Come What May
"Dead men tell no tales." Mr. Cotton's parrot squawked out as the Interceptor glided smoothly into a lagoon full of shipwrecks. Ships, overturned and fully sunk loitered the water as the Interceptor sailed on by. A thin layer of mist danced around the ship as goose bumps prickled Helen's arms.
She glanced at Will to find him watching Jack closely. Jack stood at the helm, compass posed, as he peered at it. He looked to the horizon and snapped the compass close and attached the device to his belt as it hung lowly by his hips.
"How is it that Jack came by that compass?" Will asked of Gibbs as the pirate glanced at Jack and then at the two Turner's who were seated across from him.
"Not a lot's known about Jack Sparrow before he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isle de Muerta. That was before I met him, back when he was Captain of the Black Pearl." The last comment caused both Will and Helen to stiffen as they looked to each other.
"Captain of the Black Pearl?" Helen softly repeated as she looked to the form of Jack at the helm.
"What? He didn't tell ye that?"
"He failed to mention it." Will darkly muttered as Gibbs nodded in understanding and continued to talk, "Well, he plays things closer to the vest now. And a hard-learned lesson it was. See three days out on the venture the first mate comes to him and says everything's an equal share. That should mean the location of the treasure, too, so Jack gives up the bearing. That night there was a mutiny. They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die, but not before he'd gone mad with the heat."
"Ah. So that's the reason for all the…" Will trailed ff and then did a Jack impersonation as Helen smiled. Gibbs shook his head and continued, "Reason's got nothing to do with it. Now you two, when a pirate's marooned he's given a pistol with a single shot. One shot. Well, that won't do much good hunting nor to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starvin' belly and thirst, that pistol will look real friendly. But Jack, he escaped the island, and he still has that single shot. Oh, but he won't use it, though, save for one man, his mutinous first mate."
This shot is not meant for you.
That was what Jack had said to Will that day in the smithy, when Jack had blocked his exit. How long ago it seemed, that day. So Jack had the pistol with him at all times, saving it for…
"Barbossa." Will and Helen breathed out at the same time as Gibbs nodded.
"Aye."
"How did Jack get off the island?" Helen asked as Gibbs smiled and explained, "Well, I'll tell ya. He waded out into the shallows and he waited there for three days and three nights 'til all manner of sea creatures came acclimated to his presence. And on the fourth morning, he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, lashed 'em together and made a raft."
Will and Helen exchanged confused looks as Will asked, "He roped a couple of sea turtles?"
"Aye, sea turtles."
"What did he use for rope?" Helen asked disbelievingly. Gibbs opened his mouth to answer when a voice from behind replied, "Human hair…from my back. Let go the anchor!" Jack yelled out as he strode away, leaving the three to watch him go in awe and bewilderment. Once the anchor was dropped the crew gathered around as Jack addressed them.
"Young Mr. Turner and I are to go shore." Jack looked to Helen and quickly spoke before she could open her mouth, "Young Mr. Turner and only the young Mr. Turner."
Helen glared but relented as Will fixed her with a hard stare. He came to her side and tightly gripped her arm as he hissed, "I can't rescue Elizabeth if I'm worried about you." While the words could have conveyed some hidden meaning, Helen knew they did not. Will meant that he could not rescue Elizabeth if Helen was around to get in the way. Also, Helen doubted that Will wanted to introduce his wife to the love of his life. That would make for an awkward situation.
She jerked her arm of out his grasp and hissed back, "Fine then, husband." she turned onto her heel and did not see the two off but only watched from afar as the dinghy rowed away from the Interceptor taking Will and Jack away from her. She stood at the railing watching as they disappeared into the mouth of the cave.
"I have a bad feeling about this." She said a loud to Gibbs as he joined her at the helm. He patted her hand and said gently, "Don't worry lass. Your man's a resourceful lad; he'll come out of this clean as a whistle, along with the other lass." Gibbs moved to walk away but Helen pulled on his arm and asked, "Gibbs, what exactly are we dealing with? Why are these pirates so feared on the seas? Why did they steal Miss Swann, it's not because she's the governor's daughter. Tell me the truth, since no one else will."
Helen had felt now for awhile that information was being kept from her and Will. And hearing that Jack had once been Captain of the Black Pearl confirmed her theory. She leveled Gibbs with a glare as he sighed and retook his spot next to the blacksmith's wife.
