Author's Note: It's a miracle! I finally get something out early! But with PSAT's coming up…and three tests…my mind is gonna be mush. Enjoy!
Any idiot can face a crisis- it's day to day living that wears you out. – Anton Chekhov
"Jack! Oh blast Jack! The people! There's people talkin' about a murder! And they're sayin' Nathan did it!" Bianca, overly excited and distraught, paused, "Jack?" She whispered. Jack was no where close being excited, in fact he was the opposite of his female crewmember. With Ana back in her own room with pain medicine, Jack had his cabin back.
After bringing James back to the ship so Roberts could fix up his wound, Jack went straight to his cabin and went to his window, without any candle light, determined to be alone and to feel alone. Bianca took another step into the dark cabin and repeated herself, doubting Jack heard her in the first place, "Jack…"
"I 'eard ye!" Jack snapped at her. After saying that, she saw him put a bottle of rum up to his lips. She sighed, drunk, she thought.
"So…if you heard me, is it true?"
Jack sighed, "No Nate's clean…"
"Then what's the problem?"
Jack frowned, "Who are you? Ana Maria?"
Bianca smirked, "Someone has t' be."
He got up from his chair and unsteadily walked over to the young woman, "I only need one Ana Maria…and since you ain't her…leave."
Bianca frowned, "You can't make me leave when I'm already interested in why yer actin' like a jerk."
Jack glared at her as he walked over to his bed and fell onto in. "I said git."
She rolled her eyes, "Tell me why yer drunk…Lord knows you won't want t' tell Ana Maria that you were even drinking enough t' get drunk."
Jack knew she was right. Ana hated it when he was drunk, though he could never figure out why. She got drunk too, but nevertheless, always got on his back to stop. He sighed loudly and started saying what he was thinking- whether it made sense or not. Because after all, she wanted to know.
"Barbossa was the last one…an' that was almost a year ago…haven't done much 'fore him. Don't like t'. Only when absolutely necessary. An' that don't happen that much."
Bianca narrowed her eyes, "What doesn't happen that much?" Jack then made a sound of a gun going off and then made a high pitched scream. Bianca paused, not quite following him. "Uhh…"
"I took 'im t' The Woman…"
Man…I should give Ana Maria a lot more credit… Bianca took a stab in the dark, "the man who was killed in town?"
Jack nodded. Bianca sighed, "You shot him…" The pirate Captain nodded again. "But why, Jack?"
"It was either Nate or 'im."
"So you saved his life…"
"I killed a man." Jack said surprisingly clearly and rather harshly. Bianca could tell he wasn't very happy. And now that she came to think about it, she hadn't ever seen Jack kill someone. And obviously this person he had killed was taking a toll on him.
"Jack…you did the right thing. That bullet wasn't wasted nor used unnecessarily."
He only sighed, wishing he could believe that.
James Norrington hadn't ever felt this way. His stomach was tight and it felt like there were a dozen knots inside of him. His head ached and pounded from his constant questions he kept asking himself and he felt like he had run five miles when all he had done was walked up to his cabin.
The feeling gnawed at him like a lion on it's prey. The comment wouldn't leave him alone or stop repeating itself, forcing the Commodore's head to work through it's aching and hurting to try to make sense of what he had heard.
But he couldn't.
Jack Sparrow! If you find him, tell him he owes me big.
The words kept repeating themselves over and over again in James' mind. Never trust a pirate…I should've known better!
Why he had trusted Jack in the first place was a good question, but he supposed it had something to do with the fact that there was no one else to trust. No one here knew his true identity and no one on board could help him with the investigation.
Then an idea sparked. Maybe no one could help him with the Governor's problem but maybe someone could help him with his problem. Plenty of people on this ship have known Jack for a long time, but the best person to ask would be Gibbs.
Norrington turned his head and looked at the barely conscious pirate, as he woke up from a hangover. "Gibbs…"
"Aye?" he said lazily, looking around and trying to get his bearings.
"You've known Jack for a while…right?"
"Aye."
"Has he ever…killed anyone?"
"Aye. Barbossa."
James paused, "Has he ever hired someone to kill…one of his enemies?"
Gibbs paused as he got up from the bed and looked at Norrington, "You 'eard somethin' Nathan?"
