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Chapter Twenty Six.
The group rowed ashore. Elizabeth, Will, Rosie and few of the crew hands along with Jack and Ella clambered into the boats.
"No." He said, to the fifteen year old.
"If I tell you something you don't know, can I come?" She demanded.
"What do you wanna come for?"
"Same reason as you, s'ppose."
"I'm 'ere to find a bratty little boy 'cause I was outnumbered. How bout you?"
"Like I said same reason, gold. So?"
"Go on then."
"Alex ain't 'ere." She said, hopping into the boat.
"I already knew that."
"I haven't finished yet." She said with a smile. "Alex ain't there 'cause he's somewhere else."
"Somebody give the girl a medal." Jack said. "Now if you'll excuse me. . ."
"If you stop me from coming, you'll regret it." She said, the tone of her voice dropped, and her eyes narrowed. "You'll regret it Cap'n Sparrow."
"I never regret anything, love."
"Making Barbossa first mate. . ."
"Okay maybe that. . ."
She shook her head "Whatever, I'm coming."
"No you're not."
"Captain?" Gibbs asked. "We be ready to go?"
"Aye, now girl, how can I put this nicely? Go bug someone else for a bit."
"I think you might be needing me, Sparrow." She replied.
Jack shook his head, but made a signal to Gibbs to start off.
They rowed to the island and clambered out of the boats. As soon as they got out of the boats Ella ran off.
It didn't take long to search the island, and as expected there was no sign of young Alex. Rosie tried to keep a straight face, but it was clear she was upset. Elizabeth tried to comfort her.
"Rosie, I'm sorry."
Rosie looked at her. "You're my daughter, Liz. And you don't know me. Alex was all I had."
"I'm gonna kill, 'im when we find 'im." Jack replied. He ran his hand through a pile of gold.
Elizabeth shivered, and stared around the crowded pirate's cave. It was too quiet to be real, there was something sinister about it. "I wish you wouldn't do that, Jack." She muttered.
"Do what?" He said, innocently.
Elizabeth stepped forward. The cave greeted her eyes, filling her mind with memories. This is where Barbossa had died, she wrinkled her nose, that's what the smell was. This cave smelt of death. And then it dawned on her. What was wrong with this place, what was missing.
She screamed.
Will ran to her, he shook her gently. "Elizabeth, what's wrong?"
Jack looked up from the gold he was sifting through. He leaned against the chest. Elizabeth managed to pull her thoughts back, she stared deeply into her fiancé's eyes. "Will, where's Barbossa's body?"
A heavy silence, a mystical awe fell on the group, Jack, Will and Liz, were all staring at the exact place where Barbossa had fallen.
"Where is his body?" She repeated.
"Maybe this is the wrong island." Jack said.
Elizabeth laughed, which is what Jack wanted. Will put his arm around her, protectively. "Come on Liz, let's go back to the Pearl. Let's go home." He kissed her cheek tenderly, warming up all her cold, deathly thoughts. She was shaking. She swallowed back her fear and nodded.
"Let's go home."
Rosie sighed. She stepped up beside her daughter. "I shouldn't have brought you with me Lizabeth, it weren't fair, it weren't right. Yes, it is time you went back home."
"But that doesn't mean we're giving up on Alex. We could send the commodore. . .I'm sure he would help. . .and anyway I doubt Alex would have come here." Elizabeth said with a sniff.
Jack grinned. "I'm sure James would be all too happy to help."
"Whatever you think of him Jack, he's a good man."
"Sounds like someone wants to be Mrs Commodore." Jack said, in a teasing voice.
Elizabeth frowned at him. "The love I have for Will, you will never know. You will die a lonely man, Jack."
She turned to Will, and he led her back to the rowing boat, where the two waited patiently for the rest to come.
"I'm sorry Will. I just froze. You can go back to the others if you like." She said.
He shook his head. "I'd much rather be with you, and in truth I'm glad to be out of the cave."
She smiled, and snuggled up to him. "I wish they would hurry up, I do not like this island one bit."
"It wasn't right what you said to Jack though, about him dying lonely." Will said, carefully.
She turned to her fiancée. "Do you think I offended him?"
Will laughed. "Mud off a carriage wheel." "Surely, mud sticks to a carriage wheel."
He shrugged. "It probably does, but I didn't want to use an old cliché."
Eventually the group trooped from the cave. Rosie was bitter, and upset. However she hated to admit, she had been banking on Alex being on the island.
Jack looked shaken, worried almost, but refused to admit it when Will questioned him. Ella was silent as they rowed back. She couldn't get the picture of gold out of her head. Any honest thief would have had a field day, it was a pick pocket's dream. And of course she'd found something of particular interest. The thing she had been told to look for.
Ashella had been a good decoy, allowing the hired thief to slip on board. At first they were going to send a man, but if he had been caught, he would most certainly have been killed. It was better this way, especially since she actually knew someone on board, Jo would never let Jack harm her. Ella fingered the gold coin in her pocket.
