I know! I know! Yelling at your computer will not make me update faster! Only one more chapter after this…and it will be coming faster than this one did. I will need lots of breaks from studying for finals.
I glanced over the side of the boat and saw the dark and uninviting look of the water below. "Elizabeth? What exactly is your plan?" I asked as I continued rowing.
"First to the Pearl, we are going to need the help of the crew if we want to get into those caves." She replied looking up at the ship looming ahead.
"And after that?" I questioned pulling my oar around.
Elizabeth looked back at me with an uncertain look. "I am not sure, I was kind of making it up as we went along."
"Oh." I said.
"Do you have any ideas?" She asked hopefully. A thousand plans ran through my head, but each one was as silly as the last.
"No." I replied finally.
"Alright then, we will just see what happens." She whispered.
The boat had reached the side of the Pearl. Elizabeth reached out and pulled on a rope. She tugged a bit softly, then tugged harder and nodded her head with satisfaction. "Come on." She whispered starting to climb.
I grabbed the rope and pulled myself up. Just as we neared the deck we heard voices. Elizabeth abruptly stopped and looked down at me. She brought her fingers to her lips to tell me to keep quiet. We hung there silent as the wind and listened. The voices continued for a moment and just as my arms felt like they couldn't hold me any longer, Elizabeth started climbing again and motioned me to follow.
We reached the railing and swung ourselves over. "Alright, now what?" I whispered looking around.
Elizabeth opened her mouth to answer, but before she could utter a word a high pitched wail erupted from the monkey that had practically jumped down on her.
She gasped as I stifled a scream. I stood there frigid wonder what to do when Elizabeth grabbed the thing around the waist and tossed it over her shoulder into the ocean below.
I looked at her impressed but all she did was shrug her shoulders. I stuck my head over the side of the ship just in time to see two skeletons stick their heads out of the cannon hold. I gaped at them for a second before pulling myself back over and grabbing Elizabeth. "Eta-Eta-Et!" I gaped.
"What is it?" Elizabeth hissed.
"They-they're skeletons!" I cried.
Elizabeth's eyes widened in terror as she grabbed my arm and pulled me down to the stairs. I followed utterly confused and frightened. Just as I was about to round the second set of stairs, Elizabeth grabbed me around the waist and pulled me into the corner under the first. I looked up at her questioningly but she pushed me back further into the corner as the two skeletons I had seen went bounding past us and up the stairs.
Elizabeth looked up after them to make sure they weren't coming back down and then grabbed my arm again and pulled me down the rest of the stairs.
"Elizabeth!" I heard Gibbs exclaim. I looked over and saw him and the rest of the crew crammed into a tiny cell.
"Gibbs! Where is Will?!" I screeched clinging to the bars.
"Kathryn! Quiet! I just have to find the keys…" Elizabeth said trailing off when she started to look around.
I quickly scanned the floor and found a pair of rusted keys in a corner leaning against the wall. "Got them!" I shouted holding them up.
"Brilliant!" Elizabeth chirped grabbing the keys from my hand. She turned around and unlocked the crew from the cell. "Come on, up on deck. I have an idea."
We quickly made our way back up the stairs making as little noise as possible. I saw the two skeletons walking back and forth across the deck looking for something, undoubtedly us. "What do we do?" I whispered to Elizabeth.
"Listen up everyone." She whispered turning around and facing us. "I want Gibbs to untie that bit of rope right there holding the boat. Then the rest of you swing it around, and right as the two of them walk in the boat's path, let it go and hopefully that will get rid of them!"
"Aye." Gibbs replied as he started towards the rope. The boat was swung around and we waited for what seemed like hours for the two skeletal pirates to pass in front of us.
"NOW!" Elizabeth cried pushing the boat.
I pushed as hard as I could, and with a satisfying crunch, the two pirates went sprawling into the ocean.
"AH HAAA!" We all cheered happily.
"Alright!" Elizabeth yelled walking ahead of us, "I want all of you with me! We are going to go save Will!" I ran up next to her fully expecting the rest of the crew to be right behind us as I grabbed the rope. "One, two…" We both pulled with all our might and practically fall over. No one else was helping.
"What are you doing?" I screech turning around. "Come on! We need your help! Will needs your help!"
Gibbs shrugged.
"What about Jack?!" I whined pleadingly.
"Well lass you see, we have all we need." Gibbs said gesturing to the Pearl, "And Jack did tell us to stick to the code."
"I can't believe you're going to just abandon your captain all because of some silly code!" I screamed flailing my arms.
"To hell with the bleeding code!" Elizabeth screeched getting as frustrated as I. "It's your choice whether you abide by them or not!"
