A Pirate's life for Me

Fourteen

"For the love of all that is holy!!" Ruby said picking up yet another empty bottle of rum that was rolling around the deck, she was doing her best to tidy up the party so that the next morning they could make way with as little trouble as possible. She bent down in her dress and reached behind a barrel silently cursing herself for not changing back into her normal pirating clothes beforehand. "Can I help?" She heard which startled her making her bang her head on the side of the ship. "Owwwwww!" She said standing up and rubbing her hair messing up her long tresses. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Thomas said shamefully. "No need to apologise. I'm extremely clumsy, it's who I am." Ruby said as she struggled with the empty bottles in her arms. "May I be of assistance?" Thomas asked taking some from her. "That's very kind, but I don't expect special treatment. I organised this shindig and it's my responsibility to clear up and make the ship ready to sail once more." Ruby said seriously. "You know you're different to how I imagined." Thomas said as they walked down to the hold where they disposed of the rubbish. "Oh? And what did you imagine?" Ruby said brushing off her hands and placing them on her hips. "Just a princess." "Oh?" Ruby said sightly disappointed. Did this mean he didn't like her? "Not in a bad way, you work hard, you're one of the crew, it's very impressive. If anything, you're a Pirate Princess." Thomas said ever so slightly tipsy. This made Ruby blush. "Nobody has ever called me a princess before." She looked down at the ground. "Well they must all be blind." Thomas said offering his arm in the darkened hold to guide her back up on deck.

Jack and Angelica were leaning against the railings of the Pearl admiring their ship and crew. "Happy Anniversary Jack." Angelica whispered. "Right back at ye my darling." He lent in and kissed his wife but his eyes widened and he pulled back once he saw his daughter emerge from below deck looking rather cosy with Thomas. "Where on earth have you been?!" Jack said approaching. "The hold?" Ruby said confused. "The hold?" Jack said flaying his arms in the air. "Angelica!!" He turned to face his wife who had a raised eyebrow. "They've been in the hold!!" He added. Angelica was even more confused at this. "Yes, the hold, the bottom of the ship." Ruby added in case her father was drunk and had forgotten how a ship worked. "You're telling me, you went below deck to the HOLD with young Master Gibbs." Jack said with his hands on his hips now. "Yes Dad.. the hold, below deck, whatever you want to call it, that is where we just were." "The HOLD??" He questioned again. "Jack!! I think we've established they were in the hold!" Will approached. "I can't believe it. On my own ship!!" Jack said wandering away. "Is he ok?" Thomas asked Ruby. "I'm going to say yes but then again does anyone ever really know?" She giggled nervously extremely confused at her father. She approached Henry and Carina with Thomas hot on her heels "What was that?" She said to her friends. "You were in the hold with a boy." Henry said smirking taking a sip of rum. "Yes? We've established that Turner!!" Ruby said rolling her eyes. "Well don't you see?" "See what?" Ruby jumped up on her top toes to try and look where Henry was looking. The latter rolled his eyes. "You're not Daddy's little girl anymore." "What? Of course I am!? Why would I not be?" "You're growing up in front of his very eyes, and sneaking off with men is another way he's realising that." Henry said as if it was obvious. "I did not sneak off? We merely took the bottles down there. And besides he's never ever said anything about the time we spend together?" She gestured between them both. "Oh please as if I would.." Henry scoffed. "As if I'd let you!" Ruby said turning her nose up.

"Jack!!" Angelica found him at the helm stroking the wheel. "What was that?" She asked her husband. "Angel, they were in the hold!! He's taken my daughter from me on my very own ship. The sheer nerve of the boy!" Jack exclaimed. "He's not done anything!" Angelica said rolling her eyes. "Oh please.." Jack scoffed. "Jack.. not everyone does what we do in the hold... it does have OTHER uses." She said stomping her foot and turning rejoining the party.

A short while later, Jack seemed to have calmed down and rejoined the party but it was getting late, and most of the crew drunk on rum had retired for the night. Barbossa approached Carina. "I assume you'll be heading off to bed shortly?" He asked his daughter who's eyes widened. "As opposed to?" She replied. "Sneaking off to the hold yourselves." "What is with this hold??" Carina said throwing her hands in the air. "I'll personally escort her back to the girl's cabin Sir." Henry said kindly. "Just make sure that's all you do." Hector said heading below deck. Elizabeth and Will bidded goodnight to the children before heading off themselves as Jack scooped his wife up into his arms and merely mumbled his goodnights whilst Angelica blew a kiss to her daughter. "Maybe I should go scold him for getting it on in the captain's quarters." Ruby scoffed nudging Carina who laughed. "But it is his ship... and they are married. And he's a pirate?" Henry said knowingly. "Yeah yeah. Night Turner. Carina.." Ruby said hugging the woman. "Thank you for your help today." She said as she pulled back. "I'll see you in our cabin." Carina winked as she wandered off with Henry. Ruby turned to look at the mess on deck, which granted was no where near as bad as she thought it would be when she spotted Thomas leaning on the railing sipping rum. "Hey Pirate." She said with a smile. "Hey yourself... and wait. You really think I'm pirate material?" He chuckled. "You've got potential." She said picking up another empty rum bottle. "I hope so." Thomas said staring at the stars. "Do you know any of them?" She asked inquisitively. "Not as much as I should when I'm sailing." "I can teach you. It's one of the first things Papa taught me. How can you steer a ship in the dark if you can't read the stars?" Ruby said with a smile. "See... a pirate princess..." Thomas said smiling as he tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The intimate action made both their breath hitch, as Ruby turned to look out at sea. "Just looking for her pirate prince." She whispered under her breath but he heard. "May I escort you to your cabin Mi'lady?" He said offering his arm. "It would be a pleasure Mi'lord." She said in a very well to do accent.

They didn't have far to walk below deck but they stopped quietly outside Ruby's cabin, the same cabin she was now sharing with Carina. "Well I want to thank you for your pleasurable company this evening." Thomas said making Ruby smile. "The pleasure was all mine. Especially the dance." She giggled remember how giddy it had made her feel. "Goodnight Ruby." "Goodnight Thomas." She smiled as he lent in and captured her lips with his in a spine tingling passionate kiss. She parted her lips slightly allowing him entrance as his hands gently slid down her shoulders and arms and rested on her hips and her arms snaked around his neck.