"Only one." She had been told. Not that she would have taken more, it was hard enough taking this one without being noticed. It appeared Jack was sticking close to the chest. But now she had it, what to do next? She had her instructions of course, strict instructions from the Garter. But whether she was going to follow them or not was a different matter. It was often remarked afterwards what a traitor she was, she even cheated her own side. Was she completely void of any human feeling of compassion, or love? Only time will tell.
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She sought the first possible opportunity to be alone. She huddled in the corner, leaning against a barrel of apples, examining her find. It was a large medallion, engraved with a fancy, glaring skull. The gold was shiny and fresh, she bit it between her front teeth. It was real alright, and truly a magnificent example. She could only guess, dream it's value.
She turned it over and over in her experienced, deft little fingers. It was beautiful, glistening, perfect. Jack came stumbling past, in his half drunk, half sober and ready for battle state. He hardly glanced at the girl huddled in the corner. She withdrew her arm, and stuffed the coin into her pocket. He reached into the barrel and took out an apple, before walking off.
It was Elizabeth who found her.
"Ella, what are you doing down here?" She asked, crouching down next to her.
Ella shrugged. "Wanta be on me own." She replied, haughtily.
"I want to know what you're planning on next. You see, we're returning to Port Royal now."
"You're abandonin' your brother." Ella said, simply.
"No I wouldn't say that, Ella, I wouldn't say abandoning."
"I've been abandoned meself, Miss Swann. I know it when I see it." She pushed herself up from the floor. "And if you 'ad any heart you'd search for 'im 'til you found 'im, you'd ne'er stop lookin'." She made to walk off, but Elizabeth grabbed her arm.
"I don't know him, Ella. All he is, is Rosie's description, that's all I have of my brother. I'd love to find him, to save him, but I can't not live my own life. I'm engaged to Will. I should have stayed in Port Royal, and married him. It's Rosie's job to find Alex, not mine. She lost the right to my help, when she left me." Elizabeth too got up. She couldn't understand why she was talking like this, being so frank with the fourteen year old. "I've never been so happy to be going home." She said, putting her hand on Ella's shoulder. She walked off to find Will, leaving a very shocked young girl.
And the feelings of guilt began to start. She didn't care about betraying the Captain, he'd hardly looked at her, no it was Jo, and, she shrugged, probably Elizabeth too, whom she was hurting. Her fist enclosed around the cold metal in her pocket. She took it out, and held it up to her face, and sighed. Being the criminal was hard, you had to betray everyone you cared about. Then she laughed. "Easy for me then, 'cause I don't care bout no one." She said, trying to convince herself. It worked too. She walked off without another feeling of remorse.
"You'll see what a good thief I am, Jack Sparrow."
Chapter Twenty Six.
The group rowed ashore. Elizabeth, Will, Rosie and few of the crew hands along with Jack and Ella clambered into the boats.
"No." He said, to the fifteen year old.
"If I tell you something you don't know, can I come?" She demanded.
"What do you wanna come for?"
"Same reason as you, s'ppose."
"I'm 'ere to find a bratty little boy 'cause I was outnumbered. How bout you?"
"Like I said same reason, gold. So?"
"Go on then."
"Alex ain't 'ere." She said, hopping into the boat.
"I already knew that."
"I haven't finished yet." She said with a smile. "Alex ain't there 'cause he's somewhere else."
"Somebody give the girl a medal." Jack said. "Now if you'll excuse me. . ."
"If you stop me from coming, you'll regret it." She said, the tone of her voice dropped, and her eyes narrowed. "You'll regret it Cap'n Sparrow."
"I never regret anything, love."
"Making Barbossa first mate. . ."
"Okay maybe that. . ."
She shook her head "Whatever, I'm coming."
"No you're not."
"Captain?" Gibbs asked. "We be ready to go?"
"Aye, now girl, how can I put this nicely? Go bug someone else for a bit."
"I think you might be needing me, Sparrow." She replied.
Jack shook his head, but made a signal to Gibbs to start off.
They rowed to the island and clambered out of the boats. As soon as they got out of the boats Ella ran off.
It didn't take long to search the island, and as expected there was no sign of young Alex. Rosie tried to keep a straight face, but it was clear she was upset. Elizabeth tried to comfort her.
"Rosie, I'm sorry."
Rosie looked at her. "You're my daughter, Liz. And you don't know me. Alex was all I had."
"I'm gonna kill, 'im when we find 'im." Jack replied. He ran his hand through a pile of gold.
Elizabeth shivered, and stared around the crowded pirate's cave. It was too quiet to be real, there was something sinister about it. "I wish you wouldn't do that, Jack." She muttered.
"Do what?" He said, innocently.
Elizabeth stepped forward. The cave greeted her eyes, filling her mind with memories. This is where Barbossa had died, she wrinkled her nose, that's what the smell was. This cave smelt of death. And then it dawned on her. What was wrong with this place, what was missing.
She screamed.
Will ran to her, he shook her gently. "Elizabeth, what's wrong?"
Jack looked up from the gold he was sifting through. He leaned against the chest. Elizabeth managed to pull her thoughts back, she stared deeply into her fiancé's eyes. "Will, where's Barbossa's body?"
