The Attainment of Evangeline

Chapter 20

Evangeline sat across from Jack, whom she had not seen in almost four years. He had only changed slightly in appearance, but not in character. He was still animated and odd as ever; his hands waving and gestating as he talked. He had added a few new things to his ever changing pallet of hair and goatee ornaments, but she didn't mind the change. Something she had missed was his smirk. It made her heart soar when one side of his mouth rose.

She hoped that she had not changed against his liking. She thought she was still as she had been four years ago. Long curly black hair, green eyes...perhaps she had grown a bit taller? No. She must stop thinking; she did not want to miss a single word coming from Jack's perfect lips.

"...the blasted thing," Jack said.

She nodded as if she had heard that last sentence and smiled.

"So luv, how have ya been?" he asked, chewing on the corner of his thumbnail.

"Oh, um.."

Things have been hard. I've desperately missed you and your company...

"I've been well. Things have been... okay."

"Okay, why okay?" Jack asked.

"My Father...I've just found out that he is ill."

"Ill?"

She nodded her head. "He doesn't have much time left," she said, her eyes downcast.

Jack was quiet for a moment which left the tavern's noises louder than they had been moments ago. Jack reached out and took her hand, her eyes locking on that.

"I'm real sorry, luv," he whispered.

"Thank you."

"What else, any happier news?" he asked.

Happy? Anything happy about the past four years?

"Nathaniel. He's asked me to marry him," she replied.

That may have been happy news to someone who was in love with the doctor, something she was not.

Jack stared at her with wide eyes.

"He asked ya to marry him? I thought ya didn't...feel that way...about him," Jack said, using his fingers to put mock quotations around his words

"Well, I don't. I didn't. I..."

"What did ya say?"

"I haven't given him an answer yet."

Jack looked at her while he shook his head, his dread locks moving as he did.

"Looks like ya have gotten yerself into a right big predicament, luv."

"Yes. I have," Evangeline answered. "What about you, Jack? Have you been on any grand adventures?"

Jack chuckled, leaning forward.

"Aye, ya could say that."

"Any involving your map?"

"Ha! You remembered!"

"Of course I did," she whispered.

"Nah, I've been too busy chasing a woman half way round the world for a eunuch because he couldn't keep her in his sights," he said.

Evangeline laughed. "You must tell me."

Jack was in the middle of telling Evangeline of his adventures with Miss Elizabeth Swann and her whelp of a boyfriend when they were interrupted by a man who stood by their table and asked in a low voice if Jack was in fact...Jack.