Chapter Four: Trouble on Deck
"Get off that knee, Jack."
Jack Sparrow turned two eyes toward his first mate and gave her a slightly lazy look. "Lass, since when do you give me orders on my ship?"
"Since yer a stubborn ass and you won' get off it yerself!" Ana screamed in frustration.
Jack only laughed at her outburst and pulled her close to him, holding her that way. "Luv, you worry too much. Stop it."
"I worry about you."
"I know, an' I appreciate it, really, but luv, I need you to trust me, eh?"
Ana nodded into his shoulder as she hugged him back. They stayed like that for a long few moments until a scream from the crow's nest brought them back to reality. "Captain! 've spotted the Black Depths, sir!"
"'ere we go, luv," Jack whispered, but then turned his attention to the waiting pirates on deck. "Ready the cannons. What are ye waitin' for?"
"Uncle Jack?"
Jack looked started as he turned to see Bill and Kathy, the younger child gripping her brother's hand as if it were her last thread to life.
"Go below deck, lad. Tha's an order, you 'ear me? I want ye to stay there."
The lad nodded and ran down the stairs toward Jack's cabin.
-----------------------
They were approaching Tyler's ship at a fair speed. At the present time, the other ship made no sign to acknowledge them. Jack gripped the edge of the railing as he strained his dark brown eyes to see any possible movement on the Black Depth's deck. "Somethin's wrong."
"I must agree," Norrington said from behind. "There should be some movement."
Jack glared slightly. "I'd rather not open fire on 'er. Might 'it Will and 'Lizabeth without meanin' to."
"Well we need to make decisions quickly, Captain, as we're approaching."
The pirate nodded. "Aye. Mr. Gibbs! Send on warnin' shot. If they return, open fire on 'em, savvy?"
"Aye sir," the elder man answered.
The shot was made and a lone man walked up to the deck. By this time the Pearl had come within yelling distance. Jack spotted Dalton Tyler. The broader man smiled. "'allo, Jack."
"Such pleasantries never were much between us," Jack called back. "I 'ope for yer sake Will 'n' 'is wife are unharmed."
"They're fine enough, but they're not what I want."
"And you want what?"
"For you to come quietly, Captain Sparrow."
"Not a chance in the world. Anyway, why didn' ye try to take me during our lovely spat?"
Tyler smiled again, not a pleasant smile. "Have fun, Captain. You'll have your hands tied until next time we meet."
Jack watched in confusion as Tyler retreated down below decks of his ship. He shook his head. "Open fi-"
"I wouldn't, Captain."
Jack turned to see a young man that they'd picked up off of a wrecked ship not a two weeks before the whole fiasco had begun. Christopher... That was his name, wasn't it? Christopher Knolls. Young lad, no older than nineteen, but a strong and loyal hand. Or at least he'd thought so. Loyalty was not exactly something Jack Sparrow was very good at predicting.
Christopher held the two Turner children by the wrists with one hand, a gun in the other. "I don't want to kill them, Captain, but my orders were clear enough from Captain Tyler."
"Uncle Jack!" Katherine cried out, tears streaming down her little face. She squirmed in the tall man's grasp. "Let go!"
"Shut up, brat," Christopher growled at her, shaking them both.
"Leave my sister alone!" Bill yelled, stomping on the young man's foot.
Katherine took this opportunity to wiggle her smaller hand free and running towards the pirate captain. "Uncle Jack!" she hollered as she launched herself into his arms. He met her there and scooped her up protectively.
Christopher aimed the pistol and shot before ever really thinking it through. Jack saw what was happening and his mind registered as quickly as it could what would happen. He dropped Katherine down, giving her a nudge and following that as quickly as he could, the entire action happening far too quickly for his still-stiff knee to follow. He winced as it locked up on him and his eyes grew wide as the bullet sent him tumbling back and into the unmoving rail that ran around the ship's deck. He heard startled cries coming from across the deck, the closest being from Katherine and the Commodore who had pulled her to him.
Bill's eyes grew wide as he saw the crimson liquid begin to seep through his uncle's shirt and vest. "Uncle Jack..." He glared up at his half-stunned captor and slammed his foot down on the top of the other's foot once more. He was released this time and ran for the fallen pirate, his sister squirming free to go with him.
