Twilight Poet: Okies, chapter 11. Big hush, hush people, I'm not meant to be writing! If my parents catch me I'm as good as pudding in a dogs bowl.

Disclaimer: as usual Twilight Poet owns nothing…

Chapter 11 – In which another

-- Gin & Anamaria --

"Dead men tell no tales."

The girls cringed at the bird's deadly warning.

"Puts a chill in the bones how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage," Gibbs shuddered

"Not to mention all the dishonest ones too!" Anamaria added.

Gin, at the current moment, was curled up around the mast muttering, "sharks are gonna eat me… sharks are gonna eat me…hi ho the delli oh… in their belly I will go…"

Will came over and patted her shoulder awkwardly. Despite how abnormal she was, he didn't like to see her so afraid, "You're safe on the ship, you know…" but his comfort was useless, Gin could hear nothing but the waves lapping against the hull.

Anamaria shook her head, "It's no use, she'll be like that until we get out of this pass."

Sighing, Will took a seat and instead turned his attentions to his new found captain, "How is it that Jack came by that compass?"

"Not a lot's known about Jack Sparrow before he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isla de Muerta." Gibbs shrugged "That was before I met him, back when he was Captain of the Black Pearl."

"What?" Will's brow deepened, "He failed to mention that."

"Well, he plays things closer to the vest now. And a hard-learned lesson it was. See three days out on the venture the first mate comes to him and says everything's an equal share. That should mean the location of the treasure, too, so Jack gives up the bearings. That night there was a mutiny. They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die but not before he'd gone mad with the heat."

Will nodded, "Ah. So that's the reason for all the…" he went on with a corny imitation of Jacks movements.

Anamaria came up behind them, "Reason's got nothing to do with it. Now Will, when a man is marooned he is a given a pistol with a single shot – one shot. Well it won't do much good hunting or to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starvin' belly and thirst, that pistol will start to look real friendly. But Jack – he escaped the island, and he still has that one shot. Oh, but he won't use it, though, save for one man. His mutinous first mate."

"Barbossa."

"Aye." Gibbs and Ana nodded

Will mused, "How did Jack get off the island?"

As Gibbs told his oh-so fascinating story, Ana watched Jack with a dreamy expression on her face. Taking one last peek at the compass before popping it away, Jack noticed her staring and called her up, "Take the wheel for a bit won't you?"

At that moment Ana thanked God for the sailing lessons her father had made her take the term before, "Aye, Aye captain," she grinned, running over and taking the wheel.

Nodding in approval, Sparrow toddled off to say his famous line, "Human hair…from my back. Let go of the anchor! Young Mr. Turner and I are to go ashore."

Will tapped Jack's shoulder, "I think maybe we should bring little Gin along… she's not doing so well here."

Jack blinked in confusion before scanning the ship for the lass. He seeming quite surprised to see her placed half way up the mast, clinging for dear life, "how long has she been like that?"

"Since the first sharks were visible under the water cap'ain," Gibbs shrugged.

Shaking his head Jack walked over to the mast and leant on it, "Hey Hawkins? Think maybe you'll be joining us down here anytime soon?"

A soft voice came singing down to him, "I'm Henry the eighth I am… Henry the eighth I am, I am…"

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"I got married to the girl next door… she's been married 7 times before and all of their names were Henry, HENRY! And so I'm Henry the eighth."

For a moment Gin seemed to stop her garbled singing and the crew looked up to see if that meant she was coming down. She took a deep breath.

"Second verse same as the first! I'm Henry the eighth I am-"

"-are you gonna make me have to ask you about the things you said in your sleep out in the wide open, or are you going to come down and we can have a nice old chit-chat. Savvy?"

Gin practically let go of the poll… and in doing so practically fell on Jack.

"No dream speaking in front of the happy, happy people. Please and thankyou," she grinned nervously.

Jack smirked and dropped her to the ground, "C'mon then."

Suddenly Gibbs interrupted, "Captain! What if the worst should happen?"

"Keep to the code."

"Aye, the code."

"Leanie!" Gin cried as a thought flashed through her mind, "Hide all the cookies! Unless you want this whole thing to be visa versa!"

Anamaria paled and nodded.

--- Jade and Ruby ---

Just off corner, Ruby heard the two comical pirates talking.

"Ten years of hoarding swag-"

"And now we finally get to spend it!"

Pintel picked up a carousel (umbrella), "Once we're quit of the curse, we'll be rich men. And you can buy an eye what actually fits and is made of glass."

Ragetti blinked and rubbed hie eye, "This one does splinter something terrible."

"Stop rubbing it!" Pintel scowled.

After Bo'sun walked by and rolled his eyes at them, Ruby made her move, "Psst!" she hissed, "Hey! Rage-what'syourname!"

The glass-eyed pirate turned to glare at her, "What you want?"

"Your eye, it bothers you right?"

"What's it to you," Pintel frowned.

Ruby shook her head, "He's in pain man! Listen, I'm doing you a favour, if you should ever come across a pirate girl by the name of Gin Hawkins, tell her, 'Sarah calls a favour of Alex. A calico for her cats eye.' She'll give you something in exchange for this… you'll see what you can use it for when you get it." From her pocket Ruby brought a small cat doll made of a soft cloth.

Pure confusion spread across his usually insane face as Ragetti took the creature in his own filthy hands and stuffed it in his pocket. "Sarah, Alex, Calico-Cat's eye…"

Ruby chuckled, "Yeah, something like that."

