Chapter Twenty-Seven

Jack didn't think he had ever been gladder to see his favorite port city than he was when Tortuga finally came into view. He called a brief meeting with his most important crewmembers and went to find Elizabeth. He practically had to drag her into his cabin and he was even more surprised when Anamaria actually showed up. She sat as far from Jack and Elizabeth as possible and didn't once look his way. He knew he would have to try and calm her down later, but at least for now, she was here.

"As you all must be aware by now," Jack began, "Elizabeth will be staying with us for at least the next few months until I can come up with somewhere safe for her to be."

Jack caught Anamaria rolling her eyes at the statement, but proceeded, "It is imperative that we do not leave her alone at any time in this city. She will remain with me or in a room I will rent for her at most times, but if any of you see her at any time alone, please take charge of the situation at once. Since she so obviously is not part of a pirate crew, nor is she a town whore, we will need to have a good reason as to why she is with us." Jack took a deep breath. "This is what I've come up with.

"She is the daughter of a governor in a city we sacked several weeks ago. The governor had been having problems with his younger daughter wanting to run away from home with her no count boyfriend. Wishing to teach her a lesson as well as save his citizens from financial destruction, he gave her to us."

"It will never work," Anamaria said, finally meeting Jack's eyes.

"I think it's an excellent plan Captain," Gibbs inserted. "She's your prize and that should get the other pirates to leave 'er alone. You're teachin' 'er the ways of the world and if she gonna lose 'er innocence, it'll be 'er Captain who takes it."

Jack smiled at Gibbs, but ignored Anamaria for the moment. Hadn't he talked to her before about confronting him with the crew around?

"She is to be respected by all members of this crew at all times. The weather should be clear enough for sailing again in two months time. Make sure you and your entire crew are on either The Black Pearl or The Sea Wench at that time."

Anamaria was the first one Jack saw getting off the ship once docking was successful. Burdened with Elizabeth, he would have to wait and catch up with her after he got his best friend's widow settled.

Anamaria headed straight for her favorite tavern where she knew Jack would be unlikely to look for her. She ordered a mug of rum and had it down in less than three minutes time. As she began her second, an unfamiliar young man started to approach her.

Nodding, he greeted her, "Captain Saldana! And where is Commodore Sparrow this fine evening?"

"How should I know?" she mouthed off hotly. "The commodore and I are not together!"

"Oh!" the young man said, seeming surprised. "Well, I guess we all expected it at some time. I mean, you both have quite strong and competent crews all by yourselves. You'll probably make less of a target for the Navy sailing alone as well, huh?" He then hurried on his way, not waiting for Anamaria to comment. She seemed angry enough already, as if parting company perhaps had not been her choice.

It was only then that Anamaria realized what he had been asking. Feeling incredibly stupid, she poured the rest of her second mug of rum down her throat and ordered another.

After her tenth, she decided she'd had enough and that it was time to make her way back to the room she had paid for to share with Jack several nights before. She hoped against all hopes that he would not be there to greet her. However, as she unlocked the door, she found him lying comfortably relaxed on the bed.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" she yelled, crossing the room angrily.

"Well, we did pay for the room for both of us to stay here," he paused briefly, "and I thought it might be a good idea if I came and made amends."

"I don't want to hear your lies Jack. I just want you to get out of my room and let me get some sleep."

Jack stood up. "It wasn't what you thought Ana. Not at all," he explained calmly. "She was lonely and scared. It had nothing to do with sex."

"I don't believe you," she said.

"I know the two of you have never gotten along, but it's something you're going to have to move around. She has no interest in me, nor I in her. She's lost her husband and her baby. She has no relatives and no friends and no skills to get any sort of job to support herself unless she decides to do something drastic."

"I don't want to hear it Jack," she was standing in front of him now.

"Why don't you cut her some slack Anamaria? What's the big deal anyway?" Jack said, starting to darken.

Anamaria was growing more frustrated by the minute. The truth was she couldn't put her finger on exactly why she was so angry that Elizabeth was around. She knew the girl had been through a lot and she knew that it probably made her situation only feel more desperate knowing that Jack was the only friend she had. She realized that was why Elizabeth probably clung to the pirate more than she should. Not because of any sort of sexual chemistry, but for the sole reason that he was all she had.

"Give me one good reason," Jack commented, "for Elizabeth not to be here."

Anamaria knew she didn't have one, but tried, "What do you think the crew thinks? Seeing her stay in your cabin?"

