Terra Cognita

by Melusina

Fandom: PoTC    Rating: PG   Pairing: Jack/Will/Elizabeth     Full Header

"What do you want?"

Will nervously eyed the ink and quill Elizabeth had pilfered from her governess. "I don't know -- what sorts of tattoos do pirates have?"

One curl slipped from the scarf Elizabeth had tied around her head and she blew it out her eyes with an exasperated huff. The hem of her dress was spattered with mud and her hair was a tangled mess, but Will still thought she looked like an angel.

"I suppose the same as other sailors. Mermaids, anchors, fish. . ."

"What about. . .an angel?" Will blushed furiously.

"An angel? That's not a proper tattoo for a pirate!"

"I don't know why we have to play pirates anyway. Pirates are murderous scoundrels -- why would you want to be a pirate?"

This was a familiar battle and Elizabeth responded with her standard riposte. "Not all of them! Jack Sparrow sacked Nassau Port without firing a shot. I don't care what Lieutenant Norrington says, there are some good-hearted pirates."

"Lieutenant Norrington's going to teach me to fence, and if I ever meet a pirate, I'm going to--"

Disturbed by their loud voices, Mr. Brown roused from his drunken stupor. They both held their breath.

When Mr. Brown was snoring again, Elizabeth fixed Will with dangerous eyes. Meekly, he rolled up his sleeve.

Elizabeth beamed at his surrender. "Oh, all right, you can have your angel," she conceded magnanimously. Humming her pirate song, she set to work.

The quill tickled, but it was Elizabeth's breath on his skin that made him squirm.

"Hold still!"

Elizabeth scrunched her face up in concentration and added a few feathers.

"There." She angled her head, scrutinizing her work. "Although I still don't think any self-respecting pirate would have an angel tattoo." Ink-stained fingers pushed up her sleeve, exposing her pale arm. "Now you do mine. I want a skull and crossbones."

*

"I want a skull and crossbones," Elizabeth insisted.

Gibbs hemmed and hawed. "Are y'sure, Miss Elizabeth? That seems like courtin' bad luck to me. What about a nice sea turtle?"

He turned his eyes to Will in a mute plea for assistance, but Will just held up his hands and grinned. He'd learned by now there was no stopping his wife when she had her heart set on something. It was easier for everyone if they just went along with whatever daft scheme she'd come up with.

Gibbs sighed ominously and shook his head. "And whereabouts would you be wantin' that?"

Jack laughed and slid his hand down Elizabeth's back. "I think she needs it right on her lovely-"

"Jack!" Elizabeth smacked his hand away.

Jack turned his attention to Will. "What about you, love? You gonna get one while Gibbs's got his needles and thingamajigs out?"

Will shook his head emphatically, but Jack hooked his finger under Will's chin and squinted at him. "I'm thinkin'. . .an angel." And Elizabeth smiled and gave Will that look, and he knew it was a lost cause.