A Pirate and Three Navy Men

[all7seas]

Who: lists_to_port, noprevaricating, seventeensir, straightatem
What: Cheering Archie up after tothelibrary was sent home. CHEERING HIM UP AT ALL COSTS.
When: Late Afternoon, 9/8--Early Morning, 9/10
Where: Ocean--aboard the Joanna Joyce
Summary: Archie Kennedy was in the depths of despair after the girl he loved was sent home by the Malnosso. Jack Sparrow hated seeing him so sad and offered a sail to perk him up a bit. And then he offered to let Hornblower come along, which was a supreme sacrifice. And at some point they will dredge the newly-landed Jack Aubrey from the depths. There might be something going on with octopi in this thing, too, eventually.
Rating: This will be rated PG-13 for all the instances in which Sparrow will be annoyed by Horatio Hornblower.


There: the last bottle of rum had been stored aboard the Joanna Joyce. The tally, by the end, was half a dozen bottles of rum, a six pack of something called "Pabst Blue Ribbon", a box of wine, three bottles of champagne, a bottle of scotch, and a bottle of whiskey. It might almost be enough to get Jack Sparrow through the hours of being with Hornblower in close quarters that were soon to follow. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the two Navy men to show up at the shore. For the occasion, Jack had brought the Joanna in to the southernmost dock. The King's Men would not have to swim today.

Comments

[simplestgift]

Archie only waited.

[all7seas]

"Defends him. 'Jack, you shouldn't want him dead, he'll have a penalty. Had higher expectations of you.'"

[simplestgift]

Archie sighed and bowed his head, letting Jack go on. He could venture neither advice nor an opinion, not when it was Jack's turn to talk. He didn't know what opinion to have, anyway, without hearing what Buffy had to say, but his opinion was hardly the point in any of this. He wasn't here to play judge. Jack needed him. That was the point.

"Go on."

[all7seas]

There was a moment during which the pirate hung on to that rail as though he thought standing was a necessary and good and important thing. Then, apparently, his body disagreed with him on that matter and Jack was on the deck again, this time curling in and wrapping around himself. He had to focus, he decided, on breathing and not chundering again. Sparrow couldn't abide sick people. He was rarely sick himself. He NEVER reacted this way after drinking.

He had probably never drunk this much at one sitting.

"Nowhere left to go," he mumbled.

[simplestgift]

"You tried to have him killed. Because once upon a time, you believe he hurt Buffy." It was a reiteration for clarification, to prompt the pirate into elaborating.

[all7seas]

"No," came the muffled voice of the curled-up man. "Tried to have him killed because he broke her one night. Did something to her what broke her. Offered her immortality or such...she had nightmares that night, mate--woke her in the night. Kept her awake. My Annie."

[simplestgift]

"You do not know, yet you tried to have him killed." How many times had Jack argued the wisdom in leaving Grell alone after she had nearly killed them both? And yet now, with another powerful creature and only a fraction of the story, he'd done exactly the opposite of his counsel with Grell.

"And if he did mean to harm her, and he returned from death with a grudge? Do you think you could protect her from him then? Have you ever fought a vampire, Jack?"

[all7seas]

"Crossbow. Let me alone. I've ruined it. I've disappointed her. She doesn't want me, Kennedy."

A deep, shuddering breath. Crimes of passion were not Jack Sparrow's style. Vengeance? Yes---plotted coldly and methodically. No--he'd never fought a vampire. He'd been nearly drained by one, but never...

All he'd been able to think of was how satisfying it would be to hear of Angel's death. Another Slayer in town? He couldn't resist mentioning the vampire to her.

[simplestgift]

A sigh. "Of course she wants you. But Jack, anything could have caused her to wake up screaming. It didn't have to be him, or if it was, he might not have meant any harm. I could do it, or you could. All that needs to happen is for her to be reminded of something." He settled a little more beside the pirate. "Of course she wants you, Jack. She doesn't want you trying to kill every past lover she's had, either. Just...tell her you'll learn the entire story before trying to assassinate anyone. She loves you."

A beat.

"You won't remember any of that, will you."

[all7seas]

"YOU didn't see them together!" he snapped, suddenly lifting his head. "The things he were saying to her..."

With a groan, Jack laid his head back down on the deck of his Joanna.

[simplestgift]

"What did he say to her, Jack? Help me understand."

[all7seas]

A drunken litany of odd words followed.

"Fizzing...corking...uncorking...floating down rivers together...bottled. Unbottled....

Rather reminded me of myself and Angelica."

[simplestgift]

A sigh heaved. There wasn't any point in trying to sort this out with Jack in this condition.

"We'll speak again when you're sober, Jack." His voice means no nonsense. "Now, I'm taking you to your cabin. You'll drink plenty of water and sleep this off, and I'm not giving you a choice in the matter." He stood and reached for Jack's wrist to haul him up.

[all7seas]

In the end, it wasn't that hard to drag the pirate to his feet. Jack didn't seem to have much fight in him.

"Don't want to be sober," he mumbled miserably as Kennedy escorted him to his cabin. "Kennedy. I miss her. I've wronged her, and I miss her."

[simplestgift]

"That's no different when you're drunk than it is when you're sober." Archie kicked open the door to the cabin.

[all7seas]

"Drunk makes it bettererer. Bugger."

[simplestgift]

"You can be a little drunk. But not this drunk, not again. Not if I have to sleep at the foot of your bed every night till Buffy comes back to you." He eased the pirate into his bed.

[all7seas]

"Kennedy? You're a bit of alright, but I'm not sharin' my hammock with you."

There was relief at being able to lie in a bed where the world didn't hurtle around quite so abusively, and shame, and missing Buffy more than ever.

[simplestgift]

"No, you are not," Archie agreed, tugging a sheet up and laying it over Jack. "Wait there and I'll get you a glass of water."

[all7seas]

"Wait here? Why yes, I shall wait here. I shall wait here though what I really wish to do is leap up and dance a mazurka, right there on the floor. Then perhaps there'd be a round of charades, and some rope climbing. If you insist, though, lieutenant, I shall, indeed, wait here. Here. In this bed. This is where I shall wait. Bugger this headache."

[simplestgift]

Archie didn't even listen. He disappeared, and moments later returned with the promised glass of water. Kneeling by the captain's cot, he pressed the cup into his hand.

"There. Drink."

[all7seas]

The captain obeyed. "Ugh. Tastes like vomit. Smells like vomit in here. Kennedy, I ever tell you how much I dislike vomit?"

[simplestgift]

"Keep drinking. Buffy tells me water helps the hangover."

[all7seas]

"Buffy used to take care of me when I.....

God, Kennedy. Used to carry me home from the pub. Put me to bed. She used to tuck me up in bed and bring me food."

He reached down and picked at a bandage; the dressings would need to be changed again, soon. McCoy had ordered frequent changes to prevent infection.

[simplestgift]

Kennedy's eyes flicker down to see what his hands are doing. "Do they need to be changed?"