A Twist of the Curse
By Gwaina Baggins
Ehehehehe, *dodges angry reviewers who are waiting for update* No! No! DON'T KILL ME! THEN YOU'LL BE STUCK WITH THIS EVIL CLIFFIE FOREVER! *blinks* Oops....did I just say cliffy? Heh, no, it's not a cliffy folks, it's a nice innocent chapter. : ) Filled with butterflies and pink fuzzy bunnies.
Once again, I have to thank you for the abundant amount of reviews! You guys are so good to me. : P Spoiling me rotten for the truth of it! What am I supposed to do with you guys giving me at least twenty five reviews per chapter?! How will I be able to get back to my other categories! : P LoL! Thanks so much!
Here's your chapter.....late....but here again! I'm off to write the next one right now! Promise! Really, it's the RPG's fault this time folks.......
Will blinked up at the trees with the vaguest form of curiosity. His mind was really too muddled to figure out anything that was going on, and although he wished he knew where Elizabeth was, it was too much effort to really get up and look for her. Something inside of him said that NOTHING was too much effort for Elizabeth but it was too small for him to take notice of. Taking in a deep breath, he let out several hacking coughs and tried to remember how he had ended up on this tree covered place.
He just barely remembered being on a raft in the middle of nowhere with a strange man. The man had spoken to him, and the young man could remember those words being kind and comforting at the moment. Whoever the man had been, he had been very gentle and slightly familiar. A hazy image of the man was in Will's head but the ill boy could not relate this man to someone else he knew. It hurt his head far too much to be thinking hard, and soon he gave up. It was easier to simply lie where he was.
Even though he knew he was lying on solid ground, he had the strangest feeling that he was still rocking. The swaying motion of the raft, and then the ship before that had become a part of him, much to his stomach's distaste. The sky above him moved back and forth and then side to side, making his head spin in a rather dizzy way. His insides shifted and flopped, and his body complained about many different discomforts. As much as he wanted to fix these troubles, he felt too weak to really do much. Everything seemed a bit beyond his control.
His stomach gave a warning, and before he could so much as turn his head, he was caught in a bout of dry heaves. There was nothing left in him anymore but his aching stomach did not seem to realize it. Weakly, he moved a hand down to his middle, trying to stop the pain but it seemed hopeless. His stomach simply had to calm down on its own as slow and agonizing as it seemed. At a snail's pace, the cramps subsided and the tenseness in his body loosened, leaving him feeling doubly weak.
However, it was now he realized how thirsty he was. A terrible dryness had settled in his mouth, making it impossible to wet his throat. The air itself seemed to burn him as it made its way down to his lungs, making him writhe. Things just seemed to get worse and worse and the young man found his mind slowly being overwhelmed. It was getting to be far too much, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could take it. He needed a drink, and a comfortable place to rest. The chill that was starting to take over the island do to the set sun was making him shiver.
Then it struck him. He was on an island, wasn't he? Water was all around him, surrounding him and keeping him on this place. Why hadn't he thought of it before? If he could simply muster the energy to move to the water, he could drink. He could soothe the raging thirst, and make the pain less. But, that all depended on him getting to the water. Pursing his lips, he attempted to push himself up, the want of water driving him.
It shocked him how strong the need for liquids made his body. His arms, though shaking, pushed him up and supported him as he tried to gain his breath. They helped him as he began to crawl, half dragging himself towards the gentle lapping of the ocean. He was so absorbed on reaching his goal that he did not smell the smoke coming from nearby nor did he hear the raised voices.
Bootstrap rubbed his temples, wondering that if he wasn't cursed if he would be able to get a headache right now. Between the smell of the fire, and Jack and Elizabeth's bickering (well, in truth, Elizabeth was yelling at Jack and Jack was lamenting the loss of the rum) it was enough to give anyone a headache. On top of it all, the moon was peeking out now, and he was trying his best to stay out of its light. Every once in a while though, a beam would shoot in and catch his arm or hand, showing his skeletal form.
