Trials, tribs and even more sibs

dragon considered the noise levels and the probable connotations of a truck in the hallway of a prison, even a very nice fed prison like the one where Ian Howe was incarcerated, and decided discretion was the better part of valor. This would have worked very well save for the fact that dear Grace, the phenomenally catsuited one, had become distracted by looking for Ian.

"Grace!" dragon hissed theatrically.

"Hmm?" Momentarily distracted by dragon, Grace managed to get captured by the person for whom they were looking. The arm around her waist drawing her against that lovely warm chest was nice, the one around her throat, less so.
She looked sideways into a pair of determined blue eyes. The somewhat goofy grin on her frace made the man frown. "Hi," she said breathily. "We've been looking for you."

Ian Howe looked from the *slight throat clearing noise* very nice armful he had captured to the ... truck? ... sitting in the hallway looking very much out of place, to the black clad dragon and her very bemused looking friend. Muffled mutterings and thumpings in the bed of the truck caused his brows to draw together. Something very hard and round poked him in the ribs.

"Let her go," Rini advised gently. "I really don't want to be poking holes in people, bloodstains being so difficult to get out of clothing, but that's a friend and we don't like friend's getting hurt."

Hurt? Grace's fuzzy brain tried to get wrapped around that idea. Nyah. This was Ian, the misunderstood, the ... hey ... oxygen to the brain, very helpful, she thought as his arm tightened around her neck, then loosened. He released her with a shove toward her peculiar companions. She stumbled a couple of steps forward, staggered and managed not to fall down. She made a mental note to remind dragon that three inch heels were not suitable for adventuring in ... unless it was a lurk, of course.

She turned to face Ian and smiled brightly. "Since there's a jailbreak going on anyway, wanta leave?"

"How?" He couldn't help himself. He had no faith in much of anything, but there was something just insanely engaging about the situation.

"Get in the truck."

"Grace ..."

He stepped forward, waiting for the gun behind him to go off. Nothing. He picked up speed as he headed for the bed of the truck and slid in to find himself next to a wriggling, partially unbound figure who glared at him. Helpfully, he started unwinding the black silk cord until he could see a face in the shadowed interior of the covered truck bed. His first thought was Egyptian frescos. Silky black hair, elongated dark eyes (at least they looked dark), a definitive, very charming nose and a generous mouth firmed into a disapproving line at the moment.

"Get me out of this!" she demanded with a charming if unplaceable accent.

dragon waggled her eyebrows in inquiry at Rini who stood there with a short length of pipe in her hand. It wasn't her fault the man thought it felt like a gun barrel, now was it. She grinned at her mom and tossed the pipe lightly onto the nearest cot so it didn't make any noise that could bring someone else down on them.

"Shall we go?"

Rini looked confused. "I thought we were leaving her with him ..."

"Plan B!"

Inside the truck, it felt like the world shifted then stopped. For first time travellers, it was not the most pleasant sensation. Ian scrambled back out of the truck to find it perched precariously on the ramparts of a fort over looking the sea. He back pedalled furiously to keep from launching
himself into said sea.

"What the Hell?"

In the cab of the truck, dragon was looking thoughtful while Rini was shaking her head and their other two companions were looking about curiously.

"Well, he is sort of a pirate ..." *bright grin*

"Mom, Port Royale ... they hang pirates ... and witches ..."

Hmm. Maybe Rini had a point there ...

to be continued ...

Trials, tribs, sibs and pirates in a china shop

Due to the precarious position of the truck, dragon decided it would be a good idea to move it forward slightly before wandering on to other places. The truck was not a cooperative as she wished. In fact, it refused to start.

"Mom ..." *poke, poke* "Mom."

"What?"

"We have company."

There was something in the tone that made dragon look around. Oh, no. Not now. She could feel her brain slowly turning to mush. Sigh. Why did that dratted pirate have this effect on her.

About five feet away, Captain Jack Sparrow stood surveying the truck and it's occupants. The red coated guards following him seemed to fade into the distance and insignificance as his bright eyes took in the faded blue vehicle and the magnificently cat-suited Grace along with the slender, rounded Rini who's insanely red hair lifted on the sea breezes. He grinned. dragon was very glad she was leaning on the truck as her knees took on the consistency of water.

The young lady who was not Meela or Ankh-su-namun peered out of the back of the truck where Ian was sitting trying to make sense of things. Finding the "roll it up" button, she caused the truck bed cover to retract so that clambering out of the back of the truck became less perilous, although the sheath dress she wore was not the most helpful outfit for this purpose.

Jack's eyes brightened even more as he surveyed the very Egyptian looking young woman who's dark eyes looked him up and down in a most intriguing manner. He sauntered over and introduced himself while Grace the ever helpful gave Ian a hand out of the truck.

dragon's brain kicked back into gear as she took in the two bright grins in the area and rolled her eyes. Count on Grace. Luckily, there wasn't anything in the area that counted as a room. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Jack's bow to the ex-captive.

"Captain Jack Sparrow ..."

She smiled and introduced herself. "Yasmin Bey."

Grace, Rini, the Rev and dragon looked about in wild surmise. Bey? In whatever reality dragon found her, this girl was related to ... oh boy. Somewhere there was an annoyed Ardeth Bey looking for a relation he hadn't managed to protect. They were very glad they weren't in the right time and place at the moment.

Several dozen British soldiers clattered into view, guns askew, wigs a bit that way as well and mouths dropping open at the outlandish view in front of them. dragon was galvanized into action.

"Everybody into the truck!" As they all piled into the truck, causing it to tip backwards, dragon punched in coordinates and the entire group, including the truck, blipped out leaving the soldiers with jaws dropped and brains feverishly trying to come up with an explanation for their loss of the cornered pirate.

They materialized in a most unpromising island, shrouded by fog. Jack took his eyes off the engaging Mistress Bey long enough to raise an eyebrow. Well, he supposed with magic working, this was a reasonable result. At least there was fresh water in the cave. He sighed. He'd just have to keep an eye on the chest. His dark gaze roved over the group, stopping on the blonde man who's eyes seemed to be having a hard time figuring out where to focus. Between Grace and the
incredible amounts of treasure around them, his brain was having a few problems tracking. Something about the man told Jack he was trouble.

A soft hand on his arm brought his attention back to Yasmin. Oh, my. Trouble. He twirled his moustache and smiled at the lady.

Noting the place and the look, Rini and dragon both rolled their eyes and tried to figure out new coordinates before Ian discovered "the chest" ...

to be continuedg