Cal… Oh how I've missed your reviews… you honestly have no idea. I've had a review drought & it's been painful for me since I live for reviews! I've been scared that readers have forgotten me! Noooo! Anyways, spare me no expense and tell me what you thought of this. Here, as they say, is where things start to get interesting. Are you looking forward to it?? I certainly am!! ;)
The Dext-meister… I think I like referring to you like that! :P Anyway, patience will be rewarded, will it not? Here's #7 just for you… hope you like it… and if you don't, I beg forgiveness. Let me know what you think!
Kingleby… I hope you've enjoyed more of this since I haven't seen any reviews from you past chapter 1… If not, let me know and I'll try to fix!!
Reese Sparrow… it's always good to see your name among my reviewers. I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter. I'm sorry it took so long to post this. Let me know what you think!!
And to everyone else, thank you for reading even if you didn't review… except I'd love you even more if you did!! :P
Now, without further ado… here it is… enjoy…
She'd been at sea for just over three weeks, various port-hopping breaking up the tedium of the often quiet seas. The thing that kept Ana happy and kept her sane was that it was her hands that held the helm and her whim the ship followed. The skeleton crew Damien had given her when they'd left Port Antonio had been given leave and overhauled completely to an entirely different crew the moment the Renegade had docked in another north Jamaican port. As far as Ana was concerned, she'd be grateful to Captain Damien Deverill for her ship, and for her chance at freedom on the seas… but that was all. The Captain was a nice enough man… but there was always something off about him. There was just this way about the man that bespoke a darker side… that there was more to his story. It both frightened and intrigued Ana. They'd met up on the coast of Hispaniola a mere week past for an exchange of plunder and stories. Damien had tried to talk Ana into becoming a bounty hunter with him. To barter her services for coin… but pirate was in her blood, and she'd known it since the moment the sea spray had hit her face aboard the Zephyr. A cutlass belonged in her hand… a pistol in the other. To be a pirate was exciting, perilous and free. It was what she knew… it was all she knew. And being at sea, free from obligation, was what her situation called for. Not being tied to a fleet and a purse-string. A quick whistle brought Ana's attention to the deck. There stood the tall, brooding man that had gratefully taken the rank of first mate.
"Captain Marie," he called.
"Aye, Slim…" Ana called back. The tall man smiled slightly at the new nickname. The first mate's name was, in reality, Judas Teale… but Ana, aghast at such a sanctimonious name, immediately called him 'Slim' due to his unseemly, tall, lean frame. Then came the story for the name… 'Slim' Teale had grown up with a devout Christian family. There'd been a pandering of pious names passed about leading up to his birth… but as it so happened that his dear mother had unfortunately gone into labor the moment his cleric father occupied the pulpit and had just begun sermonizing about the betrayal of their Lord. And so, Judas Mathias Solomon Teale was brought into the world. It was only fitting that the man became a pirate…
"Where we be headin'?" he asked his captain. Ana looked to the sky as if trying to decide. Then, a smile flitted over her face.
"Wherever we want," she said her smile widening as she passed the helm off to the quartermaster and descended the topdeck's stairs to where her first mate stood. With a jerk of her head, she indicated for Slim to follow her into her quarters. Once inside, the pair bent over a few of Ana's navigational maps. Ana's finger followed the course they'd taken around the far side of Cuba, past the isle of Tortuga, along the Atlantic coast of Hispaniola and to where they now were heading towards Puerto Rico. It took Ana a second, but her finger followed its own path down between the two countries. The seemingly narrow channel of water connected the Caribbean to the wide, blue waters of the Atlantic.
"We'll sail through the Mona," Ana said to her first mate. The man looked at her quizzically.
"Have ye been through here afore?" he asked. Ana smiled.
"No, I haven't. But there's a first time for everything," she said, looking down at the map and mentally plotting their course.
"The Mona be an oft dangerous passage, miss…" the man said, and then cleared his throat at Ana's dark look. "err… Captain… It has unsteady currents and treacherous waters. And I've heard it said the Black Pearl scours said seas for… unweathered… ships to assail…" Ana selective hearing only picked up two words in her first mate's ramblings and her now-interested eyes rose to meet his.
"The Black Pearl?" she asked. The man nodded.
"Aye, the Pearl…" he said warily. Ana surprised him as she smiled.
"Excellent," she said. The man looked at her as if her mind had escaped her when she wasn't looking.
"Are ye lookin' fer a fight? Should we come across the ship, we'll not make it by without cannon fire," Slim noted. Ana didn't look worried.
