Curse of the Cruise Ship

Chapter Eleven

The End of the Beginning

ESF's Author's Note: Welcome to the last chapter folks! Sorry this took four days short of a month to post, but I have been absolutely swamped at school (shakes fist at professors). Well, at least I'm passing everything.

I might be writing a little epilogue thing that'll take place between Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man's Chest. I'm really not sure if I'll do it or not, so don't get your hopes up.

RHrWilLizKataangprincess2010: That apple thing bugs me! I mean he drops everything to open his shirt, but then he has the apple in his hand when he falls! Is it a mistake, or some type of foreshadowing? I can't wait to see the trailer either! I want to know what Jack is doing in Chinese pirate stuff (if you've seen the pictures).

wendystwin's Author's Note: Well boys and girlies, here's the last chapter of your lives! Mwahahahaha! Just kidding. We have two more stories we're going to write, so you be watchin' fer it, wonchya? Yes, you will. Now, read! I command you!


The next morning dawned bright and sunny, the complete opposite of Melody and Wendy's moods. Jack's hanging was scheduled for noon, and that cast a damper on everything.

The maids bustled in at precisely eight o'clock, bringing the dresses they were to wear that day. Needless to say, the girls kicked them out, absolutely refusing to wear the dresses. Instead, they dressed in the same clothes they had been wearing for the past few days. They wore the necklaces they had chosen from the cave, and they both filled their empty shot pouches with the pawnable jewelry, as Melody wanted to find a pawn shop in town after Jack escaped.

At breakfast, Governor Swann did not seem too happy that they weren't dressed in the dresses he had sent them. Luckily, Elizabeth convinced her father to let them dress the way they wanted. At a quarter to twelve, they got into a carriage with Governor Swann and Elizabeth and made their way to the fort, where the hanging was to take place. The carriage ride was tensely silent, no matter how hard Elizabeth's father tried to start a conversation.

When they reached the fort, they were led to a slightly shaded area of the fort with Commodore Norrington and a few other unnamed people that was apparently meant for the more important people. Jack stood, looking incredibly depressed, in front of the noose. Soon a man held up a scroll and began to read from it.

"Jack Sparrow, be it known that you have been charged, tried, and convicted for your willful commission of crimes against the crown. Said crimes being numerous in quantity and sinister in nature. The most egregious of these to be cited herewith..."

Wendy began to tune out, as the man's boring voice seemed to drone on and on. She scanned the crowd and spotted Will's extremely cool hat. She nudged Melody and nodded at him. They tried to hide their happy grins. After all, they shouldn't be smiling on such a grim day.

"This is wrong," said Elizabeth. The girls nodded their agreement, trying to look very sad.

"Commodore Norrington is bound by the law," said Governor Swann, sounding only slightly regretful. "As are we all."

The man finally reached the end of Jack's list of crimes. "And for these crimes," he was saying, "you have been sentenced to be, on this day, hung by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your soul."

Will had appeared in front of them. "Governor Swann. Commodore. Misses Parks." Each acknowledged him, and then he looked at Elizabeth. "Elizabeth. I should have told you everyday from the moment I met you." He paused. "I love you." Elizabeth actually looked surprised. Norrington and the governor just looked annoyed. Wendy grinned happily, and Melody gave a fake smile.

The drum roll began. The noose was placed around Jack's neck. Elizabeth noticed Cotton's parrot, and she suddenly realized what was going down. Will was pushing through the crowd to many protests.

The commodore stepped forward as he too realized. "Marines," he said. Melody and Wendy looked at one another briefly, having no idea what 'marines' was supposed to mean.

Elizabeth grabbed her father's arm. "I can't breathe!" she gasped, and fell.

While Norrington and Governor Swann tended to the 'fainted' Elizabeth, the girls watched Will as he drew his sword, and various women screamed. "Move!" he yelled, and the people in front of him cleared a path instantly. The drum roll stopped. The executioner pulled the lever. The trap door beneath Jack's feet fell, and Will threw his sword. The sword imbedded itself in the door, and Jack landed on it. Wendy and Melody let out the breath they hadn't realized they'd been holding. Jack was alive and struggling to maintain his balance on Will's sword.

