Disclaimer: Those you recognize are Disney's. Those you don't are mine.
The night is still young when Jack and Madison emerge from his cabin. He had wanted to wait until all of the crew had departed before bringing her out into the open. She is instantly in awe of the dark sails looming overhead in the moonlight and the glow of the shoreline. "Jack, where are we?"
"Tortuga, luv."
She loves how the port's name rolls off of his tongue. The two head for town, him adorning his effects, complete with his coat and hat, and her still dressed in her arrival outfit: a flattering tank top and comfortable cargo pants over her bikini.
Strolling through streets that made even the ghetto look like a cozy neighborhood, Madison finds herself inadvertently walking closer and closer to Jack for fear of the action happening all around her. Pistols sound and looters ran ramped.
He notices her hesitation. "Don' worry luv. I'm right 'ere. Not a soul would dare lay a hand on ye." She knows he would protect her with his life and she isn't too sure she doesn't just want to play into that fact. "Now remember wha' I said. Not a word 'bout yer origins." He places a sheltering arm around her as they enter his favorite tavern, The Faithful Bride.
A proverbial hush falls over the rowdy mob of pirates and young women which then turns into a rumbling that Madison can make out to be a combination of both excited and alarmed whispers. Uneasy because of the observant eyes now plastered to her, she slinks into Jack's side as he leads her to a booth in the back. Two young waitresses are instantly hovering over them offering to take his order. They actually appear to be fighting for the opportunity. Jack remains nonchalant as he orders two pints of their best rum. The girls grin and bat their eyelashes before disappearing into the crowd and Madison immediately resents their premature attempt to seduce her Captain.
"They're not very subtle, are they?"
"'bout wha'?"
Never mind.
Both girls return and each place a glass on the table. Once again, they flirt shamelessly to no end. Madison swipes up one of the mugs and proceeds to guzzle the liquid to the last drop. It was indeed stronger than the beverages she was used to, but it did the trick in half the time. Wiping her mouth, she leans in for the second pint, finding that Jack has placed a halting hand over it. He dismisses the other girls with a wave from his free hand.
"Wha's in yer head luv? Drink tha' fas' an you'll make yerself sick again."
"I will be sick if I have to watch those wenches fawn over you for another second."
"We were jes' talkin'."
"No. No. No. I know about you, remember? Five more minutes of their baiting and you'd be upstairs by now."
He moves toward her. "Tha's not 'ow it is luv."
She boldly leans in closer to his face. "Then how is it…luv?"
He tries not to smile at the audacity of her mockery. "They inform me on the where'bouts of various men tha' come through 'ere. I was jes' checking up on news, tha's all lu..." He catches himself. "...Miss. Madison."
Perhaps she had misconstrued their actions after all. Either way, she can't stay mad at the Captain when he's so damned enticing.
Suddenly, Jack's eyes shift from her to someone over her shoulder. Madison turns around expecting to see another beautiful barmaid but follows Jack's line of sight to the door. A scruffy looking man has just entered. "Wha' the 'ell is 'e doin' 'ere?"
"Who is he?"
"Morgan Lestat. A bastar' pirate if I ever saw one." Madison peers over her shoulder, watching as the man attempts to put the moves on every female in the place, much to their displeasure. "'e sails under the guise of a merchantman, but 'e's been in the game near as long as meself. Always wants what 'e can't 'ave."
"As in treasure?"
"As in everythin'." Jack's severe tone makes her shudder. "Aye, we go way back." Jack pulls his shirt open and indicates one of the twin bullet wounds.
"That's who shot you?" Wow, Disney really didn't miss a beat, did they?
He nods. "I's a long story but tha's 'ow we are luv. Betrayal only comes when i's of most benefit; after we've 'elped each other t' the top." He points a finger at her. "Don' ever trus' anyone. Ye must always be on guard."
A voice booms crystal clear over the madding throng of intoxicated sailors. "Well if i' isn' Jack Sparrow!"