"I'm not looking for a fight, Slim… I be looking for my life. If the Pearl has answers, they'll give 'em to me should it be by cannon or not," she said, a faraway look in her eyes. Suddenly, she stood up straight and locked eyes with her first mate.
"Best go inform the crew of our intended course. Tell them to keep a steady eye through the passage. We're but a half day away… it'll take a full day of hard sailing to reach Caribbean waters and make berth. We must make haste should we wish to reach Boqueron before Captain Deverill and the Zephyr," she said of their intended port. Slim nodded.
"Aye, Cap'n," he said before taking his leave of the cabin. Ana looked at the map, making a small 'x' to their destination on the southwestern tip of Puerto Rico. There was a lot of water to cover in their voyage… and should they cross paths with the Black Pearl, Ana wouldn't be opposed.
Aboard the Intrepid…
Will and Elizabeth stood at the railing in the morning sun enjoying the brief respite of silence before the crew made ready for the day.
"Poor Jack," Elizabeth murmured more to herself than her companion as she looked over the water. Will tightened his arm around her waist.
"You alright?" he asked. She turned to look up into his face with a smile.
"I'm just fine… but when we left Jack, he was a miserable mess," she said, turning to look out at the horizon. Will sighed.
"He's worried… I never would have guessed Jack to be a worrier. But there's been no news of Anamaria – alive or otherwise. There's been no trail to the Zephyr or Captain Deverill. Wherever we've docked, we've missed the blasted ship by hours… even days," Will commented. Elizabeth nodded.
"I know he's worried, Will. But he didn't have to kick us off his ship. We're his friends," she said in a slightly offended manner. Will chuckled.
"Love, it wasn't a slight against your marvelous person, trust me," he said lightly, wincing as her elbow met his gut. "Jack deals better without an audience and having us both under foot constantly asking if he was alright had to be a bit grating on his already stretched patience. The Pearl is but moments behind us, darling, should Jack need us or likewise." Elizabeth sighed again.
"I know, Will. Believe me, I know the trials of waiting for news on someone I love," she said. Will's eyebrows went up at the mention of the tender emotion.
"Love?" he asked. Elizabeth smiled at his befuddled expression.
"So be it for a man to completely overlook the motivation of such a venture," she said, leaning into her fiancé.
"Jack loves Anamaria? I think you may be overstating our dear Captain's sentiments. She's a member of his crew and…" he said. Elizabeth let out a huff.
"I'm not overstating anything… It explains the way Jack's been," she said. Will smiled good-naturedly at her.
"Darling, Jack's always 'been'. In case it's escaped your notice, he's always been a bit odd. You can't just explain his behavior away by saying that he's…" he started, but was cut off.
"I'm not explaining anything away, Will Turner. I'm just saying, is all. Men are always a bit slow concerning romantic notions, and surprisingly, you fall into that category along with Jack Sparrow," she said. Will frowned in confusion.
"But you just said that he loved Ana…" he said, trying to catch up to her train of thought. Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she turned in Will's embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Will… I never said that Jack knew he loved Anamaria. I'm just saying that he loves her. And since Jack hasn't figured it out yet…" she explained, but was cut off by the lookout.
"Sails ho!" the cry came. Both Will and Elizabeth turned to look off the back of the ship, expecting to see the black sails of Jack's ship catching up to them. But it wasn't there. Will turned, scowering the waters to see where the new arrival was sailing.
"There… off starboard," he told Elizabeth, pointing to where white sails floated above the horizon.
"Most likely, it's a merchant vessel on it's way to San Juan," Norrington's voice startled the couple. Elizabeth looked to the military man.
"Hopefully, they won't cause any trouble for Jack," she said, looking worriedly over the back of the ship to where she knew the Pearl was sailing. Norrington smiled a tight smile.
"Or Jack won't cause any trouble for them," he said lightly. The mysterious ship approached straight towards them, which made all three standing at the rail slightly nervous. If it were merely a merchant ship, as they'd all hoped, it would have set a course due east or west of them. Surely, their lookout would have spotted the Intrepid by now and made the adjustments to sail past. Instead, it sailed straight for them. The crew watched in interested apprehension as it got closer and closer. Not knowing whether to stave off course or to leave well enough alone, Norrington reached down to grip the hilt of his sword. Gillette stepped next to the Commodore.
"They're not changing course, Sir. And they've had to have spotted us by now. The lookout says they carry no colors," the lieutenant said. Norrington's jaw tightened.
"Thank you, Gillette," he said quietly and without panic. "Go rouse those below decks. Have them come top deck armed. This has the feeling of a raid…" The lieutenant looked solemnly at his commander before nodding once.
