Disclaimer: I only own my PotC dvd, my box of floppy disks (I dumped the
pen and notebooks, I'm a faster typer!) and a pair of rainbow -coloured
socks, so there's no reason to sue me, ok? :-)
A/N: Thank you for all the positive feedback from last chapter! It didn't just make me smile, it made me grin and dance around in my rainbow-coloured socks which I got at Easter. Apparently chocolate eggs aren't suitable anymore! Keep reviewin'!
Chapter Eleven-The Sparrow's Heart Beats Faster
"We're going after her!" Jack commanded the crew when the Dark Siren had disappeared from sight. The entire crew had been silent while it sailed away, as if paying their respects to Nicola.
"Jack, you are a daft man, but surely you are not that daft! We can't give her away and then go sailing after her again straight away! That's just too daft for my liking!" Gibbs exclaimed.
Jack laughed. "We're not going to follow the ship. We're going back to Tortuga! That's where they're headed, that's where we'll go!"
"Jack, we just sailed all the way from Tortuga and we're nearly at St Vincent! Surely we can just leave her, she's going back home, after all." Another person complained.
"If you were the one on that ship," Jack began, "Would you rather I came after you or left you there with a gang of mangy pirates who are almost as bad as Barbossa's crew by the looks of them?"
There was another silence.
"Exactly. Therefore I say we try to rescue her from that ship. And I am Captain, therefore whatever I say, goes, savvy? What are you waiting for? Turn the ship around!" Jack ran over to the wheel whilst the crew set about maneuvering the sails. It was difficult work; the only light they had to see by was the light from the moon and stars. Jack looked up at the twinkling dots above in the night sky. Just an hour ago, he and Nicola had been looking up at them together, and now...now he was chasing after her, attempting to rescue her. It reminded of him of something he once said to Will Turner.
If you intending to brave all hasten to her rescue and so win fair lady's heart, you'll have to do it alone, mate.
He was far luckier; he didn't have to do it alone.
~~~***~~~ Nicola knew from the start that the time spent with the pirates would not be particularly comfortable. This was confirmed when the Captain took her down to the brig and locked her in a grimy cell. She sat on the damp floor, leaning against the bars that encaged her, thinking over the recent events. It was clear that the pirates had been ordered to capture her by someone she knew and she suspected her parents were to blame. If that were the case, she would probably be home within the next fortnight, and be walking down the aisle in just fifteen days. The thought of standing next to Alexander Worthington while wearing a wedding dress made her feel physically sick.
The crew mate who had carried her on to the Pearl stomped up to her cell and passed her some bread, before stomping right back out. Nicola was disgusted as she saw pieces of mould had built up on the bread, but she flicked them off, closed her eyes and ate it anyway. All the screaming had made her hungry.
Afterwards, she laid down to get some sleep. It was well past midnight by now, and the last thing she wanted was to have more time to think.
~~~***~~~
The next morning on the Black Pearl, Gibbs arranged to talk to Jack in private. They went down to the galley, where no one would bother them for a while.
"Jack, what the hell do you think you're doin'? Goin' after an enemy ship to retrieve just one crewmate? The old Jack would have never done such a thing. The old Jack would have said 'Stick to the code. Any man who falls behind gets left behind.' What happened to the old Jack?"
Jack smiled. "Firstly, I gave up following the code when you came and helped me escape Port Royal. Secondly, the code wouldn't count because Nicola is, in fact, a woman, in case you haven't noticed. And thirdly, the old Jack was an ass. He only thought about himself and if someone was gonna die, he was fine with it as long as it wasn't him."
Gibbs blinked. "But...but Jack, why have you suddenly changed?"
Jack looked away, a tiny smile lingering on his face. "Let's just say a Sparrow takes flight when his heart beats faster."
"Aye, I get what yer sayin'. Yer a lucky man, Jack. Just so happens a little bird told me that a certain someone likes you. A lot, if you get me meaning." Gibbs grinned as Jack's eyes lit up, and an expression he had never seen before appeared on the Captain's face. His features softened and he almost seemed to relax...something he rarely allowed to occur.
"I don't know what you've been up to, Gibbs, but it what you say is a lie I'll give you one hell of a beatin', savvy? And if it's true...lets just say I've got some extra treasure I would consider sparing as a reward. " "Aye, sir. I wouldn't never lie to me own captain. Especially when there's treasure involved."
~~~***~~~
The Black Pearl sailed back without too much trouble during the journey. Occasionally there were extremely strong winds, or worse, no wind at all. But they found themselves making better progress than expected, and in just over a week they were close to Tortuga. So close, in fact, that they could see the island from the crows' nest. They could also see the Dark Siren just ahead of them, approaching the island slowly.
"This is it, men! The battle will commence in just a few minutes!" Jack announced to the crew. None of them looked too happy about the news, but they tried not to show it. After all, if they were captured, they would want the rest of the crew to come rescue them, just as Jack pointed out before.
"I want you all to fight as hard as you possibly can! These guys are tough; we found that out last time. But now we're prepared, and hopefully not as sleepy. The cannons are ready to be fired, the guns are loaded with powder and shot, and we are ready to fight. Some of us are even ready to fight to the death." He glanced over at Gibbs as he said spoke. "We will win. We must win. And if we don't then maybe we deserve to die. There will be no surrendering. There will be no white flag. There will only be victory...or death. Men, I bid you good luck. And I thank you for sailing under my colours, since I might not get another chance to do so." He finished solemnly. The crew cheered, encouraged by their captain's speech, though a little curious at his seriousness. He had never said a speech quite like it in all the time he had been a Captain. All the same, it had helped to focus them on the task at hand, and when they were focused, they were stronger than all the Godly beings in the universe.
