Hey guys! Long time, no see. However, I reward those that chose to stick around with this fresh chapter, so hope everybody finds it enjoyable. I needed a kind of "in-between" chapter, so I'm afraid that a 'build up' is necessary, and takes precedence over swashbuckling. Just for the moment, though. Oh, everybody seemed happy with the previous chapter, so I'll feel more comfortable continuing with that type of scene in the near future.
Disclaimer: I assure you, I am not Terry Rossio or Ted Elliot, unfortunately.
~Chapter Fourteen~
Jack stirred in his sleep-deprived state, not yet able to open his eyes. His mouth pricked: his dreams giving way to the awareness of reality. He could hear the spill of the sea against the hull and the chattering of several crewmembers on deck. He wondered what time it was, though quickly lost interest in the thought of it. He lay on his stomach, a sigh escaping his lips as his muscles began to wake up. At some point during the night Angelica had moved away from him, and he had awoken to smirk at the sight of her in his cot. He had put his shirt back on out of decency, although it had made him hot in the coastal Spanish heat. His hand, acting as eyes, slid across the sheet to cross the space between them, when his fingers became immersed in a pool of liquid, and not the warm flesh he had been anticipating. Jack rubbed his fingers together, slowly becoming aware of the sticky mess in his fingertips. His eyes snapped open with horror, as he hurtled off the bed and scrambled around to find a match. Locating one, he struck it hastily and angled his body towards the floor and lit the stump of a candle. His eyes adjusted to the light, and stood up and directed the illumination closer to the mattress.
Angelica was lying on her stomach facing the underside of the wall of the hull, and a large pool of blood had seeped onto the sheets. Jack's breath became lodged in his throat, as he attempted to swallow. He lifted his fingers to his face, frowning at the red that stained his fingertips. Jack leaned over the cot, shaking Angelica's shoulder feverishly. She stirred, as relief flooded over Jack at her sign of movement. "Ugh…go away, Jack." She stifled, as Jack continued to rouse her. "What?" She groaned in annoyance at Jack's persistence. "Turn over-" Angelica's concentration came about, as she glanced at Jack, and twisted around at his serious expression. As she twisted, she became intensely aware of the tightness in the wound in her stomach, as she looked down to the expanse of red blood that had soaked through the mattress. With a groan, she pushed herself towards the top corner of the cot. Angelica's eyes didn't budge from the red, until she gave a trembling sigh and pushed herself back down against the pillows, scrunching her eyes up at the memory. Her hand slid over her stomach, as her usually soft stomach had become hard with fresh bruising. She tried to soothe herself and forget the sight. "Just as I thought we'd gotten out of that mess." Jack muttered, mostly to himself. He wiped the sweat off his face and looked back to Angelica.
"You'd better have bandages on this ship." Angelica warned testily, as she opened her eyes to glance bitterly at Jack. Jack nodded, and tried not to snicker at her demeanour. "Yes, Angelica. My ship is equipped with bandages. Come on." He motioned to his hands, as she took them; pulling her up to the edge of the mattress. Angelica felt a little hazy and off balance, however she wasn't all that surprised. Her legs dangled over the side, as she pressed her hands down on her stomach, marvelling at the feeling of a deep indentation through her oversized tunic. Jack walked over to a chest on the other side of the room, as he lifted it open and pulled out several fresh bandages. "You might want to give me sash back." Jack said, as he watched as Angelica lifted up her shirt and began to unwind Jack's stained sash. Jack pulled up a chair and sat opposite her. "You know, I have a feeling my crew aren't going to be happy with your presence." Jack paused for a moment, as he pressed his hands to her skin and began to wrap the bandages around her body. "Most especially if said presence is in a state of…disrepair". Angelica glared uneasily at him, unsure of her predicament, her place, or her situation. Angelica's eyes darted around the room, trying to find something for her mind to focus on, besides her embarrassment of her inability to be self-supporting. Jack finished, and the pressure released from her stomach. Relief flooded over her, as she took several deep breaths. "There." Said Jack, tightening the knot to keep the gauze secure. "Thanks." She muttered softly.
