Here it is, folks, the second to last chapter. Enjoy while it lasts! And please do review!
Chapter Eleven: The Last Escape
"Commodore, please! For me! For a wedding gift."
"Ellie, dear, I have let this treacherous man go free once and my conscious will not allow me to do it again."
Ellie angrily brushed away her tears and pounded after Norrington. Every man on the docks of Port Royal stared and she screamed. "You cannot condemn him to death without killing me first!"
Norrington looked calmly at her flushed face. "I will hear no more of this nonsense."
¯ ¯ ¯
The very ground seemed to be disappearing from under Ellie. Before her was Jack, the hangman's noose around his neck. The executioner was reading his crimes, but Ellie heard not a word. Jack filled her mind. She could not let him die. She could not. As if controlled by an invisible force, she shoved through the crowds. As she approached the scaffold, she pulled a knife from her skirts.
"Ellie no!" someone screamed but it was too late. Ellie leapt onto the scaffold and sliced Jack's bonds. He grabbed her hand, shoving her onto the ground out of harm's way. He jumped after her and they made a race for the fort.
"Really wasn't wise, springin' me free, luv," Jack said.
"May not have been wise but it was necessary."
Suddenly, the pair was surrounded by marines. A gun was at Ellie's temple and a sword at Jack's throat.
"Do not harm her!" the Commodore trotted to Ellie. "Release her."
Ellie felt Norrington's arms around her but she saw only Jack.
"Ellie!" Will and Elizabeth flew to her side. "Are you hurt?"
"No. Will, make him release Jack."
"Commodore-" Will began.
"Yes, Mr. Turner," Norrington sighed. "I am bound by the law to hang this man."
Silently, swiftly, Ellie crept from under his hold. Her hand tightened on the knife hilt. She made a daring sprint to the edge of the fort and pressed the knife to her throat.
"Move and I kill myself!" Ellie declared.
"Ellie, now let us be rational," Norrington put out his hands.
"I think it's time that we make a bargain," Ellie said. "Free Jack or I perish."
Jack grinned. "That's me girl!"
"Ellie, put that weapon down," Norrington demanded.
"Make your choice!"
Norrington gave a snort of distain. "Release Sparrow."
Jack placed his hands together in a gesture of thanks, then joined Ellie. She slowly lowered the knife.
"Nicely handled luv," Jack said. "And now! Today is the day you will always remember as the day that Captain Jack Sparrow and his lovely wife Ellie Fly got away!"
He threw his arms protectively around Ellie and they went plunging from the fort to the waters below. With a splash, they hit the sea. Jack quickly pulled Ellie to the surface where they gasped for breath.
"What now?" Ellie asked.
Jack smiled. "We make for the Pearl."
¯ ¯ ¯
"Sir! What do we do about Sparrow and your fiancée?" Gillette asked. Norrington watched as the pair swam to the docks where the Pearl was tied up.
"Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for the person you love is to let them go," Elizabeth said quietly.
Norrington cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Take care of her, Sparrow. She is the finest treasure you ever stole."
Chapter Eleven: The Last Escape
"Commodore, please! For me! For a wedding gift."
"Ellie, dear, I have let this treacherous man go free once and my conscious will not allow me to do it again."
Ellie angrily brushed away her tears and pounded after Norrington. Every man on the docks of Port Royal stared and she screamed. "You cannot condemn him to death without killing me first!"
Norrington looked calmly at her flushed face. "I will hear no more of this nonsense."
¯ ¯ ¯
The very ground seemed to be disappearing from under Ellie. Before her was Jack, the hangman's noose around his neck. The executioner was reading his crimes, but Ellie heard not a word. Jack filled her mind. She could not let him die. She could not. As if controlled by an invisible force, she shoved through the crowds. As she approached the scaffold, she pulled a knife from her skirts.
"Ellie no!" someone screamed but it was too late. Ellie leapt onto the scaffold and sliced Jack's bonds. He grabbed her hand, shoving her onto the ground out of harm's way. He jumped after her and they made a race for the fort.
"Really wasn't wise, springin' me free, luv," Jack said.
"May not have been wise but it was necessary."
Suddenly, the pair was surrounded by marines. A gun was at Ellie's temple and a sword at Jack's throat.
"Do not harm her!" the Commodore trotted to Ellie. "Release her."
Ellie felt Norrington's arms around her but she saw only Jack.
"Ellie!" Will and Elizabeth flew to her side. "Are you hurt?"
"No. Will, make him release Jack."
"Commodore-" Will began.
"Yes, Mr. Turner," Norrington sighed. "I am bound by the law to hang this man."
Silently, swiftly, Ellie crept from under his hold. Her hand tightened on the knife hilt. She made a daring sprint to the edge of the fort and pressed the knife to her throat.
"Move and I kill myself!" Ellie declared.
"Ellie, now let us be rational," Norrington put out his hands.
"I think it's time that we make a bargain," Ellie said. "Free Jack or I perish."
Jack grinned. "That's me girl!"
"Ellie, put that weapon down," Norrington demanded.
"Make your choice!"
Norrington gave a snort of distain. "Release Sparrow."
Jack placed his hands together in a gesture of thanks, then joined Ellie. She slowly lowered the knife.
"Nicely handled luv," Jack said. "And now! Today is the day you will always remember as the day that Captain Jack Sparrow and his lovely wife Ellie Fly got away!"
He threw his arms protectively around Ellie and they went plunging from the fort to the waters below. With a splash, they hit the sea. Jack quickly pulled Ellie to the surface where they gasped for breath.
"What now?" Ellie asked.
Jack smiled. "We make for the Pearl."
¯ ¯ ¯
"Sir! What do we do about Sparrow and your fiancée?" Gillette asked. Norrington watched as the pair swam to the docks where the Pearl was tied up.
"Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for the person you love is to let them go," Elizabeth said quietly.
Norrington cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Take care of her, Sparrow. She is the finest treasure you ever stole."