Chapter Four- All By Me Onesy


Francesca awoke to the sound of light snoring in her ear. She moved suddenly, causing Jack (who had had his face pressed against the bars) to yell abruptly and sit up.

"Oh thank God you're awake. Thought those bloody scallywags had knocked the life out of you."

She laughed. Jack had dirt outlines of the bars on his face.

"What?" he asked.

"Wipe your face off, Mr. Sparrow, you've got lines of dirt all over," she giggled.

"Oh..." Jack crossed his eyes, "...Oh!" He wiped them off with his sleeve. "And stop calling me Mr. Sparrow. Jack or Captain will do."

"How about Sparrow?"

"Fair enough. I won't be 'round long. They'll be coming to get me in the morning."

"Well don't get to attached to the cell," Francesca said, "You won't hang if I have anything to do with it." She touched the side of her head where the pirate had struck her, letting out a slight hiss of pain.

Jack looked at her with concern, "Let me see that. They got you pretty bad, didn't they? Go home and see to that, Francesca."

She shook her head, "No... they can't know where I've gone."

"They don't know you're here? Well then you have to get back before they know you're gone, and see that you get that patched up."

"I can't go back- you'll surely hang if I do."

"Just go ba–"

Commodore Norrington entered the prison, staring angrily at what he saw. "Francesca! I thought I'd find you here, but not so close to this criminal."

Francesca stood up. "I came here to free him– pirates attac–"

"Pirates? Attacked you? Truly not allies of Sparrow."

"No. Sparrow wouldn't attack anyone without a reason!"

Norrington replied, "And that reason is to steal ships and kill innocents. You must come with me now, Miss Swann. Your father is very worried and awaits your arrival."

"First and foremost, I am NOT a child and therefore can do as I wish. And secondly- they do not wish to kill innocents!" Francesca yelled.

"Have you looked out upon Port Royal?!" Norrington yelled finally, "The bodies of countless innocents lie scattered in the streets! Do not tell me they do not harm innocents."

"They are not his allies, you said it yourself," she hissed.

"Come with me- now. You will remain a child until Wednesday, therefore you must obey your father's orders."

Jack looked up at Francesca, "Go on, love- let it go. I'll be alright- promise. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. I'll find a way out."

She nodded, leaving the prison.

"You'll be hanging when I return, Sparrow. You shouldn't lie to those you apparently hold dear." Norrington left the prison as well, escorting her home.

As Francesca arrived at the front door of her home, she said, "Commodore- do you believe you can truly win Elizabeth's hand in marriage?"

"I believe the real question is 'Do you believe, Miss Swann, that you are the only one who has caught the eye of Jack Sparrow?"

"You didn't answer my question. Do I sense doubt, Commodore?"

Norrington knocked louder still on the door, the Governor answering. "Oh! Francesca- my dear! You're hurt! Thank you for returning her to me, Commodore. Where did you find her?"

"Attempting to free Jack Sparrow at the prison. She was attacked by pirates."

The governor's face went pale in shock. "Is that true, Francesca?"

"Regrettably, no success. Bloody p–"

"Language, Miss!!!" the governor said, "You'll be sent up to your room, and the window and door will be locked 'till morning. I'm afraid that's what this behavior calls for."

"I am not a child, father! I cannot be treated as one!"

"You will not free that man, that- that pirate, from jail! And if those are the measures I must go to in order to assure that you will not, so be it! Get inside!"

She glared at her father, then at the Commodore, walking silently into the house and up the stairs.

In the morning, Francesca woke to find her window locked, but not her door. She sat at on her bed as she had the morning before, looking out on the sea. But this time, Will Turner passed below her window. She sat up, rapping on the window loudly to get his attention. He looked to the window; she pointed to herself, then to the front of the house. He nodded, and a moment later, there was a knock on the front door.

"Francesca? Mr. Turner is here to see you," her father called.

Francesca ran down the stairs to meet him.

"What could you want of Francesca so early in the morning, Mr. Turner?" the Governor asked him.

Will's eyes shifted, then he said, "Oh! I am here on errand from the Commodore. He wishes to know if she knows more about the pirates that could lead them to Elizabeth."

