Jack Sparrow's Treasure

Faithful before the Mast

After I had just fallen asleep, rather uncomfortably on the top of a barrel, I woke up to a man shaking my shoulder. He was much smaller than I thought, in fact, he barely reached the height of my waist, and I was by no means tall.

"Is this the Interceptor?" he asked in a small, high pitched voice. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and stretched subtly.

"Yes," I said, converting my attention to the smallish ship at the docks.

"Why, have you been hired by Jack Sparrow?"

"Aye, well by his first mate, he wasn't there in person," he explained. Well that made sense, Jack was probably off drinking, or with some whore, he probably didn't mind which. I nodded in understanding.

After waiting round for approximately another hour until the sun had fully risen, more and more crew men began to show up. Each one more bizarre than the next. I was beginning to get a little anxious on Wills' whereabouts. Maybe he was with Jack, but he could be all alone, or maybe with Gibbs. I would just have to wait until they appeared.

I begged that Jack hadn't hurt Will. What if this 'leverage' was why they hadn't come back yet? I was completely putting faith in Jack being a good man, and as far as I knew from that conversation I overheard, he wasn't, and had no morals.

I managed to make out three figures in the distance, one that I instantly distinguished to be Jack Sparrow, as his tri-corn hat was visible as a shadow. I stood up and marched over to them, passing the lined up crew members as I went.

"Where have you been? I've been worried sick!" I directed the question at Will, but Jack clearly wanted to wind me up.

"Why thank you darlin',"

"I wasn't talking to you Jack, you could get eaten by a kraken for all I care," I spat. I saw a flash of hurt go through Jacks' eyes as he furrowed his brows. What was that meant to mean? Clearly he didn't care what I felt.

"Besides the point, speak for yourself! Where did you go, where did you sleep, please say on the ship,"

"On that exact barrel," I spoke, pointing to it. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"There?! Do you realise how dangerous that is!? Anyone could have hurt you, kidnapped you!"

"Jack Sparrow, I am perfectly fine, I can defend myself thank you,"

He sighed and shrugged. Gibbs cleared his voice as to interject. I stepped aside and walked over to Will, who held my hand in comfort.

"Feast your eyes Cap'n, all faithful hands before the mast, all of them worth their salt," Gibbs announced. They all looked a little strange, none particularly threatening, but then again neither was Jack, and he had proved to be different.

"So this is your able bodied crew?" Will asked, disapprovingly. I scoffed.

Jack strolled along the line of crew members, one eyebrow raised. It was then that I realized he was holding a banana. I looked at it longingly, now I had realized that the last time I ate was that morning before I went to the jail. Jack must have noticed me staring at it. His expression softened and he held it up to me, offering it to me.
I gave him a kind smile and tentatively took it from him.

"Thank you," I smiled. I was greatful. I was so conflicted. He seemed nice at times, was nice at times and was the opposite of others

"No problem love," he smiled, and I think that it was genuine.

I took one small bite, before continuing to eat it. Jack looked back to a crew and picked on a man.

"You sailor!"
"Cotton sir," Gibbs enlightened.

"Mr Cotton! Do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death,"

What a tongue twister.

After a moment's pause, Jack spoke up again.

"Mr Cotton! Answer man!"

"He's a mute sir, poor devil had his tongue cut out so he trained the parrot to talk for him, no one's yet figured how," Gibbs explained.

The man opened his mouth to reveal half of a tongue. I grimaced, hoping that I wouldn't regurgitate the banana that Jack had just given me. Jack stuck his tongue out in disgust before he opened his mouth to talk ones more.

"Mr Cottons' parrot.....same question,"

"Wind in the sails, wind in the sails!" It squaked.

"Mostly we figured that means yes,"

"Course it does! Happy?" Jack asked me and Will.

I just shrugged.

"Well you've proved they're mad," Will sighed. That much was definitely true.

"And what's the benefit for us?" another person said. It was strange, the voice held a sort of feminine quality.

Jack took a few steps toward and removed the hat from the sailor. An array of brown locks fell from underneath the hat, my suspicions were right, it was a woman but what relation was she to Jack?

"Anamaria!" Jack exclaimed with a fake smile. Before I could process, she slapped him across the face, just as the other woman had done.

"And I suppose you didn't deserve that one either?" I chuckled.
"No, that one I deserved,"

"You stole my BOAT!"

"Actually...." he began before she slapped him again.
"Borrowed, borrowed without permission! But with all intention I was bringing it back to you,"

Yeah right Sparrow, that's stealing.

"BUT YOU DIDN'T!"

Well then yes, that is definitely stealing.

"You'll get another one!"
He began to sound desperate, probably not to get slapped again. She pointed a finger at him accusingly.

"I will."

"A better one!" Will jumped in. I don't know why, Will should let Jack deal with his own problems, I'm sure he has many.

"A better one!" Jack agreed.
"That one!" Will pointed to the interceptor.

"What one? That one?! Aye, that one," Jack grinned and we all nodded in agreement.

"What say you crew?"
"Aye!" they all shouted, before climbing aboard the ship.

Once Anamaria had walked off, Gibbs came running up to Jack in a fuss.

"No no no no no! It's frightful bad luck to have a woman aboard Captain! Sorry Hazel," he pardoned himself.

I was rather offended by his claims as it was just a stupid myth. I wasn't bad luck!

"It'd be far worse not to have her, and as for Hazel, she's coming with us Master Gibbs," he stated in a serious tone, which startled Gibbs a little. He nodded and retreated back to the ship. Me, Will and Jack followed suit.