In case anyone is wondering this whole bunch of random stuff that precedes
each chapter is a particularly weird cure for writers block. When I get
stuck on the story I go back and add something to the introduction. Just
thought you might be wondering what all the insane blathering is about.
Cast of thousands: We weren't. Is there any chance you're going to write this story today?
Me: Is there any chance you're going to shut up?
Cast of thousands: Well if that's your attitude, you're fired.
Me: What? You can't fire me; I'm the author.
Cast of thousands: Well, you're fired just the same. Clear off.
Me: *exits stage left, bottom lip wobbling, followed by a beer*
Cast of thousands: Pretty sure that was a typo for bear. Uh what do we do now? *general confusion* Oh, wait, she left the story lying here, lets put it up.
*********************************************************************
Elizabeth sat by Will's bed, watching him sleep. She watched the gentle in out motion of his chest and studied the contours of his face. He possessed an air of fragile innocence in sleep, which awoke deep-seated protective feelings within her. She had been so terrified at the thought of losing him; there was nothing and no-one in her life that was worth a fraction of her love. Now she was so relieved she wanted to stay beside him and look after him for the rest of their life. She resolved to do everything within her power to ensure they were married as soon as possible - the shock and fear had made her realise how precious, and fleeting life was. But, in the meantime, there was something - or rather someone - else she had to attend to.
She stood up and gently kissed the sleeping man on the lips. He smiled, and murmured something in his sleep that might have been her name. She walked out of the cabin, keeping her eyes on her fiancé until the door shut, ever so quietly, behind her. She then walked up the stairs and onto the deck.
Jack was there. He was practising sword-fighting, running through drills and fighting imaginary opponents. He didn't look up as she came up onto the deck behind him so, reluctant to disturb him, she settled down, sitting on the steps up to the helm.
She had never really had an opportunity to watch Jack fight - when he had been fighting Barbossa before her mind had rather been on other things, and besides the shock of seeing him as a skeleton had rather overrode the impulse to admire his technique. She did notice that he had a slightly different style from Will (she had often watched Will practice in the Blacksmith's and he had even given her a few lessons - just in case.) She didn't think that there would be much to choose in a fight between her love and her friend - Jack seemed surprisingly quick and agile considering his habitual posture. It was impressive.
Elizabeth continued to watch him in silence for about a quarter of an hour, until he pivoted on his heel suddenly and twisted round, lunging with his sword to impale some invisible foe. He looked calmer than he had before, but there was still rage, visible to anyone who knew him deep inside his dark eyes.
He stopped abruptly on seeing her and tilted his head sideways, enquiringly.
"Ow long 'ave you been there, I wonder?"
"Not that long." She answered. "You're very good."
He raised his sword in front of his face in an ironic gesture of salute, but said nothing. He then put the sword away and sat down next to her.
"I never really imagined you practising." Elizabeth said presently.
"I haven't been in a fight for a while, so I probably need to. Also, it's a little more useful than throwin' mugs against the wall."
"Oh."
"Don't tell the whelp."
"I won't. IF you use his real name." She replied, trying hard to keep the teasing note out of her voice.
Jack rolled his eyes. "Alright, don't tell bloody Will ." He noticed the warning look on her face " ...Don't tell Will." He finished.
"Very well." She grinned at him. He didn't grin back. She sighed, figuring what was wrong with him.
"Will is going to be fine, Jack."
"I know that." He waved an arm. "He's tough, he's his father's son right enough, but ."
"But what?"
"I don't believe they shot him. They shot Will, they stole the Pearl. I know those men, do you understand 'Lizbeth? I've fought alongside them, enemies, storms and walking corpses. Bloody hell, I chose them to serve on my ship!" He slammed his hand against the side of the ship, hard. Elizabeth winced. Jack himself, didn't seem to notice.
"I didn't want to believe that they would mutiny. Anamaria and Gibbs - I might have called them friends .."
Unthinkingly, Elizabeth placed a comforting hand on his arm. He glanced down, surprised, but chose not to comment.
They sat in silence for a few minutes then Jack said very softly;
"He shouldn't have been here to be shot. Neither of you should have."
"That was our choice. And still is." She paused for a few moments then said
"Don't you think you're being a little selfish, Jack?" He looked round at her.
"What?"
"Well, Will is the one who's hurt. He has as much right to be angry as you have. And so do I. That bloody crew of yours shot my fiancé. I want to get those bastards as much as you do!"
Jack blinked. "Elizabeth!" He said delighted. "Such language. We'll make a proper pirate of you yet."
She blushed a little.
