*Trigger warnings: mentioned suicide, alcohol consumption, swearing and grotesque imagery. Ye have been warned!
Chapter 10: A Bottle Of Rum
Jack Sparrow stared at the horizon where a black ship with black sails was turning away from them and already getting smaller in the distance
There she was. The finest vessel he had ever sailed. He had been so close to having her in his hands once more, but she was leaving him behind.
Again.
Fate was a cruel mistress.
"That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship." He panted as his eyes scanned the long stretch of ocean between the sandy shore he stood upon and the stern of the majestic black ship.
Gods that was a long swim. Barbossa was always good at rubbing salt water into the already festering wound.
Now this time it was a lot worse.
"Flipping bastard." He muttered under his breath.
"I'm…I'm going to take a look around."
Jack turned and through the corner of his eye saw Elizabeth Swann standing a few feet behind him on the beach, drenched to the bone but still lovely as ever in that white shift.
"You do that love." He shrugged, as he stumbled past her towards dryer sand under the shade of a tree. It was bad enough that he had to be stranded here a second time without her pity following him around like a ghost.
It did not take him long to shed his wet shoes or vest, both of which he hung above the sand on sticks he had found by the tree line.
A quick inspection of his compass and sword revealed little to no damage though his pistol was still waterlogged.
Jack sighed to himself. It was going to be ages till the powder dried out.
He sat down and began wiping at the outside of the weapon, his thoughts drifting as the warm wind blew his dreadlocks and dried his wet clothes.
That Barbossa. He should have known he would ditch him like this again. Then again, if it hadn't been for that blasted whelp William Turner none of this would have happened!
And as for Peggy-
Jack paused, sighing as he looked back out over the ocean.
A selkie. For two years, he had been sailing with a bloody selkie. And not just any selkie, but one of the last ones left in the Caribbean. The thought was depressing in its own right.
Of all the children of the ocean Jack had ever met selkies were perhaps some of the most agreeable. They were free spirits, wild and mischievous, not all too different from most pirates when he thought about it.
He had even slept with a selkie woman once. Oh, now that had been a most wild unforgettable night. The soft sand on the beach, the moonlight, and the ocean tickling their feet as the tide rolled in. What was her name again? Gods, it had been so long ago.
He had only been a young man then, only slightly younger than the whelp now that he thought about it. And the selkie, oh she had been a beauty. Long raven black hair, skin dark and smooth like polished mahogany, deep brown eyes and curves that would make a statue of Venus weep with envy. But the best was her personality.
Jack never usually cared to get to know his partners when he jumped into bed with them. All he wanted was a bit of fun and nothing else. Feelings tended to make things messy and awkward. But that selkie lass, she was a hoot. Great sense of humour and an excellent conversationalist. Kept him on his toes all night, verbally and physically.
She was so different from the few mermaids he had charmed on his adventures.
Mermaids were beautiful, but only in that eerie ethereal way, like a mirage on the water or a jewel in a dream. They were almost too perfect, too above it all.
But Selkies…well they had no magical glamour. If Jack had not seen them shed their skins or bare their claws and fangs they might have been able to pass for mere humans, albeit gorgeous ones.
Their beauty lay not in their faces but in their souls or so the old scribes said, and Jack could not help but agree.
Their loss had been felt heavily across the Caribbean after the great purge at the hands of the East India Trading Company. Many even said it was why the ocean gods were far less kind towards humans in recent years.
To think that one was still alive after all this time…and one so young.
Too young. Now that Jack thought about it. Peggy was only just of age and the purge had occurred a couple of years before she would have been born.
That could only mean two things. That one, some selkies might have escaped and were in hiding. Or two, and Jack felt this was more likely, a selkie woman had been taken prisoner.
Yes, Jack thought as he emptied the single bullet from his gun and rubbed it dry.
That had to be it. After all, Peggy had told him long ago that her father was a merchant. Would it be that unbelievable that one of those depraved, greedy bastards from the EITC took a selkie wife by force by stealing her pelt? What a pretty trophy that would make.
To think the last selkie of the Caribbean gave birth to a daughter in captivity as a devoted wife and slave to one of the vilest of humans. It almost made Jack sick thinking about it.
As a pirate, he loved stealing and plundering beautiful things it was true. But he had been around long enough to know that some treasures were never meant to be locked in a cage to rot.
And now that sod Barbossa has got Pegsy all locked up for himself. All because she had to babysit that stupid, stupid whelp! Jack shook his head, sighing as he saw Elizabeth approach him from the other side of the island.
As expected, it had barely taken the noblewoman twenty minutes to do one round of Black Sam's Spit and she was not impressed.
Well, what did she expect? A relaxing vacation in the middle of a blooming paradise?
Though Jack had to admit, Barbossa had been very generous providing her with a very handsome and capable companion like himself.
Face it, one night with me and she'd forget all about that bloody whelp. Jack smirked to himself, the sight drawing the young lady's eye.
"If you're going to shoot me then please do so without delay." She clipped irritably.
"Is there a problem between us Miss Swann?" Jack frowned up at the snippety woman. After everything she had been through at Barbossa's hands, he would have thought he was the more agreeable company for a lady like her.
"You were going to tell Barbossa about Will in exchange for a ship." Elizabeth spat folding her arms across her chest.
"We could use a ship." Jack scowled "The fact is I was going to NOT tell Barbossa about bloody Will in exchange for a ship, because so long as he did not know about bloody stupid Will, I had something to bargain with. Which now no one has, thanks to bloody stupid Will!" He stood up shakily, legs burning both from the hot sand and the long swim "In fact if it weren't for bloody stupid Will knocking me out and leaving me to die, Peggy and I might have been able to get rid of Barbossa before he even knew about that whelp's existence. But no here we are stranded! AGAIN!"
"Oh…" Elizabeth had the decency to look abashed, though still determined "But he still risked his life to save ours."
"HA!" Jack laughed bitterly as he began walking away.
Save them?! The cheek. Will Turner might play the gallant hero, but Jack knew deep down the boy was just as much a selfish, greedy and self-serving rat as he was. The only difference between them was that no one had called the lad out on his crap yet. But they would in time. He might be young and foolish now, but soon there would be a time when that boy would face responsibility for his actions and no one would give him that free pass, and how Jack looked forward to seeing that day come.
And speaking of trying days, he needed a drink right now. Thank God this island was well stocked with rum.
"But we have to do something to rescue him?!" Elizabeth's voice cut through Jack's angry thoughts as she stormed after him, her steps still graceful even though the sand was uneven and hot.
"Off ye go then! Let me know how that turns out." Jack shooed the troublesome female off with a mocking smile, but she was not backing down.
"But you were marooned on this island before weren't you, so we can escape in the same way you did then-"
"To what point and purpose young missy!" Jack snapped at her. "The Black Pearl is gone, and unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails hidden under that bodice-" He looked down at her lithe frame. Not quite as curvy as he usually liked but still not half bad. "-unlikely. Young Mister Turner will be dead long before you can reach him."
He tried to sidestep the young woman again, tapping a couple of trees and prodding the ground with his foot as he tried to remember the way to that bloody cache. But no. Elizabeth Swann was just as dogmatic as that bloody whelp in her pursuit of him.
"But you're Captain Jack Sparrow!" She cried out as she hounded him "You vanished from under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Company! You sacked Nassau Port without even firing a shot! Are you the pirate I read about or not?" she grabbed his shoulders to stop him from jumping on a patch of sand. "How did you escape last time?"