"The reason that the crew of the Black Pearl is so terrifying and that every ship that meets them in these waters goes to her watery grave is because…the pirates aren't exactly human." At Helen's raised eyebrow Gibbs kept going, "Do you know what the treasure of the Isle de Muerta is?"
"No." Helen murmured, feeling more and more out of the loop, and even more foolish as Gibbs continued.
"It's cursed Aztec gold from the heathen gods of centuries past. All who take from that plagued fortune are forced to live for the rest of eternity as immortal wretches that can never feel again. Never feel the touch of a woman upon their skin, or the glorious taste of food and drink. Never grow old or be killed. And even worse," Gibbs shuddered, "At night, when the moon is full in the sky, they are shown for what they really are."
"W-What are they?" Helen whispered her hands digging into the wood of the railing as her knuckles turned white. Gibbs leaned in close, so close, that their noses were practically touching as he whispered, "Skeletons, the rightful dead walking among the land of the living."
He pulled back suddenly as Helen struggled to breathe. They were fighting immortal and undead skeletons. She tried to grasp that situation when a question bubbled up from her throat, "Why did they attack Port Royal and take Miss Swann then? What does she have to do with anything?"
At this Gibbs shrugged, "I can't say to that one. For I highly doubt there is pirate in her blood, all I can say is that somehow one of the medallions came into her grip and she is only a person in the wrong place at the wrong time, a victim."
He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag
But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday.
"Will." she gasped as Gibbs slowly nodded.
"Put the pieces of the puzzle together, did ya?" he asked as she nodded and looked fully at Gibbs. "His father was a crewmember of the Black Pearl and he sent one of the medallions to Will and somehow Miss Swann has it and therefore was taken by Barbossa. It's not Miss Swann they want at all…it's Will."
"Aye, that be it."
"Jack's using him." Helen accused as she rounded on Gibbs who looked away guiltily. "In a sense, yes."
Helen turned to look worriedly to the island and to the cave of the mouth as she wished more than anything that Will would emerge from it, unharmed. "How is the curse to be lifted?" she asked a moment later as Gibbs sighed and began to walk away. He stopped and said over his shoulder, "By blood."
Helen stared at his retreating back as she felt mildly faint. She looked back to the cave and watched with intent eyes as she had no idea what was happening inside the stone fortress.
--
"What code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?" Will asked as he rowed the dinghy into the entrance of the cave. He rowed silently as the oars slipped in and out of the dark water.
"Pirate's Code. Any man who falls behind…is left behind." Jack nodded to a skeleton head lying discarded on the rocky sea floor for confirmation of the Code.
"No heroes among thieves, eh?" Will snidely asked as Jack glanced as his young companion. So young and narrow-minded. Well he would learn…one day.
"You know, for having such a black outlook on pirates you're well on your way to becoming one. Spring a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet, sailed with a buccaneer out of Tortuga," the two then looked down at the water to see a glimmer of cold in the bedrock, "And you're completely obsessed with treasure."
"That's not true. I'm not obsessed with treasure!" he protested just as they docked the boat and looked into the cave to see the scarlet form of Elizabeth standing at the top of a pile of gold.
"Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate." Jack remarked as he glanced at Will who had his eyes on Elizabeth, "Even though I would say that the dear Mrs. Turner is a diamond among the rough. To willingly come along knowing that you're here to rescue the woman of your dreams."
"Helen and my marriage are none of your business, Sparrow!" Will quietly hissed back as the two dove around a pile of treasure to stay out of sight from the pirates of the Black Pearl.
"Maybe not," Jack agreed, "But she deserves better than you." Jack didn't give Will the time to answer as he crept along. Will sighed and looked down at his own hands, "Yes, she does." he whispered thinking of his kind and charming wife. But he quickly pushed the thoughts away as he followed after Jack.
"Gentlemen, the time has come! Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near an end!"
"Elizabeth." Will whispered watching as Barbossa gestured to her, "For ten years we've been tested and tried, and each man jack of you here has proved his mettle a hundred times over, and a hundred times again!" The pirates cheered loudly as a lanky one with a wooden eye murmured, "Suffered, I have."
