A/N: Alrighty, here's the next one for you! I realize that parts of this may be up for individual interpretation and that was my goal. It should leave you wondering a bit at this point as to what is going on. I need to leave a bit of guessing for the story to work out right in the end. So by all means, interpret away!
As always, thanks for reading and reviewing…I love you guys!
Kungfuchick…Yes, Jack and Ana making up…isn't that everyone's favorite parts? Enjoy!
Captain-Ammie…Lizzie actually gets on my nerves a great deal. I hope I've somehow managed to capture that a bit
Cal…what would I do without your long reviews! I love them! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
An-angel-in-hell…Yep, Elizabeth's innocence is something I wanted to play on…now the big question…how am I going to corrupt her!
Chapter Twenty-Eight
After spending a full day dragging Elizabeth around Tortuga with him, Jack had no doubts that this was going to be the least amount of fun he had ever had in his favorite port city. By a long shot.
When they had finished eating breakfast that morning, Jack had offered to take Elizabeth shopping for proper clothing, things a lady could wear on and off a ship without feeling uncomfortable. Since she was to be playing the part of a governor's daughter, Jack consented to letting her buy several nicer garments. Elizabeth was overjoyed with being given permission to actually shop. Will had been too poor to afford to buy her nice things and although it hadn't bee something that upset her a great deal, shopping was something she missed.
Jack had instantly regretted his decision as she drug him into one of Tortuga's few clothing shops. It wasn't that he didn't have the money, truth be told, Elizabeth, even with her expensive taste, probably couldn't truly break Jack even if she tried. After their past year of good fortune, Jack and Anamaria were both worth a slight fortune. Although the crew would never find out, Jack split the same share of the spoils with his female first mate. He knew it was rare, but he felt she deserved it and from the beginning, he hadn't minded paying her a little extra to be assured of her loyalty.
What the pirate did mind, however, was waiting on Elizabeth to try on dress after dress and then appear from behind the curtain to model them for him. After the fifth dress, Jack had had enough.
"Oh come on, it doesn't bloody matter," he sighed, exasperated, "just pick one. They all look the same anyway."
As Elizabeth's smile fell from her face, Jack instantly regretted the comment. Seeing the frown form, he realized that the smile previously occupying its place was the first one he had seen from her since he had picked her up several days ago.
"I'm sorry Elizabeth," he said, reaching out to her as if afraid she might start crying. The young girl did not cheer up, however, and Jack was forced to try and remedy the situation.
"That one's actually very nice," he tried.
"You're just saying that," Elizabeth retorted.
Jack fought the urge to shrug and managed, "No, that shade of green is a wonderful match with your skin tone."
"Do you really think?" Elizabeth asked, searching his eyes with her own.
"I do," Jack controlled a sincere expression.
Elizabeth hesitated a moment longer, studying herself in the mirror. "I suppose you're right," she concluded. "I'll have this one," she added, ducking back behind the curtain.
She reappeared minutes later in a pink frock that for all intents and purposes looked the same as the last one to Jack.
"What do you think about this one?"
Jack stifled a yawn, "Beautiful."
"I don't know," she said, twisting to see the back of the dress. "I believe it's a bit too tight."
Jack looked without even thinking. It was innocent at first, but then he realized exactly what she was talking about. He would never have called it too tight though. To him, it featured her assets nicely. An impure smile crossed the pirate's face before he could stop himself.
"I suppose it would never be tight enough for you Captain Sparrow, but that smile tells me I'm right."
Jack was going to protest, but she was back behind the curtain before he could get the words out. He leaned his head back, resting it against the wall and let out a sigh. It was going to be a very long day.
It took Elizabeth almost seven hours to pick out five dresses. At the last shop they visited, Jack took the liberty of picking up five extra garments that she had tried on and discarded. They had looked fine to him and she was going to need quite a few to choose from if she was going to go for months without really washing them.
"Let's try this shop next," Elizabeth said, holding Jack's hand as she attempted to cross the street.
Jack, however, did not budge. "That's it Elizabeth. I can't take it anymore. We're going back to the room. You can change clothes and then I'm going to have my rum."
Elizabeth's face fell, but this time Jack didn't let it affect him. He led her back down the street to the hotel and up to her room.
"Don't keep me waiting," he warned.
As she closed the door behind her, he had visions of her trying on every dress over again just to find one to wear. "The green one!" he shouted, hoping she could hear him and would take his advice.
She was gone for at least fifteen minutes, but when she came out she was wearing the green dress. Jack had only been trying to pacify her at the time, but when she smiled at him and took his arm he realized he had been right. The green suited her well.
"You look nice," he said.
"Thank you."
Jack had checked his room for signs of Anamaria while he had waited on Elizabeth, but there had been none. He had realized she hadn't told him where she was going or when she would be back. He had only assumed he would see her later in the day. But it wouldn't be the first time she had disappeared on him. It wasn't rare for them to split up and go their separate ways while in Tortuga. She would find him again before they set sail. He shrugged at the thought and headed down the stairs with Elizabeth on his arm.
