To The Black Pearl
Jack Sparrow could hardly believe his luck-his crew had come back for him. They were there, with the Black Pearl! Ana Maria threw him a rope and pulled him onto the deck. "Welcome back, Captain Jack Sparrow," she said.
Jack smiled, then shouted, "Get to work!"
The crew hustled to man their positions and Jack took the wheel. It felt good-the wind on his face and the salty smell of the sea. It felt even better to know that his enemies, the crew of the former cursed Black Peal, where vanquished.
Mr. Gibbs walked up to where Jack stood. "Congratulations, Jack," he said, putting a firm hand on Jack's shoulder. "You did what no one thought was possible."
Cracking his famous grin, he said, "Well, what did you expect? I am the famous Captain Jack Sparrow. And you want to know something? When they were about to hang me they left off the 'Captain' again!"
Mr. Gibbs laughed. "Don't think they'll be leaving it off anymore, do you?"
Jack shook his head. "I am the captain of the Black Pearl-they'd best not forget that. Now, I want to sail to the Strait of Gibraltar-there's this new merchant ship carrying all sorts of spices and silks. I look good in pink, you know."
Jack was finding it hard to sleep that night. He kept remembering Elizabeth Swan, and that one night they spent together marooned on an island. He remembered the way that they'd toasted over rum:
"To Freedom."
"To the Black Pearl."
It almost made him wish that Elizabeth had ended up with him, and not Will Turner. "What does he have that I don't? He doesn't even have a ship! I've got the Black Pearl. She should have gone with me!" It almost angered him.
Almost.
But he couldn't stay mad because he had said to her, "It would never have worked out between us, love."
Jack sighed and shut his eyes, trying to sleep off the emptiness. Elizabeth was probably happily married to Will by now. "I'll never find anyone who'll have me-I'm a bloody pirate!"
That was when Ana Maria opened his door and said, "Captain, I need to talk to you." "What is it?" demanded Jack, getting out of bed.
Ana Maria smiled. "There's a couple out there on the deck-they say they're friends of yours. I told them, 'Jack don't have no friends,' but they insisted they were practically kin."
"How'd they get there?" he growled.
"They paddled out. We're only a few leagues from the shore. Come now, the girl's close to tears," said Ana Maria.
Jack walked out of his quarters and gasped. Will Turner and the new Elizabeth Turner were standing hand in hand on the deck. "Elizabeth!" he cried. "William!" He was almost happy to see them.
"We need to go far away," said Will.
"They're out to persecute him for piracy and murder-Commodore Norrington's been murdered and the new Commodore is set to convict Will! They've practically already scheduled his hanging," cried Elizabeth.
Jack shrugged. "You can sail with us. We're headed to the Strait of Gibraltar. That far enough?"
Will smiled and nodded. "We're forever grateful, because it appears that Elizabeth is pregnant and in British society that's, well, frowned upon."
"Would you like me to show them to the guest quarters?" asked Ana Maria.
"Certainly," said Jack-and with a tip of his hat he was off.
Ana Maria opened the door of the guest quarters and lit a single candle that hung from the ceiling. "It's not much-and the bunks are too small to fit two people-but it should work out alright. We're expecting a storm soon, mind you. In that case, the safest thing would be to stay low to the ground." Ana Maria nodded at them and then left the room.
Elizabeth burst into tears. "Oh, Will, I'm so scared!"
Will pulled her into a close hug. "Me too, Elizabeth. But they won't come looking for us, not in Africa."
At this prospect, Elizabeth cried even harder. "I don't want to live in Africa."
"But we can't stay in England-not even in the colonies." Will patted her on the back. "And we must get married before you have the baby. Now, why don't you try and get some sleep? You must be rather shaken."
Elizabeth nodded and began to hoist herself up to the top bunk. "No, no," said Will, "if there is a storm, as Ana Maria predicts, I'd prefer if you weren't on the top. You may hurt the baby."
"Thank you, Will. That's very considerate." Elizabeth laid down on the bottom bunk.
"Here, take this." Will covered her with his jacket. "Now try and sleep-it's very late. They've probably given up finding me by now. Hopefully."
Elizabeth shut her eyes and tried not to think about her father, about Commodore Norrington, about the life she was leaving behind. Is it possible that Will could have killed the Commodore? He was jealous enough too.but that just seems so out of character.
Mr. Gibbs woke early in the morning and made his way to the galley. He'd been appointed the cook, which wasn't a horrible thing because he was an excellent chef. The only problem was that they were very low on food-and now he had two more mouths to feed.
"Stinking Sparrow!" he muttered.
"What was that?" came a new voice, a female one.
"Oh nothing, Miss.?" Mr. Gibbs turned to see Elizabeth standing in the doorway, wearing a simple white shift.
"Miss Turner," said Elizabeth, "but you can call me Elizabeth."
"Elizabeth!" gasped Mr. Gibbs. "I thought you'd married the Commodore. How did it come to pass that you're on the Pearl?"
"The Commodore's been murdered, and Will and I are fleeing Barbados. We're going to ride to the Strait with the crew, and so we've decided that we may as well earn our keep." Elizabeth smiled. "Captain Sparrow has appointed me the new cook, and he requests your presence up on the deck."
"Of course," said Mr. Gibbs. "Well, I'll be seeing you around then. Good day." He smiled and skipped up the stairs-he couldn't have been happier.
