Author's Note: YAY! Chapter twenty one! I actually had a good day today- it's my sister's birthday, yes, she's twenty on December 20! It was her goal to watch POTC twenty times today…well only four because she's already seen it 16…so see it the 20th time on her 20th birthday…so we woke up at seven thirty in the morning to watch it. I almost died- but my daddy made waffles so it's all good. I gave her a pirate hat. *smile*
OH! OH! OH! My church bought goats to send to starving kids in a poor country so they can have goat milk and ….goat cheese…but anyways- I NAMED ONE! Just guess what I named it. No, not Johnny. Not Johnny Depp either. I named it Jack. YAY! *scream wildly* So yea. That's it. Now read this chapter!
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The warmth of the sun shone through the porthole in Jack's cabin early the next morning. Somehow he had gotten himself, Brenda and Gwyneth to bed. But of course to Gwyneth in her cabin and him in his. He sighed and opened his eyes. Another day… he thought to himself. He rolled over and saw Brenda sleeping peacefully. He looked at her more carefully and brushed some hair out of her face. Sooner of later she would need to get some beads or a scarf around her forehead to keep the hairs out of her face.
Just like her father… he thought proudly. He had never thought that having a daughter would be this wonderful. Brenda was the most the most important thing to him and that's the only way he would have it. He loved Brenda, and although he wouldn't admit it to practically anyone, it was true. His ship was important and so was his crew, but nothing could compare to her.
He sighed and thought about when she had been taken. It felt like his insides had been ripped out. He was scared to death that he would never see her again. But as he saw her in the cave his hope grew and fell. Grew because he knew she was alive and well, but it fell because there was a danger that she wouldn't live through it.
He sighed again and rolled on to his back. How many lives were at stake last night? He thought to himself. There was of course Will. And then Elizabeth who did get wounded and Commodore will have me head…well never mind-he already wants my head. Then there was Gwyneth…who shouldn't have even come aboard my ship in the first place. She would've been so much safer if I just said no.
But you didn't know…it's not you're fault. Except for the stabbing thing- she's fine.
The stabbing thing? That's a rather large thing. And she's still sore from it…
Yes, but at least she's not dead.
Well no ones dead. People could've died in there, but they didn't. That doesn't make it okay! Ana and Gibbs know what their getting into. But Will, Lizzie and Gwen? They're defenseless. They shouldn't have been here.
Well what are you going to do about it?
Never let them on my ship again. I can't be goin' around pickin' up civilians and takin' them sailing with me like the Pearl is a vacation spot! Will and Liz never need to experience what it's like to be on here again.
And Gwen?
Gwen…Gwen never needs to experience…what it's like to be with Captain Jack Sparrow.
Gwyneth lay awake in her cot that morning. Ana had gotten up sometime earlier and left. Gwyneth figured it was probably to change her bandage or something of that sort. But she hadn't come back, which gave Gwyneth some time to think out loud or in her head.
She heard some activity going on outside her cabin and thought it wise to stay in here anyway. She didn't want to get in the way of anything and she wasn't really wanting to run into the Captain. But in a way she was hoping she would run into him. She wanted to talk to him about what he had said last night, which was the topic that was causing her so much distress.
It's dangerous fallin' for a woman of upper-class…you get yer heart broken
The words stung her heart like lemon juice on a paper cut. Every possible reason of why he had said that had entered her head that morning. That's insane! She kept telling herself. Pirates don't fall for anything but loose women and they don't get their hearts broken! Pirates are Pirates!
But what if they do? She broke down. The sensitive side always tried to fight against the logical side. What if Jack did? I'm going to Port Royal…I'm going home. And I'm going to be there by the end of tomorrow.
Oh, face the facts Gwyneth. You're not going to see Jack Sparrow again. He's going to be a wrinkle in your history. Her conscious argued with her.
A wrinkle? That doesn't sound very…
That's what pirates are in people's lives…wrinkles. Something they wish they could remove.
I don't want to loose Jack!
You sure?
Jack is not going to be wrinkle in my past. He's going to be like the rest of my life. Pirate or not, I'm am not going to deny my knowledge of Jack in my life.
Do what you wish…it's your life.
