Commandeering Commodore

Chapter 23

After Josette left Elizabeth hid the papers Josette had given her. She tried to sleep but laid awake long enough she gave up and returned to the balcony. She stood there leaning against the rail breathing in the scent of the sea, and thinking about Will. The Pearl should be returning for her in a couple of days, and she would be glad to see it. All she had to do now is make sure the Governor did not become suspicious for those few days. She thought she could handle that, after all she had been in tighter spots that this before and handled them well if she did say so herself. Well one way or the other the die had been cast and what would happen would happen, no sense worrying about it. She returned to her bed, even if she couldn't sleep she could rest, she would need to be at her best to keep things going as they were.

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Jack took the mug Teague poured for him and began drinking from it as Hector and Teague continued to look at him waiting for him to answer.

"Don't know why you'd be thinkin there'd be something I'd be keepin from ya mates. It's not as if I make a habit of keepin secrets or such." Jack answered trying to look and sound innocent as Teague and Hector looked at him with disbelief.

"Jack…..Jack, you'd not really be expectin me or Captain Teague to be believin the pap you're tryin to spread now." Hector said with a sneering smile, "Now what's the reason ye'd be here in this particular place with this particular bit of company?" he said as he looked at Jack over the Commodore's inert body.

"What I expect is no where near your expectations it would seem, however I am willing to overlook such expectations as the source of such expectations is a bit dubious and superfluous if you get my meaning here mates. The fact that you don't believe me is irrelevant to the matter of whether I am indeed telling what you'd expect me to tell or not as it were. And seeing as between the three of us the judgment of who's living up to said expectations and who's not is highly doubtful in the least, not to mention past representations of expectations that were not met by certain personages now seated at this table at this time as it were, ergo I don't think any of us can with all honesty expect more that the resulting expectations that have at the present time been met and exceeded in certain ways and will forever remain the same in the eyes of those at said table at said time. Savvy?" Jack finished with a wide glinting smile and a flourish of hands.

"Ah Jackie, well spoke." Teague said with a grin.

"What?" Hector said looking from Jack to Teague and back.

"What?" Jack said staring at Teague.

Before any of them could say another word the Commodore sat up unsteadily in his chair, "I thought I heard voices."

"Aye that ya did indeed Commodore, although is seems that none be worth listening to at present." Hector said looking inquisitively at James' ear.

"And what might that bit of shiny be hangin from your ear Commodore? Can't believe it's some new naval addition to yer normal bit of pomp." Barbossa asked as he reached out and gave the object in question a flick with his finger.

"Do not touch that!" James answered snippily as he clapped his hand over his ear and glared at Hector.

"That, the bandana, and the clothes Commodore, almost think ya was tryin to look piraty. And not succeeding very well at that." Hector said with a chuckle.

Teague leaned forward in his chair eyeing James, "So what would a fine upstandin Commodore such as yourself be here in Tortuga tryin to look piraty? And keepin the company of a notorious pirate at that."

"He's not here for anything. And it is just coincidence that he's keeping company with a pirate, and trying to look piraty. Nothing more than that mates, I assure you. Just happened to run into each other and decided to have a bit of rum together, old time sake and all ya know." Jack said waving his hands about.

"Don't remember you being so friendly with the likes of the navy Jack." Barbossa said but still looking at James who still had his hand over his ear, and was still looking at Hector.

"I owed him a drink Hector, he did after all not hang me, the least I could do is buy a mug for him." Jack replied with a few hand flops.

"So Commodore, what's your story?" Teague said still looking interestedly at James.

"My story…….. my story is the same as his story." James said pointing at Jack. He was still feeling too hung over for his mind to work properly and felt it would be best to say as little as possible until he figured out just what was going on.

"See! Just what I said." Jack said triumphantly.

"Doesn't come any closer to makin it the truth Jack." Barbossa said.

"Expectations again Hector? I think we've been through that already." Jack replied a bit snarkily.

"So we have at that Jack." Hector said magnanimously slapping James on the back and receiving a glare in return. "What say we get back to the rum, sort this all out later?"

"A fine ideal to be sure Hector." Jack said as he motioned the barmaid to bring another bottle.

James got unsteadily out of his chair and began weaving toward the back door. "Excuse me gentlemen, I need to use the facilities."

Jack jumped out of his chair and waving in James' direction said, "I'll just go along and make sure nothing unfortuitous befalls him." and headed off at a semi-fast saunter.

As Jack stepped out the door he was grabbed by his coat, slung around, and shoved up against the wall, and suddenly had extremely angry green eyes inches from his and a very irate Commodore his face. "What in bloody hell is going on here Sparrow?" James spat out.

"Beats me James, I'm at just as much of a disadvantage in the present situation as you are." Jack said innocently flopping his hands about in James' face.

James grabbed the hands and said threateningly, "If you do not get rid of them we have no chance for this mission to succeed, and that would bode ill for you Sparrow, it would bode very ill for you indeed. Have I made myself clear?"

"I didn't invite them, why is it up to me to get rid of them?" Jack said with an expression and tone verging on being whiny.

"Sparrow do not push me!" James said angrily slamming Jack against the wall once again.

"Easy on the goods James, can't very well be doin me part in getting rid of them if I'm all bruised and scraped up and the like now can I?" Jack said still whining a bit.

James let go of Jack's coat, turned to go back inside, turned once again to Jack who was still leaned against the wall, pointed a finger in his face, shook it and then went back inside.

"Wasn't so bad." Jack said with a bit of a smile as he took a step away from the wall, straightened his coat a bit, and walked back inside to see utter chaos.

To Be Continued

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