pirate_gibbs | Christmas on the Pearl

Christmas on the Pearl

The Captain's quarters are set. The large desk has been cleared of Jack's personal goods. The rest of the room is neat and orderly, as it tends to be (much to Gibbs' constant surprise). Whatever chairs can be found belowdecks have been dragged up by the first mate, creating a cozy feel.

The desk and the larger chests are covered with oilcloth, which serve as crude tablecloths. The ship's hodgepodge of dishes, cups and silverware, plundered from many ports and ships, sit near a selection of traditional holiday treats, from ham to mincepie. At the center of the desk, there is a crystal decanter with a gold nameplate saying "Captain Jack Sparrow", filled with red wine, surrounded by matching glasses.

And there is a small, sparsely decorated tree in a corner near the hammock.

It's Christmas on the Black Pearl. Welcome.

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"A glass, Jack?"

Slowly, every motion deliberate, Elizabeth approaches and pours rum into her own glass. Even an optimist would be forced to admit her bottle is really just almost empty.

"I wasn't sure you knew how to use one," she finishes with a cheeky smile.

"Miss Alanna..." Gibbs breaks out in a smile. "You're with child. And a large one at that!" He estends a hand to help. "It's good to see you."

"Happy Christmas, Miss Swann." Gibbs is not unhappy to see Elizabeth. He has not idea what's going on. "Will Will be joining you?"

Elizabeth, it must be said, is not entirely unhappy to see Gibbs, either. Surprised, perhaps. But not unhappy.

The last time she saw him, they had just sworn to search for Jack at world's end. For some reason, the thought of that settles Elizabeth's nerves somewhat.

"Happy Christmas, Mr. Gibbs," she offers in return, still scanning the deck. A moment later, she focuses on the first mate and smiles brightly. "Yes, I imagine he will. Have you seen him since you arrived?"

Taking his hand in both of hers, she smiles her gratitude and snorts softly.

"If it were but one, I'm sure we would break records. It's three, actually. Triplets. Goddess knows, I like a challenge. Though I'm afraid I would no longer be of any use, should another brawl break out in Tortuga."

At that, she winks.

"The once, day after I arrived, at his forge. He never told me he was a smith. But I haven't seen him since then. Been staying about the Pearl, keeping a eye on...things." By which he might mean Jack.

Puffing up with pride, Elizabeth nods gracefully.

"He's very talented." Her gaze sharpens. "Things? What sort of things?"

Beat.

"This must have been a shock. How much do you remember? About the end?"

Jack's end, the Pearl's -- so many ends, not enough beginnings.

"Not so much like snow as not miss the heat, Cap'n. Weather should come in seasons. Easter gets spring, Christmas gets winter." He's a over full century before Victorian romanticization of Christmas, but at least for him it's got some beginnings.

"Triplets? Good lord...and is your husband coming that I could congratuate him on his prowess?" It's always the man's contirbution that matters, right?

"I daresay, though, that even with that burden, y' would best most in Tortuga. It's a sorry place these days."

"Oh, just Jack acting like another person and shaving his beard and hosting a strange party and speaking gibbersh...,more so. Things." He's used to it. But he has to pause to think abuot the things he can't get used to so easily.

"I remember Jack's end. And us going to Tia Dalma's shack. But when I went to enter the palce, I was here. And there was Jack. Once he told me this was Milliways, I understood." Another pause

"Some. But I know that he was dead, and this ship gone with him. And I cannot explain how either are standing, even in a place as strange as this.

"And how does this strike you?"

"Hmmm" she stated firmly. Not an agreement, no, but not a disagreement either. Standing really wasn't how she reckoned successes...

"Does floating count?"

Rachel was there at Alanna's side soon after her arrival, a warm arm slung over her shoulder. Of all the people Rachel was hiding from now?

Alanna was among the singular exceptions.

This...was a woman Rachel didn't know, so it probably wasn't a surprise that the spandex clad Rachel was watching her. She didn't mean to be rude, but she wasn't hiding her curiosity either...

