Just a Little Kidnapping

Chapter 11

James awoke to a headache, a queasy stomach, and someone nudging him in the side with the toe of their boot. As James cracked one of his eyes open and tried to blearily focus on the shape looming over him he found that someone was Sparrow. He groaned and rolled over out of reach of the boot.

"Ah, none o that," Jack said as he crouched down next to James and began shaking the man by the shoulder, "Don't allow no one, Commodore or not, ta be layin around me deck no matter how much rum they've had the night before.

With a huff James raised his head and with eyes still bloodshot from too much rum he peered around the deck finding quite a few others lying around the deck, then did his best to glare at Jack. "Go bother them Sparrow."

"I'm thinking that wouldn't be near as much fun now would it. Come along Commodore, Cook has a fine breakfast fixed and will be sorely disappointed if we don't partake of it." Jack said as he grasp James' arm and began tugging.

James had had no intention of getting up; unfortunately all the jostling around by Sparrow caused his stomach to send a message exactly the opposite. He lurched to his feet and barely made it to the rail before what was left of said stomach's contents came spewing out. He took a few deep breaths as he continued to lean over the rail for a few moments to make sure his stomach was satisfied and would now settle down. He straightened up a little, testing to see if his stomach, at least for the moment, was indeed settled. Looking around for something to wipe his mouth on, and finding no other alternatives handy, with a slight grimace he wiped the sleeve of his shirt across his mouth and turned to face Sparrow, "Would this cook of yours happen to have tea?"

Jack's expression as he looked at James became a bit puzzled. He tipped his head to the side and tapped his chin, "That's a very good question Commodore, never had the occasion ta be askin him for tea ya see, me bein whom I in fact am and as such bein a bit or as it were more than a bit more partial towards the stronger spirits and even more specifically speakin that stronger spirit in fact bein rum. But be that as it may what say you we be off and hopefully find a hopefully satisfactorily satisfyin answer to your query?"

James rolled his eyes a bit then motioned with his hand for Jack to lead on.

The aroma as they entered the galley almost made James head for the rail once again. Not that the mingling odors should be unpleasant in any way, on any other day James would probably have found them quite mouth watering. But this morning they were making his mouth water for an entirely, and most unpleasantly different reason. He forced himself to go over and sit down on one of the benches along side a table, and leaned his head in his hands. Jack swayed over and with a slap on James' back said cheerily, "Now that was tea ya was wantin me ta be checkin on Commodore?"

James gave him a moan in reply, and Jack smiled at the Commodore's back as he cheerily stated, "Right then, I'll just be off about inquirin after that very thing, less ya would be carin ta go make the inquiry yerself Commodore?"

James gave a half hearted shooing motion with his hand and Jack's smile grew, "I'll just take that as a no shall I Commodore?" and he swayed off missing the second half hearted shooing motion James made that surely would have made his smile grow even more.

Jack returned a few minutes later with a steaming cup of tea for James and a steaming plate of food for himself. He walked over opposite James and sat down. He slid the cup of tea over in front of James and then began on his plate of food.

"Must you do that?" James huffed.

Jack gave him a questioning look even though James still had his head bent over the cup of tea breathing in the steam, and was not looking at him. "Do what?"

"Eat." James replied snippily.

"I'm thinking here that yes I really must Commodore, wouldn't want me ta be wastin away ta nothin so to speak and in order ta avoid that whole entirely unacceptably unacceptable situation and all associated unacceptable complications from such leadin to what would no doubt be a rather unacceptably gruesome happenstance I'm feeling that eatin is a bit of an essentially essential and wise thing ta in fact be doin, at least in me own opinion…… as well as more 'n a few others that might be expressin an opinion on such matters no doubt." Jack said with much hand waving and finger fluttering.

"Well must you do it in such a boisterous manner……and so close to me?" James snapped back.

"Captain!" Jack said pointing to himself with his fork. As James raised his head a bit and green eyes glared at him Jack gave a pouty look at James, took a hold of his plate with one hand and put the other, still holding his fork, up in front of his nose and began to scoot down the table away from James, "Guess when one stops to ponder the possibly impendin and not inconsequential and in fact totally uncalled for and violent tendencies that a certain person might have about and or for a certain other person's choice in eatin spots and in fact the one certain person might see it as a reason to act out with little or no advanced notice against a certain other person involved for the act of occupyin a certain eatin spot then one might come to the conclusion that one eatin spot is as good as another, aye?"

