I finally got this chapter done! It took a while, but I am happy with how it turned out. I like the ending, yet I hate it at the same time. I thought it would fit, but I may change it later. I'm not sure Jack would do that, but it is kind of cute, so I don't know. I'll ask a couple of my friends what they think. ;)
Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of their characters! The writing is mine and so are Isabelle and Mary. ^^
The lack of reviews is making me a little sad. :( I really want to know what you guys think.
When I wake up the following morning, I am very surprised that I'm all alone in the Captain's quarters. Judging by the pinkish light coming from a crack under the door, I would say that it is barely dawn. Pirates sure do get up early, don't they? It is a comfortable little bed, and I really have nothing to do, so why should I get up now? I roll carefully on my side, so as not to bring further injury to my arm, and fall right back asleep with a quiet yawn.
I again awaken when I hear someone walking around in the room. I open my eyes and I sit up slowly. My head is still sore, and my vision is blurry for a moment. But, I can tell that it is the pirate captain from yesterday. I see him as he paces back and forth, muttering incoherent words under his breath, and, occasionally, opening what I believe is a compass. He'll stare at it for a while, grumble something, and them close it so forcefully that I can hear it snap together.
"Captain Sparrow?" his attention snaps to me, as if he had forgotten me, and he grins. He has such an odd grin.
"Finally awake, luv? Sleep well?" I nod a reply and he goes back to his frustrated pacing. He opens his compass again, stops, lets out what I think is a gasp, and then growls to himself, angrily snapping it closed. Why is he getting so worked up over a compass? Does he think it's lying about where North is?
"Um, Captain, why do you seem so irritated?" He looks at me, stopping in his tracks.
"It's nothing, luv. Just pirate business." Suddenly he smirks evilly, "You shouldn't trouble your pretty little head with the affairs of a dirty, stinking pirate." I frown and glower at him.
"I am so sorry about what I said yesterday," I apologize, sarcastically of course, "But, seeing as I am on your ship, I believe I have the right to know what this 'pirate business' is. Where are you trying to go?" I am a little annoyed that he used the 'dirty, stinking pirates' thing against me. I rise stiffly to my feet and awkwardly walk over to him. I put my hand on my hip, letting my other arm, the injured one, dangle at my side.
"That's the issue!" he exclaims, "I have absolutely no idea at all!" My jaw drops. Well, not literally. More of a mental jaw-drop.
"You do not know where you're going? Or you do not know where it is you want to go?" He shakes his head, muttering 'no' over and over again, "Then what? Can your compass not tell you where North is?"
"This compass does not point to North." He waits, trying to create a suspenseful silence, I suppose. I roll my eyes, " It points towards the thing you want most. The problem is, it just keeps changing directions on me. It's quite annoying, really."
"Maybe you just don't know what you want!" I let out a laugh and he frowns.
"Yes I do! Of course I know what I want!" Jack pouts, making me laugh harder. It takes me a while, but I get ahold of myself.
"Well, what is it? What do you want? What are you looking for?" I tilt my head to the side, "And if you know what it is, then why doesn't your compass show you where it is?"
"I'm searching for jewels that can control the very winds and tides! Can you imagine it, luv?" He smiles, more than likely daydreaming about it.
"Well, that's lovely, but you didn't answer my second question." My foot taps in slight impatience. He simply nods.
"That's the problem! I have absolutely no idea! It had stayed in an eastward direction for days, but now it's just going pretty much in every other direction! The jewels can not have changed their location like that, could they have, luv?" He grumbles irritably, "It makes no sense!" When all I do is shrug, he opens his door and says, "I'll be out here."
"Wait!" I catch him by the shoulder, "You are going to leave me in here all by my lonesome?" I pout at him, "I will be so bored in here by myself!" I long for the outdoors, to see the ocean! To see the sky!
"I suppose you could come with me. But, luv, I suggest you do something about the nest of rats living on the back of your head." Captain Sparrow laughs and I rush to the mirror. My hair is such a nightmare! I gasp and look around for a brush of some sort. Finding none, I try to brush my hair with my fingers. I feel him tap my shoulder and he hands me a brush, "Use this, luv." It's like he can read my mind at times! How odd. "I'll just wait for you." he stands in the doorway and waits for me. I nod and begin to brush out the tangles. Wincing in slight pain, I stop. My arm. I can't even brush my hair properly because of it! Jack walks over and offers to help, though I can tell he's very close to laughing. Reluctantly, I accept his offer and suffer through him practically yanking all my hair out of my head. It takes a while, but he gets the job done.
