Disclaimer: (Looks around) Shh! I'm hunting for Jack Sparrow! This means he's not mine…yet.
AN: This is going to be a very cute, cuddly, sappy chapter. It's got kittens, Jack Sparrow, Rose, and a whole bunch of adorable moments, so be prepared to "oh" and "aw" at least once or twice. Oh, and don't forget to drop a review into the treasure chest! (points towards a very large open chest) Thanks!
Chapter 13: Bonding En Route to the Caribbean:
The next day was a sad one for Nidhi, Padma and I. In the privacy of the large gardens, the three of us hugged, exchanged farewell kisses on the cheeks, and babbled all sorts of promises to write or send gifts to one another until we saw each other again.
"No worries, my fair ladies!" Jack's voice declared, surprising us all. "Padma, I can solemnly promise you that any letters you or your mother send will get to fair Rose no matter what happens."
I quirked an eyebrow in disbelief. "Oh?" I asked. "And how are you going to manage that?"
The rogue merely gave me his infamous silver-and-gold smile. "Luv, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!" he exclaimed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "I've got numerous contacts in the Caribbean, and they know where to find me. You'll get your letters, no fear of that!"
My reply was a quick kiss on his cheek as a show of thanks. Realizing what I had done, I blushed before running to get Ivory, who was currently being held by one of Jan's servants while Nidhi and Padma bid me goodbye.
Jack touched the part of his cheek where Rose had pressed her gentle kiss. "Now that's interesting," he muttered, staring after her as she vanished inside.
"Oh, yes, very interesting," Nidhi commented while her daughter snickered.
Snatching his hand away from his face, Jack turned to glare at them. "Enough!" he said, crossing his arms. "Nothing's happening between me and Rose, so stop trying to play matchmakers!"
Padma merely rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Captain," she retorted.
Heaving an annoyed sigh, Jack shook his head before giving Nidhi an affectionate kiss on the cheek. "I'll try and visit in the next couple years or so," he vowed, giving her a smile.
"You'd better," the older woman replied, beaming. "As long as it's before Padma's children grow up, your timing will be perfect."
Jack nodded before moving on to the girl he considered a good friend and younger sister. "Be good, Padma," he ordered, playfully waving a finger in her face. "I'll try and be back to see any little ones you and your husband manage to produce and bring them something to keep them out of your hair."
The young woman couldn't hold back her laughter. "Oh, Jack, how I'm going to miss you!" she said, throwing her arms around him in a hug. "Please come back soon."
"That's a promise I'll be most happy to keep, luv," he said, returning her hug. A moment later, Jack released her. "Well, time to be off to the Pearl."
He graciously kissed the backs of each of their hands and bowed before sweeping out of the gardens, heading towards his beloved ship.
The Pearl hadn't been at sea more than a few hours, and the men were already a bit antsy. Jack mainly attributed it to the fact that Gibbs had been one to find Rose's precious kitten and had let up a huge row because of it being 'bad luck.'
"For the last time, Gibbs, cats are not bad luck!" Jack snapped at the older man, who was giving him a pleading gaze. "Look, Ivory is a white cat that can catch rats and keep us from horrible stuff like sickness and rodents eating the food, savvy?" Jack waved a finger in his face. "And no nonsense about there being a female human and female cat onboard, either!"
Gibbs sighed, hanging his head in defeat. "Aye, sir…" he muttered before heading off to do his work.
Then it was Jack's turn to sigh. 'I just hope that the rest of the crew is easier to convince that him.'
"There you are, sweetness," I cooed to my little kitten, who was presently exploring the sandbox that I had set up in a hidden corner of the ship. "Nidhi told me you were already trained in using the litter box, so be sure to use it and not the rest of the ship as the privy, okay?" I giggled. "Captain Jack won't like it."
Ivory 'meowed' at me before going back to her exploring, poking her little nose into each and every corner she could get at. I sighed and snatched her up, causing the adorable ball of fluffy fur to cry out in protest of my interrupting her adventures in exploring the ship. I laughed and took her to my room so I could set up the other things Nidhi and Padma had given me to make my precious Ivory comfortable onboard the Pearl.
"How's our newest crewmate, luv?"
The sound of Jack's voice made Ivory 'mew' in reply. Somehow during the final day or two of our stay in India, my kitten had managed to grow attached to the pirate captain, and she always made a vocal greeting whenever he was nearby. What surprised me, however, was the sight of Jack down below deck during the day, especially when he should have been at the helm. On the other hand, knowing Jack, he was probably making sure that Ivory didn't make a mess on his Pearl…
"Oh, she's fine," I replied, shifting Ivory from one arm to another, causing her to squeak in protest. "I just made a sandbox for her in a corner of the ship for her to use. Right now I'm going to my quarters to set up another sandbox, as well as the little bed that Nidhi gave me before I left."
