Gillette looked over his shoulder, checking for the thirty-seventh time to make sure he wasn't being followed. He stepped into Will Turner's house, and was greeted by expectant faces.
"Well?" Gibbs spoke up. "Did you get us the key?"
Too nervous to speak, Gillette simply held out the key.
Will took the key and looked it over. "Thank you," he said. "You've done more than enough for us, so your involvement ends here. Otherwise you risk your career and your neck."
"I'll notify the prisoners to be ready," Gillette offered. "But that's all I can do."
Will nodded, and Gillette hurried out the door.
::xXx::
"We're devils, we're black sheep, we're really bad eggs. Drink up, me hearties, yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!"
"Captain Sparrow, please," Norrington said. "You're giving me a headache."
"Well, if I can't have any rum, I ought to be allowed some pleasure!" Jack argued. "After all, we're scheduled to be hanged tomorrow."
"Thank you for the reminder. I had quite forgotten."
"You're welcome."
Hanged. The word rang through Wes's troubled mind like an echoing death sentence. He'd been in trouble before. He had been forced to endure countless beatings from his father, endless ridicules from his brother, and then mortal danger during hurricane force storms on the pirate ship, as well as being marooned on an island. Even so, he had never been so desperately scared in his life.
"So, James," Jack said.
Norrington cringed. "Don't call me James."
"Jamie, then," Jack decided. "Where's your friend, the illustrious Commodore Gillette?"
"I don't know."
"He sounded as though he was going to help us," Wes spoke up, hopefully.
Jack narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "How do we know he was telling the truth? Perhaps he's in cahoots with our beloved friend Beckett and is plotting to capture our would-be rescuers."
Norrington rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Let me tell you something about our illustrious friend Gillette. He couldn't tell a lie if his life depended on it. He's honest, and a bit foolish. Those two traits hardly make for a skilled liar."
"Then aren't I lucky I'm not an honest fool?" Jack commented.
"Gillette will help us if he can," Norrington continued. "I only hope he doesn't make the same mistake I did..."
Norrington had scarcely spoken when Gillette entered the room. All three of the prisoners looked up in surprise, then in hope.
"Turner and his lot are on their way," Gillette said. "Once they get you out, you'd better hurry to your ship and get out of here. Beckett has eyes and ears everywhere."
"In that case, you'd better be careful," Norrington warned.
A door opened at the top of the stairs, and footsteps were heard. Taking one last look at his former superior, Gillette darted off so he wouldn't be seen.
A moment later, Elizabeth Turner stepped into the jail, carrying her young son wrapped up in a blanket. Wes wondered why the young mother had decided to bring her child into a prison, but then Elizabeth pulled back the blanket, and Wes saw the baby's small fingers wrapped around a ring of keys.
"Elizabeth!" Norrington exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "What are you doing here?"
"Shh," Elizabeth said, unlocking Norrington's cell. "They would hardly suspect the governor's daughter to be a threat, especially not while carrying her child."
Norrington took the baby from her while she unlocked the rest of the cells. "He's a beautiful baby," he commented. "Looks just like his father."
Elizabeth smiled. "His name is James," she said, taking the baby back. "James Turner. We thought another William would be too confusing."
Norrington returned Elizabeth's smile with his own odd half-smile.
"You'd better get out of here," Elizabeth said. "Will and Gibbs are waiting outside dressed as guards. They'll show you back to the ship."
"My ship," Jack clarified.
Norrington rolled his eyes and hurried up the stairs and out the door with Jack and Wes close behind. Will Turner and Gibbs were waiting right where Elizabeth said they would be, dressed in red uniforms. Motioning to keep quiet, Will led them along Port Royal's streets towards the docks where Gillette was waiting with a rowboat to take them out to the Black Pearl.
"Gillette, are you sure you should be doing this?" Norrington asked, concerned. "You could be caught."
"No one even knows you're gone yet," Gillette argued. "And I wanted one last chance to help you, sir."
Ignoring Gillette's formality for the sake of time, Norrington climbed into the boat along with the others.
As Will and Gillette rowed out towards the pirate ship, Wes allowed himself to relax. The rescue had been successful, and now they were just a few minutes from safety. Soon he would be back on the Black Pearl, with Elle, and he could finally apologize to her for his anger and explain why he had reacted the way he did.
Suddenly, lights appeared on the shore. Lanterns, carried by silhouttes that belonged to Beckett's men. The shortest of the silhouttes appeared to be Beckett himself. Several rifles fired off, and Wes heard the musket balls whistle as they flew past his head. The boat's occupants ducked, covering their heads.
"You missed!" Jack shouted to the soldiers.
"Quiet!" Gibbs hissed.
