A/N: Here we go...another chapter. I must warn you all, it's very
graphic...this chapter is rated R, but only this chapter. That's about all I
wanted to say on the subject. Thank-you to all my reviewers...Dirty Joke,
Vanilla-Smoothie188, Ice Mage1014, CaptnKat, Stephanie, Twistedwords2003,
Kitty, Jack -Sparrow -Lover-08, and last but not least, Luckysparrow. I
love all you guys...so thanks very much. On with the next chapter this is
it!
Yours,
Merlana~
Disclaimer: Merlana's disclaimer here, she's gonna do this chapter mostly
freestyle....and she'd just like to say that she doesn't own POTC...and she's
sure that honor belongs to Disney, or Jerry Bruckheimer Productions or some-
such fiddle-faddle...
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Chapter 6: Livin' Hell
You are still standing on the deck of the Tiny Dancer; nearly an hour has passed since you sent your crewmen into the hold of the Creation. Ana is getting jittery, and you can't blame her, the whole thing stinks. Something feels wrong about this ship, not just the fact that it is anchored in the middle of the ocean and that it stinks like rotting flesh, but something else isn't right. Jack is tense and the arm that he has wrapped about your waist is taught. He's worried about something, you can tell. You run a hand lightly down his chest and he jumps and looks down at you.
"What is it luv?" He asks.
"Nothin' Cap'n." You say, than in a softer tone, "relax Jack, t'will be alrigh'." He sighs and you feel some of the tension in his arm dissipate.
"Ye're righ' luv." Jack sys and pulls you closer. You nuzzle your face into his shirt and inhale the scent that is uniquely him. Rum, sea- air and sweat. "Don' be afraid luv." Jack says and you smile at his mistake.
"I'm not." You say confidently. Jack puts on a patronizing smirk and pats you on the head.
"O' course not luv, I wouldn' never 'ave though' o' it." He says and you glare at him, then smile because, all in all, he has made you feel more secure.
"Cap'n! Commodore!" Comes a shout from the deck of the Creation. "We've found somethin'!" Jack lets go of you and walks towards his crewman. Someone by the name of Gibbs if you remember correctly. You follow after Jack, wondering what it is they could have found.
"What did ye find Gibbs?" Jack asks. Gibbs bows his head.
"I'm sorry Jack." He murmurs and steps back to reveal a body being carried by three men. The body is that of a young man, with dark hair reaching to his shoulders and dressed in the clothes of a humble working man. The whole body is covered in blood and filth. Jack's jaw drops and he orders the body brought to the Tiny Dancer. The man is carried carefully to the deck of the Tiny Dancer and you get a closer look at his face - or what's left of it. The man was severely beaten before your ship happened upon the Creation and he'd obviously been dead for quite a few days. Jack's face is tight and he refuses to look at you or the man being brought onto your ship. He lurches over to the rail and you can see him heaving up anything that he'd eaten today.
"Jack?" You ask quietly, coming up behind him. He leans on the railing and wipes his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. No tears fall from his eyes, but everything about him says he's taken a heavy emotional blow. You reach out and place a gentle hand on his shoulder. Jack bristles at the contact and shakes off your hand. He storms off to his ship and you can make out his form climbing in the rigging toward the crow's nest. Sighing, you take charge.
You look again at the man lying on the deck of your ship and try to decide what to do with the body. "I want some extra sailcloth brought up here!" You yell and Raycraft heads below decks to find some. "You!" You yell, pointing at a man on Jack's crew - Cotton - his parrot screeches and Quicksilver squawks. "Bring me some water and some clean cloths!" The man salutes you clumsily and goes off in search of some.
"What are ye plannin' on doin'?" Gibbs asks you.
"I'm plannin' on givin' 'im a proper seaman's burial." You snap and dismiss the man with a wave of your hand.
"Ye can'! 'E's a landlubber. Port Royal's 'is 'ome, 'is wife is there." Gibbs protests, but you've already made up your mind.
