Things Fall Apart

03 an obvious trap

Disclaimer: Do I have to keep doin' this?

Author's Note: Ok, for some strange reason FF.net has decided NOT to post this story on the PotC story list. So I'm kinda irritated and hoping that this new addition will do the trick, review whore that I am. Keepin' my fingers crossed that someone will see this!

Thanks to all my reviewers so far!

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The ship was the Evanescent, it was of formidable size, no grander than the Interceptor had been. Cotton's parrot wondered aloud why navy ships always had such strange names.

"S'not strange," Jack answered, though it was a rhetorical question, "It means they disappear quickly, uncatchable.. military likes to name their ships using big words, with big meanings, so as `umble pirate will be scared and surrender." He laughed at his own private joke, "Sorry, mate, looks like you're the one surrenderin'."

Which was exactly what the other ship was doing, the white flag could be seen even from their position a few leagues off. The Black Pearl was well on her way to claim her prize, when Jack noticed a familiar figure standing at the helm of the other ship. Lieutenant Gillette, he believed his name was, though from the looks of things, he was now a Captain.

Upon hearing the commotion Elizabeth and Anamaria paused and looked at each other.

"What's that?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Don't `ave a clue." Anamaria replied, as if it was absurd to ask her a question she didn't know.

They simultaneously dropped their task and headed up top, Elizabeth kept the knife she'd been using concealed in her boot. Searching the frenzy for Jack, she grabbed a random passerby and demanded to know his whereabouts. Once she was pointed in the right direction, she let out a sigh of relief, and headed over to him.

"Elizabeth, luv, take this." He said immediately, removing his tricorn leather hat and shoving it in her direction. She understood this gesture to mean that she should hide her hair. Anamaria had also donned her hat, though they were accepted by the rest of the crew, Gibbs sometimes being the exception, a rival ship may take having women on board as a sign of weakness.

Gathering her dirty blonde locks and twisting them into a bun, she placed the hat on her hand, pushing it down to hide the bulge her hair caused. Only a few braids escaped, but that wouldn't betray her as a woman, especially on a pirate ship. Once she was satisfied that her disguise would hold, she turned to Jack.

"What's going on?"

He had been looking straight ahead, trying to determine when to give the order to board their mark, but stopped to explain.

"Navy ship, they've raised white."

"Navy?" Elizabeth demanded, it was unlikely that a navy ship would just surrender. Plus, the idea of running into anyone from Port Royal made her nervous.

"Aye," He nodded, "An` it looks as though you may be gettin' ta see a familiar face."

Before she could question that statement, the gangplanks had been brought out to connect the two vessels. Some men also had grappling hooks and rope as means of crossing. Soon all crew members of the Pearl stood on the deck of their would be victim. Elizabeth took her rightful place next to Jack, as she always did in these situations, but gasped when her eyes fell on someone she did not expect to see.

"Lieutenant Gillette?" Her tone was too shocked to hide, as she neared the man.

"Captain." He said rather indignantly, which earned a snicker from Jack. The officer peered at Elizabeth for a moment, only then realizing who she was. "Good God, Miss Swann?"

At first he had dismissed all the rumors as fairy tale. The idea that the Governor's daughter would run off with a pirate was preposterous. But then Commodore Norrington had confirmed the story, and not only that, he'd given Gillette a ship to go out and claim Elizabeth. That had been six months ago, and they'd all but given up. In fact, they were headed back for Port Royal at the time, to tell the Commodore and Governor Swann that it was no use.

But here she was, dressed like a man, on the arm of Jack Sparrow.

"So I guess it wasn't just by luck that we've met here." He said, in a tone that was meant to let all the pirates present know who the better person was.

"No, I suppose it was no luck at all that you've run out your white for fear of havin' ta fight like a man." Jack didn't appreciate the tone, or the way the other Captain was looking at Elizabeth, so he'd turned the statement around to make it a bit more insulting.

Gillette ignored the insult, and simply stared for a moment, teeth clenched, before turning his attention to Elizabeth.

"I'm sure you realize that you will be returning to Port Royal with me." It wasn't a question.

Before Elizabeth could answer Jack stepped in front of her. His eyes were full of anger, and Gillette could have sworn her saw love there too. But that was impossible, everyone knows pirates aren't capable of feeling. They're bloodthirsty scoundrels, nothing more, nothing less.

"You'd be dead before you laid a hand on `er."

Jack removed his pistol from his belt and took aim at the other man's head.

"Remember that, savvy?" He cocked it.

Gillette flinched and looked around for someone to come to his aid, no one did. When they had boarded the other ship, Jack's crew had collected any and all weapons that could be used against them. The opposing crew was really quite defenseless. Jack held his gun in place and gave the order to begin the raid.

"Go ta work, lads." He called, and they did.

Captain Gillette once again addressed Elizabeth.

"Miss, its just that after you left, and we were unable to find you, your father simply gave up." He hesitated for a minute, "He doesn't have much time left, is all."

At the mention of her father Elizabeth gave her full attention. What did he mean 'doesn't have much time left'? The thought that her disappearance might have caused her father to worry himself into sickness made her feel ill. How could she have been so selfish? She hadn't even written him a letter.

"H-he's sick?" She asked, fighting tears.

Did she regret her descion? No. But family was a different matter.

"Yes."

Her heart sank, and a single tear made its way down her cheek. She looked away, feeling rather stupid, dressed as a pirate but crying like a child. Seeing Elizabeth's reaction, Jack lowered his gun and put it away. He placed a comforting arm around her shoulder and whispered something that Gillette could not hear. She nodded and lay her head on his shoulder, sniffling. Slowly but surely Jack's crew started to reappear on deck, provisions in hand. Jack gave the order for them to return to the Pearl. Giving a gentlemanly bow to his 'hosts', he too returned to his ship. The sailors aboard the Evanescent were dumbfounded. The Royal Navy didn't surrender to pirates without a fight.

Yet, they had done just that.

Meanwhile aboard the Black Pearl, everyone was too busy celebrating a successful raid to smell a very obvious rat.

Later that night Captain Gillette, and his first mate, a hulk of a man called Stevens, discussed the earlier happenings of the day. For two men that had just been robbed blind by pirates, they were suprisingly cheerful. There was food on the table, and both men were drinking wine, as if they were celebrating something.

"Surely, now that she believes her father isn't well, she'll return to check in on him."

"Yes, sir, I suppose she will."

"And when she does, Sparrow will of course accompany her."

"Yes, sir, I suppose he will."

"And when that happens .." He ended his sentence, pantomiming a noose around his neck. "This was certainly the Commodore's most ingenious plan yet. The man really does know how to hold a grudge."

"So it would seem."

Yes, gentle readers, our Captain Sparrow has been set up. Norrington instructed Gillette to lie about the health of the Governor, if he should run across Elizabeth and it was too big a risk to simply take her by force. The Commodore was sure that even if she had undertaken a life of piracy, she'd still have enough of a heart to come and see her 'dying father', and when she did, her filthy new lover in tow, he'd be ready.

The man didn't think of himself as a villain, he was simply doing his civic duty. He was a hero, he assured himself.

Pirates, after all, aren't people.

So it was his plan, that Sparrow, the man that represented every mistake he'd made since becoming Commodore, would be the first to die. The first in a long string of miscreants in what was going to ultimately become the fall of piracy. Who knows, perhaps if he did his job well, it would earn him favor with the King, as well as money and power. It really was a win-win situation.

Gillette and Stevens raised their glasses in a toast.

"To the beginning of the end," The Captain smiled.

"Here, here."