Jack couldn't believe that he would have to leave her there in his quarters while he and the other two left with him for the parley with Beckett. It was she who had told him to call it, or rather Jones telling her to call one. There was no doubt in his mind that Jones planned to be there, and planned to see Cass there as well. However, the girl in question was lying passed out on his cot, breathing tranquilly. He had seen that her sleep as of late had been fitful. A few nights ago he had heard noises from above and went to see her thrashing around in her sleep. This calmness that had washed over her sleeping form was a relief to her, so awakening her was out of the question. She needed sleep, especially if they would be fighting in a few hours.
With one last look, he closed the door softly and joined Barbossa and Elizabeth on the longboat bound for the slip of land between the two armadas. No one spoke on the way there, as Elizabeth was too nervous as to what would happen, Barbossa was thinking about something, and Jack was hoping that when Cass awoke, she would not detonate his cabin. As neither the King or the other pirate Lord took up the oars, Jack was given the duty if rowing them across the small stretch of water to their destination. The monkey that Barbossa had so kindly named after him was perched on the other man's shoulder, hissing at him occasionally. If Jack hadn't been rowing, eh would have shot the undead bugger. Maybe he would have missed and hit Barbossa in the back of the head. He had seen Cass's assassination attempt, as well as how it had failed. He couldn't blame her for wanting to kill the man.
As they reached the spit if land, and as the hull of the small boat ground against the sand, Jack kept out to see three figures standing at the other end. One of them, the one on the right side, was definitely Jones, and he was standing in a bucket. The one in the middle was short, meaning he must be Beckett. The one on the left, he could not identify, though it might have been Mercer or some other EITC imbecile.
Squaring his shoulders, he began striding towords them, his two companions matching pace and keeping their advance in a relatively straight line. They stopped when there was about three yards between the two opposing parties, each taking it's turn to glare at the other. Elizabeth stared furiously at the short man in front of her, who's face remained impassive. Barbossa sneered at Jones, who was looking slightly disappointed and more than a bit angry. Jack pretended he wasn't there. In front of him, Will stared at Elizabeth, which Jack thought rather typical of the whelp.
"You be the cur that led these wolves to our door," Barbossa stated, a slight tone of anger in his voice.e seemed to be making a more conscious effort to seem pirate-y, Jack noted. Beckett still remained impassive, his white powdered wig looking just as bland as his countenance.
"Don't blame Turner. He was merely the tool of your betrayal. If you wish to see its grand architect, look to your left." Jack sighed inwardly, knowing the truth would come out eventually. Now all that was left was to deflect as much if the blame onto everyone around him and escape the accountability of his actions.
Barbossa and Elizabeth glanced at him sidelong. "My hands are clean in this." He glanced down at said appendages, noting the dirt under his fingernails and the rough patches of skin that came from working a ship. "Figuratively."
The whelp did most of the work for him after that. "My actions were my own and to my own purpose. Jack had nothing to do with it."
"Well spoke. Listen to the tool!"
Finally, Elizabeth spoke. "Will, I've been aboard the Dutchman. I understand the burden you bear, but I fear that cause is lost." His eyebrows raised slightly. He didn't know she had been aboard the Dutchman. Did she know about Jones's relation to Cass, or was everything still up in the air, as it was for almost everyone?
"No cause is lost if there is but one fool left to fight for it," the whelp said with a glare.
"I believe it was said that only three filthy pirates were to attend this gathering," Beckett stated, some disgust in his voice.
Jack looked around, as if somehow another pirate had showed up behind him or next to him. "There are only three of us, mate."
"Then who was it that is coming ashore now?"
/
Cass woke with a start, almost hitting her head on the bedpost. She was in the captain's cabin, and her head was still fuzzy and spinning. She shook her head slowly, as to not let the pain get to her too much. Slowly, ever so slowly, she slid from the cot, which smelled horridly like Jack. Shaking herslef slightly, she strode from the room to knock him and Barbossa unconscious.
