Pirates Of The Caribbean Fan Fiction ❯ Lost in Translation (Pirates of the Caribbean) ❯ Navassa Island ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter Six:
Navassa Island

*

Jack stood at the helm watching his crew laze about on the deck of the Pearl. It was a calm day, warm, but the feel of the salty spray was relaxing. He had no particular reason to rush though he did intend to be stopping at Navassa Island before they traveled on any further.

Navassa Island still belonged to pirates; it would be a good while before the Navy could get in there and clear them out. It was littered with small wooden hovels that were full of filthy buccaneers and pirates. But mostly it was full of treasure. Not that anyone could just go there and take it. It would take a fool to try to go onto an isle full of pirates and attempt to steal their plunder. Jack, himself, had some of his valuables hidden there and thought it'd be a good time to stop.

The island was located near the Windward Passage, which Spanish galleons still used to get back to Spain on occasion. It wasn't hard for a good captain and his crew to pillage these treasure galleons and get themselves some silver, gold, gems or even Chinese porcelain.

Unlike Tortuga, Navassa Isle was pretty tame. It wasn't a place to go for a good time, just a place to hide, live and store plunder. Despite the lack of rowdiness, it was far more dangerous. Pirates tended to get trigger happy when they have swag nearby. Not that Jack was worried; he had been there often enough that he knew how to mind his step, though it wasn't himself that he had to be concerned about.

About mid-day he saw Kaitlyn out on the deck with Pepe and decided to hand the helm over to Ana Maria; the last thing he needed was a repeat of Tortuga. It was one thing to trick a drunken buccaneer, but he didn't need the lass wandering off the ship and getting her self killed when they docked.

 

He stopped a few feet away and watched her playing catch with her monkey, using lychee nuts, and then smirked. “I could have sworn those were for eating,” he quipped.

 

Kaitlyn looked up at him and then back at Pepe before realizing she was kneeling and quickly stood, trying to keep some amount of decorum. “They were picked too early, that's why he won't eat them. Lychee fruit doesn't ripen after it's picked, so they're very bitter,” she explained.

“Ah...” Jack replied with a grin. He found her humorous when she was tried to put on airs around the ship, particularly while she was dressed just like the rest of them, as she had been for a few days now. He could tell that more often than not it was habit rather than conceit that kept her from loosening up around the crew, not that he could blame her. It's not as though a pirate could throw on fancy clothes and fit right into her world, he couldn't ask much different from her.

“If you're hungry, I'm sure he would be willing to share his cherimoyas with you,” she said with a grin, “or were you not coming over here to share food with my monkey?”

 

Jack glanced down at Pepe who gazed right back up at him. “Think I'll pass,” he said.

 

Kaitlyn did her best to subdue a laugh after seeing the look on his face. “Mr. Sparrow...Jack,” she corrected, “Do you find my pet offensive?”

 

He watched Pepe for a moment then looked up at her. “I don't know if offensive would be the right word, love.” She looked down at the monkey again then to Jack. Honestly the idea of a pirate finding a monkey repulsive was rather humorous. He spent most of his time in filthy places like Tortuga and around crew men that probably went months without bathing, yet the idea of sharing food with Pepe seemed to make him physically ill.

“Well, if you didn't come over to eat or play with him, I can only assume you wanted to speak to me,”

 

Jack finally tore all his thoughts from the messy little creature that was staring at him then nodded. “We will be laying anchor at Navassa Isle, love, it would be in your best interest that we don't have a repeat of Tortuga, savvy?”

“Is there a reason we're stopping at this island?” She asked, while going back to her game of catch with Pepe.

“I will be picking up some necessities,” he replied, watching her and the monkey. He had a feeling she either wasn't really listening to him or would just ignore what he said and wander off again.

“Oh,” she said nonchalantly and tossed another lychee at Pepe. No, she definitely wasn't paying attention.

“I suppose you could join me,” he smirked, “as long as you don't plan on talking that is.”

“What exactly is that supposed to mean, Mr. Sparrow?” she asked as she placed her hands on her hips.

