OKAY. I'M USING CAPS SO YOU'LL READ THIS. I NEED ANA'S SURNAME!!!!!!!! IF
SHE DOESN'T HAVE ONE PLEASE TELL ME!!!!
Right. That's all I ask.
Usual disclaimer.
***********************************************************
Chapter Twenty-Four – Time
It had been several hours. The ships on the horizon were no longer a speck, but fully loaded, floating death bringers. Will didn't mind admitting he felt a bit worried. He'd seen his allies. Drunk, or very close the lot of them. Well not all, but most.
They had managed to get aboard their own ships. But now it took twice as long to do things. One man would untie a knot, another re-tie. Eventually it'd be left in the right position.
Will had now decided that, though you may call Jack all sorts of derogatory things, he had at least one redeeming quality. He was an optimist to end all optimists. Nothing had him down for long. He was like an indestructible bubble. Always bobbing to the surface of even the most hopeless situations.
It was at times like these when Will was eternally thankful for Jack. Men were being sick, fainting and generally being disorderly all over the place, yet Jack had the air of a man in command of the finest navy on earth.
Jack was planning a practical joke, but no one else knew when the punch line would come, or even what it was.
"They're getting' closer. We'll have to engage 'em soon."
Ana's grim tone was a shock into Will's thoughts. She snapped her telescope shut with a confident click. It was all right for her. She knew what to do. Will had very few ideas about what to do when the battle really started. Pray, might be a good start.
Elizabeth was watching the other ships. It was discouraging. She didn't give Jack longer than an hour before capture. She felt tears in her eyes.
Eventually the ramshackle pirate fleet set off. There were at least twenty ships. Jack felt confident. Many of the men had used the good old hangover cure. But just the heat of battle could wake you from a drunken stupor. At least he hoped so.
Norrington looked at the approaching vessels with apparent interest. He wasn't really sure why he was doing this. One part of his brain was screaming at him. Suicide, it yelled. But the other side smothered it with a strange wooliness. Not a reason, just blind action.
The strange woman had stepped on to the deck of the 'Raven'. She wore her long black cloak. Norrington felt compelled to obey her commands. He didn't quite understand why.
Elizabeth felt like she'd been hit by lightening. A thrill shot through her entire body. The ships were so close now.
It started in a boring way. The 'Black Pearl' fired an opening canon shot. Only then did it get interesting. All Hell seemed to gather, and erupt into the ships, the pirates, the navy and the sea. It was worse than Elizabeth had experienced last time. There were more ships, more men, more shrieking balls of flying pain and death. For the start of it, she found herself shoved into a cabin, which, rather conveniently, had the door locked.
But she could watch. She could hardly tell which ship from which. The screams, yells and curses were so loud. The canons became part of the background noise. She got used to that, like a pain that won't go away. But it was scarier watching the slaughter than being in there getting slaughtered. She saw so many people die.
The carnage calmed. Gibbs opened the door. Elizabeth whirled out at him like a wasp. She screeched insults at the empty air. She could fire a gun. She could fight.
"I know, Miss, but ye safer in there!"
"I don't want to be safe, Mr Gibbs! I can be safe at home! I didn't fall in love with your Captain, only to be kept safe!"
This caused widespread silence. Elizabeth couldn't believe she'd just said that. Gibbs stared at her. He wasn't laughing. He looked horror struck. Elizabeth's fury calmed. She heard a polite cough behind her. Gibbs mouthed silently at her:
I know.
But then why did he just say...? Elizabeth turned. Gibbs had been looking at something behind her. Commodore Norrington stood there. He had raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so, Miss Swan?"
Elizabeth cursed herself. Poor old Gibbs. But how was Norrington here? She looked round. Pirate ships, everywhere. But everywhere else was Navy ships. Reinforcements. The bastards. That was all she could think, as they led her across to the 'Dauntless'. All she could think as she was put in a luxurious cabin. All she could think as she lay on the bed, and wept. The bastards.
But why do you think that? You thought yourself he'd be captured. But I didn't believe it, she thought. Arguing feebly with her own mind. I really believed in 'Captain Jack Sparrow'. Captain Jack Sparrow doesn't get caught.
But he has.
Jack hadn't planned this. He looked sadly at Will. The boy was sat next to him, slouched against the bars of yet another cell. It had been pretty foolish. But even so, the bloody pirates must've drunk enough liquor to floor a navy full of bull elephants. (A.N. I don't know if Jack would know what an elephant was, but he does now.)
"I wonder if they found Lizzie."
Will looked up at him. Jack concentrated on the ceiling.
"One of the crew probably led them to her. She won't be harmed."
"No, not unless she says somethin' daft."
"Like what?"
"Dunno. Tellin' ole Norrington she's in love with me probably won't go down well."
