"The Return"

AUTHOR: Melissa (otherwise know as, JohnnyDee)

RATING: PG-13 for later chapters.

EMAIL: melismelli_101_@hotmail.com

DISCLAIMER: I do not own POTC, blah, blah, blah.

TIMELINE: 13 years after POTC.

DISTRIBUTION: johnnydeppzone.com, fanfiction.net, and other sites.

CHAPTER: 19.Seashells

Gasping loudly, Catherine watched as Jack's body fell to the ground.

Barbossa stood above Jack, then turned back to her. "What are ye' looking at?" Catherine

took one last look at Jack's body, on the verge of tears. Suddenly, she caught notice of

the fact the there was no blood near Jack's chest. Her attention was brought away from

this when one of the men from the crew spoke up.

"Captain.I think we should listen to Jack. I mean.what if it doesn't

work without the gold that ye' monkey took?" Barbossa thought about this, his attention

still on Catherine. "Well.ye bring up an interesting point, Burtin. I guess it wouldn't do

any harm to go looking for it. After all, we aren't in a rush!" Barbossa finished looking at

Elizabeth who still stood in shock, staring at Jack's lifeless body.

Turning back to the crew, Barbossa gave his order. "Go back to the ship,

gents." The crew gave several hoops and hollers and slowly dissipated out of the cave,

with Jack the monkey in the lead. Barbossa stayed behind, watching over Catherine who

still stood by the stone. Will, Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Bill all stood silent, still grieving

of their loss. Barbossa's sudden chuckle broke their mourning silence. "It's funny, to

think that this be the same cave that Jack committed his revenge on me. Unfortunately,

the tables have turned, and I have received what is just." Bill glared at Barbossa as he

started, "Jack is twice the man you are. Unlike you, he had a heart and cared about."

Barbossa quickly turned towards Bill, which made him cease what he was

saying. Yet Will couldn't help but take the opportunity. "He's right! You could never

measure up to Jack and his standards, that's why you planned the mutiny. It hurt you to

see him so respected by others," Will said, not taking his eyes off of Barbossa. "You'll

stop there if you don't want to die along with your sister, young Turner!" Barbossa said,

staring back with equal intensity.

************************************************************************

Standing nearing the bow, her raven hair blew behind, her eyes shined

with the tears in her eyes as she looked out towards the sea. Sea..her home ever since

her family had left her. She'd been alone ever since, stealing food and plundering to stay

alive, until she met Jack. He got her on her feet, offered her a spot on his crew, which she

regrettably declined. Instead, she offered him something else, something that Jack himself

couldn't refuse. She giggled at this remembering the passionate night they spent together,

even though Jack only considered her a whore. The next morning he was gone..along

with HER boat!

However, God gave her another chance when he arrived later in Tortuga,

offering her another spot on his crew, which she soon accepted, only to find out she

became a part of a daring rescue and battle against good and evil. She'd been with Jack

since and it took her a while to realize that she'd fallen head over feet with Jack. It wasn't

long though before she just became one of the crew, a woman no less, but just one of the

crew. Another rescue mission came along that she yet again became apart of, yet actually

liked being it was a girl, someone that Annemaria never was.

Her feelings soon turned to anger as she remembered watching Jack and

the blacksmith leave on the Dauntless, in pursue of the Dauntless that was apparently

being sailed by Elizabeth who was the only one left on the boat. Clenching her hands at

her side, she went back to that day when she stood on the beach with Commodore's men,

watching the Pearl shrink into the distance.

Turning away from the black sea, she went in search of Gibbs. After she

narrowly escaped form the clutches of Norringtons' men, she went straight to Tortuga,

where she ran into Jack's abandoned crew, which included Gibbs and Charles. Together,

they stole, actually, borrowed, a ship that they sailed off with. The first night aboard,

Annemaria had a nightmare. This was something she usually didn't have but it was

enough to terrify her.

She could only remember parts of it, but she could see an island, covered

with a ghastly fog that enveloped the spit of land like a blanket. There was a cave, piled

high with gold, jewels and booty beyond her wildest dreams. There were people in the

depths of the cave that seemed so familiar, yet she couldn't think of who they were. Then

suddenly she saw him. Jack. He gave that flashy smile, enough to make a gown and

proper woman swoon. Gold teeth were frozen on your mind and all you could think about

was him. Then his face changed. The smile fell, his deep, black eyes turned lifeless and

all she could see was him falling, falling slowly to the ground. When it seemed he'd

never stop falling, it was over as he fell to the ground, blood slowly seeping through his

coat.

Annemaria remembered waking up in a sweat, hearing Gibbs running

about yelling, "Who's in the ruddy hell is screamin'?" Shaking the terrible dream from

her head, she continued to look for Gibb's. Still walking in a trance, she unknowingly ran

into the man she was looking for. "Watch where ye' goin', missy?" Glaring at Gibbs,

Annemaria pushed him into the room he came out of. "What the." he said as Annemaria

quickly closed he door. "There'll be a change of plans," she said quietly.

"Why?' Gibbs questioned. "We're going to Isla De Muerta!" she said

firmly, images of Jack lying on the cold floor flashing in her mind. "How do ye bloody

suggest we get there? Has ye' been there?" "NO!" Annemaria yelled impatiently. "That

be a problem. Ye see, Isla De Muerta can only be found by those who already have been

there!" Stopping, Annemaria cursed under her breath. "Are ye sure of this?" she asked.

Gibbs nodded solemnly when they heard a scuffle of feet.

