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CHAPTER 6 - The Ball You blink your eyes open into the bright sunlight as someone knocks on the door to your cabin. They really didn’t do this very often, not since you killed Pistol five days ago. In fact, the only time you saw them was when you retrieved your meals, and even then they found ways to walk on the other side of the ship than you. It was almost amusing; to see grown, vicious pirates, afraid of you. But things weren’t so amusing after nightfall. Every night you would stand on the balcony astern of the ship and watch the sunset before resuming your position in the corner of the cabin, afraid of another incident like Pistol’s. Interesting how you and the crew have spent the entire trip in dire fright of one another. Another knock intrudes on your musings and you get up, and open the door. It’s Bill. He is quite a handsome individual and you’d rather to have met him under different circumstances. "We’re ‘ere Cap’n. Would ye like ta be on deck for the final dockin’?" "Please." You reply and follow him up the stairs beside your cabin and onto the poop deck, where the helm is located. The wind catches the tails of your bandanna and your loose hair and whips them about your face. The sun shines brightly and you wish they had sunglasses these days. Barbossa nudges you in the direction of a large wheel, forcing you to push the person formerly steering out of the way. The wood feels smooth and worn beneath your hands and you find that the large ship is just as responsive as the sailboat. You steer the ship into a small bay, not the main port, and give the order to drop the anchor. Eyeing the crew you tap a few on the shoulder and ask them to accompany you. "We’re goin’ into town. The rest of ye can do what ye like, but be back by nightfall." A chorus of ‘ayes’ greets your ears and you nod in satisfaction. You follow as the men set up a small rowboat and lower you, and the chosen three or four, into the water. The distance is short and you reach the pier in a matter of minutes. "I’m going ta look around, follow me, but not to conspicuously. And you two." You point to two of the more intelligent looking ones. "Barter us some supplies." You and your companions wander the bustling streets of the city, rather aimlessly really, and you begin to get antsy. ‘What the hell are we doing exactly?’ You hiss to Barbossa. "Looking for…" He pauses as you pass to red coats, and forces you to hide behind them in a pile of crates. The other men do the same. "Apparently the duchess is arriving sometime today, and there’ll be a ball tonight at the governor’s mansion." One of the soldiers said to the other. "Thought as much, Murtogg. An’ since we are on duty tonight ye know what that means." "We get to go, Mullroy?" "Precisely." "That." Barbossa finally finishes his thought. "That is what we were looking for. Take the taller boy and find him formal attire luv, then we need to get ‘im cleaned up." ‘Why, exactly?’ You answer speculatively. "We’re going to a ball." He says devilishly. * * * * You groan and try to shift your corset into a more comfortable position. Sadly, there is no comfortable position in a corset and you give up. You glance at the man next to you, Gabe you think it is, and sigh. He did clean up nicely, but he still is a nefarious pirate on the inside. You’ve seen the way he has blatantly stared at your cleavage the entire carriage ride to the mansion. Finally the ride from hell comes to an end and you are aided from your carriage by what seem to be old age valets. You wait for Gabe and take his arm as you enter into the mansion. There is a flurry of activity within as men dash around with serving trays and others in powdered wigs escort ladies in outrageous dresses. You are almost afraid yours is too plain, but you spot a few ladies wearing a little more demure attire, like yours, and relax. You smile and greet all those you meet, introducing yourself as a new addition to the island, having arrived only today. The all seemed very pleased to meet you, and a lot of the younger women pay your escort plenty of attention. Two individuals, however, leave Barbossa as angry as the first time you met Jack. One of them is the Governor’s daughter, Elizabeth, and the other, who looks suspiciously familiar, is named William. Their married, and obviously much in love. Eventually the call for supper is given and you