Confused, Governor Swann looked at his daughter, who had reawakened the instant the drum roll ended. Then he understood, and he rolled his eyes as Norrington hurried away. Melody and Wendy helped Elizabeth up. The four of them (including the governor) ran into the chaos.

Will ran up the stairs to the gallows and began fighting the executioner, who wielded an axe. They fought around Jack until the executioner knocked Will's sword from his hands and swung the axe at Will, who ducked, causing the axe to cut the rope holding Jack, who then fell. Will pushed the executioner off the gallows and he landed on Norrington. Will did a somersault off the platform and landed just as Jack appeared from underneath. Jack took the noose off his neck and tossed one end to Will. Each holding one end of the rope, they ran toward the parapet, tripping five Navy men with the rope.

Wendy, Melody and Elizabeth (whose hat had come off at some point) then lost sight of them, and they hurried after the Navy men and Elizabeth's father. They pushed through the crowd that surrounded Jack and Will.

"...And this is how you thank me?" Governor Swann was saying when Elizabeth reached them Melody and Wendy on either side of her. Jack and Will were surrounded by bayonet-equipped rifles. Norrington has his sword at Will's neck, and Jack was looking over Will's shoulder. "By throwing in your lot with him? He's a pirate!"

"And a good man!" Will said, and dropped his sword. Jack smiled at one of the soldiers and pointed at himself. Will continued, "If all I have achieved here is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear."

Norrington took a step forward. "You forget your place, Turner."

"It's right here," said Will quietly, "between you and Jack."

No one said anything for a moment, and then Melody and Wendy stepped forward. "So is ours," they said in unison, joining Will.

"As well as mine," said Elizabeth, stepping forward and taking Will's hand. Norrington looked utterly crushed. Melody seethed at the woman, having always hated the fact that she hurt him so. She was careful not to let it show, however.

"Elizabeth!" said Governor Swann. He looked around at the soldiers. "Lower your weapons," he ordered, and they hesitated. "For goodness sake, put them down!"

The bayonets were lowered, as was Norrington's sword. He was still staring at Elizabeth. "So this is where your heart truly lies, then?" he asked, his voice sounding shaky.

Elizabeth nodded. "It is."

Norrington looked down in disappointment, and Wendy's heart went out to him. That poor man!

"Well!" said Jack, having spotted Cotton's parrot as it flew off a cannon. He walked around Will, Elizabeth, and the girls. "I'm actually feeling rather good about this. I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh?" He breathed the last word into Governor Swann's face, and he recoiled and avoided eye contact with the pirate. "Spiritually. Ecumenically. Grammatically." Melody giggled, and Jack walked over to Norrington. "I want you to know that I was rooting for you mate," he said, and Norrington didn't react to Jack's breath. "Know that."

He walked away, and stopped next to Elizabeth. "Elizabeth." Will and Elizabeth, who had been busy staring into each other's eyes in a very clichéd way, looked at him. "It would never have worked between us, darling." The look on Elizabeth's face clearly told him to shut up, but Jack ignored it. "I'm sorry."

He took another step, but then stopped again. "Melody, Wendy," he said. They looked at him, wondering what he would say to them. He gave them a rouge smirk. "It might have worked between us." Both girls blushed furiously, and one or two soldiers laughed at their embarrassment. "Will." Will looked at Jack, who seemed to be searching for something to say. "Nice hat," he said finally. Will glanced up at his hat and smiled.

"Friends!" announced Jack, hurrying up the stairs of the parapet. Melody and Wendy were just behind Commodore Norrington. "This is the day that you will always remember as the day that – " He had taken a couple steps backward and tripped over the ledge. Everyone hurried to watch him fall into the water.

"Idiot," said Lieutenant Gillette, who was standing next to Wendy. "He's nowhere to go but back to the noose!"

Melody and Wendy shared a look. "Aye," said Wendy, turning to look at them all. "And neither do we."

"What on Earth are you talking about?" asked Governor Swann. By this point, he looked a bit fed up with them.

