Author's Note: Just to let you know if you hear Deborah's name and she's in the conversation…then it's a flashback. I use ***** five of those but then I also use then to change the setting or to tell you we're going back in time maybe only two hours. So I'll try to tell you before you read if there's going to be any of that.
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Will turned and looked at Jack, his mouth was open, and his eyes wide. "Beverly?" She turned and looked at him.
"Captain."
"That wasn't a 'hello'. That was a question. What are you doin'?"
"Well I'm tryin' to do my job!"
"Yer job?"
Antonio cleared his throat, "Señor, I don't think you've met my wife- Beverly Alverez."
"You're wife?!" Will and Jack said at the same time.
He nodded.
"Well wife our not, she needs to get her blade away from my neck." Will said, trying desperately to touch Elizabeth. Antonio nodded and Will went to Elizabeth. He untied her wrists, "Will…?" She asked, half conscious.
"I'm here baby, don't worry." He gently picked her up and started to carry her back away from Antonio when he saw her face. It was terribly bruised. He turned back around and said, "What did you do to her?"
He shrugged.
Jack looked at him, "What, you can't pick on one of yer crew members; you have to abuse a woman that's half yer size and strength?"
"I convinced her to tell me where you're friend was…"He said motioning towards Gwyneth.
"What makes you think she has it?" Jack asked.
"Because Señora Turner doesn't have it, neither does her father or brother."
"Why would you even suspect Elizabeth in the first place?"
"Her mother stole it from me."
Jack raised his eye brows, Lizzy's mother sleeping with the enemy? Is that possible? Well I guess I know where she got her love for pirates. From her mother. "Señor, I have a thought, you, me and Ms. Johnson will all go into her cabin and look through her trunk?"
Antonio eyed him, "Agreed."
Jack nodded and Antonio told his crewman to let her go. He released her and she wavered before getting her balance. Jack looked at her and she held back the urge to run to him. She led the way to her cabin and the two men followed her in. They shut the door behind them and Gwyneth lit a candle. She gave it to Jack who leaned against the wall, trying to think of a plan as she started looking carefully through her things.
What if she does have the map? Then what? Give it to him? Why is the map so bloody important? It that what seals the deal? But deal with whom? I don't have enough information to do anything! He sighed. He needed to talk to Elizabeth now. If they got off the ship, then we'd row out far enough not to be boarded. At least not until they get their ship…but that should give me all the time I need. If only we could get them off our ship!
As Jack was searching brain for different ways for them to leave, Gwyneth had plans of her own, "I found it." She said.
Antonio looked up and his eyes widened as Gwyneth pulled out an old, weathered folded up map. Jack cursed his bad luck. Antonio, obviously hiding his excitement snatched the map out of her hand and left the cabin. He told his crew they had it and everyone left.
Jack told Gibbs to lift the anchor; they were getting away from the dock as soon as possible. The anchor was lifted and the ship started floating out into sea, but Jack told his crew to go down below and start rowing until they were fifteen, twenty feet away from the dock.
Next he looked at Gwyneth, "How could you just hand them the map without talking to me first?"
"Oh! Like I was supposed to talk to you about an escape plan right in front of him?"
"I see yer point, but still. Now they have the map!"
"No they don't."
"What are you talking about? Yes they do, I saw you give it to them."
"I gave them a map. It wasn't the map."
Jack eyed her, "Do you have the map they're lookin' for?"
She nodded, "I found it. Nathan put it in the bottom of my jewelry box."
Jack smiled, "Perfect." And then a shot grazed his hat. He ducked down and covered Gwyneth. They obviously had just found out that the map wasn't the one they needed. When Jack heard the bullets hitting the water, he banged on the top of the deck, telling his crew to stop rowing. He stood up with Gwyneth and looked into the night. Antonio's men had torches, and Antonio yelled, "Next time I see you Señorita, you'll have two seconds before I kill you!"
Jack looked at Gwyneth and then grabbed her hand, leading her away from the deck. He pulled her into Will's cabin where he was sitting with Elizabeth on a cot. They both looked at the people coming in. Gwyneth let go of Jack's hand and ran to Elizabeth's side. She started crying on her knees.
"Elizabeth, I was so scared for you…and I'm so sorry about your father…"
"And I am sorry about Nathan…"
Gwyneth looked up, "Half an hour to the wedding…Half an hour…"
Elizabeth's face softened and she opened her arms to Gwyneth. Jack looked her over while the two women were hugging. She had a good black eye on her and little bruises on her cheeks. The two pulled apart and Jack took this opportunity while he had it.
"Liz, tell me what you know of Alverez."
She looked at him a little surprised but she knew the information well, "Well he and his crew sold their sold their souls to the devil for the map. It leads to treasure and something that will give them everlasting life."
"Can they die?"
"Yes, no matter how young they look, they're still immortal."
"Perfect. Now Gwen has the map…if we were to destroy it…"
"Then wouldn't they die? If their souls are gone…" She tried to reason; it made sense, but was it true?
"I dunno, but I'm willing to try it. Gwen, where's the map?"
She pulled it out of her boot and gave it to him. Next he went to Gwyneth's cabin where the candle was and carried them both out to the side of the ship.
"Gibbs, load the canons. I have a feelin' their ship will be coming after us." Gibbs nodded and he took some crew members down below.
"Jack, what are you doing?" Ana Maria asked.
"Burin' the map."
"But Jack, that map leads to treasure."
He paused, "Is there any way we can make a copy to this?"
