Barter

A/N: Chapter Two is really very short, but that's why it's going up with chapter one. I didn't really want it as part of chapter one though. So, okay. Feedback please. It's like Jack, you can never get enough.

Chapter Two


"Now, Mr. Sparrow, you /did/ say anything."

Jack stared at the man in front of him. He had a point. But honestly. This was... not something he had had in mind when he'd said anything.

"Well, by anything, I really meant," Jack started flamboyantly, before Johnson stopped him mid-gesture.

"Mr. Sparrow, whatever you may have meant, you /said/ anything. And I do believe you are a man of your word. Though, even if you are not, I believe you will cooperate or Tank and Buck here will help matters along." Johnson gestured to the two very large, very black men beside him.

"Well when you put it that way," Jack smiled, flashing the assorted crew with a view of his rather grimy mouth. And the gold bits in his mouth. Huh. That might... "Actually, perhaps we can come to an alternative," he smiled again, leaving his mouth open as he continued to talk.

"Ou see, 'is 'old in 'ee 'eeth? Eh? Why not take that as payment instead?" He held his mouth open in a smile and pointed at his teeth with large gestures.

"Perhaps I will Mr. Sparrow. My patience is growing thin. Remove your clothes."

Jack dropped his shoulders and smile in defeat, well it seemed he would not be talking his way out of this one, for the moment. He shrugged and started with his boots. Might as well take his time.

"Do get on it with it, Mr. Sparrow," Johnson said impatiently as Jack took a particularly large amount of time undoing the complicated apparatus holding his shirt on. (It was tucked in to his breeches, you see.) Jack sighed resignedly and finished removing his clothing, handing it to the man in front of him. He figured he could simply refuse to be embarrassed, much like he refused to care about some things. Yes, that would work.

"Albert, the chains."

"Is that really necessary," Jack looked towards the portly man carrying an armful of insidious looking metal. "See, I'm cooperating..." He pointed at himself, adopting an I'm innocently helpful look.

"Yes."

Jack sighed. It seemed this would be part of his 'anything'. He wondered if he would have been better off back at the island. Well, he would have been considerably happier, or at least considerably drunker. And he had negotiated with Johnson that he would only do 'anything' for a year. One year of anything Johnson wanted him to do. The problem apparently, wasn't with the length of time, so much as the anything itself.

Yes the anything would certainly be being a problem Jack figgered as his arms were bound behind his back, and his ankles bound together with the very heavy chains.

"Mate, are ye sure this is absolutely necessary?" Jack asked, struggling. It wasn't really struggling so much as the habit he had of using his entire body to speak. Being naked and bound was going to be a serious hindrance to effective communication.

The sharp backhand from Johnson convinced him that he was going to at least pretend it was necessary too. He smiled a 'thank you for that, really,' smile at the other captain. The second backhand caused him to nod, in at least mock understanding. Seems smiling was not quite the proper response.

"Now Mr. Sparrow, I will leave you here alone."

Jack attempted to resist another 'thank-you, really' smile, but it just didn't happen. "If yer sure about this then," he called after Johnson sighing as the taller man walked out of the dank cabin.

He realized in some small sober part of his head that he probably ought to work on finding some way out of this predicament. He also realized that a way out would come along eventually. And he was feeling awfully sleepy, and it seemed Johnson had a fairly comfortable looking bed in his cabin. Jack clattered over, annoyed slightly by the chains and worked his way onto the grimy, but soft bed. "Might as well get me zzz's in," he murmured to no one, or possibly the floor as he fell quickly asleep.