Jack came to and blinked slowly. Norrington had Christopher held tightly, but the children... There they were, leaning over him. But why was he on the floor? He sat up slowly and groaned. There was a gash in his right side just below his ribcage that while it was not overly deep was certainly not a simple scratch. Had his knee not locked up, the bullet would have completely missed him.
"Uncle Jack?"
The pirate focused on the two children looking anxiously at him. "'allo, poppet," he said with a small smile. "You all right?"
She nodded, clinging to him.
Jack chuckled at this. "'m okay, poppet, I promise."
"But you're a pirate. You lie all the time," she answered in a pouty tone.
This made Jack laugh aloud, sending ripping pain through his side. He groaned and leaned against the railing. "Don' make me laugh, poppet, please? C'mon, luv, I wouldn' be lyin' to ye."
She looked up at him in all of her innocents. "Promise?"
Bill laughed. "He has to promise not to lie?"
The little girl thought about that for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. Then I can believe him."
"You all right, Captain?" Norrington hollered. He'd finished tying the rebellious young man and had Mr. Gibbs and a couple of other men take him down to the brig.
"I'll be fine," Jack answered as he eased himself up, using the railing as support.
"Jack!"
Ana was at his side in an instant, holding onto him so that he could lean if he needed to. He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips, gaining several childish "ooo's" from the peanut gallery. He tossed a glance to the two Turner children and winked. That done, he allowed his knees to give way and sank down to the deck, Ana easing him all the way, whispering that she'd be there when he woke.
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kungfuchick: I know, isn't Kathy the cutest? I get ideas for these kids off of the kids I take care of at my church and the kids I babysit. I love 'em all. There so cute and are great inspiration for our lovely li'll treasure snipes.
Meowface: Much thanks! Glad you enjoy reading them!
Who?: ::upside down drinking water:: huh? ::falls off whatever she's on and water goes all over her:: Anyway, glad you're liking it! Hehe... I'm glad you like Kathy's last line. I did too :P
JackFan2: Well of course it came back to him! I'm a Jack torture fan! Hehe.... I'm thinking about writing a whole story where Jack and Ana go to where Marie and Richard live and stay with them for a bit (still working on that plot) so there would be much interestingness going on there with family interaction. :)
Flute Damioh: I try for funny when I can, so glad I succeeded. Hope you liked this one!
"Get off that knee, Jack."
Jack Sparrow turned two eyes toward his first mate and gave her a slightly lazy look. "Lass, since when do you give me orders on my ship?"
"Since yer a stubborn ass and you won' get off it yerself!" Ana screamed in frustration.
Jack only laughed at her outburst and pulled her close to him, holding her that way. "Luv, you worry too much. Stop it."
"I worry about you."
"I know, an' I appreciate it, really, but luv, I need you to trust me, eh?"
Ana nodded into his shoulder as she hugged him back. They stayed like that for a long few moments until a scream from the crow's nest brought them back to reality. "Captain! 've spotted the Black Depths, sir!"
"'ere we go, luv," Jack whispered, but then turned his attention to the waiting pirates on deck. "Ready the cannons. What are ye waitin' for?"
"Uncle Jack?"
Jack looked started as he turned to see Bill and Kathy, the younger child gripping her brother's hand as if it were her last thread to life.
"Go below deck, lad. Tha's an order, you 'ear me? I want ye to stay there."
The lad nodded and ran down the stairs toward Jack's cabin.
-----------------------
They were approaching Tyler's ship at a fair speed. At the present time, the other ship made no sign to acknowledge them. Jack gripped the edge of the railing as he strained his dark brown eyes to see any possible movement on the Black Depth's deck. "Somethin's wrong."
"I must agree," Norrington said from behind. "There should be some movement."
Jack glared slightly. "I'd rather not open fire on 'er. Might 'it Will and 'Lizabeth without meanin' to."
"Well we need to make decisions quickly, Captain, as we're approaching."
The pirate nodded. "Aye. Mr. Gibbs! Send on warnin' shot. If they return, open fire on 'em, savvy?"
"Aye sir," the elder man answered.
The shot was made and a lone man walked up to the deck. By this time the Pearl had come within yelling distance. Jack spotted Dalton Tyler. The broader man smiled. "'allo, Jack."
"Such pleasantries never were much between us," Jack called back. "I 'ope for yer sake Will 'n' 'is wife are unharmed."
"They're fine enough, but they're not what I want."
"And you want what?"
"For you to come quietly, Captain Sparrow."
