Island Full of Misfits

"Its official," Nettie groaned. "We're screwed."

"He's the spitting image of ol' Bootstrap Bill," she heard Ragetti say in shock, "come back to haunt us!" Some of the crew murmured in agreement, and Nettie started to wonder for a moment what Will's father looked like, and how much Will looked like him.

"On my word do as I say, or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' Locker," said Will seriously, the pistol staying directly under his chin. Nettie didn't doubt him, and clearly, neither did Barbossa.

After staring at him for a long moment, Barbossa finally said, "Name your terms, Mr. Turner."

"Elizabeth goes free."

Nettie could practically see Barbossa rolling his eyes, even though he wasn't even facing her. "Yes, we know that one. Anything else?"

Next to her, Nettie could see Jack pointing to himself, and she rolled her own eyes. He almost sold Will to Barbossa just so he could get his ship back. Did he really expect Will to try and save him? Maybe he was crazier than she thought.

"... Nettie also goes free," said Will, and Nettie blinked in surprise. "And the crew - the crew are not to be harmed." he went on, gesturing to them with the pistol before he realized what he was doing and placed it back under his chin. At that point, Jack seemed to realize that he wasn't going to be save, and dropped his hands, sad. Smiling weakly at him, Nettie patted him on his shoulder awkwardly.

"Agreed," said Barbossa, and once more, Nettie could just imagine the smirk on his face. "Now, come down, Mr. Turner."

Nodding slowly, Will jumped down, the gun lowered. Nettie tried to cry out and tell him what a fool he was being, but before she could a word out, Koehler had his knife at her side. "Not a word, girly," he said lowly, pressing the knife into her side hard enough to cut into her skin, causing her to jump as she hissed in pain,.

"Oi, stop that!" Jack snapped, pulling Nettie behind him protectively, his large hand wrapped around her wrist. Just the touch made her feel better, calming her down instantly. "Your captain already promise not to harm Nettie, 'member?"

"Mr. Koehler." Barbossa was suddenly in front of them, glaring at his crew member. "I am a man of my word, and I did promise that Miss Nettie would not be harmed."

"You didn't mind when you slapped me earlier," Nettie hissed lowly, and she felt Jack's hand on her wrist tighten in anger.

As she expected, Barbossa brushed this off with a wave of his hand. "A moment of weakness that I apologize for, Miss." He turned back to Koehler. "Now, if you must rough someone up, go join your fellow mates in taking care of Mr. Turner," he said, nodding to the scene a ways off. As Nettie looked to, she paled. Will was being treated roughly by a group of pirates as his hand were being tied behind his back. He didn't seem to notice though, his eyes were only for Elizabeth.

Grunting, Koehler moved to that group, and with a nod, Barbossa also moved away, going to talk with his first-mate, Bo'sun.

"Are you alright, Nettie?" asked Jack once they were gone, raising his hand and carefully touching her scarred cheek with his callused fingers, which would soon have a new, smaller scar to join it.

At Jack's touch, Nettie felt her cheeks burn, and a tingling, fluttery feeling filled her stomach. "F-Fine," she stuttered, and was a little relived when Jack dropped his hand. He had never touched her like that before, and it was nothing like Barbossa's touch, which made her want to throw up. It was strange, but... in a good way.

It wasn't much longer that Nettie could see a small island through the constant fog that surrounded the Black Pearl. It didn't look like anyone lived there, and from the looks of it, the island was in the middle of the ocean, miles from anything. A bad feeling settled in the pit of Nettie's stomach, and it wasn't helped by the way Jack suddenly paled. Words that Gibbs had told her before echoed in her mind.

'That night - there was a mutiny. They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die ... when a man is marooned he is a given a pistol with a single shot. One shot. Well, it won't do much good hunting or to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starvin' belly and thirst... That pistol will start to look real friendly.'

"Oh, bloody hell," Nettie cursed lowly.

"You said it," muttered Jack.