"All set, luv?" he asks. I nod...I seem to do that a lot. "Good." The Captain strolls out of the open cabin door and I follow him. We go up the platform with the wheel that steers the ship. Jack stands by it, holding his weird compass in one hand, while the other is on the wheel.
"Captain, do we have a heading?" I jump at the new voice. I look at him; an older man. Not old, but, well, older. Experienced. He stands before Jack, looking at him curiously.
"Erm..." Jack hesitates, moving his index finger around in various directions before he exclaims and says, "That way, Gibbs! Hurry it up!" he barks the orders, "I want movement!"
"Right away Capt- Oh, is this the girl? Hello." he nods in my direction and I return it. Gibbs seems like a decent person... for a pirate at least.
Suddenly, the deck is swarming with pirates. This makes me very nervous, and I realize, much to my dismay, that I am the only woman on this ship. Captain Jack walks over to me after Gibbs leaves. He probably noticed my discomfort.
"Don't worry, luv. They won't bother you... probably," he grins and then looks out at the ocean in the direction in which we are sailing. I can't help but smile. He seems at ease now, truly enjoying the view of the blue that seems to stretch on into eternity. Captain Jack Sparrow; captain of the Black Pearl. He takes so much pride in his title, and his ship. It seems like an ordinary old ship, just with dark wood. I wonder why he is so proud of this ship. What is his story? I cannot help but wonder.
"Mary, luv, you're probably hungry, aren't you?" he speaks, making me jolt back into reality. My stomach growls as if on cue. I remember that my last meal was over two days ago. I am very hungry; famished, really. "Come with me." he beckons me, so I go with him. He takes me to what I believe is the ship's food store. He looks around and finds some dried fish and bread. Stale bread, mind you.
"Captain, is there anything I may drink?" I feel slightly awkward as I ask this, and when he laughs, I feel foolish.
"Would you like rum?" he smirks and I scrunch up my nose in disgust at the very thought. He chuckles again, "I thought not. Here, have some water." I tell him thank you and eat the food. It isn't the best food in the world, but, on my empty stomach, it may as well be gourmet food cooked by the King's head chef!
When my stomach is full, I head back to Jack's cabin. It is quite strange to sleep there, but from what he told me, it is probably best that I sleep there instead of with the other men. I lay on his bed. It smells a lot a like him, I realize. I nearly crack up laughing at myself for making such a silly observation. Of course it smells like him! It is his bed, after all. I close my eyes and fall into somewhat of a half-sleep.
Before I can truly fall asleep, Captain Jack Sparrow comes in and says, "We'll reach land some time tomorrow. Sleep, luv. There will be a lot of walking tomorrow, I can assure you of that." The bed moves as he settles in next to me. Seeing as I'm already quite out-of-it, I don't mind that he's beside me. I'm really just too tired to process that he's there in the first place. Though I still giggle to myself when he starts to snore moments later.
"Mary!" Someone screams my name. I look at them and almost vomit as my nerves kick into overdrive. Isabelle. A man is holding a knife to her throat, "Help me!" I try to run to her, but find that I cannot move. I try to scream, but find that I am mute. I cannot help her. I just watch, tears in my eyes, as he cuts her neck open. She falls to the ground, but, when I look down, instead of her I see my mother and father laying dead in a pool of their own blood. Finally, I find the ability to scream. But I do more than just scream, I call out their names and cry out in agony and self-hatred. I let them get killed. It is my fault!
"Mary, luv, what's wrong?" I wake up in a cold sweat and find myself in Jack Sparrow's arms. It's strange, and I have no idea how that happened or why he's holding me, but I really don't care. I'm trembling, on the verge of tears. I can hardly find the strength to speak.
"I-Isabelle. Mother. Father." My voice cracks and tears pour from my eyes, creating sorrowful streams on my cheeks, dripping on to the cloth of the mattress.
"It was a dream, luv. Only a dream." Jack's voice is strangely soothing, but it does nothing to keep me from choking out a cry and burying my face in Jack's chest without thinking. I just sob, unable to stop myself. He lets me cry as much as I need to. As odd as it is being in a man's arms like this, especially when that man is a pirate who I really do not know, I'm just glad to get some comfort. He doesn't say anything more to me, but just having someone there for me helps. I end up crying myself to sleep, and I have no more dreams that night.