"So, if dear William agrees, we're all going after the Black Pearl and my bloody mutinous crew, yes?"
"Right."
"May I make so bold as to enquire how you plan to achieve this?" He asked.
It was Elizabeth's turn to blink. "I don't know." She confessed. "You're Captain Jack Sparrow, I thought you always had a plan."
"Much as I hate to admit it luv, I'm temporarily baffled. We've got no way of knowing where the Pearl's going to be, see, and even if we did, we don't 'ave the ship, the crew, the arms or the leverage to take her. Why do you think I waited ten years to take her back from Barbossa?"
"I never really thought about it. But I see the problem. What do we do?"
"Immediately? We stick to the previous plan. Retrieve some swag from the Isla de Muerta. Then we can maybe think about getting a crew and a better ship. Though I have bad luck when it comes to ships that aren't the Pearl."
Elizabeth didn't point out that he had quite bad luck with the Pearl, too.
Three days later, they were, according to Jack, close to the Isla de Muerta. Will was healing up nicely, and after careful argument, Jack had allowed him to get out of bed and move around as he pleased, as long as he stopped and told them if he felt any pain.
The Isla de Muerta was, obviously enough, an out of the way sort of island, in an area of water that wasn't close to any major shipping routes. They were therefore more than a little surprised when it became apparent that they were being followed.
"Anyone recognise that ship?" Jack asked, passing the telescope over to Will. He looked through it, shrugged and passed it on to Elizabeth.
"It's flying the Union Jack." She announced.
Jack nodded, thoughtfully and held a hand out for the telescope. On receiving it, he peered through it intently, then grinned and waved cheerily.
Elizabeth and Will stared at him.
"He's looking at us, looking at him through the telescope." He explained.
"Um, who is?" Will asked cautiously.
"Norrington." Jack announced delightedly.
Elizabeth and Will continued to stare at him.
*********************************************************************
There we are, nice short chapter for you.
Cast of thousands; Hey, we fired you didn't we?
Me: Um, no, you must be thinking of someone else.
Cast of thousands: No, we're not. Oh, alright, you can come back, especially since you haven't written the next chapter yet. But you're on half pay.
Me: What? I don't get paid for this? See previous disclaimers for evidence.
Cast of thousands: What's the reward then?
All together including several passing yaks: REVIEWS
So please do. I'm a struggling writer. At present I'm struggling to stay awake. G'night all.
Cast of thousands: We weren't. Is there any chance you're going to write this story today?
Me: Is there any chance you're going to shut up?
Cast of thousands: Well if that's your attitude, you're fired.
Me: What? You can't fire me; I'm the author.
Cast of thousands: Well, you're fired just the same. Clear off.
Me: *exits stage left, bottom lip wobbling, followed by a beer*
Cast of thousands: Pretty sure that was a typo for bear. Uh what do we do now? *general confusion* Oh, wait, she left the story lying here, lets put it up.
*********************************************************************
Elizabeth sat by Will's bed, watching him sleep. She watched the gentle in out motion of his chest and studied the contours of his face. He possessed an air of fragile innocence in sleep, which awoke deep-seated protective feelings within her. She had been so terrified at the thought of losing him; there was nothing and no-one in her life that was worth a fraction of her love. Now she was so relieved she wanted to stay beside him and look after him for the rest of their life. She resolved to do everything within her power to ensure they were married as soon as possible - the shock and fear had made her realise how precious, and fleeting life was. But, in the meantime, there was something - or rather someone - else she had to attend to.
She stood up and gently kissed the sleeping man on the lips. He smiled, and murmured something in his sleep that might have been her name. She walked out of the cabin, keeping her eyes on her fiancé until the door shut, ever so quietly, behind her. She then walked up the stairs and onto the deck.
Jack was there. He was practising sword-fighting, running through drills and fighting imaginary opponents. He didn't look up as she came up onto the deck behind him so, reluctant to disturb him, she settled down, sitting on the steps up to the helm.
She had never really had an opportunity to watch Jack fight - when he had been fighting Barbossa before her mind had rather been on other things, and besides the shock of seeing him as a skeleton had rather overrode the impulse to admire his technique. She did notice that he had a slightly different style from Will (she had often watched Will practice in the Blacksmith's and he had even given her a few lessons - just in case.) She didn't think that there would be much to choose in a fight between her love and her friend - Jack seemed surprisingly quick and agile considering his habitual posture. It was impressive.
Elizabeth continued to watch him in silence for about a quarter of an hour, until he pivoted on his heel suddenly and twisted round, lunging with his sword to impale some invisible foe. He looked calmer than he had before, but there was still rage, visible to anyone who knew him deep inside his dark eyes.