"Aye, sir," he said before stiffly walking to the stairs. Noting the exchange between the two men, Will and Elizabeth approached the commodore.
"What's going on, James?" Elizabeth asked. The man did not look at her, but kept his eyes on the new threat.
"We're taking precautions, Miss Swann," he said soberly, his sharp eyes gazing over the water. There was silence as the couple observed the newly arrived crew begin to clamor about the deck in wait of what was to happen next. The tense silence aboard the Intrepid was broken as the booming of a cannon rang out. The ship was close enough now that the rising smoke from the artillery could be seen with the naked eye. The splash of the shot fell a mere 200 feet short. It seemed like a great distance, but it was close enough to make Norrington tense.
"Prepare for battle…" he called, without wavering, to his lieutenants. The footfalls of the men running almost sounded like gunfire to the Commodore's ears. With a heavy breath, he turned and lightly gripped both Will and Elizabeth's arms.
"Go below decks. You'll be safer there," he said. Elizabeth frowned.
"We know how to fight, James. We can help," she said. Will was battling with himself at the moment. He knew that Norrington would let him stay to fight if he wished it so. But Will also knew that Elizabeth wouldn't stay below if he were to remain above deck. Making a decision, he took Elizabeth's hands and started to walk towards the quarters. Elizabeth held him back.
"We don't go below until we know what's going to happen," she declared. "Besides, with long range cannon fire, it'll be safer for us up here." Norrington and Will both gave her beleaguered looks. Knowing there was no time to argue with her, they stood silent and watched as the mystery ship fired off another round. The splashes of cannon fire in the water indicated that the attackers were getting more accurate as they approached. It took but a few more moments for the ship to be upon them and the crew of the Intrepid drew their swords as they saw row boats lowered into the water off the other ship. Norrington knew the strategy. The larger ship would reach them first and the attack would begin as they boarded. The rows would arrive moments later to provide the necessary reinforcements. It was the naval version of divide, surround and overtake. And it was this thought that identified the ship bearing down on them. It all made a revolting sort of sense.
"The Zephyr…" he muttered, but it was loud enough for both Will and Elizabeth to hear. The couple turned to him with wide eyes.
"Captain Deverill?" Elizabeth asked. Norrington watched as the bows of each ship crossed each other and the ships began their slowed passing. The metallic sound of men drawing their swords sounded as the order came to board and attack. Norrington whirled around to face the two people he dared to think of as friends.
"I beseech you, Mr. Turner… keep your presence, and that of your fiancée, free from the coming melee. I am to deliver you safely to Port Royal and I can't do that if one or both of you are skewered through…" the Commodore said sternly before turning on his booted heel and drawing his sword. It wasn't often that a renegade vessel tried to overpower a ship in the King's Navy out of the blue. But Captain Deverill was a man of interesting strategies. The Commodore tucked that tidbit away in the back of his mind as a cry rang out from the lookout just as Norrington's blade met with an assailant's.
"Sails ho!" the sailor cried, causing Norrington to hurriedly dispatch his opponent and look over his shoulder. Not the black sails he'd hoped for. There was no mistaking the intention of the newly appeared ship now bearing down on them. It was here to aid the Zephyr…
The Black Pearl…
"Gibbs!" Jack bellowed from the helm. The portly man all but skipped up the stairs to stand next to his captain.
"Aye, Jack," he puffed out. "Ye hollered…" Jack was silent as he squinted into the sun. Gibbs stood by, silent as the grave, as he waited for whatever Jack was going to say. But nothing came. So, the quartermaster coughed loudly to bring Jack's attention back to the moment. Still, nothing.
"God's toes, Jack… what do ye want?" Gibbs finally spat out. Jack looked over at his second in command, his eyes narrowing in thought. It was as if he just noticed the big man standing there.
"Oh… never mind," he said with his usual exaggerated flick of the hand. Gibbs let out a large, burdened breath.
"Jack…" he started, but the captain held up his hands.
"I'm sure you've better things to attend to, Mr. Gibbs," Jack said lightly. Gibbs rolled his eyes as he began to walk away.
"Aye, Cap'n," he said. The quartermaster had grown accustomed over the past few weeks to Jack's more flighty than usual attitude. It was as if the pirate had his mind permanently on other things… which was more'n likely true. Gibbs knew that the captain wasn't sleeping well, if at all. The rum supply was usually depleted mere days after re-stocking in a nameless port where the captain usually kept unsavory company. And through it all, the Pearl still pillaged and plundered like the Judgement was coming the very next day. It was wearying work sailing under a possessed man. Gibbs, and the rest of the crew, could only hope there would be a reprieve of the seeming madness sometime soon.
