**PLEASE READ**
A/N- Hello, I *told* you I wasn't going to give up on this!!! I wrote this
a while ago, but I just finished recovering from a nasty bout of flu. .
.which I got the day after I got my flu shot, useless piece of crap.
*sighs* Also, I'm going to be in Boston from the 3rd of December to the
10th, so there will be no updates in that span of time, savvy? Ill get the
fifth chapter up as soon as I'm back, though. By the way, anyone live in
Boston?
*~*~*~*~
"You know, you can stop that whenever you want, Will."
The young man stopped pacing, and flopped down on his bed, sighing. He rubbed his eyes.
"Jack, I'm nervous and tired. What do you want from me?"
"Everything's going to turn out fine. *I* planned it." Will raised an eyebrow.
"You just disproved your point." Jack folded his arms across his chest.
"That's odd. I remember telling you to trust me. . .hmm, now *when* was that?" He paused, pretending to remember. "Oh, yes. Just before you knocked me unconscious." Will grinned.
"Don't hold it against me, alright?" Jack shrugged in response.
"Haven't so far. Anyway, how many of these swords d'you think we could bring?"
"We can take however may you like," Said Will, who had closed his eyes again. Jack did a sort of salute to Will, and began examining the ones that had been finished. "Elizabeth'll need one of the lighter ones," Jack said. "What about that?"
"What about it?"
"You have something like that?"
"Look, why don't you," said Will, exasperatedly. "I have no intention of getting up until I have to." Jack strode over to Will and proceeded to drag him off the bed, despite his protests.
"You can sleep on the ship. Right now, I need you to be alert, savvy?" Will landed with a soft thud on the floor. He got to his feet and tried his best to look awake. He stretched.
"By the way, where are we going after we leave Port Royal?"
"I was thinking we could stop at Tortuga." Will flushed.
"We can't take Elizabeth there. . . with the sort of place it is. . ."
"Stay on the ship, then. But there is someone I need to talk to before we go into open water for a while." Jack sighed. "Pity we can't light more candles."
"Where are we going, Jack?" The pirate looked away.
"I wonder what time it is? Almost time for Ms. Swann to be here, I think."
"You're avoiding the question." Will folded his arms over his chest. "I've got a right to know what you're getting me into."
"What *you* are getting *yourself* into," corrected Jack, with a few dramatic hand movements. "I don't remember forcing you at gunpoint to come along."
Might as well have, thought Will. You knew I wouldn't refuse. "Alright, fine. But where?"
"As for that, you'll see when we get there, won't you?" Will raised an eybrow.
"Nothing. . . out of the ordinary?" Jack just grinned.
"I don't make promises, mate."
*~*~*
Dear Father,
I'm following my heart. Don't worry about me, I can handle myself. I've chosen Will, and I've also chosen to follow the path he's taken.
God Bless,
Elizabeth
*~*~*
Elizabeth stared at the piece of parchment she had laid on her pillow.
This was it. She was leaving tonight, and there'd be no turning back.
Somehow, the prospect didn't frighten her as much as she thought it would. It wouldn't be bad, leaving this behind. Elizabeth has changed into the lightest dress she owned, and bent over to blow out the candle. The flame flickered once, and died. She laid a hand on the doorknob, and turned it slowly, trying to avoid making as much noise as possible. Her feet made almost no sound as she stepped down the stairs, walking as swiftly as was possible.
As she neared the door, she took one last glance behind her. She thought she had heard someone's footsteps. Nervously, she whispered, "Hello?" It was only a maid, she thought, when no one replied. She stole a last glance around her, and walked out into the night.
*~*~*
Anamaria paused to smooth the front of her dress, which was proving difficult in the rowboat. She stood up slowly, not wanting to tip to boat over.
"What is a lady doing out here this time of night?" Anamaria looked up to see a guard looking down at her. And not just *any* guard.
The commodore. Good job, Ana. Fine mess you've gotten yourself into.
"Help me out of this little boat here, won't you?" She made her voice a little higher, and a little more breathy. He gave her his hands, and she took them, and was listed easily onto the docks. Anamaria straitened up.
"Your name, Miss?" His tone of voice was utterly suspicious. Time to think quick.
"I'm Andrea," She lied. She tossed her hair and placed a hand on her hip. "Did I do something wrong?"
"It's rare to find someone such as yourself out and about this time of night."
"Well, I was meeting a man tonight," 'What am I *saying*?' She thought. "But he never showed. Tragic, isn't it? What are *you* doing?" She made her tone innocent.
"I am merely finishing my rounds." He raised an eyebrow as he pointed to where Anamaria had come from. "All the way out there?"