are seated in the dining room. Surprisingly, your seat is near the head of the table, all thanks to one Ginny Albertson, who had quite a fall in the alley a few hours ago as she was fitting her dress for the ball. She was now tied up, hidden in the store of the Anastasius, waiting for your return to be released. You’ve barely situated your skirts so that they’re comfortable when Barbossa springs into action. "The commodore is directly behind ye, ye know what ta do." You scan to room and see that there are currently no soldiers in range. Discreetly, you slide you dinner knife so the hand hangs off the end, but the blade still sits on the table. You sneak a backward glance and adjust the knife a bit. With a loud cough you bang your hand against the knife, sending it twirling backward into the commodore’s neck. Gasps and screams fill the room, and you feel blood spurt down your neck. You turn around and shriek in mock horror as his eyes roll back in his head and he sinks to the ground, dead. However your neighbour has found you out and begins to frantically point at you. "Oh fer fuck’s sake." You sigh and pull the pistol out of your bodice as you stand up. The governor also stands up and tries to mask his fear. "Who are you?" He demands. "Three guesses mate, first two dun count." You cock the pistol and aim right between the legs. "Too long!" You say as he stutters, and fire, watching him crumple to the ground. You see the boy, William running towards you, as his wife shrieks and rushes from one dead man to the other. You quickly grab the dead commodore’s sword and turn to face him. He is furious, and quite a good opponent. However, he has no familiarity with your style of fighting and you manage to edge towards the front door. You note that Gabe has already escaped, and now it’s just up to you to get out of there. You note a few high windows and a chandelier rope as you edge towards them. "Dude, its jest fuckin’ creepy haw much ye resemble me first mate." You say to him before hacking at the cord and sailing upwards as the chandelier falls. Feet first, you fly out of the window and onto the rooftops. The sound of musket fire follows you as you run through the streets and towards a small bay nearby where they’re waiting for you. You’ve almost made it into the clear when a figure jumps down in front of you and you halt quickly, nearly sliding to the ground in your terrible footwear. "Very interestin’." Comes a gruff voice. * * * * * CHAPTER 7 - The Privateer It’s none other than Captain Jack Sparrow. Barbossa’s temper flares hotly. You try and ignore his rage, attempting to avoid a fight with this obviously skilled man. "Jack, Jack." You pant, trying to keep your authoritative aura. "Ye really have naw changed. Always messin’ in other folks’ business." "Oh, but it is my business, luv, when ye go into tha ‘ome of me dear friends an’ start killin’ folks." "Last time we chatted, ‘e was naught but a whelp to ye." You stick the sword in the ground and lean on it. The run in a corset has left you severely winded, and your feet are starting to blister. "I really dun know who ye are, sweets. If I met ye, really, I must’ve have been awfully drunk or otherwise occupied." "Aww, Jack, ‘ere I was, ‘oping for a grand reunion, and ye don’t even recall ‘ho I am!" "Captain, it's Captain Jack, if ye please miss." "Pleasure to meet ye then, if ye don’t remember. Me name be Cap’n Passero. I’d love to stand and chat, but really, I must be off." "What’s the hurry luv? We just be gettin’ started." He smirks in his arrogant way. The sound of approaching footsteps urges you on and, seeing no way around Jack, you take a run at him, jumping up and vaulting yourself over his shoulders. Sword in hand, you run off into the water and jump in the boat waiting for you. You’re a few feet from the Anastasius when you see the red coats appear with torches. Your men release Ginny, tossing her into a boat, and set sail speeding away into the night. * * * * Jack scratches his scalp as he watches you run off. "Naw, ‘ow did she do tha?" He mutters. The soldiers surrounding him break his stupor, and he raises his hands in surrender. Will bursts through them, along with Elizabeth. In lieu of the commodore, Gillette is now in charge. "Mr. Sparrow, why am I not surprised to see you here?" He quips. "He had nothing to do with this, and you know it." Will interrupts. "I will not have you accusing