Gwyneth sighed. Too bad. I wish I had a different life. A life of a pirate…
Will and Elizabeth lay awake in their little one person bed. The night had been full of calm emotions for Elizabeth. She had stayed awake all night and listened to the heart that was pressed against her ear. Will had just woken up only twenty minutes or so ago and now they both lay in bed thinking.
Will wanted to leave. He had a feeling about Jack. For some odd reason he wanted to leave the arms of his wife and talk to Jack. But he didn't move. He wasn't sure how Elizabeth would react, and since she was silent and not moving, he figured here was the better place to stay.
Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to leave. She wanted to talk to Jack. But didn't move because she thought Jack would blow up again. She wanted to talk about Gwyneth. For some reason that was all that was in her head. How is Jack going to act when Gwyneth leaves again- for the last time? Elizabeth didn't want to get hurt but she felt so weird about thinking that. Pirates can take care of themselves. She had thought to herself over and over. But the first thought kept coming to her.
She also wanted to talk to Will about it but no words came. If she couldn't talk to her own husband about this, then how could she possibly talk to Jack?
"Are you feeling alright?" Will asked finally.
Elizabeth sighed, "Yes. You?"
"I'm fine…do you need to change you're bandage?"
She shook her head, "I don't really want to get up…"
"You're not squeezed in?"
"I like it this way…"
Will sighed. "Elizabeth, I want to talk to Jack about Gwyneth…"
She looked up at him, "So do I."
Will paused, "Why do you want to?"
"Because I want to know how he's feeling about this…again."
"You think he'll tell you?"
Elizabeth suddenly became offended, that question rubbed her the wrong way, "Well of course he will!"
"Well then let's get you to him!" Will said getting out of bed to help her out.
"Huh?"
"Well if you can get it then you can tell me."
She smiled, "Will Turner you're…"
"Yes, but you love me for it." He pulled her up slowly and she nodded, and kissed him before walking out the door.
Elizabeth timidly knocked on Jack's door and waited patiently until he came to the door. He looked tired, he was barefoot, his shirt un-tucked and his hair looking messier than usual. "Lizzie, what's wrong?"
"Can we talk?"
He looked her up and down and then looked in his room and then nodded. He opened the door wider and she stepped in. He sat on his bed, where the still sleeping Brenda lay and Elizabeth took the desk chair.
"So Port Royal is coming up…"
"Not 'til tomorrow evenin'. What's on yer mind?"
"Well I just thought that it might be hard for you to drop us off there again…"
Jack finally caught what she was talking about. Gwyneth. He sighed. "It's going to be hard luv, but I'm gunna do it."
"Why?"
"Why what? I can't do what yer implying."
"But Jack she's-"
He shook his head, "Liz, I know you like to see happy endings but pirates…"
"Get a quick drop and a sudden stop."
He smirked, "Something along those lines."
"But don't you…care for her?"
"Yes Liz, I do, and that's exactly why I'm leaving her."
She dropped her head, "I know you can't take her along with you but I wish you could, I really do."
He sighed, "So do I lass, so do I."
Gwyneth stepped outside her cabin for the first time that day and as the sun hit her eyes, she paused to adjust them. When they were adjusted, she looked around, the deck was pretty calm. There were four men cleaning the deck, two messing with the sails, one in the crow's nest, and Ana Maria was steering.
She sighed and went down below to the galley. Her stomach had started growling earlier but now it was a full grown roar. She needed something to eat and fast. But as she walked down the steps she heard a lot of voices, all talking at once, but not loud. They were laughing, joking, grunting and growling at each other. Jut hearing it brought a smile to her face. Finally she saw everyone and sighed. Somehow this felt just as familiar as walking into her home. This somehow felt right.
"Gweny!" she heard over all the deep voices. She turned her head and saw Jack and Brenda sitting in the back table. She waved at the little girl and went to get some soup from Roberts. He gladly handed it to her and she headed over to the table Jack was sitting at. She sat down and Brenda said, "I haven't seen you all day! Where've you been?"
She looked at Jack who seemed unemotional and then looked at Brenda, "I was in my cabin…thinking about some things."
"What some things?"
"Hmm…Home mostly." She looked at Jack again and he still had the same look on his face.
"Where do you live?"
"Brenda, where are we going right now?" Jack intervened.
"Uhm…Port something."
"Remember, with the Evil…"
"Norrington!"
"Right. Now where are we going?"
"Port Norrington!"
