Chap. 4

By the time Erin had woken up the next morning the Black Pearl had already set sail for it's next destination. The ship was restocked with rum, food, fresh water, gun powder, and other pirate needs so they would be good for the next week and a half or so. The Caribbean air was warm and the breeze was salty. She stretched out on the day bed and let out a long yawn. Opening her eyes she noticed Jack sitting at his desk playing with his compass and map. He tossed the compass down with frustration and looked at her.

"Ye feelin' better today?" he asked and walked in the opposite direction of her. He opened a small chest and pulled out a blank sheet of brown paper then headed back to his desk.

"Yeah. Turn around I want to put my shorts and tank top on." she said sounding somewhat demanding.

Jack smiled and turned away from her, "I told the crew there was a new woman aboard. You of course."

Erin was pulling her tank down, "What did they say?"

"Nothing. They didn't really care." he said as he peered towards the mirror to see if he could get a peak.

"I suppose I shouldn't expect a warm welcome, huh?" Erin said as she pulled her shorts up. She turned around and saw Jack turn from the mirror quickly and turn around.

"I didn't say I was done."

Jack paused, "I had a feeling you were."

"You saw me!" Erin snickered.

"Did not I was being harmlessly curious. It's a natural feeling." Jack grinned thinking he made himself sound like one of the smartest people ever.

"So is feeling horny." Erin pointed out.

Jack didn't even say anything this time. He slapped his pen on the table in defeat and made it clear he was trying to avoid looking at her. Erin laughed under her breathe at this and picked her dress up off of the floor and hung it on the back of the day bed. Jack cocked his head to the side, eyes squinting, when he saw the necklace she had picked up last night. It looked familiar like he had seen it before. However, he couldn't put a finger on it for the life of him. "Where did you get that?" he asked.

"The necklace? I found it in Tortuga."

"You stole it?"

"Well it was on the floor and nobody was looking for it so I technically didn't steal it now did I?"

"I s'pose not. It just looks so familiar," there was a long pause, "well lets take you on deck I'll show you around." he said as he got up from his seat. He walked up to her and turned to his side holding his arm out for her. Erin placed her arm in his and he led the way. He showed her where the crew sleeps. It had an awful smell to it and looked about as grimey as grimey gets. They all had their own hammocks to sleep in and they had to put an extra pair of clothes in what looked like a potato sack. The kitchen was a fair size with sacks and sacks of food and barrels of water. She didn't understand how they could expect a cooked meal with the ship rocking back and forth and with that thought Jack asked, "You know how to cook?"

Erin looked at him sharply, "You're joking right?"

Jack taken aback, looked around hesitantly. "I s'pose."

At that moment Pintel and Ragetti suddenly ran past the door and quickly turned around, one tripping the other. "Bloody 'ell Pintel!" Ragetti howled.

"Im sorry I slipped!" Pintel shouted back.

"Now gent's what's the hurry?" Jack interrupted and approached them with a few long strides.

"It's the Royal Navy, sir!" Pintel sounded exasperated.

"Royal Navy?" Erin asked. "Are we in trouble?"

Jack stood silent for awhile hearing Gibbs shout "All hands on deck!" and the sudden scrambling of twenty-something men. He looked at Erin saying, "Maybe only alittle. We should be able to escape. Its The Pearl we're talking about."

"The fastest ship in the sea." Ragetti informed her.

"What happens if they catch us?" she asked beginning to feel frightened.

"Then we fight." Jack said. The sound of a good fight made the two other pirates gawk at each other then run back up on deck laughing deviously. Erin on the other hand stood there mouth gaped. She was going to say something but all that came out were crackling sounds.

"You best keep that lovely figure of yer's in my cabin." Jack had said it as if it were more of an order.

"So I'm trapped and will never be able to escape?" she shrieked. "Are you crazy!?"

"Yes but I want you to be safe. Stay in the cabin and don't come out." Jack unshiethed his sword and walked out of the kitchen.

Well for one thing Erin wasn't going to just sit around. The first cannon was shot and she could hear a splash in the water on the port side of the ship. As scared as she was, she wanted to have a peak of what was going on. She made her way to the room where the cannons were. It was full of men loading them and getting ready to fire. Everyone was running around and it was making her adrenaline shoot straight up. Someone was running in her general direction but he had a red coat on. He obviously wasn't a pirate. He drew his sword still coming at her until a pirate jumped in front of him and clashed his sword against his. Te pirate shouted something back at her but she couldn't make out what it was. She grabbed a pistol and fired hoping she shot a red coat and too her pleasure one dropped dead. She didn't want to leave yet, she was just getting into it. The fact that she was getting into it bothered her. She was never a fighter. She only ever got into two fights and they were both for defending a friend.

As soon as she made her way on deck another red coat came at her with a sword and raised it above his head. He was only five strides from her so she had to act quick. She jumped out of the way, spun around quite gracefully and shot him in the head. It made her feel sick but there wasn't any escape now. She was stuck in the gorey battle. She took a quick look around and saw Jack fighting a man in a higher ranked uniform. Elizabeth jumped at Erins side startling her.

"Why are you up here!?"

"I shot two men." she said proud of herself. She didn't even hear the question.

"Oh. Well then we should team up. Jack isnt going to be happy with you, you know that right." she said as she clashed her sword with someone else's.

"I don't care." Erin retorted, raised the pistol, and shot the man.

Jack knew the man he was fighting all right. They had a very long history. The man had been after Jack for years and years and had finally caught up with him. Jack didn't seem to mind though. The general was the one that had killed Jacks best friend as a boy. Maybe an older man now he still had the same face as before and seeing it made Jack want to go on a killing spree. The two were all over the ship from the wheel to the keel, from port to harbor side. Both of them had already been slashed by the other and their wounds were bleeding mixing in with sweat. It was getting hot out and almost unbearable for this battle to continue. Jack was about to pull out his pistol and shoot the man but what would be the fun in that?

"You're a dead man Jack. I'm going to make sure you're hanged as soon as I drag you into Port Royal." the man spat.

"Good luck, mate. Cause' It's not going to happen." Jack spun around with his sword cutting the air.

"You would be surprised what I can do Mr. Sparrow."

"I know you cant do much Mr. Wosworth." Jack replied as he pushed him against the railing knocking his sword overboard. Jacks eyes laughed victoriously as he stabbed Wosworth in the heart. He picked him up by the underarms and tossed him overboard. Turning around he saw Erin and Elizabeth working together and it made him furious. He told her to stay inside!

"Pull away!" Jack shouted. They had to flee because there were too many red coats against pirates. Jack was already down to 12 men. Whoever hadn't picked the next fight cut the ropes that held both of the ships side to side and The Black Pearl slowly sailed away. Some of the red coats jumped overboard in a panic of being held hostage and swam back to their ship. There were three red coats left on Jack's ship and they were immediately taken down to the gallows. Jack was most likely going to strand them or make them walk the plank.

Erin and Elizabeth smiled at each other and shook hands. "Good teamwork." they said in unision.

"What the bloody 'ell you doing up here!?" Jack shouted coming towards Erin.

"I wanted to see what it was like and I got caught up in it." Erin raised her voice.

"I told you to stay in my cabin."

"I didn't want to stay there. Besides me and Elizabeth teamed up and we did just fine."

"Well that's just all fine and dandy now isn't it." Jack said sarcastically and stomped down to his cabin.

"You think he's angry?" Will asked jokingly.

"Aye. Ye got his temper goin' lass and thats for sure." Gibbs sighed.

"Yeah well he works mine up just as much." she retorted and went after Jack, pushing through the crowd of men.