"If you know what's good for you," Beckett shouted from the water's edge, "you'll turn that boat around and return to shore immediately. All of you are under arrest for breaking jail, and the rest of you for assisting convicted criminals in escaping from custody. Yes, that includes you, Commodore Gillette."
Gillette paled.
"What do we do?" Wes whispered.
"We'll not surrender!" Gibbs asserted.
"They'll never catch us now," Norrington said. "And it's too dark for them to see to shoot us. Keep going."
"Row faster!" Will ordered.
"Haha!" Jack shouted to the shore, sitting up. "You'll never catch us!"
Norrington yanked him back down. "You're acting worse than a six-year-old child."
Jack only grinned.
"Sometimes I forget why I ever let you talk me into joining your crew."
"Because we make a great team, Norrington, my friend!" Jack exclaimed jubilantly.
The soldiers fired at the rowboat a few more times, but even Wes could tell they had no prayer of actually hitting their mark.
Finally the rowboat pulled up alongside the Black Pearl. Ragetti and Pintel were there to help them aboard, and they dropped a rope ladder down for the boat's occupants to climb up. Norrington and Gillette were the last ones left in the boat.
"I cannot thank you enough, Commodore," Norrington said.
"You're a good man," Gillette replied. "I couldn't bear to watch you hang."
"I deserve it, you realize. I'm a pirate." Norrington glanced over Gillette's shoulder, and saw four rowboats approaching, all carrying members of Beckett's army.
"You'd better get back to your ship," Gillette said.
Norrington nodded, and started up the ladder. He paused halfway up and looked back down at Gillette. "What will you do now?" he asked.
Gillette looked back at the approaching rowboats. "I'll turn myself in. What other choice do I have?"
Norrington reached out to Gillette.
Gillette stared at Norrington's outstretched arm in surprise, then looked up at the former Commodore. "Sir, are you suggesting that I join... them? Sir, that's... piracy!"
"What you just did - assisted pirates in springing convicted criminals from prison - was an act of piracy. And you did a fine job of it, if you don't mind my saying so."
Gillette only stared.
"If you stay, you'll risk not only court-martialing, but prison and hanging. I'm offering you a way out."
"I..." Gillette hesitated.
Beckett's rowboats were only twenty feet away. "Surrender!" Mercer shouted. A soldier fired a rifle at Gillette, and just barely missed.
"Are you coming?" Norrington asked.
Gillette took Norrington's hand, and the two of them were hauled aboard the Black Pearl, just as the soldiers reached the rowboat. The escapees ducked behind the ship's railing as rifles were fired again and again. Jack shouted orders, and the Black Pearl moved out of the bay. Only when they were a safe distance away did Norrington and Gillette dare to stand up.
Jack moseyed over and scrutinized Gillette, who snapped to attention as if it was a military inspection. Will and Gibbs followed him. Wes stood a ways away, holding Elle's hand in both of his.
"What happened?" Will asked Norrington. "How did you manage to get jailed?"
Norrington rubbed his eyes. "I'll explain in the morning," he said. "I have a splitting headache and I need sleep."
"Sir, where am I to stay?" Gillette asked.
"You may stay with me," Norrington offered. "There is an extra hammock in my cabin."
"Hammock, sir?"
"Welcome aboard the Black Pearl," Norrington said.
"Mr. Norrington, sir," Wes interjected. "If Commodore Gillette is to stay in your cabin, then where am I to spend the night?"
Norrington looked from Wes to Elle, then answered, "In your old cabin, I suppose. But just for tonight." Then he turned and led Gillette towards the cabin they would share for the night.
Elle squeezed Wes's hand and smiled, starting to pull away towards their cabin. "Just a minute," Wes said. "There's something I have to ask the Captain."
Elle nodded and released his hand.
Wes approached Captain Sparrow, who was standing at the Pearl's helm, looking content and in control. "Captain Sparrow," Wes said.
Sparrow turned. "What is it?"
"How did you know my name wasn't Sam West?"
Sparrow looked Wes over for a moment before answering. "Wanted poster," he said finally. "Found one bearing your visage. Amazing likeness, even mentioned your eyes."
Self-concious, Wes looked down. "I also wanted to apologize for deceiving you. I shouldn't have lied. I'm sorry, and I'll understand if you want to punish me."
Sparrow looked hard at Wes. Finally he said, "You acted like a pirate. I can hardly condemn you for that."
"Thank you... sir," Wes said. Then he turned and went back to his cabin, where Elle was waiting for him. Elle, who he hadn't seen in weeks and desperately missed.
Agent047 had way too much fun with this chapter, that's why it's so long. But we hope you like it too! The Elf's next chapter will be the obvious needed romancy reunion between Elle and Wes. Enjoy!