Yes, dolphins and apples. I decided to go past the ordinary and relate life to apples and dolphins. Hehe. I'm not an ordinary person, so all of my 'deformities' -please ignore. Cheeky grin
!!!!NOTE!!!!! As someone pointed out a long time ago, I've got my time line screwed up. Barbossa had the Pearl for ten years, whereas I had made it to where he only had it for eight. From this chapter onward, it has been changed to the correct time of ten years. I will go back to the other chapters later and fix the problem, but for now just keep the 'time change' in mind as you read.
JeanieBeanie33: I
have an odd way of looking at life. The
apple idea was something I thought of randomly.
SuzzieQue: Yes, I had an enjoyable holiday. Too bad it's over. I apologize again for the length. I just felt as if I had to get something up there. I promise the chapter will be longer, even
if it takes five years for it to be long enough.
emma436: thank you for
your support! The line 'your story
rocks' jut makes me feel so good about myself.
Thank you!
Lilitaliandragon: Is cute a good thing? looks doubtful You say that often and I'm never sure how to take it. laughs
Lightbulb-89: Thank you for the compliment! I'm glad you enjoy my writing. If no one did I don't know what I would do! As for the dolphins… I really don't know how to answer that. I have a way of putting stuff in a story for no reason and then, later, it means something, so keep an eye out and maybe I'll surprise myself!
Abbienormal182: My buddy! What's up, girl? Haha, anyway, thank you for the mistake note. I wasn't sure about it myself, so I left it. I'll have to look it up later. I'm glad I'm not the only one who seems to have lost the POTC love bug. Hopefully it'll come back soon!
kaisparrow: I'm glad you like it! I love getting responses like that. I've been getting some negative reviews lately, so this was a huge encouragement. Thank you!
KT: almost cried three times… wow… Once again, thanks for your encouragement. Compliments always make me a happy camper. smile
Lip Balm: Thank you for the compliment. I thrive off them. As for your questions, I can't exactly answer because I don't want to spoil my fun. You can ask away, it doesn't bother me, but I can't promise I'll give you a direct answer.
iluvrumandjohnnydepp: Wow… I'm your favourite author? One of the grandest compliments a person could ever receive. Thank you so much! I'm sorry you were disappointed with the last chapter. Hopefully this one you'll like better.
Secrets of the Caribbean
Written By: Riley Barton
[Chapter Thirty-One]
The smoke was a dark grayish-black hovering around him as he stumbled down the narrow hallway to the rickety staircase at the end. The fire had spread fast; faster than he had planned, at any rate. He had set the fire at the top of the three-story building only to find that the fire had beaten him to the second floor. "Damn," he growled as he ran his shoulder through the shut door. He lurched into the staircase banister, clutched it with ringed-fingers, and hurried down the steps. The smoke chased after him, threatening to suffocate him in the process. He reached the first floor and dashed out of the stairwell, closing the door behind him. The smoke began to seep in through the crack at the bottom. "To Hell with this." He went down the hall quickly, glancing into rooms as he passed. "Where the blazes did she go?" he grumbled.
Thundering footsteps came from the bend at the end of the corridor. He looked up in time to be bowled over by a sprinting blonde. "Shit!" The two collided, falling to the floor.
"Fancy meetin' you here," Jack said sarcastically, grabbing the woman's arm and yanking her to her feet. "So did ye get it?"
Scarlett glared at him as she gathered her bearings. "Yes, I got it." She pulled her arm away. "Now can we get out of here?" Smoke was starting to fill up the corridor. "The fire you started traveled down the walls so fast that now the main part of the tavern is engulfed in flames and smoke!"
"How was I t' know this place was a tinderbox waitin' t' be lit?" Jack returned, flinging his arms out. "I ain't a fortune teller."
Scarlett rolled her eyes and started for the stairwell behind Jack. He grabbed her arm. "Oh no, ain't goin' that way. We go this way."
Jack and Scarlett hurried down the corridor, breathing in quick gasps so as not to inhale the smoke that was starting to fill up. They barged through a door, taking them into the kitchen, and headed for the door at the back. As Jack was pulling open the door, Scarlett noticed a small figure hiding in a corner. She pulled away from Jack and moved forward to get a closer look. Her eyes widened as she realized the figure was a small girl. She held her hand out. "Come on out of there. It isn't safe for you to stay in this building. It's going to go up in flames before long."