"Take off your shirt." Angelica followed Jack with her eyes, giving him a quizzical look. "What?" She asked incredulously, her mouth hanging partly ajar. "Take it off!" He insisted. "You can't go around like that on my ship." Jack replied, arrogantly. Angelica didn't budge, choosing to remain silent and still. Jack looked back at her from over her shoulder, snickering at her ironic sense of modesty. Jack threw a sheet that had fallen to the floor over to her, as he stood up and searched around for a clean shirt, tipping over various piles of miscellaneous. "Bugger." He uttered, realising everything he owned that would be suitable for her was dirty. His fingertips fiddled with the shirt he was wearing, turning back to Angelica and pushing it off his torso and over his head. Angelica's eyes fell onto his bare torso, taking in how toned he was. Jack grew uncomfortable under her watchful gaze, and with a lopsided leer, he tried to direct her attention elsewhere. He tossed the shirt over to her. "Either put it on, or allow me to put it on for you." Jack suggested. "Don't you have somewhere I can change?" Angelica asked. "I wasn't expecting guests." Jack replied, shrugging. Angelica was just about to throw another scathing retort at Jack, when the main door slammed open and made both Jack and Angelica jump in fright.
Appearing behind the inside of the frame was a tall figure in the shadows, his distinctive hat with multiple tall feathers giving away his identity. Angelica and Jack turned their heads at the exact same time; colliding with Barbossa's disgusted expression that seemed to intuitively know of that activities between the pair that had unfolded during the heat of the night. Angelica glanced quickly at Jack, before they both turned back to Barbossa. His appearance was neat and well kept, with his clothes still retaining their colour. "Get out!" Jack hollered, impatiently. Hector's lips contorted into a snarl, revealing pearly white teeth behind his dark lips. Several snooping crewmembers peered into the door, before Barbossa rolled his eyes and turned on his heel, slamming the door behind him. Jack threw an expletive hurtling after him, running a nervous hand through his dreadlocks. "There goes keeping you a secret." Jack commented, throwing his coat over his arms and stomping out of the cabin.
"You better have one hell of an explanation, Jack. What in god's name are you doing with that girl? You know the code! Women are for port, not plunder." Barbossa stipulated. Jack looked sheepish. Despite the fact that Jack was captain, Barbossa was much older and much more experienced than Jack was, and it was not unusual for Barbossa to make Jack feel accountable. Jack looked up, as Barbossa rolled his eyes in abhorrence before Jack had an opportunity to answer. "Jack, you must be rid of this lass. She aint going to belong in this motley crew, delicate thing she is." Jack sauntered around the room under Barbossa's intent gaze, as he made his way to Barbossa's wardrobe where a dozen white tunics hung clean and un-creased. Jack selected one and pulled it over his torso, following the coat speedily after it. Barbossa's didn't react; giving the impression this was commonplace. "Look, its not as bad as you might think, mate." Jack moved around to sit on the corner of Barbossa's desk, facing his first mate with a smug expression. "Do explain." Barbossa probed, as Jack's eyes drifted over the maps laid neatly out along his unchipped desk. "She's hurt, mate. The wound…it's not promising." Barbossa looked solemnly at Jack. "This is not a medicinal vessel, why should we care for her?" Jack paused for a moment. "Well." Jack started. "This girl, she knows something about the gold. She's read the manuscript." Barbossa snarled. "Aye, that may be, but does she know anything worth us keeping her? Does she know the location?" Jack knew very well she had no idea, but Jack didn't think it wise to divulge this to Barbossa. "Look, mate. Whatever she knows, it's valuable. She has the key to where she kept the manuscript, in a place nobody it ever going to go searching for it. If we ever need it, it's ours for the taking." Barbossa narrowed his eyes. "Aye, and a special little trip back to Spain, too. Out of our territory." He finished. Jack mentally surrendered. "Without her, we'd still be sitting in that jail cell!" Jack asserted. "If it wasn't for her, we'd never have been there in the first place!" Hector snapped back. "Without her we'd never have found the manuscript!" Jack shouted, jumping off the desk and throwing his hands in the air in irritation.
