Disclaimer: I own nothing from Pirates of the Caribbean, and Terrence's ship, crew, and adventures are all her own.
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The night, which had been calm and serene, turned all the more ominous as the seconds ticked by. Some of her more, say, twitchy men found a night such as that one cursed…that the sudden change in the weather was warning them of oncoming danger. Terrence didn't want to bloody think about it.
Standing at the helm, she yawned in a bored fashion, gripping the pegs to keep from falling over in exhaustion. She stared at the Black Pearl enveloped in light fog in front of them, careening in the water gracefully like a black swan. The Dancing Horizon creaked and groaned as it accommodated the rising wind and choppy waves.
Suddenly, she had a splendid idea. A wonderful, daring, risky idea that she may just be able to pull off.
Well, unless Sparrow dashed her idea against the rocks.
"Men!" Terrence called, clutching her black hat to her head as the wind gusted by her, ruffling her baggy shirt and breeches, "Change o' plans! We be headin' to Spain, savvy?"
Her men gaped at her as she unexpectedly whirled the helm around in her grasp, causing the ship to lurch dangerously to the right as it slowly but surely began trailing away from the Pearl.
"Gallagher," Brookes said calmly, running up to her, "What the hell are ye doing? Sparrow wanted ye to help in Oxbay!"
She grinned at Brookes and patted him on the head, saying, "Follow me orders, Brookes, me boy. That is all that I ask."
"Aye aye, Captain," he said with a nod. Turning to the crew, he shouted, "Let's go, men! Lively now! To Spain, it is!"
- - -
Sparrow, meanwhile, stood at his own helm, taking a rather large swig of whiskey when Gibbs trotted up to him, out of breath from scampering down the crow's nest so quickly.
"Breathe, me good man, breathe!" Jack said with a wince, hitting him on the back sympathetically, "What is it, Joshamee?"
"The Dancing Horizon, Cap'n!" he wheezed, "We lost sight o' her in the fog! She started headin' east without no warning a'tall."
Sparrow instantly threw his whiskey bottle to the ground, it instantly crashing into a million pieces of glinting glass, cursing, "Damn that shrew!!" If there was ever a wench that caused him to purposefully destroy delectable amounts of alcohol, it was Terrence. Turning to Gibbs, he ordered angrily, "Take the helm and head her east. RUN OUT THE SWEEPS! I want the Dancing Horizon caught!"
Anamaria rolled her eyes and began preparing the long oars with the other men. "I told ye she wouldn't listen!" she called up to him with a smile.
He shot her an evil stare before crawling up the crow's nest himself, trying to catch sight of the damned ship. Ah yes, there it was, about three hundred yards away. The fog made it hard to make out, but She was there all right.
He wasn't going to let Gallagher make a fool out of Captain Jack Sparrow. She had done that too many times to count. And she must have been the only person who had gotten away with such trickery and devilishness with him. Not this time! Jack had had her word! If he had to hold her hostage to keep her from running, by God, he'd do it, too.
He was a man of extreme measures. He'd take them if he had to.
- - -
"Captain!" Jacobs yelled from the crow's nest, "I think Captain Sparrow wishes to speak with ye! He's hot on our trail! Should we slow up?"
"NO!" she shouted up to him, "Are ye daft? We're trying to get AWAY from Sparrow, not invite him to tea!"
"Aye, Captain," he commented hesitantly, "He ran out the sweeps."
"Gah!" she cried in frustration, taking off her hat and throwing it to the floor. The Dancing Horizon was fast, of course, but it was no Black Pearl. And with the sweeps? They'd never outsail Her.
Her crew seemed utterly confused, wondering why in Hell she would want to sail away from Jack Sparrow when they seemed like they were doing fine together only hours before. Sure, they had witnessed many awful tiffs between the two captains before, the Pearl and Horizon crew alike, and had enjoyed the entertainment they wouldn't have been able to get anywhere else.
"Jack is goin' to kick her arse," Jacobs whispered to Brookes excitedly, "I can't wait to see this! Place your bets now, gents!"
The crew snickered as they tended to the ropes. "And then kiss her arse, is more like it," Pete snorted, "They fight, fight and fight some more, then have a nice tumble afterwards. It never ends."
"Come now, men…" Brookes laughed, "It's clearly none o' our business what is goin' on between Captain and Jack."
