CHAPTER SIXTEEN

TAKING BACK THE MEDALLION

Although they didn't have the El Tigre Fiero with them this time, there was no doubt in their minds that they could defeat the Navigator. Nicholas grabbed his pistol and musket and gave Samantha one of each as well, despite her parents objections. They rolled out the guns and prepared for battle.

"Do you have a plan?" Samantha asked Nicholas as they neared firing range.

"Aye...you and I are to board the Navigator, you show me where to go to find the medallion. We get it, and get out. Savvy?" Samantha nodded. "Good. No worries then. I know you can do this. You're the bravest person I know...besides my father. But most of the time, it's Dutch courage that he's got. The rum makes him fearless." Samantha giggled. "Ready?"

"Aye." Samantha said.

The first gun was fired as Nicholas and Samantha snuck deftly onto the Navigator.

"Which way?" Nicholas whispered as they crouched behind the mast.

"Down there, follow me." she said. They checked for the best way to get below decks, and rushed through. Nobody noticed them, due to the fact that they were all trying to stay alive. Samantha found the captain's quarters and opened the door.

"Well, well, well, Miss Turner, welcome back... and I see you've brought a friend." Captain Franklin was seated at the table, the medallion around his neck.

"I guess I didn't count on that." Nicholas muttered.

"Neither did I." Samantha whispered.

"Pierre!" the captain called. Pierre entered the room through a door on the opposite side from them. "I'm sure you remember Miss Turner, aye?"

"Aye, Captain." Pierre said.

"Why don't you take her and her friend here, down to her quarters."

"Aye, Captain." he repeated. He grabbed Samantha and Nicholas each by one arm and pulled them down to the same dark room that Samantha had spent nearly a week in. He threw Nicholas in first then Samantha, who landed on top of Nicholas, but not before he took both of their pistols and muskets. The door slammed shut and the two of them sat up.

"Well that most certainly didn't go as I had planned." Nicholas said. Samantha said nothing, but Nicholas heard her sobs. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"I want to go home. I don't want to be a pirate anymore. I thought it would be fun, and it was at first. I want to go back to Port Royal. It may not have been very much fun, but at least I was safe at home." Nicholas awkwardly took Samantha in his arms, and she put her head on his shoulder.

"You aren't giving up, are you?" Nicholas asked. "Because pirates never give up."

"I'm not a pirate! I'm a blacksmith's daughter from Port Royal. You're the pirate."

"You're more of a pirate then I'll ever be. You know that don't you?" Nicholas said. "I've always hated the fact that my father was a pirate, a scallywag. I always wished for a father who was mellow and who obeyed the laws. A merchant or, even a blacksmith, for instance. But no, I got stuck with a pirate. Two pirates actually. And here you are, bored with your life as the daughter of the kind of father I've always wanted. We can't choose our parents, Miss Turner-"

"Nicholas, my name is Samantha."

"I know that Miss Turner."

"Please, call me Samantha."

"Alright then, Samantha... what do we do now?"

"It's your turn to come up with a plan."

"Alright then...well...first things first..." Nicholas stood and walked to the door, running his hands over the rough wood, trying to find a weak spot, Samantha followed and stood next to him. "Let's get out of here... What say you to that?" He turned to look at her over his shoulder and smiled.

"You are like your father, whether you want to be or not." Samantha told him. "You talk like him, you think like him-- and it's not a bad thing. I've always looked up to your father. The stories my father told me about him always made him larger than life to me. And to get to meet him was a wonderful experience. It's great that you've taken after him. He's a good man, Nicholas, even if he's a pirate, and you are too."

"Well, thank you for that I guess..." he said. Samantha nodded. Nicholas leaned forward and put his hand on her cheek gently. "Thank you." he said again. As they came closer together a large black lead cannonball tore through the wood of the side of the Navigator forcing Nicholas and Samantha to jump apart, and also blowing an enormous hole in the door, leaving a space large enough for both of them to climb through without any effort. The ship was totally abandoned and sinking fast. The water was already up to their waists and rising when they made it to the captain's quarters, but they had no trouble finding the medallion, still sitting behind the desk covered with the now waterlogged maps and navigation devices, was Captain Franklin. Slouched over in his chair, dead. A suicide, with one bullet shot right through his head, the medallion hung where it had been only one hour ago. Samantha stood and gaped in shock at the captain. Nicholas took the medallion from around the coward's neck and secured it around Samantha's. He took her hand and pulled her away then led her to a dingy on the top deck.
He rowed with all his might to catch up with the Black Pearl.

...........................................................................................................................................

"Jack," Elizabeth said after they had defeated the last of the Navigator pirates. "Where's Samantha?" Jack looked around in wonder and pondered this a moment.

"I don't know...Where's Nicholas?" They both looked out onto the water at the tangled mess of the ship they had just defeated, then back at each other in horror. The smoke rose eerily off of the water as the flames died down and the wreckage sunk slowly to the bottom of the ocean. Elizabeth's shaky hand slowly rose to her mouth and her eyes shut tightly. "Oh my god...Elizabeth..." Jack whispered.

"Sammy..."came the reply. Jack moved in front of her so that he blocked her view of the smoldering debris of the Navigator that they both knew had devoured their two children. Jack hugged Elizabeth tightly and he himself even let one single tear fall, but pushed it away quickly when Will and Bootstrap Bill found them on deck.

"Why these tears? We've won!" Bootstrap exclaimed. Elizabeth kept her head buried in Jack's shoulder and Jack left his arm around her to console her.

"Elizabeth, what is it love?" Will asked.

"Will, there's a problem." Jack said.

"What is it?"

"Nicholas and Samantha never got off the Navigator."