"Scarlett!" Jack shouted from the doorway.
She glanced back at him for a quick second before trying to beckon the girl again. "Please, trust me. I only want to help."
The girl looked at her and shifted, as if about to move. "Where's daddy?" the girl, who couldn't be a day over eight, asked meekly.
Scarlett's heart went out to the girl. "I promise we'll find your daddy, but only after we get out of here."
The girl hesitated again, wasting precious seconds, before taking Scarlett's hand and crawling out from under the table. Scarlett held tight to the girl's hand and followed an exasperated Jack out into a dark alley. The trio went to the right, following the sound of the ocean. Jack and Scarlett, however, were moving at such a fast pace that the smaller girl couldn't keep up. Scarlett slowed, picked the girl up, and began running again. She and Jack came out of the alley and into a street lined with houses. Scarlett stopped before a home with a candle burning in the window and set the child down on the doorstep. She knocked harshly on the door, waiting impatiently. Jack was sending her ardent death glares as he continued to look furiously about. If those other pirates caught them…
The door opened and an elderly woman stood at the door. She looked curiously at the girl before looking to Scarlett. She appeared startled at Scarlett's apparel and about shut the door. "Please, wait." Scarlett held the door open. "I bid you no harm. A building is on fire one street over and I managed to bring this girl out and to safety. She can't stay with me, however, so I was wondering if you would be so kind as to help her find her parents? I would do so myself but I'm in quite a fix at the moment and am unable to do so."
The woman hesitated. "How do I know this isn't a trick?"
Scarlett groaned in impatience. "Look." She dug a bag of coins from her pocket, placed them in the girl's hands, and ushered her into the house. "There are some coins to pay for your trouble." She flashed a smile at the girl before disappearing into the shadows.
Jack latched onto her wrist and pulled her down the street after him. "If we get caught by Ansgar and his cronies, Scar, I swear-"
"We won't," Scarlett managed to spit out. They passed through another alley and into the next street.
"There they are!"
Scarlett and Jack jumped at the angry shout, their heads swiveling in that direction.
"Run!" Jack shouted, and the two dashed off down the street for the wharf.
Jack leaned his head back against the bulkhead, using it as a headrest. He couldn't sleep. Thoughts of the past had been haunting him as of late and they wouldn't seem to leave. For the past three nights he had hardly slept at all, battling memories, the weather, and that reef two days before. Will had noticed and had taken over some of the duties for a temporary time and, in an unlike Jack manner, the pirate captain had allowed him to. In the past he would have been defiant and resisted the offer of help, but even he understood his limits.
Shoving the blankets back he stood to his feet and pulled on his pants and a shirt. His boots came on last; his hat remained on the bedside table.
The crescent moon shone brightly, casting a curved light onto the Pearl's deck. He looked around, taking in Will standing at the helm, the two men up in the crow's nest, and a sentry wandering the deck. Jack nodded at the latter, making his way to the bulwark. Not wanting to be around anyone, he walked to the furthest end of the ship where he could stand at the railing and not be bothered. He stood there with his legs firmly planted and spread apart with his arms folded, staring out to sea.
This was where he belonged, on his ship, sailing for a destination that would lead him to adventure. That was how it was supposed to be: a pirate captain at his peak, looting to his hearts content, and searching for deadly adventures that would make any aristocrat's toes curl. That was the way of it all; take what you can and give nothing back.
"Can't sleep either?"
Jack jumped in a comical way, spinning around on the heels of his boots. He frowned, barely noticing a figure draped in darkness sitting with their back against a wooden crate. The figure uncrossed their long legs from an Indian-style position and crossed them at the ankles; he could hear the rustle of their shirt as the person folded their arms across their chest. He looked down and studied the boots; they were a female's. He sighed and leaned back against the bulwark. "And what's got ye up at this late of night?" he asked leisurely.
"Thoughts and ideas," came the unhurried reply. She sounded sad, full of longing, and worry all at once. "You?"