Jack nodded. "Good, good," he said, looking at the animal in my arms. Rather hesitantly, he reached out and stroked Ivory's head, his fingers gently scratching behind and around her ears. He smiled when he heard the loud purr escaping her tiny throat. "Cute little bugger, isn't she?"
I smiled as I gazed down at my contented little roommate. "Yes, she's absolutely adorable," I said, tickling her chin with my right forefinger. "I think she'll do alright on the Pearl, don't you, Jack?"
He nodded as he stopped scratching Ivory's ears. "Aye, though you might want to keep her away from the crew for a while…Gibbs is still going around mumbling about cats and bad luck."
A sigh escaped my lips as I rolled my eyes. "No worries there, Jack," was my sarcastic reply. "That's why I'm setting up another box of sand in my room so that I can keep her in there for a week or so. That should be long enough for her to explore my cabin and get tired of it before I let her roam around the ship." I shifted my cat from one elbow to the other. "What do you think?"
Jack looked closer at the feline before speaking. "Well, as long as she only claws up your cabin, it's alright with me," he said, raising a hand to stroke his beard. "Just make sure she doesn't cause any trouble, savvy?"
Ivory gave a tiny 'meow,' as though she were answering his question. Jack chuckled softly as he rubbed her head in affection.
"I'll take that as a 'yes,'" he whispered to her as she closed her eyes and leaned her head into his touch.
Keeping a kitten out of trouble is difficult enough on land; keeping one out of trouble on a ship at sea is well-nay impossible!
Ivory was content enough with exploring my cabin for a week, sniffing around in the corners, rubbing her face along the legs of the furniture, and making a spot for herself on my bed instead of using the elaborate basket-bed that Nidhi had put together and given to me for the little kitten to use. If I'd been in Ivory's place, though, I would have easily chosen the basket-bed: the materials covering the cushions that made up the cat-bed were of the finest materials, and when I gently bounced my fingers on them, the softness of it all made me wish that I had a bed that luxurious!
That first week passed quickly, and soon enough, the crew seemed to forget that there was a cat onboard, proving that if Ivory was out of sight, she was out of the crew's thoughts. However, after that time period ended, I had to find a way to display Ivory to the crew without the men trying to avoid me or her…or worse, tossing my poor kitten overboard! So I designed a sling from one of the numerous veils that Padma had given to me (the entire wardrobe that had been made for me in India now stored in a large trunk under my bed).
At first it was awkward, carrying Ivory around, her little green eyes darting back and forth across the deck, watching everyone and everything that was moving about. Since I usually wasn't allowed to do anything too physical beyond sewing or testing to see if the ropes were secure, it wasn't too difficult carrying my precious kitten around. When it was time for me to make the crew's meals, I kept Ivory on a small leash that was loosely secured to something large and heavy, just so I could keep her close, but still keep an eye on her. When everyone sat down to dinner, Ivory joined me, once more wrapped in a sling across my chest, me alternating between feeding myself and slipping bits of food to her, which she seemed to enjoy immensely.
Thankfully, the crew tolerated all of my efforts, soon becoming used to it. After two weeks of success, I discreetly set Ivory loose in a corner and let her roam around while I tended to a few chores. As I worked, I occasionally checked out of the corner of my eye to see how everyone was adjusting to Ivory being set free. Some men froze in their tracks, staring as she toddled about on her little white paws, sniffing coils of rope or standing on her hind legs just so she could look inside a nearby bucket. It was rather adorable to see her explore the ship, and, slowly, the crew calmed down enough to let her explore in peace, though they kept their eyes open so as not to step on her or her tail. Even Jack made sure to keep an eye out from the helm, directing men around to avoid having an injured kitten on deck.
However, the most difficult hurdle was Mr. Gibbs. Despite all my efforts to show Ivory to him, and despite the fact that the men had begun to tolerate her presence and explorations of the top deck, Gibbs simply couldn't stand being within two feet of her. In fact, the first mate did all that he could to avoid sharing any sort of space with her! Finally, after three weeks at sea, I merely gave up trying, letting the man have his opinion and letting things be. Yet, in the end, it wasn't anything I did that finally got Mr. Gibbs to take a liking to the Pearl's littlest crewmate.