“What exactly is that supposed to mean, Mr. Sparrow?” He mocked back at her while grinning.

 

She almost offered a biting retort but silenced it. “Are you insinuating that I can't speak like a pirate?” She asked politely, causing Jack to chuckle.

“I'm insinuating that there is no way, even in the threat of death, that you could pass as a pirate, love,” he replied.

“That's not fair, Mr. Sparrow, I'm sure if I had enough alcohol or a serious enough head injury I could talk just like you do,” she said playfully.

“Aye, perhaps, though if I let somebody take a snip at me goods I could sound like you, that doesn't mean it's about to happen.”

Kaitlyn felt herself blush before she simply burst out laughing. She certainly wasn't used to people saying such things and, quite frankly, found it hilarious to hear. Jack grinned a little at her reaction; honestly he had braced himself for a good slap. That's not exactly the kind of thing you say to a lady.

“I think we're agreed then. I won't try to impersonate a swashbuckler and you won't spend the rest of your life as a bed keeper,” she said with an amused smile.

“Agreed,” he said with a smirk, then glanced back down at the monkey. He fought off his look of disgust and headed back over to the helm to relieve Ana Maria, leaving Kaitlyn to tend to her pet.


*

It was nearly two full days later before they actually reached the island, giving Kaitlyn time to learn more from the crew. She had to admit she was curious about it. She had heard different Navy men speak of islands that pirates used as caches but had never given any thought to actually seeing one. Not that she had ever believed she'd be on a ship full of buccaneers either.

When the ship docked many of the crew got off them selves, and she realized why Jack intended to bring her with him: there would not be enough supervision aboard to keep her out of trouble. She waited patiently for him to finish giving his orders then followed him ashore. He immediately headed off to the east away from the populated beach. He had been coming to the Isle for years and could find his stash in the dark. After a moment of silence he looked back at Kaitlyn who was following behind him, gazing around at the small shacks that were along the beach and some of the crew men that had wandered out there.

“Needed a bit of time off the ship,” he explained. She nodded a little, understanding why so many of them would want to get out onto real land for a bit. He glanced over toward the beach, himself, then turned and continued walking. He couldn't even begin to fathom what must be going through her mind, seeing dilapidated hovels and filthy men all over the place.

“Have you ever lived here?” She asked after they were a good ways from the beach and moving more towards a rocky area on the other end of the island.

 

He smirked a little but didn't turn to her. “Me? Nah...My home's on the sea, love. Always has been,” he said. Silence fell between them again as they traveled further along the coast of the island.

“Are those sapodilla trees?” She questioned as she spotted dozens of very tall trees a little further inland. Almost the second she drew attention to the trees, Pepe jumped down and took off for them. Jack watched the monkey run off then looked at her.

“Apparently,” he said then looked back over at them. Some of those trees were well over fifty feet high, and he hoped the monkey could find his own way back down, because he had no intentions of saving it. Kaitlyn gave a sigh then started off after Pepe, leaving Jack to stand there and wait as patiently as possible. Not more than fifteen minutes later they both made their way back over to him, arms full of sapodilla fruit.

“They're for Pepe,” she said. Jack grinned but said nothing. He had watched the monkey chucking them down at her from the tree; he'd been slightly concerned about her welfare on a few occasions, but thought it was in his best interest not to say anything. Rather, he turned and continued walking until they reached some rougher terrain.

“Watch yer step, love,” he said and hopped across a small crevice in the rocks. She looked down at it then decided carrying the fruit probably wasn't the brightest idea and started sitting them down carefully.

“We'll get them on the way back, Pepe,” she said then watched the monkey jump across, still carrying several sapodillas of his own, apparently unwilling to give up his own food, even at risk getting hurt or killed. Jack stood smirking then reached out for her hand when she started across. The last thing he needed was to carry her back with a broken leg.

“Thank you,” she said then continued following him until he motioned for her to stop. He looked down over the side of the rocks then pointed towards small ship that was floating just offshore. She looked at the ship then at him, slightly confused about what he was telling her.