Jack rolled his eyes and Gwyneth tried to stifle a laugh. "Try again luv."
Brenda looked at Gwyneth for some help. "It's where I went last time."
"Oh! Uhm…I don't know."
Gwyneth smiled, "Port Royal."
"That's where Aunt Liz and Uncle Will live!"
She nodded, "You're right."
They stayed quiet for a few minutes and then Gwyneth asked Jack, "How's our prisnoner?"
He picked up the mug in front of him and grunted, "I haven't talked t'her," and then took a drink.
"Well don't you think she'd want some company…It's lonely down there…"
Jack stared at her, not quite believing his ears, She's got a big heart, that's for sure. "Gwen, don't go down there."
"I wasn't thinking of doing such a thing, Captain."
"Well then what were you thinkin' of?"
"Well the captain usually-"
He grinned but wasn't amused, "You don't know anything about what a Captain does luv."
She seemed offended at first but then put her head down and took some bites of her soup. "I'm just saying that pregnant women are usually overly emotional and like to be with people."
"All the more reason why I and my crew should stay away from her."
Gwyneth's eyes met Jack's, "Jack…" She didn't need to say the please, it was written all over her face. He sighed. How did he become so susceptible to her looks? He sighed and got up.
"Brenda stay with Gwen."
"Yes daddy."
Jack got up from the table and refused to look Gwyneth in the eyes as he did. He didn't want to do this. He was already pushing himself anyways. And to get one more look from Gwen as he exited to make him feel worse? No thanks.
Before he left to told Roberts to give him a bowl of soup, a piece of bread and a cup of water instead of the usual bread and water. Roberts did, without asking any questions of why. Jack lifted the tray that he had set them on and carefully carried them up the stairs. He walked across deck and ignored the looks from his crew.
"Dobson! Get over her and open this hatch." He yelled to a crewmember close by. He obeyed and Jack thanked him and carefully carried the tray down into the dark brig. He waited while his eyes adjusted and told Dobson to leave the hatch open to let some light in the brig. He walked forward and stopped in front of the cell that Beverly was laying in. She looked asleep but Jack knew better. She flopped down on that bed as soon as she heard the hatch open. He smiled at the thought of him doing the same thing in Port Royal two years ago.
"Get up Beverly."
She opened her eyes, "I hope you have food. My stomach has been growling forever."
He nodded and started handing her the things through the metal bars and then finally sliding the thin tray under the cell door. "Thanks." She mumbled while eating the food.
"Don't thank me."
She looked up. "I figured that woman sent you down here. It's been Roberts the past couple of times. Yer gettin' weak if she can make you come down here…"
"I'm not weak. She just has a big heart. She would've come down here if I didn't. And I certainly didn't want her comin' down here."
Beverly narrowed her eyes, "Don't trust me?"
"You wanted to kill me!" He said in a 'obvious' tone.
She shrugged, "You killed my husband. A person does what's right for them. Can't expect more than that."
Jack narrowed his eyes. He remembered saying something like that about his crew. This whole thing was too strange. Beverly seemed to had picked up traits about him that she couldn't have known about. Maybe they were more alike than he thought.
"Well he put a knife in Gwyneth."
"Only because she tricked him,"
"I would've done the same thing and you would've too if you were in the same spot."
Beverly looked up from her food and looked him in the eyes, "I'm sorry."
"For what? Trying to kill me?"
"No, that you've fallen in love with the girl."
"I haven't fallen in love with her."
Beverly stared at him for a minute and then nodded, and went back to eating.
"Don't believe me?"
"Why would you tell me the truth? I know that you do. I can see it in your eyes."
"How do you know what it looks like?"
She looked up again with a softer face and said, "Because I saw the same thing whenever you looked at me."
He paused, not sure what to say. She knew I loved her yet still left? That hurts. "Then why'd you leave?"
"We didn't want the same things Jack. Once I had Brenda I realized that. I wanted to raise a child on land. Not on the sea. And I also saw that you loved the ocean more than me."
"That's where yer wrong Bev, the only thing I have ever loved was the sea, until you came along."
She looked down, blushing. "I couldn't stay Jack…I just couldn't."
He nodded. "Well I'm sure you'll find a mate in Port Royal who will love you and won't belong to a band of soul-less pirates."
"Not likely with the reputation you're going to give me."
