I'm not really fond of the last chapter, it was way too corny. I'm trying to do a good 'ol in character chapter this time, hopefully it's good.
Sorry about the late-ish update, I was away from my computer for about four days. (Beware, short chapter!)
Chapter Three
Jack Sparrow woke up with a start. He pulled his blanket up to his face defensively and looked around, wondering what had woken him up. He groaned and fell back onto his pillow as the kitten in the other corner of the room pounced and played with a rat that was scuttling about on the floor. Jack peeked over to the kitten, and watched in horror as it killed the rat and brought it over to a pile near the captain's bed. The pile consisted of eight or nine rats, all of which had horrible bite and claw marks. He sympathized with their probably very painful death. The kitten then realized that it's master was awake and jumped onto the makeshift bed, stepping all over his body and nuzzling his face.
"Lydia…" he moaned. "Lydia… stop it…. Ooh… Lydia….. not there….."
Meanwhile, Gibbs happened to overhear the captain's loud moans. He did not know who Lydia was, nor was he going to walk in on the captain and find out. The crewmate took a few steps away from the captain's quarters and lazily leaned on the side of the ship, wondering to himself how he'd gotten into the pirate life, anyway.
Jack screeched suddenly as the kitten happened to step upon a sensitive part of his body. It's hair stood up on end and it retreated to the other side of the room, hiding behind a chair.
"YOU…! Nnng… oh, god…. " he cried, squeezing his eyes shut and wailing quietly. He heard some tentative knocks on the door, followed by Gibbs' quiet inquiry from outside.
"C-captain? Are ye alright..?" he whispered.
"DOES IT BLOODY SOUND LIKE I'M ALRIGHT?" Jack seethed, still in pain.
"No, sir. 'sthere anything I can get ye?"
"A new set of- ehm…" his thought trailed off as he realized how much of a pansy he would sound like if his crew found out he'd been wounded by a baby kitten.
"A new set of…?"
"Nevermind. Come in here and take Lydia outside, she's been crawling all over me."
Gibbs opened the door and gave the Captain a questioning look as he pointed to the other side of the room. A wave of relief swept over his body as he saw the kitten.
"Yes, Captain." Gibbs rushed over to the feline, who defensively backed into the wall, hissing. A few scratch marks later, Gibbs was outside watching the kitten wander around and jump at the unsteadiness of the boat because of the waves.
The captain looked around the room, getting out of bed weakly. He pulled on his clothes in a mundane matter, and stumbled to a hook near the door where he'd been putting his hat. A pale white color swept over his face as he looked at the empty hook. He ran back over to his bed, looking underneath it, around it, and on top of it for his old hat. His door flew open and he ran outside, looking on the deck.
"Gibbs! Cotton! Anybody! Come!" he bellowed. Gibbs, Sickels, and a few other men rushed to Sparrow's side. "Have any of you seen my hat? Sickels, you were there when I fell asleep. Did I have it on me?"
Todd Sickels furrowed his eyebrows and then looked up. "No…. no I don't think you did."
Jack groaned and threw the rope ladder over the side of the ship. "I think I know where I put it." he called out to his crew. "When I come back with it, I just might be dragging two Turners along with me." He hopped onto the wooden dock, and to his dismay realized it was still soaked. He tripped and felt the dock fly underneath him as he was sent hurtling forward. A few feet from the rope ladder, he was laying face first on the ground, fists clenched and scratched up.
"Oh, BUGGER." he screeched, pounding his fist on the wood while pulling himself up. His head turned swiftly to the boat, where the men were drunkenly laughing over his fall. Coming up with no sarcastic mark to justify his blunder, he quickly walked out of sight until their hoots and hollers could be heard no more.
---
Knock. Knock. … KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Will muttered something and turned over on his stomach in bed, sleepily convincing himself he needed a few more minutes in bed before answering the door.
"Would you go get that?" Elizabeth groaned, stretching herself out under the covers.
"Mmnn….. No….." her husband whispered. He fell asleep seconds later. Elizabeth turned her head around to look at Will, and frowned as she saw he was asleep. She got out of bed and pulled on a robe, walking down the stairs quickly. The knocks were still constantly beating on the door.
"Just a bloody second!" she said harshly, opening the door on Jack in mid-knock.
"Oh, hello." Jack said, grinning. "Fancy meetin' you here."
"Funny."
She pulled Jack in and slammed the door, then dragged him into the living room. A rocking chair housed the pirate as she rummaged through the drawer where the hat was.
"What are you looking for?"
"Your hat, what else?"
"Oh, I left that here?"
Elizabeth stopped looking for it and turned. "You can't be serious." she mumbled. "That's why you came today."
"No," Jack corrected, "I came here to see you."
Just as Elizabeth was about to say something, the black hat flew in the middle of them. As Jack bent down to pick it up, Elizabeth watched Will walk down the stairs, fully dressed, with an inquisitive expression on his face.
"Is that what you were looking for?" he asked his wife coldly, ignoring Jack.
"What? How-"
"Oh come ON. I'm not a fool. 'I have to finish something'? At one in the morning? The fact that you didn't close the drawer all the way didn't help either, you know."
Elizabeth drew her eyes shut as Jack looked sheepishly at his old pal.
"Will." He nodded.
"Jack."
The Captain settled the ratty old hat on his head and coughed as Will looked at him expectantly.
"I- ah." he pursed his lips and smacked them, looking from newlywed to newlywed.
"Frankly, William, I know you're a man of great adventure."
"Not entirely. I'm a blacksmith."
"… Well, don't you travel?"
"No."
"Well, that's beside the point. I know it's inside of you. Anyway, I came over the other day to ask Lizzy over there to come with me on a hunt for a nifty little trinket I've got my eyes on. Inviting you along too, of course."
"Not interested."
"Yes you are." His eyes flicked over to Elizabeth. Will walked over to the velvet chair and plopped himself down. Rubbing his eyes, he shook his head, saying something about a quest being out of the question.
"Why would it be?" Jack whimpered. "You guys are an asset to my ship now, the last pillages with my crew simply weren't fun. Come on, one last trip?"
Eyes shut, Will slapped his hands on his thighs. "I cant! You don't understand."
Jack ran up to the boy and knelt down.
"Anything you require, I can get it."
"No! Not knowing whether Elizabeth was alive, not being there to protect her… it's terrible. It's painful. You don't know what it's like to be in love, especially with her." Elizabeth bit her lip and scolded herself for ever thinking about being with Jack. She ran upstairs to get dressed and give them some time alone.
Jack frowned at the sap and stole a glance at Elizabeth as she ran up the stairs. "I've been in love many times! I know what it's like. You're just scared."
"Agh!" cried Will, "Yes! I am scared for her life! And I can't afford to be away from work for so long."
Jack gave a wry grin and leaned close to Will. "Which is why you'll be so interested in what we'd be looking for. Ever heard of a man named Midas?"
Arg, crappy ending, but I can't write anymore (which is why this chapter is also incredibly short). I'll try to make the next one long. It'll probably take a while to get up, too, since I'll be laying down the plans for the story and everything. So, ah, wish me luck.
Look up King Midas on wikipedia or google to find out who he is if you don't know. How am I going to fit him into a pirate story, you ask? Erm, I'm still wondering that myself, though I have a few good ideas.I'll do some good 'ol research on him and figure out something.