AN: Oh, I am so sorry that I haven't updated in so long, but I've been so busy with school. I had to write two speeches, a short story for creative writing and a paper for art appreciation! Oh, my poor imagination! And then, in creative writing, hardly anyone said anything good about my story (which will be posted on ff.net seeing as it has to do with Jack, but I can't post it until I post the third part to Sui Generis because it involves those characters as well). All they did was pick at it about everything that didn't seem "right" to them. For starters, it had to do with a female pirate. Oh, ugh. Anyway, enough complaining, and on with the chapter.
Ashes to Ashes
Chapter 9: Truths Be ToldAshleigh sat in Jack's cabin, her hands clenched tightly together in her lap. She watched as Michael, her brother, paced back and forth in front of her. He would pause in his strides every once in awhile to look down at her, a look of anger and concern flickering across his face.
Once he had discovered who she was, he had requested, or rather demanded, that they have a few minutes alone to talk. Jack, under the watchful glare of Norrington, had readily agreed, telling them that they could use his cabin.
"Oh for Gods sake, Michael! Would you please stop pacing? You're driving me crazy!"
Michael stopped suddenly at her words, his eyes widening slightly. "I do not even know where to begin Ashleigh. You have had me worried half to death that you had been killed by pirates. And now, I find you dressed as a pirate and working with a pirate crew."
"It was all I could do. I had made a promise to Will to find someone for him."
"And instead you joined a pirate crew?"
Ashleigh sighed, exasperated. "The man I was told to find was a pirate. The pirate in fact. It was the best I could do to help Elizabeth and Will."
"You could have stayed in Port Royal. Why didn't you just leave the search to Commodore Norrington?"
Ashleigh jumped to her feet, anger entering her voice. "I was not going to stand idly by and wait for my friends return!" she shouted. "I was not going to just stand back and do nothing! How was I to know if Norrington would find them?"
"And yet you would willingly commit acts of piracy? What would father say if he saw you now?" Michael asked, his green eyes staring into hers.
Ashleigh's eyes narrowed. "I don't care, Michael. I am doing what I believe is right."
"And what of your reputation?"
She flinched slightly. "My reputation?"
"Yes, or maybe our family's reputation. If people receive word that you spent weeks on a pirate ship they will start to say that your innocence has been stolen."
Ashleigh looked away, not bothering to reply to his statement. Reading her expression, Michael's eyes widened. "Dear Lord. You haven't. . ." he paused, swallowing hard, "given yourself to one of them, have you?"
"Of course not Michael! You know I would never do something like that," she lied, staring up into his eyes once again.
Michael looked away, sighing. "After everything that has happened, I am not so sure."
"You are the one who taught me to fight, Michael, as well as allowed me to have as much of a free spirit as I could. If you wish to be angry at me, then be angry at yourself as well."
Before Michael could reply, a loud knocking interrupted their conversation, followed seconds later by the door being thrown open and Jack stepping quickly in the room. Michael glared at him because of the rude interruption. Jack didn't seem to notice.
"Could you two please keep it down? Yer botherin' me crew," he asked, sighing dramatically.
Michael didn't bother to reply, but Ashleigh stared up into Jack's dancing eyes. "Of course, Captain Sparrow," she said softly.
Jack shot her a confused look and then flicked his eyes back to Michael. "Oh, yes, and could you please kindly inform your lieutenant that if he does not stop interfering with me running my ship, I will be forced to shoot him," he said, grinning.
Pounding footsteps sounded behind them, causing all three of them to stare out of the cabin doorway. Lieutenant Ross came into the room, breathing hard. "I am sorry Captain, I tried to keep him away to allow you some time, but he got away from me."
"Got away from you?" Jack asked incredulously. "It's me own bloody ship!"
"If you would like, I can escort him. . ."
"You will escort me nowhere, boy," Jack replied, closing the distance between them and leaning in close to Ross' face. "You may want to get yer head out of yer ass, lad, and take a look around you to where you are."
Ashleigh stifled a gasp of laughter. Michael looked down at her, and then up at Jack. "If you would please watch your language in front of a lady, Captain Sparrow."
Jack's eyes narrowed as he stepped back. "I'm sorry," he said, looking the lieutenant up and down, "I didn't know."
Ashleigh stifled another laugh. She had never really liked Lieutenant Ross. He reminded her very much of every other pompous man, too stuck on himself to realize that very few people actually liked him.
Ross' face turned red at Jack's words, but before he could reply, Michael spoke. "I meant my sister, Captain Sparrow."
"Ah, I see," he replied, turning his laughing gaze to Ashleigh. He bowed slightly, his hands flailing about his face. "I beg your forgiveness, my lady."
