AN (10/28): Wow. Today was...weird. My dad got into a car crash on his way to work. Slammed into a dump truck. Thankfully, he's okay. Don't really know why I'm telling all of you this, but I'm too lazy to hit the backspace.
Before I get on with writing, I just want to tell all of you to read Daisy's fanfic that she just started. Amazing beginning, full of lots of promise and what have you. Her name, on fanfic, is orcachick2005.
Chapter 17: Rain
When the party woke up the next morning, it was still raining. Clouds were crying tears larger than a baby's fist as the wind rocked the trees back and forth in the gale force winds. Not even the foul weather could deter the jubilant mood of the party, however. They'd actually found gold! What an amazing thing, to be able to follow a map and find something after they'd reached the end. Why would someone bury their treasure, anyway? The whole idea of pirates hiding their gold seemed illogical, but Butler had apparently found it a good idea. Jack doubted even a quarter of the maps out there actually lead the follower to gold.
After eating a quick breakfast of the diminishing hard tack Skip carried around on his back, Jack wandered to the entrance of the cave. He stood there as his men talked and gossiped and enjoyed themselves, staring at the rain. He didn't particularly feel good about this expedition suddenly. Either that, or he had a serious case of indigestion.
Matthew seemed particularly interested in leaving. "We should go, Cap'n," he said nearly fifteen times as Jack stared out at the rain. As he approached again, he changed what he wanted to say in order to get Jack do do more than merely blink at him. "We need t' go, Cap'n."
Jack blinked and turned to face the man a few years older than him. "Why?" was all he said loud enough to be heard over the rain as his left hand played with the gems inside his effects. The rain and wind seemed to be so cold out there. What was the point of leaving the nice dry cave?
"Barbossa will be worried abou' us," Matthew said with a slight shrug. "Migh' think tha' we've all died." He seemed quite nervous for some reason. Perhaps it was because of the looks that Stout Sam was giving him as the rest of the party quieted down.
Jack sighed inwardly. It was probably true. But Jack didn't want to go out in the storm. All of the things that creepy voice had said inside of that secret room had come true, and the voice had mentioned something about the rain. "Yer probably righ'," he admitted, mad at himself as he did so. Did he really believe that voice? Perhaps it was all just coincidence. Glancing at his crew, he said loudly, "Well, then, le's go. I wan' four men for each sack o' treasure. Switch off every half hour so tha' we don' 'ave t' wait for anyone. And stay away from the rectangles."
Jack's crew had been waiting for this. They all leaped forward like anxious racehorses and gathered up the swag they'd been staring at and talking about since they'd awoken. The air was almost electric inside the cave, even though lightning couldn't strike inside of it. Even Rebekah helped put the coins back into the sacks, though she seemed a bit miffed by how dirty her dress was. In a few minutes, the party was ready to brave the storm. Matthew stepped out first as Jack watched anxiously at the mouth of the cave.
For a few tense moments, Matthew didn't move at all. Jack was afraid that he'd lost Bootstrap's brother-in-law somehow. Maybe he'd start melting. But nothing happened and he turned back, waving the others out. "The rain isn' too bad," he said as a wind blew his torch out. "Jus' a little wet." Matthew liked to state the obvious from time to time, but it gave the others reassurance. They all stepped out into the rain. Jack and Bootstrap were the last to leave, mostly because Bootstrap's limp was much worse today. Jack helped his friend down the mountainside without saying anything, though. How could that mysterious voice have been wrong about the rain? What was it that he'd said?
When they reached the foot of the mountain, Bootstrap smiled and touched Jack's shoulder. "Thanks," he murmured. "I wouldn' 'ave been able t' make it down the mountain wivout help."
Jack nodded and shrugged, feeling a bit stupid as he stared at Bootstrap's muddy face. "The rain will not make everything clean, avoid it at all costs," he said softly. Oh. So that's what the voice had warned him about. Jack hated it when he suddenly blurted out what he'd been thinking about.
Bootstrap gave him an odd look. "I really don' see 'ow we can avoid the rain, Jack. We're already soaked." Which was true. Everyone in the party was soaked to the bone, almost. The rain was pounding at their skin, saturating them with everything the heavens would let come down.
Jack chuckled. "Sorry 'bou' tha'. Random nonsense. Ye know I get a bi' odd if I don' 'ave enough rum." Weak excuse, but Jack didn't really want to talk right now. What had the voice meant? Maybe nothing.
Bootstrap chuckled as well. "Ye know, Jack, tha' doesn' even make sense. Ye had rum for dinner las' night. Perhaps this job is jus' gettin' t' ye." He stared at Jack poignantly as he stepped forward.