"…Last time…" Jack sucked in a deep soothing breath to stop himself from wringing the annoying lady's beautiful long neck "I was here a grand total of three days, all right?"
He turned and bent over to haul on the hidden trapdoor beneath the sand, revealing what appeared to be a small wooden cellar, dusty and unkempt and dark.
"Last time, the rum runners used this island as a cache," Jack explained as he carefully lowered himself into the hole. Ah good there were still some bottles left…and YES! They had rum. "They came by and I was able to barter passage off. From the looks of things, they've long been out of business. Probably, have your bloody friend Norrington to thank for that." He grunted as he tugged out two large bottles victoriously and stepped out of the hole.
"So that's it then?" Elizabeth sneered, her voice trembling with disappointment and barely suppressed rage and Jack wondered if bloody stupid Will knew what vicious beast lurked beneath his lady love's beautiful face. "That's the secret, grand adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow? He spent three days lying on the beach drinking rum."
"Welcome to the Caribbean love," Jack smirked before striding back to his clothes.
They should be dry by now, and if not, well he could at least enjoy a drink and look at the waves.
"So…" Elizabeth rushed after him unable to let go of the conversation despite his dismissal. "Is there any truth to the other stories?"
"Truth?" Jack scowled. The little lady wanted truth did she? Well, then she could have it.
He rolled up his right sleeve and showed her the branded "P" for pirate under his sparrow tattoo. Under the light of the Caribbean sun, it looked gruesome and painful. Though not as painful as the awful long stitched scars from a nasty slicing whip he had received on his left arm several years ago. That injury seemed to make Elizabeth gulp in disgusted fascination.
She was especially unnerved when he pulled the collar of his shirt aside to reveal two dark and dreadful gunshot wounds over the right side of his chest.
Jack remembered the pain in them quite clearly, the memory further tainted by the recollection of young Peggy's frantic screams that rang through his ears even now as he grazed his fingers over the marks. The little lass had only been in his service for a few months and been in such hysterics as she tried to staunch the wounds with her small bare hands. Bloody hell how she had cried. The sound almost drove him around the bend. Still…it had stopped him from bleeding out to death, and she had stuck by him when most men would have left him to die…
"No truth at all." He sneered at Elizabeth as he withdrew his hand and sat on the sand. "We still have a month, maybe more. Keep a weather eye open for passing ships and our chances are fair." He uncorked his bottle of rum and took a swig. Ahh! That hit the spot. All this serious talking was grating on his nerves.
"And what about Will?" Elizabeth muttered, "We have to do something."
"You're absolutely right," Jack muttered though he could not help but notice that in all their conversation Elizabeth had not even mentioned her female friend once.
It had been "Will" this or "Will" that. Not a thought for the selkie that had risked her literal skin to help the whelp make it this far.
So much for valuing your friends. He thought to himself as he rolled the smaller rum bottle over to the noblewoman who picked it up uncertainly before a wave could wash it away.
"Here's to you Will Turner…and here's to you, Peggy Blake," Jack added as he raised his bottle high in a toast, delighting in the guilty expression that now flashed across Elizabeth's face at the mention of her forgotten friend. "The best cabin girl a pirate could ask for. I hope you give Barbossa hell."
With that, he took a large swig of rum, his eyes glancing beyond Elizabeth's delicate frame to the ocean beyond. The Black Pearl was long gone now, barely a speck of black could be seen on the horizon.
He felt rather than saw Elizabeth join him on the ground with a sigh as she uncorked her bottle of rum.
"Drink up, me hearties yo-ho." She muttered taking a swig of her drink and wincing as the strong alcohol hit her tongue.
Jack paused. There was a phrase he had not heard before.
"What was that Lizzy?" he quirked a brow at the woman curiously.
"It's Miss Swann." Elizabeth snapped but quickly softened as she realised how harsh she had sounded. "Nothing, just a song I learned as a child when I thought it would actually be exciting to meet a pirate." she chuckled almost fondly. "Peggy and I used to sing it all the time when we were young. She taught me quite a lot of the old sea songs, but this was one I learned on the passage from England."
"Well let's hear it." Jack prompted. A song was always good and he had not heard a new one for a while.
"No,"
"Oh, come on we've got the time!"
"No! I'll need to have a lot more to drink before that." Elizabeth mumbled, almost thoughtfully.
"How much more?" Jack smirked teasingly and was astonished to see her blush at the notion.
The little minx…was she enjoying his attentions?
He knew he was a charming man who could crawl into a woman's skirt without breaking a sweat. However, with how devoted she seemed to be to poor stupid Will Turner he had been willing to concede defeat in pursuing her.
But this…this changed everything.
Who'd have thought it ey? The Whelp's lady love is not quite as dedicated or innocent as he thought.
Hmm…perhaps there was some hope on this dismal spit of land after all…
"Hector you bloody scoundrel!" Peggy groaned as she rubbed the back of her head.
It was twilight, the sun was dipping below the horizon, staining the world a deep pink and luxurious purple through the window beside her while the sun glistened on the glassy ocean.
But for once Peggy did not find her eyes drawn to the magnificent sunset as she sat on the thin bed.
Her gaze was on the room she was in. It was a tiny cabin, not much bigger than her nook on the Interceptor. The wooden interior was pitch black like the rest of the Black Pearl, accented by the white sheets of the bed and the dark blue blanket that covered it. The mattress and pillow were somewhat more comfortable than the Interceptor's bedding and the large window by the bedside had a thick dark grey curtain to block out any light.
Beside the head of the bed was a tiny table built into the wood of the ship with a small wooden stool attached from the bottom that acted as a bedside table and desk, while underneath the bed lay a couple of small chests, filled with clothes and books. Around the ceiling, small wads of colourful silk and beading hung, along with some mobile trinkets from different ports visited while travelling.
It gave the otherwise dreary cabin a welcome splash of colour and life that was barely visible in any other part of the ship.
Peggy sighed as she reached up to touch a small mobile with little figurines of seals carved from walrus tusks that hung above the pillow of her bed.
How well she knew this room. For two years it had been her haven.
Her nook.
Her home.
And now here she was again after ten years.
Nothing had changed. It was almost exactly as she left it all those years ago.
When she had woken up from her concussion she had been so surprised to find herself here. She would have thought Barbossa would have destroyed the room and everything in it after disposing of her that night. But he had not.
Why?
Was it guilt? Or was he just too lazy to get anyone to clean it out?
Surely they must have assigned another cabin boy during all those long years…or would they? They were a cursed crew. who would want to be recruited to serve them?
Either way, she did not know whether to be comforted by the familiar surroundings or creeped out. It was so strange. It was as if she was standing in a small pocket of time, frozen and untouched. But someone had to have come in recently and touched the room for the bed was made and everything had been cleaned spotless.
There was a knock on the black wooden door and Peggy stiffened, pulling Jack's coat tighter around her shoulders. She felt so pathetic for clinging so much to the garment, but the smell of rum and Jack's musk kept her grounded. It was, she cringed inwardly, a safe smell. Jack for all his chaos and self-serving nature, was safe.
And now he was gone…again.
She was distracted from her glum thoughts as the door to her nook opened and the Bosun stepped through.
