Drums resounded through the square, and the crowd lined up to see the
two pirate captains, leading the Pearl's crew, through the town to the
jail. Some booed, others decided to throw rotten fruit and bread. Raven
trudged her feet through the muck. Of all her ends, she had never
considered this one. Her ship was too slippery to get caught, her crew too
wise. Now though, because of the fumblings of Jack and his crew, here she
was, destined to be hanged.
Jack nudged her with his shoulder. "Cheer up luv. I've been here twice before, and I'm still alive and kickin'." He winked at her, and she just stared at him.
"Sure Jack. I'll cheer up when I'm away from here and out of these damned chains." He just shook his head with a grin, and started to hum something. That stupid song he had been singing. It was really sad that she recognized it.
A motion caught her eye then. Jack had raised his hand and made some sort of signal. She followed the direction of his eyes, and saw a young man shaking his head and grinning. A woman stood next to him, a frown furrowing her brow. She looked away abruptly when Jack "accidentally" shoved her. Luckily, none of the officers had seen her looking that way.
"Old friends?" she said out of the corner of her mouth.
He just grinned again. "You have no idea." Raven shook her head in amusement. Jack Jack. She thought. Always getting yourself into even more trouble. Well, at least I'll have an amusing death, 'stead of a borin' one, she thought to herself. They finished parading through the streets and entered the fort. Being half-shoved half-led down the stairs, they came upon the cells. Raven and Jack were shoved into one, and the rest of the crew was divided into the two others.
Raven smacked the bars with her cuffs. "I'm really growing to hate iron."
Jack slumped against the wall, sliding down the sit on the slight ledge made by the stones. "I know the feeling. Trying to get the Pearl, I was thrown in," he thought a moment. "Two or three times I believe."
She glanced at him over her shoulder. "And yet you're still alive. Commendable, at the least." She turned away again; ignoring the drunken grin he gave her yet again. Would he never grow up?
Some hours later, darkness had fallen. Raven had ignored the Commodore's review, although Jack had chatted quite aimlessly with the officer as he passed by. Unnoticed by him, it seemed, all he had received were blank looks. The woman captain half-snoozed, eyes half-lidded, always having some sense on the alert. Jack seemed quite alert, whistling that damned song, eyes darting back and forth. The crew seemed restless as well, and when she heard footsteps, she understood why.
Words floated down the steps, and then quiet footsteps. Moments later, the young man she had seen earlier, and the woman with him appeared. Jack ambled to the front of the cell, casually leaning against it.
"Well then, it's bout time mate."
The young man shook his head. "This is the second time Jack, and the last. They won't be so easy on me this time."
"Ah now Will. You're married to the guvner's daughter! Course they'll go easy on ya!"
The young woman sighed exasperatedly. "You really are a pirate Jack, you know it?"
Jack grinned. "All too well lass, all too well." He glanced behind him, noting Raven's curious look, though it showed only in her eyes. "Wouldn't mind letting this good captain loose too would ya?"
Both sets of eyes swept over to Raven, who inclined her head and got to her feet. "The Captain Margow Jack? Isn't that a bit much? She HAS been harassing the Port for months. Are you sure we should let her go?"
Jack clasped his hands to his heart, with an expression of mock pain. "Why lad? Ya not trusting me? I'm hurt. She's a good man..woman," his expression turned serious. "Just doin' her job mate. She IS a pirate after all." They glanced at her again, then each other, and shrugged.
"As you say Jack." Will produced a key from his pocket, and quietly opened the cell door, then moved on to the crew's. Raven followed Jack out of the cell, and quietly walked down the aisle, to "an alternate route" as Jack put it. She heard the men walking behind her, and soon they were out of the fort and near the docks.
Raven cleared her throat. "Jack?" He glanced back. She raised her hands pointedly, indicating the cuffs.
"Oh those." He glanced down at his own, then to Will.
"What? It's not like I can get them off right now."
"Good point. Em, looks like we'll have to deal with them for now."
"Wonderful," she muttered. "Dueling with cuffs on."
"Hey, I've done it," Jack said with a grin.
Will snorted. "Right, with the chain broken."
Jack grinned again. "True. Now then." He turned back to the crew and quickly outlined the plan.
Simple, Raven thought, but effective. Within minutes they had reached the dock of the Pearl, and she and Jack strolled out quite casually. While the officers were otherwise occupied with Raven and Jack, the crew ran to the ship. Jack smiled and waved cheerfully, and Raven let out a sigh. Show off.
Immediately several officers ran up. Naturally. "Well hello! My hands are a bit blue, mind getting these off me?" Jack said cheerily as the first of the Navy reached them, waving exateratedly with his hands. Two of them looked at him, then each other, and Raven took advantage. Grabbing Jack's hands with her own, he immediately swung her around, getting her off the ground to kick the officers in the face. Sadly, he let go a little too soon, and she thumped to the ground. Rolling to her feet, she glared at Jack, who just shrugged and grinned. Back-to-back, they faced them for a moment, then glanced to the Pearl.