"Not a chance in the world. Anyway, why didn' ye try to take me during our lovely spat?"
Tyler smiled again, not a pleasant smile. "Have fun, Captain. You'll have your hands tied until next time we meet."
Jack watched in confusion as Tyler retreated down below decks of his ship. He shook his head. "Open fi-"
"I wouldn't, Captain."
Jack turned to see a young man that they'd picked up off of a wrecked ship not a two weeks before the whole fiasco had begun. Christopher... That was his name, wasn't it? Christopher Knolls. Young lad, no older than nineteen, but a strong and loyal hand. Or at least he'd thought so. Loyalty was not exactly something Jack Sparrow was very good at predicting.
Christopher held the two Turner children by the wrists with one hand, a gun in the other. "I don't want to kill them, Captain, but my orders were clear enough from Captain Tyler."
"Uncle Jack!" Katherine cried out, tears streaming down her little face. She squirmed in the tall man's grasp. "Let go!"
"Shut up, brat," Christopher growled at her, shaking them both.
"Leave my sister alone!" Bill yelled, stomping on the young man's foot.
Katherine took this opportunity to wiggle her smaller hand free and running towards the pirate captain. "Uncle Jack!" she hollered as she launched herself into his arms. He met her there and scooped her up protectively.
Christopher aimed the pistol and shot before ever really thinking it through. Jack saw what was happening and his mind registered as quickly as it could what would happen. He dropped Katherine down, giving her a nudge and following that as quickly as he could, the entire action happening far too quickly for his still-stiff knee to follow. He winced as it locked up on him and his eyes grew wide as the bullet sent him tumbling back and into the unmoving rail that ran around the ship's deck. He heard startled cries coming from across the deck, the closest being from Katherine and the Commodore who had pulled her to him.
Bill's eyes grew wide as he saw the crimson liquid begin to seep through his uncle's shirt and vest. "Uncle Jack..." He glared up at his half-stunned captor and slammed his foot down on the top of the other's foot once more. He was released this time and ran for the fallen pirate, his sister squirming free to go with him.
Jack came to and blinked slowly. Norrington had Christopher held tightly, but the children... There they were, leaning over him. But why was he on the floor? He sat up slowly and groaned. There was a gash in his right side just below his ribcage that while it was not overly deep was certainly not a simple scratch. Had his knee not locked up, the bullet would have completely missed him.
"Uncle Jack?"
The pirate focused on the two children looking anxiously at him. "'allo, poppet," he said with a small smile. "You all right?"
She nodded, clinging to him.
Jack chuckled at this. "'m okay, poppet, I promise."
"But you're a pirate. You lie all the time," she answered in a pouty tone.
This made Jack laugh aloud, sending ripping pain through his side. He groaned and leaned against the railing. "Don' make me laugh, poppet, please? C'mon, luv, I wouldn' be lyin' to ye."
She looked up at him in all of her innocents. "Promise?"
Bill laughed. "He has to promise not to lie?"
The little girl thought about that for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. Then I can believe him."
"You all right, Captain?" Norrington hollered. He'd finished tying the rebellious young man and had Mr. Gibbs and a couple of other men take him down to the brig.
"I'll be fine," Jack answered as he eased himself up, using the railing as support.
"Jack!"
Ana was at his side in an instant, holding onto him so that he could lean if he needed to. He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips, gaining several childish "ooo's" from the peanut gallery. He tossed a glance to the two Turner children and winked. That done, he allowed his knees to give way and sank down to the deck, Ana easing him all the way, whispering that she'd be there when he woke.
----------------------------
kungfuchick: I know, isn't Kathy the cutest? I get ideas for these kids off of the kids I take care of at my church and the kids I babysit. I love 'em all. There so cute and are great inspiration for our lovely li'll treasure snipes.
Meowface: Much thanks! Glad you enjoy reading them!
Who?: ::upside down drinking water:: huh? ::falls off whatever she's on and water goes all over her:: Anyway, glad you're liking it! Hehe... I'm glad you like Kathy's last line. I did too :P
JackFan2: Well of course it came back to him! I'm a Jack torture fan! Hehe.... I'm thinking about writing a whole story where Jack and Ana go to where Marie and Richard live and stay with them for a bit (still working on that plot) so there would be much interestingness going on there with family interaction. :)
Flute Damioh: I try for funny when I can, so glad I succeeded. Hope you liked this one!