Disclaimer: Same old routine, POTC is Disney's, OCs are mine.
A Sparrow's Shadow on the Sea
Separation
Jack couldn't believe he had let Gibbs talk him into going to the Faithful Bride, and leaving Eve behind on the Pearl.
"Leave her be, Jack," his first mate had said, "She's hurt and she needs a bit of time, to sort out her thoughts."
It had made sense to Jack at the time, but now as he sat morosely drinking his rum; it had begun to feel very, very wrong.
Gibbs had been trying to cheer him up the entire way to the tavern. He'd even managed to coax a smile out of him, through the clever use of a particularly raunchy joke.
As Jack sat at the corner table with his first mate, watching the revelry around him, he had the oddest feeling that he just didn't belong here. The lilting laugh of a flirtatious whore at an adjacent table only reminded him of how long it had been since he'd last heard Eve laugh. His mood had turned decidedly maudlin.
"Jack Sparrow!" Marguerite exclaimed, balancing a tray of mugs on her shapely hip, "Here without your wife? Did you finally tire of the knocked-up baggage, and toss her overboard?"
"Leave me alone, Marguerite," Jack told her through clenched teeth.
"You're in a foul mood tonight, Jack. Maybe I can help soothe that beastly temper," she persisted.
"Go away, Marguerite," Jack said, clearly annoyed.
"Jack, you should've come into port sooner. Finally found your fat, pregnant wife distasteful? Been goin' without for so long, you've gotten grumpy," she cooed, as she slid her hand into his shirt.
Jack grabbed her wrist and removed her hand from himself. "I do not ever harm women, Marguerite, but you are truly tempting me to," he growled, gripping her wrist painfully. "Now go away, before I lose all my restraint!"
Marguerite stared at him as he downed the remainder of his rum, then she stomped off.
"I'm going back to the Pearl, Gibbs," Jack announced, standing and leaving his first mate alone.
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As Jack reached the dock, he paused for a moment. He felt jumbled up, almost as if he were slowly being strangled from the inside. He cocked his head to the side, as he caught sight of his compass, swinging from his belt.
Grabbing it and popping it open, he expected it to point to the Pearl…to whatever shadowy corner Eve had cloistered herself in.
Impatience swirled inside him as he watched the needle spin this way and that. And he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the compass needle finally stop. It was not pointing at the Pearl. It was pointing into town.
Stupid, bloody thing, he thought, shaking it. Once again, the needle spun, only to point in the exact same direction as before. Tortuga.
Jack dashed up the plank to the deck, shouting, "Search the ship and find Eve! I want every cargo hold, hallway, cabin and crew's quarters searched! And when you find her, bring her to me!"
"Aye, Cap'n," the crew on watch responded, as they scattered.
Jack went to the cabin. As had become usual, she wasn't there. A cold fear began to characterize his thoughts.
She couldn't have gone into town alone! With the baby growing so large, she wouldn't be able to defend herself. Her balance would be thrown off. The fighting skills she'd learned would be useless. She couldn't have gone!
Bugger, bugger, bugger! All this began with the appearance of the bloody Reaper! That damnable ship had ruined everything! Turned the most amazing woman I've ever met into nothing but a hollow shell! Killed three of my crew, and wounded several more.
He stalked across the cabin, pacing back and forth, a miserable scowl on his face. He grabbed the compass yet again, only to find it yielded the same direction.
She had gone into town! The crew weren't going to find her here. Back to the Bride…find Gibbs. Then, search for her.
Jack retraced his path back to the tavern. He was fuming, as well as beginning to feel panicked. He found Gibbs still at the corner table, a comely redhead perched on his lap.
"Gibbs!" Jack roared.
"Aye, Cap'n," he instantly responded, standing quickly, and nearly dumping the wench to the floor.
"Eve's missing," Jack said rapidly, "She went into town for some reason. We have to find her!"
"Sit down, Jack," Gibbs told him wearily.
"Wha-?! No! I have to find her," Jack protested.
"Sit…down…Jack!" Gibbs repeated firmly, "I've somethin' I need to tell ye."
Jack stared at him in bewilderment, then slumped into a chair.
"She's gone, Jack," Gibbs began glumly, the lines of his face seemed to be etched more deeply.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Jack said in frustration, "We have to find her!"
