DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything POTC related.
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The Chase and Marooned
"Mary, mother of god!" Gibbs shouted.
"I guess this ship isn't as fast as the commodore thinks," Hope said as she ran down to the main deck.
Below deck, Elizabeth and Will were brought out of their conversation when they heard the crew running about. They turned their attention the companionway just as Hope ran down part way.
"I think the both of you should come up here!" she said and left as quickly as she appeared. Elizabeth was the first to exit.
"Hands aloft to loose t'gallants! With this wind she'll carry every sail we've got!" Gibbs yelled running past her. Emerging she saw Hope up at the helm looking behind her and Anamaria at the wheel.
"What's happening?"
"The Black Pearl is gaining on us!" Anamaria cried.
"This is the fastest ship in the Caribbean!" she yelled coming to the helm.
"You can tell them that after they've caught us."
"We're shallower on the draft, right? Can't we lose them amongst those shoals?" Anamaria and Gibbs looked to where Elizabeth pointed. Hope still stood with her attention the Pearl.
"We don't have to outrun them long, just long enough." Gibbs said.
"No. That won't work. Speed is in their favor. They've caught up with us double time."
"Why have to at least try," Elizabeth protested. All three women shared a glance.
"Lighten the ship. Stem to stern," Anamaria yelled as Gibbs ordered to throw everything overboard that they could afford to lose." The crew did as told but it wasn't enough as the Black Pearl closed in on the stern of the Interceptor. Elizabeth looked back in despair just as Will bounded up the stairs yelling.
"We have to make a stand! Load the guns!" he yelled.
"With what?" Anamaria asked.
"Anything. Everything." Gibbs was hesitant before he ordered to have the guns loaded. All but Hope and Anamaria went to the main deck.
"Aren't you going to help?"
"I will. There has to be…" Hope started as she saw what the Pearl was attempting to do. "Gibbs!" she yelled down to him. "The Pearl's turning her head towards the wind!" Gibbs looked and saw this.
"The Pearl's gonna luff up on our port quarter. She'll rake us without ever presenting a target!" he yelled coming to the wheel.
"Lower the anchor on the right side," Elizabeth said. They all looked at her confused.
"I see what you're saying." Hope said recognizing what Elizabeth was trying to get out. "Club haul the ship. As close as they are they would have to make a swift and sudden action to avoid hitting us."
"It has the element of surprise," Will said.
"You're daft! All of you are!" Anamaria yelled.
"Daft like Jack. Lower the starboard anchor!" Gibbs said. The anchor was lowered and dragged along the ocean floor until it caught onto a rock, jolting the ship and sending the occupants in several directions. Elizabeth watched over the side before yelling to let go. The wheel spun wildly, turning the ship. Moments later both the ships were parallel to each other as yelling was exchanged between the two crews just as the cannons from both ships were fired.
"We could use some more ideas, both of you lasses."
"It's your turn!"
"We need us a devil's dowry!" Anamaria grabbed Elizabeth holding her pistol to Elizabeth's head.
"We'll give them her!" she yelled.
"She's not what they're after."
"The medallion!" Both her and Will exchanged a glance before Will headed back below deck. Suddenly a shot from the Pearl tore through one the masts of the Interceptor and collapsed onto both ships. The crew of the Black Pearl swung over just following the collapse. And the battle began. Elizabeth and Hope were next to each other when Hope saw the pirates boarding.
"And so the fun begins."
"What? Hope you can't be serious, you'll be killed. You can't handle a sword."
"You're wrong there. Did you forget that day you walked in on a sparring match between Will and myself?"
"That was two years ago."
"Yes. Will has been teaching me for six years. I think I can handle myself decently enough," Hope said before she ran off.
"Hope!" Elizabeth called after her but she didn't hear. In a second she couldn't see her anymore. She was lost amongst the fighting crews. As gunfire echoed all around Hope had thus far bested every pirate that she met. Gibbs was not more than a few feet from her. She was inching one of them back till he lost his balance and fell overboard. Another came from behind and knocked her against the railing. The man was about to swing at her when a figure on rope knocked him away into some barrels. She looked at the figure and saw that it was Jack. She was surprised. He swung back over her and knocked the man Gibbs was fighting overboard before setting down on deck.
"Jack!" Gibbs yelled out. Jack handed him something.
"Bloody empty!" Jack said turning to Hope. "Hello, love. Did you miss me?" He said helping her up. Hope didn't know what to say. "You can thank me later," he said continuing on his way. She smiled before she continued to fight as well. She knocked a few more overboard before she saw Elizabeth run past her to the hatch leading below deck.
"Will!" she screamed. "Hope! Help me! Will is trapped down there." Fighting off another man she helped try to move the wood weighing down the opening. "We can't move it!" Elizabeth yelled just as two men came from behind Hope and dragged her away.