--- GIN ---

Unable to keep silent much longer, Will turned to Jack, "What Code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?"

"Pirate's Code." Jack murmured between strokes, "Any man that falls behind…is left behind."

Will shook his head, "No heroes amongst thieves, eh?"

Gin growled, "You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates you're well on your way to becoming one. Sprung two pirates from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga…" They all peered over the side to see piles of gold scattered across the ground, "…and you're completely obsessed with treasure."

"That's not true," Will grunted, "I am not obsessed with treasure!"

Jack pointed over the top of a small hill, "Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate."

Barbossa was yakking away as Ruby and Jade stood in front of the huge chest, "Gentlemen, the time has come! Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near at end."

"Ruby…" Will whispered at the same time Gin squeaked to see her friends tied up.

Barbossa continued his speech, "For ten years we've been tested and tried, and each man jack of you here has proved his mettle a hundred times over and a hundred times again!"

The men cheered loudly and Ragetti yelled out, "Suffered, I have!"

All three girls rolled their eyes.

"Punished, we were. The lot of us - disproportionate to our crimes! Here it is," Barbossa knocked off the chest's lid, "…the cursed treasure of Cortés himself. Every last piece that went astray, we have returned…save for this." He pointed to the medallion around Ruby's neck.

Jack pulled Will back as the blacksmith tried to scramble up the hill.

"Not yet. We wait for the opportune moment."

Will sneered, "When's that? When it's of greatest profit to you?"

"May I ask you something?" jack sighed, "Have I ever given you reason not to trust me? Do us a favor – I know it's difficult for you, but please stay here and try not to do anything stupid."

As Jack went off, Gin watched Will grab a plank of wood and follow after – completely ignoring her. Nervous, she stumbled after them.

--- Jade and Ruby ---

The girls yawned, they had never really noticed how long Barbossa's dialogue was.

"And who among us has paid the blood sacrifice owed to the heathen gods?"

"Us!" cried the pirates

"And whose blood must yet be paid?"

"Hers!"

"Hers?" asked Ruby, "Don't you mean ours?"

"No," laughed the captain, "according to the curse, we only need the blood of the oldest… I believe that's you miss…"

Ruby blanched and Jade grimaced, the medallion in her pocket hanging heavily.

Barbossa smirked, "You know the first thing I'm goin' to do after the curse is lifted? Eat a whole bushel of apples." He took up the knife, "Begun by blood…by blood undone."

Ruby squeaked as the knife slid across her palm and dropped into the chest, blood and all.

"Did it work?" asked a pirate named Koehler.

Ragetti mused, "I don't feel no different."

"How do we tell?" Pintel called. Barbossa rolled his eyes and shot the short pirate.

There was a moment of silence before Koehler stated, "You're not dead."

"No." Pintel laughed, relieved. Growling he added, "He shot me!"

"It didn't work." Ragetti sobbed.

Twigg hissed, "The curse it still upon us!"

"You, maid! Your father, what was his name? Was your father William Turner?" Barbossa grabbed Ruby's arm and shook her.

"No." she smirked in triumph

Barbossa roared, "Where's his child? The child that sailed from England eight years ago, the child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner. Where?" he slapped Ruby and she went flying down the hill. Jade tried to slowly make her way down as well.

Bo'sun started the fight, "You two! You brought us the wrong person!"

As Pintel and Ragetti pleaded for their lives, Ruby slipped into the water with Will. Jade watched her go, not moving. Grinning, she hid on the hill to wait for Jack.

Barbossa put an end to the argument, "If any coward here dare challenge me, let him speak! Hmm?"

Koehler spoke up nervously. "I say, we cut her throat and spill all her blood, just in case."

Suddenly Barbossa saw his faithful monkey's pointing, "The medallion! They've taken it! Get after them! You feckless pack of ingrates!"

--- GIN ---

Jack and Gin rounded the corner of the rocks – Jack nursing a headache. Suddenly they were surrounded by pirates

Ragetti looked shocked, "You!"

"You're supposed to be dead!" Pintel frowned.

Jack looked down at himself, "Am I not? …Oh." He faced the group and began his stuttering, " Palulay…palu-li-la-la-lulu, parlili… parsnip, pasley, par - partner, partner…"

"Potato?" Gin grinned

Jack pulled a face, "Gin, don't help."

"Parley?" asked Ragetti curiously.

"Parley!" Jack cried, "That's the one. Parley! Parley!"

Pintel cringed, "Parley? Down to the depths whatever man that thought up "parley!" "

"That would be the French," Jack nodded.

As they were being lead away, Ragetti walked nervously up to Gin, a pained look on his face, "I.. err… A deal for Sarah's cat in exchange for Alex's eyes!"

Gin stared at him, dumbfound until he brought out the small soft kitten doll. She chuckled and shook her head, "Sarah's a good'un, she is." Taking the cat, Gin pulled from her shirt, a perfect cat's-eye marble, "Use it well, ok, friend? That's very special." With that she pocketed the doll and ran to catch up with Jack.

Ragetti looked at the marble, trying to process it. Taking out his wooden eye, he slipped the marble in its place. Blinking a few times, he grinned. Gin watched out of the corner of her eye and smiled.

"…good one Sarah…"

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Twilight Poet: Well… This is interesting, no? …but I think perhaps I have too many characters? …we shall see. An I had to give the poor bloke a better eye – I've always felt sorry for him.