He was a tall, beefy man devoid of any hair over his body who walked around shirtless with only pants, boots and belts on which hung many vicious-looking weapons. His skin was as black as the Pearl itself with many painful scars and tattoos over his body and gold earrings pierced along his ears. His dark eyes were cold and unsympathetic as he stared Peggy down with a look of haughty disdain.
"Di Captain requests your presence." He snarled; his deep thick voice strained despite his attempts to remain professional.
Peggy was not frightened. After all, this man was used to barking orders at everyone on deck over a lot of noise, not addressing a lady with grace or tact. That was able to keep such composure around her despite his disdain was almost impressive.
However, she had to hold in her smirk of amusement as he held out a large bundle of clothes wrapped in a black cotton cloth.
"The captain requests you wear dis," He tossed the bundle towards her unceremoniously and she caught it deftly. "You have ten minutes. Then we must go."
And with that, he slammed the door in her face.
"Thank you." Peggy rolled her eyes as she opened the thin black ribbon holding the packaging together. Inside she found all the components for a dress, different to the red velvet gown Elizabeth had worn earlier.
It was a day dress, made more for a common woman than a noble lady. Admittedly it was better than any dress Peggy usually wore at home in Port Royal, perhaps it had belonged to a merchant's wife? The outer gown was made from a material of cornflower blue with sleeves that only went to the elbow and the petticoat beneath it was black. She had even been provided with the appropriate white shift and a pair of stays to go with it. For this, she was grateful, though the stays were perhaps a bit too small for her bust.
Peggy sighed as she finished securing the dress and looked down at her chest. Though lean and wiry from years of labour, she was still a naturally curvier build than the dainty delicate form of Elizabeth. Her cleavage would have no choice but to be out on display like some Tortugan wench.
She just hoped Barbossa would not lech too much.
Ugh! The thought of him leering at her like he had done when she had transformed was almost enough to make her puke. The nerve! The man was old enough to be her father…or was he old enough to be her grandfather?
Just how old is the old Codfish? Peggy wondered as she finished patting down the outer layers of her dress and pulled on a pair of leather boots provided for her.
It was strange. In all her years of knowing Jack and Barbossa she never really knew how old either man was. Even after ten years they just looked the same as ever. Sometimes it felt like both men had just popped out of the sea exactly as they were all rugged, scruffy and crazy.
She cursed herself as she looked down at her wrist and saw to her horror, that the Devil's mark was bare for all to see. God had anyone seen it? Had Jack seen it or had Will? She had to cover it. No one could know. Quickly in a flash she took the black linen that had wrapped her clothes and tore off a long strip to tie around her wrist. If anyone asked she could say she had sprained it in the battle. That should be a believable excuse.
There was a knock on the door, and she jumped.
"Just a moment!" Peggy called, wincing as her fingers tangled in her hair. Sometime when she had been dragged here her braid had come loose letting the mass of copper curls fly around into a tangle.
However, her prayers went unanswered as the Bosun bashed open the door to her room with a sneer.
"Ten minutes are up." He grunted reaching for her with a large rough hand only to have it swatted away with a cold quirked eyebrow as Peggy snapped:
"Give me a second, I'm doing my hair. I can't go to the captain looking like a wreck, can I? It would not be respectful or proper."
The Bosun's lip curled but he made no move to grab her again. It would seem his respect for the captain outweighed his disdain for her.
Still, Peggy did not think it would be wise to push her luck and so only settled for tying back the front locks of her hair behind her head with the black ribbon and leaving the rest of her curls loose down her back. It was not quite the neat job she usually would have preferred but it was the quickest option she had given how impatient her jailor seemed to be with her.
"Come on!" he growled grabbing her roughly by the arm as soon as the tie had been fastened barely even giving her a moment to dust herself off before she was out the door and into the captain's cabin.
It was a luxuriously large space, far more cluttered than the captain's cabin of the Interceptor. Indeed, Barbossa seemed to have only added to the chaos in the last ten years.
There were far more maps than Peggy remembered strewn around the desk and the dining table and rolls of parchment covered from head to foot in hastily scribbled notes and crossings out. Extravagant but aged rugs covered the wooden floor providing some colour and warmth to the space, though they were dim light of the candles
Bloody Hell Hector. Between you and Jack why can't you ever keep things tidy? Peggy sighed as her eyes drifted over the mess, her gut twinging with the strange familiar urge to rip herself from the Bosun's grip and clean everything up.
There was silence as she was led out of the room and out onto the deck.
It was surprisingly busy outside. Then again the Black Pearl had taken some damage from the battle with the Interceptor so her crew would be working double hard to repair her and then sail back to Isla de Muerta.
However, that was not what held Peggy's attention.
No.
It was the many skeletal forms that were working on the deck that held her spellbound.
She felt like she had walked right into a graveyard. It was not just their bodies the curse had corrupted but their clothes too. Everything that touched their skin seemed tainted by the curse. Cloth and flesh were washed away and rotted leaving mostly skeletons with a few sinews and occasionally some organs, like eyeballs or bits of skin.
So many of them still had eyes, all that turned to stare at her as she walked out into the moonlight, the only living creature amongst a crew of the damned.
Peggy gulped down hard on the lump of bile threatening to take hold of her throat as she looked up at the Bosun. His monstrously tall stature seemed even more intimidating without his thick muscles. The worst had to be his hands. Without muscle or tendon, it was chilling and disconcerting against her bare skin. It reminded her of those awful times she had been forced to gut and clean out a fish's innards when cooking.
Gods how she hated gutting fish. It was fine eating them raw while in her seal form. That was perfectly natural, but cleaning them out with her human hands and getting bits and pieces stuck in her fingernails was vile.
Peggy sucked in a deep breath as she turned her gaze up to the helm where a tall figure in a wide-brimmed feathered hat stood at the wheel, staring down at her.
It was scary how much Barbossa still looked like himself despite the transformation.
Peggy bit her lip as she drank in his gaunt skeletal cheeks and sparse hair that sprouted from his skeletal chin. His blue eyes were cold even though his teeth were exposed in a permanent skull's grin. His hat was tattered, and his long coat was cut to ribbons giving a ghostly effect as it billowed in the cold night air, ribcage exposed and empty of any lungs, gut or heart.
So you did become a heartless man. How fitting. Peggy mused as she met his eye from a distance.
"GIRL! GET UP HERE!" Barbossa's voice yelled from the perpetually grinning skeletal mouth. How he managed such a feat with barely a tongue, or vocal cords was beyond Peggy's understanding, nor did she think she wanted to.
Quietly she lifted her skirts to ascend the stairs to the poop deck without prompting from the bosun.
There was an eerie sense of quiet as she approached the captain of the cursed ship, the bustling undead crew, the whistling from the rigging and crashing waves creating a white noise in the back of Peggy's mind as she quietly joined Barbossa and stood beside the wheel.
There was a silence as the eyeballs in the skull turned to look at her, the lack of eyelids making the motion very disconcerting, but Peggy held herself together, nonetheless.
"Ye clean up well," Barbossa grunted, his tone surprisingly calmer than his shout.
"Thank you." She coughed, turning her body to look out over the deck rather than at him. It was easier watching the undead crewmen at work from a distance than being up close and personal with him.
"I remember a time neither Jack nor I could wrangle ye to touch a dress, much less wear one. An' now look at ye. All proper an' ladylike." Barbossa snorted with a roll of his eyes as he gently turned the wheel ever so slightly starboard.
