"
"That's not my fault."
"Yes it is."
"No it's not; you made her my responsibility."
"Thus, she's your responsibility all the same."
"Damn you."
"Damn me all ye want, Jackie boy, but my name is the one that's on yer lips when ye get into shit, remember that."
Jack hated it when she was right. He hated it when anybody was right, but with her, it was always worse. "A'ight," he sighed, feeling defeated. "What do I have to do to get bonny lil' lass to like me again?"
That evening, Jack and Mary returned to the 'Pearl, Mary in a new dress and bonnet and Jack in a sour mood. He was forcibly persuaded to apologize to Mary for what he said; promising that it wasn't true and he would never hurt her. However, that promise was almost broken when she made him swear he wouldn't go "wrestling with a girl in his cabin" ever again. He then proceeded to buy her a new dress and bonnet which he was convinced Lady Luck had overcharged him for but had, for once, bitten his tongue and just paid the price.
He went into his cabin without a word, slamming the door for effect. Mary walked around the ship, feeling pretty and clean in her new dress, watching the sun set, slightly oblivious to Jack's mood.
"Miss Mary?" Auburn called, seeing her as he walked up the gangplank, tired from a day running around looking for the girl.
"Hullo Auburn. Mr. Jack found me and then he bought me this pretty new dress. Do you like it?" She spun, giggling as it flared out.
"It's very nice, Mary. Why did ye leave las' night? I was worried sick."
"I'm sorry Auburn. I wanted me blanket and then Mr. Jack scared me so I just kind of… ran. I won't do it again though, promise."
"A'ight, there's a good lass. Are ye hungry t'all?"
"Not really, I really just want to stay on the ship for awhile. I've missed her."
"A'ight, if ye say so. I'm goin' int'a town to get some vittles and I'll be back later."
"Okay."
He bowed slightly and left Mary to herself, shaking his head at her antics.
The young girl wandered around the ship for awhile before discovering the stairs that led down to the hold below. She decided to explore, skipping down the steps and passing the galley and many hammocks, guessing that's where the rest of the crew slept. Farther past that, however, she found the holds with large barrels and crates all labeled with different things. She found spices, sugar, gunpowder, and even some bolts of cloth. "R-r-um. Rum!" Mary said, proud of her reading. "This must be what Mr. Jack loves so much. I should bring a bottle up to 'im, make 'im feel betters."
She picked a bottle out from the crate and started back to the stairs, peering at it curiously. "Wonder what it tastes like. I bet it's sweet, that's why Mr. Jack likes it so much." She pulled at the cork wedged in the top but it stuck fast. Putting it in her teeth, she pulled again and after a few tugs, it came loose. Holding the cork in one hand, Mary tipped the bottle back and took a sip. It was bitter and burned, making her spit. "Euch!" She cried. After, however, she felt warm and relaxed. "It must take some getting used to," she decided, taking another sip. The second time didn't surprise her so much and she was able to swallow some. The young girl, now feeling warm and fuzzy, went back and picked up another bottle. "For Mr. Jack!" She giggled, heading back towards the stairs.
A light knocking made Jack sit up in his bed. He had been trying to sleep, let the bad day be forgotten in dreams but he knew that there was only one person that would bother disturbing him in his bad mood and that was the cause of his bad mood.
"Go away, Miss Mary," he called, covering his eyes with his arm.
"But Mr. Jack, I have a surprise for you!" The girl called back.
"Can't it wait?"
"It's really good; you'll like it, I promise!"
Jack sighed and rolled his eyes, hauled himself out of bed and went over to open the door. What stood before him made him laugh even though he knew he should be angry. There was little Mary holding two bottles of rum, one of them already opened slightly less full than the other, swaying slightly and giggling.
"Please don't be mad at Lily, Mr. Jack. She just don't want nothin' 'appenin' t' me. I brought you this; it always makes ye happy." She held the bottle out to him smugly.
"Come on in, luv. You shouldn't be drinkin' this stuff, y'know. It's bad for ya."
"But it's good, once ye get past the burning and such." She giggled, obviously inebriated.
Jack chuckled, taking both bottles. "And a lil' goes a long way. Come on, time for bed."
She walked into the cabin, almost falling over, and took a seat at his desk. Jack set the unopened bottle on the desk, out of her reach and took a swig of the other one, smiling slightly. 'Now how can I be upset at that?' He thought to himself.
Mary started giggling madly, taking off her bonnet and shoving the Captain's hat over her mahogany hair. She found his jacket, discarded over the chair and slipped it on before parading around the cabin, hooting and hollering.
"Arrr, I'm the fiercest pirate in all the seven seas! I'll make ye beg fer mercy, ye scabberous dogs! Get to work ye lazy bastards!"
"Now, where did you learn such fowl language!" Jack asked incredulously.
"You."
"Oh."
"Mr. Jack, you have a hole in this." She showed him the jacket, a piece missing from the hem.
"I know, I've been meaning to patch it up."
"But boys don't sew."
"You'd be surprised."
"They don't sew well. I'll do it."
Mary went over to her hammock and pulled out a small sack, fishing out a bone needle and thread.
"Where did you get that?" Jack asked. He didn't remember any sack when he found her.
"Auburn," she replied simply, setting to work on the jacket. It didn't take much to sew up the hole and within minutes, she was done, clipping the end of the thread with her teeth. "There all done."
Jack was surprised that she could focus on such a task after drinking. "Why thank you Miss Mary. Now, luv, time for bed. Come come."
"Awww, Mr. Jack…" she whined.
"The quicker you get in bed, the better story I'll tell you." It didn't take much more coaxing than that before Mary had replaced his jacket where she found it and climbed up into her hammock, pulling the covers around her. "The hat?" He inquired.
"Mine. Unless you tell a good story."
"Aren't we the little haggler?"
"Pirate."
"'Scuse me, pirate." Jack echoed in mock embarrassment. He settled back in his chair and put his feet up on the desk, lounging a bit. "Have I told you the story of when I impersonated an officer of the Royal Navy to catch a passage to Singapore?"
"Nope."
"Well then, there I was, looking for a way to get to Singapore because there was a voodoo witch there that had promised me something of great value…"
Hope ya'll liked it! Thanks so much for the reviews from caprisle! This story will only have a few more chapters though, I'm afraid. I don't want to make it too dreadfully long, especially since I have the beginnings of another in the works and a few one-shots I'm mulling over as well as school starting soon. I'm sorry if some of these sentences were written confusingly… I sometimes have an issue with that. Please review! Cheers, Puck
