Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean or Rihanna's lyrics for her song "Unfaithful" I just sort of borrowed them. … Yeah, borrowed. Heh… definitely! cackle no, seriously, don't sue me. I will cry and Jack won't like you! GLARE!
Author Note: zomg, no one reviewed. ;; but I was alerted by someone and that made me feel compassion, but I'm serious, this time… NO REVIEWS NO THIRD CHAPTER! So keep that in mind when you are about to click out of the screen next time, Savvy! Also, I apologize if this chapter doesn't have enough Jack in it, but… next chapter will have more, probably.. most likely… if you review! Thanks guys.
Quote: "You can drag a horticulture, but you can't make her think." Dorothy Parker
H e a r t In A H e a d l o c k
Tortuga was as rowdy as ever, even with the "infamous" Captain Jack Sparrow miles out at sea. Tortuga probably didn't even feel the loss of her prodigal son. After all, she was the only woman Jack ever visited for more than one night. By all accounts, she was the one in charge of so many lives. Tortuga was the Mistress of every miscreant's soul.
Very much like the sea, Tortuga was ever changing. She calls to one with waves of sensation and thrill but soon you become cold are left alone to sink into inky blackness. The only thing that kept every man, and possibly a few women, as well, pleased was the sweet taste of over-indulgence that was what bars, and whorehouses, and the sleazy inns were for. But, despite the butchered land and the hard soil of Tortuga, one could still find beauty and a nightingale's song.
"W'at do ye mean she's not feelin' up to it, gel?" Steven McCook's voice bellowed across the entire tavern, angry enough to scare more than a few drunken men sitting at the bar and convincing them to pass out someplace else that night. Most of the dimly lit business paid no mind to the shout of the bartender and owner. After all, Steven was known for being an angry man. Not to mention that he wasn't the only man screaming, this was Tortuga after all… men screaming was just part of the package.
Coral, the most kind-hearted and young of the dancers at the Gilded Garters, had been sent to persuade Steven to cancel tonight's act. So, Coral still stood in front of him in a dress of pink ruffles and silk her eyes innocent and wide. A few men would say she was the best part of any of the acts, but those men would also be pedophiles, still, in Tortuga, pedophiles deserved entertainment too. Coral was far older than she looked, but when you looked like you were fifteen years old at the very most, that wasn't saying too much. Even Coral's innocence wasn't enough to deter Steven, who normally put himself up on a pedestal and acted as the girl's older brother, from his money-filled goal.
"Watch de bar!" He called over his shoulder at one of the more respected bartending wenches. He tore across the room, paying no mind to shouts of hello or questions of tonight's act. He had soon vanished behind the door that led to the girls dressing rooms, but the bar carried on without him just fine, no one risking something stupid, because everyone wanted to see the act coming up. In a place where the alcohol tasted like crap and the wenches weren't fond of being fondled, the act was all the establishment had, but when E'Louene Vera was the headliner, the act was enough.
Ellie had known it wouldn't work, even despite all of the girl's assurance that Steven wouldn't force her out on the stage tonight. Steven would allow his golden one only a day off when the room was empty of customers, but after that night she wouldn't be asked back. Popularity was how you kept your job at the Gilded Garters. Therefore, the customer was key; key to everything she needed before she left this hell hole. The songstress of the Gilded Garter's head's pounding once again brought itself to the front of her mind. She watched herself in the makeup mirror as she slumped forward and messaged her temples. Then, her vision flicked down to the powder puff waiting to be used in front of her, and she lost herself to a land of indifference waiting for Steven to appear behind her and give her an earful.
Fire loomed right off the edge of her mind; it had for years dominated all of her dreams and searing pain echoed there in all of her silence moments of inner reflection. Sometimes, in these darker moments within herself, Ellie wished to loose herself in the fire just as it seemed to make her loose everything she cared for… with a sudden shriek she was brought back to her crowded dressing room.
"Queen!" He screamed from outside her door. Lillith, the beautiful Jamaican dancer standing over her shoulder, hissed at the sound of Steven's voice. She liked his least out of all of the females, because they had such a past between them. So she never had and never would turn down an opportunity to be angry at him. Despite that small fact, Ellie still appreciated the notion of sympathy form the younger woman. She liked to think that these four girls were her family and their protectiveness made her head feel a little better.
