NVM about the whole being busy thing… I guess that it wasn't really that big of a deal. And I guess when you love writing as much as I do, you can always find time to write.
To lemluvspirates… yes, you gave me the idea of having Raine bargain with Barbossa, although I had originally planned it to be something like that… (Thanks a bunch). Honestly, I have no idea where this chapter is going to go, but I guess we'll see, now wont we? I have no idea what's going to happen in this chapter.
TheSiriusSparrow thank you so much. Really there is no way I can thank you enough. I was having a terrible day and getting all your reviews really made it better.
Hehe, and thanks to all of you who gave me presents… I'm so glad that I got a car out of this whole deal. Who says that writing doesn't have its advantages?
Chapter Eleven
Soon the Pearl was almost right on top of the Interceptor. Barbossa gave the order to run up the flag of truce, and then his eye's met with Raine's. He grinned at her. "You have no idea how I've waited for this day."
Raine turned her attention back to the ship across the water and muttered, under her breath so that Barbossa could not hear. "So have I."
When the white flag was run up rather hesitantly on the other ship, Raine could almost not bear to watch. Could she really hand Will… Bootstrap's son… over to Barbossa, just like that?
If Will had never existed, things could have been different. Very different. If Bootstrap had not been tied to marriage - maybe he would still be alive. But still, she could not give Will, the only part left of Bootstrap, into the hands of Barbossa. But did she have a choice now?
There you go, Raine. You've gone and ruined everything… her mind told her bitterly. You should have followed Jack's orders and stayed on the Pearl. Then maybe everything wouldn't be so wrong.
She scanned her mind desperately for a plan, any plan. Nothing came to mind so she watched with a sort of useless horror and the scene played out before her eyes, of Barbossa and his crew crossing over onto the Pearl and then taking it over even though they had proposed peace. Part of Barbossa's terms was that she was not allowed to go over and help take over; obviously he didn't trust her, and with good reason. What evidence did they have to prove that she would be on their side?
And it wasn't like she wanted to help anyways. She couldn't bear to betray them all, even though there was no thought in her mind that everyone would come out of this more or less alive, with the exception of maybe Will.
But she wasn't about to let this whole deal become one struggle with her mind about what was already said and done. What was she going to do? Her eyes drifted lazily to the man leaning over the helm with a bored, drowsy expression on his face, obviously upset that he had to be left out of the action. She was certain Barbossa had told him to keep an eye on her, but he didn't seem to be paying attention to what she did or didn't do. As quietly as she could, she slipped down to the brig. She had to talk to Jack.
She found him leaning against the cell wall and looking rather pleased with himself. "So, you've finally decided you need my help."
She rolled her eyes and walked forward so that she was pressed up against the bars also. "Don't flatter yourself. And keep it down; I don't want the dolt who's supposed to be watching me to realize that his charge has disappeared."
Jack narrowed his eyes and frowned, and then practically shouted, "Well if you don't want my help then why are you down here? Thought you had something up yer arse the way you were acting to me earlier."
"You selfish jerk, not everything is about you! Why don't you ever think once to remember that I might have my own reasons for the things that I do? Well, even though you might not think of me, I think of you, and I thought, well, if it was me down in this cell, I would want to know what the hell is going on! But if you don't want to know, well, that's fine because I'm risking a lot by just being down here…. Oh, why am I even talking to you, you only care about your Pearl and whatever else there is never matters. I've never mattered anywhere near as much as your stupid ship!"
Jack looked a bit shocked, and then he opened his mouth to say something, but no words came to his mind. Raine leaned against the bars and buried her head in her arms and then sighed. "I'm about to betray Bootstrap's son and become Captain of the Pearl… and I'm sorry Jack."
Jack bit his lip. "And what happens to me?" Raine looked up and her eyes flashed angrily.
"That's right; it's still always about you." She turned around and stomped back above deck and her mouth dropped upon seeing what was happening up there.
Barbossa and his crew were standing on one end of the deck, and the crew of the interceptor was among them, tied up. Will stood on the other end of the deck, holding a gun to his own temple.
Barbossa turned to face her at the sound of her footsteps. "Why Raine, how nice of you to join us." He said.
"It's Captain Raine." she mumbled.
Barbossa laughed and shook his head, and then some men stepped forward and grabbed Will. He didn't seem to do anything to resist them. Raine was confused for a moment, and then Barbossa said, "Actually, miss, it's not. Since Will has surrendered on his own, our accord is forfeit. Take her to the brig!" He shouted to his men. Raine felt two men grab hold of her arms, and she suddenly understood… she struggled for a moment, and then when she realized it would do nothing, she raised her gaze and met Barbossa's eyes, seething with dislike.
Barbossa nodded to the men holding her, and she was taken away. Then he turned to another of his crewmembers. "Bring me Jack, and let's see if we can find an island for him and Miss… Turner." He nodded to Elizabeth and Will's eyes widened.
Raine sat on the bench in the corner and curled up against the wall of the ship, not saying a word to Jack, but listening closely as he was taken upstairs. As soon as the pirates were out of her sight, she jumped up and went to the wall of the ship, running her hands over the wood on the wall. She had been in this brig many times before when Jack thought it would be fun to play a little joke on her, back when he was captain. She peered through a little hole in the wood, but found with dismay that the island was on the other side of the ship and she could not see it. Sitting back on the bench, she curled up once more to wait and see what would happen.
After all… what else could she do?
After about ten minutes of waiting and feeling sorry for herself, Will and the crew of the Interceptor were brought down to the brigs. Will and Raine were kept in separate cells but the crew of the Interceptor was all stuck in another.
Raine was terrible mad at herself. It was really all her fault… all of this mess, and not to mention that she didn't even get anything out of the deal. She didn't even look up from her position when they were all brought in.
And she could tell that Will was somewhat mad at her. He thought that she had wanted to kill him for the ship, and she didn't blame him.
So she kept quiet, curled on the bench in the corner of her cell and listened to the banter going on between the crewmates and cellmates.
"You knew William Turner?" Will asked Pintel, one of the two pirates who were down with them, 'cleaning' the floor.
"Ol' Bootstrap Bill… we knew him." Pintel gave him a horrible grin. "I would say if you want to know more about him, you should ask Raine… she knew 'im best out of all of us..."
Will glanced at Raine, who seemed to tense a bit, but not move, and then he turned to her.
"It's not true. My father loved my mother and I. He wouldn't…" Will trailed off and then frowned and clenched the bars. "Tell me the truth."
At this, Raine looked up at him. "Do you want to truth, lad, or do you want me to tell you that your father… wouldn't, as you so kindly put it. You aren't the only one who wished he was still alive, y'know."
Will seemed very angry about all of this. "You… and my father… no."
"You're right." Raine said simply. "Bill was too loyal to want me as much as I wanted him. But Will, just saying that something isn't true doesn't make it any more of a lie."
"But it's not true. My father wouldn't do that to us."
"Us?" Raine tensed. "You… and Jack… so selfish, all the time. It's always 'me,' and 'I,' and 'us.' Yes, I know lad, you're going to rescue your bonny lass, right? You love this girl, right? Don't you dare pretend like I don't matter. Jack does that to me enough and I don't want it from you."
She and Will were now glaring at each other between the bars, and if there hadn't been a wall there they would likely have killed one another.
The crew, on the other side of the boat, was watching them uncomfortably, and there was a dead silence.
"I refuse to pity you. You can't expect to be shoved into the spotlight, being a woman pirate, so it's your own fault." Will said quietly.
"Did I ask for your pity? I just want you to understand, Will. Your father was a good man, and you should be damn proud of him. He'd be proud of you."