"Oh, indeed. Go ahead, Francesca. Come to breakfast afterwards."

They left, walking towards the marketplace. "What is it you wanted to see me about? Is it about Elizabeth?"

"No, it's about Jack Sparrow," she explained.

"Jack Sparrow? I'll have nothing to do with him," Will said sternly.

"Don't you want to find Elizabeth?" she asked.

Will stopped. "Of course! But Norrington knows nothing, and will do nothing to find her. Jack Sparrow has nothing to do with this matter."

"You must free him. He would know where my sister is. He's a pirate, after all. He knows where every ship makes berth."

Will thought for a moment, then said, "That I will do." Then, he turned and grabbed her hand, walking her back to the Governor's house.

"And just where do you think you're taking me? I'm going along with you!"

Will knocked again when he reached the door. "The sea is no place for a lady. Good day, Francesca."

"Will!" she yelled, watching him run towards the prison.

She quickly ran in the other direction. Her father answered the door.

"Yes?... Mr. Turner.... Francesca...?" Then, he turned and went inside. "Must be going to see Norrington..."

Francesca would not run to the prison, they would expect her at the prison, and Will would not allow her to go with them. Instead, she ran straight to the Blacksmith's to get weapons for the journey ahead.

In the jail, Jack was trying to pick the lock with a broken bone when he heard approaching footsteps and laid down. Will walked to his cell.

"You, Sparrow!" he said.

Jack looked at him. "Aye."

"You are familiar with that ship, the Black Pearl?" he asked anxiously.

"I've heard of it."

"Where does it make berth?"

"Where does it make berth? Have you not heard the stories? Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants sailed from the dreaded Isla de Muerta. It's an island that cannot be found except by those who already know where it is."

Will grew impatient. "The ship is real enough, therefore it's anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?

"Why ask me?" Jack asked, studying his nails.

"Because you're a pirate."

"And you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it?"

Will drew his face closer to the bars in anger. "Never!" Then the anger faded. "They took Miss Swann."

"Miss Swann?"

"Elizabeth."

"Oh, so it is that you've found a girl! Well, if you're intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue and so win fair lady's heart– you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me."

Will suddenly remembered Francesca's proposition. "I can get you out of here."

"How's that? The key's run off."

"I helped build these cells. These are half pin-barrel hinges. With the right leverage and a proper application of strength," he said, picking up a wooden bench and wedging it up against the bars, "the door will lift free."

"What's your name?" asked Jack.

"Will Turner."

"That would be short for William, I imagine. Good, strong name. No doubt named for your father, aye?" he said.

"Yes," said Will.

Jack finally got to his feet, "Aha. Well, Mr. Turner, I've changed me mind. If you spring me from this cell, I swear on pain of death, I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your bonny lass. Do we have an accord?" He stuck out his hand.

Will shook Jack's hand. "Agreed."

"Agreed– get me out."

Will lifted the door off it's hinges as it clanged loudly against the ground. "Quickly, someone will have heard that."

"Not without my effects," answered Jack, walking to his weapons hanging on the wall, taking them, and following Will out of the prison.

Will and Jack left the prison unnoticed, traveling to the port. They stopped under a bridge near the Dauntless.

"We're going to steal a ship," Will said, glancing at the Dauntless, "...That ship?"

"Commandeer, we're going to commandeer that ship," Jack corrected him, "Nautical term. One question about your business boy, or there's no use going. This girl, how far are you willing to go to save her?"

"I'd die for her!"

"Oh good. No worries then."

They hid under a row boat, pulling it underwater as guards passed, then began to walk underneath it, capturing air in it as they walked underwater towards the Dauntless.

Meanwhile, Francesca exited the Blacksmith's, wearing a spare set of Will's clothes from the back of the shop, two pistols in a holster, and a sword. She also had a dagger hidden in the leg of her boot, the boots themselves being hers. She headed to the dock, seeing Jack and Will climbing up the side of the Dauntless. She grabbed a rowboat herself, doing what they had did before, but with two pieces of rope to hold both sides down at the same time. And what a struggle it was.

