Happy Easter, everyone! Hope you all had a blessed holiday.
Uhm...uhh...clears throat. Don't know if any of you were prepared for this, but here is the next chapter. Sorry to make you miserable when everything's been going so well for our characters.
By the time Jack finally woke up after a night of a little too much rum, the beach was pretty empty. The campfires were low, and he hardly saw anyone. Thomas, Anamaria, and some of the others had decided to retreat to the ship to stash the vessel with the fruit and other palette conveniences they'd found on the island, get some work done, and then bring back some supplies the crew would need while staying on the island for a couple more days. It wasn't that Anamaria was romantically interested in the boy-he was younger than her!-but she liked him and he looked up to her leadership.
Jack pulled himself to his feet, and trumped along back through the jungle toward the church. First thing he did was pull out an empty bottle of rum, and licked his parched lips in disappointment. He passed Cotton, and Marty through the underbrush as they headed back to the beach. He finally reached the open grass and could see the decrepit cathedral. Pintel and Ragetti were breaking open boxes of old artifacts they'd found in the building, hoping to find some treasure! They were pathetically succeeding in digging up dusty old sacrament books, plain old clothes, and old papers for the priest's former sermons. Elizabeth was browsing around in the graveyard, observing the many lost souls, wondering what kind of people they were. In the meadow, Captain Summers was sitting on a tree stump while Kate was sitting cross-legged in the grass, and looked to be scribbling in her diary. Gibbs and Will were scouring the land together. Jack clumsily made his way out into the open.
"Lizzie, it's much too fine a day out to start yur morning off with mourning over total strangers." He said cheerily as he strode up to her.
"Just paying my respects, Jack. Someone should." Elizabeth said quietly. Jack cleared his throat and shrugged, before stomping away.
"How much longer?" Captain Summers groaned playfully.
"Father." Kate scolded with a grin. "I'm almost finished. Just a few more minutes, please."
"Kate? Darling, don't you think this is a silly idea?" Captain Summers asked. Kate's head shot up.
"Absolutely not!" She retorted. "I'm not a painter, but I can sketch. One day, I'll want your great-grandchildren to know what you looked like."
"If you can do me justice." Captain Summers teased. Kate squinted at him.
"Done." She said with satisfaction. "I think it will serve me well in the years to come."
"Ehh. No good." Jack grunted from standing over her.
"I beg your pardon?" She sputtered offensively.
"No good, luv." Jack shook his head. "You drawn him much too small. His head needs to be much larger." He said cockily, glancing at Captain Summers who equally glared. "Here, let old Jack fix it up for you."
"Don't you dare touch that!" Kate warned him sharply, clutching her diary to herself and rising to her feet. "You'll not get your greedy, foxy, pirate hands on this diary!" She marched to her dad, showing him the drawing. "Well?"
Captain Summers started feeling his face. "Is that really how I look?" He asked with dread.
"Aye, mate. Shameful, ain't it?" Jack teased further.
"Don't listen to him, Dad." Kate spoke up. "Yes, you do look that way. It's not a bad look. Frankly, I find you quite handsome. A few wrinkles here and there, and some peppery stubble on your weathered features. But nonetheless, handsome." Kate smiled with admiration.
"Thank you, Sweetheart." Captain Summers sighed with relief. "That sounds prejudiced to me, but...who am I to tell you that you're wrong?" Kate giggled and skipped over to Elizabeth to show her.
"You're gonna have a rough time setting her straight on that one, matey." Jack eyed Captain Summers with a gleam. "No wonder she's taken a liking to the skinny scamp."
"I find it better not to regard your counsel on how to run my life." Captain Summers stated with a smirk as he rose to his feet and stepped around to stretch his legs.
Jack was just joining Gibbs and Will, when a hissing sound whirled behind them. A soft thud silenced the faint noise and they looked to see what had approached. It was...a javelin! "What on earth?" Will gaped in confusion, mingled with fear. "Jack, there aren't any cannibals on this island! Are there?"