"But why is the rum gone?" Jack whimpered, trying to put out a few of the embers at the edge of the fire.
Elizabeth threw her hands into the air in exasperation. She looks ready to rip all that pretty hair from her head, Bill noted with a bit of amusement. Just like any woman who's tried to put up with Jack. Her expression is almost reminds me of Anna Maria's that time Jack..... A snort of laughter escaped the pirate and it became a chuckle. Ah, some old memories made him laugh.
Elizabeth rounded on him, her eyes a blaze. "You think this is funny, do you? You just wait! When one of the ships come, you'll be sorry as well, Mr. Turner."
Bill Turner smirked slightly. "I wasn't laughing at you, miss. In fact, I think your idea is an excellent one." Not really....Jack will be in for it but we'll find a way around that. Plus Will is going to get some proper medical attention....
"But she burned the rum!" Jack said desperately, trying to get someone to understand him. She's burned the rum AND she's found a way off the island. The pirate rubbed his throat apprehensively. And this way off means a swift drop and a sudden stop more than like for me. Damn, there will be no living with her now.
Elizabeth crossed her arms, sitting down near the fire. "You two just wait!" she said, her face a pure show of triumph. "Give it an hour or two! This signal flame is a thousand feet high! A ship will come and when it does, you'll be the ones to pay."
Bill pulled at the hairs of his chin, staring down at the girl. This was both a curse and a blessing. A blessing that they would get off this island and have someone to take care of his son but a curse because both he and Jack would be hung; of course, that would not be a problem for him, but Jack would have a slight problem. Plus, they would never get to the Black Pearl in time to save Jack's crew. Frowning, he tried to think of someway that would convince the girl to help them. There had to be a way out of this.
Trying to block out Jack's wails, he put his hands over his ears in an attempt to concentrate. Elizabeth was right about the ship coming, and both he and Jack had nothing that could tempt the ship's captain to going after the Pearl. However, perhaps the girl could do something. If bribed properly, she might be able to get the captain of the ship to help us, the man thought, his mind ticking. But what on earth could possibly mean enough to her to make her do it?
It took about five seconds for it to click in his head. Will. The boy seemed to mean quite a bit to the girl. His face twitched slightly as he thought about what he would have to do. Many times in his life, he had threatened people's lives in order to get what he wanted, but never had he considered threatening the life of someone he cared about. Though he barely knew the boy, Will meant the world to him and he could barely even fathom killing the boy. But somehow, the vengeance that had built up in his heart told him it was the only way.
Turning sharply on his heel, Bootstrap strode over to Jack who was trying to maneuver his way into the hold so he could save a few bottles of rum. Bill put his hands on his hips and watched as his Captain yelped and jumped, and kept trying to get the alcohol. There was no way he was going to get the man's attention at the moment so, he decided to go fetch Will instead. His eyes wandered over to where the young man was laying and he felt his heart leap into his throat.
Will wasn't there!
Nearly running towards the place where he had laid his son down that afternoon, he started searching the area, hoping to find some trace of him. The boy had been delirious; there was no telling where he could have gone. But he obviously couldn't have gotten far. They were on an island, and a pretty small one at that. The only place he could have gone to get away was the water. Fearfully, Bill started down there, hoping that he wasn't going to find his son drowning.
Will was lying on the beach, trying not to cry. The water was moving in and out in its usual pattern but as the waves came in, they were just beyond the young man's reach. Weakly, he outstretched an arm, trying to touch the water but it would never even reach the tips of his fingers. Defeat made the pain seem ten times worse, and he wished that something would just end it all. He wanted to die.
Elizabeth's sweet face filled his vision for a moment, and he wondered silently if he had imagined seeing her. What he would give to see her one more time, to tell her how much he loved her. A part of his heart urged him to keep living for her. She was worth the pain, wasn't she? Of course she was! He would do anything for her; even die for her if he had to.