"Well, there's one spot that's a little out of the way, if you know what I mean." Alright, this was officially taking a turn for the worst. Think of another lie, she told herself. "We've been lovers for a long time," She explained. "I'm *not* that sort of woman, if that's what you were thinking," Anamaria said with a haughty tone. The commodore shook his head, embarassed.
"I wasn't thinking anything of the sort, Miss Andrea."
Gods, that was a lie.
"I live here, have since I was born, and I have a small job at an inn, so if you would be so kind as to let me go back, I'd be much obliged." The commodore folded his arms.
"You expect me to believe you?" Anamaria put on a small pout.
"Oh, come on, love. I'm just a little girl. What harm could I do? I wasn't trying to stary anything, I swear. I'm innocent." The commodore sighed.
"I find it hard to believe you weren't up to something. Just go back to your home, and stay there until morning. Else I *will* find out something about you, Miss, and I bet whatever it is you're hiding from me could get you into a nice cell in the jail. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal." Anamaria blew him a small kiss, and walked off. Behind her, Anamaria heard the commodore's footsteps fade. He was heading in the opposite direction.
Yes, Jack was definitely going to pay for her trouble.
*~*~*
Will opened the door to see Elizabeth, who quickly stepped inside, and gave him a smal kiss.
"Has Anamaria come yet?" Jack shook his head.
"She should be here shortly. Until she does get here, find a sword light enough for you to use." Jack leaned against the wall. She was running a little late, but he wasn't worried. If Anamaria was asked to do something, she always did. Very dependable.
"Any trouble getting out, Elizabeth?"
She looked up from where she stood, looking at the swords.
"I left a note on my bed, and everyone was asleep. Things went fine." The three of them stood in silence, the only sound coming from the soft clinking of metal. Another knock.
"I'll get that," whispered Will. He opened the door, and it took him a moment to realize who it was. It was Anamaria, but not like he'd seen her before. Her boy's clothing was traded in for a long dress, and her hair was left untied.
"Hullo, Will." She said sweetly. "Where's Jack?"
"In here," Said Will, moving aside so she could enter. "Why?"
"I'm-going-to-throttle-him," She whispered dangerously, the kind tone gone in an instant. When she was inside, she spun around, and crossed her arms over her chest.
Ah, Ana, don't you look lovely tonight."
"Don't you 'Ana' be Jack. I'd like you to understand how much trouble you've caused me. I'd like you to understand how much trouble you've caused me tonight. I know you knew-"
"Ah, but did you know that I knew that you knew? Did you know that?" Interrupted Jack, with all of the trademark hand movements and half-smirk.
"That Norrington was going to be at the docks tonight. I was a distraction, wasn't I?"
"You said it, not me."
"But that's what was, isn't it? That's why I wearing this *thing*, isn't it?"
"Now, I think we're overreacting a wee bit. I knew someone was going to be there, but I didn't know it was going to be Norrington specifically. Besides, we won't be making it to the docks tonight if you hadn't given him a prod in the opposite direction."
Anamaria drew a breath. She swallowed, and pointed her finger at him.
"We'll continue this on the Pearl, Sparrow. Right now, we should go." I think we'll be able to get out with little incident now."
Will grabbed a few swords and weighed two of them, handing three others to Anamaria.
"This one will be light enough, I think." She smiled and took it, making her way to the door. Anamaria bent over and blew out the candles, while Jack held the door for everyone. As she left, he whispered, "Nice dress," which earned him a glare of what was almost certainly the prefect example of all-consuming hatred.
*~*~*
As they neared the dock, they found the night was still. A light dusting of rain had started, odd for the time of year, but it was far from anything serious.
Something about Ana'a encounter with Norrington made him uneasy. What if he'd recognized her? It had taken him a second, and the Commodore hadn't seen her often, but. . . what if? It's early in the morning, Will reassured himself. He might have been too tired to put two and two together.
He climbed into the boat, and helped Elizabeth in after him.
"This is it." He whispered. She just smiled.
"No regrets." They sat next to each other. Elizabeth's head resting on his shoulder.
Jack took the paddles, partly out of an attempt to partially right his wrongs with Anamaria, but also because it wasn't going to be easy work with the four of them in the rowboat.
As they pulled away from the docks, they had gotten quite a distance away from them, when the fluttering jet sails came into view. Freedom was close, Will thought. His thoughts were interrupted however, when a cry from Anamaria brought his back to the boat.
"Gods. . . there's a fire!" she pointed behind Will's shoulder. Both Elizabeth and Will turned around quickly to see. Elizabeth felt her heart skip a beat, then speed up.