Ana paused as well and thought about that, "Nothing comes to mind, I don't have the right supplies to do such a thing. You don't have to burn the map, Jack!"
"It might kill them!"
"We can kill them."
Jack sighed, "Ana, I've got to do it." He looked towards the deck where most of Antonio's crew already was. "Alverez!" He turned and looked, his eyes seemed to widen as he saw was Jack was holding. Jack smirked his trademark smirk and then said, "Is this what yer lookin' for?"
"You wouldn't!" He yelled.
Jack nodded and brought the candle to the map and caught one corner on fire. It burned amazing fast and Jack let it go right before the fire reached his fingers. The ashes dropped into the ocean and then disappeared. Jack looked up and watched as the whole crew aged twenty five years. They grew beards and beer-bellies. Their faces grew long, with wrinkles and some of their hair started to thin.
Ana and Jack watched, amazed to see such a sight. "Good god…" Ana murmured.
"That's something you don't see everyday…" Jack said, eyes still on the crew that was on the deck. Antonio's eyes seemed to spout fire as he roared his crew to go to the ship. Jack took in a deep breath, here it comes, here they come. The crew would be injured, but they'd survive. Jack had picked a good crew.
He turned and went to Will's cabin where Gwyneth still sat. "Will, they're comin'. And uh…don't be distracted by their appearance,"
"They aren't dead?"
"No…they just aged about twenty years. C'mon. I'm gunna need you out here." Will nodded. He kissed his wife and he and Gwyneth left, Will locking the door behind them.
Next Jack went to his cabin and found Brenda, sitting up in bed, the covers up to her neck.
"Daddy!" Jack went to her and she threw her little arms around his neck. "Daddy…"
"Brenda, this is very important, I want you to stay in here. And don't make a sound. There's going to be a fight out on deck. I don't care if blood starts seeping through the door, I want you to stay in this bed and not making a sound."
"Where are you gunna be?"
"Outside."
Her lip started to tremble, "Daddy…"
"I'll be careful and I promise no one will come in here. I'll lock the door to make sure and watch it, okay?"
She nodded as tears started coming down her cheeks. He kissed her forehead and then left, locking the door behind him. When he came out, his crew as ready. There were seven men down below, manning each canon, ready when the ship came insight.
Jack hoped that they could disable the ship before they were boarded, but Jack knew that look in Antonio's eye. He wanted revenge and Jack had been in that same position. He knew Antonio would stop at nothing to kill Jack and his crew. This is why Jack hoped, but doubted that they wouldn't board.
He looked around and spotted Gwen between Will and Ana. He frowned and walked over to her, he grabbed his arm and drug her away from the rest of the crew. "What the blast do you think yer doin'?"
"I'm going to fight."
"That man is going to go after you first! Yer not stayin' here."
"Jack, you need as many people as you can. I'm sure you would have Elizabeth out here if she wasn't in and out of consciousness."
"I would…but Will wouldn't. Now yer goin' to yer cabin." He said pushing her toward it. She pushed back.
"Jack, I'm stayin' out here and helping you. I'm set in this Jack."
"Gwen…what if something happens to you?"
Her eyes softened and she grabbed Jack's hand and squeezed it. "Then you can save me…now stop worrying about me."
Jack nodded and turned, his hand gripping Gwyneth's, the ship was in full view. Jack smiled, this is what gives me my thrills… he thought to himself. "Fire away boys!" Jack yelled. Immediately the canons went off. They hit the ship and as they did, many jumped out and started swimming towards the Pearl.
Fifteen minutes later El Maldición was sunk. The survivors swimming quickly to the Pearl, where many lay dead. As battle arose on the ship, Jack kept his eye on two things, his cabin door and Gwyneth. She was right now fighting one of the crew men and Antonio was no where to be seen. Jack glanced around and saw Will fighting him. He smiled, everything was going fine.
Everything was going fine until Jack heard an out cry that stopped his blood cold. There across deck Will was fighting two men and Antonio had gotten to Gwen from behind while she was fighting the same man. She had turned and Antonio put his dagger through her stomach and then drew it out again.
Jack's eyes enlarged as he punched the man in front of him and in one swift move, took out his pistol and shot at Antonio's head.
He ran to Gwyneth, and Will finished off the two men in front of him. He cradled Gwyneth as she started breathing hard and sweating. Jack told Gibbs to dock as soon as possible. If they got her to a doctor quickly enough, she might be saved. If and might were the two things making Jack sweat. He pushed hair out of her face and talked to her softly, "C'mon Gwen, stay with me here, stay with me."
She grabbed on to his shirt with one hand and the other still holding her stomach. Will had gone to get rags, anything to keep the blood from going everywhere. But as long as she kept bleeding, Jack knew that she was alive. Dead men don't bleed.
"Jack…" she whispered.
He shook his head, "Just stay with me luv…just stay with me…"
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Author's Note II: Oh, don't kill me b/c of this ending…I've got a plan…*points to her head with an evil grin*. No, but really- I do have a plan, but if you threaten to kill me or something- I'll understand.
Author Thanks:
ThePinkPanther: No! I didn't get to see the special features at all, but Sunday I will because my friends' dad bought it. So yea. Yay for me.
PED-Sarah: Why was I being an evil person? I don't' understand. Um…yer not exactly supposed to hate Beverly…but okay! Lol. I like Brenda too. And Jack…well he doesn't get much time to contemplate about Beverly yet. Later on tho. Maybe around Chapter 15…? I dunno.