Meanwhile, Ana Maria was trying to sleep. Since she was the only female crew member, Jack had been considerate enough to let her stay in one of the guest quarters, and not with the rest of the crew. She'd worked all night last night, and now she had fives hours before she had to work again.
But Ana Maria couldn't sleep-she as too busy thinking about the new passengers on the ship, Will and Elizabeth. Will was worth keeping around- he could easily earn his keep.but Elizabeth. To put it plainly, she was being sent to replace Mr. Gibbs as the cook. How long that would last, Ana Maria didn't know. Probably about the same as their food supply-a week at most.
Elizabeth set a bowl of gruel on the wood plank table that stood in the center of the galley. There wasn't much food left, and she knew that she'd have to conserve their resources. "What to drink?" she wondered aloud, but the answer was apparent. Four barrels were labeled ALE. She filled a huge pitcher to the top, then rang the bell for breakfast to commence.
Half of the pirates filtered into the galley and ate, then another half-containing Will and Jack-came when the first was done. Will smiled secretively at Elizabeth and blew her a kiss when he saw her. She blushed and turned away.
The second group was just about done eating when suddenly Ana Maria burst into the kitchen and screamed, "It's storming! All hands on deck!"
Sure enough, rain was pouring down in thick torrents. Will looked above him and saw that the once blue sky had turned black. He turned to Jack and cried, "What can I do?"
"Fetch Elizabeth!" Jack replied.
"What'll she be able to do?" asked Will.
"Do as you're ordered!" screamed Jack.
Will was down in the galley in a heartbeat. Elizabeth was cleaning up the remains from breakfast. "Oh, Will, you're drenched! You'll catch a cold."
"No time, Elizabeth. You're needed on the deck. It's pouring rain. Come now, and be careful not to slip on the ladder."
Elizabeth followed Will up to the deck. Jack said, "We need someone to climb up to the top of the mast and fix the sail. It needs to be sewn up- you're the only one that knows how to sew."
"Isn't that a bit dangerous for Elizabeth?" asked Will.
"Surely," said Jack, "but she's the only one for the job."
"I." stammered Elizabeth. "I'll do it."
Jack handed her a knife, a piece of extra canvas, and a knitting needle. "Don't fall, love. It would be such a pity if you fell to your death."
Elizabeth smiled nervously.
Just as she was about to begin the climb, Will said, "Elizabeth! I love you."
"I love you too, Will!" she called.
But the rain swallowed her up.
Elizabeth was frightened horribly as she began climbing. She'd slung the canvas over her shoulder and stuck the needle and knife in her mouth. There were pegs all the way up the mast, but they were slippery from rain water-and so high in the sky! She almost lost her footing-the rain was so thick she couldn't see. Don't look down, she thought. And of course she looked down.
The most she could make out was a few grayish dots, and a shrill scream, "Don't look down, love! It'll only make it worse!" That had to be Jack.
Elizabeth turned back to the pegs and concentrated on getting to the top. It was hard work. But she finally made it to the very top, where she could see the gaping hole. "Oh, no," she said, shaking her head, "No, no, no." The hole was too big-she could never patch it up from where she stood.
"I'll have to improvise," she said aloud. Carefully as possible, she slid off of the pegs so that she was hanging by the wood structure of the mast. "This is madness. Pure bloody madness." Slowly, Elizabeth removed the needle from her mouth and stuck it into the sail. "What to do?" she shrieked. "I can never sew this up-I didn't even ask Jack for some thread!"
That was when an idea hit her-her hair was pinned up with at least sixty pins. The pins would hold the patch onto the mast until the weather cleared up and she could sew it properly. Cautiously, she removed the first pin from her hair. A lock of auburn slid into her eyes, and she brushed it away.
"This is easier than I thought." Elizabeth smiled happily when she was done and began to crawl down. It was just as hard to get down as it was to get up, because her auburn hair kept flying into her eyes. It was all hanging now, and not pinned up anymore.
When she returned to the ground, Jack asked, "Did you fix it?" but only after Will had swooped her into a big bear hug.
"Yes," she replied, "I fixed it. You didn't give me any thread, though, so I had to use my hairpins."
"Will it hold?" asked Will.
Elizabeth nodded, despite the ever-falling trenches of rain. "For a while. When it is less rainy perhaps I can fix it properly-not until then."
"You two had best get to your quarters-the storms about over, but we're expecting some large waves. You wouldn't want to be swept off of the boat, not in these shark infested waters," Ana Maria told them.
Will and Elizabeth began walking away when a huge wave crashed onto the boat, sending the two of them flying into the wall of Jack's quarters.
"Ow," said Elizabeth, once the wave had passed. She rubbed her head and opened her eyes. The world was spinning. She couldn't stand up. Her temples throbbed painfully. "Will?" she managed. "Will?"
Will was lying next to her, barely conscious. His lips were bloody, and he had a large gash on his left cheek. "I'm here," he said, "I'm alright."
Elizabeth kissed him on the cheek and helped him to his feet. "Think everyone else is alright?" she asked.
He pointed to where a group of seven or eight pirates were leaning over the edge of the ship, screaming, "Jack! Jack! Someone get him!"
"Don't you know how to swim?" Elizabeth called.
One by one the pirates shook their heads.
Elizabeth screamed in frustration and removed her shoes. "I owe it to him," she said, diving into the icy waters. Jack Sparrow's body was sinking fast, his eyes were closed. Elizabeth dove deeper into the water, until she could finally grasp Jack's hand.
