Eva: NOOOO! NOT MY RUM! I'M WRITING LOOK AT ME GO! *types frantically*
Jackfan2: Thankee sooo much, you gave me some very good points to work on. I hadn't thought about how Will would react
to Jack going off on his own, though I was going to have him going after him. Plus I LOVE what you said about the Future
being worth the risk. You should take over this fan fic., lol :D
Ok so I know this is VERY short in comparison with how long I normally have chapters, but I couldn't think of what else
to add to this segment. Hopefully more to come when my brain gets in gear.
** = flashbacks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack's eyes were trained grimly on the horizon that normally evoked so much satisfaction from him, and right now only
brought him aggravation. The deck was crowded even moreso than normal, crew members heatedly getting under each others
feet performing a multitude of tasks, some of which were of no necessity at all other than they kept people occupied.
After all, Jade had demanded that her crew earn their keep on this ship, and they seemed reluctant to gainsay any orders
given by their Captain. Rita was watching over them with a brittle strictness that could only be provoked by anxiety,
her orders clipped, her temper frayed.
Nothing to do, but wait...
"How far off are we?" Elizabeth inquired, stepping up to beside Jack. Will had been hovering behind him for the past
ten minutes, but the usually talkative pirate had not even acknowledged his presence. "A day, maybe a little more."
replied Jack, spinning the wheel and looking ready to sink back into contemplative silence again. Determined to rouse
him, Elizabeth decided a little baiting was in order. "Why so quiet? Is the GREAT Captain Jack Sparrow scared of whats
to come?" She challenged, raising her eyebrows in a teasing fashion when his indignant eyes flashed to meet hers. "Me??
Scared?? I'd be more scared of that damn monkey than I am of Barbossa! I killed him once, and if necessary I'll do it
again." Jack replied incredulously, his normal eccentricities and wild hand wavings coming to the fore once again.
Elizabeth smiled and laughed, glad to see Jack was relaxing slightly. The fact that once the chest, that leaden ornate
Aztec chest that skulked in the corner of the hold, was disposed of there would be no way of killing Barbossa, was one
that both of them ignored.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jade watched Barbossa as he paced nearby the wheel where she stood, closing his eyes on occasion to savour the feel of
the wind. Having been dead certainly made the world seem all the more beautiful. Jade knew that much herself. Being
near him was harder than she had thought, the pain and anger so high up inside her throat she could not speak for fear of
unleashing it. She would have killed him in an instant if she lost that precious control, and she needed him alive.
The crew were fairing the world with equal cheer, laughter and enjoyment rife as they manned the ship. Jade clenched her
teeth down on the bitter taste of bile as she thought of what they would be doing to celebrate their new freedom and
life if she had not given them this diversion to the Tunnels.
Murdering, pillaging, destroying. They didn't know anything else. Her forehead creased into the subtlest of frowns as
an inner part of her saw the mirrored comparison of her own crew. Always she had loathed these men, these pirates. But
the only thing she had ever known how to be ever since the day she joined them, was to be a pirate herself. She recalled
even now those words Barbossa had uttered, claiming Jack was not a true pirate, and it enraged her. Jack was everything
a true pirate was. Deceptive, ruthless,treasure-mad, booze-driven... but with honour. Honour was something that
Barbossa had never had even the vaguest comprehension of, only knowing greed and want and violence. He had no loyalty,
no compassion, no warmth. A true pirate,like Jack, like Rita, like even Will though he'd never admit it, had all of
these things. Barbossa had never cared for anyone.
'He cared for you...'
Jade gripped the wheel agonisingly to hold inside her something in between hysterical laughter and howls of anger. He
had cared for her... But of course he had...
**The night air bit her cheeks like a hateful kiss as the mutinous crew swelled around her, hardness and violence, nothing
but hardness and violence. Barbossa had gotten hold of her hair and she was thrown into the arms of Ragetti who held her
in a crushing grip, taking the breath from her lungs.