Will nodded. Silence settled over the brig's occupants. The other crews were all jumbled between ships. Will didn't know half the men down here. They were all either unconscious or asleep. Jack was still staring reflectively at the ceiling. Will sighed, and rubbed his neck. Might get the job finished this time.
Loua had soon found the Commodore after the battle. He looked pleased. Hundreds of pirates in his ships brigs. Tortuga severely battered. And now, all the pirate ships not sinking were being crewed by the Navy. A day well spent, he felt.
"Commodore? Is Sparrow dead?"
"Er, I think he's in the Dauntless's brig."
"Oh. Could we move him?"
"Yes. But why?"
Loua stepped a little closer, examining his cabin. She twirled a thin strip of hair round her finger. Norrington gulped.
"I want the 'Black Pearl'."
It wasn't a request. It wasn't even a statement. It was an order. Norrington folded like paper.
"Of course."
"And I want Sparrow in the brig. Oh, and put Mr Turner in there too."
"Yes. It will be done, my lady."
Loua held out a delicate hand. Gallantly, Norrington kissed it. Loua smiled and wandered out side. She was helped across to the 'Raven' by a sailor. Then, she went to find her sisters.
"Hani, Milla! We are moving to the 'Black Pearl'. Tell the crew to sort themselves out. We take both our ships to another Port, and gather more men. Then we can deal with our tricky customer."
They nodded. Two ships was something.
Jack had finally fallen asleep when at least ten Navy men appeared in the brig, and removed himself and Will. They were dragged, pulled, lifted and generally fought back across to Jack's ship. Once there, they were shoved down in the brig.
"What was the point of that?"
"Pass, mate. Maybe we get special treatment."
Some time later, they were aware of movement. The ship was pulling away from the rest. Following them came the 'Raven'. Jack felt a cold weight settling into his heart. The three sisters must be taking this ship. Three women who wanted him dead. But, three women who couldn't actually kill.
And what of Miss Swann? Something told him she wasn't on board.
Elizabeth watched as the two black ships slid off into the gathering dusk. She had to follow them. But she couldn't possibly go on her own. But then again she couldn't stay here. There was no one to protect her from Norrington and his nervous proposals.
She'd follow. On her own. She was a capable woman. She could manage. Her first need was a crew. She could steal a rowing boat, but she'd never catch up with the two ships. She needed to steal a proper ship.
The only pirates she trusted were Jack's crew. They were scattered all over the place. It could take time to find them all. Elizabeth opened her cabin door cautiously. Time was what she didn't have.
Right. That's all I ask.
Usual disclaimer.
***********************************************************
Chapter Twenty-Four – Time
It had been several hours. The ships on the horizon were no longer a speck, but fully loaded, floating death bringers. Will didn't mind admitting he felt a bit worried. He'd seen his allies. Drunk, or very close the lot of them. Well not all, but most.
They had managed to get aboard their own ships. But now it took twice as long to do things. One man would untie a knot, another re-tie. Eventually it'd be left in the right position.
Will had now decided that, though you may call Jack all sorts of derogatory things, he had at least one redeeming quality. He was an optimist to end all optimists. Nothing had him down for long. He was like an indestructible bubble. Always bobbing to the surface of even the most hopeless situations.
It was at times like these when Will was eternally thankful for Jack. Men were being sick, fainting and generally being disorderly all over the place, yet Jack had the air of a man in command of the finest navy on earth.
Jack was planning a practical joke, but no one else knew when the punch line would come, or even what it was.
"They're getting' closer. We'll have to engage 'em soon."
Ana's grim tone was a shock into Will's thoughts. She snapped her telescope shut with a confident click. It was all right for her. She knew what to do. Will had very few ideas about what to do when the battle really started. Pray, might be a good start.
Elizabeth was watching the other ships. It was discouraging. She didn't give Jack longer than an hour before capture. She felt tears in her eyes.
Eventually the ramshackle pirate fleet set off. There were at least twenty ships. Jack felt confident. Many of the men had used the good old hangover cure. But just the heat of battle could wake you from a drunken stupor. At least he hoped so.
Norrington looked at the approaching vessels with apparent interest. He wasn't really sure why he was doing this. One part of his brain was screaming at him. Suicide, it yelled. But the other side smothered it with a strange wooliness. Not a reason, just blind action.
The strange woman had stepped on to the deck of the 'Raven'. She wore her long black cloak. Norrington felt compelled to obey her commands. He didn't quite understand why.
Elizabeth felt like she'd been hit by lightening. A thrill shot through her entire body. The ships were so close now.
It started in a boring way. The 'Black Pearl' fired an opening canon shot. Only then did it get interesting. All Hell seemed to gather, and erupt into the ships, the pirates, the navy and the sea. It was worse than Elizabeth had experienced last time. There were more ships, more men, more shrieking balls of flying pain and death. For the start of it, she found herself shoved into a cabin, which, rather conveniently, had the door locked.
