Sorry it took so long. There's just been a lot of drama going on this holiday season and during my finals week.
First some people I believed to be my friends cut me out of their lives for something that my boyfriends mother did; something I didn't at all agree with. I still haven't spoken to her and it's been at least six months since this incident occurred. Then I failed my tuba jury because of course I wasn't able to focus due to all of this drama and the heartbreak of losing friends for doing nothing. THEN my boyfriend's sister, who was engaged someone the family that cut me out of their lives for the thing my boyfriend's mother did got dumped by her fiance through a TEXT of all things (real classy asshole) and she's heartbroken.
Right now I'm trying to find my copies of the books written by my boyfriend's sister's ex-fiance's mom and sell them because I don't think I can read them without wanting to punch someone in the face. I used to look up to this person as an inspiration for my writing and to find out how much of an asshole he (he recently came out as transgender) really is is so disappointing to me. But I guess you only see someone's true colors after hardship strikes.
So yeah. HELLA going on.
Hopefully this stupid drama will finally be over now that the shit-disturbers are officially out of every aspect of my life. I blocked them on every form of social media I have because I'm just done with their bullshit.
But I finally had time to write this chapter and I hope you all enjoy.
When Jack woke up the next morning, he immediately noticed that his arm was wrapped around something warm and moving. He looked over to the side and saw Alice sleeping next to him. Her arm was draped over his stomach and she was curled close to him. When Jack stirred, she moaned slightly and readjusted herself. He let out a smile and bent down, pressing a kiss against her forehead. He may have forgotten most of last night, but he definitely didn't forget kissing her. It was only sad that he had to be drunk to finally do it. Apparently the opportune moment was then. Alice stirred and opened her eyes. "Holy shite, my head hurts…" she mumbled. Jack laughed and shrugged.
"Hangover," Jack said. Alice moaned and lied back, still on Jack's arm. "So you were rather enthusiastic last night." She rolled her eyes and hit him on the chest, turning away and attempting to hide her blush. It was obvious that she has full recollection of that kiss. Good.
Suddenly, a smell filled the air that Jack didn't like. It smelt like burning. Alice seemed to notice this as well and sat up abruptly, turning around. Jack did the same and immediately saw a large fire. He stood up and watched as Elizabeth tossed a barrel of rum onto the giant burning pile. The barrel exploded, a stream of fire erupting upwards. "Not good!" Jack shouted. He helped Alice to her feet and ran towards Elizabeth. Alice looked just as angry, showing that she clearly had no idea that Elizabeth was planning this. "What are you doing? You burned all the food, the shade! The rum!"
"Yes," Elizabeth said, storming towards the shore. "The rum is gone."
"Why is the rum gone?" Jack demanded. He couldn't believe he let that harpy burn all the rum.
"One, because it is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels," Elizabeth said. "Two, that signal is over a thousand feet high. The entire Royal Navy is out looking for me, do you really think that there is even the slightest chance that they won't see it?"
"But why is the rum gone!?" Alice asked. Elizabeth groaned and sat down.
"Just wait," she said. "You give it one hour, maybe two, keep a weather eye out and then you will see white sails on that horizon." Jack clenched his fist and reached for his pistol. One sharp glare from Alice mad him reconsider whatever he was thinking in his angry, hungover haze. He stormed off, imitating Elizabeth as he walked to the other side of the island.
"Must've been terrible for you to be trapped here, Jack. Must've been terrible for you," he mocked, raising his voice in pitch to sound like a whiny, bratty girl. "Well it bloody is now!" Jack shouted. He heard footsteps behind him and knew it was Alice. Who else could it have been? She was the only woman on the island that he could stand right now.
"My sister…" Alice muttered as she caught up to him. She shook her head and sighed. "I mean, yes, we need to get off the island, but was burning all of our supplies really necessary?" Jack shook his head and leaned against one of the remaining palm trees. Alice stood with her arms crossed. "See, this is why I can't stand my family. I love my sisters, but I want to strangle them almost as often."
"I can't believe the rum's gone…" Jack groaned. "Speaking of which, last night..."
"You made the first move," Alice said, rolling her eyes. "That happen a lot when you get drunk? You just start snogging the nearest woman?"
"Sometimes," Jack said. "But this was different."
"How so?" Alice asked, tilting her head and smiling smugly.