him." "Besides, without my father, the colony is under command of his son, who happens to be Will." Elizabeth interjects, somewhat tearfully. The men lower their weapons, and Jack smiles. He turns back to where your ship had been moments before only to see a lifeboat slowly making it’s way to shore. He spots someone in the boat and quickly wades out to see whom it is. "Who are you?" He asks, untying her binds and gag. "Ginny. Ginny Albertson." "That’s who that girl said she was." Will cries. "That girl, was Captain Passero. I don’t rightly know ‘er, but in Tortuga, she bit a man’s neck and made ‘im bleed ta death befur runnin’ off with ‘is ship. Tha ship tha jest left." Jack said, helping the woman to shore and handing her over to a redcoat to look after. "Jack, you have to go after her!" Elizabeth cried. "We have to go after her!" "I? We? ‘Ho said anythin’ ‘bout goin’ after anyone?" Jack said, his eyebrows raising beneath the edge of his red bandanna. "Jack!" Elizabeth wails, and Will wraps his arms around her. "You have to! You’re the best pirate out there! I know you can catch up to her, I know you can beat her. I don’t trust anyone else! You saw how easily she snuck in and annihilated the two most prominent offices of this island!" Elizabeth continues to wail until she passes out from sheer emotional exhaustion. "Please Jack." Will says suddenly. "I… I need to speak with her. She said I look just like her first mate. What if…" He trails off. Jack opens his mouth several times, at a loss for words. "Mr. Sparrow." Gillette intrudes sharply. "Since it is the wish of Mrs. Turner that you pursue this woman, then I am willing to grant you the title of Privateer in return for this duty. But you must bring her back to be properly punished before the eyes of God, King and Country." "Privateer?" Jack says quizzically. "It means, Jack, that you can do what you do best to any ship, so long as it is not British, and not be pursued by the Navy." Will interprets, hinting that this is a good deal indeed. "I…" Jack looks from man to man and considers the position. He could always use the break from the navy, and who says he has to stay a privateer forever. He could easily use this to his advantage. Plus it was better than the quick drop and short stop that this situation was promising. "Agreed." He finishes his statement. "I’ll do it, but jest fer you two. An’ if anyone, I mean anyone gets wind of this, the deal is off." "Agreed." Gillette nods. "Now, any supplies you need, we will happily provide, Captain." Jack’s grin widens and he nods as well. "Then let’s be off." * * * * "Where to, Cap’n?" Bill inquires as you re-board. "My quarters to get this blasted corset off!" You hiss. You notice that he actually chuckles and you smile at him. Barbossa smacks you mentally and you grimace. "Man tha wheel, ‘ead south. I’ll be right up ta steer us the rest o’ the way, since only two o’ us know how ta get there." You continue. "Get where?" "Isle de Muerta." You kick the doors shut behind you and take your kodachi to the side of the corset, splitting it open. You collapse on the bed, just breathing for a while, enjoying your full lung capacity. After a time, you push yourself up and redress in your normal attire, hat and kohl in place. ‘Barbossa?’ You think suddenly. "What?!?" He snaps. ‘Who was that boy at the ball? That Will? Why does he look like Bill?’ "William Turner be Bootstrap’s boy, an’ Bootstrap be yer first mate Bill." Your eyebrows shot up in surprise. ‘Does Will know his father is a pirate?’ "Will be a pirate 'imself, ‘e jest acts all respectable ta fit in, in Port Royale." ‘And so he can wed the governor’s daughter.’ "Aye tha too. I suppose naw be tha time." ‘Time? Time for what? "Well, while yer steering us towards the Isle, I’ve got a lovely tale fer ye." ‘It’s long isn’t it.’ "Jest shut yer trap and get ta tha helm." You do as you are told and walked up to the wheel. "Thank ye, Bootstrap." You say as you take the wheel from him. "’Ow did ye??" "Ah, no worries mate. I can keep yer secret." You say smiling. "I think yer a good pirate anyway, no matter what tha knave Barbossa did ta ye." Barbossa inflicts a terrible pressure on your mind and you grip the wheel tighter, trying your best to hide your pain. After several minutes, he ceases his torment. By then, Bootstrap has gone below deck, and it’s just you and the other Captain now. "An’ how did ye know I did anythin’ ta ‘im?" ‘Cuz you keep thinking about him sinking to the bottom of the ocean. I think you tried to kill him.’ "Too smart." He muttered. "Naw, where ta begin." You listen half heatedly, following your compass and steering. The tale is quite intriguing, and you find yourself imaging quite a bit about Captain Jack. He certainly was a good-looking man. You ponder if you’ll ever meet up with him again. "’Course we will, tha’s tha ‘hole point, lass." Barbossa chuckles. " ‘Ook, line, an’ sinker." * * * * * CHAPTER 8 - The Reunion ‘My arms hurt.’ You mutter silently to Barbossa. "Oh, quit yer bitchin’. Ye’ve only been at tha helm for an hour or two." ‘After three hours of sleep, and two weeks straight of the bloody same thing! If you want to meet up with Jack why the hell don’t we just stop and wait?!?’ "Since when did you care? Do ye really wan’ ta kill tha boy so soon? I was ‘oping we could ‘ave a little fun wif ‘im beforehand." "Kill him?" You squeak aloud. Bootstrap turns to you in question. You cough and pretend like nothing had happened. "Watch yerself lass!" Barbossa curses. "Yea, kill ‘im. Tha’s the whole point and purpose of this little endeavour. We’re gonna string up Jack Sparrow and ‘is friends, take back tha Pearl, completing me vengeance." You could tell that he was hiding something from you, something that he knew would infuriate you, but you don’t press the matter. You’re still appalled that you were to kill more people. ‘Isn’t there some way that we can leave them alive?’ You ask, scanning the horizon. "They didn’t leave me alive! Why the blazes should I not return the favour?!?" The anger he feels sends you reeling and you grabbed your temples, trying to ease the pressure in your head. Bootstrap is now looking at you, quite confused, but you just shake your head at him. He turns his attention back to the crew, shouting orders at them to keep the ship sailing at top speed. But top speed on any ship just wasn’t fast enough to beat the Black Pearl. "Sails ho!" A boy called down from the crow’s nest. It was a shame really; you don’t even know his name. Barbossa however, doesn’t really care and makes you yell up to him. "What colour?" "Black, cap’n. Black sails." You don’t know what Barbossa looks like, but you can just see a smirk creep across his face. You however, are not nearly as excited as he is, and your shoulders slump in despair. "Can I ‘elp ye with tha?" Bootstrap asks, coming to stand beside you. "With what?" You mutter, your head leaning against the wheel. "Tha weight upon yer shoulders." You look up at him suddenly. He’s looking down at you with great concern. He truly is a father figure. You can’t help but crack a slight smile at his care, even after everything terrible you’ve done to the poor man. "I don’t think anyone really can, Bootstrap, thanks for the thought though." "Ye know, Cap’n, yer a real puzzling lass. One minute, yer off killing people and talkin’ jest like the rest o’ us slobs. Then tha next, yer all manners, and ye speak like a proper lady." "Makes life more interesting doesn’t it?" You smile, and do a shoulder check. The Pearl is still out of sight, so that means you do have a bit of time to prepare for the battle you can feel Barbossa plotting in your mind. "So, tell me about yourself Bill." You turn to him, looking for anything to stop you from thinking about the task that Barbossa has planned for you. * * * * "So, how the hell did you get out of that place then?" You ask incredulously. In the back of your mind, you feel Barbossa stir to life and take interest in your conversation. "Well, Cap’n, I had ten years to pick a coupla locks. It only took me about a year ta actually get me outta thar. Took a few months ter get ta land as well. Turns out I was in the Indian Ocean. Fancy that, I thought. I ‘ad ner’ been there when I was alive. 