"I think. . . I think that's my house! We've got to go back!"
Jack dropped the paddles, and grasped her arm, shaking his head. For once, the usual joke was gone from his eyes.
"We can't. If either Ana or myself are seen, we're done for. And if you go back, we leave without you. I'm sorr-"
Jack was cut off by the sound of exploding gunpowder. Elizabeth heard Anamaria gasp and she tore her eyes from Jack's face, and looked back. Angry orange flame was dancing along the skyline of the Port, flickering and licking the black and smoke-grey sky. She heard Jack curse.
"The street's are going to be swarming," he muttered. He picked up the paddles again, and picked up a faster pace. They had to get to the Black Pearl soon; they couldn't afford to be seen. Will put his arm around Elizabeth's shoulder.
"It'll be alright, you'll see." Although she appreciated his attempt to make her feel better, her stomach was tied in knots.
Had the explosion and fire come from her house? Her old house?
Of course not, she reasoned. It couldn't be.
No one could have set the fire. She had been the only one awake.
Then what were the footsteps you heard? Said a voice in her mind.
Nothing, I imagined it.
I was alone.
Wasn't I?
*~*~*
Elizabeth stood on the deck of the ship as a sudden wind filled the sails, and they began to pull away.
This fire had spread, and it now covered more of than the town than she thought it had before, or was she imagining that, too?
She shivered, and it wasn't out of cold.
A ways away from her, Will had dug a small bit of metal out from his pocket, tossing it up and down. This was seeming like a bad idea, somehow, although he had promised to trust Jack's decisions. The shrill warble of a bird almost made his drop it. As he looked up, he saw a raven perched on the edge. He remembered when he had been much younger, watching the rain pour outside of the blacksmith's shop. The following day, flocks of black birds were picking the dirt, searching for the worms. Whether they were crows, or ravens, it made no difference.
Black had always been an ill omen. "Go away," he whispered, and threw the scrap of metal at it, which it easily dodged, spreading it's wings, and flying away. Will's eyes lost it as it blended with the sky. Jakc put a hand on his shoulder.
Come on, mate. You go get some rest with Elizabeth, see if you can't make her feel any better. She's pretty shaken up. Ana'll show you where you'll be sleeping." Will nodded, half-hearted.
*~*~*
A/N- I hope the length of this chapter has made up for my lack of updating. Oh, I owe the "Did you know that I knew" line to my friend, who I swear at times really is Jack and all of his funny, spastic ways. ^_^
*~*~*~*~
"You know, you can stop that whenever you want, Will."
The young man stopped pacing, and flopped down on his bed, sighing. He rubbed his eyes.
"Jack, I'm nervous and tired. What do you want from me?"
"Everything's going to turn out fine. *I* planned it." Will raised an eyebrow.
"You just disproved your point." Jack folded his arms across his chest.
"That's odd. I remember telling you to trust me. . .hmm, now *when* was that?" He paused, pretending to remember. "Oh, yes. Just before you knocked me unconscious." Will grinned.
"Don't hold it against me, alright?" Jack shrugged in response.
"Haven't so far. Anyway, how many of these swords d'you think we could bring?"
"We can take however may you like," Said Will, who had closed his eyes again. Jack did a sort of salute to Will, and began examining the ones that had been finished. "Elizabeth'll need one of the lighter ones," Jack said. "What about that?"
"What about it?"
"You have something like that?"
"Look, why don't you," said Will, exasperatedly. "I have no intention of getting up until I have to." Jack strode over to Will and proceeded to drag him off the bed, despite his protests.
"You can sleep on the ship. Right now, I need you to be alert, savvy?" Will landed with a soft thud on the floor. He got to his feet and tried his best to look awake. He stretched.
"By the way, where are we going after we leave Port Royal?"
"I was thinking we could stop at Tortuga." Will flushed.
"We can't take Elizabeth there. . . with the sort of place it is. . ."
"Stay on the ship, then. But there is someone I need to talk to before we go into open water for a while." Jack sighed. "Pity we can't light more candles."
"Where are we going, Jack?" The pirate looked away.
"I wonder what time it is? Almost time for Ms. Swann to be here, I think."
"You're avoiding the question." Will folded his arms over his chest. "I've got a right to know what you're getting me into."
"What *you* are getting *yourself* into," corrected Jack, with a few dramatic hand movements. "I don't remember forcing you at gunpoint to come along."
Might as well have, thought Will. You knew I wouldn't refuse. "Alright, fine. But where?"
"As for that, you'll see when we get there, won't you?" Will raised an eybrow.