Rachel's gaze wasn't for Jack, or his lantern, but for the amber depths of the rum held in her hands. Stars...

Ah yes, Stars...

"What did you see, Jack?"

It was later in the evening by the time Rachel found herself by Gibb's side once more, glass in hand and steady as a rock despite the amount imbibed. She'd said that'd she'd ask the man a question, and she rarely ever went against her word.

"A moment, Gibbs?" she asked softly from the shadows.

He's a bit startled, not quite seeing her, and not quite sober (more so than usual).

"Oh, Miss Grey, it's you. What can I do for you?"

The flicker of flame across her face may help with the seeing. It may not...depended on sobriety perhaps...

But that wasn't the matter at hand.

"Jack mentioned to me that you've seen things in fore to, in fact, his words were "All sorts of things to see in the fire luv, now that man there could tell you all about it..." and so...I've come to ask you..." her smile from the shadows was remarkably clear of flame, just honest and bright.

"What do you see Gibbs?"

Elizabeth listens to all of this with the air of someone who is trying to memorize every word. When he finishes, she feels as if her head is spinning ever so slightly.

Eventually: "He shaved?"

Just like Norrington. Immediately suspicious, Elizabeth furrows her brow and looks around again. Jack acting like another person seems awfully strange when he is usually so concerned with making sure everyone knows his name.

But that, she feels for the moment, is irrelevant.

"It all strikes me as very odd, Mr. Gibbs," Elizabeth says. "I cannot explain how the dead walk amongst the living here, but the proof is hard to deny. Will and I entered from inside the cabin, after a rather interesting conversation with Tia Dalma."

She pauses.

"Would you care to know the details of what was discussed? You were there, with me, so I can't imagine it is breaking some law of time and space."

There are many things at Milliways that no longer surprise Elizabeth: magic, showers, women wearing pants on a daily basis.

Spandex is an entirely new experience.

Elizabeth openly returns the stare, silently letting the other woman know that she refuses to be cowed by her interest.

A redhead. Fantastic. Here's hoping she isn't related to that Alanna woman, Elizabeth thinks.

What a strange question. Or a strange way of putting it, at any rate. But then, this woman seems to be close to the Captain, and maybe you need to ask strange things to understand him.

"I see...well, I see that you seem to be on fire a bit, which is likely the rum and the food and the season talking. And I see the ship, which is as fine as it's ever been. Finer, perhaps, as we've had the time to treat her right."

"His prowess?" Alanna snorts and arches an eyebrow at her belly. "Only a man would say that to a woman carrying three excessively active babies."

She smiles, lost in her own thoughts for a moment, then waves a hand vaguely. "He's about. Now," she leans in, clearly interested, "what's happened to Tortuga?"

"You are from a bit later then." He says this just to have it be clear. It makes as little sesne as everything else here, so why not? "Yes, I think I would like to know what is coming next. It never hurts to be ready. Especially since, with Jack, we never can say what's coming."

Alanna, for one, is quite grateful for that. More relieved than she's willing to show, she smiles and leans on Rachel, one arm curving around her waist.

"It's happy I am to see you," she tells Rachel. "Happy Midwinter, as we say at home."

"Only the usual. The Royal Navy and the bloody East India Trading Company is making it impossible to stand on your own these days. And even Tortuga is suffering the price. Oh, it's still as free a life as it's ever been there. But it's changing. Men no loger strive to be free. They strive to be...impressive." He saw little of Jack's strange party nights ago, but he could tell that many there would of that cut. Clearly, being impressive was the future.

"Mind you, I would still prefer to be at Tortuga and on the sea than here. Even if Jack is well and his ship is back."

Would you be willing?

Elizabeth lowers her voice, eyes serious.

"We agreed to sail to world's end to bring back Jack... and his precious Pearl."

It may not be her own phrase, but Elizabeth can't argue with the accuracy.

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Christmas on the Pearl

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