'Twere a vacation of sorts, ye could say." He grins and you can’t help but laugh at his view of the situation. He’s such an odd occurrence in this world you had stumbled into. He’s funny and kind, and a pirate. "An’ I met this beautiful girl in Asia. ‘Er name is Kira. Kindest woman a man could ask fer. She took me in, an’ we got married jest before I left. I hid with ‘er fer nigh on six years, and I dinna come back ta the Caribbean till I heard tha Jack Sparrow had the Black Pearl back." A wistful look comes across his face, and you feel a little sad. "Do ye want ta go back?" You say, surprising both of you. "I… well I canna rightly say. Tha would be insubordination." He smirked. "Naw if I said ye could." You say, passing off the wheel to him. "Wait here." You skip down the steps into your cabin and find the sword you stole from the commodore two weeks ago. "What are ye doin’ lass?" "Getting rid of him." You say triumphantly and run back to the helm. "Yer son made this." You grin and hand it to him. "Me son?" He asked in shock. "Me son, William Turner?" You smile and nod. "Yeah, I met him back in Port Royale. Terrific fighter that boy. He’s a blacksmith now, married to Elizabeth Swann, the Governor’s daughter. I imagine he’s actually in charge of the colony until a replacement can be found after the Governor’s… ‘incident’." He blinks at you in wonder and you just smile. "He’s on tha ship." You point at the Black Pearl, which is just on the horizon, closing in. You’ll have to fight them in a few hours, to your growing dread. "Me son’s on the Black Pearl?" Bootstrap asks, inspecting the sword with wonder. "Aye." You chuckle at his confusion. "He’s quite a pirate too. Killed Barbossa, lifted tha curse, an’ returned tha Black Pearl ta Jack." You smirk quizzically at how you seem to naturally slip into the accent now, it’s no longer an act. He looks at you, eyes questioning. "Truly, I can let ye go back." You say once again, and you barely precept his nod. You pull out a shirt from your pants pocket and tie it to the sword. "We’ll send ye there, with a truce flag, eh? But ye must act like I’m throwin’ ye off me ship." "Aye Cap’n. Thank you. You’re… one of the most interestin’ captains I’ve ever ‘ad." You grin and pull out your pistol. "You scabrous dog, get yer insubordinate ass ta tha boat. I don’ want ye on me ship anymore." You kick him down the steps and back him towards a boat. "Now get!" You scream and he jumps in the boat, lowering it into the water. You drop the sword, shirt attached, and cock the pistol. "May they ‘ave mercy on ye fer if I ever see ye again, I won’t." "But… Cap’n!" He wails, winking at you all the while. "Trust me boy, ye don’ wanna be under tha command o’ the likes o’ me ever again." He cocks an eyebrow but you just wave, soon he’s drifting away, with great speed, towards the Pearl. "What the hell was that!!!" Barbossa screams. ‘You don’t like him, and I like him too much. It’s better this way, trust me.’ Barbossa grunts, but comments no further on the subject. "Ye best prepare yer crew, Passero. It’s gonna be a long evenin’." * * * * "Captain! There’s a lifeboat, with a flag o’ truce!" Gibbs hollered up to Jack. He looked over his shoulder and squinted. Sure enough, there was a boat, with a man in it. "Hoist the sails! Prepare ta bring ‘im in." "Jack, what are you doing?" Will asks, approaching the helm. "It’s tha code boy, we must talk to whomever appears beneath a flag o’ truce." The men grunt as they haul the man, and boat up onto the deck, and Jack freezes when the man comes into view. "Bootstrap?" He asks in surprise. "Aye, Cap’n. Request to join yer crew? She kicked me off." He asked, chuckling at the stunned faces. "O’ course me mate, o’ course!" Jack embraces the man, grinning widely. "Come ‘ere, an’ meet yer son!" He pulls him over to Will, who stands wide eyed and slack jawed. "Nice work, son." Bootstrap says, handing to sword to Will. Overcome by emotion, he hugs his father, laughter bubbling out of his chest. * * * * * CHAPTER 9 - The Pearl "Man the cannons! Prepare to open fire!" Gabe screams over the din. The men on the other ship are screaming loudly as the Anastasius aligns herself with the Black Pearl to commence battle. Your men are screaming back at her just as loudly, though it takes more effort since you are terribly outnumbered. You glance over at your first mate, sighing. Gabe, who you promoted an hour ago, looks so young compared to the pirates you’re about to face. You catch the eyes of Jack Sparrow and you feel the sting of tears. So this is what battle is like. Sacrificing hapless young boys, who are no older than you in some cases, for the sake of one stingy, grumpy, dead man’s bitterness. "I don’t want to do this Barbossa." You whisper aloud, a tear escaping. "I don’t want to see them hurt." "Well, I was goin’ let ye do this on yer own, but obviously, yer still a weak littl’ shit!" He howls with anger and takes control of your body. He unsheathes your sword and raises it high, and