"Elizabeth!" she called out just as another two grabbed Elizabeth and followed, taking both of them to the Pearl. With that the battle was ended.
On the Black Pearl, Pintel held his pistol and warned no one to speak the word 'parley.' He came across Hope.
"Well, well. Another poppet," he said sneering at her just as Elizabeth lifted the ropes over her head.
"Elizabeth!" Hope yelled out as the Interceptor exploded.
"You've got to stop it!" Elizabeth yelled running to Barbossa and jumping on him. Hope followed Elizabeth's example as she pulled the ropes over her head and went to help Elizabeth but was stopped as Pintel and Ragetti grabbed her.
"Welcome back, miss. You took advantage of our hospitality last time. It holds fair now that you return the favor." Barbossa said throwing her into his crew.
"Let her go!" Hope yelled to him. Barbossa walked over to her.
"Another young missy. Tell me, what be your name?"
"None of your concern!"
"Now, let's not be like that."
"Hope Danforth."
"Danforth? Really?" Barbossa said as if he recognized the name. "Any relation to an Isabelle Danforth?" Her anger was replaced by shock and he saw this.
"That was my mother's name."
"Your mother?" he said smiling.
"Barbossa!" a voice came from the side. They all looked and saw it was Will. "She goes free!" he said pulling at pistol and aiming.
"What's in your head, boy?" Barbossa asked walking to him.
"She goes free."
"You've only got one shot and we can't die,"
"Don't do anything stupid!" Jack pleaded.
"You can't. I can," Will said jumping onto the railing and placing the pistol at his throat.
"Who are you?" Barbossa asked.
"No one. He's no one. A distant cousin of my aunt's nephew twice removed. Lovely singing voice though, eunuch."
"My name's Will Turner. My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins. On my word do as I say, or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' locker."
"Name your terms."
"Elizabeth goes free."
"Yes we know that one, anything else?"
"Hope goes free.….and the crew. The crew are not to be harmed."
"Agreed."
The Pearl anchored a little off an island as both Hope and Elizabeth were led to the plank.
"You. Miss Danforth. Since you are a guest you may go first," he said as she walked to the edge and Elizabeth was put on the end.
"You'll get what you deserve one of these days, Barbossa," Hope said.
"Maybe so. But not before you," he said shaking the plank as she fell. Jack tried to break free but was held back. Barbossa saw this and laughed. "So. You finally found something physical to care about. Don't you worry, Jack. You'll be with your fair lady soon enough," Barbossa said just as Elizabeth was pushed toward the end.
"Barbossa! You lying bastard! You swore they'd go free."
"Don't dare impugn me honor, boy. I agreed they'd go free but it was you who failed to specify when or where." Barbossa turned back towards Elizabeth. "Though it does seem a shame to lose something so fine. So I'll be having that dress back." Elizabeth glared at him and took off the dress throwing it to him.
"Goes with your black heart." As she continued on her way she and Will shared a look before Bo'sun grew impatient and hit the plank as Elizabeth fell as well. Jack was then ushered to the plank.
"Last time you left me a pistol with one shot,"
"By the powers your right. Where be Jack's pistol?" Jack looked over the plank at Hope and Elizabeth.
"Seeing as there's three of us, a gentleman…would give us a three pistols.
"It'll be one pistol as before, and you can be the gentleman too pick between the two and shoot one of the ladies and the two of you can starve to death yourselves," Barbossa said throwing his pistol over. Jack dove in after it.
"That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship," Jack said watching the Pearl.
"It was your need for your ship that got us into this mess in the first place."
"Hope's right. You were going to tell Barbossa about Will in exchange for a ship!" Elizabeth yelled.
"Now that's not true."
"Then what is. You couldn't care less whether we got to Elizabeth on time or not. You used Will, who you have just sentenced to death!"
"He sentenced himself. He's the one who wanted to go after her. Can I help it, that it just turned out he was the one they needed to break their curse?"
"What curse? What curse are you talking about?"
"The curse from the treasure of Cortez. They can't be killed. In moonlight they turn into cruel, demented, vicious pirates." Both women glared at him.
"All right, fine. You want the truth. The truth is, I was going to not tell Barbossa about Will in exchange for a ship, because as long as he didn't know about bloody Will, I had something to bargain with -- which now no one has, thanks to bloody stupid Will. And right now, we could use a ship to get off this island,"
"Oh yes. By all means. Let's talk about how to get off this island. Why not capture a pair of bloody sea turtles and rope them together with human hair!" Hope yelled.
"Now you see. About that," Jack started before Elizabeth cut him off.
"Will risked his life to save ours!"
"Ha!" Jack said turning on his heels.
"We have to rescue him!"
"Off you go, then. Let me know how that turns out." Jack turned away from her and Hope and continued inland followed closely by the two women.