Where was Jack?
Her eyes swivelled madly in search of him, and he was being dragged from the cabin, a dozen swords to his throat to
prevent any rash action. His face was tight with barely concealed anger, but he was trying to be reasonable, talking a
mile a minute, lying through his teeth, stretching out the charm. Trying to wriggle out of this all and no one was
listening to him. Cold steel met with Jade's throat and she looked up into Barbossa's eyes. "If you're very lucky lass,
I may not kill yeh." he hissed, his face still ablaze with that furious anger. He leant closer now, his harsh breath
wafting over her face "But I'm sure yeh'd prefer death to what I have planned for yeh." Turning from her, he laughed
emptily as Jack grinned nervously. Jack wasn't an idiot. He wasn't going to try and fight his way through all of them.
"Now Jack, what d'yeh reckon would be the easiest way to get rid of yeh? My personal preference is keelhaulin' yeh.
What about it boys?" The crew all bayed for blood, their agreement more than apparent. "D'yeh like the sound of that
Jade?" Barbossa had turned to her again, his smile showing the challenge in this question. It didn't matter to Jade.
He could do what he wanted to her now. All that sang through her blood and pounded in her heart as adrenaline was the
simple words that hissed out of her throat on impulse like a primal promise.
"No. No I won't let you." she spat with all of her being and Barbossa span, backhanding her so hard that she fell out of
Ragetti's iron-hard grip, blood spilling down her face. Her world momentarily blurred into a hot haze as she tried
to think, and Jack bit down on his tongue and clenched his fists so he would not try and get to her. This was his mess.
Why did she have to be so pig-headed? Couldn't she stay out of it? The crew positively thrummed with excitement, watching
Barbossa as he turned to Jack once more, still smiling that bitter, dark smile. He beckoned for him to be brought
forwards and those who held him eagerly dragged him to their new Captain. Barbossa looked him slowly up and down before
shrugging and grinning "Oh te Hell with it, what's say I just shoot him and get it over with boys?" The crew roared, and
Barbossa pulled out his pistol, cocked it, aimed it. The crew all flew back, parted like a curtain to give him a clean
shot of their Captain.
"NO!"
The sharp crack of the bullet echoed thinly into the night as Barbossa stood frozen with the smoking pistol, as the crew
stood mute.
She was supposed to stay still. She was supposed to submit. She was supposed to stay quiet and allow it to happen. No
one was more surprised than Jack to see the bullet hit HER. His brain could barely conceive as to what had happened even
as he knew she had just stepped in the way of HIS bullet.
The blood was oozing languidly from beneath where her hand clenched like a punch against her own chest. She was swaying
in the wind like a reed of grass and they were all frozen in disbelief at what had just happened. Jack held out a hand,
intent on pulling her to him, on curing what could not be cured when her eyes turned to his. He had to stop the bleeding,
had to had to had to... She was dying right in front of him, for him. This was beyond any loyalty he had ever expected,
ever WANTED from anyone. A poor trade for living if she had to die. Not Jade. He needed to move, he needed to... Those
vibrant eyes that had a flame that was flickering out.
She was too close to the edge, and even as he realised this she was stumbling,losing balance, falling, he was reaching
out to grab her, launching himself forward and his hands only caught air. Hands knuckle-white on the edge of the ship,
he looked at the sea where she had hit with eyes that couldn't blink. She wasn't coming back up.**
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jade's eyes swam back into focus as she looked up at Barbossa, her brain vaguely registering that she had been spoken to.
"What's that my love?" She asked lightly, his suspicious gaze locked on hers. "How did yeh get to the Isla de Muerto on
this fine ship with no crew?" he asked again, eyebrows raised. She smiled and shrugged "I didn't trust your men to not
attack the lasses who were kind enough to drop me off. I set 'em adrift in some rowboats." she replied. His grin
broadened and he stepped forwards next to her. Jade wondered whether he realised how fixed the sweet smile was on her
face as he slid a hand around her neck, whispering hotly in her ear. "That's my girl."