As one, they took off, shoving their way through officers and dodging bullets, running breakneck over the dock to get to the Pearl, already shoving off. Diving into the water, they started to swim, then veered away when a heavy rope almost smacked them. Jack grabbed it, and turned to Raven. At that moment, the crew, thinking both of them had a hold of it, heaved and Jack was swung out of the water and onto the deck.
"Don't ye dare leave me pirate!" Raven screamed, still swimming.
"Throw the rope ya idiots!" Jack commanded, swatting a crewmember as he went by. The rope dropped, Raven got a hold of it and was swung up the same as Jack.
"Oof!" Raven dropped to the deck, landing rather badly. Jack scurried up the stairs.
"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned upon seeing blood on her hands. She removed them from her shoulder, and winced upon seeing the bullet hole there. He tore a bit of his sash off, wadding it up and pressing it to her shoulder. Quickly the white sash was stained red, and Raven looked ready to faint from blood-loss. Furious, Jack's eyes darted about the ship, wondering where the hell Gibbs was. He was answered by the fellow pirate heaving himself out from below.
"Gibbs!" The pirate glanced at him, saw the bloodstained sash and ran back below. Emerging again a moment later, he found Jack kneeling over a passed out Raven. Jack glanced at him. "Well, at least she won't give you any trouble."
Shoving Jack aside, Gibbs ripped off the shoulder of her shirt, exposing the wound. Jack shuddered and backed away. A hand landing on his shoulder told him that Will and Elizabeth were still here. "What're you doin' here?" he asked.
Will shrugged. "Like we said, Commodore and the Governor won't let us off that easy this time. Figured we'd come along."
"Oh. Well, welcome back then." He turned back to Raven and Gibbs, who had backed away.
"Well, she's patched up as well as me can. Best take her below or inta the cabin." Jack nodded, stepped forward, and swung her easily into his arms. Disappearing into the cabin, he emerged a moment later, wiping bloodstained hands on his trousers.
"Get us out of here Gibbs. Head for Tortuga, most likely where the Arrow is now." Gibbs nodded and ran off to give the orders, leaving Jack, Will, and Elizabeth on the upper deck.
Jack seemed distracted, muttering something to himself, until Elizabeth laid a hand on his arm.
"Jack?"
"Hmm?"
"How do you know Raven? You two seemed very...familiar."
"It's a long story, best told when we're on open sea." He shrugged off her arm and headed up to the helm. Elizabeth glanced at Will, who shrugged.
"He seems to be broody. Best leave him alone." Elizabeth's eyes narrowed a moment, then she sighed.
"I'll watch over Raven." Will nodded and watched her disappear in the cabin, then headed up the stairs to join Jack.
Jack nudged her with his shoulder. "Cheer up luv. I've been here twice before, and I'm still alive and kickin'." He winked at her, and she just stared at him.
"Sure Jack. I'll cheer up when I'm away from here and out of these damned chains." He just shook his head with a grin, and started to hum something. That stupid song he had been singing. It was really sad that she recognized it.
A motion caught her eye then. Jack had raised his hand and made some sort of signal. She followed the direction of his eyes, and saw a young man shaking his head and grinning. A woman stood next to him, a frown furrowing her brow. She looked away abruptly when Jack "accidentally" shoved her. Luckily, none of the officers had seen her looking that way.
"Old friends?" she said out of the corner of her mouth.
He just grinned again. "You have no idea." Raven shook her head in amusement. Jack Jack. She thought. Always getting yourself into even more trouble. Well, at least I'll have an amusing death, 'stead of a borin' one, she thought to herself. They finished parading through the streets and entered the fort. Being half-shoved half-led down the stairs, they came upon the cells. Raven and Jack were shoved into one, and the rest of the crew was divided into the two others.
Raven smacked the bars with her cuffs. "I'm really growing to hate iron."
Jack slumped against the wall, sliding down the sit on the slight ledge made by the stones. "I know the feeling. Trying to get the Pearl, I was thrown in," he thought a moment. "Two or three times I believe."
She glanced at him over her shoulder. "And yet you're still alive. Commendable, at the least." She turned away again; ignoring the drunken grin he gave her yet again. Would he never grow up?
Some hours later, darkness had fallen. Raven had ignored the Commodore's review, although Jack had chatted quite aimlessly with the officer as he passed by. Unnoticed by him, it seemed, all he had received were blank looks. The woman captain half-snoozed, eyes half-lidded, always having some sense on the alert. Jack seemed quite alert, whistling that damned song, eyes darting back and forth. The crew seemed restless as well, and when she heard footsteps, she understood why.
Words floated down the steps, and then quiet footsteps. Moments later, the young man she had seen earlier, and the woman with him appeared. Jack ambled to the front of the cell, casually leaning against it.
"Well then, it's bout time mate."
The young man shook his head. "This is the second time Jack, and the last. They won't be so easy on me this time."
"Ah now Will. You're married to the guvner's daughter! Course they'll go easy on ya!"
