Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing related to Pirates of the Caribbean. That belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer, Disney, and a bunch of other people. Only original characters and plotlines are mine.
AN: Slightly longer chapter this time, which I know will make a lot of people very happy. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!
Chapter 22: Shipwreck Island:
That night, the other girls and I were so happy for Selene, we couldn't help but squeal in delight every few minutes. The men, of course, thought we were being ridiculous, but we ignored them -this was far too wonderful to let anyone spoil it for us.
Rannoch was obviously thrilled at the idea of becoming a father, and Selene was smiling all the time, a brilliant glow of a smile that made the rest of us women giggle and hug her whenever we could.
But of course, the promise of a child wasn't the only thing that made both of them excited. Being the good man that he was, Rannoch had decided to wed his sweetheart as soon as possible, to spare the babe from being born out of wedlock, and to prove his love and devotion to Selene.
The news of a wedding and a forthcoming child had the crew celebrating for two straight days (one day for each event), and when things managed to calm down, Gibbs and Marty decided to surprise everyone by proposing to their lasses, leaving Anna and I to help plan not one, but three wedding celebrations!
To my relief, Jack decided to do a triple wedding ceremony. "No use in doing the same thing three times over," he said when asked to perform the ceremonies. "Best to get it done in one swoop."
So, while we were still in the Mediterranean, Jack declared that we would remain here until after the wedding, so that the couples could have a short honeymoon on land before we headed to Shipwreck Island.
"We need to get Selene there quickly and safely," Jack explained to the happy couples. "It's a safe haven, and we all know it's going to be a very long trip there, so we have to head off before Selene is too far along."
He had a good point, so Anna and I did our best to rush things in regards to the ceremony. We had plenty of gowns for them to wear for the ceremony, so the majority of our focus was finding which ones were more appropriate for a wedding dress. Penny decided on a pale blue gown with white lace; Selene chose a light green-and-white gown that suited her eyes, and Rosa chose a vibrant red gown ensemble that very much suited her fiery personality.
To my surprise, Anna and I were chosen as bridesmaids, and to be sure we didn't outshine the brides, we both chose to wear breeches and white shirts. However, Penny insisted that we all wear our hair up, with ribbons and fresh flowers as decorations, and all of us were to have bouquets.
It was the flowers that took the longest to fetch. Even with all five females searching the countryside, it took us several days on shore to find the right flowers for the occasion, but in the end, we all managed to find what all three brides had in mind.
For Selene's hair and bouquet, there were white flowers, both great and small, that were as sweet-looking and delicate as she was. Penny managed to create a lovely bouquet of pale blue blossoms, with a few purple ones scattered throughout for a bit of color, and tiny blue and white flowers for her hair. And for Rosa, we managed to find a few red blossoms for her hair, but she refused to carry a bouquet.
"Why should I?" she asked. "You and Anna are going to be the only two women who are going to catch the bouquets, and between Selene and Penny, you'll more than have your hands full."
Anna and I had both blushed at that, and decided to say nothing further on the matter.
For us bridesmaids, we held bouquets of wild flowers in various colors, shapes and sizes. Anna refused to have her hair done up in front of the crew, so she merely braided it and let it hang down her back. I, however, had pink and white flowers woven into my locks, which I thought was quite pretty, and the colors went well with my new white linen shirt, brown breeches and brown leather boots.
The ceremony was short, with Jack getting straight to the point of the matter at having the pairs say 'I do.' Personally, I felt that it had more to do with the fact that the men didn't want a long delay between them and the celebrating, but it might have just been me who believed this.
When rings and kisses had been exchanged between the couples, Penny and Selene had promptly shoved their bouquets at me and Anna, indicating that they wanted us to be next to wed. Anna looked torn between laughing and ripping the flowers to shreds, but I merely blushed and gave them tight hugs while congratulating them on their happiness.
Then the celebrating started. I didn't partake in the drinking, but Jack, Gibbs, Rannoch and Marty had pooled a fair amount of money together and brought aboard a feast of roasted lamb (meaning the entire roasted animal), pickled and fresh vegetables, fruit, and flatbread, and of course, barrels and barrels of rum. Some of the men played music, much of it lively, and everyone quickly began having a good time.