“Either picking up or dropping off their swag. Either way its best we wait,” he said then watched a few men come back out of the cave and get another load from their ship. Most crews that were in the process of hiding their plunder would just as soon shoot than ask questions, and with good reason. Jack couldn't help but take note of a few pieces they were carrying in. He might just have to stop and take a look around once they left. Kaitlyn picked up Pepe to keep him calm while they waited and finally sat him down again when they saw the ship pulling away from the shore.

“Right then, be going down now,” Jack said and stepped down onto a rock. It was only about twelve feet to the bottom and there were plenty of places to easily climb down as long as care was taken. Kaitlyn watched him for a moment then stepped out onto the rocks, making sure to follow his path, staying near enough that she wouldn't get hurt.

Once they reached the bit of beach at the bottom, Jack headed off again, stopping when he saw two men further down the beach, studying the rocks and crevices. He could tell by the way they were searching that they didn't have any stash of their own hidden there; they were looking to make off with someone else's. He just smirked a little and kept walking.

“Lovely day for thievery, eh mates?” he asked cheerfully. Both were startled from their search and had their guns drawn almost immediately. Jack has his brandished nearly as quickly and kept himself between the two of them and Kaitlyn.

“Just passing through,” he said while watching them. Neither looked particularly smart, which could either help or hinder in these sorts of situations.

“That right?” Asked the taller one as he stepped a bit closer, making sure they were both well aware of his pistol.

“Aye,” Jack grinned and pointed at him, “wouldn't want you thinking we're here to pillage your plunder.”

 

Both men just continued to watch them silently, not offering to lower their weapons. Jack sighed inwardly; some people just needed a little more convincing than others.

“You do have plunder here, aye?” He asked then stepped a little closer to the tall one, as if he were about to tell him a secret. “Between you and me, mate, the best treasure is over in the caves and crevies on the northern side of the isle,” he said in a hushed voice, “saw ol' Cap'n Whatsisname unloading some gold and porcelain there with me own eyes.”

“Why ain't ya over there taking it yourself then?”

 

Jack grinned a little; at least they were smart enough to be suspicious. “I have far better things to be doing today, mate,” he said and gestured towards Kaitlyn. She said nothing to contradict him, knowing it would be in their best interest to avoid talking. Both men glanced at her then smirked knowingly.

“Why ya tellin' us?” The shorter one asked. Jack smirked a little and put his gun away before going back to speaking with both words and hands.

“Well the way I see it, mate. Can I call you mate?” He asked as he walked over not waiting for a reply. “Since I saved you the hassle of scouring this desolate rock, you could give me a cut of yer spoils...say...ten percent?” Both men looked at each other then the shorter one smirked and nodded.

“Sounds `bout right,” he said.

 

Jack nodded then spun around and made his way back over near Kaitlyn. “Then we have an accord,” he said and put his arm around her shoulders, “me and the lass will be on our way then.”

He grinned at them both and then started walking, keeping her with him; mostly to convince them he was anxious to be alone with her, they were pirates after all and understood what it was like to be at sea without the company of a woman, but partly because neither had put away their weapons yet. He might be a pirate but he wouldn't just leave her there unarmed.

He could hear them talking quietly while they walked away and kept himself alert incase it seemed they would follow and cause any trouble. After walking for a bit he felt Kaitlyn shift and glance up at him. He had been paying so much attention to his surroundings, that he hadn't realized he still had his arm around her and wondered why she hadn't threatened him yet. Her silence confused him for a second then it donned on him that she had most likely never had a pistol pointed at her before. That wasn't something that happened often to young women like her.

“You alright, lass?” He asked when he turned a bit to check behind them, taking his arm off of her in the process. She nodded then glanced behind them too.

“Will they really give you part of the treasure?” She asked.

 

Jack smirked a bit and kept walking. “Be surprised if they did. Northern side of the island is nothin' but sand and iguanas,” he replied. She looked at him for a minute and then laughed. She only wished she could see the looks on their faces when they got there.

She stopped walking after a few moments and watched Jack as he examined some rocks and crevies before grinning and kneeling down on the ground. He then reached into a crevice where he apparently had his `necessities' stashed. She was nearly dumbfounded when he pulled out a bottle of rum and reached back in to get more.

