They had gone over the plan three times before they had fallen asleep with their fingers lightly touching.
"Oh how cute. A pirate couple, at least they'll die together." Marie and Jack were awakened by the taunting sound of a guard's laughter.
"C'mon! Rise and shine." Said another guard. Like planned, Jack and Marie woke up acting tired, and as if they had given up hope. Jack got up with a slouch and walked very gloomily to the guard with open handcuffs. The guard put them on and waited for the other to get Marie. She left her butt on the floor and raised her hands in an act of submission. After the cuffs were on she brought her hands down and slipped her unused dagger into her hand and kept it easily out of view. She got up, walked out and stood next to the bench where all of her weapons were, except the dagger on her calf, which was overlooked because of its unusual hiding place. Because of their passive attitude, the guards didn't even bother holding on to them while they were directed up the stairs. Once they were in the middle of the staircase Marie spun around and drove the dagger into the man's chest, and Jack used his handcuffs to choke his guard.
After the two buffoons were down Jack grabbed the key ring off of the man's belt, and unlocked the cuffs. Marie tossed his hat and belt to him, and put on her weapons as well. They ran up the stairs with guns in their hands and swords at their sides. They ran out onto the streets and got to The Black Pearl, which seemed to be absolutely untouched. They got onto the ship and Marie felt uneasy, something wasn't right. Why hadn't they stolen it or sunk it or…something. Beckett would have been delighted in watching The Pearl destroyed. "Wait to move the ship, Jack. Something's wrong." She kept her gun out and she quietly crept into the ship.
The kitchen was empty and she went into the storage area of the ship. She kicked every sack and barrel until she reached the end of the room. She was so sure that there was someone down here. When a hand went to her mouth and a gun barrel went to her temple she knew that she was right.
"Now, here's what's going to happen." Beckett's breath was right on her ear. "I'm going to bring you out on deck and we are going to alert dear old Jack of my…presence. And then," his voice became a growling whisper, "He's going to watch me kill you." Marie tried to kick him, but failed. "Unless you'd like to watch me kill him." She whimpered beneath his hand. "I thought not. Now do what I say." Marie was steered out of the storage, where she found the Jack's bandages: into the kitchen, where Marie made meals for the two of them. Out on the deck Jack was standing there with the wind forcing his hair to flap in the wind and his skin glowed against the warmth of the sun. The moustache that had just so recently tickled her upper lip seemed more unique and precious. Marie never really noticed how attractive he was until now, when a gun was pointed to the side of her head.
Beckett cleared his throat loudly and said, "Oh, Jack, I have something of yours." Jack turned around with the look of shear horror on his face. Marie felt horrible for being so stupidly helpless, and hated being the damsel in distress. Jack took a step forward, and Marie heard the sound of the hammer of a gun being cocked back. "Ah, ah, ah. One more step and she'll die." Wasn't he going to kill me anyway? What the bloody hell is he up to?
Jack stopped in his tracks and I waited for Beckett to explain himself. "Ah, does this little piece mean a lot to you? Then pay attention! In your coat pocket lies something that can give me control of the entire ocean. The compass. If you hand me that then you can have her back unharmed." Beckett smiled.
Little did Marie know that Jack's mind was working at top speed right now. "In all reality though, Beckett, that would still leave me at a loss. If I give you this compass," He was now turning over the little box in his hands, "and you do get control over the entire ocean, then Marie and I will die anyway. You will have the power to find us wherever we are, when ever you want, and we face the gallows. But, if I don't give this to you, you'll shoot her and either shoot me or hang me."
Beckett let out a sarcastic laugh. "You're not as dumb as you look, but of course that would make it remarkable for you to even walk, Jack."
"And I have to decide which way I want to die." Jack looked right into Marie's blue-green eyes, and he stared at her as if to say, "Do you trust me?" Marie gave him a small nod, so that Beckett wouldn't notice.
"This is a hard decision, because you know what?" Jack's hands had stopped turning the compass, and there was a short but dramatic hiatus in the conversation, "I don't want to die." Jack threw the compass straight at Beckett, and Beckett, worrying more about the compass than his own life, dropped his gun and used both hands to catch the little black box.
Marie was free, but she was going to get revenge on the short man standing next to her. She grabbed the fallen pistol and pointed it back at its owner. Beckett's eyes had grown large and he was definitely perturbed by a woman pointing his own gun at his chest. His grip on the compass even loosened a little. "Drop the compass, Beckett!"
"And you'll leave me unharmed." Beckett lazily tried to finish Marie's sentence.
"I didn't say that now, did I? If you don't give me the compass, then I'll shoot you and pry it from your dead fingers. I'll just make the death more meaningful, for lack of a better word." She felt a triumphant grin spread across her face. This felt great. "What do you think, Jack? How should we kill him if he doesn't give it back?"
Jack chuckled, "Oh, there's too many choices! We could cut off his legs and let him bleed to death, or better yet, we could drown him."
Beckett jumped a little and that just made Marie laugh more. "What's this? Have we actually put fear into the famous Governor Beckett? Oh, this is rich! So are you going to give it up?" Beckett looked questionable, he seemed to be deciding. "Hand it over!" Marie saw a sword tip go to the side of Beckett's hip and saw Jack on the other side of the sword.
"I do favor my idea of letting him bleed to death." Jack said.
"Oh, all right!" Beckett's voice quivered. "Here!" He slapped the compass into Marie's open hand.
Marie took a split second to look into Beckett's frightened eyes, and pulled the trigger on his pistol. He fell to the ground with a lifeless thump and Marie hauled his small frame and threw it into the sea. She turned around to see Jack staring at her with wide eyes. "God, you're brilliant!"
"So are you. Tell me Jack, why did you risk giving Beckett the compass to save my life?" Marie looked at him in wonder.
"Because, love, when the two compasses meet each other, they finally begin to work normally. That man would have been crashing into the glaciers if he followed where it pointed." Jack said.
Marie walked close to him and looked up into his face. "Why do I feel that there's another reason?" She smiled at him waiting for his answer.
Jack smiled back, "Well, the other reason is complicated, love. I believe that it goes a little something like this." Jack crashed his lips onto Marie's and he explained his reason better than words ever could have. The only thing on his mind was her, and only her. The feel of her lips was the most incredible feeling ever.
He begged for entry, and she didn't even hesitate. Her lips parted and she let his tongue explore her mouth. Marie mimicked his actions into his mouth, and then slowly backed away.
"Let's get out to sea. The sun's going to set soon and I don't want to be anywhere near this god forsaken town when it does."
Jack let out a falsely dramatic gasp. "Are you saying that you are actually going to stay on the ship with me, that you actually want to be a pirate on The Black Pearl with me as your captain?" Marie grinned, "Are you saying that you are staying because of me?"
"I could be saying that. Yeah." Marie grinned at him and then opened up the pitch-black sails. They both stood on The Black Pearl as pirates, but together they stood as soul mates drawn together by a common desire for the same vast, blue freedom.