Proffitable Affairs

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean.

Chapter 13

Mary was idly chewing on a piece of orange while leaning over the rail when she heard Gibbs’ voice.
“Bloody hell! It happened again! Someone stole me money!” He announced as he arrived in the middle of the deck and looked around.
Mary turned to him with a frown while Jack was already walking down the stairs from the helm to get to him.
“Stole?” Jack asked as his eyes started scanning each and everyone of the crew.
“Aye! It’s the second time in three months!” Gibbs exclaimed as he too looked at the rest of the crew with narrowed eyes.
“Maybe you simply lost your money, Gibbs.” Jack said, not wanting to cause mayhem.
“I did not loose it! Someone stole it from me!” The older man insisted as his eyes fell on Mary.
“I didn’t do it!” She quickly defended herself, wrongly interpreting his look for one of suspicion.
Jack’s chuckle rang in her ears and she turned to stick her tongue out to him, her cheeks flushing. Jack’s eyebrows went up at her gesture and he winked before he turned to Gibbs again, missing the widening of Mary’s eyes at his, could she dare call it, intimate gesture.
“Check your things and hammock again, mate. Maybe you lost it. We can’t go suspecting each other now, can we? Right, gents?” Jack said as he looked at his men with dark and warning eyes. They all nodded in agreement and Jack turned to walk back to the helm, leaving a fuming Gibbs behind him.
“Someone robbed me and I know it!” Gibbs hissed as he came to stand next to Mary.
“Perhaps…you should look for your money again.” Mary said quietly after looking away from a certain crewman’s gaze who had been staring at her for two days now. It unnerved her.
“Nay, lass. I even know who stole it!” Gibbs insisted and she looked at him with wide eyes.
“Who?” She whispered and Gibbs looked at the man who had been staring at her openly before he turned to her.
“Ol’ Hook there.” He hissed and she gasped.
“But are you certain?” She asked as she visibly flinched.
“Aye, I’ve seen the lad stealing from poor Cotton twice. The old blighter never noticed.” Gibbs said with a roll of his eyes.
“Can’t you search his belongings-…”
“Oh, we don’t do that here, lass. Not unless it’s something serious.” Gibbs quickly shook his head.
“Money is serious.” She pointed out and he scoffed.
“You tell me. I’d been planning on buying a bloody new pistol with it!” He muttered gruffly as he turned and walked away furiously.
Mary blinked and sighed before she moved back from the rail and headed for the cabin, mindful of the eyes that followed her path.

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Mary woke up from her brief nap when she felt Jack’s hand nudging her awake.
“Hmm? What?” she mumbled and he cleared his throat.
“Cotton fetched warm water. Thought you might want to wash up.” He said as he looked down at her posture. She was lying on the bed in her nightdress with her arms on either side of her head and her legs slightly parted.
“Really?” Her voice brought his gaze up to her face again, quite guiltily in fact.
“’Course, love. I’ll stay at the helm until late so…The cabin’s yours.” He said with a quick grin and a flourish. She smiled up at him and sat up.
“Alright…I’ll just wash in the side cabin.” She said as she stood up from the bed and headed for the bucket of warm water.
“Need help with it?” He asked when he saw her leaning towards it, but having trouble picking it up.
“Eh…No.” she muttered as she started dragging the bucket instead of carrying it to the side cabin. Jack watched with amusement her noble attempt, but didn’t interfere in fear of offending her; again.
It’s not me fault that she’s easily offended. He thought as he watched her gathering a small towel and a clean nightdress.
Perhaps I should offer her a hand. He thought while biting his bottom lip at the thought of her washing herself in his cabin.
“Oh shut it!” He hissed out loud and she turned to him with wide eyes.
“Pardon?” She asked and he looked at her quickly.
“Nothing. Have a nice bath.” He muttered hastily before he darted out of the cabin in a hurry. Mary frowned, but then shrugged and removed her nightdress. She started washing herself with the lukewarm water.