"Nothing. . . out of the ordinary?" Jack just grinned.
"I don't make promises, mate."
*~*~*
Dear Father,
I'm following my heart. Don't worry about me, I can handle myself. I've chosen Will, and I've also chosen to follow the path he's taken.
God Bless,
Elizabeth
*~*~*
Elizabeth stared at the piece of parchment she had laid on her pillow.
This was it. She was leaving tonight, and there'd be no turning back.
Somehow, the prospect didn't frighten her as much as she thought it would. It wouldn't be bad, leaving this behind. Elizabeth has changed into the lightest dress she owned, and bent over to blow out the candle. The flame flickered once, and died. She laid a hand on the doorknob, and turned it slowly, trying to avoid making as much noise as possible. Her feet made almost no sound as she stepped down the stairs, walking as swiftly as was possible.
As she neared the door, she took one last glance behind her. She thought she had heard someone's footsteps. Nervously, she whispered, "Hello?" It was only a maid, she thought, when no one replied. She stole a last glance around her, and walked out into the night.
*~*~*
Anamaria paused to smooth the front of her dress, which was proving difficult in the rowboat. She stood up slowly, not wanting to tip to boat over.
"What is a lady doing out here this time of night?" Anamaria looked up to see a guard looking down at her. And not just *any* guard.
The commodore. Good job, Ana. Fine mess you've gotten yourself into.
"Help me out of this little boat here, won't you?" She made her voice a little higher, and a little more breathy. He gave her his hands, and she took them, and was listed easily onto the docks. Anamaria straitened up.
"Your name, Miss?" His tone of voice was utterly suspicious. Time to think quick.
"I'm Andrea," She lied. She tossed her hair and placed a hand on her hip. "Did I do something wrong?"
"It's rare to find someone such as yourself out and about this time of night."
"Well, I was meeting a man tonight," 'What am I *saying*?' She thought. "But he never showed. Tragic, isn't it? What are *you* doing?" She made her tone innocent.
"I am merely finishing my rounds." He raised an eyebrow as he pointed to where Anamaria had come from. "All the way out there?"
"Well, there's one spot that's a little out of the way, if you know what I mean." Alright, this was officially taking a turn for the worst. Think of another lie, she told herself. "We've been lovers for a long time," She explained. "I'm *not* that sort of woman, if that's what you were thinking," Anamaria said with a haughty tone. The commodore shook his head, embarassed.
"I wasn't thinking anything of the sort, Miss Andrea."
Gods, that was a lie.
"I live here, have since I was born, and I have a small job at an inn, so if you would be so kind as to let me go back, I'd be much obliged." The commodore folded his arms.
"You expect me to believe you?" Anamaria put on a small pout.
"Oh, come on, love. I'm just a little girl. What harm could I do? I wasn't trying to stary anything, I swear. I'm innocent." The commodore sighed.
"I find it hard to believe you weren't up to something. Just go back to your home, and stay there until morning. Else I *will* find out something about you, Miss, and I bet whatever it is you're hiding from me could get you into a nice cell in the jail. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal." Anamaria blew him a small kiss, and walked off. Behind her, Anamaria heard the commodore's footsteps fade. He was heading in the opposite direction.
Yes, Jack was definitely going to pay for her trouble.
*~*~*
Will opened the door to see Elizabeth, who quickly stepped inside, and gave him a smal kiss.
"Has Anamaria come yet?" Jack shook his head.
"She should be here shortly. Until she does get here, find a sword light enough for you to use." Jack leaned against the wall. She was running a little late, but he wasn't worried. If Anamaria was asked to do something, she always did. Very dependable.
"Any trouble getting out, Elizabeth?"
She looked up from where she stood, looking at the swords.
"I left a note on my bed, and everyone was asleep. Things went fine." The three of them stood in silence, the only sound coming from the soft clinking of metal. Another knock.
"I'll get that," whispered Will. He opened the door, and it took him a moment to realize who it was. It was Anamaria, but not like he'd seen her before. Her boy's clothing was traded in for a long dress, and her hair was left untied.
"Hullo, Will." She said sweetly. "Where's Jack?"
"In here," Said Will, moving aside so she could enter. "Why?"
"I'm-going-to-throttle-him," She whispered dangerously, the kind tone gone in an instant. When she was inside, she spun around, and crossed her arms over her chest.
Ah, Ana, don't you look lovely tonight."
"Don't you 'Ana' be Jack. I'd like you to understand how much trouble you've caused me. I'd like you to understand how much trouble you've caused me tonight. I know you knew-"
"Ah, but did you know that I knew that you knew? Did you know that?" Interrupted Jack, with all of the trademark hand movements and half-smirk.