Of course, not long after the festivities started, the couples quietly slipped away towards land, where the grooms had rented rooms for the next few days.
"Well, if Rosa and Penny aren't in the family way already, they soon will be!" Jack joked when he discovered them missing. Since he was standing right beside me, I smacked him on the arm as the men joined in the laughter and teasing.
When darkness fell, it was my turn to slip off to bed, thoroughly exhausted from the past several days.
Little more than a month after the weddings, Jack found himself pacing his cabin, wondering if he was going to go mad from impatience.
Even though it shouldn't have been impossible, Evie had managed to avoid him during their entire time at sea. It had been easy for her to do while planning her friends' wedding, but once that was over and they had left Greece, he had hoped to find a way of cornering her and talking to her.
However, she somehow managed to avoid him. That ought to have been improbable, given that they were onboard a ship at sea, but she'd been able to do it, mostly by keeping close to her female friends.
'Who knew that women could spend so much time together?' he thought with wonder. 'They not only do their chores as a group, they also sit and chatter in their free time!'
Gibbs, Rannoch and Marty were of no help to him, either; they were married men now, and as such, they had chosen to not argue with their wives, who were the ones monopolizing nearly all of Evie's hours.
Oh, Jack had tried to approach her, but for some reason, Evie was able to slip away and stay hidden with her friends for hours on end. Even Anna-Maria was against him, because instead of helping him get closer to Evie, she was helping keep her away! It was bloody infuriating!
Sighing, he collapsed on his bed and stared at the ceiling. "Well, at least we're almost at Shipwreck," he muttered. "Maybe Mum will be able to help me figure this whole thing out."
Oh, he could only hope!
My jaw promptly fell open at the sight of the massive, lit structure that stood in the middle of the sheltered lagoon. The only words I could use to describe it are, "Oh, my."
Beside me, Anna chuckled. "I said the same thing when I first saw it. It's made of the hulls of wrecked ships which were either sunk in battle, or were caught in a storm before they reached safety." She looked at the floating island-building closely. "Of course, I've no idea how they managed to haul it all together, but it's probably best that I don't."
Looking over at my dearest friend, I put a hand on her arm. "Thank you for helping me with avoiding Jack," I whispered, thankful we were alone at the bow of the ship. Our topic of conversation was at the helm, carefully guiding the Pearl into port.
Anna smiled and clapped a hand on my shoulder. "It wasn't exactly that hard, Evie. Since Selene is with child, we've all taken on some of her responsibilities so that she doesn't become overworked. I mean, it can't be good for the babe if the mother is tired all the time, aye? So, naturally you've taken on more chores, and want to spend time with everyone as we put together a nice wardrobe for the little one."
I chuckled. That was true enough. Rannoch had been worried that Selene would become too worn out with work on the Pearl, and so, to put his mind at ease, Anna and I had taken on some of Selene's work onto ourselves. We had even managed to put together some clothes and blankets for the little one.
As for my 'situation' with Jack, I had told Anna-Maria about what had happened in Greece, as well as my fears about Jack, and how I couldn't bear to face him. Feeling sorry for me, Anna had agreed to help me avoid him at all costs. So far, it had worked rather well.
'So here we are,' I thought. Soon, I would find out what it was like inside a pirate fortress.
And for some reason, that made me very uneasy.
Watching Evie's face, Anna-Maria tried not to grin. She'd purposely helped Evie keep away from Jack, even though she should have been helping him in this matter.
'Of course, it's better for Jack to do the chasing. What do they say about absence making the heart grow fonder?' Hopefully, that would prove true in this situation, though considering how edgy and grumpy Jack had been for the past few weeks, that might be the case.
To be honest, Anna was extremely amused by this whole mess. Jack was being a complete idiot by not being outspoken about how he felt about Evie, and even though Anna was supposed to be helping him win her over, she decided against it. Seducing women had always come easily to Captain Jack Sparrow, and it was good for him to have a challenge when it came to winning over the woman he considered the love of his life.
Evie, on the other hand, was totally in denial about Jack's feelings, which not only drove him mad, but Anna as well. Although Evie was her closest friend, Anna didn't know whether to laugh or strangle the poor girl.