"You already know how I feel about the crew keeping their noses out of what goes on in my cabin."

"It's irresponsible Jack," she argued.

"Irresponsible?" he quizzed. "That wasn't what you said when it was you and I in my cabin."

Anamaria was drunk and angry and she couldn't resist. She slapped him hard across the face.

Jack was stunned for a second before he moved forward to kiss her. She turned her cheek and brought her hand up to slap him again, but Jack grabbed her wrist. Twisting her arm, he pushed her onto the bed.

Anamaria was fiery hot as her fury raged. "What are you doing Jack? Get off me!"

Pushing himself on top of her, he told her, "You know you like it like this."

She knew he was right. Even if she was mad at him, something about the force and roughness of their anger was still a turn on for her. Still, she wasn't going to give in easily.

"Nothing happened between me and Elizabeth, Anamaria. You of all people should know that. She's a proper lady. This sort of rough sex that you and I prefer to engage in wouldn't interest her in the least." As Jack spoke he struggled to hold Anamaria's wrist as he tugged at her pants.

Anamaria kicked at Jack and he responded by loosening his grip on her wrist. She rolled to her right and made it into a standing position. She was panting hard from the struggle, but glad to see that for the moment, she was free.

"Come on Anamaria," Jack said. "Are you really still mad at me?"

"Where is she staying now?" she asked, trying to fight to get control of her thoughts. She had had way too much alcohol to try and outthink Jack tonight. "Waiting in your cabin for you back on the ship?"

"What! No, I got her a room across the hall," Jack answered, moving around to stand on the same side of the bed as Anamaria.

She backed away, but soon felt the wall hard against her back, "So when you're done with me you can go fuck her?"

"Give it a rest Ana," he said, pushing himself up against her. She allowed him to kiss her roughly this time. "After I finish with you, I'll be too tired to fuck anyone else." In a fluid motion that surprised them both, he had her shirt over her head. But before his hand could make contact with her exposed breast she punched him hard in the shoulder. Jack's instant reaction was to grab his injured arm.

"Ouch!" he said. She had hit him as hard as possible.

"I swear Jack. If I find out you're lying to me," she started.

"I'm not lying. Nothing happened," he said, still studying the arm she had punched.

She pounced him then, throwing them both off balance. They hit the floor hard, but were on each other at once, ripping away clothes like two wild animals. The sex that night was rough, maybe rougher than the two pirates had ever experienced before. They both managed to mark each other through biting, sucking, and clawing at one another. And once they had both come, they decided immediately to go for another round.

Anamaria took out her drunken anger on Jack's back and neck and most of Jack's marks were left in the form of bruises on his female captain's arms and thighs. In the midst of tossing one another around the room, Jack was sure that several pieces of furniture were broken. He would have to pay for them in the morning, he was sure, but right now, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered but Anamaria in the heat of the moment they shared.

Sometime around dawn, as a faint light began to crawl through the window, they both drifted off to sleep. For the first time that night, they had found themselves lying on the bed after their climax and the comfort level was too great. Within seconds they were both snoring softly side-by-side.

After only a few hours of sleep, both pirates awoke. They hurriedly pulled on their clothes. Jack finished dressing first and stepped in the hallway only to find Elizabeth coming out of her room.

"Oh Jack!" she exclaimed, moving forward to hug him. "Thank God, you're safe!"

Jack patted her awkwardly on the back before taking her shoulders and gently pulling himself out of her embrace. "Of course I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I couldn't sleep last night," Elizabeth explained. "I was going to knock on your door, but I heard the most awful sounds coming from inside your room."
A small smile crossed Jack's face.

"A girl was screaming for her life Jack. What happened in there? Did you," Elizabeth hesitated, "did you kill her?"

Jack actually began laughing at this point.

"It's not funny Jack. If you killed some innocent girl last night, I'd like to know. I don't want any part in this. I don't want anything to do with it at all. Drop me off at the closest island and I'll be on my way."

"Well, first, she wasn't innocent," Jack said, a dirty smile spreading over his face. "And secondly, she's just fine. Probably feeling rather well this morning, actually."

It was at that precise moment that Anamaria chose to open the door. Her timing couldn't have been better. Seeing Elizabeth standing there in the hallway, she was unsure of how to react and so she shut the door and headed down the hall, not saying a word to either of them.

Elizabeth blushed a deep crimson as it finally began to dawn on her what must have taken place the previous night.