The crew just silently stared at us. "Elizabeth," I said gently grabbing her arm as I realized that they wouldn't help us. "Forget it, we are fighting a loosing battle. These are pirates." I glared at them, "There isn't much to be expected from them."
Slowly we made our way to the island that I had only been to once, yet had been there too many times. It was odd though, I hadn't even been on the island, but I hated it with a passion.
We landed with a splash on the shore. About three paces in front of us was the entrance to a cave, from where I was standing I could see flames dancing off the wall.
"Do you think they are in there?" I asked Elizabeth as she started for the cave.
"Definitely." She replied looking straight ahead.
We crept into the cave and crawled over several rocks to find ourselves looking on Jack, Will, Barbossa, and several skeletons locked in a battle!
"Will!" Elizabeth hissed as she gracefully jumped over the rocks and grabbed a pole.
I jumped after her and tripped over the rocks. I watched as Elizabeth knocked out a pirate who was about to attack Will. After searching the endless array of gold and treasures the pirates had been hoarding for ten years, my eyes happened upon a large jewel encrusted sword. I ran over to it and wrapped my hands around it. But just as I lifted it I realized that it was entirely too heavy for me.
Just as I was about to drop it, I saw a skeleton sneak up on Elizabeth, and just as he pulled out his sword on her, I forgot the weight of the sword and swung it around in the direction of the skeleton's head, ripping it clean off.
"Creepy." I muttered looking up at Elizabeth. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I am fine." She replied looking surprised.
"Kathryn!"
I turned around to see Will looking down at me extremely surprised.
"Oh, hello Will. How are you?" I asked smiling sweetly.
"What are you doing here?" he asked hurriedly.
"Saving you. Will-" I looked over his shoulder at Jack. "-What's Jack doing?"
Just as Will turned around to face Jack, he jumped into the moonlight and turned into a skeleton.
"AH!" I yelped as Jack started to giggle.
"Who's side is that man on?" Elizabeth mumbled to herself.
Before anyone could answer, Will was off again fighting another skeleton. Elizabeth and I ran opposite each other and I ran straight into a skeleton.
"Get off of me!" I screeched as he grabbed my arm. I ducked down under him and quickly stood back up catching him off guard and knocking him to the ground.
I jumped over him and ran towards Will.
"WILL!" Jack yelled from behind me. I turned around and watched as something flew over my head and landed in Will's outstretched hand. Clutching the object Will turned around and made a mad dash for the chest in the middle of the cave.
"Oh, that was a big mistake." Barbossa said pulling out his gun and aiming it at Elizabeth.
Elizabeth gasped and stopped dead in her tracks. "Stop!" I yelled.
Barbossa grinned and moved the gun so it pointed at me. "What was that?"
A gunshot rattled in my ears.
I yelped and looked down to make sure I wasn't the one who was shot. When I looked up, it wasn't Barbossa's gun that was smoking, but Jack's.
"Ten years you carry that pistol and now you waste your shot." Barbossa said with a hint of amusement.
"Actually, he didn't."
Everyone turned around and watched as Will dropped two coins into the chest. Barbossa made a sort of gasping noise and when I turned back to look at him there was blood staining the front of his shirt.
"I feel…cold."
Barbossa smirked and then fell into a heap on the ground. His hand fell to his side and an apple rolled away from it.
I felt bad. The first thing he wanted to do was eat an apple after the curse was lifted, he hadn't even the time to do it.
"HA!" Jack yelled startling us all. "No man can mutiny me and get away unscathed." Jack looked over at me and put his arm on my shoulder. "Come with me love, I can see a beautiful crown over there with your name written all over it."
Jack started to drag me away, but I turned out of his grasp and started towards Will. "Nuh uh love," Jack said grabbing my arm again. I looked back at Will and saw Elizabeth walk up to him, then I understood. "Those two need to be alone for a moment I think. Dear William has something to say to Miss Elizabeth, he better say it."
As Jack pulled me back behind a cave wall to look at treasure, I watched Elizabeth talk to Will for a moment, then walk away looking as if she were on the brink of tears.
I looked back at Jack as he threw a gold plate over his shoulder and started to walk back to Will.
"Will?" I ask giving him an innocent look, "Can we go home now?"
Will looked down at me with the saddest look I have ever seen and opened his mouth to say something, but before he can Jack comes up behind us and places a crown on my head.
"'Ere love, this is for you. Looks good. Oh 'ey and Will? If you were waiting for an opportune moment, that one was as good as any. Now, since we are all done here, I would be much obliged if you would take me back to me ship." Jack pushed through and sauntered past us. I looked back up at Will, but without meeting my eyes, he walked after Jack.
I hung my head and slowly started to follow.
Our oars dipped slowly in and out of the water as Will rowed silently back to the Dauntless.
