Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. But I do own Grace. This is a sad chapter.
Chapter 4
Jack slept soundly in his bed of hay. The same bed of hay he has been sleeping in for the past twelve years. "wake up Jack!" he heard someone shout and opened his eyes, to find Gibbs standing over him, "aye Gibbs, haven't seen ye in ten years," Gibbs shrugged, "aye, I spent five years getting drunk and five years getting sober." Jack nodded; he could hardly remember what it was like being drunk. "Jack it's been twelve year! Ye need to get back to the sea, to the Pearl! I have assembled a crew, let's get on." Jack sat up turned to look at the wall covered in drawings, and frowned.
"I can't leave Gracie, she's like a daughter to me," he said in a quiet voice, Gibbs groaned, "JACK YE CAN'T LET THIS CHILD RUIN YER LIFE!" he shouted as Jack glared at him, and stood to fight him. "Wait!" they heard someone shout and walk into the barn, Grace stood and walked between the men, though tall for a twelve year old, both men still towered over her. She knew she could stop their quarrel. "Move, Gracie," Jack said in a firm voice, she turned her big brown eyes to look at him, "no Uncle Jack," she said quietly; she was not used to disobeying. Jack and Gibbs each took a deep breath.
"Uncle Jack, you need to go back to the sea…" Grace said, she sounded confident on the outside but in the inside she screamed for him to stay. "If you don't return to sea soon I may have to call ye a land lover," Grace threatened with a small smile playing on her face. Jack smiled a small smile back, "ok," he said in a quiet voice; Gibbs had a smug smile on his face. "We leave in three days," Jack said to Gibbs, Gibbs nodded back, saluted, and ran off to the bar to speak with the other crew members.
"I've got to go, my parents and I am going horseback riding tomorrow," Grace said and rushed back to the house, Jack frowned and watched his niece. He wished he could stay, or she could come with him, but he couldn't stay and he didn't want to put his niece in danger by taking her to sea. He had no choice.
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"Alright Grace let's get going," Elizabeth shouted. Grace ran to the living room and smiled at her parents. "ready," she said with a smile, and the three of them went to get the horses from the barn. Grace frowned when she saw her uncle packing his drawings she drew him into a small bag. She took a deep breath and saddled her horse. In three days he would be gone. "Let's go," Will said once he mounted his horse. Elizabeth and Grace smiled and rode after him on their horses.
They rode for hours, they decided to let their horses rest and slowly ride along the side of a small mountain. Grace rode back as her parents rode up ahead. Grace suddenly pulled her horse's reins, something wasn't right. She looked up towards the top of the mountain, she saw a man with the head of an octopus, and craw looking claws for hands; he was truly terrifying. He had TNT in his claw hand he stuck it at the top of the mountain and lit it. Grace's brain quickly figured what was about to happen… landslide.
Grace gasped and gave her horse a hard kick with her heel to get her to run, the horse neighed loudly and ran forward. "LOOK OU-!" Grace's desperate scream to her parents, who were riding one hundred feet away from her, was cut off by an earsplitting bang, and the loud crumbling of rocks and earth coming towards the side of the cliff. Grace closed her eyes; the last thing she heard was her mother's shriek, before the rocks hit her.
When she opened her eyes she was on her back, covered in blood and rocks. Grace sat up quickly and looked for injuries, just a gash in her arm that was bleeding heavily. She looked up to see her horse, on its side crying out in pain. She crawled to it, ignoring the aches and pain in her body. She looked over the horse and knew it was suffering, she pulled out her dagger that Jack had given her, and shoved it through the animal's chest, it silenced immediately. She cleaned her dagger and put it back into her belt. She looked down and saw her dress was torn.
"Momma!" Grace shouted franticly and tried to stand, but fell back to the ground, cutting her palms in the process. She crawled towards the area she last saw her parents, there was blood everywhere. When she caught sight of her father her heart stopped, she began to shake. He father lay there unconscious with a large bolder on his back, crushing his torso. Blood dripped from his parted lips. A few feet away from him lay her mother, her arms and legs bent in a sickening way, and her neck nearly twisted all the way around.
Grace's loud piercing shriek turned into a heartbroken moan. Some soldiers appeared above one of the large rocks, "Don't worry, we are coming!" one of them shouted and two ran off to a rope. Grace let out another scream before fainting. No one was unaware of a pirate watching, after she was unconscious the pirate ran towards Grace's home to get Jack.