"Times change," Peggy mumbled, eyes drifting to the waxing nearly full moon above as it pulled out completely from behind a cloud, bathing the entire deck in silver light.
As a hybrid between a Galleon and an East Indiaman, the Black Pearl's three black masts stood tall and her bearing proud as she pierced her way through the rolling waters below with the smoothness of a knife slicing through butter.
"Even after all these years…she's still a beauty." Peggy sighed and Barbossa hummed in agreement.
"Aye, the Pearl is a treasure in her own right. Perhaps one of the few that remain in these waters."
Peggy felt his gaze fix on her but refused to meet it.
"If you're wondering how I survived the purge then I'm afraid I can't give you an answer to that."
"No, I don't think ye could." Barbossa shook his head. "Yer wouldn't have been born anyways. But yer parent would have survived-"
"My mother."
"Ahh…" Barbossa sighed, looking back over his ship. "Yer father stole her pelt and made her his wife."
"Yes." Peggy clipped, eyes burning as her heart clenched painfully in her chest.
"And what of yer pelt?" Barbossa prompted. "Ye transformed but the crew an' I cannae find a seal skin anywhere on this ship."
"And you never will." Peggy's teeth gritted. "Contrary to what the legends say, us selkies do not need to wear the pelt to shift forms but having it on you does help make the transformations easier, quicker and less painful. Also while we wear it we don't have to lose our clothes."
"Hmm…now that I did not know." Barbossa nodded thoughtfully "So where is it then?"
"Like I'd ever tell you," Peggy growled, turning her head to glare at the skeletal man who just chuckled darkly.
"Ha! Careful Lass. Ye may be gettin' the special treatment now but that can all change."
There was a silence as Peggy looked back over the ship, fingers twisting in her skirts. Thank goodness her pelt was safely far away; hidden somewhere even she could not reach right now. But that did not mean Barbossa did not have other means to make her comply with his demands.
"So what do you want with me? Why are we out here?"
"Can't a gentleman want the company of a beautiful lady for an evening without an agenda?" Barbossa sneered and Peggy rolled her eyes.
"We both know you're hardly a gentleman Hector. And I am no lady. You made the real lady walk the plank a few hours ago."
"Tch! That whiney slip of a thing. I'm glad to be shot of her." Barbossa waved her off. "Jack can 'ave her. She's more his type than mine."
"I suppose." Peggy smirked "You always liked darker-haired women with more meat around the rump."
"Speaking of meat, that dress is a snug fit on ye, lass."
"Yes, I suppose it is." Peggy agreed, bristling where she stood. Gods she hated how exposed she felt in the cold night air.
"Shame." Barbossa's gaze hardened slightly as it travelled up and down her back. "Though I suppose if it doesn't fit I could help ye take it off-"
"Sorry, but no thank you. Unless of course, you'd like to wear it for yourself. A fair word of warning though, lacing up corsetry can be quite difficult for a beginner. Especially for a man not used to crossdressing like yourself."
"Hmph!" Barbossa shook his head in exasperation, but Peggy could tell it was more out of habit than anger.
"For what it's worth Lass, 'twas nothing personal when I threw ye overboard the last time."
"Nothing personal?" Peggy narrowed her eyes as Barbossa shrugged.
"Aye. It was strictly professional. Ye were, an' always have been loyal to Jack. Anyone could see that from a mile off. I couldn't let ye stay and stir up trouble against me. What would be the point in seizin' the power for meself if I was just going to lose it to a little chit like ye."
"I guess," Peggy muttered folding her arms. It did make sense now that she thought about it coldly and logically. Barbossa was a practical man, he did not like leaving any loose ends. Why let Jack's protégé stay and nurture her resentment? "I suppose I should thank you then. If it hadn't been for you, I would be cursed too."
"Ye sound like Jack." Barbossa scoffed bitterly "Bastard said the same thing. Then again, he always did like keepin' ye close by his hip so it's no wonder yer took after him. Yer should have seen him when I gave the order to toss ye." He chuckled as Peggy looked back at him, stricken. "Never saw a man beg like he did that night."
Peggy turned away, sucking in a shuddering breath as she desperately tried to scrub the tears threatening to fall.
It was strange, how despite his leching they just fell back to comfortably snarking at one another…then the moment was gone. All gone.
Just like with Jack, Peggy thought glumly, her mind drifting towards her old captain. She had just gotten used to being around him again and now he was stranded and left to die again…all because she wanted to get petty and even for something that did not happen…all because she wanted to lash out when he had fought so hard on her behalf.
Why couldn't things go back to the way they were? the childish little ten-year-old inside her whinged. Why Hector? Why did you have to ruin a good thing? We were a good team, you, Jack and I. But it was not enough for you was it? Is your greed so much more valuable than our friendship? Or did you even care at all? Was it all just an act? Who am I kidding? You're a pirate, there could never be any trust between us. I was foolish, young and naïve to think there was anything good in you to begin with.
"Hector," Peggy gulped down the lump in her throat before it could consume her. "Why did you really call me up here?"
"The Turner whelp wanted to see ye," Barbossa muttered jerking his head just ahead of them. "So I'm lettin' him see ye."
Peggy gingerly stepped towards the railing of the poop deck to look down at the hutch that led to below deck as it opened with a clang.
Loud jeers and shouts of mocking laughter echoed over the crashing of the waves as two men emerged from the hutch, their forms transforming before her very eyes from flesh to bone. In their hands, they dragged a third man still human under the moonlight, between them, his dark curls loose about his shoulders and face pale with panic at the sight of his captors in all their macabre glory.
"Will." Peggy breathed lurching for the stairs, only to feel a cold bony hand grab her tight around the arm.
"Uh-uh-huh! Not so fast lass." Barbossa tutted, one hand still on the wheel while he tugged her into his side. "I ain't finished talking with you yet."
Peggy watched helplessly as Will was dragged over to the mizzenmast and slammed bodily against it, many ropes tying him in place so that he could see the helm. His eyes widened in shock and worry as he saw Peggy being held tight to the side of the cursed captain. However, he was unable to call out as a cloth gag was tied around his mouth tight.
"It's alright Will. I'm fine. I'm fine." Peggy mouthed silently at the young blacksmith, hoping he would not fight back. From where she was standing she could see a nasty dark bruise on his cheek from where he had been hit earlier. God knows how many other injuries he had sustained while she had been unconscious.
To her great relief, Will stayed silent and unmoving, though he kept his eyes fixed on her as Barbossa steered her back to the helm's wheel, wrapping a firm hand around her waist.
Peggy shivered as she felt the pirate's disgusting breath on her neck but forced herself to snap sarcastically.
"Seriously Hector, you and Jack need to work on your dental hygiene. Your breath is rancid. No woman is going to want to kiss that even if you pay them."
"I'm afraid I cannot help it, lass." Barbossa chuckled, fingers flexing around the dip in her waistline, feeling her curves through the dress. "What with me being cursed an' all. Twice," he added with an angry sniff.
"You really can't feel anything?" Peggy wondered aloud, horribly aware of the hand on her waist as it slid slowly up her back to stroke through her copper curls.
"No…" he whispered into her ear, voice a mix of desperate longing, venomous wrath and lustful desire "Gone are the days I could enjoy the warmth of a woman's flesh, the taste of her skin or the smell of her hair." His bony fingers tugged on the black ribbon that held her hair back from her face, unleashing her curls to the wind. "Even now as I stand here with you beside me all I can feel is yer solidity, but I cannae deride any pleasure or pain from it. I can touch but not feel anythin'. Like a mirage, I can only see but never have. It's maddening. All because of yer curse."
