Chapter Eleven- The Opportune Moment


While they fought, Elizabeth had climbed out of the captain's cabin window of the Dauntless, rowing to the Pearl.

Once she was aboard, Barbossa's monkey screeched at her. She gave him an annoyed look.

The pirates below talked until they heard a thud. Seeing Jack (the monkey) fall onto a cannon, they ran up the stairs onto the deck, not noticing Elizabeth sneak into the brig.

"It's Elizabeth!" said Gibbs.

Norrington heard the bell tolling from the boat. "Make for the ship! Move!"

The cave echoed with clashing swords. Victoria had learned to be creative, trying to think up a new way to kill the same pirates every time they lunged at her. Francesca sliced through the two pirates again, but they simply put themselves back together again and attacked her. Jack held his sword to Barbossa.

"You can't beat me, Jack."

Jack impaled him. Barbossa sighed, pulling the sword out of his stomach and plunging it into Jack. Jack let out a strangled choke, eyes agape.

Francesca turned at the sound. "SPARROW!"

Jack backed into the moonlight, showing a skeletal form. Despite the look of doubt on Barbossa's face, he rolled the piece of gold through his fingers. "I couldn't resist, mate."

She grinned, "Greedy nutcase pirate." A pirate skewered himself on her sword as he launched himself at her. "Haven't you pirates learned yet?"

Barbossa and Jack continued the fight. "So what now, Jack Sparrow? Will it be two immortals locked in an epic battle until Judgement Day and trumpets sound?"

"Or you could surrender."

Francesca and Jack nearly collided in their battles. Barbossa laughed, "And what might ye be doing here again, lass? Saving Jack?"

"I'm here to send you all to your death. As for Jack..." she temporarily destroyed another pirate, "saving him would be without reason, since it seems you've failed to kill him... three times is it now?"

Barbossa growled, attempting to disarm Jack. Jack ducked, Barbossa's sword beheading the pirate Francesca was fighting with. "Thank you, Barbossa," said Francesca to him, shooting the pirate Vicky was fighting.

"Don't waste your bullets, love!" Jack said.

"Alright!" said Francesca.

Elizabeth was rowing out to the cave, "Bloody pirates."

"Oy," said Ragetti to Pintel during their ambush of the Dauntless.

"What?"

"Is it supposed to be doing that?" The Black Pearl was sailing away.

"They're stealing our ship!"

"Bloody pirates!" Ragetti was knocked on the head, forcing his wooden eye to pop out and roll away on the deck. "Ah! Me eye!"

A pirate attacked Will, "I'm gonna teach you the meaning of pain."

"You like pain?" said Elizabeth, knocking the pirate to the ground with a swipe of a large pole in her hand, "Try wearin' a corset." She helped Will off the ground and saw Jack and Barbossa fighting, Jack moving in and out of the moonlight from human to skeleton. "Whose side is Jack on?

"At the moment?"

He and Elizabeth shoved the same pole through three pirates, sticking a bomb in the middle pirate's rib cage and pushing them out of the moonlight. "No fair," said the middle pirate, and the three exploded.

Francesca grabbed an empty chest and opened the lid, rolling a pirate in and locking it. "Well, if I can't kill them, at least I can get rid of them."

Jack sliced his hand, dripping his blood on the gold piece and throwing it to Will. Barbossa pointed his gun at Elizabeth, cocking it. There was a shot fired...

...But not from Barbossa. Jack had used his last shot.

"Ten years you carry that pistol and now you waste your shot."

"He didn't waste it," said Will, cutting his own hand with the gold pieces in it.

Barbossa scowled, aiming his pistol at Will. Francesca ran towards Will. The shot was fired, the gold pieces returned, and Will was pushed out of range.

Elizabeth cried, "Will!" assuming he had been shot. She fled to him, "You're alright. Oh thank...oh no."

Barbossa opened his jacket. Blood stained his coat. "I feel...cold," said Barbossa hoarsely, laying on a pile of coins, apple falling from his hand. The curse was lifted.

Jack was at Francesca's side, "Bloody nutcase. Why'd you do that?"

"Blood repaid," she said with a cough, "And a favor returned." He understood. "We'll get you to the boats now, alright?"

Vic stayed by her side as well, "You've saved Will. I don't know how to thank you."

"Then don't thank me, just get me to the boat." She passed out, Jack picking her up and carrying her past the treasure. "Vic, please- get her–"

"–I can carry her; I'm no frail prissy girl either. I'm a pirate."

"That you are, Victoria."

