Pearl
Chapter 5: Pearl
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Immediately he had called for the whole crew to be on deck. They knew what to do at a time like this. He had hired them to be a pirate crew, and they knew what that entailed. They had proven their worth in many a fight, now was no different from the rest.
"The Tiger has massive artillery," she warned softly. The Amythest Tiger was famous for the wreckage it left behind. Always survivors, but never a whole ship. Now he understood why. The brilliant boat just ahead of them was already preparing to turn and fire, he guessed.
"All hands under deck! Load cannons, wait for command to fire!" he shouted.
"Aye!" came the resounding cry. His crew knew to work fast- within minutes they would be close enough to fire. The cannons would be ready. He turned to Pearl. Her eyes were brilliant again- he understood. Now was the time for her revenge, just as he had once had the time for his.
"What will you do?" he asked. It wasn't under any sort of order, he was asking out of curiosity and concern. She did not remove her gaze from her ship.
"I'm going on board," she stated, voice level. "To find Shaw." She mad mentioned him before. Told Jack to be careful, Shaw would try anything to stay alive. Crafty and sniveling- just like the crew Jack had left behind. He hesitated a moment too long, she was off in a flash to prepare herself. Staring after her, he whispered.
"Be careful."
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Steering slightly, the Pearl's port side was turned toward the Amythest Tiger. As he expected, their first move was to fire their cannons, so he countered with their own.
"Fire at will!" he shouted, undaunted by the explosions that sounded from seemingly every direction. Again, must to his expectation, their second move was to swing onto the Pearl. They wanted hand-to-hand combat. Captain Jack Sparrow smiled and drew his sword. They'd get it. Giving the command to his crew and leaving Anamaria in charge of battle-steering, he looked around for Pearl. He spotted her, making her way toward a swinging rope left behind by some careless member of the other ship's crew, fighting whomever stood in her way. He finished off a pirate, pushed him over the edge, and slowly made his way toward her.
What he hadn't counted on, however, was there being so many of them. Crew members from the Tiger were killed, thrown overboard, yet more appeared. He became worried. All at once, he saw her, gliding over the gap between the two boats. Unluckily, however, he also spotted the makeshift "Captain" of the other boat. He was ready. And, hiding just under deck, more of his crew were ready, waiting to ambush Pearl.
There was nothing left to decide- with a final swipe and stab to his opponent, he left the man mortally wounded, grabbed a piece of rope, and swung over.
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She reached her ship, eyes blazing.
"Shaw!" she cried. She spotted him a moment later. She had been longing for and dreading this moment all at once ever since they set out from Tortuga. Shaw was the most experienced swordfighter onboard the Tiger; she would have to be remarkably careful. He grinned- an evil, slimy smile- and drew his sword. She noted his pistol- again, something she would have to be mindful of. She had not asked Jack for one. She had not spoken to Jack since he took her heart and... and... displayed it on the floor. He had just been playing with her, nothing more. She should have learned her lesson the first time. But she was past tears this time. She would use every ounce of pent-up frustration, anger, and hate in this fight to win back her ship. She, too, drew her sword, approached him, and the battle for the Tiger began.
Jack reached the other ship as their fight was just beginning. He noted the ferocity with which she fought, wondered why she was moving with such angry, sharp movements. He realized it a moment later- it's because you came onto her and she doesn't even like you! He cut off scolding himself as he noticed the crew members approaching the fighting duo from behind.
"Oh no, mates," he said with a half-smile. "Not with Captain Jack Sparrow aboard, you don't." Drawing his sword, he rushed in to battle.
She heard swords clash behind her. Not daring to turn around, she used her favorite trick to spin and switch positions with Shaw. Her eyes widened. Jack? He saw her and grinned.
"Your friend here had you planned for an ambush, love," he stated while fighting. Any other time, she would have noted how easily he spoke to her and dodged swiping blades at the same time. Concentrate on your own fight, she reminded herself harshly. And don't forget, he broke your heart. Yet she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye before she clashed blades again with Shaw.
Shaw didn't seem at all pleased with the new turn of events. He kept barking orders at his men, yelling for them to get rid of Jack, quickly! The crew members only succeeded in moving him back toward the cabins, however.
"I don't think you can win, mates," Jack said as he fought them easily. "You must be forgetting a very important detail..." He thrust and killed one man. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." He grinned and prepared to take on another.
Pearl couldn't concentrate. She could hear him talking, she wanted to be near him. She wanted to be with him. Even crossing blades with him again. She had wanted him to take her in his arms so badly then- she had wanted him to kiss her-
"Dammit!" she screamed. The break in concentration cost her dearly and gave Shaw the opportunity he was looking for. She stumbled, he spun her in and held his blade to her throat.
"Stop!" he cried, meaning both his last remaining man and Jack. Jack turned and saw her. His break in concentration cost him a shallow slice on his shoulder. He winced and gasped a bit, but did not take his eyes off of Pearl. Shaw moved his blade up so it touched Pearl's throat. "You move once and I kill her," the slimy man declared. Jack kept eye contact with Pearl.
"Now now," Jack coaxed. "Don't be-" the other pirate's blade came up near Jack's face. "Bloody hell," Jack muttered. "Pearl," he began slowly. Shaw's other hand moved to grab his pistol. Pearl noticed.
"Shaw, don't be a bloody idiot," she stated through clenched teeth. "Jack, get off the Tiger and return to the Pearl. NOW." She made herself perfectly clear. She honestly didn't care if she died now- but for God's sake, let Jack Sparrow stay alive. Shaw seemed to catch her meaning. He smirked.
"Stewart, light the powder below deck," he stated, addressing the pirate who had been fighting Jack. Jack's heart beat quickly. He intended to blow up the Tiger? "So, this is the infamous Jack Sparrow," Shaw drawled. Lifting his pistol, he pointed it at Jack's heart. "Wouldn't it be nice to be the pirate who kills him?" Pearl's eyes went wide.