She pulled him to the surface and then slung him over her shoulder, grasping the rope that Ana Maria had thrown to them. They were pulled onto the deck and sent straight to Jack's quarters, where he was laid on the bed by Elizabeth. Meanwhile, Will went back to the guest quarters to sleep.
Jack woke up later, once the storm had passed. "What's going on?" he asked.
Elizabeth walked over to him and handed him a cup of tea. "The wave swept you into the water, Jack."
"Who saved me? Was it William?" he asked.
"No," said Elizabeth, "it was me."
"You?" cried Jack. "But I didn't know you could swim!"
"I owed it to you," she explained, shrugging. "And besides, no one else was going to save you. I couldn't just let you drown."
"Right you are." Jack smiled and said, "Would it be entirely improper for me to ask you to lay down beside me?"
Elizabeth's heart raced as she answered, "Entirely." But she laid down beside him anyways, and allowed him to put his arm around her. Before either of them knew it, they were kissing.
Finally, Elizabeth pulled away and shrieked, "This is wrong!"
"Is it?" asked Jack, unconcerned.
"Yes," said Elizabeth. "In a matter of months, Will and I will be officially married. I can't." Elizabeth smiled. "Don't tell anyone, alright?"
"'Course not," assured Jack. "Why don't you go get some sleep? And I've left some more suitable clothes over beside the door."
"Goodnight, Jack Sparrow," said Elizabeth, picking up the black pants and white shirt.
"Captain Jack Sparrow to you, Miss Turner."
Will was awake on the top bunk when Elizabeth came in. "What took you so long?" he asked, leaning over to kiss her on the forehead.
"Had to make sure Jack was alright," she replied coolly, settling onto the bottom bunk.
"Why don't you spend the night up here with me?" asked Will.
"You heard Ana Maria-there's not enough room," she said.
"Perfect," said Will.
"William Turner!" exclaimed Elizabeth, her face heating up. "We're not married yet."
"We will be," Will pointed out, "and no one will know the difference."
"I will know the difference," snapped Elizabeth.
"Oh, Elizabeth, you're pregnant. How much worse can it get? Come now, darling. Come on up here." Will smiled and held out his hand.
Elizabeth smiled back and took his hand. "Alright. But no one can know. Promise?"
"Promise."
Will woke up to a violent rocking on the ship. "Elizabeth," he hissed, "wake up, dear. I don't want you to fall off of the bunk."
"Hmmm." muttered Elizabeth.
Just then, a vicious rock sent them off the bunk and onto the floor. "Bloody hell!" screamed Will, who'd landed on top of Elizabeth.
"Damn," moaned Elizabeth sleepily.
"Are you alright?" asked Will, standing up and ignoring the intense pain in his ribs. "Let's get you to Ana Maria." Will picked a crying Elizabeth up and carried her to Ana Maria, who led them both to the galley.
"Lay her down, and you too," said Ana Maria. "Is there any blood?"
"My shoulder," said Will, "and my ribs hurt. I think I've bruised them."
"What about the lass?" asked Ana Maria.
"My chin's bleeding," said Elizabeth, "and I can't feel my right arm."
"I'll fix you up first, Elizabeth," Ana Maria told them, "so hold out a few more minutes okay, Will?"
"Yes."
Ana Maria bent over Elizabeth's chin and dipped a rag in salt water. "This'll sting," she said, pressing the cloth on Elizabeth's wound. Elizabeth groaned softly. After she stopped the bleeding, Ana Maria pushed back Elizabeth's shirt sleeve. "Oh, my Lord," said Ana Maria, clucking her tongue.
"What?" demanded Elizabeth, "What is it?"
"Just a bruise," Ana Maria assured her, "but a big one-and bloody, mind you." She wrapped it in another rag and moved on to Will. Ana Maria unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it out of the way. "Your ribs aren't broken, luckily," said Ana Maria, running her hands over his rib cage softly. "And your shoulder's a bit twisted. But it'll all heal in time. Go on back to your quarters and rest."
Elizabeth and Will walked back to the bunks and slept.
"Injured?" asked Jack. "But who's going to fix the sail?"
"The hairpins are holding," said Ana Maria, after telling Jack about the injuries, "but Elizabeth is in no shape to climb up a mast and sew a patch."
Jack sighed, "It's my fault."
"Your fault?" asked Ana Maria. "How?"
"Karma," explained Jack.
"Karma?" repeated Ana Maria.
"Yes, karma. Before she went back to the room.we kissed."
Ana Maria gasped. "Jack, she's pregnant! And to be married when we arrive in Africa! Oh please tell me you're joking.if Will found out he'd be so heartbroken."
"Will is never going to find out, Ana Maria. Elizabeth and I have sworn never to tell a soul about it. And you."
"I will not tell a soul either, Captain," sighed Ana Maria.
"Thank you, love."
"As always, Captain Jack."
Will woke up hurting all over. His head ached terribly-perhaps the aftermath of the fall. He stood up slowly and cast a longing glance at Elizabeth.
"Will." she said, "Where are you going?"
"Go back to sleep, Elizabeth," he instructed, and exited the room.
Will heard voices coming from the galley. He followed the noise and found Mr. Gibbs, Jack, and a few other nameless pirates sitting around drinking rum out of large goblets. "Have a drink," garbled Jack, obviously drunk.