Jack picked up some treasure in the gave, trying on a crown and some gold. Elizabeth was standing facing Will.

"Elizabeth... I..."

"Yes, Will?"

"I don't... ah....you...." He stopped in mid-sentence, "Your fiancé will want to be knowing you're safe."

"Yes, we should return to the Dauntless." She exited the cave, leaving him there.

Jack passed by him, "Well I guess we know who you really care for, don't we? But, if you were waiting for the opportune moment, that was it."

Will and Jack cast off in the boat with Elizabeth, Will rowing.

Elizabeth said, "I'm so sorry, Jack."

"They done what's right by them. Can't expect more than that."

When they were all safe on the Dauntless, Francesca was laid down in the captains cabin and her wound was dressed. "Francesca, the Commodore's granted me permission to stay here for the night. Will and Victoria, too. They'll be in later."

"Good," she said wearily, "I'm glad Will is being granted clemency. After all, everyone knows his hatred for pirates, let alone engaging in piracy. But I think he's coming around. And before I forget, this is for you." She took off her charm necklace, putting it around his neck.

"...You were very brave taking a bullet for him like that. Had not ol' powder head been there with his ship, you may have bled to death," Jack murmured, throwing a blanket over her.

"A risk every pirate has to take."

They had not yet noticed the Commodore listening from outside the door.

"Aye, every pirate," he smiled slightly, "I think you've qualified."

"So how's Vicky?"

"Fine."

"Ah, then Will must have decided that he loves her, right?"

"Wrong. He didn't tell them either way," said Jack.

"Frightened of his own feelings, that's what he is," Francesca said.

"Speaking of that..." Jack said, "I...well...before I have to go..."

The Commodore listened closer.

"Before you have to go where?"

He explained carefully, "They've said the good deeds on my part can't override my piracy."

"You don't mean..."

"...They're going to hang me at dawn, no excuses or escapes."

"No!" she said, tears forming, "They can't do that! You saved everyone, the entire army for god's sakes!"

"They still find me guilty of piracy, and I am a pirate, love. You can't ignore that," Jack said, "But that's why I wanted to tell you...that I love you."

Francesca leaned on his shoulder, sobbing into his shirt. "Love you, Sparrow." Jack's heart sank and he held her a bit tighter.

The Commodore walked away, grief-stricken.

"We'll be arriving in Port Royal by midnight, Commodore," said Gillette.

Victoria and Will entered the captain's cabin.

"She's asleep," said Jack to them, "I had to tell her about my execution."

"Oh, Jack... I wish I could do something," sighed Victoria.

"You can't. That decision is with Governor Swann and the Commodore. You've done quite a bit to save us both already."

Will sat on the edge of the bed. "I'll bet she took it harshly..."

"Yeah...But at least she's sleeping now. I don't want her to see the noose around my neck at the gallows," said Jack.

"Well you can't stop her. We'll all be there."

"I know."

Victoria took her leave, "I'm be going to bed now. 'Night, you two."

Will remembered something, "Why did Francesca say that?...'A favor returned'?"

"Oh. I might as well tell you."

Will listened intently.

"Must have been somewhere around twenty-five, twenty-six then. Captain of the Pearl and leaving for Tortuga with my crew. We'd just plundered a marketplace in Port Royal and I saw a little girl, 'round nine or ten, trying to sneak onto the ship. Now, if any of the crew had seen her, they'd have killed her. But there he was- good ol' William Turner, helping her off the port side. He taught her that song before we left, said she was a pirate as long as she could remember that song. And so she did." Jack shot a glance at Francesca.

Will was taken aback, looking to Jack for an answer.

"Aye. Your father saved her. He was a good man, Will. As good a pirate as any I've ever known."

"And what of Elizabeth?"

"Oh, that. Well, Elizabeth said Francesca taught her the song, because it was two years after that they marooned me. That's when they sent your father to the bottom of the ocean, and you were given a piece of the treasure. But now I've got a question for you."

"What?"

"When are you going to make up your mind about who you love?"

Will hesitated, "I don't know. I can't just tell her that I don't love her..."

"Which 'her'?"

"...Forget it. Goodnight, Jack. I'll be sleeping in my quarters."

Jack smiled devilishly, watching Will walk into Vic's room.

The Dauntless docked in Port Royal. Jack laid a soft kiss on Francesca's lips, whispering, "Night, love."

Norrington stood at the door, waiting for Jack with ropes.

He closed the door behind him, "Alright, Commodore. Let's go..."