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Half an hour later…

Jack reached into his pocket, but sighed with annoyance when he found it empty. He felt around his belt, but his compass was nowhere to be found.
“Bloody hell! Cotton!” he called, “Take over for a moment.” He said and the older man stepped in his place.
Jack walked swiftly down the stairs and headed for his cabin. He looked around at the empty deck and smirked with relief.
“Such a nice occurrence…” He murmured, but stopped short when he found the cabin door half open.
“Strange…Thought I had closed the door.” He said with a furrowed brow as he continued walking towards it. He pushed it fully open and looked around. His eyes settled on his open drawer and on his compass-less desk.
“What…” He trailed off as he immediately turned towards the side cabin. His eyes narrowed and slowly darkened when he saw a tall, male figure peering through the small doorway that led to the place where he had left Mary to wash. His hand went instinctively to his pistol when he realized that the man was Hook and that he was indeed currently secretly watching his wife naked.
Wife? His inner voice asked as he slowly took a few steps towards the drooling man.
That’s bloody right. My wife.
“Enjoying yourself, mate?” Jack hissed at last and Hook quickly turned around while Mary stopped what she was doing to look at the doorway and at the two men. She yelped and quickly reached for her nightdress, which she clumsily wrapped around her dripping body.
“Eh, Captain I-…” Drake Hook started, but Jack waved his pistol at him.
“Save it.” He said in a low voice that Mary had never heard before.
“Not only you come in me private quarters to steal me compass and valuable possessions, but I also find you secretly watching me naked wife bathing. What could you possibly have to say?” Jack hissed as he glared at the man who was looking everywhere but him.
“I…What I mean-…”
“Shut up!” Jack shouted suddenly as his face flushed with anger.
“Me compass.” He outstretched his hand impatiently.
“I don’t-…” Hook started.
“I said, hand me over me compass.” Jack repeated while Mary stared at them wide eyed. When the man didn’t move Jack removed the safety from his pistol and gritted his teeth.
“Are you deaf, boy?” he whispered venomously and Hook quickly dove in his pocket for the compass.
“The maps too.” The pirate captain ordered and soon he had his things clasped in his hand.
“Now get out. I’ll deal with you in a moment.” He said as he waved his pistol towards the door. Hook scurried out of the cabin in shame and Jack was able to focus on the petrified young woman in front of him. He put his pistol away and stepped towards her as his face softened.
“Alright, kitten?” He asked and she nodded.
“Was he really watching me?” She questioned in a high pitched voice and he nodded, trying not to be distracted by the water drops that were sliding down her neck towards her breasts to hide beneath the nightdress she had clutched around her body.
“I didn’t notice him at all.” She whispered as she blushed and looked away from him.
“Well, you should be more watchful, love. It’s a pirate ship.” He pointed out and she immediately agreed.
“I will…Can you just…” She trailed off and he cleared his throat before he turned away to let her dress.
“I-…I’ll just be on deck.” He called before he walked away rather nervously. Since when did the sight of her skin had such an effect on his breathing?

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When Mary exited the cabin she found most of the crewmen on deck. They were all leaning over the rail.
“What happened?” She called as she stepped next to Jack.
“The bloody idiot jumped into the sea.” Jack snickered as he stepped away, silently dismissing the subject.
“But…but aren’t you going to call him back? We’re in the middle of the sea!” She gasped as she followed Jack up to the helm.
“So? He’s no longer me responsibility. He jumped. Besides, I do not want thieves upon me ship.” He drawled and she blinked.
“But-You’re pirates, Jack!” She exclaimed incredulously and he looked at her blankly.
“No thieves aboard ships. Pirate ones or otherwise. It’s a principal.” He stated and she sighed.
“Principal…I see.” She said as she turned towards the ocean that lay in front of them.
“Now, now, love, just forget about him, aye? Now, I want you to look right over…” he trailed off as he pulled her between him and the helm and placed his hands on the spokes, “there. See that?” He murmured in her ear as her wet hair brushed his nose and cheek.
“Yes. What is that?” she asked as she rose up on her tiptoes to see better.
“That, love, is Singapore.” He said as he placed his chin on her shoulder and grinned while he slowly guided the Pearl closer to the piece of land that lay ahead.

End of chapter 13