Will seated himself next to Mr. Gibbs and took a swig of rum. It tasted pretty vile-well, his opinion changed after a few more swigs. Soon enough they were all extremely drunk. Jack said to Will, "Your girl.she's one good kisser. I'm serious."
Will put a hand to his dizzy head. "What are you talking about, Jack?" he asked.
"I'm talking about the wonderful night Elizabeth and I spent together a couple of days ago. She's really beauteous, you know. Better not lose your grasp, or she might slip into the arms of someone else," said Jack.
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" screamed Will, thrusting Jack up against the wall. "Elizabeth doesn't have a particular taste for pirates-like you."
"Fine, then. Ask her yourself."
"I will."
Elizabeth woke up and ran to the galley, just in time to see Jack throw a punch at Will. Will stumbled to the ground. One of the other pirates threw up. "This isn't a whorehouse," said Elizabeth, as one of the drunken men tried to seduce her. "This is a galley. Get out, all of you."
Will kicked Jack in the shins. "Stop that!" said Elizabeth.
"Don't get involved, Elizabeth. I no longer have any feelings for you- you betrayed me. You went with him," said Will.
"Jack!" shouted Elizabeth. "You little thief-I'm going to kill you!" She dove at Jack and soon the three of them were all-out wrestling on the sodden floor.
It was Mr. Gibbs who finally intervened.
He couldn't believe his ears as he set Jack, Will, and Elizabeth all in separate quarters. Each was complaining that the other had done them wrong-
"Elizabeth deceived me!" sputtered Will.
"Jack told Will that I kissed him!" shrieked Elizabeth, clawing for Jack's throat.
"Will pounced on me just because Elizabeth likes me better," slurred Jack.
"Be that the case," said Mr. Gibbs, to Jack, "Elizabeth is pregnant with Will's child. You were wrong to.well, you know."
Jack sighed, "I feel like I'm going to." Before he could finish, he puked over the side of the boat.
"Had a little too much rum, eh?" asked Mr. Gibbs.
Jack held his head. "I'm going to bed."
"Elizabeth," said Will, entering their quarters where she was resting, "I think this-our relationship-needs to end. I can't forgive what you have done. The boat will be arriving in six days-I will be staying on board as a.a pirate." With that, he lifted up his right sleeve to reveal the brand of a pirate. "And at that time you will find a ship heading back to Barbados. Understood?"
"No," snapped Elizabeth. "You've no right to decide my future."
"Elizabeth, you can't stay on the ship-it's not safe. If you stay, I go."
"Then pack your bags." That said, Elizabeth exited the room.
Africa was visible on the horizon by the time Elizabeth went to Captain Jack to talk to him. "Jack," she said, "I can't stop thinking about you."
"Elizabeth, this is wrong," said Jack, "it got you into trouble before. Wouldn't be wise of you to stay here..but I do feel the same about you."
"Then I can stay?" asked Elizabeth.
"Certainly," said Jack, with a smile. Then, "We'll get married. In Africa."
Elizabeth smiled back at him and pulled him close to her. "But I hear Will's been branded a pirate. He's set to stay on the ship."
Jack shrugged. "He won't want to stay on the ship.us being together and all. I'll speak to him tonight, and change his mind."
"Jack?"
"Yes?"
"I love you," said Elizabeth.
"I love you too," he replied.
Will could hardly believe it-Elizabeth was going to get married to Jack Sparrow. "What do you mean?" demanded Will, after Elizabeth had informed her. "It was just a fight-it didn't mean anything."
"I can't be with you, knowing that I love Jack more," Elizabeth told him slowly. "I wish you the best of luck with whatever you do."
Will sighed, "I'll be finding a new ship, once we get to Africa. Go ahead-live with Jack happily ever after. See if I care."
"Very well."
"Good."
Elizabeth was very late into her pregnancy by the time they reached Africa-and it was a constant reminder to Jack, Will, and herself that she was truly meant to be with Will. But even so, once they arrived to pick up their treasure-a quick raid of a few merchant ships-Will set off looking for a new pirate ship.
And just his luck, he found one. It was called the Titan-and he was promoted to first mate, because of his tremendous wit and giddy sensations.
Elizabeth felt bad for the turmoil she'd caused him by choosing Jack- she felt bad, yes, but she did not regret. She was happier than she ever had been. Jack made her feel free. And that was exactly what she was feeling the night after they left Africa.
They got married on the ship. Mr. Gibbs made it official. They recited their vows, and were married in an hour.
Jack was ecstatic.
Elizabeth was reluctant to surrender to her own feelings of ecstasy.
But she did.
They were a happy couple-soon to forget about William Turner.
"The sea is beautiful at night, isn't it, Elizabeth?" said Jack, to his new bride.
"It is," she agreed.
"Almost as beautiful as you, love," Jack told her, "but not quite."
Elizabeth laughed. "The baby will be coming any day now. What will we name him, assuming he is a boy?"
"A strong name," Jack suggested, "like Charles."
"Charlie," said Elizabeth.
"Charlie it is."
Elizabeth's head felt hot. She could scarcely breathe-it felt like she was wearing a corset all over again. She was about to give birth to Charlie, her first son. "That's it, love," Jack encouraged, "just keep breathing.steady now.in.out."
"Jack!" Elizabeth panted, "To freedom"-and she clinked the glass of rum they'd given her to ease the pain.
"To the Black Pearl," said Jack, clinking his own glass.
"To the Black Pearl," she echoed.
