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MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE Author: Kaylaloo Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, yadda yadda yadda… I just don’t own it, ummkay? *Sigh* …but if I did… hehehe… Summary: You are a daughter of a recently deceased naval general traveling to Port Royal with your best friend, Elizabeth Swann, complete with all the goodies left behind…money, paintings, your father’s swords and seemingly useless course maps. So it comes to no surprise that your ship is attacked by pirates. But the pirate captain IS a surprise to you (a very nice surprise as a matter of fact) and you begin an adventure that you will never forget. Author's Note: Hello everyone! Thanks for taking a peek at my story. It makes me feel so warm and cozy inside! :) A JackYou fic, which was kicked off of fanfiction.net because they are mean poopy heads, but was saved by Ebony! Yay Ebony! Anyways it is my first POTC fic, so any comments would be lovely to help me improve my writing. I can handle flamers too; I’ve had to deal with a lot worse before. Oh! And I do cameos so if anyone wants a cameo just send me an email with the subject “cameo.” If you requested a cameo on ff.net I have a list, but it ends with disneychic248c on 4/17/04. Okay, here we goooooooo! * * * * * CHAPTER 1 - Of Crazy Relatives and Moonlight Rambles The Dauntless sailed out of the tiny island harbour at top speed, the wind in her sails and the waves crashing against the sides of her hull. Sailors ran here and there on board to tend to any needs the great British ship might have. It was an exciting day for you. The last time you were on a ship like this was during the crossing from England nine years ago. Too long, it seemed. Yet you still somehow managed to gain back your sea legs. You hear your name being called and you turn to see your best friend Elizabeth Swann running towards you. She definitely did not heed the code of a distinguished daughter of a governor, for she ran like a little schoolboy would during a game, almost tripping over the hem of her dress. “Commodore Norrington says we’ll be in Port Royal in two days time,” she heaved, obviously signaling that the absurd corset had gotten to her again. “Isn’t it exciting?” “Wonderful!” you exclaim. “How is Port Royal? Will I like it? Tell me everything!” You smile as Elizabeth proceeds to tell you everything she knew about her homeport. What a change it will be from your previous home, you think to yourself. Nine years ago you had lived in London with your father, an intelligent and very well respected seafaring general. Your mother had died when you were quite young, so your father brought you up as best he knew how. You learned all about the sea from him. However, because he was so often away there was concern among your relations for your upbringing. So you were sent (rather against your will) first to an aunt in Berkshire, and then all the way to an island in the Caribbean to a relative’s plantation (you could never figure out exactly how she was related to you, though) to be brought up as a “proper young woman.” She was called “Auntie Mary.” She was a strange woman, and you sometimes found yourself questioning her sanity. For example, she had at least seven cats that each had their own bedroom, complete with fireplace and canopy bed. And at supper the cats had their own places at the table, and had to be the first ones to eat their meal before anyone else. On your first day at the plantation you made the mistake of diving right into the food, and was so shocked, and slightly embarrassed, to have been yelled at for not waiting your turn that you vowed never to make the same mistake again. To be yelled at by Auntie Mary was not a fun occurrence… unless it wasn’t happening to you. When it happened to someone else, then it was entertaining. Other than that, life was dull and boring. There really wasn’t anyone around to talk to because they were dull and boring. It made talking to a cabbage more entertaining than speaking to anyone on the island. But there were occasional surprises when your father came to visit, bring gifts from his travels and stories of the high seas. You especially loved to hear about the pirates. You thought that they were absolute fascinating creatures. Elizabeth (who was your friend in London and who had traveled with you on the crossing) would also sometimes pay a visit. Unfortunately, you never got to go back with them. Then about a month or two ago you received word that your father was dead-lost to a storm in the Indian Ocean. You were sent his old manuscript and charts and his beloved sword. There were also some useless course maps that he had created out of his head for show, but you kept them anyway. Sentimental value (sniff!). Then unexpectedly your relative kicked the bucket, too (although that wasn’t too depressing.) And surprisingly you received an incredible amount of money from her, including the plantation (and the cats.) Elizabeth had heard that you were all by yourself, and decided to bring you and your new gained wealth with her to Port Royal. So you packed your bags and gave the plantation to the cats, for which they were eternally grateful, and boarded the Dauntless. You would make a new life for yourself there, you thought. Perhaps you would get some of your writings published. But for now you would just enjoy the journey over there. Soon the sun was setting, meals were eaten, and sleep was needed. “Are you going to bed?” asked Elizabeth. “In a while. I just want to look at the ocean.” “Alright. Goodnight then.” “Goodnight.” A while later… “Milady, you should be asleep. It will be a very long day at sea tomorrow.” You turn to see Commodore Norrington. Why was he here? You never liked him much ever since you first met him on the crossing from England. And the fact that he had tried to get Elizabeth’s hand in marriage always grossed you out. Ewwwwww… and so did that wig. “I’m not tired yet. I thought I’d just watch the ocean for a while.” “Yes.” He stepped a bit closer. “The, uh, moon is quite beautiful as it is reflected upon the open sea.” What?! “Um, yes. Err… quite.” “The moonlight just seems to dance upon the waves.” “Uh-huh.” “So delicate in features, so graceful, so…” Sheesh. What was it with this guy and the moon? You stare out at sea again (you tend to do that a lot) and try to block out the annoying rambles. “Blah blah blah blah blah…” Something dark in the distance catches your eye. It moves fast against the current towards the Dauntless. It looks like a ship. “Blah blah blah blah moon blah blah shiny…” The dark thingy seems to be gaining. Then its flag enters the light of the (guess!) moon. You gasp when you see it. It’s a pirate ship! “Uh, Commodore…” “Blah blah blah…” “Commodore, I think you should look at this.” “Blah blah blah…” “Commodore Norrington! There’s a bloody pirate ship over there! Do something!” “Blah blah blah OH MY GOD IT’S A PIRATE SHIP! EEEK! SOMEONE CALL THE COMMODORE!” “But you ARE the Commodore!” “Oh. Err…sorry.” “That’s alright. But what about the pirate ship?” “PIRATE SHIP? EEEK!” “Do that again and I’ll…” “Sorry.” (Pause) “Well?” “Oh yes.” Commodore Norrington clears his throat and looks important. “All hands on deck! Prepare the guns! Get me my pirate-fighting wig! All sails-oops!" Norrington had carelessly tripped over a rope that was piled in his way, and had hit his head against the deck. “Commodore? Commodore?! Oh bloody hell, he’s out cold!” Great. Now what do you do? * * * * * CHAPTER 2 - Pirate Invasion The pirate ship was now right there. The crew of the Dauntless was busy running frantically about the ship trying to figure things out on their own. A few attempted to wake up the Commodore. Everyone was shouting. Suddenly a cannon blast comes from the pirate ship, rocking the Dauntless and sending you in somersaults across the deck. Whoa. Now you were scared. And where was Elizabeth? * * * * Elizabeth, who was struck with a rather severe case of insomnia, (and an annoying case of I’ll-snoop-around-a-bit) was in the ship’s brig. You know, the jail. No one was in there. Elizabeth was just slowly pacing about when she heard a shrill shriek that sounded like a little girl (the Commodore) and some mention of a pirate ship. She looked out the porthole and saw it: the dark thingy pirate ship! Slow realization came to Elizabeth as she realized she had seen that ship before. “I know that ship,” she said. “It’s the-” Suddenly a blast from the pirate ship rocked the Dauntless, sending Elizabeth into an open jail cell on the other side of the deck. As the Dauntless rocked back into place, the cell door closed. Elizabeth tried to open it. It was locked. “Bloody pirates!” * * * * As you try to shake off the effect of your previous gymnastics routine across the deck, you hear shouts and other scary pirate sounds. The pirates are coming on board the ship! “Grr!” says one, a bit shorter than all the rest. “We’ll be taken this ship fer ourselves!” “Arrr!” says another, brandishing a very sharp looking cutlass covered with what looks like rust… or dried blood. Eek! “I be takin’ no prisoners!” Gulp! Scary, ain’t it? You try to calm down. Okay, think rationally. It’s not as hopeless as it seems. There are many pirates attacking the ship. The Commodore is knocked out. Elizabeth is doing God knows what. The other officers seem to have forgotten me. I’m on a ship, and the only way off is to jump into that dark, deep water that I have been staring at for most of this trip. Okay. I’m wrong. It is hopeless. Suddenly you feel a large, hairy, dirty hand grab you and a sharp knife pointed at your throat. “And what do we ‘ave ‘ere?” You gasp, trying to think of something to say. “Um… nothing. Nothing at all. You see a mirage.” The pirate blinks and looks confused. “What?” “I am a figment of your imagination. You’ve had too much to drink. Go continue fighting and raiding the ship.” “Errr… alright. I guess I have had too much ter drink.” You breathe a sigh of relief. You wondered if all pirates were that stupid. Another blast hits the ship, lighting up the darkness. More pirates are coming onboard. There is chaos and fighting all around you. You try to find a way below. Maybe if you could get your father’s sword… Thud! You run straight into another large, scary looking pirate. “AHHHHHHH!” you scream. “ARRRRRRR!” he screams back. “AHHHHHH!” “ARRRRRR!” “AHHHHH!” “ARRRRR!” “AHHHH!” “ARRRR!” “AHHH!” “ARRR!” “AHH!” “ARR!” “AH!” “AR!” “AH…oh, forget it! I’m loosing my voice here!” He grins menacingly, showing his crooked and yellow teeth. He laughs and you catch a whiff of his breath. “Whew! Why do you bother to carry around a sword? You could kill people with your breath alone!” you say as you struggle to gain some fresh air back into your body. “Arr! And you be needin’ to learn some manners!” He takes hold of you. You struggle but can’t get out of his grasp. Panicked, you do what you saw your Auntie Mary do to the “con artists in the towne shoppe”…kick ‘em way down there. “Owww!” The pirate drops you and kneels down in agony. Then you make a run for it. * * * * One of the pirates hobbled on board, scratching his beard and looking about. He drank the last few drops of his gin and tossed it over the side of the ship. “Ay, a fine night to be taking a ship such as the Dauntless!” Among the chaos of shouts and sounds of clicking swords and firing guns, he was able to hear the brief conversation of two officers. “Sir! What do we do about the passengers?” “We must locate Miss Swann and her friend and get them below! We cannot have a chance of them becoming causalities of this…” Boom! A blast interrupted the last bits of conversation. But the pirate had heard enough. “Miss Swann? As in Elizabeth Swann? I have to tell the captain! I ‘ave to tell him…” Whack! “Arr! Sorry about that, Gibbs!” said another pirate, who had mistaken the other for an officer and had hit him with a large plank. But Gibbs was out cold (just like the Commodore! Who else can I knock out? hehe This is fun!) * * * * You are running, trying to find a way below decks, when you see two other scraggily looking pirates running toward you. “Oh no, not more pirates!” There is no way of escape… except up. You struggle to remember all the things your father taught you about ships as you attempt to climb the ropes to the crow’s nest. Your show falls back to the deck as you slip on the rigging. The pirates are climbing up behind you and seeming to get closer and closer with each second! You reach the beam at the top of the sail. You breathe in a nervous gulp of air and close your eyes. You’ve done this before. You can do it again. You step carefully onto the beam, gaining your balance. Visions of days spent long ago with your father onboard giant ships come back to your memory. Days spent playing on beams such as this. Only now it was life or death. “Come back here lass,” says one of the pirates, who looks very intimidating. “I won’t be hurting ya. Just come back ‘ere like a nice lass.” You look at him wide-eyed and shake your head. You move further across the beam. The second pirate has now joined you on the beam. He doesn’t say a word, but the parrot on his shoulder squawks, “Walk the plank! Walk the plank!” The pirate nods in agreement and in your horror stomps on the beam, shaking it under your feet. Your chest clenches up as you lose your balance and begin to fall. Everything seems to go in slow motion. The smiles on the pirates’ faces, the crossing of swords and the firing of pistols going on the deck below you, the movement of the ship in the murky waters. You see your hands fly into the air, and for a last attempt you reach for the rope hanging on the sail. Life is set to motion again and you hang on for dear life to that rope, but that pirate with the parrot lunges out at you with his sword and…bloody hell…cuts the rope! Now you reach out for anything that’s there…which happens to be the sail. You slide down the sail while proceeding to tear it to shreds and fall back onto the deck. You look about, trying to find some way to escape. Then you see it! The door to the captain’s quarters was open! If you could just run fast enough, maybe you could reach it and hold out the fort! You try to make it to the open door. Just a bit further… “Oh no ya don’t, lass!” shouts a voice. You feel yourself taken hold of by two strong hands. You struggle to get loose, but it’s useless. “Let me go! I demand you let me go at once! I’ll have the entire British navy sent after