Barbossa calmed for a moment, attempting to give the voice of reason. "I be sailing with you for well over a year and three quarters, Jack." His eyes appeared to bulge at their sockets, glinting from the flicker of candlelight. "Aye" Jack agreed softly. "And not once have ye led us astray, I'll give ye that." Hector paused for a moment. "But this woman does not belong. Devils, we know them to be, to us honest men of 'good' intentions. We might bow to your authority, Jack. But we most certainly wont be bowing to hers." Jack gave a forced laugh. Barbossa eyed Jack, giving such of relentlessness. "What ye playing at, with all this? Ye honest streak has run aground." Drumming his fingers against the wood of Barbossa's desk, Jack contemplated the question. What was he doing with her? He didn't know just yet. Time passed lined with silence, and Jack appeared to still be struggling by his lack of devious escape from the jail cell. Barbossa tried again. "This girl. How did she manage to get her hands on the manuscript?" Jack lowered his gaze, making his face reside mostly in shadow. "Is that relevant?" Jack retorted. Barbossa remained unconvinced at the value and potential help Angelica claimed. To Barbossa, she was a no-good distraction, and not just to Jack. But to Jack, she was so much more, although he didn't quite realise it.
Smug that Barbossa had dropped his argument, satisfied Jack traced a route from the port of Cadiz to the port of Casablanca off the coast of Morocco. Tapping his finger on that point several times, Jack spoke. "Casablanca. We can re-supply there." Barbossa shook his head insistently. "Out of the question." Jack scowled at his first mate's argumentative demeanour. "The Pearl may be fast, but with these lagging winds that fail to fill the sails; the Spanish won't have a hard time tracking us down, and I doubt your 'lass' will be able to get you out of that". Jack considered throwing a sarcastic counter back at his first mate's insolence, but recognised that Hector's points were valid. "That be that." Barbossa finished. Jack eyed Barbossa suspiciously, as he poured of maps and instruments, calculating distances with precision. Jack gave a nod. "Fine. No port. We'll go straight across the Pacific, all the way to Shipwreck Island." Barbossa looked up at Jack, and gave a nod. "Shipwreck Island it is."
The sun had not been visible throughout the day, as a wide expanse of cloud cover had left the evening with a dreary appeal. Jack walked out along deck, as the crew went about their various duties. Jack walked along the deck, monitoring the activities of the crew. Jacoby nodded respectfully to the captain, while the Bo'sun watched with eagle eyes over the crew. Jack gave him a forced smile and slithered eagerly past him. Jack leant against the railing, absentmindedly savouring the moment to be back on his ship. Jack's eyes wandered, eyeing someone crouching down, attempting to secure a rope, however not in the traditional fashion. Jack watched carefully from his position. His hands were recently blistered, with several fresh cuts and ropeburns. This boy didn't know the ropes of seafaring. William came towards Jack, rubbing his hands in a sign that his duties were complete. Jack stopped him, motioning towards the boy. William looked over, before giving a confused look to the captain. "What is that?" Jack asked. William paused, looking back and eyeing the boy carefully. "Blimey, Jack. Did you recruit him?" Jack looked offended by the suggestion. "Of course not! That's why I'm asking." "Oh, aye." Will replied. "Oi!" Jack called to him. Many crewmembers turned, but the boy did not look up. "E's not part of the crew!" Someone piped up. " William looked curiously at the boy. "How on earth did he get on here?" Jack scowled. "Haven't the slightest." Jack advanced towards him, his dark shadow making the boy look up tentatively. His face was almost jet black, with dazzling bright blue eyes poking out from the expanse of dirt. Jack hoisted him up onto his feet. "Check his pockets." Jack ordered, as he held tightly onto the boy, grasping his chin, turning his face from side to side. William felt around in the boy's pockets, as the boy tried to writhe out of Jack's grasp.
