II Old Friends and New Enemies
Mullroy and Murtogg listen intently as Jack went into a long winded yet intriguing and, let's face it, exaggerated, story about why he was in Port Royal. Even Bella was curious and was captivated by the tall tale. She would never admit to it but it was just addicting. Murtogg, Mullroy and Bell continued to watch him but Bella slowly started to get distracted. His voice eventually faded out and all she could do was just stare.
She noticed the childish gleam in his eye, the same gleam he had when he was a child and they sailed on his fathers ship. Jack would always go into a long rant about all the adventures he would have when he was captain of his own ship. It was the same gleam that reminded Bella of the young Jack Sparrow who had the same gleam when he was up to something, and then he'd come back with a surprise for her. Absently, she reached up and began to play with her necklace. It was a silver black pearl pendant. One of the first things Jack ever stole. She liked that Jack. He didn't break her heart.
"…and then they made me their chief." Jack said.
However their attention was diverted as something splashed in the water. Bella snapped out of her daze and looked around at the sound. They all looked over but thought nothing of it until a man shouted down from the cliffs. "Elizabeth!"
"The rocks! Sir, it's a miracle she missed them." another shouted.
Realising it was someone who fell over the edge the four of them all went to the railings of the ship and looked over, trying to spot this Elizabeth woman. "Will you be saving her then?" Jack asked looking at Mullroy.
"I can't swim." he said. Jack looked to Murtogg and Bella. Murtogg just stared at him and shook his head slightly. Jack looked to Bella.
Bella looked down at her dress. "In this dress? Are you mad?" she said, knowing if she went in the dress would weigh her down.
"Pride of the King's Navy you are. Do not lose these." Jack said, passing Mullroy his hat and coat and Murtogg his belt and effects. He did a swan dive into the water. Not long after, a pulse echoed across the water.
The navy men looked at each other. "What was that?" Murtogg asked. The three looked up to the sky as the winds changed. The flag began to fly in another direction and the sped picked up almost knocking the sailors' hats from their heads.
"Trouble." Bella muttered. The Navy men looked at each other slightly worried.
Jack swam further to the bottom of the sea just as the girl hit the sea bed. He hooked his arms under her arms and pulled her back up to the surface. As he came up, he took in a gasp of breath before going back under. He ripped the dress off her so she was just in her underclothes and threw the dress away.
Jack climbed the dock with the unconscious woman over his shoulder. The navy men threw Jack's stuff to the side and quickly ran over to help. "I got her." They placed her on the wooden walkway. "She's not breathing!" Mullroy said.
Bella took out her dagger, while Jack laid on the wood, recovering from his swim. She knelt by Elizabeth's side. "Out the way." she said. She cut the bindings of the corset ripped it open. Elizabeth's eyes shot open and she began to gasp and cough up water. She passed the corset over to Murtogg, who looked at it strangely.
"Never would've thought of that." Mullroy quipped.
"Clearly you've never been to Singapore." Jack said, kneeling on Elizabeth's other side. Both pirates looked down in awe at the medallion around her neck. Jack picked it up and eyed it curiously.
"Where did you get that?" Bella asked, knowing it was pirate gold. Specifically, Aztec gold. She knew from the last time she was with Jack. That's how she ended up on that island in the first place. She felt the cold metal of sword press again her neck as the rest of the marines arrived. She looked at Jack and saw a sword at his throat as well.
"On your feet." a voice said. Bella winced. She knew that voice. This was not going to go well. She and Jack both stood slowly, but she kept her head down hiding behind her fringe, hoping he wouldn't recognise her.
"Elizabeth, are you alright?" the Governor asked, helping his daughter up. He quickly checked her over for any injuries.
"Yes, I'm fine." she said. He took off his coat wrapped it around her. The Governor looked questioningly over to Murtogg who was still holding onto Elizabeth's corset. Murtogg spluttered, dropping the corset and pointed at the pirates.
The Governor looked over at them. "Shoot them." he ordered, angered by the fact they had… made Elizabeth indecent in front of everyone.
"Father!" Elizabeth cried. She turned to Norrington. "Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuers?"
Norrington hesitantly nodded and he and the rest of the marines put their swords away. Jack making a praying gesture to Elizabeth. Norrington sheathed his sword and held out his hand. "I believe thanks are in order." Jack eyed the hand suspiciously before he shook it but Norrington pulled up his sleeve revealing his P brand. "Had a brush with the East India Trading company, did we, pirate?" he asked, making Jack wince.
"Hang him." the Governor said curtly. Jack looked over at the Governor. He was really determined to kill him, wasn't he? And yet he saved his daughter's life. That's gratitude for you.
"Keep your guns on him, men. Gillette, fetch some irons." Norrington ordered. He pulled Jack's sleeve up further to reveal his tattoo. "Well, well… Jack Sparrow, isn't it?" he said, releasing his arm.
"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir." Jack said.
Norrington looked out at the docks. "Well, I don't see your ship… Captain." he said.
"I'm in the market as it were." said Jack.
"He said he'd come to commandeer one." Murtogg said, standing straight with his gun at his side.
"Told ya they were telling the truth." Mullroy said to him. He bent down picking up Jack's effects and held them out to Norrington. "These are his, sir."
Norrington picked up the pistol and examined it. "No additional shots nor powder." He opened the compass. "A compass that doesn't point north." He unsheathed Jack's sword. "And I half expected it to be made of wood. You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of."
"But you have heard of him." Bella said before she could stop herself.
"Aye." Jack agreed, glancing at the woman, pleased she wasn't angry with him anymore. Bella shot him a look telling him otherwise, but that didn't stop him smiling smugly. She still like him deep down and he knew it.