you, so help me!” “Oh, you be having the entire British navy after me, you say? Well, not after you be meeting with the captain, lass.” “Sailor! I believe you mentioned my name?” shouts a voice. “Arr! Captain! That I did! Look!” You are forced to turn around towards the side of the ship, where you see another pirate coming on board the Dauntless. Apparently he’s the captain, but you can’t quite see him in the dark. “Ah! Did you find more rum?” says the captain. “No. Something better, captain.” “Better than rum? Let me see!” The captain comes into the light. You can see him better now. He wears a tri-corner hat and has a crazy head of black dreadlocks protruding beneath it, filled with items such as bones and beads. You catch a glimpse of a red bandana. On his chin are two hanging braids. His face is tanned and dirty and his eyes are marked with dark charcoal, which brings them out… amazingly beautiful brown eyes. He grins at you, teeth gleaming like gold… wait, they are gold! Well, at least some of them. He was unlike any pirate you had ever seen. And if you didn’t feel like you were going to pee your pants from fright, you’d think this guy was kinda…no, really… well, hot! “Aye! I have to agree mate. That is a bit better than rum!” He steps a bit closer to you. “’ello love,” he says. “And who might you be?” You squeak out your name. He laughs. “A bit frightened, are you?” “No,” you managed to get out. “What do we do with ‘er, captain?” says the creepy guy holding you. The captain steps closer again and puts his face right up to yours. He smells very much like rum. He takes his cutlass and brushes it up against your hair and points it at your throat. “I know exactly what we can do with her.” * * * * * CHAPTER 3 - So What Do We Do Now? “Jack Sparrow! What do you think you are doing?!” Everyone turn their heads to see an angry and rather annoyed looking figure walk toward them. Their hair is in tangles, dirt and grime are spotted on their face and hands, and the robe covering their nightgown is very wet, as if they had been sitting in a puddle of water. The captain does a double take. “Elizabeth?” You’re in shock as well. “Elizabeth? What…? You…you know him?!” Elizabeth nods her head, still looking angry and annoyed. “Unfortunately,” she whispers as she gets closer to you. “But… but… how? When?” you whisper back. “I’ll explain it all later,” she replies. Jack is in hysterics now. “Why did no one tell me Elizabeth was on this here ship? I can handle the Commodore. But her?! My rum’s at stake here! Haven’t I told you all that when she is in sight my rum is not safe? Where be Mr. Gibbs? Why did he not tell me?” While Jack was shouting about his precious rum, you manage to squeeze out of the grasp of the creepy pirate guy who was holding you to join Elizabeth. “Elizabeth? Where have you been?” “Err… I was… in the brig.” “What were you doing in there? Didn’t you hear the shouting and the guns and…” “Yes, yes. But I… oh, I was locked inside the brig!” “How did you manage to do that?” you say, laughing. “I was knocked inside and the door slammed and locked me in!” she says. “And it’s not funny!” “Yes it is!” “No it’s not,” she says, pouting. “I think I broke a nail.” You roll your eyes. “Well, now what do we do?” “I don’t know. It will take at least a week or two for it to grow back again.” “Not about your nail! About the pirates!” “Oh! Um… get the Commodore?” “He’s knocked out!” “What?! Oh that’s peachy, that is.” “Yeah, just peachy keen. He tripped over some rope and hit his head.” “What about the other officers?” “Umm… well, Elizabeth, if you haven’t already noticed…” You both look around the deck. The fighting has stopped for the most part. A majority of officers are lying on the deck, most likely dead. The rest are being held captive by a couple of pirates. One of the captives is the Commodore… who is still knocked out and appears to be drooling. Ewww… that’s not pretty, you think to yourself. “Lovely,” mutters Elizabeth. “So what do we do?” “I… I don’t know.” “Do you think they’d hurt us? I mean, since you know the captain?” “No, I don’t think they would. But then again…” “How do you know that pirate anyway?” “Oh! Well, remember that story I told you about the pirate medallion and me being kidnapped by pirates and Will coming to save me?” “Yes.” “Well, Jack was one of the pirates…” “Who kidnapped you?” “No! Who helped to save me. His crew helped too.” “Oh. What’s he going on about his rum for?" “Well, we had a slight detour on an island and I burned all his rum to make a signal.” “You what?” “Yes, there was tons of it left over from the rum-runners and he was so upset…” “Oh, that’s horrible!” “Yes, I… wait, what?” “How can you be so cruel? Taking a poor man’s rum?” “But…” “No, don’t talk to me Elizabeth. That was an extremely selfish action and you know it.” “Um…” “Zip it!” “Err… alright.” Now