"Not as I recall." Gibbs replied. Then gunshots rang out. As they peered behind the church, they could make out figures of sailors! And these sailors were wearing two very different but distinguishable uniforms. Uniforms that Jack and his crew had seen not but three days ago at battle on the ocean! They were the crew of the Hunter, and the Invincible! "What the..." Gibbs breathed heavily.
"Jack?" Elizabeth called anxiously. Captain Summers immediately ran to the girls and stood protectively beside them. Jack quietly observed the army that was starting to fill the gaps between the trees on the eastern side of the jungle.
"Jack, what do we do?" Will asked urgently.
"Run." Jack said. He signaled to the others to make a run for it, through the jungle. "To the ship! Head for the Pearl!" He bellowed. Pintel and Ragetti took off screeching wildly. Will raced over to the girls and ran behind them as Captain Summers pulled Kate along with Elizabeth on her heels. Gibbs and Jack made hot pursuit after them, as the slave traders and Briggs' men darted behind them.
"Who is it?!" Elizabeth asked between breaths as her legs pumped in overdrive.
"The slave traders, and Briggs' navy!" Will yelled as he pushed her further ahead of him.
"Oh my g-!" Kate cried in panic. "No...not again!" Her father shoved her hard in front of himself.
"Run, Katie! Run!" He told her firmly. Will, Gibbs, and Captain Summers drew their pistols and started firing back at the mob trailing them. Elizabeth shrieked, drawing her sword when she saw one of the soldiers leap out toward them from the side. Captain Summers fired at him. Up ahead, Pintel and Ragetti were tripping over each other, trying to get away.
Scared as she was to use it, Kate retrieved her own firearm and prepared to pull the trigger at the right moment. Captain Summers, Jack, Will, Gibbs, Pintel, and Ragetti all drew their swords. They raced in scattered directions under the palm trees. "Keep going!" Elizabeth shouted. Then, several soldiers rushed them from out of nowhere! They were surrounded on all sides. Captain Summers dashed to Kate.
"Stay behind me!" He exclaimed. Kate obeyed, bracing her back against his, with her dagger and her gun at the ready.
"H-how did they find us?" Will panted.
"Guess we didn't hit 'em hard enough, mate!" Jack replied.
"Charge!" The Hunter's captain ordered. His men hollered like animals as they ran to their intended prisoners. Elizabeth was the first to fell one of them. She shockingly countered the next one with surprising swift reflexes as he came at her. The first man that got even close to Kate, she shot in the shoulder so he collapsed.
"Ahh. 'ello, gents." Jack said lightly as he fenced off two officers. "Today is the day..." he ducked before his head was sliced off, "...you'll always remember...as the day...you encountered...Captain Jack Sparrow!" He finished them off and felt really proud of himself...just before four more officers cornered him. "Ohh." He bit his lip sheepishly.
The Hunter had crept to the island from the other side, where Anamaria, Thomas, and the rest didn't really see them, 'til one of the crew noticed a longboat that didn't belong to the Pearl. They all recognized the ship and scurried into action. Anamaria ordered they haul up the anchor as she intended to take on the Hunter by surprise. They watched as the many soldiers rowed to the island, efficiently armed with swords, rifles, javelins, knives, and pistols. Thomas grew pale as he looked to the island helplessly. "Kate!" He gasped and started to dive overboard, but Anamaria snatched him back.
"No, you stay." She told him.
"What?!" Thomas blurted out in disbelief, panic on his face. "Kate's out there! And her father! They'll all be killed!"
"Or taken prisoner. But the nasty sea dogs will have nothing to bargain with, if they have no ship to return to." Anamaria told him steadily. "Ready the guns, boy!"
"Right!" Thomas obeyed.
Captain Summers' many years of training as a captain of the guard instinctively kicked in and served him well, though it was difficult to whip a group at once when you found yourself outnumbered six to one. At one point, his hand was kicked, and his gun swiped, causing him to drop his sword two feet away. He fell to the ground, gritting his teeth hard for the stunning pain in his hand. "What are you without your pistol, eh?" One of the traders jeered in delight.