Jack shrugged, turning back around to face the ocean. "Too much on me mind." He heard the woman get to her feet and her boots sound on the wooden deck. She rested her elbows on the bulwark and leaned on them, tilting her head to the side as if in thought.
Neither of them said a word after that. No words were needed. The two just simply stood there, each in their own thoughts. An hour past before Scarlett backed away. With a glimmer of a smile she faded into the shadows from whence she came.
Their midnight rendezvous' continued throughout the following two weeks. Most times neither said a word to the other. They would simply stand at the railing, thinking. Knowing someone else was there, just their presence was enough, and slowly, the silence began to heal.
"The two of you lied to me! Went behind my backs and… and did this!"
Scarlett shuddered at her father's angry shout, shrinking away from the door where she had been peering through the crack, listening. Crawling onto the small cot, she curled up into a ball and clutched her small doll named Sara to her. She closed her eyes and willed the voices to disappear. The voices were merely a loud hum, all the words running together forming something indiscernible, but the tones of their voices spoke volumes.
"If you had acted more like a man all those years ago then maybe this wouldn't have happened," her father's brother shouted in equal volume. "You've always been there for her, sure, but you were never a real man. Suck it up big brother, and maybe then you'll get somewhere."
"I have done nothing except provide for that witch!" Something made of glass shattered against a wall. "She's lived off of what I bring in, and this is how she repays me? By throwing herself at you!?"
"Marshall, please-" Scarlett's heart leapt at her mother's quivering voice. She sounded so afraid.
"I'm not listening to you. You're nothing but a thieving whore. Spending my money while sleeping with my own brother!"
"Things just got out of hand," her mother tried again. "I didn't feel like you loved me anymore, so I went to him. I never meant for anything to come from it-"
"To Hell with that idea, Julia." Marshall was pacing now, and Scarlett could almost imagine the anger in his eyes. She had seen him mad before, and it had frightened her. "Life doesn't work as we want it to. You should have thought about the consequences before you slept with him."
"Marshall, calm down."
"No, I will not calm down. As my brother you should have never even thought of it." He spat on the floor at his brother's feet. "I curse the day you were born."
Her hands appeared white in the glow of the fading moonlight as her hands gripped the bulwark tightly. She felt as if she were about to fall over the edge, that the railing was the only thing saving her. If she let go for even a moment she would topple over and be lost to Davey Jones Locker.
"It's just your mind playing tricks on you," she told herself, forcing herself to loosen her fingers. "Just your mind." Her hands shakily let go of the bulwark and hovered in the air above it. She hadn't fallen; she was still standing on the deck. Although her heart was pounding, she was relieved.
Scarlett stood alone on the deck of the Black Pearl. She was the one at the helm that night and, after wanting to take a break, had tied the helm with a spare line of rigging to keep the ship on course and had wandered the deck. She now stood on the port side, watching the dark waves lap against the hull. The moon was gone behind the wispy clouds, leaving the deck a dark, forbidding hole. Shaking her mind free of visions of ghosts and other cruel villains, she strode across the deck to the helm. She looked far calmer than she felt on the inside.
Scarlett removed the rope from the helm and gripped the wooden pegs with both hands, liking the feel of the wood against her skin. She smiled faintly, remembering when she had used to stand behind the helm every day, swapping times intervals with Jack. She had first gripped the helm of a ship when she had been twenty-three, just a week after her birthday…
"Can I open my eyes yet?"
"No, not yet." Jack continued to lead her across the wharf in Port Nassau with one hand gripping hers while the other was on the small of her back, leading her. "Almost there. Step up." The flooring beneath her feet started going upward until she stepped down onto a level floor.
"How about now?" Scarlett smiled, wanting to open her eyes and see where he was taking her, but she had given her word she wouldn't do so until he told her to.
"Impatient, aren't you? Okay, there's twelve steps in front of ye; be careful."
Scarlett slowly walked up the steps, fumbling. Jack held her up, always there if she started to fall. They reached the top and Jack steered her to a certain spot. "Give me yer other hand." Holding both of her hands in his, he placed them around two pegs, wrapping her fingers around them. "Open yer eyes."