that you weren’t speaking to Elizabeth for a while, you focused on the situation at hand. “Uh, excuse me? Mr. Sparrow?” Jack looks up at you. “It’s Captain, CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow, love.” “Okay, Captain Sparrow. What do you plan to do with us?” Jack thinks for a minute as if he had never really thought of it before. Then he says: “Well, I can’t be killin’ you or Elizabeth over there. If I kill her I’ll have the whole British fleet after me. Not that it matters, but I don’t feel like having them on my tail, savvy? If I kill you it would be about the same, considerin’ you be a friend of hers. We’ll be takin’ all the goods from the ship onto our own. Not sure what we’ll be doin’ ‘bout Norrington and the other officers just yet.” He grins at you, one that makes you melt but afraid of what he’ll say at the same time. “Well, obviously you can’t be stayin’ here, love. So I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us.” “And what about me?” shouts Elizabeth. You’re beginning to get annoyed at that voice of hers. “Are you going to leave me alone on this ship?” Jack looks as if he really just wants to throw her overboard to save his rum. He forces a smile as he says, “ ‘Course not. You’ll be comin’ with us as well. If we can’t kill you, perhaps a ransom will do.” And with that he walks off, but not without giving a wink to you. “Ransom?!” shouts Elizabeth. She begins to lunge toward Jack but one of the pirates grabs hold of her and takes her to his ship. “Let me go! Let me go!” Another pirate reaches toward you as if to do the same. “That won’t be necessary,” you tell him. “I’m willing to go.” As long as they weren’t going to hurt you, you’d be fine. Right? Anyway, it would be an adventure! Yay! You step onboard the pirate ship in a very happy manner. You laugh at Elizabeth’s expression. She doesn’t seem too pleased. Then you see a pirate ship walk on board with (gasp!) your money! Your father’s sword! Those sentimental course maps! “Excuse me! Those are mine! Give them back, you… you…!” “Now, now love. I told you that we would be takin’ the goods,” says Jack, as he steps back onboard his ship. “But…*sniff* those were my father’s.” “We’ll keep ‘em nice for you, love. As long as you behave. Savvy?” “Sure… uh, savvy.” You reply, not knowing what the heck he was saying. “Jack! The crew wants to know what we be doin’ ‘bout the Commodore and the other officers!” shouts a pirate. “Mr. Gibbs! Where have you been, man?” shouts back Jack. “Err… I was a bit detained, of ‘er sorts, cap’n. Hit over the head.” “Bloody hell…” you whisper. Mr. Gibbs looks over at Elizabeth. “I see you’ve found Miss Swann.” He looks at you. “And I see you’ve also found Miss…” “MR. GIBBS! WHAT IN GOD’S NAME ARE YOU DOING HERE? I HAVEN’T SEEN YOU SINCE THE CROSSING FROM ENGLAND! AND NOW YOU’RE A BLOODY PIRATE?!” “Ah, yes. That I am, Miss (your name here).” “Oh, I am so confused,” you say, shaking your head. “Aye, that I did,” says Jack, laughing at you. He pulls Mr. Gibbs to the side. “My rum is secure, savvy?” “Aye, cap’n. As secure as a… as a… well, they be secure!” “Good! And as for the Commodore and the officers…” Splash! The longboat hit the water far below. A few oars were tossed along with it. “Sparrow! I’ll see to it that you receive a proper welcome in Port Royal for this! The noose will be waiting!” “Well, Commodore, I’m sure you would if you could be seeing at all. You be speakin’ to the pole.” “What?" “Turn around.” The Commodore, whose eyesight had temporarily gone bad as a result from his brief concussion, turned around and squinted at Jack. “Oh. Yes. Quite right.” “Anamaria! Have all weapons been removed from these fine gentlemen?” “Aye aye, sir!” says a pirate. Surprisingly, a woman pirate. You didn’t know women could be pirates! “Now, I hope you know how to swim, because I know for a fact that some of your officers do not,” says Jack to Norrington. “Of course I know how to swim. I was first in my class.” “What class?” “Tadpoles.” Everyone starts to laugh. “Good fer ye, lad,” says Mr. Gibbs. “Now, off yer go!” And with that, two large pirates pick the Commodore up and toss him overboard. Splash! The Commodore comes up sputtering. “The water’s cold! The water’s cold!” “Oh for God’s sake! You’re in the bloody Caribbean! The water’s warm!” you shout. Everyone looks at you surprised. “Sorry,” you say sheepishly. “But he was just asking for it.” Jack laughs. “That a girl! Bring on the other officers!” One by one the remaining officers of the Dauntless are thrown overboard. Soon they are all struggling to get into the longboat. “So you can just row yerselfs back to Port Royal and tell the governor that we have his daughter and Miss (your name here) and we demand gold. Lots of gold.” “Anything else?” shouts the Commodore. “Oh! And rum! Lots and lots o’ rum!” Jack