Mwa ha-ness!
Chapter 14 time! And....look at that! Cause of my author notes, it looks like this is chapter 15! Mwa ha! Making progress when really, I'm not! I shall fool you all into thinking I'm working yet!
And while we're on the subject of reviews (where did I get that from?!)....
Can you all give me......125?!?!
C'mon, I know you can do it!!
No. Don't even ask. I do not own the bloody movie!
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We were in a boat. A small, rickety, slightly rotten wooden boat, for that matter. I sat on one of the damp, decaying wooden seats, Jack immediately beside me, and Will sat across from us. Both Jack and Will were pulling on an oar, as I sat still and tried not to be completely useless.
Frowning down at a skull in the water, Will asked, "What code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?"
"Pirate's code." I said quickly, before Jack could answer. "I'm mentioned in your pirate code, did you know that?"
Jack turned to look at me sideways. "Is that so, luv?" He sounded amused, one eyebrow arching up.
"It is indeed." I nodded. After I'd watched the movie the first time, I will admit, I had bordered on what one might call 'obsessed'. Bordered only, though, mind. So I had gone out and taken every book on pirates from the library that I could get my mitts on. And in one of those books, I had come upon a lovely little thing, called the 'Pirate's Code'. And I had committed some of it to memory.
Up to that moment, that knowledge had been completely useless, but now I proudly recited code number nine. "'If at any time you meet with a prudent Woman, that Man that offers to meddle with her, without her Consent, shall suffer present Death.'"
Will stared at me, mouth slightly open, and Jack burst into laughter. "Assuming, luv, that you are indeed a 'prudent woman'. Otherwise, I think I can 'meddle' without any fear of death."
I half-heartedly punched him in the shoulder, but that was only because he deserved it after that comment. (In case you couldn't tell, that's an old-fashioned suggestive comment.) Laughing, he turned to answer Will's original question. "It means, Will, any man that falls behind, is left behind."
Will snorted derisively. "No heroes amongst thieves, eh?"
Jack smirked. "You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates, you're well on your way to becoming one. Sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga..." our eyes were all drawn to the stretches of glittering 'swag' on the bottom on the subterranean river we were travelling. "And you're completely obsessed with treasure."
"That's not true!" Will defended himself, quickly. "I'm not obsessed with treasure!"
Jack grinned, trowing an arm around my shoulder and squeezing. "Not all treasure is gold and silver, mate."
I rolled my eyes, and glanced up at the golden light spilling over the rocks just ahead, hearing the faint strain of voices. "I don't know how to fight them," I whispered, feeling like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on me. We were going to have to deal with pirates, and I had no idea what kind of role I was going to play in all this.
Jack frowned. "Aye, fighting. I'm a better lover than fighter, myself."
I laughed, slapping at the hand still draped around my shoulder. "Then, for a lover, Jack, you make a darn good fighter!"
I suppose, in a way, that I should have seen it coming. But then, hindsight is 20/20, and so I think that, in that moment, I was totally and completely unprepared.
Because Jack's hand around my shoulder suddenly moved to turn my face towards his, and before I could make any reaction, his lips had rather firmly descended on mine.
My mouth was slightly open in shock, which was why it was perfect for Jack's mouth to move almost hungrily over mine, teeth gently biting at my lower lip. His tongue slid between my lips, and brushed over the back of my teeth once before he pulled back, leaving me gasping for breath.
And then he leaned forward, his breath hot against my ear as he whispered, "That, luv, is because you ain't never seen my lovin'."
And then he stepped out of the boat to join Will on the shore, who was staring at Jack, eyes wide, like he'd just grown an extra head. As for myself, I still sat, stunned, in the boat, eyes wide, not quite believing what had just happened.
Had I... was I.... just kissed by Captain Jack Sparrow?! And good heavens...that was some kiss! Not that I had much to compare it with. Believe it or not, and you are more likely to believe this than not, I had never, never been kissed before. And my first kiss - my first kiss ever - had come from Captain Jack Sparrow.
I thought I was going to faint.
"Heather?" Will hissed, bringing me back to reality with a start. "Did he hurt you?"
I blinked, and looked up, realizing for the first time that I was alone in the boat, and that Jack was standing by the rocks, presumably watching the scene below. Will was crouched beside the boat, eyes intense as he watched me warily.
"I'm - I'm fine." I said quickly, smiling as I climbed awkwardly out of the boat. "Honest."
Will didn't look like he believed me, but he followed me in heading over to where Jack was standing.
Below us, in the cave, was a disturbing scene. Pirates everywhere, and in the very center, Barbossa stood, gesturing wildly, two young girls beside him, being held by pirates. "Gentlemen, the time has come!" he yelled to an appreciative audience, that cheered with his every word. "Salvation is nigh! Our torment is near its end!"
"Elizabeth," Will whispered.
"And Christine," I added, glaring daggers at the pirates below.
"For ten years we've been tested and tried," Barbossa continued. "And every man-jerk of you here has proved his mettle a hundred times, and a hundred times again!"
A loud cheer rose from the assembled privateers.
Ragetti looked tragic. "Suffered, I have."
"Punished we were. The lot of us. Disproportionate to our crime. Here it is!" With a flourish, he flung off the lid of the stone chest before him, revealing an array of gold coins. The medallion around my neck burned with sudden and momentary heat at the sight of it. "The cursed treasure of Cortés himself. Every last piece that went astray we have returned...save for this." And he pointed to the medallion hanging around Elizabeth's neck.
My hand flew to my own neck, unconsciously pressing down on my dress where the medallion lay below, cold again, pressing into my skin. Had they found all the medallions?