Ashleigh's eyes narrowed. The way he had said 'my lady' held a type of shock. She knew she had never told him who she really was, besides that her real name was Ashleigh and not Ash. "Jack, don't," she whispered.
As if he heard her, he looked up at her from his mock bow, his dark eyes meeting hers. A look entered his eyes, a look telling her that they would talk about this later. She nodded slowly, her stomach sinking with dread.
"So tell me lass," he said, straightening up, "who are you?"
Ashleigh straightened her baggy, tucked in shirt. "I am Ashleigh O'Shannon, daughter to Lord Robert O'Shannon of London, England," she replied, resisting the temptation to curtsy as she had always been taught.
"An' 'e's yer brother?"
"Yes. He is Captain Michael O'Shannon of the Silver Maiden."
Jack looked over at him, his eyes looking him up and down. His hips swaying with the movement of his ship, Jack walked over to his desk and sat down, propping his feet up on the wooden desk. Michael stared over at him, hatred in his eyes.
Jack's eyebrows rose slightly as he grinned. "Please, carry on. No need ta stop on my account."
"I would prefer this to be a private conversation, Captain."
Jack merely shrugged, picking up a small, red apple off of his desk. "Then pretend I'm not 'ere mate," he held up his hands, the apple still clenched in his right hand. "Won't say a word. Promise."
Michael sighed, rolling his eyes. He ran his hands through his short, blond hair, saying, "We will finish our talk later, Ashleigh. Now, if you will excuse me Captain, I will take my leave of you and your ship," he paused, looking over at his sister. "Come, Ashleigh, there is no need for you to be on this ship any longer."
Ashleigh opened her mouth to reply but stopped, lowering her head slightly. Her eyes flicked over to Jack who sat, munching on the apple. He was watching them with interest, a look of mild surprise entering his eyes. Ashleigh started to follow Michael out of the cabin when Jack spoke up. "You will stay here, love."
Ashleigh stopped in her tracks, turning around quickly, her long black hair flying. Michael turned as well, a look of anger entering his eyes. "I beg your pardon?"
Jack's eyebrows rose again. "She 'as been part of my crew fer awhile now, mate. It'd be a shame ta pull 'er out now."
"You do not have control over her, sir. You are not her family."
"No," Jack replied, standing up, "but I am her captain."
"She is not a pirate, Mr. Sparrow," Michael said angrily. "You have no hold on her."
"She may not have the blood of a pirate, Captain O'Shannon," Jack answered, his voice low and even, "but she has the heart of one."
"She will come with me, sir. You cannot stop me."
Jack walked calmly up to the taller man, looking up into his blazing eyes. "Look where you are, Captain. You are on a pirate ship, full of pirates and vastly outnumbered. Your ship would not survive long should I choose to attack it. Do not tempt me, Captain O'Shannon."
"Do you believe I am afraid of you, pirate? I have faced fiercer men than you."
Jack opened his mouth to answer when Ashleigh, who had been looking back and forth between them as they argued, stepped between them, pushing them apart. "Would you two just stop arguing? No matter what time we are living in, I believe it to be my choice as to where I would like to stay," Michael opened his mouth to reply, but she glared up at him, silencing him. "No, Michael, do not say a word, I do not want to hear it. I am sick and tired of men trying to rule my life. I am a grown woman; I think I can take care of myself. I do not need you to try and protect me."
Jack smirked over at the man across from him, laughter gleaming in his eyes. "And you Captain Sparrow," she said angrily, turning her attention to him, "do not even think that you do not fit on that list. Yes, I forced you to allow me on your ship, and I forced you to rescue Will and Elizabeth, but that does not give you the right to come to my aid when someone is ordering me to do their bidding. You did the same to me as a crew member on your ship."
Jack stepped back slightly from her angry gaze. He tilted his head to the side, staring over at her. "Well, then, Miss O'Shannon, where would you like to stay?"
* * * * * *
AN: Up next, Chapter 10: Rescues, Or. . .
Next we'll see where Ashleigh decides to stay. Will she stay with Jack, who she has recently begun to care about? Or will she go with her brother who wishes only to return her to her home? Also, will they finally find Will and Elizabeth? Or will something go terribly wrong? Stay tuned, or else you'll never find out! Bwahahahahaha!
Dawnie-7: I think the reason why I wasn't sure about it was because I wasn't sure if Jack and Ashleigh had moved to fast, but I couldn't tell. I'm glad you liked it though.
Elentari II: I'm very sorry to hear that. I don't know what I would do if I had been banned for so long. I'd probably go crazy. I'm updating now! I'm sorry and I hope you're not going to get in trouble for reading this!
CaptainCatalina: I'm sorry! Here's the update!
Cap'n Raven: Thank you!
NazgulGirl: Please don't let them get me! I promise to update quicker!