"You were marooned on this island before, weren't you? We can escape in the same way you did then!" Elizabeth yelled.
"To what point and purpose, young missy? The Black Pearl is gone. And unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails hidden in that bodice…unlikely. Young Mr. Turner will be dead long before you can reach him." Jack then went to a tree and knocked before high stepping in four long strides toward something.
"But you're Captain Jack Sparrow! You vanished from under the eyes of seven agents from the East India Trading Company. You sacked Nassau port without even firing a shot. Are you the pirate I've read about or not? How did you escape last time?" Hope stood next the palm tree with her arms folded watching the two. Jack looked behind him and she gave him a look that said to tell the truth.
"Last time…I was here a grand total of three days, all right? Last time," he said starting to open a cellar door. "The rumrunners used this island as a cache. They came by, and I was able to barter passage off. From the looks of things, they've long been out of business. Probably have your bloody friend Norrington to thank for that." Elizabeth kept scolding him as Hope headed back towards the beach and sat down. A few minutes later she felt someone sit down beside her. When she looked she saw it was Jack. He offered her a bottle of rum. She looked at him with no expression.
"Peace offering. It's better than salt water." Hope took it without a word and opened it, drinking some. Elizabeth came and sat down beside Hope. The three of them sat there silently.
"Jack?" Hope asked.
"Aye."
"Can you be honest with me?"
"Sure, love. Anything you want."
"Is it true what a few people have been telling me?"
"About what?"
"That you have developed a weak spot for me?"
"That's a bit personal."
"Jack. I just want a yes or no answer. I don't need an explanation."
"Why is it so important for you to know that?" Hope sighed.
"Fine." She continued to take a few more drinks. Jack contemplated things for a moment before he gave in.
"Yes."
"What?"
"The answer to your question, is yes."
"Why?"
"You said I didn't need to give you an explanation." Hope smiled.
"Right. I did say that."
"Tell you what. I'll give you my reasons if you tell me what happened to your sister."
"That's a little more personal than asking someone if they have a weakness for you," Elizabeth said.
"No, it's ok, Elizabeth. I think it's about time I told someone. I can't keep it hidden forever."
"Let's have it."
"It was seven years ago. I remember coming home at midday and seeing Commodore Norrington, well actually he was a lieutenant at the time. He was waiting in the parlor. When he said he had come to talk with father I knew he was going ask permission to marry my sister, Catherine. When I secretly mentioned to her the he was here her eyes lit up. I can't remember a time when I saw her that happy. You see, Catherine, she was unique. Everyone liked her and always said she was like her mother in every way. They were a little indifferent to me."
"What happened to your mother?" Jack asked.
"She died giving birth to me or that is what my father told me. But, I am beginning to think differently now. How could Barbossa know my mother? My mother would never have associated with pirates?"
"Maybe you should ask your father whenever you get back."
"Whenever I get back all I will be able to get from him is a tongue lashing. Anyway, I've ventured from the question. As I said, the people were indifferent to me. About three years after she died I overheard a woman when I was walking through town say that, 'she may look like her mother, but she'll never be like her.' But, back to that night. Norrington came to visit Catherine. Instead of staying inside they decided to go for a walk and that's when pirates attacked Port Royal. I had never heard such noise before and I was transfixed on the bay. One of our maids had to physically pull me out of my room. Once we got downstairs Norrington came through the door carrying Catherine. His entire body was soaked with blood. We tried to send for the doctor but he was dead so the head butler sent two maids to get the midwife. They were taking a long time. The butler said he was going to get more cloths to cleanse her wound but just as he did a cannon ball flew through a window and hit him. After that the only ones left in the house were Norrington, Catherine, and myself. She knew she wasn't going to make it and said her goodbyes. She died there on the settee a few minutes before the midwife arrived. Norrington had told me that she had been shot face to face with a pirate. The man was in the shadows and he couldn't make out his features. From that day I hated pirates more than anything."
"Then that would explain your behavior over the last few days."
"Yes." Silence crept over them once more and Jack sighed hoping that Hope forgot to ask him his reasons for falling in love with her. "I don't really like talking about his. So, I say, if we're going to be trapped here for some time let's make the best of it. Elizabeth, how does that song go we always used to sing?"
"I hardly think that would be appropriate right now."
"What harm could it do? We can't sit here in silence."
"Let's hear it. Come on, Hope's right. We have the time. Let's have it." Jack requested.
"No. I 'd have to have a lot more to drink." Hope looked at her own bottle.
"That shouldn't be a problem."
"We're devils and black sheep, we're really bad eggs. Drink up me 'earties yo ho! Yo ho! Yo ho! A pirate's life for me," the three sang as Elizabeth and Jack danced around a bon fire. Hope sat on the beach a couple feet away. She wasn't nearly as drunk as the other two and wanted to keep it that way.
