Bound By Blood

Chapter 2:

A/N: Well what do you think so far? Tabby is undoubtedly gifted with the ability to twist words around to confuse just about anyone who will listen. Reminds you of a certain pirate doesn’t it? Please read and review!!

Gus’ voice brought Tabby out of her silent thoughts. “Well Tabby, here we are, Shipwreck Cove.”

“Oh thank you.” Her violet eyes fell upon a massive structure built of the wreckage of many ships. She noticed all the cannons placed about the structure simply waiting to send any intruder to the depths and straight to Davy Jones locker. Gus had rowed the dingy up to the pier and held onto one of the wooden columns to steady it so that Tabby could climb out of it. She exited the dingy and turned around to tell Gus goodbye. “I don’t suppose you would want to come with me?”

“No ma’am. I have no business in Shipwreck Cove, but you most certainly do. Good luck with finding your father and all.”

“Thank you.” She waved quickly as she watched the gray haired old man begin rowing away from the pier to return to Tortuga. Tabby headed down the pier towards the town that was Shipwreck Cove. Her eyes roamed over the many bridges that weaved through the sky and linked parts of the building that was constructed from the wreckage of many doomed pirate ships. She was startled greatly when the blade of a sword suddenly came out from behind her and rested dangerously close against her throat. Tabby froze in her tracks and started to reach for her pistol but thought better of it when the blade pressed even harder against her neck. Not wanting to be killed she raised her hands slowly.

“Yer trespassing wench. What business have ye here?” The man’s voice was rough sounding in her ear. He was a pirate no doubt.

“I’m here to find my father.”

“Yer father ye say? An’ jus’ who might that be?”

“Teague Sparrow.” Suddenly the blade at her throat faltered before dropping away from her body altogether.

“Captain Teague?”

“Yes that’s right, Captain Teague Sparrow. Do you know him?”

“Everybody knows Captain Teague missy. He keeps an eye over the Code.”

“The code?”

“Yeah the book of pirate Code, our laws ye might call them.”

“Do you know where I might find Captain Teague?”

“I might. Does the Captain know yer looking for him?”

“No he doesn’t.”

“Then how should I know yer telling the truth bout being his brat? I ain’t never heard Captain Teague say nothing bout a daughter. Heard plenty bout his son Jack though.”

Seeing this as a way to get the man to take her to Teague Sparrow she decided to use his mention of Jack to her advantage. “ Yes Jack’s my brother. Have you seen him?”

“No Jack don’t come t’ Shipwreck Cove unless it can’t be avoided. He an’ Captain Teague don’t get along. Don’t see things eye t’ eye ye might say.”

“I see. It’s quite important that I talk to my father. You see I have something of his and I’m sure that he would want it back. And being able to give him back said property would require me being able to speak with him. So you see I really need to have a word with Captain Teague.”

“How do I know yer not lying bout being his brat?”

“You don’t. It could all just be some made up story just to get the Captain alone and do as I please with him.”

The pirate turned her around to look at her. Seeing the sly grin that began to spread across her pretty face he grinned as well showing off his many missing teeth. “I knew ye was lying! Yer not his brat, yer here t’ keep the Captain company aren’t ye?”

Seeing this as her golden opportunity Tabby immediately played along. “Exactly. So if you would be so kind as to take me to Captain Teague? I’m quite certain he’s expecting me.”

“Right away. The Captain don’t like t’ be kept waiting at all. So we better hurry.”

“Indeed, I wouldn’t want to get you into any trouble for making me late.” The pirate grabbed her by the arm and started walking quickly towards the heart of the building. They finally arrived at a long winding staircase and the man stopped abruptly letting go of her arm. “Why are we stopping?”

“The Captain’s room is at the top of these stairs. It’s at the very end of the hallway, big heavy double wooden doors with gold handles. Ye can’t miss it.” Seeing that the pirate wasn’t going to be accompanying her up the stairs she simply began climbing them alone. It seemed like there was a million of them by the time she had reached the top of the staircase. Pausing at the huge doors she looked around nervously. Just as she was about to knock the doors opened making her jump back a little.

“I’ve been expecting ye.” The man’s voice was a bit rough and held an unmistakable note of authority in it. Tabby cautiously entered the large and very dimly lit room. There were only a few candles burning to cast a small amount of light. Otherwise the room was like a dungeon. Her violet eyes darted around quickly as they adjusted to the darkness of the room. Suddenly they fell upon a man with long thick dark black dreadlocked hair and coffee colored eyes. He lay stretched out across a large four poster bed made of iron that was covered with black satin sheets. He was dressed in only a pair of black breeches and nothing else. This was him, this was Teague Sparrow, her father! Teague beckoned her over to the bedside and she padded over slowly. The sound of the doors slamming shut behind her startled her making Teague chuckle. “Well they just keep getting younger don’t they?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“The company they send me.”