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Jack was making his way to the bar to see his crew when Cotton ran to him and grabbed his shoulder, he opened his mouth to speak but he remembered he didn't have a tongue so he looked to his parrot. "Grace Blood hospital," it squawked, that's all Jack needed to hear, he was off like a bullet towards the cliff where the Turners usually horse ride. The trail was covered with rocks; he looked down and saw three dead horses and lots of blood. He hopped down and began to look around; he found a piece of blue cloth and picked it up. It was from Grace's light blue dress that Syrena got her for her twelfth birthday. He guessed they were already at the hospital and ran towards it.
He burst through the door and ignored the shocked looks of the people and doctors. He heard his niece shouting and ran towards her voice. He found her standing next to two beds with white sheets covering the bodies underneath. She was yelling at a doctor, "LIAR!" she screamed into his face. The doctor wasn't mad his face was full of pity. Jack ran to his niece and restrained her as she lunged at the doctor.
She saw him and looked to him; her facial expression would haunt even the toughest pirates. "Uncle Jack say they are liars. Say that my parents are alive, please," she begged in a broken voice that broke the old pirate's heart. "Gracie," he said in a quiet voice trying to reason with her, she began to back away from him, "oh no, not you too, please no, please" she sobbed. As she gasped for breath and sobbed, Philip and Syrena rushed in. Syrena took one look at the two sheet covered bodies and sunk to her knees, Philip gasped and went to console Grace, she moved from his embrace. Her breathing hitched and she fainted again but this time was caught by her uncle.
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A day later Grace sat on her bed, her face blank and emotionless. Jack never left her side, neither did Syrena and Philip. The only time the men left was when Syrena was helping Grace change out of her bloody dress. They all stayed in Grace's room, Syrena sat on the bed, and kept her arms around Grace comforting her, while the men each had their own chair.
There was a knock at the door, and Philip went to answer it, he opened it to find an elderly woman with lots of makeup and a large dress, behind her was a large carriage with six pure white horses. The woman looked as if she had an ever present frown. "May I help you?" Philip asked, the woman stuck her chin out pridefully, "I am Myrtle Estelle, I am here to retrieve my niece." She said, Philip frowned, "William and Elizabeth didn't have any siblings" he said, in a firm voice. "Oh pardon me, my great niece. Are you the help?" she asked in a rude tone.
Philip motioned for her to come in, "no, I am Grace's… um friend I guess that's what I am, my wife and I. Are her best friends," he said in an unsure voice, the woman took a seat on the couch, "I am Weatherby Swann's sister, and I was informed of my niece's death and that she had a daughter. I am here to get her, you have her belongs packed I presume?" she asked, Philip shook his head, "she's not leaving with you, she is staying with her godfather, my wife Syrena and myself," the woman glared, " may I speak with her?" Philip nodded.
"Gracie would you come here please?" Philip shouted, Grace turned her head in response to the voice, Syrena went to her husband. Grace held her arms out for her uncle to carry her he took her up bridal style and carried her to the living room. Myrtle turned to see a young girl being carried by a pirate, she let out a shriek, "put her down this instant!" she shouted at Jack and pointed accusingly. Grace held on to Jack tighter in fear. Philip began to talk to Miss. Myrtle, "no it's ok this is her godfather Jack," Jack nodded to the lady. Myrtle's eyes were wide in horror, but she quickly composed herself.
"I see my niece's husband was a pirate yes?" she asked, Jack nodded. Miss. Myrtle stood and went to look at Grace, "she looks like her mother, but I recall Elizabeth had green eyes, and wasn't this tan," she stated, "I spend time outside," Grace said in a quiet voice, the woman nodded, "we'll fix that. I am taking this child with me since you are obviously unqualified to care for her," she said and motioned to one of her servants who was standing at the window. He came in and went to Jack and held his arms out to take Grace. Jack took two quick strides backward, "it's ok," the servant assured.
"You're not taking her!" Syrena shouted at Myrtle. "I am her only live family member, so I get custody," the woman said confidently. "But Jack is the godfather," Philip said, getting angry. Jack was whispering in Grace's ear, she nodded solemnly and the servant took her form Jack. "you'll like the Estelle mansion, it's large, you will have your own room, beautiful dresses and the food is amazing," the servant said as he carried her to the carriage. Grace silently rubbed the bandage on her arm, she knew that Jack would keep his promise but she hated that she had to leave her uncle and friends.
"I'll be leaving, I am guessing I will see you each at the funeral?" Jack nodded and Myrtle left. Philip turned to Jack, "What is wrong with you? You let them take her!" he shouted loudly in Jack's face. "I have a plan," was all Jack said. Syrena who was close to tears turned to look at her husband who turned to look at her. Their confused looks turned into large smiles as they listened to Jack's plan. "I think this will actually work," Syrena said, Jack smiled at her, "Jack Sparrow's plans always work, love," he said and the three went to inform Gibbs and Jack's crew of the plan.