Steven threw open the door. Every eye on the room went between him and Ellie. She didn't look him in the eye, settling on glaring at him through the mirror in front of her. He growled at the other girls in the room and for a instance caution flickered through every cell in her body. Her shoulders stiffened, her jaw clenched, her hand dropping to her side ready to pull out a weapon if necessary, but as soon as she had prepared herself the normal Steven had returned. His glare fixed on the mass of brown waves that was the back of her head. "Strumpet, get ye arse up and onto the stage. I dun pay ye ta sit 'round all night while customers be waitin' for ye service, savvy?" The words were softer than they could have been, but she still stiffened at the harshness beneath them. Perhaps, Steven McCook had thought he had caught this Queen to be his… if so, he was as stupid as any man out in the stands. He couldn't move her with a few rough phrases.
E'Louene turned her head showing the owner of the Gilded Garters her profile, shooting him a dirty look before turning back to her mirror. The grey-green eyes that captured the hearts of many of blokes every night scrutinized him as he stood motionless behind her waiting for words. She could only oblige him. "Last time I checked, McCook, ye weren't payin' me 'nough to call me any name other than the one my mother gave me." Her voice was soft but had a threatening ring to it. Everyman in Tortuga knew she wasn't the type of woman to mess with and it unnerved the untamable nightingale that Steven thought he had beaten out her cold shoulder.
He frowned at her but the distaste only showed for a second. Soon an overconfident smirk was once again masking any kindness from her. His voice quipped back sooner than her own had; some would have attributed his quickness to wit, but Ellie liked to pin it on ignorance. "Say whatever you want, Vera! You are still expected out there on the stage in five minutes!" He turned, fuming, ready to stalk off back to his bar. He wouldn't have stopped for Ellie; after all, currently, they were on rather bad terms, but as he reached the threshold a raspy voice echoed through the dressing room.
Blaze was by all accounts the unofficial leader of the quintet of dancers that called themselves the Gartered Girls. They were half of the most famous group in Tortuga, the other half being the vocals, E'Louene, with a few, less-strenuous dance-moves. Their act brought men to port, not to mention the pub. It was common knowledge to the girls and very possibly the rest of the town that Steven had a thing for the almost constantly red-clad temptress. She, however, would have nothing to do with him, other than getting paid for her dancing. "I could substitute for her tonight, Steve. I doubt the men would mind a slight change in schedule after I show my garter off a little."
Turning halfway around the middle-aged owner of the tavern had visibly softened at the offer, but there was something dangerous in his eye that made Ellie know the offer was all for naught. Still, something inside the thirty-something year old woman crumbled. She and Blaze had been friends for two and a half years know but still, the brunette shocked her to the heart. Turning in her chair to actually look Blaze in the eye, after all, she deserved it, Ellie couldn't find words of thanks that could assume the place of the emotions streaming through her. Blaze didn't need the verbal notation though; she saw everything there in Ellie's grey-green eyes. Steven's voice broke their stream of thought, as they both turned their attention on him. "Perhaps you could Blaze, but, I fear, the men love our little Queen too much to even take such a lovely double in her stead." His voice was slow and even carefully stepping over each of the girl's feelings, becoming once again the man that Ellie almost respected. The door shut behind him and that was that…
"Nice try, Ellie." The nickname had an unnatural bite to it that made E'Louene's fingers twitch. She would strangle the girl soon if she didn't learn to keep her head in her own business. "But, unfortunately, for you that is, even you have to work for your money. Try again in a few weeks though, he might start just giving it to you, eh? Or maybe he'll just give you a quick shot to the temple. Honestly, I'm rooting for the later…" The red-head slithered from the shadows. Her green dress was more low-cut than anything else Steven bought. Coral, who had come back during Blaze's speech, turned her nose up at the very sight of such debauchery. She was a respectable girl; Ellie took pride in the fact that she had groomed her to become as such.
Blaze, finally overcoming the shock of being turned down by Steven McCook, growled out at Esmeralda. "Did anyone ask you, Izzie?" The false nickname had a bite to it just as the "Ellie" before it had. For a moment, Louene doubted if she could have made a more insulting quip, then she remembered she could have decked the girl. They were a family, the four dancers and their Queen, Esmeralda was the scorned middle-child that hated everything but power. She had been eyeing Ellie's job long before any of them started to notice.
With a huff she raised her nose at everyone in the room. When would she learn that she was against the wrong pack of women and to back the hell off. Something painful took over her features before false amusement were forced to her eyes. "No, I just thought I would offer some advice. After all, I understand that you can become easily intimidated by someone like me." All of them were ready to throw some nasty words back in the girls face, but Aoi beat them all to it.
