Author's Note: Did everyone think I mysteriously got rid of Elizabeth? Well I didn't…maybe I temporarily forgot about her, but never got rid…so here she is finally.
*~*HAPPY TURKEY DAY*~*
"What do you want with me?" Elizabeth asked. She was seated across from the captain of the ship she was on right now. He had introduced himself as Antonio Alverez, with a strong Spanish accent. He had stopped calling her 'luv' after she attacked him and bit him on the neck which caused her to be beaten. Today she was taken out of her cabin to eat something. She couldn't understand why he even cared about her health a day after he had two people in his crew beat her.
She was tied to the chair to make sure she wouldn't have another outburst again. Her wrists were tied together so she could at least pick up her fork and eat the food set in front of her. But she hadn't taken a bite, afraid of poison.
Antonio noticed her not touching her food and said, ignoring her question, "Why do you not eat?"
She didn't answer.
"Poisoning perhaps? No señora, we have no need to kill you."
Sounds familiar, she thought, thinking of Barbossa. She stubbornly picked up the fork, thinking this might be the only meal she'd get for a while.
"Then what will you have a need for, señor, if I may ask."
He sighed, "You had a mother, no?"
She nodded.
"And she died, say three years ago?"
Elizabeth paused, "How did you know that?"
He smiled conceitedly, "I make it my business to know."
She went back to her unemotional look and kept eating slowly.
"So she died, am I right?"
"You're right."
"Excellent."
"What does my mother have to do with anything?"
"She has to do with everything."
Jack rolled his eyes and sighed. Gwyneth had taken a permanent spot between Will and Jack. She hadn't screamed or yelped or latched on to their arms, but she had moved in between- using them like buffers. Jack was a little irritated but he guessed he couldn't blame her. This was her first time in Tortuga.
She had turned a few heads and has also smacked some men without any help from Will and Jack. He was somewhat impressed. Not really, but somewhat.
Now they were in The Faithful Bride, and trying to get information from one of the local sailors who weren't quite drunk. Right now he was sitting with a man named Trevor, a pirate captain whose ship got destroyed so he took refuge here. He had paused because Gwyneth had snorted at something Trevor had said. After he rolled his eyes, he turned his head back to Trevor, "You were sayin'?"
"…So Antonio Alverez got 'imself and 'is crew a crew. How, I'm not quite sure, and what kind it is who knows, but I'll tell you one thing- He's had the same crew for the past twenty some years."
"Twenty years? What captain would go looking for something for that long?" Gwyneth said in a mock tone.
Jack closed his eyes in irritation and opened them saying, "Would you excuse us?" He looked at Will, gesturing him to keep the information coming. He grabbed Gwyneth by the arm and forcefully pulled her out of the bar.
"What?!"
"Like you don't know."
Gwyneth stood there, rubbing her arm.
"I told you that you could come but I didn't say you could be mockin' the people we talk to! I'm the captain here and I want you to be quiet."
"Don't think you are the only one whose lost someone."
"I realize that Nathan was a great loss but frankly, I don't care right now. Yer bein' rude to the only piece of information we got!"
She was silent.
"Now tell me you'll be quiet." He asked, almost begging.
She nodded. He took it and left to go back inside, she followed him and sat down. Trevor was gone.
"Where'd he go?" Jack asked Will.
"He had nothing more to say."
"Well what'd I miss?"
"He said that Antonio has been lookin' for this map for twenty years. He has it on good authority that the map leads to somewhere in Trinidad. And what he meant by the twenty years thing- was that he's had the same crew for twenty years…"
Jack got the meaning, "As in no one's been killed?"
Will nodded.
Jack dropped his head and cursed. As he did, a pair of eyes watched from a dark corner in the bar. He had overheard the whole conversation between the young lad and Trevor. Trevor would soon be taken care off, and so would the young lad.
When Jack has assembled Ana, Gibbs, Will and Gwyneth in his cabin, the sun had set. Jack had gone over the information with his few crew members and now asked what they thought.
"Isn't it obvious? We go to Trinidad," Ana Maria said, with implication in her voice that they were all morons.
"Elizabeth doesn't have the map. I'm sure of it." Will responded.
"What, your wife can't have secrets of her own?"
"She would've told me."
Ana shrugged, "It's the best plan. They know that's where whatever they need or want is on Trinidad. They might've assumed that Liz has it, so they'll go straight there."
"What I don't get is if they knew whatever they wanted was on Trinidad, why didn't they raid the island and search instead of looking for the stupid thing for more than twenty years?"
Jack looked at Gwyneth as if she had discovered gold. He looked around at the other people in the room and got in response blank stares except for Gibbs.
"Whoever these pirates are lass, they don't want to have to kill everyone on the island. They seem to have more sense than that."
"They'll kill at least five defenseless people who didn't have a chance but won't kill everyone on an island, you're right, that does make more sense."
"I didn't say that it made more sense, but it does make some sort of sense. Pirates are more respectable than you think."
"I'll believe that when a pirate kills someone you love," with that, Gwyneth marched out of the room.