"Indeed!" James snapped and bent his head back over his tea.

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Although the hangover had put a bit of a damper on his good mood, as it subsided the good mood returned. James spent the next three or four days enjoying the feel of scurrying up the rigging and helping with the sails, along with other necessary tasks aboard the Pearl. For the first time in years James was in bed with, or shortly after the sunset, and slept soundly throughout the night. And although he wasn't aware of it many others aboard were, especially Jack, that now most any time you glanced in his direction you would see either the beginnings of a smile playing at the edges of his mouth, or you would encounter an all out 'I am enjoying myself to no end' wide open smile.

One evening after supper James was headed for the rail to gaze out at the horizon, as he stepped out on deck he paused, noticing Jack leaning against the rail. Jack turned toward him as if he sensed his presence. Waving his hands about he smiled and said, "Ah Commodore, join me."

James walked over and leaned on the rail beside Jack. Still smiling at James Jack pointed up, "See anything interestin there Commodore?"

As he started to look up he said, "I always find things of interest whenever I contemplate the heavens Captain."

"Ah but I think if ya look closely ya might begin to understand my question."

James gave the man a glance before turning his eyes towards the sky. He stood there for a moment, looked over at Jack, looked back up, then back at Jack. "We are headed back aren't we?"

"Ah ye've caught on much more quickly than I'd thought or given ya credit for Commodore."

"I should have noticed before." James said more to himself than Jack.

"But ya see James, ya've been so intent on the enjoyment of what ya've been doin aboard me Pearl lately that it's understandable ya would have overlooked it." Jack paused and in a more serious tone went on, leaning into James' face and pointing his index fingers at James, "Now the question is Commodore, are ya gonna remember this experience and the enjoyment ya derived from it once ya get back ta that stuffy little cell ya call an office and that mountain of parchment ya call duty. Ya do in fact have a duty to yerself Commodore than should include more than the aforementioned."

James looked off at the horizon for several minutes, a thoughtful expression on his face. His gaze lingered on the horizon as he began to speak, "I will admit I have had the tendency to focus a bit too strongly on my duty and career, a fact that may have cost me a fine wife." He paused for an instant, a shadow of sadness and regret crossing his face, then continued, "I shall endeavor not to fall so far into that behavior again, although my duty will always be the most important thing in my life." Then turning toward Jack, a smile flittering at the corners of his lips, "You do understand that regardless of any change in my attitude and actions towards certain duties and responsibilities in my life I might make I shall always continue to act in a manner that I feel follows the right and proper course."

"Aye." Jack replied briefly, sensing the man was not done with his statement yet but not sure where it was going.

"And in following that right and proper course might in fact act and or speak in a manner that would be less than pleasing to certain persons involved." James said, his smile slowly growing as he spoke.

Jack gave James a nod and a wink, having caught on to what James was leading up to, "Yer gonna give the bonny lass what for when ya get back."

"I am indeed going to give her what for." James said in a very satisfied tone.

"Well can't blame ya for that Commodore. Been a time or two I've strongly thought on doin the very same thing, and more 'n likely would have come to that if she'd actually had me kidnapped or such, although when dealing with Lizzie the better option is almost always ta just sail away." Jack replied with a smile and a flutter of fingers. Jack turned around and spotting Mr. Gibbs called out, "I'm thinkin we need to be proceedin with all haste here Mr. Gibbs, seems the fine Commodore has important business back in Port Royal."

"Aye Cap'n." Mr. Gibbs replied and went about giving the orders to the men.

As they stood by the rail, feeling the Pearl pick up speed Jack spoke, "So ya know you'll need yer fine speech of comeuppance all ready afore ya broadside the bonny lass wif it, otherwise she'll have ya twisted around her finger for ya know what's happened to ya."

James smiled a rather mischievous smile, "I think in this case actions will speak louder than words Captain Sparrow."

Jack raised an eyebrow and looked at James a bit warily, "Actions?"

"Yes, as in turn about is fair play." James replied looking very smug.

Jack rocked back on his heels and threw his hands up in a defensive motion, a look of shocked horror on his face, "Oh no

Commodore, I'll not have that…..that….Lizzie on my ship for even so much as a quick sail around the harbor!"

Still looking smug and a bit deviously piratey James replied, "Indeed. Well I suppose we will have to see about that now will we not."

"Bugger!" Jack replied.

The End

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