A Swann's Freedom: Chapter 29

   Jack sat atop one of the crosstrees of the Black Pearl, spinning his hat on his finger. The cool air hit his face as she ship glided across the calm water. He watched his crew walk across the deck below. On one corner was a crowd of pirates, gathering around Elizabeth to see the new baby. Since everyone had been occupied by that for the last week or so, Jack had humbly volunteered himself to be in charge of feeding Barbossa in the brig.

   The captain had pondered possibly releasing the scallywag, but waved off the idea. He deserved some punishment. However, the next time they docked, he was to be off for good. Jack’s finger faltered and his hat descended to the deck below. He groaned inwardly and looked out to the setting sun on the horizon. It seemed less pleasant and inviting than he remembered. He knew why, too; it reminded him of their destination: Curdy Island. They were taking Elizabeth home.

“The pirate life is no place for a baby,” she told Jack, “it’s too dangerous.”

“We’ll protect him,” he said, “and make sure no harm comes to him.”

“I can’t take that risk.” She looked at Liam.

“You don’t have to go.”
“Jack… are you asking me to stay?”

What he was doing was begging. “No… I’m just saying… you have that option.”

Was that disappointment on her face? “Oh. Then, please take me home. I think that would be best.”

“It’ll take a few weeks.”

“Well then, I guess we’ll just have to be extra careful, won’t we?”

“Yes.”

   Jack heard a noise to his right. Captain Teague moved next to him on the crosstree. “What are you doing up here, boy?” the father asked. “I could ask you the same question,” Jack replied.

“I’m actually coming on behalf of the pirate king.”

“What does she need?” He started to move, ready to help whatever it was.

“Whoa, keep your breeches on! She was just wondering if you were upset with her.”

He looked away. “No.”

“Liar.”

“The proper term is pirate. And I’m not upset with her.”

“You just don’t want her to go home.”

He started to answer, but remembered who he was talking to.

“Jackie…”

“If Elizabeth wants to know what’s on my mind, then she should ask me herself.”

“She would if she knew where you were. Not to mention, I think it would be hard for her to climb up here, carrying little Liam.”

“If said she-devil really did desperately desire to exchange words with said pirate captain, said she-devil could most certainly find a way to meet said challenge.”

“She loves you, you know.”

   Jack stared at Teague with surprise and confusion on his face. A smile spread across his lips as if Teague had just told him an amusing joke. He said matter-of-factly, “No she doesn’t.”

“You indeed are an excellent pirate, Jack, but you are also a very naïve man as well.”

“Are you saying she told you this?”

“No, I’m just not as ignorant as you.”
“Tell me, do you take great pleasure in insulting me? Why don’t you just kill me? I’d prefer that over being insulted.”

“I was there when you two were about to be hung. My hand was holding her arm. Why would she ask a man she does not love to kiss her before she dies?”

“Simple. She’s lonely.”

“Are you sure that’s it?”

No. “Yes.”

“Boy-”

   Jack grabbed a nearby rope and slid down to the deck. He landed with a thud, picked up his fallen hat and placed it back on his head. He started to search for Elizabeth next. The crowd had dispersed and the mother and child were nowhere in sight.

   “She’s in your cabin, Cap’n,” Gibbs told his friend. “Who? Who is?” Jack asked, pretending he didn’t know.

“The person you’re looking for.”

“How do you know who I’m looking for?”

“Jack…” He sighed.

“Alright! Bloody alright!”

   Jack stepped to the side and headed towards his cabin. As he walked, he heard Pintel and Ragetti arguing, shouting numbers like, “Seventy!” “Eighty!” “Seventy-five!” “Eighty-eight!” Jack grunted and strode over to them for a visit. “Will you please shut it?!” he yelled at them. The two pirates stood, frozen. Jack noticed that each of them had a sack of loot in their hands. He figured out what was going on. They were gambling.

   Their captain pulled some coins from his pocket and declared, “I’m in.” then asked, “What are we wagering on?” Pintel and Ragetti’s expressions were terrified.

“Well…” Ragetti attempted to speak, “You see… what had happened… was…”

Pintel tried, “The whole crew’s betting on it, Cap’n! Even Barbossa and the monkey!”

Jack groaned, “For God’s sake, lads, spit it out!”

Pintel answered so fast; it was as if it was a one-word sentence, “We’rebettingonwhetherthepoppetwilldecidetobewithyouorWill!”

   Anger burned on Jack’s face. He glared at the pirates and said, “I’m going to go into my cabin now. When I come out, this deck had better be spotless. Spotless! Do we understand each other?”

“Yes, sir! Right away, sir!” Both pirates agreed.

Jack started to leave, but reversed and whispered, “Put me down for Will.”