Not wanting to rage a war, he lets the Captain detail slide this time. The man is unmistakably on his way toward them. Jack leans in to Madison. "I won' let 'im harm ye. Jes' play along."
"With what?"
"Pretend yer me girl for the night." She tries to protest, but Jack stands up to greet the man, pulling her up with him. It's the typical 'haven't seen you in ages,' 'how have you been,' 'what's changed,' greeting before Jack acknowledges Madison again. "'ow bout' gettin' us some more rum, luv?" He gives her bottom a little slap. Both surprised by this and frightened of crossing the room alone, she stares back at him. In his eyes she sees the assurance that he will be keeping watch over her while she's away.
Fighting through the crowd of filthy men, she eventually makes it to the bar and returns safely, but not without being thoroughly groped somewhere along the way. Had she been under any other circumstances and not feared for Jack's safety, she would have sought out her perpetrator and caused a formidable scene.
Upon her return to the booth, Jack promptly pulls her down onto his lap, claiming her as his own. Unsure of the proper etiquette for a strumpet, she observes the one residing on Lestat's knee. Although the woman is putting much effort into trying to please him, kissing his neck and such, he seems to ignore her ministrations. How could she keep up her charade with a man like that? He was unkempt at best. His dark hair is tied back but wild strands surround his face. His teeth are disgustingly dingy and he smells strongly of some sort of tobacco. Thank God she herself had Jack. Carefully mimicking the woman's proceedings, she leans in to Jack and begins fidgeting with his hair and neck as sensually as she can muster, but he continues to overlook her actions as if they mean nothing. Talk about frustrating.
Madison holds out as long as she can, but their dull conversation mixed well with her rum consumption places her into a somewhat lethargic state. She now sat leaning her head on Jack's shoulder, innocently running her fingers along the hilt of the sword at his side. Their voices had long turned into one droning sound as she balanced somewhere between sleep and awake. And in spite of Jack's effort to avoid drawing attention to her, Lestat had become somewhat intrigued.
"Fine girl ye got there."
"Aye."
"Looks a lil' green though. She new 'ere?"
"S'pose she is. Wha's it t' ye?"
"I'm a trader as ye know..." Jack grins at the irony of the man's choice of words. He was indeed a traitor. "'ow 'bout we swap girls fer a bit? Le' me take the lass upstairs fer some fun."
"Sorry mate. This one's all mine t'night." Jack places an arm around her and nuzzles into her neck, drawing her into him. "Ye may be a trader, bu' I was never one t' share."
"Aye. I remember."
What did he mean by that? Jack overlooks his comment and continues caressing Madison's cheek with his rough fingers. Still under the influence, she loses herself in his antics and leans in for a kiss. But instead of granting her one, Jack turns back to the man. "Best be cuttin' this reunion short. Got things t' tend to if ye know wha' I mean."
Madison realizes he's referring to her but that this has all been apart of the charade. Lestat finishes off his drink and reluctantly rises from the table, pushing his own girl off of him. The poor thing is still trying every way in the world to enthrall the man, but to no avail.
"'til next time then."
"Aye. 'til next time." Jack watches the man until he is sure the coast is clear, then removes his arm from Madison's shoulder.
"Not a bad performance luv. 'specially wi'out practice. Almost 'ad me believin' it meself."
She forces a smile. God, his ignorance is killing her. "Is there a restroom in this place?" He points to a door on the other side of the tavern. "Figures."
"Wan' me t' guide ye?" Disregarding his offer, she's already on her way, swaying all the while.
Once inside she closes the door, thankful to be out of sight from everyone, including Jack. Spending time with him isn't as she had dreamed it to be. Why wasn't he attracted her? Wasn't she good enough? She goes to the sink to splash some water on her face. She needs to focus. Why is all of this happening?
Reaching for a towel to dry off, she glances into the mirror and gasps. It's her reflection, but not as she remembers it. Slowly moving her hands to her face, she examines the subtle differences. Why hadn't she noticed before? Her hair is darker, eyes bluer, lips fuller…for that matter, she turns her body to the side, her chest is fuller as well. There are only slight alterations but each has made such an improvement. She was downright gorgeous.