Captain Summers glared up at them. He reached down into his coat and blasted two of them with another gun. "Man with a spare." He muttered.
Slowly, they were making their toward the edge of the jungle, leading to the beach. "Kate, look out!" Elizabeth warned her friend. Kate looked behind herself and a guy was about to leap at her. She jabbed her dagger into his forearm and kicked him to the ground. She nodded gratefully to Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth!" She shouted. Elizabeth did a rapid turnaround and kicked her assailant in the gut.
One of the soldiers grabbed Kate by the arm, trying to drag her away. "No! Let me go!" She thrashed and flailed, shrieking and kicking. The man laughed sadistically. A shot rang out and her enemy dropped to the ground. Kate panted in relief as she saw her father stand there with his gun, a wicked fatherly anger clouding his face. "Thank you, Father." She breathed heavily.
"That's what I'm here for." Captain Summers said darkly, gripping his sword as he saw another navy man coming at him. "Comes before anything else."
Suddenly, explosions coming from the beach vibrated through the palms, stunning everyone. But with the trees obscuring their view, nobody had any way of knowing which ship was being attacked. Anger and panic kicking in, the Hunter's army bore down harder and faster. Will was being ambushed by three officers at once. He skillfully fought them off, but his tank was beginning to dissipate. "Elizabeth! Keep running!" Will yelled. As the words left his mouth, a sudden, acute, fiery pain pierced his arm! He groaned loudly from the excruciating blow and saw that his good arm had been accurately stabbed by one of the knives. He tried to get back at the man who'd inflicted him, but his stamina was quickly being sapped.
Pintel and Ragetti tripped over each other as they tried to rush through the break in the trees that cleared out and ran into the bright sand. Jack fended off a soldier with a final blow before he could kill Will, who'd fallen to the ground. Gibbs hoisted him to his feet and pushed him along. "We're almost there!" Elizabeth yelled.
Kate stumbled into a pot hole and fell forward to the ground. She tried getting up quickly but her ankle was twisted and it hurt. She could hear the marauders deafening jeering behind them. She tried moving her foot but it was very painful. Captain Summers saw his daughter lying in the grass. "Katie, baby!" He cried and hurried to her side. "Katie, are you all right?" He panted anxiously.
"Yes, just...help me up." She moaned.
"It's all right. I got you, Sweetheart." Captain Summers assured her, placing his arm around her. Half-carrying her as she hobbled, he firmly led her out onto the sand.
Pintel, Ragetti, and Elizabeth had now traded their empty guns in exchange for the rowboat oars and ran back toward the dwindling but ever hostile marauders facing them head on. "I'll get you to the boat." Captain Summers assured Kate, though the boat was still several yards away. She stumbled under his grip. He turned to see how far the enemies were behind them. He looked up just in time! His heart dropped into his stomach as he saw an enemy soldier standing on a rock above them, thrusting a javelin straight at them. "Stay down!" He hollered as he knocked Kate back on the ground, into the sand, and hovered protectively over his daughter as the deadly weapon hit its mark.
Jack, Gibbs, and the others realized when they saw from a distance that the Pearl was destroying the Hunter. The slave traders and soldiers spat and hollered in furious protest and raced down the beach in a vain attempt to save their ship. "As you were, gentlemen." Jack bowed as they ran away. "Shame, really. It was just getting good."
"I for one, am glad to be rid of them!" Gibbs breathed in relief. While Pintel and Ragetti trotted over to Jack for praise on their 'heroic bravery', Elizabeth ran to Will who was standing doubled over, grasping his scarlet stained arm.
"Will! You're hurt!" Elizabeth gasped. "Ohh. That looks really bad." She shuddered.
"It's...nothing, really." Will shook his head with a feeble smile, but his eyes were pained and he tightly set his jaw, trying to fight off how hurt he was. He flinched when Jack gently took his arm to have a look at the bloody wound. Elizabeth gripped Will's hand and he squeezed it hard.