says, licking his lips and rubbing his hands together at the thought. The Commodore starts laughing. “Just one thing,” he says. “What?” Jack asks. “The Dauntless. She’s still in proper order. You haven’t even bothered to commandeer it.” “But I have scuttled it,” says Jack. The Commodore frowns. “No you haven’t. It’s right there. I know my eyesight isn’t that great at the moment, but honestly. I can still see a big, giant ship in front of me, can’t I?” Jack nods in agreement. “Aye, now you can see it,” he says. He then signals to a nearby member of his crew, who nods and runs off. “But then again…” Boom! A blast from a gun off the ship hits the Dauntless, which creates another explosion onboard the British vessel. Apparently someone had been messing around in the powder magazine. You duck so as to avoid flying debris. You hear the Commodore shriek again as he says, “AHHH! MY SHIP! MY BEAUTIFUL SHIP! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO-oww!” The Commodore is knocked out… again. Didn’t he learn that he should always cover his head when there was flying debris about? So the Dauntless was scuttled, the unconscious Commodore and the remaining officers were now rowing back to Port Royal, Elizabeth was still greatly upset that she had been kidnapped yet again, and you were on a pirate ship with a really hot pirate captain! You couldn’t decide if things were going up or down for you. You turn towards Jack. “So, um, now what captain?” He looks at the horizon, and then at you. Then he smiles. “Well, first I be welcomin’ you to my pride and joy: the Black Pearl!” You smile. “I think I’ll enjoy the stay.” “Of course you will, love! Then we do what all pirates do after a raid, kidnapping, and scuttle!” “What?” “Par-tay! Now where be me party hat?” * * * * * CHAPTER 4 - Yay! The Black Pearl! The Caribbean sun had been up for quite a while now, gently warming your face. Jack was barking orders at the crew. “Come along you bilge rats! Let’s get her movin’! We be celebratin’ tonight!” Immediately the crew gets to work, hoisting sails, raising the anchor, and all that fun stuff that the authoress has no knowledge of. You hear your name. It’s Elizabeth. “I’m still not speaking to you,” you say, crossing your arms in front of your chest. “You’re speaking to me now, aren’t you?” You narrow your eyes in response. "Oh! You’re hopeless!” Elizabeth cries out, throwing her hands up in the air. Hehe. This is fun, you giggled to yourself. Jack is standing on the bridge glancing at his famous broken compass and turning the helm three full circles to the right. “Captain?” you ask. He grins, obviously loving that you remembered to call him “Captain.” “Yes, love?’ “Where exactly are we going?” “Why to the happiest place on Earth, of course!” “Disneyland?” “Okay, second happiest.” You shrug. “I have no idea.” “Tortuga,” Jack says with pleasure. “As I’ve said before, ‘it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep the sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga. Savvy?’” Your heart starts beating faster. Tortuga? You had heard about that place. A town where there were no rules. Pirates of all sorts inhabited the island; pubs and taverns were filled with them. Things like backstabbing and stealing were commonplace, and prostitutes could be seen on every corner. Jack must have read your mind because then he says, “Don’t you worry, young missy. As long as you stick with old Jack you’ll be safe as can be.” You nod your head. “Speaking of which,” Jack continues, lowering his voice and his face looking as serious as Jack’s face can look serious. “Elizabeth has asked me to instruct the crew not to lay a finger on you. She can handle herself fine, but you…you might be a different story. I don’t want to be havin’ me tickets to wealth and rum be spoiled, savvy?” Your jaw drops. “Err, correct me if I’m wrong,” Jack says quickly. “How dare she make that assumption about me! I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank-you-very-much!” “Yes, I’m sure you can, love. Ahh…would I be wrong in saying that the two of you were having a bit of a tiff?” “No, you’d be quite correct.” “And why would you be having said upset?” “Well, she told me that she burnt your rum…” Jack covers his ears. “Nooo! Stop! No more!” “Sorry. But I got mad at her because she did that and she didn’t think it a big deal but I certainly thought so…doing that to your poor rum.” “Really? You’re mad at her over that?” “Yes.” “Oh, I feel so loved. See, I’m all warm and cozy inside. ‘Course that could be the rum I just drank…” “Okay…” “So are you a lover of rum, too?” “Actually, I’ve never tried the stuff. My somehow-related-cat loving-guardian thought it would be ‘inappropriate’ for a girl my age.” Jack looks incredibly shocked. “Never. Had. Rum?” “No.” “Never? Ever?” “No.” “Never ever never ever never ever…” “No! I’ve