"So who is she?" Savannah asked Jack when he joined them. Jack shrugged,
"'Er name's 'Rosaline Meredith-Jones,'" He said, "Don't like pirates very much."
"Not many people do Jack," Marti said, "I think that maybe that's the point. Or so I have been told." She shrugged, "She'll come round."
"I don't know," Elizabeth said, "She seemed quite set in her ways."
"Captain," Clay put down his drink, "Be you interested in a little wager?" Jack grinned,
"What be you placin' bets on now Mr Clay?" He asked him, amused.
"The new lass," He said, "I bets you beds her by the end of this foolhardy voyage." Elizabeth spluttered and covered her mouth. Marti leant in and whispered to her,
"Pirate company,"
"Alright then," Jack said to Clay, much to the disgust of Elizabeth, "I'll see that bet. What be the terms?"
"You bed her by the time we get back to Tortuga, and I buys you rounds for a week. No catch." He held out his hand to the Captain, who took it.
"Alright then. But I warn ye, there be only a small amount of women in the Caribbean who have been able to resist the Sparrow charm."
"Yes," Marti said, "And they be all in this room. Says a lot doesn't it?"
Later that evening, Will and Elizabeth had retired to their cabin. Not being allowed to leave without plenty of rude, and suggestive comments. Of course, they were on a pirate ship. Soon after, Savannah left, saying she had things to do, and Cotton, Gibbs and Mort soon left as well. This left Marti, Jack, Ana and Clay sat around the table, with no more alcohol, and only a few scraps of food left on the table.
"Think I might be off to me cabin," Clay said, stretching, "Feel like joinin' me Marti?"
"Don't flatter yourself Clay," Marti said, "I have my own cabin."
"Your loss. Ana?"
"Oh yes, I'm really going to." Ana Maria said, raising her eyebrows. "If I were you I'd just go to bed Clay. Unless you feel like takin' a little moonlight swim." Clay put up his hand in defeat,
"Okay, okay, I'm going," He said, "Captain gets all the fun." And with this parting comment he left. Jack sighed,
"That ones goin' to be a bloody menace, I tell ye now," Jack said, "He's worse than me."
"No one's worse than you Jack, don't worry." Marti assured him, stretching. "Hey, did we not aught to take some food to the English girl?"
"Rosaline? I doubt she'd eat it, but it's worth a try." Jack suddenly became aware of Marti's eyes on him. "What?"
"Your little wager with Clay. What be that about?" Jack sighed,
"So I made a bet. Since when do I have to ask you?" Ana sunk back into her seat, avoiding the confrontation that she could tell would soon happen.
"I'm not saying that, but why would you bet you can bed the English girl? Do you want to?"
"Teeny, I'm only male," Jack said, defensively, "And this is a long voyage. I have my needs," he joked, but Marti looked disgusted.
"So after all the trauma she's been through, you're goin' t' seduce her and be a heartless bastard, just like Clay." Jack frowned,
"You're sounding like a bloody Lady," Jack said, "Start thinking like a pirate lass," Marti stood up.
"Whatever," She said, "I'm going to bed." And she left without another word.
"Women." Jack said.
"Hey," Ana protested, "I am still here you know," Jack grinned,
"Ana Maria, what is the world comin' to?
"Couldn't say, Captain." She said, "I thinks Clay's getting' on Marti's nerves. Has been all day." Jack glanced at a plate of food on the corner of the table.
"That for our Roz?" He asked. Ana nodded. "Then I'll be takin' it to her." He was almost out of the room when Ana called to him,
"Are you really goin' through with that bet?" Jack sighed,
"I don' know." He said, "Maybe, depends."
"Depends?"
"On whether it happens or not. And if it don't, which from the looks of that girl, looks quite probable. She looks so bloody posh she's probably never been touched in her life. If it don't then all I has to do if buy Clay a few rounds."
"Sounds like a challenge." Jack faced her,
"To tell ye the truth Ana, but mind ye, this goes no further than this room. With all that's goin' on, with Will, and 'is dad an' all, I don't sees much of a point. Not that I couldn't," He said, grinning, "Because I could. But there's more to Captainin' this bloody great ship than just yellin' orders." Ana nodded, but didn't dismiss the thought from her mind that her captain would change his mind at some point. She knew him well enough to know that he became restless very easily. In fact, she had personal experience in the matter.
"'Night Cap'n," She said. Then drained what was left of her own drink and gathered her things to retire herself.
Will laid in bed staring at the ceiling. His arm was round Elizabeth's shoulders and she was huddled up against his chest. Elizabeth listened to his heart beating, and could feel the rise and fall of his chest. She knew he was awake. Whenever he was awake, she could feel the constant tension in his body, like he was always prepared for something to happen.
"What's wrong Will?" She asked him, looking up at him, and twisting his hair in her fingers. Will returned the gesture, running his fingers through her hair, which was down. The only time she ever really wore her hair down was when she slept.
"Can't sleep." He muttered, "What about you?"
"Can't sleep."
"Why not?"
"Because you can't." Will smiled,
"Sorry. I'll try harder in future."
"Shut up," Elizabeth said, resting her head back on his chest. "Does this feel strange to you?"
"What?"
"Being back on this ship. Well, back on any pirate ship really. I mean, it's been almost a year." Will shrugged gently, so as not to disturb her too much,
"I haven't really thought about it."
"Oh, what will everyone say when we get home?" Elizabeth said, laughing, "Oh yes, there's Will and Liz, just back from another random pirate cruise." Will said nothing, and Elizabeth stopped laughing. "You do want to go home, don't you?"
"Elizabeth, I don't care where I am, as long as I'm with you." Will told her seriously.
"But you're not sure if Port Royale's the right place for us."
"I didn't say that."
"it's what you're thinking. And maybe you're right. I mean, maybe we do just stay in our 'little house' not doing anything with our money, not really living, like Marti said."
"So you'd rather live like she does? Going from ship to ship, crew to crew, risking your life every day?"
"It'd be more interesting than 'formal dinner parties'." Elizabeth joked, "But maybe…"
"Maybe, we shouldn't think about it." Will said, "Maybe what will be will be, and we can cross that bridge when we come to it." Elizabeth smiled.
"You're ever so good at that."
"At what?"
"Avoiding the issue."
"I do not avoid the issue."
"Yes you do." Will kissed her lightly, and she whispered, "You're doing it again…" Will grinned against her mouth,
"So are you."