James merely shrugged, "Just want to get my facts straight…"
The older man sighed and shrugged, "It's possible. Who knows what Jack might do…Though he's capable of killin' a man by 'imself."
"I'm sure." James answered. Gibbs then wondered out the door and the thought of Gibbs telling Jack of this little conversation came to mind.
Oh well. I was going to confront Jack anyhow. Might as well be prepared for it.
The key's on the piano came to a sudden and rather loud stop. Will flinched from the horrible sound it made and wondered what the problem could be. "Elizabeth?" Will said, from his spot in the other room in the Governors large home.
Another ear deafening, repulsive sound came from the keys as a response. Will quickly got up and walked into see Elizabeth with her elbows on the keys and her head in her hands. Her figure looked quite uncomfortable as her corset provided perfect posture for the rather imperfect position she now found herself in.
Will sighed, "What's the matter, Liz?"
"I can't finish this…this foolish song!"
Will paused, "You seemed to be doing wonderfully."
Elizabeth shook her head, lifting it up as well as her elbows, only to reveal her red face, "No, the song, Will, isn't 'wonderful'. The foolish song is incapable of being finished!"
Will paused, frowning slightly and crossed his arms, seeing something behind the song. "Anything else on your mind dear?"
Will knew he had hit the target when Elizabeth's face crumpled. "Father's a nervous wreck! I haven't seen him like this since Mother's death. To think someone from Port Royal would want him dead…"
Will walked towards the bench she was sitting on and said, "We don't even know if they're on Port Royal…"
"That's another thing! James hasn't sent word of his findings! Nothing! That is if he's still alive!"
Will reached the bench and sat down, enveloping his wife in his arms. "James is with Jack…both of them don't give up easy. I'm sure they're fine."
Elizabeth nodded, "There's one more thing…"
"Hmm?"
"Will…I'm pregnant."
"Sir…something most interesting as come up."
The young man turned, a slight smirk on his face, "Good news I hope."
He nodded, "The man we kept on Dead Cay to keep an ear out…was killed. Norrington was snooping around."
"Your source told you it was Norrington?"
"No sir, but it has to be. There's no other explanation…who else would go searching for that kind of information?"
The young man thought and paused. "I also have something to share…when I told you that the Governor was no longer our target, I never told you who the other person was… It's Norrington. As soon as the Commodore comes back to Port Royal, I want him killed."
"And the Governor, sir?"
"Be patient. Just be patient."
The next morning Ana Maria had gotten tired of sitting in her cabin and had decided she was going to be better. And she was. "What are you doin' up?" Jack asked when he and Norrington were going to go out.
She turned, from her place on the ship, just about to go down to the dock. "I'm bloody sick of that cabin! And we're only here for today and tomorrow…why not?"
Jack swallowed, "I see your point. Care to join us?"
Ana smirked and waited for them to catch up. "Where's Bianca?" Ana said, looking at James.
He cleared his throat, his heartbeat suddenly picking up, "Wouldn't know."
"Really? I thought you two would be together by now…"
Jack's eyes widened and said, "Enough. Bianca has other men to be with…without bothering Nathan." Jack shot a look at James and watched as James' face contorted slightly to pain. He looked ahead, trying to forget that he saw that.
They walked into the town in silence and started looking through the carts of the street vendors. Jack and Ana started talking about the food on the ship and then started bickering about the money.
"Jack! We have plenty of money t' buy some bread! An' we need it!"
"Ana, I will handle this! I don't need to listen to yer lecture." Ana frowned and Jack regretted saying that the minute it came out of his mouth. "What I meant was…I'm the Captain. I'll decide."
"You may be the Captain, but that doesn't make you capable of making right decisions…" Ana muttered.
James smirked slightly and then saw out of the corner of his eye that Amy was running up to Jack. This is my chance! He thought to himself. He could confront Jack after Amy said her peace.
"Jack Sparrow!" Amy yelled. Jack turned, hearing his name and his eyes widened immediately as the sight of Amy filled his vision. He tried to turn and hide, but it was no use. Amy reached him in a matter of seconds.
What're gonna do now, Jack? He thought to himself as he shot a look at Norrington to make sure he wasn't looking, but only found him watching with a slight smirk on his face. Jack frowned and turned to meet Amy.
