Title:
One Week
Author: Niblet3
Fandom: Pirates of the
Caribbean
Ships: Jack/Elizabeth
Summary:
Barbossa wants something and wants Jack to get it for him. In case
he had any complaints, he is using something very important to the
Captain against him.
Disclaimer: Nope. I don't own them.
Rating: T
Notes: It may take me a while to
finish this, considering I just started my senior year. But, I will
get around to it sometime.
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It was the early morning of the first day of the third month, the day Jack was scheduled to pay up. It had been four months since Barbossa and the rest had rescued Jack from the ends of the earth, four months since Will Turner had destroyed Davy Jones, and four months since Elizabeth had realized that she was in love with Jack and decided to stay with him on his resurrected Pearl. Barbossa decided to take advantage of Jack, and before releasing him from his prison under the reign of the evil Sao Feng he made him promise to pay him back with 1,000 pounds in gold. Of course, at the time, Jack had agreed to get himself out of his current situation, but never actually planned on paying up. Barbossa had been reminding him by way of letters which would always wind up finding him, but Jack had always ignored them. At the moment, paying Barbossa was the last thing on his mind. He looked down and kissed the forehead of the sleeping woman in his arms. She smiled, and snuggled deeper into him.
"Are you all right, Jack?" She asked, sleepily, pulling herself up and nestling her face in his neck.
"Of course, love," He said, smiling at her constant concern for him.
"What... time is it?" She asked, shifting again.
"It's early... shh, love, go back to sleep," He whispered, wrapping his arms around her tighter. She sat up, pulling away slightly and looking at him with a lazy smile. He returned it, tracing circles in the bare skin of her back. He leaned over and kissed her shoulder, and she took the chance to kiss the back of his neck when he was bent over. They pulled apart and Elizabeth began to get out of bed. Jack looked at her retreating back, the covers wrapped around her, confused.
"What are you doing, Lizzie?" Jack asked, pressingly.
"I want to go outside and look at the ocean," She said, walking over with little steps to retrieve one of his shirts and a pair of his pants, quickly pulling them on. He closed his eyes in a moment of annoyance, and reached out for her.
"Liz, you can do that anytime. Anytime! We're going to be out at sea for months, love, at the least," He said, trying to grab onto her as she walked by. She narrowly escaped his grasp, a light giggle coming out of her.
"I want to see it in the early morning, you know how hard it is to get me up this early," She said, smiling slightly at him.
"Yes, and I'm sorry I contributed to it this time around. Fine, do what you like, just come in here when you're... finished," He said, waving his hands around and plopping himself back down on the pillows. Elizabeth tip toed over to him and laid a tiny kiss on his lips.
"You should come and join me," She whispered and then quickly walked out the door, leaving Jack waiting and wishing for more.
More than a few moments passed, and Jack had finally decided to take Elizabeth up on her offer. He was lazily pulling on a pair of pants, when he heard Elizabeth lightly saying his name right outside the door. He stopped for a moment, listening intently, not sure if he was hearing things. She said his name a little louder, and he was sure now he wasn't hallucinating.
"Liz, what are you doing?" Jack asked through the door. "Come back in here, you keep gaining volume you're gonna wake the crew," He said. She didn't respond, and after a moment he heard another whimper of his name. As soon as he heard the distressed tone of her voice he pushed the door open aggressively, revealing Barbossa holding Elizabeth, a knife pressed to her throat. Jack immediately rushed forward.
"Ah ah ah!" Barbossa exclaimed, pressing the knife tighter to her throat, causing her to cry out slightly. Jack sucked in a breath, putting his hands up.
"Don't hurt her, Barbossa," Jack said, warningly.
"You should have paid up by now, Jack," Barbossa said, stressing his name. "Do you have the gold?" Jack looked down, sighing.
"No, but I can-"
"That's it, Jack. This was the deadline and you didn't meet it," Barbossa said. Elizabeth's eyes were wide with fear, and Jack was breathing heavily, worried immensely for her well being.
"I can find it, Barbossa, I can," Jack said, determined.
"No, I've got a different deal for you, Jack. Since you have decided to take over being Captain of my ship, I'd like a ship of my own. One from the English fleet, specifically. One as big as the other ship you were on before, last time I saw you when I was Captain of this here Pearl. Then, I want you to bring it to the Isle de Cruces, where I'll be waiting. Do we have a deal this time, Jack?" He asked. Jack looked down, thinking about how he was going to do this without getting caught. He then looked up, and saw Barbossa grab onto Elizabeth's hand, backing up a few steps. He removed the knife from her neck for a moment, and cut a large gash in her hand. Elizabeth cried out and Jack winced. Barbossa took out a vile and emptied its contents into the gash in Elizabeth's hand, burning her. He then replaced the knife at her throat.
"What are you doing?" Jack yelled. Barbossa then closed her hand tightly, holding it shut with his own.
"Giving you a bit of incentive. I've just emptied a foreign poison into dear Elizabeth's wound here. At the moment, it is surging its way through her veins, slowly infecting her. If you do not get the antidote, she'll be dead within a week." Jack was horror stricken, his eyes opened to their full extent, his hands coming up to grip his head.
"And how am I going to find the antidote?" Jack yelled, panicked.
"Why, I have it, of course. All you have to do is get my ship and get there in time, and everything will be just fine," He said, smiling. "If you come without the ship, I will not give you the antidote, and she will die. Is this clear?" There was silence as Jack took this all in. "Is this clear, Jack?" Jack looked up, returning to the moment, and nodded his head vigorously. Only now was he noticing the small boat next to the Pearl. "If you fire on me while I'm leaving, you will never get the antidote, and she will die," Barbossa said, smirking. "One week, Jack." He then released Elizabeth and shoved her into Jack's arms, taking his leave. Jack quickly took her face in his hands, looking her over. He looked down and picked up her hand softly and opened her fingers, looking at the gash. It was bleeding, and turning a strange green color. Elizabeth gasped, horrified.
"Oh... my god..." She whimpered, leaning her head down on Jack's shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her waist, completely shocked at everything that had just taken place. Blood from the cut on her neck was dripping down onto the deck. Mr. Gibbs rushed up from below deck.
"What 'appened, Captain? We thought we 'eard yellin'!" He drawled, some of the crew members appearing behind him. Jack pulled Elizabeth to him tighter, and looked up at Mr. Gibbs.
"Gibbs, get to the wheel and head for Port Royal," He said, and looked down at the blood on the floor. "With great haste, Mr. Gibbs," He said, guiding a shaking Elizabeth into the cabin.