"I love this song!" Jack cried as he collapsed onto the beach. "When I get the Pearl back. I'm gonna teach it to the whole crew and we'll sing it all the time!"
"And you'll be positively the most fearsome pirate in the Spanish Main," Elizabeth shouted.
"Not just the Spanish Main, love. The entire ocean. The entire world. Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails that's what a ship needs but what a ship is…what the Black Pearl really is…is freedom." Hope mind picked up as she realized that was what he had said to her before they arrived at Isla de Muerta. She listened on as Elizabeth talked about how horrible it must be for him to be stranded out here. Hope realized although drunk, his humane that she saw slightly was really there. It had been there the whole time. There was more to him than the word 'pirate.' There was more to his need for the Black Pearl than she first thought. That ship was his life, he could go anywhere he wanted to go. She then stopped her thoughts as she realized that was what she had said so many years ago when she was fascinated with pirates. In that moment she found more respect for him.
"But the company is infinitely better than last time, I think. The scenery has definitely improved," Jack said looking over at Hope. She didn't know why, but she smiled back.
"To freedom!" Elizabeth toasted.
"To the Black Pearl!" Jack said as he drank and drank and fell to the ground unconscious. Hope watched him and shook her head a little before she toasted herself.
"To freedom."
The next morning her and Elizabeth had awoken early and devised a plan to get help. They started a fire and threw the barrels of rum and food into it. Hope looked upwards at the billowing smoke."Do you think that is enough?" Elizabeth asked.
"I'd say a few more barrels of rum couldn't hurt. That signal needs to be as high as we can get." Elizabeth went to grab a barrel and threw into the fire just as Jack came running.
"No! Not good! Stop! What are you doing? You burned all the food, the shade, the rum!"
"Sorry, Jack," Hope said passing him to go sit on the beach.
"Yes. The rum is gone!" Elizabeth said.
"Why is the rum gone?"
"One, because it is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels. Two, that signal is over a thousand feet high. The entire Royal Navy is out looking for me and definitely Hope seeing as that she disappeared with no words, do you really think that there is even the slightest chance that they won't see it?"
"But why is the rum gone?" Jack cried. Elizabeth went and sat down by Hope.
"Just wait, Captain Sparrow. You give it one hour, maybe two, keep a weather eye out and then you will see white sails on that horizon." Behind them Jack drew his pistol but then thought better as he took off down the strip of beach. They watched him go.
"I hope this signal works," Elizabeth said.
"It should. Back at the fort before Will and I broke Jack out Norrington said that they would establish the Pearl's most likely course. Hopefully, this island is what they charted and they haven't past by it yet." Hope looked over at Elizabeth.
"You're worried, aren't you?"
"Yes. I know I shouldn't be. My father doesn't think to highly of Will or any other man that isn't of the upper class or part of the Royal Navy."
"Neither is mine."
"I don't know if I should tell you this, but, Will loved you." Elizabeth looked at her.
"He loved you and he still does." Elizabeth was surprised as the two women sat there in silence for several minutes before Hope looked to her left to see if she could spot Jack and saw him standing on a dune staring at something. She quickly stood up then started to run.
"I think he sees something."
"That's impossible, it's too soon," she shouted after. She hesitated before she too began to run. When Hope reached the dune she saw a ship anchored and then caught sight of the British flag and then a rowboat heading towards them with occupants in red. Hope smiled big.
"She told you it would work!" Hope said excitedly hugging him and kissing him on the cheek. Jack was surprised at this and Hope quickly realized her action. "Sorry. Elizabeth it's the Dauntless!" Elizabeth's pace picked up as she too saw the ship.
"I can't believe it!" the two girls watched in anticipation as the boat ran ashore. Hope instantly recognized the marine in the blue coat.
"Hope? Miss Swann?" the man called out to them. Hope smiled.
"Edward!" Hope cried as she ran down to him. Gillette ran to her as well and picked her up, hugging her, then kissing her. Jack had a saddened expression on his face. One of the other marines walked to Elizabeth and started explaining things to her.
"Are you all right? Do you have any idea how worried I was?" Gillette asked.
"I'm sorry, Edward. I had too. I just couldn't sit around when there was an answer and a way closer than the commodore wanted to accept."
"None of the matters now. As long as the both of you are safe."
"We are," Hope said as they hugged again. After awhile they rowed back to the Dauntless.
NOTE: Well? What do you think? I know I know. I used way too many lines from the movie instead of my own but it's bloody hard to write a chase and battle scene using different lines that the movie characters haven't already said or used when you're story directly relates to the movie. I don't want to hear any comments about that. The next chapter will be better, hopefully. Besides that, I still would like reviews so. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! =) Click, Type, Click.
ArianaielNightstar
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