Married

A/N: Thank you for the kind words! It means the world to me.

Chapter II

Speak Softly, Love

Outside London

This is the worst feeling ever.

Angelica bends over the railing with a steady hold on it. She feels as if emptying her stomach right to the ocean but she cannot. Not even her own body is working with her. The dizziness grows in her head and she wonders if she may faint and die, she can avoid this scenario.

How is it that she always, always, always end up in the presence of Jack maldito Sparrow? How many years ever passing them and yet, here she is again - soon in his presence.

A lady pulls Angelica back to deck.

"Mrs Teague!"

Angelica shuts her eyes closed in frustration. "Please stop calling me that."

The lady avoids responding to this and only gives Angelica a pitiful look. She definitely understands the unfortunate situationen Angelica has ended up in.

"Mister Hans is awaiting us here in London. We have almost made it, Mrs Te… Angelica."

Angelica sighs in surrender. She slowly walks and begins to curse when she stumbles on the overly long and puffy dress she has to wear.

"It hasn't even begun!" she hisses and tears in her dress to adjust it in place. When she had seen herself in the mirror before, her eyes had scanned the room for a sword. But she had not found one. Obviously Hans had alerted the crewmen about her little hobby and so hidden them all from her sight. The whole concept of teaching her how to act like a lady did make her nauseous. And these stupid gowns she had to wear all the time. Very unpractical and she can barely walk in them! Let alone, run.

A lady does not run. Bah, she wanted to kill someone.

This is all Jack's fault. Had he not been that dumb in negotiating such a foolish deal, Angelica never would have been here in the first place!

She stops her march when she sees the other ship already in the harbor. London has called.

Ugh.

At least she had managed talking Mr Hans into not letting her sail on the same ship as Jack. That never would have worked, and after he had witnessed their fight right then and there in the office, he had agreed. After signing that contract, she had found it highly difficult to control her anger. In rage she had flown up and the curses she had shot at Jack were anything but noble. Thereof resulting in Hans rubbing his forehead and sharing a glance with Governor Milton, who had urged on the fact that it was better that way. Forcing an already knowing couple, who knew of each other. Who were criminals and really had not much to negotiate about when it came to anything but freedom.

"How long have you been married?" the lady asks and brings Angelica back to reality. She spins around to see the lady reading from a journal of papers. A bunch of written pages giving information of who Angelica is. Or rather, of who Mrs Teague is.

Angelica breathes slowly and heavily, clearly bored and bitter about it all. "Since nine years ago."

The lady notes something in the journal, as some sort of checklist of what Mrs Teague shall know.

"What does your husband do?"

"Well..," Angelica frowns. "Except for being un retraso (a retard) drinking rum all day..," this gains a quirked eyebrow from the lady. "I suppose the answer you want to hear is that he owns properties in the Caribbean."

The lady gives her a look of warning. "Please behave in front of Mr Hans."

Angelica rolls her eyes. Her accent rings in the air. "I hate this."

She had been brutal inside the office. Hans had pointed out a possible raise and Angelica had sensed it reasonable to help him out for Governor Milton. She had pointed at Jack, spitting out the words while looking at Hans. "If you can evolve that man into a gentleman - trust me, you can do anything."

That had made her earn an irritated eye from Jack. He had for the first time physically touched her by grabbing her wrist and pulled her back down in her chair.

"Easy 'Gelica."

For a brief moment their visions had met, eyes looking long past the outer sight and rather straight into the soul of one another. If the moment had not been uncomfortable before, this was it. Uneasy, when Jack realized he still held her wrist and thereof Angelica in place, calming her down, he faked a cough and let go to from there on avoid her intrigued gaze. He would not meet it again. The sensation within was overwhelming and made his stomach flip. Apparently, not something he wanted to rediscover.

Right back in London again. A lovely town indeed, even if Jack often tends to end up in mischief here. Sometimes causing him to end up in trouble and in need of escape routes. Although, he has always come out clean. Perhaps just left behind a WANTED picture or two. That would be it.

Now he is here for another cause.

At points he had sneakily joined his ship's crew at the top. He had placed himself to be able to see in a binocular in the direction of Angelica. Just to make sure no pirates were in sight around them. Not because he actually cared. Because she is an important pillar for him to achieve the deal. Simple as that.

And the fact that he had lingered a bit longer at points, just watching her looking hopelessly out towards the darkness of the endless horizon - he would deny into his bones.

It had been a long time.

And Hans had been on Jack's ship.

"You are going to have to pretend to love her."

Jack had rolled his eyes and Hans went on.

"To be in love with her."

This had caused Jack to reach for a nearby bottle of rum, gulping it all down.

He does the same when entering the office in London. A carriage with horses had picked him up right from the harbor. When he had seen himself in the mirror he wondered if he was the same person. Angelica would laugh at him. And Jack looked dull under his heavy eyelids. He looked stupid.

Like a moron.

But he looked rich. Wealthy indeed. He looked like one of those jerks he preferred robbing out on the seas. Stealing gold, their women and swords. That was what he did. And now he is disguised as one himself.

He taps the armchair nervously as he awaits Angelica. Hans is already standing in front of a desk and the window opened ajar lets the sound of London's town pulse enter. What will Angelica say?

Nervously, he eventually stands up and glances at the clock above Hans head. She should be there any moment.

Hans, browsing the papers ahead of him takes a note of Jack's nervous behavior. His eyes wander up to see Jack strolling back and forth, touching the office's interior as if he never had seen such things.

"Stop doing that, Mr Teague."

Jack almost jumps and shoots Hans a skeptical eye. He waltzes over in his confident walk. "Say, when will Miss Princess be here so we can just wrap this up any sooner? I want this over with, savvy?"

Hans frowns. "Mr Teague, we spoke of how you shall speak. Not like a pirate but as someone coming from royalty."