never had rum before!” “Well, you’re bloody well going to tonight! I’ll make sure of it!” he says, waving his hands wildly. “Now, off you run. I’ve got to set us on course for Tortuga.” “Okay!” You skip off smiling. Thud! You have just skipped into a pirate. Don’t you feel special? “Oye! Watch where ya going, matey!” says the slightly angry pirate who is shaking a wet mop at you. “Oh, sorry. Hey wait a moment. You’re a girl!” “No, I’m a bloody bloomin’ cockroach. ‘Course I’m a girl!” “So there are two girl pirates? *gasp* Does that mean I can be a pirate?!?!” you ask excitingly. “Can you fight?” “No.” “Have you ever drunk rum before?” “Jack says I will tonight.” “Can you steal without feeling guilty or getting caught?” “Ummm… I don’t know.” “Can you sing ‘Drunken Sailor’ and dance a jig at the same time?” “Err… no?” “Then you can’t be a pirate.” “WHAT?! But I… I…” “Yes?” “I can work on the ship! My father taught me loads about ships!” “That would make you a sailor. Not a pirate.” “Darn.” “You be that girl we kidnapped, aye?” “One of them.” “Well, you’re not Elizabeth.” “No, I’m (your name here).” “I’m Bree. Glad to meet you. (look Bree a.k.a. Captain Cheesehead! It’s your cameo!) So, you know about ships, do ya?" “Yep.” “Think you could give me a hand?” “Alright!” So you and your new pirate friend Bree finish mopping the deck, on which Elizabeth slips and falls on. You then realize that you’re hungry, as you haven’t eaten for a long time now. “Come with me!” says Bree, after you expressed your hunger pains to her. You follow her into the ship’s galley. She disappears for a moment and then reappears wearing a giant white chef hat. “Not only am I a pirate, but I’m a cook too!" "How utterly convenient,” you say. Bree cooks you up your favorite dish: chocolate chip cookies! (Okay, my favorite dish! hehe) The two of you eat them with all their yummy chocolate chip goodyness. Unfortunately your chocolate cookie bliss is interrupted by Mr. Gibbs coming into the galley. “Belay that nonsense, you two! Bree, the capt’n wants ye to cook the courses fer tonight’s party. Miss, ye be needed to help with the chores, if ye be so kind.” You wave ta-ta to your friend and follow Mr. Gibbs back up to the main deck, where you help work on the Black Pearl. Jack steers the big ruddy ship, and Elizabeth walks around, careful not to fall on anymore slippery decks, and muttering things like, “Wait until my father hears of this,” and “I’ll get to that rum of it’s the last thing I do.” Finally, night falls… and it’s time to par-tay! (not to be confused with par-lay) There are plenty of party lanterns and yummy food (all made by Bree) and of course, lots and lots of rum! A couple of the pirates have fiddles and start playing a lively jig. Jack emerges with a huge hat with a huge peacock feather. “Told you I had a party hat!” He rubs his hands together and stumbles over to the rum. He takes two large bottles and raises them up for a toast. “Here’s to our kidnappes, without whom we would not be having our future ransoms of money and more rum!” You and the crew give a hearty cheer. Elizabeth was in the captain’s quarters, refusing to join the festivities (probably trying to come up with a plan to get rid of all the rum.) Jack plops down next to you. “So, love. Try your rum yet?” he says, holding a bottle out to you. “No.” “Well?” You cautiously take the glass bottle and stare at its amber contents. Jack smiles expectantly. You gulp and uncork the bottle. “Yo ho ho!” sings Jack, raising his rum. “Yo ho ho,” you say nervously. Bottles are clinked together in a toast. You close your eyes and take a giant swig. Hmmm… it tasted… different. And, gulp, it wasn’t that bad… Meanwhile, back in Port Royal… “Commodore, when I put my daughter in your care I expected her to return home safely, not to be kidnapped by pirates!” “Governor Swann, I assure you that had I not been unconscious when Sparrow…” “And that’s just it! Sparrow! He kidnaps my daughter again! Not to mention Miss (your name here).” Governor Swann shakes his head in disbelief. “What did Elizabeth ever see in him? A pirate is a pirate! Why did we let him go? He should have been hanged!” “Sir,” begins the Commodore, holding a cloth compress to the enormous bump on his head. “That would have happened if Mr. Turner hadn’t…” Suddenly the front door flies open. “Where’s Elizabeth?!?!” “Speak of the devil…” “William, my dear boy…” begins the governor. “Elizabeth?! Where is she?!” “Your lovely pirate friend made off with her and Miss (your name here),” says Norrington. “Jack?” “Yes, Jack, as you call him,” says the governor, “attacked the Dauntless last night. His crew killed many members of the British navy, kidnapped Elizabeth and Miss (your name here), and sent the Commodore and the remaining officers back here in a longboat.” “And my ship,” sniffles the Commodore, “is