Pirates of the Caribbean: Fate Intervenes

Partnership

~~~

Elizabeth sat across from me, looking utterly enthralled in my story. Her eyes were set into a bulge, her jaw plopped open and her hand quivering. She'd given up on writing everything hours ago; it was impossible to log someone's life.

"I-i'm sorry. I'll attempt to keep up better. But my, my. What a story."

"I'd hardly call it love." Jack piped in, leaning back in his chair and examining his fingernails casually. "Perhaps it was... first attraction? You were quite the temptress, after all."

I rolled my eyes. "We knew what it was capable of becoming from the very beginning, and our suspicions eventually were proven right, weren't they?"

He sighed irritably, raising his eyebrows and waving a careless hand in my direction. "On with it, then."

~~~

The next few months could be described as enchanting, exciting and blurry with memories. Captain Jack Sparrow's wit brought us to much plunder, and my trickery helped us to achieve the prize, especially when Admiral Teague and I began teaching others... or, at least, trying to. It is no surprise that we became famous for our unconventional techniques; it wasn't seen as 'ordinary piracy', but there was nothing ordinary about any of us.

Just as he'd predicted, Captain Sparrow and I had much fun hiding our newfound sentiments from the world, keeping it a sacred alliance between the two of us. It was difficult to conceal our new familiarity; during plunder meetings, when he'd walk up behind my seat and bend over me to examine the maps or listen to my ideas whilst resting his foot on the bottom rung of my chair, we would have to avoid the burning eyes of our Commodore and feign nonchalance.

The extent of our relationship was undefined. We were thick as thieves; we entertained each other with a friendship stronger than any other I'd known, confiding in one another and spending all moments possible side by side. It was naive of us both to assume that the attention we showed one another would go eternally unnoticed. Alas, one day everything would be altered. Our ever so clever Commodore would wait until the precise moment to pounce...

***

I peered over the railing, watching the sun shoot its welcoming fingers across the port in a morning greeting. I was alone on the deck; the day had barely been born, but the crew had already eagerly filed towards Tortuga, looking like tiny ants squirming against the sand. Everyone was gone... save one person.

I pulled my Captain's coat from the line which I had it drying, flopping it over my arm and creaking towards his quarters. Birds chirped, the wind toying with wisps of my hair, and my heart swelled with an appreciation for the lovely day.

I walked in to find him leaning against his desk, his white shirt freshly washed and hanging around him loosely. With my pot of kohl in one hand and a quill pointed right towards his face, he stared into the reflection of my whatnot box with severe concentration.

"Er, Jack?"

"Hm?"

"What on earth are you doing?"

"Look!" He set down his tool, giving a satisfied and quite cheeky grin towards his reflection and turning towards me. Capturing me were his piercingly witty eyes, and he displayed that they were now lined with a thin layer of black. It looked wonderful, and I had to shield my blush.

"I think it makes you look quite fearsome, to compensate for your soft heart." I gave him a teasing smile, and he scoffed, flipping my box open.

"By the way, Miss Stafford, do you happen to know any explanation for why I found these in my desk?" He reached down and clasped on to a cluster of my delicate little seahorses.