Author's Note:
Well here's the second to last chapter. It's really long and took me quite a long time to write. Thanks to the reviewers Little Miss Sparrow (I love this music!), Readerfreak10, A Real Life Fallen Angel (Glad you thought it was good!), and Kissus (It's a lot of fun to write characters who can't stand each other!). And of course to enigmagirl2727 for beta-ing this chapter and helping me come up with the plot.
Chapter #11:
Within an hour Jack, Mr. Gibbs, Anna Maria, Will, Elizabeth, and Jacky were all on the Black Pearl waiting for Commodore Norrington and others from the town to come. The two groups had agreed that they needed to meet to discuss what course of action to take.
"Are you going to be all right?" Elizabeth asked Jacky with a worried expression.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Jacky snapped back. She was looking out at the shore, scanning the water for Commodore Norrington who was expected any minute. Elizabeth decided to let the matter drop fearing that the older woman would attack her if she kept asking.
And Elizabeth also thought that Jack would blame her for starting the fight.
Soon they saw Commodore Norrington, Captain Murray, and four British soldiers heading towards the Black Pearl in a rowboat. They arrived at the ship quickly and boarded. Captain Murray looked enraged and glared at the pirates with an almost palpable hatred. Commodore Norrington, on the other hand, was all business, pointedly ignoring Jackalyn. The four soldiers looked a little scared.
"Lovely to see you gents," Jack said pleasantly with a mocking bow, "a pleasure to have you fine upstanding citizens upon my humble ship."
"Spare me," Commodore Norrington snapped.
"After we deal with the other pirates we'll see you all face justice," Captain Murray said taking a step forward. Anna Maria and Mr. Gibbs chuckled but Jack just leaned right into the Captain's angry face.
"As it seems it was us who warned you in time to help you save your precious town from certain destruction I would suggest that you owe us thanks rather then punishment mate." Captain Murray stuttered and took a few steps back but before he could say anything else Commodore Norrington spoke up again.
"This is not the time for bickering," he pointed out, "we need to come up with a plan to stop Captain Randy from attacking. I believe I've come up with a solution. You lot are in possession of the map the Captain is looking for. Correct? The one you stole?"
"May I inform you that me and mine didn't do the actual stealing," Jack began, "but guess who did." Jacky subtly stomped on her father's foot.
"Who?" Norrington asked suspiciously.
"Some thief that lives in your town." Jack answered lamely. Commodore Norrington rolled his eyes but didn't press Jack for answers.
"Anyway all we have to do is give this Captain the map and wash our hands of the whole sordid affair."
"That map's ours," Anna Maria said, "we won't just give it away."
"Besides," Mr. Gibbs added, "Captain Randy likes killing. We were content to quietly steal the map in a bloodless fashion. Captain Randy knows where it is but he would rather just burn everything down."
"In a distinctly blood-ful fashion," Jack added.
There were several minutes during which everyone silently contemplated the situation searching for some way to resolve the issue. Finally Jack spoke up.
"Captain Randy always uses the same attack plan," he explained, "he sends most of his men out in small rowboats. The rest load the cannons. On his signal the men attack and the cannons fire all at once. The thing that we have on our side, that they don't, is surprise."
"We can hide along the dock and beach and when the rowboats land we can attack while they're struggling to get out," Elizabeth added.
"As well as having some people attack the ship itself," Will finished.
"What about their cannons?" Commodore Norrington asked. For the first time that night he was not acting as though the sight of these pirates made him sick. His inner soldier had forced him to grudgingly accept the unlikely partnership.
"Someone would have to sneak aboard and disable them," Jack said in an innocent voice that fooled no one, "it would of course have to be someone with the skills to get in and get out without being seen. Now I know that you British soldiers aren't all that skilled in being stealthy like but I think there's someone here who will pull it off nicely."
"I am not trusting some pirate to the disabling of those cannons," Captain Murray spoke up, "I demand that one of my soldiers accompany them on their mission."
"I will go," Commodore Norrington volunteered, "then I can join in the attack on the ship while Captain Murray oversees the attack on the land." Jackalyn opened her mouth to object but Jack beat her to it.
"That sounds good," he said clapping his hands together.
-- --
"I can't believe I volunteered for this," Commodore Norrington whispered for the twentieth time as he and Jacky prepared to swim out to the Golden Sail.
"You think I'm any happier with the situation?" Jacky asked squinting to see him in the darkness. "I'm sorry that I helped Jack but he's my father. If I could have changed that I would have a long time ago. But the last thing I wanted was for it to get between us. Not that I'd suppose there still is an 'us'. And after tonight if you never want to talk to me again, I'll understand. Hell, you never have to see me again after tonight."