"I…" Peggy shut her eyes and turned her face away. "I did not mean for this to happen Hector. Truly I did not!" She snapped as she heard him scoff. "I was scared when I said what I said all those years ago. I was angry and betrayed. I did not know how it all manifested into whatever this is that has come over all of you. If it truly was my words that laid this curse over you then I do not know how it happened or how to fix it-Ah!"
She yelped as Barbossa's skeletal hand tightened into a vice on the back of her scalp, painfully pulling at the roots of her curls as her face was forced to face his own rotting one.
"Of course, ye must." He hissed and Peggy stared aghast as the vivid blue and yellowing eyeballs in their sockets swivelled over her face. "Ye are a child of the ocean. The magic of the deep runs through yer veins as surely as the sun sets in the west. The mermaids and sirens might have the power of song but ye selkie folk have the power of words, this much every sailor worth his salt knows."
"That's the first I've heard about it!" Peggy winced, tears pricking her eyes as she saw Will's form below struggle against his bonds in her direction. "Hector, please. I did not know."
"That can't be possible. Yer mother must have taught ye something of the old ways."
"No, she did not!"
"Then pray to tell how did ye come by this!" he slammed something hard and rectangular into her stomach so hard it almost winded her.
Peggy looked down into her hands in time to catch a book with a blue leather cover. Tales of the Deep by Percival Stafford.
"This?" Peggy blinked in astonishment "I found it years ago in Port Royal."
"Oh, ye found it." Barbossa spat mockingly. "A likely story."
"But I did." Peggy stared bewildered at the pirate. "Seriously it was just there lying on the ground at the docks so I picked it up." She frowned at him curiously. "Why is it so important to you? Who is Percival Stafford?"
"Who is Percival Stafford?" Barbossa rolled his eyes. "Ye don't know who he is?"
"No…I don't."
"Oh come now, Percival 'Silverbeard' Stafford, the great sage of the First Brethren Court. Oh sure Morgan and Bartholemew put down the Pirate Code in the days of the Second Court but it was old Silverbeard who paved the way for them with his knowledge of the sea." Barbossa growled into Peggy's ear as she opened the book to the title page. "Of all the people who would have known about old Silverbeard I'd have thought it'd be ye, for it was he who negotiated the truce between Selkie kind an' humans."
"I swear my mother never told me about old Silverbeard." Peggy gasped as the fingers in her hair tightened painfully once more.
"Yer lying to me again lass-"
"I'm not lying! She never taught me anything."
"And why not?!"
"Because of my father!" Peggy yanked herself from the Pirate's grip, crying out as his hand accidentally got caught in a tangle and he yanked out a few strands from her head. She gasped as she rubbed the scratch he had left on the back of her head, tears now streaming down her face as she looked Barbossa in the face once more.
Down below on the deck, there was near silence as half the crew had stopped to watch the exchange with interest.
"Hold yer tongue boy!" a voice hissed, hitting Will in the stomach to stop his muffled shouting behind his gag.
Barbossa meanwhile was staring at Peggy's face. It was difficult to tell what he was thinking without any cheeks or flesh on his brow, but his eyes seemed shocked.
"Yer father?" He murmured, voice almost lost to the wind and waves.
"Aye, my father…" Peggy nodded slowly backing up into the railing behind her so that her back was to the crew. "Like you said, he took her pelt and forced a marriage from her. But he also took her prisoner. Locked her up away from the sea…away from me…" Her eyes drifted down to her booted feet as she scrubbed at her eyes. "I was barely allowed to see her and whenever I did she was strange, dangerous even. Her mind turned on her and drove her so mad. In the end, the only way she found peace was when she jumped out that window. I know what you're going to say." She glared at him as he opened his mouth to speak "She should survive a fall into the ocean no matter the height, but there was no ocean. After that, I was on my own. I only found out about what I truly was when I first fell off my father's ship. If my mother ever did tell me anything about selkies or the truce then it was so long ago that I don't remember, or I forgot all about it when I hit my head."
"And that's the honest truth is it?" Barbossa hissed uncertainly and Peggy snarled, fangs bared at him as her body trembled all over.
"That is the ONLY truth. The only one I know…"
Peggy stepped towards Barbossa slowly, her head held high to meet his suspicious gaze, even as she stood before him.
"If selkies really do have the power of words then heed mine very carefully Hector Barbossa." She snarled into his rotten face "Whatever curse you incurred at my hand, you only have yourself to blame. No one asked you to mutiny against Jack Sparrow. No one asked you to steal a ten-year-old girl from the safety of her bed and throw her overboard. No one asked you to take cursed gold from its resting place and anger the old gods. All that was your choice. Yours alone."
She stepped back, hands trembling in fists by her sides as she saw the murderous spark flash in Barbossa's face.
"If there was a way I could undo what I did then I would have done it, Hector. Believe me on that one. Whatever you did to me in the past you were my friend once and it pains me to see you in this sorry state. I don't like watching people suffer the way you have. But what you did…I can't fix it. Only you can fix your own mistakes. But you clearly have no remorse or any regret for what you did and until you do there will be no rest for your weary, miserable soul for as long as you live."
There was a ringing silence across the ship, punctuated only by the whistle of the wind and the crashing of the waves as Barbossa stared at her.
The spark of fury was now a flame gleaming in his eyes, but there was also something else in there, something sad. Was it grief or despair? Peggy could not tell with his face in such a state of disintegration, but it still broke her heart to see it.
Worst still was the grief and anguish she felt in her own heart.
Oh Peggy you are a fool. A small voice sneered in the back of her head. You could have kept your mouth shut. You could have pretended to know how to undo the so-called curse and bartered for Will's survival. Now you have no leverage to keep him or the rest of your friends alive.
"Ye can't fix it ey?" Barbossa hissed, his voice dripping with acid as he stalked forward and snatched Percival 'Silverbeard' Stafford's book out of her hands. "So be it! Men!"
Peggy shut her eyes as she heard the heavy footfalls of two men clambering up the stairs.
"I won't kill ye." Barbossa snapped as he turned his attention back to the helm. "Yer might be the scum that cursed me but I'm not going to have the blood of the last Selkie of the Caribbean on me hands. No, ye will stay my prisoner fer now, until I find a way to end yer curse. But yer precious whelp won't be gettin' no mercy from me tomorrow. Lads, take her to the dining room and lock her in, then bring Mister Turner up here to me. He ought to know more about the little bitch that just signed his death warrant."
"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We extort, we pilfer, we filch, and sack,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
Maraud and embezzle, and even high-jack,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho."
The loud singing echoed over the sandy beach as Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann both danced around the small bonfire they had made over the sand from palm tree branches and broken rum crates.
"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We kindle and char, inflame and ignite,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
We burn up the city, we're really a fright,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho."
The pair had been drinking for a few hours now. At first, it had been slow goings with Elizabeth and Jack exchanging small words between smaller sips until their first bottles had been emptied dry.
Then Jack started plying his companion with another bottle while he began telling her stories about his many adventures. And they were not the exaggerated old wives' tales Gibbs told or the confused disjointed accounts you would often hear at taverns or pubs.
