[a/n from AhiFlame: Ehehehehehe . . . sorry, but there's a lack of a
certain someone in this chapter . . . more shall be explained at the end.
The problem shall be dealt with as swiftly as possible.]
Chapter 4 - Theories and Regrets
Gibbs and Ana-Maria turned back around.
"What is it lass?" Gibbs asked, looking older and more exhausted than ever before.
"You didn't mention the splash." Elizabeth said, the comment directed at Ana-Maria.
"What?" Ana-Maria asked, her tone implying the other woman had better get to the point right quick.
"The splash-was there one?"
"When was there supposed to be a splash?" Ana-Maria asked back.
"When they dumped Jack's body-"
Ana-Maria winced quite noticeably at the comment. "BLAST IT ALL!! Can't ye jus' leave things as they are?!" She screamed, turning and dashing out of the tavern, fighting tears the whole way.
"What was that all about?" Will asked once the female pirate had left.
"Loosin' Jack was hard on all of us-Ana's no exception. 'Fact, it were probably hardest on 'er." Gibbs answered solemnly.
Bootstrap nodded in an understanding fashion, though the young couple were still looking quite clueless.
"No use rubbin' salt int' the op'n wound, eh?" Bootstrap said quietly.
"Aye. No use." Gibbs agreed, retrieving a flask from his vest and taking a long swig from it.
~*~
Ana-Maria dashed down the filthy streets, the sound of her boots connecting with the uneven cobblestones making a hollow echoing sound. Her progress was not slowed by other people, seeing as there were none on the streets. She hurriedly made her way towards the docks where the Black Pearl was moored. The sprint lasted not much more than ten minutes and by the time she reached the Pearl, she was out of breath.
She stumbled up the gang plank amidships, not even acknowledging the crewman on guard when he waved a greeting. She continued across the deck, heading for the stairs leading to the cabins below deck. On her way there, she paused at a familiar sight: Jack's cabin.
She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the firmly shut door. There was something definitely different about it; about the whole ship. When Jack had been aboard and in control of her, the ship had a more friendly, cheerful aura and even the darkest part of her had seemed welcoming. Now that Jack was absent, the ship was like it had been with Barbossa and his crew-dark; foreboding; dreary; bordering on evil . . . a ghost ship.
Ana-Maria involuntarily shuddered. Things on the Pearl were taking a turn for the worse. She seemed to be returning to her ghost ship state now that her rightful commander was gone. No, not just gone-dead.
A lump of fear and sadness formed in Ana-Maria's throat as she stared blankly at the closed cabin. As she watched it's unmoving form, the shadows around it seemed to grow deeper, blacker, engulfing the ship piece by piece . . .
Dead.
The word echoed in Ana-Maria's mind like the darkest curse. The truth began closing in on her at an alarming pace. Jack was dead; he wasn't coming back. She'd never see him again. A sinking feeling grew in the pit of her stomach, threatening to engulf her whole being.
"Ma'am?"
Ana-Maria literally jumped at the voice suddenly cutting through her thoughts. She looked over her shoulder at the intruder, only to find Duncan standing behind her, one hand on her shoulder.
"You okay? you've been standin' there fer awhile."
Ana-Maria nodded numbly, the sinking feeling subsiding. "I'm fine. G'night." She said, continuing to and down the stairs, leaving a slightly confused Duncan.
She walked down a short corridor before arriving at the door of her cabin. She quickly opened it, stepped in, shut the door and locked it behind her. With a sigh, she walked across the room and dropped down onto her cot.
'Why'd he 'ave t' do it?' She thought sadly to herself, putting her head in her hands. As much as she tried, she couldn't get the memories of Jack out of her mind. The most prominent of which, was her last encounter with him before they boarded the unmarked ship.
~*FLASHBACK*~
"All this waitin' is drivin' me mad!" Jack exclaimed, bored out of his mind.
"And how is that changing anything?" Ana-Maria muttered, purposefully letting Jack overhear.
Jack wheeled on his heel to face her. "Woman! When you've got a complaint, either voice it AWAY from me, or keep it t' yerself. Preferably the latter, savvy?!" Jack nearly screamed in her face.
Ana-Maria gave a little snort and crossed her arms across her chest, looking away from the captain. "I'll say what I like, when I like." She retorted. "Savvy?" She added in a mocking tone.
Jack then spun back to face the helm, infuriated.
~*END FLASHBACK*~
'And why'd the last time we talked 'ave to be a fight?' Ana-Maria silently asked herself. She felt absolutely terrible. She knew that her situation would probably haunt her forever; Jack had died thinking she hated him. 'I'll never forgive myself.'
