Okay, firstly:
This is NOT going to turn into an 'Evil-Commodore' fic. NOT. He will be slightly annoying, and generally get under everyone's feet as they try and battle on with the plot, but not evil.
Secondly: Usual disclaimer.
Thirdly: THANKS TO MY REVIEWERS!!!!!!!
(If you're reading this Lady Storm) OMG!!! L.Storm! *Attempts to run away*. Are you haunting me or something???? Yeah, I deleted 'What If'. I might repost, but only maybe . .
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Chapter Nineteen - Cutting
The gallows had been patched up especially for the mass hanging. Elizabeth could see it from her bedroom window. It had had little use recently, and the weather had taken it's toll.
Elizabeth had found herself occupying her mind with inconsequential things like this for a while now. Ever since the 'Black Pearl' had been taken into the Navy. Ever since Jack, and the rest of his crew had been imprisoned in the town jail.
Will was in there too. Commodore Norrington had simply excused the matter, by saying Will was bound to rescue the others if allowed to go free. If only Norrington knew how Will felt about Jack now. Elizabeth didn't believe Will had really got over it, despite what he'd said.
If the Commodore knew, he would probably reward Will with as many medals as possible. Elizabeth didn't want him to know. That would be worse than anything.
Sighing, she stood away from her window, and began the slow descent downstairs. Every step rung out around the stair well. Like a death knell, she thought dryly.
Running through the capture in her mind, Elizabeth could not help but smile. It was a very telling show of Jack's personality. The worst part of the entire ordeal for him was seeing the soldiers run up an English flag on the mast of the 'Black Pearl'.
It was not damp. It wasn't that cold. Nor was it that dark. In fact, being in prison was nothing like he'd imagined. It was worse. The waiting was gnawing at him. Will sat up, and looked around the cells. Various crewmembers slumbered in various cells. In the one opposite his own, Jack was leaning back against the wall. It took Will a few moments to realise that Jack was awake, and looking at him.
"Sorry."
Will was taken aback.
"What for?"
"Everything. Not gettin' you off that ship. Gettin' caught by Noble britches."
There was a long pause.
"Elizabeth."
Will lowered his head.
"That doesn't really matter anymore."
Jack shrugged.
"Just thought you'd like to know. Don't believe in lettin' life end on an argument."
Will's head shot up. Surely he meant 'sun set on an argument'? No, he didn't. It was still a daft thing to say though. He really couldn't take anything too seriously.
"Do you really love her?"
There was a very long silence. The sleeping form of Gibbs took it upon himself to snore loudly. He had been found after the two ships had docked. He had actually woken, but was once again asleep.
Jack looked from Gibbs to Will. Will eyed the Quartermaster.
"I don't think he'll tell anyone."
Jack chuckled quietly.
"No, but will you?"
Will stared at the other man, confused.
"What?"
Jack smiled wryly at the wall. He was fiddling with one of the many braids in his hair.
"'ow do I know you won't go tellin' every livin' thing in Port?"
"You don't."
"Can't tell ye then."
"Jack! You seem to forget that I care about Elizabeth far more than you do."
"That isn't true! I love 'er at least as much as ye do!"
Jack clamped a guilty hand over his mouth. This wasn't like him. He never fell for that sort of trick.
Will seemed pretty surprised as well.
"That settles it. You must be in love. It's scrambled your brain."
Jack glowered angrily at Will, who only grinned impishly.
"Fine. Laugh, cry I don't care."
Will ignored the Captain.
"Elizabeth is obviously in love too. There's no other explanation for her being so worried about you. Her mind's scrambled too."
Will lay back on the bare floor.
"You have my congratulations Captain. I hope you're happy together."
Outwardly, Jack seethed. But inwardly he felt really relieved Will was all right about it. Settling back against the wall, Jack attempted sleep too.
"Oi! On your feet, it's a long drop for you lot!"
All the gentry and richer inhabitants of the town were crowed round the scaffold. Elizabeth had once again been equipped with an ineffectual fan. However, no corset. She had concealed a sharp knife inside her sleeve. What she was going to do with it, she had no idea, but it was nice to know she had something vaguely useful on her person.