"I'm sorry, Jack, I should've told ye sooner," Gibbs continued, "It's just that she was so hurt an' miserable. I feared for her health, an' for the baby." He paused, staring at his hands as he wrung them together nervously. "She's gone an' left ye, Jack. Thinks ye blame her for what happened, in the cabin."
Jack stared at Gibbs, unable to believe what he was hearing. A cold fury seeped into his eyes. "You knew this and did nothing to stop her? You let her traipse right off the ship, under your very nose, and go? Into Tortuga? At night? Alone?!" Jack glared at Gibbs. "You had better hope and pray we find her unharmed," Jack told him, his voice betraying the calmly enunciated words of his threat.
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I continued through the town, past the mission, until I reached the familiar wall surrounding Ruby's garden. Oddly, the gate was partially open. I followed the path through the garden, and was surprised to see light shining from the windows and a plume of smoke rising from the chimney.
As I got to the door, it opened.
"Jah bless, child, look at ya! Ya look a fright!" Ruby exclaimed, as she hugged me. "What di devil been goin' on? Ya all winjy an' ya been beat!"
Ruby led me into the kitchen, sat me down, and offered me a big bowl of soup. She made me promise to finish it. As I ate, I told her everything that had happened, stopping occasionally to sob. She listened patiently, murmuring understanding comments when I paused. When I had finally told Ruby the entire horrific tale of our encounter with the Reaper, and of the way Jack had become so distant, I looked at Ruby with tired eyes.
"Why didn't Yemaya protect us, Ruby?" I questioned her, in a small voice.
"Cha, star! Ya, Jack, an' di babe survived, dinna ya?" she responded, in that infuriatingly, matter-of-fact tone that Jack often had.
"Yes," I answered.
"Den, she protect ya," she said, "Now, ya come an' get some rest. Ya look like ya no slept in a week! It all seem betta ina di morrows."
Ruby led me to a bedroom upstairs, assuring me I would be undisturbed. I curled up in the bed, feeling safe and warm under the covers, and slept as if I'd never awaken.
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The next morning, Ruby had prepared a bath for me. After I'd bathed and dressed, I met her in the kitchen. She sat me down with a large bowl of hearty porridge with cream
"Jack be comin' ta look for ya today, star," Ruby mentioned.
"I can't imagine why he would," I replied sadly.
"Cha! Ya know as well as mi dat Jack loves ya," she said.
I pushed the porridge away. "Jack was all smiles as he went to the Faithful Bride last night, Ruby. And I doubt that spending a night in the arms of an all too willing whore, is going to make him miss me," I told her.
She sighed. "Sometime, t'ings are not what deh seem," she said, "Dat Jack may be a blackheart pirate, star, but he also a good man, an' he loves ya an' di babe."
"No offense, Ruby, but I think that's a bunch of nonsense," I said, filled with self-pity.
"Do no doubt what Ruby tells ya, star," she scolded, angrily shaking her finger at me, "Mi no lie ta ya, ever!"
"I'm sorry, Ruby, but I just don't believe it," I said quietly.
"Jah bless, star! Ya got di worst hard ears!" she exclaimed in exasperation.
"Ruby, can I go see Jack's house, where he grew up?" I asked her.
"Humph," she answered, as she assessed me, "I give ya di key, when ya finish ya po'ridge."
"Ugh! I have no appetite," I grumbled.
"Den ya no get di key," she told me, with that mischievous glint in her eyes.
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Jack and Gibbs had spent the night searching every inn in Tortuga, to no avail.
Upon returning to the Pearl, Jack shut himself in the cabin. He had been pacing for several hours, rum in hand, trying to numb the ache in his heart, as well as his frantically worrying mind. He knew what he had to do.
I must go to Ruby's. I must tell her all that's happened, and hope she can use that witchery of hers to find Eve. I'll have to endure the bloody woman's chastising, again, but it'll be worth it to find Eve safe. What would happen at that point, though, I have no idea. What if she refuses to listen to me? What if she doesn't believe me?
He finished off the bottle of rum, chucking the empty container out the open window.
You're Captain Jack Sparrow, mate! If anyone can convince her, you can!
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A/N: I know this chapter wasn't my usual first person style, but I really wanted to include Jack's perspective. Hopefully, it didn't seem too disjointed. Well, Jack finally was able to overcome his inertia, and now he's off to try to find Eve and, perhaps, weasel his way into being her knight in shining armour again! My sincerest thanks to all who read and reviewed! I LOVE reading all your comments!