you see Jack scramble to follow suit, as though he wasn’t entirely prepared. Then, all hell breaks loose. You’re yelling to your crew, Jack’s yelling to his, Gabe and Gibbs relay your orders, and cannon after cannon rings out in the growing dusk. Everywhere men are falling, wood is splintering, and blood is shed. A group of relatively polished looking pirates appear on deck of the Pearl and you squint your eyes. "Gabe, get me hands up ‘ere, now!" Barbossa forces from your throat. A dozen or so of your crew races up on deck as men begin to swing aboard form the Pearl. You notice how Jack makes no move to join them; he simply stands on the upper deck, peering across the way at you. Barbossa sends him a murderous look and propels you forward into the fray. You watch as your crew falls, and as your hands spill the blood of your opponents. You hear the cannon barrage stop and the crew of the Pearl begins to appear on deck with grappling hooks. It’s hopeless really, and you know that this is the end. Funny how now, death really doesn’t bother you that much. Come to think of it, you don’t have much to live for anyway. You eye Gabe as Barbossa turns you to him, and see he’s crying. They’re not like you, you realise. They do have things to live for. Like Bootstrap, they probably have wives, families. "Stop it, Barbossa." You say, weakly at first. He just laughs at you and uses your trained body to skilfully murder a few more of Jack’s men. "Stop it please." You say a little stronger. "Jest shut yer trap, lass." He growls. "STOP!!!!" You scream and hear it resound across the deck. You’re in control of your body again. You wonder how this happened when a blade sinks deep into your arm. You quickly dispose of your attacker and turn to Gabe. "Go, get out of here as fast as you can!" You yell, before slicing through the lines the men of the Pearl had attached to your ship. You fight through them, getting as many off the Anastasius as possible, and see the sails go up. Jack starts yelling for the cannons to fire again, but you know the ship won’t make it with any more damage. That’s when you spot her. That girl from the ball before, the one married to Bootstrap’s son. You quickly grasp a line and swing over to the Pearl, suicide you know, and kick a shorter dark skinned girl out of the way. You bring your sword up to her neck and call out Jack’s name. "I wouldn’t do that if I were you." Everyone of deck freezes and you hear numerous guns being aimed and cocked in your direction. You glance behind you to see the Anastasius limping quickly away, Gabe waving to you, though you don’t know why. Elizabeth tries to fight you, so you press the blade closer to her throat. "Stop it, ye hussy." Barbossa makes you say, though he doesn’t try and regain control of your body. "You filthy pirate!" She screams in your ear. "You’re a horrid being and I hope you rot in your own hell for what you’ve done." You just roll your eyes and spit on her. "It’s be wise fer ye to…" You swallow; your throat is dry from the acrid smoke in the air. "Shut the hell up!" You yell in her ear in kind. "An’ it be wise fer ye to let tha girl go." Jack says, threateningly. There is no mirth in his eyes at this meeting, only anger and menace. "Ye won’ follow ‘em." You growl. "Ye won’ lay a hand on ‘em." You see Bootstrap holding his son back, preventing him from doing anything stupid, and sending you a glance that reads pure confusion. "No, I won’, cuz I don’ give a damn about them. It’s ye we’re after, and it’s ye we’ve got, so let the girl go." His teeth are clenched, hand resting on his cutlass, and you now see why Barbossa warned you about him. "I dunno mate, I mean, I could jest kill tha girl." Barbossa makes your smirk. "But I won’." You say of your own volition and drop the sword. Barbossa’s wrath is swift and terrible. Before uttering a word, he brings you such pain that you keel over face first onto the deck. * * * * You wake up, groggy and wince in pain. Your entire body aches. You blink trying to bring your surroundings into focus and pause. "Shouldn’t I be dead?" You mutter aloud. "Oh, ye will be soon enough, don’ worry." A crusty old man says from the corner of the room. That’s when you see the bars surrounding you, and note that it is now night time. You’re in the brig. "We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t fer ye, ye stupid dumb poxed…" ‘Oh will you please shut up!’ You growl to Barbossa. You feel him jump in surprise and do as you ask. "So, do tell, why am I not dead yet?" You ask said crusty old man. "Yer not dead because I swore to the Commodore of Port Royale tha upon yer capture I would return ye thar ta face yer punishment." Jack says strolling up to your cell and you lift your eyes to meet his. The motion sends lances of pain through your body and you groan. "Bootstrap was right about ye though. Yer certainly a puzzle." "Should I take that as a compliment?" You ask harshly. "Well, ye could, or ye could take Lizzie’s dear kind words from up on deck as about the only compliment ye’ll get in yer last hours." "Hmm." Was the only noise you made in response. "Well, if you don’t mind, Captain, I think I’m going to sleep now." You close your eyes and slide your hat down over them. "Who says ye can sleep?" "I do, Jack, because I don’t have to follow your bloody orders. The punishment for disobeying the captain is death, and since that’s the only thing I’ve got left, really, it’s of no consequence to me when or where it occurs. So, if you don’t mind." You hear his noise of indignation, and then a huff when he comes up with nothing else to say to you. Before you slip into a deep sleep, you hear his boots tapping on the wooden floor, fading into the distance. * * * * * CHAPTER 10 - The Brig You awake again, sun blaring in your eyes, and hiss. You arm is a mass of dull, aching pain, and your head feels as though it were in a vice. Needless to say, you are not in the best of moods this morning. A loud clang sounds around you and you sit up quickly…too quickly, nearly losing whatever may be in your stomach. "Capn’…er, lass." You hear Bootstrap say and look up into his eyes. "I brought you somethin’ ta eat." He pushes a tray of food and a mug of water in your direction before leaving the cell and locking it again. He pulls a stool over and sits by the door. "Thank you." You croak and quickly drain the water. The food doesn’t look like much, but it’s still nourishment, and you finish off the piece of bread and fish quickly, moving on to the apple. "Eat it.." Barbossa says hungrily to you. ‘No, thanks. I swear to God if I have to eat another apple I’ll be sick.’ You put it back on the tray and sigh. "Why’d ye do it?" Bootstrap asks suddenly, reminding you of his presence. "What?" You ask, slightly confused. You hand him the mug and he pulls out a flask of water, refilling it. "Why’d ye let ‘em go? Why didn’ ye jest stay wif ‘em?" "Because, I dinna want them ta die." You say; draining the second mug of water, your thirst finally quenched. "So ye jest… let ‘em go and decided ta die yerself?" He asks incredulously. "I could naw jest watch them die, Bootstrap. Gabe was cryin’, do ye think I could go through with tha? I saw a chance fer them ta get away, and I took it. I’m jest gonna end up dead sooner or later anyway." Bootstrap shakes his head and silence falls again. You listen to the sound of the waves against the hull and close your eyes. It had been nice to sail those two weeks to Tortuga. Just you and the ocean, no interruptions, no killing, no brig no… "Thank ye." Bootstrap says suddenly and your eyes flash open. "Fer what? Endangering your daughter in law?" There’s an obvious tone of bitterness in your voice, envy for the family he has that you’ll never get back again. He chuckles a bit and you can’t help the twitch of your lips. He had such an infectious laugh. "No, lass. Fer givin’ me tha chance ta meet me son. If ye had naw thrown me off, I probably wouldna be ‘ere." You shrugged. "I must be goin’ soft in me age." You joke and you two share a laugh. "Oh shut up woman, I’m gettin’ a wee bit tired of yer gabbin’." Barbossa growls and threatens to add more pain to your aching body. "Find out where we be." "Oy, Bootstrap?" You ask. "Where are we?" "About three weeks from Port Royale, lass. Why?" He opens the cell door again and retrieves the tray and mug. "Jest countin’ the days ta me death, s’all." "And three weeks is not soon enough." Elizabeth strolls into your peripheral vision attached the Will’s arm. You sigh in pain and roll your eyes. Could this woman not give you a moment’s peace? "The world will be a much better place when people like you are no longer threatening innocent people." You send Bootstrap a look and he nods subtly. "Come, Elizabeth, donna waste yer breath on the likes o’ ‘er." "Honestly!" She continues completely