The young woman sighed exasperatedly. "You really are a pirate Jack, you know it?"
Jack grinned. "All too well lass, all too well." He glanced behind him, noting Raven's curious look, though it showed only in her eyes. "Wouldn't mind letting this good captain loose too would ya?"
Both sets of eyes swept over to Raven, who inclined her head and got to her feet. "The Captain Margow Jack? Isn't that a bit much? She HAS been harassing the Port for months. Are you sure we should let her go?"
Jack clasped his hands to his heart, with an expression of mock pain. "Why lad? Ya not trusting me? I'm hurt. She's a good man..woman," his expression turned serious. "Just doin' her job mate. She IS a pirate after all." They glanced at her again, then each other, and shrugged.
"As you say Jack." Will produced a key from his pocket, and quietly opened the cell door, then moved on to the crew's. Raven followed Jack out of the cell, and quietly walked down the aisle, to "an alternate route" as Jack put it. She heard the men walking behind her, and soon they were out of the fort and near the docks.
Raven cleared her throat. "Jack?" He glanced back. She raised her hands pointedly, indicating the cuffs.
"Oh those." He glanced down at his own, then to Will.
"What? It's not like I can get them off right now."
"Good point. Em, looks like we'll have to deal with them for now."
"Wonderful," she muttered. "Dueling with cuffs on."
"Hey, I've done it," Jack said with a grin.
Will snorted. "Right, with the chain broken."
Jack grinned again. "True. Now then." He turned back to the crew and quickly outlined the plan.
Simple, Raven thought, but effective. Within minutes they had reached the dock of the Pearl, and she and Jack strolled out quite casually. While the officers were otherwise occupied with Raven and Jack, the crew ran to the ship. Jack smiled and waved cheerfully, and Raven let out a sigh. Show off.
Immediately several officers ran up. Naturally. "Well hello! My hands are a bit blue, mind getting these off me?" Jack said cheerily as the first of the Navy reached them, waving exateratedly with his hands. Two of them looked at him, then each other, and Raven took advantage. Grabbing Jack's hands with her own, he immediately swung her around, getting her off the ground to kick the officers in the face. Sadly, he let go a little too soon, and she thumped to the ground. Rolling to her feet, she glared at Jack, who just shrugged and grinned. Back-to-back, they faced them for a moment, then glanced to the Pearl.
As one, they took off, shoving their way through officers and dodging bullets, running breakneck over the dock to get to the Pearl, already shoving off. Diving into the water, they started to swim, then veered away when a heavy rope almost smacked them. Jack grabbed it, and turned to Raven. At that moment, the crew, thinking both of them had a hold of it, heaved and Jack was swung out of the water and onto the deck.
"Don't ye dare leave me pirate!" Raven screamed, still swimming.
"Throw the rope ya idiots!" Jack commanded, swatting a crewmember as he went by. The rope dropped, Raven got a hold of it and was swung up the same as Jack.
"Oof!" Raven dropped to the deck, landing rather badly. Jack scurried up the stairs.
"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned upon seeing blood on her hands. She removed them from her shoulder, and winced upon seeing the bullet hole there. He tore a bit of his sash off, wadding it up and pressing it to her shoulder. Quickly the white sash was stained red, and Raven looked ready to faint from blood-loss. Furious, Jack's eyes darted about the ship, wondering where the hell Gibbs was. He was answered by the fellow pirate heaving himself out from below.
"Gibbs!" The pirate glanced at him, saw the bloodstained sash and ran back below. Emerging again a moment later, he found Jack kneeling over a passed out Raven. Jack glanced at him. "Well, at least she won't give you any trouble."
Shoving Jack aside, Gibbs ripped off the shoulder of her shirt, exposing the wound. Jack shuddered and backed away. A hand landing on his shoulder told him that Will and Elizabeth were still here. "What're you doin' here?" he asked.
Will shrugged. "Like we said, Commodore and the Governor won't let us off that easy this time. Figured we'd come along."
"Oh. Well, welcome back then." He turned back to Raven and Gibbs, who had backed away.
"Well, she's patched up as well as me can. Best take her below or inta the cabin." Jack nodded, stepped forward, and swung her easily into his arms. Disappearing into the cabin, he emerged a moment later, wiping bloodstained hands on his trousers.
"Get us out of here Gibbs. Head for Tortuga, most likely where the Arrow is now." Gibbs nodded and ran off to give the orders, leaving Jack, Will, and Elizabeth on the upper deck.
Jack seemed distracted, muttering something to himself, until Elizabeth laid a hand on his arm.
"Jack?"
"Hmm?"
"How do you know Raven? You two seemed very...familiar."
"It's a long story, best told when we're on open sea." He shrugged off her arm and headed up to the helm. Elizabeth glanced at Will, who shrugged.
"He seems to be broody. Best leave him alone." Elizabeth's eyes narrowed a moment, then she sighed.
"I'll watch over Raven." Will nodded and watched her disappear in the cabin, then headed up the stairs to join Jack.