As the ship got closer to shore, Bo'sun pulled out the plank, much to the confusion of Elizabeth and Will, while everyone else knew what was going to happen. Even Jack didn't fight as Koehler came back to tie up his hands. There was no way to avoid it.

"Come on then, poppet," said Pintel as he grabbed Elizabeth, who was looking around with wide eyes as she was forced up onto the plank. Pintel pushed her again, and it was only sheer luck that Elizabeth managed to stay on the plank as she stumbled forward. "Go on, poppet, go! Walk the plank!" he sneered, and the other pirates cheered and jeered, pointing their swords at her and forcing her to go farther out.

"Barbossa, you lying bastard!" Will said angrily as he realized what was going on. He lunged forward, but the other pirates held him back. "You swore she'd go free!"

Whirling around, Barbossa looked furious, as if Will just had cursed his dead mother instead of saying he broke his word. "Don't dare impugn me honor, boy. I agreed she'd go free, but it was you who failed to specify when or where," he finished with a smirk as his crew gagged Will with a dirty strip of cloth, laughing at his situation. As he was dragged back, Barbossa looked back to Elizabeth. "Though it does seem a shame to lose something so fine, don't it lads?"

"Aye," the crew agreed.

Stepping forward, Barbossa took a moment before he spoke again. "So I'll be having that dress back before you go."

The crew laughed as Elizabeth stared at Barbossa angrily before she stripped off the red dress with a huff, ignoring the whistles of men as she tossed the dress back, leaving her only in her undergarments. Nettie felt the anger pouring off Elizabeth, but she stood tall and proud as she snapped, "It goes with your black heart."

Ignoring the remark, Barbossa pressed the dress to his face, and Nettie wanted to be sick. "Ooh, it's still warm." He turned around and tossed it to the crew, who laughed with their captain while someone caught it. She did not even want to think what that pirate would do with it.

"Off you go," yelled a pirate as Elizabeth moved closer to the edge, peering down at the waters below. She glanced back, and Nettie could see the concern in her eyes as she stared at Will, who was silently begging her not to jump, even though they both knew she didn't have a choice.

"Too long!" Said Bo'sun, before he slammed his foot onto the plank and making it shake. With a scream, Elizabeth fell into the water, and the men cheered as she landed with a loud splash.

"Bring forth the other lass!" said Barbossa, and before Nettie knew it, she was being forced onto the plank, swords stopping her from trying to get back. She looked down at the water, which looked calm, but Nettie could only remember the night before - when she fell overboard. She had to stop herself from shaking, and she closed her eyes to stop herself from looking at it. This also wasn't helping her with her fear of heights.

"Oi, why she bein' made to walk the plank?" Jack asked his former first-mate. "Barbossa, what's going on?"

"Because, she didn't take my deal," said Barbossa simply, and inside her head, Nettie cursed the bastard as she snapped her eyes back open. "She had her chance, and she blew it. And now she's joinin' Miss Elizabeth because Mr. Turner wanted her free."

"Deal? What bloody deal?" said Jack, looking to his first mate for answers. "Nettie?"

"I-I didn't betray you Jack, I promise," Nettie said, forgetting for a moment that she standing on a plank, high above the ocean. "I just -"

"Move it!" Koehler snapped as he brought out his pistol. A gunshot rang through the air, the bullet just missing her by a few small inches, and in shock, Nettie stepped back - and then she was falling, not even able to scream before she hit the water with a painful slap, sinking into the ocean.

It took her a few moment to realize what had happened. Kicking her way forward, her hands still tied together, Nettie tried to get as far away from the Black Pearl before she finally was forced to surface as she ran out of air. Nettie broke through with a gasp, hair plastered to her face and her clothes feeling too heavy. She glanced back to the Black Pearl, where Jack was being forced onto the plank, and then to Elizabeth, who was swimming towards the shore.