Apparently, Ivory is very much a lover of people and affection; she sought it no matter where she was, and often cried out for it if she felt ignored. I was always her first choice, since I was her owner and kept her fed and clean, but if I were unavailable, she's scurry off to find anyone who was free to pet her. Most of the men liked her enough to give her an affectionate scratch on the head or to stroke a finger along her soft fur; even the ones who had previously thought themselves cat-haters had softened enough to tease her with bits of dangling rope or throwing balls of twine around for her to play with. The only man sticking to his dislike of her was Gibbs, and somehow, I was able to witness Ivory figure it out and win him over.
Now, during the day, Mr. Gibbs like to take a long nap on deck when it gets too warm to do chores, his typical nap lasting until night starts settling in and the air begins to cool enough to go back to work. Ivory managed to deduce this, and I watched as she found him at his most vulnerable: sitting up against the railing between two large barrels, his hat over his face to keep off the sun and wind, and his hands folded up and lying on his chest. At that time, I had just finished mending a hammock and was folding it up when I spotted my treasured kitten approaching the sleeping Mr. Gibbs.
She silently padded up to him on her little paws and stopped just at his feet, looking up at him while tilting her head to the side in curiosity. When she realized he was asleep, she very slowly edged closer, careful not to wake him as she climbed up his side and settled on his stomach, right next to where his hands were folded. Ivory then paused, green eyes checking to see if he had awoken, and seeing that he hadn't, she promptly curled up on his belly and half-closed her eyes in contentment. I merely stood there and enjoyed the sight of the first mate sleeping with a kitten on his stomach.
Needless to say, Gibbs got the surprise of his life when he woke up and found a perfectly happy feline blinking up at him. He had frozen stock-still, his eyes staring down at the cat in shock and horror…until Ivory let out a tiny 'mew' and began butting her head against his hand, begging to be petted. Sighing, Gibbs had given in and scratched her tiny ears with his forefinger, causing her to purr. From then on, Gibbs was a certified cat-lover, always letting Ivory sleep on his stomach whenever it suited them both.
With the entire crew content to let my cat roam the ship, I was finally able to relax…but only for a little while…
He didn't really know how it started, but somehow, the fearsome Captain Jack Sparrow was now feeling all…strange inside. Every time he saw Rose playing with that adorable, green-eyed ball of fur known as her cat, Jack got a funny urge to go down there and join her in cooing to it and tossing a ball of twine for the animal to play with.
'Gah, I'm going soft!' Jack thought to himself in disgust as he steered towards the Caribbean. 'Even the whole damned crew is loosing their edge to a gorgeous young woman and her fluffy white cat!'
He winced, thinking about what the other pirate ships would think about the crew of the Black Pearl becoming a home for former noblewomen and their cute pets. They would become a laughingstock, that's what, but then, who was going to find out? Besides, cats weren't so bad; they didn't drool all over the place like dogs did, nor did they jump around and try to drown you in the same drool that other people called 'affection.'
'Not to mention that dogs don't use sandboxes,' Jack thought in horror of what might have happened to his ship if Nidhi had given Rose a dog instead of a cat. 'I'll just sit back and be glad that it's a feline and can be trained not to make a mess anywhere but where it's trained to!'
Once again he watched as a few men rolled a ball of twine between themselves, Ivory following the ball attentively with her eyes as it moved from one person to the next. To everyone's amusement, she let out a tiny snarl and pounced when it came close enough, landing on top of the fist-sized ball and attacking it with both teeth and claws. Rose's laughter rang out across the deck, mixing with the voices of others as they all cheered on the tiny warrior in her struggle. Finally, Rose stepped forward and dangled what looked to be a cat toy in front of the kitten's nose (which was actually a thin piece of green cord with a tiny gold tassel on the end of it).
Ivory quickly stopped attacking the ball of twine and followed the tassel attentively with her eyes, slowly moving to stand on her hind legs. Her front paws slowly began to move, then stopped as she waited for the tassel to come closer…closer…then struck out with a clawed foot, letting out a sharp 'meow' as she snagged the dangling toy. Rose quickly bent down and picked up the twine, handing it to Gibbs to stow away for another time while she scooped up the kitten and tucked it into her elbow.
"Alright, enough playtime for everyone," she said, loud enough for the whole crew to hear. The men groaned in disappointment. "It's time for her to keep me company while I make dinner. You can play with her tomorrow when she's fresh and full of energy."