Still in awe of her new self, she doesn't notice another woman has entered the room. "Wha's with ye? Ain't ye never seen yerself before?"
Madison snaps out of her fascination and realizes it's one of the waitresses from earlier. "I didn't know anyone was in here."
"Tha's fine. I'm no' anyone. Me name's Whitney." Why was she acting friendly all of a sudden? "Saw ye wit' the Captain. Looked quite cozy, ye did."
"Um, thank you."
"Thought I best be warnin' ye before ye got yer 'opes up. It won' last. No' with Jack Sparrow."
"We're not really, um…"
"Don' get me wrong. 'e pays well an you'll enjoy 'is company. But 'e'll be gone in the mornin'. Jes' ask any girl in Tortuga. We all been there luv."
Madison isn't sure what to think. "Well, I'll keep that in mind."
The woman nods and exits the room. She's baffled. Had a strumpet just warned her to stay away from Jack? Was he just going to use her? Back up. Had every woman in Tortuga besides her slept with the man already? Okay, that's so not sanitary. She would just choose not to think about that. Well, back to the table…
Pain and jealousy immediately rages at the sight before her. The woman whom she'd just spoken with now sat comfortably upon Jack's knee, looking quite satisfied and visibly being fondled by Jack. The conniving bitch hadn't been trying to help her, she was trying to get rid of her so she could have Jack all to herself. It doesn't look like she had to try very hard. The nerve of the woman; Britney or whatever she called herself. Fine. If that's how Jack wants it.
Without breaking her loathsome glare at them, she picks up the drink of a random man and gulps it down. Wait. On second thought she was not about to be outdone by some cheap ex-lover of his, even if it meant a little bitch fight right here in the midst of several dozen drunken sailors.
Her foolish venture is short-lived as she is roughly pulled into the arms of an unknown man. Taken aback, she quickly turns to see the perpetrator. Oh no. It's Lestat. Her initial reaction is to get as far away from him as possible, but she can't. He seems to have her in something resembling an unpleasant bear hug. "Easy there little lady. Wha's the rush?"
"Jack. Jack's waiting for me." The words are blurted from her mouth more frantically than she'd wanted to sound.
"Oh, there'll be plenty o' time fer 'im later. Besides, looks like 'e foun' a replacement fer ye. An experienced one, jes' like 'e likes 'em." Lestat allows her to turn just enough to witness a very intimate kiss between Jack and Whitney. She turns her head away, unable to watch. Lestat's voice becomes eerily sympathetic. "It 'urts don' it lass? Yer precious Jack already 'as everythin'. Ever' woman 'e ever wanted. An' 'e's long overdue on owin' me fer one. Indeed, I suffered many a loss on account o' that man. But not tonight." His malignant tone frightens her. What is he talking about? Jack owes him someone?
The questions go unanswered as he suddenly places a death grip on her wrist and hauls her toward the door. She struggles to free herself but his grasp is unyielding and her shrieks go unnoticed; lost within the riotous crowd.
Once they reach what is quite possibly the darkest alley in all of Tortuga, he slams her against a wall. So forcefully in effect that what disorientation was already upon her from the rum, is exceeded as her head cracks against the stone. In the moment it takes to come back to her senses, the man's lips have claimed hers. The taste is revolting and her thrashes do nothing to deter him. Only one defense mechanism comes to mind. She jerks her knee up to his manhood but is ineffective as he is pressed too closely against her for any momentum to build up. He does however remove his tongue from her mouth to pursue the neck region and thoroughly fondle her as his other hand pins both wrists above her head.