Jack decided to drink at The Blue Dragon that night. That way he would be assured of drinking in the company of his crew. He knew that the first time he truly introduced Elizabeth into society in Tortuga, he would need people he could rely on to back him up in case things went wrong.
Within an hour, Jack found himself seated at a table amidst his crew and acquaintances from the city. Up to this point, everyone had been surprisingly accepting of his story regarding where Elizabeth had come from. He knew it was probably impossible for his luck to hold out all night, but at least for now, things were going well.
Some of the men around had tried to hit on or pick up Elizabeth, but she had stuck close to Jack's side. Her timid and at times fearful expression fit perfectly with Jack's story. He was mostly glad that no one had offered her money for her body. A small accomplishment that Jack recognized was largely due to the fact that she remained so proper. Jack knew she realized she was drawing a lot of attention that night, but what he thought she was probably oblivious to was that much of it was his own. She was so different from the women he was used to being around. She was proper, reserved, a little intimidated, and yet that only made her more beautiful to him.
"Captain Sparrow!" a tall dark skinned man approached him, breaking him out of what was not his first fixation on Elizabeth for the evening. What had she done to get to him like that? For goodness sakes, he scolded himself, her husband and his friend had just died.
"Captain Aquino!" Jack greeted his long time acquaintance, rising to shake the man's hand. "Have a drink with us. It's been too long!"
"Aye," the captain said, clapping Jack on the back, "it has."
He took a seat close to Jack who shouted to the tavern wench, "One rum for my good man 'ere."
Jack's smile was genuine, "How 'ave things been?"
"From the stories I've heard, no where near as good as they've apparently been for The Black Pearl and The Sea Wench. Where is dear Anamaria tonight?" The man spoke with a Spanish accent and Elizabeth found herself curious as to where he might be from. He was fairly attractive with dark features and long black hair that was groomed much cleaner than the captain's with whom she was most familiar.
"A night out on the town perhaps?" Jack shrugged. "She works hard while on board, but she's particular to unwinding by 'erself."
Elizabeth was sure that Jack was on his fifth or sixth rum by now. He was beginning to slur a tiny bit and becoming a bit looser although she knew he'd never admit to it.
"And who is your lovely lady friend?" the handsome captain inquired, staring directly into Elizabeth's eyes.
"This," Jack said, wrapping his arm around her, much as he had done on the stand and yet this time without her look of disgust, "is my latest bit o' shine."
Jack waited a moment as he took a long drink of rum to continue his story.
"This is Elizabeth Turner, the youngest daughter of the governor whose island I plundered just before I arrived. Apparently, the old man 'ad been having a bit of trouble with this one wanting to run away with an unsavory boyfriend."
At this point, Elizabeth gave him a nasty frown as they had previously discussed would be appropriate.
"When we attacked his island, he found a way to settle two problems at once. He gave me a bit o' gold and this pretty lass. I agreed to teach 'er a few ways of the world," Jack ran a few fingers down her arm and then kissed her neck, surprising them both and drawing an appropriate shiver of what appeared to be fright from Elizabeth. Her eyes immediately dropped from Captain Aquino's to her lap. "And return her remotely unscathed. In turn, he got to teach her a lesson."
"You have been lucky this year, haven't you?" Captain Aquino laughed.
"You have no idea," Jack said, uncoiling his arm from Elizabeth's shoulder and finishing off his current mug of rum. "More rum!"
Elizabeth found herself desperately wishing for a mug of her own, but she was unsure of how Jack would react. She had become a regular drinker since Will had died and with everyone drinking around her she felt it only made her long for it more. She leaned towards Jack and whispered in his ear.
"I want a mug of rum."
Jack laughed and almost spat out his mouthful of the strong liquid. He wiped at his mouth with the sleeve of his coat.
"What's so funny Sparrow?" his friend asked. "You're not going to keep it from the group, are ye?"
"That's a fine plan," Jack concluded. "If you want to start with rum, we'll start there. Just don't make me force it down your throat once you've had your first sip," Jack warned, a slight tone of cruelty in his voice before he demanded a mug for her.
Elizabeth caught his hints. She could have her poison, but she had to pretend it was something new to her. She tried to recall those first bitter sips she had taken while abandoned on the island with Jack. By the time the wench brought her the mug, she was ready. Her obvious look of distaste was good enough for the pirate, who provided her with a small smile of approval.
"Remember, don't let it go to waste."
Elizabeth sipped the pungent liquid slowly while the fellow captains continued their conversation. She was sure that in the amount of time she was forced to draw out her consumption, the pirates had enjoyed no less than six mugs between them. It wasn't really fair, but she was trying to trust Jack.
Elizabeth listened with vague interest to Jack and Captain Aquino's conversation, but since it was only remotely interesting her mind wandered as the pirates discussed plans.
"Have you heard the stories coming from the Indian Ocean?" Captain Aquino asked Jack.
"Not really. Just that it's profitable and less dangerous on that side of the world."
"I was thinking of sailing me crew that way in the next few months. Would The Black Pearl and The Sea Wench be interested in joining The Devil's Dowry?"
"Personally, I like my hunting grounds in the Caribbean just fine," Jack replied. "I'm not anxious to go off anywhere else."