No these were the real stories. The good, the bad and some of the weird ones that sounded so bizarre that they could not possibly be true. Yet Elizabeth could not help but wonder if they were, for once the alcohol got flowing into his system Jack became surprisingly sincere and honest, if a bit more rascally in his probing about her stories and her songs.
He had finally managed to get her to start singing her favourite pirate songs and laughed at the ridiculousness of them. They had been written by men who had no idea what pirates were like save for what they had heard in stories. But they were fun and had nice tunes Jack would give them that. He especially was enjoying the song Elizabeth had just taught him. All about drinking and being complete and being utter scum.
Now this was a good pirate song!
We're rascals, scoundrels, villains, and knaves,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
Yo-HO! YO-HO! YO-HO! A pirate's life for me!"
"Oh I love this song!" Jack cried out as he linked arms with Elizabeth and took a short spin "Really bad eggs! Ooh!" he dropped back into the sand below with a soft thump, his entire body teetering on the edge of blacking out as his entire body buzzed from alcohol and dancing.
He was quick to pull down Elizabeth to join him on the sand, her giggles loud and her smile wide and infectious as she accidentally ended up lying down in the sand, her blonde hair all messy about her face.
Okay, maybe he was wrong about Turner, Jack mused as he admired the woman's decolletage from his vantage point. The lad had excellent taste in women. He was just shit at wooing them.
Well, that's his loss. Jack smirked to himself If a man can't keep hold of a woman he treasures then he doesn't deserve to have her. He sure as hell doesn't deserve this heavenly creature beside me, and he sure as hell does not deserve Pegsy.
However, no sooner had the thought of his cabin girl crossed his mind, than he quickly shook himself off. No. He did not want to think about her right now. Thinking of her only made him sad and his stomach did weird things as guilt consumed him.
He'd left her behind again. Just when he'd gotten her back, he had lost her. Just like the Pearl.
The Pearl…
"When I get the Pearl back." He slurred as Elizabeth sat up. "I'm gonna teach this to the whole crew, and we'll sing it all the time!"
"And you will be positively the most fearsome pirates in the Spanish Main!" Elizabeth smiled dramatically, amusement sparkling in her eyes as she giggled in his face, cheeks flushed with colour.
"Not just the Spanish Main love. The entire ocean! No! The entire world!" Jack gestured out to the dark waters beyond the beach. "Wherever we want to go we go. That's what a ship is you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails. That's what a ship needs. But what a ship is…" His voice lowered as he remembered the Black Pearl sailing over sunset-lit waters or through the churning storms. "What the Black Pearl really is…Is freedom."
"Oh Jack," Elizabeth sighed as she leaned into his shoulder, surprising him. "It must be really terrible for you to be trapped on this island."
"Oh yes…" Jack gulped. Wow, this was coming along much quicker than he had anticipated. Then again noble ladies usually did fall harder and faster for him than the regular wenches. They lived such repressed lives that any chance for freedom made them ferrety for something new and exciting.
"But the company is…infinitely better than the last time." He assured her solemnly as he carefully tested the waters and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "And the scenery has definitely improved-"
"Mister Sparrow!" Elizabeth interrupted him, pulling out of his half embrace and holding up her bottle of rum. "I'm not entirely sure I've had enough rum to allow that kind of talk." She wiggled her bottle in the air and Jack nodded approvingly.
Ahh…so she wanted a little more drink in her before she allowed him more access to her body. That he could manage. Far be it from him to ignore a fine lady's request.
"I know exactly what you mean love." He carefully neatened his goatee as she raised her bottle in a toast.
"To freedom!" She declared boldly and Jack grinned.
"To the Black Pearl!" he clinked his bottle against hers and tossed it back at once.
So consumed was he with downing his drink that he did not notice the darkening behind his eyes or the grogginess in his body until his head had hit the ground.
Nor did he notice his companion's sweet smile fall from her face as she looked down on him in disdain, her bottle undrunk and still in her hand, her brown eyes cold.
"Tch! Men." Elizabeth Swann shook her head to herself as she shoved the now unconscious Jack Sparrow's arm from her body and stood to her feet.
Finally, he was asleep.
Finally, she could get started on her plan.
Time to get off this bloody island. She cursed to herself as with all her might, she threw her bottle of rum right into the fire and watched it burn.
Good riddance.
Will Turner felt numb as he was led to the door of the Black Pearl's formal dining room.
He was going to die tomorrow.
His blood was going to be spilled over that stone casket full of golden treasure to repay the final piece of the debt his father owed.
Will had always told himself he would be prepared to face death when it came, but now it was around the corner he could not help but feel scared, but not for himself.
It was for the woman on the other side of that dining room door.
If Peggy had not come with him on this voyage, if she had not been here prisoner on this ship with him, Will would not have fretted so much. Indeed, he would have gladly accepted his fate with grace and dignity. He had not lied when he had told Jack he would die to save Elizabeth. But the thought of dying and leaving Peggy behind at the mercy of that fiend Barbossa, all alone and scared with no one to help her…
Will shivered as he remembered the way those filthy corpse-like hands had touched her in front of him.
Barbossa had been "kind" in allowing him and Peggy a couple of hours to share one last meal. One last little tete-a-tete for the two lovebirds he had said. More like one last twist of the knife.
Will had not bothered to correct the older pirate's lewd assumptions. If it got him the chance to see Peggy one more time before dying he would take it and run with it for as long as he could. Who knows, they might even be able to figure out a plan of escape while locked away together.
Will winced as he was shoved into the private dining room, the men behind him not-so-accidentally pressing on the many bruises he had acquired earlier that day.
For all their lack of finesse with a sword, these men truly were brutal with their fists he would give them that.
"You have till dinner is done. Then it's back to the brig for you for the rest of the voyage. Captain's orders." a voice grunted before slamming the door shut behind him.
There was a click as the key on the other side was locked, but Will was not paying attention.
His eyes were focused on the room he had just entered.
It was made from the same dark charred-coloured wood as the rest of the ship. The doorway Will had just entered was decorated with carvings of two naked ocean nymphs that stood like silent sentinels watching over all who crossed the threshold. There was an old ornate rug on the floor, its deep red threads worn away by age and many boots trampling over its surface.
There were two windows on either side of the dining room letting in the moonlight from outside and allowing him a brief glimpse of the stairs that led up to the helm. Below them, Will guessed, was the captains' private quarters for he could hear someone walking below with a rolling gate.
That must have been Barbossa, now tired after toying with his food.
And speaking of food.
Will's eyes turned to the dining table. It was laden with a few platters of food including roast duck and sweet treats, and goblets meant for wine.
Only there was no wine bottle in sight…and no head of red hair.
"Peg?"
"Over here." a woman's hoarse voice croaked from a far-off corner of the room, hidden in the shadows.
Will frowned as he stepped around the dining table and saw Peggy sitting on the floor, her curls a mess around her tear-stained face, her back resting against a cabinet and a large bottle of rum raised to her lips.
"If you want to drink you'll have to get your own bottle," she muttered darkly, head leaning back into the wood behind her with a small thunk.
"Peggy are you alright?" Will knelt beside her, fingers grazing against her flushed cheeks and glazed eyes.
