I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or its characters.
Oh I hadn't thought about fast forwarding actually! Thanks, I'll use that Ptroxsora! :D
Yes. I am going to write more. Yes.
Thanks Charlia. I'm blushing.
Jess
"I can't believe you got me into this." Jess sighed, rolling her eyes exasperatedly. She leaned nonchalantly on the wall, facing the jail cell Elizabeth was currently imprisoned in and Will had just been removed from. Taylah stood next to her; she quietly seethed at not being chosen by Will to go with him to Beckett's office.
"Why can't I go?" Taylah complained petulantly.
"Because you are skilled with a sword and so you should protect Elizabeth… and because you scare me." The last was a barely audible mumble, but Taylah caught it plainly and smiled to herself happily.
"Will, I don't need Taylah to protect me! I can take care of myself." Elizabeth refuted sternly.
"Trust me. I don't want to be here either." Taylah huffed.
"Anyway, it's decided. I'm going with Will. And Tay, you are staying with Elizabeth until I get back. I don't want to get back and find you in a fight with the whole navy." Jess made sure that she held eye contact with Taylah to ensure she understood perfectly.
"It was one time! Fine. I won't leave Elizabeth." Taylah said with a grudging nod.
"Don't I get a choice in this?" Elizabeth huffed angrily.
"No." the other three chorused.
"Trust me. You'll be safer with me here." Taylah elaborated offhandedly.
"I'm not happy about this!" Elizabeth protested.
"Obviously." Jess nodded supportively. She threw her expression into one of understanding and sarcasm that only her closet friends could pick up on. Taylah bit her lip to avoid giggling at the sarcastic Jess, and the other two's expressions of total belief in Jess's acting skills. Jess always had been able to subtly cheek someone to their face.
Jess smirked at Taylah, who happily returned the gesture, before Will began to lead Jess to Beckett's office. The guards to escort them to the office stood dutifully to the top of the hallway waiting for them. The guards followed the two into the office and waited patiently behind them for orders.
Upon the wall to her left, Jess saw a detailed map of the world being drawn and painted by a man in a wig. The office was sparse but tasteful. It held an open fireplace, a desk in front of large windows viewing the beautiful scenery and an open balcony facing the port.
Will stood awkwardly in his handcuffs, while Jess had her hands in the pockets of her jeans, seemingly quite at ease with the whole situation.
"Lord Beckett, the prisoner as ordered, sir." One of the guards announced them.
"Those won't be necessary." Beckett answered the statement with one of his own, indicating the handcuffs as he poured out drinks. The handcuffs were promptly removed from Will, who rubbed his wrists uncomfortably. "The East India Trading Company has need of your services." He attempted to hand Will a drink, but it was refused. He made to offer it again to Jess.
"What's in that?" she asked hesitantly.
Beckett nodded to the bottle on the table silently as he set the glass down near Jess. She moved over to read the bottle label.
"We wish for you to act as our agent in a business transaction with our mutual friend - Captain Sparrow." Beckett turned his attention to Will to begin his request.
"Wow. Third wheeling at its best." Jess muttered uncomfortably at being left out. Both men turned to give her a weird look, which she shrugged off unconcernedly.
She grabbed the small glass after she had studied the bottle and took a sip.
"We need your help also, in the whereabouts of 'Alice' and her accomplice." Beckett addressed Jess.
"Ah. That's why I'm here." Jess nodded in realization. "Sure, I'll get Alice and Lauren. I'll go get Tay and we'll be off then." She drained the last of the liquid from the glass as she made to turn to the door.
"No. Your friend will be staying here until you retrieve Alice and her accomplice." Beckett interjected. "That will ensure you come back, as I have heard rumours you are friends with her and I believe you would help her escape… again."
"Jack Sparrow?" Beckett reminded, turning to Will.
"It's more acquaintance than friend. How do you know him?" Will answered back hesitantly.
"We've had dealings in the past." Beckett answered cryptically. He pulled a red-hot 'P' branding iron out of the open fire. "And we've each left our mark on the other." Jess paled and shifted nervously. She thought over everything herself and the other girls had done that Beckett might consider worthy of pirate branding and therefore execution. Thankfully, most of the things that flashed through her head hadn't happened in the movie world, and so Beckett couldn't know about. Unfortunately, she could vividly imagine the things her friends were likely to get up to in the pirate world that wouldn't affect their outside lives… the list was extensive. Most of those things would be done purely in the spirit of competition between the girls trying to one up the other
"What mark did he leave on you?" Will asked.
Jess had to force herself not to flinch at the baiting.
"I'll get Alice and Lauren back if you make sure that Taylah stays with Elizabeth." Jess interjected in an attempt to resolve the hostile feel in the room, and at the same time give Taylah a sure way to be safe in the movie plot. Beckett nodded calmly in response.