"That Norrington was going to be at the docks tonight. I was a distraction, wasn't I?"
"You said it, not me."
"But that's what was, isn't it? That's why I wearing this *thing*, isn't it?"
"Now, I think we're overreacting a wee bit. I knew someone was going to be there, but I didn't know it was going to be Norrington specifically. Besides, we won't be making it to the docks tonight if you hadn't given him a prod in the opposite direction."
Anamaria drew a breath. She swallowed, and pointed her finger at him.
"We'll continue this on the Pearl, Sparrow. Right now, we should go." I think we'll be able to get out with little incident now."
Will grabbed a few swords and weighed two of them, handing three others to Anamaria.
"This one will be light enough, I think." She smiled and took it, making her way to the door. Anamaria bent over and blew out the candles, while Jack held the door for everyone. As she left, he whispered, "Nice dress," which earned him a glare of what was almost certainly the prefect example of all-consuming hatred.
*~*~*
As they neared the dock, they found the night was still. A light dusting of rain had started, odd for the time of year, but it was far from anything serious.
Something about Ana'a encounter with Norrington made him uneasy. What if he'd recognized her? It had taken him a second, and the Commodore hadn't seen her often, but. . . what if? It's early in the morning, Will reassured himself. He might have been too tired to put two and two together.
He climbed into the boat, and helped Elizabeth in after him.
"This is it." He whispered. She just smiled.
"No regrets." They sat next to each other. Elizabeth's head resting on his shoulder.
Jack took the paddles, partly out of an attempt to partially right his wrongs with Anamaria, but also because it wasn't going to be easy work with the four of them in the rowboat.
As they pulled away from the docks, they had gotten quite a distance away from them, when the fluttering jet sails came into view. Freedom was close, Will thought. His thoughts were interrupted however, when a cry from Anamaria brought his back to the boat.
"Gods. . . there's a fire!" she pointed behind Will's shoulder. Both Elizabeth and Will turned around quickly to see. Elizabeth felt her heart skip a beat, then speed up.
"I think. . . I think that's my house! We've got to go back!"
Jack dropped the paddles, and grasped her arm, shaking his head. For once, the usual joke was gone from his eyes.
"We can't. If either Ana or myself are seen, we're done for. And if you go back, we leave without you. I'm sorr-"
Jack was cut off by the sound of exploding gunpowder. Elizabeth heard Anamaria gasp and she tore her eyes from Jack's face, and looked back. Angry orange flame was dancing along the skyline of the Port, flickering and licking the black and smoke-grey sky. She heard Jack curse.
"The street's are going to be swarming," he muttered. He picked up the paddles again, and picked up a faster pace. They had to get to the Black Pearl soon; they couldn't afford to be seen. Will put his arm around Elizabeth's shoulder.
"It'll be alright, you'll see." Although she appreciated his attempt to make her feel better, her stomach was tied in knots.
Had the explosion and fire come from her house? Her old house?
Of course not, she reasoned. It couldn't be.
No one could have set the fire. She had been the only one awake.
Then what were the footsteps you heard? Said a voice in her mind.
Nothing, I imagined it.
I was alone.
Wasn't I?
*~*~*
Elizabeth stood on the deck of the ship as a sudden wind filled the sails, and they began to pull away.
This fire had spread, and it now covered more of than the town than she thought it had before, or was she imagining that, too?
She shivered, and it wasn't out of cold.
A ways away from her, Will had dug a small bit of metal out from his pocket, tossing it up and down. This was seeming like a bad idea, somehow, although he had promised to trust Jack's decisions. The shrill warble of a bird almost made his drop it. As he looked up, he saw a raven perched on the edge. He remembered when he had been much younger, watching the rain pour outside of the blacksmith's shop. The following day, flocks of black birds were picking the dirt, searching for the worms. Whether they were crows, or ravens, it made no difference.
Black had always been an ill omen. "Go away," he whispered, and threw the scrap of metal at it, which it easily dodged, spreading it's wings, and flying away. Will's eyes lost it as it blended with the sky. Jakc put a hand on his shoulder.
Come on, mate. You go get some rest with Elizabeth, see if you can't make her feel any better. She's pretty shaken up. Ana'll show you where you'll be sleeping." Will nodded, half-hearted.
*~*~*
A/N- I hope the length of this chapter has made up for my lack of updating. Oh, I owe the "Did you know that I knew" line to my friend, who I swear at times really is Jack and all of his funny, spastic ways. ^_^