Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates or anything associated with it (though if whoever does own it--Disney, I guess--wants to get rid of it, I'm very willing to take it off his hands...). I'm not making any money off of this story (because if I were I would be in the Caribbean, not posting a fanfic about it).
Chapter 5, Jack's island, 1 week later, morning
Elizabeth was beginning to regret drinking so much rum over the past week. She was getting sick of having a hangover every morning, and they were getting so bad that she couldn't sleep them off. Groaning, she flopped back onto the sand. Bad idea--it made her headache worse. And now the sun was shining right in her eyes. She squeezed them shut, trying to replaced the pain with images of her family.
But Bill, who had been carefully adding palm leaves to his bonfire all week, ran up to her before she had a chance to fall back asleep. "Elizabeth! Wake up! It worked, Elizabeth! There's a ship coming this way!"
She opened her eyes and slowly sat up. Sure enough, there was a ship anchored offshore and a rowboat was headed toward them. "What do you know?" she mused. "It worked."
Bill grinned. "I told you it would," he said. "Come on, let's help them ashore. And if they ask, we were passengers on a ship and the crew mutinied, killing the captain and leaving us stranded here. You'll be my daughter."
"And if it's Commodore Norrington, or one of the others out of Port Royal?"
"I'm your father's second cousin's uncle's grandson on his mother's side."
"What?"
"A very distant relative."
Elizabeth peered at the ship. "I don't think that's a Navy ship, anyway... I think it's the Black Pearl!"
Bill stiffened. "Not possible." He stared out at the ship. "It is! It's Jack!" He ran out to the rowboat, which was close enough to shore that the majority of its crew was out and pulling it onto the beach. Elizabeth hurried after him, her headache (mostly) forgotten in the excitement.
Jack and Bill were busy slapping each other on the back, exclaiming. Elizabeth stood back and watched impatiently until they were finished.
"Jack," she began, stepping towards him.
"Elizabeth! So you finally met ol' Bootstrap here, eh?" he exclaimed with another good-natured thump on his friend's back.
"Yes," she said impatiently. "Listen, Jack, we need to get to Port Royal. Can you take us there?"
Jack, who had been walking hesitantly towards the diminishing blaze, stopped in his tracks and whirled around.
"Port Royal?" he asked. "Are you daft? I can't sail to Port Royal."
"Why not?" she demanded desperately, seeing her last hopes of getting home disappear.
"Elizabeth, have you forgotten? Norrington's almost hanged me twice. If he managed to get a hold of me again, I doubt you or Will would have a chance of getting close enough to pull off another daring rescue. And security on me would be so tight I wouldn't be able to blink," Jack said. "It's not worth my neck."
Elizabeth wanted to wring his neck. "Jack, I haven't been home in nearly two years. All you have to do is get me within rowing distance of Port Royal and I'll leave you alone. Just take me home. Please?"
Bill, seeing that Elizabeth's words were having no effect on his friend, stepped in. "Jack, you see that fine blaze over there?" Jack nodded. "Well, we found another cache of rum. And this time, I took the precaution of setting aside half of it well away from the fire. The rum is yours if you agree to take Elizabeth and I to Port Royal. Yours and yours alone--I won't demand a drop of it. But only if you take us."
Jack stroked his chin, thinking. "I dunno..."
Bill threw his arm around Jack's shoulder. "You know, mate, I risked a lot standing up to Barbossa back on the Pearl. You almost cost me my life. Don't you think you owe me one?"
"And Will and I would owe you a really big favor," Elizabeth put in. "Even if you don't collect from us, Jack and Grace would pay you back if you ever needed their help, I'm sure."
Jack, who looked somewhat more inclined to agree now that rum and honor were at stake, frowned. "Me and who?"
"No, no," Elizabeth said, smiling a little. "My children. Jack is my son--he's four--and Grace is my baby girl."
"You named your son after me?"
"Don't get a swelled head," she warned. "It was Will's idea. I just went along with it."
Jack smiled. "All right, I've changed me mind. I'll take you to Port Royal in exchange for the rum and the chance to meet my namesake. Do we have an accord?"
Elizabeth glanced at his outstretched hand. "I don't know..."
"I promise, I won't do anything to the kid. I'll even be sober if you want me to. I just want to see him," Jack said.
Jack acted drunk enough when he was sober, so his words weren't really encouraging, but Elizabeth thought it was a small price to pay in order to see her children again. She took his hand. "Agreed, then. Just as long as you're sober."
Jack smiled. "Of course. Now, where's the rum? I've got a lot of drinking to do before I have to quit for the kid's sake."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, wondering what she'd just gotten herself into. But Bill was already leading Jack to the stash of rum, and she hurried to follow.
Well, that was a little longer. Though I can't say that it was that much better... Jack is darn near impossible to keep in character and I don't think I quite managed it. Ah, well. It's closer than it was, let me assure you! Anyway, as always, reviews are welcome (including constructive criticism, but flames will not merit a response, so be warned), and to all those who have reviewed in the past I send many sincere thanks and baskets of cookies!
--JSK