"By your efforts, Jack Sparrow was set free. I would like you to go to him and recover a certain property in his possession." Beckett returned to his original train of thought as he lowered the branding iron back to the fire. "As it is assumed that Alice and her accomplice will be with Sparrow, you two shall go together." Beckett looked at them expectantly as if the matter was resolved.
"Recover. At the point of a sword?" Will hammered out the details sarcastically.
"Bargain."
Jess wasn't sure if he was suggesting or enthusing the idea of a fight between them. Having no personal interest in the matter, she ignored the two men until Beckett picked up letters from a box on his desk.
"Letters of Marque." He explained. "You will offer what amounts to a full pardon - Jack will be free, a privateer in the employ of England."
"Somehow I doubt Jack will consider employment the same as being free." Will bartered Jack's life mockingly.
"Freedom." Beckett scoffed softly. He put the letters back into the box and walked out onto the balcony. "Jack Sparrow is a dying breed. The world is shrinking. The blank edges of the map filled in. Jack must find his place in the New World or perish. Not unlike you, Mr. Turner. You and your fiancée face the hangman's noose."
"So you get both Jack and the Black Pearl." Will summarised.
"The Black Pearl?"
"The property you want that he possesses."
"A ship? Hardly. The item in question is considerably smaller and far more valuable. Something Sparrow keeps on his person at all times: a compass?" Will gave a flicker of recognition on his face before his face became blank again. "Ah, you know it. Bring back that compass, or there's no deal."
"What about Alice and Lauren. Lauren hasn't done anything yet, and you didn't say anything about a pardon for Alice. Why should I bring them back at all?" Jess asked. "They are of no importance to you. They won't help you find it." Jess referenced the chest to make it clear to Beckett that she knew what he wanted, but not to Will.
"Ah. Here is the rumoured gift of Alice. Future telling yes? She told you what I want the compass for." Beckett smirked slyly.
"Uh. Yeah. She said that was what you were after." Jess mumbled nervously.
"That is why she is important. She will be a useful tool for the future. She will not be pardoned; she will work for the company. For life. Any other gifts you aren't telling me about that could prove useful?" Beckett looked at her searchingly. Will whipped around to look at her in horror and suspicion.
Alice and Lauren
Alice and Lauren lazed about Jack's cabin, as he once again went over his maps. His fingers walked across the map closest to him, plotting out a route. His jacket arm was pulled up, revealing the white pirate brand that was given to him. He tapped the compass to try and make it focus on a direction, and it looked for a second that it had worked too… before it swang in the opposite direction. Jack flung himself back into his chair angrily. He grabbed the bottle of rum he had been drinking, but found it empty when he turned it upside down. "Why is the rum always gone?" he asked rhetorically. He stood up drunkenly from his chair as the two girls raised their eyebrows to each other. Jack took a few swaying steps towards the door. "Ohh…that's why." Jack realised the extent of his own drunkenness as he swagged past the desk, swiping up his trademark hat as he passed on the way to the door.
Lauren and Alice sighed as they shrugged off the wall and followed their captain. True to Alice and Lauren fashion, Alice grabbed souvenirs from Jack's desk, just to 'keep in practice' and Lauren pulled the full bottle of rum from behind her where she had stashed it. Shame of shame if Jack ever found out who had been stealing his precious rum.
"I like how right now, you actually don't know whether he's trying to point it towards the chest or the key, and that it might be pointing at Lizzy as well for loads of the movie." Lauren giggled.
"Poor bloke's just setting himself up." Alice nodded.
The trio made their way down to the bowels of the ship. They passed the sleeping quarters filled with the snores of the crew.
"As you were, gents." Jack addressed the crew; he held aloft a lantern he had procured to better see them. Alice saluted the sleeping crew.
Jack rattled his keys as he opened the storage cell, filled with bottles of all shapes and sizes. Jack finally found a bottle as Lauren and Alice cautiously made their way into the cell/room.
"Got one!" Jack announced to the girls happily, he held the bottle high to show off his prize.
"That's nice Jack." Lauren whispered as she stared over his shoulder, into the darkest corner where sat Bootstrap Bill Turner.
"Times run out, Jack." Bootstrap's voice rang out ominously in the silent cell.
Jack dropped the bottle in shock. It shattered and showered sand in a wide radius around Jacks feet, as he turned to peer into the darkness. The sand gave an odd feeling to Lauren, as if they were the sands of time that had just run out of the bottle. The three standing all crept slowly closer to the soaked pirate.
"Bootstrap. Bill Turner." Jack half asked.
The cursed pirate turned to them. As soon as he opened his mouth in a smile, water poured down his chin. He was covered in barnacles and aquatic plants. "You look good, Jack."
"Sorry that the same can't be said about you." Lauren muttered bluntly. Jack was still frozen with shock at seeing his favourite member of his old crew.