“Company?”

“Wenches, whores. Whatever it is that ye women call yourselves these days.”

“Oh. Oh! No um, I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

“Has there now?”

“Yes. You see, I’m not here for….” Her voice trailed off as Teague rose to a kneeling position on his bed and leaned closer to her. He reached out and took a strand of her curly coffee colored locks in his hand. She looked around the room nervously as the older man twisted her hair around his fingers slowly. Letting her hair fall from his hand he then reached out to touch the soft column of her throat making her gasp nervously. With a wave of his hand he pushed her tricorne hat aside to fall on the floor behind her.

“Yer quite a pretty little thing. Look here at me girl, I want t’ see yer eyes.” Tabby forced herself to look at him opening her violet eyes wide. Teague leaned in and was about to kiss her when he suddenly noticed the color of Tabby’s eyes. It stopped him where he sat knelt in front of her. “Yer eyes! It can’t be!”

Teague suddenly pushed her away from him as if the very sight of her made him ill. Tabby stood at his bedside unsure what to do or say. “Who the hell sent ye t’ my bed?”

“No one sent me!”

“Lies! Who sent me a wench with her eyes? I told them never t’ send me a wench with eyes like hers!”

“Like hers?” Suddenly it dawned on Tabby that he was talking about her mother. “You mean Amelia?” The mention of her name made his head whip back around towards her quickly. She could see the obvious longing that remained for her mother in his eyes before he quickly banished it.

“Amelia, that’s a name I haven’t heard in years.”

“That’s my mother’s name.”

“Yer mother?”

“Yes, but you already knew that, didn’t you?”

“I knew nothing of the sort! Ye are Amelia’s daughter then?”

“I am.”

“Ye have her eyes. Why have ye come t’ Shipwreck Cove girl?”

“To find you Captain Teague.”

“Well ye found me. Now what’s yer purpose here?”

“My mother.”

“What about her? How is Amelia?”

“She’s dead.” The man’s face seemed to darken a bit almost as if he was saddened by the knowledge of her death. But he banished the emotion from his face so quickly Tabby couldn’t be certain that she had seen a flicker of anything on his face.

“When?”

“Two weeks ago.”

“I see. I didn’t know she was ill.”

“How could you? You walked out on her years ago. At least that’s what I was told recently.”

“Amelia told ye bout me then?”

“She did, reluctantly. Perhaps the only reason she told me is because I found some things in an old jewelry box that you had given to her.” Tabby took the opportunity to pull a small black velvet bag from her right pant pocket and handed it over to him. Teague took the bag from her and opened it carefully. His brown eyes misted over briefly as he pulled out the silver band woven like a rope and his pale blue handkerchief that Amelia had made for him all those years ago. Tabby couldn’t help but notice the wrinkle of Teague’s brow as he clearly was hoping to find something else in the bag. Her hand went up to brush over the silver locket around her neck. “Looking for this?”

Teague’s eyes raised to find her fingers clutching a delicate silver locket. “Where did ye get that?”

“Out of my mother’s jewelry box. I suppose you gave this to her as well?”

“I did.”

“Did you love my mother?”

“I did, but it was a long time ago girl.”

“You love her still. Why did you leave her?”

“When Amelia told me that she was pregnant it scared the life out of me. I had t’ get as far away as I could. Jus’ wasn’t cut out t’ be a father.”

“How do you know?”

“Cause I’m a pirate missy, not a family man. Didn’t like the idea of being tied t’ one woman for the rest of my life. Or having t’ be responsible for any brats.”

“You’re selfish then.”

“Indeed I am. Never tried t’ pretend I wasn’t.”

“So you walked out on both of us then?”

“I did. If it makes ye feel any better I did the same thing t’ yer brother Jack and his mother, Olivia.”

“So it’s true, I have a brother?”

“Yes, name’s Jack Sparrow. I don’t suppose ye have met him?”

“Not that I’m aware of, no. Were you in love with his mother?”

“Olivia? I suppose I thought I was at the time. We were young and knew nothing bout love or life. All I knew was that she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I had t’ have her. So I married her and she quickly got pregnant with little Jack. I tried t’ be a husband and father for a while. But the sea and a life of piracy just kept calling out t’ me. So one night while they were sleeping I left. Went t’ Indonesia and that’s where I met yer mother. I was instantly taken with her.”

“Did you marry her too?”

“I did.”

“But you were still married to Olivia?”

