Braving the Flames
Chapter 11
Disclaimer: Not mine. I have $11 in my bank account, and if you want to pry it out of my sweaty little palm it's going to take more than a law suit.
Author's Note: Sorry this update is so short. School is kicking my butt, big time. I've had bad semesters before, but this one is definitely the winner. Not to worry, I'm not abandoning the project. I never could. I'm just saying the updates probably won't be as frequent or as long as you're used to. I have more to say, but I'll stick that in an author's note at the bottom. Read on!
The dawn came too soon. Norrington descended the stairs to say his goodbyes only to find Maggie already downstairs, promising to visit the Turners the moment they returned as Pearl gave her father advice on the finer points of riding horses. Pearl had refused to take the carriage back and Elizabeth had done the same in a sudden fit of stubbornness. It appeared that Jack was regretting turning down their afternoon rides.
Norrington felt Maggie's eyes on him as he approached the arguing pirates. Pearl was hardly recognizable. Refusing to wear skirts Elizabeth had seen the necessity of disguising her as a boy. She wore breaches and a white shirt that fell nearly flat, her breasts bound by a corset Pearl claimed the devil himself must have designed. Her hair, which had grown nearly to her waist, had been shorn off in the night some time. "If you don't stop whining I'm going to pull you up behind me and you can ride sidesaddle and hold my waist all the way back like some damsel of yore."
Norrington shook his head as Jack cried out, "Over my dead body!"
"Works for me," Pearl returned.
Throwing up his hands and growling in frustration Jack stalked off to flirt with Diamond. Norrington watched the pirate and prostitute with interest. There was something between them, something he suspected ran deeper than sharing a daughter. Something their professions would not allow them to explore beyond the taste they'd had over the last few months. He pitied them, even as he pitied himself.
"This isn't goodbye," Pearl startled the Commodore by saying. "I'll still be around, you know. Making your life miserable."
"I don't doubt it," he told her, feeling better despite himself.
"I wanted to ask you, do you want this back? Maggie seems to be the better choice for it now," Pearl remarked, running a finger over the chain of the Phoenix necklace still hidden beneath her shirt.
"No," Norrington answered. "It's where it belongs."
"Thank you," she said. "Well, it looks as if everyone is ready to go." She nodded toward the Turners, already mounted, who were attempting to get Jack into the saddle as Maggie giggled. "Best follow suit."
She walked over to the waiting horses, pausing to place a gentle arm on Maggie's. "You take good care of him. Have beautiful babies for me, and make sure he eats once in a while. These big important men seem to get it into their heads that they don't need silly things like food. And be happy. That's most important."
"I will," Maggie said, suddenly lunging forward to pull the startled pirate into a hug. "You be careful too."
"Never," Pearl answered, pulling away and swinging up into the saddle. "Bethany will stop by next time she's in town."
"I look forward to it," Maggie told her.
"Can we go?!" Jack called. "My ship is waiting." Diamond leaned forward to smack his arm for the pains.
Pearl nodded, turning her horse and ridding out with the rest of the group.
Author's Note: Yes, yes. Like I said, short. Now I want to ask you something. Obviously I plan on continuing the story. I can't end it there, after all. And you won't believe what I have planned next. But I wanted to know how I could best continue publishing this. That is, do you want me to keep adding chapters to 'Braving the Flames' or do you want me to make it a new and separate story (the last one, I promise)? I've been wrestling with this problem for ages and finally decided I should just leave it up to the reviewers. Tell me what's easiest for you. Your vote counts, to bring to mind the upcoming election! And if you want to guess at what I have planned next, I would welcome it. I'll give you a hint: what is one of the few things that could force the two of them to be together? Personally, I can think of a couple different reasons, so I won't make fun of you if you're wrong. Extra points for creativity! Review!
Chapter 11
Disclaimer: Not mine. I have $11 in my bank account, and if you want to pry it out of my sweaty little palm it's going to take more than a law suit.
Author's Note: Sorry this update is so short. School is kicking my butt, big time. I've had bad semesters before, but this one is definitely the winner. Not to worry, I'm not abandoning the project. I never could. I'm just saying the updates probably won't be as frequent or as long as you're used to. I have more to say, but I'll stick that in an author's note at the bottom. Read on!
The dawn came too soon. Norrington descended the stairs to say his goodbyes only to find Maggie already downstairs, promising to visit the Turners the moment they returned as Pearl gave her father advice on the finer points of riding horses. Pearl had refused to take the carriage back and Elizabeth had done the same in a sudden fit of stubbornness. It appeared that Jack was regretting turning down their afternoon rides.
Norrington felt Maggie's eyes on him as he approached the arguing pirates. Pearl was hardly recognizable. Refusing to wear skirts Elizabeth had seen the necessity of disguising her as a boy. She wore breaches and a white shirt that fell nearly flat, her breasts bound by a corset Pearl claimed the devil himself must have designed. Her hair, which had grown nearly to her waist, had been shorn off in the night some time. "If you don't stop whining I'm going to pull you up behind me and you can ride sidesaddle and hold my waist all the way back like some damsel of yore."
Norrington shook his head as Jack cried out, "Over my dead body!"
"Works for me," Pearl returned.
Throwing up his hands and growling in frustration Jack stalked off to flirt with Diamond. Norrington watched the pirate and prostitute with interest. There was something between them, something he suspected ran deeper than sharing a daughter. Something their professions would not allow them to explore beyond the taste they'd had over the last few months. He pitied them, even as he pitied himself.
"This isn't goodbye," Pearl startled the Commodore by saying. "I'll still be around, you know. Making your life miserable."
"I don't doubt it," he told her, feeling better despite himself.
"I wanted to ask you, do you want this back? Maggie seems to be the better choice for it now," Pearl remarked, running a finger over the chain of the Phoenix necklace still hidden beneath her shirt.
"No," Norrington answered. "It's where it belongs."
"Thank you," she said. "Well, it looks as if everyone is ready to go." She nodded toward the Turners, already mounted, who were attempting to get Jack into the saddle as Maggie giggled. "Best follow suit."
She walked over to the waiting horses, pausing to place a gentle arm on Maggie's. "You take good care of him. Have beautiful babies for me, and make sure he eats once in a while. These big important men seem to get it into their heads that they don't need silly things like food. And be happy. That's most important."
"I will," Maggie said, suddenly lunging forward to pull the startled pirate into a hug. "You be careful too."
"Never," Pearl answered, pulling away and swinging up into the saddle. "Bethany will stop by next time she's in town."
"I look forward to it," Maggie told her.
"Can we go?!" Jack called. "My ship is waiting." Diamond leaned forward to smack his arm for the pains.
Pearl nodded, turning her horse and ridding out with the rest of the group.
Author's Note: Yes, yes. Like I said, short. Now I want to ask you something. Obviously I plan on continuing the story. I can't end it there, after all. And you won't believe what I have planned next. But I wanted to know how I could best continue publishing this. That is, do you want me to keep adding chapters to 'Braving the Flames' or do you want me to make it a new and separate story (the last one, I promise)? I've been wrestling with this problem for ages and finally decided I should just leave it up to the reviewers. Tell me what's easiest for you. Your vote counts, to bring to mind the upcoming election! And if you want to guess at what I have planned next, I would welcome it. I'll give you a hint: what is one of the few things that could force the two of them to be together? Personally, I can think of a couple different reasons, so I won't make fun of you if you're wrong. Extra points for creativity! Review!