A heavy silence, a mystical awe fell on the group, Jack, Will and Liz, were all staring at the exact place where Barbossa had fallen.
"Where is his body?" She repeated.
"Maybe this is the wrong island." Jack said.
Elizabeth laughed, which is what Jack wanted. Will put his arm around her, protectively. "Come on Liz, let's go back to the Pearl. Let's go home." He kissed her cheek tenderly, warming up all her cold, deathly thoughts. She was shaking. She swallowed back her fear and nodded.
"Let's go home."
Rosie sighed. She stepped up beside her daughter. "I shouldn't have brought you with me Lizabeth, it weren't fair, it weren't right. Yes, it is time you went back home."
"But that doesn't mean we're giving up on Alex. We could send the commodore. . .I'm sure he would help. . .and anyway I doubt Alex would have come here." Elizabeth said with a sniff.
Jack grinned. "I'm sure James would be all too happy to help."
"Whatever you think of him Jack, he's a good man."
"Sounds like someone wants to be Mrs Commodore." Jack said, in a teasing voice.
Elizabeth frowned at him. "The love I have for Will, you will never know. You will die a lonely man, Jack."
She turned to Will, and he led her back to the rowing boat, where the two waited patiently for the rest to come.
"I'm sorry Will. I just froze. You can go back to the others if you like." She said.
He shook his head. "I'd much rather be with you, and in truth I'm glad to be out of the cave."
She smiled, and snuggled up to him. "I wish they would hurry up, I do not like this island one bit."
"It wasn't right what you said to Jack though, about him dying lonely." Will said, carefully.
She turned to her fiancée. "Do you think I offended him?"
Will laughed. "Mud off a carriage wheel." "Surely, mud sticks to a carriage wheel."
He shrugged. "It probably does, but I didn't want to use an old cliché."
Eventually the group trooped from the cave. Rosie was bitter, and upset. However she hated to admit, she had been banking on Alex being on the island.
Jack looked shaken, worried almost, but refused to admit it when Will questioned him. Ella was silent as they rowed back. She couldn't get the picture of gold out of her head. Any honest thief would have had a field day, it was a pick pocket's dream. And of course she'd found something of particular interest. The thing she had been told to look for.
Ashella had been a good decoy, allowing the hired thief to slip on board. At first they were going to send a man, but if he had been caught, he would most certainly have been killed. It was better this way, especially since she actually knew someone on board, Jo would never let Jack harm her. Ella fingered the gold coin in her pocket.
"Only one." She had been told. Not that she would have taken more, it was hard enough taking this one without being noticed. It appeared Jack was sticking close to the chest. But now she had it, what to do next? She had her instructions of course, strict instructions from the Garter. But whether she was going to follow them or not was a different matter. It was often remarked afterwards what a traitor she was, she even cheated her own side. Was she completely void of any human feeling of compassion, or love? Only time will tell.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
She sought the first possible opportunity to be alone. She huddled in the corner, leaning against a barrel of apples, examining her find. It was a large medallion, engraved with a fancy, glaring skull. The gold was shiny and fresh, she bit it between her front teeth. It was real alright, and truly a magnificent example. She could only guess, dream it's value.
She turned it over and over in her experienced, deft little fingers. It was beautiful, glistening, perfect. Jack came stumbling past, in his half drunk, half sober and ready for battle state. He hardly glanced at the girl huddled in the corner. She withdrew her arm, and stuffed the coin into her pocket. He reached into the barrel and took out an apple, before walking off.
It was Elizabeth who found her.
"Ella, what are you doing down here?" She asked, crouching down next to her.
Ella shrugged. "Wanta be on me own." She replied, haughtily.
"I want to know what you're planning on next. You see, we're returning to Port Royal now."
"You're abandonin' your brother." Ella said, simply.
"No I wouldn't say that, Ella, I wouldn't say abandoning."
"I've been abandoned meself, Miss Swann. I know it when I see it." She pushed herself up from the floor. "And if you 'ad any heart you'd search for 'im 'til you found 'im, you'd ne'er stop lookin'." She made to walk off, but Elizabeth grabbed her arm.
"I don't know him, Ella. All he is, is Rosie's description, that's all I have of my brother. I'd love to find him, to save him, but I can't not live my own life. I'm engaged to Will. I should have stayed in Port Royal, and married him. It's Rosie's job to find Alex, not mine. She lost the right to my help, when she left me." Elizabeth too got up. She couldn't understand why she was talking like this, being so frank with the fourteen year old. "I've never been so happy to be going home." She said, putting her hand on Ella's shoulder. She walked off to find Will, leaving a very shocked young girl.
And the feelings of guilt began to start. She didn't care about betraying the Captain, he'd hardly looked at her, no it was Jo, and, she shrugged, probably Elizabeth too, whom she was hurting. Her fist enclosed around the cold metal in her pocket. She took it out, and held it up to her face, and sighed. Being the criminal was hard, you had to betray everyone you cared about. Then she laughed. "Easy for me then, 'cause I don't care bout no one." She said, trying to convince herself. It worked too. She walked off without another feeling of remorse.
"You'll see what a good thief I am, Jack Sparrow."