"Why Amethyst! What a-" He was cut off quickly by a sharp and sudden slap. Ana Maria heard the slap and turned to watch the action, while a bit of jealousy welled up inside of her.
Jack took in a breath through his teeth and thought, I really gotta change my ways…then I'll stop bein' bloody slapped! "I see you remember me…"
"Remember you?! You bloody snake, you cheated me!"
Jack mentally kicked himself for being so careless. If James heard this, who knows what might happen. "Aye…that I did. And I intended on payin' you back…"
"But the fact is, I'm ten pounds short! And you haven't paid me back!"
"Could we possibly talk about this sometime else?"
Amy shook her head, her blond hair swinging to and fro, "No! I want my money now! I could really use it and the job you had me to was harder than you explained!"
Jack swallowed, wondering if the temperature had suddenly picked up. But trying to remain on top of his situation he said, "Look- I'm not gonna say anything more t' you now. I'll be at yer place t'night to give you everything you want, savvy?"
Amy crossed her arms across her body and paused, "If yer not there, I'll kill you."
Jack swallowed, "I'm too young t' die."
She leaned in close up to him and whispered, "Then I'll do everything else possible that would kill you…but won't." And then she was gone. Jack shuddered as he thought about how many possibilities there were. He turned and was first met with Ana Maria. She looked Jack in the eye and said somewhat quietly, "Who was that?"
"Someone I need t' pay back, that's all…"
She nodded, "Pay her back at her house…?"
Jack rolled his eyes slightly and touched her elbow, "She despises me…trust me luv." Ana gave an unconvincing nod and then turned back to the cart. Jack looked at James, who looked like he was mad.
James quickly walked up to Jack, trying desperately to hide his anger, "She did a job for you?" he questioned.
"In a sense…"
"Then you lied."
"Look- this isn't a big deal. You don't even know the whole story."
James shook his head, "I call it like I see it. You lied."
Jack rolled his eyes, he didn't have time for this, "Just calm down."
"What else has been a lie? The little things that you just couldn't tell the truth about…I doubt you can even tell the truth!"
Jack sighed, he's goading you… his conscience told him, trying to keep his anger down, remember, this is the Commodore. Don't do anything…stupid. "You don't know what I can and can't do."
"I know that you're not capable of telling the truth!"
Steady… Jack took in a deep breath, feeling his temper rise. He turned and faced James and said in a low voice, "You better watch it, Commodore. Yer here for one bloody reason- and that's to find the truth about the Governor. Not about me."
James clenched his teeth, trying to hold his tongue and his temper. But Jack went on, in a somewhat playful tone he said, "Truth is glorified…so lighten up…yer lookin' a little stiff…as always."
Unfortunately James wasn't in a playful mood.
Without thinking or analyzing which James did always, all his anger came out in one movement. He punched Jack right across the jaw. Jack staggered backwards and ignored the fact that Ana's mouth dropped. He growled and punched James in the stomach and then again in the face. From then on, it was nothing but a full out brawl.
Author Thanks:
Rose Noire le Mort: well I hope this is a J/A relationship…that's what I'm trying to make it out to be! Lol…
Fallenangel26: Yea, I like m characters to have depth…and honestly- I don't think I could write a goofy POTC story, but I'm glad you like it.
Dawnie-7: Hey! I warned everyone about the SW connection…I like the names! Give me a break! Oh- and the whole mouth thing…it's just EVERYONE does eyes…like if their OC draws- it's always eyes. And that's understandable because eyes are so expressive…but I think that smiles are too…and you can tell a lot from a persons expression on their mouth….sooooo yea. That's why he did that. Lol.
PiratePrincess91: You're thinking! I like it! I haven't had someone think that it might be Jack…nice.
Emma436: YOU'RE BACK! Yay! I'm happy. And I reviewed your story- so no worries there…. But yea, Jack/ Ana…I finally broke down to conforming and conformed. Lol. I've never done a Jack/Ana story before so I'm a little wobbly. Oh! You think it's Jack too! WOW! I'm awesome! I guess you don't really find out who the assassin truly is until the last chapter….or the second to last….I'm having a little….no, no, a HUGE writers…BLOUDER when writing my last two chapters. sigh I haven't written anything in prolly a month. Anyway- see you next time…