With renewed hope and strength, he tried to concentrate on something else. Memories. He could concentrate on them. He and Elizabeth had done many things in together in their childhood. So many funny, happy memories of playing out on the sand and pretending to be pirates; and then the both of them had started growing up. He had to be in the metal shop more often and she had to be a young lady. Then, the formalities had started and each day, he fell more in love with her.
Why did life have to be so complicated? What he would give just to spend one more day with Elizabeth as they had as children. Things had been so simple then. There weren't as many rules or complications. They could just be friends and enjoy each others company with out worrying about being lady like or gentlemanly.
The tide had been coming in when the boy had first reached the water, and now, the waves started sneaking up to his hand. He jerked as he felt something cool touch his hand and turned his head to see what it was. The water rolled back out and then swept up again, running over arm before departing. Will's eyes widened and he cupped his hand as the next wave came up, catching some of the liquid in his hand.
His hand trembled with weakness as he guided it towards his mouth. Much of the water that was resting in his hand spilled, and by the time it reached his mouth there were only a few precious drops left, not close to enough to soothe his thirst. Letting his hand drop back down, he waited for the waves to come back in.
He never got his chance to drink the water.
Someone leaned over him and snatched him back, pulling him away from the water. Skeletal hands were wrapped around his middle, and white boned arms tugged him further onto the island. He stared at the bones and the ragged torn dress that covered them with silent horror, unable to make a sound. The moonlight shown on the bones, making them hold a sort of eerie glow. Taking an unsteady breath in, Will turned his head up and looked into the face of his rescuer.
The light illuminated the face of the person tugging him in, showing the rotting flesh and white bone that built it up. Dark, stringy hair still clung to the person's head and the remnants of a beard still held on to his face. For the first time since he had fallen ill, Will's brain rationalized that he was seeing things. The hideous, decaying face and the rotting clothing was far too much like something from a story that was told to horrify little children.
He tried to open his mouth to say something, to yell, to call for help, or to at least say 'put me back by the water' but his lips wouldn't move. His entire being was paralyzed, by fear or maybe just by the illness itself that seemed to have such a tight grasp upon him. The creature above him was speaking but he could not hear its words. He simply stared at it, wide eyed, hoping that this was all a terrible dream and that soon he would wake up in the smithy with a drunk Mr. Brown sitting nearby.
The moon was covered by a cloud, and suddenly he was no longer looking into a dead face. A man was leaning over him with brown eyes that were clearly friendly, though filled with worry. His face no longer held the signs of death in it; instead, it was tanned and covered in a bushy dark beard. He was still talking, and his words were still a jumbled mess to the youth's ears.
Will was nearly positive he had been seeing things. There was no way that the man above him could have been a skeleton. The moonlight started to trickle down once more, though and it shone directly on the man's face, transforming it once more into a decomposing mess. This time life jumped into Will's near dead body, and he struggled against this creature, refusing to let it take him.
The creature who seemed to be a man was surprised by the sudden movement, and loosened its grasp a bit. It was speaking again, though Will did not even attempt to listen to it. There were footsteps from above, and the young man was positive it was calling reinforcements. Lashing out, with his hands and feet, he tried to fight off whatever was to come.
"Jack! Jack! Come down here and help me!" Bill called, trying to pin down his son. The boy had a wild, terrified look in his eyes and Bill knew that his son had caught a glimpse of him with the moonlight shining down. "He's struggling! I can't hold him!"
Jack appeared above him and started moving down rather slowly. "Of course he's struggling! You look like a monster! A skeleton with facial hair in a dress; I would struggle against you too!"
Bill was not in the mood to put up with Jack's joking. "Get over here and help me subdue him!" he snapped, trying to hold the boy still but only managing to get battered about the face.
Jack sighed, and started over to Will, kneeling in front of him but carefully staying out of the way of the lad's flailing limbs. Tipping his head to the side, he attempted to catch the young man's gaze.