Jack Sparrow could hardly believe his luck-his crew had come back for him. They were there, with the Black Pearl! Ana Maria threw him a rope and pulled him onto the deck. "Welcome back, Captain Jack Sparrow," she said.
Jack smiled, then shouted, "Get to work!"
The crew hustled to man their positions and Jack took the wheel. It felt good-the wind on his face and the salty smell of the sea. It felt even better to know that his enemies, the crew of the former cursed Black Peal, where vanquished.
Mr. Gibbs walked up to where Jack stood. "Congratulations, Jack," he said, putting a firm hand on Jack's shoulder. "You did what no one thought was possible."
Cracking his famous grin, he said, "Well, what did you expect? I am the famous Captain Jack Sparrow. And you want to know something? When they were about to hang me they left off the 'Captain' again!"
Mr. Gibbs laughed. "Don't think they'll be leaving it off anymore, do you?"
Jack shook his head. "I am the captain of the Black Pearl-they'd best not forget that. Now, I want to sail to the Strait of Gibraltar-there's this new merchant ship carrying all sorts of spices and silks. I look good in pink, you know."
Jack was finding it hard to sleep that night. He kept remembering Elizabeth Swan, and that one night they spent together marooned on an island. He remembered the way that they'd toasted over rum:
"To Freedom."
"To the Black Pearl."
It almost made him wish that Elizabeth had ended up with him, and not Will Turner. "What does he have that I don't? He doesn't even have a ship! I've got the Black Pearl. She should have gone with me!" It almost angered him.
Almost.
But he couldn't stay mad because he had said to her, "It would never have worked out between us, love."
Jack sighed and shut his eyes, trying to sleep off the emptiness. Elizabeth was probably happily married to Will by now. "I'll never find anyone who'll have me-I'm a bloody pirate!"
That was when Ana Maria opened his door and said, "Captain, I need to talk to you." "What is it?" demanded Jack, getting out of bed.
Ana Maria smiled. "There's a couple out there on the deck-they say they're friends of yours. I told them, 'Jack don't have no friends,' but they insisted they were practically kin."
"How'd they get there?" he growled.
"They paddled out. We're only a few leagues from the shore. Come now, the girl's close to tears," said Ana Maria.
Jack walked out of his quarters and gasped. Will Turner and the new Elizabeth Turner were standing hand in hand on the deck. "Elizabeth!" he cried. "William!" He was almost happy to see them.
"We need to go far away," said Will.
"They're out to persecute him for piracy and murder-Commodore Norrington's been murdered and the new Commodore is set to convict Will! They've practically already scheduled his hanging," cried Elizabeth.
Jack shrugged. "You can sail with us. We're headed to the Strait of Gibraltar. That far enough?"
Will smiled and nodded. "We're forever grateful, because it appears that Elizabeth is pregnant and in British society that's, well, frowned upon."
"Would you like me to show them to the guest quarters?" asked Ana Maria.
"Certainly," said Jack-and with a tip of his hat he was off.
Ana Maria opened the door of the guest quarters and lit a single candle that hung from the ceiling. "It's not much-and the bunks are too small to fit two people-but it should work out alright. We're expecting a storm soon, mind you. In that case, the safest thing would be to stay low to the ground." Ana Maria nodded at them and then left the room.
Elizabeth burst into tears. "Oh, Will, I'm so scared!"
Will pulled her into a close hug. "Me too, Elizabeth. But they won't come looking for us, not in Africa."
At this prospect, Elizabeth cried even harder. "I don't want to live in Africa."
"But we can't stay in England-not even in the colonies." Will patted her on the back. "And we must get married before you have the baby. Now, why don't you try and get some sleep? You must be rather shaken."
Elizabeth nodded and began to hoist herself up to the top bunk. "No, no," said Will, "if there is a storm, as Ana Maria predicts, I'd prefer if you weren't on the top. You may hurt the baby."
"Thank you, Will. That's very considerate." Elizabeth laid down on the bottom bunk.
"Here, take this." Will covered her with his jacket. "Now try and sleep-it's very late. They've probably given up finding me by now. Hopefully."
Elizabeth shut her eyes and tried not to think about her father, about Commodore Norrington, about the life she was leaving behind. Is it possible that Will could have killed the Commodore? He was jealous enough too.but that just seems so out of character.
Mr. Gibbs woke early in the morning and made his way to the galley. He'd been appointed the cook, which wasn't a horrible thing because he was an excellent chef. The only problem was that they were very low on food-and now he had two more mouths to feed.
"Stinking Sparrow!" he muttered.
"What was that?" came a new voice, a female one.
"Oh nothing, Miss.?" Mr. Gibbs turned to see Elizabeth standing in the doorway, wearing a simple white shift.
"Miss Turner," said Elizabeth, "but you can call me Elizabeth."
"Elizabeth!" gasped Mr. Gibbs. "I thought you'd married the Commodore. How did it come to pass that you're on the Pearl?"
"The Commodore's been murdered, and Will and I are fleeing Barbados. We're going to ride to the Strait with the crew, and so we've decided that we may as well earn our keep." Elizabeth smiled. "Captain Sparrow has appointed me the new cook, and he requests your presence up on the deck."
"Of course," said Mr. Gibbs. "Well, I'll be seeing you around then. Good day." He smiled and skipped up the stairs-he couldn't have been happier.