"Punished, we were. The lot of us, disproportionate to our crime! Here it is," he pushed the stone chest open with his boot as the lid flew off with a thud. "The cursed treasure of Cortes himself. Every last piece that went astray, we have returned…save for this."
He pointed to the golden medallion hanging from Elizabeth's neck as she stood still, forcing herself to show no fear in front of these pirates. Will quickly stood up, upsetting some of the treasure as he whispered, "Jack!"
Jack forcefully tugged him back down as he shushed him, "Not yet. We wait for the opportune moment."
"Eight hundred and eighty-one we found but despaired of ever finding the last." Barbossa spoke.
"When's that? When it's of greatest profit to you?" Will hissed back to Jack as Jack glared at Will.
"May I ask you something? Have I ever given you reason not to trust me? Do us a favor, I know it's difficult for you, but please stay here and try not to do anything…stupid." Jack left Will there as Will fumed in place and forced himself to watch the exchange of the pirates as Barbossa continued.
"And who among us has paid the blood sacrifice owed to the heathen gods?" Barbossa asked of his crew.
"Us!" They thundered back.
"And whose blood must yet be paid?"
"Hers!" They all pointed to the still form of Elizabeth as Will's eyes widened and without a second thought he hurried to her rescue. He followed after Jack and grabbed an oar from their boat as Barbossa's words followed after him.
"You know the first thing I'm goin' to do after the curse is lifted? Eat a whole bushel of apples." Barbossa took the knife and reached for one of Elizabeth's hands as she looked at the knife while the pirate chanted, "Begun by blood…by blood undone."
Will came upon the shape of Jack, who was perched down low. He stood when he heard Will's footsteps but was not fast enough to duck from the blow that Will gave him. He fell to the floor in a heap as Will looked down at the unconscious man.
"Sorry, Jack. I'm not going to be your leverage." he turned just in time to see Barbossa slice Elizabeth's palm and then watched as she clenched the medallion in her bloody palm as droplets of blood fell to the treasure below.
"That's it?" she asked in surprised and relief as Barbossa nodded. "Waste not."
She dropped the medallion as it fell into the chest with a tiny clink. All the pirates grew silent as they all breathed in and out and opened their eyes.
"Did it work?" One asked as another commented, "I don't feel no different."
"How do we tell?" A fat one asked as Barbossa rolled his eyes drew his pistol, aimed and fired. The gunshot rang out through the cavern as Will sunk into the dark water and slipped beneath the water to swim to Elizabeth. The man who was shot stood in shock but did not die.
"You're not dead."
"No. He shot me!" he yelled to Barbossa who only whirled around to face Elizabeth. "You, maid! Your father, what was his name? Was your father William Turner?"
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and stood straight as a faint smug smile came across her beautiful face. "No." she spoke clearly for all to hear as Barbossa exploded. "Where's his child?! The child that sailed from England eight years ago, the child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner? Where?" he demanded as he backhanded Elizabeth across the face. She fell from her perch at the base of the pile into a heap as the medallion rolled along side her and landed near her palm.
Will slowly raised his head from the water as he reached out to take Elizabeth's hand. She looked up frightened as he placed his hand over her mouth to quiet her. Her eyes widened as she saw that it was her dear friend Will. He motioned for her to follow him as her eyes fell on the medallion as she reached for it and slid into the water alongside Will. They quickly swam to shore as Will helped her up and guided her to the dinghy and away from the sounds of the arguing pirates.
"Will, what are you doing here?" Elizabeth frantically asked as she plopped down into the rowboat and Will pushed it into the water and began rowing them to the entrance of the cave.
"Rescuing you of course." he answered as he looked at her, she was so beautiful. Elizabeth faintly smiled but quickly frowned. "Will, we have to leave here immediately. The pirates, they're after you!"
"I know." Will replied as he rowed faster. "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe."
Elizabeth smiled and thanked the heavens that she had such a wonderful friend as Will. He must have gone through so much to come and rescue her, leaving behind his home and family in Port Royal, just to ensure her safety.
"Is Commodore Norrington with you?" she asked suddenly, thoughts of James beginning to fill her head. If Will had found her, James couldn't be too far behind. Will looked down and shook his head, "No, I did this on my own. Well for the most part." he added, thinking of Helen. Elizabeth sighed and nodded as Will rowed the boat out of the cave and into the sunlight.
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Please read and review! I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean!