"Will," he called, waving his hand. "Will, try to calm down a bit. You're going to hurt someone. Namely, myself or yourself considering you can't hurt dear old Bootstrap here. I know he looks rather, well, different but that's no reason to panic, savvy?"
Will seemed to hear him and slowly he started relaxing, only lashing out when the moon shone directly on his father. Jack sighed and pulled at his mustache, feeling utterly depressed and irritated. The rum was gone. He was going to be hung and Bootstrap was frightening the kid. Things were just going from bad to worse.
"What's he doing all the way out here?" Jack asked as Bill started to pick the boy up under the arms.
Bootstrap grunted, and pulled his son's arm around his shoulders. "Not a clue; he must have crawled. He certainly doesn't have the strength to walk though I must say he has a wicked left hook."
Jack stood as Bootstrap did, and let out a huge sigh. Nodding up towards the burning trees, he spoke quite loudly. "I hate that woman. She's ruined it for me."
Bootstrap shook his head. "Not yet my friend, I have a plan."
"What sort of-" Jack began only to be cut off as the woman spoken of before appeared.
"What are you two doing?" she demanded, glancing down at the two pirates. Her face wrinkled as she saw Will down there as well. Quickly, she started over to them, not at all pleased that they were moving the sick young man. "He's ill! Why are you moving him?"
Bootstrap took a few steps back from her, preparing to pull off his plan. It was now or never and he wasn't planning on waiting for a second chance. Nudging Jack, he quickly grabbed the sword from the pirate's belt, trying to silence him as he began to protest.
"Well, missy," Bootstrap began, covering up Jack's stuttering comments. Bill was attempting to hide the sword from the young woman. "Old Jack and I have been talking, and we've decided we don't really like your plan."
"We have?" Jack said with a bit of confusion. Bootstrap fixed him with an ice melting glare and the Captain shook his head. "Oh, yes, of course, don't like the situation with the English ship, savvy?"
Elizabeth stared at the two of them like they were crazy. I thought I had burned all the rum, she thought, racking her brain. Jack had only removed two bottles and he had successfully downed one. The other one had been spilled. Maybe they stole a few more bottles when I wasn't looking.
"So, I was thinking," Bill continued, now showing the sword and gracefully placing it against his son's throat. "We could make a bit of a deal."
Elizabeth's eyes widened and she stepped forward. "Are you insane?! He's your son! You wouldn't dare kill him!" She was horrified though. She had left Will alone for such a little while and now she was about to loose him again.
Bootstrap winced at those words, knowing that he wouldn't kill Will but had to make like he would. Jack wiggled his eyebrows at his fellow pirate, realizing that the plan was slightly flawed. Sighing, Bill pressed the blade into the soft skin on Will's throat.
"Would you like to bet his life on it, missy?" he questioned softly, grimacing as a small trickle of blood made its way down from where the blade and tissue were meeting.
Elizabeth pursed her lips and her eyes were clearly debating what to do. Ultimately the side that loved Will more than anything in the world was winning out. Taking a deep breath and trying to stay calm, she stared straight into Bootstrap's eyes.
"What are your terms?" she asked, trying not to look upset as Will moaned and struggled half consciously against the man. If anything happened to him, she wasn't sure what she would do. Actually, yes she was. She would have Bootstrap locked up for the rest of eternity and she would have Jack hanged. Though she would rather kill the older Turner, a flash of the moonlight reminded her how he could not be killed.
Jack clearly wanted to respond to this but Bootstrap started instead. "We were thinking that in trade for Will's life that you-"
"Would convince whoever picks us up to drop myself and dear old Booty off at the Pearl so we can get Barbosa, fetch my crew and recapture MY ship!" Jack said with passion. A grin twitched on his lips. "Savvy?"
Elizabeth remembered the calming techniques her governess had taught her. Be civil, don't smack him. Be civil, don't smack him. "Or," she said, her voice trembling. "I could just wait till they arrive and watch them shoot you."
