Bird Bereft of Flight
By Kourin Lucrece
Disclaimer: Disney happens to be a rich corporation. I, on the other hand, am merely an aspiring writer and actress of sorts who will most likely end up sitting in Central Park with a hat. Now, who do you think owns it?
Author's Note: Evenin' mates! How be you this fine day? Now, if you will pardon any and all mistakes in the story (especially where plot is concerned...), keep in mine that this is my first PotC fanfic. I do so hope that it may live up to the example set by a great many predecessors and portray the characters properly. Pretty much this is my take on what may have happened between the whole affair on Isla de Muerte and Jack's ordeal with the hangman's noose. Comments are always appreciated!!
Chapter 1: He's a Pirate
The three figures in the small dinghy stared at the moonlit black waters, waters that were empty of the ship that should have been there. Elizabeth and Will both saw Jack's shoulders slump in defeat at the Pearl's absence. He had been so close!
"I'm sorry Jack," Elizabeth whispered. And she truly was. She had known that they wouldn't stay. They saw the ship as rightfully theirs. After all, in the crew's eyes Jack had fallen behind and he owed AnaMaria a ship. The crew hadn't even attempted to aid help. They had told her all of that. But still, she had hoped... For Jack's sake if not for Will's...
"They done what's right by them," the pirate captain's soft reply floated back. "Ye can't expect any more." He didn't sound as though he believed it, however. Ten years he had tried, only now succeeding, in getting his revenge on Barbossa and his crew but the Pearl was still gone. Yet another crew had taken his ship and abandoned him to certain death.
No matter how any of the looked at the situation, it didn't seem fair. "Jack..." Will started, unsure of what to say. Despite his professed hatred for pirate's, the blacksmith's respect for the rather bizarre captain had gradually grown into something akin to hero-worship. He didn't see how Ana or Gibbs could have just left him behind.
"Let it be lad," Jack interrupted. "Let it be."
The remainder of the all too short trip back to the HMS Dauntless was silent as each one of them contemplated what fate awaited them on said ship. For Jack, he knew it was almost certain that he would be put to death. After all the things he had done in his lifetime there was little hope that either the Commodore or Governor could turn a blind eye and let him go. (as if they would even want to, for that matter...) Maybe the whelp would be able to get off, though. That thought helped slightly.
Will himself was thinking very little of his impending punishment. His thoughts and Elizabeth's were running the same course: her engagement to Norrington. It had been to save his life that she agreed, true enough, but even if his acts of piracy were ignored Elizabeth would still be married to the Commodore. After all that he had done to get her back! Perhaps they both understood how Jack felt about the loss of the Black Pearl in their own ways.
It was a very somber and subdued trio that finally reached the side of the navy's ship. Will and Jack quietly aided Elizabeth in climbing up the Dauntless and onto the deck, where she was promptly pulled up by Norrington and into a relieved hug by her father.
Governor Swann's attention, however, quickly shifted to the two somewhat battered men who pulled themselves on board as well. Before he could even say a word, Elizabeth interrupted him.
"Father, Commodore, please," she said. "These men saved my life!"
Norrington looked at her with disapproval. "They are pirates, Elizabeth."
"And through their piracy they saved me and you!"
Her father cast a cold glance over the two topics of discussion. "Mister Turner." Will jumped and snapped to attention. "You will accompany myself and my daughter to my quarters and relate the events up to now." Will nodded and the Governor turned abruptly to face Jack. "As for Captain Sparrow..."
"I know, I know," Jack said tonelessly, his usual flair completely absent. He held out his hands. "Clap me in irons."
Despite the fact that Jack had said these same words not long before, all of the humor had left his voice. Even the guards looked slightly surprised. Norrington nodded anyway and one of the guards hurried forward to place the cuffs rather tightly on Jack's wrists. "Lieutenant, if you would be so kind, please escort Captain Sparrow to join his fellow pirates below deck." The tone in which the commodore said 'captain' was gratingly mocking, but the pirate's eyes continued to be seemingly captivated by the dirty blanks of the deck.
As Jack was dragged away, Elizabeth turned desperately to face her father, pulling out of his arms. "Father, please!!"
He silenced her with a look, but seeing her so distraught made it difficult. "It is for your own good as well as that of other citizens under the crown, my dear," he told her kindly. "Under the circumstances I can understand your attachment, but in time you will realize it is folly."
"He is a good man," she protested, though she would never have said so to the captain himself. She just couldn't bear the thought of him being hung because he had helped Will save her.
"He is a pirate." The Governor exchanged a glance with Norrington. "Elizabeth, Mister Turner, if you please..." They were guided to the room where Elizabeth had been before and the navy crew began preparing the Dauntless to sail back to Port Royal. The shouts of a working crew and the comforting rock of the ship were lost on both lovers as what Elizabeth realized was to be Will's trial began.