"NO!" she screamed.
"Pearl!" Jack snapped. She shut up immediately. He was looking her square in the eye. "Pearl," he repeated softly. "Do you know what to do in this position?"
Her eyes filled with tears that she blinked back. She knew- oh Jack. Freezing for a moment, she suddenly spun, knocking the arm that held the sword to her throat away with her shoulder. It barely grazed her throat, slicing off part of the red cloth around her neck. She nicked the hand holding his pistol. With a cry of pain, he dropped it. Just as swiftly, she scooped it up and aimed for his heart.
"No- I-" he stuttered. She narrowed her eyes.
"Go to hell," she muttered, and fired. Jack was behind her in an instant.
"Well done, love," he said softly. She swore he had the most tender look in his eyes. Then hers lit up suddenly.
"Gunpowder," she said breathlessly. He knew what she meant. As quick as they could, they grabbed ropes, swung across, killed the last few men, and Jack gave the order to sail as far away as they could, as quickly as they could.
Looking back, Pearl saw her beloved Amythest Tiger burned to ash in a single explosion.
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She found him in his cabin, sitting on his bed. He had retreated there, Gibbs said, to think of what to do next. She knocked quietly, then entered. He looked up, silent. She approached without a word. Noticed that his arm was caked in blood.
"You should wash that," she mentioned softly. He looked down at, as if surprised to see it there. A wound received while fighting for her. He shook his head.
"It'll be fine, I'll just change my shirt." So he did just that. Right in front of her. Good Lord, was he beautiful. She immediately pushed that thought out of her mind. He looked so... forlorn. She could not find the courage, however, to ask why.
"What are you going to do now?" she asked instead. His eyes met hers, sorrowful.
"I will take you back to Tortuga," he stated, slowly, as if in a dream. "We will forget the compensation, seeing as how your ship is gone. My part of the deal was to deliver you safely to your ship, which I failed to do." She stood, gaping.
He- he was going to take her back? But- but- But what? she questioned herself. Want to stay here with him?
She looked at him again and decided. Yes, she did. More than anything else. Her eyes filled with tears. He didn't even care- didn't care about how she felt. He would drop her back off at Tortuga and go on his merry way, never thinking of her again.
"How-" she began, voice laced in anger. He looked up, surprised. "How could you?!" she screamed. The tears overflowed and spilled down her cheeks. He looked bewildered. "You don't even care!" she ranted. "Don't even care about how I feel!"
He didn't know what he had done, but he hated himself for it already. Lord, how he wanted to hold her. He wanted to feel her next to him again. He wanted to whisper in her ear, mindful of those two earrings. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted HER. He wanted... he wanted to tell her that he loved her. But she didn't, couldn't, understand. How could she? No one could, or had ever loved Jack Spar-
"I love you," she whispered hoarsely, eyes never leaving Jack's. In an instant he knew her. She felt the same pain that he did. She was afraid. He stood and approached her.
"You... ?" he questioned. She nodded, tears still spilling over. Now that she had said it, she was ready for him to stomp on her heart. She shut her eyes tightly. He spoke. "Don't shut your eyes," he said softly. "They're beautiful." They shot open. He was looking at her with... tenderness. Unmistakable.
"They're one of the reasons I love you," he said, gazing deep into her silver eyes. The light behind them- he had seen that before.
In Elizabeth, speaking to Will.
So he kissed her. Softly, gently. He wanted to communicate everything he had ever felt for her in a single kiss, and he would do his best to do just that. Her mouth was soft and warm. He held her tightly against him.
She couldn't believe it. She had always dreamed of being kissed with so much love and passion... She kissed him back with everything she had.
Deepening the kiss, he knew... he knew what it must have been like for Will and Elizabeth. There was nothing more that he wanted then to protect the woman in his arms. He broke away from her, breathless, to gaze into her eyes again. She looked back at him. Cupping her cheek gently in his hand, he trailed his hand down, lightly brushing her ear, down her neck- he touched the scrap of fabric that still held on.
She knew- somehow she communicated it to him. With a tiny tug, the scrap of material fluttered to the ground. She leaned up to kiss him again.
Good Lord, he loved her kisses already. He stopped her for a moment. Her eyes questioned her.
Not to copy, mate... he thought. But... Sitting her on the edge of his bed, he knelt beside her.
"I love you," he said, keeping his eyes locked on hers and gently kissing the back of her hand.
She never would have guessed that Captain Jack Sparrow could be so unbelievably sweet. She leaned forward, looking at him, and smiled genuinely.
"I love you, too," she said. She pulled him to a standing position, leaned into his arms, and kissed him passionately.
Well, I'll hand it to Will, Jack thought, smiling against her mouth. The lad does know what to do, sometimes.
When they broke apart again for need of air, she smiled up at him.
"Whatever will you tell your crew, Captain?" she asked, eyes shining and smiling irresistibly. He kissed her for an instant before answering.
"Quite simple, love. I'll simply tell them that Jack Sparrow is impossibly in love with his co-captain," he thought for a moment, then gave her his very best half-smile with a wink, "His Pearl."
And he kissed her again.
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Opening oneself up to love and truly loving another in return is possibly the most difficult task that a person may face. However, getting past a hard exterior shell, true love occurs when an individual, like an oyster, opens up to reveal a shining pearl.
-S.L.C.
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A/N: Last one! I'm thinking I need to write more PotC fics...
And oh, I'll shamelessly plug my Black Pearl fanlisting here... neo-dynasty.com/shimmer
^_^; Thank you all SOOO much for reading!! I love you all! Not as much as Jack and Will... ^_- Savvy?