"Me? I'm fine." She mumbled sarcastically raising the bottle to her lips once more. "Thought I'd give drowning my sorrows a go with this disgusting bottle of crap. I've botched everything else up on this voyage." She took a swig and Will was alarmed to see she had already drained half the bottle "I betrayed one of the few men who has been in my corner the entire time. My freedom is well and truly blown to bits. One of my best friends just walked the plank, I condemned one whole crew to death and I just found out that I've laid a curse upon a group of people I once considered friends. Oh and let's not forget the crowning jewel that was me screwing up any chances of Barbossa sparing your life tomorrow. That's a spectacular failure even by my standards."
"It was not your fault." Will grabbed the rum and pulled it from her grip. "You haven't failed anyone Peg—least of all me. Even if he didn't need to kill me to lift the curse, he'd probably still find some excuse to do me in. I don't think he likes me very much." He added with a small snort, his weak attempt at humour earning himself a grimace from his friend.
"Sit with me, William," Peggy mumbled patting a patch of floor beside her and Will sighed.
"Only if you stop drinking and eat something with me. If I'm going to have my last meal I'm going to make it count."
Peggy nodded slowly as Will strode back to the table and loaded a pair of plates for them both.
After that he sat beside her on the ground, doing everything he could to stay close to her as they ate. They did not bother with cutlery. Most of the food cooked could be eaten with hands and they were too starved to care for table manners. Even after they finished eating, Will kept an arm around Peggy's shoulders, his fingers drifting into her soft hair absentmindedly as he reached for the half-empty rum bottle and took a swig from it himself.
Like Peggy, he had very little love for the beverage, especially after watching Mister Brown drink himself into a filthy mess over the past few years. However, after everything that had happened today, losing the Interceptor, losing Elizabeth, losing Jack and the imminent loss of his best friend's freedom and his life, Will felt like he needed a stiff drink.
"What happened to your hand?" He muttered as he watched her pluck a last piece of duck into her mouth with her wrapped-up hand.
"Strained it when I was transforming." She mumbled, cheeks flushing as he frowned down at her in confusion. "Well, regrowing an opposable thumb from a flipper does hurt a lot."
Will winced as he remembered the awful way her body had contorted itself during her transformation.
"Is there no way for you to transform without the discomfort?" He grimaced in disgust as he took another large swig of rum to douse the gruesome memory, leaning sideways so that his cheek rested atop her curls.
"Not without my pelt," Peggy sighed, leaning into his side. "And that's tucked away safe and sound far-far away from here so no point in trying to search for it."
"So, it's true then…the stories…" Will felt his heart sink. "What your father did to your mother…If she could transform without her pelt, could she not have run away without it?"
"I think she tried to," Peggy murmured sadly as she pulled the rum bottle out of his hand and took a small sip. "But my father, he was thorough in his imprisonment of us," She turned her face into Will's neck, nuzzling just under his jaw. "Hmm…you've got stubble." She mumbled distractedly as she rubbed her cheek against the rough surface of his skin.
Will leaned into her touch. Peggy did not drink often, however, the few times she did overindulge in liquor she almost always got extra affectionate and cuddly towards him. Now he could not help but wonder if it was a side effect of her selkie heritage.
He remembered her seal form, how she had slid against him so affectionately in the water to reassure him, and how she had let him stroke her fur with such trust.
To think anyone would want to kill or imprison such a creature seemed downright evil.
"What did Barbossa mean when he said about the truce between Selkies and Humans? I thought Jack and Gibbs said the Selkies were wiped out by the EITC?" He asked softly and he felt her sharp intake of breath flutter against his neck.
"There was a truce years and years ago." Peggy felt herself melt into Will's shoulder, enjoying his warmth "don't know how it happened. But from what I've gathered old Percival Stafford helped broker a peace deal between selkies and humans. Then a couple of years before I was born, the Company started hunting down Selkies here in the Caribbean. No idea why. Some say the Company broke the truce by accident because they killed selkies believing they were regular seals and then had to kill the rest of them to get rid of the evidence. Some say the Selkies heard the cries of slaves within the ships and tried to free them, angering the Company. Either way, selkies in the Caribbean were purged to extinction, all save for my mother. I don't know how my father managed to nab her but he did it somehow…two years later I was born, and six and a half years after that, she died. As far as I know, I'm the only selkie left in these waters."
"And what of other waters?" Will asked, stretching out his legs as he took back the rum and took a sip. "Jack mentioned Selkies in Scottland."
"Dunno." Peggy shrugged. "I know there are still other selkie clans somewhere outside the Caribbean, though I have no idea if they would ever accept me as one of them. Not after living amongst humans for so long."
There was silence as Will pulled on Peggy to sit between his legs, her back resting against his front as his chin rested on her shoulder.
He knew it was improper of him to be so clingy, but he had been so worried about her while trapped down in the brig. Watching that bosun knock her out and drag her into the Captain's quarters had filled him with such fear that he had never known before.
Just thinking about what Barbossa or any of these mangy curs might have done to her while she was unconscious and helpless made his skin crawl.
He remembered the hunger in the crew's eyes when they had stared at her naked body. He remembered the way they had pawed at her while they dragged her away. Worst still, he dreaded the coming of the next dawn when they would be separated once more, especially now she had alcohol in her system.
He did not even bat an eye as she turned in his arms to curl up against him on her side, her ear resting against his heart while her fingers gripped his shirt.
To think he was squirming away from such affection that very morning. His discomfort seemed so silly now, especially after what he had seen of Barbossa and his crew.
"I can touch but not feel anythin'. Like a mirage, I can only see but never have."
Will could not imagine living such a hollow life so devoid of warmth. It seemed unbearable…a living breathing nightmare...
Will had spent most of his life by the fires of a forge, eating home-cooked meals made with care and being managed by tender hands.
Of course, he still loved Elizabeth and wanted nothing more than to be by her side, but that did not mean that Will was not thankful every day for the home Peggy had helped make with him. Without her bossing him around and fussing about the state of their lodgings Mister Brown's residence and shop would be so barren…so cold.
Will's ears pricked as he felt Peggy hum softly against his chest, the melody sweet and slow.
"My heart is pierced by Cupid
I disdain all glittering gold
There is nothing can console me
But my jolly sailor bold"
A rush of deep affection welled within him. All those mornings he woke up to her singing to herself when she thought no one could hear her.
It was better than waking up to the sound of the cockerel or the church bells, though she was always embarrassed when he or anyone else heard her. He never knew why; she had a nice voice. It was not hauntingly beautiful like how he imagined a siren or a mermaid to be, and she would never sing an opera on the stage or perform in a church choir, but it was a pleasant voice all the same.
"His hair it hangs in ringlets
His eyes as black as coal
My happiness attend him
Wherever he may go"
He looped his arm around her while the other raised the rum bottle to his lips one final time, draining the drink in a couple of hard gulps.
"From Tower Hill to Blackwall
I'll wander, weep and moan
All for my jolly sailor
Until he sails home"
She always did like Jolly Sailor Bold, Will mused setting the bottle aside and wiping his mouth.
He wondered if she thought of anyone while singing it. If so who was the lucky man? He knew it wouldn't be Jack. She cared about the pirate it was true, but not in that way. Then who would it be?
"Whoever he is, he'd be lucky to have you." He murmured aloud, surprising even himself.
"What?" Peggy peeked up at him and he sighed.
"The person you think about when you sing. Whoever they are, they're lucky to have you thinking of them."
"Well, that's very sugary sweet of you." Peggy deadpanned up at him as she shifted against his body into a more comfortable position. "But I don't think of anyone when I sing this song."
"Really?" Will quirked a brow disbelievingly "Because your eyes get all dreamy and soft whenever you do."
