Disclaimer: Disney is proud owner of POTC, I own my OCs, and A LOT of POTC stuff!
A Sparrow's Shadow on the Sea
I've Got a Jar of…Leeches
I opened my eyes in the morning to see Jack facing me on the pillow, still sleeping. What had been a red welt above his eye had bloomed appallingly over night to become a full-blown shiner. I reached my hand out to gingerly touch his face, but pulled it back, thinking better of it in the last minute.
Jack opened his eyes, then immediately shut them again, wincing in pain.
"Good morning, handsome," I teased.
Jack put his hand to my face, his fingers wandering until they found my lips. "Shhh," he said, holding his hand to my mouth. "Why do I feel this way?" he groaned, "I hardly drank any rum at all."
"You're not as used to it anymore," I mentioned, "And then, of course, there was that little incident with the broom handle."
He groaned mournfully. "I'll never drink again," he mumbled, pulling the coverlet over his head.
"Of course you will," I said matter-of-factly, as I began to get out of bed.
"Where are you going?" he asked piteously from under the covers, "Don't leave me!"
"I'm getting the bottle Ruby gave me for morning sickness," I told him, as I walked to one of the cabinets, "Fortunately for you, I never needed any of it." I looked at the bottle dubiously. "How much are you supposed to take for a hangover, Jack?"
His arm emerged from under the covers. "Just gimme it," he said, his hand blindly grasping around in the air.
I walked over to him and, holding his hand still, placed the bottle in it. I watched as his arm retreated under the covers. When it emerged again, half of the liquid was gone, and there was much gagging, coughing, and sputtering from him.
"Blech! A vile, evil concoction from a vile, evil woman," he complained.
I returned the bottle to the cabinet. "You might want to consider consulting said vile, evil woman about your face, Jack," I suggested.
"Why izzat?" he questioned.
Expecting the worst, I picked up the silver mermaid hand mirror he'd gotten me on our first excursion in Tortuga, and held it under the covers until I felt him grab it. I watched as the lumps that were my hungover husband moved around under the covers. And I waited for the inevitable.
"Blasted, bloody, buggering hell!" he shouted. The lump then appeared to curl into a fetal position, gently rocking itself, moaning sorrowfully.
"Is there anything else I can do for you, my darlin'?" I asked him softly.
"Get Ruby," a small, pain-tinged voice answered.
"Are you sure, Jack?" I asked skeptically, "You know she's probably going to want to stick leeches on you? That's what she wanted to do to me, when I showed up at her door, all beaten up."
"Just…get…her," he insisted impatiently.
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Ruby stood at the helm, chatting with Gibbs. As I approached, I noticed Ruby hadn't tied her hair back today. Her hundreds of long, skinny braids cascaded past her shoulders in a thick mass. She was smiling at Gibbs as he spoke to her. And I noticed for the first time that Ruby was actually quite pretty, for a woman in her mid-fifties.
"Ruby, Jack needs you in the cabin," I announced as I came to join them, "He's feeling…poorly."
"Aw, now dat's a real shame," she said, unable to conceal her sarcasm.
"He asked for you," I mentioned, pointedly, "He's hungover and has a black eye from the broomstick hitting him."
Gibbs couldn't help smiling in amusement.
"Jack asked ta see mi?" Ruby questioned in disbelief.
"Yes, he did," I confirmed, "I've already given him the hangover remedy, but I think that shiner has him a bit…distressed."
She began to smirk. "Let mi git mi t'ings," she replied, "Den mi come to di cabin, git Jack all fixed up an' purdy again."
After she left the helm, I turned to look at Gibbs. He was smiling to himself as he watched her leave.
"Ruby looks very pretty today, doesn't she, Gibbs?" I goaded.
"Aye, well, ye know…must be the fresh sea air an' sunshine, lass," he replied, looking flustered, "Gives a…rosy glow, to the complexion, ye see."