now at the bottom of the ocean.” “Here, Commodore, take this,” says the governor, offering Norrington a handkerchief. “Thank you, sir.” “But… but… Jack? He would never…” “But he did. And now my daughter and the daughter of a close family friend are in the hands of murderous, lustful, amoral pirates!” Will Turner straightens his stance. He narrows his eyes and his expression became as solemn as possible. “Sir, Jack Sparrow is a good man. He himself would never so such a thing to Elizabeth or Miss (your name here). Neither would he let his crew.” Norrington steps closer to Will so as to look at him face to face. “You would trust such a man as Sparrow?” he challenged. “I would trust him with my life.” The governor, sensing trouble, gently separated the two men. “Gentlemen, if you please. The concern here is the well being of my daughter and of Miss (your name here). There is a ransom to be paid, after all.” “Ransom?” asks Will. “Yes,” Norrington sneers. “Sparrow demands money… and rum.” “How much?” questions Will. “He didn’t say,” replies the Commodore. “Knowing Sparrow, it will be more than he can handle.” “Where are we to meet them to exchange the ransom?” asks Will. “That, too, is indeed a mystery,” says the Commodore. “The time and the place were not mentioned.” Will already had an idea of where Jack would be headed. “Tortuga,” he says under his breath. “What?’ “Nothing, sir. I was just muttering to myself.” “So what are we to do, Commodore?” the governor asks. “I have my men preparing the Poseidon as we speak. We shall leave in the morning to where we last encountered Sparrow. Then we shall go from there.” “Very good,” says the governor. ‘I trust you on this, Commodore. Not one, but two lives are in your hands.” “Yes, sir.” “I’m coming with you,” Will says suddenly. “Err, Mr. Turner, I admire your great love and dedication to my daughter, but…” “You are a blacksmith, not a sailor,” finishes the Commodore. “Leave the high sea rescues to the big boys. You remember the last attempt of yours, do you not?” “Yes,” Will says, glaring at the Commodore. “And I saved her.” The Commodore laughs. “Your rash decision to join forces with Sparrow not only almost cost Miss Swann her life, but yours as well. Had it not been for my naval officers and…” “Commodore, that is quite enough,” says the governor. He turns to Will and speaks as a father would a son. “I am afraid that the Commodore is right. You lead with your heart too much, my boy, not your head. There is plenty for you to do here. Perhaps Sparrow’s intention is to come to Port Royal to make the exchange. And if it is, you will be here to do so. I believe your word. And if Elizabeth and Miss (your name here) arrive home safe, he will be allowed to leave free.” Commodore Norrington moves to protest, but the governor holds up a hand to signal him to wait. “Do you understand, my boy?” Will seems to be thinking of something. Then he slowly nods his head. “Yes, sir.” “Good lad! Good lad! What a fine son-in-law you shall make me!” He motions to a nearby servant. “Mr. Jacobs, please escort Mr. Turner out of the manor.” “Yes, sir,” replies the servant. “Right this way, Mr. Turner.” “We shall speak in the morning, William,” says the governor. “Try and sleep well.” “Yes, Governor Swann. I shall try my best. Goodnight, sir. Commodore.” “Mr. Turner.” “Goodnight, William.” As the door to the colonial manor shuts behind that of William Turner, the Commodore turns abruptly to the governor. “I must protest, sir! Letting Sparrow get away, again?” “Commodore, you of all people should know that I only said that to calm the boy. Of course we will not let Sparrow get away freely.” The Commodore smiles. “I understand, sir.” “Good. As long as everything is clear.” “All I want is what Sparrow has coming to him,” says the Commodore, “for what he did to my ship. *sniff*” Back on the Black Pearl… Elizabeth was sitting on the large bed in the large captain’s quarters of the large Black Pearl. She could hear the lively fiddle music and the shouts of laughter and fun happening outside the room. She stared out at the many windows that looked out onto the black abyss of ocean, while quietly singing: “Some day my Will will come. Some day we’ll meet again…” And it was quite bad, to be honest with you. Because Elizabeth can’t sing. She thinks she can, but she can’t. You heard her singing “A Pirate’s Life For Me” in the movie, right? *shudders* But before she could sing another off-key note, Jack bursts into the room. “Jack? What are you doing? I could have been changing for all you know!” Jack grins in that Jack-Sparrowish-sort-of-way that let’s you know that he’s thinking of something naughty, but he quickly shakes it off. “You need to come outside and take a look at yer friend, love,” he says quickly. “Why? What’s happened?” “Just come out and take a looksie…” TBC... |