"Com' on…please…" A desperate voice whispers.
Groaning in utter irritation, you go to roll over but forget that you have taken sleep upon a bench. Yelping in surprise, you roll off your support and land with a loud 'Oomph!' upon the hay skirted stone ground.
Jack turns, seeing you pulling yourself up from the ground and picking flecks of rock and hay from your clothing and hair. Shrugging, he returns back to conquering the lock.
With a very aged, rotting bone.
"Jack, the bone wasn't made to pick locks", you inform after a few moments.
He turns and gives a frustrated grunt, "Well, it is now." He started to fiddle with it again, until you both hear footsteps.
Without warning, Jack threw himself onto the ground.
"Play dead", he whispers to you. You pretend you didn't even hear him ask.
The footsteps grow louder and you see a man come towards your cell. He disregards you completely, and looks at the sprawled out pirate, "You, Sparrow!"
"Aye!" Jack answers, his head propping up for a moment.
"You are familiar with that ship, the Black Pearl?" the man asks.
"I've 'eard of it", Jack replies in a tone that clearly states ' If you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine'.
"Where does it make berth?" the man asks again. You gaze at him watchfully, taking in his casual dress, handsome face and brown hair tied with a ribbon.
Jack looks amused for a moment and props himself up on his elbows, "Where does it make berth? Have you not heard the stories?"
There was no response. You also listening intently.
"Captain Barbossa an' his crew of miscreants sailed from the dreaded Isla de Muerte. It's an island that cannot be found except -" Jack lifted a hand and made almost a hushing motion, indicating there was more to explain, " - by those who already know where it is."
The stranger is now pressed up against the cell door, peering towards Jack, "The ship's real enough. Therefore its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?"
Jack sighed and started to study his fingernails, "Why ask me?"
"Because you're a pirate." Put on the spot.
A scoff comes from you as you continue to listen.
"An' ye' want to turn pirate ye'self, is that it?" Jack replies instantly with a quick wit.
"Never!" The stranger snapped instantly, and then became silent. He stops and shifts his eyes slightly from you to Jack, "T-they took Miss Swann."
"Oh, the lovely girl who was so sheltered by her father?" You simultaneously blurt out loud.
"Sorry?" The stranger queried while studying you with a strange expression. You then realise that this man had not been down by the docks, therefore never witnessing the previous events.
"Oh, never mind." You mutter.
Jack seemingly approves of the young man and claps his hands together whilst pulling himself up into a sitting position, "Oh, so it is that you've found a girl. I see," he tilted his head to the side sincerely, "well, if you're intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue and so win fair lady's heart you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me."
You scoff and earn a look from Jack.
"I can get you out of here - "
"How's that? The key's have run off!"
"I helped build these cells. These are half pin-barrel hinges. With the right leverage and a proper application of strength, the door will lift free," the man picked up a bench and hooked it the bottom of the cell door. You watch curiously as he begun to push down with his entire weight.
"What's your name?" Jack asks with a twitch of his lip.
"William Turner", he says while averting his gaze back to the pirate.
"Tha' will be short for William, I imagine," Jack's eyes lowered as if he were reminiscing about the past then suddenly he looks back up, "Good, strong name. No doubt, named for your father, aye?"
Will muttered a yes.
"Aha," Jack said with a bit more hype, and you instantly realise that Jack has some how formed a plan within his mind, "Well, Mr. Turner, I've changed me mind. If you spring me from this cell, I swear on pain of death, I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your bonny lass," Jack stopped and turned to you, "Wha' bout you, love?"
You sit and think about it for a moment, "Well, I have no idea where else to go and I don't know how to get home, so yeah," you sigh and stand up.
Jack clapped his hands again and stood up with a big grin, "Great! The more, the merrier! Do we have an accord?" he shook hands with Will.
"Agreed, get us out!" Jack said enthusiastically.
Will pushed down on the bench and the cell door came off its hinges and fell to the ground with a loud clang, "Hurry, someone will have heard that."
"Not without my effects!" Jack quickly stammered to some hangers and grabbed his belongings.
