CHAPTER 8: WITHOUT HER, WITH HER
Jack remained in his cabin for the rest of the week, the result was three dozen bottles of rum on his floor. He looked over at the map and located where they were and how much farther they had to go. Composing himself, he stumbled out of the door and onto the deck.
The deck became silent when their Captain came out. He looked worse for wear they noticed. His eyes were half open, he stumbled every few steps and his composure was shot. He had an empty look on his face as he made his way to the helm.
"Gibbs I'll take over." Jack said, coming to stand before Gibbs.
"Captain, you need your rest. I've got it."
"I do not need rest."
"Jack, your drunk, if you take the helm who knows what will happen."
"Gibbs, I am the Captain and I order you to hand over the helm!" Jack yelled.
Will and Elizabeth came up on deck at this time and saw Jack swaying as he stood next to Gibbs. They approached him slowly, not knowing what to expect from him.
"Jack, come on."
"No! Why is everyone trying to make me stay in me cabin on my own ship."
"Jack I need to talk to you."
"It can wait Whelp."
"No Jack it can't. It's about Connor."
Hearing her name Jack hung his head and turned to face his friend. "What?"
"In private Jack."
Jack nodded and headed back to his cabin with Will and Elizabeth following. They shut the door when they entered and watched Jack fall down onto his bed.
"Jack?"
"I'm listening whelp."
"Jack I know that this must feel awful. But would she want you to be like this. No. She'd want you to go after that treasure and get it."
"How do you know this feels awful? She was my only shot Will."
"No Jack. There is someone else out there for you." Elizabeth said, sitting next to Jack.
"Lizzie, if Will died would ye say that there is someone else out there for you? No. And we can't get the treasure. All Connor told us was that we should head to Northern Ireland. She didn't inform us of where at in Northern Ireland."
"So what? Jack, your Captain Jack Sparrow, you will find it, and get on with your life. For her."
"Ship ho!" Someone shouted from out on deck.
"Jack, sober up, be the pirate you are. You have no other choice." Elizabeth encouraged.
"Give me a few minutes." Jack said, and ushered the pair out of his room.
"Do you think it worked Will?"
"We'll know in a few minutes."
An hour later, after a lot of knocks on his door, Jack emerged, looking much better. He walked up to Gibbs. "What's going on Gibbs?"
"There be a ship Captain. Behind us, seems to be following. Pirate, from what we can tell."
Jack grabbed his telescope and looked at the ship behind them. "Aye, she be the Red Star. Captain Nate Bathers's ship."
"You know him?"
"Of him. He's supposed to be temperamental. Not a friend Gibbs. We can't let him follow us. Prepare to fight."
"Aye sir.!" Gibbs said before turning to the crew, "All right you scabrous dogs, prepare to fight."
Back on the Red Star Nate came back down to the brig and found Connor staring at the wall in front of her. "Something more interesting than that is coming. We've caught up with the Pearl, there's going to be a battle."
"There may be a battle Nate, but Jack will blow your ship to pieces."
"If he does that, then he'll be killing his map."
"He doesn't know I'm on here, Shithead! I don't think that that will cause any problems."
"It will if we tell him your on here."
"Then he'll save me, then blow you to pieces."
"You won't be leaving this ship without at least me."
"Nate, you may be strong. But it's the crew of the Black Pearl. Jack will have you on your knees, begging for mercy."
"Such faith in this man, I might have to watch him."
"If you don't want a sword in your chest, you should watch them all."
Nate smiled before turning and returning up on the deck.
"Jack, don't kill him, I want to." Connor muttered under her breath.
The Red Star pulled up beside the Black Pearl. Jack and Nate locked eyes. Both crews lined the sides of their ship, staring intently at the other, weapons in hand.
"Captain Nate Bathers, what brings you out here?"
"I could ask you the same question Captain Jack Sparrow. But I believe that we both already know the answer."
"You can turn back now Nate."
"Or you could. No, we both know that there is only one way to solve our problem. Attack!"
The crew of the Red Star boarded the Pearl and both crews began to fight. Nate stood in place on his ship as Jack made his way through the fighting crowd toward him. He watched as Jack grabbed a loose rope and swung onto his ship.
Both Captains faced each other, swords at the ready.
"You honestly think you can beat me Sparrow?"
"Captain Jack Sparrow savvy? And yes I do."
"Then let's begin." They began to fight.
As the crew of the Pearl quickly won the battle on their ship and tied up the Red Star's crew, the fight on the Red Star continued. Both crews rooted for their Captain to win.
Jack swung his sword, aiming at Nate's stomach. His sword met it's mark and cut his stomach. Nate thinking quickly, formulated a plan. The cut wasn't deep at all, but Jack didn't know that. He dropped his sword and surrendered to Jack.
The Pearl's crew brought the Red Star's crew back to their ship and began to make their way back to the Pearl.
"Is this it?"
"I'll be surprised if you get out of your binds mate." Jack said turning to follow his crew. But before he left the Red Star, he heard a faint yelling coming from down below deck. "Do you have any prisoners?" He asked, turning back to Nate.
"Maybe."
Jack growled in frustration and made his way below deck. When he entered the brig he stopped dead, what he saw made his breath stop.
