Shora: Thanks for all of the nice reviews and sorry about the horrid French grammar…blame the online translator…and you get to see Angsty and Drunk! Will.
Norrington was a bit surprised that Simone told her first mate to drop the rope and give it to him, which she did so with muttering and dirty looks. James tilted his hat to her, and swung over on the deck of the ship, only to see that this wasn't the Pearl.
"James?" Elizibeth's voice was full of shock when she saw him, and she ran up to him, as if to check that this was really he.
"Miss Swan." He said, kissing her hand cordially, like he used to do before she became a pirate.
"That's Mrs. Turner now." Elizabeth said, trying to keep the shock out of her voice. "How did you escape the Davy Jones' crew?" She asked, offering James a bottle of rum. ((Yay! Rumness!)) James gladly accepted.
"To be honest, I ran. Fast." He said, washing the sentence down with a light sip that burnt his throat. He left out the part at which he stole the heart, threatened to kill their Capitan, and swam like a madman to the navy ship in the distance. His reverie was interrupted by Simone grabbing the bottle and taking a very, very long swig, almost emptying the bottle of half of it's contents.
"Have any of you seen Capitan Sparrow?" She asked, her accent turning the Capitan into some word ending in an 'au' sound. With that blunt sentence a heavy gloom feel over the ship, like a black fog the suffocated any trace of joy and laughter.
"Jack Sparrow? He died. Long time ago." Came a cold, hard voice from the Capitan's cabin. All eyed went to the newcomer, obvious Capitan of the ship, with his green eyes, and gray hair. James didn't recognize him. But Simone did.
"What? Jack is not dead, I would have known." Simone said, holding up her head high, her icy-cold composure cracking just a bit.
"He is. But we are going to get him back." Will said, grabbing the bottle from Simone and taking another swig, then passing it to Elizabeth. James looked closer at the ex-blacksmith, and saw that he was thinner, mostly bones and skin now, with unhealthy bags under his eyes, and a stoop to his stance. He glanced around at the crew, Gibbs, who was look worse, if possible, and finally to Elizabeth, who looked gaunter, and the hollows of her cheekbones were enough to let him know that everyone aboard this ship had not taken Jack's death easily. The news came a slight shock to him, but he knew long ago that the Capitan was dead. He felt it.
"How? One cannot bring the dead." He simply stated, sitting on a barrel, taking a swig from nearly empty rum bottle.
"'Go to the end of the world, there you will find him.' That's what the witch lady said." The man with one eye voiced, half-drunk.
"And you actually believed her?" James asked, hair falling into his eyes. They had long ago settled on one of many little islands scattered around the tropical sea, the male and female crews intermingling, heading off into their own little groups around other fires, with bottles of rum from both ships. The loud off-key singing of "A Pirates Life For Me." was a testament to how much both of the crew's were enjoying themselves.
"Why wouldn't we? She led us to the chest." slurred Will, throwing an arm across Elizabeth's shoulders, nuzzling her neck. A few month's ago, this would have given him a pang of heartache, but now, strangely enough, it didn't. He glanced over to Simone on his right, only to see a tear winding it's way down her cheek.
"Simone, how did you know Jack?" Elizabeth asked, playfully pushing Will away so he landed on his butt in the sand, falling over and staying there in his drunken stupor.
"It is a long story Madame Turner, I do not wish to bore you." She said, taking a swig of her bottle. Despite having drunken the most among them, she was the least inebriated.
"Nonsense Simone, and it's Elizabeth. We are going to be traveling together after all!" She said, tossing back a brown curl not so different from Simone's own. When they had tossed anchor they had already agreed upon going to the end of the world together, to find Jack. Simone didn't give her reason.
"Fine Elizabeth. If you all want to know." Simone stated, her icy composure hardening to a level James had only seen back in Port Royal. That seemed so long ago…
"He promised me something. Something I intend to collect upon. Then I go home with my head held high and say to the king 'I am not I disgrace. Here is proof.'" Simone said her voice getting rougher until she stood up and walked to the dark water, far from any warmth, light, laughter, or friendship. James followed her with his eyes, their little circle gone quiet.
James stood up, waited for the dizziness to subside, and walked over to the dark figure sitting in the tropical water, bottle dangling between her legs.
"Simone?"
His voice seemed out of place in the darkness. She didn't answer. He sat down next to her, trying to comfort her, but not knowing what to do. He did what his father used to do to him. He slung his arm over her shoulder, only to find that she was crying.
"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Simone just stood up, slapped him, and walked over to another fire, and was greeted with a loud, drunken:"CAPITAN!"
James just walked back over to the bonfire with Elizabeth and Will, only to find the two of them asleep. He took off his military coat, balled it into a pillow, and followed their example, his cheek still stinging from the impact that her palm had caused.
Shora: R&R My lovelies!