Meanwhile, Ana Maria was trying to sleep. Since she was the only female crew member, Jack had been considerate enough to let her stay in one of the guest quarters, and not with the rest of the crew. She'd worked all night last night, and now she had fives hours before she had to work again.
But Ana Maria couldn't sleep-she as too busy thinking about the new passengers on the ship, Will and Elizabeth. Will was worth keeping around- he could easily earn his keep.but Elizabeth. To put it plainly, she was being sent to replace Mr. Gibbs as the cook. How long that would last, Ana Maria didn't know. Probably about the same as their food supply-a week at most.
Elizabeth set a bowl of gruel on the wood plank table that stood in the center of the galley. There wasn't much food left, and she knew that she'd have to conserve their resources. "What to drink?" she wondered aloud, but the answer was apparent. Four barrels were labeled ALE. She filled a huge pitcher to the top, then rang the bell for breakfast to commence.
Half of the pirates filtered into the galley and ate, then another half-containing Will and Jack-came when the first was done. Will smiled secretively at Elizabeth and blew her a kiss when he saw her. She blushed and turned away.
The second group was just about done eating when suddenly Ana Maria burst into the kitchen and screamed, "It's storming! All hands on deck!"
Sure enough, rain was pouring down in thick torrents. Will looked above him and saw that the once blue sky had turned black. He turned to Jack and cried, "What can I do?"
"Fetch Elizabeth!" Jack replied.
"What'll she be able to do?" asked Will.
"Do as you're ordered!" screamed Jack.
Will was down in the galley in a heartbeat. Elizabeth was cleaning up the remains from breakfast. "Oh, Will, you're drenched! You'll catch a cold."
"No time, Elizabeth. You're needed on the deck. It's pouring rain. Come now, and be careful not to slip on the ladder."
Elizabeth followed Will up to the deck. Jack said, "We need someone to climb up to the top of the mast and fix the sail. It needs to be sewn up- you're the only one that knows how to sew."
"Isn't that a bit dangerous for Elizabeth?" asked Will.
"Surely," said Jack, "but she's the only one for the job."
"I." stammered Elizabeth. "I'll do it."
Jack handed her a knife, a piece of extra canvas, and a knitting needle. "Don't fall, love. It would be such a pity if you fell to your death."
Elizabeth smiled nervously.
Just as she was about to begin the climb, Will said, "Elizabeth! I love you."
"I love you too, Will!" she called.
But the rain swallowed her up.
Elizabeth was frightened horribly as she began climbing. She'd slung the canvas over her shoulder and stuck the needle and knife in her mouth. There were pegs all the way up the mast, but they were slippery from rain water-and so high in the sky! She almost lost her footing-the rain was so thick she couldn't see. Don't look down, she thought. And of course she looked down.
The most she could make out was a few grayish dots, and a shrill scream, "Don't look down, love! It'll only make it worse!" That had to be Jack.
Elizabeth turned back to the pegs and concentrated on getting to the top. It was hard work. But she finally made it to the very top, where she could see the gaping hole. "Oh, no," she said, shaking her head, "No, no, no." The hole was too big-she could never patch it up from where she stood.
"I'll have to improvise," she said aloud. Carefully as possible, she slid off of the pegs so that she was hanging by the wood structure of the mast. "This is madness. Pure bloody madness." Slowly, Elizabeth removed the needle from her mouth and stuck it into the sail. "What to do?" she shrieked. "I can never sew this up-I didn't even ask Jack for some thread!"
That was when an idea hit her-her hair was pinned up with at least sixty pins. The pins would hold the patch onto the mast until the weather cleared up and she could sew it properly. Cautiously, she removed the first pin from her hair. A lock of auburn slid into her eyes, and she brushed it away.
"This is easier than I thought." Elizabeth smiled happily when she was done and began to crawl down. It was just as hard to get down as it was to get up, because her auburn hair kept flying into her eyes. It was all hanging now, and not pinned up anymore.
When she returned to the ground, Jack asked, "Did you fix it?" but only after Will had swooped her into a big bear hug.
"Yes," she replied, "I fixed it. You didn't give me any thread, though, so I had to use my hairpins."
"Will it hold?" asked Will.
Elizabeth nodded, despite the ever-falling trenches of rain. "For a while. When it is less rainy perhaps I can fix it properly-not until then."
"You two had best get to your quarters-the storms about over, but we're expecting some large waves. You wouldn't want to be swept off of the boat, not in these shark infested waters," Ana Maria told them.
Will and Elizabeth began walking away when a huge wave crashed onto the boat, sending the two of them flying into the wall of Jack's quarters.
"Ow," said Elizabeth, once the wave had passed. She rubbed her head and opened her eyes. The world was spinning. She couldn't stand up. Her temples throbbed painfully. "Will?" she managed. "Will?"
Will was lying next to her, barely conscious. His lips were bloody, and he had a large gash on his left cheek. "I'm here," he said, "I'm alright."
Elizabeth kissed him on the cheek and helped him to his feet. "Think everyone else is alright?" she asked.
He pointed to where a group of seven or eight pirates were leaning over the edge of the ship, screaming, "Jack! Jack! Someone get him!"
"Don't you know how to swim?" Elizabeth called.
One by one the pirates shook their heads.
Elizabeth screamed in frustration and removed her shoes. "I owe it to him," she said, diving into the icy waters. Jack Sparrow's body was sinking fast, his eyes were closed. Elizabeth dove deeper into the water, until she could finally grasp Jack's hand.
