AN: So, okay. First of all: I know, I planned to update like, a week ago and I'm sorry for that. But real life is causing trouble at the moment since I'll move town soon and am kind of busy with preparations. And here I come with a chapter that isn't a real chapter at all. This is just the part which I originally wanted in chapter one (I'll probably make them one chapter later on). I've already written more than this, but it turned out that it'd be a really long chapter and plus, I didn't want to leave you hanging so long. It's an awful lot of dialogue again, but like I said: I need this to get the story started. Sorry if it sucks.
And I want to thank all the people who reviewed, favored this story or put it on alert: You rock!
Chapter One (Part 2): The deal
The pressure to Jack's throat was gone just as fast as it had occurred. He inhaled frantically, his stare still on the girl who bit her lip in an unsuccessful attempt to keep from smiling.
"YOU! You've got something to do with it!" he accused his counterpart and pointed a finger at her. He was still panting.
The smile slowly faded from the girl's face and was replaced by an expression of fascination.
"Interesting." She observed, not bothering to answer Jack's accusation. "So this voodoo-stuff actually works."
Jack's gaze dropped to her hand, which she had tucked into the pocket of her coat. She pulled it out and with it a familiar little doll, resembling Jack himself.
"Where did you get this from!"
She shrugged nonchalantly.
"A family-gift."
"Give me me back!" he shouted now, one hand reaching for the doll and the other for the handle of his sword. The girl moved her hand the slightest bit, tightening her grip on mini-Jack and causing the original to gasp for air once again as he felt like someone was crushing him. Slowly, the girl's grip loosened, enough for him to breathe but still tight enough to make him feel squeezed in an unpleasant way.
"Better don't try to harm me again or I'll tug a little too much on the little guy's head." She threatened, a sly smile playing on her lips. And suddenly, Jack didn't see a little girl anymore but a young woman with a look of determination. A woman to be scared of, even. Now he understood why she was so sure of herself. She didn't have to fear him, because she had something to hold against him. And as long as she was in possession of the doll, she wouldn't have any reason to be scared. She could harm him in the worst way if she felt like it.
For a moment, Jack wondered how she'd behave if she didn't have the doll. Would she be scared? Timid? Unsure? He looked at her again and she grinned wickedly at him.
"You're evil." He said, earning a melodic soprano laugh.
"I'm a pirate by blood. It's supposed to be that way, isn't it? And now, back to the deal. Yes, I do have a crew and unlike you, I also have a functioning ship-"
"I could have any ship if I wanted to! I just don't want any ship. I want the Pearl!"
She held up a hand to silence him.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. But we need a ship to get to the Queen. And we need the Queen's location, and that's where I need you."
Jack frowned and felt the girl's grip release completely from the doll. Apparently, she had put it back into her pocket.
"And why on earth should I know where the bloody ship is?"
"You don't know that. But your compass does. If I use it, it will show me the way. You still have the compass, right?"
Jack swallowed. How did she know about his compass? His right hand went into the pocket of his coat, taking a firm grip on said item, like he somehow feared that the girl had managed to steal it.
"Err. Yeah. Of course I still have it."
She nodded.
"Good." She paused for a second to collect her thoughts. "When we have found the Queen Anne's Revenge, we will kill the one-legged man and get the ship and with it the sword. Then I'll be able to get your ship out of that bottle and if I happen to be in a generous mood, I might even get the spell from the voodoo-doll for you. That's the general plan. So, do we have a deal?"
Jack just stared at her face and fell silent. She knew how to get his ship out of the bottle and how to get the spell from the doll. He had to admit, he had underestimated the girl. And he realized that she had power over him. He didn't like that thought. He didn't like it at all.
The girl snapped her fingers in front of his face.
"Hey! Anybody home?"
"Uh. What? Yeah. 'Course. What was the question again?"
She rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"If we have a deal."
"Oh. Right." He thought for a minute. This girl knew everything he needed. He knew how to fight with a sword and had the compass that the girl needed. It seemed like a useful alliance. Especially since he didn't know what she might do to mini-Jack when he declined the offer…
"Alright, luv. But under one condition." He raised his index finger to her face. "I will be the Captain!"
Jack watched as the girl's eyebrows furrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest.
"No way! My ship, my crew, I'm the Captain." She gave him a pointed look.
"Well, then I think you'll have to do this without me, young lass."
He stood up and turned to leave, secretly hoping that she would stop him and decide to make him the captain of her ship.
"Then you'll never get your ship out of the bottle!" She called after him.
Jack turned with a smirk.
"Oh, I will. You told me all I need to know. With the sword, I'll be able to get my ship out."
"Oh, Jack. I thought you'd be smarter than this."
She stood up now, too and approached him, stopping just a few inches away from him. She looked up at him with fiery eyes.
"The sword is the key, but do you know how to use it?"
"I'll figure it out. Don't worry." He wanted to turn and leave again but was stopped by a grip on his arm. He turned again and frowned down at the girl.
"Would you let go of me?"
"The sword is useless to you. It's important, but not the only thing you need. You know neither the ritual nor the other necessities and apart from that…" She smiled smugly. "You can't do it on your own. There are exactly two people in the world that can help you with that and you are fortunate, because I am one of them."
Jack looked skeptical.
"That's what they all say."
The girl threw her hands up in the air, waving them about in utter frustration.
"¡Dios mío! Fine! Try on your own! Go ahead! Waste our time! No one's stopping you. But don't forget that I know the ritual, I know the things you need, I have a ship and a crew and plus, I still have that doll of yours!"
Jack saw how she stuck her right hand into her pocket, ready to take drastic measures if he attempted to take the doll away from her.
He sighed in defeat and plopped down on a chair.
"You know," he started. "I always knew that one day I'll get what I deserve. I never thought of it as a girl with a doll, though. But now that I think of it, it's a good punishment. Embarrassing and degrading."
"So, we have a deal?" She asked, a victorious smile spreading on her face.
"Only if I'm co-captain. And there needs to be rum!"
She looked thoughtful for a minute, as if contemplating Jack's condition. Then she smiled.
"I guess I can live with that."
Again, sorry that this is all I've got for now. Things will start in the next chapter, with an appearance of Gibbs and maybe (depends on the length of the next chapter) even a look at what Angelica is doing right now. I plan to make it some kind of B-Plot since she won't actively be in the sorry for a while otherwise, but I'm lacking ideas for it right now, still playing with the one I have but I'm unsure if I'll really do that…