Neither were in deck. And yet, Pintel was, and he told her they had already left for the Parley. It took a minute for her to process it, but when she had, the fuzziness was banished from her head, replaced by anxiousness and anger. She was going to see Davy Jones.
Without a second thought, she kept over the side of the ship, diving into the water less smoothly than she would have liked. The seawater bit at her eyes and the few scratches and scrapes she had procured over the past few days. Her muscles strained, sore from having been worked so hard over the past month. The thought of the reunion kept her going, her feet kicking strongly and her arms paddling.
The sand below her was getting closer, and she rose to the surface of the sea to take a much-needed breath before diving down again. She was faster underwater than above where the wind could get to her. A few moments later her feet touched the sea bottom, the sand parting in circles for her booted feet. As quickly as she could, she slogged to shore, dripping head emerging first before her soaked torso and sloshing boots. She could see the figures at the end of the sandbar, she could even distinguish the vague figure of Jones. A grin broke apart her face and she broke into a sprint, the wind somehow cool as she ran, until she nearby collided with Jack.
She stepped to his left, bobbed a sarcastic courtesy at the man who must have been Beckett, then fixed her eyes on the monstrous face of Davy Jones. She was still grinning, and she hoped that in that minute she did not appear the insane woman she though she must.
"That would be Cass," Jack said. Apparently her quick transit between the Pearl and the meeting ground had been seen, and her identity questioned. Jack looped an arm around her shoulders, which she attempted to shrug off. Jack had none of that, gripping her ever tighter. Cass elbowed him in the ribs.
"Rather unintelligent one she is, is she not?" Beckett was looking smugly at Jack, whereas Jones was glaring at him with enough hate to make any man cringe. Of course, Beckett couldn't see said glare, so he was not cringing.
"Damn ye, ye greedy bastard," Cass replied easily.
"Such language from a lady! No wonder you like her, Jack." Cass shook her head. She was no lady. Never had been, never planned to be. Beckett could wear the corsets, she would stick to her bindings, shirts, and trousers. The inky shiny she would use a wig for would be building fires. She assumed they burned rather easily.
"Shut your ridiculous mouth before you say something you will regret, wig-man," Cass said, looking at Jones. His gaze snapped from the short EITC lord to her, their eyes locking. She wanted so badly to reach out for him and see if he was truly there. For so long she had imagined seeing him again. And yet, she could do nothing not without Beckett using her against him. For now, it was enough that he was safe. "Now may we resume this meeting so I can slice the lot of you in half?"
Beckett shook his head. "If Turner wasn't acting on your behalf Sparrow, then how did he come to give me this?" Something, a black box of sorts, dangled from his hand. Every eye aside from her own and Jones's dropped to the object. "You made a deal with me, Jack, to deliver the pirates. And here they are. Don't be bashful. Step up. Claim your reward." He tossed the thing, and on its short flight it almost knocked Cass in the side of the face. She only looked away from Jones to glare angrily at the wigged man.
"Your debt to me is still to be satisfied," Jones suddenly said, obviously still a bit peeved that Jack was alive again. "One hundred years in servitude aboard the Dutchman. As a start!"
"That debt was paid, mate. With some help," Jack said, gesturing at Elizabeth.
"You escaped!"
"Technically, we escaped-"
Elizabeth interrupted what would have clearly been a very hearty debate. Or rather, a violent one. "I propose an exchange. Will leaves with us, and you can take Jack."
"Done," said Will.
"Undone," said Jack, in an offended voice.
"Done," said Beckett in his usual toneless voice.
Barbossa glared at Elizabeth. "Jack's one of the nine pirate lords. You have no right!"
Happily, Elizabeth grinned at him. "King."
Jack bowed mockingly at Elizabeth, obviously very displeased. "As you command, your nibs."