Jacobs wiggled his eyebrows and said, "Perhaps the ol' bloke isn't pleasin' her like he used to? Maybe she caught him with someone else?! Maybe…maybe she finally had enough of stringin' him along!"
The men chuckled as Brookes retaliated, "It's not like that and ye bloody well know it."
"And I suppose ye know what's going on?" someone snickered in the back.
Brookes frowned and said, "Nah, I don't." He was the first mate, yet he didn't have a clue. And that was just about enough to slightly irritate him. But Gallagher had her secrets, and she was entitled to keep them.
"Too bad," Jacobs sighed, then leered, "It wouldn't be any o' those reasons either. If she caught him wit' someone else, I figure she would kill him sooner than look at him. And stringin' him along? High unlikely. And Jack not pleasin' her? Jesus, did ye hear the racket they were makin' the other night?"
"I couldn't sleep, it was so loud," Pete grumbled in annoyance.
"I didn't hear any voices, but that headboard o' the bed kept hittin' the wall next to me cot and such…I thought I was goin' to go mad, I was!" Jacobs explained with an eye roll.
"Are ye all about finished gossipin' like lil' schoolgirls?"
The men gulped and turned around to find Gallagher not looking pleased. Not pleased at all.
"Aye Cap'n!" they shouted and scampered away like rats on a rank street corner.
Only Brookes was left standing there, hands on hips, staring after them while shaking his head.
"I hope ye didn't have anything to do with that conversation, mate," she said with a raised eyebrow.
"If I said I did, would ye flog me?" he asked with a mock grimace.
"Ye know I don't do that, Brookes. But speak o' me like that again and I may reconsider me options o' torture."
He nodded and walked off, smiling and whistling to himself.
"First mate, my arse," she muttered, but in fact, she couldn't be happier with her choice of choosing Brookes as her wing man. He was wise, very intellectual for being a few years younger than her, and loyal. Extremely loyal. And loyalty was a trait she thought very highly of. He had been there for her during the absolutely worst of times, and during the positively best of times on the Dancing Horizon. A crew without Brookes would have seemed somewhat odd.
Before Terrence had time to react, the Pearl suddenly sprang forth from the fog like a ghost and swept dangerously close to the Horizon's starboard side. She whirled around just in time to see Jack swinging over expertly onto her ship, letting go of the rope and hitting the deck with a 'thunk' as he crouched to the floor. When his eyes met hers, she didn't like what she saw.
"Gallagher."
"Nice o' ye to drop in so unexpectedly," Terrence replied, eyeing him carefully, "Please excuse me state o' dress, I didn't know we were goin' to be having company…"
"I need to speak wit' ye," Jack stated bluntly. She inwardly groaned when she noticed the fierce anger flaring to life in his eyes.
"Fine…" she sighed, "Follow me."
He swaggered after her, nodding to her crew as they mumbled quick 'hellos' or acknowledged his presence. She ushered him in grandly and he followed, accepting her invitation inside of her quarters.
When she shut the door, the crew scurried up to it, all fighting for room as they placed their ears against the wood, trying to pick up a tidbit or two of their heated conversation from inside.
"Jack…it was for the best. Really."
His jaw twitched. Placing his tricorne hat down on the desk, he didn't answer her.
"Splittin' up is the only way I can accomplish this curse thing as soon as possible," Terrence said in exasperation, crossing her arms over her breasts, blowing a particularly stubborn strand of hair from her face, "Goin' to Oxbay is just an unnecessary detour for me ship and crew."
"I thought we had already discussed this," Jack stated, his goatee braids bobbing while he talked, "We had an agreement."
"I never agreed to anything."
"Dammit, Gallagher!" Jack shouted, his brown eyes flaring once more, now sparkling gold and amber in their depths, "We sure as hell had agreed to something! Perhaps I should just leave ye behind! You're so intent on doin' it all on your own!"
"Maybe you should!" she cried, pointing, "Just leave, then! Go out that door like I want ye to!"
The crew outside fidgeted nervously, not wanting anyone bursting through the door and discovering their eavesdropping frenzy.
"What are ye scared of, Terrence?" he questioned suddenly, "What, are ye afraid o' getting me in trouble? C'mon, luv, I'm already in enough trouble as it is. I'm a wanted man, and a wanted man has nothing to do but run. Why can't we run by each other's sides?" When she didn't respond, he continued, "Is it pride? I don't think you'd be as daft as to let pride get in the way o' this."