Scarlett's eyes opened, widening to the size of saucers. "Holy Mother of God," she whispered, backing up a step. She looked in every direction, taking it all in. She stood at the helm of a beautiful ship, richly crafted. Crisp, white canvas sails were furled perfectly, the floorboards were glistening in the morning sun from a recent scrub, and all the rigging was swinging in the breeze playfully.
"She's ours," Jack said with a broad grin on his face. He swung his arms out, gesturing to the ship in its entirety. "We own 'er, Scarlett. The Black Pearl is all ours."
Scarlett stared at him as if in shock. "Ours?" She shook her head in disbelief.
"Aye." It was easy to see Jack was all too proud of her. "Some captain was sellin' her. She was a bit beaten up and part of her figurehead was missin', but once I got her fixed up she was perfect."
"I can't believe this. How did you afford it without using the money I've been saving for later?"
Jack grinned and winked devilishly. "I have my secrets."
Scarlett laughed and shook her head, looking around at the ship again. "I don't care how you got the money. She's perfect."
"We leave tomorrow," Jack said, going behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "We've got a world to explore and people to pilfer from."
"What about a crew?" she asked logically, still trying to take everything in. "We can't sail this by ourselves."
"Done. Everythin' is set and ready to go. The crew will be comin' in the mornin'. They're a right bunch of scallawags, but they'll do."
Scarlett playfully pinched his arm and leaned back against him. "Thank you, for everything."
She could almost hear the smile in his voice. "I'm only doin' what a friend should, love. No need to be thankin' me. Just you being here is thank you enough."
"We're a right pair of dreamers, aren't we, love?"
Scarlett jumped back a step from the helm as if she had been stung. Jack's hand flew out and caught the wheel before it began spinning, knocking the Black Pearl off course.
"Didn't mean to startle ye," Jack apologized with a small, quirky smile.
"I was just thinking," she replied and picked up the discarded line of rope and slipped the noose around the topmost peg on the wheel.
"A bit jumpy, too."
She ran her fingers through her hair, frowning when they caught on a knot. "Damn wind," she grumbled, blaming it for the state of her hair. She looked up and noticed Jack's confused expression; there wasn't a wind blowing. She chuckled a little and shook her head. "Never mind."
Jack shrugged it off and walked his fingers across the helm. "How long have we had her now?" he asked absently, looking at her from the corner of his eye.
Scarlett couldn't help thinking that he somehow knew what it was she had been thinking about before he interrupted her. "Nearly thirteen years," she replied, folding her arms across her chest.
Jack smiled crookedly. "Ah, that's right. Thirteen long years spent with this ol' beauty." He paused, looking at Scarlett openly. She knew what he was thinking. She had only been with the Pearl for two years and ten months before Jack had left her behind at Port Royal, not to mention that ten of those thirteen years the Black Pearl had been under Barbossa's command. "Guess it ain't that long after all, then," Jack said just above a whisper.
Scarlett sighed. "Doesn't really matter." She hesitated. "Can't change our decisions in the past, but there's always ways of making up for them in the future." What was she saying? She blinked, trying to figure it out herself. Jack's expression was equally surprised.
"Land ho!"
The shout came from above, causing both Scarlett and Jack to jump. They looked to one another before springing into action. Jack grabbed the telescope and joined Scarlett at the bulwark, peering through the glass pieces in the direction the lookout was giving him currently. It was night, so he couldn't see the distinct outline of the land, but there were lights twinkling in the distance spread across a wide expanse; there were no way the lights were lanterns from other ships. He passed Scarlett the telescope, letting her look through it. She did, soon after returning it to him.
"Do you think its Port Morgane?" she whispered to him.
Jack nodded. "We past Maitea some days ago. It's Morgane."
Scarlett tried to calm her breathing. "Do you think he's there?" she finally asked.
"I wouldn't bet on it," he replied dispiritedly. "We've been set back a'couple o' times. He wouldn't 'ave spent more 'an a day or two there."
Scarlett nodded her agreement. "You're probably right. Might as well stop in and pick up more supplies. Better be safe than sorry. Besides, we may be able to pick up some information from the people there."
Jack nodded and went to the helm. "Tell the crew t' get out here and get ready t' pull in."