But she could watch. She could hardly tell which ship from which. The screams, yells and curses were so loud. The canons became part of the background noise. She got used to that, like a pain that won't go away. But it was scarier watching the slaughter than being in there getting slaughtered. She saw so many people die.
The carnage calmed. Gibbs opened the door. Elizabeth whirled out at him like a wasp. She screeched insults at the empty air. She could fire a gun. She could fight.
"I know, Miss, but ye safer in there!"
"I don't want to be safe, Mr Gibbs! I can be safe at home! I didn't fall in love with your Captain, only to be kept safe!"
This caused widespread silence. Elizabeth couldn't believe she'd just said that. Gibbs stared at her. He wasn't laughing. He looked horror struck. Elizabeth's fury calmed. She heard a polite cough behind her. Gibbs mouthed silently at her:
I know.
But then why did he just say...? Elizabeth turned. Gibbs had been looking at something behind her. Commodore Norrington stood there. He had raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so, Miss Swan?"
Elizabeth cursed herself. Poor old Gibbs. But how was Norrington here? She looked round. Pirate ships, everywhere. But everywhere else was Navy ships. Reinforcements. The bastards. That was all she could think, as they led her across to the 'Dauntless'. All she could think as she was put in a luxurious cabin. All she could think as she lay on the bed, and wept. The bastards.
But why do you think that? You thought yourself he'd be captured. But I didn't believe it, she thought. Arguing feebly with her own mind. I really believed in 'Captain Jack Sparrow'. Captain Jack Sparrow doesn't get caught.
But he has.
Jack hadn't planned this. He looked sadly at Will. The boy was sat next to him, slouched against the bars of yet another cell. It had been pretty foolish. But even so, the bloody pirates must've drunk enough liquor to floor a navy full of bull elephants. (A.N. I don't know if Jack would know what an elephant was, but he does now.)
"I wonder if they found Lizzie."
Will looked up at him. Jack concentrated on the ceiling.
"One of the crew probably led them to her. She won't be harmed."
"No, not unless she says somethin' daft."
"Like what?"
"Dunno. Tellin' ole Norrington she's in love with me probably won't go down well."
Will nodded. Silence settled over the brig's occupants. The other crews were all jumbled between ships. Will didn't know half the men down here. They were all either unconscious or asleep. Jack was still staring reflectively at the ceiling. Will sighed, and rubbed his neck. Might get the job finished this time.
Loua had soon found the Commodore after the battle. He looked pleased. Hundreds of pirates in his ships brigs. Tortuga severely battered. And now, all the pirate ships not sinking were being crewed by the Navy. A day well spent, he felt.
"Commodore? Is Sparrow dead?"
"Er, I think he's in the Dauntless's brig."
"Oh. Could we move him?"
"Yes. But why?"
Loua stepped a little closer, examining his cabin. She twirled a thin strip of hair round her finger. Norrington gulped.
"I want the 'Black Pearl'."
It wasn't a request. It wasn't even a statement. It was an order. Norrington folded like paper.
"Of course."
"And I want Sparrow in the brig. Oh, and put Mr Turner in there too."
"Yes. It will be done, my lady."
Loua held out a delicate hand. Gallantly, Norrington kissed it. Loua smiled and wandered out side. She was helped across to the 'Raven' by a sailor. Then, she went to find her sisters.
"Hani, Milla! We are moving to the 'Black Pearl'. Tell the crew to sort themselves out. We take both our ships to another Port, and gather more men. Then we can deal with our tricky customer."
They nodded. Two ships was something.
Jack had finally fallen asleep when at least ten Navy men appeared in the brig, and removed himself and Will. They were dragged, pulled, lifted and generally fought back across to Jack's ship. Once there, they were shoved down in the brig.
"What was the point of that?"
"Pass, mate. Maybe we get special treatment."
Some time later, they were aware of movement. The ship was pulling away from the rest. Following them came the 'Raven'. Jack felt a cold weight settling into his heart. The three sisters must be taking this ship. Three women who wanted him dead. But, three women who couldn't actually kill.
And what of Miss Swann? Something told him she wasn't on board.
Elizabeth watched as the two black ships slid off into the gathering dusk. She had to follow them. But she couldn't possibly go on her own. But then again she couldn't stay here. There was no one to protect her from Norrington and his nervous proposals.
She'd follow. On her own. She was a capable woman. She could manage. Her first need was a crew. She could steal a rowing boat, but she'd never catch up with the two ships. She needed to steal a proper ship.
The only pirates she trusted were Jack's crew. They were scattered all over the place. It could take time to find them all. Elizabeth opened her cabin door cautiously. Time was what she didn't have.