"It's been fun, Gov'na," said Melody as she and her sister climbed up on the ledge, "really it has. It's just that the life of a proper lady doesn't do much for us."

"Pirates are much more fun."

"No sense of adventure in being a proper lady, you see."

"I really love that hat, Will," said Wendy, smiling at him. He returned it.

Then to Wendy's complete surprise, Melody said to Will and Elizabeth, "Good luck to you both."

"We'd better go before Jack leaves without us. See you!" The two of them waved, turned around, and jumped, Melody holding her tricorne hat on her head.

Wendy prayed as they fell that they wouldn't hit any rocks, or Jack. She took a deep breath just before they hit the water. When she surfaced, she saw Jack swimming towards them. She looked around and relaxed when she saw Melody floating nearby, in one piece.

"What are you two doing?" Jack asked when he reached them.

"We don't want to be proper ladies," said Melody. "It's not as much fun as being a pirate!"

Jack grinned. "You have a point, lass. But why should I let you join me crew?"

"Sail ho!" someone shouted from up at the fort. The three of them looked up and then out to the sea, and saw the Black Pearl come around a cliff.

"How about we discuss this on the Pearl," suggested Wendy, "before they decide to come after us?"

Jack agreed, and they swam toward the black-sailed ship. They were hauled aboard with Jack, and they landed in a pile on the deck. They got untangled as Gibbs approached them.

"Thought you were supposed to keep to the Code, mate?" Jack asked Gibbs, sitting on the deck. Melody and Wendy had stood up.

"We figured they were more actual guidelines," said Gibbs as the rest of the crew gathered behind him. He chuckled slightly and helped Jack up. Cotton handed Jack his hat. He must have left it on the Pearl.

"Thank you," said Jack as he put it on.

"Captain Sparrow," said Anamaria from the helm. She walked behind him and placed his coat around his shoulders. "The Black Pearl is yours."

Jack looked around, and then walked toward the helm and caressed the black wood lovingly, and it was obvious how much he'd truly missed his ship. Then he realized his crew was staring at him. "On deck, you scabrous dogs! Hands to braces! Let down and haul to run free!"

Melody and Wendy stood behind Jack and watched off the stern as Port Royal began to get smaller. Their back to him, they listened to Jack's final lines of the movie.

"Now," he was saying, "bring me that horizon. Duh duh duh, duh duh duh, duh duh duh duh," he hummed. Then he sang, "And really bad eggs. Drink up me hearties, yo ho!"

They heard a sharp click and turned to see Jack had closed his compass. Melody and Wendy waited for a moment, half-expecting to suddenly wake up in their living room to see the credits for The Curse of the Black Pearl to go scrolling by on the TV screen. But nothing happened.

Wendy sighed and turned back to Port Royal. "So what now, Mel?" she asked quietly, not wanting Jack to overhear. "It's over. What do we do?"

"I don't know," replied Melody. "Might as well get comfortable here."

"Melody. Wendy." They turned to face their captain. "I've decided to let you join my crew," he told them.

The girls were skeptical. "Even though we don't know how to sail?" asked Melody.

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I shouldn't let you?"

"No!"

"Of course not!"

"Well, that's the first thing you have to learn. Never question your captain."

"Aye, sir!" they replied together.

Jack smiled, satisfied. "Very good. Now, as for not knowing how to sail, I figure everyone has to start somewhere. The crew'll teach you. But ye've got to learn fast. Savvy?" They nodded. "Good. Now, Melody, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Yes, Captain?"

"What's a car?"


ESF's Author's Note II: So what do you think? I rather like the ending. Bet you thought Jack wasn't going to remember. Of course, some of you probably don't remember where Jack heard the word car. Well, that's just too bad for you.

Well, if you're hoping for a sequel, yes, there will be one. But it won't be up until after I get Dead Man's Chest on DVD. I've already got the first few chapters written using a rather poor script on the internet (which leaves a lot out) and movie clips on YouTube, but I don't trust those enough to only go off them. And if there's deleted scenes, I'll want to add them in! But now don't forget about us between now and December 5th (the DVD release, in case you haven't heard)! Love you all!