I summoned up all of my courage to ask Elizabeth to talk with me. Is it wrong to be so enamored with my superior's daughter? Not if he approves, I suppose. Oh, Elizabeth Swann. What a beautiful young woman she had grown to be. I cleared my throat. "May I have a moment?" I asked her gently. She nodded, a slight smile playing on her lips.
We went over to the battlement overlooking the harbor. I inhaled, exhaled. I was feeling so proud of myself for being promoted but a flash of Elizabeth's deliciously dark eyes made me humble. I began babbling, my nerves taking hold of my normally superb speaking abilities. ". . . I have not yet achieved. Uh, a marriage to a fine woman," I continued. "You have become a fine woman, Elizabeth."
This was the understatement of all time, and to my horror, all she did was grunt, "I can't breathe!" and hold her abdomen.
Relaxing slightly, I turned away and chuckled halfheartedly. "Yes, I- I'm a bit nervous myself." But when she did not reply I looked at her- but Elizabeth was gone. "Elizabeth?" I said, looking around. Then I heard the splash below me. "ELIZABETH!" I screamed. "My God!" I made to rip off my coat and jump in, but Lieutenant Gillette stopped me.
"The rocks! Sir, it's a miracle SHE missed them!" he cried.
"We've got to save her!" I shouted. I motioned the guards stationed around the fort to follow Gillette and me. We ran as fast as we could down to the tower green, around to the docks. To my relief, a strange man had rescued Elizabeth- but he was squatting over her. Murtogg, another guard who was protecting the Dauntless, was holding her corset. I whipped out my sword at the man's chin. "On your feet."
The last thing I remembered was talking with Commodore Norrington. Suddenly there I was, throwing up salt water while an oddly dressed man was positioned over me. He had the queerest smell about him too. I felt cold and my ribs were achey- he had ripped off my dress and corset! I took a big gulp of breath. He had smears of kohl all about his face, and tiny braids for a beard. He smoothed my hair, staring intently into my eyes to make sure I was all right. Then those tassels were in danger of being cut off by Norrington's sword! "On your feet," the commodore ordered.
I looked around. Father, some guards, Lieutenant Gillette, and Norrington all around me. Father looked intensely grateful but beside himself in anger. "Elizabeth, are you all right?!"
"Yes, I'm fine," I said, as Father helped me into his coat, to protect me from the man's gaze. But he didn't appear to be interested in me, Norrington was glaring at him. I noticed my corset was in the hands of one of the guards.
"Shoot him!" Father squealed.
I didn't want the man to die! I didn't even know his name. "Father! Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?!"
They conceded. "I believe thanks are in order," Norrington said stiffly, extending his hand. When the man reached to shake it, Norrington ripped off the man's cuff to reveal a ghostly white "P" on his wrist. "Had a brush with the East India Trading Company, did we, pirate?!"
"Hang him!" Father squealed.
Norrington and the man bantered for a bit while Gillette went to get some irons. I watched intently but could not catch anything they said except that the man's name was Captain Jack Sparrow. Then Norrington inspected the captain's weapons. "You are, without a doubt, the worst pirate I've ever heard of."
The man called Jack Sparrow merely smiled and raised his chained hands. "But you HAVE heard of me." He started to be pulled along but I trotted over to them.
"Commodore, I really must protest! Pirate or not, this man saved my life!" Gillette, Jack Sparrow, and I all faced Norrington.
He made a pompous comment or two and Sparrow shot back. When Gillette moved away from the pirate he uttered "Finally!" and threw the manacles around my neck, pointing his gun to my head. Adrenaline sped through my veins. I was going to die.
"I knew you'd warm up to me," he hissed in my ear and I gritted my teeth. I just saved this man's life- how was this fair? He motioned for Norrington to bring him his "effects." He gave them to me. "Elizabeth, isn't it?"
"It's Miss Swann," I snarled. This was more exciting than frightening, but I had so many other better things to be doing.
"Miss Swann, if you'd be so kind," Jack Sparrow said. I looked down at his hat, belt, and sword, unsure what to do. "Come come dear, we don't have all day," he said lazily. I realized all he wanted was for me to put the things on him, so I complied, glaring at him. When I reached around to buckle his belt he got far too close, even putting his arms around me. The way he looked at me when I put on his hat! I felt the slightest twinge of- I don't know what. But with his wrists on my shoulders, I was more intimate than I ever expected to be with a known criminal.
The governor's girl was dressing me and as she buckled my belt, I shifted so it looked like I was embracing her. I smirked at the commodore. He rolled his eyes, knowing his utter helplessness. "Easy on the goods, darling," I said, flirting with my captive. Just a bit o' fun.
"You're despicable," she said, unamused.
"Sticks and stones, love. I saved your life, you save mine. We're square. Gentlemen, milady," I said, looking at Elizabeth Swann. She narrowed her eyes. "You will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!" I took Elizabeth in my arms and said, "Tootles!" I leaned back and we both fell into the water again. I dragged ourselves under the dock that was adjacent to the water. I heard the governor ordering the guards not to shoot, his daughter was there.
"What are you doing!" the girl screamed. "You can't hide forever, pirate!"
"I can try," I replied. "Now, if you don't want to get killed- by me- I suggest you be a good little girl and follow me."
She mumbled something in reply. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her under, going in the direction where the Interceptor was docked. When I surfaced she tried to hit me. "What are you doing?!" she cried. "You have to give up sometime."
I laughed, trying not to inhale saltwater. "Miss Lizzie, you obviously don't know who I am. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."
"Who is about to get shot!" she said haughtily.
"Not if I can help it." Kicking my feet, we pushed towards the ship that was looming up. Then I quickly calculated in my head what I was going to do next.
I had only just returned to the shop when a crowd of Navy men had run by, yelling to each other, "Death to the pirate!"
A shiver of excitement ran through me. A pirate would not last fifteen minutes in Port Royal. I noticed that Duchess the donkey had began making her rounds for no particular reason. I rubbed her ears and murmured, "It's all right, girl. It's all right. . ." I turned to the next sword to be made, and stuck it in the fire, the glowing embers accepting the metal. Drunk Mr. Brown was still sleeping peacefully.
"Halt." A husky voice came from behind me. I whipped around, holding the jagged, hot sword. I found myself face-to-face with a man wearing two streaks of black around his eyes, a red bandanna, and a tri-corner hat, with etchings in the fabric. He brandished a gun.
"You're the one they're searching for. The pirate," I spat the word.
"Aye. So I am." The pirate didn't seem to mind the fact I had a glowing sword in my hand, as the gun was quite close to my face.
"What are you doing here?"
"Bidin' my time, freein' meself, an' the rest," the man said. "Ah yes, pardon the informal introduction, I would be Captain Jack Sparrow."
"I could easily kill you," I said impatiently. The sword was beginning to feel very hot.
"And I you, but the fact of the matter is, you won't kill me." The pirate smiled maddeningly.
"Don't kill him," a small voice came from a corner. And there was Elizabeth, in a soaking wet shift. Her eyes had no trace of fear but rather, they were full of contempt and impatience as well. My breath caught in my throat.
"So this is why you took me to hide in 'ere," said Jack Sparrow, slightly amused. "This is your lover, Miss Swann?"
Elizabeth looked down and in the dim lighting I couldn't see her face. "No. But I knew it would be safe here."
Suddenly a bang came upon the door. Before I could block the back exit, the pirate had grabbed Elizabeth by her waist, tossed her over his shoulder, and run off. I had no choice but to follow them.