Jack flinched when she slammed the door and Will started to get up to console her, but Jack put a hand on his shoulder, "Leave her be…"
Will obeyed and the rest of them talked about what to do. They agreed to Ana's idea, to go to Trinidad and try to get some information there if Antonio and his crew weren't already there. They had taken Elizabeth about three or four days ago they would be well on their way. Tortuga was also about two days away from Trinidad, so it would be easy.
"Everyone get t'bed. It's early I know, but I want everyone awake, sober and alive tomorrow. Gibbs and Ana- go get everyone from on deck to the galley and tell them to get to their cabin or I'll throw them off the ship, and lower the anchor, we're staying the night here." The two nodded and left.
With only him and Will in the cabin Jack said, "Look, I know that they have Lizzy, but don't go off choppin' heads, k?"
"I wouldn't go that…"
"Yes you would. You go nuts if someone threatens Liz. Remember what you did to me?" Will smiled at the memory, "All I'm sayin' is don't do anything stupid, and if you do- at least do it-"
"At the opportune moment…" Will said with Jack. Jack looked at him and laughed.
"We've known each other too long lad,"
Will nodded, he got up and said, "Well, I think I'll go look for Gwyneth."
"Actually Will, I was wonderin' if I could be able to do that…I may have said something to make her…"
"What'd you say?"
Jack shrugged, "Meaningless to me, the sun and moon to her."
Will eyed for a minute, "Don't do anything stupid."
"I think I already have…"
Will stood there silent for a minute and just stared at his friend, "What's wrong? You haven't even known her a week and you're about to go apologize…"
"I said nothing about apologizin'."
Will nodded knowingly and left the cabin. A minute later Ana carried in Brenda who was looking sleepy in her arms. She put her on the bed and Brenda immediately sat up and looked at Jack, waiting to be changed into pajamas. "Thanks Ana."
"No problem."
"Daddy, why is Gweny crying?"
Jack looked at Ana and she nodded. Great, Jack thought. It wasn'r necessarily his fault, but he felt bad for her for what he said at the bar in Tortuga. He looked at his daughter and said, "She's not feelin' too good…"
Ana raised her eyebrow and said, "Captain, can I speak freely?"
Jack knew it was important; she wanted to say something in front of the little one, "Always Ana."
"Ms. Johnson lost the person she loved the most; it's obvious she's not up to the things you may throw at her."
"Are you implyin' that I'm badgerin' her?"
Ana took in a small breath, "That's exactly what I'm sayin'."
"Well I'm not. I may have said some harsh words…but nothin' more. Now get to yer cabin."
Ana nodded and left, knowing that her opinion was now in Jack's head and that he'd consider it and think about it. She was satisfied with that.
Jack went to his dresser and got some little pajamas for his daughter. He quickly changed her clothes and then tucked her into bed. He lit a little candle for her that was right next to the door and then lit a larger candle and left the cabin. He went looking around the ship for Gwyneth but found her easily.
She was at the bow of the ship, at the very tip of the Pearl. Jack took a deep breath and walked towards her. He stood next to her for a few minutes, her sniffling, him not sure what to do. Then he told himself to talk.
"Look Gwen," she turned her back to him when he said his pet name for her but he kept talking, "I didn't mean what I said back at Tortuga."
She turned around, anger written all over her face, "What makes you think you have anything to do with my current state?"
"I'm no fool luv, I said something that made you upset…"
"It's not all about you Captain. You're not the only person on this ship who offends me." She said, walking in the opposite direction.
"Then why'd you even agree to come on board if you hate pirates so much?"
She turned sharply around, "Because it'll put Nathan's soul to rest."
"What? Finding his killers? You really think someone's soul can be put to rest? As apposed to them walking around and grunting 'bout bein' dead?"
"Is there anything else you'd like to insult me on captain?!" She said, raising her voice, "Because you're doing a fine job so far! Why not get it all done now?"
"I'm sorry," He said quietly.
She didn't respond but just turned around.
"Like I was sayin' before- I didn't mean what I said in Tortuga…I was just irritated. You have to admit you were bein' a little rude."
Nothing.
"It's just that I get…tense when it comes to the people I care 'bout."
She turned around, "So do I."
"Then you can understand my frustration?"
She bit the inside of her lip and turned back around, "I guess."
"I know how you feel about missin' Nathan…" Jack said after a few minutes, thinking of the woman who had left him with nothing but a child.
"I highly doubt that Captain."
"You don't think that I've had someone taken away from me at a minutes notice?"
She turned around, tears in her eyes, "You have?"
"Well she wasn't necessarily taken from me…but in a sense yea…"
Her eyes seemed to soften, "I'm sorry…"
"Don't be."
"I am though."
Jack made eye contact with her for a minute or two, but seemed like longer. Then she broke it, "I need to get some rest…to be at full performance tomorrow."
"Performance…that reminds me, ask Ana to teach you how to sword fight. I'm not sure how far you'll get with one lesson, but something is better than nothing…and knife throwing too…"
She nodded and walked to her cabin. After she shut the door Jack stood on deck a few minutes longer, thinking about what had just happened. But he shook the thoughts out of his head and walked to his cabin and shut the door quietly behind him.
When the man heard the last door shut on the large ship, he quietly walked up the plank and disappeared into one of the many hatches on the Black Pearl's deck.
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Author's Thanks:
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