~*~*~*~

   Elizabeth set Liam on Jack’s bed and put her shirt back on. She was still not used to being a mother, but she liked it so far. Truth be told, she didn’t really want to go home. She wanted to stay on the Pearl with Jack--and the crew--and sail the Seven Seas for the rest of her life. She wanted to raise Liam on the sea, instructing him how to be a great sailor… or pirate. She wanted to teach him everything she knew, tell him stories of all the pirate legends in the world and in his life. She wanted him to know Jack and adore him, just as she had when she was a child.

   But, she knew that the right thing to do was go home. She needed to leave to keep Liam safe. Well, at least that’s what she’d told Jack. She hadn’t lied, but that wasn’t the entire reason. She also knew it was best for her to leave so that she wouldn’t give in to the temptation that followed her wherever she roamed on the ship. Every day, she found herself falling for Jack more and more. It was bad enough that she wanted him more that anything. What about Will? Will…

   There was a knock at the door. Before Elizabeth could answer it, Jack came in. “What’s the point of knocking if you’re not going to bother asking if you can come in?” she asked, frowning.

“Why? You’re not busy,” he smiled.

“I was feeding Liam a few moments ago. That wouldn’t have been the best time for you to come in, now, would it?”

“You speak as if my eyes are so innocent, love.”

“Ugh.” She hacked and rolled her eyes.

“Why did you send Teague to see if I was upset with you?” He walked over to his desk and sat down.

“Because I wanted to know.”

“The pirate king is too scared to ask Captain Jack Sparrow if he is angry with her?”

“No, the pirate king was occupied with motherly business at the time. You don’t scare me.”

“Really? The pirate king is not afraid of the fearsome pirate lord?”

She pursed her lips and leaned on his desk. “Just afraid that you’ll do something I’ll regret.”

“And how might I do something you'll regret?”

   Elizabeth shook herself. She was talking about Jack kissing her again. She knew that, if he did, she would not be able too resist. Her feelings were getting deeper and deeper with each day that passed. Jack took a gander at the maps and papers on his desk. Elizabeth blushed, knowing what he was going to point out, which he did: “Been looking at my maps, have you?”

“Yes. What, I’m not allowed?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Actually, I was going to ask what you were doing in particular.”

“I was seeing how much longer it would take us to get to Curdy.”

“Anxious to get home, are we?” He brought out his compass from his jacket pocket.

Not really. “Maybe. From what I could tell,” she walked around to his side of the desk and bent over, looking at the maps with him, “we have about three of four days worth of sailing left. That is, if this favorable wind stays consistent.”

“Oh?” He looked more closely at the maps, squinting, and then said, “That seems about right. You’re getting pretty good at this.”

She blushed again. “Thank you. Amazing that we’re making such good time sailing now, but it took Collins months to get us to Harrell.”

“Well, he didn’t have the fastest ship in the Caribbean. Not to mention, he did say we stopped a few times; how are we to know how long that was? He had us locked in that bloody cell. Dreadful conditions, that was.”

   Elizabeth sighed and walked over to the bed to check on Liam. He was sound asleep. Watching him appear so peaceful calmed all of the turmoil that was going on inside of her. She thought to herself that, despite the “dreadful conditions”, those months in the cell alone with Jack had been some of the greatest times of her life. She loved sharing memories with him, exchanging awkward glances, engaging in battles of wit, waking up next to him every morning…

   A snapping sound silenced her train of thought. She turned to face Jack. He opened his compass, glanced at the needle, grunted, snapped it shut and then shook it in frustration. Continuing the process for a few more seconds, he cursed at the compass as if it was angering him on purpose. A chuckle made its way out of Elizabeth’s chest. Jack’s eyes shot to her, as if remembering now that she was in the room.

“Is it broken again?” she asked.

“Uh-” He was trying to avoid this conversation.

She wouldn’t allow it. “Let me see.” She held out her hand.

He tossed it to her.

   Elizabeth opened the compass. One. Two. Three times the needle spun around in a circle, searching for what she wanted most. She was not at all surprised when it stopped, pointing the roguish pirate captain at his desk. He was smiling at her. Oh, God. Does he know? Her heart started beating abnormally fast. She asked nervously, stumbling for words, “Wha-what are you smiling about?” She braced herself. He pointed to her and said, “I just noticed that you’ve got a huge vomit stain on your shirt.”

Letting out a sigh of relief, she answered, “I know. Liam did that this morning. Babies will do that to you.”

Jack shook his head and mumbled, “And everyone wonders why I won’t hold the child.”

“He doesn’t know any better.” She shifted her weight uncomfortably, wondering if he was going to ask her where the compass in her hands, open, was pointing, and hoping he wouldn’t.

Of course he would. “So, where did that most troublesome compass point for you?”

“I believe we’ve discussed this before, Jack. I’m not going to tell you until you tell me where it points for you.”