"Nasty mark they left on ye there, mate." Jack said grimly. "Yur gonna be a-needin' to have that looked at when we sail ashore again. 'Fraid this one's beyond me medical knowledge." He tore his own shirt sleeve and started trying to bandage Will's bloodied arm.
"No! HELP!" Came a horrified cry from the other side of the sand bar. "Help me! Help me, please!" It was Kate. "My father! He's badly hurt! Hurry, please!"
Father's able-bodied weight practically burrowed me into the sand. The sounds of shouts were muffled in my ears. Then, a few seconds later, it felt like he shifted off of me...weakly. I slowly rose my head, not sure if any more assailants were upon us. As I glanced around, I saw none of them. "I-I think they're gone." I sighed with relief. I began to raise myself up on my elbows, when...I heard very labored breathing, right next to me! I looked to my right, and...there was my dad, lying supine prostrated on his back, holding his chest. And...a large javelin was thrust deeply into his left side!
There are no earthly words to acutely describe what transpired through my soul when I saw Dad lying there dying before my eyes! My body felt like a cannon ball had been slugged into me, and my heart screamed indescribably. "Father?!" I cried out in horror, quickly crouching next to him. "Father! No!" I grabbed his face. "Look at me, I'm here!" Father's eyes were glazed as he slowly looked up into my face. He glanced at me and smiled when he knew I wasn't hurt. It felt like a slap in my face to see him smiling at me with such deep love when he was grievously wounded.
"That's my girl." He said hoarsely.
"Father! I'll get help." I assured him.
"No, it's all right, baby. I'm just glad you're safe." He smiled warmly, reaching his hand up to caress my cheek. I clutched his hand with all my strength.
"Father, don't go anywhere!" I begged.
"Shh. It's fine, Sweetie." He said bravely.
"No!" I sobbed. I would not give up! I wouldn't let him die! "HELP!" I screamed at Jack, Will, Elizabeth, any member of the crew who could hear me. "Help me! Help me, please!" I called out desperately. "My father! He's badly hurt! Hurry, please!"
Jack, Will, and Elizabeth came running as fast as they could. Will clutched his badly bleeding arm. Elizabeth halted and could only watch in mortification. Jack quickly knelt beside Captain Summers. He eyed the deathly wound sorrowfully, wishing there was something he could do for the faithful man to prevent him from dying. But there was nothing. "Jack?" Kate anxiously looked up at him in a strangled voice, with hopeless desperation in her red eyes. He could only shake his head. "Nooo..." She cried.
Captain Summers reached over and touched Jack's wrist with his free hand. "Sparrow..." He whispered in a hoarse voice, "you're a decent man. You...never ceased to surprise me. You...you brought my daughter back to me...for that I'm eternally grateful." Jack smiled sadly.
"The least I could do, mate." He said quietly. "Figured I owed you one."
"See she gets home safely. P-promise me...Jack." Captain Summers begged, his breathing more labored.
"On my word, hearty." Jack nodded sadly. "No need to ask." Captain Summers barely nodded, then turned his eyes back on his weeping daughter.
"Father, you'll come with us!" She pleaded. She knew that wasn't going to be happening, but she refused to believe it. She prayed that if she just held onto him long enough, he'd make it. He gripped her shaking hands with surprising strength.
"Look at me, Katie." He whispered. She stooped down to his chest and clutched him. "It's all right, darling. You're...very, very brave, baby girl. You keep on being brave...and trying to make the world...a better place."
"Dad..." Kate choked. "Don't...don't talk that way!" Her shoulders trembled.
"I'm so proud of you, Katie. Promise me...you'll listen to Jack. Do what he says, darling."
"Dad..."
"Please!" Captain Summers begged in a whisper. He could barely speak.
"I-I prom..." Kate cried, unable to utter the words.