"'E'll get a proper burial at sea!" You say, slashing your hands through the air to emphasize the fact that the conversation is over. Gibbs shrugs and walks away to attend to some business of his. You see him take a drink from his flask and as he shudders when the alcohol hits his throat.
"Got the sailcloth Cap'n!" Raycraft says and Cotton hands you the bucket of clean water and some clean cloths. You walk over to the body and carefully wash the blood from his face and hands. As you wash away the blood a familiar face emerges. A man you've spent time with lies dead in front of you. Will Turner is lying in front you. You blink back tears and continue your ministrations. You can barely tell it's him, his face is irreparable, he hardly looks like himself. The quiet blacksmith that you knew when you were a young girl in Port Royal lies dead in front of you. Soon all the blood is gone and you scrub at your eyes. Raycraft hands you the sailcloth and you gently wrap Will in it. Calling for rope, you attempt to left the bundle. Struggling, you pull the bundle toward the rail. Gibbs comes to your aid as you tie the rope around the sailcloth so it will stay wrapped around Will. Ana comes forward with a cannon ball and you weight the sailcloth with it. Jesse hands you a sword and you slip it between the sail cloth and the rope.
"I'd like ter say a few words." Ana says, stepping forward. You nod. She pulls out a worn and tattered bible. You glance at her, surprised that you'd find such a thing on her person and she tenderly opens the cover to a page in the middle. She clears her throat and the men surrounding you fall silent. Tears form in your eyes and you are unable to hold them in. You notice that Katey has tears in her eyes as well, as does Ana. Ana's voice rings across the deck of the ship as she reads a passage from the bible. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not wan'. 'E makes me lie down in green pastures; 'E leads me beside quiet waters. 'E restores my soul; 'E guides me in the paths o' righteousness fer 'Is name's sake." Ana pauses to take a steadying breath. You'd forgotten she could read. "Even though I walk through the valley o' the shadow o' death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod an' Thy staff they comfort me. Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence o' my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup o'erflows. Surely goodness an' lovin' kindness will follow me all the days o' my life, an' I will dwell in the house o' the Lord forever." Ana stops and closes her bible. "Thank ye Ana." You say graciously. She nods and wipes a hand across her eyes. "Will Turner, I commend yer body to the sea, an' your soul to the heavens. A place we'd all like to go, but one that most won' achieve. I pray ye fin' happiness." You nod to Raycraft and Jesse. They gently heave Will's body over the rail and let it drop into the sea. A silence drops over the crew of the two ships and you let it hang. Gibbs places a hand on your shoulder and you look up into his gruff face. "I'm sorry abou' earlier Cap'n, I was upset. I've known 'Lizbeth an' Will since they were li'l." Gibbs says, his voice catching on Elizabeth's name. You nod, in understanding. "Nothin' ta worry abou' Gibbs, we're all a bit shocked." You say, and Gibbs cracks a wan smile. You look up into the crow's nest of the 'Pearl and Gibbs follows your gaze. Realizing that you can't possibly see into the crow's nest from the deck you run over to the Black Pearl. Gibbs follows close at your heels. "Wait 'ere." You tell him as you climb the mast. Upon reaching the top you notice that Jack isn't in the crow's nest. "Cap'n? Is 'e up there?" Gibbs calls up to you. You look down over the edge of the lookout and shake your head. Gibbs throws up his hands and walks away toward the Tiny Dancer. You head down the mast and quietly knock on the door to the captains quarters. A muffled voice calls from within. "Come in." You open the door and find Jack's cabin in shambles. He's seated in the chair by his bed, a bottle of rum in each hand. He appears not to notice you as you come in and stand behind him. You massage his shoulders and he eases back into the chair. "Did ye fin' anyone else'?" Jack asks, his voice slurred and you stop massaging him. "No." You say and Jack sighs in relief. "Commodore! Cap'n! We've found someone else! 'E's alive!" Comes the cry from one of Jack's crewmembers. Jack jumps out of his chair and bounds toward the door. You follow not even two steps behind him. "Holy mother of God!" You cry. Ana is carrying a small child in her arms. You run toward her and take the boy from her arms. He is no more than ten years old. His hair is brown and curls softly over his forehead. In places it is matted with blood and you stifle a gasp. He seems to resemble Will in a way, but his features are more delicate. "God no!" Jack cries gruffly and you look at him startled. You carry the boy to your cabin on the Tiny Dancer and place him gently in your bed. Jack hovers around him, hindering more than helping. Ana sighs exasperatedly and you pull Jack aside. "Jack - " You are interrupted by a small moan from the boy. Jack rushes over to the bedside and takes the boys small hand in his large callused one. His facial expression is one of paternal love. You glance to Ana and she shrugs. "Jack, how do you know this child?" "No' 'ere luv." Jack says, moving rather reluctantly away from the young boy. He takes your hand and starts to pull you out of the cabin. You stop and Jack looks at you strangely.