She could hear the yells of the crowd, as the doomed were led to the gallows. Desperately her mind started to race. She had to do something. Otherwise, the knife would go to waste. But what to do with it? Kill, was obvious, but a bit drastic. Cut the ropes? Someone would notice and get new ones. Nothing else came. What if she only weakened them? It would have to do.
Elizabeth soon discovered that being surreptitious in a long dress, while being the Governor's daughter was difficult. Eventually, she reached the large basket, behind the stage, where the ropes were.
Elizabeth began to saw steadily through them, about three-quarters, praying they would break. She hoped that they all did. To have some of the crew dead and others alive would be awful. Even so, as she returned to her place, she found herself fervently praying that at least one rope broke; Captain Jack Sparrow's.
The crew were lead onto the scaffold. The hangman lined them up, and began reaching for ropes from the large basket. He slowly and methodically placed the nooses round the necks of the unfortunate pirates.
Jack stared out into the bay. The 'Black Pearl', his beloved ship, was crawling with British Navy officers. The flag was a British one. Jack felt a distinct lump form in his throat. It was a painful sight. His pride and joy, the love of his life. No, the 'first' love of his life. His gaze drifted across to his second love. The radiant Miss Swann.
"Captain Jack Sparrow, Mr Will Turner, and the crew of the 'Black Pearl'. Your various crimes include . . ."
The man went on to describe and otherwise remind the interested public of all the crimes. Elizabeth stared fixedly at the rope connecting Jack's neck to the overhead crossbeam. There was a pause. Every man to be hung stood on a trapdoor. Each door connected to a large lever at one end of the scaffold.
The hangman rested one huge hand on the lever. He looked to Commodore Norrington, who nodded.
It had just occurred to Jack that they had remembered his Captain title. Suddenly, he felt himself fall. How? It was only as his feet hit firm ground, that he realised that the trapdoors were open. He braced himself for the sudden jerk, the crack of his own neck. It never came.
Opening his eyes, he saw the wood of the floor he'd been standing on. Looking slowly around he saw all of the crew standing below the floor. Except one . . .
**********************************************************
OOO. Evil cliffhanger. Or rope hanger. Anyways, review as always.
This is NOT going to turn into an 'Evil-Commodore' fic. NOT. He will be slightly annoying, and generally get under everyone's feet as they try and battle on with the plot, but not evil.
Secondly: Usual disclaimer.
Thirdly: THANKS TO MY REVIEWERS!!!!!!!
(If you're reading this Lady Storm) OMG!!! L.Storm! *Attempts to run away*. Are you haunting me or something???? Yeah, I deleted 'What If'. I might repost, but only maybe . .
***********************************************************
Chapter Nineteen - Cutting
The gallows had been patched up especially for the mass hanging. Elizabeth could see it from her bedroom window. It had had little use recently, and the weather had taken it's toll.
Elizabeth had found herself occupying her mind with inconsequential things like this for a while now. Ever since the 'Black Pearl' had been taken into the Navy. Ever since Jack, and the rest of his crew had been imprisoned in the town jail.
Will was in there too. Commodore Norrington had simply excused the matter, by saying Will was bound to rescue the others if allowed to go free. If only Norrington knew how Will felt about Jack now. Elizabeth didn't believe Will had really got over it, despite what he'd said.
If the Commodore knew, he would probably reward Will with as many medals as possible. Elizabeth didn't want him to know. That would be worse than anything.
Sighing, she stood away from her window, and began the slow descent downstairs. Every step rung out around the stair well. Like a death knell, she thought dryly.
Running through the capture in her mind, Elizabeth could not help but smile. It was a very telling show of Jack's personality. The worst part of the entire ordeal for him was seeing the soldiers run up an English flag on the mast of the 'Black Pearl'.
It was not damp. It wasn't that cold. Nor was it that dark. In fact, being in prison was nothing like he'd imagined. It was worse. The waiting was gnawing at him. Will sat up, and looked around the cells. Various crewmembers slumbered in various cells. In the one opposite his own, Jack was leaning back against the wall. It took Will a few moments to realise that Jack was awake, and looking at him.
"Sorry."
Will was taken aback.
"What for?"
"Everything. Not gettin' you off that ship. Gettin' caught by Noble britches."
There was a long pause.