"We are only intimidated by the amount of payment it would take to gain such advice, mate." There was something distinctly different about the petite, yet perfectly proportioned, Japanese girl sitting a bit away from the others. She had long raven tresses that humidity tamed into soft waves. Her black eyeliner around equally dark eyes could catch your attention from around the room. Everyone thought that after the red garter stepped down from the leadership of the girls, Aoi would take over, but no one said anything, after all, Blaze would continue to be young for a few more years. "We all have heard the price you lift your skirt for…" A slow grin spread her teeth across her white teeth and exposed a K-9.
Lillith, who was the muscle of the group, couldn't keep her mouth shut if a fight was going on. She wasn't about to give the shrewd red-headed dancer a chance to twist Aoi's words. "By the stars, it is true!" She exclaimed pleased. "and I've also heard that your price lowers everyday, not enough takers?" With a perverse squeeze of her own cleavage, Lillith was done, but Esmeralda was finished. With a huff she pushed past Coral, threw over a lamp, and was gone from sight.
For a moment they all just watched the door which the redhead had exited. Then Coral erupted through the silence, "She pushed me!" The attention of everyone else rested on the blonde for a moment before the room echoed with laughter. Ellie could only wonder, once they began to help her prepare for her act tonight, how she had gotten so lucky to end up here…
The music cued little less than five minutes later, and by some miraculous hand of fate, Louene was actually through preening in time to toss her body through red velvet curtains. The audience, mostly men with ever chair full in the whole room, howled sickeningly at the sight of her. Queen spun herself a few times for their viewing pleasure. Her long brown hair cascading down past her bare shoulders and half-exposed back rippled as she finished her twirls. The dress she was wearing tonight was one of the more expensive ones the tavern had in its possession. It was a delightful dust, cream, light gold color that Louene felt some attraction to… after all what queen didn't love gold. It had a corseted torso that made cleavage show up she never knew she even had, and its skirt was full of ruffles, lace, and cute fluff. Her petticoats, though, were a shocking black, as were her gloves.
The dresses were one of the reasons so many men showed up at the Gilded Garters. Every dress, after being bought and tapered down to fit one of the dancers or the queen, had a huge slit cut into it that went up to the hip. Then, the many layers of ruffles that went under were curled up and tapered. It was one of Steve's marketing plans, and it did make the men come back. Tonight, to match her dress, a pale gold-colored garter had been chosen by Aoi for tonight.
"'ello, Gents!" E'Louene's voice lighter than it normally was in person. Her tone kind and was almost motherly for the drunks and pirates around her. The girls never really understood why their fearless leader always greeted the men before her song, but they seemed to enjoy it and Ellie did as well, so it was just another thing left unsaid. "I got something special for all of yo---ou," she pointed out towards the crowd. "tonight! I hope you like it!" She took a few steps back to center stage and fell into the starting position.
Her hands were over her head, fully extended, but relaxed, like a cobra ready to strike. Her left leg was jutted out through the crack in her dress, the garter exposed to the whole room. It was rather like a signature position, and no matter how hard Esmeralda tried she couldn't pull the move off and receive the same fanfare. The music began to wind around the room. Leading everyone to a beautiful corner of hell, a place where a temptress could lift her voice. Her tongue wet her lips, and every man in the audience was silent in wonder. Slowly, her hands began to fall down her body, resting on every curve as she entertained herself as much as she did the audience. "Story of my life, searchin' for da right, but it keeps avoiding me!"
Silence, other than the light piano in the background, took the room as she sucked in a breath. Her feet pushed her slowly, slinking towards the front of the stage with the slow beat of the music. "…sorrow in my soul, 'cause it seems like wrong, really likes my company." Her body saucily weaved with her voice, none of the motions getting to intricate, though, just light swaying. Her hand went down her side, resting on her hip. The men continued to only stare; it wasn't rare for Queen to deliver more than just pub songs, but the soul in each syllable even left the usual catcallers mute.
"He's more than a man, and this is more than love, the reason that the sky is blue!" Her voice echoed as she took another breath, these short groups of song leaving the men wanting more. Her back was arched forward a little, her knees beneath. Her eyes resting on the ceiling in a silent prayer for help from the heavens. She was a remarkable actress and could have easily held her own in a troupe, but most of them were paid too little for the profession to interest Ellie. "… the clouds are rolling in, because I'm gone again, and to him I just can't be true!" Her feet walked her to the side of the stage, hips dipping seductively for the benefit of the men.
She reached the banister of the side stairs that led to the pit of men below her. She always lost herself to them during the act sometime or another; despite the fact that Steven didn't approve, he called it "unsafe." They were harder to please if she didn't, though, and that was why she was here, wasn't it? She was a slave to these men, men that weren't worth even a pinch of salt. A gentleman caught her eye, he was making sickening motions with his hands. Relief strummed through her, no, she wasn't a slave, and she never would allow herself to be. Her head lifted and without missing a beat in the music she began again. "And I know that he knows I'm unfaithful, and it kills him inside, to know that I am happy with some other guy…" She lowered herself down a step on the stairs, her body clinging to the banister. Sadness that looked so real very few would have denied her a shoulder to cry on echoed from her. "…I can see him dying."