"Who are you?" Bootstrap directed the question to Lauren. "Not part of Jack's new crew, are you? It's bad luck to have a woman on board."
"I'm-" Lauren was about to answer and probably reprimand the man as well, but was cut off by her 'twin'.
"Mayhem. And I'm Mischief." Alice answered. She peered around the side of a bottle rack. She showed only the side of her face and hand as she assessed bootstrap warily.
"The same Mayhem and Mischief that many a sailor has rambled about as they met death?" Bootstrap asked uncertainly, as he took in the small forms of both girls.
"What?" Lauren asked aghast.
"Navy men. Swept over board by a hurricane and died at sea. Kept muttering 'Mischief and Mayhem' doing it. Said they were cursed since they met two girls on a voyage after pirates." Bootstrap explained. He managed to look severe, like a strict uncle looking at naughty children.
"Oh yeah, that would have been us." Lauren nodded, suddenly at ease.
"But we didn't curse them!" Alice protested as she shuffled closer. She made sure to keep her distance from Bootstrap while still approaching the other two.
"Is this a dream?" Jack finally asked. He directed the question to not just Bootstrap, but also to the two girls next to him.
"Do you really think you would be able to imagine us?" Lauren asked condescendingly. She gave Jack a look that clearly stated that he was off his rocker if he said yes.
"It's no dream, Jack." Bootstrap confirmed Jack's fear.
"I thought not. If it were, there'd be rum." Jack lamented. As he spoke, both Bootstrap and Lauren held out bottles of the aforementioned drink. Jack gave the bottles and Lauren questioning glances, before selecting the bottle held out by Lauren.
"You were holding out on me." Jack stated. Lauren shrugged unapologetically.
"You got the Pearl back, I see." Bootstrap commented.
"I had some help retrieving the Pearl, by the way. Your son."
"Among others." Lauren interjected.
"William?" Bootstrap asked after a moment, as if it took some thought to remember his son. "Ended up pirate after all."
"Bloody good one, too." Alice assured from behind Lauren where she was assessing Bootstrap.
"I'm sorry, I must have missed most of our introduction. Aside from being the feared Mischief, who are you?" Bootstrap directed his question to the small girl, who flashed him a cheeky smile and, for the first time during their meeting, stepped away from cover and was fully seen by Bootstrap. She offered her hand.
"I'm Alice. Or if you prefer, Mischief. I'm the reason any of us came here." She introduced herself primly.
"Us?"
"Gladys, Yaytah, Sushia and myself."
"Or if you're normal. Lauren, Taylah, Jess and Alice." Laruen corrected with an eye roll.
"Well ladies, I'm Bill Turner, Bootstrap to most." Bootstrap needlessly introduced himself finally.
"It's a pleasure." Both girls answered with varying degrees of sarcasm.
"And to what do we owe the pleasure of your carbuncle?" Jack asked, finally getting bored of not being included.
"He sent me. Davy Jones." Bootstrap lowered his voice and stared at Jack pointedly. He subtly turned towards Jack more so as to exclude the girls from the revelation. This attempt however failed, as Jack immediately turned to Alice with wide eyes.
"That's why you're back." He didn't make it a question, only stated it. He seemed more amazed by her being back than by the reason of her return.
Alice gave a slow nod. "Did I mention Bootstrap, I can see the future?"
"What? Impossible." Bootstrap refused to believe it.
"Says the talking fish guy." Lauren smirked. "But why would she be lying? What do we have to gain by saying we knew he was coming for this ship and her captain? It's not like most people want to meet Jones's terrible beastie. Not unless you want to make a deal." Lauren gave a crafty smile to Jack who gulped audibly.
"All this conversation has revealed is that you are really Bootstrap Bill Turner and not an imposter. That Davy really is coming to collect on the deal, and that now someone from the Flying Dutchman knows that I can see the future and that I'll use that ability to protect those around me. You made your own deal to your captain, you now work for him. So be prepared to take the consequences and fight against you own son to do your duty." Alice became more and more agitated and passionate the longer she spoke, until she was hissing the last of her tirade angrily at the poor undead sailor.
Bootstrap was angry now as well. "Jack. You won't be able to talk yourself out of this. The terms would apply to me, apply to you, as well. One soul, bound to crew a hundred years upon his ship." he seemed to have taken Alice's words as if they were a threat from Jack.
"Yes, but the Flying Dutchman already has a Captain, so there's really-" Jack tried to wheedle his way out of the tough situation he found himself in.
"Then it's the Locker for you! Though this is terrible, the leviathan will find you and drag the Pearl back to the depths and you along with it." Turner senior delivered his ultimatum angrily, as if it were Jack's fault for being the swinderling pirate that he was. In all fairness it was Jack's fault, but it was nothing he could change.