* Was that it? Did I manage a cliffhanger? At all?? **hopeful** Sorry this was such a short chapter, the next one will be up soon. (In the meantime, reviews are always helpful!) I hope you liked this as much as I liked writing it! Bye for now. ~Mireya
By Kourin Lucrece
Disclaimer: Disney happens to be a rich corporation. I, on the other hand, am merely an aspiring writer and actress of sorts who will most likely end up sitting in Central Park with a hat. Now, who do you think owns it?
Author's Note: Evenin' mates! How be you this fine day? Now, if you will pardon any and all mistakes in the story (especially where plot is concerned...), keep in mine that this is my first PotC fanfic. I do so hope that it may live up to the example set by a great many predecessors and portray the characters properly. Pretty much this is my take on what may have happened between the whole affair on Isla de Muerte and Jack's ordeal with the hangman's noose. Comments are always appreciated!!
Chapter 1: He's a Pirate
The three figures in the small dinghy stared at the moonlit black waters, waters that were empty of the ship that should have been there. Elizabeth and Will both saw Jack's shoulders slump in defeat at the Pearl's absence. He had been so close!
"I'm sorry Jack," Elizabeth whispered. And she truly was. She had known that they wouldn't stay. They saw the ship as rightfully theirs. After all, in the crew's eyes Jack had fallen behind and he owed AnaMaria a ship. The crew hadn't even attempted to aid help. They had told her all of that. But still, she had hoped... For Jack's sake if not for Will's...
"They done what's right by them," the pirate captain's soft reply floated back. "Ye can't expect any more." He didn't sound as though he believed it, however. Ten years he had tried, only now succeeding, in getting his revenge on Barbossa and his crew but the Pearl was still gone. Yet another crew had taken his ship and abandoned him to certain death.
No matter how any of the looked at the situation, it didn't seem fair. "Jack..." Will started, unsure of what to say. Despite his professed hatred for pirate's, the blacksmith's respect for the rather bizarre captain had gradually grown into something akin to hero-worship. He didn't see how Ana or Gibbs could have just left him behind.
"Let it be lad," Jack interrupted. "Let it be."
The remainder of the all too short trip back to the HMS Dauntless was silent as each one of them contemplated what fate awaited them on said ship. For Jack, he knew it was almost certain that he would be put to death. After all the things he had done in his lifetime there was little hope that either the Commodore or Governor could turn a blind eye and let him go. (as if they would even want to, for that matter...) Maybe the whelp would be able to get off, though. That thought helped slightly.
Will himself was thinking very little of his impending punishment. His thoughts and Elizabeth's were running the same course: her engagement to Norrington. It had been to save his life that she agreed, true enough, but even if his acts of piracy were ignored Elizabeth would still be married to the Commodore. After all that he had done to get her back! Perhaps they both understood how Jack felt about the loss of the Black Pearl in their own ways.
It was a very somber and subdued trio that finally reached the side of the navy's ship. Will and Jack quietly aided Elizabeth in climbing up the Dauntless and onto the deck, where she was promptly pulled up by Norrington and into a relieved hug by her father.
Governor Swann's attention, however, quickly shifted to the two somewhat battered men who pulled themselves on board as well. Before he could even say a word, Elizabeth interrupted him.
"Father, Commodore, please," she said. "These men saved my life!"
Norrington looked at her with disapproval. "They are pirates, Elizabeth."
"And through their piracy they saved me and you!"
Her father cast a cold glance over the two topics of discussion. "Mister Turner." Will jumped and snapped to attention. "You will accompany myself and my daughter to my quarters and relate the events up to now." Will nodded and the Governor turned abruptly to face Jack. "As for Captain Sparrow..."
"I know, I know," Jack said tonelessly, his usual flair completely absent. He held out his hands. "Clap me in irons."
Despite the fact that Jack had said these same words not long before, all of the humor had left his voice. Even the guards looked slightly surprised. Norrington nodded anyway and one of the guards hurried forward to place the cuffs rather tightly on Jack's wrists. "Lieutenant, if you would be so kind, please escort Captain Sparrow to join his fellow pirates below deck." The tone in which the commodore said 'captain' was gratingly mocking, but the pirate's eyes continued to be seemingly captivated by the dirty blanks of the deck.
As Jack was dragged away, Elizabeth turned desperately to face her father, pulling out of his arms. "Father, please!!"
He silenced her with a look, but seeing her so distraught made it difficult. "It is for your own good as well as that of other citizens under the crown, my dear," he told her kindly. "Under the circumstances I can understand your attachment, but in time you will realize it is folly."
"He is a good man," she protested, though she would never have said so to the captain himself. She just couldn't bear the thought of him being hung because he had helped Will save her.
"He is a pirate." The Governor exchanged a glance with Norrington. "Elizabeth, Mister Turner, if you please..." They were guided to the room where Elizabeth had been before and the navy crew began preparing the Dauntless to sail back to Port Royal. The shouts of a working crew and the comforting rock of the ship were lost on both lovers as what Elizabeth realized was to be Will's trial began.
* Was that it? Did I manage a cliffhanger? At all?? **hopeful** Sorry this was such a short chapter, the next one will be up soon. (In the meantime, reviews are always helpful!) I hope you liked this as much as I liked writing it! Bye for now. ~Mireya