“I was, but yer mother knew nothing bout her or Jack.”

“And you didn’t offer to tell her about them?”

“Didn’t see any reason t’ tell her.”

“And when my mother became pregnant with me?”

“I pulled the same disappearing act on her that I had pulled with Olivia.”

“Except this time you didn’t even wait around for me to be born. You just left my mother alone and pregnant in Indonesia.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Your apology comes a little too late considering I’m already grown.”

“Then why have ye come t’ find me if ye don’t need my apologies?”

“I wanted to know the man who was really my father. And now I see he is nothing more than a coward.”

“Watch yer tongue girl. I may not have been around but I’m still yer father! Ye will respect me!” His voice echoed in the large room making her tense visibly. “Tell me now, what’s yer name?”

“My name is Tabby, uh Tabitha Christine Sutton.”

“Sutton? So she didn’t give ye my last name then?”

“No. My mother remarried, a man by the name of Jacob Sutton before I was born. He was a good honest and decent man.”

“So then where is he now?”

“He died at sea when I was twelve, he was a merchant sailor.”

“I see. Well Tabitha, ye certainly have grown up t’ be quite a beautiful young lady.”

“It’s Tabby, I don’t like to be called Tabitha. And believe me, I’m no lady.”

“Really? Do go on.”

“I learned how to use a sword and pistol at an early age and I hated wearing dresses so I mostly went about Indonesia in breeches and shirts and boots instead. I have no desire to get married, don’t want to be tied down to just one man. That I gather must be a trait that I got from you.”

“Yer a free spirit, as is Jack. It turns out that both my children don’t like t’ be tied down. Ye have the same arrogant demeanor as Jackie.”

“Well if that means that I’m nothing like you then I can live with that.”

“Would it be so horrible t’ be like yer old man?”

“Undoubtedly it would.” Teague chuckled at his daughter’s nonchalant flaunting of her obvious contempt of him.

“Well so ye have found me, what will ye do with me now daughter?”

“Nothing. I simply wanted to see the man that abandoned myself and my mother. Now that I have I intend on getting as far away from you as one possibly can.”

“Now ye sound like yer brother. Jackie hates me too.”

“I’m sure he resents you for abandoning him and his mother just as I do. Now then Captain Sparrow, if you will excuse me?” Her formality with him made him frown as he moved to get off his bed.

“Well if yer going t’ be leaving then ye can give me back that locket.”

Her hand instinctively went up to clasp the locket that hung around her neck. “I will not! This was my mother’s and now it’s mine.”

“Aye it was hers and seeing as I gave it t’ her ye have no place in staking a claim on it. Now hand it over!”

“You’ll have to rip it off my cold dead body Captain Sparrow!”

He grinned as he walked over to his desk and grabbed his sword off it. Pointing the blade at her and taking a defensive stance he waited for her to draw her weapon as well. Tabby quickly unsheathed her blade and took a defensive stance as well.

“If that be the only way t’ get me locket back then I guess ye best get ready t’ die.”

“Ha! You don’t scare me in the least Captain Sparrow. I warn you I’m very good with a sword.”

“Well then missy, let’s see it.” Teague lunged at her to attack and she quickly sidestepped his advance. Turning around immediately Tabby thrust her blade at him barely missing his back. Scowling at the young woman Teague turned and began another advance on her. He thrust his blade at her a few times making her have to retreat hastily. Her violet eyes darted around the room looking for a way to gain the upper hand. She had to admit that Teague Sparrow was absolutely excellent with a sword.

Her eyes fell upon a small table that held a bottle of whiskey and a glass that was half filled with the dark colored liquid. She grinned devilishly as she retreated towards the table. Teague smirked arrogantly as he thought for certain he had her cornered like a rat. As soon as Tabby felt the edge of the table brush against her backside she reached around and grabbed the glass of whiskey quickly. With one swift motion she tossed the contents of the glass directly into his face. Teague howled out a curse when the whiskey came into contact with his eyes making them burn and momentarily blinding him. The hand that held his sword fell to his side as his other hand came up to wipe his eyes. Taking her self created opportunity she quickly pressed the sharp point of her blade against the column of his throat.

“Do you yield Captain Sparrow?”

He dropped his sword in defeat angrily, the blade clattering on the floor loudly. “Well done, pirate.”

She grinned broadly at her success in outwitting the older man. “Thank you. Now I do believe that I will be keeping the locket.”

“So it would seem. Care for a drink t’ celebrate yer brilliant act of piracy?”

“I suppose.” Teague smiled as he took the glass from her hand and walked over to the table to pour some whiskey into both of the glasses. He waited for her to sheath her sword before he handed her the glass of whiskey.