"We are in some deep trouble," Nettie muttered to herself. They were soon to be stranded on an island, which she doubted had any fresh water or food, and definitely no shelter. And they were miles from anything. So unless a miracle happened, they were getting off it anytime soon. At least she knew that if worst came to worst, she could hunt for fish with her knife. When you had no money and were starving, it was something that you had to learn quickly. Speaking of her knife...

Taking a deep breath, Nettie brought her head back underwater, wincing at the saltwater that stung her eyes and cuts. She glanced down at her boot, and carefully reached down and pulled out her knife, making sure that it didn't slip in her hands and sink. Angling it so it was just right, she slipped it under the ropes that were wrapped around her wrist, thankful that she didn't nick herself in the process, before she started to cut them away. It didn't take long, and Nettie watched as the ropes sank to the ocean floor before she started swimming again, the knife clamped between her teeth. It would be much easier to swim without those.

Elizabeth was already standing on the beach by the time Nettie got there, trying to wring out her remaining clothes, though there was no need for it. The sun was hot and strong, and it wouldn't take long for their clothes to dry.

Struggling onto the beach, Nettie placed her knife back in her boot before making her to Elizabeth. "Err... do you need help?" she asked awkwardly.

Snapping up her head, Nettie wasn't surprised to see brown eyes flash angrily. "I don't want your help!" Elizabeth snapped. "Its your fault - you and your captain's - that I'm stranded on this bloody island in first place!"

Narrowing her eyes, Nettie marched over to the blonde. Elizabeth winced, closing her eyes, but Nettie simply went behind her and started to carefully wring the water out the blondes hair, much to her surprise. "If you have to blame anyone, blame the man that's probably going to kill Will for some stupid curse."

"..."

Squeezing the bundle of hair and letting the salty water drip onto the sandy beach, Nettie gently ran her fingers through the light hair before letting fall against the Elizabeth's back, who turned back to look at her. Brown eyes clashed against silver-blue. "And this is not the time for be denying help. Even Will bucked up and asked Jack for help when you were taken."

At that, Elizabeth's eyes went wide, but before she could say anything, Jack came stumbling up the shore. He was clutching his sword and his pistol while shaking off his ropes, which he somehow managed to untie while he was swimming. He breathed in heavily and shuddered.v

"You alright, Jack?" asked Nettie with a frown, wondering why her captain looked so sick.

Jack didn't answer her, instead he tossed his possessions to the ground and came up to her, quickly grabbing her by the shoulders so tightly that Nettie winced. "What did you do, Nettie?" asked Jack, shaking her as he did. And she was so surprised by it that she didn't even try and fight it. "What did Barbossa have you do?"

"Jack -"

"Answer me, Nettie!" There was a wild look in Jack's eyes, as if he feared what she was going to say, but still had to hear it. "What did you agree to do for him?.!"

Nettie understood in a heartbeat - he was afraid that she had betrayed him, just like Barbossa had done so long ago. "I - He wanted the medallion, Jack," she finally said. "I didn't want to help him, but... He said if I didn't help him, he would kill you." She shook her head. "But it didn't turned out it didn't matter. I wasn't even able to come close to the medallion. And then I wouldn't give him Will's name - which is why he slapped me."

There was a long pause as Jack stayed silent, his hands still wrapped around her shoulders even though he'd stopped shaking her. "You... you didn't betray me."

"Of course not," said Nettie calmly. "I already promised that I would stay with you, Jack. I don't break my promises, you know that."

"Right... that's right..." For a few long moments, Jack just stared at her, his eyes filled with some strange emotion that Nettie didn't understand. Then he seemed to snap out of it, slowly letting go of her shoulders before he glanced to the Black Pearl, which was sailing farther and farther away. "That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship."

"And I'm sure it doesn't get better the second time," Nettie said quietly. "But we can't focus on that right now. Somehow, we're going to have get off this island."

"That's right!" said Elizabeth suddenly. "You were stranded on this island before, weren't you? You must know a way off!"