"Jac- Miss Wol-" the Commodore shook his head before trying again, "Miss Sparrow it is not your family that- I am unable to- Jackalyn I trusted you and you lied to me." Even though it was dark and visibility was low he turned away.
Jackalyn started and almost dropped one of the oars. Commodore Norrington was still looking away but she stared at the back of his head intently all the same.
"We have to start swimming now," she said in a horse voice.
"Jackalyn I-" But she didn't let him finish. She slid into the water and swam towards the pirate ship. Commodore Norrington followed close behind her. Silently they made it to the ship. Together they crawled through a window through which the cannon would fire. Jacky went to one end and Commodore Norrington went to the other. Quickly they both went from one cannon to the next disabling them all.
-- --
Meanwhile on the Black Pearl Captain Jack Sparrow waited anxiously for Captain Randy to give his signal. He was more anxious then he could ever remember being before any other attack.
But he couldn't imagine why that would be…
-- --
Jacky and Commodore Norrington finally made it to the last cannon. As they both leaned over it, both disabling it together, Commodore Norrington whispered softly to Jacky.
"It would be terribly ungentlemanly of me to walk away after leading you on so," he said.
"I don't want to have this discussion with you, ever."
"What was that?" A harsh voice from above them asked. A second later they heard someone coming right over to where they were. Without thinking Jacky pulled Commodore Norrington into a little nook and they both froze, hardly daring to breathe as a pirate walked right past them.
Just then they heard Captain Randy giving the signal. For a moment they both felt an overwhelming relief.
That was until they realized that the signal meant that ten pirates would come in and try to fire the cannons. Pretty soon the room was full of pirates and Jacky and Commodore Norrington found themselves trapped in the niche while enemy pirates swarmed all around them.
Jacky and Norrington were both smashed into the cramped space that was hidden from the pirates. It was very loud from all of the pirates exclaiming over the fact that none of the cannons would fire.
"Stop touching me," Jacky hissed elbowing the Commodore in the ribs.
"I'm not touching you," he argued, "you're the one touching me."
"I am not!"
"Yes you certainly are."
"I'm not trying to touch you!"
"Jackalyn, will you marry me?"
"What?"
-- --
Jack looked around the battle that raged before him, feeling a sense of panic flooding through him. Jacky was no where to be seen and she and Commodore Norrington were supposed to be here so if she wasn't here then where the hell was she.
Captain Randy running at him, sword unsheathed, forced Jack to tear his mind away from his daughter and onto the business at hand. He may be worried but right now there was nothing he could do. Worrying wouldn't help Jacky.
But I just can't stop worrying, Jack admitted to himself as he blocked one of Captain Randy's wild thrusts.
-- --
"Now!" Jacky yelled as she jumped out, bringing out knives and beginning to fight her way through the pirates. With a shout Commodore Norrington pulled out his elegant sword and began slashing at the enemies.
-- --
On shore Captain Murray was pleased with how smooth the attack had gone. Looking out onto the ship he could see that the fighting was winding down and he grinned confidently. He made his way over to his second in command.
"As soon as the aggressive pirates are subdued I want you to start attacking Sparrow's pirates," he ordered.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you Captain," Elizabeth said. Captain Murray looked over to see Will and Elizabeth standing behind him, their swords pointed at him. With a snarl the Captain started to aim his gun at the couple.
Elizabeth tackled Captain Murray and the two of them toppled off the dock. Captain Murray hit the water with a splash. Will had already been in motion as the two of them had started to fall and caught Elizabeth's arm in time to keep her from falling too.
-- --
Captain Randy was faster then Jack would have ever guessed. Luckily his speed didn't give him the precision that Barbossa had had. Jack had also fought more powerful opponents.
But most importantly Jack was much more clever then Captain Randy.
Jack was so concentrated in trying to beat Captain Randy that he failed to notice the first mate sneaking up behind him.
But Anna Maria did.
With only a second to aim she shot the first mate and he fell like a stone. Jack and Captain Randy turned to see him fall and reveal Anna Maria still holding the smoking gun.
Taking advantage of Captain Randy's momentary lapse of concentration Jack lunged forward and stabbed Captain Randy through the heart. The stunned Captain fell without ever realizing what had happened.
With Captain Randy dead the pirate crew quickly surrendered and the crew of The Black Pearl and the British soldiers were victorious.