It's at this point that Madison breaks into a screaming fit at the top of her lungs, hoping it will reach Jack's ears. Lestat backhands the right side of her face, sending her reeling. She instantly tastes copper and senses a trickle of blood leave the corner of her mouth. He is furious at her refusal to comply. She was irresistible. He had to have her; to ravage the priceless little plaything of Sparrow's. Her eyes close in despair as she feels the ripping of her shirt, the momentary cold air, and the man's lips on her amply bare flesh.
She can only think of one thing: Jack! Jack! Jack! The name throbs in her head and her body threatens to lose consciousness. She has no strength to stop the man now. He was going to have his way with her. This isn't happening. How could he do this? Jack wouldn't save her. He didn't care. In this mind set she is unaware of Jack's presence and the sound of a blade being unsheathed.
Suddenly, the pressure of the man's body is no longer on her. She's free from the wall. Her legs have no time to react and she falls to the ground, regaining a sense of what is happening in the darkness. Arms are reaching for her. She presses herself as far back against the wall as she can and struggles to stay out of his grasp. Jack can do nothing to gain control but try to restrain her. Doing so, she fights against him with every ounce of strength she has left, kicking and screaming. "Jaack! Jaaack!"
"I's me luv. Calm down. I'm here. I's me. Le' me help ye." Finally realizing, she quiets, trembling and near hyperventilation. He pulls her into his arms, covering her tattered shirt with his long jacket. The only sounds from her are the exhausted sobs she leaves on his shoulder.
For the first time in his life Jack hated himself. This was all his fault. He'd promised the girl safety and delivered her a great deal of pain. He had mistakenly taken his eye off her and jeopardized her life all so he could enjoy the pleasurable company of another that meant nothing to him. And the worst part is that he knew the girl must have felt like he'd abandoned her. When he'd arrived to the scene, she'd already given up. She didn't believe he would save her. What if he hadn't gotten to her in time? The thought makes him nauseous.
Once again, she was in a fragile state and he could offer nothing for comfort but his arms to hold her. The arms of a man who had never in his life held anything with such care as he did now. He rests his chin upon her head, caressing her disheveled hair. Bystanders begin to gather, but one look from Jack Sparrow is all they need before they move on about their business.
Minutes of complete silence begin to pass before Jack gains the nerve to address her. With much uncertainty, he whispers into her ear. "Maddy, luv?"
'Maddy luv?' She liked the sound of that.
"Are ye alright?" He thought himself stupid. Of course she wasn't alright. She was abandoned by him and nearly raped by the likes of a sadistic pirate. Still, he holds hope for the unlikely answer. Nothing. "Luv?"
Out of the silence she manages a sentence; so quiet that he almost doesn't hear her. "You owed him someone."
Jack is shocked that she knows this bit of information. "I's tha' what 'e said t' ye?"
"What did he mean?"
He seems disheartened but laughs it off. "I's somethin' tha' 'appened so long ago I don' even remember now. 'e jus' likes t' hold a grudge an' I'm sorry i' was ye who 'ad t' pay fer it."
She doesn't quite believe that he could have forgotten a story, but she's in no real condition to pursue it.
"Now, we bes' be goin'." He pulls her to her feet. "Are ye alright t' walk?"
Her legs wobble a bit and she's forced to hold onto him for support as they make their way to the docks. Fortunately, the further from the center of town they get, the less people there are wandering about. However, Jack also notices that Madison is slowing and shifting more weight onto him with each additional step. "Sure ye don' want me t' carry ye?" She declines.
As they reach the waterfront Jack senses a presence behind them and turns quickly, aiming his pistol into the darkness. Madison fearfully clutches onto his shirt as if she could hide herself inside him. "Show yerself."
A figure steps forward. "I's me Cap'n."
"Gibbs. 'ow many times 'ave I told ye never t' sneak up on me? Are ye beggin' t' be shot?" He tucks the pistol into his sash.
"Aye, i's bad luck, bu' I caugh' word o' wha' 'appened t' the lass. She alright?"
"O' course she's not. The bastar' beat 'er near senseless." Without warning Madison's legs give way as she blacks out, but Jack catches her, picking her up into his arms. "Yer fine. I go' ye."