Elizabeth looked over at Jack with tears in her eyes. "Jack, I am so sorry, I tried to-"
"They done what's right by them. You can't expect any more than that." Jack said cutting her off.
I could hear the disappointment in his voice as Will continued to row.
It was silent the rest of the way back to the ship, we all knew what was in store for Jack.
As I stepped back onto the Dauntless and they took Jack away, a great feeling of dread filled me. I felt that somehow, despite Elizabeth and Will being all right, the trip had been made in vain.
"Will! This is ridiculous! I have to go see him! I have to at least tell him goodbye!" I yelled at Will.
We had arrived back at Port Royal a few days later and of course the first thing that was done was place Jack into a jail cell and announcing his handing to be the next morning. I was upset because I didn't want to see such a good man go down, and Will wasn't wanting to even say goodbye before it happened. "I can't believe that YOU of all people disagree with me! For Gods sake Will! He helped you save Elizabeth!"
Will looked at me from across the room with his soft eyes. "Kathryn, I know how you feel. I want to go see him and tell him my thanks, but you have to understand, it's going to be hard enough tomorrow to stand there pretending that I accept what's happening.
"You are being horrible." I replied coldly. "Just think about how Jack is feeling all alone in his cell."
"Knowing Jack he's probably used to it." Will mumbled as he bend back over the hilt he was working on.
"I am going to go say goodbye." I said turning around. "I am going to see him one more time." I walked over to the newly replaced door and yanked it over. "Would you like me to tell him anything?" I asked over my shoulder.
When Will didn't answer I stepped out of the shop and slammed the door shut behind me. I walked out into the street and wrapped my arms around my shoulders. There was an unusual chill in the usually balmy air of that part of the world. I turned around and looked at the closed door wishing that I had thought to grab my cloak on the way out. Reaching out, I opened the door quietly hoping that Will wouldn't hear. With out going all the way back in I snaked my hand through the crack and grabbed my cloak from its peg on the wall. Once again I closed the door and finally began walking down the street towards the jails.
"Albert," I said walking up to the guard sitting next to the door of the jails. "Do you mind if I have a moment with Jack? I just want to tell him what a bad person is and spit in his face." I smiled sweetly and batted my eyelashes.
Albert's green eyes danced as a smile played at his lips. "Alright Miss Kathryn, but only for a moment."
"Thank you." I replied going down the stairs.
When I reached the bottom I looked at the cell where Jack was sitting on the bench with his head against the wall. I walked over to the front of the cell, adjusted my cloak around my shoulders, and sat down. "Hello Jack."
"'lo love. What 'ave you come for?"
"Well," I said getting a little nervous for some reason. "I came to say goodbye." My throat tightened a bit as I continued. "I wanted to tell you that Will is very grateful, and he would have come here himself to tell you but he was very busy cleaning up the shop."
"No he isn't, and no he's not." Jack said casually. "Knowing that whelp he probably wouldn't even let you come to see me, but you did it anyway to spite him."
"No!" I lied getting defensive. "I came to say goodbye to you!"
Jack finally looked over to me and with one swift movement, rolled off the bench and landed in a sitting position in front of me.
"Where's your crown?" He asked with a smile and a nod towards my head.
"It's under my bed." I sighed putting my head in my hands. "Jack, I'm really sorry everything had to turn out like this. I really wish Norrington would quit acting like a snotty stuck up goody boy and just hang the rules. "
"Hang." Jack snorted. "Lovely choice of words there love."
I ignored Jack and continued, "I mean it's not exactly like you have done anything wrong."
"Yes, because we all know that stealing a ship isn't bad at all." Jack replied smirking.
"Commandeer." I corrected, "You commandeered a ship." I looked up at Jack as he let out a barking laugh and reached through the bars to tousle my hair.
"I have taught you well young one. Listen, I don't want you to worry about Ol' Jack here, he still has a few tricks up his sleeves. I think." He said finally, still chuckling. "I think it might be time for you to get back to William, even if you didn't come to spite him, no doubt he's still worried."
"Right." I said pulling myself up from the floor. I turned to walk back up the stairs and realized that I hadn't done what I had come to do.
I slowly turned around and looked down at Jack who was still sitting on the floor. "Goodbye Jack. It was a pleasure knowing you."
Jack smirked and tilted his hat. "Love, don't tell me goodbye, tell me good luck."
"Good luck?" I asked tilting my head. "Why?"
"Because, I will need all the luck I can get for my daring escape tomorrow." Jack replied smiling.
I smiled gently and said to him, "Good luck with your daring escape tomorrow Jack."
Then I slowly turned back around and made my way back up the stairs. "Good night Albert" I said walking past him.
"Good night Kathryn."
As I made my way down the street, I broke down crying.
Jack was going to be hung at the gallows the next day at precisely noon.
And no daring escape could save him.