~*~
"Now, what were ye gettin' at earlier, lass?" Gibbs asked, not wanting to be rude.
"Ana-Maria didn't mention the splash that should have come when Jack's body hit the water." Elizabeth answered.
"Aye, she didn't. But remember, she were in shock at that point . . . s'possible there were a splash, but she was too horrified t' 'ear it."
Bootstrap shook his head.
"Ye disagree?"
"I 'aven't known Ana-Maria all that long, but I do know one thing: there's practically nothin' that can phase 'er." Bootstrap said.
"Perhaps there was something that intercepted Jack when he was knocked over the railing? A rowboat?" Will interjected.
Gibbs didn't look convinced at all. "Even if that were th' case, lad, 'e would've bled out not long aft; accordin' t' what Ana-Maria said- chest wounds bleed out fast."
"But there is a chance that he could have survived the fall, right?" Elizabeth asked, getting back into the conversation.
~*~
A sharp knock on her cabin door roused Ana-Maria from her dreamless sleep the next morning. She moaned quietly, then rolled over onto her side and tried to blink away the fogginess sleep caused to one's vision.
Another knock echoed through the cabin, making the pirate visibly wince.
"Whaddya want?" Ana-Maria called out, still half asleep.
"The crew's getting rambunctious waitin' fer orders," the voice paused, as if uncertain of the effect the next word would have. "Captain."
Ana-Maria winced once again, the painful memories flooding back in a wave of lonesomeness. She missed Jack terribly-much more than she could- or, more specifically, would-ever let on. And now she was supposed to take his place as captain of the Black Pearl?! It was all too much for her to handle.
"You give 'em orders, Gibbs." Ana-Maria snapped at the closed door.
There was a pause.
"Ye git it?! Ye're th' cap'n . . . not me!" Ana-Maria practically yelled, a lone tear running down her face.
"Aye." Gibbs replied through the door. "But I expect ye on deck in the next quarter-hour, aye?"
"Aye aye." Ana-Maria replied dully.
There was a series of small thumping sounds as Gibbs headed back above deck. Ana-Maria groaned, then dragged herself off her cot and got dressed.
~*~
"Commodore, please." Will pleaded as he and Elizabeth trailed said officer around the fort.
Norrington remained silent and continued on at his brisk pace, making his morning rounds. Elizabeth sped up to match his pace, then to get ahead of him and stop, blocking his path.
"Please, you must help us." Elizabeth more demanded than pleaded.
Norrington shook his head. "I'm sorry." He said, brushing past her.
Elizabeth turned around and watched him retreat. "James, please."
The Commodore stopped and sighed. "I'm sorry Miss Swann, but Sparrow is a pirate-not worth trifling over. If the story you've told me is true- which I don't doubt-Sparrow is most likely dead already."
"You owe him this! He saved you and your men!" Will protested sharply, stepping up.
Norrington spun on his heel, a sharp glint in his eye. "Mr. Turner, I owe that low-life nothing. As I've said before, one good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness."
"But-"
"And as for the two of you, stay put. Do not go chasing after pirates again." Norrington said quickly. "If you are charged with aiding pirates once more, there will be no saving you from the consequences."
Elizabeth stepped up so she was mere inches from the Commodore and Will half expected her to slap him. "I was wrong. Jack's not the despicable one . . . you are." And with that, she turned and ran from the fort, leaving a baffled Commodore and an awkward-feeling Will.
"Thank you for your time, Commodore. Good day." Will said, wanting to escape the uncomfortable situation as quickly as possible without making any enemies. He then turned and retreated after his fiancé.
Norrington sighed audibly and continued on his rounds.
~*~
Will walked quickly out of the fort, and upon spotting Elizabeth, he strode even faster to catch up with her. "Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth stopped at the sound of the familiar voice, but didn't turn to face Will. Will jogged over to her and stood in front of her. She was staring at the stones beneath her feet.
"Elizabeth, what's wrong?"
"That filthy backstabber." Elizabeth muttered.
"Who? Jack?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "The Commodore." She corrected.
Will's expression changed from confusion to comprehension. "Elizabeth, you must understand . . . he's just doing his job. He can't help us track down Jack based on such an unlikely theory. Perhaps we should just accept the very strong likelihood that Jack is-"
"No!" Elizabeth protested, looking up with a terrified expression and tears streaming down her face. "Will, we can't. We owe him too much."