-
Your blinded by the morning light as you start to follow Jack and Will down to the shore. Your gut was rumbling and only then did you realise how nervous you were.
Will was in the lead, with you coming up next and Jack hanging on the tail. From what you could tell, you were heading towards the bridge. "Red coats", Will mutter and come at a sudden stop.
Not expecting this, you run straight into him.
"Oof!" you fall back and into Jack's arms. Your eyes were closed shut and noticing you didn't hit the ground, you slowly open them to see Jack holding you up.
"Careful, love", Jack whispers.
You let a smile cross your lips as Jack helped you up and you continued to sneak down and below the bridge.
Making sure no one saw or followed you; you rested your back on the cold wall below the bridge.
Jack seemed to be eyeing a medium sized ship out by the docks. Will noticed this and knew what was going to happen.
"We're going to steal a ship. That ship?" he muttered.
Jack turned around to face him, "Commandeer. We're goin' to commandeer that ship. Nautical term," he stopped and made a hand gesture, then became serious.
"One question about your business boy, or there's no use going. This girl, how far are you willing to go to save her?"
"I'd die for her!" Will responed with passion.
"Oh good! No worries then!" Jack spun around again with cheriness.
The next thing you knew, you were being hurried under a small boat. Jack was first under, then you.
Will was about to go under, when suddenly red coats came out of nowhere. You were only half way in, when all of a sudden your pushed with full force by Will and shoved on top of Jack.
Your face is on Jacks chest, your left foot is in Will face and something is digging into your rib.
Slowly lifting your head, you see Jack grinning at you, "Couldn't keep your hands off me?"
"Hey, it's not my fault I keep tripping over and Will pushed me!" You retort, but Jack only smirks in reply.
Five minutes later, from your chest down your in water and breathing off stale air crammed under a boat.
Your toes only brush against the sand, considering that both Jack and Will were a good foot or and a half taller and holding the boat at their height. Sighing, you decide to just let them do the work and float along.
"This is either madness or brilliance", you hear will say in a concerned and even angered tone.
"I couldn't agree more", you add with a bemused chuckle.
"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide." Jack replies with a grumble.
How in the world could have this man come up with an idea like this? You think to yourself while lazily kicking your feet under the water, maybe he's done this before…
"Ouch."
Suddenly, you feel your toes brush against something rough and splintering. Peeping down, you can make out a small wooden shaped box with a thin rope tied to it and heading upwards.
"What's wrong?" Jack asks, while looking over his shoulder you.
"Look out for the lobster trap", you state just as Will was approaching it.
An annoyed grunt comes from behind you and the dim sound of crunching wood. You turn and gaze at Will with an amused grin. He looks up at you.
"What are you doing? Are your feet even touching the ground?" He asked while trying to pry the lobster trap off his foot with his free foot.
You shake your head, "Nope, my feet aren't touch the ground. So I thought I'd just float by and kick along," he tilt your hear at him, "I did warn you about the trap. Do you want me to duck under and take it off?"
"No, keep it," Jacks voice butts in before he came to a sudden halt, "On the count of three, we let go and swim to surface-"
On three, you take in a gulp of air and kick off the bottom. Soon you reach the surface and gasp for air. Your insides were still recovering from the salt attack earlier on. Will and yourself watch as Jack made use of the lobster trap and rope.
Will grabs your hand and helps you onto the deck of the ship. "Take this", he offers you a cutlass but you shake your head in decline.
"No, no, no, I think I'll just wait here til your done Commandeering," you mumble and add, "Nautical term."
Will stares at you; his expression uncertain before you nod towards the direction Jack had gone. You watch as Will disappeared and wait a moment before hearing disruption. Stepping up into view, you stare down at the visible uncertain and shocked sailers as Jack threateningly cocked a gun at one of the men's foreheads.
A moment passes, and before anything else is shared, the sailers are in dingy and rowing towards shore.
"What did you say to them?" you ask Will as he stood by the mast.
He looks disgruntled for a slight moment, "I didn't say a thing. He did." He motioned towards Jack, who was standing by the helm.
Deciding to follow Will to the helm, you eye Jack who is standing in all his prime, beaming at his success of commandeering.