"So, ye think I can't handle bein' a captain?" Jack asked a bit angrily as he walked forward. Why was Bootstrap revealing the truth now? The system of avoidance had been quite satisfactory. Made it so that they didn't yell like some quarrelling couple in front of the rest of the crew. Thankfully, they were far enough behind the rest because of Bootstrap's bad leg that the crew couldn't make out what they were saying.
Bootstrap frowned. "Not really, no. I think tha' Calico Jack should've waited a few years, is all. Or gone for someone wiv more experience." It was almost scary how honest he was being. Bootstrap was never this serious or honest. He liked to avoid uncomfortable social situations if at all possible.
"Ah, so tha's why ye betrayed me? Thought it would make me see tha' I'm no' ready t' be a captain, eh?" Jack asked sarcastically, shivering in the rain as they walked forward. He could tell that others in his crew were getting into fights as well.
"No. You are such a self-centered git, ye know tha', Jack? I was tryin' t' do ye a favor." Bootstrap muttered a few curses under his breath as he glanced away from Jack. He seemed to want to leave the man's presence forever.
"A favor?" Jack asked, straightening to be a more intimidating height. "How is showin' the woman I loved somethin' she shouldn' 'ave ever had t' see a favor?" His voice was bordering on sardonic right now. How Jack wished he was taller than Bootstrap. If he were just taller, he could scare the man back into submission. He didn't really want to hear this.
"Jack, ye li'le git, don' ye see tha' it wouldn' 'ave worked? The men 'ad a hard enough time callin' ye captain, an' then ye got yerself ruddy involved wiv a minister's daughter? She din' 'e'n bloody know ye were a sailor, much less a pirate! D' ye really think she would've loved ye if ye 'ad told her what you really were? I saved ye heartache." Bootstrap's voice seemed to be honest, rather than apologetic. He was just explaining his reasoning, after all. No sense in apologizing for doing what he'd felt was the right thing to do.
"You gave me heartache!" Jack shouted in response. "I could've made it work," he insisted. "I could've made it ruddy work." Sensing that he was near an emotional breakdown, Jack stormed away from Bootstrap, his mood matching that of the thundercloud above. He made it to the front of the line and calmed himself. At least Bootstrap had admitted to it, now. Maybe they'd be able to patch things up. Probably not.
"Are you all right?" Rebekah asked softly as she walked along, trying not to get her skirts filthy in the dark mud staining the ground like blood. Behind her was Matthew and the rest of the crew.
"I'm fine," Jack almost growled in response. "Don't concern yourself about me." He really wasn't fine. That statement from the voice was really starting to bother him. What if the rain had something to do with the brash honesty going on right now?
"You don't look fine to me," Rebekah responded. "I haven't seen you this upset before." She seemed genuinely worried about him. Jack wondered why. Ever since their time in the cave, she'd been avoiding him like a leper.
"You obviously haven't done anything t' really upset me," Jack responded quickly, wishing she'd just leave him alone. "Why don' ye jus' go an' talk t' Matthew, then? I know tha' ye like 'im more'n me. No sense in pretendin'."
Rebekah lowered her eyes slightly. "I don't like him more than you, Jack. Honest, I don't. You are something special, Jack. I just got involved with some things I should've avoided." She looked like she wanted to say more, but didn't as she glanced back towards Matthew and slowed her step so she could walk next to him.
Jack sighed to himself. Why were things so complicated? And if the rain was making everyone honest, why couldn't she say what she wanted to say? Maybe women were able to lie even under the influence of magic rain. Not that Jack really believed it was magic rain. For all he knew, he was completely imagining the whole thing because of what the mysterious voice had said in that room in Portobello. Hadn't that been a dream, anyway? Jack had made his mind so hazy afterwards that he wasn't entirely sure.
It stopped raining a few hours later, much to Jack's relief. Things between himself and Bootstrap had settled down a bit, only because they were avoiding each other. The return to the shore went by a lot faster than one would've expected, but return journeys always seem to take less time. "All hands t' the skiff," Jack said loudly as they stepped onto the beach. His orders were complied by everyone but Matthew and Rebekah.
"No," Matthew said boldly, staring directly into Jack's brown eyes. "I don't think I want t' go back t' the Pearl." Contempt lined his voice like rabbit fur in expensive boots.
"You'd rather stay 'ere, on this island, wiv only poisonous berries t' keep ye company?" Jack asked lightly, hoping this wouldn't turn out bad. He certainly hadn't expected Matthew to act in such a way.
