A Pirate's life for Me

Eleven

"Sparrow!!!!!!" A feisty Spanish accent screamed across the Black Pearl the morning after. Most of the crew knew that when the Captain's wife was in this fiery mood, the best approach was to stay well out of it. Unfortunately for Mr Gibbs and Ruby, they were dragged into it usually by Jack who used them as a buffer until he charmed his wife back to a docile state. Henry and Carina emerged on deck spotting Ruby helping Thomas with some rigging before the young Turner approached the youngest Sparrow. "Your mother woke up on the wrong side of the bed didn't she?" "Not at all. I'd say unlike SOME occasions, her yelling is completely within reason today in fact, I'd say she's handling it rather well..." "Oh?" Henry asked spotting Captain Jack at the helm hiding behind an uncomfortable looking Mr Gibbs. "And what is it that's upset her?" Carina asked kindly. "It's difficult to say.... it's a matter of the heart." Ruby said with a smirk. "Is it?" Thomas asked enquiring baring in mind there was now fluent aggressive Spanish coming from below deck along with some stomps and the voice was growing louder and didn't sound at all romantic. "Leave it with me.." Ruby said dropping the rigging and heading to her father.

"Little Sparrow." Jack said with a smile after attempting to hide from his daughter, who stood with her hands on her hips and was tapping her boot clad foot. She looked scarily like her mother at this point. "Don't Little Sparrow me!" Ruby said with wide eyes and throwing her hands in the air. "Darlin' it's nothing to worry about. Mama is just having a moment..." "A moment? You call that a moment??" "She's possibly going through some woman's issues, when they get to a certain age things happen." Jack said awkwardly. "What do you mean they?? Dad. I am a woman too and I'm perfectly aware of what we go through. This however I don't believe to be biological... I think you've massively mucked up haven't you?" "Not entirely luv.... It's just complicated." "Papa there is nothing complicated about forgetting your anniversary!!!!" Ruby exclaimed. "Tell me this... when I get married, if my husband treated me like that and forgot our anniversary, you'd shoot him and take him to the locker and back wouldn't you? So why treat Mama like it?" "Woah.. who are you running off marrying young lady?" Jack said folding his arms and looking serious. "So not the point!!!!" Ruby exclaimed loudly before walking closer to her father. "Go. Apologise. Tell her you love her, spend time with her. Work your magic and leave the rest to me." She said in a whisper. Jack rolled his eyes before nodding and smiling, he knew she was right, and she knew he knew it too. He finally made his way slowly below deck, past a shocked looking Will and Elizabeth who were joining the rest of the crew to begin their duties.

Ruby walked over to the railing grabbing hold of a rope she threw her hat on the floor and jumped up standing on the edge. "Right you lot, listen up. I want this ship sparkling. Scrub it until you see your faces in the deck and when that's done, go below and do the same. Tonight... we will have a party in my parent's honour. We will celebrate them and their marriage. I want the best food with the best rum and wine we have on board served. Scrum you're in charge of music, Aunt Elizabeth help me find a dress for Mama in the hold. There has to be something there." She jumped down and the crew ran to work, she loved how they listened to her as if she was captain, it made her feel important, something most women in society never felt. "What do you want us to do?" Thomas approached. "Work hard and keep a sharp eye. Nothing can ruin this." Ruby said before rushing off.

Much much later on, the sun was descending rapidly and Ruby wandered below deck admiring the crew's hard work. She had gotten wind that after a fiery argument, her mother was locked away in a spare cabin somewhere reading and cooling off so she paid a visit to her father. Knocking on the door to the Captain's Quarters and being granted permission to enter she wandered in shutting the door behind herself. She saw her father lazily slumped in the chair behind his desk with both legs stretched out and crossed upon the many papers that were scattered across it. His trusty rum bottle in hand. "Alright luv?" He asked sadly. "Yes... I'll be even better once you and Mama have stopped this little tiff. Now. Where's your best shirt?" "Ayyy?" Jack asked raising his eyebrows. "And a bath wouldn't go a miss Papa." "Have you come in here just to insult me little Sparrow?" "No I've come in here to save your ass!" She smirked as she began raiding his armoury and yanking a cleanish white shirt out and laying it on her parent's bed. "I'm perfectly capable of dressing myself savvy?" Jack said standing and leaning against the doorframe into the bedroom. "And I'm perfectly capable of knowing that but there's no harm in a girl helping her father is there?" Jack smiled "Thank you Little Sparrow." "Now go wash.. and be ready when the sun sets ok? I need to go and check on a few things." Jack smiled before kissing his daughter's cheek. His dreadlocks knocked her hat and she straightened it before tutting. "Daaad!" She said rolling her eyes. "I love you little sparrow." "And I love you Papa Sparrow."

Ruby knocked on the door to where her mother was and quietly slipped into the room. "Hi my child." Angelica said softly, her eyes were slightly red from crying, and she looked a little deflated as she put a book down that she was reading. "Mama... Papa sent me." "Course he did.. what is he not man enough to face his wife now?" Angelica said fiercely. "No no.. it's just he wanted everything to be perfect. So... here's a dress." Ruby held out the gorgeous wine coloured dress, it would fit her mother perfectly she knew it. "You need to put it on and wait here. He will come for you." "Hmmm.. if he's not distracted by rum.. or his ship or anything remotely shiny!" Angelica said holding the dress up to her body. "No no no.. he insisted that he'd be on time in fact. He said he would be here just after sun set." Ruby said with a hopeful smile. "Ok... fine.... That man has me right where he wants me." Angelica said quietly almost ashamed. "Mama, you always told me that's ok? Because you have him exactly where you want him too. Believe it or not he loves us dearly, he just has a unique way of showing it, savvy?" Ruby said before leaving the room.