"You forget, missy," Bootstrap said, the moon shining on him and revealing the curse. "Bullets don't affect me." He moved the sword up and down threateningly though he didn't dare press it against Will's throat again. "So, do we have a deal?"
TBC....
Believe it or not I wasn't planning on ending it there but...... *g* I couldn't help myself....
To my lovely reviewers who are probably ready to throttle me:
Sandrine Black: lol : ) There's a trick to getting it to work. When it says that a person has three chapters and you cant access the third, put a back slash and it should appear. : ) It is a very useful thing you know! ^^ I'd die without it. Yes, poor Jack and his rum and of course, that stupid wench Elizabeth. Of course, Jack is calling her that, not me..... though I'd like to. Well, we see that Bill's got a few tricks up his sleeve that Jack would not have thought of on his own. ^^ Now we must see if Elizabeth is going to agree to the deal..... Bootstrap in a dress reminds me of those two stupid guys from the end of the movie who were in dresses. *grins* I love them! Thanks for both your reviews! : )
Sehanine Emaroe: I hope they would get the right actor to play Bootstrap dearest. :) I actually hope that they will make a sequel with him in it. ^^ But who knows? *waits for Disney to become creative* Any time now.... Yes, Elizabeth should die a long and painful death but we must keep her alive. That way, it will make Will even more agonized when I have her marry the Commodore. Oops, but you didn't hear that. *g* YAY! 9, 999 cookies for me! : ) *looks pleased* I like cookies. ^^ Well, more people should respond to their reviewers. I know what its like to leave a nice, perty review and not get a response for it. ^_~ I personally hate it. ^^ Anywho! Thank you very much for your review!
Firnsarnien: Oooo, you search the same as I do? Ehehehehe, fun stuff! ^^ I'm glad you like my story. I try.... *cowers under the evil eyes of Firnsarnien* Don't hurt me. I know I was slow once again! But see! It's done! It is! I posted! Don't get any pirates together to hunt me! *squeaks and locks her doors* Um, yes, *clears throat* I'm okay...really. ^^ Well, we see what Bootstrap's threatened her with. Now, lets just see what Elizabeth says. Mwahahaha, I was thinking about including it but.... *sigh* Where would I be cliffy wise? Oh yes, and Will still has to be cared for. He must be coddled and held and kissed and loved on. He's in some serious need of TLC : ) but I can't give it to him yet....mwahahahaha..... *runs for cover* Hope the wait wasn't too long! Thanks so much for the review!
Leolyn Greenleaf: Ehehehe, but Bootstrap looks good in a dress even if it isn't his color. *sniggers* : ) Thank you for the compliments and for the review! Hope you continue to enjoy the chapters!
slazenger77: Yes, the rum is gone *snotty Elizabeth tone* Ehehehe. Thank you for the compliments! I try really hard to put my best effort into the chapters, though sometimes it doesn't work out well! Many thanks for the review, mate!
Melissa: Mellon nin! : ) You're back! Aw, I'm not off the hook. *snaps fingers* Oh well, as my acting teacher said, no one is perfect and there for not one of you will EVER receive a perfect grade. ^_~ My partner and I did though....shhh, don't tell anyone. Ah, so let's look at your comments again.
1) They never went into depth about Will's mum except for the fact that she raised him alone. I thought it would be interesting (since Bootstrap sent Will the coin and Will ended up going out to look for him) to show that Will was constantly wanting to meet his father. The idea of a letter or some form of communication seemed to develop that a little bit : ). I dunno ^^ I was trying. Plus, I needed some memory to make him feel pain in.....ehehehe.
2) I wasn't exactly sure about that myself. At first, I thought the same as you about it just being rum. However, in the movie when Elizabeth lit it all on fire, Jack asked her why she had destroyed the supplies. That got me thinking that perhaps it had been a bit more than just rum down there. Maybe I think too much..... *sees the little men in white coats coming* EEP!