"Excuse me?"
She started eating again, refusing to answer.
"Bev, I'm going to tell the Commodore that yer husband was killed by a band of pirates. Which isn't a lie. He'll take care of you I'm sure. Keep a close eye on you. He'll pity you."
She sighed.
"And I know how much you loved to be pitied." He said sarcastically.
"Jack, Port Royal is no place for me. It'd be like you living there for the rest of your life. For god's sake, I've never even worn a corset in my life! Women are pretty much required to wear them!"
"Are you tryin' to persuade me to change the location?"
"Take me home."
"I can't do that."
"Why not? You've already taken my husband!"
"You know- this is exactly why I didn't want to come down and talk to you! You twist things around in your favor!"
"You do the same thing!"
"Yer goin' to Port Royal and yer goin' to stay there under the Commodore's protective eyes."
"What makes you so sure he'll even agree to such a thing? Coming from you after all."
"Because one, I'm not gunna be tellin' him and two, Elizabeth will be. He and Elizabeth have known each other longer than she and Will have. They have a special friendship."
"In other words he'll do whatever she wants?"
"Yea, pretty much."
"This is great."
"It's yer fault. If you had just left us alone, you'd still be at home."
She stood up and Jack saw how pregnant she actually was, "I couldn't just leave you alone. I had to do something."
"Well you did, and now I have to. You'll live. You'll probably have a better life there than on Trinidad anyways."
"It'll be like putting a tiger in a cage. I'll never adapt and you know that."
"Yer wrong, you will adapt and that's why I'm taking you."
She sat down on her bed, a little mad that she was losing this argument. "Are you actually telling me that you care about what happens to me?"
Jack leaned against the bars of the cell across from hers, "I don't particularly like killin' people Bev. You know that."
"Stop calling me Bev, would you?" She asked, a bit impatiently.
Jack was stunned, he didn't even realize he was doing it. He paused before saying coolly, "Old habits die hard lass."
"So you're really going to leave me on Port Royal?"
"You should be thankin' me that I'm not tellin' the Commodore yer a pirate. Then you'd loose another child. Let alone yer life."
Beverly looked away, she obviously didn't like to be reminded about Brenda just as Jack didn't when she was younger. He thought about how far he had come. He had loved her, but he never really liked her. But now there was no doubt that if Brenda did die or something did happen to her, he'd be lost.
And as for Beverly, he hoped that this child could find her love. He had failed to do so and so had Brenda. That made him a little depressed, thinking about someone not loving Brenda as much as he did. But he figured by the time this babe was born Beverly will have accepted that she'll be living the rest of her life on Port Royal. He knew she'd accept it, and he knew that she'd even like it. He did want the best for Beverly. He though she had stolen his heart and then shot it, he did still care about her. And although he wouldn't admit it to anyone, he would show it in little ways like this.
He sighed and watched her in her cell. She had a tear or two coming down her cheeks. He walked away silently, trying to think about something suitable to say, but nothing came to mind. What could he say? 'Have a nice life'? There seemed to be nothing. But as he walked up the stairs to the deck he felt good about his decision. Maybe Gwen making him go down there wasn't such a bad idea after all.
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Author's Note II: I actually like this chapter a lot. Two reasons- One, it's long and two because it has a neat perspective on the whole Jack/Beverly thing. That was it. I just wanted to put my input in. OH! And THIS ISN'T MY LAST CHAPTER! Just wanted to make that clear. I maybe have one or two left. Prolly Two. So yea.
Author Thanks:
Bitty-Buffy: Um, you're cool because you're a new reviewer! Have you been reading it the whole time?
ThePinkPanther: Glad you liked it, and again I agree- Brenda is sweet.
Vicki: Thanks so much! Do keep reading.
Dawnie-7: I have a feeling you don't like this chapter because of the whole Jack/Gwen thing and maybe possible not getting together- BUT REMEMBER! There are loop holes. Always. There are loop holes. Thanks for the review.
PED-Sarah: Um, I loved that chat they had at the end too, in the last chapter. I guess I like putting chats at the end….lol, but yea, um Beverly is human- does she not seem like it? Tell me because I'll try to make it seem like she is. I love getting tips.
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!
AND IF I DON'T GET A CHAPTER OUT BY OR BEFORE CHRISTMAS: MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!