"Uh-huh, must be," I said, obviously unconvinced. I noticed Gibbs looking down in the direction of the main deck. Following his gaze, I saw Ruby heading toward the cabin.
"Oh, good! She's got the leeches! This ought to be fun!" I blurted. As I started down the steps, I called over my shoulder, "Have a nice day, Gibbs!"
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"Git up outta di bed, Jack, ya big baby!" Ruby said as I entered the cabin, "Let mi see what be wrong wit ya."
I glanced at Ruby's things on the table. The leeches undulated happily in their jar of water, amidst an assortment of smaller jars and bottles.
"Turn your back!" Jack's voice said commandingly from under the covers of the bed.
Ruby sighed and faced away from the bed. "Mi no shocked nor impress by what ya hide in dem breeches, Jack!" she informed him, "Ya family jewels ain't dat much of a treasure, ya know!"
Jack threw off the covers and practically leapt into his breeches. He swayed for a moment, then smiled brightly at regaining his balance. With a toss of his hair, he strolled over so Ruby could assess the damage to his face.
She smirked as she looked at his eye, still somewhat swollen. The surrounding skin had turned a hazy shade of indigo blue, highlighted by a spot of magenta where the broom handle had hit his brow.
"Jah bless! An' mi no even try ta hit ya! Ya bruise too easy, Jack," Ruby told him, chuckling.
"Way I see it, Ruby, it was your doing that got me looking like this," Jack told her, "So, it'll be you that's doing the undoing, to make me not look like this. Savvy?"
"Mi can git ya ta look all purdy again, Jack," Ruby said with a mischievous smile, "But ya no goin' ta like it."
"Just fix it," he growled at her, as he sat in his chair by the table.
Ruby gently touched her fingers to the discoloured skin of Jack's eye, as he sat perfectly still, submitting docilely to her examination. She then turned to the table, uncorking the jar of leeches, and removing one of the black, ribbon-like creatures.
"Dis will git rid of di bruise, an' help ya ta heal faster," she explained as she turned back to him.
Jack had been sitting with his eyes closed, sheltering them from the light streaming into the cabin. Ruby was reaching out to place the leech on Jack's face, so it could suck the blood from his skin and minimize the bruising. His eyes snapped open, just in time to see the wriggling leech directly in front of him.
Jack's eyes bugged in horror as he bolted from the chair, backing away from Ruby and the offending leech in her hand. "There is no bloody way in hell you're putting that slimy, squirming, blood-sucking thing on me, Ruby!" he told her in no uncertain terms.
"It di only way ta git rid of di swellin' an' di bruisin', Jack," she protested, "Now, sit ya-self down an' stop bein' such a baby!"
"I will not!" Jack refused steadfastly, "I've changed my mind! I've suddenly decided…that having a black eye could be to my advantage…Makes me…look all the more dangerous!" he quickly lied to her, "Yes, I think I'd prefer to just leave it alone…Much more better that way!" He managed to smile his most charming smile at her, his eyes still fixed on the leech.
"Suit ya-self, Jack," Ruby relented, placing the leech back into the jar, "But don't say mi dinna try ta help!"
"Yes, thank you, Ruby, duly noted," Jack muttered, still keeping a respectful distance, "Now, please leave, and take those wretched creatures with you!" He waved his hand toward the jar, his eyes wide in trepidation.
Ruby gathered her things, mumbling insults about Jack's manliness and courage to herself. "Ya come on deck when ya ready ta practice ya trance, star," she reminded me as she left the cabin.
Jack shuddered from head to toe, jingling the trinkets in his hair. "I'll happily face the most insurmountable odds, hell, I don't even have a problem facing near certain death," he declared, "But, the idea of those…little…beasties…sucking my blood, is beyond the scope of reason! Savvy?"
"I understand, Jack," I said sympathetically, "I refused to let her put them on me also." I walked over to him, deciding to humour him, and slid my arms around his neck. "You know, I think you may be right, Jack," I cooed, "You certainly do look much more dangerous and fearsome with that black eye!" I reached up to gently touch his face. "It's almost tantalizing to try to imagine what sort of formidable adversary you might have overcome while getting it."