"That's because…" Peggy blushed a deep rosy pink. "Well, when I sing this song I don't see a person's face in my mind you see. I just…I guess I imagine what could be…if there were a man who thought of me…in that way."
"From what I've seen on our journey so far there are plenty of men think of you in that way." Will snorted earning himself a light smack on his chest.
"I meant a man I was attracted to. Unfortunately for me, there are very slim pickings amongst pirates." She pulled a face.
"Speaking of men, I do not know how you stomached letting Barbossa touch you like that." He muttered; nose buried in her curls. "Filthy dog. If it weren't for that curse I'd have killed him then and there."
"That makes two of us," Peggy murmured as she felt Will's hand touch her cheek. "Your hands…"
"Sorry. I know they're rough." Will was about to pull away, but Peggy stopped him, holding his hand gently in hers.
"Maybe, but I like them."
"You do?" Will gulped, his stomach fluttering strangely at the sincerity in her voice.
"Yes, you're a blacksmith, and now a sailor. All these callouses and scuffs, each one has a story. Each one is a mark of how hard you've worked and how far you've come. It's part of who you are. And despite all the struggles you've gone through, you've always been gentle with them. Not many people hold onto that. But you have." She leaned into his palm, her lips accidentally brushing his skin.
Now it was Will's turn to blush as he met her grey-blue eyes. There was so much tenderness in them he had never seen before. Such fondness. Her small shy smile made his heart thud like a hammer on an anvil as he drew closer to her, pulled to her warm breath like a moth to a flame.
And she was such an enticing flame…
"Sorry." Peggy coughed, her head suddenly plonking itself onto his shoulder again "I guess the rum's got me a bit squiffy."
"You always were a lightweight." Will sighed as he leaned back into the cabinet behind them, looking up at the ceiling. Why was it so disappointing that she pulled away?
It's just the rum. He chided himself. That's it. That's all this was. He was cold, had been beaten sore and was probably going to die tomorrow. All he wanted was comfort from anywhere he could get it, and he had found it at the bottom of a rum bottle and in the embrace of a woman just like any other rotten pirate on this ship.
After all, they were just friends and Peggy was drunk and vulnerable. She trusted him with her safety, and he would never betray that trust even if it killed him.
But the smell of her hair, and the softness of her lips against his skin…NO! He shook his head out slightly to clear it.
No…he shouldn't think like that. He couldn't treat her like that, not after what Barbossa had put her through tonight. The last thing she probably wanted was another man soaked in rum leching and pawing at her like a beast.
God this drink is a menace.
"What are we going to do?" Peggy's mumble brought him out of his confused thoughts.
"I don't know." Will leaned his cheek against the top of her head. "There is not much we can do until we reach Isla de Muerta. Not unless we can get some swords or a gun from somewhere."
"Guns and swords won't work against this lot." Peggy groaned as she pushed herself off Will's shoulder to sit up straight. "Not while they're still cursed. We could try and escape into the caves if we distract them, but we stand a chance of getting lost in there and dying of starvation."
"Not unless you left me behind and swam back to the Black Pearl on your own. Then you could free Gibbs and the others from the brig and set sail." Will grunted only to get glared at.
"That is not happening-"
"It's the only way, Peg." He cut across her. "If Barbossa kills me and spills my blood over the casket he removes his curse. Once the curse is gone he can be killed or at the very least stranded and left for dead-"
"No! I won't!"
"You should-"
"No! I won't do it!"
"You may not have a choice." He whispered, cupping the back of her neck as he leaned in to press his forehead against hers, his heart almost breaking in two as he watched her eyes water.
"We can try and escape to the caves." She growled, sucking in a sharp breath as she tried her best to compose herself. "If we can get to one of the smaller rowboats I can tow us out in my seal form. It's stronger than it looks. And if you row we might be able to move a lot faster. It's risky, and we may not have a chance-"
"Better than nothing." Will assured her. "But if you can't save me and there's an opportunity to escape then you should take it."
"Will-"
"Pegs, you once promised me you would be careful-"
"And you promised me that you would not pick fights with pirates, and now look where we are." She cupped his jaws in both her hands and brushed a stray dark curl from his eyes "I'm not leaving you behind! Pirate or not."
"And people accuse me of being stubborn," Will smirked in fond exasperation.
"You are stubborn." Peggy rolled her eyes. "You're the most stubborn, reckless and noble idiot I have ever known."
"Idiot?" Will scoffed.
"Yes. My idiot." She kissed the bridge of his nose.
"Your idiot? I thought I was your whelp?"
"You're that too," she grumbled, lips still pressed against his brow as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "If Hector thinks he can take you away from me then my curse will be the least of his worries. By the time I'm through with beating the snot out of him, he'll wish he'd never been born."
Will chuckled weakly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a tight embrace as they felt the thudding of footsteps above their feet and heard a loud shout.
"Alright, you lot dinner's over! Get back to work!"
"You've got to go," Peggy whispered into his ear, but Will's grip on her only tightened even as they heard several feet approach the door of the dining room
"I know," he mumbled. If this was to be the last time they had with one another he would not waste even a second of it. "If you see the opportunity to run. Take it."
"Only if you're coming with me, William Turner." Peggy pulled back and to Will's great surprise pressed her lips against his. It was only an innocent peck. Barely anything more than a short press of mouths but his world seemed to burn like a second sun had been ignited within him.
It must have been the rum. He thought as they pressed their foreheads together once more and nuzzled their noses against the other's.
Rum and fear. That's all it was.
And yet his heart threatened to burst from his chest with grief as the door to the dining room slammed open and a rough voice yelled:
"OY WHELP! Time to go!"
"Goodbye Peggy" he whispered.
He did not bother struggling as two rough burly men grabbed him by the arms and dragged him back to the dining room door, slamming it shut behind them.
Behind the door, tears streamed down Peggy's cheeks as she shut her eyes and lowered her face in silent prayer.
Oh Gods of the seas and tides…please…I beg of you, as a child of the Ocean, please help us get home safe and sound.
She did not know whether any of the old gods would hear her, but it was all she had left.
Meanwhile, many miles away, a bonfire on an island beach fuelled by wood and rum, burned hot and bright as a spire of dark smoke rising high into the sky towards the moon.
And there we have it Chapter 10.
A little more about Peggy and the Selkies. Had to play a little fast and loose with the myths to make it fit my general direction. So in this fic Peggy is only the last selkie in the Caribbean Sea but there are still many selkies out there in the wider world.
So yeah, I really enjoyed writing about Jack and Elizabeth (poor Jack does not have any clue what's going to hit him when all the rum is gone). I also added in a few lines from the deleted scenes to flesh out the scenes between them a bit more. They have such an interesting dynamic
I also enjoyed writing Barbossa. He is a villain in the Curse of the Black Pearl but there is something pitiful about being stuck in undead limbo for as long as he was. He's so desperate to get back to being human that he does not care who he hurts along the way.
Will might be acting a little OOC but when you think about it the guy's just been told he's going to die in a day, the person he loves has been left for dead and the remaining people he cares about are going to be left in a terrible situation without him, who wouldn't be freaking out?
As always if enjoyed this chapter please keep reading, faving and following for more, and please write a review if there is anything else you'd be interested in seeing moving forward or have some interesting feedback you'd like to share. I'm always open to constructive criticism.
See you the next time around.
Cheers
FuzzyBeta