CHAPTER 3- Fight for the Pearl

"I'm going." Jack Sparrow announced at once. "Christa, I want you to stay here where it's safe."

"But Dad! I can help!" she complained.

"I know you can but I need you to stay here." Jack readied himself for the battle.

"I'll come too." Will said and grabbed his overcoat and sword.

Jack turned to his daughter, "You have to protect what they may be after. You know what I mean. Please, stay here with Elizabeth and... don't do anything stupid." With that, he and Will left the shop.

Elizabeth quickly ushered them into the house. "It's a wonder that the navy hasn't been alarmed. Usually you'd see them running about in the street."

"I think that the Pearl is far enough away to hear the cannons. That is if they're using the cannons." Christa answered her.

"James, take her up to your room. I'll be up in a moment." With that, Elizabeth strode purposefully into the kitchen.

"Come on, this way." James led her up to his room. When he shut the door he asked, "What did your father mean by 'protect what they may be after?'"

"This?" She pulled a pendant off from around her neck.

"What's that?" James asked. The pendant was square and very colorful. Very beautiful.

"It's one of the most important pieces of treasure that Captain Barbosa stole around his days. It's called The Rainbow Key. No one knows exactly what it is." Christa said.

"Oh." Christa opened the window and looked out. She started to climb down the side of the house using the uneven bricks. "What are you doing?" James ran over to the window. "Your dad told you to stay here."

"Nothing's gonna keep me away, especially if my father and my home is in danger." She replied and jumped down to the street.

"Aw," he grunted. "Wait for me, I'm coming with you." He followed Christa's lead and joined her on the street. As soon as he was on firm ground she began to walk briskly down to the hidden dock he had visited earlier that day.

*

When they arrived at the Pearl, it was night and the two of them just stood there. Everything was a mess. There were corpses of her fellow mates and pirates from the attacking vessel. It was horrible. James looked as if he'd be sick. "Come on!" Christa urged him. James nodded and together they raced to the Pearl. Running down into the cabins below deck, she grabbed her sword and a spare and threw it to James. "I assume you know how to use one since your father's good." From what she saw, Will wasn't only good, he was great. But she wasn't about to admit that.

They leapt on deck and Christa engaged the nearest enemy pirate. Ducking under his first swing, she came up with her fist in his face. Clutching his apparently broken nose, the pirate began to swing clumsily this way and that. It was easy enough to push him toward the edge of the deck where he toppled over. Both the teens were unwilling to take any lives.

James wasn't having much luck though, unfortunately he was fighting the Buckler's First Mate. He parried a blow that was coming to his midsection, then swung around and cut open his attacker's arm. The pirate looked down at the wound and snarled. No blood came from the cut. "Ah!" James jumped back. This was no ordinary man. This reminded him all too well of the stories his father told him of the Curse of the Aztec gold.

Ducking under the next oncoming attack, James rolled to the side and came up from behind the pirate. Unfortunately, his back was to his attacker and the pirate moved fast. The First Mate ran the tip of his sword across James's back. Letting out a scream, he toppled face first to the deck. The pirate laughed. "What's wrong? Had enough little boy?" he taunted. He was about to land the final blow when Christa came up from the side and tackled him with a yell.

The pirate let out a curse. "You little-." Seeing clearly that she had to take care of James, she backed away from the First Mate.

"Dad!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. A surprised Jack looked around to see if his dreaded thought was true. Sure enough, there she was, the Buckler's First Mate bearing down on her. He saw James was already hurt. 'She doesn't stand a chance!'

Taking hold of a rope from the mast that was falling loose, he swung down and landed between his daughter and the pirate. He stabbed the bewildered man and turned on Christa. "What in the blazes are you doing here?" he yelled.

Christa glanced at James who was trying to get up. Helping him, she faced her angered father. "You know very well that I couldn't let you come without me."

"You've put yourself and James's lives in grave danger and now he's wounded. I trusted you to stay away-" Jack was cut off when the wind blew the clouds from the moon. "No way." Every attacking pirate turned into a vicious looking skeleton. "This can't be happening. I'm not gonna lose my ship again!" With that, he charged the First Mate and engaged him in battle.

"We'd better get out of here." James said in a pained voice. When he noticed that Christa wouldn't budge he pleaded, "Please. Do it for your father."

Christa's eyes never once moved from the form of Jack Sparrow. Though she noticed Will jump past him to block Jack's flank from another attack. Finally, she turned away. "Okay. Let's go."

*

When they got back to James's house, Elizabeth was frantic. "How dare you sneak out like that! And look at you!" she was tending to James and glaring at Christa every so often. "Both your father's can take care of themselves. You shouldn't have even thought of going after them!"

An hour later, a battered pirate from Jack's crew stumbled in the front door. "Bad news, ma'am, 'lil miss, young sir." Three pairs of eyes turned in his direction. "Mrs. Sparrow has been killed." Christa stood up, "But that's not all. Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner have been taken hostage."

A/N- There's another cliffhanger. Sorry 'bout that. Anyways, R&R!