Chapter 13: A promise
Jack was forced awake by the sound and shaking of cannon fire, later that evening. Must have dozed off he thought. He ran out to main deck, not even grabbing his hat. He flung open his cabin door but the scene before him made him stop dead in his tracks.
The black pearl was under attack, cannon balls blew the timbers to mere wooden bits, and the crew was boldly fighting but they were getting slaughtered. Bodies of the men-men that Jack knew- lay scattered on the deck. The enemy pirate attackers raided their supplies. And yet through all the chaos, Jack thought of only one person:
"Bethany!" he called out. Where was she? Had she managed to get away? Was she safe? Questions ran through his mind a mile a minute.
"Bethany!" he shouted over the cannons.
"Jack!" he heard her screaming his name.
He searched the deck until finally he saw her; she was trying to get away from one of the enemy pirates. He ran across the deck to her, avoiding bullets and jumping over broken masts. When he finally got to her the filthy pirate held her by the neck and aimed a loaded pistol at her temple.
Jack skidded to a stop right in front of them. He reached for his sword but it wasn't there. Neither was his pistol.
"That's close enough, Sparrow" said the enemy pirate.
"Leave her out of this" Jack warned, hoping to reason with him.
The pirate smirked "give us calypso's amulet and we'll leave."
Jack looked at Bethany, she stared at him eyes wide and full of fear.
Jack swallowed the lump in his throat. "I-I don't have calypso's amulet yet" he told the pirate "but if you'll just give me more time, I'll get it to you."
The pirate smiled, his brown teeth gleaming in the moonlight. "Very well, Sparrow" he spat "I'll give you some time… I'll give you five seconds! To hand over that amulet or your girly here, get's a bullet to the brain!"
"Jack!" Bethany screamed struggling to get free, but the pirate dug the barrel of the pistol deeper into her temple.
"One!" said the pirate.
"Help me, Jack!" she cried, tears streaming from her eyes. Something Jack had never seen her do was cry. Now that he finally had, he hated seeing her cry.
"Two!" said the pirate.
"No!" shouted Jack.
"Three!"
"Jack, please!" Bethany sobbed.
"Four!"
"Think of a plan! You always have a plan!" Jack silently told himself.
The pirate grinned, a sickening grin. "Five!"
"Wait!" Jack screamed.
*POW*
The sound of the pistol shook Jacks very soul and his heart and soul broke when he saw his beautiful Bethany crumple to the floor. He fell to his knees and crawled to her and held her head in his lap. Her eyes still open, but the laughter and love in them were gone, replaced with fear and grimness.
"Bethany?" he sniffed, not even realizing he was crying. "I'm sorry."
He hugged her close. Not caring that his ship was in pieces, not caring that the rum was gone and not even caring how he was going to get through this. He would throw all of that away if it meant getting Bethany back, to hear her laugh again and tease him. Those pirates could have tortured him to death, if it meant her going free…
X P.O.T.C X
Jack woke up in his cabin sweat drenching his back, tears dried on his face. He had been crying in his sleep. He got up and walked out onto the deck, everything was just as it should be.
It was all just a nightmare, but somehow Jack felt like it was more than that, it was a sign. A sign that he had to treasure Bethany, not too many women stuck with him this long and none had made his heart pound in his chest when he looked at them, like Bethany.
Jack tiptoed down the stairs to Bethany's cabin and slowly pushed the door open. He walked in and looked at her as she slept. The moonlight shined down on her from the window, her face bathed by moonlight and her red hair haloed around her head. God, she was lovely. Jack couldn't help but think of how lucky he was to have her. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and whispered as he shut the door:
"I'll make it all up to you tomorrow, luv. I swear."
AN: Aw! How sweet! I bet this chapter kind of scared you guys! I mean, Bethany dying! Eek! But don't worry about that as long as I keep writing she WILL live on! Now hit that review button, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY! Or whatever your religion is…