"Thief." Bill staked, before his hand had even left the boy's pockets. Within his hand lay several rings and gold coins of different currencies. Jack retrieved them, disdained and still curious as to how this boy had even managed to stowaway on this particular vessel. Jack clasped the boy's chin, forcing the boy to look up at Jack. "How did you get here, scoundrel?" Jack ordered, but the boy didn't respond, only his bright blue eyes shone out from his grimy, blackened face. "Perhaps Barbossa recruited him?" Bootstrap suggested. Jack bit his lip, accepting it as a possibility. "Perhaps." The commotion had caused many crewmembers to neglect their duties and watch Jack's actions. Jack grasped the boy's collar and pulled him along, as Jack made his way back to Barbossa's cabin. "Scatter, you scoundrels!" Jack ordered, clearing Jack's path.
Jack banged open the cabin's doors, interrupting Barbossa as he made calculations as to the distance remaining until the destination. He looked up immediately, as Jack released the boy and pushed him to the ground. "Hector, did you recruit this lad?" Jack asked, as he strode to the desk and placed the stolen items on the wooden surface. Barbossa ran the items over his fingers, selecting one of the rings that was supposed to be in his private possession. "Aye, Jack. You stake that this boy is a thief? He's not mine." Barbossa confirmed. The boy stood up, as Barbossa made his way over to the boy. "He's definitely not part of the crew. He's a Spanish lad." He noted, as he looked at the colour of the boy's complexion. Barbossa retrieved his stolen items and returned to pour over his maps. "Make him walk the plank." Barbossa offhanded. Jack looked suspiciously at the boy. "Hector, he could be an emissary of the Spanish." Barbossa looked up surprised. "Jack, look at him. He doesn't look like a member of the Spanish guard. He wouldn't even be old enough to register. He looks 14 or 15, no more." Jack glanced between Barbossa and the boy. "I don't trust these Spanish. Not after how we were caught." Jack commented. "You've yet to mention how that actually happened, Jack." Barbossa remarked, however Jack didn't merit a reply. "Keep him, if you want. He can keep your damsel company, before we get rid of them in approximately…56 hours." Barbossa proposed, as he finished his calculation. Jack thought for a moment, before he took the boy's collar again and dragged him out. Barbossa watched them go, a smile on his face.
Jack pushed the doors of his cabin open and shoved the boy inside, before he shut the doors behind him and leant back on the wood. Angelica gave Jack a quizzical look, glancing between Jack and the boy. Jack, his head turned towards Angelica, elaborated. "He's a thief. Caught 'im as he tried his hand at the ropes. His pockets filled with gold." Angelica glanced over at the boy, who stood in the middle of the room, his eyes waiting on Jack. "He's Spanish, by the looks of it. Doesn't understand a word I say." Jack finished off. Angelica surveyed the boy. She got off from her position on the lounger, and crossed the space between her and the boy. "Españoles?" Angelica asked. The boy looked over to Angelica, nodding tentatively. She sifted her hand through his hair, as dirt fell out all over the place. "He's filthy." Angelica commented. "Why don't you clean him up?" She asked. Jack laughed discreetly at her comment. "Because it's not my duty to wash stowaways." Jack replied. Angelica glanced over at Jack, not amused at Jack's level of pride "He's yours if you want him". Angelica nodded. "Bring some water, I'll clean him up." Jack approved, as he opened the door and requested the closest crewmember to fetch a bucket of seawater. Angelica looked in disdain at the boy, noticing his stark blue eyes and pale lips. "I think he might be an emissary for the Spanish navy." Jack stated, as he moved to sit down in the armchair, putting his feet up on the ragged excuse for a desk. Angelica chuckled at Jack's claim. "Are you serious? This boy is younger than me. Even boys my age can't join up." Jack lowered his gaze. "I'm still suspicious." Angelica beamed. "Be as suspicious as you like, this boy is just a common street urchin." Jack scanned the room, noticing how Angelica had taken the bloodstained sheets off the bed and had lit several candles to provide luminescence. "¿Cuál es tu nombre?" Angelica asked the boy. The boy replied in little more than a whisper, "Lope." Angelica gave a small smile at the boy. "What are you going to do with him?" Angelica asked, turning to Jack. Jack gave a shrug. "Keep him until he is no longer useful."