oblivious to his request. "In my entire life, I never saw someone as despicable as you." "Perhaps that’s because you lived life surrounded by soldiers and servants pampering, pleasing, protecting. Honestly!" You mimic her angrily. "I doubt ye could survive five minutes in me shoes. Jest five minutes." You growl, standing at the bars of you cell, clenched the iron in your fists. "Yer jest a pampered, snooty, brat, and ye are the one the world would be glad ta be rid of!" "Now you wait just a moment!" Will cries angrily, and moves to strike you through the bars. An arm reaches out and stops him, and to your surprise it’s not Bootstrap’s. It’s Jack’s. "I think it be best if ye Turners were on yer way." He says quickly and Bootstrap nods, leading the other two off. You shuffle back to the bench in your cell slouching against the wall. "Ah ah ah, luv. Yer not goin’ ta sleep this time." He turns back to you. "Yer gonna talk ta ol’ Jack naw." He plunks down onto the stool vacated by Bootstrap. "Naw, first, yer name?" "Capn’ Passero." He nods and begins examine his nails. "Purpose?" "Which one?" You say, trying your best to annoy him. He stops looking at his nails and turns to you. "Fer killin’ family o’ me friends." He says, voice low. "They wern’ nice ta pirates Jack, why should ye care?" "Captain, it's Captain Jack to ye. And I am aware o’ this, but nonetheless, ye shouldna jest go ta peoples parties and kill ‘em. It’s not vera nice." "I’m not a vera nice person Jack." You say, never taking our eyes off his face. "Good lass, give ‘im hell!" Barbossa rumbles in your mind. "Yer not vera cooperative either." "What the hell do ye care about any o’ this? Yer jest the middleman. Capture the nasty pirate lass, take ‘er back to the evil navy and have ‘er hung. None of the details are of any significance." "Then let me ask you a relevant question, luv. What be yer last wish?" You look at him, confused. "When a man goes ta die, they give ‘im one last request." Jack elaborates, body moving fluidly as he talks. You bite your lip in contemplation and then smile. "Twelve days in a sailboat." "Wha?" He blinks at you. "Usually it’s somethin’ like a bottle o’ rum, or pleasurable company. But ye… want twelve days in boat?" "Aye. ‘Twas nice. No one else, jest me an’ the sea. No bloody pirate Capn’s on me tail." You sent a look in his direction. You see understanding flood his face, and he seems lost to his own thoughts for a minute. Suddenly he shakes his head. "No can do, luv. I canna jest give you a means o’ escape, but I do see the merit in yer desire. Anythin’ else?" You sigh and think again. "A book." Again a look of confusion hits him, though this time, he seems to be more confused. "What would a lass such as yerself do wif a book?" "Read it." He shakes his head again. "I’ll see what I can do." He stands up and swaggers off, leaving you alone. * * * * Around six o’clock, by your estimate based on the light and the hunger in your stomach, there is still no book. You’re bored out of your skull, and Barbossa won’t even speak to you. He’s busy plotting something in the back of your mind. You groan and shuffle around trying to get comfortable, which is not possible on a wooden bench, wounded or not. You get down on the floor and lie on your back, your feet propped in the iron surrounding you. A clang resounds and it sounds rather musical. You do it again and begin to hum with the vibrations. "This is the song that never ends…" You sing softly, and laugh loudly. You feel rather light headed and warm. You pull off your coat, leaving you in a black tank top with the mesh shirt over it. You kick the bars again and burst into song, repeating the song over and over until you can hear men yelling at you to shut up, among other curses. Finally, after you start to lose your voice, Jack shows up, book in hand. "Alright alright! I got yer book, naw jest shut yer mouth, please!" He pleads. "Tha bloody song is gonna be wif me all night as it is!" He shoves the book through the bars and charges off. You sit up and bring the book to rest on your knees. It appears to be one of Shakespeare’s plays, and wiping the dust off, you see that it's Othello. You settle yourself in for a long night of reading when you hear the rumbling of thunder from above. "Lovely, this should be an interesting ride." You mutter, recalling your own encounter with a storm. "Oh well." You open the book and begin. |