"Did you threaten them?" You asked while leaning your back against a railing next to Jack.
Jack's eyes turn to you and he looks sweetly at you, "Only a little."
You can't help but let a smile form on your lips. Before you can ask anything else, you find Will staring worryingly over the top of your head.
"Here they come."
Both you and Jack look over, only you actually fully turning while Jack continued to rest his rusty pistol upon his shoulder. A sly grin formed across his features.
The Interceptor is nearing the Dauntless much quicker than anyone would have expected.
"What are we going to do?" you ask as the ship is nearing.
Jack grabs your hand and beckons for Will to follow you to the back of the ship and stand below the main sail.
"Wha -?" you begin.
"Shh…" Jack hushes then brings you closer to him to hide you from view. The sound of commands and orders are being thrown about by the voice of Norrington as they boarded the Dauntless.
The sounds of footsteps are nearing, and you see Will holding two ropes attached to the top of the main sail. You suddenly realise the ropes are long enough to swing from this side of the ship to the Interceptor.
You begin to gape at them, and shake your hands in protest as Will hands Jack one of the ropes. Finding that Will was already preparing to swing off the starboard side, you continue to protest in sign language more fervently.
"No time to complain, love!" Jack's coos in a low voice before scooping you with one arm and swinging off the Dauntless after Will.
Instantly, you wrap your arms and legs around him, and close your eyes tight. The wind is billowing through your hair one moment, and then suddenly Jack is letting you down onto the deck of the Interceptor.
Slightly dazed, you lean back against the side of the deck railing and watch Will hack the supporting ropes of the sailers from the Interceptor's side. Jack has already made hast to the helm and the Interceptor is already moving.
"Thank you, Commodore, for getting us ready to make way. We'd have a hard time of it by ourselves!" Jack bellowed with sheer amusement, then suddenly ducking as a shower of bullets came pouring down.
You watch as the Dauntless fades into nothing behind the Interceptor. A grin forms on your face as you realise how smooth the commandeering had been.
Moments passed, and you find yourself wandering the deck, rubbing the back of your burning neck, then finally stopping and sitting next to Will as he spoke to Jack.
"When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself," Will stopped short just to look up and see you sit down across from him before continuing, "after she died, I came out here, looking for my father."
Jack is more or less securing ropes from the sails, and you can't quiet note whether he is listening or not.
"My father," suddenly Will is up and wandering towards the ever-moving Jack, "Will Turner. And in jail it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter."
Jack continued to wander the deck, his back still to the talking Will.
"I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father."
You continue to eye the two men, and finally Jack had swung around and made eye contact with the pursuing Will.
"I knew 'im. Probably one the few who knew him as William Turner, everyone else just called him Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill." Jack answers with the slight crease of reminiscence on his features before turning his back to Will and continuing, "Good man, good pirate. I swear you look just like him."
Instantly you find yourself leaning forward and listening more.
Will's face had contorted into anger and he had drawn his sword, "My father was not a pirate!"
Jack sighed but kept his back to him, "Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting beat again."
"You didn't beat me; you ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd killed you!"
Looking over his shoulder, Jack replied wittingly, "And that's no incentive for me to fight fair, is it?"
Without warning, Jack had suddenly spun the wheel causing the lower sail to come swinging to the left and pummelling into Will. You gasp as Will grasped helplessly over the edge of the ship. Rushing forward, your suddenly grabbed on the arm and held back by Jack. You stop and glare at him.
"Now as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention," Jack held the while in place while holding his sword in the other hand, "The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance – you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday."
Jack had averted his eyes towards you just as you took a step forward. You stop. Jack continued.
"And me, for example, I can let you drown but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesies, savvy? So…" Jack pulled the wheel over and the sail brought Will back onto the deck. He fell with a loud thud. Jack leered over him, his blade pointed at Will.
"Can you sail under the command of a pirate -" he flipped the sword in the air and now offered the hilt towards Will, "- or can you not?"
Will reluctantly took the sword and you offer and hand to help him up, but he declines and returns back to sharpening his cutlass.
"Tortuga?" you ask Jack by the wheel.
Jack turned around with a grin, "Tortuga."