"If you are going to put your trust in me, love," Nettie wanted to growl as Jack used that nickname towards Elizabeth, "then we're as good as stranded." He plopped to the ground without any warning, kicked off his boots, and then laid down and closed his eyes, his arms behind his head as a makeshift pillow.

A few seconds passed before Elizabeth spoke again. "Is he seriously going to take a nap?"

"It's actually sounds like good idea," said Nettie as she settled herself next to Jack, pulling off her own boots. He was bound to be tired, the last time she remembered him really sleeping was when they were first arriving at Port Royal. And besides, what else could they do? Stare at the ocean and hope a ship comes close enough? She didn't even know what part of the Caribbean they were in. And the sun felt great on her soaked skin.

"You can't be - Ugh!" Throwing her hands in the air, Elizabeth stomped off, muttering under her breath.

"... You know, we'd only need some rum, and this would be perfect," Nettie said once Elizabeth was out of range. And at her side, Jack chuckled, as if he knew something she didn't, and that was the last thing she heard before she drifted to sleep, exhausted from the last few days.

At least an hour passed before Nettie finally woke up, though she didn't open her eyes right away. It was just so nice - the warm sand, the warm sun, the warm pillow she had her arms wrapped around ...

Pillow?

Snapping her eyes open, it took only a moment for Nettie to take everything in. Her arms were wrapped around Jack's chest, her own chest pressed to his side. She had curled up next to him in her sleep and then use him as a pillow.

Squeaking in shock, Nettie pulled her arms back before scrambling back. Her cheeks were burning in embarrassment - had she really just been hugging her captain in her sleep? The feelings that she wished would go away returned, her stomach fluttering as if she had just swallowed a swarm of butterflies.

Glad that Jack seemed to still be asleep, Nettie stood up and stretched, her arms going high above her head. She glanced around. Elizabeth wasn't anywhere to be seen, so after a moment, she decided to go looking for her. It wasn't like she had anything else to do.

It didn't take long, thought. Nettie soon found Elizabeth sitting on the beach not to far away, staring at the spot where they had last seen the Black Pearl.

"Hello." Nettie sat down next to her. She wasn't expecting an answer, and didn't get one. So she sighed and spoke again. "You're worried about Will, aren't you?"

"...Yes." Elizabeth sniffed. "He was such an idiot. Giving himself up like that. They're going to kill him."

"...Yah, he is kind of an idiot," Nettie said with a nod. "But, it seems like he really cares about you. Enough that he's willing to die for you." She glanced at Elizabeth, who was silently wiping away her tears. "Do you care about him?"

A hesitant nod. "I do. I've know him since we were both children." Elizabeth smiled faintly. "Did he tell you how we meet?" When Nettie shook her head, she went on. "It was eight years ago. My father and I were coming from England on the Dauntless. We came upon a ship that had been attacked by pirates, which I realize now was the Black Pearl, and Will was the only survivor. He was brought aboard, and when we arrived in Port Royal, Father managed to get him a job as a blacksmith's apprentice." Tears rolled down her cheeks, and Elizabeth sniffed again. "When - When I first found him, I saw the medallion on his neck, and I was afraid that he was a pirate. And.. and I didn't want him to get hurt. So I took it, and hid it."

"So that medallion is his then? How did he get it?" asked Nettie.

"He told me that his father sent it to him," was the answer Elizabeth gave after a moment. "His father... his father was a pirate."

"Bootstrap Bill," Nettie said with a nod. "I think he must have been a part of the Black Pearl crew." She shrugged. "I don't know what happened to him though - I guess dead, if they need Will for his blood." Running a hand over her own dry hair, she sighed. "But I guess that must be pretty tough on Will, learning that your father was a pirate."

"What's it like?" Elizabeth asked after a pause. "Being a pirate, I mean."

Laughing, Nettie shook her head. "You're asking the wrong person, Swann. I'm not a pirate."