She pulled him to the surface and then slung him over her shoulder, grasping the rope that Ana Maria had thrown to them. They were pulled onto the deck and sent straight to Jack's quarters, where he was laid on the bed by Elizabeth. Meanwhile, Will went back to the guest quarters to sleep.
Jack woke up later, once the storm had passed. "What's going on?" he asked.
Elizabeth walked over to him and handed him a cup of tea. "The wave swept you into the water, Jack."
"Who saved me? Was it William?" he asked.
"No," said Elizabeth, "it was me."
"You?" cried Jack. "But I didn't know you could swim!"
"I owed it to you," she explained, shrugging. "And besides, no one else was going to save you. I couldn't just let you drown."
"Right you are." Jack smiled and said, "Would it be entirely improper for me to ask you to lay down beside me?"
Elizabeth's heart raced as she answered, "Entirely." But she laid down beside him anyways, and allowed him to put his arm around her. Before either of them knew it, they were kissing.
Finally, Elizabeth pulled away and shrieked, "This is wrong!"
"Is it?" asked Jack, unconcerned.
"Yes," said Elizabeth. "In a matter of months, Will and I will be officially married. I can't." Elizabeth smiled. "Don't tell anyone, alright?"
"'Course not," assured Jack. "Why don't you go get some sleep? And I've left some more suitable clothes over beside the door."
"Goodnight, Jack Sparrow," said Elizabeth, picking up the black pants and white shirt.
"Captain Jack Sparrow to you, Miss Turner."
Will was awake on the top bunk when Elizabeth came in. "What took you so long?" he asked, leaning over to kiss her on the forehead.
"Had to make sure Jack was alright," she replied coolly, settling onto the bottom bunk.
"Why don't you spend the night up here with me?" asked Will.
"You heard Ana Maria-there's not enough room," she said.
"Perfect," said Will.
"William Turner!" exclaimed Elizabeth, her face heating up. "We're not married yet."
"We will be," Will pointed out, "and no one will know the difference."
"I will know the difference," snapped Elizabeth.
"Oh, Elizabeth, you're pregnant. How much worse can it get? Come now, darling. Come on up here." Will smiled and held out his hand.
Elizabeth smiled back and took his hand. "Alright. But no one can know. Promise?"
"Promise."
Will woke up to a violent rocking on the ship. "Elizabeth," he hissed, "wake up, dear. I don't want you to fall off of the bunk."
"Hmmm." muttered Elizabeth.
Just then, a vicious rock sent them off the bunk and onto the floor. "Bloody hell!" screamed Will, who'd landed on top of Elizabeth.
"Damn," moaned Elizabeth sleepily.
"Are you alright?" asked Will, standing up and ignoring the intense pain in his ribs. "Let's get you to Ana Maria." Will picked a crying Elizabeth up and carried her to Ana Maria, who led them both to the galley.
"Lay her down, and you too," said Ana Maria. "Is there any blood?"
"My shoulder," said Will, "and my ribs hurt. I think I've bruised them."
"What about the lass?" asked Ana Maria.
"My chin's bleeding," said Elizabeth, "and I can't feel my right arm."
"I'll fix you up first, Elizabeth," Ana Maria told them, "so hold out a few more minutes okay, Will?"
"Yes."
Ana Maria bent over Elizabeth's chin and dipped a rag in salt water. "This'll sting," she said, pressing the cloth on Elizabeth's wound. Elizabeth groaned softly. After she stopped the bleeding, Ana Maria pushed back Elizabeth's shirt sleeve. "Oh, my Lord," said Ana Maria, clucking her tongue.
"What?" demanded Elizabeth, "What is it?"
"Just a bruise," Ana Maria assured her, "but a big one-and bloody, mind you." She wrapped it in another rag and moved on to Will. Ana Maria unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it out of the way. "Your ribs aren't broken, luckily," said Ana Maria, running her hands over his rib cage softly. "And your shoulder's a bit twisted. But it'll all heal in time. Go on back to your quarters and rest."
Elizabeth and Will walked back to the bunks and slept.
"Injured?" asked Jack. "But who's going to fix the sail?"
"The hairpins are holding," said Ana Maria, after telling Jack about the injuries, "but Elizabeth is in no shape to climb up a mast and sew a patch."
Jack sighed, "It's my fault."
"Your fault?" asked Ana Maria. "How?"
"Karma," explained Jack.
"Karma?" repeated Ana Maria.
"Yes, karma. Before she went back to the room.we kissed."
Ana Maria gasped. "Jack, she's pregnant! And to be married when we arrive in Africa! Oh please tell me you're joking.if Will found out he'd be so heartbroken."
"Will is never going to find out, Ana Maria. Elizabeth and I have sworn never to tell a soul about it. And you."
"I will not tell a soul either, Captain," sighed Ana Maria.
"Thank you, love."
"As always, Captain Jack."
Will woke up hurting all over. His head ached terribly-perhaps the aftermath of the fall. He stood up slowly and cast a longing glance at Elizabeth.
"Will." she said, "Where are you going?"
"Go back to sleep, Elizabeth," he instructed, and exited the room.
Will heard voices coming from the galley. He followed the noise and found Mr. Gibbs, Jack, and a few other nameless pirates sitting around drinking rum out of large goblets. "Have a drink," garbled Jack, obviously drunk.