A brown curl fell in front of her face and her jade-colored eyes swept over the room with a needing look; Catcalls went up. Inside, Louene grinned. Men were far too easy to please. Her restricted torso peeked over the railing and her spread legs swayed at the hips, enticing more screams. The music doubled back, the piano flooding in and taking over all of her senses. She lost conscious thought as she began again, "I dun wanna do this anymore, I dun wanna be the reason why, Everytime I walk out the door, I see 'im die a little more inside, I dun wanna 'urt 'im anymore, I dun wanna take away 'is life, I dun wanna be... a murdera."
She was level with drunks and pirates. Pain and past actions led her to sympathize with them, until they tried to touch her, and then she lost everything she felt. She began an Ice Queen once more. Her steps crisscrossed and a violin was added into the stream of music. It was beautiful and allowed her dancing to become a little more erratic. Her hands moved in a flurry and her legs guided her through the hypnotist's act. Her hand outstretched to one chap and his lifted in a move to catch her, but with a quick turn and dizzy steps towards another individual she was safe. Ellie lived on edge when she was in the pit, but her expression never faltered, and she never looked uneasy. The actress pulled crowds all over, because of that lack of fear and her acceptance of the brainless men around her. "I feel it in the air, as I'm doing my hair, preparing for another date, a kiss up on my cheek, he's here reluctantly, as if I'm gonna be out late." E'Louene slid herself into some guy's lap, who looked sober and slightly decent.
His hand's kept to his sides, obviously, he had heard about her not so sugar-covered history with touchy men. She twisted in his lap, actually looking him over. Not the best she had seen, but he definitely got a passing mark. He had short-cropped black hair. It looked thick. Crossing one leg slowly over the other, her dress ruffling out of the way to expose both of them, she leaned her side into the man's chest. "I say I won't be long, just 'anging with the girls, a lie I didn't 'ave tah tell, because we both know, where I'm about to go, an' we know it very well." She laid her head down in the crook of her current affection's neck. The hand that wasn't wrapped around his neck racking her fingers through his hair, was roaming up his chest. She felt something touch the small of her back. It was his hand. Her hand stopped its motions resting on his shoulder. With a harsh shove, she pushed herself off of the guy and swayed herself tauntingly before him and his companions. "Cause I know that 'e knows I'm unfaithful, and it kills 'im inside, to know that I am 'appy with some other guy, I can see 'im dying." She was through here, ready to stalk off to new prey, but the grin on the guy's face made her turn back around.
She locked eyes with him. The kohl lining made them look more menacing than usual. Her finger itched to reach into her vest and smear blood, but she wasn't wearing a vest and she had sworn away that life a long time ago. So, she just gave him her signature glare that could make even seasoned sailors piss their pants. "I dun wanna do this anymore, I dun wanna be the reason why, Everytime I walk out the door, I see 'im die a little more inside, I dun wanna 'urt 'im anymore, I dun wanna take away 'is life, I dun wanna be... a murdera." She had already left him and was weaving her way back towards the stage. The untamable E'Louene Vera was back as were the drooling men. She lifted her skirts in her hands and ruffled them enticingly towards the men around her. Her chest heaved naturally, pressing against the lace top of the dress making the large pearls dangling over her bosom rise and fall.
It was odd that she of all women would become the object of so many men's affections. She was supposed to be the shadow-clad figure that haunted your dreams, not the temptress riding you in them. Still, she was here, her lips opened again continuing on with her song of regret. "Our Love... 'is trust, I might as well take a gun and put it to 'is 'ead." She was on the nearest guy faster than he could have expected, after all the whole song before his had been a lazy seduction. Nimble fingers pulled his gun from the leather belt around his waist. It was pointed at his head. The whole room went silent, even the piano player. She cocked it… everything was dead. Her eyes went to the bar and green locked with a muddy brown pair. Steven got the message. "…get it over with, I don't wanna do this anymore." She was in front of the stage. Stepping near the crotch of a man occupying the table she, with two steps, was standing on top of it. "Oooohhh…anymore."