LOL! Yes...I was tempted to make Elizabeth slap Jack and for Jack to say 'I might have deserved that' but that's for a later chapter! : ) As for Bootstrap in the dress and the color thing.....well, the chapter lacked humor. : ) I like making people laugh! Ehehe, as for the Commodore, he'll be appearing next chapter though I originally planned for it to be this chapter. However, I had the request for it to appear sometime this year, so : ) I decided to wait till later. *laughs* Anyone who would take your first review for a flame is insane. Even more insane than I am. : ) It was good, constructive criticism which is what I REALLY want and NEED in a review. I go nuts not knowing how to better myself. You are one of the few reviewers who questions what I do, and I love you for it.....perhaps that's why you get such a long response.... *looks at it* Meep. : ) I'm so glad you're leaving me reviews. You are an angel sent from God or something.....or maybe you are one of my muses in the flesh or something. *stares at* O_O. LoL! Thank you so much for your help and reviews! : ) Love you lots!
Alias: : ) It's your favorite fic? Really? *eyes grow big* Oooo.....Thank you! I'm glad you like the parts with Jack and Elizabeth. I try! : ) Many thanks for the reviews my friend!
Lirenel: No, Jack would most certainly not be worried about the fire! That's the LOGICAL thing to be worried about! Ehehe, the rum is the more important thing by far! : ) Of course. I think that's why we all love him. Good old Jack. The story wouldn't be the same without him! Many thanks for the review mate!
Sage: Well, yes, I'm sure he would know. I'm actually positive that he knows that Jack DOESN'T have the curse. What Bootstrap was questioning Jack about was where he had been and how he had gotten off the island. Jack knew that Bootstrap was cursed but he wanted to know how Bootstrap had escaped and come across Will..... I hope that clears it up a bit for you. : ) Thanks for the review.
The-Serious-Padfoot: LOL! Older Orlando Bloom in a dress.....hmmm...... : ) Not a bad thought actually, though I DO prefer to think of a younger Johnny Depp as a gypsy. *drools all over her mother's Chocolat movie* Whoops, I didn't do that. Have Elizabeth kiss dear old Will? But then he would be sure it was a dream. After all, a lady would not simply kiss her friend for no reason. : ) *beams* Besides.....I still have plans for that little wench- I mean girl. Yeah, girl. Aw, FF.net wasn't working? Yeah, it's been a pain in the rear as of late, shutting down and starting up and stuff. Glad this chapter made you happy though : ) Thanks for the review!
Halo: Easy mellon nin! *holds back the inflatable squeaky hammer of doom* No killing people. Not yet at least. : ) After all, let them release the movie first and THEN kill them. : ) Then there is no harm done to you or to any one else really. Well, except them....but that doesn't really matter, right? Ah! The reuniting of good old Bootstrap and Sparrow! What a nice little meeting..... : ) And poor, feverish Will is just going to continue to suffer I suppose. : ) *beams* Poor Jack....nope, not a happy bunny pirate. *sniggers* Thanks for the review mellon nin!
Goma-Ryu Immortal Vampire: Um, my brother says, "Live long and prosper" *Vulcan sign* Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. You were the poor soul who ended up with it but he wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. Again, many apologies. No, poor Jack is stuck losing the entire time....poor Jack. But we love him! Right? *stares at the packs of Mountain Dew* I hope you didn't drink too much or wait too long. *scratches head sheepishly* Sorry this took so long. Thanks for the review!
Pirate-chicha: Ehehe, no more rum! Aw, don't cry! I don't like it when people cry. It makes me sad. *sniff sniff* : ) Will might get better! Don't worry! Thank you for the review!