Will seated himself next to Mr. Gibbs and took a swig of rum. It tasted pretty vile-well, his opinion changed after a few more swigs. Soon enough they were all extremely drunk. Jack said to Will, "Your girl.she's one good kisser. I'm serious."
Will put a hand to his dizzy head. "What are you talking about, Jack?" he asked.
"I'm talking about the wonderful night Elizabeth and I spent together a couple of days ago. She's really beauteous, you know. Better not lose your grasp, or she might slip into the arms of someone else," said Jack.
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" screamed Will, thrusting Jack up against the wall. "Elizabeth doesn't have a particular taste for pirates-like you."
"Fine, then. Ask her yourself."
"I will."
Elizabeth woke up and ran to the galley, just in time to see Jack throw a punch at Will. Will stumbled to the ground. One of the other pirates threw up. "This isn't a whorehouse," said Elizabeth, as one of the drunken men tried to seduce her. "This is a galley. Get out, all of you."
Will kicked Jack in the shins. "Stop that!" said Elizabeth.
"Don't get involved, Elizabeth. I no longer have any feelings for you- you betrayed me. You went with him," said Will.
"Jack!" shouted Elizabeth. "You little thief-I'm going to kill you!" She dove at Jack and soon the three of them were all-out wrestling on the sodden floor.
It was Mr. Gibbs who finally intervened.
He couldn't believe his ears as he set Jack, Will, and Elizabeth all in separate quarters. Each was complaining that the other had done them wrong-
"Elizabeth deceived me!" sputtered Will.
"Jack told Will that I kissed him!" shrieked Elizabeth, clawing for Jack's throat.
"Will pounced on me just because Elizabeth likes me better," slurred Jack.
"Be that the case," said Mr. Gibbs, to Jack, "Elizabeth is pregnant with Will's child. You were wrong to.well, you know."
Jack sighed, "I feel like I'm going to." Before he could finish, he puked over the side of the boat.
"Had a little too much rum, eh?" asked Mr. Gibbs.
Jack held his head. "I'm going to bed."
"Elizabeth," said Will, entering their quarters where she was resting, "I think this-our relationship-needs to end. I can't forgive what you have done. The boat will be arriving in six days-I will be staying on board as a.a pirate." With that, he lifted up his right sleeve to reveal the brand of a pirate. "And at that time you will find a ship heading back to Barbados. Understood?"
"No," snapped Elizabeth. "You've no right to decide my future."
"Elizabeth, you can't stay on the ship-it's not safe. If you stay, I go."
"Then pack your bags." That said, Elizabeth exited the room.
Africa was visible on the horizon by the time Elizabeth went to Captain Jack to talk to him. "Jack," she said, "I can't stop thinking about you."
"Elizabeth, this is wrong," said Jack, "it got you into trouble before. Wouldn't be wise of you to stay here..but I do feel the same about you."
"Then I can stay?" asked Elizabeth.
"Certainly," said Jack, with a smile. Then, "We'll get married. In Africa."
Elizabeth smiled back at him and pulled him close to her. "But I hear Will's been branded a pirate. He's set to stay on the ship."
Jack shrugged. "He won't want to stay on the ship.us being together and all. I'll speak to him tonight, and change his mind."
"Jack?"
"Yes?"
"I love you," said Elizabeth.
"I love you too," he replied.
Will could hardly believe it-Elizabeth was going to get married to Jack Sparrow. "What do you mean?" demanded Will, after Elizabeth had informed her. "It was just a fight-it didn't mean anything."
"I can't be with you, knowing that I love Jack more," Elizabeth told him slowly. "I wish you the best of luck with whatever you do."
Will sighed, "I'll be finding a new ship, once we get to Africa. Go ahead-live with Jack happily ever after. See if I care."
"Very well."
"Good."
Elizabeth was very late into her pregnancy by the time they reached Africa-and it was a constant reminder to Jack, Will, and herself that she was truly meant to be with Will. But even so, once they arrived to pick up their treasure-a quick raid of a few merchant ships-Will set off looking for a new pirate ship.
And just his luck, he found one. It was called the Titan-and he was promoted to first mate, because of his tremendous wit and giddy sensations.
Elizabeth felt bad for the turmoil she'd caused him by choosing Jack- she felt bad, yes, but she did not regret. She was happier than she ever had been. Jack made her feel free. And that was exactly what she was feeling the night after they left Africa.
They got married on the ship. Mr. Gibbs made it official. They recited their vows, and were married in an hour.
Jack was ecstatic.
Elizabeth was reluctant to surrender to her own feelings of ecstasy.
But she did.
They were a happy couple-soon to forget about William Turner.
"The sea is beautiful at night, isn't it, Elizabeth?" said Jack, to his new bride.
"It is," she agreed.
"Almost as beautiful as you, love," Jack told her, "but not quite."
Elizabeth laughed. "The baby will be coming any day now. What will we name him, assuming he is a boy?"
"A strong name," Jack suggested, "like Charles."
"Charlie," said Elizabeth.
"Charlie it is."
Elizabeth's head felt hot. She could scarcely breathe-it felt like she was wearing a corset all over again. She was about to give birth to Charlie, her first son. "That's it, love," Jack encouraged, "just keep breathing.steady now.in.out."
"Jack!" Elizabeth panted, "To freedom"-and she clinked the glass of rum they'd given her to ease the pain.
"To the Black Pearl," said Jack, clinking his own glass.
"To the Black Pearl," she echoed.