"Actually, I was thinking that I'd stay on this island until me ship came, wiv all me treasure," came the quick reply. Matthew pulled out his pistol and aimed it directly at Jack's head.
"It isn' yer treasure," Jack responded, hoping he sounded intimidating enough. "Tis all of our treasure." Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw some of his crew standing and taking the gold out of the small boat. Apparently they worked for Matthew, for they dropped the sacks near Matthew's feet and pulled out their own guns, aiming them at Jack and the rest of the crew.
"I beg t' differ, cap'n." The derision in Matthew's voice was almost edible on the soft breeze that smelled of mud and rain. "I sugges' ye get in'o yer ship and sail away."
"Wait a moment," Jack protested, glancing at the bags near Matthew's feet. "Shouldn' I get a' least one bag? All I wanted t' do wiv it was pay the crew."
"I don't think so, cap'n," Matthew responded. "You din' do enough t' deserve the treasure." This might've seemed incredibly funny if Matthew didn't look so serious.
"I din' do enough?" Jack asked incredulously, slowly moving his hand towards his pistol. Perhaps if he aimed it at Rebekah...
"Aye, ye din' do enough," Matthew replied with a laugh. The half of the crew that supported him laughed as well, egged on by their leader. He cocked the gun, tilting it towards the away boat. "I sugges' ye leave."
"I did more'n me share of getting the treasure," Jack protested. "Ye wouldn' 'ave found Rebekah if I 'adn't deciphered the map." Glaring at Matthew, Jack pulled his pistol out and aimed it at Rebekah's head. He would shoot, if necessary. Jack needed the gold so he could pay Ragetti for the eye he'd lost.
Matthew glared at Jack for a moment. It was clear that he had feelings for Rebekah. Turning to an ugly man with a mole the size of a doubloon by the name of Rupert, he consulted for a moment. Without turning back to Jack, he said, "You can 'ave 'alf the treasure as long as ye don' hurt the girl."
Jack nodded, though he truthfully felt this was too easy. "Fair enough. Why don' your men pu' 'alf the gold back in'o me boat, an' then we'll leave? Your ship will be along soon, I'm sure." Jack grinned, glancing out at the water. All he could see right now was one blob, which was probably the Black Pearl. Thank goodness he'd left half of his crew behind with Barbossa, so that they wouldn't have the guts to mutiny like this quarter of his crew did. Was Jack really all that bad of a captain?
"Agreed," Matthew responded, turning back to Jack with a malicious look in his eyes. He clearly had something up his sleeve...but Jack had no idea what. Matthew nodded towards Rupert and half of the sacks were put back into the boat as Jack stood with the gun aimed directly at Rebekah's head. He was a fair shot, so his threat had some weight to it. Once the gold was in the boat, Matthew grinned slightly at Jack. "G'bye," he said almost cheerfully, watching as Jack cautiously pushed the boat out to sea with the help of Skip.
Jack hated this...he had his back turned to the man. But there was no other way for them to escape. Before long, Matthew would realize that Jack couldn't shoot Rebekah while pushing, and he'd be a dead man. Yet...the shot never came. Perhaps Matthew thought there'd be another way to kill the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. Or perhaps the blob out in the water Jack had seen wasn't the Pearl at all. Jack wasn't entirely sure. What if Barbossa was dead? What if the other ship blew their small craft out of the water? Jack suddenly felt incredibly unsure of himself, a feeling that he hated above all others.
sunkist3208: Well, the emerald was a bit of a clue, I suppose. It was originally a ruby, and then I decided that an emerald would fit better...don't really know why. I just do what the voices tell me to do. And I don't know why Rebekah would prefer Matthew...maybe he threatened her or something...we'll maybe find out...and that's cool, that she seemed interested. Of course, since I have no idea what her name really is on fanfiction, I probably won't tell her to look at it. And it would've been quite confusing, just seeing last chapter...
Daisy: Whoot! A shriner hat! I've always wanted one, since that one episode of the Simpsons...anyway, thanks for leaving me a review. They're really like little presents...or something. And she obviously knows more than I made it seem, eh? I decided against the her being completely evil thing...betcha didn't see Matthew the way he really is, though. I did leave clues about this whole scene...
Jack: It was supposed to put images in your mind, poppet. The whole flash back thing was supposed to make you think. You see, I thought of it in gym, while we were meditating and I was cold...anyway, tis rather crazy. But important. Not just random nonsense. And I hope that you kinda like this cliffhanger-y end for this chapter...the first part of the chapter was rather random. But it needed to be done. Thanks for your support and reviews!