Chapter 8 – Starry, Starry Night
Months passed. Rebecca had morphed into quite the pirate, displaying the same shrewdness that Alan had implanted in her. She used that craftiness to her advantage, earning more money and more respect than majority of the crew. In their most recent escapade, Jack and Rebecca posed as a priest and a nun in an attempt to purloin a set of maps from a mission. It was a successful heist, and to celebrate, they lifted a crate of alcohol from a gang of rum runners.
"Gentlemen… and milady… tonight, we drink! Tomorrow, we set sail for the Isla de Muerta!" Jack shouted to his troops, rum in one arm, Rebecca on the other. When the celebrations died down, Rebecca and Jack were the last ones left on deck.
"So tell me, Jack, what's on the Isla de Muerta that you want so badly? Riches?"
"Like you read about, love."
"Tell me."
"Why does a little bit of shine matter to you?"
"Pirate."
"Touché."
"Jack?"
"Hmm?"
"Where are you from? I've been on this ship for half a year and know hardly anything about you."
"There's not much to know."
"I'm curious."
"I'm from… here and there. My mum's six feet under, my dad's a hermit, and I enjoy long walks on the beach accompanied by several beautiful women and many flasks of rum." Rebecca laughed and looked up at the sky. Out on the open water, it was beautiful. Rebecca and Jack laid down on the deck.
"Look up."
"At what?"
"The stars. They're beautiful. See that one?" she said, pointing to a cluster of stars. "That's Orion."
"I see the North Star. That's the only one I know of. They all look like the North Star."
"That's Cassiopeia… and that one over there is Ursa Major. The little one that looks like it, but only upside down, is Ursa Minor."
"How do you know all this?"
"My sister and I used to go up on the roof and look at the stars. In Portugal it's much harder to see the stars. There's so much light."
"Interesting," Jack said, yawning. Rebecca scowled and took a drink of rum.
"Can I tell you something? And I mean, in complete confidence."
"Tell me anything, love."
"I've never been kissed."
"Is that so?"
"Aye… and I'd be ever so grateful if you'd be willing to remedy that… tonight."
"Your wish is my command, Miss Rebecca…" Jack said, bringing his lips to meet hers. It went from being just one kiss to something much more.
Hidden from sight, Hector Barbossa was watching Jack Sparrow seduce his daughter. He wasn't angry… he was furious. The last thing he wanted for Rebecca was for her to get involved with pirates, yet here she was, here she had been for the past six months, pillaging her heart out.
"Jack… I think I'd better go to bed," Rebecca said, getting up from the deck. She disappeared below deck and climbed into her hammock, separate from all the other men.
At that moment, watching her walk away, Jack fell in love with Rebecca de Cristao. Whether it was her innocent naiveté or her passionate kiss, he didn't know. Maybe it was both. For whatever reason, Jack was in love with Rebecca.
And Hector Barbossa was bound and determined to put an end to that, no matter what the means may be.