"Ahh, but you and Anamaria might become world renowned pirates in that case. Eh?"
Jack shook his head. The offer was tempting, but they were successful where they were. Why go changing things now? Plus, they had nicer weather on this side of the world.
"Well, if you ever were to change your mind, we'd welcome the both of you."
"Thanks very much."
It was late into the night when Anamaria finally made an appearance.
"Well, there's our beautiful captain of The Sea Wench," Captain Aquino greeted her, having been the first to catch a glimpse of her in the crowd. Offering him her hand, he pulled her closer for a brief kiss on the cheek which she returned.
"Anamaria," Jack nodded, his arm draped loosely across Elizabeth's shoulders once again.
Anamaria acknowledged him, but it was not with the greeting she had given Captain Aquino. She ordered a mug of rum and sat down a few seats away from Jack and Elizabeth, but entertained conversation with the other captain. As a courtesy to Jack, he did not bring up the discussion of the Indian Sea again. Jack was the commodore and his answer would have to be good enough.
Anamaria had only begun her third mug of rum when a very drunk pirate stumbled up behind Elizabeth.
Tapping her on the back, he remarked, "Hello there. Pretty little wench, aren't ye?"
With the exception of Elizabeth, the group managed to ignore the comment fairly well. She turned to stare at the man only to be reprimanded by Jack, but it was too late.
"Whatever 'e's paying you, I'll double it."
Jack turned to face the overweight pirate, "The lass' not for sale."
"Oh, she's not, eh?" the pirate countered.
"No, she's not," Jack replied, turning back to his conversation and pulling Elizabeth a little closer to him.
"Oh, I see, this is your girl? Your wench?" the pirate asked.
The group clearly ignored him, but he refused to stop there. "If she's your wench, then why do you have 'er propped up on that stool lookin' like she's fer sale?"
As drunk as he was, Jack still managed to ignore the comment. Elizabeth was turning a deeper shade of crimson as the comments continued and Jack pulled her even closer to protect her.
"I could do a better job pleasin' ye tonight lass. Why don't ye come home with me?" the pirate insisted. "I'll show you a time like he's only dreamed of."
Anamaria watched as Jack's eyes melted into a dark chocolate that she recognized as a shade he reserved for his most angriest moments.
"Come on sailor," Captain Aquino cut in, "you don't want any trouble from us. The lass is clearly spoken for."
The man took a small step back, putting up his hands, "Just waned to show her some pleasure, that's all."
Anamaria saw it coming before any of the rest of them, she was sure.
"You weren't concerned about givin' 'er pleasure when you thought she was a common whore," Jack said, red-hot. "Why be concerned with it now?"
"Ahhh, come on, they're all common whores really, aren't they? Look at the one over there," he said, gesturing to Anamaria, "You've probably gotta work a lot harder than the other girls for your money, don't you? Bet you've learned all…"
Had she not been across the table, she would have beat Jack to it, but as it was, he got the first hit in, cutting the man's statement short. Elizabeth screamed and Captain Aquino thought enough to get her out of the way before a full brawl broke out in the tavern. Jack had failed to notice that the overweight and foul pirate had friends of his own to back him up. Although Jack had gotten the first hit on him, Anamaria took over with the man who had insulted her. It became clear very quickly that he and his friends were not only outnumbered, but outskilled as well. When Anamaria drew her sword, he called for his fellow pirates to back off.
Anamaria was half tempted to attack him anyway, but her good form prevailed and the men quickly scattered. Elizabeth, who had been studying the fight through one squinted eye as she huddled in a corner, hurried over to check on Jack. His lip was cracked and bleeding, but he would recover. As Elizabeth tended to cleaning his scratches, Jack looked over the room to find Anamaria who didn't have so much as a scratch on her. She was however, taking care of Captain Aquino who had caught the brunt of someone's wrath.
His eye was a deep purple and beginning to swell shut. His upper lip was busted and bleeding freely. Anamaria was bent over him wiping at the blood with a handkerchief and for a brief second, Jack wished it were him. Just then, Elizabeth hit a sore spot and Jack winced.
"Ouch!" he exclaimed, pulling away.
"Sorry," Elizabeth muttered. "Jack, I'm sorry I got you into a fight over me. You didn't have to defend my honor like that."
"It's fine," Jack comforted, but as she continued cleaning his wounds he realized that Elizabeth was not the reason he had gotten into the fight. Oh sure, it was the comments about her that had ignited the spark, but it wasn't until the daft man had insulted Anamaria that Jack had really gone off.
He looked across the floor to study her again, swatting at Elizabeth's hand as it obstructed his view. Several people were in his way now. Fights were a regular occurrence in Tortuga's taverns and business continued as usual.
He saw her helping Captain Aquino to his feet and brushing off his coat. As they walked towards the exit, Anamaria tossed one glance over her shoulder in Jack's direction. Elizabeth was still attempting to dab at the blood trickling down his chin and he pushed her hand away again. Anamaria's eyes caught Jack's for one brief moment before she turned back to Captain Aquino. Jack thought he might be imagining things, but it seemed as if Anamaria leaned a little closer to the captain as they made their way out the door.