Nirkanta: Elwen! : ) Eee! Review! We likes it! I know..... -_- I'm gonna die when school starts back up too. I dunno how I'm going to manage the Amazing Race AND this story not to mention my LOTR fics. *hits head* Oh.....and homework....... Not that that is as important. I have no idea where I'm going *beams innocently* I just write it as it comes.... it's taking forever. Yes....poor Jack and his rum! *giggles* We wuvs Jack! *huggles her Little Will* Yes, he was rather adorable, wasn't he? Or just lovable! *beams* LOL! *looks out into her back yard* I was wondering what the tent and stuff was about O_O. Thanks for the review!
amber eyed wolf: lol : ) Here's more for you! *eyes well up and starts to sob all over again* My poor, poor Padfoot. *tries to huggle him but then remembers he's stuck on the other side of the curtain* Grr.....stupid JK. Ehehehe, thank you for all the compliments. Sorry that I stopped it where I did but here's another chapter! Cheers! Thanks for the review!
Lady Lenna: That was the funniest part in the movie.....ehehehehe. "BUT WHY IS THE RUM GONE?!" and "There will be no living with her now." *beams* Sorry it took so long to update -_- I'm slow I guess. I just did well the first few posts. I'm falling back into my usual lethargy but I am trying.....I swear! *hugs* Ty for the review!
.............: *scratches head sheepishly* Hope I got Jack more in character this time. You are right, he's pretty difficult. I do love his character though, more so than Will's or Elizabeth's. As for Bootstrap, well *g* he's my own creation, so what can I say? *huggles him* He's my baby. : ) Thanks for your compliments and review!
Carrie: Ehehe, watermelon is the best kind of fruit in the ENTIRE world. *giggles* Well, I'm not sure if I'll kill Will or not. *puppy dog eyes* Don't kill Arras....but if you do go through with that, then make a happy prologue. ^_^ Arras and Legolas can meet in the afterlife! : ) Ehehe, the rum exchange was my favorite part too. : ) Love Jack! Yes, I must agree. It's bad enough to have one InSaNe OnE much less two of us. ^_~ Keep working on your own story mellon nin! : ) Thanks lots for the reviews! UPDATE SOON!
dancer 51: *sighs and sniffles* Yes, poor old Bootstrap would have died if for some reason he had lingered underwater and Will had ended the curse. :) But let's just assume that he got away. It makes me VERY happy! ^^ We wuvs Bootstrap! I think it would make a lovely sequel but I'm not sure they will do it. But it would explain why they left that so open in the plot. ^^ Who knows?! Thanks for the review mate!
Mystic: Thanks! Hope you like this chapter just as much!
TC angel face: *laughs* Well, it depends if he recognizes that it's his dad in the dress. : ) But it seems he hasn't yet! ^^ I can't make him better! That would take all the fun out of it. Don't worry though, he'll be well eventually. After a few bullets and tears. ^_~ Thanks for the review mellon nin.
darkcrystal: Hey! : ) Thanks for the compliments. I really try with Jack but sometimes he's difficult *thwaps him on the head*. Evil little pirate. : ) You caught on about Bootstrap before me. Took me two times to figure it out and after being called crazy, I thought I was the only person who saw this problem. : ) But then again the person who called my crazy was already insane. : ) Here's your update! Thanks much for the review.
PsychoPoet: *sniggers* My friend was over when I sat down to read my reviews and yours had just popped up. You made the both of us laugh quite hard. : ) Glad the idea of Bootstrap wandering around in just a shirt gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside. AH! Evil family! Give me my reviewer back! *clings to PsychoPoet* DON'T MAKE HER LEAVE! : P LoL! Thanks for the review!
Nikki: EEE! You're back! YAY! *bounces* You're back! : ) Ehehehehe, good! *laughs* People are posting POTC fics in such great numbers that my fic often isn't on the first page anymore. *sighs* : ) But that's okay! Keep it bookmarked! Then you don't have to search for it! Or you can just search for my name ^_~ It's pretty original. *blushes* My story isn't that good. I'm sure there are a BUNCH of much better stories out there..... but thank you for the compliment ^^. You were not hard on me at all on the first chapter! I thank you SO much for it! I like to have constructive criticism. It helps me improve things and make the story better. *hugs* I'd die without it! Really, your suggestions are heaven sent! : ) Glad you found the story again! ^^ Thanks much for the review and help!