Jack had begun to pace and she leaned heavily against the desk, watching him.
"Are ye afraid that you'll fail, Terrence? That you'll be to blame if this world is torn apart?"
"I am not afraid," she seethed, clenching her fists, "I will defeat this blasted thing."
"So why do ye run from me like your knickers are on fire, hmm?" he said, his voice wavering with unspent ferocity.
"Go to Hell."
"Sure, luv. But after we reach Oxbay, savvy?"
She picked up the nearest book of maps and threw it at him. He ducked as it sailed past his head, missing it by an inch or two. Terrence backed up, trying to search desperately for more heavier things to throw at the vile man, but he caught her, spun her around and held her by the wrists as she struggled against him. Terrence's knee flew up, almost connecting with his groin but he turned his hips to the side just in time to prevent that from happening.
"What are ye runnin' from, darlin'?" he asked with a grin as she stared up at him, her face contorted into a look of pure malice.
Still jerking against him, she shouted, "I just have been getting one o' me feelings, all right?"
"About what?"
"You."
He blinked a few times, peering through his long lashes down at her. "About me? I'm fine, luv. I'm here, aren't I?"
"Something bad is goin' to happen," Terrence said, clenching her teeth, "And I don't want ye to be trapped in the middle of it."
"There ye go…" Jack sighed, "Caring about me welfare again. Terrence, if I wasn't helpin' ye, I don't know what I'd do. Go crazy from wonderin' what was happening to you, I suppose." She didn't answer and he added, "I'm not the kind o' man who can just sit around and wait for ye to get back from your lovely adventure, darlin'. I want to be a part o' this. Try to leave me out o' it again and I will whip you."
"Au contraire, Jack," she retorted, "It seems I have already whipped you."
"Take that back, hellcat," he demanded, eyes flashing, "Captain Jack Sparrow is never whipped by anybody!"
She smiled impishly when she asked, "How badly do ye want me to take it back?"
He grew a tighter hold on her wrists as he pressed her into him, beginning to sprinkle feather light kisses over her jaw. "Bad."
The crew backed away from the door at once when they heard footsteps coming towards it. Gallagher threw open the door, yelled, "Back to Oxbay, ye dogs!" and slammed it shut once again.
Brookes sighed and took the helm at once, changing the Horizon's course yet again.
"We should have seen this comin'," Pete said with a shake of his head before getting back to work with the rest of the men.
Jacobs groaned, "Aw, I need a drink. Let me go get me stash. Want some?"
Brookes shrugged, questioning, "What have ye got?"
"Still have some o' that brandy from that lil' vessel we pillaged outside o' Cape Town."
"Sure, why the hell not? I could use a drink," Brookes agreed before turning his gaze towards the darkened horizon. Staring over his shoulder, he found the Black Pearl closely trailing behind.
Jacobs rushed into the barracks and began searching through his assorted knick knacks, which consisted of tobacco, a stale slice of bread, a deck of cards with only 51 cards, and a women's pair of knickers. Ah yes. He grinned, remembering that prostitute he had picked up in Tortuga. Apparently she had decided to leave him something behind for good luck.
Suddenly, Jacobs heard a weird sound reverberating around the room. He craned his neck, listening intently. Something was knocking heavily against the wall to his upper left. Aw hell…it was the headboard again.
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DON'T FORGET! PineAppleLint is having a contest! To partake in the contest, readers must submit a poem/short story about Jack and Terrence (It can be about anything you want, me dears! Let your imaginations run wild!) and it doesn't necessarily have to pertain to Trade with the Devil. The winner with the best poem or short story will have their work posted in the last chapter after the ending of Trade with the Devil, so that people can admire them for the fantastic writer they really are! And, dare I say it…they will receive the beginning chapter of the third installment of Terrence's and Jack's adventures before it's even posted on The contest shall go on until Trade with the Devil is completed. So get to it, mateys! Send your completed poem/short story to:
DayDreamr1 at aol. com Title your emails as "Jack/T contest"
Good Luck!
A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. And I apologize for not having review responses for this chapter. It shall resume the next, I assure you! Now as always, go drink up, me 'earties, and when I say that I mean review!