“Rum? We came here for rum? Not for food, fresh water, supplies or even treasure? We came here for rum?” She asked incredulously. Jack glanced back at her and smirked.

“I did say I was here for necessities, darling,” he said and went back to the crevice.

“We could have died so that you could have rum?” She asked in disbelief.

“Not just any rum, love, this is some of the finest rum in the-” he said then nearly lost his balance and fell into the rocks as something hit him in the back. He turned just in time to see her chuck a second sapodilla at him, hitting him in the shoulder. He quickly pulled his arm out of the crevice and stood up.

“I'm willing to share it,” he said grinning wickedly, actually finding the look she was giving him to be funny as hell.

“Share? You want to share, do you?” She asked as she tossed another fruit at him, clearly not intending to cause real harm. Jack's eyes widened in surprise and he jumped out of the way.

“Missed me that time, love,” he sniggered at her. She let out a frustrated cry and stalked back down the beach a little ways, knowing it wouldn't be wise to stray too far from him. Jack couldn't help chuckling after her then looked down at Pepe.

“Looks like you'll need to pick some more fruit, mate,” he said as he kneeled down again and went back to finding his stash. He furrowed his brow after a few unsuccessful moments and reached in further.

“Could have sworn I had more rum in here,” he said then looked at Pepe, “don't suppose you'd be willing to go in and get me rum, mate?” Pepe looked at him then scooted closer to the opening when he pulled his arm out and then crawled inside. Jack waited silently for a minute then heard the most hideous squawking noise come from the inside the crevice.

“That doesn't sound good,” he observed and looked into the crevice. The monkey was trying to climb out and having a hard time of it.

“Might help if you let go of your fruit,” he grinned a bit then stopped when he realized Kaitlyn would probably be coming back with all this noise. “You're going to get me in trouble, mate,” he said then reached in and tried to take the fruit from Pepe which caused the noise to escalate from frightened to somewhere between irritated and `about to bite his hand off.'

“Right...bad idea,” he mused then tried to shush the increasingly vocal monkey.

“What are you doing to Pepe?”

 

Jack cringed the second he heard the words then turned to her and offered her a charming smile. “Seems your pet got stuck.”

 

Her eyes flicked from him to the crevice. “You sent Pepe in to get your rum?” She instantly knelt down beside him and looked inside.

“Monkey offered...” he said. Kaitlyn looked at him then closed her eyes for a moment in silent meditation. As much as he frustrated her, it was nearly impossible to be angry at him. She always wanted to laugh at his creative explanations.

"Of course he did,” she said then reached in to pet him and then pulled the sapodilla out. "Come on, Pepe...if Jack wants his rum he can get it himself."

 

Jack looked down at the fruit, and then watched the monkey peek out at them. "See anything in there, mate?" He asked hopefully.

 

Kaitlyn just looked at him and then rolled her eyes and pulled Pepe out, reaching in herself. "You probably drank it all,” she said while feeling around inside. “I think there's something back here."

 

Jack grinned and just couldn't help himself. "Just watch out for spiders and lizards, darling."

"What!?" She shrieked as she stumbled backwards, wasting no time in getting her arm out of the crevice. Jack just chuckled.

"Never mind," he said and reached back in himself, finally getting his hand on another bottle of rum that Pepe had knocked over.

"It looks like I need to replenish my stock,” he said then stood grabbing the two bottles he had retrieved. Kaitlyn picked up Pepe then followed Jack back up and collected the sapodillas she left at the top, before continuing back across the beach with him, not really saying much.

 

Her silence was noted when they got back onto the ship. Mr. Gibbs had returned and was getting the ship ready to sail by the time they returned. "Something wrong?" He inquired as they both boarded the ship.

"Captain Jackass," she emphasized, “almost got us killed so that he could get two bottles of rum," she said pleasantly and smirked at Jack before walking off to the cabin.

Gibbs did his best to suppress his laughter but couldn't help the grin that overtook him.

 

Jack watched her walk away then looked at his first mate. “At least she called me Captain," he muttered then wandered up to the helm.