"I 'ave a funny feelin' I'm gonna need a strong drink." You say. You move through the throng of people in your cabin and reach into a cupboard under your desk. You pull out, not the bottle of vodka, but a bottle of strong brandy. Walking back to Jack you show him the brandy and he wraps his arm around your waist and hugs you close.
Jack takes your hand and pulls you out into the sunshine. He walks toward the mainmast and climbs up to the crow's nest. He motions for you to follow him. You stuff the bottle of brandy into your belt. Taking the rigging in your hands you swing through it to the top of the mast. Jack sits watching the sea. You climb in beside him and pass him the bottle of brandy. He takes a swig and shudders.
"Yer taste in alcohol is a bit strange luv." He says, you nod and take a swig yourself.
"I know." You say. "'Ow do ye know the chil'? I also 'ave a question abou' Will. 'Ow come the chil' looks like Will?" Jack doesn't say anything for a long while. So long a while that you think perhaps he's forgotten what you asked. You open your mouth to ask again and Jack starts to speak.
"The chil' is Will's son. They named 'im Jack after me. I was 'oping that 'e wouldn' be 'ere, bu' I guess that's too much ta ask, eh luv?"
"Will's son? But 'ow?"
"Him an' 'Lizbeth got married. They 'ad Jack nine months later. I can't believe that Will's dead."
"He weren't supposed ta die. 'E was supposed ta stay on land an' be safe! 'E weren't supposed ta die!" Jack says gruffly. He scrubs at his eyes and you see two tears fall down his cheeks.
"It's okay Jack. Let it out." You say, rubbing his back. You pull him to your chest and let him cry. When he quiets you kiss him lightly on the nose. "It's alrigh' Jack." You look into his eyes and instead of the sadness you expect, a burning rage fills his brown orbs.
"I want to kill the s that did this ta Will!" He hisses.
"No Jack. Killin' them won' make it any better." You say quietly.
"Then what do ye suppose we do?" Jack yells. "Ye wan' us ta go up ta them an' ask all polite an' stuff no' ta 'urt me friends?"
"No Jack. I wan' ta kill the as well. Bu' that won' be enough sufferin' fer them. Ye gotta make their lives a livin' 'ell." You take Jack's hand and look deep into his eyes. "We'll do this together, we'll fin' the s that did this to Will and li'l Jack, I promise."
"You don' 'ave ta promise me that luv, I knows it already." Jack says. "What's yer plan then?"
"We go ta Port Royal an' the Commodore wha' 'appened 'ere. We tell 'im all we know." You begin. "Then, we bring li'l Jack back to 'is mum an' explain ta 'er wha' 'appened."
"Alrigh' luv. You remin' me more an' more each day o' someone I once knew." Jack says pensively.
"An' 'ho might that be?" You ask. Jack shakes his head and you let it slide. Knowing Jack the story will be long winded and more than likely silly. Now is not the time for that kind of story. You decide to ask about it later.