"Don't look so surprised luv," Jack chuckled.

When Elizabeth still remained speechless, Jack dropped the smile, "I suppose dear William never showed you the pleasures of a rowdy night."

"Jack," Elizabeth paused, studying him, "your neck. Does that hurt?" she asked.

Jack flipped up the collar of his jacket and pulled his hair over his shoulders, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Those bruises," Elizabeth said, pointing towards his neck.

Jack quickly took her hand in his own, pulling her down the hallway. "Come, come, dear. Time for breakfast."

"But Jack," she protested, trying to pull her hand free.

The pirate, however, would have none of it. His hold on her was firm and he entertained none of her questions until they were down the street and seated in a small restaurant. At this point, Elizabeth was too embarrassed to inquire any further less someone overhear them speaking of such inappropriate matters.

As Jack focused his attention out the window, Elizabeth sat with her hands kneading one another while they rested in her lap.

"One of the best parts," Jack began as Elizabeth finally met his eyes to mutter, "I'm sorry Jack."

The odd pair laughed uncomfortably before Jack nodded at her to continue.

"It was none of my business really," she managed. "Had I known, I mean, I never would have thought…I'm sorry."

Jack gave her a warm and sincere smile, "It's fine. You'll never embarrass me luv. Despite your marriage to Mr. Turner, you still remain a good deal innocent. Nuthin' that living on a pirate ship wouldn't cure you of."

Elizabeth smiled uncomfortably.

A middle aged woman appeared to take their order and Jack placed an order for two breakfast plates. When she had left, Elizabeth was curious as to what "breakfast" would consist of.

"You never know here. Whatever's on 'and to cook up. It'll be good though. You can rest assured of that."

"I see," she commented.

It was silent for a minute and then she asked, "So what does a pirate crew do in Tortuga while they wait for sailing weather again?"

Jack pondered her question for a moment, his fingers loosely twisting one long braided strand of his beard. Unable to come up with an answer he believed Elizabeth would find satisfactory or even one that would justify the next tow months in his own head, he told the truth, "Squander our gold on rum and women!"

"Of course," Elizabeth responded.

"Now come on luv, don't be so hard on a pirate's life. We put in a good day at sea, my crew deserves to spend their treasures on a good time if they wish."

Elizabeth nodded as the older woman returned with two plates full of pancakes.

"Thank you," Elizabeth responded, picking up her fork and knife.

As she began to eat, Jack couldn't help but to stare. She was so proper, using her utensils correctly, wiping daintily at her mouth. Odd, Jack thought, how he had seen her eat many times before and thought nothing of it, but that it should seem so out of place here in Tortuga. He and Anamaria had enjoyed meals together many times before and never did he recall her eating so gracefully. She was a pirate after his own heart and yet he had never been fascinated watching her eat as he was now.

Elizabeth slowly placed her fork and knife down. "Is something wrong Jack?"

Jack quickly snapped out of his trance. "I'm sorry. No, nothing's wrong." He picked up his fork and dug into the meal that had been set before him.

Elizabeth studied him a moment longer before resuming her own meal. "So what exactly do you expect me to do for the next two months Jack? While you chase down women with rum?"

The pirate captain, who had been intent on his buttery pancakes, looked up to meet two doe like eyes blinking softly back at him.

"Well," Jack began, swallowing hard before he began licking the thick syrup off his fork, "you're not going to be going too far from where I go. Therefore," he sat the fork down and folded his hands in front of him on top of the table. "I suppose for all intents and purposes, you will be my wench for the next two months.

Elizabeth did not put her silverware down, but she stopped eating for a moment. "I don't appreciate the lewd comments you and the crew make about me Captain Sparrow. I'm not some whore that's yours for the taking."

Jack's face fell. Why did it seem that the only time the women who were around him used his proper title was when they got angry with him? "I didn't say you were my whore. I called you my wench. And you'd be best off if you realized from the top that you're much safer in this town if people think I'm the one that's gonna be takin' your innocence."

Elizabeth gave a sound of distaste to Jack's comment.

Jack leaned forward and lowered his voice, "I'm not going to hurt you, but you 'ave to trust me. William was a dear friend and I will do anything to protect the girl that he loved. Anything. But you've got to trust me."

Jack paused and Elizabeth slowly raised her eyes to meet his.

"Can you do that? Can you trust me?"

"I'll try," she whispered, scooping another forkful of pancakes into her mouth.