"I know. And we won't give up on him. All I'm saying is that the Commodore doesn't know Jack like we do. He still thinks of him as just a pirate." Will said, searching Elizabeth's eyes with his own.
Elizabeth shakily nodded.
Will smiled and wiped the tears from her face with his thumb. "Alright, now let's get to the ship."
~*~
Ana-Maria slowly emerged from below deck with about ten minutes of her allotted free time to spare. She spotted Gibbs talking with a crew member near the helm and headed for them.
"Gibbs." Ana-Maria said as she approached. "What's the plan?"
Gibbs looked up, breaking his previous conversation. "We're gonna stay in port fer awhile longer, but when we set sail, you'll be needed aloft."
Ana-Maria nodded her acknowledgement of her duties-to-come. "What're we waitin' fer?"
"We're gonna 'ave some company on this next voyage, an' we're just waitin' fer 'em t' arrive." Gibbs answered.
Ana-Maria was about to push the subject further, when another voice interrupted.
"Gibbs!"
Ana-Maria and Gibbs looked to the source of the voice to find Bootstrap ascending the gang plank. Gibbs abandoned the helm and made for the main deck, Ana-Maria following closely.
Once they were close enough to speak without shouting to one another, Gibbs spoke. "Did they 'ave any luck?"
Bootstrap shook his head. "Nay, th' man's as straight-laced as them law abidin' citizens come."
Gibbs nodded. "But they are comin', right?"
"Aye. They'll be along in a bit." Bootstrap replied.
"Gibbs, what is goin' on?!" Ana-Maria asked, getting slightly irked with being left out.
Gibbs was about to answer, but was distracted once more as Will and Elizabeth climbed on board the ship. He rushed over to meet them amidships and then hustled them into a small cabin to the left of the vacant captain's cabin.
Ana-Maria remained virtually alone on deck, save for the few crew members carrying out the dull and menial tasks involved with a ship sitting in port.
[a/n from AhiFlame: GOMEN NASAI (I'M VERY SORRY) for the lack of Jack- ness. It's more or less my fault . . . more because I'm writing Jack's character and less because Nikki agreed with me on the layout of the plot line. ^^; *hides* Sorry about this whole thing . . . but I PROMISE that Jack will show up . . . just not sure exactly WHEN. In the meantime, please keep reading and reviewing (even if your definition of 'reviewing' is to scream at us for the lack of Jack-ness). XD]
Chapter 4 - Theories and Regrets
Gibbs and Ana-Maria turned back around.
"What is it lass?" Gibbs asked, looking older and more exhausted than ever before.
"You didn't mention the splash." Elizabeth said, the comment directed at Ana-Maria.
"What?" Ana-Maria asked, her tone implying the other woman had better get to the point right quick.
"The splash-was there one?"
"When was there supposed to be a splash?" Ana-Maria asked back.
"When they dumped Jack's body-"
Ana-Maria winced quite noticeably at the comment. "BLAST IT ALL!! Can't ye jus' leave things as they are?!" She screamed, turning and dashing out of the tavern, fighting tears the whole way.
"What was that all about?" Will asked once the female pirate had left.
"Loosin' Jack was hard on all of us-Ana's no exception. 'Fact, it were probably hardest on 'er." Gibbs answered solemnly.
Bootstrap nodded in an understanding fashion, though the young couple were still looking quite clueless.
"No use rubbin' salt int' the op'n wound, eh?" Bootstrap said quietly.
"Aye. No use." Gibbs agreed, retrieving a flask from his vest and taking a long swig from it.
~*~
Ana-Maria dashed down the filthy streets, the sound of her boots connecting with the uneven cobblestones making a hollow echoing sound. Her progress was not slowed by other people, seeing as there were none on the streets. She hurriedly made her way towards the docks where the Black Pearl was moored. The sprint lasted not much more than ten minutes and by the time she reached the Pearl, she was out of breath.
She stumbled up the gang plank amidships, not even acknowledging the crewman on guard when he waved a greeting. She continued across the deck, heading for the stairs leading to the cabins below deck. On her way there, she paused at a familiar sight: Jack's cabin.
She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the firmly shut door. There was something definitely different about it; about the whole ship. When Jack had been aboard and in control of her, the ship had a more friendly, cheerful aura and even the darkest part of her had seemed welcoming. Now that Jack was absent, the ship was like it had been with Barbossa and his crew-dark; foreboding; dreary; bordering on evil . . . a ghost ship.
Ana-Maria involuntarily shuddered. Things on the Pearl were taking a turn for the worse. She seemed to be returning to her ghost ship state now that her rightful commander was gone. No, not just gone-dead.
