pirate_gibbs | (no subject)

(no subject)

The ship was theirs again. Back home in Tortuga. Everything was right in the world.

And Gibbs could sleep well for the first time in ages, aided only by a little rum.

Well, maybe more than a little.

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And at this, Giselle's head snaps around.

"I was to be given first ride!"

"You? From what he said--"

"Well, I never!"

He's got more important matters to deal with than being stuck in the middle of a squabble. Jack ducks nimbly out from between them and looks around.

It doesn't take long for him to spot Gibbs-- who's lying on the dock, eyes closed and hugging a stuffed bear. There's a blissful smile on his face.

Distinctly unamused, Jack upends the mug he's carried with him from the tavern, pouring its contents over Gibbs's head.

Oh, how peaceful things were. Just Gibbs and Belle - or some other young woman, but does it matter who? - on the beach at Shipwreck Cove, sharing rum and kisses. All is---

Abruptly brought to a halt as rum pours over Gibbs' head, and he coughs and sputters and has no idea what just happened.

"Mr. Gibbs?"

He's proud of how even-tempered he sounds as he inquires,

"Any particular reason why my ship is gone?"

The pirate stirs slowly. Clearly, rum is once again proven as a soporiphic of high quality.

"The ship? We're ON the ship!" He settles back, thnking things are well after all.

He doesn't notice the stuffed bear that he's hugging.

...

For once without words, Jack just stares at him.

It's a stare that could wake any man. And that jolts Gibbs from his stupor.

And thus the man notices that the ground beneath his feet isn't rocking in the least.

"Jack! The ship's gone!"

He still hasn't noticed the bear, though.

Now it's Jack's turn to roll his eyes as he lashes back, exasperated,

"Really?!?"

From behind the two of them comes a piercing shriek as Scarlett slaps Giselle, who retaliates with a yank at the other woman's brightly-tinted hair.

Sometimes words just aren't enough.

It's an opportune moment, of sorts. Distracted by the commotion, Jack turns away from Gibbs and stalks over the dock to confront them both.

"Ladies, will you please shut it?!?"

Jack's never spoken to them like this before.

Surprised speechless, Giselle and Scarlett leave off their squabble and stare at him.

He's quick to seize the advantage.

"Listen to me!"

And evidently this latest occurrence is finally enough to break through what patience he has left, as Jack promptly informs Giselle,

"Yes, I lied to you."

To Scarlett, he adds, "No, I don't love you."

Then, to Giselle, "Of course it makes you look fat!" Her mouth drops open in angry shock, but Jack doesn't wait before turning back to tell Scarlett, "I've never been to Brussels."

Which reminds him of something else, and he rolls his eyes at Giselle and gestures with both hands to accent his words as he points out,

"It is pronounced 'egregious.'"

"By the way, no," he puts in as an aside, to Scarlett, "I've never actually met Pizarro, but I love his pies."

Finally, Jack levels a flatly annoyed stare at them both as he concludes,

"And all of this pales to utter insignificance in light of the fact that my ship is, once again, gone!"

A beat.

"Savvy?"

Giselle and Scarlett exchange a glance.

CRACK!

That's the sound of Giselle's open palm meeting the side of Jack's face in a slap. As his head snaps to the side, Scarlett adds her own opinion.

CRACK!

Not to be outdone, Jack promptly swings around and delivers a blow of his own--

CRACK!

-- and then glares at its recipient.

Gibbs offers a sheepish look at his captain. He knows that he quite deserved that. (Indeed, some captains would call losing a ship a hanging offense, so he might be getting off easy indeed.) He shrugs.

And he knows that it might be time for a parting of the ways. Till Jack gets his ship back, of course.

"Take what you can--"

A very small, knowing smile quirks his lips.

"--give nothing back."

He raises his hand as if holding a tankard and taps it against Gibbs's own closed fist.

Gibbs heads up the dock, seeing the two spurned women walking arm-in-arm. Clearly, this is the opportune moment, and he calls out...

"Tell me, ladies, what d'ye know of sea turtles?"

The women welcome his company (at least for the time being), and Gibbs links arms with them.

Maybe it won't be such a bad day after all.

Jack glances briefly after them as they stroll off together, but then turns to look out to sea, towards the distant shape of the Black Pearl.

(bring me that horizon)

After a moment, he smiles.

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