"She need the doctor?"
"Ye know there's no' one decent enough fer 'er on this rock. Jes' 'elp me get 'er on board so I can ge' a good look at 'er."
Jack takes her straight to his cabin and lays her onto the bunk. Gibbs rushes about the room lighting candles and oil lamps while Jack does his best to prop her head up to a comfortable level. As soon as the light hits her he cringes. The entire right side of her face is darkening into shades of crimson surrounding a gash across her cheek bone. The man had apparently been wearing a ring when he struck her. Both cheeks are tear stained and her swollen lip is bleeding as well. The two men stare down at her for a moment. "I 'ave yet t' understand 'ow a man do that t' a woman."
"Fetch me a bucket o' water t' clean 'er up."
Gibbs rushes out of the room as Jack pulls a chair up to the bed. He takes her hand in his, noting faint bruises around both wrists. "I'm so sorry fer this; that I didn' get t' ye sooner. But I swear t' ye Maddy 'e won' be doin' it ever again."
Gibbs returns with a bucket of water and some rags, overhearing him. "So ye 'andled 'im then?"
"Aye. 'e won' be touchin' anythin' fer a while." Jack doesn't want to elaborate in front of Madison on the mess he'd left the man in.
Gibbs looks at her. "I' may no' be a good time fer this Jack, bu'…"
Jack already knows what he's about to say. "Yes. Yes. I know. She's bad luck. I know. But don' hassle me 'bout this one. She's stayin'."
"The crew won' like ye stirrin' up trouble, nor discountin' yer duties on accoun' of a woman."
"Then ye tell the crew they can 'ave me entire share of the swag after the nex' raid."
The man is stunned at Jack's desperate measures. "Aye Cap'n. I bes' fetch extra provisions then." He turns to leave.
"Gibbs..."
The man turns back. He was the closest thing to a best friend Jack had ever known. A silent thank you is passed between them and Gibbs nods before leaving him alone with the girl.
Turning back at her, he brushes the hair out of her face and begins to gently dab the blood away from her cheek. He's glad she's unconscious; it would keep her from feeling so much of the pain. Rinsing the rag, Jack shifts his attention to the cut on her lip. Carefully wiping at it, he slowly loses himself in the fullness of her lips and the feeling of her breath on his hand.
He's jolted from his thoughts at the feeling of Maddy's hand on his. Jack looks up to see her staring back at him. Surprised, he clears his throat and rinses the rag again. How long had she been watching him?
"Almos' finished luv." He goes to a trunk on the other side of the room and brings back one of his over sized shirts for her to put on. As Madison sits up, Jack's coat falls away, revealing a large mark on her neck. "Is that…? 'e bit ye?" There are visible teeth marks and they were deep enough to nearly break the skin.
Without thinking, Jack moves his hand in to examine it, but Madison instantly jerks away. He realizes she's just gone through a traumatic ordeal, but it was still unsettling to have a woman fear his touch. He hands her the shirt to put on herself so as not to interfere with her space.
"I'm sorry. I didn't even mean to..."
"Don' be. Ye 'ave ever' right t' be uneasy. Jes' remember I'm not him. I could never do wha' he did. Know that."
"I do. I'm not afraid of you Jack." There was something in the way she said it. He couldn't help but smile.
"Ye bes' ge' some sleep." He turns for the door but she stops him.
"Don't leave." Jack looks back at her. She moves to the far side of the bed, making room for him.
Without a word, he removes his affects, blows out the candles, and crawls in next to her. Much to his surprise, she slides toward him and nestles comfortably against his side. He restrains himself from making any movement that could be mistaken for an advancement. Instead, he lies there replaying the night's events over in his head.
(A/N 1: Don't worry, Madison will bounce back in the next chapter. There's still fun to be had...)
(A/N 2: I know the gist of where I'm going with this fic, but I'm also open to suggestion. If I receive any workable ideas, I'll try to incorporate them. Thanks for reading!)