Jack remained in his cabin for the rest of the week, the result was three dozen bottles of rum on his floor. He looked over at the map and located where they were and how much farther they had to go. Composing himself, he stumbled out of the door and onto the deck.
The deck became silent when their Captain came out. He looked worse for wear they noticed. His eyes were half open, he stumbled every few steps and his composure was shot. He had an empty look on his face as he made his way to the helm.
"Gibbs I'll take over." Jack said, coming to stand before Gibbs.
"Captain, you need your rest. I've got it."
"I do not need rest."
"Jack, your drunk, if you take the helm who knows what will happen."
"Gibbs, I am the Captain and I order you to hand over the helm!" Jack yelled.
Will and Elizabeth came up on deck at this time and saw Jack swaying as he stood next to Gibbs. They approached him slowly, not knowing what to expect from him.
"Jack, come on."
"No! Why is everyone trying to make me stay in me cabin on my own ship."
"Jack I need to talk to you."
"It can wait Whelp."
"No Jack it can't. It's about Connor."
Hearing her name Jack hung his head and turned to face his friend. "What?"
"In private Jack."
Jack nodded and headed back to his cabin with Will and Elizabeth following. They shut the door when they entered and watched Jack fall down onto his bed.
"Jack?"
"I'm listening whelp."
"Jack I know that this must feel awful. But would she want you to be like this. No. She'd want you to go after that treasure and get it."
"How do you know this feels awful? She was my only shot Will."
"No Jack. There is someone else out there for you." Elizabeth said, sitting next to Jack.
"Lizzie, if Will died would ye say that there is someone else out there for you? No. And we can't get the treasure. All Connor told us was that we should head to Northern Ireland. She didn't inform us of where at in Northern Ireland."
"So what? Jack, your Captain Jack Sparrow, you will find it, and get on with your life. For her."
"Ship ho!" Someone shouted from out on deck.
"Jack, sober up, be the pirate you are. You have no other choice." Elizabeth encouraged.
"Give me a few minutes." Jack said, and ushered the pair out of his room.
"Do you think it worked Will?"
"We'll know in a few minutes."
An hour later, after a lot of knocks on his door, Jack emerged, looking much better. He walked up to Gibbs. "What's going on Gibbs?"
"There be a ship Captain. Behind us, seems to be following. Pirate, from what we can tell."
Jack grabbed his telescope and looked at the ship behind them. "Aye, she be the Red Star. Captain Nate Bathers's ship."
"You know him?"
"Of him. He's supposed to be temperamental. Not a friend Gibbs. We can't let him follow us. Prepare to fight."
"Aye sir.!" Gibbs said before turning to the crew, "All right you scabrous dogs, prepare to fight."
Back on the Red Star Nate came back down to the brig and found Connor staring at the wall in front of her. "Something more interesting than that is coming. We've caught up with the Pearl, there's going to be a battle."
"There may be a battle Nate, but Jack will blow your ship to pieces."
"If he does that, then he'll be killing his map."
"He doesn't know I'm on here, Shithead! I don't think that that will cause any problems."
"It will if we tell him your on here."
"Then he'll save me, then blow you to pieces."
"You won't be leaving this ship without at least me."
"Nate, you may be strong. But it's the crew of the Black Pearl. Jack will have you on your knees, begging for mercy."
"Such faith in this man, I might have to watch him."
"If you don't want a sword in your chest, you should watch them all."
Nate smiled before turning and returning up on the deck.
"Jack, don't kill him, I want to." Connor muttered under her breath.
The Red Star pulled up beside the Black Pearl. Jack and Nate locked eyes. Both crews lined the sides of their ship, staring intently at the other, weapons in hand.
"Captain Nate Bathers, what brings you out here?"
"I could ask you the same question Captain Jack Sparrow. But I believe that we both already know the answer."
"You can turn back now Nate."
"Or you could. No, we both know that there is only one way to solve our problem. Attack!"
The crew of the Red Star boarded the Pearl and both crews began to fight. Nate stood in place on his ship as Jack made his way through the fighting crowd toward him. He watched as Jack grabbed a loose rope and swung onto his ship.
Both Captains faced each other, swords at the ready.
"You honestly think you can beat me Sparrow?"
"Captain Jack Sparrow savvy? And yes I do."
"Then let's begin." They began to fight.
As the crew of the Pearl quickly won the battle on their ship and tied up the Red Star's crew, the fight on the Red Star continued. Both crews rooted for their Captain to win.
Jack swung his sword, aiming at Nate's stomach. His sword met it's mark and cut his stomach. Nate thinking quickly, formulated a plan. The cut wasn't deep at all, but Jack didn't know that. He dropped his sword and surrendered to Jack.
The Pearl's crew brought the Red Star's crew back to their ship and began to make their way back to the Pearl.
"Is this it?"
"I'll be surprised if you get out of your binds mate." Jack said turning to follow his crew. But before he left the Red Star, he heard a faint yelling coming from down below deck. "Do you have any prisoners?" He asked, turning back to Nate.
"Maybe."
Jack growled in frustration and made his way below deck. When he entered the brig he stopped dead, what he saw made his breath stop.