A lump of fear and sadness formed in Ana-Maria's throat as she stared blankly at the closed cabin. As she watched it's unmoving form, the shadows around it seemed to grow deeper, blacker, engulfing the ship piece by piece . . .
Dead.
The word echoed in Ana-Maria's mind like the darkest curse. The truth began closing in on her at an alarming pace. Jack was dead; he wasn't coming back. She'd never see him again. A sinking feeling grew in the pit of her stomach, threatening to engulf her whole being.
"Ma'am?"
Ana-Maria literally jumped at the voice suddenly cutting through her thoughts. She looked over her shoulder at the intruder, only to find Duncan standing behind her, one hand on her shoulder.
"You okay? you've been standin' there fer awhile."
Ana-Maria nodded numbly, the sinking feeling subsiding. "I'm fine. G'night." She said, continuing to and down the stairs, leaving a slightly confused Duncan.
She walked down a short corridor before arriving at the door of her cabin. She quickly opened it, stepped in, shut the door and locked it behind her. With a sigh, she walked across the room and dropped down onto her cot.
'Why'd he 'ave t' do it?' She thought sadly to herself, putting her head in her hands. As much as she tried, she couldn't get the memories of Jack out of her mind. The most prominent of which, was her last encounter with him before they boarded the unmarked ship.
~*FLASHBACK*~
"All this waitin' is drivin' me mad!" Jack exclaimed, bored out of his mind.
"And how is that changing anything?" Ana-Maria muttered, purposefully letting Jack overhear.
Jack wheeled on his heel to face her. "Woman! When you've got a complaint, either voice it AWAY from me, or keep it t' yerself. Preferably the latter, savvy?!" Jack nearly screamed in her face.
Ana-Maria gave a little snort and crossed her arms across her chest, looking away from the captain. "I'll say what I like, when I like." She retorted. "Savvy?" She added in a mocking tone.
Jack then spun back to face the helm, infuriated.
~*END FLASHBACK*~
'And why'd the last time we talked 'ave to be a fight?' Ana-Maria silently asked herself. She felt absolutely terrible. She knew that her situation would probably haunt her forever; Jack had died thinking she hated him. 'I'll never forgive myself.'
~*~
"Now, what were ye gettin' at earlier, lass?" Gibbs asked, not wanting to be rude.
"Ana-Maria didn't mention the splash that should have come when Jack's body hit the water." Elizabeth answered.
"Aye, she didn't. But remember, she were in shock at that point . . . s'possible there were a splash, but she was too horrified t' 'ear it."
Bootstrap shook his head.
"Ye disagree?"
"I 'aven't known Ana-Maria all that long, but I do know one thing: there's practically nothin' that can phase 'er." Bootstrap said.
"Perhaps there was something that intercepted Jack when he was knocked over the railing? A rowboat?" Will interjected.
Gibbs didn't look convinced at all. "Even if that were th' case, lad, 'e would've bled out not long aft; accordin' t' what Ana-Maria said- chest wounds bleed out fast."
"But there is a chance that he could have survived the fall, right?" Elizabeth asked, getting back into the conversation.
~*~
A sharp knock on her cabin door roused Ana-Maria from her dreamless sleep the next morning. She moaned quietly, then rolled over onto her side and tried to blink away the fogginess sleep caused to one's vision.
Another knock echoed through the cabin, making the pirate visibly wince.
"Whaddya want?" Ana-Maria called out, still half asleep.
"The crew's getting rambunctious waitin' fer orders," the voice paused, as if uncertain of the effect the next word would have. "Captain."
Ana-Maria winced once again, the painful memories flooding back in a wave of lonesomeness. She missed Jack terribly-much more than she could- or, more specifically, would-ever let on. And now she was supposed to take his place as captain of the Black Pearl?! It was all too much for her to handle.
"You give 'em orders, Gibbs." Ana-Maria snapped at the closed door.
There was a pause.
"Ye git it?! Ye're th' cap'n . . . not me!" Ana-Maria practically yelled, a lone tear running down her face.
"Aye." Gibbs replied through the door. "But I expect ye on deck in the next quarter-hour, aye?"
"Aye aye." Ana-Maria replied dully.
There was a series of small thumping sounds as Gibbs headed back above deck. Ana-Maria groaned, then dragged herself off her cot and got dressed.
~*~
"Commodore, please." Will pleaded as he and Elizabeth trailed said officer around the fort.