"Any idea when Jones might release said terrible beastie?" Jack all but squeaked in fear.
"I already told you, Jack. The time is up." He grasped Jacks hand as if to deliver something to it. "It comes now. Drawn with ravenous hunger for the man what bears the black spot." And sure enough the black spot now spiralled on Jacks palm. "I'm sorry for the part I played in the mutiny Jack. But, as the lass said, I have a purpose now." Bootstrap disappeared into thin air before any one could respond. Jack clenched his tainted hand and ran.
"I'm cold." Lauren declared. She stubbornly ignored the odd happenings of a moment ago.
"That's what you get when you wear your PJ's into a pirate movie just to spite Sushia." Alice shrugged unconcernedly at Lauren.
Up top they heard Jack yell at the crew to wake up and get to work. He was obviously trying to get as far from this spot as possible. As to him at least, Davy Jones knew where he was and had sent the kraken. Lauren and Alice however were sceptical of this. Sure, Davy was after Jack at this point in time and had sent the kraken, but they doubted that he knew exactly where they were just then; as if he did, he would have come himself and taken Jack then. As Bootstrap was the only one who came, the girls suspected that it was only him who knew where they were, and had come to warn them as best he could of Jones's attack.
"I'm going to go find mini-Jack." Alice announced finally. Lauren nodded to show she had heard and returned to perusing the mostly empty bottles of alcohol.
Lauren spent the next few minutes amusing herself by hiding all the bottles at the back of the store room and filling the numerous empty bottles with sand that had appeared where Bootstrap had been sitting. The sand was purely so she could freak Jack out later. Finally, getting bored of giving Jack withdrawal when he inevitably came down for more of his precious rum, Lauren slowly made her way back up deck.
"For the love of Mother and Child, Jack, what's coming after us?" she heard Gibbs hiss as she poked her head up into the cool night air. Sure enough, as soon as he said that, Alice appeared next to the men with her teeth gritted as she withheld her exasperated outburst. She cradled mini-Jack in her arms as the monkey screeched angrily at the captain.
"Naw, did he say it again Alice?" Lauren asked smugly.
"Ahh of course he did! Always! Always! In all the movies! He always mentions a mother! Whether it's his own or a biblical one!" this had always annoyed Alice while she watched the movies.
"Movie?" Gibbs asked.
"Shh!" Alice shook her finger at him to keep him quiet and sure enough he backed away nervously from the mad little blonde.
Lauren had already grown bored of Alice's reoccurring annoyance at such insignificant things, and so sadly watched the progression of Jacks hat bobbing in the waves. "You didn't stop mini-Jack from taking it." She commented half-sadly.
"Hey, don't blame me for not being suicidal for a hat." Alice sniffed.
"Still. Poor fishermen." Lauren sighed.
"Better them than us. Who knows what would happen if it got us all now." Alice shrugged indifferently. Some would consider it cruel the way she cared so little for the scheduled death of the saliors, but Alice was hesitant to let anything down to chance when it can to the girls she had brought here… unless it wasn't something she could control that is.
"I wonder when she's gonna get angry with you." Lauren mused thoughtfully.
"Who? Gordon?" Alice asked with a puzzled look.
"Who's Gordon?"
"None of your business! Gordon's mine!"
"No seriously. Who's Gordon?"
"The best dragon ever! Duh."
"Rrrrright. Well I meant Charlia. I wonder when she's gonna get angry at you."
"Oh. She probably is already."
"Then why hasn't she done anything yet?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well obviously she's gonna get back at you, so I assume she's going to play with the remote. And she hasn't yet, so I was wondering when she would."
"Ahh, but she has to get the remote first." Alice smiled happily.
"Isn't it on the coffee table?" Lauren sighed.
"Oh no. that's the TV remote. She has to find the DVD remote."
"Why? Where did you put it?"
"Dunno. I dropped it."
Tahlia
In a living room far, far away, Tahlia glared at Jess's TV. She hurled the remote she had been uselessly jabbing at onto the sofa none too gently.
"I am going to find that remote if it's the last thing I do!" she hissed at the TV. "Mark my words Alice! I am going to change the language and rewind and…and….AH!"
I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M THE MOST SLACK AND MOST AWFUL AND LAZY AND HORRID EDITOR IN HISTORY PLEASE FORGIVE ME. 3 – Yaytah.
^this is an actual note my Editor left when she sent it to me… this massive delay was not entirely my fault! I am so sorry…I know it's been I dunno a year I am so sorry. I just it was Christmas and I sent this chapter to my editor and then I didn't write for the whole year…BUT my editor took the whole year to edit this! I have started on the next chapter so I promise….i will write this year. I will not leave you guys hanging I promise.
So anyway…Haha! Take that Charlia! Ah I love being devious. Well remember to review and all please give me imput! Hope you enjoyed it.