"Well, here goes...you either live in happiness or die in fighting for it" Jack murmured to himself as they slowly got closer and closer to the Dark Siren.
A/N: Thank you for all the positive feedback from last chapter! It didn't just make me smile, it made me grin and dance around in my rainbow-coloured socks which I got at Easter. Apparently chocolate eggs aren't suitable anymore! Keep reviewin'!
Chapter Eleven-The Sparrow's Heart Beats Faster
"We're going after her!" Jack commanded the crew when the Dark Siren had disappeared from sight. The entire crew had been silent while it sailed away, as if paying their respects to Nicola.
"Jack, you are a daft man, but surely you are not that daft! We can't give her away and then go sailing after her again straight away! That's just too daft for my liking!" Gibbs exclaimed.
Jack laughed. "We're not going to follow the ship. We're going back to Tortuga! That's where they're headed, that's where we'll go!"
"Jack, we just sailed all the way from Tortuga and we're nearly at St Vincent! Surely we can just leave her, she's going back home, after all." Another person complained.
"If you were the one on that ship," Jack began, "Would you rather I came after you or left you there with a gang of mangy pirates who are almost as bad as Barbossa's crew by the looks of them?"
There was another silence.
"Exactly. Therefore I say we try to rescue her from that ship. And I am Captain, therefore whatever I say, goes, savvy? What are you waiting for? Turn the ship around!" Jack ran over to the wheel whilst the crew set about maneuvering the sails. It was difficult work; the only light they had to see by was the light from the moon and stars. Jack looked up at the twinkling dots above in the night sky. Just an hour ago, he and Nicola had been looking up at them together, and now...now he was chasing after her, attempting to rescue her. It reminded of him of something he once said to Will Turner.
If you intending to brave all hasten to her rescue and so win fair lady's heart, you'll have to do it alone, mate.
He was far luckier; he didn't have to do it alone.
~~~***~~~ Nicola knew from the start that the time spent with the pirates would not be particularly comfortable. This was confirmed when the Captain took her down to the brig and locked her in a grimy cell. She sat on the damp floor, leaning against the bars that encaged her, thinking over the recent events. It was clear that the pirates had been ordered to capture her by someone she knew and she suspected her parents were to blame. If that were the case, she would probably be home within the next fortnight, and be walking down the aisle in just fifteen days. The thought of standing next to Alexander Worthington while wearing a wedding dress made her feel physically sick.
The crew mate who had carried her on to the Pearl stomped up to her cell and passed her some bread, before stomping right back out. Nicola was disgusted as she saw pieces of mould had built up on the bread, but she flicked them off, closed her eyes and ate it anyway. All the screaming had made her hungry.
Afterwards, she laid down to get some sleep. It was well past midnight by now, and the last thing she wanted was to have more time to think.
~~~***~~~
The next morning on the Black Pearl, Gibbs arranged to talk to Jack in private. They went down to the galley, where no one would bother them for a while.
"Jack, what the hell do you think you're doin'? Goin' after an enemy ship to retrieve just one crewmate? The old Jack would have never done such a thing. The old Jack would have said 'Stick to the code. Any man who falls behind gets left behind.' What happened to the old Jack?"
Jack smiled. "Firstly, I gave up following the code when you came and helped me escape Port Royal. Secondly, the code wouldn't count because Nicola is, in fact, a woman, in case you haven't noticed. And thirdly, the old Jack was an ass. He only thought about himself and if someone was gonna die, he was fine with it as long as it wasn't him."
Gibbs blinked. "But...but Jack, why have you suddenly changed?"
Jack looked away, a tiny smile lingering on his face. "Let's just say a Sparrow takes flight when his heart beats faster."
"Aye, I get what yer sayin'. Yer a lucky man, Jack. Just so happens a little bird told me that a certain someone likes you. A lot, if you get me meaning." Gibbs grinned as Jack's eyes lit up, and an expression he had never seen before appeared on the Captain's face. His features softened and he almost seemed to relax...something he rarely allowed to occur.
"I don't know what you've been up to, Gibbs, but it what you say is a lie I'll give you one hell of a beatin', savvy? And if it's true...lets just say I've got some extra treasure I would consider sparing as a reward. " "Aye, sir. I wouldn't never lie to me own captain. Especially when there's treasure involved."
~~~***~~~
The Black Pearl sailed back without too much trouble during the journey. Occasionally there were extremely strong winds, or worse, no wind at all. But they found themselves making better progress than expected, and in just over a week they were close to Tortuga. So close, in fact, that they could see the island from the crows' nest. They could also see the Dark Siren just ahead of them, approaching the island slowly.
"This is it, men! The battle will commence in just a few minutes!" Jack announced to the crew. None of them looked too happy about the news, but they tried not to show it. After all, if they were captured, they would want the rest of the crew to come rescue them, just as Jack pointed out before.
"I want you all to fight as hard as you possibly can! These guys are tough; we found that out last time. But now we're prepared, and hopefully not as sleepy. The cannons are ready to be fired, the guns are loaded with powder and shot, and we are ready to fight. Some of us are even ready to fight to the death." He glanced over at Gibbs as he said spoke. "We will win. We must win. And if we don't then maybe we deserve to die. There will be no surrendering. There will be no white flag. There will only be victory...or death. Men, I bid you good luck. And I thank you for sailing under my colours, since I might not get another chance to do so." He finished solemnly. The crew cheered, encouraged by their captain's speech, though a little curious at his seriousness. He had never said a speech quite like it in all the time he had been a Captain. All the same, it had helped to focus them on the task at hand, and when they were focused, they were stronger than all the Godly beings in the universe.
"Well, here goes...you either live in happiness or die in fighting for it" Jack murmured to himself as they slowly got closer and closer to the Dark Siren.