Elizabeth blinked in confusion. "But... you're part of a pirate crew, and I thought Sparrow was your captain."

"Oh, he is," Nettie said with a nod. "Been my captain for the last four years."

"I don't understand then..."

"I'm a thief, which means that I only steal, not kill, unless I have to. And really, I only steal when I need to. Its not something I want to do, but its kind of a have to do thing." Nettie took a deep breath. "And as for Jack being my captain - its more because I traveled with him for so long, and he insisted that I call him captain."

"Why aren't you a pirate then?" asked Elizabeth, not understanding.

Nettie winced. "Frankly, I hate pirates," she admitted. "They've given me a lot of grief. Jack's the only pirate that I've been able to stand."

"Well, that's good to hear."

Looking up, Nettie grinned. "Yes, but my captain's a bit of a nut, you see, and really is a total idiot at piracy - "

Rolling his eyes, Jack gave Nettie a gentle whack on the head. "Oh, shut it you, or no rum."

"Really? That's not a even good threat, Jack," said Nettie as she stood up, wiping off the sand on her clothes. "We're on a bloody island - there's no rum here to bribe me with this time."

"That's what you think," was Jack's answer.

He motioned for her to follow as he walked off, towards the trees that were spread out across the island. Interested now, Nettie followed him, and she wasn't too surprised that Elizabeth was hot on their tail.

"Good, you're awake!" Elizabeth said as she tried to catch up with Jack. "Now tell us a way to get off this island! I have to go save Will!"

"There is no way off," Jack said as he continued on. "I said it before, love, we're stranded."

"But you were marooned on this island before, weren't you?" said Elizabeth as the sand turned into patches of rough grass. "So we can escape in the same way you did then!"

Jack whirled around. "To what point and purpose, young missy?" he asked. "The Black Pearl is gone. And unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails hidden in that bodice - unlikely," he said as he looked down at Elizabeth's chest, " - young Mr. Turner will be dead long before you can reach him." He turned back, and Elizabeth looked a little hurt before she went on.

"But you're Captain Jack Sparrow," Elizabeth said as Jack - for some reason - knocked on a tree before he started taking large steps. "You vanished from under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Company. You sacked Nassau Port without even firing a shot."

"I don't remember those happening," Nettie said thoughtfully.

"Before I met you, love," said Jack as he stopped to jump up and down on one spot.

Stepping in front of Jack, Elizabeth stared down the pirate captain. "Are you the pirate I've read about or not? How did you escape last time?"

Stepping forward, and forcing Elizabeth to step back, Jack was silent for a moment. "Last time... I was here a grand total of three days, all right?" He finally admitted before he leaned down. "Last time -" he went on as he opened a trap door, the sand sliding off it like water, "the rum runners used this island as a cache." He climbed down a set of stairs. "Came by, and I was able to barter a passage off. From the looks of things, they've long been out of business. Probably have your bloody friend Norrington to thank for that."

"I knew that stupid story about sea turtles wasn't true," Nettie said with a shake of her head. Then Jack held up a familiar brown bottle, and she cheered. "Rum!" Snatching that bottle up, Nettie hugged it like it was an old friend. "Oh, how I missed you!"

"So that's it, then?" said Elizabeth in angrily as Jack climbed out of the cellar, two more rum bottles in hand. "That's the secret grand adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow? You spent three days, lying on a beach, drinking rum?"

"Sounds like my kind of adventure," said Nettie as she pulled the cork out of her bottle, immediately taking a long sip of rum. She almost sighed as her belly was filled with familiar warmth.

After a long pause, Jack held out his hands, a bottle in each one. "Welcome to the Caribbean, love." He handed Elizabeth a bottle before he started making his way to the beach again, ready to get pissed. Nettie was ready to follow, but stopped for a moment.

"Sorry, Swann," Nettie said. "But life isn't like those stories. It's actually much more boring."