Norrington stepped in front of her. "And who are you?" he asked in a slightly kinder voice.
"Vanessa Jones, sir." she said in fake British accent. She curtsied to him.
Norrington took her hand and kissed the back of it before pulling her sleeve up revealing her brand. Not a pirate brand, but a slave brand from where the Norrington family had bought her when she was a little girl. Bella winced again. Busted. "Did you really think I would recognise you, Isabella Dalmara?" Norrington asked, dropping her hand.
"I was rather hoping you wouldn't, yes." Bella said, dropping the accent. Long story short, Norrington's father had brought her from slave traders. The ship she was being transported on got attacked by pirates. The crew of the Trebadour, Jack's father's ship, and that was when she'd first met Jack Sparrow. Only problem was, at the time, she couldn't speak a word of English. Jack took her to see the ship's doctor and ended up tripping, hitting his head and making her laugh. Ever since then they were friends and he taught her English and how to sword fight. Well, until he'd abandoned her.
"Hang her!" the Governor said.
"Clap them in irons." Norrington ordered, without missing a beat, finally glad the woman who almost ruined his reputation was going to the gallows. Norrington dragged Jack off as another sailor did the same with Bella. Well, this wasn't going as planned, Bella thought.
"Commodore, I really must protest." Elizabeth said, shaking off her father coat and going after them.
"So must I." Bella piped up, glaring at Jack as he had his irons put on. Every time she got involved with Jack Sparrow it always ended badly. They either ended up getting shot at, hung and it one case eaten. She had to admit though, even after eight years, she still enjoyed the adrenaline of trying to escape.
"Carefully, Lieutenant." Norrington told Gillette.
"Pirates or not these two saved my life." Elizabeth said, standing in front of the pirates.
"One good deed is not enough to redeem a man," Nottington eyed Bella," or woman, of a lifetime of wickedness." Norrington told her.
"Though it seems enough to condemn them." Bella muttered irritably.
"Indeed."
Gillette left Jack to get Bella's irons. "Finally." Jack muttered before throwing his chains around Elizabeth's neck. The Navy men aimed their guns.
"No, don't shoot!" the Governor cried.
"I knew you'd warm up to me. Commodore Norrington, my effects, please, and my hat." Norrington didn't move. "Commodore!" Norrington took Jack's effects and held them out to him. "Elizabeth, it is Elizabeth, isn't it?"
"It's Miss Swann." Elizabeth spat.
"Miss Swann, if you'd be so kind. Come, come, dear. We don't have all day." Elizabeth took Jack's things from Norrington. Jack grabbed his pistol and held it to her head and spun her around. "Now if you'd be very kind." he grinned. Elizabeth took his hat and shoved it on his head. She wrapped her arms around him and she put on his belt. Jack couldn't help but throw a cheeky grin over at Norrington who rolled his eyes in irritation. Bella, who was slowly edging around the pirate and hostage so she wouldn't be in the line of fire, also rolled her eyes in irritation. The man was a complete idiot! Assuming it was because of jealousy, Jack winked at her.
Elizabeth, being as angry as she was, tightened his belt a little too tight, causing Jack to jump slightly. "Easy on the goods, darling."
"You're despicable." she sneered. She was trying to save his life and now he was holding her hostage. Maybe her father and Norrington was right. Maybe all pirates were just murdering filth. She let herself believe that piracy was a good thing.
"Sticks and stones, love. We saved your life, now you're saving ours, we're square." he said. He spun her around and began to back away. "Gentlemen, m'lady, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow."
He shoved Elizabeth forwards and linked his chains on a hook. He kicked a lever and was lifted into the air and spun around the post. Bella, however, removed her black pearl pendant from around her neck and dove into the water. She winced as he legs merged together to form a tail silently thanking the fact she was wearing a dress. If she was wearing pants the transformation would be a lot more difficult. She took her dagger and cut her bindings, much like she'd done with Elizabeth.
She heard gun shots above being shot into the air before the shots were fired downwards into the water narrowly missing her. The bullets slowed down but it was enough to actually harm her. She pushed the dress upwards giving them something to shoot at as she swam away. She swam in the direction of Tortuga, leaving Jack on his own to escape. She had to escape that island on her own, now he had to escape Port Royal on his own. It wasn't exactly fair. On the island no one was trying to kill them but then again nothing was ever fair when it came to Jack. She leant that the hard way.
"Gillette!" Norrington said, ordering his lieutenant to his side. "Jack Sparrow has a dawn appointment with gallows. I'd hate for him to miss it." Gillette nodded and went after his men in the attempt to catch the pirate.
"Sir!" one officer said. Norrington went over and joined him on the boardwalk where he held up a soggy brown dress. The same dress Bella was wearing. Norrington's eyes widened slightly. Murtogg and Mullroy looked at the dress and then to each other with wide eyes, as if thinking the same thing. The Governor groaned, horrified by the thought. Elizabeth could only roll her eyes as Mullroy, Murtogg and Norrington. Honestly, men!
"Find her." Norrington said. "It can't be that hard. She'll be the only one with…" He swallowed hard and shifted uncomfortably. "No clothes on." The men, not needing to be told twice, ran off in search of her. Norrington handed the dress to Elizabeth. It would be something she could wear until she was out of the sight of the public.
A/N Sorry, I know I said I would update tomorrow but I got the dates wrong so I wouldn't be home tomorrow. I'm also sorry about the story cover. Technical difficulties with my computer. Three follows and one favourite, thanks guys! :)
Responses to Reviews:
XJillPhantom - Thanks for the review it really did make my day. I glad you're enjoying the story so far. :)