Disclaimer: Captain Mari Cutlass and Captain Samuel Sangre are mine. I'm vying for custody of the others...however, my suitability as a guardian is being challenged. The nerve.
A/N: Norry is back! Hehe....this chapter is kind of a filler...it's necessary, and funny...but I'm not sure there's point to it. Of course, we are talking about fanfiction...lol. Read it. :P
Commodore Norrington paced the length of his office, unmindful of the late hour. Etched on his face was a thoughtful frown, the look in his eyes suspicious and contemplative. There was something more going on in the Turner house than a simple visit from a cousin. And the bat excuse...that was an insult to his intelligence.
Sparrow had to be hiding in that house...but how to capture him without entangling the Turners in the process? It wasn't that he cared all that much for Will; he was a good man, the Commodore supposed, but rather ineffectual to James's way of thinking. It was Elizabeth, and the good graces of her father, that he wished to protect. If only he could lure Sparrow into the open...
A sudden crash in the street drew Norrington to the window. His eyes opened wide as he watched four figures run across the road...four transparent figures. And they were headed directly toward Elizabeth's house. Norrington armed himself quickly, and dashed to the city proper after them, never thinking to call out the rest of the troops. His only thoughts were to save Elizabeth, and to catch that elusive Jack Sparrow. If the situation was kind, he would get the chance to do both.
"Y-you're pregnant?" Will whispered. Elizabeth smiled a little and nodded.
"I'm about a month along," she told him. "I wanted to be sure before I said anything."
"This is wonderful!" Will exclaimed, standing and drawing his wife into a passionate embrace. A pointed cough drew his attention back to the pirates that flanked them, both wearing amused expressions. The couple's elation abated somewhat, but Will refused to remove his arms from Elizabeth.
"Under normal circumstances mate, I'd be thrilled for you," Jack commented. "As it is, I'm glad to have confirmation that you're not a eunuch. But this just throws into further relief the value of haste if we're to avoid Sangre sacking your lovely home."
Mari, who had only kept one ear on the conversation, sat up suddenly from her lounging position, and squinted toward the foyer.
"Value of haste indeed," she muttered. "Your hearing's going, old man. There's already someone here."
Sangre moved with the swiftness and silence granted to him by the same forces that caused his insanity. Three transparent and shifting figures followed him with the silence of the dead, their bloodlust driving them to impossible speeds. A moderately-sized house attached to Turner's Blacksmithing loomed up before them. Sangre took a deep breath and grinned.
Still there, waiting like sheep for the slaughter.
Norrington tracked the impossibly fast, silent party as well as he could for a few streets before he lost them. Choosing a different tack, he ran straight for the house, praying only that he'd get there before the enemy. He arrived at their door panting in a most undignified manner, but hardly cared. Please, let me be here in time!
He burst through the front door unannounced, knowing that his lack of decorum would be forgiven, given the circumstances. He ran into the front parlor, where he'd spoken to the Turner's this afternoon.
"There's someone already here," a voice intoned. It sounded like young Margaret Swann, but highly less aristocratic. She sounded almost...piratical. The Commodore's suspicions were confirmed a moment later when he burst into the room.
Seated at the far end was none other than Jack Sparrow, with Margaret Swann seated closest the doorway. He noted dimly that she no longer looked the noble young lady...but his focus at the moment was on the Turners.
"There are some very dangerous-looking scoundrels coming directly toward your house," he said without preamble. He fixed a superior glare on Jack. "More than likely coming for him."
"No, mate," Margaret said. She stood, and Norrington got the full effect of her unmistakably pirate demeanor. "They're coming for all of us."
"And now," Jack told him lightly, "that includes you." He grinned. "Funny ol' world, isn't it?"
Norrington's nostrils flared in rage, but the situation couldn't be helped, and he was no fool. Clearly, these distasteful characters meant the Turners no harm; rather the opposite.
"What course do we take?" the commodore asked tersely.
Jack got languidly to his feet. He wanted to taunt the officer in the worst way, but there would be time to gloat later. Right now, he had to concentrate on keeping everyone's blood flowing through their veins.
"We take the course that will lead us to my beloved Black Pearl," Jack said grandly, "From there...who knows? I'm making this up as I go."