"Hey..." Captain Summers held her face with his large hand. "I love you, Sweetheart." He smiled widely.
"I...love you too, Dad." Kate kissed his head, holding him.
"That's my girl. That's my girl..." Captain Summers whispered happily, then leaned his head back and his sturdy body slackened absolutely still as he closed his eyes. Kate sobbed painfully and hid her face in his chest.
"Ohh, Dad...Dad!" She wailed incoherently.
"He's gone, luv." Jack told her. She didn't heed him, but kept holding her father. Jack stood up dismally and glanced back at his friends. Jack stooped down, gripping Kate's shoulders, and slowly, gently helped her to her feet. He gazed down mournfully at the brave man lying on the ground with a dead, but peaceful stare. Kate sobbed uncontrollably. She buried her head into Jack's shoulder, and he just let her stand there and cry. He kept a protective arm around her.
Elizabeth and Will looked on, grief-stricken, with tears spilling down Elizabeth's cheeks. Jack glanced toward them for help. Elizabeth came forward and Jack gently urged Kate out his arms to go to her friend. Elizabeth hugged her tightly and let her cry and led her a few yards away. Will stood next to Jack and looked sorrowfully down at Captain Summers. "Jack!" Gibbs panted as he and surviving members of the crew appeared. "Jack, ye all right?"
Jack glanced at him somberly. "Fine, mate." Jack nodded. "Gonna need a little help." It was at that moment, that Gibbs and the crew saw the dead man and realized what had happened. Gibbs glanced at the girls who were crying together.
"No." Gibbs moaned.
"Aye. Good and brave fellow. Even to the end." Jack said.
"He saved his daughter's life." Will spoke up. "We can't just leave him here, Jack! He deserves a proper funeral."
"Aye, lad. That he does." Jack agreed. "Mr. Gibbs, we're going to need some help to get the body on the Pearl."
"Aye, Sir." Gibbs nodded solemnly. He turned back and gestured for the crew to come at his beckoning. "You'll be happy to know the Pearl is safe, Jack." Gibbs told him. "We've lost a few men, but the ship is intact. The Hunter's men clambered aboard their vessel to fight us off. The foolish devils thought they could save their ship, but it turned out unfortunate for them."
"Very good, Gibbs." Jack nodded mirthlessly, and watched as Pintel, Ragetti, and others noticed Captain Summers' dead body and came to carry it. Jack made his way toward Will, Elizabeth, and Kate. "Best get William to the ship, luv." Jack told Elizabeth. "He needs tendin'." Elizabeth nodded but looked to Kate, not wanting to leave her by herself. Jack tilted his head for Elizabeth not to worry. He had this.
"I'll be fine." Will argued, but his face had gone pale from losing a lot of blood.
"Oui! You two! Help the whelp!" Jack bellowed to Pintel and Ragetti. They rushed over to obey him, and each stood on either side of Will who tried to argue but he stumbled. Elizabeth started to follow but waited. She wouldn't leave till she made sure Kate was all right.
Kate, still blinded with stinging tears, took two steps forward but her ankle gave way and she dropped to her knees in the sand. She was so distraught that she didn't even bother trying to stand. Her father was dead! Dead! He was gone, just like that! He'd sacrificed himself for her, after all the hellish things he'd been through! Her heart ached and felt as if it would crack out of her chest.
As the rest of the crew made their way to the ship, Jack came to her and knelt at her side. "You hurt, luv?" He asked quietly. He meant physically, to mean otherwise would be stupid. Kate doubled over on her knees, crying her heart out.
"I..." She wept. She shook her head. Jack's eyes fell on her bruised ankle. "Please! Please just..." Kate's incoherent words garbled together.
"Come here, darling." Jack said, tenderly lifting her up in his arms bridal-style and began to carry her. "I'm sorry, luv. So sorry." He told her as she clung to his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. He carried her down to the rowboat at the edge of the shore, where Thomas ran right to her side and wrapped her safely into himself.
Sad, I know. Story's not over yet though.