Jackfan2: Thankee sooo much, you gave me some very good points to work on. I hadn't thought about how Will would react
to Jack going off on his own, though I was going to have him going after him. Plus I LOVE what you said about the Future
being worth the risk. You should take over this fan fic., lol :D
Ok so I know this is VERY short in comparison with how long I normally have chapters, but I couldn't think of what else
to add to this segment. Hopefully more to come when my brain gets in gear.
** = flashbacks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack's eyes were trained grimly on the horizon that normally evoked so much satisfaction from him, and right now only
brought him aggravation. The deck was crowded even moreso than normal, crew members heatedly getting under each others
feet performing a multitude of tasks, some of which were of no necessity at all other than they kept people occupied.
After all, Jade had demanded that her crew earn their keep on this ship, and they seemed reluctant to gainsay any orders
given by their Captain. Rita was watching over them with a brittle strictness that could only be provoked by anxiety,
her orders clipped, her temper frayed.
Nothing to do, but wait...
"How far off are we?" Elizabeth inquired, stepping up to beside Jack. Will had been hovering behind him for the past
ten minutes, but the usually talkative pirate had not even acknowledged his presence. "A day, maybe a little more."
replied Jack, spinning the wheel and looking ready to sink back into contemplative silence again. Determined to rouse
him, Elizabeth decided a little baiting was in order. "Why so quiet? Is the GREAT Captain Jack Sparrow scared of whats
to come?" She challenged, raising her eyebrows in a teasing fashion when his indignant eyes flashed to meet hers. "Me??
Scared?? I'd be more scared of that damn monkey than I am of Barbossa! I killed him once, and if necessary I'll do it
again." Jack replied incredulously, his normal eccentricities and wild hand wavings coming to the fore once again.
Elizabeth smiled and laughed, glad to see Jack was relaxing slightly. The fact that once the chest, that leaden ornate
Aztec chest that skulked in the corner of the hold, was disposed of there would be no way of killing Barbossa, was one
that both of them ignored.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jade watched Barbossa as he paced nearby the wheel where she stood, closing his eyes on occasion to savour the feel of
the wind. Having been dead certainly made the world seem all the more beautiful. Jade knew that much herself. Being
near him was harder than she had thought, the pain and anger so high up inside her throat she could not speak for fear of
unleashing it. She would have killed him in an instant if she lost that precious control, and she needed him alive.
The crew were fairing the world with equal cheer, laughter and enjoyment rife as they manned the ship. Jade clenched her
teeth down on the bitter taste of bile as she thought of what they would be doing to celebrate their new freedom and
life if she had not given them this diversion to the Tunnels.
Murdering, pillaging, destroying. They didn't know anything else. Her forehead creased into the subtlest of frowns as
an inner part of her saw the mirrored comparison of her own crew. Always she had loathed these men, these pirates. But
the only thing she had ever known how to be ever since the day she joined them, was to be a pirate herself. She recalled
even now those words Barbossa had uttered, claiming Jack was not a true pirate, and it enraged her. Jack was everything
a true pirate was. Deceptive, ruthless,treasure-mad, booze-driven... but with honour. Honour was something that
Barbossa had never had even the vaguest comprehension of, only knowing greed and want and violence. He had no loyalty,
no compassion, no warmth. A true pirate,like Jack, like Rita, like even Will though he'd never admit it, had all of
these things. Barbossa had never cared for anyone.
'He cared for you...'
Jade gripped the wheel agonisingly to hold inside her something in between hysterical laughter and howls of anger. He
had cared for her... But of course he had...
**The night air bit her cheeks like a hateful kiss as the mutinous crew swelled around her, hardness and violence, nothing
but hardness and violence. Barbossa had gotten hold of her hair and she was thrown into the arms of Ragetti who held her
in a crushing grip, taking the breath from her lungs.
Where was Jack?
