Emerald Seas II

Chapter 12

Weeks passed by slower than Cutler would have wanted. His nightly shift brought him at the helm, guarding it in turns by every man onboard. He didn't mind the hard labor that was necessary on board, but the company of people made him feel numb, even though he always managed to be alone quite well, the conversations he did have with the others were dull, and even Jack was entertaining to him at some point. But every time his night watch started with Jack at the helm, which was most nights since Jack was too proud to let anyone other than himself sail the ship, Cutler regretted his thoughts about Jack being a good distraction to the rest of the brainless crew. As soon as Cutler entered the helm Jack started to command him around like a servant boy, to Jack's enjoyment, and Cutler had to endure the endless bossing around for most of the night. Until at one point, almost every night at the exact same hour, Jack managed to drink himself into what almost seemed like a coma from all the rum that was brought along with the ship. It was once Cutler had to check his pulse to make sure he wasn't dead, but Cutler figured that not enough rum in the world could make this man intoxicated enough to be harmed by it permanently. Cutler rather enjoyed the moments Jack was fast asleep, so he could take over the helm, it made him feel free so sail a little. More than once Cutler's hand had slipped in the direction of the compass, almost taking it from Jack't belt while he was snoring loudly, hoping he wouldn't wake up, so that Cutler could finally take over the rescue mission and save Kate himself. But there was a little piece of faith Cutler had in Jack, even though he was too proud to say it out loud, that believed that Jack knew what he was doing. After all, he managed to escape to Locker once before. So Cutler would let it slide every time.

' Land in sight!' one of the crew members from the crow's nest shouted at the top of his lungs. Dusk was setting in the following evening, on the ship the crew had just started to light the candles in the lanterns so the deck was visible enough for when the dark hours of the evening would arrive. Cutler at the helm next to Jack watched him nodding.

'Just as I thought' Jack mumbled and Cutler looked confused his way, not sure what he was speaking of.

'Do we immediately set foot on land once we arrive, Jack?' Culter asked without leaving his sight from the dark island, with only a few little lights in the distance. While Jack had been staring at the island too for some time now his head quickly shifted to the side, and with sarcastic eyes, Jack grinned.

'It's Captain still for you "Luitenant" Cutler Beckett as long as we are onboard, remember?' Jack's voice couldn't have sounded more sarcastic than it normally did, but somehow it did. Cutler rolled his eyes. He'd heard that phrase more than he could count, and at one point Cutler swore he would jump overboard, but now it let him cold and he had learned to ignore Jack's childish ways.

'It's almost dark, do you think it's a good idea to show up both uninvited and not quite visible on Miss Turner's doorstep once we reach the island? And how is it you're so sure of your information on where to find her?' Cutler asked while he watched the men on deck making the ship ready to port. Jack started smirking and leaned onto the helm, his hat that had moved down his forehead he smoothly pushed back up.

'I'm sure Elizabeth will welcome me with open.. arms. If ya know what I mean' Jack winked at Cutler and started gearing himself up, ready to enter the island while walking away as cocky as possible.

'Get away Jack! I told you so many times, leave me alone!!' a female voice shouted across the front yard of a little yellow and brown village cottage Jack and Cutler arrived at a few hours later, after Jack had knocked and made himself known.

It was after a long walk from the beach of the island to the edge of a small village, Jack had found the cottage better than he'd probably would have found his own house, and that after two bottles of rum, it seemed like he knew the way just a little too well. Cutler had noticed Jack looking at the compass for directions only once or twice, while the walk from the ship to the village was quite a journey through the jungle of the island. But Cutler decided to not speak of it, and just let it all play itself out.

'But Elizabeth, my love, please let me in just this once. I can explain, this time is different. These are unusual circumstances. There's is someone who wants to ask you a favor' Jack had whispered the first part of his sentence, just enough for Elizabeth to hear with his hands sideways to his face, as if Cutler standing next to him wasn't allowed to hear. But in the last part of his sentence, he had shouted to the open balcony of the cottage from which the voice of Elizabeth Turner had come. Jack's eyes shifted from Cutler to the balcony of the cottage.

'It's useless, let's try tomorrow morning' Cutler whispered, walking away to the end of the path in the front garden of the small cottage. Jack still standing at the front door knocked on the wooden door once more, this time a little too loud while he kept on looking up at the balcony.

'Lizzy please, listen to me' Jack almost cried out. Cutler rolled his eyes at the despair of this man and turned around to walk away. But suddenly he quickly turned back around as he heard Jack scream like a piglet. He beheld a soaked Jack, desperately and confused quickly picking up his hat after Elizabeth had thrown empty a bucket of water from off the balcony onto Jack beneath. He was soaked to the bone.

'Let this be a warning Jack! If you want anything as much as a normal conversation, return in the morning when you're not straight-up hammered' the voice of Elizabeth hallowed across the lawn of the front yard while Jack tried to shake himself dry like a wet dog.

'Come, I know a small tavern where we can wait until the morning to return' Jack whispered, seemingly giving up for now, and quickly almost crawled over one of the bushes of the front yard, for no particular reason, and made his way quickly back to the main road in the direction of the center of the small town. Cutler had to hold his laughter after seeing Jack, still soaked, removing the leaves from the bushes from his wet trousers and jacket while he followed him.

' I came to the conclusion that this might not have been the first time this happened, Captain?' the last of Cutler's sentence he exaggerated as much as possible. Jack was the one rolling his eyes now and seemed to decide to remain silent.

'You know what happened back there is called stalking right?' Cutler knew it probably wasn't the first time Jack was begging Elizabeth underneath the balcony of her house. He didn't even want to know the information of why Jack had been there for what seemed like many times before. He watched back over his shoulder at the cottage slowly getting smaller as he still had a smirk from cheek to cheek by the scene he just witnessed. Cutler now understood why Jack knew the way to the island so well, and then the way over the island itself to this village.

Jack ignored Cutler all the way to the little tavern and when they arrived at the front desk the old lady smiled seemingly surprised but happy.

'Ah welcome back, a room for you Mister Sparrow? I see you brought a friend this time?' the lady at the desk smiled kindly at Jack while Cutler had to hold his laughter at the face Jack made by the lady recognizing him and even calling him by his name.

'Two separate rooms please ma'am' Cutler handed the lady some coins while Jack made his way to the bar quicker than he could and ordered two rums even faster after being enthusiastically welcomed by the barkeeper, who too recognized him and asked how he was doing and what the reason for his quick return to the island was.

'I will take this with me to my room please' Jack whispered almost unintelligibly and quickly snatched the two cups of rum from the barkeeper's hands and made it upstairs while ignoring his questions.

'Goodnight Jack!' Cutler sarcastically shouted into the diction of Jack leaving, almost running up the stairs and crossing the corridor, spilling probably half the content of his cups filled with liquor. Until a door slammed so hard the cups behind the bar were shaking.

'What's the matter with Mister Sparrow, Sir?' the barkeeper kindly asked and almost seemed concerned while watching Cutler taking a seat at the bar. Cutler didn't have such an entertaining night the last couple of weeks so he was going to make to most of it. He was sure both the barkeeper and the lady at the front desk would have quite the stories to tell about Jack and his adventures on this island. Cutler made himself comfortable on the barstool and enjoyed the brandy the barkeeper just poured him.

'I think his heart is broken?' Cutler shrugged his shoulders and threw back the brandy in one gulp.

'Ah he visited her again, didn't he?' mumbled the old lady while she strolled from behind her desk and made her way in Cutler's direction where she too took a seat at the bar. It seemed like Cutler was going to indeed have quite an entertaining evening..