Troubled Seas
Old Friends
“Cap’n, I have some business that requires passage to New Guinea.” Gibbs held his hat tightly in his hands. Jack had not sailed for more than three months time and it was not doing him good.
“Then find a ship and go, Mate,” Jack clapped Gibbs on the shoulder, making his way past him and toward a new painted lady.
“Yes, I would, Cap’n, but I was taught to hope you would make the voyage with me,” Gibbs blustered on.
“And what would have persuaded you to this thought, Gibbs?” Jack asked, frowning.
“Anamaria. She has had word from Will and Elizabeth.”
Jack’s curiosity was peaked. “I had not imagined they would be interested in our company, Gibbs.”
“Well, they do owe yeh quite a bit, don’t they, Cap’n. Ye’ve been with them through many a disaster,” Gibbs continued undeterred. “They have a boy now, I hear.”
Jack pondered this news. Bootstrap Bill had been a friend to Jack, loyal to the end. Was it the least he could do to visit the man’s son? Probably not. Was it the least he could do to visit and most likely afflict annoyance and problems upon the happy couple?
He smiled deviously. “We set sail tomorrow!”
XXX
Jack breathed deeply, the salty sea air acted as a balm on his soul. He steered the Black Pearl forcefully to the side, enjoying the solid splash of the ocean against the side of the boat. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed the open ocean, the feel of the solid wood beneath his fingers as he turned the wheel.
It would take at least a week to sail to New Guinea and Jack planned to enjoy every moment of it. The promise of being back on the Black Pearl had kept Jack sober and out of Anamaria’s bed the night before.
Jack felt he was stepping back on track, slipping slowly back into the man he was before Katie. The sensation was utterly freeing. He glanced down at the tattoo on his forearm, a sparrow in flight. Jack spread his arms wide, letting the wind rush past him. It was time to take control of his life again.
When the ship docked on New Guniea, Will was there to meet him. A look of pain on his face at seeing Jack again. “Will! Cover my docking fee, Mate?”
Will grimaced, but dropped the appropriate amount of coins into the docking mate’s outstretched palm. “I didn’t know you were coming, Jack?”
Jack blinked in surprise, looking at Gibbs questioningly. Gibbs shrugged, “It was Anamaria who claimed it, Cap’n.”
Jack took a step back toward the boat, to escort Anamaria off his ship and demand to know what was going on. But a soft soprano halted him in his tracks.
“I’m telling you, Benjamin. I absolutely will not wear that horrid bonnet you bought me. It’s outrageous to even think I would go near that thing!” A slender blonde stepped onto the dock.
She walked haughtily toward a small dingy. Close behind her trailed a rather harassed looking young man. “Katrina, don’t be impossible! Harrietta insisted I buy it for you. I was not going to deny my fiancée the pleasure of picking out a gift for her soon to be sister!”
Katrina whirled around and sent her brother a withering stare. “The least you could have done was proposed any other color! You know I detest orange!”
Benjamin could not contain his laughter. “Oh, Katrina,” He slung his arm lovingly around her. “What ever would I do without you?”
“Be miserable and lost,” she grinned cheekily.
“Alas, I’m sure you are right.”
Jack’s heart plummeted then rocketed back up. “Katie?” He rasped.
“Then find a ship and go, Mate,” Jack clapped Gibbs on the shoulder, making his way past him and toward a new painted lady.
“Yes, I would, Cap’n, but I was taught to hope you would make the voyage with me,” Gibbs blustered on.
“And what would have persuaded you to this thought, Gibbs?” Jack asked, frowning.
“Anamaria. She has had word from Will and Elizabeth.”
Jack’s curiosity was peaked. “I had not imagined they would be interested in our company, Gibbs.”
“Well, they do owe yeh quite a bit, don’t they, Cap’n. Ye’ve been with them through many a disaster,” Gibbs continued undeterred. “They have a boy now, I hear.”
Jack pondered this news. Bootstrap Bill had been a friend to Jack, loyal to the end. Was it the least he could do to visit the man’s son? Probably not. Was it the least he could do to visit and most likely afflict annoyance and problems upon the happy couple?
He smiled deviously. “We set sail tomorrow!”
XXX
Jack breathed deeply, the salty sea air acted as a balm on his soul. He steered the Black Pearl forcefully to the side, enjoying the solid splash of the ocean against the side of the boat. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed the open ocean, the feel of the solid wood beneath his fingers as he turned the wheel.
It would take at least a week to sail to New Guinea and Jack planned to enjoy every moment of it. The promise of being back on the Black Pearl had kept Jack sober and out of Anamaria’s bed the night before.
Jack felt he was stepping back on track, slipping slowly back into the man he was before Katie. The sensation was utterly freeing. He glanced down at the tattoo on his forearm, a sparrow in flight. Jack spread his arms wide, letting the wind rush past him. It was time to take control of his life again.
When the ship docked on New Guniea, Will was there to meet him. A look of pain on his face at seeing Jack again. “Will! Cover my docking fee, Mate?”
Will grimaced, but dropped the appropriate amount of coins into the docking mate’s outstretched palm. “I didn’t know you were coming, Jack?”
Jack blinked in surprise, looking at Gibbs questioningly. Gibbs shrugged, “It was Anamaria who claimed it, Cap’n.”
Jack took a step back toward the boat, to escort Anamaria off his ship and demand to know what was going on. But a soft soprano halted him in his tracks.
“I’m telling you, Benjamin. I absolutely will not wear that horrid bonnet you bought me. It’s outrageous to even think I would go near that thing!” A slender blonde stepped onto the dock.
She walked haughtily toward a small dingy. Close behind her trailed a rather harassed looking young man. “Katrina, don’t be impossible! Harrietta insisted I buy it for you. I was not going to deny my fiancée the pleasure of picking out a gift for her soon to be sister!”
Katrina whirled around and sent her brother a withering stare. “The least you could have done was proposed any other color! You know I detest orange!”
Benjamin could not contain his laughter. “Oh, Katrina,” He slung his arm lovingly around her. “What ever would I do without you?”
“Be miserable and lost,” she grinned cheekily.
“Alas, I’m sure you are right.”
Jack’s heart plummeted then rocketed back up. “Katie?” He rasped.