When she was far enough out to finally float to the surface, she turned the boat over, grabbed her oars that were stuck in the bottom of the boat, and began to row to their newly commandeered boat. She laughed to herself, watching them take the Interceptor so easily.

"Commodore indeed. Does he even know how to swim?"

Back on the Interceptor, Will was sharpening his sword.

"When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here, looking for my father." he explained to Jack.

"Is that so?"

"My father, Will Turner." Jack attempted to avoid Will, but he followed him. "And in jail it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter. I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father.

Jack stopped. "I knew 'im. Probably one the few who knew him as William Turner; everyone else just called him Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill."

"Bootstrap?"

"Good man, good pirate," said Jack, "I swear you look just like him."

Will raised his head. "It's not true, my father was a merchant sailor; a good, respectable man who obeyed the law."

Jack rolled his eyes at Will's words, "He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag."

"My father was not a pirate." Will drew his sword.

"Put it away, son. It's not worth getting beat again."

Will answered angrily, "You didn't beat me; you ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd killed you."

"And that's no incentive for me to fight fair, is it?" said Jack, turning the helm so that Will was hit by the yard and was left holding onto it for dear life just above the ocean. "Now as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance – you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. And me, for example, I can let you drown– but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesy, savvy? So…" he said, turning the helm back again and doing so swinging Will onto the deck with a thud, "can you sail under the command of a pirate," he offered Will his sword, "or can you not?"

Will took his sword, "...Tortuga?"

"Tortuga."

Francesca finally reached the side of the ship, but the sudden slap of a small wave against the side of the ship turned her boat over. Jack heard the boat hit the side of the ship and leaned over. "Will! Get a rope!" Will threw Jack the rope, and he threw the other end down to Francesca. "Grab the rope, love!" She took it quickly and they pulled her aboard.

"Thank you."

"Now what are you doing on my ship?"

"Your ship? The king's navy's ship!"

"Point taken. What are you doing on this ship, then?"

She paused, "...Parley?"

He chuckled, "I'm the captain of this here ship. What is your problem and why are you on my ship?"

"My problem is that Will," she glared at Will, "left me to my father this morning when he decided to visit you in the prison! And I am on this boat because I enjoy adventure just as much as the two of you."

"Adventure is not the issue, Francesca," Will said, "We are here to rescue Elizabeth."

"Who is my sister!"

"She does have a good point there," Jack said to Will. He turned to Francesca, "So, you decided to follow us on our adventure. Very good. I agree with what you said before- You are definitely... not...a child." He approached her, smiling.

"I said adventure, Sparrow. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Nothing less, to be sure, love." He stopped an inch away from her face.

"To save Elizabeth."

"Yeah, whatever you like," he answered, completely oblivious to the fact that she had said anything at all.

"Jack?" Will said, "You're breathing on our captive."

Jack seemed to be hiding his embarrassment as he backed away slightly. "Very well, captive-er, Francesca. State your terms."

"I equal share of this ship, and equal work and opportunities to fight."

"Yes...And?"

"A room to sleep in."

"Perfect."

"My own room."

"....Yes," Jack answered, pausing to think, letting his eyes wander to the deck for a moment; then he looked up, "...Oh. And?"

"I didn't like the sound of that long pause considering my sleeping quarters, but I'll continue because Will is a witness."

Will laughed quietly behind Jack.

He spoke to Will without turning around, "I didn't like the sound of that, either. You can still be put overboard, so stay quiet there, first mate."

Will shook his head, smiling to himself, "Aye, captain."

Jack nodded, "There. Now, continue, miss."

"You cannot call me 'love'."

"No."

"What do you mean, 'no'?"

"If you can call me Sparrow, then I can call you 'love'."

Francesca sighed, "Alright..."

"And?"

"And that's it."

Jack grinned, "Wonderful! Oh, and Will- you've been demoted to second mate."

Will gave him a strange look, "What?"

"Francesca's first mate now."

"No no, really- Will should be first mate," said Francesca.

"Alright then- How does this sound, love: official Captain's wench."

"Tell me, Sparrow, does the word 'eunuch' mean anything to you?" she growled.

"Second mate."

"Thank you."