“By my account, I don’t believe we ever agreed to that.” He grinned deviously.

“Perhaps an arrangement can be reached.”

“Arrangement? Are you really that eager to discover what I want most in this world?”

“More like…” she snapped the compass shut, “…curious.”

“Alas, I had almost forgotten about the pirate king’s never-ending curiosity.”

   Jack got up from his desk and stood in front of her with his face inches from hers. Elizabeth lost herself then. She forgot what they’d been talking about entirely. She unconsciously took a step closer to him. Staring at the golden smile on his face, she watched as his lips seemed to tremble. He twirled a strand of her hair with his finger. The look in his eyes brought her back to the kiss he’d given her at the fort on Harrell Island.

   She loved how he’d kissed her then! He’d never kissed her like that before; so urgently, fiercely and roughly, not being careful at all. She liked it a lot. She wanted him to do it again. To feel his mouth pressed on hers, moving so passionately, as if begging her to need him. It was like he’d wanted to kiss her then. But, then again, why would Captain Jack Sparrow pass up a chance to kiss a woman?

“About that arrangement,” Jack’s lips told her.

Elizabeth replied to them, “What about it? Don’t expect me to tell you without getting something in return."

“Who said I was unwilling to return said something?”

“But you said-”

“Depending on what said something might be.” His lips curled in to a devilish smile.

“I want to know where the compass points for you.”

“Because you’re curious.”

“Yes…”

“You and I have both discussed curiosity before.”

“If I remember correctly, we were discussing yourcuriosity then.”

“Were we? Don’t you remember, love?” He let the strand of her hair fall back onto her shoulder.

“Don’t you?”

“I remember precisely what I said.”

“Then say it again.” Please.

“I said you’d come over to my side… because you wouldn’t be able to resist.”

“But I haven’t.”

“Oh? Have you forgotten the numerous times that you’ve failed to resist me on this very ship?”

“I-”

“The day I died? That time on the Nemesis? How about the one in the rain? The rum cellar below? Just days ago at the fort?”

“Moments of weakness, that’s all they were.” She felt another one coming on.

“Were they?”

“Awful nice memory you have there, Jack. Do you have all those locations written down somewhere?”

“And what if I did?”

“Do you?”

“No. I’ve got it all up here.” He pointed to his head.

“Think about those times a lot, do you?” Was she flirting?

“If I say yes, will that make you happy?”

“You’re not escaping this, Jack. I will know one day where that compass points for you.”

“Are you certain?”

“I am.”

“Might I inquire as to how you plan on accomplishing this goal?” He stared into her eyes.

Something told her that he already knew what she was thinking, feeling.

“Persuasion.”

“Friendly?” He played with her hair again.

“Hopefully not. But, if that’s what it comes to…” What was she saying? How did she become so brave and careless all of a sudden? How was he able to take those walls down?

“Well, then, rest assured, love, that I will do everything in my power to make sure that it comes to that.”

“I’m sure you will try, but you will not succeed. I am much stronger than you think.”

“Ah, you admit that there might be a chance though. A chance of you losing your grip.”

“It’s not going to happen. I never lose my grip.”

“Weren’t we just talking about said grip being lost the day I died? And that time on the Nemesis? The one in the rain? The rum cellar below? Days ago at the fort?”

   Said grip was about to be lost again. Elizabeth went to kiss Jack, but a small cry broke her trance. Her eyes darted to Liam, who was now wailing on the bed. She rushed over to him and picked him up. She bounced up and down on her feet to try to calm him down. Jack walked over to her and the baby. He asked, “What’s wrong with him?” “I don’t know,” Elizabeth admitted, “I just fed him. He doesn’t need to be changed…”

“What else could a person with his few days and brains possibly want?”

“Watch it! Don’t be rude.”

“I’m not! I’m just saying…”

“I have an idea. Here, take him.”

   Elizabeth held Liam out to Jack. The pirate took a step away, saying, “I don’t want to hold him. He doesn’t like me.” She stepped towards him, but he moved away again. She sighed, “I didn’t like you very much when I first met you either…”

“And neither did Will. And Little Liam’s got both of you in him. So, there’s double hate for this pirate in that boy.”

“Please, Jack.”

“Why?”

“I’m going to go ask Gibbs if I can borrow his stuffed bear. Maybe Liam will feel better if he has something to play with or hold on to.”

“Alright, A) You’re not supposed to know about that bear and B) if I hold the wee babe, he’ll scream louder than he already is.”

“Please, Jack? For me?” She begged.

He cocked his head as if shocked. “Why would it make a difference if it’s for you?”

She moaned, “Because I will tell you whatever you want to know or do whatever you want me to do if you’ll just hold my son for a couple minutes!”

   The seemingly crafty smile on his face made her regret those words almost instantly.