"Let's get the crew." Jack says. You both head over to the Tiny Dancer where the crews of both it's self and the Pearl are eating a subdued meal. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: There....done...finally! Took me forever to write this chapter. I had a massive case of writer's block in the middle and had to go to a friend for help...my thanks Vanilla-Smoothie188, you go girl! Next chapter will be up soon...I hope.... Yours, Merlana~
You are still standing on the deck of the Tiny Dancer; nearly an hour has passed since you sent your crewmen into the hold of the Creation. Ana is getting jittery, and you can't blame her, the whole thing stinks. Something feels wrong about this ship, not just the fact that it is anchored in the middle of the ocean and that it stinks like rotting flesh, but something else isn't right. Jack is tense and the arm that he has wrapped about your waist is taught. He's worried about something, you can tell. You run a hand lightly down his chest and he jumps and looks down at you.
"What is it luv?" He asks.
"Nothin' Cap'n." You say, than in a softer tone, "relax Jack, t'will be alrigh'." He sighs and you feel some of the tension in his arm dissipate.
"Ye're righ' luv." Jack sys and pulls you closer. You nuzzle your face into his shirt and inhale the scent that is uniquely him. Rum, sea- air and sweat. "Don' be afraid luv." Jack says and you smile at his mistake.
"I'm not." You say confidently. Jack puts on a patronizing smirk and pats you on the head.
"O' course not luv, I wouldn' never 'ave though' o' it." He says and you glare at him, then smile because, all in all, he has made you feel more secure.
"Cap'n! Commodore!" Comes a shout from the deck of the Creation. "We've found somethin'!" Jack lets go of you and walks towards his crewman. Someone by the name of Gibbs if you remember correctly. You follow after Jack, wondering what it is they could have found.
"What did ye find Gibbs?" Jack asks. Gibbs bows his head.
"I'm sorry Jack." He murmurs and steps back to reveal a body being carried by three men. The body is that of a young man, with dark hair reaching to his shoulders and dressed in the clothes of a humble working man. The whole body is covered in blood and filth. Jack's jaw drops and he orders the body brought to the Tiny Dancer. The man is carried carefully to the deck of the Tiny Dancer and you get a closer look at his face - or what's left of it. The man was severely beaten before your ship happened upon the Creation and he'd obviously been dead for quite a few days. Jack's face is tight and he refuses to look at you or the man being brought onto your ship. He lurches over to the rail and you can see him heaving up anything that he'd eaten today.
"Jack?" You ask quietly, coming up behind him. He leans on the railing and wipes his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. No tears fall from his eyes, but everything about him says he's taken a heavy emotional blow. You reach out and place a gentle hand on his shoulder. Jack bristles at the contact and shakes off your hand. He storms off to his ship and you can make out his form climbing in the rigging toward the crow's nest. Sighing, you take charge.
You look again at the man lying on the deck of your ship and try to decide what to do with the body. "I want some extra sailcloth brought up here!" You yell and Raycraft heads below decks to find some. "You!" You yell, pointing at a man on Jack's crew - Cotton - his parrot screeches and Quicksilver squawks. "Bring me some water and some clean cloths!" The man salutes you clumsily and goes off in search of some.
"What are ye plannin' on doin'?" Gibbs asks you.
"I'm plannin' on givin' 'im a proper seaman's burial." You snap and dismiss the man with a wave of your hand.
"Ye can'! 'E's a landlubber. Port Royal's 'is 'ome, 'is wife is there." Gibbs protests, but you've already made up your mind.
"'E'll get a proper burial at sea!" You say, slashing your hands through the air to emphasize the fact that the conversation is over. Gibbs shrugs and walks away to attend to some business of his. You see him take a drink from his flask and as he shudders when the alcohol hits his throat.