The closet door opened and out came Charles, apparently embarrassed that

he had been eavesdropping. "I've been there!" he said, his head lowered with his hands in

his pockets. "What did ye say boy?" Gibbs shouted. "Ye heard 'im!" Gibbs said. Patting

him on the back, Gibbs took the boy by the arm and led him toward the helm. "Ye'll be

helping me with the bearings to."

Gibb's voice drifted away yet Annemaria remained in the room, standing

still.. Reaching for the rawhide necklace that hung on her neck, she grasped it in her

hands and held it close to her heart. "I'm coming Jack!" she whispered closing her eyes.

"I'm coming!"

* * *

The crew assembled near the side of the ship, looking into the foggy

waters below. Hundred of ships lay askew, some still floating, many so damaged they

only are identified by their mast that remain above water. The fog closed in on them as

the suddenly came into a clearing. Annemaria briskly walked forward, stopping at the

bow. Straining her eyes, she barely saw it, just a glimpse of the island that loomed

ahead." We're here!" she whispered, clutching again at the necklace that Jack gave her

long ago.

Running back to Gibb's, she gave the order to drop anchor. While the

crew lowered the five or so boats into the water, she quickly ran back her cabin and

grabbed her sword and pistol. Meeting Gibb's along the way, they got into the boats and

began rowing for the island that looked the same as it did in Annemaria's dream. They

rowed toward the inlet, pulling the oars back in forth in the murky water. Something got

Gibb's eye when a murmur spread through the boats. "Look!" cried Gibbs.

There stood the Dauntless, its donned British fag ripped from its mast,

hanging in tatters. "Head for the ship!" Annemaria cried, hoping that what she'd find is

something he wouldn't regret. Now heading in their new direction, they were able to see

a group of 10 rowboats near the edge of the ship. Upon arrival near the ship, the crew

slowly climbed up, and once they reached the top, climbed aboard. Motioning for the

others to stay behind, Annemaria crept towards the captain's quarters where she'd been

not long ago, awaiting the hanging Commodore Norrington promised her.

Hearing a jumble of voices below, she tiptoed down the stairs and made

her way to the mess hall. Peering in the crack of the door, she watched in confusion as 30

or so men, she didn't recognize, sitting about the long table, pouring each other glasses of

rum while laughing uproariously. "Wait'll Barbossa realizes he lost his crew to Lady

Rum!!" one of them shouted, slurring the words. Barbossa? Where had she heard that

name before? Still listening, she heard, "Yeah, too bad he'll come back and ask where

that gold piece is. Oh,well! It'll be long till then!" "It's a pity ol' Jack ain't here to

entertain us!" one said spilling his drink. Annemaria gasped when she heard this. "Oh,

Barbossa! Don't kill me! I really liked you! BOOM! He falls to the floor!" an older pirate

said, trying to imitate Jack.

Unable to breath, Annemaria pulls away from the door, trying to catch her

breath. What were they talking about? Who are these men here? Turning back to the

door, she leaned in closer, trying to get a closer view of the men. Straining her eyes past

the corner of the door she leaned up against the door, producing a loud creak as she did so.

The men stopped chattering and turned their attention to the door. "Who's there?" one

shouted. Panicking, Annemaria ran past the door and back up the stairs, listening as the

men came after her, some stopping to grab their weapons.

She ran to the awaiting crew, but had no time to give a warning. The crew

from below piled on deck and stopped, observing their intruders. "What do ye think ye

doin' on our ship?" one said. Annemaria motioned for them to be quiet, but this didn't go

well with the others. "We don't like eavesdroppers," the man said as he pulled out his

pistol. Aiming it in the air, he fired a shot, which sent his men shooting forward, releasing

cries as they drew out their swords. Annemaria cried out, "ATTACK!" They two groups

met, and merged into crowd of chaos.

After lunging at a man with her sword right in the gut, Annemaria backed

off to the fronds of the battle. Peering out towards the island, she spotted a small opening

that appeared to be a cave. Looking back at Gibbs, she quickly stole away, climbing

down the ship into one of the rowboats below. Pulling out the oars, she rowed towards

the island, listening to the sounds of cries and gunshots behind her. A new noise startled

her, as she turned behind her.

There was Charles, frantically rowing towards her. "Man," he said,

catching his breath. "You're a hard one to catch up to." Looking at him like he was crazy,

she said. "What are ye doing?" "Well," Charles said a-matter-of-factly, "I do realize that

Jack is in there and I won't be the one to betray 'im." Annemaria smiled and continued

on, getting closer and closer to the cave. Again, she clutched the necklace that held a

rather large seashell. Her mind drifted back to the day she and Jack found the seashells. It

was a beautiful day and they stopped at a nearby island on route to Tortuga. Just her and

Jack were on the island, finding seashells that had been washed ashore. They each found

one for the other and tied them on to pieces of rawhide as necklaces. She remembered

feeling so childish as Jack tied it on for her, admiring how beautiful she looked.

"Now your turn, Jack!" she remembered saying as she tied his on. She

purposefully got him a rather large one that stood out like a sore thumb on his bronzed

chest. Feeling rather proud of it, he showed it to the crew that could only exchange

glances of did-Jack-find-the-rum-stash-again! Laughing internally, Annemaria continued

to row, hoping that her worst nightmare wouldn't come true.

NOTE: Sorry this took so long! School stared and I got REAL busy. There is one more

after this, and then I might do a sequel. I have changed my ending so some of you might

not like the way things turn out, some people die, some people live, but that is why I put

ANGST!!!