The Chinese New Year

Chapter Nineteen

Jack walked out of the cabin, blinking against the harshness of the sun. Will was at the helm, Gibbs had taught him how to handle it, when he became captain of The Search. Jack cleared his throat, placed his hands behind his back in a very captain-y manner, and sauntered up to Will.

"How long have you been steering?" Jack asked.

Will didn't look at him. "Since last night. It helps clear my head." Will turned the wheel ten degrees west. "The sea has been calm, though, so it's not that rough. I can handle it."

Jack looked down at Will's hands, and saw that his knuckles had turned ghastly white, he was gripping the wheel so hard. Jack made a face, and grabbed one of the spokes. "I can releave you."

"No. I'm good." Will replied, knocking Jack's hand off the wheel.

"It's not like I steered a ship before." Jack joked, hoping to lighten up the tense mood.

"Yes, but every single time you do, you seem to sink it." Will looked straight at Jack, venom dripping from his voice. "I succesfully 'commandered' this ship. Therefore, I decide who steers it or not."

Jack was taken aback. "You don't trust me?" he asked, feeling hurt.

"No, Jack, I don't." Will moved the wheel a little to the left. "Now please, if you can, leave me be."

Jack nodded and left, like the captain told him to. He walked down onto the lower deck, talking to some crew members who asked him what had happened and how he survived the Kracken, hoping to hear a wonderful story. Instead, Jack told the truth.

"I ran. As soon as I made my way out of the sea beastie, I ran. I washed ashore of a port, got treated, and imprisoned. Nothing exciting at all." he said, with a frown on his face.

Ragetti and Pintel looked at each other. "That's it? No demons? No fight?"

Jack shook his head. "Nope. I just ran away. You really expect me to fight a thousand pound or more beast and win?" Jack scoffed and walked away, to find Gibbs and get some advice. Gibbs was always good for that.

(1)(2)(3)

Gibbs was down below, sorting through the invetory on the new ship. This Sao Teng must have been loaded... he thought, as he sorted through expensive herbs, spices, meats and fruits. He found the liquor cabinet and looked through it. Ooh.... Gibbs nodded in improvement. Brandy...scotch...rum... ale... nice stash. Jack's going to like that.

At that moment, he heard footsteps climb down the steps, and quickly recognized them as Jack's. He grinned, finding the key to the cabinet, and unlocked it.

"Hey mate." Gibbs greeted, grabbing a bottle of scotch and looking at the label. Unlike normal pirates, he could read. "Where you've been?"

"Lost." Jack chuckled as he saw Gibb's piggy eyes wander over labels of booze. "But nothing keeps me away, mate."

Gibbs nodded and placed down the bottle, picking up another one in the process. "Glad ter hear tha'." he shook his head at the bottle and went to get another one. "Happy ta see ya, Jack."

"Yeah, I'm happy to see me too." Jack sighed, leaning against the wall next to Gibbs.

Gibbs stopped his duty and looked Jack up and down. He had seen him this way before- many times. His posture was down, his shoulder's drooped, twidling his thumbs, a permanent frown on his face... yet his eyes held some life. Gibbs sighed, knowing that Jack came for advice... didn't he always? Gibbs was the one who practically raised him before Jack joined the East India Trading Company, and he was also the one who taught him the in and outs of pirating. They were always there for eachother- whether it be another one of Jack's hairbrained ideas or Gibb's desire to go after woman.

"What's troublin' ye, Jack?" Gibb asked, giving his full attention to his friend.

"Nothing." Jack said. Sigh. He always did this.

"I know ye well enough, Jack. I know when somethin' is troublin' ya. What is it?" Gibbs said, taking on his no - nonsense attitude.

Jack was silent for a minute, then cleared his throat. "It's her. She loves me."

"What's so bad about that?" Gibbs asked, confused.

"I never thought that... that..."

"You loved her back?" Gibbs replied, and watched as Jack turned his head to look at him. "It's okay, Jack. People fall in love all the time. If I remember correctly, you've fallen in love quite a few times."

Jack sighed and went back to twidling his thumbs. "This is different." he sighed again. "I actually... care about her feelings... not just about her body...like the others."

"And yer scared?"

Jack went silent, and paused his twidling thumbs. After a couple of seconds, he nodded.

"Huh." Gibbs went to grab a bottle of rum, and turned back to Jack.

"What?" Jack asked, looking at the older man.

"My friend, take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice." Gibbs said, and thrusted a bottle of rum into Jack's hands, and turned back to his inventory duties.

Jack stared at the bottle, and sighed, giving up. He uncorked it and took a deep drink, allowing the liquor to run hotly down his throat. He swallowed it and made a refreshed sound. Then he took another sip. "Good brew." he stated, and heard Gibbs chuckle, and Jack took another sip, smiling at Gibbs.

(1)(2)(3)

Sao Teng kicked away the boards to the alter. He was fuming over the lost of his bride and his ship.

Damn that Jack Sparrow.

"Prepare that ship." Teng ordered the sailors, pointing at The Search. "We need to go get... help."

Yong looked his boss, fear in his eyes. "You don't mean..."

"Yes, I do." Teng replied. Then he screamed out the next order. "SET SAIL FOR ISLA CRUCES!" he grinned as he saw everyone prepare for the voyge. "We need to make a visit to a very old, very sea friendly, friend, Yong."