"Sails ho!" the lookout cried causing Gibbs to run back up to the helm where Jack had stood to attention. Jack's dark eyes scanned the waters ahead of them knowing that the Intrepid sailed ahead of them by mere hours. And suddenly, the boom of a cannon rang through the air.
"Was that what I thought it was?" Jack asked after a moment, looking to the man next to him. Gibbs grinned.
"Aye… I feel a fight on the horizon…" he said.
On the Intrepid…
The battle waged on above their heads, the sounds of cannons, guns and swords mingling together. Will, agitated and antsy, wanted to be up on deck with a sword in his hand. The waiting for the victor was almost killing him. Yet he knew that to keep Elizabeth safe, he'd have to keep himself safe. But to be fair, Elizabeth herself was agitated and antsy.
"I want to know what's going on, Will," she said, looking at the ceiling. Will stayed silent, but nodded his agreement.
"I can't just pace around down here until someone comes to either reassure us or to take us prisoner," she continued. Again, Will nodded. Elizabeth turned to look at him, her hands on her hips.
"I'm going up there," she said suddenly as she advanced on the stairs, grabbing a small axe on her way by. Will rushed forward and grabbed her arm.
"Elizabeth… we have to stay safe…" he pleaded, knowing full well that he was fighting a losing battle. Elizabeth shook his hand off her, but stepped closer to him.
"Will, I can't just wait down here. You know me better than that, and I know you. You want to be up there too," she said. Will raised a hand to her face and smiled.
"We'll go only if you promise to stay with me. No running off… I can't let anything happen to you. You're my life," he said softly. Elizabeth's eyes filled with love as she smiled back at him.
"And you're mine," she said, giving him a quick kiss to seal her words. Will hesitantly picked up a discarded sword and then firmly took Elizabeth's hand to begin their ascent into the fray. The couple emerged onto the deck to see more invaders than anticipated.
"Will…" Elizabeth said, fear tainting her voice slightly. "… there's too many…" Will looked around, and spotted the source. He pointed.
"Look… there's another ship…" he said. Elizabeth's eyes widened.
"What would two ships be doing in this part of the ocean trying to take over a military ship? There's no loot aboard for them to take," she commented. Will shrugged his shoulders as he carefully made his way towards the top deck, Elizabeth securely at his side. Suddenly, a pirate stepped forward and attempted to attack the two. Will reluctantly let go of his fiancée and raised his sword to fend off the assailant. Pushing Elizabeth aside, Will returned a blow to the menacing pirate. A well-placed kick brought the stocky pirate down and was immediately sliced through by Will's expert blade. The blacksmith took a quick assessment of their surroundings.
"Oh my God…" Elizabeth suddenly cried as she stepped to Will's side. The blacksmith turned to look at her, taking his eyes off of the ensuing battle.
"What?" he asked, concerned. She pointed off to her left. Will's eyes followed her finger. There, deep in the melee, stood the ebony-haired, dark-skinned, willowy object of Jack's melancholy all these months. There she was, alive and healthy… and on the other side of the blade of one Commodore Norrington. Elizabeth rushed forward, only to be stopped by Will's restraining arm.
"You can't go running into a sword fight, Elizabeth," Will admonished. Feral eyes turned to look at him.
"That's Anamaria, Will. And she's trying to kill James. For some reason, she's got it into her head that she's fighting for her life. She needs to know that we've been looking for her, not trying to capture her… Jack would kill us with naught but wishing it on us if we didn't do anything," she pleaded. Will shook his head.
"The Commodore isn't trying to kill her… he's trying to deflect her. He knows the score, Elizabeth. He won't try to harm her." Elizabeth let her worried gaze slide back to the two duelists. She mentally crossed her fingers that this would turn out alright.
There really wasn't much else he could do other than fight back. The woman kept trying to gullet him. He swung his sword at her, but the blow was a half-effort. Norrington knew that this was the woman that Captain Jack Sparrow was searching far and wide for. The two had traded minimal conversation; hers being more acerbic in nature, much to his regret. There'd been a truce between the crew of the Black Pearl and Norrington since the day the ship had returned to Port Royal for its captain. But between then and now, this slip of a girl had been misinformed. It was really quite distressing and making his self-assigned duty all the harder. But then again, Captain Sparrow had infinitely said that dealing with her would not be as simple as a snap of the fingers. What do you know? The man scoffed inwardly. The pirate was right… Norrington parried and swung back, blocking the woman's blow and deflecting it to the side. Ana was an exceptional swordswoman – matching, if not surpassing, Norrington's own skill with a blade. They continued to exchange blows, the Commodore trying not to injure the lass… and Ana going for the kill.