There was a rap at the door, as Bootstrap stood in the doorway, holding a plate of food and a bucket of seawater. "Ah, Will." Jack greeted, allowing Will in and shutting the door behind him. "New faces, I see." Observed Will. "Yes." Jack started. "This is Angelica, the one that had the manuscript, and the one that bailed us out." Jack introduced, as Will put the food down and brought the bucket over to Angelica. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, miss Angelica. Welcome aboard the Black Pearl." Angelica took his hand and shook it warmly, not surprised Will didn't follow through with a normal greeting for a woman. "The names William Turner, but here they call me Bill, or Bootstrap." Will mentioned, with a wide grin of appreciation at the sight of Angelica. "Come, join us." Jack gestured to Will, before helping himself to the array of potatoes and salted meat that Will had provided. "William here is one of me closest mates. Almost brothers, we are." Will gave a smile, as Angelica listened as she continued to wash away the grime from the boy's slight frame. "Aye, that be true Jack. We grew up together, before Jack escaped and went off in search of fortune. Both I and his father were gutted." Angelica raised an eyebrow at the mention of Jack's father, feeling somewhat surprised that Jack would have such a thing.. Jack stifled a laugh, feeling somewhat silly for his actions in his younger days. "Even so, it wasn't too many months before his return, deadest on taking off again to broader horizons. Took me with him, the on his second return." Will acknowledged, somewhat proudly.
"Ah." Started Angelica. "His father mustn't have been pleased with his disappearances." Jack was quick to glance to Will, who caught on and decided just to smile in agreement. "If I do say so myself, it's a pleasant change to have a woman on board." Angelica smiled in response, before turning her attention back to the boy. "I suppose you'll be joining us for the search of the treasure." Will incited curiously, recognising that it was not just desire or injury that led Jack to harbour a woman on board. As free of superstitions as Jack was, he would prefer to leave women at port, even if just for his own safety. "Not if I don't know what I'm looking for." Replied Angelica, her voice hoarse from dehydration and thick with Spanish quality. Jack lowered his head and smirked under the shadow it created. He knew Angelica was aware of the legend surrounding the treasure. "No? Blimey." Will looked shocked at Angelica's ignorance and decided to elaborate. "Buried on an island of dead what cannot be found-" William started. "Except for those who know where it is" Said Jack and Bootstrap in unison. "Those words have haunted us around the seven seas, Miss. The legend is told in every port, every brothel, every pirate-infested city or town." Jack took another swig of his bottle, watching intently as Angelica aligned a misplaced wooden chair opposite Will's. "Not one has ever been successful, mind." Jack chimed in. "And you want to be the one to change that." Angelica ventured, receiving a nod from Will. "Quite a quest you wish to achieve." she concluded. "Oh, we have Jones on our side." Replied Will. Angelica's brow raised in confusion. "Jones?" The wooden hull creaked at the mention. "Davy Jones." Will responded, his serious eyes meeting Angelica's curious gaze.
The sails of the Pearl carried the vessel over the unstable sea, with speed and swiftness unmatched. Jack, Bootstrap and Angelica remained in ignorance at the irreparable damage they were causing, from behind the mahogany doors of the captain's cabin. With most of the decent supplies of food and beverages being consumed in private by the trio; social balance fell away with a startling velocity. With every drink consumed by the more distanced, privileged three, Barbossa began to contemplate the adherence to Jack's captaincy. Leaving his cabin quarters, Barbossa engaged himself with card games with the remainder of the crew. As the night drew on and darkness left the sky colourless, Barbossa fell into definite favour with the crew, and began to overhear whisperings of discontent among the crew of Jack's supremacy. While nothing more than a tentative whisper, seeds were being sown, and Jack's captaincy became a little less certain.
~End of Chapter Fourteen~
There. That's it until at least December, guys, so sail on until then. Cheers for the 30+ reviews on the previous chapter; that was sweet. Anyways, cheerio until next time. Please leave a comment to signal that you enjoyed reading this little story. I look forward to seeing you guys soon. Bye for now.