Jack displays a disgusted face but nods slowly in boredom. "Aye."

Hans has a raised eyebrow.

"I mean - yes."

The doors are opened and Angelica walks in. She stops when seeing Jack, eyes him slowly from feet upwards. Every piece of him is carefully examined before she meets his eyes with a smile she tries to fight back. He really looks stupid.

The dreadlocks are gone, but his hair is still rather long tough - in a ponytail. He looks odd. She has never seen him like that. Every trace of piracy is gone.

He sees her struggle and just has to throw the ball at her for this.

"You look like the women I easily conquer."

Angelica's smile disappears and she stands straight.

"And you, like the men I easily manipulate."

She walks to her chair and is about to sit down when Hans raises his hand. Both Angelica and Jack freeze and waits for Hans to explain. His motion is towards Jack.

"A husband assists his wife in such a manner."

Angelica smiles tauntingly as Jack almost curses under his breath when pulling the chair out for Angelica.

Divalike, Angelica sits down and watches over Jack as if she owns him. "Tell me Hans, is there something else a wife can require from her husband?"

Jack plops down heavily in his chair and turns to Angelica dangerously close. "Question is Hans - give Mrs Teague the information of what a husband can require form his wife."

Angelica winces in the chair and shoots him a death glare. "You wouldn't dare! This is only a facade of lies. I would never-."

"When we speak of it," Hans begins, earning attention from both Teagues. "I have no care whatsoever of what happens, but - you will share bedroom, of course."

"A bedroom?!"

"A what?"

"Share?"

"I refuse!"

"Heck no!"

"In your dreams, luv."

Hans clears his throat again in a tryout of calming them down. He swears he will require a promotion from Governor Milton after this. They sure a bunch of work, these two.

"You will need to share the bedroom as you are a married couple in love."

Angelica swallows and is fast to open her mouth. "Pick for the bed."

Jack is confused. "What for?"

"You can spend the night on the floor, if you wouldn't be fortunate enough to have a couch in the room."

Hans smiles. "There will be a maid in the house, a chef and a servant. And you must fool them all. I do not care how, but you must do whatever is required to. They cannot think anything less than you being happily in love - or else gossip shall escape the house. And if it does - it will surely reach Baron Rothley. This cannot happen. Understood?"

Angelica sighs and Jack sees the reality in it. It seems reasonable.

Hans opens a box and sets it on the table. He slides it over to Angelica who watches it with highest interest. Jack's nosey side tries to peek as she opens it.

She pauses slowly when she sees the rubin ring Jack had given her at two points in life.

"Third time lucky," Jack speaks more cheerily than he feels. He feels a sting within when seeing it. The memory from the first time when he slid it on her finger comes to his mind. Outside St. Lucia in the Caribbean. They had just left La Martinique and he was all over her. In this daze of love he could not resist stealing this most precious piece of jewelry to her. And to later hear that she had traded it. Perhaps he would have done the same, but it was indeed hurtful to understand. When he had seen it at Tia Dalma's house he had not even controlled his hands as they like a magnet stole the piece back. Only to return it to Angelica.

And now…

"Mr Joshamee Gibbs proposed her wearing this. Governor Milton agreed," Hans nods towards Angelica's finger. "As you must wear a wedding ring."

Angelica takes a deep breath, still in disbelief this is actually happening. She slides the ring on her finger with resistance. This is just wrong. She is not supposed to be here with Jack at all.

She is calm but firm when she speaks. "You better befriend that Rothley-Sir before I kill you myself."

Jack throws her a warning look.

"Or perhaps - ye can demonstrate a bit of your technique to make him talk like ye always do?"

"You're the one to talk! Give his wife a bit of technique yourself and we can get this over with!"

"I want to get this over with even more than you, love."

"Not as much as I want-."

"Aye, indeed! I can't wait to get back onto my Pearl and sink yours myself."

"Queen Anne's Revenge easily shoves The Pearl beneath the surface."

"Try me."

"Te odio…"

They slowly shuts their mouth as the doors are opened.

There is a moment of silence. Jack and Angelica are more silent than they ever have been in each others' presence. When they just stare and watch what is happening. When their eyes just examine and takes in. When their minds spin hundreds of circles in tryouts of realizing what is happening. When they just try to comprehend the situation.

Angelica is panicking and suddenly taps Jack's upper arm in panic. "Wh-wh-wh-what did that governor say?"

Jack tries to quote what that governor said. "That we must…'appear as much as a normal, common noble couple, you must be a perfect family.'"

"Did he say couple or family?" She panics and her taps increases harsher. "Couple or family, Jack?!"

"He said both," Jack hesitatingly confirms.

Both of them look at each other in panic before turning to Hans.

"Define family!" Angelica almost shouts at Hans.

"Mrs Teague-."

She shakes her head in distress. "No, no, no! I don't want to hear it!"

"This is..," Hans continues to explain.

Jack presses the tips of his fingers into his ears to block out what Hans is going to say.

And Angelica is shaking her head in panic. In desperation she tries to make Hans reconsider. "We can't! We won't! We're not made for this, please!" she pleads.

Jack takes his fingers out from his ears, thinking Hans has already said it. "I will not be doin' this."

But to no avail.

Hans servant is already handing the toddler to Angelica who tries to flee from the chair. She is quick to try to hand it to Jack, who refuses.

"You take it!" she urges desperately.

He pushes it back. "No, ye take it!"

"We're here all because of you - YOU take it!"

When Angelica tries to hand it to Jack, he jumps up from the chair, leaving Angelica with the toddler in her embrace.

Hans sighs and presses his palm hard into his face. This will definitely be a handful of work. He eventually sits up and talks.

"Well… to answer your question. This is the definition of the perfect family Governor Milton meant."