"Marie!" one of the Zephyr's men called to her as they other ship's crew began to fall back at the notice of black sails on the horizon. "Weigh anchor! They've got reinforcements on the way!" She spared the man a split second glance before she looked back to the military man. With a quick movement, she routed his blade and had it clanging to the floor. The tip of her cutlass dangled threateningly at his neck. Norrington stood still as he assessed the woman standing in front of him.
"You're name isn't Marie," he said suddenly, catching her off guard. Her hand trembled only slightly before she got herself back under her steely control.
"What?!" she demanded. Norrington cleared his throat as his eyes went briefly to the blade and then back to her face.
"Your name. It's Anamaria… not Marie…" he said. There was a look of uncertainty on Ana's face mixed with one of vulnerability. Finally, the hard mask slipped back over her features. She pressed the tip into his skin, making him start slightly.
"You lie…" she said through gritted teeth. Norrington held up his hands in surrender.
"I'm not, I assure you. I have a line of men… and women… who will call you by the same name," he said. Ana's hardened eyes softened slightly as she contemplated his seriousness.
"What would it gain me to lie to you, Anamaria?" he asked. Her chin lifted.
"A pirate in the hangman's noose," she replied. Norrington shook his head.
"I've no reason to do such a thing…" he reassured. Ana's brow lifted.
"Ah, yes. And this skirmish be but an amusement to whittle away the dull hours," she said sarcastically. Norrington held up his hands.
"You misunderstand… it wasn't the Intrepid that initiated this battle. We were attacked without cause. You came upon it just after the engagement," the Commodore revealed. There was doubt in the dark-haired woman's eyes as she observed the military man. As she continued to internally question his sincerity, a sound of approaching footsteps caused Ana to pull her dirk, aim it at the unarmed Commodore and swung around to confront whoever approached with her sword. To her surprise, it was a gangly, dark-haired man and a light-haired, flushed woman.
"Anamaria…" the woman sputtered out, slightly out of breath. Ana pulled her shoulders up. There was that name again… Dark eyes narrowed as she looked the two new-comers over.
"Who the bloody hell are you?" she asked menacingly. Elizabeth's eyes widened as she realized the gravity of the situation. Will just huffed.
"What do you mean 'who are we?' Where the bloody hell have you been?" he asked, a frown pulling his brows together as he held his own sword up. Elizabeth elbowed the blacksmith at the swearing, causing him to look at her.
"Sorry… but the question still stands. Jack's been…" he started, but Elizabeth cut him off by holding her hand out.
"My name is Elizabeth Swann," she said. Will's eyes went wide as Elizabeth's words finally made sense in his head. Ana just looked at the hand with her dirk and her sword still hanging precariously in front of their intended victims. Will, taking the hint his beloved had given him, smiled slightly.
"And I am Will Turner. The man you are currently threatening, besides myself, is Commodore James Norrington," he said. The mixture of too much information and confusion made itself known on Ana's face. Both of her hands wavered when she realized that these strangers were talking to her as if they knew her… Her hands continued to waver until a wounded and weary Ana hit the hard wood of the deck, the sharp metal she'd clung to dropping noisily next to her inert form.
FYI note 1:
No, it's not going to be an 'Ana wakes up and remembers everything' sort of cliché. That would be too predictable and, to be totally honest, lame. I've got to draw this out, folks… no easy fix here, I promise! And I apologize profusely for this being so darned long… :P Note the sarcasm! Although, it was 8 pages of hard work…No, it's not going to be an 'Ana wakes up and remembers everything' sort of cliché. That would be too predictable and, to be totally honest, lame. I've got to draw this out, folks… no easy fix here, I promise! And I apologize profusely for this being so darned long… :P Note the sarcasm! Although, it was 8 pages of hard work…
FYI note 2: Just so you know, Hispaniola is present day Haiti/Dominican Republic… The Mona Passage is the area of sea between the countries of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico… And as for naming Ana's first mate Judas… well, the only explanation is that after all of the "Passions" hype, the name was being thrown around a lot. And then I realized that I really liked the name. It just rings right off the tongue – so, rather than torture any future children of mine by naming them thusly, I decided to get it out of my system by using it in a fic. It's unfortunate that such a cool name has been stuck with such bad connotations for how many hundreds of years…