Her eyes swivelled madly in search of him, and he was being dragged from the cabin, a dozen swords to his throat to
prevent any rash action. His face was tight with barely concealed anger, but he was trying to be reasonable, talking a
mile a minute, lying through his teeth, stretching out the charm. Trying to wriggle out of this all and no one was
listening to him. Cold steel met with Jade's throat and she looked up into Barbossa's eyes. "If you're very lucky lass,
I may not kill yeh." he hissed, his face still ablaze with that furious anger. He leant closer now, his harsh breath
wafting over her face "But I'm sure yeh'd prefer death to what I have planned for yeh." Turning from her, he laughed
emptily as Jack grinned nervously. Jack wasn't an idiot. He wasn't going to try and fight his way through all of them.
"Now Jack, what d'yeh reckon would be the easiest way to get rid of yeh? My personal preference is keelhaulin' yeh.
What about it boys?" The crew all bayed for blood, their agreement more than apparent. "D'yeh like the sound of that
Jade?" Barbossa had turned to her again, his smile showing the challenge in this question. It didn't matter to Jade.
He could do what he wanted to her now. All that sang through her blood and pounded in her heart as adrenaline was the
simple words that hissed out of her throat on impulse like a primal promise.
"No. No I won't let you." she spat with all of her being and Barbossa span, backhanding her so hard that she fell out of
Ragetti's iron-hard grip, blood spilling down her face. Her world momentarily blurred into a hot haze as she tried
to think, and Jack bit down on his tongue and clenched his fists so he would not try and get to her. This was his mess.
Why did she have to be so pig-headed? Couldn't she stay out of it? The crew positively thrummed with excitement, watching
Barbossa as he turned to Jack once more, still smiling that bitter, dark smile. He beckoned for him to be brought
forwards and those who held him eagerly dragged him to their new Captain. Barbossa looked him slowly up and down before
shrugging and grinning "Oh te Hell with it, what's say I just shoot him and get it over with boys?" The crew roared, and
Barbossa pulled out his pistol, cocked it, aimed it. The crew all flew back, parted like a curtain to give him a clean
shot of their Captain.
"NO!"
The sharp crack of the bullet echoed thinly into the night as Barbossa stood frozen with the smoking pistol, as the crew
stood mute.
She was supposed to stay still. She was supposed to submit. She was supposed to stay quiet and allow it to happen. No
one was more surprised than Jack to see the bullet hit HER. His brain could barely conceive as to what had happened even
as he knew she had just stepped in the way of HIS bullet.
The blood was oozing languidly from beneath where her hand clenched like a punch against her own chest. She was swaying
in the wind like a reed of grass and they were all frozen in disbelief at what had just happened. Jack held out a hand,
intent on pulling her to him, on curing what could not be cured when her eyes turned to his. He had to stop the bleeding,
had to had to had to... She was dying right in front of him, for him. This was beyond any loyalty he had ever expected,
ever WANTED from anyone. A poor trade for living if she had to die. Not Jade. He needed to move, he needed to... Those
vibrant eyes that had a flame that was flickering out.
She was too close to the edge, and even as he realised this she was stumbling,losing balance, falling, he was reaching
out to grab her, launching himself forward and his hands only caught air. Hands knuckle-white on the edge of the ship,
he looked at the sea where she had hit with eyes that couldn't blink. She wasn't coming back up.**
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jade's eyes swam back into focus as she looked up at Barbossa, her brain vaguely registering that she had been spoken to.
"What's that my love?" She asked lightly, his suspicious gaze locked on hers. "How did yeh get to the Isla de Muerto on
this fine ship with no crew?" he asked again, eyebrows raised. She smiled and shrugged "I didn't trust your men to not
attack the lasses who were kind enough to drop me off. I set 'em adrift in some rowboats." she replied. His grin
broadened and he stepped forwards next to her. Jade wondered whether he realised how fixed the sweet smile was on her
face as he slid a hand around her neck, whispering hotly in her ear. "That's my girl."