He began to smirk. "See, now that's exactly what I was thinking," he said.
"In fact, I think it makes you even more appealing," I continued seductively, "You were irresistible before, Jack, but now…I'm not sure I can control my desire."
"Really?" he let slip excitedly, then quickly changed his demeanour, to become charmingly sensual and seductive. "Do you think this wise, luv," he asked in a husky voice, "To be alone, in the arms of such a dangerous pirate? God only knows what's to become of you." He held me close, caressing my cheek, then my neck, then finally weaving his fingers through my hair.
"It's not wise at all, Jack," I told him breathily, "But, I just can't help myself…I want you…"
He grinned that scoundrel's grin of his, before kissing me lustily.
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Jack stood at the helm when I met Ruby on deck to practice more of those hypnosis techniques. He looked quite pleased with himself, proudly sporting his blackened eye that made him seem so "dangerous." I smiled to myself as I watched his dreadlocks flying haphazardly in the wind, thinking that Ruby's leeches could never accomplish what a well-coddled male ego could. Jack now happily thought of himself as quite the "bad ass" pirate!
I settled on the deck, sitting cross-legged and leaning against a barrel, as Ruby began to guide me to relax, focus, and allow myself to slip into a trance. I'd anticipated being distracted while on deck, but I'd become so accustomed to the sounds of the ship and crew while sailing, that it was actually much easier than I thought. The sun was warm and it quickly helped to lull me into a relaxed state of being.
I could feel the wind, the warmth of the sun, and the gentle rocking and swaying of the Pearl beneath me as she sailed. It felt like I was floating. I felt light and weightless, completely relaxed and at ease.
A swirling, white fog surrounded me; that seemed to softly shimmer all the colours of the rainbow. It was beautiful, and it felt soothing to be enveloped in this delicate, billowing mist.
I looked down to discover I was holding a baby! Well, that's it! Instead of going into a trance, I've gone and fallen asleep, and now I'm dreaming, I thought.
The baby had dark and beautiful dark eyes, fringed with long dark lashes. Just like Jack, I thought, with a smile. The baby looked up at me and smiled too.
"Are you a boy or a girl?" I asked in my dream, as I looked at the baby.
"I'm not telling," the baby teased, in a tiny high-pitched, sing-song tone.
A talking baby! Yep, definitely dreaming, I thought.
"Don't be afraid, Mama," the baby told me, "In the beginning, you didn't want me, because you were afraid."
I felt my heart ache. "It's true," I confessed guiltily, "But I don't feel that way anymore. I can't wait until you're born, and you're here for us to spoil and care for and love."
"But, you're still afraid," the baby persisted, regarding me intensely.
"Yes, I'm afraid of your birth, of the pain," I admitted. "Ruby says the hypnosis will help. I'm supposed to be practicing now, but instead I'm dreaming."
"Is Papa afraid too?" the baby asked.
I smiled. "Yes, but he's much better at hiding it than I am," I answered, "Neither one of us knows what to expect, and that's what makes us afraid."
"I know, Mama, I'm afraid too," the baby told me, furrowing its little brows with a worried look.
I hugged the baby to me gently. "Everything will be alright, Little One," I assured the baby, "We'll take care of each other." I looked at the baby and smiled. "Know that your Mama and Papa love you," I told the baby.
The baby reached out a tiny, delicate hand to touch my cheek. "I love you and Papa," the baby said, "I can't wait to be born and come to live with you."
And then it was gone, and I was alone in the shimmering white fog once again. I felt a tear, wet and warm, spill from my eye and roll down my cheek.
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A/N: I'm going to see "At World's End" in a few hours!!! Sorry, but I'm just so excited!!! Hearty piratey thanks to all who read and reviewed! Ye be the BEST! And, yes, the baby is coming soon!