"Elizabeth."
Will lowered his head.
"That doesn't really matter anymore."
Jack shrugged.
"Just thought you'd like to know. Don't believe in lettin' life end on an argument."
Will's head shot up. Surely he meant 'sun set on an argument'? No, he didn't. It was still a daft thing to say though. He really couldn't take anything too seriously.
"Do you really love her?"
There was a very long silence. The sleeping form of Gibbs took it upon himself to snore loudly. He had been found after the two ships had docked. He had actually woken, but was once again asleep.
Jack looked from Gibbs to Will. Will eyed the Quartermaster.
"I don't think he'll tell anyone."
Jack chuckled quietly.
"No, but will you?"
Will stared at the other man, confused.
"What?"
Jack smiled wryly at the wall. He was fiddling with one of the many braids in his hair.
"'ow do I know you won't go tellin' every livin' thing in Port?"
"You don't."
"Can't tell ye then."
"Jack! You seem to forget that I care about Elizabeth far more than you do."
"That isn't true! I love 'er at least as much as ye do!"
Jack clamped a guilty hand over his mouth. This wasn't like him. He never fell for that sort of trick.
Will seemed pretty surprised as well.
"That settles it. You must be in love. It's scrambled your brain."
Jack glowered angrily at Will, who only grinned impishly.
"Fine. Laugh, cry I don't care."
Will ignored the Captain.
"Elizabeth is obviously in love too. There's no other explanation for her being so worried about you. Her mind's scrambled too."
Will lay back on the bare floor.
"You have my congratulations Captain. I hope you're happy together."
Outwardly, Jack seethed. But inwardly he felt really relieved Will was all right about it. Settling back against the wall, Jack attempted sleep too.
"Oi! On your feet, it's a long drop for you lot!"
All the gentry and richer inhabitants of the town were crowed round the scaffold. Elizabeth had once again been equipped with an ineffectual fan. However, no corset. She had concealed a sharp knife inside her sleeve. What she was going to do with it, she had no idea, but it was nice to know she had something vaguely useful on her person.
She could hear the yells of the crowd, as the doomed were led to the gallows. Desperately her mind started to race. She had to do something. Otherwise, the knife would go to waste. But what to do with it? Kill, was obvious, but a bit drastic. Cut the ropes? Someone would notice and get new ones. Nothing else came. What if she only weakened them? It would have to do.
Elizabeth soon discovered that being surreptitious in a long dress, while being the Governor's daughter was difficult. Eventually, she reached the large basket, behind the stage, where the ropes were.
Elizabeth began to saw steadily through them, about three-quarters, praying they would break. She hoped that they all did. To have some of the crew dead and others alive would be awful. Even so, as she returned to her place, she found herself fervently praying that at least one rope broke; Captain Jack Sparrow's.
The crew were lead onto the scaffold. The hangman lined them up, and began reaching for ropes from the large basket. He slowly and methodically placed the nooses round the necks of the unfortunate pirates.
Jack stared out into the bay. The 'Black Pearl', his beloved ship, was crawling with British Navy officers. The flag was a British one. Jack felt a distinct lump form in his throat. It was a painful sight. His pride and joy, the love of his life. No, the 'first' love of his life. His gaze drifted across to his second love. The radiant Miss Swann.
"Captain Jack Sparrow, Mr Will Turner, and the crew of the 'Black Pearl'. Your various crimes include . . ."
The man went on to describe and otherwise remind the interested public of all the crimes. Elizabeth stared fixedly at the rope connecting Jack's neck to the overhead crossbeam. There was a pause. Every man to be hung stood on a trapdoor. Each door connected to a large lever at one end of the scaffold.
The hangman rested one huge hand on the lever. He looked to Commodore Norrington, who nodded.
It had just occurred to Jack that they had remembered his Captain title. Suddenly, he felt himself fall. How? It was only as his feet hit firm ground, that he realised that the trapdoors were open. He braced himself for the sudden jerk, the crack of his own neck. It never came.
Opening his eyes, he saw the wood of the floor he'd been standing on. Looking slowly around he saw all of the crew standing below the floor. Except one . . .
**********************************************************
OOO. Evil cliffhanger. Or rope hanger. Anyways, review as always.