The men all nodded before going back to doing their work in the approaching evening. Meanwhile, Jack chuckled to himself, happy that the crew now had a way to amuse themselves during their long trip back to the Caribbean. Usually at this point in the voyage, the men were bored out of their minds; with Rose and Ivory around to distract them, present and future trips might just pass quicker for them all.
'I guess having a woman and a female cat aboard isn't so bad after all, huh, Gibbs?' Jack silently thought to his first mate, who was presently coiling a length of rope.
As though he heard his captain's thought, Gibbs turned around, looked him in the eye, and shrugged helplessly.
I awoke one morning to find Ivory missing from my cabin. The door was slightly open, and I remembered that I had left it that way so that fresh air could get in when the nights were too hot. For a moment, I panicked; Ivory had never left me before, and all sort of terrible scenarios floated through my head. What if she slipped into the crew's quarters and got stepped on accidentally? What if she went up on deck and fell overboard? Could cats swim?
Quickly jumping out of bed, I dressed and began to quietly explore the ship, though I avoided the men's bunking area; they tended to change clothes in there, and I didn't want to risk walking in at a bad time. I walked across the main deck and found nothing. Jack's door was closed, so Ivory had obviously not gone in there. A search of the lower decks yielded nothing, and finally, the last place I looked was the galley. The door was slightly open, and when I poked my head in, I heard the snarl of my kitten right before the angry squeak of a rat!
I wasted no time in running in there, only to be stopped by the sight of Ivory leaping into the air and landing on top of the largest rodent I had ever seen! The fight was so unfair that, thinking that she was going to get hurt (or worse, killed), I stepped forward, ready to rescue my poor kitten when a rough hand on my shoulder prevented me from moving.
"Leave her be, luv," Jack's voice whispered into my ear as he came up behind me, an arm now wrapped around my waist to keep me from slipping away. "This is her fight, and she's got to learn from it if she's going to survive on the Pearl, savvy?"
A whimper escaped my lips as I watched Ivory dig her claws into the rat's back, her sharp, tiny teeth and fangs reveals as she gave a cry and dug them into her enemy's neck. The rat gave a shrill squeak of surprise before going limp, Ivory not letting go until she was sure the horrid creature was dead. For a moment, neither Jack nor I moved; everything was quiet until Ivory removed herself from her dead opponent and began cleaning her claws of blood. Jack released my arm so that I could go and check my kitten.
"Is she alright?" Jack asked, though he sounded sure that she was.
I pulled Ivory's paws from her mouth and began examining her for any wounds. The only blood I could see was the rat's, and there were no marks of any kind on her, so I quickly judged her to be fine. Cooing praise to her as I carried her to a basin to wash her up, I felt Jack come up beside me, his hands joining mine in an attempt to clean Ivory. Surprisingly, Ivory allowed us to wash her in soapy water with no complaint, even letting us rub her with a towel so that she dried out faster.
"I just think she likes getting rubbed," Jack said when I voice this aloud to him. "Cats usually don't like water, but Ivory seems to love getting dried because she likes being petted." He frowned for a moment. "She seemed to like getting up into my bedsheets, too."
I looked at him as I dried the last of her fur. "What do you mean?"
"The little bugger slipped into my cabin somehow and snuggled up right against my face," he huffed as Ivory rubbed her head against his ringed fingers. "I think I may have left the door open on accident, and she got in. I was bringing her back to you when she spotted a rat and jumped out of my arms to go after it." He shrugged. "You know what happened next."
Sighing, I set Ivory down on the floor so she could go investigate her kill. To both my and Jack's surprise, she went over to the dead rodent, picked it up in her mouth, and dragged it over to us, effectively dropping it at our feet! Ivory then proceeded to sit on her hind legs and look at us for approval at what she had done.
Both Jack and I exchanged glances before bending over to coo praises to her, scratching her head and under her chin to show her our thanks. Once we were sure she was satisfied with the attention, I swiftly picked her up in my arms and began heading towards the door.
"Wait a minute, luv," Jack said, coming up behind me. "What about that dead rat in there?"
I shrugged. "I'm sure you're perfectly capable of dealing with it," I said, keeping my voice light and slightly teasing. "After all, my cat was the one who did all the work. Not to mention that you're Captain Jack Sparrow; getting rid of a dead rat should be easy for you."
'Cheeky lass,' Jack thought with a chuckle as Rose walked away. Suddenly, his amusement vanished as he turned his attention back towards the galley. 'Hmm...I think I'll have Gibbs deal with it.'
With that, the fearless Captain headed down to the crew's quarters to fetch his first mate.
AN: Lots of feline-bonding-with-humans in this chapter!