"Do I really need to spell it out for you, love?" Jack asked with a faint chuckle. He took her hands and smiled. "I fancy you. It's just sad I had to be drunk to finally make a move. I suppose that was the opportune moment, then." Alice smiled and blushed. It was rather adorable, in Jack's opinion. She didn't need to say anything to know how Alice felt. She looked up and suddenly frowned, staring at something behind Jack. He turned around and saw a ship with white sails. It was obviously the HMS Dauntless. "There'll be no living with her after this," Jack said.
"Damn it, Elizabeth," Alice muttered. "I finally find a man that I actually fancy and you go off and basically get him arrested-" Jack, being the sly devil he was, pulled Alice close to him and firmly kissed her. She let out a faint squeak (again, Jack found it adorable) and rested her hands on his shoulders. She pulled away and tilted her head in confusion. "Why?"
"Because we might not get another chance after I'm arrested by our dear friend Commodore Norrington," Jack said. Alice nodded and shrugged.
"True," she agreed. She then surprised Jack by boldly taking him by the collar and kissing him. Jack almost smiled into the kiss. Such boldness was why he knew he was falling for her. She knew how to take advantage of her own fears and appear as if she feared nothing at all. He knew that she was probably terrified right now. Of him, of her feelings, of seeing her father again… But right now wasn't the time for such thoughts. Right now, only the two of them existed.
Jack quickly took control of the kiss by backing her into a nearby palm tree. A slight gasp escaped Alice's lips, giving Jack the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth. For a sixteen year old, she was unnaturally good at snogging. At the same time though, there was so much inexperience that Jack could play around with. His hand stroked her waist, careful not to let things go too far with her. For once in his life, he wanted to take a romantic endeavor slowly.
"Miss Swan!"
The two parted with annoyed groans as the voices of marines rang across the island. It seems that the shore party had finally arrived.
"Coming!" Alice shouted. She sighed and shook her head. "I'm glad we got that in before you get arrested."
"I'm just going to assume you're feeling the same way?" Jack asked as the two walked back to where they last saw Elizabeth.
"Jack, if I didn't want you to kiss me, you'd have a bloody nose by now," Alice said with a giggle. Jack let out a loud laugh and gave Alice a fleeting hug. He noticed a blush rising on her face. He quickly gave her some distance as the marines approached. After all, she was in a lot of trouble for running off with him in the first place. He didn't want her in any more trouble for being romantically involved with him. They were all shuffled into the longboat, though they were keeping a sterner eye on him. Figured… he was the only pirate there, after all.
Kitty couldn't have been happier when the helmsman shouted that he had spotted a large column of white smoke coming from the west. They told her it was most likely some sort of smoke signal from an island based on the height and girth of it. They sailed as fast as they could towards it and three hours later they came across a small, uninhabited island. They sent out a small group of marines to collect whoever was on the island. At this point, Kitty could only hope that her sisters were on that island.
"I really hope it's them," Kitty muttered to herself as she looked at the longboat disappear around the island. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw James Norrington standing there. She almost instantly felt calmer and let out a smile.
"I'm almost sure it's them," Norrington said. "Elizabeth is clever enough to do something like this." His hand sat dangerously close to Kitty's own hand. She knew that neither of them dared to touch the other, lest their secret be revealed. She saw Norrington's jaw tense up as the longboat started to reappear.
"Nervous?" Kitty asked. He nodded faintly. Kitty didn't need to ask what he was nervous about; she knew perfectly well he was somewhat dreading telling Elizabeth that he was retracting his proposal. Yet Kitty knew he had nothing to fear. Just because you knew it was foolish to fear something, though, didn't mean you could stop yourself from fearing it.
As the longboat grew closer and closer to the ship, Kitty could see more figures inside. She saw a man with thick black dreadlocks sitting next to a shorter figure dressed in men's clothing that was more than likely Alice. Elizabeth sat in front of them, wearing nothing but her night gown from the night she was capture. She let out a large, beaming smile when she realized that her sisters were alive and safe.
Her smile falter when she realized that Lydia wasn't on the longboat.
Kitty felt her heartbeat speed up as a flurry of fears rushed into her head. Was Lydia still on the Black Pearl? Was she alive? Was she safe? She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up at Norrington.
"We will find Lydia. Alice and Elizabeth will know where she is and if she's alright," Norrington told her. He removed his hand the moment they heard Governor Swann come onto the deck.
"They've been found?" he asked Norrington.
"They found Elizabeth, Alice, and Sparrow," Kitty said. "But Lydia and Will are still missing." Governor Swann nodded, his eyes filled with a mix of relief and fear. "They can tell us where the Black Pearl is going."