“A toast, t’ me brilliant pirate daughter, for being able t’ outsmart her old man.” Tabby grinned as they clinked their glasses together lightly before taking a sip of the whiskey. Teague watched her as she began to relax and look around the room at all the paintings and such that he had plundered from various places. When her back was turned to him he gently set his glass down on the table and quietly pulled his pistol from his breeches. Tabby was looking at a painting that he had stolen while he had sacked a port in a little town in France. He crept up behind her a placed the cocked pistol against her right temple making her freeze where she stood instantly.

“Now me dear, me thinks I’ll be having that locket now.” With a small sigh of defeat she reached up and angrily ripped the locket from her neck. Tabby placed the locket in Teague’s hand roughly. Teague backed away from his daughter allowing her to turn around. The scowl that she flashed at him made him laugh out loud.

“You cheated!”

“Pirate. And as long as we’re keeping score, so did ye darling.”

Her mouth fell open to protest but closed quickly when she realized that she had nothing to say in her defense. She had taken the liberty of doing something underhanded that would give her the advantage in their earlier skirmish. He had simply let her relax before making his move. Tabby watched as Teague placed the locket around his neck. Now she would never get it back.

“That was a dirty trick!”

“Aye it was wasn’t it? Yers was pretty rotten incase ye forgot.”

“No I didn’t forget. Why do you want that locket anyway?”

“It was the last thing I gave Amelia before I left her.”

“What value could it possibly hold to you?”

“Even if ye don’t believe it, I loved yer mother a great deal. I love her still today, never stopped really. Ye can scowl all ye want girl, yer not getting this locket back. Unless of course ye be willing t’ kill yer own father for it.”

Tabby frowned at his words. She may have loathed the man for abandoning her and her mother but she knew that she wasn’t capable of killing him. As rotten as it may be the fact remained that he was still her father.

“You know I can’t kill you. As much as I may hate it, the fact is that you’re my father.”

“So ye will give up the idea of getting the locket back then?”

“I will. On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“I need a way to get out of Shipwreck Cove.”

“Where ye be wanting t’ go missy?”

“Back to Tortuga.”

“That can be arranged. I will have me crew take ye there tonight.”

“Thank you Captain Sparrow.”

“No need t’ be formal darling. I’m yer father.”

“True as that may be I have no desire to call you by that name.”

“Very well, then simply call me Teague.”

“Okay then, Teague, thank you.” Teague Sparrow led his daughter out of his quarters and back down the long winding staircase to the main hall of the fortress that he called his home. They walked quickly down the main hall with every pirate and servant that passed looking at them as they went. Tabby trailed a little behind her father as he led her down to the harbor where many ships were docked along the pier. They walked until they reached the very last ship on the pier. It was a grand ship with large dark crimson colored sails and she could see the many cannons that stuck out of their portholes on the side of the ship. Her violet eyes swept over the decks immediately catching sight of the steps that led up to the lavish captain’s quarters. Teague led her onto the ship, his crew quickly scurrying into position to acknowledge their captain. “This is your ship?”

“Aye darling, this be my ship. She’s grand isn’t she?”

“She’s beautiful. What do you call her?”

“The Dulcibella.”

“She’s incredible.”

“Thank ye darling. Alright ye scoundrels, we be taking a trip t’ Tortuga! Mr. McCarthy!” An older man with graying hair and light green eyes quickly approached them.

“Aye Captain Teague?”

“Ye are t’ be taking the wheel on this trip t’ Tortuga.”

“Aye aye Captain Teague. What be the reason for going t’ Tortuga Captain?”

“Meet me daughter, Tabby Sutton. She is in need t’ get t’ Tortuga.”

“A pleasure t’ be meeting ye Miss Tabby.”

“Thank you, but it’s just Tabby, no miss necessary.” Mr. McCarthy quickly did as Teague had ordered him and the crew instantly began scurrying about the Dulcibella making her ready to sail.

“Now then darling, jus’ go make yerself comfortable in me cabin.”

“But where will you sleep?”

“I won’t be sleeping on this trip, it’s but a short distance from Shipwreck Cove t’ Tortuga. Now run along and get some sleep.” Nodding Tabby headed up the steps into the captain’s quarters and went inside. She placed her holster that held her pistol and her sword on the table that was in the room along with her tricorne leather hat. Stepping out of her boots she pulled back the crimson colored quilt to find black satin sheets adorning the bed.

“Ugh must everything be draped in black satin?” Shaking her head she climbed into bed and pulled the quilt up over her. They would be in Tortuga shortly so she closed her eyes to rest for as long as she could.