"Got the sailcloth Cap'n!" Raycraft says and Cotton hands you the bucket of clean water and some clean cloths. You walk over to the body and carefully wash the blood from his face and hands. As you wash away the blood a familiar face emerges. A man you've spent time with lies dead in front of you. Will Turner is lying in front you. You blink back tears and continue your ministrations. You can barely tell it's him, his face is irreparable, he hardly looks like himself. The quiet blacksmith that you knew when you were a young girl in Port Royal lies dead in front of you. Soon all the blood is gone and you scrub at your eyes. Raycraft hands you the sailcloth and you gently wrap Will in it. Calling for rope, you attempt to left the bundle. Struggling, you pull the bundle toward the rail. Gibbs comes to your aid as you tie the rope around the sailcloth so it will stay wrapped around Will. Ana comes forward with a cannon ball and you weight the sailcloth with it. Jesse hands you a sword and you slip it between the sail cloth and the rope.
"I'd like ter say a few words." Ana says, stepping forward. You nod. She pulls out a worn and tattered bible. You glance at her, surprised that you'd find such a thing on her person and she tenderly opens the cover to a page in the middle. She clears her throat and the men surrounding you fall silent. Tears form in your eyes and you are unable to hold them in. You notice that Katey has tears in her eyes as well, as does Ana. Ana's voice rings across the deck of the ship as she reads a passage from the bible. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not wan'. 'E makes me lie down in green pastures; 'E leads me beside quiet waters. 'E restores my soul; 'E guides me in the paths o' righteousness fer 'Is name's sake." Ana pauses to take a steadying breath. You'd forgotten she could read. "Even though I walk through the valley o' the shadow o' death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod an' Thy staff they comfort me. Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence o' my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup o'erflows. Surely goodness an' lovin' kindness will follow me all the days o' my life, an' I will dwell in the house o' the Lord forever." Ana stops and closes her bible. "Thank ye Ana." You say graciously. She nods and wipes a hand across her eyes. "Will Turner, I commend yer body to the sea, an' your soul to the heavens. A place we'd all like to go, but one that most won' achieve. I pray ye fin' happiness." You nod to Raycraft and Jesse. They gently heave Will's body over the rail and let it drop into the sea. A silence drops over the crew of the two ships and you let it hang. Gibbs places a hand on your shoulder and you look up into his gruff face. "I'm sorry abou' earlier Cap'n, I was upset. I've known 'Lizbeth an' Will since they were li'l." Gibbs says, his voice catching on Elizabeth's name. You nod, in understanding. "Nothin' ta worry abou' Gibbs, we're all a bit shocked." You say, and Gibbs cracks a wan smile. You look up into the crow's nest of the 'Pearl and Gibbs follows your gaze. Realizing that you can't possibly see into the crow's nest from the deck you run over to the Black Pearl. Gibbs follows close at your heels. "Wait 'ere." You tell him as you climb the mast. Upon reaching the top you notice that Jack isn't in the crow's nest. "Cap'n? Is 'e up there?" Gibbs calls up to you. You look down over the edge of the lookout and shake your head. Gibbs throws up his hands and walks away toward the Tiny Dancer. You head down the mast and quietly knock on the door to the captains quarters. A muffled voice calls from within. "Come in." You open the door and find Jack's cabin in shambles. He's seated in the chair by his bed, a bottle of rum in each hand. He appears not to notice you as you come in and stand behind him. You massage his shoulders and he eases back into the chair. "Did ye fin' anyone else'?" Jack asks, his voice slurred and you stop massaging him. "No." You say and Jack sighs in relief. "Commodore! Cap'n! We've found someone else! 'E's alive!" Comes the cry from one of Jack's crewmembers. Jack jumps out of his chair and bounds toward the door. You follow not even two steps behind him. "Holy mother of God!" You cry. Ana is carrying a small child in her arms. You run toward her and take the boy from her arms. He is no more than ten years old. His hair is brown and curls softly over his forehead. In places it is matted with blood and you stifle a gasp. He seems to resemble Will in a way, but his features are more delicate. "God no!" Jack cries gruffly and you look at him startled. You carry the boy to your cabin on the Tiny Dancer and place him gently in your bed. Jack hovers around him, hindering more than helping. Ana sighs exasperatedly and you pull Jack aside. "Jack - " You are interrupted by a small moan from the boy. Jack rushes over to the bedside and takes the boys small hand in his large callused one. His facial expression is one of paternal love. You glance to Ana and she shrugs. "Jack, how do you know this child?" "No' 'ere luv." Jack says, moving rather reluctantly away from the young boy. He takes your hand and starts to pull you out of the cabin. You stop and Jack looks at you strangely.