He stopped abruptly on seeing her and tilted his head sideways, enquiringly.
"Ow long 'ave you been there, I wonder?"
"Not that long." She answered. "You're very good."
He raised his sword in front of his face in an ironic gesture of salute, but said nothing. He then put the sword away and sat down next to her.
"I never really imagined you practising." Elizabeth said presently.
"I haven't been in a fight for a while, so I probably need to. Also, it's a little more useful than throwin' mugs against the wall."
"Oh."
"Don't tell the whelp."
"I won't. IF you use his real name." She replied, trying hard to keep the teasing note out of her voice.
Jack rolled his eyes. "Alright, don't tell bloody Will ." He noticed the warning look on her face " ...Don't tell Will." He finished.
"Very well." She grinned at him. He didn't grin back. She sighed, figuring what was wrong with him.
"Will is going to be fine, Jack."
"I know that." He waved an arm. "He's tough, he's his father's son right enough, but ."
"But what?"
"I don't believe they shot him. They shot Will, they stole the Pearl. I know those men, do you understand 'Lizbeth? I've fought alongside them, enemies, storms and walking corpses. Bloody hell, I chose them to serve on my ship!" He slammed his hand against the side of the ship, hard. Elizabeth winced. Jack himself, didn't seem to notice.
"I didn't want to believe that they would mutiny. Anamaria and Gibbs - I might have called them friends .."
Unthinkingly, Elizabeth placed a comforting hand on his arm. He glanced down, surprised, but chose not to comment.
They sat in silence for a few minutes then Jack said very softly;
"He shouldn't have been here to be shot. Neither of you should have."
"That was our choice. And still is." She paused for a few moments then said
"Don't you think you're being a little selfish, Jack?" He looked round at her.
"What?"
"Well, Will is the one who's hurt. He has as much right to be angry as you have. And so do I. That bloody crew of yours shot my fiancé. I want to get those bastards as much as you do!"
Jack blinked. "Elizabeth!" He said delighted. "Such language. We'll make a proper pirate of you yet."
She blushed a little.
"So, if dear William agrees, we're all going after the Black Pearl and my bloody mutinous crew, yes?"
"Right."
"May I make so bold as to enquire how you plan to achieve this?" He asked.
It was Elizabeth's turn to blink. "I don't know." She confessed. "You're Captain Jack Sparrow, I thought you always had a plan."
"Much as I hate to admit it luv, I'm temporarily baffled. We've got no way of knowing where the Pearl's going to be, see, and even if we did, we don't 'ave the ship, the crew, the arms or the leverage to take her. Why do you think I waited ten years to take her back from Barbossa?"
"I never really thought about it. But I see the problem. What do we do?"
"Immediately? We stick to the previous plan. Retrieve some swag from the Isla de Muerta. Then we can maybe think about getting a crew and a better ship. Though I have bad luck when it comes to ships that aren't the Pearl."
Elizabeth didn't point out that he had quite bad luck with the Pearl, too.
Three days later, they were, according to Jack, close to the Isla de Muerta. Will was healing up nicely, and after careful argument, Jack had allowed him to get out of bed and move around as he pleased, as long as he stopped and told them if he felt any pain.
The Isla de Muerta was, obviously enough, an out of the way sort of island, in an area of water that wasn't close to any major shipping routes. They were therefore more than a little surprised when it became apparent that they were being followed.
"Anyone recognise that ship?" Jack asked, passing the telescope over to Will. He looked through it, shrugged and passed it on to Elizabeth.
"It's flying the Union Jack." She announced.
Jack nodded, thoughtfully and held a hand out for the telescope. On receiving it, he peered through it intently, then grinned and waved cheerily.
Elizabeth and Will stared at him.
"He's looking at us, looking at him through the telescope." He explained.
"Um, who is?" Will asked cautiously.
"Norrington." Jack announced delightedly.
Elizabeth and Will continued to stare at him.
*********************************************************************
There we are, nice short chapter for you.
Cast of thousands; Hey, we fired you didn't we?
Me: Um, no, you must be thinking of someone else.
Cast of thousands: No, we're not. Oh, alright, you can come back, especially since you haven't written the next chapter yet. But you're on half pay.
Me: What? I don't get paid for this? See previous disclaimers for evidence.
Cast of thousands: What's the reward then?
All together including several passing yaks: REVIEWS
So please do. I'm a struggling writer. At present I'm struggling to stay awake. G'night all.
