She's Out of my Life

Disclaimer: Neither of us own any of the Pirates of the Caribbean characters, places or objects.

A/N: This one is boringly unoriginal but, seeing as I don't have enough of a storyline so as to change the whole series, it is, unfortunately, necessary. Anyway, on with the chapter!

Literally as soon as she was back aboard the Black Pearl, Natilra collapsed into a relieved heap.

"That could've been worse," she said happily.

"You just gave birth," her brother pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'm still alive. And I'm not just referring to childbirth." There was darker shade to her voice as she uttered that last.

"Why were the pair of you going at it like that?" Rike asked, just out of interest.

"Why are you always so curious?"

"I just am."

"Well, don't be." And with that she headed for the captain's cabin, which she had taken over since they arrived; Jack had been sleeping on the floor.

"Now you've been told," Jack said to Rike wagging a finger in his face.

"Jaaack," Natilra said warningly, pausing at the door but not bothering to turn around.

Once she was in her cabin, she let Alex feed and then lay down on the bed.
'How am I ever going to explain this to Mum and Dad?
'Mum'll understand, especially once you explain all the circumstances.
'But, uh, what if it wasn't under legitimate circumstances?
'The birth was.
'Yeah, bu–
'Are you trying to damn yourself?
'Don't I usually try and make it worse for myself?
'Yeah. You do.'

N&R

Gibbs came and woke her up just before midnight.

"Natilra..." He shook her shoulder. "Natilra, we're here."

"OK," she said, still half asleep. "I'll be out in a moment."

When she emerged roughly ten minutes later, she walked out into a storm. Her first re-action was to pull her coat tight about her and Alex, who as ever was slung across her chest.

"She doesn't look like much," the Whelp yelled above the roar of the storm as Natilra joined him, Gibbs and Jack at the rail.
"Neither do you," shot Rike, smiling at his sister.

"Do not underestimate her." Jack elbowed Gibbs pointedly at this juncture.
"Musta run afoul of the reef."

"So what's your plan then?" Natilra asked, trying to fight off a laugh.
"I row over, search the ship until I find the ruddy key," the Whelp explained in a tone of irritation.

"And if there are crewmen?" Rike asked, also trying to suppress his mirth.

"I cut down anyone in my path," the twerp answered, rather vindictively.

"I like it. Simple, easy to remember," said Jack, cheerfully. Ragetti had just finished getting the jolly boat ready for Turner.

"Your chariot awaits you, sire!" he said, mockingly before cackling.

"Oi!" Jack called down to the Whelp from the deck of the Pearl. "If you do happen to get captured, just say Jack Sparrow sent you to settle his debt. Might save your life."

"Bon voyage!" Ragetti cried as he kicked Turner's boat away. Jack turned to Pintel.

"Douse the lamps."

"You know," said Natilra. "That really isn't very nice, Jack. Not only are you making him go out in this weather and selling his soul to Davy Jones, you're not even keeping a light on for him."

"We don't want Davy to see us, now do we?" Natilra and Rike both laughed.

"How can you laugh at a time like this?" Gibbs scolded.

"Very easily," Rike answered and the pair cracked up again.

"Well, don't." Jack was getting just as bossy, Natilra thought.

"Whatever you say, Dad?" But the pair did shut up and waited.

N&R

Jack was watching Davy through his spyglass, just as Natilra was doing with hers, but then Davy looked straight at Jack. When the Pearl's current captain lowered his spyglass, Davy and his crew had appeared on board.

"Oh!" Jack was evidently being characteristically over optimistic.

"You have a debt to pay," Davy reminded Jack. "You've been captain of the Black Pearl for thirteen years. That was our agreement." Jack started in, trying to persuade Davy to see things his way

"Technically I was only captain for two years, then I was viciously mutinied upon."

"Then you were a poor captain, but a captain nonetheless. Have you not introduced yourself all these years as Captain... Jack. Sparrow?

"You've got my payment. One soul to serve on your ship...he's already over there." The Dutchman's captain shook his head, causing his tentacles to waggle.

"One soul is not equal to another."

"Yes it is," interjected Rike.

"And who be thee, lad?"

"He's no one. A distant cousin of my aunt's nephew twice removed. He loves musical theatre." Jack garbled, stepping between Davy and Rike. "Now, mate. Just how many souls do you think my soul is worth?" Davy paused for a split-second.

"One hundred souls, three days."

"You're a diamond, mate. Send me back the boy and I'll get started right off," said Jack, foolishly turning his back on the ferryman.

"I keep the boy, a good faith payment. That leaves you only ninety-nine more to go!" stated Davy Jones. Jack switched to his most persuasive and stepped in close to his counter-part.

"Have you not met Will Turner? He's noble, heroic, terrific soprano, worth at least four, maybe three and a half? And did I happen mention, he's in love? With a girl. Due to be married. Betrothed. Dividing him from her and her from him would only be half a cruel as actually allowing them to be joined in holy matrimony. Eh?"

"I keep the boy, ninety-nine souls." The crew of The Flying Dutchman cackled.

"Now, now, Dav-id. Donnae be unreasonable. Ye ken as well as I that Jack tricked that poor, wee boy."

"Natilra?" Davy's voice is full of wonder. "I thought I'd missed ya."

"I'll be rather upset if ye haven't," she joked, a broad grin on her face.

"That's why I didn't want..."

"I know, I know. But you did and I fully endorse him as captain, even if it is my ship." - here she gives Jack a dark look - "So. What are you to do, Dav-id? Are you going to follow my advice, this time, and for get the debt? Or are you going to insist on it's fulfillal? Thus severing all remaining ties between us. This is your last chance." Natilra looks at him hard and steps back, so that she and Jack are shoulder-to-shoulder. "What's it gonna be, lad?" Her voice cut through the storm like a whip-crack, causing the Dutchman's captain to jump out of his skin. Davy Jones hadn't had that tone of voice directed at him since he'd accidentally let the main sail loose on his way up to the yard-arm for having been playing with the ammunition.

"I wonder, Sparrow. Can you live with this? Can you condemn an an innocent man, a friend, to a lifetime of servitude in your name while you roam free?"

"You are dead to me, David Jones. If I ever look upon your face again, then it will be to see the lights leave your eyes. Mark my words, lad." And with that she turned away, looking out at the wreck.

"I'm good with it. Shall we seal it in blood, er, ink?" Jack said, brightly. Jones grabbed Jack's hand. "Ah!" Jack's disgust and discomfort were evident.

"Three days. Captain Jones, she left me one legacy and I will do with it what I will." Natilra ignored him, she was too busy silencing her tears.
"Three days," repeated Davy's second-in-command. When Natilra turned back around, the fish people were gone.

"Mr. Gibbs, I feel sullied and unusual."
'Now, that must be the weirdest way Gibbs has ever been summoned.'

"And how do you intend to harvest these ninety-nine souls in three days?" Gibbs asked as sceptically as a drunk like him could manage.

"Fortunately, he was mum as to the condition in which these souls need be."

"Ah, Tortuga." Jack wiped the slime, that Davy had left on his hand, onto Gibbs.

"Tortuga," breathed the two captains and Rike, wide grins on each of there faces.

AN: I know this one is short but the next one, where we're back at Tortuga, will be much longer.