Barbossa yelled something unintelligible, swinging his sword at Jack and severing one if his braids from the rest of his head. The monkey scampered after it, bringing it back to Barbossa. It dawned on Cass that it was Jack's piece if eight, to be used to-
"No!" Cass lunged, attempting to take the braid back. He couldn't release Calypso. She had just been reunited with Jones! Barbossa wrestled with her, attempting to detach her from him. She fought, sharp nails cutting any bit of flesh she could find. She would have bit him, but he looked filthy, and smelled worse.
"Get this cretin off of me!" Finally he was able to detach her and send her to the sand, splayed on her back. Stepping over her, he spoke to Jack in a low voice. The ringing in her ears prevented her from hearing, and the rage that filled her scenes prevented her from caring.
"And the lass too," Jones said quickly. Elizabeth looked shocked, thinking he meant her. Jones scowled . "The other lass. That one-uh." He pointed at Cass with his claw. At this, Elizabeth looked even more shocked. Jack, however, did not look surprised. He, in fact, looked as if he were trying to hide either a grimace or a smirk.
"Why might that be," Beckett questioned. Reaching down, Jack grabbed her by the arm, hauling her to her feet.
"She is part of my crew-uh. Her debt is not yet paid-uh."She stood up shakily, and took short shuffling steps to the other side to stand next to Jones. Jack followed close behind, attempting to stand on the end next to Cass. Instead, he was forced to stand between Beckett and Jones, and Will switched sides yet again.
Jones leaned over, speaking angrily. "Do you fear death?"
Jack cringed, looking more afraid than Cass had ever seen him. "You've no idea." Jones seemed satisfied, and landed away. From the corner of his eye, Jack saw some of the tentacles of his beard creeping in Cass's direction, and when Jones too noticed it, he hastily moved them back to their proper place. Jack heard her snicker, as she had been observing the great captain as well. He saw her shadow move as she edged closer to Jones, though very slowly so as not to attract the attention of Beckett.
"Advise your Brethren, you can fight, and all of you will die. Or you can not fight, in which case only most of you will die," Beckett said superiorly. Cass scowled, as did Elizabeth. Even a feint trace of frustration shadowed Will's contained happiness at seeing Elizabeth again. It turned to anger as the woman beside him spoke.
"You murdered my father."
Beckett's response crossed the line. "He chose his own fate." Cass made a short lunge, but Jones caught her before she got to the wigged man. Barbossa glared at her from the other side, but no one was paying him any mind anymore, unless one was counting Jack the monkey. Then again, even the monkey was paying more attention to Barbossa's hat than the man himself.
Her face full of anger and her eyes flashing, Elizabeth looked more like a pirate than Cass had seen her. "And you have chosen yours. We will fight. And you will die."
"So be it," Beckett said, and turned away. He was not at all nervous, as he knew he had the superior forces. The pirates would not last long, and he might not even need to deploy his armada with the Dutchman on his side. Of course, the Dutchman was not actually on his side, and yet it was as good as.
Jack followed behind Beckett, leaving Jones and Cass standing there. King Elizabeth, a father peeved Barbossa, and a jubilant Will turned and began walking back to the Pearl, not glancing back once. Jones, of course, could not move, as he was stuck standing in a bucket.
It was only once the three figures had gotten out of hearing range that they finally faced each other. "You are alive-uh," he said, looking down at her. She looked so different without all the sealife covering her, though the fin replacing her hair remained.
"I am," she replied, smirking slightly. Fumbling with a small pouch looped around her neck, she withdrew the silver locket. "And I have this, if you want it back."
He shook his head, still a bit shocked she was there. "The tune has meaning I would like to forget-uh. It be better if ye have it-uh."
"But it is such a nice tune, and you play it well. Why not change the meaning instead? It needn't always remind you of her. Why not associate something better with it?"
With his tentacled hand, he reached over and took the music box from her grasp, opening the clasp so the tune began playing. The two stared at each other for a moment, before Cass lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him and-
"Will you please remove your person from Captain Jones so he might return to the Dutchman?" Rat-man's voice was snide, as he now had something to levy against the immortal, and now rather happy Davy Jones.