"I 'ave a funny feelin' I'm gonna need a strong drink." You say. You move through the throng of people in your cabin and reach into a cupboard under your desk. You pull out, not the bottle of vodka, but a bottle of strong brandy. Walking back to Jack you show him the brandy and he wraps his arm around your waist and hugs you close.
Jack takes your hand and pulls you out into the sunshine. He walks toward the mainmast and climbs up to the crow's nest. He motions for you to follow him. You stuff the bottle of brandy into your belt. Taking the rigging in your hands you swing through it to the top of the mast. Jack sits watching the sea. You climb in beside him and pass him the bottle of brandy. He takes a swig and shudders.
"Yer taste in alcohol is a bit strange luv." He says, you nod and take a swig yourself.
"I know." You say. "'Ow do ye know the chil'? I also 'ave a question abou' Will. 'Ow come the chil' looks like Will?" Jack doesn't say anything for a long while. So long a while that you think perhaps he's forgotten what you asked. You open your mouth to ask again and Jack starts to speak.
"The chil' is Will's son. They named 'im Jack after me. I was 'oping that 'e wouldn' be 'ere, bu' I guess that's too much ta ask, eh luv?"
"Will's son? But 'ow?"
"Him an' 'Lizbeth got married. They 'ad Jack nine months later. I can't believe that Will's dead."
"He weren't supposed ta die. 'E was supposed ta stay on land an' be safe! 'E weren't supposed ta die!" Jack says gruffly. He scrubs at his eyes and you see two tears fall down his cheeks.
"It's okay Jack. Let it out." You say, rubbing his back. You pull him to your chest and let him cry. When he quiets you kiss him lightly on the nose. "It's alrigh' Jack." You look into his eyes and instead of the sadness you expect, a burning rage fills his brown orbs.
"I want to kill the s that did this ta Will!" He hisses.
"No Jack. Killin' them won' make it any better." You say quietly.
"Then what do ye suppose we do?" Jack yells. "Ye wan' us ta go up ta them an' ask all polite an' stuff no' ta 'urt me friends?"
"No Jack. I wan' ta kill the as well. Bu' that won' be enough sufferin' fer them. Ye gotta make their lives a livin' 'ell." You take Jack's hand and look deep into his eyes. "We'll do this together, we'll fin' the s that did this to Will and li'l Jack, I promise."
"You don' 'ave ta promise me that luv, I knows it already." Jack says. "What's yer plan then?"
"We go ta Port Royal an' the Commodore wha' 'appened 'ere. We tell 'im all we know." You begin. "Then, we bring li'l Jack back to 'is mum an' explain ta 'er wha' 'appened."
"Alrigh' luv. You remin' me more an' more each day o' someone I once knew." Jack says pensively.
"An' 'ho might that be?" You ask. Jack shakes his head and you let it slide. Knowing Jack the story will be long winded and more than likely silly. Now is not the time for that kind of story. You decide to ask about it later.
"Let's get the crew." Jack says. You both head over to the Tiny Dancer where the crews of both it's self and the Pearl are eating a subdued meal. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: There....done...finally! Took me forever to write this chapter. I had a massive case of writer's block in the middle and had to go to a friend for help...my thanks Vanilla-Smoothie188, you go girl! Next chapter will be up soon...I hope.... Yours, Merlana~