Norrington remained silent and continued on at his brisk pace, making his morning rounds. Elizabeth sped up to match his pace, then to get ahead of him and stop, blocking his path.
"Please, you must help us." Elizabeth more demanded than pleaded.
Norrington shook his head. "I'm sorry." He said, brushing past her.
Elizabeth turned around and watched him retreat. "James, please."
The Commodore stopped and sighed. "I'm sorry Miss Swann, but Sparrow is a pirate-not worth trifling over. If the story you've told me is true- which I don't doubt-Sparrow is most likely dead already."
"You owe him this! He saved you and your men!" Will protested sharply, stepping up.
Norrington spun on his heel, a sharp glint in his eye. "Mr. Turner, I owe that low-life nothing. As I've said before, one good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness."
"But-"
"And as for the two of you, stay put. Do not go chasing after pirates again." Norrington said quickly. "If you are charged with aiding pirates once more, there will be no saving you from the consequences."
Elizabeth stepped up so she was mere inches from the Commodore and Will half expected her to slap him. "I was wrong. Jack's not the despicable one . . . you are." And with that, she turned and ran from the fort, leaving a baffled Commodore and an awkward-feeling Will.
"Thank you for your time, Commodore. Good day." Will said, wanting to escape the uncomfortable situation as quickly as possible without making any enemies. He then turned and retreated after his fiancé.
Norrington sighed audibly and continued on his rounds.
~*~
Will walked quickly out of the fort, and upon spotting Elizabeth, he strode even faster to catch up with her. "Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth stopped at the sound of the familiar voice, but didn't turn to face Will. Will jogged over to her and stood in front of her. She was staring at the stones beneath her feet.
"Elizabeth, what's wrong?"
"That filthy backstabber." Elizabeth muttered.
"Who? Jack?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "The Commodore." She corrected.
Will's expression changed from confusion to comprehension. "Elizabeth, you must understand . . . he's just doing his job. He can't help us track down Jack based on such an unlikely theory. Perhaps we should just accept the very strong likelihood that Jack is-"
"No!" Elizabeth protested, looking up with a terrified expression and tears streaming down her face. "Will, we can't. We owe him too much."
"I know. And we won't give up on him. All I'm saying is that the Commodore doesn't know Jack like we do. He still thinks of him as just a pirate." Will said, searching Elizabeth's eyes with his own.
Elizabeth shakily nodded.
Will smiled and wiped the tears from her face with his thumb. "Alright, now let's get to the ship."
~*~
Ana-Maria slowly emerged from below deck with about ten minutes of her allotted free time to spare. She spotted Gibbs talking with a crew member near the helm and headed for them.
"Gibbs." Ana-Maria said as she approached. "What's the plan?"
Gibbs looked up, breaking his previous conversation. "We're gonna stay in port fer awhile longer, but when we set sail, you'll be needed aloft."
Ana-Maria nodded her acknowledgement of her duties-to-come. "What're we waitin' fer?"
"We're gonna 'ave some company on this next voyage, an' we're just waitin' fer 'em t' arrive." Gibbs answered.
Ana-Maria was about to push the subject further, when another voice interrupted.
"Gibbs!"
Ana-Maria and Gibbs looked to the source of the voice to find Bootstrap ascending the gang plank. Gibbs abandoned the helm and made for the main deck, Ana-Maria following closely.
Once they were close enough to speak without shouting to one another, Gibbs spoke. "Did they 'ave any luck?"
Bootstrap shook his head. "Nay, th' man's as straight-laced as them law abidin' citizens come."
Gibbs nodded. "But they are comin', right?"
"Aye. They'll be along in a bit." Bootstrap replied.
"Gibbs, what is goin' on?!" Ana-Maria asked, getting slightly irked with being left out.
Gibbs was about to answer, but was distracted once more as Will and Elizabeth climbed on board the ship. He rushed over to meet them amidships and then hustled them into a small cabin to the left of the vacant captain's cabin.
Ana-Maria remained virtually alone on deck, save for the few crew members carrying out the dull and menial tasks involved with a ship sitting in port.
[a/n from AhiFlame: GOMEN NASAI (I'M VERY SORRY) for the lack of Jack- ness. It's more or less my fault . . . more because I'm writing Jack's character and less because Nikki agreed with me on the layout of the plot line. ^^; *hides* Sorry about this whole thing . . . but I PROMISE that Jack will show up . . . just not sure exactly WHEN. In the meantime, please keep reading and reviewing (even if your definition of 'reviewing' is to scream at us for the lack of Jack-ness). XD]