A Pirate's life for Me

Eight

Ruby grabbed a jacket out of her mother's wardrobe, donning it she headed back out to the main deck and headed down to the dining area. She immediately bumped into her parents coming out the hold looking extremely flustered, her eyebrows furrowed. Of course she knew what married couples got up to, she even knew what some unmarried couples got up to but it still didn't make her feel anymore comfortable knowing her parents were up to it. "Hello Little Sparrow." Angelica said kissing her head. "Mama." Ruby replied smiling. "Is there any food left? I kind of forgot." Jack scoffed "You? You forget about food? Never." Angelica jabbed her husband in the ribs with her elbow. "Of course darling.. in fact I didn't get to finish mine, let's go." Jack followed his wife and daughter until they reached their destination. He saw most of his crew were still sat at the various tables with their finished plates in front of them. Jack immediately saw Thomas sat beside his grandfather eating quietly. "Ruby.. where have you been?" Henry asked as the young woman piled food onto her plate. "Oh nowhere special.. although I can't say the same about you and Little Barbossa here. Sneaking up to the crow's nest at sunset. Very romantic Turner!" Henry's eyes widened. "You don't know what you're talking about Sparrow.." he said desperately trying to defend himself. "Oh? Like the time I didn't know what I was talking about when I beat you in my first ever sword fight?" Ruby said taking a mouthful of food. "That wasn't a fair fight.." Henry replied taking a sip of his drink. "Pirate." Ruby said with a smile. "Jack.. we really need to discuss a heading." Will said seriously. "Aye.., but there is no point in finding a heading, until we know what is at said heading that we want to find, savvy?" Most of the adults seemed confused by that notion. "Are we going on a voyage Papa?" Ruby asked excitedly. "Not quite Little Sparrow..." "Treasure? Gold!? Immortality?" Ruby asked excitedly pushing her meal away. "Enough." Angelica said firmly making her daughter's eyes widened. "I suggest, we all reconvene in the Captain's quarters to discuss this further." Angelica said seriously and stood. Immediately Jack, Will, Elizabeth, Barbossa, Gibbs, Henry, Carina and Ruby got to their feet. Ruby had been involved in running any ship they had sailed on since she was old enough to backchat her father, and Henry and Carina had been vital in the recent voyage to the trident, so saw no reason why they shouldn't be involved in these discussions. That was until Angelica said "Everyone, but you four." She pointed her finger to Henry, Carina, Ruby and Thomas. Her daughter especially put out placed her hands on her hips. "Mama! What am I, just any old crew member? No I am not, I've proved my worth time and time again." "Darling, that's not the issue." "It is. You both just treat me like a child. How can I learn if I'm never exposed to danger?" "Ruby." Jack said firmly. "Mama, let me be a part of this. Whatever it is, I can handle it." "Ruby." Jack repeated a little louder. "It's not fair!! Every proper voyage Dad has been on I've been banished to the island with Elizabeth and Henry... now I might as well be just a REALLY BAD EGG.." she stomped her foot before leaving the messe and heading to the most private place on a ship. The crows nest.

Jack's eyes widened at his daughter's outburst before Angelica turned to him. "She's just a girl, she doesn't need that on her shoulders. None of them do. Come on."

A while later, Ruby heard a noise and peered over the nest. "What do you want?" She said rolling her eyes as Henry climbed up and sat beside her. Ruby shuffled making room. "To make sure you're ok." "Well do I look ok? At least you got some form of adventure. I've had nothing, I've sailed around a bit but that's it. How can they expect me to live like this?" "Maybe they are scared. Maybe they love you too much to share the risk with you." "Oh please.. Henry do you actually think that if this ship was raided by the King's Men.. they'd let me off because of my age? I'd face the gallows like everyone else." "Well that is true." "And besides.. I'm almost 21. I'm old in comparison to how young Elizabeth was when she fell in love with the sea. AND Mama, and Papa! He was just a boy when he made a deal with the devil." Henry shrugged, "You're not wrong." She abruptly turned her head and scrunched her face up. "Am I ever?" She said with a smirk, "on occasion yes." "So what's going on with you and Carina?" Ruby said nudging him with her elbow. "Nothing. Everything, I don't know. We kissed and.. I saw her ankles." "Woah steady on. Your mother will expect grandchildren any minute." Ruby said sarcastically. "That's just the thing.. how does one court a woman on a pirate ship?" "I don't think you can, can you?" Ruby said confused. "Well my parents spent most of their courtship on pirate ships, they were even married on this very ship." "So... what's your problem? It's not like she doesn't have pirate blood. She's the daughter of BARBOSSA!" Ruby giggled. "I guess." "Do try to not overthink Turner. It's never been a good look for you." "Charming, little Sparrow." "Wanna come back down?" "No.... I'm staying here." "You can't live up here." "I can.. and I will." "Do you always have to be this stubborn?" Henry asked with a smirk. "I am not! I just don't like being treated like a baby..... I've got an idea!" She jumped to her feet, grabbed a rope and slid down to the deck, and Henry soon followed.

"This is not going to work!!!" Henry said in a teasing voice. Both him, Ruby, and Carina were scaling the outside of the ship round to the windows of the Captain's quarters. "Shhhh!!" Ruby said turning her head to the brother figure in her life. "You shhh!" Henry responded like a child. "I'll Shhhh when you Shhh!!" Ruby scolded. "Keep moving!" Carina yelled as they made their way to the stern of the ship and gently scaled around hoping to listen in to the adult's conversation.