The following hour was full of hustle and bustle. Jack barked out commands like a true captain, and the crew followed like sheep would their shepherd. Anamaria and Fredrick worked together as one, and Will gave a helping hand wherever he could. Scarlett stood near Jack, watching the lights get closer. She was itching to get off the ship and start asking questions at the local pubs.
The Black Pearl docked at the wharf and a plank was lowered to the dock. Jack gave out orders, having the crew disperse in pairs to bring in different supplies. None of this stop would be spent on rum and women; there was business that needed to be dealt with swiftly. Jack left Will in control of the ship, with the help of Fredrick, and he and Scarlett set out for the pubs.
The first pub they came to brought up nothing. Either Ansgar and no one in his crew had gone there, or everyone was keeping their mouths shut. The second gave little information other than that a rough-looking man with limp dark hair had walked in, drank whiskey and rum for an hour with two of his mates, and then walked out. The last place they tried further inland, however, gave them some helpful information.
Jack walked in first, his presence drawing the eyes of all within. Some knew who he was and shouted cheerily at him, calling for him to join them for some rum. He looked back at Scarlett, who nodded, and followed him to the table. Two chairs were pulled up and the two pirates sat down.
Rum was passed around, and Jack drank half of his mug before venturing a question. "Has anything strange happened as of late?" Scarlett watched the men's reactions carefully; a mug of rum sat before her, not a single drink taken from it.
One of the men, an older man with graying hair, slowly nodded. "Aye, mate. Jus' two days ago there were a loud ruckus. Pirates runnin' ever' which way, it seemed, searchin' fer a runt that 'ad gone loose."
Another man jumped in. "Aye, some pirate, Oi ferget 'is name, barged in 'ere askin' if anyone 'ad seen a boy. 'E said th' boy were da son o' a mate of 'is an' that if'n he nev'r found 'im his mate would'a ne'er forgivin 'im."
Scarlett leaned forward. "Was the boy found?" she asked, tying not to sound eager. Only one of the four men gave her a wary look.
"Aye, th' boy were found," the first man, who seemed to be all too anxious to talk, spoke again. "Don't really know what 'appened t' 'im. All Oi's know is that thur be alotta shoutin' aft'r awhoile an' then th' ship left, or so me mate says. 'E's the one 'oo followed the pirate after 'e left 'ere."
Jack nodded, swallowing the rest of his rum. "Well, thanks for the drink's, boys," he said, "but me and Scarlett better be going. Was nice talkin' to all of ye again."
The youngest of the men, whom had given Scarlett the wary look, raised an eyebrow. "What's the hurry? Ye've got all night."
Jack shook his head with a smile, grabbing Scarlett's arm and gently helping her to her feet. "Sorry, mates, but we don't. We'll stop by another time."
Without being obvious, Jack and Scarlett quickly left the pub and made their way to the wharf. After they were a couple streets away, Scarlett looked up at Jack anxiously. "Carver escaped? The very idea is almost impossible."
"I s'pose he's more like us than we thought," Jack replied with a satisfied grin.
Scarlett shook her head. "I don't even want to think of what Ansgar did to him after they caught him again."
Jack lazily draped an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry 'bout it. Carver's a strapping young lad. He can take care of himself, and besides, he did us some good. His escapin' must have put Ansgar and his mates behind, meanin' we have a better chance of catching up."
"It isn't a lot of time, but it might just be enough," Scarlett relented.
Will and Fredrick met them at the top of the gangway. "The two of you have been gone for nearly three hours," Will said in exasperation. "We were starting to think something had gone wrong."
Jack ignored him. "Have all the supplies been loaded?" he asked.
Fredrick answered, "Almost all of them. The last two crates are being stored as we speak."
"Good. Tell them to hurry up. The faster we get out of here the faster we catch up to the Cobra."
Fredrick went below while Will and Scarlett pulled up the gangplank.
The Black Pearl set sail half an hour later with Jack at the helm. Scarlett stood at the bulwark, watching Morgane fade away into the distance. The sun was rising behind her, casting a warm glow against her back. The warmth seemed to sink into her skin and warm her heart. They were catching up, and it wouldn't be long before Ansgar came face to face with his maker.
A/N: What a crappy way to end the chapter. Drums fingernails on the table No bother for it. Well, the chapter is somewhat longer than the last and had more of a point to it. Hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to review!