"Let's pray they can," Governor Swann said. "This mission is not over until Lydia is found." Kitty nodded, completely agreeing with her father. None of them would rest until Lydia's fate was known. The longboat had finally reached the HMS Dauntless and the shore party climb aboard, helping Alice and Elizabeth. They forced Sparrow up the ladder rather forcefully. When her sisters finally stepped onto the deck, Kitty ran up to them and hugged them.
"Lizzie! Alice! You're safe!" she squealed. Her two sisters hugged her back with smiles on their face. Kitty took a step and lightly shoved Alice on the shoulder. "You idiot! Why would you think running off with a pirate was a good idea?"
"Because it worked," Alice said. "We found Elizabeth and Lydia before Commodore Useless over here did."
"Only because you delayed us by disabling the rudder chain," Norrington snapped. "You will not go unpunished Miss Swann, regardless of what you believe your actions accomplished. You willingly engaged in piracy with Sparrow and Mr. Turner. The only thing saving you from the gallows right now is your age. We can reduce your actions to the stupidity and naivety of a child."
"Commodore Norrington is right, Alice," Governor Swann said, his face stern. Alice rolled her eyes and glared at the ground. When Sparrow reached the deck. Kitty marched right up to him and struck him across the face, thoroughly shocking everyone on the ship.
"That's for convincing my sister to run off into certain danger with you and Will," Kitty spat. She turned on her heel and walked away from the pirate. Was she sure that most of it was Alice's idea? Yes. But if Sparrow had any sense of rationality he wouldn't have let a sixteen-year-old girl traipse about the Caribbean with dangerous pirates who wouldn't think twice about killing them. She turned to Elizabeth and put her hands on her shoulders. "Where's Lydia? Is she alive?"
"Aside from a gunshot wound on her right shoulder from the attack on Port Royal, she's fine," Elizabeth said.
"She got shot?" Governor Swann asked, his eyes wide and his jaw dropped.
"Barbossa had been tending to her shoulder," Elizabeth said. "They're heading to the Isla de Muerta with her and Will. He marooned Alice, Sparrow, and I when we no longer served any use to him."
"And what use would that be?" Governor asked, quite obviously starting to get angry. "Has he taken advantage of Lydia?"
"Not that I know of," Elizabeth said. Kitty put a comforting hand on her father's shoulder. "Barbossa thinks that Lydia is something called a Nereid. That's why he's keeping her around." She saw Norrington's eyebrow arch briefly. Some murmurs spread amongst the crew.
"Such tales are superstitious nonsense, Miss Swann," Norrington said. "But if this superstition is keeping Lydia alive, then perhaps I should be grateful that these pirates are foolish believers."
"But there were these markings-" Alice started, but Norrington held up a hand.
"Alice, you are not to open your mouth. You've done enough," he snapped. Alice rolled her eyes and again glared at the ground. It was more than clear to Kitty that she was biting her tongue on the matter. Kitty had no idea what a 'Nereid' was and wasn't troubled by the matter. She only cared that it was keeping Lydia alive at the moment. He turned to Jack Sparrow and looked him up and down. "Mr. Sparrow, you will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with the bearing to Isla de Muerta. You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase 'silent as the grave.' Do I make myself clear?"
"Inescapably clear," Sparrow replied. Two marines grabbed Jack by the shoulders and dragged him up to the helm. Norrington turned to Alice with a harsh glare.
"You are to spend the rest of this voyage in the Governor's cabin and you will think on your actions," Norrington growled. "You are the daughter of a Governor. You need to learn how to do what you're told." Alice merely stood there with her arms crossed and her gaze downcast. "If you're going to behave like a child, we're going to treat you as one." He nodded his head to the side and two marines by the name of Mullroy and Murtogg escorted Alice to the Captain's cabin. Well... it had really become Kitty and her father's cabin. Norrington turned to Gillette and said, "Get some spare clothing for Miss Swann."
"Which one?" he asked.
"You know the answer to that, Gillette," Norrington said. "Or must I really spell it out for you?" Gillette rushed off without another word. Governor Swann led Elizabeth into his cabin, presumably to get her dried off and convince her to rest. Kitty looked between the door to the cabin and Norrington. The Commodore gave a single curt nod, as if to tell her to go to her sisters. Kitty nodded back and turned towards the cabin, following her father and sister. She had no idea how far away this 'Isla de Muerta' was, but hopefully it was nearby. She wanted Lydia rescued as fast and humanly possible.