To be sure, Anna could see Evie's point of view on the matter. Given Jack's reputation with women, and the fact that he was a rogue and a pirate, any woman with an ounce of sense would doubt his motives towards her. When it came down to it, Evie was just trying to be cautious and not get her heart broken, which Anna completely understood.
'Still, the whole thing's bloody annoying, especially when you're caught in the middle of it all!'
Blowing a stray lock of hair out of her eyes, Anna bit back a sigh and went to go help tighten a few key ropes. With any luck, Jack's parents would be able to help him with the mess he'd gotten himself into.
It was nightfall when the Pearl finished docking, and when it came time to disembark, Jack slipped up beside me and slid an arm around my waist, his hand resting firmly on my hip.
"Stay close, luv," he whispered as he escorted me down the gangplank. "This is a pirate town, after all. I don't want anyone getting the wrong ideas and laying a hand on you."
I didn't want to admit it, but it was rather sweet of him to care about my safety. That is why, after spending weeks avoiding him, I allowed Jack to lead me (and the crew) into the massive structure that was the floating town of Shipwreck.
Inside, the place was a confusion of passageways, ramps, stairs, ladders, halls and rooms, some of them appearing to have no purpose whatsoever. Oh, there were the usual things that every port town has: taverns, shops, eateries, blacksmiths, even a market with stalls selling everything from vegetables to exotic goods. However, trying to get to some of those places was like trying to weave your way through a maze so confusing, it made me dizzy.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, but which probably was only twenty minutes or so, Jack halted before a large, elaborately decorated archway with two large wood doors that stood closed. Oddly enough, it was guarded by several older-looking pirates who looked as though they should have been spending their last days in a tavern, rather than here.
The older men all nodded at Jack as though they recognized him, and one of them slipped through the doors, likely to announce our arrival. The fellow returned a moment later and motioned for the others to open both doors.
"Take a deep breath," Jack muttered as he appeared to be gathering his courage.
I stared at him. "Are you talking to me or yourself?" I whispered, suddenly worried.
"Both," he answered, right before the doors opened and he led me inside.
It was an immense room lit by flickering candles and lamps, with rough sets of tables and chairs set along the sides, leaving the center open for us to approach the opposite side, where there was a short dais sporting a large, elaborately carved, throne-like chair. On closer inspection, it did seem to resemble a throne room, and it took me a moment to consider how the room must have been built, here at the center of Shipwreck. But then I remembered what Anna had said, and decided it was best not to think about it.
Before I could look at the rest of the room, a man stepped out from a shadowed, nearly invisible door behind the large chair. He let the door close behind him and stepped into the light to greet us. When I was able to look at him properly, my jaw dropped.
If I were to age Jack about thirty or forty years, he would look exactly like this man. He had the same wicked gleam in his dark eyes, which said that he had a sense of humor, but that he was also capable of some rather naughty thoughts and deeds. The man also possessed the same knowing, cocky smirk that Jack had, as well as the odd affinity for weaving beads and ornaments into his dreadlocked hair.
'Then there is the hat, the coat, and the way he wears his sword and pistol,' I counted off inside my head.
But even more astounding was the way he walked –or rather, swaggered. It was so like Jack that I had to look back and forth between the two of them, wondering if I was somehow looking through a window into the future.
'That's silly,' chided the sensible part of my mind. 'He's more likely a relative of Jack's.'
And that was when I realized who I was looking at: this had to be Jack's father!
Watching Evie's shock and realization had almost been worth the trip to Shipwreck. Jack had nearly laughed at her expression, but he knew better than to laugh in front of his father. Though he did possess a sense of humor, Captain Teague didn't like people laughing at odd times in front of him. Jack had a feeling it was because his dad felt they were laughing at him, and it was never a good idea to laugh at Captain Teague.
"Well, Jackie?" his father said, eying him closely. "What brings you here? Though I think you're a bit overdue for a visit."
Not wanting his crew to overhear his conversation, Jack turned around. "Alright, off with you!" he hollered at them.
Teague nodded. "The men at the door will find lodgings for you." When they didn't move, he eyed them critically. "Why are you still standing there?"