The chorus rang out for the final time, her dance steps sharp, solid, and dangerous. For her and the men around the table, if she fell from her perch on the table it would hurt both of them. "I dun wanna do this anymore, I dun wanna be the reason why, Everytime I walk out the door, I see 'im die a little more inside, I dun wanna 'urt 'im anymore, I dun wanna take away 'is life, I dun wanna be... a murdera." She never wanted the song to die. She felt alive when she had her mouth open and sound was the only thing that mattered. She tried to hold onto the last note, but it just worked her voice until it was husky and made her lungs burn.
The music began to fade, but Ellie wasn't done with the song yet, with a quick switch of her hips, and a lot of pain from her shoes, the girl was back to her feet on the stage. She pulled all of her muscles taunt and while swaying her hips began to descend towards the floor. Everyone howled who could talk, probably even the black-haired man from earlier, she thought with a smile. She added impromptu, "I'm just too much like the sea for you to 'andle… and stay with me." Her voice reached a Mariah Carey-esque octave before dropping down. It echoed through the heart of every man before drifting away entirely.
She opened her eyes, unsure of when she had closed them. She broke into a cheesy grin as almost every man in the room just stared up at her, mouth agape. She never got over doing that, and deep down something felt proud for her abilities. After all, as Steven had said a time or two, she was lucky to have her talents or else she would be selling other talents, and he was right; there wasn't that many things a girl could do in a time like this to put food in her mouth. The room, now realizing that she was done for the night, exploded. That is the only way to put it. People jumped, literally, from their seats, clapped, screamed, and attempted to mob the stage. However, Steven McCook was there, walking up the side stairs, to get to the queen of the Gilded Garters and ensure her safety from her fans. "Sorry, mates! Ol' Steve says it's time for my beddy-bye. So, you all be good, keep a stiff uppperlip, I'll be back soon enough with the other girls on Saturday!" Most howled with glee, some laughed, but deep down none of them were happy she was leaving; however, she did, Steven following her out behind the velvet curtain.
She hadn't been safely from the eye of drunks and worse for five seconds before Steven opened his decidedly big trap, "What do you think you were pulling out there, gel?" She ignored him off her shoes as she walked towards the candle on her dressing table. The room was vacant except for the two of them, and Ellie was grateful for the privacy. Sometimes the headliner liked not to always be putting on a show. She pulled three or four pins out of her hair and shook it.
"Answer me." She hadn't been paying attention to the salt-and-pepper-haired man behind her, and she wished she would have. He was very close to her back and she didn't have a clear view of his hands in the mirror anymore, just to his elbow.
"I wasn't pulling anythin', mate." She said with a playful smile. "Just pushin' out the show you pay me tah put on…" Bitterness seeped into her voice, but her expression was as innocent as ever. "Keeping everyone on their toes and all that, neh?"
He scoffed at her innocence, before letting cruel words flee his lips, "Excuse me if I don't believe a murderess." Her green eyes darkened in warning. He wasn't going to say anymore though. He turned and left; left a stabbing pain in her chest. She hated him and realized at that moment that she should have left months ago. Her family here wasn't worth exposure. Making a promise on the sound of the door shutting, she swore to shut this chapter of her life.
Two days out from Tortuga, the Black Pearl skimmed against the black ocean. The night was a beautiful one and Jack was determined not to stop until he reached port. He had been too long without his beloved rum and leading lady, Tortuga. The deck was still active, even during the middle of the night; Jack had seen to giving some of them day shifts and some of them night shifts. After all, he enjoyed his crew and didn't want them all pissed off because they didn't sleep enough. He had some bad experiences with pissed off members of his crew and small islands. He frowned, his nose twitching a bit, at the very idea.
The helm's wood was soft and relaxed under his fingers. He knew the Pearl was excited about going back to Tortuga; the old girl, Jack liked to think anyway, considered that her home now that the scary cursed island was rather out of commission. He let gold teeth show to the darkness in silent amusement. "Cap'n?" a young voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"Aye, Mack?" He peered down his nose at the small, straw-hat wearing bow clearly wondering why he even had the kid aboard the Pearl.
"I was just worrying why you are in such a rush to make it to Tortuga, Cap'n" He said voice meek. He wasn't questioning his captain's methods merely curious as to his motivations. However, Jack failed to see the difference. He patted the boy on the head, turned him around with awkwardly overactive fingers, and pushed him away from himself. "Because, lad. I desire us to arrive in Tortuga by the sixth day of the week, and I be Captain, therefore, we all will be getting' to Tortuga 'fore then, Savvy?" The little boy squeaked out that he understood and went back to his duties. He had an appointment with one of the more gruesome members of the port's population, yet, oddly enough, he was looking forward to it.
A/N: okay… yeah, that's it for the second chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, and it you did… you should leave a review. After all, nothing make's a craftsman more pleased than to hear his work is appreciated and all that, neh?