Will scrambled forward, upsetting some of the treasure that seemed all around us, eager to get to Elizabeth. "Jack!"
"Not yet!" Jack pulled him back down again. "We wait for the opportune moment."
"When's that? When it's of greatest profit to you?" Will shot back through gritted teeth.
"May I ask you something?" Jack half-growled, then went on before Will could answer. "Have I ever given you reason not to trust me? Do us a favor. I know it's difficult for you, but please stay here....and try not to do anything stupid."
Meanwhile, Barbossa had continued on, with or without our attention. "And who among us has paid the blood sacrifice owed to the heathen gods?"
"Us!" The pirates bellowed back.
"And whose blood must yet be paid?"
"Hers!"
Elizabeth's eyes were wide with barely concealed terror.
"You know the first thing I'm goin' to do after the curse is lifted? Eat a whole bushel of apples." Dramatically, he picked up the flint blade knife. "Begun by blood, by blood undone."
I should have remembered this. Maybe my remembrance of what was happening the movie was fading with time, but I should have remembered what was going to happen next, as I barely jumped out of the way in time as an oar came down heavily on the head of the man standing next to me. "Will!?" I yelped, barely managing to keep my voice down.
"Sorry, Jack, but I'm not going to be your leverage."
"What do you think you're doing?!" I almost yelled, dropping to my knees to make sure Jack's head wasn't bleeding or something.
"Saving Elizabeth." he said firmly, and headed towards the pirates below.
I frowned, and hissed "It's a good thing you have such a hard head," to the still pirate captain, then stood again just in time to see Barbossa make a ragged slice across Elizabeth's palm.
"That's it?" She asked, incredulous.
Hey, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, girl!
"Waste not." Barbossa smirked, then dropped the coin into the chest. For a long moment, the pirates seemed to be holding their collective breath, waiting to see if the curse had been lifted as promised.
One of the pirates, I believe his name was Koelher, spoke up. "Did it work?"
"I don't feel no different," Ragetti frowned.
"How do we tell?" Pintel demanded. In response, Barbossa almost lazily drew his pistol, and unceremoniously shot the other pirate.
"You're not dead!" Koelher sounded disappointed.
"No." Pintel stared down at his chest. "He shot me!"
Twigg, another pirate, burst out, "It didn't work! The curse is still upon us!"
Barbossa spun to face Elizabeth again. "You, maid! Your father, what was his name? Was your father William Turner?!"
"No!" Elizabeth gasped, eyes wide.
"Where's his child?! The child that sailed from England eight years ago! The child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner!" He backhanded her, sending her tumbling down the small mountain of treasure. "Where?!"
Bo'Sun spun to face Pintel and Ragetti. "You two! You brought us the wrong person!"
"No!" Pintel held up his hands. "She had the medallion, she's the proper age!"
"She said her name was Turner, you heard her!" Ragetti agreed. Behind them all, out of their sight but well in mine, Will emerged from the water, and led Elizabeth in with him. But Christine, I thought desperately. "Stupid blighters," Ragetti muttered.
Christine let out a small sound, just a little gasp, but it was enough to make Barbossa spin back towards her. "What do you know?!" he demanded, grabbing her arms tightly, and shaking her. "Where's the Turner child?!"
She only let out a small sound of fear, and his eyes narrowed. "Is it you, then? Are you the Turner child?"
"Bit young, isn't she, Captain?" Twigg growled, squinting at her.
"Only one way to find out," Barbossa turned towards where Elizabeth had fallen, looking for the medallion, but she was gone. He paused only a moment, then snarled, "The medallion! She's taken it! Well, after her, you pack of ingrates!"
The entire mass of pirates started heading towards our hiding place in the shadows. Beside me, Jack began to stir, then awkwardly push himself up. He groaned, and staggered to his feet, and began heading into the light. Before I could say anything or try to go after him, a hand suddenly clapped over my mouth.
I tried to scream, but the hand muffled that, and Will's voice suddenly hissed in my ear, "We need to get out of here!"
He released my mouth, and hauled me to my feet, pulling a shivering, soaked Elizabeth and myself to the row boat. "But Jack!" I protested. "And Christine!"
"He'll take care of himself. It's not your concern." Will growled, and shoved me into the boat. I was on my feet again in an instant.
"There is no way I'm going to leave Christine and Jack there..."
He turned from pushing the pirate's oars into the water to lift one menacingly. "I will knock you asunder if I have to, miss Heather, but you will not put yourself in that kind of danger!"
The look on his face said that he was honestly telling the truth. I might have been touched by his concern for me, had I not been so incredibly ticked off. "Fine." I growled, and thunked down beside Elizabeth, arms crossed over my chest.
Dimly, I heard the sound of Jack and the pirates talking as Will pushed the boat off the shore, and began rowing towards the Interceptor.
"Puhley, puhlulehvoos, parleli, parsmi, pasley, parle, parle..."
"Parley?"
"Parley! That's the one! Parley! Parley!"
"Parley? Down to the depths whatever muttonhead thought up parley!"
"That would be the French."
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Oh my......long chapterness that is this chapter!
Yes. That made sense. No really, it did.
So there you go, all of those of you who wanted romance got it, action-wanters got it, and....people that want more Jack got that too!
*hides from flames she just knows she's gonna get for this scene*
Attention, fanfiction readers. This chapter has now concluded, and the author will be moving onto the next one momentarily. If you'd like to click on the review button in the corner, our computers will be happy to help you review to reach the goal of 125 reviews. Have a good evening, and thank you for reading Caribbean Secrets.