The crew immediately scattered, with the exception of Anna-Maria, who was approaching Evie very carefully, clearly wanting to get her friend to go with her. Jack, however, had other ideas. The hand he had around Evie's waist tightened, and he glared at his second mate, silently telling her to go. She barely had time to nod before her feet carried her out of the room –even she didn't want to disobey Jack's father, since his wrath was legendary.
Alone at last, Jack shifted uncomfortably when his father's direct gaze landed on him. "Uh, Dad, this is Evie," he said, introducing them. "Evianna Watkins, actually, but we all call her Evie. Evie, luv, this is my father, Captain Teague, Keeper of the Pirate Code."
He could tell she was a bit awed, surprised, and intimidated, but she managed to scrounge up enough courage to smile and nod her head in respect. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain," she said, still smiling. Then, suddenly she asked, "How are you today?"
For a moment, Jack didn't know who was more surprised –him or his father. He considered the idea that perhaps Evie was a bit mad, but then he saw his father smile, and knew that everything was alright…for now.
"Right now, I'm feeling rather confused," Teague replied openly. "I would very much like for my son to explain why he's decided to pay me a surprise visit. But other than that, I'm very well, thank you, Miss Evie."
"I'm glad to hear that you're well." She smiled at him even more, using all of her charm to sooth his father's ruffled feathers. "As for your questions, I'm sure that Jack would be more than happy to answer them, though he might want to do so in private."
Evie tilted her head to the side and gave him a tired look. "In the meantime, I hope I can prevail on you to point me in the direction of my own quarters. I know you mentioned rooms for the crew, and I would like to find a place of my own to lie down in."
Much to Jack's surprise, his father tipped his hat in a polite gesture. "Forgive my rudeness, Miss Evie," he apologized. "Actually, I doubt that a young lady such as you would be comfortable where my boy's crew will be lodging. I have a much better place in mind."
Then Dad offered his arm to Evie, who accepted it without a second thought, causing Jack to become more than a little nervous. What was his father up to?
I was surprised to find Captain Teague a polite man, but then, Jack could be quite gentlemanly when he wanted to be, so perhaps I shouldn't have been as shocked as I was.
Not wanting to be rude, I accepted his arm and let him lead me out of the large throne room. We traveled down a few hallways, and past a dozen or so doors until we reached what could only be called a wing of rooms. This hall seemed fairly well-kept and clean, with the walls painted a deep green and the doors beautifully carved with different themes, such as flowers, shells, animals, sea creatures, etc. The doors were few and far between, which meant that the rooms lay behind them were quite spacious.
"This is our wing," Captain Teague said. "I've got my rooms here, as does Lillian, my wife. She's off visiting a few friends in Boston, and won't be back for a few months, I'm afraid. Jackie's got his rooms over there," he waved towards the door with sea creatures on it, "and you'll have that one there, the one with the animals carved on it. It's a guest room, very quiet, and fairly pretty. Lillian had it made up in case we expanded our family, but Jackie here was our only child, so she turned it into a guest room."
"Thank you very much, Captain Teague," I said, smiling gratefully. "Would it be alright if I went and fetched my belongings?"
He shook his head. "It's not safe for a lady to walk alone in a place like Shipwreck. No, you use the dresses and nightgowns in the chests and drawers in there –there are plenty, most of them being clothes my wife Lily has never worn. You wear those, and I'll have someone fetch your things in the morning. I'll have a nice supper sent up for you, and you get some rest. I'll see you in the morning, aye?"
Since that sounded absolutely wonderful, I had to give in. After bidding Jack and his father 'goodnight,' I went into the room and began to inspect it. The theme was a deep green, creating a forest feel, with crème or beige trimming on the bed curtains, bedding, and the curtains over the large window that overlooked the docks.
The furniture was carved mahogany, oak, or pine, all of it very fine. In all my life, I had never slept in a room like this, not even in my parents' house. We had been fairly comfortable, but this room was for a truly wealthy family…or a pirate one!
As promised, I found gowns in a wardrobe, and nightgowns in a chest at the end of the bed. My supper was brought as I was choosing a nightgown, and I quickly inhaled the meal, which consisted of slices of roasted pig, cooked vegetables and a creamy custard for dessert.
When my plate was cleaned, I immediately changed, washed my mouth with warm water, and tucked myself into bed, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
AN: Review?