Chapter 10: Plan A or plan B?

…

Jackie was trying to fall asleep, but she couldn't. She kept thinking about her parents and Michael. She missed them so much. Everything was so bad now; she couldn't wait to get back on the Pearl with her parents.

If they came.

No! She thought, They will come! I'll be saved and go home! She just had to believe that and keep up hope. Hopefully she could that.

She only saw glimpses of the rest of the map. There was something called Sparrow Cave and apparently there was a bunch of treasure there. She actually wanted to see the treasure; she had never seen real gold before, except for her mother's jewelry, and she wasn't even sure if it was real gold. But knowing her mother, it probably was.

Why did the letters change? She thought. Why am I the only one on the ship who can read that - map? Why can't I tell them about it?

She had a feeling she was going to find out.

…

Ragetti was helping Pintel watch the crew work. He felt bad about locking up Jack Sparrow's daughter. He always liked Jack; he looked up to him. He knew Pintel did, too. They had literally gone to the end of the earth for him just because they missed him as captain.

"Pintel," he said.

"What? Can't you see I'm working here?" Pintel said.

"I feel kinda bad about locking up Jack Sparrow's daughter. Do you?" he asked.

"I don't know, but it's what the captain told us to do, so we do it! He's going to get us treasure!" Pintel said.

"Remember the last time he got us treasure? We were undead for a long time! It wasn't fun." Ragetti said.

"Well, this gold isn't cursed."

"How do you know? Even if the map wasn't all jumbled up, you couldn't read it! You can't read!" Ragetti said.

"Neither can you!"

"Yes, but still. If Barbossa could read it, would he tell us if the gold was cursed? Like he didn't last time?"

"He didn't know last time!"

"I'm just having second thoughts."

"Well, don't. We'll be rich just as long at the girl talks."

Ragetti turned around. There was a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

…

Jack breathed deeply. This is it, Jack. You can do this. You know can.

Angelica was taking a nap in his quarters. He knew she was awake; he could hear her moving around inside.

He grabbed the handle, and let it go. He did this five times more. Who am I kidding? I can't do this! I'll just wait… until we find Jackie… and they go back home… and she'll be gone… forever.

He couldn't handle that. He grabbed the handle and walked in. Angelica was putting on another dress. She was finishing pulling the dress up. Jack stood there awkwardly until she buttoned the last button and turned around.

She turned around and her eyes went wide. "Jack! How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long, love. Trust me." His voice cracked while he spoke. "I have something to tell you."

"If this is about the talk Lelani gave us, then I have something to say, too." She said.

They stood there, waiting for the other to start this awkward conversation. They both spoke at the same time: "You speak first. No, I insist, you first." They both chuckled and looked away.

"Well, this is awkward," Angelica said. She put some hair behind her ears and smiled.

"Yeah… Why don't I talk first? Then you can. It'll be easier that way, right?" Jack said. Angelica nodded, and they sat down on the bed. "So… about what my aunt said… I do have feelings for you, Angelica." She stared at him, her eyes telling him to go on. "Fine. I'll say it. I love you, Angelica. Like I said on the island: Always have, always will. I'll never stop; it's involuntary."

"Oh, Jack," Angelica said, and she hugged him, "I- Back on the island, I didn't know it then, but I wasn't lying. Ever since you helped me escape from the convent, I've loved you. I just didn't realize it."

They looked at each other. "So… is that it?" Jack asked.

Angelica leaned in, "Do you think so?" Jack smiled and they were about to kiss, when Gibbs walked in.

"Jack there's- oh! Sorry… I'm interrupting somethin'…"

Jack cursed under his breath and turned away from Angelica and looked at Gibbs. "No, it's fine. What is it?"

"There's a ship on the horizon. It doesn't have any colors."

…

Barbossa smiled. He could see the Black Pearl on the horizon. He could tell it was the Pearl; it was his ship, wasn't it? Maybe he could have the treasure and his ship back. That would a good day.

Then he scowled. They had found him, even if they didn't know it was him. Jack more than likely went to his aunt and she told him about him going to talk to her about the map.

He needed the girl to talk.

Fast.

He grabbed Pintel and Ragetti and dragged them down to the brig. Jackie was just lying there on the floor, her arms behind her head. She wasn't sleeping, but she didn't seem awake, either.

"Ms. Sparrow, we need you to read the map. Now. Please." He smiled.

She sighed, "What's the point? I can't win either way. I read the map, you find the treasure, you kill me. I don't read the map, you torture me, you kill me."

"Please, Ms. Sparrow," Pintel said. "We need this treasure."

"Let me inform you, mate, that this treasure was found for the Sparrow family! I don't if you're pirates or not, don't you have some integrity?" Jackie stood up.

All three pirates looked at each other. Pintel and Barbossa shook their heads while Ragetti was still thinking. Pintel saw this and kicked his shin. Ragetti shook his head while rubbing his shin.

"Well, maybe I'll teach you some. I don't care what you do to me. I will never read that map for you." Jackie said. She went and lied back down. She was scared. Barbossa seemed like a pirate that would do anything to get what he wants. She closed her eyes and tried to act like nothing was bothering her.

Barbossa looked at Jackie, steaming. "Well, then, mates. I guess it's time for plan B."

Jackie's eyes shot open. Plan B? Now she was scared and worried. What's Plan B?

Barbossa saw she was worried. She hadn't figured out why the map changed for her, so she was sure to be shocked when plan B came around.

…

"What kind of ship does he have now?" Jack wondered aloud. They knew it was Barbossa's, Gibbs had checked twice. The ship was smaller than the Pearl, but it was going fast.

They were going at fast as they could to meet up with it. They were nowhere near land, but maybe they could go across on Barbossa's ship to negotiate.

Even though Jack knew he wouldn't agree to any terms, just that he gets treasure.

Jack was regretting the fact that Uncle Russell hadn't cursed the gold instead of the map.

"Mister Gibbs!" Jack said, and Gibbs walked over to him.

"Yes, Jack?"

"How far away from the ship are we now?"

"Same as the last time you asked, Jack. You can't keep asking every three seconds and expect the answer to change." Gibbs said.

"It should." Jack said. That was one flaw he had: he was impatient. He hated having to wait. For anything.

Angelica was the same way with most things. She couldn't wait to punch Barbossa in the nose for kidnapping her daughter.

They both had the same thought: I hope she's okay.

…

Okay, my lovely readers, chapter 10 is done! It's not the longest chapter I've got. Maybe next chapter will as long as chapter 6 (about 2,000). I'll think about it. Please review! I really love reviews! :D

Word count: 1,354