"Invent faster," Margaret snapped. "We've got more company."
A cold wind invaded the room without warning, causing the candles to gutter dangerously. When the light flared bright again, the five allies were surrounded by grey ghouls. Jack, Mari, and Norrington had weapons in both hands very quickly. Another moment saw Will and Elizabeth armed with buccaneer weaponry. Not that it would do them much good. The creatures around them looked too insubstantial to be harmed by earthly weapons.
"Jack Sparrow," one of the ghouls said in greeting.
"Captain, it's Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack corrected lightly. "Been a while Sangre," he went on, "one would think you were growing soft."
Sangre stepped forward. "I grew bored with you, went on to more interesting prey." He looked at Mari. "How's your leg, my dear?" Mari twitched the limb in question, and smiled brightly.
"Feels wonderful. You're losin' yer touch, mate." Norrington frowned at this exchange, confused.
"Margaret?" he murmured.
"Mari, love. Captain Mari Cutlass, to be exact."
"Until her crew deserted her," Sangre said smugly. Mari rolled her eyes.
"I'd rather be crewless than undead," she told him. "That rotting flesh must itch something awful."
The other three living beings watched this exchange with something bordering amazement. Leave it to a Sparrow to hand sass to an angry, bloodsucking, undead ghoul. But there was another purpose to this as well. Sangre's full attention was now on the Sparrows, and thus, the attention of the Sirens focused on them as well. The four closed in on Jack and Mari, leaving Norrington, Will, and Elizabeth unnoticed. Will began edging his wife toward the door leading to the kitchens, Norrington cautiously following their lead.
"I mean, really, mate," Jack was saying, "is it not a bit disheartening that a pack of mere mortals has managed to elude you for...twenty years, is it? You would think, with all the powers that the Sirens say they have...." The captain's voice faded as the Turners and Norrington actually gained the kitchen!
"Unbelievable," Will whispered, "they haven't even noticed we're gone."
As if on cue, a shot rang out, then another, followed by a chorus of other- earthly screams.
"They have now, mate!" Jack said, entering the kitchen seconds after his daughter. "Run!"
The five streaked through the streets of Port Royal, Jack in the lead, Norrington bringing up the rear. Random items hurled themselves at the group, propelled by unseen forces. Streets cracked beneath their feet, threatening to swallow them. Several times, they had to leap wildly to avoid falling into voids, and once they reached the docks, the real fun began.
Planks bobbed violently beneath their feet as Jack directed them to a waiting dinghy. Hairline cracks crazed the surface of the wood, threatening to drop them into waters roiling with crushing power. Elizabeth went in first, followed by Will, then Mari.
"In, man!" Jack barked at Norrington. The commodore was about to refuse, when five looming shadows appeared at the edge of the town. Together, the two men leapt into the small vessel. Jack slashed the rope with his cutlass and dropped to a seat just as Will and Mari began to row. As soon as they were disconnected with the dock, the water stilled, the dinghy stopped pitching about, and a roar of rage shook the buildings of Port Royal.
"Why don't they chase us?" Elizabeth asked.
"The sea confuses them," Jack explained. "Leastways, that's what I suppose. I've never run into them on the open sea; only on or near land." As he spoke, he untied his bandana and began to wrap it about the commodore's eyes.
"I will thank you to take your hands off of me, Mr. Sparrow," Norrington said, holding Jack's wrist.
"And allow you to see where I've hidden me ship? Oh, that would be ruddy brilliant, mate."
"I will not be blindfolded!"
"Then you'll catch a right lovely cold swimming back to the port!"
"James," Elizabeth said tiredly, "cooperate, please. He just saved your life."
"Indeed James," Jack quipped, "you would do well to remember such favors." Resentfully, the commodore allowed the pirate to yank the worn, rather salty fabric, about his face.
"Rather suits ye, I think," Jack murmured. Snickers ran about the vessel. Norrington chose not to dignify the comment with a reply.
A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers....Freak and Proud I will most definitely take you up on that offer....hehe. And thanks also to TheDmntdFerret, Son-of- Anthronis, and Samluvsbanana.;)